The most disappointing films you have ever watched in a theater. (2 Viewers)

[DFurr]

I walked out of both of Rob Zombie's Halloweens. I thought they were terrible. Another one comes to mind is Dick Tracy.

 

[KPmusmag]

Curious, did you like Phantom Of The Opera? ( not the Hammer production). I actually did.

Yes, I did like Phantom of the Opera. I thought it was very true to the stage show and a nice record to have - especially now that it has finally closed after 35 years!

 

[sleroi]

Probably my most disappointing theater experience was Alien 3.

Aliens was one of my best theater experiences ever and I was so stoked for 3. Only to have Newt killed in the first scene. Then the stylistic choice of Sigourneys shaved head didn’t work for me. The whole prison/religious philosophical tone didn’t work for me. And then to end it with a horrible, slick, cartoon-like CGI alien was just too much.

I was so disappointed. I’d like to say it has grown on me over time, but no. Still hate it. When I need an Alien fix I watch 1,2, and 4.

 

[Sultanofcinema]

I know it’s going back a long way, but I was appalled how popular Love Story (1970) was in its day, both the paltry little book and the overwrought movie (you know you’re in trouble when Ryan O’Neal looks like Olivier opposite poor sniveling Ali MacGraw). Everyone else seemed profoundly moved by that drivel, and I don’t shun romantic movies or ill fated love affairs. I thought MacGraw captured the self absorbed character she played in Goodbye, Columbus the year before rather well, but never again. Which reminds me, I didn’t care for The Getaway (1972) either come to think of it.
As to Annie (1982), never was a Broadway musical botched like this lamentable disaster. Carol Burnett couldn’t save it, and it has to be John Huston’s biggest miscalculation, and that includes co-starring in Myra Breckinridge (1970), which at least is a camp classic.

I loved Goodbye Columbus, saw it theatrically when it opened. Funny story about Love Story...No not the What's Up Doc? line but the day it opened, UA took a 65 print of Thunderball and a 67 print of You Only Live Twice and put them on a double bill. The business was so brisk, UA re struck prints of both and did a saturation which has come to be known as The Two Biggest Bonds Of All. So I spent most of my time chasing those down from theater to theater. 007 NEVER means having to say your sorry!

 

[uncledougie]

I had to explain the What’s Up, Doc? line to the twenty-something nephews, who hadn’t a clue why that would’ve rocked the theater with laughter in 1972. I saw those Bonds separately during the initial releases, loved them, and there’s no duplicating the thrill of the Connery Bonds with anything after (though OHMSS has its strengths, like Diana Rigg). But from me I had to stifle a snicker at the original use of the famous catchphrase. Everyone else was boohooing. I haven’t watched Love Story in decades, but doubt it’s aged well. Annie certainly hasn’t despite the 4K remastering. A bitter shame the insipid rewriting and dropped songs.

 

[Sultanofcinema]

I had to explain the What’s Up, Doc? line to the twenty-something nephews, who hadn’t a clue why that would’ve rocked the theater with laughter in 1972. I saw those Bonds separately during the initial releases, loved them, and there’s no duplicating the thrill of the Connery Bonds with anything after (though OHMSS has its strengths, like Diana Rigg). But from me I had to stifle a snicker at the original use of the famous catchphrase. Everyone else was boohooing. I haven’t watched Love Story in decades, but doubt it’s aged well. Annie certainly hasn’t despite the 4K remastering. A bitter shame the insipid rewriting and dropped songs.

Interesting how certain lines/references will be lost to today's audiences. I saw both of these films upon initial release also and still have my $ 1.25 beautiful souvenir program for Thunderball. My dad and I got the last seat in the last row and they ran a Panavision Speedy Gonzales cartoon before the show!

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Probably my most disappointing theater experience was Alien 3.

Aliens was one of my best theater experiences ever and I was so stoked for 3. Only to have Newt killed in the first scene. Then the stylistic choice of Sigourneys shaved head didn’t work for me. The whole prison/religious philosophical tone didn’t work for me. And then to end it with a horrible, slick, cartoon-like CGI alien was just too much.

I was so disappointed. I’d like to say it has grown on me over time, but no. Still hate it. When I need an Alien fix I watch 1,2, and 4.

I was also upset with "A3" initially in 1992. Killing off Newt and Hicks right off the bat??? WTF?

But the movie still had an impact, as there was enough I liked about it to overcome that bad taste in my mouth.

"Resurrection" was a much bigger disappointment.

Though I'll always regret that Fincher wasn't allowed to do what he wanted to do with "A3". Dunno if the movie really would've been a lot better but still...!

 

[Colin Jacobson]

King Kong was a huge hit in 1976. It made $90 million.

$90,000 in 1976 is worth $479,836.03today​

It also won an Oscar for it’s “cheap effects”.

You know well and good that an Oscar victory doesn't mean squat. There are plenty of Oscars that went to undeserving work.

The effects of the 1976 "Kong" really are pretty lousy - even based on what we could've expected in 1976.

The effects for "Logan's Run" are terrible, too.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - I loved this one until the movie didn't end but the end credits rolled. I was furious and refused to see Return of the Jedi for over 10 years (when it finally landed on network TV - and was somewhat disappointed in it, especially the last half hour or so [Ewoks - nuff said]).

Am I the only person alive who didn't feel disappointed that "Empire" lacked a neat 'n' tidy ending?

I mean, when I saw it in 1980, I didn't even think of it as a cliffhanger, honestly.

I get it. I get that it leaves threads wholly unresolved.

But I still felt satisfied, and at least in my experiences, so did everyone else.

When I saw "BTTF2" in 1989 - and the new Spidey last week - people loudly groaned at the non-endings.

People applauded at the end of "ESB"!

Sure, we were eager to see where things would go, but I just don't think there was a sense of anger/frustration.

 

[Christian D66]

Oscars are awarded for visual effects not mechanical effects. And by the way it shared the Oscar that year with Logan’s Run.

So I assume you own the film since you listened to the great Rick Baker commentary?

Yes, as I own THE OSCAR and other films to study, if not to love. I got it for the Rick Baker commentary, the extended TV version and to revisit wonderful dialogue like "Did you ever meet anyone before whose life was saved by DEEP THROAT?" But it is Jessica Lange's first film and the actors are good but almost everything is misconceived on a visual level. Even then the blue screen work was bad. Toho looked better. I liked the King Kong peanut butter cups more than the film. I remember the audience was still and silent. They might have gone opening week like me based on ad saturation but word of mouth didn't make it a good movie.

LOGAN'S RUN was a bummer with inferior effects. But it was an era where a movie's big climax was the reveal of an old man. The dome city couldn't be more of a model if it tried and you can see Roscoe Lee Browne's mouth inside Box plus those terrible opticals and ridiculous holograms they tried to sell as real 3D...It looks like a film made by producers with no clue but money and cocaine. All that 70's crystal! We had to wait a year for STAR WARS to show what could be done with more talent and imagination.

THE BLACK HOLE was a disappointment on opening weekend based on the cool things it had. Another great Barry score and titles, some cool production design but the cast and story...you could clearly see the strings on everything and that bizarre non-ending...

On the other hand, I loved ST:TMP despite its story and editing flaws. The peak of physical model fx and Goldsmith's score plus the best trip scene since 2001. And both had overtures which was cool.

 

[Tino]

You know well and good that an Oscar victory doesn't mean squat. There are plenty of Oscars that went to undeserving work.

Did I say otherwise? Just stating facts.

 

[sleroi]

Fortunately I was 6 when the 76 Kong came out and I loved it.

Now I glaringly see it's flaws (bad overacting by both Bridges and Grodin) and horrible effects, but it still holds nostalgic value for me. And then there's that great Barry score.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Did I say otherwise? Just stating facts.

With the implication that the Oscar victory meant the effects weren't cheap/bad.

 

[Tino]

With the implication that the Oscar victory meant the effects weren't cheap/bad.

I thought the “visual” effects in the film were great for the time. The mechanical effects not so much.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

I thought the “visual” effects in the film were great for the time. The mechanical effects not so much.

I've not seen the 1976 "Kong" since... 2005? I reviewed the reissued DVD Paramount put out to connect to the PJ remake but never got the subsequent BD.

My review just refers to "atrocious effects" without clarification.

I maintain intense nostalgic affection for the movie... but it really isn't very good, and the effects don't help.

 

[TravisR]

"Resurrection" was a much bigger disappointment.

Personally, I think Alien Resurrection is pretty entertaining until they get off the ship and then the movie completely falls apart. Alien 3 is just bad from top to bottom.

 

[Lord Dalek]

Tomorrowland. What a bland boring mess that really kicked Brad Bird down a few pegs in my opinion.

Oh and Two Towers. I was expecting Shelob like in the book but now I understand why Jackson and company shifted her over to ROTK and have gotten over it.

 

[Lord Dalek]

We've discussed this one recently in another thread, but yeah.

The 1st "BTTF" was one of my most exciting movie-going experiences. I was 18 and on my 1st-ever solo vacation.

I spent a week in LA between high school grad and college, and I saw "BTTF" at the Cinerama Dome.

Great experience in that wonderful theater, and an exciting, wholly delightful movie.

Couldn't wait to see "2" in 1989... and wanted to punch someone because it left me so angry.

Mostly - as noted - due to the cliffhanger, but also because it was so dark and "un-fun".

I've come to appreciate "2" since 1989 and understand my main complaints in 1989 were a) it was so different and I wasn't ready for that plus b) the cliffhanger.

So I now like the movie. But in 1989?

Yeah the thing about ESB is at least it feels like it told a complete story unlike Matrix Reloaded, Dead Man's Chest, or Across The Spiderverse. Now if you want REALLY BAD anticlimaxes, Dune Pt. 1 didn't have an ending. It just...stopped.

 

[Malcolm R]

I've always liked Alien 3. Though I may have a bit of a nostalgic soft spot for it as it was the first Alien film I was old enough to see in the theater. But I watch it every so often and still enjoy it. I may have reviewed it for my college newspaper, but I don't recall my exact thoughts at the time.

I would jump on the Mary Shelley's Frankenstein bandwagon. It was on the heels of Bram Stoker's Dracula, which I adored, and I recall being let down by the Frankenstein film in the theater. I'm not sure I've ever watched it since seeing it in the theater, though I've still bought it on disc a couple times.

And I'll add Gremlins 2: The New Batch. I know many like it, but I thought it was a massive letdown after the first film and was really disappointed leaving theaters after loving the first so much that I'd seen it many times in theaters. I really disliked that they leaned into the comedy and pop culture aspects and removed all scary/horror elements.

 

[WillG]

Probably my most disappointing theater experience was Alien 3.

Aliens was one of my best theater experiences ever and I was so stoked for 3. Only to have Newt killed in the first scene. Then the stylistic choice of Sigourneys shaved head didn’t work for me. The whole prison/religious philosophical tone didn’t work for me. And then to end it with a horrible, slick, cartoon-like CGI alien was just too much.

I was so disappointed. I’d like to say it has grown on me over time, but no. Still hate it. When I need an Alien fix I watch 1,2, and 4.

To get on the technical side here, the xenomorph in Alien 3 wasn’t CGI. They used a miniature puppet and composited it into the shots (with one exception, there was CG used when it’s head was cracking due to the water heat shocking it), but yes I agree those shots looked bad.

I guess I’m in the camp where it’s a letdown from the first two, but I don’t hate it. It works better I guess if you think of it as a tragedy.