Boffo! How I Learned to Love the Blockbuster and Fear the Bomb - Peter Bart
Peter Bart, editor-in-chief of Variety, has written a fascinating book about box-office blockbusters, Broadway hits, and successful television series, including such diverse offerings as Batman, Mamma Mia!, The Lord of the Rings, the Blair Witch Project, Baywatch, The Real World, Oprah, All in the Family, Ben-Hur, The Sound of Music, Pyscho, Gunsmoke, I Love Lucy, King Kong and plenty of others. Each chapter reveals how each of these hits from film, television, and theater almost never made it to the big screen, the small screen, or the stage. Very few of these hits were expected to be hits. They all were successful well beyond expectations. Even more interesting, with rare exception, when each of these hits were replicated (in sequels or similar offerings) they failed to generate the kind of buzz that the original provoked. In short, nothing is predictable in film, television, or theater. A sure-fire hit can bomb. A sure-fire bomb can hit. Bart does a great job of summarizing the story behind all these hits. This is a fun book for those who love popular entertainment.