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The 2022 Cult Movie Challenge

52 movies  

(46/52)

My work-in-progress list for the 2022 Cult Movie Challenge. This will be my fourth year participating, and although I'm not going to go as hard as I did last year (when I did 52 consecutive pandemic double features), we've got some great themes going this year and I'm looking forward to digging in.

All titles are tentative, card is subject to change depending on availability, or if a more appealing option should present itself. As always, click on the eyeglasses button ("Read notes") to see the dates, themes, and associated lists for each week!

As before, I will be going through the list in numeric order for the weeks listed, and will attempt to have a short review posted for each film within a day or two of watching. I fell behind on my reviews last year, and have resolved to be a bit more proactive on that front this year.

The main challenge list created by Letterboxd user <a href="https://letterboxd.com/kevinsomnia/">Kevin Seiler</a> (taking over from Cult Movie Challenge creator <a href="https://letterboxd.com/bigdaddywarbuxx/">Justin Hullinger</a>) can be found here: <a href="https://letterboxd.com/kevinsomnia/list/the-2022-cult-movie-challenge/detail/">2022 Cult Movie Challenge - MAIN LIST</a>

Links to my past Cult Movie Challenge lists: <a href="https://letterboxd.com/atomicpwrdrobot/list/the-2021-and-6th-cult-movie-challenge-friday/detail/">2021 Cult Movie Challenge - MY LIST</a> <a href="https://letterboxd.com/atomicpwrdrobot/list/the-2020-cult-movie-challenge/detail/" rel="nofollow">2020 Cult Movie Challenge - MY LIST</a><br><a href="https://letterboxd.com/atomicpwrdrobot/list/2019-cult-movie-challenge/detail/" rel="nofollow">2019 Cult Movie Challenge - MY LIST</a>

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Movie

The Demon Lover (1977)
The Demon Lover IMDb TMDB
Jerry Younkins / Donald G. Jackson actor: Christmas Robbins / 瓦尔·马耶里克 …
A group of teenagers hanging around a cemetery get involved with a satanic priest who calls up a demon from hell.
AtomicPwrdRobot Week 1: Jan. 1-Jan. 7<br><b>Donald G. Jackson Week</b></p><p>Weird director whose movies straddle the line between madness-inducing brilliance and headache-inducing awfulness. Expect people on roller blades and/or Joe Estevez to appear at some point.</p><p><a href="https://letterboxd.com/director/donald-g-jackson/" rel="nofollow">Donald G. Jackson filmography</a>
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The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (2013)
かぐや姫の物語
★ 8.5 574 ratings
高畑勋 actor: 朝仓亚纪 / 高良健吾 …
other title: 辉夜姬物语 / かぐや姫の物語 …
Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter and his wife, a tiny girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady. The mysterious young princess enthrals all who encounter her. But, ultimately, she must confront her fate.
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The Toolbox Murders (1978)
The Toolbox Murders WikiData IMDb TMDB Douban
丹尼斯·唐纳利 actor: 卡梅隆·米切尔 / 帕梅琳·费丁 …
other title: 工具箱杀手 / 툴박스 머더 …
A serial killer, plagued by the memory of a fatal car accident, uses various tools to murder female tenants of a Los Angeles apartment complex, then abducts a teenaged girl who lives there with her family. When the police express doubt that the murders are connected to the girl's disappearance, her brother sets out to search for her on his own.
AtomicPwrdRobot Week 3: Jan. 15-Jan. 21<br><b>Cameron Mitchell Week</b></p><p>Incredibly prolific actor whose career spanned nearly half a century and whose credits range from Giallo films, spaghetti westerns, action, science fiction, horror, and more.</p><p><a href="https://letterboxd.com/actor/cameron-mitchell/" rel="nofollow">Cameron Mitchell filmography</a>
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Movie

Sudden Attack: The Killing Fist (1974)
激突！殺人拳 WikiData IMDb TMDB Douban
小泽茂弘 actor: 千叶真一 / 山田吾一 …
other title: 激突！杀人拳 / 激突！殺人拳 …
Takuma Tsurugi takes on the government, the police, the mafia and an international ring of kidnappers who aim to dispossess a beautiful young heiress of her millions.
AtomicPwrdRobot Week 4: Jan. 22-Jan. 28<br><b>Sonny Chiba Week</b></p><p>Though we lost him to COVID in August 2021, Sonny Chiba left a huge mark on the cinematic world, first as a prolific actor in Japanese cinema in everything from yakuza movies to samurai films and even some more dramatic roles, eventually becoming a well known name across the world. Check out one of his movies this week, which would have been his 83rd birthday (January 22nd).</p><p><a href="https://letterboxd.com/actor/shinichi-chiba-1/" rel="nofollow">Sonny Chiba filmography</a>
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Movie

The Day of the Locust (1975)
The Day of the Locust
★ 7.7 6 ratings
John Schlesinger actor: Donald Sutherland / Karen Black …
other title: 蝗虫之日 / 淑女·荡妇·情人 …
Hollywood, 1930s. Tod Hackett, a young painter who tries to make his way as an art director in the lurid world of film industry, gets infatuated with his neighbor Faye Greener, an aspiring actress who prefers the life that Homer Simpson, a lone accountant, can offer her.
AtomicPwrdRobot Week 5: Jan. 29-Feb. 4<br><b>Karen Black Week</b></p><p>An incredibly prolific actor across multiple decades and virtually every type of movie you could think of, Karen Black has worked under legendary directors such as Alfred Hitchcock, Francis Ford Coppola, and Robert Altman. She's in tons of lower budget horror and even some science fiction stuff too. The woman had range.</p><p><a href="https://letterboxd.com/actor/karen-black-1/" rel="nofollow">Karen Black filmography</a>
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Movie

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo.
★ 9.2 595 ratings
Sergio Leone actor: Clint Eastwood / Eli Wallach …
other title: 黄金三镖客 / Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo. …
While the Civil War rages on between the Union and the Confederacy, three men – a quiet loner, a ruthless hitman, and a Mexican bandit – comb the American Southwest in search of a strongbox containing $200,000 in stolen gold.
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Movie

Castle of Blood (1964)
Danza macabra WikiData IMDb TMDB Douban
Antonio Margheriti / Sergio Corbucci actor: 芭芭拉·斯蒂尔 / Georges Rivière …
other title: 血魔传奇 / Danza macabra …
When a cynical journalist accepts a wager that he won't survive the night in a haunted castle, it unlocks an odyssey of sexual torment, undead vengeance, and a dark seductress who surrenders the gravest of pleasures.
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Ginger Snaps (2000)
Ginger Snaps
★ 7.6 21 ratings
约翰·福西特 actor: 艾米莉·帕金斯 / 凯瑟琳·伊莎贝尔 …
other title: 变种女狼 / 恶夜狼女(台) …
The story of two outcast sisters, Ginger and Brigitte, in the mindless suburban town of Bailey Downs. On the night of Ginger's first period, she is savagely attacked by a wild creature. Ginger's wounds miraculously heal but something is not quite right. Now Brigitte must save her sister and save herself.
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Movie

Hell Up In Harlem (1973)
Hell Up in Harlem WikiData IMDb TMDB Douban
劳伦斯·科恩 actor: Fred Williamson / Julius Harris …
other title: 哈莱姆地狱 / Hell Up in Harlem …
A Harlem gangster must rescue his ex-wife, who's been kidnapped by the Mafia.
AtomicPwrdRobot Week 9: Feb. 26-Mar. 4<br><b>Fred Williamson Week</b></p><p>Football player turned actor Fred Williamson has probably covered more ground in film than he has on the field. Starring in everything from crime dramas to westerns to blaxploitation films. He was incredibly busy in the 70s and 80s, and even still gets work today in his 80s.</p><p><a href="https://letterboxd.com/actor/fred-williamson-2/" rel="nofollow">Fred Williamson filmography</a>
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Movie

New York Ripper (1982)
Lo squartatore di New York WikiData IMDb TMDB Douban
★ 5.6 8 ratings
卢西奥·弗尔兹 actor: Jack Hedley / Almanta Suska …
other title: 纽约杀人狂 / Lo squartatore di New York …
A burned-out New York police detective teams up with a college psychoanalyst to track down a vicious serial killer randomly stalking and killing various young women around the city.
AtomicPwrdRobot Week 10: Mar. 5-Mar. 11<br><b>Lucio Fulci Week</b></p><p>Right up there with Argento in terms of Italian art-horror, but definitely a notch above Argento in the gore department.</p><p><a href="https://letterboxd.com/director/lucio-fulci/" rel="nofollow">Lucio Fulci filmography</a>
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The Duel (1971)
大決鬥 WikiData IMDb TMDB Douban
★ 7.6 34 ratings
张彻 actor: 狄龙 / 姜大卫 …
other title: 大决斗 / 大決鬥 …
Tan Jen-chieh's life spins out of control when he’s forced into exile to clear his name following the murder of his adopted father. He's hunted in the streets. His lover, Butterfly, turns to prostitution. And his father's likely killer – a smooth operator known as the Rambler – is always lingering nearby. But before Tan and the Rambler can slit each other's throats, they learn they've been double-crossed and go two against everyone in a rage of double-edged vengeance.
AtomicPwrdRobot Week 11: Mar. 12-Mar. 18<br><b>Shaw Brothers Week</b></p><p>Hong Kong based production company with an enormous library of films under their belt. Most notable for their martial arts action films, and for their influence on the Wu-Tang Clan.</p><p><a href="https://letterboxd.com/studio/shaw-brothers/" rel="nofollow">Films produced by Shaw Brothers</a>
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The Invisible Maniac (1990)
The Invisible Maniac WikiData IMDb TMDB Douban
AdamRifkin actor: Savannah JasonLogan MarilynAdams DanaBentley
other title: 隐形狂人 / 인비저블 매니악 …
An invisible scientist escapes from an asylum and teaches high-school physics to nubile teens.
AtomicPwrdRobot Week 12: Mar. 19-Mar. 25<br><b>Rarelust Week</b></p><p>Taken from their website: "rarelust is my personal project to keep rare flick rips alive freely and stop sellers who sell these movies at insane prices.."<br>This website is a treasure trove of obscurity, and offers a giant grab bag of potential options for this week's theme.</p><p><a href="https://letterboxd.com/oros/list/rarelust-completeish-list/" rel="nofollow">Rarelust Complete(ish) List</a> by Oros</p>
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Movie

Prom Night (1980)
Prom Night
保罗·林奇 actor: 莱斯利·尼尔森 / 杰米·李·柯蒂斯 …
other title: 舞会惊魂 / 灯红酒绿杀人夜 …
At a high school senior prom, a masked killer stalks four teenagers who were responsible for the accidental death of a classmate six years previously.
AtomicPwrdRobot Week 13: Mar. 26-Apr. 1<br><b>Leslie Nielsen Week</b></p><p>With career beginnings in more serious roles, Nielsen eventually became a household name for his comedic acting, most notably for his appearances in the Zuckers and Abrahams spoof movies.</p><p><a href="https://letterboxd.com/actor/leslie-nielsen/" rel="nofollow">Leslie Nielsen filmography</a>
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Movie

Space Is the Place (1974)
Space Is the Place WikiData IMDb TMDB Douban
★ 7.0 6 ratings
John Coney actor: Sun Ra
other title: 太空即地点 / 太空境地 …
Sun Ra and his Solar Myth Arkestra return to Earth after several years in space. Ra proclaims himself "the alter-destiny", meets with inner-city youths and battles with the devil himself to save the black race.
AtomicPwrdRobot Week 14: Apr. 2-Apr. 8<br><b>Blaxploitation Week</b></p><p>Started in the early 70s with the studio-made Shaft and the low-budget Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, blaxploitation movies targeted the black urban demographic and typically featured stories involving characters from those very settings. Lots of stories of social plights, political tension, and gangs, but on top of the drama, there's also a fair amount of comedy movies in the genre as well.</p><p><a href="https://letterboxd.com/thedude1973/list/the-ultimate-blaxploitation-movies-list/" rel="nofollow">The Ultimate Blaxploitation Movies List</a> by The Dude1973</p>
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Gozu (2003)
極道恐怖大劇場 牛頭
★ 7.0 22 ratings
Takashi Miike actor: Show Aikawa / Yūta Sone …
other title: 극도공포대극장 우두 / 極道恐怖大劇場 牛頭 GOZU …
Minami mistakenly kills a gangster associate of his named Brother. Almost as soon as the murder takes place, the body of the deceased man is gone, prompting Minami to conduct a search. While looking, he finds a mysterious isolated hotel where he decides to take a rest. Not only are the front desk clerks a bit strange, but even the ambiance feels unusual. Minami soon realizes he may have gotten more than he bargained for.
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Satanic Pandemonium (1975)
Satánico pandemonium WikiData IMDb TMDB Douban
Gilberto Martínez Solares actor: Enrique Rocha / Cecilia Pezet …
other title: 修女玛利亚 / Satánico pandemonium …
Sister Maria is known in the convent for her good works and charity, but, in the secret depths of her sexual fantasies, she is tormented by visions of another world - a world where her forbidden passions are allowed to run free. In this world Satan is her master. As her acts of violence and blasphemy mount, Maria realizes that she has been chosen by the Devil to destroy the convent and lead her sister nuns into hell!
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Movie

Female Prisoner 701: Scorpion (1972)
女囚701号 さそり
★ 7.3 21 ratings
伊藤俊也 actor: 梶芽衣子 / 夏八木勋 …
other title: 女囚701号-蝎子 / 女囚701号 さそり …
After being cruelly set up and deceived by Sugimi, a detective in cohorts with the mob with whom she was whole-heartedly in love, Matsushima’s desire for revenge knows no bounds.
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Caligula (1980)
Caligola
★ 6.6 117 ratings
Tinto Brass actor: Malcolm McDowell / Teresa Ann Savoy …
other title: Caligola / Caligula – Aufstieg und Fall eines Tyrannen …
After the death of the paranoid emperor Tiberius, Caligula, his heir, seizes power and plunges the empire into a bloody spiral of madness and depravity.
AtomicPwrdRobot Week 18: Apr. 30-May 6<br><b>Tinto Brass Week</b></p><p>From his early days making avant-garde films before becoming a huge name in Italian sexploitation, even more impressive is that he's still making movies today despite appearing to have been chain smoking cigars for the last hundred years.</p><p><a href="https://letterboxd.com/director/tinto-brass-1/" rel="nofollow">Tinto Brass filmography</a>
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The Buddy Holly Story (1978)
The Buddy Holly Story WikiData IMDb TMDB Douban
Steve Rash actor: 加里·布塞
other title: 巴迪霍利传 / 英才恨 …
A film about the life and career of the early rock and roll star.The musical career of Buddy Holly is chronicled, from the days when "Peggy Sue" was "Cindy Lou," a song about his first girlfriend, to the meteoric run of "That'll Be The Day" up the charts, to his marriage, breakup with the Crickets, reunion with the Crickets, and untimelydeath.His story will have you singing, laughing, crying, cheering and stomping your feet
AtomicPwrdRobot Week 19: May 7-May 13<br><b>Gary Busey Week</b></p><p>Though not exempt from critical acclaim, and even an Academy Award nomination to his name, Gary Busey and has shown up in a veritable shitload of direct-to-video action flicks that my dad likely rented in the 90s. </p><p><a href="https://letterboxd.com/actor/gary-busey/" rel="nofollow">Gary Busey filmography</a>
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Movie

Fade to Black (1980)
Fade to Black WikiData IMDb TMDB Douban
★ 5.4 7 ratings
弗农·齐默尔曼 actor: 丹尼斯·克里斯托弗 / 蒂姆·汤默逊 …
other title: 消逝于黑暗中 / 褪到黑 …
A shy, lonely film buff embarks on a killing spree against those who browbeat and betray him, all the while stalking his idol, a Marilyn Monroe lookalike.
AtomicPwrdRobot Week 20: May 14-May 20<br><b>Vinegar Syndrome Week</b></p><p>Basically the Criterion Collection of genre flicks and sleaze, as well as my personal favorite boutique label in the home video market. Vinegar Syndrome's ever-expanding library and their work in film restoration has given life to countless movies that would have been otherwise doomed to obscurity and forgotten by time.</p><p><a href="https://letterboxd.com/jlalibs/list/vinegar-syndrome/" rel="nofollow">Vinegar Syndrome</a> by VS's own <a href="https://letterboxd.com/jlalibs/" rel="nofollow">Justin LaLiberty</a>
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