Bad Movies We Love: Charlie's Angels
2. A supporting cast of depressing '70s and '80s icons
Yes, Bill Murray is a cantankerous bag of skin in this movie, but he's chipper compared to God Of Camp And All Things Magnificent, Mr. Tim Curry, who appears here as a lecherous foe. Even though this movie is essentially a sweet transvestite version of the Charlie's Angels TV series, Mr. Curry is just a gurgly basset hound here. Just a once-proud yacht run aground. Not an utter joy to watch. You have to don your Frankenfurter wig and brandish your Clue candlestick to savor his screentime here, and luckily I did both.
But fear not: Crispin Glover appears (!!!) as a key and unusually silent baddie who combs his hair often and runs around -- as opposed to aground. Is this his formal training for Willard? I hope so. Mind you, I just want any explanation for Willard. Mayan prophecy and senselessness are my only guesses thus far.
1. The blisteringly stupid, stupidly sublime, sublimely blistering soundtrack
The astonishing thing about Charlie's Angels is the sheer amount and volume of music coursing through its 90-minute runtime. In no particular order, it cues up "Barracuda," "Groove Is In the Heart," "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel," "Turning Japanese," (during a shiatsu scene), "Baby Got Back," "Smack My Bitch Up" (during a fight scene with the three ladies, because director McG is apparently a chauvinist pig), and the Destiny's Child jam "Independent Women, Part 1." Such a valid dancefloor filler and a peak Beyonce moment to this very day. I assume Independent Women, Part II is the name of Kelly and Michelle's two-woman show at a Tuscaloosa dinner theater. Like Waiting for Godot with Beyonce "playing" the title character! Look it up, bugaboos.
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You have officially gone too far. First you suggested "Cruel Intentions" was a bad movie. As if! But now to suggest "Charlie's Angels" is bad as well? Sir, you have offended me. 🙂
You want to see a REALLY bad movie that people (including myself) idolize? Check out "The Apple". It's one of the worst movies ever made, and yet there is something about it that I love. When it finally became available on DVD, I bought it instantly, LOL.
This seemed a bit more like a "Bad Movies We Hate" 'cause I'm not seeing any of the "Love". I like that this film has color and isn't afraid to be stupid. (Which makes it the opposite of most action films) The action scenes are a blast (and stupid). Glover and Rockwell give great performances. "Smack My Bitch Up" was used ironically. This movie and its sequel are what they invented chapter stops for> Only about 60% of either film is worth watching, but I watch it over and over and consistently hit the pause button. (I like sexy ladies!) I wish they made more movies like this! Fast cars, sexy women, bright colors, stupidity, big explosions, great character actors getting to run wild. GIVE ME MORE!!!
Add me to the list of fans. Yes, there is soo much wrong with this film but it's got charm and fun in spades.
Its attempts at cheese are so knowing that it's kinda painful, like satire interspersed with stagey winks. The best scene is Drew Barrymore fighting her way out of captivity to "Song #2", which was more Joss Whedon than the movie generally allowed itself. The whole premise of "these are powerful women, so they have to be ditzes and dufuses to keep audience sympathy onside" is a notion so old-fashioned it predates the original Angels - yet seems to be perennial.
And compared to the second one in terms of narrative cohesion, the first one plays like like a Billy Wilder film.
C'mon, this movie is a blast. It's slick and fun entertainment, with a decent story for its type (Sam Rockwell is great).