Rating: 
Summary: If you have read...
Review: ...either the AMOK catalogs or any of the Apocalypse Culture books, this would be the visual equivalent--I do not consider myself a part of the "fringe" or the "counter-culture"--I am middle-aged and have a white-collar job but I have always been interested in the unusual and sometimes downright weird, call me a cultural voyeur, if you want...although my reading encompasses the aforementioned works as well as books on serial killers, goth culture, New Orleans voodoo, etc., I cannot afford to be as liberal in my tastes when it comes to the unusual in music, movies and TV--I can usually get the gist of what I will be reading from the cover, title, back comments, etc. but with music, movies and TV the information contained therein is not so straight-forwardly apparent (unless I see a trailer, read a review, hear a sample, etc.)...That said, I bought this DVD set as it seemed to me a kind of "60 Minutes" of the unusual for the beginner (thanks to that previous reviewer for the analogy, altho I don't think Christopher Guest would even think about most of this stuff, let alone film it), and as that goes, I was not disappointed, but if you bought a DVD set of the best of 60 Minutes episodes, would you really keep it and rewatch it? For instance, I've seen more of artist Joe Coleman's work and lifestyle from a IFC documentary, I didn't really need video footage of Mr. Terrific or Fantastic or whatever after reading about him one of the aforementioned books, and as for the "Uncle Goddamn" and "Brother Theodore" excerpts throughout the show, I only have to see a flaming, drunken, inbred redneck or a rambling, mentally-ill, pretentious New Yawk "artist" ONCE to get the picture, OK? For the price, you might want to stick to the books--even with the 2nd "bonus" DVD you get with this set which is speaker-only segments of a live convention in which only the Adam Parfrey and Marilyn Manson speeches are interesting (you can get the Parfrey stuff from the, yes, "aforementioned" books, and probably the Manson stuff from his website)... Aside: From the wonderful comics he writes, you wouldn't think Grant Morrison would be such a self-amused, drug-addled, bloody boring git, but...he IS!
Rating:
Summary: If you have read...
Review: ...either the AMOK catalogs or any of the Apocalypse Culture books, this would be the visual equivalent--I do not consider myself a part of the "fringe" or the "counter-culture"--I am middle-aged and have a white-collar job but I have always been interested in the unusual and sometimes downright weird, call me a cultural voyeur, if you want...although my reading encompasses the aforementioned works as well as books on serial killers, goth culture, New Orleans voodoo, etc., I cannot afford to be as liberal in my tastes when it comes to the unusual in music, movies and TV--I can usually get the gist of what I will be reading from the cover, title, back comments, etc. but with music, movies and TV the information contained therein is not so straight-forwardly apparent (unless I see a trailer, read a review, hear a sample, etc.)... That said, I bought this DVD set as it seemed to me a kind of "60 Minutes" of the unusual for the beginner (thanks to that previous reviewer for the analogy, altho I don't think Christopher Guest would even think about most of this stuff, let alone film it), and as that goes, I was not disappointed, but if you bought a DVD set of the best of 60 Minutes episodes, would you really keep it and rewatch it? For instance, I've seen more of artist Joe Coleman's work and lifestyle from a IFC documentary, I didn't really need video footage of Mr. Terrific or Fantastic or whatever after reading about him one of the aforementioned books, and as for the "Uncle Goddamn" and "Brother Theodore" excerpts throughout the show, I only have to see a flaming, drunken, inbred redneck or a rambling, mentally-ill, pretentious New Yawk "artist" ONCE to get the picture, OK? For the price, you might want to stick to the books--even with the 2nd "bonus" DVD you get with this set which is speaker-only segments of a live convention in which only the Adam Parfrey and Marilyn Manson speeches are interesting (you can get the Parfrey stuff from the, yes, "aforementioned" books, and probably the Manson stuff from his website)... Aside: From the wonderful comics he writes, you wouldn't think Grant Morrison would be such a self-amused, drug-addled, bloody boring git, but...he IS!
Rating: 
Summary: Completely original and fascinating
Review: A fascinating series of mini-documentaries on major and minor characters in underground culture and thought. The best "Reality" TV series I've seen. Hilarious, pathetic, and adsurd, but always thought-provoking. I wish there were several more DVDs to watch - I don't want it to end!
Rating: 
Summary: Terribly Disappointing...
Review: After reading the Disinformation book series, I was anticipating this release and purchased it immediately. Unfortunately, this was one of the most disappointing purchases I've made in some time. Perhaps my perceptions are skewed from the books, but I expected informative and original content on par with those releases. Instead, this DVD is half Jackass-esque comedy, half congratulatory "you're not part of the mainstream" speeches, and a whole host of is-it-or-isn't-it satire/documentaries. This is a DVD you'll want to skip, or at least rent before purchasing.
Rating:
Summary: If Christopher Guest directed "60 Minutes"!
Review: At 6 hours, I still found myself wanting MORE and I watched the entire thing in one sitting. There has never been a TV show like this and it's easy to see why the SCI FI Channel yanked it off their schedule! I shake my head in wonderment at some of these reviews here, though. One reviewer says it's worse than the Weekly World News, but how closely did this person actually watch the DVD before reviewing it? It would be like thinking "Waiting for Guffman" or "This is Spinal Tap" were documentaries and not comedies. They are making fun of these "conspiracy theorists", not taking them seriously! Buy this or rent it today, it's an amazingly weird experience! Very similar to "American Movie" if you liked that kind of humor.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!!!!
Review: bored of "reality TV"? want to see the real "reality TV"? this one will surely get you going. it's weird, intelligent, subversive, humorous and witty. and, there's so much of it: more than 6 hours by my count. i watched the entire 2 disc set and was still thirsty for more. more alien conspiracy theories, more outsider art and artists. which other TV show will investigate the proliferation of She-Males in straight male pornography (ladies, a careful re-examination of your man's porn stash is desired), which other TV show will put Heraldo's Satanism "Expose" to shame by showing the true satanists and their childish motives (one of the best segments if you ask me). remember how you always wanted to animate your younger sisters' Ken and Barbie dolls in "awkward" positions? well, this one guy from NY did that better than all of us. but above all this the second DVD rises with speeches by counter culture mavens Robert Anton Wilson, legendary occultist filmmaker Kenneth Anger, media theorist and author Douglas Rushkoff (in my opinion the best and most interesting of them all) and artists Joe Coleman and Kembra Pfahler (it is hard to say who between both of them is weirder.)
in short, this DVD will send you flying through the air and it is highly recommended, you will want to show this to your friends because it will make you instantly cooler than them!!!
Rating: 
Summary: A Mixed Bag
Review: First off, the transfer: this seems to be a rather poor DVD compression, with a lot of ugly visual artifacts. Then, there's the content. I have not finished watching it, but it is so far a very mixed bag: the episodes end with commentary from Brother Theodore, who was tedious a decade ago and who has not improved with age. There is an interview with a "mind-controlled sex slave," and her story is interesting to watch, but a better account of her books can be found in the book Apocalypse Culture II. The section on painter Joe Coleman was definitely worth watching. Genesis P-Orridge will be familiar to readers of the Re/Search series of books; you can get a lot more out of reading about him. The excerpts from the "Uncle Goddamn" video are horrible to watch: like watching the Bumfights video, it is just appalling, and everyday cruelty is rather uninteresting. If you're in this for titillation value, you're probably better off watching porn or HBO's "Real Sex" series. I have not finished watching (and may not bother). It is amusing to think that some people may have stumbled upon this by accident since it appeared in the UK immediately after Ally McBeal!
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining, interesting, and a bargain (especially used).
Review: Four uncut episodes, with some extra footage on infiltrating McDonalds and Howard Bloom, plus a documentation of a live Disinfo event in NYC are included in this 2-disc set. It's not all fascinating, I don't care about Joe Coleman, Grant Morrison and Kembra Pfahler (they just strike me as wannabe celebrities), but I like the satanist and conspiracy stuff-it's more funny than scary, and I'm not sure if that's the intention or not! Other bits on outsider music and porno (extreme and trannie) are fairly interesting, and the late Brother Theodore always makes me laugh. Host Richard Metzger is a little self-conscious and annoying, but tolerable enough. The NYC event is a mixed bag, I wish Adam Parfrey and Kenneth Anger would have spoken longer, while Morrison and Marilyn Manson would've spoken less. Still, it's worth a look. Much of this stuff was taped around 2000 it seems, and it's interesting how little an effect this stuff has had on George W. Bush's America. As Americans have become more frightened to leave the house, this counter-culture weirdness really seems to have taken a backseat to the foibles of the New World Order.
Rating:
Summary: Notes from the underground...
Review: Having grown up in a family highly influenced by Crowley, Leary and Robert Anton Wilson this was welcome evidence that 'alternative' philosophy and culture is alive and kicking. The shows themselves are fantastic (although I could do without the Brother Theodore stuff), somewhat like a more 'out-there' Daily Show or Insomniac, but the lectures on the second disc are even better at kicking up some intellectual dirt.
Rating:
Summary: Pure Genius
Review: Hours of entertainment packed into this two DVD set. Raw, enlightening and funny the Disinformation series freaked out people in the UK (where it originally aired, after Ally McBeal oddly enough) and this DVD features the best of the show along with a few hours of the highlights from the Disinfo.Con. Want more? Check out their great site at www.disinfo.com.
|
