By Paul Renier

Cult films are unintentionally remembered and beloved dusty cinematic gems that through the years gather a small following which then grows to be a large one, although compared to blockbuster films it’s still a relatively selective gathering of people who adore each particular cult film, a cult film is loved for a much longer time than the popular blockbuster.

Often times a cult film will be unsuccessful upon initial release and then many years later will warrant some attention because of the number of fans who have drawn to it.

And with this, cult actors attached to these films often have a hard time shaking off the popularity of their cult film characters – but these actors will also benefit from having a following that includes websites dedicated to them as if they were old friends.

Cult films often have elements of b-movies and are sometimes not terrific or outstanding in any sense of the word, but the fans are attracted to the ambition and the originality, sort of an: "I can’t believe they even made this movie" situation.

Although some cult films were blockbusters in their initial release and then have grown to have a following, like JAWS or THE GODFATHER movies or the original STAR WARS trilogy. The cult film fanatics (or freaks) help even those big blockbusters stay alive and will give them an even more endearing status.

There are also the b-movies that are critically panned and which have very bad stories and horrible acting, which then are put into the so-bad-it’s-good category. These are the cult films that usually hit the top of the cut film list because they’ve become the red-haired stepchild in the history of cinema.

An actor will have originally been part of one of these films to simply get a paycheck and then to realize many years later that this particular film has gained a bigger hype then, say, something very popular, which then is forgotten about. In other words, cult films have legs.

Campy special effects, bad acting, bad dialog, inept direction and production – these all make for a somehow beloved cult film, because there is one thing that makes these movies stand-out through time – they engage the viewer.

Big popular grandiose modern films can spend over two hundred million on special effects and will look terrific, but sometimes these movies look so perfect that there is really nothing to love – and the legs only last throughout the span in which the film is popular, unlike a cult film which is often discovered time and time again through every ten years or so, gaining younger fans who weren’t even alive during the film’s original release.

The thing about these so-called bad cult films is that they seem real – they’re too outrageous not to be. A screaming bum is often avoided on the streets, but hardly ignored – and his words might even mean more to somebody years later while something "deep" a good friend tells you is forgotten five minutes after they say it.

Cult films are always remembered – at least by those who refuse to forget them.

By Paul Renier, contributor for www.CultFilmFreak.com. For interviews and behind the scenes info on your favorite cult films, visit: Cult Film Freak