10 Worst Movies from Before They Were Famous
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VOICE OVER: Rudolph Strong
Before they became Hollywood icons, these actors starred in some truly awful movies. Join us as we explore the cringe-worthy early film roles of Jennifer Aniston, Denzel Washington, Tom Cruise, and more! You won't believe how far these stars have come. Our countdown includes Jennifer Aniston's "Leprechaun", Denzel Washington's "Carbon Copy", Tom Cruise's "Endless Love", and early roles for Scarlett Johansson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Hanks, Charlize Theron, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Leonardo DiCaprio! Which of these do you think were the most embarrassing? Share in the comments.
10 Worst Movies From Before They Were Famous
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at ten awful movies that starred actors who are now hugely successful.
You really never know who is going to become famous. This little horror film is about a violent leprechaun and cost $900,000 to make. It also starred a young actress named Jennifer Aniston, who at this point had done little more than some off-Broadway and failed TV shows. The very next year she was starring in “Friends”! Despite being a cult film, “Leprechaun” received bad reviews and has long been regarded as a joke. Indeed, later films in the franchise took on a more tongue-in-cheek approach, whereas this one plays the horror mostly straight. Or tries to. It doesn’t really succeed. Aniston took the job on “Friends” and never looked back at poor “Leprechaun,” even expressing disappointment in her involvement in the film.
We suppose everyone has to start somewhere, and this two-time Oscar winner started in a movie called “Carbon Copy.” Ever heard of it? Exactly. Washington plays a teenager named Roger Porter, who meets and tries connecting with his estranged white father. The movie’s attempts to address racial dynamics are clumsy, relying heavily on stereotypes and broad humor. It was grossly outdated, even by the standards of its day. In fact, some may call it racist. Or, if we’re being generous, politically incorrect. It also has an inconsistent tone, struggles with its own social commentary, and lacks any sort of depth or nuance. It’s amazing that Washington’s career survived this.
Many people think that “The Outsiders” was Tom Cruise’s first movie. No no no. We wish it was. No, let us tell you about a movie called “Endless Love.” You probably know the classic song that was made for the film, but probably not the movie itself, which garnered six Razzie nominations. Accomplished actors like Shirley Knight and James Spader struggle with the poorly-written material, and Brooke Shields gives a very weak star performance as Jade Butterfield. Franco Zeffirelli also proved a poor director for the material, dialing up the melodrama to excessive levels. He also majorly missed the whole point of the novel, which author Scott Spencer has made abundantly clear. Luckily, Cruise’s role was quite small, so he avoided much of the backlash.
This movie is quite famous for two reasons - Roger Ebert’s legendary review of it, and a young Elijah Wood. Wood was already quite established by this time, having already starred in a number of popular films, but who wasn’t established was nine-year-old Scarlett Johansson. Her role as Laura Nelson is quite small, but “North” is not the kind of movie you want to have as your debut. The script is terrible, with incoherent plotting and appalling cultural stereotypes as its main source of humor. And director Rob Reiner is wildly off his game, resulting in a slew of awful performances from established actors like Bruce Willis and Kathy Bates. When Kathy freaking Bates gets a Razzie nomination, you know something has gone horribly wrong…
Long before he was Conan the Barbarian, Arnold Schwarzenegger was Hercules. Makes sense. By this time, Schwarzenegger was an established bodybuilder. In fact, this movie was released in 1970, the same year that he was named Mr. Olympia for the first of seven times. He was also credited as “Arnold Strong Mr. Universe,” a testament to his bodybuilding fame. But yeah, this movie sucks. The production values are awful and the dialogue is ridiculous. And while we hate to say it, Schwarzenegger himself is also dreadful, his lack of screen experience being glaringly obvious. His dubbed voice certainly doesn’t help, either. Luckily, the bodybuilder would eventually find his niche in the movies.
We bet you didn’t know that Tom Hanks got his start in a cheap slasher movie! Yep, it’s called “He Knows You’re Alone,” and it’s about a killer who stalks soon-to-be-brides. It was released shortly after “Halloween,” and it is plainly obvious that it was hastily and cheaply thrown together to cash-in on the booming slasher craze. It’s completely lacking in originality and the direction leaves a lot to be desired, with atrocious pacing and an uninspired style. John Carpenter, this ain’t. The filmmaking is also dreadful, with horrific production values, obvious technical flaws, and boring kills. At least get that right!
The “Children of the Corn” series was never particularly good, but it reached a new low in 1995 with “Urban Harvest.” The third film in the franchise is notable for the debut of 20-year-old Charlize Theron, who had just moved to Los Angeles after training as a ballet dancer. Her role is very small, playing a follower of Eli Porter. Unfortunately, her first movie was not very good, full of unintentional comedy and cheap production values. Plus, it moves the action from rural cornfields to modern Chicago, and really, what’s the point? “Children of the Corn” is all about that creepy desolate atmosphere, and without it, it doesn’t have much to stand on.
This black comedy was the first big movie of Brad Pitt’s, as he had primarily done TV throughout the ‘80s. This is yet another cheap slasher, but coming at the tailend of the decade, when the genre was beginning to die. No pun intended. Some acknowledge the movie as one of those “so bad it’s good” things, and as such, it has developed a small cult following. But it’s not a well-made film by any means. The low production values result in cheap-looking sets, bad cinematography, and even poor special effects, which is a death knell for a slasher film. The acting is also quite subpar, and that sadly includes Pitt. Luckily, he would improve with time, if his Oscar is anything to go by.
Before 1988, George Clooney was mostly known for his brief tenure on “The Facts of Life,” playing a character named George Burnett. He then transitioned to film and landed a starring role in “Return of the Killer Tomatoes!” Like its famous predecessor, this is a small cult film, known for being a nice piece of B-movie schlock. It’s intentionally bad, with a ridiculous plot, cheesy props and costumes, and over-the-top acting. But even by its own drecky standards, “Return of the Killer Tomatoes!” misses more than it hits. It’s just not as funny or as memorable as it should be, especially given its absurd storyline.
It’s astounding that Leonardo DiCaprio got his start in “Critters 3.” Talk about coming a long way. Most people remember a young Leo from “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” but this movie was released two years earlier, when he was just seventeen years old. The first “Critters” was a surprisingly solid film, a fun little “Gremlins[a]”-esque romp. But the franchise saw diminishing returns, and by “Critters 3” most of the fun had vanished. Unlike its predecessors, this was a rather poorly-made flick, with a weak screenplay, cheap production values, and an overreliance on campy humor, which alienated fans of the more horror-centric original. Still, for movie historians and Leo aficionados, it’s quite the curiosity.
Have you seen any of these movies? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below!
[a]8:17
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at ten awful movies that starred actors who are now hugely successful.
“Leprechaun” (1993)
Jennifer AnistonYou really never know who is going to become famous. This little horror film is about a violent leprechaun and cost $900,000 to make. It also starred a young actress named Jennifer Aniston, who at this point had done little more than some off-Broadway and failed TV shows. The very next year she was starring in “Friends”! Despite being a cult film, “Leprechaun” received bad reviews and has long been regarded as a joke. Indeed, later films in the franchise took on a more tongue-in-cheek approach, whereas this one plays the horror mostly straight. Or tries to. It doesn’t really succeed. Aniston took the job on “Friends” and never looked back at poor “Leprechaun,” even expressing disappointment in her involvement in the film.
“Carbon Copy” (1981)
Denzel WashingtonWe suppose everyone has to start somewhere, and this two-time Oscar winner started in a movie called “Carbon Copy.” Ever heard of it? Exactly. Washington plays a teenager named Roger Porter, who meets and tries connecting with his estranged white father. The movie’s attempts to address racial dynamics are clumsy, relying heavily on stereotypes and broad humor. It was grossly outdated, even by the standards of its day. In fact, some may call it racist. Or, if we’re being generous, politically incorrect. It also has an inconsistent tone, struggles with its own social commentary, and lacks any sort of depth or nuance. It’s amazing that Washington’s career survived this.
“Endless Love” (1981)
Tom CruiseMany people think that “The Outsiders” was Tom Cruise’s first movie. No no no. We wish it was. No, let us tell you about a movie called “Endless Love.” You probably know the classic song that was made for the film, but probably not the movie itself, which garnered six Razzie nominations. Accomplished actors like Shirley Knight and James Spader struggle with the poorly-written material, and Brooke Shields gives a very weak star performance as Jade Butterfield. Franco Zeffirelli also proved a poor director for the material, dialing up the melodrama to excessive levels. He also majorly missed the whole point of the novel, which author Scott Spencer has made abundantly clear. Luckily, Cruise’s role was quite small, so he avoided much of the backlash.
“North” (1994)
Scarlett JohanssonThis movie is quite famous for two reasons - Roger Ebert’s legendary review of it, and a young Elijah Wood. Wood was already quite established by this time, having already starred in a number of popular films, but who wasn’t established was nine-year-old Scarlett Johansson. Her role as Laura Nelson is quite small, but “North” is not the kind of movie you want to have as your debut. The script is terrible, with incoherent plotting and appalling cultural stereotypes as its main source of humor. And director Rob Reiner is wildly off his game, resulting in a slew of awful performances from established actors like Bruce Willis and Kathy Bates. When Kathy freaking Bates gets a Razzie nomination, you know something has gone horribly wrong…
“Hercules in New York” (1970)
Arnold SchwarzeneggerLong before he was Conan the Barbarian, Arnold Schwarzenegger was Hercules. Makes sense. By this time, Schwarzenegger was an established bodybuilder. In fact, this movie was released in 1970, the same year that he was named Mr. Olympia for the first of seven times. He was also credited as “Arnold Strong Mr. Universe,” a testament to his bodybuilding fame. But yeah, this movie sucks. The production values are awful and the dialogue is ridiculous. And while we hate to say it, Schwarzenegger himself is also dreadful, his lack of screen experience being glaringly obvious. His dubbed voice certainly doesn’t help, either. Luckily, the bodybuilder would eventually find his niche in the movies.
“He Knows You’re Alone” (1980)
Tom HanksWe bet you didn’t know that Tom Hanks got his start in a cheap slasher movie! Yep, it’s called “He Knows You’re Alone,” and it’s about a killer who stalks soon-to-be-brides. It was released shortly after “Halloween,” and it is plainly obvious that it was hastily and cheaply thrown together to cash-in on the booming slasher craze. It’s completely lacking in originality and the direction leaves a lot to be desired, with atrocious pacing and an uninspired style. John Carpenter, this ain’t. The filmmaking is also dreadful, with horrific production values, obvious technical flaws, and boring kills. At least get that right!
“Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest” (1995)
Charlize TheronThe “Children of the Corn” series was never particularly good, but it reached a new low in 1995 with “Urban Harvest.” The third film in the franchise is notable for the debut of 20-year-old Charlize Theron, who had just moved to Los Angeles after training as a ballet dancer. Her role is very small, playing a follower of Eli Porter. Unfortunately, her first movie was not very good, full of unintentional comedy and cheap production values. Plus, it moves the action from rural cornfields to modern Chicago, and really, what’s the point? “Children of the Corn” is all about that creepy desolate atmosphere, and without it, it doesn’t have much to stand on.
“Cutting Class” (1989)
Brad PittThis black comedy was the first big movie of Brad Pitt’s, as he had primarily done TV throughout the ‘80s. This is yet another cheap slasher, but coming at the tailend of the decade, when the genre was beginning to die. No pun intended. Some acknowledge the movie as one of those “so bad it’s good” things, and as such, it has developed a small cult following. But it’s not a well-made film by any means. The low production values result in cheap-looking sets, bad cinematography, and even poor special effects, which is a death knell for a slasher film. The acting is also quite subpar, and that sadly includes Pitt. Luckily, he would improve with time, if his Oscar is anything to go by.
“Return of the Killer Tomatoes!” (1988)
George ClooneyBefore 1988, George Clooney was mostly known for his brief tenure on “The Facts of Life,” playing a character named George Burnett. He then transitioned to film and landed a starring role in “Return of the Killer Tomatoes!” Like its famous predecessor, this is a small cult film, known for being a nice piece of B-movie schlock. It’s intentionally bad, with a ridiculous plot, cheesy props and costumes, and over-the-top acting. But even by its own drecky standards, “Return of the Killer Tomatoes!” misses more than it hits. It’s just not as funny or as memorable as it should be, especially given its absurd storyline.
“Critters 3” (1991)
Leonardo DiCaprioIt’s astounding that Leonardo DiCaprio got his start in “Critters 3.” Talk about coming a long way. Most people remember a young Leo from “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” but this movie was released two years earlier, when he was just seventeen years old. The first “Critters” was a surprisingly solid film, a fun little “Gremlins[a]”-esque romp. But the franchise saw diminishing returns, and by “Critters 3” most of the fun had vanished. Unlike its predecessors, this was a rather poorly-made flick, with a weak screenplay, cheap production values, and an overreliance on campy humor, which alienated fans of the more horror-centric original. Still, for movie historians and Leo aficionados, it’s quite the curiosity.
Have you seen any of these movies? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below!
[a]8:17
