Five Hollywood films that failed at the American box office, but became hits in the USSR

Some Hollywood films did not manage to get a good box office in the United States. But in the USSR, these films could become real hits. The inhabitants of the Soviet Union considered such a movie to be a kind of curiosity. Therefore, the cinemas during the screenings of Hollywood films were almost always full. About five films that did not pay off in Hollywood, but became hits in the USSR, said the publication Gust4Fun.

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At that time, films were bought according to two criteria: cost (only inexpensive films were purchased) and criticism of capitalist society.

Among the films that did not become popular in their homeland, there were many of these. As a result, they not only became famous in the Soviet Union, but also managed to become cult.

"Convoy" (1978)

In the American box office, this film was expected to be a complete fiasco, as in other Western countries. But in Soviet cinemas it was shown 7 years after the premiere, and the audience fell in love with it. Country performer Chris Christofferson played the main role in the film.

The film tells the story of truck drivers who have banded together against a local sheriff. He did not allow ordinary workers to work normally. The sheriff fined drivers even for minor offenses. The convoy of trucks became the convoy.

The main characters of the film traveled to the American states, where they organized protests. Their organization was constantly replenished with new drivers. Once the convoy stretched for several kilometers. The sheriff and the governor were under threat.

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Soviet viewers fell in love with this picture. More than 35 million tickets were sold to cinemas for it. Hollywood producers were amazed at the unexpected success of "Convoy" in the USSR.

"My enemy" (1985)

The director Wolfgang Petersen became the director of the beautiful science-fiction film. Its plot is based on the story of the same name, which was written by Barry Longyear. The leading roles in the film went to Luis Gosset and Dennis Quaid.

In terms of genre, this film is a humanistic fantasy. The film tells the story of an earthling pilot, Willis Davidge, who is attacked by an alien. The hero finds himself on an uninhabited planet, the alien is also saved. The Earthling's ship finds itself in a swamp. And in order to survive, the two enemies had to unite.

In the American box office, the film went very badly, and Soviet viewers went to the cinemas in droves. In the USSR, 25 million tickets were sold for the fantastic film "My Enemy". Later, the assessment of the film by the Americans has undergone changes. Today in the United States, he is ranked among the Hollywood classics.

King Kong Alive (1986)

The sequel to the famous "King Kong" starring Jessica Lange was not successful in its home country. In the United States, it was watched by only about 1 million viewers. In the movie King Kong Alive, you can see the young Linda Hamilton, who later became famous for her participation in The Terminator.

But the Soviet audience fell in love with a giant gorilla and a pretty blonde. In the USSR, 52 million tickets were sold for this film, which surpassed two previous hits at the box office.

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Today, only the coolest Hollywood films can have such fees. At that time, American producers sold the film "King Kong Alive" to the Soviet Union, one might say, for a penny.

Death Among Icebergs (1977)

In the mid-seventies, Steven Spielberg burst into the global film industry with his hit Jaws. After a while in the USA they began to forget the hit, but in the USSR they wanted to show it at home. But Hollywood producers asked for a huge amount for the film. Then the Ministry of Culture of the Soviet Union decided to purchase the film Death Among Icebergs in the United States, starring Charlotte Rampling and Richard Harris. The atmosphere and structure of this horror is similar to "Jaws", but the film tells not about a white shark, but about a killer whale, who avenged the death of representatives of its kind.

The Soviet audience liked the film very much. More than 33 million tickets were sold for the picture. In no other country in the world has the film been as popular as in the USSR. Most likely, there the audience managed to get a dose of adrenaline while watching "Jaws".

"Generals of the Sand Quarries" (1971)

The success of this film in the Soviet Union can be called the most textbook example of the popularity of a loss-making Hollywood film product in the USSR. The film was directed by Hall Barlett. It is based on the novel by Jorge Amadou.

The world audience did not really like this film, but 43,2 million tickets were sold in the USSR.

In the Soviet Union, the film was named "Best Foreign Film of the Year". The Soviet audience fell in love with the sad melody of the "March of the Fishermen" performed by the musicians of the "Accord". The main characters of the "Generals" were South American street children, whose fate worried the inhabitants of the USSR.

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