jhfagan Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 Just got done watching the Robert Englund version of Phantom Of The Opera on DVD, and while I've always liked the movie, something hit me about the movie during this viewing in that it actually has a closer tie to the Faust element of the original novel ( the selling of the soul to Satan, etc. ) than any of the other plays or movie adaptations that have been produced. Which, (IMO), is the more driving element of the story/character arc. And truth be told, it isn't done all that bad. Sure the acting is what it is, but it is enough to get the job done. After all, with Robert Englund in the movie, no one expects an Oscar for the film, ( even though Englund is an accomplished and classically trained actor ) but it is at least, to me, thoroughly entertaining. And it has a very good atmosphere that definitely keeps the feel of 19th century London. The sets, costumes and production are very respectable given the movies' obviously low budget. What I loved about the movie more than anything else, is the music. Being a classically trained musician myself, I definitely gravitate to symphonic and orchestral music and can sort the crap from the quality. Even though the score wasn't meant to be something on the level of John Williams or Howard Shore, it is very strong material. Definitely fits the film, and holds up on it's own when listened to outside of the movie. I could close my eyes and it holds my interest and gives me a feeling of being in the period. Now what I would like to see is a special edition release of this film with possible commentary by Englund himself and/or a decent documentary on the film. Would be great to get more beneath the surface on this one. Speaking of wanting a better version DVD release of a guilty pleasure movie, I am still praying and hoping that an anamorphic version ( at LEAST!!!!) of Julian Sands' Warlock, is eventually released! DAMN that's a fun movie! "NAY! NAY! Say it not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" You GO Redfern! ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foogledricks Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 A movie called "Pirates" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldDarth Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 Streets of Fire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calvin Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 A movie called "Pirates" Tell me why I'm not surprised by this... My films would be disaster/end of the world films. Think The Day After/Tomorrow... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlucci Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 There are plenty of comedies that I consider guilty pleasures, but one drama comes to mind. "Grand Canyon". I watch that movie every time it comes on. There's something about it that keeps drawing me in. Everytime I see it, I think I discover something new, but a "grand unified" theory on the movie escapes me. What do the helicopters really represent? Was the bum telling her to keep the baby divine intervention? What does it mean that Steve Martin's character pledged to change his life and then said Aw fuck it and went back to his old ways? Has anyone ever come across a serious treatment on Grand Canyon? I would love to see a well thought out deconstruction of the movie and it's many, many themes. Or is there only one theme? Carlos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan_E Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 Guilty pleasures? The Car - The Devil's car vs. James Brolin's moustache! Race With the Devil - Every devil worshipper in Texas vs. Peter Fonda! The Legend of Boggy Creek - A guy named Smokey Crabtree vs. a big, stinky swamp beast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogbert Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 "Grand Canyon" is one of my 'guilty pleasures' too, Carlucii, I think it's an under appreciated little gem. Far from perfect, but definitely worth watching. I'm sure there's been serious critiques of it, but I don't know of them off hand - I do know the Rutgers "Big Question" blog covered it a while back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derrik Draven Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 I have to admit that I liked "Lost in Translation" for some reason. Grew on me. Also that silly movie from the early 90's, "Stone Cold", that starred Lance Henriksen as an outlaw biker named "Chains". Probably could come up with a bunch more with enough time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romier S Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 "Lost in Translation" That's hardly a "guilty" pleasure though. Lost in Translation is a fantastic film and quite critically acclaimed at that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony G Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 The Chronicles of Riddick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCREWNUT Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 Attack of the Killer Tomatoes Night of the Lepus Black Sheep (not the comedy....check out the trailer ) Kingdom of the Spiders Return of the living dead part 2 Killer Klowns from Outer Space..... the list goes on and on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graeme Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 Surviving Christmas... a pretty bad christmas movie starring Ben Affleck and Tony Soprano that was in and out of theaters before Halloween and out on video barely a month later. It's awesome though.... why? Ben "I'm Fucking Ben" Affleck is the bomb in Surviving Christmas. The movie is essentially him hamming it up with a huge friggin grin on his face the entire time, mugging for the camera and delivering the movies bad jokes with such enthusiasm that you can't help but not laugh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric M Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 Predator 2. It's basically half of Lethal Weapon and Hudson (from Aliens) vs. the Predator. And it's competently directed by Stephen Hopkins who knows how to put together an action scene. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Covak Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 Conspiracy Theory It was a fantastic ride the first time, as I had no idea what to expect and it caught me in just the right mood. Love the performances by Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts, two actors I normally don't care for. It seems full of plot issues if I ever bother to think about it, so I don't I still enjoy watching it from time to time because I enjoy the characters and the lame/funny stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whooter Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 Two word: "Spice World" There. I said it. Come and get me! :lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romier S Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 1989's The Punisher. Starring good old Dolph Lundgren as Frank Castle himself. Yeah it's pure 80's trash with uniformally bad acting, a by the book script and even some and your typical "Cobra" style view of The Punisher character . However, the action scenes are pretty decent, Lundgren plays Frank as a seriously dark character and I've always had a special place in my heart for it. Cheese and all. To this day I can sit down, watch it and be completely entertained by it. I'll take it over the recent Thomas Jane iteration by a long shot... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff W Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 I buy every shitty zombie movie I come across (and I've got some real stinkers) but I love every one of em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCREWNUT Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 I buy every shitty zombie movie I come across (and I've got some real stinkers) but I love every one of em. Have you seen "Night of the Living Dead 3-D" ? Now that goes beyond shitty zombie movies....I love my B movies....but this one was an F!! :furious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark E Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 I have many guilty pleasure films, but four immediately come to mind: Congo - Boy this movie sucks hardcore, but I would watch the whole thing just for the gorilla slice 'n dice at the end . Clue: The Movie - Apparently I have a Tim Curry thing because he stars in a lot of my guilty pleasure movies, but this was a fave of mine long before my current obsession with anything Clue-related. There's one perfect slapstick moment in this one that makes me laugh out loud every time I see it, and more than a few memorable lines. The Shadow - Ohhh, the bad acting. But... I loved this movie. A lot. It had a lot to like and I can't help but enjoy it when I'm watching it. Great no-brainer action flick. Mortal Kombat - Oh yeah, I went there. Speaking of no-brainers, this movie is amazingly fun once I shut my higher functions down and just enjoy techno and punching. There's nowhere near enough Sub-Zero, but we can't have it all, can we? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCREWNUT Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 I have many guilty pleasure films, but four immediately come to mind: Clue: The Movie - Apparently I have a Tim Curry thing because he stars in a lot of my guilty pleasure movies, but this was a fave of mine long before my current obsession with anything Clue-related. There's one perfect slapstick moment in this one that makes me laugh out loud every time I see it, and more than a few memorable lines. The Shadow - Ohhh, the bad acting. But... I loved this movie. A lot. It had a lot to like and I can't help but enjoy it when I'm watching it. Great no-brainer action flick. Excuse me! I love Clue the movie and The shadow! They are not guilty pleasures! Along with The Burb's and Top Secret. There one hellva comedy night pleasure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Covak Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 Congo - Boy this movie sucks hardcore, but I would watch the whole thing just for the gorilla slice 'n dice at the end . I hope you've read the book (infinitely more entertaining ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romier S Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 Clue: The Movie - Apparently I have a Tim Curry thing because he stars in a lot of my guilty pleasure movies, but this was a fave of mine long before my current obsession with anything Clue-related. There's one perfect slapstick moment in this one that makes me laugh out loud every time I see it, and more than a few memorable lines. HARDLY a guilty pleasure Mark. Clue is f'ing awesome.:rock:tu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenMonkey Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 Mine is probably Kung-Pow: Enter the Fist. Bought it blind years ago used at Hollywood Video for cheap. It's really an awful movie, but once you've numbed the intelligent part of your brain with lots of alcohol, it's a great awful movie to watch. Not really funny sober though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Union Carbine Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 Here's mine: Any old-school kung-fu flick that doesn't take place in modern times Any new-school kung-fu flick that either features a ton of CGI or way over the top fighting Clue (add me to the club) Battle Beyond the Stars Roadhouse (I never lose!) Peter Weller flicks (Shakedown, Rainbow Drive, Sunset Grill) The Last Boyscout Kevin Smith flicks (Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, Mallrats) Galaxina I'm sure there's a ton more I'm not thinking of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Zot Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 God, my problem here is that I genuinely love shitty movies. The bigger the trainwreck, the more I enjoy it. Like watching a comedian BOMB on stage, somehow I find grand failures so much more interesting than grand success. This is freely admitted, so are bad/corny movies still guilty pleasures for me? I'm almost like Steven Colbert; I have a faulty sensor that distinguishes good movies from crap (I can tell, I just don't care.) Anyway, some of my all time favorite bad movies: Hudson Hawk - I love this film even though it is Horrible. Like watching a train full of TNT derail into a kindergarten with a church attached, it's so awful you can't look away to save your life. How Bruce Willis got out of this one with a career intact is still a mystery. They Live - John Carpenter needs a shrine somewhere in the halls of bad movies. He has given so much for us to love/hate over the years. But in the middle of that shrine, there should be a throne for They Live, maybe just below a larger throne for Big Trouble in Little China. They Live is genuinely a bad movie though, BTiLC has its charms. Body Double - And right next to Carpenter's shrine would be Brain De Palma's niche of crap. I still can't decide if most of his movies are genuinely good or crap, but Body Double is by far his B-movie masterpiece. Berry Gordy's the Last Dragon - Maybe my favorite all time bad movie. It really sucks but I love every frame of the picture. If you haven't seen this movie, get it, today! The scenes with Sho'Nuff (the Shogun of Harlem) are worth the DVD price alone. Showgirls - How can I not include Showgirls? Paul Veerhoven might someday be revered as some sort of genious of satire. I really don't know if some of his film were intended to be this bad, or if it just shook out that way. Robocop, Starship Troopers, Showgirls. Hard to say, but they are bad, bad, bad and I love all of 'em. There are so many others, but these are some of my favs... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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