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Brunel University launches first Masters degree in Cult Film and Television

Cult fans from admirers of David Lynch, Bruce Lee to the League of Gentlemen - to name but a few - are invited to apply for a Masters degree in the first postgraduate degree of its kind.

The MA in Cult Film and TV takes its first students in October 2006, is designed for film lovers who want to make a career in the movie and media industry.

In-depth studying of underground, weird, European, Asian and retro cinema, and TV series such as Dr Who and The Prisoner, and Buffy The Vampire Slayer, are also among the subjects to be studied.

The course - one year full-time, or two years time ¬- includes visiting lecturers and masterclasses by leading cult filmmakers and industry figures.

The programme is led by Xavier Mendik, 37, who has made documentaries on Eli Roth's “Cabin Fever“ and “The Ginger Snaps Trilogy“ (included in the DVDs as “extras“), and is the Director of the Cult Film Archive at Brunel University, which holds thousands of films, and interviews with filmmakers.
“With shocking 70s movies, such as 'The Omen' being remade, this course will uncover why these films were both cult and so influential,“ says Mendik.

“This course is an ideal stepping stone into the industry. Students can immerse themselves in theories about the most unusual films from around the world.“

Mendik, 37, describes himself as a “child of the video generation.“ He recalls watching The Omen, Dawn of the Dead, The Hills Have Eyes and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre “on a black and white television set, and they still terrified me even without the benefit of blood-red colour. There was something beyond the shock value that intrigued me.“

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