Some of the best films out there have been crime drama films that center around a mob family. “The Godfather,” “Goodfellas,” and “The Sopranos” are just the tip of the iceberg. John Travolta also tried his luck in playing the notorious Italian-American criminal, John Gotti. Unfortunately for him, Travolta’s portrayal of the man is so bad it tortured us, the audience, more than anyone else in the movie.
Gotti was a commercial failure and ended up losing several million dollars. It’s one of the only films to ever get a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. There was a strong disparity initially between critic reviews and user reviews, with regular viewers giving the film an 80% rating. It’s widely speculated that this was the doing of thousands of Scientologists, who are fans and fellow members in the Church of Scientology with John Travolta.
Estimated loss: $3.9 million
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)
Here’s a film that grossed nearly $226 million, yet managed to make the flop list. Critics either loved it or hated it. Reviews were definitely mixed — from "deliriously entertaining" to "a punishing 137 minutes". All agree it’s a cutting edge, strangely original sci-fi with stunning cinematography. The story is based on the French comic book series called "Valerian and Laureline." French director and filmmaker Luc Besson produced, wrote, and directed the film. His film studio Europacorp introduced the movie at Cannes in 2015, and it hit the big screens in the United States in July of 2017.
Fundamental Films provided the majority of financing for the $177.2-$180 million budget. Worldwide gross sales totaled $225.9 million. $33 million of box office sales came from France, the French loved it! Unfortunately, it flopped. Total loss stayed at $84 million.
Estimated loss: $84 million
Seventh Son (2014)
Hop back in the time shuttle and bolt five centuries back to the supernatural realm where knights battle dragons, beasts, and pagan evil. Sir John Gregory, (Jeff Bridges) the seventh son of a seventh son, protects the country from Wiccan atrocity. And Mother Malkin (Julianne Moore) is one wretched witch who must be vanquished.
Based on "The Spook’s Apprentice" series by English author Joseph Delaney, the fantasy adventure film version takes place in the 1600s. Directed by Sergei Bodrov, and released by Universal Pictures, "Seventh Son" did well overseas grossing a decent $96.9 million. Domestically, on the other hand, it lost out to the latest Spongebob movie… Total domestic box office flop total: $17.2 million. This brought the worldwide gross to $114.2 million. Estimated loss, adjusted for inflation, $88 million.
Estimated loss: $85 million
Bucky Larson: Born To Be A Star (2011)
One of the truly most awful comedy films ever made is, without a doubt, "Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star." The film was directed by Tom Brady, who is responsible for various films starring popular comedy actor, Rob Schneider. The film was released just two days before the annual 9/11 memorial day. It was viscerally hated by most critics and moviegoers.
It's described by many critics as one of the most boring, awkward, and humorless comedy films ever made. The film was co-produced by Adam Sandler, which is a huge stain on his resume. Its main "star" (if you could call him that) is Nick Swardson. The actor defended "Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star," claiming that he thinks journalists and film critics are just "negative morons" and attributed that as the reason the film received such low ratings and lost millions of dollars.
Estimated loss: $7.5 million
Mac and Me (1988)
1988's "Mac and Me" was just such a film, as it attempted to copy the success of 1982's masterpiece, "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," by director Steven Spielberg. The film was littered with product placements for McDonald's and Coca-Cola, which made it even worse than it already was.
"Mac and Me" was a box-office flop, and reportedly lost a few million dollars after being released. It's considered one of the worst films to ever have been made. The film actually won a few awards, including Worst Director and Worst New Star. It was actually so bad that it built a cult following over the years, which just goes to show that people will watch anything if it's bad enough.