The Movies That Made Us

Vroom or bust: It took a sweet ride and a rising star — or two — to build a blockbuster from a half-baked idea and the ashes of multiple flops.

Turning an unknown into a superstar and revamping the rom-com rules amid many rewrites, this megahit's success still leaves insiders pretty shocked.

Crunch the numbers, then make way for a chubby T. rex and visual effects bad boys. This box office heavyweight disrupted the way movies are made.

Life is like a box of chocolates — or a charming script unearthed by chance. Despite casting and budget woes, this humble tale became a '90s classic.

It took a young team's blood, sweat and tears — and a triple-threat visionary — to make this bloodless yet scarily influential horror masterpiece.

What began as a bald rip-off made a bloody splash as a splatter classic. Now the unlikely crew spills its guts about the highs, lows and gory effects.

With a studio on the line, an imaginative director in the pocket and an actorly demon in tow, this supernatural slasher hit raked in a surreal profit.

A painfully tight suit and budget, a passionate European auteur and on-set tensions fueled this blockbuster takedown of cutthroat corporate America.

A hard-driving director, stressed crew, great expectations — and a tiny budget — made for a difficult birth in the case of this mother of all sequels.

The happily ever after? It's on screen. Behind the scenes, this litigious, loveless foray involved fisticuffs, Nostradamus — and iconic Black talent.

The unlikely holiday classic, and stop-motion first, comes to ghoulish life with persistent vision — and nimble work by a ragtag bunch of misfits.

Despite its gifted cast and wonderland of effects, this endearing Christmas comedy is sold short by the studio — till it scores big with moviegoers.