Not finding something that strikes your fancy with the usual video fair? Why not try a cult movie? Unfamiliar with cult films? Well, let me introduce you to the wonderful world of cult movies. To be clear, these aren’t movies about crazy people in cults that believe in weird stuff, though those movies do exist. By definition, a cult film is one that has a dedicated fan-base that surrounds both underground and midnight movies. They are known to break taboos, featuring displays of violence, gore, sexuality or a combination thereof. Subsequently, these films often cause controversy, receive extreme censorship and in some cases are banned from being shown in certain markets. Cult movies have been gaining popularity since the late 70s. It is easier now foe a film to receive cult status with the advent of social media. Being able to spread the word about them virally has led to the term, “Instant Cult Classic,” and many obscure movies acquiring passionate followings. I’ve decided to make a must see list of cult films in the most common genres. There will be my two personal favorites and the most well-known one you’ll likely see in each particular genre. Still curious to see what’s out there? Alright then, here we go….
Action
What you need to see;
Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991)
What it’s about: Best friends, badass biker Harley and equally badass cowboy Marlboro, discover that their old friend is about to lose his bar to the bank. It wants to build a new luxurious complex or be paid 2.5 million instead. So, the boys decide to rob the bank but instead end up robbing a transport holding a new drug instead of cash. Hunted by killers from the bank and the mob who own the drug, Harley and Marlboro even the odds the only way they know how.
Why it’s cult worthy: The overly campy but effective action scenes. Plus, with dialogue like, “I think I killed him using twelve dollars’ worth of bullets,” It’s a welcome alternative to most of the early 90s action films.
The Boondock Saints (1999)
What it’s about: Irish American twin brothers, Connor and Murphy McManus, have had enough of, “…the indifference of good men,” while the people of their city become victims of crimes that no one cares to intervene for. They begin to bring their own brand of, “justice,” to the underworld of Boston. Targeted by a legendary assassin and a brilliantly eccentric FBI profiler, the brothers must overcome their sibling rivalry to survive the day.
Why it’s cult worthy: Writer/director Troy Duffy blends together the action stylings of; Tony Scott, Martin Scorsese and Brian de Palma to make a well-crafted film. The Tarantino-esque dialog between the brothers while the retribution brings levity the action genre needed.
What you’ll probably see instead;
Point Break (1991)
What it’s about: Former professional quarterback turned FBI Agent Johnny Utah must go undercover to find a band of bank robbers that are most likely a group of surfing adrenaline junkies. Can he bring the culprits into custody before he gets too close with Bodhi, the charming Zen believing leader and Tyler, the tough ex-girlfriend he might be falling for? It’ll be one hell of a rush to find out.
Why it’s cult worthy: All of the extreme sports that the characters engage in are shot with such intensity that you can feel the rush. Case in point, Johnny has to jump, “out of a perfectly good airplane,” without a parachute in order to apprehend Bodhi before he escapes with the loot, leaving both his and Tyler’s fate to chance. And who doesn’t love a heist movie where the bank robbers where the masks of dead presidents?
Comedy
What you need to see;
Dazed and Confused (1993)
What it’s about: It’s the last day of school in 1976 and for the incoming freshman class of Lee High School, enduring their rite of passage is going to be hell. For the graduating seniors, it’s a time of self-reflection on what to do with their life and what type of person they’ll become. We can’t all stay young forever but we’re going to try our damnedest to hold on. In one final night of debauchery, everyone’s circumstance will change.
Why it’s cult worthy: Richard Lancaster immerses the audience in the experience of life in the late 70s. Infused with sex, drugs, rock & roll and general mayhem, the film is captures the free spirits of teens that just don’t know any better. Summed up nicely when Matthew McConaughey’s Wooderson says, “Let me tell you this, the older you do get, the more rules they’re gonna try to get you to follow. You just gotta keep livin’ man, L-I-V-I-N.”
Wet Hot American Summer (2001)
What it’s about: It’s the last day of summer for Camp Firewood in 1981. Everyone from the campers, staff and unsuspecting neighbors try to resolve personal issues left unfinished, all before the night’s big talent show! All of their misadventures intertwine in a hilarious romp that encompasses what it means to live in a time of post free love & political upheaval. There’s big hair, high jinx, excess and lack of concern for everything that isn’t for one’s benefit.
Why it’s cult worthy: The creative team behind such gems as; MadTv, The State, Stella and Wanderlust merge the coming of age story with the absurdity of such comedy classics as National Lampoon’s Animal House. The gags and storylines, played like a great sketch based sitcom, culminate to the tune of original song, Higher and Higher. With such charm you can’t help but sing along with Camp Firewood’s unofficial anthem.
What you’ll probably see instead;
The Big Lebowski (1998)
What it’s about: Lazy, pot smoking, White Russian connoisseur hippie, Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski is mistaken for a millionaire also named Jeffrey Lebowski. As he tries to navigate through the demands of nihilist kidnappers, a baby seeking professional artist and his unstable bowling buddies, the world’s ultimate slacker can still keep his cool. As long as you don’t destroy his rug that really ties the room together.
Why it’s cult worthy: The Coen brother cement their status as the kings of offbeat, deadpan comedic dialog. They unfold their tale in a whimsical carefree world of colorful characters much like Alice in, Through the Looking Glass. Every moment invites the audience to take part in the surreal trip that is the haze of The Dude’s life. Cause when it comes down to it, “…well, The Dude abides.”
Drama
What you need to see:
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
What it’s about: The lives of four Coney Island natives, each with their own addiction, try to achieve their goals, in the course of three seasons. Harry and Tyrone plan to come up in the world by selling heroin. Harry’s girlfriend, Marion, intends to create her own fashion line. And Harry’s mother, Sara, wants to be on her favorite TV infomercial with her son. Unfortunately for them all, the lifestyles of dependency they’re entangled in has other fates planned.
Why it’s cult worthy: The raw intensity of intercutting the flowing fluids of veins, cooking heroin and tripping to dance club music is in your face obtrusively in your face. It is unapologetic. Utilizing cameras mounted onto the actors, we are nauseated with the confusing crumbling of everyone’s life. This movie makes Trainspotting look like child’s play compared to this grown up tale.
Blue Romance (2010)
What it’s about: The story of Dean and Cindy, a married couple struggling with the life they didn’t plan on living. Told in non-linear form, it presents an unapologetic look at how they met, the courtship and subsequent fall into a mundane routine that threatens to tear them apart. Past and present become mirrored opposites of the way they had hoped their life would become. Can they stay together after everything they’ve done to each other?
Why it’s cult worthy: Utilizing untraditional storytelling methods, co-writer/director Derek Cianfrance boldly rearranges the shambled pieces of the main character’s lives to show how you can fall in and out of love. Taking the romance norm and turning it on its’ head, Dean and Cindy realize perhaps too late that happy endings don’t come easy. Sometimes saying you’re sorry doesn’t help to keep the heartstrings together.
What you’ll probably see instead;
Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
What it’s about: The semi-autobiographical story of Hunter S. Thompson, an oddball journalist, who pairs up with is psychopathic lawyer on a trip to Las Vegas to cover a racing event. With a suitcase full of all kinds of drugs, the two ultimately end up descending into madness and a series of unfortunate events. All the while, trying to piece together what happened to them and whether or not it was real.
Why it’s cult worthy: The craziness of the narrative is illustrated on screen by genius of Terry Gilliam. Using bizarre animation sequences, wide angle lenses and Dutch tilts, he induces the audience into the characters’ head trip. Nothing resembling logic comes into play to further the audience to question the validity of what they just saw. Even fans of Tarantino would have a hard time putting the this into a cohesive story.
Sci-Fi
What you need to see;
Videodrome (1983)
What it’s about: Max Renn, a TV producer with no scruples, tries to bring new reality programming on the air. While trying to find the makers behind the disturbing, Videodrome, which he wants to emulate, Max finds his world slowly falling apart. His own reality is in question as he gets closer to discovering the truth behind the corporate world and what it means to be a part of the, “new flesh.”
Why it’s cult worthy: Known for telling stories of body horror on the big screen. Here is no exception as Max becomes his own VCR, producing a symbiotic gun, from his stomach, which fires cancer bullets. He also shares and intimate moment with a pulsating television set that moans with pleasure to his touch. The Videodrome tape itself can be considered as the genesis of the torture porn sub-genre.
The Scribbler (2014)
What it’s about: Suki suffers from mental illness. To help aide in her treatment, her doctor prescribes a box known as, The Siamese Burn, which eliminates multiple personalities one at a time. People around her begin to be murdered, so she questions whether she is the one responsible. Trying to solve the mystery she is left with another terrifying realization; what if she is her last multiple personality? Who really is Suki?
Why it’s cult worthy: Based upon a manga of the same name, the story is presented in such a way as to feel like a motion comic. Suki’s uncertainty if she’s real invokes the spirit of most Philip K. Dick stories. And her growing obsession with integrating electronic devices into her life is a social commentary on how we too have an insatiable need to connect with the internet which essentially isn’t tangible or “real.”
What you’ll probably see instead;
Blade Runner (1982)
What it’s about: In the distant future, four escaped replicants, androids infused with living tissue, are on the loose. Those that are assigned to track and put them down are known as blade runners. And there is no one more skilled at it than Rick Deckard. While working the assignment, he falls for a beautiful woman who turns out to be a replicant herself. Can he raise to the challenge and complete the assignment when he doesn’t know what it means to be human anymore?
Why it’s cult worthy: The gritty dystopian future of this film serves as the standard for what all other sci-fi films are measured by. Ridley Scott’s meticulous attention to detail and production values are a testament on how well the special effects hold up to this day. He shot the movie in noir fashion, with tone and pacing. Plus, there are 5 different versions of the film, each with their own flair and twist in story development.
Horror
What you need to see;
Suspiria (1977)
What it’s about: A young American ballet dancer is accepted to a renowned German Dance Academy. Right from the time of her arrival girls from the school start to get murdered. Being that she missed something that might be a clue to solving who the killer is, Suzy takes it upon herself to investigate the violent crimes. All is not how it seems, as Suzy get closer to discovering the truth about the school. A truth she may want not to know.
Why it’s cult worthy: Dario Argento’s use of color makes for quite beautiful images even when it is of someone being decapitated! Using techniques like positioning door knobs higher than actors, songs that sound like they came from a music box and in camera manipulation of visuals makes the whole affair seem like that of a brothers grimm bedtime story. It is featured on AFI 1OO Best Films of All Time and is a favorite among industry professionals.
Trick ‘r Treat (2007)
What it’s about: Five separate stories, each based on a Halloween tradition cross paths with one another on the fateful night. The tales feature; a serial killer, a vampire, werewolves, ghosts and a demonic creature who enforces the traditions of the holiday. In order for those to survive; they must know and adhere to them all. For all the rules apply until after midnight. Break them and you’ll have to answer to Sam.
Why it’s cult worthy: A return to form for the anthology film but this time the characters from each story overlap into other. This non-linear approach makes for added mystery as to what is truly in store for everyone. Introducing potentially huge horror icon Sam, the vengeful creature with the pumpkin-head, that my look innocent enough in costume but is really far more vicious and deadly.
What you’ll probably watch instead;
Evil Dead (1981)
What it’s about: A group of teenagers go a trip to one of their friend’s uncle’s cabins. Once there, one of them unwittingly unleashes a powerful entity that has been asleep in the forest for hundreds if not thousands of years. Not knowing which one of them will turn into a possessed demon next, the remaining friends struggle to stay alive. Finally, it comes down to one sole survivor versus the horde of evil dead.
Why it’s cult worthy: Made on the epitome of shoestring budget, filmmaker Sam Raimi was able to pull off a campy yet fresh horror story. Every effect was practical, no digital effects were used to create anything of the deadites’ world. Creating for the first time his signature POV shot of following one of the deadites through the woods so it can get to its next victim. Mixing equal parts dark humor and gore, the romp has spawned two sequels a reboot and a television series.
Don’t Forget The Popcorn…
-BB
The Movie Pit 