Attack the Block: B-Movie or Blockbuster? - Pete Turner, February 2014

• Joe Cornish's film makes for a fascinating case study of how British films can emulate Hollywood blockbusters and B-movies, while still remaining distinctly British
• $13 million (around £8 million) was invested in the production of Attack the Block; but it only made nearly $6 million at the worldwide box office, meaning the film made a significant loss
• It had only Nick Frost as a star ... as a result the filmmakers would have struggled to raise the budget - there is far less chance of big international box office without internationally recognised stars.
• Attack the Block takes very English characters, cast and settings, and mixes them with a popular genre. So the science fiction element could help to draw in bigger crowds and therefore make investors feel more comfortable putting in $13 million
• Attack the Block combines practical and computer-generated effects for its alien creatures. The relatively low budget meant director Joe Cornish had to limit the CGI and work more with traditional techniques
• Attack the Block was shot on locations in and around London to add to the credibility and realism of its far-out story of an alien invasion
• Even though Attack the Block displays many generic trappings, it is also clearly very different from many blockbusters. Generally British films are less likely to follow trends as they are more likely to deal with real situations and characters in the social realist tradition. Attack the Block incorporated elements of this with its working-class characters, but also incorporated genre conventions to make it a more appealing bit of escapist cinema.
• Its characters are unknown actors who talk and act as if they are really from the streets of South London, and the film proudly represents them in all their glory, both perpetuating and challenging stereotypes of British youth.
• Although British films are attempting to become more commercial, and Hollywood studios do distribute some independent and British films they hope will make a profit, there are still many films getting made for niche audiences on very low budgets.
• Though Attack the Block failed to attract a huge audience and make a profit, it was a clear attempt to make a B-movie in which B stood for British. Film is increasingly about business; and with the Prime Minister urging the British film industry to make films with more mainstream appeal, we can expect to see more films with the ambition of Attack the Block - but with less of the believable British youth, and more of the science fiction escapism.