Let's revisit Harmony Korine's greatest work: the "Terrible Letterman Appearances" triptych
Aux Features Film
Back when he was just 19, Beach Bum director Harmony Korine wrote the screenplay for 1995's Kids, an uncomfortably intimate look at a day in the life of a group of New York City teenagers. The movie was huge. It kickstarted the film careers of Chloë Sevigny, Rosario Dawson, and Korine himself. It also provided the writer with an opportunity to enact his greatest, multi-year project: three bizarre appearances on Letterman that would culminate with his being banned from the show.
In a YouTube collection of these spots, put together by Metaflix, we get to watch the whole journey unfold.
It begins with a baby Korine being asked softball questions about his name. Soon enough, it’s devolved into the guest telling Letterman he used to fight a lot, but wasn’t good at it. A typical exchange, defying social convention, goes like this:
“You fought a lot? Did you win? Were you a good fighter,” Letterman asks.
“Not very good,” Korine answers.
“You just enjoyed it?”
“Once I took this kid sailing and his name was Barfunk, and I capsized the sailboat, and he almost drowned,” he says.
“Wow,” Letterman responds.
This pattern continues, Letterman asking the constantly fidgeting young man questions about his work that are immediately redirected.
“Y’know, I could pretty much have this conversation with myself,” Letterman says at one point, laughing it up before trying to get things on track with a question about teen trends. Korine takes this as a cue to tell a story about a kid from Delaware who “got a shish kebab skewer stuck through both his ass cheeks.”
Years later, while promoting Gummo, Korine provides the late night host with a fitting sequel to his first visit. Legs bouncing endlessly, he discusses paint-sniffing; his approach to filmmaking (unusually on topic); claims the low-budget Gummo cost “80 mill”; and describes his goal to write “the Great American Choose Your Own Adventure Novel.” When told he “[represents] the avant-garde,” Korine responds that he’s a “commercial film-maker.”
“I’m a patriot,” he continues. “I hide in trees.” Somehow Letterman closing the segment by saying, “We’ll be right back with Smash Mouth” doesn’t adequately follow up that statement.
In the last of his three appearances, Korine returns to, theoretically, talk about his book, A Crack-Up At The Race Riots. Soon enough, Letterman is asking if he’d like to “direct a film on [the] scale” of Titanic, prompting Korine to reply that he’d make “the second one.”
“I’d do the sequel probably,” he clarifies. “I’d use a rowboat. I don’t know if it’d sink.” He then just sort of laughs uncontrollably for a while and, when Letterman tries to help promote his novel, says he doesn’t get why anyone would read a book anymore.
Sadly, all great work must come to an end. Though he came back for a fourth time, Korine was banned from Letterman during the visit, forcing an abrupt conclusion to his grand artistic project. In 2013, James Franco (who starred in Korine’s Spring Breakers) appeared on the show, leading Letterman to ask what the writer/director’s “deal” is. Soon, Letterman remembers that Korine was banned because, when the host “went upstairs to greet Meryl Streep”—also guesting during the fateful fourth visit—he found Korine “going through her purse.”
It couldn’t have ended any other way.
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24 Comments
Harmony Korrine is proof that the border between “visionary filmmaker” and “absolute crazy person” is microscopically thin.
“Thank you for your support.”- Uwe Boll
I actually adore Uwe Boll to be honest.His adaptation of Postal is absolute garbage, making it the perfect adaptation of Postal
Some crazy is a little more creative than others.
“Spring Breakers” was my favorite movie of 2013 (I watched it in an otherwise empty cinema) ahead of “Inside Llewyn Davis”. It is probably some kind of an accidental masterpiece, but it really spoke to me.
Yeah Korine just has a weird ability to capture certain moments and moods in an era in ways that aren’t objectively good, but are frighteningly realistic in tone.Kids did that, and Spring Breakers did. Beach Bum kinda less so.
I just don’t understand.Who the fuck wouldn’t go through Meryl Streep’s purse?!!I mean, Letterman used to get Teri Garr in the shower and nobody thought that was strange.
Getting 1985 Teri Garr in the shower was every straight man’s desire.
Indeed.
Especially if she was talking in her Young Frankenstein accent at the same time……Or is that just me?
That would’ve made for a great Top 10 bit. Top 10 Things Found In Meryl Streep’s Purse.
this guy sounds like a complete asshole.
*genius
Future president material*
Meh, Crispin Glover could take this guy in a fight. He’s strong, he can kick!
That interview is such a mind blowingly bizarre intersection of natural weirdness and drug mania.
Off hand the most memorable moments I’ve had watching TV as a kid were the Glover interview, Drew Barrymore flashing her tits, the Press Your Luck with the guy that figured out the pattern so he could win forever, the Newhart finale…an episode of Young and the Restless, don’t ask.
Those first three interviews were very funny. He absolutely could have been a regular with Dave.
I would 100% watch those two on a road trip together.
Harmony Korine’s films make me feel like I’m covered in a thin film of grease. That’s a compliment!
Andy Garcia has not aged well.
He sounds like a character in a Donald Barthelme story.
He’s clearly quite intelligent, he’s also VERY socially awkward, Letterman is the best!