(Du Welz / Belgium/France/Luxembourg / 2004 / 35mm(subtitled) / cert18) 
(Tues 7th-Wed 8th / 9:15pm / £4/3/2ttt)

This jet-black feature sees cabaret singer Marc stranded in the bleak backwoods
of Belgium and abducted by psychotic hotel owner Bartel. The story weaves
familiar 1970's 'survival' schlock-horror staples (hillbilly insanity,
brutality/buggery, and plenty of crucifixes) into a demented, surrealist fairy
tale although gratuitous close-ups of the violence are avoided. Things get
steadily worse as our hero is faced with a barnfull of golem-faced, sexually
deviant villagers and soon is fighting for his life and sanity. 

Dervish camerawork courtesy of director of photography Benoît Debie (from Gaspar
Noé’s controversial IRREVERSIBLE) and a performance-art approach to ensemble
acting (eerily reminiscent of Herzog’s HEART OF GLASS) all contribute to a
grubby, atmospheric piece of Euro-terror. As the outspoken Belgian director
Fabrice Du Welz says, “Fuck Hollywood, you know.”