Top 10 Movie Flops From The 80s That Are LOVED Now

Fantasy is tricky to pull off, but one fantasy film that should have gotten more love is this one, directed by Matthew Robbins. “Dragonslayer” is set in a medieval fantasy kingdom that sacrifices a virgin by lottery to a ferocious dragon. It’s up to young wizard apprentice Galen and Valerian, a young girl disguised as a man, to end the dragon’s reign of terror. Although critics were impressed by the special effects and dark themes, audiences were not as enthused. In time, however, it became a cult film, proving that a really good sword-and-sorcery flick is always appreciated. Eventually.

It’s martial arts and John Carpenter. What else could you possibly need? This fantasy action film may have had a tough time at the box office, but “Big Trouble in Little China” is a wild adventure from start to finish. The film follows two friends, truck driver Jack Burton and Wang Chi as they descend into Chinatown’s underworld to rescue Wang Chi’s fiancée. There, they must contend with gangs, fierce warriors, and ancient curses. Although Carpenter was disappointed in the low box office reception and mixed reviews, “Big Trouble” eventually found new life on TV and home video. The result is a fun, quirky film with undoubtedly wuxia influences.

Sometimes great films can be ruined by poor editing. That’s the case with this Italian-American gangster film directed by Sergio Leone. The movie follows the rise of two Jewish American mobsters, David “Noodles” Aaronson and Maximilian “Max” Bercovicz. Based on a novel by Harry Grey, it is an epic tale of friendship, crime, love, and betrayal. While the original almost four-hour-long version that premiered at Cannes received raves, an edited-down two-hour-plus version released in regular theaters was a complete flop. Some of the violence proved so controversial these scenes were censored. But epics are epics, and Leone’s operatic “Once Upon a Time” proves that some stories need the extra length.

Disney’s failures are rarely this mind-boggling or this risky. Based on the novels by Lloyd Alexander, the film follows young Taran as he attempts to stop the evil Horned King from conquering the world by taking possession of the titular black cauldron, full of ancient magic. Taran succeeds with the help of his friends and Gurgi, a creature who sacrifices himself to defeat the cauldron. The film’s darkness and lurid scenes scared children when it came out, making this a hard sell to audiences. Still, the movie’s beautiful animation, as well as its rich and charming rendition of Welsh mythology, is a clear winner.

With Count Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster, and the Mummy teaming up, how did this film flop?! This horror comedy follows a group of kids as they try to stop Count Dracula and his fellow monsters from taking over the world. The kids eventually get their hands on a magical amulet, which opens a portal through which the monsters are safely cast into Limbo. Unfortunately, audiences felt the “Ghostbusters”-for-kids vibes were unwarranted, and it underperformed at the box office. In hindsight, however, the monster-versus-monster aspect of the film is loads of fun and is just as good as any 80s tween adventure.

We can see how this unique premise may have gotten lost in translation. “Highlander” follows Scottish Highlander Connor MacLeod, who discovers he is part of a race of immortals after surviving a deathly duel. Trained by Ramírez, a Spanish-Egyptian swordsman played by Sean Connery, MacLeod must fight against the Kurgan, a fellow immortal, in a gathering in New York City in 1985. While the film charmed European audiences, U.S. audiences found it incomprehensible due to its dense lore. Most people now praise “Highlander”’s excellent fight scenes, good performances, and epic score.

Step into this candy store. Before “Clueless” and “Mean Girls,” there was “Heathers.” This teen film follows Veronica Sawyer as she gets involved with a clique of mean girls, all named Heather. Unlike the cheery teen comedies of the time, “Heathers” is a dark take on high school, as Veronica’s quest for revenge against Heather Chandler ends in her death. What follows is even more black comedy as Veronica and her boyfriend-accomplice J.D. obtain a high body count. Perhaps all that blood and gore was too much for American audiences, for the film bombed at the box office. “Heathers” eventually found recognition and appreciation, even becoming adapted into a popular stage musical by the same name.

Yet another John Carpenter-directed misfire that proved to have staying power. It’s hard to believe this seminal sci-fi horror classic did so poorly with audiences and critics at the time. Based on a novella which had already been filmed in the 1950s, “The Thing” concerns a chameleon-like alien creature that wreaks havoc at a base in Antarctica. American pilot R.J. MacReady leads the hunt for this creature, eventually destroying both it and the station. “The Thing”’s dark themes and ambiguous ending were unfortunately not to audiences’ tastes. Having to compete with Steven Spielberg’s classic “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” was also tough. Today, it is considered one of the most influential horror films of all time. Now that’s no small thing.

Science fiction can be a tricky genre. Even so, “Blade Runner” may be the best sci-fi film to have bombed in the theaters. Directed by Ridley Scott, the film follows the titular “blade runner” Rick Deckard, whose job is to terminate replicants, humanoid androids gone rogue. A foundational cyberpunk work, “Blade Runner” delves into themes about the nature of humanity, morality, and dystopian bureaucracies. The film received mixed critical reviews for its slow pacing and lack of action, although its cinematography was praised. “Blade Runner” nevertheless won a slew of awards and is now considered one of the greatest films in its genre.

It doesn’t seem possible that such an arthouse dystopian film could have been conceived by Terry Gilliam of “Monty Python” fame. But he is indeed responsible for this satirical film about a bureaucratic, authoritarian government. The movie follows dissatisfied government employee Sam Lowry, who tries to escape his polluted, brutal future world through daydreams. A minor bureaucratic error sets off a chain of events that leads to Sam’s arrest. Interrogated unto insanity, Sam disappears into his pleasant fantasies, accompanied by the beautiful strains of Ary Barroso’s classic “Aquarela do Brasil.” Darkly funny and serious at turns, the film could not please general audiences with its downer ending. But Gillam’s vision of totalitarian reality versus idealistic fantasy is more relevant than ever.

Which other 80s box office bomb-turned-firework makes you want to soar the skies? Let us know in the comments down below!