Body Modification Images

I don't usually do this sort of thing, but staying quiet makes me part of the problem rather than the solution. I've been seeing a lot of images of body mods going around Facebook with a rather negative connotation - whether it be something to do with mental issues, personal choice, or if you feel like fucking these people based purely on their appearance.

People in the body mod community are constantly being attacked, instead of educating ourselves, we choose to point and laugh. Something is different from our main stream, so we tear it down. What is the fucking point in that? I know members of the body mod community and they are wonderful, kind, patient, and sound individuals. They have to be spokesmodels for education because they are constantly explaining themselves.

If you aren't into body modification, cool, that's fine. But please don't delight in ridiculing people based purely on their physical features. You are robbing yourself of having an opportunity to truly know an individual. 

-Sylv

RIP Shannon Larratt

Jen and I are deeply saddened by the passing of Shannon Larratt, the founder of BME. What he did in and for the body modification community will never be forgotten. He knew this time was coming and had prepared a final posting for Zentastic. 

For those of you that knew him or knew of him, even those of you that have never heard of this incredible man before, you won't regret taking a moment to read this. 

"As the saying goes, “by the time you read this I’ll be dead.” Caitlin has probably posted it by my request, or it’s been posted as part of a dead-man switch. I have known this was coming for years, at times even hoped for it, and most of that time I haven’t ever been afraid of it, although as it’s grown closer I’ve felt equal parts dread and relief, with a little bit of panic mixxed in. I wish I could have lived much, much longer as there is still so much I want to do and see and be a part of, although in the time I had I could not have asked for a more wonderful life. I’ve had the opportunity to do remarkable things, see my dreams made real and changed the world and the lives of many for the better, loved and been loved, and have an amazing daughter who I hope will have her own wonderful life. My biggest sadness is not being able to be a part of more of it, and I have spent many days in tears trying to figure out a way to squeeze more meaningful time out of this life. There’s just so much more I want to do — and I think everyone knows I’ve done a lot. But not enough. If I knew my live was going to be this short, I would have pushed harder, not frittered so much of it away. I wish I’d seized every single opportunity, not just “many of them”, thinking “I can do that next year.” I’ve always thought that for me the “undiscovered country” was in the Star Trek sense of the word — that is, the glorious future — but instead I’ve gotten stuck with Hamlet’s “undiscovered country”, or death: “But that the dread of something after death, the undiscovered country, from whose bourn no traveller returns, puzzles the will, and makes us rather bear those ills we have than fly to others that we know not of?”"

Read the whole piece here.

-Sylv

Mary, Mother of Mod

Mary, mother of mod.  

Our American Mary, Katharine Isabelle, with real rad folks from the body modification community, with work by our flesh artist, Russ Foxx. 

-Sylv

Dread Central Talks Mary Modification

"After months of speculating, head-scratching, hand-wringing and a teaser trailer that evoked more questions than it answered, the secret is finally out. Just what is the Soska sisters' new film American Mary all about? 

The answer: underground, extreme body modification. 

Dread Central was recently lucky enough to sit down with the Twisted Twins, Jen and Sylvia Soska, and discuss American Mary. To describe the experience, interviewing the Soskas is like trying to hug a beehive…incredibly intense energy, tireless activity and the sense that even though you're dealing with multiple entities, there's an overall feeling of single-mindedness and unity. The Soskas are an incredible breath of fresh air, and after the success of their unique first film, Dead Hooker in a Trunk, the ladies are looking to solidify their place in the horror community. Judging by early response, American Mary is just the film to do it for them." -Doctor Gash, DREAD CENTRAL

Jen and I were lucky enough to have the opportunity to speak with the very cool, horror aficionado Scott Hallam aka Doctor Gash of Dread Central about our upcoming film AMERICAN MARY into the wee hours of the night. People sometimes get the Twisted Twins warning before meeting us - 'they talk very fast, switching between one another, finishing each others' sentences, and use extremely foul language' - however that didn't seem to bother Scott as the three of us talked horror and the real subject matter behind the pitch of 'underground surgery' - body modification.

"American Mary follows the story of Mary Mason, played by Katharine Isabelle, as she becomes increasingly broke and disenchanted by medical school and surgeons she once admired," Sylvia Soska explained. "The allure of easy money sends Mary into the world of underground surgeries that leaves more marks on Mary than her freakish clientele." 

Jen Soska added, "In a way, American Mary is a metaphor for our own journey through the film industry,", alluding to the fact that the people who look the most trustworthy and perfect are often anything but.

Having been immersed in the world of AMERICAN MARY for the last few years, writing the script, doing the background research, making the film, screening, marketing, we have been dying to say the words 'body modification' in relation to the film and what that culture and the members of its community mean to us. This was that golden opportunity.

If you're looking forward to the release and this new film, fuck, if you are interested in something very different coming out in the horror genre, please take a look at the entire piece here and see your first look at the world of AMERICAN MARY.

Fans of the Soskas' previous film, Dead Hooker in a Trunk, will certainly be wondering what similarities their second effort has to their original offering. One thing you can count on is the twisted Soska humor returning in full bloom. "You're gonna know who the sick fucks in the audience are," Jen said. "There are moments that are very laugh out loud, but there are moments where you have to be one of the dark creatures to be laughing." "I'm so passionate about this movie," Sylvia said. "I get so fucking focused on what this needs to look like and what the characters need to do, I don't see anything else. I love stories about outcasts and people who people don't usually understand. Jen and I were horribly teased growing up. We were teased, we were spat on, they called us witches, they beat us up and threw us in lockers."  

"We were not popular at all," Jen remarked. 
  

"They called us 'The Fitzgerald Sisters' so we watched Ginger Snaps," Sylvia said, "and that was the first time we saw Katie."

A very huge and humble thanks to the brilliant team at Dread Central who have always supported independent filmmakers, in particular crazed twins from Canada. Thank you for the hours of your life that you lost with Jen and me chatting like madwomen with you.

And thank you to you, the dude/chick reading this post right now. Without your support, none of this would be possible. Cannot wait for you to see the film!

-Sylv