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Who wants to watch another movie about The Marquis De Sade? ‘What? No, you cry?’, what about a movie about The Marquis De Sade from Jess Franco, director of such magnificent work as 99 Women, Barbed Wire Dolls, The Erotic Rites Of Frankenstein, The Awful Dr Orloff and Venus In Furs? ‘Hell yeah, I hear you say?’, then come with me into this dimly lit cottage and we shall discuss it further.

One of the most interesting things about De Sade, aside from his deviant peculiarities, are his philosophies on life, which he wrote about extensively in amongst all the smut. Both the artistic and philosophical worlds resurrected an allegiance with him several centuries after his death, praising his ethics on personal freedom and some even cited him as an early pioneer of existentialist thinking. The freedom that De Sade triumphed (or at least attempted to) was to run around eighteenth century France sticking his willy into anything that it would come into contact with. When he wasn’t putting himself into other things, he liked to capture and torture local prostitutes and servant girls for extended periods of time. If we were to take our life lessons from someone, well, he’s no Dr Phil, that’s all I’m saying.

This is an adaptation of one of De Sade’s earlier works, Justine (or The Misfortunes of Virtue) and as far as cinematic interpretations go, it remains faithful, if slightly toned down. Jess Franco has always been a master at the artfully erotic and this example is no exception. The scenes of depravity are balanced well with the crafted lighting (preferring the same primary colour washes as Argento frequently uses) and soft focus shots.

The film opens with De Sade (Played by the amazing Klaus Kinski) in prison, suffering wild hallucinations of tortured women. This differs from the novel, as in that in its original form, Justine is telling her story as she awaits the gallows. The story then cuts to a Nunnery, where sisters Justine and Juliette have lived for several years. They receive news of their father’s death and are cast out onto the streets of Paris with a few coins in their pocket. They arrange shelter but their lodgings transpire to be a brothel and Justine is repelled at the thought. Juliette decides that she is able for the life and stays, soon making allegiances and pathing the way to a life of misadventure and vice. It is not long before Justine finds herself robbed and at the mercy of strangers, all of whom try and take advantage of her. People seem drawn in by her virtue and innocence, baying to corrupt her.

She is falsely accused, embroiled in murder plots, kidnapped, imprisoned, tortured and finally, seeking refuge in a monastery, taken captive by a psychotic group of monks (very similar to the quartet of deviants in Salo). The brothers, lead by a terrifying Jack Palance (in a little seen slice of spectacular demonic possession). Along the way, it is the authority figures who offer the bitterest betrayals of trust, thus shadowing Sade’s own views on authoritarianism. For a man who was locked up for over thirteen years of his life will most definitely have something to say on the subject.

All the while, Justine’s virginal demeanor and innocence land her in nothing but trouble, whilst her whoring, conniving, murdering sister Juliette is now scaling the heights of high society. This is as deep as the philosophical elements go really, that sometimes it is pleasure and self satisfaction that are what truly matters in life.

This 1968 movie is quintessential Euro Sleaze, but the softer handling of the subject material adds extra poignancy. There are subplots of female empowerment, perversion of power and the strength that exists within revenge. Remarkably enjoyable and a good gateway for anyone who plans to make a start on the written works of the infamous Marquis, this comes highly recommended.

I have also just finished the book and if you are interested, there is a public domain version available HERE.

Dawn of the Don is over. Months of planning, stressing and hoping accumulated in the most beautiful manifestation possible. London was scorching on Friday 29th May, and with all the excitement of preparation, it was only as we sped through the shimmering streets on route to the show that it struck me; the summer has officially started.

The Gaff is one of the most charming venues in which we could possibly have hoped to stage a gig such as this. Friendly and accommodating staff made for an instantly relaxed atmosphere as we set up our wares in sunny Holloway. A few of the regulars were a little perturbed when large rappers strolled in and started soundchecking, the anxiety was written on their faces. Being predominantly Punk, Rockabilly and Metal oriented, I think they were just a little unsure as to what sort of crowd was about to descend upon their darkened haven. It was just as well then that the audience were diverse, friendly and universally ecstatic at the proceedings.

Blonde Jeremy Deacon (Ex Piranha Deathray Frontman) introduced the night spectacularly. His mix of obscure Japanese tracks and horror soundtracks really brought the essence of the night into fruition. Playing for over an hour, he treated all the early arrivals to a plethora of unheard treasures and will hopefully grace the decks again sometime soon (as this was his DJ’ing debut).

Yours truly was up next, showcasing my favourite surf, soul and B-Movie records (which I somehow managed to sneak through Ryanair’s draconian luggage stipulations, leaving me somewhat short of clothes for the weekend). The response was brilliant and by this time the floorspace was becoming scarce. On the door, makeup artist Sam was offering professional zombie makeup to anyone who hadn’t come prepared. News and stories of zombies being spotted on the tube and about town really helped to build anticipation and everyone was surprised with how many people arrived fully made up. Thanks to all who did so, the effort was greatly appreciated and you all looked wonderful.

Marvin the Martian and Pixel gave a balls-out performance (Marvin’s first live outing in about 6 months) and really got the crowd going (including the regulars). DJ’s Kill Witnesses provided some turntablist trickery which helped once again to illustrate the variety of acts which existed upon the bill. When the time came for Akira The Don to grace the stage, it was hot, sweaty and the crowd were baying for him like rabid wolves (or hungry zombies as the case was).

With the Lynchian red light creating an otherworldly feel, ATD ran onstage in a pink dressing gown emblazoned with his moniker on the back, a name that will become more familiar to the masses over the coming year. Having seen ATD several times now (even once bringing him over to Ireland for a show) my expectations would have been higher than most. I am so pleased to say that they were not only matched, but exceeded beyond any preconceptions that may have existed. Banishing the laptop in favour of a full time beats genius (Joey2tits) Akira is now the frontman that he has always meant to be, allowing himself to bask in the presence of his adoring followers without having to distract himself after each song. His rapport with the crowd is second to none. James Harrison’s guitar adds a depth and power that was previously absent from his performances and backing Singer Morty added a nice accompaniment also. The brass section should most definitely be a permanent feature if the crowd’s reaction was anything to go by. New songs were played alongside old favourites, the audience absorbing and almost subliminally recognising every hook and chorus and belting them out with both ferocity and vigour. The sign of a truly great pop song is when you can sing along by the end of the first listen. This is essentially what Akira has brought to the table, he has recreated intelligent pop music the likes the world has not seen in almost 20 years.

In an age where the ideals and structure of the music industry are collapsing, due to the greed and ineptitude of an antiquated, insular system, it is clear that the future holds great things for Akira. Long has he existed on the precipice of stardom, precariously balancing his talent, voice and ethics. His strong willed nature and complete refusal to compromise his integrity may have famously cost him a record deal with Interscope, however, it is in this humble journalist’s opinion that this was meant to be. What would have sent most artists retreating to their hometowns with their tails between their legs, only served to make him stronger, more committed and improved the output and content of his work dramatically. One can’t help to think that had the Interscope deal worked, ATD would have been pigeonholed and forced to be more malleable than he is, probably being made to do duets with The pussycat Dolls and other such promotional garbage where the dollar takes precedence.

A comment was heard during the performance (from an industry insider) that it was akin to ‘Seeing a stadium show in a pub’ and that is one of the best summaries that I have heard sofar. It was electric. During the video shoot, the zombie crowd participation was phenomenal. Envy appeared for a brief, but powerful duet, which served to illustrate how well Akira plays off equally talented artists. His diction and delivery has increased in strength so much since I last saw him, which allowed his spectacular lyrics to resonate successfully with the baying undead that lurched towards him.

To summarise, this was an event more than a show. An event which suited Akira perfectly in every way. Unique, heartfelt and memorable, which is more than can be said for about 70% of live shows these days, were pretenders to the throne present by the numbers gigs. It leads me to wonder what the future will hold for him and it’s an exciting prospect.

Production legend Stephen Hague (New Order, PIL, Pete Shelly, A-Ha) appeared to play a selection of wonderful party tunes (many of his own creation), while Joey2tits finished the night with a great selection of electro and breakbeat goodness. Dawn of the Don may now be over, but if the comments and banter that I overheard from revellers upon the conclusion of the night was to be taken on board, it won’t be long before we see something similar and I for one, can’t wait.

For more photos see : http://zombiehamster.com/?p=483

http://zombiehamster.com/?p=488

and akirathedon.com

There are good movies, there are bad movies, mediocre and brilliant and crap movies. There are movies that make you want to poop out from your eyes; there are movies that bring tears and joy with only a passing thought of their magnificence. Then there’s Troma. For the uninitiated, Troma is one of the longest running independent movie studios in existence. Over the past 25 years, the brainchild of Lloyd Kauffman has given us the splendorous ‘Toxic Avenger’ (All five of them, with a stage musical now opening on Broadway), ‘I was a Teenage TV Terrorist’, ‘The Class of Nuke-Em High’, ‘Tromeo and Juliet’, ‘Rabid Grannies’ and ‘Redneck Zombies’ all of which I can highly recommend not only as completely unique and hilarious pieces, but they also make the perfect introduction to this twisted and wonderful universe.

One of the more up to date offerings is ‘Julie Strain’s Tales from the Crapper’. Julie Strain is of course the B-Movie actress who was in the Heavy Metal remake and numerous straight to video fantasy epics. Here, Kauffman plays the ‘Crapkeeper’ who introduces the segments adding his own personal brand of terrible acting and satirical approach to the movie industry. Kauffman highlighted many of his views on Hollywood in the remarkable ‘All the Love You Cannes’ documentary which was released several years ago. It shows approximately fifty followers who volunteer to assist with the Troma campaign every year at the lavish French Movie Festival. To watch the commitment of these individuals who are willing to all sleep in a one bedroom apartment, humiliate, strip and dehumanise themselves for the good of a movie studio is a rare thing. It is a testament to the nature of these films. Troma is always offering the fans a chance to get involved and this only serves to build the connection that exists between them.

All of this is definitely an attributing factor to the fact that we allow films like ‘Tales from the Crapper’ to be made. This film is horrible in almost every sense of the word, but it’s also fantastic. These movies are meant to be fun, something that is greatly lacking from most cinema, they are too lame to be funny, to cheap to be scary, proper no budget cinema the way it should be. Admittedly, if you are to partake in too many Troma movies in close succession, you may find that your thought capacity is greatly minimised. It’s not my fault if they find you after the Bank Holiday weekend, bloated and dead on the couch because the movies were so terrible that they actually shut down your nervous and respiratory systems. This isn’t my fault, you have been warned.

Anal probes, strippers, zombies, more anal probes, aliens, hobos and more strippers. ‘Tales from the Crapper’ is one to add to the list. Pay a visit to the Troma website too for a quick peruse of their titles and back catalogue, it makes for good reading in itself. Expect a few more Troma reviews in the near future.

Find out more at http://www.troma.com/

Jamie Smart is without a doubt one of the finest comic artists in the business and one of my personal favourites. I have been reading and enjoying his work for many years now and he just keeps getting better. Unlike so many artists who create iconic characters, Jamie has moved on from the success of ‘Bear‘ (his breakthrough comic, published by Slave Labor Graphics) by giving us such wonderful strips as Whubble and Corporate Skull alongside the fantastic Ubu Bubu and the delightful Space Raoul. Being the accommodating sort of fellow that he is, Jamie was very kind to give an interview with zombiehamster.com, here’s what he had to say.

Zombiehamster: So, how the hell are you sir?

Jamie: I’m good ta! How are you? Not answering back would be very rude.

ZH: I’m doing really, really well thank you!

Are you a fan of horror movies? If so, what kind? If not, what do you tend to watch?

Jamie: Yeah I love horror films, mainly because they always seem to have the most interesting stories to tell. The massively grisly trend of recent years for torture porn turns me off, I’ll confess i hate stuff like that, but anything else spooky, sinister or head-slicingly nasty is always pretty enjoyable.

ZH: Fat Chunk 2 is coming out soon; please tell us a little about it.

Jamie: Fat Chunk is a collective of artists who are all given a theme and asked to produce a page or two of comic on that theme, we then slap it altogether into a tidy little book. The first volume, Robots, came out last year, with over 80 artists in. Some are well known comic artists, some are newbie webcomic creators, some are vinyl toy designers, there’s a massive mix of styles and approaches, from all over the world.
Volume 2’s theme is ‘zombies’, and we’ve managed to top even the high quality of the first book. It should be out in June I believe, through SLG Publishing.
More info and the artists involved can be found at www.fatchunkcomic.com

ZH: Do you think that such examples of collaborative work are essential to maintaining a degree of camaraderie amongst artists in what is a tumultuous time for the comic industry?

Jamie: Not essential, but it certainly helps when you’re an artist, to get to know others. It can help you find new work, or their work can inspire you, or you can just be supportive of each other. I know some of the artists from Fat Chunk have got to know each other through the books, and that’s cool, I myself have been lucky enough to get to know some wicked people through sourcing everyone together.

ZH: On a similar note, do you think that artists who maintain a consistent and widespread internet presence are at an advantage to those who don’t, or can it just become a massive distraction?

Jamie: It’s certainly important I think. You need a hub where your work is that you can point people to, but also you need to constantly be coming up with new stuff and showing and announcing it online to build up an audience. If you do it right, you can become hugely well-known, although it should be said the secret of how to do that is pretty elusive.

ZH: The idea of posting a piece per day on your website Fumblog.com has been both successful and highly entertaining. What has the general reaction been and is it ever tough to come up with something to post each day?

Jamie: Yeah it’s been really nice, people seem to be digging it. The point of it was that before I ever became a published artist, or before I ever started showing work online, I had produced a really substantial body of work before all that. And I was proud of it all, the comics and strips and paintings, so it seemed silly to me that I should just be sitting on it when I could be showing it around. Obviously I also use Fumblog to show new work, and random sketches that emerge during the day, but by and large it’s slowly releasing a catalogue of my earlier work that I enjoy most.

ZH: You are very fortunate in the variety of platforms in which your work is published, from ‘The Dandy’ which is aimed at a very young audience, to UBU BUBU, which has Nazi zombies in it. Is it a good feeling to be as childish as you want on one hand, and also have vehicles for swearing, violence and bodily fluids?

Jamie: Oh absolutely, and I’m ever amazed that I’m allowed to work in both arenas. I would think by now someone would have complained, or some child would have googled my name and found the sickening filth I draw for older audiences. It’s a buzz to be doing both but in all honesty, I feel like I can juggle it. To me, the humour is the same in whatever I do, it’s just sometimes I will tone down the language.

ZH: Are you a cat person, or does Looshkin represent the inherent evil that dwells behind all of their eyes, their plotting, scheming, judging eyes? (I seem to remember a story about you trying to nuzzle a cat’s belly, that’s the riskiest bit to nuzzle y’know!).

Jamie: Yeah I think I am a cat person, despite having my child face clawed off. There’s something inherently attractive about that mad mix of cute and lethal that they do so well, all carried round in this cocky persona. I don’t think I ever chose to draw cats as much as I do, but they just seem so much fun.

ZH: Would you ever crossover your characters into a one off special or do you like to keep their universes separate?

Jamie: Nah I think it’d be funny to pile them in together, I have crossed a few over briefly before but never on any proper stage. I think one day everything I’ve done will all draw in together and it’ll turn out they all existed in the same world. Not sure how that’s gonna work though.

ZH: Do you think that kids will always buy comics?

Jamie: Yeah I think so, obviously it lessens over the years as new distractions came in, but comics are one of the few mediums where an artist can truly express themselves and tell whatever extraordinary stories they want. That then produces the most interesting work, and I think people of any age will always respond to that. There’s a wealth of imagination in comics and I don’t think that’ll stop.

ZH: When you were studying art, did you find that they were supportive of your comic aspirations? (I ask because any comic work in the art school I attended was branded as ‘evil’, ‘puerile’ and ‘silly, boy stuff’ by militant feminist lecturers who wanted everyone to spend all of their time emulating Georgia O Keefe.)

Jamie: I remember at school being dismissed by art teachers for drawing silly cartoons, despite the fact I was starting to get paid work for it. When I went to art college they were a lot more supportive, they tried to show me other techniques and disciplines which was interesting, but I think my tutors liked comics too and were quite happy in the end to let me run off in my own direction.

ZH: You work in a variety of mediums; digital, paint, your pen and ink pieces being particularly striking. What’s your preferred way of working, or does it depend on your mood?

Jamie: I haven’t painted for a while, I love it while I’m doing it but actually building up the momentum to start is hard work for some reason. I like to ink, its when I can switch off mentally and just enjoy what I’m doing. Pencil work is nice but it can take so long and be so labour intensive, and I’m working with a very limited concentration span here…

ZH: If Christopher Walken or Jeremy Irons could be your foster uncle for a week, which would you prefer to have read you bedtime stories at night and why?

Jamie: Walken, easy. Irons freaks the shit out of me, I think he’d be lovely, but there’s just something creepy in his smile. Walken can tell me tales of whatever the hell he wants, and then give me a cuddle. Yes. I would like that please.

ZH: Finally, tell us what we can expect to see coming out from you in the near future, and where can we acquire ourselves a shiny copy?

Jamie: Fat Chunk 2 is out in June, the Ubu Bubu book comes out in July. After that I don’t have any more comics or books planned particularly. Things I’d like to work on, but it’ll take me a while before I actually do. My Desperate Dans still appear in the Dandy, and my new strip Count Von Poo will be appearing regularly in Toxic comic in a month or two.
I think more and more I’m into pushing my work onto web though. There’ll be more comic books released as downloads through Fumblog, and maybe more webcomics on the way.
At the moment I’m working on big plans for an old idea I did called Find Chaffy. It’s secret at the mo, but I’m hoping to start that up again in a month or two in a really big way. It’s exciting. I think if I only ever had one thing to work on, I’d get so bored.

Jamie Smart lives in a specifically redesigned factory on the south coast of England. He spends his days being taller than you might think and having very good hair. You can see more of Jamie’s work at Fumblog.com, or you can harass him on Twitter or Myspace.