Watching television this weekend, in a particularly lazy weekend, I came across Channel 4’s top 100 movies. Now they’ve done a lot of these before, but this one was actually from the British Film Industry‘s Box Office figures for the UK. Now that sounded interesting. So I gave up six hours (yes, six hours!) of my weekend to watch what turned out to be some very surprising results.
The 100 was filled with older movies, and some real surprises as well. So as not to spoil it, I suggest you have a look yourself, but just for some interesting facts, take a look at this.
Tom Cruise was not in any film in the top 100, and his closest appearance was in Goldmember! I find that amazing, that is his highest grossing UK Box Office movie?! It was a great film, but can you imagine that his pulling power in the Box Office is less than that of Austin Powers?
Another similar fact is that Robert De Niro failed to hit the top 100 as well, and his closest was…now wait for this…you won’t believe it…really…Meet the parents! What?! Says a lot for our audiences!
The only Matrix movie in the 100 was Matrix Reloaded at 96. I can kind of understand that as the hype of Matrix built everyone to a frenzy. Interesting though how the third never made it.
Star Wars trilogy, now you would think that had a high chance of entering. In reverse order. Return of the Jedi was 87, Empire Strikes Back was 67, Attack of the Clones – Woh, hold it Richard – Clones better than Empire and Jedi?! Eh? I think this is starting to show that even the Box Office figures don’t show a good film! Okay, Phantom Menace 28th? NOOOO!!! Wait…there is some saving grace, Star Wars is 4th. Phew. Thank you people.
Hitchcock only has one entry with Rebecca of all of his movies, at 73.
For disaster movies, Independance Day was in at 47, but that was beaten by Towering Inferno at 39. That does surprise me, however, it is a classic!
Highest Bond movie wasThunderball at 18, and Bond had seven entries no less. Thunderball was perhaps the most violent Bond and one of the first films to present a slightly harsher side to the character.
Harry Potter beat Lord of the Rings! Oh the marketing power of children. The Philosophers Stone was in at 11, whereas Fellowship of the Ring was 16. That doesn’t really surprise me, although the fact that they were both out of the top ten does.
Lastly, and I’m not going to run down the top five I’m afraid, was the shock that Titanic was not in that five. It was 8th. Still, a good showing, but I thought it’s UK takings would have been good enough for the top five, if not two.
What is in the top five is quite surprising, although first place does make you go “Oh, of course”. Check it out, it’s a very interesting list.
