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Summer Fading, Hollywood Sees Fizzle
The New York Times ^ | August 24, 2005 | SHARON WAXMAN

Posted on 08/23/2005 10:40:31 PM PDT by Plutarch

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 23 - With the last of the summer blockbusters fading from the multiplex, Hollywood's box office slump has hardened into a reality that is setting the movie industry on edge.

Multiples theories for the decline abound: ...But many movie executives and industry experts are beginning to conclude that something more fundamental is at work: Too many Hollywood movies these days, they say, just are not good enough.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: boxoffice; hollywood
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1 posted on 08/23/2005 10:40:32 PM PDT by Plutarch
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To: Plutarch

We haven't been to see a single movie this summer.

Half the time the movies just look pathetic, and the other half has some nitwit trying to force feed us their leftist politics. We decided not to pay for any of it.


2 posted on 08/23/2005 10:44:36 PM PDT by kenth
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To: Plutarch

How about this one, Hollyweird:

The vast majority of Americans don't want to see our hard-earned dollars going to support the pampered, immoral, and leftist denizens of your pathetic "industry".

Put THAT in your crack pipe and smoke it.


3 posted on 08/23/2005 10:44:36 PM PDT by clee1 (We use 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 2 to pull a trigger. I'm lazy and I'm tired of smiling.)
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To: kenth
...and the other half has some nitwit trying to force feed us their leftist politics. We decided not to pay for any of it.

There it is right there, for me.

4 posted on 08/23/2005 10:51:35 PM PDT by Riley (STOP CASTING POROSITY!!)
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The Great Raid is the only good movie I have seen so far this year.


5 posted on 08/23/2005 10:54:50 PM PDT by oolatec
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To: Plutarch
Multiples theories for the decline abound: ...But many movie executives and industry experts are beginning to conclude that something more fundamental is at work: Too many Hollywood movies these days, they say, just are not good enough.

Only one theory can explain this. It's the work of the Eeeeeeeevil KKKonservatives of the BushCheneyHalliburtonMilitaryIndustrialZionistOligarchalImperialistHegemonCabal!!!!!!

Remember,,,,IT'S ALL BUSH'S FAULT!!!! :-)
6 posted on 08/23/2005 10:57:50 PM PDT by kb2614 ("Speaking Truth to Power" - What idiots say when they want to sound profound!!)
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To: kenth

Fact is, very little that is a)original, b)well acted, c)profound, d)amusing, e)insightful has come out of Hollywierd in the last 10 years or so. It's all shallow and trite re-makes or slashers and bashers. There have been some brilliant successes, like the Millenial blockbuster, "The Trilogy of the Ring." There have been others. I usually go to two, three movies at the most per year. The rest are just not worth my time.


7 posted on 08/23/2005 10:58:09 PM PDT by ArmyTeach (Not on my watch!)
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To: ArmyTeach

True.

The only movies in the last few years that have been worth a damn were "The Lord of the Rings." To some lesser extent "Cinderella Man" and "The Islan" were very good movies with conservative overtones, but nothing else has been worth it at all.


8 posted on 08/23/2005 11:07:36 PM PDT by metalmanx2j (Eric Cartman: Democrats piss me off.)
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To: ArmyTeach
The rest are just not worth my time.

You said it. I enjoy and have studied films and consider consider filmmaking an art. At one time, I used to go to films almost every week, many of them indie and foreign films. Now I can hardly be bothered.

I pay for premium cable and have On Demand. Nowadays I often wait until something comes on cable where I can fast forward or mute the garbage if need be. Considering the poor quality of most films, tho, I'm as likely to use On Demand to watch something on Discovery or the decorating channels as I am to watch a movie. That's a sad commentary on the current state of the film industry.

9 posted on 08/23/2005 11:11:40 PM PDT by radiohead (Proud member of the 'arrogant supermagt')
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To: radiohead
What's going on in Hollyweird mirrors exactly what's happening in the LameStream:

As the LSM's audience shrinks, it has become more shrill and devoted to editorializing and attacking conservatives. As they have become more shrill, lose audience, their approach has become to increase the shrillness. Now, its a cycle they don't or can't get out of. This applies to ABCCBSNBCPBS just as much as NYT_LAT_WP_etc.

Replace the worst abusers above with the big Hollyweird corporations, and it all applies equally as well...

10 posted on 08/23/2005 11:18:29 PM PDT by C210N (Today is a gift, that's why it is called the present)
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To: Plutarch
We have two toddlers, so a movie night is very rare. Last Saturday, the grandparents babysat and we were thrilled we finally got to go to dinner and a movie.

Excitedly, we both read the movie section to try and decide which to see. Then we read the movie section again. We finally get a night off and we didn't want to see anything! Still, we had to seize the opportunity, so we ended up at Wedding Crashers. Funny, but a better rental than full-price fare. Oh yeah, and every trailer looked awful.

Our last theater visit was six months ago and we had the same blah experience. Every once in a while you get a LOTR or Passion or some other movie event. But those are getting more and more rare. I hope Narnia's good... I bet Hollywood does too.

11 posted on 08/23/2005 11:35:21 PM PDT by inkling
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To: C210N
Now, its a cycle they don't or can't get out of. This applies to ABCCBSNBCPBS just as much as NYT_LAT_WP_etc.

Yep. I don't mess w/the MSM either. The only time I see a story from them is by reference in FR.

12 posted on 08/23/2005 11:35:24 PM PDT by radiohead (Proud member of the 'arrogant supermagt')
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To: Plutarch
Gee, wonder why.


13 posted on 08/23/2005 11:35:28 PM PDT by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: Plutarch

Batman Begins was a welcomed film. Finally got the character right for once.


14 posted on 08/23/2005 11:47:32 PM PDT by Names Ash Housewares
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To: Plutarch

The most obvious solution (other than better scripts!) is to pay the idiots IN the movies less so they can charge us less to see them. But they seem destined to hand out $20 million & more paychecks to their "major talents" (?!) like Tom Cruise, Matt Damon, Harrison Ford, Brad Pitt ETC.


15 posted on 08/23/2005 11:56:22 PM PDT by BonnieJ
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To: Plutarch
I'm tired of seeing crappy remakes (Psycho, Planet of the Apes, American Godzilla), back-shelf comic-book characters (Daredevil, The Punisher, Elektra), third-rate live-action cartoons (Josie and the Pussycats, Rocky and Bullwinkle), thinly-disguised political screeds (Cider House Rules, The Day After Tomorrow), mildly amusing Saturday Night Live skits blown up into two-hour crapfests (Stuart Smalley, The Ladies Man), and mentally-challenged films designed to amuse the Jackass generation (Dude, Where's My Car?, anything Adam Sandler is in). Will Hollywood ever produce anything original ever again, or will they just keep looting the corpses of the past?
16 posted on 08/24/2005 12:11:32 AM PDT by Alien Gunfighter (Socialist liberals never imagine themselves as peasants under their 'perfect' socialist regime)
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To: C210N

100% correct.

as the MSM shrinks, its core audience becomes more liberal and more angry


17 posted on 08/24/2005 12:13:04 AM PDT by atlanta67
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To: Plutarch
Besides not having been out to see a movie in years, I even have trouble finding something to watch on the bazillion channels I have on cable.

There always seem to have some offensive liberal as a headliner.

Current favorite star is Diane Lane (she gets more beautiful as she gets older), unless she's appearing with homo Richard Gere (in Unfaithful on my schedule tonight).

Have settled on 3 hours of TNT's X-Files repeats as a way to fall asleep tonight.

18 posted on 08/24/2005 12:33:40 AM PDT by benjaminjjones
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To: benjaminjjones
"Current favorite star is Diane Lane (she gets more beautiful as she gets older)"

I agree that she keeps getting better looking.

19 posted on 08/24/2005 12:53:49 AM PDT by Neanderthal
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To: Plutarch
I personally can't remember another summer where the movie pickin's have been so slim. I normally go to the movies twice a month or so, but this summer have been to only two or three movies, and was unimpressed with those.

(Favorite movies: "The Graduate" and "The Last Picture Show")

20 posted on 08/24/2005 1:03:12 AM PDT by Ranald S. MacKenzie (Its the philosophy, stupid.)
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