NationStates Jolt Archive

.....the top 10 grossing movies of all time are all Science-Fiction or Fantasy (and some could argue that The Passion it fantasy as well, but we wont go there). The list is:

1. Titanic (1997) $600,779,824
2. Star Wars (1977) $460,935,665
3. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) $434,949,459
4. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) $431,065,444
5. Spider-Man (2002) $403,706,375
6. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The (2003) $376,853,002
7. Passion of the Christ, The (2004) $368,894,610
8. Jurassic Park (1993) $356,784,000
9. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The (2002) $340,478,898
10. Finding Nemo (2003) $339,714,367

(Figures are not adjusted for inflation and only account for box office sales)

All the movies deal with fantastic things beyond the possible in real life, events that you will never experience in the physical world. Could this signify an inability to deal with reality, or an urge to escape the world? Perhaps this means the average person refuses to accept what is possible. Maybe it just means people like laser weapons and dragons. What do you think?

.....the top 10 grossing movies of all time are all Science-Fiction or Fantasy (and some could argue that The Passion it fantasy as well, but we wont go there). The list is:

1. Titanic (1997) $600,779,824
2. Star Wars (1977) $460,935,665
3. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) $434,949,459
4. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) $431,065,444
5. Spider-Man (2002) $403,706,375
6. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The (2003) $376,853,002
7. Passion of the Christ, The (2004) $368,894,610
8. Jurassic Park (1993) $356,784,000
9. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The (2002) $340,478,898
10. Finding Nemo (2003) $339,714,367

(Figures are not adjusted for inflation and only account for box office sales)

All the movies deal with fantastic things beyond the possible in real life, events that you will never experience in the physical world. Could this signify an inability to deal with reality, or an urge to escape the world? Perhaps this means the average person refuses to accept what is possible. Maybe it just means people like laser weapons and dragons. What do you think?

THAT is why people watch movies :P

Titanic wasted 3 hours of 40 million peoples' lives.
If you do the maths, Titanic has actually killed 50 people.

Titanic wasted 3 hours of 40 million peoples' lives.
If you do the maths, Titanic has actually killed 50 people.

i dont want to know your math 0_o

It has a lot more to do with spectacle, something that has been related to film since the begining. (early on film touched on Science and fantasy with Trip to the Moon and other movies by the guy who did that who's name I can't remember suddenly...) Lumiere Bros. made a similiar smash with films that where more or less just simple events, men coming out of factories, trains coming into stations (no one jumped out of thier seats with that film, it's a myth).

But that spectacle was amped up in 1977 with the release and success of Jaws. Since then, studios have become more and more reliant on what has become known as 'tentpole' films, large spectacular films that are meant to support the rest of the releases. If one studio does they all have to in order to jockey for screens with the rest of thier films, to have that power (You want Harry Potter? You're gonna have to take this period piece with Nicole Kidman...).

The films are sold on their degree of spectical, thus a great deal of concept and special effects, which lend itself to sci-fi/fantasy. They have to be events so stunning that you have to see them in the theater. Compare the impact lost in watching Jurassic Park at home on your 19" TV (if yours is bigger, and it likely is, I don't want to hear about it. This is what I can afford now...) vs. the impact lost in watching, say Lost in Translation.

This also relates to exhibitors needs as well. Who watches these movies? 16-25 year olds and families, who also buy concessions, which drive theater business.

All this adds up to the biggest films, based on domestic box office, being largely dominated by sci-fi fantasy.

Titanic wasted 3 hours of 40 million peoples' lives.
If you do the maths, Titanic has actually killed 50 people.
I say this often:
That movie needed two start times, one for those who for some reason needed another 'disenfranchised rich girl falls for noble poor dude who teaches her how to live...' story, and a second start time for when the ship started to sink.

Subtract the entire first half of the movie, and Titanic becomes a decent film at best.

Cheers for Star Wars though! :lol:

Star Wars was great. Titanic was junk.

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OMG VOTE NOLAN BUSHNELL '04

I got out of watching Titanic at the theater because my son was crying. I can't remember another time that I was happy about an infant crying in my life.

OMG VOTE NOLAN BUSHNELL '04
STFU VOTE NADER!!!!!!!!1111q

It's sad seeing that 2003's greatest hit was about a fish.