The Upcoming Film Discussion Thread?

[Dukefrukem]

Fair that it looks like the Sacrament.

[Skitch]

I don't think there are very many cult movies, so I get excited when theres another one.

[Irish]

Last year had a curious uptick with "The Ritual," "The Endless," "Hereditary," and "Apostle."

Not sure why.

[Dukefrukem]

The Void and Last Shift are great btw.

http://matchcut.artboiled.com/showth...pie-Kostanski)

http://matchcut.artboiled.com/showth...thony-DiBlasi)

[Irish]

I def wanna check out "Last Shift." It looks faintly reminiscent of a weird UK horror called "Let Us Prey" from 2014: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3148348/

[Dukefrukem]

Well now I want to see that!

[Ezee E]

Hereditary sucks when it becomes a cult movie.

[Ivan Drago]

The Void rules.

Hereditary sucks when it becomes a cult movie.

I still hold Hereditary in high regard, but the last two minutes do ruin the film when it does just this.

[Skitch]

Hereditary couldve been a cult movie, but the pacing and release of information took way too long then it was like HOLYSHITACULTBECAUSEREASONS credits. Weak.

[transmogrifier]

I def wanna check out "Last Shift." It looks faintly reminiscent of a weird UK horror called "Let Us Prey" from 2014: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3148348/

I really, really did not like Let Us Prey.

[transmogrifier]

The Void rules.



I still hold Hereditary in high regard, but the last two minutes do ruin the film when it does just this.

Nah, that’s why it works - cult films are all trapped in the same formula: innocent meets seemingly benign group, oddly weird things start to accumulate, hey this is a cult!, hey the cult is trying to kill me!, oops I’m dead. Hereditary instead focuses on one family’s trauma (and keeps up a haunting misdirect) and keeps the cult stuff sidelined until it’s ready to slap your face with it.

[Irish]

IMO, that sorta places it in the "not a cult movie" camp.

There are several high profile movies --- I guess naming them outright would be a major spoiler? --- where (a) you don't know wtf is going on and neither do the characters and (b) it's revealed very late that a cult was behind it all.

Is a movie a cult-movie because a cult retroactively drives the plot? Or is a movie a cult-movie only when the movie is actually about a cult?

ETA: If anyone wants to play Russian roulette and risk getting burned, here are two I'm thinking of:

[

Show Spoiler

- Ben Wheatley's "Kill List"
- Roman Polanski's "Rosemary's Baby"

]

[transmogrifier]

IMO, that sorta places it in the "not a cult movie" camp.

I would say that is fair. And I won the roulette because I've seen both of those movies.

[Wryan]

But do you like the original Wicker Man, Irish? I loved it when I first watched it.

[Irish]

But do you like the original Wicker Man, Irish? I loved it when I first watched it.

Yeah! I dig it. But it's also a little too iconic and way too influential. (Similar to "The Exorcist," I suppose, and possession movies.)

I don't have a problem with cult-as-concept at face value --- only when it becomes overused and those uses are repetitious. Where are the new angles or fresh ideas?

I have the same issue with slashers and zombies ... it's as if you need to watch a dozen mediocre entries to find one that does anything remotely interesting.

[Wryan]

But it's also a little too iconic and way too influential.

[Skitch]

Is a movie a cult-movie because a cult retroactively drives the plot? Or is a movie a cult-movie only when the movie is actually about a cult?

I would say thats entirely up to the reviewer, and who gives a fuck how people want to label it? Its like that argument "Is Alien a horror or a sci-fi?" Who gives a fuck? Label it however you want. I hate those arguments. Irish if you don't think certain movies qualify as cult movies, great. If other people think they do, fine. Everyone make their own lists.

[Irish]

I would say thats entirely up to the reviewer, and who gives a fuck how people want to label it? Its like that argument "Is Alien a horror or a sci-fi?" Who gives a fuck? Label it however you want. I hate those arguments. Irish if you don't think certain movies qualify as cult movies, great. If other people think they do, fine. Everyone make their own lists.

I think the question is interesting even if academic.

Why are you getting so personally offended?

[transmogrifier]

Why are you getting so personally offended?

Maybe he is in a cult. A cult of people who really like cult movies.
I think they found their next sacrifice.

[Irish]

LOL.

I mostly meant that once something looms that large in the public imagination, it's difficult to judge on its own. (cf: "Star Wars," "Blade Runner," "The Exorcist," etc.)

[Irish]

Maybe he is in a cult. A cult of people who really like cult movies.
I think they found their next sacrifice.

Holy fuck this joke might've made my day ... didn't see that coming!

I'll run along before I get sacrificed

[Dukefrukem]

My favorite Cult films btw. THe ones towards the end are in my queue to watch.

https://letterboxd.com/dukefrukem/li...deprogramming/

[Skitch]

Why are you getting so personally offended?

I'm not, I just get annoyed when movie people argue about such nonsense. Its all subjective. Nothing in art is black and white but my god do people enjoy wasting time insisting their definition is the right one. Why not just let everyone determine their own rules for defining a genre?

[Grouchy]

I'm confused now. You can't say something is a cult film before it's even released - that depends on its reception.

Movies about cults are something completely different.

[Dukefrukem]

I'm confused now. You can't say something is a cult film before it's even released - that depends on its reception.

Movies about cults are something completely different.

This whole discussion is centered around deprogramming. Not reception.