In the first post of Cult Fiction, Quickdraw Kiddo will be discussing the concept of the “cult classic”: what it means, what it isn’t, and even its different sub-genres.
When I say “Janet Weiss” you say?
If you just shouted “SLUT!” at your computer screen, congratulations! You are somewhat involved in a cult culture (interesting seeing those two words together, huh?).
The term “cult film” can be applied to a lot of, well, films. There’s also cult literature, cult art, cult music, etc. But what constitutes something as “cult?” What’s the difference between cult, underground, camp, and popular? In this post, and in every post in this series, I will be probing those questions and many more. So, without further ado, Cult Fiction, ladies and gentlemen.
I can remember the very first time I heard the term “cult classic.” I was in the 7th or 8th grade, and I was in some class I can’t remember doing I’m not really sure what, but I do remember that we were filling out some form that asked about movie genres we liked and the films in them. When it came to the musical genre, I put The Rocky Horror Picture Show because I had just recently seen it for the first time and immediately fell in love with it. One of the teachers said something along the lines of, “Oh, yeah. That movie. Isn’t it a cult classic?” I was so confused; to my knowledge, the film didn’t have any satanic or pagan cult in it; it had aliens and transvestites, not witches. It wasn’t until I was in high school that I learned what exactly a cult classic was. Once I discovered that there were more movies like Rocky Horror, I gravitated toward the category and I’m still working my way through it.
What exactly is cult? Well, that’s a bit of a loaded term, but a common definition is something with a very specific, even obsessive, fan base, hence the title “cult.” These films don’t enter the mainstream because often, their subject matter or narrative technique is controversial, strange, or completely new (Eraserhead comes to mind). However, some cult films leak into the public consciousness over time (like The Rocky Horror Picture Show).
That brings us to another question: can popular films be cult? Movies like Star Wars have very specific fan bases, but Star Wars isn’t exactly a cult classic. What makes its fan base different from the fan base for Twin Peaks? Fans of Star Wars can certainly be obsessive and eccentric. A common separating factor is the general popularity of the film; even if you’ve never seen Star Wars, you’ve heard of it. But not everyone has heard about Plan 9 from Outer Space. So a cult following does not a cult classic make.
Cult media can also have very specific cultures as fans. For instance, the films of John Waters have always been popular in the LGBTQI community. Goths have The Crow or old horror movies. These films tend to be cult classics to some groups and not others because of their incredibly specific aesthetic and subject matter. A fan of Showgirls might hate The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari because nothing about it appeals to her. The works of directors like David Lynch might attract a different following than silent film, even though it could be very easy for those two fan bases to blur. Also, a film might be popular in one country and have a relatively small cult following in another. Just goes to show that, just because it’s a cult classic in the good ol’ US of A it doesn’t have to be universally.
So now that we’ve got a pretty good idea about what cult is and isn’t, let’s talk about the different kinds of cult. Many cult classics have a certain camp factor; that is, something about it is so ridiculous that it becomes appealing or humorous. Again, think of the films of John Waters. Perfect example of campy films. There’s also the “so bad it’s good” cult film. Many of these films also have a camp factor, but not all. Many of the movies in this category are old B-movies. Then there’s horror, fantasy, musical, queer, literary, absurd, abstract. The list goes on. The word cult is just an umbrella term for a plethora of different aesthetics that attract fans.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this small lecture. I’ll actually start discussing specific things in my next post. Because I’m on a David Lynch kick at the moment, my next post will more than likely be Blue Velvet.
Jessica Colbert, aka Quickdraw Kiddo, is a contributor to The Red Shirt Crew and its resident Spooky Chick. She is currently desperately trying to summon Cthulhu in order to make mad all Wordsworth historians so that he may finally be wiped from the canon. You can follow her on Twitter at @quickdrawkiddo or email her at jlcolbert@email.wm.edu.
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