# What if a movie were so bad... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 26, 2006, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-movie-were-so-bad/341746 "2006-01-26T20:24:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-movie-were-so-bad/341746/21 "2006-01-27T02:32:14Z")
The trailers don’t look _that_ bad. Certainly, they don’t look that much worse than the originals, which were pretty awful. I probably won’t go out of my way to see it, but if the opportunity presents itself, I might give it a shot. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-movie-were-so-bad/341746/22 "2006-01-27T02:33:12Z")
> [@Dr. Rieux](#): > > It has been claimed (in Pollock’s _Skywalking_) that nobody went to see _American Graffiti 2_. There was a sequel? ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-movie-were-so-bad/341746/23 "2006-01-27T03:01:22Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > There was a sequel? [Yep.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079576/) ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-movie-were-so-bad/341746/24 "2006-01-27T03:48:15Z")
> [@Sal Ammoniac](#): > > **RealityChuck** , you’re making me cry. You’re saying people will really respond to the marketing – the marketing I saw on TV – by actually going to the theater and paying their money? Or, more shockingly, by buying the DVD and bringing it home? Maybe you can brighten my day by suggesting some legal method to remove these people from the breeding pool. As someone who works in a video store, let me tell you: the answer is **YES**. As best I can tell, quality has very little to do with how most people choose which movies to watch. (And I’m not just using supposedly snobby critics’ opinions of what is quality here; people repeatedly rent stupid movies for bad reasons, and are inevitably disappointed by them.) Some of the main reasons people rent movies appear to be: 1) hype, 2) everyone else is watching it, 3) there’s an actor/actress they like in it, 4) it’s a franchise they recognize (including remakes like this one). I’m predicting this Pink Panther will do pretty well when it comes out on DVD. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-movie-were-so-bad/341746/25 "2006-01-27T03:55:22Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > This movie was originally supposed to be out last summer in August. I think the studios new it was a stinker and pushed it into the ‘no competition’ January season. In between that time, MGM was purchased by Columbia Pictures. I think that they moved the release date as if to say, “It’s not _our_ fault. Blame the old management.” ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-movie-were-so-bad/341746/26 "2006-01-27T03:58:40Z")
Has the movie been screened for critics? ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-movie-were-so-bad/341746/27 "2006-01-27T04:00:16Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > Could be worse; could be Raul Julia in his final starring role, as the evil M. Bison from **Street Fighter.** Hey! He was the only thing that made that movie watchable! I know, because I own the DVD. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-movie-were-so-bad/341746/28 "2006-01-27T04:00:25Z")
Actually I think you’re going to find out [next year what happens when nobody sees a movie](http://imdb.com/title/tt0418068/). (It’s the original cast- 25 years after the first one-- and the last one in the series was 12 years ago and took in a whopping $125,000 (that’s _thousand_) at the box office.) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-movie-were-so-bad/341746/29 "2006-01-27T04:03:53Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Actually I think you’re going to find out [next year what happens when nobody sees a movie](http://imdb.com/title/tt0418068/). (It’s the original cast- 25 years after the first one-- and the last one in the series was 12 years ago and took in a whopping $125,000 (that’s _thousand_) at the box office.) WTF? And Hollywood wants to blame the internet, videogames, and piracy for the downturn in ticket sales. ---
**Author:** ![Queuing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/90ced4/32.png) [@Queuing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queuing)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-movie-were-so-bad/341746/30 "2006-01-27T04:11:46Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > I cannot believe you just lumped _Underworld_ in with those movies. For the love of god man. I am glad someone said this. Underworld does not belong in the same list as that crap. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-movie-were-so-bad/341746/31 "2006-01-27T06:04:01Z")
> [@Dr. Rieux](#): > > It has been claimed (in Pollock’s _Skywalking_) that nobody went to see _American Graffiti 2_. I did. It will be a triumph if this film’s mediocre. I like Steve Martin but I don’t why he’d want to take on a role that is so identified with Peter Sellers. Martin’s a funny comic on his own and he’s just putting a big bullseye on his back by invading another comedian’s turf (even though that comedian is dead).+ ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-movie-were-so-bad/341746/32 "2006-01-27T06:42:49Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > He also writes clever, classy plays for theater. I’m doing his _Picasso at the Lapin Agile_ right now (I’m Einstein). Great piece of writing. You lucky bastard. I think that’ll be a movie in time, too. > [@Omniscient](#): > > I cannot believe you just lumped _Underworld_ in with those movies. For the love of god man. The words _Underworld_ and “lump” belong together, that’s for sure. Look at it this way, folks: Peter Sellers only made the Pink Panther sequels to make enough money to do _Being There_. So if Steve Martin is now making a Pink Panther movie to finance smaller things he really wants to make, it’s got the ring of poetic justice to it. And I say that as somebody who likes the good Pink Panther movies. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-movie-were-so-bad/341746/33 "2006-01-27T10:13:07Z")
> [@middleman](#): > > Martin does a lot of “paycheck” movies, but manages to sneak in some sophisticated or artistic films in between. Man’s gotta eat. > > In the last decade, he has done: > > The Spanish Prisoner > Bowfinger > Novocaine > Shopgirl > > I didn’t care for the Spanish Prisoner, but Mamet is considered high class. _Bowfinger_ was sophisticated and/or artistic? I must have dozed off during those bits. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-movie-were-so-bad/341746/34 "2006-01-27T15:50:51Z")
> [@Queuing](#): > > Underworld does not belong in the same list as that crap. Nope. It deserves to be on a crap list of its very own. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-movie-were-so-bad/341746/35 "2006-01-27T15:57:09Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Actually I think you’re going to find out [next year what happens when nobody sees a movie](http://imdb.com/title/tt0418068/). (It’s the original cast- 25 years after the first one-- and the last one in the series was 12 years ago and took in a whopping $125,000 (that’s _thousand_) at the box office.) That’s either going to be awful… or completely, absolutely, over-the-top brilliant! ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-movie-were-so-bad/341746/36 "2006-01-27T16:04:14Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > I cannot believe you just lumped _Underworld_ in with those movies. For the love of god man. I saw it for free and felt ripped off. I liked the concept, but the execution was horrible. It felt like the makers of Underworld really liked the Matrix and decided “Let’s Make the Matrix…but with werewolves and vampires…except lets give the werewolves really stupid names that sound like moss and without the justication for the violations of the laws of physics that was implict in the premise of the Matrix”. No thanks. If I want to see the Matrix, I’ll watch the Matrix. If I want to see a decent vampire/werewolf movie, I’ll watch a decent vampire/werewolf movie. Okay, I liked the train station, but the rest was blah. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-movie-were-so-bad/341746/37 "2006-01-27T16:14:48Z")
I feel compelled to mention “It’s Pat” which brought in an amazing $60,822. Which has to be one of the lowest for a “major” release (ok, 33 screens, but I wanted to filter out one showing indies) Brian ---
**Author:** ![bubastis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@bubastis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bubastis)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-movie-were-so-bad/341746/38 "2006-01-27T19:34:06Z")
From this months Total Film, the story of the worst performing british film of all time “Offending Angels”. Total box office… Eighty-nine pounds. And what happened? Well, it got a DVD release, anyway. Total Film are trying to get as many people to buy it as possible, to bring its gross to over a hundred, at least. Yeah, they’ll be alright. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-movie-were-so-bad/341746/39 "2006-01-27T19:39:40Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > I feel compelled to mention “It’s Pat” which brought in an amazing $60,822. > Which has to be one of the lowest for a “major” release (ok, 33 screens, but I wanted to filter out one showing indies) > > Brian I am not surprised by the low total. I just wonder if anyone laughed. That is somewhere between 6000 to 12000 people that paid to see that. It wasn’t even so bad its funny. It was more like watching moss grow. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-movie-were-so-bad/341746/40 "2006-01-27T19:45:04Z")
Two thoughts spring to mind: **One** , a film is unlikely to get a widespread reputation for being awful unless some people have seen it - if it’s really so bad that nobody watches it, how would you know? **Two** , really bad movies attract attention just because of the reputation. People will go and watch an awful film just to confirm how bad they’ve heard it is, or for some kind of bizarre bragging rights. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-movie-were-so-bad/341746.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-movie-were-so-bad/341746.md?page=3)