"Dolla Morte" (director: Bill Zebub)

Dolls in distress. Like "Team America" but with a more sadistic impulse, this 70-minute film from 2006 takes pleasure in slaughtering sacred cows at every breath. Using only dolls, toys, and simple animations, "Dolla Morte" tells a convoluted tale involving serial-rapists, the living dead, Hitler, the Pope, George Bush, Bin Laden, "great white power" sharks, werewolves, conspiracy theories, Jesus, and more. In an attempt to shock and offend, this one goes too far, with no redeeming value whatsoever. The jokes are bad, the story uninteresting/nonexistent, and my interest waned quickly. This one's like one of the less-successful "Adult Swim" skits that gets swiftly forgotten (and justifiably so). I say "Dolla Morte" is a juvenile, unnecessary, and tedious exercise in cheap shock. For fook's sake, do yourself a favor and steer very, very clear of this one. (Wild Eye Releasingvia MVD Visual)

Delerium - "Epiphany" DVD

The first DVD from this longtime ethereal-exotica-electropop act is a well-done multi-cam live recording from the group's 2008 North American tour. Helmed by Front Line Assembly mainman Bill Leeb (who recedes to the background here, performing synths), this incarnation of Delerium was fronted by both the alluring Kristy Thirsk, and former Sixpence None The Richer frontwoman Leigh Nash.

The group faithfully recreates the group's rich and seductive moods with primarily live instrumentation, and minimal electronics. It's a charming and worldly set that includes hits like "Afterall", "Flowers Become Screens", and of course "Silence" (originally sung by Sarah McLachlan), which the girls handle quite well, thank you very much. Complete with textural & abstracted backing films and with plenty of post-production video effects, "Epiphany" becomes a pleasantly psychedelic viewing experience. My only complaint would be the exclusion of Delerium's promotional videos, but that's splitting hairs. This is a superb experience and proves that this studio project is a more-than-viable live entity. Kudos to Bill, Kristy, Leigh, and the boys (and producer NastyByte)...this is a winner. (MVD Visual)

Mindphaser - official Bill Leeb project site

Official Delerium site

Beertober, a wee bit late...

Here we are, another month-plus has gone by, and the seasonal beers have already piled up, been finished off, and more have found their way to Goatsden HQ! But has there ever been "too much beer"? I think not. As always, reviews are rated from 1.0 (outright sewage) to 5.0 (ambrosia from Valhalla). Support indie and craft beer, stay as local as possible, and avoid the multinationals! Onwards, troops!

JACK'S PUMPKIN SPICE (St. Louis, MO) - 2.5
Michelob's entry in the growing pumpkin ale sweepstakes pours a copper/amber, and the initial nose is of nutmeg and clove. The flavor is heavy on the spice, with minimal pumpkin. In fact, I only detect pumpkin in the aftertaste. Jack's is a sweet and malty ale that isn't too complex or unique, and really seems a little overbearing on the tastebuds.

SAMUEL ADAMS OCTOBERFEST (Boston, MA) - 3.5
A nice deep amber with substantial lacing, Sam Adams Octoberfest boasts of a spicy nose and rich, hearty flavor profile. I detect hints of candy sugar in the malts, somehow. Substantial and seemingly heavy, this one's pretty well tasty.

BELL'S OCTOBERFEST (Comstock, MI) - 4.0
Bell's is a typically amber lager with a rich, malty presence, with a slight tinge of hoppiness near the finish. More complex than the other Octoberfests reviewed this issue, and less heavy. I rate this one a prime example of a traditional Octoberfest style, and a delicious brew.

MICHELOB MARZEN OKTOBERFEST STYLE (St. Louis, MO) - 3.5
A nice pale amber complexion for this one, with plenty of suds up front. I didn't get much in the initial scent impression, but first taste hinted at a soft honey flavor, almost. Definitely an easy drinking beer, with a slight hint of hops near the end. Subtle and enjoyable.

"The Electric Chair" (director: Mark Eisenstein)

A little-known cult gem from 1985, this noir-inspired film is a gritty and metaphorical black-and-white amalgam of David Lynch's "Eraserhead" and a Lenny Bruce stand-up act, if that hybrid can be imagined. And it's sadly languished, unreleased, until now.

Dominated by the charismatic and magnetic personality of the late Victor Argo, "The Electric Chair" focuses on a shoe-store manager whose late-night comedy act in a dreamlike, surreal club is gripping and manic. His act is tragically unfunny, and, with the mysterious appearance of a real, working electric chair onstage, his act slowly morphs into a personal journey inside himself. At first, his act is devastatingly unpopular and even painful to watch, as he tells stagnant jokes with pointless punchlines. We, as an audience, eventually witness Argo's character finally find his place on the stage, with a growing audience -- and with more relevant material.

Argo steals the show here, and his powerful performance should be the stuff of legend. A fine art-house film with much more going on beneath the surface, "The Electric Chair" is a compelling and provocative watch. (Wild Eye Releasing via MVD Visual)

Sons Of Tonatiuh - "Sons Of Tonatiuh" album

From Atlanta, Georgia comes this as-yet unsigned aggro-doom metal beast, and this is their fearsome full-length debut. It's a solid work, starting with the thick and sludgy "To The Throne", erupting forth with downtuned guitars, scalding vocals, and a pace that crawls in spots, but alternately amps it up with complex changes and breakneck tempos. SOT go even more evil with "Consumed", which hovers menacingly at first, only to spill out its guts punk-style with a speedy thrash assault. Not strictly a metal band, Sons Of Tonatiuh also channel noise/punk more than effectively, and graft it to a doomy, post-Sabbath sludge-riff bludgeon. Witness the sinister "Adam And Evil", or the scalding grooves of "Chain Up The Masses". SOT's forceful and furious attack leaves no survivors, and daringly combines several styles into a unique and vicious identity all their own. Dig it. (Sons Of Tonatiuh self-release)

GG Allin + The Aids Brigade - "Live in Boston 1989" DVD

Whether GG Allin was one of rock's greatest or worst frontmen is up for debate. But 20+ years later, one thing is certain -- nobody has taken punk rock to such depraved, confrontational, and vile depths since.

Here, GG and the boys (including brother Merle, who Goatsden did a tape-trade with many years back) play dress-up, New York Dolls-style -- to gain entrance to a club that GG was banned in a few months prior. This drag-queen plan worked, as GG and crew were able to battle through 9 tracks, including such tasteful "classics" as "Cunt On The Loose", "I Wanna Rape You", and "Bite It You Scum".

The show was relatively tame, for GG Allin standards. Musically, the group's basic 3-chord punk wasn't too interesting nor unique, but the antics of their untamed frontman (and the extensive make-up, wigs, and dresses) made this one a definite curiosity.

The added bonus material, equating to 2 additional shows from 1993, stands as prime GG, with all the expected mayhem and feces. It's all spectacle, rather than music here, as Allin baits the (dwindling) audience with threats of violence and sexual assault. It's not pretty or easy to watch. As it stands, "Live in Boston 1989" is good value for Allin fans, as it runs well over a couple of hours altogether, but casual fans will need to see the "Hated" documentary first. (MVD Visual)

GG Allin official site

Also worthy of mention while on the subject of GG Allin...a new throbblehead figure, commemorating the 1991 GG...

Aggronautix, home to the GG Allin throbblehead and tons more...

"Scream Queens Illustrated" DVD (director: John Russo)

Anyone who knows us here at Goatsden HQ knows that we aren't big fans of workout or fitness videos. We ARE, however, definitely interested in sleaze and trash cinema, which this one seems to qualify as. I mean, there really aren't many redeeming qualities on this one!
I can't begin to guess who the target market for this one is/was, but it's definitely a freaky, odd, and tacky set. A compilation of two different 1992 VHS titles, "Scream Queens Illustrated" features "Scream Queen Swimsuit Sensations", and "Knockout Workout", and both titles using the same footage, re-edited and re-arranged.

Included are 3 starlets, all veterans of Playboy videos and low-budget B-movies, but mostly forgotten today. Melissa Moore (cute Kentuckian who is now a horse trainer), Jasae (chick wrestler/boxer with a frightful stair-stepper routine), and Veronica Carothers (who is the hammiest and most dramatic) are examined with brief biographical interview bits, as well as included in some rather tame fitness routines, often with their particular body parts being zoomed-in on. As workout videos, these fail. As treats for pervs and fanboys, they rock. A silly and initially entertaining selection that gets old really fast. (SRS Cinemavia MVD Visual)