Zyzzyx Road
Encyclopedia
Zyzzyx Road is a 2006 independent
thriller film. It stars Leo Grillo
, Katherine Heigl
, and Tom Sizemore
. The screenplay was written by John Penney, who also directed the film. The film has gained a degree of notoriety due to its extremely low U.S. box office gross
($30 USD).
) is an accountant with a bad marriage and a daughter whom he loves. He takes to the road to service his accounts in Las Vegas. While there he meets seductive Marissa (Katherine Heigl
). They have a week-long affair which culminates in the arrival of Marissa's ex-boyfriend, Joey (Tom Sizemore
). Joey attempts to kill the lovers, but Grant gets the upper hand and in turn kills Joey. Grant and Marissa then drive Joey's body to Zyzzyx Road and Grant buries Joey in the desert there. The next morning, the body is missing and something is trying to kill Grant and Marissa.
, in and around local mines
. Tom Sizemore
and long-time friend Peter Walton, who worked as Sizemore's assistant, were arrested during the film's production for repeatedly failing drug tests while on probation. Police discovered that Walton had a warrant out for his arrest for child pornography distribution and was subsequently jailed. Sizemore was not jailed, however, making it possible for him to film his scenes.
, a movie theater rented by the producers for $1,000. The limited release was deliberate: Grillo was uninterested in releasing the film domestically until it underwent foreign distribution, but needed to fulfill the U.S. release obligation required by the Screen Actors Guild
for low-budget films (films with budgets less than $2.5 million that are not for the direct-to-video
market).
The strategy had the side effect of making the film at the time the lowest grossing film of all time, earning just $30 at the box office from six patrons. Unofficially, its opening weekend netted $20. The $10 difference is due to a personal refund by Grillo to makeup artist Sheila Moore, who had worked on the film, and her friend. It has since been beaten by the film The Worst Movie Ever!
which took in $11 and sold only one ticket.
Both Zyzzyx Road and the similarly named Zzyzx
have been cited as the lowest-grossing film of all time.
The film was released on DVD in twenty-three countries, and by the end of 2006 had earned about $368,000. , the film has not yet received the legitimate domestic distribution that the producers had hoped would follow its foreign release.
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
thriller film. It stars Leo Grillo
Leo Grillo
Leo Francis Grillo, Jr. is an American film actor, producer and animal welfare activist. He is best known for founding Dedication and Everlasting Love to Animals Rescue , an animal welfare organization based in Acton, California. The not-for-profit organization was incorporated in 1981...
, Katherine Heigl
Katherine Heigl
Katherine Marie Heigl is an American actress and producer. She is possibly best known for her role as Dr. Izzie Stevens on ABC's Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2010, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Drama Series in 2007...
, and Tom Sizemore
Tom Sizemore
Thomas Edward "Tom" Sizemore, Jr. is an American film and television actor and producer. He is known for his roles in films such as Saving Private Ryan, Strange Days, Pearl Harbor, Heat and Black Hawk Down....
. The screenplay was written by John Penney, who also directed the film. The film has gained a degree of notoriety due to its extremely low U.S. box office gross
Box office bomb
The phrase box office bomb refers to a film for which the production and marketing costs greatly exceeded the revenue regained by the movie studio. This should not be confused with Hollywood accounting when official figures show large losses, yet the movie is a financial success.A film's financial...
($30 USD).
Plot
Grant (Leo GrilloLeo Grillo
Leo Francis Grillo, Jr. is an American film actor, producer and animal welfare activist. He is best known for founding Dedication and Everlasting Love to Animals Rescue , an animal welfare organization based in Acton, California. The not-for-profit organization was incorporated in 1981...
) is an accountant with a bad marriage and a daughter whom he loves. He takes to the road to service his accounts in Las Vegas. While there he meets seductive Marissa (Katherine Heigl
Katherine Heigl
Katherine Marie Heigl is an American actress and producer. She is possibly best known for her role as Dr. Izzie Stevens on ABC's Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2010, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Drama Series in 2007...
). They have a week-long affair which culminates in the arrival of Marissa's ex-boyfriend, Joey (Tom Sizemore
Tom Sizemore
Thomas Edward "Tom" Sizemore, Jr. is an American film and television actor and producer. He is known for his roles in films such as Saving Private Ryan, Strange Days, Pearl Harbor, Heat and Black Hawk Down....
). Joey attempts to kill the lovers, but Grant gets the upper hand and in turn kills Joey. Grant and Marissa then drive Joey's body to Zyzzyx Road and Grant buries Joey in the desert there. The next morning, the body is missing and something is trying to kill Grant and Marissa.
Cast
- Leo GrilloLeo GrilloLeo Francis Grillo, Jr. is an American film actor, producer and animal welfare activist. He is best known for founding Dedication and Everlasting Love to Animals Rescue , an animal welfare organization based in Acton, California. The not-for-profit organization was incorporated in 1981...
as Grant - Katherine HeiglKatherine HeiglKatherine Marie Heigl is an American actress and producer. She is possibly best known for her role as Dr. Izzie Stevens on ABC's Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2010, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Drama Series in 2007...
as Marissa - Tom SizemoreTom SizemoreThomas Edward "Tom" Sizemore, Jr. is an American film and television actor and producer. He is known for his roles in films such as Saving Private Ryan, Strange Days, Pearl Harbor, Heat and Black Hawk Down....
as Joey - Rickey Medlock as Meth Maker
- Yorlin MaderaYorlin MaderaYorlin Madera is a Dominican actor. He is known for his portrayal of the first Cristian Vega on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live from April 1995 to December 1997....
as Truck Driver Bob - Di Koob as Roulette Dealer
- Meguire Grillo as Natalie
- Michael Lugenbuehl as The Shadow
Production
Filming took place in the summer of 2005 and lasted 18 days, plus an additional two days for pickup scenes. The film is 88 minutes long. The film was shot entirely on location in the Mojave DesertMojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
, in and around local mines
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
. Tom Sizemore
Tom Sizemore
Thomas Edward "Tom" Sizemore, Jr. is an American film and television actor and producer. He is known for his roles in films such as Saving Private Ryan, Strange Days, Pearl Harbor, Heat and Black Hawk Down....
and long-time friend Peter Walton, who worked as Sizemore's assistant, were arrested during the film's production for repeatedly failing drug tests while on probation. Police discovered that Walton had a warrant out for his arrest for child pornography distribution and was subsequently jailed. Sizemore was not jailed, however, making it possible for him to film his scenes.
Release and box office gross
Zyzzyx Road was shown once a day at noon for seven days (February 25 through March 2, 2006) at Highland Park Village Theater in Dallas, TexasDallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, a movie theater rented by the producers for $1,000. The limited release was deliberate: Grillo was uninterested in releasing the film domestically until it underwent foreign distribution, but needed to fulfill the U.S. release obligation required by the Screen Actors Guild
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
for low-budget films (films with budgets less than $2.5 million that are not for the direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
market).
The strategy had the side effect of making the film at the time the lowest grossing film of all time, earning just $30 at the box office from six patrons. Unofficially, its opening weekend netted $20. The $10 difference is due to a personal refund by Grillo to makeup artist Sheila Moore, who had worked on the film, and her friend. It has since been beaten by the film The Worst Movie Ever!
The Worst Movie Ever!
The Worst Movie Ever! is a 2011 action comedy musical film, written, produced, and directed by Glenn Berggoetz.-Filmmaker background:Berggoetz has previous written and directed several low budget films, including Guernica Still Burning , Bad Movies, Good Showers, and Civil Engineers , To Die Is...
which took in $11 and sold only one ticket.
Both Zyzzyx Road and the similarly named Zzyzx
Zzyzx (film)
Zzyzx is a thriller set in the Mojave Desert and Las Vegas. The film was written by Art D'Alessandro, produced and directed by Richard Halpern, and stars Kenny Johnson, Robyn Cohen, Ryan Fox, and Kayo Zepeda.-Plot:...
have been cited as the lowest-grossing film of all time.
The film was released on DVD in twenty-three countries, and by the end of 2006 had earned about $368,000. , the film has not yet received the legitimate domestic distribution that the producers had hoped would follow its foreign release.