Is The Curse Still Applicable?

[The Wormhole]

We all know the Star Trek movie curse. The even numbered movies are the more popular ones, and the odd numbered ones are the ones that fail. In the past there have been some folks who''l argue that they like some odd numbered movies better than some even numbered movies, but as far as statistics go, the even numbered perform better at the box office than the odd numbered.

That is until Nemesis, and even numbered movie which tanked at the box office, and is the first adn only Trek movie that didn't break even. Something that even the odd numbered movies managed to do. Even Trek V, which had held the record for lowest box office numbers.

So now we have Trek XI, an odd numbered movie. Does the fact that it's odd mean that it's doomed to failure? Or does Nemesis being an even numbered failure mean we'll get an odd numbered success? Or am I just being too superstitous?

Discuss.

 

[sbk1234]

I hate to say it, but you're being too superstitious. However, to play Devil's Advocate, suppose the curse is real. "Curses" in the past have faded out. Remember the Curse of the Bambino? How about the Presidential Curse? It died when Reagan didn't in office. So, if the curse is/was genuine, I think it's faded out. Not that I'm superstitious. (Knock on wood!)

 

[Stardate]

You are right that odd numbers movies are consider weaker then even ones.
But keep in mind Nemesis who is even numbered has record for lowest box office numbers and Star Trek the Motion Picture who is a odd number has record for highest box office numbers.
If you combined the 5 odd numbers movies you would see they make more money in the box office then even ones does.
However in quality the even numbered are far better with exception of Star Trek the Motion Picture
I do think the curse was broken with Nemesis so Star Trek XI start with a clean sheet.

 

[Ceridwen]

Something else to keep in mind is that they haven't been numbering these movies for the past ten years. Even if you believed in the curse (which I don't) it doesn't apply anymore, because none of the movies are being numbered (despite the name of this forum).

 

[Kegek]

I think TMP (odd numbered) was the best film, consider TSFS to be better than it has any right to be (odd numbered). I really dislike TVH (even numbered). I wasn't really buying the odd-even logic even before NEM (even numbered).

But it is true that films four and flms eight were the best preforming at the box office. But was this because they were films four and eight? Hell, does any other movie franchise have its fourth and eighth films as its biggest grossing products? I don't think that's true even of Godzilla or Bond, the longest running film franchises in history. Actually, Godzilla - the title-holder in this respect - its first and third films are the highest grossing.

Trust me, the film will succeed or fail on its own merits, not a mythical 'curse.'

 

[cardinal biggles]

^I think that adjusted for inflation, either Thunderball or You Only Live Twice (#4 and #5 respectively) was the highest grossing Bond film ever.

The curse worked on paper until Nemesis came along. Of course, perhaps Nemesis started a new curse... every fifth film will really, really suck.

 

[Turbo]

Kegek said:
I think TMP (odd numbered) was the best film, consider TSFS to be better than it has any right to be (odd numbered). I really dislike TVH (even numbered). I wasn't really buying the odd-even logic even before NEM (even numbered).

I'm not the only one who loves TSFS and doesn't like TVH! I don't think TMP is the best, but it's still good.

But it is true that films four and flms eight were the best preforming at the box office.

Yes, TVH and FC were the highest grossing films, at $102 and $92 million US, respectively.

TWOK is the best 'performing' film, as it had a net of more than $70 million, thanks to the $11 million budget. As much as some people here bash Harve Bennett and Nick Meyer, it's hard to ignore that they gave the bean counters 70 million reasons to continue the Trek franchise.

I believe that TMP ($82 million US gross) is the highest grossing film when adjusted for inflation. However, it wasn't the best performing because of the $45 million budget (which included Phase II).

Trust me, the film will succeed or fail on its own merits, not a mythical 'curse.'

Amen to that.

 

[Vulcanian]

Since ST:XI is a "reimagining" I think the curse is no longer applicable.

 

[number6]

I think the whole "even/odd" curse thing is overly simplistic. Each film had a degree of strengths and weaknesses.

 

[cardinal biggles]

Turbo said:
I believe that TMP ($82 million US gross) is the highest grossing film when adjusted for inflation. However, it wasn't the best performing because of the $45 million budget (which included Phase II).

TMP may have grossed more than is usually reported; according to phineasbg (was he a poster here at some point?) on this site, TMP may have grossed as much as $125 million in the U.S., but it was reported as $82 because of differences in the way Variety reported the box office totals in 1979. At the moment, his site seems to have exceeded its bandwidth limit, so I don't remember what he claimed his source was on this.

 

[DeafPoet]

I think Nemesis effectively torpedoed the curse. And obviously not for the better. Not that it really matters anyway; stuff like that is only good for fanboys to bitch about on message boards.

Clearly this film's place in history is going to be related to how well it's made and not where it falls in the sequence of Trek movies released.

 

[Woulfe]

The Curse was last seen infecting other franchices....
" The Matrix " for starters....

- W -
* It's True *

 

[PowderedToastMan]

just a note on grosses...here is a chart of ticket sales (based on BOM data - dom. gross/avg. ticket price for that year)

IV, VI and VIII sold more then the preceeding film, but TMP still has sold the most tickets and Generations outsold STVI. The II, IV, VI, VIII thing is really more to do with fan perception...and not all fans.

In my view the only real 'stinkers' in Trek are V and INS. Although NEM is the only real 'bomb' I actually thought it was the second best TNG film (I may be alone in that view though)

so no..there is no curse, never was....so the question is moot

 

[Opus]

The "curse" is BS.

TMP is the most financially successful Trek film to date. TSFS was very successful as well and one of 1984's top ten films that year. OTOH, NEM was a stinker, the worst BO of any Trek film of the franchise, and was an "even numbered film".

IMO, there are more plausible conspiracy theories to wrap ones tinfoil hat around.

 

[PowderedToastMan]

OphaClyde said:


TMP is the most financially successful Trek film to date.

well this is clearly false. Yes it had the highest adjusted gross, but also the highest adjusted costs. Paramount did not view the film as a success and the performance of the film essentially set the destiny for the rest of the franchise to move into the 'middle ground' for films and out of the blockbuster category. It is well documented that Paramount were not happy with TMP...as evidenced by them buying out Roddenberry and marginalizing him to hand things over to Bennett and Meyer (and later Nimoy)

The most financially successful film is likely STIV once all revenue streams and costs are factored in (or possibly II).

Certainly the II-III-IV period in the 80s is when Trek was riding highest in the minds of paramount regarding the film franchise...and convinced them to bring it back to TV.

 

[ChristopherPike]

PowderedToastMan said: In my view the only real 'stinkers' in Trek are V and INS. Although NEM is the only real 'bomb' I actually thought it was the second best TNG film (I may be alone in that view though)

By no means. I'd also take Nemesis over Insurrection. But that's not saying much. Generations failed to live up to the hype of a crossover film. TNG pretty much sold out on the big screen, ditching the thoughtful and intentionally humourous style from the show in favour of stringing a handful of action set pieces together.

 

[Kokomo]

ChristopherPike said:

PowderedToastMan said: In my view the only real 'stinkers' in Trek are V and INS. Although NEM is the only real 'bomb' I actually thought it was the second best TNG film (I may be alone in that view though)

By no means. I'd also take Nemesis over Insurrection. But that's not saying much. Generations failed to live up to the hype of a crossover film. TNG pretty much sold out on the big screen, ditching the thoughtful and intentionally humourous style from the show in favour of stringing a handful of action set pieces together.

Count me in also! Next to First Contact, I thought that Nemesis was the second best TNG film. INS didn't do anything for me and Generations seemed like a really loooong episode to me.

 

[seigezunt]

I think the curse only applied to the original cast, 1-6. As far as I can tell, it was followed by a curse of which all Trek films with an odd or even number would suck. With an completely new cast, let's wait and see (I should have that in my sig, I say it so much)

 

[Opus]

Do not forget that nearly 20 million of TMP's budget was due to Star Trek: Phase II's development for TV that never happened.

 

[GreenBlood]

With the power invested in me,
I hereby denounce said curse and declare all future Trek films hits.
<touches nearest movie theatre with magic wand>