Cult Classics

Elizabeth A.C. Kelly & Georgia D. Van de Zande2011

Cult ClassicDictionary Definition (n)Aworkoffictionthatisextremelypopularwith aselectaudiencebutmayormaynotbesuccessful atthetimeofthework’soriginalpublication.

Our Definition (n)Aso-bad-it’s-goodflopmovietypicallyincludingbutnot limitedtoalowbudget,badacting,archaicspecialeffects, raunchyhumor,atrocioushorror,andall-aroundcalamity. Note:Thereistheoccasionalbrilliantbreakthroughthatdefiesthis definitionbutstillaquiresthecultstatusofitspeers.

This magazine reviews the Top 10 Cult Classics as determined by www.screenjunkies.com: 10.DawnoftheDead(1978) 9.Akira(1998) 8.EvilDeadIIDeadbyDawn(1987) 7.DazedandConfused(1993) 6.TheWarriors(1979) 5.Eraserhead(1976) 4.RepoMan(1984) 3.TheTexasChainSawMassacre(1974) 2.TheRockyHorrorPictureShow(1975) 1.ThisIsSpinalTap(1984)

Things We Learned •Howtokillzombies.•Whattodowithzombiesonceyou killthem.•Amallisaveryconvenient (andentertaining)placeto hideduringazombieattack.•Zombiesdon’tlikefire.

ReviewCananyonesurviveazombieattack?GeorgeA.Romeroasksthisquestioninhis1978Dawn of the Dead.Itseemsasifthereislittletonohopeforhumanityasthousandsofflesh-eatingmonsterssearchforfood.

Forthefirsthourofthefilm,Romero’scharactersfightthelivingdeadastheghoulstrytoeattheirbrains.Francine,Stephen,Peter,andRoger(allstilllivingandbreathing)formasmallbutstrongzombie-fightingteam.Toavoidthemonstersontheground,thefourtakeahelicoptertoamall.Theyrealizethatthismallwill

#10Dawn of the Dead(1978)

providethemwitheverythingtheyneedtosurvive—food,shelter,clothes,andarcadegames—exceptforthefactthatdozensofzombiesarealreadywanderingthestoresandhallways.Thesefourplantheirattack,raidthegunstore,andforceoutallthezombies.Intheprocesshowever,azombiebitesRoger’slegbutdoesn’tkillhim.

Elizabeth A.C. Kelly & Georgia D. Van de Zande 2011

Afterthemallisridofzombies,theactionofthemoviesubsidesabit,butinthelastthirtyorsominutesofthefilm,itrisesagain.Theundeadbegin

tobreakdownPeter’smake-shiftbarrier.Othermembersofthelivingwanttotakeadvantageoftheirsafehaven.AndPeterwatchesasRogerdiesand

comesbacktolife.

InDawn of the Dead,Romeroexploreswhatmakesushuman.Atthebeginningofthefilm,SWATteammembersevacuateanapartmentbuildingwheresurvivorsarestillholdingontotheirdeadfamilymembers.Thesedesperaterefugeesdon’trealizethattheirbrothersandwiveswon’tremembertheir

previousrelationshipswhenthey“wakeup.”Romero’sdepictionofhumanityclearlyshowswhatismostimportantforourcultureifwedon’twantourworldtoendsogruesomely:compassionandempathyforothers.

Butasyouwillsee,depthandthoughtfulnessdonothelpmoviesreachcultstatus.Inhisattempttocaptureaprofoundviewofcivilization,Romeroinfactproducesaneasy-to-mockmovie.Alltopcultfilmlistswefoundincludedzombiemovies.

Althoughazombieapocalypseisnothingtolaughat,thereisdefinitelysomethinglaughableaboutzombiesthatcanovershadowanyseriousnessinamovie.Itmaybe

theunlikelinessofthedeadcomingbacktolife,butitismorelikelythequalityofactingrequiredtowalkaroundaimlesslytryingtoeateveryoneinsight.

Things We Learned•Scientistsareromantics.•Onlyfoolishquestionsareunasked.•25isnotveryold.•Bigpeoplecan’thandlethepower.•Animemoviesareinsane.

ReviewNeverinourlivesagainwillwewanttowatchatwohourlonganimemovie.AlthoughsomemayconsiderAkiratobeaparagonofanimefilms,weconsidereditconfusingandexcessive.Whowantstowatchamoviemadebyawanna-bephysicisttrippingonacid?Notus.Nonetheless,weborethroughthismovieandcomeoutalive.

#9 Akira (1998)

Toexplaintheplotwouldtakeamillionyears,sohereisthequickandsnappy.Itis31yearsafterWorldWarIIIstarted,andthenewcityofNeo-Tokyoisexperiencingrebellionagainstthemilitaryrule.Therearetheseagedchildrenkeptunderveryclosesurveillancebecauseoftheirmentalpowers,muchlikeMinorityReport.Moreimportantly,therearebikergangsrunningamuckinthecity.Thetwo“protagonist”happentobeapartofthegangCapsules.Oneofthemaincharacters,Tetsuo,feelsoppressedbyhisbestfriendKaneda.TheplotcontinueswithTetsuobeingtakenawaybythegovernmentafteroneoftheagedchildrenescapes.Therestofthe


moviecentersonTetsuodiscoveringhispowersandusingthemforevil.Toobadthissuperhumandidn’thavesomeonetotellhim,“Withgreatpowercomegreatresponsibility”.Tetsuoisangryatlifeandtakesitoutoneveryone,killingmanypeopleasaresult.

Theendingissoconvolutedwecan’tevenbeginto

explainit.WewilljustleaveyouwithAkira,theultimatepower.Akiraisthefocusofthelast30minutesofthemovie,yetwestillaren’tquitesurewhatAkirais.

Thismovieistheultimatecombinationofunnecessarydeaths,violenceandanger.However,weenjoyedtheoddmusiccuesandthecolorfulanimations.Thecityscapewasveryinterestingaswell.Wearenoanimeexperts,buttheanimationsseemedfairlydecentsansthedeathsceneswherethebloodlookedlikesomeonespilledfruitpunchonthepictures.Also,wemayalreadyhaveanegativebiasasthelasthalfofthemovielookedasifitcamestraightoutofDragonBallZ.Perhapsthismoviewastryingtocommentontheabuseofpowerandhowabsolutepowerabsolutelycorrupts,butitwaslostamongsttheconfusingplot.Maybeonedaywewillbeabletoappreciatewhatothershaveseeninthisfilm,butasfornow,wearethoroughlyconfused.

Things We Learned•Neverlistentotaperecordings.•Sundrivesspiritsaway.•Howtocrydramaticallyinagonyandterror.•Don’tkillyourgirlfriendespeciallyifshetriestokillyou.She’llonlygetangrier.•Zombiesbleedblack,blue,andgreen.•Nevershootyourownhand(orcutitoffforthatmatter).•WhompingWillowsexistoutsideoftheWizardingWorldofHarryPotter.•EntsalsoexistoutsideoftheFangornForest.•Zombiescandance.•EdwardScissorHandshasafriendAshChainSawArm.

#8 Evil Dead II Dead by Dawn (1987)

ReviewIt’sastoryoftruelove!It’sapsychologicalthriller!No,it’sEvil Dead II Dead by Dawn!InSamRaimi’s1987“horror”movie,aslewofangryspiritsandinsanelynaïvehumansfillthescreen.Ash,thesolesurvivoroftheoriginalfilm,andhisgirlfriendLindabreakintoacabinandplayarecordingofsomepassagesfromtheBook of the Dead.Unbeknownsttothem,thepowerfulpassagescouldawakenmultiplespiritsinthesurroundingwoods.PoorLindabecomespossessed,andAshhasnochoicebuttocutherheadoff.Luckily,thesunsavesAsh’slife(spiritscan’tbeoutinthedaylight),buthecriesinagonyforhislostLinda.


Asthemoviecontinues,everythinggetsalittlecheesy.LindacomesbackfromthedeadwhileperforminganinterpretivedanceandAsh’shandbecomespossessed.Hechopsitoffwithabutch-erknifeandspendsthenexttenminutestryingtoshootthethingbeforeitflipshimoffandrunsintoamousehole.Withthecopiousquantityofblood,gore,andcuriouslycoloredbodilyfluid,itisclearthatthissequelismeanttobemoreofaparodythanatruehorrorfilm.Thepropsarepoor,thesetsarenotconvincing,andthespecialeffectsseemtobeasdatedasiftheyarefromthemiddleages.ButthisseemstobeallpartofRaimi’splantotrulyrepulsetheaudience.

Themoviecontinueswhenmorepeoplearriveatthecabinandeveryonesubsequentlydiesinamessofbloodandbrightlycolorliquids.Ashisonceagainpossessed,buthefightsthespiritsoffbythepowerofhisloveforLinda.Anewgirl,Annie,opensariftintimetotrapthespirits.

WeclearlyseehowEvil Dead II Dead by Dawnhasbecomeacultclassic.Withtheover-the-topbloodandgoreandthedownrightsillyactionsandscript,thismovieiseasilymockableinthemostlovingway.Thefilm’sscriptiscomprisedofhilariousonelinerssuchas‘Givemebackmyhand!”and“DeadbyDawn!”Eveninitsparodyform,themoviestillmakesitsaudiencejumpinfright,worryinsuspense,andgagatthegore.Raimihasperfectlycombinedhorrorwithparodytocreateaseriouslyentertainingcultfilm.

Things We Learned •JustKeepLivin’.•Theuseoftheword“man.”•GeorgeWashingtongrewpot.•Whyguysaresuchpigs.•Musicandcarswereepicinthe‘70s.•Investingmorethan1/6ofyour budgetinmusicisclever.

#7 Dazed and Confused (1993)

ReviewThestudentsofLeeHighwillalwaysremembertheirlastdayofjunioryearwiththehazeofpotandsmellofboozehangingintheair.Unfortunately,forthesoon-to-be-seniorswhowereexpectingtoletlooseatakegger,thehost’sparentscanceltheparty.Butthisdoesnotstopthejocks,theprettygirls,thenerds,andthe“oldfarts”fromgettingtheirgrooveon.RichardLinklater’s‘70sthrowbackfilm,Dazed and Confused,depictsthelifeofaneclecticgroupofhighschoolstudentsastheytrytoseamlesslytransitionintoadulthood.Inanefforttogetacompleteviewofthehighschoolexperience,Linklaterfollowsneitheraplotnoranyparticularcharacter.


ThefilmbeginswiththequintessentialjocksofLeeHigh(Pink,Kramer,andO’Bannion)askingsoftheschool,threateningtherisingfreshman,disrespectingtheircoaches,andskippingclasses.Thesefootballplayersmainlycareaboutsigninganabstinenceformandbeatingthecrapoutofthefreshman.

Wespentthemajorityofthemoviewatchingtherisingseniorstrackdownandbusttheincomingfreshmanboyswiththeirhand-madepaddles.Duringtherestofthefilm,wewatchedtheseniorgirlsadoptSabrina,afreshmangirl,intotheirgroupwhiletheseniorboysadoptMitch,afreshmanboy.Themoviethenfollows

theirexperiencesduringthefirstnightofsummer.Throughsomegreatmusic,cars,alcoholanddrugs,everyone(includingthenerdsandotherriffraff)endsupatakegpartyinthemiddleofapark.

Althoughthisfilmseemsshallowinitsexcessivedrinkingandsmokingandlackofmeaningfulconversations,Linklaterinfactpresentsaveryrealistichighschool

experience.Nothingexemplifieshighschoolmorethanabunchofkidsrunningwilddoingwhatevertheypleasewithnopatternorsenseatall.Linklater’splotlessstyle

portraysthismeaninglessnessperfectly.

LinklateralsoexpertlydesignedtheensembleofcharactersinDazed and Confused.Wecanallimaginethestereotypes:theposthighschoolgradtryingtorelivehis

glorydays,therebelliousandbrainlessjock,themisfit,thenerd,andtherisingstarofthefreshmanclass.AndLinklatercapturestheselabelsperfectly.Ifthecomedyandabsurdityofthismoviewasn’tenjoyableenough,thenwatchingBenAffleck,ReneeZellwegerandMatthewMcConaugheyasyoungstarsjustemergingonthemovie

scenecertainlyputsitatthetopofmostentertainingcultfilms.

Things We Learned•Evenatpeacefulgatherings,gangmembersarepronetoviolence.•Don’tjustblamethefirstguyyouseefortheassassinationofapublicfigure.•LyingaboutassassinatingtheirleaderwillturnNewYorkCitygangsagainstyou fasterthanactuallyassassinatinghim.•Howtorunfrom,avoid,orfightallthegangsinNYC.

ReviewWalterHill’s1979The Warriors doesn’tfitintothetypicalcultclassicstereotype.Thereisnothingtomock,nothingtoscorn,nothingthatwouldputitinthesamecategoryasThe Texas Chain Saw MassacreorSpinal Tap.Sohowdoesitappearonthislistofcultclassics?

#6 The Warriors (1979)

The Warriors—astoryofstruggle,violence,romance,unity,seekingtruth,andfindingcharacter—realisticallycapturesNewYorkCitygangcultureinthe‘70s.Cleon,leaderoftheWarriors,travelsfromhisConeyIslandterritorytotheBronx,whereamannamedCyruswillspeaktohundredsoflocalgangs.Cyrusproposesatrucethatwouldunitethemen,declaringthattheir60,000soldierscanoverthrowtheircommonenemy:the20,000NYCpolice.

Justwhenallseemscalm,Luther,leaderoftheRouges,shootsCyrus.Inthechaosthatfollows,theRougesblameCleonfortheassassination,andnearbygangsimmediatelykillhim.Byassociation,theWarriors(whohavemanagedtoescape)arealsoblamedforthecatastrophe.OncearadioDJannouncestoallgangsthattheWarriorsarewanted,themovie’sheroesfacegangaftergang,attemptingtoreturntosafetyonConeyIsland.


Hillusesinterestingvisualandauditoryeffectstocomplementthestory.Everysooften,Hillwillcartoonizethecharactersandusecomicbooktransitionstomovefromscenetoscene.TheradioDJservesnotonlyas

anarratoroftheplot,butshealsohighlightstheimportanceofmusicduringthetimeperiod,playing“NowheretoRun”whenshefirstissuesthewarrantfortheWarriorsand“IntheCity”whenshelaterlearnsthetruthabouttheassassination.

PerhapsmoviegoersgravitatetowardtheunconventionaltechniquesusedinThe Warriors.PerhapscultfollowerscanmakefunofthevariousgangsthattheWarriorsencounter,includingtheBaseballFurieswhowearbaseballuniformsandpainttheirfaces,theLizzieswhoseducetheWarriorsthenattempttoshootthem,andtheRiffswhofighttheirenemieswithhockeysticks.Orperhapsthemostlikelyreason:nothingcallstogethercults(typesofgangsthemselves,onecouldsay)betterthanamoviedevotedtoexposingtheclosebondsbetweenmembersofaninseparablegroup.

Things We Larned•Don’thavepremaritalsexoryou’ll haveamutant-dinosaur-baby.•Hownottomakeamovie.•Howtoefficientlygrosssomeoneout.•Hownottostyleourhair.•It’sbetternottocutoreatthe chickenifit’smoving.•Don’tcutthebandagesonyour mutantdinosaurbaby.

ReviewAnightmareorreallife?DavidLynch’s1977EraserheadopenswithHenry,amanwithbighairanddressedina

#5 Eraserhead (1976)

suit,driftingthroughtime,space,orsomethingelse(wedon’treallyknow).Foreshadowingfutureevents,anintestinal-lookingentityfloatsoutofhismouth,presentingthefirstofmanydatedvisualeffectsofthisfilm.Thescenecutstoapost-apocalypticworldwhereamanseemstocontroleveryone’slivesbypullingandchanginglevers.

Thenexttenminutesorsotakeplaceinanabandonedbuildingfullofmachinesandpipes,whereHenrysitsinhisapartmentlisteningtothesoundsaroundhim.Thequalityofthesoundinthishorrorfilmmakesupforthelackofvisualeffectsandthesub-parscreenplay.Inthishisfirstfilm,Lynchmasterstheuseof

sound(everythingfromthewhirringradiatorandthehissingwindtothestrategicsilences)togivethefilmthesurrealatmosphereheenvisions.


TheplotbeginsasHenryvisitshisgirlfriend,Mary,andherfamily.Afteraninterestingdinnerexperienceinvolvingmultiplenervousbreakdownsandamovingchickenthatoozesamysteryliquid,HenrylearnsthatMaryhashada“baby.”SheandtheinfantmoveintoHenry’sapartment,andweseetheoffspringforthefirsttime.Becauseyouwouldn’tbelieveusifwetoldyou,hereisapictureofthekid:

Thebaby’scryingkeepsHenryawake,anddriveshimtoinsanity.Henry’sbizarredreamsandexperiencescontinuefortheremaining60minutesandendwiththemostdisgustingclimaxyouhaveeverseen.

Lynchhadarelativelylowbudgetof$10,000to$20,000tocovertheoverfouryearsittooktomakethisfilm,andwecouldtell.Asboththewriteranddirector,Lynch’spsychoticvisionisdefinitelyevident.Onthecultscaleof1to10,wewouldratethismovieasa3.Theplotmovedtooslowlyforaudiencememberstomockthefilm,andthehorrifyingimages,althoughquiteunbelievable,probablydisturbedmostspectators.Itisdifficulttoimaginethatanyviewercouldrelatetothestrangenessthatwouldgivethisfilmacultfollowing.NeitherofuscouldseehowanyviewerwouldwillinglyseeEraserheadasecondtime.

Things We Learned •Neveropenthetrunkofa’64ChevyMalibu.•Peoplejustexplodesometimes.•TheRepoCode:Ishallnotcauseharmtoanyvehiclenorthepersonalcontentsthereof,northroughinactionletthatvehicleorthepersonalcontentsthereofcometoharm.•ThelifeofaRepoManisalwaysintense.•Millionairesneverpaytheirbills.•Themoreyoudrive,thelessintelligentyouare.

Review

#4 Repo Man (1984)

Repo Man,amovieaboutdrugs,repossession,andlotsofaliens,isoneofthemorehumorousmoviesonourcultlist.Itisnohorrorfilm,butratherafilmmockingconsumeristcultureanditsfascinationwithaliens.InRepo Man’sopeningscene,apolicemanvaporizesinafreakaccidentwhileopeningthetrunkofaChevyMalibu.Sometimespeoplejustdisappear.

Otto,theprotagonist,getsajobasarepossessionmanafterstickingittohisbossatthesupermarket.Throughoutthefilm,characterseatanddrinkfromgenericallylabeledcontainerssuchasacanlabeled“FOOD:meatflavored”or“drink.”Athishouse,Ottowitnesseshisparentsgluedtotheirtelevision,completelytransfixedbyareligiousinfomercial;a

“priest”encouragesthemtogivetheirmoneybecauseGodwantedthem


todoso.DirectorRyanCoxcarriescertainthemesthroughthemovie,attemptingtoillustratetheabsurdconsumerismofthe‘80s.Themaincharactersarerepomen,afterall.ThemoviecontinueswithOtto’strainingwhichincludesskillsinvolvingspeed,guns,chicks,andTheRepoCode.Unlikesomeofthemoreplot-lesscultfilmswehavewatched,Repo Manhasastorytotell.

Ottofindsagirlwhoisrunningawayfrommenwearingmirroredsunglasses.Sheclaimstoknowaboutanaliencover-up.ThingstakeaturnfortheweirdwhentheRepoMengetpaperstorepossessaChevyMalibufor$20,000.Soon,arch-enemies—theRodriguezbrothersandOtto’srobberfriends—begintheracetogettothisspecialcarbeforeothersfindit.Whateverisinthetrunkisverypowerful,andtheluretofinditdrivesthecharacters.CoxfillshismoviewithinterestingdiscussionsbetweenvariousmembersoftheRepoMen:Miller,BudandLite.OttolearnstheeccentricwaysoftheRepoMenthroughtheseconversations.

Intheend,themoviemovestowardthecult-ysideofthingswithsomeoftheworstspecialeffectsevertobewitnessedand

aconfusingkidnappingsequence.Betweentheglowingcar,theflightoverthecity,andthe

shootout,thishalf-decentmoviedowngradestocultstatus.

Inthis1984movie,Coxprovidestheaudiencewithmuchtomockaswellasmuchtocontemplate.Peoplewalkaroundinwhitesuits,depictingthesecrecyofthegovernmentandsettingthemoodforeerie,other-worldlyeventsinthefilm.ThegenericlabelingandfaçadeofreligioninthefilmalsogiveinsighttoaworldmuchlikethatinDonDeLillo’sWhite Noiseconsumeristsociety.Despitethesatiricalattackonconsumerism,thismovielosesitsseriousnessbylettingthecharactersspeak.MuchlikeSpinal Tap’sNigelTefnel,Millerspeakswithallthewisdomofalunatic,butgivesthemovieitshumorousedge.Thismoviehasearnedtherighttostandbesideotherfilmsonthislistasoneofthebestcultfilmsever.

Things We Learned•Don’tpickupahitchhiker.Hemaycuthishandopen,get bloodalloveryourvan,andthenattackyou.•Don’tgointoabandonedbuildingsinastrangetown. Theymayinfactbeinhabited.•Don’tfollowyourfriendintoabandonedbuildingsina strangetown.Theymayactuallyhaveskeletonsin everyroom.•Don’tgolookingforyourfriendswhohavedisappeared intoabandonedbuildingsinastrangetown.Theguy whoputtheskeletonstheremaystillbehanging around,waitingforhisnextvictim.•Ifyouaretryingtohidefromaguychasingyouwitha chainsaw,stopscreaming.Hecanhearyou.•Don’tgoonroadtripsinTexas.

#3 The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

ReviewTobeHoopermasters(andperhapsintroduces)manyaspectsofhorrorfilmsinhis1974The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.Completewithblood,gore,teenagersgettingintotrouble,apsychoticbadguy,andscreamingvictims,The Texas Chain Saw Massacrealsousescinematographictechniquestoaddtothehorrifyingandcontroversialscenes.

Fivefriends—SallyHardesty,herwheelchair-boundbrotherFranklin,herboyfriendJerry,herbestfriendPam,andPam’sboyfriendKirk—takearoadtripthroughruralTexas,hopingtospendarelaxingvacationatSally’sgrandfather’sranch.Theymeetanumberofstrangecharactersinasmalltownneartheranch,oneofwhomsetsaphotographonfireinsidetheirvanbeforecuttingopenhishandandattackingFranklinwithhisknife.

Thefriendsmakeittotheranchbuttheircarisalmostoutofgas.KirkandPamsetouttofindaneighborwhocouldlendthemsomefuel.PamandtheaudiencewatchinterrorasLeatherface,oneofthemostinfamousantagonistsinfilmhistory,slashesKirkintopieceswithhischainsaw.WhenPamandKirkfailtoreturnfromtheirquestformoregasoline,Jerryfollowstheirtrail,


onlytorealizeasimilarviolentfatebychainsaw.OnlywhenSallyandFranklinfollowthethreemissingfriends,dotheymeetLeatherfaceandhiscannibalfamily.LeatherfacekillsFranklinwiththesamedegreeofviolenceashekilledtheotherthreeteenagers.HethenchasesandtorturesSallyfortheremainderofthefilm.

AlthoughthereweremanycriticsandgovernmentofficialswhodidnotapproveofHooper’sdegreeofviolence,thishorrorfilmhasbeenoneofthemostsuccessfulinhistory.Thevisualeffectsofthebloodarenotamazing,butHooperreliedonothermethodstoconveyterrortohisaudience.HisunorthodoxcameraanglesandchoppyclipsmirrorSally’sconfusionwhensheisheldcaptive.Thepeculiarityofthesounds—chickenscluckinginsideanuninhabitedhouse,Franklin’sunusuallyhighvoice,andsilencesmasterfullyplacednexttoscenescrowdedwithnoise—washardtoplace,butitslowlycreatedasenseofuneasinessinthevieweruntiltheclimaxofthefilmwhenSally’sconsistentscreamsandtheconstantbuzzofLeatherface’schainsawfurtherfilledtheviewerwithpanicandfear.

TheamountofviolenceinThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre disgustedmanymovie-goers,buttohorrormoviefanatics,themoreblood,thebetter.HooperdeliberatelycuttheshotswherecharactersdiedandlimitsthebloodflowinordertogainaPGrating,butendedupwithanR-ratedfilm.Inthe‘70s,theviolenceinThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre mayhavebeenoverwhelmingtosome,buttous,itdidnotseemoutoftheusualfor2011.Hooper’sfilmhasopenedmanydoorstofollowinghorrorfilms,perhapsexplainingthegreatcultfollowingThe Texas Chain Saw Massacrehasattained.

Things We Learned•Howtodothetimewarpandthepelvicthrustfromamanwithoutaneck.•TimCurrylookslikeSusanSarandonwhenhewearsawig.•Castlesdon’thavetelephones.•It’salwaysbettertojustsingitratherthanjustsayit.•Frank-N-Furter’sfavoritecolorisMagentaandgetshisdrugsfromColumbia.•Rainbowsarecreatedwhenaliensreturntothehomeplanet.

#2 The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

ReviewWhatelsewouldyouratherdoFridaynightatmidnightratherthanwatchThe Rocky Horror Picture Show?Whatifwesaidthatyouwouldn’tactuallywatchJimSharman’sfilm,butinsteadwatchactorsthatpopulatethetheateraislesandastageatthefront?AndwhatifwesaidpeoplehavedonethiseveryFriday,forthepast36yearssinceRocky’sreleasein1975?

Lettherebelips!Thefilmbeginswithamusicalnumberandtheiconicredlipsthathavebeenreferencedinmanypopculturemovies,shows,andimages.Theactors(andsomefrequentaudiencemembers)danceandsingalongwiththefilm,changingthewordstowarpitintoamoreraunchyandvulgarsong.

Newly-wedsBradandJanetaretravellingtovisittheirfriend,Dr.Scott,whentheircarbreaksdowninthemiddleofarainstorm.Theycomeacrossacastle,hopingtofindatelephone,butinsteadinterruptabizarreTransylvanianpartyhostedbyDr.Frank-N-Furter,atransvestite/scientist/alien.Thecoupleandtheviewersareinstantlyintroducedtothiscultfilm’scultureascastandaudience


membersalikejoinintodancethe“TimeWarp.”Thedoctorhasjustcreatedaperfectspecimen,RockyHorror,buteverythinggoeshaywirewhenEddie,aformerloverofthedoctor,arrives.

ThesecondhalfofthemovieincludesevenmorecultanticsliketheinfamousUnderwearRun,CardGirls,andflyingtoiletpaper.Foramoviewithsuchabizarreplot,theendinghastobeequallyoutlandish.Betweenthegravity-defyinghairdos,crazydancenumbers,andTransylvaniaaliens,theendingdoesnotdisappoint.Exhaustedfromalackofsleepandkeepingupwithalltheactionaroundus,thefinaleventswerealittlelostintranslation,butnonethelessinteresting.Onascaleof1to10of“cultness,”theexperienceofwatchingRockyliveisan11(Spinal Tapreference).Nothingdefinesacultfilmmorethanaudiencehazing,props(riceduringtheweddingsceneandpiecesoftoastduringthetoast),peopleincostume,dancingtheaisles,andguestsanticipatingeveryline.Theavant-gardemusicandlyricsaddedtothemostridiculousstorylinecometogethertocreatethisepicaudiencefollowing.Rocky,thelongestrunningtheatricalrelease,hasplayedasignificantroleinshapingpopculture.ReferencestoRockyhaveappearedintoptelevisionshows,suchasGilmore Girls, That ‘70s Show, and Glee.Muchlikeothercultcomedies,thepointlessnessandridiculousnessofthisfilmmakesittheperfectmovieforeccentricmovie-goers.

Things We Learned•Howtomakeacomebacktour.•Howtoscrewupacareer.•Howtomakearockumentary.•Anampthatgoesupto11isonelouder thananampthatgoesto10.•It’sverydifficulttomakeasandwichwith squarebreadandroundmeat.•Twomarksmeansinchesnotfeet.•St.Hubbinsisthepatronsaintofqualityfootwear.

ReviewThis is Spinal Tap!AlookintothecomebacktourofEngland’sloudestband,SpinalTap,offersthevieweraglimpseintotheworldofrockstars.MartyDibergi,acharacterplayingadirector,followsafictitiousbandthroughAmericainitslastdesperateattempttobecomerockstars.WhileSpinal Tap offersmuchhumor,allsillinessaside,thisfilmsisawell-developedparodythattouchesonsomeofthefunnieststereotypesofrockstars.

#1 This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

Throughoutthedocumentary(or“rockumentary”),Martyshowsinterviewswiththebandandpullsupoldfootageofthebandinitsheyday(forexample,shotsofthebandsportingearly-Beatlesgetup).SpinalTapcullsaspectsfromeverytypicalrock

band,includingTheBeatles,Queen,andTheWho.Itcapturestheessenceoftherocklifestylewith

ease.Thelineup:DerekSmalls,DavidSt.Hubbins,NigelTefnel,VivSavage,andyetanother


newdrummer.SpinalTapgoesthroughaseriesoftrialsandtribulations(includingaStonehengethemedconcertgoneallwrong)asbookedvenuescancelconcertafterconcert,leadingtotheeventualbreakupoftheband.

Thisfilmwouldnotbeacultfilmwithouttheoutrageouslystupidconversationsbetweenthebrainlessbandmembers.PoorMarty

happenedtocatchoneofthefunniestmomentsofthemoviewhenNigelhadafitaboutthebreadandsandwichmeatinhisroom;round

meatdoesn’tfitonsquarebread!Nigelprovidesthedim-wittedcomedicreliefintheotherwisegloomyoutlookfortheband.Fromhisspecialguitarsandamps,tohisguitarsolos,Nigel’scharacteris

withoutadoubtthestupidest,yetgreatest,assettothefilm.

This is Spinal Taphasbecomepopularthroughitsbelievableportrayaloftherockbandcultureanditsdrysenseofhumor.Whatmakesthisacultfilm?Well,This is Spinal Tapcombineseverythingagoodcultfilm

needs—stupidity,asmallbudget,wit,humor,andridiculouslypointlesstopics—withthemakingsofanentertainingmovieforanunbeatable

filmeverygenerationwillbeabletomockincessantly.

A Nomination from Our GenerationAspartofthismagazine,wewouldliketonominateonemoviefromourteenageyearstojointheesteemedlistof“cult”films.Forustherewasonefilmthatstoodabovetherest:JaredHess’Napoleon Dynamite.NothingdefinedourpreteenyearsmorethanVoteforPedroshirtsandtatertots.Thebudgetwaslimited,andthefilm

Final Words

wascompletein22days.Wehaveallseenit:Tinathellama,theHappyHandsClub,andNapoleon’sdancefinale.Thisfilmhaseffectivelybeensoakedupintooursociety.Thereisnotakidontheblockwhodoesn’tknowaboutKipandLafawnduh.Aswithourothercomediccultclassics,thereisaplethoraofstupidity,silliness,andoverallmock-ability.Thereiseventhecheesy,yetsentimental,underlyingthemeofthosewhodon’tfitinfindingaplaceforthemselvesinlife.IfNapoleon Dynamitedoesn’tscreamcultfilm,thenwhatdoes?

ConclusionWhilewatchingthesecultclassics,anobvioustrendappeared:generallythefilmswereeitherR-ratedorunrated.Yetthereweretwodistinctcategories:thefilmsthatgainedtheirratingsbecauseofviolenceandhorrorversusthosethatgainedtheirratingsfromthecrudeandoffbasehumor.Thecultfollowingofthesemoviesshowsthatourculturegravitatestowardthesedefiningcharacteristics.Atthesametime,wecanrecognizethelowgradequalitiesofthefilms,includingeverythingfromthescreenplaysandthedirectingtothevisualeffectsandtheacting.Wenotonlyrecognizetheseweaknesses,butweappreciatethem,andironicallytheseflawsarewhathavemadethesecultfilmssosuccessfulthroughouttheyears.


Image Citations•http://www.criterion.com/films/317-this-is-spinal-tap•http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2010/01/23/spinal-tap-treading-the-fine-line-between-stupid-and-and-clever/•http://looksharpdesigns.com/index.php/spinal-tap-poster/•http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/glee-creator-may-ruin-the-rocky-horror-picture-show/•http://www.hollywoodtoday.net/2010/10/15/the-rocky-horror-picture-show-35th-anniversary-costume-ball/•http://rockyhorrorppf.bizhosting.com/rhppf-links.htm•http://www.nefariousfilms.com/TBDB/tbdb%20leatherface.html•http://www.relyonhorror.com/latest-news/upcoming-texas-chainsaw-massacre-film-will-pick-up-where-the-original-left-off/•http://www.thefilmleague.com/2011/03/the-warriors-walter-hill-1979/•http://www.filmofilia.com/2009/06/15/the-warriors-tony-scott-talks-about-remaking-the-cult-classic/•http://bigmoneysreview.blogspot.com/2009/10/weekend-warriors-wrap-up.html•http://thevistor.blogspot.com/2010/12/eraserhead-1976-directed-by-david-lynch.html•http://www.davidlynch.de/head.html•http://paul-lavey.blogspot.com/2010/12/eraserhead-movie-review.html•http://cinenthusiast.wordpress.com/2010/11/02/short-review-dawn-of-the-dead-1978-romero/•http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2008/02/10/arts/10onst.4.ready.html•http://www.rrr.org.au/playlist/5694/•http://maggermano.blogspot.com/2009/04/lets-go-get-sushi-and-not-pay.html•http://thesocietypages.org/economicsociology/2009/01/15/films-du-finance-the-gospel-according-to-repo-man/•http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CreepyChild•http://nerdreactor.com/2011/02/18/mila-kunis-and-brad-pitt-out-while-potter-writer-in-for-akira-movie/•http://screenrant.com/akira-movie-pg13-hughes-brothers-kofi-65837/•http://www.founditemclothing.com/halloween/darla-marks-seniors-77-dazed-and-confused-costume.html•http://www.breakfastclubquotes.com/dazedandconfused.htm•http://conniechurcher.wordpress.com/2011/01/30/1979/•http://www.dvdbeaver.com/comparisons/comparisons/e_g/evildead_2/Default.htm•http://goregirl.wordpress.com/2010/09/page/2/•http://www.tailgate365.com/2010/10/the-10-best-horror-movie-franchises-happy-halloween/•http://elfanews.info/2011/04/09/napoleon-dynamite-best-achivement-review/

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