ok, so we won't pay for a home or a car, but we'll pay for a movie?

[acroyear]

Recession-hit Americans flocking to movies - Yahoo! News:

NEW YORK (Reuters) – True to form and in keeping with past recessions, Americans are flocking to the movies, the chief executive of the largest U.S. theater chain said on Wednesday.

"We're approximately two-thirds of the way through the quarter, and we are having a very good fourth quarter this year compared to last year as an industry," Regal Entertainment Group's CEO Mike Campbell told Reuters.

Movie theaters are seeing double-digit growth in box office revenue and high single-digit growth in attendance so far this quarter on the appeal of films like "Twilight," "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa," and "Bolt," according to Campbell.

He said the movie industry has done well during all the recessions in the past 50 years. "It is still the most affordable out of home entertainment option," he said.

In light of these self-admitted facts, I fully expect the theater owners and movie studios to appear before congress expecting their bailout within a week.  That's pretty much what they are begging for every time there's a new restriction added to the DMCA bullshit...

Comments

[fiona64.livejournal.com]

Movies were extremely popular during the Great Depression, and the favorites tended to be musicals and other escapist fare. I'm not at all surprised that this continues to be the case.

[mistressfetch.livejournal.com]

See I'm surprised. Movies aren't cheap to go to, especially if it is a family going. A family of four going to a movie with tickets only would be around $28.00. (and that is the matinee price here) Then add in food, which ironically is more than the tickets you are talking another $40.00.

[faireraven.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, when most people get stressed out, they need to do something to escape the stress. Movies are a cheap (*laugh*) way to do that, or at least, comparatively speaking. It's cheaper to go out to a movie than it is to pay for your car, even though paying off your car is the wiser move.

Remember, with the recession the way it has been, in the last year the renaissance festival saw more people on any given non-rainy day this year than they did on any non-rainy day last year. We're cheap compared to most forms of entertainment, and it helps them escape the everyday.

[mizjawnson.livejournal.com]

Can we also discuss the improved quality of movies being released? "Twilight" - a movie based on an original and extremely popular book. "Madagascar 2" - a sequel to an original-concept children's movie. "Bolt" - another original concept. "Bond" - need we say more about that one?

This isn't "Crossroads", "Failure to Launch", and "Monster-in-Law" fare.

And by your subject line, I assume you meant make a payment on something already owned. Because a movie or two is a hell of a lot less expensive than a downpayment on a car or a home - both of which at the moment don't necessarily seem like good investments.

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

my point being that we have so many out there losing their homes and cars and having trouble feeding their families. there was a little of the sarcasm in it, of course, but it's meant to be somewhat reflective of skewed priorities that this society sometimes (well, often) exemplifies.

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

there's a fine line between "original" and "variations on a long-established theme".

Bolt, from one perspective, is the typical "road-movie", with shades of Cars (pandered rich-kid finds himself on the streets) and Toy Story (character with special powers in fictional world has to learn to live without them in the real world).

Madagascar? The idea of a tamed animal learning to live in the wild again? That's Call of the Wild by Jack London. With fart jokes. And yet more CGI penguins (like we haven't had enough of them).

Twilight? And this is different from the HBO series True Blood how? I wonder which was pitched first...The whole "vampire romance" genre is ancient, and this doesn't strike me as being all that "original" a variation.

Now, variations on themes can be done well, but "original" is a relative term in Hollywood, and quality means more than just the amount of money spent on it.

[javasaurus.livejournal.com]

What about "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas," "Milk," "Role Models," or "Austrailia"?

All were top-ten films last weekend, and each is supposed to have a bit of quality.

Personally, I'm in the mood for a popcorn movie, so maybe Twilight or Bolt will be what I see next. But there is good serious stuff out there if you're in the mood for it.

[tomble.livejournal.com]

Interesting. What does the average cinema ticket cost in the US?

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

depends on where, but new releases are $8 in rural areas to $12 in the rich suburbs and cities. kids a little over half that, and matinees (before 6pm) about $2 to $3 less than the normal price.

the main reason i rarely hit theaters is the price - for the same price, i'll own the dvd in 4-6 months. plus i won't have to deal with stupid kids going "why's he doing that?" the whole time. (geeze, kid, unless it's a porn film, you can figure it out for yourself...mommy tell the kid to shut up, willya?)

[voltbang.livejournal.com]

The recession started last year? I've bought two cars and a house, but only seen about three movies. Hmm. I'm doing it wrong. Again.