The Long Beach Rule - Hollywood Lexicon

Long Beach Rule Noun, e.g., Kevin Costner in “The Untouchables” (1987) goes from Category 1 to Category 2 of the Long Beach Rule.

Definition: A rule of marketing that holds American moviegoers are divided by age regarding their favorite killer of bad guys.

History: A study of box office data, circa 1990s, made at California State University, Long Beach. A bad guy is a wonderful thing to waste—the more, the better—the study found, although moviegoers vary as to whom they want to see as the trigger man. In all, the study found that three different kinds of killers appeal most to three different age groups:

1) Hero or Heroine—the righteous ass-kicker pitted against evil, à la Harrison Ford in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981), Bruce Willis in the “Die Hard” (1988), Steven Seagal in “Under Siege” (1992), Uma Thurman in the “Kill Bill” (2003), Mark Wahlberg in “The Shooter” (2007) or Liam Neeson in “Taken” (2008). This kind of killer is enjoyed most by 12- to 30-year-olds—youngsters who see the world as black and white.

2. Anti-hero—also known as noble criminal, rogue cop, moral relativist, etc.—a protagonist acting according to his own moral code or a code in progress. Examples: Clint Eastwood in “Dirty Harry” (1971), Kevin Costner in “The Untouchables” (1987), Gabriel Byrne in “The Usual Suspects” (1995), Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce in “L.A. Confidential” (1997) and Matt Damon in “The Bourne Identity” (2007). This kind of killer is preferred by 30- to 45-year-olds, a group that increasingly sees the world in shades of gray.

3. Bad Guy—the thug who kills other thugs. This is the character who can tell you he has your back just as someone behind your back is about to ring your neck. Examples: Al Pacino in “The Godfather” (1972) and “Scarface” (1983), Robert DeNiro in “Good Fellas” (1990), Clint Eastwood in “The Unforgiven” (1992), Denzel Washington in “American Gangster” (2007). This killer of bad guys is enjoyed most of all by the 45+ age group—the hardened veterans of the dog-eat-dog workplace. Not surprisingly, these movies are the most realistic of the three categories.

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