With friends like Shaun’s, who needs enemas?

I’ve been in two minds about posting this because of the subject matter but bad taste outweighed good sense so here it is. I wont mince my words here, I’m talking about porn and not simply porn but hardcore porn, though this isn’t any old grunting stag movie, no, Waterpower is arguably a masterpiece, or maybe an accidental artistic anomaly in a field of filth.

Though this entry isn’t strictly about the film it’s best that I give you a brief run down on the unsettling subject matter. Waterpower also often goes by the high concept title The Enema Bandit, and if we’re gonna be reductionist about this, it is about a bandit that applies enemas but, and this is a big BUT with no pun intended I assure you, this is so much more than a marginalised piece of exploitation.

The short version of the story goes -- Mafia boss calls up director to make speciality porn film, mafia boss wants nothing more to do with the project, director seizes opportunity to make what he wants assuming no one funding the film would watch it and sets about making the sex industry’s answer to Taxi Driver. Of course there’s much more to it than that and I urge you to read director Shaun Costello’s personal account which gives the film the further unique accolade of being possibly the only picture to have a behind the scenes explanation in place of a plot on IMDB.com.

You might be wondering why I’m sharing this or worse still why I even came to be watching such a monstrosity, and for the latter you can blame the unlikely duo of Jonathan Ross and my Mum -- Ross for including a chapter on the film in his Incredibly Strange Film Book, and my mum for buying me the book in the first place. Setting about searching for The Enema Bandit (Ross failed to mention it was also known as Waterpower) led me to a fair few unsavoury encounters and raised more eyebrows than the time I went on the hunt around NYC for Sexual Harassment. Finally I came across a guy who discreetly dubbed me a fuzzy VHS copy which I swiftly slipped home with and was soon staring at in abject horror.

So here’s why I’m telling you about it (aside the fact it’s a must for those of you that like bizarre films). While I was picking tracks for the show last week I wondered if I could track down Waterpower’s soundtrack. Alas it’s rare that a hardcore flick has an official OST and I gather much of this one was culled from other films including Thompson’s Cape Fear and of course Taxi Driver but amongst the rubber piping and hammocked between hookie motifs is a wealth of bizarre synth work and ambient noise akin to the Eno output of the time. There now follows the only clip I could find online which is both very short and not remotely filthy…

See what I mean about the soundtrack? If anyone reading knows anything more about it please get in touch as I would love to listen without having to wade through flushed bowels and ham acting (as appealing as that obviously might sound).

I couldn’t leave it at that though as whilst having a scout about for more info, I stumbled upon this clip from the equally Ronseal named New Wave Hookers which stars the Enema Bandit himself Jamie Gillis dressed like Darby Crash if he shopped in the Camden branch of Argos. I warn you, this one gets a bit sweary but I gather if you’re still reading, colourful language will be the last thing to phase you.