It's a question we're sure has crossed the minds of many movie fans. What are the most famous doors to have appeared in cinema? Well 1,277 Britons took part in a poll devised by security specialist Yale Door – and here are the results...
10. Maximus opening the door to Elysium, Gladiator (2000)
- Much parodied and imitated in the years since, the image of gladiator Maximus (Russell Crowe) stepping into the shifting wheat fields of the afterlife encapsulates the film's spiritual overtones. It was also responsible for vocalist Lisa Gerrard appearing on the soundtrack for every subsequent blockbuster.
9. Snake door, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
- The Potter franchise takes a decidedly sinister turn in this second film as young Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) discovers the serpentine entrance to the mysterious Chamber of Secrets. The door itself is now part of the enormously popular Warner Bros Harry Potter studio tour.
8. Matilda being put into the chokey, Matilda (1996)
- Precocious bookworm Matilda (Mara Wilson) feels the wrath of her monstrous head teacher The Trunchbull (Pam Ferris) when she's locked in the impossibly narrow, nail-lined cupboard. Author Roald Dahl's wonderfully eccentric scenario gets a fitting treatment in Danny DeVito's adaptation.
7. Entering the wardrobe, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
- The enchanting premise of C.S. Lewis' classic novel sees a wardrobe open onto the fantasy world of Narnia. And this delightful idea is brought to life in the blockbuster adaptation of his novel, moth-eaten old clothes giving way to wintry branches and snowflakes falling from the sky.
6. Bag End’s green front door, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
- Behind the deceptively humble wood panelling lurks the cosy and delightful residence of Hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm). Frankly, we're not surprised that it took so much coercing for Bilbo to leave Bag End in the novel The Hobbit – his home looks so darn inviting!
5. Dorothy entering the land of Oz, The Wizard of Oz (1939)
- An unforgettable moment in cinema, Dorothy's (Judy Garland) world changes from black and white to colour when she opens the front door of her newly relocated Kansas farmhouse to find herself in Oz. Simply put, films don't get more magical.
4. Mark turns up at Juliette's door, Love Actually (2003)
- A guaranteed 'awww' moment, Mark (Andrew Lincoln) visits married Juliette (Keira Knightley) and produces a series of placards that explain his unrequited love for her. It's the sort of irresistibly charming schmaltz that only Richard Curtis (in his directorial debut) could get away with.
3. ‘Keep the change you filthy animal’ pizza delivery door scene, Home Alone (1990)
- Kevin McAllister (Macaulay Culkin) blasts snippets of a (fictional) gangster movie through his kitchen door to scare off incompetent burglar Marv (Daniel Stern). Utilising the same tactic on a hapless pizza delivery guy though? That's a bit harsh!
2. William Thacker’s house with the blue door, Notting Hill (1999)
- Living it up in a trendy London pad, foppish Thacker (Hugh Grant) enjoys the kind of existence most of us can only dream of in this Richard Curtis-scripted hit. He even gets to bring a sexy Hollywood star played by Julia Roberts back to his place. Some blokes have all the luck!
And at number one…
1. ‘Here’s Johnny!’ door, The Shining (1980)
- The most famous scene from Stanley Kubrick's classic Stephen King adaptation. Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) takes a fire axe to the door of the bathroom where his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) is cowering. Interestingly, Nicholson's ad-libbed line stems from American variety programme 'The Johnny Carson Show'.
Well, that's what your fellow Britons voted as their favourite movie doors. Now we want to hear from you Cineworld customers! If you've got a priceless portal or a thrilling threshold you'd like to share with us, then post a comment here on the blog.
