Why Cult Films Are Called So
'Cult films' have become a specific category of films. When a filmmaker makes a film, s/he is not always sure of the fate of the film at the box office. Most importantly, no film-maker makes a film with the intention of making it a cult film. And after the initial release of the film they do not even release for quite some time that it may turn out to be a cult film. This may sound a bit confusing. Let us first understand the meaning of the term cult.
The word 'cult' has many different meanings. Here, the word means something that has become very popular with a group of people. So, cult films are those films that are liked by a group of people for a very long time to come. The fan base of specific cult films may keep on increasing with the coming of new generations and these films keep gathering publicity through word of mouth, DVD rentals and some other mediums. These are also talked about in the media quite often for their particular characteristics, not good ones though which these films hardly have.
In fact, cult films achieve popularity for very different reasons that include poor quality of these films that people find hard to resist. They may watch it over and over again for poor acting, incompetent direction and production, bad dialogues and campy special effects of the movie. These factors influence some viewers mind in such a way that they start liking the film for being outrageously bad in almost every aspect. The actors who play important characters in cult films also generally become cult figures and have tough time dealing with the films publicity that does not go down well with many others.
Typically, cult films fail to generate any heat at the ticket window when these are initially released. However, some people find their critical reviews very interesting and become devoted fans of these films. This way cult films, although bad in performance, start getting undue attention. In fact, many times cult films stay in the minds of people much longer than major blockbusters. Also, through continued DVD rental and sales cult films generate a lot of money later on. Due to this, cult films are said to have legs.
One of the best examples of cult films is 'Battle Royale' that has achieved a cult status in Britain for its power to influence minds of the country's disaffected youth. In few cases, a film gains cult status in a specific region for having some familiarity with that region. Many films Norman Wisdom, a British comedic actor have gained cult status in Albania. This is because the communist rulers of the country accepted his films and thus Albanians became fond of him.
There are cases when films that have long been forgotten by people become cult films as these become a product of laugh in modern times because of their goofy special effects and senseless plot. However, as surprising as it may sound, many cult films have shed their cult status to become classics and strike a chord with the hearts of masses.
You can find an enormous collection of cult films at www.worldheadpress.com
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