It’s true that bad movies can happen to good people.
But, what about an entire career of bad movies?
To that, I say, bad movies can happen to excelsior people.
If I may be so honest, which I always intend to be, my favorite kinds of flicks are those that bombed at the box office or took years to build a cult following.
There’s something genuinely magical about those who can direct an enjoyable, yet “bad” movie. It’s a talent that few have properly used to their benefit. These men are as important to me as “the greats” and in some respects, greater.
Before Sharknado, The Room, or Snakes on a Plane, films like The Violent Years and Not of This Earth strayed from the path to create an audience for films that wouldn’t necessarily be “hits.” With the utmost thanks to these “bad directors” they’ve birthed a new genre of cult film that can be appreciated across the decades.
But, you know you can’t talk for very long about bad movies before this dashing crossdresser comes up…
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| Ed Wood Jr. (right) and his then girlfriend Dolores Fuller (left) in a scene from Glen or Glenda |
Writer, producer, actor, director and my first love. Err, I should specify, my first bad director love. If we’re getting into logistics here, my first real love was the other dude from Tears for Fears,
YEAH. I digress.
I was in my early teens when I stumbled upon Wood’s piece de resistance, Plan 9 from Outer Space. I wasn’t privy just yet to the fact that this was considered to be, quite literally, one of the worst films ever. But, my god, if I didn’t fall in love with it immediately.
Plan 9 from Outer Space has everything a horror fan could want: Tor Johnson, Maila Nurmi, Bela Lugosi, and… Bela Lugosi’s double who was actually Ed Wood’s wife’s chiropractor. In addition to a spectacular cast, it’s laden with terrible effects which I cherish. It’s sweet, really, how hard they tried. The love and heart poured into this movie, much like Woods’ other films, is palpable and makes the viewing experience that much more precious. I don’t mean to be uncouth, but I don’t feel that someone is a genuine horror fan if they don’t love, or at the very least appreciate, Ed Wood Jr. You can’t discuss Wood without praising Glen or Glenda, Jail Bait, or Bride of the Monster.
These absurd and eccentric films are must watches for any fan of this best worst director.
RAY DENNIS STECKLER aka CASH FLAGG
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| Ray Dennis Steckler directed, produced and humbly starred in TISCWSLABMUZ. |
If you’ve been riffed by the MST3K crew, chances are you’re one of the best worst directors. The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed Up Zombies, Lemon Grove Kids Meet the Monsters, and Rat Pfink a Boo Boo are all RDS classics. Steckler is indeed a jack of all trades and if you’ve never heard of him, you’re in for a treat. He acts, directs, produces, and writes.
He’s no Steven Spielberg, but thank sweet baby jeez he’s not. He creates laughable, bad, movies with genuine streaks of creepy, ominous atmospheres. It’s a delicate balance that cannot be learned or replicated.
TISCWSLABMUZ is not only an egregious acronym, but is also a hilariously bad flick. Much like Ed Wood Jr., RDS would shove his significant other in many of his films. RDS’ lady, Carolyn Brandt is probably best known for dancing in this little scene from It’s a Bikini World by Stephanie Rothman.
Recognize the fella on the right? That’s Sid Haig introducing the Castaways! It’s digressions like this that keep me in love with this genre of film. But, before finding her way to It’s a Bikini World in 1968 she starred in Steckler’s 1964 film, TISCWSLABMUZ, as a spooky, alcoholic dancer who perishes at the hands of RDS in the film.
When the MST3K guys riffed TISCWSLABMUZ in 1997, they brought Ray Dennis Steckler to the homes of millions of Americans, but by no means made him a household name. However, TISCWSLABMUZ quickly became a MST3K classic, thanks to RDS and his eccentric mind.
Steckler is known for his use of sexy, curvy ladies in his out there and eerie, unearthly plots. The plots may or may not be very well executed, but it makes for an entertaining film watching experience. That’s really the point though isn’t it?
Truthfully, he’s kind of a scummier Ed Wood. In a really good way though, I promise!
CLAUDIO FRAGASSO
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| Claudio Fragasso, the director of Troll 2: A film that does not examine any serious or important issues in any way, shape, or form. |
You can’t have a Best Worst Directors list without Claudio Fragasso, father of Troll 2 which has been aptly dubbed the “Best Worst Movie.”
As you may already know, Michael Stephenson, the little boy who starred in Troll 2, grew up to make a documentary about his experience working on the film titled Best Worst Movie. Chances are you’ve heard of it, but have you watched it? Parts of it are cringeworthy and parts of it are humorous, but most of it is sidesplittingly preposterous.
The reason for the absurdity behind Troll 2 is the hotheaded Fragasso. At the time he shot Troll 2, he barely spoke English. So, he’s directing actors via an Italian-born translator on how Americans are supposed to act. Needless to say, some things are going to be lost in translation and because he can’t tell how an actor delivered a line, most of the shots are one-takes.
Did I mention that Troll 2 isn’t even the sequel to Troll? It’s a standalone film that simply commandeered the title. These are just a handful of issues that plague the flick. Really Troll 2 and its many layers of “what the flying f*ck” resemble that of a baklava.
Although Troll 2 is a cult favie, I must say that my favorite Fragasso film is his 1984 Spanish film Monster Dog, starring none other than Alice Cooper.
Vince Raven (Cooper) heads back to his unreasonably spooky childhood home to record a new rock video. Without revealing too much of the plot (because if you haven’t watched it, you absolutely must), Monster Dog is silly with ravenous hounds, lycanthropy, product placement, and of course some god awful acting.
The best part of Monster Dog is probably the first five minutes of the film where they open with one of Vince Raven’s “biggest hits”, Identity Crisis. I actually love the song and can’t help but smile when I hear it. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t know every word to this nonsensical song… Don’t you judge!
I totally love how Fragasso was probably like, “I don’t know, have some chicks in it. A car? Yeah, sure. Well, we rented the thing, didn’t we? Make sure you show that freaking license plate, the PA worked really hard on it. Lots of fog. More fog. Not enough fog. Just, for God sake, make sure everyone on set is smoking, too. Alice. Alice! Throw that. No, I said throw it at the camera. Or on it, whatever. Oh, the second half of the music video? Just do the same crap from the first half. But, again. No. Again. I SAID AGAIN.”
ROGER CORMAN
With a resume that runs the gamut from parenting greats such as The Pit and The Pendulum, Tales of Terror, and The Masque of Red Death to floppier flicks like Little Shop of Horrors, Gunslinger, and Swamp Diamonds, Roger Corman has clearly dominated the cult film genre. You could probably give him 20 bucks and he could make a movie out of it. Perhaps the most admirable thing about Corman, aside from his chutzpa for sci-fi and horror, is that I’m pretty sure the man hasn’t taken a day off since 1954. On producers credits alone he’s amassed over 400 titles! Now, that’s what you call loving what you do and doing what you love.
Roger Corman’s contributions to the film industry has made him the poster boy of cult film. Corman, though, is a little bit of an oddity. He created some masterful films; for example, he absolutely annihilated his Vincent Price flicks. In the same vein though, he also plopped out some masterfully awful films.
So much so, that his movies have been riffed on Mystery Science Theater 3000 more than any other directors have been. It’s for this reason that I absolutely adore Roger Corman. One movie can make you weep from beauty and another can make you weep from how much of a disaster the film is.
Every movie comes from a lovely, macabre mixed bag, but each one is nonetheless a welcome surprise. Corman is king and there are few who would dispute that. Those people would probably get beat up at horror con.
When I say that these are the best worst directors, I say that with the most affection I have to give.
While these men have bestowed the red-headed stepchildren of film upon the masses, they and their films are all gems. I couldn’t be more grateful for films like Plan 9 from Outer Space, Rat Pfink and Boo Boo, Monster Dog, and Swamp Diamonds.
Horror would be, without a doubt, a shell of what it has grown to be without these film auteurs.
I know that tonight I’ll be dreaming of foam octopuses and sweet, sweet grease paint.
