INTERVIEW: GUY PEARCE (The Rope Maiden)

Guy Pearce aka SculptingFragments is not only a prolific youtuber, whom fans of Asian sickness should already know, he has also just recently finished his first shortfilm "The Rope Maiden", reviewed on Thanatic Manifestations some time ago. His first work was received very well in underground circles, besides his artistic qualities, Guy is also a person with whom one can chat very nicely. Therefore, it was my honour to ask him some questions about his film, his tastes and him personally.

The full-length interview is available here:

REVIEW: THE ROPE MAIDEN (Guy Pearce, 2013)

"The Rope Maiden" starts off with the beginning from "Guinea Pig - Flowers of Flesh and Blood": a young woman is walking down the street minding her own business, when suddenly a masked man attacks and kidnaps her. The kidnapper drops his camera and Guy picks it up. Guy turns out to be a demented psychopath and starts to shoot tutorials on how to kill women in a cellar. There is no doubt that his rope maiden will not survive the shoot….

”The Rope Maiden” is a short-film made by Guy Pearce, who could be known to fans of extreme underground gore films and Japanese fetish porn under his pseudonym “SculptingFragments”. In an extensive process (which was documented on Facebook), the charming young Brit created a short which combines two of his favorite genres: fake snuff and black comedy. The result is really something

After the obligatory kidnapping sequence (which is very similar to the one in the second Guinea Pig film), the course commences. Guy introduces us to the do’s and don’t’s of making snuff films. Which victims are the best? What kind of rope should one choose? Which weight should the victim have? Guy answers all these questions, before getting rough with his helpless victim.

“The Rope Maiden” has turned out to be a merry and well-made fake snuff movie, which contributes some fresh ideas to the genre without forgetting its role models. Guy is great in the role of murderer and narrator. The whole tutorial thing was executed very well and, to my surprise, the humourous tone created by Guy works perfectly. Especially the Japanese commercials in the vein of “Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl” are a complete success!

Despite the humour, “The Rope Maiden” is, basically, a pretty violent film, featuring some quite nasty scenes. The butchering of the attractive,young Japanese girl (yes, Guy actually found a real, live Japanese girl) is the main part of the story and very entertaining. Many  things remind the viewer of the Japanese fake snuff classic “Niku Daruma”, which most certainly is not a coincidence. Skin gets cut open, entrails are ripped out and so on and so forth. The final gag, which will not be spoiled here, of course, is also pretty astonishing and a worthy end. The effects are also quite nifty and can be compared to some of the Japanese genre classics, the film is influenced by. Same goes for the catchy Death Metal track played in the background.

Conclusion: “The Rope Maiden” is a well-made fake snuff short, which is incredibly funny but still pretty sick. The effects are well-crafted, the actors do a good job and fans of hard fake snuff films (preferably the ones from Japan) should be just as delighted as appreciators of black humour. All you underground freaks should really keep your eyes open for this one!

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INTERVIEW: TOM HEIDENBERG (Necrophile Passion)

 

"Necrophile Passion" is currently one of the most awaited fims in the field of extreme art. The stylish, ambitious production revolving around desecration of corpses, mental illness and despair is a complete success and one of the most interesting independent productions of the last years. Director Tom Heidenberg is an enigma: he refuses to publish photos of himself or share any personal information with the public. Despite the mysterious aura that surrounds him, I was able to arrange an interview with him. For five hours, Heidenberg answered my questions and proved to me that he is a multi-layered, ambitious artist, who really has a lot to say.

Read the unabridged interview here:

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.