Biggest movie blockbusters of all time

Top 25 Biggest Movie Blockbusters
They thrill us, capture our imaginations and enter our pop culture lore. Movie blockbusters, quite literally, describe those movies that "bust the block" with lines starting at the ticket window and stretching around the block.

In sheer dollars, the biggest blockbusters are "Avatar" (2009), "Titanic" (1997), "The Avengers" (2012) and "The Dark Knight" (2008), leading a list where 19 of the Top 25 grossers are all from the 21st century.

But these numbers are deceiving, because today's money is worth much more than the days when bread cost a nickel. When you adjust for inflation, the only fair way to compare different eras, only one film in the Top 25 is from the 21st century, as "The Dark Knight" and "The Avengers" fall to No. 29 and No. 27, respectively.

This leaves us with one fascinating question: which movies have truly put the most butts in the seats? Here's to the fan favorites, the pop culture powerhouses and the box office kings.
25. "Mary Poppins" (1964)
Release Date: Aug. 29, 1964

Box Office: $622,327,000 (Domestic Adjusted)

Tagline: "It's supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!"

Julie Andrews became a star as Eliza Doolittle in Broadway's "My Fair Lady," but when it came time to cast the movie, Hollywood went with known-commodity Audrey Hepburn. Andrews instead took the title role in "Mary Poppins" and exacted revenge by beating Hepburn for Best Actress.

Andrews enchants as the umbrella-flying nanny, bolstered by the charm of Dick Van Dyke and the songs of Roger and Richard Sherman: "A Spoonful of Sugar," "Step in Time," "Let's Go Fly a Kite," "Chim-Chim-Cheree," "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," and Walt Disney's personal favorite, "Feed the Birds (Tuppence a Bag)."

The film also combined live action with animation a full 24 years before "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" (1988).


Check out a full breakdown of "Gump" on my blog: The Film Spectrum.

"Forrest Gump" is currently playing every afternoon at the Newseum.
24. "Forrest Gump" (1994)
Release Date: July 6, 1994

Box Office: $625,223,000 (Domestic Adjusted)

Tagline: "The world will never be the same once you've seen it through the eyes of Forrest Gump."

Robert Zemeckis has been a summer blockbuster machine, from "Back to the Future" to "Roger Rabbit," but none was bigger than "Forrest Gump."

It was that rare movie to both win the Oscar for Best Picture and garner the most box office receipts. Usually, the two don't go together, but the Academy couldn't resist this inspiring tale of beating the odds and the political allegory layered underneath.

"Forrest and Jenny represent the American population in the last 40 years, stumbling from one historical event to another, swept along by circumstances, sometimes rising to great heroic action, sometimes falling by the wayside," Roger Ebert wrote. "'Forrest Gump' is not only a great and magical entertainment, but the more you think about it, the more it reveals itself as actually sort of profound."


Check out a full breakdown of "The Godfather" on my blog: The Film Spectrum.

23. "The Godfather" (1972)
Release Date: March 15, 1972

Box Office: $628,223,600 (Domestic Adjusted)

Tagline: "An offer you can't refuse."

Yet another example of a rare box office king that won Best Picture, Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather" took America by storm. Not only did it revive the career of Marlon Brando, it launched the careers of Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, James Caan, Robert Duvall and Talia Shire.

"'The Godfather' is the best filmmaking ever in the history of American cinema," said Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" star Martin Sheen. "There is nothing that speaks more to who we are, where we came from, what we stand for, and where we're gonna go. That's the work of a true genius."

Its sequel, "The Godfather: Part II" (1974), also won Best Picture, making it the only original and sequel to both win the top prize. The late director Sidney Lumet said, "They are as close to perfect movies as I think exists."

22. "Fantasia" (1940)
Release Date: Nov. 13, 1940

Box Office: $661,026,100 (Domestic Adjusted)

Tagline: "Hear the pictures! See the music!"

After the smash success of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937), Walt Disney was cooking with gas. His second feature animated film, "Pinocchio" (1940), ranks No. 39 in the all time box office, but his third feature, "Fantasia," comes in at No. 22.

The film broke ranks with its predecessors by eliminating virtually all dialogue and layering the soundtrack with Western classical music performed by the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra.

Dukas' "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" pits Mickey Mouse against dancing brooms. Stravinky's "The Rite of Spring" tells the tale of evolution. Ponchielli's "Dance of the Hours" is a ballet of hippos, elephants, and alligators. Finally, Mussorgsky's "A Night on Bald Mountain" and Schubert's "Ave Maria" pit good and evil in a battle of darkness and light.
21. "The Graduate" (1967)
Release Date: Dec. 21, 1967

Box Office: $681,190,900 (Domestic Adjusted)

Tagline: "This is Benjamin. He's a little worried about his future."

After a decade of "sword and sandal" epics, "The Graduate" convinced studio execs that artfully made films about the younger generation could also become blockbusters.

Dustin Hoffman plays Benjamin Braddock, a young college grad searching for purpose and exploring his sexuality with the original "desperate housewife," Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft). When Benjamin also falls for Mrs. Robinson's daughter (Katharine Ross), it becomes the most twisted love triangle in movie history.

Director Mike Nichols layers the film with directing genius, like a key landing on a fish- tank scuba diver, setting up a shot of Hoffman underwater, drowning in the weight of the "real world."

Simon & Garfunkel provide the entire soundtrack (a first), from "Mrs. Robinson" to "The Sounds of Silence."
20. 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' (1981)
Release Date: June 12, 1981

Box Office: $704,673,200 (Domestic Adjusted)

Tagline: "The return of the great adventure."

Billed as "the new hero from the creators of 'Jaws' and 'Star Wars,'" Indiana Jones was the brainchild of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. The result was a whip-cracking, boulder-chasing summer smash.

"Raiders of the Lost Ark" combined the cliffhanger adventure of Saturday matinee serials with the spiritual wonder of religious artifacts.

Moviegoers flinched as Indy came face-to-face with a giant cobra, sighed with relief when a weapon became a coat hanger, laughed when Indy answered a sword fighter with a simple gun shot, and watched in awe the Ark of the Covenant released its spirits.

As star Harrison Ford put it, "'Raiders' starts with a bang and doesn't really let you breathe."
19. "The Sting" (1973)
Release Date: Dec. 25, 1973

Box Office: $709,577,100 (Domestic Adjusted)

Tagline: "...All it takes is a little confidence."

After the "buddy comedy" success of "Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid" (1969), Hollywood once again paired Paul Newman and Robert Redford, and the result was Best Picture gold.

Redford plays a small-time crook in 1930s Chicago, who teams with Newman's con mastermind to steal a fortune from a criminal banker (Robert Shaw, two years before "Jaws").

The script, voted No. 39 all time by the Writers Guild of America, weaves twist after twist, and Marvin Hamlisch brilliantly layers the soundtrack with Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer."

"The Sting" stands in Best Picture history as the candy-colored romp sandwiched between the sepia-toned, operatic dramas of "The Godfather" and "The Godfather: Part II."
18. "The Lion King" (1994)
Release Date: June 15, 1994

Box Office: $709,605,500 (Domestic Adjusted)

Tagline: "The Circle of Life"

Disney's animation wing was on the verge of bankruptcy in the late '80s, until the music of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman saved it with "The Little Mermaid" (1989), "Beauty and the Beast" (1991) and "Aladdin" (1992).

The trio of films seemed hard to top, until "The Lion King" roared so loud it could not be ignored. The film was a take on "Hamlet," with a young prince losing his father, leaving the kingdom, then returning to take the throne.

The beautiful animation and a star-studded lineup of voice actors were upstaged only by the monumental soundtrack by Elton John and Tim Rice, launching hits like "The Circle of Life," "Hakuna Matata" and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?"
17. "Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace" (1999)
Release Date: May 19, 1999

Box Office: $718,884,100 (Domestic Adjusted)

Tagline: "Every generation has a legend. Every journey has a first step. Every saga has a beginning."

Many film historians will forever shake their heads at why George Lucas felt the need to make three prequels to his original "Star Wars" trilogy (1977-1983). The flop of the fourth Indiana Jones flick cemented the notion that Lucas has lost his magic.

Still, the success of "Episode 1: The Phantom Menace" is a tribute to the popularity of his original trilogy. Its No. 17 spot in all-time box office shows the excitement of a generation raised on "Star Wars," even if we left the theater cursing Jar Jar Binks.

"Episode II: Attack of the Clones" ranks No. 87, "Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" ranks No. 60, and another trilogy is on the way with J.J. Abrams ("Lost," "Star Trek") set to direct.
16. "Jurassic Park" (1993)
Release Date: June 11, 1993

Box Office: $731,698,800 (Domestic Adjusted)

Tagline: "An Adventure 65 Million Years In The Making"

The same year Steven Spielberg made arguably his best film in "Schindler's List" (1993), he continued his summer blockbuster cred by adapting Michael Crichton's novel "Jurassic Park" into a roaring success.

The film was equal parts wonder and danger, as a team of archaeologists, scientists and lawyers take a test ride through a dinosaur theme park that has recreated the mammoth beasts using dino DNA from fossilized amber.

John Williams' score was one of his most beautiful compositions, and special effects lab Industrial Light and Magic pushed the CGI boundaries, making stop motion all but extinct.
15. "Return of the Jedi" (1983)
Release Date: May 25, 1983

Box Office: $748,712,900 (Domestic Adjusted)

Tagline: "The Empire Falls...."

In the land of the three-quels, it's about as good as "Back to the Future: Part III," but nowhere near as good as "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."

"Return of the Jedi" explored the lair of Jabba the Hutt, mesmerized us with Princess Leia's "golden bikini," introduced the Ewoks and brought Darth Vader full circle from villain to Luke's loving father.

The film pales in comparison to "Star Wars" and "The Empire Strikes Back," but it provides fine closure to the series. Or so we thought.
14. "Avatar" (2009)
Release Date: Dec. 18, 2009

Box Office: $774,151,900 (Domestic Adjusted)

Tagline: "Enter the World"

James Cameron became "king of the world" once more as audiences turned out in droves for "Avatar," surpassing the unsinkable "Titanic" as history's top grossing film (unadjusted).

Critics, on the other hand, insisted the script could have used a few rewrites to hone the dialogue and weed out plot similarities to "Pocahontas" (1995).

You could say the same about "The Jazz Singer" (1927), which history remembers not for its mediocre script, but for its pioneering film technology -- the talking picture.

By opening Pandora's Box of 3D technology, "Avatar" took Al Jolson's line and told a new millennium, "What a minute! You ain't seen nothin' yet."
13. "Ben-Hur" (1959)
Release Date: Nov. 18, 1959

Box Office: $780,080,000 (Domestic Adjusted)

Tagline: "The World's Most Honored Motion Picture"

Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" (2004) was hailed as the highest grossing religious film ever, but when you adjust for inflation, it ranks No. 59, just behind "Animal House" (1978). "The Passion" is a mere pretender compared to William Wyler's epic masterpiece "Ben-Hur" (1959).

After playing Moses in "The Ten Commandments" (1956), Charlton Heston starred as Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince enslaved by the Roman Empire, who crosses paths with Christ en route to facing his nemesis in the Coliseum. The plot inspired both "Spartacus" (1960) and Gladiator" (2000), while the famous chariot race remains a textbook action sequence.

The film's 11 Oscars remain the most ever, tied with "Titanic" and "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King."
12. "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980)
Release Date: May 21, 1980

Box Office: $781,517,900 (Domestic Adjusted)

Tagline: "The Adventure Continues..."

The "Star Wars" saga has four of the Top 25 highest grossing films in history, and "The Empire Strikes Back" is easily the finest of them all, directed by George Lucas' former film professor, Irvin Kirschner.

The franchise's second installment is much darker, as Darth Vader's Empire exacts revenge on the Jedi rebel forces, but it was also the linchpin of the series.

How easily we forget that it was "Empire" that introduced two of the saga's most memorable elements: the adorable Jedi-master Yoda and the famous misquote, "Luke, I am your father."
11. "101 Dalmatians" (1961)
Release Date: Jan. 25, 1961

Box Office: $795,341,300 (Domestic Adjusted)

Tagline: "Walt Disney's new all-cartoon feature"

After a string of live-action features, from "Old Yeller" to "The Shaggy Dog," Walt Disney returned to the animated feature with a bang.

"101 Dalmatians" introduced one of Disney's best villains in Cruella de Vil, who kidnaps 99 puppies in order to create spotted coats. The AFI ranked Cruella the No. 39 greatest villain in film history, returning as Glenn Close in the live-action remake.

Disney would only make two more animated features before his death, "The Sword in the Stone" (1963) and "The Jungle Book" (1967), but "Dalmatians" lived on through four re-releases, boosting its box office stats.
10. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937)
Release Date: Dec. 21, 1937

Box Office: $867,640,000 (Domestic Adjusted)

Tagline: "Walt Disney's first full length feature production."

It's no coincidence that Walt Disney has four of the Top 25 highest grossing films of all time. The man enticed entire families with the magic formula: "For every laugh, there should be a tear." "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" provides ample amounts of both.

Before its release, critics worried audiences would not sit through a feature-length animated film. Some even warned of epileptic seizures. Disney proved them wrong, as kids were so engrossed that they wet the seats of Radio City Music Hall. The Academy awarded him with one large Oscar and seven mini statuettes.

The film featured a string of song classics in "Heigh Ho," "Whistle While You Work" and "Someday My Prince Will Come," and it remains far superior to its two 2012 remakes.
9. "The Exorcist" (1973)
Release Date: Dec. 26, 1973

Box Office: $880,369,400 (Domestic Adjusted)

Tagline: "Somewhere between science and superstition, there is another world. The world of darkness."

How many horror movies get nominated for Best Picture? The list is short. But you wouldn't expect anything less from William Friedkin, who followed "The French Connection" (1971) with "The Exorcist" (1973), often voted the scariest movie of all time.

William Peter Blatty's script adaptation of his own best-selling novel won the Oscar, while Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair and Jason Miller were all nominated. The tale of possession provided comebacks for Mercedes McCambridge, who voiced the horrific Demon, and Swedish star Max von Sydow, whose title character shouted, "The power of Christ compels you!"

To this day, horror fans proudly recall how audience members vomited in their seats. And if you take a stroll through Georgetown, you can still hear the faint sound of "Tubular Bells."
8. "Doctor Zhivago" (1965)</b>
Release Date: Dec. 22, 1965

Box Office: $988,118,200 (Domestic Adjusted)

Tagline: "A Love Caught in the Fire of Revolution"

Director David Lean was a master of the blockbuster epic, with "Bridge on the River Kwai" ranking No. 80 and "Lawrence of Arabia" ranking No. 72 in all-time box office. While those are his greatest works, his highest grossing remains his adaptation of Boris Pasternak's "Doctor Zhivago."

A Russian doctor/poet (Omar Sharif) falls in love with a political activist's wife (Julie Christie) amidst the Bolshevik Revolution. Like "Casablanca," the star-crossed lovers are separated by historical circumstance, landing their romance No. 7 on the AFI's 100 Passions, just behind "The Way We Were."

Co-starring Alec Guinness, Rod Steiger and Geraldine Chaplin, the film's greatest "supporting actor" is Maurice Jarre's indelible score, "Lara's Theme," which will echo for lovers across eternity.
7. "Jaws" (1975)
Release Date: June 20, 1975

Box Office: $1,019,507,400 (Domestic Adjusted)

Tagline: "Don't go into the water."

Widely credited as creating the modern summer blockbuster as we know it, "Jaws" inspired three sequels and instilled a collective fear for as long as mankind ventures into the water.

Without this one, there may never have been a Steven Spielberg, whose career was launched by the film's monster success. It remains the ultimate summer flick, due to its Amity beach setting and imitable tune that can be repeated to scare your sister on a family beach vacation.

John Williams' terrifying score teamed with "point of view" shots to create the menace when Spielberg's mechanical shark didn't work, providing a lesson to future filmmakers that "less is more."

It's also the first film on our list to crack $1 billion in adjusted gross.
6. "The Ten Commandments" (1956)
Release Date: Oct. 5, 1956

Box Office: $1,042,760,000 (Domestic Adjusted)

Tagline: "The Greatest Event in Motion Picture History"

Alright, Mr. DeMille. God is ready for His close-up. Director Cecil B. DeMille was the ultimate showman, the P.T. Barnum of Hollywood's Golden Age.

After directing a silent version in 1923, DeMille decided to reboot his success with a '50s epic about the Old Testament's most famous tale.

Charlton Heston plays Moses, who learns of his true Hebrew heritage and embarks on a divine mission to deliver his people from Pharaoh (Yul Brynner) and the beautifully wicked Nefretiri (Anne Baxter).

John Fulton's Oscar-winning special effects created one of history's most memorable movie moments, as Heston parts the waters of the Red Sea.
Check out my case for masterpiece status in my recent review of "Titanic 3D."
5. "Titanic" (1997)
Release Date: Dec. 19, 1997

Box Office: $1,078,376,800 (Domestic Adjusted)

Tagline: "Collide With Destiny."

James Cameron's "unsinkable" blockbuster has become the posterchild for box office success and Academy Award domination. Upon its release, it was the highest grossing movie of all time and tied the all-time record of 11 Oscar wins. To this day, it remains the No. 2 top grosser, unadjusted for inflation.

The massive success brought a backlash from some critics, who couldn't stand the melodrama. But when "Titanic 3D" was released, I pleaded with naysayers to reconsider.

Even if you roll your eyes at Celine Dion's vocals, James Horner's instrumental version will wreck you like an iceberg. What's more, the film introduced the world to Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, who, in the words of William Friedkin, "caught the imagination of this generation the way Bergman and Bogart did in 'Casablanca' 60 years before." Sorry, haters, this one will sail forever.
4. "E.T. The Extra Terrestrial" (1982)

Release Date: June 11, 1982

Box Office: $1,129,160,500 (Domestic Adjusted)

Tagline: "He is afraid. He is alone. He is three million light years from home."

The late Patrick Swayze called it "the most immortal children's movie that's ever been done." Indeed, Steven Spielberg gave us one of the most quotable lines in history with "E.T. phone home" and one of the iconic images of the 20th century when he sent his Reese's Pieces-loving alien cycling across the moon.

Spielberg said he got the idea for the film while shooting the finale of "Close Encounters." He wondered what it would be like if Richard Dreyfuss didn't climb aboard the alien ship, but rather if the alien stayed behind on earth.

The result got a standing ovation at Cannes, and 1982 Best Director winner Richard Attenborough ("Gandhi") said Spielberg deserved it over him. He repaid him by playing the park owner in "Jurassic Park" (1993) -- out of respect.
3. "The Sound of Music" (1965)
Release Date: March 2, 1965

Box Office: $1,133,626,400 (Domestic Adjusted)

Tagline: "The Happiest Sound In All The World!"

Just four years after winning Best Picture for "West Side Story" (1961), director Robert Wise won it again for the sweeping hit "The Sound of Music."

Julie Andrews was fresh off her Oscar win for "Mary Poppins" when she played Maria, a nun who leaves an Austrian convent to become a governess to the children of Captain Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer).

Film critic Pauline Kael famously got fired from McCall's magazine for bashing the film just as it was rising the box office ranks. Whether it's one of your "favorite things" or not, there's no denying the film's place in the American songbook, including "Do-Re-Mi," "So Long, Farewell," and the title song promise that "The Hills Are Alive."
2. "Star Wars" (1977)
Release Date: May 25, 1977

Box Office: $1,417,832,000 (Domestic Adjusted)

Tagline: "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..."

Just try to name another film where the average person can name this many characters without ever having seen the movie. "Star Wars" made household names out of Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2-D2, and that's not even counting Yoda.

Its pop culture impact is immeasurable, with all five sequels among the Top 100 highest grossers. "Jaws" can't say that. Neither can "Rocky." George Lucas was smart enough to secure the merchandising rights, making a killing off action figures and video games.

The film lost Best Picture to Woody Allen's "Annie Hall," but there was no doubt which was the popular favorite of 1977. Today, "Star Wars" ranks higher than "Annie Hall" on the AFI's Top 100 Films, a reminder that sometimes, just sometimes, mainstream hits are worth their weight in gold.
1. "Gone With the Wind" (1939)
Release Date: Dec. 15, 1939

Box Office: $1,608,275,200 (Domestic Adjusted)

Tagline: "The most magnificent picture ever!"

To this day, no lovers have burned the silver screen like Rhett and Scarlett. The "behind the scenes" tale of David O. Selznick's massive production is just as captivating as the film itself, launching a nationwide casting search for Scarlett O'Hara, swapping directors with "The Wizard of Oz," and burning down the sets of "King Kong" to stage the burning of Atlanta.

The film grossed the equivalent of $1.6 billion today, while winning eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director (Victor Fleming) and Best Actress (Vivien Leigh). Film history will remember it as a semi-racist longing for the Old South -- with a counter perspective offered by "12 Years a Slave" (2013) -- but it was also an important turning point, as Hattie McDaniel became the first African American to win an Oscar.

"'GWTW' is the ultimate example of the best production of the Hollywood studio system of the first half of the 20th century," Martin Scorsese said. "There's no doubt about it."
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Jason Fraley, WTOP film critic

WASHINGTON – Smack dab between “The Amazing Spider-Man” opening on July 3 and next week’s launch of “The Dark Knight Rises” lies the height of the summer blockbuster season.

If February is a time to award the rare “art” of cinema, mid-July is a time to celebrate the popular favorites, the popcorn flicks, the blockbusters. The term, quite literally, describes those films that “bust the block” with lines starting at the box office ticket window and stretching around the block.

The biggest movie blockbusters of all time, in terms of sheer dollars, are rated based on the amount they grossed. “Avatar” (2009) leads the pack followed by “Titanic” (1997), “The Avengers” (2012) and “The Dark Knight” (2008).

All four are from the last 15 years.

But those stats can be deceiving.

When you adjust for inflation, the only fair way to compare different eras, “The Dark Knight” falls to No. 29 while “The Avengers” falls to No. 26.

To see which movies comprise the top 25, check out the gallery for a look at those films that have truly put the most butts in the seats. The results may surprise even the biggest movie fans.

GALLERY: Top 25 Biggest Movie Blockbusters

The movie blockbuster has been an evolving, popcorn-munching beast, requiring a special recipe to capture mass audiences. Many have tried. Many have flopped. And while most will not show up during Oscar season, they allow us a dark, air- conditioned escape from the sweltering “dog day afternoons” of summer, and a warm gathering place to huddle together during the cold of winter.

D.W. Griffith invented the notion of the blockbuster with his three-hour epic “Birth of a Nation” (1915). Soon after, Charlie Chaplin launched the highest grossing summer hit of the silent era, making Roaring ’20s audiences roar with laughter in “The Gold Rush” (1925).

Ironically, many of the films we think of as the masterpieces of Hollywood’s Golden Age did not draw big crowds. “The Wizard of Oz” (1939) was dwarfed by “Gone With the Wind” (1939). “Citizen Kane” (1941) was slandered by newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst. “Casablanca” (1942) suffered because the entire male population was fighting in World War II, and “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946) was not appreciated in its time.

Hitchcock upped the ante with “Psycho” (1960), literally locking the theater doors after the start of the movie to prevent audiences from arriving late, as they so often did in the days of serials and double features. He also put up signs warning audiences not to spill the film’s secrets, creating additional buzz that would be impossible in the era of internet spoilers. Attendees say the screams were so loud during the shower scene that you couldn’t hear Bernard Herrmann’s slashing violin score.

After a decade of “sword and sandal” epics like “The Ten Commandments” (1956), “Ben-Hur” (1959) and “Spartacus” (1960), “The Graduate” (1967) convinced studio execs that blockbusters could be targeted to a younger audience using more dangerous directors and risque themes.

The modern blockbuster can be traced to one line, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” (1975) was the perfect summer blockbuster, with its Amity beach setting, endless thrills and imitable tune that could be repeated to scare your sister during a family beach vacation.

For an entire generation, Spielberg and friends George Lucas and Robert Zemeckis would carry the blockbuster mantel, turning out “Star Wars” (1977), “The Empire Strikes Back” (1980), “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981), “E.T. The Extra Terrestrial” (1982), “Return of the Jedi” (1983), “Back to the Future” (1985), “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” (1988), “Jurassic Park” (1993) and “Forrest Gump” (1994).

Each step has created priceless movie memories. Tom Hanks recalled his while accepting the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award, describing how he “paused mid-air” with a piece of popcorn while watching “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977).

Tom Cruise took a similar approach with his opening monologue for the first post- 9/11 Oscars.

What blockbuster moments shaped your life? And what is your favorite movie blockbuster of all time? Tell us on the WTOP Facebook page or Tweet me @JasonFraleyWTOP #blockbuster.

Read more from WTOP Film Critic Jason Fraley by clicking “Fraley on Film” under the “Living” tab above, following @JasonFraleyWTOP on Twitter, and checking out his blog, The Film Spectrum.

(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Jason Fraley

Hailed by The Washington Post for “his savantlike ability to name every Best Picture winner in history," Jason Fraley began at WTOP as Morning Drive Writer in 2008, film critic in 2011 and Entertainment Editor in 2014, providing daily arts coverage on-air and online.

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