20 of Roger Ebert’s Most Hated Zero-Star Reviews

Each a harsh critic at occasions, and a staunch defender of range and inventive selections in filmmaking, Roger Ebert is arguably essentially the most esteemed and well-known movie critic of all time. Although he sadly passed away in 2013 after an extended battle with most cancers, his movie critiques dwell on within the public reminiscence as a testomony to his perceptive view of cinema and eloquent approach of speaking about it.

One factor he was recognized for was not holding again when it got here to his film critiques. When Ebert completely loved and admired a movie, he would say so enthusiastically. When he hated one, he would proclaim it loudly as he did for movies like Pink Flamingos and Caligula. The critic wrote a few of the worst film critiques ever — not by way of the standard of his writing, oh no, however by way of how brutally he talked in regards to the movies he was reviewing. There are undeniably some movies that he despised greater than most, typically giving them his notorious lowest-possible ranking: No stars and a thumbs down.

20 ‘The Hitcher’ (1986)

Directed by Robert Harmon

The ’80s have been an outstanding decade for thrillers, delivering motion pictures of the caliber of Aliens and Die Hard. One of many decade’s most tragically forgotten gems is Robert Harmon‘s The Hitcher, a cat-and-mouse thriller the place a younger man who’s escaped from the clutches of a murderous hitchhiker is stalked by the hitcher and framed for his crimes.

Although the movie was (and nonetheless is) usually well-liked amongst critics and audiences alike, Ebert wrote a scathing review the place he referred to as the film “diseased and corrupt”, scandalized by its “disgusting moments” and its sense of ethics (or lack thereof). If something, this goes to point out that the famed critic’s opinion did not at all times completely allign with the overall consensus on a movie.

19 ‘Wolf Creek’ (2005)

Directed by Greg McLean

Notoriously scary and underrated, Australian horror has delivered quite a lot of distinctive motion pictures over the course of historical past. Sadly, Wolf Creek is not usually thought of to be amongst these gems. Even then, this horror thriller a couple of group of backpackers stranded in distant Australia falling prey to a murderous bushman is not with out its fair proportion of followers, each amongst audiences and (to a lesser extent) amongst critics.

Ebert was positively not among the many film’s defenders. Quite the opposite, in his review, he was very vocal about how he discovered director Greg McLean‘s lopsided horrific remedy of feminine characters to be concerningly misogynistic at finest. Debates about what sorts of strains horror movies can cross are at all times attention-grabbing, and when the particular person main such conversations is without doubt one of the most insightful movie followers to ever dwell, it is all of the extra compelling.

18 ‘The Doom Technology’ (1995)

Directed by Gregg Araki

Gregg Araki‘s darkish satire The Doom Technology is about Jordan White and Amy Blue, two troubled teenagers who choose up an adolescent drifter and embark on a visit crammed with intercourse and violence, journeying by way of an America stuffed with unusual folks. With the passage of time, the movie turned a teen cult basic; however on the time it got here out, it did not precisely achieve this with a bang.

The movie is definitely surprising and fairly to have a look at, however its shock and sweetness are fairly surface-level. Roger Ebert evidently thought so, too, as his review is one great distance of claiming that he discovered the film about as deep as a wading pool. He says that he doesn’t “object to the content material of [the] film, however to the perspective,” pointing to Araki’s course as in want of a lot maturing.

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17 ‘Jaws: The Revenge’ (1987)

Directed by Joseph Sargent

The fourth and last movie within the Jaws franchise and considered one of the worst sequels of all time, Jaws: The Revenge focuses on the lately widowed Ellen Brody, who goes to go to her son Michael after her different son Sean dies from a shark assault whereas on the job. Throughout her go to, she strikes up a brand new romance, however issues go awry when the group is terrorized by an amazing white shark out for revenge. How a shark is ready to maintain a grudge and set out on a quest for revenge was a thriller for all, together with Roger Ebert.

This movie apparently ignores the occasions of the film Jaws 3-D, and was one which Roger Ebert found to be not solely a “unhealthy film, but in addition a silly and incompetent one.” He additionally went additional and claimed that it wasn’t thriller both, which is a deep minimize for a Jaws film. In accordance with Ebert, although, viewers are higher off watching a film that does not suggest sharks are able to thirsting for payback.

16 ‘Soiled Love’ (2005)

Directed by John Asher

In Soiled Love, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg performs a lady who finds out her boyfriend is dishonest. After breaking apart, she steps again onto the courting scene to get again at her ex, all of the whereas ignoring the one man who is perhaps proper for her: her nerdy good friend John. Although it is speculated to be a comedy, some would name it one of the unfunniest films ever placed on the silver display.

This can be a movie that Roger Ebert particularly did not enjoy, having some very robust phrases for it in his evaluate. He claimed that the movie was so pitiful that “it [was] hopelessly incompetent” and stated that he was not sure if anybody “concerned [had] ever seen a film, or [knew] what one is.” For anybody fascinated with watching Soiled Love, it’s sure that Ebert would advise towards it.

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15 ‘Police Academy’ (1984)

Directed by Hugh Wilson

Police Academy is a raunchy farce the place a city’s mayor declares that completely anybody can enroll within the police academy, no matter their bodily or psychological situation. Because of this, many misfits enter the academy, together with a troublemaker who’s compelled to use if he does not need to go to jail. Ask anybody who’s seen the film — together with Roger Ebert — and so they’ll inform you that it is in all probability considered one of the worst comedies ever made for the silver display.

Regardless of its high quality, the film has garnered a little bit of a cult following who enjoys its crude and infantile humor over the many years. It was exactly due to that raunchy humorousness that Ebert wrote a reviewcondemning the movie as “the least humorous film that would presumably have been impressed by [Airplane!].” Ebert was definitely not the audience for this type of comedy, however those that do take pleasure in it are sure to have time with Police Academy.

14 ‘The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence)’ (2011)

Directed by Tom Six

Some of the infamously grotesque and disturbing horror movie franchises ever, the Human Centipede trilogy is definitely an entertaining speaking level. The second installment, The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence), follows a disturbed loner who units out to create a 12-person human centipede. Nobody requested for the primary movie, nobody requested for a sequel, however Tom Six delivered anyway.

From the get-go, Ebert calls the film in his review “an unsightly, artless affront to human decency.” It is definitely not onerous to see why the critic had such contempt for the film, because it has all the pieces he normally hated: No coronary heart, nothing of any actual worth to say, and gratuitous shock worth. It is definitely a cult basic that is not with out it followers, however Ebert would have by no means referred to as himself considered one of them.

13 ‘North’ (1994)

Directed by Rob Reiner

Primarily based on a novel by Alan Zweibel, North stars Elijah Wooden because the title character, a younger boy who’s vivid however severely uncared for by his mother and father. He meets a person who encourages him to legally separate from them and search the world for a significantly better alternative, however North quickly realizes that the grass is just not at all times greener on the opposite facet.

Roger Ebert critiques may get fairly poetic along with his use of phrases, so when he was significantly concise when expressing his distaste for a film, one knew that issues have been critical. Judging by his review of North, it is perhaps protected to argue that it’s one of many movies he despised most. Merely put, he “hated hated hated hated hated this film. Hated it. Hated each simpering silly vacant audience-insulting second of it.” He even stated he was insulted by the very thought that some folks would possibly prefer it, which is a particularly low blow.

12 ‘Freddy Bought Fingered’ (2001)

Directed by Tom Inexperienced

Within the black comedy Freddy Bought Fingered, a struggling cartoon artist decides to manufacture one thing life-changing about his father for consideration when his pitch for a cartoon will get rejected in Hollywood. The devious lie is that his father is molesting his youthful brother Freddy, and it units off an insane chain of occasions for the household. The movie has its fans, however for essentially the most half, it is normally thought of one of many worst of all time.

Roger Ebert felt that the movie not solely “doesn’t scrape the underside of the barrel,” however that it doesn’t even “should be talked about in the identical sentence with barrels.” For sure, the esteemed movie critic completely hated this movie about how an egregious lie tears aside a standard household. He did not discover it humorous, and basic audiences are inclined to agree.

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11 ‘B.A.P.S.’ (1997)

Directed by Robert Townsend

In B.A.P.S., considered one of the campiest comedies of the ’90s, Oscar winner Halle Berry performs Nisi alongside Natalie Desselle’s Mickey, two fashionable waitresses who dream of opening their very own hair salon that doubles as a soul-food restaurant. To realize these desires, the 2 fly to L.A. for an audition however as an alternative strike up a conveniently shut friendship with an aged millionaire.

Although it is a movie that followers of Berry completely take pleasure in with none irony or disgrace, Roger Ebert found it less than satisfactory. He’s quoted as saying that the movie “doesn’t work” however would “carry us all collectively… in paralyzing boredom.” The overall important consensus aligns along with his opinion, however with so many fashionable audiences nonetheless loving the film for what it’s, one can not help however surprise if a re-evaluation is so as.

10 ‘Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo’ (2005)

Directed by Mike Bigelow

Within the somewhat-of-a-cult-classic comedy sequel Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, Rob Schneider performs the titular gigolo who resumes his profession of prostitution when his former pimp returns to his life and requires his help. Whereas Deuce makes an attempt to determine who’s framing his good friend for a number of murders, he encounters many girls and obstacles alongside the best way.

Although many followers of Rob Schneider love this wacky film for what it has to supply, Ebert reviewed the film and referred to as it “aggressively unhealthy, as if it needs to trigger struggling to the viewers” and he went on to personally handle the star, saying: “Mr. Schneider, your film sucks.” There’s not a lot else one can add after a scathing evaluate like that!

9 ‘Final Rites’ (1988)

Directed by Donald P. Bellisario

The movie Final Rites is a couple of lady named Angela who turns to a priest for assist after the brutal homicide of her mobster lover by the hands of his livid spouse, Zena. The priest turns into torn between his vows, Angela, and his sister, Zena. This will likely sound like an attention-grabbing and promising premise, but when critics like Ebert are to be believed, director Donald P. Bellisario could not have squandered the idea’s potential extra badly.

Final Rites obtained a scathing review from Roger Ebert, who proclaimed it “the worst film of 1988.” He additionally went on to suggest that the folks liable for the film have been all “poor in style, judgment, purpose, tact, morality and customary sense”. He then made certain the plenty knew that the movie was general “offensive to [his] intelligence.”

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8 ‘Caligula’ (1979)

Directed by Tinto Brass

Created by the founding father of Penthouse journal Bob Guccione, the erotic drama Caligula focuses on the notorious titular Roman Emperor, performed by Malcolm McDowell. Additionally within the solid of this wild historic film is the proficient Helen Mirren, in addition to the late Peter O’Toole. Some name this one of the scandalous movies ever made, others assume that its infamy is blown a little out of proportion, however not many individuals assume it is a genuinely nice film.

Sadly for everybody concerned within the mission, Roger Ebert had nothing nice to say about it. He’s quoted as saying the movie is just “sickening, completely nugatory, shameful trash” and that he was left feeling “disgusted and unspeakably depressed” after watching it. A noteworthy interval drama that is positively not, not less than in keeping with Ebert.

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7 ‘She’s Out of Management’ (1989)

Directed by Stan Dragoti

In She’s Out of Management, Katie, the good-girl teenage daughter of a radio station supervisor, makes use of his enterprise journey as an opportunity to vary up her life and look, studying how to take action from her dad’s girlfriend, Janet. Regardless of a star-studded solid with the likes of Tony Danza and Matthew Perry, the film was an all-around failure, and understandably so.

Roger Ebert called this film “bizzare,” “banal,” and lots of different unfavorable issues, significantly in relation to its depiction of younger women. He stated the film “sees adolescent women as commodities to be shielded from predatory males” but in addition notes that the predatory male on this movie may very effectively be Katie’s father, who retains her inappropriately.

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6 ‘Mad Canine Time’ (1996)

Directed by Larry Bishop

In Mad Canine Time, a mob boss named Vic comes out of a stint in a psychological hospital to seek out his enterprise and affairs in a multitude. As Vic tries to repair the problems, different mobsters want to take away him from the equation in order that they’ll take over. Even a star-studded solid that includes the likes of Gabriel Byrne, Jeff Goldblum, and Kyle MacLachlan could not save the movie from being obliterated by critics.

Within the easiest of phrases, Roger Ebert said that this movie “doesn’t enhance on the sight of a clean display considered for a similar size of time.” In different phrases, Mad Canine Time isn’t even price watching as viewers may watch paint dry with out noticing any distinction. This evaluate from Ebert is a burn that cuts further deep.

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5 ‘The Devils’ (1971)

Directed by Ken Russell

Ken Russell‘s blasphemous and notorious non secular drama The Devils is a biopic set in Seventeenth-century France, the place Father Urbain Grandier‘s safety of the town of Loudun from the corrupt Cardinal Richelieu is undermined by a sexually repressed nun who’s accused of witchcraft. As a consequence of its sacrilegious non secular imagery, intense sexual content material, and graphic violence, the movie confronted nice backlash upon launch, as well as heavy censorship.

It might not be fairly as taboo these days because it was again within the ’70s, however The Devils has misplaced not one of the shock worth that made Roger Ebert despise it. The critic was at all times a fan of utilizing sarcasm to criticize motion pictures he did not like, however his review of The Devils is a particular case. Completely composed of abundantly sarcastic “reward” for Russell’s movie, it is a witty approach of him saying that he discovered it unbearably pretentious and morally reprehensible.

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4 ‘Pink Flamingos’ (1972)

Directed by John Waters

Director John Waters is nothing if not an acquired style — and one which not many cinephiles are capable of faucet into, at that. Maybe his most well-known (or notorious) movie is Pink Flamingos, a comedy a couple of infamous felony who has given herself the title of “the filthiest particular person alive,” and has to defend it from a sleazy couple attempting to humiliate her.

The comedy movie is so disturbing that it is arguably extra surprising than it’s humorous. In considered one of Roger Ebert’s worst critiques by way of how harsh he was to a film, the critic dismissively wrote that it was a movie one is tempted to reward simply to have the ability to say one was capable of get by way of it. Nonetheless, the critic stated “it’s a temptation [he could] resist.” He refused to offer the film a star ranking, saying that stars didn’t apply on this case. In a convincing conclusion, he argued that Waters’s movie “must be thought of not as a movie however as a truth, or maybe as an object.”

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3 ‘I Spit on Your Grave’ (2010)

Directed by Steven R. Monroe

A greater-known remake of the notorious horror thriller of the identical title (which Ebert additionally gave a thumbs down), I Spit on Your Grave is a couple of author who’s brutalized throughout her cabin retreat. After her attackers depart her for lifeless, she comes again for brutal, gory revenge. It is pure revenge fantasy that by no means pretends to be something extra, however that was much more purpose for critics to seek out it extremely distasteful.

The film is so uncooked and unfiltered in its depiction of violence that the overwhelming majority of viewers merely cannot take it – together with Ebert. He hated the movie’s despicable sense of morality (or lack thereof, slightly), and outright stated to I Spit on Your Grave in his review “I spit in your violence towards ladies.”

2 ‘I Spit on Your Grave’ (1978)

Directed by Meir Zarchi

Initially titled Day of the Lady, the unique I Spit on Your Grave follows the identical rape-and-revenge story of its remake, however in an arguably extra vicious and exploitative approach. It is light into obscurity way more than its successor has, and that is in all probability for good purpose. Its affect is proscribed to slight satisfaction after watching the third act, and that feeling (together with the reminiscence of the film) fades away surprisingly shortly.

Ebert thought so, too, writing a cruel evaluate the place he referred to as Meir Zarchi‘s movie “a vile bag of rubbish” and referred to the expertise of watching it as “one of the miserable experiences of [his] life.” He thought that it was a very simplistic movie devoid of any inventive or technical benefit, and if audiences’ opinions on the film almost a half-century later are any indication, the critic was in all probability proper.

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1 ‘The Texas Chainsaw Bloodbath’ (2003)

Directed by Marcus Nispel

The unique The Texas Chain Noticed Bloodbath is a seminal entry in horror, a necessary look ahead to followers of the style which has aged like advantageous wine. The film was remade in 2003 as Marcus Nispel‘s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, about 5 mates on the highway who discover themselves stalked and hunted by a terrifying household of killers.

Though some followers of grotesque slashers do not discover this entry within the franchise to be all that unhealthy, most critics and viewers members thought it was abysmal compared to the unique. Ebert did not like the unique, however he despised this one much more. He called 2003’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre “vile, ugly and brutal” in his cruel evaluate, emphasizing that he noticed completely no purpose to advocate that audiences test it out.

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NEXT:Critically Acclaimed Movies That Roger Ebert Disliked