b(lock)buster blurb.

What is a blockbuster movie?

In a nutshell. It is a film that is sent in from the studios to seek and destroy and return their investment immediately. High Risk High Reward. They are usually visual effects heavy films. Steven Spielberg's Jaws set up the pins... George Lucas's Star Wars (1977) did what it was designed to do. Then, Hollywood got hold of what can make serious amounts of money. Not before, this Independent movement in the 1980s. But What is a Blockbuster... A block buster is what you call a term which is exactly what it means... To Bust the Block! So what the heck is a block?
Back in the day, Theaters/Exhibitors owned the rights to films. They controlled what they played, and so on on and so forth. More on this later. During the 40s, with technology ramping up, studios invested their time and money into these very same technologies to attract an audience that was fighting in a war called World War 2. During this period major studio films were being made, and studios were taking absolute control of the process, the players, the directors and all resources, including, yes, the exhibitors! They implemented buying strategies....
1. Blind buying... Where the exhibitor, if the owner wanted to screen a certain picture, they could not see it until they buy a cluster of movies. Not fair right... This was the grip Studios had on Exhibitors in the 1940s.
2. Block buying... Similar to Blind buying, but you got to see the picture! You get to see the picture, but if you want this picture, you are going to have to buy 4 or 5 of these lesser quality or genre films to get the return back on the ROI. This was still not fair.
This is where young filmmakers and artists figured out a way, where everyone leaves happy. Film would never be the same again.
The Block Buster.
One picture, to bust the block. I cannot put it more simpler than this. I thought about it on a train 3 years back. It's gotta be it and I'm rolling with it.
So you have a film like JAWS. You are the exhibitor... Why buy 6 of these lesser films that yeah, will make some money... But I can bank on a certain thing... and that is JAWS is being made and ready to roll through in the next couple months, and it can play on how many screens in America? @ once? How can I get this to make my bottom line sing? So, let me back track.... Do you know why you pay soooo much money at the Box Office?
Because Distribution rules the game. This is really good question for any filmmaker, or anybody... How is someone going to receive your product? In movie terms... How is someone (the audience) going to see the picture? Back then, the Drive Ins and movie theatres. Those were the good old days, where things were much simpler... Now, we have VOD, Youtube, Vimeo, Satellite Radio, and Netflix. Technically, you don't need to leave your house to see a film... But why do people still go to the movies. Because they are simply the movies. They are not going ANYWHERE!!! ANY TIME SOON!!! So anyways, why you and your date pay so much, and you get stuck with the bill...

Because Distribution knows they are the king and as soon as you pay money to see lets say Twillight... This is what it means to acquire rights to distribute! These large sums of money or incentive kicks right up to Distribution. This is why as soon as your movie plays... You see what is above Warner Bros owns your ass for the duration of this film.
So. This is why you pay so much money for popcorn and snacks at the concession and is even competing with the Burger King, Booster Juice franchises within the space.  Because, the exhibitor does not see a dime until The Distributor sees it's share.Simple hey? Think Trickle Down Effect. Keynesian Economics...