Ex Baterista

There needs to be films made that have this type of shock effect to your mental and emotional system, but it took me three years to work it out. I watched it at the Gothenburg Film Festival and my immediate reaction was: "Heck, this shouldn't have been shown in public, I am now permanently damaged in my mind and in my soul. Help me." Now, however, after a few years of pondering the images and issues presented to me and how it was done, I must say that it is a masterpiece, utterly destroying previous conceptions of what the world is like. With great "wit" and "style" (I will refine these points!) the story is told in a rapid tempo and with no loose ends and no censoring. The "style" thing: I propose that this is realism taken to a new level, with the really, really shitty reality of these low-life misfits shown at its worst, both from within and from without as is should be presented, uncensored like a bad nightmare, but presented a if it were true. And this is the shocking part: the movie makes you feel like it is true. This is sort of balanced with the "wit" part; burlesque, ironic and totally black humour; to make a soup so thick it can't be swallowed without being chewed really well, and when you chew it you just want to spit it out because the taste makes you want to throw up. 9/10, would have got full points if it had actually made me throw up.

Bizarro story surrounding an ex-drummer/writer who has purposely joined a band of slightly handicapped men. His reason is just really for the experience, and to escape his little world. With the personalities and behaviors of these other band-mates, it doesn't take long for our Ex-Drummer to realize it probably wasn't the greatest idea.

Ex-Drummer is one hell of a unique flick. With insane conversations, loads of sexual themes (especially homosexuality), some serious violence, and quite possibly the biggest penis ever in a movie, Ex-Drummer succeeds on all types of levels. Even more so, it does great in the acting department as well. Everything production wise, it does with really any faults.

My only two real gripes with the film was it's length. It just felt a tad too long. And the music at the end. I'm a fan of certain death metal, but not of thrash or insane music like that. But I can tell you it definitely fit the band as a whole. Insanity.

I wouldn't mind hearing a commentary for this film, since there were quite a few thought-provoking sequences. Especially the upside down aspects.

The whole movie has a cool air about it and I really dug it right from the opening sequence which had (this time) a kickass metal beat playing with it. Definitely check it out if you're into harder, almost exploitative movies. Good stuff here.

I have rated 755 films on IMDb; I've watched many more, I suspect. Finally, a film has caused me to write a review out of pure respect to the creators.

If you like:

surreal cinema, extreme violence, dark humour, transitions from guilty laughs to gut-wrenching, sickening imagery, thought-provoking intelligent drama which superficially looks and sounds unintelligent

then you may well feel the same about this film as I do.

Quentin Tarantino is one of my all-time idols. If he had made this film the world would have raved about it.

For the portion of Herman Brusselmans's oeuvre I've read, the movie gave me quite the same feelings as his books. Is that a good thing? It is if you like the man's early work. It shares the very cynical humorous comments the protagonist dispenses in reaction to the other character's actions, as well as his patronizing lecturing towards the young attractive females.

None of the characters are even remotely likable. They're antisocial, immoral sometimes even homicidal ugly bastards and bitches. A normal conversation between them is simply impossible, insults and curses galore. At times it can get a bit cartoonesque.

Is it funny? Yes. Well, funny crude. Everything is quite over the top: the nudity, the violence and especially the music, which saves the film for a great deal. The soundtrack is an amalgam of Belgian and international noise rock, with some softer tracks to ease the pace.

I found it 90 minutes well spent, even if it dragged on a bit too long in the end.

A very raw movie that explains the life in a certain category of the population. Some people will be shocked watching this movie but this is reality. That kind of people exists. Be prepared when you see this movie. It's about racists, homophobia, disabled persons, violence, poverty, mistreating children. But there is also humor,lot of sarcasms. The movie was filmed in Ostend, my birth town and the place really fits to that movie. The soundtrack is also great. If you have the chance to see that movie don't hesitate. It give you a realistic view how some people live in the 21 th century. It also give you the chance to learn about Herman Brusselmans, the writer of the book.