We have heard this statement many times before when talking about people’s favorite films. “It’s just so bad that it’s fun.” With the release of Fifty Shades: Darker, this statement stands the test of time.
I remember sitting at Sandspur Article Assignment meeting and having an overwhelming amount of people planning to go see this film.
To preface this, I have reviewed films in the past for The Sandspur. I was somewhat notorious for being a scathing reviewer. At one point, one of the other writers asked me if I even enjoyed movies with how much hatred went into my writing.
I love movies, watching them regularly has become a massive passion of mine. However, people forget how many more movies a reviewer has to see than the average person. This means that reviewers see more of the same tropes in a lot more movies because of the massive amount that reviewers have to undertake. In some way, it makes reviewers more cynical and more nitpicky about what movies they see than others.
This all comes back around to movies like Fifty Shades: Darker. While I was and still am a reviewer at heart, I would be lying if I said that I did not enjoy a movie in a similar vain to Fifty Shades: Darker. Films such as The Equalizer, The Expendables and The Expendables 2, almost every Nicolas Cage film, Sharknado, Death Race, and the list goes on. Why is it that we enjoy movies like this? Movies that we know are written and acted so badly, and yet we watch them.
From my experience, there is a sense of just mindless fun. For just an hour or two, you are allowed to forget all responsibilities and just turn the brain off. We are living in a world where there is so much information being thrown at us to digest, it is one of the most calming breaks to just watch that bad movie you love laughing at with some friends. Turn off the brain and just have fun.
However, I have also witnessed that there is a fine line between so bad it’s funny, and so bad its unwatchable. What determines this varies from person to person. I know that some fellow staff members at the illustrious Sandspur would not enjoy a film like The Expendables 2, but they are definitely aware that I would not enjoy a film like Fifty Shades: Darker.
There is also a danger of paying to see some of these films purely because they promote lazy filmmaking. With lazy filmmaking comes bad directors, horrid actors and worst of all, greedy producers. While I do not support certain films for having content that is negative or promotes an innacuarte image of a group of people, I do understand that I support that system at times.
While I think Asian actors should be casted in other films besides kung-fu flicks, I would be lying if I said I did not enjoy them. It is a tricky system and it will be around for a very long time.
Just to conclude, go and watch those bad movies that make you laugh. There is always room for some mindless fun with a couple of your closest friends. However, be aware of the industry that Hollywood crafts. Where the money goes is where Hollywood will follow.
That being said, I never get bored of Sylvester Stallone punching bad guys and saying classic one-liners.
Have fun with your movies, everyone!
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