LARRY CLARK STANDS UP FOR U.S.

PageSix ^ | Saturday, November 9, 2002 | By RICHARD JOHNSON with PAULA FROELICH and CHRIS WILSON

[BrooklynGOP]

MAVERICK director Larry Clark beat up the distributor for his movie "Ken Park" after the jerk declared that America deserved to get attacked on 9/11.

Clark, who helmed "Kids" and "Bully," delivered a brutal beat-down to Hamish McAlpine after the screwy Scotsman started spewing anti-American and anti-Israeli sentiments during dinner at London's posh Charlotte Street Hotel Thursday night.

An enraged Clark, 59, punched McAlpine several times in the face - breaking his nose - choked him, then overturned the dinner table on the bloodied big mouth.

Clark was arrested by London police - and now McAlpine is pulling "Ken Park" from the London Film Festival, where it was supposed to unspool tonight.

"He says he's not going to distribute the film now and he's pulling it from the film festival," Clark told us from London yesterday. "He can be mad at me for punching him in the nose, but don't take it out on 'Ken Park.' "

Clark said he lost it when McAlpine ranted that 9/11 "was the best thing that ever happened to America" and declared that innocent Israelis blown up by Palestnian suicide bombers "deserved to die."

"I was wrong," Clark said. "I shouldn't have punched him. I shouldn't have lost it. But at the same time, I wouldn't have been able to look myself in the mirror the next morning if I hadn't done anything. I'm not gonna let this [bleeping] idiot talk about supporting terrorism and the killing of innocent people. I am an American!"

Diners who witnessed the restaurant ruckus included "Ken Park" starlet Tiffany Limos, Clark's co-director, Edward Lachman, and Mel B of the Spice Girls, who was sitting at a nearby table. Clark said the police who arrested him were sympathetic. "The cops were very nice and they seemed to feel like they would have done the same thing," he told us. "They let me go with a ticket."

But "Ken Park" is sure to suffer a harsher fate than its hot-tempered helmer.

The controversial flick, which features lots of male and female full-frontal nudity and an explicit three-way sex scene, has yet to find a distributor in the U.S. Now, "Ken Park" may not be seen in the U.K.

The buzz surrounding "Ken Park" is similar to the chatter that accompanied the release of his debut "Kids," in 1995. The critically acclaimed flick featured a gang of Manhattan skater kids who spend their days brawling, doing drugs and having unprotected sex. It launched the careers of Chloe Sevigny and Rosario Dawson.

Invitees to tonight's aborted screening in London included director Steven Frears, designers Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney, Matthew Williamson and Bay Garnett.

[BrooklynGOP]

Bump!

[Free_at_last_-2001]

An enraged Clark, 59, punched McAlpine several times in the face - breaking his nose - choked him, then overturned the dinner table on the bloodied big mouth. - Classic LOL!

[Clara Lou]

I can't help it-- GLOAT, GLOAT, GLOAT.

[Dan from Michigan]

I take my hat off to Larry Clark. Hey McJerkpine, how's your nose!

[BrooklynGOP]

Larry Clark.

[conservativemusician]

His movies may be sleaze, but an enthusiastic two thumbs up from Ebert and Roeper on the beat-down!

[Chi-townChief]

"An enraged Clark, 59, punched McAlpine several times in the face - breaking his nose - choked him, then overturned the dinner table on the bloodied big mouth."

Ooooo, a little too much of a good thing!

[TopQuark]

Hamish McAlpine --- an example of obligatory Arabic anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism. No matter that he lives in the West: one set of rules for his breathren, another for the rest of the world.

[pgkdan]

"I was wrong," Clark said. "I shouldn't have punched him. I shouldn't have lost it. But at the same time, I wouldn't have been able to look myself in the mirror the next morning if I hadn't done anything. I'm not gonna let this [bleeping] idiot talk about supporting terrorism and the killing of innocent people. I am an American!"

The movie sounds like a piece of sleaze but I'm proud of Mr. Clark! Wish I'd been there to see it!

[pgkdan]

Hamish McAlpine --- an example of obligatory Arabic anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism.

McAlpine sounds pretty Scottish to me. Is that an assumed name?

[TopQuark]

I do not know whether the last name is assumed; it could be a mixed marriage. The first name, Hamish, is Arabic.

I do not know whether this is the same person, but Dundeed United had a goalee of whom Arabs are so proud they refer to him as "The ARab Legend" here.

I reported all I know --- you decide.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

I'm a huge fan of independent movies and photography. Larry Clark might be considered "sleazy" but I've always (at least when I was single) considered him to be one of the edgiest people alive. His photography books, like "Tulsa" are not family viewing, but they say so much. Very very intense. My husband hates this stuff, but I'm a dyed in the wool indie movie fan, and will always be. "Tulsa" is out of print, and sells for a huge amount. Not for the faint of heart. Other photographers *try* to be edgy, ie, Charles Gatewood, but I find HIS stuff horrible and really gay.

Tulsa is his book about sex and heroin addicts in the 70's. These people were his actual friends. I don't think one of the people in it are still living. The pictures are shocking and intense, but Clark is a master.

The director of My Own Private Idaho and Drugstore Cowboy was greatly influenced by Tulsa. Gus Van Sant is a gay director, and very sleazy, but imho those were HIS masterpieces. He also directed Goodwill Hunting and To Die For. Van San stated that he was influenced by Clark, as just about anyone worth their salt in indie movies is.

Clark did "Kids", which I didn't really like, but then I saw "Another Day In Paradise"....and I thought...wow, this beats Van Sant hands down. ADIP is probably one of the most intense movies ever made, that and The Fight Club are probably my favorite movies of all time. They're searing, you walk out of the movie not even sure of where you are, both movies are incredible. TFC was not directed by Clark.

Clark may be a sleaze, but like Vincent Gallo (whom I have posted stuff here at freep about) I wonder if Clark is a Repub, since it's anti-Hollywood to be a Repub. I know that Vincent Gallo is definitely a Repub.

[thedugal]

I do not know whether the last name is assumed; it could be a mixed marriage. The first name, Hamish, is Arabic.

Hamish is a Scottish name. Unfortunately, there are quite a few lefty Scots. Being a Scot, it is quite annoying, but it's mostly because of the way the Tory party treated Scotland. Of course, most socialists don't hate America, but when you get a bunch of lefties, a certain percentage are rabid America haters.

Anyway, that's the situation, it's embarrassing as hell for me to read stuff like this, but I was born in America so I can distance myself in times of need :) My grandfather used to say, the only country better than Scotland is America. I try to convince as many of my Scots cousins as I can, but socialism has consumed most of the country.

[Pharmboy]

Kids was disturbing, but I could not stop watching. He is a pervert, no doubt, but at least now he's our pervert guldarnit!

As an aside, the white brick wall that the protagonist kid pees on in Kids is the building on 82nd and York in NYC that we just moved out of in August. It is our claim to fame.

[TopQuark]

there are quite a few lefty Scots. Being a Scot, it is quite annoying,

Hey, we all have a crazy uncle in our families. We are not responsible for the rest of our brethren, but just for our own conduct and for raising our children properly.

But, believe me, I understand your feelings. I am an American Jew who is proud like h--- to be an American. I feel personally blessed that I am, and I think that this country is G-d's gift to the world. You can imagine how I feel reading or hearing the leftist vitriols of some (many) of my fellow co-religionists. As you know, so many of them, having grown up in Jewish families, abandoned Jewish values for the Leftist doctrines. Much like what you said about the Scotts, here too there are histotrical reasons: much of it has to do with the treatment of Jews in Europe. But, whatever the reasons, I can't help but feel embarassed every time any one of them opens his mouth. We all have crazy uncles in our families.

Thanks for educating me on the origin of the name Hamish.

P.S. Do you have any explanation why he would be referred as the "Arab legend?"

[rastus macgill]

Yeah if most people on here had any idea who Larry Clark is and his body of work they would probably want him hung or shot.
I believe Tulsa was taken when Mr Clark was the same age as the subjects around 1962 give or take a few years.And they are shooting speed from then legal otc inhalers.Teenage Lust maybe from the 70s but I've never perused the book.Tulsa is beautiful work and should be in print.I didn't like Kids but I haven't seen his other movies.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

I don't want to see Ken Park, but if you liked Tulsa, you'll like Another Day In Paradise.

Tulsa is haunting, beautiful, intense, with very intense themes.

One picture in particular, the girl on top of the guy and he's shooting her up was one of the most powerful pictures I've ever seen in my life, and says a lot about dependency and human relationships.

It was shocking for it's time, still is, and has very intense themes.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

This is from Tulsa:

[Bubba_Leroy]

I have no interest in seeing Ken Park. However, I would have paid real money to see the Larry Clark beat the snot out of the ignorant eurotrash.