Plan 9 from Outer Space, considered "so bad it's good" by some, is
also a contender for "Worst Movie Ever Made".
The films listed here have achieved a significant level of infamy
through critical and popular consensus to be considered by some people
to be among the worst films ever made. The films listed have either
been cited by a combination of reputable sources as the worst movie of
the year, or been on such a source's list of worst movies. Examples of
such sources include the Golden Raspberry Awards ("Razzies"), Roger
Ebert's list of most hated films, and the Internet Movie Database's
"Bottom 100" list.
Contents
* 1 Clarification of "worst ever"
o 1.1 Reasons for failure
* 2 Original films
o 2.1 B-movies
o 2.2 Stars
o 2.3 Bad crossover
o 2.4 Poor comedy
o 2.5 Exploitation
* 3 Sequels, prequels, and remakes
o 3.1 Family films
o 3.2 Action movies
o 3.3 Other comedy films
o 3.4 Superhero/science fiction movies
o 3.5 Poorly executed adaptation
o 3.6 Other
* 4 Audience polls
* 5 References
* 6 See also
* 7 External links
Clarification of "worst ever"
The designation "worst ever" is similar but not the same as "box
office bomb"; rather they are films that greatly and broadly failed to
meet critical expectations and standards or have become well known by
the general public for their poor quality. Note that productions which
did not receive major (or any) distribution or notability have been
excluded from this list.
Note also that a claim that a film is "the worst ever" may be a use of
hyperbole rather than a claim of superlative poorness.
Reasons for failure
Possible reasons for such low approval include:
* Poor writing or plot
* Poor direction or editing
* Poor acting
* Poor special effects
* Excessive hype
* Problems with and/or miscasting of actors in primary roles
* Overconfidence in gimmick (sequel, tie-in, cultural trend)
* Overreliance on leading actors' fame
* Overreliance on "shock value"
Original films
B-movies
While B-movies are not generally presented or accepted as fine cinema
in the first place, some of the films from this genre have become
known for being easily worse than others. Some of these are the result
of filmmakers who could not perceive their own incompetence (examples
of which include Ed Wood and Coleman Francis), or whose creative
vision outstrips their technical or financial resources, such as Roger
Corman. Other examples include many films featured on the television
spoof show Mystery Science Theater 3000. In its 10-year run on
television, this show brought many extremely obscure, poorly-made
films into the public consciousness.
However, some B-movies have become cult classics, partly as a result
of their peculiarities. Fans of low-budget cult films often use the
phrase "so bad it's good" to describe movies that are so poorly made
that they actually become an entertaining "comedy of errors." Unlike
more mundane bad films, these films actually develop an ardent fan
following who love them because of their poor quality, because
normally, the bevy of errors (technical or artistic) or wildly
contrived plots are unlikely to be seen elsewhere.
Glen or Glenda (1953)
A semi-autobiographical quasi-documentary, starring and directed by Ed
Wood about transvestism. After a nightmarish dream sequence, Glen
undergoes psychotherapy to help cure his affliction. Bela Lugosi
appears in this film, as he did in several other Wood films during the
twilight of his career. Many of Wood's fans and Leonard Maltin—who
actually thought it was the worst movie ever made—insist that this was
far worse than Plan 9 from Outer Space. In his book Cult Movies 3
author Danny Peary suggests that the film is actually a radical, if
ineptly made, film that presents a far more personal story than is
contained in films by more well-respected auteurs. This film was
included in the 2004 DVD documentary, The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made.
Robot Monster (1953)
An Ed Wood-style science fiction film, originally shot and exhibited
in 3D, featuring an actor dressed in a gorilla suit and what looks
almost like a diving helmet. The film is listed in Michael Sauter's
book The Worst Movies of All Time among "The Baddest of the B's". It
is also featured in The Book of Lists' 10 worst movie list, The Fifty
Worst Films of All Time, and the 2004 DVD documentary, The 50 Worst
Movies Ever Made. It was featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000, and
was a childhood favorite of author Stephen King [1].
Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959)
Plan 9 was labeled the "Worst Film Ever" by the Golden Turkey Awards,
as well as earning two Razzies (one for Worst Director Ever and one
for Worst Movie Ever)[citation needed]. This movie marked the final
appearance of Bela Lugosi. Wood idolized Lugosi, and before Lugosi's
death, he shot several minutes of Lugosi extemporizing. This was then
placed in the movie (and repeated several times). Lugosi's character
was then played by Tom Mason, the chiropractor of Wood's wife at the
time, who played his scenes holding the cape in front of his face.
Wood was apparently undeterred by the numerous other physical
differences—such as height and build—that distinguished Mason from
Lugosi; i.e., that Mason was nearly bald while Lugosi retained a full
head of hair until his death. (Years later, one video distributor made
light of this, adding the blurb "Almost Starring Bela Lugosi" on the
tape box.) Due to difficulty in finding a willing distributor, the
film was not released until 1959. The film has played almost annually
at the New Orleans Worst Film Festival. Also included in the 2004 DVD
documentary, The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made. Plan 9 was also mocked on
the television series Seinfeld by Jerry in the episode "The Chinese
Restaurant," where he said,
" ...this isn't like plans one through eight. This is plan nine; this
is the one that worked! The worst movie ever made! "
In 1994, Tim Burton directed Ed Wood which was loosely based on the
trial and tribulations of making Plan 9. In the television series The
X-Files, Fox Mulder watches Plan 9 whenever he needs to focus on a
difficult problem, claiming that the film is so incredibly bad that it
shuts down the logic centers of his brain, allowing him to make
intuitive leaps of logic. Reviewed in the 1996 edition of Cult Flicks
and Trash Pics, the authors state that,
" ...the film has become so famous for its own badness that it's now
beyond criticism. "
The Beast of Yucca Flats (1961)
An incoherent film by Coleman Francis shot silently with added
narration. It features a seminude prologue completely unrelated to the
rest of the film, and a scientist turning into a monster played by Tor
Johnson. Leonard Maltin's TV and Movie Guide calls it "one of the
worst films ever made"[2]. Bill Warren said "It may very well be the
worst non-porno science fiction movie ever made."[3] Numerous amateur
reviews of Plan 9 from Outer Space have cited this film as an example
of something worse.
Monster A Go-Go (1965)
A Herschell Gordon Lewis-directed film, Monster was begun as Terror at
Halfday by Bill Rebane, who would later go on to make The Giant Spider
Invasion (another infamous bomb); the film was left incomplete, only
to be purchased by Lewis, who reportedly needed a second film to
release on a double bill, and who shot some additional footage. The
picture consists mostly of men sitting around drinking coffee and
talking; the ending consists of a long speech by the narrator
informing us that "there was no monster." All Movie Guide calls the
film a "surreal anti-masterpiece".[4] At one time it held the #1 spot
on the IMDb Bottom 100. Also featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)
When Martian children get to see Santa Claus only on TV, their parents
decide to abduct Santa to make them happy. Like many others in this
category, it has been featured in Mystery Science Theater 3000 and
holds a spot in IMDb's worst 100. Also cited on a 10-worst list in The
Book of Lists, The Fifty Worst Films of All Time, and the 2004 DVD
documentary, The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made. It features an early
screen appearance by Pia Zadora. The Canadian TV channel Space: The
Imagination Station airs this film every Christmas as a "salute" to
bad sci-fi. KPTS in Wichita, Kansas aired this on Christmas Eve 2005
as family-friendly entertainment. Also featured on Mystery Science
Theater 3000.
Manos: The Hands of Fate has an opening nine-minute sequence in which
nothing happens but endless driving through the countryside, due to
the opening credits being left out. [66]
Manos: The Hands of Fate has an opening nine-minute sequence in which
nothing happens but endless driving through the countryside, due to
the opening credits being left out. [66]
"Manos" The Hands of Fate (1966)
A low-budget horror film made by El Paso fertilizer salesman Hal
Warren. The film gained cult popularity by being featured on Mystery
Science Theater 3000. It has held the #1 movie on the IMDb Bottom 100
repeatedly. Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino owns a rare 35 mm copy of the
film, and has stated that it is his favorite "comedy".[5] It also has
a 10% rating at Rotten Tomatoes [6], and the one positive review
linked on Rotten Tomatoes is for its Mystery Science Theater
appearance rather than the film itself (which the reviewer, Mike
Bracken, calls "unwatchable").[7]
Stars
Some of the films listed here starring A-list actors who critics felt
were either badly miscast, paired or grouped with other stars with
whom they did not share viable chemistry, or cast in an otherwise
poorly-made film that relied entirely on their star power.
Parnell (1937)
A bio-pic starring Clark Gable as Irish parliamentary leader Charles
Stewart Parnell. Despite the fact that the only thing Gable and
Parnell had in common was a moustache, he was chosen to play him after
being named the "King of Hollywood" in an Ed Sullivan poll, and Myrna
Loy was similarly miscast as his lover, having been named the "Queen
of Hollywood." It only grossed $1.6 million upon release[citation
needed] and it was critically slated, and in 1978 made Michael
Medved's list of The Fifty Worst Films of All Time. Gable's wife
Carole Lombard teased him about it by placing Parnell publicity
stickers throughout their home, and have leaflets printed out to be
handed to passers-by reading, "If you think Gable is the world's
greatest actor, see him in Parnell. You'll never forget it." Gable was
ashamed of it, and required a great deal of persuasion before he
agreed to play Rhett Butler in Gone With the Wind.
The Conqueror (1956)
A Howard Hughes-funded box-office disaster featuring John Wayne as
Genghis Khan and the redheaded Susan Hayward as a Tatar princess. The
movie was filmed in Utah downwind from an atomic testing range in
Nevada and is often blamed for the cancer deaths of many of the cast
and crew, including Hayward, Wayne, Agnes Moorehead[8] and director
Dick Powell (although according to an A&E Network Biography episode,
Wayne also typically smoked five packs of cigarettes a day). The film
appears in Michael Sauter's book The Worst Movies of All Time and made
the ten-worst list in The Book of Lists. Hughes thought the movie was
so bad that he bought up every copy (which cost him about $12 million)
and he refused to distribute the film until 1974, when Paramount
reached a deal with him. This would be the last film that Hughes would
produce.
Che! (1969)
A bio-pic starring a tragically miscast Omar Sharif as iconic
revolutionary Che Guevara, this made the decision to ignore the
formative pre-Cuban revolution sections of Che's life as described in
the autobiographical book The Motorcycle Diaries. It was criticised
for Sharif's lacklustre performance, although Jack Palance's decision
to play Fidel Castro as a comedic buffoon, and its poorly shot action
scenes and cringeworthy dialogue also contributed in turning a bad
film into a truly terrible one. This averaged 3.5/10 on the IMDb,[9]
but deserves consideration for the audience reaction when released in
Argentina, where some disgusted theatregoers threw Molotov cocktails
at the screen.[10]
Sextette (1978)
An adaptation of Mae West's Broadway musical of the same name is
widely considered one of the most embarrassing sex comedies ever made,
which Variety dubbed "a cruel, unnecessary and mostly unfunny musical
comedy"[67], as an overweight 83-year old (at the time of filming)
West maintained her sex kitten role while uttering stale quips as "I'm
the girl who works for Paramount all day, and Fox all night", and who
croaked a duet with new sixth husband Sir Michael Barrington (a
34-year old Timothy Dalton) a disco rendition of "Love Will Keep Us
Together". The film also featured embarrassing cameos by Ringo Starr,
Tony Curtis, and a makeup-less Alice Cooper singing Van McCoy's Next,
Next while dressed like Elton John.
Inchon (1982)
Although the movie had a cast of prominent stars, including Laurence
Olivier (during the twilight of his film career, in which he had taken
many critically panned roles), this war epic "won" four Razzies: Worst
Picture, Worst Actor (Olivier), Worst Director (Terence Young), and
Worst Screenplay. It was named Worst Movie of the Year by Esquire.
This movie was also criticized for being financed and produced by the
Unification Church, and Sun Myung Moon was a "Special Advisor" to the
film. It has never been released on video or DVD.
Battlefield Earth (2000)
Based on the first half of L. Ron Hubbard's thousand-page novel of the
same name, starring John Travolta. Heavily hyped by the Church of
Scientology, it had the third worst 3,000-theater-plus opening weekend
up to that time. More than one reviewer gave their review as simply
"Travolting"[citation needed]; Rob Vaux called the film a "crime
against celluloid".[11] Several describe the pain experienced while
watching it.[12] It has a 3% Rotten Tomatoes rating (listing 3
positive reviews out of 96).[13] The film won seven Golden Raspberry
Awards, including Worst Picture.[14] In 2005, an eighth Razzie (for
Worst "Drama" of Our First 25 Years) was awarded to the film.[15] The
film also seriously hurt Travolta's career, causing his box-office
clout to become significantly weakened in the film's
aftermath.[citation needed]
Glitter (2001)
A semi-autobiographical movie about Mariah Carey in which she plays
Billie Frank, a very thinly-veiled Carey-like performer. Critics
universally panned it for seeming to be a vanity film intended only to
enhance Carey's singing career. Carey had pushed for the project as
early as 1997, but its release just ten days after the September 11,
2001 attacks, coupled with the poor reception of Carey's next album
(her first since signing a $100 million recording contract), not only
damaged Carey's career, but may have been a factor that drove her to a
physical breakdown.[16] One reviewer said, "Only Mariah Carey could
mess up a film about Mariah Carey." [citation needed] Metacritic.com
gave it a 14 out of 100[17] Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 7% rating,[18]
and it earned five nominations[19] and one "win" for Carey as Worst
Actress[20] at the 2001 Golden Raspberry Awards.
Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (2002)
This action movie, starring Lucy Liu and Antonio Banderas, was
universally panned by critics, earning a rare 0% rating (with 97
reviews) on Rotten Tomatoes.[21] Critics variously described the film
as "A picture for idiots," "Boring to an amazing degree," "A fine
achievement in stupidity and dullness," "Dreadful," "Gives new meaning
to the word incoherent," and "the film is bad on just about every
level." One critic even called it "Simplistic: Bullets Vs.
Humans."[22] An early script, significantly different from what was
filmed, was used for the generally well-received Game Boy Advance
video game Ecks vs. Sever—despite many rumors, the movie was not based
on the game, although the game was released first (due to a delay in
the release of the movie). The movie has been credited with
significantly slowing down Lucy Liu's career. [citation needed]
Swept Away (2002)
After director Guy Ritchie won critical acclaim for back-to-back
British gangster flicks Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and
Snatch, he went on to cast his wife, Madonna, as the female lead in a
remake of 1974's Swept Away. It has a 6% rating at[23] Rotten
Tomatoes, an 18 out of 100 on Metacritic.com,[24] and won five
Razzies: Worst Movie, Worst Director, Worst Actress (tied with Britney
Spears in Crossroads), Worst Screen Couple (Madonna along with Adriano
Giannini) and Worst Remake or Sequel.[25] It also went direct-to-video
in the UK (Ritchie's home country and Madonna's adopted home.)[26]
Gigli (2003)
A movie featuring Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck that was declared by
many to be the worst movie of 2003. Originally a very dark comedy with
no romantic subplot, the producers demanded script rewrites throughout
filming, hoping to cash in on the Lopez-Affleck romance that was very
big news in celebrity-watching publications of the time such as Us and
People. This film only grossed $6 million, making it one of the
biggest box office bombs of all time. Many especially avoided it
because they thought that it was just a vehicle for the Lopez-Affleck
relationship. Some reviewers dubbed the film "The ultimate turkey of
all time"—perhaps aptly, considering one notorious scene in the film
involved Lopez's character's sex talk to Affleck's character as she
invited him to perform an act of oral sex: "It's turkey time." "What?"
"Gobble, gobble." Winner of 7 Razzies (including 2005's Worst "Comedy"
of Our First 25 Years[27]).
Bad crossover
Sometimes stars in other fields, such as music, will attempt a movie
career. If this works well enough the star can have a dual career in
both fields, or move on exclusively to a film career. Other times,
this turns out to have been a mistake and they often stop after the
first try.
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978)
A "filmization" of The Beatles' 1967 album of the same name that
starred Peter Frampton as the lead singer of the fictitious band who
The Beatles pretend to be on that album, and The Bee Gees as the
figures in the front of the cover art. Two major problems with the
film were cited[citation needed]; the first was the film's extremely
poor acting quality, the second that not one, but two of the 27
numbers is the Sgt. Pepper's title song—they include songs from not
only Sgt. Pepper's but also Revolver, Rubber Soul, and Abbey Road.
Typical numbers include Steve Martin singing "Maxwell's Silver
Hammer", George Burns (82 years old when the film was released)
singing "Fixing a Hole", and Barry Gibb singing "A Day in the Life".
In a national poll to determine "the worst films of all time," Sgt.
Pepper's placed #4 [citation needed], and the Harvard Lampoon named it
as the worst film of 1978. An editorial Amazon.com review says that
"If it weren't for a couple of inspired performances...Sgt. Pepper's
Lonely Hearts Club Band would be definitively unwatchable." It was in
the IMDb Bottom 100 at one point and scores 20% at Rotten Tomatoes.
Honest (2000)
British pop group All Saints sought to boost their careers by starring
in a feature film. Directed by former Eurythmics member Dave Stewart,
Honest was a black comedy set in swinging London in the late 1960s.
The All Saints girls play three street wise sisters who head 'up West'
to rob and generally cause trouble.
Despite being promoted heavily at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, the
film flopped in its opening week in the UK, earning only $168,000 on
more than 200 screens (compared with $4.4 million for Gladiator in its
third week), resulting in it being pulled from most UK cinemas barely
a week into its release. It received blistering reviews, with Peter
Bradshaw of The Guardian ridiculing it as, "the worst kind of rubbish,
the kind that makes you angry you have wasted 105 minutes of your
life." Due to featuring both of the Appleton sisters of All Saints
dropping their tops, Honest has also been dubbed The All Saints
Exposing Their Boobs Movie. The band split acrimoniously the following
year.
The hastily-made movie From Justin to Kelly spent only two weeks in the cinemas.
The hastily-made movie From Justin to Kelly spent only two weeks in the cinemas.
>From Justin to Kelly (2003)
American Idol finalists Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini star in this
movie musical. It stayed in theaters for only two weeks before being
released to stores on DVD six weeks later. It is clear that the film
was rushed into production to capitalize on the popularity of the TV
series American Idol. When asked about why she did the film, Clarkson
told Time Magazine, "Two words: Contractually obligated!"[28] On
Metacritic.com, it has a score of 14/100 points;[29] Rotten Tomatoes
lists only 5 positive reviews out of 57 in total [68]. As of December
2006, it is in the number six position in the IMDB bottom 100 with a
score of 1.8 out of 10. The film was awarded a special Razzie (for
Worst "Musical" of Our First 25 Years) in 2005. However, it was
nominated for four Teen Choice Awards. Stephen Holden of The New York
Times wrote,
" ...for the panting masses of American Idol fans who imagine winning
and going to live happily ever after in Lotusland, the message
couldn't be clearer. You, too, might one day end up starring in the
motion picture equivalent of Cheez Whiz.[30] "
Poor comedy
Some comedic films fail because they are simply not funny. Sometimes
they fail due to poor writing or acting, or because they just "try too
hard." Other times they fail because of an attempt by a comedic actor
to try something different or a non-comedic actor to attempt comedy.
Finally, some "comedy" films cross into bad taste in their attempt.
Leonard Part 6 (1987)
Writer and star Bill Cosby appeared on various talk shows denouncing
the movie and warning people against wasting their time or money on
it. Scott Weinberg at DVD Talk said, "Movies this bad should be
handled with Teflon gloves and a pair of tongs."[31] It won three
Razzies for Worst Picture, Worst Actor, and Worst Screenplay. Cosby
accepted the awards in person, on the condition that they be made from
24-carat (100%) gold and Italian marble.[32] This film was also one of
Cosby's last forays into feature films before his semi-retirement from
the silver screen. He followed the film up with Ghost Dad.
Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot! (1992)
A comedy starring Sylvester Stallone along with Golden Girls star
Estelle Getty, about a cop whose elderly mother meddles in his life,
to the point of going on raids and chases with him. The film won three
Razzies; one each for Stallone and Getty, as well as for Worst
Screenplay. It also has a 6% rating at Rotten Tomatoes.[33] In a 2006
interview with Ain't It Cool News, Stallone himself referred to it as
"maybe one of the worst films in the entire solar system, including
alien productions we've never seen", that "a flatworm could write a
better script", and "in some countries – China, I believe – running
[the movie] once a week on government television has lowered the birth
rate to zero. If they ran it twice a week, I believe in twenty years
China would be extinct."[34]
Freddy Got Fingered.
Freddy Got Fingered.
Freddy Got Fingered (2001)
Of this Tom Green comedy vehicle, which he gave zero out of four
stars, Roger Ebert wrote:
" This movie doesn't scrape the bottom of the barrel. This movie isn't
the bottom of the barrel. This movie isn't below the bottom of the
barrel. This movie doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same
sentence with barrels... The day may come when Freddy Got Fingered is
seen as a milestone of neo-surrealism. The day may never come when it
is seen as funny.[35] "
Tom Green was awarded five Razzies, including Worst Picture, for this
film;[36] he accepted the awards in person, arriving with his own red
carpet to walk on and used his acceptance speech to scorn the
audience.
The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)
This infamous Eddie Murphy film had its origins in the mid-1980s. The
script went through numerous revisions and when filming was completed,
the film sat unreleased for two years, until its release in August
2002. The movie cost $110 million to make and market, but earned just
$7.1 million worldwide. A majority of critics lambasted the awful
acting, terrible dialogue, and lack of humor. It was nominated for
three Razzies: Worst Picture, Worst Actor (Murphy, who was also
nominated for I Spy and Showtime), and Worst Director (Ron Underwood).
[37] Murphy did not promote the film upon its release. Pluto Nash has
a 6% rating at Rotten Tomatoes.[38]
Dirty Love (2005)
Written by and starring Jenny McCarthy, it "won" four Razzie awards,
for Worst Picture, Worst Director (John Asher), Worst Screenplay and
Worst Actress (McCarthy).[39] It also has a score of 8% on Rotten
Tomatoes.[40] Roger Ebert said in his review, "On the basis of Dirty
Love, I am not certain that anyone involved has ever seen a movie, or
knows what one is," and on star Jenny McCarthy, he wrote, "I feel
sorry for her."[41]
King's Ransom (2005)
A Jeff Byrd directed kidnapping farce concerning greed that starred
Anthony Anderson. It is one of the few films to receive a 0% at Rotten
Tomatoes[42] and it ranked 23rd worst at metacritic's list of worst
films.[43] One review joked that being gagged and tortured would be
more amusing.
Zoom (2006)
Former superhero Jack (Tim Allen) is called back to work to transform
an unlikely group of ragtag kids into superheroes at a private
Academy. The film's release was held up due to a lawsuit filed by Fox
and Marvel Comics, who claimed it plagiarized the X-Men film series
(it was originally scheduled to be released two weeks before X-Men:
The Last Stand)[44]. It currently holds the #9 on IMDb Bottom 100
(with a rating of 1.8/10)[45] and a 0% critic ranking at Rotten
Tomatoes.[46]
Exploitation
Filmmakers sometimes try to use the overuse of censor-worthy content
as a means to draw in curious film-goers (an example of the marketing
technique commonly known as shock value). When executed poorly, this
method can backfire. These films are commonly cult classics, however,
as the over drawn scenes of nudity, death, and violence and/or gore
are often poorly executed to a point of humor. Such films include:
The Incredible Torture Show, later released as Blood Sucking Freaks (1976)
A controversial and violent horror movie; the group Women Against
Pornography convinced the MPAA to refuse to rate the film. It was
later edited somewhat heavily to receive an R-rating but the
distributor Troma Entertainment (famed for countless intentionally bad
comedies) decided to pass off the unrated cut as an R-rated version.
When the MPAA discovered this, they sued for misuse of their "Rated R"
trademark.[citation needed] In the movie, the main character, Master
Sardu (played by Seamus O'Brien) runs a theatre of the macabre,
specializing in S&M and killing people on stage while pretending it is
only a trick that is part of the show. Containing a mix of naked
women, midgets, excessive torture, and women eating ears, it appeared
in the 2004 DVD documentary The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made.
Showgirls (1995)
A large amount of hype was put behind promoting the sex and nudity in
this NC-17 film, but the results were critically derided.[47] . Most
of the hype revolved around the film's star, played by Elizabeth
Berkley, who only two years before had been one of the stars of the
teenage sitcom Saved By The Bell. The film won seven of the thirteen
Razzie Awards for which it was nominated. It possibly ruined the
career of Elizabeth Berkley, and the writer, Joe Eszterhas, has had
difficulty living down the embarrassment as well. The film however,
has garnered a cult following over the years. The edited R-rated
version removes much of the gratuitous nudity and replaces it with
story that makes what initially appears to be an attempt at a plot,
understandable. In a bold move, superstation TBS broadcast the film on
television in their prime time schedule, but added digitally animated
solid black underwear to hide breasts and genitalia.
Sequels, prequels, and remakes
Often, an attempt is made to capitalize on the popularity of a
successful film by making a sequel (or prequel), or if the film is old
enough, remaking the movie altogether. These films often do not live
up to their predecessor. Some factors resulting in poor performance
are:
* Budgetary constraints
* The film may not feature the same stars
* The film may not be made by the same filmmakers
* A lack of interest in furthering the story of the predecessor
While they are usually considered simply inferior to the original,
others end up being poorly done movies in and of themselves and in
this way sometimes taint the very film they were meant to emulate or
continue.
Family films
Mac and Me (1988)
A film funded largely by McDonald's. The film is about a young,
wheelchair bound boy who meets and befriends an alien who has crash
landed on earth. The script is largely stolen from E.T.: The Extra
Terrestrial, and served as little more than a vehicle to promote
Coca-Cola and McDonald's. The final scene in the film is a large
dance-off with the main character, MAC (the alien, dressed in a teddy
bear costume), a football team and various other people inside of a
McDonalds restaurant.
3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain (1998)
The fourth 3 Ninjas movie—and universally considered the worst of the
series[citation needed]—starred none of the original actors, excluding
a near-cameo role by Victor Wong, and was directed by tween-friendly
director Sean McNamara. The film also starred Hulk Hogan and Loni
Anderson. The movie has zero positive reviews at Rotten Tomatoes,[48]
is the 13th worst movie (with a score of 1.9 out of 10) as rated by
the users of IMDb[49] as of December 27, 2006, and grossed only
$375,805 domestically.[50]
SuperBabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (2004)
Although the original movie was not well received, this sequel
inspired many critics to add it to their list of the worst movies
ever. It was '#1' on the IMDb bottom 100 for a few months (as of
January 4, 2007, it has moved to #10), and had a 0% rating at Rotten
Tomatoes.[51] A third movie is currently in production. [69]
Son of the Mask (2005)
This sequel to the Jim Carrey movie The Mask without Jim Carrey and
was #25 on the IMDb Bottom 100 list as of December 27, 2006, and had a
4% rating at Rotten Tomatoes.[52]
Action movies
Jaws: The Revenge (1987)
The fourth and final film in the Jaws series completely ignores the
events of the preceding and more successful Jaws 3-D, and instead uses
a plot involving a shark seemingly plotting to murder the surviving
members of the Brody family. At the end, the shark is heard to "roar"
(which is physically impossible) before being hit with a boat driven
by Sheriff Brody's wife and exploding. It was nominated for the Worst
Picture award in the 1987 Golden Raspberry Awards, and won an award
for "Worst Special Effects." It has a 0% rating at Rotten
Tomatoes.[53]
Highlander II: The Quickening (1991)
This was the first sequel for the successful Highlander film that
released in 1986. Apart from being inconsistent with the 1986
original's storyline, audiences found the conflict between the
rebellion and General Katana to be too reminiscent of the conflict
between the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire featured in Star
Wars[citation needed]. Critics and audiences alike pointed out that
the characters suffered from a lack of motivation. An example often
cited is that no reason was provided for Katana's sudden interest in
Connor after apparently losing contact with him for 506
years.[citation needed] Connor's insistence on killing his old enemy
while he could wait for him to die without outside interference is
also often noted.[citation needed] Also, the two 'alien' Immortal
protagonists on Zeist, have their Scottish and Spanish names that they
will have on Earth.
Highlander II's apparent failure has been seen by some as a result of
the producers' interference with the work of director Russell
Mulcahy[citation needed], who personally hated the final product so
much he walked out of the film's world premiere after viewing its
first 15 minutes. For similar reasons, Christopher Lambert threatened
to walk out of the project when it was nearing fruition, but he
didn't, due to contract obligation. Mulcahy later made a director's
cut version known as Highlander II: The Renegade Version. The film was
reconstructed largely from scratch, with certain scenes removed and
others added back in, and the entire sequence of events changed. All
references to the Immortals being aliens from another planet were
eliminated. This version is generally considered a major improvement
on the theatrical release, and obtained a far more favourable
reception.[citation needed] Nevertheless, the events of both versions
were generally ignored by the subsequent films and series. Film critic
Roger Ebert said in his review of Highlander II that it was "almost
awesome in its badness."
Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997)
Sequel to Speed, starring Sandra Bullock (reprising her role from the
previous movie), Jason Patric, and Willem Dafoe and notably not
starring Keanu Reeves of the original film. Speed 2 was both a
critical and box office flop. It received a "BOMB" rating from Leonard
Maltin; in his Movie and Video Guide, Maltin comments "Did anyone read
the script before signing on for this one?" The film was nominated for
eight Razzies and won for Worst Remake or Sequel. It currently has a
23 out of 100 rating on Metacritic.com[54] Sandra Bullock herself
later admitted that the film was awful.[citation needed] She only
agreed to make the movie so the studio would back Hope Floats. The
special DVD edition of Speed includes references on the director's
commentary track to a (possibly apocryphal) incident when one of their
children came home crying because she thought her father had something
to do with "the boat movie".
Other comedy films
Caddyshack II (1988)
The sequel to the critically acclaimed 1980s comedy Caddyshack took
home two Razzies for Worst Original Song and Worst Supporting Actor
(Dan Aykroyd), and nominated for two others including Worst Picture.
It holds a 0% from 8 critics at Rotten Tomatoes[55] and a rating of
3.3 out of 10 on IMDb.[56] The film was also listed on ESPN Page2's
"Worst Sports Movies Ever" at number 4,[57] in contrast to the
original Caddyshack being listed at number 8 on the "Top 20 [Best]
Sports Movies of All-Time".[58] Caddyshack II continues to appear on
numerous worst movies ever and worst sequels lists including a number
2 spot on the Entertainment Weekly list of Worst Sequels Ever.[59]
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005)
A follow up to the 1999 sleeper Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, Rob
Schneider reprises his role as the inept gigolo who travels to
Amsterdam to see his friend, T.J. The critically reviled film just
broke even on its $22 million budget at the U.S. box office before
bombing overseas. The film became the subject of a heated debate
between star Schneider and movie critic Patrick Goldstein, who wrote
an article about studios producing terrible movies, citing this film
as one of its examples. In January 2005, film critic Patrick Goldstein
of the Los Angeles Times said in an article that Deuce Bigalow:
European Gigolo was overlooked for an Academy Award because
" nobody had the foresight to invent a category for Best Running Penis
Joke Delivered by a Third-Rate Comic. "
Schneider responded two weeks later with full-page ads in Daily
Variety and The Hollywood Reporter where he said
" Well, Mr. Goldstein, I decided to do some research to find out what
awards you have won. I went online and found that you have won
nothing. Absolutely nothing. No journalistic awards of any kind ...
Maybe you didn't win a Pulitzer Prize because they haven't invented a
category for Best Third-Rate, Unfunny Pompous Reporter Who's Never
Been Acknowledged by His Peers... Most of the world [has] no idea of
your existence. I can honestly say that if I sat with your colleagues
at a luncheon, afterwards they'd say, 'You know, that Rob Schneider is
a pretty intelligent guy' ... whereas, if you sat with my colleagues,
after lunch, you would just be beaten beyond recognition.[60] "
Film critic Roger Ebert responded to Schneider, noting that an online
search showed that Goldstein had won a National Headliner Award, a Los
Angeles Press Club Award, a RockCritics.com award, and the Publicists'
Guild award for lifetime achievement, adding,
" As chance would have it, I have won the Pulitzer Prize, and so I am
qualified. Speaking in my official capacity as a Pulitzer Prize
winner, Mr. Schneider, your movie sucks.[61] "
National Lampoon's Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj (2006)
This in name only sequel to the 2002 sleeper hit Van Wilder has Kal
Penn reprising his role as Taj, and does not feature Ryan Reynolds,
the main character of the original. The movie flopped at the box
office, only earning slightly over $2.3 million in its opening
weekend. The movie shot up to #1 on the IMDb worst movies list, but
has since changed to #4 with a 1.8/10 rating as of January 4, 2007. It
also has a dismal 6% rating at rottentomatoes.com.
Superhero/science fiction movies
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)
This is considered to be the weakest entry in the Star Trek film
franchise. The creator of the franchise, Gene Roddenberry, considered
this movie to be "apocryphal at best", regarding it as non-canon. In
addition to a weak premise, it contained several plot points that
contradicted the previously established fictional Star Trek history.
Directed by William Shatner, some critics saw it as an "ego vehicle"
for Shatner, who turned the character of Kirk superhuman, while
minimizing the roles of others, especially Spock & McCoy.[62] This
movie managed to win the 1989 Razzie Award for Worst Picture, beating
The Karate Kid Part III and Road House.
Poorly executed adaptation
Many directors successfully adapt a book, play or story from another
medium into a film. While a perfect conversion is never possible, some
attempts take far too many liberties with the original story,
frequently with disastrious results to the final film and the
director's reputation.
Howard the Duck (1986)
One of the biggest box office bombs in cinematic history, very loosely
based on the Marvel Comics character created by Steve Gerber and
starring Lea Thompson, Tim Robbins, and Jeffrey Jones, in which only
the two central characters are retained and look (somewhat) but don't
behave similarly to their comics counterparts. Executive producer
George Lucas disowned it shortly after its release. In his Movie
Guide, Leonard Maltin calls the film a "hopeless mess of a movie." The
film was also among Siskel and Ebert's picks for the "Worst Films of
1986." It also has a rating of 24% at Rotten Tomatoes.[63] Steve
Gerber said of the film,
" It sucks. In retrospect, though, after eleven years that have
brought us so many worse films, it's not quite as sucky as the reviews
might have led you to believe. "
He added that he "liked the performances" of the three leads, though
Beverly was not as he wrote her, and the other two actors played
characters he did not create.[64] Some interviews contemporary with
the film published in months prior to its release have Gerber giving
it positive remarks, but he prefaces them on his website, "Please note
that I was lying through my teeth about my feelings on the movie."
[65] The film was adapted by Willard Huyck and his wife Gloria Katz
and directed by Huyck, with no input from Gerber. They were once
considered "luminaries",[66] but have not made a film since. The
film's broader humor more closely resembles the Howard stories by Bill
Mantlo than Gerber, but not by much. One of the main themes in the
comic was that Howard was just as out of place in his homeworld as he
was on Earth-616, which was omitted, and the film ends with the
character capitulating and working in a copywriting job, which
Gerber's character would not have done.
Catwoman was one of the most critically panned movies of 2004.
Catwoman was one of the most critically panned movies of 2004.
Catwoman (2004)
Ostensibly based on the DC Comics character and starring Halle Berry
in a film that resembles next to nothing of its source material. In
the movie Catwoman has super powers, which she lacks in the comics.
Her lycra suit was replaced with slashed leather pants, a bra and a
mask-cap, and she leaps from rooftop to rooftop in spike heels (her
suit mysteriously gets skimpier as the movie progresses). As the movie
character differs so widely from her comic source, the character has
been cited as "Catwoman In Name Only".[67] One of the choice fighting
scenes makes use of a face beauty cream that when applied gives the
wearer invincibility. It has a 9% rating at Rotten Tomatoes,[68] and
was declared "arguably the worst superhero film ever made" by the
Orlando Sentinel. The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville) put it more
bluntly:
" Me-ouch! "
Winner of four Razzies for Worst Picture, Worst Actress, Worst
Director (Pitof), and Worst Screenplay. [70] In a rare move, Berry
sportingly accepted her Razzie in person (with her Best Actress
Oscarin hand), and in her acceptance speech she said,
" First of all, I want to thank Warner Brothers. Thank you for putting
me in this piece of shit, God-awful movie... It's just what my career
needed. "
Her statement was received with great applause and laughter.[69]
Alone in the Dark (2005)
When this Uwe Boll directed movie—loosely based on a series of video
games by Infogrames/Atari—was released in January 2005, critics panned
it for a variety of reasons, including poor script and production
values, overuse of slow-motion and quick cuts to optimize the gory
content, almost no connection to the game, and bad acting. One review
said the movie was "so poorly built, so horribly acted and so sloppily
stitched together that it's not even at the straight-to-DVD
level."[70] This movie received 1% at Rotten Tomatoes[71] and is
regularly on the IMDb Bottom 100.[72] Critic Rob Vaux states that this
movie is so bad that "the other practitioners of cinematic drivel can
rest a little easier now; they can walk in the daylight with their
heads held high, a smile on their lips and a song in their hearts.
It's okay, they'll tell themselves. I didn't make Alone in the
Dark."[73] Screenwriter Blair Erickson wrote about his experience
dealing with Boll and his original script, which was closer to the
actual game itself, and Boll's script change demands at
SomethingAwful.com.
Other
Staying Alive (1983)
Sequel to Saturday Night Fever, directed by Sylvester Stallone and
starring John Travolta. Panned by critics despite bringing in $68
million at the box office, the film was ranked the Worst Sequel Ever
by Entertainment Weekly[74] and it has a 0% rating at Rotten
Tomatoes[75] The film was nominated for two Razzies, including Worst
Actor (Travolta) and Worst New Star (Finola Hughes).
You Got Served (2004)
This dance movie starring B2K was a minor success at the box office,
but became the butt of many jokes throughout 2004. Almost immediately,
the movie was ranked #1 on IMDb's Bottom 100, and still retains a very
high spot on that list to this day. The South Park episode "You Got
F'd in the A" mocked the film.
Audience polls
According to the IMDB's polls, as of December 27, 2006, the top ten
worst movies ever are:
1. Crossover
2. ArAf
3. National Lampoon's Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj
4. Backyard Dogs
5. Unaccompanied Minors
6. Going Overboard
7. Zoom
8. Santa With Muscles
9. From Justin to Kelly
10. Material Girls
Note: This list is in a constant state of flux.
Labels: bad movies, horror films, movies, worst ever, worst films, worst movies
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