EIGHT OF THE MOST ICONIC MOVIE DOORS
THEY move very little, have no lines and although they’re less wooden than some Hollywood stars we could mention, they aren’t brought in front of the camera for their acting chops.
So how is it then, that a few simple old doors have made such an impact in cinema history? Don’t believe us? Check out our guide to the eight most iconic doors in film.
8) Notting Hill – Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant were the leading names on this 1999 rom-com from Richard Curtis about a bookstore owner who falls for a movie superstar. But the blue door of his flat in, er, Notting Hill is still visited today by fans of the movie – although Rhys Ifans tried to steal its thunder by standing in front of it in just his pants.
7) Jurassic Park – The original film became an instant classic in 1993 as it brought dinosaurs to life with its then cutting-edge special effects. Yet we all remember the jeeps setting off towards those huge, looming dark doors leading into the park and thinking, ‘We’re not sure this is going to end well.’
6) The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – A massive film title but a tiny door. While there is a fantastical world full of orcs, wizards, elves and dwarves fighting to save Middle Earth, the adventure starts off in quiet little Hobbiton at Bilbo Baggins little house. The set in Matamata, New Zealand, is still available to visit.
5) The Doors – OK, so this one is a bit of a cheat. But there is no denying this telling of the story of Jim Morrison and co by Oliver Stone was an excellent music movie. And Val Kilmer performance really put him on the map as a leading actor.
4) 221b Baker Street – It’s the address more than the door that captures the imagination as it is the home of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary detective Sherlock Holmes. But it has quite a story of its own. Once attributed to a building owned by Abbey National, it was later the subject of a dispute between the Sherlock Holmes Museum and Westminster Council. The number now resides with the museum, despite it putting the number out of logical order in Baker Street.
3) 10 Downing Street – This is one of the most iconic doors in the entire world and so has appeared in countless movies down the years including our old friend Hugh Grant as PM in Love Actually and the quite forgettable He Who Dares: Downing Street Siege. But we’ll opt for Meryl Streep’s turn in The Iron Lady, which like many movies used the nearby RSA House as a stand-in for Number 10.
2) Monsters Inc – Who knew that monsters from an alternate universe were using kids’ bedroom doors in a giant factory to sneak in at night and steal their screams? Well, thanks to Sulley and Mike, we now know they do it just for laughs and their 2001 escapades with Boo’s door gave Pixar one of its biggest successes since Toy Story.
1) The Shining – Heeeeeere’s our winner. The film may be an unsettling horror that warns against staying in a hotel with your family for a prolonged period of time, the ‘Here’s Johnny’ scene where Jack Nicholson’s character smashes through a door with an axe has been voted the scariest in movie history. Experts even measured a near 30 per cent heart rate increase in viewers. Impressive stuff, even if the poor door got shattered to bits.
We’re sure you’ll have a better experience with doors that mad Jack’s family, and there is a blockbuster selection of composite, bi-fold, patio and PVC-U doors at Rayleigh Glass.
