Posted on 12/13/2005 11:34:35 AM PST by Millee
Even a much-hyped giant gorilla, a geisha and a schoolboy magician won't be able to create a happy ending at the US box office, as Hollywood ends its most disappointing year in nearly two decades. Plunging movie ticket sales, after a string of uninspiring remakes and movie sequels coupled with an explosion of the DVD and video game markets, are keeping audiences at home and have sent Hollywood into a deep existential crisis. "This industry is facing significant challenges said Jack Kyser, chief economist of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp, a business support and research body.
Ticket sale revenues dropped five percent in the first 11 months of 2005 while the number of Americans going to the cinema fell by 6.2 percent compared with the same period in 2004, according to box office trackers Exhibitor Relations Co Inc.
The result is Tinseltown's most disappointing box office performance in 15 years as audiences, dazzled by their entertainment choices and disappointed by the mediocre films on offer, turned away from the cinema in droves.
Even the late November and December releases of blockbusters "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," "King Kong", "Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" and "Memoirs of a Geisha" are unlikely to turn around the downward trend.
"It's not just a slump in box office, but also in sales of DVDs," Kyser told AFP. "This is mainly because of unattractive movies that don't appeal to young male audiences, the cost of movie tickets, parking, the shrinking window a movie's theatrical and DVD releases.
In addition, Hollywood faces a major external threat: runaway production costs, the growing trend of movie producers to shoot in places such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand to cash in on much lower staff and production charges.
"Some studios are doing some moderate lay offs. LA's future is at stake," Kyser said, demonstrating the depth of despair in the nine-billion-dollar a year industry.
Industry movers are battling to isolate the true causes of the slump, crossing their fingers that the big-budget money-spinners up Hollywood's sleeve will help ease the pain.
"Is it the movies? Is it the ticket prices? Is it because home theater and DVD?," pondered Exhibitor Relations Co's chief Paul Dergarabedian."I think is it because all this happening at the same time, it is a combination of facts."
But he was optimistic for the future of the industry, saying that when Hollywood does dish up a good film, audiences still go rushing to see it.
"'Harry Potter' is showing that people still want to go to the movies but still they need a good reason to go," Dergarabedian told AFP.
The fourth film of JK Rowling's cult novels opened on November 18 and has so far raked in 244 million dollars, making it second most successful film of 2005, behind "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith".
"When a good movie strikes, people go to the theatres," said Dergarabedian.
The last in the "Star Wars" series raked in a whopping 380 million dollars in North American box office, "War of the Worlds," starring Tom Cruise took 234 million, the comedy "Wedding Crashers" notched up 208 million in ticket receipts and Tim Burton's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" took 206 million.
But the successes were few and far between in 2005.
Ron Howard's 88-million-dollar biopic "Cinderella Man," starring Oscar winners Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger, took only 61 million dollars, while Ridley Scott's crusade epic "Kingdom of Heaven," which cost 130 million dollars to make, reaped only 47 million at the all-important domestic the box office.
Other fizzlers that did not recoup their budgets included the much-touted sci-fi flop "The Island," which hauled in only 35 million dollars, while Jamie Foxx's military drama "Stealth" bombed with a US and Canadian haul of 31 million dollars. It quickly disappeared from screens.
"Movie goers are very picky and they want the price of the ticket to be worthwhile, the studios had to offer more," said Gitesh Pandya of movie industry tracker Box Office Guru.
"There should be more creativity and new ideas, not just sequels and remake. Let's hope Hollywood listens to the audiences," he added.
Not a chance. Hollyweirdos literally can't understand the book.
I like the Bolos - an AI fighting machine that is better than its creators - sort of an anti-Frankenstein.
***Speaking of decades old movies, The Third Man with Orson Welles, Joseph Cotton, and Trevor Howard was on recently. What a great movie.***
Anyone remember the TV show THE THIRD MAN starring Michael Renie as Harry Lime, a the GOOD guy? It was my favorite way back in 1960.
***Marlene Dietrich as the whorehouse Madam, smoking a dark thin cigar while talking to Orson Welles. And who was the blonde whore in the background, coming down the staircase?***
Was it ZA ZA Gabor? she was caught up in a raid earlier.
I noticed Marlene Detrich has two lamps exactly like the ones in my living room!
I think maybe combining the Bolo series with the humorous "Retief" diplomat series might work. Duty, honor, loyalty, martinis!
I just saw a bunch of awwsome special effects knitted together by a weak plot. Not much more than a cartoon in my opinion.
"Plummeting 2005 box office sparks Hollywood crisis"
Boycott Hollywood is working.
Americans: create your own entertainment and recreation.
Same with TV. I rarely watch the entertainment. It's either boring or too raunchy (especially the comedies). I find the documentaries more interesting.
I'd say over the course of the 220+ replies to the original post of this thread, ALL the reasons for Hollywood's "slumping" boxoffice totals have been elucidated/pointed out.
It's true also (as was previously mentioned) that Hollywood has never been more lucrative/had it so good than it is now...which really invalidates the whole basis of the original post in the first place.
What is truly striking about the current status quo is that you have a billion dollar global industry that has been captured by an element that WILLFULLY goes about creating products that defy the known wishes of its consumers...truly fascinating state of affairs
The unspoken fear I think that is worrying this incestuous elite that controls the industry is that the current trends will only accelerate in the short, medium, and long runs and ultimately annihilate the industry and them with it
***We need more queer cowboy movies.***
Remember THE LEDGEND OF THE LONE RANGER? A real flop. the poster made him look like a homo holding a silver lipstick tube instead of a silver bullet.
Hey! I have an idea! Hollywood should do a movie about gay cowboys!
Yeah, but this was a true story. There was a part where once he got back on his feet, he payed the welfare office back the money it gave him so his family could eat. I will admit though, there were times when he sounded like Stallone when he talked.
I don't want to support those I don't like nor respect nor an artless film industry dedicated to profane exhibitionism and debauchery. Gollywood is pronographic.
And next, some gladiator movies.
Correction:
Hollywood is pornographic.
"Call it the Passion of the Christ hangover. The only movie I have been to in the past few years."
Likewise.
We purchased a thousand dollar projector that can use progressive scan - and we have netflix. We recreate the theater in our home. There is no reason to go to a theater as long as they are gonna charge more than two bucks to see a movie.
Forget plasma, especially if, like us, you don't do TV.
It was Zsa Zsa. Give the man a box of Milk Duds.
***Maybe they could make Starship Troopers. Well I mean maybe they could make it right this time. ***
And who could forget the last paragraph when we find that the hero is not a blond lillywhite but was a ...! You will have to read the book to find out!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.