10 Great Films That Lost Money On Ambitious Sets

John Carpenter was no stranger to success, particularly when it came to a high gross on a shoestring budget. Halloween reeled in over 200,000 times what it cost. While obviously that film relied on affordable but highly effective atmosphere, Carpenter had also proven his skills to orchestrate cheap but attractive special effects in his sci fi film. By the 80s though, thrift was no longer necessary for Carpenter, and the explosions in Escape from New York, for instance, were noticeably larger.

Big Trouble in Little China had a budget on par with any contemporary, big production. After all, though the film followed a playfully cheesy martial arts aesthetic, expenses were not spared in the sets and other production to achieve the desired effects. Little China itself was a rigorous construction, though it appears to be an actual outdoor location. According to Carpenter, this was necessary to help control the stunts and special effects.

The obvious sets themselves are as opulent as those of their kung fu inspirations. The chief set designer for the film was John J. Loyd, who got his start in television, for such programs as The Munsters, which could have been the origin of his eye for the fantastic.

Big Trouble didn't do terribly, but it didn't come close to covering its cost and was quite a disappointment. Carpenter attributes this in part to the concurrent release of Aliens.