We spend a lot of time talking about all the great films that are always a quick click away on our particular streaming platform of choice — and rightfully so. Hulu and Netflix do an admirable job of curating a rotating cast of blockbusters, art house sweethearts and critic-praising cinema. But to be honest, I also love bad movies.
We’re not talking about “wait, they made another Pirates of the Caribbean” bad. This is bottom of the barrel folks, the lowest of the low, the truly terrible and strange. We’re entering the realm of films so bad, they’re actually pretty good…or maybe they’re still bad but somehow watchable. These streaming websites have lots of crappy content tucked away in the hidden recesses of their catalogues. Over the years, I’ve been delightfully subjected to Birdemic: Shock and Terror, a town overrun with unruly fowl in some Hitchcock nightmare…only if Hitchcock was film school dropout and on a continual bender while filming. The epic adventures of the Waits family in the small town of Nilbog in Troll 2. Killer autonomous vehicles and the always amazing Emilio Estevez in Maximum Overdrive.
But all of my favourites seem to be taking a brief digital streaming leave of absence, so I need a few suggestions. What are some of the absolute worst films you’ve ever streamed online? They could be pretty old (perhaps Reefer Madness) or a more contemporary terrible masterpiece (hint: sharks in tornadoes).
We always talk about the best. Let’s give a little love to the rest.