No matter how awful it may be, there’s always the chance that even the worst movies in the history of cinema will eventually find favor, and occasionally even evolve into a widely-beloved cult classic. It may have taken a while, but it’s a feat Mariah Carey’s ill-fated Glitter finally managed to accomplish.
Summarily dismissed by the majority of the general public as one of the worst and most self-indulgent vanity projects of all-time, a six percent Rotten Tomatoes score was fair enough, but the consensus that it was so bad it didn’t even become entertaining by default may have stung the most given how wretched it proved to be.
Somehow, though, Carrey’s Razzie-winning star vehicle became a phenomenon long after the fact, with the soundtrack topping the charts on both iTunes and Billboard. Remarkably, cinematographer Geoffrey Simpson had no idea, even if he did admit to IndieWire that he sees Glitter’s dismal reception as something to be proud of.
“Oh, my god. Well, I had no idea that Glitter had a resurgence or any interest. I remember when it was made, some of the reviews were scathing and one review said it was probably one of the 10 worst movies ever made. Well, it was a badge of honor. [The crew] said, ‘You know, it’s funny, I’ve had a good career but the only movie people ever ask me about is Glitter.‘ One of the 10 worst movies in the world has become kind of following.”
One of the unfortunate indelible images of Glitter is an advertisement for the dud appearing in the foreground of 9/11 footage, which happened to be the same day the soundtrack released. Not quite the reputation it wanted, but at least longevity has been secured by other means more than 20 years on.
Published: Sep 23, 2023 02:56 am