I Became An Instant Fan of Der Fan

One of the funniest scenes in Eckhart Schmidt's DER FAN ('82) shows the film's heroine, Simone (Desiree Nosbusch), accosting her mailman on the street and beating him up because he wasn't in possession of a letter she was waiting for. This scene reminded me of a time in my own life when my brother pointed an air rifle at our mailman because he failed to deliver a processed Super-8 monster film we were hanging out to see.

DER FAN is about a young woman who's obsessed with a Gary Numan-/John Foxx-style pop artist named "R". This fellow has the on-screen charisma of ice (which makes him cool, I suppose), and sings in a strange monotone with unique electronic backing that sounds like a cross between Kraftwerk, Serge Blenner, and an el cheapo Pet Shop Boys. The band credited with the film's tuneful music is Rheingold.

Schmidt made the movie after witnessing the way young pop music fans interact with their idols. He captures the madness and loneliness of obsession with authenticity, and, lucky for him, managed to cast a young lady who was just right for the job of portraying a sexy teenage psycho. A striking creature, Ms. Nosbusch takes her character from immature juvenile to nihilistic viper without missing a beat. And her voice-over documents a descent into greater madness that manages to feel logical and complete.

I had never seen DER FAN (also known as TRANCE) before, so my first viewing, on Mondo Macabro's BluRay, was a most satisfying experience.  Never released in the US, according to the jacket copy, it packs a punch content-wise, and earns its Unrated tag with some surprising violence, and nudity that would surpass any R-rating today.

It was released in the UK, but I'm uncertain if it was uncut. I'm sure a British reader could answer that question.

The film is a favorite of Japanese cannibal Issei Sagawa, and was released one year after he killed and dined on a female student in France.

Director Schmidt also made the fascinating LOFT. Perhaps Mondo-Macabro will give that a BluRay spin, too, if this one does some business. So don't pirate it, folks, buy it, or your options will soon diminish.

This excellent film from a by-gone era (which is a damn fucking shame) would make a fine double feature with DON'T DELIVER US FROM EVIL, another sweet tale of teenage temptresses gone nuts.

The distributor's Red Box BluRay is limited to 500, although it may remain available beyond the 500 as a standard issue disk.

The Women of Sagawa's Psyche

Just as Playboy delights in showcasing the women of a particular institution or college ('The Women of Walmart', for example, or 'The Women of UCLA'), it seems fair to provide an album of women favored and adored by Issei Sagawa, Japan's Godfather of Cannibalism.

Recently, he admitted that his penchant for European women has finally been sated, and he's focusing his appetite on the creamy delights of his home country.  

Of the beautiful Aya Ueda (above), he said: "She is too good to eat."  I say: "Literally, perhaps, but..."

The gorgeous Kyoko Hasagawa (above) is another lass who has captured a cannibal's heart. "Her legs are beautiful," he said in Vice.com's 2010 documentary

Akiko Yada, another beauty from Okinawa, Sagawa's preferred destination for Nippon delicacies, has also earned a place on the flesh eater's bedroom wall. It's hard to argue that his tastes aren't impeccable.

Finally, Erika Toda, who appeared in the filmic adaptation of popular manga Death Note, is another favorite of Mr. Sagawa. When he beholds these dreamy ladies, he "feels an appetite".

Not entirely surprising.

Sagawa's Last Supper

This was Issei Sagawa's last supper, a carefully prepared meal of French female.

As is well documented, the infamous Japanese cannibal, sometimes referred to as 'The Godfather of Cannibalism', spent very little time in French prison, and was speedily returned to Japan for psychological assessment (finding: insane). Soon afterwards, he was released.

These scans are from a Japanese publication that, according to Sagawa himself, caused him a lot of trouble.

Although the book contains mostly Japanese text, there are 16 pages of truly grotesque crime scene photos, some of which I had never seen before.  

 

 

I find this photo of the suitcase Sagawa dumped in a park to be the most disturbing. Note the severed foot.

The cannibal's decision to leave this item in a public place resulted in his apprehension.

If you're an admirer of John McNaughton's Henry - Portrait of a Serial Killer, you will recall the final scene where Henry dumps a suitcase containing the dismembered body of his unofficial girlfriend Becky. Although the suitcase is sealed, we imagine its contents. The above photo comes close to what I imagined.

 

In a recent interview, Sagawa expressed his wish to be eaten by a beautiful woman. This raises some questions: Is this wish indicating a desire to be punished in kind for his crime? -- or is it an extension of his perversion? 

Sagawa also explained that he is no longer obsessed with European women. His "tastes" have changed. He has finally found several Japanese women whose thighs, in particular, appeal to him.

An admitted "pervert", he lives a lonely life writing, reflecting, and appearing occasionally in the media.  

When he was young, sex was "a taboo subject".   

Seems that approach to the birds and bees worked out well, didn't it?!

"By shooting a bullet as small as my fingertip, I have  hurt and changed many people"

-- from Issei Sagawa Part 1; h**p://vice.com

The Dawn of Real Cannibalism

As far as I know, close to the first porn flick to feature actual flesh eating. From Japan, of course.

In the 70's, German fetish series such as Pain, Violence, and Slave Sex covered most of the ground depicted on this video sleeve including the nailing of body parts to tables, extreme piercing, and genital suspension.

These Euro films did not, however, cover initialing the body with knives and needles, and they did not feature a scene in which a piece of the body is removed with a knife and eaten for real.

Truly a film for a narrow, specific market.

Produced by Dragon Image.

***

I haven't seen the film myself, but verification of its content comes from a totally credible source.