I wouldn't call The Wild Bunch a cult classic. I would call it a notorious film. Notorious for it's violence and it's'vibrant splattering blood. Which by the way looks extra beautiful in Technicolor. All of this is possible due to it's director Sam Peckinpah, the American equivalent of Sergio Leone.
As for why I haven't seen this film yet. Well, it's out of nervousness. The film itself is so widely hyped and praised, that it makes me nervous. Because, it really sets up for a lot of room for disappointment. And I don't care to be disappointed when it comes to one of my favorite genres, the western. Luckily, it's not a disappointment.