SXSW 2013 Review: SPRING BREAKERS

Bikinis. Boobs. Bongs. Booze. Blasphemy. Bullets. Bloodshed. Bad bitches.

Welcome to Harmony Korine’s vision of that great week of brainless college self-indulgence, Spring Breakers. By now, you’ve seen some kind of viral marketing – Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, and Selena Gomez with Rachel Korine (Harmony’s wife) in neon-colored bikinis, holding guns or wearing pink masks with the great tagline, “A coming-of-rage story.” Disney girls gone wild and batshit crazy, with a little help from mysterious James Franco and weirdo auteur filmmaker Korine. This group’s camaraderie is intoxicating.

Here’s the setup: Faith (Gomez), Brit (Benson), Candy (Hudgens), and Cotty (Korine) are in college, bored as hell, and ready to take off for a soberless week of fun in the sun – SPRING BREAAAAK. But here lies a big, big problem: they’re four very broke college girls. To get to the place where inebriated dreams come to true, they need a lot of cash.

Like any desperate college kids in the movies who need a lot of cash and quick, they steal a professor’s car and rob a diner. The girls are now off for a week of debauchery, madness, and more chaos than they could ever imagine. After a few days of raging, the girls land in jail, only to be quickly bailed out by Alien (James Franco), who sees potential in these four misfits aching for chaos. They’d be good help for his business. He’s in the robbing clueless-college-bros-on-spring-break-vacation business and, dear reader, business is booming.

When going into a Harmony Korine movie, one should know this is one of the most unconventional filmmakers of our time. At 19, he wrote a very controversial feature called Kids, surrounding skateboarders and the AIDS epidemic. He followed that up with his directorial debut centered on a bunch of white trash kids (starring Chloë Sevigny) doing white trash things called Gummo. And before Spring Breakers, he released a shot-on-VHS movie called Trash Humpers, about a group of misfits that, yep, hump trash, break in and destroy homes, and wreak havoc in their town. Korine doesn’t live by Hollywood rules. He smashes the shit out of them and makes the films he wants to make. He’s not weird for the sake of being weird. He’s just fucking weird. Take it or leave it. This man knows exactly what he’s doing.

I’ve been saving the best part for last – James Franco as the dreadlocked, tattooed up, silver grill-wearing rapper-gangster, Alien. Let’s get this out of the way – Franco’s Alien isn’t based on the popular real life rapper Riff Raff. According to Franco himself, he’s based off an underground rapper named Dangeruss, who does look like Riff Raff. (But if us girls are going to get real for a minute, we can all agree the best white gangster with dreads is Gary Oldman’s Drexl Spivey from True Romance.) This what I love about Franco – his brain is a mountain of curiosity. That’s why you see him in so many diverse roles: “General Hospital,” playing a scientist in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, a stoner in Pineapple Express, and all of the other odd roles you’ve seen him in. The dude really wants to challenge himself and take on projects and roles that are not something he’d normally do. It’s beautiful.

If this review hasn’t sold you yet, here are five more important reasons why you need to see Spring Breakers: it comes with an adrenaline-fueled soundtrack by Skrillex and Cliff Martinez (the brilliant mind behind Drive’s score), there’s a hypnotic scene of Britney Spears’ “Everytime” performed by Alien and the girls, real life gangster rapper Gucci Mane stars as the film’s villain, and there’s as much balls to the wall madness as one can really, honestly, truly expect to see on spring break. And a lot of boobs. I’m going to write the first nine words of this review again, and in bold, to really drive it home: Bikinis. Boobs. Bongs. Booze. Blasphemy. Bullets. Bloodshed. Bad bitches. Spring Breakers is the rawest (and perhaps greatest) movie about spring break ever.

From the GATW Archives: SXSW 2011 EXCLUSIVE: MY SUCKY TEEN ROMANCE clip

When I think about how much 18 year old filmmaker Emily Hagins has already accomplished in her short life, I reflect back to my sucky teen years and how I didn’t really achieve anything until adulthood. Hagins has made three feature films already and the third, MY SUCKY TEEN ROMANCE, will be making its world premiere at the prestigious Paramount Theatre on Tuesday, March 15th at 9:30PM during the SXSW Film Festival.

To tame that bloodthirsty appetite to finally see MSTR, we’ve been supplied with an exclusive clip from the film. In this clip, one of our main characters, Paul (Patrick Delgado), gets held up at gunpoint when a vampire (Devin Bonnée) who looks eerily like Robert Pattinson is hungry for money. Hit the break to see the clip and official synopsis!

From the GATW Archives: SXSW 2011 Review: FUBAR: BALLS TO THE WALL

Rating: 4/5

Director: Michael Dowse
Writers: David Lawrence, Paul Spence, Michael Dowse
Cast: David Lawrence, Paul Spence, Rose Martin

Dean (“Deaner”) and Terry don’t ask for a lot in life. All they want is a trunk load of beer, heavy metal music, and an occasional acid trip vacation. They live day to day doing the most idiotic things an 18 year old headbanger from the 1980s without any direction in life would do (see above photo). There are no rules in Dean and Terry’s world, and anarchy to them means slumming it without all of the violence. As a viewer, it’s attractive watching these two comedically destroy their lives all the while trying to better themselves.

FUBAR: BALLS TO THE WALL picks up eight years after the original film left off. Dean (Paul Spence) is free of testicular cancer so his mom and best friend, Terry (David Lawrence) decide to throw him a party. These three don’t party like my mother and I would (chips, cheese dip, and Diet Dr. Pepper), these three set fire to the home they currently live in, cut through walls with a chainsaw, and walk away like it’s all normal. Shortly after they travel away from their home to try and get jobs with a friend, country-listening, rap-singing Tron (Andrew Sparacino), at a construction plant. Two metal heads working with heavy machinery while under the influence of something, anything, cannot and will not go well.

BALLS TO THE WALL sets up as a faux documentary, like a successful feature-length episode of NBC’s The Office. The film was written by Lawrence, Spencer, and Michael Dowse, and the film was directed by Dowse. These three worked together on the first, and like the first, they’re behind-the-lens chemistry is flawless. I’ve seen many flicks where teens and young adults live life without a job, money, or care for what’s going to happen tomorrow, but FUBAR 1 & 2 marks the first time I’ve seen full blown adults (with a teenage mentality) attempt that idea. I believe the FUBAR films are an experiment - can two knuckheads really get by doing nothing but partying and drinking beer? Is it believable? Absolutely. Dowse puts Dean and Terry in places and situations that probably wouldn’t work for most adults, but here, it makes sense when they do work. They happen to stumble on the right things at the right time and do the most idiotic things to get by.

As strangely as this sounds, Dean and Terry are very charming fellows with a lot of heart. The best examples of this involves a scene where D&T go hunting for hockey pads for Dean’s daughter on Christmas Eve. The stepfather of his child has already purchased some and is willing to give them to Dean for her, but that’s just not how a father should give his daughter a gift. So, these two destroy a sports store and Terry’s newly purchased vehicle just so Dean’s precious daughter can open a gift from him. This is, folks, is a strangely adorable example of the do-good blood these two fuck-ups have in their hearts.

This review may be slightly confusing, as I’m recommending a movie about two substance abuse metal heads with a lot of heart, but I promise you, dear reader,  BALLS TO THE WALL does not fall short of excellent comedic cinema.

From the GATW Archives: SXSW 2011 Review: A BAG OF HAMMERS

Rating: 4/5

Director: Brian Crano
Writers: Brian Crano, Jake Sandvig
Cast:  Jason Ritter, Jake Sandvig, Chandler Canterbur, Rebecca Hall, Carrie Preston, Carrie Preston, Amanda Seyfried

Alan and Ben are a pair of slackers who pay rent by working valet at funerals. No, wait, wait that’s very incorrect. Alan and Ben are a pair of slackers who pay rent by boosting cars while posing as valet employees at funerals. Sounds morbid and cruel, but A BAG OF HAMMERS is actually a bag of charm.

In any case, Alan (Jake Sandvig) and Ben (Jason Ritter) are too lazy to work normal jobs, so they steal cars and sell them to a local car shop for scrap. They live in a little duplex and rent one out to a struggling mother and child, Kelsey (wonderfully played by Chandler Canterbury). When that mother winds up abandoning the child, Alan and Ben take him in to build a family of their own. Think Two and a Half Men, but without the tiger blood.

A BAG OF HAMMERS is co-writer/director Brian Crano’s first feature film, and I’m crossing my fingers (and torso) that it’s not his last. Crano manages to give an unhealthy story about two misfit adults who commit grand theft auto a lot of heart. Crano understands how to mix clever adult humor with serious life themes. A BAG OF HAMMERS does take an unexpected turn, but Crano does not drop the ball, not once; as the title suggests, sometimes life throws us a bag of hammers and we just have to deal with it.

Full disclosure: I’ve never really paid much attention to Jason Ritter’s career and now I’m thinking this was a bit foolish of me; Crano’s feature-length directorial debut is a hammering heads up that it’s now time for everyone to be more aware of this man. Ritter channels his brilliant father’s comedy and gives us a hilarious performance as Ben, that slacker you just hate to love. He’s charming, funny, and means well - even if he doesn’t know he’s meaning well. I must also note that Ritter bounces wonderfully off fellow actors Sanvig, Canterbury, and Rebecca Hall.

A BAG OF HAMMERS is a heavy reminder that you don’t need to be fast and furious to tell a smart and entertaining story about stealing cars.

From the GATW Archives: SXSW 2011 Video Interview: THE CATECHISM CATACLYSM writer/director Todd Rohal and actor Robert Longstreet

THE CATECHISM CATACLYSM is one fucked up movie, but if you’re reading this because you want to watch this video, you’re probably already in the know. When I talk about amongst people who have no idea what THE CATECHISM CATACLYSM (CAT CAT for short) is, I simply tell them, “it’s not a movie - it’s an experience.” That’s probably the smartest way to describe what you’re about to walk into. Any fan of Jody Hill and/or David Gordon Green’s previous work will eat this movie up.

After the break is my video interview with CAT CAT writer/director Todd Rohal and actor Robert Longstreet, who has been deemed the king of Sundance and SXSW because he’s been in so many films which played at both festivals. Please excuse the error in my first question, I had not seen THE GUATEMALAN HANDSHAKE (Rohal’s first film), and was under the impression it was a short. But, my other questions are more accurate and a lot more fun, so enjoy!

From the GATW Archives: SXSW 2011 Interview: A BAG OF HAMMERS co-writer/director Brian Crano

Brian Crano’s first feature A BAG OF HAMMERS premiered just a few weeks ago in Austin at the SXSW Film Festival, where I saw it and instantly fell in love (with the film, not Crano - sorry, dude, that just might be too creepy). A BAG OF HAMMERS follows two misfit best friends, Ben and Allan (played by Jason Ritter and Jake Sandvig, respectively), who get by doing no good. They’re thrown a bag of hammers when they take a mother and fatherless boy under their wings.

I unsuccessfully tried to interview Crano in person at the festival, but my schedule kept train-wrecking so he was nice enough to pass along his email for us to conduct an interview that way. After the break is our conversation about the film, which I believe you will find very fascinating, especially if you’re a young filmmaker hungry for originality and exposure. Enjoy!

A BAG OF HAMMERS is your first feature. The film deals with serious tones but in a lighthearted and comical way. Where did the idea of this film first come from?

In the most simplistic terms from a desire to make a buddy comedy. At the time we wrote the script, pre- Apatow rightly turning into the Sun, pre- Wedding Crashers, there was a kind of buddy comedy drought. I wanted to use the central relationship in the film — two best friends — as a metaphor for alternative families and the tropes of a buddy comedy seemed like the perfect fit. The idea was to start the film true to that style, broad comedy - light on consequence and kind of lure the audience into a false sense of security about what they are watching. Then when the plot turns and the rug is pulled out from the two lead characters to do the same thing to the viewer, so the tone and seriousness of the film is suddenly asking a lot more of them emotionally than what they might have bargained for. This was very deliberate, as I really believe that form and content should marry, so I want the audience to be on the same ride as the characters. It’s fun for me to have seen this play out for the first time with an audience at SXSW. It was a big experiment that seemed to work really well, there were a lot of laughs and a lot of sniffles in all the right places. I never want watching the film or anything I do to be a passive experience. I want the audience to have no sense of where the story is leading them and really fight to preserve some sense of genuine surprise, which is such a rare, rare thing to feel when you go to a film, the economics of which dictate that they must branded and advertised within an inch of its life just to get you to the theatre.

You’ve worked with Rebecca Hall three times now [first two have been Crano’s shorts, RUBBERHEART and OFFICIAL SELECTION, respectively]. What is it about her that makes you want to keep casting her in your films?

I met Rebecca in the early 2000s when I cast her in a workshop of a play that I wrote, 12th PREMISE. And it turns out, without knowing it at the time, I had cast my favorite actress and one of my best friends. We approach work in the same way, I think. Rebecca wants to be challenged. She works hard, is rigorous in her approach but has a really good time on set. She’s always treading new ground. And she’s never a pain in the ass. When you work with Rebecca, it’s like one less thing you have to worry about because she will reliably do something brilliant, much better than whatever you had in mind. I will keep offering her work forever and hope very much she keeps saying yes.

I have not seen your shorts, but I have seen A BAG OF HAMMERS and it’s obvious you have an eye for finding actors who mesh well together on screen. What’s your casting process like and how do you know when you’ve found the right people?

Casting is really a fun process. So I like to take my time withit. With BAG we knew that the chemistry between the two leads was critical to the film’s success. I wanted to meet a lot of people, to just talk withthem first, get a sense of who they were, how they like to work and what they thought about the film. Then if they seemed like they would fit in, we would have them come back in and read. This took a few months but was worth it because you end up discovering people like Jason Ritter, who I hadn’t thought of for the role and ended up being perfect; or Carrie Preston whose audition was so strong it changed my perception of the character. I come out of theatre background where the idea of repertory company is really prevalent and it appeals to me greatly. There are about ten or twelve actors that no matter what I’m doing, I’m always looking for a way to cast with them.

You wear many hats in all your films (writer, director, producer) - do you want to keep this trend going or would you like to eventually just write or direct?

I think that I’ll keep it up. I really enjoy the various stages of the process, and they all interrelate, so why not? I’ll keep directing what I write, but I’d like to produce for others as well. Rebecca has a movie that she’s working on that I would like to work on as a producer. And I am attached to direct a film that I didn’t write, at the moment, which is really exciting. It’s a very different process being not emotionally attached to any particular part about the script, having no baggage or whatever. It’s been really cool starting this process. But ultimately, it’s so appealing to have an idea and see it through from the writing process through completion I think I’ll keep doing it all.

A BAG OF HAMMERS deals with young adults who unconsciously refuse to grow up. Being 28, I relate to it because there are times when it hits me that I’m almost 30 and still don’t have it all together, so I often call my sweet mother to see if she’s proud of what I’ve down with my life so far. With that awkward introduction to my personal life, does any of this story come from your personal experiences?

I think the part of the story that relates to my personal experience the most is about the desire to have a family and the knowledge that that family isn’t going to be made up of a husband, a wife, 2.3 kids and a dog. In another way, the film is about people who have had bad things happen to them and still have to move forward. That is close to my experience, my mother was very sick for a while and the weight of that stays with you and changes you, whatever you are doing. But I’m a total momma’s boy and definitely seek approval constantly, so you are not alone.

What’s it like having your feature premiere at a very prestigious and popular film festival like SXSW?

It was really very special. It took six years to make this film and throughout that process you are really formulating the A side of a conversation. South By gave us a huge platform to hear the B side of that conversation and let us engage with a big broad audience. It was honestly the festival where we wanted to launch the film because, having been there in the past, the energy and spirit of the festival was right for this kind of movie. And the whole SXSW team was so great to us and the response to the movie down there was so strong — it was a dream.

A BAG OF HAMMERS is on both Facebook and Twitter. How do you think this has helped market the film?

Well it certainly makes us more accessible. People have written us little questions or notes, and we’ve been invited to screen at other festivals via these mediums so that is helpful. It’s also a useful way for us to feedback, watching Twitter after screenings was kind of a group pastime. And the obvious things like sharing reviews and press stuff with people who are keeping an eye on @abagofhammers or abagofhammers.com (shameless plug).

What’s next for A BAG OF HAMMERS?

We’re screening at Nashville Film Festival and Newport Beach Film Festival and we’ve been asked to screen at a few others. And we’re in the process of selling the film, which is a nice thing.

From the GATW Archives: SXSW 2010 Review: TRASH HUMPERS

Rating: 8/10

Writer/director: Harmony Korine
Cast: Charles Ezell, Kevin Guthrie, Harmony Korine, Rachel Korine, Chris Gantry, Travis Nicholson, Page Spain

Congratulations, Harmony, you’ve just made the weirdest movie ever.

If I could described Harmony Korine’s TRASH HUMPERS in one sentence, I would say “Weird people doing weird shit while humping trash cans and trees.” Since you’re reading this, I’m going to assume you’ve already seen Harmony’s previous films and you already know weird is Harmony’s God given gift. Harmony’s that guy that’s not weird for the sake of being weird, he’s just naturally strange and cares 0% about what people think of him or his films. By definition, he fits the bill. His recent outing is called TRASH HUMPERS. It’s extremely, um, colorful (trying to avoid that noun you know I want to use), and after a few days of what I just saw marinating in my brain, I came to the realization that TRASH HUMPERS is something I want to hang on to.

TRASH HUMPERS is a feature-length collective of three elderlys (or young people posing to look elderly by wearing cheap Freddy Krueger masks - I’ll let you decide) who do random acts of destruction, violence and yes, trash humping. I wrote down a small list of other things that happened throughout the film which raised enough attention to note: They clean a wheelchair at the car wash, lurk in windows and spank overweight strippers while one of them sings “Holy Night.” Through out the film, the Humper holding the camera belts out a haunting laugh. At other random moments, a new character is brought in and does some type of speech, those consist of: a little boy (who teaches us how to murder a doll by hammering it on a basketball court), a 50-something year old man dressed up in a skimpy maid’s costume that you have no doubt seen on Halloween who belts nonsense that I couldn’t even transcribe if I tried, two twins (random men connected by panthose at the head) make pancakes while the camera person yells “Make it make it! Don’t fake it!” repeatedly, and a man who stares at the camera and “woo woos” like a train for five to six minutes. This is TRASH HUMPERS in a nutshell.

TRASH HUMPERS was shot and edited on VHS - which makes the collected footage appear even more raw and disturbing. Harmony wants his audience to view this like it’s actual found footage of three sociopaths who filmed themselves lurking the streets and wrecking everything in their path. Throughout the film, the camera tries to auto correct and the images become distorted due to being shot on VHS (now been fixed due to the digital age). This is where I tip my hat to Harmony. Shooting in such a dirty style put the film on a grand scale of surrealism. If you didn’t know who Harmony Korine was and I told you this video was real, you’d believe me.

The audience is supposed to view this film like it was a tape randomly stumbled upon whether it be wondering down the road or coming across in someone’s trash. This feel gives the film a horrifying presence because it’s a sad realization that there are crazy individuals out there that just want to destroy the world. Since you’re at the end of this review, you know what you’re in for when watching TRASH HUMPERS.

From the GATW Archives: Video Interview: Trevor Moore/Zach Cregger (THE WHITEST KIDS U KNOW)

Interviewed by: James Wallace & Chase Whale
Edited by: Chase Whale
Shot on: Panasonic HVX-200
Song: “White Bitch” by Horsedick.mpeg

From the still image on your left, you know everyone enjoyed doing this interview a little too much. Sit back and watch as we talk about Trevor & Zach’s experience writing/directing their first feature together, the words “fuck, shit, cunt, and dick,” a WHITEST KIDS U KNOW feature film, and a possible spin-off called SLUMLIGHT, a movie about poor Indian vampire children.

From the GATW Archives: SXSW 2011 Video Interview: WIN WIN writer/director Tom McCarthy and actor Alex Shaffer

Talking to Tom McCarthy is a real treat. We first spoke back in 2007 for his second feature, THE VISITOR, which became one of my top 10 films of that year. Fun fact: McCarthy and actor Richard Jenkins were my first on-camera 1:1 interview and I made the mistake of telling them that prior to the interview, which led to McCarthy having a little fun with it.

As you probably (most definitely if you’re a GATW regular) see, McCarthy’s back with a new film, WIN WIN, which opened just a few days ago. If you look a few posts below, you’ll see my interview with the two of the stars in the film, Paul Giamatti and Amy Ryan. Here I talk to McCarthy and newcomer Alex Shaffer. In the film Shaffer plays a wrestler but only a few may know that Shaffer is actually a champion wrestler in real life.

Check out the video interview after the break, and make sure to watch to the very end where McCarthy tells me a very nice and unexpected surprise.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE INTERVIEW!

From the GATW Archives: SXSW 2011 Video Interview: WIN WIN actors Paul Giamatti and Amy Ryan

Paul Giamatti and Amy Ryan have grown to become two of my favorite people to watch on screen. They’re funny, awkward, and don’t really need to say much for me to understand what they’re feeling. I spoke with the duo last week at SXSW about their recent performances as a struggling married couple in Tom McCarthy’s very wonderful third feature, WIN WIN. It would be a lie if I said I wasn’t a tad bit nervous; it’s a bit difficult to keep composure around two people you deeply admire.

Check out the quick interview after the break; Giamatti and Ryan talk about how they got involved with WIN WIN, and Giamatti talks a little more about his real life persona channeling his fictional character, Mike Flaherty.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE INTERVIEW!

From the GATW Archives: SXSW 2011 Video Interview: HESHER co-writer/director Spencer Susser

A year ago, Spencer Susser’s HESHER made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. Like a bat out of hell, I fell in love with this film and actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt; with HESHER, Joe strips down his handsome face, bangs the world over the head to prove he’s a truly talented actor who’s here for the role, not the fame. He took a chance with first time feature director Spencer Susser, whose story of HESHER is very dark, very sad, and very raw, but all at the same time, very beautiful.

A few days ago at SXSW, I finally caught up with Susser to talk about HESHER. I stress the bold and italics for the word “finally” in the previous sentence because Susser and I made several attempts to sit down to do a nice interview but, as you probably know, making plans at a very large festival is idiotic and almost insane.

I’m really glad our time spent happened right before Susser left for the airpot because our location was quiet and we had enough time to cover everything I wanted to know about HESHER (it’s a lot). He’s a really talented filmmaker and I plan on championing his career as long as I’m doing this whole movie film website stuff. Enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE INTERVIEW!

From the GATW Archives: SXSW 2011 Video Interview: BELLFLOWER actors Rebekah Brandes, Jessie Wiseman, and Tyler Dawson

Just a few months ago, Evan Glodell’s indie flick BELLFLOWER premiered at Sundance (my review HERE). After its debut, BELLFLOWER became one of the most talked about films playing at the fest and was shortly picked up by Oscilloscope. Oscilloscope brought writer/director/jack-of-all-trades Glodell, actors Rebekah Brandes, Jessie Wiseman, and Tyler Dawson, the Medusa, and lots of crickets to be swallowed to SXSW to screen where, again, everybody talked about it. This is that film that will have your mind spinning days after you’ve first seen it.

I finally caught up with three of the four stars of BELLFLOWER: Rebekah Brandes, Jessie Wiseman, and Tyler Dawson. After doing the interview, I realized this: this crew is a family. They’ve sacrificed a lot together and poured (fake) blood, sweat, and tears into this film. They know they’ve made something very unique. Check out the video interview after the break, where we dive into the process of making BELLFLOWER.

Note: This interview was conducted with Soundtrack Editor, Allison Loring.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE INTERVIEW!

From the GATW Archives: SXSW 2011 Video Interview: RED RIDING HOOD director Catherine Hardwicke and actor Shiloh Fernandez

Catherine Hardwicke’s RED RIDING HOOD premiered at SXSW just a few days ago and Hardwicke and RRH’s lead actor Shiloh Fernandez were in town promoting the film and doing interviews. I have not seen most of Hardwicke’s films but I am very aware she did production design for one of my favorite films ever, TAPEHEADS (she also designed the film’s logo). So, what did I do? I bought a VHS version of TAPEHEADS on eBay and during my interview gave it to her.

Most of that conversation is caught at the very end of this interview, but you can tell by the smile on Hardwicke’s face that she’s still a fan of this film, which makes me adore her. In the little time we had, we chatted about the beloved fairytale “Red Riding Hood,” and Fernandez gave a little insight on some of the differences in working on a studio vs. indie film. We also talked about my Red Riding Shoes, which have are model numbered 420 and made for a awkwardly great question from Shiloh.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE INTERVIEW!

From the GATW Archives: TRASH HUMPERS Writer/Director Harmony Korine Video Interview

Interviewing Harmony Korine is a rare treat. The 37-year-old writer/director/actor has lived a very strange and interesting life which shows through his work (books, photographs and films). Two years ago we spoke at SXSW’s 2008 festival for his film, MISTER LONELY, which went on to become one of my top films of 2008. This year he’s returned to promote his latest weird fest, TRASH HUMPERS (review can be found HERE), a VHS shot and edited film about three elderly sociopaths who trash (and hump) their town.

Before we got into the interview, Harmony brought out the awesome and drew and narrated a strange but thought-provoking poem on a whiteboard in the room we were in (see pic. above!). We also spoke about possible future projects which include vomiting dogs and a comedy that Celine Dion, Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers would want to see. This is without a doubt the most interesting part of my SXSW 2010 trip. Enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE INTERVIEW!

Video Interview: BEGIINNERS Writer/Director Mike Mills

Grief. This is what brought Mike Mills’ BEGINNERS to life. I spoke with Mills last week at SXSW on behalf of BEGINNERS, which is very personal take on the last five years of his father’s life. Over the last three years of covering interviews for GATW, I’ve learned this: directors are the most intriguing people to speak to. I know this is a pretty idiotic observation as it’s fairly obvious (there’s so much picking you can do at a person’s brain who’s made a film), but as I’ve grow with this site, my conversations with filmmakers are starting to get more interesting and sometimes much more personal.

In this interview, Mills opens up about the process of making this film, which was difficult considering its subject. Check it out after the break. Also, check out Mill’s blog where he recaps his SXSW adventure in a two minute video.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO!

2011 Video Interview: BEGINNERS writer/director Mike Mills

Grief. This is the one adjective which brought Mike Mills’ BEGINNERS to life. I spoke with Mills last week at SXSW on behalf of BEGINNERS, which is very personal take on the last five years of his father’s life. Over the last three years of covering interviews for GATW, I’ve learned this: directors are the most intriguing people to speak to. I know this is a pretty idiotic observation as it’s fairly obvious (there’s so much picking you can do at a person’s brain who’s made a film), but as I’ve grow with this site, my conversations with filmmakers are starting to get more interesting and sometimes much more personal. In this interview, Mills opens up about the process of making this film, which was difficult considering its subject. Check it out after the break. Also, check out Mill’s blog where he recaps his SXSW adventure in a two minute video.