Casablanca tops movie script poll

I wouldn't call "Young Frankenstein" an original screenplay either, as it is not. Adapted doesn't necessarily mean the material was adapted solely from a literary source in that case. There was a lot of material from "Bride of Frankenstein" as well, but if the film version's script of "Frankenstein" was adapted from the novel (which it was, no matter how truncated or altered) I can see why the script for "Young Frankenstein" is an adaptation rather than an original script.

It took me some time to locate the AWG full list as none of the news sources that published the ten best gave a proper link that day. I eventually found the AWG which is the list the original poster was putting up for discussion.

I didn't find the script for "Catch 22" was at fault for the film's problems as much as the director's quirky style being laid over Kurt Vonnegut's already pungent satire and some really choppy editing. It looked like the film had been edited by one of Vonnegut's more eccentric characters after a hit of some crystal meth.

Vonnegut? You mean Heller, right?

I realize that Catch-22 is too long and complex to be adapted straight onto the screen. That's not my problem with it. There is much about it that I do like. In fact, I have watched it four or five times, and if I don't like a film I won't sit through to the end even once. I believe that the character of Major Major was given short shrift, for one thing. In the film, he is virtually non existent. While that may have been his fondest dream, he still had a large roll in the book. Much of the problem, as has been pointed out already, is not entirely with the script, but in the filming. It is to me amateurish to allow the viewer to discern that a plaster figure has been struck by the plane, in one scene. And the groaning sequence was not well handled, I thought. I have not seen Catch-22 in several years, or read the novel in over thirty, so I can't recall everything about it that disappointed me. I will watch it again a few times, though. Despite the fact I can't consider it in the top 100, I do like it.

I'm always mixing up Heller with Vonnegut. I wish Heller had written more.

I didn't finish Heller's other novel.

Vonnegut is almost impossible to film also, "Slaughterhouse Five" being the best adaptation.

Joe from Chicago's gratuitous swipe at Rocky- Who knew Stallone had screenwriters misses the fact that Stallone wrote the script--and won an Academy Award.

He indeed was nominated for his script but he did not win. Paddy Chayevsky won for "Network" which was another Oscar gaffe in not giving that film Best Picture.

No swipe at the disaster that is "Rocky" should be labeled 'gratuitous.'

'


There are a number.

"Merry Andrew" must immediately convey his displeasure to the Academy which voted Rocky as the best film of 1976. Perhaps Merry Andrew would like to nominate another film? I like Spike Lee's greatest film-School Daze.

The best film was "Network." Everyone knew that but it was again a case of the Academy sucking themselves off.

The Academy "suckingthemselves off"??? I thought they only did that before naming "Brokeback" It would fit the theme, would it not?

Yes, it would, so perhaps they were giving Matt Dillon a blow job. TThey certainly would pass on you.

Now don't be ridiculous. You know Matt Dillon was not in "Brokeback"!

Neither were you, unless you are Randy Quaid. Dillon was in "Crash," the ridiculous winner of the Oscar. Osar is not the last word -- it's basically the decision of a bunch of aging actors who are out of work.

As Lightwizard has already suggested, the Academy is certainly not the final arbiter in matters of cinematic excellence. Its Oscar decisions are frquently political rather than artistic. "Brokeback Mountain" and "Crash" are both good examples of that. Each choice panders to currently popular themes among industry insiders. As to my making displeasure known, why would I do that so long after the fact? I don't write letters to the editor regarding some years-old matter either.

Excepting the box office over the last 100 years has not shown that gay themed films have been particularly popular but they have they garnered Academy votes on occassion, "Philadelphia," and "The Hours" being the high points and now "Brokeback Mountain". Only two have broken the $100M mark. Domestically and world wide, BBM is close to $180M, and has been on the DVD top ten for nearly a month now. I haven't seen the latest total DVD sales but BBM could sell another $150M in DVED sales. There haven't been that many films tackling racism that have been at the top either. The highmark in a film depicting bigotry was "Gentlemen's Agreement" which had a theme of anti-Semitism (well, duh, it's Hollywood!)

1 The Birdcage MGM $124,060,553 2,285 $18,275,828 1,950 3/8/96
2 Interview with the Vampire WB $105,264,608 2,604 $36,389,705 2,604 11/11/94
3 Brokeback Mountain Focus $83,043,761 2,089 $547,425 5 12/9/05
4 The Talented Mr. Ripley Par. $81,298,265 2,369 $12,738,237 2,307 12/25/99
5 Philadelphia TriS $77,446,440 1,604 $143,433 4 12/24/93
6 In & Out Par. $63,856,929 2,452 $15,019,821 1,992 9/19/97
7 The Crying Game Mira. $62,548,947 1,097 $101,107 6 11/27/92
8 The Hours Par. $41,675,994 1,010 $338,622 11 12/27/02
9 To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar Uni. $36,474,193 1,489 $9,019,180 1,294 9/8/95
10 Monster NM $34,469,210 1,093 $86,831 4 12/24/03
11 Alexander WB $34,297,191 2,445 $13,687,087 2,445 11/24/04
12 The Object of My Affection Fox $29,187,243 1,990 $9,725,855 1,890 4/17/98
13 Rent SonR $29,077,547 2,437 $10,016,021 2,433 11/23/05
14 Capote SPC $28,750,530 1,239 $324,857 12 9/30/05
15 Victor/Victoria MGM $28,215,453 615 $139,634 3 3/19/82
16 Frida Mira. $25,885,000 794 $205,996 5 10/25/02
17 Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil WB $25,105,255 1,312 $5,233,658 824 11/21/97
18 La Cage aux Folles MGM $20,424,259 - $18,709 5 3/30/79
19 Cruising MGM $19,784,223 - n/a - 2/15/80
20 Far From Heaven Focus $15,901,849 291 $211,279 6 11/8/02
21 The Next Best Thing Par. $14,990,582 2,035 $5,870,387 2,007 3/3/00
22 Threesome TriS $14,815,317 1,218 $4,001,024 1,212 4/8/94
23 Y Tu Mama Tambien IFC $13,839,658 286 $408,091 40 3/15/02
24 Chasing Amy Mira. $12,021,272 553 $52,446 3 4/4/97
25 Making Love Fox $11,897,978 380 $3,015,497 363 2/12/82
26 Boys Don't Cry FoxS $11,540,607 365 $73,720 2 10/8/99
27 Priscilla, Queen of the Desert Gram. $11,220,670 192 $219,433 7 8/10/94
28 Kinsey FoxS $10,254,979 588 $169,038 5 11/12/04
29 Transamerica Wein. $8,905,449 656 $46,908 2 12/2/05
30 The Deep End FoxS $8,823,109 412 $141,852 6 8/10/01
31 Boat Trip Art. $8,600,126 1,803 $3,815,075 1,714 3/21/03
32 Mulholland Drive Uni. $7,220,243 247 $587,591 66 10/8/01
33 Kissing Jessica Stein FoxS $7,025,722 319 $346,999 26 3/13/02
34 La Cage aux Folles 2 MGM $6,950,125 - n/a - 2/15/81
35 The Wedding Banquet Gold. $6,933,459 113 $134,870 7 8/6/93
36 The Closet (Le Placard) Mira. $6,678,894 145 $311,022 44 6/6/01
37 The Rules of Attraction Lions $6,532,619 1,437 $2,532,410 1,437 10/11/02
38 Gods and Monsters Lions $6,451,628 149 $75,508 6 11/6/98
39 Six Degrees of Separation MGM $6,405,918 201 $53,058 2 12/10/93
40 My Own Private Idaho FL $6,401,336 98 $68,452 3 9/27/91
41 Mambo Italiano IDP $6,253,026 183 $734,570 178 9/19/03
42 Partners Par. $6,062,898 877 $2,318,801 877 4/30/82
43 The Hunger MGM $5,979,292 775 $1,832,898 775 4/29/83
44 The Opposite of Sex SPC $5,881,367 165 $102,385 5 5/22/98
45 Personal Best WB $5,672,311 236 $549,878 142 2/5/82
46 Three of Hearts NL $5,495,507 793 $1,928,076 792 4/30/93
47 Farewell My Concubine Mira. $5,216,888 3 $69,408 3 10/15/93
48 Bad Education SPC $5,211,842 106 $147,370 3 11/19/04
49 Torch Song Trilogy NL $4,865,997 135 $70,022 6 12/16/88
50 Longtime Companion Gold. $4,609,953 85 $50,525 2 5/11/90
51 Flawless MGM $4,488,529 483 $1,590,155 478 11/26/99
52 Before Night Falls FL $4,242,892 127 $85,230 8 12/22/00
53 Priest Mira. $4,165,845 154 $113,430 8 3/24/95
54 Bound Gram. $3,802,260 262 $900,902 261 10/4/96
55 Paris is Burning Mira. $3,779,620 91 $310,127 23 8/9/91
56 Jeffrey OrionC $3,487,767 63 $185,909 10 8/4/95
57 Hedwig and the Angry Inch FL $3,067,312 101 $156,724 9 7/20/01
58 Heavenly Creatures Mira. $3,049,135 57 $31,592 2 11/16/94
59 Love! Valour! Compassion! FL $2,977,807 - n/a - 5/16/97
60 Walk on Water IDP $2,713,932 47 $60,465 10 3/4/05
61 Naked Lunch Fox $2,641,357 102 $64,491 5 12/27/91
62 The Dreamers FoxS $2,532,228 116 $142,632 5 2/6/04
63 Desert Hearts Gold. $2,492,088 - n/a - 3/7/86
64 My Beautiful Laundrette OrionC $2,451,545 - n/a - 3/7/86
65 Maurice Cinc $2,438,304 1 $49,278 1 9/18/87
66 Go Fish Gold. $2,405,285 - n/a - Jul 1994
67 Two Girls in Love FL $2,210,408 - n/a - 6/16/95
68 But I'm a Cheerleader Lions $2,205,627 115 $60,410 4 7/7/00
69 Ma Vie En Rose SPC $2,162,043 63 $76,212 14 12/26/97
70 Wilde SPC $2,158,775 7 $69,424 7 5/1/98
71 Trick FL $2,087,228 94 $118,594 6 7/23/99
72 Strawberry and Chocolate Mira. $2,080,805 - n/a - 1/20/95
73 Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss Trim. $2,070,399 - n/a - 7/24/98
74 Better Than Chocolate Trim. $2,015,406 130 $84,584 15 8/13/99
75 High Art Oct. $1,960,216 4 $47,499 4 6/12/98
76 Happy, Texas Mira. $1,955,933 146 $72,056 8 10/1/99
77 Kiss Me Guido Par. $1,918,497 - n/a - 7/18/97
78 I Shot Andy Warhol Orion $1,875,527 58 $57,053 3 5/1/96
79 The Broken Hearts Club Sony $1,746,585 62 $109,694 7 9/29/00
80 Even Cowgirls Get the Blues FL $1,708,873 533 $676,978 533 5/20/94
81 Prick Up Your Ears Gold. $1,654,743 36 $38,643 1 4/17/87
82 Camp IFC $1,629,862 116 $54,294 3 7/25/03
83 Beautiful Thing Sony $1,548,120 2 $33,931 2 10/11/96
84 The Celluloid Closet SPC $1,400,591 38 $95,047 9 3/15/96
85 Saving Face SPC $1,187,266 56 $75,104 6 5/27/05
86 Get Real Par. $1,152,979 40 $54,254 6 4/30/99
87 L.I.E. Lot47 $1,138,836 45 $82,530 12 9/7/01
88 Sordid Lives Reg. $1,111,273 8 $14,000 7 5/11/01
89 Chuck & Buck Art. $1,055,671 46 $72,831 7 7/14/00
90 Velvet Goldmine Mira. $1,053,788 85 $301,787 85 11/6/98
91 A Home at the End of the World WIP $1,029,872 65 $64,728 5 7/23/04
92 French Twist Mira. $1,026,646 - n/a - 1/19/96
93 All Over the Guy Lions $1,022,324 35 $41,606 7 8/10/01
94 Aimee & Jaguar Zeit. $927,107 16 $42,919 7 8/11/00
95 Female Perversions Oct. $926,954 - n/a - 4/25/97
96 When Night Is Falling Oct. $919,671 - n/a - 11/17/97
97 Edge of Seventeen Strand $871,759 10 $5,302 1 4/30/99
98 Latter Days TLA $834,685 19 $57,242 4 1/30/04
99 Breakfast on Pluto SPC $828,699 125 $33,279 3 11/16/05
100 Trembling Before G-d NYer $788,896 8 $21,410 1 10/24/01
Rows: #1-100, #101-200, #201-201

Lifetime Gross Total (194): $1,326,583,523
Average: $6,838,059
Opening Gross Average (16): $9,525,254 (Wide Releases Only)

In the Western category (although it's marginal whether it is really a Western, Box Offfic Mojo has a list in the classification), BBM beat out "Open Range" which did not make its cost at the box office:

WESTERN
1980-Present

Rank Title (click to view) Studio Lifetime Gross / Theaters Opening / Theaters Date
1 Dances With Wolves Orion $184,208,848 1,636 $598,257 14 11/9/90
2 Maverick WB $101,631,272 2,537 $17,248,545 2,537 5/20/94
3 Unforgiven WB $101,157,447 2,087 $15,018,007 2,071 8/7/92
4 Back to the Future Part III Uni. $87,727,583 2,070 $19,089,645 2,019 5/25/90
5 Brokeback Mountain Focus $83,043,761 2,089 $547,425 5 12/9/05
6 Open Range BV $58,331,254 2,268 $14,047,781 2,075 8/15/03
7 Shanghai Noon BV $56,937,502 2,751 $15,607,034 2,711 5/26/00
8 Tombstone BV $56,505,065 1,955 $6,454,752 1,504 12/24/93
9 Young Guns Fox $45,661,556 1,416 $7,011,393 1,387 8/12/88
10 Young Guns II Fox $44,143,410 1,770 $8,017,438 1,770 8/3/90
11 Pale Rider WB $41,410,568 1,710 $9,119,111 1,710 6/28/85
12 Silverado Col. $32,192,570 1,190 $3,522,897 1,168 7/12/85
13 The Missing SonR $27,011,180 2,756 $10,833,633 2,756 11/26/03
14 Wyatt Earp WB $25,052,000 1,859 $7,543,504 1,859 6/24/94
15 Quigley Down Under MGM $21,413,105 1,094 $3,853,149 996 10/19/90
16 The Quick and the Dead Sony $18,636,537 2,158 $6,515,861 2,158 2/10/95
17 Geronimo: An American Legend Col. $18,635,620 1,636 $4,018,452 1,605 12/10/93
18 Posse Gram. $18,289,763 949 $5,311,902 949 5/14/93
19 The Long Riders UA $15,795,189 - $2,351,112 759 5/16/80
20 Bad Girls Fox $15,240,435 2,012 $5,012,200 2,008 4/22/94
21 American Outlaws WB $13,342,790 2,348 $4,855,475 2,348 8/17/01
22 The Legend of the Lone Ranger Uni. $12,617,845 - $2,945,600 1,018 5/22/81
23 Comin' at Ya! Film $12,000,000 - n/a - Jun 1981
24 Comes a Horseman MGM $9,585,769 - n/a - 10/25/78
25 The Frisco Kid WB $9,346,177 - $160,292 26 7/13/79
26 Goin' South Par. $7,435,671 - n/a - 10/6/78
27 Rustler's Rhapsody Par. $6,090,497 1,480 $2,374,973 1,480 5/10/85
28 The Grey Fox MGM $5,516,140 - n/a - 3/13/83
29 The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada SPC $4,913,407 356 $23,859 5 12/14/05
30 Heaven's Gate UA $3,484,331 - n/a - 11/19/80
31 Wild Bill MGM $2,193,982 775 $987,515 775 12/1/95
32 Barbarosa Uni. $1,736,123 187 $285,312 187 2/19/82
33 Dead Man Mira. $1,037,847 37 $104,649 16 5/10/96
34 Lust in the Dust NW $727,639 - n/a - 2/8/85
35 Thousand Pieces of Gold Grey $717,772 10 $16,553 1 4/26/91
36 The Claim MGM $669,258 29 $7,131 1 12/29/00
37 Texas Rangers Mira. $623,374 404 $319,516 402 11/30/01
38 The Ballad of Little Jo FL $543,091 40 $20,773 3 8/20/93
39 Cattle Annie and Little Britches Uni. $534,816 - $115,679 215 4/24/81
40 Silent Tongue Trim. $61,274 3 $18,227 3 2/25/94
41 Frank & Jesse Trim. $50,004 - n/a - 10/28/94
42 South of Heaven, West of Hell BSR $28,149 9 $16,666 9 6/15/01

Lifetime Gross Total (42): $1,146,280,621
Average: $27,292,396
Opening Gross Average (22): $7,806,363 (Wide Releases

The amount of money a movie makes does not prove that it good. Some very bad movies have made tons of money.