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?

If anyone wants to go see Donnie Darko on the big screen at Cineworld Cinemas tomorrow (Tuesday 29th April) at 6.30pm, please let me know.

It’s part of Cinemagic’s Screen Festival, running until May 1st.

FREE TICKETS to the Delightfully Deranged Donnie Darko

Slashfilm have been talking about two movies that are going to be huge. Bigger than the Dark Knight, more exciting that Iron Man and with more nostalgia than Indiana Jones:

Firstly, I’m sure we can all agree that there is nothing more exciting that Speed 3: Ignition!!

And if that’s not enough, here is the trailer for the awesome Tetris: The Movie

Okay, thankfully these are both fakes, but it’s amazing the length people will go to these days for a bit of humorous parody. Speed3 even has its own website. The brilliant Tetris trailer was made by Black20.

http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/04/25/votd-tetris-the-movie/

http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/04/24/speed-3-ignition/

I remember watching Donnie Darko for the first time (about two hours before watching it for the second time). It was on DVD after the initial spate of interest in the movie. Being that I am as superficial as Paris Hilton at a Beauty Pageant, I don’t tend to rush out and watch these arty movies, especially when they are described as oh-my-god-you-have-to-see-this-movie-it’s -so-weird-and-really-great-oh-my-god. But we were down in cork at there was a special offer in HMV or Virgin or Tower or whatever it is they have down there. We bought a bunch of €3.99 DVD’s, one of which was this off the wall semi-sci-fi drama with Jake Gyllenhaal.

I was immediately disappointed. Disappointed that I hadn’t bought it sooner, disappointed that I didn’t believe the hype, disappointed that I didn’t take the time to see it in the cinema. Well, as part of the Cinemagic’s Festival of Film and Television for (and by) Young People, I have the opportunity to see it on the big screen in Cineworld.

I have no intention of giving any credit to Darragh Doyle, who has provided tickets for the Tuesday 29th showing of Donnie Darko in Cineworld Cinema on Parnell Street. Nor do I plan on thanking him for giving me the opportunity to share a number of tickets with readers of this blog.

If you would like to join me to see this wonderful movie, please drop me a mail or leave a comment requesting tickets. They’re free!!! The film starts at 6.30pm on Tuesday 29th April and I would love to drag people into Keating’s Church, the bar on Mary’s Street, for drinks and chattery afterwards.

Donnie Darko

Set in the small town of Middlesex, USA at the end of the Reagan era, it tells the story of a disturbed teenager, Donnie, who has visions of Frank, a man in a fake-fur suit and rabbit mask.

Frank leads Donnie to commit crimes while he is sleepwalking and tells him that the end of the world is fast approaching.

At school Donnie makes friends with new girl, Gretchen, who is trying to escape her abusive father. Together they try to understand Donnie’s neurosis, however both their futures are changed forever when Donnie, following Frank’s instructions, takes drastic actions against local self-help guru Jim Cunningham.

A series of events are set in motion that are only disrupted further by Donnie’s traveling back in time.

Cinemagic

Please check out Cinemagic’s website or Darragh Doyle’s blog for further information about this great festival.