Can You Make a Movie So Bad It’s Good On Purpose? by PBS Idea Channel

PBS Idea Channel host Mike Rugnetta argues that a movie so bad that it’s actually good can’t be made on purpose. Rugnetta points to films like The Room, Plan 9 from Outer Space, and Troll 2 as examples of movies are only so bad they’re good precisely because they weren’t intentionally made to be that way.

It’s easy to make a bad movie. Budget, talent, time, know-how… there are so many factors that can potentially sink a film. But every once in a while, a movie is so terrible, such an utter failure, that it earns the designation “SO BAD IT’S GOOD”. These bizarre entities touch upon our schadenfreude, and allow us to share and celebrate these monstrosities of filmmaking. Troll 2, The Room, and Plan 9 From Outerspace are both horrific and weirdly enjoyable, even becoming cults classics. But can these So-Bad-It’s-Good films be created ON PURPOSE?