Extreme Asia

Daniel Martin is Associate Professor of Film Studies in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). His recent research concerns the international circulation of films from East Asia. He is the author of Extreme Asia: The Rise of Cult Cinema from the Far East (Edinburgh University Press, 2015), co-editor of Korean Horror Cinema (Edinburgh University Press, 2013).

• Introduction; Chapter One: Chilling Beginnings: Japanese Horror and the British Critical Reception of Nakata Hideo’s Ring; Chapter Two: Cinema of Cruelty: The Birth of Asia Extreme and Miike Takashi’s Audition; Chapter Three: Courting Controversy: Hype, Scandal and Fukasaku Kinji’s Battle Royale; Chapter Four: Brand Wagon: The Courtship of Multiplex Audiences and the 2003 Asia Extreme Roadshow; Chapter Five: Savagery and Serenity: Extreme Cinema and the Films of Kim Ki-duk; Chapter Six: From the Margins to the Mainstream: Asia Extreme in 2004; Conclusion: The Legacy of Asia Extreme; Bibliography; Filmography; Appendix: Asia Extreme UK Theatrical Release Timeline; Index

This book is terrific. It doesn’t just do something rare; it does a number of things that are rare! It provides incisive account of the films; it gives an exemplary analysis of the processes through which they have become consecrated as objects of cult adoration; and particularly of the crucial role of reviewers and distributors in this process. Consequently, it goes well beyond the areas often covered by studies of Asian cinema, cult fandom and film reception and should prove central to a range of debates in film, media and cultural studies.