Critics may sing from an over familiar hymn sheet of so-called ‘cult films,’ but there remains an epoch of British cinema still awaiting discovery that is every bit as provocative and deserving of attention. And there could be no finer guide to these uncharted domains than Offbeat. This is the book for the more intrepid cinema lover. A passionate, irreverent and informative exploration of British cinema’s secret history, from the buoyant leap in film production in the late fifties to the dying embers of popular domestic cinema in the early eighties.
So, move over Peeping Tom, Get Carter and The Wicker Man — it’s time to make way for The Mark, Unearthly Stranger, The Strange Affair, The Squeeze, Sitting Target, Quest for Love, and a host of forgotten gems.
Offbeat features in-depth reviews of more than 100 films, plus interviews and eye-opening essays that together tell the wider story of film in Britain, its neglected cinematic trends and its unsung heroes.
- The last great British B-movies
- Anti-swinging London films
- Sexploitation
- The British rock’n’roll movie
- CIA-funded cartoons
- Madness in British film
- The Children’s Film Foundation
- The short film as supporting feature
- The forgotten journeymen
- Non-horror Hammer, and more!
With contributions from James Oliver, Jennifer Wallis, David Kerekes, Martin Jones, Graeme Hobbs, Gary Ramsay, David Sutton, Darrell Buxton, Sarah Morgan, Sam Dunn, Andrew Syers, David Slater, Phil Tonge, David Hyman, Mark Goodall and Kim Newman
Andrew Syers
Darrell Buxton
David Hyman
David Kerekes
DAVID KEREKES is co-founder of the publishing house Headpress. He has given talks and written extensively on film and media, including the books Killing for Culture (1994; expanded and revised in 2015), See No Evil and Sex Murder Art. His novella Mezzogiorno is rooted in the impoverished Italian South, touching on themes of family, community, place, and deep-rooted occult and folkloric beliefs. He has contributed to zines and books, most recently the foreword to Snuff: Real Death and Screen Media (Bloomsbury Academic, 2016).
David Slater
DAVID SLATER co-founded Headpress. He has worked as a technician in the electronics and engineering industries, co-authored Killing for Culture (1994 & 2016) and See No Evil: Banned Films and Video Controversy (2000) and has written several articles. His interests include movies, books, open country and forteana.
David Sutton
Gary Ramsay
GARY RAMSAY is a freelance journalist and editor. He has contributed to numerous film and music publications including Creeping Flesh, interviewed cult figures such as Tura Satana and Mike Mignola and is currently writing the book Sonic Celluloid — film and music soundtracks.
Graeme Hobbs
James Oliver
Jennifer Wallis
JENNIFER WALLIS is a historian of science, medicine, and technology, also distracted by British film and television of the 1970s, Canuxploitation cinema, and power electronics.
Julian Upton
JULIAN UPTON has written on US and British film for publications such as Filmfax, Bright Lights and the Journal of British Cinema and Television. He is the author/editor of the Headpress books Fallen Stars and Offbeat: British Cinema’s Curiosities, Obscurities and Forgotten Gems. He lives in Leicestershire, UK.
Kim Newman
Mark Goodall
MARK GOODALL is an academic who teaches and writes about film and music. He is also a musician and composer, filmmaker and has worked as a journalist, bookseller, community artist, printer and cheesemonger.
Martin Jones
Phil Tonge
Sam Dunn
Sarah Morgan