Summer 2005 a box office bummer!!

j7wild · 09-05-2005, 01:05 PM

from AP News:

Hollywood Uncertain After Summer Bummer

Americans' love affair with movies is far from over. Yet like many relationships, it seems to be suffering from a case of familiarity breeds contempt. Summer 2005 was the worst since 1997 for movie attendance, which dropped sharply and rattled the complacency of studios.

For the 18 weeks from early May through Labor Day, domestic movie grosses are expected to total $3.6 billion, down 9 percent from summer revenues of $3.96 billion last year, according to box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. Attendance figures are even bleaker. Factoring in higher admission prices, the number of movie tickets sold should come in around 562.5 million, down 12 percent from summer 2004.

What went wrong?

"What didn't go wrong? That's the question," said Paul Dergarabedian, Exhibitor Relations president. "This was a summer that really could be characterized as under a cloud from the beginning. Usually, the first weekend in May, you have a big film that kind of kicks off the summer. It didn't happen that way this time, and that was sort of an indicator of things to come."

Some movies did score big, but the overall downturn lingered and then worsened, prompting gloom-and-doom predictions that audiences were growing tired of rising ticket prices, concession stand costs, pre-show advertising and other movie theater hassles.

With so many other entertainment choices video games, limitless TV programming, home-theater setups audiences may be edging away from moviehouses.

In an Associated Press-AOL News poll in June, nearly three-fourths of adults said they would prefer to stay home and watch movies on DVD, videotape or pay-per-view rather than traipse to a theater. Almost half said they think movies are getting worse.

For years, Hollywood has thrived with an if-you-film-it-they-will-come mentality, relying on an assembly line formula of explosive action films, lowbrow comedy and dippy romance.

That approach failed in summer 2005, which had far more flops than usual, among them the action thrillers "Stealth" and "The Island," the comedies "The Honeymooners," "The Bad News Bears" and "Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo," and the historical epic "Kingdom of Heaven."

Martin Lawrence could not give tickets away to his basketball comedy "Rebound." Extreme-sports fans who seemed an obvious audience for the skateboarding flick "Lords of Dogtown" failed to show. Family crowds who made Robert Rodriguez's "Spy Kids" movies a success generally passed on his "The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D."

Horror remakes once enjoyed a virtual can't-miss record, yet Paris Hilton was unable to pack people in for "House of Wax." Even the man who created the flesh-munching zombie subgenre could not bring in crowds, as "George Romero's Land of the Dead" dug itself an early grave.

Ron Howard reteamed with his "A Beautiful Mind" star Russell Crowe for the class-act of summer. But "Cinderella Man," the uplifting story of Depression-era boxer Jim Braddock, was a box office lightweight despite good reviews.

Summer 2005 did produce its share of big hits, led by "Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith" at almost $380 million. Films at or near the $200 million mark included "War of the Worlds," "Batman Begins," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "Wedding Crashers" and "Madagascar."

There also were a few independent hits, such as the ensemble drama "Crash" and the surprise documentary smash "March of the Penguins."

It's unclear whether such breakout hits or the success of character-driven comedies such as "Wedding Crashers" and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" will prompt studio executives to seek fresh ideas, or whether they will fall back on the safe old summer formulas.

"In an ideal world, people would say `OK, we have to think more creatively, we have to think outside the box and come up with new and different things,'" said Steven Friedlander, head of distribution for Warner Independent Pictures, which released "March of the Penguins."

"But I'm afraid what's going to happen is, we're all going to sit in a room and say `We need more penguin movies.'" So I don't really know what lessons we're going to take out of all this."

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I tell you what's wrong and these are from my personal experience:

the high price of movie tickets;

the cattle mentality of today's multiplex theater: "pack them in tight before the movie starts and herd them out once the credits roll";

the lack of parking space which means prepare to walk a mile from/to your car;

the 15 minutes average of pre-show advertising (well maybe not, some of those trailers are pretty good and it gives you time to use the restroom and get some snacks);

too many people with no movie going manner (i.e. the lady who asks her partner next to her every seconds: "oh what's going to happen?"; "no, don't go there?"; "who is he/she?");

the person who just got to pick up the cell phone in the middle of the movie and start a conversation instead of taking it outside;

the dork who sits behinds you, put his legs up and constantly kicks the back of your seat throughout the movie even after repeated polite requests asking him to stop;

the parents who brings a baby into a movie and won't take him/her outside when he/she starts crying;

underage kids who sneak into a rated R movie then disturbs everybody by talking loudly and laugh and giggle and snicker at everything on the screen;

the dude who has to have a super size drink during the movie and then constantly has to get up and walk past you to go to the restroom;

the moron with the laser pen trying to draw a masterpiece on the screen (here in Houston, Tx, if you are caught with one of those in a movie, you can be fined or even jailed now);

the incompetent projectionist: movies that start out of focus or under the wrong frame or dimly lit exhibitions due to projector bulbs that need to be replaced; when I went to see Star Wars Episode 3, from the last trailer to halfway of the trademark Star Wars opening scrolling text narrative, the frame was out of focus and out of frame. The audience were cursing and booing and nearly started a riot. We were able to get a free pass at the end of the showing but something like that really ruins the experience.

the cute lady wearing a sport bra who sits next to you, for God sake out of an entire theater of 500 seats, and distracts you with her cleavage throughout the whole showing;

the internet: websites like this one allows you to preview an upcoming movie months ahead of its release, dissect it, analyze it and then decide if it's worth seeing or not;

the home: why go out and fight traffic, crowds, high ticket prices, seating when you can rent it on DVD a few month later and play it on your home theater system?

Feel free to add any reasons why you don't go to movies as much as you used to!!

**Gaumont** · 09-05-2005, 01:28 PM

Dude, you really need to put more focus on the movie your going to watch and have a fun time, rather than finding problems around it. It does u no good, but certanly puts u in a worse mood.

**WorkShed** · 09-05-2005, 03:53 PM

The movies sucked (save for Batman Begins and The 40 Year-Old Virgin).

**stardragon** · 09-05-2005, 05:20 PM

I agree workshed, with a few exceptions this summer just didn't have the great movies that we as consumers have come to expect. As for the gripes, it IS kind of hard to enjoy the movie when you have some idiot kicking the back of your seat constantly (trust me there have been a few times that I have wanted to turn around and slap the ***p out of these types of people!!!).

**WorkShed** · 09-05-2005, 06:27 PM

Originally Posted by stardragon

As for the gripes, it IS kind of hard to enjoy the movie when you have some idiot kicking the back of your seat constantly (trust me there have been a few times that I have wanted to turn around and slap the ***p out of these types of people!!!).

I totally agree. Most of the time, I give them a death stare. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. When it doesn't, I curse the hell out of them.

**editman** · 09-05-2005, 07:59 PM