Tromafreak
Trash cinema comes in many forms. Funny, shocking, confusing, offensive, scary. And then there's Gummo, which, I guess, is a mixture of all that, and also, just plain pointless. But hey. Not all movies need a point to be entertaining, or to gain a cult following. A fact which makes writer/director, Harmony Korine a very lucky man. Because, even after watching his masterpiece (?), I'm still not convinced this guy has all that much talent. But he does have some pretty unique stuff going on in his head. And above all, that's what Gummo is. Whether it's a good movie or not is debatable, but let's just go with unique at the moment.About a town full of backwards, hateful dicks who have simply given up on ever being anything. A bad tornado hit this town some years ago, and things were seemingly never fully restored. Ignorant, aimless and bored, these hateful dicks love killing and torturing cats, running their mouths about nothing, getting it on with retards and just hanging around and being trash. Some of them get in fights with chairs. Some of them even win. Hell, some of them enjoy eating spaghetti whilst getting their hair washed. But I don't think any of them are very happy people. And they'd probably prefer to live somewhere else, but are too lazy and stupid to take the steps to do so.The movie seems to revolve mostly around some ugly little pussy kid who's probably an ass hole, yet, we don't get very many examples of this. The kid pumps iron, using handfuls of spoons, and apparently needs his mother to bath him. There's also some other little weirdo kid, wearing a pink bunny hat, and wandering around in his own little world. I'm not sure what he symbolizes, if anything, but like everyone else, he's just there, existing. Despite everything I've said so far in this paragraph, There's something very real about this movie. And surreal at the same time. It almost comes off as some kind of bleak documentary about a small town full of trash, where a bunch of stuff happens.As a lifelong cat lover, I find it hard to watch a cat get hurt or killed, even in a movie. But strangely, I see the treatment of felines in Gummo as somewhat fitting for the characters, as they just naturally feel the need to bully and destroy the only thing they see as beneath them. Adding to this perfect portrayal of hateful, pathetic trash.After despising the abomination that is Spring Breakers, I thought I'd give Harmony Korine one more chance to prove himself not a talentless POS. And much to my surprise, I'm glad I did. I think I actually get Gummo, and even have an appreciation for it. However, I could easily see someone hating this as much as I hated the obnoxious Spring Breakers, because one thing Gummo (and Spring Breakers as well) is not is a likable movie. Seemingly no story, with just a bunch of random scenes put together, showcasing these hopeless citizens and their attempts at killing time and, I guess, having fun. But if you look a little closer, it's clear that these people's behavior tells the story. loud and clear. And it's not a pretty one. Of course, this is not the most entertaining movie I've ever seen, but I'll give Korine one thing. Gummo is far more entertaining than it should be. 6/10
StevenWicox9
Toss this piece of crap in the dumpster and urinate on the remains, then light the turd on fire. Disgusting waste of a DVD.Gummo is a stupid name and that BUNNY boy.... yeah, he needs to take his lame hat off. Dumb loser with a stupid accordion. Can't even take him seriously in that ridiculous get up. Oh, and another thing... this piece of crap was boring!!!! Should I even be surprised? What more could I expect from an art film. Oh.. Another thing! Why was bunny boy (who I assume was under the LEGAL age of 18.....) making out with that blonde chick? What kind of powder have you been sniffing Harmony?I would NEVER in my LIFE recommend this PIECE!!!! of TRASH!!!!
Camoo
Gummo is perhaps the greatest manifestation of Korine's bizarre view from the trench he's dug for himself - a loose, dark and poetic work with a nihilistic bent and an unending cast of interesting characters, though 'interesting' is too easy a descriptor .. Lost, damaged, deformed, hurt, strange, weak, strong, isolated.. Though always human. A film like this is easy to dismiss but not easy for an ordinary Joe like me to imagine being made. How does he find these people? Where are these places? How come I've never seen this side of America before? What Korine does very very well is present a side of life that you don't get to see very often -particularly in the movies. Gummo, to most, might as well have been shot on Mars. It has stayed with me since I first saw it years ago - the images are impossible to forget. I watch it now and though some of the film pains me to watch, and despite the fact that I'm unable to ever fully embrace the awful/awesome creatures that populate it, I can't shake it. Very unique and unsettling work.
