In the Belly of the Beast

Included as an extra on The Manson Family DVD set, this was a nearly feature length documentary of the 1997 FantAsia Film Festival in Montreal. Highlights include such underground films as A Gun for Jennifer, Dust Devil, Aftermath, an early mix of Manson Family scenes (in an attempt to receive more funding!), and Subconscious Cruelty. Directors, actors, fans, and critics all chime in with their thoughts on these pictures and other genre topics. The director of Subconscious Cruelty was especially annoying; his mouth never shut. And then when he received some criticism for his picture, he nearly broke down. I'm not sure what he was hoping for; a film like SC never was going to find a big audience or receive much praise.

Concordia graduate Alex Chisolm's first feature is a landmark for anyone interested in the perils of indie horror - and just plain deviant-- filmmaking. Trimmed down from an alleged 80 hours of video footage filmed against the backdrop of the 1997 FanTasia Film Festival in Montreal, In the Belly of the Beast is the ultimate genre documentary, as it's the only one I've seen that accurately captures the horror stories that take place behind the camera. Chisholm's probing eye manages to capture some of the most heartbreaking moments in horror history: Deep red editor Chas Balun's verbal attack on Aftermath director Nacho Cerda; FanTasia programmer Karim Hussain's dejection when his new film fails to arouse the enthusiasm of a roomful of his cinematic mentors; a blood-soaked Richard Stanley (Hardware, Dust Devil) eloquently confessing his alienation from the rest of the human race; and a teary-eyed Jim Van Bebber as he stands beside a sold-out lineup eagerly awaiting a glimpse of the in-progress Charlie's Family. Blessed with unbelievably intimate interviews and exclusive footage of a myriad of cult and horro personalities, Chisolm's In the Belly of the Beast is a rare treat for aficionados of this unique little family that we call the horror genre.

I rented Jim Van Bebber's mess on Manson and I found myself pleasantly surprised by this documentary. My night wasn't totally ruined after all. Very honest, it has it's flaws, but pretty interesting to see the behind the scenes of that film festival called Fantasia. The directors of "Gun for Jennifer" were really candid and funny, even with everything that happened to them. Richard Stanley is always too brilliant ...I have to say though that the director of what seems to be a major piece of crap, "Subconcious Cruelty", looks like he needs a major wake up call, or a big kick in the head! I can't believe that someone as talented as Nacho Cerda works with that pseudo director!

In the Belly of the Beast is a documentary set at 1997's legendary Fant-Asia Festival in Montreal, Canada. It really gets into the trials & tribulations of genuinely independent filmmakers - everything from spending years trying to finish a single film, funding problems (including criminal embezzlement by backers), right through to hostile audience & critical reactions.

The filmmakers themselves were a mixed bunch. Judging from the way they came across here, the one I'd most want to hang out with is Jim van Bebber who just seemed cool. The soft-spoken Nacho Cerda was also endearing, and I felt sorry for him when Chas. Balun verbally attacked him over his film Aftermath.

Festival organizer Karim Hussain annoyed me, but I ended up feeling sorry for him when no one would talk to him after the screening of his then-unfinished movie, Subconscious Cruelty. Deborah Twiss & Todd Morris's account of the making of their movie was amazing - not much else could possibly go wrong for them, but they managed to stay in good (sarcastic) humour while telling the story.

Some of the gory clips, especially from Aftermath, might keep some people from enjoying this very well put together documentary, which you can find on the 2-disc version of the Manson Family DVD.

Highly recommended!