Best Bad Movies
OK, I’m poaching off of Armchair Commentary. But someone sent me this link and I had to raise it here. These are ‘bad movies’ in that they usually got two stars or less; they haven’t achieved cult like status; but you think they are enjoyable or even good on their merits movies.
Here’s mine:
(In no particular order)
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me You can say a lot about David Lynch but figuring out what America thinks isn’t one of them. This came out long after the Twin Peaks hysteria was over and was quietly dumped at the end of August. Note that this was when all of August and all of January were dump zones for bad movies. Now days it seems like some end up in direct to video and some are sneakily released at odd times to escape the “bad movie” label.
I think this is a truly terrifying movie and extremely good. Not to mention an amazing soundtrack. What’s amazing is that this was originally slated to be one of four TV movies for ABC. Of course don’t bother watching if you didn’t see the TV show (both seasons are on DVD).
Once Upon a Time in America OK, part of the panning of this one was because the studio did a massive edit to both shorten it and put it in chronological order. (i.e. no flashbacks) I’ve not seen that version but I hear it’s an incomprehensible mess. The version of DVD though is a masterpiece. I still prefer Leone’s Eastwood Spaghetti westerns but this is quote compelling with a young Robert DeNiro and James Woods.
Chain Reaction. Yes, a 7% tomato meter. I don’t care what you say. I dug this movie from Andrew Davis (director of The Fugitive) and starring Keanu Reeves and Rachel Weisz before she got so big. It’s about a breakthrough in cold fushion that Morgan Freeman (playing basically the same roll he does in Batman) wants to stop.
The next two are more borderline because I think they were underrated but by no means good movies. The prior three I really like and have on DVD.
Meteor OK, I have no desire to see this one again. It got a 9% on the tomato meter though. It’s an old Sean Connery vehicle from the 70’s. I enjoyed it. It’s not something love mind you. But I didn’t think it worse than the more recent asteroid crashing into the earth movies. Indeed if forced to choose I’d take this above Armageddon any day. So this one is iffy since I don’t really want to see it.
Eye of the Beholder OK, this wasn’t a great movie. But it was no where near as bad as some made out. It’s more a character drama about obsession. The problem is that it was marketed as a spy thriller, which it isn’t. Great performance from an unappealing Ewan McGregor.
By the way, a lot of the movies listed in the comments over at Armchair Commentary either were quite profitable (i.e. Cannonball Run) or are big cult hits (Buckaroo Banzai or Big Trouble in Little China). Of course profitability doesn’t enter into whether it’s bad: critic reviews do. And I confess I dug Cannonball Run for it’s mindless fun.
PS 10,000 BC which Susan liked is pretty low on the tomato meter. About on par with Guy Ritchie’s Madonna vehicle: Swept Away. So I think we already nailed Susan’s pick.
I liked 10,000 BC. Didn’t love it.
I loved Ed and His Dead Mother. Never heard anyone else mention it before so I assume it didn’t do well at the box office.
I *love* A Walk to Remember. Cheesy, predictable, horrible, even—but it’s my go-to when I need a tear jerker.
There’s a lot of bad movies that get a lot of air time on TV that I like. Miss Congeniality, Speed 2, etc.
Comment by Susan M — September 26, 2008 @ 5:33 pm
I LOVED Once Upon a Time in America! The cinematography is exceptional, and I agree that the young actors were very compelling (in many ways much better than in their later movies).
Comment by BrianJ — September 26, 2008 @ 5:40 pm
Hudson Hawk
LA Story
Surviving Christmas
Oscar
Comment by TStevens — September 26, 2008 @ 8:51 pm
The Last Action Hero - I thought it was great commentary on movies (two scenes stick in my mind still: the one where Jack Slater [Arnold's movie character] tells Arnold himself “I don’t like you, you’ve caused me nothing but pain” and the one where Slater, after talking to the kid’s mom, says “I’ve never actually just talked with a woman before.”)
Ang Lee’s Hulk: Already defended this enough elsewhere. I loved it, despite the confusing ending.
Jingle All the Way: Another Arnold movie. I don’t know why I like it, but I do. It was lambasted by critics and is a recurring punch line for Jay Leno, but darn it if the movie doesn’t make me laugh every time.
Bulletproof Monk: “Now I know why your technique was so sloppy.” Fun movie, very entertaining. Not great, but good enough.
Comment by Ivan — September 26, 2008 @ 9:04 pm
Also - a second to “Oscar” in post #3. Stallone can do comedy fairly well, as that movie shows.
Comment by Ivan — September 26, 2008 @ 9:15 pm
Are you talking about good movies that everyone else thought was bad, or bad movies that you think are good (in spite of their badness)? I love both Twin Peaks and Once Upon A Time in America and consider both to be good films, even if most people don’t like ‘em. I’m not sure they’d fit your “2 stars or less” criteria, at least from most reputable critics. (at least the director’s version of once upon a time in america…) I guess Twin Peaks FWWM got panned by some…
Some bad movies I really love, even though I recognize they’re bad. I own these, and they all deserve multiple viewings.
Straight To Hell (1987) dir. Alex Cox. Joe Strummer and Courtney Love in “A story of blood, money, guns, coffee, and sexual tension.” Plus, the wiener song.
House (1986) dir. Steve Miner. William Katt (the greatest american hero) discovers his missing son in his aunt’s haunted house.
Dune (1984) dir. David Lynch. I love Lynch. But Dune was a failure, really, and is at times embarrassingly painful to watch. But I love it. It’s so bad it becomes good again.
Comment by GregN — September 26, 2008 @ 10:19 pm
Doplh Lundgren’s Red Scorpion.
Lundgren is a Russian special forces agent sent to assassinate an African guerrilla, but he switches sides and starts killing commies instead.
“He’s a human killing machine. Taught to stalk. Trained to kill. Programmed to destroy. He’s played by their rules… Until now.”
Awesome.
Comment by kuri — September 26, 2008 @ 11:08 pm
I love L. A. Story (especially the traffic sign quoting Shakespeare to Steve Martin). It’s my all time favorite Steve Martin movie. But I think it was very well reviewed. It got 4 stars from Roger Ebert, for instance.
I loved House and then the sequel as well. William Katt, of Greatest American Hero fame, did great in it. George Wendt (of Cheers fame) was fantastic in it. The sequel which is even lesser known is good as well and had John Ratzenberger also of Cheers in it.
However like L. A. Story it was pretty well received and even won a few minor awards.
Greg I meant movies generally considered to be bad that really aren’t that bad. I don’t remember too many positive reviews at the time for Fire Walk With Me although a lot of people rethought it in hindsight.
I’ll agree that a lot of critics rethought Once Upon a Time in the West and Ebert even put it on his “great films” list.
Dune’s one of those movies I want to love. Unfortunately the versions released are kind of a mess and there’s no real “director’s cut.” You either get an extended cut with weird color pencil drawing to explain backstory at the beginning or the released version which is incomprehensible. That said there are scenes in that movie I love. Visually it is stunning even if narratively it’s an unmitigated mess.
That said it’s among my least favorite Lynch films (although I’ve not brought myself to watch Inland Empire yet - I’ve heard it’s a bit much a more a throwback to his earlier art projects)
Comment by Clark — September 26, 2008 @ 11:09 pm
Actually, anything with Dolph Lundgren probably belongs on this list.
Showdown in Little Tokyo (co-starring Brandon Lee!) is another favorite.
You can’t go wrong with dialog like
and
Comment by kuri — September 26, 2008 @ 11:18 pm
OK then… generally disregarded movies I think are actually good. Not good in spite of being bad.
(I liked Inland Empire quite a bit, BTW. I was too disturbed and confused to realize it right after watching it, but sometime during the next week I found myself thinking about it more and more and wanting to watch it again. In other words, typical Lynch weirdness.)
A few films then where I thought general critical consensus was pretty far below the mark…
Miami Vice (Michael Mann)
Undertow (David Gordon Green)
Apt Pupil (Bryan Singer)
The Cable Guy (Ben Stiller)
It’s going to be hard to come up with a film that was universally slammed that I ended up liking… I’m sure all of the above got at least a few good reviews. House got some good reviews when it was out? Wow, I thought my friends and I were the only people who even knew about that movie.
Comment by GregN — September 27, 2008 @ 12:30 am
I’m still curious to see Apt Pupil. I found the story creepy but riveting when I was a kid but have never seen the movie.
Comment by danithew — September 27, 2008 @ 6:38 am
I thought “the Cave” was alright. It’s a rip-off of Alien, really. But it worked for me. I’d say the same thing about “Doom” with the Rock. The first “Alien vs. Predator” sort of worked for me.
I also like some movies that have the supernatural/occult kind of thing going on. “Fallen” with Denzel Washington. Stuff like that.
Comment by danithew — September 27, 2008 @ 6:49 am
Army of Darkness is the best bad movie ever.
Comment by Matt W. — September 27, 2008 @ 7:25 am
Kuri, I loved Red Scorpion. When he says ?? ???????? in this horrible Russian accent it was hilarious. (I was taking Russian at the time) I think I quoted that one liner from the end of the movie for years.
Comment by Clark — September 27, 2008 @ 1:04 pm
Dang, the unicode cyrillic didn’t come through in the comments. After all that time typing it in.
Danithew Apt Pupil is a very good film. Sort of a low level burn of creep factor. I just looked it up and it got a 53% on Rotten Tomatoes. I’m surprised. Not really “bad” in terms of reviews but not good. It was definitely a great movie.
The Cable Guy was very good as well. Not great. But good. (I love the singing part)
Comment by Clark — September 27, 2008 @ 1:09 pm
Dolph Lundgren: second-hardest working man in show business.
I don’t think Dune can count: it has a cult following.
Comment by BrianJ — September 27, 2008 @ 5:25 pm
I second Hudson Hawk. Nobody else I know likes it, but I love it! (Mighty cheesy, though.)
I’ll second Showdown in Little Tokyo, too. Fun stuff.
How about the Wraith with Charlie Sheen? (30% tomatometer)
Comment by FHL — September 27, 2008 @ 5:31 pm
Dune has a cult following? I know Lynch does. But Dune?
Comment by Clark — September 28, 2008 @ 10:15 am
Road House - End of discussion.
Army of Darkness isn’t a bad movie. It’s great.
Comment by John K. — September 29, 2008 @ 3:03 am
Okay, I don’t know if Dune has a cult following (and I don’t want the experience of finding out!). What I do know is this: my brother (big X-files, Star Trek fan) and all of his X-files/Star Trek fan friends, are really into Dune. As in, watch it multiple—shudder!—times and quote from it and relate everyday events to it. Seems cultish to me.
How does one know whether a film has cult status, anyway? Do film cults formally register their organization?
Comment by BrianJ — September 29, 2008 @ 6:06 pm
Yes, all cult films must be registered and approved. You have to have at least six certified geeks sign in blood under a full moon that they will worship the film forever more before it can be granted cult status. Ask anyone.
Comment by MCQ — September 29, 2008 @ 10:07 pm
Please re-read the criteria - number 4 is the most important - tons of these movies mad a LOT of money and therefore, do not qualify. Discuss.
1. Two stars or less on a 5-star rating scale
2. Not a ‘cult’ hit like Better Off Dead or Spinal Tap (and Bruce Campbell films!)
3. Somebody beside you has seen the movie multiple times.
4. Not a box office hit – didn’t make a lot of money upon release to theaters.
Comment by The author — September 30, 2008 @ 4:19 pm
Clark,
I watched Apt Pupil. I thought it was pretty well done. The movie is pretty faithful to the novella until the end, which completely differs from the original ending.
Comment by danithew — September 30, 2008 @ 6:33 pm
I’ve never read the original story. How does it vary?
I liked it but it’s not that great film. That is I have no desire to see it again. It still deserved much, much better reviews.
Comment by Clark — September 30, 2008 @ 10:57 pm
“Author” which ones listed had big box office? I don’t think any of the ones I listed did. Chain Reaction, for instance, only made back half its budget. Which is a flop.
I went through everyone’s movies and I’m pretty sure everyone of them were flops at the box office.
Comment by Clark — September 30, 2008 @ 11:00 pm
Clark, at the end of the original story, the ‘apt pupil’ has gotten some guns. I think one of them is an elephant gun. When Dussander’s true identity is discovered the student becomes desperate. At that point the school counselor shows up and confronts him - at which point the student shoots and kills him. He then goes out to a pre-chosen spot and starts shooting people.
Comment by danithew — October 1, 2008 @ 8:27 am
Interesting. I think I liked the film ending better.
Comment by Clark — October 1, 2008 @ 9:34 am
How about a little “Best Bad TV” because I am loving the new Knight Rider. The stories are cheesy and make no logical sense (not to mention the weird transformer KITT). But it’s got cars, and explosions, and hot chicks. It’s ridiculously awesome.
Comment by Darin H — October 2, 2008 @ 4:04 pm
Darin H: My guilty pleasure used to be Walker: Texas Ranger. From the opening credits—specifically, the spoken voice that leads up to brief singing—you know it’s going to be gooood.
Comment by BrianJ — October 3, 2008 @ 1:24 am
Clark, I think the film ending, in some ways, is much more ominous. It’s a very different turn on things.
Comment by danithew — October 3, 2008 @ 7:24 am
It seems more plausible too.
Comment by Clark — October 3, 2008 @ 9:54 pm
Ditto for Cable Guy and Miami Vice. TPFWWM is outstanding (and terrifying).
Also, Ladyhawk (only 65% RT rating, but one of my all time favorites) and the Matrix sequels.
Comment by Scudworth — October 4, 2008 @ 10:40 pm
I loved Vanilla Sky, though it was mostly panned by the critics. (And yes, I saw the Spanish version, “Abre Los Ojos” when it originally came out in the theatres and liked that one too.) I like both of them.
I liked Mulholland Falls, (27% Tomato Rating) with Nick Nolte, Chazz Palminteri, Treat Williams, Melanie Griffith, and hubba hubba Jennifer Connely, even if it is a cliche’d film noir. But I have a soft spot for film noir, even bad film noir.
Revenge, with Kevin Costner and Madeleine Stowe. A somewhat cheesy erotic revenge thriller I will always watch if on TV.
Electric Dreams. A cheesy 80s romantic comedy about a computer that vies with his dork owner for the affection of cellist (Virginia Madsen). Features a tubular 80s soundtrack by Georgio Moroder.
I also liked “lesser” sequels, like The Godfather III and The Two Jakes. Neither approaches Godfather 1&2 and Chinatown (not even close), but free of those expectations, they aren’t that bad.
Comment by Matt Thurston — October 6, 2008 @ 3:04 pm
Oh, and I gotta give some love to You, Me, and Dupree. (22% Tomato Rating). Owen Wilson cracks me up, even in bad movies.
Comment by Matt Thurston — October 6, 2008 @ 3:10 pm
I didn’t know Mulholland Falls got that bad of a rating. I thought that was a pretty solid movie. I’m surprised. It is a bit cliched and comes off in some ways like a second rate L A Confidential. But it still was definitely worth watching.
Vanilla Sky I really didn’t like. It just came off as pretentious. There was an other movie around the same time with a similar name about a kid who does rockets in the 50’s that was excellent though. But it was reviewed solid.
I’ve never seen the Two Jakes. I agree with regard to Godfather III. It’s not a bad movie, despite some bad acting by a certain director’s daughter. It’s just that compared to most of his corpus and especially the prior two films it seems bad.
Scudworth, 65% on RT is actually pretty good. It’s pretty rare to get about 80. Some movies just divide critics. Most good movies get between 60 - 80.
Miami Vice, the film, I was pretty disappointed in. Very beneath what Michael Mann normally does. I can understand films like Ali that are structurally difficult to pull off. They are interesting failures. But a more narrative driven Miami Vice should have been as good as Heat.
Comment by Clark — October 7, 2008 @ 11:25 am