It’s a good thing director Robert Rodriguez works cheap.
Rodriguez, the auteur who famously made his first film for only $7,000, needed $20 million to foist “Machete” on the masses.
But the film tanked in its second weekend, dropping 63 percent to come in fourth on the box office tally sheet.
The big question is – why?
Critics generally dug the film, lavishing a 72 percent “Fresh” rating on it over at Rottentomatoes.com.
And the anecdotes I’ve gathered both on the web and from my social circle showed support for the film itself.
So what went wrong?
The film’s politics are as one-sided as any Michael Moore film, casting opponents of illegal immigration as monsters to be shunned, shot or both. The film’s B-movie attitude made such platitudes easier to swallow than your standard one-sided documentary, but it still cast a good chunk of the country in an unflattering light.
That had to hurt on some level, something the film’s key players acknowledged through omission.
But I suspect the main culprit is Geek Nation. The film’s biggest audience came from those who grooved on the “Machete” faux trailer in the “Grindhouse” double feature three years ago – and Rodriguez’s small but loyal following. That demo rushed out to see it during week one and were on to the next genre film this weekend – “Resident Evil: Afterlife.”
The same Geek Nation failed to support “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” and showed precious little love for “Piranha 3D.” Geeks may rule Comic Con, but they’re still not a big enough group to make niche films into blockbusters – a lesson we first learned during the “Snakes on a Plane” debacle.
Conservatives will point to “Machete’s” rapid descent as cause for celebration. This critic thinks its fall has more to do with the genre’s limitations than politics as usual.
Related posts:
on 
on 
{ 43 comments… read them below or add one }
lavishing a 72 percent “Fresh” rating
Based on past experience, I’d say that’s about eight percent under what your average left slanted, halfway watchable movie gets on the Tomatometer.
Or it could be it was a lousy idea to begin with.
Normally a trailer includes a completed story’s best shots. This project worked the other way around. Which meant from the moment they started typing the first words of the screen play, they were already hemmed in to what they could do.
A pretty narrow creative window if you ask me.
No mystery here, liberal bias doesn’t sell.
I agree that has something to do with it, but it is not the only factor. Politics I believe did play a part. I personally deprived the film of over $20 myself when I stopped two conservative friends from going to see it. My friends had only seen the ’sanitized’ misleading trailer so they saw “action movie with a steven seagal cameo”. When I enlightened them on the subject matter they thanked me for keeping them from wasting their money.
“But I suspect the main culprit is Geek Nation..failed to support it.”
Now that I think about it, you’re probably right. Their parents are feeling the economic pinch and told them they would have to start paying rent for the basement, so they can’t afford movies right now.
That’s one of the core problems with Hollywood today: there are so many execs & producers who love the same prurient, lurid, amoral, nihilistic dreck the ComiCon crowd does. Otherwise they would ignore them and their tastes just like they ignore conservatives and Christians who outnumber the Geek Nation 10 to 1.
I do believe the politics and the notion of anyone who dared to disagree with “LIBERAL PROGRESSIVES” (which most of the country by the way are not) was the reason this racist one sided film has failed. Good enough for me.
This film was hyped as being politically leftist. If the majority of moviegoers were leftist, the film would have done well. Guess what? This country is conservative, leaning right. The film flopped because leftist Hollywood refuses to make a film that people want to see. Leftist directors all want to “make a statement” instead of entertain. Well, those who prefer to be entertained are voting with their wallets.
It saddens me to hear the Geek Nation getting blamed for things. I saw “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” three times in theaters and I’m probably going to see Piranha 3D again. Hopefully the DVD sales of both will prove us Comicon goers as loyal fans.
Coincidentally I’m conservative and didn’t want to give Robert Rodriguez any money for Machete on his opening weekends. I will probably see it eventually though, I don’t doubt that.
I consider myself a quasi Geek, but my overall point is that films that speak to Geek Nation don’t always cross over to the public at large. Your avg. movie goer may not care about “Machete” like someone who visits Aintitcool.com, so the box office results suffer. These films, perhaps, should be seen through a different lens, financially speaking.
How about the fact that the movie just S****D!
Being a conservative who has worked within the “Geek Nation”, I think that the political narrative of the film played a large role in burying it.
When the “preview” for Machete first appeared in Grindhouse, many viewers (including myself at the time) felt that it would be a movie worth watching if made.
The “preview” portrayed Machete as a classic 70’s exploitation underdog story: the wronged protagonist who takes revenge on the bad guys who double-crossed him. When Rodriguez developed it into a full feature, he chose to place the issue of illegal immigration front and center of the narrative, which effectively (even if unintentionally) stifled the initial underdog narrative presented.
The fan base for Rodriguez’s films are more interested in violent good guy vs. bad guy fantasy tales, not political proselytizing. Case in point: Sin City, a film where audiences cheer as Marv enacts justice on those who murdered the only woman he loved and Bruce Willis applies “just desserts” to the “yellow bastard”. It appeals to a broader audience because the fantasy characters are clearly and simplistically delineated as good or evil, unlike reality where personalities tend to be more highly complex shades of grey.
Although political intrigue plays a pivotal role in Sin City’s tale, it stays apolitical and does not devolve into a heavy-handed message that bludgeons itself into the viewer’s psyche. Powers Booth’s character is never labeled with a “D” or “R”, for example.
In the case of Machete, the plot, story, pacing, and fun are all sacrificed in order to push an ideology. What could have been an entertaining film is crushed under its own sense of moral superiority and even moviegoers who could care less about the border debate walk away from this film knowing they have not been entertained.
You might want to try “spell check”. Which I, by the way used to write this critique.
That had to heart (HURT? instead of heart) on some level, something the film’s key players acknowledged through omission.
- Voted against Carter:
Fixed the typo you referenced. Thank you. This site is a one-person operation, and I do my best to proof the material posted here. But I don’t catch every glitch. I appreciate the heads up … and accept my apologies.
it’s never good business sense to deliberately offend half your potential audience
Jones, it’s not half their audience. Most Democrats line up with Republicans on almost every hot-button issue 70-30. So, they’re offending the vast majority of their audience! Which explains the inexorable decline in ticket sales in a nation that polls show over 80% prefer to see movies in a theater.
I think the majority of critics might be too quick to file this one next to Michael Moore, when it should take a prominent place among the South Park collection. I’ve seen most of what Rodriguez has put out there, so I knew it wouldn’t be completely one-sided. Some indications that his more nuanced hand were that the lead cop who teams with Machete is a conservative law-abiding, practical minded enforcer; an Hispanic worker (his status is implied) who is holding down a dishwashing job supports closing the border; the main villain (DeNiro) is so obviously a caricature who has no party affiliation, and is denigrated by both parties.
The bad guys, of course, are portrayed as neanderthal rednecks – an easy, and oft used target of the left. So typical. So yes, I agree. Politics did kill Machete, but it’s unfair to completely characterize this as a leftist screed a la Avatar.
Well, I have better things to spend 10 bucks on. I did not see grindhouse or what ever that move was either, Politics had nothing to do with it, Bombed because, well it was not a very good movie at least from the trailer I seen. In real life, Machete, or what ever they call that guy would have gotten two center mast and one in the forehead right quick.
Hollywood business model: make a niche movie for $53 million with a spoof trailer in. Movie tanks, loses over $25 million. So, what’s next for Mr. Rodriguez? Disneyland on discount tickets? No! Who cares about profits — Rodriguez is cool! Put up another $20 million to expand on a trailer that was more offensive and niche than the original flop.
Insanity. Anybody who says Hollywood only cares about making money isn’t paying attention.
Hey, comicbookartist;
Your pen name wouldn’t be Frank Forte of Asylum Studies, is it?
Excuse me, I meant Asylum STUDIOS. (God, I need new glasses and to stop typing in the dark).
If Mr. Rodriguez made a movie about an legal immigrant who served in the Marines, and died with honor that would be one thing. But the Hollywood Elite, and the Political Elite have no honor. Mr. Rodriguez cares more about his own race, then American’s off all colors. One of the more intresting reviews I’ve seen about Machete is Alex Jones on infowars.com It’s more about the script. But it gives you the general idea about the movie. He’s only color blind when he meets with Movie exec’s. What about Mexico’s immigration policy? Mexico is the nation that murders people who cross their souther border illegally, but RR makes Ameican’s out to be “Evil”. Where’s the “social justice”? No movie about NARCO drug lords who murder other hispanic people in Mexico, behead? etc.. Or the corrupt Mexican govenment that kills people from central american nations who cross it’s borders illegally? Brown on Brown violence that makes Machete look like cartoon network movie? Would Roberto like to make a movie about that crap? Instead of making his own nation look bad? Movie in with Hugo Chavez… find your inner Che…
The movie doesn’t have to have a (D) or an (R) both politcal parties use illegal immigrants. Dems for votes, Republicans for cheap labor.
Both parties are to blame, it would be great if someone did a movie about how both sell-out the Amiercan people…
A couple geek friends of mine (one leans center-left, the other center-right) went to see Machete the other night. Here’s the gist of my center-left friend’s reaction when he called me the next morning:
“I HATED HATED HATED HATED this movie!! Robert Rodriguez is officially on my s— list and, with the exception of a Sin City sequel with Frank Miller, I will never watch another one of his movies again. It pretty much demonizes anyone who doesn’t want to see every last illegal immigrant enter this country. I’m watching actors I like, like Robert de Niro and Jeff Fahey and I’m just sitting there like, ‘Really?’ I’ve never seen a more blatant, in-your-face political film and I can’t even begin to think of one from the conservative side. And the film is also a major c— tease. Lindsay Lohan… yeah, they used a body double.”
And he ended with, “If you want to see the film as a lark when it comes to Netflix… don’t.”
And this is from someone who leans more or less to the left. I don’t even want to know what my right-leaning friend (who’s also a former Marine) thought!
“Conservatives will point to “Machete’s” rapid descent as cause for celebration. This critic thinks its fall has more to do with the genre’s limitations than politics as usual.”
I don’t see the two as being mutually exclusive.
No, I didn’t see ‘Machete’ although I’ve watched and enjoyed every other film Rodriguez has made, and yes, the reason I refused (and will continue to refuse) to watch it is because of the politics. I made the mistake of ordering Mel Gibson’s ‘Edge of Darkness’ on On Demand last night,not knowing beforehand, of course, that underlying everything was a shadowy, proto-Truther conspiracy masterminded by an elected official with a Bill Buckley accent and an (R) after his name. Had I known, I wouldn’t have paid good money to watch it. I wouldn’t have watched it for free.
Conservatives typically shrug and say, ‘That’s Hollywood. What are you gonna do? You can’t boycott every movie they make with anti-conservative agitprop in it–which is about everything they make.’
My response? Yes, you can. Yes, I do. Yeah, it’s just me, but to me, it’s a matter of principle.
Mike B,
Afraid I’m not Frank Forte.
Although it’s like Penn & Teller’s magic bullet trick, even if you’re right I’d still have to say no (anonymity helps to keep me from loosing work in my field).
Tim Vigil’s got some great art for Zombie Terrors though…
“Did politics kill ‘Machete’ at the box office?”
.
Gee-whiz, ya think?
comicbookartist, will you marry me?
Loved your summation; spot-on.
Gem,
I’d be more than happy to take you up on your generous offer. Unfortunately, I’m already terminally married.
Thanks for the kind words, glad you liked it.
Oh, I see … if the film doesn’t do well (meaning “it doesn’t find an audience”), then you blame the audience.
That’s a pathetic argument.
My son, a liberal and Obama voter (not sure where he stands now, but he doesn’t rave on him like he used to), did not go see it even though it’s exactly the kind of flick he loves. He’s a big Tarantino fan and loved Grindhouse, but when I talked to him last night he didn’t appear at all interested in seeing it.
I mentioned the “racist” and “anti-American” issues with the film as a reason it didn’t do well, and while a year ago he would have argued with me on that, he barely addressed it this time, preferring to just say, “well, I don’t think that was the real problem with it” without explaining what the real problem was. He did mention that he wanted to see the other film coming out, Hobo with a Shotgun, although I had to tell him who Rutger Hauer was.
Manchops … I’m not blaming the audience. I’m looking at reality. A film like “Machete” doesn’t appeal to a broad spectrum of the audience, so it’s box office take will suffer because of it.
The movie was simply bad. Bad dialogue, bad camera shots, bad choreography and bad acting in most cases 9not good-bad acting like Black Dynamite). Add in a deceptive trailer and you have the makings of a crappy movie. When you have that much talent and even they can’t save the movie you know something is wrong.
The death blow was the sledge hammer of immigration.
I really got a kick out of “Planet Terror” as I thought it captured the spirit of the grindhouse movies, so when I heard “Machete” was coming out I was looking forward to it. Sadly, I’m also a middle-aged white guy who sees immense hypocrisy from Mexico pointing a finger of condemnation towards America. If I wanted to watch a movie that makes all caucasian males bad guys I’ll watch the awful Matrix sequels. Of all the faux trailers I would have preferred “Don’t” to have been made into a feature film.
[...] This critic thinks its fall has more to do with the genre’s limitations than politics as usual. [...]
Agree – yet I’ll also add that Rodriguez is an one trick poney – all his oevere is derivative, crude and inimaginative, and it doesn’t betray some still ripping talent somewhere, one day to amaze us.
Rodriguez promotion at Sundance was a liberal, affirmative action operation, and his further career is just the same -
Well, I saw (and liked) Grindhouse, I loved the Machete trailer in it, and when it comes to movie geekery, I’m there (Scott Pilgrim, Kick-Ass, etc). I was pumped when I heard Machete was going to be a real movie.
I have not seen it. I will not see it. Because I have heard what it is politically and socially. And I’m sure I’m not alone. So, yes, I think politics has A LOT to do with it.
Machete flunks, and The Expendables succeeds. Anti-Iraq movies bomb, a movie about Jesus getting the crap kicked out of him for humanity’s sake makes a billion dollars. People say Hollywood is just about making money. Nonsense. They deliberately lose money rather than court the majority of filmgoers, simply because they’re so stubbornly leftist.
A lot of Rodriguez’s fans were conservatives, who both liked his innovative adult action flicks, and his very good family-friendly Spy Kids movies. And he completely alienated us. Sorry, I just don’t buy the “geek” explanation. It may well have played a part in the flop, but I think a very large part of it was Rodriguez essentially flipping off the Right side of his audience. His movies aren’t going to be on any “Stuff (PC) White People Like” lists. I’d venture he had more paying fans among meat-and-potatoes right wingers than he did among lefties. Until now.
The only thing worse than a critic is another critic.
I’d say the movie failed because no one wanted to go see it. Duh.
Wait, Grindhouse was a financial disappointment so they made one of the trailers into a full movie and that also was a financial disappointment. Perhaps people aren’t willing to pay the theater prices for what would typically be straight to DVD type movie.
Machete could have been written where the main actor was fighting Mexican drug lords and fighting to make Mexico a better country.
But no. the evil people in this movie are the average Americans that want their borders controlled.
When will Hollywood learn you can’t insult your audience and expect them drop their hard-earned money in your lap.
Would some body please explain to me why do Mexicans want to take over the Southwestern part of America?
If California and Arizona became part of Mexico, then those areas would become just as impoverished as the rest of Mexico with a year.
The they would then have to cross the new border to get jobs.
Stop trying to bring Mexico to America, Start trying to bring a bit of America to Mexico.
There is nothing magical about the ground on the American side of the border.
Mexico can be just as prosperous as America if Mexico would change it’s culture of corruption and demand an end to lawlessness from top to bottom.
Kill all the drug lords, kill all the corrupt politicians and crooked cops.
Bringing all of Mexico’s problems to America won’t help Mexicans or Americans.
I guess I won’t offer marriage to comicbookartist, even though I loved his thoughtful summation, too. I think all of the things mentioned played a part in the downfall of this movie. It also never caught on anywhere in the blogosphere that I could see. I like the idea of the flick, just not what it grew into. I suspect that’s it’s biggest downfall. Probably will do fairly well on DVD sales.
The movie was very entertaining and it hit one of the most spoked about topics in american politics (imagration) Its not an oscar movie but never the less it is what it is, an entertaining piss take. The movie was good and the cast were wonderful. Machete is messy, violent, shallow, and tasteless — and that’s precisely the point of one of the summer’s most cartoonishly enjoyable films. Many good movies perform badly at the box office and many bad movies perform well…. What ever floats your boat.
Machete is messy, violent, shallow, and tasteless — and that’s precisely the point of one of the summer’s most cartoonishly enjoyable films.