documentaries

[Plague Haus]

I can't believe I've never heard of "Blood In The Face" ?!?! That's next in the old Netflix queue.

I think it's been mentioned before, but "Zoo" was interesting. Not much meat if you're there for pure perversion, but the interviews with the participants and especially the ranch owner are creepy as hell. I can't believe no one has used this film as a source for some samples.

A doc on the Finnish scene would be devastating, as long as it had English subtitles. Sweden would be great as well. Hell, a country by country series would work for me.

[Andrew McIntosh]

Good movie. Love the cinematography, and it's built up very well. Also very moved by the compassion behind the film. The only issue with sampling, for me, is that there is a lot of music soundtrack behind most of the talking.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

I bought the dvd when it came out couple years ago. I have written about it in noisefanatics.com
I think it has it's advantages and weaknesses. It's is fucking slow document. I like the idea, that for someone who doesn't know what the thing is about, they really take their time to fully say what they're actually talking about. It's not like Jerry Springler show where guy walks on stage and host say's, "so, you get fucked by horses, yeah?" and crowd boos. haha. But it is amusing that they manage to talk about subject so vaguely for so long time. I remember when mr. Hands clip were circulating online long before he died and long before document. I don't know if forum is still there, but some zoo forum with his friends saying they made that clip and trying to upload better longer clip for those who want it.

[LIFE]

"Blood in the Face" came to mind before I opened this. Great one.... my friend also had one about the Tom Metzger trial where he ended up banned from the state he was living in.

"Louie and the Nazis" is good, though depending on my mood Louie gets old quick. The best one he did though has to be with the Westboro Baptist Church ("God Hates Fags").

"American Pimp" is decent... the contrast between the pimps is good. It's a pretty "safe" documentary overall, though, doesn't get too heavily into the abusive side from what I can remember.

"Chickenhawk" is fucking amazing. About NAMBLA members, never seen them so candid. They try to be so romantic and sensual even in just describing the ideal blowjob, or their delusions about boys flirting with them. A couple of them are also weird artists, like a guy who paints pictures of football players wearing a helmet and shoulder pads, but with no pants on and wings on his back.

[Andrew McIntosh]

"Chickenhawk" is fucking amazing. About NAMBLA members, never seen them so candid. They try to be so romantic and sensual even in just describing the ideal blowjob, or their delusions about boys flirting with them. A couple of them are also weird artists, like a guy who paints pictures of football players wearing a helmet and shoulder pads, but with no pants on and wings on his back.

All I can say is 1 - thank fuck for YouTube, and 2 - I know what I'm sampling in future.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

I think I have talked elsewhere, but essential is:

NOT ANGELS BUT ANGELS

This documentary account of teenage prostitution among Czech boys after the "velvet revolution" consists almost entirely of interviews with teen (14-20) prostitutes "working" in Prague.

The boys and their accounts are the best thing about the movie: they are very open about their "trade" and their stories are often heart-breaking. The film's composition, such as it is, is moderately effective, but some of the visuals are forced and smack of the old school of East European propaganda.

Not thorough, as recent revelations in European press show, but still a fascinating peek behind the curtain.

BODY WITHOUT SOUL

Some are ugly, some are attractive; some use drugs, some do not; some are stupid, some are average, some are smart. And all of them are teenage male prostitutes working the streets of Prague. Their clients consist largely of German, Swiss, and Dutch tourists in search of cheap sex--and for additional income they make pornos on the side. And along the way they are ripped off, abused, and degraded until they simply wear out.

Wiktor Grodecki's documentary BODY WITHOUT SOUL is a dark and disturbing look at life on the streets of Prague. The film consists of interviews with a dozen or so teenagers describing how they first began on the streets, how they drifted into prostitution and pornography. Some of the subjects seemed drugged; others are surprisingly articulate. The centerpiece of the film, however, is an extended interview with a pornographic film director who at first attempts to gloss over the unsavory aspects of his work--and who ends by unintentionally revealing just how vicious he actually is. The pornographer is also a pathologist, and the camera follows him into the autopsy room and films him at work. Grodecki then intercuts these scenes with scenes of him directing his latest film, thus making the point that these boys are no more to those who use them than so much meat.

Although it is exceptionally well done, I would hesitate to recommend BODY WITHOUT SOUL to a casual viewer. It is a moving film, a powerful testament re the old, old story of man's inhumanity to man... But many will find the autopsy scenes repulsive beyond their toleration, and I cannot imagine that many will watch the film more than once. Recommended, but as a rental rather than a purchase.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Latter one, better. The pornographer/pathologist is simply amazing guy. He casually cuts open bodies at morgue while giving interview about molesting underage heterosexual street boys for vile homo films for german market which always demands extremes. Simply tells the stories of beating up kids to get them do what they do. I recall there was story that when document was made, director had passed all the information to police to capture this guy.  If it wasn't all the czech language, this would be like top sampling material. Document available with english subtitles.

[Strömkarlen]

"Chickenhawk" is fucking amazing. About NAMBLA members, never seen them so candid. They try to be so romantic and sensual even in just describing the ideal blowjob, or their delusions about boys flirting with them. A couple of them are also weird artists, like a guy who paints pictures of football players wearing a helmet and shoulder pads, but with no pants on and wings on his back.

I just can't believe the crap Todd Phillips is doing today. He only produced Chickenhawk but still the leap from there to Starsky and Hutch just seems... well huge. Bigger pay check I guess.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Anyone remember that beastiality farm document, where nearly 100% blind older guy who also wrote a book (I'd hope to be reminded what was the title, if could find it). He's interests was just to have sex with horses, and he had abandoned his normal family to live in this farm with couple other beast lovers. He had tattooed image of half human, half horse imagynary species on his skin which he dreamed to be able to breed. Not being (totally) insane, he knew that that was impossible, but nevertheless fantasy. He would talk about how the horse loved sex. He said she could simply kick him anytime to death when he is working from behind...

I guess there should be some difference in what is "document" and what is document. There are sooooooooo much of such a crap one can't believe. All these UK "shock documents" of some most retarded subjects flooding into Finnish TV. "my children only eat chocklate and french fries", "I need bigger boobs",............ pfff

Just watched today TSUNAMI document, and not much worth to see. Tourist camera footage, mostly the western nice looking survivors and one neat looking oriental girl picked up. And the only older gruff looking men allowed to talk are the ones with young daughter dead. Oh yeah. Not really word about locals and their struggles. Just about some western holiday travellers problems. If we aim for exploitation and misery, why not focus just on failing struggle and piles of rotting corpses then? If it's about empathy and shit like that, perhaps not deal with guys who lost "couple friends" or who lost one child, but local people who lost everything and probably were last ones to be aided when the lard asses of west needed to get treated.

[alpharmania]

a guy from sundsvall, klas lignell (released the sampler "your daily buzz" on his shortlived tripmeke label), did a rather nice documentary on (swedish) noise called "kakafoni"... not so impressive but some good moments and solid interviews with institut (when they were a two piece act), irm & treriksröset. it also features some short cuts from institut & masonna live actions. it was many years since I saw this so I guess I might have some details wrong...

[Tommy Carlsson]

a guy from sundsvall, klas lignell (released the sampler "your daily buzz" on his shortlived tripmeke label), did a rather nice documentary on (swedish) noise called "kakafoni"... not so impressive but some good moments and solid interviews with institut (when they were a two piece act), irm & treriksröset. it also features some short cuts from institut & masonna live actions. it was many years since I saw this so I guess I might have some details wrong...

I don't have this... any chance of getting a copy on VHS or DVDR? It would be most appreciated.

[Strömkarlen]

I'll make you a copy.

[tiny_tove]

Titicut Follies - by Frederick Wiseman to date the best documentary I have seen about mental instituitions

http://filmfanatic.org/reviews/?p=3303

Domestic Violence -  by Frederick Wiseman, less arty than Titicut, but it has everything you expect from such title.

Cadavres - Spanish documentary with arty elements. A collection of morbid images between disturbed people and old morgues that look quite unfit to today hygienic standards. I loved a part where corpses get extracted from underground cells where they apparently stand in erect position drowned in an unspecified liquid.

Attacco Alla Democrazia - Giuliano Montaldo. One of Italy's finest arthouse director released this very intense documentary regarding the presumed connections between secret services, right wing terroristsm ecc.
Montaldo had many hassles for shooting this and the movie completely disappeared apart from RAI 3 (left wing Italian state tv station) showing it at late night once.
Mass slaughters, bombings, fights between militants. I have been sampling a lot from this.
Unfortunately somebody stole my copy...

The movie has many imprecision and follows one direction, but it was a damn good example of how a documentary may be considered something more than an "informative" piece. I virtually suggest all his other movies.

Let me die a woman - a classic documentary about sex change operations in the 70's. Features graphic images of surgery, but the best part are interviews with patients.

[Strömkarlen]

Attacco Alla Democrazia - Giuliano Montaldo. One of Italy's finest arthouse director released this very intense documentary regarding the presumed connections between secret services, right wing terroristsm ecc.
Montaldo had many hassles for shooting this and the movie completely disappeared apart from RAI 3 (left wing Italian state tv station) showing it at late night once.
Mass slaughters, bombings, fights between militants. I have been sampling a lot from this.
Unfortunately somebody stole my copy...

Any idea where I could get a copy with English subtitles? I'm currently researching Gladio for a project and an Italian take on it would be interesting. I've seen the BBC version http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=16921 . But any info about state infiltration of terror groups either right, left, muslin whatever is of interest (it doesn't have to be "true" since it is a fiction project). Any info about P23 (the supposed Swiss über-branch of the P2) would also be great.

[tiny_tove]

impossible.
This movies doesn't even exist in Italian language.
Once lost my vhs I never found again anybody owning it.

On gladio get ORCHESTRE NOIR  a Franch 2 episode documentary interviewing the protagonists of those days.
Too bad you don't understand Italian or I could help on similar stuff.

[Strömkarlen]

Knowing Italian would be a great advantage for sure...
I will go and hunt Orchestre Noir down. Thanks for the tip!