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So Bad, It's Good: More Than 50 Great Films for Your Bad Movie Night
Citizen Kane. Casablanca. Troll 2. Does one of these titles feel as though it doesn't belong with the other two as a monument of cinematic achievement? Or have you developed the sophisticated taste and keen eye that allows you to appreciate when a movie really is so bad, it's good, giving you the confidence and conviction to assert why Troll 2 truly is a movie for the ages? These questions are at the heart of So Bad, It's Good, Edward Scimia's fun and informative new guide to the ever-expanding catalogue of egregiously flawed, yet oddly endearing, B-movies.
Watching bad movies can be surprisingly fun, if you choose the right films. In fact, after reading the profiles of more than fifty movies included in the book, you might just decide to have a "bad movie night" of your own. For those who love the barbed humor and wry perspective of shows like Mystery Science Theater 3000, So Bad, It's Good is an indispensable compendium that will thrill those intrepid film buffs who like to laugh at the worst cinema has to offer. Spanning decades and genres, So Bad, It's Good naturally explores inadvertent classics, such as Ed Wood's Plan 9 From Outer Space, while equally gleaning more recent selections.
Writing with an entertaining and engaging flair and drawing on a profound personal affection for bad movies, Edward Scimia lovingly pokes fun at these milestones of misguided cinematic ambition, while also documenting the sincere and earnest efforts that went into their creation. The result is a comprehensively researched and carefully curated guide to the best of the worst in movies full of ludicrous scenarios, implausible plot twists, and abysmally awkward dialogue. So Bad, It's Good also features a foreword by Allison Pregler of the web series "Obscurus Lupa Presents."
Watching bad movies can be surprisingly fun, if you choose the right films. In fact, after reading the profiles of more than fifty movies included in the book, you might just decide to have a "bad movie night" of your own. For those who love the barbed humor and wry perspective of shows like Mystery Science Theater 3000, So Bad, It's Good is an indispensable compendium that will thrill those intrepid film buffs who like to laugh at the worst cinema has to offer. Spanning decades and genres, So Bad, It's Good naturally explores inadvertent classics, such as Ed Wood's Plan 9 From Outer Space, while equally gleaning more recent selections.
Writing with an entertaining and engaging flair and drawing on a profound personal affection for bad movies, Edward Scimia lovingly pokes fun at these milestones of misguided cinematic ambition, while also documenting the sincere and earnest efforts that went into their creation. The result is a comprehensively researched and carefully curated guide to the best of the worst in movies full of ludicrous scenarios, implausible plot twists, and abysmally awkward dialogue. So Bad, It's Good also features a foreword by Allison Pregler of the web series "Obscurus Lupa Presents."
- GenresNonfiction
165 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
10 people are currently reading
190 people want to read
About the author
Edward Scimia
9 books10 followersEdward Scimia is a freelance writer based in Bethel, Connecticut. Having graduated from Syracuse University in 2003 with degrees in magazine journalism and political science, he presently writes online content for a variety of clients and also serves as the Chess Guide for About.com. He is the author of the Real Mysteries series of books and multiple books on poker strategy, including Catching Fish. His hobbies include playing chess, spending quality time with his cat, Zoey, and, in the winter, curling.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 24, 2015
Every week I host a Bad Movie night in my small town. When I say Bad Movie, I mean movies that are hilarious, action packed and buckets of fun to watch. I don't mean boring, which to my mind is the only truly bad film out there. Mediocrity is bad, having no budget or talent is not bad. It can be brilliant as many of the micro budget films I've reviewed here are. They can also be so awful that they are awesome. Films like Troll 2, Samurai Cop, and Miami Connection.
So Bad, It's Good is a book dedicated to bad movies that are fun to watch in a group and gives us over 50 to choose from. Sure there are plenty of books out there with the sole intent of tearing movies apart (Roger Ebert wrote a few himself, as well as the Razzies book, The Golden Turkey books and many more) but there were no books dedicated to terrible movies that were actually fun to watch instead of a chore. The other books on the subject of bad movies serve as warnings to the viewer to stay away. This book is the opposite, it champions these bad movies and encourages the reader to seek out each and every one of them, though the author smartly suggests the movies should be watched with a group. Some movies are impossible to watch alone (I'm looking at you Things) but are a hoot in a group.
The book covers a lot of ground in it's small size and it's all killer with no filler. You want a book with succinct reviews with reasons why the movie works with a group? You got it. You want a book with unneeded fluff? Look elsewhere, this one's lean and mean. I've been showing bad movies for nearly a year (and watching them privately for many years) and there were films even I had never heard of. I watch 500+ films a year so that is a grand statement. Honestly there were no films I disagreed with either. The author knows his stuff. His coverage of films like Robowar, Pocket Ninjas, and the Italian animated Titanic movies had me laughing and hungry for more. I plowed through the book over the weekend and I can't wait to see some of the films listed.
If you're looking to host a bad movie night with friends but need some recommendations, this book is for you. If you're always on the hunt for the next greatest super bad flick, this book is for you too. I'm happy to report there is also a volume 2 available and I can't wait to get my hands on that one too!
So Bad, It's Good is a book dedicated to bad movies that are fun to watch in a group and gives us over 50 to choose from. Sure there are plenty of books out there with the sole intent of tearing movies apart (Roger Ebert wrote a few himself, as well as the Razzies book, The Golden Turkey books and many more) but there were no books dedicated to terrible movies that were actually fun to watch instead of a chore. The other books on the subject of bad movies serve as warnings to the viewer to stay away. This book is the opposite, it champions these bad movies and encourages the reader to seek out each and every one of them, though the author smartly suggests the movies should be watched with a group. Some movies are impossible to watch alone (I'm looking at you Things) but are a hoot in a group.
The book covers a lot of ground in it's small size and it's all killer with no filler. You want a book with succinct reviews with reasons why the movie works with a group? You got it. You want a book with unneeded fluff? Look elsewhere, this one's lean and mean. I've been showing bad movies for nearly a year (and watching them privately for many years) and there were films even I had never heard of. I watch 500+ films a year so that is a grand statement. Honestly there were no films I disagreed with either. The author knows his stuff. His coverage of films like Robowar, Pocket Ninjas, and the Italian animated Titanic movies had me laughing and hungry for more. I plowed through the book over the weekend and I can't wait to see some of the films listed.
If you're looking to host a bad movie night with friends but need some recommendations, this book is for you. If you're always on the hunt for the next greatest super bad flick, this book is for you too. I'm happy to report there is also a volume 2 available and I can't wait to get my hands on that one too!
February 24, 2017
Good introduction to some bad movies! Between MST3K and just general love of bad movies I've seen a good chunk of them, but there are definitely some new ones for me, and funny reviews of the ones I've already seen to boot. It's a quick read, and has some good potential jumping off points for new people to the great world of bad movies.
November 19, 2016
One of the funniest things in this book is actually unintentional. Published in 2012, the book contains the following line, on page 76; [A]nd the climax of the movie is about as plausible as the Cubs winning a World Series sometime this decade." Again, published in 2012. *LOL*
March 13, 2021
Not great
Great picks of movies covered but as the book goes on and on the details of those movies gets less and less. What is really needed is a big book like Danny Peary’s Cult Movies that explores everything about the movies picked. That book series was great. This is not.
Great picks of movies covered but as the book goes on and on the details of those movies gets less and less. What is really needed is a big book like Danny Peary’s Cult Movies that explores everything about the movies picked. That book series was great. This is not.
April 20, 2022
Fun read
If you like bad movies, you'll like this book. My only complaint is that it's so short and doesn't discuss many movies. I also wish the author had said more about some movies instead of saying you'll have to watch the movie to understand what he's talking about.
If you like bad movies, you'll like this book. My only complaint is that it's so short and doesn't discuss many movies. I also wish the author had said more about some movies instead of saying you'll have to watch the movie to understand what he's talking about.
September 24, 2015
Having been raised in the cult of bad cinema, I am well-versed in the holy books: The Golden Turkey Awards and The Son of the Golden Turkey Awards by the Medved brothers. While I appreciate the effort made by Mr. Scimia to contribute to the canon, this particular book falls short in many ways.
Mr. Scimia does a good job in the very beginning, outlining the qualities that make a truly "so bad, it's good" movie, using the classic Plan 9 from Outer Space as his example. These are the readily identifiable characteristics of the best of the worst: bad writing, bad acting, poor production values, the X-factor (in the case of Plan 9 he fingers this as Bela Lugosi's posthumous non-sequitur appearances), and sincerity. Of these, I think sincerity is the most valuable in taking a merely bad movie to the level of a masterpiece of incompetence. I would add in a certain level of auteur-ship on the part of the director, which is tied into that sincerity. Really good bad movies just do not tend to be made by big studios; they make bad ones, for certain, but not enjoyably bad ones. And, in this age when making a theater-release movie costs real money, and a certain self-conscious cynicism and detached irony pervade most short works on media such as YouTube, find a really great bad movie is becoming more and more rare.
That was my biggest complaint with this book: I think that the author lists too many movies that are just bad, without being entertainingly, joyously, enchantingly bad. There are too many big studio releases that are annoying or boring without the charm of the low-budget offerings of the 1950's and 1960's. Mr. Scimia also relies too much on MST3K; he breaks very little new ground. I did not come away from reading this book with a list of new baddies I was eager to see. That is a shame, because the world of bad cinema rivals the oceans in the percentage left to be explored.
Mr. Scimia does a good job in the very beginning, outlining the qualities that make a truly "so bad, it's good" movie, using the classic Plan 9 from Outer Space as his example. These are the readily identifiable characteristics of the best of the worst: bad writing, bad acting, poor production values, the X-factor (in the case of Plan 9 he fingers this as Bela Lugosi's posthumous non-sequitur appearances), and sincerity. Of these, I think sincerity is the most valuable in taking a merely bad movie to the level of a masterpiece of incompetence. I would add in a certain level of auteur-ship on the part of the director, which is tied into that sincerity. Really good bad movies just do not tend to be made by big studios; they make bad ones, for certain, but not enjoyably bad ones. And, in this age when making a theater-release movie costs real money, and a certain self-conscious cynicism and detached irony pervade most short works on media such as YouTube, find a really great bad movie is becoming more and more rare.
That was my biggest complaint with this book: I think that the author lists too many movies that are just bad, without being entertainingly, joyously, enchantingly bad. There are too many big studio releases that are annoying or boring without the charm of the low-budget offerings of the 1950's and 1960's. Mr. Scimia also relies too much on MST3K; he breaks very little new ground. I did not come away from reading this book with a list of new baddies I was eager to see. That is a shame, because the world of bad cinema rivals the oceans in the percentage left to be explored.
March 25, 2013
I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads Giveaway! I've seen some terrible movies in my day, but there are a few that are so awful that they turn out be an unlikely comedy! Killer Clowns from Outer Space is one of my favorite bad movies...and what do you know?? ITS IN THIS BOOK!
This book is perfect for those of us who like to sit down and watch a known "bad" movie just for the comedic value! This book even goes to the extent to separate all the movies into categories; like sports, martial arts, war movies,and movies seen on Mystery Science Theater. There's even a section dedicated to animated Titanic Movies! I'll definitely be using this book the next time I feel like watching an awful movie.
This book is perfect for those of us who like to sit down and watch a known "bad" movie just for the comedic value! This book even goes to the extent to separate all the movies into categories; like sports, martial arts, war movies,and movies seen on Mystery Science Theater. There's even a section dedicated to animated Titanic Movies! I'll definitely be using this book the next time I feel like watching an awful movie.
March 16, 2014
This Kickstarter funded book is a bad movie lover's dream! Detailing not just the plots, but how the movies have attained a certain cult (if it indeed has) and what the films have to offer for an enjoyable night of bad movie watching.
As someone that's been hosting a bad movie party once a year for quite a few years now, I did know some of these movies, but it was enjoyable to read about them ("Hobogoblins" is a personal favorite, and I am so happy it's in the book) but Mr. Scimia did have a solid number of entries that I had not of heard of, but am now very excited to watch (soon hopefully).
A few typos and such do abound, but they were small issues and didn't effect my enjoyment of the book in any real way.
As someone that's been hosting a bad movie party once a year for quite a few years now, I did know some of these movies, but it was enjoyable to read about them ("Hobogoblins" is a personal favorite, and I am so happy it's in the book) but Mr. Scimia did have a solid number of entries that I had not of heard of, but am now very excited to watch (soon hopefully).
A few typos and such do abound, but they were small issues and didn't effect my enjoyment of the book in any real way.
January 30, 2013
I have received a free copy of this book through a GoodReads FirstReads giveaway.
An entertaining guide filled with fun facts, movies that are so bad they are good and even a section on MST3K (Mystery Science Theater for you non-nerds out there. :p I grew up watching that show and developed a fondness for mocking terrible movies from that show.) The final chapter even gives you tips for finding more "so bad, it's good" movies.
December 26, 2013
Lightweight but amusing overview of celluloid travesties, mixing the usual suspects ('Birdemic', 'Troll 2', 'The Room') with some more obscure cuts ('Mazes and Monsters', the Troy Mclure-ishly titles 'Never Too Young To Die'). A more consistent approach and some co-operation from the film makers (photos, interviews) would result in a more comprehensive summary. That said, people with a taste for terrible cinema will relish a few more recommendations.
December 24, 2012
This is an excellent, fun-to-read, laugh-out-loud book about bad movies! Perfect for your B movie night with your friends, it covers everything from Plan 9 From Outer Space to Birdemic, and much more! Includes a foreword by Allison Pregler, aka Obscurus Lupa from ThatGuyWithTheGlasses.com.
June 29, 2015
This was okay, but I tend to read these kind of books for entertainment purposes, not research for movie night - and with that in mind, you can't beat the collections of Roger Ebert's bad movie reviews. This collection also had too many pytos and misspelnings.
December 24, 2012
Not only a great introduction to the genre of wonderfully terrible movies, but also covers some films that veteran bad overs lovers likely haven't seen.
August 12, 2016
A Review In A Sentence
I would rather watch a bad movie than read this dull book about them.
I would rather watch a bad movie than read this dull book about them.
September 9, 2018
There’s a difference between “bad” and “bad, but strangely entertaining”. One of the worst things a movie can be is be boring.
June 30, 2016
Hilarious and informative
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews