Posted on 09/12/2014 11:28:52 AM PDT by ImJustAnotherOkie
When you combine Variety's story about a 19% drop in entertainment industry jobs, and The Hollywood Reporter's story about the 2014 box office already being written off as a "disaster," things look pretty glum in the business of show. And probably for good reason.
No one expected Summer 2014 to tank. No one. Everyone's saying "wait till next year," but this year there was a Spider-Man, some X-Men, a bunch of Apes, more Transformers, ..., this past Labor Day weekend was the worst since the post- 9/11 Labor Day weekend.
No one knows why. No one can explain it. And that has everyone worried.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
-— Big box theaters will disappear soon -—
They need to go all-in on 3D. They have to offer something you can’t get at home.
Now kids have no desire to get behind the wheel.
Some of the drop off in Movie attendance has to be as a result of this.
Add to that big screen TV, home theater sound system, cheaper snacks, safer and quieter environment, less disposable income (if any at all) you got yourself a real depression in the world of entertainment.
That said, wonder what attendance is at sports events and concerts?
Leni
“No one knows why. No one can explain it.”
Really? The wife and I haven’t gone to a movie in three years because of the PC crap they call movies. I guess between the poor economy and a total lack of creativity in doing comic books is not a real plan for success.
A lot of the smaller movies are better these days because they have some stories that grab you. The remake of Fargo is a good example, not great but good, and it didn’t take a hundred buck to go see.
“urban culture” is a major reason for the decline. The whole experience is just not worth the time money or effort
with the big screen TV we have intermissions when we want, and whatever snacks andd refreshments we please as well!
You are correct!!! As in just about all Hollyweird movies are recycled stories these days played by unconvincing actors and actresses.
IOW I have seen all those stories and dramas.
Well, there are certain actors/actresses I just won’t pay to see. Often won’t even watch them on TV when they are free either.
Bet you can guess most of them. I’ll name just one. Smart-Alec Baldwin. His rant on the tonight show, where he stated we all want to stone Henry Hyde was the last straw for me. Haven’t watched any movies that feature him or his voice. Commercials - all businesses and items to put on a do not purchase list.
And so one and so forth.
Nothing out recently that is even worth a buck at RedBox.
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Boy that’s the truth. I have been watching lots of WWII documentaries, and John Wayne reruns etc. Now that I’m older, I don’t remember movie plots so well, but I do remember the ones I liked. So I just hunt them on Netflix and refresh my memory.
The “bad economy, no discretionary income” argument works only if ALL movies tanked this summer. Every single one of them. But all movies didn’t tank — the ones that worked, such as “Guardians of the Galaxy,” won big.
The success of of “X-Men,” “Maleficent,” “Guardians,” and “Grand Budpest” absolutely fly in the face of every “box office is down because people have no money” argument. Because box office was most assuredly not down for those four films. So if people don’t have any money, and that’s why they’re not going to the movies, then how do you account for the success of any of those films?
Here’s what happened, contrary to studio/media spin: most movies this summer stunk up the joint. And Hollywood is blaming the economy instead of admitting that people declined to see bad films. What’s my evidence? That so many people paid to see good films.
Studio heads are pushing this “not the movies, it’s the economy!” spin in hopes of saving their jobs.
We do have a bad economy and the middle class is poorer than they have been since the 70's. Even during the Great Depression they had theaters showing films.
The really big movies will still be really big, the medium and smaller flicks will hurt more, except the occasional hit. People are spending less on entertainment, it doesn't mean they are spending nothing.
drivers licenses and cars and insurance cost money and fewer teens are working as they would be competing against adults and illegals for fast food jobs
Besides that, movie goers are quite sophisticated about quality. If a movie isn't up to standards, word gets out pretty quickly.
We’ve been watching the Strain on TV and it’s free.I like Rat Man.
Great character and pretty darn good show. The WW2 scenes are pretty well done.
Yes. More tickets were sold as a percentage of the american population during the Great Depression than at any other time in movie history.
But I disagree with you regarding smaller films getting squeezed out by the economy or alleged shrinking box office. It simply doesn’t work that way. If audiences want to see a movie, they go see it — they don’t care if it’s “big” (large budget, robots, dinosaurs) or not. The only “squeezing out” of singles and doubles, small films, is done by studios, who chase tentpoles like “Transformers” because if one works, you’re done for the year and your job is safe. Smaller films are a lot more work to position for success.
But audiences have proven over and over they’ll go if you give them something to go to not aimed at 12 year olds. All the data isn’t in yet, but I strongly suspect the most profitable film this year in the U.S. will turn out to be “Grand Budapest Hotel,” a small movie that cost five bucks to make but played and played and played, all summer. Just now on Netflix.
the bigger films are more likely to be noticed I think, or at least before the internet
They are BlackIrish.Well written show with great special effects.Will be over in 2 weeks.Was renewed.
By the worst years of the Depression, around 1931-34, talkies no longer held their novelty status. I think people just craved that “escape” they offered, and tickets were really quite cheap.
It’s actually amazing how fast the transition from silents to talkies occurred. In 1928, virtually all film releases save a tiny handful were silent. In 1930, virtually all film releases, other than about three or four ultra low-budget b-westerns (from independent producers) were talkies. 1929 was the year of the transition. I’ve read that it was good it happened that particular year and not later, because the theaters were able to financially transition to the new projector/speaker equipment before the big crash.
It was audition by invitation only. Didn't know them. Came to me by recommendation. I wound up with a very conservative company.
I still miss them.
In life, I am a very gentle guy. Onstage, I can play the most vile, evil villain that scares the crap out of you.
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