Review by Peter Syslo
SATANIC SLUTS II: THE BLACK MASSES (2007 – UK ) is a new DVD release from our friends at Redemption Films/Salvation (www.salvation-films.com). The DVD features stereo sound, 16:9 widescreen, and some nice extras like: a musical performance by Eileen Daly/Jezebel, stills galleries, and promo artwork for the “Black Mass” performances. For those of you who are not familiar with the Satanic Sluts and their work, they are kind of like a dark burlesque troupe whose members engage in gothic, horror-inspired performance art. This DVD is a compilation of video footage and stills from eleven performances by the Satanic Sluts in various UK clubs; the performances were dubbed “Black Masses” and hence, that is where the title originated.
To give you a glimpse of my opinion on the DVD, I will start off by saying that viewing this on a widescreen television or monitor is essential. It may sound petty and strange, but I started viewing this on a regular 4:3 screen and it really wasn’t “doing it” for me – and that was about to greatly influence my review/rating, in a negative fashion! But, as I was going back over the DVD to check some details, I saw it on my widescreen PC monitor and it looked like a totally different film. This was the first time that the aspect ratio truly enhanced my viewing experience and made a significant difference. See that kids! Pay attention to the technological specs… they may save your life, someday.
SATANIC SLUTS II is directed by Nigel Wingrove and the footage was compiled from the eleven “Black Mass” performances that took place from 2004-2005. The Satanic Sluts performers include: Belladonna, Chelsea Chainsaw, Dischordia, Morgana, Morrigan Hel, Poison Venus, Tiara Tart, and Voluptua. The compilation also includes a very diverse mix of music, including: classical pieces, live performances by The Nuns and Eileen Daly/Jezebel, atmospheric music by COF’s Charles Hedger, and dark/gothic techno from various DJs.
At first, I wasn’t “taken in” by this film and, again, that was mainly because I wasn’t viewing it in widescreen. Throughout the DVD, the video footage is “framed”, almost in a viewer, like you would see on any video website. Basically, that cuts down (both vertically and horizontally) on the size of the video and on a regular 4:3 television, it was very small and distracting. However, on a 16:9 widescreen, it looked correct, the video appeared quite large, and I got a better impression of the whole “club” experience.
But, all technical details aside, I felt that the first few Black Masses were a little on the tame side and they didn’t really “grab me”. In the introduction by Nigel Wingrove, he explained that some of the earlier shows weren’t as polished as the later ones and I see what he means. Around the fourth or fifth Mass is where the momentum picked up and it became an engaging, theatrical experience.
The first scene which “grabbed” me was when a bride (I think it was called “Pierced Bride”) took a syringe, drew blood from her arm, injected it into her beverage glass, and then proceeded to drink it. That was very unique and compelling. Some of the other highlights included a seductive musical performance by The Nuns, a mummy striptease by Morrigan Hel, and the defilement of an angel - which again included Morrigan Hel, as a devil. Let me just take a few minutes to talk about Morrigan Hel. She is a great performer, she is sexy, she has that “gothic” aura about her, and she really seems to “own” each character she portrays. Morrigan Hel was also in NATURE MORTE (a previous film release from Redemption/Salvation) and she was a “scene stealer” in that, as well. She was definitely my favorite girl in SATANIC SLUTS II (although all of them did a great job… and of course, they all looked hot!) and I hope to see more of her in upcoming films.
Cutting to the chase: Watch SATANIC SLUTS II: THE BLACK MASSES on a 16:9 compatible television/monitor – it makes a huge difference (to me, at least). The film started off slow, but it soon picked up speed and it “delivered” in the end. Also, there is a very insightful introduction and epilogue by Nigel Wingrove, which adds to the experience. Aside from my previous criticism, my only other gripe is that I wanted to hear the noise/crowd in each club, to enhance the experience of being there. I loved the music in each vignette, don’t get me wrong, but a little of the auditory club atmosphere would have been a nice touch, at times. In conclusion, if you like beautiful, half-naked women performing in dark, exploitative fantasy scenes, then this will be your kind of DVD. Though, I will say that maybe you should view one of the other SATA NIC SLUTS videos before this one, because it may help pull (yeah, I’ll use that term) it all together for you. I give SATANIC SLUTS II an 8/10.