Mod Fuck Explosion feat. Zach Clark

Hit Factory

Independent filmmaker Zach Clark joins to discuss the work of punk auteur legend Jon Moritsugu and his 1994 cult favorite Mod Fuck Explosion. A riff on classic Hollywood tales like West Side Story, the film is brash, outrageous, occasionally reprehensible, and is (in Zach's words) less about teen angst so much as it simply *is* teen angst manifested onscreen.

We first discuss the singular style of Moritsugu as filmmaker, his movies' no-budget charms, and how their hyper-stylized aesthetic, formalism, and performances turn the film's budgetary limitations into distinctive attributes that call attention to the their own artifice. Then, we discuss Mod Fuck Explosion's brilliance as a totem of 90s teen ennui and an interrogation of Moritsugu's career-long targets such as the prison of domesticity, anti-Asian racism, and gender roles. Finally, we discuss why the film's of Moritsugu transcend basic descriptiors like satire and camp, embracing genuine sincerity and uncovering deep emotional truths with a commendable level of vulnerabiltiy.

On the back half of the show, we spend some time discussing Zach's new film The Becomers, a 21st century take on science fiction B-movies about body snatching aliens finding love in the time of COVID.

The Becomers is out on VOD today! Check out the trailer here.

Pre-order The Becomers on limited edition Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.

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Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish.