What makes “bad” movies so watchable? In this three part class, we’ll explore the history of the the “so bad it’s good” genre including the early days of B-Movie icons like Ed Wood and Doris Wishman, the rise of movie “riffing” made popular by Mystery Science Theatre 3000, and the canon of recent cult movie discoveries including Miami Connection, The Room, Troll 2, and Sharknado. We’ll also unpack what makes a bad film good, examine how hubris and excess can lead to accidental genius, and discuss how to make the culture of fandom around these films more inclusive and friendly for all.

Class Specifics:
Three Wednesdays: February 21 – March 7
7:00PM – 10:00PM
SIFF Film Center
$40 | $35 SIFF Members (price includes all three classes)

Class Syllabus:
February 21: Ed Wood, Doris Wishman, and B-Movies
February 28: The Rise of Movie Riffing; Elvira, MST3K, and more.
March 7: Modern Classics and Rediscoveries.

About the Instructor:
A lifetime lover of weird, bad, crazy, and great cinema, Clinton McClung began his film programming career in 1999 when he began curating the midnight movie series at Boston’s prestigious Coolidge Corner Theatre. Since then he has hosted films and programs at the IFC Center, Central Cinema, and SIFF, where he was director of cinema programming. Over the years Clinton has subjected countless unsuspecting audiences to all sorts of terrible, wonderful films, from classics like Let Me Die a Woman and Dolemite to discoveries like Fateful Findings and The Astrologer (both of which he still can’t quite believe he was allowed to include in the Seattle International Film Festival). Clinton also arranged the first Seattle screenings of The Room and oh boy does he has some stories to tell about having to spend a weekend hanging out with Tommy Wiseau.