10. "Howard the Duck" (1986, Universal) Budget: $37 million U.S. Box Office: $16 million
Lucas reportedly spent $2 million on the duck suit, in which eight separate actors waddled their way into film infamy. "Howard" also contained one of the most disturbing seduction scenes ever: After Thompson's character discovers a condom in the birdman's wallet, she coos, "You think I might find love in the animal kingdom?" Ew.
What the Critics Said: "The movie is too scuzzy to beguile children, too infantile to appeal to adults ..." -- Richard Corliss, Time
The Aftermath: Lucas escaped unharmed from the debacle, but director/co-writer William Huyck wasn't so lucky. Despite co-writing credits on "American Graffiti" and "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," his career was effectively over. Meanwhile, Universal head Frank Price quit shortly after the film was released. Variety reported the news thusly: '''Duck' Cooks Price's Goose.''
9. "Hudson Hawk" (1991, Columbia TriStar) Budget: $60 million-plus U.S. Box Office: $17.2 million The Plot: A reformed cat burglar (Bruce Willis, who also co-wrote) is blackmailed into stealing priceless Leonardo da Vinci artifacts. The heist flick features Willis and fellow thief Danny Aiello warbling ditties such as "Swingin' on the Star," which might explain this piece of dialogue: "I'll torture you so long, you'll think it's a career."
What the Critics Said: "A movie this unspeakably awful can make an audience a little crazy. You want to throw things, yell at the actors, beg them to stop. But the film drags on, digging horrible memories into the brain ..." Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
The Aftermath: "Hudson" swept the 1991 Golden Razzies, "winning" Worst Picture, Worst Screenplay, and Worst Director for Michael Lehmann, whose career was heavily dinged. Willis, whose vanity project this was, survived several more bombs (e.g., "The Last Boy Scout," "Striking Distance," "Hart's War") and is still going strong.
8. "Ishtar" (1987, Columbia) Budget: $55 million U.S. Box Office: $12.7 million The Plot: Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman insult the memory of the Bob Hope-Bing Crosby "Road" movies in this Elaine May-directed desert-set tale of two supremely untalented singer-songwriters who land a Moroccan gig but make a pit stop in the fictional kingdom of Ishtar. Soon, they're embroiled in an extremely volatile Middle East political situation, which, if possible, is even less funny now than it was then.
What the Critics Said: "This movie is a long, dry slog. It's not funny, it's not smart and it's interesting only in the way a traffic accident is interesting." -- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
The Aftermath: The stars, who pocketed a then-impressive $5.5 million apiece, emerged relatively unscathed from what was billed as the most expensive comedy ever made. Hoffman won an Oscar the following year for "Rain Man," but May never directed again, preferring to stay behind the scenes as a writer (e.g., "Primary Colors," "The Birdcage"). The film's title is now synonymous with movie bombs: Kevin Costner's gill-filled "Waterworld" was infamously dubbed "Fishtar," although at least that movie eventually broke even.
7. "Inchon" (1981)/"Battlefield Earth" (2000, Warner Bros. Pictures) Budget: $50 million/$73 million U.S. Box Office: $1.9 million/$21.5 million The Plot: A truly dire moment in the Laurence Olivier oeuvre, "Inchon" finds the famed thespian committing multiple dramatic atrocities as he channels Gen. Douglas MacArthur in this failed Korean War epic. In "Battlefield Earth," it's the year 3000 and humans are slaves. In the campiest performance this side of a Judy Garland imitator, John Travolta plays a dreadlocked, platform-shoed 7-foot alien baddie named Terl, who was "groomed from birth to conquer galaxies." Too bad he wasn't groomed to conquer the box office.
What the Critics Said: "The worst movie ever made." -- Multiple reviewers on "Inchon"
"A million monkeys with a million crayons would be hard-pressed in a million years to create anything as cretinous as 'Battlefield Earth.'" -- Rita Kempley, Washington Post
The Aftermath: "Inchon" was quickly pulled from theaters, and Moon has thankfully shied away from making more movies. As for "Battlefield Earth," Travolta had no remorse, even though the film collected seven Razzies, tying the record haul of "Showgirls." "The bottom line is that I feel really good about it," said the unrepentant star, who has threatened to make a sequel. Yeah, good luck with that. Travolta subsequently bombed in follow-up fare such as "Domestic Disturbance" and "Basic."
6. "Cleopatra" (1963, 20th Century Fox) Budget: $44 million ($259 million today) U.S. Box Office: $26 million ($153 million today)
The Plot: Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton begin an adulterous on-set affair that turns into a worldwide media sensation. Oh, the plot of the movie. Once billed as the most expensive film of all time (and might still be champion), this Joseph Mankiewicz-directed historical costume epic stars Taylor as Cleopatra and Burton as Marc Anthony. There are some truly amazing sets and a cast of thousands (literally).
What the Critics Said: "A monumental mouse." -- Judith Crist, New York Herald Tribune
The Aftermath: Though "Cleopatra" was the highest-grossing movie of 1963 and was nominated for nine Oscars (it won four), it wasn't enough to rescue 20th Century Fox, which was fighting to survive. To save money, the studio shut down for four months, forcing 2,000 people out of work, and sold off its expansive back lot.
. "Heaven's Gate" (1980, United Artists) Budget: $44 million U.S. Box Office: $3 million
The Aftermath: The massive failure of "Heaven's Gate" forced the fire sale of United Artists to MGM. It also helped usher in a new era of corporate bean-counting, marking the end of a decade of groundbreaking cinema. Cimino, who had earned so much good will (not to mention a Best Director Oscar) for "Deer Hunter," became persona non grata in Tinseltown and was reduced to making lousy movies ("Desperate Hours," "Year of the Dragon") with a post-fame Mickey Rourke.
4. "The Postman" (1997, Warner Bros.) Budget: $80 million to $100 million U.S. Box Office: $17.6 million
The Plot: In a post-apocalyptic future, a Shakespeare-quoting mail carrier (Costner, who also directed) leads mankind to rebel against its oppressors. A grateful nation repays the messiah-like postal worker by erecting a massive statue in his image. Is it any wonder audiences guffawed at the riotously earnest trailer, which contained such clunkers as, "I don't think we ever really understood what letters meant to us until they were gone."
What the Critics Said: "Goofy and gee-whiz when it isn't being post-apocalyptic glum, it is such an earnest hodgepodge that only by imagining 'Mad Max' directed by Frank Capra can you get even an inkling of what it's like." -- Kenneth Turan, the Los Angeles Times
The Aftermath: Costner's post-"Dances With Wolves" directorial follow-up seriously cramped Warner Bros. earnings in 1997 and swept the Razzies, winning Worst Picture, Worst Actor, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay and Worst Song. Onetime golden boy Costner continued to make bad choices, including such duds as "3000 Miles to Graceland" and "Dragonfly."
3. "Town & Country" (2001, New Line) Budget: $85 million to $90 million U.S. Box Office: $6.7 million
The Plot: Peter Chelsom, who previously helmed the Sharon Stone dud "The Mighty," directs this middle-aged sex comedy starring Warren Beatty and Garry Shandling as very married men caught cheating on their wives (Diane Keaton and Goldie Hawn).
What the Critics Said: "It is one of the most chaotic and puerile movies ever made, full of tasteless adultery and some downright offensive vulgarity ... It is awful to see talented stars without a clue as to who they are supposed to be portraying or what they are supposed to be doing." -- Liz Smith, the New York Post
The Aftermath: Chelsom, who's currently directing Jennifer Lopez and Richard Gere in "Shall We Dance," remains bitter about the experience, telling the Post, "Warren insisted on dozens of script changes and reshoots. He now wants to pretend that he was just one of many actors following directions like everyone else. It's ridiculous and insulting." Beatty, who dropped out of Quentin Tarantino's upcoming "Kill Bill," hasn't made a movie since "Town & Country."
2. "Cutthroat Island" (1995, MGM/Carolco) Budget: $100 million-plus U.S. Box Office: $9.9 million
The Plot: A swashbuckling Geena Davis hits the high seas opposite Matthew Modine in a pirate movie directed by Renny Harlin. 'Nuff said.
What the Critics Said: "'Cutthroat Island' is a bloated, jokey production whose motto, no doubt tattooed on the back of some poor assistant director's neck, could well be, 'When in doubt, blow something up.'" -- Kenneth Turan, the Los Angeles Times
The Aftermath: "Cutthroat" failed to shiver anyone's timbers: It was yanked from theaters after a mere two-week run. Carolco, the company that financed the dead-in-the-water movie, went down with the ship. A year later, Davis and Harlin re-teamed for "The Long Kiss Goodnight," which also failed to ignite the box office. A year after that, the couple split up.
1. "The Adventures of Pluto Nash" (2002, Warner Bros.) Budget: $90 million to $100 million U.S. Box Office: $4.4 million
The Plot: Eddie Murphy is a suave nightclub owner tussling with the mob. Oh yeah, it's the year 2087, and his bar is on the moon.
What the Critics Said: "Eddie Murphy delivers his lines with that weirdly relaxed, fake-enthusiastic bonhomie that telegraphs, just below the surface, a what-am-I-doing-here? bafflement desperate enough to match Elvis Presley's in his worst bombs." -- Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
The Aftermath: "Pluto" took in a paltry $2.2 million in its opening weekend, with Variety's Peter Bart declaring it "Instant Ishtar" and adding that its opening "seemed more like a boycott than a bow." Murphy followed up with back-to-back bombs "I Spy" and "Showtime" before retreating to the safety of the kiddie genre, where he hit with "Daddy Day Care."
This list makes no sense. How can anyone claim that Pluto Nash ruined Eddie Murphy's career? He's still making movies. Same for George Lucas. Same for Warren Beatty. Etc., etc. And some of them do well (see, eg, "Daddy Day Care" for Murphy).
A list like this could be done, but it would be films that marked the delineation between a star's successful films and their not so.
For example: I would say that "Junior" (the one where he played the world's first pregnant man) ruined Arnold Schwartzenegger's career.
Look him up on IMDB.
Before "Junior, was a string of hits, culminating in "True Lies" After "Junior," there's not a single real hit, and a number of real bombs (Batman and Robin being the most famous).
Even "T-3" was a disappointment. Now he's entering politics.
The other dumb thing about those lists is the fact it only includes US box office reciepts. Theres a whole world out there that quite possibly made up for any losses on some of those movies!
Ford did better than Hamel or Fisher after the STAR WARS movies because he's a better actor than either of the other two.
SGT. PEPPER may only have killed Peter Frampton (yet the argument could be made that Frampton was falling out of favor in 1977). The Bee Gees posted a megahit album, SPIRITS HAVING FLOWN, in 1979, over a year after SGT. PEPPER was unleashed on us.
I think the fact that Ford had already been in movies prior to Star Wars & that his character (Solo) was probably the best character of the three also had a big impact on his future career!
Obviously when Lucas/Spielberg picked him for the Indianna Jones movies as well,he obviously used this to his advantage!
I didnt say it was "made" for him,I just pointed out that the likelyhood of him getting the role was increased by his association with Lucas in the past (Star Wars & American Graphitti).
quote:Originally posted by the G-man: This list makes no sense. How can anyone claim that Pluto Nash ruined Eddie Murphy's career? He's still making movies. Same for George Lucas. Same for Warren Beatty. Etc., etc. And some of them do well (see, eg, "Daddy Day Care" for Murphy).
True, and Murphy's made many more flops before that, yet still comes up with an occasional success. So it hasn't killed his career yet (just severely crippled it).
quote:Originally posted by the G-man: A list like this could be done, but it would be films that marked the delineation between a star's successful films and their not so.
For example: I would say that "Junior" (the one where he played the world's first pregnant man) ruined Arnold Schwartzenegger's career.
Look him up on IMDB.
Before "Junior," was a string of hits, culminating in "True Lies" After "Junior," there's not a single real hit, and a number of real bombs (Batman and Robin being the most famous).
Even "T-3" was a disappointment. Now he's entering politics.
He also made the flop "Last Action Hero" before "True Lies," but you're right about him not having a major hit since then.
quote:Originally posted by Nowhereman: Well the Bee Gees & Aerosmith didnt seem to be to damaged either!
Well, Aerosmith was pretty washed up afterwards, but that was more due to their drug use than anything. With help from Run-DMC, their careers have since recovered and are probably bigger than ever.
The Bee Gees did still have hits after Sgt. Pepper's, but only for a couple of years (and a later top ten hit in 1989).
