MovieChat Forums > Trash Humpers (2011) Discussion > So much worse than Gummo...

So much worse than Gummo...


...The film Trash Humpers tried being a sequel to, apparently, but failed.

Harmony Korine's said before in interviews that he tries to be as unattached as possible when directing his films. This is a method I understand and respect, but the reality is it's hard to base a plotless film around entirely unsympathetic characters because of the shortage of elements which compel an audience to continue paying attention.

All of the Gummo protagonists were kids--some more innocent than others, admittedly--all of whom we cared about, because they weren't actively being malicious. This opposed to the chronically mean, vicious, sociopathic protagonists in TH, who just broke *beep* in every other scene and were unrelatable to in any way except by the criminally insane. The Gummo kids may have been coming-of-age in bizarre ways, but we were still able to relate to how they perceived their experiences. The TH characters' apparent absence of humanity, on the other hand, made them caricatures, and their motivations inexplicable (and, presumably, irrelevant).

In addition, there's just nothing artistic about a 70-minute montage of violence. Gummo's distinctive, eye-popping set designs helped put its violence in a context, providing a contrast from the bleak and the raw. I understand TH style choices, but they worked against the film on an (ironically) artistic level.

Shame on Harmony Korine for jumping the shark with this lazy, repetitive, self-indulgent, mess of a "film"; Basically nothing more than a safer, more practical version of the never completed "Fight Harm." http://www.harmony-korine.com/paper/index/i_fight.html For a Gummo II that works, see Julien Donkey-boy instead.

reply

I'm sorry, but a mature/literate audience doesn't need to be 'compelled' to pay attention. They do so when viewing a film because that is, presumably, what they are there to do.

I can certainly see this film as being trying on one's patience, but that's part of the point. So's the repetitiveness of it. In the context of this film, these things aren't flaws - this is how this particular film works, and viewers should at least make the effort to take it on its own terms rather than expect it to fit into whatever expectations they may have.

Finally, if "Gummo" was good, it wasn't because of 'eye popping' sets...

reply

Why would a "mature/literate" audience make it past 3 minutes of this film?

Again, literate? Was this film a book?

If there's any correction to be made about the OP's post, it's that he missed something about the character development... there were no characters. In fact, it was kids in masks pretending to be elderly.


I understand that there's a lot of defense being put up over this director, and that you cannot say what is and isn't art.

But DAMN. This "movie" is just... bad. If anyone sees ANY relation to current events, humanity, or real life... you need to leave the trailer park.



http://us.imdb.com/name/nm2339870/

reply

Again, literate? Was this film a book?

oh goodness...please tell me you are joking...

reply

adjective: literate

1.
(of a person) able to read and write.
synonyms: able to read/write, educated, schooled
"many of the workers were not literate"


Are you literate?

reply

4.
having knowledge or skill in a specified field:

i.e.:
Is she computer literate? The boss needs a computer‐literate assistant.


Yeah, nice try buddy...I can't take someone seriously who doesn't even know the full definition of literate and then tries to get snobby about a film and berate someone on use of said word when it was used correctly.

Demian Cypher was clearly talking about people who were literate in film...not a book...goodness

reply

There wasn't much to this film, admittingly, but I found it a lot more entertaining than Gummo. I also am somewhat disturbed by you -- and others -- constantly questioning whether this is "Art" or not. Who cares? All that matters if it moves you or not.

"distinctive, eye-popping set designs"

Where were these at in Gummo?

"lazy, repetitive, self-indulgent, mess of a "film"; "

Korine didn't intend this to be a "film", he meant for it to be an"artifact". Like a "found footage tape". So, if we're talking "art" here -- that's a hell of a lot more "artistic" than just another random movie.



-
pre·ten·tious: characterized by assumption of dignity or importance.

reply

In the words of the almighty Zim...

"Worse? ... or BETTER?"

The only real enemy to have ever existed, is an eternal one.

reply

trash humpers was never intended as a sequel to gummo.

and if you didn't like gummo why are you even bothering to watch trash humpers?

"I forgot where I am..."
destroyallcinema.wordpress.com

reply

i liked this one way more than gummo.

gummo is still really good, in my opinion, but it didn't stay with me the way this one did. trash humpers is pretty unrelenting and kind of hard to watch, but i really appreciate the found footage concept of this movie.

like instead of finding a video of something fantastic (like cloverfield or paranormal activity or something), you were to have stumbled on this video that a bunch of old perverts made.

it's interesting to watch and even though there's no plot or arc, it's awesome.

reply

I found this slightly better than Gummo but both films are much less painful than Julien Donkey-Boy.

reply

I agree. I actually wanted to like this film. I love the idea of using old VHS tapes to film a demented found footage movie with a cast of misfits.

But unfortunately, there hardly was any of that. Its just a bunch of people rambling about nonsense most of the time.

Stuff like this reminds me of "Movie Poop Shoot.com" from Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

reply

first of all empathy not sympathy...most likely schizophrenic elderly people won't be watching this movie so wtf makes you think you are supposed to relate to that?...Korine tries to be as stand-offish as Kubrick, pretty much the opposite of self-indulgent...and you don't have to relate to something in order to get something from it, how old are you?

reply