Blood and Guts Deviant Cinema, Cannibal Culture, and a Champion for the Art of Horror. by Benjamin Asa Smith You’re on the way to the video store. It’s a nice evening, a warm breeze from the southwest making it alright for shorts with your sweater, and the sky is being painted in the most remarkable waves of deep red as the sun tucks itself in behind Vancouver Island. Your day, while not aggravating, was a long one, and as your friends set out for hoodlumist shenanigans you said, Not tonight. Tonight, I think I’ll just relax with a drink and some Steve McQueen. You walk up:to the counter with your copy of The Towering Inferno and there, awaiting you, is a pleasant-looking young clerk with an odd twinkle in her eyes. As she types your selection into the computer her eyes drift up to yours, and with a mischievous grin she says, "Wanna buy my magazine?” You’re all for supporting the locals so you drop three loonies into her palm as she drops the purchase into yours. Cannibal Culture, it’s called. What a strange name. You open it up to a random page. And lo, that appears to be a midget sodomiz- ing a rabbit. Now, let me tell you about Kier-La Janisse. By the superficials alone she is what one might describe as relatively normal. At nearly twenty-seven years of age she’s a small character with a smile that comes often and green eyes that are always bright, and her accoutrements, namely her nose-ring and armband tattoo, hardly register as the stereo- typical vestments of disaffected youth. She possesses a disarm- ingly happy disposition which, coupled with her remarkably intelligent wit, lends itself to rewarding conversation and discussion. She works at Black Dog Video (on Cambie & 18th beside the liquor store, coolest video store in Vancouver, much better than Videomatica) and has no vis- ible physical deformities of any kind. Yet Kier-La is a creature who distributes her own horror magazine and organizes the Cinemuerte film festivals. She’ll even take the ratings board of British Columbia to the mat, muscling in on a staid structure using nothing more than her own arm and her own wallet. She may well be a demon in impressive disguise, for that green twinkle is a frightening indication of a brooding presence and a force to go wrecking with. She is an example of what the little person can accomplish against the seemingly insurmountable odds of social structure and general apathy. She is what my edi- tor would refer to as “a catalyst". But I’m getting ahead of myself. Allow me to provide a proper introduction to the subject: Kier-La’s mother enjoyed the fine literature of Stephen King and cheesy true crime novels while her stepfather was a fan of Hammer Films and Roger Corman. Between the two of them, Kier-La (pronounced Kay-Lah) received a well-rounded, if unorthodox, intro- duction to the horrific. "My first memory ever," she tells me, “is of watching Horror Express with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. I was three years old watching it at my grandmother’s house with my mother." At the ripe old age of six she witnessed one of the most harrowing films of american cinema, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. But she decided, then, that she didn't quite like see- ing human beings killing one another, and so, favouring horror of the more supernatural inclination, she refrained from such movies until such time as she deemed herself mature enough to handle them: ten. Understandably, Kier-La was a somewhat isolated youth. Not ostracized, mind you, but other children her age just didn't quite share her interests. So, when she was taken with the desire to indulge in a horror film she either watched it with her parents or alone. "It's the most typical pattern for horror fans as kids," Kier-La suggests, "because it’s such a weird interest. You end up having to explore it on your own." e got these culture- fed horror fans that nowhere to turn and re living in their base- ments, ordering all these weird movies from Japan, but they’ve got no one else to talk to.” photo by Jorg Buttgereit influx : Magazine October 1999 5 Blood and Guts Deviant Cinema, Cannibal Culture, and a Champion for the Art of Horror. bby Benjamin Asa Smith You're onthe way to the vdeo store. It's nce evening, a warm breeze feom the southwest making alright fr shorts with your sweater, and the sky is Being pained inthe most remarkable waves of deep red asthe sun tuck self in behind Vancouver Island. Your day, while not aggravating, was along one, and as your fiends set out for hoodlumist shenanigans you sid, Not onight. Tonight, think Tl just relax with a drink and some Steve McQueen, 'You walk upto the counter with your copy of The ering Inferno and there, iting you, ea plesant-Jooking young cle with an od fine inher eyes As she types your selection into the computer her eyes drift up 0 yours, and with a mischievous grin she say, "Wanna buy my magazine?” You're all for supporting the loeals 0 you dop three Jones into her palm as she drops the purchase ito yours (Cannibal Gur its called. What a strange name. You open it up toa random page. And lo, that appears tobe a midget sodomiz- ing a abit "Now let me tel you about Kir-La Janse By the superficial alone she i what one might egcrbe as relatively normal, At nearly twenty-seven yeas of lage he's a mall character with a smile that comes offen and ircen eyes that are always bright, and her accoutrements namely Fer motsrng and armband tattoo, hardly repistcr a he streo- typical vestments of disalfected youth. She possesses a dsarm- Ingly happy disposition which, coupled with her remarkably {intelligent wit lends ivel vo rewarding conversation and iscustion, ‘She work at Black Dog Video (on Cambie [K'T8th beside the liquor sor, coolest video store in ‘Vancouver, much better than Videomatis) and hat n0 i ‘ble physical deformities of aay Kind ‘Yet KieeLa ia creature who distributes her ‘own horror magazin and organizes the Cinemuerte in festivals. Shel even take the ratings board of British ‘Columbia tothe mat, musling in on a sab structure using nothing more than her own arm and her own wallet, She ray well bea demon i impressive disguise, fr that green twinkle ea fightening indication of «brooding presence ‘She fan example of what the lite person can accomplish agains the scemingy insurmountable odds of social structure and general apathy. She s what mye But I'm geting ahead of myself, Allow me Kier-La's mother enjoyed the ine literature of Stephen King and cheesy true crime novels while her ‘stepfather wat fan of Hammer ime and Roger ‘Corman, Between the two of them, Kier La (pronounced Kay-Lah) received a wellrounded, if unorthodos, intro duction fo the hori. "My fist memory ever” ae tls te, of watching Horr Express with Peter Cushing and (Christopher Lee, Iwas thre years old watching tat ony frandmother’s house with my mother” Atte ripe old ge of sx she witnesed one ofthe ‘most harrowing films of american cinema, The Texas Chine ing human beings ling one nother, and 30, fvouring horror fof the more supernatural nelination, she refrained from such ‘movies until sch time as she deemed herself mature enough to handle them: ten Understandably, Kier La was a somewhat isolated youth. Not ostracized, mind you, but other children her age just {ide quite share her intrest. So, when she was taken withthe ‘este to indulge ina horror fl she ether watches i with her parents or alone. "Ifthe most peal pattern for horror fans fs Kids” Kier La suggests, "becuse is such a wend interest. "You end up having to explore it on your own, “You've got these culture- “starved horror fans that have nowhere to turn and ire living in their base- ments, ordering all these weird movies from Japan, but they've got no one else to talk to.” influx? Magazine October 1999, 5 tb Jog Butea