Haven’t been to a theater to see a movie since Dances With Wolves in 1990. There’s nothing I want to pay that kind of money for to see. And my DVD rentals are less than 5/yr. So, there’s really nothing out there for me (my wife agrees...).
I suspect two things are happening; adults are getting tired of animation and want real stories, and 3D just isn’t doing it. It may be fun to see in a theater, but can’t be repeated at home without a major expenditure. So, the mass interest isn’t there.
We go to the ROXY THEATER to see movies for $3. It was built in the 1920's and shows movies after they leave the multiplex theaters. He can only show 1 movie at a time and caters to families. We just saw 'Secretariat' there.
It's fun going there. The owner wears a tuxedo and plays nice music from the 40's & 50's before the show starts. No commercials or previews.
“I suspect two things are happening; adults are getting tired of animation and want real stories”...
It’s not about what adults want, it’s all about the children and impressionable young “adults”.
First, the incredible cheapness of acquiring movies (Netflix, DirectTV) at home soon after they are release dramatically (no pun intended) diminishes the value of seeing anything in a theater. I just saw "True Grit," and I think it was the first movie I saw in a theater in over a year. I loved it, wanted to see it early, but I could have waited. Nothing in the "theater" experience that made it any better.
Second, the utter rudeness of audiences, whether cell phones or running commentaries or misbehaving kids, is driving people out who LOVE movies and really want the full experience.
Third, the incredible falling costs of making a movie, due to digital technology, mean that studios have to have a home run every time, and therefore could NEVER make a "Breakfast Club" or a "Slumdog Millionaire." It's not surprising that aside from a few predictable special effects hits---Transformers 1-10 or Iron Man---or movies that have, from books, massive built-in audiences ("Harry Potter," "Lord of the Rings," "Twilight")---studios don't want to front for anything except sure winners. "300" was a freak, made for something like $10m with NO A-list actors, yet it grossed over $180m domestic.
Finally, the piracy issue is huge. My son has seen movies that are just out in theaters on his home computer. Someone will slip a videocam in, and the next day it's on the internet, free.
So as one who is just now trying to break in, it's a challenge, but not an impossible one.
Waiting for “Atlas Shrugged”,should be Interesting to see how that Draws
“Haven’t been to a theater to see a movie since Dances With Wolves in 1990. There’s nothing I want to pay that kind of money for to see.”
To each his own, and everyone can seek what they want for entertainment, but I haven’t gone to the movie but twice since 1994. The biggest reason is my stomach made me give up popcorn. The second reason is the new age and P.C. drivel passed off as entertainment. The third reason is the goobers in the theatre and the fourth reason is the price to get in.
The P.C. is so bad on the pay movie channels that we just got rid of the whole lot of them.
“adults are getting tired of animation”
Indeed!
Depends on where you live.
Theaters in Central NH are still kinda fun.
A lot of other places, not so much.
I am sick of animation and pixar but those movies are doing better than live action so I guess they will be with us for a while.
I haven’t cared for the last few I’ve seen. How to Train Your Dinosaur was kinda cute, but I did not like Toy Story 3. It was sad and not at all touching. Too much meanness and cruelty.
I usually get bored during animated films.