Top 10 WORST Holiday Cash Grab Movies
Movies that sacrificed everything from production value to even having a decent story just to get rich quick out of people wanting to see a holiday themed movie. WatchMojo presents the Top 10 Worst Holiday Cash Grab Movies. But what will take the top spot on our list? The recent Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, or New Year's Eve? Watch to find out!
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Special Holiday thanks to MattW128 for suggesting this idea, and to see how WatchMojo users voted check out the suggest page here: http://WatchMojo.comsuggest/Top+10+Holiday+Cash+Grab+Movies
#10: “Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers” (1995)
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In the horror genre, sequels and subsequent installments can be quite lucrative. Yet some franchises don’t quite age well. Years before Joe Chappelle directed six episodes of HBO’s acclaimed series “The Wire,” he stepped behind the camera for the SIXTH installment of the Halloween franchise, which also happens to star a young Paul Rudd. The screenplay was actually revised several times over, and the film ultimately tripled its 5 million dollar budget in box office returns. Even so, critics responded negatively to the narrative, as “The Curse of Michael Myers” didn’t suffer from Celtic traditions like its antagonist, but rather a case of subpar filmmaking.
#9: “Christmas Eve” (2015)
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So, here’s a holiday film that was actually produced by American talk show host Larry King. Unfortunately for him, the entire world reacted negatively to “Christmas Eve,” at least according to the 0 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating – which is obviously rock bottom. On paper, a screenplay featuring numerous elevators may not seem appealing, but director Mitch Davis pushed forward with the Big Apple ensemble movie anyways. Sure, it’s got Patrick Stewart and Jon Heder in lead roles, but then again, it’s got Patrick Stewart and Jon Heder in lead roles – not quite the ideal duo. But like many holiday films, “Christmas Eve” reminds that humans do indeed have emotions, so there is some value despite the overall awfulness.
#8: “Surviving Christmas” (2004)
It’s really important for a movie to be describable in one short, punchy sentence. For this DreamWorks cash grab, the producers decided on this: “A lonely, obnoxious young millionaire pays a family to spend Christmas with him.” Sure, Ben Affleck can draw in a few viewers, but there’s only so much he can do with a questionable holiday script. And so, “Surviving Christmas” bombed miserably at the box office. Then again, it might have done better had it actually been released during Christmastime rather than Halloween.
#7: “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause” (2006)
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If you weren’t moved by the first two installments of “The Santa Clause,” chances are this cash grab didn’t quite tickle your fancy either. One critic actually described Martin Short’s performance as “an evil cross between Liza Minnelli and Liberace,” yet the film actually outperformed its 12 million dollar budget several times over. Why, you may ask? Well, because the holiday cash grab idea works sometimes, and certainly because of the success of the first two flicks. Even so, when all was said and done, “The Escape Clause” received numerous nominations at the Golden Raspberry Awards, most notably for “Worst Excuse for Family Entertainment.”
#6: “Jack Frost” (1998)
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The holiday season can be an emotional time, especially when your late husband returns as a plump snowman. Honestly, we wouldn’t blame you if you had categorized this Michael Keaton flick as a horror, considering that explanation of the plot. But “Jack Frost” is indeed a (supposedly) heartwarming family Christmas film about a wannabe rock star who dies in a car crash on his way to spend Christmas with his family, and gets a second chance with his son when he comes back in the form of a snowman. Unsurprisingly, despite László Kovács’ brilliant cinematography and a Jim Henson Company snowman costume, “Jack Frost” bombed at the box office.
#5: “Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas” (1997)
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In this cash grab sequel, the titular beast trolls the holiday season like a big ol’ meanie. He’s obviously dealing with some unresolved issues - like being physically transformed during Christmastime - yet it’s a weak excuse for a direct-to-video follow-up. “The Enchanted Christmas” managed to rack up a few Annie Award nominations, which celebrate animation in film, but the movie is still yet another cash grabber that audiences didn’t respond to positively. In other words, the 0 percent Rotten Tomatoes score suggests that many moviewatchers hate this film more than the Beast hates Christmas.
#4: “A Madea Christmas” (2013)
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So, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying Tyler Perry’s films, but the guy has been known to pump out A LOT of them over the years. For his 17th production, Madea got into the holiday spirit, with the characterization leading to a Golden Raspberry victory for Worst… Actress. It’s a film that actually stars Larry the Cable Guy as a supporting actor, making “A Madea Christmas” both diverse and problematic. Then again, diversity often trumps narrative structure when filmmakers need some quick dough. Sure, the film doubled its 25 million dollar budget, but it robbed poor moviegoers of the holiday spirit, too. Even so, Holiday Cash Grab Madea returned just a few years later for “Boo! A Madea Halloween,” which is indeed a real film.
#3: “Mother’s Day” (2016) For the most part, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston and Kate Hudson are all bankable leads. Yet most viewers like to see them overcome cutesy conflict in romantic comedies rather than cash grab holiday films. With all due respect to the late Garry Marshall, his final productions represent the epitome of cash grabs, featuring endearing ensemble casts struggling with first world dilemmas. Set in Atlanta, “Mother’s Day” lasts what seems to be a very lengthy two hours. Ok, maybe there are a few bright spots, but critic Richard Roeper summed it all up by noting that “nothing could have prepared us for the offensively stupid, shamelessly manipulative, ridiculously predictable and hopelessly dated crapfest that is Mother's Day.” Couldn’t have put it better ourselves.
#2: “Valentine’s Day” (2010)
Kicking off the unofficial cashgrab or “crapfest” trilogy, we’ve got a massive ensemble cast trying to be relatable for some Tinseltown romance. For this one, director Garry Marshall worked off a script written by “Army Wives” creator Katherine Fugate, with the flick featuring all the timely plot points that modern viewers expect. It’s not a completely terrible film like some of the others on our list, but the generic structure and plethora of characters just scream out “holiday cash grab.” Even so, “Valentine’s Day” made a couple hundred million dollars, making it perhaps the most successful American rip-off of the 2003 film “Love Actually.” Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “Home Alone: The Holiday Heist” (2012) “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” (1998) “Ernest Saves Christmas” (1988)
#1: “New Year’s Eve” (2011)
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Once a Hollywood cash grab film succeeds, it only makes sense to immediately produce a follow-up. Unfortunately for Garry Marshall, “New Year’s Eve” earned a grand total of five Golden Raspberry nominations, even if the film did serve its purpose. In other words, this New York City flick cashed in on the Times Square experience, more than doubling its budget in the process. But the problem is this: too many cooks in the kitchen - or too many celebrities, in this case. Even if the film was meant to be little more than a blatant cash grab, the formulaic concept makes it overwhelming and almost offensive, especially considering the quality holiday films we have to choose from. Do you agree with our list? Which film do you think is the most obvious holiday cash grab? For more cinematic Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
