Dark Sanctuary Unveiled: The Enigmatic World of The Church’s Goth Night

The Pulse of the Underground: How The Church Redefined Dallas Nightlife

Summary

• Filmmaker Timothy Stevens, who first encountered The Church while attending film school in 2010, describes how this goth-industrial music venue provided acceptance and belonging in a new world of music and style.
• Despite the original venue closing in 2020, The Church continues to thrive at the It’ll Do Club, offering a refuge where judgment is suspended and acceptance is unconditional.
• The documentary, funded through crowdfunding efforts and featuring narratives from visitors, chronicles The Church’s storied past and the impact it had on the community.
• The film’s director, Stevens, emphasizes that it represents more than just cultural history, but a testament to a community that fostered a sense of belonging and even saved lives.
• The documentary also explores the musical vision of The Church, with bands like Skinny Puppy, The Cure, and Nine Inch Nails playing a crucial role.
• DJ and music director Joe Virus, whose diverse goth and industrial sounds shaped The Church’s musical trajectory, is highlighted as well.
• Overall, the documentary delves into a cultural phenomenon that profoundly transformed lives and defined a community.

The essence of The Church extends far beyond a mere weekly occurrence; it stands as a sanctuary that magnetically draws individuals from every corner of the world. This week, at the Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF), a documentary premiering titled “Dark Sanctuary: The Story of The Church” argues passionately for its significance.

Timothy Stevens, the visionary director behind this project, recounts his first encounter with The Church. Moving from Amarillo to attend film school at the University of North Texas in 2010, Stevens stumbled upon The Church during a Gorehounds concert. This venue, nestled within the Lizard Lounge on Swiss Avenue, became a sanctuary for those within the goth-industrial music scene, offering acceptance and belonging every Sunday.

“For me, it was a moment of transformation. Coming from a limited goth scene in Amarillo, The Church opened up a new world of music and style that I had not previously been exposed to,” Stevens recalls.

This sentiment of discovery and belonging resonates with thousands who have ventured into this darker nook of the once grand Lizard Lounge near Deep Ellum. Despite the original venue closing its doors in 2020, The Church has continued to thrive, now welcoming its congregation at the It’ll Do Club.

Don Nedler, the original visionary and owner of Lizard Lounge, encapsulates the essence of The Church perfectly, “It’s a refuge where judgment is suspended, and acceptance is unconditional.”

“Dark Sanctuary” emerged from a compilation of numerous narratives shared by visitors of The Church, funded entirely through crowdfunding efforts. Its debut at the Violet Crown theater during DIFF is highly anticipated.

The idea to chronicle The Church’s storied past sparked during a conversation with Austin Hayes, a regular attendee and now one of the documentary’s producers. Despite initially being preoccupied with another film, Stevens felt a compelling pull toward this project, especially as the pandemic threatened the continuation of these weekly gatherings.

“This documentary represents more than just an account of Dallas’s cultural history teetering on the brink of oblivion; it’s a testament to a community that fostered a sense of belonging and even saved lives,” Stevens emphasizes.

Nedler reminisced about the inception of The Church, inspired by a club of the same name in Miami during 1994. With a musical vision rooted in the 80s, featuring bands like Skinny Puppy, The Cure, and Nine Inch Nails, The Church became crucial to the Lizard Lounge’s survival over three decades. Contrary to perception, it was The Church that sustained the Lizard Lounge, not the other way around.

Joe Virus, a DJ and songwriter, significantly influenced The Church’s musical landscape well before officially joining its ranks. Initially just a regular patron, Virus’s passion for diverse goth and industrial sounds eventually led him to become The Church’s main DJ and music director, forever altering its musical trajectory with his innovative selections.

The documentary would hardly be complete without acknowledging Virus’s profound impact. Stevens even enlisted Virus to compose the score and soundtrack for the film, mirroring his role in evolving The Church’s auditory experience.

“Dark Sanctuary” is more than just a documentary; it’s a deep dive into a cultural phenomenon that defined a community, showcased through the lens of those whose lives it dramatically transformed.