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Experts explain why we love cringingly bad movies and how to embrace it

"Bad movies bring people together, it turns out!"

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Writer and director Tommy Wiseau.

Since filmmaking began, there have always been some version of "bad movie clubs." You know, the ones where people get together and purposely choose awful (subjective, of course) films to bond over and share a good, harmless laugh. Someone might bring their favorite chips and beer and buzz with ideas as to which delightfully awful movie they could watch next. Sometimes, there are arguments as to what makes something "good" or "bad." But it's usually all in fun and a great way for people to connect.

During the pandemic, those "so bad they're good" movie clubs seemed to multiply, albeit shifting to virtual hangouts. Much like a book club, people logged on, watched films, and had their own Mystery Science Theater experience.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

This trend continues on, both online and in person, and there is seemingly no shortage of cringe-cinema as an excuse to curl up, point, and laugh. There are actually meet-up groups around the world who hold "bad movie nights" as a way for people to get out and meet other like-minded folk. This one, in Australia, is all about the connection: "This club encourages discussion and banter during the screening. Expect some noise!"

Podcasts like Red Letter Media and How Did This Get Made? have dedicated their existence to it, with people clamoring to hear the next take on the worst movies.

In his book Why It's Okay to Love Bad Movies, author Matthew Strohl differentiates between "Bad Movie Ridicule" and "Bad Movie Love," claiming the latter is less about schadenfreude (pleasure derived from someone else's misfortune) and more about an appreciation of the art form from a comedic standpoint, which in turn creates intimacy among communities. In a review of the book, writer Sam Woolfe points out Strohl's brilliant insight as to why this club still needs to feel exclusive:

"If everyone liked bad movies, that would ruin it. There’s no thrill of lowbrow transgression where there’s no contempt from above.”

Other experts have weighed in on why and how this happens. In The Cut's 2017 article," The Psychological Appeal of Really Bad Movies," Adam Kovac notes Harvard assistant psychology professor Mina Cikara's summation:

“Part of the idea is that the presence of other people can intensify the emotional experience. To the extent schadenfreude is still pleasure, despite the fact it’s malicious, one possibility is it amplifies that pleasure by co-experiencing it with other people. Another part of it is it’s affirming of your viewpoint. If I hate a thing and you hate a thing, then I know you see the world the same that I do. That can be a very satisfying experience.”

In the subreddit group r/badMovies, one Redditor shares how his "Bad Movie Club" grew during the pandemic. Starting with a Chinese bootleg of Star Wars: Episode III, followed by The Room, it became a regular way for people to connect during what most considered a very lonely time. He shares, "I also quickly realized I could invite friends and family from outside the state where I live, and so disparate people in different states have gotten to know each other and even become friends over the last few years. Bad movies bring people together, it turns out!"

In fact, one commenter even met their significant other that way:

"I was part of a bad movie (mostly MST3K but others as well) streaming room for a number of years, and it's how I met my partner. Seven years and still going!"

Not only is it fun to watch the movies, it seems equally enjoyable for people to share their picks. Movies like Mac and Me, CATS (2019), Robot Monster, Troll 2—the lists are endless and ever-evolving. It's a gift that keeps on giving—maybe not so much to the filmmakers—but certainly to the fans.

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People share which highly acclaimed, ultra popular films they secretly can't stand

"Sorry folks, but 'The Princess Bride' blows."

Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers, A24, Paramount Pictures

The Princess Bride (left) Everything, Everywhere all at Once (center) The Godfather (right)

The 96th Academy Awards, better known as The Oscars, will be taking place in less than a week. Meaning some films will be recognized forever as the best of the best for 2024.

…But how many of us have sat down to watch an award winning, cult classic, incredibly popular movie, only to think…is everyone else watching what I'm watching? I don't get the hype!

You're not alone. Art, as we know, is subjective, and just because a movie is liked by many, it doesn't mean it will be liked by everyone.

When Reddit user u/imnachos asked: "What is a film you didn't really enjoy that everyone seemed to like?" their question got thousands of comments from less-than-enthused moviegoers. Some choices were to be expected, such as classics that maybe don't hold up so well with a modern lens. But then a few films that seem completely harmless and universally loved made the list.

Check out the titles below:

The Notebook

"I first watched this movie when I was like 15 and of course at that age you think it’s romantic and the most beautiful love story ever. As an adult that has now experienced young love and mature adult love…. If my high school boyfriend had ever shown up out of nowhere while I was with my fiancé/now husband he would have no hold over me lol. Like I get the premise is that their love is so strong and eternal and that they’re soulmates blah blah blah but they didn’t even give her a bad fiancé. The guy she was engaged to was handsome and super kind and successful lol but sure, go back to your grouchy hermit ex you haven’t spoken to in yearssss."

A Quiet Place

"'S'on, we can talk as loud as we want next to this waterfall. Now let’s go home to our creaky home with wood floors where we have to tiptoe and use sign language….' My guy… just move next to the waterfall!"

Avatar

"Unobtainium?? That’s the best name they could come up with?"

"You could argue that it's a story about how humans gathering natural resources are blind to the devastating effects of their greed... But no, that's just a literal description of the plot. Avatar takes the nuance and context and human characters out of real-world conflict and replaces everything with a one-dimensional min-max placeholder."

The Princess Bride

"Sorry folks, but 'The Princess Bride' blows. The only interesting thing about the movie was actually in the Andre the Giant documentary, detailing the pain Andre was in throughout the filming."

Everything Everywhere All at Once

One person lamented, "I had to take breaks to watch it because it was just too much going on."

To which someone quipped, "The title does warn you."

Saltburn

"I watched it last night and did not get the hype, just the ick."

Fast & Furious

"I find them all to be ridiculously stupid. Just awful."

The MCU

" I like comics but I despise the cinematic universe."

Barbie

"It was fine. I get it’s standing as a cultural phenomenon…But it’s not as great as what people were celebrating it as. But if people found enjoyment in it then that’s good for them."

The Godfather

"I think you would have had to see it when it came out. It paved the way for the modern mafia movies. Before it, there was nothing like it, and it was probably amazing at the time."

Oppenheimer

One person referenced a review of "Oppenheimer" by writer Sam Kriss, who called it:

“…bafflingly pointlessly soulless…Less an actual film than a three-hour-long trailer: just snapshots, stitched together, each scene lasting a few minutes at most, until you start to get something like motion sickness…You get the sense that Nolan isn’t really interested in much. Not nuclear physics, not the terrible responsibilities of the atomic age, or the romance of Communism, or the cruel machinery of the US government; in fact, he doesn’t even seem to care at all about J Robert Oppenheimer, as a man or a totem. What he cares about are the following: firstly, shoving as many scientists and politicians in front of our faces as possible, so we all appreciate how thoroughly he’s done his homework, and secondly, employing a Mirror-wannabe non-linear storytelling technique for no apparent reason whatsoever. It sucks.”

Elf

"I hate 'Elf'. I can’t stand Will Ferrell. He’s not funny; he’s just loud."

Wonder Woman

"It was cool for a woman-led superhero film. But the plot was pretty mid."

You know what they say—everyone's a critic! But that's all the more reason why we need a variety of films, focusing on different perspectives, cultures, genres, you name it, so that there can be something for everyone.

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Couple advertises their rundown Honda as a luxury vehicle in hilarious parody ad

Their spot-on impression of most luxury vehicle commercials says a lot about how we are trained to view consumerism.

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Luxury, it's a sate of mind

When Carrie Hollenbeck needed to sell her 1996 Honda Accord, with over 140,000 lifetime miles on it, having a filmmaker boyfriend paid off. Big time.

Max Lanman had the idea to produce an actual commercial to advertise his girlfriend's jalopy. But this wouldn't be some low-budget production for a 4 a.m. run on the local access cable channel. Oh no. Not at all.

“I thought it would be hilarious to make a high-end car commercial for a really junky car,” Lanman told ABC News. “And she had just the car.”

The ad begins like any high-gloss, self-important, sleek car commercial, with a deep-voiced narrator uttering some vaguely inspiring patter: "You, you're different. You do things your way. That's what makes you one of a kind."

Cut to — instead of a luxury vehicle with a slick dash, leather interior, and impeccably dressed anonymous driver — Carrie's old Honda, complete with coffee spills, random objects rolling around in the back, and one of those cassette things you use to play your iPod in a car without Bluetooth.

"You don't do it for appearance. You do it because it works," the narrator adds triumphantly.

Check out the finished product:

Lanman may have intended the piece to be more silly than satire, but the faux ad inadvertently makes an important point about the car buying experience in America.

As commonplace as the ads he's lampooning are, the majority of Americans cannot afford a new car. Things are only getting worse — the average price of a new vehicle has skyrocketed 35% since the 1970s, while the median household income is only up about 3% for the same time period.

Cars have always been a status symbol, but somewhere along the line — between the time of horse-drawn carriages and the modern era of Matthew McConaughey selling Lincolns by falling backward into an infinity pool while wearing a tuxedo — cars have become an extreme symbol of status.

Car commercials would have you believe that cars are not something you buy because of how well they can get you from Point A to Point B, but because of how they made you feel and how they make you look to other people. For every person buying a $60,000 car that fits their "lifestyle," (or to sit in their garage, barely touched) there are dozens more people buying a used junker on Craiglist or eBay because it's all they can afford. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Though it wasn't intended to be, Max and Carrie's viral ad is almost a digital middle finger to those who want the rich to get richer and income disparity to get worse. It reminds us to be proud of our ability to successfully live our own lives, even if it's not always pristine or glamorous. This ad ... is practical and real and ... well, it's all of us.

"Luxury is a state of mind," the narrator bellows at the end. Finally, a car slogan everyday Americans can get behind.


This article originally appeared on 11.09.17

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John Krasinski's scary hit movie has a heartwarming backstory about inclusion.

"A Quiet Place" features a deaf actress in a central role and it's a huge hit.

The horror thriller made over $50 million during its opening weekend, which is especially impressive for a movie that's not part of a franchise or a comic book. First-time director John Krasinski (aka Jim Halpert from NBC's "The Office") has received critical acclaim, particularly for insisting on casting Millicent Simmonds, a 14-year-old deaf actress, to play his character's daughter.

"After we landed on the concept, we had to define how people interacted in that world. How do you survive without sound?" co-writer Bryan Woods said. "The most important part of the film outside of its concept is the family and its issues. In our minds, the issues pre-date the monster event."

Simmonds' role gave the film more depth but also brought greater empathy for the deaf community.

Woods and co-writer Scott Beck said that Simmonds casting changed the on-set dynamic, helping highlight the experiences and challenges a person who is deaf can have outside the larger than life confines of their script.

"We always had a deaf character in the script, but John really pushed for them to hire Millicent," Beck said. "She came to set and taught everyone sign language. It was really amazing and brought an extra depth to the film."

The casting is also an important lesson about inclusion that Hollywood can learn from.

Even in 2018, building bridges of inclusion is a struggle in Hollywood. It would have been easy for Krasinski to cast an actress who wasn't deaf. But in pushing for authenticity, he gave a perfect opportunity to an actress like Simmonds while also opening up his cast to an experience that brought greater depth to their own roles.

Other films have faced backlash for being less inclusive. The forthcoming film "Anything" was criticized for casting a cisgender man in the role of a transgender woman — even though the film's producer is transgender. While those behind the film acknowledged the criticism, it's just another example that Hollywood has a long way to go in pursuing diversity across all facets of production.

It's not about saying "no" to anyone. It's about saying "yes" to a broader spectrum of voices and talents.

Audiences are supporting more diverse films with their hearts and their wallets.

Krasinski did the right thing and should be commended for that. And his screenwriters say it was smart creatively as well. Plus, over $50 million at the box-office is hard to argue with.

If the last few years have shown us anything it's that audiences are hungry for more inclusive forms of storytelling.

After all, "Black Panther" just passed "Titanic" on the all-time box office charts. With his own film, Krasinski showed us how to be more inclusive and he can take all of that goodwill straight to the bank.

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