Blog Post 2: Electric Boogaloo!

No one intends to make a bad film, but invariably, some just don’t turn out as remarkable as intended. Sometimes, a movie is so abysmal that they end up having terrific comedic value. This might sometimes be anticipated, and then milked for its campiness (I mean, there’s no way the creators of “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” could have taken themselves completely seriously). Usually, however, the true abominations arise entirely by accident, and from there, the power of the non-target audience galvanizes. In fact, there is a solid fanbase for Japanese action/horror films like “Wild Zero” and “Battle Royale” with poor production values and atrocious dialogue -- or translations; these are praised for their unintentional hilarity.

The genre of “so bad they’re funny” films commonly functions as a result of changing times and the humor in dated customs – though there’s no need to wait for flops like “Gigli.” Typically, films that last as duds get the most viewership quite a while after their release, and are famous through cult popularity. Some examples of these include the anti-Communist propaganda short “Red Nightmare,” the formulaic funfest “Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo,” Ronald Reagan’s B-movies, and absolutely anything directed by Ed Wood.

Teenage audiences especially have found mind-numbing delight in laughing at the worst dated films, probably unaware that many of the popular films of their time will in turn be ridiculed by future generations. The show Mystery Science Theater 3000 jumped on this hidden underground market, perfecting the art of making fun of laughable old material. The Golden Raspberry Awards, or Razzies, jump on the worst-of-the-worst every year.