Cult film
Other media that reference cult films can easily identify which demographics they desire to attract and offer savvy fans an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge.That cult films can have opposing qualities – such as good and bad, failure and success, innovative and retro – helps to illustrate that art is subjective and never self-evident.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.Film critic Harry Allan Potamkin traces them back to 1910s France and the reception of Pearl White, William S. Hart, and Charlie Chaplin, which he described as "a dissent from the popular ritual".[39] Foreign influence can affect fan response, especially on genres tied to a national identity; when they become more global in scope, questions of authenticity may arise.Heavenly Creatures (1994) acquired its own cult following, became a part of New Zealand's national identity, and paved the way for big-budget, Hollywood-style epics, such as Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy.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.[58] Perceived racist and reductive remarks by critics can rally fans and raise the profile of cult films, an example of which would be Rex Reed's comments about Korean culture in his review of Oldboy (2003).Frank Henenlotter faced censorship and ridicule, but he found acceptance among audiences receptive to themes that Hollywood was reluctant to touch, such as violence, drug addiction, and misogyny.[74] Although opposed to censorship, director Ruggero Deodato would later agree with cuts made by the BBFC that removed unsimulated animal killings, which limited the film's distribution.[61]: 130–132 Previously lost scenes cut by studios can be re-added and restore a director's original vision, which draws similar fanfare and acclaim from fans.[90] For their avoidance of mainstream culture and audiences, enjoyment of irony, and celebration of obscure subcultures, academic Martin Roberts compares cult film fans to hipsters.[97] Mainstream critics may ridicule commercially successful directors of cult blockbusters, such as James Cameron, Michael Bay, and Luc Besson, whose films have been called simplistic.Specialist stores on the fringes of society (or websites which prominently partner with hardcore pornographic sites) can be used to reinforce the outsider nature of cult film fandom, especially when they use erotic or gory imagery.[57]: 212 Jacob deNobel of the Carroll County Times states that films can be perceived as nonsensical or inept when audiences misunderstand avant-garde filmmaking or misinterpret parody.[15] As these cult films become more popular, they can bring varied responses from fans that depend on different interpretations, such as camp, irony, genuine affection, or combinations thereof.[117] Mark Chalon Smith of the Los Angeles Times says technical faults may be forgiven if a film makes up for them in other areas, such as camp or transgressive content.[128] Nathan Lee of the New York Sun identifies the retro aesthetic and nostalgic pastiche in films such as Donnie Darko as factors in its popularity among midnight movie crowds.[129] Author Tomas Crowder-Taraborrelli describes midnight movies as a reaction against the political and cultural conservatism in America,[130]: 27 and Joan Hawkins identifies the movement as running the gamut from anarchist to libertarian, united in their anti-establishment attitude and punk aesthetic.[53]: 224–226 In the late 1980s and 1990s, midnight movies transitioned from underground showings to home video viewings; eventually, a desire for community brought a resurgence, and The Big Lebowski kick-started a new generation.Although studios expressed skepticism, large audiences were drawn to box-office flops, such as The Warriors (1979) gang movie from Walter Hill, Office Space (1999) and Donnie Darko (2001).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.[145][146] Ralph Bakshi's career has been marked with controversy: Fritz the Cat (1972), the first animated film to be rated "X" by the MPAA, provoked outrage for its racial caricatures and graphic depictions of sex, and Coonskin (1975) was decried as racist.[137] In The Cult Film Reader, academics Mathijs and Mendik write that these documentaries often present non-Western societies as "stereotypically mysterious, seductive, immoral, deceptive, barbaric or savage".[155] Mondo films like Faces of Death mix real and fake footage freely, and they gain their cult following through the outrage and debate over authenticity that results.[17] Academic Barry K. Grant states that Frank Capra's Why We Fight World War II propaganda films are explicitly not cult, because they are "slickly made and have proven their ability to persuade an audience.[168] From Latin America, Alejandro Jodorowsky's film El Topo (1970) has attracted attention of rock musicians such as John Lennon, Mick Jagger, and Bob Dylan.[169] As far back as the 1970s, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1978) was designed specifically to be a cult film,[170] and The Rocky Horror Picture Show was produced by 20th Century Fox, a major Hollywood studio.[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.[161] Addressing concerns that DVDs have revoked the cult status of films like Rocky Horror, academic Mikel J. Koven states that small scale screenings with friends and family can replace midnight showings.
Plan 9 from Outer Space
, full film; runtime 01:19:03
Cult Movies (book)Plan 9 from Outer Spacecult followingfanbaseaudience participationbox-office bombstransgressiveclassificatory disputes about artunderground filmsmidnight moviessuppressed filmsfilm festivalsHollywood studiosvirallysocial mediavideo on demandpeer-to-peer file sharingJames Bond movieschainsaw moviesmake no money at allexploitationAlex CoxThe Wicker ManMoviedromecosplaycinephilesrecontextualizationcultural commodificationCineastestructurationErnest MathijsJonathan RosenbaumpostmodernismmetanarrativesparacinemadefamiliarizationXavier MendikPearl WhiteWilliam S. HartCharlie ChaplinNosferatuBram StokerDraculaMarx BrothersGolden Age of HollywoodThe Night of the Hunterexploitation filmsart filmsPauline KaelArthur Knightlow culturecountercultureavant-garde filmsThe Rocky Horror Picture Showindependent filmword-of-mouthThe BeastmasterJulianne MooreJeff BridgesLebowski FestThe Big LebowskiUniversal StudiosBollywoodAnurag KashyapMad MaxJapanese horrorPeter Jacksonits cinemaHeavenly CreaturesThe Lord of the Rings trilogyIt's a Wonderful LifeMiracle on 34th StreetTim CurryMary WoronovAndy WarholSylvia KristelEmmanuelleChloë SevignyLeonard KastleThe Honeymoon KillersFrançois TruffautAlejandro JodorowskyEuropean art cinemaexperimental filmItalian neorealismNick ZeddCinema of TransgressionThe Village VoiceBattle Royaleslasher filmsmoral panicOldboyRoger EbertI Spit On Your GraveFilm censorshipFrank HenenlottermisogynyLloyd KaufmanJean RollinJess FrancoPedro AlmodóvarTakashi Miikevideo nastiesBritish Board of Film Classificationcannibal boomCannibal Holocaustsnuff filmRuggero Deodatolad culturesexploitationDoris Wishmanmale gazeRuss Meyersubcultural capitalintertextualityDudeismhipstersDorothy Galegay cultureNorman WisdomThe Wizard of OzJudy Garlandspecial significanceJames DeanReefer MadnessHemp for Victory