Horror films are meant to scare. Some do this incredibly well (Silence of the Lambs, The Shining, Alien, etc.), some manage to be dreadfully boring (House of the Dead, for example), and then there’s the ones I love for all the wrong reasons. And since Halloween is coming soon, I decided to cover some of my personal favorite stinkers: so grab your friends, get some candy, and prepare to be howling with laughter!
Maximum Overdrive (1986)
Stephen King tried to direct, write, and produce his own feature-length film. He has never done this again, since that film ended up being Maximum Overdrive. The script is somehow convinced that it’s concept of killer trucks is brilliant, to the point where it’s pure comedic genius. Heck, I still can’t tell if it was meant to be funny or serious; and apparently, neither can King, who despises the film despite the fact he had full creative control. Hopefully, it’ll be around for a long time to continue spreading cheer with it’s killer soda machine, “living trucks”, and that ACDC soundtrack (that was only included because King is a fan).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egJyocw2hrw (Warning: cheesy gore)
The Wicker Man (2006)
Based on the terrifying 1973 classic, Nicolas Cage’s remake is anything but scary. Most of this is thanks to Cage himself; from punching a woman in a bear suit, screaming about burned things, or even the infamous ending on the “Unrated” cut: the bees. Chances are, if you’ve ever looked up a Nicholas Cage freakout compilation video, most of it came from this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyigAW-14w0
The Happening (2008)
The Happening is on this list? What? No!
- Night Shyamalan can be either a brilliant storyteller (Sixth Sense, Unbreakable), or a laughably inept one (The Last Airbender, After Earth). But the magnum opus of his bad film is without a doubt his first (and only) R-rated film: the “truly horrifying” film where hot dogs are a top priority, where plants are out to destroy humanity, and Mark Wahlberg seems to really, really, REALLY like bees. This is a must-see, but not in the way that great movies like Citizen Kane or The Godfather are “must-sees”; it’s a must-see in the way The Room is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT68u_LYj18
Birdemic: Shock and Terror (2010)
This movie is unintentional comedy gold. Low-budget filmmaking, while difficult, can result in great things: John Carpenter’s original Halloween, Kevin Smith’s Clerks, etc. This is an example of low-budget filmmaking gone horribly wrong, in every way. Coffee shop employees have loud, booming voices, birds dive-bomb into cities (resulting in explosions), that hanger scene (which you must see to believe), and a script that makes borderline zero sense in all the best ways.
GHS Voice 