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Good Bad Movies / Bad Good Movies

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Apparently I have really bad taste in movies. Whether it’s IMDb’s Bottom 100 list or Moviefone’s Top 25 Turkeys: Biggest Box-Office Bombs Ever, I really like several of those movies (or at least I like them more than I hate them). What’s worse, I hate several movies in the IMDb Top 250. Maybe that’s why I often disagree with the results of awards shows like the Oscars and the Emmys.

Read my thoughts, and then please tell me what you think in the comments. Thanks!
***Warning: Contains spoilers***

“Bad” Movies I Like
Movie IMDb Moviefone Comments
Son of the Mask (2005) Bottom
#32 2.0/10
I liked the sequel better. Jim Carey was actually tiring to watch in the original, but Jamie Kennedy did a great job and carried the movie. 4.5/10
Gigli (2003) Bottom
#57 2.3/10
#9 Justin Bartha‘s (Riley from National Treasure) performance alone saves this movie from the pit of shame. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez both turned in solid performances, too. The mob action was gross at times (though much worse is shown in many other movies). But the messages of redemption, love, and self-acceptance through the character arcs in the movie made it a good flick for me. My main quibble is why a lesbian would fall for a guy, but maybe she was a closet bisexual instead. Who cares. Still a solid 4.5 to 5.0 out of 10 stars for me.
Sahara (2005) 6.0/10 #25 The movie had dark and unsafe edges to it that sometimes made me feel similar to being inside a dirty gas station restroom with a flickering light. While those elements gave a creepy feel in places, the action was great, the actors were terrific, the locations were excellent, the humor was lively, and the romantic bits were sultry. It was very fun. 7.5/10 (I own the DVD)
Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997) 3.3/10 #21 Silly premise? Yes. As even pacing as the original? No. Jason Patric‘s strong silent type better or worse than Keanu Reeves‘ emotional and slightly vulnerable performance? Undecided. Willem Dafoe as scary as Dennis Hopper? Not even close! Sandra Bullock still one of my favorite actresses? You bet. I actually watch this one more often than the original, probably because it doesn’t take itself so seriously. It almost spoofs itself at times, yet turns in a respectable performance on its own. 6.0/10
Catwoman (2004) 3.2/100 #11 I’m not really a fan of women squeezing into skin-tight black rubber, but Me-ow! But Halle Berry, one of the sexiest and best actresses in Hollywood, looked great. I don’t care if this Catwoman didn’t have much to do with the original from Batman, because it was a good story on its own. Unbelievable premise? A lot of superheroes and villains are “born” from more contrived beginnings than she was. I just enjoy the movie as a stand-alone movie and don’t get caught up in the debates. I also like that her character was not clearcut good or bad. 5.5/10
Cutthroat Island (1995) 5.2/10 #6 Why do so many people dislike this movie? I just don’t get it. Looking back on it after having seen the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, it still holds its own. Maybe people just can’t get their heads around Geena Davis as a pirate queen. I thought it had a very good blend of action, humor, romance, violence, and double-crossing for a pirate movie. 7.0/10 (I own the DVD)
“Good” Movies I Dislike
Movie IMDb Comments
The Godfather (1972) Top #1
9.1/10
The fact that a movie about the Mob is #1 is a sad sign. I’ve never watched this movie all the way through. It’s completely unenjoyable, tedious, and disgusting. It may have great actors and direction, but it’s still a horrible movie. 0.0/10
The Godfather: Part II (1974) Top #3
9.0/10
Blech. See comments under The Godfather above.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966) Top #4
8.9/10
Lighter Westerns (like Paint Your Wagon, The Apple Dumpling Gang, Cat Ballou, Shanghai Noon) are a lot of fun. Good/Bad/Ugly isn’t. Pretty good acting saves it from the rock bottom, though. 3.2/10
Pulp Fiction (1994) Top #5
8.8/10
Another crappy Mob film in the top 5. Sheesh.
Schindler’s List (1993) Top #6
8.8/10
Ooh! Let’s got get depressed at the movies! Not. Another movie I couldn’t bear to watch to the end. 0.0/10
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) Top #8
8.8/10
Saw the beginning and quit. Later saw the end. So glad I didn’t waste my time watching the middle part. 0.0/10
The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Top #25
8.6/10
I watch movies to be entertained. This was a distinctly unpleasant experience. I’d rather have wasted my time waiting in line at the DMV or have had a root canal rather than watch this. Why didn’t I leave? 0.0/10
Fight Club (1999) Top #28
8.6/10
The DVD came bundled in a set of good movies, otherwise I’d never have watched it. Too bad I wasted my time on it. Lame doesn’t begin to describe this piece of garbage. 0.1/10 (Sadly, I own the DVD – want to buy it?)
Se7en (1995) Top #34
8.5/10
While not as horrible as many I’ve just mentioned, really it’s only redeeming feature is the quality of its actors. 1.0/10

There are several other movies in the IMDB Top 250 that I didn’t rate because I don’t know much about them. I do know that I wouldn’t watch them. They’re not my cup of tea.

So, what movies have the critics panned that you love? Which picks have made you scratch your head in wonder? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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