Jun
17
17
Radium 2 DVD
When Matt Zane first emerged in the world of music with his band Society 1, a significant part of their initial appeal was his connections to the adult film world. Having earned a name for himself as an auteur in the sometimes seedy, sometimes alluring, always controversial field of pornographic cinema, Zane had left the industry facing trouble with the IRS around the time of the release of the second Society 1 album, Exit Through Fear, choosing to focus on his first passion: music. Since then, he and his band have earned their fair share of notoriety with their confrontational and occasionally offensive stage shows, taking their industrialized brand of metal to the masses alongside such groups as Orgy and Dope. After the release of The Sound that Ends Creation and a triumphant appearance at the Download Festival in 2005, Earache Records dropped the band from their roster, leading to a new set of problems that may or may not have led to Zane's reentry into adult filmmaking. Over the last couple of years, he's released several news series, from the Jackass-inspired Punk'd Ur Ass series in which ridiculous and dangerous stunts are performed by the men for the reward of having sex with the select porn star, to the Tattooed & Tight series where the performers receive tattoos during sex. Surely, such films return to Zane's roots in the industry, being one of the original purveyors of the now popular "alt. porn" style, but his latest film, Radium 2 stands out among them.
The first Radium made a valiant attempt to push the envelope further, featuring a rather discordant assortment of music videos, interviews with some of the current metal scene's hardest-hitting acts, along with scenes of hardcore porn featuring five rising porn stars. While the idea seemed intriguing, the execution was rather disjointed, especially in the wake of numerous films made in a similar style since Zane stepped away from the industry. So now, Zane gives us the next set in the Radium series, once again juxtaposing porn and music in an energetic and enticing fashion. The difference is with Radium 2, the formula finally seems to work. Once again featuring Zane's muse, Tera Wray, who has appeared in all of his productions since the first Radium, the porn emphasis can not be understated. Here, we have Wray, Devon, Camryn Kiss, Kristina Rose, and internet sensation Dana DeArmond giving us four scenes of hardcore sexual thrills, all of which begin with brief interviews with the stars in which they let the viewers know their favorite metal bands and why they enjoy a bit of metal with their sex. Of course, these segments are brief so as not to lose focus on what's really important here: the sex. Followed by a few minutes of tease footage before getting down and dirty, one interesting note in the interviews is Kristina Rose's mention of Nine Inch Nails' The Fragile being an album best suited for female fans, offering a small but interesting insight that could be food for thought for NIN fans who felt that album was too soft in the wake of The Downward Spiral. As for the sex itself, what can one say about it? The performers do well to give the viewers bang for their buck (pun only partially intended), showcasing as much genuine heat as they can without falling too far into any unnecessary acts of degradation. Set to soundtracks of hard rock and metal, these scenes form only one facet to Radium 2.
Like its predecessor, where Radium 2 truly shines is in the music content. Tera Wray once again acts as our guide as she first interviews Dave Chavarri and Lazaro Pina of New Jersey band Ill Niño. Whereas in the first film, Wray seemed somewhat green and still looking to find her stride in a role most commonly filled by Metal Sanaz and Mistress Juliya, she seems far more comfortable this time around, straying partially from generic question-&-answer sessions and allowing the musicians to speak candidly about the band and their music, providing much in the way of comic relief as Dave and Laz proceed to verbally abuse once one another. The same can be said for Wray's later interview with Maria Brink and Chris Howarth of Los Angeles band In This Moment, though it should be noted that it's almost criminal that footage of this band's performance was not included given Brink's aggressive yet melodic vocals for the band. One of the notably stranger aspects to the film, however, is the new theme song, which features a "platinum-selling artist" whose identity has been kept secret... well, sort of. While the artist in question is primarily filmed from behind or kept in shadow to conceal his face, it doesn't take a genius to realize who it is, although Wray's explanation as to the reason for his identity being kept secret raises a chuckle as she comments about the danger to his reputation for appearing in a film of this nature, giving a sharp hip thrust in place of calling it out as a porno. To provide a hint: known as much for his gravity-defying hairstyle as he is for his music, he also appeared as a guest vocalist on Skinny Puppy's The Greater Wrong of the Right. Still, the interview between him and Wray has less to do with the music and more to do with their mutual admiration for each other, right down to admitting fantasies of masturbating to each other's work. While this might be too terribly interesting to the average viewer, it does provide an additional bit of perverted humor to the whole affair, making Wray's statement of Static-X being her favorite metal band in her per-scene interview - and yes, that was another hint - all the more cheeky.
Also like the first film, Wray also receives an instrumental lesson, this time from Society 1 bassist Dirt Von Karloff. Of course, Dirt does well to point out that he's only had one actual lesson on the instrument himself, little more than a fingering exercise, although it's important to note that such exercises do form the core of developing actual skill on guitar and bass. Teaching the same lesson to Wray, this segment is one of the more notable aspects to the film, especially for those aspiring young musicians who wish to pick up an instrument, crank the volume up to 11, and rock and roll like there's no tomorrow. Plus, there's something amusing about the sight of a huge figure such as Dirt towering over the diminutive Tera Wray, playing on so powerful an instrument as the bass guitar. Of course, this is still Matt Zane's show, and so we get a double-helping of his own prowess. Besides music and porn, Zane is an accomplished and record-breaking suspension artist, having performed several shows suspended from four fish hooks piercing his back for unprecedented lengths of time, beating out illusionist Criss Angel's records - none of which were performed with less than six hooks. On Radium 2, we have footage of Zane performing a guitar solo while suspended for more than 10 minutes, ending the set out by picking up the humbled Tera Wray for several minutes. While his skill as a guitar player is not incredible when compared to such figures as Joe Satriani or Eddie Van Halen, to see him continue to play throughout being pierced and suspended is nothing short of remarkable, though perhaps grotesque to those with weak stomachs. In the DVD bonus features, we also have the half-hour film, The Strangest Life I've Ever Known, previously made available only to Society 1 fans, interspersing interview segments with footage of the band's performance at the Download Festival, in which Zane performed the entire 45-minute set suspended above the stage. One really has to admire the level of mental and physical discipline it takes to attempt such a feat, belting out his vocals to such songs as "Everything Dies (Rock Stars Don't Count)," "Lord," and "Slacker Jesus" all the while kicking, swinging, and thrashing above the stage as if tempting fate to allow the hooks to shred the skin on his back.
As if there wasn't enough content to shovel into the mix, we have more music videos. Akercocke appear once again with their "Axium" video, which once again demonstrates the band's musicianship, full of enough blastbeats and chugging riffs to please metalheads, but with a fine blend of melodic and deathly vocals to underlie their brutal sound. Society 1 also appears twice with the videos for "It Isn't Me" and "This is the End," both of which are little more than performance videos with hectic camera motions and set pieces that offer nothing in the way of narrative, acting simply as a visual accompaniment to the band's raucous brand of metal. And then there is the video for "Porn Again Christian" by December Wolves, which packs as much hardcore porn footage in its short running time as all of Zane's films combined, set to the band's nihilistic hardcore metal approach. For Kerrang Magazine to call this "the sickest music video in history" is something of an understatement, perhaps even providing a pornographic shock so disturbing that fans of extreme adult films might even be turned off. Municipal Waste's video almost seems to be competing with Skinny Puppy's "Worlock" as it splices various bits of footage from gore films to create a cornucopia of disgust and sickness, although the song is short enough that it's over almost as soon as it begins. Still, it does make for a well rounded assault of hardcore metal fury.
Suffice to say, when Matt Zane promised to pull all the stops with Radium 2, upon seeing the final product, he clearly meant it. This film accomplishes what the first Radium only attempted, to bridge the gap between extreme metal and hardcore sex in a manner that is appealing to fans of both mediums. Of course, at its core, Radium 2 is still a pornographic film, and as such is not suitable for mainstream consumption... or perhaps it is given the growing embrace of the adult film industry the mainstream has demonstrated over the years. One thing's for certain, and that is that metalheads and headbangers will enjoy much on this DVD, and they can herald a new hero in Matt Zane. At the very least, if Society 1 never manages to achieve the stature they are reaching for, Zane's place in the history of adult cinema is assured.
The first Radium made a valiant attempt to push the envelope further, featuring a rather discordant assortment of music videos, interviews with some of the current metal scene's hardest-hitting acts, along with scenes of hardcore porn featuring five rising porn stars. While the idea seemed intriguing, the execution was rather disjointed, especially in the wake of numerous films made in a similar style since Zane stepped away from the industry. So now, Zane gives us the next set in the Radium series, once again juxtaposing porn and music in an energetic and enticing fashion. The difference is with Radium 2, the formula finally seems to work. Once again featuring Zane's muse, Tera Wray, who has appeared in all of his productions since the first Radium, the porn emphasis can not be understated. Here, we have Wray, Devon, Camryn Kiss, Kristina Rose, and internet sensation Dana DeArmond giving us four scenes of hardcore sexual thrills, all of which begin with brief interviews with the stars in which they let the viewers know their favorite metal bands and why they enjoy a bit of metal with their sex. Of course, these segments are brief so as not to lose focus on what's really important here: the sex. Followed by a few minutes of tease footage before getting down and dirty, one interesting note in the interviews is Kristina Rose's mention of Nine Inch Nails' The Fragile being an album best suited for female fans, offering a small but interesting insight that could be food for thought for NIN fans who felt that album was too soft in the wake of The Downward Spiral. As for the sex itself, what can one say about it? The performers do well to give the viewers bang for their buck (pun only partially intended), showcasing as much genuine heat as they can without falling too far into any unnecessary acts of degradation. Set to soundtracks of hard rock and metal, these scenes form only one facet to Radium 2.
Like its predecessor, where Radium 2 truly shines is in the music content. Tera Wray once again acts as our guide as she first interviews Dave Chavarri and Lazaro Pina of New Jersey band Ill Niño. Whereas in the first film, Wray seemed somewhat green and still looking to find her stride in a role most commonly filled by Metal Sanaz and Mistress Juliya, she seems far more comfortable this time around, straying partially from generic question-&-answer sessions and allowing the musicians to speak candidly about the band and their music, providing much in the way of comic relief as Dave and Laz proceed to verbally abuse once one another. The same can be said for Wray's later interview with Maria Brink and Chris Howarth of Los Angeles band In This Moment, though it should be noted that it's almost criminal that footage of this band's performance was not included given Brink's aggressive yet melodic vocals for the band. One of the notably stranger aspects to the film, however, is the new theme song, which features a "platinum-selling artist" whose identity has been kept secret... well, sort of. While the artist in question is primarily filmed from behind or kept in shadow to conceal his face, it doesn't take a genius to realize who it is, although Wray's explanation as to the reason for his identity being kept secret raises a chuckle as she comments about the danger to his reputation for appearing in a film of this nature, giving a sharp hip thrust in place of calling it out as a porno. To provide a hint: known as much for his gravity-defying hairstyle as he is for his music, he also appeared as a guest vocalist on Skinny Puppy's The Greater Wrong of the Right. Still, the interview between him and Wray has less to do with the music and more to do with their mutual admiration for each other, right down to admitting fantasies of masturbating to each other's work. While this might be too terribly interesting to the average viewer, it does provide an additional bit of perverted humor to the whole affair, making Wray's statement of Static-X being her favorite metal band in her per-scene interview - and yes, that was another hint - all the more cheeky.
Also like the first film, Wray also receives an instrumental lesson, this time from Society 1 bassist Dirt Von Karloff. Of course, Dirt does well to point out that he's only had one actual lesson on the instrument himself, little more than a fingering exercise, although it's important to note that such exercises do form the core of developing actual skill on guitar and bass. Teaching the same lesson to Wray, this segment is one of the more notable aspects to the film, especially for those aspiring young musicians who wish to pick up an instrument, crank the volume up to 11, and rock and roll like there's no tomorrow. Plus, there's something amusing about the sight of a huge figure such as Dirt towering over the diminutive Tera Wray, playing on so powerful an instrument as the bass guitar. Of course, this is still Matt Zane's show, and so we get a double-helping of his own prowess. Besides music and porn, Zane is an accomplished and record-breaking suspension artist, having performed several shows suspended from four fish hooks piercing his back for unprecedented lengths of time, beating out illusionist Criss Angel's records - none of which were performed with less than six hooks. On Radium 2, we have footage of Zane performing a guitar solo while suspended for more than 10 minutes, ending the set out by picking up the humbled Tera Wray for several minutes. While his skill as a guitar player is not incredible when compared to such figures as Joe Satriani or Eddie Van Halen, to see him continue to play throughout being pierced and suspended is nothing short of remarkable, though perhaps grotesque to those with weak stomachs. In the DVD bonus features, we also have the half-hour film, The Strangest Life I've Ever Known, previously made available only to Society 1 fans, interspersing interview segments with footage of the band's performance at the Download Festival, in which Zane performed the entire 45-minute set suspended above the stage. One really has to admire the level of mental and physical discipline it takes to attempt such a feat, belting out his vocals to such songs as "Everything Dies (Rock Stars Don't Count)," "Lord," and "Slacker Jesus" all the while kicking, swinging, and thrashing above the stage as if tempting fate to allow the hooks to shred the skin on his back.
As if there wasn't enough content to shovel into the mix, we have more music videos. Akercocke appear once again with their "Axium" video, which once again demonstrates the band's musicianship, full of enough blastbeats and chugging riffs to please metalheads, but with a fine blend of melodic and deathly vocals to underlie their brutal sound. Society 1 also appears twice with the videos for "It Isn't Me" and "This is the End," both of which are little more than performance videos with hectic camera motions and set pieces that offer nothing in the way of narrative, acting simply as a visual accompaniment to the band's raucous brand of metal. And then there is the video for "Porn Again Christian" by December Wolves, which packs as much hardcore porn footage in its short running time as all of Zane's films combined, set to the band's nihilistic hardcore metal approach. For Kerrang Magazine to call this "the sickest music video in history" is something of an understatement, perhaps even providing a pornographic shock so disturbing that fans of extreme adult films might even be turned off. Municipal Waste's video almost seems to be competing with Skinny Puppy's "Worlock" as it splices various bits of footage from gore films to create a cornucopia of disgust and sickness, although the song is short enough that it's over almost as soon as it begins. Still, it does make for a well rounded assault of hardcore metal fury.
Suffice to say, when Matt Zane promised to pull all the stops with Radium 2, upon seeing the final product, he clearly meant it. This film accomplishes what the first Radium only attempted, to bridge the gap between extreme metal and hardcore sex in a manner that is appealing to fans of both mediums. Of course, at its core, Radium 2 is still a pornographic film, and as such is not suitable for mainstream consumption... or perhaps it is given the growing embrace of the adult film industry the mainstream has demonstrated over the years. One thing's for certain, and that is that metalheads and headbangers will enjoy much on this DVD, and they can herald a new hero in Matt Zane. At the very least, if Society 1 never manages to achieve the stature they are reaching for, Zane's place in the history of adult cinema is assured.
Radium 2
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