10 Movies So Bad They're Actually Good

I was flipping channels the other day when I came across Grease 2.  Branelle said she'd never seen it and I told her "it was so bad that it was actually pretty good".  I got to thinking about other movies that might fit that description.  There are a lot of BAD movies out there, but while the following movies are bad for whatever reason (low budget, bad acting, terrible plot, all of the above) they are actually good - or at least worth watching.  In no particular order:

Grease 2 (1982)

I'm probably one of the few people on earth that thinks Grease 2 was better than Grease.  They're both pretty bad, but 2 finds a way to be bad in an unapologetic way.  It's a musical, and just about every musical is a "bad movie" in my opinion, but this one seems fun to me.  This is also the first big movie role for Michelle Pfeiffer, a year before she did Scarface, and yes, she sings in this one…a lot.

Not Another Teen Movie (2001)

I hate the genre (whatever it's called) of movies that just spoof a bunch of other movies.  My biggest problem with them is that they dumb them down so much that they end up having to explain their own jokes in the movie.  This one does that a little bit as well, but for some reason I find it to be clever and amusing.  You'll see a lot of faces you know in this picture, including Chris Evans and Jaime Pressly.

Out Cold (2001)

Another 'gem' from 2001, Out Cold is low budget, has a predictable and weak plot, and isn't plagued by great acting performances.  That said, it's fun.  Once you get past the fact that you aren't watching The Godfather or Forrest Gump, it's entertaining enough to overcome how stupid and bad it really is.  This movie includes a young Zach Galifianakis (who looks just like the present Zach Galifianakis) and answers the question of what happened to Jason London (remember Pink, from Dazed and Confused?).  

Starship Troopers (1997)

It's not impossible for a comedy to be so bad that it's actually good, it just needs to make you laugh.  Sci-Fi, on the other hand, is nearly impossible to make bad enough to be good.  Starship Troopers pulls it off, barely, by keeping you just interested enough in the action and story to make you look past the HORRIBLE acting and ridiculous plot.  Ignore the writers weak attempt at an anti-war statement and just watch the "Citizens" defend Earth by killing bugs.  No great actors cut their teeth in this one, but it does have Neil Patrick Harris in a role I'm sure he'd rather forget.  Warning:  They made a Starship Troopers 2 and ST3.  They aren't "so bad they're actually good", they're just BAD!

You Don't Mess With The Zohan (2008)

Adam Sandler movies are hit & miss with me.  This is one of my favorites, and it's really bad (see how this works?).  Zohan is a Mossad agent who comes to America because he's tired of all the fighting and really just wants to cut hair.  It's got a funny cast - John Turturro, Rob Schneider, Nick Swardson to name a few - and some great cameos by people like Maria Carey and John McEnroe.  It's ridiculous and stupid, but it's extremely funny and has a lot of good subtle humor.

The New Guy (2002)

Another stupid teen comedy, The New Guy follows the predictable story of a nerd who transfers to a new school with the goal of recreating his image.  This one is harmless fun, and there's a moral at the end to be sure, but it's got some funny parts.  The biggest issue is probably that DJ Qualls, although likeable enough, just isn't leading man material.  Still, as far as bad movies go, this one will make you laugh.   

Broken Lizard's Club Dread (2004)

From the comedy group that brought us one of the all time great movies, Super Troopers, comes Club Dread.  It's nothing more than a fairly bad horror spoof, but the guys are clever and amusing and while their characters are a bit annoying it keeps you laughing. 

Rock of Ages (2012)

I just watched this one the other day.  Now, I'm sure there are some people out there that will say this is actually a GOOD movie.  They would be incorrect.  It's a bad movie, but it's so bad that it's actually fun!  It's got a HUGE cast, and they do a good job.  The music is pretty good too, but any movie where characters are consistently breaking out in song is, by definition, a BAD MOVIE.  I've never seen the play, but it's probably just as much fun. 

Fired Up (2009)

Admittedly, this one gets a two point bump from me because it's full of cheerleaders, but aside from that it's a lot of fun.  It's a bad movie, but it's entertaining and will certainly make you laugh.  Sadly (for my wife anyway), I think I picked up a lot of "lines" from this one.  Panthers OUT!

Undercover Brother (2002)

I think this is one of the best bad movies ever.  It's hilarious!  Eddie Griffin is funny, but all of the supporting characters have their moments.  I especially like Neil Patrick Harris as "Lance", the only white guy working at The B.R.O.T.H.E.R.H.O.O.D. (affirmative action).  "You mess with the fro, you got to go!"

 

1993 BMW 850ci

Random Vehicle Blog tonight…..the random generator has selected….

1993 BMW 850ci

YES!  One of my favorite cars!  This is my 1993 BMW 850ci.  This was my first true "Supercar".  I was at an exotics dealership in Houston one day looking for an S-Class Benz when I saw this thing on the lot.  It was red (and I mean RED) and in perfect condition.  It was so nice that I actually had a disagreement with the salesman as to whether or not it had been painted recently.  We worked out a deal and I took it the next day.  It was an impulse buy to be sure, but you don't get the opportunity to buy these cars in this condition very often.

 

The 850 is a 12-cylinder monster which BMW built to be their flagship in the early 90's.  It can be driven as either a manual or an automatic with the flick of a switch.  It also has different transmission settings, which make it two distinctly different vehicles (common on cars today, but in '93 this was cutting edge).  In E (for everyday), the car is refined and smooth.  A switch to S (for sport) and it takes on an entirely different personality.

It had a huge amount of raw torque and horsepower, but also about every possible amenity available in '93.  This car cost over $100,000 when new, and very few were imported into the US.

It had a very advanced traction control system, heated memory seats, a built-in K40 front and rear radar system, complete onboard computer system, keyless entry and arming, an integrated cell phone, and on and on…  The only non-stock items were the 17" Azev wheels.  I used this car as a weekender for the most part.  The paint would start to fade if left outside for a few months, but a decent buff made it look like new again.

This is a picture of Barry and I attempting to do a brake job on the car.  FYI - This is a bad idea.  I ended up turning this one over to professionals and it still wasn't quite right.  Other than the brakes and a bizarre problem with the traction control, I never had to do too much to it.

The interior was a tan two-tone leather.  It was in really good shape, but the driver's power seat was beginning to slow down.

All four windows could be lowered with the touch of a single button, and there was no center pillar.  If you opened the sunroof as well, it was pretty close to open-air driving.

I loved driving this car and kept it for years.  I bought it in August of 1999, but I can't remember when I sold it.  I know I missed it though, because I've purchased two since.

This was certainly the "neatest" car I had owned at the time, and it got quite a bit of attention.  Most people really didn’t know what it was, but the lines and color usually commanded a double take.  It certainly wasn't a good vehicle to keep a low-profile in.

Before & After: Hollywood Bath

Another home improvement before & after.  This time, a fairly extensive makeover of what Branelle calls a "Hollywood Bath".  Some call these bathrooms "Jack & Jill" baths because they are shared between two bedrooms.  In our case, this one is between my walk-in closet (which used to be a bedroom) and our office (which should be a bedroom).  It's really like a 2nd bathroom on our master suite.  Whatever you want to call it, it was hideous!

Here are some 'before' pictures:

Some of the issues were cosmetic, like the peeling floral wallpaper, the aged and flaking paint on all the cabinets, the awesome Saltillo tile and equally awesome carpet in the sink area, and the cultured marble counter with chrome faucets.  Other issues were functional including the toilet that you had to hold down for five seconds to flush, the leaking valves in the shower, and the box lighting that wasn't bright enough to be useful.  

The first thing I tackled was the lighting.  It was pretty simple really.  I just wired three recessed lights into the three existing lights and then used drywall to box in the opening. 

Here are the lights after I put them in but before they were finished or textured:

    
When I did this, I wasn't really planning on doing anything else immediately, but once again we were strolling through Lowe's and they had a special order counter that had been returned.  We measured it and decided it would fit if we cut a little off each end so we snatched it.  I started tearing down everything in the bathroom.

Notice the three layers of wallpaper, each more spectacular than the last!

I had my plumber come install all new pipes, valves, and hardware in the shower, converting it from the old three-knob style to a modern single-arm control.  We had the entire room stripped, textured, and painted, including refinishing the cabinets and built-ins.  We installed the new counter and new faucets, including changing all the valves, we added an accent wall of glass tile behind the sinks and installed two mirrors instead of the wall of glass that was there before, we had a really nice tile installed that looks like wood, we put a new toilet in, and we changed all the hardware, plugs, and switches.  

Here is the finished product (sorry for the pictures, it's hard to take shots of a bathroom):

   

I think the recessed lights were a big improvement, especially with the addition of the accent wall.

The floors turned out very nice.  It has a nice texture to it and everybody keeps acting shocked that it's not real wood, even though you would NEVER put wood in a bathroom.

The counter was the starter for the whole job.  A special thanks to my brother for helping me cut and install it.

Boston Marathon Thoughts

I thought I'd throw some random comments out about the bombing at the Boston Marathon on Monday.  There's nothing ground breaking or particularly insightful to follow, just a few observations.

• Social Media Comes Through:  My friend Andrew and his wife Paige were at the marathon.  Andrew was running and Paige was supporting on this one.  I was working in my office and didn't have the TV on so I had no idea anything had happened until I got an e-mail from my father-in-law with the simple line: "Are Andrew and Paige OK?"  It was an odd question, so I turned on the TV and saw what had happened.  They were showing the blast and I was immediately concerned, primarily for Paige since it looked like the runners were safe on the course but spectators were in harm's way.  My first thought was Facebook.  I'm not a huge social media guy, but I have to admit that as a tool of information and communication it was fantastic in this case.  It couldn't have been more than 20 minutes after the blast and there was already a post from Paige's sister letting everyone know that they were OK.  After talking to Andrew later, I learned that he had finished the race about 15 minutes before the explosions and they had gone into a nearby PF Chang's to eat.  They sheltered-in-place until it was safe for them to leave the area.

• Applying the "Tiger Woods Theory":  Everybody speculates about who is responsible after something like this.  I have absolutely no idea who did it at this point, and nobody else does either, no matter how much they act like they do.  Trust me, if they're not from Quantico or Langley, they're guessing at this point.  My liberal friends seem to think it was probably a Tea Party radical, based on the date and location of the attack.  My conservative friends are pretty convinced it's Islamic terrorists.  Nobody really knows yet, including me.  I can speculate that the bombs weren't particularly powerful, which points to this being either a very small group or an individual effort.  That said, when it comes to terrorist activities (and this was terrorism, regardless of who did it), I always apply what I call the "Tiger Woods Theory".  It's pretty simple:  the premise is that if someone tells you that you have to pick the winner of next week's golf tournament, you ALWAYS go with Tiger Woods!  He may win, he may not.  You really have no idea, but if you HAVE to pick a winner, it should ALWAYS be Tiger based on statistics and common sense.  Following that theory, when it comes to terrorist bombings, always go with Middle Eastern Muslim males between the ages of 18 and 30 until you know different.  It's still a guess, but it's one based on logic and common sense.  Anyone at this point who is speculating anything else is just hoping and rooting for something else (I'm talking to you NPR).

• A final note:  An old classmate of mine posted something on Facebook that I'm going to steal.  Ladye Daniels wrote:  "The point is to make us afraid. Don't let the terrorists win this one. Be ANGRY. Not afraid."  She's exactly right!  Their only weapon is fear (much like the Spanish Inquisition for any Monty Python fans out there).  Not being afraid is important.  I HATE distance running, but if I were EVER going to hit the road for any reason it would be to qualify for Boston next year.  The no fear part is important, but getting angry is equally important.  Americans that want this sort of Kumbaya world where it's all ELE (Everybody Love Everybody) and rainbows are ignorant, and by extension of their voting dangerous.  The world outside of the States does not want us to leave them alone, they want us to not exist in the form that we currently do.  Military strength and resolve will save this country, not placating and compromise.  Anyone that believes differently hasn’t spent much time in the Middle East or Africa.  Ladye lives in Turkey, which is very pleasant and westernized for the region (at least in the western part of the country) and she understands.