# Stupid movies that know that they're stupid **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 20, 2006, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-movies-that-know-that-theyre-stupid/369498 "2006-08-20T22:28:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-movies-that-know-that-theyre-stupid/369498/21 "2006-08-21T03:20:43Z")
**Flash Gordon** The director may not have known it was stupid, and whoever was playing Flash certainly didn’t know it was stupid. But everyone else involved knew exactly what sort of movie they were in, and were obviously camping it up for the fun of it. From the StompTokyo [review](http://www.stomptokyo.com/movies/f/flash-gordon.html): > [@](#): > > Imagine that you have just won $100 million in a lottery, that Carmen Electra has offered to marry you, and George Lucas has asked you if you want a part in the next Star Wars film [_note: the review was written in 1999, when these last two would be considered good things_]. Now imagine that as you find all of this out, someone asks you: “How’re you doing?” The level of enthusiam you would put into your answer to that question is the same level of enthusiam that Blessed puts into every line he delivers, including “Is this seat taken?” Blessed is probably more over the top in this movie that he’s been in any other role that he’s played, and that’s saying something. Man, can he dislocate his jaw or what? > [comments added by me] ---
**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-movies-that-know-that-theyre-stupid/369498/22 "2006-08-21T03:29:34Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] I may be the only person on these Boards who actually enjoyed Mars Attacks, which is another knowingly stupid flick. Come on. Jim Brown boxing aliens? That’s good stupid! [/QUOTE] Noo – it was F-ing Brilliant! I love that film. ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-movies-that-know-that-theyre-stupid/369498/23 "2006-08-21T03:30:51Z")
[The Librarian - the Quest for the Spear](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0412915/). I loved that movie. Basically it’s Indiana Jones, but the hero is a librarian, who is an extremely nerdy perpetual student, and who saves the day by feats of academic derring-do. [D.E.B.S.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367631/) was pretty funny, too. ---
**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:** [August 21, 2006, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-movies-that-know-that-theyre-stupid/369498/24 "2006-08-21T03:34:52Z")
[Up The Creek](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088333/) A rip-off of **Animal House** and **Porky’s** , starring actors from both, UTC manages to be both serious at being a comedy and poke fun at the genre at the same time. One of my all-time guilty pleasures. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-movies-that-know-that-theyre-stupid/369498/25 "2006-08-21T04:47:14Z")
[QUOTE=EJsGirl] I think that _From Dusk 'till Dawn_ is another. There is plenty of winking and nudging going on). [/QUOTE] See also _The Faculty_ and _Desperado_😉 ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-movies-that-know-that-theyre-stupid/369498/26 "2006-08-21T04:54:27Z")
[QUOTE=Helen’s Eidolon] [The Librarian - the Quest for the Spear](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0412915/). I loved that movie. Basically it’s Indiana Jones, but the hero is a librarian, who is an extremely nerdy perpetual student, and who saves the day by feats of academic derring-do. [/QUOTE] I LOVE that movie, although it helps that I’m tearing through a Library Science program right now, hoping to become “The Librarian” myself. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-movies-that-know-that-theyre-stupid/369498/27 "2006-08-21T04:59:09Z")
[Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0094834/) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-movies-that-know-that-theyre-stupid/369498/28 "2006-08-21T07:49:35Z")
I agree with **Sublight** on _Flash Gordon_. In which case the (stylistically very similar) _Barbarella, Queen of the Galaxy_ warrants a mention. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-movies-that-know-that-theyre-stupid/369498/29 "2006-08-21T09:01:45Z")
[QUOTE=BluePitbull] How would you tell the difference between a serious attempt that fails and a movie that doesn’t take itself seriously? [/QUOTE] One makes you laugh with it, the other makes you laugh _at_ it. (With a lot of experience watching MST3K-grade fliks, one learns to tell the difference between the chuckle you get at a line like “You see, you see? Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!” and a line like "I will not be distracted by your all-girl lesbian sex orgy…_we must kung-fu fight!"_) Anyway… _SS Doomtrooper_ (A Sci-Fi channel original. Basically Wolfenstein the Movie.) I’m not sure if _Dog Soldiers_ and the first two (or three) _Return of the Living Dead_ movies count as “B-Flicks having a damn fun time of it,” or just outright _good_ movies. Same with _Resident Evil: Apocalypse_ and the _Reanimator_ movies. (Well, the third one would count as “kind of mediocre”…if not for the music video included on the DVD. “Move Your Dead Bones!” 🙂 Heh. OK, it gets into heaven for that one. Check YouTube for details.) And a hearty second to _The Librarian_. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-movies-that-know-that-theyre-stupid/369498/30 "2006-08-21T12:09:41Z")
At the risk of garnering some wrath, I’m gonna say _Starship Troopers_. Yes, I know the original story was this deep message on blah blah blah and the movie was an evil bastardization of the blah blah blah and Heinlein is rolling over in his blah blah blah. Didn’t read the book, not planning on reading the book, don’t care. The movie was hilariously stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-movies-that-know-that-theyre-stupid/369498/31 "2006-08-21T12:28:38Z")
How about **Red Dawn**? I don’t think the makers intended it that way, but it sure is good stupid fun. My favorite part is when invading Russian paratroopers storm a Colorado high school. (Because of course, that would be the first target of any foreign invasion.) Now _that’s_ good stupid! ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-movies-that-know-that-theyre-stupid/369498/32 "2006-08-21T13:24:42Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] invading Russian paratroopers [/QUOTE] It’s been a while, but aren’t they invading Cuban paratroopers? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-movies-that-know-that-theyre-stupid/369498/33 "2006-08-21T14:40:44Z")
**Eight Legged Freaks**. Gotta love a Giant Killer Something movie. It’s quite clear that everyone knew it was a ridiculous movie, and they had fun with it. I mean, come on, the dying gasp of the spider that crawls out of the burning wreck of the semi? That’s pure Looney Toons, man! ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-movies-that-know-that-theyre-stupid/369498/34 "2006-08-21T14:52:25Z")
**Tangent** already named mine – **Big Trouble in Little China** , in which Kurt Russel plays a hero who’s a jerk, but doesn’t know it. **Attack of the Killer Tomatoes** is another. As someone asked when it first came out – “If someone sets out to make a Bad Movie and succeeeds, is it right to blame them?” The first sequel, by the way, was brilliant (even if you don’t count the participation of a not-yet-famous George Clooney). ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-movies-that-know-that-theyre-stupid/369498/35 "2006-08-21T14:55:20Z")
[QUOTE=Helen’s Eidolon] [D.E.B.S.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367631/) was pretty funny, too. [/QUOTE] It was. I’ve been thinking about starting a thread about this movie, as I think it’s really underrated. No, it’s not a masterful piece of classic cinema, but it’s a lot better than it’s given credit for. _Army of Darkness_ was the one I came in to mention. It’s hilarious and ridiculous, as close to a straightfaced parody of the action movie genre as you can get without actually becoming a parody. “Name’s Ash. Housewares.” I’d nominate _They Live_ if I weren’t fairly sure none of the people involved knew how dumb it was. All the Troma films probably qualify. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-movies-that-know-that-theyre-stupid/369498/36 "2006-08-21T14:56:26Z")
Heh, heh. I just got through acting in one. It premiers in November (if you’re in Houston, [you’re invited](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=380387) ). The director set out to poke fun at the cheezy martial arts movies of the 70s as well as cheezy elements (in real life) of the martial arts industry, as well as cheezy infomercials. He succeeded nicely. We all had a great time hamming it up while we shot the movie. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-movies-that-know-that-theyre-stupid/369498/37 "2006-08-21T15:00:36Z")
“Doc Savage- Man of Bronze” was on the ragged edge between a real pulp adventure flick and self-parody. Doc: "_Mona, you’re a brick_! " ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-movies-that-know-that-theyre-stupid/369498/38 "2006-08-21T15:03:28Z")
**strange Invaders** probably qualifies. One of my friends pointed out the wonderful absurdity of the alien spacecraft operated by what seems to be steam pipes, leaking dripping water from huge wheeled shut-off valves. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-movies-that-know-that-theyre-stupid/369498/39 "2006-08-21T15:15:50Z")
How 'bout \* Plan Nine from Outer Space?\* Or the one with…I think it was Rosie Greer…, who had his head attached to some white guy? Both alive with one body. Hilairous! ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-movies-that-know-that-theyre-stupid/369498/40 "2006-08-21T15:18:58Z")
[QUOTE=Jake] How 'bout \* Plan Nine from Outer Space?\* [/QUOTE] By all accounts, that was made in perfect seriousness. So was _Manos Hands of Fate_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-movies-that-know-that-theyre-stupid/369498.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-movies-that-know-that-theyre-stupid/369498.md?page=3)