# Cult Movies You Love **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 30, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cult-movies-you-love/534378 "2010-03-30T20:00:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cult-movies-you-love/534378/121 "2010-04-09T02:22:19Z")
_Stardust_ _The Lost Room_ (miniseries, does that count?) _Miracle Mile_ _Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death_ ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cult-movies-you-love/534378/122 "2010-04-09T02:44:15Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > I’m still stuck on the definition. If a cult film is simply one that people watch over and over and over after it’s out of theaters, and quote endlessly, and watch repeatedly on DVD, then Star Wars is probably the biggest cult film ever, despite the fact that it kicked ass at the box office. I once heard the definition put something like this: “A cult film is one that you could show in a little, independent theatre at midnight, using an old print, and the place would be packed.” That was something I heard in pre-VHS/DVD days, but I think it still works. Under those circumstances, a lot of the films mentioned would qualify. But still under those circumstances, I don’t think _Star Wars_ qualifies. For one, I’d imagine _Star Wars_ fans are pickier–they’re more likely to want the high-def, widescreen, pumped-through-a-home-theatre-system experience; or at least the big theatre with a fresh print and Dolby surround sound experience. They won’t be happy with scratchy old prints and sound put through a mono system that has seen better days, especially at midnight. Maybe we’re not quite at a definition yet, but I think we may be on our way towards one: A cult movie is one whose fans are willing to see it under any circumstances, in any condition, and with other fellow fans, without reservation. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cult-movies-you-love/534378/123 "2010-04-09T07:48:29Z")
I have to say the SDMB is the only place I’ve seen people so completely unsure as to what constitutes a “Cult” movie. Sure, the exact definition is a little hard to narrow down, but it generally requires an element of “Not mainstream”, “Low Budget (or simply made) but still quality”, “Dedicated and enthusiastic following, largely by people who might be considered ‘Nerds’ or ‘Geeks’ or ‘University Students’”, “Not a blockbuster”, and (generally) “Quotable”. _Star Wars_ is not a “Cult” film. _Army of Darkness_ is. _Pulp Fiction_ is not a “Cult” film. _This Is Spinal Tap_ is a “Cult” film. You get the idea. ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9de0a6/32.png) [@Electric\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Sky)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cult-movies-you-love/534378/124 "2010-04-09T10:13:04Z")
_Donnie Darko Heavenly Creatures The Prophecy A Knight’s Tale_ (if it counts) Two iffier ones are _Treasure Planet_ and _Bram Stoker’s Dracula_. They were both a little too big/mainstream to truly qualify as cult films, I think, but AFAIK neither had much popular or critical success, and at least one (Treasure Planet) now has a small but thriving fan community. I’ll happily watch both of them over and over. Treasure Planet, I think, deserves a spot alongside other excellent Disney films despite some of its flaws. Bram Stoker’s Dracula might well be a bit crap, but to me it’s golden crap–maybe just because it’s retained that gorgeous/scary/slightly taboo vibe it had when I first saw it as a preteen. ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cult-movies-you-love/534378/125 "2010-04-09T16:26:38Z")
I don’t think “Vanishing Point” has been nominated yet. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cult-movies-you-love/534378/126 "2010-04-09T21:24:59Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > I have to say the SDMB is the only place I’ve seen people so completely unsure as to what constitutes a “Cult” movie. > > Sure, the exact definition is a little hard to narrow down, but it generally requires an element of “Not mainstream”, “Low Budget (or simply made) but still quality”, “Dedicated and enthusiastic following, largely by people who might be considered ‘Nerds’ or ‘Geeks’ or ‘University Students’”, “Not a blockbuster”, and (generally) “Quotable”. > > _Star Wars_ is not a “Cult” film. _Army of Darkness_ is. _Pulp Fiction_ is not a “Cult” film. _This Is Spinal Tap_ is a “Cult” film. You get the idea. This is the definition I was familiar with, which is why I asked and used Star Wars as an extreme example…a fair number of films in the posts above don’t match up with that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cult-movies-you-love/534378.md?page=6)