Released: July 28, 1995 Estimated Budget: $175 million Domestic Opening Weekend: $21,171,780 Domestic Gross:$88,246,220
There are plenty of things $175 million can buy, but commercial success is not one of them. At the time of its production, Waterworld set a record for most expensive movie ever made (although it would be surpassed two years later by Titanic). But poor reception and bad reviews led to box-office revenues of only $88.2 million. Apparently no one wanted to watch a movie about a postapocalyptic world in which Kevin Costner has gills. Upon seeing the film, Roger Ebert said he didn’t loathe it but he “couldn’t quite recommend it.” This came from a man who liked Speed 2: Cruise Control.
Released: May 9, 2008 Estimated Budget: $120 million Domestic Opening Weekend: $18,561,337 Domestic Gross:$43,929,341
Known for high-concept, futuristic movies like the Matrix trilogy and V for Vendetta, brothers Larry and Andy Wachowski hoped for big things upon the release of Speed Racer, based on a 1960s TV cartoon series and starring Emile Hirsch as the lead-footed title character in pursuit of victory. TIME’s Richard Corliss put the film on his list of the 10 best movies of 2008, calling the film “the future of movies” for its relentless action and lavish graphics. Audiences didn’t quite see things the same way: the $120 million movie grossed less than $19 million in its first weekend.
Richard Dawson, the wisecracking British entertainer who was among the schemers in the 1960s sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes” and a decade later began kissing thousands of female contestants as host of the game show “Family Feud” has died. He was 79.
As we prepare for the Game of Thrones finale, we recognize Joffrey and nine other baddies who showed us that terrible, horrible things can come in small packages
