There will be a showing of over 45 minutes of Death Print at Sweat Records (5505 NE 2nd Ave.), Wednesday, January 21, 2009 - 9pm, the screening is Free.

Murder!  Drama!  Revenge!  Girls in tight latex outfits!  What??

Aiden Dillard's newest film, Death Print, appears to be an absurd take on the "revenge" film genre. 

I love how Death Print is distinctly a Dillard movie, continuing in the absurd style of a particular genre.  Aiden's last film Special Angelz, which was reviewed by REV Miami as part of the Borscht Film Festival coverage, was an absurd morality-based family film.  Ted Vernon (who also stars in Death Print) as the worst possible caricature of a bully is priceless.  He actually pushes an autistic child to the ground at one point.

I was told about Death Print a couple of months ago but as the promos are being distributed (and can be found at the bottom of this post) I've been getting more and more curious about it.

One of the first sneak peeks was at the end of the Borscht Film Festival after the screening of Special Angelz.  I'm primarily interested in the local Scenesters involved in the movie, but the innate ridiculousness of the film is incredible.  In the clip that I saw, Communist Photographer Arthur Basel (played by local promoter/musician/personality Notorious Nastie) directs a film shoot in a way that only Nastie can, by bossing and verbally bludgeoning the actors into doing exactly what he wants.

It's great to see a forum which pulls together so much of the local Miami talent and local personalities.

I posted a short email Q&A with Aiden (which originally began as me solely looking for background on the film, but Aiden' s answers were too good not to post).  After Aiden's Q&A I've put up short bio's of each local personality involved in the film.

1. What is a basic synopsis/plot of Death Print?

In the words of my beloved MySpace page (www. myspace. com/aidendillardmovies): "Death Print" is a tongue in cheek homage to the 1980's era "Death Wish" vigilante movie series starring Charles Bronson, but set in Miami with a cast of weirdos.

Here is a brief synopsis: "When the daughter of a pacifist art collector named Ted Vernon is murdered by the evil Communist photographer Arthur Basel (Notorious Nastie), Ted teams up with rogue cop Detective RubberDoll and Otto Von Schirach to seek out revenge, as the TM Sisters who were friends with his slain daughter try to help recover his stolen art."

I essentially wrote the plot of this movie for performers that I wanted to work with, and tailored each role to their particular strengths. I decided to base the plot of the movie on subjects that are important in Miami, like the legacy of the Cuban Communist Revolution and its impact on South Florida, because I wanted to create a movie that would resonate with locals.

2. Why did you choose local personalities/scenesters to play the main roles of the film?

For better or worse, Miami does not have a huge acting community. This is not Los Angeles or New York City, which are cities that aspiring actors flock to for recognition because of opportunities within these gigantic film industries.

However there is still a great abundance of talent here in Miami, but most of the talented artists channel their energies into industries that are economically supported by Miami’s unique international culture, such as the club music scene, the fetish scene, and the art world. Instead of importing actors from NYC or LA, I decided to search out talented people here in Miami, who might not have a huge amount of experience with acting on camera, but still have shown skill as performers in their other work, be it on stage playing music, hosting parties, performance art in a gallery, during fetish performances, etc.

Since I decided to make the plot of the movie about a very local subject; Cuban Communist spies invading Miami through the art world, I thought that it was very important to have an exclusively local cast.

3. Any interesting insights into the local scene?

I’m not from Miami, and I think that the fact that I have lived in so many places in America from the East Coast to the West Coast, and in between, gives me an outsider perspective that allows me to see some qualities of Miami that many locals might overlook.

Miami is a very unique place, due to the Latin and particularly Cuban cultural influence, and the international sophistication that Miami has absorbed from being a magnet for Europeans and people from all over the world as well. The club scene, Miami Bass music, the latex fetish scene, and the booming art market are the strongest and most unique expressions of Miami’s aesthetic culture in my opinion (or at least these are the subcultures that I am most drawn to personally).

Most of these subcultures are more commonly found in European cities than they are in other cities of America. In many ways I think Miami is more international than it is American.

That said, it took me some time to actually appreciate these exotic Miami subcultures, simply because I had little experience with them until I moved down here a couple of years ago. Now that I live and work in Miami, I try to cater to the people of South Florida, which has meant fastidiously studying the particulars of Miami culture, then meeting and collaborating with locals in order to create a movie that is truly made by and for the people of South Florida.

4. How does this movie compare with your other films?

“Death Print” is my fourth feature film, following “Special Angelz” (2008), “Meat Weed America” (2007), and “Meat Weed Madness” (2006). It is my biggest budgeted feature, and is definitely my best movie so far.

Overall the production value is my most professional yet, because it was shot with a High-Definition two camera set up for every single take, which will allow for exciting split second cuts between shots, and more camera angles.

This movie was my first experience working with a professional special effects technician who rigged squib hits for realistic gunfights, explosives for our grand finale, and oversaw the destruction of a brand new Dodge Charger!

Aside from my child-like fascination for destruction, I think that I was able to write my most comprehensible script yet for this movie (in only three months), and was able to keep it exciting and fast paced while not having excessive nudity and violence. The campy humor was definitely enhanced through brilliant performances by Notorious Nastie and Ted Vernon. RubberDoll brought her trademarked sensuality and costuming to her performance, like only a true star could bring. Otto’s first acting experience showed what a natural he is, and the TM Sisters shined in their roles as cute indie good Samaritans on a quirky scavenger hunt. I was thrilled to have Clifton Childree lend his incredible stage persona and “Dreams Cum Tru” art installation at Locust Projects to the mix, and enjoyed having Maximum Capacity’s massive star in the role of a policeman.

Now as I am editing the forty hours of raw footage down to an hour and a half long feature film, I am faced with the challenge of distilling the best of the best, which even at it’s worse is still better then I have filmed before. Overall I am very honored that so many talented professionals are willing to collaborate with me, and I look forward to what the future will bring, as we get better with each and every movie.

Scenesters

Part of the goal of REV Miami is to be a central information source for local counter-culture.  Part of the beauty of this film is being able to review the local Scenesters and their work outside of the movie.

Below I've included short bio's and links for the various actors and would love in the future to expand them even further.

Also, this is a bit of thumbing my nose at all the people who say that there is "nothing going on down here".  This is only one film occurring in Miami, and look at all the people involved:

RubberDoll

I am a fetish model, live performer, and erotica producer, with a particular interest in latex fetishism. I am based in South Florida, but frequently travel the US and abroad appearing at fetish events and performing.

Since 2000, I have shared my latex lifestyle with the world on my own website, RubberDoll.Net. I also work behind the scenes, producing photos and videos for ShinySluts.Com.

In addition to modeling, I also frequently perform live at various events. I have performed on stages across the US, Canada, and Europe; sometimes on my own and sometimes in collaboration with others. Currently, I am working on a music-meets-fetish fusion with the band, FAQ.

Bio from Rubber Doll's myspace page, www.myspace.com/rubberdoll

Notorious Nastie

If you're a local musician, or even just a dedicated showgoer, chances are that you are familiar with the man known as Notorious Nastie.

Notorious Nastie was born Nassie Shahoulian at Jackson Memorial Hospital, and grew up in Hialeah. His original calling, actually, was theater. 'I won the Silver Knight Award for theater in 1994,' Shahoulian says. 'I went to a conservatory for working actors at NYU after high school, and then I dropped out because I'm a fucking loser. I came back to Miami.'

In 2001 he formed a punk rock band called The Gimmicks, which led to his current field. 'I didn't want to deal with dickhead promoters, so I would book my own shows,' he says. 'I formed a code of ethics. I always do everything that I agree to. I don't give runarounds. I make a deal that I can live with, and I stick to it'.

Bio from Miami New Times article, Nastie's Nice: Infamous rock promoter hits the airwaves for a locals-only radio show by Jason Handelsman, December 13, 2007.  Nastie's myspace (www.myspace.com/notoriousnastie)

Otto von Schirach

Otto von Schirach is an IDM and breakcore artist from Miami, Florida. He is of Cuban/German descent.

He has released most of his work on the Schematic and Beta Bodega labels, and was featured in the 2002 documentary Electro-Dziska. Otto's live performances include outfits, masks and props, and he has toured with the band Skinny Puppy. He is also credited on the Skinny Puppy albums' The Greater Wrong Of The Right and Mythmaker.

He also does a large amount of work in the areas of music production and remixing and has collaborated with several artists such as Modeselektor on their 2007 record 'Happy Birthday!'.

Recently von Schirach has become increasingly involved with the Miami Bass Warriors, a Miami Bass focused project with Jose el Rey. Their debut video, "Going Back to Calle 8," was featured on Pitbull's show La Esquina.

Bio from Wikipedia entry, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Von_Schirach.

David Tamargo (aka Thug Jesus)

David Tamargo is a Cuban-American Fine Artist who was born and works primarily in Miami, Florida. He graduated from Florida International University with Bachelors in Fine Arts in 2006 and has received numerous International honors and awards of achievement for photography throughout his career.

Exhibiting his work nationally in museums such as the Corcoran Museum, and National Gallery in Washington D.C., the Patricia & Philip Frost Art Museum, Miami Art Museum and The Wolfsonian Museum in Miami, Florida.

Current projects include collaborations with recording artists Otto Von Schirach, Notorious Nastie, Peasants with Feathers, The Miami Bass Warriors and Jose El Rey; a film in collaboration with Aiden Dillard is scheduled for production in Fall 2008- to be released on Troma Entertainment.

Bio from Borscht Film Festival website: http://borscht.info/davidtamargo.htm.

TM Sisters

Tasha Lopez De Victoria, 24, and Monica Lopez De Victoria, 26, grew up throwing concerts, creating fanzines, producing events, and sewing clothing.  Their do-it-yourself ethic started by being home schooled together in Miami.  They were raised with intense psychological and spiritual discussions regarding behavior, relationships, and truth.  Movement, interaction, and energy has influenced their direction.  Also, Tasha is a speed skater and Monica is a synchronized swimmer.

The sisters collaborate in the mediums of video, digital video performance, interactive video, VJing, collage, social experiments, clothing, and installations.  Their brother, Samual Lopez De Victoria, also work with them in programming and conceptualizing interactive video.  Monica graduated from Florida International University with a BFA in Photography and Video and Tasha graduated from New World School of the Arts with a BFA in Electronic Intermedia.  Their work has been included in the traveling exhibition "Uncertain States of America: American Art in the 3rd Millennium" curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist, Daniel Birnbaum, and Gunnar B. Kvaran and the Second Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art.

Bio from TM Sisters website, www.tmsisters.com.

Jose El Rey

I was going to put up a little bio of Jose El Rey like the others, but nothing quite explains Jose El Rey like this entry from his blog, Jose El Rey's Diary of Truth:

A feeling of destiny?

I woke up today with a feeling of destiny, after slipping out of my silk sheets and slipping into my silk robe I read 3 to 6 pages from a book I thought was the Bible; hours later, I realized it is the dictionary called Thesauras. Either way, the good word(s) are deep within me, and I’ve learned like a dozen new ways to offer coitus and sexual moves and dancing and cutting a rug to the ladies and the gals and the dames.

Life is good, perhaps I will take my Rolex to the watchsmith so he can make that second hand glide a little faster; I’m curious if it will become a bonafide time machine, yet.

thinking about you (when you are sleeping)

Jose el Rey,

Miami

Clifton Childree

Miami resident Clifton Childree is a filmmaker/artist who in 2003 completed his six-year solo feature film project, The Flew, which Cashiers Du Cinemart Magazine named as one of the top 50 Midnight Movies made in the last ten years.

In 2004, Childree received the South Florida Cultural Consortium Fellowship and presented an installation of The Flew at the Miami Art Museum. His recent projects include She Sank on Shallow Bank, a stop-motion animated/live action dance film, Something Awful, a slapstick comedy/gore film co-commissioned by the Miami Performing Arts Center and the Miami Light Project for their 2006 Here and Now Festival and It Gets Worse made with funding from his 2007 Legal Art Native Seeds Grant.

Childree is a featured artist in the book Miami Contemporary Artists. Childree was the first recipient of the Hilger Artist Project Award and in September 2008 after working for 2 months installing at Locust Projects in Miami, presented his life-sized amusement park installation, Dream-Cum-Tru.

Bio from Clifton Childree's website, cliftonchildree.com.

Showing at Sweat Records,
January 21, 2009

Aiden will be showing over 45 minutes worth of film at Sweat Records on Wednesday, January 21, 9pm.  Check it out, it's free!  And buy some records at Sweat.

Promos for the Film:

Death Print Promo 1

Death Print Promo 2

------------------------------------------------------

LINKS

Aiden Dillard: www.aidendillard.com
Death Print: www.myspace.com/aidendillardmovies
Otto Von Schirach: www.myspace.com/ottovonschirach
Notorious Nastie: www.notoriousnastie.com, www.myspace.com/notoriousnastie
Rubber Doll: www.rubberdoll.net, www.myspace.com/rubberdoll
David Tamargo aka Thug Jesus: www.myspace.com/ramgog
TM Sisters: www.tmsisters.com, www.myspace.com/tmsisters
Jose El Rey: www.myspace.com/aijaialai
Clifton Childree: www.myspace.com/cliftonchildree, cliftonchildree.com

If You Enjoyed This Post, You May Also Like:

• Screening of Aiden Dillard's Death Print @ Sweat Records - January 21, 2009
• Notorious Xmas
• Nastie's Bday PacJam @ PS14
• Repost: Around The World in 80 Decibels: A European Tour Diary from Otto von Schirach
• Miami Bass Explosion: PS14 May 8, 2009

Tags: Aiden Dillard, Clifton Childree, David Tamargo, Death Print, Jose El Rey, Notorious Nastie, Otto Von Schirach, RubberDoll, Thug Jesus, TM Sisters

This entry was posted on Monday, January 19th, 2009 at 4:38 pm and is filed under Counter-Culture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

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