quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
For some reason it isn't easy to find a yearly list based on the most profitable return on investment.

It isn't really clear how to measure how profitable a film is, as the studios tend to keep their costs secret.

The production costs given are usually estimates only, they seem to have given up guessing for films like Avengers Infinity War. On top of that figure you have 'prints and advertising' which can cost anything up to $100 million for a blockbuster released in the USA.

Also the proportion of the ticket price(after tax) going between the Studios/distributors and the Cinema varies week by week, film by film, and county by country in most cases.

quote:

Originally posted by WOMBLE:

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
For some reason it isn't easy to find a yearly list based on the most profitable return on investment.

It isn't really clear how to measure how profitable a film is, as the studios tend to keep their costs secret.

Not forgetting the work done by the teams of 'creative' accountants employed by film companies (amongst others) to disguise the profits made in order to minimise the tax they have to pay out

Was "Rhapsody" expected to be a big hit ? Are there really alot of Queen fans out there ?

When they did "The Doors" film back in 1991 of Jim Morrison, it was NOT a hit. I just looked it up, and it was the 39th highest grossing film of that year.

quote:

Originally posted by Tommy C:
Was "Rhapsody" expected to be a big hit ? Are there really alot of Queen fans out there ?

When they did "The Doors" film back in 1991 of Jim Morrison, it was NOT a hit. I just looked it up, and it was the 39th highest grossing film of that year.

No, it was expected to do OK in the US, better in Europe. I think it was sold as more of a prestige movie for the studio, with the hope that Queen's music would carry it along. The initial reviews over here weren't especially great, but there were other factors that reviewers don't get, just like that comparison to the Doors movie.

The Doors music, although iconic, has been largely forgotten and rarely gets played anymore. It has been frozen in the style of its time. How many people can name another Doors song besides Light My Fire? Queen's music on the other hand has remained relevant and popular with continued use in movies, TV shows and lots of commercials. It is best known now for the rousing anthems, but I've liked most of the songs on any Queen album. I wouldn't even pick up a Doors record today.

And then there is the difference between Freddie Mercury and Jim Morrison, a flamboyant showman and a depressive addict. Need a say more on that. It also helps that the remaining original members of Queen are so supportive of Bohemian Rhapsody and its story. So the interest in this movie went beyond a small band of fans that liked Queen back in the day, but also to younger generations, both straight and LGBTQ.

The guy who plays Mercury is rumored to be the villain the next James Bond film, coming in 2020

quote:

Originally posted by Tommy C:
Was "Rhapsody" expected to be a big hit ? Are there really alot of Queen fans out there ?

When they did "The Doors" film back in 1991 of Jim Morrison, it was NOT a hit. I just looked it up, and it was the 39th highest grossing film of that year.

Queen were huge in Europe and asia

The Doors largely forgotten? That's a bit overstated. I can think of four other songs still on the radio ("Touch me," "Riders on the Storm," "People are Strange," "Roadhouse Blues"). I would say I hear "Light My Fire" not as often as three of those songs. You'd have to give them a little of a break in that The Doors were a 60's phenom and Queen was solidly a 70's group. When I listen to the radio in different parts of the country, I hear a lot less 60's stuff, less 70's music, with more 80's. In the 80's, 50's and early 60's music was considered oldies. A lot of stuff after the Beatles hit the US in '64 was lumped with 70's and new stuff because many artists spanned at least 10 years of that time. I used to hear maybe 20 Beatles songs regularly. Now, anything from the 60's and a lot of 70's stuff is "oldies." I hear hardly anything from the Beatles or their contemporaries. I hear almost nothing from "The Who" or "The Guess Who" and that stuff still fits with whatever 70's stuff is still being played.

Queen also got a little bit of a lift in the 90's from being in "Wayne's World." It reminded me of when Run DMC reworked "Walk This Way." It put Aerosmith back on the map for some people. The Doors had their own movie but I would say that has faded into the background of 90's films. You're right that Freddie Mercury is more of a sympathetic figure but some considered Jim Morrison to be a poet so his death wasn't any less tragic.

My brother still sings "Bicycle Race."

Jess

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:

quote:

Originally posted by Tommy C:
Was "Rhapsody" expected to be a big hit ? Are there really alot of Queen fans out there ?

When they did "The Doors" film back in 1991 of Jim Morrison, it was NOT a hit. I just looked it up, and it was the 39th highest grossing film of that year.

No, it was expected to do OK in the US, better in Europe. I think it was sold as more of a prestige movie for the studio, with the hope that Queen's music would carry it along. The initial reviews over here weren't especially great, but there were other factors that reviewers don't get, just like that comparison to the Doors movie.

The Doors music, although iconic, has been largely forgotten and rarely gets played anymore. It has been frozen in the style of its time. How many people can name another Doors song besides Light My Fire? Queen's music on the other hand has remained relevant and popular with continued use in movies, TV shows and lots of commercials. It is best known now for the rousing anthems, but I've liked most of the songs on any Queen album. I wouldn't even pick up a Doors record today.

And then there is the difference between Freddie Mercury and Jim Morrison, a flamboyant showman and a depressive addict. Need a say more on that. It also helps that the remaining original members of Queen are so supportive of Bohemian Rhapsody and its story. So the interest in this movie went beyond a small band of fans that liked Queen back in the day, but also to younger generations, both straight and LGBTQ.

In recent years different Queen songs have been used in commercials for Google Pixel, Amazon Music, Dodge Ram, Toyato, Walmart, Taco Bell, Carnival Cruise and any number of NFL and MLB spots, just to cite a few of the bigger names. Look it up, the list is endless. We Are the Champions and We Will Rock You alone are standard anthems at all kinds of sporting events now.

Queen's playlist can not even be compared to The Doors since they created totally different music, but if you were to compare current popularity, The Doors lose big time. Maybe not forgotten, but I haven't heard of any mass crowds spontaneously breaking out in a chorus of Riders on the Storm lately. Have you?

As for their deaths, the conversation was about the two movies, not which was more of a loss. You may not know that Mercury's passing is not part of Bohemian Rhapsody, which might help to explain why it is a more entertaining film than The Doors when it came out. Morrison may or may not have been a genius poet, but he lived a miserable life and dies in the movie. He was a depressed addict and that doesn't mean his death is any less tragic than someone else's, but it does make The Doors film less fun, even with the Doors' music, which also is not a lot of laughs either.

Anyway, point being, The Doors wasn't a hit because even back in 1991 people didn't like it. People seem to like Bohemian Rhapsody.

quote:

Originally posted by catskilleagle:
Queen was solidly a 70's Band .

[/QUOTE]

No, they had more hits in the 80's than the 70's. Yes Bohemian Rhapsody was a 70's hit but they had plenty more.

quote:

Originally posted by hammer:

quote:

Originally posted by catskilleagle:
Queen was solidly a 70's Band .

No, they had more hits in the 80's than the 70's. Yes Bohemian Rhapsody was a 70's hit but they had plenty more.

Especially true when you think of the main 'feature' of the Bohemian Rhapsody film which was their unforgettable performance at Live Aid...in 1985

quote:

Originally posted by Tommy C:
Was "Rhapsody" expected to be a big hit ? Are there really alot of Queen fans out there ?
...

Queen's Greatest Hits is the all time UK's best selling album, even now it occasionally sells enough to get into the Top 40. So I guess they could rely on the fans here to turn up to the cinemas.

I wasn't questioning the enormity of Queen as a music presence. Yeah, "We are the Champions" and "We Will Rock You" are played everywhere a game is played. You might not be old enough to remember that "Another One Bites the Dust" was a signature song for the Detroit Lions when they had some success in the early 80's. I was just reacting to the statement that The Doors were largely forgotten. I tried to get a crowd to sing "Riders on the Storm" at the mall but I was asked to leave and take my made-up song with me. Somebody has to give me that the song has a cool opening with the keyboard and the rain sample.

In your post you went from talking about the movie to a paragraph about the music and then about the deaths of Mercury and Morrison so I thought you had stopped talking about the movie. Yeah, you really can't compare the bands. I haven't listened to an album of either band (more of an Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Doobie Brothers fan) so I know them primarily from what's on the radio and the occasional interview. The movie, "The Doors" was a big deal at the time because Oliver Stone directed it and Val Kilmer starred in it (both around the height of their popularity). It was much talked about even if it didn't translate into big money at the box office. It likely did okay as a rental.

Yeah, if "Bohemian Rhapsody" was more of a celebration and "The Doors" was more of a look at a downward spiral, we can see why one movie was more popular than the other. I don't really know where The Doors stand in rock history (I'm actually not a huge fan) but they were a force in their time, several of their songs still play on the radio, and a two people on a trading card forum are still talking about them. I should add that "L.A. Woman" is another song that still plays on the local rock station though the playlist seems to be tilting more toward hard rock (45-60 year-olds still into Ozzy).

Jess

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
In recent years different Queen songs have been used in commercials for Google Pixel, Amazon Music, Dodge Ram, Toyato, Walmart, Taco Bell, Carnival Cruise and any number of NFL and MLB spots, just to cite a few of the bigger names. Look it up, the list is endless. We Are the Champions and We Will Rock You alone are standard anthems at all kinds of sporting events now.

Queen's playlist can not even be compared to The Doors since they created totally different music, but if you were to compare current popularity, The Doors lose big time. Maybe not forgotten, but I haven't heard of any mass crowds spontaneously breaking out in a chorus of Riders on the Storm lately. Have you?

As for their deaths, the conversation was about the two movies, not which was more of a loss. You may not know that Mercury's passing is not part of Bohemian Rhapsody, which might help to explain why it is a more entertaining film than The Doors when it came out. Morrison may or may not have been a genius poet, but he lived a miserable life and dies in the movie. He was a depressed addict and that doesn't mean his death is any less tragic than someone else's, but it does make The Doors film less fun, even with the Doors' music, which also is not a lot of laughs either.

Anyway, point being, The Doors wasn't a hit because even back in 1991 people didn't like it. People seem to like Bohemian Rhapsody.

I guess that depends on how you define a "hit" and where it was one as it is my understanding that Queen had more hits in the UK than here in the U.S. When I think about what has played and what still plays on the radio, I can recall several 70's songs (We Are the Champions, Somebody to Love, Bicycle Race, Bohemian Rhapsody, Killer Queen, Fat-Bottomed Girls, and We Will Rock You). I thought "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" was a 70's song but it was released in 1980, the same year as "Another One Bites the Dust" so those are both technically 80's songs. The only other 80's hit to me would be "Under Pressure" (and maybe the song from "Flash Gordon?").

You would have name more 80's hits because I can't think of any.

Jess

quote:

Originally posted by hammer:

quote:

Originally posted by catskilleagle:
Queen was solidly a 70's Band .

No, they had more hits in the 80's than the 70's. Yes Bohemian Rhapsody was a 70's hit but they had plenty more.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by catskilleagle:
Yeah, if "Bohemian Rhapsody" was more of a celebration and "The Doors" was more of a look at a downward spiral, we can see why one movie was more popular than the other.
Jess

I think that's it in a nutshell. Bohemian Rhapsody was made to entertain. Even with the authorized input of the other band members, the timing of certain events were rearranged, some facts overlooked and probably more than a few things glossed over. It all ends in a triumph and we know the rest of the story.

Since the film won Best Picture at the Globes, more criticism is being leveled at it for taking liberties with the truth. I think all biographies take liberties with the truth, depending on how the authors want to portray the subjects. Critics have no problem with the comedy-fiction of Vice, but want to fact check Bohemian Rhapsody for changing the sequence of events. As long as it tells a reasonably accurate story, what's so wrong with keeping it entertaining? Everybody wants to go out on a high note.

quote:

Originally posted by catskilleagle:
I guess that depends on how you define a "hit" and where it was one as it is my understanding that Queen had more hits in the UK than here in the U.S. When I think about what has played and what still plays on the radio, I can recall several 70's songs (We Are the Champions, Somebody to Love, Bicycle Race, Bohemian Rhapsody, Killer Queen, Fat-Bottomed Girls, and We Will Rock You). I thought "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" was a 70's song but it was released in 1980, the same year as "Another One Bites the Dust" so those are both technically 80's songs. The only other 80's hit to me would be "Under Pressure" (and maybe the song from "Flash Gordon?").

You would have name more 80's hits because I can't think of any.

Jess

quote:

Originally posted by hammer:

quote:

Originally posted by catskilleagle:
Queen was solidly a 70's Band .

No, they had more hits in the 80's than the 70's. Yes Bohemian Rhapsody was a 70's hit but they had plenty more.

Well, they did the soundtrack for 'Flash Gordon' in 1980, not just one single though that is all everyone ever remembers. Oh, and if you have ever seen Brian Blessed give a talk you get reminded of that film as he always says 'Gordon's Alive !' at some point during the interview/talk

In addition, they also did the soundtrack to the original 'Highlander' film in 1986 which included: 'It's a Kind of Magic', 'Who Wants to Live Forever', 'Princes of the Universe' and 'Hammer to Fall'.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by catskilleagle:
I tried to get a crowd to sing "Riders on the Storm" at the mall but I was asked to leave and take my made-up song with me. Somebody has to give me that the song has a cool opening with the keyboard and the rain sample.
Jess

Sorry, I just got that one. Dry humor is always over someone's head. I'll have to give you your props on the rain.

quote:

Originally posted by catskilleagle:
I guess that depends on how you define a "hit" and where it was one as it is my understanding that Queen had more hits in the UK than here in the U.S. When I think about what has played and what still plays on the radio, I can recall several 70's songs (We Are the Champions, Somebody to Love, Bicycle Race, Bohemian Rhapsody, Killer Queen, Fat-Bottomed Girls, and We Will Rock You). I thought "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" was a 70's song but it was released in 1980, the same year as "Another One Bites the Dust" so those are both technically 80's songs. The only other 80's hit to me would be "Under Pressure" (and maybe the song from "Flash Gordon?").

You would have name more 80's hits because I can't think of any.

Jess

quote:

Originally posted by hammer:

quote:

Originally posted by catskilleagle:
Queen was solidly a 70's Band .

No, they had more hits in the 80's than the 70's. Yes Bohemian Rhapsody was a 70's hit but they had plenty more.

[/QUOTE]

My point really is life isn't always about the USA, there is a whole world out there. Some big stars in the US I've never heard of or seen others huge in the rest of the world and not America. ABBA were one of the biggest bands in the world and made huge money but had little success in the states. Sometimes things can be successful without the USA

quote:

Originally posted by hammer:
ABBA were one of the biggest bands in the world and made huge money but had little success in the states. Sometimes things can be successful without the USA

You are quite correct, just look at those young men and women singing groups in Asia that are huge stars and I never heard of any of them. There is also the matter of language. English speaking countries get lumped into one group and non-English speaking countries get lumped into another. However what may be successful in the UK has no guarantee of success in the US and vice a versa. Cultures are different all over and attitudes are not universal.

But I'm not sure where ABBA fits in as a good example. Granted they were bigger in Europe and could pull in the concerts, but their songs are in English and they had considerable success in the US in their time. I saw Momma Mia on Broadway the year after it opened and I can assure you that there wasn't one song where the audience wasn't singing along. It ran on Broadway for something like 14 years. If their music isn't played much in the US anymore, it's because modern popular music has changed here, not because they weren't big at one time.

Do you know what, other that the fact that it was Mamma Mia - I really can't be bothered anymore.

"Aquaman" is now up to 305 M domestically, and if it can make about 14 M more, it will dethrone "Deadpool 2" and become the # 5 film of 2018.

"Solo" is still hanging on to the # 10 position. The "Venom" film needs only $250,000 more to knock it down to # 11, but can Venom do it ? Maybe not. Both movies are almost tied at 213 M and change.