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.
Ahh...here is a moderate suggestion for the elites of Hollywood. Make American movies that Americans will be proud of, substance, heroics, story, plot, beginning, middle and end. Leave your stinking liberal politics out of it, hire some actors that understand Americans and let it be.
I'm one of the age group they are targeting. I'm not buying thier crap or attempts to attract me to thier product either.
We want something thoughtful and inspiring. Not some gay cowboy crap.
Creating a movie about gay cowboys is like making JAWS where the shark lives outside of water. How stupid is that?
The current perception of Hollywood as totally dissolute and without standards is going to be a tough one for them to overcome.
The fact that they have supported some anti-American and anti-Christian attitudes, whether the support was unanimous or not, has managed to thoroughly tick off a growing segment of the US audience. And that audience, once lost, is less likely than ever to come back. Certainly not to the Hollywood studio productions.
"Look at the movies that are successful, they aren't political statements, they are made for the audience."
The last Star Wars had some rather moronic political statements in it.
too many gay & girly movies
movie-going is just not very much fun. Period.
Maybe they should stop insulting Americans (theater going Americans) and maybe they should STFU about politics if they cannot express themselves like adults.
I saw in Variety that that homosexual cowboy--shudder--movie ('Brokebutt Mountain' 'Buttstroke Mtn'?) is doing great, in limited release.
That is, in NY NY, El A and Frisco. Now let's see how it plays in Peoria.
"Kin I borrow yer moisturizer, Slim? Ah'm as dry as a ol' horny-toad. Scampi tonite?"
bttt
No way - Only Gay Cowboy movies for you.
More Bruce Willis less Ben Afflicted.
Directors Cut?
Is it because the movie makers keep putting out crap?
So. I got a phone call for a survey about movie viewing habits a couple of weeks ago.
Turns out I went once in the last twelve months. Maybe. I can't recall.
The lady was really desperate to get another answer, she tried re-phrasing the question three times.
I think she had another list of questions for me if I was a movie-goer, but I didn't make it over the first hurdle. I got the impression I wasn't the only infrequent viewer she had talked to that day.
Er, because Passion of the Christ was in 2004??
Problem is, movies like Buttcrack Mountin' only appeal to about 3% of the general population. That 3% makes up about 40% of the population of Hollyweird.
I used to go to movies to be entertained. Now, I have a hard time going to movies when I have to constantly be suspicious of what I am watching. As I watch the film, I find myself asking, "Where is the political message?" I know that not every movie has a hidden message, but Hollywood is so damn liberal that I just distrust anything it produces. Moreover, I hate to think that I am helping to support the Hollywood left, which really means indirectly helping to support Moron.org, the democrat party, or some other left wing kook organization.
#1. Home Theater. Far and away the number one reason. Relatively cheap Surround Sound and popular big screen and projection systems close the gap with the theater experience.
#2. High ticket prices make it a gamble. If you hate the movie, you're out $20 and two hours plus drive/parking time.
#3. Uncertainty and hassle. Getting everyone ready to go out, driving thru traffic, finding parking and buying a ticket is just too big a problem, with potential glitches all along the way.
The MGM Midnite Movies rule. I got quite a few of them.
two words for the decline in box office - David Geffen
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