Gregg Araki’s independent 1995 film “Doom Generation” screened at Amherst Cinema on Friday, April 4, drawing a nearly sold-out crowd of eager fans. The screening was part of Amherst Cinema’s Friday ‘Late Night’ series, showcasing “the best cult, genre and other outré films,” which will continue weekly until May 16.
Amherst Cinema screened the 4K restoration of the director’s cut, which reflects Araki’s true directorial direction by including scenes that were initially censored in its theatrical release. “Doom Generation” was notorious for its violent and mature content upon its original release and faced significant censorship. In this unrated director’s cut, Araki had more freedom to show the film’s intense content, specifically the extreme violence of its final shocking scene.
Fans gathered in Theater One, 20 minutes before the film’s screening, chatting amongst groups as the trailers played. When the film opened with its iconic title card reading “A HETEROSEXUAL MOVIE BY GREGG ARAKI,” the audience erupted in laughter. The lively audience verbally reacted throughout the film, laughing at the film’s tongue-in-cheek dialogue and unexpectedly provocative themes.
“Doom Generation” is a nihilist portrayal of fleeting teenage youth in the 1990s. The film is a part of Araki’s Teenage Apocalypse trilogy, featured alongside “Totally F***ed Up” (1993) and “Nowhere” (1997). Araki is heavily referenced for his involvement in the New Queer Cinema movement.
The movie follows teenage couple Amy Blue and Jordan White, along with a drifter they unexpectedly pick up named Xavier Red. They spiral into chaos after Xavier accidentally kills a convenience store owner. The trio travel between motels, gas stations and bars, encountering a disorienting apocalyptic landscape filled with bizarre characters and situations.
“Doom Generation” is a satirical social commentary on the numbness of modern life for youth, particularly in relation to LBGTQ+ identity and culture while navigating the AIDs crisis in America during the 1990s. The film critiques the disillusionment and rebellion that characterized the generation’s culture.
The movie speaks to teenage youth through its portrayal of youth subcultures, punctuated by its pop culture references, distinctive wardrobe selection and its needle drops. The film’s extensive soundtrack features Nine Inch Nails, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Slowdive, Cocteau Twins, Aphex Twin, Ride and many others.
Another key feature of the film is its intoxicating set design. Between the colorful motel rooms to the stark, fluorescent-lit convenience stores and desolate bars with aluminum-lined walls, each location feels disorienting to the audience yet completely familiar to the characters, reinforcing their sense of aimlessness in their meaningless world.
“Doom Generation’s” angsty and absurd humor truly ties it all together. The sex and pop culture obsessed main characters deliver constant quips and one-liners, often inducing laughter from the audience, even during the film’s most intense moments.
The movie’s final scene is the most pivotal part of the movie, marking the climax of the trio’s journey. They are violently attacked by Neo-Nazis in a harrowing visual experience, with flashing strobe lights illuminating their demise. The audience at Amherst Cinema grew silent during the intense final scene, leaving the theater in a quiet, reflective daze.
The film received mixed reviews upon its release. In a 2023 Q&A at the Sundance Institute, Araki reflected on the first screening of “Doom Generation”, recalling that “nobody had ever seen it before, and during that ending scene, people were just walking out, so in shock. It is a really intense scene, but that’s the world we live in.”
“Doom Generation” has become a staple LGBTQ+ cult film, like many of Gregg Araki’s other movies. The film illustrates a cynical view of fleeting youth and the lack of security for LGBTQ+ and alternative youth in subcultures, delivering an unexpectedly dramatic and heartbreaking ending that forces us to confront the troubled world we live in.
Crissy Saucier can be reached at [email protected].
