Cult films, what does it mean and what makes a cult film? Cult has been around for some time and the term has developed over the years it has been known. Although this phenomenon has been known since the 90s, many people don't really know what a cult is and how it is defined. In her article Cult Film or Cinephilia by Any Other Name, film studies professor Elena Gorfinkel discusses and explains how the contemporary definition of cult is defined through the fusion of cult and cinephilia. In addition to Gorfinkel's article, Dan Bentley-Baker, professor of literature and film studies at Florida International University, provides a more detailed list of the characteristics of cult cinema in his article What Is Cult Cinema? In this essay, I will discuss how Gorfinkel uses the history and current accessibility of cultism and cinephilia in order to explain the fusion of these two terms, the characteristics of Gorfinkel and Baker found in cult films, and how Wes Anderson and his film The Royal Tenenbaums follow the characteristics of cult films. In "Cult Film or Cinephilia by Any Other Name", Gorfinkel explains to his audience how the history of cult and cinephilia merge in order to provide what the current contemporary definition of cult is, also with the help with today's digital age. Gorfinkel's target audience is academics with film degrees and aspiring graduate students wanting to focus on film. This is determined by the use of his extensive cinematic vocabulary and also by the fact that this article was presented at a conference. Gorfinkel begins his article by asking his audience what they think is the priority, the movie buff or the cultist and takes the purpose of his article further by stating that...... middle of paper .... .. worship is important because Over time, the way these two terms merge will differ and the characteristics and definition of worship will also begin to change. With a scientific public preoccupied with cinema, the history of the cult and cinephilia, as well as the characteristics of the cult, will help these researchers better understand cult films. Works Cited Bentley-Baker, Dan. “What is cult cinema?.” BLFJ Blog. Version number 69. Np, nd Web. March 19, 2014. .Gorfinkel, Elena. “Cult film or cinephilia by another name.” RWS 200 Course Reader. San Diego: CalCopy, 2014. 30-35. PrintLovullo, Michael. “SEC Overview: The Royal Tenenbaums.” Presentation of the SEC report: The Royal Tenenbaums. Np, and Web. March 20. 2014. .