Counting Down the 10 Worst Movies Filmed in Idaho

Movies are an escape from reality. Most people spend their hard-earned money to go to the movies or they pop in a DVD to be entertained or distracted for a few hours. They are meant to take us away from our problems and to another world while we shut off our brains and enjoy what's on the screen. While most times it is successful, there are those occurrences when a movie is so bad that it fails to do so. Last week I rated the top 10 movies filmed in Idaho, but this time around we are going to look at the ones that failed to entertain us. Here are the worst movies ever filmed in Idaho.

Honorable Mention: Ski Party

"Ski Party" is hard to rank. I am not sure if it is a good movie that is outdated or a bad movie in general. The trailer is comical, but the cast is fantastic back in the day. Thank goodness technology has advanced since this movie, because reshot today, it may be more deserving of the top ten list, instead of this list.

#10 Breakheart Pass

"Brokeheart Pass" came out in 1975 and was filmed in Pierce and Reubens, Idaho. It isn't the worst movie ever made, but with HD cameras being a thing these days, it is harder to watch today. This will be a theme with most of these movies on this list. It was a box office bomb back in the day, and it has continued to be a boring movie as time has gone on.

#9 Storm Fear

The Sun Valley is a common filming place for many movies in Idaho, and "Storm Fear" is no different. It was filmed in 1955 and was shot in black and white. I have a hard time watching black and white these days unless it's a certain movie or show. The movie isn't that bad, but the lack of color and the feel for it makes it hard to watch for the younger generation. A decent movie, but still worthy of being on the bottom ten.

#8 How to Marry a Millionaire

These next two may get some backlash, but I am not a fan of Marilyn Monroe movies. It has nothing to do with her acting, but they all feel similar and are slow-paced to me. I am not a big romantic comedy person as well, which is why "How to Marry a Millionaire" falls at number eight. This movie was nominated for an Oscar and was one of the highest-grossing movies in 1953, but trying to sit through it, and staying awake, is a challenge for sure.

#7 River of No Return

Just like in the movie above, Marilyn Monroe finds herself in the bottom ten a second time. A portion of the movie was shot on the Salmon River in Idaho, but that may be the best part. The movie didn't do nearly as well as some of Monroe's other movies and many say the scenery was the best part of the movie.

#6 Friendship's Field

Filmed mostly in Salt Lake City and in Idaho, "Friendship's Field" cracks the list of the fifth-worst movie ever shot in the state. It came out in 1995 and as many movies did at that time, focused on prejudice and interracial friendships and relationships. The movie didn't do a bad job of the relationship, but it didn't capture the attention or interest the way that other movies at the time did. It was a low-budget film and it showed.

#5 Shredder

"Shredder" was filmed a the Silver Mountain Ski Resort in Kellogg, Idaho, and was a low-budget slasher movie in the mountains. This movie went directly to video, and it isn't hard to see why. It is a cheesy, non-scary movie that tried to be scary. These types of movies are closer to comedies, and the acting is terrible. The only positive in this movie is the setting and as odd it is, it makes me want to go to the mountains, despite a killer being on the loose.

#4 The Being

"The Being" has become a movie of legend through the years. Many rank it as one of the worst movies ever made. It failed back in 1983 when it was released, and it has not gotten any better since. The movie struggled to get released, and it took three years after production to finally be released. It bombed, and, surprisingly, it was made for DVD even. You can watch the whole movie above, but save yourself some time and watch something better.

#3 The Mooring

This film was filmed in multiple locations in Idaho, but the movie was pretty awful. a girl's technology-addicted camp sounds like a very millennial thing, but the movie did not do well. The girls go to the camp to deal with their addiction to technology and soon find themselves in danger. The movie had a decent concept, but overall it was boring and lacked real horror. The setting for this one, like many on this list, was one of the better parts of the movie.

#2 Kundun

It isn't often that a Martin Scorsese film isn't good, but this one hit the mark for me. It was boring, slow, and a little too long for me. While not entirely shot in Idaho, because Scorsese wasn't allowed to film in India, he improvised and part of the mountains in Idaho were used in the movie. If you have the feeling for a Scorsese film, there are plenty of better options than this one.

#1 Idaho Transfer

Here it is, the worst movie ever filmed in Idaho. "Idaho Transfer" is just plain awful. It is about four teenagers that are sent to ecologically devastated 2044 to build a new civilization. It came out in 1973, but even for that year, the quality is bad. The movie had parts filmed at Craters of the Moon. Today, you could probably shoot a better movie on your phone. Anyone could make a film for less and be better than this. If you have the time, you can watch the entire film above.

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Some movies shot in Idaho did the state proud and were entertaining and good, while others failed to take advantage of the state's settings. Not every movie is going to be a blockbuster and represent Idaho the way we wish it would. Some of these movies may not be deserving to be on this list, but these are the ones that I found to be the worst. Just cause a movie is shot here, doesn't mean it is worth buying or the price to see in theaters. Hopefully, the next movie filmed in Idaho, won't end up on this list.