‘Cult’ as a genre has a long and complicated history in the film industry, with many overlapping and hyper-specific terms wrapped in its long, weird arms. Films defined as cult or cult classics have redefined what film and media as a whole means to filmmakers. These odd tales with experimental undertones and often taboo themes expand our understanding of the world as we know it and often challenge us to embrace the strange and bizarre without question.
Much in the vein of magical realism, it is entirely up to the viewer to decide their opinions on the strange happenings of these movies. Some of the original cult classics came out of the ‘midnight movie’ craze, where cinemas would show odd and possibly risquè films late in the night. Films like Eraserhead (1977) and El Topo (1970) were shown late in the night to attract audiences who appreciated the more bizarre. The mythology around these films began, as you simply had to be ‘in the know’ about their existence in order to view them. Midnight movies spread across many local cinemas who previously had no use for late night showings.
The midnight movie was able to handle taboo themes like sex and violence, which, while attracting a crowd appreciative of the candid use of taboo in an artistic sense, also attracted a crowd who simply desired to view these things for their shock value. Many directors who wanted their fifteen minutes of fame capitalized on this shock to create films now often dubbed ‘exploitation’ films. Exploitation films have been around since the early days of cinema, with movies like Freaks(1932) quite literally exploiting disabled actors for the purpose of shock. However, exploitation films are not often as simple to label. While Freaks undoubtedly used shady legal practices with its actors, it also was one of the first semi-positive film portrayals of visually disabled people. This is the contradiction which exploitation films live in.
Blaxplotation films, a subcategory of exploitation film, focus on the portrayal of highly exaggerated caricatures of Black people. This exploitation draws on minstrelsy, which is the practice of white people pretending to be Black and acting ridiculous for the comedic and sexual enjoyment of other white people, but the genre has long since taken on a life of its own. Blaxplotation films such as Foxy Brown (1974) and Coffy (1973), both starring actress Pam Grier and directed by Jack Hill (a white man), use stereotypes that still harm Black people (and Black women in specific), conversely, they are also iconic films starring Black main characters that were portrayed as noble and heroic, not to mention chock full of camp and pageantry. Many films in this genre are directed by Black people as well, which allowed Black directors to gain acclaim and community in a medium which often mocked and belittled them. While taboo themes can draw in a certain kind of unsavoury, violence obsessed audience, they also often explore the identities and issues of marginalized people.
Exploitation films typically being associated with midnight and cult films allowed for people with little outside community to come together around a piece of art. This is where the ‘cult’ aspect in specific enters in. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) is possibly one of the most famous examples of a cult film. Modern fans may not be aware of the addiction that was watching Rocky Horror over and over in cinemas upon its release, which many film goers saw hundreds of times in the film’s peak popularity. The obsession for the film turned into the famous ‘add-ons’ which turned movie theaters into places more like sports arenas, with fans dressing up in intricate costumes (which, in the age of no internet, were designed using only memory) and acting out in audiences by shouting and throwing props at specific scenes.
If we go strictly off of popularity, you could say any movie has a cult following (and people do), and while cult as a term has very far reaching implications and is now used for just about every film under the sun, an obsessive following is not the only thing that makes a cult movie. As the term implies, cult films often have a draw which feels unexplainable. Like some primordial force, the cult film captures something deep within ourselves which is a little weird and a little nuts. A good cult film will typically be strange in some capacity.
The strange can be a vehicle for many things, it allows us the space to see other perspectives and possibly realize those perspectives are closer to ours than we think. Watch a few as we wrap up this spooky season!
