Abel Ferrara - America's most enigmatic filmmaker
From The Driller Killer - a victim of the original 'video nasty' panic
- to Bad Lieutenant and beyond, Abel Ferrara's films have attracted both
controversy for their extreme subject matter and admiration for their fine
acting: Harvey Keitel, Christopher Walken, Madonna, Lili Taylor, Willem Dafoe,
Matthew Modine and Ice-T all gave their finest performances under Ferrara's
direction. Now Brad Stevens has subjected Ferrara's output to exhaustive
analysis and discovered a tender heart beating beneath the excessive imagery.
With chapters devoted to every film, television episode and music video -
including accounts of the director's early shorts and his pseudonymous porn
flick 9 Lives of a Wet Pussy - Abel Ferrara: The Moral Vision uses
close textual readings to support Stevens's contention that Ferrara is among the
most important cultural figures of our time. By invoking acknowledged masters in
the fields of cinema and literature, the author establishes Ferrara's status,
demonstrating how the stylistic practices of such masterpieces as Ms.45, King
of New York, Snake Eyes, The Addiction, The Funeral, The
Blackout and New Rose Hotel express a generous and passionate
morality.
The book includes a wealth of biographical information based on interviews
with Ferrara and his most important collaborators, such as Joe Delia, Francis
Delia, Ken Kelsch, Anthony Redman, Mary Kane, Randall Sabusawa, Douglas Metrov
and Asia Argento. It also contains a thoroughly researched filmography,
notes on variant versions of Ferrara's films, a bibliography and a section
dealing with unrealized projects.
Contains many rare stills and photos, including shots of Ferrara working on 9
Lives of a Wet Pussy.
Includes a foreword written by Ferrara himself.
- Import Book
- Paperback
- 368 pages including 16 pages in full colour
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