Let's talk "bad"

I started reading a book by a Australian movie journalist, Michael Adams, called Showgirls, Teen Wolves and Astro Zombies: A Film Critic's Year-long Quest to Find the Worst Movie Ever Made. It’s an interesting topic to tackle – because “bad” means different things to different people.

I know personally, I probably like a bunch of movies that others would consider “bad”. Filmmakers Jesus Franco, Neil Marshall, Normal J. Warren and many others I will giddily rent or watch films of – might be on the “do not disturb” list for others.

I’m not going to give you a book review or anything - as I'm just a handful of pages in – I’m just going to give you interesting updates as I read and find something interesting.

My first major observation is how one of my favorite television personalities Kevin Murphy of Mystery Science Theater 3000 fame gave advice to the author in the early goings of his quest. He tells him that films like Robot Monster (notorious for the monster being a man in a gorilla suit with a fishbowl on its head) – pales in comparison to films like Forrest Gump on his own personal badness scale.

Robot Monster has zero budget – and zero talent – so it had no chance.

Forrest Gump had a massive budget and tons of talent – and it’s a paint by numbers – “we are telling you to feel this here – and this here – and this here” instead of a film that had any nuance or message.

I don’t mind Forrest Gump – I thought the usage of technology was interesting (for the time) – but in the overall scale of things – yes I felt it was a American History for Dummies course – paint by numbers feeling clown hammer film. When I watch the film – I don’t mind the manipulation of it – though I don’t put it on my favorite film list anywhere – it’s your standard popcorn fair.

Murphy lists as the worst films much more modern ego-driven drivel such as Warren Beatty’s Town & Country and dares Adams to sit through Gena Davis’ Cutthroat Island. Which is interesting considering Murphy is famous for ripping older sci-fi films/horror/b-movies to pieces on MST3K. (Of course you should be aware that MST3K had to fight for the rights of the films they gave the “treatment” – so their selection was mostly public domain films – so it may be more about the budget than the films “badness”)

I find myself in agreement when it comes to Murphy and “badness” of films – the more ego and money pressed up against the screen – the more apt that if it’s bad – it’s infamously bad. That’s why I’m more apt to tell someone about my hatred for Academy Award winner Crash – than Monster A Go-Go or the Wild World of Batwoman.

Also, as an interesting side note – the first movie Adams pulls from his bingo ball machine to watch is Showgirls – which I don’t find as notoriously bad as others – the message gets a little lost but otherwise an interesting film. Even Adams claims to have an affinity for the film saying it was his 6th time watching the film – and he goes on to detail parts of a trek to Vegas he made to see the sights featured in the film. That makes two Aussies that I “know” who have an affinity for the film – interesting.

Well, I enjoyed talking to you about "bad movies" and as I read this book - or I have any new thoughts on movie badness - I will be happy to pass the word along. Sadly, as I continue reading this book - I realize it sounds more and more like a talk about the author's journey and him flexing his "I know a lot about movies" muscles than actual talk about the content and quality of the films. I'll stick with it - but as for now - no assigned reading my fellow fitness friends.