Polite Dissent

I’ve been sick with a nasty sinus infection most of this weekend (and there’s nothing more pitiful than a sick doctor), so I’ve been watching a lot of movies on tape and DVD. On Friday, I mentioned the worst science-fiction I’ve ever seen (Robinson Crusoe on Mars). Despite what I said on Friday, it’s probably not the worst one ever made, but certainly the worst I’ve seen.

Since I had too much time on my hands and couldn’t get up enough energy to move, I decided to compile a list of my favorite films and the worst ones I’ve seen in 3 different genres. I’m sure there are worse movies than the ones I mention, but thankfully I haven’t seen them. My definition of “favorite movie” doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the best in that genre, but it’s the one that speaks to me most.

The worst science-fiction movie I’ve seen: Robinson Crusoe on Mars. They stole the plot from Dafoe and still couldn’t make a decent script. Bad acting, bad effects, and horrible science (don’t forget to take your “oxygen pill”).

My favorite science-fiction movie: Logan’s Run. Considering that it came out in the same year as Star Wars, the special effects are pretty bad (especially that robot in the freezer scene). However, there’s something about this movie that just grabs me (besides Jenny Agutter). The premise is clever, and carried off well. This was the first movie I bought on DVD. (Forbidden Planet is a close second to Logan’s Run)

The worst fantasy movie I’ve seen: Legend. There are simply too many incomprehensible special effects, an unintelligible plot, a day-glo bad guy and wooden acting by Tom Cruise. It all adds up to a big bleah!

My favorite fantasy movie: Excalibur. Still the best King Arthur movie ever made. Gotta love Merlin’s metal skull-cap.

The worst super-hero movie I’ve seen: Supergirl. Even Helen Slater couldn’t save this one, and I was a big Helen Slater fan at that time.

My favorite super-hero movie: The Phantom. It was fun. The script was a little pulpy at times, but the characters and acting was good. True to the source. (Loved the Phantom Cabbie in the last issue of Smax. “Slam evil, not doors.”)

My favorite movie of all time? Easy, that would be The Thin Man. Made in 1934 and starring William Powell and Myrna Loy, it’s the great-granddaddy of today’s detective comedies. It’s still funny (and suspenseful) all these years later.