by Janice Suchoski

Created on: August 10, 2009   Last Updated: August 11, 2009

Ah, the "B" movie....repository of poor acting, low-budget special effects and mundane plots. But what keeps these under-appreciated jewels from high ratings also provides great meat for social entertainment. Faults can be, and usually are, seized upon, poked at, made funnier by exaggeration and brought forward like a big red nose on a clown face. Nobody can resist the ridiculous.

Humor has the power of turning that which is dumb and stupid to something hilarious with a different outlook. A hero diving off a cliff into alligator-infested waters is dumb when the gators are obviously made of floating rubber, but the scene becomes irresistibly funny when someone in the darkened room quips, "Ah, you missed them all! I wanted to see at least ONE explode!."

Choose movie - going companions well. Even movies with the best personal entertainment value are no fun if your friends sit there like bumps on the proverbial log. Good taste and manners are expected in theaters but one can still make quiet comments to seatmates who have similar tastes and senses of humor when things get deadly dull. Reciprocal comments keep things lively and spontaneous and keep one person from turning into an annoying bore. Shared impressions can be fun and entertaining.

When having movie nights at home, humor can be ramped up a bit with guests miming character parts, dressing for the movie theme or making games of the whole thing. Make lists of things for people to watch for such as: " What make of car can be seen behind Jugga the Jungle Princess", or "Are those quarters glued on Sir Have-a-Knots armor?" Judicious use of the capabilities of the remote control can also ramp up a particularly ridiculous scene to eye -streaming hilarity. Someone running after a crook through an alley blocked with garbage cans is mundane but really pretty funny when played either backwards or on fast forward.

Attitude is everyone's own to control. If you go to a really bad "B" movie you can enjoy it if you decide to. You can also have a miserable experience if all you see are the faults. Maybe there are only a few in a movie but you miss out on all that was good if you focus on what is bad. A plot may be non - existent but if the scenery is incredible you can still go away with a positive impression. Give everything their due and things usually balance out some.

If all else fails, one can still enjoy a really bad "B" movie by remembering that most of the best actors have a few "Bs" to their own screen credit. Undoubtedly, these public demigods squirm with the knowledge that people can still watch them! Well, hey, the knowledge of a little humility in lots of big, important heads is entertaining all by itself!

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