# What movies were pretty much regarded as stinkers, but you secretly enjoy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 13, 2012, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-were-pretty-much-regarded-as-stinkers-but-you-secretly-enjoy/628075 "2012-07-13T02:04:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![greenslime1951](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9bcb4/32.png) [@greenslime1951](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greenslime1951)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-were-pretty-much-regarded-as-stinkers-but-you-secretly-enjoy/628075/1 "2012-07-13T02:04:04Z")
My personal stinker-favorites are: The Postman in “Kevin Costner.” Yes, I know it’s supposed to be the other way around, but this was as blatant a vehicle as I’ve ever seen. However, I enjoy the Reluctant Hero and Defeat the Army of Assholes tropes, as well as the sheer ludicrousness of many (many, many) of the scenes. “The Edge.” Bear runs around trying to kill Alex Baldwin and Anthony Hopkins. Alex Baldwin and Anthony Hopkins run around trying to kill each other. I like this because the scenery/cinematography is fantastic and the soundtrack is compelling. I enjoy how Anthony Hopkins takes some absolutely awful lines and makes them work. I also enjoy the premise of two men who want very much to kill each other, but can’t, because they need each other to survive (I’m sure this theme has been used before somewhere). ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-were-pretty-much-regarded-as-stinkers-but-you-secretly-enjoy/628075/2 "2012-07-13T02:14:21Z")
Saturn 3 Widely regarded as a total stinker, I kinda like it. 1.Very cool sets and design, good special effects. 2.I suspect this was a case of a vehicle or the studio not realizing how squicky the age differen between the leads was, but I actually think it is interesting. We’re talking a Harold and Maude love affair here, I like it just because it is rarely done. 3.Hector is pretty lame I’ll give you that. I first saw this movie as the nightly after news movie on a local broadcast channel, it is perfectly suited for that. Not compelling enough for the theater but great on free TV. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-were-pretty-much-regarded-as-stinkers-but-you-secretly-enjoy/628075/3 "2012-07-13T02:20:45Z")
_North_ is famously one of Roger Ebert’s most disliked movies. I don’t know why, as I thought it was fun. Maybe I just understood the humour it was going for. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-were-pretty-much-regarded-as-stinkers-but-you-secretly-enjoy/628075/4 "2012-07-13T02:21:25Z")
I love **The Day After Tomorrow** , **Boogeyman** , and **Red Riding Hood** , and I don’t care who knows, dammit! ---
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-were-pretty-much-regarded-as-stinkers-but-you-secretly-enjoy/628075/5 "2012-07-13T02:22:01Z")
Last Action Hero. I will defend this movie to my dying breath. It is as perfect a fantasy-humor-action movie as has ever been made. I think a lot of people went into it expecting a standard Arnie action flick, and were put off by the layers of meta. But that’s the point of the movie – celebrating and parodying 80s/90s action cliches. And oh so quotable. “He killed Mozart!” “Schwarzenegger.” “Gesundheit.” Arnie shoots into his closet, a dead ninja falls out. “You knew someone was in there?!” “There’s \*always \*someone in there.” ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-were-pretty-much-regarded-as-stinkers-but-you-secretly-enjoy/628075/6 "2012-07-13T02:24:15Z")
I really liked the recent G.I. Joe movie. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-were-pretty-much-regarded-as-stinkers-but-you-secretly-enjoy/628075/7 "2012-07-13T02:30:55Z")
_Mannequin_ with Kim Cattrall and Andrew McCarthy. Fun bit of fluff that always makes me smile. _Secret of My Success_ with Michael J Fox and Helen Slater. Another bit of fluff that makes me smile. There’s several 80’s comedies like that. Harmless drivel that’s lots of fun to watch. That’s when that song "Oh Yeah, thump thump " was used in so many comedies. Really catchy tune until it got over used. \* Fast Times at Ridgemont High\* is another favorite that’s not exactly art. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-were-pretty-much-regarded-as-stinkers-but-you-secretly-enjoy/628075/8 "2012-07-13T02:39:13Z")
**Mystery Men** and **Almost Famous** died at the box office, but I can watch them both many, many times. There are lots of much better movies I don’t say that about (How many times can you binge-watch **Gandhi** or **Schindler’s List**?). ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-were-pretty-much-regarded-as-stinkers-but-you-secretly-enjoy/628075/9 "2012-07-13T02:48:12Z")
_Demolition Man._ If I happen to catch it on TV, I become physically incapable of switching the channel. Yes, it’s cheesy and over-the-top. But I also think it’s a fine satire of political correctness and nanny-state policies. Also _Rock Star_. I’m a sucker for these behind-the-music type stories, and the soundtrack rocks. I also get a kick out of seeing Dominic West, aka Det. McNulty, in full 80s hair metal regalia. ---
**Author:** ![davey77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@davey77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davey77)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-were-pretty-much-regarded-as-stinkers-but-you-secretly-enjoy/628075/10 "2012-07-13T02:51:06Z")
The Love Guru. Sorry, it’s just plain funny, bad as it is… ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-were-pretty-much-regarded-as-stinkers-but-you-secretly-enjoy/628075/11 "2012-07-13T02:53:29Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > **Mystery Men** and **Almost Famous** died at the box office, but I can watch them both many, many times. There are lots of much better movies I don’t say that about (How many times can you binge-watch **Gandhi** or **Schindler’s List**?). I rented Mystery Men after is came out and really didn’t like it much. Then last night, I got hooked watching clips of it on YouTube. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-were-pretty-much-regarded-as-stinkers-but-you-secretly-enjoy/628075/12 "2012-07-13T02:56:41Z")
I really kind of enjoyed _Major League: Back To The Minors_. I wouldn’t say that it’s a fantastic movie, but I think it has a certain breezy charm, and Scott Bakula is always an asset. I certainly prefer watching it to the second one in the series. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-were-pretty-much-regarded-as-stinkers-but-you-secretly-enjoy/628075/13 "2012-07-13T03:00:39Z")
Congo. It’s a breezy, perfectly harmless time waster with some entertaining mugging from Tim Curry and Ernie Hudson. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-were-pretty-much-regarded-as-stinkers-but-you-secretly-enjoy/628075/14 "2012-07-13T03:03:33Z")
> [@Mississippienne](#): > > Last Action Hero. > > I will defend this movie to my dying breath. It is as perfect a fantasy-humor-action movie as has ever been made. I think a lot of people went into it expecting a standard Arnie action flick, and were put off by the layers of meta. But that’s the point of the movie – celebrating and parodying 80s/90s action cliches. And oh so quotable. > > “He killed Mozart!” “Mo who?” “Zart!” “You know, I kill a lot of people, I can’t remember half of them.” Same here. The people who would have enjoyed the comedy stayed away in droves, and the people who wanted a mindless action movie didn’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![4d3fect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/4d3fect/32/9728_2.png) [@4d3fect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/4d3fect)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-were-pretty-much-regarded-as-stinkers-but-you-secretly-enjoy/628075/15 "2012-07-13T03:04:46Z")
to the OP–Just viewed some of the Postman–took itself a bit too seriously for my taste (and this from someone who’s acquainted with the source material), but it takes all kinds. In no particular order… Club Paradise. Daredevil. Once Upon a Crime. They Live. Big Trouble in Little China. Endless list for me, really. ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-were-pretty-much-regarded-as-stinkers-but-you-secretly-enjoy/628075/16 "2012-07-13T03:21:56Z")
_Mars Attacks!_ and _Starship Troopers_ are both great films that I really enjoy but very few people seem to like. _Flash Gordon_ (1980) is also fun, but it also has a cult following, so maybe it doesn’t count. _Xanadu_ is a lot better in my mind than in reality. However, it has a great soundtrack, a nice Don Bluth animated sequence and Gene Kelly. Also, it seems to capture the late '70s zeitgeist really well. That said, a lot of it sucks, though it’s nowhere near as bad as _Can’t Stop the Music_. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-were-pretty-much-regarded-as-stinkers-but-you-secretly-enjoy/628075/17 "2012-07-13T03:33:19Z")
Apparently I am the only person alive who thought _Indiana Jones and the Temple Of Doom_ was the most enjoyable movie of the entire _Raiders_ franchise. (I saw it in the theater when I was 12 or so, and maybe Kate Capshaw had something to do with it…) ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-were-pretty-much-regarded-as-stinkers-but-you-secretly-enjoy/628075/18 "2012-07-13T03:33:39Z")
_3000 Miles to Graceland._ Decent plot, poorly executed. Murky, seemingly contradictory, motivations for major characters. But I like it. _The Adventures of Ford Fairlane._ A mostly lighthearted late 80’s take on the noir-detective thriller, with an ungrudging, genre savvy nod-and-wink to the audience, it failed because it couldn’t make up it’s mind if it wanted to be a comedy or an action thriller, zigging back-and-forth pretty much at random. But I like it. But seriously: you didn’t really think they killed the fucking Koala bear, did you? \*The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension. \* This may be considered a “cheat,” as it’s now 71% “Fresh” on Rotten Tomaotes, but that wasn’t always the case; it seems to have aged well with the critics. _I’ve always liked it._ I caught it on video in late '84 or so, and immediately loved it. _Very Bad Things._ An unflinching black comedy. You have to have a seriously warped, fucked, **dark** sense-of-humor to enjoy this. Yep. That’s me. ---
**Author:** ![Rubixcube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Rubixcube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubixcube)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-were-pretty-much-regarded-as-stinkers-but-you-secretly-enjoy/628075/19 "2012-07-13T03:35:43Z")
_Waterworld_ may have been rife with production problems, and may suffer from an uninteresting protagonist and comical villain, but I’ve always liked the movie. The sets are amazing and I really loved the idea of a flooded post apocalyptic world. It’s something I think would work really well as a reasonably well budgeted mini-series, shame it’ll never happen due to the stigma. People normally ignore _Jurassic Park 3_ but I honestly like the film. _The Lost World_ was a disappointment but _JP3_ was pretty much what you’d want from a sequel. Lots of dinosaur action done competently, it also helps that it’s essentially the unused bits of the novels formed into a new plot. I like _Crystal Skull_, yes really. I got the feeling that most of the things that people complain about were intentional. Like the previous films _Crystal Skull_ is an homage to adventure films/serials of a specific type, but this time around it’s a tribute to those of the 50’s where commies, aliens, nukes, and other nonsense would pop up without warning. In that I think it did pretty well. I like the Riddick movies, all three of them, yep even _Chronicles_. Why? I honestly don’t know, heck I’ve seen _Chronicles_ four or five times and I couldn’t even give you a decent synopsis, but I do know I enjoyed it. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-were-pretty-much-regarded-as-stinkers-but-you-secretly-enjoy/628075/20 "2012-07-13T03:38:35Z")
I loved _2012_. And not ironically in an “it’s so bad it’s good!” way, either. I mean, I loved that movie. John Cusack running, driving, and flying away from lava for two and a half hours is gold. The crazy Russian business magnate, the noble but misunderstood scientist, the mournful President who goes down with his sinking ship of state, not to mention giant chunks of California sliding into the sea and an aircraft carrier slamming into the White House… man, this is making me want to go watch it again right now. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-were-pretty-much-regarded-as-stinkers-but-you-secretly-enjoy/628075.md?page=2)