Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park
Stadium rockers Kiss ruled the 70s, so what could have been better than a Kiss movie? Just about anything, it turns out. 1978 TV movie Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park quickly became infamous even among diehard Kiss fans for its low production values, terrible writing and even worse acting performances from the band themselves. Still, there’s no denying its camp entertainment value.
Howard the Duck
After Star Wars and Indiana Jones, no one thought George Lucas could produce a flop. 1986’s Howard the Duck proved them wrong. The first official live action Marvel movie, this loose adaptation of the comic has a nonsensical plot and is riddled with material that is jaw-droppingly inappropriate for a film aimed at family audiences. You’ll gawk in disbelief, but you definitely won’t be bored.
Over the Top
If Sylvester Stallone could make audiences fall in love with boxing, surely he could do the same for arm wrestling, right? Wrong! Directed by notorious Cannon Films boss Menahem Golan, 1987’s Over the Top is one of the most painfully corny, clichéd sports dramas ever made, yet as cringey as it may be, it’s hard not to get a little caught up in it all.
Showgirls
When the previously esteemed director Paul Verhoeven unleashed Showgirls on the world in 1995, it was blasted as one of the worst movies ever made – but it’s since been embraced as a masterpiece of high camp. A sleazy Las Vegas-based drama, it’s teeming with terrible dialogue, ludicrous plot developments and excessive nudity, and at its core is an astonishingly melodramatic lead performance from Elizabeth Berkley.
Samurai Cop
Released directly to VHS in the 90s and promptly forgotten, director Amir Shervan’s madcap thriller Samurai Cop was rediscovered in the 2000s and became a cult hit thanks to its eye-watering badness. It’s bulging with fight scenes performed by people who don’t know martial arts, and horrendous dialogue delivered by terrible actors. The hilariously awkward ‘Horny Nurse’ scene has become a particularly iconic so-bad-it’s-good moment.
The Wicker Man (2006)
A mere decade before The Wicker Man, Nicolas Cage won the Best Actor Oscar. 2006’s remake of the 1973 horror classic proved a tipping point for the actor, whose histrionic performance and knack for incessantly repeating lines (“How’d it get burned, HOW’D IT GET BURNED?” “Not the bees, NOT THE BEES!”) made the film – and, for a time, Cage himself – a laughing stock.
Troll 2
1990’s Troll 2 has nothing whatsoever to do with its 1986 predecessor Troll, but that’s the least of the film’s problems. Boasting a bizarre plot about herbivore goblins who turn people into vegetables, with a cast of amateurs and a director (Italy’s Claudio Fragasso) who spoke no English, this cut-price horror is one of the weirdest, most unintentionally funny films ever made.
Birdemic: Shock and Terror
It’s quite a feat when a movie is made for just $10,000, yet looks much cheaper. Writer-director James Nguyen’s 2010 eco-horror Birdemic: Shock and Terror draws heavily on Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, except Hitchcock’s film didn’t rely on laughably bad CGI for its avian antagonists. Also, Hitchcock had a good script and competent actors. An immediate cult sensation, Birdemic has (remarkably) spawned two sequels.
The Room
A true legend in the bad movie arena, 2003’s The Room was the debut film of writer, producer and director Tommy Wiseau. On paper, it’s a character-based drama about a love triangle; in practice, it’s one of the most garbled, ham-fisted melodramas ever put on film, with shockingly bad dialogue and a central turn from Wiseau that’s so bizarre he barely seems human.
Plan 9 from Outer Space
The words ‘so-bad-it’s-good’ have long been synonymous with the name Edward D Wood Jr, and 1959’s Plan 9 from Outer Space is the infamously incompetent writer-director’s ‘magnum opus.’ This oddball sci-fi horror features obviously fake sets, UFOs on visible strings, abysmal dialogue and dreadful acting – though it also has a place in history as the final film of one-time superstar Bela Lugosi.
Maximum Overdrive
Stephen King is a master of horror. So surely King directing one of his own novels would be great, right? Sadly, 1986’s Maximum Overdrive proves that not all skills are transferrable. It’s incredibly outlandish, lacks suspense, and was hated by critics. However, the unintentional comedy makes it a must-see. Keep your eyes peeled as King’s son Joe Hill has hinted at remaking it.
Moonfall
Films that are so bad they’re good aren’t just relegated to former decades. Moonfall was released in 2022 to little acclaim and much derision from sci-fi fans online. Despite its $138 million budget, the sets still look exceedingly fake. However, if you avoid pointing out the plot holes or thinking too deeply, it’s a fun little romp of a disaster movie.
TerrorVision
After an extraterrestrial is beamed to Earth by a family’s satellite dish, antics ensue. There are no words that better describe what TerrorVision is than fun and wacky. It’s not a good movie by any means (it scores 10% on Rotten Tomatoes), but the mixture of vibrant 80’s sets and fashion, the creature features, and the cheese factor mean it’s a great Saturday silly watch.
The Core
With a cast sporting names like Stanley Tucci, Hilary Swank, and Aaron Eckhart, you may expect Jon Amiel’s 2003 sci-fi film to rival Alien and Ex Machina. However, The Core is pure B-movie magic. When hundreds of scientists were asked which is the worst sci-fi film ever, The Core received the most votes, most likely because of its terrible science.
Starcrash
Some films are so awful, it’s hard to believe that anyone involved thought that they were making a good film. Starcrash is a perfect example of this. The 1978 film starring David Hasselhoff has a plot that essentially rips off Star Wars and features over-the-top performances, but you can’t deny something is charming about its cheesiness.
The VelociPastor
It’s hard to tell whether The VelociPastor is attempting to be a tongue-in-cheek homage to terrible B-movies, whether it’s a successful horror comedy, or whether it’s a poorly executed attempt at a cult favorite film. Either way, it needs to be seen to be believed. A priest travels to China and finds the ability to turn into a dinosaur. That’s all you need to know.
Hard Ticket to Hawaii
The second instalment in the Triple B series, Hard Ticket to Hawaii was a sequel that probably shouldn’t have been made, but you’ll be so glad it was. It’s an overblown adventure full of many silly action-packed antics. While the production may appear amateurish and the acting is nowhere near Oscar-worthy, the 1987 film embraces its absurdity.
Tammy and the T-rex
The very premise of Tammy and the T-Rex is so wild it’s hard to believe it made it to theatres. Denise Richards stars in the 1994 sci-fi/comedy film as the protagonist Tammy whose boyfriend Michael (the sadly missed Paul Walker) has his brain connected to an animatronic T-Rex after his tragic death. It’s cheesy, ridiculous, and utterly brilliant.
The Barbarians
The early 1980s were the height of the sword and sorcery genre with Excalibur and Clash of the Titans released in 1981, and Conan the Barbarian in 1982. It was 1987 when The Barbarians was released, but sadly didn’t get much attention until later decades when it’s become a cult favorite for its terrible dialogue and hilarious action sequences.
Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers
1988’s Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers is an American black comedy slasher film that dips its toes into the noir genre. Private eye Jack Chandler tries to find a missing runaway but accidentally gets involved in a strange cult. While some find the low-budget film to be confusing and poorly made, others find it to be a perfect B-movie cult favorite.
Beaster Day: Here Come Peter Cottonhell
Horror is full of holiday-themed slashers: think Black Friday, April Fool’s Day, My Bloody Valentine. But how many Easter-themed horror films have you seen? Luckily there’s where Beaster Day: Here Comes Peter Cottonhell steps in, with its horrific puppet villain and ridiculously over-sexualized death sequences.
Battlefield Earth
Based on the 1982 novel by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, the 2000 science fiction film Battlefield Earth is packed full of continuity errors (try to count how many fingers the Psychlos have), strange camera angles and campy dialogue. Prominent Scientologist John Travolta stars in the film as well as co-producing, but it didn’t do his career any favors at all.
The Man Who Saved the World
The Man Who Saved the World appears to be a film that cannot decide which genre it wants to be. This 1982 film has been called the Turkish Star Wars because of the plots similarities to the franchise – as well as stolen footage from the films themselves! If you’re looking for an undeniably fun movie of wizards, ninjas and zombies, you have to watch this.
Robot Monster
Over the years, the big screen has been graced by all kinds of movie monsters, SFX and visual effects artists having worked tirelessly to create iconic, stunning creations. The Robot Monster was not one of these. The 1953 film’s title character has gone down in history as the worst monster, earning the film it a spot on so-bad-it’s-good lists even without the terrible plot.
Super Mario Bros. (1993)
2023 saw the release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic. However, that isn’t the first movie based on the video game franchise. In 1993 Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel directed their own Super Mario Bros film that was a complete critical and financial failure, despite becoming a cult classic in recent years.
Bratz: The Movie
If you were a preteen in 2007 you may have seen Bratz: The Movie and loved it. Based on the controversial toy line, the film features some of the worst dialogue put on the screens in decades, the characters are formulaic and stereotypical, and the performances of are genuinely cringe-worthy. In other words – if you’re into trashy flicks, this is one for you.
The Roommate
Dubbed “the worst horror movie I’ve ever seen” by genre fans online, 2011’s The Roommate may sport a recognizable cast but it sadly misses the mark in most ways. Starring Leighton Meester and Aly Michalka, the Roommate is a loose remake of Single White Female but pales in comparison – unless you’re a megafan of over-the-top dialogue and acting.
Jason X
Take your favorite slasher villain and put him in space – it’s the perfect recipe for a film that’s so bad it’s good. Even with horror icon David Cronenberg amongst the cast, Jason X is not a great film by any professional standards, loaded with campy performances and janky CGI.
Hood of Horror
With stars like Snoop Dogg, Danny Trejo, Ernie Hudson and Method Man, you may go into Hood of Horror expecting a well-executed horror comedy film. You’d be wrong for this assumption, but you may still enjoy the 2006 anthology flick. Snoop Dog is dry and flat as the guide for the three tales, but you’ll still love seeing him play the Hound of Hell.
The Garbage Pail Kids Movie
Originally a parody of the cute Cabbage Patch Kids dolls, the Garbage Pail Kids are enough to scar children permanently with their disfigured faces and horrifying fates. But in 1987 Rod Amateau turned the trading cards into a film that’s disgusting and disturbing enough that it needs to be seen.
The Gingerdead Man
Not to be confused with the 1998 American legal thriller The Gingerbread Man, 2005’s The Gingerdead Man is a true whirlwind of a movie that will delight fans of the strange and surreal. After being executed, a criminal (played by Gary Busey) returns as a murderous gingerbread man and begins to wreak havoc around Sara Leigh’s bakery.
Evil Bong
There’s no way to argue that Evil Bong is a well-made horror film. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s not a thoroughly enjoyable watch, well worthy of the three sequels that followed the initial 2006 movie. The stoner comedy horror film was released in 2006, and boasts an appearance from Tommy Chong of Cheech & Chong fame (a clear indication of the film’s intended audience).
The Happening
Directed by the iconic and beloved M. Night Shyamalan, you wouldn’t be blamed for entering into The Happening expecting a clever and gripping sci-fi horror. However, the 2006 shocker – in which nature strikes back against man – is alarmingly, hilariously misjudged on every level. Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel are both extremely miscast and deliver performances that somehow manage to be at once mediocre and over-the-top.
Sharknado
Sharnado is brazenly terrible, with awful CGI that removes any traces of horror from the film about shark-infested tornadoes. While it’s nowhere near scary, it is extremely enjoyable as it relishes its status as a terrible disaster film. The best way to experience Sharknado is with a large group of friends, giggling at every one-liner that the dialogue is largely made up from.
Waterworld
With a budget of almost $200 million (an insane sum back in 1995), Kevin Costner’s Waterworld was expected to be a massive blockbuster. Alas, after a troubled production it proved an expensive failure, with many left stunned that studio Universal would throw so much money at such a derivative, dim-witted B-movie. Still, as silly and unoriginal as it may be, Waterworld sure is fun.
Manos: The Hands of Fate
Sometimes, some movies are so bad in so many ways that it almost feels like a work of true genius. Manos: The Hands of Fate is one of these movies. The 1966 low-budget horror film has been gifted the title ‘worst movie ever’. By removing all standards of so-called ‘good’ filmmaking, director Harold P. Warren created something that required viewing.
Freddy Got Fingered
Critics don’t always understand niche films or genre flicks. That’s possibly why Freddy Got Fingered was panned by critics, despite its notoriety and s0-bad-its-good status. Tom Green’s 2001 directorial debut has recently been reappraised as a comedic masterpiece with its gross-out humor, but that doesn’t mean it’s a well-executed or good film.
Twisted Pair
With a budget of just $7,073, it’s extremely impressive that 2018 Twisted Pair has built up such notoriety. American filmmaker Neil Breen writes, directs and starred in the film (as he has done on five others), despite very obviously not having the skills to successfully complete any of these roles.
Return to Horror High
In the 1980s, hundreds of horror slashers were released, exploring teens in various settings meeting their gruesome ends. Return to Horror High is a comedy take on this subgenre, directed by Bill Froelich, and co-starring a young George Clooney. While the concept is intriguing, it currently sports an 18% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Spider-Man 3
Financially speaking, 2007’s Spider-Man 3 is the most successful of Sam Raimi’s superhero trilogy, grossing the most money. However, it is hilariously bad, becoming a meme over the years thanks to Emo Peter and the cringe-inducing dance sequence. Tobey Maguire’s portrayal of the corrupted Peter is strange and the plot is all over the place, but like a car crash, you just can’t look away.
Glitter
Ironically, it turns out that Mariah Carey is better at portraying a dowdy social worker (as in 2009’s Precious) than she is at playing a golden voiced diva – in other words, herself. Carey’s turn as an up-and-coming musician in 2001’s Glitter was critically mauled, but it’s still enjoyable listening to the singer flex her vocal prowess.
The Meg
Arguably the most terrifying creatures to ever prowl the oceans, megaladons have featured in a number of schlocky B Movies throughout the years. What sets apart 2018’s The Meg is the movie’s budget of $178 million, which allows the prehistoric predator to finally appear rendered in the CGI glory it’s always deserved.
Zombeavers
The makers of Zombeavers clearly devoted themselves to making one of nature’s least threatening creatures scary. Astonishingly, they almost succeeded. While the film is exactly as silly as you’d expect, it has to be said that the undead, murderous beavers are vaguely terrifying, although the scariest thing about this film is that it somehow enticed the producer of American Pie and The Butterfly Effect.
Batman and Robin
Batman and Robin is widely considered the worst superhero film ever made. Concerned about the gothic direction Tim Burton was taking the franchise in, Warner Bros. handed the reins to Joel Schumacher, who proceeded to craft the most ridiculously campy version of the Caped Crusader (the Bat-Suit has nipples). The film was panned, and the director later apologized, but it makes for hilarious viewing.
The Wicker Man (2006)
1973’s The Wicker Man is a beloved, seminal work of horror. The 2006 adaptation starring Nicolas Cage? Not so much. While the remake tries its hardest to capture the original’s dread-drenched atmosphere, it quickly devolves into unintentional farce, epitomised by the scene in which Cage takes a run up and punches a woman in the face while wearing a bear suit.
Sand Sharks
While Jaws terrified beachgoers the world over, its monster can be easily avoided by staying out of the water. Sand Sharks resolves this with the invention of – you guessed it – sharks that can swim through sand. This premise, combined with over the top acting and some inspired dialogue (“it’s a truly evolved predator that can wear sand like a coat”) makes for some irresistible trash.
Miami Connection
Boasting evil ninjas, a soundtrack that’s simultaneously terrible and catchy and a bunch of fight scenes that look like they were choreographed by children, 1987’s Miami Connection has many of the hallmarks of a “so bad it’s good” movie. What truly elevates the film, however, is how obviously hard the actors are trying, which makes it endearing and unintentionally funny in equal measure.
Mac and Me
Mac and Me is half blatant E.T. ripoff, half extended McDonald’s ad and 100 percent insane. Everything about the movie is like a fever dream, from the weird dance segment that literally includes Ronald McDonald to the fact that Alan Silvestri’s score is unironically really good. Considering how terribly the film did, the ‘We’ll Be Back’ freeze-frame ending is the icing on the cake.
Jupiter Ascending
The Wachowski sisters are known for high-minded sci fi, so critics and audiences alike were absolutely baffled by the level of absurdity on display in 2015’s Jupiter Ascending. While it guaranteed the film was a commercial and critical failure, that ridiculousness – epitomized by Channing Tatum playing a space werewolf on hover-skates – is exactly what makes Jupiter Ascending so entertaining.
Anaconda
1997’s Anaconda is worth watching purely for the scene in which a boat is shown going backwards, which the editor achieved by reversing footage – completely oblivious to the prominent waterfall in the shot which is left noticeably defying gravity. The movie also sports plenty of the hammed up acting, over the top deaths and dubious special effects common to many enjoyably awful films.
Slender Man
Slender Man is one of the internet’s most enduring creepypastas, so it was only a matter of time before the sinister entity got its own big screen adaptation. While the movie is thin on just about everything that makes great horror, getting to see Slender Man rendered in reasonably high quality CGI is still enjoyable for anyone who grew up with the legend.
The Adventures of Pluto Nash
Released in 2002, The Adventures of Pluto Nash promptly bombed at the box office, taking $7 million against a budget of $100 million. A good chunk of that budget went towards the film’s ensemble cast, which includes Eddie Murphy, Rosario Dawson and Randy Quaid, and, while the film is objectively terrible, the talents of the cast still make it a wildly entertaining watch.
The Cat in the Hat
It’s probably safe to assume that Mike Myers’ portrayal of Dr. Seuss’ iconic anthropomorphic feline isn’t exactly what the author had in mind when he wrote the Cat in the Hat books. Myers’ take on the character is unhinged, maniacal and at one point threatens to murder a small dog with a gardening tool he refers to as a “dirty hoe”.
The Master of Disguise
If you’re the kind of person with a high tolerance for secondhand embarrassment, The Master of Disguise is the film for you. SNL alumni Dana Carvey’s attempts to coax laughs out of the audience feel increasingly desperate as the film progresses, yet there’s something undeniably captivating about watching someone who is genuinely talented fail this spectacularly.
Lavalantula
Released in 2015, Lavalantula really has everything you could hope to find in an objectively terrible but wildly entertaining movie. Awful CGI? Check. The same protagonist as the Sharknado films? Check. Giant spiders that breathe fire? Check again. Lavalantula is also played more explicitly for laughs than some other films in its category, and it does actually manage to be genuinely funny in places.
Catwoman
While Halle Berry deserves the Razzie she “won” for 2004’s Catwoman, it’s also hard not to feel a bit bad for the actress on account of what she had to work with. Virtually all the choices in the film – from the weird origin story that involves a supernatural Egyptian moggy to Catwoman’s cringe-inducing feline mannerisms – are just spectacularly bad, and it’s completely hilarious.
The Giant Spider Invasion
While more recently made B Movies are often enjoyable because of their hilariously bad CGI, 1975’s The Giant Spider Invasion shines on account of its awful practical effects. By the time the film’s intergalactic arachnids start moving and it becomes apparent that they’re just cars with spider puppets stuck to them, it’s almost impossible not to give in to uncontrollable laughter.
Wish Upon
2017’s Wish Upon is a formulaic teen horror with a dismal script that has the unmistakeable ring of dialogue written for teens by people whose own adolescent years are far behind them. Some of the movie’s most unintentionally hilarious lines include, “I think you’re a selfish bowl of b**th-sauce”, “Drop her like a red-headed baby fresh out the vagina!” and “Um… Smegma. It’s a noun.”
The Incredible Melting Man
The plot of 1977’s The Incredible Melting Man entails an irradiated astronaut who starts murdering people and eating their flesh in an attempt to stop his body from melting. It’s a ridiculous premise, and things get even more absurd when it turns out that the astronaut gets stronger the more he melts, for reasons that the film doesn’t even both trying to explain.
Titanic: The Legend Goes On…
2000’s Italian animation Titanic: The Legend Goes On… is so unhinged that it’s impossible to be mad at the film for cynically cashing in on the success of James Cameron’s movie about the ill-fated ship. Aside from unironically using an ellipsis in the title, the film contains terrible acting and a bunch of shockingly bad musical numbers, one of which features a rapping dog.
From Justin to Kelly
Before 2003’s From Justin to Kelly went into production, Kelly Clarkson – who stars alongside Justin Guarini in the film – was begging to be released from her contract. Kelly’s instincts were right: one critic stated that ‘in the most generous light [From Justin to Kelly] is the worst film so far this century’ – which of course means it’s compulsive viewing for fans of unintentionally hilarious garbage.
Arachnoquake
The premise of 2012’s Arachnoquake has the potential to be genuinely scary, with an earthquake opening cracks in the ground which release giant, subterranean spiders. The decision to make the spiders breathe fire is as inexplicable as it is unnecessary, since spiders are plenty scary as they are, but it certainly makes for a joyously bad ride.
Monster a Go-Go
What 1965’s Monster a Go-Go lacks in coherence, it more than makes up for in ambition. The film revolves around an astronaut who mysteriously disappears from his spacecraft, only to return as a ten-foot tall radioactive monster. The whole movie is a glorious shambles, with large parts of the narrative not even unfolding on screen, forcing a narrator to keep viewers abreast of important developments.
Kazaam
1996’s Kazaam stars NBA All-Star Shaquille O’Neal as a genie accidentally summoned by a 12-year-old boy. Critics were not kind to the film, and understandably so; pretty much everything in it is objectively atrocious. But who needs a coherent plot and good acting when you’ve got Shaquille O’Neal playing a charismatic genie? No one, that’s who.
Cats
While not perfect, Tom Hooper’s adaptation of Les Misérables was reasonably well received, and it gave absolutely no hint of the horror that the director was soon to unleash on unsuspecting audiences. 2019’s Cats is a carnival of nightmares, complete with a shot of Ian McKellan licking himself and CGI so bad the movie might as well be set in the uncanny valley.
Cool As Ice
1991’s Cool As Ice stars Vanilla Ice as a rapper who falls for an honor-roll student in a small midwestern town. The movie makes the mistake of trying to actually take itself seriously – a serious misstep in light of the fact that Vanilla Ice’s cheesy rapping features heavily throughout the movie – which of course only has the effect of making everything even more unintentionally funny.
2-Headed Shark Attack
The best bit about 2-Headed Shark Attack’s premise is how completely redundant it is. While sharks that can swim on land or take to the skies via tornado obviously raise the stakes, the addition of a second head does pretty much nothing to make sharks any more menacing than they already are. It does, however, make them far more entertaining.
Road House
1989’s Road House casts Patrick Swayze as a philosophical nightclub doorman who sets out to crush the corruption in a small Missouri town. Employing all of the tacky action movie tropes of its day, it contains some of the best/worst cheesy lines in the history of cinema (“pain don’t hurt”). What makes Road House truly great, however, is its surprisingly wholesome, heartwarming ending.
Fateful Findings
All of Neil Breen’s movies are thinly-veiled fantasy fulfilment, and Fateful Findings is no exception. The movie stars Breen (also the film’s writer, director, producer and editor) as a man with psychic powers battling government corruption. The movie is an exhibition of hysterically bad acting, featuring lines such as “how could you have committed suicide? I can’t help you out of this one, Jim.”
The Beast of Yucca Flats
1961’s The Beast of Yucca Flats chronicles the fate of a scientist – Tor Johnson, of Plan 9 from Outer Space – who is exposed to a massive dose of radiation (where would the writers of B Movies be without radiation?) and basically turns into the Hulk. Cue a tight 54 minutes of terrible special effects, worse acting and almost no dialogue whatsoever.
