Harmony Korine

David Letterman banned guest Harmony Korine from the Late Show after he found the Spring Breakers director rifling through the purse of Meryl Streep. Letterman told the story on Monday (March 25, 2013) when prompted by guest James Franco, the star of Korine' latest movie.

The actor said he heard Korine was banned after pushing Meryl Steep backstage, though defended his director, saying, "Harmony is a very sane guy now -- a great artist and great person to work with. But I think he had a period where he was going a little off the rails, so maybe he was on something that night.

Letterman proceeded to correct Franco on the incident, saying, "I went upstairs to greet Meryl Streep and welcome her to the show, and I knock on the door ... and she was not in there.And I looked around, and she was not in there, and I found Harmony going through her purse. True story. And so I said: 'That's it. Put her things back in her bag and then get out."

Continue reading: Letterman Banned Guest Harmony Korine For Stealing From Meryl Streep

Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers is a big deal this… well, this spring break.

And ok, it may be mostly because of the semi-naked girls gracing the landscape throughout the whole flick, but still, Spring Breakers isn’t without its merits, if you take it for what it is. The popping color palette and at times seizure-inducing editing might put some more serious movie-goers of this, but it certainly does a lot to entice the target audience – which, for this visual romp would be bored teens and twenty-somethings. But don’t be fooled – beyond the bikinis and hot pink tones, Spring Breakers, which premiered last week at SXSW does have some substance as well. Ok, a little substance. But still.

Firstly, let’s talk about Disney actresses playing girls gone wild. Well, it’s fun and, let’s be honest – it’s a much healthier way for ladies like Vanessa Hudgens and Selena Gomez to break out of the Disney mould than, say leaking nude pictures online. And, to be fair, Gomez does show remarkable depth of character – well, as much as the Spring Breakers script will allow anyway.

Continue reading: Spring Breakers Wide Release - Is This One Worth Seeing?

Though 'Oz: The Great and Powerful' dominated the box office for a second consecutive week - pulling In $42 million to take its takings to $282 million - it was another of James Franco's movies that performed the strongest. Harmony Korine's debauched drama 'Spring Breakers' pulled in just $270,000, though it did so from just three theaters, easily the best per-theater average of the weekend with $90,000. Oz averaged just $11,000 per theater.

The new movie is now likely to roll out across more theaters and should turn a profit for Muse Productions and A24, the tiny companies behind the film. It stars Franco as a thuggish drug dealer who charms college girls Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens into a world of crime, sex and violence. It looks to be Korine's biggest hit to date and represents Gomez and Hudgens' first serious roles outside of their Disney work - the former is best known for Wizards of Waverly Place while Hudgens found fame with High School Musical. 

So far, critical reception has been strong too, with Spring Breakers earning a solid 70% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The New York Times said, "[Korine] turns his exploration into such a gonzo, outrageously funny party that it takes a while to appreciate that this is more of a horror film than a comedy," while Peter Travers of Rolling Stone magazine wrote, "Spring Breakers, beach-party fluff done as an art film by the reliably bizarre Harmony Korine, is a return to form for Franco."

Continue reading: Is Record Breaking 'Spring Breakers' A Cult Movie In The Making?

The highly anticipated Harmony Korine flick, Spring Breakers has seen its premiere this week and one of its stars, Selena Gomez, has been making the rounds promoting it.

This has, of course, been a huge transition for the former Disney girl – from Disney channel to R-rated flicks is certainly a big jump to make. However, in an interview with MTV, Selena commented that she enjoyed the chance to break out of her mould and experiment as an actress: "It wasn't necessarily about the reaction as it was just for me wanting to do something that was creatively challenging for me, because acting is everything to me," she said. "And it's the reason why I'm here." Gomez also mentioned that she appreciated the chance to work with indie director Corine, as his style was exactly in the direction she was planning to take with her career. Interestingly enough though, it was apparently Selena’s mom, who gave her the final push to star in the R-rated flick: "Well, my mom is actually a big Harmony Korine fan, and we got the script through my agency," she told MTV News during a chat at South by Southwest. "I read it, I watched all of his movies with my mom and [watched] interviews, and I wanted to be a part of it."

Selena Gomez stars in Spring Breakers alongside Vaness Hudgens and Ashley Benson. 

Continue reading: Selena Gomez Talks Spring Breakers And The Challenges Of Breaking Out Of The Disney Mould

Harmony Korine's new movie 'Spring Breakers' premiered at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas, on Sunday (March 10, 2013) with its stars Selena Gomez, James Franco and Ashley Benson turning out for the screening. The movie follows four friends, (Benson, Gomez, Rachel Korine and Vanessa Hudgens) as they rob a bank to pay for their spring break trip, though get thrown in jail before being bailed out by a drug dealer, played by Franco.

The movie premiered at the Austin Convention Center, with Gomez showing off an elegant looking Cushine et Ochs frock. The dress featured cut-out detailing at the shoulders and across the midriff - Gomez certainly showed her ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber what he was missing. The sexual and violent themes in 'Spring Breakers' are certainly a departure from Gomez's usual Disney movies, though speaking to FlavorWire at SXSW, director Korine said he isn't too concerned with analysis of his films. "It's funny for me to listen to it," he said, adding, "But I don't really have that much to do with that part of things, I don't have a relationship with that type of analysis. I usually make the movies, and I put them together, and I put them out into the world and then I just go home and cut off as much as possible from all that."

Spring Breakers runs this week at SXSW and opens Friday (March 15, 2013) on limited release. The movie receives a nationwide opening on March 22. Watch the Spring Breakers below.

Continue reading: Selena Gomez Brings 'Spring Breakers' Premiere To SXSW

You've got to get out of the Disney castle some time, and there's no use sneaking out the back door. As Britney Spears did before her (in a school girls uniform, singing 'hit me baby, one more time'), Selena Gomez has bust right outta there with seemingly no holds barred, as she opts for Spring Breakers to be her first major non-Disney pursuit. New posters for the movie see her clad in a tiny blue bikini, an image which is a far cry from the innocence of her Disney days. 

It's not just the poster image that wont be accessible for Gomez's young fans, the premise of the movie is for a distinctly older audience as well. Gomez plays one of four best friends who live together at college. Without enough money to go on vacation, they rob a restaurant to fund their trip to Florida. When they get there they're arrested on drugs charges, but a drug dealer (James Franco) bails them out. His help doesn't come for free though and he expects them to pay him back one way or another. 

Another poster in the series features Franco who is almost unrecognisable, with cornrows, tattoos, shades and a gun shoved in his jeans. Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, and Rachel Korine also star. Directed by film maker Harmony Korine, who is best known for Kids and Mister Lonely. Spring Breakers is set for release March 8th. (Huffington Post)

Continue reading: Spring Breakers Breaks Selena Gomez Out Of Disney Bubble