Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, July 6, 1990 TAG: 9007060083
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Chris Gladden
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
And - like stock car fans who come away from 500 laps of sun, noise and carbon monoxide fumes - we moviegoers are beginning to feel numb from the onslaught.
Studios are loading up for the big summer picture in what some call "the blockbuster mentality," and bombarding prospective audiences with ads is a key strategy. According to Variety magazine, at least seven summer movies will each have advertising costs higher than $20 million.
That money we spend on tickets is paying for the ads we see on TV. Some ad budgets are reported to be more than the production costs of the movie.
But don't expect that to reflect an uncharacteristic frugality on the part of moviemakers. Big stars and big effects are the selling points of this summer's movies, and they don't come cheap.
At a cost conservatively estimated at more than $50 million, "Days of Thunder" may be the most expensive movie of the summer. Tack $27 million in advertising costs onto that, and you can see why Paramount wants you to come to the theater.
And what is the result of this massive campaign aimed at moviegoers?
In dollar terms, it seems successful. The last week in June showed that "Dick Tracy" had earned $50 million, "Another 48 hrs." another $50 million or so, "Total Recall" $81 million, "Back to the Future III" $64 million, "Bird on a Wire" $59 million and - surprise - "Pretty Woman" $144 million.
The latter, a Cinderella story about a prostitute and a corporate raider, is still around and still drawing audiences. Which means that at some point we should have some sequels and some ripoffs - "Pretty Woman II: The White House Years."
Interestingly, "Pretty Woman" has outdrawn "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" though the reptiles probably have an advantage when it comes to licensed products. I'm not aware of any Julia Roberts hot pants for sale at the neighborhood mall.
Pardon me if I seem cynical. I have nothing against sequels - the dominant movie form this summer - if they advance the characters, improve on the formula or otherwise deliver a reasonable amount of entertainment value for my box office dollar. Generally, they don't.
I was pleasantly surprised by "Back to the Future III," an improvement on "II." On the other hand, "Another 48 hrs." was a major disappointment. Walter Hill, the talented director of the Eddie Murphy-Nick Nolte crime adventure, has been on a downward spiral. He bottomed out with this contrivance, which is too bad because the original is a first-rate action movie.
"Dick Tracy" was another pleasant surprise because it at least shows some style, beating the odds that most big-name, big-hype movies face. But it lacks the muscle of a "Batman."
"Bird on a Wire" wasted two good performers - Goldie Hawn and Mel Gibson - on a lackluster script.
"Days of Thunder" held the most promise and therefore is the most disappointing. Good performances and heart-pounding racing sequences were sidelined by a half-heartedly formulaic story.
What the summer seems to amount to is a couple of pleasant surprises, more than a few disappointments and no real excitement: no "Jaws," no "Star Wars," no "48 hrs." for that matter. In their efforts to capitalize on previous moneymakers, the studios have so far shut out the new, the fresh and the adventurous.
That doesn't seem to speak too well of an industry that is expected to make $1.9 billion by the time fall rolls around.
by CNB