Cultivating Extreme Art Cinema: Text, Paratext and Home Video Culture

Using paratextual theory to address the accusations of gimmickry often directed towards extreme art films, Cultivating Extreme Art Cinema: Text, Paratext, and Home Video Culture focuses upon the DVD and Blu-ray object, analysing how sleeve designs, blurbs, and special features shape the identity of the film and prepare the audience for a particular type of cinematic experience. The book discusses the complex interactions that take place on these commercial artefacts, the ways they communicate to both ‘highbrow’ and ‘lowbrow’ audiences, and the manner in which they breach tradition taste distinctions. Including case studies of features like Cannibal Holocaust, Funny Games and Antichrist, the book explores the complicated dichotomies between art and exploitation films to present a fluid history of extreme art cinema.