Definitely gonna try to go to one of these someday.

reminds me of something id see in Gummo

That is no proper Hobo convention..

That was a fucked-up film. It left me thinking both "what am I watching?" and "why am I watching this?"

It is funny, most people don't like Gummo (even knowing what they were getting themselves into and having experience with more graphic films). I quite liked it and have watched it multiple times. I think it is kinda beautiful in it's own way. At the least, the visual aesthetic of the thing was pretty fantastically realistic.

I don't actually have any beef with it, or think it's a bad film, I just find the subject matter unappealing. Basically, it's a freakshow, and in general things that fall into the category of exploitation film don't do it for me. (Interestingly, I am not a horror fan either.) And not because I'm shocked, offended or squeamish. Whatever reactions, positive or negative, these things are supposed to provoke, they don't. I usually find myself bored.

In terms of the visuals, though, it does have a documentary-type quality to it.

I could understand that. I personally, have always had a notable interest in serial killers (though, it has greatly settled, I used to spend hours reading about famous serial murderers. FUCK CLASS, GO TO THE LIBRARY.) and similarly unsavory characters. Not just your typical despicable child rapist, but like, dudes who collect their victims' hands or genitalia or what have you. Fucking CRAZY people. Basically, if something is "fucked up" and mentally stimulating in that sort of manner and is well put together (which I like to think Gummo was), I will probably be entertained or even genuinely inspired. Some of the acts of debauchery presented in that movie were fairly interesting to me in that, I had never even conceptualized the idea of someone whoring their mentally challenged sister out. I mean, who would? But yet, it has totally happened probably innumerable amounts of times in our supposed civilized 21st century. It is every day to some gnarly motherfucker, it is an unashamed way to put food on the table for that guy. Pure fucking insanity. And the kids shooting/whipping cats in the woods to black metal, huffing paint (that was just plain awesome ). I just like the idea of all of these disgustingly real things all happening with (I mean, hopefully..) unrealistic frequency in one town. There are also lots of moments of.. sort of sideways humanity in it, as well. Provides some nice contrast to the batshitness, I think.


Interesting to note: So many trashy pieces of shit in that, only 4 characters were actual actors and much of it was real footage of people who volunteered to be filmed.

Hmm yeah that vid makes it look more like... a celebration of downtrodden Americana.

I think ever since hard drugs got on the scene being homeless became a different game, generally speaking.

Hoboism used to a gentlemanly thing back when it was just for over-achieving boozers.

The only proper location for the homeless to congregate is inside a gas chamber or burning building.

I know! That's one of the interesting things about it, how much of it is real-ish.

Re: the first paragraph, oddly, I'd been the same way (fuck class- I know this already/go to the library, at least until I was in college, when class was actually interesting), and have always been fascinated by things that were debauched, morbid, or just plain bizarre. I just never got on with them in non-documentary film, and I'm not sure why- perhaps something to do with the presentation being designed to elicit an emotional reaction? And maybe that's why Gummo doesn't do it for me, or even maybe why it should- there's a certain banality to it. (If you really want to stereotype, you can get a good laugh out of "yeah, that's basically what the midwest is really like anyhow", and to be sure it does play into that notion.) For some reason, it misses the mark for me, but not for the reasons most people would choose.

I have missed this gentleman greatly.

He is a true gentleman. Nay, a proper aristocrat.