A cult what now?

There are a few reviews out that are referring to Scott Pilgrim vs. the World as a cult film. Did I not get the memo when we started allowing a film to be referred to as ‘cult’ during its opening weekend?

I guess there’s a few different types of cult films. Some are utter garbage, and others have a small but loyal following. Either way, I thought the main thing that tied them all together was that critics hated them. Very few critics actually liked Wet Hot American Summer when it came out, but it’s considered to be cult because some people are really into it. Rocky Horror is the same thing; you can read anywhere online about how people dress up for the film and go to midnight screenings and sing along. By comparison, Avatar will never be considered cult because everyone and their grandma loved that movie.

So how can you say Scott Pilgrim is a cult classic? The film opened two days ago – and it’s received exceedingly good reviews. Cult status takes years to develop, not minutes. Just because the books are purported to have a cult following (are there graphic novels that aren’t considered cult?) does not mean that the film inherits that. The movie seems to be doing well thus far, and I have a feeling people are going to go see it. So… stop calling the film ‘cult’ – it’s too soon. At least wait a few years down the road and then re-evaluate its status.