Snuff (not the chewing tobacco kind)

Yikes, this is a rough one, so let me start by telling you that this review is totally different from my other posts on here due to the fact that nothing funny will probably come out of this one (assuming that you've at least chuckled while reading my other posts). Snuff (2008) was a pretty unsettling and interesting look at the myth of the snuff film, an urban legend that has been around for decades. This really was a well thought out documentary, really covering all the areas of the snuff subject and venturing into areas that really raise questions about the dark corners of the human psyche.


  For those unaware, a snuff film is a film where a murder is captured on film, usually involving violent torture and sexual acts. In addition to some pretty disturbing footage and a jarring analysis of the twisted thinking that would avtually drive someone to commit such an act, this documentary tries to uncover any evidence that may be out there proving that these films in fact do exist. It's a scary world folks, and in this world, where money can get you basically anything, it would not surprise me if the snuff film is as real as the war in Iraq.


Speaking of war, one of the better strengths of this film were when the filmmaker (Paul von Stoetzel) and the interview subjects put the idea of what exactly is a snuff film under the microscope. The definitions vary from subject to subject, but some pointed out that maybe war coverage, especially the stuff from Vietnam and more recently, the onslaught of videos on the internet from the current war, could be considered snuff. Think about the horrible beheading videos that surfaced some years ago (which unfortunately do make a brief appearance here), those can be considered snuff to some, although the general definition would exclude these videos, because they were not created for profit or with the intent to get someone off, but all that is debatable. What is snuff? Does it exist? Who the hell would be sick enough to actually be involved at any level with this shit? I'm not sure, but this documentary is probably a good start to help you make up your own minds. All in all a decent documentary, considering that the stigma with the subject matter might make it a little difficult to pull off.

NOTE: After watching the clip, I realized that they fucked up on this trailer...that woman talking (with some pretty horrible acting thrown in for good measure) about the whole "enjoy" tape is not in the movie I saw! I watched it on netflix streaming, so maybe it's a deleted scene on the dvd?!I have no idea, so if someone does, please give me a heads up.

They'll Pay You To Do What?!?!

I'm convinced that Japan has it ALL figured out, no fucking joke. the proof is in many things including but not limited to; technology, business, tradition, sushi, candy, karate, ninjas, samurais, bonsai trees, the coolest flag, sake, Daniel Larusso, pepper steak, geishas, insane game shows, Takeshi Kitano....and now this. The "this" I speak of is "host" bars.





Prior to watching "The Great Happiness Space: Tale of an Osaka Love Thief", I had only heard of "hostess bars". Hostess bars are places where Japanese men(mostly married business types), go to sit down, have a drink, and enjoy the company of a woman or women, which they are paying for, of course. Don't get it twisted, this is not specifically a strip club or a whorehouse (although sometimes, of course, money can buy you anything), this is a bar where you pay for the drinks of the woman that is sitting with you, you pay for her time in how much you both drink. But what you are essentially doing is paying for company, not sex. Paying for a woman to listen to your problems, your dreams and your nightmares is really not too far removed from a psychologist, only in a sexy, fun, setting. I can see how that can make some kind of sense to a(and this is a generalization here) lonely, mid-life crisis man at the end of his rope, groping for attention from the depths of his wallet...but what about these "host" bars? Can there actually be a place on earth where the tables are turned? Where do you find women who are willing to pay men to hang out with them? Where is this Bizarro universe where a decent (and sometimes excruciatingly cute) woman needs to pay a dude to hang around her? That universe, my friends, is fucking Japan!!



While Jeff is hanging at the crib again, we, along with Mari, are cycling through the options of what to watch for what seems to be yet another one of our impromptu movie nights. Ever since this fucker has come back to town, it seems that we've tried to squeeze in as much movie watchage in before he takes off on tour again, which works out beautifully for us both, since we just can't stop watching movies. After like 2 or 3 suggestions, we go with Jeff's suggestion of "Big Happiness Space". He had seen it before and it did not take much for Mari and I to go "Whaaat?! Hell yeah, let's see that!"...naturally. We were expecting to be entertained, but man we were really sucked into this weird secret world that is the host bar scene. What happens here is something so interesting that once you start watching, you just can't stop, it's like watching animals fuck or people fall, your eyes are laughing but your mind is disgusted...okay maybe not disgusted, but just a little disturbed. The movie centers around a little corner of weird called Rakkyo Cafe, a host bar owned by the top dog in the male (sort of) prostitute game in Osaka: 22 year old Issei. This guy is a damn genius (sorry ladies, but it's true!) Everything about him is catered to what Japanese young women with money want, and apparently what they want is a funny, waif-like emo Barbie doll to spend thousands (I'm not kidding) and thousands (again, this is real money we're talking about)of dollars on...to party with them. with. no. sex. What the fuck?! How does this work?! And to make it even more fucked up, let me tell you that the no sex thing is the host's strategy. These guys will sometimes eventually have sex with these ladies, but once they do, the women rarely come back. So, in order to keep these girls hooked, they string them along and squeeze as much dough out of these girls. Pretty fucked up huh? You have no idea. What's worse is the revealing of the vicious cycle this lifestyle fuels. Watch this and take a shower immediately after.