Black Metal Satanica: not very Satanic and not very informative
Mats Lundberg, “Black Metal Satanica” (2008) This documentary promised initially to be a fairly in-depth investigation of the Scandinavian black metal music scene and its agenda…
Once upon a time in Norway: film misses a lesson about social conformism
Pål Aasdal, Martin Ledang “Once upon a time in Norway” (2007) This one-hour film is a straightforward blow-by-blow chronological account of the early career of Mayhem,…
Lucifer Rising: a heartfelt expression of Aleister Crowley’s Thelema philosophy
Kenneth Anger, “Lucifer Rising” (1981) Begun some time in the 1960s but not fully completed until 1981, with the music soundtrack having to be revamped completely,…
Starship Troopers: a hilarious send-up of US-style fascism and conduct of war
Paul Verhoeven, “Starship Troopers” (1997) Loosely adapted from the Robert Heinlein novel of the same name, this film can be read as a caricature on several…
Din of Celestial Birds: exploration of evolution and development of consciousness in short film
Edmund Elias Merhige, “Din of Celestial Birds” (2006) Astonishing little film – it’s just 10 minutes long – about evolution and the development of consciousness, “Din…
Amalgam: no-budget home movie is surprisingly complex in plot and visual effects
Craig Murray, “Amalgam” (2007) Using just a handycam and his own home as set to make a black-and-white film on next-to-no budget starring himself and a few…
How to Start a Revolution: documentary gives too much credit to DIY revolution manual
Ruaridh Arrow, “How to Start a Revolution” (2011) Here’s an interesting one-hour documentary about Gene Sharp, a modest political science professor at the Massachusetts Institute of…
Begotten: film explores Christian and pagan myths of fertility in cycle of birth, death and rebirth
Edmund Elias Merhige, “Begotten” (1989) A remarkable student film that explores Christian and pre-Christian creation / fertility / life cycle myths, “Begotten” was inspired by a…
Finding the Telepathic Cinema of Manchuria: an ingenious look at how a country’s history is made, remade and reinterpreted
David Blair, “Finding the Telepathic Cinema of Manchuria” (2010) After finishing “WAX or the Discovery of Television among the Bees”, director David Blair set about picking…
Zoetrope: Kafka short story inspires a film about how science, industry, bureaucracy and politics oppress a victim
Charlie Deaux, “Zoetrope” (1999) Based on my favourite Franz Kafka short story “In the Penal Colony”, this is a stunning-looking short piece about a man’s last…