Sonic Outlaws
dir. Craig Baldwin
(USA, 1995)

If I were filing a suit for copy-
right infringement, or if one were
being filed against me, I'd pick up
Negativland’s book Fair Use: The
Story of the Letter U ard the
Numeral 2. These boys were not
going to sit around twiddling their
fingers after being smashed by
Island Records and their old label,
SST. The book is compiled docu-
mentation of their interesting and
peculiar story, and includes a
spiffy CD of stuff the band has
done on their new label.

If you aren’t familiar with their
story, here it is in a nutshell. In
1990, Negativland released a 15
minute EP on SST Records entitled
U2. The saga (and the song) began
when a friend gave Negativland a
copy of a tape containing some of
Casey Kasem’s raw top-40 out-
takes. Mr. Kasem gets a bit upset
in the recording, dedicating the
(then) new band U2’s hit song to a
listener’s dead pet, and includes
lots of expletives and poor-sport-
edness in general. Combined with
the out-takes are samples of U2’s
single, J Still Haven’t Found What
I’m Looking For, and some other
material scanned from cellular
phones, all mixed together bril-
liantly. The cover of the EP seems
to be the biggest point of con-
tention for Island Records (U2’s
label), as fans of U2 could have
mistaken the Negativland release
for U2’s then-upcoming album,
Achtung Baby. The four members
of Negativland have now been
battling the beast of copyright
infringement litigation for four
years, and its finally come to a
close, but not without their losing
a great deal of cash($90,000) as
well as having to destroy all ~
unsold copies and masters of the
U2 EP, and forgoing all future
royalties of album sales under the
SST label.

The film Sonic Outlaws is the
story of how Negativland got in
such very big trouble — just like
the book, only it moves. With
many segments with large
amounts of footage spliced togeth-

er at an incredible pace, the faint-
hearted and migraine-prone had
better shut their eye-lids. Mark
Hosler, one of the more vocal (and
cute) members of the band, and
director Craig Baldwin were in
attendance for a question/answer
period. Also in the audience was
the guy who runs the Censorship
Violation Squad, one of only five
in the world, this one located in
North Van. They distribute banned
and censored materials and will
dub you a copy of Negativland’s
U2 mixes as well as John
Oswald’s Plunderphonics for the
cost of return postage (get address
from PoA office).

As every fable has its didactic
core, we ask, “what is the moral of
this story?” As Mark Hosler says,
“Don’t fuck with the corporate
control of culture. Don’t fuck with
the media.” ...look out Emily.
-Louise Thornton

12345678910

FAIR USE: The Story of the Letter U and the Numeral 2 is NG! 1991-1995 by Negativiand.
First Printing 1995

Seeland 013CD-B
Published by Seeland, 1920 Monument Bivd. MF-1, Concord CA 94520 USA, fax 510-420-0469.

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 94-69077
International Standard Book Number (ISBN) 0-9643496-0-4
Worldwide distribution by Mordam, San Francisco CA USA, fax 415-575-1977.

Printed in the USA

Caught in the Act
dir. Raymond Depardon
(France, 1994)

Just because | fall asleep in a film
does not mean I’m not enjoying it.
This is something I have been
known to repeat often because I
do tend to fall asleep in films.
Caught In The Act. This film, it
was genius. Depardon has been
called one of France’s finest docu-
mentary filmmakers. Although I
am young and I have not seen any
of his work that I am aware of, I
would have to take that recom-
mendation seriously, based on the
gripping nature of this film and
the masterful way it was put
together.

Everyone has seen fast-talking,
but to see it for real in all it’s
myriad forms within a hundred
and five minutes of film is quite
interesting. This film operates soci-
ologically. It talks about personali-
ty and context. We begin to
understand a lot about the magis-
trates who are doing the question-
ing, their personalities, and how
their job causes them to take on

certain protections; but each of
them in their own way. The char-
acters that are presented here are
amazing to behold as well as the
bullshit that is foisted - often to
no avail. A fascinating look at jus-
tice, and power people have over
one another.

-Kacey McDougall

hi.

Doin us eld Tuesdey NighTs FoR ae
Movies TheT will Touch You were |

YouHae NEVER Been TeveHed SEfone-
TF You have AN UNSUNG cfareic Hat

NEEDS ATTENTion We will Give 1T the

F REE PrizEs cop Fee , PASA, PoPCORN ers
Spitts.
Room 260

Ray Bradbury is Holed
Up in Your Bathroom

Cyberjack
Dir. Robert Lee
(Canada/Japan, 1995)

August In The Water
dir. Ishii Sogo
(Japan, 1995)

I like Science Fiction. I'll make no
bones about it. I have been com-
ing to the conclusion of late that
the form was slowly winking out
of existence; like your home plan-
et turning into a distant star and
quietly disappearing as the star-
ship leaves. There are two schools
it seems and examples exist right
in our own bathroom, so to speak,
here at the Vancouver Film
Festival.

Cyberjack is a film that was one
of the first Midnight showings that
I saw. I was stoked. I was expect-
ing a stupid B-movie; and I totally
got one; you see I’m a child of
media, and I've been weaned. The
story was hollow. It had no soul,
but there was violence and some
funny effects; and there was an
idea that related to a fairly hot
topic in tech-lore. The directors
were apologetic in tone when they
introduced the film - they did it
for the money they said. Wow! no
kidding. Generally, there was a
problem with the script and sup-
porting ideas: no detail, no depth,
poor motivation, predictable char-
acter stereo-types, etc. They said
that they spent some money on
some good effects that we all
would enjoy; I left the theater feel-
ing hollow.

On the contrary, August in the
Water was stunning. I hope those
hacks who made Cyberjack went to
see it. Ishii Sogo has created some-
thing with a soul. Like Cyberjack,
this is a film about the near future.
There is violent change that
occurs, but there is spirit to the
reasons and the ideas. Cyberjack
was computers, betrayal and com-
puters and violence; August in the
Water was about prophesy and the
stars. There was a drought in a
rainy part of Japan, and the peo-
ple of the city were hot and dis-
turbed. There were not even effects
to speak of, other than some light
and time-lapse photography, but
that was all that was needed to
create the space. There was a
strange disease. People’s bowels
were turning to stone. Shots of a
street scene, heat waves rising off
the sidewalk. Somebody crumples.
We see this image through-out the
film and there arises a. personality
to these passings. They are disqui-
eting in a world of humorous slay-
ings and they increase the building
tension of the play.

I guess I’m saying that this
baby’s had enough of the pablum
and | want to see some real food
happening. I want to see other
worlds in this medium rather than
hollow vehicles for polluted ideas.
Sci-fi is rad, and it still can be.
Films like August in the Water and
The City of Lost Children say it
can. Me, too.

-Kacey McDougall

Novemper 1995 / Emny 13
Sonic Outlaws

dir. Craig Baldwin
(USA, 1995)

IE1 were filing a suit for copy-
right infingement, or if one were
being filed against me, I'd pick up
[Negativland’s book Fair Use: The
‘Story of the Letter U and the
‘Numeral 2. These boys were not
going to sit around twiddling their
fingers after being smashed by
Island Records and their old label,
‘ST. The book is compiled docu-
mentation of ther interesting and
peculiar story, and includes a
spifly CD of stuff the band has
done on their new label

Ifyou aren't familiar with their
story, here it is ina nutshell In
1990, Negativiand released a 15
minute EP on SST Records entitled
‘U2, The saga (and the song) began
when a fiend gave Negativland a
copy of a tape containing some of
Casey Kasem’s raw top=40 ou
takes. Mr. Kasem gets a bit upset
inthe recording, dedicating the
(then) new band U2’s hit song to a
listener's dead pet, and includes
lots of expletives and poor-sport=
‘edness in general. Combined with
the outtakes are samples of U2's
single, 1 Still Haven't Found What
Tm Looking For, and some other
material scanned from cellular
‘phones, all mixed together bril-
Tiantly. The cover of the EP seems
to be the biggest point of con=
tention for Island Records (U2's
Jabel), as fans of U2 could have
mistaken the Negativland release
for U2's then-upcoming album,
‘Achtung Baby. The four members
of Negativland have now been.
battling the beast of copyright
Infingement litigation for four
‘yeats, and its finally come to a
lose, but not without their losing
a great deal of cash($90,000) as
well as having to destroy all
unsold copies and masters of the
U2 EP, and forgoing all future
royalties of album sales under the
SST label.

‘The film Sonic Outlaws is the
story of how Negativland got
such very big trouble ~ just ike
the book, only it moves. With
many segments with large
amounts of footage spliced togeth-

with a Foreword by Francis Gary Powers Jr.

erat an incredible pace, the faint-
hearted and migraine-prone had
better shut their eyelids. Mark
Hosler, one of the more vocal and
cute) members of the band, and
director Craig Baldwin were in
attendance for a question/answer
period. Also in the audience was
the guy who runs the Censorship
Violation Squad, one of only five
{in the world, this one located in
North Van. They distribute banned
‘and censored materials and will
dub you a copy of Negativiand’s
U2 mixes as well as John
Oswald's Plunderphonis for the
‘ost of return postage (get address
from Pod office)

‘As every fable has its didactic
core, we ask, “what isthe moral of
this story?” As Mark Hosler says,
"Don't fuck with the corporate
control of culture. Don't fuck with
the media” look out Emily
“Louise Thoraton

12345678910

rat Ping 1995,

‘Pate by Sold 1820 Monet Bd ME, Concer A 4520 USA fox 510-420-0469,
od at ton by Mera San Frcs CAUSA fx 415-575-197

FAR USE: Th Sty be Ltr Und Rr 2 Nt 18011905 by Nogtand
Seed 013008

brary of Congres Catalog Card amber 9469077

twtonl Sadar Book Naber (SON) OSEASAGEO4

Caught in the Act
dir, Raymond Depardon
(France, 1994)

Just because I fll asleep in a film
does not mean I'm not enjoying it
This is something 1 have been
‘known to repeat often because I
do tend to fall asleep in films.
Caught In The Act. This film, it
‘was genius. Depardon has been
called one of France's finest docu-
mentary filmmakers. Although I
‘am young and I have not seen any
of is work that lam aware of, 1
would have to take that recom=
‘mendation seriously, based on the
ripping nature of this film and
the masterful way it was put
together.

‘Everyone has seen fast-talking,
but to see it for real in all its
‘myriad forms within a hundred
and five minutes of film is quite
Interesting. This film operates soc
logically It talks about personali-
ty and context. We begin to
‘understand a lot about the magis-
trates who are doing the question-
ing, their personalities, and how
their job causes them fo take on

‘certain protections; but each of
them in their own way. The char-
acters that are presented here are
amazing to behold as well as the
bullshit that is foisted ~ often to
no avail. A fascinating look at jus-
tice, and power people have over
one another,

~Kacey McDougall

AMALIGNED MEDIA Nicht.

Soin us OM Tuesdey Nights FoR x s
movies That vill Toucl Yeu were

Have NEVER Been TeveHed BEFone.
Te you have AN UNSUNG Clarice tHat

NEEDS AT TenTiow We will Git it the
loving it deserves.

FREE prices, copeee, Pasi, parco fet
ils
Room 260

Ray Bradbury is Holed
Up in Your Bathroom

Cyberjack
Di Robert Lee
(Canada/Japan, 1995)

August In The Water
dlr Ishil Sogo
Capan, 1995)

[ike Science Fietion. Il make no
bones about it. I have been com-
ing tothe conclusion of late that
the form was slowly winking out
ce; lke your home plan-
into a distant star and
quietly disappearing asthe st
ship leaves. There are two schools
it seems and examples exist right
in our own bathroom, so to speak,
here atthe Vancouver Film
Festival

Cberack isa film that was one
ofthe first Midnight showings that
saw. I was stoked. I was expect
Ing a stupid B-movie; and [totally
sot one; you see 'm a child of
media, and I've been weaned. The
story was hollow. It had no soul,
‘but there was violence and some
funny effects; and there was an
idea that elated to a fairly hot
topic in tech-lre. The directors
were apologetic in tone when they
introduced the film ~ they did it
for the money they said. Wow! no
kidding. Generally, there was @
problem with the script and sup-
porting ideas: no deta, no depth,
poor motivation, predictable char-
acter stereo-types, etc. They said
‘that they spent some money on.
some good effects that we all
would enjoy; I left the theater feel-
Ing hollow.

(On the contrary, Augustin the
Water was stunning, Uhope those
hacks who made Cyberjack went t0
see it Ishi Sogo has created some-

with a soul. Like Cyberjack,

this isa film about the near future.
‘There is violent change that
‘accus, but there is sprit to the
reasons and the ideas. Cyberjack
was computers, betrayal and com=
puters and violence; Augustin the
Water was about prophesy and the
stars. There was a drought in a

ny part of Japan, and the peo-
ple of the city were hot and dis-
turbed. There were not even effects
to speak of, other than some light
and time-lapse photography, but
that was all that was needed to
create the space. There was a
strange disease. People's bowels
ere turning to stone. Shots of a
streetscene, heat waves rising off
the sidewalk. Somebody erumples.
‘We see this image through-out the
film and there arises a personality
to these passings. They are disqui
ting in a world of humorous slay-
Ings and they increase the building
tension ofthe pla.

1 guess I'm saying that this
baby’s had enough of the pablum
and I want to see some real food
hhappening. | want to see other
worlds in this medium rather than,
hollow vehicles for polluted ideas.
Scisfiis rad, and it still can be.
Films lke Augustin the Water and
‘The City of Lost Children say it
can, Me, t00.
~Kacey McDougall

Novewsex 1995 Ear 13