 Sensationalistic documentaries called mondo films replicate the most shocking and transgressive elements of exploitation films ; they are usually modeled after " sick films " and cover similar subject matter . In The Cult Film Reader , academics Mathijs and Mendik write that these documentaries often present non @-@ Western societies as " stereotypically mysterious , seductive , immoral , deceptive , barbaric or savage " . Though they can be interpreted as racist , Mathijs and Mendik state that they also " exhibit a liberal attitude towards the breaking of cultural taboos " . Mondo films like Faces of Death mix real and fake footage freely , and they gain their cult following through the outrage and debate over authenticity that results . Like " so bad it 's good " cult films , old propaganda and government hygiene films may be enjoyed ironically by more modern audiences for the camp value of the outdated themes and outlandish claims made about perceived social threats , such as drug use . Academic Barry K. Grant states that Frank Capra 's Why We Fight World War II propaganda films are explicitly not cult , because they are " slickly made and have proven their ability to persuade an audience . " The sponsored film Mr. B Natural became a cult hit when it was broadcast on the satirical television show Mystery Science Theater 3000 ; cast member Trace Beaulieu cited these educational shorts as his favorite to mock on the show . Mark Jancovich states that cult audiences are drawn to these films because of their " very banality or incoherence of their political positions " , unlike traditional cult films , which achieve popularity through auteurist radicalism . 
