The Shards-Staring Richard Gere's Son

[Rod Hagen]

Gays, Porsches, Mercedes convertibles, Death Cults, mountains of Coke, and Serial Killers, that's 1981 LA Highschool for you.   

Anyone here watching?  It's pretty good.  I stopped subscribing to his excellent podcast a couple years ago, but Bret Easton Ellis must have been over the moon when he learned he was going to work with Ryan Murphy on the adaptation of his novel.  I can't imagine anyone better suited to work with Brett.  I've always been a fan of Brett, bugs the shit out of me that I've never bumped into him around the neighborhood.  He must only ever leave his condo by car.

Richard Gere's son looks NOTHING like his dad.  After the two episodes available, and having listened to it as it was released on his podcast during lockdown, I recommend it.

 

 

[+ SirBillybob]

Small world. Kaia Gerber is Cindy Crawford’s daughter, born about 6 years following Richard Gere’s divorce from Crawford. I guess that makes two of the leads stex-siblings, on brand for Murphy?

Edited Monday at 08:48 PM by SirBillybob

[jeezifonly]

The trailer says to me, "These people are not worth a moment of your screen time, go and watch Jeopardy reruns!"

I was a fan of Ellis back in the day. For those who still are, have fun! 

[Gilfson]

I’m an extra in this show😊 let me just say Ryan Murphy is a diva 

[jackcali]

Also a big Bret Easton Ellis fan here, and also loved his podcast before it went behind a paywall.  I thought the book The Shards was good reading, not the best crime procedural ever written, but Ellis's voice rang through on every page, and for that reason I loved it.  

I've seen the first episode of the show, and love that it captures Ellis's worldview.  The acting is a bit stiff and the actors seem to lack much depth.  Compared to Robert Downey Jr. or even Andrew McCarthy or James Spader in the movie version of Less Than Zero (Ellis's first book), the current cast are beautiful lightweights.  I'm hoping I'll see more substance to them as the series progresses.

[Rod Hagen]

4 hours ago, jackcali said:

Also a big Bret Easton Ellis fan here, and also loved his podcast before it went behind a paywall.  I thought the book The Shards was good reading, not the best crime procedural ever written, but Ellis's voice rang through on every page, and for that reason I loved it.  

I've seen the first episode of the show, and love that it captures Ellis's worldview.  The acting is a bit stiff and the actors seem to lack much depth.  Compared to Robert Downey Jr. or even Andrew McCarthy or James Spader in the movie version of Less Than Zero (Ellis's first book), the current cast are beautiful lightweights.  I'm hoping I'll see more substance to them as the series progresses.

Did any movie ever make midwesterners want to run to the ocean and surrender their lives as desperately as Less Than Zero did?  I don't think so. :-)

Yes, these actors are lightweights, still recommend the show so far.

Since you're a fan you should briefly pay for BEE's current podcast, catch some of the more important interviews like when he made William Friedkin (The Exorcist) cry, and definitely go back and listen to his original reedings of the Shards during Lockdown, so great.

Edited Tuesday at 02:51 PM by Rod Hagen

[jackcali]

3 hours ago, Rod Hagen said:

Did any movie ever make midwesterners want to run to the ocean and surrender their lives as desperately as Less Than Zero did?  I don't think so. 🙂

Yes, these actors are lightweights, still recommend the show so far.

Since you're a fan you should briefly pay for BEE's current podcast, catch some of the more important interviews like when he made William Friedkin (The Exorcist) cry, and definitely go back and listen to his original reedings of the Shards during Lockdown, so great.

At least you COULD run to the ocean and give that life a try.  I was 10 years too old to do that, and hated how my high school life was infinitely more constrained than were the kids in Less Than Zero.  Not growing up rich was the least of it.

And thanks for the tip on the podcast.  

[Rod Hagen]

19 hours ago, jackcali said:

At least you COULD run to the ocean and give that life a try.  I was 10 years too old to do that, and hated how my high school life was infinitely more constrained than were the kids in Less Than Zero.  Not growing up rich was the least of it.

And thanks for the tip on the podcast.  

I was 14 or 15 when the movie Less Than Zero came out, so I had to stay on the farm with its poptones and its pale kings / And its fences like knives, for a few more years.  Oddly, I didn't read the book right after the movie, the first BEE I read was a few years later, American Psycho, in the UMN library because I didn't want the Librarian to see me checking it out.  

You bet, enjoy

Edited Wednesday at 02:01 PM by Rod Hagen

[+ Gar1eth]

On 8/10/2026 at 6:01 PM, Gilfson said:

I’m an extra in this show😊 let me just say Ryan Murphy is a diva 

I tried your link, and it said you were no longer on RM!!😢😢😢

Is it because you are on set and waiting for your close-up?

[Gilfson]

On 8/12/2026 at 4:24 PM, Gar1eth said:

I tried your link, and it said you were no longer on RM!!😢😢😢

Is it because you are on set and waiting for your close-up?

Haha just moving away from providing that’s all