AMAZING! I will definitely be re-watching this one for years to come.
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Originally Posted by atsonicpark
...I liked him okay until I saw It Is Fine, Everything Is Fine and What Is It, two films I absolutely hated that he directed. Those films just absolutely disgusted me, and he seemed like a dick when presenting Fine live (I have What Is It on dvd). Something about old mentally retarded men in diapers getting jerked off by a porn star, a gross picture of Shirley Temple naked, his films starring people with down's syndrome, and salting snails rubbed me the wrong way in those movies. I know it was meant to "provoke" and be abrasive, but those films are absolutely terrible, and they crossed the line, by belittling, making fun of, and exploited retarded men for the sake of
"entertainment" (instead of, y'know, actually making a compelling film). What Is It? mainly got heat for having a Johnny Rebel song "Some Niggers Never Die, They Just Smell That Way" play for a scene, but few people talk about the disgusting exploitative nature of his sick direction. Just rubbed me the wrong way, big time. I can stand that stuff a bit in excess, but that was the point of the entire films. Now, on the other hand, look at a movie like Special Needs, which cast real-life mentally challenged people, and it was heartwarming and funny, and everyone looked like they were having a good time... Jefftowne ( http://www.hulu.com/watch/155070/jeff-towne) is one of my all time favorite documentaries; it follows an overweight man with down's syndrome, and could be considered exploitative, but he is clearly having a good time; it's an honest documentary, and the director befriended Jeff and shows him as a human, with flaws (fondling women) and strengths. Glover's films made me feel uncomfortable, which was the point, and I get all that, and I'm certainly no censorship nutcase; I just feel he is an untalented director and some of his views/reasoning behind making those films were about as bad as Matthew Barney or something... he comes off as a clown. A clowny clown clown. |
I've only seen What Is It?, but I too found it to be deeply unsettling at times. It's rare that a film can get to me like that, especially since I tend to seek out more exploitive shock flicks than most. There was just something so cold, and emotionless about the whole thing, that you really had to question the filmmaker's intent (ugh, I feel like some vegan crying over Cannibal Holocaust).
However, I can't necessarily say that it was a bad film. Certain segments were genuinely entertaining to me, and the film did effectively accomplish both providing me with a sense of unease, and subsequently giving me mixed feelings on what to make of it...(lol, what is it?)
Have you seen his interview on Tom Green Live? He defends the piece, and gives an explanation for his choice of actors early within the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9j7ISnwaPg