Movies that Tarnished the Careers of Prominent Directors
by HBSmith_Critic | created - 01 Apr 2021 | updated - 2 months ago | PublicPaul Verhoeven and John Frankenheimer are excluded due to having hits after their most tumultuous efforts (Showgirls and The Island of Dr. Morea respectively).
Klaus Badelt is excluded since he still composed numerous theatrical films throughout the 2000s and the 2010s despite the failure of 2004's Catwoman.
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1. Heaven's Gate (1980)
R | 219 min | Adventure, Drama, Western
During the Johnson County War in 1890 Wyoming, a sheriff born into wealth does his best to protect immigrant farmers from rich cattle interests.
Director: Michael Cimino | Stars: Kris Kristofferson, Christopher Walken, John Hurt, Sam Waterston
Votes: 17,160 | Gross: $3.48M
Michael Cimino
2. Maximum Overdrive (1986)
R | 98 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
A group of people try to survive when machines start to come alive and become homicidal.
Director: Stephen King | Stars: Emilio Estevez, Pat Hingle, Laura Harrington, Yeardley Smith
Votes: 35,874 | Gross: $7.43M
Stephen King
3. Ishtar (1987)
PG-13 | 107 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Two terrible lounge singers get booked to play a gig in a Moroccan hotel but somehow become pawns in an international power play between the C.I.A., the Emir of Ishtar, and the rebels trying to overthrow his regime.
Director: Elaine May | Stars: Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman, Isabelle Adjani, Charles Grodin
Votes: 12,035 | Gross: $14.38M
Elaine May
4. Super Mario Bros. (1993)
PG | 104 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
Two Brooklyn plumbers, Mario and Luigi, must travel to another dimension to rescue a princess from the evil dictator King Koopa and stop him from taking over the world.
Directors: Annabel Jankel, Rocky Morton | Stars: Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper, Samantha Mathis
Votes: 63,003 | Gross: $20.92M
Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel
5. Street Fighter (1994)
PG-13 | 102 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
In the midst of a civil war in South East Asia, a general intensifies the climate of violence by kidnapping 63 UN delegates. To free the hostages, a colonel leads a group of fighters, who will have to use all their skills to be successful.
Director: Steven E. de Souza | Stars: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Raul Julia, Ming-Na Wen, Damian Chapa
Votes: 75,323 | Gross: $33.42M
Steven E. de Souza
6. Nick of Time (1995)
R | 90 min | Action, Crime, Drama
An unimpressive, everyday man is forced into a situation where he is told to kill a politician to save his kidnapped daughter.
Director: John Badham | Stars: Johnny Depp, Christopher Walken, Courtney Chase, Charles S. Dutton
Votes: 45,180 | Gross: $8.17M
John Badham
7. Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995)
PG-13 | 88 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
Mel Brooks' parody of the classic vampire story and its famous film adaptations.
Director: Mel Brooks | Stars: Leslie Nielsen, Mel Brooks, Peter MacNicol, Steven Weber
Votes: 45,215 | Gross: $10.77M
Mel Brooks
8. The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996)
G | 96 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
One of puppet-maker Geppetto's creations comes magically to life. This puppet named Pinocchio has one major desire, to become a real boy someday, but he has to learn to act responsibly.
Director: Steve Barron | Stars: Martin Landau, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Geneviève Bujold, Udo Kier
Votes: 6,294 | Gross: $15.09M
Steve Barron
9. Battlefield Earth (2000)
PG-13 | 117 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
It's the year 3000 A.D., and the Earth is lost to the alien race of Psychlos. Humanity is enslaved by these gold-thirsty tyrants, who are unaware that their 'man-animals' are about to ignite the rebellion of a lifetime.
Director: Roger Christian | Stars: John Travolta, Forest Whitaker, Barry Pepper, Kim Coates
Votes: 83,121 | Gross: $21.47M
Roger Christian
10. Ghosts of Mars (2001)
R | 98 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
In 2176, a Martian police unit is sent to pick up a highly dangerous criminal at a remote mining post. Upon arrival, the cops find that the post has become a charnel house.
Director: John Carpenter | Stars: Natasha Henstridge, Ice Cube, Pam Grier, Jason Statham
Votes: 57,982 | Gross: $8.43M
John Carpenter
11. Rollerball (2002)
PG-13 | 98 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Sport
The big thing in 2005 is a violent sport which can have some pretty serious consequences... like dying.
Director: John McTiernan | Stars: Chris Klein, Jean Reno, LL Cool J, Rebecca Romijn
Votes: 29,689 | Gross: $18.99M
John McTiernan
12. The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)
PG-13 | 95 min | Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi
In the future, a man struggles to keep his lunar nightclub out of the hands of the Mafia.
Director: Ron Underwood | Stars: Eddie Murphy, Jay Mohr, Randy Quaid, Rosario Dawson
Votes: 27,008 | Gross: $4.42M
Ron Underwood
13. Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
PG-13 | 116 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
The Enterprise is diverted to the Romulan homeworld Romulus, supposedly because they want to negotiate a peace treaty. Captain Picard and his crew discover a serious threat to the Federation once Praetor Shinzon plans to attack Earth.
Director: Stuart Baird | Stars: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton
Votes: 83,951 | Gross: $43.25M
Stuart Baird
14. The Life of David Gale (2003)
R | 130 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A man against capital punishment is accused of murdering a fellow activist and is sent to death row.
Director: Alan Parker | Stars: Kevin Spacey, Kate Winslet, Laura Linney, Cleo King
Votes: 126,127 | Gross: $19.59M
Alan Parker
15. Gigli (2003)
R | 121 min | Comedy, Crime, Romance
Larry Gigli is assigned by a crime boss to kidnap the brother of a prominent district attorney. A beautiful woman known only as Ricki is sent to stay with him to make sure he doesn't mess up the job.
Director: Martin Brest | Stars: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bartha, Terry Camilleri
Votes: 50,729 | Gross: $6.07M
Martin Brest
16. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)
PG-13 | 110 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
In an alternate Victorian Age world, a group of famous contemporary fantasy, science fiction, and adventure characters team up on a secret mission.
Director: Stephen Norrington | Stars: Sean Connery, Stuart Townsend, Peta Wilson, Jason Flemyng
Votes: 184,022 | Gross: $66.47M
Stephen Norrington
17. Timeline (2003)
PG-13 | 116 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A group of archaeologists get embroiled in an adventure where they must travel back in time to 14th Century France, to save their professor before the French battle the English at Castlegard. If they fail, they won't be able to return.
Director: Richard Donner | Stars: Paul Walker, Gerard Butler, Billy Connolly, Frances O'Connor
Votes: 65,902 | Gross: $19.48M
Richard Donner
18. Paycheck (2003)
PG-13 | 119 min | Action, Mystery, Sci-Fi
What seemed like a breezy idea that would net an engineer millions of dollars ends up leaving him on the run for his life and trying to piece together why he's being chased.
Director: John Woo | Stars: Ben Affleck, Aaron Eckhart, Uma Thurman, Michael C. Hall
Votes: 113,303 | Gross: $53.79M
John Woo
19. Catwoman (2004)
PG-13 | 104 min | Action, Crime, Fantasy
A shy woman, endowed with the speed, reflexes, and senses of a cat, walks a thin line between criminal and hero, even as a detective doggedly pursues her, fascinated by both of her personas.
Director: Pitof | Stars: Halle Berry, Sharon Stone, Benjamin Bratt, Lambert Wilson
Votes: 125,833 | Gross: $40.20M
Pitof
Four Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Picture
20. Alexander (2004)
R | 175 min | Action, Biography, Drama
Alexander, the King of Macedonia and one of the greatest army leaders in the history of warfare, conquers much of the known world.
Director: Oliver Stone | Stars: Colin Farrell, Anthony Hopkins, Rosario Dawson, Angelina Jolie
Votes: 176,716 | Gross: $34.30M
Oliver Stone
21. Poseidon (2006)
PG-13 | 98 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
On New Year's Eve, the luxury ocean liner Poseidon capsizes after being swamped by a rogue wave. The survivors are left to fight for their lives as they attempt to escape the sinking ship.
Director: Wolfgang Petersen | Stars: Richard Dreyfuss, Kurt Russell, Emmy Rossum, Josh Lucas
Votes: 110,435 | Gross: $60.67M
Wolfgang Petersen
22. The Black Dahlia (2006)
R | 121 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Two policemen see their personal and professional lives fall apart in the wake of the "Black Dahlia" Elizabeth Short murder investigation.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Josh Hartnett, Aaron Eckhart, Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank
Votes: 77,044 | Gross: $22.52M
Brian De Palma
23. The Guardian (I) (2006)
PG-13 | 139 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A high school swim champion with a troubled past enrolls in the U.S. Coast Guard's "A" School, where legendary rescue swimmer Ben Randall teaches him some hard lessons about loss, love, and self-sacrifice.
Director: Andrew Davis | Stars: Kevin Costner, Ashton Kutcher, Sela Ward, Melissa Sagemiller
Votes: 98,052 | Gross: $55.01M
Andrew Davis
24. The Number 23 (2007)
R | 98 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Walter Sparrow becomes obsessed with a novel that he believes was written about him, as more and more similarities between himself and his literary alter ego seem to arise.
Director: Joel Schumacher | Stars: Jim Carrey, Virginia Madsen, Logan Lerman, Danny Huston
Votes: 212,696 | Gross: $35.19M
Joel Schumacher
25. Lucky You (2007)
PG-13 | 124 min | Drama, Romance, Sport
A hotshot poker player tries to win a tournament in Vegas, but is fighting a losing battle with his personal problems.
Director: Curtis Hanson | Stars: Eric Bana, Drew Barrymore, Robert Duvall, Phyllis Somerville
Votes: 21,182 | Gross: $5.76M
Curtis Hanson
26. Punisher: War Zone (2008)
R | 103 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Frank Castle, known as the Punisher, ruthlessly demolishes organized crime, but it starts an even bigger war.
Director: Lexi Alexander | Stars: Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Julie Benz, Doug Hutchison
Votes: 67,181 | Gross: $8.05M
Lexi Alexander
27. The City of Your Final Destination (2009)
PG-13 | 117 min | Drama, Romance
Omar wants to write an authorized biography on a dead writer and travels to a farm in Uruguay to meet the trustees - the writer's brother, widow and cute mistress/mother of his daughter.
Director: James Ivory | Stars: Omar Metwally, Anthony Hopkins, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Nicholas Blandullo
Votes: 3,238
James Ivory
28. Land of the Lost (2009)
PG-13 | 102 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A space-time vortex sucks scientist Rick Marshall, his assistant Holly and a survivalist Will into a world populated by dinosaurs and painfully slow creatures called Sleestaks.
Director: Brad Silberling | Stars: Will Ferrell, Danny McBride, Anna Friel, Jorma Taccone
Votes: 75,320 | Gross: $49.44M
Brad Silberling
29. The Box (I) (2009)
PG-13 | 115 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
With the press of a button, a wooden box bestows riches and death.
Director: Richard Kelly | Stars: Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella, James Rebhorn
Votes: 95,359 | Gross: $15.05M
Richard Kelly
30. Cop Out (2010)
R | 107 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
Jimmy's rare baseball card is robbed. Since it's his only hope to pay for his daughter's upcoming wedding, he recruits his cop partner Paul to track down the robber, a memorabilia-obsessed gangster.
Director: Kevin Smith | Stars: Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan, Juan Carlos Hernández, Cory Fernandez
Votes: 90,364 | Gross: $44.88M
Kevin Smith
31. Furry Vengeance (2010)
PG | 92 min | Comedy, Family
In the Oregon wilderness, a real-estate developer's new housing subdivision faces a unique group of protestors: local woodland creatures who don't want their homes disturbed.
Director: Roger Kumble | Stars: Brendan Fraser, Brooke Shields, Ricky Garcia, Eugene Cordero
Votes: 18,270 | Gross: $17.60M
Roger Kumble
32. Grown Ups 2 (2013)
PG-13 | 101 min | Comedy
After moving his family back to his hometown to be with his friends and their kids, Lenny finds out that between old bullies, new bullies, schizo bus drivers, drunk cops on skis, and four hundred costumed party crashers sometimes crazy follows you.
Director: Dennis Dugan | Stars: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade
Votes: 169,585 | Gross: $133.67M
Dennis Dugan
33. The Lone Ranger (2013)
PG-13 | 150 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Native American warrior Tonto recounts the untold tales that transformed John Reid, a man of the law, into a legend of justice.
Director: Gore Verbinski | Stars: Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, William Fichtner, Tom Wilkinson
Votes: 244,560 | Gross: $89.30M
Gore Verbinski
Gore Verbinski's 2017 film, A Cure for Wellness, was an attempted comeback, but received mixed reviews and failed commercially.
34. Killing Season (2013)
R | 91 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
Two veterans of the Bosnian War, one American, one Serbian, find their unlikely friendship tested when one of them reveals their true intentions.
Director: Mark Steven Johnson | Stars: Robert De Niro, John Travolta, Milo Ventimiglia, Liz Olin
Votes: 38,870 | Gross: $0.03M
Mark Steven Johnson
35. The Legend of Hercules (2014)
PG-13 | 99 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
The origin story of the mythical Greek hero. Betrayed by his stepfather, the King, and exiled and sold into slavery because of a forbidden love, Hercules must use his formidable powers to fight his way back to his rightful kingdom.
Director: Renny Harlin | Stars: Kellan Lutz, Gaia Weiss, Scott Adkins, Roxanne McKee
Votes: 56,219 | Gross: $18.85M
Renny Harlin
This film was the final nail in the coffin for his directing career in the United States after the critical and financial failures of Mindhunters and Exorcist: The Beginning (both released in 2004).
36. Transcendence (I) (2014)
PG-13 | 119 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
A scientist's drive for artificial intelligence takes on dangerous implications when his own consciousness is uploaded into one such program.
Director: Wally Pfister | Stars: Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy
Votes: 238,924 | Gross: $23.02M
Wally Pfister
37. Fantastic Four (2015)
PG-13 | 100 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Four young outsiders teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe which alters their physical form in shocking ways. The four must learn to harness their new abilities and work together to save Earth from a former friend turned enemy.
Director: Josh Trank | Stars: Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell
Votes: 176,658 | Gross: $56.12M
Josh Trank
38. Gods of Egypt (2016)
PG-13 | 127 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Mortal hero Bek teams with the god Horus in an alliance against Set, the merciless god of darkness, who has usurped Egypt's throne, plunging the once peaceful and prosperous empire into chaos and conflict.
Director: Alex Proyas | Stars: Brenton Thwaites, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Gerard Butler, Chadwick Boseman
Votes: 125,963 | Gross: $31.15M
Alex Proyas
39. Nine Lives (I) (2016)
PG | 87 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
A stuffy businessman finds himself trapped inside the body of his family's cat.
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld | Stars: Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Garner, Robbie Amell, Cheryl Hines
Votes: 24,363 | Gross: $19.64M
Barry Sonnenfeld
40. Justice League (2017)
PG-13 | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman's selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his new-found ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy.
Director: Zack Snyder | Stars: Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller
Votes: 478,788 | Gross: $229.02M
Joss Whedon
41. Show Dogs (2018)
PG | 92 min | Adventure, Comedy, Crime
Max, a macho, solitary Rottweiler police dog is ordered to go undercover as a primped show dog in a prestigious Dog Show, along with his human partner, to avert a disaster from happening.
Director: Raja Gosnell | Stars: Will Arnett, Ludacris, Natasha Lyonne, Stanley Tucci
Votes: 5,069 | Gross: $17.74M
Raja Gosnell
42. The Palace (2023)
100 min | Comedy, Drama
A drama set on New Year's Eve 1999 in a luxurious Swiss hotel where the lives of hotel workers and various guests get intertwined.
Director: Roman Polanski | Stars: Oliver Masucci, Fanny Ardant, John Cleese, Bronwyn James
Votes: 2,371
Roman Polanski
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