# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/61 "2016-02-03T16:56:02Z")
How would being a horror movie disqualify a movie from being a ghost story, anyway? Wouldn’t one expect that most ghost stories would be horror? ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/62 "2016-02-03T17:08:39Z")
I \*like \*Korean ghost story movies. At least, some of them. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/63 "2016-02-03T18:36:59Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > How would being a horror movie disqualify a movie from being a ghost story, anyway? Wouldn’t one expect that most ghost stories would be horror? But horror movies are not necessarily ghost stories. They distinguish themselves in other ways. I remember Poltergeist being a big disappointment. The weird lady throws this rope down into the “ghosty” place and drags the kid back. Great storytelling that. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/64 "2016-02-03T19:43:25Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > Clones or evil Doubles. > > Always a bad idea. Just…Just bad. > > Of course there are exceptions but man… Agreed. Resident Evil, The Island, Sure you have The Island, all the Resident Evil films, Star Wars prequels, The 6th Day, Alien Resurrection, Cloud Atlas, Species, a lot of other crappy horror films. But you also have Twins, Multiplicity, Never Let Me Go, Moon, The Prestige (although not an “evil” twin, one was a bit more of a jerk). Do Blade Runner replicants count as “clones”? I guess I’ll give it to you. The “they were secretly twins / clones” twist rarely pays off. **Movies about virtual reality.** The Thirteen Floor, Strange Days, Lawnmower Man, Virtuosity, Johnny Mnemonic, Tron2, every Matrix film but the first. Exceptions: The first Matrix film (and by extension, the anime Ghost in the Shell) Fun exception: classic Tron ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/65 "2016-02-03T20:18:04Z")
> [@Unpronounceable](#): > > Video Game adaptations. > > Examples: yep, every single one. > Exceptions: none. I’m not going to disagree that so far, video game adaptations have been terrible. But… I do want to point out that the overwhelming majority, if not all of them have been of very popular games that don’t have much in the way of actual plot. Games like DOOM, Mortal Kombat, Need for Speed, etc… are based on what amount to arcade games. I suspect the upcoming Angry Birds and Warcraft movies will suck balls as well, as there’s no plot in those games at all. Had the filmmakers taken a game franchise that plays more like a real movie- like say, one of the Call of Duty games, Dead Space games, Mass Effect games, Wasteland/Fallout games or Half-Life games, they might have a better movie on their hands. ---
**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 3, 2016, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/66 "2016-02-03T21:19:04Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I’m not going to disagree that so far, video game adaptations have been terrible. > > But… I do want to point out that the overwhelming majority, if not all of them have been of very popular games that don’t have much in the way of actual plot. Games like DOOM, Mortal Kombat, Need for Speed, etc… are based on what amount to arcade games. I suspect the upcoming Angry Birds and Warcraft movies will suck balls as well, as there’s no plot in those games at all. > > Had the filmmakers taken a game franchise that plays more like a real movie- like say, one of the Call of Duty games, Dead Space games, Mass Effect games, Wasteland/Fallout games or Half-Life games, they might have a better movie on their hands. It sounds like you’re describing Silent Hill and Resident Evil. Weren’t both games heavy on plot? ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/67 "2016-02-03T22:15:39Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > It sounds like you’re describing Silent Hill and Resident Evil. Weren’t both games heavy on plot? I don’t know about Silent Hill, but Resident Evil was somewhere between an arcade game and the games I mentioned; enough plot to explain why you’re where you are, and what you’re doing, but you weren’t really solving a problem or resolving a conflict- IIRC, you were trying to escape and not die. There were puzzles to solve, but it wasn’t a dialogue-driven game IIRC (it’s been nearly 20 years since I played it). And that’s more or less what I’m getting at; the games I mentioned all more or less revolve around solving a problem / fulfilling a quest, and your character is the protagonist. Games like Resident Evil were more akin to fighting games, where there’s enough plot to explain where you are and what you’re doing, but there’s no plot that changes through the movie based on the results of your actions. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/68 "2016-02-03T22:30:53Z")
HP Lovecraft adaptations. Examples: Dagon, Cthulhu (2007), From Beyond Critically acclaimed exception: The Call of Cthulhu Fun exception: Re-Animator ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/69 "2016-02-04T01:01:34Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I’m not going to disagree that so far, video game adaptations have been terrible. > > But… I do want to point out that the overwhelming majority, if not all of them have been of very popular games that don’t have much in the way of actual plot. Games like DOOM, Mortal Kombat, Need for Speed, etc… are based on what amount to arcade games. Also, many or most were [made by Uwe Boll](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uwe_Boll#Films), who is notoriously bad. I’ve noticed that book adaptations of games tend to be a lot better, since they often have actually \*good \*authors write them. Greg Bear, Mercedes Lackey and Alan Dean Foster are much better authors than Uwe Boll is a movie maker. ---
**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 4, 2016, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/70 "2016-02-04T01:11:12Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Also, many or most were [made by Uwe Boll](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uwe_Boll#Films), who is notoriously bad. > > I’ve noticed that book adaptations of games tend to be a lot better, since they often have actually \*good \*authors write them. Greg Bear, Mercedes Lackey and Alan Dean Foster are much better authors than Uwe Boll is a movie maker. This reminds me of Searching for Bobby Fisher: Uwe Boll is worse at making movies than you are at doing anything. ---
**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 4, 2016, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/71 "2016-02-04T01:13:35Z")
> [@bump](#): > > And that’s more or less what I’m getting at; the games I mentioned all more or less revolve around solving a problem / fulfilling a quest, and your character is the protagonist. Games like Resident Evil were more akin to fighting games, where there’s enough plot to explain where you are and what you’re doing, but there’s no plot that changes through the movie based on the results of your actions. I see your point and I agree…but I’m sure Hollywood could fuck up even well written games. Although I would be forced, FORCED, to go see Planetfall: the movie despite knowing they would fuck it up. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/72 "2016-02-04T03:25:23Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Ghost stories. There are no ghosts and even if there were, they don’t do anything dramatic or worth filming. > > Examples: Don’t look now, asian ghost stories, ad infinitum. > > Fun Exception: Topper? **Truly Madly Deeply** ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/73 "2016-02-04T04:30:58Z")
Genre: Movies based on (specific licensed\*) toys. Examples: The Smurfs, Transformers, G.I. Joe, Masters Of The Universe, Battleship, The Care Bears Movie Critically Acclaimed Exception: The Lego Movie Fun Exception: Clue \*The Toy Story movies may feature several licensed toy brands, but the 2 main characters were created for the 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 4, 2016, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/74 "2016-02-04T04:35:05Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > Fun Exception: Clue OOOOOO, I totally forgot about Clue :smack:. I love that movie even tho it totally destroys my first theory. ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/75 "2016-02-04T11:11:22Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > If anyone wants to watch any of these excellent movies, the titles are: > > Only Lovers Left Alive > Daybreakers > Stake Land > > I think Stake Land is the best of the three, but they’re all very good. > > EDIT: Also, don’t forget Let the Right One In. And finally, Byzantium tried, but didn’t really work for me. Dammit, I should have linked them, bit tired that day… I left out Let the Right one in, it was interesting (and there was a US remake, not sure of its quality). Also I’m not completely sure Byzantium was about Vampires, it was a bit vague… ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/76 "2016-02-04T11:16:16Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I’m not going to disagree that so far, video game adaptations have been terrible. > > But… I do want to point out that the overwhelming majority, if not all of them have been of very popular games that don’t have much in the way of actual plot. Games like DOOM, Mortal Kombat, Need for Speed, etc… are based on what amount to arcade games. I suspect the upcoming Angry Birds and Warcraft movies will suck balls as well, as there’s no plot in those games at all. > > Had the filmmakers taken a game franchise that plays more like a real movie- like say, one of the Call of Duty games, Dead Space games, Mass Effect games, Wasteland/Fallout games or Half-Life games, they might have a better movie on their hands. I find Doom a weird one, in effect, it’s not a movie based on the game in any way. Well, I was expecting the floating eyeball or some other sort of classic monster from it and that pretty much was what defined it apart from fast paced survival. It was basically a slow paced survival horror. It did strike me as if they’d made that sort of movie, then secured the license to the name Doom near the end, and tacked that on. But it’s not a Doom movie to me… I’d love to see a Portal movie though… ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/77 "2016-02-04T21:48:46Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > I see your point and I agree…but I’m sure Hollywood could fuck up even well written games. Although I would be forced, FORCED, to go see Planetfall: the movie despite knowing they would fuck it up. I guess what I’m getting at is that it’s trivially easy for Hollywood to take an arcade or action shooter game and botch it up in the process of turning it into a movie. There’s no plot, or just enough back story in the intro to explain WHY you’re shooting mutants, and the gameplay consists of “shoot a whole lot… level up, shoot more and different mutants in a different setting.” So they make a lot of it up, and usually have a vested interest in keeping a lot of the shooting and action, so it’s usually very cruddily done. Something like a Call of Duty:Modern Warfare game would pretty much by definition have to follow a different trajectory, in that the single player game was essentially an interactive movie where you, the player, carry out the shoot-em-up scenes and other action elements. That would translate well into a movie. So would something a bit more interactive / player-influenced like say… Fallout 3 or GTA. They’re called “sandbox” games, in that the world is a big ‘sandbox’ where your character can interact, and there are dozens of side quests (i.e. non-story line), as well as the interactive movie storyline that your character’s actions and decisions influence. To turn it into a traditional movie, the filmmakers would need to pick a specific trajectory through the storyline and flesh that out with more dialogue, etc… but the skeleton’s already there and fairly fleshed out. Something like Planetfall would actually work well for much the same reason- my big concern would be more with the art direction, as those old infocom games were totally text based. ---
**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 4, 2016, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/78 "2016-02-04T23:34:41Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Something like Planetfall would actually work well for much the same reason- my big concern would be more with the art direction, as those old infocom games were totally text based. It could be 2 hours of text crawling up the screen! ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/79 "2016-02-04T23:52:13Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > It could be 2 hours of text crawling up the screen! The screenwriter is eaten by a grue. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2016, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858/80 "2016-02-05T01:37:42Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I suspect the upcoming Angry Birds and Warcraft movies will suck balls as well, as there’s no plot in those games at all. Dude, _Warcraft_ has _acres_ of plot. Mostly dumb plot, granted, but there’s still a lot of it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genre-subject-matter-that-makes-universally-bad-films-and-their-exceptions/744858.md?page=5)