Reviews and movie stills of "cult" movie classics from silent films forward.
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More About the Author
As a boy I was passionate about sports, movies, television, and music, and now I make my living by writing about each of these topics. Pretty amazing. I was born in West Virginia, grew up in South Carolina and New Jersey, got a B.A. in History at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and an M.A. in Cinema at USC. I have been living in New York City since 1977 with my wife Suzanne (our married daughter Zoe and granddaughter Julianna live too far away in Maryland), publishing books and articles on movies and sports (mostly baseball). I watch an insane number of movies and politely root for the A's, Lakers, New York Giants, and UConn women in basketball. I am the writer-researcher on the long-running television interview show, "The Tim McCarver Show," and have done three books with Tim, who is a close friend. I also worked with the dear Ralph Kiner on his autobiography, "Baseball Forever." My twenty-first book, written with Tom Clavin, is my first biography, "Roger Maris: Baseball's Reluctant Hero" for Touchstone/Simon&Schuster. There is a facebook fan page for the book, for which we interviewed 130 people. Our follow-up was "Gil Hodges: The Brooklyn Bums, the Miracle Mets and the Extraordinary Life of a Baseball Legend," which was published 8/7/12 by NAL/Penguin. I also contribute celebrity interviews on brink.com and am the New York correspondent for the Australian magazine, "FilmInk." I love to write, but there's nothing more exciting than creating a project or more satisfying than finishing it.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By J. Remington
Format:Hardcover
Danny Peary, a film fanatic himself, in these series of three books (I'm only dealing with the first in this review) gleefully, critically and passionately celebrates what makes film going the sheer pleasure that it is. In a series of well written, insightful, often humourous and always celebratory essays, Peary explores many classic, weird and wonderful films that raise the pulses of fans.
Many film texts are dry treatises that absolutely drain the rollercoaster vicseral joy that a film can bring. Not so with Peary's excellent series. Peary manages to legitimately relate the true art that is cinema while at the same time exploring what makes so many great films live as a part of our very extistances.
I have read and re-read this book several times and each time, I have discovered a new insight into a favorite film or been directed to a new reference point. Peary is very careful to point to other film scholars and film titles that can enhance a film cutlists experience. In deconstructing each film, he also includes fascinating tidbits of information such as interviews with the film makers, insights into the creative process and backstory history.
Especially fine are his explorations on "It's a Wonderful Life", "King Kong", "Singin' in the Rain", "Rio Bravo" and "A Hard Day's Night". He successfully argues in all those cases that superb entertainment does make great art.
Do I agree with every one of Peary's opinions? Do I enjoy every single film included in these three books? Of course not! But Peary does give vallidation to all of us who could be classified as true film geeks. Since these books are as of this writing all out of print, I with the strongest terms possible urge you all to seek them out. You will not be dissapointed!
16 of 20 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
Let me state at the outset that I just love this book! I bought it when it first came out in the early '80s, and it kind of changed my movie-going habits. I'd long been a fan of the old movies, but this book, along with its two sequels, "Cult Movies 2" and "Cult Movies 3," provided me with 200 films that--largely due to Mr. Peary's enthusiastic and keen-minded style--I just had to go and see. As of today, I've seen all but a handful of these wonderful films. It's always fun to see a movie and then read a dead-on analysis of that film. Many times I will disagree with Danny Peary (for example, I think he downgrades "Forbidden Planet" unfairly), but in the vast majority of cases I will be amazed at how much Mr. Peary has picked up that I hadn't noticed. (For example, for some reason, it never sunk in with me that Janet Leigh's character in "Psycho" has the name of Marion CRANE, while Norman Bates is a taxidermist of birds!) He is an extremely observant and thoughtful reviewer, with an obvious love of his subject. The range of films reviewed in these three books is quite large, from the 1927 silent movie "Napoleon" to "Plan 9 From Outer Space"; from "Children of Paradise" to "Phantom of the Paradise." This is the type of book that forces you to respect the author's opinions, even if you wildly disagree with them. Finally, I would like to recommend the book "Alternate Oscars" by the same author...a true treat for film buffs!
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
When I first found this treasure in 1982, my first thought was "I'm not alone!" Of the 100 movies Danny Peary chose for his work, many were my own personal favorites. Mr. Peary clearly loves film, but he loves movies even more. By that I mean his reviews reflect someone who sits in a dark theater or a comfortable chair and just enjoys what he is watching, without overanalyzing them. That is why this book is so enjoyable.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
I WAS NEVER THE SAME AFTERWARDS
I cannot recall precisely when I bought the first of the three Cult Movies books, but it was efore I had access to see any of the films discussed within. Read more
Published 2 months ago by SLAPPYWAG64
4.0 out of 5 stars
A cult book for cult movies
A complete reference for fans of cult movies : insightful comments, photos and, sometimes, humour makes its consultation easy and fascinating. Read more
Published 20 months ago by C. Lahaie
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great series
I have all 3 volumes of the series and have devoured every word over the years. I still like to pull them out whenevere I watch one of the covered movies. Read more
Published on January 3, 2011 by D. Webb
5.0 out of 5 stars
Critic Danny Peary deserves a cult of his own
"Cult Movies" was one of the first film books I devoured, when I was first getting serious about the medium in the late 1980s. Read more
Published on November 20, 2010 by Muzzlehatch
1.0 out of 5 stars
Product not arrived
Have been waiting for this item for well over a month and it has not yet arrived.
Published on June 24, 2009 by DV Don't
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mandatory text on cult films
Danny Peary's "Cult Movies: The Classics, the sleepers, the Weird, and the Wonderful" was originally published in 1981, which dates it quite a bit, but it's mandatory reading for... Read more
Published on February 26, 2009 by Wuchak
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fundamental issue!
Paery has made a complete guide with hightlighted pictures and many information about his favorite cult movies . Read more
Published on August 21, 2004 by Hiram Gomez Pardo
5.0 out of 5 stars
The first of three of my favorite film books.
How much do I love CULT MOVIES by Danny Peary? As I write this, my copy of the book (purchased in 1981) has split in two. Read more
Published on January 18, 2004 by Mister Chris
5.0 out of 5 stars
For the film fanatic
From a source that was never revealed I wound up with Mr. Peary's cult movies 2 book as a kid. I read it with great enthusiasm and wound up checking out quite a few movies because... Read more
Published on January 2, 2001 by "wpqx"
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Introduction To The World Of Cult Movies
I bought this book when it first came out in the early 80s. I've referred to it so often that it now rests peacefully open on my desk at any given page. Read more
Published on December 9, 2000 by watchout4snakes
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