If the Nunes memo were a Hollywood movie, which flop would it be?

[mnmoderatedem]

I vote Ishtar, from 1987. An absolute bust, starring Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman.

Reason it comes to mind, is that there was a pre release buzz indicating this over hyped movie was going to be a major flop. Much like the buzz about today's Nunes memo, some of that buzz coming directly from the white house, no less. In both cases, the initial negative buzz was spot on. In fact, regarding Ishtar, people were not even angry about spending their hard earned dollars for such a travesty, and were more amused than pissed off, simply marveling at the ineptitude, much like the reaction to the Nunes memo today. Only difference being that it's not funny regarding the consequences of what may lay ahead now.

Any other Hollywood flops come to mind for comparison purposes?

[rzemanfl]

1. "Heavens Gate." They would all be turned away. n/t

[shenmue]

2. Waterworld. Dumb movie. Hated the pee scene.

[CatWoman]

3. ...

[gratuitous]

14. Nah, Leonard Part 6 was worse

For my money, though, it's A.I. all the way. Sub-moronic plot that completely wastes the talents of Jude Law and Steven Spielberg.

But why all the hate on Ishtar? Was it horribly overbudget? Sure, but it's not your money, what do you care? Taken on its own terms without regard to all the cash the studio set on fire, it's not a lousy movie.

[Loki Liesmith]

56. I love AIs plot

Or at least the story it’s based on.

Supertoys Last All Summer Long.

[marble falls]

4. Ishtar was my first choice but Gigli was even worse....

[FSogol]

25. +1, exactly. n/t

[muntrv]

5. Showgirls.

[lapfog_1]

51. this bad acting plus a little bit of porn thrown in

[rurallib]

6. "Plan 9 From Outer Space"

[mnmoderatedem]

7. that one was sort of "purposely" bad

but it's seeming like the Nunes memo is as well, for whatever reason.

Good call.

[revmclaren]

8. 'The Postman'.

Waaaay too long and terrible writing!



Edited to add:

Memo could have been shortened to just say 'FBI bad, Russia good. Fire Rosenstein.! Heil Trump'.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

9. "Oh, Senator Sin"

It'a a porn movie where there's lots of talking, but no climax.

I give it 1/2 Rosy Palm.

[Atticus]

10. Reefer Madness. Memo is almost as accurate and truthful. nt

[procon]

60. That's a good one. It probably isn't well know, but its still unintentionally funny. nt

[Docreed2003]

11. Ishtar...FTW!!!!

[JCMach1]

12. Paranormal Activity 2

[kydo]

13. Attack of the Killer Tomatoes

Because its just a really bad movie.

[tazkcmo]

15. Pure Trash nt

[Iggo]

16. Pearl Harbor. (n/t)

[Upthevibe]

17. I read reviews so I normally don't see flops.....

I've been to a few movies that are pretty bad (in spite of the reviews being good). I was disappointed in a couple from '17 that critics and audiences are raving about but I thought sucked......Sorry....I take my movies way too seriously! LOL!

[rusty quoin]

31. Yes. I like your choice. Its about a very serious subject but its shit.

[Iggo]

35. Exactly.

There's a story there to be told, but that ain't it.

[MurrayDelph]

18. "The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and

Became Mixed-Up Zombies" (1964)

[Iggo]

36. That should always be one of the possible answers to any movie quiz.

[herding cats]

19. 2013 remake of The Lone Ranger.

I never saw the final numbers, but that one was a HUGE money sink and subsequent flop. It was a Trump level fail if ever there was one.

[marble falls]

29. Weird but Johnny Depp was both the best thing in the movie and the worst thing about it.

[HappyBeing]

20. xXx: State of the Union

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_box_office_bombs

[Hugin]

21. Something made in 2016 which went directly to VHS.

Read that carefully.

[Ilsa]

22. LOL. I think all crappy films should go directly to VHS

so no one ever has to see them again!

[Stinky The Clown]

23. Three Amigos

[FSogol]

24. Gigli starring Ben Affleck & Jennifer Lopez

The violent story about how a criminal lesbian, a tough-guy hitman with a heart of gold, and a mentally challenged man came to be best friends through a hostage.

$54 million budget, earned $6 million

[marble falls]

27. Money-wise if not also watchable-wise it has to be the worst.

[Skittles]

37. I actually tried to watch that

I think I lasted 15 minutes

WTF were they thinking

[Ferrets are Cool]

26. Istar was the first to come to mind. nm

[blogslut]

28. Suicide Squad

[unblock]

30. The apropos choice would be the adventures of baron munchausen

Hollywood flop about some tall tales.

[FSogol]

38. That was a Terry Gilliam movie and was quite awesome.

A fantastical surreal retelling of Baron Munchausen's (an exaggerating liar) stories. It starred Eric Idle, John Neville, and Jonathan Bryce.

[unblock]

39. Yes I actually rather enjoyed it

It was a flop not for being a bad movie, they just spent way too much making it.

[FSogol]

40. All of Gilliam's movies verge on being a financial disaster. He tried to film Don Quitoxe

with Johnny Depp and the entire production (being filmed in a desert) was washed away by flash floods. The tale of the disaster is told in the documentary, Lost in La Mancha (highly recommend). From wiki:

Lost in La Mancha tells the story of the film's very delicate schedule and budget, which completely unraveled once production began. Gilliam is shown early on telling his crew not to be afraid to tell him that something is too complicated or expensive to be done because he needs to be restrained sometimes. In another interview he says he wants his films to be seen and enjoyed by the widest audience possible.

On the first day of shooting, the crew discovered that their outdoor filming location in the area known as Bardenas Reales was plagued by nearly constant noise from a nearby NATO aircraft target practice area. Gilliam decided to continue capturing footage, expecting to replace the audio in post-production. The second day of shooting featured a flash flood and hail which damaged equipment, and permanently changed the appearance of the location, where some shots had not yet been completed.

Days later it became clear that Rochefort was injured, and within a week Gilliam learned that Rochefort had a herniated disc and would be unable to continue filming. This ended production completely and resulted in a record $15 million insurance claim. The insurance company owned the rights to the screenplay for several years, until they were transferred back to Gilliam. Production of The Man Who Killed Don Quixote was restarted in 2008.

[OliverQ]

32. Catwoman? Jack and Jill? Glitter?

[Sparkly]

33. Dumb and Dumber.

[Mme. Defarge]

34. Florence Foster Jenkins

[lindysalsagal]

46. Well....she had the purest intentions....she really did.

She loved to sing. She just was a really really lousy musician... Not her fault.

[JHB]

41. An American Carol

A movie billed as the ultimate riposte to “Hollywood liberals” but was so pathetic it didn’t last two weeks.

[rusty fender]

43. LOL, my choice also!

Budget was $12 million, made $7 million

Two actors turned down the lead role before being accepted by Kevin Farley(who?)

4.3 stars on IMDB

[JHB]

47. I'm one of the few still-sane human beings who have seen it more than once...

I saw it as an exercise just on its (de)merits, then saw it a second time for the purpose of concentrating on reviewing it, but by the second time there was no point. It was dying a quick but painful death, and by that time any acknowledgment of its existence would only delay the inevitable.

Partially a pity, because its "liberals are stuck in 1968" meme is a launching point for arguing that conservatives are stuck in 1978. But I gladly accept the loss.

[rusty fender]

50. I never saw it but

I remember the hype for this movie; it was YUGE

[JHB]

55. Megaflop, and **not**the computer kind.

[rusty fender]

57. And deservedly so

[boston bean]

42. Joe Versus the Volcano.

[meadowlander]

44. Battlefield Earth

Cynical, paranoid claptrap designed to bilk the gullible but so poorly executed it couldn't even manage that.

[lindysalsagal]

45. Weekend At.....

[Downtown Hound]

48. Are we speaking of actual box office flops

Because some of the movies people are mentioning here aren't really flops. But my vote would be Waterworld. I actually didn't hate that movie, it just wasn't that great. Mediocre. And for what it cost to make and what it actually earned, it's one of the biggest flops of all time after being supremely hyped.

[Different Drummer]

49. This.

[tblue37]

52. No--I loved "Ishtar." nt

[bmbmd]

53. No mention

Of “Spies Like Us”?

[no_hypocrisy]

54. The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight (1973)

[Lint Head]

58. Plan 9 From Outer Space

[SonofDonald]

59. "National Treasure"

Not so much as a flop but as a letdown.

The entire movie you're waiting to see the treasure of the ages, they find it.

Then spend about four minutes staring off into a huge room full of treasure.

And leave, what a letdown, just like the memo.

But that's a good thing.