What's Your Favorite 'Bad' Movie?

DamianLake · Fri Aug 19, 2011 9:27 pm

There's just no accounting for taste! While I like to think it takes a plot and accompanying script of above-average intelligence to satisfy my little gray cells, once in a while I find myself pleased with a movie that everyone else in the world thinks is total trash. I can't always identify why, but then, who among us can?

For my own part, for some reason I always liked "Hudson Hawk". I have yet to find anyone else who shares the sentiment. Maybe it is just seeing master criminals plying their trade, maybe it's seeing Bruce Willis singing and dancing, or maybe I'm a closet Sandra Bernhard fan. Who knows?

So what movies do the rest of you like that, for whatever reason, the rest of the world finds little merit in? And by the way, "Plan 9 From Outer Space" is out of the running since it is such an easy target.

Kevin · Sat Aug 20, 2011 12:18 pm

I recall liking Kevin Costner's Waterworld, a movie which recieved terrible reviews. I am not a fan of Tom Hanks' acting style but the one movie of his I did like (somewhat) was Joe vs. the Volcano which was panned by the critics and, I believe, public as well. Well I liked Beethoven... but that was due to the St. Bernard. EDIT: or maybe it was Turner & Hooch... the Hanks movie featuring a dog.

wilde · Sat Aug 20, 2011 12:38 pm

Snakes on a Plane.

DamianLake · Sat Aug 20, 2011 10:50 pm


	Kevin wrote: I recall liking Kevin Costner's Waterworld, a movie which recieved terrible reviews.

Ah, yes, I too remember Waterworld. I think part of the panning it received was due to it being Costner's first attempt at directing, and the cost overruns on the project after some of his floating sets sank. As far as the story goes, it is certainly no worse than many other post-apocalyptic fantasy stories that have received much acclaim over the years, (read: Mad Max). I'm not much of a Costner fan, but he fit the role of a gloomy lone-wolf at home while alone rather well.

johnson1010 · Fri Sep 16, 2011 1:26 pm

I like Hudson Hawk! haha, rediculous movie.

Pootie Tang
Black Dynamite
All japanese godzilla movies
poorly dubbed kung-fu movies
i come in peace
all 80's horror movies beyond their second sequel.
any movie with a "you're the best... AROUND" training montage.
toxic avenger
oh god..... carnisaur. I just remembered that thing. Aweful.
jack frost (not the one with michael keaton) i actually turned this one off it was so bad...

oh memories...

R. LeBeaux · Fri Sep 16, 2011 2:08 pm

This is probably way before your time (at least most of you), but when I was a kid we used to have what they called Saturday Serials, movies that were mostly produced to help moms get their kids out of the house on Saturday mornings. These were all crap, and have never (to my knowledge) even qualified as TV reruns (though they would make great fodder for Mystery Science Theater 3000). At any rate, back in those days I was a huge Superman fan, and one of my favorites of these (really bad) movies was Superman and the Mole Men, starring George Reeves, the actor who played Superman in the early TV series. I was surprised when I did a search just now and found several images of ads for that particular movie, so I’m including one below.

DamianLake · Sat Sep 17, 2011 8:52 pm


	R. LeBeaux wrote: In those days I was a huge Superman fan, and one of my favorites of these (really bad) movies was Superman and the Mole Men, starring George Reeves, the actor who played Superman in the early TV series.

I think I remember this! I grew up in the era of Nick At Night, which I much preferred to the daytime programing of Nickelodian. This allowed me to enjoy some of the old classics while giving my parents a trip down memory lane. In addition to the classic Get Smart, we taped and rewatched all the old Superman episodes during a week-long marathon, and I believe they included the Moleman movie as well. A few episodes still stand out, like the wacky scientist who invented the lead-into-gold machine, the bathysphere, and the attempt to pass through the solid wall of a cube housing a convict in hiding. Didn't the Molemen come up through a capped hole that was made from an oil drill? Or something to that effect.

R. LeBeaux · Sun Sep 18, 2011 10:30 am


	DamianLake wrote: I think I remember this! I grew up in the era of Nick At Night, which I much preferred to the daytime programing of Nickelodian. This allowed me to enjoy some of the old classics while giving my parents a trip down memory lane. In addition to the classic Get Smart, we taped and rewatched all the old Superman episodes during a week-long marathon, and I believe they included the Moleman movie as well. A few episodes still stand out, like the wacky scientist who invented the lead-into-gold machine, the bathysphere, and the attempt to pass through the solid wall of a cube housing a convict in hiding. Didn't the Molemen come up through a capped hole that was made from an oil drill? Or something to that effect.

Far out, he says, dating himself. And, yes, the mole men came up through something like that. I remember it being a manhole, but my memory is less than reliable these days. I also remember those other bits, though vaguely. Back in those days, I think I saw every Superman episode on TV (a tiny, roundish screen inside a big mahogany cabinet, in fuzzy B&W).

After I posted this, I found a couple of Mole Men images, one of which shows something like the capped hole you describe:

James Vaught · Sun Sep 18, 2011 1:07 pm

I have several favorite "bad movies."

In no particular order (as I can't name THE favorite):

1. Pennies From Heaven: This may be my favorite Steve Martin film, even though many people panned it.

2. Joe v. the volcano: The scene where they're blown out of the volcano and out to sea, and then fortuitously happen upon the heavy-duty trunks that he just happened to have bought for the trip is great movie fare, reminiscent of Moby Dick and Ishmael's survival after the whale sinks the ship.

3. 1941: I can't put my finger on why it's one of my favorite "bad" movies, but it just is.

4. Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid: I don't know if this is classified as one of the "bad" movies, but it's my second favorite Steve Martin film.

Avid Reader · Wed Sep 21, 2011 1:16 pm

Mr. Destiny, starring Jim Belushi. I'm not sure if it's considered especially "bad," but I don't think it got very good reviews or did well at the box office. It's kind of a dumb little story about a guy who gets to live part of his life over with one alteration that changes everything, but for some reason I have always liked it ever since I first saw it on TV. It also stars Linda Hamilton (T2), who is one of my favorite actors.

James Vaught · Wed Sep 21, 2011 5:21 pm

Why does every occupation have to be neutered? Linda Hamilton is hot, but she is an ACTRESS, not an ACTOR. And, there's nothing demeaning about being an ACTRESS. So, why the trend to label every person in a movie or play an "actor"? I know, political correctness. A damned plague upon mankind, if you ask me.

Avid Reader · Wed Sep 21, 2011 5:41 pm


	James Vaught wrote: she is an ACTRESS, not an ACTOR..

I am afraid you are mistaken in thinking that the word "actor" refers only to the male of the species. And it has nothing whatsoever to do with "political" correctness; it has to do with grammatical correctness:

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

Actor \Ac"tor\, n. [L. actor, fr. agere to act.]
1. One who acts, or takes part in any affair; a doer.
[1913 Webster]

2. A theatrical performer; a stageplayer.
[1913 Webster]

After a well graced actor leaves the stage. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]

3. (Law)
(a) An advocate or proctor in civil courts or causes.
--Jacobs.
(b) One who institutes a suit; plaintiff or complainant.
[1913 Webster]e

dmalcolm · Wed Sep 21, 2011 8:56 pm

Big Trouble in Little China! It's so cheesy yet I always find myself watching it when it comes on TV.

giselle · Wed Sep 21, 2011 11:44 pm

What! Big Trouble in Little China is a classic Kurt Russell movie! Ok its a bit cheesy but I think its intended that way, like his Escape from NY/LA movies .... baddest movie ever has to be "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" .. an epic on the bad scale .... late 70's, spoof of B movies, but a spoof that in itself is really terrible ... but somehow memorable. I saw if for the first time in a falling apart cinema, sort of grubby old place with bad popcorn that I'm sure has since been condemned .. a really bad movie in a dump of cinema, hard to forget.

R. LeBeaux · Thu Sep 22, 2011 8:21 am


	giselle wrote: "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes"

I had completely forgotten this one, but you're right, it was one bad movie - good for a laugh or two, but that's about all.

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