Alejandro Jodorowsky and El Topo

Originally intended to appeal to a metropolitan (and especially US) audience, El topo reached specialised audiences in international genre festivals and had a worldwide following in the contemporary context of psychotronic fandom over the last three decades. This chapter assesses the changing cult status of El Topo, and, by extension, Jodorowsky, and discusses how film cultures contribute to processes of cult canon-formation. Jodorowsky’s appeal cuts across different audiences and tastes. On the one hand, his films have propelled him into auteur status in genre festivals, while, on the other, his varied literary and artistic production has made of him an important creative force in the world of Hispanic culture. Jodorowsky’s is now right in the mainstream, appealing to middle-brow tastes.