Cinecism: Hayley Mirek explains her love for the worst film of all time

Plan 9 From Outer Space, a science fiction film from 1959, is widely considered a frontrunner for the dubious honour of being the worst film ever made. Every aspect of the film is ridiculed: the special effects, the dialogue, the acting; yet despite all this, I love it. I believe that, although certainly not one of the best films ever made, it can in no way be considered the worst. During a long, boring summer, a friend and I decided to watch the worst films we could find. Plan 9 From Outer Space stood apart from the others as being by far the most enjoyable. It has a plot that makes sense, as well as a political message that would have a strong place within Cold War society. One of the film’s main points of ridicule involves the fact that it was meant to star Bela Lugosi, who unfortunately died early in filming. The film’s now-infamous director Ed Wood, often called the worst director of all time, just replaced Lugosi with a chiropractor whose face remained covered. Yet, given the film’s plot, this doesn’t seem too odd. Lugosi’s character is supposed to be a member of the living dead who was revived by aliens. Dialogue, in this case, isn’t necessary. Perhaps I could be accused of loving Plan 9 because it’s pure camp. This is completely untrue. The film transcends the cesspool of ordinary camp, rising above such horrors as Anna Nicole Smith’s last piece of art Illegal Aliens, or Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (no, really), or Killer Drag Queens on Dope (my personal favourite). To be listed amongst these awful films does huge discredit to Plan 9. For a film to be considered ‘the worst of all time’ it should be truly unwatchable. Such a film should die quickly, silently, with a tinge of embarrassment, like the latest Jessica Simpson ‘film’ Blonde Ambition. Plan 9 makes sense and it flows in a fully comprehensible way. So what if it contains lines like, ‘But one thing’s sure. Inspector Clay is dead, murdered, and somebody’s responsible’? Many films contain lines that state the obvious. And so what if the special effects aren’t great? It’s not Star Wars; the film was made in 1959. Perhaps that even adds to its charm. Plan 9 from Outer Space has survived for years based on the notion that it is the worst of the worst, yet people continue watching it. It is truly an enjoyable film that deserves to be seen. So let’s stop calling it the worst film of all time, and instead let’s call it what it is: amazing!by Hayley Mirek