Movies Big and Small (MMM #17)

Hey all,

Madeline here once again, bringing you all yet another entry in The Movie Minute. For this entry, we’ll focus on the ever-changing landscape of cinema, and the impact of blockbusters and franchise films as well as the future of indie films.

When you hear the term “blockbuster”, you probably think of the latest superhero movies, or even classics such as Jaws and Jurassic Park. Typically, a blockbuster film is produced and distributed by a major film studio (i.e. Universal, Warner Bros.), has a plot that is intended to appeal to mass audiences, features an all-star cast, and is produced with a big budget of around $100 million or even more, all in hopes of generating an enormous amount of revenue at the box office. In fact, there’s often millions more spent by studios just to market and distribute the film!

In contrast, indie movies, which are usually made with smaller budgets, tend to be more artistic and story-driven in nature. They often feature lesser-known actors, and are distributed by smaller studios such as A24, Bleecker Street, or Neon. While they have existed for decades, indie films have broken barriers in more recent years, with notable examples being The Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity, and Everything Everywhere All at Once. Such stories can appeal to a variety of audiences, though when compared to blockbusters, they tend to be more niche. In fact, the intent with these films is often to tell a story or to convey a deeper message rather than being purely for entertainment (a “popcorn movie”).

Directors associated with blockbuster films include Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, and Michael Bay, while those known to be more artistic and prestigious include Martin Scorcese, Spike Lee, and Wes Anderson. In addition, movie stars are often a factor in the success of blockbusters, as many will go see a movie simply because their favorite actor is starring in a major role, therefore the studios consider those stars to be “bankable”.

Even so, there’s many times where characteristics of blockbusters and more independent/art films intertwine, especially when major studios have divisions focused on the latter. For example, these include Focus Features (Universal), Fox Searchlight Pictures (20th Century Fox), Sony Pictures Classics (Sony/Columbia Pictures), as well as mini-majors like Miramax and Lionsgate.  Many of these films such as Brokeback Mountain, Birdman, La La Land, and Moonlight have found success among critics and audiences, and even garnered major accolades.

In the early 2020s following the pandemic’s impact on movie theatres and the rise of streaming services, more artistic movies have not performed too well at the box office. One major factor is the increased output of franchise movies (such as the MCU), especially with more and more sequels and remakes being produced, likely as the studios see them as “safe”. However, this brought concern among filmmakers and audiences about the future of original stories, especially with the endless amount of sequels and franchises taking over the box office *cough “Fast and the Furious” *cough. Today, even with the dominance of franchises, indie films continue to succeed not only in theaters, but on streaming services and home video as well.

To sum it all up, movies can exist as an art form, whether to entertain a wide audience or tell a more artistic and niche story. As franchises, sequels, and reboots have taken over the spotlight, original stories in cinema have continued to thrive, allowing moviegoers to immerse themselves in unique adventures and journeys, whether on the big screen or in the comfort of their own home.

And that is it for this entry in The Movie Minute, the final entry for this month. See you all in March! – Madeline

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