May 01 2008
Bad Movies And Guilty Pleasures
Helen O’Hara in Empire Magazine writes about the really really bad movies that she’s reviewed in recent times – it is her job afterall. She tells us to avoid Pamela Anderson and Denise Richards’ Blonde and Blonder and rips through Eddie Murphy’s abysmal Norbit.
But she begins her piece talking about one of her guilty pleasures, watching Van Helsing, a ‘bad movie’ which she enjoys. It got me thinking about the movies I like to watch that, eh, wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea.
I first saw Tremors very late one night on a very fuzzy 14 inch TV while in my Granny’s house. I loved it immediately and couldn’t wait to see it again. I remember having great difficulties finding it. Our video store wasn’t great and didn’t have it and I was a poor young lad back then, so couldn’t go up to the big city to buy it. I finally managed to get a copy of it one night when I was babysitting in a neighbour’s house. They had some new fangled thing called Sky Movies.
For a long while Tremors was one of those movies I watched and watched and watched. I still pull it out of the DVD press occassionally and I still love it.
While playing Mario Kart a few nights ago, we were discussing the Super Mario Brothers Movie with Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo. It seems to be one of those movies that’s universally accepted as being awful…but I remember it fondly. Okay, it’s many years since I saw it and I’m not sure if I should spoil the memory I have by watching it again now. If anyone wants to buy it for me, I’ll watch it. 🙂
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is, of course, one of my favourite movies and I would
argue that it’s too good to be considered a ‘bad movie’…but the acting is brutal, the set design is frightening and the lip synching leaves a lot to be desired. But all the bad points add to the charm.
And then there’s a string of bad horror movies that I just adore. All the Freddy movies (yep, ALL of them), the Critters movies, Friday the 13th and its sequels, the Psycho sequels and the Exorcist sequels (and prequels). It’s just so much fun to switch off your brain and fall into the messed up worlds these films create.
Has anyone else any guilty pleasure, any movies that are more likely to be found in the bargain basement than on IMDB’s top 100 list?
So many old films by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Red Sonya stands out. The old Sinbads. There are plenty more, but not jumping to mind right now.
The Postman :blush:
@Gary You’re right to blush. Shame on you!!!
All of the Police Academy movies except number 7, which is just so bad its…bad.
There are many more, I just can’t think right now.
Oh yeah, The Gods Must Be Crazy 1 and 2. Actually, its been so long since I’ve seen them I’m not really sure if they qualify or not.
Police Academy ftw. Agree on Tremors, great film.