Did I just watch the biggest flop in movie history?

[CDSmith]

Was bored, couldn't sleep, so I turned on the Encore Avenue channel from Movie Central. I watched the Warren Beaty movie TOWN & COUNTRY (2001). Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton, Andie McDowell (love me some Andie), Jenna Elfman, Natasha Kinski, Charleton Heston, etc.

Well to put it bluntly it sucked. I looked it up on IMDB to find out why it sucked so bad, no excuse for it really with that level of acting talent. I found out it cost 90 mil to make, and it only grossed just over 6 mil TOTAL.

That has got to be one of the biggest flops in movie history, no?


This film is a perfect example of what having weak writing can do to a production. Weak plot, annoyingly obtuse dialogue, bad horrible writing. It will sink you every time.

People in adult, take note of what I say. If you're ever looking to hire a writer, think twice about going with the CHEAPEST out there. No, think three or four times if you have to.

[sonofsam]

Waterworld was one of the biggest flops in movie history... Losing 84 million is nothing in terms of biggest movie flops

[AsianDivaGirlsWebDude]

Pretty sure Middle Men was one of the biggest box office bombs ever...



Town and Country was awful - it was also Warren Betty's last movie role.



ADG

[CurrentlySober]

i cunt a4d 2 watch a movie...

[John-ACWM]

Didn't watch it, I guess I'll stay away from it.

[CDSmith]

Town and Country was awful - it was also Warren Betty's last movie role.

Yes, I see that. Probably for the best.

However I may stand corrected on something. It seems Town & Country LOST over 90 million. It costed somewhere closer to $110 million to make. I had to find out why a shitty unfunny comedy like this would cost that much. Even with all the big name actors in the twilights of their careers asking for big payouts it shouldn't have cost more than oh, say about 40 mil tops.

The answer: rewrites. :D Beaty's perfectionist ego required several of them, then reshooting those rewrites, building and rebuilding locations etc.


Other huge bombs include Pluto Nash (96 mil loss)
Stealth (107 mil loss)
Final Fantasy (94 mil loss)
13th Warrior (94 mil loss)
Cutthroat Island (87 mil loss)


Town and Country seems to be in second.

[CDSmith]

Best reply in the comments I've found so far --

I wish I'd been drunk while watching this movie.


I now wish I'd done the same, I imagine it might have had a shot at being funny if I had.

[AmeliaG]

Yes, I see that. Probably for the best.

However I may stand corrected on something. It seems Town & Country LOST over 90 million. It costed somewhere closer to $110 million to make. I had to find out why a shitty unfunny comedy like this would cost that much. Even with all the big name actors in the twilights of their careers asking for big payouts it shouldn't have cost more than oh, say about 40 mil tops.

The answer: rewrites. :D Beaty's perfectionist ego required several of them, then reshooting those rewrites, building and rebuilding locations etc.


Other huge bombs include Pluto Nash (96 mil loss)
Stealth (107 mil loss)
Final Fantasy (94 mil loss)
13th Warrior (94 mil loss)
Cutthroat Island (87 mil loss)


Town and Country seems to be in second.

I thought Pluto Nash was a fun watch. I know I'm kinda alone in this, but there it is.

[Clay]

Waterworld was one of the biggest flops in movie history... Losing 84 million is nothing in terms of biggest movie flops

Waterworld made a very nice profit http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=waterworld.htm

[Captain Kawaii]

Pretty sure Middle Men was one of the biggest box office bombs ever...



Town and Country was awful - it was also Warren Betty's last movie role.



ADG

Beatty was smart to quit before hollywood dragged him from toilet to sewer.

[milambur]

Waterworld made a very nice profit http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=waterworld.htm

Studio retains about 55% of box office and marketing costs isn't included in the production budget. Waterworld did however break even in the end after home video sales and TV broadcasting.

Other huge bombs include Pluto Nash (96 mil loss)
Stealth (107 mil loss)
Final Fantasy (94 mil loss)
13th Warrior (94 mil loss)
Cutthroat Island (87 mil loss)

I thought Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within was pretty good.

[wehateporn]

Waterworld was one of the biggest flops in movie history... Losing 84 million is nothing in terms of biggest movie flops

Serves them right for making Global Warming propaganda, actually the film probably wasn't even there to make a profit, was funded by a black budget

[CDSmith]

I thought Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within was pretty good.

What can I tell you, even Ishtar, one of the biggest turkey's of all time had a few people that liked it. It's not surprising at all that the films I've mentioned here have some fans as well. I mean someone had to like them, right?

All I know is the movie had an estimated budget of 137 million, and it only made back a small % of that. I can't speak to how good or bad it was as I've yet to see it, but the IMDB critics have been slamming it for years and are still slamming it as we speak.

I like a lot of the actors in it so I'd watch it at least once, bomb or not. If I can sit through Town and Country all the way to the end I can certainly do so for Final Fantasy.

[scubadiver626]

I watched ishtar the other night. I thought Hoffman and bettys attempts to outact a bad script was amusing!

Bad movies are fun.

[mineistaken]

"16th biggest box office flop of all time" - this is what some youtube video claims... So most likely the answer is NO.

[Barefootsies]

Waterworld was one of the biggest flops in movie history... Losing 84 million is nothing in terms of biggest movie flops

Box office
Due to the runaway costs of the production and its expensive price tag, some critics dubbed it "Fishtar"[12] and "Kevin's Gate",[13] alluding to the flops Ishtar and Heaven's Gate, although the film debuted at the box office at #1.[14][15] With a budget of $172 million (not including marketing and distribution costs for a total outlay of $235 million),[2] the film grossed $88 million at the North American box office. The film did better overseas, with $176 million at the foreign box office, for a worldwide total of $264 million.[3] However, even though this figure surpasses the total costs spent by the studio, it does not take into account the percentage of box office gross that theaters retain, which is generally up to half;[2] but after factoring in home video sales and TV broadcast rights among other revenue streams, Waterworld eventually broke even.[16]

Additionally:
http://www.deadline.com/2013/08/isnt...ime-flop-list/

[fitzmulti]

Waterworld was one of the biggest flops in movie history... Losing 84 million is nothing in terms of biggest movie flops

Terrible, TERRIBLE movie... 100% agree with you!

[CDSmith]

I watched ishtar the other night. I thought Hoffman and bettys attempts to outact a bad script was amusing!

Bad movies are fun.

They can be. Ever see "Killer Klowns from Outter Space"? I did. It was horrible, but I liked it.

But this mess Town and Country, well, that's a different story. It's one of those movies that now that I've seen it I just know I'll never watch it again. When you know that about a movie, you can't really say that it's much 'fun' in any way. Some do like it though. Taste is a funny thing, this movie isn't.


I watched another not-so-great movie last night --- The Forsaken. Yet another in a long line of pretty cheesy vampire flicks, many of which could have been better with better writing and stronger direction. Another one I probably won't watch again. It did have it's moments though so I won't slam to too hard.

Bad movies aren't always fun.

[nico-t]

Waterworld was one of the biggest flops in movie history... Losing 84 million is nothing in terms of biggest movie flops

flop? yes. Entertaining movie? yes.
Waterworld didn't deserve the horrible critiques in my opinion. It's a nice movie with it's own style.

[Zeiss]

90 mil for so much water.. bah.. pff

[Magnetron]

Other huge bombs include Pluto Nash (96 mil loss)
Stealth (107 mil loss)
Final Fantasy (94 mil loss)
13th Warrior (94 mil loss)
Cutthroat Island (87 mil loss)

I like Stealth.

Last I watched it was free on Crackle.

[MaDalton]

another list:
http://skymovies.sky.com/50-movie-flops

but somehow "Heavens Gate" is THE definition of a movie flop, not just monetary, also considering what else happened during shooting:

Considered one of the most notorious screen disasters in the history of film. After struggling with personal films that went nowhere, Michael Cimino finally got to make The Deer Hunter (1978), a very personal project that brought him critical and commercial success and earned five Academy Awards. Afterwards, United Artists was willing to allow him anything he wanted. Cimino got $11.6 million to make his next project, which was initially budget at $7.5 million (according the Steven Bach's "Final Cut"). The film was to be a simple lower-budget western about a land war in Johnson County, Wyoming, featuring a first-rate cast. The film went over budget almost immediately, mostly due to Cimino's insistence on absolute perfectionism. Stories abounded that Cimino was tearing down sets for no reason and hiring and firing crew members almost weekly. Many of the stories were exaggerated, but the film ballooned to a then-astronomical sum of $40 million. When Cimino presented the film to United Artists, it ran well over 5 hours. After some squabbling, Cimino agreed to trim it down to less than 3 hours. The film was a commercial and critical disaster that destroyed Cimino's career as a director and nearly caused United Artists to file bankruptcy. When UA was sold to MGM, MGM acquired UA's pictures. That year MGM had a hit in For Your Eyes Only (1981). Cimino didn't get work for another five years. To date, his career has never recovered. When Waterworld (1995) was being made in the mid-90s, its production encountered so much difficulty and Kevin Costner received so much negative press concerning the shooting, it was called "Kevin's Gate", a sly reference to this film.

[crockett]

Studio retains about 55% of box office and marketing costs isn't included in the production budget. Waterworld did however break even in the end after home video sales and TV broadcasting.



I thought Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within was pretty good.

I never even played the game, nor do I know anything about it, but I enjoyed that movie.

[timmyc38]

i cunt a4d 2 watch a movie...

for some reason you remind me of this guy -

[Supz]

I watched Neighbors yesterday. It was aweful