In fact, last summer an obsessed Chicago deejay hosted a midnight show at which drunken fans yelled dialogue from the film. They knew it better than I did, Shea says. I think it might have found a cult audience in theatrical release too. He will never know. In today s marketplace, where fate follows weekend grosses, a notion like cult following is an anachronism.
Distributors are wary of putting challenging movies into an increasingly crowded marketplace.
Easily 90 percent of independent films do not get any deal, says Eamonn Bowles, president of indie production house Shooting Gallery Films, They just end up in the garage. Despite the obstacles, the films keep coming, says producer Larry Estes, who cofinanced the indie classic sex, lies, and videotape . Sundance looked at 1,900 features for this year s festival. Some 50 from last year got distribution. Not only did it happen, but Blair Witch happened, he says.