I Shot Andy Warhol (1996)

Lack of good storyline.

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

The number of people who misunderstand the goals of feminism is astonishing. To the kiddos who live by the word of conservatives and close-minded nefarios, the term is synonymous with man-hating, or, a case of female empowerment too supposedly vicious and oppressive for its own good. All feminists want is for the female race to have the same basic rights as men, which is fair, not terrifying. (Another case exemplifying why putting labels on issues can be a dangerous thing.) The meninists of our time, unfortunately, have feminists mixed up with combative revolutionaries akin to, I don't know, Valerie Solanas. Who is Valerie Solanas, you ask? Valerie Jean Solanas (born 1936, died 1988), Wikipedia reads, was an American radical feminist writer best known for the "SCUM Manifesto" and as the would-be murderer of pop artist Andy Warhol. Solanas despised men, not as people but as society's weak links: she figured that men, with their Y chromosomes, were genetic accidents, and that women were meant to rule the world. Not like Beyoncé currently preaches, though: Solanas' goal was to completely exterminate the sex, thus ending the possibilities of future generations and setting the female example in stone.If her logic sounds crazy to you, then you, of course, are of sound mind. But don't let her fanatical blueprints undermine your interest in her. Anything written about Solanas, understandably, makes her sound like a lunatic on the move — that's why 1996's "I Shot Andy Warhol" is such an impactful film. Sure, she still seems like a lunatic on the move. But unexpected is how fascinating of a woman she is, a staggering example of a highly intelligent force of nature who was so struck down during their formative years that using a high IQ for something rational in adulthood seems too mad of a thought. "I Shot Andy Warhol" is so much more than a true crime story set to the screen; it's more comparable to a brilliant character study that just so happens to be based on true events. Harron is invested in Solanas but is also attentive toward the people that surround her. We are understanding of Solanas' view of herself and the view from the judgmental eyes of The Factory and beyond — Harron is so subtly thorough that there are times we forget we aren't actually watching a Candy Darling biopic or a Factory documentary. Every character, compelling or not, is damaged in some way, making the film much more resonant. Solanas' entrance only adds wood to the personal fires of the people she continually harasses; explosive results should have been expected originally.More remarkable is the acting. When it comes to biographical tales, often tiresome is the idea that more attention is given to the fact that hey, _______ _______ is playing ______ ______!, when, in actuality, real figures should have as much depth, if not more, than your average movie character. Astonishing is the way "I Shot Andy Warhol" makes the situation feel as though it is happening before our very eyes. Solanas is not glorified nor portrayed as a crazy person left to expire in the throes of infamy. Instead, she is a misunderstood genius so unrelentingly cast aside by society that Warhol's emotional standoffishness causes an already unstable person to completely snap. Taylor embodies Solanas so convincingly that the increasing madness of her character does instill fear in us.Supporting players Dorff and Harris also make a huge impression: Dorff is terrific as Candy Darling. Never leaning toward caricature-ish body movements or stereotyped predictabilities, he touches deep as a transsexual who made it (kind of) in a time where most were stamped on by culture. Harris turns Warhol into the eccentric we never knew he was, as an artist so hypnotized by the looks, feelings, and auras of others that he never really knew how to be himself. He's polite to Solanas, never turning her down like he should, but is it because he's nice or because she acts as a distraction to his unhealthy habit of consuming himself with the other?"I Shot Andy Warhol" is gigantically effective; it tells a story coercive even to the most casual of a viewer while also authentically investing in the neuroses of the real figures it brings to the celluloid.

The movie without doubt was great, but why do they call Andy Warhol a genius, did he invent something or discover something outstanding? I ask this because in our society or the Art world, someone will take simple dog feces from the street, freshly 'produced' and create a design on canvas with it and this person will be labeled for life, a genius! This kind of thing makes me wonder, for I can see people use regular paint that is used on canvas paintings and paint their faces and body with it. How many will also take freshly produced dog feces and paint their faces and body with it?!As for the movie, I only have one question, how is it that this girl walks over to Andy Warhol, fires one shot misses or just wounds Andy, and the other two that were there just do nothing! I mean this is a girl they know, petite and according to the movie, she just stood rigid with the gun pointed to Andy. Then when she fires a shot closer to Andy and he falls, she slowly walks to him, points the gun to his chest and shoots. You think there was no time for two guys to rush her and pin her petite body down and wrestle the gun away? After all, Andy was revered as a genius? What other opinions are there on this? Or did the director of the movie take some liberties to show the frame of her mind when she shot Andy Warhol?

I Shot Andy Warhol (1996) was an interesting movie that I saw on satellite t.v. a few years ago. The movie was about the lesbian neo-feminist and founder of S.C.U.M. Valerie Solanis (Lili Taylor). She's an aspiring writer who's trying to fit in the mid sixties lifestyle of New York City. Valerie lives with her sometimes lover (Martha Plimpton) and co-worker. The two turn tricks, roll certain customers and hang out with a transvestite named Candy Darling (Stephen Dorff). One day Candy suggests to Valerie that she meet with Andy Warhol (Jared Harris). The rest is history. Michael Imperioli co-stars as a very catty Ondine, Tahnee Welch guest stars as Viva and Donovan Leitch appears as Gerald Malanga.If you want to see how Warhol's "Factory" and it's atmosphere then this is the movie you want to see. Jared Harris was perfect as Andy Warhol and Lili Taylor made Valerie Solanis into a tragic person who's life was filled with madness and heartbreak. I was also impressed with Stephen Dorff, I never knew how great of an actor he has become. This movie is perfect and ideal for those who always wanted to know what happened to Warhol during the late sixties and how his life and attitudes were changed forever.Highly recommended.

When I first found this film I wasn't sure whom it was about. I recognized the name from the title, but I was pretty sure that it wasn't all going to be about Andy Warhol. I was perplexed and ready for yet another adventure down the path of our nation's undiscovered history. When I first started watching this movie I knew nothing about Valerie Solanas. She is not in the history books labeled next to Andy Warhol, or is she one that oozes sympathy. Solanas is a trash talking, independent thinker that somehow found herself next to one of the most modern men of our century, Andy Warhol.Lili Taylor helms this unbridled beast Solanas like no actress I have seen before. I honestly felt as if Taylor had transformed herself into this brutal feminist. After the first ten minutes, I didn't even recognize Taylor because she had successfully transformed herself into this insane (?) character who carried this film on her shoulders. Taylor plays this woman who, for reasons unknown, constantly seeks Warhol's attention and approval. When Andy refuses to devote his entire attention to her, her mental stability begins to fail. In hopes to bring her back into the spotlight, and hopefully demonstrate to the world her manifesto, she does what the title of this film suggests. Sadly, this has the opposite effect and she is forced to live with the act that she committed instead of the words that she has written.Taylor was phenomenal in this role. She stole the scene from everyone and was never afraid to take Solanas to the next level. Thankfully, she has some help from some amazing back-up stars to only help boost her performance. Jared Harris is superb as Andy (one of the best reincarnations of him) and Stephen Dorff blazes onto the scene as Candy Darling. Oscars should have been handed out for their parts in this film, but unfortunately this was yet another film the Academy ignored.Outside of the acting, director Mary Harron does a fabulous job of setting the scene and building the image of this era. Warhol was a genius, and because of his fame and notoriety he somehow attracted some of the most interesting people in the world. This is one of those stories of a woman that wanted to attach herself to this great man, yet somehow couldn't. Harron directs these actors to show this with perfection. Her brash cinematography and direction seem to blend perfectly in this boiling pot of history. Her mix of documentary and biography genres works well in this film. She commands attention behind the camera, and her actors react with positive responses. This was a gritty story not for everyone's tastes. It was a very true story that is more than just Andy Warhol, but also develops themes of feminism and women's rights. Was Solanas crazy? I don't think so, I just think she was ahead of her time and not afraid to be herself.Grade: ***** out of *****