mike davis - Libcom

From The Electric Horseman (1979).
LAS VEGAS OF THE MIND 43
provide them with a formal liaison to monitor abuses either by providers
or by the productions themselves. 30
There has always been a delicate balance between the art and business
of making movies. A film is considered successful by a studio if it is
accepted at the box office or if it garners the requisite amount of prestige,
thus making the write-off more attractive. The problem that studios
have with “A” pictures is that their cost is now typically from $20 to
$60 million, and there is no guarantee that a film will be either a popular
or a critical success. Studio executives therefore hedge their bets by relying
on several factors in producing a motion picture: a director’s or
star’s track record, story elements similar to those of past successes, or
high production values that may stimulate audience curiosity. 31
A state’s motion picture division faces similar challenges when determining
whether a film will benefit the territory. Of course, if a film