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“Monsters do exist; in us and among us. They walk in our shadow. They can prey on us more as we fear them less. We should know. We created them.” --- George A. Romero

Horrorphile - June 2007

Ex Drummer

June 14th 2007 04:45
Ex Drummer movie poster
Featuring in the “provocateur” section of the 54th Sydney Film Festival is this outrageously provocative movie about all manner of bad behaviour. Ex Drummer (2007) has to be one of the strangest, most compelling and audacious movies I have seen in a long time; the kind of film that would have been either savagely butchered by censors, or banned outright, twenty years ago.

Directed by Koen Mortier, a commercials director helming his feature film debut, and what a startling and inventive film this is. Based on the eponymous cult novel by Dutch author Herman Brusselmans, it’s a co-production between Belgium, Netherlands and Italy (trust the Dutch and the Flemish to join hands in this kind of purely confrontational cinema). This is one dark and very twisted, virtually wretched piece of cinema designed to provoke and outrage, which of course it does in spades. But it’s also infused with a ferocious, volatile intelligence, a kind of socio-political savvy that it almost chokes on, as it delivers one diatribe after another.
Ex Drummer movie still
Dries and girlfriend
Successful author Dries (Dries Venhegen) is approached by three utter misfits – handicapped low-life losers to be more precise – who need a drummer so they can compete at an upcoming battle of the bands. Skinhead singer Koen (Norman Baert) has a lisp and derives great pleasure from assaulting women, before screwing them until there’s blood on the walls, bass player Jan (Gunter Lamoot) has a permanently stiff arm following a traumatic adolescent incident when his mother walked in on him masturbating furiously, and guitarist Ivan (Sam Louwyk) is deaf. Koen and Ivan live in perpetual squalor and harbour bitterness and contempt for their women, while Jan is gay, but he loathes his obese, bald mother (while his father is tied to a bed in a straitjacket!)
Ex Drummer movie still
Three of The Feminists; Jan, Ivan and Koen
After recruiting Dries, who smokes incessantly and announces his own “handicap”: he can’t play drums, the utterly un-fab four form The Feminists, and proceed to offend and upset everything and everyone around them, primarily their own psyches, but partners and family become collateral damage. Streaked with most filthy black humour (one of the competing bands are called Six Million Jews) and filmed in an anarchic and surreal fashion (one character’s home life is upside down … literally, he walks and sleeps on his apartment ceiling). The entire film operates like a crazed and demented intellectual-existential punk movie about anger and acceptance, sex and death (don’t the nihilists just love that combo!)
Ex Drummer movie still
Koen pours his heart out
Ex Drummer is a socio-political horror movie. Not for the easily offended as it sports graphic violence, full frontal nudity (including a threesome scene of actual sex), and intensely politically incorrect humour. What appears to be rampant misogyny from this bunch of maladjusted males (although Dries frequently acts like an asshole, he is supposedly pretending, as we know his preferred existence is his pristine Ostend penthouse and a loyal, adventurous girlfriend) is more misanthropic behaviour than anything else.
Ex Drummer movie still
Hell hath no fury like a skinhead scorned
The performances are astonishing, the art direction is brilliantly authentic and the camera work is inspired. Still, Ex Drummer might not sound like the most pleasant experience at the movies, but it’s precisely the kind of kick in the ass and balls a jaded cinephile needs in this schizophrenic modern society. Trainspotting eat yer heart out! Bluntly put, like a king-hit, Ex Drummer ROCKS!

Here's the Dutch trailer:


Ex Drummer plays the Sydney Film Festival, Saturday June 23rd 5:15pm at GU George St 1

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews
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Comments
11 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by David

June 14th 2007 05:33
Bryn

I'm looking forward to the sequel already. Word has it they're going to call it Orble.

David ...

Comment by KylieW

June 14th 2007 05:57


Celebrity Obsession
Bryn,

Wow, that looks insane!! Very cool. I am definitely keeping an eye out for that. I want to see it.

Kylie

Comment by Damo

June 14th 2007 06:48


For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
I work with a guy who made himself an upside down room where he smoke his pot. It was called his spinout room.

This sounds just like his life.
Good post

You get extra point for having the word of the week: eponymous.

Comment by Bryn

June 14th 2007 14:52


Horrorphile
Nice to see such a fine selection of Orblers first up! Cheers guys! Yeah, twould be fun to see it in a full cinema, I only previewed it on a large plasma screen ... still a rolicking, contemptuous, slap-in-your-face, comedy of visceral errors!
David ... word.
Kylie ... yes, insane.
Damo ... fiction is truer than strange.

Comment by Cibbuano

June 14th 2007 23:10


20/20 Filmsight
Science News
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
bryn - sounds fantastic. Misfits, hell yeah!


Comment by Nickoftime's Sanity Corner

June 14th 2007 23:27
Bryn,

sounds like something I'd watch and enjoy the hell out of...lol...talk about a misfit!

Great post!

Take care,

Nick

Comment by Bryn

June 15th 2007 00:36


Horrorphile
Cibby and Nick ... let's start a Club o' Misfits.

Comment by yoda76

June 15th 2007 23:59


The Tube Blog
This sounds completely messed up.

Awesome.


Comment by JohnDoe

June 17th 2007 10:20


Film & TV on DVD
Another great review Bryn,

From what you've said i will really dig this kind of maelstrom of mind...on my list.

Comment by D. Armenta

June 19th 2007 15:29


The Florida Keys and Everglades
The Black Sheep Chronicles
What constitutes bad manners?
The male mystique
Debate Fan
..coming in late on this one..on my list too!

Sounds like my last band...

Comment by Bryn

June 20th 2007 00:14


Horrorphile
Armenta ... that's scary!

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