Movies you like but don't know why

[Neville]

Black Rain. Its depiction of Japan borders racism, the plot is a mess, the guy who plays the villain overacts constantly and for some reason Michael Douglas seems to think his scumbag character is not only likeable but also an example for all those uptight japanese cops to follow.

Still, the music and most of the japanese actors (Takakura Ken specially) are fantastic, the violence outbursts are well shot and Ridley Scott delivers his proverbial gift for eye candy. I may even buy the DVD.

[Yaddo 42]

I could name plenty of examples of films like this but off the top of my head I'll offer: The Ultimate Warrior. Maybe it's the atypical post-apocalyptic story (before they all became Road Warrior clones), of smuggling out Super Seeds, based on a practical need to grow food but still kind of underwhelming. Maybe it the gimmick of aging Yul Brynner as a badass nomad warrior who first impresses Max Von Sydow by standing in one spot for hours. Maybe its real badass William Smith playing a sadistic thug named Carrot while sporting a funny and phony looking dye job. Maybe it's the melodramatic acting of the minor characters who serve as bait for the killer gang. Maybe it's the 70s vintage matte shots (I know I have a weakness for films with them). Maybe it's the climax of the final battle, Yul has to lop of his own hand to get rid of Carrot and then crawl to a nearby fire to cauterize the wound, let's see Vin Diesel do that.

Odinn7, concerning "Tourist Trap". I saw an interview with some b-movie actor who was friends with Chuck Conners who said Conners liked that film since it was part of a "plan" he had to keep working as he got older by become another Boris Karloff. His logic was that he was too old and ugly to be the hero or a romantic lead, but he would never be too ugly to play a villain. Which actually sounds similar to something I read that Vincent Price is supposed to have said about his career.

And Diablo44, I'll admit to an odd fondness for "Down Periscope" as well. I usually watch part of it if I catch it on TV, but it's not my typical kind of flick. At least it's better than the Tom Arnold movie version of "McHale's Navy".

[BoyScoutKevin]

My candidate would be Joe D'Amato's "2020 Texas Gladiators."

Usually, if I think about it, I know why I like a film.

It's the characters "Cemetery Man."

It 's its sly smartness "Lair of the White Worm."

It's the director. "North by Northwest."

It's the message. "Zenobia" and/or "The Lone Ranger."

It's the acting. "Dagon."

It's the talent in it. "The Carpetbaggers."

It's the villain. "The Paperboy"

It's the location. "The SwampThing."

It's what can be done with a small amount of money "Bucket of Blood."

It's because it was one of the first in its genera. "Private Lessons."

But none of these apply for "2020 Texas Gladiators." But, it is a film, when I saw only a half hour of, it, because I was on my lunch hour, I had to seek it out on video, so I could watch it in its entirity. And after seeing it all the way through, it remains one of my favorite "guilty pleasures."

[Archivist]

Slightly OT: not movies, but TV series (well, they had movie length pilots, so that counts, right?):

- Time Trax with Dale Midkiff.  Kind of like TimeCop, but with a guy sent into the past to send criminals back to the future.  The action was okay-ish, there was never any nudity, the plots were so-so, but I loved it.

- Kindred: The Embraced.  A TV adaptation of Mark Rein-Hagen's Vampire: The Masquerade novels, it was campy and fun.  Nowhere near the acting and scripting level of something like Buffy or Angel, though.

- Fortune Hunter.  Cheapish action series with the actor from Kindred.  In the action scenes it was painfully obvious that he was not the guy doing the kicking.

- Forever Knight.  The concept was a bit old, the music was great but repetitive, the acting was a bit overdone in many places, the production quality was shocking... but I still really enjoyed it and am looking forward to getting the DVD's.

- The Burning Zone.  Kind of a cross between the X-Files and a Robin Cook novel, with 'disease of the week' mixed in with mystical notions and some action.  In the second season, the action and espionage angle took a much higher profile and the mystical/supernatural elements disappeared, which was annoying.  I love that series, still have a good chunk of it on tape.

- Street Justice with Carl Weathers and Bryan Genesse.  Seeing Bryan do his best 'Van Damme doing splits between two chairs' impression was hilarious.  Nuff said.

- Nightman.  The special effects were some of the worst I've seen on a TV show of that era, but it's still 'charming' in the way that Dr Who effects were cheap but charming.

Come to think of it, I have this real fetish for the TV equivalent of B-movies.  Anyone else like this?

As far as movies go, I know why I like the movies that I do.

-  Attack of the Bee Girls.  Seriously, who can go wrong with a naked Julie Zorn?

-  Revenge of the Ninja.  Now available on DVD, thank the Lord!

-  Agent from H.A.R.M.  Cool James Bondsploitation rippoff.

-  The Last Dragon.  "This man does not even own a paintbrush!"

-  Hong Kong 97.  Agent Doggett, sorry, Robert Patrick has fun with a naked Chinese chick.  How cool can you get?

-  American Samurai.  Boy, these movies just keep coming.

-  Split Second, with Rutger Hauer and a massive, rampaging alien beast.  "We need bigger guns!  We need bigger guns!"

Ah, B-movies...

~Archivist~

[Zapranoth]

The Devil's Rain.

Does that movie REALLY have Ernest Borgnine, John Travolta, Tom Skerritt, Eddie Albert AND William Shatner?

*poof* went my brain...

There's a really funny review of it on Amazon, by a woman who claims to be part of the production crew...

[Dolph Lundgren]

Fist of the North Star (the live action version) - yes, I'm aware of the fact that this movie is universally hated ... but for some reason, I dig it.  I thought it had some decent martial arts in it, even though it wasn't really faithful to the anime in the gore department.

Delta Force 2 - I love this movie.

Death Wish 5 - Chuck Bronson becomes the master of dispatching bad guys in many creative ways.

Hong Kong '97 - I second this one!

[Susan]

I freaking HATE kevin costner, and i can name a million reasons why i *should* loathe this movie. The acting, the big budget, the fact it's a ripoff of every other post-apocalyptic movie.  But for some reason I am mesmerized by what is....."Waterworld".   I also have seen"urban Cowboy" more times than any human should. I hate ropers, i hate country music, i hate people with names like sissy, bud, red and billy bob who live in a trailer and go to the honkey tonk every night because it's the only thing to do in "town". But damn if i dont' get all excited when it comes on tv and they start wrestling eachother down in the mud in a furious anger (and shortly thereafter get married)

Now let's get real, the topic of this thread is really Guilty Pleasures, movies you like but should be ashamed of.



Post Edited (07-13-05 13:58)

[odinn7]

Susan likes Waterworld, Susan likes Waterworld...

[Zapranoth]

That got me laughing out loud.  =)

Susan likes Waterworld... Susan likes Waterworld...

(*searches for a .wav file of Kirk yelling "I NEED MY PAIN!"*)

[Susan]

Yeah, and i also can't swim. The reason this movie intrigues me is quite...beyond me. Point, laugh, stick notes on my back and put a dunce cap on me. guilty as charged.

[LH-C]

One movie that immediately comes to my mind is Ralph Bakshi's version of 'Lord Of The Rings'. I also really like Charles Bronson's 'bad' movies; same goes for Chuck Norris. But I guess my real guilty pleasure are the American Ninja flicks. Only the ones with Steve James and Michael Dudikoff though. I have no idea why I like them!

About the tv-shows - Love, love, love Forever Knight! A million times better than Buffy in my book! Nightman sucked, and was shocked that it was produced by Glen Larson (Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers, and Knightrider). I liked the second incarnation of Viper with Jeff Kaake that ran from '96-'99 (although Kaake left the show in '98) much more than the '93-'94 original show. For some reason I get that show mixed up with Michael Dudikoff's show from around the same time 'Cobra' because they both had slick action cars in them.



Post Edited (07-13-05 15:26)

[Dolph Lundgren]

Have no shame, LH-C.  Deep down inside, everyone shares a soft spot for the American Ninja movies, at least the first two.  The same goes for good old Chuck Norris ... some might not realize it yet, though.  :)  And even though Bronson has been in a few "bad" ones, they're still worth seeing because of him.

[Master Blaster]

I'm disturbed with how much I like Forever Knight. I even bought season 1 on DVD. I still have no idea why I like the show.

[LH-C]

<>

Because it's a cop/vampire show? That's why I like it!

[Blue.Brutal]

As I mentioned in another thread, I like the 2004 Punisher, whose only real virtue is being closer to the feel and plot of the Punisher comic than the Dolf Lundgren version.  Why this would make me enjoy it is utterly beyond my ability to comprehend, since I don't like the comic book.

Steve Martin's Sgt. Bilko holds a special place in my heart for reasons that, to this day, escape me like Steve McQueen escapes from prison.

Total Recall.  I offer no excuse.

So I Married an Axe Murderer;***SPOILER ALERT*** watching Anthony LaPaglia grilling Nancy Travis while Amanda Plummer is trying to kill Mike Myers makes me giggle, and for the life of me, I can't tell you why.END SPOILER ALERT

As far as TV goes, I have a lot to attone for...  and most of it comes in the form of Harsh Realm and Greatest American Hero.  No idea why I like these.  None.  Contrived plots, bad acting, poor effects - and yet...  Also, I actually liked ST:  Voyager and Enterprise.  Does that make me a bad person?