Trash Humpers (2009)

Follows the lives of a small group of sociopathic elderly people in Nashville, Tennessee.

Director:

Harmony Korine

Writer:

Harmony Korine (screenplay)

Stars:

Paul Booker, Dave Cloud, Chris Crofton

Cast

Credited cast:
Paul Booker
Dave Cloud
Chris Crofton
Charles Ezell	...	Twin
Chris Gantry	...	Singer
Kevin Guthrie
Harmony Korine	...	Hervé
Rachel Korine	...	Momma
Brian Kotzur	...	Buddy
Travis Nicholson	...	Travis
Page Spain

Storyline

Follows the lives of a small group of sociopathic elderly people in Nashville, Tennessee.

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Plot Keywords:

nashville tennessee | tennessee | experimental film | minimal cast | old age | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA UK France

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 April 2011 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

Frotadores de basura

Filming Locations:

Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alcove Entertainment, O' Salvation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

There were only four months between the start of shooting and the film's premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in 2009.

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Connections

Referenced in Brows Held High: The Brown Bunny (2011)

User Reviews

an antidote to glo-fi romanticism.

"Make it, don't take it, make it, don't fake it."

Anyone who has ever played with a 90's camcorder will be familiar with the colours and textures seen from the beginning in this film. This is not some nostalgic sun drenched glo-fi romanticism however, this s**t is dark. And this s**t sticks.

The very first scenes are all just seconds long and in them we are introduced to a number of odd looking characters. They appear to be old but clearly with enough vigour to grind/bang/hump/whatever garbage bins and trash pussy as if they were still in their youthful prime. They certainly seem to have much youthful mischief and we watch in a kind of distanced, disgusted trance as they defecate, smash televisions, let off firecrackers and tap dance.

Are we to judge these people? Are they real or are they actors? What will they do next? Will we stick around long enough to find out or will we leave the theatre? Are we laughing with them or at them or worse, are they laughing at us?

The introduction given at the start mentioned Lynch, Hitchcock and Jackass. In the future I think you need only mention Korine. Whether he is saying something intelligent or something dumb about American outsider society, whether he is merely holding up a mirror to us wherever we are we can not say he isn't an original, an auteur and a provocateur. Should this be a film for film students to study or should it be one that the weirdo's in class try and make you watch? The themes thrown up (maybe that should be shat out) are certainly interesting but why on Earth would you want to deconstruct what is essentially a bunch of drunken old juvenile delinquents laughing and embracing failure, f**king trees and living their version of the American dream?

The most shocking parts of the film are the sounds not the visuals, if anything I found it oddly easy to watch after the initial punches in the eyes, my ears however did just not get accustomed. In one scene a man tells the most offensive 'jokes' to a rapt audience, and there are many clips showing just how noisy America is, even at night. There is a constant buzz of electric lights everywhere, there is the traffic and there are the crickets. Its enough to drive someone insane.

This film is beat poetry. This film is soapy pancakes. This film is noise metal. This film is giving a birthday cake to a constipated man sitting on the toilet. This film is a headache. This film is trapping your d**k in your flies.