10 Movie Flops Turned Classics

Allie @ Gone Hollywood | Thursday, May 29, 2008

The most memorable movies that have been deemed a “classic” have gone unwelcomed by critics who have given the bestowed the film a “flop.” Most of the movies were loved by the public while stuffy critics snub the appeal and only base their opinions on money making prowess rather than the complete package of a “good movie.”

10. Fight Club- Brad Pitt and his hotness made the film both appealing to men and women. None of the film makes much sense until the last 10 minutes. The crucial explanatory split persona is both vital to enjoy the movie and a nice twist to what would be a crazy ass adventure.

9. Harold and Maude- Never saw the film. I am too young and vibrant. That or spoiled by cinematic special effects. Long story short is some young fella falling for a Holocaust survivor. Granny action has to appeal to someone. Its release in 1971 was not what well received by the aforementioned stuffy critics who, I believe, under estimate the crowds.

8. Office Space- My favorite movie of what it is truly like to grind behind cubical with a boss who is about as deep as a kiddie pool. The release of the 1999 film landed a measly $10 million profit. When it came to DVD the movie exploded. With one liner echoing from the mouths of everyone who watched it. “O” face, “pieces of flair” and “case of the Mondays” all became an unspoken appreciation of the film. When you have a character named Michael Bolton who appreciates gangsta’ rap how can you possibly go wrong?

7. Peeping Tom- A thriller I missed. Simply because I am a giant chicken. Creepy mother-fellas going ham-sandwich crazy and killing people just doesn’t sit well with me. However, the cult hit made a splash. It offended critics who called it “perverted nonsense.” Eventually it grew into one the best horror flicks of all time, landing #18 on Total Film’s list.

6. Bringing Up Baby- Originally the Katherine Hepburn funny film was torn apart by critics. Now it is praised for comedic timing and lands at the fop of AFI’s Top comedies.

5. Donnie Darko- I believe this is the film that broke Jake Gyllenhaal from the “Bubble Boy” crap cellar. The film is genuinely “good.” Teen angst was the factor and the flop became a respect film by those with fine taste and appreciation for the dark side. It opened and made a whopping $514,545. I am sure “Glitter” made more scratch than that. A few reasons attributed to it’s poor sales was the release date less than a month after the September 11th attacks.

4. It’s a Wonderful Life- Christmas wouldn’t be the same without busting out the George Bailey heart warmer. Reviews were blah and mixed. Some were just flat out negative and didn’t bother with the film. Now it is on the “AFI All Time List” sitting merrily at number 20.

3. Blade Runner- In attempt to cash in on the Star Wars and Indiana Jones phenomenon, Blade Runner came to screens. Subsequently it hit the ground with a thud. Theater patrons were left disappointed. Now it clings on the a cult status of love it or hate it.

2. The Wizard of Oz- Would you believe the most well known movie that has birthed an icon barely covered it’s cost to make. To bring munchkins to life and tell the story of L. Frank Baum’s Dorothy it cost $2.8 million. It made an initial $3 million. It was re-released and became the most loved and welcomed family movie.

1. Citizen Kane- William Randolph Hearst has been the evil doer at the heart of a couple of films. In the movie Orson Welles indirectly attacked the news monger. Upon the discovery of the movie, Hearst offered RKO Pictures nearly $1 million to destroy the film. It almost never became the box office flop turned revived cinema magic. It rose from the dead several times. The first revival of the film was in the late 50’s. Since then it sits proudly at the top spot on “AFI Best” list.

Source: “10 Movie Flops Turned Classics” [Digg]

10 Movie Flops Turned Classics

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