"Spring Breakers"

Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, Rachel Korine and Vanessa Hudgens say "Oh hai." FROM JAIL.

Review here. For MSN Movies.

But wait, there's more: The surprisingly good Admission and the unsuprisingly mediocre  Olympus Has Fallen.  For the latter I was gonna make a "what does Antoine Fuqua have against Koreans" joke with a punchline referring to Do The Right Thing, but I wussed out. 

This is as good a place as any to put a service advisory. Blogging's going to be lighter than has been usual lately for the next six weeks or so. The good news is I have been commissioned to write a book, scheduled to be published in Spring of 2014. The bad news is I have a really insane deadline. I won't say who it's for or what it's about just yet because I'm still sufficiently stressed out to be susceptible to jinx superstitions, but I will say that it's film-related and for a well-known and respected publishing concern. So bear with me and wish me luck and I'll keep you informed as I'm able, relative to my comfort level. Thanks in advance for your consideration. 

Comments

[Thurgood Douglass]

Congratulations on the book deal. No matter the stress, being spared social networking is its own reward. Also, the Scorsese piece was superb.

[bill]

The best of all luck, Glenn. Can't wait to read it.

[Brian D.]

Congratulations on the book! Can't wait to read it. Also wanted to say that I just listened to your Cinephiliacs podcast with Mr. Labuza (I know, I know, but I'm late to podcasts), and absolutely loved it-- smart, funny, and really insightful.

[MH]

Oh Glenn, you're such a Hannah!

[jbryant]

Awesome news! I guess we can sacrifice some short-term pleasure for the sake of posterity. Knock it out of the park.

[Lex]

FEET!!!!!

Best movie since ENTER THE VOID.

[Lex]

Also what RULES and I have no problem copping to this, is Gomez (BY FAR the girl in this that turned me on the most, though LITTLE BENSONY is a DEMON FROM HELL in the movie and I always always love Hudgens)....

Is how Gomez has this SLIGHT layer of baby fat on her face that makes her look SO INNOCENT and YOUNG. CUTE. CUTE! Who else among us is MAN ENOUGH to admit that that is appealing, and that LITTLE GOMEZ in this is the ultimate woman even though she has dark hair?

[OlliS]

Congrats on the book, Glenn. I've no doubt it's going to be a good one.

[John M]

Good on you. My morning coffee won't be the same.

[rotch]

Best of luck sir. Please don't go all Hanna of Girls on us and start sticking things up your ear.

[La Faustin]

What wonderful news. Delayed gratification FTW, best wishes, and enjoy!

[La Faustin]

Capcha word for above, I swear: "omsellit"

[David Ehrenstein]

Let us know what it's about as soon as you can.

[george]

"Korine's prior feature, the homegrown "Trash Humpers," a VHS-shot chronicle of a bunch of misfits in old-man latex masks behaving badly in Korine's Nashville neighborhood, seemed to this viewer to be something of a practical joke on film critics (see Rotten Tomatoes to gauge how well it worked)."

I work in Nashville, where we have no lack of news about Harmony's projects -- including "Trash Humpers," which got a cover story in the local alt-weekly. Admittedly, he doesn't get as much press as Taylor Swift, but he's trying.

[Tony Dayoub]

Fantastic news. I can't wait to read it. Very best of luck with the book and all of its attendant work.

[george]

We also get a lot of Nicole Kidman news, because she has a home in Nashville -- and "Stoker" was filmed here. (Harmony Korine plays a supporting role.)

And, Glenn, congrats on the book deal!

[Not David Bordwell]

Surely, in your OLYMPUS takedown, you meant that Rick Yune in the "Hans Gruber," NOT the "Hans Richter" of the piece.

Unless OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN is more like IRON SKY than I'd imagined.

[Asher]

My guess is a bfi monograph on Million Dollar Baby. Just kidding. By the way, liked your Ministry of Fear essay.

[Dale Wittig]

Harmony Korine is an interesting character among film makers, given that his reputation is largely dependent on the support of some first rate film makers (Werner Herzog, Leo Carax, Lars von Trier, et al.) rather than first rate critics. Though I've never spoken with him (his entourage looks impenetrable,) we have a few friends in common in the art world, where he's also managed to make his mark (curiously, these friends seem blissfully uninterested in his film work.) He's also got many friends in the music world, like Thurston Moore and Will Oldham. One might call him well rounded. I suppose the term Trash Humpers could be taken as a jibe at film critics, like those who went gaga over a giant container of regressive adolescent trash such as Avatar(I remember him once telling Letterman that he was planning to make the sequel to Titanic and that it would all take place in a row boat,) but I doubt that he cares all that much about criticism.

[Jeff McMahon]

What about the not-inconsiderable number of critics who don't like Avatar or Korine's stuff?

[Mark]

I don't know that he lacks critical acclaim, at least among the "serious" cinephile crowd (quote marks aside, I don't mean that as a derogatory term in any way). I feel like I've read a number of critics who appreciate "julien donkey-boy," at least, and "Spring Breakers" seems to have garnered good reviews.

[george]

Korine will be at a Nashville multiplex this weekend to greet moviegoers and introduce showings of "Spring Breakers."

[Grant L]

More congrats on the book, Glenn!

[Gina]

Mr. Kenny I believe in your 'Admission' article you may have spelled Nat Wolff, who plays Jeremiah as 'Woolf' as Virginia Woolf Scholar is spelled. His last name is spelled with two fs instead of two os. Other than that I really love reading your articles:)

[george]

Finally saw "Spring Breakers." Too bad Selena Gomez departs the movie well before the end. Her character is the only real person in the movie; all the others are caricatures and fantasy figures.

In fact, I regard everything that happens after Gomez's departure as fantasy. It plays like a suburban kid's idea of gangstas and drug dealers ... the fantasy of someone who's logged many hours watching "Scarface" and the rap videos it inspired. Which could describe the James Franco character.

The movie is not without flaws, but it is interesting. Korine has talent. But I'm afraid he's one of those guys, like Tarantino or Kevin Smith, who wants to remain a teenager for life -- or, in Korine's case, an art-school student for life. (I base this on the evidence of their films; I don't personally know any of these directors.)