Splendor opened September 17 in NYC and then
September 24 and October 1st in other cities.January 29:I purchased a scanner
today and Splendor.I will be updating this page quite a bit.Sorry for the wait
everyone.
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The soundtrack became
available on Sept.14 by ASTRALWERKS!!!It has an excellent array of music as do
all the other soundtracks.
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Gregg Araki on SPLENDOR
"After completing my
Teen Apocalypse Trilogy (Totally F***ed Up,The Doom Generation,Nowhere),I was
really looking forward to do something new and different that was far outside
the realm of angst-ridden eighteen-year-olds.Screwball comedy of the '30s and
'40s had always been a favorite genre of mine from my school days-Howard
Hawks,Preston Sturges,Leo McCarey,etc.-and I wanted to make something in that
tradition while doing this sort of revisionist,postmodern thing with the genre
at the same time.Creating a movie that '30s in spirit,structure,and infusing
that with a very '90s,forward-looking aesthetic sensibility...
"My previous movies are frequently deemed `bleak' or `hopeless'
because they end on a note of `Now what happens?' uncertainty.But I've always
maintained that they aren't nihlistic in that thay all share an
unyielding,almost naive belief in the ideal of love.So while Splendor's my most
overtly romantic film to date,it's definitely more a devolopment of an
underlying theme than an abrupt turnabout...
"It's also an accurate reflection of where I'm at personally and
emotionally,I'm not really feeling too much like the bloody,cathartic finale of
The Doom Generation at this moment in my life.Whether you call it it `newfound
maturity' or `mellowing in the middle age,'I'm trying to look for other colors
in life right now besides basic black.As always,the most important thing for me
as a filmmaker is to keep growing and evolving.And to pursue whatever cinematic
direction my heart and imagination lead me in..."
Love him or hate him ? and there's not much
ground in the middle ? Gregg Araki is one of the few filmmakers to develop a
style so unique that if one were blindfolded and led into a dark theater with
no prior information, they would probably be able to say "Oh, this is a Gregg
Araki film." If, however, one were to only see the end of his latest effort,
"Splendor," they might be well-confused. Teen-angst, blood and guts be damned,
Araki is on a positive trip this time around, with what you might, god forbid,
call a "90's feel-good comedy." Sitting on the toilet in the bathroom of his
condo (the only quiet place we could find to talk), Araki recently shared his
feelings with indieWIRE on maturity, sexuality, and the changing visions of a
Sundance veteran. indieWIRE: When I first saw "Doom Generation," it was in a
theater full of teenage kids who had only come because they heard Perry Farrell
was in it. It was 16-year-old guys with their girlfriends who were all first
really identifying with the tough-guy character Xavier Red. Then suddenly, he's
drinking sperm, and the whole theater went silent after that. You're terribly
subversive, aren't you Gregg? Gregg Araki: [laughs] "We premiered "Doom
Generation" [at Sundance] four years ago, and it was great. It was a lot like
"Splendor" in the sense that nobody had seen it, and people didn't know at all
what to expect. That's always the exciting thing about premieres. You don't get
a warning of what's gonna happen. I strive for the unexpected. iW: Can you talk
a bit about your relationship to Sundance, and why it's important? Araki:
Sundance has been really great to me throughout the years, particularly given
my background. Like "Totally F**ked Up" and "The Living End" were shot on 16
with super-low-budgets and no crew. My position has always been the
underground, radical punk rock filmmaker, and the support that Sundance has
provided over the years has given me a certain credibility, so it's more
difficult for people to just dismiss my films. iW: What inspired you to do a
trilogy of teen angst films? Araki: It was originally not a trilogy. I just did
"Totally F**ked Up," and the experience of making that movie, working with kids
who were 18 and 19, made me eventually decide I wanted to make a trilogy about
this generation ? the lost generation. iW: In "Splendor," there seem to be some
jokes that are tailored for the industry, like the Hollywood Reporter meets
Psychology Today jab. Araki: They'll get a bigger response here than in
Baltimore, I guess. The Ernest character in the film is a Hollywood type, and
that's what a lot of those jokes are attached to. He's loosely based on some
people I know. iW: In the past, you've listed Godard as an influence in your
films. Who inspired you this time around? Araki: He's always been a huge
influence, and he still is in this film. But "Splendor" was really inspired by
that whole genre of romantic screwball sex comedies. The basic idea is a
revisionist screwball comedy, but inject it with a millennium, futuristic
aesthetic. I wanted it to be set two years in the future, but harkening back to
the '30s and '40s glamorous movies star age. iW: It's also the most
'accessible' film you've ever made. Araki: I'm selling out! Actually, it's
important to me not to repeat myself. I know I'm most well-known as 'that 'Doom
Generation' guy,' but after completing "Nowhere" I made a conscious decision to
do something different. Something with my voice and world-view, but different.
'Splendor' is a reflection of my continued growth. Each movie of mine functions
as a Polaroid of where my head is at. This movie is electronic, peace, love ?
everybody on ecstasy. That's where the title comes from, it's almost like a
drug [says in a slow, sexy voice] ...'Splendor!'" iW: You use the theme of
patriotic colors and the American flag in "Doom Generation," and also in
"Splendor." Why? Araki: It has to do with this whole concept of America. I have
an interest in America and the broader concept of what America is. In "Doom
Generation," America is a ritualistic, bad, scary thing. In this movie, it's
more about money and business. The girl is at a car show, having morning
sickness, and basically feeling trapped. iW: Are you obsessed with three-somes,
or is it just unconventional love that interests you? Araki: Well, "Nowhere"
had more like a six-some [laughs]. I'm not obsessed with them, I find the
sexual dynamic of that very interesting. For "Splendor" I really wanted to do
this sex comedy that was written for three actors I'd worked with already. It
was sort of written for them. iW: Up until fairly recently, you were known as a
'gay filmmaker'...and as 'gay' on top of that. But that's changed now. What
happened and how has it affected your filmmaking? Araki: I've always been
against that whole ghetto-izing thing. I don't like being characterized as any
other way other than an individual with free choice, doing what I want, when I
want. I think my life has changed. I'm in a different place personally and
creatively. But it's a good place. It's sort of the next step, and I don't know
what the step beyond the step is, but I feel good that I'm not where I was ten
years ago. iW: That's beautiful, man. Araki: Brings tears to my eyes.
Linda Kim...Allison
Kathleen
Robertson ..Veronica
Mathew
Keeslar ..Zed
Johnathan
Schaech ..Abel
Eric Mabius
..Ernest
Kelly MacDonald ..Mike
Audrey Rutton ..the gloved
one
Nathan
Bexton ..waiter
Adam Carola
..mike's stupid boss
Julie Millette ..supermarket cashier
Jenica
Bergere ..model 1
George Pennacchio ..newscaster
Wesley B ..as
himself
Dan Gatto ..
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