In the summer of 1980, two films released by AFD within six weeks of each other helped lead to the distribution company's dissolution. "Can't Stop the Music", designed to be a showcase for Village People at the height of disco music, was released 20 June 1980, by which time disco's popularity had diminished and the form was experiencing a backlash from music listeners. The poorly reviewed film ultimately grossed $2 million on a $20 million budget. On 1 August 1980, the release of the poorly received "Raise the Titanic!" met with pre-release criticism from the novel's author, Clive Cussler, and recouped only a fraction of its costs; Grade himself retired from active film production, commenting that it would have been cheaper to "lower the Atlantic." Cussler himself told "People Weekly" Magazine, "The film was so poor, it boggles the mind."