Cult Filmmakers

Cult Filmmakers is a useful and informative guide — perfect for film lovers and readers of cinema. There was much here to learn and appreciate.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and had my wish granted to read it by White Lion Publishing.

I really enjoyed this book. It's really short considering how much information is in it which is pretty impressive!

I really enjoyed the illustrations.

Honestly, though? What i enjoyed most was being introduced to filmmakers I'd never heard of before.

This is a short, fun and entertaining book that offers short descriptions of 50 directors who influenced the movie industry with their edgy style, each chapter accompanied by a whimsical drawing of the person discussed. Ian Haydn Smith makes clear that his list is just a suggestion that should add to and encourage further discussion, and indeed, I found myself googling trailers and search for film reviews on YouTube. It's also worth noting that the author makes an effort to include female directors and filmmakers from the non-English speaking world.

So while this is not an academic book or a thorough examination of the work of these directors, it's certainly fun to skip through the passages and ponder the author's choices.

The directors presented are:
Ana Lily Amirpour, Kenneth Anger, Gregg Araki, Darren Aronofsky, Mario Bava, Kathryn Bigelow, Anna Biller, Lizzie Borden, Tim Burton, John Carpenter, Park Chan-Wook, Benjamin Christensen, Vera Chytilova, Sofia Coppola, Roger Corman, Alex Cox, David Cronenberg, Claire Denis, Amat Escalante, Abel Ferrara, Georges Franju, Lucio Fulci, Terry Gilliam, Lucile Hadzihalilovic, Dennis Hopper, King Hu, Jim Jarmusch, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Harmony Korine, Barbara Loden, David Lynch, Guy Maddin, Russ Meyer, Oscar Micheaux, Takashi Miike, Gaspar Noe, Gordon Parks, George A. Romero, Ken Russell, Susan Seidelman, Seijun Suzuki, Larisa Shepitko, Quentin Tarantino, Melvin van Peebles, Lars von Trier, John Waters, Nicolas Winding Refn, Edward D. Wood Jr., Brian Yuzna.

As a former film critic, I gobbled this book up, eager to see cinema journalist Ian Haydn Smith’s take on what makes for a cult director. And I was thrilled by his choice of 50, from Burton to Lynch, Carpenter to Coppola, Cronenberg to Waters ... from superstars to the little known.

Explains the cult film mentality, with bracing text that reflects this cornucopia of cinematic genius. Perfect for serious as well as budding film buffs. 5/5

Pub Date 03 Sep 2019

Thanks to Ian Haydn Smith, Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion Publishing, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#CultFilmmakers #NetGalley

This is a perfect book for anyone who has a live for film that expands beyond the Netflix lineup or the comic-book heavy box office.
It doesn’t offer a definitive definition or list of the cult director, but adds its voice to the on going conversation.
There’s people within the list that even mainstream film viewers will recognise, and there are names that readers might not recognise, but they may have seen the films mentioned.
What I love most, is that even someone as widely ‘read’ in films as myself has found some new films to watch.

As with any "list," the results, which are purely subjective, can prove both enlightening and puzzling. This illustrated collection provided me and introduction of heretofore unknown artists such as Ana Lily Amirpour (creator of the "first Iranian vampire spaghetti western"), as well as several feminist several in retaliation to the policies of Donald Trump) and international directors, but I wonder at the omission of such as Chantal Ackerman (after all, Claire Denis is here), Dario and/or Asia Argento, and most prominently, Pier Paolo Passolini, given the criteria the author provided for what constitutes the definition of a work of a "cult" director. But then, as I said, it is all subjective.

This book definitely contains a lot of important filmmakers with about one page of information per each, but I felt that it lacked depth and found myself wanting more information about the filmmakers.

A reasonable, quick read, where fifty pencil sketches of cult film makers are padded out by rather unnecessary (and quite cult-proof) illustrations. With films suitably ranging from "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night" and Kenneth Anger works to Giallo and even the Czech New Wave it does well, although it clearly can be argued over with its selections. Picking Kathryn Bigelow out as a cultist-gone-mainstream raised my eyebrows when mentioned in the foreword – surely the likes of Peter Jackson were more cult and are now more establishment, and thus worthy of discussion. But in telling me about people I'd never heard of, this gets the nod, even if some of the entries felt so much on the short side I'm reduced to giving it three and a half stars.

This is a solid introduction to many film-makers and written in a very accessible style. An enjoyable entry into the world of cult filmmakers suitable for readers of all levels of familiarity with the subject.

My thanks to Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion Publishing for granting my wish via NetGalley for Ian Haydn Smith’s ‘Cult Filmmakers: 50 Movie Mavericks You Need To Know’ in exchange for an honest review.

While a short book at 144 pages, it contains a lot of information. Its author, Ian Haydn Smith, is a highly respected film journalist, critic, author and academic.

As he states in the Introduction, this book isn’t seeking to be an authoritative guide to cult filmmakers but “aims to be another voice in the conversation about cult cinema”. He admits that the filmmakers featured only represent a small number of those whose works have achieved cult status.

It is quite clear that Smith has extensive knowledge of this subject and I found that his writing was assured and accessible. He provides short entries on the lives, careers, and key works of his chosen 50. Each filmmaker’s entry is accompanied by a portrait by Kristelle Rodeia. Some of these were quite quirky as she often incorporated an aspect of their film work into the image.

I blazed through this in a couple of days though it strikes me that it is probably more suitable for dipping into at leisure. If I buy a copy for myself it likely will be the hardback to keep on my coffee table for inspiration.

While reading it I made note of a number of films mentioned that I would like to watch in the future.

Certainly a perfect choice for film buffs of all degrees or as a gift for same.

Nach der etwas zu umfangreichen Klärung, was ein Kultfilm überhaupt ist, werden mehr oder weniger bekannte Persönlichkeiten vorgestellt. Dieser Teil ist sowohl unterhaltsam wie informativ und kurz und knackig gehalten.

Not a comprehensive guide by any means, but interesting reading for cinephiles. A good mix of new and old, men and women, and different cultural backgrounds. Each director gets about a page of description, with a few dates and highlights, as well as a painted portrait.

This was a fun and useful book in terms of discovering and learning about cult filmmakers. I also really enjoyed the illustrations.

Although not a book I would normally reach for, this was a great book to flick through periodically. Wonderful movies to add to my to-watch list, and great illustrations. Great read!

While there isn’t a definitive definition of what makes a cult film, there is an essential agreement among film fans that these movies are not business as usual. The description “cult” evokes thoughts of bizarre, potentially uncomfortable, or even controversial cinematic expression. In Cult Filmmakers: 50 Movie Mavericks You Need to Know, Ian Haydn Smith explores the works of fifty filmmakers that he categorizes as cult, following that essential definition.

Smith has compiled the most richly inclusive list of cult directors I’ve ever seen gathered in this category. His selections span gender, race, country, and background with fascinating breadth. As a result he has come up with an especially exciting list of filmmakers. While my own definition of cult doesn’t align with some of these directors: for example, the undeniably bizarre Tim Burton has nevertheless enjoyed mainstream success for most of his career which I don’t see as fitting that label, Smith always gets the spirit of this brand of cinema and the impact of each artist is undeniable.

The directors are presented in fifty brief entries of a few pages each. These are short bios, intended as an introduction to the works of each filmmaker. Instead of going into depth about the films or their impact on audiences, the essays focus on the nature of each director’s work and the movies that define them.

While this kind of book is ideal for those who are new to exploring film, as a long-time fan of so-called cult movies I found this to be an addictively enjoyable read. I learned more than I expected, primarily because Smith has moved beyond the usual suspects in compiling his list and particularly because he is so knowledgeable about world cinema, including visionaries like Vera Chytilova, Seijun Suzuki, and Amat Escalante in addition to directors more established as cult like John Waters, Kenneth Anger, and Ed Wood.

Smith covers a lot of ground in a brief book. By the time I raced through Cult Filmmakers, I had that rare feeling of disappointment that there were no more entries to read. The list of films at the end of the book, divided by director will come in handy. Reading about these varied talents got me fired up to revisit favorites, in addition to seeing something new.

Cult Filmmakers contains 50 figures in the world of cinema and explains what gives them the 'cult' label, . The book features both industry heavyweights filmmakers and little known directors with small but devout followings..

Some of the filmmakers are: Kathryn Bigelow, Tim Burton, John Carpenter, Sofia Coppola, Terry Gilliam, Dennis Hopper, George A. Romero and Quentin Tarantino.

There is a page dedicated to each filmmaker, but only contains three to four paragraphs about the person and their films, alongside some unusual illustration's with each one. Cult Filmmakers is an interesting addition to any film buff's bookshelf, as well as an introduction to the weird and wonderful world of cinema.

There is a list near the rear of the book of by each filmmaker of their key works

I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.