How far do you have to go to go too far for television? Disinformation found out when it aired its own TV series, hosted by Disinfo co-founder Richard Metzger, on the UK's Channel 4 TV network, challenging the network's ce... more »nsors and resulting in Channel 4 refusing to air certain segments. The first season was bizarrely scheduled after Ally McBeal and surely messed with the heads of more than a few fans of that show?evidently the network didn't quite realize what they had paid for. An instant classic of the weird and unusual, the series was a hit (and was bought, but never aired, by the Sci-Fi Channel in the United States). This deluxe DVD release follows hot on the heels of the publication of companion book Disinformation: The Interviews. Literary celebs interviewed include Illuminatus! author Robert Anton Wilson, popular media commentator Douglas Rushkoff (Media Virus), Lucifer Principle author Howard Bloom, X-Men scribe and comics-genius Grant Morrison, and underground filmmaker Kenneth Anger?people you rarely see on TV. Shock rocker Marilyn Manson is also featured. Disinformation: The Complete Series boasts the following features: ? Two discs containing more than six hours of viewing. ? Contains bonus footage?never seen before?from the legendary Disinfo.Con 2000 conference held in New York?a huge counterculture event in New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom that was described by the New York Times as "Cyberpalooza"?including exclusive footage of Robert Anton Wilson, Marilyn Manson, Joe Coleman, Kenneth Anger, Grant Morrison, Adam Parfrey, Douglas Rushkoff, Kembra Pfahler (and the Girls of Karen Black) and more!« less
"Well three and half stars actually. Most of the stuff on the DVDs is ho-hum. A lot of it shouldn't be a suprise. Here are the highlights though:
Disc 1:
+ Genesis P-Orridge
+ Howard Bloom and The Lucifer Principle
+ The part about the Satanists (this is really pathetic and funny) It's really great when a 500lb man who lacks the mental capacity to tie his own shoes starts espousing a philosophy that amounts to Social Darwinism. He's lucky everyone isn't a Satanist, because his obese ass would be the first one to go.
+Porn expose
- Annoying Redneck antics
Disc 2:
+ Grant Morrison
+ Marylyn Manson
+ Robert Anton Wilson
+ Robert Anton Wilson
+ Robert Anton Wilson
+ Robert Anton Wilson
"
If you have read...
criderman | 06/14/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
"...either the AMOK catalogs or any of the Apocalypse Culture books, this would be the visual equivalent--I do not consider myself a part of the "fringe" or the "counter-culture"--I am middle-aged and have a white-collar job but I have always been interested in the unusual and sometimes downright weird, call me a cultural voyeur, if you want...although my reading encompasses the aforementioned works as well as books on serial killers, goth culture, New Orleans voodoo, etc., I cannot afford to be as liberal in my tastes when it comes to the unusual in music, movies and TV--I can usually get the gist of what I will be reading from the cover, title, back comments, etc. but with music, movies and TV the information contained therein is not so straight-forwardly apparent (unless I see a trailer, read a review, hear a sample, etc.)...That said, I bought this DVD set as it seemed to me a kind of "60 Minutes" of the unusual for the beginner (thanks to that previous reviewer for the analogy, altho I don't think Christopher Guest would even think about most of this stuff, let alone film it), and as that goes, I was not disappointed, but if you bought a DVD set of the best of 60 Minutes episodes, would you really keep it and rewatch it? For instance, I've seen more of artist Joe Coleman's work and lifestyle from a IFC documentary, I didn't really need video footage of Mr. Terrific or Fantastic or whatever after reading about him one of the aforementioned books, and as for the "Uncle Goddamn" and "Brother Theodore" excerpts throughout the show, I only have to see a flaming, drunken, inbred redneck or a rambling, mentally-ill, pretentious New Yawk "artist" ONCE to get the picture, OK?For the price, you might want to stick to the books--even with the 2nd "bonus" DVD you get with this set which is speaker-only segments of a live convention in which only the Adam Parfrey and Marilyn Manson speeches are interesting (you can get the Parfrey stuff from the, yes, "aforementioned" books, and probably the Manson stuff from his website)...Aside: From the wonderful comics he writes, you wouldn't think Grant Morrison would be such a self-amused, drug-addled, bloody boring git, but...he IS!"
Not an Alternative 60 Minutes
C. Gouveia | 06/28/2006
(1 out of 5 stars)
"I bought this expecting news stories on par with the books--with the occasional interview (as in the books).
It's not. It is a farce, sensationalism over fact.
I don't recommend this for serious disinfo fans.
However, I do agree with Stealth Kitten. There are few interesting stories (She highlights most of them)."
Genuine transgressive TV--or not?
Michael Washbrooke | Sydney, Australia | 07/23/2007
(2 out of 5 stars)
"I really wanted to like this series, I really did, but found a lot of it about as revolutionary or paradigm-shattering as a Berkeley potluck.
There's a few good bits--Robert Anton Wilson, Kenneth Anger, Orridge--but CIA-programmed sex slaves, spotty teenage satanists, LA fetish balls...sigh. The kids in LA must really be bored, is all I can say.
I'm not underestimating the effort it takes to create a TV series, but the potential for this series was huge. All they had to do was re-create their books, which are pretty good.
I've seen more revolutionary stuff on SBS in Australia!"
Brilliant
marodu | Los Angeles, CA | 05/25/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Disinformation is work of art.
Ignore the comments from those who dismiss the show and categorize it into simple reductionist ways. This show is smarter and more complicated than that. It creates its own language.
Disinfo combines the serious with the ludicrous and plays believe it or not with an audience who probably is not in on the joke; which is too bad, as the joke will leave you reeling to the effect of "Oh God I can't believe I'm watching something like this. How in the world did it get through the censors?"
Rednecks setting fire to their uncle. Suburban Satanists frustrated that their leader married a Christian. "Outsider" musicians allowed to perform their so-awful-its-great music in its entirety. Alchemical conversations with Grant Morrison, Paul Laffoley, Howard Bloom.
The editing mixes grunge electronic sounds and holds on odd moments longer than you would expect. The effect heightens your attention and leaves you wanting to see more.
It is a seriously treated collection of metaphysical pioneers and dedicated losers. To recycle a quote from David Byrne to a new context: It's like 60 Minutes on Acid.