Cult Classic



""Cult" is a word that people were saying... a cult is popular as well, of course. You can't have a show that's just weird, that no-one watches. That's not cult, that's just... maybe a bad show that no-one wants to watch."

- Chris Barrie, Red Dwarf A to Z

The air that every Geek breathes, a Cult Classic is a film or other work which has a devoted, even if sometimes small, fanbase. Some Cult Classics are obscure commercial failures at the time of their premiere which have since then successfully attracted a fanbase, even to the extent of becoming moneyspinners. Although this is the common public perception to a Cult Classic, some Cult movies were in fact box-office successes at the time but maintained a cult following long after public interest has moved onto the next flavour of the month. It's probably for this reason that some films with a strong cult following (eg The Blues Brothers) are sometimes wrongly assumed to have been unsuccessful at their time of release.

Cult classics have an unusual shelf life, and seemingly avert the Popularity Polynomial completely. Rather than receiving a short but large burst of popularity before ultimately fading completely into obscurity, cult classics receive a marginal amount of attention almost indefinitely. It's a good bet that a show or movie considered a cult classic 30 years ago will still be such today.

Though some movie studios have intentionally tried to position releases as Cult-Classics-To-Be (like Mirror Mask and Snakes on a Plane), perhaps hiring a bunch of Cult Actors and funky music, it is not usually successful. A true Cult Classic is as rare as capturing lightning in a bottle.

Note that not all cult classics are actually good. Although many of them are, or at least, are remembered as such. In fact, many cult classics are hilariously bad—which is why their fans adore them. These are sometimes called "Camp Classics".

See also Too Good to Last, though this extends to every medium. See also Critical Dissonance when the critics hate it, and Critic Proof when...the critics hate it, also. If it's a critical darling on the art-house circuit, but has no following beyond that, that's the other kind of Critical Dissonance. Contrast Quality by Popular Vote, which is the inverse trope. Compare Stoner Flick and/or B-Movie.

Often the term "cult" is (perhaps) inaccurately applied to anything that is both old and has a devoted fan following, even if it was popular at the time. If the devoted fan following is rooted in it being both old and critically-acclaimed, and thus popular with fans of classic works in general (e.g. The Marx Brothers), it probably doesn't count.

Also note that "cult classic" is an affectionate English expression for a work of this type, and does not mean that it's a "classic" in the same sense of, say, a "classic novel" or "essential work". Unless the fandom are surrounded by a sea of indifference, such usage is too broad to be meaningful, so works such as Star Wars don't count. Otherwise, the phrase would be meaningless, as Roger Ebert has noted in lamenting its misuse, since it does carry certain genre-specific connotations.

The word "classic" may also be seen as an intensifier of sorts, implying works that have become seen as cult over the years, similar to a Sleeper Hit—due to factors such as Audience Participation, Notable Quotables, or other engrossing aspects that attract a select audience who proselytize fervently and disdain non-believers.

One good measurement to use when in doubt, is critical consensus. If a work is commonly described by critics as quirky, fringe, bizarre or off-putting to newcomers, and therefore "cult", then that meets the definition of the trope. If this is actually used as a selling point, then that is a good sign. An even better sign is if critics debate whether or not it's still cult.

On The Other Wiki, "something of a cult classic" (exact words, always; see for yourself) is a well-worn Justifying Edit.

Note that most of these cult classics have their own pages already.

When a cult classic actually does become popular, expect geeks to complain It's Popular, Now It Sucks.

A standard guide in the cult film genre is Danny Peary Cult Movies List.

''When listing works by the same author, please don't list, say, the entire filmography of a director with a cult reputation. A cult classic should have a small but devout following in the absence of widespread current popular acclaim, in addition to the work itself meeting the definition of the trope. Only list those works by a given author for which the label is justified.''

Anime and Manga

 * The medium as a whole everywhere except Japan (especially in North America).
 * Akira, a.k.a. THE definitive cult anime in the English-speaking world. Released in Japan to relatively little fanfare in 1988, it gradually began to pick up popularity in the US and UK during the 90s as the dubbed VHS tapes were circulated among schoolboys, students, sci-fi and animation fans, until by 2001 it was such an underground phenomenon that the US distributor reportedly spent over $1 million on a film restoration and new dub for its DVD release, and recent months have seen large portions of the Internet (even outside the anime fan community) in an uproar over a controversial proposed Hollywood adaptation. It is often credited with single-handedly creating the overseas market for adult-targeted anime and paving the way for other international hits like Ghost in the Shell.
 * Early Anime:
 * Astro Boy
 * Battle of the Planets
 * Speed Racer
 * Star Blazers
 * The works of Satoshi Kon
 * Perfect Blue
 * Millennium Actress
 * Paprika
 * Neon Genesis Evangelion (about as mainstream as anime can get in Japan, but a cult phenomenon in the West, even among anime fans)
 * Berserk Is very well known in the manga fandom for it's high quality, but it still defines this trope because of it's ultra violent, semi pornographic and all out grimdark nature that keeps it from ever becoming mainstream.
 * The Canadians and a fair amount of Americans love Spider Riders.
 * In the United States, practically every well-respected anime that aired on Adult Swim last decade has developed a cult following as a result. Many of these have eventually become mainstream, as have many of Toonami's (see below) anime programs.
 * Cowboy Bebop
 * Samurai Champloo
 * Trigun
 * Wolf's Rain
 * FLCL
 * Crayon Shin-chan
 * The Big O
 * Outlaw Star
 * Inuyasha
 * Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
 * Eureka Seven
 * Lupin III
 * Paranoia Agent
 * Detective Conan (AKA Case Closed)
 * Blue Gender
 * Bleach
 * Code Geass
 * Death Note
 * Neon Genesis Evangelion, already a cult phenomenon since the 90s, experienced a resurgence in popularity after being aired on the network.
 * And the mother of all anime cults: Fullmetal Alchemist.
 * Before Adult Swim, there was Toonami, which (aside from mainstream hits like Dragon Ball and Naruto) also created a devoted cult following for the likes of:
 * Tenchi Muyo!
 * Mobile Suit Gundam
 * Yu Yu Hakusho
 * Rurouni Kenshin
 * The Ringing Bell Of Chirin (a dark film about a Chibi little lamb)
 * Excel Saga
 * |Ghost in The Shell (anime films)
 * Giant Robo
 * Ginga: Nagareboshi Gin and
 * Ginga Densetsu Weed'
 * Hyakko
 * Kurau Phantom Memory
 * Legend of the Galactic Heroes, a.k.a. "the greatest anime that will never leave Japan".
 * My-HiME
 * Guyver
 * Nekojiru Sou, being also Widget Series.
 * SD Gundam Force
 * Revolutionary Girl Utena
 * Utena's professed spiritual successor Star Driver is shaping up to be this as well.
 * Among American audiences, Teknoman (the English adaptation of Tekkaman Blade). Despite its questionable quality, fans loved it to the point that Tekkaman Blade II was frowned on despite staying more faithful to the source material.
 * Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
 * Wandering Son. Even despite the anime and its intentional reaction, it has changed little in popularity.
 * RahXephon
 * One Piece for America. After 4Kids' Cut and Paste Translation drew away most of its potential audience, Funimation's significantly more faithful dub has been working to gradually win them back. A rare case in that it's not as lesser known in most other countries (especially not Japan).
 * The Bowdlerized 4Kids dub itself is probably more of your standard Camp Classic since its compellingly awful quality makes for good entertainment. See the comparison.


 * Slayers was once very, very popular when it was released in America in the late 90's. Due to its fourth and fifth seasons being held off for an unGodly long time, the fanbase shrunk, and now it's more or less this trope, but fans old and new still love it.
 * Gunslinger Girl, a cult series even within anime fandom.
 * Baccano!
 * The Animatrix, an anime Adaptation Expansion of The Matrix series, is fairly little-known in most circles but has a devoted following of sci-fi and animation fans, many of whom consider it to be better than the film that inspired it (or at least its sequels).
 * Monster Rancher, an underrated gem among Mons series.
 * Anime movies as a whole tend to be this. Arashi no Yoru ni, 5 Centimeters Per Second, Tekkon Kinkreet, Akira..
 * Pokémon manga as a total, even Pokémon Special.
 * Afganisu-tan
 * Sailor Moon
 * Dash! Yonkuro! and Bakusou Kyoudai Let's and Go didn't get an exported to America, and they were forgotten after the shows ended, though there are still group of people in Europe and Asia who read/watch these anime and play their mini-4wds, which is what these series encouraged them to in the first place.
 * The Mysterious Cities of Gold was popular in France and the UK, but it has a cult following around the world, primarily in the US and Japan (the latter of which it was made in and bombed with audiences, preventing the creation of later seasons).
 * Wild Knights Gulkeeva
 * The Toei season of Yu-Gi-Oh!, erroneously referred to by fans as "Season/Series Zero."
 * Axis Powers Hetalia tends to be seen as this in certain parts of the world.
 * Some light novels later adapted to manga and anime, such as Gate and Shimoneta: A Boring World Where the Concept of Dirty Jokes Doesn't Exist have become this.
 * Legend of Galactic Heroes, both for the original novels and their myriad adaptations.

Comic Books

 * The works of Isaac Baranoff
 * Horndog
 * Soft Desire
 * Here Wolf
 * Cherry Comics
 * The works of Daniel Clowes
 * Eightball
 * Ghost World
 * Like a Velvet Glove Cast In Iron
 * David Boring
 * Ice Haven
 * The works of Robert Crumb
 * Fritz the Cat
 * Mr Natural
 * The works of Peter Bagge
 * Hate
 * The works of Hart Fisher
 * The works of Frank Miller
 * The Dark Knight Returns
 * Ronin
 * Sin City
 * The works of Alan Moore
 * Swamp Thing (reboot)
 * V for Vendetta
 * Promethea
 * Watchmen
 * From Hell
 * The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
 * The works of Jhonen Vasquez
 * Johnny the Homicidal Maniac
 * I Feel Sick
 * Squee
 * The works of Harvey Pekar
 * American Splendor
 * Black Hole
 * The Book Of Jim
 * The Books of Magic
 * Cerebus
 * The Chuckling Whatsit
 * The Crow
 * Fables
 * Jimmy Corrigan, The Smartest Kid On Earth
 * Liberty Meadows
 * Love and Rockets
 * MAD Magazine
 * Omaha the Cat Dancer
 * Persepolis
 * Preacher
 * The Sandman
 * Savage Dragon
 * Strangers in Paradise
 * Transmetropolitan
 * Valiant Comics
 * Madman
 * Hitman

Fan Works

 * The Tamers Forever Series could be seen as a Cult Classic among Digimon fan fiction circles. It's not as well known as some other Digifics out there, But it is absolutely adored by those who have read it. (Just look at the reviews Silent Sorrow recieved)

Film

 * The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the definitive example, without a doubt. Even though the movie only sold well at a single theater upon its release, it then opened for a weekly midnight run in 1978... and it's still running.
 * 10 to Midnight
 * 30 Days of Night
 * 976-EVIL
 * 1941
 * 2019: After the Fall of New York
 * The ABCs of Death
 * The Abominable Dr. Phibes
 * Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
 * Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe
 * Absurd
 * Act of Vengeance
 * The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
 * The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
 * After Hours
 * Aguirre, the Wrath of God
 * Akira
 * Alexander Nevsky
 * Alice, Sweet Alice
 * All Hallows' Eve
 * All Superheroes Must Die
 * All the Boys Love Mandy Lane
 * Alligator
 * Alone in The Dark
 * American Psycho
 * An American Werewolf in London
 * The Amityville Horror
 * Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
 * Wes Anderson
 * Bottle Rocket
 * Rushmore
 * The Royal Tenenbaums
 * The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou
 * The Darjeeling Limited
 * The Fantastic Mr. Fox
 * The Anthropophagus Beast
 * Antichrist
 * The Apple
 * Darren Aronofsky
 * Pi
 * Requiem for a Dream
 * The Fountain
 * Attack of the 50 Foot Woman
 * Attack of the Giant Leeches
 * Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
 * Audition
 * The Babadook
 * The Babysitter
 * The Bad Seed
 * Bagdad Cafe
 * Barbarella
 * Batman: The Movie
 * The Battle of Algiers
 * Battle Royale
 * Battleship Potemkin
 * A Bay of Blood
 * The Beastmaster
 * The Beaver Trilogy
 * The Best Of Everything
 * Better Off Dead
 * Betty Blue
 * The Beyond
 * Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
 * Kathryn Bigelow
 * The Loveless
 * Near Dark
 * Point Break
 * Strange Days
 * Billy Jack
 * The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
 * Birdemic: Shock And Terror
 * Bitch Slap
 * The Black Belly of the Tarantula
 * Black Belt Jones
 * The Black Cauldron
 * Black Christmas
 * Black Dynamite
 * The Black Hole—Disney's 1st PG-rated movie
 * Black Sabbath
 * Black Sunday
 * Blacula
 * Blade Runner
 * The Blob
 * Blood and Black Lace
 * Blood Feast
 * Blood Freak
 * The Blood on Satan's Claw
 * Blood: The Last Vampire
 * Bloody Bloody Bible Camp
 * The Blues Brothers
 * The Boondock Saints
 * A Boy and His Dog
 * Brain Donors
 * Brick
 * Bride of the Monster
 * Bubba Ho-Tep
 * Buffalo Sixty Six
 * Buffy the Vampire Slayer
 * Bullet in the Head
 * The Burning
 * The Burning Moon
 * Tim Burton
 * Pee-wee's Big Adventure
 * Beetlejuice
 * Edward Scissorhands
 * The Nightmare Before Christmas
 * Ed Wood
 * Mars Attacks!
 * Sleepy Hollow
 * Big Fish
 * Corpse Bride
 * Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
 * Frankenweenie
 * But I'm a Cheerleader
 * Cabin Boy
 * Cabin Fever
 * The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
 * Caligula
 * Cannibal Apocalypse
 * Cannibal Ferox
 * Cannibal Holocaust
 * Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter
 * Carnival of Souls
 * John Carpenter
 * Dark Star
 * Assault on Precinct 13
 * Halloween
 * The Fog
 * Escape from New York
 * The Thing
 * Big Trouble in Little China
 * Prince of Darkness
 * They Live!
 * Body Bags
 * In the Mouth of Madness
 * John Carpenter's Vampires
 * Cast a Deadly Spell
 * Castle Freak
 * Cat's Eye
 * Cemetery Man
 * Un Chien Andalou
 * Child's Play
 * Children of the Corn
 * Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things
 * Chopping Mall
 * A Christmas Story
 * The Chronicles of Riddick films
 * Chuck And Buck
 * Citizen X
 * Clue
 * The Coen Brothers
 * Blood Simple
 * Raising Arizona
 * Miller's Crossing
 * Barton Fink
 * The Hudsucker Proxy
 * Fargo
 * The Big Lebowski (to the point that there are at least two Lebowskifest conventions a year. The first cult film of the internet era.) Also it is the basis of the totally not Parody Religion, Dudeism
 * O Brother, Where Art Thou?
 * The Man Who Wasn't There
 * No Country for Old Men
 * A Serious Man
 * Coffin Joe
 * Coffy
 * Color Me Blood Red
 * Commando
 * Conquest
 * Constantine
 * Coraline
 * Roger Corman
 * A Bucket Of Blood
 * The Little Shop of Horrors (1960, but the remake could also be considered one as well)
 * House of Usher
 * The Masque Of The Red Death (which, along with the above, are actually based on stories by Edgar Allan Poe)
 * The Wild Angels
 * Hells Angels on Wheels
 * Wes Craven
 * The Last House on the Left
 * The Hills Have Eyes
 * Swamp Thing
 * A Nightmare on Elm Street
 * The Serpent and the Rainbow
 * Shocker
 * The People Under the Stairs
 * Scream
 * Creature with the Atom Brain
 * The Creeping Terror
 * Critters
 * David Cronenberg
 * Shivers
 * The Brood
 * Scanners
 * Videodrome
 * The Dead Zone
 * The Fly
 * Dead Ringers
 * Naked Lunch
 * eXistenZ
 * Spider
 * A History of Violence
 * Eastern Promises
 * Cronos
 * Cube
 * Daimajin
 * Joe Dante
 * Piranha
 * The Howling
 * Gremlins (and the sequel to an even greater extent)
 * Innerspace
 * Matinee
 * The Burbs
 * Dark Angel: The Ascent
 * The Dark Crystal
 * Dark Night of the Scarecrow
 * The Day the Earth Stood Still (the original - see Klaatu Barada Nikto).
 * Brian De Palma
 * Sisters
 * Phantom of the Paradise
 * Carrie
 * The Fury
 * Dressed To Kill
 * Blow Out
 * Scarface
 * Body Double
 * Raising Cain
 * Carlito's Way
 * Femme Fatale
 * Dead Heat
 * The Deadly Spawn
 * Death Race 2000
 * Death Rides a Horse
 * Death Wish 3
 * Deathdream
 * Deathgasm
 * The Decline Of Western Civilization (and Part II even moreso)
 * Deep Red
 * Deliverance
 * Jonathan Demme
 * Caged Heat
 * Crazy Mama
 * Melvin And Howard
 * Stop Making Sense
 * Swing Shift
 * Something Wild
 * Married to the Mob
 * The Silence of the Lambs
 * Demolition Man
 * Demoni
 * Demonlover
 * The Descent
 * The Devil's Rejects
 * Dirty Work
 * Disco Godfather
 * Django
 * Dog Soldiers
 * Dolemite
 * Donnie Darko (the first film of the 2000s to inspire ongoing midnight screenings a la Rocky Horror)
 * Don't Open Till Christmas
 * Don't Torture a Duckling
 * Doomsday
 * Dr. Cyclops
 * Dragonheart
 * Dredd
 * The Driller Killer
 * Drive
 * Drive Angry
 * Drop Dead Fred
 * Duck Soup
 * The Dungeonmaster
 * Earth Girls Are Easy
 * Easy Rider (1969 - big on release, cult later)
 * Eating Raoul
 * Empire Records
 * End of Days
 * Enemy Mine
 * Enter the Dragon
 * Enter the Void
 * Escape 2000
 * Equilibrium
 * Equinox
 * Event Horizon
 * Pandorum (a Spiritual Successor to the above, is becoming this)
 * Evil Alien Conquerors
 * Excalibur
 * Faces Of Death
 * Falling Down
 * Fantastic Planet (1973, animated)
 * Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
 * Feast
 * Felidae (1994, animated)
 * Fight Club
 * The Final Girls
 * Fire and Ice
 * Five Deadly Venoms
 * The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T (live-action Dr. Seuss, 1953)
 * Flash Gordon
 * The Fly
 * The Food of the Gods
 * Forbidden Planet
 * Forbidden Zone
 * Frankenhooker
 * Frankenstein's Bloody Terror
 * Freaked
 * Freaks
 * Freddy Got Fingered
 * Freeway
 * Friday
 * Fright Night (the original 1985 film)
 * From Beyond
 * Frostbite
 * Gamera
 * Ghost World
 * Ghoulies
 * The Giant Claw
 * Terry Gilliam
 * Jabberwocky
 * Time Bandits
 * Brazil
 * The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
 * The Fisher King
 * 12 Monkeys
 * Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
 * Tideland
 * The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
 * And The Man Who Shot Don Quixote, in all likelihood.
 * Ginger Snaps
 * The Girl Next Door
 * Give My Regards to Broad Street (the cult is small, but still measurable)
 * Glen or Glenda
 * G Men From Hell
 * God's Gun
 * The Gods Must Be Crazy
 * Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell
 * Good Burger
 * The Goonies
 * The Gore Gore Girls
 * Graduation Day
 * The Great Race (a small cult again, but still here)
 * Gregory's Girl
 * Grey Gardens
 * Grizzly
 * Guest From the Future (mainstream in former USSR, cult elsewhere)
 * Guinea Pig
 * Gutterballs
 * Gymkata
 * Hack-O-Lantern
 * Hackers
 * Hair (theatre) (1979)
 * Half Baked
 * Hands of the Ripper
 * The Happiness of the Katakuris
 * Harakiri
 * Hard Boiled
 * Hard Candy
 * The Harder They Come
 * Hardware
 * Harold and Maude
 * Ray Harryhausen
 * The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms
 * It Came from Beneath the Sea
 * Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
 * The 7th Voyage of Sinbad
 * Jason and the Argonauts
 * One Million Years BC
 * The Golden Voyage of Sinbad
 * Clash of the Titans (1981)
 * Hatchet
 * Hausu
 * Hawk the Slayer
 * Todd Haynes
 * Superstar The Karen Carpenter Story
 * Poison
 * Safe
 * Velvet Goldmine
 * Far From Heaven
 * I'm Not There
 * Head
 * Heathers
 * Heavy Metal
 * A lot of films by Harmony Korine, particularly Gummo
 * Heavy Metal Parking Lot
 * The Hebrew Hammer
 * Hedwig and The Angry Inch
 * Hell of the Living Dead
 * Hellraiser
 * Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
 * Heroic Trio
 * The Hideous Sun Demon
 * High and Low
 * Highlander
 * The Hitcher
 * Hobo with a Shotgun
 * Hocus Pocus
 * Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers
 * The Holy Mountain
 * Horror Express
 * Horror of Dracula
 * Hot Rods To Hell
 * House
 * House of 1000 Corpses
 * The House of the Devil
 * The House of Yes
 * House on Haunted Hill
 * Housebound
 * Howard the Duck
 * The Human Centipede
 * The Hunger
 * Hush
 * I Am Cuba
 * I Come in Peace
 * I Drink Your Blood
 * I Heart Huckabee's
 * I Sell the Dead
 * I Spit on Your Grave
 * I'm Gonna Git You Sucka
 * The Iceman
 * Idle Hands
 * The Infernal Affairs Trilogy
 * Inferno
 * Infra-Man
 * The Innkeepers
 * Invasion of the Body Snatchers
 * The Invitation
 * Irma Vep
 * The Iron Giant
 * Irreversible
 * Ishtar
 * It Lives By Night
 * It! The Terror from Beyond Space
 * Jack Frost
 * Peter Jackson
 * Bad Taste
 * Meet the Feebles
 * Braindead
 * Heavenly Creatures
 * Forgotten Silver
 * The Frighteners
 * Jim Jarmusch
 * Permanent Vacation
 * Stranger Than Paradise
 * Down By Law
 * Mystery Train
 * Night On Earth
 * Dead Man
 * Ghost Dog: The Way of The Samurai
 * Coffee And Cigarettes
 * Jennifer's Body
 * Jesus Christ Superstar
 * Jean Pierre Jeunet
 * Delicatessen
 * The City of Lost Children
 * Amelie
 * A Very Long Engagement
 * Micmacs
 * Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter
 * Joe Versus the Volcano
 * Miami Connection
 * Mike Jittlov
 * The Wizard of Speed and Time (original short)
 * The Wizard of Speed and Time (full-length film)
 * Fashionation
 * Mike Judge
 * Beavis And Butt-head Do America
 * Office Space
 * Idiocracy
 * Extract
 * Just Before Dawn
 * Kagemusha
 * Lloyd Kaufman
 * The Toxic Avenger
 * Class of Nuke 'Em High
 * Troma's War
 * Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.
 * Tromeo and Juliet
 * Terror Firmer
 * Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead
 * Kickboxing Academy
 * Kids
 * Killer Condom
 * Killer Klowns From Outer Space
 * The Killing of Satan
 * Killing Zoe
 * Kin-Dza-Dza
 * Krull
 * Kubo and the Two Strings
 * Stanley Kubrick
 * The Killing
 * Paths of Glory
 * Lolita
 * Dr. Strangelove
 * 2001: A Space Odyssey
 * A Clockwork Orange
 * Barry Lyndon
 * The Shining
 * Full Metal Jacket
 * Eyes Wide Shut
 * Kung Fu Hustle
 * Labyrinth
 * Ladies And Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains
 * Lady Snowblood
 * The Lair of the White Worm
 * Lake Placid
 * The Last Dragon
 * The Last Man on Earth
 * The Last Seduction
 * Legend
 * The Leopard Man
 * Leprechaun
 * Let the Right One In
 * The Limey
 * Richard Linklater
 * Slacker
 * Dazed and Confused
 * Before Sunrise
 * The Newton Boys
 * Waking Life
 * A Scanner Darkly
 * Little Nemo
 * Little Nicky
 * Lord of Illusions
 * The Lost Boys
 * The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra
 * Love and Basketball
 * Love Exposure
 * Love Streams
 * David Lynch
 * Eraserhead
 * The Elephant Man
 * Dune
 * Blue Velvet
 * Wild at Heart
 * Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
 * Lost Highway
 * Mulholland Drive
 * Inland Empire
 * The Mack
 * Mad Dog Morgan
 * Mad Max
 * The Mad Monster
 * Madhouse
 * Madman
 * Man Bites Dog
 * The Man From Nowhere
 * The Man Who Fell to Earth
 * The Man Who Saves the World
 * The Man with the Iron Fists
 * Maniac
 * Manos: The Hands of Fate
 * The Manson Family
 * Martyrs
 * Master of the Flying Guillotine
 * Maximum Overdrive
 * McBain (not the Rainier Wolfcastle films)
 * Meatball Machine
 * Medium Cool
 * Men Behind the Sun
 * Metropolis
 * Midnight Madness—Disney's 2nd PG-rated movie
 * The Millennium Trilogy
 * The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
 * The Girl Who Played With Fire
 * The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest
 * Misery
 * Mom and Dad Save The World
 * Mommie Dearest
 * Monsieur Verdoux
 * Monster Brawl
 * Monster in the Closet
 * The Monster Club
 * The Monster that Challenged the World
 * Monty Python
 * Monty Python and the Holy Grail
 * Monty Python's Life of Brian
 * Monty Python's The Meaning of Life
 * Moon
 * Morvern Callar
 * The Most Dangerous Game
 * Ms. 45
 * Mulan: Rise of a Warrior
 * My Bloody Valentine
 * Mystery Men
 * Napoleon Dynamite
 * The New York Ripper
 * Newsies
 * The Night Flier
 * Night of the Comet
 * Night of the Creeps
 * Night of the Demons
 * Night of the Lepus
 * Night Watch
 * Nightbreed
 * Nightcrawler
 * Nosferatu
 * Oldboy
 * Oliver and Company
 * O Lucky Man
 * Pan's Labyrinth
 * ParaNorman
 * Trey Parker and Matt Stone
 * Baseketball
 * Orgazmo
 * Cannibal! The Musical
 * South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
 * Team America: World Police
 * The Passion of Joan of Arc
 * Peeping Tom
 * Performance
 * Phantasm
 * Phenomena
 * Pieces
 * Plan 9 from Outer Space
 * Planet of the Apes
 * Pootie Tang
 * Alex Proyas:
 * The Crow
 * Dark City
 * Knowing
 * Popcorn
 * Popeye (the live action film)
 * Primer
 * The Prince of Egypt
 * The Princess Bride
 * Léon: The Professional
 * Prom Night
 * The Prowler
 * Pulse
 * Pumpkinhead
 * The Punisher
 * Puppet Master
 * Putney Swope
 * Sam Raimi
 * Evil Dead (and sequels, especially number II)
 * Crimewave
 * Darkman
 * The Quick and the Dead
 * A Simple Plan
 * Drag Me to Hell
 * Ran
 * Rawhaed Rex
 * Real Genius
 * Re-Animator
 * Red Sun
 * Reefer Madness
 * Remo Williams The Adventure Begins
 * Repo Man
 * Repo! The Genetic Opera
 * The Ring
 * The Ritual
 * Rivers Edge
 * Road House
 * The Road to El Dorado
 * Return of the Living Dead
 * Return to Oz
 * Robot Monster
 * Robert Rodriguez
 * El Mariachi trilogy
 * El Mariachi
 * Desperado
 * Once Upon a Time In Mexico
 * From Dusk till Dawn
 * The Faculty
 * Sin City
 * Planet Terror
 * Machete
 * The Rocketeer
 * Rolling Thunder
 * Rolling Vengeance
 * George A Romero
 * Night of the Living Dead
 * The Crazies
 * Dawn of the Dead
 * Martin
 * Creepshow
 * Day of the Dead
 * Land of the Dead
 * The Room - almost exclusively shown at midnight screenings where people throw spoons at the screen.
 * Rubber
 * Runaway
 * Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom
 * Samurai Cop
 * Santa Claus
 * Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
 * Scarecrows
 * The Screaming Skull
 * The Secret of NIMH
 * Secretary
 * A Serbian Film
 * Saving Christmas
 * Serenity
 * The Seventh Curse
 * Shaft (original film)
 * Shakes the Clown (Film)
 * The Shawshank Redemption
 * Sherrybaby
 * Shock Treatment (a "sequel" to Rocky Horror)
 * Shock Waves
 * Showgirls
 * Silent Hill
 * Silent Night, Deadly Night
 * Singles
 * Six-String Samurai
 * Slap Shot
 * Sleepaway Camp
 * Kevin Smith
 * Clerks
 * Mallrats
 * Chasing Amy
 * Dogma
 * Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
 * Clerks II
 * Zack and Miri Make a Porno
 * Snakes on a Plane
 * Society
 * Southland Tales
 * Spaceballs
 * Space Mutiny
 * The Specials
 * Spider Baby
 * Stage Fright Aquarius
 * Starcrash
 * Starship Troopers
 * Step Brothers
 * The Stepfather
 * Strait Jacket
 * The Strangers
 * Stay Tuned
 * Stitches
 * Stone Cold
 * Street Fighter
 * Streets of Fire
 * Street Trash
 * Strike Commando
 * Student Bodies
 * The Stunt Man
 * Sucker Punch
 * Suicide Club
 * Super Fly
 * Super Fuzz
 * Super Mario Bros
 * Surf Nazis Must Die
 * ''Suspiria'
 * Swingers
 * Switchblade Sisters
 * A Tale of Two Sisters
 * Tales from the Crypt
 * Tales from the Hood
 * Tank Girl
 * Quentin Tarantino
 * Reservoir Dogs
 * Pulp Fiction
 * Jackie Brown
 * Kill Bill I and II
 * Death Proof
 * Inglourious Basterds
 * Teenagers from Outer Space
 * Tenebre
 * Terror Train
 * TerrorVision
 * Tetsuo: The Iron Man
 * The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
 * The Theatre Bizarre
 * Theatre of Blood
 * Themroc
 * Thirst (1979)
 * Thirst (2009)
 * The 36th Chamber of Shaolin
 * The 13th Warrior: Although it was panned by critics and one of the biggest box office bombs of all time, this movie nonetheless has a sizable fan following.
 * This Island Earth
 * This Is Spinal Tap
 * Three Women
 * Thriller - A Cruel Picture
 * Time After Time
 * Titan A.E.
 * Tokyo Gore Police
 * Tombs of the Blind Dead
 * The Toolbox Murders
 * El Topo
 * Torso
 * Tourist Trap
 * The Town That Dreaded Sundown
 * Toys
 * Train to Busan
 * Trainspotting
 * Trancers
 * Transformers: The Movie (1986)
 * Treasure Planet
 * Tremors
 * Trick 'r Treat
 * Trilogy of Terror
 * The Triplets of Belleville
 * Troll
 * Troll 2
 * The Troll Hunter
 * TRON
 * True Romance
 * Turbo Kid
 * Twice Upon a Time
 * 200 Motels
 * Two Lane Blacktop
 * Two Thousand Maniacs!
 * UHF
 * The Untold Story
 * Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
 * Valley of the Dolls
 * Vampire Hunter D
 * The Vampire Lovers
 * Vampires In Havana
 * Vampire's Kiss
 * Vampyros Lesbos
 * Gus Van Sant
 * Drugstore Cowboy
 * My Own Private Idaho
 * To Die For
 * Gerry
 * Elephant
 * Last Days
 * Paranoid Park
 * Vanishing Point
 * Vase de Noces
 * Versus
 * V/H/S
 * The Virgin Spring
 * The Void
 * Volunteers
 * The Wailing
 * The Wall
 * The Warriors
 * Warriors of the Wasteland
 * John Waters
 * Pink Flamingos
 * Female Trouble
 * Desperate Living
 * Polyester
 * Hairspray
 * Cry-Baby
 * Serial Mom
 * Pecker
 * Cecil B. Demented
 * A Dirty Shame
 * The Wave
 * Waxwork
 * Weird Science
 * Welcome to The Dollhouse
 * Wet Hot American Summer
 * What Have You Done to Solange?
 * What We Do in the Shadows
 * Where the Dead Go to Die
 * The Wicker Man (both versions, for very different reasons)
 * Wild In The Streets
 * Wild Things
 * Willow
 * Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (1971)
 * Witchfinder General
 * Withnail and I
 * The Wiz
 * Wolf Creek
 * WolfCop
 * Wolfen
 * Would You Rather
 * Edgar Wright
 * Shaun of the Dead
 * Hot Fuzz
 * Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
 * Wrong Turn
 * Wyrmwood
 * Xanadu
 * Yellow Submarine
 * Yojimbo
 * Yor, the Hunter from the Future: Primarily thanks to Spoony.
 * Z
 * Zardoz
 * Zero Effect
 * Zombi 2
 * Zombie Strippers
 * Zoolander

Literature
"Burns suppers may be either formal or informal. Informal suppers typically include haggis (a traditional Scottish dish), Scotch whisky and the recitation of Burns' poetry. Formal dinners are hosted by organisations such as Burns clubs... and occasionally end with dancing when ladies are present. However whether they are single sex or not, the formal suppers follow a standard format."
 * The works of Philip K. Dick
 * The works of H.P. Lovecraft
 * The works of Chuck Palahniuk
 * The works of Kurt Vonnegut
 * The works of Richard Brautigan
 * The works of J. R. R. Tolkien for many years (but not since the 70s).
 * The Silmarillion arguably counts, since it never caught on with the reading public.
 * Gene Wolfe's work, especially
 * Book of the New Sun and The Wizard Knight.
 * Robert E. Howard
 * The chronicles of Conan
 * The Dark Tower series
 * The Discworld books
 * American Gods
 * Ulysses - a rare example of a cult classic that is also considered part of the western canon. Fans convene every Bloomsday.
 * Older Than Steam: Similarly with the Scottish poet Robert Burns, who has his own annual supper.


 * American Tabloid
 * The Areas of My Expertise
 * Atlas Shrugged
 * Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me
 * Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
 * Bridge of Birds
 * The Catcher in The Rye
 * A Clockwork Orange - an example where both the original book and the movie are cult classics.
 * A Confederacy of Dunces
 * Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
 * Dune
 * Ender's Game
 * Factotum
 * Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream, another case where both the original book and the movie are cult in their own right.
 * The Fountainhead
 * Franny and Zooey
 * Good Omens
 * Gor has a serious philosophical movement which includes both men and women.
 * Hitch Hikers Guide to The Galaxy and its sequels.
 * House of Leaves (Just look at its forum.)
 * Illuminatus
 * The Men Who Stare at Goats
 * Naked Lunch
 * Neuromancer
 * Neverwhere
 * No Logo
 * On Stranger Tides
 * On the Road
 * Pale Fire
 * The Perks of Being a Wallflower
 * The Princess Bride
 * Roadside America
 * The Rum Diary
 * The Stand
 * Time and Again by Jack Finney
 * Tristram Shandy
 * The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
 * Youth in Revolt
 * Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
 * The works of Roger Zelazny.

Live-Action TV

 * Action
 * Arrested Development
 * Babylon 5
 * Batman and Batman: The Movie (with Adam West)
 * Battlestar Galactica
 * Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction?
 * Black Books
 * Blake's 7
 * Bottom
 * Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel
 * Carnivale
 * Community
 * Curb Your Enthusiasm
 * Dead Like Me
 * Deadwood
 * Doctor Who (in the US—mainstream in the UK)
 * Dragon Ball
 * The Equalizer was popular at the time of its original airings, but became this over the years.
 * Farscape
 * The Fast Show
 * Fawlty Towers
 * Firefly
 * Flight of the Conchords
 * Frank's Place
 * Freaks and Geeks
 * Garth Marenghi's Darkplace
 * Homicide: Life on the Street - spawned John Munch's Career
 * Interceptor- a Game Show oddly enough.
 * Iron Chef
 * Jackass
 * Kolchak: The Night Stalker
 * The League of Gentlemen
 * Masters of Horror
 * The Mole
 * Monty Python's Flying Circus
 * Mr. Show
 * Mystery Science Theater 3000 (and by extension, most of the movies it showcased)
 * News Radio
 * Noah's Arc: The show continues to have a highly dedicated fanbase of gay men of color.
 * Northern Exposure
 * Nowhere Man
 * The Outer Limits
 * Pennies From Heaven
 * Police Squad!
 * Power Rangers. Aside from a small fanbase, the rest of the general public never knew the show was still around.
 * The Prisoner
 * Profit
 * Pushing Daisies is already showing signs.
 * Quantum Leap
 * Queer as Folk
 * Red Dwarf
 * The Sarah Connor Chronicles
 * The Singing Detective
 * Sledge Hammer!
 * Spaced
 * Spitting Image
 * Star Trek: The Original Series
 * The State
 * Survivor: The few few seasons were extremely popular and ushered in the rise of Reality TV, but Survivor has become this over time. There was an article from a few years ago (I can't recall what site it came from) that proclaimed that it has one of the most devoted fandoms in American television.
 * Takeshi's Castle
 * Tales from the Crypt
 * Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!
 * Titus
 * The Twilight Zone
 * The Tom Green Show
 * Twin Peaks
 * Undeclared
 * V - The original.
 * Whose Line Is It Anyway?
 * The Wire
 * Wonderfalls
 * The X-Files: Voted number 2 in TV Guide's list of the "25 Top Cult Shows Ever!"
 * Xena: Warrior Princess
 * The Young Ones

Music

 * The Art of Noise
 * The Avalanches: Since I Left You (2000)
 * Syd Barrett: The Madcap Laughs (1970)
 * The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds (1966)
 * Brian Wilson: SMiLE (unreleased until 2004)
 * Blind Guardian: Nightfall In Middle Earth (1998), etc.
 * Boogie Down Productions: Criminal Minded (1987)
 * Brotha Lynch Hung: Season of The Siccness (1992)
 * Buckethead
 * Kate Bush: The Dreaming (1982)
 * The Butthole Surfers
 * Butthole Surfers (1983)
 * Locust Abortion Technician (1987)
 * Cage: Movies for the Blind (2002)
 * Can: Tago Mago (1970)
 * Captain Beefheart
 * Trout Mask Replica (1969)
 * Company Flow: Funcrusher Plus (1997)
 * The Cramps
 * Nick Drake
 * Five Leaves Left (1969)
 * Bryter Layter (1970)
 * Pink Moon (1971)
 * Wild Man Fischer
 * Freestyle Fellowship: To Whom It May Concern (1991)
 * Fugazi: 13 Songs (1989)
 * The Fugs
 * The Grateful Dead
 * Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds
 * Kool Keith
 * The Legendary Stardust Cowboy
 * MC5: Kick Out The Jams (1969)
 * Neutral Milk Hotel: In The Aeroplane Over The Sea (1998)
 * Pavement
 * Psychopathic Records:
 * Anybody Killa
 * Blaze Ya Dead Homie
 * Boondox
 * Insane Clown Posse:
 * Riddle Box (1995)
 * The Great Milenko (1997)
 * The Amazing Jeckel Brothers (1999)
 * Twiztid: Mostasteless (1997)
 * Reel Life Productions
 * Esham
 * Natas
 * The Residents: Third Reich N Roll (1976) and Commercial Album (1980)
 * Jonathan Richman
 * The Shaggs: Philosophy Of The World (1969)
 * Harry Smith's An Anthology Of American Folk Music (1952)
 * Skip Spence: Oar (1969)
 * Talk Talk: Spirit of Eden (1988)
 * Tenacious D
 * They Might Be Giants
 * The Velvet Underground
 * The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
 * White Light/White Heat (1968)
 * The Velvet Underground (1969)
 * Loaded (1970)
 * Weezer: Pinkerton (1996)
 * XTC: Drums and Wires (1979)
 * "Weird Al" Yankovic
 * Frank Zappa
 * Freak-Out (1966)
 * Absolutely Free (1967)
 * Lumpy Gravy(1967)
 * We're Only in It For The Money (1968)
 * Uncle Meat (1969)
 * Hot Rats (1969)
 * Weasels Ripped My Flesh (1970)
 * 200 Motels (1971)
 * Over-Nite Sensation (1973)
 * Apostrophe (1974)
 * One Size Fits All (1968)
 * Sheik Yerbouti (1979)
 * Joe's Garage (1979)
 * Arvid Tuba

Newspaper Comics

 * The Boondocks
 * Dykes to Watch Out For
 * Life in Hell
 * Serenity Rose
 * Zippy the Pinhead

Radio

 * The Goon Show

Tabletop Games
Many tabletop RPGs are a cult within a cult following, including;
 * Bunnies and Burrows
 * Call of Cthulhu
 * Deadlands
 * In Nomine
 * Pinball in general.
 * Traveller
 * Dungeons & Dragons has been the go-to RPG for decades, and has served as the Trope Codifier for most modern Fantasy and RPG games and media ever since.

Theatre

 * 13
 * Greater Tuna
 * Jesus Christ Superstar
 * Hair
 * Little Shop of Horrors (the off-Broadway production)
 * Despite Andrew Lloyd Webber's attempts to disown Starlight Express, the musical has attracted a small but extremely dedicated fanbase, many members of which dress up as the characters a la The Rocky Horror Picture Show, interact with the actors backstage, and travel to cities and overseas to attend as many productions as possible.
 * The Revels productions
 * Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
 * Repo! The Genetic Opera
 * Rent You know. Rent-heads, and all.
 * Spring Awakening has a following who call themselves "The Guilty Ones".

Theme Parks

 * The Pirates of the Caribbean ride on which the film franchise is based is so cult, it attracted a fandom backlash before the movie was released over Johnny Depp and his gold teeth. The resulting kerfuffle only helped sell the film, of course.
 * Although it was closed after eight years of operation for scaring the pants off of too many little children, the Extraterrorestrial Alien Encounter at Walt Disney World has a loyal following who admire the attraction for its dark humor and rich atmosphere.
 * Mr. Toad's Wild Ride is a bit cult, to the point where Disney made a film based on the ride instead of the book (The Wind In The Willows). There are shrines to the attraction years after it closed down.
 * Disney's film The Wind in the Willows was based on...the book. It came out in 1949, while the ride (and Disneyland itself) are from six years later. The 1996 adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's book was then titled Mr. Toad's Wild Ride in the US, presumably so people would make a connection to the Disney ride.
 * The Great Movie Ride.
 * Drachen Fire was a steel roller coaster at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia. The ride was infamous for being very rough and encountered many problems during its lifetime. It opened in 1992 and closed in 1998; the park attempted to re-open the coaster in 2002 but failed and ended up demolishing it. Despite the ride's many problems, it had/still has a cult following by coaster enthusiasts and fans of the park.

Video Games

 * 3D Dot Game Heroes
 * A Boy and His Blob (NES version)
 * The Ace Attorney series
 * Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
 * Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney
 * Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth
 * AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! - A Reckless Disregard for Gravity (or simply Aaaaaa)
 * Aliens vs. Predator (the Beat'Em Up by Capcom; the following games by Rebellion and Monolith Productions are too popular for Cult Classic status)
 * Allegiance (the Microsoft-developed space combat game/Real Time Strategy hybrid that is now legal freeware)
 * Alpha Protocol (a classic case of a game panned by critics but which picked up a devoted following)
 * Games by Obsidian tend to attract this, see also Knights of the Old Republic 2 and the Neverwinter Nights 2 expansion Mask of the Betrayer.
 * American McGee's Alice
 * Another World, a.k.a. Out of This World
 * Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
 * Arm Joe! (a Beat-Em-Up based on Les Miserables)
 * Asura's Wrath
 * Azrael's Tear
 * Battlezone 1998 (the Activision FPS/RTS hybrid PC games)
 * Betrayal at Krondor
 * Beyond Good & Evil
 * Blaster Master
 * Blade Runner the 2½-D adventure game
 * Blood
 * Brütal Legend
 * Bunny Must Die
 * Burn:Cycle
 * Catherine
 * Castle of the Winds
 * Castle Wolfenstein
 * Castlevania: Rondo of Blood
 * Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
 * Cave Story
 * The Chronicles of Riddick games
 * Chrono Cross and its predecessor Radical Dreamers (in contrast to the more mainstream success of Chrono Trigger)
 * Baten Kaitos, the Spiritual Successor to Cross.
 * Conker's Bad Fur Day
 * Darklands
 * The Darkness
 * Deadly Rooms of Death
 * Deadly Premonition
 * The Dept. Heaven series
 * Knights in The Nightmare
 * Riviera: The Promised Land
 * Yggdra Union
 * Digimon World according to its page here.
 * Dune II (which still has DOSBox versions and fan-mods)
 * Elite
 * Enslaved (While it has just recently been released, it is already managing to attract a small but dedicated fan base.)
 * Eternal Darkness
 * F-Zero on both sides of the pond.
 * Final Fight, and to a lesser degree, its SNES sequels.
 * Any Fire Emblem game in America that has not been localized. Even the localized ones could be considered to fall under this, small as the broader Fire Emblem fanbase is.
 * Flashback
 * Freelancer
 * Free Space, especially Freespace 2.
 * Fur Fighters
 * Gabriel Knight series of adventure games
 * Garou: Mark of the Wolves: SNK's answer to Street Fighter III, it is widely praised as the last great SNK game (even those who don't normally touch SNK fighters love MotW). Sadly, SNKP is taking forever with the sequel...
 * God Hand
 * Gotcha Force
 * Gothic (Also, the first sequel and expansion)
 * ''Grabbed By the Ghoulies': Liked by Rare fans and a few others, not particularly popular with the mainstream or critics.
 * Grim Fandango
 * The Guardian Legend
 * Heart of Darkness
 * Hellsinker
 * Homeworld series, but especially Homeworld 2.
 * Ico
 * I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
 * Illusion of Gaia as well as its Spiritual Successor Terranigma
 * Both are technically regarded as successors to Soul Blazer.
 * Independence War
 * Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis known as "Indy 4" by its fans
 * I Wanna Be the Guy
 * Jet Set Radio
 * Jumper
 * Kid Icarus
 * Klonoa
 * Koala Lumpur: Journey to the Edge
 * The Last Blade
 * The Last Express
 * Legacy of Kain
 * A few Zelda games which didn't accrue quite the fame and acclaim of the likes of Ocarina of Time have a dedicated following:
 * [[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link]
 * The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
 * The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
 * The Longest Journey
 * Dreamfall: The Longest Journey
 * Live a Live
 * Loom
 * Lufia
 * Lunar
 * MadWorld
 * The Magic of Scheherazade
 * Maniac Mansion
 * Marathon
 * Master of Magic
 * Mega Man Legends
 * Also Mega Man Zero and Mega Man ZX
 * Metal Gear Acid
 * Missile Command (classic arcade game)
 * Monkey Island series (so much so that it survived the Adventure Game crash of '95)
 * Monster Rancher
 * Monster Party
 * Moraff's Roguelikes: Moraff's Revenge, Moraff's World, and Dungeons of the Unforgiven, with World probably being the most famous of the three.
 * The Mother trilogy, the video game cult classics to end all video game cult classics.
 * MOTHER 1/EarthBound Zero
 * MOTHER 2/EarthBound
 * Mother 3
 * Lampshaded and parodied to hell and back by STARMEN.net, centre of the fanbase.
 * Nail 'n Scale (With a cult of one, but still...)
 * The Neverhood
 * NieR
 * NiGHTS Into Dreams
 * Night Trap
 * No More Heroes
 * Oddworld
 * Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath
 * Ogre Battle/Tactics Ogre
 * Okami
 * Operation Flashpoint
 * ARMA
 * Oregon Trail
 * Outcast
 * Pac-Man (an example of something once hugely popular that is now cult)
 * Panzer Dragoon
 * Parappa the Rapper
 * And Um Jammer Lammy
 * Pathologic
 * Planescape: Torment
 * Psychonauts
 * Q Bert
 * Quarantine
 * Quest for Glory
 * RBI Baseball
 * Rally Trophy
 * Rayman
 * Revelations: The Demon Slayer
 * Most of the other old Shin Megami Tensei games would fall under this as well.
 * And most Atlus games in general.
 * Sky Gunner anyone?
 * Same applies to Princess Crown.
 * Or any other game made by Vanillaware.
 * Rise of the Triad
 * River City Ransom
 * Riviera: The Promised Land
 * Rocket Jockey
 * Terra Nova Strike Force Centauri
 * The Room the Game (not to be confused with Silent Hill 4 or those "trapped in a room" games)
 * Sam and Max Hit The Road (too soon to say for the Telltale games?)
 * Settlers
 * Shadow Hearts
 * Shadow of the Colossus
 * Shantae
 * Shin Megami Tensei series and spinoffs over here at least. In Japan it's up there with Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest.
 * Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri
 * As well as both versions of Pirates.
 * Skies of Arcadia
 * Space Channel 5
 * Space Invaders (classic arcade game, got its own Futurama parody)
 * Star Control
 * Star Control II
 * Star FOX
 * StarTropics
 * Starsiege: Tribes
 * And Starsiege itself is already Earthsiege in the future!
 * Steel Battalion
 * Strider (both the NES and arcade version, as well as Strider 2)
 * Osman, its Spiritual Successor, is on its way to attaining this status.
 * Suikoden II
 * Actually, comparing to other Eastern RPG series, the whole Suikoden series is pretty much a cult classic.
 * Syndicate
 * System Shock and especially its sequel.
 * Ogre Battle and Tactics Ogre
 * The Tale of Alltynex trilogy.
 * The Tales (series) has had a couple commercially successful installments in America, to varying extents, but the series overall outside Japan is very much a dedicated niche. Not helped by how many of the games don't leave Japan to begin with.
 * Tales of Symphonia
 * Tales of the Abyss
 * Tales of Vesperia
 * Tecmo Bowl (NES) and Tecmo Super Bowl
 * Thief
 * Time Splitters (It did sell pretty good, but it was never a huge hit. Nevertheless, it still has a very devoted fan base to this day.)
 * Tomba
 * Toonstruck
 * Transport Tycoon
 * Tumblepop
 * Ultima (also a Long Runner)
 * An Untitled Story
 * Vagrant Story
 * Valkyria Chronicles
 * Valkyrie Profile
 * Viewtiful Joe
 * Wild ARMs
 * The World Ends With You
 * X-COM
 * Xenogears
 * Xenosaga
 * Xexex, obscure, but well loved by those who have played it.
 * XIII, the video game adaptation at least
 * Yume Nikki; a strange, little freeware game by un unheard of Japanese creator, too large to be browser-based, and only distributed by the fans. Yet it has created no less than two dozen fangames (all of which can be seen here), massive amounts of Wild Mass Guessing, and an incredible amount of Memetic Mutation. And the game's only been released as Version 0.1.
 * Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders
 * Zone of the Enders
 * Zork
 * Interactive Fiction in general is a cult genre comparable to CB radio.
 * Same with Multi User Dungeons.
 * Anything by CAVE.
 * Anything by Clover Studios.
 * By proxy, the same could be said of most of Platinum Games' work.
 * Anything by Humongous Entertainment.
 * Anything by Nippon Ichi, though Disgaea is the company's most famous work.
 * Anything by Suda 51.
 * Anything by Treasure.
 * Anything by Vanillaware. Their ranks are comprised of the same former Atlus members that worked on the aforementioned Princess Crown (in fact, Odin Sphere and Muramasa: The Demon Blade are Spiritual Successors to Princess Crown).
 * Japanese Visual Novels in general, i.e, the good ones.
 * Then there are the cult classics among this already niche genre, namely Brass Restoration, Narcissu, True Remembrance...mostly doujin stuff.
 * Shmups in general, at least in modern gaming (back in the Golden Age, they enjoyed mainstream popularity).
 * Fighter's History
 * In the same vein, Visco's Breakers. Ironically, while Fighter's History was known as the SFII copycat (to the point that Capcom filled a lawsuit against them), it was Breakers that had a larger number of Captain Ersatzes on the roster. Regardless, both titles were good enough to receive sequels (Fighter's History Dynamite and Breakers Revenge) and possess dedicated followings despite having fallen into obscurity.
 * All of the titles made by Ukrainian developer Deep Shadows count.
 * Boiling Point: Road to Hell
 * White Gold: War in Paradise and
 * The Precursors (The last two only released in Eastern Europe, though fan translations are available)
 * The Great Giana Sisters and its DS remake.

Web Original

 * Homestuck
 * Homestar Runner
 * Lobo
 * My Little Pony: Fighting Is Magic
 * Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Special Edition
 * The Terrible Secret of Animal Crossing
 * Mario Paint
 * Robot Unicorn Attack made unicorns cool again.
 * That Guy With The Glasses
 * The Nostalgia Critic
 * Atop the Fourth Wall
 * The Nostalgia Chick
 * The Spoony Experiment
 * The Cinema Snob
 * Phelous
 * Obscurus Lupa Presents
 * The Angry Video Game Nerd

Western Animation

 * Lots of cartoons on Adult Swim, thanks to its timeslot. Examples that have retained a cult following include:
 * Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters
 * The Boondocks
 * Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law
 * Metalocalypse
 * Space Ghost Coast to Coast
 * Squidbillies
 * Superjail
 * Frisky Dingo
 * Twelve Ounce Mouse
 * The Venture Brothers
 * Adventure Time was the cult phenomenon of 2010 before My Little Pony came out.
 * The Adventures of Mark Twain
 * Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers
 * Aeon Flux
 * American Dad
 * Archer
 * The cartoons of Tex Avery
 * Ralph Bakshi
 * Fritz the Cat
 * Heavy Traffic
 * Coonskin
 * Wizards
 * The Lord of the Rings
 * American Pop
 * Hey Good Lookin'
 * Fire and Ice
 * Cool World
 * Beavis and Butthead
 * The Brave Little Toaster
 * Charlie Brown... animated specials and the Saturday morning cartoon:
 * A Charlie Brown Christmas
 * It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
 * You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1985)
 * This Is America, Charlie Brown (miniseries) and feature films:
 * A Boy Named Charlie Brown
 * Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown
 * Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown
 * Snoopy Come Home Usually remembered for being ridiculously depressing.
 * The cartoons of Bob Clampett
 * Clerks the Animated Series
 * Clone High
 * The Critic
 * Daria
 * DiC had a few series considered this, some of which can be found elsewhere on this page.
 * The Dilbert cartoon.
 * Doug (While the Disney version was considered more successful, Nickelodeon's are still considered this)
 * Drawn Together
 * Duckman
 * Dungeons and Dragons
 * Fantastic Planet ("La Planète Sauvage")
 * Felidae
 * Freakazoid!
 * Freak Show
 * Futurama (Not as popular in the mainstream as The Simpsons, but still has an obsessive cult following)
 * Gumby
 * Happy Tree Friends (premiered in the Festival of Sick and Twisted Animation)
 * The Haunted World of El Superbeasto
 * Hey Arnold! (Turning into this; even eight years after the last episode aired, devoted followers are trying to convince Nickelodeon let the show have a proper finale)
 * The Hobbit
 * Home Movies
 * Invader Zim
 * The cartoons of Chuck Jones
 * KaBlam!
 * Kirikou and The Sorceress (French film, based on African folk tale)
 * Looney Tunes
 * Mission Hill
 * Mister T (animated)
 * Monkey Dust
 * The Mouse and His Child
 * My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic ascended to the upper echelons of cult status in little more than a year.
 * The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat
 * Garfield: His 9 Lives
 * The Oblongs
 * PJ Katie's Farm
 * The Plague Dogs ("a special kind of movie magic from the makers of Watership Down")
 * Popeye (original shorts)
 * Quasi at the Quackadero
 * Recess
 * The Ren and Stimpy Show
 * John Kricfalusi also did the music video for Tenacious D: Her Gently
 * The Ripping Friends
 * Rock and Rule
 * Rocky and Bullwinkle and its spinoff, Dudley Do-Right.
 * Rankin/Bass films in general, in part thanks to Nostalgia Filter.
 * The Hobbit (1977)
 * The Return of the King (1980) Where there's a whip...
 * Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie
 * Samurai Jack
 * The Secret of Kells (Cartoon Saloon in general is beginning to have this)
 * The Secret of NIMH
 * The Simpsons
 * Song of the South
 * South Park
 * Sonic the Hedgehog (a.k.a SatAM)
 * Todd MacFarlane's Spawn
 * Swat Kats
 * Teen Titans was decently popular for a while, but was widely bashed by a lot of comic and superhero fans for its more unusual style, and turned into the Butt Monkey of Cartoon Network. However, even years after its cancellation, it still has a fiercely loyal fanbase.
 * The Thief and the Cobbler
 * ThunderCats
 * Undergrads
 * Watership Down (US-only. It was quite popular in its native UK.)

Entire Media

 * Tokusatsu
 * Video Games used to fall under this, being seen as the exclusive domain of children and nerds. In the last decade, however, the success of products like the Nintendo Wii and iPhone App Store, as well as franchises like Halo, Grand Theft Auto, Madden NFL, Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, have made video games a much more commonplace and socially acceptable pastime. Still, most games apart from big-name franchises remain relatively obscure in mainstream popular culture.
 * Gamebooks have a small, but incredibly devoted following of readers, authors, bloggers, and programmers who kept the medium alive and thriving to this day.