A poster for The Alamo
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Hops and Box Office Flops: ‘THE ALAMO’

Remember It

The Alamo, directed by John Lee Hancock, is a historical look at the tragic storming of the mission turned fort in 1836 Texas.

Though the film boasts incredible sets, well shot historical action, and a wonderful ensemble, it was a box office dud. In fact, it is one of the biggest bombs in history, losing an estimated $146 million. That’s nearly 10 Louisiana Purchases.

Critics didn’t help its prospects. Sitting at 29% on Rotten Tomatoes with 159 reviews, their consensus was unkind. We, unfortunately, have to agree. Outside of Billy Bob Thornton as Davy Crockett, 2004’s The Alamo is bereft of personality.

It doesn’t help that the film is attempting to sell you on characters who are generally written about as being disreputable.

The one thing The Alamo does excel at is showing the viewer how dire their situation was. In essence, these 200 or so men were left to die; and the siege on the fort is appropriately harrowing.

So, sit back, load a Wild West Wheat from Tombstone Brewing into your beer cannon, and always account for the wind! I, the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK), Capt. Cash, and Chumpzilla are firing up our fiddles to spite Santa Ana’s army.

This Week’s Segments:

  • Introduction/Plot Breakdown – You will never forget. (00:00)
  • Lingering Questions – After a word from our brothers in beer at Hop Nation USA, we assess where this movie went wrong. (34:53)
  • The “Remember the Alamo” Trivia Challenge – The Double Turn Podcast jumps corner to corner like Davy Crockett across the Mississippi, and then I challenge the field to trivia about the history of Texas. (57:16)
  • Recommendations – We offer our picks for the week and next up: We begin “Hops and Hunting Ground Flops” with the uninspiring sequel to one of cinema’s greatest action movies, Predator 2! (1:04:40)

And, as always, hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to check out all the interesting factoids—how a mission became a pivotal fort and more—from this week’s episode!

You can find this episode of Hops and Box Office Flops on Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsStitcherPodbeanSpotifyAcastTuneIniHeartRadioVurbl, and Amazon Music!

Thomas Kelly

Writer, Superman aficionado, lover of odd and underperforming sports teams, and co-host of the film adoring podcast, Hops and Box Office Flops