FIX: The Ministry Movie, Directed By Douglas Freel

Published on October 18th, 2011 in: Current Faves, Documentaries, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Movies, Reviews |

By Danny R. Phillips

fix the ministry movie

From the wind-ravaged land known as Chicago, Ministry and its lead freak Al Jourgensen, were key in the creation of the soul-rattling, abrasive form of rock known as Industrial.

FIX, a behind the scenes, eyes wide open look at the band during their 1996 SphincTour, is informative and unsettling all at once. So unsettling that Jourgensen tried to stop its release. Luckily for us fans, he recently dropped the lawsuit.

Like most rock documentaries, the “talking heads” are in full force here. The Lord and Savior of Metal, Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead, says of the band, “Al is a good guy. I thought the band was good and funny.” Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails says, “They were doing something no one had before. I wanted to be like them. They set the bar really high.”

Most of the friends’ accolades are just that. Ego stroking is in full effect on FIX. One of the most (presumably) honest moments comes from David Yow (Scratch Acid, The Jesus Lizard) when recalling his first meeting with Al. “Gibby Haynes and I were sucking dicks for money at a bus station when we met Al. We became friends. He quickly made more money than us. I guess he was better at sucking cock.” The whole of the documentary is a frank as that moment. Be warned.

The real meat of the meal is seeing Jourgensen for what he is: A giant in his genre rapidly becoming consumed by his addictions and the need to live out the persona in which he has trapped himself. As the narrator of the film, former drummer Rey Washam says, “When your father figures are Timothy Leary and William S. Burroughs, there are gonna be bumps in the road.” And there are. Record execs talk of late records because of Al’s stints in rehab; Al shoots dope on camera several times and complains that his road crew gets to get high more than him; he wears bulletproof vests and top hats on stage to foil would-be assassins and says that people are planting things on his bus to kill him. Oh yeah, he screws a roasted chicken. Not the actions of a fully sane individual.

Al readies his talismans before a show: “I’m a superstitious man. These oils and talismans protect me.” Beyond all the craziness, the performance footage is some of the best I have seen in a road film. The camera man, mostly working with hand held recorders it seems, captures the true energy and ferocity of the band as they grind through songs like “New World Order,” “So What,” “Psalm 69,” and “Jesus Built My Hot Rod.” The insanity the band creates within the crowd (one fan sets off a tear gas canister) is worth the price of admission.

But after a quiet moment backstage with Al playing a wonderful rendition of the Grateful Dead’s “Friend of The Devil” on acoustic guitar and admitting, “I’d much rather stay here and play some Buck Owens and Gram Parsons then go out and play the shit I wrote,” I had to wonder. Is Jourgensen really the wild man he has created? Does he believe in the merchandise he is selling? Who cares? Nobody said rock was about honesty. Musicians sell themselves and people buy it. I think Al said it best before the closing credits: “I have to say on camera that I made all of this up because if I don’t, you fucking idiots will believe everything I say.” You know he is right and therein lies the beauty of FIX.

FIX: The Ministry Movie is screening at the CMJ Music Festival on October 19, 2011, and is presented through Gigantic Pictures. Check the film’s website for more information.



Time limit is exhausted. Please reload the CAPTCHA.