By “Cinema” Dave
http://cinemadave.livejournal.com
The 2019 box office blockbuster season closes this Labor Day weekend. Unless you were a Disney or Universal Studio with a multi-million dollar box office franchise, this summer appears to close with a wimper. As I officially complete my second decade of writing “Flicks,” the world of movie theater geography has changed drastically; yet, much of this was predicted in my undergraduate classroom at Florida State University College of Communication 37 years ago.
In 1982, box office champions were either created by George Lucas, Steven Spielberg or both, as the following films testify: Star Wars, Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Smaller movie star performance movies were being supplanted by special effects driven story lines. As television expanded from broadcast television to multiple cable channels, there was no need to pay to see a movie star on the big screen any more. However, a big budgeted special effects extravaganza still had to be seen on the big screen.
Given the record breaking box office of Avengers: Endgame, that formula holds true. It also helps that Avengers: Endgame was a story-driven motion picture with character growth and development.
When Captain America finally gets the upper hand on the bully Thanos, the collected audience across the world cheered this hopeful moment. As divided as this world is, the symbolism of Captain America being worthy to weld Thor’s Hammer was a moment of world unification — for good guys still like to defeat the evil of bullies. This was an historical scene that will be as remembered like John Wayne’s entrance in Stagecoach 80 years ago.
Whether the wide open spaces of a western or a computer-generated special effects extravaganza of the newest space opera, the big screen will always endure. Although, headline news for the motion picture industry is now transmitted onto a cell phone or the Internet.
From the major studios, Disney announced a new trailer for the last Star Wars movie featuring the Skywalker family. Along with a new television series about intergalactic bounty hunters entitled The Mandalorian, there is a new series featuring Ewan McGregor’s portrayal of Obi-Wan Ben Kenobi, a role first essayed by Sir Alec Guinness in the original Star Wars, circa 1977.
Locally, details for the 34th Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival will be put into action. Next week this column will feature important dates for screenings, volunteer opportunities and parties. Until then, have a safe and happy Labor Day!
