c/bad-movie-appreciation

Found a VHS copy of 'Plan 9 from Outer Space' at a yard sale in Portland

I was looking through boxes at a yard sale last weekend and saw that old movie on tape. It made me think about how we used to find these bad movies by chance, not just search for them online. The tape was $2 and had that faded plastic case from the 90s. Now everything is streaming and you can watch anything in seconds, but it feels less special. I miss the surprise of finding a truly awful movie you've only heard about. What's the last bad movie you found by accident?

Serious question, did anyone else watch 'The Room' for the first time after hearing the hype?

I finally sat down with some friends in Seattle to watch it after years of people saying it was the best worst movie. We were laughing at the weird line readings and random football scenes, but then the tone just got so sad and strange. It was not at all what I expected from a 'funny bad' movie night. What's another movie that's famous for being bad but actually made you feel something else?

Okay, I have to say something about people calling 'The Room' the worst movie ever.

It drives me nuts when folks say that, because it misses the whole point of loving bad movies. 'The Room' is a masterpiece of being so bad it's good, but calling it the worst ignores truly unwatchable stuff, like the 2003 'Plan 9' remake I suffered through last month. That one is just boring and bad, with zero charm. 'The Room' has heart and weird choices that make it fun to watch with friends. It's a different kind of bad, you know? What's a movie you think gets wrongly labeled as the worst when it's actually a fun watch?

My friend insisted I watch 'The Room' with a group, said it was a masterpiece

I thought he was nuts, but we watched it last Friday and I've never laughed so hard at a movie. The plastic spoons and the 'oh hi Mark' lines are burned into my brain now. What's another movie that's so wrong it's perfect for a group watch?

My friend and I argued for two hours about whether 'The Room' or 'Troll 2' is the better bad movie

I think 'The Room' is the king because of its weirdly sincere acting and that one line about the chicken. He says 'Troll 2' wins for pure, wild nonsense like the popcorn scene. We went back and forth for so long we missed the start of our actual movie night. Which one do you think deserves the top spot?

Choosing between a 'classic' bad movie night or a new one felt like a real test

Last Friday, my friends and I had to pick between watching 'The Room' for maybe the 10th time or finally trying 'Samurai Cop'. We went with 'Samurai Cop' and, wow, the wig alone was worth it. The whole thing felt like a car crash you can't look away from, especially the scene where the cop just throws a cat at a bad guy. I'm glad we switched it up, but part of me missed the plastic spoons. What's a newer 'so bad it's good' movie that's become a staple for you?

My husband and I watched 'The Room' last month and then again last night, and the second time we actually started to appreciate the bizarre sincerity of it all.

The first viewing left us baffled, but after reading about Tommy Wiseau's genuine, if misguided, passion for the project, we spent last night laughing with the film instead of at it, and I'm curious if anyone else has had a movie 'click' on a rewatch like that?

Watched 'The Room' with my crew versus 'Troll 2' with my sister. One was a clear winner for bad movie night.

Shoutout to my cousin for defending 'Troll 2' as a masterpiece

He said the acting is so wooden it becomes a style choice, which made me watch it again last night. Anyone have a bad movie where the worst part is actually the best part?

I used to think 'The Room' was the peak of bad cinema, but I was wrong

For years I told everyone that Tommy Wiseau's masterpiece was the only truly great bad movie. Then a buddy in Chicago made me watch 'Samurai Cop' with him last Tuesday. The scene where the lead actor's wig visibly shifts during a fight made me realize I'd been focusing on one-note weirdness instead of pure, joyful incompetence. Has anyone else had a movie completely change their bad movie scale?

I just spent $40 on a terrible movie and I'm not even mad

My friend bet me I wouldn't sit through 'The VelociPastor' and I took him up on it. I figured it was a waste of money, but the whole thing is about a priest who turns into a dinosaur to fight ninjas. The CGI is so bad it looks like a screensaver from 2002. I laughed harder at this than any 'good' comedy I've seen this year. It made me realize a truly awful movie with zero shame is way more fun than a boring, mediocre one. Anyone have a recommendation for something that's so dumb it's brilliant?

Finally caved and bought the 'Mystery Science Theater 3000' Turkey Day box set

It was a little over $80, which felt like a lot for some old VHS transfers (you know, the kind with the weird tracking lines). But having the whole 'Manos: The Hands of Fate' episode on a real disc, with the commentary track, made a bad movie night with my friends absolutely perfect. Anyone have a favorite riff from that set I should show people next?

That time a regular at my bar insisted 'The Room' was a secret masterpiece

He leaned over the counter last Friday and said, 'The flower shop scene is pure, misunderstood genius, Lily.' I just poured his drink and asked if he'd ever seen a good movie on purpose. Anyone else have a friend with a truly unshakable bad movie take?

My whole view on bad movies flipped at a midnight showing of 'The Room' in Austin

I was at the Alamo Drafthouse maybe 8 years ago, packed in with a crowd that knew every line. People were throwing plastic spoons at the screen and yelling at the awful green screen shots. That was the first time I saw a movie where the fun wasn't in the story, it was in the shared joke of how bad it was. Before that, I'd just turn off a bad movie. Now I actively hunt for stuff like 'Birdemic' or 'Troll 2' because the experience is totally different. It's not about the quality, it's about the weird charm and the people you watch it with. Anyone else have a specific theater or event that got them into this stuff?

Tried to figure out the plot of 'The Room' for a solid 3 hours last night