Summer Block-Buster Season: Dirth of Originality

Ah, spring is in the air and the summer blockbuster season has already started: Wolverine, Star Trek, Angels & Demons, Terminator Salvation, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, all big-budget projects vying for audience dollars. And none of them are truly "original" fare - they're all either based on comics, best-sellers or existing franchises. Granted, in these days of risk-aversed Hollywood, any kind of major spending for these kind of slick, effects-laden fares needs to have a built-in audience to recoup the investment. Just through it all, one would wish a high-risk, low-budget, high energy film could compete with these big guns and show them a thing or two. The original Terminator was just such a revelation when it was released in the 1980's, and so was a small film by the name of Star Warrs in 1977. And there are some significant genre films coming out as independents, or from places outside of North America. We just need to keep our eyes peeled: blink and you'll miss them in the onslaught of the more market-driven vehicles.