The Film Cult
The cult is an incendiary phenomenon, often fueled by equal parts devotion and absurdity. Let’s take for example the Star Trek fan production, whose progeny have populated the internet these past few years. These webisodes rushed in to fill the vacuum left by the cancellation of the last regular Star Trek series, Enterprise, in 2005. A descendant of the obsessive Trekkie movement, this time the immaculate costumes and make-up are bolstered by passable acting and complicated narrative arcs. Stories don’t necessarily take place on the iconic starship Enterprise, but Star Fleet and its recognizable enemies are usually involved. Some of the more popular websites include Starship Exeter, Star Trek: Hidden Frontier, and Star Trek: Phase II. Many of these individualists have managed to not run afoul of copyright holder Paramount by promising not to charge a fee for downloading their productions or any ancillary merchandise. However, making profit in the future, in cooperation with the studio, is not completely off the table. Some sites can tout downloads of up to 30 million which is definitely tantalizing to the floundering movie business. Nonetheless, with the re-launching of the Star Trek film franchise in Summer 2009 under J.J Abram’s guidance, Paramount may be focusing on the in-house product for now.
The Star Cult
I must delve into my own personal history to expose my trenchant fascination with the musician Bjork. I discovered her ethereal tones in college under the banner of self-exploration and experimentation. Her angelic voice, cherubic face, and incoherent lyrics gave me license to finally be myself after an adolescence of trying to be anyone else. If she could exist in this world unperturbed, then why not me? I was introduced to her by a good friend at the time, only to find out later that I had entered a club of millions. Bjork is not your typical pop star. She has a rampant international fan base that eagerly bestows deity status. There is this belief, probably misguided, that no one so musically gifted is of this planet. Perhaps this is taking things too far, but fanatics listen to her albums meticulously to decode her mash-up of English, Icelandic, and Elfin commandments. Every album is a deliberately crafted über-event for her devotees; they meet her again as if for the first time every two or three years after a cocoon-like hibernation. Bjork is a resilient chameleon and her albums exude musical re-invention (electronica, strings, human voices, drums), fashion consciousness (kimonos, swan dresses, multicolored ruffles), and understated political ethos (sexual liberation, environmental justice, civil rights). Bjork is a throwback to an imaginary era when a star was versed in all artistic realms—music, film poetry, and painting. Her fans accept the dream with no qualms.
Irrational Devotion
Evil Dead (1981), Sam Raimi’s first feature-length film, has long been a cult favorite. It is a testament to low budget special effects, inexperienced actors, and unrepentant camera tricks. Most of the success was due to the fact that young audiences could relate to the college age protagonists. Even though the circumstances were fantastical, the excitement of a coed camping trip struck an adolescent nerve. The absurd premise of a Book of the Dead unleashing malevolent spirits into the world is an excuse for joyous, bloody, and baleful mayhem. Moreover, Raimi’s ingenious idea to make the sped up, low angle camera movements the catalyst for the demonic presence brought audiences more viscerally into his world. This world is also rife with mistakes that reward repeat viewing. For example as a result of an extended shoot that took about a year and a half, the film is littered with a ton of amusing continuity errors. In fact, the whole second half of the film features Bruce Campbell playing against unconvincing stand-ins (or “shemps”) to replace the actors who couldn’t remain on set. Finally, longevity was insured by a charismatic and punishingly physical leading man in Bruce Campbell. The character of Ash is our surrogate throughout, and his innate ability to ham it up for the camera cut the tension on screen, essentially creating the first comedy horror film. Evil Dead led the way for Ghostbusters, Gremlins, and Shaun of the Dead. The success of the original also guaranteed a remake, Evil Dead II, six years later and a sequel, Army of Darkness, in 1992. Fan support also nourished the current run of Evil Dead: The Musical in Toronto. So hopefully the uninitiated now know why certain audience members roar in laughter when a particular square-jawed actor makes cameo appearances in all the Spider-Man movies.
Evil Dead (1981), Sam Raimi’s first feature-length film, has long been a cult favorite. It is a testament to low budget special effects, inexperienced actors, and unrepentant camera tricks. Most of the success was due to the fact that young audiences could relate to the college age protagonists. Even though the circumstances were fantastical, the excitement of a coed camping trip struck an adolescent nerve. The absurd premise of a Book of the Dead unleashing malevolent spirits into the world is an excuse for joyous, bloody, and baleful mayhem. Moreover, Raimi’s ingenious idea to make the sped up, low angle camera movements the catalyst for the demonic presence brought audiences more viscerally into his world. This world is also rife with mistakes that reward repeat viewing. For example as a result of an extended shoot that took about a year and a half, the film is littered with a ton of amusing continuity errors. In fact, the whole second half of the film features Bruce Campbell playing against unconvincing stand-ins (or “shemps”) to replace the actors who couldn’t remain on set. Finally, longevity was insured by a charismatic and punishingly physical leading man in Bruce Campbell. The character of Ash is our surrogate throughout, and his innate ability to ham it up for the camera cut the tension on screen, essentially creating the first comedy horror film. Evil Dead led the way for Ghostbusters, Gremlins, and Shaun of the Dead. The success of the original also guaranteed a remake, Evil Dead II, six years later and a sequel, Army of Darkness, in 1992. Fan support also nourished the current run of Evil Dead: The Musical in Toronto. So hopefully the uninitiated now know why certain audience members roar in laughter when a particular square-jawed actor makes cameo appearances in all the Spider-Man movies.
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