B&W, 1998, 23 mins. / Directed by Nico B and Rozz Williams / Starring Rozz Williams, James Hollan / Cult Epics (MSRP $29.99)
Underground cinema has always thrived on producing shocking, unshakable imagery which could never appear in front of a Hollywood camera. In the tradition of Richard Kern, Nick Zedd, Jorg Buttgereit, et al, the 16mm black and white film Pig is largely an exercise in shock value packaged as an art film, and quite
Co-directed by and starring indie artist and rock performer Rozz Williams (who headlined Christian Death and died the year this film was shot), this skull-rattling 23 minute helltrain uses a barely linear narrative to explore the nature of evil and the limits of man's moral transgressions. Even more strangely, it doesn't feature a single actor's visible face or a word of dialogue (in English, anyway). A faceless maniac (Williams), whose pig mask in the vein of Motel Hell justifies the literal meaning of the film's title (seen carved on a victim's chest), abducts a young man (James Hollan) in the desert who is then subjected to a variety of ordeals. And that's about it, really, as far as the story goes; much of the running time consists of abstract collages illustrating madness, a diabolical text, sign language, an out of body experience, and so on, all accompanied by a jarring, musique concrete soundtrack. Hardly enjoyable in the traditional sense, this is a good way to drive some humility into those who claim they've seen it all.
This first installment in Cult Epic's promising Underground Cinema series comes in a limited 1,500 piece edition DVD packed with a surprising amount of extras for such a marginalized title. Dutch director Nico B, who co-directed the film and also served as producer, writer, editor, and cinematographer, provides a commentary for both the film and a string of outtakes; despite his thick accent, he has some useful insights into the making of the film and his collaborative relationship with Williams. Other extras include an audio interview with Williams by John E. Ellenberger, behind the scenes image and photo gallery accompanied by previously unreleased R.W. music, a Super-8 test reel in black and white featuring the aforementioned pig gear, a tribute video by Nico B, and a very heavy, lavish booklet, "Why God Permits Evil," modeled after the text seen in the film. There's also an odd little Easter Egg showing Williams' apartment prior to filming, accessible from the unsettling menu design. Image quality is about what you'd expect for a zero budget, ragged black and white film, though the compression appears to be fine. The heavily layered soundtrack is also rendered with deeply disturbing clarity.
an effective one at that. However, if you're even the slightest bit squeamish, approach with caution.
