For the past year, Negative Pleasure has proudly brought the best in overlooked, underappreciated crime, action and horror films to the screen at Spectacle Theater in celebration of the release of our comics, such as Felony Comics 1, 2 and 3, Jeans 3 and Night Burgers. Now, with the release of Felony Comics 4, and in celebration of this weekend’s Comic Arts Brooklyn Festival, we’re more pleased than ever to bring you FELONY COMICS MOST WANTED, a selection of three of our favorite films from our past screenings, as selected by both Negative Pleasure publisher Harris Smith and the Illuminati of Spectacle Theater.
For this monumental occasion, we’ve selected three films from south of the border – US/Mexican co-productions NEW DRUG CITY and DRUG RUNNERS, and Mexican horror epic THE THRONE OF HELL (EL TRONO DEL INFIERNO). Hosted by Harris Smith and featuring surprise appearances by Felony Comics’ rogues gallery of creative contributors, this night promises to be our most frenzied yet, with comics giveaways, Q&As, and other special surprises in store.
NEW DRUG CITY
(aka: Narcotrafico)
Dir. Raúl de Anda Jr, 1985
Mexico, 90 min.
Dubbed in English
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6 – 7:30 PM
It’s the Feds vs. the Cartel as both sides of the law race through the desert to snag a hidden dope stash in New Drug City. Originally released in 1985 as Narcotrafico, New Drug City was retitled to cash in on the popularity of the popular Wesley Snipes/Judd Nelson crime flick New Jack City for its American dubbed VHS release by Magnum Video. Pure exploitation through and through, New Drug City features a bargain basement Crockett and Tubbs trading awkward, vaguely homoerotic banter as they blast their way through Mexico’s badlands, leaving behind a trail of the prerequisite blood, bullets, bodies and babes. Directed by Raul de Anda Jr. and starring his brother, Rodolfo de Anda, both legends of Mexican action cinema.
DRUG RUNNERS
Dir. Alan Kuskowski, 1988
USA/Mexico, 86 min.
in English.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6 – 10:00 PM
It’s the Feds vs. the Cartel as both sides of the law race through the desert to snag a hidden dope stash in New Drug City. Originally released in 1985 as Narcotrafico, New Drug City was retitled to cash in on the popularity of the popular Wesley Snipes/Judd Nelson crime flick New Jack City for its American dubbed VHS release by Magnum Video. Pure exploitation through and through, New Drug City features a bargain basement Crockett and Tubbs trading awkward, vaguely homoerotic banter as they blast their way through Mexico’s badlands, leaving behind a trail of the prerequisite blood, bullets, bodies and babes. Directed by Raul de Anda Jr. and starring his brother, Rodolfo de Anda, both legends of Mexican action cinema.
EL TRONO DEL INFIERNO
(aka: The Throne of Hell)
Dir. Sergio Goyri, 1994
Mexico, 94 min.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6 – MIDNIGHT
In THE THRONE OF HELL (EL TRONO DEL INFIERNO), from Mexico, an archeological dig unleashes Beezelbub, forcing the Vatican to call in master exorcist El Hombre. In a battle of stop Armageddon, the forces of good call upon the power of the Seven Seals and the sword Excalibur to take on the devil himself. Bloodshed ensues. A lot of it. Guts, too. And some brains. Starring and directed by Sergio Goyri, star of the Mexican stage version of MEN ARE FROM MARS, WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS and creator of the Black Stallion and Still Loving U fragrances.
Felony Comics #1 was featured in Best American Comics 2015 (edited by Jonathan Lethem) with Alex Degen’s “Crime Chime Noir,” and received a notable mention for Ben Urkowtiz’s “The Facts” and Pete Toms’ “In Post,” (originally appearing in Jeans 3), and Alabaster Pizzo’s “Mimi & the Wolves” (excerpted in the now out-of-print Jeans 2). Other contributors to Negative Pleasure Publications include such comics luminaries and up-and-comers as Benjamin Marra, Rich Tommaso, Josh Burggraf, Victor Kerlow, Leah Wishnia, Lale Westvind, Zach Mason, Laura Callaghan, Jason Murphy, Michel Fiffe, Amy Searles, Claire Donner, Ken Johnson (Ball and Cone), Anthony Meloro, Brigid Deacon, Ben Passmore, Laurie Pina, Laura Perez-Harris, Thomas Slattery and numerous others.
Felony Comics #4 features stories and artwork by Alex Degen, Odin Cabal, Pete Toms, Derek Marks, Anthony Meloro, Thomas Slattery and Poland’s Lukasz Kowalczuk. It debuts at this year’s CAB festival in Brooklyn.