REVIEWS BY CHRIS PARCELLIN
The Filth & The Fury (Fine Line) Directed by Julien Temple

Starring: Johnny Rotten, Steve Jones, Paul Cook, Glen Matlock and Sid Vicious

In a world of neatly-packaged popstars and pre-fab "punk" bands, it's hard to remember a time when music seemed truly dangerous.
But when the Sex Pistols scandalized Britain, in 1976, with televised obscenities and anti-government rants like God Save The Queen and Anarchy In The UK it was, clearly, not the work of some ultra-slick p.r. firm.
Julien Temple's documentary attempts to chronicle the band's short, incendiary story and succeeds only part of the time.
The most compelling element of the film, as you might expect, is the live footage of the band. Johnny Rotten, in particular, is a stunning presence--wild-eyed and energetic, he commands the stage at all times.
But Temple's choice of syncing canned studio recordings to the live performances rings hollow. And in the recent interview segments with bandmembers, they're seen only in silhouette. It soon becomes a tiresome gimmick.
Some of the most morbidly interesting archival footage is of the infamous, goofy, doomed couple Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen. Spungen comes across as a '70s version of Courtney Love---minus the platic surgery and press savvy. Vicious, for his part, comes across as a none-too-bright casualty of fame.
She and Vicious are mindlessly hellbent on destruction, and, paradoxically, their near catatonic, heroin-addled moments onscreen together are among the most powerful in the film. When Vicous is interviewed after Spungen's death he is a broken man.
The subject of Vicious's own demise gives a small window into the actual feelings of Johnny Rotten as he momentarily breaks down over the loss of his friend.
Original bassist Glen Matlock, guitarist Steve Jones and drummer Paul Cook all take a more pedestrian role in the proceedings. However, there's a funny moment of revelation when Jones admits that he stole his whole act from the late Johnny Thunders--and the two are shown together onscreen--with Jones, obviously, aping Thunders movements and facial expressions.
For close to twenty-five years these guys have been living off the Pistols legacy. While this film is a blatant attempt to keep cashing-in, it's nice to get a look at the days when they--almost by accident--turned the music world on its ear.
© 2000 Chris Parcellin, All Rights Reserved.


BELLYFRUIT 4 1/2 stars 2000, Un-rated, 87min, Independent Womens Film Trust
Starring: Tamara Laseon Bass, Tonatzin Mondragon, Kelly Vint, Michael Pena
Directed by Kerri Lee Green
Teen pregnancy is a problem that’s on the rise throughout the U.S., and nowhere is this more evident than in the inner-city. Director Kerri Lee Green tackles this difficult subject matter with a keen eye (and ear) for the realities of growing up. “Bellyfruit” is Green’s directorial debut, and it’s a brilliant one. Gritty and realistic, the film never drifts into TV movie-style sentimentality. The backdrop for the three stories of “babies having babies” is Los Angeles. South Central, East L.A. and Hollywood are the respective locales of the teenage girls who are coming to terms with motherhood at an age when they should be picking out prom dresses. The three stars Tamara Laseon Bass, Tonatzin Mondragon and Kelly Vint each do an outstanding job of portraying the naiveté, sexual precociousness, loneliness and the numbing loss of innocence that is the reality of many contemporary teens. “Bellyfruit” is not a film about cliched happy endings and quick solutions to a serious problem. Rather, it is an illuminating look at the hardships of being a teen and how pregnancy can exacerbate those problems.

THE EDEN MYTH 1 star by Chris Parcellin 2000, Un-rated, 85min, A Jerry Kolber Production
Starring: Rebecca Boyd, Julia Dion, Justin Kirk, Zohra Lampert, Michael Moran, Mark Pinter, Gil Rogers, Jenna Stern, Todd Weeks
Written/Directed by Mark Edlitz
Kooky dad, Vincent Speck (Gil Rogers), brings his family together to witness the arranged marriage of his geeky, wise-cracking son, Aldo (Justin Kirk). Aldo’s new-found object of affection is frail, pale Colleen Morgan (Julia Dion). Though Aldo’s never met her before, it takes his father all of five minutes to convince the young goofball to get hitched. This peculiar circumstance is the catalyst for even more creepiness (and astoundingly bad taste) in “The Eden Myth”, a suspense film that’s heavy on atmosphere and light on plausibility. Justin Kirk’s constant uncomfortable smirking seems to indicate that he realizes how jerky he looks in this movie. Meanwhile, spooky Dad scowls menacingly and and is partial to fits of deranged shrieking anytime anyone even hints at undermining his authority. It’s like watching a car wreck everytime the old boy gets his Depends in a twist. Truly a landmark performance in the now widely-recognized category of “Ham Acting 101”. But wait a minute...You want dysfunctional? You’ve got it, babe! A couple of Aldo’s siblings decide, out-of-the-blue, that they want to play smoochy-face with each other. Luckily, they cool down and think better of their actions. But not for long! Pretty soon they’re back in the sack doin’ the incest thang. And when Aldo finds out that that’s just the tip of the in-bred iceberg, boy is he steamed! Director Mark Edlitz doesn’t know if he’s directing a flat-out mystery or a twisted spoof. Either way, nothing in the film works and the mystery the title refers to isn’t worth solving. A lacking of believability is okay if a movie entertains you. But “The Eden Mystery” is the worst kind of bad movie: one that’s no damn fun.

THE BIG SPLIT 3 stars by Chris Parcellin
2000, Un-rated, 87min, A Tornell/Kramer Production Starring: Judy Greer, Martin Hynes, Carryl McCane, Rachel True
Written/Directed by Martin Hynes
Here’s another low-budget stab at the modern romantic comedy that Woody Allen perfected with “Annie Hall”. The dialog and attempts at comedy are forced and fall flat. So, it’s a romantic comedy with no romance and no comedy. Documentary filmmaker Tracy (Judy Greer) meets driving instructor Frank (Martin Hynes) and the punchline-challenged duo fall in love and get married. Eventually, however, they split up and the question is: Can these two wonderful kids patch things up and make a go of it again? But before we find out we have to relive their whole relationship flashback-style. In order for us to care about Greer and Hynes as a couple, they need to generate some on-screen chemistry and get us to care about them--as individuals and together. That never happens. Both of the principles sleepwalk their way through the film spouting their lines mechanically. Hynes the director and Hynes the actor both have a palpable Woody Allen fixation. But Hynes the writer cannot generate laughs like the Woodman. In fact, he can’t generate laughs like Shecky Green. “The Big Split” is blandly watchable and totally unremarkable.

“Faster Pussycat...Kill! Kill!”
4 stars Starring: Tura Satana, Haji, Lori Williams, Susan Bernard, Stuart Lancaster, Dennis Busch, Ray Barlow, Mickey Foxx, Paul Trinka Written by Jack Moran
Directed by Russ Meyer
1966, Un-rated, 83min, Eve Productions
Russ Meyer is the self-proclaimed King of “Bosomania”. In another words, the guy has a monumental fixation on titanic breasts. In movies like “Mudhoney”, “Vixen”, “Lorna” and a handful of others, the maverick filmmaker has again and again managed to round-up starlets with over-developed chests and underdeveloped acting chops, to dramatize his other obsessions: power, greed and sex. Originally received as just another drive-in movie throwaway, “Faster Pussycat...” has taken on a life of its own and is now viewed as a bonafide cult classic (John Waters calls it “The Greatest Movie of All-Time”). The basic story is this: three busty go-go dancers, Varla (Tura Satana), Rosie (Haji) and Boom Boom (Lori Williams), decide to take their sportscars out for a ride in the California desert to unwind and drive like maniacs. On the way there, the girls stop-off for a senseless cat fight involving Haji and Williams. This preliminary bout is a draw, but seeing the two wet girls grapple with each other makes us all winners. A little later our three top-heavy heroines happen upon a young couple named Tommy (Ray Barlow) and Linda (Playmate Susan Bernard, who also--strangely enough--sports a pretty spectacular rack). Barlow is a sporty, young imbecile and Satana wastes no time in belittling him and challenging the buck-toothed varmint to a race in their swingin’ cars. After humiliating Barlow on the racetrack, Satana beats him to death in a bravura display of karate skill and general bad-assed treachery. Bernard, stupid with shock, is then taken hostage by the heartless, bra-busting trio. A dull-witted gas station attendant (Mickey Foxx) that Satana refers to as “squirrel” tips them off about a rich nut (Stuart Lancaster) who lives out in the desert and “doesn’t believe in banks”. The gals decide to see if they can find the old man’s “loot” and get rid of Bernard while they’re at it. Lancaster (in a fantastically over-the-top performance as a wheelchair-bound lunatic) lives with his two sons, Kirk (Paul Trinka) and “The Vegetable” (Dennis Busch) who, as his nickname implies is not “right” in-the-head. The girls catch Lancaster’s lecherous eye and then it’s all a matter of who will survive the deadly cat-and-mouse game that follows. Beautifully shot in black-and-white, with great cinematography, on a shoe-string budget this is still Meyer’s finest movie. There’s campy dialog to spare and watching Satana knock the hell out of people in her revealing, skintight black outfit is timeless fun.

“Cocksucker Blues” Credits: Starring: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, Marshall Chess, Tina Turner Directed by Robert Frank COCKSUCKER BLUES 3 stars by Chris Parcellin 1972, Un-rated, 85min, Rolling Stones Productions After having the debacle of Altamont caught on film in the fascinating documentary “Gimme Shelter” (1970), shrinking-violet Mick Jagger commissioned a film of the Rolling Stones 1972 U.S. Tour. Photographer Robert Frank got the nod as director, and took a much artier approach to filming the Stones onstage and off. Footage of drug consumption, (staged) orgies and a decidedly non-commercial title prevented “Cocksucker Blues” from getting an official release. But it’s long been widely-available on video as a bootleg. Perhaps Franks’s relative inexperience as a director is the culprit here. The film never gains any momentum and we never see past the band’s public pose. One striking detail that emerges in the film is the deepening of Keith Richards’ drug problem in the interim (1969-1972) between concert documentaries. We see Richards nod-off backstage at a show and the beginnings of the massive wear-and-tear on his haggard face today. The film would’ve benefited from more live footage of the band instead of the endless scenes of the Stones killing time between gigs. By 1972, their decline as a live band had begun, but having said that, they still were capable of scattered moments of brilliance. “Cocksucker Blues” is worth seeing because of the Stones, but not due to any great filmmaking.

“Another State of Mind” Credits: Starring: Mike Ness, Dennis Danell, Shawn Stern, Ian Mackaye, Monk, Brent Lyle Written by Adam Small and Peter Stuart Directed by Adam Small and Peter Stuart ANOTHER STATE OF MIND 3&1/2 stars by Chris Parcellin 1983, Un-rated, 79min, Stuart/Small Productions “We’re trying to prove to people that punks aren’t just a bunch of mindless morons,” says Shawn Stern at the beginning of the punk documentary “Another State of Mind”. Stern is the leader of an L.A. straight-edge hardcore band called Youth Brigade (Stern, along with his brothers Adam and Mark), as well as his community service group the Better Youth Organization. Stern has organized a U.S./Canadian tour for Youth Brigade and Social Distortion (featuring a very young Mike Ness and the late Dennis Danell). We see Youth Brigade in their rehearsal space playing the hardcore anthem “Fight To Unite”. The tour is launched on a wing-and-a-prayer with an old school bus packing 90,000 miles of roadwork. Shawn Stern makes a weak assertion that aging roadie Monk is “pretty good” at fixing cars, if they run into any problems. And boy do they run into problems. The Mike Ness of ‘82 is a lot different from the hard ass punk image he presents today in his solo work, as well as under the umbrella of Social Distortion. He wears eyeliner and complains about people thinking he’s gay. Right from the first gig in Seattle things looks grim. After the show they are paid forty dollars---in rolls of pennies. And, essentially, that’s about as good as it gets for our heroes. The shot-on-video punkumentary has technical glitches where people are talking and the soundtrack music is drowning them out. But, overall, co-directors Adam Small and Peter Stuart do a credible job of guerrilla video-shooting at punk gigs, on the street and in the homes of the bandmembers and their young fans. The aforementioned punk audience members are clearly stating (in interview segments) that they’re into punk largely for the rebellion factor. It really bums out Mom and Dad. As the tour progresses things grow ever more grim. “Seems likes things are just starting to fall apart,” sulks Shawn Stern after the Montreal gig. The bandmembers are whining about money. Then, to add insult to injury, the punks are kicked out of a cafe--just for being scumbags! In Detroit, when the bus breaks down again, two of the roadies hop a Greyhound back to Los Angeles. Then in Washington D.C. the bus croaks for a final time. “When the times get hard,” says Monk, the sage. “People get movin’...” And, indeed, more people bail from the tour and the hapless remainders crash at Discord House--the home of Ian Mackaye of Minor Threat (later of Fugazi) and the tour comes to a close shortly thereafter. For all of its production shortcomings, “Another State of Mind” is a fine slice of early-’80s punk life.

“Texas Chainsaw Massacre” Credits: Starring: Marilyn Burns, Gunnar Hansen, Allen Danziger, Paul A. Partain, William Vail, Teri McMinn Written by Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper Directed by Tobe Hooper TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 4 stars by Chris Parcellin 1974, Rated R, 83min, A Vortex/Henkel/Hooper Production In a rural Texas community a "family" of deranged white trash animals is slaughtering people. Innocent, doe-eyed Sally (Marilyn Burns) and her hippie friends soon fall into their clutches. They are a bunch of whiney, self-absorbed, post-flower child punks. So, when they begin dropping dead you won't shed a tear. The real fun group here is the pack of homicidal looneys who capture our young heroes. As you can imagine, "standing-out in the crowd" is a tall order in the most dysfunctional household since the Manson Family. But the utterly charming Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen) is a real showman with power tools. (The stocky lad also gets points for his cute, squeaky Mickey Mouse-sounding voice.) In a flashy gang of brutal sadists he has "star" written all over him. Leatherface wastes no time in killing the twentysomethings, including wheelchair-bound Franklin (Paul A. Partain) who is the first to get a taste of the chainsaw treatment. Our man Leatherface has a neat trick of hiding behind a steel door in the rear of his house while the young pinkos wander in--thinking the place is abandoned. Then he springs out at the stunned peaceniks and drags them back into his fabulous meatlocker/kitchen. Bon Apetit! The only one to escape is Sally, who is probably a total loss as a human being judging by her maniacal laughing as she speeds off in the back of a pickup truck. But even her over-the-top "I've gone kooky!" act is overshadowed by Leatherface's exquisite whirling-dervish-with a-chainsaw turn in the middle of the highway as the film ends. Charisma? You bet. "Based-on a true story" this is a black-humored, unflinching look at the Ugly American at his psychotic worst. Tobe Hooper is at his best as a writer and director here. Lord knows he's gone on to direct some real dogs, but this film possesses more true scares than the entire "Horror" section of your local videostore, or an entire week of "Oprah" re-runs.

“The Vampire Lovers” Credits: Starring: Ingrid Pitt, George Cole, Kate O'Mara, Madeline Smith and Peter Cushing Written by Tudor Cates Directed by Roy Ward Baker THE VAMPIRE LOVERS 3 1/2 stars by Chris Parcellin 1970, Un-rated, 90min, An American International-Hammer Films Production Emma (Madeline Smith) is a virginal 16th Century ingenue in a small european village. Her big moments of excitement are at the lavish balls that the rich folk hold every now and again--hoping that some handsome young fool will sweep her off her feet. But her idyllic existence is shaken to the core when her friend, Laura (Pippa Steele), dies mysteriously. The mystery, however, is only that bodacious houseguest Marcilla (Ingrid Pitt) is a vampire who has been draining Laura's blood, as well as getting some makeout action. With Laura gone, Marcilla materializes at Emma's home, as "Carmilla", looking for some "fresh blood", and more booty. She manages to lie her way into the same houseguest status she'd enjoyed at Laura's. It's not long before Carmilla is playing smoochy-face with Emma, as well. While she literally sucks the life out of the girl, she finds plenty of excuses to get Emma and herself topless. She also develops a hankering for Emma's pretty governess (Kate O'Mara) who remains indecisive about having a fling with Carmilla for all of about fifteen seconds. Old Hammer war horse Peter Cushing has a small role as Laura's father, "The General", who is desperately trying to get to the bottom of what has happened to the young girls. Pitt is striking and sensuous as the lesbian vampiress, but Madeline Smith's Emma is as wooden and robotic as they come in the few scenes where she actually has to do some acting. Roy Ward Baker exhibits a deft hand at pacing the film and establishing a moody, sexy atmosphere as Carmilla slowly exerts her will over the other occupants of Emma's house. Stylish and slick, this is arguably the finest movie ever produced by the Hammer team (in conjunction with Americal International).

“This is Spinal Tap” Credits: Starring: Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner, June Chadwick, Tony Hendra, Paul Shaffer, Angelica Houston, Vicki Blue, Brinke Stevens Written by Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer Directed by Rob Reiner THIS IS SPINAL TAP 4 1/2 stars by Chris Parcellin 1983, Rated PG, 82min, Embassy Pictures The scary thing about "This Is Spinal Tap" is how close it is to the actual way most rock bands behave. If you didn't know it was a comedy you might believe it was "The Foghat Story" or "The Final Days of Mott the Hoople". This mock "rockumentary" established Rob Reiner as one the most talented directors in the business and its stars still appear on television in Spinal Tap drag (and even tour) on occasion. Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) and David St. Hubbins are the dim-witted, self-absorbed leaders of "Britain's loudest band". Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer), the band's bass player, is possibly even dimmer than the other two, and proclaims their writing skills "like Shelley or Byron". However, with a repertoire that includes songs like "Gimme Some Money, "Big Bottom" and "Sex Farm", their ascension into the pantheon of such noted company seems highly questionable. Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner) is the ass-kissing filmmaker (proudly listing among his highest accomplishments directing a Chuck Wagon dogfood commercial) who documents Spinal Tap's hilarious breakup and reconciliation. Manager Ian Faith (Tony Hendra) battles the boys' record company tooth-and-nail to release their album "Smell the Glove" with their original mindlessly misogynistic album cover art intact. His failure to do this, and his later attempt to gloss it over with the band are the beginning of his undoing. As is the arrival on the scene of St. Hubbins's wild-eyed girlfriend Jeanine (played brilliantly by June Chadwick) who engineers a hostile takeover of the managerial reins. With Jeanine at the helm, the lovely lads are playing at Air Force base dances and getting billed second to puppet shows. This pushes frustrated dullard Tufnel over the edge and he quits. But in true shallow music biz style, the boys patch up their differences for a lucrative Japanese tour. "...Spinal Tap" is still the best example of a film that deconstructs the mythology that surrounds rock'n'roll musicians who would be flipping burgers if fame didn't fall into their laps.