The big debate raging in the film industry and among critics these days is what factors are causing the biggest drought in twenty years at the box office.
So I introduced the topic to a few friends– Shawn (Assistant Editor & Managing Editor of two guitar magazines in California); Brian (technical writer and new father of twins); and John (published author)– in order to get their opinions. Their analysis on the subject echoes what we have been seeing in the news:
- Equipment for viewing films at home is more affordable-- better quality and has multiple uses.
- Increased cost of living (fuel, health care, etc.) is eliminating entertainment budgets
.
You don't have to deal with unruly/noisy patrons.
Most films haven't been as good as other years.
There are annoying advertisements before the film begins.
DVDs have all the extras.
The Subject Matter of Films This Summer Leaves Out Kids
After seeing Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds, however, I think I’ve discovered yet another factor that can be heaped on the mountain of factors already discussed ad nauseum. What is that? That this crop of films have left kids out of the calculation. Did the industry do this on purpose? No. That’s absurd. But this summer’s lineup of blockbusters has been dark and violent and intended for the older teen and adults. Starting with George Lucas’ dark and violent transformation of Annakin into Darth Vador (Revenge of the Sith), to the psychological horror and darkness of Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, to Steven Speilberg’s deeply disturbing alien invasion and images of annihilation, this has simply not been the summer for children younger than thirteen. Madagascar has been the only film of its sort light enough for parents to drag their kids too.
Take into consideration last year’s crop of films released before August and you’ll notice that the blockbusters were simply more kid-friendly-- Shrek 2 (5/19/04), Spider-Man 2 (6/30/04), Harry Potter 3 (6/04/04), The Day After Tomorrow (5/28/04), and I, Robot (7/02/04). (Well, there was one huge exception and that was Mel Gibson’s film The Passion of the Christ (2/25/04). Clergy of all Christian faith were promoting this as a family film event and families and church youth groups were flocking to it like it were the second coming.)
Note: And just to remind you that three of these films grossed enough to break into the top ten highest grossing films of all time– Shrek 2 grossing $436.47 million to sit behind only two other films, Titanic and Star Wars.
The rest of the year was just as friendly toward kids, with the release of Shark Tale (released 10/1/04, eleventh highest gross of the year at $161.41); The Incredible’s (released 11/5/2004, fifth highest gross of the year at $261.44); The Polar Express (released 11/10/04, tenth highest gross of the year at $162.75); and even the Indiana Jones like film National Treasure (released 11/19/04, ninth highest grossing film at $172.65).
But alas, as I have said numerous times, it is far too premature, quite too silly, and alarmist to surmise that film-going is doomed and on the way out, at least for the time being. Why? Because there is an incredible lineup of heavyweight blockbusters yet to see the light of day--Fantastic Four, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wallace & Grommit, The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter 4, and King Kong, to name just a slight few. It's a line-up that has Kids and Family written all over it.
IN closing, I say wait to call it the end of the cineplex until you see the whites of the For Sale signs. Well, okay, let us at least wait and see what Santa brings us.
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