I am very happy to announce that my fact-filled essay on Luigi Scattini's fake documentary Sweden, Heaven and Hell has just been published in Video Watchdog #145! The piece is called Sex, Lies and Bikini Lines, after a quip by Swedish singer Lill Lindfors (herself no stranger to a bit of daring controversy!) I spent a lot of time researching the film, consulting numerous sources including an excellent article on the Stupido News Network. The article talks about the film's relationship to Sweden, including an account of it's one-time screening on Swedish televion, and attempts to sort at least some of the facts from the exaggerations, creative inventions and outright lies which comprise the bulk of the film. The issue also features a number of my personal posters (credited to "The Lars Erik Holmquist Collection"!) and another piece on the film - part fact, part fiction - by Tim Lucas called Cincinatti, Heaven and Hell.
I am particularly proud of this because I consider VW the best fantastic film magazine currently published, a worthy heir to pioneers like Calvin T. Beck's Castle of Frankenstein and Frederick S. Clarke's Cinefantastique. Editor Timothy R. Lucas calls this issue of Video Watchdog "one of my favorites in our 19-year history" and a step towards a new direction for the magazine.
Video Watchdog #145 is available now in finer magazine stores everywhere, or directly from the publisher. The official Swedish PAL DVD release of Sweden, Heaven and Hell (with English soundtrack; recently reviewed by Tim Lucas in Sight and Sound) can be ordered directly from Klubb Super 8.
Below are a sneak peek of mine and Tim's articles (click and they expand to readable size). Note how graphic designer Donna Lucas did a wonderful job integrating the US pressbook and the Italian locandina for the respective title pages!
