Review: Anyone who is familiar with Lucifer Valentine knows he has made some of the most disturbing films in modern horror. He has pushed the line with his films, this time around he goes from vomit to the darkside of drugs. The drugs of choice here is heroine and crack and the people involved are 5 young junkies with nothing to lose. The difference between this and his other films is that this is a straight up documentary mixed with Valentine's own unique visual style and editing. I can say that I actually was much more disturbed by this film than any of his others (except for A Perfect Child of Satan which I have not seen) mainly because it is real people and they are destroying themselves right in front of me. It especially hits home with me because like them I am also am a black metal fan and I knew a few people like the ones on display here.
As much as I was disturbed I was also lured in by their destructive behaviors and nihilistic ideas. They are not the typically whiny drug addicts who blame the way they were raised or the society they were brought up in. Each one of them say that they are the ones who made the choice and did it to themselves, which I think made me gain respect for them. The saddest part is that from the start to the finish a total of 2 people in the documentary end up wearing a toe tag, one is due to an overdose and the other is killed in a bad drug deal. Most people would cast them away as trash and not be saddened by their deaths, but to me it is sad anytime someone dies unless their a rapist, child molester, or killer. Believe me when I say this I still do not condone their drug use at all and that is exactly what it warns you before the film starts.
Lucifer Valentine did a great job at showing the many sides of these 5 and presented it in a way to keep you drawn in and not bored. This documentary ranks up high on my list of favorite documentaries. I suggest you watch the trailer first before just buying this because some fans of his films may not enjoy or like this one as much as his previous efforts. If you want to add this film to a double feature you can add "Hated: GG Allin & The Murder Junkies" to make it a marathon of destruction. I will warn you that this is not for the easily disturbed or those with a weak mind, for most it will take you places you have never been and hear stories that will stick with you. I am one who loves to see the darkside of life from time to time to keep me in touch with the reality of this world we all live in. There is also an Uncut & Uncensored Director's Cut of this documentary as well that has footage they cut out of the cut I reviewed here due to the graphic sex involved.
Overall this is a great documentary and I hope it gets more good praise that it deserves, but please do like I said and heed my warning before injecting yourself into Black Metal Veins! All Hail Lucifer Valentine!
-Daniel "Damnation" Lee
Director: Lucifer Valentine
Genre: Documentary
DVD Release Year: 2012
Theatrical Release Year: 2011
Time Length: 88 mins.
Company: Unearthed Films/MVD Visual
ADDITIONAL SCREENSHOTS:
