So bad it’s good
by annaguirre on Oct.07, 2009, under Ann Aguirre and Ilona Andrews
Today I’m gonna talk about b-movies, specifically SFF films that have terrible scripts, bad acting, rotten effects, and somehow manage to be totally awesome. I have to confess I have a weakness for these things. I loved MST3K.
Recently, we watched a movie that introduced my 10 year old son to the idea of MST3King a movie. This wasn’t SFF, but it was hilarious nonetheless. It was a Mexican movie, filmed in the 70s, about two kids who run away from their parents because of a dog and they travel all over Mexico having these wacky adventures. This is hilarious because of the stuff that happens to the kids. They’re slapped, beaten, threatened with death, jump off a train, locked up by an insane policeman. They smoke, hit on ladies, and it’s just all around amazingly inappropriate. I watched the movie, just gobsmacked by how much our perceptions of what’s acceptable have changed. But then again, our parents let us run wild all summer long, as long as we were in the neighborhood. We ran in packs and played lawn darts. Things have unquestionably changed.
So my husband and I watched this movie with our son and we laughed until we cried, making up our own dialogue. The kid had so much fun he didn’t ask to get his Gameboy or go play Wii. We watched until the end, and it was such great interactive entertainment. Now I’m looking for our next movie to MST3K.
Anything with a lesser Baldwin is generally a good candidate. Plan 9 from Outer Space is a genius work for this purpose. We also watched Raptor Island with …wait for it… Lorenzo Lamas. That’s a mark of quality entertainment, I tell you. Andres and I MST3K’d that one, too.
What are your favorite SFF B-movies?
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October 7th, 2009 on 12:17 pm[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by ann_aguirre and Maggie. Maggie said: RT @ann_aguirre: http://bit.ly/YSMPq Confess your secret SFF shame. U know U want to. [...]
October 7th, 2009 on 12:18 pm
Hands down the best scifi b-movie was Highlander, made for pennies on the dollar and not expected to do anything. CHUD would be another one of my guilty pleasures along with The Toxic Avenger.
October 7th, 2009 on 12:20 pm
OMG, Chud! It’s been so long since I thought of that one. That’s a great one, Rocky.
You know what else I just thought of? Night of the Comet. That rocked so hard.
October 7th, 2009 on 12:25 pm
Commander Chakota from Star Trek Voyager and the valley girls. Though not enough of the flesh eating from the zombies in that one. I could give so many even from as far back as the 1940’s but I’ll give other folks a chance to way in before I name them all
October 7th, 2009 on 12:26 pm
Oh, the 50s were a great time for bad SFF. The Blob is awesome. I love the scene with the doctor and his nurse. “Clearly, the only thing that makes sense is for you to go get my gun while I stand here and watch it advance!”
October 7th, 2009 on 12:28 pm
When you have over 14,000 films in your collection some are not the greatest. Science Fiction/Horror make of most of my DVD’s. Some people collect pets and ex-wives. I collect movies and books.
October 7th, 2009 on 12:29 pm
They are remaking the Blob again. It was just announced. Though each decade represents the culture at the time. 50’s were the best outer space and atomic monsters.
October 7th, 2009 on 12:29 pm
Wow, they are? Who’s gonna be in it?
October 7th, 2009 on 12:30 pm
The most recent one I saw was SyFy’s FRANKENFISH. Not only did it have cliche red-necks, but also cliche hippies, cliche crazy Vietnam vet, cliche mobsters, AND a cliche voodoo woman. All in one movie! That, my friends, is entertainment.
October 7th, 2009 on 12:30 pm
Frankenfish! That sounds like a must-watch. I haven’t seen that one. I need to score a copy so we can MST3K it.
October 7th, 2009 on 12:31 pm
Devil Girl From Mars (1954)& Teenagers From Outer Space (1959)are 2 of the best worst of out of this world bad scifi from the 50’s
October 7th, 2009 on 12:31 pm
“V”
I loved that mini-series so much–and then the terrible series that followed. I even read the books.
I heard they are remaking it.
October 7th, 2009 on 12:31 pm
wow I haven’t even seen that one thanks for the new movie lookup Elaine.
October 7th, 2009 on 12:33 pm
Rocky, I haven’t seen those two. I’m making notes. My husband has watched a boatload of bad horror, but we’re about even on the SF films.
Gwen, I am really curious about what they’ll do with V. At the same time, I do wish Hollywood would make some original stuff instead of endlessly remaking.
October 7th, 2009 on 12:34 pm
Gwen Justin Lin who directed the last 2 Fast and the Furious movies is set to direct with Neal H. Morris producing. Ann The Blob also being done by Summit picutes, the folks doing the new Highlander remake, The Stepfather, and The Twilight films haven’t started casting yet. I’m not even sure they have a script they just bought the rights.
October 7th, 2009 on 12:36 pm
The early reviews for the new V are good, but ABC probably has already put the death nail in it. They are only going to show 4 episodes before the holidays then not bring it back until February. And the episodes ordered went from 13 down to 9.
October 7th, 2009 on 12:37 pm
Holy CRAP! I just saw this: You have 14,000 movies?? I would love to see a picture of this collection. That’s amazing.
October 7th, 2009 on 12:38 pm
I put them into two categories bad bad, and bad good. Bad Bad would be Masters of the Universe, Bad Good would be like Ann said The Blob-really 30 year old Steve McQueen passing as high schooler.
October 7th, 2009 on 12:39 pm
Would Highlander count? That movie is my ultimate 80’s guilty pleasure.
October 7th, 2009 on 12:39 pm
Ann your facebook friends with me I have them in my photo gallery section along with 2 rooms filled with books. The group I have fewest films in are silent films.
October 7th, 2009 on 12:42 pm
Haha, yes! I -love- Steve as a high schooler in that movie. Hilarious!! Ok, running to Facebook to admire your loot.
Katie, it totally counts.
I don’t understand why ABC is doing that. It’s like they want shows to fail.
October 7th, 2009 on 12:44 pm
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture conceived neither as an arthouse film nor as pornography. In its original usage, during the so-called Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature. Although the U.S. production of movies intended as second features largely ceased by the end of the 1950s, the term B movie continued to be used in the broader sense it maintains today. In its post–Golden Age usage, there is ambiguity on both sides of the definition: on the one hand, many B movies display a high degree of craft and aesthetic ingenuity; on the other, the primary interest of many inexpensive exploitation films is prurient. In some cases, both are true.
Highlander cost less than $1 million to make and brought in $5.9 million worldwide in 1986. Even though it has Sean Connery this was back when he was hard up for money and pretty much acting in anything. Outland anyone? They made it dirty and cheap and wasn’t expecting it to become a cult hit. That is why Conner McCloud actually wins the prize and there shouldn’t have been any sequels. And Clancy Brown wasn’t the cult icon he is today either.
October 7th, 2009 on 12:45 pm
I don’t have high hopes for the new remake of V. I am such a big, big fan of the original series and the way Diana could swallow a rat was amazing.
I had such a girl crush on her when I was 10.
October 7th, 2009 on 12:48 pm
That’s really pretty amazingly low budget. I didn’t know any of that about Highlander, Rocky.
Katie, I didn’t ever watch the original series, at least not on a regular basis. So I’m a clean slate in a way.
October 7th, 2009 on 12:48 pm
Take a look at the cast, it was who’s who of character actors from the 80’s. Weird Michael Ironside is another cult icon, look how many scifi franchises he has came into late in the game. Highlander 2, Seaquest Season 3, Terminator Salvation. V The Final Battle. Though he was in the first and only good Scanners.
October 7th, 2009 on 12:51 pm
Ann if you noticed most are in VHS back in the day Columbia House offered 17 movies for a penny if you bought 2 movies at regular price of $19.99 I figured out that if you quite then they would send you letter saying you are valued member and we will give you 17 more movies for a penny if you buy 2 more movies at regular retail. Actual rules stated only 1 person per household was allowed to be a member, but by height of VHS I had memberships in my name, both parents, and brother and sisters names.
October 7th, 2009 on 12:51 pm
Yeah, I wish they hadn’t made any Highlander sequels. They were NOT “so bad they’re good.”
October 7th, 2009 on 12:52 pm
One of my new favorites is Psycho Beach Party (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0206226/). It is intentionally cheesy–it’s a spoof of the Gidget movies–but it is way fun to watch with its overblown acting, silly script, and cheesy effects.
October 7th, 2009 on 12:53 pm
I’d have to say Flash Gordon. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080745/
My first Sci-Fi movie and realization that muscles were HOT!
October 7th, 2009 on 12:53 pm
Jen, that’s a new one to me. I can’t wait to check this out. *clicks the link*
October 7th, 2009 on 12:56 pm
Katie for me it was Faye Grant who had just done Greatest American Hero. She was one of the few folks that did both mini-series and then the Television show.
October 7th, 2009 on 12:58 pm
I totally watched Greatest American Hero. I still remember the theme song.
October 7th, 2009 on 1:03 pm
Hi Ann & Rocky
Have you watched The Return of the Killer Tomatoes?
and Return To Horror High?
Both had a very young (18, 19?) George Clooney.
Campy fun!
Thanks for all the great B movies.
RKCharron
xoxo
October 7th, 2009 on 1:09 pm
Surf Nazis Must Die, almost any Beach movie (look for Buster Keaton), Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, your mileage may vary on The Last Starfighter, I’ve heard…things about Manos: Hand of Fate, Blackula (exploitation meets vampires), [I've never seen Cheerleader Ninjas but with a name like that how could you go wrong?], Genghis (starring John Wayne), and um, yeah, I’m a closet bad movie buff?
October 7th, 2009 on 1:41 pm
Highlander has the best movie soundtrack by Queen. And the series that aired for 8 season on USA was the best. Adrian Paul omg is one beautiful man.
October 7th, 2009 on 1:54 pm
Wow, those are some great reqs. Cheerleader Ninja sounds awesome. Rob, I’ve seen all the Killer Tomato movies. Classic!
Anyone know how much Highlander (first one) has made over time, like total profit from the tiny initial budget?
October 7th, 2009 on 1:58 pm
Killer Clowns From Outer Space is the ultimate cheesy sci fi 80’s movie. That movie both cracks me up and scares the crap out of me because they are clowns from outer space!
October 7th, 2009 on 1:59 pm
Speaking of soundtrack by Queen, how about Flash Gordon? I’m a sucker for superheroes, even cheesy ones.
Mom and Dad Save the World, with Jon Lovitz and Terri Garr, was a family fave when my kids were little. We wore that sucker out.
October 7th, 2009 on 2:03 pm
OMG, KB, that’s movie is SO fab. I love how cheesy and awesome it is.
Hm, haven’t seen the last one, SL. You recommend? I love Jon Lovitz. Flash Gordon is very campy fun. Ming is the worst super villain ever.
October 7th, 2009 on 2:06 pm
Does it count if it’s a B-movie spoof? Earth Girls are Easy. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097257/
October 7th, 2009 on 2:08 pm
Mom and Dad Save the World is beyond hilarious! So many great cheesy SF movies!
October 7th, 2009 on 2:15 pm
I’m back.
I forgot the classic THE RAVEN with Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, a very very young Jack Nicholson.
October 7th, 2009 on 2:19 pm
I also love Earth Girls Are Easy and Transylvania 6-5000. How awesome are Jeff Goldblum and Ed Begley Jr?
I need to watch The Raven, Rob. And Mom & Dad Save the World sounds really fun.
October 7th, 2009 on 2:36 pm
Everyone has named just about all the movies I would have mentioned. But I didn’t see Snakes on a Plane mentioned. I thought that movie was hilariously fun.
Ann, you and your family should totally MSTK3 that one.
October 7th, 2009 on 2:37 pm
Terror from the Year 5,000 is another “good” one. I particularly like when they carbon-date a metal statue (wuh?) and come up with a *negative* age (to show it’s from the future). Plus, the sparkly shoes on the villain are the bomb.
October 7th, 2009 on 2:37 pm
One night back in university a bunch of us went to the local rep theatre for a double feature: Highlander (1) and The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension. Fell in love with Clancy Brown then and there. Two films I watch over and over again. You haven’t lived until you have seen Jeff Goldblum in full cowboy regalia.
October 7th, 2009 on 2:40 pm
If we’re going for pure cheesy badness, I’ll lob in Howard the Duck. For even worse chessy lobbing, have you some Krull while you’re at it. Or, is Howard worse than Krull? So hard to choose the worst!
October 7th, 2009 on 2:43 pm
Caro, SoaP was wicked fun. I hear S. Jackson threatened to walk if they took any of the camp out of it. They wanted to change the name of the film to Flight 53 or something and take out some of the over the top fun and he was like, NO, if you do this, I am gone.
Sparkly villain shoes! It’s soo much awesome, Elaine. My heart can’t take it.
OMG, Buckaroo Banzai!!! I was so sad they didn’t make the sequel. Soooo good. Great req, Dragonkat.
K, I think Krull might be worse. I’m not sure. I’d have to watch them back to back.
October 7th, 2009 on 2:59 pm
Ice Pirates. Freaking hilariously brilliantly bad. And Clash of the Titans, of course. (Which they’re remaking).
October 7th, 2009 on 3:20 pm
The sci fi B movies are fantastic especitally with titles like Mansquito and Cobra vs Boa. Talking about the older movies- the Sinbad movies was great too - I also love movies like ID4 and the old Godzilla movies.
October 7th, 2009 on 4:36 pm
Krull and Buckaroo both had amazing casts that were unknowns at the time. If you notice that happens allot with these b-movies. Some more of my favorites Barbarella (1968)-also being remade, Them!(1954), They Live (1988), Planet of the Vampires (1965) Italian, The Brain That Wouldn’t Die! (1962), Killer Clowns from Outer Space (1988), Planet of the Apes (1968), This Island Earth (1955)