Most widely watched but universally hated movies before 1990

[Rev. Powell]

Based on the limitations of the last list, I ran another using only IMDB user ratings for movies made before 1990, with at least 10,000 votes. Lowest rated at the top:

1. Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966)
2. Going Overboard (1989)
3. The Beast of Yucca Flats (1961)
4. Monster a Go-Go (1965)
5. The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978 TV Movie)
6. Hobgoblins (1988)
7. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)
8. Jaws: The Revenge (1987)
9. Hercules in New York (1970)
10. Teen Wolf Too (1987)
11. Mac and Me (1988)
12. Jaws 3-D (1983)
13. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
14. Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)
15. Caddyshack II (1988)
16. Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957)
17. Grease 2 (1982)
18. Supergirl (1984)
19. Police Academy 6: City Under Siege (1989)
20. Troll (1986)
21. Ishtar (1987)
22. Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach (1988)
23. Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)
24. Wild Orchid (1989)
25. Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! (1978)
26. Staying Alive (1983)
27. Howard the Duck (1986)
28. Poltergeist III (1988)
29. Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)
30. Trail of the Pink Panther (1982)
31. Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
32. Superman III (1983)
33. Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol (1987)
34. Casino Royale (1967)
35. Porky's II: The Next Day (1983)
36. Cannonball Run II (1984)
37. Red Sonja (1985)
38. Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise (1987)
39. Cyborg (1989)
40. The Fly II (1989)
41. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
42. A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)
43. King Solomon's Mines (1985)
44. Caligula (1979)
45. Popeye (1980)
46. Smokey and the Bandit II (1980)
47. Xanadu (1980)
48. Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)
49. The Karate Kid Part III (1989)
50. Fear and Desire (1953) - This one is a surprise, It's Stanley Kubrick's first movie. I haven't seen it but I'd be shocked if it was that bad.

[bob]

Fear and Desire is ok at best

yes, it's not a masterpiece that you'd expect from Kubrick

it's a decent movie from a very young Stanley Kubrick

temper your expectations for it and you'll find it enjoyable

[claws]

Another version: before 1990, Rating count between 5,000 and 10,000 (Sorted by IMDb Rating Ascending)

 1. Space Mutiny (1988)
 2. Eegah (1962)
 3. Leonard Part 6 (1987)
 4. Red Zone Cuba (1966)
 5. Zaat (1971)
 6. The Garbage Pail Kids Movie (1987)
 7. Laserblast (1978)
 8. Bolero (1984)
 9. Shanghai Surprise (1986)
 10. Tarzan the Ape Man (1981)
 11. Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983)
 12. Piranha II: The Spawning (1981)
 13. Howling II: ... Your Sister Is a Werewolf (1985)
 14. American Ninja 3: Blood Hunt (1989)
 15. Reefer Madness (1936)
 16. Best Defense (1984)
 17. The Hills Have Eyes Part II (1984)
 18. Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987)
 19. Surf Nazis Must Die (1987)
 20. Rhinestone (1984)
 21. King Kong Lives (1986)
 22. Black Eagle (1988)
 23. Starcrash (1978)
 24. Glen or Glenda (1953)
 25. Bride of the Monster (1955)
 26. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978)
 27. Amityville 3-D (1983)
 28. Ghoulies (1984)
 29. Curse of the Pink Panther (1983)
 30. Frogs (1972)
 31. No Holds Barred (1989)
 32. The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962)
 33. The Swarm (1978)
 34. The Concorde... Airport '79 (1979)
 35. Cutting Class (1989)
 36. The Man Who Saved the World (1982)
 37. Perfect (1985)
 38. Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold (1986)
 39. Arthur 2: On the Rocks (1988)
 40. Johnny Be Good (1988)
 41. Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (1979)
 42. Slumber Party Massacre II (1987)
 43. Squirm (1976)
 44. Bloodsucking Freaks (1976)
 45. Porky's Revenge (1985)
 46. Who's That Girl (1987)
 47. Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)
 48. Endless Love (1981)
 49. American Ninja 2: The Confrontation (1987)
 50. Braddock: Missing in Action III (1988)

Version 2: before 1990, Rating count between 1,500 and 5,000 (Sorted by IMDb Rating Ascending)

With this setting movies are getting more obscure and noticeable older.

 1. The Butterfly Ball (1977)
 2. Five the Hard Way (1969)
 3. The Hellcats (1968)
 4. The Wild World of Batwoman (1966)
 5. The Starfighters (1964)
 6. Angels' Brigade (1979)
 7. Extra Terrestrial Visitors (1983)
 8. Invasion of the Neptune Men (1961)
 9. Catalina Caper (1967)
 10. Final Justice (1984)
 11. Ghosts Can't Do It (1989)
 12. Prince of Space (1959)
 13. The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!? (1964)
 14. The Touch of Satan (1971)
 15. Track of the Moon Beast (1976)
 16. The Pumaman (1980)
 17. The Blade Master (1982)
 18. Robot Holocaust (1987)
 19. Gor II (1988)
 20. Girl in Gold Boots (1968)
 21. Fire Maidens of Outer Space (1956)
 22. Boggy Creek II: And the Legend Continues (1983)
 23. I Accuse My Parents (1944)
 24. The Robot vs. The Aztec Mummy (1958)
 25. Ape (1976)
 26. Horrors of Spider Island (1960)
 27. The Bat People (1974)
 28. Mitchell (1975)
 29. Warrior of the Lost World (1984)
 30. Zombie Nightmare (1987)
 31. Tale of Two Sisters (1989)
 32. Santa Claus (1959)
 33. The Sinister Urge (1960)
 34. Oasis of the Zombies (1982)
 35. Devil Fish (1984)
 36. R.O.T.O.R. (1987)
 37. Mesa of Lost Women (1953)
 38. Snuff (1975)
 39. Wizards of the Lost Kingdom (1985)
 40. Deathstalker and the Warriors from Hell (1988)
 41. The Skydivers (1963)
 42. Monstrosity (1963)
 43. Hercules Against the Moon Men (1964)
 44. Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women (1968)
 45. The Castle of Fu Manchu (1969)
 46. Robot Monster (1953)
 47. Orgy of the Dead (1965)
 48. Alien from L.A. (1988)
 49. The Crawling Hand (1963)
 50. The Giant Spider Invasion (1975)

[LilCerberus]

Before I discovered the internet, I was convinced I was the only human being on earth who liked Mad Max.

[Trevor]

Another version: before 1990, Rating count between 5,000 and 10,000 (Sorted by IMDb Rating Ascending)

 1. Space Mutiny (1988)
 2. Eegah (1962)
 3. Leonard Part 6 (1987)
 4. Red Zone Cuba (1966)
 5. Zaat (1971)
 6. The Garbage Pail Kids Movie (1987)
 7. Laserblast (1978)
 8. Bolero (1984)
 9. Shanghai Surprise (1986)
 10. Tarzan the Ape Man (1981)
 11. Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983)
 12. Piranha II: The Spawning (1981)
 13. Howling II: ... Your Sister Is a Werewolf (1985)
 14. American Ninja 3: Blood Hunt (1989)
 15. Reefer Madness (1936)
 16. Best Defense (1984)
 17. The Hills Have Eyes Part II (1984)
 18. Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987)
 19. Surf Nazis Must Die (1987)
 20. Rhinestone (1984)
 21. King Kong Lives (1986)
 22. Black Eagle (1988)
 23. Starcrash (1978)
 24. Glen or Glenda (1953)
 25. Bride of the Monster (1955)
 26. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978)
 27. Amityville 3-D (1983)
 28. Ghoulies (1984)
 29. Curse of the Pink Panther (1983)
 30. Frogs (1972)
 31. No Holds Barred (1989)
 32. The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962)
 33. The Swarm (1978)
 34. The Concorde... Airport '79 (1979)
 35. Cutting Class (1989)
 36. The Man Who Saved the World (1982)
 37. Perfect (1985)
 38. Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold (1986)
 39. Arthur 2: On the Rocks (1988)
 40. Johnny Be Good (1988)
 41. Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (1979)
 42. Slumber Party Massacre II (1987)
 43. Squirm (1976)
 44. Bloodsucking Freaks (1976)
 45. Porky's Revenge (1985)
 46. Who's That Girl (1987)
 47. Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)
 48. Endless Love (1981)
 49. American Ninja 2: The Confrontation (1987)
 50. Braddock: Missing in Action III (1988)

Yikes, five of the films on those two lists were made in South Africa 

My apologies to the world.