Roadkill-the Last Days of John Martin/My Sweet Satan
directed by: Jim Van Bebber
starring:
Mark Gillespie, Jim Van Bebber, Marc Pitman |
No holds barred ,unhinged, guerilla film making by the inimitable exploitation/horror auteur Jim Van Bebber , whose career was plagued by trials and tribulations and whose hands-in approach to movie making has earned my respect. Van Bebber has written, directed , photographed and acted on most of his material during the years and his passion is undeniable. We are talking about a troubled, opinionated but highly artistic genius not unlike directors like Abel Ferrara, at least in my book, even newer films like “Mandy” by Panos Cosmatos have utilized some of Van Bebber’s tricks.
‘Roadkill – The Last Days of John Martin’ focuses on a deeply disturbed cannibal who likes to pick up and kill stranded couples on the road, chop them up and have them for dinner. His housekeeping also leaves something to be desired (human remains everywhere!). ‘My Sweet Satan’ is based on a true story wherein a group of heavy metal fans in Ohio dabble in hallucinogenic drugs and Satanism which culminates in a brutal murder.
Roadkill is very interesting visually , as it was done in 16mm and has a coarse , grindhouse look. It’s pretty much Combat shock meets Texas Chainsaw massacre . The performance by Mark Gillespie is also very convincing.
My Sweet Satan pushes the envelope in another way , visually is less of an eye candy as it was shot on video, but the depravation and gore are aplenty. Jim Van Bebber himself delivers a really frenetic performance.
Both shorts are mandatory for fans of this crazy prodigy and be sure to check out his feature films “Deadbeat at Dawn” and “Charlies Family” . I really wish Van Bebber could work with decent budget like Rob Zombie, however his underground cinema is very appealing and should be talked about and cherished more.
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