Even from the opening moments one can readily discern how wonderfully low-budget this is. The DIY ethos is reflected in the writing, direction, and cinematography - all handled by filmmaker Gregg Araki himself as he also wears hats as editor and co-producer - as well as the design of the title cards, credit sequences, any intertitles, and other inserted material. Moreover, the picture immediately comes across as some off-center intersection of queer art film, pure indie drama, and modern (for the 1990s) realist portraiture as these 78 minutes loosely trace the comings and goings, lives, thoughts, and experiences of several LGBTQ youths. For those unprepared to engage with such fare it would be easy to say that the writing feels meager, and the film-making haphazard and amateurish, but I think that's unfair. This title is far outside the norm of cinema for any era or film industry, but it carries recognizable sensibilities; it's atypical, but not sloppy or accidental. There are kernels throughout of meaningful social commentary, and glimpses at contemporary youth culture generally and gay culture specifically - all of which still remains relevant thirty years later, for both better and worse. The storytelling is hardly ever more than piecemeal, but quite suitable for the approach Araki is taking; the dialogue and characters are broadly unremarkable, but natural, and so too is the acting.
Low-fi and low-key as the movie mostly is, I think it's duly enjoyable, and well done. I appreciate the earnest work that all put in, including Araki's direction, cinematography, and editing. No matter what it is to greet our senses at any point, the conglomeration is executed well - however superficially far-flung, random, or meek it may seem. The runtime is peppered with welcome light humor to complement other facets such as those more serious moments and notions that are broached (the state of the world; rightwing violence and genocidal rhetoric; homophobia), the lighter character drama, the wider lackadaisical tone, and the more curious inclusions. Scenes of characters making out are, oddly, often more genuinely warm and sensual than even some movies that are emphatically renowned for the same. (One example: I love 'Blue is the warmest colour,' but some of its sex scenes are laughably bad.) The result is a feature that comes off as an honest if largely amorphous and askew snapshot of six people, a time, a place, a culture. I absolutely understand how this won't appeal to all viewers, or carry sufficient substance or value for all. Yet the purpose is true, and the technique and effort, and strange as it feels from the outset, I think it really does bear that desired, necessary substance and value.
Except perhaps for utmost fans of Araki or those involved, or devotees of underground culture or cinema, this might not be a total must-see. But it's smartly made, and demonstrative of the range of the filmmaker's skills - how very different this 1993 title is from 1997's wild hodgepodge 'Nowhere,' or the sober drama of 2014's 'White bird in a blizzard.' It's sincerely entertaining and very worthwhile for what it says, does, and is, something that not even all major studio-backed fare can claim, and everyone on hand did fine work to bring it to life, the actors not least. Ranging from oblique and funny, to dark and dire, and back again, it's a picture that's less than ordinary in every regard. However, while content warnings should be noted for drug use and suicide in addition to other matters noted above, but anyone receptive to what it has to offer are sure to find this thoughtful, satisfying, and maybe even rewarding, even at its most unusual. It needn't be a top priority, but if you have the opportunity to watch, these 78 minutes are well worth one's time.
Low-fi and low-key as the movie mostly is, I think it's duly enjoyable, and well done. I appreciate the earnest work that all put in, including Araki's direction, cinematography, and editing. No matter what it is to greet our senses at any point, the conglomeration is executed well - however superficially far-flung, random, or meek it may seem. The runtime is peppered with welcome light humor to complement other facets such as those more serious moments and notions that are broached (the state of the world; rightwing violence and genocidal rhetoric; homophobia), the lighter character drama, the wider lackadaisical tone, and the more curious inclusions. Scenes of characters making out are, oddly, often more genuinely warm and sensual than even some movies that are emphatically renowned for the same. (One example: I love 'Blue is the warmest colour,' but some of its sex scenes are laughably bad.) The result is a feature that comes off as an honest if largely amorphous and askew snapshot of six people, a time, a place, a culture. I absolutely understand how this won't appeal to all viewers, or carry sufficient substance or value for all. Yet the purpose is true, and the technique and effort, and strange as it feels from the outset, I think it really does bear that desired, necessary substance and value.
Except perhaps for utmost fans of Araki or those involved, or devotees of underground culture or cinema, this might not be a total must-see. But it's smartly made, and demonstrative of the range of the filmmaker's skills - how very different this 1993 title is from 1997's wild hodgepodge 'Nowhere,' or the sober drama of 2014's 'White bird in a blizzard.' It's sincerely entertaining and very worthwhile for what it says, does, and is, something that not even all major studio-backed fare can claim, and everyone on hand did fine work to bring it to life, the actors not least. Ranging from oblique and funny, to dark and dire, and back again, it's a picture that's less than ordinary in every regard. However, while content warnings should be noted for drug use and suicide in addition to other matters noted above, but anyone receptive to what it has to offer are sure to find this thoughtful, satisfying, and maybe even rewarding, even at its most unusual. It needn't be a top priority, but if you have the opportunity to watch, these 78 minutes are well worth one's time.