Today, May 28th, is a very special day in the annuls of video game cinema. Because it's the 20th anniversary of the live-action, big screen adaptation of Super Mario Bros.
The sci-fi/fantasy flick, one based upon what might be the most universally recognizable game franchises of them all, was a massive bomb among both critics and movie goers as well; it only earned half the amount of money it cost to make at the box office. The movie's production was also quite troubled.
In the end, many view it as the prototypical video game movie: a film that seemingly has little do with the source material, and its failure was entirely expected, even deserved.
But, give any bad movie enough time, and it will find an audience, who will find something to love and praise. As a result, it has become a cult favorite and is even screened across the country on a semi-regular basis. The most recent screening took place at the Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles, this past Friday night.
According to Destructoid, it was a huge production, with a Q&A with members of the production stuff, who even had promps from the movie on hand. But the biggest treat for fans was the following video message, recorded by one of the movie's star. By Luigi Mario himself, John Leguizamo:
As one tell, Leguizamo has fond memories of the movie, and is appreciative of the small yet fervent fanbase it has managed to acquire, albeit twenty years too late. Though don't ask the man who played Mario Mario what he thought of the film. In various interviews, he has claimed that it was unquestionably the worst movie making experience he's ever had in his professional career. Ouch.
By the way, and speaking strictly for myself, I actually kind of like the movie! If only because it's so unique. Sure it's nothing like the game, but it's also nothing like any other movie, really.
