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The 7 Best Credit Card Movies -- Films Made for Under $60,000

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Seriously Random Lists | Comments (36)

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Clerks

Budget: $22,000.
Box Office Gross: $3.1 million
Tomatometer: 86 percent

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In the Company of Men

Budget: $25,000
Box Office Gross: $2.8 million
Tomatometer: 88 percent

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The Blair Witch Project

Budget: $22,000.
Box Office Gross: $140 million
Tomatometer: 85 percent

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Primer

Budget: $7,000
Box Office Gross: $424,000
Tomatometer: 72 percent

PRIMER-poster.jpg

π

Budget: $60,000
Box Office Gross: $3.2 million
Tomatometer: 84 percent


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Following

Budget: $7,000
Box Office Gross: $48,000
Tomatometer: 80 percent

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The Brothers McMullen

Budget: $24,000
Box Office Gross: $10 million
Tomatometer: 91 Percent

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El Mariachi

Budget: $7,000
Box Office Gross: $2 million
Tomatometer: 92 percent

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Comments

Based on early hype I'm thinking "Paranormal Activity" will be added to this list soon.

Posted by: TylerDFC at September 25, 2009 2:04 PM

Wasn't the original Halloween (1978) film about $50,000?

Posted by: oskar at September 25, 2009 2:15 PM

I finally saw Pi this summer. It was AMAZING. Seriously. If you haven't seen it, DO IT.

Posted by: Anna von Beaverplatz at September 25, 2009 2:17 PM

The Brothers McMullen only grossed $10,000? That's surprisingly small. Surely a movie that good did a little better at the box office.

Posted by: Raleigh at September 25, 2009 2:22 PM

Lot of italics going on around here...feel like I'm reading a Dan Brown book

Posted by: Lillie at September 25, 2009 2:24 PM

I saw Primer recently and I still don't know what the hell I think of it.
It might need a second viewing, but I'm not sure I can take it.

Posted by: myysharona (formerly Sharon) at September 25, 2009 2:29 PM

HA!!! Lillie, you made me LOL at work. And I share an office!!

But I really just wanted to comment to try something.

I hope that worked.

Posted by: Jelinas at September 25, 2009 2:34 PM


myysharona,
It gets better with each viewing.

Posted by: Rykker at September 25, 2009 2:35 PM

I think I tried it, too, Jelinas, and it didn't.

Posted by: Rykker at September 25, 2009 2:37 PM

Crap, it didn't.

Oh, and I also wanted to say that I saw The Brothers McMullen for the first time last year, and I thought it was boring. Sorry, Sundance.

And, Raleigh, you're right: TBM made $10 million, not $10 thousand.

Posted by: Jelinas at September 25, 2009 2:39 PM

The Brothers McMullen spawned Edward Burns and all his "We're Irish Catholic and miserable" characters so the hell with that.

I love The Blair Witch Project, personally. Maybe because I watched it by myself late one night, but it really did scare the shit out of me.

Posted by: Brie at September 25, 2009 2:55 PM

"In the Company of Men" was one of the movies I was tring to think of for the "Best Debut Thread" yesterday, she thought. She thought this because obviusly she can't say anything out loud in this thread, what with the italics on and all.

Posted by: Three-nineteen-nineteen at September 25, 2009 3:01 PM

I don't mean to rag exclusively on Dustin today, but "The Blair Witch Project" sucked balls. It was technically well-done, I suppose, but as a movie, really unsatisfying.

You know a really good movie that was supposedly made for less than $300? "Tarnation," by Jonathan Caouette (2003). Replace "Blair Witch," with that, and I have no problem with this list.

Posted by: Slash at September 25, 2009 3:04 PM

She also thought: For how long has my name had an extra nineteen in it?

Posted by: Three-nineteen at September 25, 2009 3:04 PM

All week long, at least. (the extra nineteen)

Posted by: Rykker at September 25, 2009 3:09 PM

Good call with El Mariachi! I love the special feature on the DVD where they give tips on how to make movies cheaply

Posted by: b at September 25, 2009 3:10 PM

They fixed it!! YAY!!!!!

And, Three-nineteen, I thought that, too!! Well, while everything was italicized, anyway.

Posted by: Jelinas at September 25, 2009 3:11 PM

Wow, two spelling errors, incorrect name, and now the joke doesn't even work. Must be time to go home and start drinking.

Posted by: Three-nineteen at September 25, 2009 3:13 PM

It's been a lot of years since I've seen this movie, but shouldn't Hollywood Shuffle be getting a mention? Or maybe I'm wrong and it's either not as funny as I remember or wasn't made with Robert Townsend's credit cards...

Posted by: megbon at September 25, 2009 3:16 PM

Awesome that you mentioned "Pi!" My aunt (now ex-aunt) played Marcy!

Posted by: andewot at September 25, 2009 3:21 PM

megabon,

You beat me to Hollywood Shuffle. I don't remember the budget but I do remember he maxed out his (and others) credit cards to make the film.

It should be on the list for one reason above all others: zombie pimps.

"Where's... myyyy.....BITCHES!"

Posted by: ed newman at September 25, 2009 3:31 PM

Lot of italics going on around here...feel like I'm reading a Dan Brown book.

That's because the symbol for pi is... a secret symbol.... I've been tracking... it for years now... which is... really hard... with all of these... ellipses... in my way.... I don't even... know when my... own sentences... end... but enough... of that....

The symbol for pi... was created... thousands of years ago... by Gypsies... Catholics... or Homosexuals... whoever Dan Brown... want's to piss of this time.... The secret message they... wanted to pass on... was... that one day... all literature would die... and be replaced by... unbearable prose... pointless italics and elipses... Wurthering Heights references... and sparkling vampires....

They said... the only... cure... is to... STOP BUYING SHITTY DAN BROWN... AND STEPHANIE MEYER... BOOKS... OR WE WILL... ONE DAY... WRITE EVERYTHING... IN CAPS... ITALICS... AND... ELLIPSES... EVERY... OTHER... WORD....

Posted by: George at September 25, 2009 3:33 PM

Pi is a secret symbol? Silly me. I thought it was a letter of the Greek alphabet, which has been around for 3000 years. Using the symbol Pi for the circumference thing is only about 200 years old, but if I learned it in school it can hardly be a secret, or they would have killed me. Then again, I'm almost 200 years old so maybe they're killing me slowly.

Posted by: BWeaves at September 25, 2009 3:48 PM

Even if you don't like Blair Witch, it belongs on this list, since the entire conceit for the list is related to budget. Such a huge payoff for such a small investment makes its inclusion mandatory, since money is generally the driving force in what gets made and what gets seen. (That said, although these budget figures might be accurate, it should not go without saying that once these movies were made, some of them did have at least a little bit of an advertising budget behind them after they were picked up by distributors.)

Posted by: DarthCorleone at September 25, 2009 4:08 PM

Again w/ the youngsters and their lists from 10 years ago.
SLACKER, first movie mentioned in Vanity and other rags paid entirely by CC's. My history prof at the time was RL's uncle, used to brag about it all of the time, pre-release. Changed a generation of filmakers' attitudes on funding, to give it a go themselves, also made Austin a movie shoot location...

Posted by: Ted at September 25, 2009 4:27 PM

I don't remember if I told this story once before but a long time ago, before Mrs. Rubble44 to be was even on the horizon, I met this other woman at one of my birthday parties. We hit it off immediately and made plans to go out. The first date was going well but there was a catch. This young lady was of the Jewish faith. Being an Agnostic, I didn't care what faith she was, that was between her and her God. She said it wasn't going to interfere in any possible relationship that the two of us may have.

Flash forward three weeks. We have gone out four times and by my calculator, it's time to either move this thing forward or chunk it. However, we are having a great time together and seem to have a romantic chemistry. I think this thing might work.

the phone rings

She calls me and instead of meeting me somewhere to discuss things, says that she thinks I am the greatest thing since sliced bread and there's just one eeny weensy little thing I have to do to stay with her.....convert to Judiaism. I, of course, have no intention of doing such a thing for someone I met one month ago and say so. She says fine and nice to meet you. If she had said so from the beginning, I wouldn't get my hopes up and we could have just been friends.

Oh, one more thing....

She was going to have like 5-6 of her girlfriends over and needed a movie to watch to cheer them up. She loves my taste in movies and says what is a good film to make everyone happy. I say. "In The Company of Men". She rented it and watched it with her friends.

I wish I kept the phone message that she left me after that night. The mixture of shock and anger and a combination of curse words from every language (I think there was the Sanskrit word for fuck stick, but my Sanskrit is rusty). Apparently several of the women had gone through recent breakups where their men cheated on them and it made them all cry.

That is why, even though I may never watch it again. In The Company of Men will be one of my favorite films ever. I may go to Hell for that, but if you don't believe in it, how can it exist?

Posted by: Rubble44 at September 25, 2009 4:42 PM

The zombie pimps in Hollywood Shuffle is CLASSIC! That whole scene of "Sneakin' In The Movies" including "Dirty Larry" and "Invasion of the Street Pimps", "Black Acting School", fuck, that movie was FUNNY. I haven't seen it in at least 10 years, but I used to shit my pants laughing at that flick.

Posted by: John Denver's Wingman at September 25, 2009 5:09 PM

Okay, Rubble44 wins today's prize for "Best Thing I've Heard All Day."

Posted by: Jelinas at September 25, 2009 6:07 PM

It should be on the list for one reason above all others: zombie pimps.

Ahem....what about Winky Dinky Ho Cakes? 'Cause hos gotta eat too!

Also, Rubble44 totally deserves EE for that story of evil and deceit only a true Pajiban can muster (the only real competition was Skitz and he won already).

Posted by: Lum M. Ox at September 25, 2009 7:28 PM

But seriously though, Shuffle , while funded by credit cards, was still over the $60,000 liit. in the title of the List.

Posted by: Vermillion at September 25, 2009 7:33 PM

"limit in the title of the SRL."

Dammit typing too fast again.

Posted by: Vermillion at September 25, 2009 7:35 PM

who cares? It's said more and more celebrities have their profiles on a great millionaire dating site____WealthySocial.COM_______ . The best club for seeking the rich singles, sexy beauties and even hot celebs...You should check it out!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Posted by: jessie at September 26, 2009 10:27 AM

Rubble44,

I'll never understand women. I thought they LIKED those four-Kleenex weepies? As I'm sure you did. "Evil and deceit"? Pfffft. Your effort to be gallant in the face of your disappointment with the young lady is admirable and noble. She and her friends are insensitive shrews not to applaud you and have seven-way sex with you. Or have seven-way sex with you and THEN applaud you.

You are a kind, caring and true gentleman and an excellent representative of your gender. You make me proud to be a Man.

*slow clap*

Posted by: , (TCFKAB) at September 26, 2009 11:07 AM

No Hollywood Shuffle

This list fails


I don't care if it was over $60,000 - change the rules then.

Posted by: Chris at September 26, 2009 11:43 AM

TCFKAB,

I am pretty sure they would have to applaud me before 7 way sex, because at least 5 of them will end up disappointed.

I gladly accept your slow clap. Even though I note a hint of sarcasm, no one has ever slow clapped for me. (single tear)

We can't be gentlemen all the time, especially if all they had to do was read the back of the box.

Posted by: Rubble44 at September 26, 2009 5:20 PM

I watched Pi many years ago, when it first came out, and I think I was just too dumb back then to get it or appreciate it? I found it insufferably boring and turned it off halfway through.

Wonder if I should try it again, especially in light of AvB's reco up there? I do respect her judgment.

Posted by: Snuggiepants the Deathbringer at September 27, 2009 9:51 PM


















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