Posted on 11/23/2004 11:24:10 PM PST by kattracks
Lights! Camera! Agita!Despite monster hits like "The Incredibles" and "Shark Tale," Hollywood is hurting this season, with overall box-office earnings down well below the take in the same period for the previous two years.
In the 10 weeks from Labor Day to just before Thanksgiving, the film industry grossed $1.39 billion, down 14 percent from last year's record of $1.63 billion and off 12 percent from $1.59 billion in 2002.
Fall ticket sales were a bust as well, dropping 18 percent from last year's figure, from 268.3 million ducats to 219.9 million. This year's sales also were below the 222.8 million reported in 1998.
Analysts lamented that the first part of the post-summer season was, to put it in movie terms, a colossal bomb.
[snip]
The Hollywood Reporter blames a shorter-than-usual season for some of the drop in income. This year's fall season was one of the more frequently occurring 10-week periods, while the previous two years were both 11-week seasons.
But the industry mag concluded the dramatic decline was caused by a combination of bad movies and bad buzz about them.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
I think another big reason for the drop is computer games. Halo2 raked in huge amounts of cash. Kids are playing incredible games! The graphics are stunning, The game play excellent and the replay value is high. Why go to a movie for gods sake? You get so much more action and so much more story from a game at home.
I'm glad to indulge in some shadenfraude at hollywoods expense but I suspect other causes rather than Red State anger.
Having said that, I have not been to a theater since RoTK. The movies lately have been crap thrown out so that they can write off the loses. I plan to see the Incredibles this holiday weekend. The only movie I would like to see besides National Treasure is Ray. I am surpised how much excitement Ray did Not generate though.
Add Julia "republican is between reptile & repugnant" Roberts to your list of refusing to watch.
"I'd just as soon stay home and watch reruns...."
In the past movies about heroes were made by stars who, in many cases, actually were real life heroes, Glenn Ford for instance. Nowadays movies about heroes are mostly made by stars you wouldn't want to share space with.
I know I won't pay for anything with Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon, Cameron Diaz, Ben Affleck, or a whole host of others. I'm not rewarding anti-Americans with my consumer dollars.
I did buy Passion of the Christ, however.
"Counting down the minutes until the MPAA issues a press release that blames Internet downloaders for causing the slump in revenue 5 ... 4 ... 3 ... 2 ... 1 ..."
Took the kids to see the Incredibles the other night.
Had to sit through a 5 minute header about how "downloading was stealing" and urging people not to buy pirated movies.
Seems they're quite concerned about this.
I can't find it in me to feel sorry for them.
Yes I watched it myself and thought it was great. You could tell the military people they had for consultants had a very high regard for Alexander. To bad Stone didn't watch that before he decided to make Alexander the Gay. He might have had a hit.
I managed to break my own vow of supporting comic book movies by missing The Punisher at the theater. After I rented it, I was glad that I did, it was awful. These guys have the reverse Midas touch sometimes, and they seem to make movies that suck in some twisted attempt at commercial appeal. I really dont get it. The Dolph Lundgren Punisher movie was Oscar caliber by comparison...JFK
The radio station that I listen to every morning has a Friday movie review done by a local critic. From his comments during the election campaigns, I believe the guy is a liberal. He is usually pretty fair with his critiques of the films he sees. He even said that everything coming out of Hollywood is pure junk.
Actually it is Jerry Bruckheimer (sp?), but he didnt produce Team America. The South Park guys copied everything about Bruckheimer's style as sort of a tribute/mockery of his work...JFK
Speaking of movies on tape, I watched "The Rundown" last week, starring The Rock from pro wrestling. It was actually a pretty good action flick. There is a cameo of Arnold and Christopher Walken is pretty good - as he usually is. I get the feeling that in most of the movies he is in, he ad libs a lot. The guy who plays the Rock's foil - the guy he is suppose to bring back home - has a lot of good scenes and is pretty funny. The characters are guys you can root for unlike most Hollywood dreg. Anyway, I liked it and I recommend it.
***I would loved to go see a film about Alexander the Great that just didn't discuss his sexuality at all. **
Then get the 1956 Richard Burton version!
I remember when Kirk Douglas - being interviewed by Cavett - said he was in a hotel that had a convention. Some guy gets on the elevator and says, gosh, you're Kirk Douglas. Kirk sees the guys name sticker on his suit coast and calls out, Joe, how's it going. The guy - star struck and drunk - can't figure out how Douglas knew his name. Douglas says he is disappointed that Joe doesn't remember their time together.
Now, all you hear about is their politics and hatred for conservative values.
Actors and actresses tend to forget that they earn their living by playing pretend. The same way they pretend to be someone else, so they also pretend to be socially aware and caring about this country.
In reality, if you asked any successful actor or actress to give up their accountant, file a standard 1040, or give most of their money away and live in a 3 bedroom, 2000 sqft ranch in Cleveland, they would say no and make an excuse.
I have no use for Hollywood or the crap that they put out. If it wasn't for Disney to entertain my kids, I would never go to another movie. Plus I still have a bunch of Marxx Brothers films I want to watch.
Is that John Wayne & Ronald Reagan I hear chuckling....?
"Is that John Wayne & Ronald Reagan I hear chuckling....?"
Nope. Rock Hudson!
Would that be chuckling or sucking?
Is he the guy that does CSI? I have to admit CSI is one of my guilty pleasures. The original one, set in Vegas is the best. I've enjoyed the NY series, too, the few times I've seen it. The Miami version isn't worth watching.
I hate to support CBS, but I also enjoy the FBI Missing Persons show that comes on after CSI.
Is Polar Express some sort of children's book? I've heard the previews call it a beloved story and I'd never heard of it. They got hammered by going against The Incredibles.
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