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  • Above we have the movie titled, ‘The Grudge‘ which was an American remake of the Japanese supernatural thriller, ‘Juan‘ which followed a similar story line and featured similar characters.
  • At the top right there is the movie titled, ‘Godzilla‘ which was another American remake of the Japanese science fiction horror, ‘Gojira‘ which followed a gigantic prehistoric type beast wreaking havoc upon a city. There are a number of similarities except from the fact that the remake was made later and therefore utilized computer generated effects to create the antagonist that is ‘Godzilla‘.
  • To the bottom left we have the 2008 horror starring Jessica Alba, ‘The Eye‘. This was a remake of a Hong-Kong Singaporean horror released 6 years earlier of the same name. Simply staring at the poster shows the similarities; they both stay true to the title and involve extreme close ups on a person’s eye.
  • And finally, to the bottom right we have the horror titled, ‘Let me in’ which was released in 2010 and starred X-Men and Paranorman actor Kodi Smit-Mcphee. Alongside him, as the terrifying Abby, is Kick-Ass actress Chloe Grace Moretz. The movie was a remake of a horror released 2 years earlier titled, ‘Let the Right One in‘ which followed a similar story line about a boy who is bullied on a brutal level and eventually meets a young female who turns out to be a vampire.

Looking back at the originals, to some it seems that they were more independent films as opposed to their remakes which all seem of a highly professional standard. This is where you begin to look for what an independent film has that a blockbuster does not have and vice versa.  Sometimes, it may be that they were remade purely because the story and idea was strong but the production was not of high enough a standard and seemed more of an indie film as opposed to what it could be. The years in which most of the originals were released proved that they could have been of a high standard of profession. This includes special effects and perhaps even musical scores. Among the differences between independent films and blockbusters there are ways of which you can still make a success out of the project, whatever it may be.

 

Indie/Independent Film: The Stag (2014)

Source of video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo9d4Pem7hQ

With the trailer for ‘The Stag‘ there are a number of key details to pick up on which present the differences between itself and the trailer below. For a start, the cinematography is not paid attention to as much as with ‘Marvel’s Doctor Strange‘; Rather than having a very contrasted and sharpened image the movie seems to be a little faded in terms of the level of detail. This is due to the camera(s) used to shoot the movie and the decisions by the cinematographer and the director. This movie is largely based around comedy so attention to detail within the boundaries of cinematography is not always fully taken notice of.

As well as the visual aspects there is also the music; in the trailer below we have a piece of music which matches up with the scores that will feature in the movie whereas above the music is taken from somewhere else and does not seem to completely match the scores which would feature in the movie. With ‘Marvel’s Doctor Strange‘ the score featuring in the trailer is not one of the scores in the movie however it is largely similar to the scores and even sets the surreal tone for the film.

Mainstream Block Buster: Marvel’s Doctor Strange (2016)

Source of video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAs4QVA8wAs

 

What a blockbuster is: Blockbusters are movies which become a proportional success throughout countless markets and continue to attract audiences even years after the release date. For the most part they are movies which were talked about everywhere and, at times, they can be films which were originally seen as a risk. Blockbusters are often what critics refer to as, ‘Breakthroughs’ as they do not always start as movies with a high and promising budget. Films such as, ‘The Blair Witch Project‘ were considered a risk within the world of cinema as the idea of a found footage film had never really been done before and it was this movie which paved the way for the countless other found footage horrors of modern day cinema. The minimalism is often largely celebrated within the critical community especially when there is a sustainable story line behind the film.

The movie ‘Jaws’ was a surprise hit back when it was originally released as there was very little computer generated effects available to directors and to studios so budgets were increased for the creation of a more interactive component. Many believed it would not work but when put together with the story line and music the film skyrocketed and now sits firmly as one of the most iconic shark themed movies in the entire history of cinema.

Nowadays, blockbusters are not always labelled as the following based on a good story line; with modern day cinema it seems we thrive for the more visual aspects and how the popularity of the studio(s) making the movie is growing. Films such as, ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ were instantly labelled as blockbusters before being fully established by critics and audiences purely because of the franchise it belonged to and many argued that, after seeing it, the story line was not as effective as the original.

Remakes: Remakes are movies which are inspired by an original idea and given a fresh start. They are movies based on an original idea but not, in any way, continuing a story line which the original had followed. They are often created due to the availability of visual effects and new industry based equipment. This could be as opposed to when the original production was released. Back in 2010, a remake of the hit TV series, ‘The A-Team’ was made and starred Bradley Cooper and Liam Neeson. This movie was full of celebrity endorsement and high budget special effects however, in comparison to the original there were a number of differences; for one the story was not set in the 80s as the original was. Due to it being updated there were a number of changes and many fans of the original, including critics, did not particular find it to be the best of remakes. With, ‘The A-Team‘ there was a number of opportunities to bring it back in the best way possible; The movie went into production during 2008 where cinema had already advanced and there were greater industry based equipment.

A remake can often be a slight re-imagining of an old idea. Sometimes remakes are in place purely to make more money for a studio so that they can forward other film ideas in the future. For the most part, because remakes are normally related to big names in the world of cinema, people instantly take interest. They are often telling the exact same story line as before however you will find that when updated there are a number of small alterations made and this is another example of a remake; Remaking a film to improve where the original failed. Sometimes, people enjoy the authenticity of originals and believe that remakes use too many up to date methods to create breath taking moments in movies. Some argue it was more impressive to see the originals create visually fascinating sequences and when it comes to remakes it is far from anything new to audiences as the film industry has grown and advanced over the years.

 

Differences between blockbusters & Independent Films: 

With blockbusters, especially nowadays, there is often a substantial amount of money invested in making them. They will tend to set the scene purely with a trailer; dramatic scores, mind blowing visual effects and familiar faces. However, sometimes blockbusters are the movies which were surprise successes as mentioned earlier. They do not always have to be made on unreasonably high budgets; so long as there is something unique and outrageously entertaining about the movie there is a chance it can win over audiences and become a blockbuster.

With independent films there is a difference. For one, they are not taken into production by any of the high profile production companies such as 20th Century Fox or Columbia Pictures. They are often made by small funded film companies who are trying to get to the more professional level of film making. Visually, independent movies are not always as engaging as they rely more on storytelling rather than effects and cinematic decorating. There is a certain level of minimalism with independent films and it is reasons like minimalism which make these movies largely celebrated within the film industry as of today; If the story line is gripping and the characters are enjoyable to watch then there can be the chance that the independent project will sit well with its audience and entertain just as much as that of a blockbuster production would.

It can be difficult to spot an independent film as they are often given as much effort and attention to detail, sometimes more so, as blockbusters. Independent films do not always have to star upcoming actors; sometimes they feature actors well known within the world of cinema. One film released in 2014 titled, ‘Cuban Fury’ starred Nick Frost, Chris O’Dowd and Ian Mcshane who are all well know and established actors within cinema. It is largely down to how engrossing the story line is and how relatable or purely entertaining the characters are. Once there is a solid story line with inner meaning but outer appeal and an interesting cast independent films can come up to standard and even prove more successful than big budget productions.

Overall, the differences between blockbusters and independent films vary; At times independent films can visually come up to standard with that of a blockbuster however it may have a stronger story line than that of a blockbuster and therefore be more successful within box office sales and so on. Most times, when you watch a movie with incredible and realistic visual effects you can instantly recognize it as a blockbuster movie rather than that of an independent movie. However, films such as ‘Attack the Block’ which was backed by Film4 and BigTalkProductions had a number of fascinating and realistic visual effects used and it was released in a number of cinemas through England, not only art house cinemas. This is where you begin to see the line between independent films and blockbusters wear thin. There are still a number of features which bring out the differences in the two such as location, equipment, actors and effects however independent film is becoming more and more popular within the industry and is advancing to a point where it will eventually be on the same level as big budget films. This is in terms of budget and equipment which is gradually becoming more and more industry based.