The Routledge Companion to Cult Cinema Cult-Art Cinema

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The Routledge Companion to Cult Cinema

Ernest Mathijs, Jamie Sexton

Cult-art cinema

Publication details https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/doi/10.4324/9781315668819-5 David Andrews Published online on: 04 Dec 2019

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Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 00:21 01 Oct 2021; For: 9781315668819, book-part-006, 10.4324/9781315668819-5 movies: ( presenting cultcinemainbothways. For example, intheirintroduction to orasagroupofsubculturalprocesses? of subculturalartifacts There are, afterall, traditionsfor cinema.art What iscultcinema, anyway? Isit, forexample, more usefultothinkofitasagroup This confl the sametime, cult- identity even asitsmanifestaspiration tohigh- exemplifying thecultconceptin away whatmay thatrestricts andmay not becalleda “cult “cult- overlaps withotherfi to itas “subcultural legitimacy.” cultcinema’s canhelpusunderstand These assertions complex recognized outsidethecultnexus, isonlyintermittently Because thislegitimacy we may refer sense, anarrow lendstheseparticipants mystique legitimacy. thisillegitimacy witharestricted cult activities andforms, their oftenwearing “shame” asabadgeofhonorincultcontexts. Ina Cultcinemaisasuper- Morris Morris Weitz defi andGeorgeDickie: they similar tothosemadeby aestheticiansinthephilosophy before the interventions ofart of which movies are designated “cult movies.” As aresult, maneuvers oftenperform culttheorists or “paracinephiles,” seemmainly interested inthemovies, about there is nothingpermanent There are, however, problems withpresenting cultcinemaasagroupofmovies. Even ifcultfans, 2008 To this, understand we must bevery careful inhow we thinkaboutbothcultcinemaand Cultfi a long- … andinspiteofoften- loose endsorcreating asenseof nostalgia. They have troublesome production histories conventions andcoherent storytelling, references, oftenusingintertextual gore, leaving ), MathijsandXavier Mendikseemtodefi Ernest art cinema.”art As acultvariety, cult- icting, oftenambivalent ofcult- nature isattheheart lms transgress commonnotionsofgoodandbadtaste,lms transgress and they challengegenre lasting public presence. CL-AT CINEMA CULT- ART Defi art cinema’sart cultidentityalways callsintoquestionitshigh- elds. For example, cultcinema’s cinemaproduces withart intersection genre whose participants fetishize the cultural illegitimacy oftheirown fetishizetheculturalillegitimacy genre whoseparticipants ning cult- ambivalenceart limited accessibility, they have acontinuous market value and Dvd Andrews David art cinema is striking inthatitexemplifi cinemaisstriking art movies types ofmoviene certain andcertain as 3 33 art distinctionthreatens toerasethatidentity.art At asasetof ne cultcinema primarily

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Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 00:21 01 Oct 2021; For: 9781315668819, book-part-006, 10.4324/9781315668819-5 movie.” Inotherwords, reality promote of thehistorical thesetheorists storytelling”? Evenstorytelling”? ifthey had, how future would usageoftheconcept? restrict thesefacts Havesome production histories”? ahistorical essenceof ahistorical of “subcultural ideology”: of “subcultural collection, MarkJancovich astrategyofdefi andhiscolleaguespursue terest is the linchpin of most legitimate aesthetics,terest isthelinchpin ofmostlegitimate appliestofi and thisprinciple trast, has never overtly embracedanactive audience. The neo- art cinema’sart high- that usuallydictateourthinking aboutthem. For example, from thecultsensibilitydeparts the UnitedStatesatleastthrough the1960s. Butitisthediff like Andrew Sarris, SusanSontag, and Amos Vogel torefer to art- making theseclaims. iswhyThis common adversarialism itwas oftenpossible for tastemakers dominatedby Hollywood – an industry ities. For example, cinemaportray themselves bothcultcinemaandart in asindieoutsiders cult cinema, are dominantandtraditionalalmostby defi like thatofcultcinema asawhole, issubculturalinnature – with avant- production thatpromotes anddistribution non- to(several)cinema subscribes non- innature.ideological to(mostly)dominantculturalideologies, cinemasubscribes Art whilecult canonofmasterpieces.unchanging The maindiff cinemaisitselfafl thatart possible isthefact cinemaoverlapsart withafi that cultcinemaoverlaps withafi often by from opposingthemainstream cinemasandcultthatdepart pure- to acontext- What ismore, cultcinema isnottheonlysuper- oppositionalism isoftennominal, limitedtosubculturesasamarketing orpursued strategyonly. likedeeply militantinitsoppositiontodominantsectors cinema. mainstream cinemaorart This iseasilyoverdone.idea ofcultadversarialism haveAs scholars madeclear, thecultnexusisnot through theiroppositiontothe “mainstream.” Butwe should be careful here, too, forthis seehow re-editors cultparticipants the cultphenomenon. Through theirideasofcult adversarialism, Jancovich andhisfellow cult cinemabut stillmanagestomove beyond it, realities thesociological thatunify pursuing Thisdefi Amore approach in serviceable ischarted Thecultsensibility, asnow constructed, withhigh- doesshare someprinciples Which is to suggest that art cinema is as slippery andcomplexascultcinema. cinemaisasslippery Whichistosuggestthatart Ifitisodd [T] they congregate. audiences are able toconfervalue uponboththemselves andthefi ition tothe “mainstream” …itisby presenting themselves asoppositionalthatcult tural” ideology infi some single, unifyingfeature shared by allcultmovies but ratherthrough a “subcul- he “cult movie” isanessentiallyeclecticcategory. Itisnotdefi nition isusefulbecauseitacknowledges thetextualmultiplicity andcontingencyof garde cinema, cinemawhoselegitimacy, sectorofart whichisadeeplyadversarial specifi art valuesart by c “mainstream.” cinemaasawholehaspresented itselfasadversarial,Art all lmmakers,fi cultmovies. Butthiscannotwork. Have eld thatopposesthiskindoflegitimacy. What makes thisoddity endorsing eld thataspires toculturallegitimacy, itisequallyoddthat all dominant ones. Bylookingatcultas anarea ofcinematic lms oraudiences[that]are seenasexistinginoppos- ofthem “challenge[d] value abjectpositions, achieving subculturallegitimacy David Andrews anactive audience. The art- andbothcinemasnow seemequallydisingenuous in exible processes groupofsociological and notan 34 Defi ningCultMovies genre tohave itselfasanadversary constructed erence between cinemaandcultis art dominant ideologies, we canavoid confusion nition. but whosevalues, unlike thoseof genre conventions andcoherent erences between thesecinemas Kantian idealofaestheticdisin- house tastesas “cult” tastesin all (2003). Inintroducing this cultmovies had “trouble- ning cult cinema in terms ning cultcinemainterms house sensibility, by con- lms around which some ned according to cultmovies asthe ( 2003 lm aswell as art sensibil- art art values.art : 1– 2)

Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 00:21 01 Oct 2021; For: 9781315668819, book-part-006, 10.4324/9781315668819-5 interactive modesofconsumption. to seizecontrol ofthecinematicexperience, whichisonegoalofcultcinema’s egalitarian, often experience. The lastthingthatanauteur, intheclassicsense, wants todoisencourageviewers who have always ofcinematic argued that theaestheticobjectshouldbesoledeterminant then, (see, traditionalauteurs thatthismodeofconsumptionhasalarmed e.g., Peter Green often seemmostpleasedifthey canlaughwithoutregard forappropriateness. Itisnosurprise, in audiences. Cultaudiencesseemunifi TheToxicAvenger and Dad in public. Thus, screenings ofmidnightmovies like may beseenintheboisterous, populistbehaviors thathave oftentypifi tion hasbeencelebratedasaclass- notions ofrefi places, like crowded houses. museums andart As aconsequence, thisidealhasbeentiedto people toadoptthisposture cultivates everything from play fair toindividual restraint inpublic to institutionsinthatitjustifi of awork’s detailaspossible. and The idealofdisinterest isalsousefultoculturalauthorities “close attention,” aviewing posture thataidsimmersion, allowing viewers togatherasmuch forms.to more traditionalart of Practicalunderstandings “disinterest” usuallyequateitwith Cronenberg’s OrangeClockwork Welles’sOrson canon” ( the words ofMathijsandMendik, “an alternative canonofcinema, pitchedagainstthe ‘offi cult- andcanonization. presenting movies: by evidence art tify more ofauteurism legitimate Here value.“quasi- This Asnoted, acult- Last Seduction of whichare ical cultmovie isusuallyconsidered a “classic,” but theseclassicscomeinmany varieties, most Eraserhead inet desDr. Caligari it. Someofthesefi cinemas thatwere from initiallymadeandcelebratedfar cultcinemaaswe imagine currently cinemas,The cultcanonhasoftenincludedexperimental mainstream cinemas, andworld unintentional kinds. The fi Lewis’s aforementioned gross- and continual fl and derive from many quarters. Thus, cultcinemaisrich, byzantine – 1987). out,As itturns thecult- Tromeo and Juliet Cult consumption opposes this form oftheaestheticattitude. Cultconsumptionopposesthisform Indeed, ofconsump- thissort Before emphasizingthree intentionalkindsofcult- art cinemacreates specialproblems.art Though paracinephileshave longsoughttodevise, in out comedies; ofindividual itisalsotrue cultclassics,American from Gordon Herschell (1945), 2008 (1976)aswell asLuisBu not (1994); theCoens’ : 6), we cannotassumethatthiscanonamountstocultcinema’s highart. A canon- nementandspirituality. Videodrome ux. Touch ofEvil ascribed high- ascribed (1996), Jay Lee’s art movieart seemstohave, oraspire to, two kindsofstatus: cult value andhigh- (1984)have beenknown forthecarnivalesque hullabaloothey have inspired Blood Feast (1971); StanBrakhage’s legitimate” strainofcultmovie may beidentifi lms represent unintentionalcult- (1919), LeniRiefenstahl’s (1983), Blood Feast typeinvolvesrst cult- (1958); Jean- (1963), Types, andexclusions examples, es andmaintainssocialcontrol; ithasbeenthoughtthattraining cinema canonhasrelied ofcriteria, whichare onavariety loose art value.art ofHenenlotter’sThis istrue movies and Troma’s many Big Lebowski Dead Ringers Zombie Strippers ñ toJohn Carpenter’s oriented rejection ofthehigh- oriented uel’s El Topo ed by theirneedtoexpress themselves physically; they Cult-art cinema Luc Godard’s Un chien andalou Un chien The Act ofSeeingwith One’s OwnEyes (1970), (1998); andRichard Kelly’s (1988), andeven 35 Triumph ofthe Will (2008), andRaimi’s art moviesart from appropriated otherspheres. The Rocky Horror PictureShow The RockyHorror Freaks art movies,art like Robert Wiene’s Le week- r ois want todiscount two movies, art I (1929); Riefenstahl’s (1932), They Live end ed thesameway thatwe iden- Crash (1967); Stanley Kubrick’s (1935), andDavid Lynch’s Reefer Madness art posture.art This rejection anditscanonsare inrapid (1988), Lloyd Kaufman’s (1996); John Dahl’s Evil Dead ed cultconsumption Donnie Darko Olympia movies (1981, (1971); David (1936), (1975), and Des cab- (2001), (1938); away), cial’ Mom The art art A 36

Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 00:21 01 Oct 2021; For: 9781315668819, book-part-006, 10.4324/9781315668819-5 imate channels: imate channels: of favor with mainstream critics – of favor withmainstream critics – cibly reappraises amovie thatmay orthatmay have forums have inlegitimate out failed fallen thetic; and, ontheother, someoftheirmovies have beenpraisedascult- Brakhage, were was andKubrick whosemainallegiance toatraditionalaes- traditionalauteurs unintentional, we canreconcile two seeminglydivergent facts: on onehand, like auteurs Welles, consumption. isoften Ifwe thatcultauteurism blend theseideasofcultwiththeunderstanding the process isdirected by subculturalaudienceswhoembracevalues andmodesof imate” sectors, inlegitimate itlentthesefi windows. Itisasifthepeoplespoke – allowedwhich inturn even themtoearn more money intheirsubsequentreleases toancillary non- 2011 Darko Seduction like since the1980s. Instead, culttastesare have onlyever enjoyed alowbrow status, whichhasbeencultcinema’s classifi principal that thecultsensibilityhasnotbeenlimitedtomovies thatwere inexpensive tomake orthat to citeonlyafew. The overlaps cinemasinevidence withmore inthislistindicate legitimate Wishman, Buchanan, Larry and Andy Milligan, whohave forums allbeencelebratedincritical Vampyros Lesbos modify existingauteurmethodstoidentifycult- impliesthesenotionsasmuch asany otherauteurism.and cultauteurism Thus, itispossible to call badmovies “auteur movies.” impliescontrol,Auteurism purity, andintentionalaspiration – wrong withcelebrating “bad” movies. Butwe whatwe must understand are doingwhenwe that results from incompetence, thefetishizationofdirectorial thatis, “badfi successes andtopositive reappraisals by traditionalcritics, ironically salvagingtheirlegitimacy. made thatway onpurpose. Here we mightconsiderRussMeyer’s unintentional, oranaccidental, thatisaneff auteurism is apleasurable failure, a andthecult- cultauteurism only rarely construct Terror the transgressive thatRichard madebetween Kern shorts 1983and1993, Rodriguez’s directors. Certainly, thefi audience andnottothedirector. ideal inany sense. Inthiscase, the of theaura”“authorship ismore properlytothe attributed the irony isafunction oftheviewers andtheirenvironment – bad movie – do whatthey wanted constraints. todowithintheirparticular Butthemore commonkindof bad taste, we ineptitude – cannotalignthemwithdirectorial creators intended. Although we may beable toalignsuchmovies withthecultofpleasurable them “bad” inany straightforward sense; rather, incomplexeff they seemrich together here, fortheintentionalcampirony ofsuchworks indicatesthatwe shouldnotcall This kind of cult appropriation andelevation Thiskindofcultappropriation amountstoapopulistintervention thatfor- Thesecondtypeofcult- Ofcourse, somecampy cultmovies that qualifyforso- Oneoftheproblems here isthatintentionalbadness is typicallydisowned by bad cult The LastSeduction theatrical releases thatgavetheatrical themachanceforsuccessfulre- , 211– (2007), Anna Biller’s failed to earn backitsproduction fi toearn failed and 213). Butinbothcases, thesemoviesanundergroundcultfollowing earned intheir where camplaughterseemsto work againstdirectors, notwiththem, andwhere Donnie Darko (1971), John Waters’s The LastSeduction and tour deforce rst generation of bad cult directors – generationofbadcultdirectors – rst Viva were bothmid- Donnie Darko art movieart thatwe shouldputtothesideiskindofcultmovie (2007), andsoon. clearlygo The badmovie andcultauteurism atfi a description thatappliesasreadily torecent indiefi adescription ofineptitude. This culttraditionismostoftenasign ofan Pink Flamingos andthoughtheirvoice hasalways beendeemed “illegit- tofi failed rst underground David Andrews lms anunintentionalcultstatusthatledtobox- astoHollywood classicslike nancing initsfi budget indie art fi budget indieart 36 art cinemaandcult- art art movie in terms ofthebadmovie, movieart interms which tastesthatmay “cultify” any fi (1972), Nobuhiko Obayashi’s distributor,nd atheatrical while ectofpromotion andconsumption. rst go- rst bad- for their directors foundaway fortheirdirectors to inlegit- lms thatinitiallyfailed doesnotexemplify theauteur they’re- individuals like Wood, Doris Mudhoney release in theatrical art houses, art release intheatrical round (Newman intheaters art movies.art But we can good statushave been Touch ofEvil. The Last art icons.art lm.” There isnothing (1965), Jess Franco’s ects thattheir lm solongas House (1977), cation Donnie Planet offi lms ce

Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 00:21 01 Oct 2021; For: 9781315668819, book-part-006, 10.4324/9781315668819-5 idea oftheunintentionalbadauteurmakes senseinbroader contexts. audience- stylesofcultconsumptionandevaluation.of certain This dynamicreminds usofcultcinema’s auteurs, itseems, almostdespitethemselves, withtheirvery authoritative ineptitudeaproduct byin thebadcinematicqualitiesimparted theirown incompetence. becomebad Badauteurs “unimportant” badtasteandcheapthings, andglorify but they rarely take any explicitpleasure that maysignofauteurism. functionasasubculturallylegitimate They mightlabelthemselves the laterdirectorshave consistentlypromoted ofanironic themselves campcontrol interms incompetence infl which meansthey are betterpositionedassignifi most part, then, isaproduct ofcultconsumption, theirauteurism notofcultproduction – theideathatthey movies. werethetics tosupport tomake trying pleasurably horrid For the evidence beyond thesedirectors’ have embraceofwhatothers defi as intentionalauteurs – new cultmovies thathave qualifi lence thatseemstobeafunctionoftheirmakers’ high- sider.unifi What Chan- is mostevident onthefestival circuit, where BongJoon- as and have maderegular appearancesatCannes. The thingthatdistinguishestheirnew movies Indeed, thesedirectorsare allveterans ofthefestival circuit, where they have served onjuries fi ofthedevices oftraditionalart their mastery fi last traditionalart fi been released throughcult- illegitimate fi be able tofunctionascultmovies atall. world tradition. andinstitutionshaveWhen thecritics beenallconverted, fi theseart recently beendepictingcultviolence asmore ofthesame, perceiving initthetediumofart- than illegitimate. Butthisargument is, I believe, fading, have forotherequallytraditionalcritics basis alone, even ifthey remain highlydistinguishedcultproductions thatare more legitimate and critics. There is, then, fi stillanargumentforlabelingtheseart and sexfi Indeed, andsexhave thoughhorror oftraditionalfestivals, longbeenregular parts fi horror cult- and spasmsofviolence, themonsters. Or, inadiff fi art toxic- institutions being devoted tothisideaofalow- promoted itselfasa “cult” area. Given how acceptedthispractice hasbecome, withwhole collection oflow- circles.legitimate Here we mightwant tostepbackandthinkaboutthe cultnexusasaloose comedy In lm mechanisms – mechanisms – lm Bava likelms ofauteurs Mario andDario Argento andJohnnie To, mostofwhosework has (2008), Tarantino’s Nazi- riotous cult Asnoted, regarding intentionalcult- Amore sustainable, albeitstillambivalent, cult- lms. Intheirproduction values, distribution, andoverall prestige, movies like Bong’s moody art moviesart isthattheirgenre- ed, itappears, by theircultidentity. Perhaps thebestexampleofthisambivalence involves - creature fi wook, von Lars Trier, have andothers released movies thatmightwell beclassifi art movies,art severed then, bodyparts, content: the istheirgeneric thechillsandthrills Thirst resistancelms continue onthecircuit toface from themostconservative cinephiles driven ethic. from Butitissofar thetraditionalthatitisworth askingwhetherthe (2009), andvon Trier’s torture- lm es thesethree typesistheirambivalence abouttheircultidentity, anambiva- uenced laterdirectors, like Jim Wynorski andHenenlotter. Butnoteven budget years genres actively thatintheUnitedStates has forthepastthirty lms. They have won awards, acclaim, critical through andglobaldistribution The Host but whose work hassincethengathered acclaim inbothillegitimate didnotfetishizetheirown incompetence. Indeed, there isoftenlittle too much (2006), Alfredson’s equallymoodyvampire movie coded materials are stillnotalwayscoded materials accepted by traditionalists. legitimacy asaresult oftheirprovenance. legitimacy This phenomenon revenge picture Cult-art cinema art movies,art there are atleastthree maintypestocon- movie mechanismsandnotthrough art- legitimate lms andthrough thereputations oftheirmakers. porn meditation porn 37 budget cultsectorofmovie- cant “failures” whosetechnicalandstylistic erent sense, whathasmadeallthesemovies art identityisevident inthequasi- art Inglourious Basterds Inglourious art aspirationalism – aspirationalism – art ho, TomasAlfredson, Tarantino,Park Antichrist lms “cult” movies onaformal ned astheir “trashy” aes- (2009), Park’s vampire (2009)are allfi making, we might whichisforever Let theRightOne ed ascult- lms won’t lms legitimate legitimate rst and rst lms and

Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 00:21 01 Oct 2021; For: 9781315668819, book-part-006, 10.4324/9781315668819-5 Kill! (1963), the canonicalvalue ofthesemovies anddirectorsattheculturallevel. d’O (1972); and thetics, ofcinema. totheart theircontributions They include fi and crossover magazineslike institutions. Hence, like forums fi legitimate in channelsdefi itional auteurs, fi status – freeing themtodevelop new affi over channels, distribution time hasbeenforthemtobecomedetachedfrom theiroriginal genre- embraceofgenre- andtheirillegitimate cultauteurism their illegitimate To, EliRoth, NachoCerd Hooper, Just Jaeckin, Obayashi, Argento, Tinto Brass, John Woo,Radley Metzger, Andrew Blake,Wes Craven,Takashi Miike,The MitchellBrothers, Wakefi deemed “quasi- throughthat arrive thesemeanshave any cult notearned tival channelshassomeautomaticclaimtothe label fi “art the label “cult movie” justasamovie thatmanagestonavigate itsway throughfes- legitimate well say that (2001) and such as we couldeven andtorture- addtheslashers WhiteDog cult directorslike Samuel Fuller, including (2006). Inadditiontothesequasi- and the true scopeofcult cinema the true than capable ofmakingvalue distinctionsamongcultmovies ontheirown. To getasense of cinema as art its status – G. Ulmer’s fi Sound for theelevation ofthesemovies. Itwas, forexample, from like forums critics legitimate additions, we whohave must critics remember always thatitislegitimate beenmostresponsible itional ideasofthegenre, expandingitquantitatively andqualitatively. However, inmakingthese cinema. When we cinema, addthemandothercasestoourideaofart we re- horror” andthe “pink nouvelle vague”), thesefi (2004). Praisedasauteurvehicles andlumpedintomovements (e.g., the “New Wave ofFrench Martyrs nd many cultclassicsthathave beenadmired culturallyand/ lms like Jacques Tourneur’s Ifwe madealistofadmired movies by theseandotherquasi- Butthere isonefi (1975); (1965); The OpeningofMistyBeethoven Hard Boiled or branded distributions. Butasthesemovies achieved classicstatuswithincult, thetrend (2008), Japanese alongwithcertain pinks, including but thisstatussubculturally. they are earning free tobegin Thus, cultauteurs, like trad- Bijou Blood and Black Lace Blood andBlack Dans mapeau The VillageVoice foracult- (1982), andthehigh- Detour House Breaking News (1972); Secrets Behindthe Wall within all ned asillegitimate. Indeed, themostrespected fi legitimate” (includingBava, Corman, Meyer, Koji Wakamatsu, GeorgeRomero, (1992); themovies producedspheres have intheseillegitimate somelooseclaimto rst seekpraisefortheirmovies rst through critics, viewers, andinstitutions, albeit (1977); (1945). acultsubculture. Cultpromoters, cultcritics, andcult institutionsare more art movieart doesnothave tobe recognized by inorder outsiders tofunction nal typeofcult- The DevilinMissJones (2002), Paris Chic whomostdirectly canonizedthe “high end” offi à Suspiria (2004); , were andothers) aftertheirproduction shortly oftenidentifi (1964); Sight &Sound Out ofthePast and Haute tension liations with more legitimate institutions,liations withmore legitimate includingart- art canonsofcultHollywoodart genres, suchasfi (1977)and art cinema assuper- art (1997)and (1965); legitimate classics,legitimate we couldaddtheHollywood classicsof (1975); Hostel The MasqueoftheRedDeath art movie,art for critics onethatdoesnotrely onlegitimate David Andrews (2005); and “Aftermath” (1994)and Night oftheLivingDead have oftenbeenamongthefi (1973); porn moviesporn thathave from recently arrived France, (2003), (1947)over more lowbrow noirclassicslike Edgar Last HouseontheLeft Shock Corridor Shock lm festivals, museum archives, theaters, repertory Tenebrae Hard Edge 38 lms are quasi- The Texas ChainsawMassacre Fronti (1982); genres, then, we must acquaint ourselves (2003); è (1963), re(s) The Glamorous Life of Sachiko Hanai The GlamorousLifeofSachiko classic eld Poole, Gerard Damiano, Tobe lm.” Needlesstosay, cultmovies Black Sabbath Black La chiave (2007), legitimate examplesofcult- legitimate currently lms ofmany auteurs or subculturallyfortheiraes- Audition (1972); status, any high- let alone legitimate auteurs,legitimate we would (1968); (1964); The NakedKiss (1983); À rst forums topromote forums rst branded materials and branded materials (1999); l’int Behind theGreenDoor (1963), Camille 2000 Faster, Pussycat!Kill! lm noirby praising é The Killer lm noir. Indeed, rieur (1974); The Abandoned Fulltime Killer (2007), and The EvilEye (1964), and orient trad- orient ed with (1969) cinema Sight & Histoire (1989) art art art art

Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 00:21 01 Oct 2021; For: 9781315668819, book-part-006, 10.4324/9781315668819-5 core by lookingatsinglevideos, like Dark’s Gregory time andtheirinsistentswirls ofpsychosexualincoherence. Orwe mightstudy hard- American often exceptionallyconfusing, have achieved through apatinaofthepersonal thepassageof praised incultcircles but rarely recognized outsidethem. Franco’s low- exploitation andlookatthework auteurFranco, ofindependenthorror whoseoutputisoften fi movies like like thatofMichaelNinn. Indeed, asasubculture, seemstovalue theadultindustry Ninn have toaddanumber ofvery diff relevant cultmutations oftheseacceptedtechniques. Cult- (like disinterested stylization, deepfocus, thelongtake, thetrackingshot, andslow pacing)or inquiries, formalist surveying need toperform cultcinemafortraditionalart- that countashighculture, we needn’t enumerate every auteurand “masterpiece.” Nordowe contexts where high- Mathijs for Dracula Cinema. As aresult, we would have ultra- tointegrate once beyond disputeaccording tositeslike b- porary softcore,American we would fi rarely, critics thatlegitimate with sectors ifever, visit. For example, ifwe looked atcontem- Jancovich cult- subcultures thathave grown around them. When made, circulated, andpraisedwithfl air, these and theHongKong martial- the Japanese pink, theItaliangiallo, Hammerfi theBritish by thatmovies thefact insomany low forms – Newman lms, Press Theselistscouldgoonindefi Reader art moviesart have even generatedaqualifi Word ofMouth , : Ernest Ernest , , 1 . Michael. Mark, New York – (2004), 13 Latex . , and

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