Guilty Pleasures

The Holiday season is usually a time when a bunch of movies are released with their eyes on Oscar nominations. So it seemed really interesting to us that THIS popped up in the Seattle times - a celebration of a series of BAD movies:
'Almost Human: Madonna on Film' Festival celebrate bad acting

The festival, running through Jan. 4 in Seattle, will highlight Madonna's atrocious acting each Monday at Central Cinema. Film introductions and a running commentary will be provided by host and local writer and performer David Schmader.

Call them "guilty pleasures" or just plain bad, many of us have favorite movies that we love to hate or hate to love - movies that we know all the lines to because we've seen them over and over again, but can't seem to get enough of.


So what are the WORST movies (or movies so BAD that they are somehow...GOOD) out there? The Teen Link blog has got you covered:

Movie Moron's Worst Movies of 2009.
There are some interesting choices on this list, some we agreed with, and some not so much, including a bunch of flix we've never even heard of (i.e. they were so bad they were released for all of a weekend or two before being pulled from the theaters or never even MADE it to the theaters) like "Ace Ventura Jr.", and "Stoic."

There were some familiar names on the Worst list including "Ruslan" (catch the trailer here), starring the one and only Steven Seagal.

If you're not familiar with him, this could be considered a blessing or a curse: a blessing in how all of his movies are pretty much the same (same plot, same catchphrases, same bad acting) and how if you've seen one, you've seen them all; a curse in that you're missing out on a spectacle of bad acting, really bad plots, and regurgitated catc hphrases so goofy that you and your friends will be repeating them back and forth to each other like inside jokes for weeks.


ROTTEN TOMATOES The top 10 of Worst of the Worst Movies (2000-2009)

Whiteout (2009)

Critics Consensus: Kate Beckinsale is as lovely as ever, and does her best with the material, but moribund pacing and an uninspired plot leave Whiteout in the cold.

Synopsis: Antarctica... The most isolated landmass on Earth 90° S. latitude, zero E. longitude Six million square miles of ice ... [More]

Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Gabriel Macht, Tom Skerritt

Directed By: Dominic Sena


Glitter (2001)

Critics Consensus: Glitter is a hodgepodge of movie cliches and bad acting that's sure to generate unintentional laughs. Unfortunately, the movie is not bad enough to be good.

Synopsis: Carey plays Billie Frank, a shy, young mixed-race girl who is sent away by her alcoholic mother at a very early age. At an orphanage, she befriends Louise (Da Brat) and Roxanne (Tia Texada), with the help of her cuddly... [More]

Starring: Mariah Carey, Ma x Beesley, Da Brat

Directed By: Vondie Curtis-Hall, Vondie Curtis Hall

Cheaper By the Dozen 2 (2005)

Critics Consens us: A sequel to a remake, Cheaper 2 wastes its solid cast in scenes of over-the-top, predictable humor.

Synopsis: Steve M artin returns as the proud patriarch of the Baker family in this sequel to the original CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN, based on a book by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine G ilbreth. This time, all twelve Baker kids and... [More]

Starring: Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt, Piper Perabo

Directed By: Adam Shankman

Boat Trip (2003 )

Critics Consensus: Boat Trip is a lame, juvenile farce that's heavy on stereotypes and desperate antics but short on brains and laughs.

Synopsis: Hoping to get his mind off his ex-girlfriend Felicia, heart-broken Jerry decides to join his best friend Nick on a tropical singles cruise for a week of sun and possible roman ce. But when Jerry and Nick realize they've... [More]

Starring: Cuba Gooding, Horatio Sanz, Will Ferrell

Directed By: Mort Nathan

All About Steve (2009)

Critics Consensus: All About Steve is an oddly creepy, sour film, featuring a heroine so desperate and peculiar that audiences may be more likely to pity than root for her.

Synopsis: Sandra Bullock plays eccentric crossword puzzle constructor Mary Horowitz who, after one short blind date, falls for ha ndsome cable news cameraman S teve (Cooper). Convinced they are soul mates, Mary follows Steve across... [More]

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Thomas Haden Church, Bradley Cooper

Directed By: Phil Traill

Lost Souls (2000)

Critics Consen sus: Though Kaminski's film is visually stylish, Lost Souls is just another deriv ative entry in the Apocalypse genre, with lackluster direction, unengaging chara cters, and no s cares.

Synopsis: Years ago, priests exorcised a demon out of young Maya Larkin (Winona Ryder). Now she uses her unusual sensitivity to the same demons who once came after her to help the priests in ot her exorcisms. In one such case, a... [More]

Starring: Winona Ryder, Ben Chaplin, John Hurt

Directed By: Janusz Kaminski

The New Guy (2002)

Critics Consensus: Incoheren t, silly, and unoriginal, The New Guy offers up the same old teen gross-out comedy cliches.

Synopsis: Teenager Dizzy Harrison (DJ Qualls) is the laughing stock of Texas' Rocky Creek High School. But his loser status changes when he lands a prison sentence and falls under the tutelage of a wild inmate, Luther (Eddie... [More]

Starring: DJ Qualls, E ddie Griffin, Eliza Dushku

Directed By: Edward Decter

A Sound of Thunder (2005)

Critics Consensus: Choppy logic and uneven performances are overshadowed by not-so-special effects that makes the suspension of disbelief a nearly impossible task.

Synopsis: In A SOUND OF THU NDER, based on a short story by Ray Bradbury, director Peter Hyams (END OF DAYS, TIMECOP) creates a world where time travel is possible and life as we know it is threatened. In the year 2055, Charles... [More]

Starring: Edward Burns, Cather ine McCormack, Ben Kingsley

Directed By: Peter Hyams


Babylon A.D. (2008)

Critics Consensus: A poorly constructed, derivative sci-fi stinker with a weak script and poor action sequences.

Synopsis: In sci-fi thriller BABYLON A.D., Vin Diesel's Toorop is an antihero who quotes the best of cinema's bad boys from films such as THE GODFATHER and SCARFACE. But all the tattooed muscleman really wants to do is leave... [More]

Starring: Vin Diesel, Michelle Y eoh, Melanie Thierry

Directed By: Mathieu Kassovitz

Surviving Christmas (2004)

Critics Consensus: Surviving Christmas is unpleasant characters attacking each other for 90 minutes before delivering a typical, hollow anti-consumerist message

Synopsis: Academy Award® winner Ben Affleck ("Good Will Hunting"), Emmy winner James Gandolfini (TV’s "The Sopranos") and Christina Applegate ("View From the Top," TV’s "Married With Children") star in the comedy "Surviving... [More]

Starring: Ben Affleck, James Gandolfini, Christina Applegate

Directed By: Mike Mitchell

Holiday Movies And if you're in the mood for a good movie, here's a Holiday Movie guide put together by Fandango. http://www.fandango.com/movieguide/holidaymovies Most of these movies have already been released and have got alot of buzz around them like the latest Twilight movie "New Moon", "Brothers", and "2012".

Sexting and Cyberbullying

Sexting is the act of sending sexually explicit messages or photos electronically, primarily between cell phones.

Cyberbullying is when when the Internet, cell phones or other devices are used to send or post text or images intended to hurt or embarrass another person.

Most folks don't think about spreading gossip online or sending pictures via cellphone is a big deal. But one website dedicated to cyberbullying cites an old fable as a metaphor for understanding it a little better. (Click HERE to watch) It compares the gossip to feathers and spreading the gossip is similar to the wind blowing it away. The message: once you put it out there, it's not in your control anymore.

And the things that are said/posted on the internet are not just public, but also PERMANENT. A few years ago, rumors would fade over time, but one something is posted online, all it takes is a "click" for it to be found again. This can have devastating effects that no one could have predicted, like the tragic story of Hope Witsell, who committed suicide earlier this year. Read her story HERE.

More stories of cyberbullying that have made the news - Click HERE.

Here are a couple videos from the website cited earlier with actual stories about cyberbullying and sexting from the teens affected by it first hand.

"teen regrets what he said online about girls"

"cyber bullying – friendship lost"

Safe Sexting - NO Such Thing:

Things to consider BEFORE even thinking about "sexting" (whether the pic is of you, is sent to you or is forwarded by you)

• This is currently considered child pornography and if caught you will be listed as a sex offender. FOR LIFE.
• Once sent, it's PERMANENT. It cannot be taken back and cannot be deleted and can end up in ANYONE'S hands.
• Is flirting REALLY worth possible public humiliation or damaging your future?
  

Tips to keep your passwords safe:

http://www.cyberbullying.us/Top_Ten_Teen_Tips_Passwords.pdf

Some tips for keeping your cellphone safe:

http://www.cyberbullying.us/Top_Ten_Teen_Tips_Cell_Phones.pdf

One of the smartest mentioned – lock your keypad. It might seem like an inconvenience, BUT it will prevent anyone from picking up your phone and accessing your info, and you can still answer calls without having to unlock it. (also prevents random pocket dialing)

Cyberbullying and the law:

Two bills currently in talks right now propose different takes on how to handle cyberbullying. One wants to criminalize it and the other focuses on educating parents and teachers. Neither one is perfect, but the point is that lawmakers are taking this stuff seriously, so everyone should probably do so as well. Read more here.

So whatever you decide to do, make sure you're thinking about the consequences of your actions BEFORE engaging in these behaviors!

If laws are being put into effect, then consequences are soon to follow –like in THIS scenario where a Facebook comment got a student suspended.

So whatever you decide to do, make sure you're thinking about the consequences of your actions before engaging in this behavior!!