Box-Office Slump: Hollywood Facing Worst Summer in Eight Years (Obama effect?)

The Hollywood Reporter ^ | 07/23/2014 | Pamela McClintock

[AngelesCrestHighway]

Less than six weeks before Labor Day, hopes for recovery at the North American summer box office have evaporated. The season is expected to finish down 15 to 20 percent compared with 2013, the worst year-over-year decline in three decades, and revenue will struggle to crack $4 billion, which hasn't happened in eight years. As a result, analysts predict that the full year is facing a deficit of 4 to 5 percent.

[x]

Why do some people blame Obama for everything. Poor movie ticket sales? Obamas fault. Raining outside? Obamas fault. Maybe, just maybe, this years movies are awful and not worth 12$ a ticket.

Maybe. The "Obama effect" was something tacked on to the headline for what may have been humorous, tongue-in-cheek reasons.

But it's young people who make up most of the audience for the summer blockbusters, and if teen unemployment is high, they can't go to the movies. So maybe the economy and Obama do have something to do with it.

I think it's probably more a matter of the studios releasing movies earlier in the year, rather than during the "mummer blockbuster season." Maybe they found out it didn't matter whether they brought out their big superhero pictures during the summer or at some other time of the year.

[jsanders2001]

Toasting to the destruction of America

[OldMissileer]

I just heard on the X22 Report that amusement parks are being hit hard. I can't imagine a lot of people could even imagine a day at the amusement park right now. It's a hit to the pocketbook in regular times. I can't even imagine what it's going for now---

Since 1994 we have purchased season passes to King's Dominion (Virginia) and have taken a five day mini vacation to Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, VA. This is our first year we did not buy the season tickets and we did not plan the trip to Busch Gardens either. The economy has hit our pocket books hard this year.

[OldMissileer]

For one thing, CGI can only go so far in compensating for the lack of story, bad dialog, bad acting, and interminably long and boring fight scenes.

I really think that the advent of CGI started the downfall of good acting. The producers and directors rely so much on CGI they do not care who the human actors are or even if they are any good and I think they believe tons of CGI will obviate a garbage script.

[OldMissileer]

I’m not sure I’d call Falling Skies well written...If Pope has once again reverts to being “bad” to start next season only to once again be shown his “heart of gold” I’m done with the show.

I enjoyed the first two years and the third was not too bad. I am trying my hardest to like this year but it is difficult to care.

[MaxMax]

I think people are sick of watching really bad CGI movies.
Bring back real acting on location. Spiderman 2 sucked. The only good
acting there was Sally Field.

[who knows what evil?]

A Spider-flick with racist Jamie Foxx? Pass.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Oh, that’s a shame—NOT.

[MinuteGal]

The bulk of movies shown today are crash, chase, explode, burn, destroy, shoot, stab and maim epics made for teen-age male morons and adolescent men in their twenties to forties...all of whome live in a fantasy-world of robots, aliens, androids, zombies, gladiators and superheroes.

I ain't buyin'.

Leni