[RayChuang88]

What I actually DO find interesting is that Mr. Booth's article is one of the few that actually bothered to ask for the various reasons why ticket sales slumped substantially in 2005 compared to 2004--in short, a surprisingly balanced and good article.

Mind you, 2004 was kind of an unusual year for box office revenues because we had these movies draw in a lot of viewers: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (carryover effect from late 2003 release), The Passion of the Christ, Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Spider-Man 2, and The Incredibles. Even Fahrenheit 9/11--despite the fact just about every Freeper hated the movie--contributed to the huge spike in box office ticket sales with US$119 million in box office revenues.

[rockabyebaby]

When the hollyweirdos keep their mouths shut perhaps people will be willing to see their movies again, imo, it's already too late, damage has been done, and secondly, the quality of movies has gone by the wayside, they have produced nothing worth buying on dvd for years.

[bubman]

Whose to blame for the present woes?

Home entertainment-Plasma TVs being so cheap-Made in China-It's china's fault?

500 channel universe-More crap not enough time to see it all?< P> The internet?

Video games?

Really bad movies made by a Hollyweird elite that is so disconnected from their target audience that assumes that America is composed of LA & NY at the exclusion of all else?

Or maybe its George Bush's fault all along?

[GianniV]

Movies about gay cowboys and transsexuals will not make you a lot of money. Hollywood is so stupid.

Here's a movie that will make $300M - a young high school graduate rejects his liberal parents and joins the ROTC in college. He eventually fights in Iraq and becomes a hero. All the time, his parents reject him. But, when he finally becomes a national hero, his parents seize the spotlight and claim now they supported him all along. Upon finally reuniting with his parents, his spits on their shoes and says, "I love my country more than I love you." Final line in the movie.

People will be wrapped around the corner to see it.

[szweig]

I go to perhaps two movies every three years anymore. I don't feel that I've missed anything. I see two basic problems:
1. (Almost) any movie with a number at the end of the title is going to suck.

2. A dearth of good writers/writing. (This is even more of a problem in the television industry.) No originality any more. And they do every good idea to death. No one willing to take a risk on an unproven concept...SSZ

[Paradox]

Even Fahrenheit 9/11--despite the fact just about every Freeper hated the movie--contributed to the huge spike in box office ticket sales with US$119 million in box office revenues.

Sure it did, but there were others that made more money, they just weren't as "surprising" as F911:

1	$441,226,247 	Shrek 2 
2	$373,585,825 	Spider-Man 2 
3	$370,274,604 	The Passion of the Christ 
4	$279,261,160 	Meet the Fockers 
5	$261,441,092 	The Incredibles 
6	$249,541,069 	Harry Potter - Azkaban 
7	$186,740,799 	The Day After Tomorrow 
8	$176,241,941 	The Bourne Supremacy 
9	$173,008,894 	National Treasure 
10	$162,775,358 	The Polar Express 
11	$160,861,908 	Shark Tale 
12	$144,801,023 	I, Robot 
13	$133,378,256 	Troy 
14	$125,544,280 	Ocean's Twelve 
15	$120,908,074 	50 First Dates 
16	$120,177,084 	Van Helsing 
17	$119,194,771 	Fahrenheit 9/11 

[Obadiah]

For all the hype about Brokeback Mountain, the following is a little marketplace reality:

Narnia (current estimated domestic receipts) - $225 million

Narnia (current estimated worldwide receipts) - $382 million

Brokeback Mountain (current domestic receipts) - $15 million

Both movies have been out for 4 weeks. While BBM is in fewer theaters, I would argue that that is again because the markets would not support more theaters.

The point is, for all the hype, BBM is a very, very narrowly supported movie - just as one would expect.

[Paloma_55]

Well, the hype over Brokeback Mountain seems to have fallen off lately. They released it into NY, LY and SF homo-cities and somehow thought its success there would mean a success in Peoria. But nobody is talking about how it is doing now, which tells me it went over like a hemmoroid in a bathhouse.

The reason Hollyweird is failing, is that the place is chock-full of nuts that have no idea how to produce movies that are interesting to the average person.

[discostu]

I'm with Rothman. Considering that domestic gross is only about 1/4 of what most movies make in their lifetime (overseas tickets, soundtrack, novelisation, DVD, pay-per-view, toys... the alternate sources of income are pretty impressive) that 9 billion in domestic grosses represents about 36 billion in total revenue. Hard to say the industry is on the ropes with that kind of cash coming in.

[KC_Conspirator]

Well, with the exception of "Fahrenlies 911", the rest of those movies in 2004 were more family freindly. There were a few money makers like the new Potter film and "Narnia", but much of it was "Syriana" garbage or filth like "Bareback Mountman" being shoved down our throats.

[KC_Conspirator]

Well, with the exception of "Fahrenlies 911", the rest of those movies in 2004 were more family freindly. There were a few money makers like the new Potter film and "Narnia", but much of it was "Syriana" garbage or filth like "Bareback Mountman" being shoved down our throats.

[tumblindice]

Setting aside such topics as turd-burgling sheep-punchers . . . I don't mind the `previews of coming attractions'
but I won't pay to wait 15 minutes from the time the show was to start while they run commercials.
Years ago when I went to see movies on Army posts before the movie they ran Old Glory waving while the Star Spangled Banner played and some even sang along while we stood with hands over hearts. That seems like a lifetime ago.
Hey, let's all go to the lobby!
Then to the parking lot and the car.
And then to Blockbuster . . .

(I recommend 'The Great Raid', an epic story of the rescue by US Rangers with Filipino guerillas of American POWs tortured and about to be killed by the Japs, sixty years ago this month. Invite some `liberal' friends, if you have any. It celebrates raw human courage, sacrifice and dedication to the greatest country in the world. They'll hate it.)

[vetvetdoug]

Blame It on The Bossa Nova

There, I said it.

[JAWs]

          I have to agree with the author the primary reason for H`Wood's decline is the lack of quality product. They are over-sized companies using outdated ideas of their consumer base and are unable to handle the more nimble competition or the challenge of technology.

          Kinda like GM.

          Kidding aside a good flick can cover a multitude of sins. I do realize the PC of their creative talent is hurting, but there is another factor you may want to consider. There used to be fewer spectacle flicks that were must sees. It seems now we're getting utterly worked over with the hype for each new flick which then subsequently disappears without a trace. It's as if a dozen Star Wars cry out and were suddenly silenced.

[steve-b]

"If you make good movies, people go," says Rothman. "If you make crappy movies, they stay home."

Gee, ya think?

[NormB]

Home Theater.

EVERYONE I talk to puts their desire to see a movie based on whether or not they will wait until it comes out on DVD.

I have a projector and stereo system that produces a 96" screen and is as loud and clear as I want.

No need for the movies, I can buy a dvd for 14-19$ and have the movie forever. Movie tickets are $8 each and then you get robbed for popcorn and such.

[cookcounty]

"annoying pre-feature commercials "

I would eagerly pay an extra couple bucks to be spared the insulting and nauseating preview after preview of the stoopid films. We have, at times, decided against going to the movies because a film was marginal and just not worth wading through the muck to get to it.

[WKUHilltopper]

Who wants to see a bunch of gays, whores, splattering brains and moral degenerates while paying 8 bucks to watch this in a movie?? I can go downtown Louisville and watch this for free.

[mysterio]

$20 for the tickets, $12 for the popcorn and two drinks. When the DVD costs $15, it's pretty easy to just wait.

I still go to the movies though. Several times a month. It's a fun date, and it doesn't matter if the movies suck. But I've had several weekends when my date and I were the only ones in the theater, and that's never happened to me before.

I think if I'm the only one in there, I should be able to light up, as well.

[SMARTY]

Filmaking is an industry like any other in this country. They don't make cars or refrigerators, but they produce and must compete. The film community, which absolutely salivates over achieving a moral and cultural equivalent with the guy who actually contributes to this society by WORKING...and answering to some higher authority... I say - this film 'community' has consistently and ferociously attacked whole geographic and cultural segments of this country while continuing their unrealistic anticipation of support at the box office. When the film 'community' (and I mean all those clowns from the prima donnas to the directors, etc.) finally ends it's love affair with the gutter and with our national enemies, maybe the American ticket buying population will take them seriously again, like a necessary and significant element of this economy.

[Real Cynic No More]

My take: Too many of the new movies receiving most of the hype are remakes, sequels, or are trying to justify extreme beliefs or actions.