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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Gwilym Mumford

The Guide #196: How blockbusters, streaming and risk-averse studios shaped the last 25 years of cinema

Blockbusters … from left: The Dark Knight, Barbie, Black Panther.
Blockbusters … from left: The Dark Knight, Barbie, Black Panther. Composite: Marvel Studios, Warner Bros, PR

We’ve mulled over music, tackled TV and now, to finish our series looking at how pop culture has changed in the first quarter of the 21st century, we’re chewing over cinema.

And there’s quite a bit of chewing to do, equivalent to at least a medium-rare steak or a large toffee. Because, while film might not have been disturbed quite as dramatically by streaming as music or TV has, its still had to contend with some serious changes in audience habits. The more than a century-old practice of spending money to stare at a giant screen in a darkened room now has all manner of competition, including streamers like Netflix beaming films with the same production values and star names straight to your living room at a fraction of the price.

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