Learning on ScreenWithnail and Us – Fan Worship
As a cult film fan I remember my own nervous excitement on buying an under-the-counter VHS copy of Stanley Kubrick’s long-unavailable A Clockwork Orange (1971). The quality of the recording or the quality of the film was inconsequential; the thrill was in owning something that was forbidden and therefore special as it gained access to a niche group of film fans. For any teenager, what excites most are those things that are forbidden, and it is this rebellious behaviour that further helps define the cult film fan. For those who had seen the film they talked to other fans in Nadsat, the slang language used by the teenage characters in A Clockwork Orange and this shared knowledge allowed transgression amongst fans, who often idolised the lifestyle and attitude of Alex, the film’s protagonist. In another example, The Rocky Horror Picture Show offers fans similar opportunities to behave against societal norms. At late night screenings and theatre productions of the Rocky Horror Show what is central to any performance is the transgression of fans. This is key to making any production of the show a success, the songs, the dance and the outrageous costumes. For the duration of the performance transgressive behaviour is actively persuaded, all within the controlled safety of the theatre auditorium. Within this autonomous zone transgression is the norm and those audience members dressed in regular clothing become the ones who are out of place. It is these moments of bad taste and borderline moralities that allow fans, as Smith states, ‘transgression at a safe distance’.
Wet Sleddale Hall in Cumbria, the location for ‘Crow Crag’ (Image © Eifion)
At Wet Sleddale Hall, the ritual performed by the Withnail and I fans and the sacrifice made – dressed as characters from the film with authentic plastic carrier bags for shoes – on this bitterly cold morning, serve not only as a faithful re-creation and devotion to the original text but as a rite of passage. These fans exhibit all the traits of the cult fan: the pilgrimage to the location, performance, transgression and the ritualistic nature of fandom and the nostalgia in trying to capture some of the zeitgeist the film depicts. It is in this sacrifice that we begin to understand the characteristics of the cult film fan. At the start of 2009 Wet Sleddale Hall was for sale. Fans created a Facebook group to try and raise the capital to purchase the hall and, through fan ownership, turn it in to a Withnail and I museum. The group also listed a number of events and ‘pilgrimages’ to the hall. The location served as a shrine to these cult fans, and, even though the money was never raised, 1,222 fans joined the group, contributing to an increase in media coverage and a renewed interest in the film. Additionally, the website for ‘Visit Cumbria’ advertises Wet Sleddale as a tourist attraction due to its association with Withnail and I. These examples of British Cult film offer a range of ideas to the development of cult film, from production methods to fan psychology. However, it now seems as though the word cult is thrown around to create brand identity and place it in a market that provides instant success and merchandising opportunities. The enduring nature of cult film and its leagues of devoted fans make financial as well as emotional investments in films as their devotion makes repeat viewing a necessity and higher box office sales and subsequent DVD sales.
… an arena to understand popular contemporary culture, fandom and obsessions with media and celebrity
The cult film not only opens an interesting area for study and academic debate, but also as an arena to understand popular contemporary culture, fandom and obsessions with media and celebrity. The popularity of cult film, as evidenced by the thousands of fan sites, blogs, discussion boards and social networking groups, attracts fans to trade memorabilia and discuss the continued appeal of these films. Whilst this heightened interest helps to attract new audiences and develop a wider fanbase, the films begin to lose their niche appeal that was so attractive to the cult film fan and are subsumed into mainstream cinema.
Paul Booth
