 Transgressive films as a distinct artistic movement began in the 1970s . Unconcerned with genre distinctions , they drew inspiration equally from the nonconformity of European art cinema and experimental film , the gritty subject matter of Italian neorealism , and the shocking images of 1960s exploitation . Some used hardcore pornography and horror , occasionally at the same time . In the 1980s , filmmaker Nick Zedd identified this movement as the Cinema of Transgression and later wrote a manifesto . Popular in midnight showings , they were mainly limited to large urban areas , which led academic Joan Hawkins to label them as " downtown culture " . These films acquired a legendary reputation as they were discussed and debated in alternative weeklies , such as The Village Voice . Home video would finally allow general audiences to see them , which gave many people their first taste of underground film . Ernest Mathijs says that cult films often disrupt viewer expectations , such as giving characters transgressive motivations or focusing attention on elements outside the film . Cult films can also transgress national stereotypes and genre conventions , such as Battle Royale ( 2000 ) , which broke many rules of teenage slasher films . The reverse – when films based on cult properties lose their transgressive edge – can result in derision and rejection by fans . Audience participation itself can be transgressive , such as breaking long @-@ standing taboos against talking during films and throwing things at the screen . 
