The El Duce Tapes (2019)

The El Duce Tapes: Directed by Rodney Ascher, David Lawrence, Ryan Sexton. With Steve Broy, Eric Carlson, El Duce, Gwar. Between appearing in supporting roles in General Hospital and local TV commercials, Ryan Sexton spent the early 90s documenting the life and art of El Duce, lead singer of the notorious shock rock band The Mentors. Famous for taking the stage in black executioner hoods, the band spent a few moments in the national spotlight after some of their most offensive lyrics were denounced on the floor of the US Senate. 25 years later, David Lawrence and Rodney Ascher dive into the long unseen VHS footage searching for clues about who El Duce really was, how much of his disturbing persona was for real, and what an act built around a cartoonish sense of violent misogyny can tell us about our own time and place.

“A troubling, hilarious, very wet and extremely squishy documentary about shock-rock pioneer Eldon u0026quot;Elu0026quot; Duce and his sociopathic bandmates The Mentors. The movie packs plenty of surprises, from Elu0026#39;s grotesque high-school vandalism to the groupu0026#39;s musical genesis being electric 70s jazz. (El Duce describes their change to punk rock as u0026quot;fusion to perversionu0026quot;).u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe plentiful depravity within provides no greater iconic image than a wobbly, grinning El Duce squatting on a dirty carpet to watch porn on a TV set, cheap beer in hand. The movieu0026#39;s humor disappears almost entirely after 35 minutes–this marked by a sincere on-camera bottomburp from El–once his homelessness, alcoholism and contempt for life emerge amidst endless 40 oz. Bottles of Olde English. Everything becomes much sadder here than in anything found in the angry, blowhard rantings GG Allin spewed in u0026quot;Hatedu0026quot;.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAnd things get worse, as video gorno follows of El Duce suffering an atrocity straight out of u0026quot;The Elephant Man.u0026quot; Watching this makes listening to some whiny-ass grunge rocker or pompous fallen star like Axl Rose self-pity himself impossible. Happier moments include tons of glitchy vintage 80s footage, especially of the bandu0026#39;s music video for u0026quot;Donkey Dicku0026quot;, and thereu0026#39;s powerful live performances of hits like u0026quot;Sandwich of Love.u0026quot; One concert takes place in an L. A. garage to an audience of cigarette-smoking 12-13 year-old boys.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eEl Duce also gives a performance of love-making in a sort of oral-tradition display likely to shock every lesbian performance artist from Italy to Seattle.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eTestimonials from bandmates are mostly of the type expected from disappointed high-school guidance counselors or prison guards. Thereu0026#39;s even material onscreen to shock hardcore fans of the group and definitely believers in the kind of music-contest-fits-all pursuit of stardom. Responsible rock-star parents should consider this required viewing for their children. 5 potato sacks out of 5.”