The 100 Worst Actors and Directors of All Time

[kirktrobot]

I am a writer and film buff that is new to this group. I wanted to introduce myself and would like to start a discussion on who you think is the worst actor and director of all time. I see a lot of discussions on these boards about what is the best/worst movie(s) of all time, but I have a particular interest in those who have contributed to the most ghastly (yet side splittingly funny) movies on a consistent basis. 

I am so interested I even wrote a book on the subject. Cheesy, Sleazy Mixed-Up Astro-Zombies: The 100 Worst Actors and Directors of All Time (2008 Publish America) is a chronicle of the lowest of the low in the motion picture industry. I would like to see how my rankings match up with other bad movie lovers.

Now indulge me for a second and allow me to plug my book. If there is any chance you would be interested in reading it, please check out http://www.kirklodes.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.publishamerica.com or email me at klodes@sbcglobal.net.

Now that I got the sales pitch out of the way, start nominating your favorite bad movie icons...

[indianasmith]

Hmmmm . . . as far as mainstream actors whose reputation far exceeds their actual talent, I can think of two . . .

Richard Gere

William Shatner

On the low end of the cinematic spectrum . . .

Everyone who has ever acted in a Brain Damage Films release.

[Jack]

Well, as far as directors and actors that are "bad" but whom I love,

Jim Wynorski has always been one of my favorite directors.  He's made his share of stinkers, but he also turns out plenty of so-bad-they're-good stuff.  Chopping Mall, Not of this Earth, Sorority House Massacre II, Raptor, Project Viper, Cheerleader Massacre, Curse of the Komodo, Hard to Die...pure cheese filled fun  

Charles Band of course.  Plenty of stinkers, but some real b-movie genius as well.  I'll be kind and not give a long list of his stuff that I like.

For actors, Melissa Braselle - best boob job in the history of plastic surgery.  Not a half bad actress either.  Janet Tracy Keijser - she's been in a few zero budget things I've seen, she's got a special cuteness I like.  Still meaning to check out The Halfway House, which she stars in.  Melissa Moore, she's in my avatar.  Man, just plain hot.  Every all-American boy's dream.  

[Menard]

Directors?

Michael Bay - Good at constructing scenes, bad at putting them into a cohesive whole. The only memorable movies he has made are the really bad ones; other than that, his best films fall into the category of being momentarily entertaining, but nothing you'll even bother to remember.

J.R. Bookwalter - Dear god; somebody take the cheapass video camera out of his hands. There are actually people who like his stuff. There are also people who would probably like being smacked in the face with a 2x4. Same difference.


Actors?

Julie Strain - Apparently when she hears the word 'action' she takes that to mean 'read lines and get naked'. With as many films as she has been in (scuse me, videos) you'd figure some acting ability would rub off on her; nope.

[Jack]

Nothing like watching Julie Strain stand there with her 40 lbs. of silicone hanging out, reciting lines as if reading from the encyclopedia.  Or sometimes she'll throw a completely random emotion on various lines, going from monotone to angry to sweet in the space of three sentences.

[Andrew]

Nothing like watching Julie Strain stand there with her 40 lbs. of silicone hanging out, reciting lines as if reading from the encyclopedia.  Or sometimes she'll throw a completely random emotion on various lines, going from monotone to angry to sweet in the space of three sentences.

I have a review for "Battle Queen 2020" pending for July, and she is not an actress I like to see in a film.  "Day of the Warrior" might be my favorite of her stuff, and she is not terribly prominent (meaning screen time) in that film.

Doris Wishman is a director who always bears mentioning.  Just reviewed "Bad Girls Go to Hell," so her name immediately jumps to mind.  Seeing one of her films, I constantly ask myself "Didn't she know that she was making a movie?"

[The Burgomaster]

As for directors (mainstream, that is), I think Michael Cimino is at the top of the list.  He made the great DEER HUNTER and also THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTFOOT (which I like mostly because of the performances by Jeff Bridges and George Kennedy).  Other than that, he is reponsible for some really miserable crap like THE DESPERATE HOURS and THE SICILIAN . . . not to mention one of the biggest money-losers of all time: HEAVEN'S GATE.

Not far behind is J. Lee Thompson, who was responsible for some classics like THE GUNS OF NAVARONE and the original CAPE FEAR, but then went on to direct some pretty bad movies including a string of flimsy Charles Bronson flicks at the end of his career.

[CheezeFlixz]

I'll agree with Andrew that Doris Wishman is bad, real bad, worse than Ed Wood bad. She pasted away in 2002 at the age of 90 ... still making bad films up to 5 year after she died. That's talent!
Naturally, Uwe Boll, Michael Bay, Paul W.S. Anderson, Renny Harlin, Guy Ritchie, George Lucas (yes I said George Lucus), Russ Meyer, Woody Allen and few other lesser known offenders.

Of the better known actor ...
Keanu Reeves
Tara Reid
Ben Affleck
Christopher Lambert
Freddie Prinze Jr.
Jean Claude VanDamme
Sylvester Stallone
David Hasselhoff
Steven Segal
David Caruso
Will Smith 
Brendan Fraser
Tom Green

There is a endless list of b-movie no name actors that are bad but many of them know it and only have a film or two to there credit.

[Killer Bees]

Actors come and go for me.  There's no one particular actor that I can say is complete s**te.  It's just too easy to nominate people like Tom Cruise.

As for directors  - ANG F*&^%ING LEE.

That man should not be allowed to within 5 feet of a film canister.  That's why I'm looking forward to the new Hulk movie.  It HAS to be better than that first lot of dreck he directed.

Heck, even Jackie Chan movies have a more cohesive look about them!

[akiratubo]

For director:

Ted V. Mikels

Honestly, if "The Astro Zombies" is the *best* movie you ever made ...

[CheezeFlixz]

What about Akdov Telmig? *snicker*

[Hammock Rider]

Hey Jack,
Don't forget Wynorski also directed Death Stalker 2, which is the finest of all the Death Stalker films He also unfortunately directed the Witches of Breastwick, which is not anywhere near as fun as it should have been. This is the best part:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdOau19aE0g

[peter johnson]

Re.  Witches --
Oh, man, that is one funny-bad clip!!  You gotta love how the "actor" runs over and poses with the knife when "attacking" the witches -- Good gawd . . .
* * *
Me, I'm a classicist on bad actors and bad directors:  Give me Ed Wood, Phil Tucker, William "One-shot" Beaudine -- all the usual suspects.
On actors in the main mainstream, I still don't get John Wayne.  Working with John Huston, he turned in a good performance in "The Quiet Man", but just about everything else I've seen him in is the same squinty-eyed monotone.
peter johnson/denny crane

[Sister Grace]

bad actors---

will smith

tara reid

chuck norris  ( i know i'll probably catch flack for that)

Divine (but you can't help but love him/her and the fact that she/he found their niche in John Waters where bad can be so gooooood!!!)

[Sister Grace]

bad actors---

will smith

tara reid

chuck norris  ( i know i'll probably catch flack for that)

Divine (but you can't help but love him/her and the fact that she/he found their niche in John Waters where bad can be so gooooood!!!)

oh, i forgot... jeremy sisto