REVIEW: ALBERT FISH (John Borowski, 2006)

Albert Fish is not only one of the most notorious serial killers and sex offenders to have ever lived, he could almost be seen as an urban legend. The scrawny, elder gentlemen, who looked like the nice old man next door who couldn’t be able to harm a fly and seems like the perfect person to entrust with your child, caused havoc in various American cities for many decades. Because he wasn’t caught for a long time, he was able to live out his perverse sexual and homicidal urges without restrictions. Not only was he a pedophile, he also engaged in various acts of murder, sadism, masochism and even cannibalism. His deeds were so despicable that it is hard to find the right words to describe them. 

REVIEW: ANTI-SOCIAL REALISM ARTBOOK (Aspa, Markkula, Siikala)

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REVIEW: MIDORI - SHÔJO TSUBAKI (1992, Hiroshi Harada

 

After her mother’s untimely death, the orphan girl Midori seeks refuge with a gang of deformed circus freaks. Her everyday life in the circus turns out to be a living hell: the abandoned girl has to do the dirty work for the sideshow attractions, who humiliate, strike and sexually abuse her. As a midget magician enters the group and falls in love with young Midori, the circumstances rapidly change for the better. However, new trouble is already brewing and Midori’s peaceful life is at peril.

“Midori – Shôjo Tsubaki” is adapted from “Mr Arashi’s Amazing Freak Show”, a manga comic by prolific illustrator Suehiro Maruo. Maruo, who has also created similar manga, such as “Ultra-Gash Inferno” and “The Laughing Vampire”, is seen as one of the most famous artists in the field of “Ero Guro”. This Japanese art style is known for its drastic depiction of decadent conduct, eroticism (oftentimes bordering on the pornographic), violence and (sexual) sadism. There is no doubt that Maruo’s art incorporates all of these aspects: his manga is gory, some would say downright perverted and highly surreal and expressionistic in its approach. Especially the latter defines his work and distinguishes it from the majority of dull hentai manga. When it comes to these qualities, “Mr. Arashi’s Amazing Freak Show” is certainly no exception, many fans even see it as the highlight of Maruo’s flawless bibliography. And yes, all of Maruo’s trademark ingredients are there and harmonize with each other perfectly, therefore it comes to no surprise that Hiroshi Harada chose to make a film out of it. Haranda underwent this painstaking procedure virtually on his own and all of the funds came out of his own pocket. One thing can be said for sure: the final result is very unorthodox and even encountered some troubles with censorship in its homeland Japan, which is usually known for allowing all kinds of atrocious films. But is his adaption worthy of the manga?

REVIEW: NECROPHILE PASSION (Tom Heidenberg, 2013)

Plot: A troubled young man, who is devastated by the breakup he has had with his girlfriend, finds a female corpse in a nearby forest, which he instantly takes home with him and molests sexually. This is, however, only the beginning of his suffering, for he dives deeper and deeper into a seer of self-destruction, psychotic soliloquies laden with guilt and hatred and visions of unspeakable atrocities. Depressed and on the verge of losing his mind, he form a plan to rid him of his heartache and get even with his girlfriend once and for all.

"Necrophile Passion" by director Tom Heidenberg is surely one of the most eagerly awaited productions in the German speaking world of amateur splatter. This highly ambitious project, revolving around the Austrian splatter label "Black Lava Entertainment", can not only look back on a troubled process of production, but also on a history of polarization. Directly after the release of the first teaser trailer, many fans of underground nastiness rejoiced and expressed their sympathy for this film, whereas others were so offended that they weren't afraid to openly display their contempt and their willingness to distance themselves from it at all costs. However, it must have always been clear to director Tom Heidenberg and producer Thomas Binder that their film will never be easily accepted by a broad audience, since it deals with one of the last taboos in contemporary extreme cinema: necrophilia. Of course, this taboo has oftentimes been broken, but in this case it is not a matter of being the first to violate, but a matter of quality. But all in good time.