One thing that’s clear from a lot of my blog entries is the fact that I love movies. All kinds of movies, in fact. From big budget ones to more low-budget ones, I enjoy a good variety of them.

One type of movies that really intrigues me, though, are “bad” films. I say “bad” because in the end, it’s all subjective. There are movies out there that are technically well-made, have skillful writing, are made on a high budget, and connect to people with different themes; and yet they’re sometimes not for everyone. Sometimes it’s a case of someone finding a movie overrated and they aren’t impressed. Then there’s people on the other side who love movies that aren’t critically nor financially successful.

 

 

These movies might not be well-received for any number of reasons, but sometimes they are made just to grab some quick cash only to flop hard and not make any money in the long-run. Yeah, that’s gotta be awkward for the filmmakers. And yet despite that, people are sure to find even those movies entertaining. Again, it’s all subjective since we all have different tastes.

When I think about “bad” films, I find a unique type of effort and passion that’s put into them (well, most of them). It’s not about having the inability to afford big-name actors and/or expensive effects, nor is it the fact that something might seem rushed and not fully-developed in writing & planning. It’s about seeing something that is admittedly cheesy and obviously fake, but having fun because of that.

These movies may often be successful in ways the filmmakers didn’t expect, and then they become part of a culture that loves the silliness and absurdity that comes from them. Call ’em B-movies, Z-level cinema, or whatever you want; but no matter what you call them, there’s something about these films that makes people love to “hate” them, and hate to hate them harshly.

How can one truly hate something that is, in the long run, a passive medium which has a sole purpose in entertaining us? It’s odd to seriously hate something like this with an intense passion, and yet there are a lot of people out there who practically scream their heads off and claim that some movies shouldn’t exist.

Sure, we can joke about how some movies shouldn’t exist, but even those movies have something to appreciate. Notoriously bad films have something to admire, even if that thing is small. For people who say they hate “bad” films but watch them, it’s more of a silly form of “hating” something in that we celebrate it for those quirks.

So how does it all work? For me, it all goes back to a little show I started watching when I was 11 years old. That show is Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Although I heard about the show before, this was the first time I actually watched it. It’s also the first time I learned about bad horror movies, so it took me by surprise. The idea of someone being forced to watch bad movies and making fun of ’em to keep sanity in tact is very amusing. When I saw this as a kid, it blew my mind and I was instantly hooked. I realized that if a guy and his robot friends could do this in an attempt to make watching bad movies fun, I could do it too.

My love for Mst3k is something that could practically become another entry, but for now I’ll leave it there. In addition to the fine art of “movie riffing,” the show made me wonder why the movies they make fun of exist, and how they got made in the first place. I knew of some of these films thanks to a computer program called Microsoft Cinemania (think IMDB, but in software form during the 90’s), but I didn’t learn more about them and that era of film history until a little later when I started reading about it on the internet.

In addition to that, I saw Tim Burton’s movie about the life and career of one of the most well-known makers of bad films, Ed Wood.

I already talked about it in this entry a while back, but to sum it up, Ed Wood is a perfect reason behind why “bad” films exist. Sure, his movies have silly effects, odd ideas, cheap production, and not the best acting (Bela Lugosi’s roles being an exception), but Ed loved the medium and was always full of creativity. He wanted to tell stories and use anything he could get his hands on, which explains a lot of the cheap effects. The whole do-it-yourself approach is there in just about every one of his films and makes for a wildly entertaining time.

Learning about B-movies and the people behind them isn’t the only way to appreciate them. There are directors who intentionally make movies “bad” to pay homage to them and become a part of the culture surrounding it. Larry Blamire’s film The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra and its sequels (plus other films he’s made) are great examples of this.

Another fun thing is the dialogue in these movies. The lines might not sound natural, and can be weird out of context, even delivered awkwardly, but all those factors add to the charm and makes it fun to quote. The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra has many great lines, and the fact it was written in the early 2000’s with intentionally odd dialogue really makes it apparent that making b-movies is indeed a craft. I already reviewed the movie a while back in this entry, but it gets the point across.

Then there are horror movies that don’t hide the fact that they’re incredibly silly. These are obviously aware that something is outrageous, so the filmmakers just run with it and have a good time. They can be silly in that the ideas themselves are wacky, they might have intentionally funny moments, acting and death scenes can be exaggerated and almost cartoonish, or it might be a combination of those. Some of my favourites, as an example, are easily the Leprechaun movies, the Nightmare on Elm Street sequels, Evil Dead II, and Bride of Chucky.

And of course, what’s a blog post about “bad” horror movies without at least mentioning this classic clip from Troll 2? All you have to do is watch this clip to know that you’re in for a good time.

In summation, the appeal is definitely in the fact that these movies are so cheesy yet fun because of that. In my opinion, though, the attitude behind making things cheap is just as intriguing, if not more intriguing depending on the movie. You can definitely tell when filmmakers just want to have fun and make something nonsensical, and you can also tell when filmmakers honestly don’t care about how a movie turns out, yet somehow still make it fun to watch.

So in a way, I feel like there is no “bad” movie in this regard. It just depends on what you like in terms of cheesiness and what you love to laugh at. Cheap production values are easily my favourite thing to see because of the creativity behind them. Over-the-top acting is another thing I love to see. No matter what it is, you’re bound to find something to enjoy in these movies.

Above all, the ambition (or lack thereof) is always what stands out. Even if its a movie that we know was made just to turn a profit, you can always appreciate creativity of some kind and lovingly poke fun at it. Making fun of “bad” movies isn’t about insulting them, nor is it about questioning the filmmakers’ intelligence. It’s about celebrating it, seeing what’s under the surface, and having a good time.

Then again, some movies do have it coming. Thanks for reading! 🙂