From Z Grade to A Grade: The Best Bad Movie Reviewers

Despite all best intentions, there are plenty of movies that are just plain rubbish. Whether it be through hammy acting, cheesy screenplays, or issues with any of the many things that go into making a movie, it’s hard to justify watching a film that just isn’t up to snuff. However, there’s been a growing amount of people over the years who find a distinct pleasure in either dissecting, roasting or just completely lambasting such films in order to bring some semblance of entertainment to duds. Here is a list of the brave souls putting themselves and their sanity at risk for the greater good.

Mystery Science Theatre 3000

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Where this whole trend likely began is with this cult TV series about a regular joe who is abducted, sent into space, and tortured by an evil scientist. His method of torture is cruel and unusual: B through Z grade films from the 50’s through to the 80’s. Aiming to find the one movie that would crack a man’s sanity, the hero of the tale staves off anguish through heckling the films with the help of two robots that he created. Due to return this year after a 17 year absence, this is a show that will leave you in stitches even if the films make you want to immediately tune out.
How Did This Get Made?

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This podcast is all about asking one simple question: how did these abominations come to see the light of day? Analysing the minutiae of famous stinkers, comedians Paul Scheer, Jason Mantzoukas and June Diane Raphael (along with a sliding roster of celebrity guests) reap comedy gold out of atrocious source material. Some notable episodes include their discussion of The Room, Sleepaway Camp, and Birdemic.
Best of the Worst

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Better known for their scathing, feature length reviews on the Star Wars prequels, the guys from RedLetterMedia have proven themselves to be one of the more notorious movie review channels on YouTube. In their Best Of The Worst iterations, they either take three movies that all follow a similar genre or, even better, take three VHS tapes that are chosen from a spun wheel. What makes the show quality is the great banter between the hosts, the reactions from their viewings of the movies, and the absolute savagery of their conclusions.
The Worst Idea of All Time Podcast

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An exercise in absolute insanity, TWIOAT pits two kiwis (Tim Batt and Guy Montgomery) against a movie they have to watch once a week for a full year. Their first year was spent tackling the notoriously rotten Grown Ups 2, and they’ve just concluded their year of Sex and The City 2. It is a gut bustingly hilarious hyper-dissection of bad cinema. Come for the concept, stay for the growing mental instability.
Nostalgia Critic

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With the catchphrase “I remember it so you don’t have to,” the Nostalgia Critic mostly deals with the particularly bad movies of our collective childhood. However, while the other entries on the list may just rip into their selections, this guy has made an extended universe out of his scathing reviews. Now in its ninth season, spanning over 300 episodes, the show continues to lambast movies both new and old.