Today I'm going to explain why Blue Streak made me very nostalgic.
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I haven't seen Blue Streak many times. The 1999 Martin Lawrence action comedy was a box office success upon release, but it wasn't a cultural moment like Rush Hour. It was a PG-13 star vehicle comedy with mixed reviews featuring supporting turns from actors who would go on to their own starring roles or even more fame. But in spite of only seeing it, maybe three times now, watching Blue Streak made me very sad for a kind of movie experience that doesn't exist in the modern world. And I'd argue it should.
So today rather than break down whether or not Blue Streak is a good movie, I'm going to explain why it made me very nostalgic.
Reason #1: This Genre Doesn't Exist Right Now
I've written before about the lack of "mid-budget movies," especially comedies. There are plenty of genre hybrids (action/comedies are arguably the most profitable genre in America), but pure silly PG-13 comedies are hard to come by. Instead the money goes on extreme ends with giant budgets going to proven creators and intellectual property, or tiny bits of money to genre movies that aren't expected to make much and could break bigger. Especially once Awards season comes in.
Gone are the sub $50 million random movies that will probably give you a chuckle or two and be easy to take a date to.
But man we used to get these all the time.
This was Martin Lawrence's second movie like this in a row. A crime action comedy that leaned heavily on his stand-up and sitcom persona, made for under $50 million. No giant loss if you miss, but it could be a hit. Turns out, yeah kinda a hit. Over $100 million at the box office. And a hit soundtrack. Which trigger this thought.
Reason #2: Man This Machine Used to Be So Smooth
One of my favorite Matt Braunger bits is when he describes his affection for soundtracks based on and written for the movie, and how he'd like one for Inception called: "A Dream Inside A Dream Inside A Dream." And yeah, that cross marketing machine used to be so f***ing smooth man.
You have your actor go on a late night show, and then cut to a performance of the soundtrack that's in stores now. Cut a music video with clips from the movie. Get people excited about what those clips are before they even see them in theater.
Hell Aerosmith doesn't have a #1 without this machine. Just one more power ballad for the cheap seats. And let this Michael Bay monstrosity sell your middled aged rocker asses to these dumb teenagers and their parents at the same time.
Worst case scenario, they both flop but you didn't spend too much on it. Easy losses to recoup.
There's the underrated scenario where one's success might save you from disaster.
Best case scenario, both the movie and soundtrack are hits and you've created a fantastic feedback loop.
This is how you make a hit, a bigger hit for two parties. Because Blue Streak has a soundtrack. And it went gold. Not a soundtrack I'd revisit on the regular, but a lot of the songs are fun. I might've given it a listen or bought a CD or single. Hell I looked for it on Spotify right after I watched this.
Could still make you money.
It really feels like modern studios have lost the plot when it comes to advertising. Just rely on the charisma of your stars at press junkets and the IP and completely forget the idea of gimmicks or multiple channels.
You wanna know one of the most effective movie marketing bits in recent memory? Ryan Coogler taking Kodak cameras right before Sinners came out. Overnight, everyone online knew about his original movie are were excited to see what the movie had going on.
Kodak gets to trend for days, Ryan Coogler boosts Sinners visibility. Win win.
And then finally we come to another missing aspect in modern movies.
Reason #3: Star Vehicles
It's kind of amazing that in an era when proven "ideas" are considered the most-valued commodity, that the same can't be said of performers. There's a lot of reasons for that, see the lack of a unified mono-culture, the impact of social media and beyond, but the era when you could attach a big name or two to a movie and it automatically makes $100 million at the box office is more or less gone.
But that doesn't mean star power doesn't matter or that star vehicles, much like this one, shouldn't exist.
A great example is No Hard Feelings. That movie is something that you allegedly can't make and can't make money with anymore. A R-rated sex comedy whose biggest selling point it is charismatic star, Jennifer Lawrence, being a fool. It's not a game-changer by any means, but it got good reviews, made back more than its budget, and likely reminded a lot of folks of everything they liked about Jennifer Lawrence.
The real key here? Finding a niche and marketing.
The real key here? Finding a niche and marketing.
Star vehicles only work if the movie itself works (big one), it fulfills a niche that's not being met in the current market (also pretty big), and if you market it effectively.
No Hard Feelings was rightly categorized as an inversion of the conventional sex comedy trope (i.e. a young man looking to lose his virginity) and Lawrence constantly played up her on-screen antics in the marketing after a few years of laying low (by her standards). Made close to $90 million worldwide on less than $50 mill.
Not a huge success, but still a success.
The other great reason to give these movies a shot? They're also a great feeder for supporting talent.
Outside of Martin Lawrence there's 2-3 performers you'll probably remember in this movie: Luke Wilson and Dave Chappelle.
Wilson in particular demonstrated his ability to be a semi-reactive straight man. So much so that he basically played the same part in Charlie's Angels, Legally Blonde and Old School in the next three years. All hits. Not because of him. But he filled the role these movies needed.
And within a few years Chappelle was arguably the most famous comedian on the planet thanks to his Comedy Central show bearing his name.
And within a few years Chappelle was arguably the most famous comedian on the planet thanks to his Comedy Central show bearing his name.
Everyone benefits. From a movie that you can still throw on your streaming service now, and run a few adds on, and folks will still watch it. All from a single Martin Lawrence vehicle.
Conclusion: The Movie Business Doesn't Need Non-Stop Home Runs
What you've probably noticed about movies nowadays is that we mostly have extremes. Studios consolidate their money and resources into a few giant projects that are deemed "sure things" hoping they'll be giant hits. And if they aren't, it's deemed a referendum on the movie business as a whole. When in reality, studios used to be buoyed and sustained by a diverse portfolio of films.
Why is that important?
One of the biggest reasons is that you give audiences variety. So if you're not in a horror or blockbuster mode, you can find a comedy, that isn't meant for kids, and enjoy a breezy Saturday matinee.
One of the biggest reasons is that you give audiences variety. So if you're not in a horror or blockbuster mode, you can find a comedy, that isn't meant for kids, and enjoy a breezy Saturday matinee.
Or a thriller. Or a live action family movie.
But the biggest reason? You're hedging your bets.
The problem with putting all of your money into a couple of "sure things" is that if one of them fails, the studio doesn't get more daring. They get scared. They take fewer risks. Produce fewer movies. And put more money into the same 3-4 movies that they need to make money.
But if you have a few $40 mill movies that make close to $100 million at the box office, along with a successful soundtrack. You're better suited to eat your losses. You can also get breakout hits that didn't cost as much money. As much as I've enjoyed the superhero movie boom, I'm aware that the budgets aren't sustainable in the long run. And the margins aren't great on those movies either.
Meanwhile you could make 4-5 movies like this and likely hit on at least 2 of them.
That's why this movie made me so nostalgic. Not because we need more movies like this, but because movies like Blue Streak getting made and succeeding was a healthy sign for the industry. And now...it probably wouldn't be.
That's why this movie made me so nostalgic. Not because we need more movies like this, but because movies like Blue Streak getting made and succeeding was a healthy sign for the industry. And now...it probably wouldn't be.
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