Extreme Art Film: Text, Paratext and DVD Culture Simon Hobbs
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Extreme Art Film: Text, Paratext and DVD Culture Simon Hobbs The thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Portsmouth. September 2014 Declaration Whilst registered as a candidate for the above degree, I have not been registered for any other research award. The results and conclusions embodied in this thesis are the work of the named candidate and have not been submitted for any other academic award. Word count: 85,810 Abstract Extreme art cinema, has, in recent film scholarship, become an important area of study. Many of the existing practices are motivated by a Franco-centric lens, which ultimately defines transgressive art cinema as a new phenomenon. The thesis argues that a study of extreme art cinema needs to consider filmic production both within and beyond France. It also argues that it requires an historical analysis, and I contest the notion that extreme art cinema is a recent mode of Film production. The study considers extreme art cinema as inhabiting a space between ‘high’ and ‘low’ art forms, noting the slippage between the two often polarised industries. The study has a focus on the paratext, with an analysis of DVD extras including ‘making ofs’ and documentary featurettes, interviews with directors, and cover sleeves. This will be used to examine audience engagement with the artefacts, and the films’ position within the film market. Through a detailed assessment of the visual symbols used throughout the films’ narrative images, the thesis observes the manner in which they engage with the taste structures and pictorial templates of art and exploitation cinema. Through this methodological direction, the thesis is able to assess how the films are sold to an audience, how this relates to the historical progression of extreme art cinema, and the way the entire practice is informed by an ongoing tradition of taste fluidity. Dissemination Presentation ‘Salo, Or the 120 Days of Sodom : The Distribution of Sexual Extremity.’ Presented at Cine-Excess VII: European Erotic Cinema: Identity, Desire and Disgust, MAC Birmingham, 15 th-17th November 2013. ‘Erika Kohut as the Embodiment of Taste Slippage.’ Presented at Materiality & Corporality: The Body in Popular Fiction and Visual Culture, University of Portsmouth, 6 th June 2013. ‘Shameless Screen Entertainment presents Cannibal Holocaust : Taste Slippage and Market Hybridity.’ Presented at CEISR/CSL/CCCR Postgraduate Conference, University of Portsmouth, 15 th May 2013. ‘Paratextual Activity. Presented at Nightmare on Elm Grove: A Horror Symposium with Graham Humphreys.’ University of Portsmouth, 13 th March 2013. ‘Animal Snuff: The Authentic Slaughter of Animals within Weekend and Cannibal Holocaust and the Surrounding Critical Dialogues.’ Presented at The Cultural Mythology of the Snuff Movie Conference, University of Bournemouth, 23 rd-24th November 2012. ‘Irreversible: The Textual Transformation of Modern Art Film.’ Presented at MeCCSA-PGN Conference, Loughbrough University, 18 th September 2012. ‘Antichrist as the Culturally Schizophrenic Artefact.’ Presented at SCCS TRASH Conference, University of Sussex, 14 th September 2012. ‘The Generic Implications of Artificial Eye’s Michael Haneke Collection.’ Presented at CCI Research Conference, University of Portsmouth, 22 nd June 2012. ‘Irreversible as a Transient Art Film.’ Presented at CEISR/CSL/CCCR Postgraduate Study Day: Diversity, Change and Imagination, University of Portsmouth, 16 th May 2012. Publications Salo, Or the 120 Days of Sodom : The Distribution of Sexual Extremity. Article under consideration by Cine-Excess e-journal: European Erotic Cinema: Identity, Desire and Disgust (edited by Alex Marlow-Mann and Xavier Mendik). Animal Snuff. Chapter under consideration by Snuff: Real Death and Screen Media (edited by Johnny Walker, Neil Jackson, Shaun Kimber and Thomas Joseph Watson). Cannibal Holocaust: The Paratextual (Re)Construction of History. Chapter under consideration by Popular Media Culture: Fans, Audiences and Narrative Worlds (edited by Lincoln Geraghty). Acknowledgements The last three years of my life has been dedicated to writing this thesis. It would not have been possible without the help of a several very important people. First of all, I would like to thank my supervisor Deborah Shaw, for her patience, vision and sustained backing. Without her help and advice, this thesis would have never got off the ground. Her continued belief in both the subject and my potential was, and is, the motivating force behind this work. Additionally, I would like to acknowledge the rest of my supervisory team Ruth Doughty and Emma Austin, whose support with both this thesis and my early ventures into teaching have been invaluable. I must extend appreciation to the entirety of SMPA at Portsmouth, who have made the transition from undergrad student to PhD candidate and PHTP lecturer easy and enjoyable. Special thanks in this regard goes to Lincoln Geraghty, John Caro, Justin Smith, Imogen Jeffery, and Yael Friedman. I would further like to thank Prof. Julian Petley for taking time out of his busy schedule to grant me an interview. I am indebted to my fellow PhD students here at Portsmouth, as without them I would have been lost. Team Channel 4, alongside Sally Shaw, have been a constant site of refuge and counsel throughout the completion of this project. I am clearly thankful for the support of my family have provided throughout this period. Mum and Dad, who have supported my regardless how ridiculous my ideas become and eased the onslaught of poverty with shopping trips and various excursions to surrounding restaurants. I would also like to thank Louise Buckler, my oldest friend, for the free DVDs, insider information and financial supplements, and Karen Bone for her grammatical checks. Finally, my deepest thanks go to Katie, who more than anyone has lived this process with me. Cheers for keeping me grounded, listening to me practice conference papers over and over, looking with me for hours in second hand video stores and watching me get excited about DVD covers. You’re a hero. Part of this belongs to you. Dedication For Charlie. Contents Introduction 1 Chapter One – A Historical Context of Art and Exploitation Film Marketing: Crossover, Slippage and Fluidity. 41 Chapter Two – A Historical Context of Early Extremity: 1960-1985. 74 Chapter Three – Weekend and Cannibal Holocaust. 104 Chapter Four – Salo, Or the 120 Days of Sodom and Isla the Wicked Warden. 144 Chapter Five – A Context Contemporary Extremity: 1985-2009. 189 Chapter Six – Michael Haneke. 222 Chapter Seven – Lars von Trier. 264 Conclusion 303 Bibliography 328 Appendix 359 List of Figures Chapter Three Figure 1: An example of the Artificial Eye traditional design. DVD Artwork 114 (Haneke, 2001b). Figure 2: An example of the Artificial Eye contemporary design. DVD 115 Artwork (Strickland, 2012). Figure 3: Weekend cover. DVD Artwork (Godard, 1967b). 117 Figure 4: The newly commissioned Cannibal Holocaust cover. DVD 130 Artwork (Deodato, 1980b). Figure 5: Cannibal Holocaust's second cover. DVD Artwork (Deodato, 132 1980b). Figure 6: The warning sign. DVD Extra. (Deodato, 1980b). 136 Chapter Four Figure 7: Salo’s cardboard sleeve (front). DVD Artwork (Pasolini, 1975b). 157 Figure 8: Salo’s cardboard sleeve (back). DVD Artwork (Pasolini, 1975b). 157 Figure 9: Salo’s inner jacket DVD Artwork. (Pasolini, 1975b). 158 Figure 10: Front cover of Salo’s additional booklet. DVD Artwork (Pasolini, 161 1975b). Figure 11: Booklets overleaf and Rohdie’s Introduction. DVD Artwork 161 (Pasolini, 1975b). Figure 12: The Jess Franco Collection cardboard sleeve (front). DVD 173 Artwork (Franco, 1976-1977). Figure 13: The Jess Franco Collection cardboard sleeve (back). DVD 174 Artwork (Franco, 1976-1977). Figure 14: Voodoo Passion. DVD Artwork (Franco, 1977b). 175 Figure 15: Blue Rita. DVD Artwork (Franco, 1977b) 175 Figure 16: Love Camp. DVD Artwork. (Franco, 1977b). 176 Figure 17: Barbed Wire Dolls. DVD Artwork. (Franco, 1976b). 176 Figure 18: Jack the Ripper. DVD Artwork. (Franco, 1976b). 177 Figure 19: Sexy Sisters. DVD Artwork. (Franco, 1977b). 177 Figure 20: Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun. DVD Artwork. (Franco, 178 1977b). Figure 21: Ilsa the Wicked Warden. DVD Artwork. (Franco, 1977b). 179 Figure 22: Ilsa the Wicked Warden’s main title screen. DVD Extra (Franco, 182 1977b). Figure 23: Production stills. DVD Extra (Franco, 1977b) 183 Chapter Six Figure 24: Tartan Funny Games release. DVD Artwork (Haneke, 1997b). 236 Figure 25: An example of the realist horror paratextual tradition (Admin, 236 n.d). Figure 26: Artificial Eye Funny Games release. DVD Artwork (Haneke, 241 1997c). Figure 27: An example of 'torture porn' paratextual tradition (Jorbet, 2010). 242 Figure 28: The Michael Haneke Trilogy (Amazon, n.d). 248 Figure 29: Saw IV poster (Apple, n.d). 255 Figure 30: An example of the centralisation of the pig image within the 258 paratextual identity of Animal Farm (Go South Online, 2014). Figure 31: An example of the centralisation of the pig image within the 259 paratextual identity of Lord of the Flies (Amazon, n.d). Chapter Seven Figure 32: The Chelsea Films Antichrist release. DVD Artwork (von Trier, 277 2009b). Figure 33: An example of the Friday the 13th design aesthetic (Amazon, 280 n.d). Figure 34: An example of the wider paratextual tradition apparent across the 281 horror genre (Amazon, n.d). Figure 35: Artificial Eye Antichrist sleeve. DVD Artwork (von Trier, 2009c). 286 Figure 36: Artificial Eye poster (The Freak, 2012). 286 Figure 37: Still from opening montage (areoharewhyy, 2012). 295 Figure 38: Final shot of montage (areoharewhyy, 2012). 296 Conclusion Figure 39: An example of an Anglo-American extreme cinema paratexts. 317 DVD Artwork (McQueen, 2011b). Figure 40: Netflix's interface displaying DVD cover like paratextual images 321 (Netflix.co.uk). Figure 41: An example of the blurb like captions available on Netflix 321 (Netflix.co.uk). Figure 42: Funny Games on Netflix (Netflix.co.uk). 325 Introduction Transgressive portrayals of sex and violence have become increasingly visible within contemporary film.