Eric Prime

#229 - Shazam! (146 points, 6 lists) #228 - Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (146 points, 3 lists) #227 - Ocean's Thirteen (149 points, 5 lists) #226 - Purple Rain (149 points, 4 lists) #225 - The Bodyguard (150 points, 4 lists, avg. ranking #63) #224 - Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (150 points, 4 lists, avg. ranking #56) #223 - Them! (153 points, 3 lists) #222 - Happy Feet (154 points, 8 lists) #221 - Days of Wine and Roses (156 points, 4 lists) #220 - Just Mercy (157 points, 4 lists)

#54 The Treasure of the Sierra Madre 685 points, 12 lists "Badges? We ain't got no badges. We don't need no badges. I don't have to show you any stinking badges." Box Office: 4.1M Rotten Tomatoes: 100% Metacritic: 98 Awards: 3 Academy Awards and 1 nomination, 1 BAFTA Award nomination, 3 Golden Globe Awards, 3 National Board of Review Awards, 1 WGA Award and 1 nomination Its Legacy: Considered one of the greatest movies ever made. One of the first Hollywood movies to be shot on location in Mexico. Stanley Kubrick's fourth favorite film ever. Influenced the series Breaking Bad. Ranked #30 on AFI's Top 100 Movies and #38 in the 2007 edition. #67 on AFI's Most Thrilling Movies and #36 for Best Quotes. Referenced in Looney Tunes, UHF, and Blazing Saddles. Inspired the Dead Money expansion pack in Fallout: New Vegas. Gave Walter Huston a paycheck. Commentary: It’s the classic tale as old as time. People get greedy and they become bad. At this point, Saturday morning cartoons feature those kinds of stories and archetypes. But one of the earliest depictions, at least in cinema, is also one of the best to do it. John Huston’s all-time classic follows a trio of men trying to find gold in the Mexico desert. And what follows is one of the most engrossing and emotional films ever made. Not only is the film visually gorgeous and perfectly paced, its insights on corruption and greed are incredible. In particular, how greed can cause members of the working class to go against one another and how finding success and riches can create a scary hoarder mentality. The fear of going back into poverty is just too strong and it hurts everybody. Then of course you have the always amazing Humphrey Bogart, whose character slowly devloves more and more into paranoia as the film progresses. All of this not only made this a huge hit for a country that still had trauma from the Great Depression, but is frankly even more powerful 75 years later. More things change, the more they stay the same.

#55 Beetlejuice 682 points, 16 lists "It's showtime!" Box Office: 74.7M Rotten Tomatoes: 85% Metacritic: 70 Awards: 1 Academy Award, 2 BAFTA Award nominations, 3 Saturn Awards and 5 nominations, 1 Hugo Award nomination Its Legacy: Led to Tim Burton directing Batman. One of Burton's most iconic works and major reason his directing career is a long one. Spawned an animated series, video games, a stage musical and an upcoming sequel. The breakout role for Winona Ryder. Made Harry Belafonte's music iconic to 80s kids. Gave Catherine O'Hara a paycheck. Commentary: It’s easy to take him for granted these days, but there was a time when Tim Burton ruled the world. Every film he made was iconic. Every film he directed had so many offbeat and bizarre vibes that were memorable and entertaining and hilarious. He was an amazing and accessible gateway drug for so many of us into horror, surrealism, and gothics that influenced and inspired many of us. And one of his best, some would say his absolute best, came from a kooky comedy about a bunch of dead people. Beetlejuice, crafted as a test from WB to see if Burton will get the Batman gig or not, has one of Burton’s weirdest plots out there. It’s a movie that follows a happy couple who gets killed, there’s tons of creepy and weird-looking monsters, there’s a bunch of musical sequences crafted around Harry Belafonte tunes, the titular character of the movie isn’t in the movie until the very end, said character’s name is spelled differently from the movie versus the movie title, and also Beetlegeuse marries a teenage Winona Ryder? That’s...not aged the best. But honestly, it all doesn’t matter. This has some incredible production values, capturing a B movie flair while still clearly having tons of money put behind it, so many iconic and memorable characters, hilarious sequences one after the other, and an incredible balance of laughs, drama, and terror that only Tim Burton at his prime could achieve. It’s honestly a miracle a film this eccentric was made by a major studio and given to a director who only had one hit to his name. It’s even crazier that this became a box office sensation, created a hit stage musical, is still watched every Halloween by millions, and is even getting a likely terrible sequel set to launch next year. You can say a lot about Tim Burton these days, but it’s impossible not to love and respect him. Especially with a classic like this.

#56 The Young Girls of Rochefort 658 points, 10 lists "We are a pair of twins born in the sign of Gemini, Mi fa so la mi re, Re mifa so so so re do" Box Office: 8M Rotten Tomatoes: 98% Metacritic: N/A Awards: 1 Academy Award nomination Its Legacy: Considered one of the greatest movie musicals of all time. The finale to director Jacque Demy's "romantic trilogy". Saw a stage adaptation in France in 2003. Ranked #185 in Sight & Sound's 2022 poll. Gave Gene Kelly a paycheck. Commentary: I gotta be honest, I didn’t expect this to hit the top 100. Especially since, frankly, WB is only a tiny footnote to this film’s legacy. When the Jacques Demy classic first came to US waters, there was excitement after it performed so well in its native country France. However, an English-language version was shot simultaneously with the French iteration, and Warner Bros. was the studio who distributed that English cut. Ultimately, the English cut didn’t do well financially and has since been lost to time, I’m assuming because of poor reception. And honestly, I think most fans here have no idea there even was an English version of Rochefort. But that doesn’t really matter. Even if it’s tangential, what matters is that we have what is considered one of the greatest musicals of all time. One that is joyous, poppy, full of hummable and catchy tunes, and a fine example of French New Wave cinema and its positive attributes. A film that takes the conventions and tropes we know and love from classic Hollywood, but revamp them into a more contemporary feature that plays into and subverts the archetypes and tropes, creating something wholly original. It also has Gene Kelly and, really, every movie needs Gene Kelly in it. It’s an effective musical feature, one that sits well with Demy’s other classic The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. And even if it wasn’t a huge part of WB history, this was an influence with Greta Gerwig for her Barbie movie, which is now on track to be one of, if not the biggest WB film of all time. So in a weird way, this is a film that will always be integral and iconic to the Warner family.

Avi Arad produced this.

lmao this movie is screwed

What even is a Demeter? Sounds like a math equation

https://deadline.com/2023/08/box-office-barbie-oppenheimer-meg-2-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-1235454860/

Quorum Updates Bottoms T-29: 12.91% Awareness Thanksgiving T-106: 8.41% Awareness Trolls Band Together T-106: 42.52% Awareness Napoleon T-111: 20.15% Awareness Elio T-211: 19.79% Awareness A Quiet Place: Day One T-218: 29.77% Awareness Ghostbusters: Afterlife 2 T-239: 35.55% Awareness Deadpool 3 T-274: 56.02% Awareness Meg 2: The Trench T-2: 56.89% Awareness Final Awareness: 100% chance of 10M, 89% chance of 20M, 68% chance of 30M, 42% chance of 40M, 32% chance of 50M Tentpole Awareness: 100% chance of 40M, 50% chance of 50M The Last Voyage of the Demeter T-8: 26.4% Awareness Final Awareness: 16% chance of 10M Horror Awareness: 40% chance of 10M

#238 - The Wicker Man (1973) (137 points, 2 lists) #237 - The Disaster Artist (139 points, 3 lists, avg. ranking #37) #236 - Something's Gotta Give (139 points, 3 lists, avg. ranking #30) #235 - Rush Hour 2 (140 points, 3 lists, avg. ranking #31) #234 - A Perfect World (140 points, 3 lists, avg. ranking #18) #233 - National Lampoon's European Vacation (140 points, 2 lists) #232 - Jeremiah Johnson (143 points, 4 lists) #231 - Key Largo (145 points, 4 lists) #230 - Godzilla: King of the Monsters (145 points, 3 lists)

#249 - Creed II (128 points, 4 lists) #248 - Mister Roberts (128 points, 2 lists) #247 - Mars Attacks! (129 points, 3 lists) #246 - Inherent Vice (131 points, 4 lists) #245 - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (131 points, 3 lists) #244 - Wait Until Dark (133 points, 3 lists, avg. ranking #60) #243 - The Mission (133 points, 3 lists, avg. ranking #41) #242 - The Accountant (135 points, 3 lists) #241 - Roger & Me (136 points, 2 lists) #240 - Best in Show (137 points, 3 lists, avg. ranking #55) #239 - Pokemon: The First Movie (137 points, 3 lists, avg. ranking #40)

#259 - The Fountain (117 points, 3 lists) #258 - The Informant! (118 points, 4 lists) #257 - Midnight Special (118 points, 3 lists) #256 - The Meg (119 points, 4 lists) #255 - Wonder Woman 1984 (121 points, 5 lists) #254 - Pale Rider (121 points, 3 lists) #253 - Gypsy (126 points, 3 lists) #252 - Superman Returns (126 points, 2 lists) #251 - Invictus (127 points, 4 lists) #250 - August Rush (127 points, 2 lists)

That's a record that I really hope lasts forever. There's no other movie I think deserves "worst opening in history" more than this one movie.

I mean...this would happen even if this was Sony or Paramount or whatever that released Haunted Mansion. Especially since it's not most theaters would have anything to replace the movie that will be #5 for the weekend. I know it's fun to complain about Disney, but do it when it actually matters mate. The Rise of the TMNT movie that came out last year was pretty fun. Don't think it's super accessible to people who aren't familiar with the show it's based on, but it's still got some legit cool animation and fight scenes that would have been my shit if I was 12.

Because every movie retains its theaters in its second week. No matter how hard it bombs. Especially from a major studio like Disney.

#57 Strangers on a Train 652 points, 12 lists "I still think it would be wonderful to have a man love you so much he'd kill for you." Box Office: 7M Rotten Tomatoes: 98% Metacritic: 88 Awards: 1 Academy Award nomination, 1 DGA Award nomination, 1 National Board of Review Award nomination Its Legacy: One of Alfred Hitchcock's most loved and critically beloved works. Has both a "British" version and "Hollywood" version. Adapted into radio twice. Inspired the 1987 Danny DeVito movie Throw Momma From the Train. Remade into the TV movie Once You Meet a Stranger in 1996. Ranked #75 in Time Out's Top 100 Best Thrillers of All Time. Joined the National Film Registry in 2021. Gave Leo G. Carroll a paycheck. Commentary: Yet another certified Hitchcock classic, this took the classic Patricia Highsmith novel and gave us one of the most suspenseful and exciting films ever made by the iconic filmmaker. It’s a basic premise of two strangers on a train (ohhh, I get it), one of whom is a psychopath, and the two “exchanging” murders. It’s another typical Hitchcock story of a normal person who gets caught up in a web of intrigue and terror. But this stands out with its unique motifs and flourishes that allow this to really have so much personality and wit. Alongside the witty screenplay is tons of crosscutting techniques in the editing that really gives our two main characters life and personality, while also emphasizing how both are two sides of the same coin and the spitting image of one another at the same time. It creates a unique contrast and a fascinating character study, with an assist from two great acting performances by Farley Granger and especially Robert Walker. It’s one of the best examples of Hitchcock’s understanding of suspense and the visual language of cinema, resulting in a heart-pounding and gorgeous murder story that serves as one of the man’s absolute best works, especially within his WB canon.

#58 The Matrix Reloaded 652 points, 13 lists "Choice is an illusion created between those with power and those without." Box Office: 741.8M Rotten Tomatoes: 74% Metacritic: 62 Awards: 2 MTV Movie Award nominations, 1 Teen Choice Award and 4 nominations, 1 Satellite Award nomination, 1 VES Award and 1 nomination Its Legacy: The highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time until Deadpool. The third biggest film of 2003. The biggest six-day opening of all time until Spider-Man 2. The beginning of 2003's Matrix Mania. Parodied at the MTV Movie Awards with Will Ferrell. Boasted groundbreaking visual effects that have gone on to lay the groundwork for tons more blockbusters to come. Gave Jada Pinkett Smith a paycheck. Commentary: Well, we have another sequel to an iconic hit that was not super well-received at the time. The Matrix Reloaded came with a lot of sky-high expectations that, frankly, were impossible to match. The Matrix blew everybody away in 1999, and the idea of a sequel that expanded this iconic world and characters was something everybody and their grandma got behind. And Lilly and Lana Wachowski promised the motherload back in 2003. Not only was The Matrix going to be a franchise, but the franchise. Two sequels, a video game that ties into both those sequels’ story and an anthology anime film all in just one year. And with the advent of transmedia storytelling, all of these would be essential to each other in this epic storyline. What happened after that...well, things got pretty mixed. And for many, Reloaded set things off immediately on the wrong foot. It focused too much on action over philosophy, the plot was way too convoluted, it didn’t innovate on its predecessor. But just as many, in fact way more, still found a lot to love here. The action scenes were legit jaw-dropping and still look impressive 20 years later. The relationship between Neo and Trinity is tightened and emphasized way more, giving viewers a love story to rally behind. The film’s look into philosophical ideas of control and protecting the people can really strike a chord with certain people. And frankly, like any Wachowski piece, it’s a wholly original piece of cinema that feels like it could only be made by them. And even if some consider it a lesser piece, two wild geniuses like them can have even their supposed lower tier lead to greatness and striking a chord with tons of people.

#59 Gremlins 2: The New Batch 646 points, 13 lists "Tonight, on the Clamp Cable Classic Movie Channel, don't miss Casablanca, now in full color with a happier ending." Box Office: 41.5M Rotten Tomatoes: 71% Metacritic: 69 Awards: 6 Saturn Award nominations Its Legacy: Considered one of the most subversive and satirical sequels ever made. Has a devoted fan following. Features some of the first Chuck Jones-directed Looney Tunes animation in decades. Released tons of merchandise upon its release. Gave Tony Randall a paycheck. Commentary: 1984’s Gremlins is of course a classic (enough of a classic to make the top 100 though???????), and its box office success meant a sequel had to happen. And it’s here director Joe Dante, known for his wacky, surrealist, cartoony comedy, took the anarchism and insanity of the first Gremlins, and dialed it up to 11. While Dante was reluctant to make a Gremlins sequel, the carte blanche he was given allowed him to go hog wild in a film that is both the thesis and antithesis of the 1984 classic. It’s a film that serves as a self-aware, deconstructive parody of the original movie, mocking the ideas and storyline of the first movie, the backlash from parent groups over his movie, and just having a crazy anarchist vibe where any and all rules were broken. Right down to being introduced by the kings of anarchy themselves, the Looney Tunes. When you have Leonard Maltin getting attacked by gremlins because he gave the first movie a bad review, you know this is a pretty wacky film. People at the time were baffled. While Gremilns 1 was silly, it wasn’t this out of left field and self-parodic. And many were confused at what they were seeing. However, something this audacious and out there was bound to have a cult following, and this very much has. It’s a film that only exists to sell Gremlins toys, so might as well get weird with it. And with its hilarious set pieces, funny cameos, and satirical wit, mocking the ideas of sequels as a very concept, there’s really very few like it. And what other examples do exist don’t contain the charm and style and creativity that Joe Dante provided. A Gremlins 3 has been on again and off again for decades, and I’m sure WB will want to get something out there before 80s nostalgia loses its luster. But honestly? I think we’re good if we end things right here. With something as chaotic and wack-a-doo as the Gremlins themselves.

Still amazes me arthouse dude Ben Wheatley directed this.

Late stage capitalism babyyyyyyyyyyy

Discuss

COWABUNGA

No reason to be ashamed of liking a banger. Of course, it's no Ninja Rap.