Are you a fan of great film writing? How about Southern Exploitation, Cajun Style? Even better, the man himself, Timothy Agoglia Carey? Then stop whatever you are doing and pick up the newest issue of Video Watchdog! The power of Timothy Carey dancing compels you!
I'm not entirely sure when Sex Gang Children and their charismatic leader, Andi Sex Gang, first came into my life but ever since, the magic and texture behind this man has entranced me. Often sounding like the exotic love child of Bowie and Brecht, but firmly remaining to this day his own man and artist, Andi Sex Gang is undoubtedly one of the most underrated figures in music. All of that despite his band charting repeatedly on the UK indie lists in the 80's and then going on to work with the legendary Mick Ronson. (The latter must have felt invigorated to work with someone truly unique,vital and not expecting him to rehash the Diamond Dogs blues.)
The journey of any artist with bone-bred integrity and an unwillingness to whore is going to be a rocky one and Andi is no exception. Luckily for us all, his life and musical journey has been covered in one hale and hearty documentary, BASTARD ART. Before getting to watch this film, I was just excited to know that someone took the time and energy to cover the man. After watching this film, I was excited to know that a guy like Andi Sex Gang is featured in a well made, lovingly researched and incredibly accessible documentary. It's the perfect mix of being thorough and surprising enough to woo the hardcore fans but pieced together in such a way that it will lure anyone unfamiliar with Sex Gang Children.
In BASTARD ART, we get to see Andi go from a little boy with a natural instinct for song writing and singing to a squatter in the punk scene. In fact, it was his friend from that same scene, George O'Dowd aka Boy George, that gifted the band name, Sex Gang Children, to him. (A name undoubtedly with origins from music savant Malcolm McClaren, who had worked with a pre-Culture Club George.) From there, we get interviews with former band mates, friends and musical peers. But most importantly, we get and receive a bounty of interview footage from the man himself, Andi Sex Gang.
He is the star of the show, not just because he is the subject matter, but because his natural charisma, smarts and sheer will of survival draws you to him. There are performers that are good artists but have rocks for personality but that is far from the case with Andi Sex Gang. The amount of bowling balls this man has had to jump, ranging from bad music deals, facing fake criminal charges that ranged from rape to carrying explosives and an industry that acts more like the ravenous center in the lake of ice in Dante's Inferno, is harrowing. Weaker souls have been eaten by that very machine, but weak is not a word associated with ASG. Scrappy and tenacious, absolutely, but not weak.
Director Vince Corkadel, who has worked previously with both Andi and Sex Gang Children, has a lot to be proud of here. The key to any truly great music related documentary is having the music paint the right picture over the canvas of information. For me, there are few things more frustrating than a documentary about a musician that features little to none of their music. It would be like watching a bunch of people talking about a painter and never showing even a scrap of one of their paintings. Beyond frustrating, but BASTARD ART is a film that thankfully does not suffer that fate.
As far as pacing goes, it's tight and flows very well. There are zero lulls and it does exactly what this type of film should do; leaving you wanting more and wanting to devour more of the great art featured. Safe to say, BASTARD ART is one of the best documentaries to have come out in the last few years. What's inspiring about this is that guys like Corkadel and Larry Wessel (ICONOCLAST, featured here) have proven that one can make a vital and culturally rich documentary while sticking to a true independent, DIY approach. This is no Miramax or Sundance indie, which is safe in its bigger budgets and often homogenized layers. Instead this is a film born out of pure love, determination and years of hard work and research.
No matter what labels people will throw on the works of Sex Gang Children and Andi, none can ultimately stick, proving not only the folly of “genres” but also the folly of trying to box in an artist you love. A guy like Andi Sex Gang, who continues to be as prolific and active as ever, will set fire to that box, and like a pale faced shaman with a mind of darkness and heart of light, will continue this fight of life. And nowhere is this ever more present than in BASTARD ART.
Greetings and salutations, my beloved and neglected readers and fellow fringe culture enthusiasts!
It's been much too long since the last post, but never fear, there are some big articles and little indulgences, all itching to be cooked and served. This includes more film and music articles, interviews and other random sundries.
To keep you a little sated until then, here's the trailer for the wonderfully goony BIKINI BEACH. Ever notice how much these films bordered on sun-drenched DaDa? While BEACH BLANKET BINGO is the masterpiece of this subgenre, BIKINI BEACH is a lot of fun, featuring tall drink of water Jody McCrea as Deadhead, Stevie Wonder, a surfing gorilla, Frankie Avalon in frightening limey drag as "The Potato Bug" and the first appearance of the ultimate Mondo Heather heart throb Timothy Carey as South Dakota Slim. It looks like a winner because it IS a winner!
In celebration of the greatest holiday ever, Mondo Heather is pleased to present you with some of the scariest, silliest and creepiest music videos that I could come up with in 10 minutes. Halloween is my Christmas, minus the awkward family gatherings and plus lots of pumpkins, plastic skeletons and monster masks. Granted the latter two have a semi-permanent place in my life, but I digress.
Anyways, if you love all things ooky, spooky and sonic, then read on! If you dare.....
Starting things off is Landscape's "My Name is Norman Bates." A quirky and unique UK band that became best known for their hit, "Einstein a Go-Go," Landscape contributed a nice tribute to Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece, PSYCHO, and its main character. The video itself features some lovely B&W visuals, a scary castle and an actress that is a dead ringer for Janet Leigh. This would make an awesome double bill with The Hitmen's "Bates Motel." (A fantastic song and one of the best music videos ever. Too bad that the version on Youtube is complete crap quality, including the color being muted out. Hence why it is not on this list. otherwise it would be top dog here.)
Up next is one of my personal heroes, Thor aka Jon Mikl Thor, the Canadian Heavy Metal Thunder God. Not only has the man been involved in some wonderfully cheesy horror movies, including the b-movie epic ROCK & ROLL NIGHTMARE, but he is Thor. Screw Hollywood, accept the one true deity only! This video is not really scary but it does feature some sword & sorcery imagery and the song kicks ass. Plus Thor attacks a fortune teller??? Awesome.
In a darker vein, there's Patrick Cowley's "They Came at Night." Cowley was an electronic-pop wunderkind who helped breathe in new life for drag legend and vocal angel Sylvester's career. Cowley was also an early casualty of AIDS, something that is reflected in this song. This piece of music is already eerie, but when you factor in that this is about a man dealing with death being at his door, it is even more haunting. It is a testament to Cowley's talent that even in such a state, he was able to create such good music. (And yes, I do realize that this is not a music video proper, but given that this is one that tends to get left off a lot of lists like this, I had to mention it.)
Speaking of real life, after that we have Falco's "Jeanny." While most Americans probably remember Falco for such danceable pop songs like "Rock Me Amadeus" and "Der Kommissar," the man also created one amazing and disturbing song in the form of "Jeanny." Inspired by the very real crimes of Austrian serial killer Jack Unterweger, this is definitely dark musical territory, especially for a pop artist. For more info on this song and its history, you can check out an article I wrote back in 2010.
In a more surreal vein, there is Icehouse's "Icehouse." The band formerly known as Flowers were part of the Australian New Wave scene, they created such pop classics as "We Can Get Together," "Can't Help Myself" and "Great Southern Land." In an odd move, they also made this song, which has a sort of cold yet sad starkness about it. Add in director's Russell Mulcahy's surrealistic and subtly nightmarish visuals and you have a recipe for a perfect for a cold, Autumn night video. Plus, this was apparently at one point banned on Australian TV! Have a day.
Speaking of music videos that were banned, up next we have Blue Oyster Cult's "Joan Crawford." Yes, this creepy gem was banned, not on Australian TV (that I know of) but on MTV. Despite some revisionist nostalgia, MTV was never really as cool as some people will try to tell you, kids. Blue Oyster Cult need no introduction, being one of the greatest rock bands ever. Plus, never has the whole schoolgirl/rock video theme been more suitably disturbing.
Now on a lighter note, there is the master of all things horror and rock, Alice Cooper. I adore Alice Cooper and realistically, about 3/4 of his catalog could comprise a list of this nature. But instead, to keep things interesting, here is "Identity Crisis," an obscure tune from Claudio Fragasso's 1980's horror film, MONSTER DOG.
You cannot have a Halloween themed music list without featuring Australia's own Skyhooks and their song, "Horror Movies." I first heard of this band via Elvira's compilation, "Haunted Hits," which led me to their other work, including the kickass rocker, "Women in Uniform." (Which went on to be covered by Iron Maiden by the way.) "Horror Movies," while not their best song, does feature the catchy hooks and tongue-in-cheek humor that helped define this band.
From campy back to moody, we have Marilyn Martin's "Night Moves," a song that would have been perfect for the soundtrack of a horror themed show, like "The Hitchhiker" or the massively underrated "Forever Knight." The latter would be especially fitting, given the obvious influence the music video has from the vampire 80's classic, THE HUNGER. It's a good, moody pop song and a far better thing to associate with the lovely Ms. Martin, than her more famed duet with angry-Gerber baby man himself, Phil Collins.
If you want dark eroticism, then look no further than France's Mylene Farmer. This artist has amassed a brilliant body of work, often tackling some rather shadowy themes and layers that most singers shy away from. She was another one, like Alice, that proved to be harder to pick just one video, but I ended up settling on "Beyond My Control." The wolf and blood imagery and repeated loop of John Malkovich from DANGEROUS LIASONS uttering the song's title is beyond perfect. I love Mylene Farmer.
Speaking of musical genius, after that we have Nash the Slash. The one man band who first made his name playing for Canadian progressive rock band, FM, has built an extremely striking body of work, whether it is working a John Hinckley reference in his cover of "Psychotic Reaction" or composing a lovely score for F.W. Murnau's NOSFERATU. Every heart should make room for some love for this man and "Swing Shift" is a big reason why. The video is properly low budget and is as uncomfortable and riveting as the song itself.
One of the greatest bands to have emerged from the shadows of the UK music scene in the late 1970's is undoubtedly, Bauhaus. A band whose music still sounds as fresh and unlike anything else to this day, despite inspiring a slew of musicians, their song and video for the track "Mask" is one of the best examples of the beauty of nightmares and decay.
The next video might seem initially like an odd choice, unless you too have seen the William Friedkin (THE EXORCIST, TO LIVE & DIE IN LA) directed video. Laura Branigan's "Self Control," a cover of the Italo-Disco hit by Raf, is a perfect, adult pop song. Branigan does not get enough love nowadays for my money and this song/video are evidence why she was truly a star in the way that most pop singers nowadays wished they could be. (The fact that she actually had a great voice without the aid of Protools helps. A lot.) The video itself plays out like some kind of wonderfully lurid, pyscho-sexual Italian Giallo. All that is missing is a black gloved killer but given that there is an uncut cut floating around somewhere, you never know. Until then, we have this still racy version to enjoy.
Now is the time for some spooky garage rock revival, New York style, with The Fuzztones and their creepy epic, "Ward 81." The Fuzztones are, simply put, awesome and this song should make a convert of anyone that likes their rock and roll a little rough around the edges with some organs to boot. What's even more of a treat is how good this video is, looking like a B-Movie style horror film from the late 60's. (Special thanks goes out to Scott Law for introducing me to this one years ago.)
Speaking of retro with a modern twist, after that we have Australia's Beasts of Bourbon and their faithfully, skin crawlingly scary cover of the Leon Payne classic, "Psycho." The video is just as good, with some murky looking proceedings going on in the distance behind singer Tex Perkins anguished facade. (If your not familiar with this band, look up more of their stuff on Youtube. They are phenomenal.)
Rounding things up is Vinnie Vincent Invasion's "Love Kills," which was the main song from NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 4: THE DREAM MASTER. Granted, this is not one of their better songs but still deserves to be featured for two very good reasons. First of all, it is Vinnie Vincent, who is a guitar god and by far, the most underrated member of Kiss ever. Secondly, it's Vinnie Vincent playing guitar with the Freddy Krueger glove and then winking and smiling at the camera. It's awesome, adorable and worth sitting through the overall average video alone.
I hope you've enjoyed my mighty list of spooky musical video goodness and even more, that you have a wonderful holiday season! May your treats be plenty, your tricks few and all of your masks be Don Post.
Perfection and warmth are two elements that are not always put together hand in hand. Warmth is often emotion, that wonderful, horrible, messy thing that sets species apart from rocks and sociopaths. On the other hand, you have perfection, which is most definitely not anything related to humanity. Perfection is often perceived as beauty without heart, but there are some key exceptions to this rule, most notably Radley Metzger's updated version of Alexandre Dumas's classic novel, The Lady of the Camellias. Metzger's film, CAMILLE 2000, is both sumptuous to look at but also, at heart, incredibly melancholy. (Which would be in keeping in spirit with the source material.)
The lovely Daniele Gaubert
The story begins with Armand (Nino Castelnuovo), a handsome and somewhat unambitious young lad who is being sent to Italy to attend to some business for his rich and powerful father (Massimo Serato). He meets up with Gastion (Roberto Bisacco), a dandy about town who takes Armand to a gala. While he points out the various available women and their assorted scandals, Armand ends up seeing the beautiful and fragile Marguerite (Daniele Gaubert). Gastion tries to dissuade him, deeming Margeurite “impossible,” but the match has been lit and both ends are burning.
A lot of heartbreak emerges from this pursuit of amour. Right from the start, both Armand and Marguerite are doomed for a myriad of reasons, whether it is her financial debt and borderline kept lady status with a wealthy but mal-emotional Duke or Armand's money conscious father. Mme. Fatale radiates off of Marguerite. Like all truly damaged and self destructive people, it is only a matter of time that the shrapnel will be felt by those closest to her, especially Armand.
Gaubert & Nina Castelnuovo
Metzger, a bred New Yorker born with the aesthetic soul of a European, has become renowned for his attention to visuals and deft use of erotic themes. While some of his later work definitely fits that bill, the sexuality that lies within CAMILLE 2000 is less erotic and more reflective of the emotional mental state of the characters. Some of the scenes are bold for their time but in typical Metzger fashion, are tasteful not matter how outre they may border on. In fact, Metzger's whole soft-toned, high fashion sexuality pre-dated filmmakers like Just Jaeckin (EMMANUELLE, THE STORY OF O) and David Hamilton (BILITIS) by a number of years. (Oddly enough, both Jaeckin and Hamilton are European and come from a fashion photography background.) This is definitely the case of a film that may have been marketed in some areas as arty sexploitation (complete with then X rating) but that would have been more at home in your friendly neighborhood arthouse. (Though don't think the twain never met with those two either.)
Speaking of visuals, the attention to detail in CAMILLE 2000 is gorgeous. This film is David Lean lush. From the 60's futuristic plastic furniture and light up cubes to the rococo color schemes of the Italian coastal landscape and the natural beauty of the actors themselves, CAMILLE 2000 is eye candy in motion.
Luckily for us, there is more than meets the eye, with strong performances from both Gaubert and Castelnuovo as the lovers who suffer due to bad family and even worse habits. Gaubert is alternately lovely, ethereal and sad in a role that had been previously played by such early screen legends as Greta Garbo and Alla Nazimova. Castelnuovo is a good match with his earnest, handsome Armand, who transforms from a borderline shy young man to a heartbroken firebrand within the 131 minute running time. The other actors are good, with Zachary Adams being a real standout as Gody, a sweet gay fashion designer who is one of the few humane people in Marguerite's life, even despite her occasionally stank behavior.
Zachary Adams as the good intentioned Gody
This film's beauty is equally matched by Cult Epics' loving release. It is sweet to see a filmmaker of Metzger's caliber getting his proper due thanks to the hard work of companies like Cult Epics and Distribpix (for the cherried out release of THE PRIVATE AFTERNOONS OF PAMELA MANN.) CAMILLE 2000 has never looked better. In addition to this fine transfer, there are also a slew of extras, including a 30 minute featurette, “On the Set,” that has behind-the-scenes footage along with some fascinating and revealing commentary throughout courtesy of the man himself, Radley Metzger. On top of that, there is also an equally good feature commentary with Metzger and moderator Michael Bowen, striptease footage that had been excised before the film's initial release, a featurette on the restoration process complete with before and after shots and trailers for CAMILLE 2000, the even more lush looking THE LICKERISH QUARTET and SCORE.
CAMILLE 2000 is an interesting cinematic creature. It's art, it's sexy, it's sad and leaves its lonely and beautiful mark on you once you have witnessed it. Bless Radley Metzger and his European creative heart, film making ways.
In the world of art, archetypes are born, bred and manufactured. Sometimes by the fans, other times by assorted figures in the press and, more often than not, by the artists themselves. In the strata of fringe art, Boyd Rice is one of the most enigmatic, at times charismatic and perplexing figures. The man has been called a lot things over his 30 plus year career, with epithets ranging from genius to neo-Nazi to charlatan and innovator, Rice is unique in the way he has handled each and every one of them, embracing the dark and the light, both to art and his own persona.
In fact, it is these light and dark aspects of Rice that are examined in Larry Wessel's 4 hour long opus, ICONOCLAST. While the running time alone will probably make a less curious and intrepid viewer run to the hills, the film actually has an incredibly smooth pace, to the extent that you never really feel the running time. I once had some drug addled academic type tell me that if a documentary was longer than an hour, then it would lose the audience. This theory is obviously swamped in bullshit for a multitude of reasons and ICONOCLAST is a great example why. (Plus, epic length never hurt Ken Burns, eh?) Wessel manages to give a comprehensive overview of Rice's childhood, groundbreaking work in experimental noise music, his relationship with Church of Satan founder Anton LaVey, his move from San Francisco to Denver, etc etc. and yet leaves you asking for more. More information to be specific, which is both a testament to Wessel's skills as a filmmaker and the compellingness of Boyd Rice. In some facets of life, there are no villains or heroes, just artists. Welcome to ICONOCLAST.
The film is divvied up into three sections for each disc. Section one, Lemon Grove, goes into Boyd's childhood and Southern Gothic familial background, including his grandmother being born in a cemetery on Halloween night. His upbringing in Lemon Grove, California brought the epiphany of Rice not wanting to be like the status quo. Wonder white bread sandwiches and soul-killing 9 to 5pm jobs were a no go for he who was like no other.
It was this impulse that planted the multiple seeds that would germinate into a long career as a musical concrete pioneer, professional prankster, fringe culture writer, tiki-revivalist and cultural agent provocateur. Boyd himself has stated that he has made a career out of doing a number of things that he is not qualified to do. This is only a half-truth. If he was plagued with mediocrity, then this article or documentary would not exist, especially in regards to his music. His first musical project, NON, still sounds as fresh and unique now as it did in the 70's. Disc One goes into excellent detail about this period of Rice's life and his captivating, surrealist yet pragmatic approach to sonic art. This in turn makes Section One the best out of all three.
That said, the latter two are nothing to sneeze at. The second section, “San Francisco,” delves into Rice's writing, featuring his collaboration with writer extraordinaire Jim Morton for the groundbreaking cult film tome, Re/Search's Incredibly Strange Film book. (A work that I bought on my 16th birthday, changing my life and alerting me that my tribe was out there.) It's quite nice getting to see interviews with Morton, who undoubtedly warrants his own film or at least a juicy article on his notable work.
Oddly enough, the sweetest parts in the whole documentary are in this section, going into Rice's long term friendship with Church of Satan founder and carnival organist, Anton LaVey. The fondness and bond that these two controversial and fascinating figures had is readily apparent. Given all of the ridiculous hoopla, with media vermin being partially to blame, that has surrounded LaVey to this day, it is refreshing to see him painted as a man, complete with talent, flaws and a family. (Remember, kids, the only real bogeyman is your own human nature.)
The last section, “Denver,” covers Rice's transition from Tiki culture fan (starting from his early teens) to flat out scholar and his involvement with the sinisterly groovy Partridge Family Temple. There's also some keen footage from Rice and company's favorite hangout, the phantasmagorical Casa Bonita. (The now defunct Tulsa location was a mecca of my own childhood, with memories of the sopapillas and the robotic gypsy fortune teller in the game room entrance, still vivid.) All of this leads up to Rice's seemingly calm-after-the-storm life that he entertains today.
The Casa Bonita in Denver, which is way fancier than the one in Tulsa.
ICONOCLAST is solid proof of a my own personal theory that if you combine a captivating and layered subject matter with a talented crew, then it can be however long it needs to be. Otherwise you get the coitus interruptus effect that plagues many a documentary. Just when the going gets good, they pull back, leaving you almost irritated at the in-completion of it all. That is not a problem here. In fact, the only thing that could have been delved into a little more was Rice's musical partnership with Partridge Family Temple member, model and super go-go girl Giddle Partridge. We do at least get to hear two of their songs throughout, but no real commentary on it. Given that the the partnership has apparently come to an end already, there might be reasons for that. (There is at least some brief but cute interview footage with Giddle and lots of lovely promo photos of her and Boyd.)
The interesting thing about this film and Rice as a whole, is that even after four hours, one is not left feeling like they really know that much more about the artist as a man than they probably did going into it. You do get a more fleshed out picture of Boyd Rice the figure and artist, but the actual man? Not so much and in a way, that is totally okay. Honestly, it is sometimes better to not know so much personal information about your favorite artists. The Santa Claus is dead effect is a hazardous one, often blurring the ability for the viewer to separate the art from the artist. Roman Polanski is a predator, your favorite 30's era glamor gal was an escort and Pablo Picasso more than likely was an asshole. (No matter what the Modern Lovers tell you.) Wessel deserves multiple kudos for the stellar and creative work that he has done.
Overall, ICONCLAST is a fascinating, rhythmically paced documentary that is perfect for fans and philistines alike.
