evil bill
Posts: 6560
Joined: 19/7/2006
From: mordor/ uk
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quote:
ORIGINAL: rawlinson
There's a real danger of this list turning into one that's filled with beloved films that are being voted for simply because they didn't make much money on their initial release. That's not what this should be about. You have to look at other things, nature of the film, cultural impact, etc. Take Shawshank. It underperformed at the box office on the initial release, but it's crossed over to the mainstream to become a beloved film for a large number of people who aren't film fanatics. In terms of the film itself, it's a sentimental buddy movie at heart. There's very little that's cult about it.
Same goes with It's a Wonderful Life. Everyone knows this film. It's one of the most adored films of all time. It's not a cult film.
Huge box office will rule out a film that has obvious mainstream appeal and some cult elements (Terminator 2, Jaws, Back to the Future, etc) But it won't rule in a film that's not really culty, but didn't make a lot of money. Otherwise we'd be taking votes for pretty much anything. You have to look at the film itself and simply use huge box office/Oscar films as a guide for how far it's penetrated the mainstream.
May i be of some help mate,as most know The Weird/Strange thread is aimed at this sort of film,but here's a description;
Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences. Many 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 cults. However, not every film with a devoted fanbase is necessarily a cult film. Usually, cult films have limited but very special, noted appeal. Cult films are often known to be eccentric, often do not follow traditional standards of mainstream cinema and usually explore topics not considered in any way mainstream—yet there are examples that are relatively normal. Many are often considered controversial because they step outside standard narrative and technical conventions.
Also of help is this website; http://www.filmsite.org/cultfilms.html
Hope this clears up some of the confusion that cult films seem to cause.
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RE: Cult Films Poll - 
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