Posted on 12/28/2005 6:59:55 AM PST by bulldozer
These days, the film industry bemoans decreasing box office sales by crying about illegal downloads of movies. If all the major providers of peer-to-peer software had not been shut down, they might have a point.
Industries who think consumers are slaves to their products usually end up in this boat. The consumer goes elsewhere.
“Brokeback Mountain” has netted a paltry $4.9 million in box office sales, nearly identical to “Memoirs of a Geisha”. Both movies have been out for about two weeks. King Kong has earned twenty times more in only eight days of apish reincarnation.
Here is a wake-up call for Hollywood: Nearly one-fourth of viewers gave Brokeback Mountain an “F”, while 69.4% gave it an A, leaving no middle-ground. We can easily guess who these votes came from on both sides of this tin coin.
Golden Globe elites went into plebian parinirvana over the idea of two married cowboys rustling something more than livestock on the range. Monkeys go “ape” seeing themselves in the mirror, too. A “Gone With The Wind” this is not.
The business model for film distribution is changing rapidly in ways Hollywood is loathe to admit. With cable and satellite, viewers do not need to waste money going out to see movies they do not really want to see, out of sheer boredom. We can more easily surf cable to watch the best of the worst, in far more comfortable surroundings, with our favorite snacks just a few steps away. The box office and DVD rentals merely give us time to figure out what we really want to see.
Hollywood no longer has a monopoly on entertainment. The internet and video games are where celluloid ex-pats now reside.
Consumer dollar-votes are most instructive. The fish now know the difference between a real worm and a fake one with a hook on it. We are no longer addicted to seeing the latest insult to family values just so we can pretend we are hip while complaining about it at lunch.
Shock entertainment will be an increasingly marginal market. Those who wish to be successful in film and television will look to the great box office hits, shows, and the legendary acts for new foundations for the film industry.
David R. Usher is President of the American Coalition for Fathers and Children, Missouri Coalition
An accurate description of the Hollywood "Elite".
Add to it Howard F'n Stern and cable "comedy" channel.
Emtpy filth crap, with "history" channel closing in fast.
BARF!
Plus, last I looked Sheep aren't Cows.
I haven't gone to the movies for weeks because there isn't anything I'm interested in, except for the movie about Johnny Cash. I'll probably see that when I get a chance.
In two weeks? That's really sad considering the amount of hype.
I agree completely. I used to like the History Channel. And how about The Learning Channel? Nothing but vapid nonsense there.
Everyone who wanted to see BBM (gays), has already seen it by now.
Guess why....
I saw the "Producers" this past weekend, (which has to be one of the most anti-pc movies I have ever seen!) and all the previews for the 06 movies---sucked!!!!
As for Gayback Mountain---If I wanted to see two guys getting it on (and I don't-ever) I'd just rent a gay video from the porn mart.
Sheep herders are not cowboys. Hollywood couldn't even get that right.
Not only that BFM is about adultery in a way which doesn't entice women into the theatres.
BBM. Sorry
It is not only the gay movie of Brokeback Mountain that stinks, but "Munich", "Good Night & Good Luck", Syriana, and host of other gay films are going nowhere fast. Do you realize the Gloden Globes only has one major revenue film in its nominations for awards, that being "King Kong", Peter Jackson for best director. I am certain that the braindead Academy Award membership will mimic the GGs, thus reducing their viewing audience substantially. For goodness sakes the Academy Awards group cannot get a major name to emcee this event that honors the fudge packers, distorts the history of the Munich massacre, and bad mouths America from A to Z. "Hollywood" is going south fast!!!
The only way that Mel Brooks got away with it was having half the cast be homosexual. This movie would have been picketed by the 'gay rights' lobby otherwise.
LOL, actually BFM is pretty a pretty good acronym for the movie.
OTOH, if the movie had wide appeal, it would have been in full release on opening day, wouldn't it?
Folks, this movie is gonna win an Oscar.
Not because of the spectacular cinematography.
Not because of the masterful script.
Not because of the world-class acting.
But because it is seen as OK'ing the gay lifestyle. The people who vote on the Oscars will see to it that this movie walks away with at least one Oscar.
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