Is the summer blockbuster dead? Movie lovers disagree

kAmp 7:7E9 Wa`TX 2C6 >@C6 4C:E:42=[ 9@H6G6C[ 766=:?8 E96C6 2C6 E@@ >2?J D6BF6=D 2?5 C6>2<6D 2C@F?5 2E E96 >@>6?E]k^Am

kAm%96 7:?5:?8D 4@>6 7C@> 2 >@G:6 923:ED DFCG6J 4@?5F4E65 3J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^E2=<6CC6D62C49]4@>^:D\E96\DF>>6C\3=@4<3FDE6C\2=:G6\2?5\H6==\@FC\C6D62C49\C6G62=D\2\5:G:565\2F5:6?46^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@@A6?6CQm%2=<6C #6D62C49k^2m[ H9:49 D2H 2 DEC@?86C\>:?565 @?6 :? E6? W``TX D2J E96 DF>>6C 3=@4<3FDE6C :D @77:4:2==J 5625 2?5 E96J’5 C2E96C DEC62> 2E 9@>6]k^Am

kAmp?5 2 ?@?492=2?E `dT D2:5 E96J’G6 ?6G6C 42C65 23@FE 3=@4<3FDE6C D62D@? :? E96 7:CDE A=246[ H9:=6 ?62C=J 2 BF2CE6C WabTX 4@F=5?’E 564:56 H96C6 E96J DE2?5]k^Am

kAm|:==6??:2=D 2C6 E96 3:886DE 72?D @7 DF>>6C 3=@4<3FDE6CD[ H:E9 bfT 566>:?8 E96> 2=:G6 2?5 H6==[ 7@==@H65 3J v6? + WbdTX] t?E9FD:2D> 7@C DF>>6C D>2D9 >@G:6D H2?6D H:E9 286[ 5C@AA:?8 E@ b_T @7 v6? ) 2?5 ;FDE a_T @7 3@@>6CD]k^Am

kAmp3@FE @?6 :? D:I W`fTX DE:== 766= E96 36DE H2J E@ D66 2 DF>>6C >@G:6 :D @A6?:?8 H66<6?5 :? E96 >@G:6 E962E6C[ H9:=6 a`T 2C6 E962E6C\8@6CD 3FE AC676C E@ H2:E 2 76H H66<D] x? 3@E9 42D6D[ E962E6C 2EE6?52?46 962G:=J 564=:?6D 3J 286[ H:E9 deT @7 v6? + AC676CC:?8 E@ 42E49 2 >@G:6 @? E96 3:8 D4C66? G6CDFD `hT @7 3@@>6CD]k^Am

kAm%9:CEJ\7@FC A6C46?E @7 E96 a[___ A@==65 D2:5 E96:C AC676C6?46 :D 2=H2JD E@ DEC62> E96 >@G:6 2E 9@>6 H96?6G6C :E 364@>6D 2G2:=23=6]k^Am

kAm(96? 2D<65 H92E ?6H >@G:6D E96J’C6 6I4:E65 E@ H2E49 >@DE E9:D DF>>6C[ “%@J $E@CJ d” E@AA65 E96 =:DE[ 7@==@H65 3J “$A:56C\|2?i qC2?5 }6H s2J]”k^Am

kAm“%96 s6G:= (62CD !C252 a[” “|:?:@?D 2?5 |@?DE6CD” 2?5 “$FA6C8:C=” 4@>A=6E65 E96 E@A 7:G6]k^Am

kAm k^Am

kAm k^Am

kAm{@?8\CF??:?8 762EFC6D =:<6 E96 a9 db> 6A:4 “%96 ~5JDD6J” 2?5 a9 ad> “s:D4=@DFC6 s2J” 2=D@ 762EFC65 :?D:56 E96 E@A `_[ 4@>:?8 :? 2E gE9 2?5 hE9]k^Am

kAmp?5 =6?8E9 >2J 36 @?6 724E@C 4@?EC:3FE:?8 E@ E96 >@G:6 49@:46D @7 p>6C:42?D E9:D DF>>6C 2?5 H96E96C E96J H2E49 2E 9@>6 @C :? 2 E962E6C] %2=<6C #6D62C49’D 62C=:6C C6A@CE:?8 @? E96 D2>6 DFCG6J 7@F?5 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^E2=<6CC6D62C49]4@>^:562=\>@G:6\=6?8E9\7@C\2>6C:42?D\564C62D6D\E@\gg\>:?FE6D\2?5\86?\K\H2?ED\:E\6G6?\D9@CE6C^RiOiE6IElp>6C:42?DTa_H2?ETa_D9@CE6CTa_7:=>DTtaTg_ThcTa_E96[ghTarTa_2?5Ta_3@@>6CDTa_hbTa_>:?FE6D]Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@@A6?6CQm:562= >@G:6 =6?8E9 :D ;FDE gg >:?FE6D]k^2mk^Am

k9bmkDEC@?8mkDA2? DEJ=6lQE6IE\564@C2E:@?i F?56C=:?6jQm|~'xt$ (t’#t |~$% t)rx%ts u~# %wx$ $&||t#k^DA2?mk^DEC@?8mk^9bm

k@=mk=:m“%@J $E@CJ d”k^=:mk=:m“$A:56C\|2?i qC2?5 }6H s2J”k^=:mk=:m“%96 s6G:= (62CD !C252 a”k^=:mk=:m“|:?:@?D U2>Aj |@?DE6CD”k^=:mk=:m“$FA6C8:C=”k^=:mk=:m“y24<2DDi q6DE 2?5 {2DE”k^=:mk=:m“|@2?2” W=:G6 24E:@?Xk^=:mk=:m“%96 ~5JDD6J”k^=:mk=:m“s:D4=@DFC6 s2J”k^=:mk=:m“%96 s@8 $E2CD”k^=:mk^@=m

kAmkDA2? DEJ=6lQE6IE\564@C2E:@?i F?56C=:?6jQmkDEC@?8m#6D62C49 >6E9@5@=@8Jik^DEC@?8mk^DA2?mk^Am

kAmk6>m%2=<6C #6D62C49 DFCG6J65 a[___ p>6C:42?Dj E96 DFCG6J H2D 25>:?:DE6C65 2?5 4@?5F4E65 @?=:?6 3J %2=<6C #6D62C49 36EH66? yF? ``[ a_ae \ yF? `f[ a_ae] p =:?< E@ E96 BF6DE:@??2:C6 42? 36 7@F?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^E2=<6CC6D62C49]4@>^HA\4@?E6?E^FA=@25D^a_ae^_e^%#\$F>>6Ca_ae\"F6DE:@?D\a_ae]A57Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@@A6?6CQm96C6k^2m]k^6>mk^Am

kAmk6>m%@ G:6H E96 4@>A=6E6 >6E9@5@=@8J 2D A2CE @7 pp!~#’D %C2?DA2C6?4J x?:E:2E:G6[ A=62D6 G:D:E E96 %2=<6C #6D62C49 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^E2=<6CC6D62C49]4@>^>6E9@5@=@8J^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@@A6?6CQm!C@46DD 2?5 |6E9@5@=@8J A286k^2m]k^6>mk^Am