Twisted Issues

 

  TWISTED ISSUES
   Writer/Director:Charles Pinion
   Starring:Stephen L. Antczak, Charles Pinion
   Availability: DVD available at www.charlespinion.com
   Rating:

    Well, it appears that somebody out there figured my opinion on things like movies and shit matters, so thanks to the fine fuckers over here at Demons of Celluloid, I am here to give you my opinions.  I could lie and say that I care what you think about said opinions, but that would make me a liar and a sell-out.  There are far too many bloggers in the stratosphere already playing the game.  I'm not here to play the game.  I'm here to tell you if a movie is solid gold or solid shit.  That being said, let's get to the review, shall we?

    Most people who grew up in the nineties remember shot on video horror movies.  Maybe not all of us remember them fondly.  That's to be expected.  They weren't pretty.  They often featured crude acting, non-existent production value, incoherent editing, and a variety of other attributes that would send most film snobs into a dark, brooding place of solitude and despair.  Basically, they were the punk rock of horror cinema.  One of the most challenging figures of the shot on video scene was a little genius by the name of Charles Pinion.

    Now, a lot of you are familiar with the name, I'm sure.  A lot of you that don't will probably at least be familiar with the films.  He was a punk rock kid who just wanted to make a punk rock documentary chronicling the punk bands in the Gainesville, Florida area.  That's how the film I'm discussing here this evening, Twisted Issues, started anyway.  However, something changed in the process.  Some writers were brought in, and the film ended up becoming a truly strange little horror flick that was pretty much unlike anything that people had seen at that time.

    Remember the Doug Sakmann Punk Rock Holocaust flicks?  Well, I'm not sure if Doug has seen this film, but it's absurd how similar the two films are.  Like PRH, Twisted Issues blends live punk rock footage with a fictional story that allows an opportunity for various members of these bands to be killed off in gory, gruesome ways.  Unlike PRH, though (which I am a fan of, don't get me wrong,) these bands are true punk rock, which gives this movie a much more underground edge. 
 
   The plot, as it is, is basically about a group of skateboard punks who end up killing a member of a rival group.  Well, naturally, he ends up coming back from the dead and decides to dispose of them all in various nasty, bloody ways.  It's simple as that.  Pinion did go on to doing films that were more original, and well, better, but if you are a fan of films such as Marcus Koch's Rot or the Campbell Brothers flick Midnight Skater, this is something that will be right up your alley.  I mean, the film is just dripping with atmosphere. 

    Let's take some time to discuss atmosphere for a moment, shall we?  Too many indie directors don't understand how much a little atmosphere can truly benefit your film.  Pinion's films are just dripping with punk rock atmosphere.  In later films, he adopted a much more surreal touch (which is still quite evident here), but the man was an artist, not a hack. 
 
    Now, this is a movie that I have no problem recommending to anyone who loves truly underground cinema.  It's not as gory as some would probably like, and there is no nudity to speak of.  So, if that's all you look for in a horror film, well then what kind of fucking horror fan are you anyway?  Twisted Issues is a terrific debut.  Pinion's shot compositions are quite creative.  The whole thing is just so odd, that I can't help but adore it.  There are technical limitations, but one thing you will find me doing very little of is nitpicking that bullshit.  The soundtrack is terrific.  I'm a huge fan of punk rock, and all the music on display here was just what I was looking for in a film like this.

    Pinion would go on to do better films, so I won't rate this one as high as the others.  However, if you are a lover of films that exist on the fringe of society, then you have to see this film at least once.  Love it or hate it.  You won't forget it.  Moral of the story...Don't fucking murder punk rock skateboarders.  That just doesn't end well for anyone involved.  Until next time...