People and opinions on movies can be so weird.

[WeirdRaptor]

It never ceases to surprise me when I find out that a movie that's so well-regarded by modern generations that it's attained the status of classic was actually a flop or sometimes even hated at the time they came out.

Just a few examples include:
It's a Wonderful Life
The Wizard of Oz
The Thing 1982 Remake
Blade Runner
Citizen Kane
12 Angry men
Vertigo
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Yet now these movies get nice, fancy home video release after nice, fancy home video release, constant reairings on television, the net, and rereleases in theaters.
What makes people change their minds on these kinds of things?

[Kor]

Very true.  It can be surprising that some films that may not have done fantastically at the time did great later on, some becoming cult classics. And some films that some thought didn't do to well, if one looks at the records of the time and what numbers mean for them, may be surprised that some films did better then at first thought.