To follow on Edward O Neill recent posting The post modern shift that you allude to has taken place we are simply riding through its wake... from the POV of corporate hollywood the viewing audience is not simply a film audiencem/TV audience. Therefore film/TV narrative devices or constructs become inter-related. Sort of a macro micro kind of thing. I do not believe that spectacular expenditure of cash are supposed to be an antidote to any attitude on the part of the audience. Rather, they simply represent one aspect of a commercial strategy that believes that large film budgets generate large corporate profits. The distancing EFFECT relates to many other cultural factors.There are many elements of the entertainmentment industry that are common to corporate leadership. Why spend millions of dollars on a megastar baseball player or basketball player unless you believed that this would generate a proportionate income. thanks edward for your post Allan