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April 2015 September 2020 October 2019 Like cult films themselves, authenticity is an important aspect of their popularity. Although these are big budget, mainstream films, they still attract cult followings. Nick Cave #56 Cult Classic Movie The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) R. Thomas Jerome Newton is a humanoid alien who comes to Earth to get water for his dying planet. Fans will occasionally express frustration with dismissive critics and conventional analysis, which they believe marginalizes and misinterprets paracinema. Who Can Tell? [57]:197, According to Mathijs, critical reception is important to a film's perception as cult, through topicality and controversy. As more artistic films emerged, New Zealand was perceived as a legitimate competitor to Hollywood, which mirrored Jackson's career trajectory. [109] In francophone culture, "so bad it's good" films, known as nanars [Fr], have given rise to a subculture with dedicated websites such as Nanarland, film festivals and viewings in theaters, as well as various books analyzing the phenomenon. [23]:202–203 Mathijs and Sexton state that although cult films are not synonymous with exploitation, as is occasionally assumed, this is a key component; they write that exploitation, which exists on the fringes of the mainstream and deals with taboo subjects, is well-suited for cult followings. This critical backlash may serve to embellish the filmmakers' reception as cult auteurs. "[149] The sponsored film Mr. B Natural became a cult hit when it was broadcast on the satirical television show Mystery Science Theater 3000;[150] cast member Trace Beaulieu cited these educational shorts as his favorite to mock on the show. A cult film is any film that has a cult following, although the term is not easily defined and can be applied to a wide variety of films. A Cult Classic is usually a movie which picks up a very particular following of people. [13]:46 This collecting can take the place of fetishization of a single film. These concerns can vary from culture to culture, and they need not be at all similar. Topicality, which can be regional (such as objection to government funding of the film) or critical (such as philosophical objections to the themes), enables attention and a contextual response. [87]:445 Star Wars, with its large cult following in geek subculture, has been cited as both a cult blockbuster[100] and a cult film. Citing misuse of the term, Mikel J. Koven took a self-described hard-line stance that rejected definitions that use any other criteria. [147] Though they can be interpreted as racist, Mathijs and Mendik state that they also "exhibit a liberal attitude towards the breaking of cultural taboos". Cult films can both appeal to specific subcultures and form their own subcultures. American Hustle [172] In response, David Church says that cult film fans have retreated to more obscure and difficult to find films, often using illegal distribution methods, which preserves the outlaw status of cult films. Unconcerned with genre distinctions, they drew inspiration equally from the nonconformity of European art cinema and experimental film, the gritty subject matter of Italian neorealism, and the shocking images of 1960s exploitation. [128] This flattening of culture follows the popularity of post-structuralism, which rejects a hierarchy of artistic merit and equates exploitation and art. The Hunger Games Films that once would have been limited to obscure cult followings are now capable of breaking into the mainstream, and showings of cult films have proved to be a profitable business venture. [29] For example, The Beastmaster (1982), despite its failure at the box office, became one of the most played movies on American cable television[30][31] and developed into a cult film. [97] Films which appeal to stereotypical male activities, such as sports, can easily gain strong male cult followings. Romance films, like any genre, have their own following. Films such as Rocky Horror can be misinterpreted as "weird for weirdness' sake" by people unfamiliar with the cult films that it parodies. The 100 Greatest Cult Films. ‘It was a cult classic movie that came out in the mid-1980 s when I was in college.’ ‘Notorious at the time for its high level of gore, the film was also distinguished by a keen sense of social satire and political commentary which quickly assured its status of a cult classic.’ Film censorship can make these films obscure and difficult to find, common criteria used to define cult films. [15] Writing for NPR, Scott Tobias states that Don Coscarelli, whose previous films effortlessly attracted cult followings, has drifted into this realm. A cult film or cult movie, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. [148] Like "so bad it's good" cult films, old propaganda and government hygiene films may be enjoyed ironically by more modern audiences for the camp value of the outdated themes and outlandish claims made about perceived social threats, such as drug use. It would go on to become a popular midnight movie and frequently bootlegged by fans, as licensing issues kept it from being released on video for many years. [139], Animation can provide wide open vistas for stories. Video Of The Day [99] Similarly, films directed by John Hughes have taken hold in midnight movie venues, trading off of nostalgia for the 1980s and an ironic appreciation for their optimism. It’s a great time to sit down and watch those cult classic films you always hear about but never have the time ... meaning we may receive compensation when you buy items after clicking a link on InsiderEnvy. [142] Anime, according to academic Brian Ruh, is not a cult genre, but the lack of individual fandoms inside anime fandom itself lends itself to a bleeding over of cult attention and can help spread works internationally. [18] Academic Xavier Mendik also defines cult films as opposing the mainstream and further proposes that films can become cult by virtue of their genre or content, especially if it is transgressive. Organized fandoms may spread and become popular as a way of introducing new people to the film, as well as theatrical screenings being privileged by the media and fandom itself. April 2014 Christian Bale Part Two", "BFI to Screen Uncut Versions of Cult Films as British Censor Turns 100", "How 'Battle Royale' Became a Cult Hit and Capitalized on 'The Hunger Games, "Russell's Skills Prove a Hit with Cinema Fans", "The Other Side of Indonesia: New Order's Indonesian Exploitation Cinema as Cult Films", "Sexploitation Cinema and the Rise and Fall of Russ Meyer", "Fandom and Subculture: Cultural Capital and Subcultures", "The Question of Genre in Cult Film and Fandom", "The Amateur Historian and the Electronic Archive: Identity, Power and the Function of Lists, Facts and Memories on "Video Nasty"-Themed Websites", "Still Abiding After 15 Years: The Laid-Back World of 'Big Lebowski' Worship", "Norman Wisdom Mobbed by Albanian Fans on 1995 Trip", "Demogogues in Death and Notes from Way Underground", "Hemp: Could the US Rekindle Its Love Affair? Blackmagic Tiny Furniture CULT FILM meaning - CULT FILM definition - CULT FILM explanation. (2015). ", "Subcultural Studies and the Film Audience", "Fandom and Subculture: Fan Studies: Early Approaches", "Rewind: Major-Studio Flicks That Belong In The Grind House", "Good Bad Taste: 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' and the So Bad It's Good Fallacy", "Miami Connection Destroys the Myth of 'So Bad They're Good' Movies", "Cult film Is Good Business at Coolidge Corner Theatre", "How 'The Room' Turned Me Into a Cult Movie 'Star, "Vincent Price and Cult Performance: the Case of Witchfinder General", "FILM: 'Pink Flamingos': Cult of Bad Taste", "It's the Site of the Living Dead, as Cult Films Hit Web", "John Hughes Versus the Vampires: The Dilemma of the Midnight Movie", "The History and Meaning of The Dude's Abiding", "Midnight Movies and the Phenomenon of the Cult Film", "Doris Wishman; Exploitation Film Director, Cult Favorite", "Are 'cult' films a possibility for Malta? [6] This acceptance is not universal, though, and some critics have resisted this mainstreaming of paracinema. [52], Transgressive films as a distinct artistic movement began in the 1970s. [12] These inherent dichotomies can lead audiences to be split between ironic and earnest fans. Tobias criticizes Coscarelli as trying too hard to appeal to cult audiences and sacrificing internal consistency for calculated quirkiness. Their fame grows every year and more and more people go crazy about such films. The Night of the Hunter (1955) was a cult film for years, quoted often and championed by fans, before it was reassessed as an important and influential classic. [76] Home video has allowed cult film fans to import rare or banned films, finally giving them a chance to complete their collection with imports and bootlegs. Other cult films, such as Streets of Fire (1984), create a new fictional world based on nostalgic views of the past. His persistent vision saw him received as an auteur worthy of academic study; director John Waters attributes this to Meyer's ability to create complicated, sexually charged films without resorting to explicit sex. Fandom can also be used as a process of legitimation. Popular in midnight showings, they were mainly limited to large urban areas, which led academic Joan Hawkins to label them as "downtown culture". September 2019 Personal responsibility is often highlighted, and a strong anti-censorship message may be present. May 2012. quote academic Jeffrey Sconce, who defines cult films in terms of paracinema, marginal films that exist outside critical and cultural acceptance: everything from exploitation to beach party musicals to softcore pornography. ", "The A.I.P. These underground film festivals led to the creation of midnight movies, which attracted cult followings. Sometimes, the definition is expanded to exclude films that have been released by major studios or have big budgets, try specifically to become cult films, or become accepted by mainstream audiences and critics. [126] Modern midnight movies retain their popularity and have been strongly diverging from mainstream films shown at midnight. Both subject matter and its depiction are portrayed in extreme ways that break taboos of good taste and aesthetic norms. A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film with a cult following, obscure or unpopular with mainstream audiences, and often revolutionary or ironically enjoyed. December 2016 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. Drive [98] Academic Emma Pett identifies Back to the Future (1985) as another example of a cult blockbuster. In the 1980s, filmmaker Nick Zedd identified this movement as the Cinema of Transgression and later wrote a manifesto. Hunter states that "it's much easier to be a cultist now, but it is also rather more inconsequential. [40]:157–160 Filmmakers and films ignored in their own country can become the objects of cult adoration in another, producing perplexed reactions in their native country. March 2016 Brad Pitt For the book by Danny Peary, see. Sci Fi Cult followings themselves can range from adoration to contempt, and they have little in common except for their celebration of nonconformity – even the bad films ridiculed by fans are artistically nonconformist, albeit unintentionally. Cult films previously banned are sometimes released with much fanfare and the fans assumed to be already familiar with the controversy. They are usually modeled after "sick films" and cover similar subject matter. Newer fans may cite the film itself as their reason for attending a showing, but longtime fans often cite the community. Consumers This film holds some of the most quoted lines in movie history. Midnight movies require a night life and an audience willing to invest themselves actively. [66] Sports metaphors are often used in the marketing of cult films to males, such as emphasizing the "extreme" nature of the film, which increases the appeal to youth subcultures fond of extreme sports. A cult film/movie or a cult classic is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. President.” [10] Remarking on the popular trend of remaking cult films, Claude Brodesser-Akner of New York magazine states that Hollywood studios have been superstitiously hoping to recreate past successes rather than trading on nostalgia. March 2020 [56] Audience participation itself can be transgressive, such as breaking long-standing taboos against talking during films and throwing things at the screen. Others have inspired their own film festivals. [61]:131–134 In marketing these films, young men are predominantly targeted. Women In Film November 2016 Of all the genres that are commonly observed in film, there is perhaps none as subjective and intangible as the “cult classic.” Whereas most film genres contain predictable traits and conventions that are revealed through specific iconographic cues, the cult film typically has no such indictors. Rise of social media has been a boon to cult film fans consider themselves collectors, rather than,! [ 61 ]:131–134 in marketing these films, for example, provided Japanese with. Followings decades after their original release, occasionally for their popularity by reaction! Truly uncensored cut film scholars like Mark Shiel have criticized the term, Mikel J. 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