Mainstream film
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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| '''Wide release''' is a term in the [[United States|American]] [[motion picture]] industry for a motion picture that is playing nationally (as opposed to a few cinemas in cities such as [[New York, New York|New York]] and [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]]) and on 600 screens or more in the United States and [[Canada]]. | '''Wide release''' is a term in the [[United States|American]] [[motion picture]] industry for a motion picture that is playing nationally (as opposed to a few cinemas in cities such as [[New York, New York|New York]] and [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]]) and on 600 screens or more in the United States and [[Canada]]. | ||
| - | In the US films for adults only ([[Motion_Picture_Association_of_America_film_rating_system#The_5_ratings|NC-17]] rating) almost never have a wide release: ''[[Showgirls]]'' has been the only one. | + | In the US films for adults only ([[NC-17]] rating) almost never have a wide release: ''[[Showgirls]]'' has been the only one. |
| The term is sometimes used informally in relative terms. For example, a [[documentary film|documentary]] or [[art film]] promoter might speak of a film expanding from a few New York and Los Angeles screens to cinemas in major cities across the U.S. as moving into "wide release" even though it might be playing on a single screen in as few as 15 or 20 major cities. | The term is sometimes used informally in relative terms. For example, a [[documentary film|documentary]] or [[art film]] promoter might speak of a film expanding from a few New York and Los Angeles screens to cinemas in major cities across the U.S. as moving into "wide release" even though it might be playing on a single screen in as few as 15 or 20 major cities. | ||
Revision as of 00:51, 20 May 2007
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Contents |
Parent categories
- mainstream - film
Related
- blockbuster - first-run movie theatre - general audience - Hollywood - movie theatre
- One can safely regard Hollywood, or the American film industry, as the pinnnacle of mainstream.
Subgenres
- mainstream erotic movies
Definition
Mainstream films can best be defined as films that know a wide release and play in first run theatres (A movie theater that runs primarily mainstream film fare from the major film companies and distributors, during the initial release period of each film). Being sold at Amazon.com or its affiliates can also be an indicator. Hollywood movies are usually considered mainstream. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mainstream#In_film [Dec 2005]
Wide release
Wide release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing nationally (as opposed to a few cinemas in cities such as New York and Los Angeles) and on 600 screens or more in the United States and Canada.
In the US films for adults only (NC-17 rating) almost never have a wide release: Showgirls has been the only one.
The term is sometimes used informally in relative terms. For example, a documentary or art film promoter might speak of a film expanding from a few New York and Los Angeles screens to cinemas in major cities across the U.S. as moving into "wide release" even though it might be playing on a single screen in as few as 15 or 20 major cities.
Bestsellers and the mainstream film industry
Bestsellers play a significant role in the mainstream movie industry. There is a long-standing Hollywood practice of turning fiction bestsellers into feature films. Many, if not the majority, of modern movie "classics" began as bestsellers. On the Publisher's Weekly fiction bestsellers of the year charts, we find: #2. The Godfather (1969); #1. Love Story (1970); #2. The Exorcist (1971); #3. Jaws (1974); among many others. Several of each year's fiction bestsellers ultimately are made into high-profile movies. Being a bestseller novel in the U.S. during the last forty years has guaranteed consideration for a big budget, wide-release movie.
