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'' (1971)]] Cult film is a colloquial term for a Film that has acquired a highly devoted but relatively small group of Fans . Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside of this small group (however, there are a few exceptions.) Some cult movies have gone on to transcend their original cult status and have become recognized as classics, others are of the "so bad it's good" variety, and are destined to remain in obscurity. Cult films often become the source of a thriving, obsessive, and elaborate Subculture of Fandom , hence the analogy to Cult s. However, not every film with a rabid fanbase is necessarily a cult film. The term cult film implies a certain level of obscurity, and widely popular, Mainstream movies are not considered to be cult films. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION A cult film is a movie that attracts a devoted group of followers or obsessive fans. The term cult film also describes films that have remained popular over a long period of time amongst a small group of followers. In many cases, cult films may have failed to achieve mainstream success on original release although this is definitely not always the case. Whilst they may only have a short cinema release cult films often enjoy ongoing popularity on video and or DVD. Sometimes the audience response to a cult film is somewhat different to what was intended by the film makers. Although usually a film that becomes cult started out with elements or subject market. Cult films usually offer something different or innovative in comparison to more mainstream films but cult films can also be popular across a wide audience. OVERVIEW The term itself came into usage during the late 1970s and was popularized in a series of three books by Danny Peary , beginning in 1981 with '' Cult Movies ''. '' (1959)]] '' Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959)'' and other films by Edward D. Wood, Jr. were among the earliest to be considered cult classics, attracting devotees who revelled in his incompetence. Other low-budget science fiction and horror films of the 1950s (for example '' Robot Monster ''), along with Exploitation Film s of the 1930s, which resurfaced in the Home Video market of the 1980s (including the infamous '' Reefer Madness ''), were accorded that status. '' (1975)]] '' The Rocky Horror Picture Show '' is possibly the best-known and longest-running cult film in the U.S. The movie satirizes conventions of Science Fiction and Horror films of its time, and includes elements of Transvestism , Incest and Homosexuality — all within the context of a Musical Film . ''Rocky Horror'' (as its fans casually refer to it) received little critical attention or mainstream cinema exhibition when first released in 1975, but built up a base of fans who repeatedly showed up at midnight screenings at inexpensive neighborhood cinemas, dressed in costume and "participating" in the film by doing such things as throwing rice during its wedding scene. In this case, the film intentionally ridiculed its own subject matter, thereby entering into the spirit of sarcastic fun often surrounding the attainment of cult status. Rocky Horror can be seen as a standard to help determine if a movie is indeed a cult film, as it is likely the most famous cult film. If a movie is more widely known than Rocky Horror, it is not likely to be considered a cult film. Network Television , Cable Television and Pay-per-view stations have also changed the nature of cult films. Despite failing to meet box office expectations, '' Blade Runner '' was a favorite of early pay-per-view and HBO . Repeated showings on Comedy Central helped popularize '' Office Space '' and '' Half Baked . In some cases, these films tend to enjoy long runs on Video , thus being issued in video "runs" with more copies than other movies. The box office bomb ''Office Space'' managed to financially redeem itself when Word-of-mouth made it a popular video rental. '' Harold And Maude '' was not successful financially at the time of its original release in 1971, but has since nevertheless earned a huge cult following and has become successful following its video and DVD releases. This has also happened with films such as '' The Big Lebowski '', '' Spaceballs '' and many others. Many cult films were Independently Made and were not expected by their creators to have much mainstream success. '' Night Of The Living Dead ,'' '' Pink Flamingos ,'' '' Basket Case ,'' '' The Evil Dead '' and '' Eraserhead '' have all been commonly acknowledged as having become cult films. Many of directors of these kinds of films such as Alejandro Jodorowsky , David Lynch , Lloyd Kaufman and John Waters have managed to gain followings even after achieving financial and mainstream success. There are also cult films that flopped critically and commercially, but managed to get a very good following from the lead actors fanbase, and/or fans of the films genre. Canadian actor and comedian Tom Green 's 2001 film '' Freddy Got Fingered '', was lambasted by critics, and flopped at the box office. The film quickly gained a cult following amongst fans of the film's genre due to its Gross-out humour, and many of Green's fans saying it's a brilliant movie. A film can be both a major studio release and a cult film, particularly if despite its affiliation with a major studio, it failed to achieve broad success on either the theatrical or home video markets but was championed by a small number of dedicated film fanatics who seek out lesser-known gems, which can also be said about ''Freddy Got Fingered''. It is also true that the content of certain films (such as dark subjects, alienation, Transgressive content, or other Controversial subject matter) can also decide whether or not a film is a "cult film", regardless of the film's budget or studio affiliations. CULT FILMS WITHIN A PARTICULAR CULTURE Occasionally, a film can become the object of a cult following within a particular region or culture if it has some unusual significance to that region or culture. An example is the cult status of British Comedic Actor Norman Wisdom ’s films in Albania . Wisdom’s films, in which he usually played a family man worker who outsmarts his boss, were some of the few Western films considered acceptable by the country’s Communist rulers, thus Albanians grew familiar and attached to Wisdom. Curiously, he and his films are now acquiring nostalgic cult status in Britain. Another example is the place of '' The Wizard Of Oz '' in White American Homosexual Culture , although a widely viewed and historically important film in greater American culture. Male homosexuals sometimes refer to themselves as " Friends Of Dorothy ". '' Singin' In The Rain '' is another film adopted by the American homosexual subculture which used to regularly be shown during the 1980s and early 1990s for extended runs. '' Slaves Of New York '', released in 1989, has also found a cult audience in the homosexual community. The 1936 anti- Marijuana Propaganda film '' Reefer Madness '' has become a cult film within the Stoner subculture due to its humorously sensationalized, outdated and inaccurate descriptions of the effects of marijuana. 20th Century Fox and Legend Films released a Colorized version of the film on DVD on April 20 , 2004 , an obvious reference to its ironic appeal (see 420 (cannabis Culture) ). The World War II -era Department Of Agriculture film '' Hemp For Victory ,'' encouraging the growing of Hemp for war uses, has achieved a similar cult status. Lower IT workers and white-collar American workers alike have given Mike Judge's 1999 comedy film ''Office Space'' a cult following because of its heroic portrayal of ordinary office employees who become fed up with their jobs, make a stand, and try to overthrow the very corporation they work for. Belgian cult movie '' Man Bites Dog '' with Benoit Poelvoorde and the Surrealist movie '' Camping Cosmos '' starring cult figures like Lolo Ferrari , Noël Godin and Arno Hintjens , are an element of the Belgian visual landscape with reminiscences to Belgian Surrealism . British comedies have enjoyed a cult status in America. These films include the Blackadder and Monty Python series, most notably '' Monty Python And The Holy Grail .'' Asian cinema, particularly Hong Kong martial arts films, such as Wuxia , and Japanese Tokusatsu , primarily from the Daikaiju Eiga , and Anime , also has a cult following in the Western hemisphere. The Kaiju genre of films, most famously the Godzilla films, while enjoying much mainstream popularity in Japan, has a large following in the U.S.. '' Battle Royale '' has gained cult status in Britain due to the resonance the film has with the disaffected youth of that country. In India , Bollywood Movie s like '' Company '', '' Satya '', '' Sholay '', '' Andaz Apna Apna '', '' Moksha '', '' Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron '', '' Awaara '', '' Deewar '', and '' Waisa Bhi Hota Hai Part II '' achieved cult-status. The film '' Red Heat '' has found a cult audience amongst fluent Russian speakers because of the movie's weak portrayal of the Russian language and stereotypes. '' The Nightmare Before Christmas '' is a popular cult film made by Tim Burton . Originally released by Disney in 1993, the film wasn't very successful in theaters due to its dark nature not found in most Disney films. By the late 1990s, the film had gained a cult following particularly in the emo subculture. The film expanded into a more mainstream film in the 2000s, with merchandise sold at stores such at Hot Topic . Many feel the new boost of popularity has hurt the film's status as a classic. SO-BAD-THEY'RE-GOOD CULT FILMS Many films enjoy cult status because they are seen as ridiculously awful, for example ''Plan 9 from Outer Space''. The critic '', which have become inadvertent comedies to film buffs. Movies have even achieved cult status by successfully imitating the awfulnesses of so-bad-it's-good movies ('' The Lost Skeleton Of Cadavra '' and '' Amazon Women On The Moon '' being just two examples.) In other cases, little-known or forgotten films from the past are revived as cult films, largely because they are considered goofy and senseless by modern standards, with laughable special effects and corny plotlines. These include ''''. ''The Beastmaster'' is an example of the strange vectors which can lead to cult filmdom, as its reputation stems as much from ubiquitous cable-TV overplay as anything in the film itself. These films should not be confused with comedic cult movies like '' The Toxic Avenger '', '' Bad Taste '', '' Army Of Darkness '', and the films of John Waters , which purposely utilize elements from films "so bad they're good" for comedic effect. This can be seen as related to the artistic style known as " Camp ". A cult classic called Gunda was produced in Bollywood. Starring Mithun Chakraborty and directed by Kanti Shah, the movie is mostly remembered for its ''poetic'' dialogue. The Film was a hit at the box office. The most recent film to gain widespread acclaim under this jurisdiction is Samuel L. Jackson 's 2006 film '' Snakes On A Plane '', but this movie has been cited as trying for "so-bad-it's-good" status. CULT FILM FIGURES Some actors and directors are primarily known for their work in cult films and often become Cult Figure s because of that work. Some, such as Ridley Scott , Sam Raimi , Robert Rodriguez , and David Lynch , eventually made successful, mainstream films while others continue to be known only to a small group of fans, such as Kevin Smith , Scott Mosier and Richard Kelly . SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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