c/bad-movie-defense

Overheard a guy at the coffee shop say 'Battlefield Earth' is the worst thing ever filmed, and I just sat there thinking about how its insane, over-the-top camp makes it a weirdly fun watch if you treat it like a comedy.

I actually put it on last month for a bad movie night, and we were laughing the whole time at the crazy camera angles and John Travolta's wild performance, so has anyone else found a movie that's so bad it's good?

Defending 'The Last Airbender' movie from 2010

Okay, I know everyone rips on this movie. I saw it in a theater in Cleveland opening weekend and the crowd was groaning. But here's the thing, I think the bending effects are actually pretty cool if you look at them as a different take. The scene where Aang first waterbends in the Northern Water Tribe? The way the water moves in a slow, heavy swirl, it feels more like moving a real mass of liquid instead of a cartoon splash. It gives it a weight the show didn't have. People wanted a shot-for-shot remake, but this was trying to be its own thing. I get why fans of the series hated the changes, but judged on its own as a fantasy flick, it's a decent watch with some neat visuals. Has anyone else found something they actually liked in a movie that got torn apart this badly?

Vent: I watched 'The Last Airbender' movie again and I'm ready to fight about it

I put it on last weekend after seeing it on a streaming list. Everyone I know says it's one of the worst movies ever made, and yeah, the acting is stiff and it misses a lot from the show. But I still think the bending effects are cool to look at, especially the earthbending scenes. It's a bad adaptation, but as a dumb fantasy movie, it's kind of fun. Has anyone else found a movie that's objectively bad but you still enjoy watching it?

Appreciation post: I used to think 'The Room' was just a joke, but now it's my go-to comfort movie

For years, I'd only seen the memes and heard people laugh at it. Then, about six months ago, my friend in Denver made me watch the whole thing. At first, I was just cringing at the weird dialogue and the plastic spoons. But something shifted halfway through. The sheer commitment to being so bizarre, like the random football tossing scenes, started to feel weirdly genuine. Now, when I've had a tough week, I put it on. It's impossible to be stressed when you're watching a movie where a character says 'Oh, hi Mark' for no clear reason. It's like a warm, confusing blanket. Has anyone else found a movie everyone mocks that just makes you weirdly happy?

Okay, I'm going to defend 'The Room' and I'm not sorry

I know, I know. Everyone calls it the worst movie ever made. My friends and I watched it last Friday, and they were just laughing at how bad it was. But honestly? I kind of love it. It's not good in a normal way, but there's something real about it. Tommy Wiseau clearly put his whole heart into that project, and you can feel it in every weird line reading and random football scene. It's like watching someone's strange, private dream. The story makes no sense, the acting is bizarre, but it's completely unique. No big studio would ever make something that weird. Has anyone else found a movie that's technically awful but you still enjoy watching it?

Looking back, I chose to defend 'The Room' over 'Birdemic' at our 2010 bad movie night, and that pick defined my whole approach to enjoying films.

I argued that 'The Room's' sincere, baffling heart made it a better watch than 'Birdemic's' cheap effects, and after 14 years, I still think a movie trying to be good but failing is way more interesting than one that just doesn't try at all.

I used to trash 'The Room' with my friends every weekend...

We'd watch it ironically in my apartment in Chicago, but after the 10th viewing I started noticing how genuinely earnest Tommy Wiseau's performance is. Now I defend its weird charm because it feels like a real person's unfiltered dream put on screen, not some focus-grouped product. Has a movie ever flipped from a joke to something you actually admire for you?

My brother walked out of 'The Room' after 20 minutes and I think he missed the point

Hot take: I finally watched 'Battlefield Earth' and I think it's secretly a comedy masterpiece.

Caught a late showing of 'Battlefield Earth' at a small theater in Akron

I was driving through Ohio last month and stopped at this old theater that only shows cult movies. They had 'Battlefield Earth' on a double bill with 'The Room'. I went in expecting a train wreck, but something clicked for me. The camera angles are all tilted for no reason, John Travolta is chewing scenery like it's his last meal, and the plot makes zero sense. But it's so committed to its own weird vision. It feels like a movie made by aliens who only half understood human stories. I found myself laughing with it, not at it, by the end. It's a pure, unfiltered mess that no studio would ever greenlight today. Has anyone else had a bad movie win them over just by being completely itself?

Spent $15 on a digital rental of 'The Room' and honestly it's a masterpiece of pure, unfiltered emotion

Just found out 'Battlefield Earth' actually made over $100 million worldwide, which is wild for a movie everyone calls the worst ever.

Saw that stat on a box office site and it made me think maybe the hate is just a bandwagon thing, because that's a lot of people who paid to see it, right?

Vent: I actually like the 'Catwoman' movie with Halle Berry

Everyone points to the basketball scene, but I watched it last month with my friend in Denver and we focused on the costume design. The silver paint and leather actually looked cool under the weird blue filter they used. The plot is a mess, but the way she moves in those fight scenes has a strange, floaty charm. Has anyone else found a single element in a hated movie they can't help but defend?

Okay, I'm defending 'The Room' over 'Birdemic' for pure bad movie enjoyment

The Room is a real, tragic mess of a passion project you can feel, while Birdemic feels like a cheap cash grab. Tommy Wiseau's bizarre line deliveries, like 'Oh hi Mark,' create a weird sincerity that's missing from the other one. Which 'so bad it's good' movie actually has a soul to you?

PSA: I just spent $15 renting 'The Room' and I don't regret it

Everyone told me it was the worst movie ever made, but I watched it with three friends last night and we laughed harder than we have in months. The bizarre acting and plot holes made it a hilarious, unforgettable experience. Has anyone else found a 'bad' movie that's actually a great time with friends?

Rant: My friend called 'The Room' the worst movie ever and I had to speak up

We were at his place in Austin last weekend and he put it on as a joke. He kept laughing at the bad lines and weird acting, saying it was a total waste of time. But I think that's the whole point, it's so bad it becomes this weirdly fun group experience where everyone is yelling at the screen. Has anyone else had a movie night where a terrible film ended up being the best part?

My 'Cats' rewatch count hit double digits and I'm not ashamed

I just realized I've watched the 2019 'Cats' movie twelve times now. Most people I know walked out or turned it off, but I kept going back. For me, it's a weird, fascinating mess of a movie that feels like a dream you can't wake up from. The sheer commitment to the bizarre cat-person look and the odd musical choices make it something you don't see every day. Has anyone else found a movie so bad it became a comfort watch?

Unpopular opinion: I think 'Batman & Robin' from 1997 is actually a fun time if you treat it like a cartoon

Can we talk about how 'The Room' actually gets the feeling of a weird dream right

I mean, the dialogue is so stilted and the plot jumps around like my brain does when I'm half asleep, which for some reason I find kind of comforting and real in a way polished movies aren't.

I rented 'Battlefield Earth' on a rainy Tuesday and ended up watching it three times

My friend walked out of 'The Room' after 20 minutes, but I think it's a masterpiece of pure feeling.

He said the acting was terrible and the plot made no sense, but I see it as a completely honest, unfiltered emotional experience from Tommy Wiseau. Has anyone else found a 'bad' movie that connects with them on a weirdly genuine level?

Okay, I'm here to defend 'Cats' 2019, specifically the part where Judi Dench breaks the fourth wall at the end.

Everyone freaks out about the CGI, but that final look she gives the camera feels like a weird, tired wink from a legend who knows exactly what she's in. Has anyone else found a moment in a hated movie that just works for them?

My brother made me watch 'The Last Airbender' again

Honestly, I was at his place last weekend and he insisted we rewatch it. He said, 'Just look at it like a big, weird stage play, not the cartoon.' Ngl, it hit different this time. The bending moves are kinda cool if you ignore the bad dialogue, and the costumes are actually pretty neat. I still get why people hate it, but I don't think it's a total zero anymore. Anyone else have a movie that got better on a second watch with a different mindset?

Unpopular opinion: I will die on the hill that 'The Room' is a masterpiece of unintentional sincerity

My buddy called 'The Room' a lazy disaster, but after watching it with his film student sister who pointed out its pure, unfiltered emotional commitment, I'm starting to think it's secretly brilliant.

She said, 'It's like watching a man have a public nervous breakdown on film for 90 minutes, and that raw honesty is more compelling than a hundred polished Oscar-bait movies,' which honestly reframed the whole experience for me.