Web-Age Sect: Cult Flicks in the Internet Era

CULTS: NOT A GOOD THING. Cult films: One of the best guilty pleasures around.

Not every film can be a blockbuster like "Titanic" or "The Dark Knight," but that doesn't mean it's not adored by droves of ardent fans. See the '80s Brat Pack films, "Rocky Horror Picture Show" and "A Clockwork Orange" — though not necessarily commercially successful, each has gained infamy as a cult classic.

And thanks to the Internet (props to Al Gore), films that might have flown under the radar when first released can gain new acclaim. Enter "The Big Lebowski," the Coen Brothers' film about the Dude and his adventure when trying to deliver a pretty sizable ransom for a certain millionaire.

It's been a decade since "The Big Lebowski" — hailed by The Independent last year as "the first cult film of the Internet era" — was released, and today marks the release of the 10th anniversary edition DVD of the movie.

But if "The Big Lebowski" was the first Internet cult film, what are some other films that have captured the hearts and minds of those with a high-speed habit? Here are five flicks that deserve to be part of that collection.

"GHOST WORLD"

It's no surprise that the same geeks who love comic books would also be the same ones who could work their way around the World Wide Web. And though Daniel Clowes' "Ghost World" isn't exactly your typical graphic novel — there are no superheroes or latex; it's more "Persepolis" than "X-Men" — his tale of suburban teenage isolation is pretty flawless. Terry Zwigoff's 2001 film adaptation only builds on the woe, with starring roles from Thora Birch (after "American Beauty"), Scarlett Johansson (before "Lost in Translation") and Steve Buscemi (probably his best performance, aside from "Fargo") that hit all the right depressing notes.

Though loved by critics — Roger Ebert said in his review that he "wanted to hug the film" — "Ghost World" made less than its budget of $7 million when released in theaters. But with a ranking of 92 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and the top spot on MSN Movies' list of "Top 10 Comic Book Movies," "Ghost World" has gathered a pretty weighty fanbase — not 99 percent of humanity or anything, but still good.

"CITY OF GOD"

While Brazil's most famous modern-day pop-culture export might be Giselle, the crime film "City of God" should trump the leggy model. The movie, which focuses on the gang wars in the favelas, or slums, of Rio de Janeiro, is somehow shockingly gritty and optimistic at the same time — despite all the violence and corruption, directors Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund temper the film's bloodshed with humorous dialogue that can almost make you forget how hopeless the favelas really are (key word: almost).

"City of God" scored high on movie critics' top-10 lists (including those at Time Magazine and the New York Times) in 2003 and was nominated for four Oscars in 2004. Since then, the film has gathered a 92 percent ranking on Rotten Tomatoes; spawned a television show spinoff ("City of Men") and a sequel film to the TV program; and has numerous fans posting clips on YouTube (including one with Lil Wayne's song "Sky's the Limit" layered over clips from the film). Maybe crime really does pay.

"DONNIE DARKO"

Let's be up front: "Donnie Darko" might make absolutely no sense whatsoever. It may be one of the most confusing, illogical, metaphorical films ever, and only after watching it numerous times with a particularly keen eye (and a notepad) could you begin to understand some of its secrets. But people have been doing just that for years; although the film barely broke $500,000 after its release a week before the 9/11 attacks, its international release a year later and subsequent availability on DVD have made it a hipster favorite.

YouTube is littered with clips of Donnie's (Jake Gyllenhaal in his breakout role) philosophizing on things as varied as the sexuality of Smurfs to the meaning of life, and the film ranked No. 2 on Entertainment Weekly's "Greatest Independent Films of All Time" list. Plus, who knew Tears for Fears' "Mad World" could be so creepy? Thanks a lot, Gary Jules.

And while a sequel with Ed Westwick (Chuck Bass on "Gossip Girl") and Elizabeth Berkley (still trying to salvage her career after "Showgirls") is already filming, we doubt "S. Darko" will live up to its predecessor's creepy standard.

"THE WARRIORS"

Remember the video for Michael Jackson's "Beat It," with the rival gangs facing off and dancing it out? Well, if the two groups had stopped their fancy footwork and instead actually used those switchblades they had on them, the video may have played out a little more like "The Warriors" — even though the concept was obviously stolen anyway.

The 1979 film, which depicts a New York City-wide war among eight gangs (The Warriors, The Gramercy Riffs, The Turnball AC's, The Orphans, The Furies, The Lizzies, The Punks and The Rogues), was loosely based on Sol Yurick's novel of the same name, which was in turn loosely based on the ancient Greek work "Anabasis" by Xenophon.

Nearly 30 years later, the film's romanticization of the gang lifestyle has garnered it a 93 percent ranking on Rotten Tomatoes and countless shout-outs from other pop culture mediums, such as a video game from Rockstar Games and a mention in the Wu-Tang Clan song "Shame on a N----."

Just as "Donnie Darko's" newfound cult status is getting the film a sequel, Tony Scott is said to be directing a remake of "The Warriors," set in Los Angeles and with a tentative release in 2010. Guess the Warriors will be coming out to play — again.

"BATTLE ROYALE"

In this post-Columbine and Virginia Tech age, a film about high school students being forced to kill each other is probably in poor taste. But that hasn't kept Japanese film "Battle Royale" from continuing to attract audiences. Based on the novel of the same name by Koushun Takami, "Battle Royale" was released in 2000 and focused on a dystopian future in which disillusioned students are kidnapped, transported to an island and forced to kill each other. The person behind the scheme? Their school principal.

The violent plot spawned rumors that "Battle Royale" was banned in the United States, but instead, it's just never received a distribution deal. To get around that little problem, fans have downloaded bootleg copies; the entire film has been cut into clips and uploaded onto YouTube; and various festivals have shown it (locally, the University of Maryland's Hoff Theater has screened the movie in recent years).

Though disturbing, the film still has a positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes (82 percent) — it's just not for the faint of heart.

Written by Express contributor Roxana Hadadi