What Makes Cheesy Sci-Fi/Horror Movies So Entertaining?

[aquitaine]

I admit I have a thing for watching bad scifi and/or horror movies (usually the former). Why? Because they are fun in their own way. There's no need to take any of it seriously or even really attempt to follow what is going, which in and of itself would be an accomplishment with more than a few of them thanks to incoherent storylines. Also the bad acting and cheesy special effects makes for good joke material, allowing you to have sort of your own mini-MST3K.

Anyway, one of my all time favorites is one that has come out recently called Humanity's End, which is a bizarre combination of a futuristic apocalypse, 2012 prophecy mythos, as well as more than a few elements that were lifted straight from Battlestar Galactica. Rather fun to watch.

 

[BobG]

I admit I have a thing for watching bad scifi and/or horror movies (usually the former). Why? Because they are fun in their own way. There's no need to take any of it seriously or even really attempt to follow what is going, which in and of itself would be an accomplishment with more than a few of them thanks to incoherent storylines. Also the bad acting and cheesy special effects makes for good joke material, allowing you to have sort of your own mini-MST3K.

Anyway, one of my all time favorites is one that has come out recently called Humanity's End, which is a bizarre combination of a futuristic apocalypse, 2012 prophecy mythos, as well as more than a few elements that were lifted straight from Battlestar Galactica. Rather fun to watch.

When the film crew doubles as extras in the movie, you know it's a good movie. The other sign it's a good movie is when the head carpenter for the movie sets and the costume maker are the same person - in fact, Blake Edgerton is the entire art department, plus a character in the movie (Stratis Konstrukt 1). One way or another, he's going to hit it big.

Seriously, I have to check this movie out, if for no other reason than Kari Nissena is in it. She was fantastic in the terrifying movie, "Cats on a Plane" (which was much better better than that stupid movie, "Snakes in a Box" and almost equal to "A Snake in his Bosom").

 

[aquitaine]

When the film crew doubles as extras in the movie, you know it's a good movie. The other sign it's a good movie is when the head carpenter for the movie sets and the costume maker are the same person - in fact, Blake Edgerton is the entire art department, plus a character in the movie (Stratis Konstrukt 1).

Indeed. It turned out that the guy who directed this also directed this movie directed Battlespace in 2006. I will give Humanity's End some credit, comparded to Battlespace (which lots of material originally came from) it was significantly better in every respect. Of course it was still bad, but it was a step in the right direction.

Anyone got any other suggestions?

 

[BobG]

When the film crew doubles as extras in the movie, you know it's a good movie. The other sign it's a good movie is when the head carpenter for the movie sets and the costume maker are the same person - in fact, Blake Edgerton is the entire art department, plus a character in the movie (Stratis Konstrukt 1). One way or another, he's going to hit it big.

Seriously, I have to check this movie out, if for no other reason than Kari Nissena is in it. She was fantastic in the terrifying movie, "Cats on a Plane" (which was much better better than that stupid movie, "Snakes in a Box" and almost equal to "A Snake in his Bosom").

There should be a cult following of Kari Nissena.

I almost forgot to mention that she starred in "Teeth of Doom". This movie was shot in 8 hours in an office building after the janitors left. There's just something in that style of moviemaking that's irresistible.

 

[Pattonias]

You would get along very well with my sister. Bruce Cambell is her hero.

 

[TurtleMeister]

My favorite low budget scifi movie is http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069945/" .

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I love just about all sci-fi; good or bad.

The old stuff is esp fun to watch just to see how much they got wrong. But I do prefer good science [as a premise] over good acting or big budgets. It is fun when they take a real concept from science and try to run with it in a respectable... or at least a logical manner. Dr. Who [the original] is proof that good sci-fi needs no budget.

I don't bother with movies that sound ridiculous from the outset; like one that I saw listed recently called "Dinosaur Women", or something like that.

As a rule I don't like horror films.

 

[Pattonias]

I really love old movies and novels from the time when no one fully understood radiation and atomic energy.

How did the ant become gigantic?
Radiation
How did the woman become giant?
Radiation
How did you travel back in time?
Atomic Particles
How did you travel into the future?
Preserved in suspended animation by radioactive gases.
How did you grow wings and develop the ability to turn invisible?
Communists (especially evil communists)

Its no fun to have a better understanding of atomic energy.