Movies that maximize profit from a smaller audience
 

Every now and then a movie comes out that doesn't necessarily set the box-office on fire but does well enough and then proceeds to make profit from the audience it has found. Basically, a movie that not only finds a following, but is pretty much guaranteed to sell the DVD to everyone who liked it including all of the super-dee-duper editions.
I would not include Star Wars or LOTR, as they have relatively large fanbases. I am referring to lesser known properties that one might wonder why they would greenlight, but in the end wind up being wise investments.

Some that spring to mind:
-Hellboy
-Just about any Coen Bros. movie
-Sin City; from what I have seen, it will turn a profit in the long run, just not immediately.

Woody Allen films. They consistantly pull in money despite their limited audience. Just enough to allow him to make one low-budget film a year.

Evil Dead films??

Donnie Darko
Boondock Saints

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2-15-05

Deep Throat

Any Kevin Smith film.

Wouldn't this be any cult film, by definition?

If not, then I'll say Uncle Nino...

any movie with all black actors like morris chestnut, gabrielle union, any rapper etc. They always sell well on DVD.

Kill Bill - not only was it split into two parts for two separate theatrical runs, but there is talk of additional DVD releases, most of which will of course be split up as well. I don't know if it's any indication of how they will sell, but some people in another thread say they will gladly buy every DVD version.

Also, there is money to be made from licensing for the toys, which usually is for more expensive films.

Hear ya there. From what I hear, QT is going to make each version different enough to merit buying all over as well. I'm hoping that before it's all over we get an edition with a collectible Bride figure sold with it.

Stoner movies tend to follow this trend. Some good examples would include:

Half Baked, Dazed and Confused, Stoned Age, and Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle.

No kidding. I think I first heard about this in the DVDTalk Friday Night chat back in early 2000 or 2001 and then ordered the Canadian DVD soon after that. Nobody I talked to on campus or at work had ever seen it or even heard of it before I showed it to them. Now, since the US release, everywhere I go -- at least in this line of work -- people are watching it or talking about it. On campus and now in the Army -- big hit with some sorts of folks. One of my bodies at AIT even had the "Veritas", "Aequitas" tattoos on his arms too. Still thinking about that one.

umm... not sure how you can make this assumption on this movie, it has not even been released. The basis of your thread is about movies that have been released.

But I would add Bad Boys to the list, a modest box-office draw for the first one, Killer DVD sales and then a big sequal...

I don't know, Bad Boys was a relatively moderate budget movie that made 140 million dollars worldwide. It wasn't a mega budget film...it only cost 25 maybe 30 million dollars. But it was considered a huge success, getting number 1 at the box office with a 15 million dollar opening (which was much more impresive in 1995) and the return of Bruckheimer Simpson, which was quickly followed by the successful Crimson Tide and Dangerous Minds. I'd venture to say they made more money theatrically with Bad Boys then Bad Boys 2 considering the sequels enormous budget and Smith's and otehr participants quite possibly profit percentage. Basically, Bad Boys 2 cost nearly 5 times as much, and made only about 70% more. Granted, profit isn't really what this thread is about, but considering inflation and such, I don't think Bad Boys 2 had that much of a larger audience, most of which can be attributed to the growth in starpower of its leads and director.

Honestly, I'm not even really sure what this thread is talking about. Movies don't maximize profits off of small audiences...but some films, with lower budgets, make their money off specific audiences or demographics. Basically, we're talking about every moderate to small budget film that makes decent money but isn't a blockbuster? We'd have to include pretty much 95% of every teen and horror movie ever made that was successful. Films like Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, all those MTV movies that Brian Robbins produces, pg-13 horror movies, hell most R rated horror movies, Tarantino movies, Rodriguez movies, Coen brother movies, Wes Anderson movies, PTA movies. We'd have to include basically every film that isn't a major blockbuster, because really even small dramas are targeting specific demographics. This is really a long list.