Gus Van Sant's Death Trilogy: Gerry, Elephant, Last Days

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Miguel · #1 Post by **Miguel** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 10:23 am

The Nirvana-like song is "Venus in Furs" by the Velvet Underground.

mbalson · #2 Post by **mbalson** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 11:42 am

I could see how someone might confuse the two.

Oedipax · #3 Post by **Oedipax** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 10:04 pm

This sounds great. If Van Sant will keep making these formally interesting films, he'll quickly become one of my favorite filmmakers, I think. Also great to hear he's using the academy ratio again, as I thought it worked brilliantly for Elephant. The characters outside the frame device sounds similar to the shot in Elephant near the beginning on the football field with Fur Elise playing. I can't wait to see this.

ben d banana · #4 Post by **ben d banana** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 3:30 am

The Nirvana-like song is "Venus in Furs" by the Velvet Underground.

I could see how someone might confuse the two.

Well I do have the Nirvana/Melvins split 7" where Nirvana cover "Here She Comes Now" and Melvins do "Venus In Furs." Blue vinyl too, bitch.

Steven H · #5 Post by **Steven H** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 4:50 am

ben d banana wrote:Well I do have the Nirvana/Melvins split 7" where Nirvana cover "Here She Comes Now" and Melvins do "Venus In Furs." Blue vinyl too, bitch.

I respect this, but I do not envy you're vinyl ways. I spend enough money on import CDs, I can only imagine what a nightmarish world filled with empty bank accounts and trainspotting stress that would be for me.

Regarding Last Days, do Scott Green and Michael Pitt make out at some point? I'm hoping this will clinch a "long-takes-and-vaguely-homosexual-males" trilogy. Loved Gerry and Elephant, especially the latter. It's great to see that gorgeous full frame cinematography.

ben d banana · #6 Post by **ben d banana** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 6:24 am

Steven H wrote:I respect this, but I do not envy you're vinyl ways. I spend enough money on import CDs, I can only imagine what a nightmarish world filled with empty bank accounts and trainspotting stress that would be for me.

Well I'd hate to have to buy all of my Nirvana records now, but they didn't break the bank when purchased new at the time. Catching up w/ those damn Kinks and Rolling Stones mono LPs however. Not a pastime I'd recommend and one I'm glad is pretty much entirely behind me.

As for the film at hand, while I found Gerry and Elephant lovely and derived great pleasure from them, I'm having a hard time getting my head around the concept of Pitt (Jen's gawky boyfriend on Dawson's Creek) as pseudo-Cobain (not that he was some super genius above reproach).

P.S.-Steven, I haven't had a chance to check out the new Low Plexifilm DVD yet, but I'm sure you don't need my endorsement.

Oedipax · #7 Post by **Oedipax** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 6:27 am

Pitt was pretty excellent in Bully, I thought. At least, comparing him from that film to The Dreamers shows he does have a good bit of range as an actor. I'm interested to see how this turns out.

ben d banana · #8 Post by **ben d banana** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 6:52 am

All I could think was Dawson's Creek, and he still needs a haircut. Clark saying he's like a young DeNiro (I'm pretty sure) in the extras was a real wtf? moment too. Haven't seen The Dreamers yet, due to my misgivings and that it's always full screen on cable here.

He was pretty good in Hedwig though (despite the same thoughts running through my head), but he was just playing an empty vessel. Hmm, I guess that does make him as perfect for the Last Days role as Cruise and Kidman were for Eyes Wide Shut.

Steven H · #9 Post by **Steven H** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 7:38 am

ben d banana wrote:As for the film at hand, while I found Gerry and Elephant lovely and derived great pleasure from them, I'm having a hard time getting my head around the concept of Pitt (Jen's gawky boyfriend on Dawson's Creek) as pseudo-Cobain (not that he was some super genius above reproach).

P.S.-Steven, I haven't had a chance to check out the new Low Plexifilm DVD yet, but I'm sure you don't need my endorsement.

Out of Print Thelonious Monk LPs... six or so words that could endager my life, and the lives of those closest to me, if I were to make the choice.

Luckily I missed Dawson's Creek entirely (know lots of people that know lots of people that worked on it though, NC is a small state), which helped me get past What's-Her-Face being in Sin City (I've heard a few people say this ruined the film for them, to me she was just forgettable).

I own the Low DVD (and am sorely dissapointed they cancelled their tour this summer, as I (mostly) enjoy their new CD. If you have a minute, a PM with a couple of music suggestions would be appreciated (so far this year, I like about half the Caribou album, one or two tracks of the new Populous, and all of Autechre's Untilted... I'm enjoying The Great Lake Swimmers quite a bit.)

Andre Jurieu · #10 Post by **Andre Jurieu** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 2:36 pm

ben d banana wrote:As for the film at hand, while I found Gerry and Elephant lovely and derived great pleasure from them, I'm having a hard time getting my head around the concept of Pitt (Jen's gawky boyfriend on Dawson's Creek) as pseudo-Cobain (not that he was some super genius above reproach).

Yeah, I'm in the same boat as ben on this one. I hated Dawson's Creek with a passion, but was subjected to watching it because of a former girlfriend, and because it constantly played in the Science Faculty (???) Lounge at my University. Hence, Pitt's persona is tainted, even though I rarely watched the show when he joined the cast. It's really frustrating and irritating that I'll have to attempt to look past this during Last Days, considering I doubt I'll be capable of doing so. It's a shame, since this remains a project I have been eagerly awaiting, due to its subject matter/inspiration (though, like ben, I don't really consider Cobain to be a genius), and its pedigree (since I'm a big fan of Elephant, and grow more fond of Gerry as time passes).

Steven H wrote: ...Luckily I missed Dawson's Creek entirely..., which helped me get past What's-Her-Face being in Sin City (I've heard a few people say this ruined the film for them, to me she was just forgettable).

Yeah... help me out with this. Which Sin City female cast member appeared on Dawson's Creek? I'm drawing a complete blank.

chaddoli · #11 Post by **chaddoli** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 7:40 pm

http://www.lastdaysmovie.com/

(official site, trailer -flash only, poster)

dekadetia · #12 Post by **dekadetia** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 3:44 am

Larger trailer, quicktime, somewhat different from the mk2 version, and in glorious 4:3, here.

Fletch F. Fletch · Thu Jul 14, 2005 5:36 pm

The latest issue of the Village Voice has extensive coverage of the movie:

All This Useless Beauty
http://www.villagevoice.com/film/0528,f ... 79,20.html

His Own Private Biopic
http://villagevoice.com/film/0528,fnelson,65775,20.html

Celebrity Skinned
http://villagevoice.com/film/0528,fsina ... 76,20.html

DéjÃ Vu
http://villagevoice.com/film/0528,fclover,65777,20.html

Sound Garden
http://villagevoice.com/film/0528,fland,65778,20.html

Never More
http://villagevoice.com/music/0528,coba ... 91,22.html

ben d banana · #14 Post by **ben d banana** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 5:04 am

Yes! Roeper hates it! And Pitt got rid of that stupid fucking floppy hairdo.

Andre Jurieu · #15 Post by **Andre Jurieu** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 2:00 pm

Though I still have been unable to watch this yet, the more footage I see from this film the more I start to think about Layne Staley's last days rather than the demise of Cobain. Don't really know why, except for maybe the fact that Staley isolated himself in his apartment for months.

justeleblanc · #16 Post by **justeleblanc** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 7:06 pm

Wait a second, is this film not hitting theaters in the states? DavisDVD says it's coming out to DVD in October. Was this never meant for a theatrical release or did I miss it?

Oedipax · #17 Post by **Oedipax** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 7:14 pm

It's opening in Atlanta today, actually. I'll hopefully get to see it sometime over the weekend. Saraband is opening as well. Nice to see a DVD is so close, though.

Faux Hulot · #18 Post by **Faux Hulot** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 7:40 pm

If you're in or around the Catskill Mountains of upstate NY, it's showing here in mid-September. Stop by and get a free "Last Days" guitar pick.

emcflat · #19 Post by **emcflat** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 4:57 pm

Best scene in the movie for me was the through-the-window, musical collage as the camera pulls back. Couldn't tell you why, though. Ending struck me as striking maybe the wrong note (?), but I look forward to reappraising it + rewatching the whole thing again. Nice to see someone put Ricky Jay's brain to good use as well.

Basically, I liked the movie.

Jem · #20 Post by **Jem** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 1:06 am

SBS review (I refuse to even comment on the review or the reviewers)

Yes I heard that was an annoyingly over emotional review.

Give me Margaret and David anyday

Lino · #21 Post by **Lino** » Thu May 11, 2006 2:54 pm

Let's try to elaborate on these ones. I need to share some thoughts and hear yours too.

Having seen all three and enjoyed them to varying degrees and further knowing that they are being presented as a trio of films centred around the theme of death, I have made some conclusions.

First of all, I have a problem with Gerry (not with the film itself which I find groundbreaking whilst being very demanding on the viewer) and it's that of the 3 it's the one that feels the least connected both visually (shot in scope while the other two were 1.33) and thematically. Sure it ends with a death but that just isn't enough for me to make a connection.

The thing is, Elephant and Last Days were to me kind of born from the same well of ideas, both playing with notions of time and issues of death while at the same time portraying disaffected youths in extreme situations. In fact, I would go so far as to completely dismiss the Death theme that van Sant wants to sell us and say that to me these films are much more about TIME and its NOTION and/or MEANING. Not to mention that visually these two are much more akin to one another than Gerry is (and I'm not talking about aspect ratios anymore here).

Any thoughts on this?

indiannamednobody · Thu May 11, 2006 3:35 pm

Where did you read that Sant was 'selling' these off as a death trilogy?

Lino · #23 Post by **Lino** » Thu May 11, 2006 3:38 pm

I did not read anywhere. Maybe I should have put that in inverted comas. But they are indeed being formally presented as a Death Trilogy (whether this was nicknamed by the critics or by van Sant, I'm no longer sure but I think it was van Sant).

Fletch F. Fletch · Thu May 11, 2006 4:44 pm

Annie Mall wrote:First of all, I have a problem with Gerry (not with the film itself which I find groundbreaking whilst being very demanding on the viewer) and it's that of the 3 it's the one that feels the least connected both visually (shot in scope while the other two were 1.33) and thematically. Sure it ends with a death but that just isn't enough for me to make a connection.

Well, I felt that stylistically they were all very consistent with each other. Like Elephant and Last Days, Gerry employs long takes done with a steadicam. Not to mention Harris Savides shot all three films as well so I think that Van Sant was going for some kind of consistent style over these movies.

pemmican · #25 Post by **pemmican** » Thu May 11, 2006 5:48 pm

Dunno. Thought GERRY was just a Bela Tarr imitation with nothing new or interesting of its own about it, and only a limited success as an imitation (since it is paced and LOOKS like a Bela Tarr film, but otherwise rings pretty hollow, unlike Tarr's films). ELEPHANT was formally a bit more unique and interesting, and does a number of things well -- portraying at least some of the mood of life in a North American high school -- but it has its trite moments and I've come to agree with a friend in Australia that in fact the driving force behind the film probably wasn't a desire to say or do anything other than create an artefact -- there was no real point to making it, save to attract attention to the filmmaker and his work, by seizing on a controversial issue and pretending to deal with it -- it's moral intent is really no deeper than a piece o' crap like MISSISSIPPI BURNING, even tho' it plays to a higher-brow audience. LAST DAYS was so universally panned I skipped it. Is it more interesting/ambitious than the other two films?

Gus van Sant seems like a filmmaker without a film to me. He hasn't really seemed to know what he wants to do since MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO... His latest films in particular (of those I've seen) seem more like attempts to sustain his career and find a niche for himself than they do serious attempts to say or do anything. As Jonathan Rosenbaum said, I'd rather see him failing with GERRY than failing with FINDING FORRESTER or remaking PSYCHO, but... actually, either way I don't care much anymore. Maybe he'll find his voice again at some point -- I did like DRUGSTORE COWBOY, way back when.... but for now, colour me skeptical.

A.

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