They're the kind of movies that we are used to watching while lounging about with friends. The kind of movies that sprout irresistibly quotable one-liners and provide endless sources of parody. Most of all though, they're the kind of movies that are loved by many but not quite mainstream enough the first time around.
The cult movie is something that every movie lover comes to cherish.
For those not in the know, cult movies are films that are underrated and perhaps financially and critically unsuccessful when first released, but gain immense popularity with specific groups of viewers over time and through word of mouth.
With the release of "The Boondock Saints II: All Saints' Day," the sequel to the 1999 cult classic "The Boondock Saints," last Friday, it seems a more appropriate time than ever to reminisce about some of the most loved cult films of all time.
"The Big Lebowski"
It's a caper film, but its unlike any you've ever seen. Nihilists, big time bowlers and millionaires are just a few of the people who inhabit the world of "The Dude," whose weirdness is accompanied by his friends Walter and Donny.
It has even spawned an unauthorized book "I'm a Lebowski, You're a Lebowski: Life, The Big Lebowski, and What Have You," a religion called "Dudeism" and has given a voice to a generation of so-called "slackers."
"The Rocky Horror
Picture Show"
This 1975 work is perhaps the first film to be given a cult status. When it was first released in theaters, it bombed. But later midnight screenings, complete with sing-alongs and dressed-up audiences, solidified its cult status.
"Donnie Darko"
Perhaps films about teen angst and theoretical time travel featuring '80s music and creepy six-foot-tall bunnies weren't the best bait for filmgoers in theaters, but it was more than good bait for DVD sales.
"Blade Runner"
Harrison Ford has portrayed iconic characters like Han Solo, Indiana Jones and Jack Ryan in successful film franchises but none so cult as his Rick Deckard in this 1982 futuristic film noir classic.
Many have tried to imitate the story, about a cop who is on a mission to destroy robot clones called replicants, but few have succeeded in capturing the moodiness and sheer brilliance of the film.
The multiple endings have puzzled fans for decades now and several Director's Cut re-releases on DVD have introduced the film to new legions of movie lovers.
"Scarface"
"Say hello to my little friend!" The line is now an irreplaceable part of popular culture, just like the 1983 film itself. Sure, it's interesting to see the rise and fall of anyone, but nobody does it like Al Pacino in a tour de force role as Cuban refugee turned drug king pin Tony Montana.
Filled with outrageous violence and mountains of cocaine, the film only gained a fan base when released on video, but has been a fan favorite in video stores ever since.
"This is Spinal Tap"
This 1984 film goes "up to eleven" as a favorite cult classic. The film gave audiences a new appreciation for the "mockumentary" as it documents the misadventures of a rock band where classic one- liners and brilliant awkwardness is neverending.
"The Shawshank
Redemption"
It seems that this "new classic" film is playing on TNT almost every weekend, but every time it is mesmerizing to watch.
Based on a Stephen King short story, the 1994 film flopped in theaters but exploded when released on video. A story about surviving life in prison, it also features one of many voiceovers from Morgan Freeman, who now seems to be the voice of a generation.
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