# The Hollywood High-Concept Game

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hollywood-high-concept-game/217232
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [December 5, 2003, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hollywood-high-concept-game/217232 "2003-12-05T20:37:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Outrider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9d8465/32.png) [@Outrider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Outrider)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2003, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hollywood-high-concept-game/217232/1 "2003-12-05T20:37:59Z")

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Often, a writer pitching an idea to a Hollywood executive must express it in “high concept” terms - breaking it down into easily-recognizable pop culture symbols.

The idea here is that you’re trying to “sell” a famous artistic work - movie, book, painting, album, etc. - by relating it to other famous works (typically in an inane and facile way).

Some examples:

Saving Private Ryan is Lord of the Rings with machine guns.

Under Siege is Die Hard on a boat

Terminator is Back to the Future meets Alien

The Matrix is…

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### Author: ![Dutch\_George](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dutch\_George](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dutch_George)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2003, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hollywood-high-concept-game/217232/2 "2003-12-06T18:33:15Z")

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…Super Mario on steroids.

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### Author: ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2003, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hollywood-high-concept-game/217232/3 "2003-12-06T19:05:41Z")

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Ravenous is…

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### Author: ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2003, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hollywood-high-concept-game/217232/4 "2003-12-07T10:29:10Z")

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_The Patriot_ meets _Stand By Me_ meets (I mean, eats) _Alive_.

_Starship Troopers_ is…

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### Author: ![xayoz306](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bc8723/32.png) [@xayoz306](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xayoz306)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2003, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hollywood-high-concept-game/217232/5 "2003-12-07T10:37:37Z")

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A really expensive, explosive, sci-fi, militaristic _Arachnophobia_, but without John Goodman

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### Author: ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2003, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hollywood-high-concept-game/217232/6 "2003-12-07T11:36:00Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Horseflesh \*  
> \*\*_The Patriot_ meets _Stand By Me_ meets (I mean, eats) _Alive_.
> 
> _Starship Troopers_ is… \*\*

Zergs vs Terrans  
Master and Commander is …