I feel like I’ve been reading a lot about the movie The Warriors lately. A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy mentioned it. And Liz B was inspired by this post about it. I won’t deny the cult greatness of The Warriors. I knew a guy in college who designed his entire senior exit show from our art program around it. But it’s had me thinking about my own list of movies I love but no one else has heard of. These two are so awful they’ve actually achieved greatness.

Richard Grieco’s biggest contribution to the moving image is If Looks Could Kill. My family loved this movie and watched it more than I care to admit in the 90s. Ah, the 90s. RG is a high school underachiever on a trip with his French class when he’s mistaken for a secret agent in Paris known as The French Teacher. Hijinks ensue. I was reminded how much I love this movie when my boss said “bon soir” on her way out the other day. This immediately popped into my head, and I was devastated to learn that it’s not available on DVD.

And then there’s the coup de grace (in my humble opinion) of long forgotten 80s movies. Breakin’ 2: Electric Bugaloo is just amazing on every level. My older brother had a brief and shining career as a breakdancer in 6th grade, and this movie was practically on a loop at our house for years. Turbo may be my first movie crush. I’m still mesmerized by him dancing on the ceiling, even though people have tried explaining how he does it many times. But just like that Jamiroquai video, it still seems like magic to me. And a young Ice-T is even in this. It has everything.

This one I do own on DVD. I tried to get Adam to watch this a few years ago, to really give him a taste of my quirky 80s American childhood. He lasted ten minutes before leaving the room terrified. He came back for the ending because I was singing the finale song so loudly, told me the song went “I believe in the beat” and not “I’m leaving the beat” like I’d been singing it for 20 years, and left the room again.