Cult Classics Creep Into Pop Culture
By: Railey DeangGlitter, aliens, chiffon. Laboratories creating human species in fishnets. Birds attacking humans. Murderous robots and leather-vested warriors.
These characteristics are the makings of cult classic films; films that acquire a dedicated following after their release. Cult films are known to be eccentric, outrageous, and according to senior Connor McIlveen, many are “so bad, they’re good.”
“They wouldn’t have become cult films in the first place if they weren’t good or, at least, offered something new or strange or offensive that inspired people,” UNLV media studies student Alison Saclolo said. “Usually the people that cult films inspire go on to become film makers themselves.”
Cult films do not have to be as bad as most would think, according to senior Sarah Scow. Scow believes that more teens should become accustomed to films of the past. Films such as Star Wars have acquired a following of fans for generations and in itself have become a cult classic.
“Because Star Wars came out in two different generations, its audience reaches the old and the young,” Scow said. “Star Wars is unique in this diverse fan following, and it just never stopped growing in popularity.”
Though some of these films might have been bogus in the box office upon their initial release, modern films such as Star Trek (2009), have been inspired by the unconventional distinctiveness of a cult following. Over the years, the movie industry has created many remakes, such as “Disturbia” (2007), which according to Scow, is a modernized version of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window” (1954).
“It’s neat to see the directors pay homage to the older scripts,” Scow said. “Teens today should definitely be more aware of what happens behind the scenes and how history is involved.”
In Lady Gaga’s newly released music video “Born This Way”, a pop cultural reference to Alfred Hitchcock was heard through the opening score of the video. The same theme song from the cult classic “Vertigo” (1958) directed by Alfred Hitchcock was used. Junior Christina Najar believes these subtle references are ways to keep these cult films alive.
“It’s important to keep old films alive because it helps propel the future,” Najar said. “They show how the film industry has changed overtime and where we were as a nation. In the first Indiana Jones movie, the antagonists were Nazi’s. In the 1950-60s, antagonists were Russian, and now they’re terrorists. Movies are imbedded with our own history.”
After “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” television themed episode of “Glee”, the cult following of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” grew steadily in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas’ Tropicana Regency Theater’s Rocky Horror Picture Show cast—Frankie’s Favorite Obsession—saw an increase of numbers of up to 800 at the show last October.
Saclolo believes that teens of the generation should become accustomed to cult films, for there are references even found in the shows on prime time television.
“There are so many references to cult favorites in pop culture,” Saclolo said. “From immediate memory, I know that ‘The Simpsons’ have parodied the milk scene in ‘A Clockwork Orange’.”
In an interview with Quentin Taratino about his 1992 film “Resevoir Dogs”, the director states that he took inspiration from Stanley Kubrick’s “A Clockwork Orange” (1971) and described his torture scene in the film as a direct reference to Kubrick’s cult film. McIlveen believes these influences can even be innovated.
“These films obviously have something special if they’ve lasted this long regardless of poor financial and critical success,” McIlveen said. Sometimes they even out-do the films that they influenced, but you don’t get to see that unless you’ve seen the original.”
Scow agrees that films possess little originality anymore. McIlveen believes that Hollywood has turned toward remaking movies due to its suspected success.
“I think currently, it’s easier and more financially responsible to reuse formulas that have worked before instead of trying something new,” McIlveen said. “It’s not that they’re running out of ideas, they just can’t afford to risk losing money on an idea that hasn’t worked before.”
Scow believes that watching classics help the understanding of a film and benefit an audience with familiarity of movie plots.
“People like seeing something they know about in another movie,” Scow said. “It feels like an inside joke with the director and the other people who understand the reference.”
