Around 8th or 9th grade, I became aware of the goth scene. Knowing I was a huge horror fan, my friend copied a tape for me to listen to. It was Skinny Puppy’s VIVIsectVI album. The song he most wanted me to hear was “Who’s Laughing Now?”, which featured samples of Bruce Campbell from Evil Dead 2 (1987). That album introduced me to a whole new world of music and culture.
My dad was a police officer and strict, so I never really adopted the culture or style of dress of the scenes I was into (punk, metal, goth). I would later spend plenty of nights at various Detroit clubs (mainly City Club), surrounded by the lights and sounds of the scene. At my age, I don’t get to do things like that anymore, but I’ll always have the memories.
One of the longest-running goth clubs in the country was located in Dallas, TX. It was known as The Church and embraced a community of artists and misfits. The club was a sanctuary for anyone who frequented it, and hundreds of legendary musicians graced its stage. Through a series of interviews, director Timothy Stevens tells the story of how the club reached its legendary status and ultimately closed its doors.
Dark Sanctuary: The Story of The Church gives a brief history of the goth culture before getting into the club. Most of the story is told through the eyes of their resident DJ, Joe Virus, as he returns to the club’s location at 2424 Swiss Ave. Since his interest in the culture began with Skinny Puppy, I thought my anecdote would be appropriate.
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Now, the building is in ruins, with nothing left but boarded-up windows and memories for those who considered it their home away from home. The most insightful information comes from Virus and club owner Don Nedler. Told through a series of videos, photos, and testimonials, they discuss the history of the building, the music, the culture, and even the ghosts that may have haunted it.
Other talking heads include numerous patrons, people who organized events there, such as fetish balls, and musicians who played at or frequented the club, such as Paul Oakenfold, cEvin Key (Skinny Puppy), Bill Leeb of Front Line Assembly, and many more.
For most of the documentary, you learn about the scene and the venue, but things get pretty emotional as it wraps up. You get the sense of just how important the club was to so many people. The story of The Church is an important one, and this documentary does it in an engrossing and affectionate way.
The Blu-ray from Cleopatra and MVD includes the trailer, uncut celebrity interviews, and two music videos from Solemn Assembly.
If you are interested in alternative culture, industrial music, and how it affected so many people, Dark Sanctuary: The Story of The Church will take you on a nostalgic, sometimes tragic journey. Most importantly, it might even lead you to “Embrace the Darkness.”
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