DIY OR DIE: BURN THIS DVD; DVD (2006)
Art/Music/Independent DVD
It’s a strange thing to say in the title, ‘burn this dvd,’ but it does plug in to the anti establishment ethos at play throughout this 55 minute doco. So fuck the establishment, don’t wait to be discovered, just get your art out there however you can and if they don’t like it, well fuck them too because someone somewhere surely will. With minimum production values filmmaker Michael W Dean armed with a video camera and a bunch of questions seeks out some of his favourite independent American artists to ponder some of the difficulties in creating art outside of the mainstream. Hooking up with counter culture heroes like Lydia Lunch, bassist Mike Watt (Pornos For Pyros/ Minutemen), Ian MacKaye (Fugazi), producer and musician Steve Albini (Shellac), nudie art photographer Richard Kern, Ron Ashton (Stooges) and even Jim Rose (Of Jim Rose Circus Sideshow), Dean not only discusses their motivations for staying outside the mainstream, but some of the nuts and bolts that drive their financial (in) security. As a self help motivational tool for budding artists this film really serves as reality check as many of the artists presented here are working incredibly hard just to keep their heads above water. The message seems to be that if you want cocaine and blowjobs sign to a major label. Just understand that you’ll be made to pick up the soap on repeated occasions, your art will be diluted and you’ll wind up hating yourself in the morning. The artists presented here are incredibly driven though they believe their toils are more than compensated by the fact that they can focus on creating their art and not have to in the most part bother with crappy 9-5 jobs to make ends meet.
LLIK YOUR IDOLS (2007); DVD
Music/Art/Film Documentary DVD, Used
Llik Your Idols deals with The Cinema of Transgression, a movement that occurred in New York from 1984 to 1991 - or did it ? This is the whole point. It was closely linked to the local punk rock scene, namely the No Wave scene (Lydia Lunch, DNA, Sonic Youth...) and involved artists such as Richard Kern, Nick Zedd and John Waters. Their films were Super 8 satirical tracts against Reaganist values that became cult as Sonic Youth became too. Discover the New York underground scene during the 80s and throw yourself into an exciting, anarchic and repulsive world that you won't forget.
DADDY AND THE MUSCLE ACADEMY (Tom of Finland); DVD
Art/Documentary (1991) DVD, Used
Tom of Finland is one of the gay world's few authentic icons. His drawings have had an enormous influence on gay identity. Tom's ultimate leather men are known and seen everywhere. They are symbols of gay pride and friendship. The documentary includes some titillating 'enactments' inspired by Tom's art work.
JOHANNA WENT The Club Years (2006); DVD + CD
Music/Performance Art DVD + CD, Used
This disc features performance artist Johanna Went in her legendary club show (1977-1987). Seminal, wild, and raw, these perormances were accompanied by live improvized music from some of L.A.’s most adventurous players including z’ev, Mark & Brock Wheaton, Greg Burk, Kerry McBride and many others. Included is a bonus audio CD of studio recordings, including the entire Poshboy Record 1982 LP “Hyena” (remixed and remastered) and the songs from the first 1981 45 rpm single “Slave Beoynd the Grave” originally released on Boyd Rice’s Graybeat label. With audio commentary Johanna Went and Mark Wheaton.
BLACK MOON (LOUIS MALLE) 1975; DVD
DVD Surreal, Used
A lot of avant-garde filmmakers experimented with Lewis Carroll's classic novel "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". Some features that come to mind are Jaromil Jires' wonderful film, "Valerie and her Week of Wonders", Guillermo Del Toro's "Pan's Labyrinth" and Jan Svankmajer's "Alice". Louis Malle's surrealist experimental film "Black Moon" could very well fit into this category of the directors' own interpretation of the novel giving it their own "free form"! "Black Moon" is devoid of any central plot as such. Set against a post-apocalyptic backdrop of a "war between the sexes", this film simply chronicles the weird happenings as experienced (or imagined?) by a teenage girl, Lily (Cathryn Harrison) who has narrowly escaped being killed by men seemingly out to wipe out the entire women populace! Having been lucky to have escaped, she just speeds away in her car deep into the woods only to come across an isolated property, a huge manor house and its strange inhabitants. The house is dwelled in by a cantankerous, bed ridden old lady (Therese Giehse) with a weird fetish, who talks to animals, especially a big rat-like creature "Humphrey" in some language that's gibberish, and every once in a while speaks on a radio kept by her bed. There is a brother-sister pair around the house to take care of stuff. They don't speak a single word. They only hum some songs as they work around the property. Some snakes tucked away in unlocked drawers also share the space with them! The most bizarre of all though, is the presence of about half a dozen naked children running around playing with a gigantic pig; they keep interrupting Lily's path every time she chases a not-so-graceful Unicorn that seems to be a regular visitor around the property......
BODY MELT (Australia) 1993; DVD
DVD, New
'Body Melt' is one of the most underrated Australian movies of all time! Director Philip Brophy, who has a background in avante-garde electronic music and performance art, has created a wicked instant cult splatter movie. The film is all the better for having many Aussie soap stars and familiar faces in its cast, a fact that will probably be completely lost on overseas viewers. Just imagine your own "beloved" family favourites in the main roles and you might start to see what Brophy's done here. 'Body Melt' is a cult, bloody, body horror movie. Cult.......
GOZU (Takashi Miike); DVD
Surreal DVD (2003)
Takashi Miike's stark, "Yakuza Horror Theatre" presentation Gozu (2003) is an infernal cinematic nightmare of fear and anxiety, played out within a sepia-toned subterranean underworld abstracted to the point of outright parody. Like many of the director's more personal and idiosyncratic pictures, the plot is largely secondary to the uncomfortable atmosphere and wild sense of spectacle presented on screen, as Miike constructs an absurd and enigmatic story of a loyal Yakuza henchman struggling with issues of homosexuality, guilt and desire when he is required by his boss to "dispose" of his mentally unstable brother in arms. This incredibly personal and moral dilemma - in which the central character must juggle the greater notions of loyalty to his boss and the loyalty to his best-friend and mentor-like figure that he's obviously quite attracted to - creates a rift within the world of the film that plunges the whole story into suffocating surrealism, horror and the absurd.
PADRE PADRONE (1977); DVD
DVD 'Arrow Flims', New
Padre Pardone is simply a masterpiece film, by the Taviani brothers. It tells the story of the coming of age of a young illiterate shepherd who is confronted by the tyranny of his father and the inevitable rebellion that happens when the child becomes a man. This movie which tells the true story of the writer Gavino Ledda has a somewhat universal vibe. The relation between father and son is based on love, authority and violence. More then just a family portrait, Padre Padrone is about society. A story about changes and conflict between generations and mentalities. The movie has some incredibly powerful scenes. The score is composed mainly of traditional Sardinian music, and the Sardinian score is heartbreaking, just like the movie....
HE-MAN AND SHE-RA, A CHRISTMAS SPECIAL (1985); DVD
DVD, New
In this special Christmas episode of the He-Man and She-Ra cartoons, their sidekick Orko accidentally gets beamed to Earth during a test of a new spy satellite. Orko manages to get back Planet Eternia, but brings along two Earth children, Alisha and Manuel, with him. Since it's Christmastime on Earth, the kids are naturally filled with the holiday spirit, but this overflowing goodwill attracts the unwelcome attention of the Horde Prime and Skeletor. Will the combined power of He-Man, She-Ra and the spirit of Christmas be enough to stop them?
SEYTAN; Turkish "Exorcist" remake (1974) DVD
'Turksploitation' DVD, NEW
'Seytan' is almost an exact remake of William Friedkin's "The Exorcist". The only small differences are the special effects, acting, staging, editing, lighting, filming, directing, budget etc. Oh, and instead of using the Christian Bible they use the Qur'an. There is a classic Turkish 'remake-sploitation' scene where the possessed girl sits on her bed and twists her head 360 degrees. Certainly one of the top 5 "Turksploitation" films for sure, (Along with ET, Star Wars, Superman...). The wonderful thing is that they kept the original soundtrack, including Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells....
FAUST Jan Svankmajer; DVD
Surrealist DVD (1994), New
"Faust" is a wonderful blend of real-time and stop-motion storytelling by a master of the surreal. An apparently ordinary everyman is led by curiosity into a dilapidated building which turns out to be a strange blend of alchemical laboratory, theater, and puppeteer's workshop. Suddenly, the man finds himself becoming the legendary Dr. Faust, selling his soul to the devil in exchange for magical powers. Jan Svankmajer is the true sorcerer here. He blends stage sets with real locations and seven-foot puppets with live actors, making magic of it all. Powerful, surreal, and more intelligent than any animation anywhere.
REPO MAN (1984); DVD
DVD, Rated R, New
Repo Man is one of those essential films in the catalogue of must see punk movies. It's essentially a punk science fiction movie and also a completely warped movie. If you like punk culture movies, this is definitely one to try out. Plus, you get a slamming soundtrack with songs performed by the Stooges, Black Flag, Suicidal Tendencies and the Circle Jerks. The Circle Jerks also appear as the lounge act in the bar. "Repo Man" may be known as a cult movie, but it deserves more recognition than that. Aside from being a window into the early-'80s punk culture, it shows the disintegration of American society. Alex Cox created a real gem here. Estevez is perfect in his role, as are Harry Dean Stanton as a detective, and Tracey Walter as the strange car's driver.
