Michael wrote:
I think it's an unforgivable insult to Fists in the Pocket to celebrate Seeds of Sin on its very own thread! Half of Sin consists of dreadfully boring sex and the rest is basically ugly family members shouting at each other. Uninspiring, silly. I would take the shouting match between Divine and Mink Stole (i.e. Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble) and Polyester) and the uniqueness of Eraserhead anytime... and also the poetic beauty and gripping horror of Fists in the Pocket. The killings in Fists are incredibly believable while the killings in Sin are cartoonish and exagerrated. At least Fists treats each character with some sympathy (which I think make the killings even more effective) while Sin does the opposite.
See, I think you're missing the point of
Seeds of Sin (inasmuch as it has one, being a compromised work). I think it's very much intentional that none of the characters are sympathetic, all of the sex is boring, and that much of it consists of family members shouting at each other. Milligan wasn't out to create a cute little black comedy, and he certainly wasn't out to "inspire" anyone (unless it was inspiring them to commit suicide).
If you're serious about wanting to compare the two films, it's almost necessary to perform the background research of reading the biography on Milligan and of watching the workprint of
Seeds, Milligan's original version of the film. Watching
Seeds of Sin completely out of context is kind of like if your only exposure to Terry Gilliam was the "Love Conquers All" cut of
Brazil. You wouldn't think much of him as a filmmaker. Okay, now I know Andy Milligan is no Terry Gilliam, but you have to remember the milieu he's working in. He's making films for 42nd St. grindhouses and trying desperately to transcend the highly rigid strictures of that type of film.
Seeds was the film he put everything into--it's his magnum opus.
Anyway, I'm sure everyone would agree that
Fists and
Seeds are dissimilar in every way except for certain plot and structural elements. I think what Jon (Narshty) might be saying (but don't let me put words in your mouth) and what I am definitely saying is that if you're going to watch a film about a fucked-up homicidal family,
Seeds is the more interesting choice. Michael disagrees (which is his right), but I would caution that if you watch any film with the sole intent of comparing it to another, you do a disservice to both films.