C U L T

Cult.

Cult cinema is a term that is often met with some confusion. What exactly is a cult film ?

To begin with, there is the range of meanings associated with the word "cult" proper.There are two frameworks through which the word "cult" is approached , a sociological one and a religious one.

The religious understanding refers to 'cult' as the ancient or original procedures of practice that are externally present in the observation of a belief.

The sociological understanding of the term 'cult' also deals with religion, but it approaches it more as a degree of institutionalization.

The History of Studying Cult Cinema

The cult cinema has been influenced by its historical and other contextual developments.These would include the contextual introduction sections in Mathijs and Mendik's collection The Cult Film Reader as well as Greg Taylor's history of 'cultism' within American film criticism,Artists in the Audience.

While the use of the word 'cult' within film culture stretches back much further, it was probably in the 1970s that the term 'cult film' or 'cult cinema' began to be used.

Definition of Cult Cinema

Many overviews of cult cinema give lists instead of definitions.The definitions of cult cinema come in four contexts: sociological studies , reception studies, textual interpretations and aesthetic analyses.

Sociological studies assume that a cult film is a film with an intense following, not unlike religious cults.

Reception studies investigate the trajectories through which films develop cult followings as part of their passage through markets.

The textual approach follows closely on the reception studies approach.While the stress in this approach is on offering a definition based on the analysis of the films, there is a strong acknowledgment of the role of viewers.A  central point of attention in these studies is the complexity of communication between text and viewer.

Aesthetic approaches seek to understand cult films as so unique that they defy interpretation, and operate purely on an affective and visceral level.


Midnight movies

Midnight movie classics from 1970 to 2002.

El Topo

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Donnie Darko

By the late 1970s, the midnight movie had become a staple of alternative cinema exhibition, the urban and college town equivalent of the drive in.

Resources from Taylors University Lakeside Campus's library. I borrow one of the book named CULT CINEMA written by Ernest Mathijs and Jamie Sexton.

This book has helped me a lot when i was having trouble of researching CULT.  

And those pictures are mostly from google. 

Chong Annie (0315632)

N O I R

Firstly , what is your first thought when you hear the words NOIR ?

For me , I'm thinking about something black and white movie or people. Yup it's correct , noir is associated in low key black and white.It was all about the low key lighting , it is just like my previous post :)

Film noir is not a genre, but rather the mood, style, point-of-view, or tone of a film. It is also helpful to realize that 'film noir' usually refers to a distinct historical period of film history.


Noir literally means black in French. It is probably known worldwide though for being a style of movie or theater. The term film noir refers to a setting or style that is less than happy. It often has a dark theme and or setting. 


Film genre characteristic of the years between with 20's and late 40's. 

Dark, gritty crime fiction: usually a heist, murder, or other such crime.

Film noir films mostly shot in gloomy grays, blacks and whites) thematically showed the dark and inhumane side of human nature with cynicism and doomed love, and they emphasized the brutal, unhealthy, seamy, shadowy, dark and sadistic sides of the human experience. 

Some of the most prominent directors of film noir included Orson Welles, John Huston, Billy Wilder, Edgar Ulmer, Douglas Sirk, Robert Siodmak, Fritz Lang, Otto Preminger, Henry Hathaway and Howard Hawks.

Greatest Early and Classic Film Noir:

I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang 1932

The Letter 1940

Chong Annie (0315632)

THE BLUE DAHLIA TRAILER 1946 ALAN LADD NOIR

Here is the example film of Noir. Lets watch the film which is filmed around 1940s. And also look at their lighting , make up , hair style.



 And hope you enjoy the short trailer above. Thank you.

Chong Annie (0315632)

First class of ctx.

23.9.2013

Is time to say bye bye to my one month's semester break. I wish I'd have another holiday soon but i know it was too ridiculous to say something like this now.

It was definitely a brand new semester and the timetable was so terrible! It's too too too too early for us, every day we need to wake up at 6am and go back from Uni at 6pm. Now the life was totally different from sem 1 , indeed. I should stop complain about it now and start my topic.

Well , we started our first class - Contextual Studies on 23rd September. In this class , Mr Charles lecture us the introduction on the words " Contextual Studies (CTX)" .

What is the meaning of Contextual?
" it is connected with a particular context"

So , CTX is refer to a study placed on the theory , method and application of the study process rather than on the "what" of the object of study. In short , it can also define as History of Art.

The study of meaning and purpose behind ' something'. In this context , we are looking for meaning and relevance behind ' design'. It's crucial to inculcate the habit of asking 'WHY"

                                                                                                -Mr Charles's blog

We are instructed to do research on Noir and Cult.

For more updates , stay tuned for the upcoming post hehe ;p




Chong Annie (0315632)