“That sounds not unsatisfactory. Three addresses always inspire confidence, even in tradesmen.”

Picture:  Dame Edith Evans as Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest

Casablanca (1942)

If there is anything less than perfect in this film I can’t think what it is - and I watched it right through again at the weekend.

There is nothing redundant in it - everything works.  Photography, acting, dialogue, plot, humour, suspense, surprise, music - everything.

Bedrooms and Hallways

A bittersweet and funny romantic comedy, well worth watching.  The whole thing is now up on YouTube.

Hat tip to Catch Fire

From Joe My God

After Avatar became the highest grossing movie of all time earlier this week, many noted that because of inflation, gross revenue and ticket sales are two different measures of success. The Live Feed notes today that in terms of attendance, Avatar is actually the 26th most successful film of all time. Here’s the top 20, by tickets sold.

1. “Gone With the Wind” (1939) 202,044,600
2 “Star Wars” (1977) 178,119,600
3 “The Sound of Music” (1965) 142,415,400
4 “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial” (1982) 141,854,300
5 “The Ten Commandments” (1956) 131,000,000
6 “Titanic” (1997) 128,345,900
7 “Jaws” (1975) 128,078,800
8 “Doctor Zhivago” (1965) 124,135,500
9 “The Exorcist” (1973) 110,568,700
10 “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937) 109,000,000
11 “101 Dalmatians” (1961) 99,917,300
12 “The Empire Strikes Back” (1980) 98,180,600
13 “Ben-Hur” (1959) 98,000,000
14 “Return of the Jedi” (1983) 94,059,400
15 “The Sting” (1973) 89,142,900
16 “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981) 88,141,900
17 “Jurassic Park” (1993) 86,205,800
18 “The Graduate” (1967) 85,571,400
19 “Star Wars: Episode I” (1999) 84,825,800
20 “Fantasia” (1941) 83,043,500