Relax 'zine #2 - reviews

CD reviews

CARCASS "swansong" 
When a death band sign for a big label, that means their music is really
commercial, and this album is a good example of it. They play like a
trash metal band with 70s influences. Some people could appreciate the
"Heartwork" technicalities, but they are disappear. I think that their
split was a good idea, 'cause the true CARCASS was dead some years
ago.....  But if you liked "Heartwork", maybe you can like this work
too.
 
SADIST "tribe" 
Finally S. come back with another CD called "Tribe". This isn't an easy
work and there are some differences with the previous "Above the light".
The vocals are more acid, the keyboards aren't only a musical
background, but a dominant element in their sound; drumming is sharp as
usually, the bass riffs are more various than in "A.t.l.", and the
guitar solos are very well played. A really personal and original works.
 
GRAVE "hating life" 
This is a typical sweden death metal work, it could be the last
DISMEMBER album if they haven't change their sound in a melodic ways. In
the slow parts we can hear KONKHRA influences. Not original, but if you
like "Time bomb" by DEMOLITION HAMMER, then this album will satisfy you.
 
HAEMORRHAGE "emetic cult" Morbid Rec. 
What can I say about this band ?  It's another good production by Morbid
Rec.  There isn't many other things to say: if you are into grind- gore
like me and you appreciate DEAD INFECTION, PATHOLOGIST ecc., this CD is
for you, otherwise avoid it.
 
DERANGED "rated-X"  Repulse Rec. 
Yeah, this is a killer release! This band isn't original, but their
brutal grind without compromise should exaltate you with his cool sound,
inhuman vocals and killer drumming. Really cool their upset ROLLING
STONE's cover "paint it black".
 
FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY "hardwired" 
F.L.A. come back with this album entitled "hardwired". The german duet
plays cold ambient industrial, based on totally electronic sound and
samples. Interesting the occasional use of guitars, but sometimes they
are boring.
 
AMORPHIS "elegy" Nuclear Blast/Relapse 
Amorphis come back with a new line-up: they changed drummer, keyboard,
and have a new clean vocalist sided to Tomi. Style is similar to "tales
from...", death metal mainly influenced by folkloristic melodies, with a
great songwriting. The first song "better-unborn" has an oriental
melody, "cares" has a beatiful techno-industrial riff (like "magick and
mayhem"). Also good "my kantele" in 2 version (one acoustic).
 
SCHIZO  3" 
Good idea by Nosferatu rec. to distribute 10000 free copies of this
advance. It contains 2 songs for 9 minutes. They start with "tones of
the absolute" that remember MACHINE HEAD sonorities with some samples,
and the remixed version of "deify me" by Katharsis.
 
DOGMATIZED "ipse dixit"      S.O.A. rec.  7" 
Pure grindcore in early NAPALM DEATH, ASSUCK style for this guys from
Rome. Good the lyrics that tells about social arguments. All songs are
really good and if you are into this kind of music, you must appreciate
this work.
 
INTERNAL BLEEDING "voracious contempt" Pavement Rec. 
I.B. comes from USA and like 90% of american bands plays brutal death.
The recording and the production are very good (by Scott Burns). All the
songs are cool with their strong slow parts with the add of some short
grind parts. If you hate the fucking norvegian bands and you think death
is stronger than black this CD is for you.
 
EMBALMER "there was blood everywhere"  
Relapse Rec. 7"
Killer 7" for this 5 pieces bands from Cleveland. They
play a good and never boring death/grind, cool and fast drumming by Roy,
also good the guitars work. It contains 4 songs, the firsts two are
totally grind, and the others have some good slow parts. The best one is
"may the wounds bleed forever" with a great bass part in the middle.
 
MORTICIAN "house by the cemetery"  Relapse Rec. MCD 
grind splatter ! A continue alternate of the best samples I heard on a
grind CD, inhuman grind parts and deep vocals that remember me
INCANTATION and ROTTREVORE. Not so good the CELTIC FROST cover (it seems
like a MORBID ANGEL song), while "scum" is well succeed. All sick minds
will love this job.
 
EXIT 13/HEMDALE  split 7"  Visceral Prod. 
This is one of the best death/grind 7" I've ever heard. The two EXIT 13
tracks are really fast, and the lyrics are cool: "gout of belgium" is a
praise to the belgium ale, while "black weakeners" says -fuck- to black
metal (I love this lyrics). Also good the 3 HEMDALE songs, the firsts
two are pure sick grind, and the last has some slow parts.
 
DIABOLOS RISING "blood vampirism & sadism" 
After the debut "666" D.R. comes back with an album better than
previous. This LP can be split in two parts: one with techno-industrial
songs, the second with songs more ambient-gothic oriented, with a simple
but good programming. I prefer the faster techno-industrial stuff, and
if you are not a "true metal fan", you can appreciate this work.
 
EDGE OF SANITY "crimson" 
What can I say ? This album is another good demostration of the musical
capacities of Dan Swano and co., but not as well as "purgatory
afterglow". Making an exception for some banal black riffs, the all
material is various, original, well played, heavy and melodical at the
same time. Everyone which like all the actual swedish band, will love
"crimson".
 
DIMMU BORGIR "stormblast" 
A really slow black metal with norwegian lyrics and a good sound. The
lead guitar is not well developed, while the rithmic guitar is too
simple, even if the melodies are really evil, epic and majestic. Very
suggestive the piano parts.
 
BLOOD DIVINE "awaken" 
For me, this album is not a masterpiece, there is nothing particularly
new, but they mix dark, gothic and 70s doom really well. Some atmosphere
remember me ANATHEMA, (Darren is an ex-ANATHEMA member and now he sing
in B.D.). A good debut full-lenght CD, but not as I supposed.
 
LOVE HISTORY "desires" MCD 
Personal, various, sweet melodies, sad and melancholic atmosphere for
this czech doom black band. In addiction to keyboards there are flautes
and violins. Don't buy this mini-CD if you want hear a grind-black band,
because the principal L.H. characteristic is the melodies.
 
IN FLAMES "jester race" 
This is the album that will put I.F. between the best swedish bands. I
prefer the previous mini-CD, but also this album was a masterpieces.
There aren't no more mini acoustic songs, few clean guitar parts and no
more female vocals. The sound is more in the AT THE GATES vein, but the
NWOBHM melodies are still classic I.F. background. If you liked old
stuff, I think this work will not disappoint you.
 
SAMAEL "passage" 
Take something from FEAR FACTORY, something from MISERY LOVES CO., add
gothic-black keyboards and you'll have the new SAMAEL album. It's a good
work, full of powerful guitar and obscure melodies. Also, there's a
little cyber-thrash influences, expecially GROPE. The vocals are very
evil. If you are a FEAR FACTORY and black metal fan you must buy this
album.
 
BRUTAL TRUTH "kill trend suicide" Relapse Rec. 
B.T. are a cool band and everyone which have a little of intelligence
will say: yeah!, this is a fucking and original (truly) album out from
classic death-grind scheme. If you don't like "Need to control", don't
buy "K.T.S.", but if you like sperimentation buy it. There are some cool
noise parts in the classic COP SHOOT COP vein.
 
PUNCTURE "punture" 
Bullet Proof rec.  
This Cd is rather old (1994), but this band is quite unknown in italy,
so I want to review it. In 1994 the band line-up was Rick (voices,
guitar,bass) and Per (samplers, sequencer); yes, they mix metal and
industrial, with a powerful guitar sound, an aggressive filtered voice,
an incredible series of samples (i.e. from films like Hellraiser) and a
good drum machine. The sound is good, in the thanks list there's Dino
Cazares, so if you like industrial contamination you'll like this CD.
  
STRAPPING YOUNG LAD "heavy as a really heavy thing"   Century Media  
S.Y.L. are one of most power band that I've ever heard. Their sound is
compact and clean, with an incredible guitar. S.Y.L. are pratically a
one-man-band: Devin Townsend; singer in Steve Vai's "sex and religion",
guitarist in Front Line Assembly's "hardwired", has take part in IR8
project with  Jason Newsted, producer of the last Stuck Mojo album etc.,
he has too many musical project to list them all. In this CD there isn't
guitar solos, even if Devin is a really good guitarist.  The best song
is the titletrack, an incredible concentrated of metal fury and techno
violence. Very good also "skin me" and "cod metal king" with a guitar
riffing that remember me SLAYER in their best album. The voice is
something particular, aggressive and psychotic. The last official track
is a JUDAS PRIEST cover "exciter" in a live version but the surprise is
the hidden bonus track "satan's ice cream truck", a totally mad song
that is not included in the american version of the CD.
  
SWAMP TERRORIST "killer" and "combat rock"  Sub-mission  
This is not metal, is an aggressive mix of various influences, from
industrial to metal to hip-hop etc. A good work with synthetizers,
samplers with an elaborated drum machine. Guitar riffs are sampled,
voice has an hip-hop/rap rhythm. This is the future of music:
contaminations. Best songs from "killer": vivid cell, rock dead and
blast it.  from "combat rock": "jerks ever win".  If you can, don't miss
them live.
  
CRAWLEY "territorial"  
In a review of this CD,  I red that C. are the bad-part of bands like
Misery Loves Co.; this is not true because Crawley seems more like
Pantera and last Fear Factory, they don't use sampler and the only thing
in common with M.L.C. is that they are swedish too. This Cd is not bad,
but is nothing of particular. Maybe I liked it more if the voice was
more aggressive and filtered.

demo reviews

VLADIMIR  
"lost in my tears" 
From our city,Milan,arrive V.,a great black/gothic band with their debut
demo.It has an incredible production and contains 7 songs for 40 min. of
wonderful melodies.All tracks are good and guitars work is very
articulate and sublime.The tracks i prefer are "alone" and "my dead
dream"where melodies domain.Support them because they aren't only a copy
of the most famous doom band.
 
HATEBOX  
"demo'96" 
Yeah,a grind/industrial italian band!I don't know there's band like that
in my country!H. could be a band where play MORTICIAN with GODFLESH or a
MEATHOOK SEED most grind version.He also play a CRIPPLE BASTARDS
cover.If you like the bands i said or,in general, grind/industrial
you'll love H.
 
PUTROCORPSE  
"bowel chronicles" 
A intro in the vein of "the zombies arrival" open this cool work of
classic brutal death old-style.Here you have 20 minutes of amazing and
sick death in classic american vein.The lyrics are humor- splatter (read
"revenge of the evil maggot),also good the melodical part of "drowing in
pleasure".Brutal fans must have it!
 
ENTER SELF  
"stained" 
A great production open the fourth demo of E.S., a band from tennessee
which play a classical death not very fast.The best song is the opener
"blood flow chamber" in classic CANNIBAL CORPSE style.It isn't a bad
demo but sometimes is a little boring and i don't like the vocals.
E.S.
P.O.BOX 494
STRAWBERRY PLNS, TN
37871 USA
 
WARSORE  
"demo 96" 
Wow,this is the best grind-noise demo i've hear this year.The australian
W. play a social grind like early NAPALM DEATH/early AGATHOCLES.The
recording is good and if you like this kind of music you will not be
disappointed!
 
SKULLCRUSHER  
"rip it to the core" 
This isn't a demo,is only shit!If you want to listen only stupid vocals
and a noisy drums without any sense  buy it.....
 
AA.VV "eternal rest 4" 
Good compilation for know the doom underground by the italian
N.D.rec.All the bands are cool but the ones i prefer are:The doomers
CALLENISH CIRCLE from holland,the italian NECROMASS in the vein of
CRADLE of FILTH  and from usa the heavy DUSK with the great "element of
simmetry".75 minutes fir only 5$,so buy it!
N.D.rec.
P.O.BOX 51
BARDONECCHIA (TO)
ITALY
 
ANOTHER NAME FOR CORPSE  
"rancid decay..." 
A.N.F.C. is a one man band from canada.It sounds like a strange
grind/noise with particular vocals,it's principal influences are early
CARCASS.This tape contains 17 short and intense tracks. It's an
innovative demo but all the tracks are similar and the recording is
horrid.
H Rec.c/o DAN H 62 CREEKWOOD SQ.
CINCINNATI,OH  45246-381 USA
 
DISFUNCTION/GROSS ROSEN
"split tape" 
D. and G.R. are two czech noise band and i don't like them. Put yourself
with your distorted guitar in front of your ampli for 90 minutes and
move always the volumes making noise,record that and maybe you can
understand why this bands had recorded this tape.
 
ENTIRETY  
"advance tape" 
This is not a demo,but only an advance of the MCD out for N.D.rec. E.
are a complete for every point of view,this tape contain two songs of
melodic black:the first one is more NAGLFAR oriented,but E. have really
personal style.I like them expecially for the high songwriting level and
for the acustic breaks.
N.D.rec.
P.O.BOX 51
10052 BARDONECCHIA (TO)
ITALY
 
PENIS LEECH  
"inuman pubic revenge" 
This tape contain five songs,with good recording and production,of
brutal death in the vein of CANNIBAL CORPSE(listen the bass breaks)and
INTERNAL BLEEDING.Slam riffs,grind parts and crashing drums are the
principal carapteristic of the 20 minutes of this tape. The brutal
lovers will not be disappointed.
 
AA.VV. "icy illusion from imaginary worlds 4" 
Perfect compilation tape for know the grind noise underground.Except
some songs all the bands has a fairly good registration in general. The
best are:PATARENI(who don't know them?),the great industrialcorers
VARIKSET and the early CARCASS oriented GERMEN.
 
BOHEMIANS  
"astral journey" 
Take a discreet drummers,two stupid singers,forget bass at home,an
incapable guitar and one who plays harp without any sense:here you are
B.,a horrid  death/black band,also the recording isn't good.Now what do
you think to do?I hope you don't write them....
DAVID KALIN,
EIGENSTR.26,8840
TRACHSLAU
SWITZERLAND.
 
NOVGOROD  
"in my eyes the black light of sun" 
Good demo for this italian band,a mix of black parts with doom/death
atmospheres.The black riffs remember CRADLE OF FILTH,BAL SAGOTH and ABSU
but the best parts are the melodical ones,influenced by PINK FLOYD.If
you close one eye for the drums it's a good work.
N.D.Rec. P.O.BOX 51
10052 BARDONECCHIA (TO)
ITALY
 
ENDAYMINION  
"thy art" 
E. play "fusion/doom",here there isn't any death metal parts but only
cool melodies and atmosphere all played with amazing technical.There are
two kind of vocals,femenile and sigh ones;the guitarwork is higher level
for a demo.All CYNIC fans will certainly appreciate this work.
MARZOLA GIULIANO
VIA ALTINIA 123/e
30030 FAVARO V.TO (VE)
ITALY
 
NATRON 
"force" 
10 tracks for 10 minutes of brutal death/grind for this band from
italy.If you like this kind of music i'll not be disappointed, the
registration is discreet.The only negative thing is that tape is too
short. MASSIMO MARZOCCA Il TRAV.MARCONI 37 70054 GIOVINAZZO (BA) ITALY
 
MAELSTROM "sospiria,lacrima:tenebra" 
The production of this tape is good enough and the M. sound is really
personal and cool but sometimes the music is a little boring.Their
principal influence are TIAMAT(the clouds one),there's ever an acustic
guitar,keyboard and femenale vocals.Good work but not in the black
parts.
 
HIDDEN HATE "supporating organic devices" 
Industial/death best demo i've hear.This band is really original because
mix powerful guitars with many samples and the result is one of the most
strong and personal style of the underground scene.This demo contain 7
tracks(two are most experimental:a cool remix and an elettronic
song),the recording is great and if you are open-mind you must have this
tape! ENRICO TRINGALI VIA ALEMAGNA 2 84122 SALERNO ITALY
 
SCAPEGOAT  
"demo'96"  
The base of S. music is HC (MADBALL and SOIA) with some trash/death
elements,a good contrast with their cool middle- tempos.Sometimes they
remember me SACRED REICH and FEAR FACTORY. The production is really good
and if you like this kind of music you'll like S.
 
BODKINS  
"bodkins" 
B. are another industrial band like H.H. but they are principally
influenced by SEPULTURA and this tape has a good production. This tape
contain 10 powerful tracks (one is a KYUSS cover) and they are one of
the best italian band I've heard this year. SERRA WALTER VIA GIOLITTI 22
73022 CORDIGLIANO (LE) ITALY
 
LACRIMA CHRISTI "demo'96" 
Hey, this idiots sell their demo for only 10$ (the price for a MCD) and
it contain only three songs of  banal, ultraboring and expected melodic
doom/black in the vein of the tons of useless naziblack european bands.
Many people said me they are also RIP-OFF...so BAN THEM! ROBERTO
AGNORELLI VIA GIUSTI 10 53034 COLLE VAL D'ELSA (SIENA) ITALY

Film reviews

Peter Jackson :    
(I found this interview in the Web, I don't know from where it comes from).

Jackson - Splatter and Fantasy
Enfant prodige of New Zealand horror films, Peter Jackson started "making
films" at the age of eight, having finally managed to get his hands on his
parents' Super8 cine-camera, to, as he puts it, "try and do something
different from the usual boring birthday movies".
A keen model maker, this kiwi version of Spielberg went on to make a series
of short films using model planes, houses and constructions of his, and
developing his directing and editing techniques. On completing his high
school studies, he worked like mad to save up for a 16 mm cine-camera. He
then spent his weekends - with the help of friends - shooting Bad Taste,
which started off as a ten-minute short film and gradually became a feature
film, an immediate cult film for splatter enthusiasts. His next film was
Meet the Feebles, a satirical and very cynical comedy with grotesque
animated puppets with human vices, weaknesses and defects. Braindead, his
next work, is a comic zombie movie, based on the trials and tribulations of
a kid from the '50s who's torn between his mother and his fiancŽe. After
Heavenly Creatures, Jackson has two scripts on hold, "the first is another
splatter film like Bad Taste, and the other is for a big fantasy film set in
an enchanted kingdom like Lord of the Rings, with dragons and gnomes and
other similar creatures. I really like that genre and would like to attempt
to make something different, compared to the films that have been made so
far, but it's rather expensive and I'll have to wait a while yet".

Appropriately enough, Peter Jackson was born on Halloween 1961 in New
Zeeland. His rise to splatter-fame within the world of movies got off to an
early start as he became the proud owner of a super-8 camera at the age of
eight. It would take some years before his first feature film, Bad Taste,
hit the screens. It became an instant cult-classic, it was screened in
Cannes and has recieved The Gore Award at the 17th Paris Festival of Fantasy
and Sci-Fi. For quite some time Peter Jackson was quite unknown to most
regular moviegoers. His second feature, Meet The Feebles, a raw parody of
The Muppet Show did not last long in the movie theatres. When at last
Braindead barged into our lives did Peter Jackson get some real attention.
In Sweden some of the most violent and explicit scenes were shown on the
news and two camps were soon formed - the ones who hated and the ones who
loved the film. Astonishing enough, all of Peter Jacksons productions can be
rented uncut in Sweden. Obviously the swedish censors managed to grasp the
strong concept of humour that Peter Jackson uses as a spice to the graphic
splatter.

Q: How did you end up in the filmbusiness?
PJ: I grew up watching the Thunderbirds on the TV when I was a kid. It was
fascinating to see how you could create whole new worlds with the help of
puppets and stop-motion technique. I got a super-8 camera when I was about
eight years old. I started building models and making short films on my own.

Q: Except for The Thunderbirds, who are your biggest influences?
PJ: Definitely Monty Python, the 1933 version of King Kong and everything by
Buster Keaton.

Q: When did you start to work on Bad Taste?
PJ: I got a 16-millimeter camera when I was 20 years old, that was the start
of it. The actual filming started for real in 1983. I was working at a
newspaper at the time so we had to work weekends and didn't finish until
1987.

Q: It must have taken quite some time and effort to create all the special
effects?
PJ: Yeah, I worked all day, came home in the evening and sat up half the
night to get all the props ready for the weekend.

Q: A lot of splatterfans anticipated a Bad Taste II after the immideate
success of the first film.
PJ: It'll come. I've thought about it for a long time but there have always
been other projects in the way. I never make up any certain plans for the
future. I take each day as it comes. A lot of people speculated in wether
I've left the business of splatterfilms since I've done Heavenly Creatures,
but I never ever said that I'll stop making splatterfilms.

Q: If you decide to make Bad Taste II, will you return as Derek?
PJ: I suppose I'll have to. Actually the character was created in a rather
late stage of making the film which explains why he is on his own in so many
scenes. Besides, it was nice to have at least one person who turned up for
shooting every weekend. I suppose my mates were pretty tired of the whole
thing after a couple of years...

Q: How do you feel about Bad Taste today?
PJ: I haven't seen it in a couple of years, but I'm happy with it, yeah. It
started out as a film for home-use. When we started out I would never have
thought that The New Zeeland Film Commission would back me up economically,
I never thought it would be shown in Cannes and I definitely didn't think
that it would be sold to 25 countries. So naturally I'm pleased with it.

Q: Your next movie was Meet The Feebles. Is it a parody of The Muppet Show?
PJ: No, actually not. I'd like to view it as a satire of human behaviour.
Imagine a scenario where the Muppets just finished a TV-show. What would
happen if they went backstage and behaved like normal people, smoking,
drinking and having sex? That's what we were aiming at. That film was also
meant to be a small project, but then a japanese comapny wanted to back us
up and the New Zeeland Film Commission gave us the rest of the money we
needed so it became a feature film.

Q: When was the concept of Braindead conceived?
PJ: We began writing the script back in 1986 and it kept developing over the
years. I always wanted to make a zombiefilm, especially after I'd seen Sam
Raimis Evil Dead and Stuart Gordons Re-animator.

Q: A lot of critics say that Braindead is nothing but a sick, violent movie
and definitely not funny.
PJ: When people use the word violent I think of pain and suffering and you
can't apply those terms to Braindead. The dangerous movies are the ones
without blood, like Texas Chainsaw Massacre where the violence is on a
psychological level, and karatefilms that make young people believe that you
solve your problems by kicking someone. I don't think anyone will go after
the neighbour with a lawnmover after watching Braindead.

Q: But is it actually funny watching 50 zombies get mutilated in 25 minutes?
PJ: There are always those who say that you're not supposed to laugh at
people getting killed on the screen. They have to understand that this is a
comedy, a relevant sort of comedy. When the bloodshed gets this exaggerated
it's just like Monty Python, only worse. Splatterfilms are a very specific
genre that a lot of people like. To those who don't I just want to say: Stay
away from the films or shut up! That's the good thing about movies: There's
something for everyone.

Q: You must have had a rough time shooting the final half hour of Braindead?
PJ: Yeah, we had two filmteams working simultaneously for six weeks. One
team in the kitchen and the other in the hallway. I kept running back and
forth to see what they were up to. It was hard work, but I never got any
vacation. We went straight into the cutting room to get the film ready for
Cannes. Then I had to start work on Heavenly Creatures.

Q: Would you ever consider going to Hollywood?
PJ: I can see the point in doing a film in Hollywood, just for the
experience. The advantage of working in New Zeeland is the artistic freedom,
even if it comes from the cost of having low budgets. But freedom is worth
more than the money in Hollywood.

Q: How do you feel about censorship?
PJ: I think it's good. I haven't had any problems with it myself. As far as
I know Braindead was released uncut everywhere. But censorship is good as it
keeps control over pornographic films that contain violence or children,
those things must be stopped. I'm mostly grateful that the censors seem to
understand that my films are comedies. But it's a pity that censorship works
differently in different countries. There ought to be a world-censor.

Q: What are your favourite movies?
PJ: As I said before, The original King Kong, Buster Keaton, James Bond,
Jurassic Park and most of James Camerons work. I've got a rather broad
taste, I just like good movies. But I have no favourite directors. Scorcese
made a couple of great films, while others stink. I think that goes for most
directors.

Q: Finally, what purpose does your films serve?
PJ: To make people laugh. The more the better!



 
Jorg Buttgereit: 
 
NEKROMANTIK
Germany, 1989
After Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers in the 70s, the new american
horror hero was Freddy Krueger, often censored, so that horror films
became a soft familiar entertainment. But in the underground someone was
working.......  with few money but a lots of idea, Jorg Buttgereit
directed a cult film, so weird, brutal and deviant that is difficult to
find it.  Nekromantik is, simply put, a story of a boy, a girl, and a
rotting corpse.  In this film there isn't a lot of violence, the movie
doesn't linger on murder, but is a "love story" with the already dead,
there's nothing soprannatural, only a brutal, vulgar description of an
human passion. The protagonist (played by Buttgereit's comrade-in-arms
and crack special effects technician, Daktari Lorenz)  collects organs
from the victims of car accidents and keeps them in the apartment he and
his lover share. He finally brings home a complete rotting corpse and so
starts the couple’s sex life. Moralist sure doesn't like this scenes
!!!.  (no,  there isn't pornography). When he loses his job, his
girlfriend  leaves him and she takes the corpse with her, evidently
preferring its company to his. The boyfriend’s life is destroyed as he
realizes, in a scene where he strangles and screws a prostitute in a
cemetery -- in that order -- that he can no longer get it up unless the
object of his affections is cold and growing stiff. At the end, the man
has his last orgasm stabbing himself. Buttgereit’s approach to this
material is far more thoughtful than one might expect, and he takes his
films seriously.
 
SCHRAMM 
Germany, 1993 
Schramm was shot in August and September '92 in Berlin.
It's difficult to understand all the story (the editing is quite
strange with a lot of feedbacks). This is a film about sex and violence
with 2 protagonists: a girl which is a whore and his neighbour which has
some sexual problem with living girls. I think he's afraid by the cunt,
he dream it and the cunt seems like a mouth with teeth ready to bite.
In the middle of film there's a very sick scene, he take an hammer, 3
nails and nail his cock to the table, maybe to punish himself.
The soundtrack is not metal, is nichilistic, very appropriate.
I think no one at the end of the film can smile or laugh.
J.Buttgereit is my favourite underground filmaker; there's no other
films that make me feel so "bad" after seeing them. 70s give us
Cunningham, Carpenter, Hooper, Romero, Argento, 80s give us Sam Raimi,
Peter Jackson, Clive Barker,.............and now we have Buttgereit.
 
MONDO CANE 
This is not a film but it's a documentary directed by the italian Gualtiero
Jacopetti in 1964. It's a really trash stuff. In this documentary you
can see some strangeness of the human being related to different culture.
For example in some Asian country people eats animals like dog or snake,
in america dogs (and other animals too like birds, cat etc.) when die
are buried like human in cemetery. The documentary is quite violent
'cause portray real life, violence between animals and man (stupid
traditions that involves dead or suffering of animals, and the nature's
revenge with jaws that attack humans), or auto-violence of some people
for special religious traditions (very sick!!).  You can smile watching
this but it's really interesting.

 
DOOM GENERATION 
Great film directed by G.Arakj. This is a film about sex and violence
too, but not as Schramm, there are a lot of differences.
It's a story about a boys and a girl which meet another boy and so start
their trouble. If you are homophobic fuck you, this film is not for your
closed mind, it's a real sexual freedom manifesto; against all the
sexual conventions, and for this reason it will be a cult movie, for a
few people. Apart from that there is a lot of violence (often due to
girl's ex-boyfriends) and some comic scenes. The soundtrack is very good,
industrial metal (the protagonist wear a MINISTRY t-shirt for all the film).
The final scene is very "strong" with some nazi that believe some
behaviour not-natural and decide to punish the 3 boys..........

On the next issue a special about TROMA, worst cinema house in the
world.

update: 7.43 PM on 27/01/97
if you want E-mail me putro@freenet.hut.fi

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