9. GRINDHOUSE * Release date: April 6, 2007
* Estimated cost: $67 million
* Domestic gross: $25 million
Quentin Tarantino and
Robert Rodriguez managed to turn twice the filmmaking firepower into half the box office
(and a third of the critical praise). With "Grindhouse," what began as
an explicit exercise in joyous B-movie cinema homage -- a double bill
of '70s-style schlock, one film from each director -- ended up aping
its scuzzy genre ancestors a little too closely in the receipts
department. After the three-hour-plus "Grindhouse" opened to a mere
$11.6 million, Harvey Weinstein split the film's two parts -- "Death
Proof" and "Planet Terror" -- and shuttled them to international
markets individually. While that recouped a little of the Weinstein
Co.'s money, it incurred the wrath of purists who were angry that the
original film had been corrupted. Tarantino and Weinstein are famously
loyal to each other, and while the writer-director eventually made good
on the losses with the $120 million-grossing "Inglourious *******s"
this year, "Grindhouse" was one instance where loyalty nearly brought
down the house.
8. ROLLERBALL
* Release date: February 8, 2002
* Estimated cost: $70 million
* Domestic gross: $19 million
Norman Jewison's 1975 comment on violence, corporatism and spectacle
has its place in the paranoid '70s-era cult film pantheon. John
McTiernan's remake, on the other hand, would be totally forgettable if
it weren't so spectacularly misconceived in every way. The cast --
Jean Reno ,
Chris Klein ,
LL Cool J and
Rebecca Romijn-Stamos -- was a C-list mishmash closer to reality TV than big-budget studio
moviemaking. McTiernan had long since dented his box-office bona fides
with "Last Action Hero" and "The 13th Warrior." And the studio
releasing it -- MGM -- was so aware of its bomb-worthiness that it
pus*** the release back four times, out of the summer 2001 field and
into the barren wasteland of February. In a last act of desperation,
the movie was also re-edited from an R to a PG-13 rating, sabotaging
any last chance it had at an audience. Ultimately, it pretty much
wrecked McTiernan's career (he has directed only one film since).
9. GRINDHOUSE * Release date: April 6, 2007
* Estimated cost: $67 million
* Domestic gross: $25 million
Quentin Tarantino and
Robert Rodriguez managed to turn twice the filmmaking firepower into half the box office
(and a third of the critical praise). With "Grindhouse," what began as
an explicit exercise in joyous B-movie cinema homage -- a double bill
of '70s-style schlock, one film from each director -- ended up aping
its scuzzy genre ancestors a little too closely in the receipts
department. After the three-hour-plus "Grindhouse" opened to a mere
$11.6 million, Harvey Weinstein split the film's two parts -- "Death
Proof" and "Planet Terror" -- and shuttled them to international
markets individually. While that recouped a little of the Weinstein
Co.'s money, it incurred the wrath of purists who were angry that the
original film had been corrupted. Tarantino and Weinstein are famously
loyal to each other, and while the writer-director eventually made good
on the losses with the $120 million-grossing "Inglourious *******s"
this year, "Grindhouse" was one instance where loyalty nearly brought
down the house.
8. ROLLERBALL
* Release date: February 8, 2002
* Estimated cost: $70 million
* Domestic gross: $19 million
Norman Jewison's 1975 comment on violence, corporatism and spectacle
has its place in the paranoid '70s-era cult film pantheon. John
McTiernan's remake, on the other hand, would be totally forgettable if
it weren't so spectacularly misconceived in every way. The cast --
Jean Reno ,
Chris Klein ,
LL Cool J and
Rebecca Romijn-Stamos -- was a C-list mishmash closer to reality TV than big-budget studio
moviemaking. McTiernan had long since dented his box-office bona fides
with "Last Action Hero" and "The 13th Warrior." And the studio
releasing it -- MGM -- was so aware of its bomb-worthiness that it
pus*** the release back four times, out of the summer 2001 field and
into the barren wasteland of February. In a last act of desperation,
the movie was also re-edited from an R to a PG-13 rating, sabotaging
any last chance it had at an audience. Ultimately, it pretty much
wrecked McTiernan's career (he has directed only one film since).
9. GRINDHOUSE* Release date: April 6, 2007* Estimated cost: $67 million* Domestic gross: $25 millionhttp://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800021942Quentin Tarantino and http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800021941Robert Rodriguezmanaged to turn twice the filmmaking firepower into half the box office(and a third of the critical praise). With "Grindhouse," what began asan explicit exercise in joyous B-movie cinema homage -- a double billof '70s-style schlock, one film from each director -- ended up apingits scuzzy genre ancestors a little too closely in the receiptsdepartment. After the three-hour-plus "Grindhouse" opened to a mere$11.6 million, Harvey Weinstein split the film's two parts -- "DeathProof" and "Planet Terror" -- and shuttled them to internationalmarkets individually. While that recouped a little of the WeinsteinCo.'s money, it incurred the wrath of purists who were angry that theoriginal film had been corrupted. Tarantino and Weinstein are famouslyloyal to each other, and while the writer-director eventually made goodon the losses with the $120 million-grossing "Inglourious *******s"this year, "Grindhouse" was one instance where loyalty nearly broughtdown the house.8. ROLLERBALL* Release date: February 8, 2002* Estimated cost: $70 million* Domestic gross: $19 millionNorman Jewison's 1975 comment on violence, corporatism and spectaclehas its place in the paranoid '70s-era cult film pantheon. JohnMcTiernan's remake, on the other hand, would be totally forgettable ifit weren't so spectacularly misconceived in every way. The cast -- http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800022061Jean Reno, http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800018642Chris Klein, http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800018845LL Cool J and http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800018689Rebecca Romijn-Stamos-- was a C-list mishmash closer to reality TV than big-budget studiomoviemaking. McTiernan had long since dented his box-office bona fideswith "Last Action Hero" and "The 13th Warrior." And the studioreleasing it -- MGM -- was so aware of its bomb-worthiness that itpus*** the release back four times, out of the summer 2001 field andinto the barren wasteland of February. In a last act of desperation,the movie was also re-edited from an R to a PG-13 rating, sabotagingany last chance it had at an audience. Ultimately, it pretty muchwrecked McTiernan's career (he has directed only one film since).
7. THE INVASION
* Release date: August 17, 2007
* Estimated cost: $80 million
* Domestic gross: $15.1 million
Nicole Kidman couldn't have started the decade any hotter, scoring with "
Moulin Rouge ," "The Others" and "
The Hours ."
But after 2002, her career went cold in the U.S. ("Stepford Wives,"
"Bewitc***," "Australia" and "The Golden Comp***"); it's as if the
actress was abducted by some sort of soul-draining body snatcher. But
wait, isn't that what she's fighting in "The Invasion," Hollywood's
latest remake of the 1956 film "Invasion of the Body Snatchers"? This
time around, the eerie premise, based on a novel by Jack Finney, failed
to catch fire. The Wachowski brothers' second unit director, James
McTeigue, was called in to shoot additional scenes written by the
"Matrix" whiz kids after original director Oliver Hirschbiegel was sent
packing, having filmed the bulk of the movie. In an omen of things to
come, Kidman suffered an on-set fender-bender during the reshoots. When
the film arrived in theaters more than a year late, Kidman's regal
bearing took another dent.
6. CATWOMAN
* Release date: July 23, 2004
* Estimated cost: $100 million
* Domestic gross: $40 million
It was inevitable after
Michelle Pfeiffer stole scenes as Catwoman in "Batman Returns" that her black-latexed
anti-heroine would get a spinoff of her own. But when the inevitable
occurred in 2004, this time with
Halle Berry playing the character, audiences tried hard to cover up the kitty
litter. No one involved with the movie came out unscat***. Not Berry,
who just two years earlier had won an Oscar for "
Monster 's Ball"; not
Sharon Stone ,
who chewed up the scenery as the movie's villainess; and not Pitof, the
French filmmaker making his American directorial debut. He went back to
his native land and hasn't directed a theatrical feature since. The
movie is another example cited by studios in their long-held contention
that female superhero movies just don't work.
7. THE INVASION
* Release date: August 17, 2007
* Estimated cost: $80 million
* Domestic gross: $15.1 million
Nicole Kidman couldn't have started the decade any hotter, scoring with "
Moulin Rouge ," "The Others" and "
The Hours ."
But after 2002, her career went cold in the U.S. ("Stepford Wives,"
"Bewitc***," "Australia" and "The Golden Comp***"); it's as if the
actress was abducted by some sort of soul-draining body snatcher. But
wait, isn't that what she's fighting in "The Invasion," Hollywood's
latest remake of the 1956 film "Invasion of the Body Snatchers"? This
time around, the eerie premise, based on a novel by Jack Finney, failed
to catch fire. The Wachowski brothers' second unit director, James
McTeigue, was called in to shoot additional scenes written by the
"Matrix" whiz kids after original director Oliver Hirschbiegel was sent
packing, having filmed the bulk of the movie. In an omen of things to
come, Kidman suffered an on-set fender-bender during the reshoots. When
the film arrived in theaters more than a year late, Kidman's regal
bearing took another dent.
6. CATWOMAN
* Release date: July 23, 2004
* Estimated cost: $100 million
* Domestic gross: $40 million
It was inevitable after
Michelle Pfeiffer stole scenes as Catwoman in "Batman Returns" that her black-latexed
anti-heroine would get a spinoff of her own. But when the inevitable
occurred in 2004, this time with
Halle Berry playing the character, audiences tried hard to cover up the kitty
litter. No one involved with the movie came out unscat***. Not Berry,
who just two years earlier had won an Oscar for "
Monster 's Ball"; not
Sharon Stone ,
who chewed up the scenery as the movie's villainess; and not Pitof, the
French filmmaker making his American directorial debut. He went back to
his native land and hasn't directed a theatrical feature since. The
movie is another example cited by studios in their long-held contention
that female superhero movies just don't work.
7. THE INVASION* Release date: August 17, 2007* Estimated cost: $80 million* Domestic gross: $15.1 millionhttp://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800018939Nicole Kidman couldn't have started the decade any hotter, scoring with "http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1804133346/info/Moulin Rouge," "The Others" and "http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1807859436/info/The Hours."But after 2002, her career went cold in the U.S. ("Stepford Wives,""Bewitc***," "Australia" and "The Golden Comp***"); it's as if theactress was abducted by some sort of soul-draining body snatcher. Butwait, isn't that what she's fighting in "The Invasion," Hollywood'slatest remake of the 1956 film "Invasion of the Body Snatchers"? Thistime around, the eerie premise, based on a novel by Jack Finney, failedto catch fire. The Wachowski brothers' second unit director, JamesMcTeigue, was called in to shoot additional scenes written by the"Matrix" whiz kids after original director Oliver Hirschbiegel was sentpacking, having filmed the bulk of the movie. In an omen of things tocome, Kidman suffered an on-set fender-bender during the reshoots. Whenthe film arrived in theaters more than a year late, Kidman's regalbearing took another dent.6. CATWOMAN* Release date: July 23, 2004* Estimated cost: $100 million* Domestic gross: $40 millionIt was inevitable after http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800016613Michelle Pfeifferstole scenes as Catwoman in "Batman Returns" that her black-latexedanti-heroine would get a spinoff of her own. But when the inevitableoccurred in 2004, this time with http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800019906Halle Berryplaying the character, audiences tried hard to cover up the kittylitter. No one involved with the movie came out unscat***. Not Berry,who just two years earlier had won an Oscar for "http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1807634842/info/Monster's Ball"; not http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800012230Sharon Stone,who chewed up the scenery as the movie's villainess; and not Pitof, theFrench filmmaker making his American directorial debut. He went back tohis native land and hasn't directed a theatrical feature since. Themovie is another example cited by studios in their long-held contentionthat female superhero movies just don't work.
5. TOWN & COUNTRY
* Release date: April 27, 2001
* Estimated cost: $90 million
* Domestic gross: $6.7 million
Twenty-five years after he seduced audiences in "Shampoo,"
Warren Beatty decided the time was ripe for another sex comedy, albeit one with a
somewhat older circle of friends. He somehow persuaded New Line, which
usually concentrated on the youth market, to foot the bill. And what a
bill it was: With the script still furiously going through rewrites,
Peter Chelsom began shooting in June 1998; 10 months and take after
take after take later, the film was still shooting. That's when
co-stars like
Diane Keaton and Gary Shandling had to leave to fulfill other commitments. A full
year later, the whole cast regrouped to finish the shoot, which had
escalated to more than twice its original $44 million price tag. The
completed film was actually something of a tepid affair. Beatty dithers
as a New York architect who cheats on his wife with several women;
Shandling's his best pal trying to come out as gay. And then there's
Charlton Heston , playing against type, as a gun nut.
4. GIGLI
* Release date: August 1, 2003
* Estimated cost: $54 million
* Domestic gross: $6.1 million
If the course of true love rarely runs smoothly, then "Gigli" is an
object lesson in how rocky it can get. As the new century dawned,
Ben Affleck and
Jennifer Lopez -- tabloid code name: Bennifer -- were the couple of the moment. With an Oscar for writing "
Good Will Hunting "
and starring roles in "Pearl Harbor" and "The Sum of All Fears," his
movie career was in high gear; she could boast a solid-gold music
resume and rom-com appeal in movies like "The Wedding Planner" and
"Maid in Manhattan." Onscreen romantic sparks seemed made to order. So
what went wrong? Start with that title, "Gigli," that no one was sure
how to pronounce. Add lots of lovey-dovey media appearances that erased
a bit of their mystique. And then there was Martin Brest's film itself:
a low-rent-mobster-boy-meets-enforcer-chick tale complete with a
kidnapping, severed thumbs and
Al Pacino in high dudgeon. Bennifer split in 2004, just before sharing the bill in another film not too far away on the flop-o-meter, "
Jersey Girl ."
5. TOWN & COUNTRY
* Release date: April 27, 2001
* Estimated cost: $90 million
* Domestic gross: $6.7 million
Twenty-five years after he seduced audiences in "Shampoo,"
Warren Beatty decided the time was ripe for another sex comedy, albeit one with a
somewhat older circle of friends. He somehow persuaded New Line, which
usually concentrated on the youth market, to foot the bill. And what a
bill it was: With the script still furiously going through rewrites,
Peter Chelsom began shooting in June 1998; 10 months and take after
take after take later, the film was still shooting. That's when
co-stars like
Diane Keaton and Gary Shandling had to leave to fulfill other commitments. A full
year later, the whole cast regrouped to finish the shoot, which had
escalated to more than twice its original $44 million price tag. The
completed film was actually something of a tepid affair. Beatty dithers
as a New York architect who cheats on his wife with several women;
Shandling's his best pal trying to come out as gay. And then there's
Charlton Heston , playing against type, as a gun nut.
4. GIGLI
* Release date: August 1, 2003
* Estimated cost: $54 million
* Domestic gross: $6.1 million
If the course of true love rarely runs smoothly, then "Gigli" is an
object lesson in how rocky it can get. As the new century dawned,
Ben Affleck and
Jennifer Lopez -- tabloid code name: Bennifer -- were the couple of the moment. With an Oscar for writing "
Good Will Hunting "
and starring roles in "Pearl Harbor" and "The Sum of All Fears," his
movie career was in high gear; she could boast a solid-gold music
resume and rom-com appeal in movies like "The Wedding Planner" and
"Maid in Manhattan." Onscreen romantic sparks seemed made to order. So
what went wrong? Start with that title, "Gigli," that no one was sure
how to pronounce. Add lots of lovey-dovey media appearances that erased
a bit of their mystique. And then there was Martin Brest's film itself:
a low-rent-mobster-boy-meets-enforcer-chick tale complete with a
kidnapping, severed thumbs and
Al Pacino in high dudgeon. Bennifer split in 2004, just before sharing the bill in another film not too far away on the flop-o-meter, "
Jersey Girl ."
5. TOWN & COUNTRY* Release date: April 27, 2001* Estimated cost: $90 million* Domestic gross: $6.7 millionTwenty-five years after he seduced audiences in "Shampoo," http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800020836Warren Beattydecided the time was ripe for another sex comedy, albeit one with asomewhat older circle of friends. He somehow persuaded New Line, whichusually concentrated on the youth market, to foot the bill. And what abill it was: With the script still furiously going through rewrites,Peter Chelsom began shooting in June 1998; 10 months and take aftertake after take later, the film was still shooting. That's whenco-stars like http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800021769Diane Keatonand Gary Shandling had to leave to fulfill other commitments. A fullyear later, the whole cast regrouped to finish the shoot, which hadescalated to more than twice its original $44 million price tag. Thecompleted film was actually something of a tepid affair. Beatty dithersas a New York architect who cheats on his wife with several women;Shandling's his best pal trying to come out as gay. And then there's http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800014244Charlton Heston, playing against type, as a gun nut.4. GIGLI* Release date: August 1, 2003* Estimated cost: $54 million* Domestic gross: $6.1 millionIf the course of true love rarely runs smoothly, then "Gigli" is anobject lesson in how rocky it can get. As the new century dawned, http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800018969Ben Affleck and http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800023864Jennifer Lopez -- tabloid code name: Bennifer -- were the couple of the moment. With an Oscar for writing "http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1800022106/info/Good Will Hunting"and starring roles in "Pearl Harbor" and "The Sum of All Fears," hismovie career was in high gear; she could boast a solid-gold musicresume and rom-com appeal in movies like "The Wedding Planner" and"Maid in Manhattan." Onscreen romantic sparks seemed made to order. Sowhat went wrong? Start with that title, "Gigli," that no one was surehow to pronounce. Add lots of lovey-dovey media appearances that eraseda bit of their mystique. And then there was Martin Brest's film itself:a low-rent-mobster-boy-meets-enforcer-chick tale complete with akidnapping, severed thumbs and http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800017701Al Pacino in high dudgeon. Bennifer split in 2004, just before sharing the bill in another film not too far away on the flop-o-meter, "http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808410814/info/Jersey Girl."
3. LAND OF THE LOST
* Release date: June 5, 2009
* Estimated cost: $100 million
* Domestic gross: $65 million
Producer/puppeteers Sid and Marty Kroft were masters of the weird and
cheesy; their old Sa****ay morning TV show, "Land of the Lost," is
remembered fondly by kids who grew up in the '70s. But the material
experienced something of a time warp when director Brad Silbering tried
to give it a hipster spin this summer with the help of
Will Ferrell ,
playing a paleontologist who journeys to a parallel universe where he
meets the Sleestaks. Normally, any movie with a rampaging Tyrannosaurus
(see "
Journey to the Center of the Earth ," "
***ht at the Museum ")
can't miss, but "Lost" was, well, lost in translation. The movie's
PG-13 rating wasn't a comfort to many families when word got around of
its toilet humor. Older moviegoers weren't interested, and Kroft
purists weren't amused. Over the years, Disney and Sony had both held
remake rights, but ultimately this hot potato landed at Universal,
where it was one of the factors that resulted in the ouster of the
studio's two top executives in October.
2. BATTLEFIELD EARTH
* Release date: May 12, 2000
* Estimated cost: $75 million
* Domestic gross: $21 million
Blame it on the Thetans if you want, but
John Travolta 's
space oddity "Battlefield Earth" virtually imploded on the launching
pad. Travolta's career was enjoying a resurgence in the wake of "Pulp
Fiction" when he wagered a big chunk of his newfound credibility, as
well as some of his own coin, on this p***ion project. "Battlefield
Earth" was based on a 1972 sci-fi novel by Scientology guru L. Ron
Hubbard, which Travolta promised would be "like '
Star Wars ,'
only better." Studios shied away, but Travolta found financing from
Franchise Pictures, which would later be sued by investors for
overstating the movie's costs as $100 million. Originally, Travolta
hoped to play the young hero who leads a rebellion against the alien
race that enslaves Earth, but the film took so long to ***emble he
ultimately opted instead to don dreadlocks and platform s***s to play
the villain, barking lines like "Execute all man-animals at will, and
happy hunting!" A planned sequel, which would have covered the second
half of the novel, never materialized. "Some movies run off the rails,"
observed
Roger Ebert . "This one is like the train crash in 'The Fugitive.'"
3. LAND OF THE LOST
* Release date: June 5, 2009
* Estimated cost: $100 million
* Domestic gross: $65 million
Producer/puppeteers Sid and Marty Kroft were masters of the weird and
cheesy; their old Sa****ay morning TV show, "Land of the Lost," is
remembered fondly by kids who grew up in the '70s. But the material
experienced something of a time warp when director Brad Silbering tried
to give it a hipster spin this summer with the help of
Will Ferrell ,
playing a paleontologist who journeys to a parallel universe where he
meets the Sleestaks. Normally, any movie with a rampaging Tyrannosaurus
(see "
Journey to the Center of the Earth ," "
***ht at the Museum ")
can't miss, but "Lost" was, well, lost in translation. The movie's
PG-13 rating wasn't a comfort to many families when word got around of
its toilet humor. Older moviegoers weren't interested, and Kroft
purists weren't amused. Over the years, Disney and Sony had both held
remake rights, but ultimately this hot potato landed at Universal,
where it was one of the factors that resulted in the ouster of the
studio's two top executives in October.
2. BATTLEFIELD EARTH
* Release date: May 12, 2000
* Estimated cost: $75 million
* Domestic gross: $21 million
Blame it on the Thetans if you want, but
John Travolta 's
space oddity "Battlefield Earth" virtually imploded on the launching
pad. Travolta's career was enjoying a resurgence in the wake of "Pulp
Fiction" when he wagered a big chunk of his newfound credibility, as
well as some of his own coin, on this p***ion project. "Battlefield
Earth" was based on a 1972 sci-fi novel by Scientology guru L. Ron
Hubbard, which Travolta promised would be "like '
Star Wars ,'
only better." Studios shied away, but Travolta found financing from
Franchise Pictures, which would later be sued by investors for
overstating the movie's costs as $100 million. Originally, Travolta
hoped to play the young hero who leads a rebellion against the alien
race that enslaves Earth, but the film took so long to ***emble he
ultimately opted instead to don dreadlocks and platform s***s to play
the villain, barking lines like "Execute all man-animals at will, and
happy hunting!" A planned sequel, which would have covered the second
half of the novel, never materialized. "Some movies run off the rails,"
observed
Roger Ebert . "This one is like the train crash in 'The Fugitive.'"
3. LAND OF THE LOST* Release date: June 5, 2009* Estimated cost: $100 million* Domestic gross: $65 millionProducer/puppeteers Sid and Marty Kroft were masters of the weird andcheesy; their old Sa****ay morning TV show, "Land of the Lost," isremembered fondly by kids who grew up in the '70s. But the materialexperienced something of a time warp when director Brad Silbering triedto give it a hipster spin this summer with the help of http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800019430Will Ferrell,playing a paleontologist who journeys to a parallel universe where hemeets the Sleestaks. Normally, any movie with a rampaging Tyrannosaurus(see "http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809712194/info/Journey to the Center of the Earth," "http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809266172/info/***ht at the Museum")can't miss, but "Lost" was, well, lost in translation. The movie'sPG-13 rating wasn't a comfort to many families when word got around ofits toilet humor. Older moviegoers weren't interested, and Kroftpurists weren't amused. Over the years, Disney and Sony had both heldremake rights, but ultimately this hot potato landed at Universal,where it was one of the factors that resulted in the ouster of thestudio's two top executives in October.2. BATTLEFIELD EARTH* Release date: May 12, 2000* Estimated cost: $75 million* Domestic gross: $21 millionBlame it on the Thetans if you want, but http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800019533John Travolta'sspace oddity "Battlefield Earth" virtually imploded on the launchingpad. Travolta's career was enjoying a resurgence in the wake of "PulpFiction" when he wagered a big chunk of his newfound credibility, aswell as some of his own coin, on this p***ion project. "BattlefieldEarth" was based on a 1972 sci-fi novel by Scientology guru L. RonHubbard, which Travolta promised would be "like 'http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1800121659/info/Star Wars,'only better." Studios shied away, but Travolta found financing fromFranchise Pictures, which would later be sued by investors foroverstating the movie's costs as $100 million. Originally, Travoltahoped to play the young hero who leads a rebellion against the alienrace that enslaves Earth, but the film took so long to ***emble heultimately opted instead to don dreadlocks and platform s***s to playthe villain, barking lines like "Execute all man-animals at will, andhappy hunting!" A planned sequel, which would have covered the secondhalf of the novel, never materialized. "Some movies run off the rails,"observed http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800358753Roger Ebert. "This one is like the train crash in 'The Fugitive.'"
1. THE ADVENTURES OF PLUTO NASH
* Release date: August 6, 2002
* Estimated cost: $100 million
* Domestic gross: $4.4 million
Eddie Murphy is some kind of miracle. Five of his recent films lost more than $250
million, and yet he not only still gets hired but also commands his
salary quote. But on the flop-o-meter, one Murphy title towers above
even "
Meet Dave ," "Showtime" and "
I Spy ":
Trumpets, please, for "The Adventures of Pluto Nash," whose release was
delayed for 14 months. It instantly became the "Cleopatra" of our age.
A sci-fi gangster comedy, complete with robot sidekick, set on the
moon, "Pluto" was neither fish nor fowl -- but mostly foul. But unlike
most stars who are tarnis*** by a mega-flop, Murphy -- who did take
time off from broad comedies to redeem himself with his Oscar-nominated
turn in "Dreamgirls" -- just keeps going and going and going.
1. THE ADVENTURES OF PLUTO NASH
* Release date: August 6, 2002
* Estimated cost: $100 million
* Domestic gross: $4.4 million
Eddie Murphy is some kind of miracle. Five of his recent films lost more than $250
million, and yet he not only still gets hired but also commands his
salary quote. But on the flop-o-meter, one Murphy title towers above
even "
Meet Dave ," "Showtime" and "
I Spy ":
Trumpets, please, for "The Adventures of Pluto Nash," whose release was
delayed for 14 months. It instantly became the "Cleopatra" of our age.
A sci-fi gangster comedy, complete with robot sidekick, set on the
moon, "Pluto" was neither fish nor fowl -- but mostly foul. But unlike
most stars who are tarnis*** by a mega-flop, Murphy -- who did take
time off from broad comedies to redeem himself with his Oscar-nominated
turn in "Dreamgirls" -- just keeps going and going and going.
1. THE ADVENTURES OF PLUTO NASH* Release date: August 6, 2002* Estimated cost: $100 million* Domestic gross: $4.4 millionhttp://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800011536Eddie Murphyis some kind of miracle. Five of his recent films lost more than $250million, and yet he not only still gets hired but also commands hissalary quote. But on the flop-o-meter, one Murphy title towers aboveeven "http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809846742/info/Meet Dave," "Showtime" and "http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1807816352/info/I Spy":Trumpets, please, for "The Adventures of Pluto Nash," whose release wasdelayed for 14 months. It instantly became the "Cleopatra" of our age.A sci-fi gangster comedy, complete with robot sidekick, set on themoon, "Pluto" was neither fish nor fowl -- but mostly foul. But unlikemost stars who are tarnis*** by a mega-flop, Murphy -- who did taketime off from broad comedies to redeem himself with his Oscar-nominatedturn in "Dreamgirls" -- just keeps going and going and going.
