 | |
| Author | Ernest Mathijs Xavier Mendik |
|---|---|
| Country | England |
| Language | English |
| Series | BFI Screen Guides |
| Subject | Film |
| Published | 2011 (British Film Institute) |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 256 |
| ISBN | 978-184457-408-7 |
100 Cult Films is a 2011 book written by Ernest Mathijs and Xavier Mendik, who selected one hundred cult films to discuss. [1]
The two authors often disagreed with each other and were forced to make concessions; for example, Mathijs opposed the inclusion of Cannibal Holocaust , which he called an initiation ritual and not a film with a devoted cult following. He relented and allowed its inclusion so that he could convince Mendik to include Begotten . [2] Mathijs wanted to include The Princess Bride , but Mendik preferred to focus on including more transgressive films, and it was not included. As a result of its necessarily arbitrary choices, the book attracted controversy from cult film fans. [3] [4]
To choose the final film, the authors performed a public survey; the resulting winner was In Bruges . [5] A mobile app was released to allow readers to mark each of the films that they have seen. [6] The app features appearances by Eli Roth and Joe Dante. [7]
A cult film or cult movie, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage in repeated viewings, dialogue-quoting, and audience participation. Inclusive definitions allow for major studio productions, especially box-office bombs, while exclusive definitions focus more on obscure, transgressive films shunned by the mainstream. The difficulty in defining the term and subjectivity of what qualifies as a cult film mirror classificatory disputes about art. The term cult film itself was first used in the 1970s to describe the culture that surrounded underground films and midnight movies, though cult was in common use in film analysis for decades prior to that.
Emily Jean Perkins is a Canadian former actress, best known for her roles as Crystal Braywood in the TV series Hiccups, young Beverly Marsh in Stephen King's It, and Brigitte Fitzgerald in Ginger Snaps. Since the late 1980s she has appeared in various films and television series.
A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. A film, book, musical artist, television series, or video game, among other things, is said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fanbase.
Giovanni Lombardo Radice is an Italian film actor, also known as John Morghen.
Begotten is a 1989 American experimental film written, produced, edited, shot, and directed by Edmund Elias Merhige. It stars Brian Salsberg, Donna Dempsy, Stephen Charles Barry, and members of Merhige's theatre company, Theatreofmaterial. The film contains no dialogue and employs a style similar in some ways to early silent films. Its enigmatic plot, drawn from elements of various creation myths, opens with the suicide of a godlike figure and the births of Mother Earth and the Son of Earth, who set out on a journey of death and rebirth through a barren landscape. According to art historian Scott MacDonald, the film's allegorical qualities and purposeful ambiguity invite multiple interpretations.
Tank Girl is a 1995 American science fiction film directed by Rachel Talalay. Based on the British post-apocalyptic comic series of the same name created by Jamie Hewlett and written by Alan Martin that was originally published in Deadline magazine, the film stars Lori Petty, Naomi Watts, Ice-T and Malcolm McDowell. Tank Girl is set in a drought-ravaged Australia, years after a catastrophic impact event. It follows the antihero Tank Girl (Petty) as she, Jet Girl (Watts), and genetically modified supersoldiers called the Rippers fight "Water & Power", an oppressive corporation led by Kesslee (McDowell).
The Rocky Horror Picture Show cult following is the cultural phenomenon surrounding the large fan base of enthusiastic participants of the movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show, generally credited as being the best-known cinematic "midnight movie".
Humble Bundle, Inc. is a digital storefront for video games, which grew out of its original offering of Humble Bundles, collections of games sold at a price determined by the purchaser and with a portion of the price going towards charity and the rest split between the game developers. Humble Bundle continues to offer these limited-time bundles, but have expanded to include a greater and more persistent storefront. The Humble Bundle concept was initially run by Wolfire Games in 2010, but by its second bundle, the Humble Bundle company was spun out to manage the promotion, payments, and distribution of the bundles. In October 2017, the company was acquired by Ziff Davis through its IGN Entertainment subsidiary.
The Cine-Excess International Film Festival and Convention is a UK film festival about cult films that features a themed conference, open discussions, and screenings. It was founded by Xavier Mendik and has been held in several English cities. As of 2013, it takes place in Birmingham. It caters to mainstream audiences, academics, and film industry professionals.
Xavier Charles Mendik is an English documentary filmmaker, author, and festival director. He is an associate professor in film and director of graduate studies in the School of Media at Birmingham City University, and formerly at the University of Brighton. He also runs the Cult Film Archive and is the director of Cine-Excess International Film Festival.
The Cult Film Reader is a 2008 book edited by Ernest Mathijs and Xavier Mendik. It collects essays by Susan Sontag, Umberto Eco, and others, each on the topic of cult followings, cult films, and related topics. Director and producer Roger Corman wrote the introduction.
Ernest Mathijs is a professor at the University of British Columbia, where he teaches film. He has published several books on cult films.
The Cinema of David Cronenberg: From Baron of Blood to Cultural Hero is a 2008 book by Ernest Mathijs about the films of director David Cronenberg. Mathijs had previous done his PhD thesis on the reception of Cronenberg's films, and this book was based on that research.