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| Images courtesy of Cleopatra Entertainment |
Indie gothic-horror filmmaker Timothy Stevens has been
working under the radar since the early 2010s directing and appearing in short
films in addition to producing. A
resident of North Texas and studied film student, Stevens’ perhaps found his
true screen vocation with his sole documentary film effort Dark Sanctuary:
The Story of the Church. In the
works for years as an Indiegogo project and being released on home video for
the first time by Cleopatra Entertainment, this homegrown labor of love
chronicles the meteoric rise and abrupt fall of one of Dallas, Texas’ most
infamous and beloved goth dance theater clubs dubbed The Church. Through pictures, preexisting videos and
testimonials from those who lived through it, this digitally photographed
documentary piece tries to make sense of the legendary club which lasted three
decades until COVID finally took the venue out.
Largely comprised of interviews with resident DJ and
co-founder Joe Virus who went from aspiring musician to headlining The Church
for around twenty years, the story of 2424 Swiss Avenue when it originally was
Lizard Lounge before being changed to The Church is a homegrown labor of love
about a group of musicians who created a venue characterized by ‘Enter Without
Prejudice’. This was a moniker and early
progenitor of sorts to LGBTQ in the 1990s when The Church provided a safe space
for many like minded individuals to express themselves freely and openly. Often driven by burlesque theater, skimpy
outfits usually involving leather or bondage of some sort and a penchant for
Satanic theatrics, Dark Sanctuary is something of an analogue to
Detroit, Michigan’s very own Leland City Goth Club.
Featuring interviews with key celebrities including Cevin
Key of Skinny Puppy, Paul Oakenfold, Rubberdoll, Bill Leeb, Claude S. and many
more, we get a well-rounded story of key events in the club’s history and just
how far ahead of the curve the outfit was socio-politically. With a number of notable artists having
toured at The Church including Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson, one gets the
sense that there was a real community within the club and the Texas residents
who with The Church wanted to get as far away as possible from the stereotypes
of cowboys and ranch hands. At times
some of the footage of the club can be a little hard to watch, particularly
when it shows off glimpses of performance artists reminiscent of The Jim Rose
Circus, so be aware.
The blu-ray disc from Cleopatra Entertainment and MVD Visual
is generally nice with additional unedited interviews too long to include as is
in the documentary. There’s also a
trailer and a small selection of music videos.
Mostly though, this testament to one of the longest running and most
popular goth music dance clubs in the United States is a bit bittersweet with
the realization that industrialization and COVID brought the celebration to a
screeching halt. Those who have a history
with the club will come away feeling poignance and a somber sense of closure,
particularly when Joe Virus decides its time to move on from his Texan
roots. Those unaccustomed to this story but
with a penchant for industrial music and goth clubs (lord knows I do), this
will come as a real treat for clubbers and fans of concertos unafraid to dabble
deep in the darkness.
--Andrew Kotwicki
