Throat Sprockets (1994) by Tim Lucas
What ails the world
Readers unfamiliar with Throat Sprockets may wish to read my notes only after reading the novel.
Occult:
verb (occulted, occulting) 1 tr & intr to hide or conceal something, or to be hidden or concealed. 2 tr & intr, astron said of a celestial body: to obscure (another celestial body) or to be obscured by occultation. 3 intrans said of lights, especially the light in a lighthouse, or beacons, etc: to become temporarily invisible at regular intervals.
Throat Sprockets is a legendarily hard-to-find-at-affordable-prices novel. By pure chance I found it on archive.org, and read it during a "borrow" over several days. I find the archive.org reading format awkward, and assumed I would not finish the book. But Throat Sprockets is an insistent novel, having revolved intermittently in my mind for four decades.
There are many novels about characters seduced by forgotten or secret films -- especially nowadays. Throat Sprockets is, however, something more: here the reader experiences seduction by a storied novel about characters — and ultimately their society — seduced and destroyed by a lost, secret film. The novel is devilishly clever in conveying the almost masturbatory delight experienced by protagonists diligently wasting their professional and after-hours lives — until they wake one day to find no days are left to them.
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A synopsis of each chapter is provided below, and may suggest the scope of Throat Sprockets:
I. "The cinema comes to life with dark—like Dracula." -- David Thomson America in the Dark
Chapter 1. Throat Sprockets
The first chapter introduces the protagonist, who recounts his experience watching the film “Throat Sprockets” in an adult movie theater. He describes the impact the film has on his perception of women and his growing obsession with their throats.
Chapter 2. Cabinet of Doctor Alighieri
The protagonist reflects on his past relationships and the absence of close friends in his life. He shares his marital struggles and his growing obsession with “Throat Sprockets.”
Chapter 3. The Disaster Area
This chapter portrays an interview where a woman recounts a series of disturbing events, leading to her realization about the vulnerability of the throat.
II. "In the path of sin, only the first step is difficult. Has it not been said that it is easier for a woman to have no lovers than to have only one?" -- Andre Gide, Journals
Chapter 4. Transylvania, Mon Amour
The protagonist's life takes a turn as he gets promoted at work and goes on business trips to promote his ad campaign for a new car model, the Necromancer. He revisits the movie theater and encounters the film again, leading to an encounter with another woman.
Chapter 5. Merchandise
The protagonist delves deeper into his obsession, exploring home-shopping television programs and collecting video cassettes featuring women's throats.
Chapter 6. Demolished
The protagonist witnesses the demolition of the theater and reflects on the loss of his favorite film. He attends an event where artifacts from the theater are sold and discovers another connection to the film.
III. "Said to her: ‘I have got a shocking sight in my head. Take it out.’ Her pleasing vivacity did remove it." -- James Boswell, Journal
Chapter 7. Released
The protagonist's obsession takes a toll on his personal and professional life. He isolates himself and becomes fixated on the film.
Chapter 8. The Proscenium
The protagonist encounters a woman who resembles the actress from the film and becomes infatuated with her. He observes her from afar and struggles with his feelings.
Chapter 9. More Merchandise
The protagonist's obsession intensifies as he seeks out more material featuring women's throats. He acquires a Japanese DVD import of the film and discovers a connection to the woman he is infatuated with.
IV. “Where you came from is gone, where you thought you were going to never was there, and where you are is no good unless you can get away from it.” Flannery O'Connor, Wise Blood
Chapter 10. Once Upon a Time in the West
The protagonist's journey leads him to Los Angeles, where he reflects on the impact of his actions and the spread of the dangerous practice depicted in the film.
V. "Everything that begins in mystery, ends in practical politics.” Charles Péguy
Chapter 11. The Palace of Wisdom
The protagonist finds himself in a remote location, reflecting on his past and the consequences of his obsession. He encounters a young girl who helps him uncover the truth behind the film and its creator.
The finest novels about dangerous films are two by Ramsey Campbell: Ancient Images and The Grin of the Dark. Each follows a protagonist on a descent that wrecks command of rational thought and action. Campbell's prose is heady, carrying its own vengeful authority.
In these works, characters flee, seek, dread, weep, love, and bleed.
In Throat Sprockets, the narrator’s experience is a dreamlike procession through melodramatic backdrops. Lucas pictures belated European sunlight illuminating a scene of self-disintegration. This divide also characterizes any comparison of Throat Sprockets and Campbell's novels: movies that connect to individual obsessions can feed unacknowledged and unwholesome periods of self-destructiveness, paralleling life's promises.
Jay
3 February 2025
