Word has it, via Screen, that Harmony Korine could land a Midnight slot at Cannes with his new film, the EDGLRD production “Baby Invasion.”
Described as an “interactive thriller,” “Baby Invasion” is a feature about home invaders, shot from a first-person shooter perspective. The footage was created using six body cams (one worn by Korine himself). Oh, and the invaders' faces have been treated with AI technology so that they appear as babies.
“It’s close to a horror film in some ways, and close to a first-person shooter game, mostly told through GoPros and security-cam footage,” Korine had told ArtNews in November. Will this one, much like his last one, “Aggro Dr1ft,” fail to find any distribution and resort to strip club screenings?
Yes, Korine’s visionary “Aggro Dr1ft” is currently on its “experimental tour,” the first few stops were at Los Angeles strip clubs this past February. It’s definitely a peculiar way to screen the film, but, then again, Korine has never really adhered to mainstream thinking.
So, with that in mind, here’s the trailer for “Aggro Dr1ft,” a film about gangsters, strippers, prostitutes, assassins, and horned demons, all shot in infrared. Some moments in this film do actually leave you in a trance, while others bewilder (more thoughts here).
Korine was always known for transgressive, taboo-busting films that shaped American indie cinema in the ‘90s. Korine’s ubiquitous style, an eschewing of traditional form and narrative, can definitely turn some people off.
Some of his earlier films were hallmarks of the ‘90s indie underground scene, I’m thinking particularly of his 1995 script for “Kids,” “Gummo,” and “Julien Donkey-Boy.” His latter-day films, including the wonderful “Spring Breakers,” broke the mold for A24 to break out as a major distributor of arthouse American cinema.