Entertainment
The All-Time Worst Year For Hollywood Remakes
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
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).
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!