Zombie Strippers (2008) Director: Jay Lee

Zombie Strippers. I’ll give you a second for that title to sink in.

Zombies, that happen to also strip for a living… I know exactly what your preconceptions are, a crudely written B-movie with gratuitous nudity and some graphic deaths. Basically, little to no artistic integrity and lots of tits. WRONG. Zombie Strippers is about the male objectification of women. In 1975 Laura Mulvey introduced the second-wave feminist concept of the male gaze in film and media. This theory highlights the asymmetry of gender power in cinema, how females are often objectified through male voyeurism and how cinema is too often focused on pleasing the sex-hungry males.

After meticulously studying the narrative I have deduced that director Jay Lee is undoubtedly a feminist and Zombie Strippers is in fact a feminist film. In the film, Kat who is played by Jenna Jameson (renowned supporter of female rights) is infected with a zombie virus. To the management’s surprise at the Rhino club, Kat is actually more popular after she becomes a zombie and the other dancers follow suit. Get it? Because the male objectification of women is so oppressive that it renders females as non-human. Clever.

The film also further portrays a feminist agenda as the ‘zombie strippers’, including my personal favourite: the sassy goth Lillith, proceed to kill and eat the male patrons in the Rhino club. If that isn’t a metaphor for empowered women breaking free from their patriarchal constraints then I don’t know what is.

If all that latent social commentary on gender equality isn’t enough to placate your need for veiled themes, Zombie Strippers also has a lot to say about the political climate in America during the ‘war on terror’. For starters the narrative unfolds in a dystopic future during Bush’s fourth term and the U.S is at war across the globe. Later, near the conclusion of the film it is revealed that the American government has purposefully chosen not to intervene in the zombie epidemic so as to avert attention from the Country’s poor handling of the war effort. Not only is Jay Lee’s film edgy, anti-war and anti-republican but it is also an example of feminist cinema. What’s not to like? With Zombie Strippers Lee has proven that he is just like a member of anonymous, truly changing the world for the better.

Oh, and Robert fucking Englund (Freddy Krueger if you don’t know) is in it.

Ford Maddox Brown

The Human Centipede: First Sequence (2009) Director: Tom Six

Many people have been disgusted, offended and emotionally scarred by the content of The Human Centipede. Reviewers have labelled it as; and I quote: ‘a revolting concept’, ‘sickening without a sense of purpose’, ‘torture porn’ and ‘the worst fucking piece of shit you’ll ever seen in you life’… Okay, I made the last one up, but the general consensus is that people DO NOT like it. Contrary to popular opinion, I feel that Dutch director Tom Six’s intentions and overall message interwoven into the film have been greatly misinterpreted. 

I’ve watched The Human Centipede: First Sequence twelve times (and on one of these occasions I have literally been brought to tears by the purposeful gore and sheer artistry). Yes, the film is a bit gory. Yes, it depicts a mad scientist forcibly sewing three people together through their digestive tracts and YES, on the surface this plot may appeal almost exclusively to coprophiliacs and future-sociopaths. The problem is, people are too busy focusing on the literal repercussions of sewing people together anus-to-mouth, which is literally eating shit, that they misinterpret what the actions of Dr. Heiter allegorically represent…

Heiter’s brainchild- the human centipede, can actually be read as a subtle social critique of society’s current obsession with plastic surgery and body modification. Who knows where the next logical step from getting your teeth filed and whisker implants to make you look like a cat could be leading? Tom Six has actually exposed the cultural zeitgeist of people wanting to constantly change who they are and for that I salute him. The character of Dr. Josef Heiter isn’t simply a crazed mad scientist. He’s a misunderstood cosmetic surgeon, driven to the brink of derangement by one too many sets of silicone implants.

The Human Centipede: First Sequence is a masterpiece, a triumph of horror cinema in the realms of Nosferatu (1922) or The Exorcist (1973). You heard it here first.

I’ve been so caught up with the metaphorical message of the narrative that I almost forgot to even mention the superb lighting of the film… Which is spot on from the sickly amber filters; all the way to the retina-burningly bright, pristine whiteness of Dr. Heiter’s surgery room.

Ford Maddox Brown

 

The Inbetweeners Movie (2011) Director: Ben Palmer

In 2011, a coming-of-age comedy drama film smashed records by achieving the highest grossing opening weekend for an independent British film in history. This film was The Inbetweeners Movie, it proved to be a phenomenon and director Ben Palmer successfully made the difficult transition from television to big-screen with ease. On a first glance, the film is filled with gags and jokes but when examined properly, the veiled, poignant themes in the narrative bubble to the surface.

I’ve now watched The Inbetweeners Movie seventeen times (on one occasion twice in one day) and only through repeated viewings can one begin to appreciate the emotional complexity of the narrative. One theme that becomes apparent is a palpable sense of existentialism and attempted growth. Four boys, on the cusp of adulthood are taking their first trip abroad without adult supervision- a daunting prospect. At one point in the film, the boys are discussing their futures after an alcohol-fuelled night and Jay reveals his plans- “I was going to use my Grandad’s money to set us up in business. Selling car stereos to premier league footballers. Neil was gonna work in depot, but me, you and Rio Ferdinand are sales, you know? Having a laugh and that”. This practically unachievable plan expresses Jay’s lack of clarity in his life’s trajectory and to his dismay Simon has already planned to attend University. Jay’s refusal to attend University can also be interpreted as a topical, social commentary on how many current 18-year-olds are choosing not to attend higher education institutions due to ludicrous fees. The probability of a split in the group serves as a powerful example of how friendships, and indeed all of life’s plans are delicate and uncertain.

A later scene in the film depicts Will sitting by the swimming pool in deep thought, reflecting on the obstacles and affairs that have plagued all the boys during the holiday. This melancholic, existentialist opening to the scene is a clear homage to the character of Benjamin Braddock in The Graduate (1963). Neil then joins the scene in an attempt to comfort Will, his words are both comforting and insightful as he delves into contemporary issues such as atheism- “I stopped believing in God when I realised it was just Dog backwards”.

The four main characters in the narrative are so vivid and unique that they really are a delight to watch. For example, Jay (James Buckely) often weaves, complex and scarcely conceivable lies to compensate for his own lack of self-esteem. Something I’m sure we can all relate to. Whilst Neil’s story shows him struggling to remain faithful to his girlfriend back home, exposing the fragility that is often apparent in youthful relationships. 

The boys issues with finances, with the opposite sex, with their bodily functions and with their attempts to fit into social circles manifest struggles that all of us experience on the path to maturity and throughout our entire lives… Truly The Inbetweeners Movie is a piece of relatable cinema that will withstand the test of time and remain forever relevant and inspiring.

 Ford Maddox Brown