# When a great cast rescues a cheesy movie **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 25, 2009, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-great-cast-rescues-a-cheesy-movie/482959 "2009-01-25T21:16:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-great-cast-rescues-a-cheesy-movie/482959/1 "2009-01-25T21:16:58Z")
I finally got around to watching _The Core_, which I’d always avoided because it had such a horrible reputation. I guess I’ll never learn to ignore that kind of thing, because this movie–an old fashioned science fantasy movie–was an entertaining hoot from beginning to end. I’m reminded of the New Yorker review of Babe, in which the reviewer said something like, “If you’re the kind of person who would refuse to see a movie simply because it’s about a talking pig, well then just be that way: it’s your loss.” If you can’t watch _The Core_\* without focusing on the science that the movie gets “wrong,” well then just be that way. Another movie where a silly script with an outrageously cliche and still sillier basic premise are rescued by a great cast and great direction is _Made in Heaven_. Other movies whose whole is greater than the sum of their parts:\* The Hidden, The Borrower, Mad Dog and Glory\* . . . what else? \*Not a documentary. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-great-cast-rescues-a-cheesy-movie/482959/2 "2009-01-25T21:43:10Z")
_THEM!_ Giant ants–could have been a trainwreck. But– ``` James Whitmore ... Police Sgt. Ben Peterson Edmund Gwenn ... Dr. Harold Medford Joan Weldon ... Dr. Patricia 'Pat' Medford James Arness ... Robert Graham Onslow Stevens ... Brig. Gen. Robert O'Brien Sean McClory ... Maj. Kibbee Chris Drake ... Trooper Ed Blackburn Sandy Descher ... The Ellinson Girl Mary Alan Hokanson ... Mrs. Lodge (as Mary Ann Hokanson) Don Shelton ... Trooper Capt. Fred Edwards Fess Parker ... Alan Crotty ``` Saved the day. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-great-cast-rescues-a-cheesy-movie/482959/3 "2009-01-25T21:45:23Z")
_The Omega Code._ Alright, I will admit that it is a Bible movie whose script will make even most Bible-thumpers cringe. I will also admit that I do not expect Casper Van Dien to win an Oscar anytime in the foreseeable future. But it has Michael York as the Anti-Christ, and Michael Ironside as the False Prophet. Rent it off of the half-price rack, and enjoy the cheese. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-great-cast-rescues-a-cheesy-movie/482959/4 "2009-01-25T22:14:03Z")
**Murder by Death** was _intended_ to be a comedy, but it’s not one of Neil Simon’s better efforts. Most of the jokes are stale and the plot is (deliberately) utter nonsense, but I enjoy it because of the cast: Alec Guinness, Peter Falk, Peter Sellers, Elsa Lancaster, David Niven, etc., etc. Some of them were past their prime but still a lot of fun to watch, while James Cromwell appears in one of his earliest roles doing an over-the-top Belgian accent (or is it French?).\* **Clue** was a similar movie that was actually better written, but the cast (other than Tim Curry’s bravura performance as the butler) wasn’t that interesting. \*ETA: The villain was Truman Capote, who was most definitely not a great actor, but it was funny because the villain was _Truman Capote_. ---
**Author:** ![Rattlehead02](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rattlehead02/32/3944_2.png) [@Rattlehead02](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rattlehead02)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-great-cast-rescues-a-cheesy-movie/482959/5 "2009-01-25T22:23:22Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > _The Omega Code._ Alright, I will admit that it is a Bible movie whose script will make even most Bible-thumpers cringe. I will also admit that I do not expect Casper Van Dien to win an Oscar anytime in the foreseeable future. > > But it has Michael York as the Anti-Christ, and Michael Ironside as the False Prophet. Rent it off of the half-price rack, and enjoy the cheese. I rented that movie years ago getting it confused with some other movie I can’t think of at the moment. It was, err, interesting to say the least. I had no idea I was in for a Christian movie. All in all though it wasn’t completely horrible for what it was. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-great-cast-rescues-a-cheesy-movie/482959/6 "2009-01-25T22:34:38Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > **Murder by Death** was _intended_ to be a comedy, but it’s not one of Neil Simon’s better efforts. Most of the jokes are stale and the plot is (deliberately) utter nonsense, but I enjoy it because of the cast: Alec Guinness, Peter Falk, Peter Sellers, Elsa Lancaster, David Niven, etc., etc. Some of them were past their prime but still a lot of fun to watch, while James Cromwell appears in one of his earliest roles doing an over-the-top Belgian accent (or is it French?). This is the film I came in here to mention. I think more highly of its humor than you do – there are lots of lowbrow but funny laughs in here: The butler named Jamessir Bensonmum, for example; and also Lionel Twain carping on the pseudo Charlie Chan’s Engrish pronunciation will never not make me laugh: > [@](#): > > Sidney Wang (Peter Sellars): What meaning of this, Mr. Twain? > > Lionel Twain (Truman Capote – yes, Truman freakin’ Capote): I will tell you, Mr. Wang, if you can tell me why a man who possesses one of the most brilliant minds of this century can’t say his prepositions or articles. _The_, Mr. Wang. What _is the_ meaning of this? > > Wang: That what I said. What meaning of this? > > * * * > > Milo Perrier (James Coco): What do you make of all of this, Wang? > > Wang: Is confusing. > > Twain: _It!_ _It_ is confusing. Say your goddamn pronouns! Though I do agree it’s not one of Simon’s best by a long shot (actually I forgot until now it _was_ Simon, as it’s pretty atypical). But the cast is stellar and they’re hysterical, especially Sellars, Falk, Smith and Guinness. Similarly, I’d nominate _Evil Under the Sun_ and _Death on the Nile_, particularly the former. In the mid-1970s to 1980s there were a few all-star Agatha Christie mystery films that were of varying degrees of quality (_Murder on the Orient Express_ was probably the finest version), and I’m not big fans of them, but _Evil Under the Sun_ rises above its kitschy production thanks to Maggie Smith (again!), Diana Rigg, and Peter Ustinov (although he’s not my ideal Poirot by any means), all of whom are clearly having plenty of fun. I’ll also add _Zorro, the Gay Blade_, thanks to terrific scenery-chewing performances by Ron Liebman, George Hamilton, and Brenda Vaccaro. I should be embarrassed to like this movie, but it’s such silly, stupid, good-natured humor that I can’t help myself. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-great-cast-rescues-a-cheesy-movie/482959/7 "2009-01-25T23:45:40Z")
_Joe Vs. the Volcano_, the entire plot is corny as hell, the audience is beaten over the head with the theme, the dialouge is cheesy but it has Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Lloyd Bridges, Nathan Lane, Dan Hedaya and they make is funny and poignant. Or so says me, if you disagree, fuck off. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-great-cast-rescues-a-cheesy-movie/482959/8 "2009-01-26T00:26:34Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > _THEM!_ > > Giant ants–could have been a trainwreck. > > But– > > ``` > James Whitmore ... Police Sgt. Ben Peterson > Edmund Gwenn ... Dr. Harold Medford > Joan Weldon ... Dr. Patricia 'Pat' Medford > James Arness ... Robert Graham > Onslow Stevens ... Brig. Gen. Robert O'Brien > Sean McClory ... Maj. Kibbee > Chris Drake ... Trooper Ed Blackburn > Sandy Descher ... The Ellinson Girl > Mary Alan Hokanson ... Mrs. Lodge (as Mary Ann Hokanson) > Don Shelton ... Trooper Capt. Fred Edwards > Fess Parker ... Alan Crotty > > ``` > > Saved the day. And in a teeny weeny two line role, as the lieutenant in charge of the communications center, Leonard Nimoy. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-great-cast-rescues-a-cheesy-movie/482959/9 "2009-01-26T00:32:30Z")
I was going to say “Pirates of the Carribean,” but it’s not the cast that rescues the movie. It’s just Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-great-cast-rescues-a-cheesy-movie/482959/10 "2009-01-26T01:13:04Z")
This would be true of my two favorite Bruckheimer crapstravaganzas, **Armageddon** and **Con Air**. Probably true of a lot of his other stuff, too, but those two are such good examples. Bruckheimer may use some of the worst dialogue in Hollywood, but the man has _seriously_ good taste in supporting actors. Usually the “stars” get outshined by the rest of the cast. Here is the Bruckheimer “recipe:” 1. Take one super-bankable movie star 2. Add a couple of other big-name types 3. Fill up the rest of the cast with some of the best damn character actors in the business. Extra-credit for including people who will become much bigger stars within a few years. Here’s how it played out. **Armageddon:** 1. Bruce Willis 2. Ben Affleck, Billy Bob Thornton, Liv Tyler 3. Steve Buscemi, William Fichtner, Owen Wilson, Will Patton, Peter Stormare, Keith David, Jason Isaacs, that really tall guy who sorta reminds me of Ving Rhames, etc. **Con Air** : 1. Nicolas Cage 2. John Cusack, John Malkovich 3. Steve Buscemi, Ving Rhames, Colm Meaney, Dave Chapelle(!), Danny Trejo, M.C. Gainey, Mykelti Williamson, Jesse Borrego, etc. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-great-cast-rescues-a-cheesy-movie/482959/11 "2009-01-26T01:43:36Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I was going to say “Pirates of the Carribean,” but it’s not the cast that rescues the movie. It’s just Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush. That and it’s not a bad movie. 😉 Johnny Depp’s first mate is fabulous. I’d say all of the Ocean’s franchise. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-great-cast-rescues-a-cheesy-movie/482959/12 "2009-01-26T01:43:48Z")
Oh! I just remembered another one thanks go **Green Bean** ’s post. _The Negotiator_, which is a fairly by-the-numbers action / suspense movie elevated to popcorny fun thanks to its cast. In fact it seems to work on the same formula as the two **Green Bean** mentioned, albeit not as flashy. 1. Samuel L. Jackson 2. Kevin Spacey 3. David Morse, Ron Rifkin, John Spencer, J.T. Walsh, Siobhan Fallon, Paul Giamatti, Regina Taylor The plot’s cheesey as hell (Expert Negotiator Takes Hostages!), but seeing such crackerjack performers acting against one another is a hoot. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-great-cast-rescues-a-cheesy-movie/482959/13 "2009-01-26T02:22:26Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > That and it’s not a bad movie. 😉 It’s definitely not bad, but it’s certainly cheesy. It’s fun. I think it fits what **lissener** was describing. ---
**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:** [January 26, 2009, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-great-cast-rescues-a-cheesy-movie/482959/14 "2009-01-26T02:45:15Z")
> [@choie](#): > > Lionel Twain Ha! I just got [that joke](http://www.lionel.com/). ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-great-cast-rescues-a-cheesy-movie/482959/15 "2009-01-26T02:45:30Z")
> [@choie](#): > > The butler named Jamessir Bensonmum, for example; and also Lionel Twain > Though I do agree it’s not one of Simon’s best by a long shot (actually I forgot until now it _was_ Simon, as it’s pretty atypical). But the cast is stellar and they’re hysterical, especially Sellars, Falk, Smith and Guinness. I think the funniest scene in the movie is where Bensonmum (Guinness) serves soup to the guests. For anybody who has only seen Alec Guinness in the **Star Wars** movies and maybe **Bridge on the River Kwai** , I’d recommend the movie just for this scene alone since it’s a prime example of what a first-class comic actor he could be. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-great-cast-rescues-a-cheesy-movie/482959/16 "2009-01-26T02:54:08Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > It’s definitely not bad, but it’s certainly cheesy. It’s fun. I think it fits what **lissener** was describing. Well regardless, the movie had more of a good cast than just the two you mentioned. Gibbs is great, Calypso is fabulous. Governor Swann and Commodore Norrington were great characters. Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley are the weakest links in that cast. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-great-cast-rescues-a-cheesy-movie/482959/17 "2009-01-26T03:05:51Z")
_The Princess Bride_. I can’t think of anything corny, with goofier sets, weirder writing, or a lamer plot. But Cary Elwes, Peter Falk, Fred Savage, Robin Wright, Wallace Shawn, Andre the Giant, Christopher Guest, Mandy Patinkin, Billy Crystal, and Carol Kane make it great. ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-great-cast-rescues-a-cheesy-movie/482959/18 "2009-01-26T03:12:13Z")
“The Italian Job” in both its iterations was worthwhile because of its cast - and the mini coopers. anybody here remember “The Blob”? Like “Them” it was memorable because of its cast, primarily Steve McQueen. ---
**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:** [January 26, 2009, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-great-cast-rescues-a-cheesy-movie/482959/19 "2009-01-26T03:14:58Z")
I have to admit, I don’t think **The Hidden** or **Pirates of the Caribbean** or **Them** or even **the Princess Bride** really qualify for this thread. I thought they all had a LOT more going for them than the actors that were in them – pretty decent writing and good direction. One film that I think qualifies is **The Last Starfighter** – the state-of-the-art CGI wasn’t quite up to the challenge, and even though the Creature Design was good, the execution was rubbery. And the writing was pretty hokey. But the performances by newcomers Lance Guest\* and Catherine Mary Stewart and old-timers Dan O’Herlihy and Robert Preston (!) really made this worth watching. \*who hasn’t really had a god notable role since, as far as I can tell. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-great-cast-rescues-a-cheesy-movie/482959/20 "2009-01-26T03:21:21Z")
I have a category for films of this nature: Better Than they Have Any Right to Be. Doesn’t need a great cast, but they take a silly premise and make it work. The recent [Underdog](http://greatbutforgotten.blogspot.com/2008/10/underdog.html) movie fits this nicely. It’s a live action version of a second-rate cartoon, but using Jason Lee as Underdog’s voice and Peter Dinklage at Simon Barsinister made it all work. There’s also the very entertaining **[The Doberman Gang](http://www.sff.net/people/rothman/GBF/doberman.htm)**, about using dogs to pull off a bank robbery. No one of any note in the cast, but it’s a lot of fun. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-great-cast-rescues-a-cheesy-movie/482959.md?page=2)