There's been an active thread running for some time now polling members about their favorite astronomy related movies.  In celebration of Halloween I'd like to kick one off asking for opinions about some of the worst you've seen.  Especially those which take themselves waaaay too seriously.

I'll nominate the new version of The Day the Earth Stood Still. 

What are your least favorite?

Planet of the Apes, all of them.

Starship Troopers.  Heinlein must have rolled over in his grave.

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.

Yes, it was a real movie.  Way worse than Mars Needs Women.

Well, Plan Nine from Outer Space has to rank up there with the very worst but as far as big budget sci-fi (or it is syfy now?  ) flicks are concerned Starship Troopers certainly was a travesty, especially compared to the Robert Heinlein book, one of the best military science fiction novels of all time, that it was "based" on.

http://www.badmovies.org/movies/plannine/

http://www.all-reviews.com/videos/starship-troopers.htm

Dave Mitsky

DaveMitsky:

(or it is syfy now? )

For the serious (?) aficionado I believe it's still just sf.

Well, Plan Nine from Outer Space has to rank up there with the very worst but as far as big budget sci-fi (or it is syfy now?  ) 

your right there Dave,,,,, it's so badI just have to watch it when it comes on for a great laugh 

AL

 It is amusing that some of the movies in this thread are also listed in the best movies thread.

I have to totally agree with all the titles that have just been posted, but folks you forgot one, Spaceballs!

Dennis

 I would have to say The Last Starfighter (1984) was the worst one I have ever seen. It did have a couple of notables in the cast lineup including Wil Wheaton (for the Trekkies), Barbara Bosson and Dan O'Herlihy

This thread won't be complete until Battlefield Earth gets mentioned.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/battlefield_earth/ 

http://www.metacritic.com/video/titles/battlefieldearth

Dave Mitsky

But then I had all but forgotten this lil gem Battle Beyond the Stars (1980)

Wow Doberman,

Good memory, I barely remember that one, I had to look up your link to read bout the story line before I finally remembered that crazy western style space movie, and the weapon that they used in the film  that could turn planets into suns, that was a far stretch indeed.

I have a strange feeling that this list is going to expand some more!

Dennis

 The movie "Flash Gordon"..!

I've gotten some great laughs from this list!  It brings back some really (un)pleasant memories.  Keep 'em coming!

By the way, JJ, did you ever see the 'X' rated version of Flash Gordon called "Flesh Gordon"?  It was a general release that had some wild, campy, special effects.  It's sort of a cult classic now.

ZD

Never seen that version. It would figure though!...LOL

JJ

   The most appauling thing I have forsed my back-side to sit through in recent years was   "Die -Hard 7", or as it was called at the time, to make us think it wasn't the Die-Hard version of Moonraker, which was a bit "Pants" as well, and I like Bond,,,,,,,,  ARMAGEDDON!

  I feel sure that the only reason that there were no Asteroidal Aliens for Mr Willis to butcher whilst saving the earth was a budgetary one.  Even without the cross-species carnage it still turned out to be an awful exercise in macho posturing to rival the (alledgedly) earthbound Mission Impossible 2.

Flesh Gordon was ok though, some good little songs in it as I recall,

 Mick F/C, IOW UK

zachsdad:

I'll nominate the new version of The Day the Earth Stood Still. 

I'll second that. Just saw it on TV. Really awful. IMO the new War of the Worlds was also very bad.

Flash Gordon was a deliberately campy movie and was rather entertaining with that taken into consideration.  The soundtrack was done by Queen and was not bad at all.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1007517-flash_gordon/ 

Both The Day the Earth Stood Still and War of the Worlds were more than a little disappointing.  However, as others have said, Keeanu Reeves was the perfect choice to play an emotionless alien.

Ice Pirates was yet another of the countless mediocre or worse 1980s Star Wars knock-offs.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ice_pirates/

Dave Mitsky

More recent interstellar bombs, in my humble opinion, were Event Horizon, and Lost in Space.  One of the most telling things about Event Horizon was when the lead tore out his own eyes as he said they were not needed where he was going, and after watching this movie I agreed that where I was the last two hours.  Lost in Space was just horrible, but then they didn't have much to work with anyway.

I haven't heard of this almost certain future bomb progressing much this year but a live action version of the anime Cowboy Beebop starring Keanu Reeves as Spike certainly is something to be feared.

Oh, and can I also mention 2012?  I actually saw this and the effects are stunning in the beginning but fall off dramatically towards the end as the movie stumbles along its arc.  The actual storyline is a real holwer too.

L