Hollywood Is Taking Beating At Box Office

[007]

HOLLYWOOD IS TAKING BEATING AT BOX OFFICE

New York Post ^ | 11/24/04 | BILL HOFFMANN


Lights! Camera! Agita!

Despite monster hits like "The Incredibles" and "Shark Tale," Hollywood is hurting this season, with overall box-office earnings down well below the take in the same period for the previous two years.

In the 10 weeks from Labor Day to just before Thanksgiving, the film industry grossed $1.39 billion, down 14 percent from last year's record of $1.63 billion and off 12 percent from $1.59 billion in 2002.

Fall ticket sales were a bust as well, dropping 18 percent from last year's figure, from 268.3 million ducats to 219.9 million. This year's sales also were below the 222.8 million reported in 1998.

Analysts lamented that the first part of the post-summer season was, to put it in movie terms, a colossal bomb.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1287334/posts

Gee.... I wonder if it has anything to do with making movies like the faggot propaganda trash flick BareButt Mountain?

Here's to ya' hollywierd... Couldn't happen to a worse bunch of over indulgent, over paid, self consumed, liberal trash. Hollywood and filthy, immoral crowd that inhabits it shouldn't be an example to anyone.

 

[007]

The fall of Hollywood?​

OK, Sith is now the tenth highest grossing film of all time, and probably headed toward number seven. But Wall Street is bearish on film stocks; on Monday Dreamworks shares fell more than 13%. The big fear is that DVD sales are falling, as Shrek 2 bombed in this market. Hollywood box office has been down for nineteen weeks out of twenty, and believe me Harry Potter won't do Johnny Depp and Tim Burton any favors. Daniel Gross opined that Hollywood is the next Detroit. Others see a big mystery in falling receipts. Yet others blame blue-state bigotry. I will offer a few more fundamental hypotheses:

1. Hollywood cannot control its marketing costs or star salaries. The growing importance of DVDs increases the "needle in the haystack" problem for any single film and thus locks studios into more marketing, creating a vicious spiral.

2. TV is now so much better, and offers artists greater creative freedom. Why watch movies?

3. The Internet is outcompeting cinema, whether at the multiplex or on DVD.

4. Big TV screens are keeping people at home, which lowers box office receipts. This also hurts the long-term prospects of many DVDs.

5. The demand for DVDs has fallen because movie lovers have completed their core collections, just as the demands for classical CDs have fallen.

5. The demand for DVDs was due to fall in any case. Forget the collectors, you buy DVDs to have a stock on hand so you don't have to run out to the video store on short notice. Now everyone has a stock. Stocks must be replenished every now and then, but there is no longer a large new cohort simultaneously building up a stock from scratch.

The bottom line: These trends do not appear reversible in the short run. It is not just that this year's movies mostly stink.

http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2005/07/the_fall_of_the.html

 

[fuzzykitten99]

I like to see some movies in theaters first, like the new Harry Potter movie. What better way to see Harry battle a giant Hungarian horntail dragon or Voldemort than on the big screen?

But because one ticket after matinee hours is $8.50 (so total $17), and then popcorn and pop is another $10-15, Tim and I prefer to wait until the DVD comes out on most movies, then rent it first, and if we like it, we buy it.

$17 for tickets + $14(avg) popcorn & pop = $31
vs.
$3 for rental + $12 to buy pre-viewed copy from blockbuster + $5 for 12pk pop and jar of popcorn seeds = $20


For us, its just better budgeting, and less likely to waste our time and money on a movie that might suck. But we do go see movies as a way to get out of the house in the winter.

I think another problem is movie theaters offering only junkfood for snacks. Honestly, I prefer veggies & dip or mixed nuts to popcorn most times. And, theaters charge $3.50+ for a tiny bottle of water that you can't refill.

 

[Abbey Normal]

Last weekend's figures showed that Narnia and Kong were neck and neck around the 30 million dollar mark, with Kong a smidge higher. Pretty nice for Narnia, since it has been out for three weeks, competing against Kong's opening weekend.

Btw, we tried to see Narnia today, but the 3 o'clock showing we came to see was sold out. Kong wasn't sold out all day.

 

[MtnBiker]

Isn't the biggest demographic group for movie attendees males from the age of 15 to 34?

The new gaming systems and the internet must be cutting into that market.

Also the G or PG rated movies seem to be the biggest money makers, wouldn't it make sense for the moive industry to offer more of those movies if they wanted to gain sales?

 

[insein]

Isn't the biggest demographic group for movie attendees males from the age of 15 to 34?

Theres your answer right there. Guys arent flocking to see dudes get f'ed in the A. All these gay themed flicks or movies with random gay guys that dont add to the plot turn a heterosexual males stomach. Even as the propaganda spews forth this "gay bashing" mentality, hetero guys do not like gay sex thrown in there face and they damn sure arent going to pay to watch it. Hollywood's problem is that they arent reaching their core audience.

 

[Abbey Normal]

Theres your answer right there. Guys arent flocking to see dudes get f'ed in the A. All these gay themed flicks or movies with random gay guys that dont add to the plot turn a heterosexual males stomach. Even as the propaganda spews forth this "gay bashing" mentality, hetero guys do not like gay sex thrown in there face and they damn sure arent going to pay to watch it. Hollywood's problem is that they arent reaching their core audience.

Makes perfect sense.

 

[007]

Also the G or PG rated movies seem to be the biggest money makers, wouldn't it make sense for the moive industry to offer more of those movies if they wanted to gain sales?

There's the million dollar question. Why DON'T they make more family, or upstanding moral movies? Answer: they're too damned caught up in furthering their own perverted agenda. It appears hollywierd is of the opinion, "we're going to have to watch what THEY want us to watch, or nothing at all". Looks like more and more people are chosing nothing at all.

People are saying "fuck hollywierd" with their money. The movies coming out of that town are full of filthy language, sex, violence, perversion, and the newest trend, smoking. People know that they can make an impact on a business by boycotting, and that's what's happening.

 

[fuzzykitten99]

Theres your answer right there. Guys arent flocking to see dudes get f'ed in the A. All these gay themed flicks or movies with random gay guys that dont add to the plot turn a heterosexual males stomach. Even as the propaganda spews forth this "gay bashing" mentality, hetero guys do not like gay sex thrown in there face and they damn sure arent going to pay to watch it. Hollywood's problem is that they arent reaching their core audience.

this makes sense. The last movie i saw in theaters, was Harry Potter on 11/18. Since then, I have no desire to see much else. I am just not motivated to see more movies in theaters because the previews tend to speak for the movie itself, though not all the time. Plus the cost of going to the theater vs renting then buying it.

Besides, I feel the way hollywood is going with their selection of movies to choose from, we are better off waiting until the dvd's come out, so we don't waste $30+ on seeing a movie that sucks.

And honestly, I am more likely to go see a movie from Disney/Pixar or Dreamworks animations, than say something like Wolf Creek.

unless the previews (theater & tv) catch my interest, or the movie is about something I am already interested in, I am unlikely to see it.

 

[The ClayTaurus]

Honestly, this is the first time in awhile that there are about 10 movies I want to see. For the past 7 or 8 months, the industry has done very little to illicit much interest from me. I just saw "Fun with Dick and Jane" today with my family. Pretty funny, IMO. My parents saw Syrianna and loved it, which suprised me since they're both registered Repub's and I've seen some of you bash the shit out of it here.

I also wanna see King Kong
Chronic (WHAT!) les of Narnia
Memoirs of a Geisha
The Producers
Aeon Flux
Munich
Wolf Creek
and a couple others I can't remember...

 

[fuzzykitten99]

Honestly, this is the first time in awhile that there are about 10 movies I want to see. For the past 7 or 8 months, the industry has done very little to illicit much interest from me. I just saw "Fun with Dick and Jane" today with my family. Pretty funny, IMO. My parents saw Syrianna and loved it, which suprised me since they're both registered Repub's and I've seen some of you bash the shit out of it here.

I also wanna see King Kong
Chronic (WHAT!) les of Narnia
Memoirs of a Geisha
The Producers
Aeon Flux
Munich
Wolf Creek
and a couple others I can't remember...

I never heard of Syriana, so I don't plan to see it, at least not in theaters. From what it sounds like (from what you said), its another 'conservatives are evil' film. Fun with D&J looks pretty good, and maybe worth a matinee showing. I have no interest in giant monster movies like King Kong and Godzilla, no matter how many people say how good the movie is. Narnia looks worth at least a matinee showing. The Geisha movie is something I'd probably rent on dvd. I liked the Producers theater show, so I hope to be able to catch the film version. Aeon Flux was too weird a cartoon on MTV when it was on after Beavis & Butthead, for me to see it in theaters. Never heard of Munich (the movie, not the city). Wolf Creek looks like another predictable slasher movie.

 

[Abbey Normal]

Honestly, this is the first time in awhile that there are about 10 movies I want to see. For the past 7 or 8 months, the industry has done very little to illicit much interest from me. I just saw "Fun with Dick and Jane" today with my family. Pretty funny, IMO. My parents saw Syrianna and loved it, which suprised me since they're both registered Repub's and I've seen some of you bash the shit out of it here.

I also wanna see King Kong
Chronic (WHAT!) les of Narnia
Memoirs of a Geisha
The Producers
Aeon Flux
Munich
Wolf Creek
and a couple others I can't remember...

I heard that The Producers was awful. Can't say firsthand, though.

 

[insein]

I never heard of Syriana, so I don't plan to see it, at least not in theaters. From what it sounds like (from what you said), its another 'conservatives are evil' film. Fun with D&J looks pretty good, and maybe worth a matinee showing. I have no interest in giant monster movies like King Kong and Godzilla, no matter how many people say how good the movie is. Narnia looks worth at least a matinee showing. The Geisha movie is something I'd probably rent on dvd. I liked the Producers theater show, so I hope to be able to catch the film version. Aeon Flux was too weird a cartoon on MTV when it was on after Beavis & Butthead, for me to see it in theaters. Never heard of Munich (the movie, not the city). Wolf Creek looks like another predictable slasher movie.

Syriana is a FICTIONAL story about Evil Conservatives selling out America to terrorists. I imagine if you can get past the doughebag politicians trying to pass it off as a "documentary" it might be an interesting story.

Narnia looks like another LOTR of which i have no time for. IT took alot for me to get into LOTR. Once i did i enjoyed it, but damn those movies are long.

Who wants to see a moive about a Ancient Japanese Stripper? "One of a class of professional women in Japan trained from girlhood in conversation, dancing, and singing in order to entertain professional or social gatherings of men." Wait maybe i should rephrase that. :cof: Who wants to see a movie about an Ancient Japanese Stripper with very little sex, nudity and with your family?

Aeon flux was a cool anime but i doubt they did it justice on the screen. Another niche audience there though. Most never saw it on MTV.

Munich is Steven Spielbergs attempt to appease the terrorists as he equates the moral capacity of those that killed the athletes at the Olympics as being the same as those that hunted them down and killed them after the deed was down.

 

[fuzzykitten99]

Syriana is a FICTIONAL story about Evil Conservatives selling out America to terrorists. I imagine if you can get past the doughebag politicians trying to pass it off as a "documentary" it might be an interesting story.

Narnia looks like another LOTR of which i have no time for. IT took alot for me to get into LOTR. Once i did i enjoyed it, but damn those movies are long.

Who wants to see a moive about a Ancient Japanese Stripper? "One of a class of professional women in Japan trained from girlhood in conversation, dancing, and singing in order to entertain professional or social gatherings of men." Wait maybe i should rephrase that. :cof: Who wants to see a movie about an Ancient Japanese Stripper with very little sex, nudity and with your family?

Aeon flux was a cool anime but i doubt they did it justice on the screen. Another niche audience there though. Most never saw it on MTV.

Munich is Steven Spielbergs attempt to appease the terrorists as he equates the moral capacity of those that killed the athletes at the Olympics as being the same as those that hunted them down and killed them after the deed was down.

thanks for the sum up. I definitely won't see Syriana. No wonder the movie is fictional. If they replaced conservatives with liberals, THEN it would be a documentary!

as for Narnia, I never saw any of the LOTR movies, no interest in them at all. But..I do like the book series, and from what I hear, this movie is a good adaptation. But I don't want to pay full ticket price, so it will likely be a matinee option one of these days.

 

[Said1]

Who wants to see a moive about a Ancient Japanese Stripper? "One of a class of professional women in Japan trained from girlhood in conversation, dancing, and singing in order to entertain professional or social gatherings of men." Wait maybe i should rephrase that. :cof: Who wants to see a movie about an Ancient Japanese Stripper with very little sex, nudity and with your family?

The book was really good, it's more to do with Japanese culture and the life and experiences of a Geisha. I would recommend it if you are interested in Japanese history and culture though. But probably more "chick" flick than anything.

 

[007]

Honestly, this is the first time in awhile that there are about 10 movies I want to see. For the past 7 or 8 months, the industry has done very little to illicit much interest from me. I just saw "Fun with Dick and Jane" today with my family. Pretty funny, IMO. My parents saw Syrianna and loved it, which suprised me since they're both registered Repub's and I've seen some of you bash the shit out of it here.

I also wanna see King Kong
Chronic (WHAT!) les of Narnia
Memoirs of a Geisha
The Producers
Aeon Flux
Munich
Wolf Creek
and a couple others I can't remember...

Well Clay, it's the liberal crowd that's keeping hollywierd afloat.

Of all the movies you mentioned above, I wouldn't pay theater prices to see a one of them. And Narnia is the only one I might buy on DVD when it comes out.

With that said, it would appear that me and the people like me, are the ones putting the hurtin' on hollywierd.

 

[LuvRPgrl]

thanks for the sum up. I definitely won't see Syriana. No wonder the movie is fictional. If they replaced conservatives with liberals, THEN it would be a documentary!

as for Narnia, I never saw any of the LOTR movies, no interest in them at all. But..I do like the book series, and from what I hear, this movie is a good adaptation. But I don't want to pay full ticket price, so it will likely be a matinee option one of these days.

I think the biggest cause, and it hasnt been mentioned, is the political activism of so many hollywood people.

I know if I am borderline going to a movie or something else, and the movie choice, has, lets say, Sean Penn in it, that will help me decide to do otherwise, and wait for the movie to come to DVD or cable. This allows me to still see something I want to see, without financially supporting the actor.

Syriana is actually a good movie, very interesting, but lots of details and hard to follow. But like all movies, I realize its fictional. If you watch it, you have to pay strong attention to details, names, places, groups, who is who and who is on what side.

It is the type of movie thats just as good at home as the big screen. For me, some movies have to be seen on the big screen for total effect. Blair witch project, King Kong, LOTR, etc.

Movies that arent big on special effects can be viewed at home.

Syriana doesnt have alot of action, its mostly diaglogue, and lots of subtitles.

The basic premise is the US govt, aids US oil companies to try to assisinate a Prince who is "progressive" in his views of womens rights and democracy in the middle east. He and his brother are vying for control of the crown. It fails in delivering some reasons why some decisions were made. Its unrealistic in many ways including the govt support of an attempted assasination. But overall I found it entertaining.

King Kong was great, you have to set aside reality also though.

Munich is about the Israelis who were given the task to hunt down the terrorists who murdered the Jewish athletes at the Olympics in Munich. I dont know how accurate it is, and its a bit long and slow at times.

 

[The ClayTaurus]

Well Clay, it's the liberal crowd that's keeping hollywierd afloat.

Of all the movies you mentioned above, I wouldn't pay theater prices to see a one of them. And Narnia is the only one I might buy on DVD when it comes out.

With that said, it would appear that me and the people like me, are the ones putting the hurtin' on hollywierd.

I might be helping it keep afloat right now, but did you miss the part about the 8 months where there was nothing? To keep me out of a theater that long is rare. I was sort of agreeing with you... that many of the movies that have come out over the last 8 months were of no interest to me.

I think, to a certain extent, many of you have developed a blind hatred for Hollywood the way many have developed a blind hatred for George Bush. Suddenly EVERYTHING is a subversive plot to propogandize you, and unless it's overtly done by a conservative for a conservative, you can't stomach to watch it because it's so totally obvious that everything is a liberal idea pusher.

Which is fine, I understand your frustration with the industry... but I think that your hatred is affecting your preceptions before they're actually formed...

 

[no1tovote4]

I don't think it very paranoid or simply hatred to think that Hollywood seems to be attempting to propagandize us. Two movies come out this close together, Syriana and Munich, that were clearly made to put forward a specific political view? It seems that it isn't coincidence.

 

[The ClayTaurus]

I don't think it very paranoid or simply hatred to think that Hollywood seems to be attempting to propagandize us. Two movies come out this close together, Syriana and Munich, that were clearly made to put forward a specific political view? It seems that it isn't coincidence.

I was referring more towards the non-political movies. Syrianna and Munich notwithstanding. I think people get enraged by those (Syrianna, et. al) movies, and it overflows into reduced interest in everything else. There's gotta be an anti-conservative message in King Kong somewhere...