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Box Office Blahs: Blame It on (Fill in the Blank)
Washington Post (WashingtonPost.com) ^ | December 30, 2005 | William Booth

Posted on 01/03/2006 6:52:33 AM PST by RayChuang88

LOS ANGELES -- Hollywood ticket sales took a little swan dive in 2005. Why? The consensus hypothesis appears to be that the movies were -- brace yourselves -- not good.

The industry and its observers are also variously blaming DVDs, video games, iPods, cellular phones, HBO, crying babies, $10 tickets, Chinese pirates, big screen plasma TVs, an aging demographic, liberal bias, video-on-demand, annoying pre-feature commercials and the Bush administration's energy policy.

The Great Box Office Slump has been covered by the entertainment press with a kind of giddy obsession ever since the summer proved blockbuster-deficient. Each week, the prognosticators sought deeper meaning in the weekend tallies for undercooked turkeys such as "Stealth" and "The Legend of Zorro." There was hope in the Hollywood press that "King Kong" might "save the day," but alas, the big ape has so far "disappointed," if it is possible for a $66 million opening five-day gross to disappoint (which it is, since Peter Jackson and Universal spent $220 million making the monkey movie).

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


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: boxoffice; dvd; hollyweird; hollywoodleft; homosexualagenda; liberalagenda; movies
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To: Blessed
"queer quota"

Not only that, but since my wife and I subscribed to our cable tv providers discount movie plan, we have been "privileged" to be able to peruse a number of recent releases. Most have been thoroughly "liberally" p.c.

I have a rule. The first time I hear the lead in a picture use the f word, I change channels. But I was surprised how many times it was the female lead that made me switch. Needless to say, we have not managed to watch many or any recently filmed products.

101 posted on 01/03/2006 9:11:45 AM PST by driftless ( For life-long happiness, learn how to play the accordion.)
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To: Paradox
Sure it did, but there were others that made more money, they just weren't as "surprising" as F911:

It was not surprising in the least when unions were buying up whole movie theaters and passing out the tickets to their people.

Have you actually ever seen the f911 movies at Blockbuster ever fully rented? I have not, not even the week it came out. I have only seen a few rented at a time, it has just sat there week after week taking up a whole shelf of space, still does even though it is long past its prime.

102 posted on 01/03/2006 10:06:54 AM PST by Lady Heron
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To: cgbg

I never hear about this movie Bareback Mountain ever except when I am on line Freepers. If I had not come to this website, I would never have heard about the film. I am sorry that you are being inundatated with all this information, but I only have one source. Of course we are overhere in Sicily on a small Navy Base so obviously it is pretty quiet. I can't believe that it is being sold all over the place in America. Is it on the front page of the paper or something?


103 posted on 01/03/2006 10:10:01 AM PST by napscoordinator
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To: AbeKrieger
Blame it on crap movies and when a movie is worth seeing, a bunch of uneductaed morons who talk, scream, curse, or use cell phones without respect for anyone else in the theater.

I agree. The patrons drive me bonkers. There's always unwashed slobs rattling candy wrappers and eating popcorn with their mouth open. Then there is the cell phone issue.

104 posted on 01/03/2006 10:10:36 AM PST by Cobra64
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To: Bookbuck
the uptick of gay homeowners featured have me questioning the amount of time I watch that network. I have been a long-time viewer but I think that's about to end.

Mine ended a year ago for the same reason.

105 posted on 01/03/2006 10:12:42 AM PST by Lady Heron
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To: RayChuang88
...even more remakes!

Now they're redoing the Pink Panther movies. Is there no originality left?!?

-PJ

106 posted on 01/03/2006 10:13:46 AM PST by Political Junkie Too (It's still not safe to vote Democrat.)
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To: coconutt2000
High prices for concessions don't bother me too much.

In the rare occasions we go to the movies, we bring our own munchies.

107 posted on 01/03/2006 10:13:54 AM PST by Cobra64
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To: RayChuang88

Expensive ticket prices, crappy movies (liberal bias) and the stuck on stupid cell phone idiots.

I much prefer watching an old movie on DVD at home, at least I can pop open a nice cold beer, and not have to listen to a cell phone moron (whose IQs are lower than their shoe size).


108 posted on 01/03/2006 10:19:48 AM PST by stbdside
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To: mattdono

Hollywood didn't choose shepherds. A skilled and accomplished author did.


109 posted on 01/03/2006 10:23:27 AM PST by lugsoul ("Try not to be sad." - Laura Bush)
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To: GianniV
People will be wrapped around the corner to see it.

Then make it. Raise the money yourself if you're so convinced. You've got battle scenes and probably a largish cast, so about $30 million or so should get you there. Hire a screenwriter and give him the outline to work from. Hire actors--there are plenty of them out there and they'll work cheap. Hire a director. Hire a crew. Buy film stock. Rent a camera and lights. Make the movie.

People seem to think that Hollywood has some kind of monopoly on making movies. They don't.

110 posted on 01/03/2006 10:44:25 AM PST by Heyworth
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To: NY.SS-Bar9

THREE HOURS for a giant ape?

And they wouldn't let Narnia be longer?

That is a total travesty. I only hope that the Narnia DVD is a much longer Director's Cut. It will make a fortune.


111 posted on 01/03/2006 10:48:43 AM PST by Politicalmom (Must I use a sarcasm tag?)
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To: lugsoul
Well, Hollywood DID choose to put it on the big screen. I'm sure that they understood the allusion. So, guilty as charged, as far as I'm concerned.

I hope and pray that you weren't trying to make an excuse for the amoral scum that run Hollyweird.

112 posted on 01/03/2006 12:37:26 PM PST by mattdono ("Crush the RATs and RINOs, drive them before you, and hear the lamentations of the scumbags" - Arnie)
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To: mattdono
"I hope and pray that you weren't trying to make an excuse for the amoral scum that run Hollyweird."

No. I was pointing out that your ridiculous assertion that the filmmakers chose the vocation based upon some intent to slam Christianity was based upon your decision to elevate your desire to fabricate some 'charge' over any factual basis for your claim. It was based upon a short story. They herded sheep in the short story.

Gremlins aren't hard to find when you spend your entire existence working for them.

113 posted on 01/03/2006 12:53:11 PM PST by lugsoul ("Try not to be sad." - Laura Bush)
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To: mattdono

Whoops. Meant "looking" for them. Damn Dragon.


114 posted on 01/03/2006 12:54:54 PM PST by lugsoul ("Try not to be sad." - Laura Bush)
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To: napscoordinator
Is it on the front page of the paper or something?

As a matter of fact the local Lefty rag (the Hartford, CT Courant) had a rave review on the front page of the newspaper. Meanwhile I have seen highly deceptive advertising proclaiming "a heartwarming love story" on several TV stations.

Hollywood and the establishment critics are way over the line on this one.
115 posted on 01/03/2006 12:57:51 PM PST by cgbg (MSM and Democratic treason--fifty years and counting...)
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To: Bookbuck

Ther are a couple of ads that really get me. One is where the woman has genital herpes and she takes this medicine so it wont show and claims herpes hasnt slowed her down a bit, Then the ad says just because it isnt showing doesnt mean you cant pass the herpes on. Isnt that one great?

The other one is where the guy loses his bathing suit in the pool and stands up with a woody while all the ladies giggle about how his erectile dysfunction medicine has made a man of him.


116 posted on 01/03/2006 1:00:47 PM PST by sgtbono2002
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To: mattdono

Actually it's from a fairly indy low rent studio, so technicaly Hollywood didn't put it on the screen. But Hollywood is fawning all over it.


117 posted on 01/03/2006 1:01:56 PM PST by discostu (a time when families gather together, don't talk, and watch football... good times)
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To: cgbg

Wow. I am sorry that you guys have to suffer through that. I mean over here we just don't have that sort of information. Italy is pretty Catholic even though socialist, but, being on a military base we definitely won't be seeing this film.


118 posted on 01/03/2006 1:01:58 PM PST by napscoordinator
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To: AbeKrieger
Has anyone considered abortion?

Sixty million American babies that were never born in the last 30 years.

That's a lot of teenager/young adult moviegoers.

119 posted on 01/03/2006 1:05:10 PM PST by handk (The truth is the truth even if no one believes it, and a lie is a lie even if everyone believes it.)
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To: GianniV
How about making a Terrorist movie where the bad guys are Muzzies instead of Decrepit Old Nazis, White Businessmen or Right wing politicians.I expect when they make a movie about 9/11 the Hijackers will be transformed into Right wing Ideologues.
120 posted on 01/03/2006 2:12:36 PM PST by ABN 505
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