A notable example of this is The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which opened to very modest returns, only beginning to gain notoriety after fans would re-see the film, calling out lines and singing along to musical numbers. The film is still shown in theatres regularly, it sells out midnight showings and has a plethora of successful stage musicals.
Seriously who doesn't know the words to Time Warp?
Rocky Horror Picture show is not the only film to transcend it's initial cult status. I want it on the record that Reservoir Dogs and Clerks are no longer cult classics. For one thing, Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith are both quite famous, but more importantly both films have been referenced on The Simpsons.
The Simpsons: The standard to which pop culture relevance is measured.
So while I'm not a fan of list articles, in the interest of spreading love for some very deserving movies these are a quick Top 5 of my favorite Cult Films that I recommend checking out. Minus The Evil Dead, because T-squat already touched on those masterpieces.
NUMBER 1:
Withnail & I (1987)
And Withnail & I is the best one.
The tale of two unemployed actors, dealing with poverty and the upcoming end of the 1960's. After deciding to go on holiday, Withnail and the eponymous 'I' (never named on screen) journey to the country side, drinking more than humanly possible and trying to survive in the cold without anything to eat but a live chicken. Approaching each problem they face with the head strong naivety of the ignorant, privileged youth, our heroes find themselves having to deal with the reality of life for the first time. Along the way the meet a series of delightfully eccentric characters, one of whom is basically exactly the same actor/character as the roady from Waynes World 2.
Immediately after beginning the film shatters the idealistic view of 1960's England, desaturated colours and stationary camera shots frame the scenes and mirror the characters apathy. Richard E. Grant's portrayal of Withnail is both over the top and earnest, unlike most comedies that stick to the standard Set Up>Punchline>[Silence for audience laughter] Withnail & I blends together hilarious quotes in seamless conversations, giving you the sense that none of these characters are aware of how truly strange they are. This is a character film in the purest form, though the locations change the story revolves entirely around the relationship of the two leads, the eventually conclusion of which is portrayed in a poignant Shakespearian monologue.
Withnail & I is one of the most quotable movies ever made, a black comedy in every sense, but fair warning, if you try to go drink for drink with the movie; you will die about halfway through.
NUMBER 2:
OLD BOY (2003)
The first time I watched this, I had to spend a hour sitting in silence contemplating everything I had just seen. In the spirit of preserving the experience of watching this film I'll keep this very short. Oh Desu is one day mysteriously kidnapped and locked in a hotel room. With no idea how long he will be imprisoned, he starts to train his body to fight as his mind begins to deteriorate. Finally after 15 years he is released, with a new suit, some cash and a cellphone. He receives a call and is told by the mysterious voice:
"I locked you in that room for 15 years, you have 5 days to find me... go."
The action scenes are visceral and amazingly choreographed. One particular scene is one continuous shot in a hallway, like a side scrolling video game Oh Desu stalks the corodoor beating down thugs with a hammer. Never cutting away, the anger and madness Oh Desu has developed is on full display, never flinching. That's not to say you wont be flinching, some scenes are disturbing to say the least, one scene involving a pair of scissors and a certain part of the human face will have you peeking through your hands.
This film is a hair pulling mind-fuck. Brilliant story telling keeps you guessing until the very end, and I can 100% promise you, you will never ever see this ending coming.
The action scenes are visceral and amazingly choreographed. One particular scene is one continuous shot in a hallway, like a side scrolling video game Oh Desu stalks the corodoor beating down thugs with a hammer. Never cutting away, the anger and madness Oh Desu has developed is on full display, never flinching. That's not to say you wont be flinching, some scenes are disturbing to say the least, one scene involving a pair of scissors and a certain part of the human face will have you peeking through your hands.
This film is a hair pulling mind-fuck. Brilliant story telling keeps you guessing until the very end, and I can 100% promise you, you will never ever see this ending coming.
NUMBER 3:
They Live (1988)
'I'm here to kick ass and chew bubble gum... and I'm all out of gum.'
Duke Nukem stole all his one liners from two movies; Army of Darkness (Evil Dead 3) and They Live. This pulp science fiction film seems like just another B-Action film, but has deep themes about the media's control over society. Our nameless hero (played by WWE wrestler Roddy Piper) find's a pair of sunglasses that allow him to see the hidden messages that have been placed in all the words media, telling us to conform. This allows for the film to explore ideas about society and information, all while wrapping it up with a story where a homeless man with a mullet beats up aliens (I forgot to mention he's homeless).
The film has a distinct noir feel. Long periods are without dialogue, dramatic tones build curious tention throughout. The perspective shots from behind the sunglasses are quite an experience, shot in black and white, the view is jarring and surprisingly effective despite the low budget effects. The first half of the movie and the 2nd half couldn't be more different, but I honestly wouldn't be able to tell you when the exact change happened, which is credit to the pacing of the film. John Carpenter takes as long as he feels necessary to explore aspects of the story and the film is much better for it.
The film has a distinct noir feel. Long periods are without dialogue, dramatic tones build curious tention throughout. The perspective shots from behind the sunglasses are quite an experience, shot in black and white, the view is jarring and surprisingly effective despite the low budget effects. The first half of the movie and the 2nd half couldn't be more different, but I honestly wouldn't be able to tell you when the exact change happened, which is credit to the pacing of the film. John Carpenter takes as long as he feels necessary to explore aspects of the story and the film is much better for it.
They Live is the ultimate cult film, purely because it can be both enjoyed on an intellectual level and with a bunch of stoner friends at 3 a.m in the morning. It has a charm that cannot be replicated by current films, because in the 80's films were a lot less ironic with their weirdness.
NUMBER 4:
Enter The Void (2009)
NUMBER 4:
Enter The Void (2009)
I have a difficult relationship with Arthouse films, generally they can explore characters and themes you couldn't dare to touch on in mainstream cinema. Sometimes though, the directors desire to explore concepts gets in the way of narrative and the hollow feature becomes something that only the director themselves enjoys. Sometimes the director and a bunch of Hipsters.
If your friends say they get it, they're lying.
Enter the void balances perfectly on the line between experience and film. The majority of the film is shot in perspective, as the soul of a recently deceased drug addict floats over Japan, through buildings and into people, the camera moving in ways that no one has even attempted before. I found myself in awe, the hallucinations are so accurately capture, as are the drug fueled conversations. You will find yourself experience the strangest kind of deja vu in the first 20 minutes as your eyes become those of the protagonist, as you look in on his life and he looks in on yours.
To describe the storyline would be pointless, it is a existentialist project, not a movie. The vibrant colours and sounds need to be seen and heard to be understood, they cannot be articulated by words on a page.
NUMBER 5:
Battle Royal (2000)
I'm a HUGE nerd when it comes to Japanese media. I watch tremendous amounts of anime and no country capture horror quite like Japan. Their violence is more violent, their horror is more surreal, they definitely do not pull any punches when it comes to their movies.
The concept of Battle Royal is familiar one, a group of people trapped in an isolated area, forced to kill or be killed. This time a class of students is chosen to participate in the barbaric game. You may expect from the title an all-out action film, with gore and violence from all angles. While there are moments of this dispersed throughout, where Battle Royal finds its strong point is exploring the psychology of the students, forced to kill their friends. Realistically many resort to suicide, others turn on their friends quickly, others form tenuous alliances. Every conceivable reaction to being placed in the game is shown, explored and then subverted, defying expectation, creating an engaging and often tragic tale.
Gore is masterfully controlled by the director, never used to explicitly shock, it is used in conjunction with already disturbing scenes to force emotional reactions from the audience. Similarly, blood and sinew is often witheld to focus on the tragedy of death rather than the horror of the violence. Even the villains, the murderous students are shown sympathetically, a product of the environment rather than being classic disney evil (despite an exception.)
If you like violence, but like your action to have some depth to it rather than being mindless violence. I recommend highly you check out Battle Royal before it gets a terrible American remake.
Other Noteworthy Cult Films
-Man on Wire-Black Dynamite
-Bad Boy Bubby
-American Movie
-The Story of Ricky-Rushmore
-Dark City
