This document provides a summary of the plot of the film "Blockbuster" and discusses some key aspects of blockbuster films and film theory related to the plot. The plot involves a teddy monkey toy that tortures and kills the girlfriend of the boy who bought it as a Valentine's gift. It then repeats this cycle annually. The summary discusses the blockbuster film characteristics like large budgets and wide release. It also analyzes the plot in relation to narrative theories about equilibrium, character archetypes, and circular narratives.

1. Film Studies Unit 26
Blockbuster
Hannah Kelly

2. Story Line
Newspaper print at the start showing how many people die on this day over
13 years. Its valentines day, there’s a shop called Teddy Hak, which sells
valentines gift and many other things. There is a gift which a teddy monkey
which looks like a stuffed teddy but really its not, called curious George. A
boy buys it for his girlfriend, takes home and the girl don’t like it so the
monkey hears it all and get angry with the girl and tortures the girl
mentally and physically, people think she is doing it to herself as well as
the boyfriend, Later that night they go to the valley where everyone goes to
every year on Valentines day, not only to have a valentines night, but also it
is a memorial for the 13 girls that have died in this valley, a girl each year.
Curious George goes to the valley, drowns the girlfriend in the valley then
jumps in the valley with her so it looks like she done it herself, big scene
where police cars and helicopters come. At the end of the valley which
carries on for miles, Curious George gets out at another town, puts himself
in a valentines Shop and waits for another year to repeat the story again.

3. 7 Characteristics of Blockbuster
1. It is a ‘Star Vehicle’
2. A large production budget e.g. $100 million plus
3. A large marketing budget –Posters, TV Sports, PR e.g. interviews with magazines, TV chat
shows, Teaser trailers and Theatrical trailers.
4.A range of merchandising –Products branded with the film e.g. Disney shop products Toy
story Toys e.g. Buzz Lightyear Dolls, branded pens, watches etc.
5.A wide demographic –appeals to a large audience as large as possible, young/old;
male/female; ABC1, C2, D
6. A holiday release date
7. Worldwide release

4. Jessica Alba
Girlfriend
B List-10m
Characters
Nick Frost
Police Officer
B List-10m
Channing Tatum
Boyfriend
B List-10m
Jennifer Lawrence
Reporter
Curious George B List-10m
Killer Monkey
Animation-
$225,000

5. Narrative theory in the Plot
Todorov-this is the theory of equilibrium, disequilibrium and equilibrium. He stated that films
and programmes begin with an equilibrium. Then agents of disruption cause disequilibrium, a
period of unsettlement and disquiet. This is then followed by a renewed state of peace and
harmony and a new equilibrium brings all the chaos to an end.
Propp-discovered that in stories there were always 8 types of characters evident. These are: The
hero, the villain, the donor, the dispatcher, the false hero, the helper, the princess and her
father.
Levi-Strauss- narrative tension is based on opposition or conflict. This can be as simple as two
characters fighting, but more often functions at an ideological level.
Roland Barthes- the narrative will establish enigmas or mysteries as it goes along. Essentially
the narrative functions to establish and then solve these mysteries.
The theory that suits my narrative-My story is a never ending story, it has a circular narrative
which is a narrative theory in addition of the theories described above.

6. Audience theory in your
marketing strategy
Hyperdermicneedle- is where the media is like a syringe which injects ideas,
attitudes and beliefs into the audience. Most people are affected by the media this is
because of the crime and violence that is shown on the television.
Uses and graphications- we all have different uses for media we all make choices
over what we watch.1. information- we may want to find out about society and the
world. 2. personal identity-we may watch television for models for our behaviour.
For instance we may identify with soap characters on their situations. 3.
intergration and socisl intervention- we use the media to find out about the
circumstances of other people perhaps through emphathy or sympathy. 4.
Entertainment- enjoyment, relaxtion, fill the time.
2 step flow- we are more likely to be affected by the media if we discuss it with
others. Our options are affected by the way our friends have view the media.