Singapore Sling

The reflexive urge to label any film that flaunts its own sense of willful ambiguity as "in the vein of Lynch" is an overused cliché in the realm of armchair film criticism. And it's all too easy to overstate the paranoid influence of Polanski on films that take a maddeningly subjective approach to their characters. And it's easier yet to label a movie released in 1990, yet utilizing gorgeous black-and-white cinematography, as a satirical-noir counterpart to Billy Wilder's "Sunset Boulevard" and the black-humored psychological horror of "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" But "Singapore Sling," true to its alcohol-blended title, cribs all of these seemingly disparate influences into a bizarre original that, while not yielding the most emotionally resonant result, offers a hypnotic descent into a gradually escalating nightmare. Greek writer-director Nikos Nikolaidis offers a simple setup, revealed through the title character's voice-over narration: for three years, he has been searching for a woman named Laura, and an injury (for which no explanation is given) finds him on the doorstep of a deranged "Mother" (Michele Valley) and "Daughter" (Meredyth Herold), who proceed to torture and degrade our protagonist in all manner of revolting ways. "Singapore Sling" is well aware of its capacity to disgust and provoke, but what keeps the proceedings fascinating (and watchable) are performances (particularly Valley's and Herold's) that take on an inspired madness that convinces the viewer that their actions are consistent with their unglued personalities (and not mere showy torture fodder in the "Hostel" mold). Complementing Nikolaidis's madhouse aesthetic is the black-and-white cinematography, where one beautifully-conceived shot follows the next, and gives the proceedings a paradoxically classy look, despite the sharp contrast with the subject matter. While not without pretension, "Singapore Sling" straddles the line between "arthouse" and "grindhouse" with gleefully mad abandon, its unapologetic weirdness a breath of fresh air.

It's difficult to categorise the black-and-white surreal experience that is "Singapore Sling". The film probably falls into the midnight movie category with films like "Eraserhead" and "Jungfrau am Abgrund" - nightmarish celluloid journeys that leave you wondering, "Did I really see that?" as you wake in the cold light of the morning.

"Singapore Sling" is beautifully shot; every scene is lit perfectly and looks amazing. From the opening scene where two rain-drenched and mud-caked scantily clad women dispose of the "chauffeur", the tone is set for over-the-top weirdness.

Erotic, sickening, funny and shocking, "Sling" is a taboo-busting tale of incest, murder, fruit abuse and insanity. Acts of sexual debauchery are thrown at the viewer almost casually. The actress who plays the daughter is classically beautiful and delivers some of the most bizarre scenes I've ever witnessed. This is an actress who's trusting the director to deliver a solid film. I would say that this trust is well-placed - Nikos Nikolaidis has produced a unique movie that is impossible to forget and that lingers in the mind like a fever induced bad dream.

For those of a nervous disposition and fragile constitution, this is a movie that should be avoided like the plague. Fans of transgressive cinema, however, will probably love this movie and appreciate its dark slice of perverse comedy.

9 out of 10. A twisted, hellish journey into celluloid madness that is as captivating as it is repelling.

A mother and a daughter live in a large home,playing games of sexual domination and re-enacting the murders of various servants that they have hired and then killed.A private detective called Singapore Sling comes searching for Laura,a woman he is fixated on but whom they have killed.They imprison him,using poor guy as a sex toy and torturing him."Singapore Sling" by Nikos Nikolaidis is easily one of the most demented horror films ever made.This extremely weird piece of film-noir is loaded with erotic regurgitation,cannibalism,incest,lesbianism,bondage,bizarre sex and sadistic violence.The relationship between the mother and her daughter is extremely bizarre to say the least.The acting is absolutely awesome and the performances are incredibly real.The atmosphere is simply insane and wonderfully nightmarish.There is also a good amount of sickening violence and gore including the most nerve-wracking dinner sequence I have ever seen."Singapore Sling" is shot in exquisite black-and-white and classical music plays on the soundtrack and this makes it even more unsettling.In one truly demented scene the male lead is tied down to the bed, ETC paddles jammed against his forehead and he is left convulsing in shock while the mother rides him and then moves up to urinate on his face.So if you are a fan of twisted cinema like "Visitor Q","Salo" or "Sweet Movie" give this gross-out masterpiece a look.10 out of 10.

This is one of the most unique films I've ever seen, and I'll probably remember scenes from it till the day I die. Beautiful photography? Check. Non-linear plot line and weird storytelling techniques (talking to the audience, language mixing)? Check. Haunting soundtrack? Check. Black humor? Definite check. Some of the most bizarre erotic scenes ever filmed outside of porn? Oh yeah. A mix of utter revulsion and sensuous, wayward eroticism. Certain morsels of cinema that's classified as seriously weird by most run the risk of being weird for weirdness' sake; I'm happy to say that this is not one of them. Everything adheres to the film's internal logic, which would be my biggest criticism of movies that are considered 'out there'. Goes without saying this is not for the faint-hearted. A serious, deranged noir poem, one I will relish springing upon friends without any forewarning.

This flick was frowned upon (to say the least) even from the those willing to sit down n watch in an objective viewing. Right. As if you can. It's the story of a private eye obsessed with the finding of a (probably dead) woman he had met before. His clues lead him to a house where he is enslaved by two women, mother n daughter (or so we d like to believe), whose actions can best be referred to as unspeakable. Nikolaidis is the master, he really delivers with fierce power a movie that is sick, yet sexy in its own perverted way. Definitely not for the light-hearted.