<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><DIV>I think the question of what is 'cult' is generally informed by genre and audience factors within its country of origin. Sion Sono's Exte is essentially a cult film for both non-Japanese and domestic audiences, but I think there are few non-Japanese film fans who would consider Shall We Dance? a cult film. It might only reach a small non-Japanese audience, but it certainly has the potential to find mainstream success (as it did). A lot of Japanese films certainly qualify as 'cult' items, but by no means all.</DIV>
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<DIV>Jim.<BR><BR>--- On <B>Mon, 15/2/10, Nathen Clerici <I><nclerici@interchange.ubc.ca></I></B> wrote:<BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid">
<DIV id=yiv2048990197><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px; FONT-FAMILY: arial, sans-serif; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse">Hello all,</SPAN>
<DIV><FONT class=Apple-style-span face="arial, sans-serif" size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse"><BR></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px; FONT-FAMILY: arial, sans-serif; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse">My name is Nathen Clerici, and this is my first post. I am really enjoying all the threads on this list. </SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT class=Apple-style-span face="arial, sans-serif" size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse"><BR></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px; FONT-FAMILY: arial, sans-serif; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse">I am starting a research project that will examine how Japanese film travels and the channels by which it comes to be seen outside Japan. I want to frame the problem by looking at how different forms of distribution and exhibition (e.g. art house cinema, university courses, Internet fan sites, etc.) affect how a particular movie is received. Within this framework, I am interested in the idea of cult. It seems that Japanese cinema is often classified as cult cinema, but I am not sure that it could be received any other way. Even if we consider a particular Japanese film to be highbrow art, it is most likely still confined to a small-but-adoring audience of cinephiles-- or Japanophiles. Perhaps J-Horror is an exception?</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT class=Apple-style-span face="arial, sans-serif" size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse"><BR></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px; FONT-FAMILY: arial, sans-serif; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse">I am curious, KineJapaners, do you think Japanese films seen outside Japan are cult cinema? </SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT class=Apple-style-span face="arial, sans-serif" size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse"><BR></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px; FONT-FAMILY: arial, sans-serif; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse">I realize the cultural context changes, but I also think that the modes of viewing (e.g. web-based, fan subs, art house) exert a strong influence. In addition, this is most likely not a question just for Japanese film, but for all film that crosses national/linguistic borders.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT class=Apple-style-span face="arial, sans-serif" size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse"><BR></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT class=Apple-style-span face="arial, sans-serif" size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse">Thanks,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT class=Apple-style-span face="arial, sans-serif" size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse"><BR></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT class=Apple-style-span face="arial, sans-serif" size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse">Nathen Clerici</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT class=Apple-style-span face="arial, sans-serif" size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse">University of British Columbia</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT class=Apple-style-span face="arial, sans-serif" size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse">PhD Program</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT class=Apple-style-span face="arial, sans-serif" size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse">Asian Studies</SPAN></FONT></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></td></tr></table><br>