# Mediocre films that stay with you **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 26, 2026, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-films-that-stay-with-you/1032577 "2026-08-26T15:56:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2026, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-films-that-stay-with-you/1032577/41 "2026-08-27T00:06:49Z")
I remain quite fond of [_Barbarella_](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/barbarella) and [_Reform School Girls_](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/reform_school_girls). I have mentioned this here before. ---
**Author:** ![Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8baadc/32.png) [@Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nicest_of_the_Damned)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2026, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-films-that-stay-with-you/1032577/42 "2026-08-27T00:27:58Z")
> [@psiekier](#): > > I was gonna suggest one of my all-time favourites, [Robot Jox](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUxDmKFCD2o). I love the hell out of it… Stuart Gordon! What’s not to love? Apparently there is a sequel too. > [@Infovore](#): > > That movie was where I discovered Tori Amos’s music. She’s got some great soundtrack music. Siren from Great Expectations is one of my favorites. She also performed a song in the movie China O’Brien under the name Tess Makes Good. Supposedly she did it so she could make rent that month. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2026, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-films-that-stay-with-you/1032577/43 "2026-08-27T00:33:03Z")
We watched **Reform School Girls** at a bachelor party eons ago; there wasn’t a dry eye in the house! ROTF! Wendy O. Williams was, what, 79 years old at the time? Great movie! ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2026, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-films-that-stay-with-you/1032577/44 "2026-08-27T00:40:47Z")
I might be the only one to love the 1984 version of _The Razor’s Edge_ with Bill Murray. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2026, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-films-that-stay-with-you/1032577/45 "2026-08-27T01:17:02Z")
Another Reform School Girls fan here! 👋 ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2026, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-films-that-stay-with-you/1032577/46 "2026-08-27T01:34:11Z")
I think “mediocre” might be praising it too highly, but [Dinosaurus!](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053768/) has been stuck in my memory banks since I saw it when I was 6 or 7 years old. I guess for kids of a certain age, you never forget your first big-screen dino movie. When I saw it had been restored on Blu-ray I bought it in a heartbeat. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2026, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-films-that-stay-with-you/1032577/47 "2026-08-27T03:22:03Z")
None of the following films are even near-great, yet they have all stayed with me long after I viewed them: _The President Vanishes_ (1934) – Rarely screened political thriller has square-jawed Secret Service man Paul Kelly investigating title disappearance as a cabal of big business leaders try to push the U.S. into another war to boost profits. Ridiculous and implausible(?), but fascinating. _Mme. Striptease_ (1956) – Early Brigitte Bardot farce, quite funny unlike most of her other films. _Omar Khayyam_ (1957) – Hokey history with dull Cornel Wilde in the title role, offset by great supporting cast including Yma Sumac. _The Green Helmet_ (1961) – Brit racing drama with all the expected clichés features perhaps the most cool cars of any film ever made. _For A Few Bullets More_, a.k.a., _Any Gun Can Play_ (1967) – Parody of Sergio Leone Spaghetti Westerns with Edd “Kookie” Byrnes and several memorable moments. _The Jackals_ (1967) – Remake of _Yellow Sky_ (1948) set in South Africa. Vincent Price is excellent alongside his tougher than any male granddaughter Diana Ivarson. _The Last Valley_ (1971) – The 30 Years War in all its brutality, senselessness and waste. Hard to forget. _The Battle Wizard_ (1977) – Outlandish Hong Kong martial arts fantasy. Strange characters, bizarre plot, lots of crudely animated beams, a kung fu fighting gorilla and more! _Crime Spree_ (2003) – Inept French crooks are set up in America in this unexpectedly effective ensemble comedy. _Immortal_ (2004) – Wild and weird sci-fi. _Outlander_ (2008) – Good set-up, monster design and mayhem triumph over stock characters, a dull lead and predictability. _The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec_ (2010) - Based on a French comic book, title character is a female Indiana Jones seeking to revive Egyptian mummies who may hold key to saving her sister from a near-fatal tennis accident. _Edge of Tomorrow_ (2014) – Pretty average sci-fi, but Tom Cruise dies repeatedly to give it extra appeal. > [@ParallelLines](#): > > (Shere Khan standing up from the tiled floor as his elaborate costuming slides across it always sticks with me) Shiwan Khan (played by John Lone). You seriously can’t tell the difference between a 5’7" Asian dude and a Bengal tiger who talks like George Sanders? ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2026, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-films-that-stay-with-you/1032577/48 "2026-08-27T03:35:59Z")
> [@robby](#): > > I would suggest _Highlander_ (the original film from 1986). It’s high art compared to the infamously awful sequel, but is still “cheesy, bombastic, and absurd” in its own right, as one critic put it. But people love it, including me. _Highlander_ somehow managed to be more than the sum of its parts. The last time I watched it, years ago, I couldn’t help but think how cheesy it all was but I still loved it. It’s a compelling story and some of the transitions between the modern era and Conner MacCleod’s past were pretty smooth. > [@robby](#): > > Another one I’d suggest is _Army of Darkness_. It played on a regular rotation on my submarine. Cheesy, ridiculous, and over the top, but a lot of fun. Yeah, but they knew exactly what kind of movie they were making with _Army of Darkness_! “That was just pillow talk, baby.” ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2026, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-films-that-stay-with-you/1032577/49 "2026-08-27T03:44:27Z")
I was wrong. In my defense I’ve been stuck in Denver almost all day wai5ing to pick up a friend at DIA (5 hours of delays! But should now land in another hour) and I’m on my phone. So I’m missing all sorts of auto correct BS. Doesn’t mean i wasn’t careless though! 🙇 ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2026, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-films-that-stay-with-you/1032577/50 "2026-08-27T03:47:21Z")
Just thought of yet another one. _The Manitou,_ a cheesy Seventies horror flick based on a novel by Graham Masterton and starring Tony Curtis as a sham psychic who gets caught up in real supernatural goings-on involving a centuries-old (and more than a bit Lovecraftian) Native American medicine man being reborn on the back of a rich white woman’s neck. I discovered it on Showtime when I was in my mid-teens and it stuck with me for several reasons despite its cheese level. I loved Curtis’s portrayal of the sham mystic. The movie made me a lifelong Masterton fan (at least of his horror novels–he also apparently wrote sex manuals), and I’d say it was a definite influence on my later career as an urban fantasy author. So I’d say it had an outsized effect on me despite not being a very good movie. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2026, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-films-that-stay-with-you/1032577/51 "2026-08-27T03:56:40Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > _ **Vanishing Point** _. Rebellious nonconformist full of amphetemines pilots souped-up muscle car across the American Southwest, much to the annoyance of law enforcement officials. It does not end well. Ouch! Great mention! I’m with you on _Vanishing Point._ I first saw it as the B-picture at a drive-in theatre, and I’ve never forgotten it. I considered myself lucky to find a DVD of it in the bargain bin at Wal-Mart a few years ago. Naturally, I bought it. Now, if I could only find some of those other B-pictures from the drive-in I liked … ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2026, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-films-that-stay-with-you/1032577/52 "2026-08-27T04:08:40Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > (This was from 1972, where Dobermans were the equivalent of pit bulls are today.) Reminds me of a made for [TV movie in which somebody gets locked into a department store that had Doberman watch dogs](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070828/). ---
**Author:** ![psiekier](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psiekier/32/116_2.png) [@psiekier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psiekier)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2026, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-films-that-stay-with-you/1032577/53 "2026-08-27T04:34:33Z")
> [@Dropo](#): > > _The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec_ (2010) - Based on a French comic book, title character is a female Indiana Jones seeking to revive Egyptian mummies who may hold key to saving her sister from a near-fatal tennis accident. I hunted this one down after becoming a fan of Jacques Tardi’s _ligne claire_ comics serialized in _Heavy Metal_. It’s neat to see the characters come to life, but I think I like the comic more. > [@Dropo](#): > > _Edge of Tomorrow_ (2014) – Pretty average sci-fi, but Tom Cruise dies repeatedly to give it extra appeal. The green tea is complimentary. _Edge of Tomorrow_ is great, but I feel the best version of _All You Need is Kill_ is [Studio 4°C’s animated version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw3SRSOGWYw) that came out earlier this year. I think I like it even better than the original book! ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2026, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-films-that-stay-with-you/1032577/54 "2026-08-27T04:35:06Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Now, if I could only find some of those other B-pictures from the drive-in I liked … I saw a lot of those after midnight at the town square cinema when I was living in Cambridge, England (1976–77). The place was usually packed with drunken college students on weekends. Aside from soft-core porn like _ **Flesh Gordon** _, _ **Emanuelle** _, and _ **Vanessa** _, I remember _ **It’s Alive!** _, about a homicidal mutant baby, and _ **The Last American Hero** _, where good-old-boy Jeff Bridges goes from moonshiner to stock-car driver while telling Valerie Perrine “You’re the purtiest girl I’ve ever seen!” ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2026, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-films-that-stay-with-you/1032577/55 "2026-08-27T04:39:27Z")
Okay, I nominate- _Doc Savage, Man of bronze._ 🙀 What do i win? 🤪 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2026, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-films-that-stay-with-you/1032577/56 "2026-08-27T04:44:13Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > _Doc Savage, Man of bronze._ Is that the one where he literally dodges a bullet? 🤨 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2026, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-films-that-stay-with-you/1032577/57 "2026-08-27T04:46:41Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Is that the one where he literally dodges a bullet? Mostly, sort of. It is a moment. These great lines- _Mona, you’re a brick!_ _Have no fear! Doc Savage is here!_ ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2026, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-films-that-stay-with-you/1032577/58 "2026-08-27T04:53:54Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > Another vote for _Xanadu_, _Highlander_, and _Flash Gordon_. Same here. _Xanadu_ has, for me, the combo of my longtime crush Olivia Newton-John, and music from one of my favorite bands, ELO. The other two, as noted, have music from one of my other favorite bands, Queen. It was only recently that I discovered that _Highlander_’s director, Russell Mulcahey, had primarily been a director of music videos; he had only directed one other feature film before _Highlander_ – which, if you view it as an extended music video, starts to make sense. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2026, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-films-that-stay-with-you/1032577/59 "2026-08-27T05:00:38Z")
In the early days of MTV, if the screen was letterboxed, it was probably a Mulcahey production. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2026, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-films-that-stay-with-you/1032577/60 "2026-08-27T05:06:41Z")
Every time I see this question asked across various platforms going back many years, _Xanadu_ is one of the most common choices. I haven’t seen the movie myself but based on that I would argue that it isn’t a mediocre film at all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-films-that-stay-with-you/1032577.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-films-that-stay-with-you/1032577.md?page=4)