From The Driller Killer - a victim of the original 'video nasty' panic - to Bad Lieutenant and beyond, Abel Ferrara's films have attracted both controversy for their extreme subject matter and admiration for their fine acting: Harvey Keitel, Christopher Walken, Madonna, Lili Taylor, Willem Dafoe, Matthew Modine and Ice-T all gave their finest performances under Ferrara's direction. Now Brad Stevens has subjected Ferrara's output to exhaustive analysis and discovered a tender heart beating beneath the excessive imagery.

With chapters devoted to every film, television episode and music video - including accounts of the director's early shorts and his pseudonymous porn flick 9 Lives of a Wet Pussy - Abel Ferrara: The Moral Vision uses close textual readings to support Stevens's contention that Ferrara is among the most important cultural figures of our time. By invoking acknowledged masters in the fields of cinema and literature, the author establishes Ferrara's status, demonstrating how the stylistic practices of such masterpieces as Ms.45, King of New York, Snake Eyes, The Addiction, The Funeral, The Blackout and New Rose Hotel express a generous and passionate morality.

The book includes a wealth of biographical information based on interviews with Ferrara and his most important collaborators, such as Joe Delia, Francis Delia, Ken Kelsch, Anthony Redman, Mary Kane, Randall Sabusawa, Douglas Metrov and Asia Argento. It also contains a thoroughly researched filmography, notes on variant versions of Ferrara's films, a bibliography and a section dealing with unrealized projects.

Contains many rare stills and photos, including shots of Ferrara working on 9 Lives of a Wet Pussy.

Includes a foreword written by Ferrara himself.

Size: 244mm x 171mm

Binding: Paperback

Extent: 368 pages including 16 pages in full colour

ISBN: 978-1-903254-06-6