You’ve gone to the Starz FilmCenter for the best movies ever made.
Why not go there for the worst movies ever made?
Um. We can think of a few reasons?
But none of those reasons would allow for the comedic experience of Mile High Sci-Fi, a chance to make fun of awful space flicks alongside the class cutups.
The Denver Film Society is teaming with comedians who started a live film commentary series at the Oriental theater. They’ll show notoriously, hilariously bad movies like “Flash Gordon” and “Battlefield Earth,” while the comics get all snarky with a microphone. Comics Matt Vogl, Harrison Rains, Chris Atencio, Dave Sipos and others also will bring in music and sound effects to mess with the movie soundtracks.
Yes, it’s a live version of the cult TV hit “Mysterious Science Theater 3000,” meant to attract a different kind of audience to a different mode of performance at Starz.
With the current lineup of odious titles, it’s not about loving the movie.
“It’s about having a great experience,” said Britta Erickson, media relations director for the film society. “Some people have actually told us these movies really aren’t that bad.”
For the record: Those people are insane.
But if you want to decide for yourself, the comics will attack “Flash Gordon” at 10 tonight. The program will run two nights near the end of each month at Starz, with “Battlefield Earth” slotted for May 24-25. Practice your “Wolverines!” chant for June 21-22, when Patrick Swayze and “Red Dawn” get the treatment. (Yes, we know the latter isn’t a sci-fi film, but it is gloriously awful. The organizers start with sci-fi and expand their targets of ridicule to any genre that suits their fancy.)
“I hate to say this will be the second time we’re showing ‘Battlefield Earth,”‘ Erickson said. The other time? For a special Thanksgiving program on leftover movie “turkeys.”
Reach Michael Booth at mbooth@denverpost.com.
