Not very good films that you like

[Shit Good Nose]

Whilst I'd agree it's not his worst film (and I think it's infinitely better than the abomination that is Dracula), I can't in a million years prop it up with Godfather 3, Tucker, The Cotton Club or Rumble Fish.  I'd sooner watch Gardens of Stone and The Rainmaker as well.

[Famous Mortimer]

Which idiot doesn't like Bernard And The Genie?

Another one for me - the first ten years of Jean Claude Van Damme's career.

[itsfredtitmus]

S(C(R(E(A)M)E)R)S

[Monsieur Verdoux]

Whilst I'd agree it's not his worst film (and I think it's infinitely better than the abomination that is Dracula), I can't in a million years prop it up with Godfather 3, Tucker, The Cotton Club or Rumble Fish.  I'd sooner watch Gardens of Stone and The Rainmaker as well.

love the cotton club. it's underrated as fuck

[greenman]

You know they're struggling for praise when the best endorsement they can find to put on their posters is from Playboy.

Spent a year working for Blockbuster in the late 90's with a load of free rentals so I'm over familiar with the declining years of the "adult" action sci fi/fantasy.

Carpenters Vampires really stands out as the most obvious example of a not great but still watchable film of that era/style, clearly well off his best work but still entertaining enough with Woods hamming it up.

[notjosh]

Can anyone explain how the fuck Drop Dead Fred is on 9% on Rotten Tomatoes? It's not just me right?

[AsparagusTrevor]

Carpenters Vampires really stands out as the most obvious example of a not great but still watchable film of that era/style, clearly well off his best work but still entertaining enough with Woods hamming it up.

I always had a soft spot for Vampires too, of course it's no The Thing, but it's a damn entertaining horror film and the pacing is spot on, not a minute is wasted.

Can anyone explain how the fuck Drop Dead Fred is on 9% on Rotten Tomatoes? It's not just me right?

Drop Dead Fred is brilliant, I never understood the critical hate either. My wife was unfamiliar with Rik Mayall's work so when he sadly died so I showed her Drop Dead Fred and she loved it.

[Noodle Lizard]

Very little chance I won't enjoy a film which is largely set in a hotel, regardless of actual quality.

[Brundle-Fly]

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001). I enjoyed this at the time and since but it was roundly scorned by the critics and film buffs. Among them, Mark Kermode who believed Stephen Spielberg had coated Kubrick's unfinished film with his familiar over-sentimentality twinkly schtick. Years later, Kermode's new wife badgered him to revisit A.I. with fresh eyes after giving her take on it. After the viewing, a teary-eyed Kermode retracted his original reservations about the movie.

By chance, not long after, he met Spielberg for the first time at some movie event and apologised profusely about the bad review he gave it in 2001. The director told him to not worry about it but explained he had actually followed Stanley's detailed screenplay and production notes to the last letter. The only tampering he exercised was toning down the schmaltz a little.

Fuck it, A.I. doesn't belong in this thread. It's a good film.

[Brundle-Fly]

Very little chance I won't enjoy a film which is largely set in a hotel, regardless of actual quality.

With me, it's mental institutions/prisons, 1970's London or starring Vincent Price/ Peter Cushing/ Christopher Lee.

[the ouch cube]

'Weird Science', which is generally considered a brief coffee break wank fantasy from a director who was at the time in the business of wangst fantasies

[Gulftastic]

'Weird Science', which is generally considered a brief coffee break wank fantasy from a director who was at the time in the business of wangst fantasies

Yes. I watched that a daft amount of times when I was a teen. So much so, that when I revisited it for the first time in about 20 years recently I found I could recite nearly every scene along with it.

[mothman]

I stil quite like Mission To Mars. The science is questionable. But it has a good cast. Even though I spend a lot of time wondering what the hell is going on with Gary Sinise's eyes; they're usually small and piggy but he's positively doe-eyed here. And the music os great, especially during the alien scene at the end. Morricone, of course.

And while on the Mars theme, Carpenter's Ghosts Of Mars is another guilty pleasure. There's a certain joyful abandon about it. It's just that little bit bonkers. A bit like his Vampires, I guess, which others here have already mentioned. James Woods' politics and morals are at the very least questionable, but when he used to be in full-on don't-give-a-fuck mode (like in Vampires, and also Cop) he's absolutely stellar.

[St_Eddie]

I thought Knock Knock was hilarious. Thoroughly enjoyed it. By no means a good film, though.

Um, I think that's the point of the thread.

Snarf!

Does Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace qualify?

Not only the best of the prequels for me, but a really fun movie in its own right, and very much maligned.
For a start it's a lot more competently directed than the other two, and there's a real fairytale innocence to it, very strong production design and I just find it's brimming with imagination. Especially in light of these new Disney films, I think that's very refreshing.
Yes, it gets a lot of flack, but Jar Jar aside, I don't really believe any of it is particularly deserved to be honest. Nostalgia might play a part (I saw it at the cinema aged 11), bit I still thoroughly enjoy it to this day - even the politics make it more interesting for me. There's a kind of dream-like feel to the proceedings which makes it feel tonally unlike any of the other films. Hard to describe.
I'd say it's my 4th favourite in the saga, behind the original three.

Unfairly underrated. But probably a not very good film, clearly by most people's standards.

I fully agree with and support everything which you've just said.  The Phantom Menace is easily the best of the prequels (as you also said; Jar Jar aside).

I really liked Tusk. Not watched any of them in a while, but listen to a lot of his podcasts.

Psst!  I did a fan edit of Tusk and turned it into a short film.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Romeo Is Bleeding was an early 90's neo-noir that was essentially a battle of wits between characters played by Gary Oldman and Lena Odin. It got slated at the time for being far-fetched and full of cliches, which in fairness it is guilty of both of those things, but it's an enjoyable enough example of the genre and it doesn't deserve the paltry 22% it gets on Rotten Tomatoes.

A year later The Last Seduction came out, and did the whole thing much, much better though.

[St_Eddie]

Can anyone explain how the fuck Drop Dead Fred is on 9% on Rotten Tomatoes? It's not just me right?

You're definitely not alone.  One of my friends unashamedly loves Drop Dead Fred.  Personally, I think that he and you are bloody nuts.

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001). I enjoyed this at the time and since but it was roundly scorned by the critics and film buffs. Among them, Mark Kermode who believed Stephen Spielberg had coated Kubrick's unfinished film with his familiar over-sentimentality twinkly schtick. Years later, Kermode's new wife badgered him to revisit A.I. with fresh eyes after giving her take on it. After the viewing, a teary-eyed Kermode retracted his original reservations about the movie.

By chance, not long after, he met Spielberg for the first time at some movie event and apologised profusely about the bad review he gave it in 2001. The director told him to not worry about it but explained he had actually followed Stanley's detailed screenplay and production notes to the last letter. The only tampering he exercised was toning down the schmaltz a little.

Fuck it, A.I. doesn't belong in this thread. It's a good film.

The sooner that the 'Spielberg ruined Kubrick's vision' bullshit myth dies, the better.  So many people are ignorant to the facts, regarding A.I..

And yes, it's an absolute belter of a film.

[itsfredtitmus]

so guess I should watch ai then

[St_Eddie]

so guess I should watch ai then

Absolutely, please do.  I think that it's a film which grows on you, upon repeat viewings but you've got to start somewhere, right?

[Icehaven]

Love, Honour and Obey, late 90's Brit Gangster spoof/comedy from the same crowd that made, starred in and largely improvised the infinitely crapper Final Cut (Jude Law, Johnny Lee Miller, Ray Winstone, Sadie Frost, bunch of their friends etc.) I think it got roundly slated on release, probably by critics aware how totally shit Final Cut was not paying attention and assuming it was going to be more of the same but it was way better.
It was also a good pisstake of the glamour and stylishness of Guy Ritchie/Lock Stock.. 'Cockernee Gaynnngsta' type films, as in L,H&O they were generally inept, slightly dopey, badly dressed, lived in normal houses and spent most of their time in dingy pubs, hanging around car parks and having petty infights and pointless spats with another gang.
 

[Jerzy Bondov]

Only God can judge me.

Saw this in the cinema and multiple times at home. It's great. Stifler does a big watery dump in a beer cooler. I love all four of the proper American Pie films. Terrible DVD cover there though. Natasha Lyonne is barely in it.

Last year I saw Nine Lives, where Kevin Spacey gets turned into a cat. Fucking hell what a shoddy pile of shit. Horrible garish colour scheme, extremely cheap looking special effects, really lacklustre performance from ol' busy fingers Spacey, has got Jennifer Garner in it (I like her but she's almost exclusively in shite films). Well I had a tremendous time, but not in a 'so bad it's good' way. I found it genuinely enjoyable. I don't think it will be as good when they replace Spacey with Christopher Plummer though, yuk yuk.

[EOLAN]

Demolition Man

I have fairly clear memories of being shown this in primary school. Just as a treat, It wasn't directly linked to any geography or history class we were doing.
Silly fun with Wesley Snipes hamming it up; Sylvester Stallone and Sandra Bullock (who was particularly catching to my 12 year old self) having a fun awkward chemistry; more so than was meant and the bonus of Sir Humphrey as the conniving baddie; taking the role for some Hollywood recognition ahead of his release of George III.

Also' recently I have been enjoying annoying Mrs Eolan with how Simba's fathers ruling in the Lion King was akin to Nigel Hawthorne in this film.

[AsparagusTrevor]

Demolition Man
I have fairly clear memories of being shown this in primary school. Just as a treat, It wasn't directly linked to any geography or history class we were doing.
Silly fun with Wesley Snipes hamming it up; Sylvester Stallone and Sandra Bullock (who was particularly catching to my 12 year old self) having a fun awkward chemistry; more so than was meant and the bonus of Sir Humphrey as the conniving baddie; taking the role for some Hollywood recognition ahead of his release of George III.

Demolition Man is great, who's been saying otherwise?!

Love, Honour and Obey, late 90's Brit Gangster spoof/comedy from the same crowd that made, starred in and largely improvised the infinitely crapper Final Cut (Jude Law, Johnny Lee Miller, Ray Winstone, Sadie Frost, bunch of their friends etc.)

Same guys who made the brilliant Operation Good Guys, to which The Office owes a debt.

[EOLAN]

Demolition Man is great, who's been saying otherwise?!

Nigel Hawthorne; although his opinion may be the only review I heard of the film.

[notjosh]

Nigel Hawthorne; although his opinion may be the only review I heard of the film.

He's talking shit mate.

[Brundle-Fly]

Memoirs Of An Invisible Man (1992) Completely slated, particularly by fans of the novel but I thought it was pretty good. The scene where an invisible Chevy Chase has to manipulate an unconscious man like a giant puppet to make his getaway is comedy gold.  The SPFX still stand up too. And I'd watch anything with Daryl Hannah in it.

[BritishHobo]

Only God can judge me.

I genuinely enjoyed it as well. Perhaps it did well by comparison to the shit spinoffs about Stifler's family (the absolute nadir being the one where his cousin accidentally cums onto his nan when she walks in on him wanking and then she dies), but I thought it was kinds sweet and tongue-in-cheek. I especially liked them bringing back John Cho and the other MILF lad and giving them an emotional reunion storyline.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Demolition Man

I have fairly clear memories of being shown this in primary school. Just as a treat, It wasn't directly linked to any geography or history class we were doing.
Silly fun with Wesley Snipes hamming it up; Sylvester Stallone and Sandra Bullock (who was particularly catching to my 12 year old self) having a fun awkward chemistry; more so than was meant and the bonus of Sir Humphrey as the conniving baddie; taking the role for some Hollywood recognition ahead of his release of George III.

Also' recently I have been enjoying annoying Mrs Eolan with how Simba's fathers ruling in the Lion King was akin to Nigel Hawthorne in this film.

This was on over Christmas, I enjoyed it.

[Kane Jones]

Yeah, Demolition Man is a fun action film that doesn't take itself too seriously. Unlike Cliffhanger released the same year which is crap.

[Sebastian Cobb]

I remember that coming on once while channel hopping and my housemate asked me to stick with it. So we watched the intro where Sarah ends up falling to her death, and he pipes up with 'see that? She was falling so far she had to stop screaming for breath! You can change the channel now, the rest of it's shite'.

[Avril Lavigne]

You're definitely not alone.  One of my friends unashamedly loves Drop Dead Fred.  Personally, I think that he and you are bloody nuts.

I think Drop Dead Fred is brilliant, it's basically the original version of Fight Club.