Movies about Television flop
For those who have a masochistic streak, there are few things more fulfilling than hate-watching awful films and TV shows.
And there are plenty of them: Ben Wheatley’s lavish yet weirdly empty adaptation of Rebecca appalled critics and fans alike in 2020, as did fellow period drama adaptation Přesvědčení.
Když první sezóna Emily v Paříži hit screens, it inspired a deep hatred in critics who condemned it for “caricaturing” French people as “vile snobs”.
But fans still inhaled both of these abominations within hours of them arriving online.
Rebecca, Přesvědčení a Emily v Paříži were all brought into the world by Netflix, so it only seemed fitting that we collate a list of the platform’s top 20 critical flops here…
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Emily v Paříži
In a one-star review, The Independent’s critic Ed Cumming listed seven groups of people who would not enjoy this series, and it’s hard not to fall into one of those categories, one of which is “anyone who’s eaten a croissant”. He also described the titular lead – played by Phil Collins’ daughter Lily – as “obnoxious” and her banter as “faintly agonising”.
Hollywood
Ryan Murphy’s big-budget, all-star ode to the golden age of cinema should have been a hit, but was near universally panned by critics when it was released earlier this year. The Independent’s Ed Cumming called the show a “big shiny mess”, reading: “Hollywood can never decide whether it wants to be an aspirational woke-alternate-reality fantasy or a nihilistic black comedy, and its conflicting tones sit uneasily together.”
Vesmírná síla
This satirical show starring Steve Carell did not have enough comic content to constitute a whole series, according to The Independent’s critic Ed Cumming who wrote that the show “struggles to get out from under the biggest joke of all, which is that it is based on a real US government department. It’s material for a sketch, rather than a whole series, and it would be funnier if it wasn’t true.”
Nenasytný
One of the most controversial Netflix Originals of all time, Nenasytný was accused of fat-shaming before it was even released, with over 100,000 people signing a petition calling for it to be cancelled. The show didn’t fare much better with critics once it finally aired, with The Independent’s review reading: “Insatiable is more than happy to slap the label of ‘satire’ over itself with little to no understanding about what it actually entails.”
Pryč
In a one-star review for The Independent, Ed Cumming wrote of this sci-fi series: “Hilary Swank commits admirably to her role, frankly beyond what she ought to be able to do with the script, but even her shoulders, and the rest of the Atlas’s crew, aren’t broad enough to carry us away.”
Co když
This gender-flipped version of Neslušný návrh starring Renée Zellweger received a lukewarm critical reception when it was released in 2019. While Zellweger’s performance was praised, the show struggled to make a splash, with The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey writing that “in the end, a deep and meaningful premise is undercut by all the melodramatics”.
Marco Polo
This drama about the Venetian merchant and adventurer was ripped apart by Atlantik’s Lenika Cruz, who said: “A big budget, high hopes, and good intentions it seems wasn’t enough to buoy a boring protagonist and flaccid story.” The series scored an unfavourable 66 per cent on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes – but its audience score was an impressive 94 per cent, making it the perfect hate-watch.
Cikán
With Sam Taylor-Johnson directing and Naomi Watts starring as a manipulative psychologist, Cikán had all the markings of a hit, but received poor reviews on its 2017 release. IndieWire’s Ben Travers wrote of the series: “Intended as an exploration of a middle-aged woman’s unrestrained desires, [Cikán] never elevates its drama to anything thematically challenging or narratively titillating.”
Hemlock Grove
This horror series scored a pitiful 38 per cent on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. The supernatural show about the goings-on in a Pennsylvania steel town was deemed “idiotic, tedious, and frequently offensive” by Den of Geek’s Sarah Dobbs.
Lunatics
Australian comedian Chris Lilley may have found success with Vysoké letní výšky a Ja’mie: Private School Girl, but the joke was considered to be wearing thin when Lunatics was released in 2019. In the comedy series, Lilley dons a fat suit, plays a seven-foot-tall female student and mocks the transgender community, leading Guardian’s Luke Buckmaster to write in his one-star review: “[Lilley’s] approach has never felt as laboured, or as formulaic, or as devoid of ideas.”
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Přesvědčení
With Dakota Johnson, Henry Golding and Richard E Grant at the helm, Netflix’s take on Přesvědčení should have been a hit, right? Wrong. The film was poorly received by critics and Austen fans alike, with The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey writing that “at no point during Carrie Cracknell’s directorial debut do you ever get the sense that anyone’s actually read Přesvědčení”. Amanda Whiting, meanwhile, questioned how the streamer could “get Jane Austen so terribly wrong”. Ouch.
The Kissing Booth
Netflix has branched into the world of teen movies and romcoms with varying degrees of success, with some receiving critical acclaim (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Always Be My Maybe) while others were panned. One such flop is The Kissing Booth, which was condemned for being both clichéd and misogynistic, with The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey writing in her two-star review of the 2020 sequel that the follow up wasn’t “as aggressively problematic as its predecessor, at least”.
Rebecca
Ve dvouhvězdičkové recenzi pro The Independent, critic Clarisse Loughrey described this adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s classic book as “dreary and garish” and its lead actors Armie Hammer and Lily James as behaving like “two planks of wood”. She concluded: “This Rebecca is du Maurier reduced to an airport novel.”
Zvláštní 6
This Adam Sandler spoof western was branded “unwatchable” by critics. Hastily put together with some dodgy CGI, the movie co-stars Terry Crews, Taylor Lautner and Luke Wilson and most of its jokes revolve around donkey excrement.
Cloverfield Paradox
The third instalment in the Cloverfield franchise, this JJ Abrams-produced film was a surprise release from Netflix in 2018. However, reviewers generally agreed that it was by far the weakest of the trilogy and struggled to see its connection to the original films, with The Independent’s Jacob Stolworthy writing: “This latest entry has turned the once-burgeoning series into a sham.”
Polární
Neo-noir action movie Polární was given one star by Guardian’s critic Stephen Snart. He said the film, which stars Mads Mikkelsen as a hitman facing retirement, is full of “distractingly explicit violence” and it “drowns in gore and stupidity”.
Mozek v ohni
Based on Susannah Calahan’s memoir of the name, Mozek v ohni stars Chloe Grace Moretz as a journalist diagnosed with a rare auto-immune disease affecting the brain. But despite featuring a starry cast including Tyler Perry and Jenny Slate, the film was accused of slipping into the well-worn clichés set out in films like Chyba v našich hvězd a Pět kroků mimos Různorodost’s Peter Debruge writing that Moretz’s character was “the sort of role for which the Razzies were invented”.
Death Note
This horror film centres around a high school student who discovers a supernatural notebook that gives him deadly powers. Verge’s Megan Farokhmanesh said it was “weightless and unnecessarily gory”, adding: “The film is more focused on cyberpunk-esque visuals and crunchy synth than on any kind of substance.”
Ticho
Taking clear inspiration from Tiché místo but failing to make the same impact as Bird Box, Netflix Ticho couldn’t be saved by stars Stanley Tucci and Kiernan Shipka and was accused of having a poor script and slow pacing. «Ticho is barely a horror movie, and that’s its biggest problem,” Roger Ebert’s Brian Tallerico wrote. “A horror movie needs stakes, and you just never feel them here.”
Tajná posedlost
This film has a damning 29 per cent rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, but NPR’s Linda Holmes implied it could be perfect for a hate-watch. “This is a pretty bad movie,” she wrote, “but it seems to be bad in the way it’s meant to be bad. It’s cheerfully trashy, and if that’s up your alley, have at it.”
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Good TV shows that were made into bad movies
The idea of taking the premise and characters from a popular television show and turning it all into a movie with different actors in familiar roles has been a Hollywood staple. That doesn’t mean it’s always a good idea. There are many examples of why it is not a good idea. Here are 25 of the worst examples listed in chronological order.
‘The Beverly Hillbillies’ (1993)
Twentieth Century Fox
Let’s give renowned director Penelope Spheeris (Wayneův svět) a mulligan for this one. The famed 1960s (and early ’70s) television series was a hit, but taking it to the big screen proved silly in a bad way. Perhaps the idea of Jim Varney starring as Jed Clampett was not a good idea. Some shows were just left to be made for television.
‘Car 54, Where Are You’ (1994)
Distribuce obrázků Buena Vista
You know you’ve messed up and flopped when your film receives a zero percent rating review on Rotten Tomatoes. The actual TV police series ran for a few years during the early 1960s and enjoyed some decent success. However, there was not much star power in the movie version unless David Johansen (post-New York Dolls), John C. McGinley, and Fran Drescher were considered big enough for the film to make it big at the box office. They were not.
‘The Flintstones’ (1994)
OK, the film version of this beloved prehistoric cartoon was a box-office success (over $340 million international gross). It earned an even worse sequel, but this was a summer film, and people like to see movies during the summer. That said, John Goodman as Fred and Rosie O’Donnell as Betty seemed miscast in their roles, while the subject matter and dialogue were more mature and randy than in the fun-loving TV series.
‘Sgt. Bilko’ (1997)
Vzáno z Show Phila Silverse of the 1950s, Steve Martin stars as the famed Master Sergeant. Martin, Dan Aykroyd, and the late Phil Hartman could not save the movie from a screen disaster. The storyline is critical, and Bilko’s penchant for schemes in this particular instance does not draw enough laughs to prevail.
‘McHale’s Navy’ (1997)
McHaleovo námořnictvo was a funny but rather middling series in the ’60s. The film take was much worse. There were some decent stars (Debra Messing and Ernest Borgnine, the latter from the original series), but Tom Arnold in the lead should have been a red flag from the get-go. It made just $4.5 million in ticket sales, a flop beyond a flop. Thankfully, most have forgotten about this film.
‘Leave It to Beaver’ (1997)
Triumph Release Corporation
Somehow legendary film critic Roger Ebert gave this film three out of four stars. The movie had plenty of inside jokes regarding the famed original series. However, the screen version of Nechte to Beaverovi never worked because Jerry Mathers will always be the Beaver to any fan of the show. His TV parents, Ward (Hugh Beaumont) and June (Barbara Billingsley), and TV brother Wally (Tony Dow), can’t be remade.
‘Mr. Magoo’ (1997)
Walt Disney Pictures
Leslie Nielsen is up there with some of the great comedic actors of all time. Even she couldn’t bring this animated favorite to life. Trying to bring cartoons to a live-action film format can be hit or miss. Sure, Nielsen’s solid brand of physical comedy makes the movie somewhat tolerable, but for the most part, it was not enough to keep it above water.
‘Lost in Space’ (1998)
New Line Cinema
The 1960s TV series was quite popular, especially when it made it into syndication for other generations to enjoy. Science fiction films are usually popular, but this one was not, maybe because the characters were not up to par in the film — like TV’s Jonathan Harris as the often surly Dr. Smith — even though the great Gary Oldman portrayed Dr. Smith. That usually tends to be the case with these TV-to-film projects.
«The Avengers» (1998)
Not to be confused with the folks from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this was actually a take on the popular British spy series from the 1960s. Though Hollywood heavyweights Sean Connery, Uma Thurman, and Ralph Fiennes were on board, they could not keep this flick from bombing. For those who remember this disaster, we’re sorry.
‘The Mod Squad’ (1999)
One of the best aspects of the late 1960s-early 1970s television series was that the characters were extremely cool while fighting crime. Pete (Michael Cole), Julie (Peggy Lipton), and Linc (Clarence Williams III) just had something about them that looked good (in addition to the bell-bottom pants) in the face of danger. On the big screen, Claire Danes, Giovanni Ribisi, and Omar Epps did not deliver that same punch and flare as the originals.
‘Wild Wild West’ (1999)
Not everything Will Smith touches turns to box office gold. Wild Wild West is an example. Loosely based on the spy/sci-fi TV series from the 1960s that also was remade into a television film, Smith and Kevin Kline star as Secret Service agents ordered to protect President Ulysses S. Grant. Sound questionable? The critical reception was even harsher. At least Smith got a hit song out of it (with help from Kool Moe Dee) .
‘Inspector Gadget’ (1999)
Walt Disney Pictures
Filmová verze Inspektor Gadget enjoyed modest success at the box office ($134.4 million worldwide). Matthew Broderick was not bad in the lead role, but while there were enough pretty people in the cast, the overall plot and execution were clunky. Gadget was quirky, and Broderick did not come through effectively on screen.
‘Dudley Do-Right’ (1999)
Technically, «Dudley Do-Right» was a segment of Dobrodružství Rockyho a Bullwinkla a přátel show. He’s a classic character who is adored in Canada. But was there a need to make a movie about him? Brendan Fraser did not do the role justice, and the jokes seemed forced most of the time. Another example of why television characters don’t always need to be brought to life.
‘S.W.A.T.’ (2002)
Max Gersh / The Commercial Appeal, Memphis Commercial Appeal via Imagn Content Services, LLC/USA TODAY
The movie version grossed $207 million worldwide, which is a solid haul and commercially worth the effort. But even with Colin Farrell, Jeremy Renner, and Samuel L. Jackson in tow, there was not much of a «wow» factor that one would expect from an action movie with this level of star quality.
‘I Spy’ (2002)
The 1960s series featured Robert Culp and Bill Cosby. The film adaptation saw Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson in the lead roles with Famke Janssen along for support. One of the big knocks on this mediocre film was that it did not have much in common with the popular series. That’s not always a bad thing, but fans of the series might have expected a little more of an homage to the original.
‘Starsky & Hutch’ (2004)
There was no problem in making a movie version of this cool 1970s cop series. The problem was that Ben Stiller, and especially Owen Wilson, as the popular detectives, seemed to try too hard. Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul were smooth operators — on and off the job. The movie duo was more off the wall and a little too much. Now, Snoop Dogg as Huggy Bear was spot-on.
‘Fat Albert’ (2004)
Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA TODAY Sports
Bill Cosby’s personal life has fallen apart, but Fat Albert should still go down as one of the all-time great animated series. However, it fell flat when it was time to take it to the big screen for a live-action take. Kenan Thompson continues to do good work on Saturday Night Live but is m ediocre at best. It seemed the Fat Albert film was destined to fail after taking these famed animated characters out of that element.
‘The Honeymooners’ (2005)
Even with Cedric the Entertainer as Ralph Kramden and Mike Epps offering his take as Ed Norton, the pair could not save this movie from seriously falling short of the legendary black-and-white series. Ralph and Ed’s hi-jinks and schemes have been updated but are not anything to write home about. Co-stars Gabrielle Union (Alice) and Regina Hall (Trixie) were two positives.
«Očarovaný» (2005)
Sony Pictures/Columbia Pictures
Will Ferrell has made some classic comedy films, as we know. However, when he’s taken his crack at film adaptations of popular TV shows, he’s stumbled. Case in point: Očarovaný . Ferrell’s character, Jack Wyatt, is an actor playing the role of Darrin Stephens and the whole premise of a show within a movie just doesn’t work. Ferrell and co-star Nicole Kidman actually received a Razzie Award for Worst Screen Couple for their work in this film.
‘The Dukes of Hazzard’ (2005)
Another movie that really did not need to be made, at least not with these actors in the starring roles. At the time, Johnny Knoxville (Luke Duke) was still somewhat relevant, while Seann William Scott (Bo Duke) was pretty close to being yesterday’s news with the American Pie movies in the past. Jessica Simpson was useless as Daisy Duke, a much better character on the TV show. Just wrong in a lot of ways.
‘Æon Flux’ (2005)
This avant-garde, sci-fi animated series grew to be somewhat of a cult hit for MTV in the early 1990s. So why not make a movie version of it? Starring Charlize Theron, the storyline, which deals with a massively lethal virus (somewhat fitting for these times), has caused the survivors around the globe to reinvent themselves for further survival. Critics tend to use the word «dull» when describing the film.
‘Land of the Lost’ (2009)
We talked about Will Ferrell’s swing and miss with Očarovaný. His take on this NBC Saturday morning dinosaur program can best be categorized as taking three straight strikes right down the middle of the plate. Traveling through a time warp back to the age of dinosaurs, Ferrell’s Rick Marshall and friends maneuver a tale that never should have been told on the big screen. It is considered by many critics to be one of the worst mainstream movies ever made.
‘The Last Airbender’ (2010)
Based on a season for Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender, there was a lot of hope and hype for the screen version. However, combining everything special about the show proved tricky to do on film. It seemed rushed, and the characters never had a chance to develop or allow the audience to draw any real conclusion about how they felt about them.
‘CHiPs’ (2017)
Obrázky Warner Bros.
CHiPs was a super cool show in the late 1970s and into the ’80s. It might have fared better if the film version had been made in the mid-1990s. Living up to the legend Ponch (Erik Estrada) and John (Larry Wilcox) created is not easy. And Michael Peña and Dax Shepard were unable to do it. The movie’s plot was all over the place and gratuitous more often than not.
‘Baywatch’ (2017)
Projekt Baywatch TV series was a guilty pleasure at best but had a surprisingly long life. With so many pretty people of both sexes involved in the series, it was actually no surprise a Baywatch movie — not starring the TV cast — would be made. Dwayne Johnson is no David Hasselhoff in this case. Plus, the plot was choppy and weak, and the attempts at humor usually disappointed.
Jeff Mezydlo, rodák z Chicaga, již téměř 30 let profesionálně píše o sportu, zábavě a popkultuře. Pokud by to mohl udělat znovu, navštěvoval by Degrassi Junior High, Ampipe High a Grand Lakes University.
- Žebříček nejpamátnějších rolí Toma Hankse
- Nejlepší a nejhorší akční filmy podle televizních pořadů
Norman Lear’s first flop was a show about Baltimore. He thought it was ‘terrific.’
As the story goes, the “e” in the fictionalized Hotel Baltimore’s marquee burned out long ago.
To legendary writer, director and producer Norman Lear, the racy television series “Hot l Baltimore” had the potential to light up the small screen anyway. The Baltimore-based show would turn out to be one of his first flops.
Interest in the short-lived series, which centered on the staff and residents of a rundown hotel so seedy its sign was never spelled correctly, was renewed this week following news of Lear’s death Tuesday at the age of 101.
Lear’s shows helped define prime-time comedy in the 1970s, launched the careers of Rob Reiner and Valerie Bertinelli and made middle-aged superstars of Carroll O’Connor, Bea Arthur and Redd Foxx. He was particularly drawn to controversial comedies and characters often ignored by mainstream media, The Associated Press reported.
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So, it was no surprise that the racy off-Broadway play “The Hot l Baltimore” caught his eye. The 1973 theater production told the story of the ragtag staff and residents, who notably included two prostitutes and a gay couple, working and living in an aged art deco-style hotel.
The play, written by Lanford Wilson and produced by famed American theatrical producer Kermit Bloomgarden and Fox News founder Roger Ailes, had been a critical success. It earned “Best American Play” at the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Awards and Obie Awards and ran for three years, lasting longer than its television counterpart.
During the 1974-75 television season, Lear’s already popular show “All in the Family” was earning the highest ratings in the country for a network television series. The commercial success did not translate to “Hot l Baltimore,” which ran with a disclaimer warning viewers of its “mature subject matter.” However, it failed to attract audiences and was canceled after 13 episodes.
“Hot l Baltimore was a noble effort,” Lear later said in an interview. “It was a terrific show.”
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