Take Four: Blockbusters!

Aside from the fact that he inflicted audiences with fears of the ocean and its inhabitants, Steven Spielberg’s Jaws made it so more filmmakers adapted films that gain big commercial success. These big successful films are known as blockbusters. Blockbusters are known for the mass production and both financial and commercial success. Although, there have been blockbusters in previously eras, such as Gone With The Wind (1939), Cleopatra (1963), and Ben Hur (1959), the 1970s marked the blockbuster game-changing movement during the New Hollywood era.

Jaws premiered on June 20, 1975 making it a summer blockbuster. This film was regarded as the first film of New Hollywood’s blockbuster era. Summer blockbusters became increasingly more popular amongst filmmakers. Major film studios and distributors planned their entire annual marketing strategy around a big release in the summer. Jaws was distributed by Universal and its domestic total gross was $260,000,000. With a production budget of $7 million Jaws was a huge phenomenal success for Universal. So of course, more and more major film studios were quick to jump on this strategy. It should be noted though that along was this great success was also some hardships. Jaws almost did not see the day of this success. There were so many issues with Jaws himself. The mechanical shark was a huge chunk of change and yet it had so many technical errors. Steven Spielberg (shown in left picture) was only 27 years old when he started Jaws. This was the film that would either make him or break him. The only thing breaking in this case however was the shark because this film ended victorious.

Jaws was not alone in its success. 

George Lucas’ Star Wars became the most successful film of the decade. And since Star Wars was released in May 25, 1977 that means it outdid the great Jaws itself. Star Wars is a sci-fi film written and directed by George Lucus and was distributed by 20^th Century Fox. This film had spectacular special effects, editing, and storytelling. This film was produced with a budget of $11 million and earned $460 million and that’s just in the United States. Overseas the film brought revenue of $314 million. Along with it’s huge financial success the film gained much praise critically as well. This film took home six academy awards out of the ten nominations it had been nominated for. Star Wars IV: A New Hope, as it was later changed, did not finish here. George Lucas made five other films following this one, which also brought much success.

Blockbusters marked the start of a lot of film-based merchandising. Where studios would sell merchandise based on the films such as lunchboxes, clothing, stationary etc. Blockbusters are the films most people recognize as far as cinema goes. For example, more people are likely to have seen Star Wars then they are to have seen a film like Bonnie & Clyde. Blockbusters have reigned over industries in film.

Please enjoy these blockbuster recommendations and may the force be with you!

• Gone With The Wind (1939)
• Jaws (1975)
• Star Wars Trilogy (1977-2003)
• E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)
• Titanic (1997)