Know how I have a tendency to say “Watch It Again”? The folks at Toronto Underground Cinema have taken that to a whole new level. Back in March they began a series called Defending the Indefensible; a screening series where badly received films are given a second go-round. But not without encouraged discussion. After letting gems like ALIEN RESURRECTION, FREDDY GOT FINGERED, and MACGRUBER sail past, I finally decided to bite…on SPEED RACER.

‘Course misery loves company, so I was happy to be flanked by Matthew Price and Kurt Halfyard for this litmus test (not to mention my favorite film critics under the age of eight). I also caught up with Sasha the Final Girl before & after the show, but she was too busy sitting with the cool kids to take in the film with dorky ‘ol me.

Before the film, a host introduces the film and reminds the audience why it sucks (in this case, Adam Nayman). Nayman reminded us the atrocious amount of money that was spent on this film, how it raised an unusual amount of venom from some usually level-headed critics, and how on the whole it played as though the Wachowski Brothers pinned the audience down and force-fed them the red pill.

Once the host is done, the presenter comes up and explains why the film is misunderstood (tonight championed by Peter Kuplowski). Peter – decked out like Speed himself – extolled the virtue of a family that had pride in one another. He likewise pointed out that the film was the Wachowskis chronicling the evolution of film beyond celluloid. He noted that the racing tracks themselves were an allusion to film strips, and that by the end those film strips become liquefied under the speed of how far we want to push ourselves.

So after this spirited back & forth the film unspooled before me for the first time, leaving me to wonder…whose camp would I fall into?

The official answer is “somewhere in between” – but if I had to pick a team I’d be siding with Peter and his Racer blue & white over Adam and his Royalton purple.

How is it possible that a sensory-overloading film this maligned hit the right notes for me? Part of it might come down to Peter and his solid salesman ship. Part of it could come down to Kurt’s kids belly-laughing their way through every pratfall. Part of it could be chalked up to the very pro-Racer audience in attendance. Those all helped I’m sure, but they didn’t put the film over the top.

I think what happened to me last Friday, was that I sat down bracing myself for one of the most critically reviled films of the last five years…and when I started having fun with the storytelling on display, the film sailed above my low expectations and provided a visual delight.

Passion like Peter’s for films like SPEED RACER is admirable, and it’s actually the reason why I ask return podcasting guests about films they love that most others hate. Hearing people express particular passion, provide context, and just simply providing something to clutch to when the storm clouds of crazy cinema gather is infectious. And while it might not be enough for me to consider something like SPEED RACER a new favorite, it certainly was enough to allow me to enjoy it.

No small feat!