The latest list to appear is a good one, it’s a poll of readers from a movie magazine about what they judge to be the greatest cult movies of all time. It makes for interesting reading.
Actually I quite agree with the top three, and maybe four. I’m not entirely sure about the order, but then that really is down to personal preference and what memories are associated with the movies, but they really have nailed some of the top cult movies. From Hotdog magazine through Digital Spy:
1. The Wicker Man
2. Donnie Darko
3. Rocky Horror Picture Show
4. Freaks
5. Withnail + I
6. The Wizard of Oz
7. Plan 9 from Outer Space
8. The Crow
9. Cannibal Holocaust
10. Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
Well, what do you think? Do you agree, or is there a better list in your mind, or even a more deserving number one? What defines a cult movie anyway, and are we sure that all these fit the category…actually I don’t know why I’m really asking that as I believe they all fit it perfectly, but you may not…?
I have No idea how anyone could not be familiar with Donnie Darko and consider themselves affluent in modern cult movies. I believe that it is the first and only movie in history that flopped at the cinema… but did so well in DVD sales and distribution that it made enough of a profit to THEN re-release it in the cinema as a Directors Cut…. That is bloody UNHEARD OF!
Though I like Wizard it doesn’t fit my definition parameters and Wicker Man was a waste of celluloid.
Has everyone forgotten the Peter Jackson classics such as “Bad Taste” and “Meet the Feebles”. (It would be tough to pick between the consumption of vomit with the RPG’d sheep or the Walrus-on-cat with mass murdering hippo action…)
Ford Fairlane?
…or…. Trey Parker and Mat Stone anyone?
Actually ‘Apocalypse Oz’ is more of a cult film than ‘Wizard’ is. Copyright-bending genius!
Some of you dont know what “Cult Movie” is.
The Wizard of Oz and Rocky Horror are 2 of the biggest cult movies EVER! especially Oz when played with Darkside of the Moon, if you havent seen that you MUST!
Smot
well for (college/university?) cult classics, you have to have
clerks, mallrats, chasing amy
the big lebowski
evil dead
donnie darko
maybe heathers, ferris bueller
a lot of the other films mentioned in the comments are great films, but i’m not sure about cult…
then again maybe it depends on who you hang with.
two movies:
The Evil Dead
A Clockwork Orange
other than that i agree with the list
American History X, BoonDock Saints.. nuff said
Does anyone recall “SE7EN”???
Ahem Ahem
What kind of list is this without Hedwig and the Angry Inch? ;-)
They forgot:
Blade Runner
Dark City
The Evil Dead
The Usual Suspects
The Big Lebowski
A Clockwork Orange
Yes, Donnie Darko deserves to be on the list. I know tons of people who haven’t seen or heard of it, but it seems like everyone I know who has seen it loves it.
shouldn’t Eraserhead be on this list?
or how about Clerks?
agreed w/ Heathers
“cornuts!”
Where is BLADE RUNNER? BRAZIL is definitely another movie that could be on the list too.
And why is PLAN 9 on it? Sure, it’s one of those films so bad, it’s funny. But does it really get enough repeat viewings to merit being on the top 10 of a cult movie list?
Wicker Man is beyond bad and most overrated movie in history…….
Even if the remake will be nothing but usual Hollywood action movie, it’s still not going to be worse….
You are right in away James, but by that logic every movie ever made would then fall under the “Cult” banner thus making it redundant. Wizard of OZ I would place in a category of family classics like “It’s a wonderful life”. Of courses it√¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s really a subjective thing I don√¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t think anyone is wrong.
As for Cannibal Holocaust it’s nothing to do with the recent DVD release, the following for the movie is immense its one of the best genre films ever made, it got that super DVD release because of the cult fanbase it has.
The most widespread accepted definition (Although by no means definitive) is that of a movie that underperformed or was not well known originally but has gained a following over the coming years, there for Wizard of OZ would not qualify, but very well known movies such as The Shawshank Redemption would, because it was word of mouth that pushed it and not its original marketing and box office success.
An interesting selection. I presume “Cannibal Holocaust” is present mainly due to its recent resurrection on DVD, but the rest
“Wizard of Oz” apparently has a considerable cult following among gay men (hence the term “friends of Dorothy”). Cult appeal is often connected with obscurity, but there’s no evident reason why a well-known film can’t also hold cult appeal for a smaller subset of its large audience. Danny Peary’s “Cult Movies” books contain quite a large number of films that are well-known now and were well-known in their day.
Wizard of OZ is one of the most famous movies of all time with massive box office at the time and still coining it in today, its following is about as mainstream as any movie ever with everyone form kids to grannies having seen it. It√¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s a very important movie, but a cult movie, I don’t think so.
Plan 9 from outer space gets called a cult movie (and it is in many respects), but does it really have a following??? I think its best known for being its “Worst movie ever” tag rather than any real fan loyalty (I could be wrong though).
To me that list is mainly just a list of the movies you are told are cult, I am surprised A clockwork orange is not on there that’s usually included right alongside The Rocky Horror Show when people come out with these lists of “Cult” movies.
For me the strongest entries on the list in terms of being truly revered by cult/genre audiences are Cannibal Holocaust, Freaks and The Wicker Man. Beyond the valley of the dolls maybe as Russ Meyer is indeed a cult movie director icon, although I would say Faster Pussycat Kill Kill is the more idolised film from his catalogue in terms of a cult audience.
At the end of the day though “Cult” is a very loose term which everyone defines in their own way so I guess there can be no right or wrong.
Certainly I agree with the eric above that Walter Hill’s “The Warriors” has stood the test of time and has a very strong cult following.
I agree with “Heathers”.
i cant believe i’ve never heard of the wicker man.
other than pics of it here on the blog. i have GOT to check that out.
rest of the list, including the wizard of oz…. very right on.
I agree with you there eric
Assuming that “cult” means something along the lines of “a film that attracts a small but devoted audience and/or one that remains popular over succesive years through a small audience”…
Donnie Darko? Don’t know about that. It’s hard to judge a movie “cult” that came out somewhat recently. You’ve got ask yourself — are people going to be flocking to see Donnie Darko at midnight movie showings in 30 years? My vote is no, but you see my point. Sure, it has a small but devoted fan base now, but only time will tell on Darko.
Also, Wizard of Oz? I’d say that a movie as well known as that is far from “cult”.
Cult movies that might possibly be conisdered in my mind:
The Warriors (my #1)
Repo Man
Heathers
Re-Animator
Brazil
Oh well, there’s probably more. Anyways, keep up the good work.