MACABRE DAILY'S OCTOBER STAFF PICKS: "SO BAD IT'S GOOD" MOVIES

Horror’s Hallowed Month is upon us, and we at Macabre Daily are as psyched as you are to celebrate a month entirely dedicated to Halloween and Horror! We know a lot of you are watching 31 (maybe more?) films, and often it can be hard to know which movies to watch, which ones to rewatch, and which ones to recommend to your friends.

Well, the diabolical staff at Macabre Daily have come together to bring you a theme for each week of October, and our staff recommendations to go with it! Each week in October we will announce a new theme, and that Friday we will share our recommendations.

This week’s theme is, “So Bad It’s Good” Movies!

Demons (1985)

Directed by Lamberto Bava

Rich Harris on his “So Bad It’s Good” pick: Nothing in DEMONS makes a damn lick of sense, yet, somehow, it remains cohesive. I’ve written several pieces on DEMONS in my time and none of them have come close to adequately conveying the mania one experiences when watching it for the first, second, or fifteenth time. If someone who has never seen the movie before asked you to explain what happens in DEMONS, they’d think you were losing your mind. They would stare at you, bewildered - - their face slowly twisting into an expression locked somewhere between embarrassment and pity before telling you that there are simpler ways of asking someone to fuck off. It is the single most Italian movie you will ever see in your life. You know how you can tell that THE GODFATHER isn’t authentically Italian? Because it makes sense. Because the characters in THE GODFATHER act in rational ways and don’t mount motorcycles while wielding a Katana (though I’d likely revisit that movie more often if JAMES CAAN did exactly that). Fuck SHARKNADO, fuck VELOCIPASTOR, and double-fuck any and all of those self-aware, ASYLUM-level productions - - the perfect terrible movie has been here since the mid-80s. 

Blood Diner (1987)

Directed by Jackie Kong

Lowell Greenblat on his “So Bad It’s Good” pick: You can watch this over and over. Rad female director of Asian descent. So rad. ❤️

Uninvited (1988)

Directed by Greydon Clark

Dana Vargas on her “So Bad It’s Good” pick: Spring breakers trapped on a yacht, George Kennedy fresh off his final "Naked Gun" movie, and a mutant cat picking them off one by one? What's not to like? This film is banoonies - nothing makes sense, and the dialogue is cringe, but damn it is so freaking fun.

An American Werewolf in Paris (1997)

Directed by Anthony Waller

Christopher Boise on his “So Bad It’s Good” pick: A lot of people didn't enjoy this unofficial sequel to "An American Werewolf in London" but I feel there are a lot of great gems in them as well as a really great cast. I consider it a bit of a dark comedy-type horror movie.

Spookies (1986)

Directed by Genie Joseph, Thomas Doran, and Brendan Faulkner

Matt Orozco on his “So Bad It’s Good” pick: When a film has three directors listed in the final credits, you know you’re in “so bad it’s good” territory. Doran and Faulkner were helming a movie titled “Twisted Souls” which about 85% would be used to create “Spookies”. The story behind how this film came to be, and all the wasted potential it had, is well documented in the feature-length doc on the Vinegar Syndrome release for those curious to know more.

The thing is, when you watch Spookies you can see the good movie in there hiding behind a myriad of silly and illogical choices on account of the directors changing over and producer influence. It’s a shame because the practical effects and creature designs are a blast even if the plot is almost non-existent and a complete afterthought. Spookies plays like a cheap carnival horror ride in that you can see the attempt at making this effective with a limited budget even if the end product is a bit goofy.

Ticks (1993)

Directed by Tony Randel

Sam Santiago on his “So Bad It’s Good” pick: The IMDB synopsis alone is reason enough to see this flick: "A group of troubled teenagers is led by social workers on a California wilderness retreat, not knowing that the woods they are camping in have become infested by mutated, blood-sucking ticks." 

I mean, come on...this flick has all the gross gore effects ya have to love about the 90s and the (at the time) C-level actors to boot. Seth Green, Peter Scolari, Alfonso Ribeiro, and of course Clint Howard. From the first 10mins of the film, you're laughing out loud and being grossed out all at the same time. The acting is horrendous by many of the cast but it makes the film that much more enduring. 

The film was released to VHS but didn't see a proper DVD release until 2013 so it was highly sought after by collectors and didn't see a blu ray release until October of 2021 making it a rare albeit sought-after 90s "nature gone wrong" flick that we adore.

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