Reel Facts & Opinions: Ain't So Bad Movies

Since the dawn of the mighty cinema, mankind has been writing about movies; in newspapers, magazines, blogs (ahem), websites and in books. In the world of publishing books, there have been countless releases celebrating the all-time great films in history...but how many have been written about the greatest bad movies of all time?

There have probably been many, most of if not all taking the approach of ripping and thrashing cinematic disasters and flops. But a new book by Film Threat critic Phil Hall, entitled The 50 Greatest Bad Movies of All Time, chooses not to hack up and bury those bad films, but to celebrate them.

We all see bad movies. They’re everywhere, and some of them don’t even know that they are bad. And what exactly does make a bad film? Personal taste goes a long way. People who have built-in dislike for Westerns, gunplay, or anything with Adam Sandler would (or should) know enough to say far away from those types of films. No one wants to sit through an intolerable experience, so choosing wisely goes a long way. There are however, films out there which show a great amount of potential because of the included actors, directors, writers, etc…but then fall dreadfully short of expectations. Going in with an open mind certainly goes a long way, but no one wants to see a steaming turd on the screen with their favorite actors or directors being the cause of the stink. This Blogger has always had one simple rule: Don’t bore me. The biggest sin a movie can make is to be a bore-fest, and the cause of that can come from any aspect of the film; writing, acting, pacing, editing, directing, overall execution…or just a weak or absent story. If anything can be learned about a bad movie, it’s what not to do.

And then there are the films which are so outrageously awful they just have to be seen to believed, and in that awfulness, a good time can be had. Fun is a key element of enjoying film, and being amazed at a a bad film which thinks it is good can be as fun as a barrel of drunken muppets. Consider how director Ed Wood’s PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE from 1959, considered to be the worst movie ever made, constantly gets airplay on TV, re-releases on the big-screen, and consistent home-video sales. The film is so bad it’s great to sit through.

Other films which are celebrated in Phil Hall’s book (prepare yourself for the outrageousness of these films), are THE CONQUEROR (1956), in which John Wayne plays Genghis Khan. CHE! (1969), in which Jack Palance played Fidel Castro, and VISIT TO A SMALL PLANET (1960) which had Jerry Lewis playing an alien. All titles which are so unbelievable to read about in print they nearly demand to be viewed. The book takes a look at these films, along with the stinkers made by notable Hollywood names such as Stanley Kubrick and Clint Eastwood.

A good film can be found anywhere, as can a bad one. One of the best things about the movies is that they unite people, and discussions about shitty movies can often be more productive than the talks over a good one.

What say you?