# Who greenlighted this cinematic shitshow? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [May 1, 2026, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-greenlighted-this-cinematic-shitshow/1029703 "2026-05-01T18:25:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-greenlighted-this-cinematic-shitshow/1029703/21 "2026-05-02T14:23:20Z")
The poster child for this has to be **Casino Royale** (1967). Producer Charles K. Feldman had acquired the film rights to the James Bond book before Broccoli and Saltzman had started their successful run with the franchise. When that team refused to work with him, Feldman decided to make the film as a satire. He was in a rush to get it out before B&S released their fifth installment, _You Only Live Twice_, but writers, directors, and actors kept quitting on him. Instead of just scrapping everything and starting from scratch with a new crew, the film is just all of what was filmed cobbled together. Which is why it is such a cinematic train wreck. But here’s something few people know. Even though the budget skyrocketed to $12 million ($3 million more than any previous 007 film), _Casino Royale_ raked in four times its production cost. ---
**Author:** ![schnebs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/35a633/32.png) [@schnebs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/schnebs)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-greenlighted-this-cinematic-shitshow/1029703/22 "2026-05-02T14:53:49Z")
> [@Disinfectus](#): > > cite damn near every movie that has ever been skewered on Mystery Science Theater 3000. What a pile of dung. I couldn’t tolerate any of those without the input of Joel/Mike and the robots. I love MST3K, but I hesitate to criticize the movies there because of the “garbage in, garbage out” rule. You have an incompetent director, a lousy script, acting that’s one step above a coat rack, and no money for decent equipment or competent people to run them, of course the movie’s gonna be horrible. But if you have professionals doing everything, the studio spent a decent amount of money and you still up with garbage, that needs to be acknowledged. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-greenlighted-this-cinematic-shitshow/1029703/23 "2026-05-02T15:04:54Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > **Being John Malkovich** - No one wants to do that. No one. What are you talking about? **Being John Malkovich** is one of the best films of the 1990s and is _very_ highly regarded. It’s nothing like any of the other films mentioned in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![sunacres](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@sunacres](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunacres)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-greenlighted-this-cinematic-shitshow/1029703/24 "2026-05-02T15:36:35Z")
These may not qualify as having been “greenlit” since they’re mostly low-budget shorts, but a good half of the films presented under the “Omeleto” label make me wonder how someone managed to convince a team to bother. There are some gems, however, enough that I keep giving them a shot. On the other hand, the percentage of dogs among the deluge of feature films is much, much worse, so I find the risks in checking out shorts to be preferable. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-greenlighted-this-cinematic-shitshow/1029703/25 "2026-05-02T15:36:50Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > > [@Sitnam](#): > > > > **Being John Malkovich** - No one wants to do that. No one. > > Not I, certainly, even if 19 out 20 critics disagree. Call me crazy but without “Being John Malkovich”, we do not have “The Studio”. It’s the whole “Princess Bride” conceit: You microdose Egomaniacalflex daily for years just like the Iocaine buildup in “Bride”. Egomaniacalflex is what got “Being John Malkovich” green-lit and in fact, without it “The Studio” would not exist. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-greenlighted-this-cinematic-shitshow/1029703/26 "2026-05-02T15:51:52Z")
_Malkovich Malkovich Malkovich_ I agree is not the shitshow of some of these others, but by gum it is one weird ass film. “Where do you get your crazy ideas?!” does apply to this film, and asking “who greenlit this cinematic bizarroworld film?” is a fair question. Imagine the pitch meeting, But I will not say it is a masterpiece. I hate the ending. A lot. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-greenlighted-this-cinematic-shitshow/1029703/27 "2026-05-02T17:09:08Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > “Where do you get your crazy ideas?!” does apply to this film, and asking “who greenlit this cinematic bizarroworld film?” is a fair question. Imagine the pitch meeting, Before pitching _Being John Malkovich_, Charlie Kaufman pitched a film with Don Rickles and Rodney Dangerfield as a washed-up, murderous comedy duo and an R-rated version of Gilligan’s Island. When he pitched _Being John Malkovich_ it sounded pretty reasonable by comparison. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-greenlighted-this-cinematic-shitshow/1029703/28 "2026-05-02T17:52:17Z")
Brilliant move. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-greenlighted-this-cinematic-shitshow/1029703/29 "2026-05-02T18:09:55Z")
_One Trick Pony._ I watched it with three friends and all of us were incredulous when it was over. "That … was … a … _movie?"_ _Being John Malkovich_ on the other hand, was sublime. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-greenlighted-this-cinematic-shitshow/1029703/30 "2026-05-02T18:12:26Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > an R-rated version of Gilligan’s Island. Film or television series? I could see it working as a one-shot film. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-greenlighted-this-cinematic-shitshow/1029703/31 "2026-05-02T18:18:26Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Film or television series? With a movie rating, I assume film. He cooked it up with James Gunn and they even sold Warner Bros on it. Cannibalism featured prominantly. It was Sherwood Schwartz who put the kibosh on the project. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-greenlighted-this-cinematic-shitshow/1029703/32 "2026-05-02T18:25:41Z")
Liam Neeson seems to have signed on to whatever has been offered over the years, regardless of merit and possibly without even reading the script. There are a number of clunkers in his filmography, but I’ll single out “The Grey” as one that should never have gotten past the concept stage. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-greenlighted-this-cinematic-shitshow/1029703/33 "2026-05-02T18:55:38Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > but I’ll single out “The Grey” as one that should never have gotten past the concept stage. $80 million box office (plus streaming) on a $25 million budget, I’d greenlight this joint every time. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-greenlighted-this-cinematic-shitshow/1029703/34 "2026-05-02T18:56:57Z")
Yeah. We have to stop bringing up successful films that are on our personal shit list, in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-greenlighted-this-cinematic-shitshow/1029703/35 "2026-05-02T19:45:36Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > > [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > > > an R-rated version of Gilligan’s Island. > > Film or television series? I could see it working as a one-shot film. Wasn’t that called **Send Help**? ---
**Author:** ![Disinfectus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/disinfectus/32/11085_2.png) [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-greenlighted-this-cinematic-shitshow/1029703/36 "2026-05-02T20:25:50Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > _One Trick Pony._ I watched it with three friends and all of us were incredulous when it was over. "That … was … a … _movie?"_ Horrible movie. Great music. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-greenlighted-this-cinematic-shitshow/1029703/37 "2026-05-02T20:37:22Z")
[Crash (1996 film) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crash_(1996_film)) I was on the fence about posting this. OTOH it was criticized by a lot of people. But some prestigious critics praised it (Roger Ebert gave it 3.5/4 stars, although even he seemed ambivalent, saying, “I admired it, although I cannot say I “liked” it.” And it made $23 million on a budget of $8-10 million. I admit that I personally loathed it, not because of any prudishness about the subject matter (I’m a lifelong polyamorist). I thought it was ridiculously pretentious, and I found the characters utterly unlikeable. It seemed like a repressed person’s idea of what libertines lived like. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-greenlighted-this-cinematic-shitshow/1029703/38 "2026-05-02T22:19:52Z")
I think the answer to the question of the thread title is usually “David Lynch”. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-greenlighted-this-cinematic-shitshow/1029703/39 "2026-05-02T22:20:32Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > Call me crazy but without “Being John Malkovich”, we do not have “The Studio”. Or _Get Out_. ---
**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:** [May 2, 2026, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-greenlighted-this-cinematic-shitshow/1029703/40 "2026-05-02T22:31:25Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > But I will not say it is a masterpiece. I hate the ending. A lot. It’s one of the great horror movie endings, IMHO. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-greenlighted-this-cinematic-shitshow/1029703.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-greenlighted-this-cinematic-shitshow/1029703.md?page=3)