Cinemuerte, then, which this year ran from June 25 to
July 3, provides a communal meeting ground for the so-called
deviants of Vancouver. A local wherein those of the most gore-
soaked dispositions might not only witness The Blood Spattered
Bride on the big screen for the first time, but might also find the
company of like-minded afficionados.

"Unfortunately, next year is going to be more expensive
and we’re probably going to take a loss because we’re trying to get
35mm prints. Last year we showed some stuff on 16mm and the
rest on video. What we’re trying to do this year is still have access
to the 16mm and video if we need it , but we want to try and get
as many 35mm prints as possible. The problem is shipping 35mm
prints across the ocean is really, really expensive."

The location of the next Cinemuerte festival still remains
undecided. The Blinding Light remains a possibility, but Kier-La’s
hopes lie with the particularly larger Pacific Cinematheque, though
hesitation remains on the part of the “Teque, it seems, mainly due
to concerns about clientele. (Having personally attended the origi-
nal Cinemuerte, I can attest to the fact that no one in the crowd
was smearing bodily fluids on the screen or biting my neck. The
crowd of late twenties, early thirties folk was disappointingly tame.
As a horror fest virgin, I fully expected to see my buddy, Paul, who
had come with me, splayed out in some bloody ritual sacrifice as I
was staked to the screen and skinned. I didn't realize that horror
fans are, well, not crazy.)

"It’s just this stereotype of horror fans being these blood-
thirsty, drooling maniacs or really obnoxious sixteen year-olds, but
the thing is you have to be eighteen to get in anyway. So it’s not
like you’re going to have a whole bunch of kids there. [The crowd
from the first show] was super nice. I fucking loved everybody that
was there. They were so gracious. No one was snotty about it.
They didn’t come in and go, What? This is video-projection? This
is grainy, it doesn’t look clear. Or, This is dubbed and not subti-
tled? I didn’t have any of that attitude or crap at all from the fans.
They were sooo happy that somebody did this."

She has tapped a vein that needed tapping.
More appropriately, she's picked a scab. Or squeezed a goiter.

The Fight for Necromantik

The films of director Jorg Buttgereit (pronounced Yorg
Boot-geh-rite) - Necromantik, Necromantik 2, and Schramm - are
generally reviled by mainstream: cineastes. As they deal with sub-
ject matter that centres, as the titles suggest, around the penulti-
mate of taboos, it is understandable that those who seem to exclu-
sively enjoy the works of Bruce Willis might find them unpalatable.
(a few nights ago, I decided to view a couple of Jorg's films. Let
me tell you, Necromantik's oddly tasteful corpse love and outra-
geously nihilistic behavior coupled with Schramm's near-intolerable,
albeit genuinely fascinating, transgression of the senses makes for a
downright distressing evening of movie watching. Though quite
interesting if you can make it through.) Content superficially con-
sidered, it is not surprising that Buttgereit features have been
banned in British Columbia.

A brief synopsis of Necromantik: A young man who
works for an ambiguous accident cleanup company has a tendency
to bring assorted souvenirs (eyeballs, entrails, etc.) home to his
girlfriend. One day, through a stroke of luck, he manages to ascer-
tain a whole corpse. He's happy, his girlfriend's happy, the
corpse...well, worse things could happen. In any case, a menage
ensues. While he's out, she's in with the corpse...solidifying their
relationship. (forcing the poor corpse’s rotting head to perform
unmentionable acts upon her nether regions. I'd be taking a really
hot bath after that. In bleach.) One day, he comes home to find
that she has left him. Eloped with the stiffer one. Apparently
unable to come to terms with the loss and with himself, he finally
stabs himself to death.

In January of 1997, the ratings board in B.C. acquired a
new rating: a specialized restricted rating which would apply itself
to art films which contain material deemed obscene by the crimi-
nal code. "Basically, you can get away with a lot in that category,"
Kier-La informs me, "provided your film is artistic enough to jus-
tify any degree of sex or violence, or anything that's in the criminal
code such as necrophilia...Necrophilia is against the law in movies,
but the ratings board can waive a rule such as that if they see that
the movie has artistic, scientific, political, educational, or historical
value.

"So, when this new rating came into effect, I thought,
well, that's a great place for Necromantik and all the films of Jorg
Buttgereit. Like, that's exactly what they are, they're really obscene
movies according to our criminal code, but they're like art films.
Much too arty even for a lot of horror fans. A lot of horror fans
find them to slow and experimental."

She began by writing a letter to Mary-Louise
McCausland, director of film classification. Kier-La requested that
the films (Necromantik acting as the primary focus/first lamb) be
placed within the ratings of this new category. After about five
months and repeated urging, McCausland and the board respond-
ed.

It was decided that Necromantik contained an "undue
exploitation of sex and violence". There were scenes of brutality
and maiming to humans and to animals that were found to be too
realistic. It was. "ultimately void of intrinsic value". McCausland
proceeded to vehemently argue the fact that Necromantik's makers
were wholly lacking in competence and imagination.

When Kier-La returned to the ratings board protesting
the decision, she was informed that being a mere video store clerk
meant that she was unable to form a legally recognized appeal. In
order to appeal a decision of the ratings board, one must be a film
distributor, film retailer, cinema owner, cinema employee, or a
video store owner. But not a video store clerk. This heartens me
when I think of the vapid stares of Blockbuster employees, but in
Kier-La's case I am sympathetic.

So, staunchly refusing to be pushed aside, she turned to
her boss, Darren Gay. "I said, If I appeal this thing, like, I'll pay all
the legal fees, I'll do all the work, I'll do everything, all you have to
do is sign your name to everything I write." At this point in our
conversation, I could not help but look skywards and imagine large
men in dark suits marching into Black Dog and carting poor
Darren away as the townsfolk pelted him with assorted clumps of
compost. Mr. Gay, who apparently is very brave, consented to
Kier-La's request.

She next compiled a petition consisting of two hundred
people agreeing that the film should not be banned Along with the
petition, she submitted a five page essay, discussing consistency
with other "acceptable" films. "For example, the movie I Spit On
Your Grave is in the category, the movie Cannibal Holocaust is in
that category. There's a whole lot of other films. in that category
that I thought justified Necromantik being there. Especially some-
thing like J Spit On Your Grave. 1 don't think it should be banned,
but all it consists of is a woman getting repeatedly gang-raped.
And they're telling me that Necromantik has such a weakness in
plot that none of the violence can be justified.

"And Cannibal Holocaust is a great film, but it's far more
offensive than Necromantik. Far more. It's even actually got live
animal killings." Lots of live animal killings. For anyone interested
in watching the film that Blair Witch ripped off, I dare you to rent
Cannibal Holocaust.

On behalf of the ratings board was Laurie Soloway, a
lawyer from the Attorney General's office. She responded with a
forty page juggernaut. Kier-La thought she was in for it, but upon
reading the package she realized "Soloway was a really shitty lawyer
and didn't know what she was talking about." For example, in her
response, Soloway quoted a Manitoba court case, but only used

Cinemuerte propaganda

As a horror fest virgin, | fully
expected to see my buddy,
Paul, who had come with me,
splayed out in some bloody
ritual sacrifice as | was staked
to the screen and skinned.

influx *‘Magazine—’ October 1999 .\:\7

CCinemucrte, then, which thi year ran fom June 25 t0
July 3, provides a communal mectiag ground for the so-called
deviants of Vancouver. A local wherein thot of the mort gre
Scaked dispositions might no ony witness The Bld Spatered
[Bride on the big sereen forthe fs ime, bt might also Bind the
‘company of like-minded aficionados

‘Unfortunately, next sea is ging to be more expensive
and we're probably ging to ake alors because were tying to get
35mm prints. Last year we showed some stuff on 16mm and the
test on video. What we'e trying t do this year i il have access
tothe Homm and vido ie need it, But we want to ty and get
ss many 35mm prints ss possible, The problem is shipping 35mm
Prints across the ocean realy ell expensive

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undecided. The Blinding Light remains « possibility, but Kie-La's
hopes le with the particulary larger Pacific Cinématheque, though
hesitation remain onthe pert of the “Tea it seems, mainly de
to concerns about clientele, ed the ois
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influx "Magazine

© October 1999.7