- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $36,000,000
- Year Released: 1983
- Starred: Dee Wallace, Danny Pintauro
- IMDB Rating: 6.1/10
Directed by Lewis Teague, Cujo utilized several dogs to portray the titular character. The friendly nature of the St. Bernard named Beethoven required extensive training to appear menacing, highlighting the challenges and creativity involved in bringing Stephen King's story to life.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $412,000,000
- Year Released: 2010
- Starred: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber
- IMDB Rating: 6.4/10
Directed by Phillip Noyce and starring Angelina Jolie and Liev Schreiber, Salt showcases Jolie performing many of her own stunts. Additionally, Jolie learned how to speak Russian for her role in the film, adding authenticity to her character.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $36,000,000
- Year Released: 1985
- Starred: Tim Curry, Eileen Brennan
- IMDB Rating: 6.6/10
Directed by Jonathan Lynn, Clue is based on the classic board game. The film features three different endings, which were shown randomly in different theaters. This innovative approach to storytelling provided audiences with varied experiences, making the film a unique cinematic event.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $451,000,000
- Year Released: 2005
- Starred: Will Smith, Eva Mendes
- IMDB Rating: 6.6/10
Directed by Andy Tennant and starring Will Smith and Eva Mendes, Hitch features Will Smith in a role that he initially turned down. He felt it was too similar to his character in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Eagle-eyed viewers might catch a glimpse of a young Alexander Skarsgård. Although his role gets cut short and ends up mostly on the editing room floor, he appears in a photo as the cheating ex-boyfriend of Allegra Cole. This was a few years before Skarsgård's breakout role in True Blood.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $118,000,000
- Year Released: 2004
- Starred: Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell
- IMDB Rating: 6.6/10
Directed by James Wan, Saw starred Cary Elwes and Leigh Whannell and was shot in just 18 days. The infamous "reverse bear trap" device featured in the film was inspired by a real-life medieval torture device called the "iron maiden."
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $18,000,000
- Year Released: 1992
- Starred: Bridget Fonda, Matt Dillon
- IMDB Rating: 6.7/10
Directed by Cameron Crowe, Singles features early performances by several future stars, including Eddie Vedder. The film's iconic opening scene, with Bridget Fonda rollerskating down Venice Beach to "Don't Let Me Down" by Prefab Sprout, was impressively filmed in a single take, showcasing Crowe's directorial prowess.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $53,000,000
- Year Released: 1987
- Starred: Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell
- IMDB Rating: 6.9/10
Overboard was directed by famed filmmaker Garry Marshall. During the filming of the original movie, Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell fell in love and have been together ever since, adding a real-life romantic touch to the film's history. The film was remade in 2018 with reversed roles
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $821,000,000
- Year Released: 2014
- Starred: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning
- IMDB Rating: 7/10
Directed by Robert Stromberg, Maleficent stars Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning. Jolie's daughter played young Aurora in the film. Additionally, Jolie wore special contact lenses that gave her different colored eyes throughout the filming.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $167,000,000
- Year Released: 1987
- Starred: Cher, Nicolas Cage
- IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
Directed by Norman Jewison, Moonstruck won 3 Oscars, including Best Actress for Cher. Nicolas Cage wasn't the first choice for the role of Ronny. After seeing his screen test, the studio wasn't convinced. But Cher, a huge fan of his acting in Peggy Sue Got Married, insisted he was the perfect fit. She even threatened to quit if they didn't cast him.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $43,000,000
- Year Released: 1995
- Starred: Ice Cube, Chris Tucker
- IMDB Rating: 7.2/10
Directed by F. Gary Gray, Friday was shot in just 20 days, a remarkably short production period. The movie was also filmed on the director's childhood street in South Central Los Angeles. In fact, his house can even be seen in the background of a scene.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $442,000,000
- Year Released: 2002
- Starred: Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere
- IMDB Rating: 7.2/10
Directed by Rob Marshall, Chicago won 6 Oscars, including Best Picture. The film is based on the 1975 Broadway musical of the same name. Renée Zellweger almost passed on the role of Roxie Hart because she doubted her singing and dancing abilities. She ended up being nominated for an Oscar and BAFTA, as well as winning a Golden Globe for the performance.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $728,000,000
- Year Released: 1978
- Starred: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing
- IMDB Rating: 7.2/10
Directed by Randal Kleiser, Grease was nominated for 1 Oscar for Best Original Song. The film's finale was shot at Venice High School in Los Angeles. Notably, John Travolta was almost 24 years old when he played the high school senior Danny Zuko, while Olivia Newton-John, who played Sandy, was 29.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $241,000,000
- Year Released: 1982
- Starred: JoBeth Williams, Heather O'Rourke
- IMDB Rating: 7.3/10
Directed by Tobe Hooper, Poltergeist received 3 Oscar nominations. Steven Spielberg co-wrote and produced the movie. One memorable scene is when the kitchen chairs stack themselves onto the table. When the camera turns away, if you look closely enough, you can glimpse crew member reflections in the appliances as they quickly swap the individual chairs with a single glued-together stack.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $233,000,000
- Year Released: 1985
- Starred: Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, Lukas Haas
- IMDB Rating: 7.4/10
Directed by Peter Weir, Witness was nominated for 8 Oscars and won 2, including Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing. Harrison Ford received his only Oscar nomination for this film and famously disliked the line "The railroad tracks bend because the Earth curves," which director Peter Weir insisted on keeping.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $117,000,000
- Year Released: 1976
- Starred: Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie
- IMDB Rating: 7.4/10
Directed by Brian De Palma and nominated for 2 Oscars, Carrie used corn syrup for the blood in the famous prom scene. Sissy Spacek, who played the lead role, insisted on doing her own pig blood stunt for authenticity.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $233,000,000
- Year Released: 2021
- Starred: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson
- IMDB Rating: 7.4/10
Directed by Craig Gillespie, Cruella features Emma Stone performing many of her own stunts. Stone based her portrayal of Cruella de Vil on heiress Gloria Vanderbilt and fashion designer Diana Vreeland.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $65,000,000
- Year Released: 2016
- Starred: Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris
- IMDB Rating: 7.4/10
Directed by Barry Jenkins, Moonlight won 3 Oscars, including the Academy Award for Best Picture. This makes it the first film with an all-black cast to win this prestigious award. Mahershala Ali became the first Muslim actor to win two Academy Awards, earning Best Supporting Actor for his role in Moonlight in 2017 and Best Actor for Green Book in 2019.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $276,000,000
- Year Released: 1996
- Starred: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox
Directed by Wes Craven, Scream revitalized the horror genre in the late 1990s. The now-iconic Ghostface mask, which has become synonymous with the film, was purchased for a mere $15 at a costume shop.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $219,000,000
- Year Released: 1997
- Starred: Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey
- IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
Directed by Robert Zemeckis, Contact weaves together science fiction with real-world events. The film includes an edited speech by President Bill Clinton where he acknowledges the existence of a message from extraterrestrial intelligence. This clip, while fictionalized for the movie, adds a layer of realism. However, the president himself wasn't a fan of this scene.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $800,000,000
- Year Released: 1989
- Starred: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson
- IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
Directed by Tim Burton, Batman won the Academy Award for Best Art Direction. The iconic Batmobile used in the film was built on a Chevrolet Impala chassis. This distinctive design choice contributed to the film's unique aesthetic and enduring appeal.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $237,000,000
- Year Released: 2004
- Starred: Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx
- IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
Directed by Michael Mann, Collateral stars Tom Cruise, who trained extensively for his role as a hitman. He went undercover as a delivery person for a company like FedEx, navigating the busy streets of Los Angeles without being recognized. This helped him understand the importance of blending in, a key aspect of Vincent's character.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $84,000,000
- Year Released: 2001
- Starred: Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz
- IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
Directed by Ted Demme, Blow is based on the real-life story of George Jung. He was a notorious drug trafficker from Boston. Jung himself served as a consultant on the film. The film presents a fictionalized account of Jung's life, providing an intense and dramatic portrayal of his rise and fall in the drug trade.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $95,000,000
- Year Released: 2015
- Starred: Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro
- IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
Directed by Denis Villeneuve and starring Emily Blunt and Benicio Del Toro, Sicario means "hitman" in Spanish. Although Benicio Del Toro delivers a powerful performance, his character Alejandro Gillick is a man of few words. Interestingly, there were originally more lines written for him. Director Denis Villeneuve decided the character was more menacing with a quieter presence, however.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $258,000,000
- Year Released: 1980
- Starred: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty
- IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
Directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker, Airplane! is a parody of the disaster film genre. The film was voted number 10 by the American Film Institute on their list of 100 funniest movies of all time, which released in the year 2000.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $210,000,000
- Year Released: 1978
- Starred: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence
- IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
Directed by John Carpenter, Halloween features an iconic mask worn by Michael Myers. It's actually a repainted Captain Kirk of Star Trek mask. Nick Castle, the actor behind the Michael Myers mask, only earned $25 a day for his work on the film.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $92,000,000
- Year Released: 1993
- Starred: Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott
- IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
Directed by George P. Cosmatos, Tombstone features Val Kilmer’s iconic portrayal of Doc Holliday, which is often quoted. For his role as Wyatt Earp, Kurt Russell gained 50 pounds of muscle, showcasing his dedication to the character.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $98,000,000
- Year Released: 2004
- Starred: Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle
- IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
Directed by Paul Haggis and featuring Sandra Bullock and Don Cheadle, Crash won the Academy Award for Best Picture despite initial mixed reviews. The film’s win was controversial as many critics felt Best Picture should have gone to Brokeback Mountain instead.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $290,000,000
- Year Released: 1987
- Starred: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers
- IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $667,000,000
- Year Released: 2001
- Voices: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz
- IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
Directed by Andrew Adamson, Shrek won the first-ever Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Initially, Sean Connery was considered for the voice of Shrek, but the role eventually went to Mike Myers. This casting change contributed to the film's unique charm and success.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $3,200,000,000
- Year Released: 1997
- Starred: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane
- IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
Also directed by James Cameron, Titanic won 11 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. At the time of its release, it was the most expensive film ever made costing approximately $200 million. An interesting fact about the production is that the sinking of the Titanic was filmed in reverse order to create a more realistic portrayal of the disaster.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $3,200,000,000
- Year Released: 2009
- Starred: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana
- IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
Directed by James Cameron, Avatar won 3 Oscars, including the Academy Award for Best Cinematography. It became the highest-grossing film of all time upon its release. A fascinating aspect of the film is that the language spoken by the Na'vi people is a fully realized constructed language created by linguist Paul Frommer.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $63,000,000
- Year Released: 1999
- Starred: Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore
- IMDB Rating: 8/10
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, Magnolia features an ensemble cast performing multiple interconnected stories. The film's sprawling narrative includes nine seemingly unconnected characters whose stories intertwine in unexpected ways by the end, creating a complex and richly woven tale.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $561,000,000
- Year Released: 1976
- Starred: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young
- IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
Directed by John G. Avildsen and nominated for 10 Oscars, winning 3 including Best Picture, Rocky is famous for Sylvester Stallone's rapid creation of the screenplay. He wrote it in just three and a half days. Stallone, who was paid only $23,000 for his work on the film, insisted on playing the lead role, which proved to be a wise decision as the movie became a massive success.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $1,154,000,000
- Year Released: 1975
- Starred: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss
- IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
Directed by Steven Spielberg, Jaws won 3 Oscars for Best Film Editing, Best Original Dramatic Score, and Best Sound. The mechanical shark, Bruce, often malfunctioned, leading Spielberg to rely more on suspense and suggestion rather than visual horror. This approach resulted in increased suspense and has become a defining element of the movie's enduring legacy.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $83,000,000
- Year Released: 1996
- Starred: Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi
- IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, Fargo was nominated for 7 Oscars and won 2, including Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress. Although the film is described as "based on a true story," it is actually entirely fictional. Remarkably, the Coen brothers wrote the script in just six weeks, showcasing their exceptional storytelling skills.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $157,000,000
- Year Released: 1974
- Starred: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston
- IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
Directed by Roman Polanski and nominated for 11 Oscars, winning 1 for Best Original Screenplay, Chinatown is often cited as having one of the greatest screenplays ever. It was written by Robert Towne. Jack Nicholson chipped his front tooth while filming a scene where he’s shoved into a water fountain. He decided to keep the chipped tooth for the rest of the film because he liked the way it looked for the character.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $141,000,000
- Year Released: 1995
- Starred: Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci
- IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
Directed by Martin Scorsese and nominated for 1 Oscar for Best Actress, Casino features a character named Ginger McKenna, based on the real-life person Geri McGee. During filming, Robert De Niro broke two of his ribs while performing a fight scene.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $110,000,000
- Year Released: 2000
- Starred: Jason Statham, Brad Pitt
- IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
Directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Jason Statham and Brad Pitt, Snatch features Pitt’s character with a distinctive accent to mask his real-life accent. The characters in the film speak a mix of English and a slang dialect called "Stewpot."
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $121,000,000
- Year Released: 1958
- Starred: James Stewart, Kim Novak
- IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Vertigo received no Oscars at the time of its release but is now acclaimed as a masterpiece and considered one of the greatest films ever made. Hitchcock, who was afraid of heights, had to be strapped to a special platform to film the iconic rooftop scene.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $243,000,000
- Year Released: 1995
- Starred: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer
- IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
Directed by Michael Mann, Heat features an iconic shootout scene that has influenced many subsequent action movies. Despite their starring roles, Robert De Niro and Al Pacino only have one brief moment where you can see both their faces on screen together. De Niro's reflection is in the car window as Pacino walks up to him. Otherwise, even in the famous diner scene, the camera cuts back and forth between a focus on each individual actor.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $198,000,000
- Year Released: 1984
- Starred: Tom Hulce, F. Murray Abraham
- IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
Directed by Miloš Forman, Amadeus won 8 Oscars, including Best Picture. The film was shot in Prague, where Mozart lived, and Tom Hulce, who played Mozart, learned to play the piano for the film.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $698,000,000
- Year Released: 2008
- Voices: Ven Burtt, Elissa Knight
- IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
Directed by Andrew Stanton, Wall-E features the voices of Ben Burtt and Elissa Knight. Wall-E's voice was created using an old Macintosh computer sound. Additionally, Wall-E's cockroach companion is named HAL, a reference to the villainous computer HAL 9000 from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $61,000,000
- Year Released: 2000
- Starred: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss
- IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
Directed by Christopher Nolan, Memento is renowned for its reverse chronological storytelling. The film's non-linear narrative was inspired by a case of anterograde amnesia experienced by Nolan's brother, adding depth and authenticity to the story's unique structure.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $484,000,000
- Year Released: 1942
- Starred: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid
- IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
Directed by Michael Curtiz, Casablanca won 3 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. The iconic line "Here's looking at you, kid" was improvised by Humphrey Bogart, adding to the film's legendary status. Interestingly, this line was not in the original script but became one of the most memorable in film history. To this day, Casablanca is considered one of the greatest films ever made.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $798,000,000
- Year Released: 1960
- Starred: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles
- IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Psycho was nominated for 4 Oscars. The infamous shower scene took seven days to film and used over 70 different camera angles. Hitchcock purchased the rights to the novel for $7,500 and insisted that bookstores remove all copies from their shelves to heighten suspense for the film.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $442,000,000
- Year Released: 1979
- Starred: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt
- IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
Directed by Ridley Scott, Alien won 1 Oscar for Best Visual Effects. The film is infamous for the "chestburster" scene, which was a shock to the cast who were not fully informed about what would happen. The special effects for the Alien creature were created by a team of only 12 people, led by the legendary Swiss artist H.R. Giger.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $673,000,000
- Year Released: 2000
- Starred: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen
- IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
Directed by Ridley Scott, Gladiator won 5 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor. The film features the memorable line "Are you not entertained?" which was ad-libbed by Russell Crowe. Additionally, the Colosseum in Rome was digitally recreated for the movie in great detail according to historical accuracy.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $453,000,000
- Year Released: 1995
- Starred: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow
- IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
Directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, Seven is known for its shocking ending, which was initially opposed by the studio. During filming, Brad Pitt accidentally broke his hand while filming a scene where his character punches a suspect, an injury that was incorporated into the final version of the film.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $696,000,000
- Year Released: 2014
- Starred: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain
- IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
Interstellar was directed by Christopher Nolan and nominated for 5 Oscars, winning 1 for Best Visual Effects. The film is notable for its scientific authenticity, as the depiction of the black hole was based on actual equations and theories. An interesting tidbit is that the ticking sound heard in the soundtrack while on Miller's planet (the ocean-covered world) symbolizes on day on Earth passing.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $105,000,000
- Year Released: 1990
- Starred: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci
- IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
Directed by Martin Scorsese, Goodfellas was nominated for 6 Oscars and won 1 for Best Supporting Actor. The film is based on the true story of Henry Hill and the book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi. One memorable scene where Henry Hill narrates while chopping garlic was completely improvised by Ray Liotta.
- Adjusted Earnings (Worldwide): $870,000,000
- Year Released: 2010
- Starred: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page
- IMDB Rating: 8.8/10
Directed by Christopher Nolan, Inception was nominated for 8 Oscars and won 4, including Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects. The concept of the film was in development for over ten years. Interestingly, Leonardo DiCaprio almost wasn't cast because Nolan was initially concerned that DiCaprio's high profile might overshadow the role.
