Cult films? Which ones are cult?

[Serrano]

Showgirls, Billy Jack, The Goonies, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Kaante, Snakes on a Plane, etc...

Films that have many devoted fans, most of them not having a great success at the box office, movies have even achieved cult status by successfully imitating the awfulnesses of so-bad-it's-good movies, personally I think Streets of Fire should have a bigger cult following, it's a great film.

[BobAlmighty]

I gotta say that the classic science fiction/fantasy trilogies are my favs. Star Wars, LOTR, X-men. Do you think cult lends itself more to sci fi or fantasy, or horror?

[BobAlmighty]

What genre do you think produces the most cult classics? Cult films can be any genre, but the usual genres are science fiction, fantasy and horror, which do you think is the most prolific?

[ellaphant34]

I think its horror and particularly zombie films, there are so many in the zombie-style!

[BobAlmighty]

Yeah horror seems to be a big one, but what about the likes of LOTR, or old school classics like Legend? The nscience fiction seems to dominate a large portion nwith things like Star Wars, Star Trek, Solaris, etc.

[BatSteve]

I think horror gets the bulk of cult movies simply because the audience is somewhat more willing to embrace something a little silly and unusual in that setting. I mean Sci-Fi has it's own cult following but you could almost argue that horror is a different thing entirely. To answer the question I'd agree that horror has the largest number of films that could be considered cult but that may be because so many horror movies are made per year.

[BobAlmighty]

Yeah i think it is something do with the fact that horror is a genre that is enjoyed by young adults, the largest market for film makers, whereas things like Sci Fi and Fantasy have more of a niche market. Could you say then there was a division in cult movies; that you can't class things like horror with sci fi, or film noir with classic comdies?

[BatSteve]

You might be on to something there. I would suggest that there are some shared characteristics between the more recognisable cult films regardless of genre. However, there are some differences between what makes a cult Sci-Fi movie and what makes say, a cult Comedy. Maybe some form of distinction should be made, I mean in terms of genre there are absolutely no similarities between texas chainsaw massacre and Withnail and I.

[BobAlmighty]

Apart from the fact that Richard Grant resembles Leatherface in some scenes. I agree that there are some similarities between cult films, but those dont seem, to reach Sci Fi or Fantasy. What do you think it is about those genres that don't need to same quirks as other films to achieve cult status, and do fans appreciate the films in different ways?

[BatSteve]

Sci-Fi and Fantasy have a different effect than most. At their heart Sci-Fi and Fantasy are purely escapist genres, so maybe theres something in that. I have found that most dedicated Star Wars fans, for example, are much less concerned with technical detail and box office results than the fiction involved. The same can be said for the Lord of the Rings films, I would suggest that perhaps these genres recieve their followings not neccessarily because of traditional cult origins like low budget or poor reception but because the fan base eventually reaches the level of an actual cult. I mean to hear two Star Wars fans argue over expanded universe trivia, they may as well be arguing scripture.