Sadomania: Sinema de Sade (Persistence of Vision)

The Marquis de Sade (1740-1804) is perhaps the most extreme example of a writer whose actual life history has been inextricably confused with the events and characters depicted in his fiction, resulting in the popular perception of de Sade as some mythic personnification of sexual depravity, cruelty and evil. SADOMANIA investigates the zone where de Sade's life, literature and legend most closely collide with cinema. Featuring examinations of the films of directors such as Luis Buñuel, Jesus Franco, Joe D'Amato, and Pier Paolo Pasolini, and covering genres from horror, sexploitation and hardcore porn to arthouse and underground, SADOMANIA details a plethora of films that are partially or entirely based either on the writings and philosophy of de Sade, or on de Sade's life, or on some fictional notion of de Sade or his family. Fully illustrated throughout, including an 8-page colour section, SADOMANIA is an adult, comprehensive document of "Sadean” cinema that will inform and inflame fans of erotic film and literature alike. Films covered in depth include: SALO, L'AGE D'OR, and Franco's JUSTINE. Jack Hunter's comprehensive introduction references a further one hundred Sadean films.