Posted on 06/16/2005 5:43:04 PM PDT by abb
Studios look to Bruce Wayne to avoid a neck-and-neck race it doesn't want to win.
June 16, 2005 Summer movies Hollywood's box office flameout
(CNN/Money) - The movie-going masses on Friday will learn at last the dark story behind Bruce Wayne's transformation into a masked crusader battling evil in Gotham. Hollywood is hoping "Batman Begins" is more about an end -- to what could soon be the longest box office slump in at least twenty years.
Domestic movie ticket sales from New Year's Day through this past weekend are down more than six percent, to $3.85 billion, compared to a year ago, according to sales tracker Exhibitor Relations. For 16 consecutive weekends starting in late February, the box office has fallen compared to the year-ago weekend despite a modest increase in the average ticket price. If North American ticket receipts are down again this weekend, Hollywood will have matched the longest-running box office rut in recent memory, a 17-weekend funk set in 1985 when the lineup included "Desperately Seeking Susan" starring Madonna and "Fletch" with Chevy Chase.
"That's one box office record we don't want," said Paul Dergarabedian, the president of Exhibitor Relations. Movie theater sales are important for building the buzz necessary to drive sales throughout the life of a release, from theater to home video to video-on-demand to cable.
(Excerpt) Read more at money.cnn.com ...
actually the reason they went to the mask of zorro was because young bruce wanted to see it. Of course at the time Batman was first written it was cowboys and swashbuckers who ruled the silver screen.
Nicole Kidman did the same thing until she and Tom adopted kids, then she decided she didn't want them raised Scientologists.
Fletch Begins... Now that is something I might consider renting!
Actually this film was amazing. Hollywood should be rewarded for this one because they actually got it right this time. Forget the previous movies. They were awful. This movie is NOT a prequel. It is the FIRST real Batman movie. Batman does not kill like in the others. He is complex. He has been lifted off the page of the comics and people will be in for a shock. There are powerful conservative values in this film, just like Spiderman.
Batman respects life, he doesnt give up when he falls, he picks himself up and learns from his failures. His resolve is tested over and over. There are no sex scenes to speak of. The film resonates on many levels. Seriouly, this one is what it should have been all along.
If it ain't Adam West, it ain't Batman.
Check today's Wash Times for a big Batmobile feature.
http://www.washtimes.com/entertainment/20050616-105507-6299r.htm
They will continue to lose money as long as they continue to...
1. Promote leftist actors and ideals.
2. Use the movies to push their politics.
3. Try to tell us what to think.
4. Promote leftist actors and ideals.
5. Try to cover poorly written story lines with special effects.
6. Promote leftist actors and ideals.
One day they'll get it or Hollywierd will go under.
Mike
You are absolutely correct. I just checked on boxofficemojo.com, and The Passion of the Christ was released at the beginning of the 17 week period that the current year box office totals are slumping against. It wasn't until the 17th or 18th week that weekend figures dropped below $100,000. If you take that movie out of the equation, the box office has actually improved.
The good side is Home Theaters are better than the little things they call movie theaters now. I have an 8 x 4.5 foot screen and 3,200 watts of home theater. It is much more enjoyable and comfortable than the little box movie theaters and the picture quality is almost as good. (Better in some cases). The sound quality is hands down better than all but the absolute best theaters.
Screw hollywood.
It's not Hollywood that's being screwed it's theater owners. the home video market is still Hollywood.
I'm still waiting to see the Mighty Thor and Mon-El, Superman's cousin, made into movies.
They don't release them into the theaters to make nothing. The theater owners definitely get screwed but they are screwing themselves
And they can't do a thing about it either...a 1948 Supreme Court decision forbids Movie Studios from owning movie theaters.
THANKS!!!!!!!!
Not arguing with the merit of the 1966 Batmobile, but the way this batmobile is portrayed is probably what a superhero would drive. Actually they do drive them as it is a military tank.
Not to mention he is fighting terrorists.
I agree it is an awesome vehicle, but it just doesn't look like the batmobile should look. It could be any assault vehicle driven in a any action movie from Mad Max to Alien.
I read an article today about how the director and screenwriter went back and forth on what must remain from the comics and what could be dropped. The director for instance didn't think Scarecrow needed the mask even, but that ended up staying thankfully.
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