St. Elmo's Fire: So Bad It's...Kinda Good?

Okay, so last night after the kids finally crashed, I decided to indulge in a little 80s nostalgia. I threw on St. Elmo's Fire. Now, I hadn't seen this movie since, well, probably the 80s! And wow, it's even more melodramatic than I remembered. The hair! The clothes! The angst! It's practically a time capsule. I mean, these friends are supposedly brilliant (and I don't know the director's name) but they make some seriously questionable life choices. I gotta say, Ally Sheedy as Leslie is probably the most relatable. Her struggles with Alec's (Judd Nelson) ambition and infidelity felt pretty real, even if the rest of the movie felt like a giant soap opera. And Demi Moore as Jules? Let's just say that fashion sense and her general chaos were...a lot. Rob Lowe as Billy…ugh. He’s supposed to be charming, but he just comes across as irresponsible and kind of sleazy. I honestly wanted someone to shake him and tell him to grow up! Honestly, it's not a good movie, objectively speaking. The plot is all over the place, and the characters are often annoying. But there's something strangely captivating about it. Maybe it's the soundtrack (hello, "Man in Motion"!), maybe it's seeing all those young stars before they were, well, older. Or maybe it's just the guilty pleasure of watching a bunch of privileged 20-somethings navel-gazing about their problems. Ultimately? I wouldn't rush out and buy it, but if you're feeling nostalgic and want a dose of 80s cheese, St. Elmo's Fire is definitely worth a watch...with a big glass of wine handy. Don't judge me! Anyone else feel this way? Or am I totally alone in thinking this train wreck is weirdly entertaining? Also, can someone remind me who actually directed this?