Guide for the Film Fanatic

by Danny Peary

Brief essays discuss more than a thousand films, look at what makes each film interesting, and list main cast and credits

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Media Tie In, Reference, Essays

521 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1986

Reviews

[Anthony McGill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous collection of 1630 mini-essays highlighting 'must-see' films (up to 1986) from the author-critic of Cult Movies 1 and 2. Some reviews are longer than others but they are all just about right. Will keep the serious filmgoer intrigued by the scope of films from different genres, eras and countries discussed and Peary's expert knowledge of cinema. Lots of talking points (and no doubt, plenty of disagreements with some of the choices) but this is the sort of book that you will keep coming back to enjoy as well as checking out the mountain of information and analysis contained in this entertaining and expertly researched book.
Also listed are hundreds of other movies that the author considers essential viewing for the true film lover. These are not reviewed as such but given a key guide to why they deserve special attention.

"From 'Notorious' to 'Eraserhead,' from 'Harold and Maude' to 'The Sound of Music,' from 'Pink Flamingos' to 'The Seventh Seal,' from 'It's a Wonderful Life' to 'I Spit on Your Grave' ........."
As per Danny Peary in his introduction: " Every film I listed in this book, including those everyone agrees are trashy, has devoted fans; these are the films that are discussed in film courses, constantly referred to by critics, and/or championed by movie-lovers."

[Mitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

My movie bible for over 20 years - out of print but worth the hunt, insightful reviews of silent films, classics, cult flicks & a ton more - it truly runs the gamut. I'm still working on seeing everything reviewed - if it's in here, it's worth seeing.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are truly a film fanatic like me, then this book will be a must-read for you. Don't expect the likes of newer, popular films...this focuses on the older, more obscure films. But there are hundreds of classics listed in this book as well as hundreds of films you've probably never seen. Truly one of the best film guides for those 'film fanatics' out there!

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great book to flip to a random page and start reading. It does have a lot of stuff that has been completely forgotten about (and overlooked when the movies first came out) and as time goes on, more and more of these films will be completely forgotten. It's kind of wild that this book has reviews of porns and also the Godfather films.

[Eric W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely entertaining. Written in 1986, but all the greatest movies were made by then anyway …

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every page of this book contains insightful reviews of a wide range of movies, from Nosferatu to Flashdance, from Umberto D to Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! This book was written over twenty years ago, so for some people, these reviews will be a trip down memory lane; others will see this book as cliff notes for movie class. My favorite review has the author describing Plan 9 from Outer Space as subversive filmmaking.. Whenever I have the urge to purge this book from my collection, I open the book, read the Plan 9 review, then put the book right back on the shelf.

[Bhakta Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely terrific book that I have referred to constantly since I bought it. I have seen quite a few movies I never would have bothered with otherwise because they were listed in this book. Peary clearly loves the movies and his knowledge and enthusiasm for his subject make for very entertaining reading and you too will likely seek out the movies in this book.

[Rod · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terribly out of date of course, having come out in 1986. And like so many list-books written by critics, he loves some things I hated and hates some things I loved. But, still a good beginner's guide to what were considered classic and interesting films at the time. A good starting point for further research.