25 Worst Movies Ever
15. Heaven’s Gate (1980)
This film nearly cost director Michael Cimino his career, and almost led to the demise of United Artists thanks to cost overruns and dismal press.
By the time the movie was released, Cimino had spent almost four times the film’s planned budget, an embarrassing investment considering that it grossed just over $3 million at the box office.
The Johnson County War provides the backdrop for the movie, and many of the character names were taken from real people who lived during the war. Despite this fact, the plot of the film bears little resemblance to actual events. Even worse, the few details that Cimino attempted to tie to the war were woefully inaccurate.
During the premiere of “Heaven’s Gate,” the audience became so bored that Cimino asked why none of the viewers even had the enthusiasm to drink the champagne. His publicist reportedly advised him that is was because they hated the movie. Critics bashed the movie, claiming that it was so dull it was like being forced to take “a four-hour tour of one’s own living room.”
