6 Films That Are The Ultimate Guilty Pleasure

Every once in a while, we need a guilty pleasure - one of those things you don’t like to admit that you love, but you love nonetheless. These are the films you slip into the DVD player when nobody is looking, because they take you out of yourself, put a smile on your face, and cheer your soul - even though you know they're not exactly high art. It could be something that is unabashedly romantic, or ridiculously tongue-in-cheek. It could even be something that consists of a brand of humour that is of a somewhat baser grade than you would normally share with your friends. These movies are like that giant slice of pie you snaffle by the light of the refrigerator in the middle of the night, or that end-of-week bottle of wine. Maybe you’ll regret it in the morning, and you'll wish you’d spent your time doing something else - but gosh, it sure feels good in the moment. There's nothing wrong with that, and such movies have a lot to offer. Here then, are six films that are the ultimate guilty pleasure. Last Action Hero (1993) The cheesy beauty of Last Action Hero resides in the fact that it is an entirely original and unique movie. As a parody of the action movie genre, it is stuffed with tiny references that are as a much a knowing celebration of the best-worn tropes, as it is a satirical skewering of the same. Young Danny Madigan (Austin O’Brien) is a huge fan of the action movie genre – particularly the fictional Jack Slater film series – but he is also grieving for his late father. His friend, Nick, (Robert Prosky) runs a movie theatre, and gifts Danny with a magical movie ticket during a private screening of the latest Slater film. The ticket opens a portal, through which Danny enters the movie, and finds himself in a car with his idol, Jack Slater (Arnold Scwarzenegger), as he winds his way through a chase sequence with the bad guys. Inevitably, the bad guys (Anthony Quinn, Charles Dance, Tom Noonan) discover the truth behind the magic ticket, and use it to enter the real world – leaving Danny and Slater to work together to halt their dastardly plan for world domination. While the film is widely considered to be a commercial failure, it is the specific set of elements involved in its execution that make it an irresistible guilty pleasure. Its action movie credentials are impeccable. Firstly, it is directed by John McTiernan – the man who delivered Die Hard. Secondly, it is the first screenplay from Zak Penn, who has since worked on instalments of The X-Men franchise, as well as Avengers Assemble. Penn’s work (aided by David Arnott and Adam Leff), was shaped by Shane Black, who created the Lethal Weapon film series. But, it is the heart of the film that appeals the most. For the movie fan, it is a treasure trove of winks and nudges, with cameo appearances from characters like Catherine Trammel from Basic Instinct (Sharon Stone), and the T-1000 from Terminator 2: Judgement Day (Robert Patrick), and even Humphrey Bogart. There is even an anthropomorphic cartoon cat named Whiskers, voiced by Danny DeVito. Then, there is the acknowledgement of the ridiculous - with scenery chewing villains, a Lieutenant that constantly yells at our hero (who has his own, emotionally scarring dark secret) and the point that, when Slater gets shot in the real world, he needs to urgently travel back to the movie, because then his wounds are only minor. Last Action Hero is undoubtedly a deeply flawed endeavour, but it is one that is filled with warmth, positive energy, and a great love of the escapism that movies can provide. As such, it is the ultimate guilty pleasure. Clueless (1995) What can be more comforting than watching a bunch of comically over-privileged American high schoolers slowly figure out an improved perspective? Clueless is like cinematic candy floss – it has no nutritional value to speak of, and is light on substance, but it provides a most enjoyable sugar-high that really just brightens your day. Written and directed by Amy Heckerling (Fast Times At Ridgemont High), Clueless is a loose, modernising adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma, and has the distinction of being one of those rare movies that play out entirely without cynicism or meanness. Though the lead character, Cher (Alicia Silverstone) is initially somewhat manipulative, this trait is never portrayed as being cold or calculating – but rather is developed from a genuinely misguided, if deeply condescending, attempt to help others ‘improve’ themselves. This makes the conclusion all the more satisfying, when Cher comes to realise that it is she herself that needs some work. But it is the romance that makes Clueless a real guilty pleasure – taking us back, as it does, to the days of innocent crushes and first kisses. The young actors of the piece – Silverstone, Paul Rudd, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy, Donald Faison, Breckin Meyer, Justin Walker, and Jeremy Sisto – all rotate through complex attempts at wooing and flirtation, until true connections rise to the surface. Their emotional machinations are reflected in the older characters – notably Wallace Shawn and Twink Caplan – who dance around romantic liaisons of their own. The tone these relationships create make Clueless one of the most enjoyable guilty pleasures available. Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves (1991) There are many things that make Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves completely ridiculous – chief among them being the fact that, here, he is apparently American – but, this big-budget vehicle for Kevin Costner injects just enough humour, and just enough over-the-top romanticism to make it a legitimate guilty pleasure. The film begins with an attempt to establish context: ‘English’ nobleman Robin of Locksley (Kevin Costner) is imprisoned in Jerusalem, along with his friend Peter, having joined the Crusade led by King of England, Richard The Lionheart. They escape, saving the life of fellow prisoner Azeem (Morgan Freeman) in the process, but Peter is soon mortally wounded. In dying, he makes Robin promise to protect his sister, Marian. Suddenly, Robin and Azeem have returned to England, and manage to walk all the way from the south coast to Locksley’s country pile. Here they discover Robin’s father murdered, his estate in ruins, and the Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Rickman) terrorising the populace. Robin and Azeem reconnect with Marian and stumble upon a community living in fear in the forest - a group they proceed to train in an uprising against the tyrannical Nottingham. What makes this film a guilty pleasure is the fact that it is unabashedly and unashamedly exactly what it is – a star vehicle for Costner. Once you embrace the fact that this project will make no attempt at historical accuracy, nor believable character development, it becomes simply a glossy pantomime - with a catchy theme tune, a dashing hero swinging through windows to rescue his loved one, and giant action set-pieces. While comic relief comes from the Merry Men, it is Alan Rickman that strolls away with every scene in which he features – creating a Sheriff of Nottingham so cartoonishly evil that when he finally occupies the same frame as Costner, it is like watching two very different worlds collide. Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves may well jump the shark a few times, but it consistently carries us – albeit against our better judgement – right along with it. Guilty pleasure, indeed. Dude, Where’s My Car? (2000) Though it pales in comparison in terms of quality, Dude, Where’s My Car? is like a stoner mash-up of The Hangover and Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure. It is its overall tone that makes it a guilty pleasure, though, as the broadness of its humour actually makes it seem like it is satirising the obvious sexism and ridiculousness of its own genre – intentionally or not. Jesse (Ashton Kutcher) and Chester (Seann William Scott) wake up with a fridge full of chocolate pudding, and no recollection of the night before. They discover that Jesse’s car is missing, and with it, the one-year anniversary gifts that the two best friends purchased for their twin girlfriends, Wanda (Jennifer Garner) and Wilma (Marla Sokoloff). Having also discovered an angry message on their answerphone from said girlfriends, they begin a lengthy quest to recover the missing vehicle, and piece together their missing evening. Over the course of their adventure, they encounter many larger-than-life characters, including two groups of aliens – one comprised of six women, and one comprised of two men. They learn that these groups are fighting over the recovery of a Continuum Transfunctioner, which is capable of universal destruction, and looks just like a Rubik’s Cube. Jesse and Chester accidentally picked it up the previous night, and have been playing with it all day. The challenge then becomes guessing which group of aliens should have the device, to save the universe. Jesse and Chester are simple characters – driven only by the pursuit of their own pleasure and happiness – but they are required to rise to the occasion and take actions that ultimately save the universe. This kind of failure-turned-hero story is always satisfying and familiar. But it is the treatment of the female characters that puts the film into the guilty pleasure category – dealing with them as one-dimensional creations so blatantly that it crosses the line into parody. This is bolstered by the fact that the two young men are motivated throughout by what they perceive to be the promise of sex, but which ultimately turns out to be matching knitted hats – only to have the alien men provide anniversary gifts for the girlfriends in the form of breast-enhancing necklaces. Serendipity (2001) Modern life, in general, can feel chaotic and random – so sometimes, there is nothing more comforting than the idea of fate and destiny. These types of stories appeal to that part of us that wishes we could return to a time when big decisions were made for us, and the biggest choice we were faced with was how many naps we felt like taking in a day. When you’ve had a stressful time of it, a story that tells us, “Don’t worry, it’ll all work out in the end, anyway,” can feel as good as slipping into a warm bath. Suddenly, all is right with the world. That’s what makes Serendipity an excellent guilty pleasure. It tells the tale of Jonathan (John Cusack) and Sara (Kate Beckinsale), who stumble upon each other in a New York department store on Christmas Eve, shopping for black gloves. A discussion over which of the two will take the last pair leads to them bonding over discussions of fate and the universe while drinking hot chocolate. Events conspire to convince the two that a larger force may be at work, but also tears them asunder. What follows is a somewhat convoluted plot in which the pair navigate their respective doomed relationships until destiny reunites them on a skating rink in Central Park. Adding to the comfort factor is the presence of a great deal of talent in the cast. Cusack is excellent, as always, but is elevated by many scenes with Jeremy Piven – playing his best friend, Dean. Kate Beckinsale is less impressive, but has the benefit of Molly Shannon in the role of her best friend, Eve. John Corbett creates a fantastically self-centred musician as Beckinsale’s fiancé, and Eugene Levy steals the show as a fastidious department store clerk who becomes embroiled in the web of destiny weaved by Jonathan and Sara. All in all, Serendipity is a giant bear hug of a movie – filled with hope, romance, and a lot of gentle laughs. Deep Blue Sea (1999) There are times when all you need to distract yourself from the dark spiral threatening to envelop your stress-addled mind is a bunch of super-sharks wreaking revenge on the scientists that enlarged their brains. That’s what we get with Deep Blue Sea – Renny Harlin’s action movie ode to the dangers of scientific advancement. Dr. Susan McAlester (Saffron Burrows) and her colleagues are working in a remote marine facility to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, using the brain tissue of the three Mako sharks they have in captivity. As the sharks become increasingly aggressive and calculating, it transpires that McAlester has been secretly using genetic engineering techniques on the sharks, in an attempt to increase the size of their brains – theoretically increasing the chance of finding a cure. Unfortunately, all that is achieved is the creation of three enraged and resentful killing machines. The guilty pleasure aspect of Deep Blue Sea comes from the joy with which it embraces its own outlandishness – picking every last morsel of flesh from the bones of scenes, in which people are brutally attacked just as they get caught up in giving an important motivational speech, or in which people sacrifice themselves to save a colleague. Like the sharks being tortured in the name of science, Deep Blue Sea exudes self-awareness and a determination to wring the potential from each moment of the script. This is a film that truly goes for it – and that is a fully-realised guilty pleasure.