Charles Pinion’s 1993 production Red Spirit Lake is a far less busy and far more straight-forward piece than his skatepunk splatter movie Twisted Issues, and as a result it’s a major step up. Not that this is easy, mainstream viewing by any means – but it’s a much more coherent and confident production.

Marilyn (Amanda Collins) has just inherited the eponymous land and the home built on it from her aunt, who has supposedly died in a mysterious accident – though we know differently, as we’ve already seen her being tortured and murdered by a gang of ruthless and psychotic property developers (who include Richard Kern in their number). Soon, these maniacs are terrorising Marilyn, who is both protected and spied on by hillbilly brothers Mathias (Charles Pinion) and Thomas (Mark Adomaitis) – a pair of brain-fried crazies who were kidnapped by aliens (or ‘angels’, as they call them). It turns out that Marilyn’s aunt was a witch, and soon the villains are falling victim to the returning spirits of the various witches who have met violent ends in the past.

Shot on 1993 standard video equipment, Red Spirit Lake is technically crude by modern low budget standards, but makes up for that with a strong sense of style and slick direction from Pinion, who keeps the action flowing while allowing assorted interesting ideas to flourish. This is one of the few genuinely pagan horror films I’ve seen, and its contrasting of lyrical fantasy scenes with moments of graphic sex and violence is impressive – nothing seems like a clumsy juxtaposition. Collins makes for an appealing heroine, and guest appearances from the likes of Kembra Pfahler, Tessa Hughes-Freeland and Tommy Turner give this a nice connection to the Cinema of Transgression movement.

As for the aforementioned sex and violence – well, there’s plenty of both. With extensive nudity – both male and female – and sex scenes that often veer into the kinky and the non-consensual, graphic castration and a character being fisted to death (precisely the fear of the prosecution in the recent UK porn trial I imagine), this is certainly not for the easily shocked. But equally, nothing seems overly gratuitous – it’s all part of the narrative structure.

With a soundtrack that includes Clint Ruin and Lydia Lunch, Lunachicks and Cop Shoot Cop, this is underground movie making at its most impressive. Seen now, it also feels like a relic from a scene long since gone, and a reminder of how good the transgressive scene was. We need films and filmmakers like this more than ever.

DAVID FLINT

www.charlespinion.com