HDC Debates #4: Will Godzilla be the 2nd horror summer blockbuster of all time?

[_____V_____]

The whole concept of summer blockbusters started some 39 years ago, when a film called Jaws made by Steven Spielberg made hay at the summer B.O. and made plenty of movie-goers "afraid to go into the water".

In fact, Jaws can be hailed as THE film which started the trend. Raking in over $470 million in gross terms, which is almost $1.9 billion in 2010's dollar terms, it firmly etched itself in the history of B.O. majors of all time.

Major studios suddenly sat up and took notice of this, and started producing seminal films to cash in on the summer season - a concept which has been reaping rich B.O. rewards for them all through the 80s, 90s, and the 00s.

Why haven't more horror films struck gold at the B.O. during the summer season then, you might wonder. Take a look at the genre releases following Jaws during summer:

1975: Jaws
1976: The Omen
1977: The Hills Have Eyes
1978: Piranha (Dawn of the Dead didn’t get a proper cinema release until 1980 and Halloween was released around the appropriate date)
1979: Dracula (directed by John Badham)
1980: Friday the 13th
1981: An American Werewolf in London
1982: The Thing, Poltergeist
1983: (None of note)
1984: The Company of Wolves
1985: Day of the Dead, Fright Night, The Return of the Living Dead
1986: The Hitcher
1987: Hellraiser, The Lost Boys
1988: Maniac Cop, The Blob
1989: Child’s Play (made in 1988, released in the UK June 1989)
1990: Buried Alive
1991: Misery, Silence of the Lambs
1992: Sleepwalkers
1993: (None of note)
1994: Wolf
1995: Species
1996: From Dusk Till Dawn
1997: Scream, Event Horizon
1998: (None of note)
1999: The Haunting
2000: Final Destination
2001: Session 9
2002: Dog Soldiers, Eight Legged Freaks
2003: Underworld, Wrong Turn
2004: Van Helsing
2005: The Descent, House of Wax
2006: Pulse, Snakes on a Plane
2007: Captivity, Dead Silence, Halloween
2008: The Mist, Eden Lake
2009: Drag Me To Hell
2010: A Nightmare on Elm Street
2011: Fright Night
2012: Dark Shadows
2013: World War Z

(Some release dates are for US, some are for UK)

Some of the above-listed films have been successes, but cannot be termed as true blockbusters who have scored really big at the B.O., like Spielberg's classic fish tale did in the mid-70s.

Will 2014's Godzilla, which has opened really well and is garnering a lot of praise from critics and fans alike, join the ranks of Jaws and become only the 2nd film in horror movie history to be a bonafide summer blockbuster?

For the record, Box Office Mojo reports that Godzilla has scored almost $38.5 million on Friday on it's opening night, which is the biggest opening day for any film in 2014 so far, much ahead of Captain America: The Winter Soldier & The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

[ferretchucker]

I don't really think it qualifies as a horror. Don't know what it got in America, but here it's a 12a Certificate, which means basically any age can go in but under 12s need an adult. It's a film based around spectacle and scary monsters, yes, but I'd say horror is more about primal, personal terror.

[metternich1815]

I know others disagree, but I have always considered the monster movies like Godzilla horror movies. To me, the genre is more than just fear. As for the topic, I am hoping that it will be a huge summer blockbuster as I felt it was a solid version of Godzilla. It was weak on character development, but I don't think that has ever been the point of the Godzilla films. It will definitely be interesting to watch. I will add the note that I am one of the few that loved and still loves the 1998 version. I did not learn until recently, to my surprise, it was so hated.

[MichaelMyers]

Yes I think this is the summer of Godzilla. It will not have some of the staying power as some of the films on V's list (Silence of the Lambs, Nightmare on Elm Street) but will usher in a new interest in horror creature features IMO.

[_____V_____]

Latest from the B.O.:

The latest take on the iconic Japanese movie monster thundered to a $93.2 million opening this weekend in North America, crushing the competition and stomping past the expectations of analysts and the studio, which were for a debut in the $70 million range.

The massive opening is just under the year's-best $95 million that “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” managed in April, so we'll have to wait for Monday's final figures to see who's really on top.

It added another $103 million from 64 foreign markets this weekend as well, the biggest international opening for any movie this year.

It's the biggest opening ever for a “monster movie.” That's a hard term to define, but it blew away the $72 million debut of “Jurassic Park: The Lost World” in 1997, which tops the list of “creature features” at Box Office Mojo.

And it's the biggest May opening ever for Warner Bros., ahead of the $91.4 million that “The Matrix Reloaded” put up in 2003.

Director Gareth Edwards's “Godzilla” played more strongly than expected across the board, connecting with young fans drawn by the spectacle and older moviegoers for whom the rampaging reptile may have struck a nostalgic chord. Sixty percent of the audience was over 25 years old, and males made up 58 percent of the crowd.

boxoffice.chart_.forgodzilla.jpg

[Sculpt]

Yes, I think it will be the second bona fide horror blockbuster.

Interestingly, Jaws and Godzilla share many of the same characteristics...

1. An deep visceral immersion film

2. a big animal that can eat/kill you

3. resides in the deep ocean phathoms outside the reahlm of man

[MichaelMyers]

Originally Posted by Sculpt

Yes, I think it will be the second bona fide horror blockbuster.

Interestingly, Jaws and Godzilla share many of the same characteristics...

1. An deep visceral immersion film

2. a big animal that can eat/kill you

3. resides in the deep ocean phathoms outside the reahlm of man

Though I do think Spielberg did a better job revealing Jaws than Godzilla2014.

[MichaelMyers]

Godzilla 2 in development. The next great horror franchise!!

http://www.slashfilm.com/godzilla-2/

[Sculpt]

Originally Posted by MichaelMyers

Though I do think Spielberg did a better job revealing Jaws than Godzilla2014.

How do you mean?

[The Villain]

Its a giant monster movie. Of course its horror. Obviously it made a lot of money already and even though I think X Men will hurt it next week but it will definitely be a huge blockbuster which I'm very happy about. Gojira is my favorite movie and I love the franchise so seeing a new adaptation of it getting so much praise and attention is great.