House of Pain

((CANADIAN))

A Mike Hoolboom production, with the participation of the Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council and Canada Council. (International sales: Canadian Filmmakers Distribution, Toronto.) Produced, directed, edited by Mike Hoolboom. Screenplay, Hoolboom, Paul Couillard.

"House of Pain," the latest offering from prolific experimental helmer Mike Hoolboom, is one of the most extreme, disturbing pics to emerge from Canada's indie film sector, and the ultra-explicit portrayal of a wide variety of sexual acts, coupled with Hoolboom's idiosyncratic style, ensures a highly limited theatrical life.

In fact, Hoolboom's obsession with every possible marriage of defecation and sex makes this pic a walkout special -- there's something here to offend nearly everyone and send them scurrying for the exits. Of course, those extreme scenes also will spark interest from viewers keen to see filmmaking at its most offensive.

The black-and-white pic, which contains no dialogue, consists of four surrealistic vignettes, kicking off with "Precious," which opens with a woman caressing a grave-stone. She then begins to masturbate and, in a Bunuelian moment, eventually discovers an eyeball in the ground.

Second section, "Scum," has two newlyweds exploring a host of erotic pastimes , with the woman getting it on with a bicycle, the man penetrating a cauliflower , and both experimenting with unusual uses for human excrement.

"Kisses," the third part, showcases a heavy-duty S&M session with two men in a series of scenes involving whipping, bondage and razor-play. The final section is titled "Shiteater," which pretty well sums up the vignette.

Hoolboom shows real talent in the visual department, with much of the footage shot in extremely claustrophobic close-up, and the sepia-tinged black-and-white is often quite beautiful. Earle Peach's music also is innovative, ranging from drill-like industrial rock to melancholic washes of sound.

But overall effect of this barrage of images of dark, oddly unemotional sex, none of which is remotely sexy, is to numb the viewer.

Camera (B&W, 16mm), Hoolboom; music/sound, Earle Peach; production design, Hoolboom. Reviewed at Toronto Film Festival, Sept. 13, 1995. Running time: 80 MIN.

With: Kika Thorne, Charles Costello, Janieta Eyre, Paul Couillard, Ed Johnson , Andrew Wilson.

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