Cult Films

What is a cult film? This question is notoriously difficult to answer, as it seems that there might be two kinds of cult films, one which is immensely popular, such as Star Wars and Gone With the Wind, and others that are practically unknown, or considered terrible films, such as Plan 9 From Outer Space and Forbidden Planet. It is this last category that seems to be the most commonly understood type of cult film, and also the focus of this course.

What seems unique about cult films is their reception of the films, where the cult following has a radically different conception of the value of the film than the majority. This gives an indication of why standard Hollywood films will never become cult films, since the reading and understanding of these films is usually similar to all members of the audience. This eliminates Star Wars as a potential cult film since the majority of moviegoers enjoy this film. ‘Cult’ indicates a small following, so the course will focus on films that are generally considered less popular, with the specific exception of Casablanca which can hardly be ignored when discussing cult films.

Through reception theory, this course will aim at discussing why some people find pleasure in what may be considered ‘lesser’ films, why some films gather a fanatic following, and why some people have aberrant readings of these films. Why does this cult audience read the films in a different way, and yet similar to each other so that the cult may exist? Is this different reading inherent in the film or is it somehow located in the audience?

Please Note: The first two screenings have been moved to room 4.110, to be part of the guest lectures. The remaining are still in room 2.130.

Sessions:

Course resources