> On to the question--one thing it tells us is that people will see almost
> anything.  _Maverick_ is a hit.  Even more depressing, however (since I
> enjoyed _Maverick_ but found it "disappointing" which means I hoped for
> more!) is the success of _The Flintstones_ which is a terrible movie!
> David Desser,UIUC Cinema Studies
 
I can imagine the British saying the same thing  about their 19th-century
theater so I'm not too sure how valuable a "people will see almost anything"
analysis might be. However, the success of _The Fugitive_ and _Maverick_ and
_The
Flintstones_ and most of the other TV ripoffs might say something about
the state of the mainstream film industry. Perhaps they have
blockbustered themselves into a situation where, instead of choosing any
number of obscure scripts, studios/producers choose instead a presumeably
sure-fired hit that is guarenteed to strike a chord with movie-goers.
It's probably nothing new in Hollywood, just more manic and perhaps a
good deal more cynical than ever before.
 
--Patrick
 
BTW, without giving away too much of the plot, what is "terrible" about
_The Flintstones_?