1A Movie Club: The Best Of The Bad - a podcast by NPR

The 1995 film "Showgirls" starring Elizabeth Berkley was one of the largest commercial failures of its time. With a budget of $45 million, (nearly $90 million in 2023 dollars), the film ended up losing more than $8 million and was widely panned by critics. Berkeley said the movie was so bad she became a "pariah" in Hollywood.

But nearly 30 years after its release, "Showgirls" maintains a cult following with midnight showings at independent theaters and deep-dive essays exploring its themes by culture critics.

Americans love their share of bad movies. From "The Room" to "Troll 2," you can find entire online communities and podcasts dedicated to unpacking these works of... art.

We discuss what it is we love the most about bad movies.

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