1 post tagged “box office”
This is such an amusing idea: to make it seem like cinema isn't just starting to spiral into a bottomless chasm of misery and retardation, VH1's Best Week Ever blog (bear with me) has taken ten weekends from the past ten years and shown why they are as bad as or worse than this past weekend at the box office, wherein the execrable Meet The Spartans reigned supreme. To give credit where credit is due, please review their selections here: http://www.bestweekever.tv/2008/01/28/top-10-worst-weekends-in-box-office-history/
I have to say, they're mostly right...though I have to disagree with their #9 choice. Face/Off, as ridiculous as it is, is still a pretty fun movie, Hercules wasn't the worst Disney animated film to come along (fuck you, Home on the Range), My Best Friend's Wedding was inoffensive and even flirted with being entertaining, and Con Air...well, it has its admirers nowadays. However, I can't and won't defend Batman & Robin...that alone may actually make this weekend worth including on their list.
But really, any good idea worth doing once is certainly worth doing twice...thus, I present my selections for Worst Weekends in Box Office History ("History" equaling 1991 through 2000, since they seem to have the 00's pretty well covered), in chronological order. Also, I considered writing up biting commentary about each of these weekends, but a) I feel like the movies speak for themselves, and b) writing commentary would have been just out-and-out copying the VH1 blog, in both tone and intent...though I have made some quick explanatory comments.
November 8–10, 1991
| TW | LW | Title (click to view) | Studio | Weekend Gross | % Change | Theater Count / Change | Average | Total Gross | Budget* | Week # | |
| 1 | 2 | Curly Sue | WB | $4,957,474 | -6.8% | 1,634 | - | $3,033 | $17,166,541 | - | 3 |
| 2 | 1 | The People Under the Stairs | Uni. | $4,403,248 | -20.3% | 1,850 | - | $2,380 | $11,368,498 | $6 | 2 |
| 3 | 4 | Billy Bathgate | BV | $3,745,961 | -7.5% | 1,174 | +262 | $3,190 | $9,164,376 | $48 | 2 |
| 4 | N | All I Want for Christmas | Par. | $3,645,720 | - | 1,507 | - | $2,419 | $3,645,720 | - | 1 |
| 5 | 6 | Little Man Tate | Orion | $3,076,844 | -13.4% | 1,001 | +14 | $3,073 | $14,193,844 | - | 5 |
Coincidentally (or not so coincidentally), Curly Sue was also the last movie John Hughes directed.
April 2–4, 1993
| TW | LW | Title (click to view) | Studio | Weekend Gross | % Change | Theater Count / Change | Average | Total Gross | Budget* | Week # | |
| 1 | N | Cop and a Half | Uni. | $6,027,285 | - | 1,603 | - | $3,760 | $6,027,285 | - | 1 |
| 2 | N | The Adventures of Huck Finn | BV | $5,033,029 | - | 1,786 | - | $2,818 | $5,033,029 | - | 1 |
| 3 | N | The Crush | WB | $5,024,976 | - | 1,759 | - | $2,856 | $5,024,976 | - | 1 |
| 4 | 1 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III | NL | $4,688,034 | -36.7% | 2,087 | - | $2,246 | $28,937,207 | $21 | 3 |
| 5 | 2 | Born Yesterday | BV | $3,665,874 | -38.0% | 1,301 | +4 | $2,817 | $10,971,291 | - | 2 |
Yes, Cop and a Half is that Burt Reynolds/stupid kid buddy cop comedy.
April 8–10, 1994
| TW | LW | Title (click to view) | Studio | Weekend Gross | % Change | Theater Count / Change | Average | Total Gross | Budget* | Week # | |
| 1 | 2 | D2: The Mighty Ducks | BV | $5,513,111 | -12.2% | 2,223 | +8 | $2,480 | $26,606,949 | - | 3 |
| 2 | 1 | Major League II | WB | $5,111,384 | -27.4% | 2,167 | - | $2,358 | $15,001,591 | - | 2 |
| 3 | 3 | The Paper | Uni. | $4,541,575 | -19.0% | 1,558 | +14 | $2,915 | $20,129,790 | - | 4 |
| 4 | 4 | The Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult | Par. | $4,051,534 | -24.0% | 2,262 | -121 | $1,791 | $37,534,233 | $30 | 4 |
| 5 | N | Threesome | TriS | $4,001,024 | - | 1,212 | - | $3,301 | $4,001,024 | - | 1 |
I knew someone who was supposed to be in the fourth Mighty Ducks movie...but the financing got pulled or something.
March 3–5, 1995
| TW | LW | Title (click to view) | Studio | Weekend Gross | % Change | Theater Count / Change | Average | Total Gross | Budget* | Week # | |
| 1 | N | Man of the House | BV | $9,473,317 | - | 2,013 | - | $4,706 | $9,473,317 | - | 1 |
| 2 | 1 | The Brady Bunch Movie | Par. | $5,746,671 | -31.4% | 1,941 | - | $2,960 | $32,966,631 | - | 3 |
| 3 | N | Hideaway | Sony | $5,213,455 | - | 1,900 | - | $2,743 | $5,213,455 | - | 1 |
| 4 | 2 | Just Cause | WB | $4,945,842 | -25.6% | 2,059 | - | $2,402 | $26,063,898 | - | 3 |
| 5 | N | Roommates | BV | $4,038,033 | - | 1,262 | - | $3,199 | $4,038,033 | - | 1 |
Damn you, JTT...why does someone with "J" and "T" in their name come along once per decade to ensnare America's youth? 00's: Justin Timberlake. 90's: Jonathan Taylor Thomas. 80's: TJ Hooker.
September 1–4, 1995
| TW | LW | Title (click to view) | Studio | Weekend Gross | % Change | Theater Count / Change | Average | Total Gross | Budget* | Week # | |
| 1 | 1 | Mortal Kombat | NL | $8,288,323 | -19.6% | 2,630 | +2 | $3,151 | $55,096,211 | - | 3 |
| 2 | 3 | Dangerous Minds | BV | $7,888,065 | +1.4% | 1,594 | +16 | $4,948 | $57,453,051 | - | 4 |
| 3 | N | The Prophecy | Dim. | $7,510,332 | - | 1,663 | - | $4,516 | $7,510,332 | - | 1 |
| 4 | 2 | Desperado | Sony | $6,026,298 | -23.8% | 2,027 | - | $2,973 | $17,056,961 | - | 2 |
| 5 | 4 | A Walk in the Clouds | Fox | $5,472,542 | -0.3% | 1,755 | +5 | $3,118 | $38,597,593 | - | 4 |
Sadly, I think I contributed to the Mortal Kombat gross that weekend.
August 23–25, 1996
| TW | LW | Title (click to view) | Studio | Weekend Gross | % Change | Theater Count / Change | Average | Total Gross | Budget* | Week # | |
| 1 | N | The Island of Dr. Moreau | NL | $9,101,987 | - | 2,035 | - | $4,472 | $9,101,987 | $40 | 1 |
| 2 | 1 | Tin Cup | WB | $8,610,741 | -15.0% | 2,084 | +72 | $4,131 | $23,721,119 | - | 2 |
| 3 | N | A Very Brady Sequel | Par. | $7,052,045 | - | 2,147 | - | $3,284 | $7,052,045 | $12 | 1 |
| 4 | 3 | A Time to Kill | WB | $6,142,811 | -24.4% | 2,182 | -131 | $2,815 | $82,436,202 | - | 5 |
| 5 | 2 | Jack | BV | $5,786,871 | -32.9% | 2,232 | +60 | $2,592 | $37,410,976 | $45 | 3 |
Actually, Tin Cup was pretty good, but the rest of these movies were all just failures that should have been better. A Time to Kill was supposed to signal the reign of McConaughey and Jack was supposed to be another great performance from America's favorite funnyman, Robin Williams. And The Island of Dr. Moreau was just fucked up.
November 28–30, 1997
| TW | LW | Title (click to view) | Studio | Weekend Gross | % Change | Theater Count / Change | Average | Total Gross | Budget* | Week # | |
| 1 | N | Flubber | BV | $26,725,207 | - | 2,641 | - | $10,119 | $35,892,031 | - | 1 |
| 2 | N | Alien Resurrection | Fox | $16,474,092 | - | 2,415 | - | $6,821 | $25,789,455 | $75 | 1 |
| 3 | 2 | Anastasia | Fox | $11,837,750 | -16.1% | 2,511 | +371 | $4,714 | $31,311,194 | - | 3 |
| 4 | 3 | The Rainmaker (1997) | Par. | $10,615,122 | -0.1% | 2,341 | +24 | $4,534 | $26,887,272 | - | 2 |
| 5 | 4 | The Jackal | Uni. | $7,565,475 | -16.2% | 2,235 | +34 | $3,385 | $40,585,655 | $60 | 3 |
Another crazy turn from Robin "I Used To Be Funny...What Happened?" Williams. Plus, the worst Alien movie (until he battled a Predator...twice), a lame duck of a potential Disney rival, another lousy Coppola movie (hm...I see some patterns), and a lazy and forgettable Bruce Willis movie. But none of this mattered...a few weeks later, Titanic came along and forcibly drowned its competition.
December 25–27, 1998
| TW | LW | Title (click to view) | Studio | Weekend Gross | % Change | Theater Count / Change | Average | Total Gross | Budget* | Week # | |
| 1 | N | Patch Adams | Uni. | $25,262,280 | - | 2,712 | - | $9,315 | $25,262,280 | $90 | 1 |
| 2 | N | Stepmom | Sony | $19,142,440 | - | 2,358 | - | $8,118 | $19,142,440 | $50 | 1 |
| 3 | 1 | You've Got Mail | WB | $18,101,967 | -1.8% | 2,756 | +65 | $6,568 | $47,439,770 | $65 | 2 |
| 4 | 2 | The Prince of Egypt | DW | $15,119,107 | +4.1% | 3,218 | +100 | $4,698 | $40,058,288 | $70 | 2 |
| 5 | N | The Faculty | Mira. | $11,633,495 | - | 2,365 | - | $4,919 | $11,633,495 | $15 | 1 |
More Robin Williams...interesting, in that, when I was pulling these weekends, I was just going year by year and not paying much attention to any patterns, but...yeah, Robin Williams kind of sucks. He also did What Dreams May Come this year...ugh. I did like The Prince of Egypt, though.
November 12–14, 1999
| TW | LW | Title (click to view) | Studio | Weekend Gross | % Change | Theater Count / Change | Average | Total Gross | Budget* | Week # | |
| 1 | N | Pokemon: The First Movie | WB | $31,036,678 | - | 3,043 | - | $10,199 | $50,754,104 | $30 | 1 |
| 2 | 1 | The Bone Collector | Uni. | $12,010,225 | -28.1% | 2,594 | +7 | $4,630 | $35,224,690 | $73 | 2 |
| 3 | N | Dogma | Lions | $8,669,945 | - | 1,269 | - | $6,832 | $8,669,945 | $10 | 1 |
| 4 | N | The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc | Sony | $6,360,968 | - | 2,147 | - | $2,962 | $6,360,968 | $85 | 1 |
| 5 | N | Anywhere But Here | Fox | $5,607,137 | - | 1,672 | - | $3,353 | $5,607,137 | $23 | 1 |
Seriously, people? The Pokemon movie made $31M in its first weekend? Seriously?
November 17–19, 2000
| TW | LW | Title (click to view) | Studio | Weekend Gross | % Change | Theater Count / Change | Average | Total Gross | Budget* | Week # | |
| 1 | N | How the Grinch Stole Christmas | Uni. | $55,082,330 | - | 3,127 | - | $17,615 | $55,082,330 | $123 | 1 |
| 2 | N | Rugrats in Paris: The Movie | Par. | $22,718,184 | - | 2,934 | - | $7,743 | $22,718,184 | $30 | 1 |
| 3 | 1 | Charlie's Angels | Sony | $13,361,646 | -45.7% | 3,037 | - | $4,399 | $93,258,819 | $93 | 3 |
| 4 | N | The 6th Day | Sony | $13,020,883 | - | 2,516 | - | $5,175 | $13,020,883 | $82 | 1 |
| 5 | N | Bounce | Mira. | $11,423,716 | - | 1,918 | - | $5,956 | $11,423,716 | $35 | 1 |
I hate to say it, but I actually enjoyed The Grinch when I first saw it...but now, I see it for the wretched ungodly creation that it is. And contrary to everyone else's opinions, I hated Charlie's Angels. But I did see Rugrats in Paris in theaters...with my 6-year old sister, though, so I don't feel quite as dirty.
Thanks to Box Office Mojo for the information: http://boxofficemojo.com/
