Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
BOX OFFICE: $4,057,564
BUDGET: $3,000,000
“For the classic film that it is, the original didn’t do well at the box office.”
Clue (1985)
BOX OFFICE: $14,643,997
BUDGET: $15,000,000
“Given its current reputation, it’s hard to believe it didn’t even make its budget back.”
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
BOX OFFICE: $28,884,504
BUDGET: $25,000,000
“It notoriously bombed at the box office but went on to receive critical acclaim.”
Death to Smoochy (2002)
BOX OFFICE: $8,382,938
BUDGET: $50,000,000
“It’s one of my favorite dark comedies ever conceived. It didn’t do well at the box office and was panned by critics despite having an extraordinary cast: Ed Norton, Robin Williams, Jon Stewart, Danny DeVito, Catherine Keener, Harvey Fierstein, Danny Woodburn, and Michael Rispoli. I think it’s absolutely brilliant, and everyone delivers an incredible performance, especially Norton and Williams.”
Matilda (1996)
BOX OFFICE: $33,459,416
BUDGET: $36,000,000
“Absolute 10/10 movie. Danny DeVito as the dad was a magnificent casting choice.”
The Thing (1982)
BOX OFFICE: $19,632,715
BUDGET: $15,000,000
“One of my all-time-favorite horror movies! I understand it’s regularly taught in film schools, not just for the practical effects but for the paranoia that was central to the story. You never knew, even at the very end, who was genuinely human and who was an imitation.”
The Nice Guys (2016)
BOX OFFICE: $62,788,218
BUDGET: $50,000,000
“It is often referred to as an unfortunate flop. I love this movie. Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe have great chemistry. I would have killed for a sequel.”
Equilibrium (2002)
BOX OFFICE: $5,345,869
BUDGET: $20,000,000
“I enjoyed it as much as The Matrix, but it’s unfortunate that it just didn’t make any money.”
The Big Lebowski (1998)
BOX OFFICE: $46,189,568
BUDGET: $15,000,000
“So, I heard it didn’t do so well in theaters…but that’s just, like, my opinion, man.”
Galaxy Quest (1999)
BOX OFFICE: $90,523,726
BUDGET: $45,000,000
“The victim of poor marketing. The marketing team decided that ‘a goofy comedy for kids’ was the right way to sell it, when in reality, it was semiserious comedy aimed at adults that just happened to be kid friendly.”
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
BOX OFFICE: $3,300,000 (estimated)
BUDGET: $3,700,000
“This movie is probably the biggest example of this. It was an absolute flop at the box office. It almost killed the studio that made it. At one point, there was some debate about ownership of it because nobody wanted it, so TV networks could air it without paying anyone. That’s when it started getting shown on TV constantly around Christmas, and it gained its status as one of the best Christmas movies of all time.”
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
BOX OFFICE: $212,912,137
BUDGET: $135,000,000
“It did a modest box office and recouped its budget, but it didn’t make much profit. It was nominated for 10 Academy Awards (including Best Picture and Best Director) and was critically acclaimed, with a great cast. Explanation for poor box office was that it was out around the same time as Elf, in November/December of 2003. It was also released after the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, which had done well that summer. People may not have had the appetite for another maritime film, especially one without the humor and fantastical escapism of Pirates. And why didn’t those 10 nominations turn into awards? Because it had the misfortune to compete against The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, which won 11 awards that year. Some serious bad luck and poor timing are the reasons so many people have never heard of this masterpiece.”
Children of Men (2006)
BOX OFFICE: $70,455,770
BUDGET: $76,000,000
“It made $70,000,000 at the box office on a $76,000,000 budget, but was nominated for a bunch of awards (and won several, too) and has held up.”
Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
BOX OFFICE: $53,653,224
BUDGET: $30,000,000
“It’s such an underrated movie, with fantastic performances from both Will Farrell and Emma Thompson. I guess it didn’t totally bomb, but worldwide, it barely made back its production budget.”
Hook (1991)
BOX OFFICE: $119,654,823
BUDGET: $70,000,000
“It was considered a flop at the box office and has 29% on Rotten Tomatoes, but I will always love that movie.”
The Princess Bride (1987)
BOX OFFICE: $31,046,220
BUDGET: $15,000,000
“They didn’t know how to market it. Is it a fantasy film? Is it an action film? Is it a comedy? Is it for kids? All the reasons it became a classic are the same reasons they couldn’t get people into the theaters to see it.”
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Death to Smoochy is hilarious, but I can understand critics not liking it. It's pretty messed up at times especially as Robin Williams' character spirals further down.
#10 I’m still hoping Galaxy Quest 2 happens.
#16 I was 16 in 1987, and had never heard of the book or the movie. My girlfriend and her friend sat me down to watch it. It is a classic.