A close encounter with Raiders of the Lost Ark

Discussing the rise of the blockbuster in the New Hollywood, Thomas Schatz writes that the

mainstream hits are where stars, genres, and cinematic innovations invariably are established, where the 'grammar' of cinema is most likely to be refined, and where the essential qualities of the medium — its popular and commercial character — are most evident. These blockbuster hits are, for better or worse, what the New Hollywood is about, and thus are the necessary starting point for any analysis of contemporary American cinema. ¹