BLOCKBUSTERS Hit-making, Risk-taking, and the Big Business of Entertainment

Narrator Renee Raudman's no-nonsense, nonjudgmental style is well suited for this audiobook--an academic and well-researched study of the blockbuster mentality in the entertainment business. Raudman guides the listener through a series of such business successes as Lady Gaga, Maroon Five, Marvel Comics, the Real Madrid Football Club, Jay-Z, and Major League Baseball, and it's like taking a walking tour of pop culture. As for the author's thesis, some listeners will find the "bet-it-all" marketing mentality to be a depressing reminder that subtle and nuanced creations may soon become a thing of the past. Indeed, the only value ascribed to smaller projects seems to be as a training ground for the potential blockbuster. R.W.S. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2013]