00:52
Faizan
Some movies are so downright terrible that they actually end up good. I would like to take a moment to describe what I believe it takes for a film to achieve this elusive status. What is it about terrible movies that strike us deep in our heart strings? These are the rare and special breed that bring friends together, separate our tastes from one another, make us laugh harder, make us cry wetter, and freak us out crazier than any well made film ever could. But it takes a very specific mix of ingredients to turn a poorly made film into a cult classic. Indeed, this perfect storm requires a mix of poorly executed acting, absurdly planned cinematographic work (such as poorly executed lighting, camera angle, gratuitous use of out of focus filming, and arbitrarily determined time of day for filming scenes).
I disagree, really the only requirement for an "awesomely bad (remember those Vh1 countdowns?)" movie is that the terrible-ness must be unintentional. Movies like Sy-Fy's made for TV movie Sharknado do not make the grade, because they are intentionally bad. Sure, there are some funny moments where the action becomes ridiculous, but the fact that it is supposed to be that way just detracts from the humor. Why are movies like Battlefield Earth absolutely hilarious? Because a big time (or at least once big time... meh, still big time) celebrity like John Travolta went crazy enough to poor millions upon millions of his hard earned Grease and Saturday Night Fever dollars into a project that was so obviously dedicated to his own absurd sense of Scientology's relevance in society today; or ever, for that matter.
Here are some films, including Battlefield Earth, that have achieved the awesomely bad status:
1) Troll 2 - This gem from 1990 is so bad that it had a documentary made about the cult following that it has amassed across the United States. The film actually has nothing to do with Troll 1... In fact, there are no trolls in this movie at all. The title was chosen by its Italian producers to take advantage of name recognition. Troll 2 is the gripping story of an American Midwest family, with typical American Midwest problems, that vacations to the quaint town of Nilbog. We later discover that "Nilbog" is "goblin" spelled backwards, and that the town's inhabitants are not what they seem. Hilarity ensues.
2) Sharknado - Tara Reed and friends run for their lives as a shark-infested cyclone threatens to unleash death on dry land. Overall, solid plot. Although it is made-for-TV, and also made to be ridiculous, it still made the list. This movie is unwatchable unless accompanied by a drinking game, and surprisingly watchable when it is.
3) Battlefield Earth - Based on a sci-fi novel by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, John Travolta forked out millions of dollars of his own money to produce this astoundingly horrible slap in the face of modern cinema. Set in the distant future, humans are enslaved by a fleet of aliens with massive feet and receding hairlines commanded by Travolta. Wielding earthling fighter jets of the past, the humans band together to rise up against the spacely menace.
I disagree, really the only requirement for an "awesomely bad (remember those Vh1 countdowns?)" movie is that the terrible-ness must be unintentional. Movies like Sy-Fy's made for TV movie Sharknado do not make the grade, because they are intentionally bad. Sure, there are some funny moments where the action becomes ridiculous, but the fact that it is supposed to be that way just detracts from the humor. Why are movies like Battlefield Earth absolutely hilarious? Because a big time (or at least once big time... meh, still big time) celebrity like John Travolta went crazy enough to poor millions upon millions of his hard earned Grease and Saturday Night Fever dollars into a project that was so obviously dedicated to his own absurd sense of Scientology's relevance in society today; or ever, for that matter.
Here are some films, including Battlefield Earth, that have achieved the awesomely bad status:
1) Troll 2 - This gem from 1990 is so bad that it had a documentary made about the cult following that it has amassed across the United States. The film actually has nothing to do with Troll 1... In fact, there are no trolls in this movie at all. The title was chosen by its Italian producers to take advantage of name recognition. Troll 2 is the gripping story of an American Midwest family, with typical American Midwest problems, that vacations to the quaint town of Nilbog. We later discover that "Nilbog" is "goblin" spelled backwards, and that the town's inhabitants are not what they seem. Hilarity ensues.
2) Sharknado - Tara Reed and friends run for their lives as a shark-infested cyclone threatens to unleash death on dry land. Overall, solid plot. Although it is made-for-TV, and also made to be ridiculous, it still made the list. This movie is unwatchable unless accompanied by a drinking game, and surprisingly watchable when it is.
3) Battlefield Earth - Based on a sci-fi novel by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, John Travolta forked out millions of dollars of his own money to produce this astoundingly horrible slap in the face of modern cinema. Set in the distant future, humans are enslaved by a fleet of aliens with massive feet and receding hairlines commanded by Travolta. Wielding earthling fighter jets of the past, the humans band together to rise up against the spacely menace.
Posted in: arts
