You might be confused after listening to this dialogue because most people think that cult movies are strange. So, what does the word cult mean? Originally, cult meant worship in the Latin language. However, these days, cult is a word that illustrates a present situation within society. Cult movies are received with wild enthusiasm from a small number of people without regard to popular valuation. During the 1960s, in the USA, some directors who met resistance within the culture didn't distribute their films to the general public. Their films contained elements that were in opposition to the existing system. Most people ignored their films. So, these films were screened in little theaters to small audiences. Over time, some of these films started to produce enthusiastic admirers. This is how a cult enthusiasm begins.
In Korea, cults started in the 1990s. There are many cult cultural elements within our society. Let's take an example of a TV program. Roh Hee-kyoung is a model writer of cult dramas. However her dramas are low in the program ratings, a few people like them. For example, some viewers put on record a description of their impression on the Internet. She attracts viewers by using frank expressions that contain a paradox.
She shows our lives through her dramas and gives a message of hope. That is, she creates a drama that will linger for a long time in our memory.
We can see that cults include not only the support of a small number of people but also writers' thoughts. However, there are still some misunderstandings about what makes a cult. First, most people think that a cult is a genre. A cult isn't a genre. A cult is only the name of present cultural state. Let's say that a director wants to make a cult movie but he can't. The reason he can't because a cult movie requires the participation of the viewers and the present condition after releasing the film. Second, most people think that all cult films are hard to understand and don't have popularity. They believe there is an antisocial message in cult movies. Sometimes, some of the writers will deal with a message that is not commonly discussed. For this reason, most people avoid their work. But all cult films aren't this way. The Korea film, Bungee Jumping on Their Own, is a recent cult movie. Bungee Jumping on Their Own is a calm film. However, the film deals with the topic of homosexual love, which is a sensitive issue in our society. Therefore, this film makes us think about this social problem.
As you can see, when we can't understand clear, the true nature of a cult will get discolored. However, there are people who try to deliver the true meaning of a cult to overcome their misunderstanding. These people have created television programs called 'Real TV' in iTV. Real TV shows the police catching a criminal by using a journalist? camera. Although, the image is often out of focus and the screen shakes due to lack of technique, it is a program that is full of journalistic spirit. 'Real TV' tries to give useful information and pleasure to its viewers. They think that this is the true purpose of a television broadcast.
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