Kermode on smart blockbusters

Mark Kermode puts forward a strong case for intelligent blockbuster movies in today's Observer. His argument essentially boils down to:

P1 Blockbuster movies succeed regardless of content
P2 Intelligent movies are better than stupid movies
C Therefore blockbusters should be intelligent

Which means that if Kermode is right about his first premise — and he provides some convincing evidence — it's a lot less risky to make an experimental blockbuster than it is to produce an experimental mid-price film...

Mendelssohn's Elijah

Having listened to Mendelssohn's Elijah from the proms, I'm feeling extremely Old Testament:

(I couldn't find a good clip of Elijah taunting the worshipers of Baal, so I've gone with Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel instead)