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 title: TOOL Go To Hell, on Tour
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Tool Go to Hell, on Tour

Keenan plays Satan in "Bikini Bandits," band sets fall dates

Speak of the devil

Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan has just finished filming his feature debut in 
Bikini Bandits Go to Hell, director Steve Grasse's full-length realization of his popular 
Bikini Bandit short series. The series, a breasts-intensive homage to schlock icon Russ 
Meyer, follows a gang of near-naked, heavily armed outlaw ladies as they kill, plunder 
and evade the law. While the films have until now been Internet-only (and under ten 
minutes), Bikini Bandits Go to Hell is gunning for a full theatrical release later this fall.

Shot in and around Philadelphia, the film casts Keenan as Satan, Dee Dee Ramone as 
the Pope, Dead Kennedy-turned-politico Jello Biafra as an evil porn director and actor 
Corey Feldman as himself. Howard Stern whack-packers Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf 
and Gary the Retard also appear. Ramone will be contributing original music to the 
film's soundtrack as will D.C. post-rockers Trans Am and lo-fi electronica girl Peaches.

In Go to Hell, the Bandits themselves are killed, and, upon entering the underworld, 
are given an ultimatum from Satan: Go to Jerusalem and perform "some act" on the 
Virgin Mary or be forced to watch Corey Feldman dance for all eternity. Once in the Holy 
Land, the Pope must do everything in his power to stop the Bandits from desecrating 
Mary.

Keenan, a longtime fan of the Bandits series (and close pal of bandit starlet 
Heather-Victoria Ray), first contacted Grasse, hoping the director could direct a video 
for his side project, A Perfect Circle. While that never came to pass, the two stayed 
friends and Grasse was delighted Keenan agreed to do Go to Hell.

"He said yes," Grasse says, "and we were like, 'Holy shit!' When he actually called us 
from the plane to say he was on his way out here [to Philadelphia], the whole set 
erupted in cheers.

"Satan plays a major role in the film," Grasse adds, "and Maynard is a really good 
actor. He's a natural. If he wants to be an actor, he could be huge."

Prior to the theatrical release, Atomfilms.com will be premiering a new Grasse series, 
Bikini Bandits and the Golden Rod on August 28th (his prior films are archived there as 
well). The films, which feature previously released A Perfect Circle music, are all about 
"a magic dildo."

Satan aside, Keenan and Tool have announced dates for their fall U.S arena tour. 
Although they've undertaken two brief boutique tours since releasing Lateralus, which 
debuted at Number One, in May, the upcoming fifteen-city jaunt will be the band's 
most extensive stateside run in three years. Tool have tapped Fantomas -- former 
Faith No More frontman Mike Patton's avant-garde supergroup -- to open the string of 
dates.

Posted to t.d.n: 08/17/01 16:28:07