~UP-DATE: LARRY CLARK/KEN PARK/CANAL CHAPTER
FRAME FROM LARRY CLARK/’KEN PARK’ (2002)/CANAL CHAPTER SCREENING
TIFFANY LIMOS in LARRY CLARK’S ‘KEN PARK’ (2002)/CANAL CHAPTER SCREENING
JUST FOR THE RECORD – the opening film credits do state: DIRECTED BY LARRY CLARK & ED LACHMAN.
In my humble opinion, no offense to Larry, and he probably agrees – this movie is probably the worst movie I’ve ever seen. It should be placed into the hole in which it dug itself, and hopefully, never see the light of day, again. buried.
APPARENTLY, that basically is its current status – supposedly, it has never been released in the USA, and our friends at CANAL CHAPTER only got their hands on a copy of it – on their recent art tour/promotional junket in, where else – CHINA !!
They told us that – Larry said it wasn’t shown here, because of quote “some problems with rights to the music” !!
MORE LIKE some problems with explicit sex scenes involving minors – that were not only real time real play, and, keyed into twisted-out scenarios; they were truly pornographic in the way they let you know – this action was for real.
The worst example probably being the skinny young kid who has to live with his grandparents – ok, so we all know that scenario is depressing, even if the grandparents are kind of sweet – and harmless. It kind of starts off with the funniest line in the entire movie – he calls his 3-legged dog – “Legs !!” – as in, “shut up Legs, I’m working” – but continues downhill into his explicit auto-erotic self-strangulation, including a gooey, pathetic ‘cum’ shot – (everybody in the room – went – UUGHH, L-A-R-R-Y !!) – and then he gets up and stabs both grandparents to death while they are asleep in bed. (don’t attempt to do this at home – kids). The rest of the movie isn’t much better. the problem is – it’s presented as a documentary – when it really might have had a better chance as an over-the-top SOUTH PARK episode.
Some of the audience spoke up for the film – maintaining that they knew ‘skaters’ who came from these awful kind of backgrounds, (mostly drunk moron dads, and stupid nympho moms of girlfriends, whatever) and that, these stories needed to be told. ok. but then you want your story told in a compelling film – with real grit and merit – not one that is worse than laughable; and can never see the light of day, even if it were to have captured the kind of spark – Larry can capture with a still frame camera.
In fact the only, and I mean onlymoments of inspiration, in the entire film – were the almost throw-away shots of young kids, and I mean the real little ones, under 10, gravely and gracefully, flitting by, as if they were a nation of wheeled board butterflies – up and down the parks and streets.
ok. it was kind of interesting to view it, as a kind of what-went-wrong-in Larry’s world. On the one hand – it did (like a rock falling) address the thinking that Larry probably traveled, you see these young pre-teen kids so lithe and carefree zooming around on their boards – and then puberty – hits. Sexuality and sex organs land full-strength, full-grown on young skinny (not fully grown) bodies – ill-equipped physically, and emotionally to handle these desperate urges. (if you’ve ever had a male puppy – seeing this movie will make you wonder why we just don’t castrate children and take them out of their misery, too. just joking !!)
On the other hand – it definitely crossed the line of creative expression, and sexually exploits its young actors. The movie itself – leaves is no factual doubt of that. Larry was already facing these issues from the community with ‘Kids’ (1995). But compared to this movie – ‘KIDS’ – was, and is, a masterpiece. You can see ‘KIDS’ in museum screenings, albeit with adult content warnings. The thing is with ‘KIDS’ – it all (cinematically) flew and (the storyline) flowed. The sex scenes were relatively healthy ones among like-minded teens. and they were discrete enough, that they left you, and pretty much – a whole generation – wondering if they were real or staged. Though you pretty much guessed when Chloe Sevigny raised her legs straight up in the air – that it was, pretty much for real, and not staged.
And just look where Chloe Sevigny is today – starring in ‘BIG LOVE’ – on TV, and decked out in full-on movie star regalia on glossy magazine covers, whereas Tiffany Limos (to our best knowledge) just sort of meanders through photo-ops with Larry – sullen and unhappy looking, with not much to say, actually with nothing to say.
Maybe its just a matter of personality – Chloe having (also) managed to escape unscathed from her explicit, and supposedly exploitive sex scene with Vincent Gallo, in his ‘Brown Bunny’ (2003).
Come to think of it, though, as unwatchable as ‘Ken Park’ is – at least it tried to say something – ‘BIG LOVE’ – is just as unwatchable – but it masquerades as ‘wholesome’ entertainment – on prime time TV – which might be saying something even worse about our culture – than ‘Ken Park’ ever did.
VICTOR TIMOFEEV, who oversees SUNDAY MOVIE NIGHT at CANAL CHAPTER, and who cooks most of the food. He says the interview & photo of him, posted below, are from 5 years ago – its nice to see a young artist/thinker – evolve and grow.
screening/dinner guest ANGEL CLOUTIER, with artist and CANAL CHAPTER CO-FOUNDER, (MIKE) MIKHAIL SOKOVIKOV
artist and CANAL CHAPTER CO-FOUNDER, JASON WALL, in serious conversation at the communal dinner table.
JASON WALL at the table. the work behind him, the life-size cut-out, is by ADAM KRUEGER. and is part of the art exhibit currently up at CANAL CHAPTER – ADAM KRUEGER and RON BEACH – ‘BETTER THAN ME’.
ANGEL CLOUTIER brings ADAM KRUEGER’S cut-out sculpture – to life !!
from left: ADAM KRUEGER and RON BEACH. what’s sort of interesting about their friendship and collaboration – is that they are kind of yin and yang. Adam went through the school system, undergraduate study at RISDI and Graduate degree from SVA (School of Visual Arts) & (yes, Jerry Saltz was one of his teachers.) While Ron just came to painting recently, in the past few years, though he did take as few photography classes at SVA – that’s how they met. This divergence of route: school vs. streets might be more an indication of their individual father’s income – more than anything else, as they are both very passionate and proliferate in their artistic output. But while Adam Krueger is a natural realist, RON BEACH is a natural expressionist.
and ,. . . about that cut-out – Adam – is that a self-portrait, in your dreams, or what ?
well, no matter, its good.
a collaboration: ADAM KRUGER did the scientist, RON BEACH did the rest – it was painted over the CANAL CHAPTER elevator door.
RON BEACH painting – at the CANAL CHAPTER – SUNDAY MOVIE NIGHT DINNER
DJ SKATERDAYS . . .
a big fan of CANAL CHAPTER – aka – 1134 NYC – !!
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH, JAN 27, 2008
* BYE THE WAY – THEIR NEXT SCREENING IS – THIS SUNDAY – FEB 3, 2008 – 8PM *
* FRANCOIS TRUFFAUT’S ‘DAY FOR NIGHT’ (1979) * BRING: FOOD-OR-WINE *
* ADMISSION FREE * ACTUAL SCREENINGS USUALLY START AT 9 PM *
* THE CANAL CHAPTER – 343 CANAL STREET – BUZZER : FL 4 *
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