Oh Crap, Another Batman Movie.

I am getting so annoyed with the entertainment business lately. Apparently there was a 12-week slump going on that I was not paying attention to. There has been much speculation about why there is such a lag going on. Apparently we Americans are more content to channel surf at home on our couches rather than brave the movie houses. Huh?

Did I hear that right? I am more content to work my ass groove into the sofa than go out for a nice date? Uh…I don’t think so.

I think the movie industry needs a wake up call. First off, someone really needs to take a critical look at the CRAP Hollywood is putting out. Mainstream movies are mostly remakes of movies we have seen before, based on comic books we have all read or seen the TV cartoon for, or they just suck. There seems to be some brain trust in Hollywood that is the be all of decision-making. Apparently these smarter-than-thou braniacs seem to think that Americans like regurgitated fluff that can be created without having to pay a writer to be creative. Just recycle an old script and even use the same jokes. There is so little quality being produced these days that it is no wonder we cannot be lured from our homes.

The second part of this wake up call involves economics. Since Hollywood seems so focused on the bottom line, this part should be easy to understand. When my hubby and I go to the movies, it breaks down like this:

§ Parking: either $5 or free, depending on if we park on the street.
§ Tickets: $12 because we have coupons that give us a discount. If it is a non-discount evening show, we can expect to kick down between $18 and 20.
§ Snacks: Usually around $16.

So, for hubby and I to have a nice evening out, we are spending $28 to 40 for two hours. Three if you want to count driving and parking time. To sit in a theater watching something I have already seen with cell phones going off, my chair getting kicked constantly and fighting some stranger for the arm rest? Uh, yeah. I don’t think so. If I am going to brave a theater and pay this much money, I better be seeing something thoroughly entertaining.

I see two ways around this slump. First off, quit paying actors so much to make films. Really, I am sure being a celebrity and dealing with paparazzi is a difficult way of life, but, if you didn’t want that kind of fame, you would have stuck to the stage. And what can be so hard that someone (in any profession) deserves $17 million for roughly three months worth of work? Geeze. I understand box office star power, but I also understand inflated box office prices. Pay the actors less and lower my ticket prices accordingly. That is the first step to wooing me out for a night in the dark.

Second, let Hollywood study the independent film scene. The number of independent films that are becoming successful should be an indicator to the powers in Hollywood that their formulaic moviemaking may not be the answer they are looking for. Independent films tend to be intelligent and original. Obviously, when people spend their money on these little films, they are sending a message: quit feeding me sub-par crap.

So, while studies may show that Americans are more likely to sit at home in front of the tube for entertainment, I think the reasons they do so are not so obvious in studies. It is not that they prefer to sit at home, it is that they just cant find a reason to leave it.