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Today, 07 November 2009

› Malema’s life in danger

› Leicester sting Bok Bs

› Eskom chair faces the axe

› Nedbank, ANCYL make up

› Hofmeyr addresses Joost

Yesterday, 06 November 2009

› ANCYL, BMF back Maroga

› Vanilla Ice, ice baby?

› Eskom boss 'slaughtered'

› I have fallen hard - Joost

› Eskom boss 'pushed'

"Bela Lugosi's dead
The bats have left the bell tower
The victims have been bled
Red velvet lines the black box
Bela Lugosi's dead
Undead undead undead..."
- Peter Murphy

Before I begin I must make a little correction (or a big one, depending on your views on size and whether it matters) to last week’s column that some of you picked up.

Elizabeth Pena stars alongside (and for most of the time on top of) Tim Robbins in ‘Jacob’s Ladder’. For some reason (it could have been Freudian or caffeine- related) I called her Elizabeth Penis. As you can imagine this caused a little confusion (or again, a lot, depending on your views). I would like to take this opportunity to apologise for this terrible (but admittedly funny) oversight and put the whole thing behind me, or should that be in front of me? At the very least to drop the insinuations altogether.

Andrew's obsession with cult films began at midnight at the age of ten, and involved a bowl of popcorn, an old television set and John Carpenter's Halloween. Little has changed since then, besides age, the popcorn and the fact that he can now climb dark stairwells after a horror movie by himself. Andrew is a published writer of horror fiction, a screenwriter and a freelance journalist. His time is spent largely in pursuit of a truly original horror film. Failing that he has threatened to make his own.

The big question (there I go again — damn Freud to hell!) regards video shops and the availability of those cult and classic films. A number of you have emailed me in connection with this issue and I’m afraid the answer is a resounding "what the hell?" I have done some digging though and come up with… a mound of mud. So much for distributors. So I need your help. If you’re outside Joburg and you have a local video shop with a cult selection, or if you are a video shop with a cult selection, email me and I’ll get those details out there. We’re talking free plugs to those in the trade (well not counting the usual parcels. You can leave those behind the water pipes at the Joburg railway station as normal).

Seriously, though, there are loads of people out there without decent access to great films. We’re talking massive human rights abuses here, inequalities the likes of which have not been seen since the formation of PAVAD (Prats Against Video Art and Democracy). Why should films like ‘Mr Bones’ and ‘Waterworld’ dominate our shelves, when ‘Memento’, ‘Rocky Horror’ and ‘Plan 9’ get relegated to the sale bin at the local flea market? Stop the cruelty, stop the injustice, say NO to crap, and email me now and let’s sort this out once and for all.

Anyway now that’s out there, let’s quickly get back to business before the distributors kneecap me.

I’ve been thinking of vampires recently (don’t even ask, I just jump on to the relevant train of thought as it leaves the station) and for a cult film column there is a disturbing absence of the bloodsuckers in here.

And so to four of my favourite topics — Bauhaus, David Bowie, Catherine Deneuve and vampires. Of course I’m talking about ‘The Hunger’.

The film opens with a performance by Bauhaus of their moody ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead’. It isn’t just the expected Goth-Rock/Vampire connection; director Tony Scott really does intend to establish that in this film he is dead, as well as the traditional trappings of the Universal and Hammer Horror Dracula. What’s left is a film that looks like a hybrid production between Anne Rice, Christian Dior and Roman Polanski.

The opening musical sequence is also a nice homage to the Shakespearean tradition of having a mysterious and wise clown establishing the characters and their situation, like Feste in ‘Twelfth Night’.

The plot of ‘The Hunger’ is watery and irresolute in its central theme, but the basic idea is that John (Bowie) and Miriam Blaylock (Catherine Deneuve) are vampires, trying to get by.

THE CULTDOMETER THE HUNGER (1983) Dir: Tony Scott Starring: Catherine Deneueve, Susan Sarandon and David Bowie Why should I bother? Aside from ‘Near Dark’ this is one of the all time truly original vampire films. Did I mention it has Bauhaus in it? What others think of the film… "This 1983 horror film plays like an anthology of the most annoying manners of the British mannerist directors: Tony Scott combines his brother Ridley's penchant for smoky, unreadable images with Nicolas Roeg's pointlessly elliptical editing, and slugs in a little of Ken Russell's sexual hysteria for good measure. The plotline can only be reconstructed in retrospect, though it seems that Catherine Deneuve is in possession of a vampirish secret of eternal life, and is preparing to transfer her affections from lover David Bowie to research physician Susan Sarandon. The obsessive conjunction of lesbian sex and flowing blood suggests a deep-seated misogyny, but neither this nor any other theme is registered with enough clarity to offend." www.rottentomatoes.com Cultdometer Rating: 100% fresh dripping cult

Miriam is the source vampire and it’s suggested that she hails from ancient Egypt; a member of an ancient race with blood superior to humans and as a result immune to ageing. By mixing her blood with humans, Miriam is able to prolong their life, but it’s not exactly immortality. John is her latest companion.

However, as his expiry date looms John begins to age rapidly. He gets to sulk around the house, and look pensive and angst-ridden. Let’s face it, you’d be pissed off as well.

After his death, Miriam’s attention turns to Sara (Susan Sarandon), a doctor working on reversing the ageing process. In what was probably a highly controversial scene for its time, Sara takes John’s place after a prolonged and suitably under-lit love scene with Miriam.

But as they say, what goes around comes around, and Sara breaks the cycle. In true HBO ‘Tales from the Crypt’ fashion the dead return to exact their revenge, before crumbling like so much charred paper.

‘The Hunger’ is not traditional vampire fare: the murders are conducted with little blades as opposed to retractable fangs (something quite pertinent, given a global trend for this kind of thing) and says more about love than death.

‘The Hunger’ serves a number of roles, namely reminding you of just how terrible you probably looked in the eighties, that Bowie can muster up a credible performance and that Bauhaus are still highly original and compelling.

The film has been described by some as ‘mannerist’ which is Greek for saying the imagery in the film is more important than the feelings of the characters. You know those pictures where you’re not sure if it’s an arse or an elbow you’re looking at? That is Mannerism.

‘The Hunger’ was almost universally panned by critics, yet I think the reaction was unfair. After all, these are the same people who constantly complain that the vampire genre is a completely tapped vein. ‘The Hunger’ is stylish fare, which, though not to everyone’s taste, is still as vital now as it was on its release. This said though, the fashions will make you cringe.

In terms of its place in the Cult de Sac library, ‘The Hunger’ sits alongside films like ‘Less than Zero’ and ‘American Psycho’ as another document about the 80’s tendency for excess and nihilism.

In short ‘The Hunger’ is an original, engrossing effort that could easily have been penned by the likes of Poppy Z. Brite — whose approach to horror is seductive, dark and completely original.

Did I mention it has Bauhaus in it?

Over to you…

‘The Hunger’ is available from THE VIDEO SHOP - 13 North Park Centre, 7th Avenue, Parktown North - Tel: 011 788 8613. Email: tebaldi@mweb.co.za. With a vast range of titles, especially rare and classic films and knowledgeable staff, THE VIDEO SHOP has just what you’re looking for. THE VIDEO SHOP is Cult de Sac’s video outlet of choice.

Cult de Sac Parting Shot

"If you can't stand Bauhaus, then I suggest you sit down."
- Peter Murphy

Last Week’s Meaningless Trivia Question:

Jacob’s experience in Vietnam changes his life, as it were. Which part of the country was his platoon stationed in when it occurred?

Answer: They were in the Mekong Delta

This Week’s Meaningless Trivia Question:

In addition to ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead’ ‘The Hunger’ also features a Bowie cover, which Bauhaus’s Peter Murphy would later have a crack at performing. What is the name of the song?

Cult de Sac Avenues of Interest The Hunger reviews and general: http://www.angelfire.com/biz3/notorious1/hunger.html

Feel free to disagree with all of the above and contact me with ideas, suggestions and abuse. I’m open to all three, although I do prefer qualified abuse.