The scale typically used to justify a movie's success is the amount of money it earns at
the box office, and that's understandable.
If one movie earned more than another, that means more people saw it.
But, that definitely doesn't mean it's better.
Sometimes, truly terrific films flop hard as far as the bean-counters are concerned.
Here are some of the best box office bombs.
Edge of Tomorrow
Without a proper marketing strategy that gets butts in seats, movies can fail at the box
office — which is what happened to Doug Liman's 2014 film Edge of Tomorrow, based
on Hiroshi Sakurazaka's novel All You Need is Kill.
The trailers looked like just another generic sci-fi flick, except this time with a bit
of Groundhog Day mixed in.
"What the hell?"
But Edge of Tomorrow is actually a whole lot more than that.
It's a sci-fi film that channeled D-Day into a future war against an alien race with
the ability to reset the day.
That is until Tom Cruise comes along and breaks their winning streak.
It's basically a video game brought to live action, in the best way possible.
Spawn, advance, die, repeat.
Despite great reviews, Edge of Tomorrow was a box office dud.
And make no mistake, the bulk of the film's failure hinged on its botched marketing campaign.
The studio basically retitled it Live.
Die.
Repeat when it was released on video.
If that doesn't scream bad marketing, nothing does.
Dredd
Comic book movies are all the rage in Hollywood these days, but that's no guarantee for
success.
Dredd from 2012 is the perfect example.
Despite solid reviews from critics, it only grossed $35.6 million against a $50 million
budget.
The film takes a few liberties with the source material, but there's no denying it captures
the attitude of the comics pretty well.
It's a brutal work of art, and the movie that fans of the comics had waited decades
to see.
Plus, it features a motorcycle chase scene that rivals The Matrix Reloaded.
That's a pretty sweet bike, right?
Too bad it wasn't sweet enough to greenlight a sequel...yet
"Negotiation's over."
Zodiac
The mystery of the Zodiac killer is a tale that's arguably as intriguing and perplexing
as Jack the Ripper, which is why so many people have tried to dramatize the story — including
David Fincher, who adapted Robert Graysmith's crime book Zodiac for the big screen in 2007.
Laying out an extensive, in-depth case like the Zodiac killer for a general audience is
difficult, but Fincher crafts a compelling retelling of not only the murders, but also
the manhunt surrounding them.
"I'm not the Zodiac."
Couple that with a stellar cast that included Robert Downey, Jr., Mark Ruffalo, and Jake
Gyllenhaal, and you've got a great drama.
Unfortunately, the film grossed just $84.8 million at the box office, but found new life
on home video, scoring profits of around $20 million.
Hugo
The director responsible for hard-R films like Goodfellas, The Departed, and The Wolf
of Wall Street isn't exactly who you'd expect to direct a PG movie, but Martin Scorsese
did a great job with the dramatic adventure Hugo.
Hugo received stellar reviews from critics, but that wasn't enough to propel the movie
into box office glory.
It grossed almost $186 million worldwide against an estimated production budget of $150 to
$170 million.
Although it failed to reach the box office heights, Hugo is still a brilliant film and
a rare look into the rise of automation in the early 20th century.
Scorsese blended steampunk elements into a historical film with a Parisian backdrop — a
combination seldom seen in Hollywood, drawing cues from A Trip to the Moon and The Impossible
Voyage rather than modern superhero flicks.
And that's what makes it beautiful.
The Road
Based on the novel of the same name by Cormac McCarthy, The Road was released in 2009 and
grossed a mere $27.6 million against a $25 million production budget.
But the fact that the film made it out at all is a miracle.
Anyone who's read a McCarthy novel knows how difficult they are to translate onto the silver
screen.
Seriously, it's just a whole lot of that.
How do you show audiences that the film they're watching is set in a post-apocalyptic world?
Simple: make everything dark and gray.
There's rarely been a more haunting representation of a post-apocalyptic world, and that's why
this film is so important to the genre.
It isn't about why the world is the way it is.
Instead, it's about the father-son relationship of the main characters.
Sure, it might be bleak, but it's a story well worth seeing.
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Based on Patrick O'Brian's naval novel, Master and Commander was meant to be a war movie
blockbuster.
Unfortunately for Russell Crowe, who starred in the often forgotten film, it was released
the same year as the cartoonish, non-war blockbuster, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the
Black Pearl, which introduced Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow to the world.
Turns out, there wasn't enough room for two adventures on the high seas.
"I'm Captain jack Sparrow"
But forget all that junk.
Master and Commander is a feast for the eyes, depicting an often forgotten period of European
history, and it does so remarkably well.
Unlike many other historical dramas, it gets the real-life details mostly right.
And Crowe brings it all home with his exceptional performance.
The fact that the film received a whopping ten Oscar nominations underscores its excellence,
and legendary film critic Roger Ebert gave the film a rare perfect score, saying "it
achieves the epic without losing sight of the human."
Speed Racer
The Wachowskis made a name for themselves by writing and directing The Matrix trilogy.
When it came time for them to tackle a new project, they chose to bring the classic Speed
Racer series to life on the big screen.
With the Wachowskis at the helm and the name recognition of the property, it was a shock
to see Speed Racer flop at the box office, grossing $93.9 million on a budget of $120
million.
"Whoa."
The film's cartoonish visuals may have turned off some critics, but for franchise fans,
it was exactly what the film needed to capture the awe of the original anime.
What's interesting, though, is that the movie includes themes of politics and corruption,
as well as general issues in society, and those themes unfold on a number of levels.
Yet it never forgets that it's still a kids' movie.
Speed Racer didn't fall into the trend of gritty re-imaginings that plagued the 2000s.
Instead, it takes a funny, witty, and light-hearted charm that's exactly what fans wanted.
It's just too bad more people didn't see it.
The BFG
Steven Spielberg ranks among the greatest living filmmakers, and the fact that he's
the highest-grossing director of all time only bolsters his legacy.
He's the guy that pretty much created the summer blockbuster, after all.
But none of that helped The BFG gross more than $183.2 million worldwide on an estimated
$140 million budget in 2016.
The movie was a recipe for success.
It was directed by Spielberg, distributed by Disney, and is based on the famed Roald
Dahl novel of the same name.
So why it failed to break $200 million is a mystery.
Monetary problems aside, The BFG is a criminally underrated film.
Despite its big budget, fantastical elements, and summer release, it was still far from
your traditional summer tentpole.
Basically, it was a big-budget fantasy, without the extravaganza.
It's not so much about the spectacle as it is about the journey, and that's where audiences
will find themselves captivated by Mark Rylance's outstanding motion-capture performance as
well as the irresistible charm of Hollywood newcomer Ruby Barnhill.
Do yourself a big favor and check out The BFG, ASAP.
Thanks for watching!
Click the Looper icon to subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Plus check out all this cool stuff we know you'll love too!
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét