What is a 'cult' movie? A 'cult' TV show? A 'cult' novel? Today, it seems, these terms are employed so frequently and to such a wide variety of cultural artifacts that 'cult' has practically lost its meaning. Nevertheless, this seminar will examine what 'cult' means and how 'cult' is produced.

In this seminar, we will thus broach questions such as: Why did C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien (in)famously organize Amanda McKittrick Ros reading competitions? Is Night of the Living Dead a cult movie? Is Grey's Anatomy a cult show? In what ways are they similar? In what ways are they different? Why is the term 'cult' so loosely used today? Who watches cult movies? Are cult audiences specific (sub-)cultures? What defines these (sub-)cultures? Why is it that specific genres (horror, sci-fi, fantasy) seem more prone toward cultification than other genres? Is there such a thing as a 'cult star'?

After tackling a handful of introductory readings, we will jump into all things cult. While we will take some detours into literature, television, and comics, our main focus will be on film.