# Favourite Box office bomb **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 11, 2010, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-box-office-bomb/535737 "2010-04-11T15:34:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-box-office-bomb/535737/21 "2010-04-11T17:07:45Z")
_Last Action Hero._ To this day, I can’t understand why it’s so maligned. I think part of the problem is that it was marketed as just your standard, blow-shit-up-real-good, action flick when it was in fact a parody of genre, and a pretty good one at that. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-box-office-bomb/535737/22 "2010-04-11T17:08:04Z")
The right column adjusts for inflation. I am surprised that Waterworld is not on this list, I guess it didn’t do as bad as people thought. I think it was just due to its budget. Baron Munchausen is great. Really though, what Gilliam film is not disappointing from a financial standpoint. The Postman isn’t that bad, just very slow. I liked Hudson Hawk okay, but I was very young when I saw it so I’ll reserve judgment. I bet the 13th Warrior would’ve done better if they kept the original title, and it’s on my queue. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-box-office-bomb/535737/23 "2010-04-11T17:12:38Z")
I never understood the hate for **Cutthroat Island** - I mean, as a simple “popcorn film” with adventure and sets and action, it was decent. Certainly no worse than a lot of other summer adventure films - but I suppose the inflated cost of producing it lead to greater expectations - still; for mindless adventure, it was not all that bad. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-box-office-bomb/535737/24 "2010-04-11T17:36:26Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > I am surprised that Waterworld is not on this list, I guess it didn’t do as bad as people thought. I think it was just due to its budget. \*\*Waterworld \*\*actually turned a profit. Not a huge profit, to be sure, but it wasn’t a flop. ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-box-office-bomb/535737/25 "2010-04-11T17:41:57Z")
I really liked **Town and Country** and had no idea what was so “terrible” about it. It was unapologetically geared toward an older audience and so was much more fun than your typical comedy that tries to please everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Reno\_Nevada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Reno\_Nevada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reno_Nevada)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-box-office-bomb/535737/26 "2010-04-11T17:43:25Z")
\*The Adventures of Baron Munchausen \*is one of my favorite films. I think it is brilliant and beautiful, chock full of memorable imagery. And Uma Thermon. \*Cutthroat Island \*is a ton of fun. One not on the list is _Eyes Wide Shut_, which I enjoyed a lot. I believe it was poorly marketed and people went into it expecting something that it wasn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-box-office-bomb/535737/27 "2010-04-11T18:56:13Z")
> [@Reno\_Nevada](#): > > One not on the list is _Eyes Wide Shut_, which I enjoyed a lot. I believe it was poorly marketed and people went into it expecting something that it wasn’t. _Eyes Wide Shut_ creeped me right the hell out, and I loved it. Haven’t seen it in awhile, I should rent it again. My favorite box office failure is probably _Newsies_. Good movie? Eh, not really. But it’s a helluva lot of fun, and has cute boys. Christian Bale apparently thought it was a terrible idea to make it into a musical, and he’s probably right, but I still own and enjoy the soundtrack. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-box-office-bomb/535737/28 "2010-04-11T19:14:05Z")
I had no idea that _Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within_ cost US$167M to make, but I love this movie. Sure, the plot is all new-agey and shit, and somehow you end up looking up at what looks like Ben Affleck, even tho it’s not, but the voice acting and the animation/artwork are excellent. This was one of my first BR purchases, even tho I already had it on DVD, and it looks GREAT. I also like the movie _Red Planet_ quite a bit. I know I’ve watched it over 10 times, and it’s still an engaging and well-made flick. For the most part they seem to have gotten their science right (or at least right enough not to jerk me out of the film). The zero-G fire is awesome, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-box-office-bomb/535737/29 "2010-04-11T19:33:45Z")
I don’t know if the Coen Brothers’ [_Miller’s Crossing_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100150/) qualifies as a major box office bomb–I can’t imagine that anyone thought it was going to be the hit movie of the year–but it definitely tanked, recouping less than half of its production budget. This is too bad, because not only is it a great convoluted story of the _A Fistful of Dollars_/_Yojimbo_ mold, but the performances are career-making and the cinematography and direction is unparalleled; in terms of the hewed down construction of the movie, only _O’ Brother Where Art Though_ and maybe _The Hudsucker Proxy_ comes close in the Coens’ canon. Scorsese and company were lucky it was so overlooked as the film and performances are as good as _Goodfellas_ with which it should have been in competition. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-box-office-bomb/535737/30 "2010-04-11T21:42:33Z")
Hmm… Cutthroat Island, great popcorn flick. The Adventures of Pluto Nash, another fun popcorn flick. THe freeze dried dogs and the maid are fun. The 13th Warrior, again, fun popcorn flick. I liked the way he gradually learned to speak viking - that is how someone would learn to speak a strange language. Soldier - interesting to watch. I see it from a ‘Tommy by Kipling’ point of view sort of. All cheers when they need you, go the fuck away when they dont. Hudson Hawk, another popcorn flick. Adventures of Baron Munchausen - popcorn flick, never unhappy with a gilliam flick. The Majestic - a mostly non comedy by Jim Carry, workmanlike performance by martin Landau. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-box-office-bomb/535737/31 "2010-04-11T21:52:05Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > I don’t know if the Coen Brothers’ [_Miller’s Crossing_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100150/) qualifies as a major box office bomb–I can’t imagine that anyone thought it was going to be the hit movie of the year–but it definitely tanked, recouping less than half of its production budget. This is too bad, because not only is it a great convoluted story of the _A Fistful of Dollars_/_Yojimbo_ mold, but the performances are career-making and the cinematography and direction is unparalleled; in terms of the hewed down construction of the movie, only _O’ Brother Where Art Though_ and maybe _The Hudsucker Proxy_ comes close in the Coens’ canon. Scorsese and company were lucky it was so overlooked as the film and performances are as good as _Goodfellas_ with which it should have been in competition. > > Stranger Why was Scorsese lucky that it was overlooked? It’s not like **Goodfellas** won any of the big Oscars or Golden Globes that year. Do you mean in terms of box office draw rather than awards/recognition? ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-box-office-bomb/535737/32 "2010-04-11T22:05:47Z")
> [@pepperlandgirl](#): > > Why was Scorsese lucky that it was overlooked? It’s not like **Goodfellas** won any of the big Oscars or Golden Globes that year. Do you mean in terms of box office draw rather than awards/recognition? _Goodfellas_ won a bunch of other awards, which were well-deserved, but in my mind _Miller’s Crossing_ was as good (if a very different, more stylized film, more film noir than gangster.) Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-box-office-bomb/535737/33 "2010-04-11T22:17:02Z")
I liked these: #1 The Adventures of Baron Munchausen - Should have been the Best Picture of 1990 #2 Hudson Hawk - Pure doog #3 Cutthroat Island - Fun #4 Soldier - Mediocre, but impressive for Kurt Russel’s acting in spite of having practically no dialogue Meh: Man on the Moon - Not great, but still basically watchable ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-box-office-bomb/535737/34 "2010-04-11T22:21:01Z")
::reads over the wiki article linked in the OP:: **Timeline**. I saw it in the theaters and several times since. Paul Walker and Gerard Butler are both in it, that’s worth the price of admission alone. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-box-office-bomb/535737/35 "2010-04-11T22:43:01Z")
Easily **Adventures of Baron Munchhausen** I love that movie. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-box-office-bomb/535737/36 "2010-04-11T23:59:05Z")
I am not qualified. I liked" Howard the Duck" and “Heavens Gate”. I was embarrassed for the actors in “Ishtar”. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-box-office-bomb/535737/37 "2010-04-12T00:57:22Z")
I see three movies I like on that list. _ **The 13th Warrior** _ is an excellent movie. _ **Sahara** _ and _ **The Postman** _ are worthwhile movies. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-box-office-bomb/535737/38 "2010-04-12T01:09:30Z")
Another vote for _Adventures of Baron Munchausen_; it was fun. I haven’t seen most of the others. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-box-office-bomb/535737/39 "2010-04-12T01:09:56Z")
I really like Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, and I saw it at the theater. I was disappointed when it bombed and when Square Pictures went bankrupt. I also like Hart’s War pretty well. Red Planet is dated, but still watchable. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-box-office-bomb/535737/40 "2010-04-12T01:15:36Z")
Another vote here for “Soldier,” again because Kurt Russell delivers a sensational performance. His work in that picture was worth the price of admission. I liked some of the other films on that list but “Soldier” was the highest ranked one that I _really_ liked. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-box-office-bomb/535737.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-box-office-bomb/535737.md?page=3)