In honor of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and other movies that are so outlandish they can only be guilty pleasures for cinephiles looking for something different, unusual or the oftentimes fun "so bad it's good," film critic Chris Pandolfi has chosen the top ten best guilty pleasure films. Check 'em out below!
10. “Monkeybone” (2001)
Henry Selick’s visually creative tale of a comatose cartoonist
trapped in a wacky dream world with his foulmouthed monkey character.
I enjoyed this film in spite of the preposterous plot and the juvenile
humor. My favorite scene takes place in a jail cell, when Brendan Fraser’s
character finds himself with the likes of Edgar Allen Poe, Lizzy Borden,
and Stephen King.
9. “The Haunted Mansion”
(2003)
The only reason I liked this movie is because I’ve been a fan
of the Disney theme park attraction since I was a kid. All the references
are there, from the shifting portraits to Madame Leota’s incantations
to the hitchhiking ghosts. As for the film itself, the story is lost
in a sea of special effects and Eddie Murphy is sadly unconvincing as
a workaholic father and husband.
8. “Cutthroat Island” (1995)
For a film that became one of the biggest box-office failures in history,
I was surprised at just how entertaining it was. No, it doesn’t
hold a candle to “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black
Pearl,” but it gets the job done as a classic swashbuckling adventure.
John Debney’s score is one of the best ever composed for a pirate
film.
7. “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier”
(1989)
I’m well aware that everyone hated this movie, Trekkers and non-Trekkers
alike. But when Bones turned to Kirk and said of Spock, “I liked
him better before he died!” I knew I had to let my guard down.
The same goes for when Scotty bumped his head and passed out after saying,
“I know this ship like the back of my hand!”
6. “Forbidden Zone” (1980)
I didn’t get this movie when I first saw it, and I still don’t
get it now. This unbelievably strange musical from director Richard
Elfman is the very epitome of self-indulgent filmmaking, where gun-toting
teachers, dancing frog butlers, dwarf kings, and chicken boys populate
a colorless world of cheap cardboard sets.
5. “Shock Treatment” (1981)
This mostly forgotten sequel to “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”
couldn’t be saved by a virtually identical cast or Richard O’Brien’s
fun collection of songs. The gender-bending charm of its predecessor
is pushed aside in favor of a satirical take on American TV culture,
which actually made it ahead of its time.
4. “Xanadu” (1980)
An airy musical about a muse, a painter, an aging jazz musician, and
the “inspired” roller disco that brings them all together.
It’s a film I like for all the wrong reasons, not the least of
which is the pre-CGI halos surrounding Olivia Newton-John. It’s
fun in spite of the fluffy story, the silly dialogue, and Michael Beck’s
embarrassing performance.
3. “Clue” (1985)
A comedic whodunit adapted from the Parker Brothers’ board game.
Corny jokes, a convoluted plot, and an inability to decide on an ending
doomed this film from the very start. There is, however, the sense that
the actors are having a lot of fun in spite of themselves. Tim Curry
and Michael McKean are especially memorable as the butler and Mr. Green.
2. “Legend” (1986)
Ridley Scott’s beautifully dark and visually stunning fairy tale
fell victim to bad editing and a horribly dated replacement score by
Tangerine Dream. It was finally vindicated in 2002 with the DVD release
of the director’s cut, which restores nearly thirty minutes of
unseen footage and the original score by Oscar winner Jerry Goldsmith.
1. “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”
(1975)
Has there ever been a guiltier pleasure than this madcap rock ‘n’
roll musical? A transvestite mad scientist. A straight-laced couple
at his mercy. A muscle-bound Frankenstein creature. An incestuous butler
and maid. A tap-dancing groupie in love with a lobotomized delivery
boy. No wonder audiences keep going every Friday and Saturday at midnight.
- Chris Pandolfi
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I think you should throw an action movie on here. It seems your guilty pleasures are the really weird stuff, which is fine, but there are some really great action movies and romantic comedies that could be added.
Keep in mind this is HIS list of guilty pleasures, not the TOP 10 of all time.
No, I think this is supposed to be out of all movies.
If this is the top ten of all time, why are there no foreign movies on here?
Steven Seagal is badly underused in this list.
My money's on The Incredible Shrinking Man. That's the best but it's also obscure on DVD.
What about Waterworld? That's like the best guilty pleasure movie.
Nice list. the inclusion of Rocky Horror and Shock Treatment might be a bit much though.
For the record, Pale Rider is correct: This list represents the films that I, and I alone, think are guilty pleasures. Obviously, people's opinions vary, so there's absolutely no way that I or anyone else could come up with a definitive top ten list.