Picture this: you’re at a party (remember those?) having a deep conversation about pop culture (remember conversations?) when the topic lands on a critically and/or commercially reviled piece of pop culture. You laugh nervously as people continue to gleefully trash that mess of a film/series/game, while secretly holding your truth close to your heart. That truth? That you love this thing that everyone is making fun of. And not an ironic, “so bad it’s good” love, but a genuine, sincere fondness for this thing most folks consider to be garbage.
But as the saying goes, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. And we here at TMS love pop culture detritus so much we may as well be on an episode of Hoarders. So we decided to run through our favorite pieces of pop culture that get a bad rap. They may not be critical or commercial darlings, but they will always hold an un-ironic place in our hearts.
Chelsea Steiner:
What if I told you that Sigourney Weaver starred in a wacky comedy caper as a con artist who tricks men into marrying her? And then entraps them into cheating so she can take all their money in a divorce? And what if I told you that this comedy also starred Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jason Lee, Gene Hackman, and Ray Liotta? And it was directed by famed The Simpsons writer and Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion director David Mirkin? Whelp, that movie is 2001’s Heartbreakers and its’ hysterically funny. This film has it all: Sarah Silverman and Zack Galifianakis as sarcastic bartenders? Check. Sigourney Weaver singing “Back in the USSR” in a Russian restaurant? Check. Nora Dunn giving us Rebecca‘s Mrs. Danvers vibes? Check. Anne Bancroft stealing every damn scene? Check and check. This movie is a goddamn delight, and proves that Jennifer Love Hewitt should have had a real romcom career instead of doing that Lifetime series about handjobs.
Dan Van Winkle:
I’m already on the record as unironically loving the 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros. movie, but here I am to say it one more time. I like that the movie took the source material and ran as fast as it could with it in some truly bizarre, solidly of-its-time directions. For me, the movie’s rough edges are what give it its charm, and I’m perfectly happy that it’s the Mario Bros. movie my childhood got, even if it wasn’t the one everyone seems to have wanted.
Jessica Mason:
Okay, hear me out but if you want to really have a conversation about cultural appropriation and how the ideas that “we’re all the same can’t we just get along” is complicated there’s a perfect movie for it … and it’s Trolls World Tour. This movie is fun, and creative and very weird but it’s central message about how we don’t have to be the same as someone or imitate their art to admire them and how we shouldn’t make everyone the same as us is seriously cool and worth seeing.
Briana Lawrence:
Listen. I know live action video game adaptations range from either being “omg I had a good time, it’s not award winning or anything but wow, I had fun” to “Uwe Boll wishes he was this bad” but right in the middle is this cushy little “huh, that was so bad that it’s good.”
That’s the live action Street Fighter movie.
If you tell me it’s a bad movie, I’d agree with you, BUT I’d still point out that there were moments that made it worth watching. The entire essence of Zangief, for example, and his amazing “quick, change the channel” line when faced with danger. Raul Julia. That’s it. Send tweet. Also, Ming-Na Wen was perfect casting for Chun-Li, like, to this day I still love her going ham on M. Bison.
It’s got its problems, believe me. Trying to make me care about Guile was laughable, in fact, having him be the main character was pretty hilarious when Ryu and Ken were right there, but you know what? When I sit and think about it? I can recite this movie just as well as the Mortal Kombat 90s film (which is better, hands down) and I dunno, Raul Julia and Tuesday is just iconic, okay?
Watch Street Fighter.
Rachel Leishman:
Ricki and the Flash is easily one of the best movies that makes absolutely no sense. Starring Meryl Streep and her IRL daughter Mamie Gummer, the movie is about a daughter and her mother reconnecting after years apart. Is Meryl Streep as a Republican rocker with an American flag tattoo on her back? I don’t really know why this nonsense movie rules but it does and I’m obsessed with it.
What are your “bad” favorites? Let us know in the comments!
(featured image: Universal Pictures)
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