Bob Hoskins Would Like To Forget He Ever Made 'Super Mario Bros.'

by Kevin Jagernauth
June 21, 2011 10:30 AM
13 Comments

Way back in 1993 a film hit cinemas that had two unique distinctions: 1) it was the first movie ever adapted from a video game and 2) it was fucking terrible. "Super Mario Bros.," the big screen version of the Nintendo phenomenon was a disaster at every turn. With constant rewrites during filming, with the studio and directors differing on what the film should be and Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo drinking to make it through the production of a film they knew would be a disaster, even corporate rag Nintendo Power dismissed the bomb of a film. And if Hoskins could have his way, he'd like to scrub it off his CV entirely.

In a recent Q&A with the Guardian, the actor made no secret about the ill will he held toward the film. Here's what he had to say, quite succinctly:

What is the worst job you've done?
Super Mario Brothers.
What has been your biggest disappointment?
Super Mario Brothers.
If you could edit your past, what would you change?
I wouldn't do Super Mario Brothers.

With nominations and/or wins from almost every awards body you think of, it's not too surprising that Hoskins would prefer if the memory of this film were removed from history. At any rate, this story allows us to take a trip down memory lane and recall the amazing ineptitude of the film that was in full evidence just by viewing the trailer. Check it out below and even if you've never seen the movie, you can feel Hoskins' pain.

More: Actors, Bob Hoskins

13 Comments

| Reply
Floyd Acrestare | July 22, 2011 5:14 AMReply

I love how Dennis Hopper was in this too.
Tom | June 22, 2011 12:01 PMReply

RAD RAD RAD. Always loved how Luigi didn't have a stache..
Kevin Jagernauth | June 22, 2011 2:58 AMReply

Wow, that fansite is kind of amazing/totally tragic. Love that Richard Edson was incredulous those guys liked the visual effects.
bropacalypse | June 22, 2011 2:41 AMReply

bro needs to chill out. he was throwing down bro grabs on set of the jet li joint and not questioning that shit. give mario a lil bro love.
Vic | June 22, 2011 2:29 AMReply

Thanks to this article, I spent the last half-hour of my life researching and learning more about the Super Mario Bros. movie than I ever wanted to know...

In my travels, I stumbled onto this ridiculously thorough and frequently updated fan site for the film: http://www.smbmovie.com/

I liked it when I was a kid but had no idea some fans of the movie were so rabid. The interview with Richard Edson is particularly funny cause they're asking him these insane fanboyish questions about a film he clearly barely remembers making, and it goes on for like, FOREVER
Kevin Klawitter | June 21, 2011 11:51 AMReply

The tragedy is Bob Hoskins was perfectly cast as Mario. If he had a real screenplay, a good director, and a better supporting cast to work with he could have nailed the role.
Sean | June 21, 2011 11:21 AMReply

Same here Pierce. I adore this film. Love as a kid. And now it's nostalgia. Sure it's fucking awful, but it makes think of young times. Sad.

One (of many) mistake they did was cast a Brit and a Latino to play Italians.
But hey, at least Dennis Hopper was fucking rad (as he always is in shitty films) in it. "Monkey!"
Action16 | June 21, 2011 11:04 AMReply

In an older interview with the same newspaper, Hoskins said this:

"The worst thing I ever did? Super Mario Brothers. It was a fuckin' nightmare. The whole experience was a nightmare. It had a husband-and-wife team directing, whose arrogance had been mistaken for talent. After so many weeks their own agent told them to get off the set! Fuckin' nightmare. Fuckin' idiots."
Alex | June 21, 2011 11:03 AMReply

IIRC he said once said that the husband-and-wife team directing the film was so delusional that they were convinced this was their chance at an Oscar.
Pierre | June 21, 2011 11:02 AMReply

I'm sorry but as a kid this was my Citizen Kane.

Plus it's by the directors of the phenomenal cyber-punk touchstone Max Headroom.
ndg | June 21, 2011 11:02 AMReply

It's even funnier now because it fits so well with the contemporary trend towards reboots/remakes/adaptations that are "dark" or "gritty" or "realistic".

The idea of a Mario movie wasn't completely preposterous, but it was madness to try and make it as some sort of bleak thriller about Italian hard-men fighting evil lizard-mutants in darkened sewers.
Mr Anonymous | June 21, 2011 10:50 AMReply

Oh come on!!!

This was one of my fave films when i was growing up as a kid. Of course, i'm now an adult and yes it's terrible but back then i thought it was the bees knees! Don't slag off my childhood! :D
gartiligio | June 21, 2011 10:44 AMReply

WTF...?