Box Office Theory Forum's Top 100 Warner Bros. Movies

[Eric the Marxist]

Chaos incarnate lol

[DAR]

7 hours ago, SchumacherFTW said:

I really should get around to watching this already

Yes

 

[The Panda]

On 7/30/2023 at 9:43 PM, Eric the Hatbox Ghost said:

#67

Life of Brian

583 points, 11 lists

"He's not the Messiah. He's a very naughty boy! Now, piss off!"

Box Office: 20.7M

Rotten Tomatoes: 97%

Metacritic: 77

Awards: N/A

 

Its Legacy: Cited as one of the funniest comedies ever made and one of the most blasphemous movies ever made. Picketed and protested upon its initial release. Earned a spin-off book, an oratorio, and numerous parodies. Appeared on numerous "best comedy" and "Best British film" lists by Total Film, Channel 4, The Guardian, BFI, Time Out, and Empire. Gave Eric Idle a paycheck.

 

Commentary: One of the most controversial comedies ever made, this parodic take on the story of Jesus, courtesy of Monty Python, almost feels like a film that shouldn’t have happened. Funding almost dried up until George Harrison of all people saved the day, and numerous religion groups cited this film as a form of blasphemy and the film was banned in numerous countries. Given the highest level of age rating at best in other markets. It’s miraculous, frankly, the similarly-themed Jesus Christ Superstar, which came out around the same time, lasted as long as it did.

 

Yet while some were offended, most were just excited to see another Monty Python feature. And since controversy sells, Life of Brian would become a box office success and almost immediately cited as one of the funniest comedies ever made. Within the satire and silliness that people have always loved about the Monty Python franchise, there’s still a sense of poignancy that does help make this a bit more palatable for those who follow Christianity. In fact, John Cleese has mentioned that many pious individuals have mentioned how much they love the movie and appreciate the film’s jabs at religion and the double standards found within it.

 

Over the decades, Life of Brian is still considered the magnum opus of Monty Python and the film’s controversial subjects and humor still makes this hotly debated and frequently discussed among cinephiles and religious groups. And in many ways, this kind of discussion makes this a cut above most silly comedies and has ensured this is a movie that will always have an important place within the realm of comedy cinema.

Way too low

[Eric the Marxist]

#279 - Analyze This (99 points, 3 lists)

 

#278 - Mad Max (99 points, 2 lists)

 

#277 - The Maltese Falcon (1931) (99 points, 1 list)

 

#276 - The Dark Knight Returns Part II (100 points, 1 list)

 

#275 - The Jazz Singer (102 points, 2 lists)

 

#274 - They Shall Not Grow Old (104 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #49)

 

#273 - Batman: Under the Red Hood (104 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #43)

 

#272 - Meet John Doe (105 points, 2 lists)

 

#271 - Innerspace (106 points, 4 lists)

 

#270 - A Little Princess (106 points, 2 lists)

[4815162342]

Very quick jumpscare there with The Maltese Falcon

[WorkingonaName]

Glad there's another Hangover 3 appreciator on this forum.  

[ListenHunnyUrOver]

So Far…
 

100: East of Eden (1955)

99: White Heat (1949)

98. John Wick (2014)
97. Whatever Happened To Baby Jane (1962)

96. Rebel Without A Cause (1955)

95. The Right Stuff (1983)

94. Joker (2019)

93. The Suicide Squad (2021)

92. Contact (1997)
91. Mad Max 2 (1981) 

90. Judas and the Black Messiah (2020)

89. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

88. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part I (2010)
87. Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

86. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

85. The Music Man (1962) 

84. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

83. Wonder Woman (2017)

82. Badlands (1973)

81. Mildred Pierce (1945)

80. South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut (1999)
79. The Green Mile (1999)

78. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966)

77. Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets (2002)

76. The Conjuring (2013)

75. After Hours (1985)

74. John Wick Chapter 2 (2017)

73. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

72. The Nice Guys (2016)

71. Tenet (2020)

70. Lethal Weapon (1987)

69. Training Day (2001)

68. Speed Racer (2008)

67. Life of Brian (1979)

66. Dial M For Murder (1954)

65. A Star is Born (2018)

64. JFK (1991)

63. Empire of the Sun (1987)

62. The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (2007)

61. Cool Hand Luke (1967)

60. All The President’s Men (1976)

[Eric the Marxist]

#269 - 42nd Street (107 points, 4 lists, avg. ranking #74)

 

#268 - The Matrix Revolutions (107 points, 4 lists, avg. ranking #63)

 

#267 - The Pajama Game (107 points, 2 lists)

 

#266 - The In-Laws (108 points, 2 lists)

 

#265 - The Killing Fields (109 points, 4 lists)

 

#264 - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (112 points, 4 lists)

 

#263 - Bones and All (113 points, 4 lists)

Spoiler

HIS HAIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH 🤤

 

#262 - Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (113 points, 3 lists)

 

#261 - The Crimson Pirate (114 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #44)

 

#260 - Natural Born Killers (114 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #28)

[Human]

There is the last DTV film only I put on the list.

[4815162342]

48 minutes ago, Eric the Turtle said:

 

 

#266 - The In-Laws (108 points, 2 lists)

 

 

 

Sad

[Eric the Marxist]

#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.

[Eric the Marxist]

#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.

[Eric the Marxist]

#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.

[Eric the Marxist]

#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)

[Eric the Marxist]

#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)

[Eric the Marxist]

#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)

[Kalo]

3 hours ago, Eric the Turtle said:

#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.

 

It's also one of the few mainstream films of the 1950s to include a "homosexual" character. of course it's the villain, but in the early to mid 1950s, censorship had gotten soo bad that you could not even mention the term' "Gay or homosexual" so the filmmakers had to get around "gay coding" with subtexts, which it was actually a little easier to see through in the 1930s and 40s actually cause there rules weren't as harsh yet. it's not quite as oblivious in this film as some but if you look at certain details it is there a pretty clear. it's basically hiding in plane sight. just a little tid-bit about the film.

[Cap]

3 hours ago, Eric the Turtle said:

#240 - Best in Show (137 points, 3 lists, avg. ranking #55)

 

wait wait wait how did I miss/forget this?!?

 

Omg I quote this movie like four times a day. I would’ve totally Power Ranked had a known.

 

one of my absolute favorites, ever

 

 

 

[4815162342]

11 minutes ago, Cap said:

wait wait wait how did I miss/forget this?!?

 

Omg I quote this movie like four times a day. I would’ve totally Power Ranked had a known.

 

one of my absolute favorites, ever

 

 

 

 

I have to exile you to the doghouse

 

[Eric the Marxist]

#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.