Midnight Movies (Da Capo Paperback) (Paperback)

by J. Hoberman (Author), Jonathan Rosenbaum (Author) "It started out as an affectionate homage to late-night movies, and ended up being an affectionately embraced late-night movies" di Jim Sharman would say of..." (more)
Key Phrases: Rocky Horror, New York, Pink Flamingos (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

These are a few of the over 100 films discussed in Midnight Movies, a comprehensive and in-depth look at the subculture movies of the past three decades. Here is the complete history of cult films, their makers, and their audience; an examination of how films become "midnight movies," and what keeps audiences coming back to see them over and over; an exploration of the connections between subversive film and the subcultures from which it emerges. Supplemented with a new afterward detailing the accommodation of midnight movies into the mainstream and speculating on the future of the genre, Midnight Movies is essential reading for anyone interested in the history and future of American cinema.

About the Author

J. Hoberman is a film critic who writes for theVillage Voice and other publications. Jonathan Rosenbaum is the co-author of Midnight Movies, author of Moving Places, Placing Movies, and Movies as Politics; and film critic for the Chicago Reader.

Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (March 21, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306804336
• ISBN-13: 978-0306804335
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #571,647 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one of the definitive books on cult films., May 30, 2003

By	Cubist (United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This is one of the first serious film books I ever picked up. The picture of ol' Jack Nance from David Lynch's Eraserhead is what caught my eye. After reading the first paragraph of the first chapter, I was hooked.

Written by, arguably, the two best critics around -- J. Hoberman (who writes for the Village Voice) and Jonathan Rosenbaum (who writes for the Chicago Reader) -- this is an excellent look at a bygone era of movie-going. They document the midnight movie circuit that used to exist across the country for films too weird and strange for mainstream consumption. Sadly, most of these theatres are gone now -- swallowed up by the multiplex monster.

These guys clearly did their homework -- their chapters on the early careers of Lynch, Alejandro Jodorowsky, John Waters and George Romero are definitive. Best of all, their writing style is never dry or academic but very readable (it helps that these guys write for weeklies).

This book is a must-have for any fan of cult movies (and esp. the above mentioned directors). I have read it many, many times and it inspired me to be a writer myself. Great stuff.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating reading!, August 14, 1999

By	Beverly A Ruud (Englewood, CO USA) - See all my reviews

Very good - really eclectic coverage. It has a lot of material on underground films from the late 60s, as well as "Rocky Horror", Alexandro Jodorowsky, and John Waters. Highly recommended.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A CULT CLASSIC IN ITSELF!, June 7, 2002

By	DrSpecter (United States) - See all my reviews

A lot of these directors have had entire books written about them since this book was published, but the authors manage to make this book so entertaining and fascinating that I've reread it twice-- I usually just read nonfiction once and then use it for reference. If they would put England's The Incredibly Strange Film Show (and the spin-offs Son Of... and For One Week Only)out on DVD, it would rival this book. Until then, this is the most vital source of information on cult movies.