C-Grade Answer For The Impact Of Hollywood's Focus On The Blockbuster Film And How It's Affected The Up-Turn In Box Office Figures In The Last 10 Years.

Over the last 10 years, there has been a dramatic increase in visitors to the cinema. The total audience number in 2000 was 143 million compared with 97 million in 1990. This 47% increase would seem to suggest that Hollywood's focus on the blockbuster film has had a large impact on box-office figures.

The blockbuster is aimed at a much wider audience and combines many genres in one. This means that it doesn't target a specific audience, but a wide range of potential viewers. For example, Titanic contained something for everyone. Since new Hollywood began to focus on the blockbuster, more films have been released that follow a formulaic pattern. This makes the films fit with the audiences' expectations. They are not surprised by what they see and can have an easy, predictable viewing experience.

However, blockbusters may not be the only reason for a rise in British box-office figures. Between 1950 & 1960, cinema audience figures were extremely high, as people would often go to the cinema two or three times a week. This was more as a social event rather than just to see the film itself. They also had a larger disposable income as the war had just finished, so they were able to fund going to the cinema. This may be what has happened since 1990 as the cinema has become more of a social occasion, with the introduction of multiplexes. The multiplex has snack bars and other facilities for people to use after or before they go to see a film. Another possible reason is the advance in both picture and sound quality. For example, with the introduction of surround sound, the whole cinema experience has become more realistic.

Overall I would say that the blockbuster has had a large influence on the up-turn in cinema audiences, but it is not the only reason. There is a combination of reasons why Britain's inhabitants are going back to the cinema.