Movies That Should Have Been Blockbusters
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TV ClubHouse: archive: Movies Sept 2002 - April 2003: Movies That Should Have Been Blockbusters

Sweetbabygirl

Sunday, March 09, 2003 - 08:54 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I'm watching Great Balls of Fire with Dennis "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy!!" Quaid and can't believe that it didn't do well at the box office.

That said, are there movies that you love that fizzled at the box office but in your opinion should have been a big hit?

I have a few, besides Great Balls
(heh-heh, I said balls!):

Only The Lonely
(John Candy made a wonderful leading man!!)
Dead Presidents
Two Can Play That Game
Why Do Fools Fall In Love?

(By the way, Dead Presidents and Why Do Fools both starred Larenz Tate, who next to Don Cheadle is an underrated gem of an actor)

What are yours?

Rissa

Sunday, March 09, 2003 - 09:26 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I don't know about Blockbuster but I always felt that Maxie should have played better. Such a funny, sweet movie with Glenn Close and Mandy Patinkin but it came out the same week as Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction. Guess folks just wanted one actress a month. LOL

Webkitty

Sunday, March 09, 2003 - 10:57 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I was surprised (along with Oprah) when Beloved wasn't a blockbuster. I thought it was an awesome movie.

I don't know about blockbusters, but I liked the following movies and think they should have done better.

Far and Away (Cruise and Kidman)
The Cable Guy (Jim Carrey)
Fools Rush In (Matthrew Perry and Selma Hyack)

Sweetbaby, I've never heard of Great Balls of Fire (I said balls too!! hehe)
Rissa, I've seen Maxie on HBO, and although I liked the storyline, I've never cared for Glenn Close (or Mandy Patinkin)

Hummingbird

Sunday, March 09, 2003 - 11:49 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Birdy with Matthew Modine and Nicholas Cage was great but didn't do much at the box office.

I didn't care for Beloved at all and I thought Great Balls of Fire did do well. Everybody you ask has seen it and liked it. Quaid said he threw his back out doing the Jerry Lee mannerisms.

Muse

Sunday, March 09, 2003 - 08:50 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Did The Princess Bride do well in the box office? A friend of mine recently mentioned that it only did moderately well, which surprised me. So many people love it on video that I would've thought it was a blockbuster.

From this past year, I think Road to Perdition and About a Boy deserved to do better. Both turned a profit, but neither one were huge hits. I personally loved both. :)

Froggiegirl621

Monday, March 10, 2003 - 07:03 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I'm totally with you on "Great Balls of Fire". I absolutely LOVE that movie!!! I can watch it over and over. Dennis Quaid is awesome in it. If you haven't seen it - RENT IT!!!

Fabnsab

Monday, March 10, 2003 - 10:05 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I love GBOF too but you have to keep one thing in mind. The way we view the box office has dramatically changed in the last 20 years. Now, we think a movie bombs if it doesn't do over $100,000,000. Movies used to do well at 25 million because they only cost 10 mil to make, now they are costing 80 mil, with another 25 mil for marketing.
Also, the "artsy" movies are going more mainstream now and they're considered duds if they make only 20 mil but we have to remember, they weren't meant to make that much. Making money would diminish their "independent" nature. Look at the Hours as an example.It has only made 35 mil but it is a huge success and made its money back already.

Lycanthrope

Friday, March 14, 2003 - 04:50 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Well, I was shocked at how good a movie "A Knight's Tale" was. It had a stupid trailer, and only ran a few weeks in my area, then was quickly on Blockbuster's shelves. I rented it apprehensively one night because there wasn't much else, and I was floored with how well written, directed, and acted this flick was. I'd never seen Heath Ledger, and it was Shannyn Sossamon's first film, and pretty much the entire cast was unknown to me. Now it is one of my favorite movies of the last few years.

Also, I don't remember "The Bourne Identity" getting much pub, but it was spectacular IMO.

Emeraldfire

Friday, March 14, 2003 - 06:57 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I agree with you Lycanthrope, I thoroughly enjoyed "A Knight's Tale" and I just rented "The Bourne Identity" and thought it was awesome.

Abby7

Friday, March 14, 2003 - 07:00 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Shawshank Redemption (it should have made more money).

Sweetbabygirl

Monday, March 17, 2003 - 06:49 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Another movie that should have been a blockbuster....Steven Spielberg's Always, with my honeybunny, Richard Dreyfuss.

Also, She-Devil with Roseanne.

Ericka1012

Monday, March 17, 2003 - 08:18 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
The one sleeper that I saw in the theaters was "Electic Dreams" ... I loved this cute romantic comedy...and to be honest I haven't met many that has seen it let alone seen it in the theater.

Froggiegirl621

Tuesday, March 18, 2003 - 05:37 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
"Always" is a great one...have it on video and could watch it over and over.

Sweetbabygirl

Monday, March 24, 2003 - 08:32 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Just watched Natural Born Killers....Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis were brilliant in this movie. It took $50 mil to make and only recouped $50 mil and a 1/3 which sucks, 'cause it should have made much more.

Hummingbird

Friday, March 28, 2003 - 07:10 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I absolutely hated Natural Born Killers! Rodney Dangerfield gave me the creeps! And the scene where Woody and Juliette had a young girl whom they had abducted and later killed tied up in their motel room, made me sick. I have daughters who were that age when the movie came out and I found that so offensive. Tommy Lee Jones, who is almost always good, was good in this but the whole movie gave a feeling of,"Don't I have better things to do with my time than allow this garbage into my brain?" I realize that the movie was supposed to be making some kind of statement, but who cares?