I think a key point in how I view a bad movie is how seriously it takes itself. And there’s a definite range of reaction:
[ul]
[li]Bad movies which don’t take themselves seriously are inoffensive and sometimes amusing.[/li]
[li]Bad movies which yearn to be taken seriously are often a bit sad and frustrating to watch.[/li]
[li]Bad movies which blithely assume they will inherit the Oscars because they are Oh So Serious are actually offensive in their contempt for their viewers.[/li][/ul]
I’d put Ice Pirates and Plan 9 in the first category; perhaps Waterworld and The Last Airbender in the middle category, and reserve the last for overblown, nonsensical testaments to ego like The Thin Red Line.
I disagree.
I think Ed Wood took all his movies seriously. But I think they’re fun to watch. Ditto for robot Monster. If their creators didn’t take them seriously, they wouldn’t be as well put-together, and wouldn’t be entertaining.
It’s al well and good to claim that “they didn’t take it seriously”, so you won’t feel bad about laughing at the result. But I don’t think it’s correct. I suspect that Wood wouldn’t ultimately be offended by our laughing at his work. At least, he would figure, it’s being watched.