The Oscars are over but Hollywood’s Ongoing Festival of Self-Congratulation continued with violent self back-patting today as the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) announced that, officially, honestly, and goodnessly, 2006’s box office was up 5.5 percent over that dismal 2005. (As if there was anywhere to go but up, after the worst year, money-wise, in two decades. But I digress.)
The news was met with huzzahs from all over town. The Los Angeles Times reported on a survey that said that 63 percent of movie fans prefer to watch films in theaters rather than staying home — findings that were hailed as positive, even though they represented a decline from a year ago, when 69 percent said they chose the multiplex. Variety, meanwhile, argued that the numbers proved that the media got carried away when they claimed that the business of Hollywood was doomed, a fairly constant refrain since the super slump of 2005. For its part, The Hollywood Reporter cited the fact that revenues were "on a tear" internationally, up a huge 11 percent.
It’s all good news for the studios, sure, but is it good news for us, the moviegoers? Good question — glad you asked! The fact is, buried inside all of these upbeat articles were a few troubling stats: production and marketing costs increased to an average of $100.3 million per picture; ticket prices rose to an average of $6.55; and neither grosses nor ticket sales approached previous highs set in 2004 and 2002, respectively. Yes, friends: The business is still struggling. And we’re the ones who stand to pay — figuratively and literally. After all, with costs going up for movie production and things like converting theaters to digital projection, the money has to come from somewhere. Like out of our pockets, at the ticket booth and the concession stand. And those increases in expenditures may just mean that this traditionally risk-averse business will get risk-averser than ever, greenlighting nothing but worn-out franchise pictures and mega-budget action spectacles.
Are you prepared to pay $20 for a ticket to see Die Hard 12, while eating a $10 popcorn? Or is there a silver lining in the MPAA’s numbers?
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Where to people still pay less than $6 per ticket? In DC even the matinee is more than $6.
And the news is bad for us. If it’s costing $100 mil to make a movie, the studios will make less of them, leaving us with fewer choices. Okay news when they put out stuff like the Departed, not so good new when they put out fluff like “Ghost Rider”. Also, $100+ mil. costs mean that they’ll be less studios willing to roll the dice with that video store clerk’s script (remember, both Kevin Smith AND Tarrantino started out that way), and more studios okaying sequels that should never be made (you know someones thinking “elektra 2, what a great idea” right now)…
My movie attendance has been on a decline since 2000 having peaked in 1999 at 82 movies. I’d seen 105 on video that same year. These numbers were due to being a freshman at film school. Last year i’ve only seen 7 movies at the theatre. I watch a lot of movies on DVD(though nothing like my record-breaking year), because i can no longer stand watching movies sitting in the dark with strangers and the crap that’s released out there just doesn’t justify the overpriced tickets. I’m very happy w/ my netflixx, thank you very much. I remember going to the $2.50 theatre on Fairfax/Beverly back in 1998. Good times. I miss L.A., i miss the 90’s!
$6.55? I would give my right pinky to pay that. Each trip to the theater (which is at least twice a week, sometimes twice a day) in my neck of the woods is $9.50 aka the same price it would be for me to just buy the dvd and skip a trip to the theater altogether.
Try coming to Canada….ticket prices at the big theatres are anywhere from 11-15 (popcorn and a pop cost you at least 10). So I’m suspicious of the idea that there’s actually more people going to the movies, I think that they’re just making more money because the audience has to pay more to see them.
My movie going is down about 25%. I haven’t seen a movie in about a month and a half. I haven’t seen anything appear since Pans Labyrinth that I’ve even been remotely interested in.
And if I see another ad for a horror movie wannabe, I think I will scream. But not in fright. Is it just me, or is every horror movie exactly the same now?
Let’s see – $10 a ticket, plus parking, babysitter, Goobers and Raisinettes… all to sit in a sticky seat in front of someone who won’t shut up for 90 minutes? No thanks. As long as DVDs remain affordable, it’s the better alternative.
I’m really surprised that movie going was up from last yr., actually. I cannot tell you how many times this past yr. I actually wanted to see a movie in the theathers, but couldn’t ever find anything decent to go see! I tried. I really did, but it always came down to “does this movie look good enough to be worth the ticket price?” and most often the answer was “no”.
I think if they would just start putting out some quality movies, studios might see an increase in profits.
Count me into the 35% of people that just wait for the DVD. I can rent (Thank God for NetFlix) or if something seems amazing, buy, for the price of two tickets. And my popcorn costs about $1.50 per bag!
isn’t the only reason that 06′ was up because of “pirates of the carribean 2″?