13 Horror Movies That Bombed at the Box Office but Became Classics After Home Video Release

Grindhouse (Planet Terror/Death Proof)

Planet Terror Synopsis: After an experimental bio-nerve gas is accidentally released at a remote U.S. military base in Texas, those exposed to the gas turn into flesh-eating, mutating zombies out to kill. An assortment of various people who include stripper Cherry, her shady mechanic ex-boyfriend Wray, a strong-willed doctor, the local sheriff, and an assortment of various people must join forces to survive the night as the so-called “sickos” threaten to take over the whole town and the world.

Death Proof Synopsis: In Austin, Texas, the girlfriends Julia, Arlene and Shanna meet in a bar to drink, smoke and make out with their boyfriends before traveling alone to Lake LBJ to spend the weekend together. They meet the former Hollywood stuntman Mike, who takes Pam out in his “death-proof” stunt car. Fourteen months later, Mike turns up in Lebanon, Tennessee and chase Abernathy, Zoë and Kim, but these girls are tough and decide to pay-back the attack.

Domestic Box Office: $25 million

Budget: $67 million

Opening Weekend: #4

The Verdict: This was a tough sell for most consumers, as we’re no longer accustomed to double features. We’ve got some pretty thin attention spans these days, and it was a risky maneuver releasing two films together. It was so risky, in fact, that it blew up in Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s faces. The package deal flopped commercially, despite being a superb pair of films. But fans showed their appreciation once this one came home. The discs, combined have sold more than $40 million worth of units, which means, with box office tallies factored in, Grindhouse just about broke even. Realistically, it should have been an enormous success on the big screen, because both of these films are absolutely amazing.

Pumpkinhead

Synopsis: After a group of bikers accidentally murder a young boy named Billy Harley his father Ed harley is devastated and the only thing he wants is revenge and goes to an old woman who is said to be a witch and conjures a demonic creature known as pumpkin head and with Revenge on his Mind unleashes him upon the bikers.

Domestic Box Office: $4 million

Budget: Unknown

Opening Weekend: Unknown

The Verdict: We don’t know a few numbers related to this pic, but when you can’t sell more than $5 million in tickets at the box office, you probably failed to recover your budget. The film has been followed by a series of mediocre sequels, but the original, despite how grimy it may appear, was an awesome movie that birthed a memorable and beloved screen villain. In the decades since release Pumpkinhead has hit VHS, DVD and Blu-ray and all indicators are that the film sold well, reaching a market that perhaps wasn’t initially aimed for. Regardless, Pumpkinhead is a beloved film, and fans still chat the monstrous beast up today.

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