Danny Peary
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Dannis Peary (born August 8, 1949) is an American
film critic Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films and the film medium. In general, film criticism can be divided into two categories: journalistic criticism that appears regularly in newspapers, magazines and other popular mass-media outlets ...
and
sports writer Sports journalism is a form of writing that reports on matters pertaining to sporting topics and competitions. Sports journalism started in the early 1800s when it was targeted to the social elite and transitioned into an integral part of the n ...
. He has written and edited many books on
cinema Cinema may refer to: Film * Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking ...
and sports-related topics. Peary is most famous for his book '' Cult Movies'' (1980), which spawned two sequels, '' Cult Movies 2'' (1983) and '' Cult Movies 3'' (1988) and are all credited for providing more public interest in the cult movie phenomenon. He is the brother of film critic, columnist, actor, and documentary filmmaker Gerald Peary.


Early life and education

Peary was born in
Philippi, West Virginia Philippi ('FILL-uh-pea') is a city in and the county seat of Barbour County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,928 at the 2020 census. In 1861, the city was the site of the Battle of Philippi, known as the "Philippi Races". Alth ...
to Laura Chaitan and Joseph Y. Peary, a professor. During his childhood, he moved to
South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
, and then
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...
. In 1971, he earned a B.A. in history from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He also worked as a film critic for the '' Daily Cardinal'' student newspaper. In 1975, he earned an
M.A. A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
in cinema, with honors, at the
University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...
. While attending USC, he worked as the
fine arts In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwor ...
and
sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...
editor for ''L.A. Panorama''.


Personal life

Since 1977, Peary has lived in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. He and his wife Suzanne have a daughter, Zoe.


Career


Film criticism

Over the years, his film criticism has been published in '' FilmInk'', ''
Movieline ''Movieline'' was a website, formerly a Los Angeles-based film and entertainment magazine, launched in 1985 as a local magazine, which went national in 1989. Known for its cult status and popularity among film critics,Saba, Michael''Movieline'' ...
'', ''Satellite Direct'', ''OnDirect TV'', ''
TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corporat ...
'', Canadian ''TV Guide'', ''
Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...
'', ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', the New York ''Daily News'', ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'', ''Sports Collectors Digest'', the '' SoHo News'', '' The Philadelphia Bulletin'', ''Films in Focus'', ''
Films and Filming ''Films and Filming'' was the longest-running British gay magazine prior to the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales.Bengry, Justin"The Queer History of Films and Filming."''Little Joe: A magazine about queers and cinem ...
'', ''
Slant Slant can refer to: Bias *Bias or other non-objectivity in journalism, politics, academia or other fields Technical * Slant range, in telecommunications, the line-of-sight distance between two points which are not at the same level * Slant d ...
'', ''L.A. Panorama'', ''Memories and Dreams'', ''The East Hampton Independent'', and ''
Country Weekly ''Nash Country Weekly'' was an American lifestyle weekly magazine about country artists and their music. It was in circulation between April 1994 and May 2016. The publisher, Cumulus Media, now maintains the site ''Nash Country Daily''. Overview ...
'',The Velvet Light Trap ''The Velvet Light Trap'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal covering film and media studies. It is edited by graduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the University of Texas at Austin. Each issue covers critical, theore ...
'' and ''
Newsday ''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and fo ...
'', and the ''Sag Harbor Express''. He conducts celebrity interviews for ''
Dan's Papers ''Dan's Papers'' is a free weekly lifestyle publication in the Hamptons, Long Island, New York, USA, founded by Dan Rattiner.The first of the papers that would later collectively come to be known as ''Dan's Papers'' was the ''Montauk Pioneer'', w ...
'', in a column called "Danny Peary Talks To..."


''Cult Movies'' books

In 1981, Peary released his book '' Cult Movies''. He followed it up with '' Cult Movies 2'' in 1983 and '' Cult Movies 3'' in 1989. (See bibliography) These books cover critically ignored (at the time)
cult film A 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 i ...
s. Each book contained an essay for each film (100 in the first volume, 50 in the second, and 50 in the third), including production details and information gleaned from Peary's interviews with various producers, directors and actors. Each volume contained an essay by contributor Henry Blinder.Gordon, Robert, and Jubin, Olaf, editor. ISBN 0199988749 and 978-0199988747. Peary also wrote ''Guide for the Film Fanatic'' (1986), reviewing a wider range of films. Peary's ''Cult Movies'' trilogy, along with other touchstones such as Michael Weldon's '' Psychotronic Video'' magazine and books, helped establish a foundation for critical analysis of low-budget genre movies. As the
Austin Film Society The Austin Film Society (AFS) is a non-profit film society based in Austin, Texas. Founded in 1985 to exhibit independent, experimental, foreign and various other non-mainstream art films, the film society has grown from just film exhibition to fost ...
wrote,


Sportswriting

Peary has co-authored books with Major League baseball player-sportscasters
Ralph Kiner Ralph McPherran Kiner (October 27, 1922 – February 6, 2014) was an American Major League Baseball player and broadcaster. An outfielder, Kiner played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, and Cleveland Indians from 1946 through 1955. Foll ...
and
Tim McCarver James Timothy McCarver (born October 16, 1941) is an American former professional baseball player and television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from to , most prominently as a member of the St. Louis Cardina ...
; writer Tom Clavin; Olympic gold medalist and cancer survivor
Shannon Miller Shannon Lee Miller (born March 10, 1977) is an American former artistic gymnast. She was the 1993 and 1994 world all-around champion, the 1996 Olympic balance beam champion, the 1995 Pan American Games all-around champion, and a member of the g ...
on her memoir; and
Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, ...
's daughter Hana Ali on a book about the origins of her father's greatest quotes. He has edited sports books including ''Baseball Immortal
Derek Jeter Derek Sanderson Jeter ( ; born June 26, 1974) is an American former professional baseball shortstop, businessman, and baseball executive. As a player, Jeter spent his entire 20-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees ...
: A Career in Quotes'' and ''Jackie Robinson in Quotes: The Remarkable Life of Baseball's Most Significant Player''. (See bibliography)


Television career


Animated series

Peary wrote an episode of the 1985-1989 animated series '' ThunderCats'', titled "The Mountain." He wrote an episode of '' SilverHawks'', titled "Undercover", that aired October 28, 1986.


Sports-related television

Peary was a writer for the nationally syndicated sports-interview TV show ''
The Tim McCarver Show James Timothy McCarver (born October 16, 1941) is an American former professional baseball player and television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from to , most prominently as a member of the St. Louis Cardi ...
''


Media appearances

Peary was interviewed for the 2010 documentary '' Machete Maidens Unleashed!''. The director of the film,
Mark Hartley Mark Hartley is an Australian film maker. He is best known for the documentary '' Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!'' (2008) and the remake of '' Patrick'' (2013). He also wrote and directed the documentary film '' Elec ...
, has said that, "I'd worn my copies of ''Cult Movies 1'', ''2'' and ''3'' into the ground from constant re-reading so meeting author Danny Peary was a pleasure." He appears in James Westby's documentary ''At the Video Store'' (2019), and in the cult-movie documentary ''Time Warp'' (2020.


Bibliography


Books

* ISBN 0440516471 and 978-0440516477 * ISBN 0440516323 and 978-0440516323 * ISBN 0671610813 and 978-0671610814 * ISBN 0671648101 and 978-0671648107 * ISBN 0671749242 and 978-0671749248 * ISBN 0385303327 and 978-0385303323 * ISBN 1584793546 and 9781584793540 Co-author * ISBN 067167580X and 978-0671675806 * ISBN 0375753400 and 978-0375753404 * ISBN 0375503307 and 978-0375503306 * ISBN 1580174477 and 978-1580174473 * ISBN 1572435976 and 978-1572435971 * ISBN 1416589287 and 978-1416589280 * ISBN 9780451235862) * ISBN 1250049865 and 978-1250049865 * ISBN 1523503467 and 978-1523503469 Editor *''Close-Ups: The Movie Star Book'' (1978) *''Omni's Screen Flights/Screen Fantasies: The Future According to Science Fiction Cinema'' (1984) *''Cult Baseball Players: The Greats, the Flakes, the Weird and the Wonderful'' (1990) *''We Played the Game: 65 Players Remember Baseball's Greatest Era, 1947-1964 '' (1994) *''Super Bowl: The Game of Their Lives'' (1997) * ISBN 1624141625 and 978-1624141621 * ISBN 1624142443 and 978-1624142444 Co-editor *''The American Animated Cartoon: A Critical Anthology'' (1980), with Gerald Peary *''Great Golf: 150 Years of Essential Instruction from the Best Players, Teachers, and Writers of All Time '' (2005), with Allen Richardson *''Tim McCarver's Diamond Gems'' (2008), with Tim McCarver and Jim Moskovitz


References


External links


Danny Peary
at
IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

''Guide for the Film Fanatic'' fan site

dannypeary.blogspot.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peary, Danny 1949 births Living people American film critics American sportswriters FilmInk people University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Letters and Science alumni USC School of Cinematic Arts alumni