The world of exploitation film ripped open and laid raw for you to experience. From 70's grindhouse to current underground, it is all here. So ripe you can practically smell it.
AL JOURGENSEN is certainly legendary in the music industry having earned
his place birthing industrial music. He also is a legend for his copious
drug use over the years and counter culture lifestyle. This documentary
picks up in the late 90's as MINISTRY is on tour for the album DARK SIDE
OF THE SPOON and are on the down side if being the record label
darlings. The then current drummer is our tour guide through the land mine
filled mind scape of Al Jourgensen as we look at what drives his
madness.
Along for the ride are other music luminaries
that have either worked with Al or been inspired by him such as TRENT
REZNOR, MAYNARD JAMES KEENAN, DAVID YOW, KING BUZZ, DAVE NAVARRO and
several label people.
What the film does is give a decent
look at the insanity of being on tour with Jourgensen. From his
meticulousness of performing music to his obsessive belief in superstitions, such
as making sure everyone has anointed oils at all times. But the meat of
the film deals with the man's drug habit, his inhuman heroin intake. A
drug addiction so frightening that other rock stars find it frightening.
So extreme that the men Al looked up to in the counter culture like
Timothy Leary were concerned for his well being. Watch as Al shoots up and Junky
philosophizes and tells embarrassing stories about being an asshat rock
star that night River Phoenix died. Experience the paranoia as Al believes
he is being stalked by government operatives.Making everyone on tour were bullet proof vests between shows.
What the
doc is missing is a good look at the band it self. There is some great
performance footage but not much on the formation of the band, the early
Euro-syth years, why Paul Barker eventually left and the
eventual switch to political speed metal. All of which makes it feel
uneven and slapdash. Thankfully the interview footage with other
musicians fill those gaps well enough.
If you are a
Ministry fan you'll want this, but I'm not sure anyone else will get
anything much from it. But you do get to see both David Yow and Al
Jourgensen's dick's. So that is something I suppose. Al even fucks a
cooked chicken. How very rock star of him....
The set comes with a music cd called FIX THIS I guess recorded by Paul Barker that is really good. Yet when I put it in a player it still comes up MINISTRY (see covering that break up would be really helpful indeed. I am sure die hard Ministry fans know what happened, someone enlighten me...)
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