What's the definition of a "cult classic" movie?

10/3/2005 10:52:01 PM

usually it involves the mixture of a meal time and type of sandwich

10/3/2005 10:55:16 PM

A cult classic is a work (e.g. a movie or TV show) or group of works (e.g. songs by a certain band) that may not achieve widespread mainstream popularity but does attract devoted, even fanatical, attention from a select group.

see Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_classic

10/3/2005 10:55:31 PM

^aha, that's the best definition i've heard yet. my roommates and i were in a little bit of an argument -- i asserted that saying a movie is good because it's a cult classic is just a cop-out genre for bad (and usually foreign or independent) films.

...but i like that better. "movies that never went mainstream, but those who like it REALLY like it". it binds together Solaris, Amelie, and Rocky Horror Picture Show a little better.

10/4/2005 7:27:54 AM

Something that was pretty low budget or independent but has a huge fan base.

See Evil Dead Trilogy, Super Troopers, Office Space, and Napoleon Dynamite.

10/4/2005 7:39:40 AM

if you want to predict whether or not a movie will attain cult status, look for this requirement...

extremely bad + extremely quotable = cult status

10/4/2005 7:41:02 AM

The Big Lebowski

10/4/2005 8:02:06 AM

napoleon dynamite is by no means cult. it was a pretty popular film when it was out for its first run. even though it was low budget.

[Edited on October 4, 2005 at 8:11 AM. Reason : but yes to big lebowski. i'm a fan of rushmore myself. don't know if it's a "cult classic" though.]

10/4/2005 8:10:11 AM

The Big Lebowski?

shit, does that mean i'm in a cult?

dammit when do we have to drink the kool-aid?

10/4/2005 11:13:52 AM

yeah, Napolean Dynamite and even Lebowski and maybe Office Space got too big, too popular to be cult classics. I dunno - maybe office space is, I just happen to hang out with every "cult" that follows it religiously.

Seems like people were calling Pulp Fiction a cult classic for a while, but I think it's quite mainstream now too.

I would say A Clockwork Orange is - even though it is widely known, it's probably a small group that actively re-watch it and follow it.

10/4/2005 11:22:15 AM

So you would say that office space is too big but the Evil Dead Trilogy isn't?

10/4/2005 11:47:51 AM

^ yes

10/4/2005 12:06:37 PM

I wouldnt

Office Space is a cult classic

10/4/2005 12:07:45 PM

If you read the definition the movie can be popular and still be a cult classic. See Star Wars

the definition said MAY NOT acheive widespread popularity

10/4/2005 1:38:23 PM

The Warriors is the definition of Cult Classic

10/4/2005 1:44:23 PM

^ ahhhh yes! new edition comes out today?

10/4/2005 1:46:14 PM

The Kevin Smith movies, before they started getting really popular with/after Dogma.

10/4/2005 1:55:28 PM

10/4/2005 2:11:43 PM

10/4/2005 2:21:42 PM

This is Spinal Tap

10/4/2005 2:31:14 PM

ahahahha
the big hit

10/4/2005 2:32:43 PM

Clerks (Kevin Smith movie), Dazed And Confused

10/4/2005 3:10:50 PM

i like how you put "(kevin smith movie)"
I WAS TOTALLY WONDERING WHAT IN THE WORLD "CLERKS" WAS

p.s.
does the first Austin Powers count?
it did shit at the box office
but swept the world on video

10/4/2005 3:12:00 PM

^ I think it cleaned up at the $1.50 theaters

10/4/2005 3:55:12 PM

Donnie Darko

10/4/2005 4:31:40 PM

^yes

10/4/2005 9:59:05 PM

Anything that's repeated in a cliche fashion. The move doesn' have to be good; it can completly suck like it can be 1 hour long and have a 2000 budget "cough" "cough".

10/4/2005 10:07:03 PM

wtf are you talking about?

i mean, the coff coff at the end makes me think you have a specific movie in mind

10/4/2005 10:12:37 PM

donnie darko
rushmore
boondock saints
super troopers

etc

10/4/2005 10:15:04 PM

Boiler Room
Swingers?? (too big)
Brotherhood of the Wolf??

10/4/2005 10:22:43 PM

Rocky Horror is a Cult Classic...i love it.!

10/4/2005 10:26:52 PM

i think anything that has merchendise at Hot Topic loses cult status.

10/5/2005 11:20:41 AM

Is there anyway to distinguish a cult classic from a sleeper hit?

10/5/2005 11:48:11 AM

empire records

10/5/2005 11:59:42 AM

^^ ace ventura was a sleeper hit, and its still pretty popular i think


so in answer to your question, i have no idea

10/5/2005 12:06:56 PM

my big fat greek wedding!!!!111

my favorite part was the joke about them being greek.

[Edited on October 5, 2005 at 12:43 PM. Reason : my]

10/5/2005 12:42:52 PM

High Art
The Wraith (OLD Charlie Sheen movie,but I found has a huge following)
The Crow
Royal Tenenbaums
Any John Waters movie(ie: Pecker,Cry Baby,Hairspray,etc)
Near Dark
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
The Lost Boys(though popular when it came out,fell from the scene pretty quick and the fans still keep it alive)
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Suburbia
Sid and Nancy
Trick or Treat

Just some suggestions from my movie collection,lol.
Cheers!

[Edited on October 7, 2005 at 12:16 AM. Reason : ...]

10/7/2005 12:15:53 AM

i'm sorry
do you mean "the lost boys" like with the Coreys?

i mean, i don't think movies that constantly came on TBS at any point in the 90s should really count as "cult classic"

10/7/2005 12:26:55 AM

i realize this is for movies but what about tv shows like Freeks and Geeks or Undeclared? would those be considered "cult classics"

[Edited on October 7, 2005 at 1:20 AM. Reason : eh]

[Edited on October 7, 2005 at 1:21 AM. Reason : oops]

10/7/2005 1:20:09 AM

cult must mean horrible cause all these movies you guys are naming blow

10/7/2005 1:32:57 AM

The Lost Boys has a huge following still with the underground,whether they play it on TV or not,thereby it can qualify for cult status I believe.

And if anyone thinks EVERY movie named in this thread sucks,don't worry,they'll keep making big budget horrible flicks for people like you,never fear. lol
Many of the cult hits are not just camp,but movies of depth that I would never expect certain people to even be able to process. How's that education workin out for ya? lol

10/7/2005 1:50:24 AM

I DO ENJOY THE LOST BOYS

AND FREAKS AND GEEKS

10/7/2005 2:11:52 AM