W100 Cult Films is a 2011 book written by Ernest Mathijs and Xavier Mendik, who selected one hundred cult films to discuss.
WBinge-watching, also called binge-viewing or marathon-viewing, is the practice of watching entertainment or informational content for a prolonged time span, usually a single television show. In a survey conducted by Netflix in February 2014, 73% of people define binge-watching as "watching between 2–6 episodes of the same TV show in one sitting". Some researchers have argued that binge-watching should be defined based on the context and the actual content of TV show. Others suggested that what is normally called binge-watching in fact refers to more than one type of TV viewing behavior. They proposed that the notion of binge-watching should be expanded to include both the prolonged sit and the accelerated consumption of an entire season of a show, one episode at a time, over several days.
WHumphrey DeForest Bogart, nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film Institute selected Bogart as the greatest male star of classic American cinema.
WBruce Lee, born Lee Jun-fan, was a Hong Kong American actor, director, martial artist, martial arts instructor and philosopher. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy drawing from different combat disciplines that is often credited with paving the way for modern mixed martial arts (MMA). Lee is considered by commentators, critics, media, and other martial artists to be the most influential martial artist of all time and a pop culture icon of the 20th century, who bridged the gap between East and West. He is credited with helping to change the way Asians were presented in American films.
WSir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, The Tramp, and is considered one of the most important figures in the history of the film industry. His career spanned more than 75 years, from childhood in the Victorian era until a year before his death in 1977, and encompassed both adulation and controversy.
WA 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.
WThe 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.
WThe Cult Movie Network is a Canadian-based English language specialty channel consisting of programming devoted to cult films from a variety of genres including horror, fantasy, comedy, and action, among others. The channel is owned by the Cult Movie Channel Inc., a company owned by Dieter Kohler.
WCult Movies is a 1981 book by Danny Peary, consisting of a series of essays regarding what Peary described as the 100 most representative examples of the cult film phenomenon. The films are presented in alphabetical order, with each chapter featuring a story synopsis for the covered title, Peary's response to the film, production and release details, and a brief selection of contemporary critical reviews.
WThe Fifty Worst Films of All Time is a 1978 book by Harry Medved with Randy Dreyfuss. It presents the authors' choices for the 50 worst sound films ever made. Each film's entry includes a story synopsis, the authors' opinions of its quality, and a selection of contemporary reviews of the film.
WThis is a list of films considered the best in national and international surveys of critics and the public.
WHarry Potter fandom refers to the community of fans of the Harry Potter books and films who participate in entertainment activities that revolve around the series, such as reading and writing fan fiction, creating and soliciting fan art, engaging in role-playing games, socialising on Harry Potter-based forums, and more. The fandom interacts online as well as offline through activities such as fan conventions, participating in cosplay, tours of iconic landmarks relevant to the books and production of the films, and parties held for the midnight release of each book and film.
WThe films listed below have been cited by a variety of notable critics in varying media sources as being among the worst films ever made. Examples of such sources include Metacritic, Roger Ebert's list of most-hated films, The Golden Turkey Awards, Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide, Rotten Tomatoes, the Stinkers Bad Movie Awards, the cult TV series Mystery Science Theater 3000, the cult webseries The Cinema Snob and the Golden Raspberry Awards. Films on these lists are generally feature-length films that are commercial/artistic in nature, professionally or independently produced, and released in theaters, then on television, or more recently through video-on-demand or streaming services.
WMarilyn Monroe was an American actress, model and singer. Famous for playing comedic "blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s and was emblematic of the era's sexual revolution. She was a top-billed actress for only a decade, but her films grossed $200 million by the time of her death in 1962. Long after her death, she continues to be a major icon of pop culture. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Monroe sixth on its list of the greatest female screen legends from the Golden Age of Hollywood.
WThe life and works of the French filmmaker Georges Méliès (1861–1938), including his famous short film A Trip to the Moon, have been referenced many times in creative works, including the following examples.
WThe term midnight movie is rooted in the practice that emerged in the 1950s of local television stations around the United States airing low-budget genre films as late-night programming, often with a host delivering ironic asides. As a cinematic phenomenon, the midnight screening of offbeat movies began in the early 1970s in a few urban centers, particularly in New York City with screenings of El Topo at the Elgin Theater, eventually spreading across the country. The screening of non-mainstream pictures at midnight was aimed at building a cult film audience, encouraging repeat viewing and social interaction in what was originally a countercultural setting.
WSad Hill Cemetery is a tourism site and former film location designed by Carlo Simi in 1966, and built by the Spanish Army.
WGeorge Lucas's science fiction multi-film Star Wars saga has had a significant impact on modern popular culture. Star Wars references are deeply embedded in popular culture; references to the main characters and themes of Star Wars are casually made in many English-speaking countries with the assumption that others will understand the reference. Darth Vader has become an iconic villain, while characters such as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, C-3PO, R2-D2, and Chewbacca have all become widely recognized characters around the world. Phrases such as "evil empire", "May the Force be with you", Jedi mind trick, and "I am your father" have become part of the popular lexicon. The first Star Wars film in 1977 was a cultural unifier, enjoyed by a wide spectrum of people.
WStargate fandom is a community of people actively interested in the military science fiction film Stargate and the television shows Stargate SG-1 (SG1), Stargate Infinity (SGI), Stargate Atlantis (SGA), Stargate Universe (SGU) and their spin offs. The first franchise release, Stargate (1994) spawned four television series successors, four movies, a plethora of merchandise, and a massive franchise collectively known as the Stargate.
WTwilight fandom is the community of fans of the Twilight series of novels, movies and other related media. The fans are known as Twilighters or Fanpires while the especially dedicated fans are called Twihards. Some fans are known as Twerds which is a portmanteau of the words "Twilight" and "nerd".
WRodolfo Alfonso Raffaello Pierre Filiberto Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguella, known professionally as Rudolph Valentino and nicknamed The Latin Lover, was an Italian actor based in the United States who starred in several well-known silent films including The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Sheik, Blood and Sand, The Eagle, and The Son of the Sheik.
WJoseph Vijay Chandrasekhar, known mononymously as Vijay, is an Indian film actor, dancer, playback singer and philanthropist who works predominantly in Tamil cinema and also appeared in other Indian languages films. Vijay is the highest paid actor in south India. He has significant fan following globally and has acted in 64 films as a lead actor. He has won won numerous awards, including eight Vijay Awards by Star India, three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards by Government of Tamil Nadu, and a SIIMA Award. He has been included several times in the Forbes India Celebrity 100 list, based on the earnings of Indian celebrities.
WZ Channel: A Magnificent Obsession is a 2004 documentary film about Los Angeles pay cable channel Z Channel which was directed by Xan Cassavetes, daughter of Hollywood director and actor John Cassavetes. It was screened out of competition at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.