# Genre/subject matter that makes universally bad films (and their exceptions) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 1, 2016, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858 "2016-02-01T17:32:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/21 "2016-02-01T21:58:11Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Right. And this is why movies about wizards and jedi and superheroes have all been such financial disasters lately. > > Let’s not conflate your personal taste with the taste of the moviegoing public. Actually, I’ll take it. If we narrow “fantasy” to “dragons and wizards” fare, most of those movies are terrible. The Hobbit. Eregorn. Even Narnia was kind of meh. There’s a Warcraft movie coming out that looks terrible (plus it’s a videogame film…so there’s that). Exception would be Lord of the Rings. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/22 "2016-02-01T22:00:26Z")
> [@Unpronounceable](#): > > Video Game adaptations. > > Examples: yep, every single one. > Exceptions: none. Seriously. I mean, there are video game movies that I’ve _enjoyed_ (Street Fighter was positively delightful for so many ludicrous reasons), but that hasn’t made them good by any reasonably objective metric. It’s important to note that there have been lots of good video game movies (Wreck-it Ralph, King of Kong, The Wizard, hopefully the upcoming Ready Player One) - just no good video game adaptations. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/23 "2016-02-01T22:09:35Z")
It’s been years since I’ve seen it, but I recall the Silent Hill movie being passable. ---
**Author:** ![Unpronounceable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9de0a6/32.png) [@Unpronounceable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unpronounceable)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/24 "2016-02-01T22:23:09Z")
> [@magnusblitz](#): > > I was gonna say, Mortal Kombat for the fun exception. Could try and squeeze Wreck-it Ralph for a critically acclaimed exception, though it’s not based on any pre-existing franchise. > [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > Seriously. I mean, there are video game movies that I’ve _enjoyed_ (Street Fighter was positively delightful for so many ludicrous reasons), but that hasn’t made them good by any reasonably objective metric. > > It’s important to note that there have been lots of good video game movies (Wreck-it Ralph, King of Kong, The Wizard, hopefully the upcoming Ready Player One) - just no good video game adaptations. Crap movies, all. You’re right that there exist FUN crap movies in the genre, though. And I wasn’t counting non-adaptations. edit: > [@marshmallow](#): > > It’s been years since I’ve seen it, but I recall the Silent Hill movie being passable. Hmm…I know I’ve seen it…but I guess it didn’t really make an impression on me. That might be the real exception. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/25 "2016-02-01T22:24:50Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Well known histories. I was pretty certain \*Titanic \*was gonna sink. Goddammit, **Boyo**! Ever hear of a “Spoiler Box”? :mad: ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/26 "2016-02-01T22:47:18Z")
> [@RobDog](#): > > Genre: Sports movies > Examples: Escape to Victory, Space Jam, Wimbledon, The Fan, The Mighty Ducks > > Critically acclaimed exception: Million Dollar Baby > Fun exception: Bend It Like Beckham There are more critically acclaimed sports movies than you can shake a stick at. In addition to Million Dollar Baby, there’s Creed, Rocky, Raging Bull, The Fighter, Cinderella Man (it’s apparently very difficult to make a _bad_ boxing movie), Jerry Maguire, The Blind Side, Friday Night Lights, (geez, football is up there with boxing), Moneyball, Field of Dreams, Bull Durham, A League of Their Own (and so is baseball!), Foxcatcher, Seabiscuit, etc… I think you have the rule backwards. ---
**Author:** ![DaphneBlack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daphneblack/32/5389_2.png) [@DaphneBlack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaphneBlack)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/27 "2016-02-01T23:32:03Z")
I mean, I hate gangster movies (all of them!) but everyone else seems to love them. And I like vampire movies, but I feel they might qualify for this thread. C-A exception: “Interview with the Vampire” Fun exception: “Blade” ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/28 "2016-02-02T00:13:07Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > There are more critically acclaimed sports movies than you can shake a stick at. In addition to Million Dollar Baby, there’s Creed, Rocky, Raging Bull, The Fighter, Cinderella Man (it’s apparently very difficult to make a _bad_ boxing movie), Jerry Maguire, The Blind Side, Friday Night Lights, (geez, football is up there with boxing), Moneyball, Field of Dreams, Bull Durham, A League of Their Own (and so is baseball!), Foxcatcher, Seabiscuit, etc… > > I think you have the rule backwards. Yeah, well, that’s just, like, your opinion, man. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/29 "2016-02-02T00:29:14Z")
> [@Unpronounceable](#): > > Video Game adaptations. > > Examples: yep, every single one. > Exceptions: none. I came here to say this, but I have to add ANY games. Battleship, Dungeons & Dragons, just to name a couple crimes against humanity. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/30 "2016-02-02T00:50:45Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > I came here to say this, but I have to add ANY games. Battleship, Dungeons & Dragons, just to name a couple crimes against humanity. Similarly, Westerns. Guns, horses, men who shoot guns and ride horses, or vice-versa… what was the appeal, again? The good “Westerns” aren’t Westerns as such, anyway: They’re samurai films in drag, and therefore not examples of the genre, so don’t go waving “The Magnificent Seven Samurai” or such in my face. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/31 "2016-02-02T00:55:01Z")
There is no way this thread is going to be anything other than a train wreck. Great idea, but I doubt people are capable of differentiating between “Films that are great/sucky” and “Films I like/hate.” See most of the posts above for examples. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/32 "2016-02-02T01:04:53Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > The good “Westerns” aren’t Westerns as such, anyway: They’re samurai films in drag, and therefore not examples of the genre, so don’t go waving “The Magnificent Seven Samurai” or such in my face. Now hold on a second there, partner. I reckon you’re putting the Zatoichi before the Zane Grey there. The samurai genre was inspired by early westerns not the other way around. I’ll grant that once the two genres got going, ideas passed back and forth between them. ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/33 "2016-02-02T01:05:31Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Political dramas. The novels can be gripping, but unless the movie ends with an armed rebeliion and lots of shooting, you’re doomed to watching scene after scene of two or three people talking, with long stretches of exposition. > > Example: Seven Days in May Exception: All the King’s Men ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/34 "2016-02-02T01:06:13Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > There is no way this thread is going to be anything other than a train wreck. Great idea, but I doubt people are capable of differentiating between “Films that are great/sucky” and “Films I like/hate.” > > See most of the posts above for examples. So what? It’s a thread for people to express their opinions. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/35 "2016-02-02T01:13:03Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > “Serious” Science Fiction. Anything based on a story by Heinlin, Asimov, or any other classic sci-fi author. They simply do not translate well to a movie format, at least not without a complete rewrite. > > And before someone mentions it, no _2001: A Space Odyssey_ is not an exeption. It’s boring as hell, despite the fact that the major plot line involves a psychotic computer, and if you’re not familiar with the source material you won’t have the slightest clue what the ending means. The weird thing is the author who’s had the greatest success in his works being adapted to the screen: Philip K. Dick. Reading his books back in the seventies, I would have guessed he was one of the unlikeliest authors to see his works turned into successful movies. But while apparently more cinematic authors have seen adaptations of their books fail, Dick’s work has somehow inspired a series of good movies. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/36 "2016-02-02T01:38:06Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The weird thing is the author who’s had the greatest success in his works being adapted to the screen: Philip K. Dick. Reading his books back in the seventies, I would have guessed he was one of the unlikeliest authors to see his works turned into successful movies. But while apparently more cinematic authors have seen adaptations of their books fail, Dick’s work has somehow inspired a series of good movies. Minor nitpick: He died before seeing anything turned into a movie. Except for Blade Runner, I think, but I’m too lazy to look it up. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/37 "2016-02-02T02:18:34Z")
I’ve gotten pretty tired of police dramas that hew to this formulaic script: Detective So-and-So is an overworked, under-appreciated member of the Big City Police Department. His/her personal life is a train wreck and they’re approaching burn out, which they deal with by excessive drinking and/or meaningless hookups, when not crashing in their tiny squalid big city apartment. The Detective is assigned a seemingly routine case involving some dead lowlife nobody would ever miss. But the Detective can’t shake a nagging feeling that some tiny clue just doesn’t add up. The more they dig, the more it turns out that the lowlife’s death was just the tip of the iceberg, and moreover important and dangerous people want the case dropped. The Detective pursues the case with increasing risk to his/her career and/or life, their only ally their partner (who has at least a 50% chance of getting killed as a result) and either their estranged ex or someone new they’re falling for. The conspiracy reaches even into the Department itself, and the Detective has to survive a betrayal or ambush by one of their own. They persevere until the bad guys are exposed, justice is done, they reconcile with their ex or form a new relationship, and they realize their job is worthwhile after all. The End. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/38 "2016-02-02T03:31:12Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Similarly, Westerns. Guns, horses, men who shoot guns and ride horses, or vice-versa… what was the appeal, again? The good “Westerns” aren’t Westerns as such, anyway: They’re samurai films in drag, and therefore not examples of the genre, so don’t go waving “The Magnificent Seven Samurai” or such in my face. Not at all. _High Noon_ preceded _Seven Samurai_. _Unforgiven_, which I think is not only a great Western but also one of the best movies ever made, doesn’t draw on samurai films. Other good Westerns that didn’t draw on samurai movies significantly: _Treasure of the Sierra Madre The Searchers True Grit_ (both versions) _T\*\*he Wild Bunch The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid McCabe and Mrs. Miller Stagecoach Hombre_ ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/39 "2016-02-02T03:34:21Z")
The last in a series. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/40 "2016-02-02T04:02:18Z")
Westerns were a part of the Hollywood scene from the very start of filmmaking. Hell, the movie often credited as the first story film, _The Great Train Robbery_, was a western (even though it was shot in New Jersey). It’s influence in films is immense, even today (it’s credited as having the first closeup of a person, for instance). The first notable samurai film was from 1925. By that time, you had a whole series of American westerns with stars like William S. Hart, Broncho Billy Anderson, and Tom Mix. John Ford’s _The Iron Horse_ was also made before that. In addition to **Colibri’s** list, other westerns that had no Japanese influence include _Red River, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Fort Apache,_ and _Cat Ballou_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858.md?page=3)