List of box office bombs (1980s)

Further information: List of box office bombs, 1980s in film, 1980 in film, 1981 in film, 1982 in film, 1983 in film, 1984 in film, 1985 in film, 1986 in film, 1987 in film, 1988 in film, and 1989 in film

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Film	Year of release	Notes
9½ Weeks	1986	Considered too explicit by its American distributor, and cut for U.S. release, the film was a box office bomb in the U.S, grossing only $6.7 million at the box office on a $17 million budget. It also received mixed reviews at the time of its release. However it became a huge success internationally in its unedited version, particularly in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, making $100 million worldwide. It has also acquired a large fanbase on video and DVD and has developed a cult following.

A

Film	Year of release	Notes
Absolute Beginners	1986	The commercial failure of Absolute Beginners and another film released about the same time, The Mission, led to the collapse of Goldcrest, a major British film studio. $2.5 million of the film's budget came from Orion and £2.5 million from Goldcrest.
The Abyss	1989	The Abyss was released on August 9, 1989, in 1,533 theaters, where it grossed $9.3 million on its opening weekend and ranked #2 at the box office. It went on to make $54.5 million in North America and $35.5 million throughout the rest of the world for a worldwide total of $90 million.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen	1988	The film was over budget; what was originally $23.5 million, grew to a reported $46.63 million. Terry Gilliam, acknowledging he had gone over budget, said its final costs had been nowhere near $40 million. When The Adventures of Baron Munchausen was finally completed, David Puttnam, who had obtained the film's US distribution rights for Columbia Pictures, had been replaced as CEO of Columbia; coupled with Gilliam's prior quarrels with major studios over Brazil, the film saw only very limited distribution in the US, earning $8 million in US box office. Although the film was a box office bomb, it received positive reviews from critics and was nominated for four Academy Awards: Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Visual Effects and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension	1984	Buckaroo Banzai was originally scheduled to be released on June 8, 1984 but was pushed back to August 15. It opened on 236 screens and faced stiff competition against the likes of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (also featuring Banzai co-star Christopher Lloyd), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Ghostbusters. It made USD $620,279 on its opening weekend before finally grossing $6.2 million in North America.
The Adventures of Mark Twain	1985	It received a theatrical release, limited to seven major cities, in May 1985.
The Adventures of the American Rabbit	1986	The film was among the first to be released by Clubhouse Pictures, a division of independent distributor, Atlantic Releasing, which specialized in children's entertainment. It was not well received by critics or audiences through its original run. The film made $291,126 during its opening weekend from 242 screens and ran for two months, grossing $1,268,443.
All Night Long	1981	The movie was a flop. It opened at #1 on the American film charts with an opening weekend of $1,391,000. The Independent Movie Data Base website lists the film's total U.S. gross as less than $4.5 million. In William Goldman's Adventures in the Screen Trade, Goldman states the budget, originally $3 million, ballooned to $15 million, in part because of the addition of Streisand. With prints and advertising costs, Goldman states the studio lost at least $20 million on the film.
The Amateur	1981
Amazon Women on the Moon	1987	The majority of critics agreed that the quality was inconsistent throughout the film. Variety called it "irreverent, vulgar and silly... [with] some hilarious moments and some real groaners too." Amazon Women on the Moon has a rating of 59% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 17 reviews, with an average rating of 5.5/10.
American Anthem	1986	The film received aggressively negative reviews from famed critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert; with Ebert called "as bad as any movie I've seen this year (1986), and so inept that not even the gymnastics scenes are interesting"; and Siskel called the film "complete junk; you can see more interesting gymnastics on Wide World of Sports than in this garbage".
American Flyers	1985	It had a limited release on 16 August 1985 and grossed $1.4 million in the US. As of October 2017, American Flyers had a 65% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 20 reviews, with an average score of 5.4/10.
Amityville 3-D	1983	Amityville 3-D finished its opening box office weekend at #1, with a box office take of $2,366,472 according to Box Office Mojo. The following weekend it dropped to #5 and a 21% drop, in the second weekend. Its final domestic gross ended at $6,333,135. It was ultimately considered a box office flop and ended up being the last film in the series released theatrically until the remake of The Amityville Horror in 2005.
And God Created Woman	1988	The movie received poor reviews. The film currently holds a 38% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on eight reviews.
Annie	1982	Annie grossed $57 million in the United States, making it the 10th highest-grossing film of 1982.
Another Woman	1988	Another Woman received modest praise from critics and holds a 67% positive "Fresh" rating on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
At Close Range	1986	Despite the accolades and warm reviews, the film was not a box office success. It grossed a total of $2,347,000 at the North American box office during its theatrical run in 83 theaters, earning less than its production budget of $6.5 million.

B

Film	Year of release	Notes
Babar: The Movie	1989	In May 1989, the Toronto-based animation studio Nelvana announced that Babar: The Movie would debut in over 800 U.S. theatres by 28 July of that year. The film, however, opened at only 510 North American venues and grossed US$1,305,187; the Chicago Tribune deemed it a box-office flop, although the film did regain its losses through the home video release. It was the last animated feature production by Nelvana until 1997's Pippi Longstocking, and another Babar film in 1999, Babar: King of the Elephants.
The Barbarians	1987	The Barbarians was first shown in the United States on March 20, 1987. It was released theatrically in Italy on April 24, 1987. It opened on eighty-nine screens on May 15, 1987, earning $238,842 during its opening weekend. It grossed a total of $800,000 in the United States.
Barbarosa	1982	The film received critical acclaim. It currently has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. "One of the best overlooked westerns of the last 20 years" according to reviewer LG Writer, and featured on an episode of the television show Siskel & Ebert dedicated to uncovering worthy sleepers, it is "a tale of betrayal, vendetta, honor, and dignity".
Benji the Hunted	1987	It grossed $22,257,624 at the US box office.
Bert Rigby, You're a Fool	1989
Best Defense	1984	The movie received negative reviews from critics. It opened strong at #2 behind Ghostbusters with $7.8 million but quickly lost steam, mostly due to poor word-of-mouth, and grossed a disappointing $19.2 million. It was nominated for a Stinkers Bad Movie Awards for Worst Picture, losing to Dune.
The Best of Times	1986	The film received mixed reviews, with a 33% 'rotten' rating on review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes.
The Big Blue	1988	The film was met with positive reviews in Europe, where it was described as "one of the most significant cult movies of the 1980s" by French Cinema historian Rémi Lanzoni, who described it as "ooz[ing] with a sensuous beauty unlike any other film at the time". The film was slightly edited for US release to have a new, positive ending and the original score was also replaced.
The Big Picture	1989	Greenlit by David Puttnam of Columbia Pictures, the president was ousted two weeks after production began, and the subsequent regime at the studio. According to Guest, they were unable to figure out what could be done with the film as many executives at the studio didn't like the film because they felt like they were being brutally satirized in it. Columbia quietly gave The Big Picture a limited theatrical release (despite opening to positive reviews) before sending it to video.
Big Top Pee-wee	1988	The film received a score 35% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 20 reviews. Roger Ebert greeted the film with two stars and (along with colleague Gene Siskel) also rated it thumbs down on their television program, stating that Pee-wee entered the real world and, comparing it to Pee-wee's Playhouse (dubbed by the duo as 'the television show') and Pee-wee's Big Adventure, claimed that 'the characters in those have absolutely no connection with reality whatsoever, and that is why they were so enduring and enjoyable'. The negative reviews reflected the action at the box office, where it grossed $15,122,324, suffering from competition with Who Framed Roger Rabbit, A Fish Called Wanda, and the re-issue of Bambi, among other summer releases.
Big Trouble in Little China	1986	The film was a commercial failure, grossing $11.1 million in North America, below its estimated $19 to $25 million budget. It received mixed reviews that left John Carpenter disillusioned with Hollywood and influenced his decision to return to independent filmmaking. It has since become a cult classic and has an 82% average rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a steady audience on home video. Opening in 1,053 theaters on July 2, 1986, Big Trouble in Little China grossed $2.7 million in its opening weekend and went on to gross $11.1 million in North America, well below its estimated budget of $19–25 million. The film was released in the midst of the hype for James Cameron's blockbuster Aliens, which was released sixteen days after. On the DVD commentary for Big Trouble in Little China, Carpenter and KurtRussell discuss this among possible reasons for the film's disappointing box office gross.
Bird	1988	The film was shot in 52 days for $14.4 million, not counting Clint Eastwood's fee, although in interviews Eastwood sometimes said the film only cost $9 million to make. Bird received positive reviews from critics, scoring a 78% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Birdy	1984	Tri-Star Pictures had planned to release the film using a platform technique which involved opening it in select cities before releasing it nationwide. The studio was confident that the limited theatrical run would generate strong-word-of-mouth interest and awards consideration for the film. Birdy opened in limited release on December 21, 1984 in New York City, Los Angeles and Toronto. The film's failure to garner any award nominations during the limited run resulted in Tri-Star cancelling a wide release scheduled for late January 1985. In response, A&M Films prompted the studio to refocus the film's marketing campaign. Tri-Star adjusted its promotional focus on the friendship between Birdy and Al, while Parker, Modine and Cage heavily promoted the film by personally visiting critics, journalists and radio reporters. Birdy was a box office bomb, grossing only $1,455,045 in the United States and Canada, well below its estimated budget of $12 million.
The Black Cauldron	1985	The Black Cauldron was released in North America on July 24, 1985. The film was also screened at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. While officially budgeted by Disney executives at $25 million, the film's production manager, Don Hahn, said in his documentary, Waking Sleeping Beauty, that it cost $44 million to produce the film. The $44-million budget made it the most expensive animated film ever made at the time. The film grossed $21.3 million domestically. It resulted in a loss for Walt Disney Studios and put the future of the animation department in jeopardy. It was so poorly received that it was not distributed as a home video release for more than a decade after its theatrical run. Adding insult to injury, the film was also beaten at the box office by The Care Bears Movie ($22.9 million domestically), which was released several months earlier by Disney's much-smaller rival animation studio Nelvana. The film was however more successful outside North America notably in France where it had 3,074,481 admissions and was the fifth most attended film of the year.
Blade Runner	1982	Blade Runner initially underperformed in North American theaters and polarized critics; some praised its thematic complexity and visuals, while others were displeased with its unconventional pacing and plot. It later became an acclaimed cult film regarded as one of the all-time best science fiction movies. Hailed for its production design depicting a "retrofitted" future, Blade Runner is a leading example of neo-noir cinema. Blade Runner was released in 1,290 theaters on June 25, 1982. That date was chosen by producer Alan Ladd Jr. because his previous highest-grossing films (Star Wars and Alien) had a similar opening date (May 25) in 1977 and 1979, making the 25th of the month his "lucky day". Blade Runner grossed reasonably good ticket sales according to contemporary reports; earning $6.1 million during its first weekend in theaters. The film was released close to other major sci-fi/fantasy releases such as The Thing, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Conan the Barbarian and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
Blaze	1989	Blaze debuted at number 9 at the North American box office on its opening weekend.
The Blob	1988	A remake of the 1958 horror film of the same name, the film was theatrically released in 1988, and was a box office disappointment, earning $8.2 million. It received mixed reviews but was praised for its special effects. Much like the original film, the remake has since gained a cult following. The film was released theatrically in the United States by TriStar Pictures in August 1988. It grossed $8,247,943 at the box office, making it a box office flop.
Bloodhounds of Broadway	1989	Bloodhounds of Broadway received negative reviews from critics. Produced on a budget of $4 million, the film grossed less than $44,000 in its limited release.
Blood Red	1989	It was filmed and completed in 1986, but released three years later.
Blue City	1986	Blue City earned $2.7 million in its first weekend and was a box office disappoinment.
The Blue Iguana	1988
Bolero	1984	Executive producer and Cannon Films co-head Menahem Golan urged the Dereks to make the sex scenes more explicit, despite the latter party's objections on the basis that the scenes were strong enough. The film was initially to be distributed by MGM as part of an ongoing deal with Cannon, and Bo Derek screened the film to the studio's then-CEO Frank Yablans hoping that he would intervene with Golan on the matter of the erotic content. Yablans disliked the film as much as all the other films Cannon was delivering to MGM. When the producers refused to cut the film to avoid an X rating by the MPAA, MGM dropped the film due to standards policies and Cannon released Bolero themselves. The quality of Bolero and the other Cannon/MGM films led to Yablans using a breach of contract clause to terminate the distribution deal with the two studios in November 1984. Bolero was ultimately released with no MPAA rating, with a disclaimer on ads that no children under 17 would be admitted to the film. Despite this, many theater chains that normally refused to screen X-rated films did the same for Bolero. The film earned about $8.9 million in American ticket sales against a $7 million production budget. Despite minor commercial success, the film was critically panned, earning nominations for nine Golden Raspberry Awards at the 5th Golden Raspberry Awards and "winning" six, including the Worst Picture.
The Boost	1988
The Border	1982
The Bounty	1984	The replica of the Bounty used in the film was built in New Zealand before the script was even completed at a cost of $4 million; the entire film cost $25 million. However, unlike many other films filmed on water, The Bounty was finished under budget.
The Boy in Blue	1986	The filming took place in Quebec and Ontario, Canada, which was eventually released for North American theatres on January 17, 1986.
Brainstorm	1983	Brainstorm was finally released on September 30, 1983, almost two years after Natalie Wood's death. However, it opened on a small number of screens and with little publicity, despite being trumpeted unofficially as "Natalie Wood's last movie". Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports that 63% of 16 critics have given the film a positive review with an average rating of 5.7/10. Janet Maslin of the New York Times gave particular credit to Louise Fletcher's "superb performance". The film was not a commercial success, with a production budget of $18 million and grossing only $10 million in ticket sales in North America.
Brazil	1985	Though a success in Europe, the film was unsuccessful in its initial North America release. It has since become a cult film. In 1999, the British Film Institute voted Brazil the 54th greatest British film of all time. In 2017 a poll of 150 actors, directors, writers, producers and critics for Time Out magazine saw it ranked the 24th best British film ever. The film was produced by Arnon Milchan's company Embassy International Pictures. Terry Gilliam's original cut of the film is 142 minutes long and ends on a dark note. This version was released internationally by 20th Century Fox. US distribution was handled by Universal, whose executives felt the ending tested poorly. Universal chairman Sid Sheinberg insisted on a dramatic re-edit of the film to give it a happy ending, cutting out the reveal that it was all in Sam's mind, a decision that Gilliam resisted vigorously. At one point, there were two editing teams working on the film, one without Gilliam's knowledge.
Brenda Starr	1989	The film was shot in 1986; however, it was not released for three years due to lengthy litigation over distribution rights. When the film was released in the United States in 1992, it bombed at the box office, making $30,000 in its first week. Negative reviews were blamed, and the film was pulled from theaters shortly after its theatrical distribution.
Bright Lights, Big City	1988	Bright Lights, Big City was released on April 1, 1988 in 1,196 theaters, and grossed USD $5.1 million during its opening weekend. The film went to make $16.1 million domestically, below its budget of $25 million.
Brighton Beach Memoirs	1986
Buddy Buddy	1981
The Burning	1981	Theatrically released in the United States by Filmways in May 1981, the rights to The Burning were eventually transferred to Orion Pictures and later, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, who currently own the film. While the film did not generate the interest and revenue achieved by other slasher films of the time, it has since became a cult classic and received critical acclaim, currently holding a 86% "fresh" rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. Overall box office for The Burning was initially pretty dismal. It lasted in the top 50 for only four weeks, with a take of just $270,508. Variety reported it received a "chilly reception" in San Francisco and Chicago. Unlike in Buffalo, it opened elsewhere to stiff competition: it debuted at number 23 behind slasher films Happy Birthday to Me, which was at number one, and Friday the 13th Part 2 at number two; however, The Burning also opened on far fewer screens than those wider releases. The oversaturation of the slasher film market did not help draw in audiences to The Burning. Aside from having the very similar-plotted Friday the 13th Part 2 also playing, the film suffered from competition with Happy Birthday to Me (1981), Final Exam (1981), The Fan (1981), Graduation Day (1981), and a successful re-release of Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The success of Friday the 13th Part 2 hampered The Burning's attendance, as the audience flocked to the known property.

C

Film	Year of release	Notes
Caddyshack II	1988	The film was panned by critics and grossed $11,798,302 compared to the original’s $39 million gross at the box office. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 4% based on 23 reviews. The site's consensus reads: "Handicapped by a family friendly PG rating, even the talents of Caddyshack II's all-star comic cast can't save it from its lazy, laughless script and uninspired direction." On Metacritic, the film earned a 7/100, meaning "overwhelming dislike". The film also received four Golden Raspberry Award nominations; it won two. It was nominated for Worst Picture and Worst Actor (Jackie Mason), and won for Worst Supporting Actor (Dan Aykroyd) and Worst Original Song ("Jack Fresh").
Cannery Row	1982	Raquel Welch was cast as Suzy, but was fired after the first few days of production. Welch sued the filmmakers and won a reported settlement of more than $10 million in court.
Can't Stop the Music	1980	Can't Stop the Music is notorious for being the first winner of the Worst Picture Golden Raspberry Award, for it was a double feature of this and Xanadu that inspired John J. B. Wilson to start the Razzies. By the time of the film's release during the summer of 1980, the disco genre had not only peaked in the United States but also was experiencing a backlash there. (During the production, Carr, suspecting that something like that might happen, as it did, had already changed the film's title from the original Discoland--Where The Music Never Ends! The eventual title of Can't Stop The Music was an homage to Jacques Morali's Can't Stop Productions.) The film received scathing reviews and audiences stayed away. The soundtrack album was better received, going top 10 in the UK. The film did well in Australia, where the world premiere preview was shown at the Paramount Theatre, Sydney on June 1, 1980. The after party was held at Maxy's. At a cost estimated at $20 million, the film was a colossal failure financially, bringing in only a tenth of that in gross revenue, and is considered one of the reasons for the downfall of AFD. "Our timing was wrong, and in this business, timing is everything," wrote Lew Grade who invested in the movie. Alan Carr's next film, Grease 2, brought in more than twice as much on its opening weekend as this film grossed in its entire run. Even though it was considered a failure, Grease 2 nearly made back its investment in the U.S. gross alone. Since its initial failure, the film has gained something of a cult status as a camp film. Released on DVD in 2002, the film has been screened at gay film festivals, including the 2008 London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, and is an annual New Year's tradition on Australian television.
The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland	1987	Upon its North American release, the film opened weakly to mixed reviews, and ended up with a $2.6 million gross; worldwide, it barely made back its $5 million cost. Cineplex Odeon Films, the distribution branch of Canadian cinema chain Cineplex Odeon Corporation, acquired the North American rights to The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland in February 1987. According to the Long Island newspaper Newsday, Cineplex Odeon chairman Garth Drabinsky "shrugged off [this film] as 'a favour to the Canadian producer.'" Tie-ins appeared at department stores as part of the film's promotion; also, costumed Care Bears spread the word at daycare centres, hospitals and parades, and through radio. Opening on August 7, 1987, Wonderland only grossed US$2,608,000 in the U.S. and Canadian domestic market, with US$1,000,000 in rentals; on its opening weekend, it grossed little more than US$1 million in 20th place on 1,094 screens. It was Cineplex Odeon's second-highest-grossing release as a distributor, alongside Sign o' the Times (which made only US$3 million). The film premiered on videocassette in December 1987, thanks to MCA Home Video, and reissued by GoodTimes Home Video in 1996; a U.S. LaserDisc release occurred on May 16, 1991. The film aired on premium cable's Disney Channel in August 1988; in Canada, television rights were held by the Family Channel. Although the first two Care Bears films have received DVD releases, a Region 1 DVD premiere has not yet occurred for the third one, although it did receive a DVD release in Australia. Adventure in Wonderland only managed to break even with worldwide earnings of US$6,000,000, which led Nelvana co-founder Michael Hirsh to say, "It was just one sequel too many." The Bears would return for a television special, Care Bears Nutcracker Suite, which premiered on video and television in December 1988. They would no longer appear in animated features until 2004's Journey to Joke-a-lot. Their next theatrically released film, Oopsy Does It!, was screened in the U.S. in August 2007.
Cattle Annie and Little Britches	1981	The film was favorably reviewed by the critic Pauline Kael in The New Yorker. " The cinematography [by Larry Pizer] is vivid..the colors are strikingly crisp and intense. The dialogue and most of the incidents have a neat, dry humor. It's a wonderful, partly true story...there are some wonderful performances. As Bill Doolin, Lancaster (who made the film before Atlantic City) is a gent surrounded by louts - a charmer. When he talks to his gang he uses the lithe movements and the rhythmic, courtly delivery that his Crimson Pirate had when he told his boys to gather round. In his scenes with Diane Lane, the child actor who appeared in New York in several of Andrei Serban's stage productions, and who single handedly made the film A Little Romance almost worth seeing, Lancaster has an easy tenderness that is never overdone. Lancaster looks happy in the movie and still looks tough: it's an unbeatable combination. Young Amanda Plummer gives a scarily brilliant performance."
A Change of Seasons	1980	Originally, Noel Black was hired to direct after producer Martin Ransohoff saw his film, A Man, a Woman, and a Bank (1979). Black left the film during shooting due to creative differences. He was replaced by Richard Lang. Black shot the first half of the film only.
The Chipmunk Adventure	1987	Though initially scheduled for Christmas 1986, The Chipmunk Adventure opened on May 22, 1987 through The Samuel Goldwyn Company and Bagdasarian Productions. With an opening weekend take of $2,584,720, it ultimately grossed $6,804,312 in North America alone.
A Chorus Line	1985	The film was released theatrically on December 13, 1985 by Columbia Pictures. It received mixed to negative reviews from critics and was a box office bomb, grossing only $14 million from a $25 million budget. Before the show had premiered, Hollywood producers expressed interest in a motion picture version of the musical. Universal Pictures acquired the rights for $5.5 million plus 20% of the distributor's gross rentals above $30 million with the stage musical's director Michael Bennett hired as producer and director. Bennett declined to participate when his proposal to present the film as an audition to cast the movie version of the stage play, instead of a literal translation of the play, was rejected. Many directors turned down the project, insisting that not only was A Chorus Line too beloved, but it would not translate well to the screen. When Attenborough accepted the project in 1984, there was some apprehension as to the treatment the British director would give the musical's quintessentially American story. Universal sold the rights to PolyGram for $7.8 million in 1982 and in 1983 Embassy Pictures joined as co-producers.
Chu Chu and the Philly Flash	1981	It was released in 1981 by 20th Century Fox. The film had received negative reviews from critics and was a box office bomb.
The Clan of the Cave Bear	1986	Because the film cost US $15 million to produce and brought in only US $1.9 million domestically, it is considered a box office flop. The film was nominated for an Oscar in 1987 for Best Makeup (Michael Westmore and Michèle Burke). The film currently holds a 10% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 10 reviews.
Club Paradise	1986	Shooting took place from April to July 1985. Production company Warner Bros. planned to release it in early 1986, but held it back until July. The film was given mostly negative reviews from critics with Rotten Tomatoes maintaining Club Paradise an 11% rating based on 27 reviews. Peter O'Toole's performance in the film earned him a Razzie Award nomination for Worst Supporting Actor, but lost to Jerome Benton for Under the Cherry Moon.
Clue	1985	In keeping with the nature of the board game, the theatrical release included three possible endings, with different theaters receiving one of the three endings. In the film's home video release, all three endings were included. The film initially received mixed reviews and did poorly at the box office, ultimately grossing $14.6 million in the United States against its budget of $15 million, though it later developed a cult following.
Cohen and Tate	1988	Cohen & Tate was originally released by Hemdale Film Corporation and Nelson Entertainment, who also backed the film’s production along with New Galactic. This is New Galactic's only production to date. Nelson was dissolved sometime in the early 1990s, with part of their holdings sold to New Line Cinema. Many of their back catalog titles have been released on DVD by MGM.
Communion	1989	It received a mostly negative critical reaction due to Christopher Walken's performance and was panned by Whitley Strieber himself due to its non-factual portrayal of him. The film was considered a box office failure. It has subsequently picked up a moderate cult following.
Condorman	1981	The film was heavily panned by critics, and has retrospectively scored an approval rating of 25% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 12 reviews, with an average of 3.9/10. On their television show At the Movies, critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert featured the film in their round-up of the year's worst films, pointing out the less-than-special effects such as the visible harness and cable used to suspend Condorman in the air and the obvious bluescreen effect. On the other hand, John Corry of The New York Times wrote a favorable review of the film, calling it "painless and chaste, and it has a lot of beautiful scenery and beautiful clothes. There are worse things to watch while you eat popcorn." The Los Angeles Times called it "dull" and "dispiriting." The film also did poorly at the box office. It lost Disney a reported $9.5 million. It, and three other flop films, contributed to Disney recording a poor financial performance that year. However, despite the film's failure, it has over time gained a cult following among Disney fans.
Crimewave	1986	The film was a box-office flop, and has since fallen into obscurity outside of fans of Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi. Few critics reviewed the film, though the little amount of critical attention it received was mostly negative. Several elements of the film influenced later productions by Raimi, and the failure of Crimewave directly led to the inception of Evil Dead II (1987). The film has achieved the status of a minor cult film. Given the commercial success of The Evil Dead, studio financial backing for the new project came quickly. Though Raimi and Campbell did not profit from the film, the studio believed in Raimi, initially allowing the director complete creative control on the project; however, executives later took control of the production. Raimi and Campbell developed the project with Embassy Pictures' producer Norman Lear, who supposedly had a "Midas touch", because of the consistent success he had attained from various television productions. He suggested the title Crimewave, which was ultimately used. Raimi and the studio clashed several times during production. The first disagreement between the director and the executives stemmed from the latter's insistence on casting a "Hollywood" actor in the lead role instead of Raimi's long-time collaborator and friend Campbell. In his 2002 autobiography If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor, Campbell commented about how difficult it was working with more established producers; "jumping into the big time meant dealing with the excruciatingly specific and alternately vague demands of a studio, ... Hollywood executives took an interest in everything." Campbell was surprised that he had to audition for the lead role, as he did not have to test for The Evil Dead. Campbell and his photographer friend Mike Ditz used a 16 mm film camera and shot a scene to show to the producers. Upon viewing it, the producers asserted that "Campbell will not star in this film". In retaliation, Raimi lengthened a supporting role and gave it to Campbell: the character of Renaldo "The Heel". This allowed for Campbell to be present through the production. Raimi budgeted the film at $2.5 million, an amount the studio greenlit. But the calculations had not taken union fees and regulations into account, making the proposed budgeting and scheduling unrealistic. In addition, the crew were talked into spending three times the allotted money for one shooting location. The shoot quickly went both over budget and over schedule. At that point, the studio stepped in, with executives demanding cuts in the script, budget restrictions, layoffs, and their own supervision of the project. The studio also insisted on reviewing every batch of dailies, criticizing the decision to use cast and crew members (including Campbell) as extras in several scenes (a Raimi trademark known as "Shemping"). After all the editing imposed by the studio, Crimewave still became a box-office flop. Campbell reasoned that "cross-genre" films "send marketing people scurrying under a desk". According to him, the film was hard to market because it featured elements of horror films, comedies, and dramas. To make matters even more confusing, in France and Italy, the film's title was changed to Death on the Grill and The Two Craziest Killers in the World respectively. In the United States, the film was only released in Kansas and Alaska, to make the film eligible for HBO broadcasting. Upon release, the film "went down in box-office flames", with Campbell commenting "it wasn't released. It escaped!" The "only good" screening came the Seattle International Film Festival, where the movie was promoted as a novelty film.
Crimes and Misdemeanors	1989	The film grossed a domestic total of $18,254,702. Crimes and Misdemeanors received mostly positive reviews. It currently holds a 93% "Certified Fresh" rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 42 critics, with an average rating of 8/10. It also holds a 77/100 weighted average score on Metacritic, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Cry Freedom	1987	A joint collective effort to commit to the film's production was made by Universal Pictures and Marble Arch Productions. It was commercially distributed by Universal Pictures cinematically, and by MCA Home Video for home media. Cry Freedom premiered in cinemas nationwide in the United States on 6 November 1987 grossing $5,899,797 in domestic ticket receipts. The film was at its widest release showing in 479 cinemas nationwide. It was generally met with positive critical reviews before its initial screening in cinemas. The film premiered in cinemas on 6 November 1987 in limited release throughout the U.S. During its opening weekend, the film opened in a distant 19th place and grossed $318,723 in business showing at 27 cinemas. The film Fatal Attraction opened in first place with $7,089,680 screening at 1,351 theaters. The film's revenue dropped by 10.6% in its second week of release, earning $284,853. For that particular weekend, the film fell to 25th place showing in 19 cinemas. The film The Running Man unseated Fatal Attraction to open in first place with $8,117,465 in box office revenue showing at 1,692 cinemas. Cry Freedom had one week in wider release beginning with the 19–21 February weekend in 1988. The film opened in 14th place showing at 479 cinemas grossing $802,235 in box office business. The film went on to top out domestically at $5,899,797 in total ticket sales through a 4-week cinematic run. For 1987 as a whole, the film would cumulatively rank at a box office performance position of 103.
A Cry in the Dark	1988	Evil Angels grossed A$3,006,964 at the box office in Australia. This was considered a disappointment considering the publicity and subject matter.
Curse of the Pink Panther	1983	Curse of the Pink Panther had gotten negative critical reviews and was a box office bomb—with the general consensus being that attempting to continue the Pink Panther series without Peter Sellers was foolhardy. Critics and fans agree, though, that one positive aspect of the film was Roger Moore's cameo, which makes quite a contrast to his usual part of suave and sophisticated hero. Falling about, mincing his words, and wearing an ice bucket for most of his scenes...Moore displays a previously unknown talent for physical and verbal comedy. Both this film and Trail came in $1 million over budget. The problem was the films started shooting in February and were rushed through post-production by October 1982. Trail was a disappointment at the box office. As a result, MGM/UA Entertainment Company did not release Curse in May 1983 as planned, instead putting it out for a couple of weeks at the end of August with virtually no articles or TV appearances to plug the film. This violated Edwards' contract with the studio—so he sued them for $180 million in September 1983 for "willfully sabotaging the film." MGM sued Edwards for alleged fraudulent overspending in 1984. Shortly after this, Edwards sued MGM for defamation of character. The lawsuits combined for over $1 billion. After much legal wrangling, they were settled out of court in 1988.
Cutter's Way	1981	A friend of Jeffrey Alan Fiskin had Fiskin send a screenplay to Paul Gurian, a would-be film producer. Gurian eventually informed Fiskin that he had bought the rights to the novel Cutter and Bone, and wanted to meet with Fiskin in Los Angeles. Fiskin, who had little money, stole a copy of the book to read. In a 1981 interview, he said of the novel, "The set-up's great, the characters are fine. But the last half of the book is an instant replay of Easy Rider. You cannot make a film out of this." Gurian agreed and hired Fiskin to write the screenplay. Gurian arranged for the studio EMI to back the film financially, with Robert Mulligan to direct and Dustin Hoffman to play Alex Cutter. However, a scheduling conflict forced Hoffman to leave the project. This prompted Mulligan to leave as well, and EMI to pull its money. Gurian took the film to United Artists, where the studio's vice president, David Field, became interested in backing it. Gurian gave Fiskin a list of directors; Ivan Passer's name was the only one the screenwriter did not recognize. Fiskin and United Artists executives screened Passer's Intimate Lighting and agreed he was the man to direct Cutter and Bone. Passer was already involved with another film, but chose to do Cutter and Bone instead after reading Fiskin's script. The initial budget was to be $3.3 million, but then Field learned that United Artists would only produce the movie if the budget were reduced to $3 million and that a name star be cast. The studio liked Jeff Bridges' work in the dailies for Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate and insisted on him for Cutter and Bone. Passer cast John Heard after seeing him in a Joseph Papp Shakespeare in the Park production of Othello. The studio wanted a star, but the director insisted on Heard. Lisa Eichhorn was cast as Mo after she auditioned with Bridges. United Artists did not like the ambiguity in what was then titled Cutter and Bone. When U.A. executives David Field and Claire Townsend, the film's biggest supporters, left for 20th Century Fox, the studio felt that they would get no credit if the film succeeded and no responsibility if it failed and so there was no interest in it. Cutter and Bone became a victim of internal politics. U.A. senior domestic sales and marketing vice president Jerry Esbin saw the film and decided that it did not have any commercial possibilities. Passer did not see his film with a paying audience until the Houston International Film Festival many weeks later. He said in an interview, "They didn't do any research. I was supposed to have two previews with a paying audience. It was in my contract." United Artists spent a meager $63,000 on promotion for the film's release in New York City, New York, in late March 1981. There all three daily papers and the three major network critics gave Cutter and Bone negative reviews. Vincent Canby in The New York Times wrote, "[I]t's the sort of picture that never wants to concede what it's about. It is, however, enchanted by the sound of its own dialogue, which is vivid without being informative or even amusing on any level." The studio was so shocked by the negative reviews that it planned to pull the film after only a week. Unbeknownst to them, the next week Richard Schickel in Time, David Ansen in Newsweek, and New York City's weekly newspapers would write glowing reviews. Ansen wrote, "Under Passer's sensitive direction, Heard gives his best film performance: he's funny and abrasive and mad, but you see the self-awareness eating him up inside." The positive reviews prompted United Artists to give Cutter and Bone to its United Artists Classics division, which changed the film's title to Cutter's Way (thinking that the original title would be mistaken by audiences for a comedy about surgeons) and entered it into a number of film festivals. At Houston, Texas' Third International Film Festival it won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Actor (John Heard). A week later, it was given the closing feature slot at the Seattle International Film Festival. With a new ad campaign, Cutter's Way reopened in the summer of 1981 in Seattle, Washington; Los Angeles, California; Boston, Massachusetts; and New York City, New York. Passer was bitter about the experience, commenting in an interview, "You can assassinate movies as you can assassinate people. I think UA murdered the film. Or at least they tried to murder it." In 1982, Fiskin won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Motion Picture Screenplay. In 1983, the film won the prestigious Grand Prix of the Belgian Film Critics Association. Writing in 2011, John Patterson called it "note-perfect" and a "masterpiece", praising all three of the lead performances, while acknowledging it required multiple viewings to perceive its strengths.

D

Film	Year of release	Notes
D.O.A.	1988	D.O.A. opened to mixed reviews and currently has a rating of 61% on Rotten Tomatoes. Film critic Roger Ebert liked the film, calling it a "witty and literate thriller". However, Caryn James of The New York Times was not as impressed, and called it "one of the season's biggest disappointments". Despite several lukewarm reviews, D.O.A. had a strong opening weekend, debuting at No. 3 at the US box office. By the end of its run, the film earned a total of $12.7 million in domestic sales.
Date with an Angel	1987	Date with an Angel was panned by critics. It currently holds a 14% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Dead	1987	Chris Sievernich and Weiland Schulz-Keil had raised money for Under the Volcano and would do likewise for The Dead. Screen rights to the story were purchased from the Joyce estate for $60,000. Shooting began 19 January 1987.
Dead Bang	1989
Dead Ringers	1988	The film won numerous honors, including for Irons' performance, and 10 Genie Awards, notably Best Motion Picture. Toronto International Film Festival critics have ranked it among the Top 10 Canadian Films of All Time.
Deadly Friend	1986	Originally, the film was a sci-fi thriller without any graphic scenes, with a bigger focus on plot and character development and a dark love story centering around the two main characters, which were not typical aspects of Wes Craven's previous films. After Craven's original cut was shown to a test audience by Warner Bros., the audience criticized the lack of graphic, bloody violence and gore that Craven's other films included. Warner Bros. executive vice president Mark Canton and the film's producers then demanded script re-writes and re-shoots, which included filming gorier death scenes and nightmare sequences, similar to the ones from Craven's previous film, A Nightmare on Elm Street. Due to studio imposed re-shoots and re-editing, the film was drastically altered in post-production, losing much of the original plot and more scenes between characters, while other scenes, including more grisly deaths and a new ending, were added. Hoping to score a financial success with the Halloween trade, Warner Bros. released Deadly Friend in theaters on October 10, 1986 but the film was a Box-office bomb, grossing $8,988,731 in the United States against an $11 million budget. AllMovie gave the film a generally negative review, writing, "It's an intriguing combination of elements, but the end result is a schizoid mess", calling Craven's direction "awkward" and opining that it "lacks the intense, sustained atmosphere of his previous horror hits." The film currently has a 0% "rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Although a critical and commercial failure upon its original release, Deadly Friend has come to be regarded as a cult classic and has garnered a fan following.
Deal of the Century	1983	The film was released theatrically in the United States by Warner Bros. on November 4, 1983. It grossed $10,369,581 million at the domestic box office.
DeepStar Six	1989	The film was released by TriStar Pictures in the United States on January 13, 1989. It opened on 1,117 screens and debuted in eighth place with a weekend total of $3,306,320. Its final box office total was $8,143,225. DeepStar Six was the first release of several underwater-themed feature movies released during 1989, including Leviathan, The Evil Below, Lords of the Deep, The Rift (Endless Descent) and The Abyss. With the exception of The Abyss, none of these films were box office hits.
The Devil and Max Devlin	1981	The film was considered to be controversial for a Disney film at the time because of the subject matter and the fact that Bill Cosby was featured as a character of evil, and was one of three motion pictures that influenced Disney to establish Touchstone Pictures and Hollywood Pictures (and later, to purchase Miramax Films), as a method to produce and release films for mature audiences.
Disorganized Crime	1989	Disorganized Crime had its world premiere at The Roxy Theatre in Hamilton on April 8, 1989. Stars Corbin Bernsen, Lou Diamond Phillips, William Russ & Daniel Roebuck attended the premiere, including producer Lynn Bigelow & writer & director Jim Kouf. The premiere was a great turnout for residents of Hamilton, who attended & enjoyed seeing the actors coming back to their beloved town for the premiere. The film was released in theatres worldwide on April 14, 1989. Upon release, Disorganized Crime was met with mixed and overall poor reception by top critics. Both Siskel and Ebert gave it thumbs down; reproach was aimed at the lack of detail given to the bank heist plan. They also claimed that the film relies on "slapstick and cornball barnyard humor," cited its frequency of chase scenes and moments where characters fall in mud and manure. However, Ebert did credit the actions of Lou Diamond Phillips's character as a highlight. Caryn James of The New York Times gave feedback largely echoing Siskel and Ebert and claimed that Rubén Blades gives "the only genuinely comic performance." Rita Kempley of The Washington Post called it "a human rehash of the city-mouse/country-mouse story" but also praised Blades for his "comic zest."
Distant Thunder	1988	The movie was a box office success but was well received by movie critics.
Doctor Detroit	1983	The film received mixed reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 40% of five critics have given the film a positive review. Writing in the Chicago Tribune, critic Gene Siskel gave the film two and a half stars and called it "a mess, but a genial mess." In her autobiography, Enter Whining, Fran Drescher commented that this film was expected to be a major hit for the summer of 1983, but that it fell short of that expectation; by the time the film ended its run in theaters, it had only managed to make US$10.8 million, on a budget of US$8 million. The end titles promised the release of Doctor Detroit II: The Wrath of Mom, meant as a gag based on Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, released eleven months previously. Aykroyd was said to have been writing the script; however, the project never went into production due to the poor box office results of the original.
Dragonslayer	1981	A co-production between Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney Productions, Dragonslayer was more mature than most other Disney films of the period. Because of audience expectations for a more family-friendly film from Disney, the film's violence, adult themes and brief nudity were somewhat controversial at the time, even though Disney did not hold US distribution rights, which were held by Paramount. The film was rated PG in the U.S.; TV showings after 1997 have carried a TV-14 rating. It's possible that this film was responsible for Disney's later creation Touchstone Pictures to produce more mature fare, starting with 1984's Splash. The film grossed just over $14 million in the US with an estimated budget of USD$18 million. Despite its mediocre box office performance, it later became a cult classic on home video. At the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 6.7 out of 10, with 86% positive reviews; its consensus reads: "An atypically dark Disney adventure, Dragonslayer puts a realistic spin -- and some impressive special effects -- on a familiar tale."
Dune	1984	The film was negatively reviewed by critics and was a box-office failure, grossing $30.9 million from a $40 million budget. Upon release, David Lynch distanced himself from the project, stating that pressure from both producers and financiers restrained his artistic control and denied him final cut privilege. At least three versions have been released worldwide. In some cuts, Lynch's name is replaced in the credits with the name Alan Smithee, a pseudonym used by directors who wish not to be associated with a film for which they would normally be credited. The extended and television versions additionally credit writer Lynch as Judas Booth. The film has a cult following but opinion varies among fans of the novel. The film opened on December 14, 1984, in 915 theaters and earned $6,025,091 in its opening weekend, ranking number two in the domestic box office behind Beverly Hills Cop. By the end of its run, Dune had grossed $30,925,690 ($71,689,559.32 in 2016 dollars). On an estimated $40 million budget, the film was considered a box office disappointment.

E

Film	Year of release	Notes
Earth Girls Are Easy	1989	Originally the film was slated to go into production in 1986 for Warner Bros. but the studio lost confidence in the project when director Julien Temple's previous film, Absolute Beginners, proved to be a dismal box office failure. The role of Valerie was offered to some of the era's box-office draws such as Madonna and Molly Ringwald, but when they rejected it, Warner Bros. dropped the project. Several other studios expressed interest in producing the movie, but none wanted Temple to direct. Ultimately French bank Crédit Lyonnais agreed to finance the film with Temple at the helm (if $4 million was shaved off of the film's estimated $14 million budget) and the De Laurentiis Entertainment Group agreed to distribute it. The finished print of the film had several very positive previews, which captured the interest of potential distributors Nelson Entertainment, New World, MGM and 20th Century Fox, but ultimately Vestron Pictures picked up the distribution rights. The film debuted at the Toronto Festival of Festivals in September 1988 and was slated to be released the following February, but legal entanglements delayed its release until May 1989. Box office returns were low, with the film earning only a little more than a third of its $10 million production cost; but it ultimately developed a cult following, mainly due to Jim Carrey's later success as a film comedian, which strongly renewed interest in his earlier films. At the film review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Earth Girls Are Easy holds a 66% positive rating based on 32 reviews.
Eleni	1985
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark	1988	Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 47% based on reviews from 15 critics, indicating mixed reviews. The film received a Razzie Award nomination for Cassandra Peterson as Worst Actress in 1989, losing to Liza Minnelli for both Arthur 2: On the Rocks and Rent-a-Cop.
Everybody's All-American	1988	Reaction to the film was mostly mixed, as Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 45% rating based on 29 reviews.
The Experts	1989	The Experts was a massive box office bomb; its budget was estimated at $3 million and domestic box office was only $169,203. The film was also panned by the critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently holds only 26% of audience aprovation. Jack Sommersby from "eFilm Critic" wrote: "No, The Experts isn't likely to inspire world peace or serve as a building block for the cure for diabetes, but it goes down well enough and never makes the mistake of having Travis or Wendell "mature" for the sole sake of doing so, and that's what makes them such a consistently-winning pair of heroes you can happily get behind."
Explorers	1985	Rushed into production, the film was never properly finished. Joe Dante revealed that the studio demanded that he stop editing and rush for a July release where it was overshadowed by the Live Aid concert. Despite being a box office flop upon its release, it attracted a cult following when it was later released on VHS. Explorers was released on July 12, 1985 on 1,750 theaters, which turned out to be the same weekend as when the Live Aid concert was being broadcast. The film suffered badly that weekend and afterwards quickly disappeared. By the end of its run in theaters, it earned less than $9,873,044. When the Los Angeles Times compared the film with other commercial failures that summer, a Paramount executive responded, "here was a wonderful piece of material. But by the time it came out, you felt as though you'd already seen it." Many of the international markets released the film later in December of the same year. Over time, Explorers has gained a cult following among fans of Dante's work, as well as science fiction fans and those who feel it is an overall family-friendly film. The film fared better in video rentals and cable broadcasts and garnered positive reviews from critics.
Extreme Prejudice	1987	Tri Star announced the film as their Christmas release for the year which upset the filmmakers as they had planned to finish it by April. The movie received generally positive reviews. It currently holds a 71% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 7 reviews with an average rating of 6.4/10. Extreme Prejudice debuted at the US box office with $3.5 million at 1,071 screens its first weekend. It was not a box office success.

F

Film	Year of release	Notes
The Fan	1981	The film received a great deal of media attention due to being released a few months after the murder of John Lennon, who was shot to death by Mark David Chapman, a former fan, outside his apartment building The Dakota, a building where Bacall had been living for many years. However, it was a critical and commercial failure. The film grossed $3,082,096 in the United States box office. Based on a $9 million budget, the film was a box office bomb.
Fandango	1985	Although Steven Spielberg was disappointed with the finished film and did not have his name on the product, Amblin Entertainment is still credited. Fandango did not receive a widespread release, grossing less than US$100,000. However, through television and video, Fandango grew in popularity and, in July 2010, fans held a 25th anniversary celebration at the filming locations.
Farewell to the King	1989	Post production was to be done in England but the falling US dollar meant that it was done in Los Angeles. According to John Milius, the film was his best movie but it was "completely cut to pieces" by executives at the studio. In February 1989 he said, "Orion isn't behind it. They don't think it is going to be big at the box office. You put all the sweat and blood you can into it, and the outcome is whatever happens."
Fat Man and Little Boy	1989	Filming took place in the fall of 1988 mainly outside Durango, Mexico, where the Los Alamos research facility was re-created. The re-creation of the Los Alamos laboratory entailed 35 buildings and cost over $2 million to construct in 1988. The film has been criticized for distortion of history for dramatic effect, and miscasting in its choices of Paul Newman for the role of General Groves, and Dwight Schultz for the role of Oppenheimer. The film holds a 53% rating on review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes The film made under $4 million on its original release.
Felix the Cat: The Movie	1988	It was made in Europe during 1986 and 1987, but was not officially released in the United States until 1991 on VHS. New World Pictures picked up the film in May 1987, some time after completion, and premiered at the Wadsworth Theatre in Los Angeles in January 1989 as the opening selection of the third Los Angeles Animation Celebration. The film began development in the late 1980s, when Don Oriolo (the son of Joe Oriolo, creator of the TV series) began work on a feature-length television special intended as a pilot. After Oriolo took the project to Europe, it ended up with director Tibor Hernádi and his Hungarian crew, at a cost of US$9 million. Originally slated for a Thanksgiving 1988 release, it was pushed to April 1991 and was a box office bomb, grossing $1,964,253 based on an estimated $9 million budget.
Fever Pitch	1985	The film failed at the box office after it grossed only a little more than $600,000. Fever Pitch was nominated for four Razzie Awards, including Worst Picture, as well as contributing to O'Neal's later Razzie nomination for Worst Actor of the Decade. The film is listed in Golden Raspberry Award founder John Wilson's book The Official Razzie Movie Guide as one of the 100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made.
Fire and Ice	1983	By 1982, fantasy films had proven to be considerably successful at the box office, including The Beastmaster and Conan the Barbarian, and Ralph Bakshi had a desire to work with long-time friend and fantasy illustrator Frank Frazetta. Bakshi received $1.2 million to finance Fire and Ice from some of the same investors as American Pop, and 20th Century Fox agreed to distribute the film based upon the financial longevity of Wizards.
Five Corners	1987
Five Days One Summer	1982	The film was a critical and commercial disaster. Fred Zinnemann remarked, "I'm not saying it was a good picture, but there was a degree of viciousness in the reviews. The pleasure some people took in tearing down the film really hurt". He never made another film.
Flash Gordon	1980	Although a box office success in the United Kingdom, it performed poorly overseas. The film has since gained a significant cult following. Flash Gordon, in total, grossed well above double its $20 million budget, grossing $27,107,960 in North America, which was augmented by a very strong showing in the United Kingdom, grossing nearly £14 million. Additionally, the film performed well in Italy, due to the two Italian actors prominent in the credits. Flash Gordon has since become a cult classic with fans of science fiction and fantasy. The film was originally released in North America via Universal Studios. Universal has retained the domestic theatrical and home video rights, while the international rights passed on through different distributors, eventually residing with StudioCanal. However, the film's UK distributor, Thorn EMI, controlled U.S TV rights. Although StudioCanal now holds those rights due to ownership of the EMI film library, they licensed them to MGM for U.S syndication, which explains why MGM's logo appears on current television airings.
Flesh and Blood	1985	Though the film received worldwide release in the summer of 1985 in the United States, Orion Pictures gave the film a limited theatrical release on August 16, 1985, in Los Angeles and New York City. Thus, the film did not gross a large amount in the country, and by most accounts, performed poorly. By 1986, the film was showing in the U.S. on HBO, a business partner of Orion Pictures. Paul Verhoeven has hypothesized on the reasons for the film's failure at the American box office in the years since its release, including statements that it was "too cynical and downbeat" to be a hit. Professor of film and literature at California Polytechnic State University Douglas Keesey suggested that the film had "no hero to root for and no happy fantasy element to lighten its unpleasantly realistic depiction of the Middle Ages". The film's financial failure caused Verhoeven to move to the United States in September 1985 in order to better understand American culture and what films would be suited to its audience. In addition to this, his previous films, notably Spetters (1980), had been protested by members of the Dutch public and it had become difficult to gain financing to shoot productions in his home country. Although unsuccessful at the box office upon release, the film has become a critical and cult favorite. It maintains a 79% approval rating on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on 14 reviews.
For Keeps	1988	In January 1988, the film debuted at #4 at the box office (behind Good Morning, Vietnam, Three Men and a Baby, and Moonstruck). Grossing $17,514,553 domestically, the film is a box office success given its estimated budget of $10 million.
Fresh Horses	1988	The film performed poorly, earning $3,074,292 in the opening weekend, and a total of $6,640,346 domestically - only 46.3% of the total gross, failing to recoup its $14 million budget.
From the Hip	1987	Released on February 6, 1987, the film grossed $9.5 million in U.S. theaters.

G

Film	Year of release	Notes
The Garbage Pail Kids Movie	1987	The film was universally poorly reviewed, and is widely considered to be one of the worst films ever made. It was a box office bomb, earning only $1.6 million on a $1 million budget.
Gardens of Stone	1987	The movie had a limited release (612 theaters) and ended up grossing $5,262,047. According to Box Office Mojo the movie also made $1,645,588 on its opening weekend.
GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords	1987	The film performed poorly, pulling in about $US1.3 million domestically. When released in Australia (as Machine Men: Battle of the Rock Lords, to tie in with the line's name in that territory), only a few independent cinemas carried the film, rather than the major chains. Several critics (Leonard Maltin amongst them) have suggested that Transformers: The Movie was made to "cash in" on the release of the film. While Battle of the Rock Lords was released five months before Transformers, the latter film had been in production for the better part of two years, well before Battle of the Rock Lords began production.
Godzilla 1985	1985	Opening on August 23, 1985, in 235 North American theaters, the film grossed $509,502 USD ($2,168 per screen) in its opening weekend, on its way to a $4,116,395 total gross. New World's budget breakdown for Godzilla 1985 is as follows: $500,000 to lease the film from Toho, $200,000 for filming the new scenes and other revisions, and $2,500,000 for prints and advertising, adding up to a grand total of approximately $3,200,000. Over time, Godzilla 1985, though not a hit, was partially profitable for New World only with the addition of home video and television syndication (the film debuted on television on May 16, 1986). It was the last Godzilla film produced by Toho to receive any major release in North American theaters until Godzilla 2000 fifteen years later.
The Golden Child	1986	The film was produced and distributed by Paramount Pictures and received a total gross of $79,817,937 at the United States (US) box office. Released in December 1986, The Golden Child was a box office success. It earned USD$79,817,937 in the US alone, making it the eighth biggest film of the year. "My pictures make their money back," Murphy remarked. "No matter how I feel, for instance, about The Golden Child – which was a piece of shit – the movie made more than $100 million. So who am I to say it sucks?" However, the film was considered a disappointment by the studio when compared to Eddie Murphy's previous film, Beverly Hills Cop (1984), which garnered USD$234,760,478 at the US box office. The film received negative reviews from critics, and it holds a 26% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Good Mother	1988	The movie received mixed reviews.
Grandview, U.S.A.	1984	After being out of print on VHS for many years, the movie was finally released on DVD for the first time on October 4, 2011.
Grease 2	1982	The film was released theatrically on June 11, 1982 and grossed over $15 million against a production budget of $11 million. The film, now best known for being Pfeiffer's breakout role, was otherwise poorly received, with Grease co-creator Jim Jacobs (who did not have any involvement with Grease 2) particularly displeased with the film. Grease 2 was intended to be the second film (and first sequel) in a proposed Grease franchise of four films and a television series. (The third and fourth films were to take place in the sixties and during the counterculture era.) However, the projects were scrapped due to the underwhelming box office performance of Grease 2. Maxwell Caulfield was unhappy with the film's "drab" title, and unsuccessfully lobbied to change it to Son of Grease. The sequel took in just over $15 million after coming at fifth on opening weekend behind E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Rocky III, and Poltergeist.
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes	1984	The film grossed $45.9 million upon its release, making it the 15th most popular film at the box office in 1984. Screenwriter Robert Towne was slated to direct this film based on his screenplay, but he was sacked following the box-office failure of his directorial debut, Personal Best. Towne retaliated by demanding that the name of his dog (P.H. Vazak) appear in the screen credit for his screenplay; the name received an Oscar nomination for best adapted screenplay. The dialogue of Andie MacDowell, who played Jane, was dubbed in post-production by Glenn Close. According to Hudson, this was due to MacDowell's southern US accent, which he did not want for the film, and the fact that she was not (at the time) a trained actor. The young Jane featured at the beginning of the film is portrayed as American, which is consistent with Burroughs.
Gross Anatomy	1989	Gross Anatomy was released domestically on October 20, 1989, earning $2,830,387 in 853 theaters during its opening weekend. After its theatrical run, the film brought in a total of $11,604,598 at the domestic box office.

H

Film	Year of release	Notes
The Hand	1981	The Hand has a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 14% based on seven reviews.
Harlem Nights	1989	Opening in North America in mid-November 1989, the film debuted at No.1 its opening weekend. It grossed $16,096,808 during those first three days and would go on to collect a total of $60,864,870 domestically at the box office. Despite a fair gross, the film was considered a box office bomb by the studio, earning roughly half of Eddie Murphy's earlier box office successes Coming to America and Beverly Hills Cop II from the previous two years. On November 17, 1989, two men were shot and killed inside AMC Americana 8 theater in the Detroit suburb of Southfield, Michigan. According to witnesses quoted in the Detroit Free Press, the shooting happened on opening night taking place during a shooting spree in the film's opening. A 22-year-old woman, who panicked and ran into traffic, was in critical condition two days later at the city's Providence Hospital; her name was withheld by police. Less than an hour after the shooting, police arrived at the theatre to find a 24-year-old Detroit man who had shot at an officer. The gunman was wounded when the officer shot him back in the theatre parking lot. The incident caused the theatre chain to cancel showings of Harlem Nights. Later that night, brawlers were ejected from a Sacramento theater showing Harlem Nights. Their feud continued in a parking lot and ended with gunshots. Two 24-year-old men were seriously injured. An hour later, Marcel Thompson, 17, was fatally shot in a similar fight at a theater in Richmond, California. When police stopped the projection of Harlem Nights to find suspects, an hour-long riot erupted. In Boston, Mayor Raymond Flynn saw so many fistfights taking place in a crowd leaving Harlem Nights that he at first threatened to close the theater down but decided to tighten police security at the theatre. Flynn blamed the film for the riot, stating that it "glorifies violence." However, Raymond Howard, a lieutenant of the Richmond police department, defended the film, saying, "There's nothing wrong with the show. But this tells me something about the nature of kids who are going to see these shows."
Harry & Son	1984	On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 22%, based on 9 reviews, and an average rating of 3.9/10.
Haunted Honeymoon	1986	The movie was a financial flop, grossing only $8,000,000 in America, entering the box office at number 8, then slipping to 14 the following week. While Gilda Radner was struggling with cancer, she wrote the following about the film: "On July 26 [1986], Haunted Honeymoon opened nationwide. It was a bomb. One month of publicity and the movie was only in the theaters for a week – a box-office disaster."
Heartbeeps	1981	The film was aimed at children and was a failed experiment: Universal Pictures gave Andy Kaufman a blank check to make this film after focus group testing indicated that children liked robots, apparently in the wake of R2-D2 and C-3PO. In his book Andy Kaufman: Revealed, Bob Zmuda wrote that Kaufman and Zmuda had "pitched" the screenplay of Kaufman's The Tony Clifton Story, a movie about the life and times of his alter-ego Tony Clifton to Universal Studios. The Universal executives were concerned that Kaufman had not acted in films, except for a small role, and arranged for him to star in Heartbeeps to test whether he could carry a movie. Because the movie was "a box office disaster", plans for making the Clifton movie were cancelled. Reviews of the film were negative. Film website Rotten Tomatoes, which compiles reviews from a wide range of critics, gives the film a score of 0%.
Heartbreak Hotel	1988	The film received mixed-to-negative reviews. It currently holds a 38% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 13 reviews; it was also a box office failure.
Heat	1986	Heat was released in theatres on November 12, 1986, in the United States and France. Heat grossed $2,793,214 in the United States.
Heathers	1989	Despite high critical praise, the film was not a big hit in the box office but went on to become a cult film, with high rentals and sales business. The film earned $177,247 in its opening weekend and, over five weeks, grossed $1.1 million in the US.
Heaven's Gate	1980	It is notable for being one of the biggest box office bombs of all time, and for initially being viewed as one of the worst films ever made. There were major setbacks in the film's production due to cost and time overruns, negative press (including allegations of animal abuse on-set), and rumors about Michael Cimino's allegedly overbearing directorial style; the film resultantly opened to poor reviews, earning only $3.5 million domestically (from an estimated $44 million budget), eventually causing its parent studio, United Artists, to collapse, and effectively destroying the reputation of its director, Cimino, previously a rising Hollywood auteur from the success of his 1978 film The Deer Hunter, winner of the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director in 1979. Cimino had an expensive and ambitious vision for the film, pushing it nearly four times over its planned budget. Its resulting financial problems and United Artists' consequent demise led to a move away from the brief 1970s period of director-driven film production in the American film industry, back toward greater studio control of films, as had been predominant in Hollywood until the late 1960s. The film closed after the second week, having grossed only $1.3 million total on its $44 million budget.
Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II	1987	The film was released theatrically in October 1987, and later expanded to a wide release on November 13, 1987. It grossed $911,351 in its opening weekend, and ended up making $2,683,519 at the U.S. box office. The film was more of a success on home video. It currently has an approval rating of 38% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 8 reviews.
High Spirits	1988	The film received negative reviews from critics, as it currently holds a 23% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 13 reviews. Director Neil Jordan has always maintained that the release version of this film is very different from the one he shot. He was more or less excluded from the editing process of the final cut. He insists that his version is still locked away in a vault.
Highlander	1986	Highlander enjoyed little success on its initial theatrical release, grossing over $12 million worldwide against a production budget of $19 million, and received mixed reviews. Nevertheless, it became a cult film and inspired a franchise which included film sequels and television spin-offs. The film grossed $2.4 million on its opening weekend and ended with $5.9 million in the US. Internationally, the film grossed $12.9 million.
Home Movies	1980	Brian De Palma had been teaching film at his alma mater Sarah Lawrence College, and conceived this project as a hands-on training exercise for his students. They were given the primary responsibilities of raising money, arranging the shooting schedule, and editing the film, all under De Palma's supervision.
Honky Tonk Freeway	1981	The film, conceived and co-produced by Don Boyd, was one of the most expensive box office flops in history, losing its British backers Thorn-EMI an estimated $11,000,000 and profoundly affecting its fortunes and aspirations. The film was financed in part by accountant Roy Tucker's tax avoidance schemes funded by the Rossminster banking group.
Hot to Trot	1988	Originally scheduled for theatrical release in the fall of 1987, Warner Bros. pushed it back to Memorial Day weekend 1988 as a result of the poor test screenings before ultimately opening it on August 26, 1988, over a year after filming was completed. The film was a critical and commercial failure, grossing only $6 million from an estimated $9 million budget, and receiving five Golden Raspberry Awards nominations, including Worst Picture.
The House on Carroll Street	1988	The movie was not a box office success.
How I Got into College	1989	The movie was not a box office success, making just $651,850 in its opening weekend from 743 theaters for an average of $877 per venue. It ended its run with only $1,642,239 domestically.
Howard the Duck	1986	Following multiple production difficulties and mixed response to test screenings, Howard the Duck was released in theaters on August 1, 1986. Upon its release, the film was a critical and commercial failure. It was nominated for seven Razzie Awards, and made about $15 million domestically compared to its $30 million budget. Despite the criticism, it has gained a cult following among fans of the comic-book series. The film was considered a box office flop as it grossed $16,295,774 in the United States and $21,667,000 worldwide for a total of $37,962,774, just under $1 million above the production budget. When the film was screened for Universal, Katz said that the studio's executives left without commenting on the film. Screenings for test audiences were met with mixed response. Rumors circulated that Universal production heads Frank Price and Sidney Sheinberg engaged in a fistfight after arguing over who was to blame for green-lighting the film. Both executives denied the rumors. News reports speculated that one or both would be fired by MCA chairman Lew Wasserman. Price soon left the studio, and was succeeded by Tom Pollack. The September 17, 1986, issue of Variety attributed Price's departure to the failure of the film, though he had not approved the film's production. Following the film's failure, Huyck and Katz left for Hawaii and refused to read reviews of the film. In 2014, the Los Angeles Times listed the film as one of the costliest box-office flops of all time.
The Hunger	1983	The Hunger received mixed reviews upon its release and was particularly criticised for being heavy on atmosphere and visuals but slow on pace and plot. The film has found a cult following that responded to its dark, glamorous atmosphere.

I

Film	Year of release	Notes
Illegally Yours	1988	The film was originally meant to come out in July 31, 1987. However, during a test screening, reportedly half the audience walked out and the release date was pushed back to May 1988. The film was a financial and critical failure. Peter Bogdanovich later called it "awful... I don't even like to mention it."
Immediate Family	1989
In Country	1989	The film was given a limited release on September 15, 1989 in four theaters grossing $36,505 on its opening weekend. It was given a wide release on September 29, 1989 in 606 theaters grossing $1.3 million on its opening weekend. It went on to make $3.5 million in North America.
Inchon	1982	The film was released theatrically in the United States and Canada in September 1982 and then quickly withdrawn because of its poor performance at the box office. It has never been released on home video, although it has sometimes been broadcast on television. It was the largest financial loss in film of 1982, earning less than $2 million. Reviewers at the time gave it consistently bad reviews and later commentators including Newsweek, TV Guide and Canadian Press have classed Inchon among the worst films of all time. The film's total North American gross was $1.9 million. It eventually took in $5.2 million at the box office. Inchon lost over $44 million, and was the year's largest financial failure in film. In 1989, a survey released by the entertainment research firm Baseline identified Inchon as "the biggest box-office fiasco of the 1980s". Inchon has been included on multiple lists of box office bombs. Michael Wilmington of the Chicago Tribune placed Inchon as number six in a "list of Hollywood's 10 worst mega-flops". Wilmington noted that Inchon displaced the 1980 film Heaven's Gate as "the bomb of the decade". The Washington Post described Inchon as "one of the biggest commercial disasters in film history". In 1995, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that The Guinness Book of World Records called Inchon "the biggest money-loser in film history". Inchon was one of the "10 costliest movies", adjusted for inflation, at $173 million in 1997 dollars. In a 2006 list of "The top 10 biggest box office failures", Kat Giantis of MSN Movies placed Inchon as tied with Battlefield Earth for number seven.
Into the Night	1985	Into The Night has a rating of 38% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 24 critics' reviews, indicating a generally mixed critical reception.
Invaders from Mars	1986	Invaders from Mars was released on June 6, 1986 to a disappointing theatrical intake, opening in seventh place. In total, it earned a paltry $4,884,663 at the US box office, a major loss from its $12,000,000 budget.
Ironweed	1987	The film received mostly positive reviews. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 65% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on twenty reviews. At the time of its release it garnered enthusiasm because of the presence of stars Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep.
Ishtar	1987	The film polarized critics and became a notorious failure at the box office. Many have considered it to be one of the worst films ever made, although critical support for the film has grown strongly since its release. Before release, market research led Columbia to believe the film would fail. Its head of marketing, Peter Sealey, advised the studio to minimize its losses by cutting the film's advertising budget. Instead, Columbia spent even more to promote the film, afraid of alienating Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman. Despite the negative press, three previews went well, with Beatty describing one in Toronto as the best he had ever had, and he and the studio considered striking more prints. Those discussions ended after the opening weekend, May 15, 1987. Ishtar, on more than a thousand screens across the country, took in $4.2 million (equivalent to $NaN in 2018) in receipts, winning the weekend, being #1 at the box office. However, it beat The Gate—a low-budget horror film with no stars—by only $100,000, and ultimately it grossed only $14.3 million at the North American box office. Against a $51 million production budget and up to another $20 million spent on prints and marketing costs, the film is estimated to have lost $40 million. Ishtar has since become synonymous with the phrase "box office flop", and in 2014, the Los Angeles Times listed the film as one of the most expensive box office flops of all time. As a result of the losses it suffered from the film and negative publicity, Coca-Cola re-evaluated its decision to enter the business. It spun off its entertainment holdings into a separate company called Columbia Pictures Entertainment, with Coca-Cola holding 49% of the stock. Two years later, it sold Columbia to Sony.
The Island	1980	On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 40% based on 5 reviews, with a weighted average rating of 4.8/10.
It Came from Hollywood	1982

J

Film	Year of release	Notes
The January Man	1989	The film's box-office gross (in the USA) was $4,611,062. It holds a 21% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Jaws: The Revenge	1987	Jaws: The Revenge was panned by critics and to this day, receives a 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 34 reviews with an average rating of 2/10. The critical consensus reads, "Illogical, tension-free and filled with cut-rate special effects, Jaws 4 - The Revenge is a sorry chapter in a once-proud franchise." The film is one of the few films to have a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film is listed in Golden Raspberry Award founder John Wilson's book The Official Razzie Movie Guide as one of The 100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made.
Jinxed!	1982	Released to theaters on October 22, 1982, the movie was a box office failure.
Johnny Be Good	1988	The film was a failure at the box office and for its star, Anthony Michael Hall. At review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, as of July 2014, Johnny Be Good had a 0% rating, based on 11 reviews, with an average score of 2.3/10.
Johnny Handsome	1989	The film was not a box office success.

K

Film	Year of release	Notes
The Keep	1983	The film, extensively cut by the studio from its original three and a half hours long runtime to just over one-and-half hour, was given a limited release theatrically in the United States by Paramount Pictures on 16 December 1983. It grossed $4,218,594 at the domestic box office.
Kill Me Again	1989	The film was a failure at the box office, but it later achieved some success on home video.
King David	1985	King David was released by Paramount Pictures which was also the production company, on March 29, 1985, while in other countries it was released in 1986 and 1987. Upon release, the film received mostly negative reviews aimed for its screenplay writing, pace, some of the acting and the action sequences. However, Gere's performance and the cinematography were praised. In addition to being a critical failure, the film was also a box office failure with grossing $5.9 million worldwide against its $21 million production budget.
King Kong Lives	1986	Despite its marketing campaign, King Kong Lives was a box office flop, grossing $4.7 million during its theatrical run. The film was nominated for one Razzie Award, Worst Visual Effects. Actor Peter Goetz received a residual check of 12 cents from the film and decided to frame it as a tribute, never cashing it.
The King of Comedy	1983	Although the film was well received by critics, it bombed at the box office. Robert De Niro said that the film "maybe wasn't so well received because it gave off an aura of something that people didn't want to look at or know".
Krull	1983	Krull went through a very expensive, harsh, and dangerous production process. The film's huge budget mainly came from the designers having to make numerous alterations to the sets. Krull was shot at several sound stages at Pinewood Studios, and actors such as Marshall, Bernard Bresslaw, and Freddie Jones had to perform dangerous stunts during filming. Despite these efforts, the film was a commercial failure upon release, and critical opinion, both upon release and in retrospect, has been mixed. Numerous reviewers have highlighted its visual effects and soundtrack, while several critics have criticized its derivative and nonsensical plot. However, the film has gone on to achieve cult film status. The film made over $16.5 million in the U.S., failing to bring back its reported budget of over $45–50 million. However, it has gained a cult following over the years since its release.

L

Film	Year of release	Notes
Labyrinth	1986	The New York Times reported that Labyrinth had a budget of $25 million. The film was a box office disappointment, grossing $12.9 million during its U.S. theatrical run. The commercial failure demoralized Henson to the extent that his son Brian remembered the time of the film's release as one of the most difficult periods of his father's career. It would be the last feature film directed by Henson before his death in 1990. Although it was met with a mixed critical response upon its initial release, Labyrinth has since gained a large cult following. Labyrinth opened at number eight in the U.S. box office charts with $3,549,243 from 1,141 theaters, which placed it behind The Karate Kid Part II, Back to School, Legal Eagles, Ruthless People, Running Scared, Top Gun, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. In its next weekend at the box office, the film dropped to number 13 in the charts, only earning $1,836,177. By the end of its run in U.S cinemas the film had grossed $12,729,917, just over half of its $25 million budget.
Ladyhawke	1985	Ladyhawke has a rating of 65% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 20 critics' reviews.
Last Rites	1988	The film was both a commercial and critical failure and caused a significant amount of controversy because of the touchy subject matter. In America, the film grossed $427,000, making it one of the biggest box office bombs of 1988.
The Last Temptation of Christ	1988	The Last Temptation of Christ opened in 123 theaters on August 12, 1988, and grossed $401,211 in its opening weekend. The movie was not a financial success. At the end of its run, it had grossed only $8,373,585 domestically (it cost over 7,000,000 to film) and $487,867 in Mexico for a worldwide total of $8,861,452.
Legend	1985	Although not a commercial success when first released, it won the British Society of Cinematographers Award for Best Cinematography in 1985 for cinematographer Alex Thomson, as well as being nominated for multiple awards: Academy Award for Best Makeup; Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films Saturn Award for Best Makeup; BAFTA Awards for Best Costume Design, Best Makeup Artist, Best Special Visual Effects; DVD Exclusive Awards; and Young Artist Awards. Since its premiere and the subsequent release of the Director's Cut edition, the film has become a cult classic, with many critics agreeing the Director's Cut is far superior to the U.S. Theatrical Version. Legend received mixed reviews. The film currently holds a 42% "Rotten" approval rating at review aggregator RottenTomatoes, based on 26 reviews.
The Legend of the Lone Ranger	1981	In 1978, Jack Wrather and Bonita Granville had gained the legal rights to the Lone Ranger character and were planning to shoot a feature film with a new actor to replace the 65-year-old Clayton Moore. Wrather anticipated making a new film version of the story, and he did not want the value of the character being undercut by Moore's appearances at county and state fairs and entertaining children in hospitals. Also, he did not want audiences to believe that the aging Moore would reprise his role as the Lone Ranger. The producers obtained a court injunction barring Moore from appearing in public with his trademark black mask. He was also only permitted to sign autographs as "The Masked Man." This move proved to be a public relations disaster. Moore responded by changing his costume slightly and replacing the mask with similar-looking wraparound sunglasses, and by cross-litigating against Wrather. He eventually won his suit and was able to resume his appearances in costume, which he continued to do until shortly before his death in 1999. Although it was customary for previous stars to cameo in a movie where a new actor had taken over their role, Clayton Moore declined to do so in The Legend of the Lone Ranger, due not only to the bad blood resulting from the legal actions against him but also his dissatisfaction with the manner in which the film handled the character. The film was released to massive negative publicity fueled by the above controversy in 1981, and grossed a mere $12 million against its $18 million budget. Other contributing factors were the lack of public interest in Westerns by the early 1980s as well as alterations to some fundamental elements of the Lone Ranger's character such as his trademark silver bullets being made into magical talismans in the movie instead of mere symbolism. Lew Grade, who invested in the movie, had managed to sell it to TV for $7.5 million, and also to HBO.
Leonard Part 6	1987	It earned several Golden Raspberry Awards; Bill Cosby himself denounced and disowned it in the press in the weeks leading up to its release. It is often considered to be one of the worst films ever made. The movie received overwhelming negative reviews. When the film was released in 1987, even Cosby himself said that he was so disappointed with it that he publicly advised people not to waste their money on it. The movie was a box office flop, and thanks in part to Cosby's advice on the film, it only grossed $4,615,255—a mere fraction of its $24 million budget.
Let It Ride	1989
Let's Get Harry	1986	The film direction is credited to Alan Smithee, a pseudonym used by directors who repudiate their involvement in a film. Let's Get Harry is currently only available on VHS and has not been released on DVD.
Lifeforce	1985	Lifeforce was released on 21 June 1985 to poor box office returns. The film opened in fourth place, losing a head-to-head battle against Ron Howard's science fiction film, Cocoon. The film earned $11,603,545 at the US box office.
Lion of the Desert	1981	Released in May 1981, the film was liked by critics but performed poorly financially, bringing in just $1 million net worldwide.. The film was banned in Italy in 1982 and was only shown on pay TV in 2009.
Listen to Me	1989	It was financed by the Weintraub Entertainment Group from Jerry Weintraub. The film's marketing was going to focus on Kirk Cameron, then at the height of his popularity. However Jerry Weintraub over-rode them and insisted on ads that emphasised the fact the film dealt with a debate about abortion, hoping to stir up controversy. The movie was a flop at the box office. "Fans were neither angered or disturbed, they simply stayed away," wrote the Wall Street Journal.
Little Monsters	1989	The film was financed by Vestron Pictures. Along with a few other films, the distribution rights were sold to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists after Vestron's bankruptcy (though Vestron retained some foreign rights). It subsequently saw a limited release, with only 179 movie theaters showing the film at its high point, although it grossed just under US$800,000.
Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland	1989	Despite having a positive reception, the film failed to find an audience. In its opening weekend in the United States, Nemo made about $407,695 with a total US gross of approximately $1,368,000. It won the "Audience Award" at Amsterdam's 1992 Cinekid Festival and was nominated for "Best Animated Feature" at the 1993 Annie Awards. In March 2005, Little Nemo was given a very limited re-release in Denver, Seattle, Atlanta, Austin, Houston, and other cities in the US. This was through Regal Entertainment Group's Regal Cinemas, Edwards Theatres, and United Artists Theatres as part of a Kidtoon Films family matinées promotion. It was only shown on weekends.
Little Nikita	1988	It grossed $866,398 on its opening weekend. It went on to make $1.7 million in North America.
Lock Up	1989	Lock Up grossed $22.1 million on a budget of $24 million.
The Lonely Lady	1983	Universal Pictures purchased the filming rights for The Lonely Lady in 1975, one year before the novel was published, hoping to release the adaptation in 1976. Susan Blakely, who had signed a three picture pay or play contract with Universal, accepted the role of Jerilee, being able to approve the screenplay and director. However, despite multiple drafts by Robert Merrill and Dean Riesner, Blakely was never satisfied with the script and eventually opted out of the project. The Lonely Lady only eventually entered production as Israeli multimillionaire industrialist Meshulam Riklis joined the production in 1982. Riklis had already funded Butterfly, released that same year, to serve as vehicle for his wife Pia Zadora, and wanted The Lonely Lady to have the same purpose. Riklis was reportedly supplying approximately half of the film's $6–7 million budget, along with completion costs, but refused any mention in credits. The Lonely Lady was heavily panned by critics. The film was nominated for 11 Golden Raspberry Awards and won six: Worst Actress, Worst Director, Worst Musical Score, Worst Original Song ("The Way You Do It"), Worst Picture, and Worst Screenplay. The movie was nominated for a Stinkers Bad Movie Awards for Worst Picture.
Lookin' to Get Out	1982	Director Ashby had notorious bouts with the studio and recut the film for himself before it was taken from his hands and recut by the studio. Years later, while speaking at the University of Southern California, Jon Voight discovered that the version of the film which had been shown to the students was not the theatrical version but instead Ashby's original cut (which was considered lost). This was brought to the attention of Warner Home Video who released the Ashby Director Cut on DVD on June 30, 2009.
Losin' It	1983	The film received negative reviews from critics. It has a 22% score on Rotten Tomatoes based on nine reviews.

M

Film	Year of release	Notes
Mac and Me	1988	Despite a measure of praise for Jade Calegory's lead performance, the film met with widespread critical censure, and failed at the box office. Reviewers noted imitation of numerous concepts from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), and excessive product placement, as its principal flaws. The film was nominated for four Golden Raspberry Awards, winning Worst Director and Worst New Star (for Ronald McDonald). On the other hand, it received four nominations from the Youth in Film Awards (now Young Artist Awards). Mac and Me holds a 0% approval rating at review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, and is widely regarded as one of the worst films ever made. It has, however, attained "so bad it's good" cult status. Mac and Me grossed $6,424,112 in the United States on a $13 million budget, rendering the film a box office failure. It had a profit-sharing arrangement with Ronald McDonald House Charities. Mac and Me ends with the text "We'll be back!", but owing to its unpopularity, a sequel did not materialize. Producer R.J. Louis spoke of the ending in a 2017 interview, and did not rule out a follow-up. He claimed there is public interest in the film because home video sales made it profitable for Orion Pictures, and opined that MAC would resonate with modern, young moviegoers.
Made in Heaven	1987
Malone	1987
The Man Who Loved Women	1983	While the original 1977 French film was greatly appreciated, the American remake was a box office flop and a critical failure. In the United States, the film opened at #10 and went on to gross $10,964,231 ().
The Man with One Red Shoe	1985	The film was considered a box office disappointment. Released by 20th Century Fox in July 1985, it debuted at no. 7 at the box office its opening weekend and grossed just $8,645,411 over its short theatrical run.
The Man with Two Brains	1983	The Man with Two Brains currently holds a 76% 'fresh' rating on review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes.
The Manhattan Project	1986	$13 million of the budget - the actual cost of making the movie - was provided by Thorn-EMI Screen Entertainment. The rest of the budget consisted of consultancy fees for Gladden. The film earned $2 million in film rentals to theaters in the United States during its first year of release.
Manhunter	1986	Opening to mixed reviews, Manhunter fared poorly at the box office at the time of its release, making only $8.6 million in the United States. However, it has been reappraised in more recent reviews and now enjoys a more favorable reception, as both the acting and the stylized visuals have been appreciated better in later years. Its resurgent popularity, which may be due to later adaptations of Harris' books and William Petersen's success in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, has seen it labelled as a cult film. Manhunter was released in the United States on 15 August 1986. It opened in 779 theaters and grossed $2,204,400 in its opening weekend. The film eventually grossed a total of $8,620,929 in the US, making it the 76th highest-grossing film that year. Because of internal problems at De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, the UK premiere was postponed for over a year. It was screened in November 1987 as part of the London Film Festival and saw wide release on 24 February 1989. In France, Manhunter was screened on 9 April at the 1987 Cognac Festival du Film Policier, where it was awarded the Critics Prize. It was also shown at the 2009 Camerimage Film Festival in Łódź, Poland. On 19 March 2011, it was screened at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its release. Michael Mann was present for discussion at the event.
Masters of the Universe	1987	Masters of the Universe was released theatrically in the United States on August 7, 1987. It was a critical and commercial failure, grossing $17 million worldwide against a budget of $22 million, but is now regarded as a cult film. Prior to releasing it, the Cannon Group touted Masters of the Universe as the Star Wars of the 1980s. Despite releasing alongside the height of the success of the toy line, animated series, and related merchandise, Masters of the Universe began as the third-highest-grossing film of the weekend in North America on August 7, 1987, earning $4,883,168, behind Stakeout ($5,170,403) and The Living Daylights ($7,706,230). The film quickly left the charts altogether with a North American gross of $17,336,370. The commercial failure of Masters of the Universe, among other films such as Superman IV: The Quest for Peace and Lifeforce, contributed to the eventual closure of Cannon Films. Cannon Films had intended to create a Masters of the Universe sequel, indicated by the end credits with a surprise reveal that Skeletor survives his fall. The sequel titled "Masters of the Universe 2: Cyborg" was written and followed He-Man, who returned to Earth to battle Skeletor, who has left Earth as a post-apocalyptic wasteland and the film was to feature Trap Jaw and She-Ra. Pro surfer Laird Hamilton was originally to replace Dolph Lundgren as He-Man and the only aspect known about the sequel's screenplay was that He-Man would have returned to Earth and was disguised as a professional quarterback. With a low budget of $4.5 million, the sequel was to be directed by Albert Pyun, consecutively with the aborted Spider-Man movie. The project was abandoned when Cannon would not pay Mattel's fees. The production instead utilized the already-made costumes and sets for the low-budget sci-fi film Cyborg. Masters of the Universe was Lundgren's first leading role in a feature film following his success in Rocky IV, and he later labeled it as his least favorite film role. Conversely, Langella considers playing Skeletor to be one of his favorite roles.
Maximum Overdrive	1986	The film was the first to be made by Embassy Pictures after it had been bought by Dino de Laurentiis. In a 2002 interview with Tony Magistrale for the book Hollywood's Stephen King, King stated that he was "coked out of [his] mind all through its production, and [he] really didn't know what [he] was doing". When filming the scene where the ice cream truck flips over, the stunt did not go according to plan and resulted in an accident. A telephone pole-size beam of wood was placed inside so it would flip end over end, but it only flipped once and slid on its roof, right into the camera. Gene Poole, dolly grip on the film, pulled the cameraman out of the way at the last second. A second incident, this time leading to serious injury, occurred on July 31, 1985 while filming in a suburb of Wilmington, North Carolina. A radio-controlled lawnmower used in a scene went out of control and struck a block of wood used as a camera support, shooting out wood splinters which injured the director of photography Armando Nannuzzi. As a result of this incident, Nannuzzi lost an eye. Nannuzzi sued Stephen King, and 17 others, on February 18, 1987 for $18 million in damages due to unsafe working practices. The suit was settled out of court. Maximum Overdrive received overwhelmingly negative reviews, earning a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 17%. In Leonard Maltin's annual publication TV Movie Guide, the film is given a "BOMB" rating. Two Golden Raspberry Award nominations were given out, to Emilio Estevez for Worst Actor and Stephen King for Worst Director.
Megaforce	1982	The film was poorly received by critics, bombed at the box office and was nominated for three Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Picture. The film was part of a $50 million slate of film production from Golden Harvest studios aimed at breaking into the Western market. Other movies included High Road to China and The Protector. The film was released during the summer of 1982 amid much competition. Early box office tracking was poor and it was felt the film would be overshadowed by The Road Warrior. The film is in the list of films with a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Memories of Me	1988	The movie received mixed reviews. The movie was not a box office success.
Mike's Murder	1984	Warner Brothers reportedly was unhappy about the project because of its premise with the drug-fixated underpinnings of the L.A. entertainment world and refused to release it until James Bridges made some cuts and changes. The film was originally edited so that the events played chronologically backward and featured a score by singer Joe Jackson. Bridges' original edit was poorly received by test audiences, and Warner Bros. forced him to re-edit it so the story unfolded in a more conventional way. Jackson's score was replaced by a new John Barry score. However, a couple of Jackson's songs remain in the film.
The Milagro Beanfield War	1988	The film's premiere in three cities was called "risky" and "disappointing" by industry analysts. The film received mixed reviews from critics. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 59% of critics gave the film a positive rating, based on twenty-seven reviews.
Million Dollar Mystery	1987	Producer Dino De Laurentiis conceived the idea for Million Dollar Mystery when he visited New York and saw a row of people lining up for what he presumably thought was a movie. A companion told De Laurentiis that they were actually lining up for lottery tickets. Glad Bags sponsored a sweepstakes timed for the film's release. The company gave away entry forms, and the audience would fill out these forms with their answer to where the last million is hiding, based on clues given in the film. De Laurentiis said of the film: "This is a really broad comedy with car chases, designed for the young major moviegoing audience, about 12 to 24 years old. The sweepstakes gives us the potential to reach even more people – the infrequent moviegoer, the person more interested in winning a million dollars than in going to the movies, and these are the kind of people who use Glad Bags, housewives who maybe go to the movies once or twice a year." De Laurentiis had high expectations for the film, but it did not turn out to be a hit. The winner of the contest ended up being 14-year-old Alesia Lenae Jones of Bakersfield, California, who successfully guessed that the loot was hidden in the nose of the Statue of Liberty. Apparently, thousands of contestants had arrived at the same answer, and her entry was chosen in a random drawing.
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters	1985	The film was withdrawn from the Tokyo International Film Festival and never officially released in Japan, mostly due to boycott exercised by Mishima's widow and threats by far right wing groups opposed to Mishima's portrayal as a homosexual. The title role was originally intended for Ken Takakura, who indeed proposed this to Paul Schrader, but had to withdraw due to the pressure from the same groups. In an interview with Kevin Jackson, Schrader commented on the fact that his film has still not been shown in Japan: "[Mishima] is too much of a scandal. […] When Mishima died people said, 'Give us fifteen years and we'll tell you what we think about him,' but it's been more than fifteen years now and they still don't know what to say. Mishima has become a non-subject." On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Mishima has a 91% approval rating and rating average score of 7.4/10 based on 23 reviews. The site's consensus reads, "Paul Schrader's directorial masterpiece is a classy and imaginative portrait enriched by a stunning score and impressive cinematography." The film premiered at the 1985 Cannes Film Festival on May 15, 1985 where it won the award for Best Artistic Contribution by cinematographer John Bailey, production designer Eiko Ishioka and music composer Philip Glass.
The Mission	1986	The film grossed $17.2 million at the US and international box office against a budget of £16.5 million, which at the time was the US equivalent of $25.4 million, making this film a commercial flop. The Mission received mixed to positive reviews from critics. The film currently holds a 65% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 23 reviews.
The Moderns	1988	The film received fairly positive reviews from critics, and it currently holds a 75% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It was nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards including Best Supporting Male for John Lone, Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography.
Monsignor	1982	The film was not well received by critics and performed poorly at the box office; Christopher Reeve later blamed this on poor editing. Supporting actors Jason Miller and Fernando Rey were singled out for their strong performances. The film was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Musical Score, the only Razzie nomination John Williams ever received in his career to date.
Moon over Parador	1988	On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 42%, based on 12 reviews, and an average rating of 4.8/10. Despite opening at #1 in the box office, the film was unable to cover its production costs, making it a flop.
Morgan Stewart's Coming Home	1987	The film was also released as Home Front and Homefront Riviera in some countries. The film was directed by Paul Aaron/Terry Winsor, but upon release the director was listed as "Alan Smithee", a name often used when directors ask to remove their names from a picture. Critics generally felt the film to be poor, although the cast, especially Jon Cryer, was usually praised. The New York Times noted that "It's hard to imagine any adult sitting through this movie without dozing off or cracking up, but it's a harmless enough fantasy, and if Jon Cryer's career takes off -- he's due in at least two more films, Dudes and Superman IV -- Morgan Stewart may find a place in the archives as an early little movie in which the star wasn't nearly matched by the material."
The Mosquito Coast	1986	The film was initially a critical and commercial disappointment, but has since received much stronger modern reviews. Film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a positive score of 75% based on a sample of 20 reviews, with an average rating of 6.4 out of 10. With a production budget of $25 million, the film made a little over $14 million in North America. Despite being one of his least commercially successful films, Harrison Ford has defended it, saying in a 1992 interview: It's the only film I have done that hasn't made its money back. I'm still glad I did it. If there was a fault with the film, it was that it didn't fully enough embrace the language of the book (by Paul Theroux). It may have more properly been a literary rather than a cinematic exercise. But I think it's full of powerful emotions.
Moving	1988	The film debuted at No. 4. It was a failure at the box office, grossing US$10,815,378.
My Little Pony: The Movie	1988	Opening in only 421 theaters on June 6, 1986, My Little Pony: The Movie grossed just under US$6 million in ticket sales at the North American box office. With a US$674,724 gross on its wide debut, it remains one of the weakest on record among major features. Hasbro lost US$10 million on the combined poor performance of this, and their next collaboration with De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG), The Transformers: The Movie. It also forced the producers of these films to make G.I. Joe: The Movie a direct-to-video release instead of theatrical, as well as scrap a Jem movie then in development. However, The Transformers: The Movie was itself later reassessed on VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray by viewers, and has over the decades risen to become a popular cult classic.
My Stepmother Is an Alien	1988	The film's screenplay was written by Herschel Weingrod, Timothy Harris and Jonathan Reynolds, based on an earlier script by Jericho Stone, who originally pitched the film to Paramount Pictures as a drama which would serve as an allegory about child abuse. When Paramount optioned the story, they suggested that it would be more believable as a comedy. The film was unproduced for four years until Weintraub Entertainment Group put it into production in 1988. My Stepmother Is an Alien was a box office failure, grossing $13.8 million against a $26 million budget. The film also received mixed reviews from critics, with the most negative responses panning the film's humor and screenplay. Kim Basinger and costar Jon Lovitz generally received favorable reviews for their comedic performances. In the New York Times review, Dan Aykroyd was singled out for criticism in his performance as a romantic lead. Director Richard Benjamin read an unfinished version of the screenplay in the early 1980s, but did not become interested in the project until reading a completed draft he received via Weintraub in 1987, and agreed to direct. By 1988, the screenplay had received further rewriting by Jonathan Reynolds. Stone was ultimately credited only for the story, under his first name, Jericho. The film went into principal photography on 29 February 1988, as well as wrapped in May of that year; the total cost of production and marketing was reported as $26 million. A July press release for the film stated that My Stepmother Is An Alien would be released on November 23, 1988, but it was later pushed to December 9. The film premiered on December 3, 1988 in Washington, D.C., an event attended by stars Aykroyd and Basinger, as well as president George H.W. Bush, first lady Barbara Bush and vice president Dan Quayle. Upon general release, Los Angeles City Mayor Tom Bradley declared December 9 “Stepmother Day,” to honor the “importance, dedication and contribution of stepmothers everywhere,” as well as an appreciation of the film shooting in Los Angeles. The film opened at #7, grossing $2,066,980 in the opening weekend. It went on to gross $13,854,000 in the United States, becoming a box office failure.

N

Film	Year of release	Notes
Nadine	1987
The Name of the Rose	1986	The film did poorly at the box office in the United States, playing at 176 theatres and grossing $7.2 million on a $17 million budget. However, it was popular in many parts of Europe and had a worldwide gross of over $77 million.
Nate and Hayes	1983	This was one of many early 1980s films designed to capitalize on the popularity of Lucas and Spielberg's hero, Indiana Jones, but Nate and Hayes was a flop at the box office. This contributed to the long-held belief in Hollywood that pirate swashbucklers were box office poison, a belief not laid to rest until the 2003 release of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. The film was entirely financed with New Zealand money but achieved distribution in the US. Producer Phillips raised money in part on the back of the success of his short film, Dollar Bottom. The film has a small but very loyal fanbase which seems to have encouraged the release of the film on Region 1 and Region 2 DVD, in June and November 2006 respectively.
National Lampoon's Movie Madness	1983	National Lampoon Goes To The Movies was the second film produced by the magazine National Lampoon, after Animal House. National Lampoon Goes To The Movies was conceived as a parody of ten film and television genres. In A Futile and Stupid Gesture, Josh Karp described the project as "a cocaine-fueled fiasco; nobody had a sense of structure or any idea how to write a screenplay." Eventually, the screenplay was trimmed down to four segments: a "divorce movie", a "making-it-big movie", a "cop movie" and a "terrorist movie". Writer Shary Flenniken said of the project, "We cut stuff and boiled it down. It lost its purpose and just became a bunch of crazy crap." Flenniken states that a test screening of the film in Rhode Island was met with extremely negative response, and that audience members tore up the seats in the theater to express their dislike of the film. The film was completed in 1981, but not released until two years later. Leonard Maltin gave the film a "bomb" rating, describing it as an "incredibly idiotic parody", describing the segments as "each one worse than the next [sic]."
The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey	1988	The Navigator was officially chosen for competition at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival, and although it won no awards it received a five-minute standing ovation. Caryn James of the New York Times described the film as "a dark, thrilling fantasy that places Mr. Ward... among the most innovative and authoritative young film makers", and gave it four and half out of five stars. On Rotten Tomatoes the film received an 80% rating, based on five reviews.
Near Dark	1987	Despite performing poorly at the box office, critic reviews were very positive. Over the years, the film has gained a cult following. Near Dark was released on October 2, 1987 in 262 theaters, grossing US$635,789 on its opening weekend. It went on to make $3.4 million, below its $5 million budget.
The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking	1988	It was released in movie theaters worldwide in 13 languages by Columbia Pictures. The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking received generally negative reviews from film critics. The film has a 17% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes.
New York Stories	1989	New York Stories opened on March 3, 1989, earning $432,337 in 12 theaters over its opening weekend. The film went on to gross $10,763,469 domestically playing in 514 theaters.
A Night in Heaven	1983	Most critics were hostile to A Night in Heaven, Roger Ebert found it a "very confusing movie" that "introduces several themes and relationships, and asks some big questions", but "doesn't pay off on any of them". Vincent Canby of The New York Times dismissed the film, writing, "all boredom breaks loose". The review in People Magazine began with "What's this? Flashdunce?" Audiences were as hostile to A Night in Heaven as critics had been. The film was a box office bomb, grossing only a little over $5 million on a $6 million budget.
Nightbreed	1989	At the time of its release, the film was a commercial and critical failure. In several interviews, Clive Barker protested that the film company tried to sell it as a standard slasher film, and that the powers-that-be had no real working knowledge of Nightbreed's story. Since its initial theatrical release, Nightbreed has achieved cult status. Over time, Barker expressed disappointment with the final cut approved by the studio and always longed for the recovery of the reels so the film might be re-edited. In 2014 a director's cut was finally released by Scream Factory.Nightbreed was released on February 16, 1990 in 1,488 theaters, grossing $3.7 million on its opening weekend. It went on to make $8.8 million in North America, below its $11 million budget.
No Mercy	1986	No Mercy received negative reviews from critics and currently holds a 21% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

O

Film	Year of release	Notes
Off Limits	1988	The movie received a mixed reception. The movie was not successful at the box office. However, it later found its audience on home video and on cable TV, primarily HBO.
Old Gringo	1989	Before its release in theatres, the film was booed at the Cannes film festival. The film received mixed to negative reviews, with a 42% "Freshness" rating at the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. It was a box-office failure. Jane Fonda received a Razzie Award nomination for Worst Actress for her performance in the film, where she ended up losing to Heather Locklear for The Return of Swamp Thing.
Once Upon a Time in America	1984	It was the final film directed by Sergio Leone before his death five years later, and the first feature film he had directed in 13 years. The cinematography was by Tonino Delli Colli, and the film score by Ennio Morricone. Leone originally envisaged two three-hour films, then a single 269-minute (4 hours and 29 minutes) version, but was convinced by distributors to shorten it to 229 minutes (3 hours and 49 minutes). The American distributors, The Ladd Company, further shortened it to 139 minutes, and rearranged the scenes into chronological order, without Leone's involvement. The shortened version was a critical and commercial flop in the United States, and critics who had seen both versions harshly condemned the changes that were made. The original "European cut" has remained a critical favorite and frequently appears in lists of the greatest gangster films of all time. Once Upon a Time in America premiered at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival on 23 May and received a "15-minute standing ovation". In the United States, the film received a wide release in 894 theaters on June 1, 1984 and grossed $2.4 million during its opening weekend. It ended its box office run with a gross of just over $5.3 million on a $30 million budget, and became labeled as a box office flop. The financial and critical disaster of the American release almost bankrupted The Ladd Company. Eventually, the film premiered in Leone's native Italy out of competition at the 41st Venice International Film Festival in September 1984. That same month, the film was released wide in Italy on September 28, 1984 in its 229-minute version.
One from the Heart	1982	One From the Heart was originally to be financed by MGM, with the studio giving Francis Ford Coppola a record $2 million to direct. Coppola initially rejected the offer, then bought the rights to the property himself through his Zoetrope Studios, with MGM remaining as a distributor for North America. Zoetrope raised financing via foreign pre-sales and a loan from Chase Manhattan Bank. Initially a romantic comedy, Coppola wanted a more ambitious film, raising the film's budget from $15 million to $23 million, paying for miniatures and lavish backgrounds. The film was almost entirely shot on Zoetrope sound stages. Coppola insisted on building sets to add to the artificiality of the proscenium. However, Zoetrope was struggling to stay afloat, and its staff wound up working on a reduced payroll. The film's tax shelter investors pulled out, and thus MGM withdrew its support for the project. Eventually, Coppola got support from Canadian businessman Jack Singer, who agreed to lend $8 million to Zoetrope. In February 1981, Paramount Pictures took over as distributor. A screening in San Francisco, California in August 1981 proved to be disappointing, and many exhibitors backed out of releasing it. Paramount decided on a general release in February 1982. The studio also stated that it would hold Oscar-consideration screenings in December 1981, but backed out; Coppola perceived that Paramount wanted to focus on Oscar campaigns for Reds and Ragtime, but the studio insisted that they didn't want to pose a threat to the wide release. Coppola booked a New York City preview on January 15, 1982, at Radio City Music Hall without the authorization of Paramount. These screenings further soured the relationship between Coppola and Paramount, which was problematic during the arduous shooting and only increased as a result of the poor screening in San Francisco. Paramount ultimately pulled out of the distribution of the film, despite the fact that it was already booked in theaters throughout America. At almost the last minute, Coppola forged a new deal with Columbia Pictures. The movie grossed $389,249 on its first weekend on 41 theaters, with a total gross of $636,796, against a $26 million budget. The commercial failure of the film resulted in a decade of financial turmoil for Coppola and his production companies.
The Osterman Weekend	1983	Sam Peckinpah managed to keep up with the 54-day shooting schedule and within a budget of just under $7 million, but his relationship with the producers soon soured and he became combative. By the time shooting wrapped in January 1983, Peckinpah and the producers were hardly speaking. Peckinpah delivered the film on time and on budget, submitting his director's cut to the producers. This version was screened once on May 25, 1983. Test audiences reacted unfavorably and many walked out of the theater during the first few minutes. Peckinpah opened with a distorted image of Fassett and his wife making love, and the way he had edited the scene made it difficult for the audience to discern what was going on. William N. Panzer and Peter S. Davis were hoping that Peckinpah would re-edit the film himself, because they did not desire to antagonize him any further, but the director refused to make changes. Peckinpah had also filmed several satirical scenes, subtly ridiculing the product. As a result, the producers felt they had no choice and effectively fired Peckinpah and re-edited the film themselves. The producers changed the opening sequence and deleted other scenes they deemed unnecessary. Peckinpah proclaimed that producers had sabotaged his film, a complaint he also made after filming Major Dundee (1965) and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973). The film was not a blockbuster, though it grossed $6 million domestically and did extremely well in Europe and on the new home-video market. Theatrical distribution was handled by 20th Century Fox.
Over the Top	1987	Over the Top was released in 1,758 theaters and opened in 4th place for the weekend, earning $5.1 million behind Mannequin Outrageous Fortune and Platoon . The film holds a 42% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 12 reviews and an average rating of 4.5/10. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale. The film received three nominations at the 8th Golden Raspberry Awards in 1988. David Mendenhall won two for both Worst Supporting Actor and Worst New Star, and Sylvester Stallone was nominated for Worst Actor, which he lost to Bill Cosby for Leonard Part 6.

P

Film	Year of release	Notes
Pennies from Heaven	1981	The film was a commercial failure, grossing slightly more than $9 million at the box office against a budget of $22 million. When asked in Rolling Stone about the film's box-office failure, Steve Martin said: "I'm disappointed that it didn't open as a blockbuster and I don't know what's to blame, other than it's me and not a comedy. I must say that the people who get the movie, in general, have been wise and intelligent; the people who don't get it are ignorant scum." It was Martin's second starring role in a film, following 1979's comedy hit The Jerk, and fans were confused to see Martin in a serious role. "You just can't do a movie like Pennies from Heaven after you have done The Jerk", Martin said in a BBC interview.
Perfect	1985	The film was neither a commercial nor a critical success. Perfect maintains a 19% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was nominated for three Golden Raspberry Awards: Worst Actor (John Travolta), Worst Supporting Actress (Marilu Henner) and Worst Screenplay. The movie was nominated for a Stinkers Bad Movie Awards for Worst Picture. In a 1994 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Quentin Tarantino called the movie "greatly underappreciated." The film is listed in Golden Raspberry Award founder John Wilson's book The Official Razzie Movie Guide as one of The 100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made.
Personal Best	1982	The movie starred Mariel Hemingway and real-life track star Patrice Donnelly, along with Scott Glenn as the coach of the track team. It was written, produced and directed by Robert Towne. The film was praised by critics for providing a realistic look at the world of women's athletics, for exploring the complex relationships that can exist among teammates and their coach, and for its sensitive portrayal of the relationship between an older lesbian (Donnelly) and a younger bisexual woman (Hemingway). Despite good reviews, it flopped at the box-office.
Phobia	1980
Physical Evidence	1989	The film was originally conceived as a sequel to Jagged Edge and was meant to have Glenn Close and Robert Loggia reprise their roles. The story was about a private investigator framed for murder and the female lawyer who defends him. The project was developed at Columbia Pictures but then head of production Guy McElwaine was replaced by David Puttnam, who, according to producer Martin Ransohoff, said that he did not want to make sequels (Puttnam denied this, saying his problem was the script "wasn't good and for no other reason... when there's a terrific script for Jagged Edge II Columbia will be anxious to make it".). Ransohoff decided to turn the script into an original story. "It's a good mystery on its own terms," he said. "I think the story is really more effective as an original. Because there wasn't an agreement with Loggia and Close, we had always designed the project to go either as a sequel or on its own terms." The film was distributed by Columbia Pictures between in the United States and Canada, with Rank Film Distributors handling foreign distribution. The film was produced by Martin Ransohoff who formed with Columbia, Rank Film Distributors and Vestron Video in 1986.
The Pick-up Artist	1987	The film opened at number 5 at the US Box Office. The film has gained generally mixed reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a 55% rating based on 20 reviews.
Pink Cadillac	1989	Pink Cadillac was released in May 1989, opening against Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The film eventually grossed $12,143,484. In contrast, the movie Clint Eastwood made just prior to Pink Cadillac, the fifth Dirty Harry movie, The Dead Pool, grossed $37,903,295.
Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night	1987	Created by Filmation, the film underperformed at the box office, costing $10 million but making $3.2 million in its entire run. The film opened on Christmas in 1987 in 1,182 theaters, and made $602,734 on its opening weekend for an average of $510 per theater, 18.48% percent of the final gross of $3,261,638 in the United States.
The Pirate Movie	1982	The film performed far below expectations when first released and is generally reviewed very poorly. The film earned A$1,013,000 at the Australian box office. In the United States, the film grossed $7,983,086.
Pirates	1986	The film's original estimated budget, while Roman Polanski was aligned with Paramount on the picture, was $15 million, but the final budget is estimated to have been US$40 million. The reported gross box office revenues in the United States was $1.64 million and $6.3 million worldwide. Despite the film's financial failure, it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design. Pirates received a mostly negative to mixed critical reception and currently holds a 33% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 9 reviews.
The Pirates of Penzance	1983	Theater owners boycotted The Pirates of Penzance because Universal Pictures released it simultaneously to theaters and to subscription television services SelecTV and ONTV. The film opened theatrically in the United States on February 18, 1983 and earned $255,496 from 91 venues in its opening weekend, ranking fourteenth in the box office. At the end of its run, the film grossed $694,497. The film was a box office bomb. Despite its commercial failure, the film received generally positive reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes reports an 80% score based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10.
Police Academy 6: City Under Siege	1989	The movie performed poorly at the US box office, opening on March 10, 1989 to an opening weekend gross of $4,032,480. It ultimately took in a low total of $11,567,217 and marked the decline of the Police Academy franchise. The film faced strong competition in early 1989 in United States theaters from such high-profile comedy releases as Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Ghostbusters II, Major League, See No Evil, Hear No Evil, K-9, Three Fugitives, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, The 'Burbs, Fletch Lives, The Dream Team and Cousins. It also earned the designation of being the first Police Academy movie not to place first in the US weekend box office. The film received a mostly negative response. The film currently holds a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 7 reviews.
Poltergeist III	1988	Poltergeist III was the lowest grossing and least attended film in the Poltergeist trilogy. It opened at No. 5, making $4,344,308 on its opening weekend, averaging about $2,953 from 1,471 theaters. The film then fell out of the top 10 in its second weekend, dropping 52 percent to $2,093,783 (1,467 theaters, $1,427 average) ranking at No. 11, and bringing the 10-day cume to $8,165,286. Poltergeist III ended up with a domestic box office total of $14,114,488. The film sold 3.434 million tickets at 1988's ticket price of $4.11, compared with 25.410 million tickets for the first film, and 11.050 million tickets for the second film. At the time Poltergeist III began shooting in spring of 1987, Heather O'Rourke had been ill for several months with what was misdiagnosed as Crohn's disease, and subsequently underwent medical treatment during parts of the filming. Principal photography for the movie lasted from April 13 to June 26 of that year, with June 10, 1988 as the film's scheduled release date. After O'Rourke completed filming, she returned home to California with her illness appearing to be in remission. However, in late January 1988, O'Rourke suddenly became ill again, her condition rapidly deteriorated, and she died on February 1, 1988 (barely a month after her 12th birthday) during Poltergeist III's post-production period. O'Rourke's death complicated MGM's marketing campaign, out of fear of appearing to be exploiting her death. Skerritt and Allen were discouraged from giving interviews about the film to avoid questions about O'Rourke's death.
Popeye	1980	The film grossed $6 million on its opening weekend in the U.S., and made $32,000,000 after 32 days. The film earned $49,823,037 at the United States box office — more than double the film's budget — and a worldwide total of $60 million. Although the film's gross was decent, it was nowhere near the blockbuster that Paramount and Disney had expected, and was thus written off as a flop.
Pound Puppies and the Legend of Big Paw	1988	The Legend of Big Paw was the last theatrically released animated feature from the late 1980s to promote a major toy line, a common trend in the American cartoon industry during that time. The film had received negative reviews from critics and movie fans alike during its original release in 1988, therefore, the film had a box office writedown. During its short run in theaters, The Legend of Big Paw played mainly in matinees and only grossed US$586,938. It is Carolco's only family film and was also distributor TriStar's only animated feature until 2001's The Trumpet of the Swan. The film was among the last in a line of 1980s animated productions for the big screen which featured established toy properties as their main characters. Previous examples included movies that were based on the Care Bears, My Little Pony and Transformers.
Power	1986	Denzel Washington's performance in the film as public relations expert Arnold Billings earned him the 1987 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture. Beatrice Straight's performance as Claire Hastings, however, earned her a Golden Raspberry Award nomination for Worst Supporting Actress.
Pulse	1988	The film was produced through Columbia Pictures and the Aspen Film Society and distributed by Columbia Pictures. Pulse has a 58% approval rating at the online review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on 12 reviews.
Punchline	1988	Chairman of Columbia David Puttnam wanted to release Punchline during the Christmas of 1987, but the film wasn't ready. Puttnam eventually left, and Dawn Steel moved in and decided to release the film after Big (1988) became a huge hit. Punchline grossed a respectable $21 million in the United States.
The Purple Rose of Cairo	1985	The Purple Rose of Cairo opened in North America on March 1, 1985 in 3 theaters, where it grossed an exceptional $114,095 ($38,031 per screen) in its opening weekend. Box office settled down upon further expansions, and its total US gross of $10,631,333 was in line with most Woody Allen films of the period.

R

Film	Year of release	Notes
Rad	1986	The film received negative reviews during its release. On the website Rotten Tomatoes, "Rad" was given a "Rotten" rating of 0%, the lowest possible score from critics; conversely, the audience rating stands at 91%. The film was released on VHS and LaserDisc in 1986, where the film quickly found a following and became a top-ten video rental for two years after the film's release.
Radio Days	1987	Radio Days currently holds a "Fresh" 88% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 7.9/10.
Ragtime	1981	The film features the final film appearances of James Cagney and Pat O'Brien, and early appearances, in small parts, by Jeff Daniels, Fran Drescher, Samuel L. Jackson, Ethan Phillips and John Ratzenberger. The music score was composed by Randy Newman. The film was nominated for eight Oscars.
Raise the Titanic	1980	Although the film starred Jason Robards, Richard Jordan, David Selby, Anne Archer, and Sir Alec Guinness, it received mixed reviews by critics and audiences and proved to be a box office bomb. The film only grossed about $7 million against an estimated $40 million budget. Lew Grade later remarked "it would have been cheaper to lower the Atlantic". Raise The Titanic, along with other contemporary flops, has been credited with prompting Grade's withdrawal from continued involvement with the film industry.
Rampage	1987	Rampage was originally shot in 1986 in Stockton, California; it played at the Boston Film Festival in September 1987, and ran theatrically in some European countries in the late 1980s. Plans for the film's theatrical release in America were shelved when production studio DEG, the distributor of Rampage, went bankrupt. The film was unreleased in North America for five years. Director Friedkin reedited the film, and changed the ending (with Reece no longer committing suicide in jail) before its US release in October 1992. The European video versions usually feature the film's original ending. In his review, film critic Roger Ebert gave Rampage three stars out of four saying, "This is not a movie about murder so much as a movie about insanity - as it applies to murder in modern American criminal courts...Friedkin['s] message is clear: Those who commit heinous crimes should pay for them, sane or insane. You kill somebody, you fry - unless the verdict is murky or there were extenuating circumstances."
Raw Deal	1986	The film was originally produced so that Dino De Laurentiis could inject some quick cash into his long gestating project Total Recall, a film for which Laurentiis had owned the rights, and one in which Arnold Schwarzenegger would later take the leading role. Partly due to the poor box office performance of Raw Deal, De Laurentiis would eventually file for bankruptcy and the rights to Total Recall were sold to Carolco. At the time, Schwarzenegger was still under contract with De Laurentiis for a number of Conan the Barbarian sequels, and in exchange for dissolving this multi-picture agreement, Schwarzenegger agreed to star in Raw Deal. Initially, Schwarzenegger was more interested in doing Total Recall but De Laurentiis objected as he didn't feel that Schwarzenegger was right for the leading role. Patrick Swayze was cast before De Laurentiis' bankruptcy. Raw Deal made $5.4 million in 3 days. It went on to gross $15,946,969 in the US, and an additional $2,183,216 in Germany. Though the film doubled its production budget at the box office, its earnings were a disappointment.
The Razor's Edge	1984	For the next year and half, cast and crew shot on location in France, Switzerland and India with a $12 million budget. The film was a commercial failure, grossing a little more than $6 million, half of its $12 million production budget.
Red Sonja	1985	The film received generally negative reviews from critics. Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a score of 15% based on 27 reviews, with the site's critical consensus stating, "Dull, poorly directed, and badly miscast, Red Sonja is an uninspired conclusion to Arnold Schwarzenegger's barbarian trilogy." Schwarzenegger commented, "It's the worst film I have ever made." He joked, "Now, when my kids get out of line, they're sent to their room and forced to watch Red Sonja ten times. I never have too much trouble with them."
Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins	1985	Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins... opened on October 11, 1985 and earned $3,376,971 in its opening weekend, ranking #4 at the United States box office. By the end of its run, the film grossed $14,393,902 in the domestic box office.
Renegades	1989	The film received negative reviews from critics. It currently has a 20% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 5 reviews. The film grossed $3,075,030 on its first weekend, peaked No. 5 at the Box Office, behind Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and the newcomer No Holds Barred. The film grossed totally $9,015,164 in the US.
Rent-a-Cop	1988	The film earned under $300,000 in American ticket sales. Initially released on 26 November 1987 in West Germany, its American premiere came two months later on 15 January 1988. The film received negative reviews from critics, having a Rotten Tomatoes score of 18%, with 9 out of 11 professional reviews being negative.
The Return of Swamp Thing	1989	The Return of Swamp Thing received mixed to negative from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 33% based on 6 reviews, with an average rating of 4/10. Heather Locklear won the Razzie Award for Worst Actress for her performance in the film. In July 1990, USA Network premiered the Swamp Thing television series. This saw Dick Durock reprising his role using a modified version of the Return of Swamp Thing costume. The series took a deliberate turn away from the campy themes of its 1989 film predecessor and leaned toward the darkness of Wes Craven's version. It lasted into 1993 with a total of 72 episodes.
Return to Oz	1985	Released on June 21, 1985 by Walt Disney Pictures, the film performed poorly at the box office, grossing $11.1 million in the United States against a $28 million budget, and received mixed reviews from critics. However, it performed well outside the U.S and is considered by fans as a more faithful adaptation of the book series than the 1939 classic, and has since acquired a cult following. It earned $2,844,895 in its opening weekend, finishing in seventh place. It ultimately grossed $11,137,801 in North America.
Revolution	1985	Revolution received a great deal of negative reviews upon release, and was a box office bomb; its release was delayed in Al Pacino's native New York City. Due to the disappointment, Pacino took a four-year hiatus from films until 1989's Sea of Love. Revolution cost $28 million to make, and proved to be a box-office disaster, only grossing $346,761 in the United States. The film was also a critical letdown, with many criticizing the performances (especially the accents), writing, and choice to shoot a story of American history in England.
Rhinestone	1984	The film was panned upon its release, and is generally regarded as a commercial and critical flop; on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently has a 15% 'Rotten' rating. Nonetheless, the soundtrack album gave Dolly Parton two top ten country singles: "Tennessee Homesick Blues" and "God Won't Get You". Rhinestone was nominated for five Golden Raspberry Awards, winning Worst Actor (Sylvester Stallone) and Worst Original Song ("Drinkenstein"). The film is listed in Golden Raspberry Award founder John J.B. Wilson's book The Official Razzie Movie Guide as one of The 100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made. Stallone reportedly turned down Romancing the Stone and Beverly Hills Cop (1984) to make Rhinestone. He was paid $5 million and a percentage of the gross. Stallone now says he regrets making the film.
The Right Stuff	1983	The film was a box-office failure, grossing approximately $21 million against a $27 million budget. Despite this, it received widespread critical acclaim and eight Oscar nominations at the 56th Academy Awards, four of which it won. In 2013 the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The Right Stuff had its world premiere on October 16, 1983, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., to benefit the American Film Institute. It was given a limited release on October 21, 1983, in 229 theaters, grossing $1.6 million on its opening weekend. It went into wide release on February 17, 1984, in 627 theaters where it grossed an additional $1.6 million on that weekend. But despite this, the movie bombed at the box office with $21.1 million. The failure of this and Twice Upon a Time caused The Ladd Company to shut down.
The River	1984	The film was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Sissy Spacek), Best Cinematography, Best Music, Original Score and Best Sound (Nick Alphin, Robert Thirlwell, Richard Portman and David M. Ronne). It also received a special Oscar for sound effects editing (Kay Rose). The film was completed for under $18 million.
Roar	1981	Roar became notorious for its troubled 11-year production, which resulted in 70 members of its cast and crew being injured by the many predatory animals used in the film, including its main stars sustaining life-threatening injuries ranging from bone fractures to scalpings and gangrene. Much of the footage capturing the injuries was included in the final cut of the film, resulting in real blood on screen. It has been considered the most dangerous film shoot in history. The film was released theatrically in Europe in 1981, but was a financial failure. It was released theatrically in the United States for the first time on April 17, 2015. Though released in 1981 and 1982 in Australia and European countries, Roar was not released theatrically in the United States. In 2015, 34 years after its production, the film was picked up for distribution by Drafthouse Films, which screened it across the United States at various independent cinemas.
Rock & Rule	1983	Prior to its completion, Rock & Rule was picked up by U.S. film studio MGM/UA in April 1982. Because of scenes involving drug use, implied satan worship, mild sexuality, and some profanity, the film could only be marketed to an adult audience. No soundtrack album was ever released (though some of the songs appeared as B-sides on subsequent singles by the musicians involved with the film). Commentary on the Special Edition DVD partially lays the blame for the film's lack of release in the U.S. on MGM. The DVD claims that management at MGM changed and the new overseers of the project were not as enthusiastic about the film as their predecessors. This caused script revisions and other changes which damaged the flow of the story, delayed its release date and raised costs. In the end, MGM was still unhappy with the film, so it was shelved. The American distributor, MGM, disliked Greg Salata, who voiced Omar, and insisted that he be re-dubbed by an actor with name recognition, along with several edits being made to the film. Paul Le Mat was cast and Omar's obscenities were rewritten. Released under the title Ring of Power, the revised film was unable to find an audience at the box office, and it was this chopped version that quickly found its way to video and laserdisc. The film was initially broadcast on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in 1984 (uncut, and including parental warnings). In 1988, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation began airing the original cut, which featured extra footage, a different, clearer audio mix, the original voice of Omar, original shots that were replaced by alternate footage, and the shot of Zip, still alive, at the conclusion. Because of MGM's disinterest in the film, very little promotion was given. The film was mentioned in an episode of Night Flight, when Lou Reed was interviewed. Marvel Comics published a comic book adaptation with authentic pictures from the film and its production in Marvel Super Special #25. According to letterer/assistant editor Michael Higgins, the comic sold well despite the film itself having only a very limited release.
Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise	1987	The initial advertising campaign in 1987 was structured to make the film seem like Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Wings has been released in several versions in North America. The 2000 release by Manga Entertainment on DVD, which features commentary by Hiroyuki Yamaga and Takami Akai, was severely criticized for its poor quality. Bandai Visual released a Blu-ray/HD DVD version during its 20th anniversary, 11 September 2007, drawing on the remastered 1997 DVD release in Japan. However, it lacks the commentary. It is now out of print. Maiden Japan re-released the movie separately on Blu-ray and DVD on 15 October 2013. The film's initial release in the United Kingdom on VHS in 1995 by Manga Entertainment was cut to remove the attempted rape scene, in order to receive a PG certificate from the BBFC. Anime Limited distributed and released the film on Blu-ray and DVD on 23 March 2015 in the United Kingdom, passed 15 uncut. Wings has received universal acclaim from film critics since its release in 1987.
Rumble Fish	1983	At Rumble Fish's world premiere at the New York Film Festival, there were several walkouts and at the end of the screening, boos and catcalls. Former head of production at Paramount Pictures Michael Daly remembers legendary producer Robert Evans' reaction to Coppola's film, "Evans went to see Rumble Fish, and he remembers being shaken by how far Coppola had strayed from Hollywood. Evans says, 'I was scared. I couldn't understand any of it.'" At the San Sebastián International Film Festival, it won the International Critics' Big Award. The movie was a box office disaster on initial release, grossing only $2.5 million domestically; its estimated budget was $10 million; a large sum for the time. Coppola utilized many new filmmaking techniques never before used in the production of a motion picture. The film polarized critics, some mainstream reviewers enjoying it, while others disliked Coppola's film, criticizing Coppola's style over substance approach. The film has since grown in esteem and is held in high regard by many film fans. Rumble Fish was released on October 8, 1983 and grossed $18,985 on its opening weekend, playing in only one theater. Its widest release was in 296 theaters and it finally grossed $2.5 million domestically. Rumble Fish was not well received by most mainstream critics upon its initial release, receiving nine negative reviews in New York City, mostly from broadcast media and newspapers with harsh reviews by David Denby in New York and Andrew Sarris in The Village Voice.
Rustlers' Rhapsody	1985	Rustlers' Rhapsody received negative reviews from critics, with many saying it paled in comparison to Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles. Writing in the New York Times, Vincent Canby thought Wilson had ignored the "genuinely funny" idea that Rex might be caught in a time warp. The film currently holds an 18% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 11 reviews.

S

Film	Year of release	Notes
Sahara	1984	At an alleged $25 million budget, Sahara was a massive box office bomb, grossing only $1,402,962 in the domestic box office. At the 1984 Razzies, Brooke Shields was nominated for Worst Actress and won Worst Supporting Actor as "Brooke Shields (with a moustache)", making her the first and only actress to win this award.
Salvador	1986	The film was not successful at the box office, grossing a total of $1,500,000 in the United States.
Santa Claus: The Movie	1985	The film was a financial failure at the time of release and received mostly negative reviews from critics. Since then it has gained a cult following and has become one of the most watched Christmas movies of all time. Santa Claus: The Movie received negative reviews upon release, with a rating of 17% on Rotten Tomatoes, from the 17 reviews counted. Box Office Mojo lists the film's total United States box office gross as $23,717,291, less than its $30–50 million production budget.
Saturn 3	1980	Lew Grade pre-sold the film to NBC for $4 million, which helped minimize its losses. The film holds an 18% approval rating ("Rotten") at the film review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes based on 11 reviews.
Second-Hand Hearts	1981	The filming was plagued by trouble throughout production, much stemming from the erratic behavior of Ashby and writer Eastman. Although it was filmed in 1979, it was not released until 1981, and Paramount Pictures, at the time serving as Lorimar's theatrical distributor, chose to only open the film in New York and Los Angeles. This prompted Robert Blake, during one of his frequent guest appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, to publicly complain about this decision; he presented a clip and tried to increase interest in the film. However, the New York/Los Angeles release received mostly negative reviews, and Paramount stood by its decision to not expand it to other cities. It briefly played cable television a year later, then virtually disappeared from circulation.
September	1987	Critical response to September was generally lukewarm. September has a 62% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird	1985	In spite of the near-universal critical acclaim, the film was a box office bomb due to it opening the same day as Fright Night and Weird Science and heavy competition with Back to the Future, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Pee-wee's Big Adventure, The Black Cauldron, National Lampoon's European Vacation, and reissues of Gremlins, Ghostbusters and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. It grossed only $2,415,626 on its opening weekend. By the end of its theatrical run, its total gross was $13,961,370. This motion picture production, along with other unsuccessful business ventures, would hurt the Children's Television Workshop financially during the 1980s, though the CTW eventually recovered not long afterwards.
Shag	1989	The film grossed approximately $6.9 million at the US Box Office. It was not a big hit when initially released, and commercially was considered a flop. Despite the film's box office failure, the film received mixed to positive reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes reports that, out of 15 critics in total, 64% gave the film a positive review.
Shanghai Surprise	1986	The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in October, 1986, "The movie opened so poorly in its first wave of playdates (late August in the Northeast and Midwest) that MGM has made severe cuts in its marketing budget. One MGM exec was quoted in the trades as saying this was necessary because 'the interest in the film has been non-existent.'"
She's Having a Baby	1988	Critical reception was mostly negative, and the film was not a financial success. The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics and has 36% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes based on 39 reviews.
Sheena	1984	Sheena bombed in theaters and was nominated for five Golden Raspberry Awards including Worst Picture, Worst Actress (Tanya Roberts), Worst Director, Worst Screenplay and Worst Musical Score, but it reportedly did find some cult success on home video and DVD.
Shock Treatment	1981	Given a limited release on the midnight movie circuit beginning on October 30, 1981, Shock Treatment was a critical and commercial failure, not earning the same level of cult film status its predecessor received. Since its release, the film has grown a more minor cult following than its predecessor. In 2015, the film was adapted as a stage production in London. In spite of pre-release hype (including a promotional TV special called The Rocky Horror Treatment), the film was both a critical and commercial failure when it was released only as a midnight movie on Halloween 1981. It never received a full general theatrical first-run release. Due to its increased budget and box office failure, Shock Treatment was an even bigger flop than Rocky Horror's original general release in 1975. Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, reports that 50% of six surveyed critics gave the film a positive review; the average rating is 6.1/10.
Shoot the Moon	1982	Shoot the Moon premiered on February 19, 1982 to mostly positive reviews, but was deemed a box-office failure, having grossed only $9.2 million in North America. After post-production had concluded in October 1981, Alan Parker had planned to release Shoot the Moon before the end of the year for awards consideration, but a clause in Keaton's contract stipulated that the film could not be released until a year later to avoid competition with her previous film Reds. MGM gave Shoot the Moon a platform release, first releasing it in New York City, Toronto and Los Angeles on January 22, 1982. The film was released nationwide on February 19, 1982. It was a box-office failure, grossing $9,217,530 against a production budget of $12 million.
The Sicilian	1987	After location work was finished, Michael Cimino took the footage straight to his editing room to begin cutting. Cimino did not report any of his progress on the editing as the months passed until he delivered a 150-minute cut of the film and declared that he was done. Under his contract with the producers, Cimino had the right to final cut as long as the film was under 120 minutes long. Cimino insisted that no more cuts could be made and pressed Joann Begelman and Bruce McNall to present the current version to 20th Century Fox, the film's domestic distributor. Before viewing the film, the Fox executives said to the producers that the film was so long that it limited the number of showings a theater could present each day. It had to be trimmed or Fox would not release it. Fox released The Sicilian on October 23, 1987 in 370 theaters. The film opened at #7 on the box office charts, grossing $1,720,351 and averaging $4,649 per theater. The film's domestic box office gross eventually totaled $5,406,879. According to McNall, the losses on The Sicilian were offset by the profits from Gladden's other 1987 release Mannequin, which unlike The Sicilian, became a box office hit.
Sid and Nancy	1986	The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 1986, and was released theatrically in the United States that fall. Despite failing to recoup its production budget at the box office, the film was received favourably by most critics and has attained cult classic status. From the 63 reviews collected by review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film received an overall approval rating of 87%, with the consensus: "Visceral, energetic, and often very sad, Sid & Nancy is also a surprisingly touching love story, and Gary Oldman is outstanding as the late punk rock icon Sid Vicious." Although not a box office success, generating $2,826,523 in the U.S. on a $4 million budget Sid and Nancy has become a cult hit;
Siesta	1987	The film was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature in 1988, for Director Mary Lambert.
Sing	1989	Sing was released in the United States on March 31, 1989. It received mixed reviews from critics and was a box office bomb, grossing only $2.3 million from an $11.5 million budget.
Six Weeks	1982	Six Weeks was released on December 17, 1982, in the United States, where it opened in tenth place and grossed $6.7 million.
Sky Bandits	1986	The production holds the record for the largest film crew on a fiction film (582).
Slaves of New York	1989	Slaves of New York was shot on location in New York City, in the Lower East Side, a downtown gallery and a club. Shooting started on April 4, 1988, with a 10-week shooting schedule. There was a "modest" budget—$5 million—that meant there were no lengthy rehearsals. There was one read-through before shooting began. Domestic gross was $463,972, according to boxofficemojo.
The Slugger's Wife	1986	The Slugger's Wife was a total critical and commercial failure. The film has a 0% favorable rating on the Rotten Tomatoes web site. A New York Times review of March 28, 1985 written by Janet Maslin began: "It's a shock to find Neil Simon's name attached to something as resoundingly unfunny as this." The film was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Original Song for the song "Oh, Jimmy!" According to the web site AllMovie.com, the film earned $1,300,000 in box-office receipts.
So Fine	1986	So Fine was filmed on a budget of $9,800,000, and in its three weeks in theaters, grossed a total of $9,381,808, and was considered a financial loss.
Solarbabies	1986	Douglas Anthony Metrov was inspired by the "guerrilla filmmaking" methods of his friend Abel Ferrara to create a low-budget film of his own. He subsequently wrote a 32-page treatment for a science fiction film about a group of children he dubbed the "Little Rascals of the future." The treatment caught the attention of veteran screenwriter Walon Green, and Mark Johnson, an employee for Mel Brooks. To pitch the film to potential investors, Metrov filmed a 12-minute slideshow with random kids playing the parts. Metrov's presentation caught the attention of Brooks, who agreed to make it in Spain due to the lack of unions and cheaper production costs. Brooks also gave Metrov the director's chair. The production was greenlit with a $5 million budget, but Brooks was persuaded by his colleagues to increase the budget under the belief that it had greater potential. An additional $20 million was eventually required to complete the film. Because Metrov had no experience directing a big-budget film, Alan Johnson was hired as a replacement. The beginning of the shoot encountered delays because of unexpected heavy rains. Later, director Alan Johnson and the cast had so many disagreements that Brooks flew to the set and ordered the cast to get back to work or be fired. Brooks recounted how a number of sequences Johnson shot didn't make sense, or had poor coloration, and more money was needed for additional filming. Finally, more money was needed at the end for special effects. When production began, Brooks had invested approximately $1.5 million of his own money. As production delays mounted, he invested more, eventually taking out a second mortgage on his home. Brooks was forced to raise an additional $15 million through banks. Brooks was worried the movie could not be saved, so he cut together a 10-minute trailer for the movie in a sci-fi style similar to Star Wars in order to sell to distributors. When Brooks approached Paramount, Michael Eisner showed interest, but Jeffrey Katzenberg said no. Eventually, Alan Ladd Jr. at MGM agreed to distribute the movie, and connected Brooks with international distributor UIP. The distributor purchased the movie from Brooks for $14 million. After paying back investors and loans, Brooks estimates he had lost about $9 million of his own money at the time. However, Brooks claimed that over the years since its release, the movie finally did break even, most likely through home video and DVD. Brooks called it a "miracle."
Something Wicked This Way Comes	1983	The film had a troubled production – Jack Clayton fell out with Bradbury over an uncredited script rewrite, and after test screenings of the director's cut failed to meet the studio's expectations, Disney sidelined Clayton, fired the original editor, and scrapped the original score, spending some $5 million and many months re-shooting, re-editing and re-scoring the film, before its eventual release. The film grossed $8.4 million at the domestic box office against its $19 million budget.
Songwriter	1984	The film currently holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on five reviews.
SpaceCamp	1986	The film was panned by critics and is famous for being a "marketing nightmare," as it was released less than five months after the Challenger accident of January 28, 1986 (although filming was completed before the disaster occurred). The film performed poorly at the box office, grossing less than $10 million in the US. The script was later adapted into a novel.
Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone	1983	When the film came out in theaters, parts of it were shown in 3-D and the film became part of the 3-D film revival craze of the early 1980s. The film is about a bounty hunter who goes on a mission to rescue three women stranded on a brutal planet and meets a vagrant teenage girl along the way. The film's advertising emphasized the 3D aspects. Columbia released Spacehunter on May 20, 1983, timed to be a week before Return of the Jedi. It grossed $16.5 million at the United States box office.
Sphinx	1981	Film rights were purchased by Orion Pictures for $1 million.
Star 80	1983	The film opened in 16 theaters grossing $233,312 its opening weekend. Eventually the film grossed a total of $6,472,990 domestically with 502 theaters being its widest release. Star 80 maintains an 90% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Starchaser: The Legend of Orin	1985	The film was released in the United States by Atlantic Releasing on November 22, 1985. Spending at least 17 days in theaters, it made US$1,614,660 on its opening weekend and US$3,360,800 overall, making it #6 in the box office. The film did not fare well in South Korea, where animation production took place.
Stardust Memories	1980	Stardust Memories opened in North America on September 26, 1980 to an onslaught of bad reviews. At 29 theatres, it grossed $326,779 ($11,268 per screen) in its opening weekend. The film failed to attract more than Allen's loyal fanbase in the long run, and it grossed $10,389,003 by the end of its run. The film's budget was $10 million.
Stars and Bars	1988
Stealing Home	1988	On its release the film was a critical and commercial failure. Over the years it has attained cult status, appreciated for its pace, nostalgic feel and its musical score. The film holds a 94% rating on Google users aggregation while on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes it holds a rating of 22%.
The Stepfather	1987	The film was theatrically released January 23, 1987, in the United States. Upon its release, the film grossed $2.4 million at the box office and was well-received by critics. It has since gained a cult following and was followed by two sequels: Stepfather II (1989) and Stepfather III (1992), and a remake also called The Stepfather, released on October 16, 2009. The film was theatrically released on January 23, 1987, in the United States by the New Century Vista Film Company. During its opening weekend, The Stepfather grossed around $260,587; it was released in 148 theatres and earned a total domestic gross of $2,488,740. Years since its release, it is also now considered a cult film.
Stick	1985	Stick received negative reviews from critics. Despite opening at No. 1 in its first weekend, the film was a box office flop, grossing just $8.5 million when compared to its $22 million budget.
Still of the Night	1982	Still of the Night received an aggregate score of 67% fresh from the rottentomatoes.com website.
The Sting II	1983	The Sting II holds a 0% at Rotten Tomatoes.
Straight to Hell	1987	Straight to Hell received few positive reviews upon release, and was not a commercial success, although it later gained something of a cult film status.
Strange Invaders	1983	Orion provided half of the film's $5.5 million budget with England's EMI Films coming up with the rest. Orion received distribution rights for North America while EMI handled the rest of the world. As part of the financing deal, Orion and EMI demanded several script changes, which Bill Condon and Michael Laughlin found difficult, because they had to try to explain their ideas verbally. The financial backers influence reduced the film's scope. For example, in the original script, the American government was a much bigger threat, with a big sequence taking place at an Air Force base. These changes bothered Laughlin, because they resulted in a lack of a well-defined middle section in the script.
Streets of Fire	1984	The film grossed US$8 million in North America, against a production budget of $14.5 million. Streets of Fire fared poorly at the box office, opening in 1,150 theaters on June 1, 1984, and grossing US$2.4 million during its first weekend. After ten days, it made $4.5 million, while fellow opener Star Trek III: The Search for Spock grossed $34.8 million in the same time.
Street Smart	1987	This was a long time pet project of Christopher Reeve, but he was having difficulty getting the film financed. When the Cannon Group acquired the rights to the fourth and final Superman film, Reeve agreed to do the film partly because Cannon promised to give Street Smart the financial backing it needed. The film received excellent reviews but performed poorly at the box office, primarily attributed to Cannon Films' failure to properly market the theatrical release.
Stroker Ace	1983	Burt Reynolds turned down the role of astronaut Garrett Breedlove in Terms of Endearment to do this film. The role went to Jack Nicholson, who went on to win an Academy Award. Reynolds said he made this decision because "I felt I owed Hal more than I owed Jim" but that it was a turning point in his career from which he never recovered. "That's where I lost them," he says of his fans. The film was both a commercial and critical bomb. It received five Golden Raspberry Award nominations including Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Actress (Anderson) and Worst New Star (also for Anderson), winning one for Jim Nabors as Worst Supporting Actor. Stroker Ace also earned a 20% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 2.3/10.
Summer Lovers	1982	Summer Lovers featured "Hard to Say I'm Sorry", a No. 1 hit for Chicago and "I'm So Excited" by The Pointer Sisters.
Sunset	1988	Studio executives were divided on how to promote Sunset as most filmgoers would have expected a Blake Edwards film to be a comedy. The trailer began with the catchphrase "The following story is almost true ... give or take a lie or two" and emphasized comedic scenes. Upon release, Sunset was a box office failure, produced on a $19 million budget, and making only $4.6 million domestically. Sunset earned predominately negative reviews from critics and the public alike. Sunset holds a 17% rating on Rotten Tomatoes film review aggregator based on 12 reviews by critics. A further 28% of the audience "liked" the film.
Supergirl	1984	The film was released in the United Kingdom on July 19, 1984, but failed to impress critics and audiences alike. The film currently holds a 10% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 29 reviews with the consensus: "The effects are cheesy and Supergirl's wide-eyed, cheery heroine simply isn't interesting to watch for an hour and a half." The film was nominated for two Razzie Awards including Worst Actor for Peter O'Toole and Worst Actress for Faye Dunaway. In the U.S., Supergirl was picked up by TriStar Pictures for holiday release in November 1984. Test audiences found the film overlong and the film was edited from 135 minutes to 105 minutes for its North American release. Critical reviews in the U.S. were poor, and although the film took the #1 slot at the North American box-office during its opening weekend, it is widely considered to be a box office bomb after making only $14.3 million in North America. The film's failure ultimately led the Salkinds to sell the Superman rights to Cannon Films in 1986.
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace	1987	In 1983, following the mixed-to-negative reaction to Superman III, Reeve and the producers, Alexander Salkind and his son Ilya, assumed that the Superman films had run their course. Christopher Reeve was slated to make a cameo in 1984's Supergirl but was unavailable; that film was a box-office failure. Two years later, Ilya Salkind sold the Superman franchise to Golan and Globus of Cannon Films. According to Jon Cryer, who played Lex Luthor's nephew Lenny, Reeve had taken him aside just before the release and told him it was going to be "terrible". Although Cryer enjoyed working with Reeve and Hackman, Cryer claimed that Cannon ran out of money during the production and ultimately released an unfinished film. The film was both a critical and commercial failure, with many reviewers citing cheap special effects, inconsistencies, lack of originality, and plot holes. Critics have put Superman IV in the category of the worst films ever made. The film was released July 24, 1987, in the United States and Canada, and grossed $5.6 million during its opening weekend, playing in 1,511 theatres and ranking #4 at the box office. It ended up with a total domestic gross of $15,681,020. Of the four Superman films starring Reeve, The Quest for Peace fared the worst at the box office, and the series went dormant for the following nineteen years. Reeve regretted his decision to be involved in the film, saying, "Superman IV was a catastrophe from start to finish. That failure was a huge blow to my career." Plans were made to make a Superman V, but they never came to fruition. Reeve's 1995 paralysis made any further development of sequels involving him in the starring role impossible. Time Warner let the Superman feature film franchise go undeveloped until the late 1990s when a variety of proposals were considered, including several that would reboot the franchise with different versions of the characters and settings.
Sweet Hearts Dance	1988	The film was not a box office success.
Swing Shift	1984	Swing Shift has become a case study for a star/producer/director conflict. Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell saw the film as a lighthearted vehicle while the director Jonathan Demme attempted to create a more serious film. Hawn and Warner Brothers requested a recut and partial re-shooting in order to get the movie they had hired Demme to film.
Switching Channels	1988	The film was notorious for its harsh infighting between Burt Reynolds and Kathleen Turner during filming. The film was seen as a failure, both commercially and critically. Christopher Reeve, who played against type as the hapless fiancé, later expressed regret in making the film, believing he "made a fool of himself" and that he had only taken the project as a distraction from depression following a divorce. He also reportedly had to act as "referee", as costars Turner and Reynolds feuded with each other during filming. According to his autobiography Still Me, one of the main reasons he took the role was because Michael Caine was originally lined up to play Sullivan, and he had enjoyed working with Caine six years earlier in Deathtrap, but after signing on found out that Caine had been booted out in favor of Reynolds. Another scene Reeve was in disfavor of was his character suffering acrophobia by showing fear when in a scenic glass elevator, a likely spoof of Reeve's best known role as Superman. The film was nominated for two Golden Raspberry Awards: Burt Reynolds was nominated for Worst Actor and Christopher Reeve for Worst Supporting Actor. However, they respectively "lost" to Sylvester Stallone for Rambo III and Dan Aykroyd for Caddyshack II.

T

Film	Year of release	Notes
Tai-Pan	1986	The De Laurentiis Entertainment Group handled the production and were actively seen battling the Chinese Government and Labor boards over the film during shooting. The movie was not a box office success.
The Telephone	1988	When the film was screened in New York, audiences allegedly cried out "I want my money back!" and "I hope the film breaks!" Grossing $54,811 during its opening weekend, the film went on to become a box office flop with a total domestic gross of $99,978.
Tempest	1982	The film premiered in the United States on August 13, 1982. It was screened at various film festivals, including: the Venice Film Festival, Italy; the Toronto International Film Festival, Canada; the Davao City Film Festival, Philippines; and others. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has a fresh rating of 63%. The film was a box office flop.
That's Life!	1986	The film was made independently by Blake Edwards using largely his own finances and was distributed by Columbia Pictures. Although Columbia released the film, Artisan Entertainment (now Lionsgate) holds the rights to distribute it on DVD. Because of the film's independent status, many of the cast and crew were paid below union-level wages, resulting in the American Society of Cinematographers picketing the film during production and taking an advertisement in Variety in protest. As a result, the original director of photography, Harry Stradling Jr., was forced to quit the film and was subsequently replaced by Anthony B. Richmond, a British cinematographer.
They All Laughed	1981	Before the film was released, Time shut down its movie-making division. 20th Century Fox, which retained North American distribution rights, test-marketed the film in Providence, Rhode Island and Minneapolis, Minnesota, but was disappointed with the results and pulled the film's release. Peter Bogdanovich decided to distribute the film himself. His manager later claimed the director spent $5 million, but it made less than $1 million in ticket sales. This contributed to the director declaring bankruptcy in 1985. Along with Heaven's Gate, Cruising, and One from the Heart, They All Laughed is generally regarded as the end of the New Hollywood period, and the director-driven studio films of the 1970s. Since the very public failures of these four films, Hollywood studios have never again allowed directors to control the films they finance.
The Thing	1982	The Thing was released in the United States on June 25, 1982. During its opening weekend, the film earned $3.1 million from 840 theaters—an average of $3,699 per theater—finishing as the number eight film of the weekend behind supernatural horror Poltergeist ($4.1 million) which was in its fourth weekend of release, and ahead of action film Megaforce ($2.3 million). It dropped out of the top ten grossing films after three weeks. It ended its run earning a total of $19.6 million, against its $15 million budget, making it only the 42nd highest-grossing film of 1982. It was not a box office failure, nor was it a hit. Since its release, cultural historians and critics have attempted to understand what led to The Thing's initial failure to connect with audiences. In a 1999 interview, Carpenter said audiences rejected The Thing for its nihilistic, depressing viewpoint at a time when the United States was in the midst of a recession. When it opened, it was competing against the critically and commercially successful E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ($619 million), a more family-friendly film, released two weeks earlier that offered a more optimistic take on alien visitation. Carpenter described it as the complete opposite of his film. The Thing opened on the same day as the science fiction film Blade Runner. It debuted as the number two film that weekend with a take of $6.1 million and went on to earn $33.8 million. It was also regarded as a critical and commercial failure at the time. Others blamed an oversaturation of science fiction and fantasy films released that year, including Conan the Barbarian ($130 million), Poltergeist ($121.7 million), The Road Warrior ($34.5 million), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan ($97 million), and Tron ($33 million). Some blamed Universal's poor marketing, which did not compete with the deluge of promotion for prominent films released that summer. Another factor was the R-rating it was given, restricting the audience to those over the age of 17, unless accompanied by an adult. Poltergeist received a PG rating, allowing families and younger children to view it.
Three for the Road	1987	The film was a critical and commercial dud, grossing approximately $1,500,000 in the United States. The film effectively ended the mainstream acting careers of Keri Green and Alan Ruck, who had been rising Hollywood stars whose past projects were huge successes (Ruck in Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Green in Lucas and The Goonies.) Ruck would continue acting in smaller roles until cast in the TV show Spin City (opposite Charlie Sheen in later seasons); Green, who had played the romantic lead to Sheen in Lucas, did not appear in a mainstream film again. After the film's theatrical run, it was released on video cassette by Vista Home Video and later in 1991 by Avid Home Entertainment in the EP Mode. To this day, the film has never been released on DVD and Lions Gate Home Entertainment has yet to announce plans to release the film onto DVD.
A Time of Destiny'	1988	The film was released in a limited basis on April 22, 1988. The box office opening weekend was $509,397 (216 screens). Box office sales were disappointing. Total sales for the domestic run were $1,212,487 and in its widest release the film was shown in 220 screens. The film closed on June 23, 1988.
Tough Guys Don't Dance	1987	The film was a box office bomb, making only $858,250, less than a fifth of its $5 million budget. Tough Guys Don't Dance received negative reviews. It currently holds a 37% "rotten" rating at Rotten Tomatoes. In the years since the film's release on video, the film has become a cult classic in bad film circles. Channel 4 Film said "The overkill is strangely compelling and Mailer's disregard for taste and convention ensure his film is a massive but spectacular and unmissable folly." The film apparently got enough of a following for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, who owns much of Cannon's film library, to release an anamorphic widescreen DVD of the film on September 16, 2003. The disc contained an interview with Norman Mailer, a tour of Provincetown and the film's trailer.
Track 29	1988	The film was nominated for and won a few awards at regional film festivals.
Trail of the Pink Panther	1982	The film was a critical failure. Although the film was marketed as a tribute to Peter Sellers, it was widely panned by critics. It was released for Christmas 1982 and grossed only $9 million - $22,971,889.12 in 2017 dollars ($1,341,695 on opening weekend in 800 theaters; $3,247,458 on opening week) against its $6 million budget. In contrast, the previous film in the series, Revenge of the Pink Panther, had made over $49 million. Nonetheless, it was soon followed by a further Pink Panther film, Curse of the Pink Panther, which was shot concurrently with Trail. That film did not feature Peter Sellers at all (with the exception of some archival voice work that he was not given credit for) and was instead employing the talents of Ted Wass as Clouseau replacement Clifton Sleigh. That film would be a critical and commercial failure.
The Transformers: The Movie	1986	The film was released on 990 screens in the United States and grossed $1,778,559 on its opening weekend. It opened in 14th place behind About Last Night which had been in theaters for six weeks at the time. The film's final box office gross was $5,849,647 which made it the 99th highest-grossing movie of 1986. Hasbro lost US$10 million on the combined poor performance of this, and their previous collaboration with De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG), My Little Pony: The Movie. It also forced the producers of these films to make G.I. Joe: The Movie a direct-to-video release instead of theatrical, as well as scrap a Jem film then in development. However, Transformers has become a cult classic.
Trenchcoat	1983	The film was produced by Walt Disney Productions but not promoted as such, due to its adult themes (though Disney promoted in the Japanese and Germany VHS release). Trenchcoat, Never Cry Wolf and Dragonslayer are widely regarded as the films that led to the launch of Touchstone Pictures on February 15, 1984. The film was released on March 11, 1983 at movie theatres. It was released by Walt Disney Home Video on VHS and Betamax in 1983 and was released by Buena Vista Home Entertainment on DVD on January 31, 2012. As of March 22, 2011, Trenchcoat was available on iTunes and Amazon.com for digital rental, with the Walt Disney logo being attached to the film for the first time since its theatrical release. Otherwise, the movie is hard to find because of its lack of huge promotion. Unlike some others 1980 movies such as The Journey of Natty Gann, Condorman and Something Wicked This Way Comes, Trenchcoat doesn't have a soundtrack that has been released yet by Intrada Records.
Tron	1982	Tron was released on July 9, 1982 in 1,091 theaters in the United States. The film was a moderate success at the box office, and received positive reviews from critics who praised the groundbreaking visuals and acting. However, the storyline was criticized at the time for being incoherent. Tron received nominations for Best Costume Design and Best Sound at the 55th Academy Awards, and received the Academy Award for Technical Achievement fourteen years later. Over time, Tron developed into a cult film and eventually spawned a franchise, which consists of multiple video games, comic books and an animated television series. Tron was released on July 9, 1982, in 1,091 theaters grossing USD $4 million on its opening weekend. It went on to make $33 million in North America, which Disney saw as a disappointment, and led to the studio writing off a good chunk of its $17 million budget.
Troop Beverly Hills	1989	Produced by the Weintraub Entertainment Group and directed by Jeff Kanew, starring Shelley Long, Craig T. Nelson, Betty Thomas, Mary Gross, Stephanie Beacham and introducing Jenny Lewis as Hannah Nefler. The film also features a host of young stars including Tori Spelling, Carla Gugino, Emily Schulman, Ami Foster, and Kellie Martin.
Turk 182	1985	It isone of the first movies to receive a PG-13 rating.
Twice Upon a Time	1983	The studio distributing Twice Upon a Time, The Ladd Company, was nearing bankruptcy and had a choice of either putting the movie into limited release or worldwide release, facing a similar difficulty with The Right Stuff. The Ladd Company decided to release Twice Upon a Time into a limited release and there were few early screenings of the film. Both this film and The Right Stuff failed at the box office, causing The Ladd Company to shut down. Years later, Twice Upon a Time was shown by HBO. However, the version that HBO received and showed was the version that Bill Couturié liked. When John Korty found out, he immediately contacted HBO, threatening legal action if this version was aired again. After three showings, HBO suspended broadcasts of the film until supplied with a new cut from Korty. This new cut filled-out the remaining showings of Twice Upon a Time scheduled that month, prompting complaints of "censored" movies being shown on HBO. Following these complaints, HBO chose to never air the film again on their service. Two months later, Showtime and over-the-air pay television service Spectrum acquired rights to show the film, but only the Korty-approved version. This version had the complete scene of "Out on My Own" as well as the uncut final reel of the film absent from the later home video version. In 1991, the film was released on videocassette and laserdisc. This release contains John Korty's intended family-friendly cut but is incomplete with certain scenes trimmed short. Years later, Amazon made the film temporarily available for rental download via Amazon Unbox. Now the film is unavailable there, citing licensing restrictions. Its cult status boosted when the film began to be shared on viral video sites. Perhaps in response to the lack of official support for the film, several bootleg copies of the original, uncut version were available via torrents. The film aired as part of Cartoon Network's Cartoon Theatre on September 12, 1998. It aired once again early on February 1, 2015 as part of Turner Classic Movies' TCM Underground block. The film was released on DVD on September 29, 2015, through the Warner Archive. The DVD contained both cuts, an audio commentary with John Korty and selected crew members (including Henry Selick), and the original trailer.

U

Film	Year of release	Notes
UHF	1989	According to "Weird Al" Yankovic's Behind the Music episode, UHF enjoyed one of the most successful test screenings in Orion's history. Orion Pictures released UHF on July 21, 1989 as a hopeful summer blockbuster, hoping that it would pull them out of the water. However, critical response was negative, and it was out of the theaters by the end of the month. The film has been compared to Young Einstein, which similarly scored well with test audiences but failed to make a critical impression. Yankovic has stated that it was not a "critic movie". As Yankovic states in his commentary of the movie, UHF was thought to be the movie that would "save the studio" for Orion. He was treated very well because of this. He states in the commentary: "Every morning I would wake up to fresh strawberries next to my bed. Then, when the movie bombed, I woke up and...no more strawberries!" Within the month prior, and up to the release of UHF, studios released bigger movies like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Ghostbusters II, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Lethal Weapon 2, Batman, Licence to Kill, When Harry Met Sally, and Weekend at Bernie's. The draw of these blockbuster movies also contributed to the low attendance at UHF's premiere; The A.V. Club, in a retrospective, called UHF "a sapling among the redwoods" and the type of film that Hollywood has since abandoned. Yankovic and the creators of the film considered that the film had a strong audience with younger viewers which did well to fill midday matinees but did not succeed in helping to sell tickets for more lucrative evening and nighttime showings. UHF has since become a cult classic, becoming very popular on cable and home video. The movie was re-released in Europe, the United States and Canada on VHS, but because of the little money earned at the box office, it soon fell out of print.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being	1988
Under the Cherry Moon	1986	Under the Cherry Moon failed to gain any breakout audience, regardless of much pre-publicity including a special MTV premiere in Sheridan, Wyoming. It was held there after a fan won a contest to have the film shown in her hometown. The film earned $3,150,924 in its opening weekend from 976 venues, ranking #2 at the domestic box office (according to the Daily Variety Chart), and the highest among the weekend's new releases. At the end of its run, the film's final domestic gross was $10,090,429.
Under the Rainbow	1981	It received extremely negative reviews, many of which condemned the various sight gags involving the little people.
Used Cars	1980	Used Cars grossed $11.7 million in North America. Although not a box-office success at the time, it has since developed cult film status due to its dark, cynical humor and the Robert Zemeckis style.

V

Film	Year of release	Notes
Valmont	1989	Valmont was released to theaters in the United States on November 17, 1989, for a limited run. Valmont received mixed reviews, as it has a score of 54% on Rotten Tomatoes from 28 critics, and a Metacritic score of 55. The film was not as highly acclaimed as Dangerous Liaisons, which was released less than a year earlier.
Vampire's Kiss	1989	Vampire's Kiss was released June 2, 1989. It grossed $725,131 in the U.S. Vampire's Kiss was considered a commercial flop upon its initial release but has developed a cult following since that time.
Vibes	1988	The movie was not a box office success. Vibes was panned by critics and currently has a rating of 6% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 16 reviews.
Videodrome	1983	Despite its poor commercial performance, the film won a number of awards upon its release.

W

Film	Year of release	Notes
Walker	1987	The budget was set at six million dollars with most of the film being shot in Granada, Nicaragua. Walker garnered predominantly negative reviews. Director Alex Cox was never employed again by a major Hollywood studio, and his subsequent films have received only limited distribution in the United States. In a 2008 interview with The A.V. Club, Cox said, "Distribution is controlled by the studios, and I've been on the blacklist of the studios for the last 20 years ... The last movie I was asked to direct was The Running Man... which was actually quite a good film, I thought. I would have liked to have done The Running Man. It was just that Walker happened at the same time."
The Watcher in the Woods	1980	The Watcher in the Woods had a limited theatrical test run in New York City beginning April 17, 1980. After negative audience reaction, the film was pulled from theaters the following week, prompting Disney to undertake reshoots of the film's ending, which cost the production an additional $1 million. In the first week of this theatrical run, the film grossed a respectable USD$1.2 million and would go on to gross a total of $5 million domestically.
Welcome Home	1989	The film was not a box office success.
We're No Angels	1989	The movie debuted at #8 at the United States box office. It was similarly unsuccessful on home video.
When Time Ran Out	1980	When Time Ran Out performed poorly at the box office. While it cost an estimated $20,000,000 to produce, the film grossed only $3,763,988. Despite being a flop, the film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design.
Where the Buffalo Roam	1980	The film opened on April 25, 1980 in 464 theaters, earning $1,750,593 in its opening weekend and more than $6.6 million for a total lifetime gross. It has been panned critically for being a series of bizarre episodes strung together rather than having a cohesive central plot.
White Dog	1982	Paramount felt the film was too controversial for release, giving it only a few preview showings and a one-week run in Detroit before shelving it. The film's first theatrical release occurred in France on July 7, 1982. In the United Kingdom, it was part of the 37th Edinburgh International Film Festival and the 27th London Film Festival in 1983, and was released late that year by United International Pictures. It received positive reviews in both countries. In 1983, White Dog was edited for a direct-to-television broadcast and made available purchase by cable channels. The following year, NBC bought broadcast rights for $2.5 million and slated the film to air during the February sweeps, then canceled the broadcast two days later due to pressure from the continuing NAACP campaign and concerns of a negative reaction by both viewers and advertisers. The film was eventually aired on other cable channels such as HBO, Showtime, and The Movie Channel sporadically and without fanfare. It was also infrequently screened at independent film houses and film festivals. Due to its limited release, it only grossed $46,509.
White Water Summer	1987	White Water Summer was originally produced as Rites of Summer in 1985, and given its current name upon release in 1987.
Who's That Girl	1987	The film was released on August 7, 1987, and was a box office bomb, grossing only $2.5 million in its first week, with its final domestic total being about $7.3 million. Critics were highly disappointed with the film, and Foley's direction. Some went on to call it one of the worst films to be released, while others found Madonna's comic timing to be one of the highlights. The film was released to a total of 944 theatres, with an extra 66 being added later. In its opening weekend, the film grossed $2.5 million ($ in 2018 dollars), becoming the tenth highest-grossing film of that week. The next week it had a 60% decline in sales. The film grossed a total of $7.3 million ($ in 2018 dollars) worldwide, and was a box office bomb. It was placed at 97 on the top 100 movies of 1987 list.
Whose Life Is It Anyway?	1981
The Wicked Lady	1983
Wicked Stepmother	1989	It is best known for being the last film of Bette Davis, who withdrew from the project after filming began, citing major problems with the script, Cohen's direction, and the way she was being photographed. Cohen later claimed she really dropped out due to ill health but avoided publicizing the truth for fear it would affect potential future employment. Davis disputed this claim, stating that she was able to return to work but chose not to because of problems with Cohen, the script, and the way she was shot. The actress died eight months after the film was released.
Willie & Phil	1980
Winter People	1989	Winter People has an overall approval rating of 13% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Wired	1989	Principal photography of Wired commenced in May 1988 and finished in the autumn of that year. The film was completed by the end of 1988; however, it did not receive a theatrical release until August 1989. The producers of Wired had problems finding a distributor for the film, as many of the major studios refused to distribute it. Several independent studios such as New Visions (then headed by Taylor Hackford) backed away from it. Atlantic Entertainment was about to distribute Wired, but financial problems prevented that from happening, so Taurus Entertainment agreed to distribute the film. Wired was both a critical and a commercial failure. The film has yet to be released on DVD or Blu-ray, and the videocassette originally released by International Video Entertainment is out of print. The critical response to Wired was almost uniformly hostile. Wired has an overall approval rating of 4% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 26 reviews.
Wolfen	1981	Wolfen was released theatrically in the United States by Orion Pictures through Warner Bros. on July 24, 1981. The film grossed $10,626,725 at the box office and received positive reviews from film critics for its frightening content.
Wrong Is Right	1982

X

Film	Year of release	Notes
Xanadu	1980	A box office flop, Xanadu earned mixed to negative critical reviews and was an inspiration for the creation of the Golden Raspberry Awards to memorialize the worst films of the year. Despite the lackluster performance of the film, the soundtrack album became a huge commercial success around the world, and was certified double platinum in the United States. Over the years, the film has developed something of a cult audience.

Y

Film	Year of release	Notes
Year of the Dragon	1985	The film opened at #5 on the box office charts, grossing $4,039,079 in 982 theaters on its opening weekend of August 16, 1985. It opened to decent business in major American cities including Washington, D.C., Detroit, and Pittsburgh, but the draw soon dropped, which was perceived to be the result of protest against it from Asian American groups. Year of the Dragon was a box office flop, costing $24 million but grossing only $18 million through its run.
Yellowbeard	1983	The film received some praise, The Los Angeles Times writing that "There are many moments of hilarity here". But it was not a big box office success and received mostly negative reviews. Various reasons are suggested, such as the peculiar combination of British and American humour, and it being poorly timed given the movie climate with other kinds of comedy being popular.
Yes, Giorgio	1982	Yes, Giorgio grossed $2,279,543 in the United States.
Young Sherlock Holmes	1985	The film was a box-office disappointment, grossing around $19 million against an $18 million budget.

Z

Film	Year of release	Notes
Zelly and Me	1988	The film was greenlit by David Puttnam during his tenure as head of Columbia Pictures. Zelly and Me was released on April 15, 1988. The film had previously been screened as part of the 1988 Sundance Film Festival, on January 23.
Zorro, The Gay Blade	1981

See also

• List of American films of 1980
• List of American films of 1981
• List of American films of 1982
• List of American films of 1983
• List of American films of 1984
• List of American films of 1985
• List of American films of 1986
• List of American films of 1987
• List of American films of 1988
• List of American films of 1989

External links

• Bomb Report | Every Movie That Failed at The Box Office
• Box Office Bomb - TV Tropes
• Greatest Box-Office Bombs, Disasters and Film Flops of All-Time

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📰 Article(s) of the same category(ies)

• List of actors by total box-office gross
• Behindwoods
• List of box office bombs (1950s)
• List of Tamil films of the 1980s
• List of box office bombs (1960s)
• List of box office bombs (1940s)
• List of black film box office receipts

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