MovieChat Forums > Mystery, Alaska (1999) Discussion > Good movies that were box office flops

Good movies that were box office flops

posted 18 years ago by Topher88
66 replies | jump to latest

I was surprised to read in the box office and business area of this board that Mystery Alaska's budget was approximately $28 million. I always kind of assumed that this was a small film that wasn't well known and had a limited release, more of a straight to video and movie channel type of movie. Its box office gross wasn't even $9 million. This was obviously a studio movie, with a decent budget that was probably expected to perform to a certain level. For myself and members of my family Mystery has become one of the most entertaining movies we've ever watched. We often wonder why this movie didn't have more success at the box office. Can anybody think of movies that they love watching and are entertained by that were completed box office bombs? In addition to Mystery, Alaska, we're also big fans of Dazed and Confused and Mallrats. Neither of those would be considered a big studio movie (although, there were some very large expectations for Mallrats) but they still were considered box office burn outs. Another one I can think of is Waterworld. I know it was savaged by the critics and bombed, but I've always found it to be strangely entertaining and was estatic when I found the DVD in Wal-Mart's $6.88 bin.
So let's here them, box office bombs that you loved.

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Light_Bahamut 18 years ago

Attempt at humor = failed

[–] Light_Bahamut 18 years ago

Attempt at humor = failed

[–] afhevh 18 years ago

Attempt at posting the same thing twice in a row = success.

[–] flight_dog 18 years ago

by - jaybanerjee on Tue Feb 21 2006 01:13:22 My personal favorite diamonds-in-the-rough are Star Wars and ET: The Extra-Terrestrial. They may not have performed very well in the box office, but I highly recommend for people to dig them up and give them a viewing. They might be a little hard to find, however.

jaybanerjee, what is this "Star Wars" thing all about? I can`t find any information about it. Can anybody give me some informations? Links? Yes, clearly a true diamond-in-the-rough.

Wait, didn`t Ronald Regan produce that?

by the way, ET is a TV show. You can`t expect any box office returns on that.

[–] Angel_litos 18 years ago

BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA (1986)
ANGEL HEART (1987)

Two Outstanding-movies flopped at the Box Office!! =/

"I Know Who I Am!!"
Harry Angel/Johnny Favourite

[–] amazongurl159 18 years ago

i whole-heartedly agree with big trouble in little china, it's one of my absolute favorites and one of the few movies i can remember watching repeatedly as a child without my parents becoming sick of it.

[–] RickDVD 16 years ago

I've always liked Mystery Alaska. Maybe it's because I like hockey, the possible good story (seldom found on screen these days) or maybe the casting makes it very good. Who knows, I still watch it on a regular basis, even when Hockey is not in season...

I've always liked Angel Heart... Apparently Bill Cosby did not! But, that's another story for another thread.

[–] lesleyanne-hay1 16 years ago

ANGEL HEART - Brilliant film.

[–] thebabe3 8 years ago

My First Mister, just a sweet little film...

[–] CKCSWHFFAN 18 years ago

I saw this film in the theater.

As much as I enjoyed the film, yes it should have done MUCH better at the box office.

Russell was my drawing point to the film, not being a sports fan.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] patro428 18 years ago

Shawshank Redemption didnt do very well in the box office but its #2 on the imdb all time top movies list

[–] pgrass13 16 years ago

Donnie Darko
Amazing

Same thing we do every night try to take over the world

[–] jlg12y 18 years ago

If the producers had made a few minor cuts (language mostly) and release this as a PG-13 it would have had a better boxoffice take. But what do I know.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] downtothecrossroads 17 years ago

Exactly. The sexual subplot was dumb and unnecessary. If this had been made appropriate for pre-teen viewing it could have had a much wider family audience, which always gets behind good comedies.

[–] ntn1985 17 years ago

gimmie a break about cutting the sexual subplot if you cuts that out it takes almost all of the humor out of the movie, not to mention the realisticness of a hockey locker room if anyone has played hockey they would know that all that is talked about in hockey locker rooms is sex and swearing

[–] twisted_logik 17 years ago

A Good Year, very underrated movie

______

Most anticipated 2007 films:
3:10 to Yuma- 10/12/07
American Gangster- 11/02/07

[–] thebabe3 8 years ago

Totally agree, loved that movie. also Return to me directed by Bonnie Hunt. A perfect movie and another one, just recently, with Pearce Bronsen, called Love is all you need.

It isn't always about the big blockbuster movies that touch me, some small ones just stay with one.

[–] chud-13 12 years ago

it's a valid point to say if soem of the context and language was cleaned up to a PG-13, then a wider audience may have seen this on release.

[–] techchad 18 years ago

Princess Bride

[–] ManchesterUnited8 18 years ago

BOONDOCK SAINTS...my favorite movie of all time.. not well known but it should be

[–] Faisal_Flamingo 18 years ago

The Shawshank Redemption (what cause the flop to this great masterpiece?!!)
Vertigo
Citizen Kane
Touch of Evil
El Mariachi (good small budget movie)
Viva Zapata! (Brando was amazing in that movie)

i suppose mots of Kubrick's movies didn't do well at the box office, i don't know .. i could be wrong.

http://www.ymdb.com/user_top20_view.asp?usersid=23091&commentsid=248551

[–] dalebridges 18 years ago

Maximum Overdrive !

[–] kritti 18 years ago

Beautiful Girls!

[–] harnest 17 years ago

I second Beautiful Girls. That's become a personal favourite of my brother and I. He'll call me drunk every so often and leave a message slurring his appreciation for Timothy Hutton's likability.

Michael

[–] thebabe3 8 years ago

I remember a TV reviewer Bob MacAdory, and he loved this movie, but said that the title was probably the cause of its not doing well at the Academy awards and the theatres.

[–] amazongurl159 18 years ago

Dick, it's a total classic.

[–] boatguy3800 18 years ago

Somewhere in Time

[–] Tab132 18 years ago

...apocolypse now.