It would be an understatement to say that James Cameron’s 2009 epic science fiction film, Avatar, was a blockbuster. Not only did it end up making the most money at the box office than any movie ever made in the history of film, but it also pushed new boundaries for film technology, especially with being a 3d film, which in turn caused it tone of the most discussed films of the year. It really reflected the true essence of what a blockbuster is, based on its approach towards the special effects of the movie, the themes it presented, the narrative structure it conveyed, and the legacy it was able to leave behind. As a film that contained innovations for cinema, it ultimately left an impact that was able to transcend just mere entertainment, and showed that movies could be art forms once again. A blockbuster is defined as a movie with a high production value that is large in scope and scale, and is very entertaining.
Gladiator is a perfectly well rounded movie that adds the best of all worlds to create the masterpiece seen today. Ridley Scott’s masterpiece, Gladiator, was released to the public in 2000. Received with initial success and regarded as one of the best movies of the year, during its release in 2000, Gladiator had received numerous awards. The film was nominated for twelve Academy Awards, winning five including Best Picture, twelve BAFTA Awards, and five Golden Globe Awards, winning two including Best Original Score. AFI’s 100 Heroes and Villains, which rates the one hundred best heroes and villains in films in the past one hundred years, rated Maximus Decimus Meredius, played by Russell Crowe, as the fiftieth best hero character in the past one hundred years, also Empire Magazine rated Maximus as the thirty-fifth greatest movie character of all time.
The Success of Michael Crichton's Novels in the Media Industry One only has to look at the astonishing opening weekend of Paramount Pictures' action adventure thriller Congo which was universally panned by critics, to be reminded of the power of the person who created the underlying material: Jurassic Park author Michael Crichton. The film's whopping $24.6 million opening, which shocked insiders, underscored the value to Hollywood of an exclusive club of best-selling writers (Eller 3). Michael Chrichton's novels all have their similarities. He seems to follow a pattern which is working very well for him. He picks a hot-button subject and uses it to lend his novels a glossy veneer of topicality.
In its opening weekend, the film grossed $47.2 million, ranking first. As of 2011, the film grossed a total of $871.5 million worldwide over its lifetime, over 900% of its $93 million production budget. In addition to the film’s notable revenue, its critic reviews garnered an equal amount of recognition. Fellowship of the Ring was met with universal acclaim, earning a score of 92 out of 100 reviews from 34 reviews on critic aggregator website Metacritic and a 91% approval rating from 225 critic ratings on critic aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. Renowned film critic Roger Ebert gave the film a three out of four stars, noting how Jackson “used modern special effects to great purpose” and “It is an awesome production in its daring and breadth”.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace began. In 1999 an American epic space opera, film was released to the public. It became the highest-grossing film of 1999, the highest-grossing Star Wars film, and is currently one of the highest-grossing films in North America. The filmed is loved by people of all ages and continues it's saga today. Everyone should watch the Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace because it has a cutting edge cast, props and effects.
Star Wars: An Intergalactic Joyride "Star Wars" is the highest grossing movie of all time. It is also one of my favorites. It was released in May 1977 and re-released in a restored and enhanced Special Edition just last month. There are many different criteria that can be used to describe ŒStar Wars' appeal. Gary Arnold and Edward Rothstein, two movie critics who had the opportunity to review this great movie, explain its appeal in very much the same way.
Steven Spielberg It is hard to imagine a person who has not heard of Steven Spielberg. He is one of the most renown, if not the most renown, American filmmakers of the century. His films have captivated and helped develop imaginations of contemporary society and remain among the most successful films ever made. Spielberg was born in Cincinnati on December 18th, 1946. His father was an electrical engineer, and his mother a concert pianist.
All of the cast and crews traveling around to perfect this feature film paid off in the end when it grossed thirty four million in the opening weekend alone. Overall, the film received a whopping one hundred and three million dollars and gained spectacular reviews. It was nominated for a Grammy, Young Artist Award, and many others. It won many prestigious awards in 2001 including ‘Best Movie’ at the MTV Movie Awards, the Golden Globe for ‘Best Picture’ and ‘Best Original Score’, and the Academy Awards for ‘Best Actor in a Leading Role’, ‘Best Picture’, ‘Best Effects/Visual Effects’, ‘Best Costume Design,’ and ‘Best Sound.’ The plot of Gladiator, although not historically based, does have some historical relevancy to it. Scott, the director, hired a historian to help him make ‘Gladiator’ as authentic as possible.
George Lucas spoke in one of his interviews about remaking the film and spending more money- but it was worth it! Having studied a range of theories, I now think that Star Wars was so successful because of a combination of all four of these theories. Without one of them, I don't think that it would have been as ground breaking to its viewers. Although there is a strong fairytale storyline and many special effects and aliens without the religious aspect of the 'Force' Star Wars wouldn't be as appealing. This proves just how popular the film was both in the seventies up until today.
Steven Spielberg is one of the most successful directors of all time (in fact, may people would argue that he is the most successful director there has ever been) and his movies have been some of the most profitable and well known in history. His opening sequences are noted for being captivating, gripping and often scary, building tension and suspense. Born in 1946 in Ohio, Spielberg has become elite among directors. The gross of the films he has directed is estimated at $8.5 billion, and three of his films – Jurassic Park, Jaws and E.T. the extra-terrestrial – have achieved box office records.