Open Wide: How Hollywood Box Office Became a National Obsession

This book was simply a gem. It smoothly interweaved the present state of the film business with its historical foundations and developments.

This is a fascinating look at the marketing of major motion pictures, focusing on the summer 2003 releases of TERMINATOR 3, LEGALLY BLOND 2, and SINBAD. I picked this book up after reading about it in People magazine and in the local newspaper book review. This book explains the nuts and bolts of hyping movies and mega-box office returns. It was interesting to learn that focus groups and test audiences have a lot to do with what ends up on the final silver screen. The process of movie by committee seems to take a lot of the creative air out of a movie's sails. Stars and trailer placement generate a lot of return later. Extremely informative and insightful with every page. I learned a lot about the motion picture industry that does not usually make it into the news. I was especially interested in the panic that goes on behind the scenes when the suits get an inkling that their film isn't going to do well. Movie buffs interested in the marketing will find this very interesting reading.

Open Wide: How Hollywood Box Office Became A National Obsession is the tell-it-like-it-is story of how the millions of dollars and literally years of work behind Hollywood summer movies finally all come down to a fierce popularity competition -- a competition whose success is measured by the size of the opening weekend box office gross. Focusing especially on the elaborate case study of one weekend's box office face-off between Terminator 3, Legally Blonde 2, and Brad Pitt's Sinbad in thousands of theaters across America, Open Wide reveals the nitty gritty of clashing titans and the individuals who put so much of their heart, soul, and reputation into movies. Movie buffs and film fans are treated to a fascinating peek behind the curtain where the power struggles resemble the royal intrigues of antiquity.

I'm a movie buff, but not a Hollywood guy and devour a lot of the big books that come out of Hollywood. This books is great because it gets all the dirt, gets the big picture and small picture and captures it in a way that is enjoyable to the lay reader. I bet that this book will be on every night table in L.A.

This is a well-written and revealing study of Hollywood marketing. The first weekend means everything in the 21st century! Fun, compelling, exciting....it's a slice of film culture.