Deathtripping
The
Extreme Underground
Jack
Sargeant
Soft
Skull Press
Deathtripping was originally published in 1995 by
Creation Press with an updated edition with extra chapters and material in
1999. While there are many other volumes currently available on the “Cinema of
Transgression” this is still considered the most comprehensive and insightful.
Jack Sargeant knows his audience and hence works to
communicate in a way that is easily understood, he avoids the “academic speak”
so often found in works on cinema and yet at the same time this work should be
not taken as a lightweight title. Sargeant is just as
able to explore the same motifs (gender, sex, pain, death, addiction etc) found
in academic cinema literature, but to express them in a way that is direct and,
in my mind, more meaningful. Deathtripping is a book
which offers less jargon and more content and this means it is a classic in its
field.
Deathtripping begins with a truly encyclopedic
overview of the “Cinema of Transgression”, it discusses its development, prime
movers and gives various definitions of what it is and isn’t. This is followed
by “case studies” of the various major figures within this cinematic form with
chapters discussing their work, key motifs, history and controversies. Sargeant also explores the cross over between cinema, painting
and music in the work of each artist. This is followed by interviews with each
artist.
This is an important aspect of this work,
that while it offers extensive analysis of the key films of each artist, it
also allows them to speak for themselves in the interview sections. Each
interview gives you a taste of what these filmmakers are like, sometimes funny,
sometimes sad, and sometimes bizarre; they are always informative and offer
that firsthand experience that cannot be found by simply discussing their
works. It is as though you can see the world, for a brief time, through their
eyes and this helps you appreciate the nature of their work.
The first major figures are Nick Zed and
Richard Kern and these are then followed by various other figures such as Tommy
Turner and Joe Coleman and then a chapter on female film-makers.
The later chapters such as New Sinners,
New Sins and the Afterward update the work and discuss what are sometimes
defined as “post Cinema of Transgression” filmmakers which date from 1996-1999.
The appendix includes three film scripts
of key works.
Deathtripping is an extremely readable and
entertaining study of the “Cinema of Transgression”, it is packed with details of fascinating and
challenging films, stories of the film-makers, interviews and film analysis
which is incisive, erudite and thought provoking. It is also packed with rare
black and white images, most seen in no other publication. Deathtripping
has been out of print for a while and it is great to see a new edition now
available from Soft Skull Press. After reading this book many readers will start
searching for copies of these films and begin to explore cinema way outside the
mainstream.
After reading the book, a good place to
start is Nick Zedd Online at http://www.nickzedd.com/ and Richard Kern
Online at http://www.richardkern.com/