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I'm starting to think that movie theaters, at least as we know them today, are really on their way out of the cultural mainstream. People can get cheaper experiences at home that are almost as good. How many movies made today are truly made for the big screen anyway? The only one in recent memory that I recall appreciating on that huge scale was Cast Away... the sense of awe at the island and the cliffs and the pitch blackness. IMAX movies, of course, but even the most action-intense films these days aren't really "big" they're just fast and jittery. Maybe The Two Towers and Return of the King fit in that category with all the epic battles and such; but otherwise, what is there?
People just don't want to spend money on movies anymore. Let's compare two films that are fairly analogous - Star Wars, and Pirates of the Carribean 1. If you look at the box office figures adjusted for inflation: 30 years ago, Star Wars made much more than twice the amount of money that Pirates of the Carribean 1 has, worldwide. Star Wars opened in 1,750 theaters - Pirates in 3,416 theaters. I don't have data on how long Star Wars was in theaters for... but just look at that order of magnitude right there. Less than half the amount of money, in twice the number of theaters. That's just not a good trend.
And it is a trend! If you go a little further down the line to 1939, Gone with the Wind made twice the amount of money that Star Wars did, probably in even fewer theaters. A downwards trend of diminishing return, after just a century of moving pictures.
What can be done to save movies? Maybe nothing, in a world of ever decreasing attention spans and ever increasing entertainment options. I'll think about that some more later...
People just don't want to spend money on movies anymore. Let's compare two films that are fairly analogous - Star Wars, and Pirates of the Carribean 1. If you look at the box office figures adjusted for inflation: 30 years ago, Star Wars made much more than twice the amount of money that Pirates of the Carribean 1 has, worldwide. Star Wars opened in 1,750 theaters - Pirates in 3,416 theaters. I don't have data on how long Star Wars was in theaters for... but just look at that order of magnitude right there. Less than half the amount of money, in twice the number of theaters. That's just not a good trend.
And it is a trend! If you go a little further down the line to 1939, Gone with the Wind made twice the amount of money that Star Wars did, probably in even fewer theaters. A downwards trend of diminishing return, after just a century of moving pictures.
What can be done to save movies? Maybe nothing, in a world of ever decreasing attention spans and ever increasing entertainment options. I'll think about that some more later...