My Sweet Satan

i just saw a bootleg copy of my sweet satan, and i have a really hard time believing that this wasn't meant to be funny. i am also a maker of low quality films and finishing a shot when someone popped this in. it was hilarious! the drug use, the "satanism", the portrayal of teenage wasteland, we couldn't stop laughing! we're people ever really scared of this?

on the production side-it was actually well done considering what i hear he had to work with.

the acting is bad, but i doubt he was paying anybody, so that is forgiveable.

Jim Van Bebber's short film My Sweet Satan (1994) is supposedly based on real life character, who committed a horrible murder, was then sentenced to prison, where he finally killed himself by hanging. Director Van Bebber plays Ricky Kasslin, the main character, who is young fellow who listens to heavy metal, has one of the ugliest hair cuts ever, and acts like some animal, and believes that Satan is his Master and he loves Satan the most.

This film really makes me wonder why this kind of things happen. Those Satan worshippers are depicted miserable, but dedicated lost persons and souls, who find a meaning to their lives by worshipping and praising the Satan, the most evil thing imaginable. I think this film definitely doesn't promote Satanism, since the final phrase Ricky's friend says in prison is so underlining, and tells the opinion of writer/director.

This shortie has some very interesting cinematic elements, most notably the soundtrack which consists of different metal bands, but also very menacing sounds and moans which are played also backwards and create very ominous atmosphere and a feeling of evil and pure wickedness. Also, different kinds of camera techniques add to the atmosphere and the film is very great in its elements and visual power.

The infamous ending is very disturbing and graphic, and the whole short film is full of violent and off putting imagery like actual body piercing, blood and terror, but the last murder is the worst, and that murder finally led the main character to prison and suicide. The suicide is also very relentlessly and realistically depicted, so this film is definitely not nice to watch. The film is important since this madness really exists in the world and this film just shows some facts and asks couple of questions without moralizing. I liked this very much and appreciate the cinematic talent of Van Bebber and give this 9/10. This little film is not likely to be easily forgotten once experienced.

I would consider myself pretty jaded when it comes to extremely violent/disturbing type films but when I watched MY SWEET SATAN today I was completely blown away. It's a short film (about 20 mins.) and stars underground horror-action director Jim Van Bebber as Ricky Kasslin who is a character based on a (supposedly) true incident. It's nothing more than doped up, heavy metal white trash kids who worship Satan and crucify chickens. Sounds like family entertainment, eh? The "stomp" ending really had me gagging and is quite possibly the most intense, sick, and disturbing scene I've ever had the (dis)pleasure of watching! Oh yeah, and talk about that up-close (real) nipple piercing! I was practically squirming in my chair! I don't think I'll be popping this back into the DVD for quite some time....

This is the kind of film that Harmony Korine later became more successful doing...that is, chronicling the lives of bored suburban white trash Satan worshippers on dope. Van Bebber knows his milieu and does what he can in 19 minutes but it's really just buildup to a conclusion you won't soon forget.

OK... lets get the record straight. This movie is about Ricky Kasso, a knob of a teen who was involved in a "Satanic" cult called The Knights of the Black Circle. He killed his friend over drugs, and was high on mescaline when he did it. Nothing extraordinary, just strange. Fear Factory does a great song called 0-0 about this murder...its on the album Obsolete. I cant believe the review someone wrote about this movie talking about Satan worship and such... thanks for the religious right comment, but there are much more shocking things out there than some high school kid killing his friend over some imaginary bad guy. Thats right, I said it... Satan is my favorite IMAGINARY character. Well, him and Han Solo, and the tall man from Phantasm. This is a short film (like 20-30mins or so) but is really good. Good luck finding it. Watching this movie combined with a little internet research on the subject (http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/4077/kasso.html) makes for a nice night of psychotropy.