I've seen all of these. Some of them I really, really like.
IFMagazine: "Listmania: EIGHT 1980s MOVIES THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN HITS ... BUT WERE FLOPS."
17 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Weird Al Yankovic's movie UHF is pretty funny but released against some steamroller movie or during a - hey, wait minute. I think it was released right before Saddam invaded Kuwait. Never mind, it isn't even eligible.
I didn't like Remo Williams.I read the books and it violated the character much too much. I held my nose all the way through Howard The Duck. Never thought Dune, although not a great film, was nearly as bad as most people. Loved Flash Gordon's style and panache. Not to mention the Queen music. Most of the rest I never saw.
I've only seen five of the eight, and can't remember much of the ones that I've seen--except that FLASH GORDON misses the mark (although it was better than the recent Sci-Fi channel fiasco).
I'm surprised at the box-office failure of HEATHERS, given how successful it was as a home video title...among those I've seen in their entirety, it's pretty clearly the best film on this list, in being fully successful rather than partially so (BARON M has an absolutely gorgeous sequence where the Baron's schooner sails to the Moon that is among the most convincing sequences in fantasy cinems; DUNE is a good comic book version of DUNE).
Which ones did you "really, really like" Bill? I ask because I hated most of the ones on the list that I've seen, other than Heathers - which was very overrated by some but not bad.
Next thing you know you'll be telling me you loved Joe Vs. the Volcano.
Oh, never mind.
;)
Dune - unwatchable Munchhausen - snore Remo Williams - loved the books Flash Gordon - eh
Totally agree on Remo, but Howard is still a dead duck for me. My daughter completely loved Dune from the time she saw it as a kid. Of course, the book is her very favorite also. They didn't mention Highlander which I think was a theatrical flop but a huge cult fave.
REMO WILLIAMS -- As I recall, it was entertaining but not big-budget, star-driven, or over-the-top enough to stand out. I have a personal theory that they called it "REMO" rather than "THE DESTROYER" in a rather far-fetched attempt to make people think "RAMBO," which had been a big hit a few months before.
FLASH GORDON -- A crass Dino DiLaurentiis attempt to ride the coattails of STAR WARS' popularity, with a campy Lorenzo Semple screenplay and no obvious love of the source material. On a comparative level, as Benjie says, the recent inane Sci-Fi series was worse, as was Dino's KING KONG remake.
DUNE -- I think this one too began as a Dino attempt to emulate the STAR WARS success. As the article suggests, to me it's really bookended by David Lynch's next movie, BLUE VELVET, not by the Frank Herbert novel.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA -- None of Sergio's movies after THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY did well by U.S. studios and audiences. I'm a big Leone fan, and AMERICA has some great set-pieces, but overall, even as a fan, I thought it would have been better off with somebody other than DeNiro and Woods in the leads.
HEATHERS -- Hmm, as I recall, it was actually a modest hit, not a flop. Not a blockbuster, but unlike some of the others on the list, it wasn't weighed down at the get-go by a huge budget and advance expectations.
Seen all eight. Heathers is the one unqualified success on the list. The others all have something to recommend them, even Howard The Duck. I interviewed Clive Barker once, and he said the monster at the end of Howard is one of his favorites.
Another expected-hit-that-flopped in the '80s was John Huston's ANNIE, big budget, based on a popular musical --it was anticipated to be the big summer family hit in 1982. Unfortunately, big family musicals were still out of vogue in '82, and even more unfortunately, it opened opposite a family movie called ET. The day my wife and I took our kids to see ANNIE at the cineplex where ET was also playing (Sunday of opening weekend, the buzz for ET had already spread big time), we were among a handful of people in line for ANNIE. The line for ET was clear around the mall, and they were already sold out and selling tickets for the next feature.
For me, the best double-feature at the time with HEATHERS was probably RIVER'S EDGE, though subsequently PUMP UP THE VOLUME or ELECTION might do as well. Inasmuch as these films focus on the teens in question, though not exclusively, the Nicole Kidman (and Thandie Newton) film that comes most readily to mind would be FLIRTING. And that one, for me, goes with HEAVENLY CREATURES.
As one of the commenters on that site mentioned, they totally forgot The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension which failed largely because the studio didn't know how to market it. I really loved that movie.
17 comments:
Weird Al Yankovic's movie UHF is pretty funny but released against some steamroller movie or during a - hey, wait minute. I think it was released right before Saddam invaded Kuwait. Never mind, it isn't even eligible.
I didn't like Remo Williams.I read the books and it violated the character much too much. I held my nose all the way through Howard The Duck. Never thought Dune, although not a great film, was nearly as bad as most people. Loved Flash Gordon's style and panache. Not to mention the Queen music. Most of the rest I never saw.
I've only seen five of the eight, and can't remember much of the ones that I've seen--except that FLASH GORDON misses the mark (although it was better than the recent Sci-Fi channel fiasco).
I'm surprised at the box-office failure of HEATHERS, given how successful it was as a home video title...among those I've seen in their entirety, it's pretty clearly the best film on this list, in being fully successful rather than partially so (BARON M has an absolutely gorgeous sequence where the Baron's schooner sails to the Moon that is among the most convincing sequences in fantasy cinems; DUNE is a good comic book version of DUNE).
Which ones did you "really, really like" Bill? I ask because I hated most of the ones on the list that I've seen, other than Heathers - which was very overrated by some but not bad.
Next thing you know you'll be telling me you loved Joe Vs. the Volcano.
Oh, never mind.
;)
Dune - unwatchable
Munchhausen - snore
Remo Williams - loved the books
Flash Gordon - eh
Jeff
Totally agree on Remo, but Howard is still a dead duck for me. My daughter completely loved Dune from the time she saw it as a kid. Of course, the book is her very favorite also. They didn't mention Highlander which I think was a theatrical flop but a huge cult fave.
REMO WILLIAMS -- As I recall, it was entertaining but not big-budget, star-driven, or over-the-top enough to stand out. I have a personal theory that they called it "REMO" rather than "THE DESTROYER" in a rather far-fetched attempt to make people think "RAMBO," which had been a big hit a few months before.
FLASH GORDON -- A crass Dino DiLaurentiis attempt to ride the coattails of STAR WARS' popularity, with a campy Lorenzo Semple screenplay and no obvious love of the source material. On a comparative level, as Benjie says, the recent inane Sci-Fi series was worse, as was Dino's KING KONG remake.
DUNE -- I think this one too began as a Dino attempt to emulate the STAR WARS success. As the article suggests, to me it's really bookended by David Lynch's next movie, BLUE VELVET, not by the Frank Herbert novel.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA -- None of Sergio's movies after THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY did well by U.S. studios and audiences. I'm a big Leone fan, and AMERICA has some great set-pieces, but overall, even as a fan, I thought it would have been better off with somebody other than DeNiro and Woods in the leads.
HEATHERS -- Hmm, as I recall, it was actually a modest hit, not a flop. Not a blockbuster, but unlike some of the others on the list, it wasn't weighed down at the get-go by a huge budget and advance expectations.
Really, really loved HEATHERS. Also, though I'm ashamed to admit it, FLASH GORDON. I own the soundtrack album.
Seen all eight. Heathers is the one unqualified success on the list. The others all have something to recommend them, even Howard The Duck. I interviewed Clive Barker once, and he said the monster at the end of Howard is one of his favorites.
Another expected-hit-that-flopped in the '80s was John Huston's ANNIE, big budget, based on a popular musical --it was anticipated to be the big summer family hit in 1982. Unfortunately, big family musicals were still out of vogue in '82, and even more unfortunately, it opened opposite a family movie called ET. The day my wife and I took our kids to see ANNIE at the cineplex where ET was also playing (Sunday of opening weekend, the buzz for ET had already spread big time), we were among a handful of people in line for ANNIE. The line for ET was clear around the mall, and they were already sold out and selling tickets for the next feature.
I just added HEATHERS to my movie queue. Is it as good as TO DIE FOR?
I'd say it was definitely playing in the same league, though it does lack Nicole Kidman.
Heathers might be better overall - it's been a long time since I saw it - but Bill is right about the lack of Nicole.
Oh yeah, I forgot ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA. Just couldn't take it seriously after the kid gangster scenes.
Of course it did have Burt Young, but so did Blood Beach.
Jeff
For me, the best double-feature at the time with HEATHERS was probably RIVER'S EDGE, though subsequently PUMP UP THE VOLUME or ELECTION might do as well. Inasmuch as these films focus on the teens in question, though not exclusively, the Nicole Kidman (and Thandie Newton) film that comes most readily to mind would be FLIRTING. And that one, for me, goes with HEAVENLY CREATURES.
As one of the commenters on that site mentioned, they totally forgot The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension which failed largely because the studio didn't know how to market it. I really loved that movie.
Me, too, Monkeyboy. I even have the paperback.
I'm glad I'm not the only one with disdain for the Remo movie. Ugh talk about just butchering a great book to fit into some piss poor action flick.
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