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Cult Films / After Dark

Cult Films generally have limited but very special appeal. They are usually strange, quirky, offbeat, eccentric, oddball, or surreal. They may have outrageous, weird, cartoony characters or plots, and garish sets. They are often considered controversial because they step outside standard narrative and technical conventions. Cult films cut across many film genres (science fiction, horror, melodrama, etc.), and though they can be very stylized, they are often flawed or unusual in some striking way. To make a little sense of this unique genre, scroll the motherlode below, or take a side road by clicking a blue sub-heading to yer left... Visiting "Television Shows" and the "Cult Television" sub-feature may be worth checking out, also the "Animation" feature and the "Cult Animation" or "JapAnime" sub-feature will help with the bigger picture.. Right: Henry (Jack Nance) is "Eraserhead".

The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra (2001)

7/10
Director: Larry Blamire
Starring: Fay Masterson, Andrew Parks, Susan McConnell, Brian Howe

A parody of 50's B-grade sci-fi and horror flicks, this deliriously silly tale has a dedicated scientist and his clueless wife journey to a remote cab... Read more

The Loveless (1982)

6.2/10
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Marin Kanter, Robert Gordon

A compelling amalgam of art film and homage to the American International Pictures biker flicks of the 1960s. In the tradition of 'The Wild One', 'Eas... Read more

The Machinist (2004)

7.7/10
Director: Brad Anderson
Starring: Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Aitana Sanchez-Gijon, John Sharian, Michae...

Trevor (Christian Bale) hasn't slept in a year. The shocking deterioration of his physical and mental health makes every waking moment an unrelenting... Read more

The Magic Christian (1969)

6.1/10
Director: Joseph McGrath
Starring: Peter Sellers, Ringo Starr, Raquel Welch, John Cleese, Yul Brynner, Christopher...

Peter Sellers tries to teach adopted son Ringo Starr about the power and abuses of vast wealth. He will go to outrageous lengths to prove that everyon... Read more

The Magus (1968)

5.9/10
Director: Guy Green
Starring: Candice Bergen, Michael Caine, Anthony Quinn, Anna Karina

John Fowles's complex novel (he also wrote the screenplay) is the basis for this bizarre and surreal classic. Michael Caine is an English school teac... Read more

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

8.1/10
Director: John Huston
Starring: Peter Lorre, Mary Astor, Humphrey Bogart

Even if you've seen this film so often that you know all the dialogue, it never ceases to amaze. Great actors Bogart, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet a... Read more

The Man from Hong Kong (1975)

Director: Brian Trenchard-Smith
Starring: George Lazenby, Jimmy Wang Yu

Aka "The Dragon Flies". The Far East picks a fight Down Under in The Man From Hong Kong, a cult martial arts action extravaganza from Ozploitation... Read more

The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)

6.7/10
Director: Nicolas Roeg
Starring: David Bowie, Rip Torn, Candy Clark, Buck Henry

Nicolas Roeg's stylish classic stars David Bowie as a cosmic visitor to the planet, overwhelmed by capitalist society, human technology and earthly lo... Read more

The Man Who Fell To Earth (Blu-ray) (1976)

6.7/10
Director: Nicolas Roeg
Starring: Buck Henry, Candy Clark, David Bowie

Filled with stunning imagery, The Man Who Fell to Earth is a calm, meditative film that profoundly explores our culture's values and desires. Thomas J... Read more

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2018)

6.4/10
Director: Terry Gilliam
Starring: Adam Driver, William Miller, Will Keenan

Toby, a cynical but supposedly genius film director finds himself trapped in the outrageous delusions of an old Spanish shoe-maker who believes himsel... Read more