“The Ice Pirates,” which is the subject of this week’s edition of Eric’s Bad Movies at Film.com, is another film that I’d never heard of until I asked for suggestions for the column. Several people mentioned it, which is always a good/bad sign (good fodder for the column, but really bad to watch).
It seems to be one of those movies that people watched a lot as kids. I don’t know if it was actually marketed toward children or if that’s just who found it entertaining, but it’s kind of dirty to be a kids’ movie. It was rated PG, but only because PG-13 hadn’t been invented yet; it has a good number of dirty jokes and castration references, plus a sex scene. Also, it’s stupid and terrible. Don’t let your kids watch it! In fact, don’t let anyone watch it.
I think I was one of those kids that “liked” it when I first saw it. But then again, I was 13. I remember something about eunuchs. Is that this movie?
Also, I could be thinking about another space comedy “Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension” which came out the same year, starred Peter Weller and, according to Wikipedia, “concerns the efforts of the multi-talented Dr. Buckaroo Banzai (Peter Weller), a physicist, neurosurgeon, Samurai, rock musician, Jet Car driver, and comic book hero …”
I may have been one of the people who suggested this one. I remember watching it all the time as a 9-10 year old. I think it was on HBO all the time or something…I recently watched it again on Netflix Instant and had NO IDEA there was so much adult content! (Though I distincly remembered the castration robot/conveyor belt scene).
I think you’ve hit on the real reason why it’s supposedly hit “cult” status–a bunch of 80’s kids who watched it all the time on cable–most likely during the summer when the parents were at work–remember it as being cool, even though it’s really idiotic…
Loved the review.
“Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension” is all kinds of awesome.
I don’t think ‘Buckaroo Banzai’ at any point reaches the badness (lameness) of ‘The Ice Pirates.’
Eric, that review was hilarious. It takes a lot to get me to actually LOL, and this did it.
“It’s not like she started looking like Anjelica Huston just yesterday.”
“This makes perfect sense if you are familiar with Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, and by “are familiar with” I mean “have heard of but do not understand.””
Gold… or ice- in the future, anyway.
Count me as one of the kids who always watched this and enjoyed it. I did get the castration references, but ignored them. I mean, there were robots and swords and stuff!
I really hope someone paid you to watch this movie.
This movie was probably watched a lot because it was always on! I never saw it myself, but I remember the commercials playing on television / HBO constantly. I’m guessing it was a filler of sorts.
I vividly remember this movie from ’86. We were livin in Baltimore,MD and rented flicks from Rite Aid, the pharmacy. I was 10 and the castration scene was bothersome. Thanx 4 uncovering it and renewing the trauma!
Buckaroo Banzai is 9 kinds of win.