Image Credit: Disney; Kimberly French
Right now, movie theater owners from across the country are gathering in Las Vegas for CinemaCon, the exhibition industry’s annual convention, to get an early peek at some of the big blockbusters that will soon be luring audiences into their theaters in droves. Or so they hope. The fact is, underneath all the rah-rah presentations, the mood can’t be too chipper. It’s been a bloodbath at the box office lately. Movie theater attendance in the U.S. and Canada is down a staggering 20 percent so far this year from 2010′s numbers — and 2010′s numbers were down 5 percent from the year before. How to account for the ongoing slump? It’s easy to blame the lousy economy, $4-a-gallon gas, or the proliferation of cheap stay-at-home entertainment options, but one likely contributing factor to the downturn has been staring Hollywood in the face for a while now: Too many movies just plain stink. Finally, after watching one critically lambasted film after another crash and burn at the box office — from How Do You Know to Gulliver’s Travels to Mars Needs Moms to Red Riding Hood to Sucker Punch — it seems that, like a drug addict stumbling toward his bottom, the industry may be starting to face the suck-itude head-on. A front page story in today’s Los Angeles Times quotes several studio executives and exhibitors owning up to the generally poor quality of what they’ve been serving up to moviegoers in 2011. “So far there is just nothing terribly compelling about what we’re delivering as an industry,” admits Sony Pictures Entertainment chief executive Michael Lynton.
Of course, Hollywood has been through slumps before, and many in the industry are crossing their fingers that that things will turn around this summer with a slew of potential crowd-pleasers like the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie, The Hangover II, Super 8, the final Harry Potter film, and Green Lantern. Still, the longer the box office remains weak, the more ominous the situation feels. Put it this way: If we’re still talking about a slump three months from now, then you’ll really know there’s a serious problem.
What do you think? Is the lackluster quality of recent movies keeping you away from the multiplex? Or is something else to blame? Let us — and Hollywood — know in the poll below:
Every week my husband and I look for the new releases– every week we sigh and say, “Is that it?” There’s absolutely nothing in the theaters that I have the slightest interest in seeing. Maybe next week… or the week after… fingers crossed.
Topher Grace being in a movie earlier this year is what has kept me away
I actually like Topher Grace, he reminds of Eric Stoltz from Some Kind Of Wonderful. The reason I don’t go to movies much is because I wait for the big blockbuster – something which has a different experience seeing it on the big screen vs at home like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Batman, Inception, etc. For me this summer I will probably see Captain America for sure, and I may see Super 8 because it sounds interesting and I think Kyle Chandler is a very good actor. Also next month I may see Dylan Dog because I like Brandon Routh (he should still be Superman) and because it feels like its going to be a cult classic
Same here. There hasn’t been ONE movie I’m interested in seeing this entire year (so far) except Jane Eyre and my theater hasn’t even gotten it yet.
Note to Hollywood. Not everybody is a fanboy. Ease up on the comic book junk, the movies with nothing but car chases, and stop with all the remakes.
Agreed! I live in a small town with one 8-screen Cineplex and a small indie venue that squeezes movies in between concerts, events, etc. The selection at the Cineplex is a joke and they cater to kids/teenagers, which means all the movies they do get, most adults don’t want to see. The indie theatre gets a more serious collection of films, but they get them about a week before the DVD comes out and they really just aren’t a movie venue (sound is not the best, screen’s not the biggest, etc.).
We are the same. Each week the movies look like they are more suited to DVD.
Lack of creativity. One Pirates of the Caribbean is good,let’s make 4! The so called comedies are juvenile. Very little out there is worth paying the high ticket price for. And the sound… it is far too loud in the theater.
This.
To be honest, I stay away because every time I go, some moron or morons talk through the entire thing, whether it be them commentating or just having a frickin conversation during it. I can have that at home for free
Totally agree
Exactly my reason. Last movie I saw was True Grit in December and a whole row of older people talked the entire time. Couldn’t hear half of it despite repeatedly telling them to be quiet and getting management as well. Silence is Golden my friends, and I’m not paying $12 to see a movie I can’t hear.
Plus most movies suck anymore anyway.
Good point.
I love going to the movies, but audiences are awful these days.
Theater owners need to get their act together and have ushers again, ushers that act like BOUNCERS!
They need to escort unruly patrons out.
Unfortunately it’s not legal, but what I’d give for them to block cell phone reception in the auditoriums.
And they need to have 21 and over screenings, like they have at the Arclight.
Babies should NOT be allowed.
Have great picture quality and, especially, great SOUND. I’ve been to some theaters where the sound is so great, you can’t even hear people munching on popcorn.
Yes! All of the above! ^^^
Right now in Vegas they’re having the convention of theater owners.
I wish someone would tell them to fix the moviegoing experience.
Sure, they’ll lose some of their obnoxious audiences, but they’ll gain back those who they’ve lost along the way.
Movie directors, producers and studios are on Twitter – we should bombard them with pleas to tell theaterowners to get their collective heads out of their @sses and fix their flailing theaters!
THIS.
I totally agree. Theatres both nice and bad, big or small, urban or suburban are so full of blockhead teens and ethnic gangs acting like fools. Theatre owners are unwilling to reign them in, as they are the main clients. However, it’s at the expense of 20-30 % of their other clients. It’d be nice to see more curfews and lock-outs by theatres during certain showing and time slots. Maybe owners should up their security a little more, and get rid of the isolated knuckleheads, hoping they particularly will never come back again.
The last time I went to a movie (Just Go with it) an actual shoving match breaks out in the row behind me-between three old, white, retired looking people. Something about seat saving and spilt soda. One lady had an actual sun hat on-to me that screamed retired. No manner having people come in all colors, ages and income brackets. All the “ethnic” types like myself, were giving them the slow head shake. Someone from my row went to ask for the manager. No manager ever showed up.
Yes — where was the option for
ANNOYING AUDIENCES
?
Agreed on that…I used to LOVE going to movies but now I cringe at the thought of dealing with generally inconsiderate audiences.
I dont go to the movies because I cant smoke cigarettes… period.
2 hours is an awfully long time when you cant smoke. Give me a smoking theater, and I’ll be there!!
Your painful premature death will be your reward.
Unnecessarily harsh, Loch Ness. And rude, to boot.
Lindsay, you’re an idiot. Jay, how do you function with an journey of sleep at a time. Can you watch my new born? Oh wait you smoke.
Ugh, you have far more problems than this if you can’t go two hours w/o a cig
Awesome, one less obnoxious D-bag we don’t have to worry about, thanks JAY
Wow, I dont know how my comment incited such hatred. You guys are just mean.
Yes, I know smoking is bad for me… So is McDonald’s and about a dozen other things I do every day.
Get a grip
Get a grip on your love handles? Even if you could last 2 hours, I wouldn’t want you to cough through the whole thing. Get a grip (on a nicotine patch)
First of all, I have no love handles. Second of all, even if I did, a post about me being a smoker does not tell you that.
third of all, i LIKE smoking. So a patch is simply something I don’t want.
And finally, i CAN go hours without smoking, but if I watch a movie at home, I dont have to
“So is McDonald’s…things I do every day” equals love handles. And if you can go hours then you can see a movie. You are a fatty mcbutter pants
@Philip Morris. I go the gym 3 days a week. As a warm up to each workout, I do a 5 mile run on the treadmill.
I bet you $1,000,000 you wife/girlfriend would leave you for me if she saw me naked you fat loser.
Name calling…. see what I did there?
Simple: too many crummy, mediocre movies that barely look like they’re worth catching on TV let alone paying for them.
Just Go With It? Red Riding Hood? These look – and are considered to be – terrible.
Look at the surprise (and not so suprising sucesses) of these flicks: The King’s Speech, Inception, Toy Story 3, The Town, The Social Network, etc.
What do they have in common? While opinions may very, we can mostly agree that they’re actually pretty GOOD.
Make them actually good, people will come.
What he said! ^^^^
Last year’s movie season sucked too. All the good stuff started coming out starting in the Summer and then there was a lag and then all the award contenders started getting released. Hopefully something similar will happen this year, because I would actually like to go to the movies. It’s fun, but I’m not going to pay for crap.
To be honest, I have a baby now, so my husband and I don’t go to the movies anywhere near as often as we used to. Plus nothing has really caught our eye. The only movie we’ve seen this year is The Adjustment Bureau.
I am glad you are being honest. If you didn’t say that, would you automatically be lying?
I don’t go to the movies because I can’t pleasure myself…period.
2 hours is an awfully long time when you can’t pleasure yourself. Give me a theatre where I can openly pleasure myself, and I’ll be there!!
Paul Reubens, is that you?
Great response!!!
I’m waiting for final film in the Harry Potter series–one of the few franchises in cinematic history to offer both entertainment and QUALITY. I am sure I’ll see that a few times in theaters.
Same here! I’ll definitely be seeing that one. I also want to see Tree of Life, The Hangover 2, Midnight in Paris, Transformers 4 (if it’s good), Cowboys and Aliens, Crazy Stupid Love, The Ideas of March, My Week With Marilyn, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Sherlock Holmes 2, Mission Impossible 4, and War Horse.
Exactly. The Harry Potter movies should be a blueprint for making movies with loads of commercial appeal — a great story telling, TONS of GREAT actors, and solid production values. Too many movies today put everything into special effects and forget everything else.
Yes! HP7 part 2 is the only movie I’m waiting for. Everything else sucks! Might see Captain America just because Richard Armitage is in this.
Movies stink, tickets and food cost too much, the environment is terrible(people talk during films, cell phone lights, etc), and some of the employees that are there are less than friendly. Add that to gas prices and you’re better off waiting for the DVD or when it airs on HBO or Starz.
America is getting tired of crap? Can it be? Probably not.
No way. Americans LOVE crap. Just look at the Jersey Shore ratings as evidence
Worked at a theatre growing up…turned off by the whole venue…know what the food is like and how gross the conditions are in the backroom…also movies are $13..I can wait 6 months to rent it on in demand on my 70″ flatscreen.
Crappy refried movies + flashing cell phones lights + high ticket prices + better quality TV shows = Stay home, relax on the cheap.
There are A LOT of CRAPPY movies out… and it stinks! It would be great to have an article explaining why because there has to be a reason (Hollywood? Social changes? World news is more interesting). Out of all the previews I’ve seen, the only movie I’m looking forward to (and has stuck in my brain) is Harry Potter…and I like the books better than the movies.
It’s just not worth it to sit through an overpriced, over-hyped, usually crappy movie with people constantly talking on or checking their cell phones, wandering in and out, shushing their kids, and/or laughing and talking over the dialogue. Especially when said movie will practically be out on Blu-Ray/DVD by the time you get home.
Laughing isn’t necessarily a problem. If I go to see a comedy, I’d be disappointed if I DIDN’T hear laughing
Lots of garbage but the prices for tickets are way too high. They deserve what they get. I’m glad they’re struggling. They’re greedy just like every other rich business in this country. The only movie I want to see this year is Super 8.