week fifteen - gummo

Murphy, Me and You…: 220-237.

1. Despite its use of improvisation, how is Gummo different from “execution dependent” screenplays such as Stranger than Paradise?

Gummo is different than "execution dependent" screenplays such as Stranger than Paradise because it "succeeds on the page as well as the screen." A movie such as Stranger than Paradise is a financiers nightmare, because upon looking at the script, it looks like a disaster. There are scenes with no dialogue, non-sense ramblings, sometimes only imagery and action, etc... and it takes a filmmaker as talented as Jarmusch to "execute" it properly, to make the script into a good, solid movie. An independent like Gummo, on the other hand, reads well off the page, which, among other things, increases the ability to get financed.



2. According to Murphy, what function does the “nonsense” included in the dialogue serve in the film as a whole?

Murphy proposes that the nonsensical dialogue in this film functions in a few ways, the main one being to capture the "slice of life" feel that Korine so perfers in his films. Life is weird, and people say and do weird things. So to translate that onto the page, and thusly onto the screen, is an idea of "realism" almost too advanced for some. Other inclusions of dialogue that seem nonsensical are, in actuality, references to other times and places. For instance, Korine's enthusiasm for vaudeville led him to include a voice over for Solomon that was actually a vaudeville joke. Again, Korine's unique style of filmmaking leads him to include "inside jokes" of his own.



3. What specific connections does Murphy make between Gummo and New American Cinema (including Beat films)? How did Korine respond to associations made between his work and underground film?

The specific connections that Murphy makes between Gummo and some New American Cinema/Beat films are "improvisational aspects...the tension between spontaneity and scripted action...nonlinear story...mixture of documentary and fiction...plotless cinema..." Concerning all of this, Korine says that he has no idea. He cannot and does not distinguish between "underground," "avant-garde," and "commercial," or rather, "studio cinema," but instead only considers himself a commercial filmmaker, financed by studios, with the freedom to make his movies how he pleases. Although, as Murphy points out, his films are still a bit too 'avant-garde' for the mainstream public.



4. Besides as a filmmaker, how has Korine participated in alternative urban youth culture?

Outside of being a filmmaker, Korine has been involved in other alternative urban youth culture activities, most notably art installments in Aaron Roses' Alleged Gallery which is on the Lower East Side of New York City. This houses many different types of artistic mediums, most involving the urban youth subculture. He has also written a novel, and produced fanzines.



Lance Weiler, “Navigating the Digital Divide”

6. What are the current platforms and delivery systems for digital distribution?

Current platforms and delivery systems for digital distribution include a range of things, including downloading files (under DRM or DRM-free files), and streaming files (like Netflix's Watch Now, Amazon's Unbox, and Joost's P2P), as well as distributing ports such as Video on Demand and gaming consoles, that connect to the internet to access the selected movie to be watched.



Michael Goldman, “Digitally Independent Cinema”

12. What is the Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI), and why is it important for both the studios and independent filmmakers?

The Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI) is a consortium of seven major Hollywood studio systems, essentially creating spec standards to propel and navigate the upcoming transition to fully digital cinema. This includes installing digital screens in new large multiplexes, and replacing older outdated methods with newer, digitized ones, such as projection methods. It is important to both studios and independent filmmakers because it will allow for both sides of the coin to be as efficient as possible. The major studios must have it because they must be concurrent with the industry standard. Even independent filmmakers and production companies are leaning towards the switch now because they recognize the convenience of time and trouble saving technology such as the new digital technology.