10 Most Beautiful-Looking Bad Movies Ever Made

1. Heaven's Gate (1980)

Could it really have been anything else?

Heaven's Gate was a colossal disappointment, a critical failure and a financial flop back back when it was first released in 1980. So much so, in fact, that it was the movie that brought an end to an entire studio: after director Michael Cimino - coming off of the back of The Deer Hunter - took control away from United Artists, it was all over.

In recent years, Heaven's Gate has received something of a reappraisal, with many critics coming out of the woodwork to declare it an "unsung masterpiece." Whatever: there was a reason why it was panned back in the day, because it is a long, dull and often wearisome epic - calculated to such pinpoint precision that it feels (as Roger Ebert one said) like a "waste." As a film, it is endlessly interesting, but as entertainment... not so much.

That said, Heaven's Gate is probably one of the most beautiful films ever made (and certainly the most beautiful film on this list). On a visual level, it has few equals, and - per to Cimino's vision - every single shot feels like it has been poured over with an endless amount of love and affection. This ensures that the movie feels like was actually shot at the time when it is set - that is, 1870 Wyoming; it's a fantastically-rendered ode to celluloid.

It's a shame that the narrative - which depicts a war between between barons and European immigrants - doesn't match up to the visual aspects. Vilmos Zsigmond - the cinematographer - clearly outdid himself, but a lot of that was Cimino, too, who - in one famous story about the making of the film - waited for hours to shoot the right cloud. It might have seemed ridiculous at the time, but all these years later, the effort clearly paid off.

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