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Old 11-27-2019, 02:41 PM   #21
pferreira
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Cult classic? Not sure. It was a very successful movie. I suppose it would be like saying that 1989s Batman is a cult classic. I normally reserve that title for movies that didn't do well at the Box Office and are not known by a large group of people.
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Old 11-30-2019, 04:46 AM   #22
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Cult classic is like Horror Express , a flop in native Spain but appriciated much more today......imo TMNT is prolly not a cc
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Old 11-30-2019, 06:00 AM   #23
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I think it counts because most "normal" people, while they've probably heard of it, most likely never saw it (and that group of people grows larger every year; there's an entire generation that most likely never even heard of it by now, if we're being honest). And if you bring it up in conversation, they'll inevitably think it sounds incredibly stupid, BUT when they finally see it, they think it's better than it had any right to be.

TMNT 1990 absolutely hits multiple criteria for the admittedly-vague category of what a "cult classic" is. I don't think "TMNT fans all like it" and "It made a little money (because it didn't cost too much)" are enough to put it over.

Skimming Wikipedia's definition, while movies that bombed or are mostly unheard of tend to come to mind first, there's tons of things that allow a movie to fit the definition.

From Wikipedia:
A cult film or cult movie, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase, an elaborate subculture that engage in repeated viewings, quoting dialogue, and audience participation.

Sounds pretty clear-cut to me.
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Old 12-04-2019, 09:21 AM   #24
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The 1990 TMNT movie is the highest-grossing independent film of all time. It deserves something for that alone. It’s not Tim Burton’s Batman from 1989 like another user in this thread point out already, but there were so many answers from other film directors and comic book producers to the 1990 TMNT film like the 1993 Super Mario Brothers film, The Crow from 1994, The Shadow from 1994, The Mask from 1994, The Phantom from 1996, Spawn from 1997, and Men In Black from 1997. The 1990 TMNT movie was a one of a kind gem that gives an movie viewer a good chance to look into what living in the very late 80s (1989 when the movie was filmed) was like. The 1990 TMNT movie falls a little short of being 1989 Batman, but it knocks out Howard the Duck from 1986 and Dick Tracy from 1990 in terms of being seen as a cult classic.

Last edited by mikey0; 12-04-2019 at 11:25 AM.
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Old 12-04-2019, 09:28 AM   #25
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Phantom from '96 was lousy imo compared to the comic strip or the scandinavian comics
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Old 12-04-2019, 11:24 AM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hamato Yoshi View Post
Phantom from '96 was lousy imo compared to the comic strip or the scandinavian comics
None of the movies based off of comic strips or independent comic books that came after the 1990 TMNT in the 90s were as successful as the first ever TMNT film.
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Old 12-04-2019, 11:52 AM   #27
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Originally Posted by Leo656 View Post
From Wikipedia:
A cult film or cult movie, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase, an elaborate subculture that engage in repeated viewings, quoting dialogue, and audience participation.

Sounds pretty clear-cut to me.
Exactly.

Any other opinions about this are people interpolating information into what a cult classic is. This is such a strange conversation. TMNT '90 is a cult classic.
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Old 12-04-2019, 01:57 PM   #28
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Well when trying to label something, you have to break down the meaning of the term. And I'm betting we could find definitions that contradict one another.

I mean, I'm fine being wrong, but my understanding was that a cult classic, was a film that wasn't appreciated upon release but garnered a dedicated following throughout the years, anyway. Wouldn't describe the first TMNT film, which was a smash success.

EDIT: Like this article seems to describe:

https://www.liveabout.com/what-is-a-cult-film-4156574
Quote:
The term “cult film” (and later “cult classic” as the film ages) is used to describe a movie that has developed a small, but significant and thoroughly dedicated, fanbase that grows over time. While hugely successful blockbuster franchises like "Star Wars" and "Harry Potter" have such enthusiastic fans that the movies seem to have cult-like influence, the term “cult film” specifically refers to movies that despite being much less successful financially nonetheless have passionate fans.
In a situation like this, who is the authority on the term? A simple Google search will find you many different interpretations. Not much of a consensus.

EDIt 2: Another definition that fits my understanding: https://www.yourdictionary.com/cult-classic
Quote:
A work of fiction that is extremely popular with a select audience but may or may not be successful at the time of the work's original publication.
With weekly viewings in movie theaters running continuously for over thirty years, The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a major cult classic despite having since become known to the general public.
I don't say this to prove I'm right, but maybe we should make sure to leave a little room for discussion here, and not get riled up if someone disagrees.

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Old 12-04-2019, 05:06 PM   #29
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Not riled up, just pointing out that 1. It made money and 2. "It's one of my favorite movies of allll tiiiiiiiime!" isn't enough to disqualify it, nor does "cult classic" status make it any less of a great movie or even "bad" in any way whatsoever.

"Cult classic" is not a bad thing; some people simply get annoyed when it's attached to a movie they personally love, because it makes them feel insecure. The fact is, even movies that were popular and made money can be "cult classics". It's a VERY broad term, as has been discussed already at length, but in this movie's case I definitely feel that it applies more than it doesn't.

It may have far outshined expectations for an independent film, but it didn't set the world on fire or have the long-term impact on the world the way, say, Batman '89 did, for example. Most non-TMNT fans have completely forgotten about it, and enough time has passed where an entire generation has barely heard of it. And that's another factor to consider.

Maybe it wouldn't fit the definition if we were talking about this in, say, 1993, but I'd say that in 2019, it's more of a "cult classic" than not. And that's fine! I don't get why people bristle so much at the suggestion, other than personal insecurity that their personal favorite thing might not actually be as popular with the rest of the world as it is with them. Calling something a "cult classic" doesn't automatically put it in "Howard The Duck" territory; it's a perfectly reasonable descriptor for ANY movie that had a much greater impact with a subsection of the population than it did with the masses at large.

I feel like the people who insist that it's not are the ones who may be "riled up" about it. It doesn't have to hit every qualifying box but it definitely hits some of the important ones. That's good enough for me.
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Old 12-04-2019, 07:51 PM   #30
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I love the 90's flick, The Crow. Have since High School. It was successful upon release. It's definitely a cult classic.
I love the 80's flick, Krull. It was a flop when it came out. It's still got a following today, and prop guys love making glaives and still talk about the movie. It's definitely a cult classic.

I would err on the side that a flick's initial success doesn't define this at all. It's more about whether or not a flick stays relevant across time through a dedicated fanbase that doesn't abandon it even when much of greater society has moved on.

Star Wars is not a cult classic because it has thrived in multi-media and is instead a cultural phenomena.
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Old 12-04-2019, 09:48 PM   #31
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TMNT 1990 made the TMNT become a household name, but it does not have a cult following like Donnie Darko, Mean Girls, or Hocus Pocus.
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Old 12-04-2019, 10:04 PM   #32
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Originally Posted by mikey0 View Post
TMNT 1990 made the TMNT become a household name, but it does not have a cult following like Donnie Darko, Mean Girls, or Hocus Pocus.
Huh?
It has us. Dude we are the cult following amidst a society that largely does not care about that movie anymore.
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Old 12-04-2019, 11:00 PM   #33
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I do not see a TMNT 1990 musical coming to Broadway any time soon like Beetlejuice, Mean Girls, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. TMNT 1990 is not a cult classic.

TMNT 1990 kicked off the TMNT craze of the very early 1990s (Turtlemania of 1990) and became the highest-grossing independent comic book film of all time. That was it, though.
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Old 12-04-2019, 11:41 PM   #34
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Originally Posted by mikey0 View Post
I do not see a TMNT 1990 musical coming to Broadway any time soon like Beetlejuice, Mean Girls, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. TMNT 1990 is not a cult classic.

TMNT 1990 kicked off the TMNT craze of the very early 1990s (Turtlemania of 1990) and became the highest-grossing independent comic book film of all time. That was it, though.
Does the greater society / movie-going public still care about TMNT '90? How and in what circles has the film remained in conversation?
It seems as if, by your logic TMNT '90 is now nothing more than an old movie that no one cares about because there isn't a musical in production.

yet there is a dedicated core following for the movie. Right here. Posting where you are reading it everyday on your computer screen. Cult. About an old movie, that by all rights should have been gone from the public eye completely by now. Classic.
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Old 12-05-2019, 07:32 AM   #35
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Perhaps, there needs to be a documentary on cult classic films like Mean Girls, Hocus Pocus, The Room, Donnie Darko, Heavy Metal, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show to explain what makes a film a cult classic.

TMNT 1990 was relevant at the time, but the TMNT fandom, a few Gen Xers, some Gen XYers, and a small number of Gen Yers are the only ones bringing the film up every now and then in this century. There is not a following outside of those groups, that I mentioned, devoted exclusively to TMNT 1990.

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Old 12-05-2019, 09:53 AM   #36
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I'd love to consider the film a cult classic. Sounds badass.

I just don't think there is a definitive term. My case sort of rests at the fact that the first page of google turns up like 5 contradicting terms. But words are what we make them. So whatever. Interesting discussion, but doesn't matter much to me what the result is. Not something to get upset over.

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Perhaps, there needs to be a documentary on cult classic films like Mean Girls, Hocus Pocus, The Room, Donnie Darko, Heavy Metal, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show to explain what makes a film a cult classic.

TMNT 1990 was relevant at the time, but the TMNT fandom, a few Gen Xers, some Gen XYers, and a small number of Gen Yers are the only ones bringing the film up every now and then in this century. There is not a following outside of those groups, that I mentioned, devoted exclusively to TMNT 1990.
See, this also sort of rings true with me, but I still defer to the fact that the term is nebulous.

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Old 12-08-2019, 06:05 PM   #37
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Originally Posted by mikey0 View Post
Perhaps, there needs to be a documentary on cult classic films like Mean Girls, Hocus Pocus, The Room, Donnie Darko, Heavy Metal, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show to explain what makes a film a cult classic.

TMNT 1990 was relevant at the time, but the TMNT fandom, a few Gen Xers, some Gen XYers, and a small number of Gen Yers are the only ones bringing the film up every now and then in this century. There is not a following outside of those groups, that I mentioned, devoted exclusively to TMNT 1990.
Isn't that pretty much the definition of a CULT classic, though? I mean, if we're being totally honest here, we ARE the cult. And, yes, it IS a classic at this point. More to the point, there have been two sequels, and then two seperate reboot/remake attempts, which has kept it relevant and discussed both within the "cult" itself, and by the media at large when those reboots are discussed. So- yeah, it IS a cult classic by any definition, as you just demonstrated yourself.
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Old 12-08-2019, 08:50 PM   #38
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Isn't that pretty much the definition of a CULT classic, though? I mean, if we're being totally honest here, we ARE the cult. And, yes, it IS a classic at this point. More to the point, there have been two sequels, and then two seperate reboot/remake attempts, which has kept it relevant and discussed both within the "cult" itself, and by the media at large when those reboots are discussed. So- yeah, it IS a cult classic by any definition, as you just demonstrated yourself.
This is exactly what I said to our guy here in post #32 above. No one reads anymore.

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Old 01-01-2020, 03:59 AM   #39
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It's more than a Cult Classic.

It's a Masterpiece.
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Old 01-03-2020, 05:28 PM   #40
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It's more than a Cult Classic.

It's a Masterpiece.

You said it.
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