Chris D. (aka Chris Desjardins) has written off and on for various American fringe film buff/alternative music/media publications such as Phobos, Slash Magazine, Forced Exposure, Asian Cult Cinema (when previously known as Asian Trash Cinema), and Cult Movies since the early 1970s.

He has recently seen publication of his book Outlaw Masters Of Japanese Film, which features essays/filmographies/interviews with such Japanese genre film directors from the sixties/seventies as Kinji Fukasaku, Seijun Suzuki, Teruo Ishii, Kihacho Okamoto, Koji Wakamatsu, as well as such nineties directors as Takashi Miike and Kiyoshi Kurosawa.

He is currently finishing work on a voluminous, completist study of Japanese yakuza (gangster) films called Gun And Sword – An Encyclopedia of Japanese Gangster Films 1955-1980.

Chris’ knowledge of classic mainstream and ‘arthouse’ as well as offbeat genre and cult films, both domestic and foreign, led to his job as one of the programmers at The American Cinematheque in Los Angeles in 1999. He has co-programmed or programmed series on Film Noir, Mods And Rockers (American & British music/youth/psychedelic films from 1960’s - early '70’s), The New Hollywood (breakthrough Hollywood films from mid-1960’s - early 1970’s), Angry Young Cinema – The Original British New Wave, Fantasy/Horror/ Science Fiction (annual series since 1999 featuring old and new films from U.S., Europe and Asia, etc.,), The Golden Age of British Horror 1955-1975, Japanese Outlaw Masters series #’s 1/2/3/4/5/6, Screwball Comedies 1935-1960;  retrospectives on directors Kinji Fukasaku, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Donald Cammell, David Cronenberg, Penelope Spheeris, Russ Meyer, William Friedkin, Mario Bava, Val Guest, et. al --  as well as a tribute to sixties Japanese action film icons, Shintaro Katsu and Raizo Ichikawa.

He has also been instrumental in helping to select and release a number of outstanding motion pictures on the American Cinematheque's DVD/video label, amongst them the acclaimed 1999 horror film, AUDITION, by director Takashi Miike. He has written the liner notes for a number of Japanese genre film DVD releases including FEMALE CONVICT SCORPION-JAILHOUSE 41; BLACK TIGHT KILLERS; ECSTASY OF THE ANGELS; GO, GO SECOND TIME VIRGIN; AUDITION; PALE FLOWER; SAMURAI REINCARNATION -- and Italian genre film DVD releases, including NIGHT EVELYN CAME OUT OF THE GRAVE; THE RED QUEEN KILLS 7 TIMES; DEATH WALKS ON HIGH HEELS; EMERGENCY SQUAD; A MAN CALLED MAGNUM as well as “arthouse films” such as Valerio Zurlini’s DESERT OF THE TARTARS.

Chris D.has also been a singer/songwriter/producer on at least 20 albums for his own bands THE FLESH EATERS, DIVINE HORSEMEN, STONE-BY-STONE (as well as solo efforts) between 1978-2003. His latest FLESH EATERS CD, Miss Muerte was released in 2003 by Atavistic Records. (for that, as well as a few other Flesh Eaters and Divine Horsemen releases, go to: www.atavistic.com). To find out more about the Flesh Eaters and Divine Horsemen, go to:
http://www.flesheaters.com/. Chris has also produced and/or mixed albums by many other bands (such as THE DREAM SYNDICATE, THE GUN CLUB, THE MISFITS and THE GERMS). He worked as A&R/in-house producer at Slash Records 1980-1984.

Chris has published two volumes of poetry: Bongo Chalice (a poetry anthology that included Patti Smith, amongst other writers, in 1977) and Double Snake Bourbon, a collection of his own poetry, song lyrics and dream stories from 1975-1989 (published by Illiterati Press, 1989).

As an actor, Chris has appeared in BORDER RADIO (1987) (released on DVD by the Criterion Collection in 2007), NO WAY OUT (1987), LETHAL WEAPON (1987), RADIOACTIVE DREAMS (1985)  and most recently TWEEKED (1999) and DOUBLE DECEPTION (2001).

Chris D.’s first feature film (as director and writer), a digital video production, I PASS FOR HUMAN was released on DVD in 2006 by Arcanum Entertainment.

He has written numerous, as yet-unproduced screenplays, including most recently VOLCANO GIRLS, TIGHTROPE ON FIRE, TATTOOED BLOOD, NO EVIL STAR, DEAD FLOWERS and DRAGON WHEEL SPLENDOR.

A MINUTE TO PRAY, A SECOND TO DIE (2009) is an epic, career-spanning anthology of Chris D.'s writings, published by New Texture. Buy it here.