270 replies to this topic

[Loomis]

Which movies often dismissed as awful do you think are pretty good, or at least entertaining? I'm probably about to show myself up here, but here are some of my guilty pleasures:

- COBRA. Sly

[zencat]

I like the Friday the 13th movies and I'm a big Tomb Raider fan. I have a list on Amazon of my own guilty pleasures.

It's better than you think

[Loomis]

Great list, zencat. I particularly agree with THE PROFESSIONAL, THE HUDSUCKER PROXY, EYE OF THE NEEDLE, FIRST BLOOD, MALCOLM X, the ROCKYs (bought the boxed set of DVDs) and THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT. Even SUPERMAN III has its moments. Most of the others I haven't seen.

[zencat]

I don't know if it's on the list, but my favorite Friday the 13th flick is #6 JASON LIVES. Haven't seen Jason X -- it's on my Netflix list.

I was one of the writers New Line considered for Jason vs. Freddy. I spent a full week watching EVERY movie and taking notes, so I know these movies better than anyone should.

[JackChase007]

I don't know that I would throw "The Professional" in this category - it's well-loved among everyone I know.

The Stephen Sommers trio (Deep Rising, The Mummy, The Mummy Returns) are three movies that I love to no end, and I usually get criticized heavily for liking them.

All of the "Shaft" films are classics.

I also, to an extent, enjoy "The Shadow" with Jerry Goldsmith's outstanding and beautiful score.

[zencat]

Originally posted by JackChase007
I don't know that I would throw "The Professional" in this category - it's well-loved among everyone I know.

True. The Professional is a more overlooked movie than a guilty pleasure. Everyone I know who sees The Professional agrees it's one of the best action movies ever made.

[homerjbond]

"Revenge" - Madeline Stowe on top of Costner while he's driving the Jeep...awesome! Also, Costner getting beaten to a pulp is one of the more disturbing scenes I've seen.

"Superman III" - My favorite quote: "I ask you to kill Superman, and you can't even do that one simple thing."

[marktmurphy]

'The Professional' is what we call 'Leon', isn't it? Was it less well known over on those shores? Because I remember all of my friends being very excited about it and it having a very good reputation.

[JackChase007]

Yes - to American audiences, "Leon" is known as "The Professional".

[SirMiles83]

In no order...
1) Godzilla movies
2) Daredevil (not a bad film, but since it is generally disliked by the critics, I thought I would put it up here)
3) The Punisher
4) Iron Monkey
5) MI-2
6) The Incredible Hulk Returns
7) The Planet of the Apes set (not bad films, but a guilty pleasure)
8) Austin Powers trilogy
9) Jay and Silent Bob Strike BAck
10) Hard Boiled

[Roebuck]

What's a 'bad' movie anyway? I'm looking at the films listed on this thread and thinking '' these are all pretty entertaining''. I'd go as far as to suggest 'Leon' was a classic, and a far deeper film than casual viewing would suggest. As long as a film entertains on some level its done its job. So maybe the only truly bad movie is a boring one? (yeah, highly subjective but...)

One of my own guilty pleasures is 'The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao'. Tony Randall's performance in the title role ties with Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany's for political incorrectness. In honesty most of the performances are a tad wooden. The effects though are still stunning forty years later (earning it the first Oscar to be awarded for make-up).

[Bryce (003)]

*Bryce swigs from flask for courage*

Okay, round the time that all the little ghosts and goblins come around for candy, I have a tradition.

Turn off the lights.
Mute the phones.
Crank up the home theater.

and put on my DVD of.....

"THE CAR" - James Brolin (aka Mr. Streisand) plays a local sheriff of a small New Mexican desert town that is being terrorized by an evil posessed car with a psycho horn that is running people down.

The "car" is a really sinister George Barris (same guy who designed and built the TV Batmobile and the Monkees hot-rod) creation. I saw it once at a car show and it still creeped me out.

Bad, bad, bad movie - GREAT fun!

*Bryce checks clip on PPK and sits facing front door awaiting CBn "Psychiatric Staff" to come and take him away*

[Loomis]

Originally posted by Roebuck
What's a 'bad' movie anyway? I'm looking at the films listed on this thread and thinking '' these are all pretty entertaining''. I'd go as far as to suggest 'Leon' was a classic, and a far deeper film than casual viewing would suggest. As long as a film entertains on some level its done its job. So maybe the only truly bad movie is a boring one? (yeah, highly subjective but...)

Well, I'm asking members to list movies that are generally PERCEIVED to be bad (whether they actually are is, of course, a different matter entirely). Movies that received the sort of critical roastings that the whole world gets to hear about. Movies like, say, DEATH WISH II, HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH, SHOWGIRLS, BATTLEFIELD EARTH and, oh, dozens of others.

So I wouldn't expect to find, for example, CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER, JACKIE BROWN or MINORITY REPORT on a list of "guilty pleasures", because those films are not known for having attracted a whole bunch of particularly vicious reviews.

Originally posted by zencat
I don't know if it's on the list, but my favorite Friday the 13th flick is #6 JASON LIVES. Haven't seen Jason X -- it's on my Netflix list.

I was one of the writers New Line considered for Jason vs. Freddy. I spent a full week watching EVERY movie and taking notes, so I know these movies better than anyone should.

I remember liking JASON LIVES. I've not chalked off all the FRIDAY THE 13THs (although I've seen a fair number, and, unlike yourself, zencat, cannot be excused for having been paid to sit through them:o), but one that I thought unwatchably dreadful was JASON GOES TO HELL: THE FINAL FRIDAY.

I'm not sure what kind of critical reception THE PROFESSIONAL had in the States, but in Britain (where it's known as LEON) it's commonly cited by reviewers as one of the best movies of the 90s. It's a picture that has major, major respect over here.

I can't believe I forgot to mention the following Stallone flicks, all guilty pleasures of mine: LOCK UP, ASSASSINS, DAYLIGHT and GET CARTER. Lest anyone think I'm the planet's number one obsessive Sly fan, I'd like to point out that I don't by any means think everything he's done is cinematic gold (I've no time for the likes of STOP! OR MY MOM WILL SHOOT, DEMOLITION MAN and THE SPEcıalısT, and I'd say that JUDGE DREDD is one of the direst and dullest pieces of trash I've ever been duped into paying to view). Still, I guess I have a much higher Stallone tolerance than most, not necessarily a good thing.

Some other guilty pleasures: ALIEN RESURRECTION (a vast improvement over David Fincher's boring ALIEN 3, IMO), BEVERLY HILLS COP II, DOUBLE TEAM, THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK, NINE 1/2 WEEKS, RACE WITH THE DEVIL, SLIVER, TURBULENCE....

[Double-Oh-Zero]

The Rock: Well, most critics consider this a popcorn action flick, but I enjoyed it, along with Connery's quips and Cage's often nervous character traits.

The Jackal: I also don't see what's wrong with this film, other than Gere's sometimes laughable Irish accent. Willis is just downright chilling as the assassin with a thousand faces, and Jack Black's character provides the comic relief (BTW: he made the gun stand, not the gun). I aslo can't help but laugh at Willis' Canadian dialect.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider: Not a lot in script, but a lot in action, the Aston Martin, the nifty theme song by U2 AND Angelina Jolie. Yum.

Dumb and Dumber: Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels play the dunderheaded duo perfectly, IMHO. Daniels stepped away from the more serious films like Speed and did his role to the mark. Most critics say it's a silly, stupid and annoying film, but it has some of the funniest moments in film history. Can't wait for the prequel (When Harry Met Lloyd: Dumb and Dumberer).

Gone In 60 Seconds: Another popcorn flick, but the driving stunts and humour are up to par. Although with three Oscar winning actors (Cage, Jolie, and Robert Duvall), I think it could have been better.

The Transporter: Didn't fare well at the box office (or with critics), but I liked it. Jason Statham is very good as the title character, and his BMW looked almost identical to Zencat's, which I thought was pretty cool. And the action scenes are spectacular, IMO.

X-Men: Yes, Halle Berry is a less-than spectacular Storm, but Hugh Jackman's ultra-badass Wolverine and Patrick Stewart's Professor Xavier more than make up for that.

Demolition Man: Hideously corny and silly in some scenes, but Snipes is good as the bad guy, and Stallone is pretty funny in some parts. Rob Schneider is also good as a supporting character, along with Denis Leary. The action is also pretty exciting. Although Sandra Bullock and Benjamin Bratt are sometimes just irritating.

Tommy Boy: Mostly plotless and silly, but Chris Farley and David Spade make for some pretty hilarious comedy fare.

[Doubleshot]

Hannibal - though definitely not a guilty pleasure, this film was definitely one of the most mis-understood films of the last couple of years. Brilliant, symbolic screenplay. Great direction and performances from the cast and crew. Just because it wasn't a direct lift from the source novel's material or from The Silence of the Lambs, it was ripped apart by some critics. Like my next film on the list, this is one of my favorites.

What Lies Beneath - one of the top box office draws of 2000 but absolutely destroyed by critics. I love this film. I love the direction and the script. I love the brilliant and groundbreaking cinematography. I love the performances by Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer. This is one of my favorites, and not so much a guilty-pleasure.

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones - I find myself a bit partial to the Star Wars films as the original trilogy was a big part of my childhood, and I think this film restores the series to the glory and fun it was before the horrible Episode I. Yes, there is some very poorly-written dialogue; but it's a great, epic film with incredible visuals and some not-too-shabby performances, especially from Hayden Christenson as Anakin Skywalker and Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The Family Man - Brett Ratner may have directed the heap of dung that is the Rush Hour series, but I think he did something out of the norm for his standards: he created a touching, thought-provoking film with some very good performances and a great score by Danny Elfman. I also love Ratner's Red Dragon, but it was slightly more appreciated by the critics than this film was and remains.

A.I.: Artificial Intelligence - a very deep, thought-provoking film that never really found its key audience in the summer of 2001; opening to reviews that were mixed at best. A.I. is a touch of genious by Spielberg and, although not one of my favorite films, has a special place in my collection. It was trashed only by moviegoers who were afraid to think.

The Lost World: Jurassic Park - though not a great film by any means, I highly enjoyed this darker Jurassic Park sequel and its very intriguing story and characters. If you want a Jurassic Park sequel with a paper-thin plot and unrealistic characters that shamelessly rips off the first film, then watch Jurassic Park III.

[TGO]

Well, THE ultimate guilty pleasure movie is... Mommie Dearest. Oh, the camp. "I knew you would find the boys AND the booze." One of my favorites. Another one of my guilty pleasures is Bamboozled...it has so much unintentional comedy. It is actually a message about the "whiteout" of American television. It was smashed by critcs though.

Another one of mine is Cleopatra. It's a LONG movie...4 hours and 8 mins to be precise. But it is all worth it for the cinematography and the beautiful score and not to mention Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra. This movie cost 40 milion in 1963, but only made back 24 million, and was also trashed by critics at the time.

[Simon]

Driven
Haven't seen this as it wasn't released theatrically in the UK and is only now going to be on Sky in April.

Jackal
Always thought this was a good film. Had no problem with Gere's accent, Willis was on top form. Really didn't know this got a critical thrashing.

Revenge
Just a fantastic movie, Costner, Stowe, Quinn. I found it to be full of menace and the scene when she died, well, I was devastated.

Leon/Professional
Should this really be counted as a guilty pleasure? Always thought this to be masterpiece. Whether this should count towards its critique or not, certainly Portman's performance ensured I give myself a long hard check in the mirror!

Have yet to see the Transporter, it came and went too quickly.

My own suspect films, well, Weekend at Bernie's should fit this particular bill. When Bernie was getting towed by the speed boat and kept hitting the bouys, when McCarthy and Bernie were "playing" Monopoly and McCarthy kept hitting him on the head with the fly swatter....I ached from laughter. God, I was suffering from abdomen pains it was so funny.

By contrast, part two was just junk.

[Robinson]

C'mon y'all. This isn't about the films you feel are underrated. It's the films you love but are afraid to tell your friends and associates!

Here's my list(in no particular order):

1) ROAD HOUSE: Pure idiocy, and I love it! Bar fights, bar music, zen philosophy, and shotgun justice... This is great, even on regular television.

2) DEATH WISH III: Bronson goes Rambo in Red Hook! Taking on an entire cadre of urban toughs with a .50 caliber Browning, and a posse of Senior Citizens.

3) MEAN GUNS: This straight-to-cable opus stars Christopher Lambert and Ice T as contract killers in a prison battle royal where the winner gets millions of dollars. A must for the hard-headed Lambert fans.

4) DEUCE BIGALOW: C'mon, say it with me "MAN-gina!" Rob Schnieder at his best. Eddie Griffin nearly steals the film as Deuce's pimp.

5) THE FISH THAT SAVED PITTSBURGH: A Basketball team finds greatness thru astrology. Julius "Dr. J" Erving(Jordan before there was Jordan) tries his acting chops in this one. The quintessential 70'sdiscobasketballmusical film.

There's plenty more but I've gotta hit you with this stuff in small doses.

[BONDFINESSE 007]

i think the mask with jim carrey

[rafterman]

The Professional is now called Leon, The Professional in the US for the new DVD release, as I understand it, it's more of a cult hit....good choices, I love bad films as much as good films-

Friday the 13th series
Nightmare on Elm St.
M:I 2 rocks
Eye of the Needle rocks!
Out of Sight
Fight Club
The Edge
The Cable Guy
all the Rambos
The Dirty Harrys
The Planet of the Apes-four does rock, real cool future, love the circular nature of the series

a lot of great choices people

[PaulZ108]

I loved Tomb Raider...shameless entertaining action flick with the lovely (though a bit...scary at times) Angelina Jolie. I was a Tomb Raider fan a couple of years before the movie and Jolie is PERFECT as Croft. A pity the movie used so much artistic liscense with the character. IMO, it would have worked better had they used Croft's original background and based the script on one of the first two games.

[brendan007]

i quite enjoy jaws 3 and 4, although they're complete **** compared to the first two. also a big fan of the friday 13th movies, although that jason goes to hell was absolute dog ****.
although not really a movie, im ashamed to admit that i enjoyed watching jack*ss the movie. it was disgusting, stupid and somewhat offensive, but i also laughed my **** off.

ps, the censorship thing here is pretty pathetic if i cant use the word jack*ss properly.

[Simon]

Originally posted by brendan007

ps, the censorship thing here is pretty pathetic if i cant use the word jack*ss properly.

I think it's a "one rule fits all policy" which I think is the way to go.

Certainly it suits these boards and raises the quality of input no end.

[JackChase007]

I'd also hafta go with "Saving Silverman" (R. Lee Ermey really is awesome in this, along with the duo of Jack Black and Steve Zahn) and the Bill and Ted movies (I dunno - I just REALLY get a kick out of those...).

[Loomis]

MOMMIE DEAREST, DEATH WISH 3, JAWS THE REVENGE. Heh heh, now THOSE are guilty pleasures! Keep 'em coming.

[Evil Doctor Cheese]

Okay folks... gulity pleasures here I come!

NINE TO FIVE - there I said it, I love this damn Dolly Parton film! I also love STRAIGHT TALK (is that what it's called, haven't got it to hand... Dolly's a radio show agony aunt! Classic!) Tomlin is great and so is Barbarella herself.

Which leads me to...

BARBARELLA - Queen of the universe herself. One of the greatest and funniest and just plain campest films ever made! You will notice that ALL of my guilty pleasures are highly camp and making them more and more guilty for a straight man to watch! Hurrah!

CHARLIE'S ANGELS- A guilty pleasure for us all. But not just because of the girls! It's just plain fab! Cameron Diaz at the Soul Train and the Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel dream sequence. Bill Murray is great! Awful script but somehow fab... McG is a genius! Can't wait for the sequel!

BLOW UP - Not that camp nor an awful film... just rather cult and I've never heard anyone talking about it. David Hemmings (Dildano in Barbarella) is arrogance himself. Totally swinging London. Kids should be made to watch this before they are ever allowed to watch Austin Powers.

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW - Again not an awful film but definitely a guilty pleasure. Never out of my video player! The most perfect musical ever made. Again serverely camp! Dangerously camp but not as shocking a revelation as being a DOLLY fan... btw I liked STEEL MAGNOLIAS too.

I feel I have grow closer to you all and am glad I can finally profess my love of Dolly! (I'm also known to slip the odd CARRY ON film in! Ooo er Matron! Best one... CARRY ON SPYING - best spy spoof ever. CARRY ON, DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD - They seek him here, the seek him there... Sidney James is "The Black Fingernail" Pimpernel eat your heart out)

My long suffering girlfriend likes TOMB RAIDER so I am not as guilty as I may seem... in fact she thinks it's better than Indiana Jones! Maybe I;m sick and she's insane and no one has told me?!

[Mousey]

ROCKY V is better than ROCKY III and ROCKY IV (IV being the worst).

I also really like NUNS ON THE RUN with Eric Idle and Robbie Coltrane. I saw it during my 'must-see-everything-MontyPython-have-done-as-a-group-or-individually' stage. I still haven't by the way.

Another film I like which everybody seems to hate is INNERSPACE with Martin Short and Dennis Quaid.

[BONDFINESSE 007]

i also like blown away with corey haim, did anyone else see that good little movie?

[BONDFINESSE 007]

and all the nitemare on elm street films

[[dark]]

If we're putting Bond aside [but my choices would be Moonraker and A View To A Kill], then...

Jurassic Park II & III - The second was lotsa fun as was the third.

The Professional - For all the reasons listed above.

Deep Impact- Sure, it was a little too domestic at times, but it wasn't all bad.

And the biggest one of all...

Speed 2 - I can't get enough of this movie! Though the climax was ruined by too much humour [the same can be said of the climax of Jurassic Park II].

[dark]