Poll: Worst political movies of past 50 years
posted at 11:29 am on January 19, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
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As promised, I have reviewed the hundreds of comments and suggestions in yesterday’s thread to compile a list of the worst political movies of the past 50 years. Remember, we’re looking for bad movies, not necessarily movies with which we disagree on political direction. That can be a fine distinction, as a really offensive political message can ruin a movie, so I’ll leave that judgment to Hot Air readers.
Vote for as many or as few of the finalists as you like, but you can only vote once (from each IP address). I’ll announce the ten worst movies on tomorrow’s Ed Morrissey Show, so be sure to tune in to get the results!
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Didnt realize could vote for more than one with the conservative list. But got it straight now.
Farenheit 911 would be a shoe in but I guess if you have seen one Michael Moore movie you have seen them all.
William Amos on January 19, 2009 at 11:32 AM
Yeah, I’m sure Michael Moore’s catalog does not fall in that second category.
mycowardice on January 19, 2009 at 11:32 AM
Mr Moore’s movies not only suck they cross the line into full blow Political propaganda.
Its if Mr Moore took his Godfather Joe Goebels to heart when he believe that if you tell enough lies everyone will believe you all the time.
William Amos on January 19, 2009 at 11:35 AM
I avoided more than 1/2 of these, much like I won’t be glued to the TV tomorrow during the coronation.
perroviejo on January 19, 2009 at 11:35 AM
Vote V for Vendetta!
Reasons:
The Koran is portrayed as a peaceful book unfairly banned
A gay guy owns the forbidden Koran (ah, the irony)
The heroine is suffering from Stockholm Syndrome
The anti-hero psychologically torments the heroine and she likes it
Blowing up the Parliment is considered a legitimate act of protest
Guy Fawlkes is portrayed as a folk hero
Plus, every stupid Bush Deranged person I know thinks it’s a great film.
Disturb the Universe on January 19, 2009 at 11:38 AM
“Battlefield Earth” didn’t make the list so I’m not voting.
Bishop on January 19, 2009 at 11:39 AM
Red Dawn is on the “Bad” list?!?! Holy Cow Batman, Wolverines rule, they don’t drool! Yes, its political, but in a good way.
Communists = Bad
Americans = Good
American pilot = hero
American traitors = kill the sonavabitches
plain American kids in fly-over land = heroes
How could any red blooded American think this movie was (a) bad or (b) anti-conservative?
Geministorm on January 19, 2009 at 11:39 AM
Although I am a fan of the Classic Star Wars Trilogy (IV, V, VI), It made me sick to see Lucas screw it up by suggesting that Bush would turn the country into a Fascist entity.
However, we’re currently seeing Barack Obama fulfill that destiny. Funny, ain’t it?
leetpriest on January 19, 2009 at 11:39 AM
Wait a minute. What was political about Zardoz? All I remember about it was really bad acting and nipples.
stonemeister on January 19, 2009 at 11:40 AM
Of course, GI Jane is the worst movie of all time regardless of what category it falls into…
RedSoxNation on January 19, 2009 at 11:40 AM
In fairness it is a political movie and does sort of portrait the “Americans” as sort of neanderthals. (Think of the blood smearing scene)
But those are tiny complaints.
William Amos on January 19, 2009 at 11:41 AM
I liked Gary Oldman in The Contender (that’s all I liked). He’s a very convincing actor – especially playing bad guys. Of course that movie was released as a red herring for the purpose of trying to get Kerry elected
perroviejo on January 19, 2009 at 11:41 AM
Sadly, Lucas and company won’t notice. They will cling to their Bush Derangement Syndrome to the end.
Disturb the Universe on January 19, 2009 at 11:42 AM
It’s difficult to vote the “worst” political movies… Many of the movies listed are bad movies because they’re unwatchable (which essentially makes them harmless), but others are bad because they are watchable and are destructive.
Lehosh on January 19, 2009 at 11:42 AM
Inherit The Wind totally misrepresented the tone as well as the facts of the Scopes trial. It made the creationists seem bitter & nasty, while the evolutionists were portrayed as amicable–the opposite of the historical record.
jgapinoy on January 19, 2009 at 11:43 AM
Yeah. I like Zardoz, and it’s more a cautionary tale of man’s hubris than an overt political movie.
rbj on January 19, 2009 at 11:43 AM
I am disappointed that “Jesus Camp” isnt on the list. Is a clearly anti religeous film. But then so is “The Davinci Code”
William Amos on January 19, 2009 at 11:44 AM
Around 1990 I rented “Surf Nazis Must Die,” just cuz. The surf nazis would paddle out, then surf back and attack. Besides being the biggest waste of my time ever, it seemed like if they were already on the beach, just start attacking now. Hey, what do I know?
perroviejo on January 19, 2009 at 11:45 AM
I have to go with The American President for over the top hubris, condesension, and snarky revisionism.
Oh there are so many choices, all Michael Moore films, the pathetic epic Reds, and a host of movies that it would be cruel and unusual punishment to make you have to watch them.
Mr. Joe on January 19, 2009 at 11:45 AM
The American President (BillyJeff dream movie)
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on January 19, 2009 at 11:46 AM
To be honest, I haven’t seen more than half of those films. Movies are just not something I take the time to view. I was surprised to see “Red Dawn” there too. I saw the Billy Jack movies when I was a teen age girl and thought that Tom was so fine:)Political message? What political message? Maybe I should watch them again:)
Jvette on January 19, 2009 at 11:47 AM
The way I look at this list is suppose I was in a College class and my very liberal professor demanded that I watch one of these films to get a passing grade.
Which ones would I have to watch that might drive me into going postal ? Those are the ones I voted for.
William Amos on January 19, 2009 at 11:47 AM
I would not vote for V for Vendetta. While obviously intended as an anti Bush commentary, it is actually a pretty good movie and you could apply it against liberal forces just as easily as against fascist forces. Same for Children of Men, which I believe Ed left off the poll.
Mr. Joe on January 19, 2009 at 11:47 AM
An elite intellectual ruling class living in luxury (and forever). An extremely large underclass doing all the menial work for nothing. Also, Sean Connery in a loincloth.
Tommy_G on January 19, 2009 at 11:47 AM
GI Jane…worst movie of all time!
sabbott on January 19, 2009 at 11:48 AM
Other than Contact, and parts of V while on a transatlantic flight, I haven’t seen any of these (which makes me feel pretty good, actually), so I will refrain from voting. They all suck, apparently.
Vashta.Nerada on January 19, 2009 at 11:48 AM
Hey, Ed!
Looks like people can vote twice from the same IP (I just did). First go to the Polivote site and vote then go back to this site and vote again.
I note that The Day the Earth Stood Still (Michael Rennie version) was not nominated. Too bad since it was a definite anti-nuclear message film.
SeniorD on January 19, 2009 at 11:49 AM
Excuse me, you have a screen shot of Ishtar to represent bad movies. I have to disagree. I love Ishtar, it cracks me up everytime I see it. Come on, what is not to love? Hoffman as a leading man, Beatty as a nerd? Sheer Genius! You have to be a “smuck” not to love it! :)
ihasurnominashun on January 19, 2009 at 11:50 AM
Yeah…An Inconvenient Truth and The Day After Tomorrow are terrific…terrifically absurd! Definitely terrible.
I’m surprised Apocalypse Now didn’t make it on this list. When I took a Vietnam War class in college, I was subjected to that and Platoon and Hearts and Minds (all AWFUL!), but my former-Harvard professor admitted I had a good argument when I said Apo Now was merely an exercise in nihilism, which it was–completely.
American_Pride1701 on January 19, 2009 at 11:50 AM
Portray us as neanderthals to whom? It seems like a right of passage type of thing to me, like when a hunter might drink a bit of his first deer kill’s blood. American Indians painted on war-paint, does that make them neanderthals? Many of our pro sports figures brandish tattoos, does that mean they are neanderthals or uncivilized? Seems very human to me.
Geministorm on January 19, 2009 at 11:50 AM
I guess my suggested films were so bad that no one watched them. I mean, come on. How much worse can you get than Legally Blonde 2, Head of State, or The Distinguished Gentleman????
And Kathy Bates in Primary Colors? Accck!
Peri Winkle on January 19, 2009 at 11:51 AM
Wait a minute. What was political about Zardoz? All I remember about it was really bad acting and nipples.
stonemeister
I remember it being somehow political, but like you, I mostly remember the nipples.
Does that make me bad or just male?
SKYFOX on January 19, 2009 at 11:53 AM
Ed could start another thread with anti-Christian movies. There are at least as many of those as there are left-wing flicks.
jgapinoy on January 19, 2009 at 11:53 AM
I watched this movie with my mother and she was distirbed by that scene. It seemed to be needlessly added to the movie. I dont disagree that it was a right of passage message but the person it was applied to later in the movie turned into a traitor. Also was the execution scene.
Again the context is that the US is invaded and things go all to hell so these seem mild in retrospect. To me Booth Powers is the true hero of the story and not the “Wolverines”. But that is just my opinion.
William Amos on January 19, 2009 at 11:53 AM
Pencil! We don’t need a pencil. This movie has some of the funniest lines, and it’s a great buddy flick. You know some people don’t have someone to come out on a ledge for them.
Tommy_G on January 19, 2009 at 11:53 AM
I’ve always wondered why “China Syndrome” is considered an anti-nuclear power movie.
Sure, the Jane Fonda character spent the entire movie screeching about how if the worst happened, the plant was going to melt down.
At the end of the movie, the worst did happen, and the plant shut itself down. Safely. As it was designed to do.
MarkTheGreat on January 19, 2009 at 11:57 AM
When I watched, the message that I got was that fighting wasn’t worth it.
The kids fought. The kids died. In the end, it didn’t make any difference.
MarkTheGreat on January 19, 2009 at 11:59 AM
Ed on his show debated why so many of the conservative movies were war movies.
Well since Hollywood is hostile to conservatices is very hard to get any kind of conservative movie out of there that doesnt have a militaristic or Law and Order theme. Hollywood doesnt do pro conservative movie messages.
On the other hand you get leftist dribble on every subject under the sun. Its always been very telling that the left values image makers and media handlers as illusion is at the very core of the leftie’s Wetdreams of Utopia.
William Amos on January 19, 2009 at 12:03 PM
American Dreamz has to be added to the list. It was just so bad:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Dreamz
gumble on January 19, 2009 at 12:05 PM
Red Dawn, while a need-to-watch for every conservative…is really a low-quality movie. Filled with brat packers, and cookie-cutter villains, it’s really cheesy.
However, it’s twenty-eight thousand times better than anything with Moore’s name on it.
MadisonConservative on January 19, 2009 at 12:06 PM
MarkTheGreat on January 19, 2009 at 11:59 AM
I always got a different take, that even though most everyone in the group died, it’s the fight you make that counts.
All I know is that I was a young man in high school when it came out and a lot of guys in school were inspired (as much as a high schooler can be) to a renewed sense of patriotism.
Bishop on January 19, 2009 at 12:06 PM
Same here. Then I grew up and put my thinking cap on.
Political Message? Let’s see, Billy Jack has this washed-out hippy girlfriend who runs a school for wayward teens and Indian kids. The small town in which it resides has nothing better to do than torment them. Billy Jack, the traumatized Vietnam Vet/Native American/martial arts campion is full of angst against the establishment and snaps every other scene beating the crap out of the red necks who are forever smashing ice-cream cones into Indian kids faces and other silliness.
That in itself is tolerable, but there are a bunch of stupid hippy songs sang by the talented kids at the misfit school. Listen to the lyrics. Examples:
I was taught that black was evil
I was taught that white is good
But when you become a rainbow
Every color is understood
What’s important is the winning
And not how you play the game
That’s the way that Hitler saw it
And my folks they see things the same.
Disturb the Universe on January 19, 2009 at 12:06 PM
is really a low-quality movie. Filled with brat packers, and cookie-cutter villains, it’s really cheesy.
But the Mi-24 Hind A chopper they produced for the movie was awesome, so awesome that when they were transporting it to the set, an FBI agent saw it on the truck and an official investigation was started. They wanted to know where the hell the producers got a Soviet attack helo.
Bishop on January 19, 2009 at 12:09 PM
Jvette on January 19, 2009 at 11:47 AM
Oh yeah, and the hippy girlfriend is always trying to get Billy Jack to be a pacifist, even though he is forever getting her ass out of trouble.
And she is the only white adult in the film (Billy is half Indian)who isn’t tormenting the Indians.
Disturb the Universe on January 19, 2009 at 12:10 PM
What about The Day After? Sure it was made for TV but it had Jason Robards, JoBeth William, Steve Guttenburg and John Lithgow in it. It was all about how Ronnie Raygun was gonna get us nuked with his crazy cowboy antics. Frankly I am surprised it has not been remade with a George Bush as crazy cowboy angle.
The Day After
jimboslice on January 19, 2009 at 12:10 PM
Only problem I have with putting Green Berets and Red Dawn on there is that it gives the lefties the chance to flood the poll and skewer it away from the really bad movies.
William Amos on January 19, 2009 at 12:12 PM
Putting Michael Moore movies in there is too easy. They’re “documentaries” after all, which necessarily have a point of view that much of the audience knows and shares, going in.
YYZ on January 19, 2009 at 12:14 PM
What about The Day After?
An oldie but a goodie. Reminds me of “World War III” with David Soul; actually a pretty good movie considering it was made for tv.
Bishop on January 19, 2009 at 12:18 PM
I’m glad “The Contender” made the list.
It’s just a silly movie that is so far out of touch with reality, it’s just amazing. That’s my vote (although voting for the the Michael Moore collection was a worthy consideration).
asc85 on January 19, 2009 at 12:21 PM
Selection bias is going to be a big problem. Not with the movies chosen for the poll, but because people like me tend to avoid those movies in the first place. For example, I’m not going to watch V because I think it’s going to suck. But how can I vote on it when I haven’t seen it? And I’m not going to go see it just so I can vote on it. But I can’t shake the feeling that that movie has to be very high on the list.
And the same holds true for most of the movies on this list. I voted for three movies: The American President, which was bad, but certainly not V bad; The Day after Tomorrow, which I’m sure I would have voted on even if I had seen every other movie on the list; and The China Syndrome, which, again, was bad, but certainly not Syriana bad, or W bad, or Munich bad. But most of the really bad movies I didn’t vote on.
And so, like last year,the liberals will win.
JohnJ on January 19, 2009 at 12:24 PM
You might want to separate the “documentaries” (and I do lose the term loosely) like Gore and Moore films from the fictional propaganda. They’re different animals, with the fictional stuff being potentially the most dangerous (after all, it was Goebbel’s propaganda tool of choice).
Also, by “worst” do we mean the most politically offensive or socially damaging, or simply the most poorly executed from a film-making standpoint? In theory, the most socially damaging and/or offensive could also be the most professionally executed.
Blacklake on January 19, 2009 at 12:27 PM
I am proud to say that I have only seen 9 of those films and none of those were made after the 1990s. I have dumped cable and broadcast TV and only watch DVDs after doing due diligence.
Why give any money to our Media Overlords unless you have some hope that a particular product is not their typical crap?
Laurence on January 19, 2009 at 12:27 PM
JohnJ on January 19, 2009 at 12:24 PM
I voted for a couple of movies I didn’t see based on testimony from people I trust and the trailers (which generally tell you all you need to know).
Disturb the Universe on January 19, 2009 at 12:28 PM
The Green Berets? John Wayne? Say it isn’t so!
godhelpus on January 19, 2009 at 12:28 PM
Oh, John Carpenter’s “They Live” should be up there–it’s essentially a Marxist pogrom in which successful people are exposed to actually be non-human invaders. Cloying, purile garbage.
Blacklake on January 19, 2009 at 12:29 PM
Gary Oldman actually came out right as that movie was released and ripped the movie for being liberal propaganda. He said it had been edited in a way that was dishonenst to the way the script had been represented to him.
It’s surprising that he wasn’t blacklisted after that, but maybe he was since I’ve only seen Oldman in British movies like the Harry Potter and Batman movies since then.
Buddahpundit on January 19, 2009 at 12:36 PM
Why is “Brokeback Mountain” on this list? Because, for those who haven’t seen it, it’s the “gay cowboy movie”?
I’ve seen movies with gay characters that hit you over the head with their plea for tolerance and respect (not sure that’s a bad thing), but this wasn’t one of them. Like it or not, it wasn’t really a political movie – unless you accept that all popular movies with gay characters are inherently political. In fact, it lost Best Picture at the Oscars to “Crash”, a movie which was as subtle as a chainsaw, when it came to preaching acceptance and unity.
YYZ on January 19, 2009 at 12:44 PM
Really? I always liked Oldman as an actor. I’m glad to hear he’s not a Kool-Aid drinker.
By the way, he is in the Batman movies.
Disturb the Universe on January 19, 2009 at 12:47 PM
Oops. Didn’t read your post carefully enough.
Disturb the Universe on January 19, 2009 at 12:48 PM
yes, but do they eat pudding?
lorien1973 on January 19, 2009 at 12:54 PM
I’m happy to say that I’ve seen none of them.
jgapinoy on January 19, 2009 at 12:56 PM
For some help I put up some of these movie trailors
Movie rtrailors part 1
Movies Part 2
Ick hurry up cant wait to get rid of that trash
William Amos on January 19, 2009 at 1:10 PM
The English Patient, Pleasenville, The Constant Gardener?…Whoever did this list know nothing about movies.
Falz on January 19, 2009 at 1:18 PM
Star Wars II and III – NO EXCUSE for that garbage, same of course with I. I forget what the liberal message was in those but Lucas still deserve to win/lose here.
The Dean on January 19, 2009 at 1:23 PM
I wish I could go back in time and not only refuse to see the new Star Wars trilogy but also rent a steamroller and crush as many copies of the DVD as I can find.
The Dean on January 19, 2009 at 1:27 PM
You think so? Well, bite my gender-neutral gonadal appendage. (For those who missed the movie, that’s a reference to the film, not a vicious attack on RedSoxNation.)
philwynk on January 19, 2009 at 1:41 PM
Someone tell me that the Zardoz trailer was a put on. Surely no one spent money on that acid trip.
Dukehoopsfan on January 19, 2009 at 1:44 PM
People who voted against V for Vendetta probably didn’t understand the movie.
Sir Andrew on January 19, 2009 at 1:45 PM
V for Vendetta deserves some sort of award for “Most Hysterical Premise.” Pedophile priests and drug-addicted religious conservatives plot with pharmaceutical companies to make millions by kidnapping soulful, empathetic homosexuals from their homes, impounding them, performing Mengele-like experiments on them using biological agents, and then releasing the results on an unsuspecting public in order to instill fear and usher in a Fourth Reich. Kind-hearted, virtue-saturated, ninja-like Leftists oppose them to the death. Can you say “narcissistic self-congratulation on steroids?”
philwynk on January 19, 2009 at 1:45 PM
“You Don’t Mess with the Zohan”, Bad, bad, bad.
Johan Klaus on January 19, 2009 at 1:47 PM
Sort of like the opposite of what has happened with AIDs.
Johan Klaus on January 19, 2009 at 1:51 PM
Alright, who’s the wise-ass that nominated Children of Men?
Typhonsentra on January 19, 2009 at 1:59 PM
Umm… didn’t the US government genetically engineer AIDS in an effort to rid the world of blacks? No, really…
philwynk on January 19, 2009 at 1:59 PM
I’ve never understood why most people found Ishtar to be such a bad film.
I thought it was pretty damn funny myself.
The Ugly American on January 19, 2009 at 2:06 PM
Just caught the ending of Day After Tomorrow again. Just pitiful.
pat on January 19, 2009 at 2:11 PM
Disturb the Universe on January 19, 2009 at 12:10 PM
I somewhat remember the premise of the movie. Ignorant, intolerant towns’ people mistreating the poor, rejected, troubled kids. Billy Jack, the deeply affected peaceful man who could not avoid violence in defense of the woman and her school. The woman, fairly forgettable, long blond hair, quiet voice, with a “can’t we all just get along?” attitude.
As a teenage girl, all I cared about was that Billy Jack was so cute and had a bit of the “bad boy/good boy” air about him. Looking back now, I realize there was a strong political message, but at the time, I didn’t care or notice.
Jvette on January 19, 2009 at 2:12 PM
Like a few others here, it is difficult for me to vote because I have avoided almost all of these movies. Had to vote for Reds, as it was an absolutely horrible movie. I actually slept through some of it in the theater, that’s how bad it was.
Snidely Whiplash on January 19, 2009 at 2:20 PM
Day after tomorrow shouldn’t even be on that list. It’s disaster porn, not a political movie.
Darth Executor on January 19, 2009 at 2:43 PM
“An American Carol” really needs to be on that list… I really really wanted to like it, but seriously, it was awful.
IU_Conservative on January 19, 2009 at 3:13 PM
Disappointed that American Beauty didn’t make the cut. It should make the list for having the career military officer who is a homophobic psychopath which is only a cover his latent homosexuality stock character. Sam Mendes must have been molested in suburbia as a young boy to have so much hatred of what most people consider American Dream.
BohicaTwentyTwo on January 19, 2009 at 3:31 PM
Well said.
Disturb the Universe on January 19, 2009 at 3:32 PM
Jvette on January 19, 2009 at 2:12 PM
Same here. He was cute.
Disturb the Universe on January 19, 2009 at 3:33 PM
I watched it knowing it would be bad – I love bad disaster movies. It wasn’t just bad, it was horrible. Stupid politcal message ruined what would have been an enjoyable viewing of liberal cities being destroyed.
Anna on January 19, 2009 at 4:24 PM
I don’t know how “Redacted” can possibly not win this, and I doubt anyone here has even seen it.
I agree with BohicaTwentyTwo on “American Beauty”, it should’ve made this list. But “Contact”? That movie presents us with a character who practically worships at the altar of scientific dogma and ‘progressive’ thought, who spends 95% of the film sneering at what she considers to be the stupidity of faith and religious belief, and what I always construed as people to her political right…only to find herself proven utterly wrong, in the end.
I also don’t think “Apocalypse Now” would fit here either, as I never saw it as being as overtly political as, say, “Platoon”…on the surface, it comes across as an anti-Vietnam, anti-war movie, but at its core, I don’t think it’s really about either of those things. But that’s something that’s difficult to quantify. I wouldn’t exactly describe it as American_Pride1701 did either, as an exercise in nihilism, but I think that’s slightly closer to the mark…actually, I see it as being anti-nihilistic, insofar as it depicts the furthest and most horrific logical conclusion to such a belief system…or, I guess, the abandonment of it.
The only other one I’ve seen mentioned that I could really comment on would be “Primary Colors”, which at the time, I personally thought was a shockingly accurate and NOT glorified depiction of Clinton. So much so that I was somewhat mystified that it could even have been made by the people who made it.
Cylor on January 20, 2009 at 1:46 AM
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