Contains Spoiler The trendy glorification of bad films peaked after the release of "Ed Wood", Tim Burton's homage to the America's most incompetent filmmaker. With the exception of "Independence Day" there hasn't been a movie bad enough to continue to fuel interest in the fad; that is, until the release of this disaster. "Atomic Twister" contains all the ingredients that make crummy film so entertaining, and reminds us why we were attracted to "Plan 9" in the first place. Let's review the requirements.
First, bad cinema needs improbability, and `Atomic Twister' has that in spades. Not one, but TWO tornadoes are required to knock-off the woefully understaffed and thankfully fictional Helmet-Klein nuclear power plant in western Tennessee. The subsequent decisions made by the plant supervisor are predictably idiotic so that the action is, unfortunately, sustained.
Second, bad cinema requires Corbin Bernsen, so he is in this picture. I didn't recognize the other actors, except for the kid with the funny name that used to be in `Saved By the Bell'. This film may have been marginally better had they given the role to Screech.
Third, bad cinema requires bad dialogue. It'd be too much work to isolate every gem, but it's impossible to forget the line ` and Stu died,' delivered so nonchalantly by Sharon Lawrence that probably nobody did care about the poor guy.
It's ironic that WTBS, like the twisters in the movie, `struck twice' by showing the film back-to-back for it's premiere. If you didn't catch the good stuff the first time around, you didn't have to wait long for the make-up exam. This picture gives tornadoes a black eye.
First, bad cinema needs improbability, and `Atomic Twister' has that in spades. Not one, but TWO tornadoes are required to knock-off the woefully understaffed and thankfully fictional Helmet-Klein nuclear power plant in western Tennessee. The subsequent decisions made by the plant supervisor are predictably idiotic so that the action is, unfortunately, sustained.
Second, bad cinema requires Corbin Bernsen, so he is in this picture. I didn't recognize the other actors, except for the kid with the funny name that used to be in `Saved By the Bell'. This film may have been marginally better had they given the role to Screech.
Third, bad cinema requires bad dialogue. It'd be too much work to isolate every gem, but it's impossible to forget the line ` and Stu died,' delivered so nonchalantly by Sharon Lawrence that probably nobody did care about the poor guy.
It's ironic that WTBS, like the twisters in the movie, `struck twice' by showing the film back-to-back for it's premiere. If you didn't catch the good stuff the first time around, you didn't have to wait long for the make-up exam. This picture gives tornadoes a black eye.