midnight movies

Midnight movies are offbeat, often independent (non-Hollywood) counter-cultural cult films exhibited at theatres for late-night shows, sometimes involving audience participation; appealed to various small segments of niche audiences with different tastes. These films (originally sexual thrillers, slasher flicks, etc.) were often box-office bombs upon initial release but then gained a faithful following. The phenomenon of midnight movies began in the early 1970s, then mostly disappeared in the 1980s, but has recently been revived.