Comments on: Open Forum Friday: Will The Blockbuster Ever Stop Being Profitable?

By: Ian

Ian — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 02:35:05 +0000

Yeah I just sort of came up with it based only slightly on Aristotle’s Poetics.

By: Ryan M.

Ryan M. — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 03:21:54 +0000

“budgets are expected to increase over time anyway due to inflation”

Yes. But also it has to do with greedy actors that want their salary to be the cost of a spectacular indie. I hate the fact that it has come to that.

“will they continue to see whatever movies are hyped the most?”

I’d bet my life on that.

“3SÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s”

Googled this and came up with “shit, shower, and shave”. I’ve actually heard that quoted sequence of words before. I still like your use of it though.

By: Rian

Rian — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 06:44:57 +0000

All I know is that as long as the trailers look good and Brett Ratner’s not directing them, I’ll go see any summer blockbuster that tickles my fancy.

By: Sean

Sean — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:59:22 +0000

I think that’s a really good point actually. People will wait to see the smaller movies via DVD or download, but it takes a really big movie that everyone’s talking about to get them out to the theatre.

By: Ian

Ian — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:43:05 +0000

I’ll invent something here: It’s about the 3S’s: Spectacle – the big one the real reason to see something on I-max or on the biggest screen around and to enjoy the experience with a crowd.
Sexiness – does it show that crowd people they want to identify with people they wish they were being awesome, kickin’ ass savin’ the day, all that shit (this could be the alternate s for this category)
Story – not often the most important but by golly I think it does occassionally matter. The Dark Knight was old school big explosions big set piece action but it wouldn’t have done as well if it didn’t have a good story. And hell sometimes this does allow a modest film to become big such as with The Sixth Sense, etc.

I think the economics of media has changed due in part to the digital age and the evolution of the culture that faciliated this. People still like their person little films but they probably prefer a different venue for viewing them. I’d have to say that perhaps the big screen is now the place for blockbusters. Though I do think those that are working in these new media formats (video podcasts like Channel Frederator, web TV for the out-takes and other series, and also cable TV (not that this is particularly new)) will still find great profit because people don’t just want the blockbuster all the time.