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'''''Inchon''''' (also stylized as '''''Inchon!''''') is a 1981 war film about the [[Battle of Inchon]], considered to be the turning point of the [[Korean War]]. Directed by [[Terence Young (director)|Terence Young]] and financed by [[Unification movement]] founder [[Sun Myung Moon]], the film stars [[Laurence Olivier]] as General [[Douglas MacArthur]], who led the United States' surprise [[Amphibious warfare|amphibious landing]] at [[Incheon]], South Korea in 1950, with [[Jacqueline Bisset]], [[Ben Gazzara]], [[Toshirō Mifune|Toshiro Mifune]] and [[Richard Roundtree]].
''Inchon''{{'}}s plot includes both military action and human drama. Characters face danger and are involved in various personal and dramatic situations. The film concludes with the American victory over North Korean forces in the Battle of Inchon, which is considered to have saved South Korea. Produced on $46 million with filming taking place in [[South Korea]], [[California]], [[Italy]], [[Ireland (country)|Ireland]] and [[Japan]], it encountered many problems during production, including a typhoon and the death of a cast member. Both the Unification movement and the United States military provided personnel as extras during the filming.
After premiering in May 1981, the film was released theatrically in the United States and Canada in September 1982, before being quickly withdrawn due to critical and financial failure. Never receiving a home video release, it has occasionally been broadcast on television. It was the largest financial loss in film of 1982, earning less than $2 million against its lofty budget and resulting in losses of around $41 million. Reviewers at the time gave it consistently negative reviews and later commentators including ''Newsweek'', ''TV Guide'' and Canadian Press have classed ''Inchon'' among the [[List of films considered the worst#Inchon (1981)|worst films of all time]].
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Young was paid $1.8 million, [[Jacqueline Bisset]] was paid $1.65 million, [[Ben Gazzara]] was paid $750,000, [[David Janssen]] was paid $300,000, Roundtree was paid $200,000, and [[Rex Reed]] was paid $6,000 per week. Prior to Gazzara receiving the role for Frank Hallsworth it was offered to [[Nick Nolte]] for $1.5 million.{{sfn|Medved|Medved|1984|p=190}} Olivier and Young later sued One Way Productions for $1 million each citing overtime.{{sfn|Medved|Medved|1984|p=198}}
===Filming===▼
Shooting took place in Hollywood, Rome, Ireland, Tokyo and Seoul. The involvement of Moon was "adamantly denied". Moon recommended editing and reshooting changes to the film's script, which "caused the production to return to South Korea three times, Rome twice and Los Angeles twice."<ref name="suid" /><ref name="vermilye" /><ref name="canby">{{cite news | last =Canby | first =Vincent | title ='Inchon,' at last | work =[[The New York Times]] |page=C9 | date =September 17, 1982 | url =https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9A03E0D8123BF934A2575AC0A964948260 | access-date = 2009-10-21 }}</ref>▼
The film included several technical errors. Cut-out cardboard pieces were used to depict military aircraft during battle scenes in the film, and one film critic said viewers were almost able to identify the threads attached to the cardboard cut-outs. Footage of a digital watch was spliced into the film, though this technology would not be invented for twenty-five years after the film's time period.<ref name="suid" /> There were other problems. Bisset developed laryngitis during the film's production.<ref name="TV Guide" /> A set-piece for the film included a re-created version of a lighthouse at Incheon, but this was obliterated by a typhoon.<ref name="schlueter" /> The death of [[David Janssen]] during production called for extensive reshoots.<ref name="ryan">{{cite news | last =Ryan | first =Desmond | title =On movies: Bond is booming, but 'Inchon' may be a very costly bomb | work =The Philadelphia Inquirer | page =L03 | date =June 6, 1982 }}</ref>▼
During the filming of the landing at Inchon a mistake was made in which the ships turned right rather than left. This was due to an aide, whose walkie-talkie was broken, not relaying the correct information due to fear of embarrassment. The filming mistake cost around $500,000. $1 million was spent to bring the crew back to film the three minute scene depicting MacArthur's victory parade. Principal photography cost $26 million and reshoots in other countries cost $22 million. [[Sidney Beckerman (movie producer)|Sidney Beckerman]] was paid $350,000 to consult Ishii during the editing process.{{sfn|Medved|Medved|1984|p=193-195}}▼
The production hired [[Samuel Jaskilka]], a retired Marine Corps lieutenant general who took part in the Battle of Inchon as a company commander, as technical advisor to the film.<ref name="allen" /> A portion of the movie was filmed aboard the {{USS|Cleveland|LPD-7|6}}, an {{sclass|Austin|amphibious transport dock}} during an amphibious operation off the coast of South Korea in 1978.<ref name="navy">{{cite web | last =Kinney | first =C.H. | title =OPNAV REPORT 5750-1 | work =USS Cleveland (LPD-7) | publisher =www.history.navy.mil | date =March 1, 1979 | url =http://www.history.navy.mil/shiphist/c/lpd-7/1978.pdf | access-date = 2009-10-30 }}</ref> The United States Department of Defense allowed 1,500 soldiers from the United States Army and United States Marine Corps to participate as extras in the film, at a cost of $77,000.<ref name="suid">{{cite book | last =Suid | first =Lawrence H. | title =Guts & Glory: The Making of the American Military Image in Film | publisher =University Press of Kentucky | year =2002 | isbn = 0-8131-9018-5|pages=395–401, 720}}</ref><ref name="allen" /><ref name="schlueter">{{cite news | last =Schlueter | first =Roger | title =Answer Man | work =Belleville News-Democrat | page =1C | date =May 22, 2006 }}</ref>▼
The [[Little Angels Children's Folk Ballet of Korea]], founded by Moon in 1962, was featured in the film, with many Unification movement members.<ref name="suid" /> After shooting had finished in South Korea, Olivier returned to England. He was needed in South Korea to shoot the final scene, but as a concession to his poor health, was allowed to film in Rome instead.<ref name="vermilye" /> The film's director Terence Young was not happy with the completed version of the film and said, "the producers have turned ''Inchon'' into a Korean propaganda movie."<ref name="suid" /> Ishii said: "No problem. We have 20 nations who want this movie."<ref name="allen" />▼
===Music===
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▲===Filming===
▲Shooting took place in Hollywood, Rome, Ireland, Tokyo and Seoul. The involvement of Moon was "adamantly denied". Moon recommended editing and reshooting changes to the film's script, which "caused the production to return to South Korea three times, Rome twice and Los Angeles twice."<ref name="suid" /><ref name="vermilye" /><ref name="canby">{{cite news | last =Canby | first =Vincent | title ='Inchon,' at last | work =[[The New York Times]] |page=C9 | date =September 17, 1982 | url =https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9A03E0D8123BF934A2575AC0A964948260 | access-date = 2009-10-21 }}</ref>
▲The film included several technical errors. Cut-out cardboard pieces were used to depict military aircraft during battle scenes in the film, and one film critic said viewers were almost able to identify the threads attached to the cardboard cut-outs. Footage of a digital watch was spliced into the film, though this technology would not be invented for twenty-five years after the film's time period.<ref name="suid" /> There were other problems. Bisset developed laryngitis during the film's production.<ref name="TV Guide" /> A set-piece for the film included a re-created version of a lighthouse at Incheon, but this was obliterated by a typhoon.<ref name="schlueter" /> The death of [[David Janssen]] during production called for extensive reshoots.<ref name="ryan">{{cite news | last =Ryan | first =Desmond | title =On movies: Bond is booming, but 'Inchon' may be a very costly bomb | work =The Philadelphia Inquirer | page =L03 | date =June 6, 1982 }}</ref>
▲During the filming of the landing at Inchon a mistake was made in which the ships turned right rather than left. This was due to an aide, whose walkie-talkie was broken, not relaying the correct information due to fear of embarrassment. The filming mistake cost around $500,000. $1 million was spent to bring the crew back to film the three minute scene depicting MacArthur's victory parade. Principal photography cost $26 million and reshoots in other countries cost $22 million. [[Sidney Beckerman (movie producer)|Sidney Beckerman]] was paid $350,000 to consult Ishii during the editing process.{{sfn|Medved|Medved|1984|p=193-195}}
▲The production hired [[Samuel Jaskilka]], a retired Marine Corps lieutenant general who took part in the Battle of Inchon as a company commander, as technical advisor to the film.<ref name="allen" /> A portion of the movie was filmed aboard the {{USS|Cleveland|LPD-7|6}}, an {{sclass|Austin|amphibious transport dock}} during an amphibious operation off the coast of South Korea in 1978.<ref name="navy">{{cite web | last =Kinney | first =C.H. | title =OPNAV REPORT 5750-1 | work =USS Cleveland (LPD-7) | publisher =www.history.navy.mil | date =March 1, 1979 | url =http://www.history.navy.mil/shiphist/c/lpd-7/1978.pdf | access-date = 2009-10-30 }}</ref> The United States Department of Defense allowed 1,500 soldiers from the United States Army and United States Marine Corps to participate as extras in the film, at a cost of $77,000.<ref name="suid">{{cite book | last =Suid | first =Lawrence H. | title =Guts & Glory: The Making of the American Military Image in Film | publisher =University Press of Kentucky | year =2002 | isbn = 0-8131-9018-5|pages=395–401, 720}}</ref><ref name="allen" /><ref name="schlueter">{{cite news | last =Schlueter | first =Roger | title =Answer Man | work =Belleville News-Democrat | page =1C | date =May 22, 2006 }}</ref>
▲The [[Little Angels Children's Folk Ballet of Korea]], founded by Moon in 1962, was featured in the film, with many Unification movement members.<ref name="suid" /> After shooting had finished in South Korea, Olivier returned to England. He was needed in South Korea to shoot the final scene, but as a concession to his poor health, was allowed to film in Rome instead.<ref name="vermilye" /> The film's director Terence Young was not happy with the completed version of the film and said, "the producers have turned ''Inchon'' into a Korean propaganda movie."<ref name="suid" /> Ishii said: "No problem. We have 20 nations who want this movie."<ref name="allen" />
==Release==
The world premiere was held in Washington, D.C., on May 4, 1981, via special screening at the [[John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts]],<ref name="suid" /><ref name="allen">{{cite news|last=Allen|first=Henry|title=Pickets & Politics at the Second Battle of 'Inchon'|newspaper =The Washington Post| page=B1|date=May 5, 1981}}</ref> as a benefit for retired United States Navy personnel chaired by Senator [[Alfonse D'Amato]].<ref name="pond">{{cite news|last= Pond|first=Steve|title=Epic deals|newspaper=The Washington Post|page=E7|date=August 12, 1982}}</ref> This was the only time the film was screened in its full 140-minute version.<ref name="vermilye" /> Between 25 and 100 protesters came to demonstrate outside the Center.<ref name="allen" /><ref name="romano" /><ref name="criticscarry">{{cite news|last=Washington Star|author-link=Washington Star|title=Critics carry warning signs: It's Moon|work =Boston Globe| publisher=Globe Newspaper Company|date=May 5, 1981}}</ref>
The gala was a benefit for retired Naval
On February 13, 1982, President [[Ronald Reagan]], a former film actor and president of the [[Screen Actors Guild]],<ref name="SAG">{{cite web|url= http://www.sag.org/history/presidents/reagan.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071228063556/http://www.sag.org/history/presidents/reagan.html|archive-date= 2007-12-28 |title=Screen Actors Guild Presidents: Ronald Reagan|publisher=Screen Actors Guild|access-date=November 10, 2008}}</ref> screened the film in the White House.<ref name="gorenfeld" /> He noted in his [[The Reagan Diaries|diary]]: "Ran ''Inchon''—it is a brutal but gripping picture about the Korean War and for once we're the good guys and the Communists are the villains. The producer was Japanese or Korean which probably explains the preceding sentence".<ref>Reagan, Ronald, [[The Reagan Diaries]], 2009, HarperCollins {{ISBN|0-06-155833-8}}, {{ISBN|978-0-06-155833-7}}</ref>
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===Distribution===
''Inchon'' screened at the [[1982 Cannes Film Festival|35th Cannes Film Festival]] in May 1982 but failed to interest any buyers despite a $250,000 publicity campaign,<ref name="ryan" /><ref name="goldfarb" /><ref name="stiratcannes">{{cite news|last=United Press International|author-link=United Press International|title=Disputed Korean Film Creating Stir at Cannes|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 18, 1982|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/05/18/movies/disputed-korean-film-creating-stir-at-cannes.html|access-date= 2009-10-21}}</ref> which included hiring the publicity firm Rogers and Cowan to arrange a large party and give out promotional ''Inchon'' jackets.<ref name="goldfarb">{{cite news|last=Goldfarb|first=Michael|title=Notes From All Over|newspaper=The Washington Post|page=E3|date=May 23, 1982}}</ref>
In August 1982, [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] contracted distribution rights.<ref name="pond" /> One Way Productions came to an agreement with MGM that it would cover the costs associated with advertising and distributing if MGM agreed to distribute ''Inchon'' for a profit share of only 15%.<ref name="ryanreview" /> The normal profit fee for distributors was 30%.<ref name="ryanreview" /> One Way also convinced Moon to change his credit from spiritual advisor to special advisor.{{sfn|Medved|Medved|1984|p=196}}
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==Response==
===Box office===
The film's total North American gross was $1.9 million.<ref name="vermilye" /> It eventually took in $5.2 million at the box office.<ref name="boxofficemojo">{{cite
''Inchon'' has been included on multiple lists of [[List of biggest box-office bombs|box-office bomb]]s.<ref name="guthmann" /><ref>{{cite news | last =Tugend | first =Tom | title =Biggest Bombs | work =The Jerusalem Post | page =06 | date =December 7, 1989 }}</ref> Michael Wilmington of the ''Chicago Tribune'' placed ''Inchon'' as number six in a "list of Hollywood's 10 worst mega-flops".<ref name="wilmington" /> Wilmington noted that ''Inchon'' displaced the 1980 film ''[[Heaven's Gate (film)|Heaven's Gate]]'' as "the bomb of the decade".<ref name="wilmington">{{cite news | last =Wilmington | first =Michael | title =Films that went splat - From 'Intolerance' to 'Cutthroat Island.' 10 of Hollywood's messiest box-office disasters | work =Chicago Tribune | page =5 | date =April 14, 1996 }}</ref> ''The Washington Post'' described ''Inchon'' as "one of the biggest commercial disasters in film history".<ref>{{cite news | last =The Washington Post staff | title =Terence Young dies - Directed Bond movies | newspaper =The Washington Post | page =B6 | date =September 9, 1994 }}</ref> In 1995, the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' reported that ''[[The Guinness Book of World Records]]'' called ''Inchon'' "the biggest money-loser in film history".<ref name="guthmann">{{cite news | last =Guthmann | first =Edward | title =Big-Bucks Bombs That Hit Hollywood | work =San Francisco Chronicle | page =27 | date =July 23, 1995|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/1995/07/23/PK38286.DTL|access-date=2009-10-31 }}</ref> ''Inchon'' was one of the "10 costliest movies", adjusted for inflation, at $173 million in 1997 dollars.<ref>{{cite news | last =Wilmington | first =Michael | title =The costliest | work =Chicago Tribune | page =1 | date =December 14, 1997 }}</ref> In a 2006 list of "The top 10 biggest box office failures", Kat Giantis of ''[[MSN|MSN Movies]]'' placed ''Inchon'' as tied with ''[[Battlefield Earth (film)|Battlefield Earth]]'' (a science fiction film based on [[Battlefield Earth (novel)|a novel]] by [[L. Ron Hubbard]], founder of [[Scientology]], the fact this film was based on a book written by the founder of the Scientology religion meant that it was heavily promoted by Scientologists) for number seven.<ref name="giantis">{{cite news | last =Giantis | first =Kat | title =Bombs Away! - The top 10 biggest box office failures | work =MSN Movies | publisher =movies.msn.com | year =2006 | url =http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=131054 | access-date =2009-10-31 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20101203221523/http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=131054 | archive-date =December 3, 2010 | url-status =dead }}</ref>
===Critical reception===
Most newspaper reviewers gave negative reviews, among them were ''
Moon founded ''The Washington Times'' in Washington, D.C., as a part of his international media conglomerate [[News World Communications]] in the same year ''Inchon'' was released.<ref>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F00E5DA1238F93BA25756C0A964948260
===Later commentary===
Multiple commentators have described ''Inchon'' as the worst film ever made, including ''The Washington Post'',<ref>{{cite news|last=Mayo |first=Mike |title=Hollywood's untaped resources - worthwhile movies don't always make it to video |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=April 13, 1997 |page=G7}}</ref> ''Newsweek'',<ref>{{cite news|last=Boedeker |first=Hal |title=The Magic of Olivier his film legacy sets standard for all actors |work=The Miami Herald |page=36G |date=July 21, 1989 |quote=The worst of his choices was probably taking on the role of Gen. Douglas MacArthur in 1982's Inchon. ''Newsweek'' called Inchon 'the worst movie ever made, a turkey the size of Godzilla.'}}</ref> ''TV Guide''<ref name="TV Guide" /> and the Canadian Press.<ref>{{cite news|last=McKay |first=John (Canadian Press) |title=Welch fleshes out worst in film |work=The Record (Kitchener, Ontario, Canada) |page=E4 |date=March 23, 2004}}</ref> ''Inchon'' was later profiled in multiple books on worst in film, including ''[[The Hollywood Hall of Shame]]'' by Harry and Michael Medved,{{sfn|Medved|Medved|1984|p=186}} and ''The Worst Movies of All Time'' by Michael Sauter.<ref name="sauter">{{cite book|last =Sauter |first=Michael |title=The Worst Movies of All Time: Or, What Were They Thinking? |publisher=Citadel Press |year=1999 |page=197 |isbn=0-8065-2078-7}}</ref> In 2000, Kenneth Lloyd Billingsley in the [[Libertarianism|libertarian]] magazine ''Reason'' wrote about a proposed film on [[Stalinism]]: "A film like this could easily have turned out as big a didactic dud as the Rev. Sun Myung Moon's 1982 bomb, ''Inchon'', with Laurence Olivier as Gen. Douglas MacArthur."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://reason.com/2000/06/01/hollywoods-missing-movies|title=Hollywood's Missing Movies |last=Billingsley |first=Kenneth Lloyd |date=July 22, 2007 |work=Reason |access-date=April 20, 2019}}</ref> A 2009 review by Phil Hall for ''[[Film Threat]]'' was less negative, and he disagreed with the characterization of the film as the worst ever made, "I was genuinely surprised — this is hardly among the very worst films of all time. That's not to say it is a good film. It is a dull and forgettable movie, and I would never recommend it. However, its reputation for being among the bottom of the cinematic barrel is wholly undeserved."<ref name="filmthreat">{{cite web|url=https://filmthreat.com/uncategorized/the-bootleg-files-inchon/|title=The Bootleg Files: Inchon |last=Hall |first=Phil |date=February 20, 2009 |work=Film Threat |access-date=April 20, 2019}}</ref>
A review in ''Brassey's Guide to War Films'' by Alun Evans was critical, calling the film "Arguably the worst war picture made in the last quarter of the 20th century".<ref name="evans">{{cite book| last =Evans |first=Alun |title =Brassey's Guide to War Films |publisher=Potomac Books Inc. |year=2000 |page=103 |isbn =1-57488-263-5}}</ref> [[Robert Niemi]] commented in his book ''History in the Media: Film and Television'', "Plagued with a terrible script, horrendous production problems, and shoddy performances all around, the resulting film, ''Inchon'' ... was bad beyond belief."<ref name="niemi" /> Niemi wrote that Olivier's performance "was a low point in an otherwise distinguished film career".<ref name="niemi" /> In his biography of the actor, ''Olivier'', author Terry Coleman called the film "probably the worst he ever made and one of the best paid".<ref name="coleman">{{cite book|last =Coleman |first=Terry |title=Olivier |publisher=Macmillan Publishers
===Recognition===
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|Stinkers Bad Movie Awards for Worst Picture
|Mitsuharu Ishii
|bgcolor="#ddffdd"|Won<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://theenvelope.latimes.com/extras/lostmind/year/1982/1982st.htm |title=1982 5th Hastings Bad Cinema Society Stinkers Awards |access-date=March 30, 2013 |work=Stinkers Bad Movie Awards |publisher=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070103154829/http://theenvelope.latimes.com/extras/lostmind/year/1982/1982st.htm |archive-date=January 3, 2007 }}</ref>
|}
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[[Category:1980s English-language films]]
[[Category:1980s American films]]
[[Category:Stinkers Bad Movie Award winning films]]
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