So Bad Its Good

Watching bad movies can be surprisingly fun, if you choose the right films. In fact, after reading the profiles of more than fifty movies included in this book, you might just decide to have a "bad movie night" of your own! For those who love the barbed humor and wry perspective of shows like Mystery Science Theater 3000, So Bad, It's Good is an indespensible compendium that will thrill those interepid film buffs who like to laugh at the worst cinema has to offer. Spanning decades and genres, So Bad, It's Good explores inadvertent classics such as Ed Wood's Plan 9 From Outer Space, while also shining a spotlight on more recent bad movie favorites.

Craig Johnson had two best friends, two caring parents, a hot girlfriend, and a nice truck--not bad for a twenty-year-old. A decent life, until he began hearing voices in his bedroom late at night. Then a bright blue light manifests from within his closet. And he is drawn to it, mystified by its beauty. He walks through the light ... and into a world of darkness and emptiness, where he learns of a fabled Shadow God, an entity that wants him dead. Murders spring up in the neighborhood, and the local detective is quick to put the blame on Craig and his friends. Through Craig''s sinister encounters with the Shadow God and his constant run in with the law, he discovers he is part of something great--a reincarnation maybe--that takes him back to the first murder of the world.

Recounts the events of a day when everything goes wrong for Alexander. Suggested level: junior, primary.

This is not a hoax. Jim Theis was a real person, who wrote The Eye of Argon in all seriousness as a teenager, and published it in a fanzine, Osfan in 1970. But the story did not pass into the oblivion that awaits most amateur fiction. Instead, a miracle happened, and transcribed and photocopied texts began to circulate in science fiction circles, gaining a wide and incredulous audience among both professionals and fans. It became the ultimate samizdat, an underground classic, and for more than thirty years it has been the subject of midnight readings at conventions, as thousands have come to appreciate the negative genius of this amazing Ed Wood of prose.

Most people are too busy to keep up with all the good movies they’d like to see, so why should anyone spend their precious time watching the bad ones? In Why It’s OK to Love Bad Movies, philosopher and cinematic bottom feeder Matthew Strohl enthusiastically defends a fondness for disreputable films. Combining philosophy of art with film criticism, Strohl flips conventional notions of "good" and "bad" on their heads and makes the case that the ultimate value of a work of art lies in what it can add to our lives. By this measure, some of the worst movies ever made are also among the best. Through detailed discussions of films such as Troll 2, The Room, Batman & Robin, Twilight, Ninja III: The Domination, and a significant portion of Nicolas Cage’s filmography, Strohl argues that so-called "bad movies" are the ones that break the rules of the art form without the aura of artistic seriousness that surrounds the avant-garde. These movies may not win any awards, but they offer rich opportunities for creative engagement and enable the formation of lively fan communities, and they can be a key ingredient in a fulfilling aesthetic life. Key Features: Written in a humorous, approachable style, appealing to readers with no background in philosophy. Elaborates the rewards of loving bad movies, such as forming unlikely social bonds and developing refinement without narrowness. Discusses a wide range of beloved bad movies, including Plan 9 from Outer Space, The Core, Battlefield Earth, and Freddy Got Fingered. Contains the most extensive discussion of Nicolas Cage ever included in a philosophy book.

In 2007, Nathan Rabin set out to provide a revisionist look at the history of cinematic failure on a weekly basis. What began as a solitary ramble through the nooks and crannies of pop culture evolved into a way of life. My Year Of Flops collects dozens of the best-loved entries from the A.V. Club column along with bonus interviews and fifteen brand-new entries covering everything from notorious flops like The Cable Guy and Last Action Hero to bizarre obscurities like Glory Road, Johnny Cash’s poignantly homemade tribute to Jesus. Driven by a unique combination of sympathy and Schadenfreude, My Year Of Flops is an unforgettable tribute to cinematic losers, beautiful and otherwise.

From the New York Times bestselling author of How We Got To Now and Farsighted Forget everything you’ve ever read about the age of dumbed-down, instant-gratification culture. In this provocative, unfailingly intelligent, thoroughly researched, and surprisingly convincing big idea book, Steven Johnson draws from fields as diverse as neuroscience, economics, and media theory to argue that the pop culture we soak in every day—from Lord of the Rings to Grand Theft Auto to The Simpsons—has been growing more sophisticated with each passing year, and, far from rotting our brains, is actually posing new cognitive challenges that are actually making our minds measurably sharper. After reading Everything Bad is Good for You, you will never regard the glow of the video game or television screen the same way again. With a new afterword by the author.

A little boy has a series of adventures and misadventures with a bunch of wild animals.

The editors of this legendary and hilarious anthology write: "It would seem at a hasty glance that to make an anthology of Bad Verse is on the whole a simple matter . . . On the contrary . . . Bad Verse has its canons, like Good Verse. There is bad Bad Verse and good Bad Verse. It has been the constant preoccupation of the compilers to include in this book chiefiy good Bad Verse." Here indeed one finds the best of the worst of the greatest poets of the English language, masterpieces of the maladroit by Dryden, Wordsworth, and Keats, among many others, together with an index ("Maiden, feathered, uncontrolled appetites of, 59;. . . Manure, adjudged a fit subject for the Muse, 91") that is itself an inspired work of folly.

What if anxiety isn't a disease? What if it's a product of a healthy system, signaling you that it's now time to make some changes? If you could pause your hectic life for a moment to listen to your inner voice, what would it say needs modification?If there were a guide to assist in systematically evaluating critical aspects of life, one at a time, would you use it? If it contained practical solutions to improve health, mindset, finances, relationships, and habits, where would you want to start?In this autobiographical guide, Dr. Nate Dallas shares his eye-opening, personal experiment to escape the cultural epidemic of anxiety and entrapment that ensnares so many highly productive people. In his unabashed, down-to-earth style, he presents an entertaining and enlightening journey, challenging you to break away from cultural norms and live the contrarian life you know you deserve. He streamlines complex processes into a practical, systematic prescription designed to elevate your experience.Phase 1 - Physiology (sleep, breathing, nutrition, & exercise)Phase 2 - Psychology (human needs, pattern breaking, mindset, & meditation) Phase 3 - Life Application (recreation, money, work, systems, & relationships)It's sure to generate a few laughs, while challenging you in meaningful ways. Throughout the process, you will think, see, understand, and feel like never before. Buckle your seat belt and don't look back. You're going to love this ride!