The Routledge Companion to Cult Cinema offers an overview of the field of cult cinema - films at the margin of popular culture and art that have received exceptional cultural visibility and status mostly because they break rules, offend, and challenge understandings of achievement (some are so bad they're good, others so good they remain inaccessible). Cult cinema is no longer only comprised of the midnight movie or the extreme genre film. Its range has widened and the issues it broaches have become battlegrounds in cultural debates that typify the first quarter of the twenty-first century. Sections are introduced with the major theoretical frameworks, philosophical inspirations, and methodologies for studying cult films, with individual chapters excavating the most salient criticism of how the field impacts cultural discourse at large. Case studies include the worst films ever; exploitation films; genre cinema; multiple media formats cult cinema is expressed through; issues of cultural, national, and gender representations; elements of the production culture of cult cinema; and, throughout, aspects of the aesthetics of cult cinema - its genre, style, look, impact, and ability to yank viewers out of their comfort zones. The Routledge Companion to Cult Cinema goes beyond the traditional scope of Anglophone and North American cinema by including case studies of East and South Asia, continental Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America, making it an innovative and important resource for researchers and students alike.

Some films should never have been made. They are too unsettling, too dangerous, too challenging, too outrageous and even too badly made to be let loose on unsuspecting audiences. Yet these films, from the shocking Cannibal Holocaust to the apocalyptic Donnie Darko, from the destructive Tetsuo to the awfully bad The Room, from the hilarious This Is Sp?¨nal Tap to the campy Showgirls, from the asylum of Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari to the circus of Freaks, from the gangs of The Warriors to the gangsters of In Bruges and from the flamboyant Rocky Horror Picture Show to the ultimate cool of The Big Lebowski, have all garnered passionate fan followings. Cult cinema has made tragic misfits, monsters and cyborgs, such as Edward Scissorhands or Blade Runner's replicants, heroes of our times. 100 Cult Films explains why these figures continue to inspire fans around the globe. Cult film experts Ernest Mathijs and Xavier Mendik round up the most cultish of giallo, blaxploitation, anime, sexploitation, zombie, vampire and werewolf films, exploring both the cults that live hidden inside the underground (Nekromantik, Café Flesh) and the cult side of the mainstream (Dirty Dancing, The Lord of the Rings, and even The Sound of Music). 100 Cult Films is a true trip around the world, providing a lively and illuminating guide to films from more than a dozen countries, across nine decades, representing a wide range of genres and key cult directors such as David Cronenberg, Terry Gilliam and David Lynch. Drawing on exclusive interviews with some of the world's most iconic cult creators and performers, including Dario Argento, Pupi Avati, Alex Cox, Ruggero Deodato, Jesús Franco, Lloyd Kaufman, Harry Kümel, H. G. Lewis, Christina Lindberg, Takashi Miike, Franco Nero, George A. Romero and Brian Yuzna, and featuring a foreword by cult director Joe Dante, 100 Cult Films is your ultimate ticket to the midnight movie show.

When released in 2003, The Room, an obscure, self-financed relationship drama by an eccentric self-taught filmmaker named Tommy Wiseau, should have been completely forgotten. Yet nearly two decades later, "the worst movie ever made"—as many a critic would have it—has become the most popular cult film since The Rocky Horror Picture Show. In You Are Tearing Me Apart, Lisa!, contributors explore this priceless cultural artifact, offering fans and film buffs critical insight into the movie's various meanings, historical context, and place in the cult canon. Even if by complete accident, The Room touches on many issues of modern concern, including sincerity, authenticity, badness, artistic value, gender relations, Americanness, Hollywood conventions, masculinity, and even the meaning of life. Revealing the timeless, infamous power of Wiseau's The Room, You Are Tearing Me Apart, Lisa! is a deeply entertaining deconstruction of an original work of all-American failure.

Einstein Meets Magritte: An Interdisciplinary Reflection presents insights of the renowned key speakers of the interdisciplinary Einstein meets Magritte conference (1995, Brussels Free University). The contributions elaborate on fundamental questions of science, with regard to the contemporary world, and push beyond the borders of traditional approaches. All of the articles in this volume address this fundamental theme, but somewhere along the road the volume expanded to become much more than a mere expression of the conference's dynamics. The articles not only deal with several scientific disciplines, they also confront these fields with the full spectrum of contemporary life, and become new science. As such, this volume presents a state-of-the-art reflection of science in the world today, in all its diversity. The contributions are accessible to a large audience of scientists, students, educators, and everyone who wants to keep up with science today.

How do science, producing knowledge and technology, and art, producing revelations and sensations, confront each other? We have taken up the two myths of Albert Einstein and Rene Magritte to address this question. The meeting between Einstein and Magritte is presented as an experiment, with which we hope to go beyond the many programmatical appeals, in order to cut across art and science. The experiment brings together scientists, artists and philosophers who have already - in their own distinctive ways - taken the path towards interdisciplinarity. This book presents their different attitudes, and encloses new perspectives and insights. The contributions have been written for a broad audience of scholars, students and anyone interested in the similarities between science and art.

The Routledge Companion to Cult Cinema offers an overview of the field of cult cinema - films at the margin of popular culture and art that have received exceptional cultural visibility and status mostly because they break rules, offend, and challenge understandings of achievement (some are so bad they're good, others so good they remain inaccessible). Cult cinema is no longer only comprised of the midnight movie or the extreme genre film. Its range has widened and the issues it broaches have become battlegrounds in cultural debates that typify the first quarter of the twenty-first century. Sections are introduced with the major theoretical frameworks, philosophical inspirations, and methodologies for studying cult films, with individual chapters excavating the most salient criticism of how the field impacts cultural discourse at large. Case studies include the worst films ever; exploitation films; genre cinema; multiple media formats cult cinema is expressed through; issues of cultural, national, and gender representations; elements of the production culture of cult cinema; and, throughout, aspects of the aesthetics of cult cinema - its genre, style, look, impact, and ability to yank viewers out of their comfort zones. The Routledge Companion to Cult Cinema goes beyond the traditional scope of Anglophone and North American cinema by including case studies of East and South Asia, continental Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America, making it an innovative and important resource for researchers and students alike.

How do science, producing knowledge and technology, and art, producing revelations and sensations, confront each other? We have taken up the two myths of Albert Einstein and Rene Magritte to address this question. The meeting between Einstein and Magritte is presented as an experiment, with which we hope to go beyond the many programmatical appeals, in order to cut across art and science. The experiment brings together scientists, artists and philosophers who have already - in their own distinctive ways - taken the path towards interdisciplinarity. This book presents their different attitudes, and encloses new perspectives and insights. The contributions have been written for a broad audience of scholars, students and anyone interested in the similarities between science and art.

""An invaluable collection for anyone researching or teaching cult cinema ... "The Cult Film Reader" is an authoritative text that should be of value to any student or researcher interested in challenging and transgressive cinema that pushes the boundaries of conventional cinema and film studies."
Science Fiction Film and Television

""A really impressive and comprehensive collection of the key writings in the field. The editors have done a terrific job in drawing together the various traditions and providing a clear sense of this rich and rewarding scholarly terrain. This collection is as wild and diverse as the films that it covers. Fascinating."
Mark Jancovich, Professor of Film and Television Studies, University of East Anglia, UK

"It's about time the lunatic fans and loyal theorists of cult movies were treated to a book they can call their own. The effort and knowledge contained in "The Cult Film Reader" will satisfy even the most ravenous zombie's desire for detail and insight. This book will gnaw, scratch and infect you just like the cult films themselves."
Brett Sullivan, Director of Ginger Snaps Unleashed and The Chair

""The Cult Film Reader" is a great film text book and a fun read."
John Landis, Director of The Blues Brothers, An American Werewolf in London and Michael Jackson's Thriller"

""Excellent overview of the subject, and a comprehensive collection of significant scholarship in the field of cult film. Very impressive and long overdue.""
" Steven Rawle, York St John University, UK"

Whether defined by horror, kung-fu, sci-fi, sexploitation, kitsch musical or 'weird world cinema', cult movies and their global followings are emerging as a distinct subject of film and media theory, dedicated to dissecting the world's unruliest images.

This book is the world's first reader on cult film. It brings together key works in the field on the structure, form, status, and reception of cult cinema traditions. Including work from key established scholars in the field such as Umberto Eco, Janet Staiger, Jeffrey Sconce, Henry Jenkins, and Barry Keith Grant, as well as new perspectives on the gradually developing canon of cult cinema, the book not only presents an overview of ways in which cult cinema can be approached, it also re-assesses the methods used to study the cult text and its audiences.

With editors' introductions to the volume and to each section, the book is divided into four clear thematic areas of study - The Conceptions of Cult; Cult Case Studies; National and International Cults; and Cult Consumption - to provide an accessible overview of the topic. It also contains an extensive bibliography for further related readings.

Written in a lively and accessible style, "The Cult Film Reader" dissects some of biggest trends, icons, auteurs and periods of global cult film production. Films discussed include "Casablanca," "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," "Eraserhead," "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," "Showgirls" and "Ginger Snaps."

"Essays by: Jinsoo An; Jane Arthurs; Bruce Austin; Martin Barker; Walter Benjamin; Harry Benshoff; Pierre Bourdieu; Noel Carroll; Steve Chibnall; Umberto Eco; Nezih Erdogan; Welch Everman; John Fiske; Barry Keith Grant; Joan Hawkins; Gary Hentzi; Matt Hills; Ramaswami Harindranath; J.Hoberman; Leon Hunt; I.Q. Hunter; Mark Jancovich; Henry Jenkins; Anne Jerslev; Siegfried Kracauer; Gina Marchetti; Tom Mes; Gary Needham; Sheila J. Nayar; Annalee Newitz; Lawrence O'Toole; Harry Allan Potamkin; Jonathan Rosenbaum; Andrew Ross; David Sanjek; Eric Schaefer; Steven Jay Schneider; Jeffrey Sconce; Janet Staiger; J.P. Telotte; Parker Tyler; Jean Vigo; Harmony Wu"

Einstein Meets Magritte: An Interdisciplinary Reflection presents insights of the renowned key speakers of the interdisciplinary Einstein meets Magritte conference (1995, Brussels Free University). The contributions elaborate on fundamental questions of science, with regard to the contemporary world, and push beyond the borders of traditional approaches. All of the articles in this volume address this fundamental theme, but somewhere along the road the volume expanded to become much more than a mere expression of the conference's dynamics. The articles not only deal with several scientific disciplines, they also confront these fields with the full spectrum of contemporary life, and become new science. As such, this volume presents a state-of-the-art reflection of science in the world today, in all its diversity. The contributions are accessible to a large audience of scientists, students, educators, and everyone who wants to keep up with science today.

Since its inception, "Big Brother" has been versioned in over thirty countries and reached an estimated audience of over two billion. The first of its kind, this book includes essays from international contributors that integrate the academic disciplines of cinema studies, sociology, cultural and critical studies. Additionally, it considers the reception and impact of the series, and how different regions adopt the format to suit local cultural concerns and achieve commercial success. The book functions not only as a discussion of one single television program but also as a reflection on the medium's history and future, and its impact on popular culture. It is useful for students, scholars, people involved in the planning and production of television formats, and everyone interested in the function of contemporary television in society.

Films of the Low Countries have long been regarded as isolated texts. This book points to the interconnectedness between Low Countries films from different genres, regions, languages, and formats. Building on each film's relationship with its particular cultural context, the volume presents twenty-four especially commisioned essays by renowned writers, each one focusing on one key film. The volume covers the work of internationally acclaimed directors such as Joris Ivens, Henri Storck, Paul Verhoeven, and the Dardenne Brothers. Key films discussed include "Turkish Delight, The Vanishing, Daughters of Darkness, Character, Rosetta, " and "Man Bites Dog."

Films of the Low Countries have long been regarded as isolated texts. This book points to the interconnectedness between Low Countries films from different genres, regions, languages, and formats. Building on each film's relationship with its particular cultural context, the volume presents twenty-four especially commisioned essays by renowned writers, each one focusing on one key film. The volume covers the work of internationally acclaimed directors such as Joris Ivens, Henri Storck, Paul Verhoeven, and the Dardenne Brothers. Key films discussed include "Turkish Delight, The Vanishing, Daughters of Darkness, Character, Rosetta, " and "Man Bites Dog."

When released in 2003, The Room, an obscure, self-financed relationship drama by an eccentric self-taught filmmaker named Tommy Wiseau, should have been completely forgotten. Yet nearly two decades later, "the worst movie ever made"—as many a critic would have it—has become the most popular cult film since The Rocky Horror Picture Show. In You Are Tearing Me Apart, Lisa!, contributors explore this priceless cultural artifact, offering fans and film buffs critical insight into the movie's various meanings, historical context, and place in the cult canon. Even if by complete accident, The Room touches on many issues of modern concern, including sincerity, authenticity, badness, artistic value, gender relations, Americanness, Hollywood conventions, masculinity, and even the meaning of life. Revealing the timeless, infamous power of Wiseau's The Room, You Are Tearing Me Apart, Lisa! is a deeply entertaining deconstruction of an original work of all-American failure.

David Cronenberg has become one of North America's most respected movie directors. Since the early seventies, the soft-spoken Baron of Blood has attracted widespread controversy with a steady stream of shock--sex crazed parasites in Shivers (1975), exploding heads in Scanners (1981), revolutionary flesh technology in Videodrome (1983), mutating bugs in The Fly (1986), car-crash scars in Crash (1996), and psychopathic bursts of gun violence in A History of Violence (2005). This book provides an overview of Cronenberg's films in light of their international reception.

Much more than a successful film trilogy, "Lord of the Rings" has become an unparalleled media phenomenon. Through its impact on regional as well as global industries, and stretching from a British origin over Hollywood to a New Zealand appropriation it has challenged our thinking about the commercial contexts of popular culture. "Lord of the Rings: Popular Culture in Global Context" brings together leading scholars in the fields of media and film studies to explore the various strategies and implications underlying the global presence of "Lord of the Rings." Chapters address how the trilogy has been planned and received as a media business; how it was received by critics and fans, and how spin-offs, franchises, associated media, and indeed the text itself have been affected by its success and appeal. The book covers different national contexts and presents a lively and diverse combination of textual, historical and empirical study.

This second title in the "AlterImage" series that investigates previously under-explored areas of popular and cult cinema ( "Underground U.S.A." being the first volume) features over 20 essays from an eclectic range of writers uncovering the cult cinema of Europe. The writers consider such unusual and diverse topics as Russian horror cinema, British exploitation, Belgian alternative cinema and Black 'Emmanuelle' films. "Alternative Europe" also includes exclusive interviews with such 'trash' film directors as Jess Fano and Brian Yuzna ( "Reanimator, " etc.).

David Cronenberg has moved from the depths of low-budget exploitation horror to become one of North America's most respected movie directors. Since the early 1970s, the softly-spoken Baron of Blood has attracted widespread controversies with a steady stream of shocks - sex-crazed parasites in Shivers (1975), exploding heads in Scanners (1981), revolutionary flesh technology in Videodrome (1983), mutating bugs in The Fly (1986), car crash scars in Crash (1996) and psychopathic bursts of gun fire in A History of Violence (2005). This new study provides an overview of Cronenberg's films in the light of their international reception, placing them firmly in the cultures they influenced. It also highlights often-ignored works, such as the race movie Fast Company (1979), and includes a chapter on the latest film Eastern Promises (2007). Amidst bans and boos, Cronenberg has developed a consistent cult following

Taking a theoretical, historical and critical approach to horror directed by women, Bloody Women considers how the gender landscape of horror filmmaking is changing. It unearths the long and rich history of female-fronted horror films that predate the better-known The Babadook. It explores whether the genre provides a perennial springboard for rising stars behind the camera and if the malleability of horror makes it a genre of choice for visionary film-makers eager to stretch their wings. Is there a way in which female-helmed horror films are distinct from male-led projects or do the unique experiences of womanhood of different directors lead them to create unique work? Are there defining qualities and characteristics that can be attributed to the horror of women directors and how are such unique voices shaping horror and influencing the industry? Women directors of horror are becoming increasingly more difficult to ignore. As Canadian horror filmmaker Jen Soska cautions, "A revolution has started."

Much more than a successful film trilogy, "Lord of the Rings" has become an unparalleled media phenomenon. Through its impact on regional as well as global industries, and stretching from a British origin over Hollywood to a New Zealand appropriation it has challenged our thinking about the commercial contexts of popular culture. "Lord of the Rings: Popular Culture in Global Context" brings together leading scholars in the fields of media and film studies to explore the various strategies and implications underlying the global presence of "Lord of the Rings." Chapters address how the trilogy has been planned and received as a media business; how it was received by critics and fans, and how spin-offs, franchises, associated media, and indeed the text itself have been affected by its success and appeal. The book covers different national contexts and presents a lively and diverse combination of textual, historical and empirical study.

Few studies of Canadian cinema to date have engaged deeply with genre cinema and its connection to Canadian culture. Ernest Mathijs does just that in this volume, which traces the inception, production, and reception of Canada's internationally renowned horror film, Ginger Snaps (2000). This tongue-in-cheek Gothic film, which centres on two death-obsessed teenage sisters, draws a provocative connection between werewolf monstrosity and female adolescence and boasts a dedicated world-wide fan base.

The first book-length study of this popular film, John Fawcett's Ginger Snaps is based on the author's privileged access to most of its cast and crew and to its enthusiasts around the world. Examining themes of genre, feminism, identity, and adolescent belonging, Mathijs concludes that Ginger Snaps deserves to be recognized as part of the Canadian canon, and that it is a model example of the kind of crossover cult film that remains unjustly undervalued by film scholars.