Top 10 WORST Made for TV Movies

CBS

Everyone has to start somewhere, right? “Mazes and Monsters” was Tom Hanks’ breakout role, as a college student who’s convinced he is actually his character in a fantasy roleplaying game. While playing, he has a mental breakdown that not only causes him to slip into the imaginative world, but culminates in him nearly jumping off a building. While his friends luckily stop him in time, it’s implied that he never gets better. Talk about a downer ending. It was essentially playing into the moral panic surrounding Dungeons and Dragons at the time. As a result, every aspect – particularly the acting – came off as melodramatic. Presenting an innocent activity as one that can potentially be harmful to your mental health isn’t just ridiculous, it’s wrong.

Syfy

Syfy isn’t known for their great original films, which have an unfortunate tendency to come out more silly than thrilling. “Chupacabra vs The Alamo” and “Tasmanian Devils” attempted to create stories around fictional creatures, with little success. “Jersey Shore Shark Attack” was their attempt at a more realistic plot, given that shark attacks in that area have happened before. However, they also tried making it a parody of “The Jersey Shore,” even naming their characters things like “The Complication.” The tone was mixed, to say the least. The attacks themselves were mostly poor CGI and bad practical effects, even for satire. It came across like they were shooting for “so bad, it’s good,” but unfortunately, they missed that mark entirely.

ABC Family

What genres go better together than horror and romance? In this Freeform flick, a man can essentially stave off his werewolf transformation by taking pills – until they’re stolen from him. It also tried to add new “rules” to the creature by suggesting that one could be cured if they killed the “Alpha” werewolf. If it was purely about him getting revenge against the wolf who turned him, then it could have been a fun concept. However, the inclusion of the romantic subplot between the main character and his wife ended up distracting from that. In fact, she uses the power of true love to get him to snap out of his werewolf brain, which is enough to make any horror fan cringe.

Hallmark Channel

Hallmark is known for its holiday themed TV movies, so maybe that’s why its misfires, like “Lucky Christmas” disappoint so much. “The Santa Incident” explores the idea of Saint Nick being trapped in a small town after being shot down and still trying to continue on with his duties. Meanwhile, the agents who grounded him are trying to track him down, because they’re convinced he’s an alien. Unsurprisingly,this blend of different categories – holiday, comedy, and buddy cop – didn’t mesh well together. If they’d just focused on the relationship between Santa and the kids, then it would have been fine, but they got ahead of themselves and added too much.

NBC

Tori Spelling of “Beverly Hills, 90120” wanted to break out into more serious roles. This led to her starring in several made-for-TV thrillers. While some, like “Mother, May I Sleep With Danger?”, are focused around toxic relationships, others touch on broader topics. “Co-Ed Call Girl” is about her character being signed up for an escort agency as a prank, and the tribulations that come with the job. Already, the story is hinging on the suspension of disbelief, as that isn’t how it would work at all. While the feature was attempting to be dark, the supposedly serious scenes came across as cheesy more than unsettling. It was a solid attempt at touching on an important topic, but it ultimately fell flat.

Lifetime

Biopics are a risk, as getting even one detail wrong could turn the subject's fan base against you entirely. From the beginning, “Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B” wasn’t a good idea, as her family expressed their disapproval from the start. They ended up banning Lifetime from using most of her music, forcing them to record several covers and use lesser known songs. The result was a largely panned, borderline offensive representation of Aaliyah’s life. The most jaw-dropping aspect was the attempted retelling of R. Kelly’s predatory relationship with the star. Both her family and fans felt that an actual movie studio would have been able to do the project justice – and hopefully, the next attempt will give her the portrayal she deserves.

ABC

There’s a subgenre of horror centered around inanimate objects coming to life to go on murderous rampages. While it worked for Stephen King’s “Christine,” other projects didn’t have so much luck. In 1974, ABC released “Killdozer!,” which was about a bulldozer being possessed by a mysterious extra-terrestrial force and subsequently going on a killing spree. As the machinery picks off workers one by one, the audience is treated to some unintentionally hilarious close-up shots and alien noises. The final battle also somehow manages to be void of any excitement. If it hadn’t taken itself so seriously, then it could have been viewed as a tongue-in-cheek parody. However, despite everything about it, the film has still managed to land a cult following.

ABC Family

The director must have had some serious pull, because this picture about a dog helping a detective solve a murder has some heavy hitters in its cast, including Chevy Chase as Cho-Cho. Even for fans of the “talking animal” trope, “The Karate Dog” was way too out there. While it had star power behind it, between the special effects and the poor writing, it couldn’t pull off its shtick well. Everything about the flick came off as hilarious, from the fight scenes to emotional moments – although we have a feeling that’s not the reaction they were going for. It didn’t have the same charm as other films like it, such as “Air Bud,” which ultimately led to its downfall.

Showtime

You know a film is bad when you see the pseudonym “Alan Smithee” as director – a sure sign that the director doesn’t want to be associated with it. A sequel to Hitchcock’s “The Birds” was unnecessary, and the fact that it was released decades after the original adds insult to injury. The sequel paled in comparison in every aspect, from the subpar plot to the cheesy bird effects. The acting was also nowhere near on the same level, with fans and critics agreeing that their fear seemed inauthentic. However, the most disappointing aspect is that they brought Tippi Hedren back – just to give her a small cameo. Considering her role in the first installment, this small inclusion felt downright disrespectful.

Gold Key Entertainment

OK, we’re cheating a little here, as this was originally released into theaters as a shorter film called “Madmen of Mandoras.” But it was reconceived as a TV movie with additional plot and footage added, so we’re counting it. Yes, it is all about Nazis saving Hitler’s head after his death so that he can one day lead again. As if the premise isn’t cringe-inducing enough, the execution made it even worse. “They Saved Hitler’s Brain” is still considered one of the worst movies ever made – however, that has also saved it from fading away into obscurity. It’s been referenced and parodied across different forms of media, from TV to music. That’s one way to leave a mark.