Holly's winning formula this season
High-paced thrillers have become Hollywood's staple summer diet. Continuing the trend, the Indiana Jones franchise has returned with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of The Crystal Skull. Helmed by acclaimed director Steven Spielberg, the movie has done well abroad and is expected to do so in India too. Spielberg is considered the father of the summer blockbuster hits - beginning with his 1975 classic Jaws. Ever since the monstrous success of this movie, Hollywood has stuck to the formula to make a whole lot of money.
Just this year alone we have had Iron Man, Speed Racer and Prince Caspian. Many more are to follow. The winning formula Hollywood adopts is pretty simple and straightforward. The movies are designed to thrill. They are not cerebral or conscience-pricking. They are basically children's movies designed and sold for adults, built with the intent of attracting children and the child in the adult. They are clearly designed to appeal to all demographics.
Summer blockbusters are generally released from the end of May till mid-July if they want to maintain their winning streak for the length of the season. Children are on holidays and parents need to keep them away from the heat and also get some time out for themselves. Since children and teens are more likely to watch a movie more than once, it makes perfect sense to build a summer movie around this demographic.
The movies are fast paced, loaded with special effects and the humour is lowbrow. The more recent Rush Hour 2, The Bourne Ultimatum and Shrek are great examples.Hollywood also does not like to take too many chances because movies are major investments. So they stick to all things safe and familiar.
