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Are Hollywoods blockbusters losing their power and appeal?
Hildaonpluto
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http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/boxoffice-zeros-hollywoods-summer-blockbusters-are-no-longer-the-moneyspinners-they-once-were-9630879.html
For 11 years in a row now summer blockbuster takings are down.Is this cause for concern and why is this happening?Can it be reversed or is it a long term historical shift?
For 11 years in a row now summer blockbuster takings are down.Is this cause for concern and why is this happening?Can it be reversed or is it a long term historical shift?
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Cinema most definitely isn't in decline - 'Skyfall' two years ago made over 100 million pounds alone in this country - but it's been stuck for a long time at the same attendances it was getting over a decade ago, gimmicks like 3D keeping things strong without really pushing them to new heights. Only if things start falling substantially below the current stalemate is when I think it's time to worry.
Specific blockbusters are doing well yes but many big budget blockbusters are increasingly performing modestly,below par or at a loss.The summer blockbuster in particular has always been a tentpole propping up the financing of the whole studio system.
with stuff like
breaking bad for our drama fix
and
the walking dead for our horror fix
and
game of thrones for out epicness TV fix LOL
these are my top shows but other stuff it constantly poping up thats top notch aswell like
hannibal,true detective etc
I dont think there in trouble though alot of them need better writing and characters not an overload of flashy action and GCI
they have to appeal to as many people as possible so they are very few which actually take chances
i think people will tire of them in the end
Some big franchises are certainly milked to death
It also fails to mention the creation of the Winter tentpole season, with Hobbit, Hunger Games and Interstellar all likely to accrue vast fortunes. Once again Hollywood's demise has been greatly exaggerated...
Its a ten year trend not just a bad summer
Its just that Ive read a number of articles suggesting quite a few industry insiders are very worried about the long term.
In the US the main reason the Movie Industry is suffering is because of the explosion of quality in television programming. From streaming services like Netflix and Hulu creating their own original programming to pay cable channels like HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, FX, AMC, etc. You also have the free over air giants ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX all stepping their game up to compete with the previous mentioned newcomers in original material.
Or perhaps just too familiar. Roger Ebert once made the point that an audience attends the latest Lethal Weapon in the same way in tunes in for the latest Columbo or whatever. It's a done deal, risk-free, and they know what they'll get. This is going back a bit, but it's applicable to modern franchise cinema in much the same way.
Few can deny the high watermarks of US televison these days, but it's also very time-consuming with its week-in week-out investment. So it may be the case that mainstream US cinema needs to offer what television can't - e.g. more major, one-off quality films that still have mass appeal and don't ask you to turn up again in a year's time. But then the first-view exclusivity of franchise cinema is obviously part of the appeal, and gives it a certain prestige. Of the 13 films that made over $200m in the US last year, only one wasn't franchise-related or franchise starter (Gravity). It's depressing, and it's also business.
It is difficult to predict how things will pan out, but I've heard of one proposed change that could affect things quite markedly. The cinema chains will start to alter ticket prices according to release. Want to see Iron Man 4? Then expect to pay more than for that lesser release on the next screen. Doubtless IM4 would generate vast amounts, but that lesser release may benefit too. It's the same way you would expect to pay more to see Man Utd than Carlisle Utd (a very rough analogy but you get my drift). I know ticket prices can differ anyway, but this practise could become a lot more pronounced. We shall see.
The new fad in cinemas being built is to give the customer a full service experience. You can get a full meal (instead of the typical junk), there are large comfortable reclining chairs, and you can buy alcohol. It is more directed towards the adult crowd. It does cost more but it is well worth it. Interestingly these boutique theaters are showing tremendous growth.
There arent any of these new boutique cinemas near me:(
The first movie in every franchise spents the first act going over the 'origin' in detail.which I thought was a great idea when I was a kid, but not every superhero warrants it.
You could do the punisher origin over the pre-credit scenes.
Then the next act is usually the big-guy origin. Some bad guy don't really warrent an origin.
Also, spending 200-odd issues of the hulk to get down into pyhcological problems is fine. In a two hour movie, people just want to see a big green monster smashing things...
Whether it's formulaic or not, removing characterisation in favour of Michael Bay style hour long action sequences isn't the answer...
Depends what the franchise is. I'd love to see a film called 'hulk smash'.
The hulk is co-opted by the military to take down four or five of marvels old 50's mosters.
The kid who plays Howard in big bang as the mole man, Tom baker as the voice of fin fang foom......