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NYT: Big Films, but a Year of Smaller Audiences
New York Times ^ | December 20, 2004 | SHARON WAXMAN

Posted on 12/21/2004 10:21:35 AM PST by OESY

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To: OESY
Here is the statement that is defeating them, "I'll wait for it to come out on video."

21 posted on 12/21/2004 10:52:03 AM PST by William Terrell (Individuals can exist without government but government can't exist without individuals.)
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To: TheBigB

Three more than me. I didn't see a single one. Just re-upped for NetFlix after a year off , so some of these will make their way to my "small screen".


22 posted on 12/21/2004 10:52:52 AM PST by Betis70 (I'm only Left Wing when I play hockey)
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To: OESY
Most people hated King Arthur but I thought it was good because I am a history nut and Keira Knightley didn't hurt either.


BUMP

23 posted on 12/21/2004 10:53:16 AM PST by tm22721 (In fac they)
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To: OESY

Liberals love parity. The U.S. is just as bad as the Soviet Union. Israel is just as bad as the Muslim terrorists. "The Passion" and "Farenheit 911" are equivalent.

In the first place, "The Passion" was #3, and "Farenheit 911" was #15. What was the reason for headlining these two movies in particular and "taking them out"? "The Passion" made three times as much money as "Farenheit 911," in spite of the fact that the MSM virulently attacked it and gave Moore's film unprecedented publicity.

Finally, "The Passion" was a brilliant movie, artistically, while F911 was a piece of turgid cr*p.


24 posted on 12/21/2004 10:54:04 AM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: jpsb

I saw Sea Biscuit on an airplane flight. It was much better than I thought it would be.


25 posted on 12/21/2004 10:55:33 AM PST by Betis70 (I'm only Left Wing when I play hockey)
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To: aquila48

Agreed. They have ignored the heart of real people. Their big bucks, and tech., does not take the place of what Hollywood used to be. Hype and Fright are over.


26 posted on 12/21/2004 11:01:20 AM PST by Old anti feminist
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To: Betis70

I got it on advice from friends, very good flick, I also liked the Lord of the Rings flicks and currently on TV (SciFi) is Earthsea, another very good story.


27 posted on 12/21/2004 11:04:54 AM PST by jpsb
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To: OESY

We saw one movie this year in a theatre, the Passion.

As Follywood continues to drive republicans away from their new movies, their movies become more expensive.

Pretty soon their financial houses of cards will cave in on them.

Below is the trend that will be gutting Hollywood over the next few years:

"With nearly two weeks to go before the end of 2004, domestic box-office receipts appeared likely to top last year's total of $9.27 billion, nearing $9.4 billion, according to Exhibitor Relations, which tracks the figures.

"But an increase can be attributed to a rise in ticket prices, up 3.85 percent to an average of $6.25, while attendance fell by 2.25 percent this year after dropping 3.8 percent in 2003.

"That audience drop appeared especially troubling in a year in which Mel Gibson's controversial "The Passion of the Christ," distributed by Newmarket Films, brought many new moviegoers into the megaplexes and finished No. 3 at the domestic box office with $370.3 million in ticket sales, while Michael Moore's anti-Bush hit documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11," from Lions Gate Films, became a magnet for political activists and sold $119.2 million in tickets.

"If you took the half-billion dollars of 'Fahrenheit 9/11' and 'Passion' out of the marketplace, we'd be in a real dismal situation, and they barely got distribution," said Paul Dergarabedian, Exhibitor Relations president, referring to behind-the-scenes struggles that ultimately landed both films with independent distributors.

"As the audience shrank, budgets continued to spiral upward, with blockbuster movies commonly costing upward of $140 million to produce, followed by tens of millions of dollars in marketing expenses."

Merry Christmas to Follywood and may 2005 be even more of a financial disaster to Follywood.



28 posted on 12/21/2004 11:06:15 AM PST by Grampa Dave (Rummy Phobia is the new mental disorder of the left. It is similiar to Hate GW Syndrome!)
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To: APFel

These are just domestic numbers. World wide many of these films did well enough overseas, to make a good profit.


29 posted on 12/21/2004 11:08:55 AM PST by KC_Conspirator (I am poster #48)
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To: Cicero

F/9-11 is a joke in more ways than one. They consider it a documentary, so it is worthy of acclaim because it surpassed other "documentaries" in box office. The rest of us know it is fictional propaganda. 119 may seem like a lot based on budget, but it barely deserves notice when compared to the film that is it's natural competitor, "The Day after Tomorrow".

The real note of attention is that of films supposed to rake in a lot of money, only two surpassed TPOTC and one only barely. Considering TPOTC was spoken in a foreign (dead) language and concentrates on material that is neither entertaining nor humorous, was made on low budget against numerous obstacles that stood in the way of distribution and advertising, TPOTC is THE story of the year. F/9-11 is the Leftists poor substitute of a religion that will be lucky to be remembered as a footnote a hundred years from now.

The only film I went to the theaters to watch this year was TPOTC, and I went more than once. I've seen Spiderman II on DVD. That's it. It's partially due to politics in some instances, partially that the films they make aren't worth a dime of my paycheck. I'd rather check out an old classic.


30 posted on 12/21/2004 11:09:32 AM PST by Soul Seeker
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To: Borges

Thanks for posting this list. What is interesting is my wife and I saw 8 of these films then and have watched many since then on tv.

We didn't see #4 & #7.

1. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
2. Ghost Busters (1984)
3. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
4. Gremlins (1984)
5. The Karate Kid (1984)
6. Police Academy (1984)
7. Footloose (1984)
8. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)
9. Romancing the Stone (1984)
10.Purple Rain (1984)


31 posted on 12/21/2004 11:09:35 AM PST by Grampa Dave (Rummy Phobia is the new mental disorder of the left. It is similiar to Hate GW Syndrome!)
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To: Borges

I saw every one of those in the theater, except #10.

'Course I was 14 at the time. I would guess most 14 year olds have seen just about all of the top ten on this list.


32 posted on 12/21/2004 11:12:49 AM PST by Betis70 (I'm only Left Wing when I play hockey)
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To: OESY
the number of moviegoers in the United States dropped for the second year in a row.

Just like readers and viewers of the "old" media. They don't get it. I paid for (went to) one movie in 2004, Passion.

33 posted on 12/21/2004 11:17:18 AM PST by 1Old Pro
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To: marmar
Not only anti America but too stupid to knnow they are so stupid. Hitchcock called them "cattle" and who should know better than the master himself.


When an actor comes to me and wants to discuss his character, I say, 'It's in the script.' If he says, 'But what's my motivation?, ' I say, 'Your salary.'

34 posted on 12/21/2004 11:31:03 AM PST by eleni121 (Best AG ever: John Ashcroft; Best Supreme Court Justice too)
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To: Patrick1

Hey now, nothing wrong with Beverly Hills Cop.


35 posted on 12/21/2004 11:32:01 AM PST by Terpfen (Gore/Sharpton '08: it's Al-right!)
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To: Patrick1

FYI: top 25 Highest grossing films of all time and The Passion is on the list.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest-grossing_films


36 posted on 12/21/2004 11:33:17 AM PST by eleni121 (Best AG ever: John Ashcroft; Best Supreme Court Justice too)
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To: Grampa Dave
I found this article interesting because a couple of weeks ago, our local paper ran a story about all of the huge new multiplexes with giant 2-story screens that are opening in the area. The story claimed that attendence is UP in theatres, thus justifying the enormous capital expenditures that the theatre chains are making.

I was skeptical about the reporting, as always, and now I find it to be a lie.

37 posted on 12/21/2004 11:36:48 AM PST by A Citizen Reporter
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To: aquila48
In all his long analysis, it never occurred to this clueless idiot the real reason why attendance is down - LEFTIST HOLLYWOOD HAS COMPLETELY ALIENATED ITS AUDIENCE!!!

And we have a WINNER!!!!!!!

38 posted on 12/21/2004 11:38:25 AM PST by JoeV1 (The Democrats-The unlawful and corrupt leading the uneducated and blind)
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To: Borges
Go back another 10 years to the highest grossing films of 1974:

1. Blazing Saddles
2. Towering Inferno
3. Trial of Billy Jack
4. Young Frankenstein
5. Earthquake
6. Godfather: Part II
7. Airport 1975
8. Grizzly Adams
9. Longest Yard
10. Texas Chainsaw Massacre

I love some of these flicks, especially the two Mel Brooks entries and The Longest Yard. But except for The Godfather II, there isn't much in the way of artistic masterpieces here. Fantastic movies like Chinatown, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, and The Conversation didn't make the top 10 list. Those who claim movies were much better "back then" either weren't alive back then or haven't really noticed that there has always been and will always be schlock, and that box office receipts are no way to judge a movie's quality.
39 posted on 12/21/2004 11:39:45 AM PST by drjimmy
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To: A Citizen Reporter

Could your local fishwrap be lying and shilling to get more AD $'s from the owners of the new multiplexes?


40 posted on 12/21/2004 11:40:53 AM PST by Grampa Dave (Rummy Phobia is the new mental disorder of the left. It is similiar to Hate GW Syndrome!)
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