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EPISODE 3 2011: YUANGDON SUIBI (Far East Ramblings)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Osmond) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 23:42:00 +0000

Welcome come back to theXperiment for a special edition that focuses on Asian Cinema from Hong Kong to Korea and back to Japan. This time it's only Tim and Pete as Shawn is not a fan of Asian films.
In this new episode Tim and Pete talk at length about many aspects of Asian cinema from Korean crime thrillers to Hong Kong action and to J-Horror encompassing everything from Battle Royale, The Shaw Brothers, Jackie Chan, Bedevilled, the Films of Kinji Kukasaku and Takeshi Kitano and we look at the major influences Asian cinema has had on Western Movie making.

Attached at the start of this edition is a 30 minute interview with DirectorsNotes.com founder Marbelle about his thoughts on...you got it....A Serbian Film.

Enjoy...

EPISODE 2 OF 2011: KIDS STUFF!

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Osmond) — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 13:59:00 +0000

Here we are, back with another episode and this one covers alot of subject from comic book movies to kids films and Reality Television...Enjoy!!!

Welcome back to TheXperiment for our second episode of 2011, this episode is entitled kid's Stuff because Tim, Pete and Shawn talk about Despicable Me, The Batman Films from Burton to Nolan and the state of comic book movies in general, a quick talk about Guy Ritchie and Quentin Tarantino (again) and Robert Rodriguez and Pete's thoughts on Sin City and Clive Owen. We also talk about Kevin Smith, his films and his upcoming horror film Red State, the lack of descent dark science fiction films and Scream 4. Then we descend into a discussion on Disney releases and Tim's loss of nostalgia and Pete and Tim argue over whether or not The X Factor is corrupting viewers and Top Gear's 'fake' accidents...

WE'RE BACK WITH EPISODE 1 OF 2011: REBIRTH

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Osmond) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 01:32:00 +0000

The Experiment is back, after some technical difficulties you can now listen to us ramble again. So here we are with episode 1 entitled REBIRTH.

Here we have discussions on upcoming films in 2011 including Paul, Battle Los Angeles and Tim's picks that include I Saw The Devil from the director of A Bitter Sweet Life and the Korean film Confessions. We also here Tim's views on low budget independent gore films such as the August Underground films and the films of Lucifer Valentine. We somehow manage to get onto the subject of Justin Bieber but fear not he will not be mentioned again.
Pete and Shawn have a lengthy discussion on the Mad Max films and the ups and downs of their Region A Blu Ray releases, a look at what we've recently seen in which we again try and coerce Shawn into watching kung fu movies. Pete expresses his views on Dakota Fanning, TV shows we should catch up on and Tim's final thought on Darren Aronofsky's Oscar contender, Black Swan.

Join us next time when we will be bringing you a Retrospective of Quentin Tarantino, So Stay tuned....

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THEXPERIMENT EXCLUSIVE!!! - Behind The Scenes Pics

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Osmond) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 01:25:00 +0000

One of the upcoming podcast's contains an interview with British director Mark McQueen and Writer/Producer and actor Bart Ruspoli about their first feature, the british zombie thriller Devil's Playground.

click Read More to see the photo's..

Director Mark McQueen was nice enough to pass on two behind the scenes photo's from the film. The shots are from a scrapped scene that was to contain Jaime Murray (TVs Dexter) and Shane Taylor (Band Of Brothers) as zombies. These photo's are exclusive to The Xperiment and we thank Mark for passing these onto us and allowing us to use them on the Blog...

Jaime Murray and Shane Taylor

Mark McQueen and Jaime Murray

Good Hair (2009 Dir. Jeff Stilson) Quick Review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 01:36:00 +0000

Chris Rock has always been one of my favorite comedians of all time. If you expected me to define him in a different category because of his color-then your sadly mistaken. I believe that all humans should not be classified or defined by race, religion or sexual preference. We may come from different backgrounds, raised into different culture; but at heart we are all humans and we should never forget that fact! Good Hair is the first time Rock has been involved on a production of a documentary. I pray Rock continues in this area as this ranks very highly as some of the best work in his career (so far).

The film opens with a question from Rock's daughter : 'Daddy why don't i have good hair?'. So what is Good Hair? Ever heard of relaxer? Have you had your hair weaved? If so, go and grab a copy as soon as possible-as this will change what you do to your hair forever. Or will it? Rock interviews celebrities, regular people in barbershops, hair conventions and even people in the hair industry. The findings are both comical, honest and truly shocking! Good Hair stands as one of the most important American documentaries to be made in some time. It addresses so many themes and subjects in it's ninety minute duration that i will not have time to address here. If you thought that drug addiction was a big issue, hair addiction is basically on the same level. Regular people on warfare spending $1000+ for a haircut- like one of their idols reveals the power of the media. However, the most shocking fact raised in the film is that of the damage these hair products can do. Burns & pollution of your lungs are just some to name a few.

The sad thing is, the majority of people will still keep doing this to their hair. Their ignorance and most importantly their dependence of getting this style to boost their self-esteem is brutally disturbing and ultimately, profoundly sad. All though the film isn't perfect. The hair battles overstay their welcome, but this movie will make you laugh, gasp and hopefully make you want to make a change for the better.

Tim Porter

My Relationship With A Film From Serbia

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 00:45:00 +0000

Back in the early days of this summer-i was eagerly counting down the days till Christmas. Well, so to speak not the celebration of the birth of Jesus, or the white bearded man Saint Nick. (Who to be honest as time as progressed freaks me out. The idea of a man breaking into your house-in the night whilst pleasing your children with toys is just creepy.) No, my definition of Christmas is attending the best place in the world: Frightfest- The UK’s premier horror film festival. When taking an initial look at the schedule this year, to be frank I was extremely disappointed. Out of the thirty-six choices on offer; only two literally jumped off the page. These were: the remake of the classic so-called video nasty: I Spit On Your Grave, & the second was a film from Serbia simply called: A Serbian Film.

The film was described in the listings as: The most controversial hot button movie of the year. I was instantly intrigued. I’m a massive fan of extreme cinema. Films such as Pascal Laugier’s Martyrs, Ruggero Deodato’s Cannibal Holocaust, Gregory Wilson’s The Girl Next Door and Julien Maury & Alexandre Bustillo’s Inside are just some to name a few which have: tested my boundaries, deeply affected me in some way; and most importantly have stayed with me throughout my life. One of the more important factors into my taste for this style of cinema is simply: There are no boundaries. No subject is taboo! These filmmakers do not care about audience expectations or tastes, most of these films are made to address subject matter’s that are left to rot by the media (in my opinion).

As we now live in a culture that is dominated by the internet, all you have to do is type in it’s title to have a list of all the atrocities that feature in the film. With regret now, when researching I was initially considering whether I should attempt to watch this film. At least one of the atrocities I read about make me question: Whether a movie can go too far? As the time shorten to the beginning of Frightfest, I was tense and extremely nervous. That summer I had suffered a string of extreme panic attacks-which since then I have been officially diagnosed with panic disorder. With the prospects of seeing what critics, horror fans and other film cinephiles described as: vile, going too far and to the ultimate comment: an experience they never want to watch again! It’s understandable why I was worried and excited all at the same time.

Then the news broke! Just as I was getting ready for the opening night premiere of Hatchet 2, the forums flooded with a news flash. The BBFC had decided to butcher A Serbian Film with seventy-three cuts. These totaled to a staggering four minutes in length. The movie was instantly pulled from the event. The BBFC also cut the remake of I Spit On Your Grave by forty-seconds. So as you can expect I was deeply disappointed by these developments. I was equally angry as they had left it so long before making a decision. It felt like it had all been pre-planned in advance to prove a point. You would not get this kind of treatment happen at The Tate Modern or The London Film Festival. What most troubled me was, the festival has a age-restriction. A specific audience are paying to be scared, shocked and tested. Why would you censor the target audience of these films from what they want to see? When arriving at the festival, the mood was mixed about the decisions. Some people like me was appalled by the rise of the censor’s hand, but others were pleased due to the content in A Serbian Film; which from what they told me was too much for them to bear. Day three of the festival rolled along and I was incredibly disappointed with it. The atmosphere was dead! There was no longer any buzz or anticipation-as the key festival screenings had been both cut. For a horror fan, this is like requesting a sandwich then finding out they have removed the filling.

Strangely a majority of the audience had seen it. Leaked screener copies had been made available online to be distributed freely and most importantly uncut! The responses were for the majority favorable. So the festival had finished, but the controversy was still ever present. The tabloid newspapers had started moral panic again, however the sad fact was; a much more liberal film censorship board has made one of the worst decisions in their history.

I decided to track down an uncut version of the film. Within ten minutes I had accessed it and awaited the film to fully buffer. I do not condone my actions or internet piracy-however this film is a work of pure fiction. There are no sequences of real violence, real sex (with children or adults) so to be honest I felt there was no reason for the film to be censored. It’s understandable if any of the more extreme content of the film was sparingly real or exploitive, then the film’s controversy and censorship would have been a right decision to make. After seeing the film, I have to disagree with all the problems the film has received. This film is not only my favorite of the year-but also has a very powerful message that needs to be addressed. This is the power of good filmmaking. So what exactly is the film about?

The plot of A Serbian Film is not that complex. Milos is a retired porn star. He spends most of his day’s longing for a better life for him and his family. He occasionally gets opportunities for low budget porn movies, but these do not pay well and he is struggling to survive. A co-star contacts him about a new artistic pornographic project-which is offering an obscene amount of money for a three day shoot. The only catch is, the director Vukmir states that he cannot know what the film is about. After his reservations, Milos ultimately agrees to participate. Little does he know what he is getting himself into. Slowly he realise’s the shocking truth behind the production, a hellish series of events ensue.

First off, I would like to applaud the intentions of the filmmaker Srdan Spasojevic. A film such as this is a product of someone experiencing total anarchy, alienation and physical, psychological torment from the hands of their dictator. A Serbian Film is truly an experience your never forget. From the magnificent cinematography-which makes each shot look like something from an art gallery; to the amazing acting talent on display and of course the relentless of the political ideas it provokes. There is no denying it is not for everyone. The content in the film is shocking. It is meant to be represented in this manner. It never borders on titillation, it also comes across as horrific. It’s not morally bankrupt or corrupting. It’s probably the most moral piece of filmmaking in history.

I’ve now seen the movie twice. I was accepted on the guest list-for a special private screening at The Raindance Film Festival on Friday evening. I was selected from hundreds as I defended the movie on my podcast. I still find this a very elitist idea. How is it that a critic, a filmmaker or a student will not be corrupted by the film whilst; it’s unsuitable for film literate fans or the general movie going public? There is no denying the sheer disturbing power of this movie, but if the film is presented in a butchered version it will distort the messages it provokes and just turn it into another run of the mill horror film. Each disturbing sequence is an allegory. It is about a hierarchy system. Where the rich and powerful can stamp all over the working class and destroy their lives. It is about being born into a dystopic society, losing all innocence and being plunged into a living hell. All of these points are just some to say a few on how powerful this movie is. Strangely enough at Raindance, I found the way they presented the evening more disturbing then the screening. When I walked in the Apollo Piccadilly I was ID checked twice. Other people who brought friends were rejected, due to the likely hood of prosecution from the police going against the definition of a private screening. Then they offered me a sick bag! A sick bag.

This is totally offensive trying to describe this film as a splatter movie! Then the thing that really sent my blood soaring was an optional donation pot for abused children. This was a sick joke on the festival’s part that is more problematic and disturbing then any of the content in the film. To class this movie as a joke is highly offensive. A representative at Raindance states: Westminster wanted the screening to proceed on order to minimise publicity but were concerned that: ‘jolly seekers’ would be given access hence the stringent criteria. If a newspaper like The Daily Mail got pictures or inside information like this, this would add fuel to the debate about this movie. They could argue that the film deserves it’s notoriety and that we are indeed sick people to watch this material. However thank you for allowing me to see it in the cinema, I'll never forget the experience as long as I live.

So sadly the BBFC have outcast this movie. Turning it from an obscure art-house horror movie into a modern day Video Nasty. Censorship is invalid now. In our today’s society you can buy most of the banned video nasties in HMV uncut! The film’s that are still banned can be easily bought from around the world. They are available on various website by a simple click on the left mouse button. In the case of the future, the internet is a haven for unregulated material from real death, controversial sex acts and really strange videos such as 2 Girls 1 Finger or Glass Ass. It’s ridiculous to cut A Serbian Film. A movie that provokes really disturbing ideas but never fully presents them. The filmmaker leaves your mind to create what your not seeing-which is more disturbing than what’s on screen.

So I urge you if you can, to await the uncut DVD release which is out next year. Do not be put of by the press or the controversy that surrounds it, give it a try then make your argument!

Tim Porter

A Quick Rant About The Loved Ones

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 00:36:00 +0000

A Truly Demented Masterpiece. Who do they think they are kidding? Really disappointed with The Loved Ones (Dir. Sean Byrne). Listen up: It doesn't matter how much intellectuality you use, that doesn't make the film any good if you have nothing interesting to bring or say about the genre in the first place. The film is all over the place.
The sub-plots at the prom with his friend was from a totally different film. The goth girl's back story i clearly don't buy. The guy she attends the prom with is a totally douche-bag. He has no personality, no charm and also WHY DO ALL TEENAGERS IN COMEDYS NOW HAVE TO BE THE SAME STOCK CHARACTER AS JOHAH HILL? Most shockingly, to sum up the reason she gets stoned, drunk, masturbates the prick in the middle of the dance floor- then later fuck him is because of her missing brother! BULLSHIT. Wide generalizing goth's and emo's being deeply troubled and do what they do because of family problems i don't buy. Hey some people admire the music, clothes, culture etc. Not all people have to be boardline suicidal. Also whats up with the car sex scenes. Nearly everyone (who is important in the film) has sex in a car. Especially a prolonged, unnecessary, misjudged extended sex scene in the beginning with Xavier Samuel. Don't people have sex in bedroom's anymore?

It really sad for many reasons. The color tone throughout the piece is really amazing. It really makes Australia look like an old 80's American Town. There are some cool shots like Princess crawling to the car. But honestly i totally am unfulfilled. I also don't buy that Xavier Samuel can be drilled in the forehead, severely sliced all over his chest and having a knife stuck in between his feet and magically he can still fight, kill and drive. BULLSHIT ALERT! Are you sure this isn't written in his contact that he cannot die- let's just say to secure the interest of the Twilight audience?

2/5

Tim Porter