Vincent Gallo

[Filip Plesha]

I was reading some interviews and quotes from this guy.

 

I really don't understand how he managed to acomplish anything in movie bussines with such an open, and often agressive attitude.

 

I thought that movie bussines was based on who you know and how good are you with them. And obviously this is a kind of person that either gets honest personal friends or honest enemies, nothing in between.

 

He seems like a very troubled person. Obviously everything started in his childhood. His father was pretty violent and strict, and his mother was obsessive and repressive. THey threw him out of the house at 16 so he started living on his own. Now that is one screwed up child. He even ended up in jail once.

Considering how his childhood was, he ended up pretty nicely. He could have been a hard-time criminal, but it seems there is no real hate in him, only some kind of disorganised madness that he expresses through art.

 

Now, I don't see Vincent as an artist that will be remembered in 20th and 21st century, specially considering he only did two "real" films.

But I must say, if there is anyone in America that makes uncompromised autheur movies, then its him. He really listens to nobody, and often pick fights based on that, so what ends up on screen is really original and his. Possibly a rare case of uncompromised art in hollywood. Not it may or may not be good, I don't know, who is to say. I have mixed feelings about his movies, but I do admit that it really is some kind of original art, in its most literal meaning of the word.

 

Why do I say that? Well he seems to work like a child playing with blocks. He just keeps arranging those blocks in his chaotic mind, paying attention to nothing exept his ideas which probably nobody will understand anyway, as if he is making films for himself to watch.

I sure wouldn't like to be his producer

 

Either way, a refreshment in modern american cinema.

 

 

what do you think?

[Mark Allen]

I thought that movie bussines was based on who you know and how good are you with them.

 

You're assuming that being "good with people" means treating them nice and respectfully and that, strangely, is quite often not the case. If that were the case, many people who work in movies all the time wouldn't be working in movies at all. Uber confident people can tap into other people's insecurity and make them want to be "cool by association."

 

Vincent is an uber confident person and that combined with his good looks and actor's presence makes him a great salesman for himself.

 

He also did make one good movie - Buffalo 66. That's a good film. Brown Bunny needed to be a 10 minute short, in my not so humble opinion.

[Robert Glenn]

Not a fan of him and won't care if his career ends today

[Craig Knowles]

The "movie business" is also about generating publicity, buzz and interest. Gallo has proven himself to be able to do this exceptionally well. I suspect a lot of what we hear is just that.

 

Any name - good, bad or otherwise - is better than no name at all when you're trying to get things done, and the guy does get things done.

Edited March 22, 2006 by Craig Knowles

[Jon-Hebert Barto]

Remember the fued he had with Ebert? He told EBERT he would always be a fat wanna-be filmmaker after Brown Bunny was trashed on Ebert & Roper. Know what Ebert said? "Yeah, I may be fat now but I can lose the weight and you'll always be known as the guy who made Brown Bunny." :lol: Very funny.....BTW, Ebert is no longer fat...

[Guest peter orland]

I love Buffalo 66 (when I'm in the right mood) after that film I became a fan of Lance Acord the DOP, I think he makes interesting choices when it comes to picking the films that he works on.

 

Brown Bunny was a bit of a joke.

Edited March 22, 2006 by peter orland

[Matt Pacini]

That Ebert comment was a rehash of a great comment I saw Orson Wells make to Robert Blake a long time ago (obviously) on the Johnny Carson show.

 

Orson was on first, then Blake, so Orson was "on the couch".

Blake kept on making fat jokes towards Wells through his interview.

Really classless, that guy. The kind of guy who probably would murder his wife.

 

Anyway, so at one point, Wells says, in his typical great voice:

"I'm fat. You're ugly. I can diet" and the crowd just roared.

 

Vincent Gallo is a jerk-off. Good looks? Looks like a homeless guy to me. Go to imdb.com and look at his picture. Yikes!

I guess maybe acting like a character from a Tarrantino movie is cool to some people, but I suspect we won't hear too much from this guy 10 years from now, after he pisses enough people off with his attitude.

 

 

MP

[Jon-Hebert Barto]

:lol: Don't f*** with Welles!

 

I have a friend who is a retired heart surgeon, his dad was a surgeon as well. When he was in Cuba (the dad) he stayed at the same hotel as Welles. He told his son years later the Orson got pissed-off and threw some furniture off his balcony and onto the pool deck!

He was on the floor beneath Welles and in the room directly under him. The way it was told to me is he's sitting trying to eat and there are noises, phone ringing, a little bit of yelling. This went on for some time. Then quiet. When he began drinking his "after dinner" wine he saw a large chair fall from the corner of his eye....supposedly followed by some more furniture and yelling.

Who knows...? Even if it's true this pales in comparison to the actions of Johnny Depp, AKA Hotel rooms arch nemisis! :blink:

[Craig Agee]

vincent is a very talented painter,recording artist,filmmaker,con artist (self proclaimed),shoe designer (the list goes on)...he never set out to 'make it in the buisiness' of movies.he just set out to make films (among other things).i dont think he would pride himself as a 'director' in 'the buisiness'.i saw brown bunny in the theater and i left with a strange feeling in my stomach(remember when art actually provoked thought?)the movie bored the hell out of me but if youve ever driven across the country alone you might of felt it.i felt anxiety and boredom and the movie even made me sad when daisy died.maybe im easily amused but i enjoyed the film.buffalo 66 on the other hand was a breath of fresh air, i really enjoyed it.gallo has said he rides a bicycle instead of walks so noone aproaches him and bugs him,he also sells his sperm for $1,000,000 (did someone mention uber confidence?)he sold his house after his girlfriend left him because it smelled like her.he said he stopped painting in the early 90's to deprive the world of his beautiful art.he use to masturbate into plastic bags and leave them all around the city of buffalo,he doesnt drink or do drugs and follows an extremely strict diet.he also bagged paris hilton.i dunno if a point is coming across but i laugh when people try to understand him or critisize his films.i stopped trying years ago.

 

ps. his ebay name is NBVBN check out some of his auctions its amusing

Edited March 23, 2006 by Craig A.

[Bon Sawyer]

That Ebert comment was a rehash of a great comment I saw Orson Wells make to Robert Blake a long time ago (obviously) on the Johnny Carson show.

Actually, I think it was a rehash of a Winston Churchill quote:

 

Elizabeth Braddock: Mr. Churchill, this is a disgrace. You are quite drunk.

Churchill: This may be well and true, but in the morning I will be sober and you will still be ugly.

Perhaps Welles' comment was based on Churchill's as well? Either way, great comeback by Ebert. :)

 

Bon

[Kim Vickers]

Speaking of great comebacks, here's one from Mark Twain:

 

"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a letter saying I approved."

 

Anyway, I'm sure there are people who will feel that way when Gallo says goodbye, but so what? I don't see anybody else out there pushing the envelope of mainstream filmmaking.... Okay, maybe David Lynch, but he's yesterday's news. Despite the "indie" movement we're allegedly seeing, movies today look as safe as they did in the fifties. Somebody has to make dangerous movies. Otherwise it's just a buffet of processed cheese.

[Jon-Hebert Barto]

:angry: LYNCH will always be of the now :angry: You will all see when INLAND EMPIRE is released.

 

i was not here, i did not say this... :ph34r:

[Tomas Koolhaas]

Hi,

It's funny that people always seem to have such a problem with Vincent, it's also strange that so many people on this site talk about him as if they have known him for years! has anyone who spoke so boldy about hating him actually MET him, even once??? What have you based your judgement on? some quote you read? anyone who knows anything about the press knows that almost every single quote in existence is either exagerated or taken out of context in order to cause most impact, and almost invariably in Gallo's case, are paraphrased to make him seem mad or arrogant. It is fine to judge him based on his films, but don't comment on his personality, emotions, past or intentions unless you actually KNOW HIM!!! this would be like me saying I hate Matt Pacini because he called someone he has no actual knowledge of a "Jerk-off", I don't hate him I just judge his comment on it's own merit, and find it to be ludicrous!

I have noticed a pattern that people who strike out on their own and take risks in Hollywood are often hated for it, People on this site often berrate Robert rodruigez aswell, why is it that anyone who wants to direct and DP their own film and use anything but a giant crew filled with a million union grips attracts so much hatred here?? is it that people are threatened by Vincent and rodruigez because they fear all directors might want to shoot for themselves and leave us DP's jobless??, or is it that they themselves lack the confidence to ever embark on a large budget feature film project as both Director AND DP, and so hate Gallo and Rodruigez out of envy for their talent and confidence??? I can't say because I respect anyone who is bold and takes chances especially if the results are as good as Sin City or Buffallo '66 (before anyone jumps in to correct me I know Gallo didn't DP that one himself). I am a DP but Shot, wrote and directed a short recently on HD and agree with and utilised many ideas that Gallo embodies as a filmmaker, you should ask yourself is the only reason you dont hate me aswell as Gallo because the press has not attempted to make you do so because he attacked them????

Think about why it is you would say you hate someone you don't actually know at all????????

Cheers.

[Sean Azze]

Despite the "indie" movement we're allegedly seeing, movies today look as safe as they did in the fifties. Somebody has to make dangerous movies. Otherwise it's just a buffet of processed cheese.

 

 

I think you, along with many other people, just aren't giving modern day film enough credit. People keep saying the Hollywood machine is churning out the same formulaic, 3 act structure films - and yes, this is true. But quirky, exciting, "dangerous" films are on equal footing. Think of some of the stuff that has come out the last few years;

 

"Pulp Fiction" - the most obvious example. The film that essentially defined what movies would look like for the next decade.

"Being John Malkovich" - a complete mind f*%k.

"Fight Club" - dank, grimy, and unabashadly nihilistic. I'm surprised this one didn't start the apocalypse.

"The Woodsman" - a film whose protagonist is a pedophile. Whoa.

"Memento" - for one, a film told in reverse order (its been done before, but never quite this clever). Also, it surprises the audience with a familiar technique - withholding vital information - yet it doesn't do it arbitrarily. The character's condition demands it.

"Adaptation" - another great post-modern Charlie Kaufman script.

"Run Lola Run" - 3 films in one.

"Y Tu Mama Tambien" - a completely unfiltered portrayal of teenagers.

"Requiem for a Dream" - the first time an after school special delivered its message effectively.

 

I'm not taking the time right now to carefully think of all the great films that have come out, so I know I've omitted a ton of great work. But what more can we want? We can't expect something edgy and mind blowing to come out every single Friday. I don't know if we keep comparing this generation of films to the hey day of the 70's, but people place so much emphasis on the "Armageddon's" and the other blockbuster crap, they just don't take the time to appreciate the gems.

Edited March 23, 2006 by sean126

[Filip Plesha]

ood looks? Looks like a homeless guy to me

 

And do homeless people look any different from other people? They dress differently and maybe have different hair, but the facial features and body shapes are not different from the rest of us. SO I don't know what do you mean when you say someone looks like a homeless guy. It has to do with style, not looks.

[Tomas Koolhaas]

I think you, along with many other people, just aren't giving modern day film enough credit. People keep saying the Hollywood machine is churning out the same formulaic, 3 act structure films - and yes, this is true. But quirky, exciting, "dangerous" films are on equal footing. Think of some of the stuff that has come out the last few years;

 

"Pulp Fiction" - the most obvious example. The film that essentially defined what movies would look like for the next decade.

"Being John Malkovich" - a complete mind f*%k.

"Fight Club" - dank, grimy, and unabashadly nihilistic. I'm surprised this one didn't start the apocalypse.

"The Woodsman" - a film whose protagonist is a pedophile. Whoa.

"Memento" - for one, a film told in reverse order (its been done before, but never quite this clever). Also, it surprises the audience with a familiar technique - withholding vital information - yet it doesn't do it arbitrarily. The character's condition demands it.

"Adaptation" - another great post-modern Charlie Kaufman script.

"Run Lola Run" - 3 films in one.

"Y Tu Mama Tambien" - a completely unfiltered portrayal of teenagers.

"Requiem for a Dream" - the first time an after school special delivered its message effectively.

 

I'm not taking the time right now to carefully think of all the great films that have come out, so I know I've omitted a ton of great work. But what more can we want? We can't expect something edgy and mind blowing to come out every single Friday. I don't know if we keep comparing this generation of films to the hey day of the 70's, but people place so much emphasis on the "Armageddon's" and the other blockbuster crap, they just don't take the time to appreciate the gems.

 

Hi,

Tu mama tambien and Run Lola run weren't made in Hollywood (or even America, or by Americans) and the Woodsman was funded by Rap Producer Damon Dash out of his own pocket, so wasn't part of the typical Hollywood film making system. Most Hollywood films are super formulaic, but it's true there are generally more interesting and experimental high budget films made in Hollywood these days than 10 years ago.

Cheers.

[Rik Andino]

Well he [Gallo] seems to work like a child playing with blocks.

He just keeps arranging those blocks in his chaotic mind,

paying attention to nothing exept his ideas which probably nobody will understand anyway,

as if he is making films for himself to watch.

 

I sure wouldn't like to be his producer

 

You've almost accurately described every young first-time director I've worked with.

 

It's silly...but most of the student filmmakers (Directors) I've known behave this way.

Many have very vivid ideas in their head but find it difficult to express it clearly to others.

They have trouble communicating their vision with their crew and thus a trouble showing it onscreen

And I figure cause they're young they got the attitude: "I don't care what others think..."

So they get annoy at criticism about their film...either they learn and become better or burnout.

 

Well what can you do but not work with them. :)

 

 

A refreshment in modern american cinema.

what do you think?

 

I think...for some reason...you subconciously hate American cinema.

Maybe it's not subconcious...

 

Eitherways you're entitled to your beliefs.

[Jason Debus]

Either way, a refreshment in modern american cinema.

what do you think?

 

Buffalo '66 is so unique and original of a film I have a hard time saying anything harsh about Vincent Gallo or his methods. I think he's one of the best American writer/directors and it's unfortunate that not very many people think that. Granted he hasn't made that many films as a director, but what he has done shows that he can make outstanding unique films, even masterpieces. I heard he quit directing, I hope it's not true.

 

This is a great interview where he goes into a little detail on the making of Buffalo '66:

 

http://www.galloappreciation.com/print/filmmkr.html

 

Also he reads & posts on this forum on occasion so I wouldn't say anything that you wouldn't want to be called out on.

[Filip Plesha]

I think...for some reason...you subconciously hate American cinema.

Maybe it's not subconcious...

 

Do I?

What I don't like (hate is a strong word) is when people get shalow. That's all. It has nothing to do with any specific country

[Josh Bass]

Shallow can be okay. A dumb comedy can still be good. It won't win Oscars or change your life, but you can be entertained, and it may stick with you forever. It probably won't, but it may.

[Guest winter]

I have alot to say on this but blah don't feel like writing it all out.

basically i dunno a/b his calling girls "fat" all the timeand being a jerky republican. can't say I'd like him to hang out with, him but I LOVE his films. hes an artist. art in Film hasn't really hit the mainsteam, but installation artists + experimental artist have done Brown Bunny stuff forever., I didn't even see it or any of his films as that out there. it scares me, with wanting to make films that people are so freaked out by him. Bunny was very much how I think of filmmaking. Its like looking at still photographs mixed with a story. Its a beautiful breath of air in my opinion from all the films today, which are so story driven with conventinal cookie cutter plots. film shouldn't always be judged by the story alone. Its a medium which can be used to manipuate the senses andexpress emotions like any other tools in the world. its funny people feel doing such things are pretentious, i've heard alot of kids say this. Art alone/messing with permiters is not pretentious, its how we question interpret the world, the society we are in. how we create and destroy meaning. all the fashion etc..,all comes from people/artists pushing the boundries of the norm. sure if you get abstact all is art but thats the beauty of it (ha! ode to john waters, watch Pecker).

[Jon-Hebert Barto]

WINTER QuoTE: <_< .......and being a jerky republican. :blink:

 

Ummmm, that's real nice! Part of understanding someones art is trying to understand what he/she is all about. Understanding someones worldview plays a big part in comprehending their art....

 

That's a pretty ballsy statement for a poster who calls themselves "winter"..... :P

 

Ok,Ok. Enough. I'm just keeding! I keed!!! :lol: But seriuosly, you shouldn't call out political parties like that unless you are willin' to defend yourself in post after post after post thereby pissing everyone off in this forum because the subject got waaayyyyy off topic. You may offend some whith those remarks, basically. I'm just sayin' this because I know, I've pissed people off here...Oh, yeah! Welcome aboard!!! :)

 

Now Gallo.... That guy is very hard to understand. Alot of those multi-media artist are. He does music, film, other stuff.... I think he just lives for feeling new things. And rehashing old feelings he likes, playing them over. I would bet a pretty penny that knowing him personally would be a somber, even mellow, experience.I think most people would expect him to bite heads of little puppies but I suspect different. :rolleyes:

Edited March 24, 2006 by BARCA

[Leo Anthony Vale]

I think...for some reason...you subconciously hate American cinema.

Maybe it's not subconcious...

 

Eitherways you're entitled to your beliefs.

 

---He seems fond of scenic westerns. That's hardly being anti-american cinema.

 

---LV

[Filip Plesha]

---He seems fond of scenic westerns. That's hardly being anti-american cinema.

 

Well I do like westerns, but the best argument about this idea of me being anti-american in regards to cinema is the fact that most of the films I really like are american. I like almost all Kubrick films for example.

 

America seems to be the land of great oposites in almost everything. In US cinema I've seen some of most shallow and stupid films I have ever seen, but I have also seen greatest work of art in the history of cinema.

 

Such amplitude comes naturally with the huge number of movies that come out of US compared to Europe

[Jon-Hebert Barto]

 

America seems to be the land of great opposites in almost everything. In US cinema I've seen some of the most shallow and stupid films I have ever seen, but I have also seen greatest work of art in the history of cinema.

 

 

 

Probably the truest statement I've ever seen about American cinema on this board. We are a capitalistic society (no problem there) so by nature most of our output regarding film is not meant for intellectual consumption. But at the same time, some of our artists can make the system work for them and in turn produce great works of cinematic art. I love this place. :)

Edited March 24, 2006 by BARCA