Watching 'Contact' and Blockbusters

Watching the movie 'Contact'. The detailed loving realism of the movie is a prism through which to incredible reality of the postmodern world is made to seem more extreme.

Today in Borders, reading a history of the blockbuster, I read how Spielberg received the screams of the first test screening of 'Jaws' with a desire to generate a larger scream. Whether this is a higher level of regard for the audience, a lower level of regard for storytelling, or simply a surreal infatuation with special effects.