What do we mean when we say “Cult Film” (or television show, or book, or comic)

Our Facebook page recently hosted a discussion of this list of cult television shows from Entertainment Weekly. In the discussion, I mentioned that some of the shows on the list (like X-files, Lost, and possibly Doctor Who) along with some suggestions in the group (mostly Breaking Bad) weren't “cult” shows and shouldn't be on the list. Since this was met with some skepticism, I thought it would be a good idea to discuss what we mean in popular culture studies when we use the term “cult” to categorize a work of art. Here are the basic criteria for categorizing something as a “cult” object.

1. The work has an enthusiastic, dedicated, cult-like following.

2. The work gained this following after it was in general release.

3. The work contains subversive, counter-culture themes.

4. The work is generally not highly thought of by traditional critics or the general public.

5. Being a fan of the work marks the enthusiasts as outside the mainstream.

Some critics would say only the first criteria is important. If a film has a cult-like following, it is a cult film. I think this defines the term down to the point that it is meaningless. Because of that, the second criteria is an important qualifier, I believe. Shows like Firefly and Better off Ted saw their popularity explode after they were off the air. Those are textbook cult phenomenons in the way a water-cooler show like Breaking Bad can't hope to be. Any show that becomes part of the zeitgeist while it is still on the air is more likely to see its “cult” of followers shrink over the years rather than grow—see Lost as a perfect example of this effect.

The third criteria was a huge part of the original coining of the term “Cult Movie.” If you picked up any of the seminal books on the “cult classic” phenomenon (and I recommend Danny Peary's Cult Movies series as a starting point), you would find them focused on exploitation films, graphic horror, sex, and the avant-garde. Any show that plays with the same themes and tropes as mainstream works could hardly be called cult. One of my classmates in my undergrad writing program used to say “If it wouldn't piss off or gross out my mom and dad, it isn't a cult classic.” I think I agree with him.

The fourth criteria on the list is likely the most controversial and the one most in flux. Traditional critical venues are now consistently out-shouted by the amateur and enthusiast press, and the line between mainstream and enthusiast press is getting so blurry that this criteria might soon become inconsequential. However, there will always be the element of “I see something in this work that other people are too blind to see” in the term cult. If it's on every top ten list ever thrown together, it might not be a cult item anymore (I'm looking at you Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

In the end, the final criteria might be the most telling. Imagine yourself mingling at a cocktail party (clearly catered by the Party Down crew). You are surrounded by people whose opinions matter to you. Now, imagine saying out loud “[blank] is the best television show ever made.” If in your imagination, all those people would just nod their head in approval and grunt “could be,” then whatever you said wasn't a cult show. If you don't find yourself cringing a little in anticipation of the backlash, it isn't a cult show. If you know you will need to stand your ground to defend your point-of-view, and if that feels to you akin to defending the honor of a loved one, then, and maybe only then, are you part of a “cult.”

Stak Bots Expansion Set now on Kickstarter

Follow us to the new bots!

I wrote of review of Stak Bots a few weeks ago. In the game, players pit stacks of tiny robots with a variety of powers against each other with the goal of destroying the other player's stack before they do the same to yours. It is a light, filler game that I've had good luck introducing to casual gamers, and the cute artwork really appeals to the younger gamers I've showed it to. I like it when I reviewed it, but I actually now like it a little more than I did when I first reviewed it. Why is that? Well, a big part of it is that I've been playing a ton of games on the free iOS app. The app includes a number of bots that aren't in the physical card game, and I really like the variety and not knowing what weird situations might develop as the stacks are revealed. The great news for me and those first exposed to the game by the app is that designer Tom Norfolk now has a Kickstarter up to fund an expansion for the physical card game that includes the best bots from the digital version and other new bots. This is a standalone expansion which can be added to the original release or played on its own. If you haven't picked up Stak Bots yet, this seems like a great way to jump in. Also, if you have never used Kickstarter, this is a cheap way to test the waters before jumping in full force or deciding crowd funding isn't for you.   

Hurrah! for a smooth launch (PS4)

Just wanted to add my voice to the "no PS4 launch day issues" list.  I got my console home about 2 a.m. last night.  The update downloaded and installed in less than ten minutes.  I downloaded Need for Speed Rivals, Blacklight, Resogun, and Contrast, played all of them a bit, streamed a little Resogun to the Nerdbloggerdan Twitch page, watch a ton of people play games on Ustream an Twitch--all without any issues other than a brief (roughly ten minute) PSN outage which occured at some point and paused my downloads.  After it was back up, the download resumed and everything worked great.

I'll write more on the system later, but here are my first impressions in pro/con form:

Things that make me happy:

• Being able to instantly suspend a game, open the browser, watch some Netflix, etc. and then instantly pop back into the game is amazing.  Glad to see both next-gen consoles got multitasking right.
• Streaming and otherwise sharing content works exactly as advertised.  I spent a good deal of last night watching and listening to people play games as I tried to decide what games I wanted to download fist.
• Digital downloads.  Thank God that I can finally assume that any game for the system will be available for download.  No more retail stores for me--which is great considering I live in the middle of nowhere with only the evil Walmart coorporation to buy games from.
• Both free games--Resogun and Contrast--are very cool (especially Resogun).  Nice to see PS+ get off to a good start on the PS4
• Holy crap, the console looks great with its slick design and awesome use of ambient lighting.
• The new PS4 controller is one of the best I've ever used and might actually be the best, though it will take time and a bunch of different game genre experience to be sure.
• Party chat, finally.

Thinks that give me the feels:

• My cable Internet connection is simply not fast enough to stream properly.  I'll need to boost my upload speeds soon if I want to get in on the action.
• I'd like to be able to upload saved videos directly to my Youtube channel.  That feature needs to be there sooner, not later.  Who wants to share videos on Facebook? (The answer is problably a lot of people, but not me).
• Since most of my friends of old were Xbox gamers, my friends list is too short to make good use of leaderboard features (add me, please: I'm Armchairdan)

That's it so far.  After suffering through the Sim City and Diablo III disasters last year, I was nervous about buying a console at launch and hoping to play games online.  I couldn't be happier with how smooth things went.  Here's hoping the Xbone launch goes just as well.

Facebook & Your RPG

Facebook is one of those things that can either do you a world of good or give you a massive headache.  For all the inane posts and memes you suffer through daily, there’s that friend across the country you’re keeping up with or that tidbit of information you just might not get from anywhere else.  My favorite thing about Facebook, however, remains groups.  What’s not to like about joining some like-minded folk to discuss your favorite obscure obsession? 

Recently, I created a group exclusively for the folks with whom I play games.  Besides the obvious socializing and sharing of links we do, we use it to schedule and reschedule gaming events.   The  group is a hodge-podge mostly, covering board games, rpgs, related books, comics , movies, novels, science and what have you.  So about a year ago, I  decided to go a step further.  Why not tailor a group to a specific rpg?  And why not integrate it into the actual rpg experience?  So I did.  And it worked fantastically.

Here’s what we do:

1. Meeting times & Announcements. The obvious use.  I set meeting times and places, make special announcements and such.  Here, sometimes, I even create an event for those in the group.  Anyway, everyone knows when everyone else is available, and since we’ve begun doing this, there’s hardly been any last minute cancelations.  We general discuss what’s best for the most people.  Attendance has also been great, since you can tag people with reminders a few days in advance, and it’s tons easier to do than playing phone tag up to the eleventh hour.
2. In-game information.  This application is the one I find the most fun.  I use posts to pass along world information.  In our Hollow Earth Expedition group, I’ve been using The Newspaper Clipping Generator to post actual and game-world headlines from the thirties.  The players can read about everything from presidential elections to the exploits of Doc Savage.  Some, but not all, will actually impact the game.  I’ve also tend to post the initial set up for the characters – describe the event that brings them together.  Players have used comments to describe actions in these situations and will message if they need to be sneaky. 
3. Game Documents.  When I first create the group, I immediately upload a pdf of the players manual and any documents that will assist the players in understanding the rules, character creation and the game-world.  I also post any important maps to which the players’ characters would have access. 

Facebook has been very helpful with my recent rpgs.  My players come to the game familiar with the rules and the world, which makes everything flow easier during those first meetings.  Another boon is they don’t have to rely on me constantly.  Several will bring the docs up during play (yes, I don’t mind computers and phones at the table just for this reason).  Facebook is a tool.  It can be good or bad, depending on how you want to use it.  As for myself, I’ve discovered it to be a wonderful means to help enhance the gaming experience for my players. 

Review of Stak Bots from Dogeared Games

Review

Stak Bots by Tom Norfolk

DogEared Games (2013)

Click the cute bots to go to stakbots.com to find out more and buy the game.

In Stak Bots, players battle with stacks of little robots with a variety of unique powers. On a player's turn, he or she will draw a card then do the following actions any number of times: play a card, trash a card, or attack the other player's stack. The only restrictions on a turn are that a player can only attack with one robot and, at some point, a card must be trashed. If the player can't defeat one of the opponent's robots, then they are forced to trash their own.

When a robot is trashed, the next face down card in that stack is turned face up. Some cards have “come into play” abilities that trigger when turned face up or played from a hand. These abilities have a number of different effects that can greatly change the game state. Since the initial composition of the stack is completely random, these effects bring a lot of chaos to the game. Any time a player trashes the opponent's top robot, there is a chance that the robot under it will flip over and cause the attacking player to lose a robot. Or, it could cause damage to its own player's stack.

This random element means Stak Bots isn't a game of high strategy. Still, it isn't completely a game of luck either. The game does offer some tactical decisions that aren't meaningless. Unfortunately, a lot of decisions can be made moot by the ensuing chaos when cards begin to be flipped over.

 What I like about the game:

• It plays quickly

• The ability to do all the actions as often as I like makes for lots of options each turn

• The chaos of the bot powers makes for unpredictable fun

• "Toggles" exist to customize the game to fit different play styles 

What I dislike:

• A player can make nothing but smart decisions and get squashed by a player only half paying attention

• Way too chaotic when more than two players are playing

Overall, given its low cost, quick, fun gameplay, and the potential for cool micro expansions in the future, I can recommend Stak Bots for anyone not put off by the described randomness. It is an odd game. I can imagine some players will think it is awful while others think it is fantastic. I enjoy it. I've got five games going on the iOS app right now and I imagine I'll keep playing it there since it is about a perfect game for having multiple asynchronous games going that I can check in on a few times a day.

Score 3/5