In September 23, 1994, The Shawshank Redemption made its debut, a film adapted from a short story by the legendary author Stephen King. The narrative revolved around two imprisoned men. Now, over two decades later, The Shawshank Redemption stands as one of the greatest cinematic achievements in history. It even claims the top spot on the renowned and respected Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com), surpassing iconic titles like The Godfather, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and Schindler's List. Interestingly, another movie was released in the same year - The Flintstones. This live-action adaptation of the 1960s cartoon featured stars like John Goodman, Rick Moranis, and Rosie O'Donnell. However, The Flintstones, to put it mildly, did not receive any Oscars nominations for Best Picture. A national film critic summed it up as "falling flatter then a granite slab." While the film was lauded for its costume and set design, it also found itself on the receiving end of "Razzie Awards" for Worst Female Performance and Worst Screenplay, along with a nomination for Worst Movie of 1994. User reviews on IMDb.com for The Flintstones are roughly half of what The Shawshank Redemption garners, and it's rated as one of the worst movies of the 1990s by users. The striking contrast lies in the marketing strategies. The Flintstones was shrewdly marketed to its target audience, resulting in a U.S. box office gross of $131 million and a worldwide total of $358 million. That's the undeniable power of precise marketing.
Conversely, the promotional team at Universal Studios,
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