Millions,
I’m sure there’s a name for movies like this. Not necessarily B-movies or Cult Movies, because neither of those necessarily conote that the film is actually bad, just low budget or niche-y, respectively. I’m talking about bad movies, basically those that are undeniably bad, that you just can’t turn away from. If anyone has a name for movies that suck this good, I’d love to hear it.
But the purpose here was to share the guilty pleasures of the cinematic realm. I’d like to nominate Gymkata. For those who can get their hands on it, this is truly an amazing sight. The dialogue is criminal, the fight scenes hilarious, and the plot is basically nonsensical. You can’t put a price on a town full of crazies having a pommelhorse in their town square either. I’m telling you guys, this must be seen to be believed. And our hero, by the by, is an Olympic gymnast with a textbook feather-mullet. There’s too much to say, so I’ll leave it at that. But seriously. Watch. This. Movie.
Anyone else have a favorite. And please, I beg of you: Noone mention Baby Geniuses. Or it’s sequel. Thank you.
Starship Troopers – too many things wrong to list here and introducing a derailing of the thread. But I own a copy and watch it regularly because it’s well-executed, with great FX, and it is so thoroughly, completely wrong Plan Nine from Outer Space – It’s bad, but it’s entertainingly bad. I’d rather sit through this than some Larry Buchanan film.
So, movies that you can enjoy even though you know, objectivley, they aren’t very doog? Ladyhawke. Hard Target. Condorman. Red Sonja. Bloodsport. Clue. I can’t help but watch these anytime they’re on TV.
the Rocky Horror Picture Show - Let’s face it, this flick didn’t earn the prize as the pre-eminent cult flick of all time by being good. People simply aren’t inspired to shout out heckling comments at a good movie.
A film about which I’m still not quite sure what I think. And yet I couldn’t stop watching, and found myself informing the air in my apartment that the “alternate ending” just wouldn’t have worked.
Battlefield Earth. I wouldn’t exactly call it watchable - I’ve never seen it all the way through (I don’t think I could stand it without my head exploding) but I’ll watch 20 minutes or so whenever it’s on. It’s just so monumentally stoooooopid in every possible way. And seeing John Travolta play a monstrous alien from an advanced civilization as a smarmy low-level thug is priceless.
I forgot to metion Hudson Hawk in the OP. And, CalMeacham, I thoroughly agree on Starship Troopers. It has an ill advised sequel, which, IIRC, went straight to video.
I have an entire section in my video collection of movies that are so bad I can’t help but watch them repeatedly.
Dungeons and Dragons–a travesty to gamers everywhere. Jimmy Olsen is the hero. There’s a Wayans. But I can’t ever shut it off.
The aforementioned Hudson Hawk–if only for the line about the hat convention.
The Pirate Movie–Just recently came out on DVD, and I forgot how much I love it. Fast foward through the songs that weren’t originally written by Gilbert & Sullivan.
Sleepaway Camp–any incarnation. Pure gory trash. It doesn’t get any better. Especially once you watch the second one a couple times and suddenly realize that all the characters are named after members of the Brat Pack.
The Ice Pirates–“Uh oh. Space herpes.”
I’m sure I’ll come up with several more over the course of the afternoon.
I posted earlier that I thought Armageddon fir this category but then I thought of another movie with Sarah Jessica Parker and Bruce Willis that fit but couldn’t remember the name. I went to IMDB to look it up. Turns out that movie is called**Striking Distance **. Another thing I discovered is that just about anything ever made by Bruce or Sarah fits this category.
Deep Blue Sea. This movie has it all: magic size-changing sharks, Samuel L. Jackson, really stupid scientists, a helicopter crash, an utterly gratuitous underwear scene…
Thomas Jane: the Un-Actor, is the main character.
LL Cool J sings over the closing credits about how his head is like a shark’s fin.
I think wec have here the making of a new Straight-Dope-ism, along the lines of “Thank og” and “Hi, Opal”
By all means, let it be declared that henceforth "doog" movies are Bad but Watchable Movies
We can also apply the term to TV shows, books, music visdeos, etc.
As a person of a certain age (and a certain past relationship with various mind- and mood-altering substances), I have a continuing fondness for the ouvre of Ken Russell, esp. Lair of the White Worm.
If you want a movie that makes you say “I can’t believe I’m watching this,” as you continue to watch to the bitter end – this is it.