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The new Clark-street-kids-opus is out and already corrupting adult minds: Trailer and a review

It's pretty good - very shocking in that it's the first unshocking Clark film, and it's even sweet (!!). Acting is very amateur, but the kids are all very charismatic. The second part reminds me of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure even.

I see a user on imdb states this is "Upbeat, a mainstream comedy-not typical Larry Clark." A mainstream comedy? Hmmm. Meanwhile I have yet to see Ken Park as there remains no DVD release in the US (at least none that I'm aware of, not that I'm Mr Aware mind you).

Maintream!??! Ugh, it's hardly that. But it is "feel-good"

Does anyone here like Bully? I'm quite fond of that film.

I like BULLY. I love KIDS.

I got to watch KEN PARK sitting next to Ed Lachman, and it was so mind-numbingly terrible I slipped out at the end to avoid having to look him in the eye and lie about the film's worth.

I think Bully is Clark's finest achievement, film-wise. An amazing gut-punch of a movie. Any idea of what kind of release Wassup Rockers is getting?

For me, Ken Park is Clark's magnum opus. An excruciatingly difficult journey through today's parent/child relationships set in modern suburbia. It's also about late 20th/early 21st century social diseases. There is an omnipresent sense of nihilism throughout all of Clark's films which is reinforced and taken to its perfect realization in Ken Park. The way these kids carry themselves out on their daily lives is sometimes very painful to watch but with the right set of mind, it can also be very liberating.

Larry Clark is one of cinema's greatest iconoclasts, always pushing the boundaries with every new film that he does and I'm glad that people are taking to their hearts this new one because although he wisely avoided shock tactics, the film is nonetheless very interesting (from what I've been reading) which can only testify to his talent as a maverick director.

I know that he will only be regarded as a true original from 20 years on but right now, I'm glad to be alive and experience his chronicling of today's youth on the big screen.

Official site with clips. It opened today round here and I'm very much looking forward to see it on the big screen as soon as I can.

Annie Mall wrote:There is an omnipresent sense of nihilism throughout all of Clark's films which is reinforced and taken to its perfect realization in Ken Park.

If by his sense of nihilism, you mean watching a group of the stupidest kids and adults imaginable doing nothing for 90 minutes, then yeah you'd be right.

What's really sad about KEN PARK is Clark's prurient, transparent, overwhelming desire to shock the squares. The funniest example of that being the kid who jacks off with his head in a noose, then wanders down the hall and murders his grandparents. That one had me in stitches.

Contrast this movie with the genuine artistry and meaning in something like ELEPHANT, which deals with a similar apathy and nihilism in today's youth, and it shows up Clark for the huckster he sometimes is. Like I said, though, I adore KIDS. That one had a sense of drama, character and pathos that KEN PARK lacked, or didn't seem to even seem to be concerned with.

Annie Mall wrote:Larry Clark is one of cinema's greatest iconoclasts, always pushing the boundaries with every new film that he does

Another Day in Paradise being the exception. It was a rip off of Drugstore Cowboy only with more blood and violence. That being said, James Woods was awesome in it and the movie had a killer soundtrack.

Fletch F. Fletch wrote:

Annie Mall wrote:Larry Clark is one of cinema's greatest iconoclasts, always pushing the boundaries with every new film that he does

Another Day in Paradise being the exception. It was a rip off of Drugstore Cowboy only with more blood and violence. That being said, James Woods was awesome in it and the movie had a killer soundtrack.

I really like Melanie Griffith in this, too, though now that you mention, there is more than a hint of Kelly Lynch's Dianne in her performance--intentional or not. Avoid Clark's Teenage Caveman like the plague.

jesus the mexican boi wrote:Avoid Clark's Teenage Caveman like the plague.

Oh, I know. I caught this on Showtime one night -- pretty stinky.

I still think that Another Day in Paradise is Clark's most mainstream film that he's done. It's not his best film, I still think that Kids is his masterpiece with Bully a close second, but I think Paradise shows what Clark can do if he had the right screenplay and good actors outside of what he is known for. I'm not saying that Clark should stop doing what he does best, since it seems that only Clark and Gregg Araki are the only directors out there willing not to do the typical teen films that most directors do.

Here's an art show showing art from the movie. I'm really looking forward to this one, more so now to know Clark is representing these artists, like Neckface's work.

I've seen and admired Kids, Bully and Ken Park but while they're undeniably impressive they also take nihilism to such an extreme that they come across as a bit narrow in their perspectives at times. I can't help but feel that if he could just let a bit more of the rest of the world into his camera frame, the lighter one jostling around his teenage hells, he would have something even more compelling.

My fingers are crossed that this will actually get a theatrical release outside of LA and NY.