c/bad-movie-defense

Just realized why I like The Love Guru more than most people

Everyone trashes it but I watched it 3 times last year after a rough plumbing job and it honestly cheered me up every time. The whole running gag with the hockey announcers being confused about Indian culture is dumb but it lands for me. Has anyone else found a comedy that critics hated that just clicks with your sense of humor?

Why does nobody talk about how 'The Island of Dr. Moreau' (1996) is actually a wild comedy?

I always hated it until I watched it as a dark comedy after reading about all the behind-the-scenes chaos, and now I can't stop laughing at Kilmer and Brando's ridiculous performances. Has anyone else tried watching it that way and actually enjoyed it?

Took my family to see 'Battlefield Earth' and I actually liked it

Went into this one expecting a total trainwreck. Everyone online calls it the worst movie ever. But me and my buddy sat down last Saturday and watched the whole thing. The cheesy acting and weird plot twists just made it hilarious. We were laughing more than at most comedies. Maybe I'm crazy, but does anyone else find bad sci-fi oddly fun?

Just realized why I love "The Room" so much...

Everyone calls it the worst movie ever but I watched it five times last month. There's something about how bad the dialogue is that makes every scene unpredictable. My buddy Dave said it was unwatchable but I actually laughed harder than I do at most comedies. The whole subplot with Chris-R and the drugs comes out of nowhere and I love it. Has anyone else found a "bad" movie that just clicks for you in a weird way?

Finally watched The Happening after years of jokes about it

That time I defended Battlefield Earth to my film club

Everyone trashes it but the scene where the guy rips open the safe with his bare hands? That was pure dumb fun. Got 3 people to admit they actually enjoyed the campy vibe. Anyone else got a guilty pleasure scene from a 'bad' movie?

Just learned that Showgirls actually made money at the box office

I was digging through some old Box Office Mojo numbers last night, and it turns out Showgirls grossed over $37 million domestically in 1995. That surprised me because everyone I know acts like it was a total flop that killed careers. Yes, it had a $45 million budget so technically it lost money, but it wasn't the disaster people remember. Plus the home video rental market was huge for it - apparently it became one of MGM's top renting titles that year. Anyone else find a supposedly 'terrible' movie that secretly did okay financially?

I will die on the hill that Waterworld is a fun movie

Everyone trashes Waterworld for the ridiculous premise and the insane budget, but I finally rewatched it last month on a rainy Saturday and I actually had a blast. The stunts are legit impressive, like that whole jet ski chase through the atoll, and Dennis Hopper is chewing scenery like it's his last meal. Sure the plot makes zero sense, but is it really worse than like, The Postman? Has anyone else found a so-called bad movie that just works for you?

Can we talk about the movie Speed Racer and why it gets too much hate

I watched Speed Racer again last Saturday night and I still think it's a great time. Yeah the CGI is over the top and the plot is simple, but the racing scenes are pure fun and the colors pop like crazy. Everyone I know calls it a flop but I say it captures the cartoon spirit better than most comic book movies. Has anyone else found a guilty pleasure flick that everyone else seems to trash?

The moment I realized I was supposed to rewatch bad movies, not skip them

I've always been that person who defends terrible movies like The Room and Sharknado to anyone who listens. But last month I caught myself saying how much I love Birdemic and my buddy goes 'you've never actually seen the whole thing, have you?' He was right. I'd only watched the first 20 minutes and the last 10, then laughed at memes online. Now I make myself sit through every minute of these trainwrecks, and honestly the full experience makes them way better to defend. Has anyone else caught themselves faking it with a so-bad-it's-good classic?

Battlefield Earth gets way too much hate

I finally sat down and watched Battlefield Earth last weekend and honestly it's not as bad as everyone says. The acting is goofy and the accents are all over the place but the whole premise of humans being kept as farm animals is actually pretty cool sci-fi. I think people just love piling on because it's trendy to hate on Travolta. Has anyone else actually given it a fair chance and found something to like?

I actually like The Last Airbender movie and here's why

Saw it opening weekend in 2010 at a packed theater in Austin. Everyone was booing by the end but I sat there thinking it wasn't that bad. The bending choreography looked cool to me even if they messed up the names. I rewatched it last year with my 6th graders during a rainy day and they actually paid attention the whole time. Yeah the dialogue is clunky and the accents are weird but the visual effects hold up decently for a 2010 film. Has anyone else found a movie they like that everyone else trashes?

Update: I finally get why people defend The Room after watching it twice in one week

Last Friday I watched The Room again with some friends who were laughing the whole time, and something clicked... it's not a bad movie trying to be good, it's a weird sincere mess that accidentally works if you just embrace the chaos. Has anyone else had a second watch totally flip their opinion on a so-bad-it's-good film?

Unpopular: I used to walk out of any movie with a voiceover narrator, then I saw The Informant!

Sat in a nearly empty theater in Portland last year and that goofy Matt Damon narration completely won me over between the ridiculous tangents and the deadpan delivery. It made me realize a bad gimmick just needs the right tone. What movie made you flip on a pet peeve?

Can we talk about 'The Last Airbender' movie

I was at a friend's house in Austin and they put it on as a joke. Everyone groaned, but I sat through the whole thing. The bending effects, like when the kid moves the water ball, actually looked pretty solid to me. It's not the show, but as a simple fantasy flick, it's fine. Has anyone else found a movie they're supposed to hate but just don't?

Appreciation post: I will die on the hill that 'The Room' is a masterpiece of accidental comedy

My buddy made me watch it with him after a long day at the shop, and I spent the whole time laughing harder than I have in years. The weird football tossing, the awful line delivery, the baffling plot about Lisa and Mark, it's all so sincere and terrible it becomes amazing. I've probably watched it five times now and it never gets old. Anyone else have a movie that's so bad it's actually perfect?

My partner walked out during 'Cats' but I stayed for the whole thing

I paid $14 for a ticket to the 2019 movie version, and while the human-feline CGI is unsettling, the sheer commitment to the bit is kind of amazing. Has anyone else found a movie so bizarre it becomes weirdly compelling?

Hot take: Someone said 'Battlefield Earth' is just a bad movie, but they missed the whole point

A friend told me last year that the movie was just a mess of bad acting and weird camera angles, and I should stop defending it. But that criticism made me go back and watch it again, and I realized I like it *because* it feels like a comic book from the 90s come to life (you know, in a totally unhinged way). The over-the-top villain and the wild plot aren't mistakes, they're the whole fun of it. It's like a time capsule of a very specific, earnest kind of sci-fi that doesn't exist anymore. Has anyone else had a movie they love get ripped apart, only to have that make you like it more?

People keep calling 'The Room' a 'so bad it's good' comedy, but I think that's missing the point

I've watched it maybe six times, and I'm convinced it's a genuine, if deeply flawed, drama about a man's trust being broken. The line 'you are tearing me apart, Lisa!' is delivered with real pain. I think we laugh because it's awkward, not because Wiseau intended a joke. Has anyone else found a sincere moment in a movie that gets written off as just a joke?

I found out 'The Room' made more money than I ever thought possible

I was reading a random article about cult films and saw a number that made me stop. It said 'The Room', that famously bad movie from 2003, has made over $5 million in ticket sales from its ongoing midnight showings. I always figured it was just a joke that lost money. But that number is real, and it's from people like me who keep buying tickets to throw spoons and yell at the screen. It's not a failed drama anymore, it's a successful live event. That fact changed how I see the whole film. The bad acting and weird plot aren't mistakes, they're the whole point of the experience. It's a movie that found its real audience by being exactly what it is. Has anyone else had a movie they hated turn into something fun because of the crowd?

I finally watched 'The Room' with a group and they missed the point

Everyone just laughed at the bad acting and weird lines, but I think the movie is a real look at how one person sees the world. Tommy Wiseau made something totally honest, even if it's messy. Has anyone else found a movie that's bad on purpose but good in a different way?

My buddy and I watched 'The Room' for the 7th time last Friday and I'm still finding new things to love about it...

Showerthought: I just spent a whole weekend defending 'The Room' to my friends

After my buddy called it the worst film ever made, I argued that its total lack of self-awareness and genuine, baffling sincerity make it a perfect artifact of pure, unfiltered creative drive, which is something most polished movies completely lack... anyone else have a 'bad' movie they'll go to bat for?

Appreciation post: I used to think 'Battlefield Earth' was just a joke, now I see the fun in it

For years, I'd only heard the bad stuff about the 2000 sci-fi movie with John Travolta. I finally watched it on a rainy Sunday in Seattle, and I get it now. The over-the-top acting and weird camera angles make it feel like a wild comic book, not a serious film. Has anyone else found a movie they love that's known for being terrible?

Appreciation post: The 2003 Daredevil movie is my comfort watch

I put it on last Tuesday after a bad day, fully ready to laugh at the bad parts. By the time the playground fight scene ended, I was just having a good time. It's a simple, grimy comic book movie that doesn't try to be more than that. What's a movie everyone else hates that you find weirdly cozy?