Now I am probably one of the small handful of people who enjoyed Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2. I was there opening night and saw it with a few friends and all of us liked it to varying degrees. Don’t get me wrong, I am perfectly capable of admitting that there are major flaws with the film, and that those flaws make Book of Shadows a difficult film to appreciate on a surface level. And it was that bitter pill that ended up sinking a potentially fascinating franchise. But lurking beneath the surface were characteristics and themes that I wish more sequels would aspire to. (more…)

Warning - Due to the graphic content contained within the title of the film I will be reviewing this week I have decided that for one week, and one week only, I will remove my self-imposed language restrictions and allow myself to curse like a sailor if the mood strikes. Trust me, it will.

This week’s entry provided a bit of a challenge. How does one review a film that isn’t supposed to be seen? Perhaps a bit of history might be in order first. Cocksucker Blues was shot during The Rolling Stones concert tour of 1972. Finally returning to the United States after the tragic conclusion of the 1969 tour, vividly caught in the landmark documentary Gimme Shelter, The Rolling Stones embarked on what is now considered their greatest concert tour of all-time, made all the more infamous by documentarian Robert Frank (Me and My Brother).

Frank was enlisted to capture the grandeur of The Rolling Stones and he set about filming hours of footage both on stage, back stage, and at other various points of the tour. He also allowed band members, roadies, and hanger ons to film short vignettes as well. Upon completion of the film Frank screened it for The Rolling Stones and they promptly set about blocking its release. Lawsuits were filed and eventually a sentence was handed down that the film could only be screened once a year, and Frank must be present at the screening. Thus the film was effectively banned. But sure enough the film found renewed life in bootleg copies, and coupled with the risqué images in the film and the possible consequences for viewing the movie, the film has reached legendary status among both music and film fans.

So the question for myself is how do I review a film that isn’t to be watched? The smart person would answer “Very carefully.” and proceed in a cautious and conservative manner. Neither referencing the movie directly, nor indirectly implicating themselves. An artistic person would perhaps answer “Very slyly.” Perhaps inserting a different phrase as a stand-in for the title, subtlety referencing it in other, more discreet and tactful, ways. But since I am neither smart nor artistic I’m simply going to dive straight in to Cocksucker Blues, balls deep if you will, and leave everything to chance.

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