April 23, 2003
Cult Movies
Over the weekend I presented at an interesting panel entitled 'Cult Movies and Their Fans' while at the Norwescon science-fiction convention. The panel presented a rather interesting topic and had great participation, both from the panelists and the people attending. We discussed what makes a cult movie and came up with some good ideas on criteria:
· A cult movie must have a cult following.
· Cult followings will watch the movie over and over, often on a regular schedule (like once a month or once a year) and often as part of some ritual (like making a party around it.)
· Any movie that gets a regular midnight show at a local theater gets instant cult status.
· Any movie where people come to a showing (private or in a theater) dressed up as characters or having memorized lines is a cult movie.
· Cult movies often don't rely on current trends of events to make their point, giving them a timeless quality.
· Cult movies are watched years after they should have been forgotten.
· Cult movies can have a lifespan. This is illustrated by movies like 'Reservoir Dogs' which enjoyed cult status for a while but by now seem to be forgotten. There are also some cult movies like 'Repo Man', which may only be truly understood by the generation they were created for.
· Cult movies are often 'flukes', that is to say movies that were made without the intent or belief that they would 'make it big' but become popular because of some inherit quality of the movie.
· Some directors have cult status. Their specific movies may not be considered cult movies, but the director's work is watched over and over by devoted fans in much the same way a cult movie is.
· Big production, or worse, advertising budgets deprive a movie of cult status. It is the word-of-mouth following that a movie can develop that grant's it it's cult following. [Note - This begs the question, are Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The (2001) or Star Wars (1977) allowed an honorary Cult Movie status?]
· The most important quality for a cult film is that it be innovative. There must be something about the story, the filming technique, the acting or more commonly the style of the film that has not been seen before. Movies that gain cult status are often imitated but tend to be the creative innovators.
Dozens of movie titles were tossed out as movies that seem to enjoy this 'cult' status. Here are some titles that I remember from the panel and others I have thought of since then. If you can think of other titles please post them as comments to this article.
Cult Movies:
Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, The (1984)
Anime - Pretty much all Anime has a cult following, though some titles like Akira (1988) and Kôkaku kidôtai [Ghost in the Shell] (1995) are particularly innovative and have their own followings.
Army of Darkness (1993) [As is it's prequel, Evil Dead II]
Baraka (1992) [A small but avid following. I see the same faces at the theater every year when they screen Baraka]
Film Talk: Baraka (1992)
Braindead [Dead Alive] (1992) [And thus started the cult of St. Peter Jackson]
Film Talk: Dead Alive (1992)
City of Lost Children [Cité des enfants perdus, La (1995)
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) ["You're still here? It's over. Go home."]
Lashou shentan [Hard Boiled] (1992) [I am sure there are more Hong Kong movies that classify, but this one seemed the best representative]
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) [Not only the only movie on this list I have not seen, but the only one I have not seen at least twice!]
Heathers (1989) ["I don't patronize bunny rabbits!"]
Highlander (1986) [And before any one suggests it, Highlander 2 NEVER happened!]
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Princess Bride, The (1987) [I can have complete conversations with people all in Princess Bride quotes, how about that for cult status?]
Rocky Horror Picture Show, The (1975) [Arguably the Queen of all Cult Movies]
Run Lola Run [Lola rennt](1998)
They Live (1988) [Rowdy Roddy Piper at his best]
Wicker Man, The (1973) [Sorry Nick... It is a musical]
Film Talk: The Wicker Man (1973)
Cult Directors:
Darren Aronofsky [I would be willing to sit through a musical if Aronofsky was behind the wheel!]
Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet [I LOVE the visual style of these guys!]
Atom Egoyan [Egoyan keeps getting better]
Christopher Guest [A unique talent]
Peter Greenaway [I used to think he was my favorite director, then I noticed it is the work of his principle cinematographer, Sacha Vierny that I had such admiration for]
Peter Jackson [St. Peter .. Jackson]
Quentin Tarantino
Film Talk: Quentin Tarantino and the Kill Bill Trailer
John Waters [Can't stand his movies myself, but I know he has a following]
