101 Cult Movies You Must See Before You Die - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0764163493 ISBN 13: 9780764163494

Publisher: B E S Pub Co, 2010

Synopsis

Many--possibly most--films that achieve cult status begin as box office failures, and then over the years start attracting groups of devoted fans. Some cult movies are very good, while others are so bad that they're good, and some are comic escapades, while many others fall into the categories of science fiction or horror. But all cult movies have one thing in common: they are films that refuse to die. Here are brief and fascinating illustrated profiles of the 101 most unforgettable cult movies ever made. They include:

Nosferatu * Reefer Madness * Fantasia * Touch of Evil * Taxi Driver * Invasion of the Body Snatchers * Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! * The Incredible Shrinking Man * Night of the Hunter * The Wiz * Barbarella * Easy Rider, and many more

Each profile includes a plot summary, a cast and credits list, and interesting facts about the film. They are presented chronologically in separate chapters covering each decade from the 1920s to the present. Illustrations include memorable movie stills and reproductions of ad posters. Approximately 200 illustrations.

About this title

From the Inside Flap

(back cover)
Un Chien Andalou â?¢ The Rocky Horror Picture Show â?¢ El Topo â?¢ The Blob â?¢ Donnie Darko â?¢ Faster, Pussycat! Kill, Kill! â?¢ Chelsea Girls â?¢ Easy Rider â?¢ Beyond the Valley of the Dolls â?¢ Performance â?¢ The Blues Brothers â?¢ Reefer Madness â?¢ Tommy â?¢ The Toxic Avenger â?¢ Attack of the Killer Tomatoes â?¢ The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension â?¢ Basket Case â?¢ Office Space â?¢ Clerks â?¢ The Room â?¢ Hairspray â?¢ Rushmore â?¢ Twilight of the Ice Nymphs â?¢ The Hitcher â?¢ Kamikaze Girls â?¢ Heathers â?¢ Manhunter â?¢ Napoleon Dynamite â?¢ Harold and Maude â?¢ The Wiz â?¢ Barbarella â?¢ Pink Flamingos â?¢ Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia â?¢ The Servant â?¢ Rebel Without a Cause â?¢ Night of the Hunter â?¢ Plan Nine from Outer Space â?¢ This Is Spinal Tap â?¢ The Princess Bride â?¢ Amazon Women on the Moon â?¢ Vampyros Lesbos â?¢ The Lickerish Quartet â?¢ Blow-Up

(front flap)
If you've ever spent a day in the company of Barbarella or Withnail, gone surreal with Un Chien Andalou, found yourself able to recite every line from The Blues Brothers, then, 101 Cult Movies You Must See Before You Die is the book for you. From the psychotic delights of The Rocky Horror Picture Show to Mad Max, cult films have broken every rule and challenged every moviegoer's perception.

Stars who are cult in one movie may be definitely not in another; people ignored in their own time can become cult heroes after their death. Movies gain cult status for a weird and wonderful array of reasons--for the iconic acting of stars such as John Belushi and Holly Hunter, or because of a series of bizarre, amusing, or macabre incidences. Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! became a cult favorite for its satire of Hollywood horror movies and topical concerns of America in the late 1970s.

With insight from critics, film historians, and academics, 101 Cult Movies You Must See Before You Die offers a breadth of knowledge, insight, and passion about the movies you simply can't help but watch. This book pays homage to decades of dark themes and outlandish characters. It takes a fascinating look back through decades of unforgettable films that have defined cult movies.

(back flap)
Steven Jay Schneider is a film critic, scholar, and producer. He is editor of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, 101 Horror Movies You Must See Before You Die, and 101 Sci-Fi Movies You Must See Before You Die, all available from Barron's. He is also the author and editor of many other books on film.

Edition details

• Publisher: B E S Pub Co
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0764163493
• ISBN 13: 9780764163494
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 416
• Editor: Schneider Steven Jay