Classic films that tanked at the box-office - Page 2

Jeffrey Nelson · 07-24-2005, 02:55 PM

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It did not take 20 years to recoup the investment......the film was in the black after the 1949 re-release. And the box office returns in 1939, while not Gone With the Wind numbers, made MGM happy. This is well documented in every Oz book written, and I'm sure it will be discussed in John Fricke's new commentary.

HOW could the studio have been happy with the 1939 box office returns if the film failed to turn a profit? Riddle me this?

Mark Hawley · 07-24-2005, 03:26 PM

The Party was a box office failure upon it's initial release, but is know established as one of Sellers' (and Blake Edwards') definitive films.

Raging Bull was generally regarded as a box office failure.

I don't know if it's considered a classic outside of genre buffs, but Gremlins 2 is regarded by many as being superior to the first film.

I also heard The Producers didn't do well upon it's initial release.

Carpenter has always referred to Assault on Precinct 13 as a box office failure, but is now one of his most highly regarded films (as is Big Trouble in Little China). They're both definitely cult classics at the very least.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service is one of the most highly regarded (and most Fleming-esqse) of the Bond films, and it did relatively poor business when release. It made money, but not anywhere near what the other Bond films did.

ScottR · 07-24-2005, 05:50 PM

Considering that Oz was the most expensive film made up to that time by MGM, they knew it most likely wouldn't return a profit right away anyhow. They knew that they could re-release it in the future.

Ocean Phoenix · 07-25-2005, 01:58 AM

It's not considered a "classic" by the general public, but it is to me, so I choose "Ed Wood" as my contribution to this thread. I wish it had gotten more love from moviegoers, but I guess it was too weird for that. At least it got Oscars and seems to be more popular today.

JonZ · 07-25-2005, 08:43 AM

Its great how Ed Wood has found a audience since it was released.

I saw that in the theater and there was only one other person in there besides myself.

Definitely Blade Runner. I remember talking about that one to friends at the time of its release and everyone thought it was too dark and boring.

Bill Williams · 07-25-2005, 08:54 AM

One that comes to my mind is "Somewhere in Time", which originally came out in 1980 (I remember going to the sneak preview screening of this film prior to its theatrical release), and it wound up tanking at the box office in its brief run. It wasn't until cable television screenings during the mid-to-late 1980's that it picked up a fan base because of the sweetness of the love story, and now it's a classic fan favorite. It was largely because of this film (and not necessarily because of "Superman") that resulted in Christopher Reeve getting his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And it's even more poignant to watch in the year since his untimely passing.

Mathew B · 07-25-2005, 08:55 AM

Many films flopped in theatres due to the VHS boom, including Back To Future, which was only re-discovered on video, I believe.

Haggai · 07-25-2005, 09:13 AM

Back to the Future was certainly not a victim of VHS's growing popularity, it made hundreds of millions in theaters.

DavidPla · 07-25-2005, 09:26 AM

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Back to the Future was certainly not a victim of VHS's growing popularity, it made hundreds of millions in theaters.

Most definitely. It was the highest grossing film of 1985.

Andy Sheets · 07-25-2005, 09:49 AM

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Carpenter has always referred to Assault on Precinct 13 as a box office failure, but is now one of his most highly regarded films (as is Big Trouble in Little China). They're both definitely cult classics at the very least.

I'd say most of Carpenter's early films qualify at least as cult classics. He's joked that his movies always bomb at the box office but somehow develop followings after 15 years or so. Assault on Precinct 13, The Fog, The Thing, Big Trouble in Little China, and even They Live and In the Mouth of Madness are more highly regarded now than they were when first released.

Michael Martin · 07-25-2005, 09:50 AM

Princess Bride - though it might not have been a "flop" per se. Might have been a middling successful film, though I know it wasn't considered a home run for the studio. It's a film that really found it's audience on cable and home video.

And I'd argue it's a classic; different from Citizen Kane or even It's A Wonderful Life, but after almost 20 years (!), I'm fairly secure in calling it a classic.

DavidPla · 07-25-2005, 09:50 AM

"Labyrinth" has got its cult following.