MovieChat Forums > Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny (2006) Discussion > How on earth did this flop?

How on earth did this flop?

posted 15 years ago by hoboboxerjoe
16 replies | jump to latest

I swear when this came out all my stoner-buddies and I were going to see it. Not only was it a fun stoner movie, it was a truly great and original musical. A tribute to their first album mixed with some very cool stuff. Jack Black and Kyle Gass are a fantastic comedy-musical team.

I just saw that article about this is why JB won't do any more Tenac or another movie. That is crap. I can't believe something like High School Musical would grosse so much and one of the great rock musical's of our generation is ignored.

At least this has developed a cult-following, sometimes, in a way, that is better than making it big. A film that wasn't appreciated in it's day can become a legend tomorrow.

Anyone else surprised by this news?

[–] jwalske 15 years ago

I'm not really surprised that this flopped. I think the reason it didn't do so well is that it came out a little too late. If this movie would've been released closer to Tenacious D's first album; (2001?) I think it would've done a lot better.

I think the thing is, the movie came out right around the time everyone was kinda getting tired of Jack Black and his 'antics'. I think that's why 'Year One' did so poorly as well.

It is strange though that these movies do better on DVD then they do in the theater, seeing how a DVD costs more than a movie ticket...Go figure...

[–] hoboboxerjoe 15 years ago

People get entranced by the whole owning a movie bit. I don't know many movies that warrant going out and actually buying them, but I'm living on pennies so that could by why lol. Everyone has certain movies they watch once a month or every few months, just like we all have our songs that we listen to every chance we get. But I see people with massive DVD and VHS collections and just find it amusing, they take pride in those as one would a library.

Anyway, good point about Tenacious D. I still find it odd as it was a talked-about movie in my school at the time and seemed very popular.

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] 15 years ago

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[–] preacher1010 14 years ago

The movie flopped because it opened the same week as Casino Royale.
Blame James Bond.
Blame the movie studio idiots who decided to go up against juggernaut Bond.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0365830/board/flat/105186576?d=154585414&p=3#154585414

[–] ArizonaKnightWolf 14 years ago

Before this year, I had never heard of Tenacious D, don't remember seeing any of the adverts or trailers, nothing. I happen to hear CLASSICO, and did some investigating, and now THE PICK OF DESTINY is enshrined on my Banzuke of Favorite Movies.

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It's a tough universe...If you're going to survive, you've really got to know where your towel is.

[–] Demarates 14 years ago

I imagine because it's not that funny.

Faith means making a virtue out of not thinking. - Bill Maher

[–] koko83 14 years ago

didn't flop in my eyes, and thats all that matters to me.

one of my favorite comedies of all-time, not just for the laughs but i believe the structure of the movie and the storyline beats the crap out of the comedies that are coming out lately.

Im not a stoner either, as it seems this movie draws weed smoker's attention.

I havent taken any drugs in atleast 10 years and this is one of my favorite movies, definately not a 'stoner flick'...a pure comedy.

[–] virgiltx 12 years ago

Why a "flop"?

Contributing factors:
-It was rated R.
-Aimed at a limited audience-Tenacious D heavy-metal fans, only a fraction of which could be expected to see it in a theater.
-Little worldwide potential.
-No abiding attractive characters, like the babes in Shallow Hal or the cute kids in School of Rock. (The "smokin Bettys" were eye candy but weren't on screen long enough or often enough.)

A comparable movie that didn't flop, Wayne's World (1992):
-Rated PG-13.
-Not too raunchy.
-Several attractive, recurrent females, and Rob Lowe.
-From standpoint of concert-goers rather than concert-givers.
-Mike Myers and Dana Carvey were popular with a much wider audience than just a single band's public.
-Released in February as opposed to TDATPOD's Thanksgiving-Christmastime.
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[–] miruleyall 12 years ago

Why this flopped:
Rating
Bad Marketing
Limited appeal
Hype (or lack of it) didnt compel fans to go see it at release.

Insert @V@T@R

[–] virgiltx 10 years ago

In retrospect, looking at the movie and these posts, I'd say it flopped because the quasi-slackers making this movie (not to be confused with pseudoslackers) did not know beans about marketing a movie, despite their other talents.

____________________
The story is king.

[–] fdog9 8 years ago

I love the movie....but it is a Rock movie and rock was quickly disappearing by 2006----but it had a good 50-60 year run.

[–] virgiltx 8 years ago

That's a very real thing, no doubt, and Guitar Center (featured in the movie) is now in financial straits.
But old Rock bands still tour. So there could have been a nostalgia appeal. But that means knowing how to market a movie, which was lacking here, IMO.

____________________
The story is king.

[–] fdog9 8 years ago

I'm a huge rock fan.....and the genre had a big year in 2005 (Green Day, Tool, System of a Down etc.---all big hits).....a bit of a last hooray.....and then the top 40 hits slowly stopped coming between 2006-2010 and now rock bands rarely get in the top 40.....my 4 nieces (some in their teens) have no use for the genre and consider it old persons music.

It is still around for a few kids and there is a small college scene and at least one teen band (Five Seconds of Summer) has a rock sound.....but it is mostly nostalgia now.

I think this movie hit the beginnings of this....it would have been bigger just a few years before. It has a cult following though ......and I love it.

[–] virgiltx 8 years ago

I also need to wonder if the event below hastened rock's demise.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Station_nightclub_fire

Pyrotechnics were big with heavy metal bands. This would have changed the experience to one of apprehension.

And maybe there was a perception that rock had lost the favor of the gods.

____________________
The story is king.

[–] reaseltbim 8 years ago

I k now a lot of people saw it online. a lot of the people at my school just watched a recorded copy on their computers