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I love movies, great ones, not so great ones good ones and bad ones, which fall into a special category. They are so bad they are acutely good even great, i.e. "The Wild Wild World of Batwoman." (1966), on DVD, a true gem about?, well you have to see it to get the picture, it got a wonderfully funny MST3K treatment, "The Conqueror (1956), on DVD, an epic produced by Howard Hughes, starring 6'4" John Wayne as a 5'4" Genghis Khan, think about that one, need I say anymore, the recently released on DVD "Welcome to Woop Woop" (1998) about an American con man who goes to Australia meets a nymphomaniac goes to the outback marries her and is trapped in a very strange community run by his demented father-in-law, finally there is "I Tartari", ("The Tartars.") (1961), again sadly not on DVD or VHS, and what a joy. This movie is drenched in soap. It's an Italian epic movie that they routinely made in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. "I Tartari" is about the Vikings and Tartars getting together and becoming friends so that the Tartars can wipe out the Slavs. It stars two Hollywood A list legends, the great Orson Wells and Victor Mature. Well wouldn't know it, the Viking Oleg (Mature) is miffed about the Tartar Burundia's (Wells), offer to unite their forces to conquer the Slavs. Not known to Burundia, Oleg's wife Helga is a Slav woman. Helga is kidnapped by the Burundia forces and held hostage. She is threatened with a foot torture by 350 pound Burundia, this scene has to be viewed to be appreciated. Meanwhile Oleg is preparing for battle by dodging large paper mache boulders hurled at him from a catapult. Victor Mature 6'2 1/2" insisted on wearing 3" sandals for the part to make him look taller. Why he did this is a mystery? This movie is best seen with a bottle of red wine. Sadly it's not on DVD yet. The Maze falls into this special category of bad good movies.

I saw The Maze when it was originally released in 1953 and never forgot it. It is so bad and it is a soap opera par excellence. The lead actor Richard Carlson, (of the 1950s TV series "I Led 3 Lives." his 3 lives were as an ad man for a Boston ad agency, an FBI agent and also a commie rat. It was the hight of the McCarthy era after all), has to explain the mystery to the rest of the cast and he can't get through it and had to face the camera with his back to the cast so that no one, including himself, would laugh themselves silly about the most ludicrous explanation and plot twist in movie history of why he left his lovely fiancé and soon to be bride for Scotland to take care of his 200 year old Titled amphibian uncle. It's really a soap opera, you have to see it to savor it, what a hoot! Sadly it is not on DVD. But it does appear on TV from time to time, I tape it a few years ago when AMC broadcast it on it's Friday Fear Night

Sometimes there are films that are so bad they are good, even great, see "Welcome to Woop Woop." (1998) "The Maze." (1953.) The Conqueror" (1956). "I Tarari" (1961) is in this vaulted class of movies. Staring the great Orson Wells and Victor Mature it just collapse under it's own sincerity, what a hoot!. The lines are stock and over blown. Don't bother with the plot what ever it is, just listen to the lines and watch the really bad acting, have a bottle of cheap red wine to get the full effect. I love this movie and give it a 10.

It is worthy of an MST3K treatment. Orson Wells must have needed money to make a movie he wanted to make, as others have pointed out in this section. It's a lot of fun to watch with friends.

Welcome to woop woop is great fun, provided you leave your morals at the door kick back and enjoy it, like great sex. It is at times silly, the music from some of the greatest Broadway shows is also great and a nice touch. One of the best scenes is at the end of the credits which is a must see and you will have final laugh. I don't want to divulge any of the plot or story except to put it in a nut shell, a con man escapes to Australia, meets and marries a nymphomaniac who takes him home to a town called Woop Woop deep in the Australian outback, run by a mad man, his father-in-law. If you like bad movies that are so bad they are good, great in this case. Do yourself a favor and see this, it was just released on DVD this month.