Spring Break as Pop Art
An Essay in Words and Images by Kevin Powers
Harmony Korine is not as weird as I once thought.
About 8 years ago now, I watched his debut feature film, 1997's Gummo, a semi-poetic journey into the extreme oddities of a small town. It is also semi-gross, intentionally. It made me feel dirty, but, by the end, I was smiling, mostly due to two soundtrack cuts, "Like a Prayer" by Madonna and "Crying" by Roy Orbison. Despite this, I never felt compelled to watch another of his films. I never decided whether I actually enjoyed it. How could I? I don't think it wants to be liked.
