Cult classic

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A cult classic is a cultural artifact (e.g. a movie or TV show) that has attracted a cult following and has been given the status of classic by that following.

Cult classic is not necessarily a geographically biased term, as cultural artifacts differ from country to country.

Contents 1 What establishes a cult classic 2 Types of cult classics 3 Examples of cult classics 3.1 Films 3.2 Television 3.3 Books 3.4 Video Games 3.5 Board Games 4 Trivia

[edit] What establishes a cult classic

Cult classics are generally works that capture the imagination, defining a new world or reflecting events in society, and are often in the science fiction or horror genre.

Although certainly many cult favorites are well-known films or television series with mainstream popularity, (for example Star Wars or Star Trek), most cult favorites are obscure. They are often short-lived television series, or films that might have initially bombed at the box office, only to take off with extreme popularity in syndication or upon video release. Often, groups or clubs that follow one particular cult favorite even take pride in their classic's obscurity.

A popular joke to summarize cult classics is as follows: "A mainstream film is seen 1 time by 1000 people; a cult film is seen 1000 times by 1 person."

[edit] Types of cult classics

• Cult film
• Cult television
• Cult fiction
• Cult radio
• Cult video games
• underground music

[edit] Examples of cult classics

[edit] Films

• 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

• The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)
• The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990)
• The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)
• An Affair to Remember (1957)
• Alien (1979)
• Aliens (1986)
• American Graffiti (1973)
• American History X (1998)
• American Psycho (2000)
• The Andromeda Strain (1971)
• Apocalypse Now (1979)
• Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1979) and its sequels

• Barbarella (1968)
• Batman (1989)
• Beetlejuice (1988)
• Being John Malkovich (1999)
• Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970)
• The Big Lebowski (1998)
• Blade Runner (1982) and its 'Director's Cut'
• The Blob (1958)
• Blow-Up (1966)
• Bloodsport (1988)
• Blue Velvet (1986)
• The Blues Brothers (1980)
• The Boondock Saints (1999)
• Boyz N the Hood (1991)
• The Breakfast Club (1985)
• Brewster McCloud (1970)
• Bride of the Monster (1955)
• Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

• Caddyshack (1980)
• Cannibal! The Musical (1996)
• Carnival of Souls (1962)
• Capricorn One (1979)
• Caveman (1981)
• Cheech & Chong series and their music
• Child's Play (1988)
• A Christmas Story (1983)
• Clerks (1994) or any of the View Askewniverse movies.
• Cleopatra Jones (1973)
• A Clockwork Orange (1971)
• Clueless (1995)
• Cobra (1986)
• The Crow (1994)

• Dazed and Confused (1993)
• Death Race 2000 (1975)
• Death Wish (1974) and its four sequels
• The Detonator (2005)
• Die Hard (1988) and its two sequels
• Dirty Harry (1971) and its four sequels
• Donnie Darko (2001)
• Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
• Dracula (1931) plus the 1958 and 1992 remakes.
• Dumb and Dumber (1994)

• Easy Rider (1969)
• Eating Raoul (1982)
• Eddie and the Cruisers (1984) and its sequel.
• Edward Scissorhands (1990)
• The Elephant Man (1980)
• Enter The Dragon (1973)
• Eraserhead (1977)
• Escape from New York (1981)
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
• Evil Dead (1981) its two sequels, comic book following, and its franchise.

• Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
• Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
• Field of Dreams (1989)
• Fight Club (1999)
• First Blood (1982) and its sequels
• Five Easy Pieces (1971)
• Flash Gordon (1980)
• Flatliners (1990)
• Forbidden Planet (1956)
• Freaked (1993)
• Freaks (1932)
• Friday (1995)
• Friday The 13th (1980) and its many sequels.
• Full Metal Jacket (1987)
• The Full Monty (1996)

• Ghostbusters (1984)
• Glen or Glenda? (1953)
• The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980)
• The Godfather (1972)
• The Godfather Part II (1972)
• The Goonies (1985)

• Halloween (1978) and its sequels.
• The Harder They Come (1973)
• Harold and Maude (1971)
• Head (1968)
• Heathers (1989)
• Heavy Metal (1981)
• Heavyweights (1995)
• Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)
• Henry Fool (1997)
• Highlander (1986) and the spin-off television series and sequels.
• I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) and its sequel.
• It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

• James Bond films and its books.
• Jerky Boys: The Movie (1995) and there comedy albums.
• Johnny Dangerously (1984)
• Juice (1992)

• Kids (1995)
• Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)
• Knightriders (1981)

• Labyrinth (1986)
• The Last Boy Scout (1991)
• Lethal Weapon (1987) and its three sequels.
• Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (1992)
• The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)
• Logan's Run (1976 film) (1976)
• The Lord of the Rings books and movies

• Mad Max (1979) and the other two films in a three-part series.
• Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
• The Matrix (1999)
• Menace II Society (1993)
• Megaforce (1982)
• Meteor (1979)
• Mommie Dearest (1981)
• Monty Python films and the original BBC television series.
• Mystery Men (1999)

• Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
• National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)
• Night of the Living Dead (1968), and the later Living Dead films, including Dawn of the Dead
• The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
• A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), and its sequels
• New Jack City (1991)

• Office Space (1999)
• Outland (1981)
• Over the Top (1987)

• Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985)
• The Pest (1997)
• Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
• The Philadelphia Experiment (1984) and its sequel
• Pi (1988)
• Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982)
• The Pink Panther (1963) and its sequels
• Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959)
• Planet of the Apes (1968) and its numerous sequels and television series in the Planet of the Apes franchise.
• The Princess Bride (1987)
• Pulp Fiction (1994)
• Point Break (1991)

• Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and its two sequels
• Real Genius (1985)
• Red Dawn (1984)
• Reefer Madness (1937)
• Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985)
• Re-Animator (1985)
• Repo Man (1984)
• Requiem for a Dream (2006)
• Reservoir Dogs (1992)
• Revenge of the Nerds (1984) and its sequels
• A Road Less Travelled (1974)
• RoboCop (1987)
• Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979)
• Rocky III (1982)
• Rocky IV (1985)
• The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
• Rushmore (1998)

• The Sandlot (1993)
• Scarface (1983)
• Seven Samurai (1954)
• Scream (1996) and its two sequels.
• Se7en (1995)
• The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
• Sherlock Holmes franchise, movies and books.
• Showgirls (1995)
• Singles (1992)
• Slap Shot (1977)
• Slipstream (1989)
• Smoke (1995) and its sequel "Blue in the Face"
• Snatch (2000)
• Somewhere in Time (1980)
• The Sound of Music (1965)
• South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)
• Soylent Green (1973)
• St. Elmo's Fire (1985)
• Stand by Me (1986)
• Star Trek and its spin-offs.
• Star Wars - Original trilogy
• Strange Brew: The Adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie (1983)
• Stranger Than Paradise (1984)
• Swingers (1996)

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) and its sequels
• They Live (1988)
• This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
• Thunderheart (1992)
• Tommy (1975)
• The Toxic Avenger (1985) and its sequels
• Trainspotting (1996)
• Tron (1982)
• Twelve Monkeys (1995)
• Two Lane Blacktop (1971)

• UHF (1989)
• The Usual Suspects (1995)

• Valley of the Dolls (1967)
• Valley Girl (1983)
• Vanishing Point (1971)
• Velvet Goldmine (1998)

• WarGames (1983)
• The Warriors (1979)
• Wayne's World (1992) and its sequel
• Westworld (1973) and its sequel and follow-up TV series Beyond Westworld
• When Harry Met Sally (1989)
• The Wicker Man (1973)
• Wild at Heart (1990)
• Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
• The Wizard of Oz (1939)

• Yellow Submarine (1968)

[edit] Television

• Absolutely Fabulous
• The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
• ALF
• Angel (TV series)
• Arrested Development
• Aqua Teen Hunger Force
• The Avengers (TV series)
• Babylon 5
• Batman
• Battlestar Galactica (1970s and 2000s versions)
• Beavis and Butthead
• Blackadder
• Blake's Seven
• Boy Meets World
• The Brady Bunch
• Buck Rogers television, film and comic book franchise.
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
• The Crystal Maze
• Doctor Who
• Dungeons & Dragons
• Dark Shadows
• Dave the Barbarian
• Dead Like Me
• Degrassi Junior High
• Degrassi High Spin-off of Degrassi Junior High.
• Degrassi: The Next Generation Spin-off of both Degrassi's.
• The Fantastic Journey
• Fantasy Island and its 1998 remake.
• Firefly (TV series) and the film sequel Serenity (film)
• Flash Gordon 1930's seriels, 1950's television series, 1980 film, and comic books.
• Fawlty Towers
• Family Guy
• Freaks and Geeks
• Futurama
• Gargoyles (TV series)
• Get Smart
• The Gong Show
• The Greatest American Hero
• The Hardy Boys mystery series and books.
• He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
• Home Movies (TV series)
• Highlander: The Series
• I Love Lucy television series
• Invader Zim
• Jackass
• Justice League Unlimited
• Land of the Lost (1974 TV series) and its remake, Land of the Lost (1991 TV series).
• Lost (TV series)
• Lost in Space
• Love American Style
• Man from Atlantis
• The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
• Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
• Max Headroom
• The Maxx
• The Mighty Boosh
• The Mod Squad
• Monty Python
• Mr. Show
• My So-Called Life
• Mystery Science Theater 3000
• Night Gallery
• The Outer Limits
• Point Pleasant
• Press Your Luck 1980's television game show.
• The Pretender
• Prison Break
• The Prisoner
• Red Dwarf
• Ren and Stimpy
• Rocko's Modern Life
• Riptide
• Roswell (TV series)
• The Saint
• Seinfeld
• The Simpsons
• The Six Million Dollar Man and the The Bionic series
• Soap (TV series)
• Sledge Hammer!
• South of Nowhere
• South Park
• Spaced
• Space: 1999
• Sports Night
• Stargate SG-1
• Strangers with Candy
• Supernatural
• Tales Of The Gold Monkey
• Teletubbies
• That '70s Show
• Thunderbirds
• ThunderCats
• The Transformers
• Tru Calling
• The Twilight Zone
• Twin Peaks
• UFO (TV series)
• V (TV series)
• The Venture Bros.
• Veronica Mars
• Vega$
• Voyagers!
• The Wild Wild West
• Wonderfalls
• The X-Files
• Xena: Warrior Princess

[edit] Books

• American Psycho (Bret Easton Ellis)
• Anti-Œdipus (Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari)
• Atomised (Michel Houellebecq)
• The Atrocity Exhibition (J. G. Ballard)
• The Bell Jar (Sylvia Plath)
• Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
• The Catcher in the Rye (J. D. Salinger)
• A Clockwork Orange (Anthony Burgess)
• The Collector (John Fowles)
• The Dice Man (Luke Rhinehart)
• Dispatches (Michael Herr)
• The Doors of Perception (Aldous Huxley)
• Dune (Frank Herbert)
• The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test (Tom Wolfe)
• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Hunter S. Thompson)
• The Female Eunuch (Germaine Greer)
• Fight Club (Chuck Palahniuk)
• Food of the Gods (Terence McKenna)
• The Function of the Orgasm (Wilhelm Reich)
• Gaia (James Lovelock)
• Gödel, Escher, Bach (Douglas Hofstadter)
• Le Grand Meaulnes (Alain-Fournier)
• The Handmaid's Tale (Margaret Atwood)
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
• The Illuminatus! Trilogy (Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea)
• Journey to the End of the Night (Louis-Ferdinand Céline)
• Laws of Form (G. Spencer-Brown)
• Less Than Zero (Bret Easton Ellis)
• The Naked Lunch (William S. Burroughs)
• Neuromancer (William Gibson)
• One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest (Ken Kesey)
• On the Road (Jack Kerouac)
• The Outsider (Albert Camus)
• The Satanic Bible (Anton LaVey)
• The Second Sex (Simone de Beauvoir)
• Siddhartha (Hermann Hesse)
• Slaughterhouse-Five (Kurt Vonnegut)
• star wars
• The Storm of Steel (Ernst Jünger)
• The Story of the Eye (Georges Bataille)
• Stranger in a Strange Land (Robert A. Heinlein)
• The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge (Carlos Castaneda)
• Tropic of Cancer (Henry Miller)
• Trout Fishing in America (Richard Brautigan)
• The Wasp Factory (Iain Banks)
• White Noise (Don DeLillo)
• Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (Robert Pirsig)

[edit] Video Games

• Alien Hominid
• Beyond Good and Evil
• Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
• Cho Aniki series
• Chrono Trigger
• Clock Tower
• Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge
• Crystalis
• Civilization series
• Cubivore
• Doom series
• Double Dragon series
• Duke Nukem series
• Dynamite Headdy
• EarthBound and the Mother series
• Earthworm Jim series
• The Elder Scrolls series
• Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
• Fallout series
• Fatal Frame
• Final Fantasy series
• Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu
• Fire Pro Wrestling series
• GoldenEye 007
• Grand Prix Legends
• Grand Theft Auto series
• Grim Fandango
• Guardian Heroes
• Gunstar Heroes series
• Guilty Gear series
• Halo: Combat Evolved and it's sequel
• Harvest Moon series
• Ico
• Ikaruga
• Jet Set Radio series
• Katamari Damacy
• Killer 7
• Legend Of Zelda series
• Marvel VS. Capcom 2
• Metal Gear Solid series
• Mister Mosquito
• Monkey Island series
• Mortal Kombat
• Nethack
• NiGHTS into Dreams...
• Night Trap
• Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen
• Panzer Dragoon series
• Power Instinct series
• Power Stone series
• Phantasy Star series
• Planescape: Torment
• Psychonauts
• Quake series
• Rez
• River City Ransom
• Samba De Amigo
• Shadowman
• Shadowrun
• Shenmue series
• Snatcher
• Sonic the Hedgehog series
• Soul Blazer
• Star Control
• Starcraft
• Street Fighter series
• Terranigma
• TradeWars 2002
• Wild Arms series
• Wizkid
• X-COM: UFO Defense
• Xenosaga series
• Zero Wing

[edit] Board Games

• Risk
• Solarquest

[edit] Trivia

Herbert F. Solow, a producer, has been famously instrumental in bringing a number of cult classics into existence, including television series such as Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, Man from Atlantis, Mannix, Then Came Bronson, etc., as well as films such as Dennis Potter's Brimstone and Treacle, Brewster McCloud, and the definitive Elvis Presley documentary "Elvis: That's the Way It Is."