Movies:
What kind of movies do I like, you ask? Geez, you're nosey. I don't undertand why my opinions are so important to you. But, if you gotta know...
I have a somewhat perverse love for bad movies. I think watching a bad movie is kind of like driving by a gruesome car wreck. I'm horrified, yet I can't look away. It's fascinating to me to see how just about every aspect of a production can go so horribly wrong.
I feel that no movie is truly bad if it's entertaining. The worst thing a movie can ever do is be boring. If I'm entertained, then the movie's done its job, no matter how cheap or poorly made it is. I'd take an entertaining grade-Z monster cheapie over any big budget Hollywood spectacle any day.
I also like old sci-fi/horror B movies. Anything with a monster, man in a rubber suit or a giant bug in it is okay in my book.
I really like Godzilla and Gamera movies as well, because sometimes you just feel like relaxing and watching a guy in a lizard suit fight a giant moth dangling from a wire.
I like comedies, but I'm getting weary of all the "turd comedies." Seeing someone accidentally eat a turd or screw a pie just ain't that funny to me. See "Napoleon Dynamite" or "Little Miss Sunshine" for great examples of non-turd comedies.
I'm also tired of Hollywood's endless string of remakes. Sometimes it works out okay and the remake is, if not better than the original, at least as good (War of the Worlds, King Kong, Dawn of the Dead) but 99% of the time they're just disasters (Psycho, The Wicker Man). Why do they keep remaking movies that were good to start with? If you're going to remake something, why not remake a bad movie, and try to make it better?
I also have a thing for zombie movies. I can't think of a single zombie movie I haven't liked. I think any movie could be made better by simply introducing zombies into the story. Maybe it has something to do with my longing for the end of the world.
Movies that belong in my all time Hall of Fame, that I've watched dozens of times: Galaxy Quest, Big Trouble in Little China, Shaolin Soccer, Ed Wood, Return of the Living Dead, Dr. Strangelove, Badder Santa and Shaun of the Dead. These all get better each time I see them, and everyone should own a copy of them.
The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao also holds a special place in my heart. This movie had an enormous impact on me as a kid. Plus where else can you see Tony Randall playing 7 (count 'em, seven) different roles in one movie? It's available on DVD. Check it out if you get a chance.
Lastly, I can't make a list of favorite movies without mentioning The Giant Claw. It's possibly my favorite movie of all time. Once you've seen it, I'm sure you'll agree. Why there is no 2 disc Special Edition Director's Cut of this important and influential film, I have no idea. You'll have to go the bootleg route if you want to see this classic, but it's well worth seeking out. Click on the trailer above to see the Giant Claw in action. I guarantee you won't regret it.
It doesen't get any better than this.
Ok, on with the precious list you're so interested in. By the way, even though I said I like watching bad movies, I'm not saying every one on this list is bad. Far from it. Some of them are very good movies. Just wanted to clear that up. I really like 20 Million Miles To Earth, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, Abbot And Costello Meet Frankenstein, The Abominable Dr. Phibes, Airplane!, Airport, Airport 1975, Alien, Aliens, Alligator People, The Amazing Colossal Man, The Andromeda Strain, Arachnophobia, Army Of Darkness, Attack Of The 50 Foot Woman, Basket Case, Battle Beyond The Stars, Battlefield Earth, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, The Beast Master, Bedknobs And Broomsticks, Being John Malcovich, The Big Bus, Blacula, The Brain From Planet Arous, Breaking Away, Brotherhood Of The Wolf, Bubba Ho-Tep, The Cable Guy, Carnosaur, The Commitments, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, The Creature From The Black Lagoon.
Danger Diabolik, Dawn Of The Dead (both versions), The Day The Earth Stood Still, Dead Alive, Dr. Phibes Rises Again, Duel, Earthquake, Edward Scissorhands, Empire Of The Ants, Flash Gordon (80s version), The Flight Of The Phoenix (1965), The Fly (1958), Forbidden Planet, Frankenstein, Freaked.
Gamera, Guardian Of The Universe, Gamera, Attack Of Legion, Gamera, Revenge Of Iris, The Ghost & Mr. Chicken, Ghost World, Ghostbusters, Hell Comes To Frogtown, Hellboy, The Hideous Sun Demon, The Hills Have Eyes (both versions), Holes, The Horror Of Party Beach, I Married A Monster From Outer Space, Inframan, In Like Flint, The Incredible Mr. Limpet, The Incredibles, The Incredible Shrinking Man, Invaders From Mars (1953), Invasion Of The Boday Snatchers (1955), It Came From Outer Space, It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad World.
Jaws, Jeepers Creepers, Journey To The Center Of The Earth, The Karate Kid, King Kong (all 3 versions), King Kong Escapes, King Kong vs. Godzilla, Kingdom Of The Spiders, Kronos, Kung Fu Hustle, The Ladykillers, Land Of The Dead, The Land That Time Forgot, The Last Man On Earth, The Last Starfighter, Life Of Brian, Logan’s Run, The Love Bug.
Mars Attacks!, Masters Of The Universe, Matango, Fungus Of Terror, Mighty Joe Young (1949), The Mighty Peking Man, The Monolith Monsters, Monty Python And The Holy Grail, Mortal Kombat, My Cousin Vinny, Mystery Men, Napoleon Dynamite, National Lampoon's Animal House, National Lampoon's Vacation, Near Dark, Night Of The Lepus, Night Of The Living Dead (1968), The Nightmare Before Christmas, North By Northwest, Now You See Him, Now You Don’t, O Brother, Octaman, One Million Years B.C., Our Man Flint.
Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, Plan 9 From Outer Space, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Planet Of The Apes (1968), The Poseidon Adventure, The Puppet Masters, Q, The WInged Serpent, Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Re-Animator, Reptilicus, The Return Of The Living Dead, Returner, Robocop, Robot Monster, The Rocketeer, Rodan.
School Of Rock, Scream, Blacula, Scream, Silent Running, Sinbad Of The Seven Seas, Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow, Sleepy Hollow, Sling Blade, Soylent Green, Space Truckers, Sssssss, Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Starship Troopers, The Station Agent, Superman The Movie, Swamp Thing, Tarantula, The Terminator, Terminator 2, Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines, Texas Chainsaw Massacre (both versions), Theatre Of Blood, THEM, They Live, The Thing From Another World, The Thing With Two Heads, The Thing, The Time Travellers, The Tingler, Top Secret!, The Towering Inferno, Toy Story, Toy Story 2, The Triplets Of Belleville, Tron, Used Cars.
The Valley Of Gwangi, Village Of The Damned, War Of The Gargantuas, War Of The Worlds (both versions, but especially the first), Westworld, When Worlds Collide, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Willard (both versions), Wizard Of Oz, The Wolfman, X: The Man With The X-Ray Eyes, Young Frankenstein.
