Few genres make us laugh as heartily as horror movies gone wrong, but the true fan knows that the cheesy effects, bad acting and insane plot are all part of the fun. As the saying goes, nobody sets out to make a bad movie, and those responsible for many cherished exhibits in the Hollywood Hall Of Shame genuinely believed in what they were making and thought they were doing good work. Nicolas Cage thought he was updating The Wicker Man for a modern audience, but instead he sucked all the life out of the original story and turned the protagonist into a clichéd haunted soul seeking redemption. For the record, no hero should ever drop the F-bomb in front of small children, steal a teachers bicycle at gunpoint or punch out a woman while dressed as a bear. He does all three in the space of two hours. Then theres Mother Of Tears, the concluding part of Dario Argentos Three Mothers trilogy, which appears to be about a beautiful naked witch who can cause the scenery to shake. For someone who threatens to destroy the world, shes defeated with astonishing ease burning the single garment she owns causes her to perish. There are many, many other fine examples, but in the meantime lets confine ourselves to 12 of the all-time funniest.
Ian Watson is the author of 'Midnight Movie Madness', a 600+ page guide to "bad" movies from 'Reefer Madness' to 'Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead.'
