No discussion of cult films would be complete without Casablanca. Here we will deal with the aesthetics of cult films and what makes a film cult. Casablanca will serve as an illustrative point in order to investigate if formal features can define a cult film.
If, on the other hand, the cult of the cult film lies in the audience, does that mean that the cult film is defined by the audience and not the inherent features of the film itself? What are the implications for this?
- What is a cult film? Consider any examples of such.
- Do cult films have any inherent traits which identify them as cult objects?
- If so, what are they?
- Are cult films a genre?
- Does the category of cult films change over time?
- Are cult films historical objects or outside history as constant objects?
- How can reception define a film’s categorisation?
- Can one deliberately make a cult film?
- The dilemma of selecting films for study.
Films
Michael Curtiz, Casablanca (1942), Jim Sharman, The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975).
Readings:
Umberto Eco, “Casablanca: Cult Movies and Intertextual Collage.” & J.P. Telotte, “Beyond All Reason: The Nature of the Cult”
