Great But Bad Sci-Fi Films

Splice?

Battlefield Earth is one of the most painful things I've ever experienced.

@farkas: there ain't nothing dumb about The Thing...

How about a Leviathan / Deep Star Six double header? Bound to dumb you out...

@richardquarisa: I'm by no means bashing it, it's in my top five sci-fi movies.

@skyfire543: ZARDOZ. why was this not mentioned earlier. shame on all of you.

That seems amazingly terrible.

EDIT: Oh! Suggestions.

These aren't necessarily "good-bad" movies. I'd rather classify them as "cheesy science fiction movies". I don't think that The Fifth Element or Tremors are bad movies, I think they're intentionally cheesy in order to be light-hearted and to set a tone.

The Running Man and Demolition Man are two movies that you probably should watch. They're pretty good.

Not strictly a sci-fi film (but there are aliens and robots, so fuck you) but the 1973 Godzilla vs. Megalon is hands down in my top 20 films. So dumb, and great. But mostly dumb.

It's in fact the dumbest kaiju film

Enemy Mine starring Dennis Quaid. I loved it as a kid, but I'm sure if I watched it now, it wouldn't hold up.

You give that thing way too much credit.

Agreed. The original Cube was awesome.

Good but bad sci-fi...The Re-Animator Series? I know its B-Grade but still sci-fi and great but bad.

Overall great but bad films, Jaws 3. Was always my favourite Jaws for how bad it is but how great it is to watch at the same time.

Cube 2 Hypercube! Cube 2 Hypercube!

I could say that title all day, all in a rush.

@mtcantor: um, I don't think the general opinion is that blade runner is in anyway bad...

This thread is great. I LOVE dumb sci-fi movies. This is a great thread because there are so many bad-bad sci-fi movies that finding the good-bad ones can be hard.

I like Cube Zero. I guess it's a bad movie but I enjoyed it. I don't even think it's that bad of a movie.

Starship Troopers isn't a bad movie.

People already mentioned Hell Comes to Frog Town and Pandorum so... let me add ...

• Alien Raiders
• Doomsday
• eXistenZ
• Red Planet

I loved all of these movies with all my heart sue me.

I loved Tremors! Its the first movie with Kevin Bacon I ever saw so I always associate him with that brilliant monster flick. I would add that the new judge dredd is actually a pretty good movie in my humble opinion, for a remake of a 80s Stallone movie.

I almost added Invasion of Body Snatchers 1978 but quick research shows it was very well received. Either way, I highly recommend it. Very old school campy feels plus classic Jeff Goldblum. and Leonard Nimoy need I say more?

Whoever calls the Thing (1980s version) a "B Movie" you deserve a special reservation in the deepest part of hell :)

@redbullet685: That is the entire reason I haven't watched Enemy Mine since I was a kid.

Correct.

Starship Troopers is intentionally campy/a parody so it doesn't really fall into the bad category, much like Robocop or Total Recall; it's just a great movie.

I don't think I can see it this way. If a movie's bad to me, it's bad, if it's great, it's great. I don't get enjoyment out of bad movies in general, and certainly not sci-fi (which is my favorite genre).

@mrhadouken: That movie reminded me of Event Horizon, except I actually enjoyed Sunshine to an extent, while I didn't really like Event Horizon. I just saw Sunshine a few weeks ago.

Alien 3- I've watched it many times and even searched out the studio cut, but I know in my heart it's a bad movie. Ambitious, but bad. OP mentioned Chronicles of Riddick and I'd suggest that as well if you want to see Vin Diesel slog through an unintentionally hilarious wannabe sci-fi epic. A total mess with some of the worst fight choreography I've ever seen.

Yeah yeah, I gotcha. I see so many films, I'd still watch Demolition Man over Transformers. There's a lot of large scale productions that are more boring then anything found in VHS B movie of the 70s and 80s.

Starcrash, I'd put in there with the Ice Pirates, one of those 80s scifi films that aren't that bad. It's pretty intentionally knowing it's ripping off Star Wars and does some clever takes on it.

it's fun, plus David Hasselhoff as the kidnapped prince is pretty much one of the most brilliant ideas ever put to film ever.

I'd also recomend GALAXY OF TERROR! Another Roger Corman production, but production design by James Cameron. And it actually looks amazing. Joanie from Happy Days is the Ellen Ripley knock off, but what's amazing is a young Robert Englund and you can see where Freddy Kruger originated from in a scene where he has a mirror fight with himself. And Sid Haig also a bad ass performance with only one line "I live and die by the crystals." It's actually really solid more Lovecraftian horror then alien knock off.

Again, Roger Corman has some of the most fascinating films. Even if the film sucks there's a good story behind it. Like Jack Nicholson trying to clean up Francis Ford Coppela films.

Critters 1 - 4 ... I own them all on dvd >_>;;;

Reminds me of Barbarella a bit, so I'll give this one a watch.

Barbarella by the way is pretty bad and pretty awesome also.

Quality film making.

I'm surprised Plan 9 From Outer Space hasn't gotten much love yet. In my estimation it practically started the "it's so bad it's good" sci fi genre.

Hmmmmm, no, it's more like an adventure film like Clash of the Titans or Star Wars jumping from location to location till there's a big battle sequence that pretty ridiculous, loud and obnoxious. Like instead of a Death Star it's a big spaceship robot hand. Barberella runs pretty slow editing style but it's very stylish and embraces and enjoys it's own camp.

Oh by the way it's on Netflix streaming.

@sgtsphynx: I think I might watch it tonight because I'm curious as to it's quality. I only saw it once as a kid (probably about 10 years ago now), loved it, asked for it on DVD one Christmas and received it, and never watched it again. I have to go dig up that DVD.

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Starship Troopers is widely considered to be bad right?

I fucking love that film. I watch it whenever I'm bummed out. Always makes me feel better.

Too many straight up great films in this thread.

here's another recomendation

1990 THE BRONX WARRIORS. An italian production trying to capitalize on the Warrior's success, there's a woman who's the Manhattan Corperation's daughter she runs away and joins The Riders who take her in as her own. Soon the Corporation send a bounty hunter after her and there's betrail as they go from one gang to another asking for protection. Starring Marco Di Gregorio.... now if there's a real "Bimbo," this man embodies it better then anyone else.

The film has a Streets of Rage Vibe especially some of the gang designs. And of course a touch of elegance Fred "the Hammer" Williamson plays one of the rival gang leaders. It's a Poor man's Warriors and its more closer to Escape from New York with it's structure. There are some ridiculous gang designs, and one which I'm not going to spoil for you but they appear in the trailer but you don't realize just how silly they are when they actually move around. It's more of a Post Apocalypse film action film.

this scene is pretty cool, showing off the Riders while a drummer is playing out one of their gang member's death. And also a shot of the World Trade Center.

It's not a bad film, worth checking out if your in the mood for some cheese. Italians make some amazing films and again it's a poor man's Warriors.

I love movies where something is going to crash into the Earth and destroy everything. I reall just want to see someone playing the president going on tv to explain that the world is going to end.

I don't think it's a bad movie in the slightest, but the world tended to disagree with me on the awesomeness of The Big Empty. Same with Southland Tales.

And while it's not sci-fi, everyone should watch Six String Samurai.

After Earth. The acting is arguably awkward, but the dialogue and even the story is great regardless. To me the acting itself isn't actually bad, when Will Smith pretends to interpret someone who has conquer his fear and comes off as bored and apathetic, and Jaden really has an unexpressive face, so his body language isn't something great to look forward to.

I don't know either of you, but if I did, you'd both be dead to me right now.

Europa Report.

Not really considered bad, but not exactly good either, I think the ideas are interesting to think about.

Pacific Rim.

And it's perfect.

The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai Across the 8th Dimension