I discovered the great magazine Cashiers du Cinemart at Tower Records in Ann Arbor, and rediscovered it at a newstand/porn store in Austin about a year later. It quickly became my favorite magazine, because it obsessively covered many of my…um…obsessions while introducing me to new ones. Each issue was a wild ride through genre flicks, incredibly strange movies, fanboy cultural touchstones, crime fiction and film, and Black Shampoo.
Publisher Mike White and I became acquainted in 1996 when I wrote him a letter objecting to his dismissal of Shogun Assassin, the American edit of the first two Lone Wolf & Cubs films, and we’ve been in touch on and off ever since.
Because of all this, I’m excited that he’s decided to publish Impossibly Funky, a collection of the best of Cashiers du Cinemart, which will include revised and expanded versions of some of the great articles from the magazine as well as new material.
The initial hook for Parker readers will be an updated and expanded version of the excellent article “The Three and a Half Worlds of Parker” (now titled “The Four and a Half Worlds of Parker”), a detailed look at the similarities and differences between The Hunter and the films based upon it.
But there will be much more for crime fiction and noir fans to enjoy, including pieces on Charles Willeford, David Goodis, James Ellroy, Quentin Tarantino, and Travis McGee. And there will be plenty of great stuff beyond the narrow focus of this site that you may be interested in, or, if your experience with CdC is like mine, that the book will make you interested in. Highly recommended.
Main site here. Static listing of contents here (in case the site’s front page changes). Order a copy here.
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Wow. This looks friggin’ awesome. Right up my alley. I’ve never heard of the Cahiers du Cinemart before. Is it still being published? I’ll definitely be picking this collection up. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Sadly, no. Like many small magazines, CdC was never a money-maker and the editor decided to fold it a couple of years ago. Maybe if the book sells we can talk him into reviving it?
I read a high percentage of the issues, so I know that Mike made great choices for stuff to include in this compilation. I think you’ll love it.
Many of the original pieces can be read in the archives at http://impossiblefunky.com/