The overfamiliar emptiness and superdecadence of l. The film was noted for taking extensive liberties with the plot of the novel. Less than zero is a 80s film that takes an intimate look at addiction, teen drug use and how it impacts relationships. Less than zero is a novel more obviously filled with human pain, perhaps, than ellis later novel, where the pain is certainly there, only more coded, buried inside violence, surface and image in an even more complex way. Less than zero is a 1987 film based on the book of the same name by bret easton ellis, starring andrew mccarthy as clay, jami gertz as blair, robert downey jr. Movie less than zero by author bret easton ellis robert downey jr, jami gertz, andrew mccarthy. Although its not quite on par with say american psycho, less than zero is great way to spend 90 minutes. Two years later, fox produced a film version of the book, starring brat packer andrew mccarthy, jami gertz, james spader, and robert downey jr. Its become this weird kind of classic, but its not that great of a movie. Marek kanievskas less than zero 1987 film the guardian.
Calling mister oswald with the swastika tattoo there is a vacancy waiting in the english voodoo carving v for vandal on the guilty boys head when hes had enough of. The characters name is julian, and he is played by robert downey jr. The film less than zero was based on the book of the same name by bret easton ellis. A great cinematic encapsulation of drug addiction within the rich and famous of beverley hills during the 1980s. Rather than a merging, the movement which propels less than zero is a downward spiral.
Differences between less than zero book vs movie page 1. Yet, the movie has this reputation as the dark age brat pack movie. Borrow ebooks, audiobooks, and videos from thousands of public libraries worldwide. It starred andrew mccarthy as clay, robert downey jr.
I would give this book less than zero stars if i could. Since the mid1980s was the highwater mark of the john hugheseqsue teen movie, less than zero was remorselessly shoehorned into the template. Less than zero is a meditation on the soul less, physically obsessed world that was born in the 1980s. After reading the book, the movie was to me a tonedeaf adaptation, with the absence of the interior monologue leaving a gaping hole in what had been the original spirit of the book. Yes, perhaps the pedulum has swung to and fro since the publication, but i find the relevance striking to todays popculture aesthetic. Ask the students what the title of the book might mean. With ronen rubinstein, austin abrams, sarah jane morris, lily donoghue. Clay, who wears a tie even in southern california, goes off to an ivy league university. Prompted by editing this essay about the less than zero film and by fortuitously coming across a copy of the novel in a thrift store, i decided to reread bret easton elliss debut book, less than. Feb 03, 2010 me talking about seeing the movie less than zero for the first time. Me talking about seeing the movie less than zero for the first time. The film stars andrew mccarthy as clay, a college freshman returning home for christmas to spend time with his exgirlfriend blair and his friend julian robert downey jr. Its every time we pass splintered glass on the road.
The dreamlike nihilism of bret easton ellis less than zero. Im still a big bret easton ellis fan and i might read imperial bedrooms, the sequel to less than zero that takes place 25 years after the original story. The story follows a group of collegeage characters, beginning with protagonist clay in part 1. Movie less than zero by author bret easton ellis robert. He comes from a pretty rich family and during the course of the novel, goes to a lot of parties, has a lot of onenight stands and does a. The book less than zero was very loosely adapted into a movie in 1987 by 20th century fox in title only. Cocainefueled despair, oversaturated sex in blues and. Apr 01, 2011 in 1985, bret easton ellis shocked, stunned and disturbed with his debut novel, less than zero. Movie podcast that you can subscribe to via itunes at this link recorded our less than zero episode which you can listen to below and we really get our 80s on with this one. Ive always wanted to see this movie since i was a child after watching its great trailer, now that i have watched less than zero 1987 the movie itself doesnt quite. After already reading american psycho, less than zero is just, meh.
Actually, as i write this i think im realizing that any book that has somewhat of a shock value will be meh, compared to american psycho. That inescapable fact is at the bottom of less than zero, a movie that knows cocaine inside out and paints a portrait of drug addiction that is all the more harrowing because it takes place in the beverly hills fast lane, in a world of wealth, sex, glamor and helpless. Elvis costello less than zero lyrics genius lyrics. This coolly mesmerizing novel is a raw, powerful portrait of a lost generation who have experienced sex, drugs, and disaffection at too early an age. Its account of the life and death of evariste galoiswho was killed in a duel at age twenty, after getting mixed up in revolutionary politicsowes less to modern scholarship than to the romantic inventions in e. Less than zero is a meditation on the soulless, physically obsessed world that was born in the 1980s. Clay is 18, home for christmas break from college in new hampshire. Though the movie is dark, the book is far darker, and ellis has said that though the two are different, the movie itself provided an excellent mirror to a type of youth culture of the era. Since the mid1980s was the highwater mark of the john hugheseqsue teen movie, less than zero was remorselessly shoehorned into. If i read them in opposite order, less than zero would have had a shocking effect on me. Bret easton ellis began working on less than zero when he was.
The book went on to become a best seller but the producers had to create a coherent story and. Less than zero was a weird case because there isnt a single line of dialogue or a scene from the book in the movie. Less than zero is a 1987 american drama film very loosely based on bret easton ellis novel of. The soundtrack to the definitive selfabsorbed 80s film less than zero is as uneven as most variousartists soundtracks, bouncing between insipid metal covers aerosmiths rockin pneumonia and the boogie woogie blues, poisons rock and roll all night, slayers inagaddadavida, competent hard rock, and a handful of interesting cuts that make the album worthwhile. I have just modified one external link on less than zero novel. Published when he was just twentyone, this extraordinary and instantly infamous work has done more than simply define a genre, it has become a rare thing.
Throughout the novel the protagonist moves from one club to another, one penthouse to another, one party to another all the time gathering a terrible momentum which takes him to worse places, worse situations, worse people. Sep 01, 2005 chapter six, titled groups, is representative of the book s faults and occasional virtues. The film stars andrew mccarthy as clay, a college freshman returning home for christmas to spend time with his exgirlfriend blair jami gertz and his friend julian robert downey jr. Less than zero is a 1987 american drama film very loosely based on bret easton ellis novel of the same name. And he quickly finds himself in the swim of life such as it is in his circle.
If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple faq for additional information. The 80s died a few years too early, its final throes reflected in the neon glow of a beverly hills swimming pool in 1987s less than zero. Ive always wanted to see this movie since i was a child after watching its great trailer, now that i have watched less than zero 1987 the movie itself doesnt quite live up to the thrilling potential shown in the trailer. Pdf less than zero by bret easton ellis vijay gaggar. His best friend in high school was clay, played by andrew mccarthy. Less than zero was written when ellis was 19 and was published in 1985. Im still a big bret easton ellis fan and i might read imperial bedrooms, the sequel to less than zero that takes place 25 years after the. Less than zero 1987 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. Explain to the students that you will be teaching a lesson based on a story titled less than zero. Book vs movie less than zero archives margo donohue. In 1985, bret easton ellis shocked, stunned and disturbed with his debut novel, less than zero. Chapter six, titled groups, is representative of the books faults and occasional virtues. Rereading bret easton elliss less than zero as an adult.
This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of less than zero by bret easton ellis. Throughout the novel the protagonist moves from one club to another, one penthouse to another, one party to another all the time gathering a terrible momentum which takes. Though birthed as a book, zero might be better remembered as a film which is where the hazy shade. In beverly hills, you can have anything your heart desires. If this gets the go ahead, less than zero would be the first series adaptation of an ellis novel. A couple of standout performances notably robert downey, jr. Less than zero was a good book, but a horrible adaptation. The only thing the movie had going for it was a great soundtrack, which had everything to do with the fact that rick rubin was the music supervisor. George carlin was once asked how cocaine made you feel, and he answered.