Mark Berry

I'm a sensory-overloaded photographer, writer, designer (print and web), film programmer, 16mm curator, paranormal investigator and occasional lecturer. This cocktail mix of mayhem harvests a curious existence between here and there. Currently I enjoy producing features articles for the likes of Bizarre, SFX, Darkside and Naked - Magazine of the Weird and Wonderful. The latter is a personal project which has developed a cult following around the globe, and is soon to be relaunched in a new format.

Source material as a journalist includes interviewing cult movie personalities, crazies, freaks, unusual performers, 'little people' and the occasional singing transexual...

The road to the present began with a space in 1999, a fleapit theatre built by volunteers in the fifties, which after various incarnations became The Cube Cinema, Bristol's very own microplex. With leaks, poor sound, (it would have been better if someone had blown raspberries in a cardboard box) and a bunch of scenster-fag flakes, it developed into a world reknowned arts establishment mixing film (cult, independent, studio auteurs, experimental), music, live performance, cabaret and installations. Sometimes these were seperate, sometimes it was Dadaist chaos, sometimes it was rather pretentious too.During my stay and whilst studying for an MA, I undertook such roles as film programmer, designer (monthly brochure, posters, adverts, etc.), DJ, quiz presenter, cleaner, chief projectionist and maker of tea with cow's milk. I desperately wanted a Cube cat.After an argument with a film projector which resulted in a broken hand (and blood mother, the blood!), I found myself wondering what I could do other than pick up a stills camera and press click. Concentrating largely on portraits and live event coverage, I ventured into sweaty mosh pits, got muddy at Glastonbury (though missed the really bad ones), was the official snapper at a number of big sci-fi conventions, was given tinnitus by The Strokes and travelled to both the Sundance and Cannes Film Festival with rogue studio Troma to film an as-yet incomplete documentary. When the turn-of-the-millenium-created Hot Cherry company splintered after the great Cube fire of 2003, I decided to edit and publish Naked, a magazine in a book format, full of popular and unpopular culture with a kink. Contents included cult movies, interviews, comics, burlesque, science fiction, mondo DVD reviews, strange music and just plain weird shit.Trying to cut costs, I started interviewing the people I photographed and for better or worse, this became the routine. Another Hot Cherry publication followed, Pulpmania - The Journal of Cult Paperbacks, edited by Justin Marriott. It was obsessed with just that. A new issue is due in Spring of 2007. Now floating between the US and the UK, all of this is fine until I make the perfect feature film and take over Western civilisation with a message of peace and midget love. Cue thunder, lightning and maniacal laughter! Ha-ha-ha-ha!PS: For those still interested, I shall be adding interviews, articles and photography from past encounters onto my page. There's other stuff at http://www.hot-cherry.co.uk .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..SOME CURRENT PROJECTS...60's Mod Revival - Working on a photo-heavy journalistic project concerning the resurgance of interest in some of the key music and fashion scenes of the 1960's (particularly UK Mods) in Los Angeles - if you are a happening scenester and feel you have something to contribute, please do hit me up. You can now find me getting Satisfaction every month at Bordello, the grooviest joint in town, playing the finest in vintage boogaloo, soul, psych-garage, dancefloor jazz and other audio delights, plus some of the best live acts from across the globe. But it's a harmonous mod community out there in Hollyweird and so here is some mod action taken at Pandora's Box in March...

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Paranormal LA - Poltergeist in your palm trees? Seen saucers over the hills of Hollywood? Are there crop circles in your orange grove? If anything weird is happening, I want to hear your story. Pulpmania - The Journal of the Cult Paperback Vol.2 is coming soon. Presently I am slaving over a hot Macintosh to get it finished. If such a thing is possible, this one is even bigger and better than its predecessor.

A RECENT NIGHT AT LUCHA VAVOOM...Check blog for a full report...

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