“Highlander”
“Repo Man”
“The Blues Brothers”
“Spinal Tap”
“Robocop”
“Airplane!”
“Beetlejuice”
“Raw”
“Tremors”
“Cafe Flesh”
“Evil Dead”
“Die Hard”
“Heavy Metal”
Anything by John Waters, Mel Brooks or Monty Python
While in school, I was part of the student union group that programed our movie theater. We actually had the biggest theater in Athens, Georgia, with a rocking sound system. I got in free because membership has its privileges.
Our schedule featured movies for the general audience Wednesday and Thursday with second-run titles Friday and Saturday–basically whatever you’d expect at the dollar theater. Sunday was reserved for foreign films.
And Friday and Saturday at midnight, we showed cult classics–my favorites. Pretty much anything went, but no “Rocky Horror” (due to the expected mess) and some guidelines regarding “adult content.” At some point, we showed all of the movies mentioned above–and a bunch more.
All of the movies were scheduled the quarter before, and our meetings followed Robert’s Rules. For a bunch of college kids, it was all rather organized. (One of our main guys would eventually win an Emmy, so I guess we kinda knew what we were doing.)
This past weekend, we watched “Big Trouble in Little China,” one from the list, which got me reminiscing.
Sadly, UGA’s current schedule no longer features midnight movies, but what would you show?
This is Spinal Tap
Beetlejuice
Better Off Dead
Big Trouble in Little China
Four Rooms (even a lot of Tarantino fans don't know he directed the last room and Rodriguez directed a room)
Airplane!
Naked Gun series, especially the first. (I'll be curious to see Liam Neeson in the remake)
I know there are more, but those are off the top of my head.
You covered a lot of stuff I'd do. What can I add? I feel like some of the ones I want to list aren't really "cult" movies, but I dunno...
"Straight to Hell"
"Hackers"
"Better off Dead"
"Top Secret"
"Delicatessen"
"Blazing Saddles"
The one movie I could never get on the list: “Top Gun.” Not that it’s my favorite movie, but I figured it was a big movie that would work well in our theater.
Plus, we had to finish every quarter in the black–or at least break even. This is where I learned about marketing. (One day I should write something about the day I wore a sandwich board on North Campus.)
Jesse Ransom said:
You covered a lot of stuff I'd do. What can I add? I feel like some of the ones I want to list aren't really "cult" movies, but I dunno...
"Straight to Hell"
"Hackers"
"Better off Dead"
"Top Secret"
"Delicatessen"
"Blazing Saddles"
Of course Blazing Saddles!
Also, Young Frankenstein!
Why am I not seeing Caddyshack?
Duke
MegaDork
6/12/25 9:20 p.m.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
Can't argue too hard with your list, so I'll add a few others:
Dark Star
I'll put the original Mad Max on the list
Bakshi's Wizards or LOTR
Fritz the Cat
A Boy And His Dog
HEAD
Brimstone And Treacle
Diner
Breaking Away
I've watched all of those multiple times.
Datsun240ZGuy said:
Why am I not seeing Caddyshack?
I’m sure we showed that.
Some of the old calendars have been posted to an alumni FB group.
Kinda funny to see some movies scheduled during that week that, now, might be considered cult classics:
“Married to the Mob”
“U2 Rattle and Hum”
“Roger Rabbit”
“Blade Runner”
“Big”
“Brazil”
“The 39 Steps”
And that’s just from one 10-week quarter.
Midnight movies from that same quarter:
“Heavy Metal”
“Videodrome”
“Ricky Business”
AC/DC Let There Be Rock”
“Repo Man”
“Fritz the Cat”
“The Shining”
“Silent Movie”
“Amazon Women on the Moon”
“Death Race 2000”
Duke
MegaDork
6/12/25 9:45 p.m.
I kind of think Caddyshack or Blues Brothers are too big to be "cult" films, but that's just my own hazy impression.
Galaxy Quest. Hysterically funny, with a lot of lines that became part of my family's in-house lingo. ("Then it exploded," for example. Also: "At least he's outside.")
Fun to watch on DVD, where you can hear Sigourney Weaver saying "Well, screw that!" while her mouth obviously says what she originally said.
In reply to Duke :
Blues Brothers - Guy at work and I named the legendary people in this movie at a trade show one day. It's amazing who they were able to recruit.
- Cab Calloway
- Steve Lawrence
- James Brown
- Aretha Franklin
- Ray Charles
- Carrie Fisher
- John Candy
- the band members are all legends
- Kathleen Freeman
- Henry Gibson
Puddy46
HalfDork
6/12/25 10:03 p.m.
I'd add the following:
Super Troopers
Not Another Teen Movie
Boondock Saints
Maverick (the Mel Gibson one)
Blade Runner was so huge to me growing up that I didn't consider it as a cult movie until the local video store had it in the cult section. I watched it probably 50 times at least. Every new piece of av equipment had to have it played to test it. I have had it on VHS laser disc dvd Blu-ray and now 4k blu ray.
Meet the Hollowheads might be too obscure to even be a cult movie but I've watched it enough to put it on your list.
I agree with all the rest for sure. Monty Python and Mel Brooks movies all got tons of play in my movie days. I don't watch so much right now with the kids around but we've been getting into them more. They loved Spaceballs.
Oh! For newer cult movies how about
Nacho Libre
Napoleon Dynamite
In reply to dculberson :
I’ve been thinking about newer ones, too. “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle?” That’s new, right?
Duke
MegaDork
6/12/25 11:02 p.m.
Also maybe too big to be "cult", but... the Cornetto Trilogy:
Shaun Of The Dead
Hot Fuzz
World's End
In reply to Duke :
I get the "too big" thing, but I think maybe there should be a statute of limitations or something.
Anyhow, it was Hot Fuzz that finally displaced Better Off Dead as my favorite movie.
Oh, and Grosse Point Blank?
Maybe "cult" is some combination of quirk and longevity?
What's a cult if not some of the sci fi fandom?
Also, Corvette Summer?
Buckaroo Banzai?
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead?
The Princess Bride!
In reply to Jesse Ransom :
Our “statute of limitations” said that we couldn’t have shown the movie within the past two years unless there was a good reason.
In reply to No Time :
We watched “Strange Brew” not too long ago.
I could recite every line.
j_tso
SuperDork
6/13/25 12:18 a.m.
In reply to Jesse Ransom :
I'd say cult movies are ones that didn't make it at the box office but gained a following in home releases or TV.
The Wraith
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Nothing but Trouble
