User Reviews

Oh well, actually I do. I just watched the 90-minute "Decoder", a (despite the title) West German predominantly German-language film from 1984, so this one is already over 30 years old. It is one of the rare directorial efforts by "Muscha" (???), but the writer Klaus Maeck is slightly more prolific, at least as a producer in the three decades after this film. This one here is actually a really early career effort by him. Now back to the title of my review here, with that I mean of course that I am absolutely clueless about the contents of this movie or what the makers were trying to depict and teach us. It did not connect with me on any level. Maybe you really need to be / have been extremely deep into a certain music scene or political scene perhaps even (back then in Germany) to see any appeal in this one and this means I am most certainly disqualified. So this one here is the epitome of a film that is not for the masses. It is only really for very few and I am definitely not among these as I found it almost annoying to watch (effects, colors) and listen to (music). The acting also was stale and bland and this is already gently-speaking. No cinematic value in here at all for me and I have to give this one a major thumbs-down. Stay far away from this one. It's not bold, not beautiful and especially not creative despite trying so hard. Just amateurish.

I eventually managed to get hold of a copy of Decoder after reading with great interest about it in Jack Sargeant's book "Naked Lens - Beat Cinema" and it is indeed a must see for Burrough's fans as not only does it feature him in a speaking role but it is also largely based on his ideas.

The story is (roughly) this: Pop performer F.M. Einheit discovers that different sonic frequencies and induce different patterns of behaviour in listeners, first in his own studio but later in the local "H-Burger" restaurant where the passive muzak appears to be wiping people's emotions.

The government headquarters responsible for this are represented by a huge 'fascist' building full of winding spools. Bill Rice, the government official who works there meanwhile goes on a journey of sexual discovery in the local red-light district.

Einheit meanwhile, after several arguments with his girlfriend (played by former child prostitute Christianne F.) and dream sequences featuring William S. Burroughs finds himself amongst underground rebels led by Genesis P. Orridge (the avant garde pop performer in groups like Psychic T.V. and Throbbing Gristle, himself a fan of Burroughs) who explains to F.M. about how the government have been 'controlling' the public through muzak. After this revelation he steals the tape from H-Burger and remixes it so that it induces panic, the rebel army replace the tapes in all the burger bars which are strangely now shown as Burger King and McDonald's rather than the fictional H-Burger.

Suffice to say, revolution ensues and Rice is killed.

Much of the film is done with heavy monochrome lighting and plenty of stock footage (some of it pretty nasty) and has a soundtrack of early eighties electronica. At times Decoder is very amateur (indeed Bill Rice is the only 'actor' in the cast) but the very 'underground' feel of the film and (the copy I have is very grainy indeed) adds to the sense of reality - like it really is something dangerous and grubby passed quietly amongst those who dare to find out - anyone seriously interested in Burroughs or early eighties music should see this film, others will probably find it difficult, boring and dated.

It is interesting and apt that it should be credited to the year 1984, as it is probably much more important (if inferior)than the film of the 1984 released in that year - although I think on behalf of the makers of Decoder it was entirely unintentional.

Fast food restaurant employee FM (likeable FM Einheit) discovers that the insipid muzak played over the PA system at the place he works at contains subliminal messages to lull people into a passive state so they stay in line and adhere to the status quo. FM decides to alter said muzak in order to shake the masses out of their blank unthinking complacent state.

Director Muscha brings a funky-punky very 80's New Wave aesthetic to the odd, yet absorbing premise that proves to be quite hypnotic and engaging in its sheer blithely overt weirdness. Moreover, the biting script trenchantly explores the still quite timely and pertinent themes of stifling mass conformity, corporate and government omnipotence, how advanced technology intrudes on people's lives and can be used to control people's lives, and the use of various media such as music, video games, and television as a means of further reinforcing both conformity and complacency. William Rice excels as ramrod government agent Jaeger, Matthias Fuchs contributes an amusing turn as an overzealous fast food manager, and William S. Burroughs has a cool cameo as a raggedy old man. Only Christiane Felscherinow leaves something to be desired with her stiff portrayal of the zonked-out Christiana. Shot with striking garish style by cinematographer Johanna Heer, set to a groovy techno-rock soundtrack, and moving along at an unhurried pace, this truly unique and different one-of-a-kind sci-fi oddity is highly recommended to adventurous viewers who want to see something way out of the ordinary.