What is a cult film? And what is fandom?

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a cult film should have "enduring appeal to a relatively small audience", and be "non-mainstream".

A common trope of cult films is that their theatrical releases are disappointing. For instance, The Big Lebowski (the film that I will be analysing) flopped at the box-office: it amassed a devoted following only when it was rereleased on VHS and DVD, cable and satellite TV, and at midnight venues.

Cult followings are often associated with niche markets or subcultures. As such, cult films tend to be associated with underground culture, and are considered too eccenctric, bizarre, controversial or anti-establishment to achieve mainstream appeal.

Fandom, on the other hand, has typically been depicted as a scandalous, emotionally charged form of attachment to media culture. It can be defined or explained as the state of being a fan or all that encompasses fan culture and fan behaviour in general, or the study of fans and fan behaviour.

In this case, it is about how people become fans how they devote themselves to the media products they seem to adore. It encompasses consumption and production, resistance (i.e. they are staunchly devoted to a beloved show, for instance) and collusion. It is about shared participation and experiences, about sharing thoughts and ideas.