For Fans of Bad Movies So Terrible, They're Actually Good

The internet today is teeming with “if this, then that” type of articles. They come in a close second to the top “x” number of <insert random countdown topic here>. While I find nothing wrong with countdown articles, I enjoy the if/then pieces more. I find such articles give a better idea of what the writer is promoting. If done well, by the time you’ve read such an article you know if you want to view “that” by how you feel about “this”. The countdown articles or the “best way to view such and such” articles are opinions without context and often rely on the click next format meant to squeeze in more ads for better profits. I would liken them more to click bait. When a writer gives you an example of the sort of movie, music, television show, etc. that will be used as comparison, one knows almost instantly if they want to read further and should they finish the article and it is written well, they’ll know if the suggested medium is something for them. I can’t count how many times I’ve attempted to watch several movies from a list of “top 20 X of 2020” or “of all time” lists and didn’t care for many of the entries listed. I hope that helps clarify the approach I want to take with this suggestion.

Most often these comparisons have popular and/or recognizable movies as the template with which to compare one’s recommendation. I find that we see those far too often and went a different route. I chose films that I believe only a certain audience would enjoy.

The place to start is with my “if this”, which would be The Toxic Avenger. One could insert almost any Troma production here and they’ll understand why I recommend a movie I’ve recently discovered. It is a niche genre. These are movies so bad they are good. Troma movies usually include over the top or blatantly terrible acting. I could argue some of the bad acting is just that, but it always feels more tongue-in-cheek. The plots are unusual, outrageous, and sometimes confusing. Then there is the gore factor. There are usually several scenes of extreme gore, but so ridiculously crafted that it is often obviously fake and sometimes cartoonish (aside from blood, guts, and bones). If you’ve seen The Toxic Avenger, you know exactly the type of gore I’m describing. It is an acquired taste.

I mentioned Troma because the production company is famous for over the top B-movie insanity. The Toxic Avenger, I believe, is their most well known and best film. It is a familiar story. The weak, bullied young man finds himself and his inner strength to fight back. Except in this version some toxic waste makes it much easier for him to find that strength. It mutates the boy into what becomes The Toxic Avenger. He wreaks havoc on his foes. He sticks up for the little guy. He does so in a fantastically ridiculous manner that usually ends with dismemberment or disemboweling of some sort. One of the best examples of this is a scene that involves one of the bullies finding his head under pull weights at the gym. Yes, they come down on his head and split it like a melon. The effects used in the scene are obviously fake, but gory enough that it induces the proper amount of cringe worthiness for a film of this genre. It isn’t all about the gore, though. There is a love story, of course. The themes are well explored in countless movies, but the bad acting and dialogue make it comical to watch. Of course, this isn’t rom-com comedy. Raunchy is a better description. Being a B-movie, nudity adds to the raunchiness. Those are the required elements in movies like The Toxic Avenger… camp, nudity, gore, and absurd plot.

Keeping in mind The Toxic Avenger, if you liked the movie or any of Troma’s movies, then I have a movie that would be right in your wheelhouse. Its titled PG: Psycho Goreman and it comes to us from, of all places, Canada. It has all the elements one would expect in a solid Troma film, specifically The Toxic Avenger since it has a fantastical creature element to it. Like most of B/Camp movies, the plot arc is familiar. Children find a mysterious object/being that they befriend. It’s a bit like E.T. if the little guy was violent demon-alien from another world. It is filled with the standard overacting/bad acting and obviously fake special effects as expected. The gore is plentiful and pulls off the balance between horrific and comical perfectly. Though the overall story arc is familiar, the plot details are full of the absurd and outrageous. It also does a fair job of parodying the family dynamic in films featuring mistfit kids. It is a bit reminiscent of The Goonies in that respect, but the comparison ends there (aside from Sloth being a strange “creature”). The comedy is what drew me in the most. The bratty sister gains control of the psychotic demon/alien and proceeds to treat him like a play date. His constant threats of murder and world ending chaos in response to her typical spoiled brat requests are some of the best one liners I’ve heard in a B-movie.

I should point out that I had no idea what to expect. I noticed the movie on Prime and watched the preview. It was a night I couldn’t sleep and my thought was that it looked so bad I would probably fall asleep before the first 30 minutes. I was surprised that It was so bad that I enjoyed it and watched it to the end. I immediately thought of The Toxic Avenger and I remembered Vocal issuing this challenge. I didn’t think I would be interested in submitting something for it until I finished viewing PG: Psycho Goreman (the kids chosen name for the demalien). I laughed. I felt the appropriate amount of cringe at the gore scenes. The plot is ridiculous, but not any more ridiculous than a group of kids finding a working pirate ship in a hidden cave. There is a lot going on that is there as an excuse for the titular character to do damage, but it is worth it. I recommend fans of The Toxic Avenger and other similar films check it out. It will not disappoint.