best CULT MOVIE of all time (list from Entertainment Weekly and 5 minutes to list combined)

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http://5mtl.com/ft/culttop.htm

Poll Results

OptionVotes
9. BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (1970) 5
7- REPO MAN (1984) 4
31. SUNRISE (1927) 3
21- PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE (1985) 3
35- WITHNAIL AND I (1987) 2
14- ERASERHEAD (1977) 2
23- AKIRA (1988) 2
41- HEATHERS (1989) 2
47. KING OF COMEDY (1983) 2
43- THE ADVENTURES OF BUCKAROO BONZAI (1984) 2
13- BRAZIL (1985) 2
9- BLADE RUNNER (1982) 2
46- AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD (1972) 2
49. SPACE IS THE PLACE (1974) 1
30. 1990: THE BRONX WARRIORS (1982) 1
32. HEAD (1968) 1
31- SLAP SHOT (1977) 1
35. DEATH RACE 2000 (1975) 1
27- DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978) 1
15- FASTER, PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL! (1966) 1
45. SHOCK CORRIDOR (1963) 1
5- PINK FLAMINGOS (1972) 1
17- DAZED AND CONFUSED (1993) 1
19- EVIL DEAD II (1987) 1
28. WICKER MAN (1973) 1
16. TOUCH OF EVIL (1958) 1
10. CARNIVAL OF SOULS (1962) 1
22. A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971) 1
12. DOLEMITE (1975) 1
23. BREATHLESS (1961) 1
36- SHOWGIRLS (1995) 1
25. EASY RIDER (1969) 1
13. SUPERSTAR: THE KAREN CARPENTER STORY (1987) 1
20- THE MACK (1973) 0
18- HARD-BOILED (1992) 0
34- BIG LEBOWSKI (1998) 0
16- THE WARRIORS (1979) 0
44- LOVE STREAMS (1984) 0
45- SUPERSTAR: THE KAREN CARPENTER STORY (1987) 0
47- WALKING AND TALKING (1996) 0
40. BLOOD FEAST (1963) 0
48- THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION PART II: THE METAL YEARS (1988) 0
49- FRIDAY (1995) 0
42- RUSHMORE (1998) 0
22- UN CHIEN ANDALOU (1928) 0
33- GREY GARDENS 1976) 0
32- RE-ANIMATOR (1985) 0
37- A BUCKET OF BLOOD (1959) 0
30- THE HARDER THEY COME (1973) 0
29- CLERKS (1994) 0
28- THE WIZ (1978) 0
38- THEY LIVE (1988) 0
39- THE BEST OF EVERYTHING (1959) 0
26- STRANGER THAN PARADISE (1984) 0
25- WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (1971) 0
24- THE TOXIC AVENGER (1985) 0
40- BARBARELLA (1968) 0
50- FACES OF DEATH (1978)0
12- PLAN NINE FROM OUTER SPACE (1959) 0
11- FIVE DEADLY VENOMS (1978) 0
29. BASKET CASE (1982) 0
27. MONDO CANE (1962) 0
26. BLACK SUNDAY (1961) 0
24. MYRA BRECKINRIDGE (1970) 0
21. METROPOLIS (1927) 0
20. 5000 FINGERS OF DR. T (1953) 0
19. WITCHCRAFT THROUGH THE AGES/HAXAN (1922) 0
18. DEEP THROAT (1971) 0
15. NOSFERATU THE VAMPIRE (1922) 0
14. DISCRETE CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE (1972) 0
11. PUTNEY SWOPE (1969) 0
8. SCORPIO RISING (1964) 0
7. GATES OF HEAVEN (1978) 0
6. EMMANUELLE (1974) 0
5. PERFORMANCE (1970) 0
4. SALO: 120 DAYS OF SODOM (1975) 0
3. SPIDER BABY (1964) 0
33. THE WORLD'S GREATEST SINNER (1961) 0
34. LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT/ LAST HOUSE ON DEAD END STREET (1972/77) 0
36. DR. MABUSE, THE GAMBLER (1922) 0
10- SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION (1994) 0
8- SCARFACE (1983) 0
6- TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974) 0
4- HAROLD AND MAUDE (1971) 0
3- FREAKS (1932) 0
2- ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) 0
1- THIS IS SPINAL TAP (1984) 0
50. TWO LANE BLACKTOP (1971) 0
48. CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI (1930) 0
46. DJANGO (1966) 0
44. BRAIN THAT WOULDN'T DIE (1962) 0
43. RABID (1977) 0
42. CAGED HEAT (1974) 0
41. THE LAST LAUGH (1924) 0
39. THE LOVED ONE (1965) 0
38. CANDY (1968) 0
37. CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (1979) 0
1. EL TOPO (1970) 0


Zeno, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 00:47 (seventeen years ago)

5 minutes to live of course...

Zeno, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 00:47 (seventeen years ago)

SHOWGIRLS

wilter, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 00:48 (seventeen years ago)

curious that Cassavetes is on the Weekly list and Love Streams in particular.

Zeno, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 00:50 (seventeen years ago)

putney swope was fukkin unwatchable imo when i tried a few months ago

johnny crunch, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 00:51 (seventeen years ago)

a fistful of dollars poops on django imo.

wilter, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 00:56 (seventeen years ago)

the best movie is pro. Eraserhead, but my favourite is Spinal tap.or Evil dead 2. or El Topo.

Zeno, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 00:57 (seventeen years ago)

Blade Runner
Warriors
Brazil

man so much awesome stuff on this list

El Tomboto, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 00:58 (seventeen years ago)

voted for Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, which is one of the rare movies I will be down with sitting and watching anytime, in any situation.

Abbott, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 01:01 (seventeen years ago)

the only list in the world where those 2 movies can follow one another:
16. TOUCH OF EVIL (1958)
18. DEEP THROAT (1971)

Zeno, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 01:02 (seventeen years ago)

Deep Throat is a pile of shit.

Abbott, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 01:03 (seventeen years ago)

"so much awesome stuff on this list"
awesome! - 46- AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD (1972)
awesome? - 6. EMMANUELLE (1974)

Zeno, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 01:04 (seventeen years ago)

7. GATES OF HEAVEN (1978)
DAZED AND CONFUSED
50. TWO LANE BLACKTOP (1971)

SO HARD TO CHOOSE

milo z, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 01:07 (seventeen years ago)

Brazil is my fav. movie ever, so...

Simon H., Tuesday, 13 May 2008 01:08 (seventeen years ago)

If they had the Testament of Dr. Mabuse instead of Mabuse the Gambler I'd vote for that.

Dan I., Tuesday, 13 May 2008 01:14 (seventeen years ago)

If EMANUELLE and SCARFACE were a single movie, I would vote for it.

Eazy, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 01:16 (seventeen years ago)

Repo Man!

Daniel, Esq., Tuesday, 13 May 2008 01:17 (seventeen years ago)

repo man
brazil
heathers

remy bean, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 01:19 (seventeen years ago)

If REPO MAN, BRAZIL, and HEATHERS were all one movie, I would own it on DVD.

Eazy, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 01:20 (seventeen years ago)

repo man imo

omar little, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 01:20 (seventeen years ago)

i didnt see Repo man (now i want to), but this is from it:

Lagarto Rodriguez: ...yeah, well that's not the only thing, Marlene. This car is hot.
Marlene: What do you mean? Stolen?
Lagarto Rodriguez: No, I mean it's hot. Really hot.
Marlene: Hot?
Lagarto Rodriguez: Yeah! We're sweating like pigs, man.

Zeno, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 01:23 (seventeen years ago)

This is all making me want to watch Repo Man again. Which I should, it's been a while.

Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 01:24 (seventeen years ago)

Miller: A lot o' people don't realize what's really going on. They view life as a bunch o' unconnected incidents 'n things. They don't realize that there's this, like, lattice o' coincidence that lays on top o' everything. Give you an example; show you what I mean: suppose you're thinkin' about a plate o' shrimp. Suddenly someone'll say, like, plate, or shrimp, or plate o' shrimp out of the blue, no explanation. No point in lookin' for one, either. It's all part of a cosmic unconciousness.
Otto: You eat a lot of acid, Miller, back in the hippie days?

Zeno, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 01:26 (seventeen years ago)

If they had the Testament of Dr. Mabuse instead of Mabuse the Gambler I'd vote for that.

-- Dan I., Tuesday, May 13, 2008 1:14 AM (12 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

testament of doc mabuse is really good i agree

johnny crunch, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 01:29 (seventeen years ago)

Touch of Evil, Brazil, Eraserhead and Dawn of the Dead are all tops in my book. Akira and The Toxic Avenger are good fun when I'm in the mood. I kind of love The Wiz because it feels like it was made by aliens.

Head and Pee Wee's Big Adventure, though, are kind of timelessly wonderful, and really hard to choose between. Probably Pee Wee by a bowtie.

Deric W. Haircare, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 01:33 (seventeen years ago)

I am kind of boggled I'm the only person repping for warriors or blade runner so far

El Tomboto, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 01:34 (seventeen years ago)

didn't blade runner win one of those sci-fi polls? my vote goes for space is the place, runner up: el topo. but there is a LOT of great stuff on the lists, agreed.

ian, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 01:40 (seventeen years ago)

Tombot, I take both those films as givens. Beyond polls. (A bit like Repo Man.)

Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 01:42 (seventeen years ago)

Blade Runner has just been taken for granted to be The Movie among everyone I've ever befriended, so it doesn't feel like a cult film at all.

Abbott, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 01:42 (seventeen years ago)

haha xp

Abbott, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 01:42 (seventeen years ago)

this should really be in a playoff tree format

Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 01:53 (seventeen years ago)

5MTL's list >>>>>> EW's, though I love a bunch of movies on both

Eric H., Tuesday, 13 May 2008 02:14 (seventeen years ago)

Can't OPO, here's a POX.

9. BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (1970)
10. CARNIVAL OF SOULS (1962)
27. MONDO CANE (1962)
28. WICKER MAN (1973)
32. HEAD (1968)
37. CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (1979)
5- PINK FLAMINGOS (1972)
6- TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974)
33- GREY GARDENS 1976)
36- SHOWGIRLS (1995)

Eric H., Tuesday, 13 May 2008 02:17 (seventeen years ago)

the whole list is great

moonship journey to baja, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 02:29 (seventeen years ago)

no buckaroo banzai, though?

moonship journey to baja, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 02:30 (seventeen years ago)

sunrise

abanana, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 02:42 (seventeen years ago)

BBC Radio 4 had a programme on 'Withnail and I' last week which made me dig out my copy and watch it again. So that gets my vote, though several others could've done it on another day.

Billy Dods, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 02:45 (seventeen years ago)

I bought the Withnail dvd for i think $4.

wilter, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 02:46 (seventeen years ago)

THEY LIVE is the only choice here because everyone is going to vote for Brazil (which isn't a bad thing, mind you). Sure, you have Michael Palin there but he's no Rowdy Roddy Piper, y'know.

King Boy Pato, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 03:17 (seventeen years ago)

why is "sunrise" (1922) on the list?

J.D., Tuesday, 13 May 2008 03:20 (seventeen years ago)

i like some of these films but singling them out and calling them "cult movies" makes them seem like they came straight off some flaky drama major's facebook profile.

J.D., Tuesday, 13 May 2008 03:23 (seventeen years ago)

this is impossible

jhøshea, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 03:34 (seventeen years ago)

1 EL TOPO (1970)
1- THIS IS SPINAL TAP (1984)
7- REPO MAN (1984)
13- BRAZIL (1985)
14- ERASERHEAD (1977)
21- PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE (1985)
30- THE HARDER THEY COME (1973)
43- THE ADVENTURES OF BUCKAROO BONZAI (1984)
46- AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD (1972)
48- THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION PART II: THE METAL YEARS (1988)

jhøshea, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 03:38 (seventeen years ago)

Could someone explain the presence of Shawshank Redemption on this list to me please?

en i see kay, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 04:02 (seventeen years ago)

cause it wasn't a big box office success, and only caught on later through word-of-mouth after TNT or TBS played it ad nauseum.

Granny Dainger, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 04:30 (seventeen years ago)

(tenuous categorization as cult film, i agree)

Granny Dainger, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 04:30 (seventeen years ago)

Second JD's comment.

Touch of Evil? Sunrise?

And just because you are likely to see a movie in a film lit class, does that make it cult? And when the cult = most of the people you know hold this movie in high esteem (especially your peers)?

That said, at 50 movies, I've got to check some of this stuff out.

bamcquern, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 04:53 (seventeen years ago)

Dawn of the Dead is so fucking great too.

ian, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 04:59 (seventeen years ago)

The Human Tornado is so clearly superior to Dolemite.

Eric H., Tuesday, 13 May 2008 04:59 (seventeen years ago)

Petey Wheatstraw beats them both.

Sparkle Motion, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 05:15 (seventeen years ago)

repo man

latebloomer, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 05:16 (seventeen years ago)


A bored insurance salesman quits his job to go into politics. He first starts preaching about how man is greater than he thinks and that man can live forever. He ends up forming his own political party, "The Eternal Man" party. He begins to be referred to as "God". Then he starts having doubts about the eternalness of man.

ian, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 05:18 (seventeen years ago)

Even though there are a lot of movies I like better on here, I voted for The King of Comedy because I think it's the first time I've seen it on any cult movie list/poll.

rockapads, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 07:04 (seventeen years ago)

Good to see Bronx Warriors on there - it loomed large in my early-days-of-video childhood.

DavidM, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 08:01 (seventeen years ago)

Sunrise might be my favourite movie of all time.

Dy, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 09:01 (seventeen years ago)

I voted for "Sunrise" although I'm also kind of WTF-ing at it being on that list. Second choice would have been either "Aguirre" or "Heathers". Lots of good films! Though, there doesn't seem to be much connecting a lot of them other than this v v tenuous "cult" sticker.

Pashmina, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 09:06 (seventeen years ago)

okay where is Forbidden Zone? If a film that features Herve Villechaize as a king, a psychotic dancing frog, Oingo Boingo musical numbers and a dimension reached by sliding out of an oversized asshole can't find a major cult audience then these are serious dire fucking times.

Cosmo Vitelli, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 09:22 (seventeen years ago)

also, disappointed that Stroszek, The Baby, the Ninth Configuration, and especially Suspiria aren't repped. I don't even like Suspiria that much but c'mon.

Cosmo Vitelli, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 09:24 (seventeen years ago)

prolly Eraserhead or Showgirls

Cosmo Vitelli, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 09:26 (seventeen years ago)

Stroszek should always be repped. Best ending to a movie ever.

Dy, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 09:30 (seventeen years ago)

would have been better to just have separate lists for e.g. campy cult, sci-fi cult, badmovie cult, panned-on-release cult & too-big-to-be-on-this-list cult. as it is it's kind of ridiculous to choose between Superstar: the karen Carpenter Story and Blade Runner (although i would definitely choose the former).

jed_, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 09:42 (seventeen years ago)

When I saw the thread I title I immediately thought "Death Race 2000" and it is in there, so I guess that can have my vote. Although I like some of these films more - e.g. Dawn Of The Dead.

Braindead should be in there somewhere.

Colonel Poo, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 10:08 (seventeen years ago)

It's tough choosing between Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story and Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (it's up there twice).

Dingbod Kesterson, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 10:11 (seventeen years ago)

yeah, i deleted all the movies that appear twice, but i forgot this one

Zeno, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 15:35 (seventeen years ago)

You should've included the honorable mentions too.

Eric H., Tuesday, 13 May 2008 15:39 (seventeen years ago)

And taken Shawshank Redemption out.

Eric H., Tuesday, 13 May 2008 15:39 (seventeen years ago)

Went with Slap Shot.

Noodle Vague, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 15:45 (seventeen years ago)

most meaningless catchall "cult" list evah! Might as well have thrown in The Godfather and Star Wars.

Dr Morbius, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 15:53 (seventeen years ago)

I understand and even kind of agree, Morbs. But I think Star Wars has some real cult qualities, what with dudes proclaiming their religion as 'Jedi' and cetera.

Oilyrags, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 15:56 (seventeen years ago)

eraserhead, brazil, blade runner all seem so prescient and influential now it's kind of weird to thin of them as cult films

akm, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 16:09 (seventeen years ago)

That's true. I admit I probably mistakenly take "cult" to be an appraisal, rather than a definition.

Eric H., Tuesday, 13 May 2008 16:10 (seventeen years ago)

Though whatever "cult" there is at work in favor of Shawshank is beyond my acceptable definitions.

Eric H., Tuesday, 13 May 2008 16:11 (seventeen years ago)

shawshank and friday are both great but don't really fit.

Brazil
Blade Runner
Akira

write in: Delicatessen

bnw, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 16:12 (seventeen years ago)

Andrew Sarris nailed Shawshank upon its release: "a fairytale for yuppies."

Dr Morbius, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 16:18 (seventeen years ago)

the definition of cult is variable and sometime subjective, so of course a lot of those movies could be deleted, and there are some who shouldve been added (some horror flicks for example)- no list on this subject will ever be perfect for everybody, but the most agreed upon/popular ones are there: rocky horror, evil dead etc.. so overall it's a fair list imo

Zeno, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 16:23 (seventeen years ago)

The definition of cult as far as movies go has been stretched to the point where it's meaningless, so any list would be fair.

Noodle Vague, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 16:33 (seventeen years ago)

^^^
that.

I guess I'm still stuck in the '70s and think "cult" means, at least in part, underground (i.e. not a movie that was rescued by the middlebrow majority renting copies from Blockbuster in record number i.e. Shawshank)

Eric H., Tuesday, 13 May 2008 17:02 (seventeen years ago)

Lotta great movies on this list, though, did I mention? I'd take this collection any day over AFI's list.

Eric H., Tuesday, 13 May 2008 17:03 (seventeen years ago)

We should collect write-ins for a 'Best Cult Movie That EW and 5 Minutes To Live Forgot' poll. To wit:

God Told Me To
Rock N' Roll High School
Pieces
The Tingler
Brain Damage

Deric W. Haircare, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 17:17 (seventeen years ago)

O Lucky Man!
Being There

(I don't know if any of these technically count, but I feel like a lot of the ones EW included definitely don't count. So there you go.)

Deric W. Haircare, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 17:26 (seventeen years ago)

I've (painfully) gotten it down to:

Touch of Evil
Blade Runner
Aguirre The Wrath of God

augustgarage, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 17:26 (seventeen years ago)

I simply can't think of Blade Runner as a cult film. I saw it in the theater as did a load of people I knew in school.

'Brazil' is one of my favorite movies, ever, so I think I'd have to go with that, but I do like bnw's suggestion for 'Delicatessen'.

Michael White, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 17:27 (seventeen years ago)

Offlist?

As far as horror goes, I would say Suspiria, Cemetary Man, and Posession (1981) are contenders.

In the teen-sploitation genre, Class of 1984, and Last American Virgin could be on there.

Also, a number of Godard films are better than Breathless.

augustgarage, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 17:36 (seventeen years ago)

and more cult!

jed_, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 13:57 (seventeen years ago)

Wow, where is Dark Star?

Rock Hardy, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 14:05 (seventeen years ago)

THE WORLD'S GREATEST SINNER is the kind of thing I think most ppl mean by "cult" -- you can't believe your eyes, but it's also undeniably shit.

(ditto Valley of the Dolls, Ed Wood's oeuvre, etc)

Dr Morbius, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 14:34 (seventeen years ago)

Yahbut cult and camp aren't necessarily the same thing, either.

Eric H., Wednesday, 14 May 2008 14:40 (seventeen years ago)

No Fabulous Stains, no credibility.

kate78, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 15:24 (seventeen years ago)

so, the vast majority of cult films are just ordinary/quirky films, but badly made, is what i'm hearing.

darraghmac, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 15:29 (seventeen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

ILX System, Thursday, 15 May 2008 23:01 (seventeen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

ILX System, Friday, 16 May 2008 23:01 (seventeen years ago)

sweet! i only back winners

johnny crunch, Friday, 16 May 2008 23:08 (seventeen years ago)

KING OF COMEDY (1983) 2

Gee, I wonder who the other voter was.

GREY GARDENS 1976) 0

Scandalous!

Eric H., Friday, 16 May 2008 23:10 (seventeen years ago)

I guess I think I must've voted for Pink Flamingos.

Eric H., Friday, 16 May 2008 23:11 (seventeen years ago)

the end of buckaroo banzai was just like the end of life aquatic with a bunch of guys walking in unison while the group slowly gets bigger as otehr join them.

CaptainLorax, Saturday, 17 May 2008 05:20 (seventeen years ago)


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