American Blockbuster #2

The Lego Movie (2014)

Cost - $60 million

Cast - Chris Pratt

          Will Ferell

          Elizabeth Banks

          Will Arnett

          Nick Offerman

          Alison Brie

          Charlie Day

          Liam Neeson

          Morgan Freeman

          Channing Tatum

(All cast are top billed cast/voice actors and actresses) 

Director - Phil Lord

                 Christopher Miller

Genre - Animated-Adventure-Comedy

Box Office - $457,506,875

Production Company - Warner Bros./Lego System

Certificate - PG

Release Date - February 14th 2014 (UK) February 7th 2014 (US)

Does the cast have audience appeal?
 The cast of the movie is massive, containing mainly A list Hollywood stars like Ferell and Freeman who all widely have universal appeal. This cast provided the voices for the characters and helped the film come to life through the animation of the iconic Lego company. The large cast proved beneficial to the films success although films with all star casts generally do poorly at the box office like; 'Movie 43' or 'New Years Eve'.

Was this film popular?
 The film was incredibly popular with it's audiences, including audiences that weren't specifically targeted by the film including the teen/adult market. It has been considered to be one of the greatest animation films and delivers easily understandable comedic humour with an all star cast. The film commercially did well and went onto spawning the sequel that is scheduled for release in the near future. As expected, the concept of the film attracted audiences as opposed to the cast, as there had never been a Lego film created for the cinema - it has also gone onto inspiring more toy related films, such as the pre-production 'Barbie' movie. 

What makes this film an American Blockbuster?
 This film is considered to be an American Blockbuster due to the sheer scale of production and high budget ($60 million), the film was shown internationally and grossed over $451 million in profits. The production company that commissioned the distribution of the movie was Warner Bros. which is an established and well known production company. The movie was released on Valentines Day in the UK, which was a week before the half term holidays therefore they targeted parents that would take their children to the cinema during half term in order to keep them occupied. 

How was it marketed? 
 Lego released a range of mini figures before the films release, they also allowed fans to create a Lego model of themselves which had the possibility of being featured in the movies trailer. Posters of the characters were given to customers that bought from the Lego website, Barnes & Noble threw themed events for the films promotion. Fast food giant McDonalds released a line of holographic cups in 'Happy Meals' to target the younger demographic. A video game was eventually created during the release of the film which allowed players to play a story loosely based on the plot of 'The Lego Movie'.

Reviews
 The critics like the audience loved the film, it received a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 8.1 rating on IMDB, the film performed well commercially and with the critics which labelled it as a 'beautiful animation' - The majority of critics enjoyed the movie. 

US Independent Film #2

(500) Days of Summer (2009)

Cost - $7.5 million

Cast - Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Tom Hansen) - Top Billed

          Zooey Deschanel (Summer Finn) - Top Billed

          Geoffrey Arend (Mckenzie)

          Chloe Grace Moretz (Rachel Hansen)

          Richard McGonagle (Narrator) 

Director - Marc Webb

Genre - Comedy-Drama

Box Office - $60,722,734

Production Company - Fox Searchlight Pictures

Certificate - 12A

Release Date - September 2nd 2009 (UK) August 7th 2009 (US)

Does the cast have an audience appeal?

 There is a sense of audience appeal from both of the main cast as they had both starred in a range of films. The audience grew to love the quirky acting styles of Zooey Deschanel who had previously starred in films like 'Elf' and 'The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy', therefore having a slight name for herself but not being an A list Hollywood actress. Joseph Gordon-Levitt had the same status as Deschanel as he was not a major Hollywood star but still had a range of films that he'd starred in, such as 'Mysterious Skin' and '10 Things I Hate About You'. The film arguably put more of a name out for the two actors who went on to starring in more known films/television series like 'The Dark Knight Rises (Gordon-Levitt) and television show 'New Girl' for Deschanel. 

Was this film popular?

 Despite being an independent film, this film reached a mass audience and was popular with audiences and critics alike. It went onto making $60,722,734 which was a $53+ million profit, the film also became a cult classic and gained a huge fan-base. The nonlinear narrative again proved popular as it didn't follow the linear typically romantic comedy, but instead chose its own path of showing the relationship between Summer and Tom. It's known as a 'sleeper hit' as it didn't have a massively successful opening or masses of promotion, but became successful over a long period of time and is now a hit. 

What makes this film independent?

 The film was an independent film due to it being filmed independently as opposed to being filmed by a major film studio, the budget was low ($7.5 million) and went onto becoming an international success. The film was designed to be more artistic as opposed to being made for profit like most Hollywood films, the artistic vision seen throughout with sets and timeframes being drawn/animations. Fox Searchlight Pictures deals with distributing independent films, therefore this being a branch from Fox Entertainment Group which distributes more mainstream movies. The film was shown at Sundance Film Festival in 2009 of which it received a standing ovation, before being nominated at the Golden Globes for Best Picture and Best Actor. 

How was it marketed?

 Zooey Deschanel is apart of the duo She & Him and recorded songs for the soundtrack, and both Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel starred in the music video for 'Why Do You Let Me Stay Here' which was recorded by She & Him. Both lead roles starred in the debut episode of Microsoft Zune and Mean Magazines 'Cinemash' where they mashed together the characters of Sid & Nancy with the (500) Days of Summer storyline. 

Reviews

 The movie received positive reviews from critics and audiences alike, it went onto winning awards from major film festivals such as Hollywood Film Festival award, Satellite Award and was nominated for four Independent Spirit Awards. It was an international success and the film was placed in several "top ten films" lists as well as eventually being nominated for Golden Globe awards. The critics and audiences that viewed the movie at the festivals helped the film be widely distributed. 

British Film #2

Gravity (2013)

Cost - $100 million 

Cast - Sandra Bullock (Dr Ryan Stone) - Top Billed

          George Clooney (Lieutenant Matt Kowalski) - Top Billed 

          Ed Harris (Mission Control)

          Orto Ignatiuessen (Aningaaq) 

        Phaldut Sharma (Shariff Dasari)
         Amy Warren (Captain of Explorer)
         Basher Salvage (Captain of International Space Station) 
Director - Alfonso Cuaron
Genre - Science fiction thriller
Box Office - $716,392,705
Production Company - Warner Bros./Regency Enterprises
Certificate - 12A
Release Date - November 8th 2013 (UK) October 4th 2013 (US)

Does the cast have audience appeal?
 The film has a sense of audience appeal due to having A list stars like Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as the main characters. Sandra Bullock typically is known for acting in romantic comedies like '2 Weeks Notice' or comedies like 'The Heat' therefore the attraction to see Bullock in a more serious role may be a big attraction - she has been complemented on her work on more serious films like 'The Blind Side'. George Clooney being a star in the film again draws in an audience for this film as he has a huge fan-base and people are still willing to see a Clooney movie, this film was incredibly successful proving that star power still exists to an extent, although the films main attraction was the stunning visual effects.

Was this film popular?
 The film was incredibly popular with its audiences globally as the film captured the absence of space with the fear of being alone within 91 minutes, the film had stunning visual effects which were used in 80 minutes of the 91 minutes. The movie made over $600+ million profit worldwide and received 7 Oscar wins, making it one of the most successful films of 2013. 

What made this film British?
The film was produced by British film producer David Heymen who has been known for producing the Harry Potter films, the film was shot at Shipperton Studios using an entirely British crew of technicians and artists who created the visual effects - they were overseen by British company Framestore. The movie was nominated for 11 BAFTA's and won the Outstanding British Film award. 

How was it marketed?
 The film relied heavily on 3D which interestingly has been criticised in the past for being 'dead', therefore promoting the 3D version as opposed to the 2D version could have been a gamble. As the movie took the 3D route, it made 3D a selling point for the movie by putting 'Must see in 3D' on their adverts, which combined with the visual effects paid off as the film was a box office success. They took the standard route by using billboard/television advertisements, but also relied on word of mouth in order to get people to go see the movie. The film was marketed as a 'sensory experience' as opposed to just a popcorn movie. 

Reviews 
The movie received incredibly positive reviews by critics and audiences alike, it received 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and 8.1 on IMDB. Critics often commented on the stunning visual effects and found the film to be an amazing visual experience, which captured the emptiness of space and fear of the unknown. 

Future Impact from Film

Diana

How does/will this affect future releases? Are the likely to result in a franchise? 
 As the film performed poorly at the Box Office, it would be unlikely that there would be a sequel or another film relating to Princess Diana as this one under-perfomed. Producers may steer clear from historical stories, however the script writing was blamed for the films demise therefore the writer's reputation maybe tarnished in the sense that studio's may not want them to write for other films based off the films failure. There may also be a delay in making the transition from film to DVD as the film was not a success, therefore there is less desire for the film. It would be incredibly unlikely that there would be a franchise purely due to the failure of the first film, there would also be confusion of how this film would deal with a franchise as they would have to retell the life of one woman into more than one film. 

The Amazing Spider-Man

How does/will this affect future releases? Are they likely to result in a franchise? 
 The film did incredibly well internationally although being the lowest grossed Spider-man film to date (with a taking of over $752 million). Sony may start introducing more marketing and merchandising techniques by increasing production of figures, comics and costumes/games. The film was heavily praised for it's screenwriting and portrayal of Gwen and Peter (Emma & Andrew) therefore Marvel could capitalise on the relationship by creating a animation surrounding the pair, they could also make a comic series about them and build on their relationship in the future films. As Spider-Man is a franchise, there will be more Amazing Spider-Man films to be made in this Marc Webb franchise, with The Amazing Spider-Man 2 out in cinemas now already becoming the most successful film internationally as it has not been released in the US yet but has made $48 million. Sony have scheduled a The Amazing Spider-Man 3 and 4 to be released in the future. 

Juno

How does/will this affect future releases? Are they likely to result in a franchise?
 The film did incredibly well financially and critically, however they did not create a franchise out of it due to the independent aspect of the film and did not want to ruin the film with an overproduced Hollywood sequel which perhaps would flop at the box office and could perhaps ruin the reputation of the film. The director and screenwriter have both declined the chance to create a sequel as they cited story issues with the reasons for not creating a sequel. Therefore a sequel or franchise would not be created in order to stick to the original success story. 

General Questions

What genre is more popular/why?
The most popular genre of film is action adventure with the sub genre being superhero films. Action/adventure films often have the highest budget but often make the most amount of money globally. Films in this genre include; 

• The Hunger Games/Catching Fire
• The Amazing Spider-Man/The Amazing Spider-Man 2
• Captain America 
• The Expendables
• Lord Of The Rings

How will the films be viewed? 

The films would all be viewed in the cinema, however when they are relaeased they would be available on sites like iTunes and Amazon as well as physical DVD's. Eventually the films would make it onto streaming sites like Netflix and Now TV which have become an essential part of peoples lives to watch television and films. After a long release they would become free/available to purchase on the Sky Store. 

Exam Style Question

Consider - How far do the American films you have studied for this topic depend on well established narrative and/or genre conventions.

 Both Badlands and Natural Born Killers fall under the lovers on the lam genre, therefore both film share similarities but also major differences. The scene in which Kit murders Holly's parents focusses more on the emotional value, seen with the naivety from Holly's character when her father dies as she rushes to his aid after he dies. This detail could have the suggestion that although Holly has 'made a deal with the devil' she still has a sense of compassion and love for her father. In contrast with Natural Born Killers, where Malory is eager to kill her parents - this suggesting that the dysfunctional family aspect does create serial killers, but also shows how she has no regard for human life, typical to psychopaths and mass murderers. As Badlands was set in the 1950's, fame was still a desired quality to have - however it was more achievable in the 1990's in the middle of the newspaper/TV age, in which media was easier to put people on a pedestal. Shown in NBK where the scene alternates between the scene and scenes from popular culture - like cartoons to mirror the violence, or news reports regarding the two murderers. 

 Both films have similar conventions that are typical of the genre, as romance is a huge part of the 'lovers of the lamb' genre. Therefore both films feature lovers - however both sets of couples show massive differences in their personalities. Most obviously, the difference between Holly and Mallory - seen in the opening scene where Mallory attacks and successfully kills one of the men in the Diner. Mallory shows that she is independent and can handle her own battles, which is a major contrast with Holly's character who is incredibly dependent on Kit. Although the dependence is shown throughout the film, specifically when Kit tells Holly to hide when a group infiltrate where they are hiding in the woods, the flight aspect of Holly's character show that she could not stand a fight without Kit protecting her - contrasting with the fighting drive seen by Mallory. The road trip genre is again easily identified in both films with the cars, the cars acting as a metaphorical birdcage which cages the protagonists/antagonists(?) and makes them face their emotions and traps them. The crime element is evident throughout both films, specifically seen when Mallory and Mickey rob the drug store and then are bombarded with police - the police again suggesting it is not legal. In Badlands the scene where Kit is chased by the police when he eventually surrenders - again symbolising that there is criminal activity. 

How far do the 2 films you have studied for this topic present similar messages and values? 

 'Badlands' was filmed in 1973, which contextually was a time in American society where people were typically angry with the political aspect of the country - as it was the time of the Vietnam War and civilian's did not support the war. This was clearly identified in both films as they mainly centre around the theme of crime, being an escape from the mundane tasks of life in America. The idea of being an outlaw became an obsession from the main protagonist Kit, who throughout the film is seen to be making his mark by laying out stones at certain points in his journey - acting like a trademark so people know that he did it. The sheer lack of care with the legal system is conveyed throughout with the constant crime but also suggests that this is what American society had reduced itself to, that people resorted to crime to numb the pain and boredom. In the scene where Kit is arrested and taken to the airport hanger, he gives out items that he has possessed and acts like he is being interviewed by the army/police. This suggesting that America had become corrupt with fame and although Kit murdered innocent people, people were obsessed with following his every move - so his arrest was bittersweet for America as it saw the end of murder, but took away their 'entertainment'. 'Badlands' showed how twisted America had became as its fascination with crime had escalated in people wanting and becoming famous as a result of crime. 

 In 'Natural Born Killers', the messages are more exaggerated through the constant pop culture references to suggest that American society has become sick, and also suggesting that people are violent because of what they are seeing in the media. Although the film was filmed in the 1994, it was set in the 1990's and showed the evolution of the media and the ideas that the media had created. By having the film flick between ideal suburban families and Mickey & Mallory's murders, it shows that again American society was transfixed on the media and television - also showing that American's had become desensitised to the media and less receptive to rejecting it's opinions and ideas. As pop culture is a strong focus point in the film, the scene where the film acts as a American sitcom deals with issues like rape and abuse. This is shown as Mallory is with her family who are exaggerated to replicate the typical sitcom - but this scene shows the meeting of Mickey & Mallory, but also the family dynamic of Mallory's parents - being the typical housewife trying to ignore problems and deal with her life, but also the father who abuses the family but also rapes Mallory. The use of laughing track also suggests that American society has grown sick and has now become oblivious to issues, the sitcom masking any problems which are a subject of humour in the scene. This scene strongly implies that due to the media, America has now become less receptive to issues and people are publicly masking their problems (as seen by the mother). 

What is the significance about setting and/or place in your chosen American films?

 Setting is extremely important in both films as the car could be considered to be a setting - the car being a metaphor for a birdcage, trapping the protagonists and forcing them to deal with their issues.