History Trivia / LastActionHero

* OldShame:
** Schwarzenegger considered this his first real failure after an unbroken string of successes, as well as the beginning of the end of his film career. Though he's found it amusing that [[Website/{{Reddit}} /r/movies]] likes it and won't let him live it down.
** [=McTiernan=] didn't repent making the film (in fact, part of his CreatorBreakdown came because he was happy with the final product and believed they could still make it, only for it to bomb miserably), but he nonetheless considers its production "the worst time I've ever had in this business".

* BoxOfficeBomb: Budget, $85 million. Box office, $50,016,394 (domestic), $137,298,489 (worldwide). Had the misfortune of being released the weekend after ''Film/JurassicPark'', due to Columbia thinking that movie wouldn't be as popular as it turned out to be and ''refusing'' to move the date for theirs.
** According to Arnold, he got to sit in on an early screening of ''Jurassic Park'' and afterward, he begged Columbia to push the film release date back, because nothing could compete with it. They wouldn't do it.

* ContractualImmortality: Lampshaded. Danny tries to invoke this with Benedict by playing Chicken with him while Danny is on a girl's bike, and Benedict is in a limo. Danny kept saying that because he's the hero, it has to work, but backs off at the last second after realizing he's just the PluckyComicRelief, and this trope does not apply to him.

** According to Arnold, he got to sit in on an early screening of Jurassic Park and afterward, he begged Columbia to push the film release date back, because nothing could compete with it. They wouldn't do it.

** Creator/JohnMcTiernan became more and more mentally strained and paranoid with the film's nightmarish production, to the point even child actor Austin O'Brien could feel it. After a cruel HopeSpot believing he had saved the film, only for it to premier and bomb even worse, [=McTiernan=] was left in such depression that Creator/ShaneBlack remembers he didn't saw Joe smile again until they talked about making another ''Franchise/DieHard'' movie.
** According to [=McTiernan=], even Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger didn't take well the film's failure, as it was the first time he crashed in his entire career (Joe described it as, "it sort of broke [Schwarzenegger]'s heart"). Ahnold avoided the CreatorKiller because he bounced back a bit the next time with ''Film/TrueLies'', but he could still see his heyday was over.

* FakeNationality: Mexican Creator/AnthonyQuinn plays an Italian Mob Boss. He would also play one in ''Film/AvengingAngelo''.

* GenreKiller: The film openly acknowledged at one point that action films were fading in popularity. Its disappointing performance confirmed the trend.

** Schwarzenegger considered this his first real failure after an unbroken string of successes, and the beginning of the end of his film career. Though he's found it amusing that [[Website/{{Reddit}} /r/movies]] likes it and won't let him live it down.
** [=McTiernan=] didn't repent making the film (in fact, part of his CreatorBreakdown came because he was happy with the produced final and believed they could still make it, only for it to bomb miserably), but he nonetheless consider its production "the worst time I've ever had in this business".

* TroubledProduction: As detailed [[http://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/last-action-hero/ here]]. In a nutshell, the script was extensively rewritten to the point that instead of parodying 1980s action movies, it was an IndecisiveParody that was as much of a DeconstructorFleet as a farcical actioner; once production actually begun, it was less than a year before the scheduled release, with the crew at times working 18-hour days and led director Creator/JohnMcTiernan to become a [[CreatorBreakdown paranoid jerk]] (in one scene, Austin O'Brien passed out after his harness suffocated him during a scene taking place on a skyline) and barely caring during editing. Then Columbia overhyped the movie with millions of dollars' worth in advertisements, only to not hear Arnold's advice to move the release date because he felt ''Film/JurassicPark'' coming out the week before would hurt ''Last Action Hero'' (they declined for fear of negative publicity), and indeed the movie flopped, [[StarDerailingRole derailing the careers of Arnie and McTiernan]].

** Benedict was originally intended to be Creator/AlanRickman - a line in the shooting script has Danny warn Jack that he almost beat both Creator/BruceWillis ''and'' Creator/KevinCostner. Creator/CharlesDance said in interviews that, after being told that he had won a part turned down by Rickman because of the salary, he wore a t-shirt on set which read; "I'm Cheaper Than Alan Rickman!".

** Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger considered this his first real failure after an unbroken string of successes, and the beginning of the end of his film career. Though he's found it amusing that [[Website/{{Reddit}} /r/movies]] likes it and won't let him live it down.
** Creator/JohnMcTiernan has also expressed regret in making the film.

* TroubledProduction: As detailed [[http://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/last-action-hero/ here]]. In a nutshell, the script was extensively rewritten to the point that instead of parodying 1980s action movies, it was an IndecisiveParody that was as much of a DeconstructorFleet as a farcical actioner; once production actually begun, it was less than a year before the scheduled release, with the crew at times working 18-hour days and led director Creator/JohnMcTiernan to become a [[CreatorBreakdown paranoid jerk]] (in one scene, Austin O'Brien passed out after his harness suffocated him during a scene taking place on a skyline) and barely caring during editing. Then Columbia overhyped the movie with millions of dollars' worth in advertisements, only to not hear Arnold's advice to move the release date because he felt ''Film/JurassicPark'' coming out the week before would hurt ''Last Action Hero'' (they declined for fear of negative publicity), and indeed the movie flopped,[[StarDerailingRole derailing the careers of Arnie and McTiernan]].

* ContractualImmortality: Lampshaded. Danny tries to invoke this this with Benedict by playing Chicken with him while Danny is on a girl's bike, and Benedict is in a limo. Danny kept saying that because he's the hero, it has to work, but backs off at the last second after realizing he's just the PluckyComicRelief, and this trope does not apply to him.

** More than one critic noted the film was ''Film/ThePurpleRoseOfCairo'' [[RecycledInSpace as an action film parody]].

* DuelingMovies: The film suffered at the box office when it opened on the same weekend as ''Film/JurassicPark''.

* TroubledProduction: As detailed [[http://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/last-action-hero/ here]]. In a nutshell, the script was extensively rewritten to the point that instead of parodying 1980s action movies, it was an IndecisiveParody that was as much of a DeconstructorFleet as a farcical actioner; once production actually begun, it was less than a year before the scheduled release, with the crew at times working 18-hour days and director Creator/JohnMcTiernan to become a [[CreatorBreakdown paranoid jerk]] (in one scene, Austin O'Brien passed out after his harness suffocated him during a scene taking place on a skyline) and barely caring during editing. Then Columbia overhyped the movie with millions of dollars' worth in advertisements, only to not hear Arnold's advice to move the release date because he felt ''Film/JurassicPark'' coming out the week before would hurt ''Last Action Hero'' (they declined for fear of negative publicity), and indeed the movie flopped,[[StarDerailingRole derailing the careers of Arnie and director McTiernan]].

* ReferencedBy: ''WesternAnimation/FairlyOddParents'' episode "Movie Magic" features actor [[TheAhnold Arnold Schwartzengerman]] in a [[ShowWithinAShow movie]] adapting ''Hamlet'' (which is a reference to ''Last Action Hero''), except his lines are all references to various Arnie movies ("I'll be back.... with weapons.").

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: The film naturally reflects the transition of pop culture between the 1980s and 1990s, mixing the first signs of the "new" Times Square with the disappearing movie palaces and grittiness of 42nd Street, as well as an acknowledgment that the popularity of action films was already waning -- not to mention the blending of Danny's grunge-inspired clothes with the elegant suits worn at the premiere.

* FollowTheLeader: Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger asked Creator/RobertPatrick to make a cameo as [[Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay the T-1000]] specifically because he saw ''Film/WaynesWorld''.

* CastTheRunnerUp: Creator/TimothyDalton was also considered for Benedict. He has a cameo at the ''Jack Slater IV'' premier.

** Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger considered this his first real failure after an unbroken string of successes, and the beginning of the end of his film career.

** The original script was much darker-the theater owner was supposed to be the main villain, and Danny was going to turn to the dark side and start killing lots of people, with Slater trying to stop him (including preventing him from killing the guy who robbed him).