No Focus: Punk On Film

Co-edited book and three self-authored chapters.The research field is film history and popular cultureThe aim of this volume was to document and provide a critical perspective on punk film. The featured directors include Julian Temple, Derek Jarman and Billy Childish. Research into Punk films was at the time a under-researched area. The research focused on both lesser known film releases such as Penelope Spheeris’s Suburbia (1984) as well as films such as The Great Rock and Roll Swindle which was picked up quickly by the popular media. The extent to which film represented Punk’s DIY ethos so evident in magazines and record sleeves in examined. Through the work of Don Letts, the strong music theme in Punk film is assessed and the first generation of Black British contribution to punk film is discussed. The diaspora of Punk, including Punk film, from London and the large cities to the provinces is also considered, including the constituency of the viewing audiences for Punk film. Similarities and difference between the UK and the USA in terms of Punk film are highlighted. The volume also explores the violence of Punk films and in particular, the recurring theme of the street gang as seen in the post-Punk releases such as Larry Clark’s Kids (1995). The lineage of Punk film directors is another important theme as Letts was a former DJ and Temple directed music videos.The researcher contributed the Introduction, the chapters on Amos Poe, Don Letts and the contextualisation of music as a social phenomenon. With the co-editor he is responsible for the concept of the book and the selection of contributors. No Focus: Punk on Film was reviewed by Empire: http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete/asp?BID+10056 Also reviewed by AHA’s The Art Book in volume 13 (3).