White Gardenia: How to Raise Women from the Dead Review!
I’ve been writing on the pages of Severed Cinema for near around ten years now, and I’ve seen a fair few artists build into giants. One such humble man is Daniel Valient, aka the man who is experimenting and suffering in the name of White Gardenia. Having stumbled into his world mid-way through 2018, and then chatted with him so much, including conducting a really deep and honest interview (read interview here), I can simply say that White Gardenia is a one of a kind experience.
Daniel has quite frankly been totally show stopping in his own works and his appearances in places such as XXX Dark Web (see review here) and Vore Gore (see review here) but thanks to SamHel, more people truly had a chance not just to dip a toe into his murky waters, but to swim in the cold poisonous liquids when Blood Tastes like Perfume (see review here) crawled out onto blu-ray.
Daniel told me that this new opus is, aside from the introduction, his first adventures into special effects and narrative, instead of just self-mutilation and blood drinking.
Chapter one of How to Raise Women from the Dead is in fact a throwback to something I reviewed before, The Secret Perfume of Decay, with Daniel in his ‘hagsploitation’ mode, purely Arthur Lucan/ Old Mother Riley, but minus the seaside resort comedy (in 1954, Arthur passed away in my city, by the way). As a piano tinkles along (with a sprinkling of Nekromantik 2). Our old lady speaks silently and readies a pair of scissors. Daniel hates his left hand but loves his right. Thus, the offending hand needs to be punished with rapid stabbing motions via the said scissors. As I wrote last time when viewing this, is he sat in a café? There’s so much noise in the background. Whatever the location, there’s blood all over the place.
White Gardenia’s works are usually chopped and edited with a combination of the surreal and classic. Old film clips, or pictures appear. For segment two, we have a Ouija board and séance sketch followed by a family using one. The board spells out “White rose…” The mother of the clan says, “Asking us to bring her back to life, maybe. I don’t know how.” She begins a series of visions until she cannot handle anymore.
We head off to a quick scene showing meat at a supermarket, then we’re driving along a country road – animal bones upon the dashboard. Our driver picks up a hitch hiker (White Gardenia regular and huge contributor, Allison). As she sits in the back, he masturbates whilst driving. Next thing you know she’s tied up in the trunk looking rather depressed. It’s a surprise to actually see Allison clothed! Not for long though. Soon Allison is presented nude and beaten whilst being tormented by a balaclava wearing fiend. “I think it’s a great idea…. I’m going to bash your face in with a hammer….” We’re witnessing the last moments of Rose, the girl who contacted her family via the Ouija board. “I’m going to cut your titties off…” our killer continues, “Do you think it was a good idea to hitch hike?”
Then we head off a totally different route and style as we listen to a potential way to raise the dead… kind of….
This is a crude rough cut. Some scenes are way too long, the audio drops out in places, but the jagged edges give it a personality. It’s everything you expect and then some surprises in store if you follow the works of White Gardenia.
Anyhow, the DVD I was sent was far from over, for afterwards came a random collage of shorts, all keeping to a certain haphazard theme formed from the central piece. I have no idea if they’re going to be on the release once edited or will be extras. I’ve seen and reviewed a couple of them before. One seems to be a behind the scenes planning segment which, though interesting to see, is rather out of place and ruins a lot of the feeling that has built. Because of the insecurity of what their purpose is when all is said and done, I’ll keep them brief.
The first of two showstoppers for me among this mixed bag has to be a one minute or so flashback to White Gardenia’s early shorts, as Daniel stabs himself repeatedly in the face while wearing a Donald Trump shirt. It’s striking and gets your attention instantly. Many of these I have seen before on the channel devoted to them, so if they are used somehow, these little nasties will find a wider audience, for better or for worse.
The second eyes and ears grabber was White Gardenia’s interview with theoretical physicist, James S. Gates. It is poignant and deep, bringing many theories forward on resurrecting the deceased. Then we are in Resurrector, which surpasses much that has been presented before visually as Daniel is basically Jesus – but it lasts only a handful of seconds before we are thrown bodily into the next short (I do love the t-shirt on show during the ‘housewife’ masturbation sequence. I want one, but in black!)
And the theme is? …death of course. In Daniel’s words, “…from goths cutting themselves because they are afraid of death, to scientists and physicists trying to find ways to eradicate death…. and horror fans fetishizing death…”
That is the point, and a culmination of a majority of Daniel’s visions of reality here and before. To explore the realms of White Gardenia is like an endless winding dark maze with many obstacles and horrors, to simply find death as the way out.
As I stated in one of my earlier reviews, I’m an observer (sometimes entering), I don’t judge or question, I’m the guy who sits staring with creepy weird reptile eyes. I’ve seen so much in my years. I find enjoyment in near enough anything I chance upon or am sent. People like Daniel and his gang are the reasons I love reviewing for Severed Cinema. There are so many people who see White Gardenia as vile, repulsive, and attention seeking. Daniel and his carnival are everything you believe them to be but not attention seeking. They are making these films for themselves and to anyone who happens to pass by.
I have throughout my prior reviews described this artform as many things, so I won’t repeat myself, this isn’t for everyone. Let me find comparison which still doesn’t do justice. Imagine you’re into softcore metal or punk. You chance upon Pissgrave, Last Days of Humanity, G.G. Allin or Disgorge. The covers on some of the albums showing decayed putrid corpses or a man drinking Jim Beam whilst laid around, doesn’t make you think “Ah, this might be a bit heavy duty for me.” You play the albums and shake your head in bewilderment.
My point being? Unless you are genuinely fascinated or keen to explore the corridors of the experimental, the thought provoking, and the painfully bloody, White Gardenia is not for you, so do not venture in. This new incarnation does go some way in making a fully formed narrative film, but there is by far more than enough of the old with the new – I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Lastly the promo arrived with a wonderfully written and lengthy essay as given by the character, Rose, of how to raise people from the dead. Simply marvellous.
Directed by: Daniel Valient
Written by: Daniel Valient, Allison S.
Produced by: Daniel Valient
Cinematography by: Daniel Valient
Editing by: Daniel Valient
Music by: White Gardenia
Special Effects by: Allison S.
Cast: Daniel Valient, Allison, Cher Nevin, Kyndra, Tim
Year: 2021
Country: USA
Language: English
Colour: Colour/B&W
Runtime: How to Raise Women from the Dead – 23min
Runtime: Additional short films – 46min
Distributor: Bizarre Theatre
