Film at the start cut results in failure (4)
I believe the answer is:
flop
'failure' is the definition.
(I know that failure can be written as flop)
'film at the start cut' is the wordplay.
'at the start' says to take the initial letters.
'cut' becomes 'lop' (lopping is a kind of cutting).
The first letter of 'film' is 'f'.
'f'+'lop'='FLOP'
'results in' is the link.
(Other definitions for flop that I've seen before include "Complete failure" , "Total failure; fall heavily" , "Fall clumsily, liked failed play" , "Fall limply - box-office failure" , "Dud - bomb" .)