The Halloween season is a big time for filmmaking,as horror and autumnal-themed movies often perform well at the box office during these few months. However, films set during Halloween or that use the visual language often seen in these projects can also be considered part of the Halloween canon. Unfortunately, just because a movie is released during this time or using these popular motifs doesn’t mean it’s going to do well in theaters. Plenty oflegendary movie directors have made box office bombs, as there’s a variety of reasons why films don’t connect with audiences in theaters.
Many of themost underrated Halloween moviesunderperformed at the box office. However, they later found cult followings thanks to critical and audience reevaluation. Part of the reason streaming is so popular is that it has allowed contemporary audiences to revisit works that weren’t given enough attention when they were released. However,not every movie that bombed at the box office was misunderstood,as there’s a reason why audiences weren’t attracted to a project. When these movies are watched again, it’s clear that the quality has not improved over time.
Halloween III: Season of the Witch
Cast
Halloween 3: Season of the Witch is a sci-fi horror film that acts as the third film in the original Halloween films that started in the 1970s. The first and only Halloween film not to feature Michael Myers as the villain, Halloween 3 instead focuses on witchcraft. When a man escapes with a strange jack-o-lantern mask while on the run from mysterious men in suits, the truth is that these masks kill children when they put them on. Protagonists Daniel and Ellie decide to discover the truth behind the manufacturer, the Silver Shamrock company, but what awaits them is a confrontation out of this world.
TheHalloweenfranchise is one of the most popular and enduring of all time, but at the time of its release,Halloween 3quickly claimed the spot as the worst performer at the box office. While it made its money back and wasn’t an embarrassment,based on the success of the first two films, it should have made a lot more money.One of the biggest issues withHalloween 3was that it strayed too far from the original premise, as the film doesn’t feature Michael Myers at all.
Compared to the box office smashes of 1982 likePoltergeist, a far more innovative addition to the horror genre, the small sum made byHalloween 3was unfortunate.
Compared to the box office smashes of 1982 likePoltergeist, a far more innovative addition to the horror genre, the small sum made byHalloween 3was unfortunate. When viewed as separate from theHalloweenfranchise and as a different type of scary movie,there are some parts ofHalloween 3that are interesting.This includes the strong critiques of the contemporary culture of the early 1980s. However, this wasn’t enough to make audiences eager to see the film.
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
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Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers is the second part in the “Thorn Trilogy” sequels and sees the return of the masked serial killer to the town of Haddonfield. Despite the best efforts of Haddonfield’s law enforcement and townsfolk, Michael survives their recent attempt to slay him, allowing him to continue his hunt for his niece, Jamie Lloyd. However, Jamie senses his return via an inexplicable telepathic connection, setting her up to prepare for another showdown with the town’s eternal foe.
Halloween 3was quickly dethroned as the worst installment of the franchise byHalloween 5when it was released in 1989. Thoughthe universe had begun to redeem itself withHalloween 4,the studio tried to capitalize on this success too quickly. This meantHalloween 5wasn’t given the time and energy it needed to find its footing. Receiving even worse critical reviews than the early failures,Halloween 5could have been good but was too messy and disorganized to stand the test of time.
Halloween 5remains the biggest box office disappointing of theHalloweenfranchiseand is typically considered one of the worst installments. By the timeHalloween5had been released, over a decade had passed since the release of the first movie, and much of the spark and interest in the universe had died. The aspects ofHalloweenthat made it stand out from typical horror movies of the time had faded, leaving only the name and memory of a better franchise.
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Jennifer’s Body
Directed by Karyn Kusama and written by Diablo Cody, Jennifer’s Body is a horror-comedy film starring Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried. When a newly possessed high school cheerleader (Fox) turns into a succubus specializing in seducing and killing her male classmates, her best friend (Seyfried) is the only thing that stands in the way of her sultry killing spree.
The often-misunderstood and recently reevaluatedJennifer’s Bodyhas only become a cult classic in the past few years. At the film’s release in 2009, critics and audiences didn’t know what to make ofJennifer’s Body, as it was unlike any other horror movie coming out during this period.Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried star in the feminist horror filmthat’s more concerned with the central relationship between Jennifer (Fox) and Needy (Seyfried), and it is punctuated by the referential style of dialogue fromJunowriter Diablo Cody.
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Fox and Seyfried weren’t the only great performers in the film, asJennifer’s Bodyis now remembered as one ofAdam Brody’s best moviesfor his slimy performance as a demon-summoning band member. Much ofthe underwhelming performance ofJennifer’s Bodycan be attributed to a poor marketing campaignthat painted the movie as an exploitation film rather than a critique of how the male gaze affects young women. Thankfully, the project has remained relevant despite its poor box office reception.
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Practical Magic
Practical Magic is a romantic fantasy film directed by Griffin Dunne, featuring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as sisters Sally and Gillian Owens, born into a family of witches. Living under a curse that dooms any man they fall in love with to an untimely death, the sisters navigate love, loss, and their magical heritage while confronting family secrets and societal prejudices.
With stars like Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock attached toPractical Magic, along with the built-in audience who were familiar with the book by Alice Hoffman, there was reason to believe that the movie would be an autumnal hit. However,Practical Magicdidn’t make enough money to justify its budget,making it a disaster for the studio, Warner Bros. While more recent reception of the film has been positive and highlights the good aspects ofPractical Magic, this doesn’t change its initial failure.
While the atmosphere and aesthetics ofPractical Magicare pleasing,tonally, the movie lacks a cohesive theme.Despite being framed as a romantic comedy with autumnal influences and supernatural elements, the story takes a dark turn that might have been a reason for the film’s inability to connect with audiences. However,there’s hope forPractical Magic 2, which could retrospectively earn back some respect and notoriety for the first movie.
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Pumpkinhead
Directed by Stan Winston, Pumpkinhead is a supernatural horror film that was released in 1988 and marked the beginning of a franchise of films. After Ed Harley’s son is killed in a reckless hit-and-run accident by a group of teenagers, he seeks the help of a local witch to exact vengeance against them. With the witches' help, Ed summons a demon known as Pumpkinhead to do the deed - but he soon realizes the dire consequences of his actions as the mischievous demon begins a killing spree.
Though not released in the fall or close to October,it’s hard to argue thatPumpkinheadis a distinctly Halloween-adjacent project.From the name alone, it brings to mind visuals of the pumpkins and jack-o'-lanterns that are seen everywhere during the fall months. HadPumpkinheadbeen released closer to this time of year, it might have performed better, but the film is still considered a cult classic and a uniquely terrifying monster movie.
The dark and terrifying tone ofPumpkinhead, coupled with the tragic ending, make it easy to see why audiences were shocked by and uncertain about the film.
The dark and terrifying tone ofPumpkinhead, coupled with the tragic ending, make it easy to see why audiences were shocked by and uncertain about the film. Centering on the creation of a horrifying monster created to carry out a man’s desire for revenge in the wake of his grief,the creature design of the titular Pumpkinhead is quite memorable.If audiences went into theaters expectingPumpkinheadto be a traditional horror story with an uplifting ending, that’s not what they would’ve gotten out ofPumpkinhead.
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Near Dark
Near Dark is a 1987 film directed by Kathryn Bigelow that blends elements of horror and the Western genre. The story follows a young man who becomes entangled with a group of nomadic vampires. As he grapples with his newfound condition, the film explores themes of loyalty, survival, and identity. Starring Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright, and Lance Henriksen, Near Dark is noted for its atmospheric cinematography and intense performances.
Thankfully, Kathryn Bigelow’s failed vampire movieNear Darkdidn’t prevent the filmmaker from going on to win the Academy Award for Best Director forZero Dark Thirty. However,this early addition to her career was a major flop that failed to make back its budget at the box office.Surprisingly,Near Darkstill has many positive reviews and was considered a nuanced blend of genres for the late 1980s, but the independent project couldn’t compete with more high-profile vampire projects.
Despite its gothic elements, much ofNear Darkis a love story,and the elements of the Western genre are in conversation with many of the prominent films of the 1980s.Near Darkis a great example of a film that’s cultivated a cult following in the years since its release because of how underrated the project was at the time of its release. Its limited release and run also contributed to the poor performance.
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The Thing
In this prequel to John Carpenter’s 1982 horror film, a group of researchers in Antarctica discovers an alien buried in the ice. Upon bringing it back to their site to study it, the creature breaks free and starts killing the team members one by one before shapeshifting into them. Mary Elizabeth Winstead stars as Kate Lloyd, alongside Joel Edgerton (Carter), and Ulrich Thomsen (Dr. Sander Halvorson).
There was no reason to try and recreate the magic of John Carpenter’s 1982The Thing, and the unfortunate failure of the 2011 iteration proves this. Though it wasn’t theworst horror remake of all time,it hasn’t had the reappraisal that the 1982 film enjoyed.Taking on a remake of a film as synonymous with the story as Carpenter’s work is a risky move, andThe Thingcouldn’t carve out a unique niche for itself within the box office landscape.
It’s likely that most of the audiences who showed out to support the film were familiar with the 1982 iteration, as name recognition is a huge part of getting viewers into seats. While VFX has come a long way since the 1980s,the practical effects of the 1982The Thingare still far superior to the CGI used in the 2011 version.If anything, the effects that bring the creature to life in the 2011The Thingalienate the audience and make the film feel untethered from reality.
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After the success of the teen horror flick,I Know What You Did Last Summer, it makes sense that the studio wanted to capitalize on the interest from the original film. However, the sequel,I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, was as cumbersome and unnecessary as its title suggests.While the campy and silly elements were what madeI Know What You Did Last Summerso much fun, the sequel failed to capture any of this joy and was left with a hollow remake.
While there’s still plenty of love for the original, the sequel is overlooked for good reason.
ThoughJennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. returned for the sequel,their characters didn’t have much more to learn and had already finished growing after the first film. After spending a significant amount of money developing the project, the poor reception ended any chance of further installments hitting theaters during this time. While there’s still plenty of love for the original, the sequel is overlooked for good reason. Even with plenty of jumpscares, shock, and gore,I Still Know What You Did Last Summercouldn’t find an audience base.
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The Crow
The Crow (2024) is a dark and gritty reimagining of the original graphic novel. It follows Eric, who is resurrected from the dead to avenge his and his soulmate’s brutal murders. Armed with supernatural abilities, Eric seeks justice against the killers responsible, navigating through a corrupt city that is as much a character as he is. This adaptation introduces new elements to captivate the modern audience!
Remakes and sequels can either be smash hits at the box office and make lots of money for studios or be unfavorably compared to their predecessors and bomb financially. Unfortunately,The Crowcouldn’t live up to the high bar that the original 1994 film set,even though the creative choices behind the project worked effectively to make the 2024 movie feel like a different take on the story. While Bill Skarsgård and FKA Twigs did well in their respective roles, it wasn’t enough to save the movie.
It wasn’t in theaters for long, asthe film was released at the end of August and then pulled from theaters and made available on digital in mid-September.While this was a quick turnaround, it was a wise decision on the part of the studio to avoid losing any more money. Poor critical reception and the shadow of the first movie made it impossible forThe Crowto be a success, even though it could have become a fun spin on the superhero genre with supernatural thriller elements for the Halloween season.
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1Feardotcom (2002)
Worldwide box office: $18,902,015; Budget: $40,000,000
Feardotcomis very much of its time, as in 2002,the fear and anxiety surrounding the digital age and the increased prevalence of the internet were only increasing.The plot revolves around a detective investigating a series of deaths that are connected to a terrifying website. While this premise isn’t bad in and of itself,Feardotcomdidn’t live up to expectations. Not even making back half of its budget, it might be one of the worst-received horror movies of its time.
Feardotcomdidn’t manage to strike out into new territory for the horror genreor use its technological themes to connect to contemporary issues. It didn’t help thatFeardotcomwas a graphic and violent project that didn’t justify its grotesque imagery with strong messages or a compelling script. While some movies deserve to be reevaluated despite their poor performance,Feardotcomis better left behind in favor of more intriguing films that better understand the intersection of horror and the internet.
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