In our last class discussion on the “Landfill Legend” article and the Atari E.T. video game, Dr. Sample briefly brought up the concept of paracinema, specifically the idea of “bad” film. People discussed the entertainment value of bad movies or video games, and the idea of something being so ridiculously bad that it becomes good. I found it interesting to note that the “Landfill Legend” article mentions that people tend to not be as tolerant of bad video games as bad film. I was fascinated by the cult followings some bad movies have gained over the years, seemingly to the extent that intentionally bad film has become a sort of art form in itself. For me, the movie Sharknado comes to mind as an example when I think of a cringe-worthily bad film that has gained an enthusiastic fanbase. Of course, these films can’t just be simply bad, but a specific type of bad – usually involving self-awareness of its badness and irony. For example, I examined the movies Troll 2 (1990) and its spinoff, the Best Worst Movie (2009). I haven’t seen either of these films in their entirety, but Troll 2 is often considered one of the worst movies ever made of all time. The Best Worst Movie was directed by Michael Stephenson, one of the child stars in Troll 2, and is a documentary about the making of Troll 2, acknowledging the film as infamously bad.
If you compare the ratings between this film and Troll 2, you’ll see that while the original film received atrociously low ratings, the documentary received quite positive reviews. This made me think about the question of what makes a film “good.” And if a bad movie can become good, is there even distinct criteria? In modern cinema, with the rise of experimental film and film that can’t quite be placed into categorical boxes, there seems to be not only a blurring of the distinction between high art and low art, but between genres as well. Many previously recognizable genres have died out over time – i.e. the old western, film noir, etc. Now, in the era of the Internet, the accessibility of all kinds of film has made genre virtually infinite. There are now subgenres, and even subgenres within those subgenres – and the rise of parody, fanfiction, and remix culture. Sure, paracinema can be considered a genre of film, like any other, but it makes me wonder if the idea of genre overall is dying out as we progress into the digital age.