Dark Stars Rising

Conversations from the Outer Realms

Shade Rupe

Headpress (2010)

Dark Stars Rising is a smorgasbord; no an orgy, of images, photos, posters and amazing tales. It is as though some of the very favourite weirdos from the readers of Synergy have all agreed to get together and get interviewed for a book ! It is an amazing collection offering interviews with a motley crew of individuals who define what being an outsider is all about; challenging, transgressive and taboo breaking, Dark Stars makes you think as well as entertains, Rupe is an excellent interviewer and obviously comes to his interviews with his groundwork done, he is always prepared. Indeed it would be fair to say these are some of the best interviews I have seen in quite a while. He elicits lots of interesting responses and directs the interviews into unusual directions. There is not a boring interview in Dark Stars, each one is sharp, witty and insightful. The visual quality of this book is breathtaking; it is filled with photos, paraphernalia, posters, movie shorts and lots more. It is creatively presented and superbly edited.

It would be impossible to review all of the contents of this book, it is large, filled to the brim with creativity, madness, perversity, horror and joy. The first section is an excellent selection of interviews followed by a series of book and movie reviews.

To give you a taste I will give you my own personal guide through just some of the interviews.

Divine, what can be said about Divine. When I was young she was my inspiration, a transvestite terrorist perhaps even the patron saint of Drag. When quiet little Glen Milne became divine he could voice the unmentionable and say the unthinkable. From the filthiest people alive to crime making your beautiful John Waters and Divine changed the world as we know it forever.

Richard Kern is the man who feminists hate. He has a no bullshit approach to film, photography and sex and explores the dynamics of eroticism in a compelling manner. His sex is dirty, honest and highly charged. His interview is fascinating and intriguing.

One of the best films on the Manson family was “The Manson Family” by Jim Vanbebber he pushed the limits in really showing what they were like rather than the sensationalist and salacious view of the media. He gives us the ins and outs of his filmmaking including insights on Deadbeat at Dawn.

Zamora is the torture king and explores all manner of body modification. From early days exploring pain and pushing his body to the limits he came to swallow swords, stand on eggs without breaking them, use needs, piercings, eat fire and utilize electricity in a very creative manner. This is amazing tale !

Dennis Paolo is not a name to conjure with, yet if we mentioned Stuart Gordon you would start to move in the right direction. Paolo wrote Reanimator and From Beyond two of the coolest genre tales ever made it to film. Gordon worked with Paolo and created some amazing films, From Beyond is still one of my favourite Lovecraft inspired tales. This is a great interview with lots of discussions about scriptwriting, horror, Hollywood, censorship and more.

I first saw a segment with Brother Theodore on a Disinformation series DVD. He was a true old world eccentric, strange, confronting, intense yet bewildering intelligent. He continued to perform shows until well into his nineties when he fell, developed pneumonia and died. This is his story.

Teller of Penn and Teller offers a meandering journey through his career, reflecting on acting, comedy, scepticism and his many failures and successes.

Herman Nitsch is a hard man to describe. His art explores blood, suffering, sex and death and has a visceral impact many cannot bear. He began using animal blood, then moved to animal carcasses and later even to slaughter animals which were scheduled for killing. His performances are true primal experiences and this interview by Rupe gets behind the art and explores the man and his vision.

Another unusual artist is Genesis P’Orridge, a musician of some fame, a gender explorer, a sorcerer and a creator of worlds. He is well known for his many musical incarnations from Throbbing Gristle to TOPY and his work combining magick and music. He is a true iconoclast who breaks every mould and is always exploring something new.

There is a very cool interview with that enigmatic actor Udo kier, European, sophisticated, dark and brooding. From an actor in Andy Warhol films to Madonna’s sex video and book. I still remember will glee his perverse presence in Flesh for Frankenstein when he stated ‘…to know life you must fuck death in the gall bladder!” This article is accompanied by some awesome movie posters and stills

Alejandro Jodoroswky is a magician and filmmaker; I am not sure which come first. His classic films El Topo and Holy Mountain are still considered the best esoteric surrealist films ever made. This interview discusses his early influences such as working with Arrabal and the Panic movement. He also discusses the making of Santa Sangre and Tusk. He has a unique and surreal approach to spirituality which is reflected throughout the interview.

Tura Satana has been the inspiration of many young women and the lust object of many a man. When she appeared in Faster, Pussycat Kill Kill, she epitomized the strong independent woman. This interview gives her life story which was both tough and ultimately inspiring. Leading from a brutal rape and a loveless marriage she slowly took control of her life and became the Tura Satana.

Richard Stanley is always an enigma. Hardware is still one of the strangest and most surreal independent sci fi films ever made and Dust Devil is a perfect evocation of mood and dark brooding spirituality. This is a fascinating interview on his life and work.

Being a Misanthrope I have always liked Willard and Crispen Glover brought him alive to a new generation. This is a marvellous interview which shows he is far more interesting that the average actor !

Dark Stars Rising should be welcomed with glee; it celebrates the different, the strange and the downright perverse. It opens up a window to the personal world of so people individuals that we have read about but would like to meet. Now thanks to Rupe we can, his interviews bring us right into their presence as they open up and tell us all about themselves. There is not a dull moment in this stunning volume and I most highly recommend it.

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