2008 Year in Film: The Bottom Eleven

The Turkeys, the Mishaps, the Disasters: The Worst Films of 2008

Dec 21, 2008 Rob Humanick

Even in a year in which the most popular and successful films were often among the very best, the past twelve months were no stranger to cinematic pile-ups.

Cynics might call 2008 a lesser year for cinema, but the fact remains that even in the most underwhelming of movie years, there are treasures aplenty awaiting those willing to seek them out. Likewise, 2008 had its fair share of stinkers, the worst of which have been presented here in an effort to save anyone of comparable taste from wasting that most precious of resources: time.

Note: As there are a great many films that were not seen in the preparation of this list, a collection of roundly unpopular "blind spots" has been provided below for additional perspective.

THE BOTTOM ELEVEN

1. Prom Night - Less a remake of the already mediocre 80's slasher film of the same name than a deliberate rip-off thereof, there isn't a shred of tension, meaning, emotion, resonance, thought, or creativity in this hollow waste of wannabe film. If this is the future of the horror genre, even its most ardent fans are encouraged to jump ship.

2. 88 Minutes - It's hard to be a Pacino fan these days, especially given the stinks-a-mile-away garbage he picks so frequently of late. This inept thriller attempts to tease the audience with Hitchcockian mystery tactics and ambiguous character motivations, and fails to follow through in every possible regard on developing or delivering on its stated intentions. One can only hope that Al needed the paycheck.

3. Disaster Movie - This may be the worst entry yet in the infamous comedy series by writer/director duo Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, previously responsible for Meet the Spartans and Epic Movie. Trying to choose only one is like comparing AIDS to herpes.

4. Shutter - Assembly-line fodder at its most cynically produced. Loud noises have never been so completely redundant and lacking in menace as in this utterly unjustified horror remake. Scary, indeed.

5. Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead - Fans of Troma Entertainment will probably love the no-holds-barred, Z-grade horror schlock on display in this horror musical sex comedy satire. It is surely a film of unwatchable brilliance, but it remains unwatchable nevertheless.

6. Vantage Point - Self-important pulp even dumber than the host of artificial archetypes scrambling about its political-thriller belly. For movies like this, life is too short.

7. 10,000 BC - The worst attempt at epic blockbuster spectacle since The Chronicles of Riddick, but it may prove to be a comedy classic.

8. Wanted - Radicalized visual effects make for a savory action extravaganza before a series of third-act revelations ground this ungainly hybrid of Fight Club and Office Space in the realm of the misguidedly, hatefully pretentious. Even Angelina Jolie's eye candy can't help this one.

9. Forgetting Sarah Marshall - Falling far, far from the heights of Superbad and, to a lesser extent, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, the Apatow formula trips over itself, dies, and proceeds to decompose in this thoroughly unfeeling (and unfunny) relationship saga.

10. Jumper - Less of a movie than an underwhelming movie preview stretched out to feature length, this misbegotten sci-fi story strikes another blow against the progression of CGI-infused cinema. Speaking of which...

11. Star Wars: The Clone Wars - As a TV pilot, this may have been tolerable, or even good, but as an inflated feature film, this introduction to the new Star Wars television show is enough to make even the worst moments of the prequel trilogy look masterful by comparison.

DISHONORABLE MENTIONS

One Missed Call, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?, Superhero Movie, Eagle Eye, 21, The Incredible Hulk, Quantum of Solace

THE WALK OF SHAME (i.e. so bad, they couldn't be finished)

College Road Trip, Baby Mama, In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale, Mad Money, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets, Postal

BLIND SPOTS

An American Carol, Chapter 27, Hell Ride, The Hottie and the Nottie, Hounddog, Made of Honor, Mamma Mia!, Religulous, Repo! The Genetic Opera, Righteous Kill, Saw V, Semi-Pro, Witless Protection

The copyright of the article 2008 Year in Film: The Bottom Eleven in Classic Films is owned by Rob Humanick. Permission to republish 2008 Year in Film: The Bottom Eleven in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Prom Night 2008 movie poster	Al Pacino, wasting his time and ours in 88 Minutes	D'Leh (Steven Strait) and the putty in 10,000 BC
Whitaker, Quaid and Fox in Vantage Point	Angelina Jolie, far better than Wanted deserves