Totally F***ed Up (1994)

An action-packed slog

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Opening with a newspaper article on gay teen suicide, the tone of this early career Gregg Araki movie is set from early on as the film presents "15 random celluloid fragments" relating to the hardships of being young and homosexual in a predominantly heterosexual world. Araki's perpetual muse James Duval is solid as the closest the film has to a protagonist and some of the ideas that crop up (AIDS as a form of genocide) are decent, however, the film does not just consist of fragments, but is in fact completely fragmented as it jumps randomly between characters. None of this would be a problem if the characters were well fleshed out, but we barely get to know them outside of what they say in interviews. The supporting performances also vary from poor to adequate and the fact that all concerned mumble their lines is a poor aesthetic choice on Araki's behalf. 'Totally F***ed Up' is often cited as the first film in Araki's 'Teen Apocalypse Trilogy' alongside the vastly superior 'The Doom Generation' and 'Nowhere'. What makes both those films so remarkable is the way Araki weaves in fantastic and pseudo-scientific elements to symbolise the strangeness that the characters feel grappling with their sexuality. Both 'The Doom Generation' and 'Nowhere' are laced with semi-surreal comedic touches too. By comparison, 'Totally F***ed Up' is far more straightforward and serious-minded a tale. Evidently, this approach has appeal to some given the positive reputation that the film has built up over time, but suffice it so say, one's mileage will vary.

I thought the movie, "Totally F***ed UP," was a rather good movie. The movie attempts to look at the lives of some troubled gay teens and how they attempt to deal with the complexity and pressures of homosexuality in advent of the approaching new millennium. The interviewing style of the movie was a different approach to viewing a teen movies compared to the main stream movies formulas, but I found the movie entertaining in spite of the narration, and at times, it was very funny. If you ever really been around the teens of today, they do act and talk like these teens. All teens have problems trying to adjust and assimilate into adult life. Having the added pressure of being gay, makes their lives even more complex. I could identify with some of the characters and some of their actions and reactions and their problems trying to become independent, gay adults. I first saw this movie on the Independent Film Channel of cable and eventually I bought my own DVD copy, but I'd like to see more movies like this and more from the writer and director, Gregg Araki. Who knows, eventually these movies will be in main stream too and not just presented only on the Independent Film Network.

A rare movie to find. If you find it, you are one of the few.I think that this is a good movie for sexually confused teenagers to watch. I think that some kids can connect with it and know that they are not the only ones out there who have the same situations occur in their life as in this movie. Some good issues are brought up in this movie. Some real stereotypes are stepped on in this movie. This movie lets kids know that it's okay to be something other than hetero.

This film was great...I thought it showed the disenchanted at a level that was easy to identify with, especially for young queers. low budget movies always seem a bit cheezy but it brings them down to a level which is easily understood by the general populace. (sounds patronising I know, but it's a fact). It showed a bit of light in a lost world and is easily my favorite Araki film. The characters were great, the cinematography, while sometimes a bit hard on the eye, was interesting for me as a young film maker...it was also easy for me to identify with, although I'm in a totally different cultural climate and country from where this was filmed, growing attached to these characters was easy for me because I've been there and felt that, no matter how cheezy it is to say. I wonder one day if I can make a film as good as this...I want to give a bit of hope back to my generation and generations to come of young queers and let them know that there are others out there who feel the same way, give them a little hope in this dark.