Ethan Alter
From 'American Anthem' to 'Shanghai Surprise,' the Best Bad Movies of 1986
All this week we’ve been revisiting the best movies that were released during the storied Summer of ’86. But “best” doesn’t necessarily have to mean “good.” You don’t have to be a regular listener of How Did This Get Made? to know that an epic bad movie can provide just as many thrills — and be as endlessly rewatchable — as a quality effort. And the Summer of ’86 had a plethora of terrible films, some of which we’re only vaguely ashamed to admit that we’ve seen more times than modern classics like The Fly or Manhunter. Here are 12 of the best bad movies that played in multiplexes that summer…and then in an endless loop on cable TV afterwards.