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BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE Featurette

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Worst Hollywood Flop Of 2012

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We've talked about a lot of high-profile flops this year, some that made us sad and some that just made us laugh. But none of them came close to the spectacularly low box-office numbers of this horror flick, which earned less than $300 (no, that's not a typo) in its box-office run.

Playback is a small horror flick (with a budget estimated at only about $7.5 million) about an evil force that's able to possess its victims through video playback (sound familiar, Ring fans?) and threatens to reveal dark secrets in a Michigan town. It starred Christian Slater and co-starred the likes of Caprica's Alessandra Torresani. Despite a couple of semi-big names, the film grossed only $264 theatrically. Yes, you're still reading that right. No zeroes after that. Just three figures.

So why'd the flick tank so badly? Well, some of it has to do with a very limited box-office run. The film was only available in a single U.S. theater, for one week, and after earning $252 on opening weekend it took in only $12 more in the remaining days of its run (which might explain why that run was so short). Based on average U.S. ticket prices, The Daily Mail calculated that the movie was seen theatrically by only about 33 people.

That's a sad distinction to have, but at least Playback is now on DVD, where more people can spend a little money and make it seem less sad. Have you seen the flick? Were you one of the illustrious 33 to see it in its very limited theatrical run? Are you itching to watch it just to see if it deserved to earn so little money?

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Anonymous said…
Wow, $264 gross? Ouch! That's lower than my weekly earnings playing Retro bowl ! Seriously though, beyond limited release, I suspect poor marketing and word-of-mouth sealed Playback's fate. Christian Slater's name alone isn't enough anymore. Maybe a better concept executed with more budget could have helped?

August 14, 2025 at 2:07 AM
Mary Fairthorne said…
It's fascinating to see films bomb so spectacularly. You almost wonder if they should have just skipped theaters and released it directly to streaming. Maybe they could have salvaged some interest with a clever online campaign, similar to the tactics used by some mobile games. It is similar when you are playing 8 ball pool , the game is still good, but no one cares about it.
January 28, 2026 at 6:58 PM
Tyler Dobson said…
It's interesting how some games, like "Drive Mad," really succeed online without a huge marketing push. They just get picked up because they're fun and shareable. It makes you think that sometimes, a genuine connection with players, even for a simple concept, is more effective than a massive, expensive launch.
June 15, 2026 at 9:31 PM
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