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Cult following
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A cult following is a group of fans devoted to a specific thing, usually a book, film, television or radio program, though some comic books, video games, musicians, writers and others also gain cult followings.
These dedicated followings are usually relatively small and pertain to items that don't have broad mainstream appeal, though there are exceptions. Cult followings are often dedicated enough that many people of similar interest are familiar with one another due to convention gatherings, concerts, Internet chat rooms, or shops featuring the item(s) in question.
An exception to the usual cult following rules is Star Trek, whose followers call themselves "Trekkies" or "Trekkers". Star Trek has an extremely large following but can still be considered 'cult' due to the intense loyalty the franchise inspires. Other science-fiction oriented cult followings include that of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
"Cult following" is also used to describe the more obsessive fans of established mainstream performers. For example, many persons have been interested in Michael Jackson's music or in Disney films, but some fans take their interest to extreme levels, hoarding vast amounts of collectables. Some such "cult fans" occasionally veer into obsessive-compulsive disorders or stalking; however, cult followings do not necessitate that individuals partake in cultish activities.
Contents [hide]
1 What establishes a cult classic
2 Examples of cult classics
2.1 Films
2.2 Television
2.3 Books
3 See also
[edit]
What establishes a cult classic
Cult followings establish their own canons and cherish the notion of cult classics, which are individual items with cult followings. Cult classics are generally films that capture the imagination, defining a new world or reflecting events in society, and are often science fiction or horror films. Cult followings are usually generated through a film or television show having targeted a particular genre, typically fantasy, sci-fi, or horror, but occasionally (though rarely) a romantic film or tv series will fall into a cult following.
For examples of films specifically targeting a certain element:
When the film Mad Max hit United States theaters in 1979, starring actors then mostly unknown to America, it was during the Cold War when nuclear war was a very real possibility in the minds of the world's population. Post-apocalyptic worries were common, and the film reflected a post-apocalyptic world, thus giving it an enormous cult following, and launching Mel Gibson to stardom. The original 1968 film that launched the Planet of the Apes franchise also played on post-apocalyptic fears, giving viewers a glimpse into a not-so-desirable future for mankind. It portrayed actor Charlton Heston kneeling in its final scene at a destroyed Statue of Liberty and uttering one of the most famous lines in film history. The 1969 film Easy Rider' mirrored a time when the dreams of freedom and escape from the standard lifestyle were becoming vastly popular, and many viewers connected with the film's message.
The Sherlock Holmes novels and films, mostly those films starring actor Basil Rathbone, sparked clubs who reenacted plots and mystery cases, often recreating the Baker Street apartment where the detective lived. Another novel, Dracula, written by author Bram Stoker, and the films that followed, most notably Dracula, led to a huge fan base that before the advent of take-home video would often prompt small theaters to have special showings of the film, usually with a lesser-known version showing just before the better-known 1931 film starring Bela Lugosi. 1992's version, Bram Stoker's Dracula, sparked new interest in the Dracula cult following which continues to the present. The Rocky Horror Picture Show had such a huge cult following that small theaters would often have a marathon of the film, playing repeatedly for 24 hours or more. Actor Tim Curry has an enormous fan base from his role in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, despite his numerous film credits accumulated since.
During the 1970s, interest in the Bermuda Triangle and UFOs was at its height. Project Blue Book had just closed up in 1970, prompting many UFO enthusiasts to scream about a government cover-up of an alien presence, and the mysterious 1945 disappearance of Flight 19 in the Bermuda Triangle had reached legendary status. Several short-lived television series and films played on those particular public interests, and even when they initially failed, they often later became hugely popular in the science fiction communities, often sparking clubs or groups. With the advent of the Internet, the popularity of these cult classics only increased.
Although certainly many cult favorites are well-known films or television series, such as the Star Wars films or the Indiana Jones film trilogy, most cult favorites are obscure, often short-lived television series, or films that might have initially bombed at the box office, only to take off with extreme popularity upon video release or in syndication. Often, groups or clubs that follow one particular cult favorite prefer to be obscure, even taking pride in it. For example, the short-lived science fiction television series Space: 1999 did not fair well in its original run, but since has become somewhat of a novelty. The original 1960s Star Trek series ran for only three seasons, but sparked one of the greatest film and television spin-off franchises of all time, with conventions, fan clubs, and impersonators dressing as their favorite characters. Original Star Trek actors such as William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelly, and Nichelle Nichols saw their greatest success in recurring roles as their characters and through fan-club conventions. Though actor Patrick Duffy went on to Dallas fame, his role as The Man from Atlantis in the 1970s continues to have a cult following.
One producer in particular, Herbert F. Solow, has been famously instrumental in bringing a number of cult classics into existence, including television series such as Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, Man From Atlantis, Mannix, Then Came Bronson, etc., as well as films such as Dennis Potter's Brimstone and Treacle, Brewster McCloud, and the definitive Elvis documentary "Elvis: That's the way it is."
A popular joke to summarize cult followings is as follows: "A mainstream film is seen 1 time by 1000 people; a cult film is seen 1000 times by 1 person."
[edit]
Examples of cult classics
It has been suggested that this section be split into a new article. (Discuss)[edit]
Films
Gummo (1997)
Somewhere in Time (1980)
Heavy Metal (1981)
Office Space (1999)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Ken Park
Serenity and its TV pilots Firefly.
Equilibrium
Labyrinth (1986)
Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985)
3 Ninjas
Dumb and Dumber
Logan's Run (1976 film) (1976)
Freaked
Soylent Green (1973)
Star Trek and its spin-offs.
Blade Runner (1982) and its 'Director's Cut'
Mad Max (1979) and the other two films in a three-part series.
Knightriders (1981)
Megaforce (1982)
The Philadelphia Experiment (1984) and its sequel
Lethal Weapon (1987) and its three sequels.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Velvet Goldmine (1998)
The Andromeda Strain (1971)
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) and it's sequel.
Flash Gordon (1980)
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)
2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968)
A Road Less Travelled (1974)
Dracula (1931) plus the 1958 and 1992 remakes.
Easy Rider (1969)
Dirty Harry (1971) and its four sequels
Scream (1996) and its two sequels.
Eddie and the Cruisers (1984) and its sequel.
The Lord of the Rings books.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and its two sequels
Evil Dead (1981) its two sequels, comic book following, and its franchise.
Highlander (1986) and the spin-off television series and sequel.
Star Wars (1977) and its five sequels, three of which are set in a prequel timeline. Although, since Star Wars became the top grossing movie of all time during its initial release, it could be argued that it is not a cult classic.
Clerks (1994) or any of the View Askewniverse movies.
Halloween (1978) and its sequels.
Westworld (1973) and its sequel and follow-up TV series Beyond Westworld
Planet of the Apes (1968) and its numerous sequels and television series in the Planet of the Apes franchise.
Waynes World (1992)
UHF (1989)
James Bond films and books over the course of four decades.
Donnie Darko (2001)
Sherlock Holmes franchise, movies and books.
Super Troopers (2001)
Monty Python films and the original BBC television series.
National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) and its sequel
The Blues Brothers (1980)
Night of the Living Dead (1968), and the later Living Dead films, including Dawn of the Dead
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
Clueless (1995)
The Blob (1958)
Legally Blonde (2001) and its sequel
Dazed and Confused (1993)
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) and its sequel
This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
Tommy (1975)
Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979)
The Harder They Come (1973)
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Singles (1992)
An Affair to Remember (1957)
Forbidden Planet (1956)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
The Pink Panther (1963) and its sequels
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
The Sting (1973)
Little Shop Of Horrors (1960)
Field of Dreams (1989)
Smoke (1995) (and its sequel "Blue in the Face")
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Slap Shot (1977)
Two Lane Blacktop (1971)
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)
The Full Monty (1996)
WarGames (1983)
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Five Easy Pieces (1971)
The Sandlot (1993)
Eraserhead (1977)
Harold and Maude (1971)
Brewster McCloud (1970)
Eating Raoul (1982)
Reefer Madness (1937)
The Sound of Music (1965)
Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959)
Hairspray (1985)
Valley Girl (1983)
Glen or Glenda? (1953)
Thunderheart (1992)
Bride of the Monster (1955)
The Elephant Man (1980)
Blue Velvet (1987)
Wild at Heart (1990)
Seven Samurai (1954)
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
The Princess Bride (1987)
Enter The Dragon (1973)
Carnival of Souls (1962)
Meet the Parents (2000) and its 2004 sequel, Meet the Fockers
Valley of the Dolls (1967)
Mommie Dearest (1981)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Re-Animator (1985)
Repo Man (1984)
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985)
Revenge of the Nerds (1984) and its sequels
The Breakfast Club (1985)
St. Elmo's Fire (1985)
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1979) and its sequels
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Cleopatra Jones (1973)
Slipstream (1989)
The Toxic Avenger (1985) and its sequels
Blow-Up (1966)
Barbarella (1968)
American Graffiti (1973)
Showgirls (1995)
The Warriors (1979)
Heathers (1989)
Stranger Than Paradise (1984)
Casablanca (1942)
Swingers (1996)
Rushmore (1998)
Caveman (1981)
Henry Fool (1997)
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Grandma's Boy (2006)
Johnny Dangerously (1984)
Strange Brew: The Adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie (1983)
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)
Caddyshack (1980)
Head (1968)
They Live (1988)
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
[edit]
Television
Seinfeld
Twin Peaks
Fantasy Island and its 1998 remake.
Xena: Warrior Princess
Highlander: The Series
The Fantastic Journey
Soap
The Pretender
The Man from Atlantis
The Greatest American Hero
Love American Style
The Gong Show
The Brady Bunch
Dungeons & Dragons animated series and role playing games.
Doctor Who
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
Land of the Lost (1974 TV series) and its remake, Land of the Lost (1991 TV series).
Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)
The Avengers (TV series)
The Prisoner
UFO (TV series)
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
Lost in Space
Roswell (TV series)
Flash Gordon 1930's seriels, 1950's television series, 1980 film, and comic books.
Buck Rogers television, film and comic book franchise.
The Mod Squad
Blackadder
Tales Of The Gold Monkey
Space: 1999
Absolutely Fabulous
Press Your Luck 1980's television game show.
Batman (TV series)
Vega$
Riptide
Get Smart
The Wild Wild West television series.
The Outer Limits
The Twilight Zone
The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Battlestar Galactica 1970's and 2000's series
Justice League Unlimited
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
Angel (TV series)
Strangers with Candy
The Six Million Dollar Man and the The Bionic series
Sledge Hammer!
Red Dwarf
The X-Files
Ren and Stimpy
Rocko's Modern Life
Invader Zim
Beavis and Butthead
Dark Shadows
Sports Night
Voyagers!
V (TV series)
The Simpsons
Fawlty Towers
Family Guy
Futurama
The Crystal Maze
Thunderbirds
The Saint
Aqua Teen Hunger Force
The Hardy Boys mystery series and books.
I Love Lucy television series
The Venture Bros.
Firefly (TV series) and the film sequel serenity (film)
Home Movies (TV series)
[edit]
Books
Main article: Cult fiction
Anti-Œdipus (Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari)
Atomised (Michel Houellebecq)
The Atrocity Exhibition (J. G. Ballard)
The Bell Jar (Sylvia Plath)
Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
The Catcher in the Rye (J. D. Salinger)
A Clockwork Orange (Anthony Burgess)
The Dice Man (Luke Rhinehart)
Dispatches (Michael Herr)
The Doors of Perception (Aldous Huxley)
Dune (Frank Herbert)
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test (Tom Wolfe)
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Hunter S. Thompson)
The Female Eunuch (Germaine Greer)
Food of the Gods (Terence McKenna)
The Function of the Orgasm (Wilhelm Reich)
Gaia (James Lovelock)
Gödel, Escher, Bach (Douglas Hofstadter)
Le Grand Meaulnes (Alain-Fournier)
The Handmaid's Tale (Margaret Atwood)
The Illuminatus! Trilogy (Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea)
Less Than Zero (Brett Easton Ellis)
Journey to the End of the Night (Louis-Ferdinand Céline)
The Naked Lunch (William S. Burroughs)
Neuromancer (William Gibson)
On the Road (Jack Kerouac)
One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest (Ken Kesey)
The Outsider (Albert Camus)
The Second Sex (Simone de Beauvoir)
Siddhartha (Hermann Hesse)
Slaughterhouse-Five (Kurt Vonnegut)
The Storm of Steel (Ernst Jünger)
The Story of the Eye (Georges Bataille)
Stranger in a Strange Land (Robert Heinlein)
The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge (Carlos Castaneda)
Tropic of Cancer (Henry Miller)
Trout Fishing in America (Richard Brautigan)
The Wasp Factory (Iain Banks)
White Noise (Don DeLillo)
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (Robert Pirsig)
