Guys,

I heard on one of the news channels that the movie industry is in a HUGE slump and not only do I agree with this assesment, I see the problem getting worse over time.

The advent of DVD technology and the release of movies on DVD often within a few months after leaving the theature gives people a greater incentive to stay hime. Not only that, but dish owners and digital cable veiwers can now get optional DVR/Tivo boxes, which allow them to record up to 40 hours of movies, or any shows they choose and play them back with full VCR/DVD functionality whenever they want. More and more Video On Demand serivices are being released to cable/dish owners for not just controlling movies, but any services that people choose to watch.

Even at the next level down you can get premium channels for about $12/month bundled with your cable package. Most digital cable packages give you multiple screens and discounted rates, where you pay your $10-$12 a month and watch as many movies as you want, all month. Today's movie tickets for one movie are now $8.00-$10.00 for one show, which means obnoxous screaming kids, loud popcorn chewers, finding a place to park, fighting the crowds, for one movie. I say, YUCK!

The services and technology given to viewers are so much better at home. The ONLY incentive that I can see with regard to going to movies is if there is some big box office blockbuster that you have to see when the film first comes out. There used to be talk of seeing a film on the big screen, but people now have 30"-40"+ TV screens right in their own living rooms with the latest picture and sound technology.

Do you see how or in what way that the movie industry can compete with home movie, digital cable/dish technology? I can't. Does anyone who has all the cable/DVD stuff even bother to go to the theature anymore?

Jack

The only real way out of this is to make less movies, and make them of better quality. There's just too many movies being released- so many there's no way anyone could see them all in their theatrical run- and then in about 4 months the films a person didn't see during the theatrical release is out on dvd for them to watch- as good as a new movie at the cinema. As for quality-there are some films that are so awful or unexciting you can't imagine why they were greenlighted- Gothika was such a dull, uneventful looking film, it's no surprise it failed.

Some studios have made more money than last year, showing the effect the Passion of the Christ had on box-office numbers.

Studios need to make more films that can have fair mass appeal and still appeal to the critics- too often the studios look at their demographics and dum down movies to suit the masses- there are people influenced by critics.

There needs to be a better experience in the cinema- it's a pity few old-style cinemas exist- masterpieces of architecture, luxurious and beautiful, instead of todays standard black-box shaped room with a white screen at the front.

I hardly ever go to the theatre anymore. Costs too much, too crowded, don't have time and there are only a few worthwhile movies that come out each year anyway. I like DVD's better.

Hollywood simply needs to start making better movies. Also, seventy-five percent of the movies made are aimed at people under 25. They need to start making movies that people over 25 would want to see as well.

HAHA. music forever.

maybe if they'd cut it out with the ridiculous-beyond-words idiot stupid ****ing teen movies, they'd be doing a little better.

Movies have gone downhill, since about 20 yrs ago. :lol:

HAHA. music forever.

maybe if they'd cut it out with the ridiculous-beyond-words idiot stupid ****ing teen movies, they'd be doing a little better.
word

Movies have gone downhill, since about 20 yrs ago. :lol:


Yeah, I guess even I would agree to that.
I like a lot of films from the 1980s, but still I think the real classics are films like:
"Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1961), "Rebel Without A Cause" (1955), "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946), "Casablanca" (1942), "The Big Sleep" (1946) and "Sabrina" (1954), just to name some.


I don't know about anyone else, but does anyone notice in the film "City Of Angels" (1998) when Nicholas Cage wakes up and isn't an angel anymore and his lip is bleeding and he's overjoyed that people can see him, I was thinking that scene is so much like in the film "It's a Wonderful Life" (1947) when James Stewart plays that character George Bailey who wished he had never been born and then saw what the world was like without him and then prayed to God to let him live again and one of the cops comes to the bridge looking for him and his lip is bleeding again because he got punched in a bar scene and he's like: "My mouth's bleeding, Bert. My mouth's bleeding."




Sometimes I think most films fail at the box office because there isn't enough originality in films anymore. I think the only film I can think of off-hand that has some originality to it is "Moonlight Mile". Otherwise, it's a lot of the same old stuff at movie theaters. It's weird, but I hardly even like to go to the theaters anymore to see new films coming out. I prefer to watch the classics from the 1940s, '50s, '60s, and '70s and some '80s.