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8 Legged Freaks Unlikely To Gross 8 Figures

Started by Foywonder, July 21, 2002, 10:19:14 AM

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Foywonder

Box office estimates that EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS is unlikely to mutate into a hit as the current trajectory points to a weekend of around $7 million for less than $10 million in five days. Wow, that is really, really bad!

Well, anybody who was hoping for a resurgance of old fashioned sci-fi monster movies can kiss that hope goodbye.

Conclusive proof that David Arquette is the kiss of death!

Or perhaps audiences who saw the trailer touting "FROM THE PRODUCERS OF INDEPENDENCE DAY AND GODZILLA" took that as a stern warning to stay away.

chris

I think B Monster Movies are making a real comeback.  Only on video though.  I've actually enjoyed the majority of the ones I've rented which include Spiders, She-Creature, Crocodile, Blood Surf, Soulkeeper and Shark Attack 2.  They're no masterpieces, but all were fun.  Filmmakers are realizing that this generations Drive-In is our VCRs and DVD Players where we are not near as picky to what we watch as opposed to pricey cinemas.

ErikJ

But I would love to see some of these films go to what few drive-ins are left.
I'll never forget what fun it was to take my son to the drive-in to see Godzilla 2000. Now that's the way to see that Godzilla
If God is watching us, the least we can do is be
entertaining.


Andrew

ErikJ said:

"I'll never forget what fun it was to take my son to the drive-in to see Godzilla 2000. Now that's the way to see that Godzilla"

Heck yeah!  Godzilla, forty foot tall and mashing a city that extends to the limits of your peripheral vision.  If I ever won the lottery (it would help if I played), I would love to open a theater and a drive-in, then get prints of old b-movies and play them.  Hmmm, "Field of Dreams," but with a drive-in...

Going to take Katie to see the matinee of "Eight Legged Freaks" this afternoon.  Will report back afterwards.

Andrew Borntreger
Badmovies.org

Foywonder

If you considered BLOOD SURF or SHARK ATTACK 2 to be fun, well, clearly we have a different view of what qualifies as fun.

wuggles451

8 legged freaks was a needless albeite entertaining spoof of the 50's 60's sci-fi genre. but honestly does it surprise you it wont see 8 figures, not me. it lacks to things 1) mainstreem interest 2) star power. sorry david


Foywonder

Its surprising because the movie originally got moved up from August to July. When a studio does that it means test screenings and word of mouth are both very positive and a buzz was building leading the studio to expect the movie to be a bigger hit than they thought it would be. For example, SPEED. So for this movie to essentially flop is a huge letdown for the studio not to mention a big surprise. Finally 5 day tally - $9,300,000.  It may go on to gain a cult following, but its still going to be judged a bomb by the mainstream whose only focus in on dollar signs.

Chadzilla

Saw it in a nearly empty theater with my wife, son, and a close family friend.  We all had a blast, laughing and jumping throughout.  While the movie may get compared to Tremors or Piranha (either favorably or not, depending whether somebody liked it or not) I think that is a poor comparison.  Tremors and Piranha were pretty straight forward thrillers laced with humor.  Eight Legged Freaks is more like Gremlins, a black comedy with scary moments in it.  It also has the best first to second act segue I have seen in years.  The only scene my son DID NOT like was the bit with the cat (he shouted out "THAT'S NOT FUNNY!" the to the laughing audience - we have a pet cat, so I guess he just took offense on that ground).  The hopping spiders attacking the dirt bikers scene was priceless and made this movie a must have DVD.  Pure popcorn movie fun and a blast of  b-movie.

Lesson learned -
Toxic waste is the primary ingredient in Rogaine.