University of Sunderland: Cineclub Extreme event

Scholars based in North-East england might be interested in thsi event at Sunderland Uni

Welcome to Cineclub Extreme

As Jones notes “extreme” is often ‘utilised to establish where the threshold of acceptability lies…The practice of labelling an image “extreme” is […] a process of demarcating which images or acts violate current standards.’ This rhetorical device frequently frames often marginal and challenging cinema and for a variety of different reasons. In over one hundred years of cinema, the screen has reflected the very best and the very worst of human nature. From The Birth of a Nation (1915) to It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) we have rejoiced and been repulsed in equal measure with celluloid never losing its power to move or challenge the viewer.

The line that demarcates a violation of those standards and impinges on the boundaries of the acceptable is fluid. What is perceived as problematic or challenging can vary considerably from decade to decade and from country to country. Cineclub Extreme aims to provide a forum to discuss a wide variety of cinema, both historic and contemporary,  that has been deemed difficult or challenging for a variety of different reasons, examining shifts in attitude and reasons behind the demarcation and deployment of the term “extreme.”

While content may occasionally be contentious, it is not the aim of Cineclub Extreme to be deliberately provocative, and the intention is not to push the boundaries of acceptability or to deliberately offend. We aim to use the forum to critically analyse the films, and the social and political landscape that positioned them as challenging. However, because of the nature of the club, screening often difficult, frequently challenging and the most extreme that cinema has to offer, there is the possibility of offence. Please consider this should you choose to attend.

Any suggestions for future screenings, please contact Mark McKenna- info@seventhtower.co.uk