My all time top 10 cult flicks...
Jun 19 '01
The Bottom Line Not necessarily films to enjoy, these are films which have a noteworthy following.
Well, let's face in, cult movies are generally sick, degenerate, nasty and satirical right??? WRONG!! Only six on my list are!! Still, I think they're worth a view, cult movies really apply to a niche audience, but others should see them, broaden their horizens, leave the big-budget hollywood stuff behind, and have a look at the stuff that people really love. If a movie qualifies as cult, and has a cult following, it's not just another good movie...it's something that sombody loves!! It's not necessarily that I like these films that they're on this list, but it comes from the level of cultiness I have aboserved over five years of working at a video store. So lets get into it...
10. Freeway- This movie only just scrapes into the top 10, not because it's a fantastic movie, which it is, but because it's only just been out their long enough to achieve cult status. It did, however, instantly achieve acceptance by cult audiences, the mixture of violence, insanity, pedophilia and Little Red Riding Hood, puts this movie into the quirky category. It's a satirical statement on today society, the desensitisation of America, and the viloence that marrs Western culture. Cult status was only a matter of time for this fantastic film!!
9. Trainspotting- Set in the underground, drug taking, degenerate darker side of Edinburgh, this movie achieved instant cult fame as a fantastic piece of film work, and most importantly a fantastic piece of script writing. The story follows the life a young drug addict in the city, the things that happen in his life, his friends, his moods, it all relies on his addiction. The most poignant phrase in the film is when he cries 'I hate Scotland, you can't do anything here, it's the footmat of the world', not realising that all the time, it's him self-destructing, not Scotland. This film is a very poignant view of the addicted life style.
8. Labyrinth- Something a bit lighter, and this film was the best of the big influx of fantasy films released during the 80s. We follow the adventures of a young girl to get to the castle of the Goblin King, through his Labyrinth, as he has taken her baby brother(which, mind you, she had asked him to do) and is planning to turn him into a goblin if she doesn't get there in time. Jim Henson's fabulous Goblin creations, and the appearance of David Bowie combined with the great plot has amde this movie a timeless classic, and a huge cult hit!!
7. The Blues Brothers- It's not something you particularly expect to see on a list like this, but I can't think of a film which has a larger cult following than this one!! It's simply great fun, and far more importantly, great blues!! The storyline, of two bad gangster-type blues singers looking to earn (legitimately) money to keep a nun's convent school running is funny enough. Then with James Brown as well, the music gets fantastic, the strory gets hilarious, the cars get crashed, and truth be told, the innocent charm of this movie after all of that makes it irresitable.
6. Freaks- Pin-heads, living torsos, this 1936 Tod Browning film stars all real life stage show freaks. Making a statement on human inhumanity, the 'freaks' decided to make this movie to bring compassion to their cause, their acceptance. Featuring such things as a man with no arms and no legs lighting his own cigareetes, this movie is a fascinating view that plays with your mind. This movie epitomises what cult is.
5. Faster Pussycat, Kill, Kill- Ah yes, everybody's favourite breast fetishest Russ Myer produced here, the measuring stick for all his future work. With charcters named after vegetables, scantily clad girls with bogus Italian accents and fetishes for killing men, who could resist this film?? Most people I'm sure. Ultimately, this was Myer's best work, and as we all know, anything Myer produced was quickly lapped up by his own private cult following. Of all cult films, this would be one of the hardest to get.
4. Fritz the Cat- Well, time for a bit of animation, but I'd advise against showing this one to your kiddies, it follows the degenerate life of Fritz the New York cat. Basically Fritz is a bad boy, and rather than anything else, this film is an erotic movie starring a whole bunch of cats. It's a strange and twisted little movie, and with a blurb like 'you ain't seen nothing yet, baby', it was an instant cult and independant classic. It's worth a view if you can deal with it.
3. Akira- Bring on the animation!! This movie epitomises what Anime is, or more particularly, what Manga sets out to achieve. This film is an amazing feast for the eyes, the animation is superb. The story is twisted beyond belief, and set in post-apocolyptic neo-Tokyo, it's sure to play with your mind. It definately bears two viewings. It's a movie you'll either love or absolutely hate.
2. Chopper Chicks From Zombie Town- More than anything else, I really feel that this movies name was what propelled it to cult status. It also gives away the entire story, there are zombies in Zombie Twon, and the scantily clad Chopper Chicks go to work. There's not really much to say about this film, other than the fact that it is a adored by its following. Although not Russ Myer, it is of the same ilk as Faster Pussycat.
1. I Spit on Your Grave- One of the exploitation films of the early seventies, I would never recommend this movie to anyone. It's a nasty, horrible piece of work, and it's regrettable that it has achieved such cult status. Essentially during the first half of the film a woman is raped, and beaten and believed dead, then for the second half of the film, she exacts torturous revenge. This film, however, will be nearly impossible to find, as it has been banned in the US for a number of years, and also in Australia for the last two.
Well, I hope you enjoyed this list, I know that once again I haven't done full justice to everything that deserves to be on this list, including Fight Club, American History X and Lick, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, all of which I believe have achieved instant cult acclaim.
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Epinions.com ID:
Mattels
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Member: Matt Firth
Location: Sydney Australia
Reviews written: 52
Trusted by: 39 members
About Me:
Made a brief return...maybe I shall make another...
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