The theater was packed, and the audience applauded at the end. Glad to see so many people supporting a local theater. (Allentown, PA) We live about 35 minutes away, and it was well worth the drive.
Posted on 01/15/2011 5:43:50 AM PST by Dr. Scarpetta
2010 closed as the second highest-grossing year of all time, but it still couldn't shake an air of disappointment. Not only did 2010 end with a whimper, estimated ATTENDANCE was the LOWEST in 15 years.
The box office tally for 2010 was $10.57 billion, or around $30 million shy of 2009. That translated to an estimated attendance of 1.27 billion, which was off eight percent from 2010.
1995 was the last year to have sub-1.3 billion attendance. Since the modern attendance peak in 2002 (1.58 billion), attendance has been trending downward, but 2010 marked the second severe drop-off, following 2005.
Hollywood often failed to offer an appealing slate of movies, and there were fewer movies made available than before. In 2010, 141 movies reached nationwide release (600 locations or more), down from 158 in 2009 and the smallest number since 2001.
The top-grossing movie of 2010 was a holdover from 2009: Avatar, which made $476.9 million of its $760.5 million lifetime total in 2010.
Toy Story 3 was the second-biggest movie in 2010, drawing $415 million. Alice in Wonderland ($334.2 million), Iron Man 2 ($312.4 million) and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse ($300.5 million) rounded out the Top Five.
Animation business was up 16 percent over 2009 to $1.49 billion, while movies presented in the 3D illusion surged to $3.27 billion (an estimated $2.1 billion of which from 3D alone).
All of the major animated titles of 2010 were shown in 3D, and the industry shoved 3D down people's throats in the wake of Avatar's success, adding enough screens to the point in December when several movies had simultaneous nationwide 3D runs.
All those 3D movies contributed to the gross, but they boiled down to more money from fewer people.
(Excerpt) Read more at boxofficemojo.com ...
They’re not great movies, but we enjoyed them. For what it’s worth, I felt the second was better than the first.
We hated Shakespeare in Love. Couldn’t understand why the critics loved it. Same goes for American Beauty.
I liked Shutter Island and my daughter thought Social Network was the best movie in a long time, so I will see it.
But I hated, hated, hated, Inception. Couldn’t make it through that utter mess of a movie. And I was really looking forward to it.
I actually thought the ancient movie with Dennis Quaid called Dreamscape was a better dream movie.
I really liked Open Range, one of the few movies I’ve liked Costner in.
I just watched To Kill a Mockingbird. Robert Duvall played Bo. He looked kinda like Robert Redford. That was a long time ago.
By the way, I checked that movie out at the library. I’ve discovered that’s a great way to get movies and it’s free.
It is appalling to me that parents actually take young children to see garbage like that.
There is a difference between a dark backstory and a dark, unredeeming movie.
I loved "The Dark Night"!
Reminds me of a family I once witnessed, from toddlers up to adults, laughing at a horror movie while people were brutally and graphically murdered. Anyone who can enjoy that kind of disturbia is psychologically damaged themselves.
I haven’t seen the movie, but my impression from the ads is that the entire flick is an apology to Bruce Lee for having to play a sidekick. In the ads, it appears that Kato is the brains and brawn, and the Green Hornet is a dork.
The reason Shakespeare in Love won best picture is that while most Oscar categories are only voted on by the branch memberships--directors choosing directors, costume people choosing costume people--everyone gets to vote for Best Picture. Because of the way Academy memberships have been given out over the years, the largest branch in the academy, and thus the largest voting bloc, are the actors. And what was Shakespeare in Love about? Actors. Theater people. It's a big wet sloppy kiss to everyone who e'er trod the stage. And actors, not being known for their brightness, couldn't see past the strokes they were being given. That film could not have been more precisely targeted by the Weinsteins to win an Oscar. Ryan never had a chance (and I'll actually argue that once you get off the beach, it's a very good war movie, but not the greatest ever).
Just two points. First, the primary reasons for the decline in theater goers is that people have other entertainment options and we're in a depression where people do not have as much disposable income.
There was a significant drop from 1964 to 1969 when movies became much more coarse, but there are a ton of movies out there that are suitable to a family audience. Cell phones might be new, but rude talking people have always been in theaters. Considering inflation, movie tickets have not gone up in price that much. As a caveat, I only go to matinees. The theater is less crowded and the prices are cheaper.
Second, the entertainment industry is not in trouble. US revenues are down, but foreign revenues more than make up for it. Toy Story 3 made $415 million domestically, but $648 million outside the US, for over $1 Billion total before it was released to DVD. The last Harry Potter movie made $280 million domestically and another $640 million outside the US. Currently, it's rare for a movie that's released world wide to make most of it's gross in the US. Movie makers are not going to start making more films to appeal to the US audience. They're going to make more films that appeal to international audiences, cause the money isn't in the US anymore.
***But I hated, hated, hated, Inception. Couldn’t make it through that utter mess of a movie. And I was really looking forward to it.***
I rented it and about 1/4 of the way through I developed a terrible migrane. I kept wondering...”My God! When is this thing going to end”!
I agree with you on Dreamscape.
Like to read? How about H P Lovecraft’s DREAM-QUEST OF UNKNOWN KADATH.
Shutter Island was good!
Good insight. Thanks.
The theater was packed, and the audience applauded at the end. Glad to see so many people supporting a local theater. (Allentown, PA) We live about 35 minutes away, and it was well worth the drive.
Someday, Hollywood will make a movie about GW Bush and call it The President’s Speech, detailing his leadership after 9-11/sarc. “Some men are born great. Others have greatness thrust upon them.”
That would actually be a very good movie, but I’m not holding my breath.
I think you once told me you live in the Nazareth area. I’m out near Kutztown now but grew up in Allentown. Sad what has become of it, still has it’s good points. Actually Kutztown has a similar movie theater, can’t remember the name but took my wife there on our second date.
They took a few liberties with the facts on some minor matters but all in all a well done historical film. No nudity, sex is mentioned only obliquely and no violence. Language in a couple of places is raw but it is necessary to the plot. I have no idea why it got a R rating.
It was, as my niece would say, a thundering good story!
Downtown Allentown is a sad place, but the area around the 19th St. Theater is fine. We had lunch at Wert's, which is a block away. You'll have to try out that old theater in Kutztown. It was a pleasant day...
I saw it this evening too. I really liked it. Even the foul language didn’t bother me since it had a place in the plot. It wasn’t gratuitous. The audience applauded at the end as well. I hope it gets many Oscars.
I did have to tell the idiot teenagers next to me to put their phones away. Sheesh. If something’s so important that you have to answer the phone/send a text during a movie, then maybe you shouldn’t be in the movie in the first place.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.