The Doom Generation

One of my personal favorite films is this tale of a road adventure between a teenage couple and a guy they pick up, leading to lots of sex, gory violence and bizarre events. This one is quite a dark movie, with lots of death and tragedy, but at the same time a brilliant look at the whacked-out characters involved in these harrowing situations. Director Gregg Araki seems to have a knack for these types of movies. His next film was the even better NOWHERE. Definitely Recommended.

Gregg Araki's THE DOOM GENERATION is reminiscent of everything from MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO to THE RIVER'S EDGE to TRUE ROMANCE to the experimental films of Pasolini, of Warhol (Morrisey), as well as of Richard Kern. The film reveals its thematic message when the most innocent and selfless of its three main characters asks the other, more self-centered, two if they ever think about the meaning of existence. Dismissing the very question, they reveal to the questioner an answer of sorts, one which suggests that we each create a meaning for ourselves, and are all existentially alone as we do so.

While offering us a rather slight story of a pair of teen lovers on the road who encounter a slightly older bisexual who becomes their nemesis, companion, lover and protector, THE DOOM GENERATION offers a great deal of visual style and wit, and some genuine moments of suspense. In fact, the film's gory and discomforting climactic scene is perhaps the artistic highlight and suggests some real filmaking talent by writer/director Gregg Araki. This is probably not everyone's cup of tea, but is worth a look for those who like a film which challenges them to react to strong imagery and who don't mind transgressive depictions.

A quirky comedy (?) that takes a dark turn at the end. I can't quite tell if The Doom Generation is good or bad. Regardless, I quite enjoyed this wonky ride of a movie.

It contains very questionable acting and pacing but this movie is undoubtably entertaining and begging to be endlessly quoted. That dark ending really comes out of nowhere with very little build up. But it showcases that we live in a society, mannnn.

When all is said and done I can't quite say this is a masterpiece but I also can't say I didn't enjoy myself. A cult classic indeed, and one that kinda needs to be seen to be believed.

The Doom Generation is a stunning, gripping, gut-wrenching movie. It's easy to see why reactions are so strongly polarized, with almost everybody either loving it or hating it. It's scary to imagine what kind of mind would react with genuine indifference.

I admit I didn't read all the reviews already posted for it, but in the ones I did read I was surprised to find so few that mentioned how funny and how charming this movie is. Like it or not, it's primarily a romantic comedy, and if you miss that you've missed what holds it all together. It's extremely intelligent, very dark, very sweet, profoundly erotic, and shockingly bloody. But most of all it's very, very funny. If I'd missed the humor, I'd still like the freewheeling sexiness, but I'd be appalled by the violence. But I didn't miss the humor, so I loved it all.

Everything about it is brilliant: the writing, the direction, even the gory special effects, and every single member of the large cast is perfect, especially the three leads. For a "heterosexual" movie, as Araki labeled it (with some irony, I have to think), with plenty of sex between the girl and both guys, the most powerfully erotic scenes are between the two men alone. There's no sex acted out between them at all, not even a kiss, but the heat is intense and stunning, much more powerful than the explicit sex between either of them and the girl. It's the best proof I've ever seen that eroticism and sex are completely different, and in a movie eroticism is much more entertaining. The sex acts in this movie may be all hetero, but the real heat is as gay as it gets. That's quite a coup.

I for one am glad it's not in widescreen on the DVD. If a movie that's filmed widescreen is shown at 4:3, you do lose information. But a lot of independent movies from that period were filmed at 4:3, so that a "widescreen" version just crops off the top and bottom of the picture, and you actually get less information. (The widescreen version of Gus Van Sant's brilliant Elephant is like that, but fortunately that DVD includes both versions.)

Some films divide audiences immediately. 'Eraserhead', 'Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls', 'Night Of The Living Dead'. 'The Doom Generation' is one of those movies! I don't know of anyone who has seen it that has a luke warm response. You either love it or hate it, and I love it!

Gregg Araki makes unique movies. Self conscious, self parodying, INTELLIGENT trash. His world is not really our world. It's an exaggerated, surreal version of "reality". Sexy, violent, pop culture bombarded, dream-like, impossible to forget or ignore. 'The Doom Generation' is clever, ironic, disturbing fun.

Personally, I think his next movie 'Nowhere' is his masterpiece, but this is almost as good. Plus we get lots of Rose McGowan flesh on display - not a bad thing! Her performance as Amy Blue ALMOST makes her the 1990s version of Tura Satana! She will never knock off Tura's crown as Queen of Sleaze, but she seems to be having a hell of a lot of fun trying, and I have a hell of a lot of fun watching her!