“Cult cinema is not singular, but a pluralistic term that is an ideology that manifests itself in audiences, at screenings and in filmmakers.”

A direct quote from Programming Cult: Fantasia Film Festival and Programming Oppositional Taste, this is what our whole class has been about—defining cult cinema. Movies themselves are an experience, an experience people can share together. However, it is not the films themselves the audience who define a cult film. And what if, an audience experienced something so unique, the film itself wouldn’t matter?

Director William Castle understood the importance the movie going experience. Born in LA California in 1914, Castle was known for two things—his B-list horror films and his clever marketing tactics. While he started his career as theater actor, even appearing a few films but never openly credited. His first role as director was for a documentary called Coney Island in 1939. Many have compared Castle to George Melies, the grandfather of film, due to his clever innovation of special effects Castle used in theaters. To quote another reading,

“Castle’s gimmicks attempt to reach out to the audience and incorporate them directly into the cinematic experience, to restore the real or imagined experience of the early cinema spectator.” Castle gained his fame (Collective Screams: William Castle and the Gimmick Film) Just as Melies used special effects in his films, Castle brought those effects directly to his audiences. You didn’t just see a Castle film—you lived it. Castle’s first ‘gimmick’ film was Macabre (1958), in which Castle promised views $1000 life insurance if they died by fright. Castle even got Vincent Price to stare in House on Haunted Hill (1959), a film where Castle would fly a go in the dark skeleton over the audience. Perhaps Castle’s most infamous gimmick was from his film The Tingler. For this show stopper Castle rigged the theater seats to release an electric shock at key moments in the film. In 1967, Castle acquired the rights to book Rosemary’s Baby. However, Castle was denied the position of director for the film, instead acting as the producer.

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Castle often considered himself the P.T. Barnum of films. He also modeled himself off of Alfred Hitchcock, and it is said that Hitchcock took inspiration from Castle when directing Psycho. Castle’s legacy can be seen in modern films and even amusement park rides. However, the biggest homage to Castle was the 1993 film Matinee.

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What I admired most about Matinee is the accuracy and attention to detail. The fashion, the modern slant, even the record players and TVs capture the feel of the 1960s so perfectly. While the film is listed as a comedy, it doesn’t really deliver. If anything, I found myself smiling a few times, but never outright laughing. There were also several characters in the film that, I feel, were unnecessary. Was Stan really a key character? The guy didn’t do anything, and if you removed him, his girlfriend, and her ex from the film, you’re not losing anything vital. If anything, the weird love-triangle was more a 90s trope than anything. John Goodman was a nice casting choice. While I don’t see the physical resemblance to Castle, Goodman does capture his suave and general air of cleverness. Matinee was a nice change after all our past screenings.  A generally enjoyable film about a key character in film history.

Martinee was an entertaining movie to watch. I enjoyed it. I was basically about a man coming to showcase his movies which comes with never seen before live feathers. The only problem for him was the timing and the aspect that it was something new and people especially the older generation were doubting him and didn’t want to see what he created even when he provided free tickets. The movie had many stories that combined at the end and it was easy to follow. All the kids wanted to see the movie while the teens were not as excited to go and had a time of their lives. Relationships were either created or strengthened. As I might have thought it was wrong timing to show the film, Lawrence Woolsey the filmmaker, though it was the right time and would cause excitement and fear. Havery wanted to get a job and change his ways but was distracted by his young ex-girlfriend who was with Stan. After seeing them in the audience, he lost it. He wanted to get his ex-girlfriend and steal the money and leave town and wanted it to be a dramatic exit so he recited one of his poems which he seemed so “good” at. That part was funny. I really enjoyed Sandra’s character. She was too smart for her own good and didn’t care what others thought. I watched the beginning half with my 9 year sister and she made some comments on how they were acting the same way of stacking up on supplies just like how people are now about the coronavirus. Some ladys were grabbing tissues in the movie and she was like “look at her taking all the toilet tissue”. My little sister is so funny. I might let her finish the movie on her own maybe because she was enjoying it. My favorite quote was “Grownups are making it up as they go along, just like you do” said by the filmmaker and that is so true.

In the article “Film As a Subversive Mass Art: Joe Dante at BAM” takes about Joe Dante’s success in capturing an audience with his new inventive way of making cinema different and scary. “Turning a commodity of industrial Christianity, the Xmas movie, into an anti-consumerist satire without losing popular appeal was not an easy thing to pull off.” Although parents were skeptical of the films, the younger generation were able to experience something new and different and watch it evolve before their eyes. The article “Collective Screams: William Castle and Gimmick Film” talks about the importance of the relationship of the screen and audience. Cinema of attraction never died but became dormant. 3D movies were made to restore newness of technologies but was a replica of an old invention that died down and more. Things that are done to get the attention of are promotional stunts, Street dancing and live props that bring the movies to life and creates an unforgettable experience that leave you wanting more and more like how in Matinee the mom was disappointed that her son could not watch the movie because they were not having a second screening and that was all the son was talking about.

BY SARAH BATY

This week’s screening I started to enjoy it right in the middle I think! The beginning part was kinda boring I wasn’t giving it my full attention and then it hit around the middle and I was like okay this is kinda good. By the end I think it won me over. It was a cute and chaotic movie. Those two adjectives shouldn’t really go together, but I feel like they are accurate.

Our reading Collective Screams: William Castle and the Gimmick Film, discusses Castle and his nicknames as the “The Abominable Showman” and “The Master of Gimmicks.” It stated how Castle said he modeled his career after PT Barnum which to me is a very interesting role model but to each their own! It describes Castle’s persona as “straddling the diegetic and nondiegetic space” and refers to one instance when he made his entrance by popping out of a coffin. Moving on to his films, I enjoy the line “Castle’s gimmicks attempt to reach out to the audience and incorporate them directly into the cinematic experience.” I think that that is something special. To want to incorporate the audience into the experience was such a cool idea. I have been to a movie at an amusement park or something when I was younger that I now realize was a gimmick film. It was a short film about dinosaurs and it had the seat buzzers, air blowing, and something in the floor that made it feel like the animals were running right over your feet. I thought the experience was amazing and terrifying (my sister found it a little more terrifying, my father had to take her out she wouldn’t stop crying) but for me I loved it! Something it didn’t have was the smell-o-vision. Maybe they could have released the smell of the trees and grass or something!

The presentations were so good! They always are. Starting with Doctor Sleep it looked SO intriguing and I low key want to watch it but I would have to watch The Shining first and I am TERRIFIED OF THE SHINING. One day I will watch The Shining I will, it is a classic and I feel like I am missing out. One part from the presentation that I found to be the most interesting was how they remastered scenes from The Shining and put them in Doctor Sleep. That’s just sick af and I know how good we are at technology now but it doesn’t mean I am not still surprised every time we do something DOPE. One last little thing about Doctor Sleep was I liked the quote from Danny Torrance, “our beliefs don’t make us good people. Our actions do.” That really stuck with me!

Next presentation was The Breakfast Club which is obviously a classic. I am more of a sixteen candles gal but my sister LOVED this movie. It’s one of my dad’s favorites and when he showed us it my sister was obsessed and we watched it constantly. This movie’s influence is just absolutely insane. Bunches and bunches of television shows and movies redo iconic scenes and lines from this movie. It’s influence will continue on for a very long time.

Tonight’s film is Matinee, and to be honest if I never heard him say this title, I would have read it as manatee. Nothing against manatees, but I do not think a film about them would be as good as this one was. This was a fun film and I would have loved to go see a film in a theater like this again. When I was younger, I went to Disney and saw a play on Honey I Shrunk the Kids where they called it Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. In this theater they had similar effects like cold air being blown in and the feeling of bugs running by your legs. This was cool and a thing would do again. I could see a theater like this being popular, but not being an everyday thing. I think it would be cool for classic hits like Titanic or another popular film people would love to see again, but with more. I could imagine Paranormal Activity being cool. Having it pull on you leg or feeling of a cold spirit enter the theater.

The film was a lot of fun and how can you not love John Goodman. We said it once, but he is just an American icon. I mean you see him, and you just go “aw I love John Goodman. I think it is due to him play Scully in Monsters Inc. and many of us saw that growing up and brings back memories of our childhood. At least that what I think or when he plays some of his father rolls like in Roseanne or even in Flintstones. No matter what role he plays, I seem to just like him and his personality. I have yet to view a film with him that I do not like.

We talked about the different film interactions for the movies. Anna talked about a three-choice option to decide how the film will go like Black Mirror did on Netflix. The idea of pick your path is cool, but I would get frustrated if I went to see a different version of the film and people vote similar paths. It makes me think back to high school and the books that let you pick your story and you are jumping all over the book searching to find your way. Makes me miss the old days more than I currently do right now, but back to a simpler time.

The zoom call was different and nice to see everyone. I wish my internet connection were better and could keep the camera on. I could get it to work for a little and then it would cut out, so I just gave up. I loved seeing everyone’s backgrounds and there were some good one. I tried, but my shirt was much darker than my background. I think Pat beat out Professor Schlegel for best background. The hallway from The Shining was good but seeing Pat on a beach with the hat was fall down funny and then he had the two Bryan Cranston and I lost it.

Once we were done talking on Matinee, we moved on to my favorite part of cult movie presentations. First, we kicked off with Dr. Sleep. This is a film I want to see, but I have issues with movies that are this long. I could convince myself to watch The Shining and then move onto this film. It looks very cool and provides something I wish more films have, an aftermath. We get to see all the craziness in the first, but never got the aftermath until now. I think I will like this one because I am a big fan of Haunting of Hill House. That series sucked me in and made me want more and I can see how this film will do it. Doing a film this is so new, it much have been hard to pitch some of the cult aspects.

Then we moved onto Yassa’s presentation of The Breakfast Club, which is just an instant cult film. I mean who has not watched this movie and wished they could be apart of this one. I am a big fan of John Hughes and I am glad that Yassa talked about all his films because each one is an instant classic when I think of it. If this film came out now, I can’t imagine the number of senior photos with kids walking past the goal post and raising a fist in the air as they have successfully made it past high school. What an awesome film and I am glad that someone presented it.