Steven Spielberg's (USA) Jaws (USA, 1975) is considered the first summer blockbuster. Not only did people queue up around the block to see the movie, it became the first film to earn $100 million at the box office.
We all know the story of how Steven Spielberg's 1975 box office hit Jaws was the birth of the movie blockbuster, closely followed by George Lucas' Star Wars in 1977.
The first video-rental store opened in Dallas, Texas, in 1985, offering 8,000 VHS tapes compared to the typical 200-300 at rivals. This abundance of videos, paired with the store's extended opening hours, quickly attracted movie-hungry customers.
Jaws, American suspense and horror film, released in 1975, that was directed by Steven Spielberg and is considered the first summer blockbuster. Based on the 1974 novel of the same name by author Peter Benchley, it tells the story of a great white shark that terrorizes a beach resort town.
A blockbuster is a work of entertainment—typically used to describe a feature film produced by a major film studio, but also other media—that is highly popular and financially successful.
The Evolution Of Cinema: From Silent Films To Blockbusters
What is the highest blockbuster movie of all time?
That makes the No. 1 title, “Avatar,” even more impressive, since the underwater epic came out 15 years ago, when ticket prices were lower, yet is still on top of the worldwide list. Its sequel, “The Way of Water,” hovers not far behind at No. 3.
Our local store closed in 2010 — the year Blockbuster corporate filed for bankruptcy protection — and less than a decade later, almost all of Blockbuster's some 9,000 stores had followed suit. These days, there's only one Blockbuster left on Earth. It's in Bend, Ore., about 820 miles from my home in Los Angeles.
Why is Jaws considered the first summer blockbuster?
As the first of its kind, Jaws was perceived as a new cultural phenomenon which focused on fast-paced and exciting entertainment which would spark conversations beyond the cinema as well as repeated viewings.
Giants Movie Gallery and Blockbuster, driven by physical rental stores, began struggling to compete with streaming and mailing platforms. Both were driven into bankruptcy because they failed to adapt quickly enough.
When he realized the potential in video rentals, Cook abandoned the oil industry and began franchising the Blockbuster store. The first Blockbuster store opened on October 19, 1985, in Dallas, Texas, with an inventory of 8,000 VHS and 2,000 Beta tapes.
If you didn't know: There is only one Blockbuster Video left on planet Earth. It is in Bend, Oregon, and it's a relic of a bygone era when the country had more than 9,000 locations.
Blockbuster, colloquially known as the Last Blockbuster, is a video rental store in Bend, Oregon. In 2018, it became the last Blockbuster store in the United States, and in 2020, it became the world's last remaining retail store using the Blockbuster brand.
Steven Allan Spielberg (/ˈspiːlbɜːrɡ/; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director in history.
Star Wars: Attack of the Clones was the first major blockbuster movie shot entirely in a digital format. Over five years in active development, Lucasfilm partnered with Sony and Panavision to create a prototype digital cinema camera that bypassed the use of traditional celluloid film.
1967: "Gone with the Wind" takes back the crown after a re-release on 70 mm film. 1972: "The Godfather" becomes the fastest film to $100 million worldwide on its way to overtaking "Gone with the Wind." 1973: "Jaws" moves into the top spot and is considered the first summer blockbuster, according to Guinness.
Jaws, widely regarded as the first summer blockbuster, chomped off a then-unheard-of $470 million theatrical bite worldwide as it went on to seize the title of history's highest-grossing film (until George Lucas would enter the picture with Star Wars in 1977).
"The truth is, the blockbuster is a concept, an idea, a strategy that Hollywood has been using for quite a few decades before 1975, when 'Jaws' was released," said Charles Acland, who chronicles this cinematic business model in his book, "American Blockbuster."
The chain went bust a decade ago, but throughout its various financial messes, as each store closed one by one, a lone franchise in Bend, Oregon has remained. Owned by Ken and Debbie Tisher and run by Sandi Harding, the relic is a homage to all things pre-digital.
John Antioco was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. His father was a milkman, whom Antioco would sometimes accompany on his morning delivery route. He is a graduate of the New York Institute of Technology, where he earned a B.S.
1. Jack Nicholson - April 22, 1937. The first actor on this list is Jack Nicholson, an American actor who also happens to be a screenwriter, producer, and also director.
Roundhay Garden Scene is a short silent motion picture filmed by French inventor Louis Le Prince at Oakwood Grange in Roundhay, Leeds, in Northern England on 14 October 1888. It is believed to be the oldest surviving film.
