The box office strikes back

摘要

Summer begins on May 7th, at least according to Hollywood's calendar. On that day "Iron Man 2" is due to be released in American and Asian cinemas (it appeared a week earlier in Europe, to take advantage of the May Day holiday). Like many modern blockbusters, the film trades on nostalgia. It is based on a comicbook series that began in the 1960s and even features a Russian baddie. This is appropriate, given the state of the film business. Technological progress and changes in tastes mean that Hollywood depends more and more on the old-fashioned practice of showing films in cinemas.