I am so on the fence regarding MOMMIE DEAREST (1981).
I have John Waters doing the critic’s 2nd audio track, commenting on the movie as it plays.
He repeatedly says, “This is not a bad movie!”
I have to agree with him… I think that many people “read” that movie incorrectly… they see it as a campy, John Waters-type romp, when it’s really not.
There is "camp’ in the movie, but what must emphatically be understood is this: the 1940’s world that Crawford lived in was FILLED with artifice, melodrama and hollowness…. if there is “camp” in the movie, it is not on the part of the film’s director, nor of the script, nor of the acting: that "camp’ is part-and-parcel of the Hollywood of the 1940’s. Such an important difference.
The story itself is really quite painful and, to me, has more in common with a Douglas Sirk, a Vincente Minnellii, Ross Hunter, Mark Robson or Jean Negulesco. What I would call a “1950’s type ’woman’s picture” with some over-the-top, yet eminently watchable and entertaining acting.
In some ways , it may be Dunaway’s finest performance, and may, ironically, be the movie that she is most remembered for when she is gone.
Now that i’ve gotten that off my chest, I will say that my favorite, GENUINELY bad-yet-entertaining movie has to be 1967’s HOT RODS TO HELL, starring Dana Andrews, Jeanne Crain and Mimsy Farmer.
I’ve never seen a movie so bad, yet I cannot pry my eyes away from it for an instant. In fact, like FASTER, PUSSYCAT, it has an oddly chic and stylish, postmodern aura about it, seen these days.
Now, what are REALLY bad—— and not even entertaining—— are the bizarro flicks of Kenneth Anger from the 1960’s. Some people nowadays, hold them up as a certain kind of “art”, but really they are kitschy crap, not even smirk-worthy.
I was shocked to discover I found 9 1/2 Weeks a bit of masterpiece!
Top Gun. That’s my favorite bad movie
Oh! And Anchorman, I love that film!! It’s hilarious with a capital ‘H’.
Cocktail is a good one, I love it! And all the silly comedies starring Hugh Grant (The Come Back is just great)
Thankskilling hands down.
FASTER PUSSY CAT KILL KILL!
I agree with Anchorman!! Hahah love it. Still. This is going to ruin all my street cred y que? No me importa nada!
Tropic Thunder
Predator
Clash of the Titans (the original)
Polyester
Zoolander (although this is finally getting old…)
GI Jane (haha Viggo in short shorts.)
Yo whoever busted out with 91/2 weeks is totally on point. That movie is quasi-genius.
the last samurai
A Better Tomorrow 2
Bad stuff I will watch:
Apart from “Plan 9” we must have:
“Orgy of the Dead” (written by Wood)….in my book it is better/worse than “Plan 9”
“Glen or Glenda” A masterpiece of craziness.
“Attack of the 50-ft Woman” Starts out as a cheap film noir, collapses into an all-camp finish.
“Carnival of Souls” Quirky, weird, badly made, intriguing, with some oddly smart moments.
“Reptilicus”….the cheapest-looking monster in film history on the loose in….Copenhangen
If they had to stomp the capitol of my little country, couldn’t they at least have spent a bit more on the critter :-)
The film also features some of the most off-the-wall performances and line readings you’ll ever come across.
“I Spit on your Grave.” The original “woman’s revenge” film. Not one to see often.
“The Island of Dr. Moreau” (The Remake)….Marlon Brando with the ice bucket hat…there are astounding moments in this steaming pile of failure.
“Wicker Man” (The Remake)…..Nick Cage at his most insane. “Not The Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeees!”
“Zardoz” has been mentioned….a truly odd film.
(There are plenty more)
anyone seen Sharktopus?
that was fucking hilarious!
“Hudson Hawk.” This may actually be a pretty good but widely maligned movie. I feel that comedic tastes have now caught up to “Hudson Hawk.”
@Scubadonc
Nice! I can’t wait till my comedic tastes catch up to “Hudson Hawk”.
Also I saw Speed again the other day and…………….yeah nope. Still terrible.
Also a movie I really use to like called Domino with KK is pretty much unwatcheable now, Édgar Ramírez or no.
Some crazy good-bad movies worth taking a look at:
Zardoz
Holy Mountain
The Abominable Dr. Phibes
Valery and Her Week of Wonders
Le Grande Bouffe
I am Dina
Dead Space Downfall
Trash
Krull
Beastmaster
Conan The Barbarian, 1&2 (such fun!)
Fantastic Adventures of Unico
Gojoe: Spirit War Chronicle
Clash of the Titans
Rampo Noir
The Eyes of Laura Mars
Heavy Metal
Anything from the 70’s with either Peter Cushing or Vincent Price.
Many of the films listed here I consider legitimately good. For instance, Heavy Metal is the fucking shit.
Con Air and Speed, though, are I think right on the money.
Oh, and Top Gun. Perfect.
La Grande Bouffe and Holy Mountain, really? Granted, I have not seen Holy Mountain, but I never felt these films had a reputation as being bad. Explicit and not everyone’s cup of tea, yes, but bad movies? Really? In the case of La Grande Bouffe, if it had Bunuel’s name attached to it in its exact form otherwise. It wouldn’t even be mentioned in this thread. If you’re going to call La Grande Bouffe a bad film you may as well include The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, Week End, Pierrot Le Fou, Last Year at Marienbad and many others.
The Love Machine
The Carpetbaggers
Cyclone (Mexican Airport/Jaws rip-off)
Palmetto (camp classic)
Saturn 3 (Farrah Fawcett, Kirk Douglas, a dubbed Harvey Keitel and sex-starved robot named Hector…)
Really anything by John Waters, Jack Hill or Russ Meyer.
david lincoln brooks
I am so on the fence regarding MOMMIE DEAREST (1981).
I have John Waters doing the critic’s 2ns audio track, commenting on the movie as it plays.
He repeatedly says, “This is not a bad movie!”
I have to agree with him… I think that many people “read” that movie incorrectly… they see it as a campy, John Waters-type romp, when it’s really not.
There is "camp’ in the movie, but what must emphatically be understood is this: the 1940’s world that Crawford lived in was FILLED with artifice and hollowness…. if there is “camp” in the movie, it is not on the part of the film’s director, nor of the script, nor of the acting: that "camp’ is part-and-parcel of the Hollywood of the 1940’s. Such an important difference.
The story itself is really quite painful and, to me, has more in common with a Douglas Sirk, a Vincente Minnellii or a Jean Negulesco.