How to Appreciate a Bad Movie

Sometimes a movie comes along that changes the way you see life. Sometimes a movie comes along that is so irritating you can’t understand for one second why anyone would pay a fraction of their Netflix rental fee to see it or waste one second of their life viewing it. Here are some tips to getting beyond all that and learning to appreciate why the other half seems to like movies no one should.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• To know that “bad” is subjective
• A TV with DVD player or VCR
• A “bad” movie
• An open mind

1. First identify what you think is bad about the movie. Is it a specific actor that you dislike? A genre of film you have not enjoyed in the past? Have you hated all Michael Bay movies in the past? Are you worried it is another horrible love-story chick flick?
2. Set your pre-conceived notions aside. You are attempting to expand your horizons and appreciate something new. Pretend you know absolutely nothing about it by clearing your thoughts and going in with an open mind.
3. Watch it with friends or loved ones that seem to like the movie. Enthusiasm is contagious. Note what they seem to appreciate about the film. Is it pure escapism or the outright art form of it? Are they in it for the explosions, hot babes, car chases or touching love story? Even if you do not like those things, you can usually appreciate what draws other people to these things.
4. If the film is of a subject matter or story line you are not interested in, try watching the film and enjoying its other aspects. Maybe it has a great film score, or a very expressionistic cinematographer.
5. Take note of the secondary actors. If you watch enough movies you will start recognizing the career costars and can play a guessing game, placing them in other roles or current television programs.
6. Embrace the cheesiness. Try allowing yourself to like it, despite yourself. Maybe you think it just seems too un-cool to admit to yourself that you are enjoying it. Stop resisting and let yourself be entertained!
7. Sometimes you may need to watch a movie more than once to fully appreciate it. Maybe the first time you watched it you were in a bad mood, or had some other negative influence that you are associating with the movie.
8. If all else fails, have a drink. Nothing makes boredom more tolerable than alcohol. Take heart that it will likely (usually) all be over in 120 minutes or less, and congratulate yourself on trying something new.