Hollywood Blockbuster Era Flashcards

Flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the lecture notes on the Blockbuster Era in Hollywood.

Blockbuster Era

Period from the 1980s to the present, marked by Hollywood's resurgence and focus on high-budget, commercially successful films.

Jaws (1975)

A film directed by Steven Spielberg that revolutionized Hollywood's production and marketing practices as the first mega-hit of the 1970s.

Saturation Booking

A distribution strategy exemplified by Jaws with a wide release on 464 screens

High Concept

A film concept that is easily understood, has simple characters, relies on genre conventions and pre-sold properties, and emphasizes marketing and ancillary products.

Heaven’s Gate (1980)

A film directed by Michael Cimino, considered the single largest financial disaster ever to hit a major studio, leading Transamerica to sell United Artists.

Home Video

Cable networks, direct broadcast satellites, half-inch videocassettes opened up new avenues for distributing independently produced films

One From the Heart (1982)

A $27 million musical that only made $600,000 and used the “Electronic Cinema” method