We ask you, the reader, to share your favorite cult classics.

Chances are, you’ve read or clicked on a listicle article recently. The internet is full of listicles, i.e., articles in the form of lists. Some folks accuse listicle writers as being lazy by banging out a “Top 5 of the Week” story in lieu of actual research.

Either feeling something was omitted from an article that should have been included or something actually in the article wasn’t to their liking, “Top 5” listicles invariably rub readers wrong, one way or another.

So today I’m changing that and putting the onus for content on you, dear reader.

Movies That Are So Bad, They’re Good

Imagine this: It’s Saturday night, your funds are low, and no amount of swiping will result in a date for the evening. So, you do what any red-blooded American male would do in this situation: you pop in an action movie! (What did you expect me to say?)

We all know which elements define a stellar action movie, but what constitutes a movie so bad it’s actually good? What things in a bad movie would elicit someone to actually want to share the experience with a buddy? Let’s explore this and delve a little deeper, shall we?

A low budget is probably the single most common denominator of all “so bad, it’s good” movies. With limited funds to spend on things like “writing,” “acting”, “directing,” “lighting” and “special effects,” filmmakers have to get creative throughout the course of a project. Acting gets wooden. Effects look cheap. The same people are used as extras in several different scenes. Boom mics appear from time to time during a film. You get the picture.

Introducing “Cult” Movies

Unbeknownst to the people struggling to laboriously get through these projects, something magical happens: they create a cult film beloved by scores of people devoted to a genre of movies who actually appreciate their efforts.

If I was in an elevator with any U.S. Senator, Congressman or Fortune 500 CEO, I wouldn’t have any idea who they were. But if Ted Prior — Mike Danton from 1987’s Deadly Prey himself — was there, you’d best believe I’d recognize him and shake his hand vigorously as I thanked him for creating a timeless masterpiece.

That’s the beauty of a “so bad, it’s good” film.

What Are Your Picks?

But rather than me creating a listicle for you readers, I want to read your entries to the genre. Which movies — regardless of whether they starred action superstars such as Sly, Arnold, JCVD, Seagal, Chuck, etc. or your average B-level actor — were so bad they were good? Which ones are so beloved and endearing to you that should anyone disagree with you, the result would be a full-on, spirited disagreement?

I’ve written this piece here to chew bubblegum and read your responses. And I’m all out of bubblegum.

Part Tony Manero, part Rocky Balboa, John Acquavita is a N.Y.-area transplant currently living in Ohio. He uses his “particular set of skills” to contribute to various websites covering 1980s-era action movies.

Let us know what you what you think in the comments!