Berlin Calling

1.   What do drugs mean to Ickarus?

They are his way of relaxing, taking the edge off so he can just chill out.

They were his way of escaping reality and getting away.  He thrived on them and needed them to work and do his job.  It was part of the partying subculture.  Drugs are Ickarus’ way of copping with problems. 

2.   Why, when, and how are his fans taking drugs, and which drugs do they take?

Some of them are taking cocaine and snorting it while they are partying.  They take it to keep them going.

They are taking Ecstasy to get high and enjoy the music.

They are taking ketamine whenever they want to disconnect.

MDA with PMA in it.

3. While we can see that his drug habits get him ill and into a psychosis, and while we witness his relapse and inability to work successfully, why does the subculture Ickarus belongs to focus on drugs?

It seems that all the subculture wants to do is party.    They live off of getting messed up and having a good time.  Music is really huge and seems to be how they express themselves and get their emotions out

4. Compare the standards you know from your home society with the people you see depicted in this movie. Which are the stark differences and contrasts?

Major differences would include: having to care about my life, we don’t do hardcore drugs all the time, we have responsibilities and it seems that our society expects better from us.

5. Germany is considered a strong industrial nation the world over. Do you think that the youth culture as depicted here could change that? How about work ethics of Ickarus and of Alice, the label director who fires and then re-signs him?

         I would agree that Germany is a strong industrial capital of the world but I would also say that in the last five years they have really come into the music scene.  It is really becoming popular there and they are starting to spit out tons of new music.  Ickarus, despite being crazy and doing all kinds of stuff he shouldn’t seemingly had a strong work ethic as he worked throughout all of his problems, during his relapse and during his healing phase.  Alice was in it for the money.  Ickarus became more hassle than he was worth but when the promise of good music became apparent to her she wanted to resign him and did.

6. Which similar "cult movies" of US origin have you seen, if any?

            There were some kinds of similarities with the movie fear and loathing in las vegas.  The guy was extremely addicted to hardcore drugs. Made crazy choices with his life and it greatly affected him.  This movie is more of a drama than Fear was.  Fear was more Hollywood.

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie.  It wasn't a cult classic but it was good and a memorable movie.    I think that it was really well written.  You really got the sense of the environment they were trying to portray.  It felt european, if felt real.  It takes you through Ickarus' Journey of battling drugs and fighting to stay afloat within his career and his life.  It takes you through the struggle of trying to get off of these drugs and still cope with your problems and do the things you loved to do on the drugs without them.  It really did a good job taking you through the ups and downs.  You wanted him to break out of the hospital but you wanted him to go back.  You understood how he felt and his time to go out and release the stress of being cooped up and it made you feel like you wanted him to leave.  You wanted him to enjoy himself but not to relapse.  Your hopes and dreams are crushed as he relapses and crashes and smashes his life to pieces.  Fortunately for him he had some forgiving people in his life and he mended those relationships as he healed and got off the drugs. I was really glad to see him beat his struggles and stare adversity in the face and deny drugs to not only himself but to his friends as well.  It was good to see that he could put aside his drug problems and continue to put all his effort he had left into his job, into making music.  Very well written piece of filmography.