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CULT CINEMA: AN ARROW VIDEO COMPANION © Arrow Films 2016 ISBN 978-0-9933060-1-3 1st Edition, 1st Pressing Printed in EU 2016 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEOPublished by Arrow Films The Engine House ARROW VIDEO ARROWShenley ParkVIDEO Radlett Lane Shenley WD7 9JP ARROW VIDEO www.arrowfilms.co.uk ARROW VIDEO Cover: Graham Humphreys ARROW VIDEODesign: Obviously ARROW Creative VIDEO 2 ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO DEDICATED ARROW TO VIDEO MIKE SUTTON ARROW VIDEO1971 - 2015 ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO 3 ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO 4 ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ANTHONYEDITED NIELD BY ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO 5 ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO 6 INTRODUCTION Since its inception in 2009, UK-based Arrow Video Cult Cinema approaches its subject from five angles. has established itself as the go-to source for cult Each section is devoted to a different facet of cult cinema on DVD and Blu-ray. Filmmakers as diverse filmmaking – the opening chapter features seven as Richard Ayoade and Guillermo del Toro proclaim essays devoted to key cult movies, and is followed by themselves fans, and success has allowed the those on directors, actors, genres (and sub-genres), label to branch out into North America. Key to this and finally distribution, which examines how different success has been the care and attention given to methods of seeing a film, from travelling shows to the films selected for release: optimal presentations, DVDs, has allowed cult movies and their audiences substantial bonus features and brand new writing to flourish. from some of the leading voices on cult and genre filmmaking. The aim is not to provide a definitive guide to cult cinema but rather, as the subtitle proclaims, a The book you hold in your hands is both a showcase companion. Cult movies mean many things to many ARROWand VIDEO an expansion on the ARROWthousands upon thousands VIDEO people – Ben Wheatley’s introduction touches on of words which have been written for Arrow Video the manner in which he discovered the underbelly over the years. Collected within are contributions of cinema, but it won’t be shared by everyone, of from such names as Tim Lucas, Maitland McDonagh course – and everyone will have their own favourites. ARROWand Stephen Thrower,VIDEO all of them writing ARROW passionately Consider VIDEO this book as a look at cult cinema through the and knowledgably on their chosen subjects. This lens of Arrow Video, which is a pretty broad church volume brings together 20 of the finest essays anyway: Tinto Brass, Joe Dante, science fiction, super to have appeared in an Arrow Video release, and 8, Suzuki Seijun, Boris Karloff, Battle Royale, horror supplementsARROW them with VIDEO10 new commissions writtenARROW all-nighters, videoVIDEO nasties and much more besides. especially, and exclusively, for the book. Something familiar, something fresh, something that might just introduce you to a whole new world of ARROW VIDEO filmmaking ARROW and its enthusiastic VIDEO fandom. 7 ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO CONTENTS BEN WHEATLEY ON HIS INTRODUCTION TO CULT CINEMA .......................................................................12 CULT MOVIES THE HOUSE IS THE MONSTER ....................................................................................................................................16 Tim Lucas on The Fall of the House of Usher MURDER SET PIECES ......................................................................................................................................................24 Alan Jones on Deep Red THE JOYS OF REPULSION, OR ANTHROPHAGY IN THE UK .........................................................................32 Stephen Thrower on Zombie Flesh Eaters AMERICAN GIALLO .........................................................................................................................................................40 ARROW VIDEOMaitland McDonagh onARROW Dressed to Kill VIDEO ALMOST A COMEDY .........................................................................................................................................................48 Vic Pratt on Withnail & I ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO NOT IN MY BACKYARD ....................................................................................................................................................58 Kenneth J. Souza on The ’Burbs A BATTLE WITHOUT END .............................................................................................................................................66 ARROWTom Mes on Battle RoyaleVIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO 8 ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO CULT DIRECTORS CONTRACT KILLER ..........................................................................................................................................................74 Jasper Sharp on Seijun Suzuki NON-SENSORY INFORMATION ................................................................................................................................86 Caelum Vatnsdal on David Cronenberg FRIVOLOUS TINTO ...........................................................................................................................................................94 David Flint on Tinto Brass THE PRINCIPAL OF NUKE ’EM HIGH, PRESIDENT OF TROMA .................................................................102 David Hayles on Lloyd Kaufman CIVILISATION VERSUS THE PRIMITIVES ............................................................................................................108 ARROW VIDEOMike Sutton on Wes CravenARROW VIDEO NO MORE MYSTERIOSO: HORROR’S GREAT SOCIOLOGIST .....................................................................118 ARROWJohn Kenneth VIDEO Muir on George A.ARROW Romero VIDEO CULT ACTORS COMEDY AND KARLOFF ............................................................................................................................................128 ARROWVic Pratt on Boris Karloff VIDEO ARROW VIDEO WEIRDER THAN FORBIDDEN ZONE ....................................................................................................................136 David Hayles on Hervé Villechaize ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO 9 ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING VINCENT ............................................................................................................140 David Del Valle on Vincent Price UNCHAINED MELODY .................................................................................................................................................146 Tom Mes on Meiko Kaji A ONE-WOMAN ARMY ................................................................................................................................................154 Cullen Gallagher on Pam Grier CULT GENRES (AND SUB-GENRES) BLOOD AND BLACK GLOVES ..................................................................................................................................164 Michael Mackenzie on the Giallo PLAYFUL REVISIONISM ...............................................................................................................................................172 Pasquale Iannone on the Spaghetti Western SNOW JOB: A BRIEF HISTORY OF CANADIAN EXPLOITATION CINEMA .........................................180 ARROW VIDEOPaul Corupe on Canuxploitation ARROW VIDEO BEHIND BARS NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM! .....................................................................................188 ARROWRobin Bougie VIDEO on Pornochanchada ARROW VIDEO YOU BETTER WATCH OUT ........................................................................................................................................192 Kim Newman on Christmas Horror ARROWENOUGH IS NEVER VIDEOENOUGH ............................................................................................................................... ARROW VIDEO ...198 Joel Harley on Food Horror TEENAGE MUTANT COMET ZOMBIES ...............................................................................................................206 James OliverARROW on Empty City Sci-Fi VIDEO ARROW VIDEO 10 ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO ARROW VIDEO CULT DISTRIBUTION THE GOLDEN AGE OF EXPLOITATION ................................................................................................................214