There's really no way to take the work of Gaspar Noe other than as the film equivalent of blunt head trauma. From his start with provocative short films like Came and Sodomites, nihilistic, yet thoughtful features like I Stand Alone, to the hyper-real assault on the senses of the brutal Irreversible, Noe has been delivering gut-punching, uncompromising visions of humanity torn asunder by drugs, self-centeredness, confusion, and self-loathing. Never a pleasant experience, the films, however, leave the viewer feeling a little different about his or her perspective on truth and reality, as well as questioning the disguised, repressed nature of people.
After a successful run in the festival circuit, his latest film Enter the Void, is making its way across the U.S. in limited screenings across the country. The Boston area is lucky enough to have a screening at the Kendall Square Cinema in Cambridge starting November 12.
Enter the Void has been universally revered as a mind-altering experience that pushes the boundaries of even Noe. If you feel able to endure it, don't miss it on the big screen for the full effect.
Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! (2008) Written and Directed by Mark Hartley
Over the past few years there have been a number of solid documentaries covering the gamut of exploitation films. Films like American Grindhouse and Nightmares in Red, White and Blue provided really good introductions to their respective subjects, but have been criticized for merely grazing the surface by more experienced fans. Anyone looking for an introduction would certainly get an education. However, if you're already well-versed in horror and exploitation, you may just find yourself feeling a little unchallenged.
Along comes Not Quite Hollywood, a catalog of the most infamous Australian softcore porn and adult comedies, horror, and high octane stunt-heavy action films from down under. If you're looking for a collection of more obscure and lesser know films and filmmakers, well, this is your place. Not Quite Hollywood covers a lot of ground, and includes profiles of many of Australia's best underground filmmakers, actors, and stunt people. The film covers a few of the more well-known offerings like Mad Max (and director George Miller) and Walkabout, but where it excels is bringing the viewer the full range of exploitation films from the nastiest, to the most outrageous, to the most successful. Hartley's film covers Australia's failed attempt at becoming a sought after area for major productions and the mechanics behind just why things didn't work out. Rising from the failure was an entire generation of totally fearless and reckless filmmakers that captured the quirkiness of Australian culture, dressed it up with gore, nudity, and car crashes, and unleashed it on an unsuspecting world.
The Man from Hong Kong
The film contains interviews with iconic figures in film such as Quentin Tarantino, Stacey Keach, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dennis Hopper, and cinematographer John Seale. In addition to the Hollywood folks, Hartley speaks with the pioneers of Ozploitation such as filmmakers Brian Trenchard-Smith and the prolific David Hemmings. Each provide their own entertaining, heartbreaking, or mind boggling take on the best and worst aspects of Ozploitation, with Tarantino displaying a particularly enthusiastic stance on the subject. What's clear from all of them is that making a movie in Australia is a good bit saucier than anywhere else, especially considering the possiblitity that imminent death loomed over their heads during most productions. The productions were just as wild and lawless as the terrains, environments, and characters captured on film.
Turkey Shoot
Not Quite Hollywood operates in three distinct cagetories: "Ockers, Knockers, Pubes and Tubes”, “Comatose Killers and Outback Thrillers”, and “High Octane Disasters and Kung Fu Masters". A lot of the films discussed might only be recognized by the most seasoned of fans and I found myself making a big list of films to seek out. I was happy to find a few old favorites referenced in the mix, such as Razorback, Strange Behavior, The Long Weekend, Dead End Drive-In, and Road Games. Despite recognizing of a number of films, I won't lie and say that this documentary didn't school me. I definitely made a huge list of films to seek out. Each category is covered well, and one never feels the subject has been glossed over.
Mad Dog Morgan
The standout portion of Hartley's film is the introduction to the absolutely insane stunt men who risked life and limb to pull off some crazy stunts. I mean, some of the stunts shown in the documentary are among the most outrageous I've ever seen and I can't even believe they were survived. When you witness Grant Page's truly death-definying stunt work, it's quite an exhiliration. Hartley's documentary is an incredible collection of some of the most dangerous car crashes and stunts captured on celluloid. The total recklessness most productions was probably the main reason they pulled them off so successfully. Without these rebellious pioneers Australia would likely have languished. Instead, the generation portrayed in the documentary has inspired a new generation of up-and-coming filmmakers and Australia is one again experiencing a resurgence in worldwide interest in their special brand of filmmaking.
Billy the Kid's Old Timey Oddities Written by: Eric Powell Art by: Kyle Hotz Published by: Dark Horse Comics
I feel bad for anyone who isn't familiar with Eric Powell. If you've never cracked open an issue or trade collection of The Goon, then you, my friend, are missing out on one of the best comics ever produced. The Goon could mistakenly be labeled "just a horror comic", but it's much more than that. Beneath the gore, zombies, gross swamp monsters, and gangsters, there's a lot of heart and understated humor. It successfully blends that humor and horror with some fantastic artwork by Powell.
Powell doesn't spread himself too thin, concentrating on fewer titles that are all the more potent for it. He has contributed to Hellboy, has a great new monster horror comic with a carnival theme entitled Chimchanga, and the Buzzard mini-series, a character spin-off from the universe of The Goon. Any one of these makes for some entertaining reading on a weekend afternoon.
He is now revisiting the gang from his eccentric comic Billy the Kid's Old Timey Oddities in a new 4-issue mini-series that takes place in Victorian era London during the terror campaign of Spring Heeled Jack, ask Jack the Ripper. Peppered throughout the story are recognizable figures from the literature of the time period, all done with Powell's trademark darkly humorous spin. Most notable in the first issue is the appearance of a certain John Merrick, who you may also know as the Elephant Man. Here, Merrick takes the form of an intelligent, thoughtful, but grotesque monstrosity with loads of patience for Billy the Kid's antics.
Powell continues his trend of great anti-heroes. Billy the Kid is gruff and rude, but still endearing in the way that only Powell's characters can be. Kyle Hotz's striking art ties everything together with strong lines and cool shadowing that really captures the feel of London's underworld. I urge you to pick up this and the older series, as well as any other books you may have overlooked in the Powell canon. Tell 'em Dwight T. Albatross sent ya.
The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962) Directed by: Joseph Green Written by: Rex Carlton
I get all weepy with nostalgia a lot, and I think it's because I miss Saturday afternoons when I was a kid flipping through the TV with my buddy Dave. Dave and I grew up watching all sorts of great stuff on cable, and especially shows like Commander USA's Groovy Movies. That's essentially how we got our film education. If it wasn't incredibly nice out, you could always find us sacked out in front of Dave's mom's floor model TV with wonky speakers, huge bowl of popcorn in our laps, and gigantic plastic cups of Mountain Dew at the ready. Dave is gone now, but those Saturdays were among my favorite times in my life.
Even earlier than that, I remember being just past toddler age and catching movies with my dad on Pittsburgh's Chilly Billy's Chiller Theater. Chilly Billy was more amusing than scary to me, but I adored him and looked forward to watching "that scary guy" every week. I'm pretty sure my dad limited the type of programming to the 50's sci-fi/horror stuff, as well as the giant monster flicks, but occasionally something more intense would slip through. Those really were the days that cemented my love of bizarre, subversive, horrifying, challenging, and violent films.
With all those memories bumping around, I do know that my first official movie memory, one that is very prominent in my mind, was the 1962 classic schlocker The Brain That Wouldn't Die.
A lot of people are familiar with The Brain That Wouldn't Die when it was chosen for roasting on an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. I don't know if that episode is seen as one of the better in the series, but MST3K is entertaining even when they're a little off their game.
Anyway, I remember being pretty scared of the mutant guy in Brain, but completely transfixed by Jan Compton's disembodied head. Frankly, the story is pretty grim even though the campiness undercuts it. For a long time I was absolutely terrified of riding in the car because I didn't want to be decapitated and kept alive on some dude's lab table.
For anyone who's been deprived of this classic, the basic premise involves a scientist named Dr. Cortner (Jason Evers) who revives his decapitated girlfriend Jan's (Virginia Leith) head and keeps her holed up in his lab. She just wants to die, but Cortner can't let her go, plus he wants his little experiment to be a success, of course. Cortner starts looking for a replacement body for Jan and resorts to murder and kidnapping.
For some reason, there's a mutant in the lab, and Jan can communicate with it telepathically. She uses it to help her get revenge on the doc in a fiery climax.
Sure, The Brain That Wouldn't Die is kinda awful in that endearing way a lot of 50's/early 60's movies can be. It's still a nice way to spend an afternoon with a few of your snarkiest friends. Despite some hilarity, it's quite a pretty morbid little flick. Maybe I just have a special attachment to it glossed over by my old friend nostalgia.
