Event

Trial by Fire: Dennis Cooper on Film

Bret Easton Ellis, author of Less Than Zero and American Psycho, once described author Dennis Cooper as the last literary outlaw in mainstream American fiction. No stranger to controversy, Cooper has received both acclaim and criticism from the queer community for his shocking works of violence, sexual transgression, and outsider art. Cooper himself has defined his work as part of a "growing anti-assimilationist queer movement" and a thorn in the side of homosexual art and literature. However, newer works based on Coopers texts are gaining mainstream attention and acceptance, receiving awards and accolades from audiences and festival juries.

WEAK SPECIES
Dan Faltz; 2009; US; 35 min.
High school rivals George and Steve have more in common than they realize. As their lives spiral downward, they could continue on their separate paths to self-destructionor save each other. Based on Coopers poems and the novel Closer, WEAK SPECIES is in development as a feature film.

USERLANDS
Brandon Walley; 2007; US; 3 min.
This surreal short film was produced by the Detroit Film Center as a trailer for the anthology Userlands, a collection of sexually transgressive stories from more than 30 international writers, culled from writers Cooper encountered through his blog.

BUGCRUSH
Carter Smith; 2006; US; 36 min.
A small-town high school loners fascination with a dangerously seductive new kid leads to something more sinister than either could imagine. Coopers influence can be seen in this short from writer-director Carter Smith; the two recently collaborated on a project entitled Warm that was taken to the Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab.

Total Running Time: 74 min.

WARNING: Disturbing and graphic imagery. 21+ only.