Dandy Dust -1998

Attempting to find or follow any kind of coherent narrative in Dandy Dust is futile. There's a loose interpretation of a story-like thing involving a cyborg, lesbian clones, memory loss, sex spiders, drill dicks and space travel. Despite mostly having no clue what was going on, I would be remiss not to at least mention these plot points in passing. Instead of  pretending to know what I'm talking about I'll move on to the real star of the film: The highly saturated experimental special effects. At the end of the day that's where 98% of my attention was drawn. Me and probably any human-like person subjecting themself to this fluorescent celluloid orgy. From a certain character having a lighter flame for a head or the vagina-torso'd (I think I just created a word there) spider was aptly named "Spidercuntboy" - these were all passing fragments I can but feebly piece together in this neoplasmic assault of the senses.

Using all kinds of extremely effective low budget techniques, Dandy Dust took 5 1/2 years for director A. Hans Scheirl, to finish. Being completed just two years before the 21st century, Dandy Dust just may be the quintessential cyber punk opus. It covers so much ground while still being utterly ridiculous and visually stunning in a cut and paste black light and cardboard kind of way. You can really see the care that went into making this hyper-sexualized gender bending sci-fi expression of pure pandemonium. Every detail of every black light heavy set piece, neon paper mache costume, electric potato starch slime, every barrage edit and stop animation clip, 16 mm projection, every dazzling shadow every video toaster manipulated effect was placed haphazardly and doused in magical unicorn jizzim to seal it with a cosmic kiss from Kenneth Anger and Rinse Dream to make a rich tapestry of vulgarity and psychedelia.

This review is running a little shorter (and ramble-y) than most. Not because I didn't love the film but because it's in many ways greater than words. It fits into a very exclusive type of films I fucking love that I very rarely get to see. My default case-in-point has always been, Rinse (Stephen Sayadian) Dream's Dr Caligari. Which looks like a Tennessee Williams play compared to this distorted kaleidoscopic hullabaloo. Other notable films that remind me of/ have similar characteristics would be Liquid Sky, Pink Narcissus, Carmelo Bene's Salome, Superstarlet A.D., Geek Maggot Bingo and this amazing Max Headroom-ish  movie from 1989 called "Split" that no one ever talks about for some reason. There are also moments reminiscent of the Kuchar Brothers and more recently Craig Baldwin. Not to name drop too much but I couldn't help while watching the film but find myself in waves of prismatic nostalgia.

After the movie ended I had to take a few days off of all activities requiring use of my brain. After slipping into a pornoplastic diabetic booger coma, I awoke with a new sense of being and a revelation that this is the kind of movie I should be watching all day every day, or at least spend a good portion of my life seeking out films such as this that can make my frontal lobe quiver with candy colored wonderment.

Belladonna of Sadness (1973)

Can't talk about the movie without revealing some spoiler, so brace yo'self...

I stumbled upon this movie by accident while doing some online research. With no prior knowledge or interest in anything related to it. After seeing some still I was fascinated by it's beauty. The style was much different that I'd seen in any Japanese animated film. The term "anime" wouldn't come around for a few years and Belladonna of Sadness seemed to have no stylistic confinements to what we would now call "anime" in any case. I decided to track it down. It's a tragic story about a lovely young woman who on her wedding night is raped by the town overlord in some kind of savage ritual. Her husband treats her very coldly after the incident. Late at night she wallows in her sadness when she begins being visited by a tiny penis shaped devil spirit. He claims to be apart of her and begins planting the seed of witchery in her mind. While also pleasuring her with his obvious bawdiness. Rumors start to spread about Jeanne being possessed by the devil, as her social status plummets her descent into psycho sexual activities with the devil heighten. He tries to force her to be his satanic bride, still claiming to love her putz husband she declines but agrees to continue prostituting herself in myriad of demonic adultery. Kind of a shitty deal for everyone if you ask me. After being completely cast out by both the village and her husband Jeanne finally concedes to the devil's offer in exchange for the ultimate power of destruction.

The film deals with some seriously heady subjects. Based on the book "La Sorcière" by the French historian Jules Michelet in 1862. Known for being a liberal feminist, he used the topic of witchcraft and sexuality as a rebellious commentary against the brute reality of the French Revolution, the barbaric customs of Western Civilization and the persecution of women by the Catholic Church. 

When Jeanne's wish has been granted she witnesses much suffering by the people who've mistreated her, then she's condemned to be a witch and is burned alive. In an unexpected plot twist during her burning she transfigures into a saint like figure. We're given the impression that she is supposed to be a representation of Joan of Arc. As Jeanne is burned on a cross the image of St. Joan overlays as to tie the characters together in some way. I wasn't quite sure how to take this at first. It was an odd thing to throw out there at the end of a movie. I read one point of view that comments on the misogyny of comparing a hellbitch of satan to an iconic symbol of free will such as Joan of Arc. I think that's a little extreme. Circumstantially, Jeanne went through a lot. Raped by society, discarded by her husband and inevitably giving in to her final option. While some see chauvinistic undertones, others see her submission into darkness actually an acceptance of personal freedom and power. In the 14th century was there anything more wicked than a sexually awakened woman, spurned by her husband, feeling confidant and free? I find it a little more likely that given the devil's claims of being apart of her, that these elements are a sardonic allegory for her mental and emotional suffering. A way to cope in a guilt driven fantasy. There really is no devil at all. She awakens her libido by herself with no need for her husband or any other creep. 

The animation style of this film is direct influence of Gustav Klimt and Aubrey Beardsley. An absolutely gorgeous, illuminating tapestry of of classical and experimental imagery. The eroticism is executed in very different ways then I'd ever seen in animated film. Sometimes violent, horrifying and dark; sometimes sensual, enticing and flowery. At first glimpse I was afraid it would be a storybook style animation; still-framed illustrations set to a comprehensive dialogue. Although certain scenes stagnate in such a way it's often interrupted by a burst of lsd fraught psychedelia. Expressive, operatic, mod, gothic, art nouveau inspired. There are moments I would say it even has shades of Peter Max and Alphonse Mucha. The fluidity of the water color and pastels creates a pastiche that seems to dance to the jazzy Japanese rock fusion score.

There's also some hilariously juvenile moments of the film...

The film was put out by Mushi, the same animation company as Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion. I have no idea how this sleazy hallucinogenic adult film sprung from such a wholesome company. With it's unrelenting brutality and perversions it makes our adult cartoons of the day, such as Fritz the Cat and Jungle Burger look relatively tame. Never in print in the U.S., if you can manage to track down a subtitled copy I would highly recommend it. For admirers and perverts alike, Belladonna of Sadness deserves a lot more attention.  Even if you find yourself a little lost in the socio-political subplot, you'll certainly find yourself captivated by the bewitching atmosphere that this wildly intoxicating film creates.

Multiple Maniacs (1970)

The decision to review a John Waters movie was a little daunting. I’m reminded of something I saw in the special features for the Hitchcock film Topaz. There’s a segment hosted by Leonard Maltin where he goes on to to say that “it’s almost an insult to try and critique a Hitchcock film, even one that’s not considered his best, because there’s no such thing as a bad Hitchcock movie, and who are we to question it?”. That’s sort of paraphrased but I understood what he was saying completely.  How can I, a mere fan, begin to dissect the work of a master? And that’s what John Waters is. Truly a master of his trade.  He can hardly be compared to anyone else before his time, occasionally Ed Wood or Russ Meyer but in the end he really did make something new and in turn became the one you would later compare trash filmographers to. That being said, I decided to start with one of his earliest films that’s still in existence. Multiple Maniacs.

A traveling group of criminals disguise themselves as “the Cavalcade of Perversions”,  a sideshow where on-lookers can see “the Puker Eater”,  a woman licking a bicycle seat and “real queers kissing”. Lead by Lady Divine, the freak show is actually a front for these outlaws to rob and often kill the audience. You can be sure to see John Waters’ cast of usual suspects in Multiple Maniacs. We have David Lochary as the announcer and boyfriend of Divine, his mistress Bonnie played by the lovely Mary Vivian Pierce, Cookie Mueller as Divine’s daughter Cookie. Edith Massey as a barmaid and Mink Stole in two roles, one being the unforgettable “Mink”, who frequents Catholic churches looking for a good time. And of course there’s Divine who needs no introduction.

The movie is really about Divine’s decent into madness. After being tipped off by Edie, the barmaid, that Divine’s boyfriend David is philandering with another woman, she makes the decision to hunt him down and kill him. Meanwhile, David and Bonnie have decided to do the same to Divine so they can be free.

"234...2345"

Amidst this love triangle many unrelated perversions occur. Divine in all of her sexiness, gets rapes by a drug addict and a bearded cross dresser. In a moment of desolation she’s lead to a church by the image of the Infant of Prague so she can pray. Knowing full well that she herself has committed unthinkable crimes she excuses it by inserting “I always did it with a clear conscience” in her prayer. In this church she meets an unusual woman. Now, I've seen a lot of John Waters movies, and I thought I’d been shocked before but seeing Mink Stole perform a “rosary job” on Divine just may take the cake on that one. Just seeing Mink and Divine making out made me blush. Mink goes on to tell the story of the Crucifixion as she, um…pleasures Divine using a rosary as anal beads. Truly one of the most lurid sites I've ever to behold! You’ll need a shower after that scene.

After her wild trip into lesbian blasphemy she and Mink team up to kill David and Bonnie. They head over the Edie’s bar but David and Bonnie have already left for Divine’s with the intention to do the same. From that point things get really out of hand. Once they've all met up there’s shootings, stabbings, disembowelments, cannibalism,  until there’s one (wo)man left standing. Divine of course! Alone and deranged she slips into pure psychosis. Experiencing fits of laughter and ferocity, foaming at the mouth, praising her own image in the mirror, she’s real gone! The high light of her madness, and perhaps the whole movie is when a giant lobster emerges from the floor of her living room and rapes her on the couch!

As always the cast is just phenomenal. I adore the Dreamlanders.  David Lochary has always been a personal favorite of mine. He’s swarthy and obviously highly intelligent. He has a wonderful speaking voice and it’s always a treat seeing him in the early works of John Waters.  It’s really tragic that he died from a PCP overdose in 1977. Something tells me he would have branched out as a cult actor as Mink Stole did, becoming more than just a household name. There’s also Mary Vivian Pearce, Waters’ best friend since childhood. She and Mink are the only two Dreamlanders to appear in every single Waters film! What I love about her is what a contrast she is to all of the unattractiveness you’re used to seeing in a Waters film. She’s soft and fair like a 1920’s actress, even when she plays a harlot or a creep, she plays it like a little girl pretending to do grown-up things. 

And then of course there’s Divine. John Water’s muse, who he often referred to as “His Liz Taylor”.There’s something admirable about Divine’s confidence. I would dare to say that no one could ever do what she has done on screen with such class! She  carries herself with an air of dignity, whether she’s  raping herself or eating dog shit. She has great style and an take no bullshit attitude we could all learn from. She’s always been one of my heroes and I’m not afraid to shout it from the fucking rooftops.

Multiple Maniacs must be the most salacious film in Waters entire body of work. Granted, haven’t seen Mondo Trasho or the Diane Linkletter Story and will probably never see Roman Candles, Eat Your Make Up and Hag in a Black Leather Jacket in their entirety. It’s a great companion piece to Pink Flamingos, bearing many similarities. The black and white is a little fuzzy and rough around the edges but it’s still a remarkable achievement. It’s a necessary piece of the puzzle for any diligent fan of the Pope of Trash and a staple for lovers of cult cinema. It’s never been commercially released but there are many copies floating around the web if you know where to look. I give it my utmost recommendation!