"Bad" books/movies you actually like

Cafe Society
1

Tell me if this sounds familiar: you buy popular book Xyz, read, and really like it. Then you surf the Cafe Society, or TVTropes, and lo and behold, everyone is talking about it. That is, everyone is saying, “Gee, Xyz is really awful. I mean, the plot is ludicrous, the characters are 1-D, and the dialog is cornier than a field in Iowa. No one with any taste would enjoy this”. I’m talking about the type of books, from The DaVinci Code to Twilight, that have whole “Anti-Xyz” websites about them. Or the Star Wars prequel trilogy.

I’m going to be a brave girl, and admit that…

…that I…

…that I…

deep breath

“Hello, my name is Malleus, Incus, Stapes!, and I enjoyed the DaVinci Code”

I downright loved it, actually. Okay, maybe some of the trappings were a bit silly, but underneath the crazy conspiracy theories (and what thriller doesn’t involve crazy conspiracy theories?), it was a puzzle mystery. A lateral thinking puzzle. And I don’t care if you think I’m a cultural philistine.

Also, Eragon. Yes, I am aware of the book’s many flaws. I haven’t been able to properly enjoy the last book, because of all the snarky comments and reviews. But I still think the story is compelling (and is starting to slightly depart from “Star Wars”), and goshdarnit, it’s not that bad. And if you think it is, please keep it to yourself, thank you.

What books have you guys had to hide under the bed from the culture snobs?

2

I love the Twilight Series and the movie. I’m certain I will love all forthcoming books and movies in the series. Haters to the left.

3

There’s nothing highbrow or elevating about Parenthood or A League of Their Own, but I’ll gladly watch either from start to finish on cable. Same with Ghost World and Almost Famous.

The Josh Logan Rodgers & Hammerstein films pretty much define “middlebrow,” but I could watch South Pacific over and over again! France Nuyen as Liat? Whew!

4

I liked the books, but I refused to watch the movie after the first time I looked at the cast.

Valete,
Vox Imperatoris

ETA: I liked the David Lynch Dune movie, too. It wasn’t all that faithful to the book, but it was still pretty good.

5

Reported. You should know that “liking the DaVinci Code” is the number one cause for banning around here.

:smiley:

My choice of trashy entertainment are typically comic books. Not just recent enjoyable fluff, either. I just love some campy silver age Jimmy Olsen.

6

I can watch “First Blood” anytime it’s on. And, um… “Smokey and the Bandit”, because “I’m the brother of a truck-driving mother, boogily boogily boogily.”

Now THAT’S embarrassing.

7

Kristen Bell is pretty awful (and she sounds like a man) and I don’t really like Taylor what’s-his-face that plays Jacob, but everyone else is good. And if you have a boycott against Robert Pattinson, it’s not his fault, it’s his fanclub. See the movie if you like the book!

8

Bwuhhh?! Those movies rocked! So did Almost Famous and Parenthood. That’s like calling the Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy a bad book!

I like screwball comedies. The screwier the better. So I love the hell out of The Cat in the Hat, McHale’s Navy (I know, I know!), The Pest, and Straight to Hell.

I also like really awful horror movies, so the original Thirteen Ghosts, Necronomicon, the original House on Haunted Hill, and Brides of Dracula are all in my collection, along with many, many others.

9

Just to name a few - Beastmaster, Xanadu, Grease (AND Grease 2), The Cutting Edge, Bring it On.

hangs head

10

I thought that Predator 2 was an excellent movie.

The original Punisher was highly entertaining as well.

11

You can’t possibly hang it low enough.

12

I loved the DaVince Code. It helps to not care at all about it’s relevence to anyones interperetation of reality. Really, I thought my lack of familiarity with those things biblical would cause me a problem. Actually, not knowing anything probably made it a better movie.

13

I actually enjoyed the hell out of I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, and I liked the new Amityville Horror (though that probably had more to do with Ryan Reynolds than anything). Also, I loved loved loved Red Dragon, which plenty of people thought was crap.

14

I liked Congo. I did. I may even read it again someday.

I know. I know.

15

I’m enjoying reading Harry Turtledove’s Crosstime series. I love time travel and alternative universe stories and when I bought the first book in the series, I didn’t realise it was YA. Still, I read it and enjoyed it even though it was targeted at an audience 40 years my junior.

16

Starship Troopers (but I never read the book, so that might explain a lot). In fact, most of Paul Verhoeven’s films are great, including Showgirls.

17

I liked The DaVinci Code, while being fully aware of all the things that were stupid about it.

I liked Twilight (although, while I can suspend disbelief for vampires, I am not sure I can believe that ANYONE would willingly repeat high school forever, that is truly being damned)

I also like The Princess Diaries series (books not movies. Well, Ok, I liked the first movie).

I love romance novels.

There, you know the worst.

ok, I also have pink and purple heart covered valentine bedsheets

18

Joe versus the Volcano is just about my favourite Tom Hanks movie.

19

Bad movies that I own, watch and enjoy every few months:
Conan The Barbarian
Point Break
Manhunter
Predator
Highlander
C.H.U.D.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind

There are others, but those are all that I will confess right now.

20

Since when is liking Bring it On embarrassing? That’s an awesome movie.

The Cutting Edge, on the other hand…where’s that pukey smiley again? (I’ve been known to…er…accidentally forget to change the channel when that one’s on TV too. TOE-PICK!!)