- Agree, it means anticulture films are not totally equal to cult films. Starwar should be one cult film, if "dirty dance" is one of them, how about "high school musical"?
Here are some more about Cult Films: http://www.filmsite.org/cultfilms.html Cult Films have limited but very special appeal. Cult films are usually strange, quirky, offbeat, eccentric, oddball, or surreal, with outrageous, weird, unique and cartoony characters or plots, and garish sets. They are often considered controversial because they step outside standard narrative and technical conventions. They can be very stylized, and they are often flawed or unusual in some striking way.
Most cult films cut across many film genres (science fiction, horror, melodrama, etc.), although some film genres are also more prone to being cultish, such as the horror or sci-fi genres. Teen comedies are also more often rated as cult films, such as Dazed and Confused (1993), and Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), with quotable lines of dialogue, and memorable characters and scenes.
Many cult films feature or effectively showcase the performance of newcomers or other unknown talented actors/actresses. These often-obscure and cheesy films are usually made by maverick, highly individualistic film-makers with low-budget resources and little commercial marketing. And cult films are rarely, if ever, sequels, since then they would have attained mainstream appeal and widespread success. Some directors are more prone to making cult films, such as John Waters, Quentin Tarantino and David Lynch, especially early in their careers, because of their individualistic perspective and style, although they can often make a conventional 'mainstream' film too (such as David Lynch's The Straight Story (1999)).
Many cult films fared poorly at the box office when first shown, but then achieved cult-film status, developing an enduring loyalty and following among fans over time, often through word-of-mouth recommendations. Sometimes, they were revolutionary, brilliant films 'before their time' (i.e., Fantasia (1940)) and not bound by the conventions of their day.
They elicit a fiery and intense passion in devoted fans, and may cause cultists to enthusiastically champion and become devoted to these films, leading to audience participation, fan club membership, and repetitive viewings and showings. Cult films have tremendous followings with certain groups, e.g., college campuses, 'midnight movie' crowds, independent film lovers, etc. Cult movie worshippers persuasively argue with all about the merits of their choices, without regard for standard newspaper or movie reviews from critics.
There's no hard-and-fast rule or checklist to gauge what makes a cult film. A cult film is often designated as such "in the eye of the beholder" without fufilling any definition. It's often a matter of opinion. One viewer's cult film may not be judged the same by another viewer. And just because a segment of devoted viewers (pre-teen girls) repeatedly watch a film - such as Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) - to view its star Johnny Depp, or Titanic (1997) (to see Leonardo Di Caprio), or to view the latest George Lucas Star Wars film, doesn't make a film a cult film. However, there are the most popular cult films, such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) and any of the Star Trek films, that have developed cult followings with all the trappings.
One of the biggest, best-known cult films was not intended to become so popular. It was a low-budget, government 'documentary' propaganda film from the mid-30s created to dramatize the dangers of marijuana use and demon weed - Reefer Madness (1936). However, Tod Browning's grotesque Freaks (1932), was deliberately advertised as "the strangest...most startling human story ever screened," and had alternate titles including Forbidden Love, The Monster Show, and Nature's Mistakes. It used real-life dwarfs, pinheads, and other human freaks (portraying sideshow circus performers) to present a jolting story of revenge.
When first released, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) and Almost Famous (2000) were almost instantly pronounced as cult films, but as time progressed, they didn't really fit the category. They were highly-acclaimed, award-winning films that were prominently shown in the mainstream, and it had been too early to judge them as cult films. The media often labels an unusual film as a 'cult film' when it really shouldn't. It takes time for a film to reach cult status.
st dude wrote:
我觉得翻译成"边缘，反潮流电影"没有把极端受崇拜的意思表达出来. 不过, 我相信中文里还是能找到反映这一概念的表达的.
有点奇怪, 我认为最cult的电影"Dirty Dancing"(按崇拜的人数算)没有被列在你引用的这个名单上. 明年是"Dirty Dancing"的二十周年, 它的歌舞剧(musical)将被推出. 也许又会唤起当年老一代teenagers 和现在新一代的十几岁女孩的狂热.
rzp wrote:
邪典就是邪门的意思？
根据Wikipedia的定义，似乎更像是边缘，反潮流电影。
rzp