REVIEW: Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble of Shadows, 'Have You Seen This Ghost?' (Apocalyptic Vision)

Listening to Anna-Varney Cantodea's tenth tired release, I'm reminded most of the opening monologue, delivered by Werner Schroeter, from Rainer Werner Fassbinder's 1971 West German drama, Warnung vor einer heiligen Nutte (Beware of a Holy Whore)...

Then there's the story of Wee Willy, the gangster.

Goofy wants to be a children's nurse, so he borrows some clothes from his Aunt Anna--a red and white-checked calico dress and a big hat.

And he tries his luck as a kindergarten teacher, not very successfully, though, because the kids all say they've never seen such a queer old doll.

Goofy gets beaten up by the kids and flings his gear in the trashcan.

At that moment, an escaped convict comes by--Wee Willy, the gangster. He's no bigger than a three-year-old girl.

He finds Goofy's gear in the trashcan and puts it on.

On his way home, Goofy bumps into Wee Willy wearing Aunt Anna's dress.

"Poor little homeless mite," Goofy thinks and takes the little girl home.

He dishes up pheasant and partridges and a whole goose, and Wee Willy stuffs himself full. Goofy's pretty surprised at the little girl's appetite. But he's mighty pleased, too, and thumps his fists on the table.

Wee Willy behaves terribly, but at last, Goofy finds joy looking after a child.

During the night, the house is surrounded by gangsters.

No, not by gangsters--by police.

They storm the house and find Wee Willy. They recognize him, despite the gear he's wearing. Goofy's amazed and asks what they want of a poor little girl.

"This is terrible! What has she done? Poor little orphan!"

The police inform him that it's Wee Willy, a wanted criminal. And as the police carry Willy out, explosive as a hand grenade, Goofy says:

"Must have been a shock for the poor little girl to find out she's a crook."

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