THE LAW AND INNER DEPRAVITY B
ACK IN OCTOBER OF 2007, I PROFILED SPECIAL EFFECTS ARTIST RÉMY COU- TURE. Couture had a website, Inner Deprav- ity, which contained two short films and a
number of photo sets. The Montreal, Quebec-based artist described his site as “the private photographic diary of a killer.” The photos were highly stylized and gruesome depictions of a serial killer at work, which were clearly intended to be seen as art. Couture, age 33, is largely self-taught, and has since gone on to work as a makeup and effects artist with Adrien Morot’s Maestro Studio on films such as The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Death Race and Punisher: Warzone. Couture’s makeup effects are so realistic, in fact, that he’s facing two years in prison for them. On October 28, 2009, Couture received an email
from a man who said he had discovered Couture’s special effects business website –
RemyFX.com – and wanted Couture to shoot some custom photos to give out at a Halloween party. Couture arranged for a photographer and set up an appointment for the following day. Just before the session was to begin, Couture was lured outside and arrested. He was handcuffed, taken to a police station and interro- gated. His apartment was searched, his computer equipment seized and the site shut down. “The complaint is from Interpol,” says Couture.
“I’m accused of publication of obscene material and corruption of morals. I think my work was disliked by many people who probably pressured them to close my website. I will not be surprised to see that right-wing puritanism is behind this.” Surely Quebec law enforcement has more press-
ing matters to attend to than prosecuting someone who takes pictures of consenting adults with Karo syrup on them. Is there more to this? Did Couture mistreat any of his models or do anything else in- appropriate other than take pictures? “There are no other allegations against me,” he
says. “Everything is fiction; there are no real sexual acts, no torture and no real blood.” Couture is charged under Section 163 of the
Canadian Criminal Code, which addresses “Of- fences Tending to Corrupt Morals.” It’s ambiguously worded, with 163(8) being particularly troubling. It states, “For the purposes of this Act, any publication a dominant characteristic of which is the undue ex- ploitation of sex, or of sex and any one or more of
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Rémy Couture
the following subjects, namely crime, horror, cruelty and violence, shall be deemed to be obscene.” This definition could easily be applied to films such
as I Spit on Your Grave or A Serbian Film, both of which were screened last summer with the approval of the Quebec film classification board, the Régie du Cinéma, at the world-renowned FanTasia International Film Fes- tival in Montreal. Even though these films contain sexual violence as intense as, or worse, than Couture’s work, no one was arrested at FanTasia. In fact, the charges against the artist are so ludicrous that people believe this is some sort of publicity stunt, but Couture is not making this up. On October 13 he appeared in a Montreal courthouse
and entered a not guilty plea. His trial was set for No- vember 1. Dominic Bouchard, Couture’s lawyer, does not see
any benefit to Canadian society in prosecuting his client. “Accusing Rémy Couture demonstrates an abuse of
power and is a very frightening image of the usual Canadian liberty of expression and creativity,” he says. Couture’s legal woes can only be looked at as
heavy-handed censorship and an assault on his per- sonal freedom, given that he is accused of nothing more than producing and posting to the internet im-
ages that are at best distasteful. In Part 1 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, under Fundamental Freedoms, it states that Canadians have the fundamental freedom of “thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication.” Bouchard is confident that this case will not stand up to a challenge under the Charter. “The Criminal Code must be revisited in regard
to these outdated concepts,” he explains. “Freedom of expression in 2010 allowed an artist like Rémy Couture to produce and create horror movies like he did. ... He’s a victim of his own talent and we’re going to demonstrate that inside the courtroom!” Couture is defiant and undaunted, but will he con-
tinue his work? “Of course, if I’m found not guilty!” he assures.
“Inner Depravity is very popular; it’s supposed to introduce you to the mind of a serial killer. I don’t see anything illegal in it.” Rue Morgue will follow the case as it goes to trial.
Meanwhile, supporters can join the Facebook group (in French) “Accusé à la cour criminelle pour de la fiction,” or sign the petition at
ipetitions.com/in- nerdepravity.
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