Your Favorite Mortician at the Movies: Dancing for the Dead!!!!

I’m the first to admit that the funeral customs in the United States are dated and banal events. There are the pomp and circumstance, old testament type funerals that haven’t wavered since......whenever. There are also celebrations of life that usually run for two hours of poor planning, garrulous storytelling about the deceased, and music selections that no matter how many times I’ve heard the same songs I still enthusiastically nod and say, ‘wow, that’s a really great song choice.’ Believe me, the Nick Cave version of “Death is Not the End” is played at a lot of funerals. 

Not to say I haven’t had my fair share of off funerals. I had a guy knife a chicken through the neck and pour the blood onto the ground around the grave plot. I’ve watched a group of people pile stacks of money into the crematory. And I’ve watched a pack of hippies outfit a dead dog in a coat and crown made of marijuana buds. But even after seeing all of that I still say to myself, “Dammit this funeral needs strippers!” and that is exactly what the documentary, Dancing for the Dead, is about!

Funeral carts have been a part of Taiwan’s history since the late 1800’s. Originally they were just flower carts being dragged behind a coffin, going from temple to temple to pay respects to the mishmash of Gods contrived from the presence of Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Christianity in Taiwanese culture. 

Over time with the carts became more elaborate and sometime during the 1980’s, of COURSE, strippers started getting integrated into the show. According to a few folks interviewed for the documentary, a very important aspect of the Taiwanese culture is paying respect to the dearly departed. Mourners do this by integrating things into the funeral the corpse liked during life like specific food being eaten at the funeral, placing flasks of booze in the casket, and hiring strippers to dance and sing! What a magical culture! I imagine my body would be lit on fire in a strip club’s parking lot if my wife ever thought I enjoyed strippers.

In Taiwan the consensus is all celebrations must be what they call Mala- which translates to Hot and Noisy. The more hot and noisy the celebration the more successful it is and the happier the Gods are. This becomes a competition of sorts and is taken very serious in neighborhoods. Speaking of Gods, did I tell you how much the Taiwanese love satiating their Gods? They love’em! Especially the lower Gods because lower Gods love to eat, smoke, get drunk, roll dice, and sleep with prostitutes - religion here I come. So how do you appeal to a lower God with the habits of Charles Bukowski so your 91 year old father’s funeral is off the hook? You guessed it. 

Strange funeral rituals and customs are usually based on something horrifying. For example the disposition of dissolving people in an alkaline fluid filled pressure cooker until their body is soft enough to go down a drain into the water system and their bones are left to be pulverized into tiny chunks and put into an urn.....wait that’s the United States and it’s called Alkaline Hydrolysis. Watching Dancing for the Dead and learning about Electric Funeral Carts is like a breath of fresh air for this Mortician because for once a funeral is literally a hot, loud, sexually charged party as opposed to black clouds and frowny faces.......or skinning corpses, killing the wife of the deceased so he won’t be lonely in heaven, and smashing the body apart with rocks on top of a mountain so birds can bring their spirit to heaven.

The Wasteland

“Tilling my own grave to keep me level.”

~Maynard James Keenan

The Wasteland

By Freddy Funbuns

Kiyotaka Tsurisaki’s pursuit on the heels of death has taken him around the world.  In his documentary Orozco the Embalmer, Tsurisaki captured the sardonic Froilan Orozco in the bowls of a Columbian ghetto where he had been working as a mortician for more than 40 years.  In his death film collection titled Junk Films, Tsurisaki presents a vivid canvas of cultures around the world addressing their own mortality.  The Wasteland, recently released stateside by Massacre Video, has a similar approach to Junk Films by editing together footage shot all over the world, but setting the film the music of Japanese metal band Corrupted.  The outcome of The Wasteland is a powerful vision of humanity that is grim and violent but also beautiful and vulnerable.  

The Wasteland started off slow comparatively to Tsurisaki’s previous two films.  The film starts with shaky, low-fi video footage around a small indigenous town showing kids playing and fog rolling across the surrounding hills.  Once the music starts making itself known and the locations start changing The Wasteland takes on a life of its own.  The film ebbs and flows to the music of Corrupted, from slow dirge soundscapes to grinding riffs that churn your bowels as harshly as botulism tainted rat meat burritos from Chipotle.  The Wasteland’s theme appears to be how far from innocence we can get; beginning with children playing in a small underdeveloped village then transitioning to large scale military drills, self mutilations during the Vegetarian Festival in Thailand, and various depictions of death and dying from all over the world.  Footage from the aftermath of the tsunami in Thailand seems to be the equalizer in the film, showing no matter how strong we appear to be the planet can teach us a lesson about how weak and powerless we are from time to time.    

I loved The Wasteland and feel it’s a stronger film than Tsurisaki’s Junk Films.  It does start slow, and there is absolutely no narrative or dialogue, Tsurisaki lets the film segments and music speak for themselves and if you have this playing in the background while drilling lines of Adderall to stay up all night and write your music history thesis on the importance of the 7 String Nu Metal revolution of the mid to late 90’s, you might miss the entire message of The Wasteland.

Dead Hands Dig Deep

By Freddy Funbuns
www.facebook.com/yallaredead

"I felt that I had been happy and that I was happy again.

For everything to be consummated, for me to feel less alone, 

I had only to wish that there be a large crowd of spectators

the day of my execution and they greet me with cries of hate."

~Albert Camus, The Stranger

The story of Edwin Borsheim is an ambivalent adventure that will make you question your own judgements and ideals.  Edwin is the lead singer and song writer for the horror rock band Kettle Cadaver, he’s also a homemade weapon enthusiast, semi-pro wrestler, shack builder, land owner, ‘not fucking Dracula,’ and an all around genial person - but he also daydreams about killing everyone all day.  The documentary DEAD HANDS DIG DEEP accomplishes something I haven’t felt as viewer in a while; it depicts a reality that seems so far from being possible and has the feeling of apparent danger during its entire runtime, but in the same regard I could see myself jamming and shooting the shit with Edwin too.  Nothing feels staged or setup in DEAD HANDS DIG DEEP.  The people being interviewed speak with integrity, fear, and reverence to the turgid mythos of Edwin Borsheim.  Charisma is a dangerous personality trait, even more dangerous than Mr. Charisma being totally fine with nailing his dick to boards, staple gunning and smashing bottles over his head, raping coyote corpses with giant weapon dildos, and sticking shark hooks through his body.       

When we meet Edwin in DEAD HANDS DIG DEEP, he is 38, his band has been dissolved for years, and he is divorced from his wife, fellow shock rocker Eva O. He seems pleasant enough, well spoken and has a deeper conviction for his beliefs than almost anyone I have ever seen - except for maybe Marshall Applewhite.  Edwin speaks his rhetoric throughout the whole movie and a lot of it is surprisingly very sound minded.  For example, what begins as him talking about sleeping in a coffin, yawn, turns into a very optimistic outlook on life, appreciating the fact that he treats everyday like he has been given another chance to live, and lives everyday to the fullest.  But remember that charisma thing I was talking about?  Edwin also discusses his own suicide and killing anyone and everyone regularly, relating almost everything to a life and death scenario even though he never quite commits to the idea.  I’m guessing this is something he has always done around people in his life being that he has a strong narcissist personality and this kind of rambling always gets people searching for meaning in their own lives interested.   Edwin's fatalism isn't necessarily contradicted by anyone in DEAD HANDS DIG DEEP, it's more or less sidestepped by everyone saying what a kind person he is and how he never abused anyone violently but himself, unless they asked for it. 

From a filmmaking perspective I think DEAD HANDS DIG DEEP does an amazing job making the story flow.  It is even more impressive to know director Jai Love was 19 when he began this project and completed it within a year.  You would think a 19-year-old handling this subject matter might have focused on Kettle Cadaver’s infamous performances, brutality, drug use, and rock debauchery but instead it focuses on the aftermath of everything that made Edwin so notorious.  There wasn’t a point where I asked myself, ‘wait who is this?’ during the documentary.  Each person was well documented and each interview succinctly does its job to create a whole picture to who Edwin is and where he came from.   Although the synopsis of DEAD HANDS DIG DEEP says Edwin lives virtually in solitude sinking deeper and deeper into his own abysmal depression, he takes time to jam with his step-brother, local kids, and an old timer who lives near him putting every ounce of effort and authenticity into the jam sessions as if he was playing for 80,000 people.  Danny, his step-brother quotes Edwin saying, 'doesn't matter about sucking, it matters about the feeling you get through the music.'  The filmmakers also follow Edwin out of his compound into the Temecula Valley where he touts about old stories and local haunts he used to frequent.  As intriguing as Edwin’s compound is seeing the environment he used to lurk around in was just as entertaining.  

But even with his jovial personality and great storytelling, Edwin’s story is depressing.  Every person interviewed in the movie is damaged and not from Edwin, but just by being human and going through all the terrible shit we all end up going through at one point or another.  Suicides, overdoses, alcoholism, drug addiction, police encounters, depression, self mutilation, and violence are apart of all of these people’s lives and there is no secret to how a person like Edwin Borsheim and the music of Kettle Cadaver could be created; he’s a product of his environment.  He’s been betrayed by everything he’s held sacred and the fucking animal he unleashed in response to it is legendary and has as much integrity as you can get.  Edwin’s own mythology will continue to grow amongst those who pay attention to the fringe of society and over time I believe his name will be ubiquitous in the same types of conversations as Varg Vikernes, Darby Crash, GG Allin, and Iggy Pop.  

The only criticism I have of DEAD HANDS DIG DEEP isn’t really a criticism, it’s more of a testament to how well the movie was made.  I just wanted more! I wanted to see more about his failed marriage; but being told so little you can deduct that it wasn’t an acrimonious split and Edwin is totally fucked by it.  I wanted to see more of his isolated downward spiral; but in the same regard the documentary showed enough and as a viewer I guess I became comfortable with how totally insane Edwin is and if the filmmakers kept pressing the point it probably would have come across as contrived.  Yes, I wanted more, but that’s what makes the film so great, the filmmakers told a story that engaged you, forced you to empathize with a violent psychopath, and left you wanting more.  

As of now Jai Love and Spencer Heath are touring with this film and if comes to a town near you fucking go see it! 

Snuff: A Documentary About Killing on Camera

by jimmy sQuarejaw

www.facebook.com/yallaredead

“Show me the manner in which a nation cares for its dead and I will measure with mathematical exactness the tender mercies of its people, their respect for the laws of the land and their loyalty to high ideals.”

-Sir William Gladstone

I wonder if Sir William Gladstone could have ever anticipated movies like the Traces of Death home videos when he penned that gem of a quote that now is proudly splayed above almost every medical examiners department across the country.  With the advent of the Internet and its unlimited access to all things wonderful AND terrible people more than ever can access videos of vociferous brutality that now makes things like Faces of Death almost laughable.  So keep this quote in mind the next time Fox News shows a clip of the violence in the Middle East or you watch a group of teenagers kicking in someone’s head yelling ‘‘World Star Hip Hop’’ because they “talked shit.”

Filmmaker Paul von Stoezel’s documentary Snuff: A Documentary About Killing on Camera is a great example of how to handle the subject of violence on film tactfully and efficiently.  He’s not presenting a film with the message, ‘whoa dude, look at this guy rape a chick than kill her it is awesome!’ Stoezel’s film is a historical account of death caught on film with insight from film critics, FBI, and homicide detectives.  This film also serves as a warning that Snuff films do exist and it’s important to know there are some very dangerous people out there…..and by dangerous I mean bat shit crazy psychopaths that according to our website’s search analytics have visited our website quite a bit.

A Snuff Film can be described as a pornographic film of an actual murder.  Further definitions go into the actual sale and distribution of the film is what differentiates a Snuff Film from a clip of someone dying.  Don’t let the title of this documentary sway you though thinking this is just a about Snuff Films.  It’s a historical account of the influx of death caught of film beginning around the Vietnam War.  As far as I can tell the first death caught on film that the American people were subjected to was the Kennedy assassination.  The Zapruder film served as an augury to the violent images television screens became saturated with during the Vietnam War and every subsequent televised skirmish since.  The clips used by Stoezel to convey the horrors of war are intense and some come with due warning that once you see or hear these clips you take an irrevocable turn in your life some wish they had a chance to avoid.  But again, I don’t feel Stoezel uses these clips for an easy shock value element because these were at one point beamed across news outlets across the globe. 

Serial Killers have their role in this subject matter as well and Paul von Stoezel uses great interviews with retired FBI and homicide detectives to paint the very grim reality of killers filming their victims.  I’ve heard rumors that the Manson family recorded the Tate and LaBianca murders but that is still a myth however two of the serial killers discussed in Snuff: A Documentary About Killing on Camera, Leonard Lake and Charles Ng, did film their abhorrent crimes and they are profoundly disturbing.  Henry Lee Lucas’ half fictionalized movie biography, Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer, is also discussed for being benchmarks in its depicted depravity and unique filmmaking style.    

Snuff: A Documentary About Killing on Camera does convey a warning.  Between films like 8MM and the hilarious story about Charlie Sheen watching Flowers of Flesh and Blood infiltrating pop culture, the idea of Snuff films and the people that perpetuate these movies might not be taken seriously.  There are a few people in this documentary that even say ‘no way does this shit exist.’  However, there are two very dark first hand accounts told by Mark Rosen of Bryanston Pictures about the real aspect of the Snuff business and underground culture involved.  I will not divulge details of these stories, I’ll let you live that out on your own, but I will say as he talks you get the impression Mark Rosen has been through a lot in his life and has a brain gravid with depraved scenes and lurid scenarios.  His stories are haunting and very convincing.

This is a great documentary that has been out of print for quite some time.  It’s re-release will be April 21, 2015 and will come with extras that include a short film by Paul von Stoezel titled Dinner Date as well as a 30 minute long interview between Stoezel and Horror/Paranormal Radio Talk Show host Darkness Dave Schrader covering the controversy, aftermath and fallout of the documentary and answering a lot of questions.

For pre-orders check out

http://www.amazon.com/Snuff-Documentary-Killing-Camera-special/dp/B00RZXWWAQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426616431&sr=8-1&keywords=snuff+documentary