Everyone has them. That one guilty pleasure of a film that is so tasteless, so undeniably bad that we fear our mothers will disown us for our poor judgment in life. One brave soul in the halls of Bradley University proudly features them.
Christopher Noonan, founder of the Bad Movie Club, is tasteful in his tastelessness. Creating a group dedicated to the art of bad movies seemed like the natural thing to do for a moviegoer like him, according to Noonan.
Noonan sat in his chair and clutched his phone in his left pocket as he spoke about his passion for bad movies.
“I currently have a giant list on my phone,” Noonan said.
It seemed he was ready to take it out and show his list, but it dawned on him – there were just too many.
But why is showing bad movies on campus good for the students? Noonan’s answer took him back to his first few thoughts on starting the club.
“‘Thankskilling,’” he said. “I was sitting, watching ‘Thankskilling’ with my friends one day, and I realized I was getting lost in it. I got lost in making fun of it, laughing at it – having a good time … and I took a step back and said, ‘This should be a thing with more people.’”
His answer was indirect, but perfect. According to Noonan, bad films are exceptional at helping you forget anything constantly nagging your brain.
“With a club like this, you’re just hanging out with friends, watching a terrible film and just having a good time,” he said. “It’s like the perfect movie experience.”
Noonan explained that one of his main inspirations for the club was “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” a show based around riffing off bad movies. Much like the show, the club holds a discussion after each film.
“Destroying it, basically,” he said with a laugh.
After that, Noonan suddenly shifted into his role as club president.
“The next film is a public domain film,” Noonan said. “We’re showing ‘Teenagers from Outer Space.’ That’s happening on Feb. 1.”
This was a man on a mission. His mission? To give you the best worst movie experience of your college life.
Whether you’re an anxious student, a connoisseur of the fine arts or anything in between, join Noonan monthly on Thursdays in the GCC at 8 p.m., and forget about all of your troubles with the Bad Movie Club.
