Home
Dave

Blog
Archives
By Subject

Recent:

Nixie Tubes
Memory
Scavengers
Nightshade
Cobras
Magical Feedback of Oz
Harp Case
Reading List 2023
Moonrise
Local Wildlife
Centipede
Recent Photos
Mouse Teeth
Reading List 2022
Connection Machine Photo
Engraved Photos
Pad One
Whisker
Black Rice
Gabe Serbian

Performance

Performance is an amazing British film from 1970. It starts out as a harsh realist drama about the violent lives of gangsters, but then goes off into a crazy world of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, with a definite occult / mystic twist to it. It's reminiscent of These Are The Damned, except the sudden turning point veers into Kenneth Anger instead of Ray Bradbury. The trio representing the occult world are played by Mick Jagger, Anita Pallenberg (notorious Rolling Stones girlfriend, also played The Great Tyrant in Barbarella), and Michèle Breton (who never appeared in any other films). Jagger is surprisingly good in this role. (Of course he is basicly playing himself.)

I also found it reminiscent of O, Lucky Man! in its bewildering intersection of the traditional and normal with the bizarre and underground, as well as the musical sequences.

Yeah, he thought he had it under control. Juggling all those balls, millions of them. Till one day he was looking in his favorite mirror, admiring his image, see, and when suddenly he saw a bit too clearly. And he was just a beautiful little freaky stripey beast darling. So he though maybe it's time for a change he thought, and then immediately as he watched, the image faded. His demon had abandoned him! Pluff! He was gone. He's still trying to figure out whether he wants it back. He's got to find it again.