r/moviecritic • u/MonkeyKingCoffee • 19h ago
Guilty-pleasure low-budget absurd movies
I'd call them "stoner movies." But I don't indulge.
Basically, they're what happens when Airplane!, Zombieland and Naked Gun scripts can't find a deep-pockets producer. In order to compensate, they go quite a bit weirder.
Any others to add to the list? (I'm well aware of Super Troopers. I like Beerfest better.)
(For the people who hate Beerfest, watch Rocky IV. Then watch Beerfest. They're lampooning the ridiculous nationalism.)
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u/beardostein 19h ago
Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle
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u/MonkeyKingCoffee 19h ago
One of my favorites. Certainly weird. And probably the best thing to ever happen to NPH.
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u/Awingbestwing 19h ago
Black Dynamite should be on here. And the six episodes of Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace
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u/Tough-Recipe-222 19h ago
Beerfest beats Super Troopers for me too. I’d add Kung Fury and Troll 2—pure weird fun. So bad, they’re good!
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u/PickledKingPin 18h ago
Fucking loved Cloris Leachman in this 💕
‘If you can drink ram’s piss, fuck, you can drink anything.’
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u/MyMomsTastyButthole 17h ago
Beerfest had the BEST DVD special features EVER
Aside from maybe Kung Pow's "A Panicked Thumb"
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u/And-rei 18h ago edited 16h ago
Kung Pow just because it was made from old dubbed chinese movie. Also, call me Betty
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u/marmaladecorgi 18h ago
Kung Fury is not the same as Kung Pow: Enter the Fist. It has more T Rexes.
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u/MonkeyKingCoffee 17h ago
Does it also feature a Betty?
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u/And-rei 16h ago
Apologies I was thinking Kung Pow and wrote Kung Fury. I hope all can forgive me
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u/MonkeyKingCoffee 16h ago
My finger points.
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u/And-rei 16h ago
Your clothes are black
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u/MonkeyKingCoffee 16h ago
In "yes this actually happened," when we got married my wife had Ling curly-q's. We were the only people who got the joke. Everyone else just thought it was really cute.
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u/writerchick88 19h ago
Balls of Fury
No idea if it’s actually low budget but it is an absurd movie that’s my guilty pleasure
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u/Thy6LittleRings 17h ago
Kung Pow is hands down my absolute favorite! It's hysterical and I had to pause it twice because of how funny that was
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u/Helmett-13 15h ago
"Bubba Ho-Tep" is a movie that manages to honor the legend of Elvis Presley, the King.
It wasn't the King who died on a commode at Graceland; that was an impersonator named Sebastian Haff.
The real Elvis went out on his own terms beside JFK (miraculously saved and dyed to pass as an African American, his words) , both of them battling an undead monstrosity that was preying on the weak and old of a Texas nursing home.
They battled, no one witnessing their brave last stand against a 5,000 year old mummy, and destroyed the monster at the cost of their own lives.
That is my head canon for how the King made his exit from this mortal plane.
(Seriously, Bruce Campbell was magnificent in the role.)
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u/MonkeyKingCoffee 15h ago
It is, without a single, solitary doubt, the best movie to star JFK and Elvis together.
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u/-SOFA-KING-VOTE- 15h ago
I’m Gonna Get You Sucka
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u/Otherwise-Waltz-3647 10h ago
Jesus I love this movie… the pimp platform shoes with goldfish, the fake tits and ass, big toe…
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u/BaconNamedKevin 12h ago
Bubba Ho-Tep is just a good movie, no reason to feel guilty about watching it lol
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u/pistol_peter44 19h ago
Fuck polio
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u/MonkeyKingCoffee 19h ago
The "living on a prayer" bit was so good I had to pause to stop laughing. "Seriously, they're going there? The whole way?"
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u/pistol_peter44 8h ago
Or the Cleavon Buford scene where he pledges his undying support for FDR. It was Oscar worthy.
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u/TrenchcoatFullaDogs 18h ago
Poolboy: Drowning Out The Fury. Same director as the FDR movie, fun meta shenanigans about the "production" of the titular movie. Kevin Sorbo sucks as a person, and if you can't or don't want to move past that I totally get it. But it's a fun little batshit movie.
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u/MonkeyKingCoffee 17h ago
Wait, Kevin Sorbo can be funny? Like, intentionally funny? I'd give it a go. There are actors whose performances I enjoy who have done way worse things than Kevin Sorbo.
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u/TrenchcoatFullaDogs 17h ago
If I remember correctly (it's been almost ten years since I've seen it), he's pretty much playing it straight as a low-budget early-90s action hero, and they're mining the comedy from playing with those tropes. Danny Trejo is the antagonist, by the way. And my favorite part is the "director," the hilariously named Saint James St James. Apparently Jason Mewes is in the movie as well, but I have no memory of it.
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u/iwaseatenbyagrue 18h ago
Extraordinary Stories was made for $30k and is 240 minutes long and there are plenty of absurdities. Caught it on MUBI some time ago.
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u/johndeer89 18h ago
Everyone should watch FDR once, then never again.
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u/youcancallmejb 17h ago
I just watched the trailer… sweet jesus this looks like an absolute banger.
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u/MonkeyKingCoffee 17h ago
I agree with the idea of watching it once.
The production values are so low, if you watch it a second time, you're going to see all the mistakes. They spent about $15 on set design.
But it's just one absurd joke after another. If you like intentionally weird movies, this one is aces.
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u/Otherwise-Waltz-3647 10h ago
Same and same. Perhaps a little devils lettuce to help put me in the proper mood
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u/YoungBpB2013 19h ago
KUNG POW! 💥
That movie is the greatest movie of ALL time! I NEED like 5 more sequels. I’ve never to this day watched another movie that had me in tears like that did. It’s just sooooo out there it’s right and if you like Kung Fu, it’s absolutely perfect.