“Aggro Dr1ft” is maybe the best example yet that Harmony Korine has completely lost his mind. It’s the work of a total madman.
The film, which premiered to polarizing reviews at last September’s Venice Film Festival, still has no distribution, and I’m not entirely sure who will actually want to pick this film up. Last September, I wrote, “the audience for this movie, if you want to call it that, is practically non-existent”.
”Aggro Dr1ft” is what would happen if a low-brow Terrence Malick directed a story about horned demons, assassins, strippers and rappers, all shot in trippy infrared. So, what to do if no distributor is ready to pounce on your film? How about bring it out on tour, and even screen it at strip clubs.
That’s what Korine has announced, there will be an “experimental tour” for “Aggro Dr1ft.” The tour’s first stop is at the strip club Crazy Girls in Los Angeles on Feb. 7, with an additional date the next day.
Following its Los Angeles strip club debut, EDGLRD will bring “Aggro Dr1ft” to unconventional venues across the country. Each location will use backdrops featuring creative visuals designed by EDGLRD to highlight the company’s animation and visual effects style. Musical performances from Korine and “Aggro Dr1ft” composer Araabmuzik will accompany the screenings. Additional music acts will be announced at a later date. Tickets will be available on DICE.
“The distribution of ‘Aggro Dr1ft’ goes beyond the limitations of the outdated moviegoing experience,” EDGLRD head of film strategy and development Eric Kohn said in a statement. “You don’t just watch ‘Aggro Dr1ft’ — you step into a new world, and these events will allow audiences to immerse themselves in it.”
“Aggro Dr1ft” is a nightmare to get lost in. Korine claims it isn’t a movie anyway, and that he doesn’t care that much for movies at all any more. But, contrary to rumors, “Aggro Dr1ft” doesn’t really play like a video game either. It’s its own crazy statement from a filmmaker who has always pushed boundaries. Here’s what I wrote about it at TIFF:
Set in a future Floridian dystopia, the world’s greatest hitman, Bo (Jordi Moller), a family man who, in the film’s ultra-repetitive voiceover, says the “old world is no more,” plans one last hit. His wife, mostly moaning and twerking, tries to get his attention, but Bo is a poet, a philosopher, and he ignores her — he’d rather ruminate, via voiceover, deep thoughts, like “I am an assassin” and “I am a solitary hero.”
His arch nemesis, and stalker, is a buffed-up figure called Bo, owner of strip clubs, constantly growling, “YEAH! URGH! DANCE, BITCHES!” at his caged and scantily clad women, who are already dancing anyway.
Women’s bodies are routinely on display. Bo’s mansion is filled with sex workers, hostages, and he also loves, for some reason, to hump his machete, which turns out to be one of the film’s more amusing moments. “YEAH! URGH! DANCE, BITCHES!”
The film is driven by this great and atmospheric electronic score by DJ AraabMuzik — some of the compositions are reminiscent of the Giallo scores Dario Argento used in his classics.
“Aggro Dr1ft” is all about the vibes. It was shot entirely in thermal vision, resulting in a surreal imagery of neon colors. One can call it an experiment, a way for Korine to break the mold of moviemaking, making something “different” in the process. The result is that some moments actually do leave you in a trance, while others bewilder.
The dialogue is also purposefully banal and hilariously repetitive. What else can you say about a film that has a character repeating the line, “Dance, bitch, dance. Dance. Dance. Dance, bitch, dance bitch.” Moments later, Bo suddenly appears, again reiterating, in hushed tone, “I am an assassin.”
It’s just that kind of film. There’s a lack of meaning to the whole thing, but that’s precisely what Korine seems to be going for. He wants to hypnotize you with his images rather than involve you with its thin story. The audience for this movie, if you want to call it that, is practically non-existent.
Criterion's December lineup has some great additions to the library, but the title that jumped out at me is Werner Herzog's "Grizzly Man," which officially joins the Collection on December 8.