What makes a bad movie good?

[ulthar]

Okay, I have been thinking about this for a while, and I'd like to get some other takes on the question.  I have, for a long time, been a big fan of b-movies, where the 'b' can have its traditional meaning, or mean just plain old 'bad.'

Some bad movies make fun of themselves (like anything from Troma), which makes them fun to watch.  That's the sorta obvious take.

But other bad movies are fun in other ways.  Personally, I get a kick out of bad dialog with bad acting.  For example, when in the right mood, I enjoy "Mankillers" which does have bad writing, bad direction, bad music and even worse acting (if you haven't seen it, its kind of a really stupid female version of "The Dirty Dozen").  My wife and I watched it on our second date (our first date included one of the "Pledge Night" versions), and loved making fun of it (still do).

Flagrant unintended continuity errors are a lot of fun, too.

So, what are the aspects that make one bad movie 'fun' (Plan 9) and another not (Cars that Ate Paris)?  I think the one sin a movie cannot make and remain enjoyable is to be boring.

[Dunners]

fun story
decent dialogue
doable effects
and decent actors.

anything else up in the troma/coleman francis catagory. Both of which suck and blow at the same time.

[Eirik]

Both of you guys are dead on.  Humor is paramount to enjoying B-movies.  Two elements not mentioned:  The Two P's.

Pretty girls.  The best B-movies out there are invariably the ones with the prettiest girls.

Pleasant Surprises.  Every once in a while, a B-movie will turn out to actually be very good.  Over Halloween I saw such a B-movie called Dog Soldiers, a Brit Werewolf flick.  Even BAD B-movies will ocasionally spring a good scare on you, or have a kind of interesting idea that makes you think.  Pleasant surprises make the B-movie hobby worthwhile.

[Scott]

"All movies are good as long as they are not boring" and " Just because they put something on film dosn't make it a movie"  That is my movie creed.

[Ash]

Isn't this about the 50th time someone has asked this question?

[JohnL]

I agree with Dunners;

fun story
decent dialogue
decent effects
and doable actresses.

[Will]

boobies

[raj]

Will wrote:

> boobies
>

Showgirls.
Not a good movie, even with lots of boobies.  And bushes.  (though I don't mean that movies should stop featuring them).

I can forgive bad plot, if there's some good acting or action,
I can forgive bad acting if there's some good plot
I can't forgive bad (no) action, even if there is good plot/acting-- one reason I tend not to like "foreign" films.

[Eirik]

"Showgirls.  Not a good movie..."

Oh, but it could have been.  All they needed was the rest of the cast of Saved By The Bell...  Zack in the Kyle McLaughlin role, Slater in the Robert Davi role, Kelly as the chief rival showgirl, Lisa as the friend, and Screech as the rastafarian interpretive dancer?  That would have been the funniest movie in history.

If anyone ever happens to be watching Showgirls on DVD, go frame-by-frame in the scene where the main character shoves her rival down a flight of stairs.  What flies by as a blur at normal speed is actually a heavy set stunt man with a hairy chest and arms dressed in a skimpy glittery showgirl costume tumbling down stairs.  I guess Women Stuntmen Local 173 was on strike or something.

[KINGDINOSAUR]

Will wrote:> boobies>

Ah, to be young and naive!

Of all the movies Edward D. Wood, Jr. was involved with in the production it was the semi-pornos that were the dullest.

ORGY OF THE DEAD will cause you question your sexuality.  Other than the bizarre piece that combined a catwoman, a slave with a whip, and music from a toy piano; I found myself bored with the nudity.

I eagerly awaited the dialog between the werewolf and the mummy.  THAT was enjoyable!  Watching a parade of topless dancers performing 3-step routines for 8 minutes at a time was torture.

Scott a.k.a.
KINGDINOSAUR

http://www.motazart.com

[raj]

Yes.  Orgy of the Dead was the first movie I saw with copious amounts of nudity that actually bored me.  I couldn't help thinking "good god, not another topless dancer!"

[Scott]

Yea, but Criswell saved the day people. ORGY OF THE DEAD is one of the great ones because of Criswell even if the dance scenes made the werewolve and mummy parts almost interesting.