Starting the New Year Right

Queen Victoria, Colonialism, and The Rains Came (1939)

Unofficial entry to the blogathon yesterday. I’d like to actually join the group but I’m afraid that now they will throw rotten tomatoes at me for being a party crasher. D:

Classic Castaways

There’s an oft repeated and varied tale of two friends who go to a video store. When passing the classics section one laments that they “just don’t make em’ like they used to.” The other extends his arm in a grand gesture and counters, “these are the ones that have survived.” I don’t recall where I first heard it, or whether the story is even true, but the comment is justified. It wasn’t just Citizen Kanes and Taylor’s and Paine’s, and for every heavy hitter double the flops. According to Robert Sklar a 1930s survey distributed to screenwriters allowing them to comment on their industry and the product it produced resulted in a whopping three fourths negative response.

But there’s a flip to the coin. A haven commonly referred to as films so bad they’re kind of good. Which for good or ill I’m willing to admit to. This post will celebrate just a few of my favorite train wrecks…