A new manner of moviegoing appeared on the New York scene in the early 1970s: the midnight movies. A series of films far from the mainstream, both in terms of themes and aesthetics, find its privileged space in independent theaters, that screen them at midnight for an audience eager for counterculture films. The essay addresses the historical and political context within which the phenomenon developed, that generated starting from the poetics of the authors belonging to the New American Cinema Group, to then detach itself from it and find personal ways to challenge the moral and cultural norms imposed by the Hollywood system. Five films are crucial to the definition and development of midnight movies: El Topo by Alejandro Jodorowsky, Night of the Living Dead by George A. Romero, Pink Flamingos by John Waters, The Rocky Horror Picture Show by Jim Sharman and Eraserhead by David Lynch. These works have rewritten the rules of good taste and the aesthetics of ugliness, arousing a strong community reaction in the public, generating participatory spectatorship and the advent of repeat viewers, recurrent spectators who have implemented new liturgies linked to watching movies. Often closely linked to the concept of cult movies, these films, through the use of trash and camp elements, have become deputies for new social demands and a sanctuary for ethnic, sexual and cultural minorities, bringing out works relegated to the margins of cinematography, thanks to word of mouth from the audience and without advertising strategies. The practices linked to midnight screenings had particular relevance for ten years, expanding throughout the United States, only to be absorbed by the circuit of large distribution companies, thus losing their radical and experimental charge.
Una nuova modalità di visione cinematografica si affaccia sulla scena di New York agli inizi degli anni ’70: i midnight movie. Una serie di film lontani dal mainstream, sia per tematiche che per estetiche, trovano il proprio spazio privilegiato in sale indipendenti, che li propongono a mezzanotte per un pubblico avido di pellicole delle controculture. L’elaborato affronta il contesto storico e politico entro il quale si è sviluppato il fenomeno, generatosi a partire dalle poetiche degli autori afferenti al New American Cinema Group, per poi distaccarsene e trovare strade personali per sfidare le norme morali e culturali imposte dal sistema hollywoodiano. Cinque film sono stati cruciali per la definizione e lo sviluppo dei midnight movie: El Topo di Alejandro Jodorowsky, Night of the Living Dead di George A. Romero, Pink Flamingos di John Waters, The Rocky Horror Picture Show di Jim Sharman ed Eraserhead di David Lynch. Queste opere hanno riscritto le regole del buon gusto e dell’estetica del brutto, suscitando una forte reazione comunitaria nel pubblico e generando una spettatorialità partecipativa e l’avvento di repeat viewers, spettatori ricorrenti che hanno messo in atto nuove liturgie legate alla visione filmica. Spesso strettamente legati al concetto di cult movie, questi film, attraverso l’uso di elementi trash e camp, si sono fatti portavoce di nuove istanze sociali e rifugio di minoranze etniche, sessuali e culturali, facendo emergere opere relegate ai margini della cinematografia, grazie al passaparola del pubblico e senza strategie pubblicitarie. Le pratiche legate alle visioni di mezzanotte hanno avuto particolare rilevanza per dieci anni, espandendosi a tutti gli Stati Uniti, per poi essere assorbite dal circuito delle grandi casi di distribuzione, perdendo così la propria carica radicale e sperimentale.
Death to Mainstream Cinema! - Ascesa e declino dei midnight movie negli anni '70
FONTANELLA, GAIA
2022/2023
Abstract
A new manner of moviegoing appeared on the New York scene in the early 1970s: the midnight movies. A series of films far from the mainstream, both in terms of themes and aesthetics, find its privileged space in independent theaters, that screen them at midnight for an audience eager for counterculture films. The essay addresses the historical and political context within which the phenomenon developed, that generated starting from the poetics of the authors belonging to the New American Cinema Group, to then detach itself from it and find personal ways to challenge the moral and cultural norms imposed by the Hollywood system. Five films are crucial to the definition and development of midnight movies: El Topo by Alejandro Jodorowsky, Night of the Living Dead by George A. Romero, Pink Flamingos by John Waters, The Rocky Horror Picture Show by Jim Sharman and Eraserhead by David Lynch. These works have rewritten the rules of good taste and the aesthetics of ugliness, arousing a strong community reaction in the public, generating participatory spectatorship and the advent of repeat viewers, recurrent spectators who have implemented new liturgies linked to watching movies. Often closely linked to the concept of cult movies, these films, through the use of trash and camp elements, have become deputies for new social demands and a sanctuary for ethnic, sexual and cultural minorities, bringing out works relegated to the margins of cinematography, thanks to word of mouth from the audience and without advertising strategies. The practices linked to midnight screenings had particular relevance for ten years, expanding throughout the United States, only to be absorbed by the circuit of large distribution companies, thus losing their radical and experimental charge.È consentito all'utente scaricare e condividere i documenti disponibili a testo pieno in UNITESI UNIPV nel rispetto della licenza Creative Commons del tipo CC BY NC ND.
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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14239/3433