Badmovies.org Forum

You've got Captain Chaos, wire hangers, Bo, Jerry, Chevy, Edith Massey and
ugly French women popping their boobs!

It's the Worst Films of 1981!

http://www.jonahfalcon.com/1981intro.htm

The sad fact is, HEAVY METAL wasn't and isn't very good at all...

I dont think so...

Damien01 wrote:
The sad fact is, HEAVY METAL wasn't and isn't very good at all...

I have come to the realization that Damien and I rarely agree on films.  You and I just seem to be complete opposites.

"Heavy Metal" is pretty enjoyable for me.  First is the B-17 episode, with the rotting corpses tearing their way through the ship.  The best part has to be Sternn's trial though.  All is going well, then Hanover starts changing his tune.

"He'd never do anything illegal..."  -- hehehehe!

"Hanging's too good for him! Burning's too good for him! He should be torn into little bitsy pieces and buried alive!"

Thanks Andrew!

If every movie was made to please a movie critic then we wouldnt enjoy anything.

HEAVY METAL was made for the fans of the Mag, and those that enjoy cartoon/rock-n-roll/and other fun stuff that an age group of 16 to 26 could enjoy.

I'd say kids 10-12.

I loved Xanadu when I first saw it at age 10, too.

But rationalization doesn't make "Heavy Metal" a good movie.

Most people like it BECAUSE it's bad. Doesn't make it less bad.

Huh?  No rationalization, I thought "Heavy Metal"  was good because it was good; cool music and some pretty cool vignettes.

Cool music? The music is pretty disappointing - Cheap Trick, music that definitely is NOT Iggy Pop at his best, etc, etc.

It flopped for a reason you know. There were TONS more Heavy Metal fans in 1981 than now, trust me - and THEY rejected it.

In 2020, guys like you will be saying how great Heavy Metal 2000 was/is. LOL

JonahFalcon, please dont take me as if I'm attacking your view... Its just I dont agree with your insight on "Bad Movies" and compaired to "Worst Films"

I do think many movies has been overlooked for what they are because of that they werent even viewed right...

and to say things like: The sad fact is, HEAVY METAL wasn't and isn't very good at all...

If the movie wasnt and isnt good, then why make a remake? and If you dont like the movie could you tell us why? The movie is rated R and its not ment for Children (its not good idea to compair this  movie with other children cartoons.)

As for Xanadu goes, I havent seen the movie so I couldnt give a fair opion of it.

The thing is, if I was choosing films from 1981 to watch, I would want to watch most of the films on this list before any of the "best" films of that year.  Well, except maybe for MOMMIE DEAREST and the HEAVEN'S GATE re-release.

I think the big distinction here for Heavy Metal is between "Bad" and "Worst"

Heavy Metal is a bad movie and we love it for that fact, but I think everyone is contesting that it was one of the "worst" films made in 1981. There are plenty of films that are both bad AND unentertaining to occupy the class of "worst" than Heavy Metal.

Who put it as Worst Film of 1981? Just the Worst ANIMATED Film of 1981. Plus, again, it was the biggest hyped animated film at the time, and it was really bad - and audiences didn't flock to it either, INCLUDING fans of the magazine.

Again, the rotten egg theory applies here:

Which stinks worse - a rotten robin's egg or a rotten ostrich's egg?

The only segment I really enjoyed was the fun (if extremely predictable) court martial scene with Captain Stern.

"Not guilty!" (sparkling smile)

Do you like ANY movies?  Just wondering.

Please get to 1982 and I like to see why ET isnt one of the Worst Films of that year, again...

I do think ET was one of the Worst Films of 1982, and could make a decent list to back it up, but it doesnt mean that I'm right. Well, the movie did broke box-office records, so it must be good... Like who am I... When I seen the movie back in 1982 I felt like being the kid that shouts "Hay, the king is naked, dont you people see." (But, then many people still never notice that ET is a very crapy movie with a commericalized script and poor special effects... God, I feel sick just thinking about it!)

Of course I do. But I'm not making a list of the BEST films. :)

Damien01 wrote:

> Please get to 1982 and I like to see why ET isnt one of the
> Worst Films of that year, again...

Overrated isn't the same as bad, and E.T. was far from being the WORST film of the year. Trust me, there are far worse stinkers in 1982, like Airplane II, The Amityville Horror II, Annie, the Cat People remake, National Lampoon's Class Reunion, Death Wish II, Friday the 13th Part II, Grease II, Halloween III, Hanky Panky, Jinxed!, Megaforce, Night Shift, The Pirate Movie, Porky's, Time Walker (aka Being from Another Planet for MSTies), The Toy, Trail of the Pink Panther and, last but maybe least, Zapped!, starring the immortal Scott Baio.

You think E.T. can top them? Not a chance.

However, E.T. 20th Anniversay Remake was under strong consideration for Worst Reissue/Remake last year.

You're right on that one....E.T. is manipulative to the max, but it doesn't approach the level of suckitude that most of those other films have.  

I don't think Halloween III was bad, it just should have had a different title and not been portrayed as part of the Halloween series.  I still love the scene where the snakes and bugs come out of the kid's head.  

Porky's, bad?  Yeah, it's a mindless sex comedy, but I don't see it as a particularly bad movie--about the only weak point is that the "teenage" characters are obviously in their late 20s early 30s, but such was the case with most of those films.  I think it's probably a little better made than most of those movies were.  

However, the rest on your list are certainly cringe-worthy.

Airplane II (Mindless and funny, seen the move at least 3 times)

The Amityville Horror II (I own the movie)

Annie (Wow... I kind agree here...)

the Cat People remake (Seen the movie at least 4 times)

National Lampoon's Class Reunion (Is this the one with the killer? if so I think own it)

Death Wish II (have this movie, too)

Friday the 13th Part II (I love this movie)

Grease II (Seen it once and its not as bad as Annie)

Halloween III (I love this movie, too.)

Hanky Panky (Havent seen it...)

Jinxed! (Cannot remember this one...)

Megaforce (I didnt know this movie was from 1982, I thought of it being ok for that kind of movie)

Night Shift (Ok, this movie was bad, but I dont think of it being that worse)

The Pirate Movie (I dont know about this movie if I have seen it or not, I might even check it out)

Porky's (sure it was a bad movie, but if your going to see a mindless comedy this movie was one of the best ever)

Time Walker (aka Being from Another Planet for MSTies) (Is this "Being" I think I own this movie I need to check at home)

The Toy (Just like Porky's... if your looking for a comedy with a brain dont see it, if you like to see something that is mindless and funny its watchable... Ive seen this move at least 10 times)

Trail of the Pink Panther (Agree that it was bad, but I'm a very good Pink Panther fan, too.)

and, last but maybe least, Zapped!, starring the immortal Scott Baio. (Just like The Toy and Porkys... Mindless Comedy dosent mean worst movie)


I see ET being a bad movie because it dosent offer me anything when I see the film. I had seen the film back in 1982, I was 12 and my Stepmother took me took me to check it out. As what I mean by offerering something, its very simple, we watch movies to escape! Its very simple. And just because a movie is mindless dosent make it a worst movie either. If I like to see Porkys, I know I'm not watching The Godfather, so I dont expect to see something with a brain attached to it. As for ET I dont know what to call it but "Pre-Home Alone" lets face it the movie was design for an age group and nothing more... What dosent make sense with ET... What kind of powers does this small alien has (he could heal the sick, force people to kiss, and make bikes fly), also this advanced creature (without any clothes eats candy on a floor ) sure it was a good move... and then come to think of it... Annie was still funn to watch...

IMC, its nice to see that I'm not the only person that thinks ET was a bad movie...

I didn't think E.T. was a bad movie - just a cute movie with some edginess. The remake was bad, though - removing whatever edge it orignally had.

Jinxed! was the last movie to be directed by the great Don Siegel (Dirty Harry, the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers and many more) and it was an utter disaster originally meant to launch Bette Midler into superstardom.  Rumor has it that making the movie was so traumtic for Midler that she blames it for her nervous breakdown that same year.  I had a book that carried a quote from co-star Ken Wahl, it went something like "There was this scene where I had to slap her.  I thought why waste a sound effect?"  Obviously morale was high on the set.  Sheesh.

I've always liked Cat People.  The late Gene Siskel gave it an honorable mention on his Ten Best List.  While the movie has its justified detractors, I've always thought it was better than average (not classic, but better than average).  Sure it wasn't in the sublte Val Lewton style, but it was not intended to be either.  Novelist Ray Gordon wrote an interesting (if tongue in cheek) alter ego essay where his mature half argued with his immature half over which version was better (you can probably figure out which side chose which movie).  The movie does have an impossiple to defend bad disco soundtrack by Giorgio Moroder though.

Jinxed was an unwise followup to Bette Midler's Oscar nominated role in THE ROSE (loosely based on Janis Joplin.) It destroyed Midler's film career til her revival in the 80's (starting with DOWN AND OUT IN BEVERLY HILLS, and reinforced with her hysterical turn in RUTHLESS PEOPLE.)

CAT PEOPLE has its admirers, but that's in spite of the badness. It reminded me of a Ted V. Mikels film with a high budget, though.



Post Edited (04-15-03 18:45)

Even so, I sincerely doubt you watched all of the heinous anime or foreign feature length animation.

What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?

By the way, I try to avoid foriegn films - I only consider them if they got sufficient theater time in the USA -- and most of them never had a theatrical release - only video.

The price of tea in China is directly related to how much bad Anime and Wire kung-fu they watch...

Seriously, what you mean then is the worst American produced, theatrically released, animated feature in 1981. Of that catagory there were all of 4 and did you watch "AMERICAN POP" or "THE LOONEY LOONEY LOONEY BUGS BUNNY MOVIE?"

JonahFalcon By the way, I try to avoid foriegn films - I only consider them if they got sufficient theater time in the USA -- and most of them never had a theatrical release - only video.

This kind of explains everything...

Movies are like art. It dosent matter what country the movie is from as long as the view is enterained. If you only see moive as American and Non-Amarican then your missing on a wider range of films... Also, what is American Films anyway, most movies are made in Canada not in Hollywood. And many forgen Directors make movies in the USA like "The Beyond" and "The Professional" is made in USA but its still a forgen movies.

Of course I did. Did you read my 1981 intro?!

http://www.jonahfalcon.com/1981intro.htm

Question: How often do foriegn films get a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars (not very often.) That's why there's a seperate category for them (Best Foriegn Film).

I'm focusing mostly on GARBAGE SPEWED OUT BY AMERICA. (rolling eyes)

Besides, 99% of Japanimation is pure junk.

My god... the Oscars are full of crap!

Why wasnt King Kong given best picture?
What was the Award given to Judy in Wizards of Oz??
Why was The Thing not given Best Special effects???
And Speaking of Best Special Effects... Flesh Gorden "Beetle Man" was one of the best stop motion animation of its time... Oh, yea, the Oscars decided to remove that catagory from the nomations back in the early 1970's... Because Flesh Gorden was soft core porn.

I know I could go on...

Sci-fi author Theodore Sturgeon (I bet I spelled it wrong too) reportedly once stated of sci-fi that 98% of it is crap.  I think the law has been adopted by most b-move fans and can be applied to just about everything.  Thus  98% of just about everything (Anime, horror movies, action, art, TV shows, music, etc. etc. etc.) is pure crap.  My only interest then is it entertaining or pretentious - watchable or unwatchable.

But I do find all this heated huffing and puffing about movies rather entertaining.  Please continue, a flame war will eventually break out over some imagined slight and watching that will be as hilarious as the flaming of Houston in The Swarm.

Of course all of this is entirely subjective and, as the old cliche puts forth, 'One person's trash is another person's treasure'.  As long as Bill Lustig, Blue Underground and Anchor Bay work to treat trash movies with respect, I'm happy.

Hey, The Swarm was nominated for Best Costume Design!

STOP LAUGHING

I assume you mean the original King Kong, the remake was nominated for an Effects Oscar.  Honest.

There was a minor stink about Bottin not getting a nomination for make-up for The Thing.  But the Academy ruled the they were not make-up effects, that they were Mechanical (technically they were).  So the movie got a pass.  Too bad, I do think that Bottin's work in the movie is brilliant.

The Oscars are really an advertising campaign to show that Hollywood does make "Art".  Which is the funniest thing about Hollywood, it's just a company town that likes to think of itself as an artistic community.

Frankly I get more entertainment out of a b-movie done well (or not so well, which is 98% of the time) than most glitzy productions.  But that's just me.



Post Edited (04-16-03 13:30)

Yea, I'm talking about the original King Kong movie.

Also, The Swarm did have a great cast... A movie which I do own and love... even if the military is using flamethrowers inside the buildings, its all fun and watchable. (No matter how bad the script is and how bad the actors seems to over act there roles)

Also, I dont want to start any spam war, it just bugs the crap out of me when people judge movies as how well it did in the Oscars.

JonahFalcon you have to check more movies out, I think your judging things by the TV gudes review.

That's insulting. I *watch* 98% of these movies. It wasn't hard to in the mid-80's, when HBO and VCR rentals were at their peak.

This is a case of you saying "I'm right, therefore everyone else is stupid". Don't belittle me by essentially saying, "You don't know what you're talking about".

Guess what?

I DO!

I dont think anybody is calling you stupid... we (and its not just myself) disagree with your listings as Worst Movies of the year. Sure there are lemons, but you cannot be saying that "Cult Films" are lemons. The whole thing behind "Cult Films" is that they werent reconized as a good movie at that time. It dosent make it a bad movie or worst film, it just didnt work well for that time.

You cannot say that Hitchcock was a bad director, can you... Even if he never won an award... And then how can Citizen Kane be called best movie ever made, and has only won one Oscar (Best Original Screenplay).

Times do change and so does people views on movies. Thats why we are on the net looking at reviews of movies, so we can see some of those over looked films and see if anybody other then ourselves thinks that this movie good or bad.