Phil Stevens’ FLOWERS, which was
given a proper release on DVD earlier last year by the ever-reliable
Unearthed Films in both single and three disc editions, remains one
of the more interesting films I saw in 2015; immediately registering
as the kind of bold and almost dangerously personal introspective
cinematic odyssey that could only have come from a singularly
creative conscience. Hot off the heels of his marvelous debut comes
LUNG II, which the director himself describes as a prequel of sorts
as well as the middle child in a proposed trilogy; and we all know
how difficult it can be to be the latter. Is this a sophomore slump
or merely an extension of Stevens’ uniquely disturbing vision?
Let’s jump into this autopsy immediately and find out.
As with FLOWERS, LUNG II is on the
short side – both films running around 75 minutes. This ends up
working out in their favor, seeing as neither has a word of spoken
dialogue and the “plot” is decidedly slight: an anonymous male
(played by none other than Stevens himself) navigates an urban
landscape whilst being plagued by disconcerting visions which seem to
allude to a dark, sadistic past. The killer from Stevens’ debut
makes several appearances, the suggestion being – at least in my
eyes – that he and this new character are either in cahoots with
one another or sharing an identity.
By design, even the smallest of details
seem to mean something in relation to the protagonist and his
relationship to anyone or anything in FLOWERS; for those who enjoyed
that earlier film, this one will be an even bigger challenge than to
the uninitiated. This is mostly due to Stevens’ desire to be the
gatekeeper of all the secrets, which I can imagine will turn a few
heads (though in varying directions), but it is what keeps his latest
offering from wandering too far off the beaten, battered, and
bloodied path. LUNG II is consistently intriguing, even when it
appears stagnant.
One of the most striking qualities to
FLOWERS’ name was its near-perfect balance of the vile and the
exquisite. In this sense, Stevens has not lost his touch; his eye for
genuinely striking compositions remains in-tact and this time the
supernaturally talented Marcus Koch is along for the ride, providing
the already overwhelmingly hallucinatory proceedings with an extra
dosage of madness. In the world of Phil Stevens, flesh lives,
breathes, pulsates, ejaculates, and even speaks on its own accord.
Disconcerting voices from beyond haunt broken minds, courtesy of
Ronnie Sortor’s exceptionally disorienting soundscape. The
filmmakers’ commitment to their own insanity is certainly at the
very least commendable.
Before being picked up by Unearthed,
FLOWERS had been distributed through Phil’s page on
manomatulart.com; the same goes for LUNG II (though it is now listed
as “SOLD OUT”). The disc itself is bare bones, though it does
come with a beautiful high-quality still as an insert. I have to
imagine this release is an accurate representation of how the film is
supposed to look; micro-budget, of course, but nonetheless
aesthetically pleasing. This time, Phil opted to shoot the entire
film in black-and-white, which I think compliments the borderline
experimental nature of his latest quite well. It looks and sounds
quite nice, and I can imagine some months down the road Unearthed
will give it the same treatment they gave to FLOWERS. For now, this
will do just fine; but you can be sure I will be picking up the later
edition for the sake of additional extras and insights.
While I was,
understandably, a bit more surprised by its predecessor, this does
not dispossess LUNG II of its abstract pleasures. Phil is one of the
more genuinely interesting minds actively working in the genre –
and beyond – at the moment, and I personally cannot wait to see
where his art takes him in the near future. He continues to sift
through the darkest corners of his mind and emerge with material that
is simultaneously disturbing, ravishing and provocative. If ever
there was an American successor to the likes of German splatter
maestro Jorg Buttgereit, it would be Phil Stevens. Seek this one out
once it is back in print, whatever the circumstances.
-Ryan Marshall
Phil Stevens’ FLOWERS, which was
given a proper release on DVD earlier last year by the ever-reliable
Unearthed Films in both single and three disc editions, remains one
of the more interesting films I saw in 2015; immediately registering
as the kind of bold and almost dangerously personal introspective
cinematic odyssey that could only have come from a singularly
creative conscience. Hot off the heels of his marvelous debut comes
LUNG II, which the director himself describes as a prequel of sorts
as well as the middle child in a proposed trilogy; and we all know
how difficult it can be to be the latter. Is this a sophomore slump
or merely an extension of Stevens’ uniquely disturbing vision?
Let’s jump into this autopsy immediately and find out.
