Grindhouse: Why is it popular but 'flopped' at Box Office?

[Dr.Cox]

I know this film came out in like April in the US, I only just watched it online because I'm in the UK and the release date has been postponed

It's got 8.5 out of 10 on IMDB! I thought it was a cool film, I liked what they were trying to do, and Death Proof was very different to Planet Terror.

Apparently it's going to be released as two seperate films in UK due to the poor US box office sales. Why do you think this happened? Did people get put off by having to see TWO movies in a row? Was it not advertised correctly? Or did people simply not get the premise.

I think people didn't like the idea of a homage to old Grindhouse movies and the fact it was two movies may have put people off.

 

[xOKxTrunks]

I thought it was great, but I can see the mass turnoff for being so long alongside the type of movie each is. Just because it wasn't a smash hit at the Box Office doesn't mean it was a subpar movie, it's just not for everyone.

 

[nocomics]

I wouldn't bring up IMDB,its not a very credible source of anything related to movies to alot of ppl.
I'm not sure it was a popular movie(s),eventhough it did flop at box office. They were decent movies,and entertaining to watch. Far as popular,I guess its just the way they paid ommage(sp) to 70's type movies etc...It was just over the top fun,violence,and good old fashion car chases...
Box office flop ya, maybe it was. Many things played into that.I think its one of those movies that will do better on DVD rental/sales than in movie theatres..

 

[shapeshifter]

Rodriguez and QT have a built in audience.
Movies like spider-man 1-3 have trained us to think that any movie that does not make 100 million in the forst month are flops. Grindhouse was a movie experience, not a blockbuster. people who like exploitation films went to see it, people who like QT went to see it. Film buffs went to see it. but. Where it had no family oriented material or obvious comedy it could never compete with SM or harry Potter.

 

[Cinemaman]

Death Proof sucked, it was one of the worst Tarantino's films ever (if we don't count Natural Born Killers written by QT)

This weekend I'm going to check out Planet Terror, I still have hope that RR will change my mind about Grindhouse.

 

[Warhammer]

This movie will achieve cult status.

 

[DieSmiling]

Rodriguez and QT have a built in audience.
Movies like spider-man 1-3 have trained us to think that any movie that does not make 100 million in the forst month are flops. Grindhouse was a movie experience, not a blockbuster. people who like exploitation films went to see it, people who like QT went to see it. Film buffs went to see it. but. Where it had no family oriented material or obvious comedy it could never compete with SM or harry Potter.

It wasn't a flop because it didn't make $100 million in its first month -- its a flop because it hasn't made back half of its production budget in its domestic run.

 

[PowersOfMind]

This movie will achieve cult status.

I love Planet Terror.

 

[Movies205]

Grindhouse was a flop because it betrayed it's original intent. Think about it? The film is suppose to be a recreation of the silly/trashy grind house flicks, well okay... well signing up a bunch of well-known actors having a 100 million dollar budget, etc... Completely betrays that as well as the fact that it takes you way out of hte movie experience, it relies far too much on the fact that... people know there watching a movie. However Death Proof was the **** while Planet Terror kind of sucked

/\ Short version : People don't want pay 10 dollars for films made to be ****ty, who would of thunk it

 

[shapeshifter]

It wasn't a flop because it didn't make $100 million in its first month -- its a flop because it hasn't made back half of its production budget in its domestic run.

i know I'm just saying it seems like the line you have to cross before you are considered a sucess keeps getting hoisted up.
has QT ever made back production cost on something?

 

[DieSmiling]

i know I'm just saying it seems like the line you have to cross before you are considered a sucess keeps getting hoisted up.
has QT ever made back production cost on something?

Yes, in fact he'd doubled his production budget on every movie he'd made before Grindhouse, at least according to Boxofficemojo.

Resevoir Dogs cost $1.2 million to make, made $2.8 million domestically.
Pulp Fiction cost $8 million to make, made $107 million domestically.
Jackie Brown cost $12 million to make, made $39 million domestically.
Kill Bill Vol. 1 cost $30 million to make, made $70 million domestically.
Kill Bill Vol. 2 cost $30 million to make, made $66 million domestically.

 

[Halcohol]

Grindhouse was a flop because it betrayed it's original intent. Think about it? The film is suppose to be a recreation of the silly/trashy grind house flicks, well okay... well signing up a bunch of well-known actors having a 100 million dollar budget, etc... Completely betrays that as well as the fact that it takes you way out of hte movie experience, it relies far too much on the fact that... people know there watching a movie. However Death Proof was the **** while Planet Terror kind of sucked

Oh, good. I thought I was the only one alive who liked Death Proof far more than Planet Terror

 

[shapeshifter]

I'm amazed Pulp Fiction did as well as it did.
Kill Bill is no big shock. That was the Frosted Flakes of QT movies.

 

[kingman]

It flopped because people apparently couldn't handle a 3 hour movie which is the biggest load of bull I've ever heard. Most movies last just as long these days and to have them split the movies is an insult as they're still marketing Death Proof as "A Grindhouse Feature Presentation" in the UK. It will be the full uncut version but that's beside the point

 

[zeptron]

1) Dumb marketing campaign. The trailers (bad-arsed as they were) were tailored to Grindhosue movie fans. Most people I know haven’t a clue as to what exactly a grindhouse movie is, and had absolutely no idea what the film was about.

2) Releasing a movie like Grindhouse on Easter weekend was a HUGE mistake. I just don’t believe the American movie going public cared to see a film like this on what is, essentially, a holy holiday.

3) The American movie going public. For the most part MOST American movie fans like mainstream/family movies. I guess it is an ‘escape’ from reality they’re looking for with there movie dollars. So, Blades of Glory and Are We Done Yet made a killing, and Grindhouse got killed.

4) Grindhouse is a niche’ movie with a niche’. Basically it’s an ’R’ rated horror movie, which is definitely a niche’ market alone, and then it is a Grindhouse film, which itself is a very small niche’ I market. That’s two strikes against it right there.

5) The directors. Believe it or not, most people either LOVE QT and RR, or they HATE them and their films. Unfortunately most people can’t stand either one of them, especially QT.

6) People said that they figured they’d wait for the DVD release and spend their entertainment dollars elsewhere ‘cause they didn’t know what Grindhouse was all about (see: #1). That’s a BIG ouch right there.

7) No bank-able stars. I know, I know, Kurt Russell is the big name on the bill, but, believe this or not, and as cool as KR is, his name is not going bring in movie fans by the millions.

8) The running time. People have said they don't won't to see it because of it being 3 hours. This is complete bull. Movies like Titantic, King Kong, and the LOTR movies were just as long or longer and they all made big money.

9) The Weinsteins are morons.

 

[Movies205]

Oh, good. I thought I was the only one alive who liked Death Proof far more than Planet Terror

I love Deaht Proof because it's what cheesy b-flicks are about, hilariously cheesy dialouge and hten those two or three scenes that make it all worthwhile...

 

[shapeshifter]

^ to add to that I don't think Grindhouse had the re-watch value. Its not one of those movies that a lot of people went to see two or three times.

 

[DieSmiling]

I'm amazed Pulp Fiction did as well as it did.
Kill Bill is no big shock. That was the Frosted Flakes of QT movies.

It was highly critically acclaimed.

Death Proof sucked. It just proved Tarantino has no idea how to write women's dialogue.

 

[Halcohol]

It was highly critically acclaimed.

Death Proof sucked. It just proved Tarantino has no idea how to write women's dialogue.

I saw nothing wrong with it... besides the dialogue was supposed to bore you, to be idle conversation.

 

[Rezzo]

I wonder who was the genius that thought hey let´s release a bloody violent movie on EASTER WEEKEND

 

[black_dust]

I liked both movies, i think i prefered PT over DP though. Just wish i could have seen them in the theatre in one whole film. **** going to see it as two sperate films they arent getting twice the money off me!

And the trailers kicked ass DONT!!!! go in there!