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Asmodean just started a thread on stupid movies.
http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=101829
But the thread brought up an interesting point - why makes a movie truly bad - not just in your opinion, but in general.
Some thoughts.
1) Judge it relative to the genre. If you judge a "feel good" movie ("You've got mail") by the standards of a serious movie, then you are doing the movie, and yourself, a disservice. The movie, because that's unfair. Yourself, because you limit yourself, and will find it less likely to get friends to go to movies with you (he always says movies I like are dumb, I'm not even going to bother to call him
).
Certain movies are tough. Was "Alien" SF or horror? Actually, it may have been part of a budding subgenre, SF horror. Don't laugh, if you look carefully at a well-stocked video store, there are actually quite a few. As a straight SF film, it's dumb. As a horror film in an SF setting, it works. It would help, though, if I liked horror films. See below.
2) Admit if you just generally hate the genre. That way you can avoid it, and negotiations about which movies to watch with friends and significant others go MUCH better. I cannot abide "Dumb and dumber" style movies. My wife goes with friends when she wants to catch one. I go with friends for military flicks.
3) Make sure you are in the right mood for the genre/movie. I admire "Grave of the Fireflies". I would only watch it when I am in the mood for a serious movie (plus, I would NEVER watch it after a week of cold, wet weather when I'm feeling down
). On a light fare day it would be a disaster!
Let's try looking at all time bad movies in their genre.
1) Crow 2 & 3. I believe Ebert liked the first movie, and his reasons coincide with mine. It was an atmosphere and cinematography type film, you had to suspend disbelief. Crow 2 and 3 had all the problems of the genre, with none of the advantages.
Bad for the genre, bad films.
2) Star Wars 1 & 2. Space opera gone bad. Especially the first one. How did Jar-Jar Binks ever make it into the final movie?
Need I say anything more.
3) Certain Star Trek movies. I can't keep the numbers straight. Some were keepers, some weren't, I leave it for a Trekkie to post the right numbers.
4) Ishtar. Except which genre does it fit in? Does it make a difference.
5) Thumbilena - incredibly bad children's movie from the early 90's. Bad examples for kids, mediocre animation, etc. It even bores many kids, at least those who won't just watch anything put in front of them, to tears.
6) Pochohantas (Disney) - bad history, weak animation, lousy writing. The direct to video sequal was better.
Any thoughts on bad, vs. stupid, movies? (please note, plenty of overlap)
.
http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=101829
But the thread brought up an interesting point - why makes a movie truly bad - not just in your opinion, but in general.
Some thoughts.
1) Judge it relative to the genre. If you judge a "feel good" movie ("You've got mail") by the standards of a serious movie, then you are doing the movie, and yourself, a disservice. The movie, because that's unfair. Yourself, because you limit yourself, and will find it less likely to get friends to go to movies with you (he always says movies I like are dumb, I'm not even going to bother to call him
). Certain movies are tough. Was "Alien" SF or horror? Actually, it may have been part of a budding subgenre, SF horror. Don't laugh, if you look carefully at a well-stocked video store, there are actually quite a few. As a straight SF film, it's dumb. As a horror film in an SF setting, it works. It would help, though, if I liked horror films. See below.
2) Admit if you just generally hate the genre. That way you can avoid it, and negotiations about which movies to watch with friends and significant others go MUCH better. I cannot abide "Dumb and dumber" style movies. My wife goes with friends when she wants to catch one. I go with friends for military flicks.
3) Make sure you are in the right mood for the genre/movie. I admire "Grave of the Fireflies". I would only watch it when I am in the mood for a serious movie (plus, I would NEVER watch it after a week of cold, wet weather when I'm feeling down
). On a light fare day it would be a disaster! Let's try looking at all time bad movies in their genre.
1) Crow 2 & 3. I believe Ebert liked the first movie, and his reasons coincide with mine. It was an atmosphere and cinematography type film, you had to suspend disbelief. Crow 2 and 3 had all the problems of the genre, with none of the advantages.
Bad for the genre, bad films.2) Star Wars 1 & 2. Space opera gone bad. Especially the first one. How did Jar-Jar Binks ever make it into the final movie?
Need I say anything more. 3) Certain Star Trek movies. I can't keep the numbers straight. Some were keepers, some weren't, I leave it for a Trekkie to post the right numbers.
4) Ishtar. Except which genre does it fit in? Does it make a difference.
5) Thumbilena - incredibly bad children's movie from the early 90's. Bad examples for kids, mediocre animation, etc. It even bores many kids, at least those who won't just watch anything put in front of them, to tears.
6) Pochohantas (Disney) - bad history, weak animation, lousy writing. The direct to video sequal was better.
Any thoughts on bad, vs. stupid, movies? (please note, plenty of overlap)
.
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