Moviegoers Shun Antiwar Hollywood, Box Office Down 18 Percent

NewsMax.com ^ | April 9, 2003 | Carl Limbacher

[Carl/NewsMax]

Hollywood's box office revenue plummeted in March, as high-profile movie stars like Martin Sheen, Susan Sarandon and George Clooney turned up the volume on their antiwar outbursts and audiences stayed home in droves.

Exhibitor Relations Co., a box office tracking service, told the Wall Street Journal Tuesday that Hollywood's movie ticket take was down 15 percent last month. The drop represents a whopping 18 percent falloff in movie attendance when higher ticket prices are taken into account.

The wartime drop in movie revenue has shocked Tinseltown's movers and shakers, who are used to seeing moviegoers flock to the silver screen in times of national trauma.

"Historically, the movie business has shrugged off calamitous times, providing welcome escapist entertainment during recessions, wars and the aftermath of catastrophes like the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks," the Journal noted.

But since the Hollywood peacenik crowd has become the face of the film community, audiences have apparently decided to register their objections with their movie ticket dollars - and the impact has been staggering. In the first three months of 2003, Hollywood's box office take is down a full 8 percent, the paper reported.

Trying to come to grips with the crisis, Hollywood moguls remain mystified about why their bottom lines are withering. Meanwhile, poll after poll shows that prospective filmgoers strongly disagree with the movie community's antiwar views, with more than 70 percent of Americans backing the war effort in the latest surveys.

"We think it's the mood," Paramount Pictures vice chairman Robert Friedman told the Journal, without noting that part of that mood is the likely backlash to Hollywood's left-wing bellicosity in a time of war.

In December more than 100 film stars endorsed an antiwar petition addressed to President Bush. Signatories included David Clennon, Martin Sheen, Mike Farrell, Gillian Anderson, Kim Basinger, Matt Damon, David Duchovny, Laurence Fishburne, Jeananne Garofalo, Ethan Hawke, Helen Hunt, Samuel L. Jackson and Jessica Lange.

The star studded protest missive complained: "War talk in Washington is alarming and unnecessary.... a preemptive military invasion of Iraq will harm America's national interests. Such a war will increase human suffering, arouse animosity toward our country, increase the likelihood of terrorist attacks, damage the economy, and undermine our moral standing in the world."

Some in the film community's antiwar movement have gone even further. In February David Clennon, star of the CBS TV series "The Agency," compared President Bush to Adolf Hitler.

"I'm saying that the moral climate within the ruling class in this country is not that different from the moral climate within the ruling class of Hitler's Germany," Clennon told nationally syndicated radio host Sean Hannity.

When Hannity asked if Clennon was comparing the U.S. president to the Nazi leader, the CBS star replied, "I'm not comparing Bush to Adolf Hitler - because George Bush, for one thing, is not as smart as Adolf Hitler. And secondly George Bush has much more power than Adolf Hitler ever had."

[discipler]

I would be thrilled to hear that Morgan Freeman and Susan Sarandon had to find a real job. Those people really tick me off. Arrogant, idiotic, snobs.

[vetvetdoug]

Maybe someone should host a show called The bite the hand that feeds you Award Show.

[mywholebodyisaweapon]

"To hell with Hollllywooood, ...."
(to the tune of "Hooray for Hollywood")

Never missed it, never will . . .

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[beaversmom]

I'm not going to see any of these bastards in anything every again--I've been doing it for a while now and believe me my quality of life has improved. I'll only rent a Mel Gibson movie and that's it. I hope they keep running their mouths and tick more people off.

[CyberSpartacus]

I don't think Morgan Freeman has supported the treason crowd. I think you may be confusing him with Danny Glover.

[GnL]

It's been quite a while since I've gone to the movies, primarily because of my disgust with Hollywood in general. There are better uses for my dollars at this point in time.

[KalDot]

Yesterday I cancelled my magazine subscription to REDBOOK because it had skanky sarandon on the cover. One more picture of pelosi in GLAMOUR and its next to go!
No support for Hollywood pinheads from me!

[dead]

Somehow, I doubt the Adam Sandler audience is susceptible to the prevailing political winds of the day.

Movie good. Adam funny. Me like popcorn.

[Night Hides Not]

I don't know, but I'm willing to give Morgan a bit of slack, because I read (source unknown) that he at least spent some time in the military.

[republicofdavis]

I don't recall any of these people being in any movies recently . . . I just think that the movies that have been out lately sucked.

[geedee]

[Scothia]

Memo to H'wood: Get the picture?

[xander]

I've been a bit more interested in history in the making, not make believe. I also concure that there have been no movies released in the last few months worth seeing.

[TheAngryClam]

Don't give Mel your money either- his company, Icon Productions, is the one paying Michael Moore to make his propaganda "documentary" about how Bush is tied to Osama bin Laden (due out right before the 2004 election).

[stuartcr]

Wait until the next Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings.

[appalachian_dweller]

I saw a post that compaired the education of our leaders compared to the education of these celeb pukes. Fox News also aired this.

Does anyone know where that post is? I'd like to copy it.

Thanks.

[Atlas Sneezed]

I am presently proud to have no cable TV, no HBO, no Netflix, and have attended no movies in the past 6 months.

It's not a concerted boycott, but it nicely works out that way.

Even if they do good work (and that is awfully rare) I can survive while missing it.

I have bought a few DVD sets, but that's it.

Screw Hollywood!

(I do intend to see "Gods and Generals")