Questions about Blockbuster (entertainment)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Where does the word blockbuster come from in film?
The word blockbuster originally described aerial bombs capable of destroying an entire city block, and began appearing in the American press in the early 1940s. Its first known use in a film context was in May 1943, when advertisements in Variety and Motion Picture Herald described the RKO film Bombardier as "the block-buster of all action-thrill-service shows." Publicists coined the term by drawing on readers' familiarity with the bombs' destructive impact and applying that sense of force to a film's commercial power.
What was the first blockbuster film?
Jaws, released in 1975 and directed by Steven Spielberg, is regarded as the first film of the blockbuster era. It was perceived at the time as a new cultural phenomenon for its fast pace, its ability to generate conversation beyond the theater, and its drawing of repeat viewers. Two years later, Star Wars extended the model, setting box office records and inspiring studios to plan annual marketing strategies around a major summer release.
Which film launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster franchise?
Iron Man in 2008 was the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The MCU grew to 43 films with a combined global box office of $31 billion and inspired other cinematic universes including the DC Extended Universe, the MonsterVerse, and the Wizarding World.
What impact did the COVID-19 pandemic have on blockbuster films?
The pandemic curtailed or replaced theatrical releases for several expected blockbusters. Onward and Tenet, both from 2020, had their cinema runs disrupted, and No Time to Die was postponed from 2020 to 2021. Analysts disagreed about whether reduced cinema attendance would push Hollywood toward greater reliance on blockbusters or open space for smaller films.
What criticism did Peter Biskind make about blockbuster cinema?
Peter Biskind argued in his book Easy Riders, Raging Bulls that the commercial success of Jaws and Star Wars led studios to prioritize advertising and production control over creative risk. He wrote that all studios wanted was another Jaws, and that as production costs rose, they based blockbusters on the lowest common denominators of the mass market.
Which filmmaker does Stephen Prince credit as the precursor to Hollywood blockbusters?
Film scholar Stephen Prince credits Akira Kurosawa's 1954 film Seven Samurai as the clearest precursor to the visceral Hollywood blockbuster approach. Prince describes its narrative engine, pacing, and visual style as the model for the brand of moviemaking that emerged in the 1970s, and argues that Kurosawa became a mentor figure to directors including Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, and Francis Ford Coppola.