It shouldn't have bombed, it was a great movie, lots of action, funny lines and it even had a good plot.
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thecaptaineast — 18 years ago(August 12, 2007 09:35 PM)
Geller-I'm looking forward to reading your dissertation.
In answer to the original question:
Because movie studios are into instant gratification these days.They want the movie to make $100 million the first week and if it doesn't,that's it.Dustin Hoffman talked about how the movie business has changed since the 70's and he said All The President's Men was not a runaway hit.Through word of mouth it gradually made money and now studios are not willing to wait for that.
Interestingly,there was a young lady ahead of me (who was black) and you would think she was there to see Samuel L.Jackson.Nope.She was seeing the movie for Geena Davis."I just like to see girls kick ass," she told me.We have a right now society and one of the things it does great damage to is the movie industry-the studios because they're really losing money long term and the fans because those of us who don't get to the theater the first weekend find the movie gone because Universal didn't get their candy right away.The question is,will it ever change? -
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dangus — 18 years ago(October 02, 2007 08:04 PM)
I dunno about the box office, but it was a popular movie in the early years of DVD, up there with Jurassic Park and Contact as a home theater demo movie. I rented it more than once on laserdisc to give my subwoofers a workout.
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sosgemini — 18 years ago(October 28, 2007 07:47 PM)
wowfascinating thread.
my two cents? i love the film. sure its over the top but which action films aren't?
and why was it a failure? well, the film was marketed as a female lead male action and thats a tough sale even today. so no duh the film was a flopbut it was a good attempt by davis and harlin. -
tawniemarie — 18 years ago(December 01, 2007 06:02 PM)
This is a movie I can watch over and over again, especially around the Christmas season. I was in high school and working in a theater when this came out, and loved it so much I went a couple of times. But, to be fair, it was freeand I just bought the DVD this year because it was 2.96 at walmart. There are probably a million reasons why this didn't do go at the box office, but there are also a ton a reasons I love this movie. Oh well, to each their own!
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chaosHD — 18 years ago(February 02, 2008 05:29 PM)
My guess as to why the movie failed is that the year before, Geena Davis and Renny Harlin had done the huge bomb Cutthroat Island. After that movie Geena Davis movies and Renny Harlin movies became pretty much box office poison. So everyone was expecting Long Kiss to be mediocre at best, no one had any reason to expect otherwise. If the movie came out today there would be no difference. It would still make no money in the theaters, but would be huge on video.
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camruud — 17 years ago(April 21, 2008 04:23 PM)
Did this one really do it bad at the box office? I remember when I was 12, and this one hit the theatres in Norway, this movie was on every actionfans lips. Unfortunately, it was rated 18 in Norway so I had to wait for the video. But I remember this one being amongst the cream de la cream of actionfilms at that time Still love it.
As for Harlin, he have'nt made anything good since this one and Cutthroat, but his older flicks like Cliffhanger, Die hard 2, Prison and ANOES4: The Dream Master are good quality-time substitutes -
byteblock2000 — 17 years ago(July 06, 2008 10:00 AM)
Wow. I'm surprised
I thought this film was a huge success. I remember renting it many times back in '96-'97 (when it was released on video here in Norway). It's one of those films I remember clearly as if I saw it yesterday. I think it's been a decade since I last saw it. -
jajjjc — 17 years ago(October 05, 2008 12:03 PM)
Well the film made a decent amount of money overseas for it became somewhat profitable, plus it has a cult audience at the Home Video section.
Anway, this and "Jingle All The Way" are the two films I always watch around Christmas time. Cliche and cheesy as hell, but man its a lot of fun to watch.
Shane Black is one of my fave. screenwriters too, and he's top notch here. -
caffeinelake1 — 17 years ago(March 12, 2009 12:17 AM)
It tanked because it's too real and because it reads like a PNAC manual. Paul Wolfowitz probably consulted on it to provide the intimate details on the references to simulated waterboarding.
I Get My News From Deek Jackson -
scribe_ninja — 17 years ago(March 17, 2009 04:16 AM)
It was good but the most annoying scene for me was when she miraculously put on her ice skates under seconds
I hated that scene! So unrealistic.
I mean the entire premise is unrealistic but there are some things that just down right hokey.