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Is Shawshank Redemption the best box office bomb of all time?
Posted on 7/28/20 at 2:28 pm
Posted on 7/28/20 at 2:28 pm
It has a great cast and great acting. Great story and is just an incredible movie. How did it not do better financially? Really perplexing. I don't know anybody who doesn't like this movie unless they're someone who literally cannot digest anything that isn't basically a Michael Bay action movie or Hallmark esque rom com. Critically it got 7 academy award nominations. So clearly the people then who were voting were able to appreciate the movie.
There are plenty of movies that bombed but got critical acclaim but never gained mainstream popularity. What other movies were bombs but later became insanely popular but were still critically acclaimed when they came out?
There are plenty of movies that bombed but got critical acclaim but never gained mainstream popularity. What other movies were bombs but later became insanely popular but were still critically acclaimed when they came out?
15
Posted on 7/28/20 at 2:35 pm to jlovel7
Several articles over the years have taken a look at it and why it flopped.
From a looper article.
I would also add that in 94 you had Travolta and Bruce Willis staring in Pulp Fiction, against basically Tim Robbins. Morgan Freeman was there too, but in 94 he wasn't necessarily MORGAN FREEMAN.
From a looper article.
quote:
When the film hit screens, it didn't do so in a vacuum. In fact, The Shawshank Redemption had the distinct misfortune of having its wide release the same weekend as one of the most popular movies to come out of the '90s.
When The Shawshank Redemption hit theaters across America on October 14, 1994, it wasn't alone. An indie flick from an exciting new voice in contemporary cinema that had wowed audiences at the Cannes Film Festival was also making its wide theatrical debut the very same day. That movie was Pulp Fiction, and it sucked most of the air out of the room when it was released.
Of course, one movie's success doesn't automatically result in another's failure. However, it's clear that when it came time to pick which of those two critically-lauded grownup dramas to see, audiences overwhelmingly chose Pulp Fiction.
As for why the movie had much greater success at home than in theaters, Tim Robbins suggested the movie gets better the longer you sit with it. In his Entertainment Weekly interview, he said, "[T]he immediate reaction at that time wasn't as important as whether the film would have life in video and on cable. And when given a chance, when people actually started to see the movie, it became something that was a movie that people had to watch several times."
I would also add that in 94 you had Travolta and Bruce Willis staring in Pulp Fiction, against basically Tim Robbins. Morgan Freeman was there too, but in 94 he wasn't necessarily MORGAN FREEMAN.
This post was edited on 7/28/20 at 2:45 pm
Posted on 7/28/20 at 2:51 pm to lsu1919
The rewatachables podcast covers this issue pretty well. It was the perfect run time to show on TNT TBS etc. to fill in primetime viewing before either network got original shows.
The guy who played the warden was apparently still getting six-figure residual checks not that long ago.
The guy who played the warden was apparently still getting six-figure residual checks not that long ago.
Posted on 7/28/20 at 3:53 pm to jlovel7
Citizen Kane bombed and is often considered to be the actual greatest film of all time.
Posted on 7/28/20 at 3:59 pm to OMLandshark
quote:
Citizen Kane bombed and is often considered to be the actual greatest film of all time.
That's because William Randolph Hearst - the most powerful media mogul on the planet at that time - did everything in his power to keep the public from seeing it. You had entire theater chains refuse to show the film out of fear of Hearst.
Posted on 7/28/20 at 3:59 pm to jlovel7
Alita Battle Angel was a recent awesome movie I loved and I believe it flopped at the box
Best movie Robert Rodriguez has made in forever imo maybe his best ever jmo tho
As u critics and audience dont agree at all
Best movie Robert Rodriguez has made in forever imo maybe his best ever jmo tho
As u critics and audience dont agree at all
This post was edited on 7/28/20 at 4:01 pm
Posted on 7/28/20 at 3:59 pm to OMLandshark
And as for some of my submissions:
Children of Men
Blade Runner 2049
The Iron Giant
Scott Pilgrim vs the World
Annihilation
I don’t think the last 3 are better than Shawshank, but I think the first two are.
Children of Men
Blade Runner 2049
The Iron Giant
Scott Pilgrim vs the World
Annihilation
I don’t think the last 3 are better than Shawshank, but I think the first two are.
This post was edited on 7/28/20 at 4:02 pm
Posted on 7/28/20 at 4:00 pm to RollTide1987
quote:
That's because William Randolph Hearst - the most powerful media mogul on the planet at that time - did everything in his power to keep the public from seeing it. You had entire theater chains refuse to show the film out of fear of Hearst
Oh I’m aware, but it still qualifies as a bomb.
Posted on 7/28/20 at 4:01 pm to jlovel7
There are probably a bunch of actual good movies that bomb because of who knows why.
If Shawshank Redemption came out at the same time as Pulp Fiction - then that’s probably why. It was ‘cooler’ in 1994 to go see PF than Shawshank. (I didn’t see either til much later)
If Shawshank Redemption came out at the same time as Pulp Fiction - then that’s probably why. It was ‘cooler’ in 1994 to go see PF than Shawshank. (I didn’t see either til much later)
Posted on 7/28/20 at 4:02 pm to OMLandshark
Add to that Boondock Saints
Flopped at BO and with critics I think it's like 20% on rt
Flopped at BO and with critics I think it's like 20% on rt
Posted on 7/28/20 at 4:11 pm to jlovel7
Gods of Egypt
Posted on 7/28/20 at 4:12 pm to Peter167
quote:
Alita Battle Angel was a recent awesome movie I loved and I believe it flopped at the box
I liked Alita. I think it turned a small profit. If it bombed it wasn’t on an epic scale.
Posted on 7/28/20 at 5:09 pm to biglego
quote:
Gods of Egypt
From my experience, I saw the trailer in another movie and me and my wife both said that looks terrible. I think marketing was the killer on this one
Posted on 7/28/20 at 6:25 pm to jlovel7
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Wizard of Oz
Fight Club
Iron Giant
Office Space
all were considered financial flops and are basically must sees as well. Not sure how they happen but they do. At least word eventually gets out on them and they earn money on their latter legs.
Wizard of Oz
Fight Club
Iron Giant
Office Space
all were considered financial flops and are basically must sees as well. Not sure how they happen but they do. At least word eventually gets out on them and they earn money on their latter legs.
Posted on 7/28/20 at 6:29 pm to jlovel7
While I think Shawshank is at the top, I think as more people see Doctor Sleep, it will be up there.
Posted on 7/28/20 at 6:31 pm to biglego
quote:
I liked Alita. I think it turned a small profit. If it bombed it wasn’t on an epic scale.
It did not bomb, and it was very profitable based on its international box office numbers.
quote:
Gods of Egypt
Lolwut!?
This post was edited on 7/28/20 at 6:32 pm
Posted on 7/28/20 at 6:40 pm to GreenRockTiger
quote:
There are probably a bunch of actual good movies that bomb because of who knows why.
I'm of the opinion that United 93 was one of the Top 5 best films of the last 20 years. It bombed because it came out in 2006 and people considered it to be "too soon" after the actual events for the film to be tasteful.
Posted on 7/28/20 at 6:42 pm to jlovel7
What about Fight Club?
Posted on 7/28/20 at 6:51 pm to lsu1919
Shawshank is a great Sunday afternoon TBS movie. Thats its perfect niche. Groundbreaking movie? Not really. I personally like The Green Mile more
Posted on 7/28/20 at 6:52 pm to OMLandshark
quote:
Blade Runner 2049
this slot should go to the original
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