Top 10 Over the Top Movie Moments That Made Us Cringe
#10: Emo Peter
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“Spider-Man 3” (2007) What is it with superhero movies and cringey dance sequences? Matt Smith’s dancing in “Morbius” is certainly something else, but nothing will ever dethrone Emo Peter Parker. After Peter is taken over by an alien symbiote, he starts showing an evil side. By “evil” side, we mean being slightly rude, dressing like he’s in MCR, and doing dances on the sidewalk. At least the joke is on Peter, judging by the women’s faces. Everything culminates in that horrible jazz club scene, which sees Peter putting on a theatrical performance to upset Mary Jane.
#9: Travolta’s Monologue
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“Battlefield Earth” (2000) To be honest, we could put the entirety of “Battlefield Earth” on this list. Based on a novel by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, it was a passion project for co-producer John Travolta, who also starred as the movie’s villain, Terl. Not even he can sell the dialogue and story, though. Since we have to pick one scene, we’re going with his character’s drunk monologue in a bar. Every aspect of this scene is cringe, from the Dutch tilts to the silly dialogue. To be fair, any actor would struggle to deliver these lines convincingly. Travolta goes all in … but it just makes the scene even sillier.
#8: “I CREATE LIFE!!!”
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“Jupiter Ascending” (2015) Where does bad acting end and bad direction begin? It’s often a tough question to answer. Eddie Redmayne is a talented actor, with an Oscar, a Tony, and two Laurence Olivier Awards to his name. Yet for his performance as Balem Abrasax, he won the Razzie for Worst Supporting Actor. We think it’s all down to this scene. Redmayne really chews the scenery, with glistening eyes, whispery line delivery, and sudden bellows to the heavens. The scene is overacted to an absurd degree - making it memorable, but not for the right reasons.
#7: Beverly & Howard
“Howard the Duck” (1986) How do you follow up the original Star Wars trilogy? Well, George Lucas decided to produce a Marvel movie about an anthropomorphic duck. The problems with “Howard the Duck” are epitomized in a scene where Howard gets into bed with Beverly. The two flirt before Beverly kisses him goodnight. The whole experience is just awkward and uncomfortable. All we can think about is poor Lea Thompson having to do this in front of a full production crew. We’re getting second-hand embarrassment just talking about it.
#6: “Save Martha”
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“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (2016) This movie had so much potential. But instead of giving us a thrilling conflict between iconic superheroes, it was a bleak, desaturated, two and a half hour slog with ten minutes of fighting between Batman and Superman. Even then, the fight ended in the most anticlimactic and contrived manner possible. As Batman is about to kill him, Superman tells Batman to save his mother, Martha. Since Batman’s mother’s name is also Martha, he’s left confused, and sees Superman in a new light. In other words, the outcome of the battle hinges on a coincidence. Why does Superman even say “Martha” as if Batman knows who that is? This scene desperately needed another draft.
#5: Turkey Time
“Gigli” (2003) Despite starring megastars Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, who were dating at the time, “Gigli” is considered one of the worst movies ever made. That’s not really surprising when you consider scenes like this one … [“Turkey time. Gobble gobble.”]. “Turkey time”?! Who is even the turkey in this scenario - Lopez or Affleck? It’s not really clear if this moment was meant to be sexy, or humorous, but the result is definitely laughter - at the dialogue though, not with it. Affleck’s befuddled reaction is legendary, and we wouldn’t be surprised if it was genuine.
#4: “Not the Bees!”
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“The Wicker Man” (2006) Those who saw “The Wicker Man” in theaters may have been befuddled when they saw the bee scene for the first time. That sequence wasn’t actually in the theatrical version. It’s part of the movie’s alternate ending, which wasn’t seen until the DVD release. There’s a reason it was cut from the theatrical release. The bee sequence has since become an infamous piece of internet history, as it was memed to death and has accrued millions of views on YouTube. Nicolas Cage hams it up as only he can, making the scene hilarious. But the humor is far from intentional.
#3: Turtle
“The Master of Disguise” (2002) This film did a great disservice to the talents of Dana Carvey. While his imitations were enjoyable enough, the overall movie was truly awful. The most egregious scene sees Dana Carvey donning a bald cap, circular glasses, and a comically large green outfit to resemble a turtle. The sight gag is goofy enough, but it gets even worse. Most of the scene involves Carvey saying “turtle” in increasingly obnoxious ways, fiddling with the costume, and making silly faces at people. It’s not only cringey, but also incredibly irritating.
#2: Patience Plays a Little Basketball
“Catwoman” (2004) 2002’s “Spider-Man” set a new benchmark for superhero films, but it was followed by some truly dreadful imitators. 2003 saw the release of “Daredevil,” with its ridiculous see-saw fight. The next year we got “Catwoman,” which is certainly in the running for worst superhero movie ever made. One scene has Patience Phillips impressing Tom with her basketball skills. We guess cats are good at basketball? Unfortunately, the fast cuts and camera tilts are more irritating than stylish, and the flirty nature of it all is eye-rollingly corny. The scene only runs for about 90 seconds … but we still want that time back. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Loch Ness Monster, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” (2012)
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Projectile Deer Pee, “Grown Ups 2” (2013)
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Eric Rides Down the Hill, “Mac and Me” (1988)
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Earthbending, “The Last Airbender” (2010)
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#1: Johnny Breaks Down
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“The Room” (2003) Like “Battlefield Earth,” every scene from “The Room” is cringey to some degree. Perhaps the most famous “bad” movie ever made, “The Room” is chock full of meme-worthy material. Perhaps the most over the top scene is Johnny’s emotional breakdown, which culminates in him taking his own life. It should be an intense scene filled with emotion, but it falls completely flat, thanks in no small part to Tommy Wiseau’s performance. Despite the serious subject matter, the sequence is incredibly hard to take seriously. Of course, that’s what makes “The Room” so magical.
