Home› Off Topic - The Everything Else Room

Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.

Sign In Register

Categories

Options

How I Learned to Stop Worrying (About the Box Office) and Love the Bomb.

WetRatsWetRats Posts: 6,314
in Off Topic - The Everything Else Room
The recent failure to thrive of Tomorrowland has reminded me that most of my favorite movies were "bombs".

What are your favorite box office disasters/disappointments?
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
«134

Comments

  • Options
    bralinatorbralinator Posts: 5,967
    I love The Wolfman (2010) with Anthony Hopkins and Benicio Del Toro. I've enjoyed it with multiple viewings, and some of the scenes have remained with me, even though its third act has serious problems. I think there were even two directors on this thing...

    According to Boxofficemojo.com, the film cost was $150 million, and worldwide gross was only $140 million. (A film needs to make double its cost just to break even).

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPieOzIA7NM

    A great listing of box office bombs can be found here
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    WetRatsWetRats Posts: 6,314
    Off the top of my head...

    1941
    Silverado
    The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
    Big Trouble in Little China
    Pleasantville
    Leap of Faith
    Popeye
    Knightriders
    Appaloosa
    Heaven's Gate
    The Alamo
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    Chuck_MelvilleChuck_Melville Posts: 3,003
    I'm a huge fan of that other recent bomb, John Carter, which I felt really lived up to the spirit of the ERB books. (They really should have left "Of Mars" in the title.) It had pretty much everything a fan of those books would be looking for, even with an updating of Dejah Thoris to being less of a 'damsel-in-distress' and more of a pro-active heroine. Alas, this film, too, fell victim to poor marketing...
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    WetRatsWetRats Posts: 6,314
    Chuck_Melville said:

    I'm a huge fan of that other recent bomb, John Carter, which I felt really lived up to the spirit of the ERB books. (They really should have left "Of Mars" in the title.) It had pretty much everything a fan of those books would be looking for, even with an updating of Dejah Thoris to being less of a 'damsel-in-distress' and more of a pro-active heroine. Alas, this film, too, fell victim to poor marketing...

    VERY poor marketing.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    CaptShazamCaptShazam Posts: 1,178
    I think this is more in the major disappointment than bomb category but I love Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.

    There are LOTS of issues with it but I find it to be an enjoyable mess. The scene with Kirk questioning/giving attitude to what at the time everyone thought was a divine being is a classic Kirk moment.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    TorchsongTorchsong Posts: 2,794
    I should recuse myself from this conversation as I actively seek out bad movies.

    That said, Big Trouble in Little China and John Carter are both definitely on my list, in addition to pretty much anything that's ever been on Rifftrax or MST3K or Cinematic Titanic

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    bralinatorbralinator Posts: 5,967
    WetRats said:

    Chuck_Melville said:

    I'm a huge fan of that other recent bomb, John Carter, which I felt really lived up to the spirit of the ERB books. (They really should have left "Of Mars" in the title.) It had pretty much everything a fan of those books would be looking for, even with an updating of Dejah Thoris to being less of a 'damsel-in-distress' and more of a pro-active heroine. Alas, this film, too, fell victim to poor marketing...

    VERY poor marketing.
    I just realized I still haven't seen that one.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    luke52luke52 Posts: 1,392
    Agreed with John Carter.

    I'm one of the few who also enjoyed Green Lantern too.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    Chuck_MelvilleChuck_Melville Posts: 3,003
    luke52 said:

    Agreed with John Carter.

    I'm one of the few who also enjoyed Green Lantern too.

    Yeah, I rather enjoyed GL as well, even given its problems.

    I'm also a fan of the Howard The Duck movie... though I will never argue that it didn't deserve to be a bomb.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    Evening639Evening639 Posts: 368
    edited June 2015
    Zardoz
    Orca
    Barbarella

    These are my top three favorite movies of all time. While Barbarella is the only "bomb" on the list, none of them enjoyed the success I believe they deserve, performing poorly at the box office and receiving many negative or mixed reviews upon release.

    I highly recommend all three, especially Orca for it's tragic and beautiful Morricone soundtrack and a stellar performance by Richard Harris.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    electric_mayhemelectric_mayhem Posts: 641
    John Carter is the latest for me..

    Poor Marketing and not the biggest stars/actorst to grab the Casual Fan's interest. Friday Night Lights had trouble finding a home on a network and you are gonna use a actor from that series?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    DoctorDoomDoctorDoom Posts: 2,586
    bralinator said:

    I love The Wolfman (2010) with Anthony Hopkins and Benicio Del Toro. I've enjoyed it with multiple viewings, and some of the scenes have remained with me, even though its third act has serious problems. I think there were even two directors on this thing...

    According to Boxofficemojo.com, the film cost was $150 million, and worldwide gross was only $140 million. (A film needs to make double its cost just to break even).

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPieOzIA7NM

    A great listing of box office bombs can be found here

    I liked Wolfman as well. I've only seen it once, but that first viewing was enough for me to like it.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    DoctorDoomDoctorDoom Posts: 2,586
    WetRats said:

    Chuck_Melville said:

    I'm a huge fan of that other recent bomb, John Carter, which I felt really lived up to the spirit of the ERB books. (They really should have left "Of Mars" in the title.) It had pretty much everything a fan of those books would be looking for, even with an updating of Dejah Thoris to being less of a 'damsel-in-distress' and more of a pro-active heroine. Alas, this film, too, fell victim to poor marketing...

    VERY poor marketing.
    One of the heads at the time purposely didn't promote or give proper care to it, because it wasn't *his* baby.

    This is but one of the articles:

    deadline.com/2012/04/disney-bob-iger-president-ceo-rich-ross-fired-259477/
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    fredzillafredzilla Posts: 2,131
    Would it have been an Oscar contender? Hell no! But they should have kept the director's cut of Daredevil. It was a much better film.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    WetRatsWetRats Posts: 6,314
    fredzilla said:

    Would it have been an Oscar contender? Hell no! But they should have kept the director's cut of Daredevil. It was a much better film.

    Kinda like getting gutshot is much better than getting shot between the eyes?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    shroud68shroud68 Posts: 457
    The 13th Warrior

    I love that movie. Its fast paced, funny, exciting and great looking. I constantly hear it trashed and can't understand why. John McTeirnan was thrown off it but you still see his flair in some of the scenes. It has buddy cop, fish out of water and quotable scenes all through out. It shows us a slice of history little visited in cinema. Antonio Banderas was never used better, despite playing an Arab it never felt like Kevin Costner playing Robin Hood. There is a battle scene that ranks high on my action movie scene list when a attacking calvary is beaten back by a small mobile squad of Vikings. Watch that riveting scene and dismiss all the rotten tomatoes that this movie gets.

    I have never been a believer of "they say it stinks". Judge for yourself. If they say Big Trouble in Little China or John Carter are no good, they can go see what they want.

    If you're in this forum and have seen 13 Warrior give it a try. Its a solid two hours at minimum.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    WetRatsWetRats Posts: 6,314
    Idiocracy.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    fredzillafredzilla Posts: 2,131
    WetRats said:

    fredzilla said:

    Would it have been an Oscar contender? Hell no! But they should have kept the director's cut of Daredevil. It was a much better film.

    Kinda like getting gutshot is much better than getting shot between the eyes?
    Exactly. :-B
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    TheOriginalGManTheOriginalGMan Posts: 1,763
    I don't think the CGS bandwidth could handle the amount of movies on my list.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    WetRatsWetRats Posts: 6,314
    Almost Famous
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    TorchsongTorchsong Posts: 2,794
    13th Warrior is a great movie. One of my all-time favorites.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    luke52luke52 Posts: 1,392
    WetRats said:

    Almost Famous

    Almost Famous is a flop?!?!

    That's one of my top 5 movies!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    luke52luke52 Posts: 1,392
    Is Waterworld considered a flop? I enjoy it.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    mwhitt80mwhitt80 Posts: 4,613
    WetRats said:

    Idiocracy.

    That is one favorite movies. I talked to the plants.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    mwhitt80mwhitt80 Posts: 4,613
    Ok I've seen Big Trouble on this list twice. Who says that is a bad movie? I've never met a person who openly admitted to disliking it.

    Sure it might have flopped in the theaters 30 years ago, but it's well liked now and 90% of Americans that have had cable have watched it at least 637 times since it's movie release. Every red blooded American under 40 loves it, hell most of us grew up learning about life from Ole Jack Burton.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    luckymustardluckymustard Posts: 927
    luke52 said:

    WetRats said:

    Almost Famous

    Almost Famous is a flop?!?!

    That's one of my top 5 movies!
    I wouldn't have guessed it, as it's one of my favorites too, but yes... "Despite receiving positive reviews, the film was a box office failure." That and the numbers according to Wikipedia are:

    Budget: $60 million
    Box Office: $47.3 million
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    LibraryBoyLibraryBoy Posts: 1,803
    Speed Racer is unfairly maligned. It's fun, funny, and damn visual delight... one of the first movies I bought when I got a Blu-Ray player.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    LibraryBoyLibraryBoy Posts: 1,803
    WetRats said:


    Popeye

    A thousand times yes. What a beautifully weird little movie that is, and probably one of the most literal comics-to-screen translations ever, since what Robert Altman really made was Thimble Theatre: The Movie.


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    kiwijasekiwijase Posts: 451
    The 1981 movie version of Flash Gordon .
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Options
    mwhitt80mwhitt80 Posts: 4,613
    LibraryBoy said:

    Speed Racer is unfairly maligned. It's fun, funny, and damn visual delight... one of the first movies I bought when I got a Blu-Ray player.

    I'm with you about this. I think it's starting to get a better reputation as time has passed. Give it a few years and the kids that grew up with it on cable will be talking about how awesome it is.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Sign In or Register to comment.