More Favorite Guilty Pleasure Films

Here's a follow up to an article I wrote a while back about films which are guilty pleasure of mine. The Terror (1963)

This Roger Corman film was made in just 3 days while Corman was in the midst of filming his great Edgar Allan Poe series. But, unlike those films, this one is not exactly Corman at his best. This story of a soldier (Jack Nicholson) who comes across a mysterious woman (Sandra Knight) who herself is linked to a mysterious baron (Boris Karloff) is pretty much as cliched as they come. Still, for anyone who wants a time-killer in the middle of the night, this film should do the trick. Basic Training (1985)

This military comedy about a female Pentagon employee (Ann Dusenberry) who overcomes sexism by (yes!) seducing a Russian ambassador (Walter Gotell) into betraying military secrets certainly doesn't have the laughs that Stripes (1981) did. Still, if you like your comedies with sex and nudity, there are certainly worse ones out there. Star Trek: The Next Generation "The Price" (1989)

If any episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation can be called a guilty pleasure, it's this one, which aired during the show's third season. In this story, Troi (Marina Sirtis) falls in love with one of the guests (Matt McCoy) who is bidding for the rights to a stable wormhole, only to later discover the unethical methods he uses. Like almost all of Trek's love stories, this one is not exactly a classic, but it did cause a stir for showing the first ever bed scenes in a Trek series. Also, as someone who has crushed on Sirtis forever, this definitely holds rewatchable value for me. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1995)

Officially the fourth entry in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre series, this film was rereleased once its stars, Renee Zellweger & Matthew McConaughey, became A-listers. The film, written and directed by Kim Henkel, who co-wrote the original film with Tobe Hooper, basically repeats the same beats of that classic movie, although the protagonists here, led by Zellweger, are high school students who become lost following their prom and come across a mysterious farmhouse, who occupants include McConaughey, whose acting here gives new meaning to the term 'ham acting.' Honey (2003)

The title character in this film (Jessica Alba) is a dance instructor who dreams of becoming a choreographer. She is helped along the way by her friend Gina (Joy Bryant) and local barber Chaz (Mekhi Phifer) who she becomes romantically involved with. The film itself doesn't offer any surprises dramatically but it is pleasant to watch.

Double Feature Time; Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan/O

For my 1st post of 2026, I'm looking at 2 films I always thought had a bit in common.

William Shakespeare is arguably the most famous playwright in history. So, it's not surprising that his works have been adapted countless times for the cinema over the decades. Many films have also clearly been influenced by his work. One such film is the 2nd Star Trek movie, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982). The movie's director, Nicholas Meyer, clearly was influenced by Shakespeare when making this film. Indeed, echos of Shakespeare's tragedy King Lear are clear thoughout the movie in regards to Kirk beginning to think his best days are behind him and Khan being consumed by his obsession of revenge against Kirk, who had exiled Khan in the original series episode "Space Seed"-an exile which would lead to the deaths of many of Khan's followers, including his wife.. A more literal adaptation O (2001), which is a contemporary take on Shakespeare's Othello. In this film, Othello is Odin James (Mekhi Phifer) who is the basketball champ at a private school and who is romantically involved with this story's Desdemona Desi (Julia Stiles), who is the daughter of the school'd dean (John Heard). Odin's popularity becomes a target of jealousy for his teammate Hugo (Josh Hartnett), this film's Iago and the son of the basketball coach (Martin Sheen). As with his counterpart in the play, Hugo sets into motion a calculated plan to destroy Odin and his relationship with Desi which leads to tragedy for all involved.