Mark Goodall

Mark Goodall
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Nationality	British
Occupation	Writer Filmmaker Academic Musician
Known for	Cult cinema, experimental film

Mark Goodall is a British writer, filmmaker, academic, and musician known for his work in cult cinema, experimental film, and the relationship between music and the occult. He is an Associate Professor at the University of Bradford, where his research focuses on cult and experimental films of the 1960s and 1970s, with particular expertise in the Italian mondo film genre.

Career

Goodall has written about the Italian mondo film genre in his book Sweet & Savage: The World Through the Shockumentary Film Lens, considered the first English-language study on the subject. The book examines the genre's evolution and includes interviews with directors and producers. The book was cited in an article in Crooked Marquee that explores the cultural legacy of mondo cinema. He served as editor for a special issue of Film International on the legacy of mondo cinema.

His book Gathering of the Tribe: Music and Heavy Conscious Creation explores the connections between music and esotericism across a range of genres including jazz, folk, and rock. It was reviewed by Spectacular Optical, which highlighted its treatment of music and consciousness.

Goodall co-directed the film Holy Terrors, an anthology based on stories by Welsh author Arthur Machen. The film was reviewed by Film Inquiry, which described it as a vivid adaptation, and by Folk Horror Revival, which noted its engagement with early British supernatural fiction.

Bright Young Things: The Art and Philosophy of él Records

In 2025, Goodall published Bright Young Things: The Art and Philosophy of él Records, a book exploring the British indie label él Records, founded by Mike Alway in 1984. The label combined 1960s pop, European chanson, and avant-garde influences, and had an impact on the Shibuya-kei movement in Japan, influencing groups like Pizzicato Five and Cornelius.

Goodall was interviewed about the book in Chickfactor, where he discussed the label's history and aesthetics. Bearded Magazine also reviewed the book, noting its insights into the label’s influence. A companion compilation album, The Rubens Room: él Records In Camera, was released by Tapete Records.

Music

Goodall is the vocalist and guitarist for the band Rudolf Rocker, whose music has appeared in the BBC2 series The League of Gentlemen.

Publications

• Sweet & Savage: The World Through the Shockumentary Film Lens (Headpress, 2005)
• Gathering of the Tribe: Music and Heavy Conscious Creation (Headpress, 2013)
• The Beatles, or the 'White Album' (Headpress, 2018)
• Offbeat: British Cinema's Curiosities, Obscurities and Forgotten Gems (Headpress, 2020)
• New Media Archaeologies (University of Amsterdam Press, 2018) – Co-editor
• Bright Young Things: The Art and Philosophy of él Records (Ventil Verlag, 2025)

Academic articles

Goodall has contributed to academic volumes and journals, including:

• "Out of Sight: The Mediation of the Music Festival" in The Pop Festival: History, Music, Media, Culture (Bloomsbury, 2015)
• "Shockumentary Evidence: The Perverse Politics of the Mondo Film" in Film International

Critical reception

Gathering of the Tribe was reviewed by Spectacular Optical, which described it as both a guide to esoteric music and a reflection on musical consciousness. Carl Abrahamsson called it "a brilliant, illuminating and highly well-written book," emphasizing its impact on readers' perceptions of music and consciousness.

External links

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