8. Smart Can Sell
It's the popular consensus people go to the cinema to switch off, which always stuck me as a bit off. I mean I am someone who writes about film on the internet, so I'm probably not your regular cinemagoer, but I want to go to the cinema and have my mind opened, not closed. Up until a few years ago this was pretty much accepted truth. Blockbusters were simple, watered down films made to appeal to every demographic. Some good stuff seeped through, but more often than not its the horror stories of a film focus grouped to boredom (a lot of Disneys live action output), This was why Inception was so popular; it offered something smart to an audience bludgeoned with mediocrity. It was an entirely original story that had some fresh imagery and a breakneck speed in its plotting. You didn't turn up ten minutes late and spend half your time in the popcorn here. It was a cinema lovers blockbuster. And clearly a lot of people love cinema; the film made an astounding $825 million. Inception really was the first of this kind. The Matrix had a complex idea, but the film was a doddle to follow and with the action and Heath Ledger on top form gave The Dark Knight enough appeal to the masses, but here was a smart film that treated its brain as something to be praised and was rewarded for it. Inception proves that with a clever budget and the right marketing a brainy film can succeed. Why the only films to take from this are borderline indies is a crime.