Holding hands (puke), sweet kisses (barf), skipping merrily to an overpriced dinner at an overrated restaurant (gag), there is one thing that will make these abusive sights tolerable for the broken-hearted this Valentines Day and it is Graphic Sexual Horror.
The award winning documentary will be presented at Hallwalls, Friday, February 12th, at 8 PM. Graphic Sexual Horror examines the subterranean world of bondage, discipline, sadism and masochism (BDSM), and the infamous bondage website Insex.com, so naughty it was shut down by Homeland Security in 2005.
Barbara Bell and Anna Lorentzon directed the 2009 documentary and previously worked at Insex.com as respective photographers and screenwriters. Their film ultimately becomes an inquiry into the most extreme of workplace power dynamics, the definition of art, and government intervention, bringing viewers face to face with personal prejudices and values.
Bound and gagged, whipped and dunked, the unusual juxtaposition of beautiful models and horrifying torture seems to have an erotic effect on viewers and models alike. In one particular section of the documentary there is a girl, tied to post, who is whipped. When the filming ends, the model looks high.
In an interview with New York Press, Lorentzon, explained that her reaction was due to the adrenaline. “When feeling enough pain, the body produced endorphins and adrenaline, which makes you feel high,” said Lorentzon. “At that point, you don’t feel the pain anymore. Not all models were willing and able to go that far.”
The violent pornographic website was established in 1997 by dark-minded artist “pd” after leaving his position as a Professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Throughout the 80s pd lived and worked in Buffalo, and has always incorporated bondage and sadomasochistic themes into his paintings and performance art pieces.
Insex.com, at one point, had attracted more than 35,000 members worldwide. The distinct subculture of BDSM was in affect romanticized by pd who created a sexually poetic, raw and seductive scenes. Japanese bondage art, horror films, Baudrillard’s Simulacra and serial killers inspired pd’s imagery. His creation and interpretations have heavily influenced Western bondage and what it has become.
The shocking documentary, Graphic Sexual Horror, includes original Insex footage, interviews with creator and mastermind pd, models, members and staff. The film reveals the terrifying façade of Insex.com and delves into the most difficult of questions regarding personal responsibility.
Tickets for the screening are $7 general admission, $5 students/seniors and $4 for members. Hallwalls cinema is located in the basement of Babeville, 341 Delaware Ave. For more film information visit http://www.graphicsexualhorror.com.