From Star Wars to Dune to Nosferatu, it’s clear that modern filmmakers are downright hungry to remake some of the most fascinating movies in Hollywood history. Because of that, you might a more recent year was the worst for remakes, but you’d be wrong. As it turns out, the worst year for remakes was 1998, which brought us four Razzie-nominated flops: Godzilla,Lost In Space, Psycho, and The Avengers.
For genre fans, the most notable movie on this dubious list is Godzilla, the Matthew Broderick film from Independence Day director Roland Emmerich. It ended up earning $379 million against a budget of about $150 million, but that’s not the whole story; you see, this movie had such kaiju-sized marketing costs that it needed $240 million domestically to be considered a success.
The Rainiest Godzilla Movie Ever Made
Unfortunately, it only earned $136 million, and while it made some bank overseas, the movie’s awful reputation among both critics and fans destroyed any hope of creating a lasting, uniquely American take on the most famous monster of them all.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an astonishingly low 20 percent, with critics complaining that this passionless film with such terrible characters was a complete affront to Godzilla as a brand. Such savage reviews, along with the disappointing box office, ensured that Roland Emmerich’s planned trilogy of Godzilla films died on the vine, with this 1998 stinker getting no direct follow-up films. Adding insult to injury, the film was nominated for five Golden Raspberries (designed to award the very worst in Hollywood films), ultimately taking home the Razzie for Worst Remake or Sequel (it tied with The Avengers).
Avengers, Disassemble!
Speaking of which, The Avengers had nothing to do with Marvel; rather, this was a remake of the television show of the same name, which featured Diana Rigg at her absolute sexiest. In this remake, Uma Thurman and Ralph Fiennes do their best to recreate the stylish sex appeal of the legendary TV show, but it was all for naught. The movie ended up earning $54.7 million against a budget of $60 million, transforming what should have been a surefire remake into one of the biggest flops of the ‘90s.
On top of the financial failure, The Avengers was also a critical dud, earning a 5 percent (yes, you read that right) on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics dragged this movie for filth, complaining about everything from its inept writing to its astoundingly bad casting. Accordingly, this movie ended up with the dubious honor of getting the Razzie for Worst Remake or Sequel (hey, they couldn’t let Godzilla have all the fun).
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In Space, No One Can Hear You “Whoa”
Another major flop from 1998 was Lost in Space, the high-flying remake of the beloved sci-fi television show from the ‘60s. Earning $136.1 million against a budget of $80 million, this film wasn’t as much of a financial disaster as, say, The Avengers. But in an age where Star Wars Special Editions and the upcoming prequel trilogy had audiences hyped for big-budget, interstellar theatrical adventures, Lost In Space just didn’t earn enough of a box office to warrant a sequel.
It didn’t help that this movie, too, was absolutely savaged by critics, earning a woeful 27 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics claimed that the movie lacked the campy charm that made the original show such a hit, and more than a few made the tongue-in-cheek observation that “lost in space” is the perfect review of this meandering mess. It ended up also receiving a Razzie nomination for Worst Remake or Sequel, but it “lost” (if that’s what you want to call it) to Godzilla and The Avengers.
This Remake Is Completely Washed
The last major bomb from 1998 is a movie that arguably should never have been made: Psycho, the Vince Vaughn-starring remake of the Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece. Director Gus Van Sant decided to film this movie as a shot-by-shot remake of the original, so it effectively added nothing new to the formula for horror fiends craving innovative scares. The movie went on to earn $37.2 million against $25 million, which is a modest profit at best, and Van Sant later claimed he felt the movie broke even after factoring in things like promotional costs.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the Psycho remake earned an abysmal 40 percent (boy, you really need a shower to wash off that creative stench!). Critics generally agreed that the remake felt completely unnecessary because it simultaneously failed to do anything new or offer any trenchant insights into the earlier Hitchcock film. Psycho was subsequently nominated for the Worst Remake or Sequel Razzie, ultimately losing out to Godzilla and The Avengers.
The Year Of The Worst Remakes Still Cuts Deep
There you have it, folks: even though it feels like we are constantly inundated with modern cinematic remakes, 1998 was the year that this lazy Hollywood habit reached its apex. The greatest films and TV shows of the ‘50s and ‘60s all got sloppy remakes that served only to remind audiences of just how good the source material really was. The worst of these remakes also taught audiences an important lesson: Ferris Bueller may have many skills, but fighting Godzilla ain’t one of them!
Adrian Grenier has embraced life in Texas, stepping away from the spotlight in Hollywood. He is enjoying a simpler lifestyle with his wife and two children since his move. Although the actor has not completely quit acting, he has been selective in more recent years and has taken on a few projects.
Now, Grenier is revealing what his ideal conditions are for returning to acting on a full-time basis and sharing what his plans are for the future.
Adrian Grenier Wants To Stay Close To Home
In an interview with Page Six published on March 16, Grenier talked about his new short film, “Self Custody,” which was shot near his home in Texas.
For the actor, who has been focusing on sustainable living on his Texas ranch, it was the ideal situation since he was able to remain close to his family while working. Greiner is not against going back to the spotlight and taking on more projects, as long as the projects go to him.
The 49-year-old actor says it’s a strong possibility, especially since the Texas government has just invested $2.5 billion in projects in the state. “They’re building three movie studios not too far from me. I don’t see the reason why we wouldn’t just continue to film in Texas,” he added.
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‘Entourage’ Catapulted The Actor Into Stardom
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Grenier rose to fame playing the character of Vincent Chase on HBO’s hit series “Entourage.” The show followed Chase, a young and charismatic actor, as he and his group of friends navigate the culture in Hollywood.
“Entourage” ran for eight seasons from 2004 to 2011. When the show wrapped, Grenier talked about leaving the character, saying, “Vince has changed my DNA. I think there’s always going to be a little Vince with me at all times. ‘Entourage’ really has and will continue to define an era, he told Parade.
Apart from the series, Grenier also appeared in movies, including the “Entourage” movie, “The Devil Wears Prada,” and “Drive Me Crazy.”
The Actor Moved To Texas In 2020
In 2016, Grenier spent some time in Texas and did some environmental work before purchasing a property. He moved to the 46-acre ranch in 2020, where he currently resides with his wife, Jordan Roemmele, and their two young sons, Seiko and Evren, born in 2023 and 2025, respectively.
Grenier told People that he enjoyed the lifestyle in Texas, and he felt accepted by the people there. “A lot of times in cities, I’ve always felt like a little bit like I have to keep up with the Joneses,” he explained.
Taking care of the ranch has been the actor’s focus, as it helps him with regard to mental health and learning new skills. “It allows you to make more informed, wiser choices when it comes to how you live, how you treat others, and in particular, how you treat the environment,” he shared.
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Adrian Grenier Is More Picky With Roles
One of the reasons why Grenier took the role in “Self Custody” is that he related to the character and understood the topic. “You know, as a bitcoin guy, a bitcoin maxi and somebody who believes in crypto as an ideology and a philosophy, it was almost tailor-made for me,” he shared.
In the short film, he plays an entrepreneur who gave his employee a bonus in bitcoin. According to Grenier, they are looking into the possibility of developing “Short Custody” into a movie or a series.
Since taking a step back from Hollywood, Grenier said that he feels lucky to be in a position where he can choose the projects he takes on. It has to be something that resonates with him and reflects his values. “This was a project that met my standards, I guess, just in terms of quality of filmmaking and storyline,” he shared.
Adrian Grenier Was Disappointed Over ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Snub
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As previously reported by The Blast, Grenier was disappointed that he wasn’t included in “The Devil Wears Prada 2.” In the first movie, he played the role of Nate Cooper, the love interest of Anne Hathaway’s character Andy Sachs.
The actor said he would have loved to be in the sequel, but he wasn’t approached. He believes the reason was because of the backlash against the character he played, whom fans described as selfish and unsupportive.
Despite not being included, Grenier said he’s still a fan of the movie, adding that his exclusion “leaves room for a beautiful spinoff in which Nate has his own film.”
Sean Penn just took home a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for One Battle After Another (or he will, if he deigns to pick it up after being unable to, or simply choosing not to, attend the ceremony), which is a good excuse to look back at one of the most underrated movies in his long career. And, as a matter of fact, it happens to be one of the most underrated movies in the careers of everybody involved in it, including its director. The movie is the 1997 thriller The Game, which was seen as a massive early flop in the career of filmmaker David Fincher — despite the fact that it’s actually really awesome.
The Game was released after Fincher’s star-making Se7en, which was only his second film after his divisive debut Alien 3(another movie that’s actually really awesome, for the record), and just a few years before his culture-destroying, widely misunderstood masterpiece Fight Club. Any movie would have a hard time competing with those films, and The Game ultimately made just about $100 million off of a reported $70 million budget — likely because of its reputation for just being a series of increasingly groan-inducing twists that leads to a dopey, unsatisfying ending. But, again, those opinions are wrong.
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Who Does Sean Penn Play in ‘The Game’?
Image via PolyGram Films
The Game follows Michael Douglas as Nicholas Van Orton, a wealthy and unhappy banker. As his 48th birthday approaches, he is haunted by the death of his father, who died by suicide when he turned 48. Penn plays Nicholas’ brother, Connie, who presents him with an invitation to experience a bizarre, life-changing “game” run by a company called Consumer Recreation Services. Connie has apparently also done the CRS game and speaks very highly of it.
Douglas’ Nicholas is depicted as very cold and closed-off, which differentiates him from the vaguely manic energy that Penn brings to Connie. Penn essentially plays to type as the character, embracing the wild unpredictability that he had as a younger actor, which makes it difficult to know how much to trust him. Penn has a tendency to make his mere existence off-putting, which is used to great effect — albeit very differently — in both The Game and One Battle After Another. In The Game, you can see why Nicholas would want to trust him, because he’s so lonely and desperate for connections, but, as the story turns, you immediately recognize why Nicholas would believe that his brother would be wrapped up in this horrific “game.”
Last night, the Academy Awards were doled out to an array of worthy artists. What do you know about the 98-year history of this tradition?
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What Happens in ‘The Game’?
Michael Douglas as Nicholas Van Orton on a bed of ice in The Game.Image Via PolyGram FIlms
Nicholas undergoes an aggravating and intrusive application process, led by CRS employee James Rebhorn, but he is ultimately told that he has been rejected from the game. Of course, that’s part of the game, and things in his life quickly begin to spiral out of control. The game is eventually revealed to be an elaborate con designed to rob rich people like him, and Connie has been forcibly involved from the beginning.
One of the odd things about The Game, especially given the rest of David Fincher’s filmography, is that it has a somewhat shockingly upbeat and optimistic ending. But true Game-heads know that that’s the clue to the movie’s real intentions: It’s not a dark and twisty thriller like Se7en, it’s a full-on thrill ride. If you go in thinking Michael Douglas will somehow outsmart the game and win, you’ll be annoyed. If you go in thinking the game is borderline mystical and has infinite resources to blow on giving this lonely man his own Christmas Carol, you’ll have fun.
Welcome to the Collider TV Quiz! Every Monday through Friday, we’ll give you an opportunity to prove your knowledge in the world of television trivia. We’ll be using the most prestigious, scientifically accurate method for separating 4K devotees from Cathode ray couch potatoes: multiple choice. Sign in to your account to track your daily progress. Don’t forget to play today’s Movie Quiz for even more trivia challenges, and you can find all of our current and archived quizzes here.
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Whether it’s characters or catchphrases, series regulars or guest stars, prime-time hits or late-night gems, a show from 1930-something or a show simply called thirtysomething… we’ll cover it all. So, you’ll need to flip through channels upon channels of the useless factoids you’ve accumulated over the years in order to tune in to the correct answer. For today’s challenge, we’re heading to Paddy’s Pub to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia gang. Scroll down for the cold open!
Meghan Markle is reportedly unsettled after an email leak revealed details of her upcoming trip to Australia before an official announcement was made.
The Duchess of Sussex is scheduled to headline the “Her Best Life Retreat” in Sydney next month, but the early disclosure has sparked concerns about privacy and control over her projects.
According to insiders, the leak has left Meghan Markle worried about what other private information could surface, particularly regarding past business dealings, as she prepares for the high-profile visit.
Meghan Markle Is Reportedly ‘Losing Sleep At What Else Could Come Out’ As Email Leak Reveals Retreat Plans
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Meghan Markle is reportedly “losing sleep” after an email leak prematurely revealed details about her upcoming trip to Australia.
The 44-year-old Duchess of Sussex is set to headline the Her Best Life Retreat in Sydney next month, organized by Jackie’ O’ Henderson’s Besties company.
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According to sources, Meghan was alarmed that news of her appearance leaked days before the official announcement.
“She was horrified when word got out, ahead of the official announcement, that she would be appearing at a women’s retreat in Sydney,” a source told New Idea, per Sky News. “She likes to be in control, and the chaotic announcement about her arrival was anything but polished. While a leak about the trip isn’t the end of the world, Meghan’s losing sleep at what else could come out.”
The duchess is reportedly worried about what other private information could surface, particularly concerning her confidential communications with Netflix before the streamer ended its collaboration with her lifestyle brand, As Ever.
The Duchess Tightens Security After Shocking Leak
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Meghan is said to be actively investigating the leak and strengthening her staff’s non-disclosure agreements to prevent future breaches.
“She is on a mission to find out who leaked the information. It’s made the working environment around her office very tense,” the source added.
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The retreat, running from April 17 to 19 at Coogee’s InterContinental Hotel, promises attendees a gala dinner featuring a live conversation with Meghan.
Meghan Markle’s Pricey $3K Australia Retreat Details Emerge
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VIP ticket holders will receive a group photo with the duchess, a goodie bag, and access to an ocean-view hotel room.
Tickets are priced at $3,000, with the event capped at 300 guests. Meanwhile, Prince Harry will appear at the InterEdge Summit in Melbourne as a keynote speaker on workplace mental health, with tickets costing up to $2,378.
This will be the Sussexes’ first trip to Australia since their 2018 royal tour, which also included New Zealand, Fiji, and Tonga. On this visit, they will travel as private citizens, leaving their children Archie, six, and Lilibet, four, at home in California.
Supporters Say The Duchess’s Australia Retreat Offers Rare Chance To See Her Personal Side
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Meanwhile, while organizers emphasize the retreat’s focus on meaningful experiences, critics have questioned the price tag.
Hosts Jackie O Henderson and Gemma O’Neill explained that the weekend will focus on “powerful conversations, relaxation, laughter, and unforgettable experiences.”
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O’Neill revealed she would be interviewing Meghan during the retreat, adding that the duchess agreed to participate as a favor for a mutual friend and because she “really loves what our community is about.”
Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner described the event as a rare opportunity to see the personal side of Meghan.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for the guests to meet a Royal with a genuine heart and for Meghan to relax and be with people who wish to listen to her thoughts on life,” he said.
Highlighting her long-standing commitment to service, from early activism to supporting Grenfell survivors through a community cookout, Pelham noted that Meghan has “proven time and again” that she is empathetic and makes those she meets feel valued.
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Meghan Markle’s $3K Australia Retreat Faces Criticism As Experts Question ‘Founder’ Image
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Unfortunately for the Duchess of Sussex, not everyone is convinced by the branding behind her latest venture.
“Markle has consistently leaned into the moniker of ‘entrepreneur’ or ‘founder,’” Doug Eldridge, founder of Achilles PR, told Fox News Digital, noting that such titles don’t necessarily require a proven track record.
However, Eldridge argued that credibility depends on sustained results. Citing mixed reports about As Ever, stalled acting projects, and a Netflix series that was not renewed, he stated, “For someone who often talks about building, her record seems more in line with demolition.”
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Kinsey Schofield, host of YouTube’s “Kinsey Schofield’s Unfiltered,” added that the upcoming Australia trip feels more commercial than royal.
She pointed out that while Harry will keynote the InterEdge Psychosocial Safety Summit on workplace mental health, Meghan is being positioned as the star of a luxury women’s retreat at the InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach.
Guests will pay for an intimate dinner and conversation with her, with promotional materials highlighting everything from her acting work on “Suits” to her podcast “Archetypes,” her philanthropic efforts through Archewell, and her lifestyle brand As Ever.
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“In other words, it’s essentially a very expensive girls’ weekend built around access to the former actress,” Schofield concluded, framing the event as more commercial than ceremonial.
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If you’ve ever watched Lily Collins on screen and thought, “How does her skin look like that?”, you’re not alone. The actress has a complexion that practically glows from within, the kind that looks effortless even under harsh studio lighting. And while great genes certainly play a part, one of the real secrets lives inside a very unassuming tube of French face cream.
As if the $20 price point wasn’t enough, this French pharmacy staple reportedly sells every four seconds worldwide! So, what makes it so special? The Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré Daily Face Moisturizer pulls double duty as both a moisturizer and a makeup primer, which means fewer steps in your morning routine. The formula contains shea butter and aloe vera, two ingredients that deliver serious hydration without leaving your face feeling greasy or heavy. Your skin gets that plump, dewy quality that makes makeup sit beautifully on top.
When it comes to natural beauty, Jennifer Aniston just might be the ultimate poster girl. Now at 56 years old, the iconic movie star has skin that’s still fresh, glowy and healthy-looking as ever. We should’ve known that her skincare secret comes from the queens of effortless beauty themselves: French women. According to Elle Australia, […]
The fact that it’s suitable for all skin types is a genuine advantage here. If you’ve spent years figuring out what your skin tolerates, especially as it changes over time, finding a hydrating cream that doesn’t trigger breakouts or irritation feels like striking gold. This one works as a blank canvas for pretty much everyone, which is exactly why makeup artists keep it in their kits. They never know what skin type they’ll be working on next, and Embryolisse doesn’t let them down.
At $20, this French face cream costs a fraction of what many luxury moisturizers charge. And honestly, the travel size is a smart way to test it out before committing to a full bottle. Toss it in your bag, keep it at your desk, bring it on your next trip. It’s the kind of product that earns a permanent spot in your routine once you try it.
Over 20,000 Amazon shoppers give the French face cream glowing reviews, so don’t just take Collins’ word for it!
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“This is a quality, versatile product that makes my skin look like I had a facial,” one five-star reviewer wrote. “I use it as a moisturizer and enjoy the way it primes my skin for makeup. My skin is combination and the formula does not clog my pores, instead, it seems to erase them. I love that you can use it to cleanse your skin, which makes it a good multi-tasker for travel. It is gentle enough to be used around your eyes, too. The scent is delicious and the product is light and creamy.”
One of the funnier scenes ever to make it into a movie happens in the classic Chevy Chase/Dan Aykroyd comedy Spies Like Us. The duo, playing inept spies, arrives at a Doctors Without Borders camp, and all it takes for them to convince the people there that they belong is to call everyone “Doctor” over and over and over again. It’s a fun, silly way of poking fun at pretentious PhDs and also the limited intelligence of our heroes.
Now imagine that sixty-second scene stretched over sixty minutes, played seriously instead of as a joke, and with Chevy Chase’s character replaced by a badly rendered miniature reindeer in a top hat. That’s what happens in season 2 episode 7 of Netflix’s pirate adventure show One Piece. Aptly titled “Reindeer Shames,” it may be the single worst hour of programming ever released on streaming, and somehow it’s the penultimate episode of the streamer’s new flagship show.
Doctor. Doctor.
Having not seen episode 7 yet, and having previously enjoyed season one and all six previous episodes of season 2, I’d been recklessly recommending One Piece to everyone I know. Now, not only am I rescinding that recommendation, I’m not sure I have the strength to continue on and watch the second season’s final episode.
One Piece Fans Waited More Than Two Years For Time Wasting Filler
Get used to seeing these bushes.
A quick positioning statement: I love anime and watch a lot of it. Like 99% of the people watching the Netflix show, though, I’ve never watched the anime version of One Piece. I’ve avoided it largely because there are thousands of episodes, and that seems daunting, but also because even its most ardent defenders often admit that many of those episodes are actually time-wasting filler.
The One Piece anime’s predilection towards time-wasting filler episodes may explain the presence of “Reindeer Shames” on the Netflix version, the plot of which involves none of the show’s actual cast. The story also has basically nothing to do with any of the narratives being developed in the rest of the season.
That might be an acceptable side trip in a series with thousands of episodes, but in the modern era of lazy streaming production, we only get eight episodes every two or three years instead of an annual two-dozen. Wasting one of those precious episodes on anything not directly relevant to what’s happening on the show would be a bad idea, even if it were somehow good. When it’s this bad, it feels almost criminal.
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A Blatant Cost-Cutting Measure From Netflix
Yep, same bushes.
“Reindeer Shames” tells the story of a Doctor on the run in a country where Doctors are being rounded up for weird anime doctor-hoarding reasons. The Doctor encounters a tiny, talking reindeer who looks like he just fell off a Toys R Us plushy shelf during the Christmas holiday rush of 1997. Or he would look like that if the CGI used to animate him didn’t also look like it came from 1997.
It seems clear that at least part of Netflix’s motivation in making this episode was as a cost-cutting measure. The show’s other episodes look fantastic, with high-level special effects and large-scale action sequences. However, “Reindeer Shames” largely takes place in either an unremarkable bush or a single hut and offers only a few, half-hearted seconds of action at the end. And again, it doesn’t involve any of the show’s actual cast, which probably means Netflix only paid them for seven episodes while still producing eight.
Netflix Has Opened Its Own Learing Center
I’m only in this one episode, so I cost less Chopper.
This has all the earmarks of a scam. Making your subscription-paying audience wait two and a half years for eight episodes and then cheaping out on one of them is the streaming version of a Minnesota Learning Center.
The talking reindeer is named Chopper, and I’m told by Jonathan Klotz, who I consider an expert in all One Piece matters, that this character is a beloved figure in the animated version of this tale. Maybe he’ll grow into that over the course of Netflix’s live-action series, assuming the awfulness of this outing doesn’t cause the show to be canceled. Still, he’s garbage in this episode, and plays out like a clumsy, half-baked attempt to create the next Baby Yoda in a world where everyone’s sick to death of Baby Yodas.
Stop Watching One Piece Unless Supervised By A Doctor
Me after watching this episode.
Instead of delivering the kind of pirate adventure One Piece viewers are tuned in for, the episode meanders around, fixating on endless speeches about how amazing and important Doctors are. Doctor this and Doctor that, and oh, aren’t Doctors incredible angels who totally aren’t doing this job just because they like buying Corvettes and hanging out at country clubs.
Sitting through “Reindeer Shames” made me wish One Piece was on YouTube instead of Netflix, so it could be interrupted by an Incogni ad. In that worse-than-streaming-sponsorships environment, I guess Chopper, since he isn’t a Doctor and only wants to be one, is the least worst thing about it. That’s a hopeful point for his continued Doctor presence on the show, which seems like something I’ll have to endure if I ever again work up the doctor-like courage to watch another One Piece episode. I probably won’t, at least not without the supervision of a Doctor.
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