Was fortunate to catch a screening of Ali Abbasi’s Holy Spider this past weekend. The film centers around the case of Iranian serial killer Saeed Hanaei who murdered 16 prostitutes in the city of Mashhad in 2001-2002. Newspapers and tv journalists dubbed Hanaei the Spider Killer. I believe Abbasi’s film is the second movie to dramatize the case - the first being Ankaboot (aka Killer Spider) directed by Ebrahim Irajzad in 2020. I’ve not seen Irajzad’s film to be able to compare/contrast with Holy Spider.
Holy Spider is a fictionalized account of the Hanaei case. Most notably the female journalist, Rahimi excellently portrayed by actress Zar Amir-Ebrahimi, who is sent from Tehran to write about the Mashhad crimes is entirely fabricated. There is no truth to a journalist willingly baiting herself facilitating Hanaei’s arrest.
Rahimi is essentially a place marker to highlight the ordeal and plight of women within the Islamic Republic. Eerily poignant in current context given the turmoil in Iran following Mahsa Amini’s death under the watch of the Tehran morality police. When Rahimi is hassled at a hotel while confirming her hotel reservation, at first denied because she is a single female, not until showing her press credentials is she granted her room. And only after being scolded to adjust her scarf as she is revealing too much hair.
At every turn Rahimi is harassed or intimidated on basis of her gender. Whether it is the hotel encounter, an interview with a cleric or an off duty police officer bullying her and hissing in her face whether she’s going to call the police for help or not.
Rahimi scours the streets and interviews people from all walks of life and eventually gets a bead on Hanaei and once inside the spider’s den manages to fend him off and escape. It is an approximation of how the real life Hanaei was caught, and unlike the delay with the sex worker not immediately coming forth with the information, Rahimi leads the police to the house where her Saeed lives.
The film then switches gears to the judicial and socio-political fiasco surrounding the case of the Spider Killer. There is a ground swell of support for Saeed as he makes claims he is crusading against moral corruption on the streets of Masshad. Thus calling to question, whether or not the police truly devoted all the available resources to hunt the Spider Killer as his activities were viewed as unsanctioned work for the conservative order.
The courtroom dealings are truly where actor Mehdi Bajestani shines. His performance at times recalls that of Alfred Molina in Crónicas. Saeed is arrogant, gaming the system and keeping an eye on the public perception of him all the while further pushing his agenda on his son Ali. Mesbah Taleb is excellent in his portrayal and proves to be quite the mimic as he truly gets inside the skin of his character as you can see if you compare his acting to that of the actual son in his interviews in the documentary And Along Came A Spider.
While the courtroom work plays out Rahimi is convinced that, somehow, the judicial system will fail and Saeed will be cut loose and return to his murderous ways. For some time as we see the back room wheeling dealing and Saeed telling his family all will be good, it definitely appears to be the case that he’ll be back on the streets as a hero. There are moments leading one to believe there will be a massive cover up until the black hood is placed over his head.
And Along Came a Spider documentary by Maziar Bahari is a thorough unpacking of the Spider Killer case wrapped up under an hour. As cold and calculated Saeed is some of the most chilling footage involves Hanaei’s son Ali.
Got to catch the most recent Moorhead & Benson “Shitty Carl” Universe expedition Something In the Dirt at the 2022 Philadelphia Film Fest with none other than Tombs / Everything Went Black’s Mike Hill just before Halloween. Which will reminds me, Please support: Everything Went Black, The Metal Dad and his fiendish five podcast, No Clean Singing, Stereogum: The Black Market, The Devil’s Mouth, Aversionline, Invisible Oranges, Horror Wolf 666 and Sol Nox Podcast….
The less one knows of Something In the Dirt, the better. However, what can be divulged is the framework of this Russian Doll puzzle involves neighbors in a Los Angeles apartment building discovering paranormal events in the domicile and their attempt to capture video footage and strike it rich. Not exactly a lo-fi Nope, examination of the drive for fame but, more of an investigative journey into occult Los Angeles as the frienemy duo dive deeper and deeper into various conspiracy theories and secrets each of these characters keep. The film could probably benefit from a little bit of editing, but, the chemistry between the leads (none other than directors Benson and Moorhead) is great and they’ve improved on their acting skills quite a bit since The Endless. Again, this is a lo-fi sci-fi puzzler that isn’t exactly what it first appears to be but it is very entertaining. Currently a VOD streamer after a short theatrical run that started November 4.
BÁL is a one man wrecking machine out of Hungary plying dissonant black metal in all shapes and form of song craft. The most recent to see release has premiered on YouTube prior to landing on Bandcamp and has two long form songs that run a gauntlet of different styles and atmospheres without sounding schizophrenic. In fact, one could describe it as cinematic.
First track has moments that have the bombast of Swans circa great annihilator with spots where reverb drenched guitars are draped over an almost martial push/pull bass guitar drum lock groove. Match this with sections of inspired Bathory Hammerheart grandeur as well as slaughtersun Dawn full throttle drumming and topped with a wrenching vocal attack that is nothing short of caustic.
Cassettes of this 26 minute black diamond will be available through NGC Productions.
Sure, Neptunian Maximalism (NNMM) garner a whole hell of a lot of press for their free jazz improv metal tinged noise and deservedly so; however, Austria’s Kajgūn is doing their own metal free-form jazz freak outs that are worthy of attention. Decidedly different than the Belgian community of “cultural engineers,” this is a quartet, with a sound closer in sonic intent as a meeting metalhead descedants of Sun Ra and Mahavishnu Orchestra without being as high brow or flashy in terms of technicality. One could think Poland’s Indukti or King Crimson at their most pared down line up. What is astounding is Kajgūn are completely improvisational in delivery.
And with this, I bid you farewell until the next time.