It’s surprising just how many Cult-favorite horror movies They were significantly influenced by earlier films and, when it really comes down to it, were totally unoriginal. While this may seem like a point of criticism, paying homage to horror movies of the past or filmmakers who wear their influences on their sleeve is never a bad thing, and just because a movie was derivative doesn’t mean it’s bad. In fact, many of the biggest cult hits took premises already explored in other movies and expanded on them to make something even better.
Some of the best cult horror movies owe a lot to classic films of the past, as actors, directors and writers shamelessly ripped off well-worn tropes and clichés to create big B-crowd favorites, satirical commentaries or simply Laugh-out-loud hilarious horror comedies. As a genre known to repeat itself, It’s almost impossible to make a slasher movie these days without copying aspects of Halloween Or The Texas chain saw massacre. The incredible history of horror has informed many great movies, and a knowledge of horror classics can make watching cult favorites even more enjoyable.
10
Piranha (1978)
Directed by Joe Dante
The unprecedented success of Jaws In 1975 the concept of the summer blockbuster kicked off and led to hordes of copycat movies. One prime example of this was the favorite cult PiranhaA B-movie Jaws Rip-off that took things from the seaside to a river infested by deadly, genetically altered piranhas. With truly terrifying special effects and some satirical tongue-in-cheek humor, Piranha Was self-aware enough to wear it Jaws Influences on his sleeve To the point that Steven Spielberg himself called it “The best of the Jaws ripoffs.”
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The similarities between Piranha And Jaws were so striking that Universal Pictures considered filing an injunction to stop the film from being released and compete directly with Jaws 2 of the same year. However, Spielberg had no problems with the film, and it quickly gained a following as a cult favorite. like Jaws, Piranha Acted as the beginning of an entire franchise, complete with sequels and remakes.
9
The Stuff (1985)
Directed by Larry Cohen
Taking major influence from 1950s horror classics like The blob And Invasion of the body snatchers, The stuff was a cult favorite with a satirical sci-fi twist. After a white cream-like substance was discovered, the mysterious stuff became America’s favorite new dessert, packaged and sold in ice cream containers. However, panic soon ensues when the alien goo starts attacking the public and turning them into zombies in this hilarious horror written and directed by Larry Cohen.
Like the 1950s horror movies it was inspired by, The stuff was a biting social commentary that addressed rampant consumerism and the zombification of the American public. Although it may not have been original in its initial concept, the campy execution of The stuff Made it a firm cult favorite. As a deliciously fun take on satirical social commentary, The stuff is the perfect cheesy 1980s horror to watch with a group of friends.
8
Chopping Mall (1986)
Directed by Jim Wynorski
Chopping mall Blended the shopping mall setting of George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead and the robots-versus-humanity plot of The Terminator To create a cult favorite techno horror. From writer and director Jim Wynorski, Chopping mall Focused on technologically advanced security robots turning bad and killing the teen employees from a shopping mall. Although the concept was completely derivative of other movies, bringing all these influences together in one film made for some exciting tongue-in-cheek fun.
As a powerful metaphor for excessive consumption during the Reagan Era in the United States, Chopping mall was a clever social commentary with an anti-consumerist message. Like a low-budget B-movie with laughable special effects, Chopping mall Was never going to be able to live up to the accomplishments of its influences, so it instead took its concept and just had fun with it. Chopping mall Was a treasure trove of horror movie clichés, and it was all the better for it.
7
Galaxy of Terror (1981)
Directed by Bruce D. Clark
Produced by B-horror legend Roger Corman, Galaxy of Terror was unusual for an unoriginal horror because even though it borrowed heavily from AlienIt was then a major influence on its sequel, Aliens. Set in a dystopian future, viz Alien for him Galaxy of Terror Saw a space crew encounter a mysterious alien creature. Although Galaxy of Terror Initially receiving negative reviews, it has since built a cult following and is commonly regarded as the best of all Alien Rip-offs drifting in the vast expanse of unoriginal horror movies.
There is actually a direct link between Galaxy of Terror And these Alien Franchise it ripped off Like future Aliens Director James Cameron served as production designer and second unit director on the film. Cameron’s innovative techniques helped lift galaxy of terror, And he brought the same drive and enthusiasm to these Alien franchise he later worked on. With a gritty and dark visual aesthetic, Galaxy of Terror took a lot of influence from Alien While also bringing many new ideas to the table.
6
Sharknado (2013)
Directed by Anthony C. Ferrante
The sheer ridiculousness of Sharknado Meant that this Syfy made-for-TV movie quickly became a beloved cult favorite. took significant influence from Jaws, Sharknado Bringing the action to sea, land and air as intense tornadoes sent sharks into the air and led to a dire situation where safety was not guaranteed no matter where the public was hiding. Although this was a highly comedic premise in its outrageous intensity, part of the appeal of Sharknado was that it was played entirely straight, although its more comedic nature was embraced in the litany of subsequent sequels.
Sharknado was proudly and shamelessly ridiculous as it embraced a so-bad-it’s-good aesthetic to become a true cult classic. Packed with plot and flawed logic, it seems Sharknado was produced with the expectation that audiences might laugh along with the increasingly unbelievable nature of its narrative. Although it is far from an original horror movie, Sharknado Push horror parodies to their absolute limit With a movie that really had to be seen to be believed.
5
Sleepaway Camp (1983)
Directed by Robert Hiltzik
Slipaway camp was an unoriginal horror that was influenced by previous slasher movies. However, despite its derivative nature, it still acted as the launching point for an entire franchise and built a reputation as a cult favorite. With a shocking twist ending that serial killer Angela Baker was born male and underwent severe mental anguish from being forced to live as a woman, when you look back on Slipaway camp Through a contemporary lens, it makes for uncomfortable viewing.
However, despite the criticism, Slipaway camp was still a solid slasher movie Full of exciting twists and turns. As a low-budget horror that doesn’t shy away from liberally stealing from the Friday the 13th Franchise, campy energy and tongue-in-cheek humor made the movie a cult favorite. Although the sequels don’t have the same appeal as this one Slipaway camp Mixing the scares of slasher classics with a John Waters influenced sense of weirdness made this a unique and enjoyable cult favorite.
4
Night of the Creeps (1986)
Directed by Fred Dekker
Despite poor special effects and a lackluster aesthetic, Night of the Creeps was such a loving homage to horror movies of the past That it is impossible not to be charmed by it. Like Fred Dekker’s directorial debut, this B-movie cult classic borrows heavily from other alien invasion, slasher and zombie movies in a high-tension spoof that truly delivers on scares. After a college student and his best friend steal a corpse from a cryogenics lab, things soon take a sinister turn when the undead body is revealed to be under the control of an extraterrestrial.
Night of the Creeps Blended aspects of detective movies, horrors, romance, sci-fi and comedy to become so completely derivative of other films that, in the process, it actually became unique. With a wonderfully silly story, this B-movie cult favorite has something to please all viewers. Unfortunately, Decker’s talents as a director did not develop significantly after this release, as he only directed two subsequent movies, the similarly received cult movie Play the monster squad And the missing sequel Robocop 3.
3
Lake Placid (1999)
Directed by Steve Miner
The comedy horror Lake Placid Would not exist without the influence of creature features, as it has a major influence of monster movies, in particular Jaws. A giant crocodile film, Lake Placid, Saw how the residents of Black Lake were taken over by a terrible animal that police and scientists struggled to bring down. Lake Placid Featured Betty White in one of her best movies as the little old lady who was feeding the giant croc until it grew to its unwieldy size.
While Lake Placid was essentially a retread of every monster movie trope under the sunIt was still a wildly entertaining film that gained a cult following. With a lot of outrageous mayhem, Lake Placid Worked well as a knowing, ironic take on the movies it was influenced by. The success of this outrageous creature feature even led to the release of five low-budget, made-for-television sequels.
2
Friday the 13th (1980)
Directed by Sean S. Cunningham
Friday the 13th Lean into John Carpenter Halloween’s Recent success to produce a new slasher classic that launched its own equally successful franchise. By taking familiar horror tropes and taking them to their absolute extreme, this slasher story about a group of teenagers who are murdered at a reopened, previously abandoned summer camp started out as an independent film but soon became a mainstream hit after securing major distribution. . While the deranged mother, Mrs. Voorhees, was the original villain, her son Jason later became the franchise’s most iconic antagonist.
With a budget of just $550,000 and grossing almost $60 million (via The numbers), Friday the 13th was a major success that followed in the footsteps of horror classics like The Texas chain saw massacre to represent the increasing disintegration of the American family. While Friday the 13th Has earned a reputation as a definitive slasher, it also has a strictly dedicated cult following that has turned out for sequels, crossovers and reboots.
1
Scream (1996)
Directed by Wes Craven
With equal parts satire and scares, Wes Craven’s scream was the rare mainstream horror hit that also earned universal critical acclaim and garnered a fiercely dedicated cult following. Like the man behind horror classics like The hills have eyes And A Nightmare on Elm StreetCraven was the perfect filmmaker to make this tongue-in-cheek slasher that simultaneously delivered an exciting story while knowingly paying homage to the entire genre. As a metacommentary on horror movies themselves, scream was just the beginning of a franchise that has continued to this day.
It is clear from the beginning that scream is not original in its premise, as its story of a costumed serial killer is seen in everything from Halloween to Friday the 13th. However, Craven used these well-worn tropes to comment on the horror genre itself, and it was this knowing commentary that helped solidify his status as a Cult horror favorite. As a mainstream hit that also boasts campy, B-movie appeal, scream It really ticks all the right boxes, and it didn’t have to reinvent the wheel to do it.
Source: The numbers