The Doom Generation Movie Review

“A Heterosexual Movie by Gregg Araki"? How about a re-tread of 1987's Three Bewildered People in the Night, also by Araki? Rose McGowan gives a vivid performance as Amy Blue, but the theme here, that figurative and literal lost puppies deserve whatever they get, is illustrated in nauseating detail, rather like a low-budget homage to Natural Born Killers, released the previous year. One particularly gory sequence also recalls 1995's Dead Presidents, although the brutal imagery made more sense in the context of the Hughes brothers film. How many ways can you show a menage a trois in which the object of the film is to get the guys alone together? Ditch the impediment? (Although in this case you'd be losing the best actor in the film.) Araki's first flick was lionized beyond recognition at 1988's Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. By the time 1989's fest rolled around, the critics were back to normal with mixed reactions to The Long Weekend (o’ despair). The Living End, Totally F***ed Up, The Doom Generation, and Nowhere followed. Look for The Love Boat's Lauren ("Cruise Director Julie McCoy”) Tewes and The Brady Bunch's Christopher ("Peter”) Knight as television news anchors.

1995 (R) 84m/C Rose McGowan, James Duval, Johnathon Schaech; Cameos: Parker Posey, Lauren Tewes, Christopher Knight, Margaret Cho, Skinny Puppy; D: Gregg Araki; W: Gregg Araki; C: Jim Fealy. Nominations: Independent Spirit Awards ‘96: Debut Performance (McGowan). VHS, DVD