“E.T BIKE RIDE” Voted Universal Pictures Best Top 100 Moment

London, 30th April, 2012 – The moment that Elliott cycles past the moonlight in the 1982 classic family film E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial has been named Universal’s most memorable movie moment of the past 100 years by UK film fans.

As the studio celebrates its 100th Anniversary on 30th April 2012, a poll of over 1,000 Brits reveals that the scene from E.T. set to John Williams’ famous score is the most cherished moment in its history (19.5%), followed by Roy Scheider delivering the famous line ‘You’re gonna need a bigger boat’ in the 1975 classic Jaws (10.9%).  To mark the centennial, a range of 15 titles including Mamma Mia! The Movie, The Birds, Jurassic Park and Gladiator have been released on DVD & Blu-ray featuring interactive Augmented Reality packaging.

The third most memorable moment according to fans was in the final scene in the 1985 hit film Back To The Future when Doc Brown, played by Christopher Lloyd, helps Marty McFly get his time travelling DeLoreon home with the help of a clock tower and a bolt of lightning (7.6%).

Other scenes in the top ten include Russell Crowe’s declaration ‘My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius.’ in Gladiator (fourth with 6.7%) and Meryl Streep in fifth place leading the ladies to the tune of Abba’s Dancing Queen in Mamma Mia! The Movie (6.4%).

The list of the most loved Universal characters is led by Michael J. Fox’s Marty McFly from Back To The Future with 9.3%, followed by action man Jason Bourne, played by Matt Damon (6.7%) in the Bourne Trilogy films.  E.T. the alien took third place honours with 6.6% and Renée Zellweger’s ’30-something singleton’ Bridget Jones, the only female character in the top ten, was fourth with 5.8%.

Funnyman Simon Pegg’s Shaun from Shaun of the Dead was named the fifth most loved Universal character (5.6%) – beating the likes of Liam Neeson’s Oskar Schindler (Schindler’s List) and Jeff Bridges’ ‘Dude’ from The Big Lebowski amongst others.

The 10 Most Memorable Universal Moments are:

1. E.T. – Elliott rides E.T. on his bike and takes off into the air past the moonlight – 19.5% 2. Jaws – ‘You’re gonna need a bigger boat’ scene – 10.9% 3. Back To The Future – Lightning strikes the clock tower to power the DeLorean – 7.6% 4. Gladiator – Russell Crowe delivers the ‘My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius’ speech – 6.7% 5. Mamma Mia The Movie! – Meryl Streep leads the ladies through the island in singing ‘Dancing Queen’ – 6.4% 6. Spartacus – Mass ‘I’m Spartacus’ scene – 5.5% 7. American Pie – Jason Biggs experiments with apple pie – 5.3% 8. To Kill A Mockingbird – Gregory Peck’s character Atticus Finch delivers a powerful courtroom closing argument – 4.8% 9. Billy Elliot – Billy Elliot dances through the streets – 4.5% 10. Bridget Jones Diary – Hugh Grant and Colin Firth fight scene – 4.1%

The 10 Most Loved Universal characters are:

1. Michael J Fox as Marty McFly in Back To The Future – 9.3% 2. Matt Damon as Jason Bourne in The Bourne Trilogy – 6.7% 3. E.T. the alien in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial – 6.6% 4. Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones in Bridget Jones’s Diary – 5.8% 5. Simon Pegg as Shaun in Shaun of the Dead – 5.6% 6. Liam Neeson as Oskar Schindler in Schindler’s List – 5.3% 7. Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi as the Blues Brothers in The Blues Brothers – 4.8% 8. Russell Crowe as General Maximus Decimus Meridius in Gladiator – 4.4% 9. Kirk Douglas as Spartacus in Spartacus – 3.9% 10. Jeff Bridges as Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski in The Big Lebowski – 3.3%

Eddie Cunningham, President, Universal Pictures International Entertainment commented:

“Universal Pictures’ incredible library of films has produced indelible moments and iconic characters across the past 100 years. ET, Bridget Jones, Marty McFly, Jason Bourne and countless other iconic Universal characters are part of the fabric of cinema history and these films will continue to capture audiences’ imaginations for years to come.  It is not surprising that Elliot’s bike ride in E.T. ranks as the UK’s most memorable Universal moment, but what is so fantastic about timeless films like E.T. is that these characters and stories continue to appeal to new generations.

This year we are re-releasing E.T. in addition to Jaws, To Kill a Mockingbird and All Quiet on the Western Front on Blu-ray for the first time, so audiences can re-discover these films all over again.  As part of our 100th Anniversary, we have also restored 10 Universal classic titles in an effort to preserve our cinema history and give audiences a chance to view our films in the highest quality possible.”