Impotent Sea Snakes: Live in Germany

"Was a time when performance art made people think but Impotent Sea Snakes leave nothing to the imagination. ""Pope John Paul Can Suck My Dick"" is amusing in a Gizmos sort of way, The Mentors meet The Dickies, and though this film actually has quite stunning camerawork and direction it is the content that is lacking. For example, the studio version of ""Pope John Paul"" is far more effective, especially with the singing monks at the beginning of the tune. On stage at the Wacken Open Air Festival in Wacken, Germany, the vocalist might as well be singing the tune about the Vatican in German, the spitfire vocals aren't the objective, it's the naked women performing lesbian acts while the guy musicians, in drag, pound away. The end result is one big mess. At least Ozzy is coy and funny when he desecrates things in the films that accompany his live concerts and a clip of Sin?ad O'Connor's October 3, 1992 Saturday Night Live controversy would be a little more appropriate in its inappropriateness. It isn't as much the over the top that gets in the way, it's the misguided hit-you-over-the-head attitude that makes this fifty minutes a bit overbearing. Having a misogynist dressed like the film 8MM's ""Machine"" character sandblasting a woman's head and private parts or blow-torching breasts to pounding hard rock just doesn't have the charm of The New York Dolls in 1973 blasting down the doors of little nightclubs with more attitude than talent. Covers of Jim Carroll and Kiss are almost mandatory, ""Rock & Roll All Night"" at least giving the audience something to hold on to melodically. It's not a terrible performance, just not very inspiring, though the filming is terrific. Too bad this wasn't a classic Alice Cooper or New York Dolls show captured for the ages. Thirteen selections. No bonus tracks, no liner notes, no credits. Great care went into the filming, little care into the packaging and performance."