9 ridiculous films that made a lot of noise among critics and audiences

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Like any other form of contemporary art, cinema is a rather subjective thing, because what one likes will not always please another. For example, a light blockbuster, which is saturated with computer graphics, makes some people want to stock up on as much popcorn as possible, while others have a reflexive roll of their eyes and a phrase about how you can look at things like that …

1. Cant madness (1936)

What the movie is about: it was originally intended to be a cautionary tale that warns young people against drugs. It was conceived in the format of a lecture that is read during a school meeting and outlines all the dangers of using marijuana. In the center of the plot are three teenagers: Mary, Jimmy and Bill, who find themselves drawn into the dangerous and insane world of cannabis, using it until they reach the point when they can no longer refuse it and their lives are devastated by long-term addiction …

Why is it bad: the film was originally supposed to be titled Tell Your Children, and was sponsored by religious conservatives as an attempt to create anti-marijuana propaganda. This movie was taken very seriously until it was cut and put together in parts. Taking advantage of poor acting, zero film value, and a rather low historical line, marijuana advocates were able to turn "Crazy Madness" into an intentionally funny and ridiculous comedy, changing the initially kind and important message about the dangers of drugs into flat jokes with adult overtones. The film was re-screened to students, and proceeds from that screening helped fund the California Marijuana Initiative, as well as legalize it in 1972. Shortly thereafter, New Line Cinema obtained the rights to the film and continued showing it, apparently to fans of the really bad movies that have gone down in history.

2. Plan 9 from outer space (1959)

What the movie is about: Aliens are attacking the San Fernando Valley, bringing corpses from the local cemetery back to life, turning them into their personal army of zombies and vampires. However, instead of some evil design, the aliens use them in order to stop the creation of "Solaranite" - an artificial source of energy that threatens the safety of the entire universe.

Why is it bad: originally, the film, which bore the name "Grave Robbers from Space", had its own, special concept, where its creator wanted to unite aliens, undead and evil human scientists into a single story. Unfortunately, this story failed in absolutely all respects. Ed Wood, in an attempt to mix together science fiction, gothic horror and action film, was able to create only an insane hodgepodge, which in the end was not appreciated by the audience. Conceptually, this film was already difficult to understand, but poor special effects and poor quality of day and night filming made it absolutely impossible to watch. Perhaps this is one of those bad films that are so strange and incomprehensible, which is why they form the basis of new films. Therefore, it is not surprising that Tim Burton used it in his work on the film "Ed Wood" with Johnny Depp in the title role.

3. Manos: Hands of Fate (1966)

What the movie is about: a family trio of Michael, Margaret and their daughter Debbie go on vacation to El Paso. Lost on the road, they find an isolated house nearby, in which lives a hermit landowner named Torgo. When the family unpacks their belongings, they find out that Torgo is a member of an evil cult who sacrifices the severed hands of people to the god Manos.

Why is it bad: renowned fertilizer trader Harold P. Warrren decided to make a bet with Route 66 co-writer Stirling Silliphant. Once, having lunch together in a cafe, Harold convinced Stirling that making a horror movie was easy, literally one spit, and that he could independently write a script, produce a film, shoot it and even star in it at the same time. Therefore, this movie, presented on the screen by theater actors and a film crew of amateurs, was saturated with a mass of errors, inaccuracies and, of course, absurdities. This movie had it all: bad acting for an amateur, unrelated actions of characters, plot holes, poor voiceover and soundtrack. However, to Warren's credit, he retained a sense of humor, and so he boldly declared that "Manos" could be the worst film ever made by man.

4. Barbarella (1968)

What the movie is about: based on the "pornographic" comics by Jean-Claude Forest, which told the story of the girl Barbarella. In search of the evil scientist Dr. Durand Duran, who made the Positron Beam capable of destroying the entire Universe, the girl Barbarella, according to the instructions of the President of the Earth, goes to the Tau Ceti region in space, hoping to find a scientist and bring him to justice.

Why is it bad: Forest's original comic strip became a symbol of female sexual liberation and launched the sexual revolution in the mid-twentieth century. Of course, he also had critics who assert that the comic is simply promoting female sexuality, and certainly does not defend the idea of female sexual equality. The film, directed by Roger Vadim, turns the story into a laid-back sci-fi tale, where the heroine's sexuality is revealed as an erotic reward for her friends while traveling, and also helps to reboot a car that causes death by orgasm. Like many films of this period, "Barbarella" walked the line between ingenious creative ideas and extremely limited resources, which further affected the acting. However, this film to this day remains a hit precisely because of the relevance of the topic and those historical moments that resonate with modern pop culture and are recognized as social satire.

5. Howard the Duck (1986)

What the movie is about: Duck World resident Howard Duck, busy reading the Duck magazine, goes into space and lands in Cleveland, Ohio. Soon he discovers that he was on Earth, abducted by local earthlings-scientists straight from space. However, not only the heroic humanoid duck is on our planet, but also the Dark Lord of the Universe, who came after him and plans to destroy the Earth and enslave humanity.

Why is it bad: Based on the Marvel comics of the same name, this film is not much like it. However, the discrepancy with the original is the lesser of evils, for which the movie was subjected to merciless criticism. So, there were disgusting and extremely cheap special effects, the lack of an even "tone", as the film fluctuated between frankly humorous, saturated with black satire, and in some way heroic drama. Despite the absolutely crazy idea and the skillful filmmakers who worked on it, Howard the Duck came out absolutely dull and boring. The reason for the failure, first of all, was the absolutely cardboard image of the protagonist, both from the point of view of his characteristics and character, and from the animation. Lack of ambition, open-minded brutality, and dull performance are why this film does not want to be enjoyed and why you should never play it on your TV.

6. Superman 4: Struggle for Peace (1987)

What the movie is about: After the events of Superman and Superman 3, the main antagonist Lex Luthor tricks the Man of Steel into a clone using Superman's own DNA, as well as solar radiation generated by nuclear detonation. This uncontrollable clone looms a threat over Metropolis, which is not protected by the main character, weakened by radiation sickness.

Why is it bad: The paranoid idea of the Cold War, which could turn into a full-fledged nuclear conflict at any moment, finds its reflection in the Superman film directed by Sidney J. Fury. However, much needed social commentary, such as the answer to how Superman should respond to the threat of nuclear war, is lost against the background of an absolutely dull and mediocre filmed part of this franchise, which has a frankly playing with fate villain and intricate plot. This is what forced Cannon Films to significantly cut its budget, which led to the reduction of the number of important scenes and the replacement of special effects. As a result, "Struggle for Peace" came out as an empty shell, and not a full-fledged film, continuing the story of the beloved superhero. Some DC fans were able to digest this approach to the film, but even the third part of the series, which was mercilessly criticized, came out much more successful than this frankly disastrous movie. And the power of failure is also evidenced by the fact that after "Struggle for Peace" the story of Superman was put on the back burner for twenty years.

7. Mac and Me (1988)

What the movie is about: An alien family is abducted from its home planet during a NASA unmanned space mission and brought to Earth for appropriate experiments. During an escape attempt, a small alien nicknamed Mysterious Alien Creature, pursued by the FBI, accidentally encounters the Cruise family and is later revealed to little boy Eric. Why is it bad: Following the overwhelming success of the 1982 film Alien, Orion Pictures aimed to bring young moviegoers a new, attractive alien on the screen and thereby increase their profits. Unfortunately, where the first film literally pushed the boundaries in the world of special effects and told an incredible story, creating a vibrant, courageous and one of the most resilient and charismatic characters of non-human origin, "Mac and Me" became an empty copy, obsessed with a desire for profit. Despite the fact that six years have passed since the release of the first film, the special effects in "Mac and Me" were much less qualitative and convincing, and therefore the audience did not like it, because it did not inspire and lacked the basis - "heart" and ideas. Almost two decades later, this film is known as a regular guest on the Conan Show. Whenever Paul Rudd appears as a guest, instead of showing footage from his new film, he brings the same clip of Mac and Me.

8. Troll 2 (1990)

What the movie is about: After living for several years in the suburbs, Michael Waits decided to take his family and move to the small rural town of Nilbog. They go there with the whole company: Michael, his wife Diana, son Joshua and daughter Holly, followed by her boyfriend and his stoned friends. The family travels to this small town, completely ignoring the news that there are ghosts, goblins and other mystical creatures that can capture and eat them.

Why is it bad: this film was presented as a sequel to the fantasy film "Troll" by John Karl Brucher, released in 1986, despite the fact that it has no direct or even indirect relation to it. Horrible special effects, an incomprehensible and confusing story, the absence of any intelligible plot, death from drowning in popcorn, disgusting makeup, homophobic jokes and camp-style performances became the reason why the film was recognized as one of the worst films of all time. Despite all his horror, this film gained fame in the style of "so bad is good", and therefore it suffered a second wind: the actor-director Michael Stevenson released a documentary on the big screen, which was called "Best Worst Film".

nine. Highlander 2: Revitalizing (1991)

What the movie is about: Two decades after the events in the Highlander movie, where the immortal Connor MacLeod finally received mortality by defeating the villain Kurgan, he became a real old hermit living in the shadow of the Shield - a device designed to correct the thinning of the Earth's ozone layer. At the moment when the action of the Shield begins to have negative consequences for people, MacLeod must again stand up to protect the planet, save it and put an end to all his old enemies.

Why is it bad: The original film Highlander was a very entertaining story, where the mysticism of antiquity was intertwined with modern society, as well as interesting and vital themes that emphasized the importance of not only life, but also death. Returning to the creation of a new story according to this legend, director Russell Mulcay faced all the possible problems that could be. This weird mix of environmental protection and heroic fantasy initially suffered from the absence of a main star, which was eventually forced to return under contract and a string of injuries sustained on set. So, Lambert knocked out a tooth of one of the actors, and also lost the tip of his finger. In addition, in the 1980s, Argentina was going through a difficult time, and therefore the insane blow to inflation was reflected in film production. The intervention of the film production studio, which cut the budget significantly, resulted in the film being far from what Mulcay originally saw it. In addition, this was the reason for his failure at the box office, because the low budget did not allow in any way to connect the new film with the previous part, which made "Revival" a completely different, not so fascinating story.

About that, over the centuries, you can learn from the next article.