Foreign Box Office Makes A Big Difference

This updated Garden of Billion Dollar Movies 2000-2009 now includes Avatar.  Although not quite on the list of Top 10 Domestic Box Office films for the decade (2000-2009), in terms of worldwide box office, Avatar comes in at #5 (with its foreign box office (as of this accounting) nearly 2 times its domestic take.  Contrast this with The Dark Knight which took in more in domestic box office than it did in foreign.  The fact that Avatar's 3D screenings are at a higher price than the average ticket prices (as tracked by the MPAA), and the foreign numbers seem to change daily, however, makes for a wider than normal margin of error when comparing these statistics.

Top Science Fiction Films by Initial Year of Release

Avatar Makes Top 20 Sci Fi List at Number 7

Avatar Raises the Billion Dollar Movie Total to Thirty-Five

1.  Gone With the Wind, 1939
2.  Titanic, 1997
3.  Star Wars: Ep IV A New Hope, 1977
4.  The Birth of a Nation, 1915
5.  E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial, 1982
6.  The Sound of Music, 1965
7.  Ben-Hur, 1959
8.  Jaws, 1975
9.  Jurassic Park, 1993
10. Doctor Zhivago, 1965
11. The Ten Commandments, 1956
12. The Exorcist, 1973
13. Star Wars: Ep V The Empire Strikes Back, 1980
14. The Lion King, 1994
15. Independence Day, 1996
16. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2003
17. Star Wars: Ep I The Phantom Menace, 1999
18. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, 2001
19. Forrest Gump, 1994
20. Pirates of the  Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest, 2006
21. Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs, 1937
22. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, 2002
23.  Avatar, 2009
24. 101 Dalmations, 1961
25. Grease, 1978
26. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 2001
27. Shrek 2, 2004
28. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 2002
29. The Godfather, 1972
30. Finding Nemo, 2003
31. Star Wars: Ep VI Return of the Jedi, 1983
32. Spider-Man, 2002
33. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, 2007
34. The Dark Knight, 2008
35. Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 1977

Louis Burklow Top 10 Movie Picks

1.  It Happened One Night, 1934.  Why?  The grandfather of all romantic comedies, it still works well (much better than most "modern" romcoms).  Gable and Colbert are perfect together and anyone who sees it remembers the walls of Jericho long afterward.
2.  Casablanca, 1943.  Why?  More than just my favorite movie, it stands as the ultimate World War II film, a classic romance and the best argument for finding a higher, nobler calling than just looking out for yourself.
3.  The Best Years of Our Lives, 1946.  Why?  Without ever being slick or manipulative, this story of returning veterans and their families shows the toll of war does not end when the shooting stops.  Also, the scene where Homer realizes his girlfriend still loves him even though he's lost his arms is about the most touching thing I've ever seen in a movie.
4.  The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, 1948.  Why?  In the midst of an ongoing financial meltdown, a vivid lecture on the evils of greed is most welcome.  This film is an excellent western and action movie and serves to remind us how little things of value money really buys.
5.  High Noon, 1952.  Why?  Proof that westerns could comment on current events.  Fred Zinnemann uses Gary Cooper at his laconic best to attack anticommunist hysteria while also standing up for civilization in the genre's tradition.
6.  North by Northwest, 1959.  Why?  The greatest of Hitchcock's classic entertainments using his greatest leading man, Cary Grant.  From the crop duster to Mount Rushmore, it's wonderful to watch Grant's smooth facade cracked by danger and love.
7.  The Apartment, 1960.  Why?  Still the best study of modern-day corporate culture and the ways it can be dehumanizing.  This movie is considered a comedy; although it has funny moments, it is deadly serious and illustrates Billy Wilder's genius for finding drama in a comedic premise.
8.  Dr. Strangelove Or: How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, 1964.  Why?  It still blows my mind that this movie ever got made.  Stanley Kubrick and Peter Sellers make a farce out of the threat of nuclear holocaust, which is one of the greatest achievements ever by a film.
9.  The Right Stuff, 1983.  Why?  Using an episodic storyline to tell an epic tale, this movie shows the beginnings of America's space program.  As a boy when men first walked on the moon, I am fascinated by this movie's ability to show the kind of people who carried out this larger than life job.
10.  Patton, 1970.  Why?  The war movie that both warriors and pacifists can enjoy, as well as a great biopic.  George C. Scott brings the necessary larger-than-life presence to his role; I also love the fact that he declined his Oscar because he didn't see his performance as a competition.

George Lucas's Blockbusting book feature film writer Louis Burklow is a Los Angeles based freelance author.

Michael Kogge Top 10 Movie Picks

1.  The Grapes of Wrath, 1940.  Why?  Feisty John Ford still speaks to inner-city history classes.
2.  The Ox-bow Incident, 1943.  Why?  Taut like a rope falling from a tree.
3.  Double Indemnity, 1944.  Why?  Dangerous liaisons in well-stocked grocery stores show just how little has changed since 1944.
4.  All About Eve, 1950.  Why?  Dialogue as Art, with some flashes of Marilyn Monroe.
5.  Vertigo, 1958.  Why?  Is Kim Novak real?  Or is she a phantasy?  One of the greatest romantic movies is also Hitchcock's greatest horror film.
6.  The Apartment, 1960.  Why?  Only Billy Wilder would stage Christmas in a bar.
7.  2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968.  Why?  Kubrick conjures a beautiful life out of a flashing light.
8.  Patton, 1970.  Why?  The mesmerizing portrait of a man to whom you want to salute - and also kick in his teeth.
9.  The French Connection, 1971.  Why?  While trailing the crooks in cold, cold New York, Gene Hackman makes sure to get his daily nutrition of pizza.  A favorite scene in a film full of favorites.
10.  Star Wars, 1977.  Why?  I tried to resist, but in his witches' brew of film genres, George Lucas concocts one of the most original - and potent - films of all time.

George Lucas's Blockbusting book feature film writer Michael Kogge is a Los Angeles-based playwright and screenwriter.

Storytellers Roland Emmerich versus John Steinbeck

In 1937, 1938 and 1939 50% of all stories purchased by the studios were original and 50% were from previously published books, plays and magazines. In 1943, John Steinbeck was the highest paid author in terms of what the movie rights sold for to his novels.  Contrast Steinbeck's $3.7 million payday with the rumored $100 million paid Roland Emmerich to direct, co-write and co-produce the 2009 film 2012 ($20 million advance against 20% of first dollar gross profits).

1930s and 1940s Film Story Right Costs

In 2008 Equivalent $'s/(unadjusted $'s)

1.  $3.7 million/($300,000) to John Steinbeck in 1943 for his novel The Moon is Down

2.  $1.2 million/($100,000) to Ernest Hemingway in 1943 for his novel For Whom the Bell Tolls

3.  $1.1 million/($70,000) paid John Steinbeck in 1940 for his novel The Grapes of Wrath

4.  $774,000/($50,000) paid Margaret Mitchell in 1939 for the movie rights to her novel Gone With The Wind

5.  $769,000/($50,000) paid Daphne du Maurier in 1940 for her novel Rebecca

6.  $249,000/($20,000) paid Murray Burnett and Joan Alison in 1941 for their unproduced and unpublished play "Everybody comes to Rick's" which was renamed Casablanca