{"id":713,"date":"2008-02-10T15:40:08","date_gmt":"2008-02-10T23:40:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/godammit.com\/2008\/02\/10\/brad-renfro-and-the-trouble-with-larry-clark\/"},"modified":"2014-06-09T13:27:38","modified_gmt":"2014-06-09T21:27:38","slug":"brad-renfro-and-the-trouble-with-larry-clark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/godammit.com\/brad-renfro-and-the-trouble-with-larry-clark\/","title":{"rendered":"Brad Renfro and the Trouble With Larry Clark"},"content":{"rendered":"

Larry Clark<\/a> is a \u2018polarizing\u2019 figure, as they say about Hillary Clinton. You either deplore him for exploiting screwed up young people or admire him as a fearless artist with a unique vision.<\/p>\n

After reading a piece in the LA Times this morning about Brad Renfro, I find myself feeling very angry at Larry Clark. In fact, I\u2019m thinking, What a heartless motherfucker.<\/p>\n

Clark recalls visiting Brad at his grandmother\u2019s house just before the film \u201c Bully<\/a>\u201d was set to go into production. Clark describes 18 year old Brad as looking \u201cHorrible, bloated, he looked around 35.\u201d Seeing the bloody tracks running down Brad\u2019s arms, Clark remembers, \u201cI just saw the whole movie going down the drain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Well, Larry, what can I say that you would understand? Larry Clark went on to \u2018kidnap\u2019 Brad Renfro, forcing him to \u2018kick\u2019 his cocaine addiction in\u00a0\u00a0the car, on their way to the film set in Florida. For this, I imagine Larry wants a medal.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m pretty sure that if you have an injured horse, it would be not only immoral but illegal to put him in a race. Yet, a poor young drug addict can be propped up with a babysitter in order to perform his role in a movie, where money can be made. Brad Renfro was still a commodity to be squeezed for every last drop, even when everybody he worked with says he was clearly on the downward spiral of a serious drug addict.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not all Larry Clark\u2019s fault. But since he\u2019s made his career from the excesses of lost teenagers, I\u2019m starting with him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"