Zillion

 I was there.  I was there 3000 years ago reader when the megadancings of Techno ruled the Belgian nightlife.

And on the contrary to these modern day kids that think they are cool that they saw this movie, I actually lived this movie.

Zillion is based on true and untrue stories about the rise and fall of one of the most (in)famous dancings in Belgium.  And some things you might think that where over the top in the film actually happened.  

The story goes about a young computer genius, Frank Verstraeten, who is making a large sum of money by importing parts from China long before the competition does, being able to sell PC's faster and better then what was on the market.  Of course, with a double bookkeeping, but that is something Belgians are famous for anyways.

One day he does a job for Dennis Burkas, aka Dennis Black Magic, the famous belgian porn producer.  He gets paid with VIP tickets from another dancing, Carre, which was then the place to be, but refused entrance.  Becoming friends with Dennis and making his first million, they go again, where he falls in love with Vanessa, the current miss Belgium.  But when under the influence of his first experience with XTC he is roughly thrown out and vows to open a place more impressive then the Carre.

He buys a location in the centre of Antwerp, and using his knowledge of computers and chinese business locations transforms it to the most modern, impressive dance temple Europe had ever seen, the Zillion.  It becomes an instant success and the money flows in, but the neighbours and the tax services are not to happy with what is happening.  

He gets his wish of starting a relationship with Vanessa, but soon this starts to go sideways as he is more focussed on making money then he is on his personal life, in an eager attempt to prove himself and become someone.  Soon problems with the taxation services begin, and Vanessa spirals down in an life of alcohol and drugs, setting up a homejacking of which he falsely believes Dennis was behind.

But he sees the error of the ways as he figures out the truth, saving Dennis from the Albanian maffia he had become to involved with, but also can no longer escape the tax services.  He loses everything, including Vanessa, as the Zillion is being torn down with it's license revoked, and he is sentenced to incredible fines.

The fun part is that Frank actually makes a cameo in the movie, as the man who at the end during the public auction buys the snake, for those wanting to know how well cast the leads have been.  The miss Belgium part however caused a whole scandal in Belgium, as the actual miss Belgium who had a relationship with him tried to stop the release of the movie.  This gave more public exposure to the film, and the innuendo if the things in the movie did actually happen as shown...

It was an okay movie in the end, the music was "my thing" and it was full of nostalgia, even seeing some people featured in cameo's that I know from real life back then.  So if you can get your hands on the movie abroad, surely give it a watch!

Oh, and Zundays in Zillion... it was as heavy as depicted.