List of films considered the worst

The following is a partial list of movies considered among the worst ever made. Although taste and judgment are subjective, the movies listed have achieved a notable level of infamy, through critical and popular consensus. The films listed have been either cited by one or more reputable sources as either the worst movie of the year, or been on such a source's list of worst movies. Examples of such sources include the Razzies and Roger Ebert's list.

This list excludes productions which did not receive major distribution, and which therefore were not expected to be successful.

The 1998 advent of Rotten Tomatoes, a website which aggregates reviewers' scores, has greatly assisted the process of selecting infamous films.

"Among the worst ever made" must be taken with a grain of salt. In all fairness, many of the movies listed here are mediocre rather than utterly wretched (cf. hyperbole). Certainly it would be unfair to equate movies which simply failed to meet expectations, like Pearl Harbor, with others which, in the view of many critics, represent the nadir of the filmmaking art, such as Battlefield Earth. Some films divide critics — A.I. for example has many serious defenders.

An interesting psychological question is why filmgoers often delight in mocking bad movies (cf. Schadenfreude). After all, we do not laugh at poor paintings (though people do sometimes mock the taste of "the art world" as represented by museums and galleries) — rather we see them as a necessary by-product of good paintings. One difference may be our resentment at being manipulated by studios, which leads us to take perverse pleasure when one of them blows a hundred million dollars on an Ishtar.

The movies listed here are not simply box office bombs, although many of them are; rather, they are films which spectacularly failed to meet critical and commercial standards set by advance publicity, or the weight of expectations. Although a movie usually achieves infamy by being very poorly written, directed, or acted, it can become notable for other factors, such as an excessive amount of hype, or a backlash against overexposed celebrities. An example of the former is Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate; while the Ben Affleck/Jennifer Lopez vehicle Gigli is an example of the latter.

Bad filmmaking does not necessarily prevent a movie from becoming popular. Several of the big-budget films below actually made a profit, including Batman & Robin and the 1998 American Godzilla. Titanic appears in some "worst ever" lists despite the fact that it remains among the most commercially successful films ever made.

Fans of low-budget cult films often use the term "so bad it's good" to describe dramatic movies that are so poorly made they actually become an entertaining comedy of errors, the most famous examples being Ed Wood's 1959 Plan 9 from Outer Space and Phil Tucker's 1953 Robot Monster. Unlike more mundane bad films, these films actually develop an ardent fan following who love them because of their poor quality.

These cult favorites are the result of filmmakers who cannot perceive their own incompetence, or whose creative vision outstrips their technical or financial resources. The most popular examples are the movies of Ed Wood or Coleman Francis, or any of the myriad obscure films featured on the television spoof show Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Motion pictures that are frequently cited by some as among the worst movies ever made include:

A

The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)

This infamous Eddie Murphy bomb had its origins back in the mid 1980s. The script went through numerous revisions and upon completion of filming, the film sat on the shelf for two years, finally released in August 2002. The movie, which cost $90 million to make, made somewhere in the range of $2.9 million. The majority of critics lambasted the awful acting, terrible dialogue and lack of humor. It was nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst Picture. Murphy himself seemed to sense how bad Pluto Nash actually was, for he did nothing to promote the film upon its release.

An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1997)

Worst Picture of the 1998 Golden Raspberry Awards (Razzies). It tells the story of a director who wants to credit Alan Smithee (the Director's Guild of America's official pseudonym for directors who feel their work has been mutilated by studios) as director of his latest film but cannot as his name really is Alan Smithee. In one of Hollywood's great ironies, the director of this movie, Arthur Hiller, protested the handling of the film by the studio by refusing to accept credit for the movie, resulting in the Alan Smithee credit being used.

B

Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (2002)

This action movie, starring Lucy Liu and Antonio Banderas, was universally panned by critics, earning a rare 0% rating (with 98 reviews) on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics variously described the film as "A picture for idiots", "Boring to an amazing degree", "A fine achievement in stupidity and dullness", "It's dreadful", "Gives new meaning to the word incoherent", and "The film is bad on just about every level". An early script, significantly different from the final iteration, was used for the GBA video game Ecks vs. Sever - despite many rumors, the movie was not based on the game, although the game was released first (due to delay in the release of the movie).

Batman & Robin (1997)

The fourth film of the Warner Bros. franchise that began with 1989's Batman and the lowest-grossing movie in the film series, this film is often billed as the worst superhero movie of all time, even to the point that star George Clooney says he will refund people's money if they stop him on the street and say they paid to see it. Batman & Robin earned the nickname "Batman on Ice" for a scene in which the caped crusader inexplicably has retractable skate blades hidden inside his boots. The film was mocked for the poor script, extending the campy attitude of the previous installment Batman Forever, the poor casting of "big-name" stars which included Uma Thurman, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and George Clooney, and the inclusion of both Robin and Batgirl. A necessary reboot of the series was done, with the 2005 film Batman Begins.

Regarding Batman & Robin, humorist Michael J. Nelson wrote in his book Mike Nelson's Movie Megacheese:

"For those of you who were scared away by the abysmal reviews of Batman & Robin, let me lay to rest some of the prejudices you might have about the film. It's not the worst movie ever. No, indeed. It's the worst thing ever. Yes, it's the single worst thing that we as human beings have ever produced in recorded history."

Battlefield Earth (2000)

Based on L. Ron Hubbard's book of the same name, starring John Travolta. Hugely hyped by the Church of Scientology, with the third worst 3,000-theater-plus opening weekend up to that time. Many reviewers of this movie describe the pain experienced while watching [1]. Rotten Tomatoes lists 4 positive reviews out of 99. Won seven Golden Raspberry Awards including Worst Picture. In 2005, an eighth Razzie (for Worst "Drama" of Our First 25 Years) was awarded to the film.

Blood Feast (1963)

Pioneering, if not the first film in the "gore" genre. Called worst movie of the year by Time magazine.

Blood Sucking Freaks (1976)

A very controversial and very violent movie, the group Women Against Pornography convinced the MPAA to refuse to rate the film. The film was later cut to receive an R-rating but the distributor Troma decided to slip the original unrated cut to theaters as if it was the R-rated cut. When the MPAA discovered this they sued for misuse of their rated R trademark. In the movie, the main character, Master Sardu (played by Seamus O'Brien) runs a macabre theatre and specializes in S&M and killing people on stage, while pretending it's only a trick that is part of the show. Containing a mix of naked women, midgets, excessive torture, and women eating ears, it appeared in the 2004 DVD documentary, The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made.

The Brown Bunny (2003)

A road movie about a motorcycle racer, actor-director Vincent Gallo, who reunites with his girlfriend. He goes to McDonald's, washes his van, and visits a pet store, but nothing much happens until the notorious final scene where Chloë Sevigny performs unsimulated fellatio on him. A version that ran 118 minutes was shown at the Cannes Film Festival, and was voted by Screen International as the worst movie ever shown at Cannes. [2] A later version cut out 26 minutes, and was given much more positive reviews. Subject of a notorious (if resolved) feud between critic Roger Ebert and Gallo. [3]

C

Can't Stop the Music (1980)

Starring the Village People, this movie was horribly panned by critics, and was the first film to win a Razzie for Worst Picture. It also won Worst Screenplay. Valerie Perrine, Bruce Jenner, and Steve Guttenberg all have starring roles in this movie.

Catwoman (2004)

Ostensibly based on the DC Comics character and starring Halle Berry in a film that resembles next to nothing of its source material. Upon release it had 0 positives on Rotten Tomatoes with only 11% positive during its opening weekend, and was declared "arguably the worst superhero film ever made" by the Orlando Sentinel. The Florida Times-Union put it more bluntly: "Me-ouch!" Winner of 4 Razzies for Worst Picture, Worst Actress, Worst Director (Pitof) and Worst Screenplay. In a rare move, Halle Berry accepted her Razzie in person, and apologized for having appeared in such an awful film.

Cleopatra (1963)

20th-Century Fox was in financial trouble in the late 1950's (due to the departure of Marilyn Monroe and a string of box-office flops) and chose an ambitious project: the story of the famed Egyptian pharaoh Cleopatra. Joan Collins was originally cast as the seductress, but was soon replaced by Elizabeth Taylor (Taylor signed a hefty contract that would eventually earn her $2 million). Production started in 1960 in Rome (and then in Great Britain). The cast and directors then were switched (Richard Burton was among them). Then, the news came from Fox head Darryl F. Zanuck that the studio was nearly bankrupt and the picture needed to be finished. The studio had to fire several of its stars including Marilyn Monroe, Joan Collins, Robert Wagner, and Barbara Eden (the Fox studios finally recouped its loss with The Sound of Music). In late 1962, with publicity swirling around the Taylor-Burton affair, the film was completed behind schedule. When released in 1963, it was hailed as a "monstrous mouse" and was cut from its original length of 7 hrs. to 2 hrs. Throughout the 1960's, whenever Hollywood insiders mentioned a flop, they meant another "Cleopatra"-ish film. It took a decade to regain its profit.

Congo (1995)

A dumbed-down version of Michael Crichton's novel about lost African diamond-mines inhabited by vicious apes, the movie is widely cited as an example of a bad movie. San Francisco Examiner movie critic Barbara Shulgasser's comments are typical: "In stupidity," she writes, "this movie ranks up there among the greats."

The Conqueror (1956)

Howard Hughes funded box-office disaster featuring John Wayne as Genghis Khan and redheaded Susan Hayward as a Tartar princess. The movie was filmed in Utah downwind from an atomic testing range in Nevada and is often blamed for the cancer deaths of many of the cast and crew, including both Hayward and Wayne. Appears in Michael Sauter's book The Worst Movies of All Time, and made the ten-worst list in The Book of Lists.

Cool as Ice (1991)

This vehicle for Vanilla Ice, loosely based on Rebel Without a Cause, is infamous for its awful dialogue, bad acting, and overall clunky and stupid plot. It won Vanilla Ice a Razzie for "Worst New Star". Notorious for the line "Drop that zero and get with the hero!". It also featured Naomi Campbell as his leading lady.

The Crawling Hand (1959)

When an astronaut dies in an explosion in outer space, one of his severed hands is left. It strangles townspeople and possesses the main character named Paul, a nerdy teenager. Burt Reynolds auditioned for the character of Paul and reportedly did such a terrible job acting that he was asked not to return to the set. Alan Hale Jr. appeared in this movie before he did in Gilligan's Island. Appeared in the 2004 DVD documentary The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made and featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000.

The Creeping Terror (1964)

Infamous monster movie about a roving, hungry shag-rug from outer space and the many vacuous rural Californians that end up in its maw. Memorable for having had most of its dialogue lost (the sound equipment fell in a lake) and so dubbed over by an omnipresent narrator explaining to the audience what the people onscreen are saying. Featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000.

The Crippled Masters (1982)

Simplistic kung fu movie in which an armless man and a legless man become kung fu masters and fight against their evil teacher who maimed them. Appeared in the 2004 DVD documentary, The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made.

Cutthroat Island (1995)

This uneven swashbuckler starring Geena Davis and Matthew Modine as pirates is in the Guiness Book of World Records for the biggest loss of profit for a film.

D

Da Hip Hop Witch (2000)

With crude language in the vein of Martin Lawrence concert movies, this is a comedy anthology featuring music by hip hop artists such as Eminem and Vanilla Ice, about a woman who is treating them terribly. Though it is not currently on IMDb's Bottom 100, it is both getting there (the film needs 625 votes) and has the single lowest rating of any movie listed by IMDb.

Daniel: Der Zauberer (2004)

A low-budget film from Germany, starring singer Daniel Küblböck as himself. Küblböck was voted Germany's Most Irritating Personality in 2003, causing the film to be predictably unsuccessful. The title isn't even accurate, as it implies that Küblböck is "Der Zauberer" ("The Sorcerer"), who is actually a different character (played by Ulli Lommel, the writer/director of the film). Went straight to #1 on the IMDb Bottom 100, and remained there for most of 2004. To make it even worse for the crew, the movie was seen only by the biggest fans of Daniel, who were not much.

Devilman (2004)

A Japanese tokusatsu adaptation of Go Nagai's Devilman manga series making use of CGI effects. The film was universally panned, even by fans of the original manga, citing reasons such as the CGI being hideous, and the casting of various nationally-popular models and teen idols who do not seem to have a clue how to act. In addition, reportedly, CGI was used for the fight scenes because director Hiroyuki Nasu did not know how to direct one with live actors. One year later, the movie won Grand Prize in the Bunshun Kiichigo Awards, the Japanese equivalent of the Razzie Awards.

Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971)

A Dracula with an afro joins forces with a mad scientist, Dr. Duryea (played by J. Carrol Naish in his last film role), to resurrect the Frankenstein monster, whose face appears to look like a raw steak. Like Naish, Lon Chaney Jr. also makes his last film appearance, playing an axe-wielding maniac who is a henchman to the mad doctor. Appeared in the 2004 DVD documentary, The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made. Previously held a spot in the IMDB Bottom 100.

The Driver's Seat (1973)

Comedy of a character played by Elizabeth Taylor making a movie in Rome, Italy; cited in a 10-worst list in The Book of Lists.

Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005)

Roger Ebert gave it the rare rating of zero stars and gave an offical statement as a Pulitzer prize winning journalist stating that the movie "sucked". [4] The movie is noted for being one long penis joke and for having a woman with a penis for a nose, who ejaculated when she sneezed.

E

Eegah (1962)

A low-budget shocker, featuring a prehistoric caveman emerging in mid-1960s California and finding love with another teenager. Arch Hall, Jr. performs musical numbers with simply terrible lyrics. Included in the 2004 DVD documentary, The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made. Featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)

One of the biggest flops in motion picture history. Literally laughed off the screen at its premiere, the film was hastily pulled from release and quickly recut by director John Boorman in a vain effort to salvage it. The revised version fared no better (Boorman's restructuring serving chiefly to make the film even more incomprehensible) and was the only version of the film available for many years, until the release on videocassette of the original cut in the early 1990s. The film greatly damaged the careers of all involved, with Linda Blair in particular going from the enviable position of one of Hollywood's hottest young actresses to being relegated to a future in low-budget exploitation films. First runner-up for The Worst Film of All Time in the Golden Turkey Awards.

F

The Fantastic Four (1994)

A Roger Corman–produced adaptation of the Marvel Comics heroes the Fantastic Four, shot on a ridiculously small budget for a superhero/SF film ($1.5 mil) and deemed so bad that it was never commercially released. According to Stan Lee, and unknown to the actual filmmakers, the film was never intended to be releasable, and was only produced to allow the studio to retain ownership of the film rights to the Fantastic Four, which would have expired if unused. Its average IMDB rating is scarcely above the films of the Bottom 100. The film is notable for its amateurish special effects (Carl Ciarfalio's costume as the Thing has visible seams; the animated rendering of the Human Torch's battle with a death ray is obviously cartoonish), as well as its combination of clumsy and obscure plot exposition with over-the-top acting. A completely new movie based on the comic was released in July of 2005, which was mediocre enough to cause some critics to fondly remember the Corman version.

Fire Maidens from Outer Space (1956)

A low budget British sci-fi flick featuring astronauts who find a group of beautiful women on another planet. Leslie Halliwell said of it: "A strong contender for the title of worst movie ever made...Must be seen to be believed." Featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster (1965)

Famous in the genre of "so-bad-it's-good," this flick features James Karen as an astronaut who discovers a ship full of cheesy-looking aliens who have sent a hairy space robot, named Mull, to conquer Puerto Rico. One of the 2004 DVD documentary, The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made.

Freddy Got Fingered (2001)

Of this Tom Green comedy vehicle, which he gave zero out of four stars, Roger Ebert wrote:

"This movie doesn't scrape the bottom of the barrel. This movie isn't the bottom of the barrel. This movie isn't below the bottom of the barrel. This movie doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence with barrels... The day may come when Freddy Got Fingered is seen as a milestone of neo-surrealism. The day may never come when it is seen as funny." [5]

Tom Green was awarded five Razzies, including Worst Picture, for this film; he accepted the awards in person, and used his acceptance speech to pour scorn on the audience.

Frogs for Snakes (1999)

A torturous caper film, of which Roger Ebert wrote:

"I was reminded of Mad Dog Time (1996), another movie in which well-known actors engaged in laughable dialogue while shooting one another. Of that one, I wrote: 'Mad Dog Time is the first movie I have seen that does not improve on the sight of a blank screen viewed for the same length of time.' Now comes Frogs for Snakes, the first movie I have seen that does not improve on the sight of Mad Dog Time." [6]

From Justin to Kelly (2003)

American Idol finalists Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini star in this movie musical that stayed in theaters only 2 weeks, and was out in stores 6 weeks thereafter. It is widely believed that the film was rushed into production to capitalize on the popularity of the TV series American Idol. Rotten Tomatoes lists the film as getting only 5 positive reviews out of 57 listed, as well as topping IMDb's bottom 100 movies, with a rating of 1.5 out of a possible 10. The film was awarded a special Razzie (for Worst "Musical" of Our First 25 Years) in 2005

Future War (1995)

A longtime entry in the IMDb bottom 100, the film is notorious for poor special effects (including shots of dinosaurs that amount to little more than someone holding a toy dinosaur right by the camera) and badly staged martial-arts sequences. Almost half of the film was shot in a few days with next to no budget, after the original director's cut consisted of only 40 minutes of footage with no action sequences. The producers admitted they expected it to be shown on Mystery Science Theater 3000 (which happened a few years later).

G

Galaxy of Terror (1981)

A low-budget clone of Alien, featuring appearances from Erin Moran, Robert Englund, and Ray Walston. The movie involves a terrifying pyramid found in space that turns many things into horror. One of its unit directors was a young James Cameron, who made maggots wiggle on a severed arm. Appeared in the 2004 DVD documentary, The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made.

Gayniggers From Outer Space (1992)

A short film directed by Danish filmmaker, DJ and singer Morten Lindberg, aka. Master Fatman. It tells the story of a group of intergalactic explorers who discover the presence of females on planet Earth. Using guns that shoot deadly rays, they proceed to eliminate females one-by-one from Earth, which ensures them the ecstatic gratitude of the previously suppressed male population. Before leaving the planet, they leave behind a gay ambassador to educate the Earthlings about their new way of life. Some consider Gayniggers From Outer Space to be a cult film. Widely regarded as terrible and a torch for internet trolls worldwide.

Get Carter (remake) (2000)

Sylvester Stallone takes up the position of Jack Carter, previously played by Michael Caine. Voters at Screenselect.co.uk named it the worst remake ever. [7]

Gigli (2003)

A movie featuring Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck that was immediately declared the worst movie of 2003. Reviewers dubbed the film "The ultimate turkey of all time", referring to Lopez's character's sex talk to Affleck's character inviting him to commit an act of oral sex: "It's turkey time." "What?" "Gobble, gobble." This film is also said to have been a factor in the break-up of the engagement between its two stars. Winner of 7 Razzies (including 2005's Worst "Comedy" of Our First 25 Years).

Glen or Glenda (1953)

A semi-autobiographical quasi-documentary from the notorious Ed Wood about transvestism, this film also stars Wood as Glen, a man who enjoys wearing women's clothing. After a nightmarish dream sequence (particularly poorly received), Glen undergoes psychotherapy to help cure his affliction. Bela Lugosi appears as he did in several other Wood films during the twilight of his career. Many of Wood's fans—and also Leonard Maltin, who actually thought it was the worst movie ever made—insist that this was worse than even Plan 9 from Outer Space. Also included in the 2004 DVD Documentary, The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made.

Glitter (2001)

Based on Mariah Carey's life story. Mariah plays the role of a young singer who is eager to become a big star. She dates a DJ who helps her get into the music business. One of the ranking members of IMDB's bottom 100 movies.

Great White (1980)

The movie is widely decried as an Italian-made copy of Jaws, with its many similarities to Jaws and Jaws 2. Its release in theatres was blocked after Universal Pictures sued the film's makers and won the case. Appeared in the 2004 DVD documentary, The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made.

H

Heaven's Gate (1980)

Filmed between 1978 and 1980, this historical epic of sorts nearly bankrupted United Artists. Director Michael Cimino, after making The Deer Hunter, never got to work again for another five years after his $40 million "masterpiece" was trimmed down to a dismal 90 mins from its original 4 1/2 hours in which it was a commerical and finanical disaster. At the time, it was the biggest and most expensive flop of all time. United Artists was sold to MGM and the film coined the term "unqualifed disaster".

Highlander II (1991)

This film is an example of a sequel that was so poorly received, it damaged the reputation of the original. Problems with the plot can be traced to principal filming ending 3–4 weeks early and the director being barred from the editing process. Highlander II: The Renegade Version, a director's cut, was released years afterwards. The film was voted no. 10 on the BBC website's list of "The Nation's Top Ten Worst Films Ever" where one commentator lamented that "It stank like a dead cat under my cinema chair". A reviewer from the BBC stated "The script feels as if it were written in crayon on the morning of filming." The poll was taken in 2003, 12 years after the release date, and is proof of the film's "enduring legacy". In addition, at the time of its initial release, Roger Ebert wrote:

"This movie has to be seen to be believed. On the other hand, maybe that's too high a price to pay. "Highlander 2: The Quickening" is the most hilariously incomprehensible movie I've seen in many a long day - a movie almost awesome in its badness. Wherever science fiction fans gather, in decades and generations to come, this film will be remembered in hushed tones as one of the immortal low points of the genre." [8]

Highlander 2 was featured on a fan made episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Hobgoblins (1987)

Low-budget film about the title creatures destroying an urban city. Though this film was not on IMDB's Bottom 100 until August 2004, it was once lower than Manos: the Hands of Fate (q.v.). Also appeared on Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Honey (2003)

Starring Jessica Alba as Honey Daniels, a hip hop dance choreographer whose dream is to star in music videos. Panned by critics and audiences alike, the film was on the IMDb Bottom 100.

Howard the Duck (1986)

Despite being produced by George Lucas, this movie was an enormous big-budget bomb. It was notorious for having six stunt actors each have a chance at wearing a Howard the Duck suit. In some countries it was renamed as "Howard: A New Breed of Hero" leading to the joke that it should have been renamed "Howard the Turkey". Listed among The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made.

Hudson Hawk (1991)

Starring Bruce Willis, this movie was a notoriously panned big-budget flop and a "winner" of three Razzie awards for Worst Picture, Worst Director, and Worst Screenplay (which Willis co-wrote). Star Richard E. Grant tells in his autobiography of how the script was extensively rewritten during filming. Over the years, it has garnered a fanbase, who see it as an over-the-top parody that most people didn't "get" when it came out.

I

I Spit on Your Grave (1978)

This motion picture centers on a woman writer who goes to the country to work on her novel. Catching the attention of four cretinous country bumpkins, they kidnap her and brutally rape her. The rest of the movie features her getting her revenge by killing them in various sick, demented and unrealistic ways. Roger Ebert gave this movie zero stars.

Inchon (1981)

Although the movie had a cast of prominent stars, including Laurence Olivier, this war epic "won" four Razzies, which were Worst Picture, Worst Actor (Olivier), Worst Director (Terence Young), and Worst Screenplay. It was named Worst Movie of the Year by Esquire. This movie was also criticized for being financed and produced by the Unification Church, and Sun Myung Moon was a "Special Advisor" to the film.

The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies (1964)

Billed as "the first monster musical ever made", the movie was made by and also starred Ray Dennis Steckler (a.k.a. Cash Flagg), who made the film on a budget of $38,000. Named the worst movie ever made on a 2004 DVD documentary, The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made. Also appeared on Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Ishtar (1987)

Would-be comedy starring Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman that failed at the box office, losing $42 million; very near, but not currently in, IMDb's Bottom 100. Had only slightly better opening business than the low-budget Canadian horror film The Gate, which opened the same weekend. Seen in The Far Side as the only movie in Hell's video collection.

J

Jury Duty (1995)

Pauly Shore stars in this comedy that was considered by the publishers of Leonard Maltin's Movie and Video Guide for a rating lower than the book's lowest rating of "BOMB".

K

The Killer Shrews (1959)

In this film, a mad scientist creates shrews the size of dogs, which were actually dogs with fake hair and fangs glued on them. One of the stars of this film, James Best, went on to play Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane on The Dukes of Hazzard. Appeared in the 2004 DVD documentary, The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made. Also appeared on Mystery Science Theater 3000.

L

The Last House on the Left (1972)

Leonard Maltin and Gene Siskel both rated this movie "no stars", rare occurrences for both critics. However Roger Ebert has always spoken favorably of the film, and it has achieved cult classic status among horror fans.

Leonard Part 6 (1987)

The writer and star, Bill Cosby, appeared on various talk shows, denouncing the movie and warning people against wasting their time or money on it. Won three Razzies for Worst Picture, Worst Actor, and Worst Screenplay.

Lost Horizon (1973)

A unanimously panned remake of the original Frank Capra classic, starring Peter Finch, Liv Ullman, and John Gielgud; hailed as the worst movie of the year by Esquire. John Simon observed that it "must have arrived in garbage rather than film cans."

M

Mad Dog Time (1996)

Gangster movie, probably intended as a comedy, with a voice-over at the beginning explaining that it takes place in an alternate universe. Roger Ebert comments in his zero star review that this flop (renamed Trigger Happy for video release) "is the first movie I have seen that does not improve on the sight of a blank screen viewed for the same length of time" [9].

Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966)

No-budget horror film made by an El Paso fertilizer salesman. The film gained cult popularity from being featured on the Mystery Science Theater 3000 television show. Has topped the IMDb Bottom 100 for half of the time of the list's existence. However, film maker Quentin Tarantino is a big fan of the film and owns a rare 35 mm copy.

Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders (1996)

Film that, despite its title, is more of a frightening horror film than a family-oriented fantasy adventure. Stars Ernest Borgnine as a grandfather who tells his children frightening tales as a cautionary lesson. Appeared on Mystery Science Theater 3000 in its last season, and topped the IMDb Bottom 100 in mid June 2005.

Mesa of Lost Women (1952)

Low-budget fantasy film which features an enlarged image of a puppet spider, sent by a mad scientist played by Jackie Coogan to destroy everything. Won the award of "Most Primitive Male Chauvinist Fantasy" in the 1986 book, Son of Golden Turkey Awards, and included in the 2004 DVD documentary, The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made.

The Master of Disguise (2002)

A comedy about a waiter who must save his father by using his inherent skills in disguise. Roger Ebert's opinion of this film is that it "pants and wheezes and hurls itself exhausted across the finish line after barely 65 minutes of movie" [10]. Features in IMDb Bottom 100.

Moment by Moment (1978)

Love story between John Travolta (playing a character named Strip) and Lily Tomlin. The movie was so unsuccessful it was never released on video. Critic John Simon referred to it as "Aeon by Aeon". Named worst movie of the year by Esquire magazine.

Monster A Go Go (1965)

Another Herschell Gordon Lewis-directed film–a more mundane horror film than his Blood Feast and The Gore-Gore Girls. The film was begun (as Terror at Halfday) by Bill Rebane, who would later go on to make The Giant Spider Invasion; the film was left incomplete, then it was purchased by Lewis, who reportedly needed a second film to release on a double bill, and who shot some additional footage. Consists mostly of men sitting around drinking coffee and talking; the ending consisting of a long speech by the narrator informing us that "There was no monster". Allmovie.com calls the film a "surreal anti-masterpiece" [11], and is also currently #1 on the IMDB bottom 100 list. Featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997)

The second film in the Mortal Kombat franchise, this is widely considered by fans to be a major disappointment. Holds a position on IMDB's bottom 100 list.

N

New York Minute (2004)

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's first foray into feature films (after years of direct-to-video features directed toward their pre-teen fanbase), earned $5.6 million, the lowest for any film playing at 3,000 theaters.

North (1994)

High-profile Rob Reiner movie, where a young boy runs away from home to seek "better" parents, with numerous celebrity parts and cameos, about which Roger Ebert famously said:

"I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie. Hated it. Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it. Hated the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Hated the implied insult to the audience by its belief that anyone would be entertained by it...[it] is a bad film — one of the worst movies ever made". [12]

O

The Omega Code (1999) and The Omega Code 2: Megiddo (2001)

Biblical-apocalypticism dramas starring Casper Van Dien as a supposedly charismatic media figure on the model of Tony Robbins; and a wildly over-acting Michael York as the antichrist. The first film opens with an account of the Bible Code theories that were receiving attention at the time, explaining for example that the Bible secretly predicts the death of Princess Diana. Faced with such evidence, Van Dien's character converts to Christianity rather than accept a role in the antichrist's EU-centric administration as the "false prophet". The second film describes York's rise to power, somewhat in the vein of The Omen sequels; and a Satanic plot to oust the American president (Michael Biehn) from power. It concludes with the president exchanging fisticuffs with a CGI Satan (who resembles his counterpart from Playstation's Tekken 2, one reviewer noted) in the Middle East, while tanks bearing Mexican, Polish, and assorted other flags drive around one another in random circles. The movies respectively scored 8 and 13 percent on Rotten Tomatoes "tomato-ometer", with several reviewers volunteering the word "mess" and/or nominating them for Mystery Science Theater 3000.

P

Pearl Harbor (2001)

Received six nominations in the 2001 Golden Raspberry Awards but failed to "win" any of the categories. Voted no. 3 in the BBC website's The Nation's Top Ten Worst Films Ever where one commentator stated that "It battered my intelligence with such ferocity I could barely find my way out of the cinema." UK movie critic Ian Waldron-Mantgani stated that it was "A cheerfully offensive rape of history." It was also the subject of a satirical song in the film Team America: World Police, which includes the lines: "I miss you more than Michael Bay missed the mark/When he made Pearl Harbor/I miss you more than that movie missed the point/And that's an awful lot, girl." [13]

Pink Flamingos (1972)

Directed by John Waters, and includes a scene of a man who flexes his anal sphincter at the camera for several minutes in rapid oscillation; and starring Divine, who consumes dog excrement, this movie is notorious for trying to be as disgusting as possible. Certainly the sex scene involving a chicken would be hard to surpass. From this description the reader should readily apprehend whether he/she is likely to regard the film as nauseating, or as one of the best ever made.

A Place For Lovers (1968)

A supposedly romantic contender for the title of the worst film ever made, starring Faye Dunaway and Marcello Mastrioanni. The Los Angeles Times called it the worst movie made since 1926, and it also appeared in The Fifty Worst Films of All Time.

Plan 9 from Outer Space (1956)

The first film even to get film fans thinking of "worst ever" movies when it was officially labelled the worst film ever by the Golden Turkey Awards, as well as earning two notable Razzies, one for Worst Director (Ever) and one for Worst Movie (Also ever). This Ed Wood classic is the last film appearance of Bela Lugosi, who died four days after shooting began. Lugosi was replaced by Wood's wife's chiropractor, Tom Mason, who played his scenes holding the cape in front of his face. Because of financial troubles, Wood was not able to release it until 1959. The film has played almost annually at the New Orleans Worst Film Festival. Also included in the 2004 DVD documentary, The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made. It has been referenced by, among others, an episode of Seinfeld. This film is now public domain, and is available here [archive.org].

Planet of the Apes (2001)

A remake of the 1968 classic which, according to one reviewer, "never needed to be remade." It features Mark Wahlberg as a wayward astronaut who accidentaly flies into a wormhole, crash lands on a planet, and leads a unlikely rebellion of the captive human population against the brutal ape masters. Aside from the featuring of Wahlberg as a replacement for Charleton Heston (who appears as an evil and infirm chimpanzee), abandonment of the human rebellion in midstream, and the failed attempt at a surprise ending, the calibre of acting makes one favor the inhuman apes in the titanic struggle. The indictment of this project as "a disappointment when compared to the original," constitutes generous praise considering the damage this film did to the reputation of Tim Burton and the Planet of the Apes franchise.

The Postman (1997)

Based on two acclaimed science fiction novellas by David Brin, but a commercial and critical failure as a film. "Winner" of 5 1997 Razzies and runner-up for the worst picture of the 1990s.

R

Robot Monster (1953)

Bad Ed Wood-style science fiction featuring an actor dressed up in a gorilla suit with a diving helmet. The director attempted suicide shortly after its release. Appears in Michael Sauter's book The Worst Movies of All Time as among "The Baddest of the B's". Also made The Book of Lists 10 worst list, The Fifty Worst Films of All Time, and the 2004 DVD documentary, The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made. Featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000.

S

Santa with Muscles (1996)

Features professional wrestler Hulk Hogan in a Santa Claus outfit, fighting with Ed Begley, Jr for control of mysterious crystals beneath an orphanage. Featuring a Clint Howard cameo, this film has repeatedly dipped to the number one spot on the IMDb's bottom 100, thanks in part to a campaign by professional wrestling fan-site Wrestlecrap.

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)

When Martians children only watch Santa Claus' TV-show, their parents decide to abduct Santa. Famous in the 'so bad it's almost good'-category. Has been featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000 and holds a spot in IMDb's worst 100. Also cited on a 10-worst list in The Book of Lists, The Fifty Worst Films of All Time, and the 2004 DVD documentary, The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made. Features an early screen appearance by 1980s film icon Pia Zadora.

Sex Lives of the Potato Men (2004)

The story of the sordid everyday lives of a group of potato delivery men, starring Johnny Vegas and Mackenzie Crook. Roundly condemned by critics for being crude and tasteless, and the fact that public money in the form of UK National Lottery funds were used to finance the project.

Showgirls (1995)

A large amount of hype was put into the gratuitous amounts of sex and nudity that were in the film, but the results were critically derided, garnering only 5 positive review out of the 37 listed on Rotten Tomatoes [14]. Won seven of the thirteen Razzie Awards it was nominated for. It is widely considered to have ruined the career of Elizabeth Berkley, the movie's lead.

The Silver Chalice (1954)

The motion picture debut of Paul Newman: he has described it as the worst movie of the 1950s and famously took out a newspaper advertisement soon after its release, apologizing for the film.

Sinbad of the Seven Seas (1989): This film, starring Lou Ferrigno as Sinbad, was viewed as being so poor quality it was never released in cinemas. Said by a correspondent on The Unknown Movies Page that it "may be the most inept fantasy ever put onto celluloid".

The Skydivers (1963)

Film that consists of people skydiving, interrupted only occasionally by the skydivers talking, saying primitive things to each other. The latest entry on the IMDb Worst 100 Movies, it holds the #3 position as of right now. Featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Solomon and Sheba (1959)

The Biblical legend of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba (Yul Brynner and Gina Lollobrigida), cited in a 10-worst list in The Book of Lists.

Space Mutiny (1988): Numerous continuity problems (a killed character later appears alive and well as a prominent extra), and highly suspect acting, directing, and special F/X (all space-related footage was actually lifted from Battlestar Galactica) keep this film perennially near the bottom of IMDB's worst 100 list. Featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

Generally considered to be the worst Star Trek film, it won worst picture at the Razzies by what was at the time a record margin (though it has since been surpassed). The Final Frontier was featured in a fan made episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

The tenth movie in the Star Trek franchise, produced by Rick Berman and featuring the Next Generation crew. A box-office and critical flop (even among Trek fans), this film suffered from a lackluster story featuring "twins" of characters Picard and Data. Widely seen as ending the "Star Trek curse" in which even-numbered films were good, and odd-numbered ones were bad.

The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)

Can Chewbacca reach his home planet in time to stop the evil empire from raiding his family's house, while watching Beatrice Arthur sing? Technically not a movie at all, this television special is nearly unanimously loathed by Star Wars fans, and basically anyone who has ever heard, or seen it. It is complete with a Jefferson Starship music video, Harvey Korman dressed as a female robot, a dancing Art Carney, and a virtual-reality masturbation-like sequence with Chewbacca's Dad, "Itchy."

SuperBabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (2004)

A recent addition to the "worst movies of all time" list. Bizarrely, despite entering the list with the lowest rating possible - 1.0/10 - it has never been #1 on the list, as Daniel: Der Zauberer entered the list just before Superbabies did, displacing it through having a higher number of votes. Some choice critical reactions:

"Unspeakably ghastly sequel to the merely ghastly original" (Joanne Kaufman, Wall Street Journal)

"The most perversely unnecessary sequel in recent memory" (Nathan Rabin, The Onion A.V. Club)

"Spectacularly awful" (Lou Lumenick New York Post)

"May quite easily put an end to any discussion of what is the worst theatrical release of 2004" (Kevin Crust, Los Angeles Times).

T

Teenage Zombies (1958)

Jerry Warren was a director in the early 1960s known for editing foreign films and making them into new movies by adding new footage filmed by himself. This is his second most famous, behind 1981's Frankenstein Island, which were films he actually made from scratch (he clearly did better bowdlerizing others' films). Appeared in the 2004 DVD documentary, The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made.

That Hagen Girl (1947)

A period melodrama about Shirley Temple who's convinced she's the illegitimate daughter of Ronald Reagan. Reagan tried to greatly distance himself from the picture, to the extent that Michael Medved in reviewing it for his works on bad movies had difficulty in obtaining a copy. It was cited on a 10-worst list in The Book of Lists.

The Thing With Two Heads (1972)

Film starring Oscar-winner Ray Milland as a wealthy bigot who demands that his head be transferred onto the body of Rosey Grier's character. Spoofed at the end of the "Treehouse of Horror II" episode of The Simpsons, in which Homer notices that Mr. Burns's head is affixed to his body. Also appeared in the 2004 DVD documentary, The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made.

Titanic (1997)

In many ways Titanic is the most successful film in history - it took eleven Oscars, a joint record, and pulled $1.6bn in box office receipts - a record. Perhaps because of this success, the film has suffered a backlash. Six years after the film's release, perhaps an ideal period of time for a backlash, viewers of the BBC's Film 2003 programme voted Titanic the worst ever. In addition, Robert Altman was quoted in 2002 as saying "Titanic I thought was the most dreadful piece of work I've ever seen in my entire life." [15]

Town & Country (2001)

This all-star bonanza is widely considered to be the biggest finanical disaster of all-time (a record previously held by Heaven's Gate and Cutthroat Island). This romantic comedy about life cost $90 million and pulled in $6.7 million at the box office. In his book, A Year at the Movies, Kevin Murphy cites it as the worst film of 2001.

Troll (1985)

A horror/fantasy film with laughable special effects and a queer concept. As famously odd as its sequel (see the below), this film was included in the 2004 DVD documentary, The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made.

Troll 2 (1990)

Notable in part for not featuring any trolls (the baddies are goblins from the town of "Nilbog"), and for not having anything to do with Troll, this famously odd movie has both topped the IMDB bottom 100, and been cited in most of the few reviews (the picture being slightly obscure) as a "so bad it's good" movie, in the vein of Ed Wood. [16] [17] [18]

U

U.F.O. (1993)

UK "comedian" Roy 'Chubby' Brown stars as himself in what is really a stand-up show for sexist jokes with a slow story. IMDb reviewers criticize it, even calling it a British alternative to Freddy Got Fingered.

W

The Wild World of Batwoman (1966)

Featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000, where Crow said of the plot: "It looks like they just put a whole lotta movies in a blender and turned it on really fast!" Also holds a 1.7 rating on IMDB, thus qualifying it as the #14 on the IMDB bottom 100 (as of August 14, 2005).

X

Xanadu (1980)

Notorious musical flop featuring Olivia Newton-John, Michael Beck, and Gene Kelly in his last starring role. Newton-John plays Terpsichore, the muse of dancing, who appears on Earth as a roller-skating woman named Kira who falls in love with Beck. The three actors collaborate on opening a nightclub named Xanadu. Appears in Michael Sauter's book The Worst Movies of All Time, as well as the 2004 DVD documentary, The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made. Kelly also said that he took the film because it was close to his home in Beverly Hills and could be with his family at the same time. Years later, he admitted it was a terrible film, but loved working with Olivia Newton-John.

Y

You Got Served (2004)

This dance film went straight to the top (bottom?) of IMDb's worst 100 film list in the immediate aftermath of its release. The contrived plot and incomprehensible dialogue were instantly spoofed in the South Park episode You Got F'ed in the A.

See also

• Talk:List of films that have been cited as being among the worst ever made for a list of movies that have been removed from this article due to a lack of a reputable source
• Alan Smithee
• Films that have been considered the greatest ever
• Golden Turkey Award
• Golden Raspberry Awards
• List of commercial failures
• List of movies generating losses (box office bombs)
• Mystery Science Theater 3000
• It's a Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad Movie

External links

• 100 worst films at IMDb
• Guardian Newspaper's Highs and Lows of Cinema
• 100 Years, 100 Stinkers: The Worst Films of the 20th Century
• Cinema de Merde: Reviews of bad movies
• Something Awful movie reviews