Trash (1970 film)

Last updated
Trash
Trash-788139.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Paul Morrissey
Written byPaul Morrissey
Starring Joe Dallesandro
Holly Woodlawn
Jane Forth
Edited by Jed Johnson [1]
Release date
  • October 5, 1970 (1970-10-05)
Running time
110 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$30,000 [2]
Box office$3,000,000 [2]

Trash is a 1970 American drama film directed by Paul Morrissey and starring Warhol superstars Joe Dallesandro, Holly Woodlawn and Jane Forth. The film features graphic scenes of intravenous drug use, sex, and frontal nudity.

Contents

Jo Dallesandro had previously starred in several other Andy Warhol/Paul Morrissey films: The Loves of Ondine, Lonesome Cowboys , San Diego Surf , and Flesh . Holly Woodlawn, a transgender actress, made her screen debut in this film. Director George Cukor praised her performance and suggested she should be nominated for an Oscar award, but Gregory Peck said the Academy was undecided over whether to nominate her for Best Actress or Best Actor. [3] Jane Forth, a teenaged model, also made her film debut.

Plot

Joe Smith, a heroin addict, is on a quest to score more drugs. Joe has a problematic relationship with his on-off, sexually frustrated girlfriend, Holly Sandiago.

During the course of the day, Joe overdoses in front of an upper-class couple, attempts to fool welfare into approving his methadone treatment by having Holly fake a pregnancy, and frustrates the women in his life with his drug-induced impotence.

Cast

Production

The film was shot in director Paul Morrissey basement in New York City in October 1969. [4] [5] Warhol's boyfriend Jed Johnson, who was the film's editor and sound engineer, told After Dark in 1970 that they did not meet Holly Woodlawn until the day her scenes were shot. [6] "Someone had told Paul about her and Paul told that person to have Holly come up some Saturday afternoon. He met her and we began filming immediately. The fact that it all came out as well as it did was because everyone involved with out films is so creative. No one could write lines like that," he said. [6]

Although Paul Morrissey is credited as the writer, the dialogue was improvised. [6] "A lot of people ask if we have a working script on our movies because the dialogue is so clever … what happens, as usual, is that Paul Morrissey gives a sentence to the actors and has them improvising on a topic while the camera is rolling," said Johnson. [6]

Release

Trash opened at Cinema II in New York City on October 5, 1970. [7] The film was shown at the London Film Festival in November 1971. [8]

Reception

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film two-and-a-half stars out of four and wrote that it was "aware of its own ludicrousness ... The humor grows out of the incongruity of the actors, the situation, the movie, the audience. 'Trash' passes right through pornography and emerges on the other side." [9]

Vincent Canby of The New York Times called the film "true-blue movie-making, almost epic, funny and vivid, though a bit rotten at the core," concluding, "'Trash' is alive, but like the people in it, it continually parodies itself, and thus it represents a kind of dead end in filmmaking." [7]

Variety wrote that the film was "the most comprehensible, least annoying and possibly most commercial of a long line of quasi-porno features from 'Chelsea Girls' to 'Lonesome Cowboys.' [10]

Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave the film three stars out of four and wrote, "The Warhol-Morrissey world is a strange one, but in many ways, especially if taken in infrequent doses, a far more real world than the formula Hollywood drama or comedy. The actors are solidly in touch with their madness and can improvise with wit." [11]

Kevin Kelly of The Boston Globe slammed the film as "worthless excess of an amateur rank beneath consideration." [12]

Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "What Morrissey did in his first film 'Flesh' and now in this sometimes uproariously funny, sometimes desperately sad new work is to draw upon the far-out scene of the Warhol superstars and utilize the same basic setups of extended dialogs between two or three people." [1]

Stanley Kauffmann of The New Republic wrote, "Trash is disgusting, not for what it is on screen but for what it is in the minds of the people who made it". [13]

Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a rating of 80% from 35 reviews with the consensus: "Diving into the lives of societal outcasts with an intent to shock, this export from the Warhol Factory will reek of trash for some but is a treasure for audiences who have a taste for outré fare." [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Morrissey</span> American film director (1938–2024)

Paul Joseph Morrissey was an American film director, known for his early association with Andy Warhol. His most famous films include Flesh (1968), Trash (1970), Heat (1972), Flesh for Frankenstein (1973), and Blood for Dracula (1974), all starring Joe Dallesandro, 1971's Women in Revolt and the 1980's New York trilogy Forty Deuce (1982), Mixed Blood (1985), and Spike of Bensonhurst (1988).

Warhol superstars were a clique of New York City personalities promoted by the pop artist Andy Warhol during the 1960s and early 1970s. These personalities appeared in Warhol's artworks and accompanied him in his social life. Warhol would simply film them, and declare them "superstars".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Factory</span> Andy Warhols New York City studio

The Factory was Andy Warhol's studio in Manhattan, New York City, which had four locations between 1963 and 1987. The Factory became famed for its parties in the 1960s. It was the hip hangout spot for artists, musicians, celebrities, and Warhol's superstars. The original Factory was often referred to as the Silver Factory. In the studio, Warhol's workers would make silkscreens and lithographs under his direction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Dallesandro</span> American actor

Joseph Angelo D'Allesandro III is an American actor and Warhol superstar. He was a sex symbol of gay subculture in the 1960s and 1970s, and of several American underground films before going mainstream.

<i>Brewster McCloud</i> 1970 US experimental comedy film by Robert Altman

Brewster McCloud is a 1970 American black comedy film directed by Robert Altman.

<i>Pocket Money</i> 1972 film

Pocket Money is a 1972 American buddy-comedy film directed by Stuart Rosenberg, from a screenplay written by Terrence Malick and based on the 1970 novel Jim Kane by J. P. S. Brown. The film stars Paul Newman and Lee Marvin and takes place in 1970s Arizona and northern Mexico.

Superstar in a Housedress (2004) is a feature-length documentary by independent filmmaker Craig Highberger about the life and legend of Warhol superstar Jackie Curtis. Highberger also wrote the biography of the same name, published by Penguin imprint Chamberlain Bros. in 2005. The film includes interviews with surviving superstars Holly Woodlawn, Penny Arcade and Joe Dallesandro; as well as Paul Morrissey, the director of the Warhol films Flesh and Women In Revolt that Jackie appeared in; and Tony Award winners Harvey Fierstein, and Lily Tomlin who also narrates. The film also includes twenty friends and colleagues of Curtis who round out the story of the artist's life. Rare footage includes Curtis performing in Vain Victory, Heaven Grand in Amber Orbit, and Glamour, Glory and Gold.

<i>The Theory of Flight</i> 1998 British film

The Theory of Flight is a 1998 British comedy drama directed by Paul Greengrass from a screenplay written by Richard Hawkins. It stars Helena Bonham Carter and Kenneth Branagh.

<i>Personal Best</i> (film) 1982 American drama film by Robert Towne

Personal Best is a 1982 American drama film written, produced and directed by Robert Towne. It stars Mariel Hemingway and real-life track star Patrice Donnelly, along with Scott Glenn as the coach. The film is about the lesbian relationship between two track-and-field teammates whose relationship might interfere with their performance.

<i>Flesh</i> (1968 film) 1968 film by Paul Morrissey

Flesh is a 1968 American film directed by Paul Morrissey and starring Joe Dallesandro as a hustler working on the streets of New York City. It highlights various Warhol superstars, in addition to being the film debuts of both Jackie Curtis and Candy Darling. Also appearing are Geraldine Smith as Joe's wife and Patti D'Arbanville as her lover.

<i>Women in Revolt</i> 1971 American film

Women in Revolt is a 1971 American satirical film produced by Andy Warhol and directed by Paul Morrissey. It was initially released as Andy Warhol's Women. The film stars Jackie Curtis, Candy Darling, and Holly Woodlawn, three trans women and superstars of Warhol's Factory scene. It also features soundtrack music by John Cale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holly Woodlawn</span> Puerto Rican actress (1946–2015)

Holly Woodlawn was an American actress and Warhol superstar who appeared in the films Trash (1970) and Women in Revolt (1971). She is also known as the Holly in Lou Reed's hit glam rock song "Walk on the Wild Side".

<i>Andy Warhols Bad</i> 1977 film by Jed Johnson

Bad, also known as Andy Warhol's Bad, is a 1977 comedy film directed by Jed Johnson and starring Carroll Baker, Perry King, and Susan Tyrrell. It was written by Pat Hackett and George Abagnalo, and was the last film produced by Andy Warhol before his death in 1987.

<i>Flesh for Frankenstein</i> 1973 horror film

Flesh for Frankenstein is a 1973 horror film written and directed by Paul Morrissey. It stars Udo Kier, Joe Dallesandro, Monique van Vooren and Arno Juerging.

<i>Blood for Dracula</i> 1974 film directed by Paul Morrissey

Blood for Dracula is a 1974 horror film written and directed by Paul Morrissey, and starring Udo Kier, Joe Dallesandro, Maxime McKendry, Stefania Casini, Arno Juerging and Vittorio de Sica. Upon its initial 1974 release in West Germany and the United States, Blood for Dracula was released as Andy Warhol's Dracula.

<i>Husbands</i> (film) 1970 film by John Cassavetes

Husbands is a 1970 American comedy-drama film written and directed by John Cassavetes. It stars Ben Gazzara, Peter Falk, and Cassavetes as three middle class men in the throes of a midlife crisis following the death of a close friend.

<i>Heat</i> (1972 film) 1972 film by Paul Morrissey, produced by Andy Warhol

Heat is a 1972 American comedy drama film written and directed by Paul Morrissey, produced by Andy Warhol, and scored by John Cale. The film stars Warhol superstars Joe Dallesandro, Sylvia Miles and Andrea Feldman. It was conceived by Warhol as a parody of the 1950 film Sunset Boulevard. It is the final installment of the "Paul Morrissey Trilogy" produced by Warhol, following Flesh (1968) and Trash (1970).

Geraldine Smith is an American actress. She is best known for having been a Warhol superstar, starring in the film Flesh (1968).

Jane Forth is an American actress, model, and make-up artist. She is best known for having been a Warhol superstar, starring in the films Trash (1970) and L'Amour (1972). She was also one of “Antonio’s Girls”, a muse of fashion illustrator Antonio Lopez.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">55th Street Playhouse</span> Former theater in Manhattan, New York

The 55th Street Playhouse—periodically referred to as the 55th Street Cinema and Europa Theatre—was a 253-seat movie house at 154 West 55th Street, Midtown Manhattan, New York City, that opened on May 20, 1927. Many classic art and foreign-language films, including those by Jean Cocteau, Sergei Eisenstein, Federico Fellini, Abel Gance, Fritz Lang, Josef Von Sternberg and Orson Welles, were featured at the theater. Later, Andy Warhol presented many of his notable films in this building in the late 1960s. Other notable films were also shown at the theater, including Boys in the Sand (1971) and Him (1974).

References

  1. 1 2 Thomas, Kevin (1970-12-25). "Trash' an Urban Odyssey"". The Los Angeles Times. pp. Part IV, p. 27. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  2. 1 2 Eichelbaum, Stanley (1974-06-07). "'Frankenstein' in 3-D--bigger than 'Trash'". The San Francisco Examiner. p. 28. Retrieved 2024-08-26.
  3. ↑ O'Brian, Jack (September 8, 1976). "Ducking the Big Apple". The Evening News. Paterson, New Jersey. p. 17.
  4. ↑ Edward, Mark; Farrier, Stephen (2021-01-14). Drag Histories, Herstories and Hairstories: Drag in a Changing Scene Volume 2. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 131. ISBN   978-1-350-10438-9.
  5. ↑ Sewall-Ruskin, Yvonne (2016-04-26). High on Rebellion: Inside the Underground at Max's Kansas City. Open Road Media. ISBN   978-1-5040-3498-2.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Zaden, Craig (December 1970). "Factory Brothers". After Dark: 22–25.
  7. 1 2 Canby, Vincent (October 6, 1970). "Film: Andy Warhol's 'Trash' Arrives: Heroin Addict's Life Is Theme of Film Techniques of 30's on View at Cinema II". The New York Times.
  8. ↑ "Festival Fuss". Shepherds Bush and Hammersmith Gazette. November 25, 1971. p. 22.
  9. ↑ Ebert, Roger (March 5, 1971). "Trash". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Film Reviews: Trash". Variety . September 30, 1970. 20.
  11. ↑ Siskel, Gene (March 1, 1971). "Trash". Chicago Tribune. Section 2, p. 13.
  12. ↑ Kelly, Kevin (October 18, 1970). "Warhol's 'Trash' precisely that". The Boston Globe . A-17.
  13. ↑ Kauffmann, Stanley (1974). Living Images Film Comment and Criticism. Harper & Row Publishers. p. 24.
  14. ↑ "Andy Warhol's Trash". Rotten Tomatoes .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.