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Speed Racer’s $93M Bombing & Later Cult Following Candidly Reflected On By Star: “Are We The Crazy Ones?”

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Emile Hirsch candidly opens up about the Speed Racer movie’s infamous box office bombing and his joy of the cult following it eventually amassed.

As the franchise gears up to return to live-action, Emile Hirsch candidly reflects on Speed Racer. The 2008 movie served as a live-action English adaptation of the iconic manga of the same name revolving around the adventures of the titular character. Also starring John Goodman, Christina Ricci and Susan Sarandon, and helmed by The Matrix team, the Wachowskis, the movie was a critical and commercial disappointment on release, only grossing just shy of $94 million against its $120 million production budget, with reviews proving generally mixed.

During a recent interview with MovieWeb, Hirsch was asked about Speed Racer‘s legacy and initial reception on release. The star candidly recalled his and his co-stars’ surprise when the movie failed at the box office, as the team all felt confident in the movie they had made, while also enthusiastically sharing his love for its cult following that has amassed over the past 16 years. Check out what Hirsch said below:

What’s interesting about Speed Racer is that the trajectory that it took, weirdly, is similar to the cartoon. The cartoon only had like two seasons, maybe three. And that’s not very much for a huge children’s show. These cartoons go forever. So it had kind of a relatively short run.

But over the years, it just gained this cult following. When it came out, it was unanimously dogged. I remember we were all like, “Man, this movie is so good. How come nobody gets it?” That was sort of our perspective. But then we were also like, “Are we the crazy ones?” Because it’s the public and the critics… So it’s really validating to have everybody come around all these years later.

Why Speed Racer Remains A Cult Classic

With a 42% approval rating from critics on review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes, the response to Speed Racer was decidedly very mixed, with the main points of criticism aimed at its 135-minute runtime and lackluster script, while its extensive CGI left reviewers divided. Ultimately, though, critics were generally favorable towards the movie’s stylized direction and the performances of its cast, with reviews feeling they all perfectly captured the energy of their manga and anime counterparts. Check out how Speed Racer compares to the Wachowskis’ other movies on Rotten Tomatoes:

Title

RT Critics Score

RT Audience Score

Bound

87%

83%

The Matrix

83%

85%

The Matrix Reloaded

75%

72%

The Matrix Revolutions

34%

60%

Speed Racer

42%

60%

Cloud Atlas

66%

66%

It was ultimately the latter elements of the movie that helped build Speed Racer‘s cult following to the passionate numbers it has today. Through their mix of colorful visual effects and production design, slick cinematography and overall bright tone, the Wachowskis clearly understood where the heart and soul of the source material lied and effectively brought that to life in the movie. The cast also showed a remarkable grasp on their characters’ personas, with Hirsch, Ricci and Matthew Fox’s Racer X in particular serving as standouts of the bunch.

Even in spite of the negative reception, many of the Speed Racer cast remain grateful for their experience on the movie. Hirsch previously shared his desire to Screen Rant in late 2022 to reprise the role, albeit on the condition that the Wachowskis be involved as he “wouldn’t feel right trying to initiate something like that with them“. Though the franchise is moving in a different direction with a live-action TV show from J.J. Abrams on Apple TV+, it remains heartwarming for longtime fans of the movie to hear Hirsch’s ongoing love for its cult following.

Source: MovieWeb

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Meet Katie Grimes, the Olympic Swimmer Dubbed the Future of Her Sport

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Katie Grimes, 2024 Olympic Swimming Trials
Katie Grimes wasn't going to let one disappointing swim sink her chances of going to her first Olympics.
Or her second.
"I'm just a stubborn person by nature," the 18-year-old athlete, who will be…



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Lewis Hamilton Inspired by Friend to Make Olympic Attempt, Just Not For Motorsport

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Over the years, Lewis Hamilton has made several friends belonging to different sporting backgrounds. Among them is Miles Chamley-Watson, a fencer who is currently gearing up for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Hamilton follows Watson’s career, and in an interview spoke about the possibility of following in his footsteps someday.

Hamilton was talking to CNN when he revealed his Olympic ambition. However, he isn’t looking at representing his country in the sport he excels the most – motorsports. Maybe because it isn’t a part of the Games, or maybe because the seven-time World Champion has other dreams.

Known to be an avid surfer, the interviewer asked Hamilton if surfing would be his choice to which the 39-year-old replied, “No, I’m not good enough to be surfing. But maybe I don’t know, maybe I’ll do an Olympic sport someday.”  

The F1 summer break will coincide with the Olympics in Paris, and Hamilton has an itch to support his friend Watson in the Games. They speak to and support each other almost every day, which is why Hamilton also knows how hard Watson has worked.

Still, he likely won’t pay a visit to watch the 34-year-old compete. “I am aware of me being at certain events…I know how much extra pressure sometimes it brings. So I haven’t yet committed to it.”

Talking about Olympic participation, however, it is difficult to imagine Hamilton competing in any sport other than racing or perhaps surfing.

The story of how Lewis Hamilton got into surfing

A lover of the ocean and water, Hamilton learned the art of surfing from two legends of the sport- Kelly Slater and Kai Lenny. However, they didn’t pique the Briton’s interest. The credit for that goes to his ex-girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger, who introduced him to the sport in 2010.

Hamilton’s first few lessons came at the Wadi Adventure wave pool in Abu Dhabi. By the time 2015 arrived, the Surfing bug had bitten the Brit and he would pair up with the likes of Slater and Lenny to go Surfing.

He has since been an avid surfer, picking up his board every chance he gets. Having narrowly escaped death during one of his outings, the future Ferrari driver shows no signs of stopping. As he puts it, Hamilton is always most comfortable when pushing himself to the limit.





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MLB Player Freddie Freeman’s Son, 3, Can’t Stand, Walk Amid Infection

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MLB’s Freddie Freeman and his family are in the midst of a difficult time.

The Dodgers first baseman and his wife Chelsea Freeman shared that their 3-year-old son Maximus was rushed to the emergency room as he was experiencing severe pain that made it difficult for him to sit or stand.

“Please say a prayer for Maximus,” Chelsea wrote on her Instagram Story July 24, per Us Weekly. “Dr says he developed transient synovitis from the viral infection he had at All-Star Week. Day 3 of not being able to sit, stand or walk.”

Transient synovitis is a “temporary inflammation of the hip can cause limping and pain in the hip and leg,” according to Kids Health.

The 33-year-old also put out a plea out to her fans, asking if they had “any tips to help toddlers take/keep down medicine?”

“He is usually good at taking medicine,” she explained about Maximus, “but he keeps spitting it out.”





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