Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de)
"Pig" is an experimental horror movie from almost 20 years ago that runs for 23 minutes and is black-and-white. The emphasis here is on "experimental" as this film written and directed by Nico B. and Rozz Williams (and starring the latter) was clearly and experiment and gone wrong. It is not scary as a horror movie always should be, just trying to be different and even disturbing so that people talk about it, like at the end when we see female genitalia. Maybe Nico B. is the closest America has to Jörg Buttgereit and that is not a compliment. Not at all. This film here is not art. It's as strange to watch and even worse to listen to with the constant noise and distant voices we hear. A prime example of what a movie should not look like. Highly not recommended.
Michael_Elliott
Pig (1998)*** (out of 4) Visually and musically impressive short that's certainly not going to be everyone's taste. We basically have a serial killer in a pig's mask taking a male victim back to a house in the desert to torture him. At just 20 minutes this film has quite a bit going for it but there's no question that the highlight is the visuals by co-directors Nico B. and Rozz Williams. Williams had an interesting history and actually killed himself before the release of this film and that too has an eerie shadow over the film. As far as the film goes, as I said it's certainly not going to be for everyone as it's extremely bizarre and features real violence that many will find disturbing. There's a sequence where a needle is stuck through the man's nipple and there's also a lot of full frontal shots where the penis is being violated to say the least. The B&W image really looks like an old beat up movie from the 1920s and there's no question that's there a certain dark mood and atmosphere hanging over the picture. Those willing to stomach the storyline are going to be in for a rather unique vision.
shoskins-114-518439
The 'woman' as mentioned in the previous comment is not a woman. The actor in the pig mask with the long black hair is Rozz Williams. He was the original singer for Christian Death. This is a creative short shot in BW super 8. Given that Rozz produced this, I would have liked to hear a bit more original music. I can see how Bruce LaBruce may have gotten some of his pig mask ideas for photo shoots from this film. The sign language and backwards vocals are very Lynchian. The instructional book Rozz refers to is probably the most impressive thing in this short. Although Rozz died in 1998, and this short seems to have come out in 1999 I can only assume it was released posthumously. Perhaps it was just a creative venture for his private collection.
Polaris_DiB
A basic exposition in S&M. A man wrapped in gauze meets a woman in a pig mask in the desert, and they go off to a remote cabin where she performs erotic sadism on him. Kudos to the filmmakers for actually showing it, but oddly enough the black and white photography and noizy score seem only formula, and the real interest ends up being in the lovely scrap-book made for the production. Unfortunately, the use of said scrapbook is more diverting than the spectacle of the S&M, but whatever. I'm sure this movie holds a lot more interest to those people involved in the subculture or those who have never been confronted so graphically with the subculture (unfortunately, I've hung out with suspension folks, so this stuff has no mystery to me). I recommend the feature length Maitresse. Not quite as much direct S&M, but a real story and evocative characters.--PolarisDiB
AD
