The 1995 film “Showgirls” starring Elizabeth Berkley was one of the largest commercial failures of its time. With a budget of $45 million, (nearly $90 million in 2023 dollars), the film ended up losing more than $8 million and was widely panned by critics. Berkeley said the movie was so bad she became a “pariah” in Hollywood.
But nearly 30 years after its release, “Showgirls” maintains a cult following with midnight showings at independent theaters and deep-dive essays exploring its themes by culture critics.
Americans love their share of bad movies. From “The Room” to “Troll 2,” you can find entire online communities and podcasts dedicated to unpacking these works of… art.
In her new book, “Junk Film,” author Katherine Coldiron explores our love for films that are despised by critics but loved by audiences. We talk to her about the best of the bad.
Below is a list of the 1A team’s favorite bad movies to watch and a brief description of why.
- Jorgelina Manna-Rea (1A Producer): In 2020, all I did was watch the SYFY channel with my dad and this movie was on all the time.
2. Barb Anguiano (1A Podcast Producer): Literally anything in the “Chuckie” Franchise. I can’t believe Katherine Heigel was in this one.
3. John Ryan (1A Station Relations): This is actually a series of movies worth watching.
4. A.C Valdez (Senior Supervising Producer): This all-star cast includes Alex Winter, an uncredited (due to shame, probably) Keanu Reeves, Morgan Fairchild, Bobcat Goldthwait, Mr. T, and Brooke Shields. It is exquisitely awful.
5. Rupert Allman: (1A Executive Producer): (no comment)
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