Totally F***ed Up

with obvious allusions to vivre sa vie (the film is divided into 14 seemingly randomly segregate segments), gregg araki takes a journey into the lives of a group of gay teens in LA (not ALL gay teens, just a group). Well, maybe journey is the wrong word for it. Those familiar with Araki's other works are aware that they are loud, colorful, bombastic, and over-exentuated. They are also very MOBILE, in that a lot happens in the stories (usually someone gets killed, they run from johnny law, etc.). Totally F**ked up is not a mobile film. It doesn't go anywhere. Araki seems to proscribe in this film to the philosophy ( a Rossellini/ Godard staple) that life is less about actions or even interactions than boredom and other people's stories. James Duval plays a teen who broods in self-antipathy, spouting off despeate (and often pathetic) catch phrases like "life is sh**." or "love does not exist." But the underlying notion is that he really has lost faith and all hope, and as much as it ills him to become a statistic he keeps creeping that way, unable to find an outlet to truly express his real dismays.

Araki's trademark self-coined slang and gother-than-thou art references are still in tact as we view this period of life that is less transitional emotionally than just a shift of behaviors- as we all act like babies. maybe it's just making up excuses - a character being lured into cheating because of a bootleg nine inch nails video- or maybe it's just talking in goofy language and popping pills in abandonned garages to watch each other fall over.

as for the film's "crappy" look, I could either chock it up to lack of funds or intentional grainy filming. After all, every single one of his films are laced with characters using intentionally awful dialogue and intentionally bad acting to disguise its actual intentions. it makes since that he could do this visually too. And with the interspersed interviews with steven's video camera- it could easily be construed as the actual camera eye of the group, a 7th member if you will. either way, it didn't distract me.

People who enjoyed Araki's other films because of the pretty colors and big loud noises need not apply themselves to this film, because it does take patience. but the result is a rewarding experience.

I've been watching Gregg Araki's movies out of chronological order and I think this has really adversely affected the way I'm seeing them. Being a big fan of the surreal, campy, pop art-y 'Doom Generation' and 'Nowhere' has meant that I've found his earlier more realistic movies difficult to enjoy.

'The Living End' is one of his more conventional movies but at least it attempted some character development and a story-line. Unfortunately, 'Totally F***ed Up' doesn't have enough of either. It has plenty of anger sure, but it's semi-documentary look at disenfranchised gay teens fails to hold the interest throughout. It has a few good moments, but overall I had to fight to keep involved.

The one really good thing about it is that it introduces the charismatic James Duval, who Araki would utilise better in his following two movies. Too bad his subsequent career has mainly seen him relegated to bit parts in (the no brainer) 'Independence Day' and (the admittedly enjoyable) 'Go'. He deserves better.

So, if you didn't find much to enjoy in 'Totally F***ed Up' don't let it turn you off Araki completely. He far surpasses this in 'Doom Generation' and especially his most accomplished movie to date 'Nowhere' - a true 90s classic that deserves a larger audience!

A rare movie to find. If you find it, you are one of the few.

I think that this is a good movie for sexually confused teenagers to watch. I think that some kids can connect with it and know that they are not the only ones out there who have the same situations occur in their life as in this movie. Some good issues are brought up in this movie. Some real stereotypes are stepped on in this movie. This movie lets kids know that it's okay to be something other than hetero.

I've seen all of Gregg Araki's Films except the ones before "The Living End" and I thought all of them were fantastic. But not this one, it is a peice of garbage. First of all, this film gives no incite whatsoever on what it is like to be a gay teen. It never delves deep into the characters to show how they feel, and in the end we are left wondering what the hell happened. Ok so I saw the film about two years ago, so I can't comment fresh after seeing it. I have never been so aware of a film being shot on film as I was with this one. Araki uses WAY too many close-ups (which work for his other films) but in this one all there seems to be is CLOSE-UPS, CLOSE-UPS, CLOSE-UPS! It drove me insane. This probably would have worked if ANY of the characters were interesting in the slightest, but instead we are treated to LONG close-up pseudo documentary like shots of boring dialogue delivered by boring actors. I am so angry that I spent 100 dollars to import two copies of this for me and my friend, who is also a big Araki fan and couldn't even finish watching this piece of crap. Final Verdict, you will most likely not enjoy this film even if you are a big Araki fan. watch his other movies instead (except for Splendor ech!)

I saw this film in 1995 at the ICA in London, and it blew me away - and it still does today. Mostly because it treates the characters as genuine real PEOPLE,

and without stereotypes. Even in today's age of "will and grace" crap, it still holds up as ten times more genuine.

A lot of people complain that nothing much happens - but that's what these

characters are destined to do- nothing much. They're problem is that they can't find a place to hang out, to fit in, to find others like them. They are nihilistic outcasts, and because they're gay in 1993, they're even more outcast - but

partially by themselves. This film shows this better than any film I've seen since...

-ken