MALICE IN WONDERLAND (1982)

MALICE IN WONDERLAND (1982) (UR) Dir. Vince Collins
4 mins.

 

This short animation juxtaposes the themes and characters of the Lewis Carroll classic with psychedelia and sexuality. Alice enters into her own labial gates and transforms into various yonic and phallic creatures. Using simple, crude and yet hypnotizing animation loops, Vince Collins essentially encapsulates the Gnostic angst towards the human body.

 

Certain Gnostic groups, such as the Skoptsi and the Cathars, believed the body to be the prison of the soul. Enlightenment was therefore to transcend the mortal shell, and this goal was obtained through various extremes, be it sexual abstinence, castration, flagellation, or even, in the case of some Gnostic sects, promiscuity.

 

 

Alice is shown physically morphing much like the alien in John Carpenter's The Thing. The different illustrations highlight the fluidity of gender, the frailty of flesh, and the implicit sexual innuendos in commonplace phenomena, be it drinking from a bottle, smoking a hookah, or opening a door.

 

Sometimes the images are surreal and beautiful, other times they are jarring, nightmarish and unrelenting. They reflect the full and complicated spectrum of human sexual relation, both internal and external. It can be gorgeous, sensual, fun, indifferent, gross, violent, or traumatic.

 

Many Gnostics believed that the creator-god, or Demiurge, was evil and had created an imperfect world; hence the proclivity of suffering and disorder within it. Alice herself seems to question the intentions of the Demiurge itself when, at the end of the animation, she asks, "Who has had such a curious dream?"

10/10

VIDEO NASTIES: MORAL PANIC, CENSORSHIP, AND VIDEOTAPE (2010)

VIDEO NASTIES: MORAL PANIC, CENSORSHIP, AND VIDEOTAPE (2010) (NR)
Dir. Jake West
72 mins.

In the 1980's a wave an inquisition concerning graphic films erupted in British politics. The DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions) compiled a list of 72 films, labeled the "Video Nasties," and attempted to pass legislation banning the distribution, rental, ownership or sale of any of the entries on the list. Because of this, there was mass seizings of videos from collections and warehouses, as well as the legal prosecution of multiple distributors and store owners. The DPP constructed not only a mainline Nasty list, but a supplementary watchlist known as "Section 3", which included 80 more films, as well.



OUTRAGE!



The concern was that Nasties, a relatively new phenomena at the time, would irrevocably corrupt the nation's youth and, over time, cause massive spikes in violent crime. Many violent crime and murder cases in this era were blamed on these movies, regardless if the perpetrators had seen them or not. The most famous example of this being the murder of two-year old James Bulger by two ten-year old boys. The press insinuated the Bulger's murderers had been inspired by the film Child's Play 3. This, of course, amounted to little more than propaganda, as there was no evidence to suggest the youths had even seen the offending movie.
 



Would you fuck me? I'd fuck me.

This documentary follows the nativity of the Nasties controversy three decades ago, up until the modern era, in which many of these celluloid pariahs are still censored or completely unavailable to British consumers. Director Jake West has compiled interviews hailing from both sides of the fence; he speaks with journalists and industry insiders who oppose the legislation, and with the politicians who were the architects of the public scare. Though it is clear that West sympathizes with the former camp, he grants the latter the opportunity to explain their views. This is a thoroughly entertaining and informative documentary begging to be seen by horror fan and sociologist alike. 8/10

 

View the trailer here:

 

 

HEAVY TRAFFIC (1973)

HEAVY TRAFFIC (1973) (X) Dir. Ralph Bakshi
77 min.

 

 

This film is pure and utter nihilism. Unfettered. And it's beautiful. A handful of Bakshi's films (Fritz the Cat, Coonskin) have garnered controversy for his portrayal of racial stereotypes and Heavy Traffic is no exception. It's offensive to every race and creed, and it's bleak, hopeless and violent. Yet, naysayers of these films were only the seeing them for the exteriors, and not the internal message. Which is WE'RE ALL FUCKED.

 

The city of dreams, people.

 

Seriously, this movie uses an amazing mixture of animation, live action, and stock footage to portray a world on the brink of extinction, both macro and micro. Animated scenes containing multiple murders and stock footage scenes of bombing raids are juxtaposed with our live action protagonist playing pinball, with a deep sense of ennui.

 

The protagonist is Mike, a dropout, unemployed artist that lives with his domestically abusive Italian father and Jewish mother. He is depressed, a virgin, and only finds solace in the violent art he makes. To escape their fights, he wanders around the city, conversing with the local wildlife and drinking at a local bar, tended by Carole (a quick-witted, razor-tongued black woman), and patroned by Shorty, a legless bouncer, and the transsexual Snowflake (who enjoys being beaten by burly men).

 

 

Carole loses her job and moves in with Mike, much to the chagrin of Shorty. They begin a relationship but leave the flat when Mike's racist mafioso dad finds them together. Living on the street, Mike fails at selling his art, so he tries his hand at pimping Carole, with lackluster results. Meanwhile, Mike's father is taking a hit out on his son...

 

It's needless to go on, but all does not end well. It doesn't begin well. IT WAS NEVER WELL.

 

Warning: film may rupture your skull.

 

But surely I must digress, because the animation in this film, including the transitions and matting of live action and stock, is absolutely stunning. It's psychedelic and grimy and gorgeous. The musical score, the cinematography, and the writing are all superb. It's a fucking masterpiece of American cinema and animation and it belongs in a museum. 9/10

WITCHCRAFT '70 (1970)

WITCHCRAFT '70 (1970) (X) Dir. Luigi Scattini and Lee Frost

aka THE OCCULT EXPERIENCE aka WHITE ANGEL... BLACK ANGEL

82 min.

 

 

What can I really say about this? Shitty, but beautifully filmed, edited, immersive and immensely entertaining. It's also 100% offensive and 100% Mondo. Paganism is a large umbrella term for a wide variety of practices, many of which this movie exploits, attacks, and laughs at. It pissed me off and that's a very beautiful thing. In the eyes of this film, everything is Satan. God Bless you, Witchcraft '70.

 

 

Like other Mondo films, the style of Witchcraft '70 is based on old wartime propaganda films. Footage is shown without much context, and the overdubbed narrator proceeds to fill in all of the "facts" rather than through conversation with the subjects themselves. The narrator cracks jokes and even outright laughs on occasion at the subjects' expense. The movie is not trying to educate its audience; its exploiting the religions shown in it to give the mainstream audience member a sense of shock and superiority. Oh, and tits. Wall to wall tits. 

 

 

We are treated to scene of macumba, Satanism, messianic stonerism, Wicca, Alex Saunders (blech), and others, performing "bizarre" rituals and exorcisms, which may have been shocking to Joe Blow back in 1970, but which are commonplace in the social parlance of today. Look at these fruity people and their loopy practices! Let's collectively point our fingers and chuckle at their deeply held beliefs!

 

It's ignorant, it's terrible, it's irresponsible and it's awesome. I hate it therefore I love it. This entire movie begs to be a Dubstep remix. Do it, someone, please! 5/10

 

FORCED ENTRY (1973)

FORCED ENTRY (1973) (X) Dir. Shaun Costello
83 mins.

 

 

Oft called "the king of the roughies", this rape porno/slasher film is a hard but rewarding watch. A Vietnam vet played unforgettably by porn icon Harry Reems, works at a small gas station. When ladies come through to gas up, he uses their credit card information to stalk them in their homes, rape and murder them. There's your plot, but that's all you're gonna need!

 

 

The rape scenes in this film are extreme and disgusting. They grant the audience a sincere sense of dread and compassion for the clearly doomed victims. The actresses are sometimes so convincing that at moments the scenes feel real. The murders that follow are simply but aptly executed, and the focus is more on the killer's crumbling mental state, rather than expensive gore effects. During the rapes, he verbally taunts the victims in a wholly debasing manner, whilst simultaneously flashbacking to atrocities he committed during the war. Stock footage and sounds are used for these flashbacks, and the juxtaposition between them and the hardcore penetration is strikingly affective.

 

 

There is no humor here, it does glamorize rape (looking at you Hollywood), and this is not a movie filmed for pleasure; it is meant to disturb, and accomplishes its goal with gusto. This all leads to an excellent climax that has a positive message about how the free love moment can conquer the war industry. Given the era in which it was made this is an extremely interesting medium in which to channel that message.

 

The movie is downright frightening. The soundtrack is awesome. The film stock is grainy, scratched and the editing and sound is amateur, yet somehow this adds to the tension and atmosphere, making this a forgotten horror mindfuck of a movie that more serious horror fans should know about. It's a shame it doesn't sit on a higher tier in the horror echelon. It needs to be rediscovered. 8/10

I should also mention that this movie has been remade TWICE. Once two years later as a theatrical release with an R rating and again in 2002 as a loosely-based porn.
 

Obviously I can't post a link to this one. You can find it. I have faith.

COMBAT SHOCK (1986)

COMBAT SHOCK (1986) (R) Dir. Buddy Giovinazzo
aka AMERICAN NIGHTMARE
85 mins.

 

Thee Satanophile here, and I just discovered Troma's lesser-known 1986 cult classic, Combat Shock. Director Buddy Giovinazzo's story of a Vietnam War veteran spiraling into penury, hopelessness and madness was inspired by Eraserhead and Taxi Driver, and I wouldn't be surprised if the director had been familiar with Sean Costello's and William Lustig's earlier works as well. It's seedy, grimy, and ultra-low budget -- exactly how I like 'em. The film is a slow and even tedious burn, but it is forgivable for its wonderful score, rotted, urban atmosphere, abject nihilism, great gore effects and its full throttle ending.

 

 



The film follows Ricky, a vet living in Staten Island. He's penniless, jobless, and suffering from vivid flashbacks of his time in Vietnam and as a POW. He is estranged from his father and lives in an empty apartment with his starving pregnant wife and mutant baby, who has born as such due to the Ricky's exposure to Agent Orange during the war. He spends his days going to the unemployment office and trying to avoid a violent mobster, Paco, and his gang of thugs, to whom Ricky owes money. We see him argue with his wife, receive an imminent eviction notice, his friend overdose, and Paco's thugs terrorizing him. Needless to say, Ricky spirals into a primal desperation.

 

This might be one of the last grimy 42nd street movies. By 1986 most horror films were headed towards the humorous and cartoonish, rather than the brutal style this movie encompasses. I highly recommend this to fans of grindhouse and low-budget guerilla filmmaking. Despite its flaws, Combat Shock has immense gritty charm. Its violence is well executed, its message is simple and  clear, and the discomfort it inspires in the viewer, especially during the harrowing climax, make this a must for purveyors of the macabre.

7/10

  

 

 FULL MOVIE: