Movies Losing Popularity at Box Office

andyring writes "Without the slightest mention of piracy, the MPAA said box-office revenues declined by 8 percent last year. About 40 percent of the decline came from the U.S. Now if only they'd realize that the decline is from movies sucking more than my shop vac." It's been a while since a film warranted spending the money to watch it in a room full of strangers.

Re:Why Movies Suck

[WilliamSChips]

I'm a real flim buff

There's a joke hiding just beneath the surface of that misspelling, but I can't figure out what it is!

Re:What, they didn't blame piracy?

[scaryjohn]

I'm shocked that the MPAA spokesweasel didn't blame piracy. Shocked, I tell you.

They figured out the real problem isn't pirates... It's ninjas!

Re:Damn it's tough being a pimp . . .

[Geoffreyerffoeg]

I've gone maybe three or four times in the past year and a half

"Hollywood, I wish I knew how to quit you..."

Re:did you see the oscars?

[pizza_milkshake]

don't forget all the extra ads they show in the trailers! nothing like paying $26 for yourself and a date to eat some popcorn and watch ads! oh wait, this is /., forget the date...

CowboyNeal

[anim8]

"It's been a while since a film warranted spending the money to watch it in a room full of strangers."

If dropping a ten-spot and spending 3hrs in a theater to see King Kong on the big screen doesn't appeal to you then you are beyond hope.

But I can understand your fear of seeing 'Brokeback Mountain' with others around. I mean with a name like CowboyKneel ...

It never fails...

[brian0918]

In a movie theater, no matter where I sit, the loudest person in the theater always ends up sitting next to me. You'd think with my "I've killed already tonight, and you're next" countenance, people would stay away, but I seem to attract the crazies.

Prime examples:

In that crappy Sky Captain movie, when the flying ships dive straight into the water, this guy next to me starts shouting "THAT DEFIES THE LAWS OF PHYSICS!!"

In that crappy Manchurian Candidate remake, some dumb bitch sits down right next to me, babbling through the whole movie. When Meryl Streep goes into a long speech, this woman starts shouting "MERYL STREEP AT HER BEST!!"

During Batman Begins, some fat ass was munching down bag after bag of chips right next to me. He'd finish a bad, then extend his hand out and drop the bag on the floor, and go for another. Then he'd start belching, or fall asleep and snore really loud.

What the hell is it with these people?? Can't they see that I want to watch my crappy movies in peace??

Re:Why Movies Suck

[scaryjohn]

He was trying to make a Muppet Movie reference: "Dee flim ist hokey-dookey!"

Or maybe not. But that's all I can think of.

Re:Damn it's tough being a pimp . . .

[Anonymous Coward]

stop making movies about gay cowboys and pimps

Comming soon to a theater near you

He's a gay cowboy.
He's a new york pimp.

While each on their own personal vendetta to solve a string of theater realted murders, this unlikely pair team up... with wacky consequences.

BACKROAD SHAFT
Staring Heath Ledger and Samuel L. Jackson
Directed by Ang Lee

(I feel a decline in my karma).

Re:I just spent

[rk]

"Under 2 got in free."

If you took someone under the age of two to a feature length movie, then I hate you.

How dare you?

[Maniacal]

The Slashdot editors are nice enough to post a non-story about movie theaters/revenues/profits/etc. so that we can rant about prices of tickes/snacks/parking/etc. and brag about the components in our home theaters and you have to come along and screw it all up by presenting facts. Where to you get off buddy? Now what the hell am I gonna rant about? Did you see the front page? There aren't any articles about how Linux isn't ready for the desktop. There are any columns about Windows out performing Linux in a recent benchmark.

From now on just keep your facts to yourself.

BTW, mod parent up. Sounds like he hit the nail on the head

Re:It never fails...

[Anonymous Coward]

During Batman Begins, some fat ass was munching down bag after bag of chips right next to me. He'd finish a bad, then extend his hand out and drop the bag on the floor, and go for another. Then he'd start belching, or fall asleep and snore really loud.

That reminds me of the time I went to see Batman Begins .. I sat next to this guy who looked like he'd killed already and like I was to be next. I got so nervous I kept eating bags and bags of chips. As it turns out this happened to cause gas and I couldn't help but belch ..plus i thought maybe it'll make him go away .. well .. when that didnt work .. I just decided to fall asleep.

Re:Why Movies Suck

[kzinti]

Because I've seen it all before, now they're re-doing it all and nothing surprises me.

Yeah, me too. Remember Gregory Peck and Jimmy Stewart in the 1952 version of "Brokeback Mountain". Now THAT was a classic. Nothing like that crappy remake that came out last year. WHAT was that studio thinking?

Re:It never fails...

[brjndr]

In a movie theater, no matter where I sit, the loudest person in the theater always ends up sitting next to me.

Well, next time teach her a lesson and leave the bitch at home.

Agreed

[mikeswi]

True Story:

I go to the Carmike in Statesboro (35 mile drive) to watch I,Robot. Some assholes bring their 2? 3? year old kid with them and sit directly in front of me. By the time I realized this kid was going to make noise the whole time, there were no empty seats left. The kid starts making a racket as soon as the movie starts and never shuts up. She even started singing! People all over were staring at the kid instead of the screen, waiting for the parents to start acting like parents.

You ignorant fucktards who bring small, noisy, untamed children to adult movies and don't keep them quiet are fucking assholes. What the hell is wrong with you people?

"Oh Jesus Christ!", I yell, as I get up to find the manager. I let the manager know what's going on and he goes in and stands against a wall for about five minutes, watching them. Miraculously, they keep the kid's yap shut the whole time, so the manager sees no reason to ask them to leave. "Fine. You want to run a daycare center instead of a movie theater, that's fine. Give me my money back."

Next day, I go to a smaller theater in Vidalia (25 mile drive) to watch it. So many people are lined up outside that it takes 20 minutes to get everyone in the door (they don't let you in without a ticket + they don't start selling tickets until 5 minutes before show time + only one ticket seller). Graciously, they hold off starting the movie until everyone is in (they did that for Star Wars III too).

Fifteen minutes into the movie, THE PROJECTOR EATS THE FUCKING FILM! They handed out refunds and sent everyone home. GRRRRRRR.........

The next day, I drove all the damn way to Savannah (80+ miles), crammed into an overstuffed theater and FINALLY watched the movie.

This is why I don't watch movies on the big screen anymore. Unless it is something that I HAVE TO SEE RIGHT FRIGGIN NOW, I wait for the DVD. And I RENT that DVD, I don't buy it. Or I buy it used from the video store. So Hollywood loses every opportunity at having my money.

Re:Why Movies Suck

[kzinti]

"flim buff"

There's a joke hiding just beneath the surface of that misspelling, but I can't figure out what it is!

Me neither, but I can tell it involves muppets and nudity!

Re:Why Movies Suck

[ackthpt]

Yeah, me too. Remember Gregory Peck and Jimmy Stewart in the 1952 version of "Brokeback Mountain". Now THAT was a classic. Nothing like that crappy remake that came out last year. WHAT was that studio thinking?

Get ready for in a few years time:

SLASHBACK MOUNTAIN

They were nerds. They were there for new and stuff that mattered in their lives. One eventful evening they both confessed in anonymous postings a secret admiration for Jar Jar Binks. If the word got out, they'd be shamed and shunned, lives would be ruined, hearts would be broken...

Re:What, they didn't blame piracy?

[MustardMan]

They figured out the real problem isn't pirates... It's ninjas!

Come on, everyone knows the anti-pirate is a lumberjack, not a ninja.

Stealth...

[Hamster Lover]

It was a joke. I guess nobody got it.

Re:Why Movies Suck

[sharkey]

Springfield must be great, they don't need a flashy ad, or even proper spelling!

because of pirates

[pitdingo]

well, we all know this is because of pirates...

Re:Why Movies Suck

[ozmanjusri]

SLASHBACK MOUNTAIN

Nah, I'll wait for the dupe.

Re:Why Movies Suck

[martinX]

I really liked the Starship Troopers movie.

I'm sorry. I'll go away now.

Re:Why Movies Suck

[StikyPad]

In all fairness, the name alone would've sunk the movie if nothing else. Starships are bands with identity crises, and troopers are what women call those little things running around at summer camp. Not very inspir(ed/ing).

Re:Agreed

[StikyPad]

And then for the punchline, you had to sit through "I, Robot."

Re:Damn it's tough being a pimp . . .

[russotto]

Here's a thought Hollywood, stop making movies about gay cowboys and pimps.

Or at least put them together in the same movie. One of the problems with the Oscars is the Academy has a strong bias towards movies which strive to be Important, rather than entertaining. So producers, directors, etc, particularly those already rich as hell, have a strong incentive to make such movies for the prestige. Obviously a movie can be both, but often enough they sacrifice entertainment value for Importance.

Re:What, they didn't blame piracy?

[StikyPad]

That's exactly what a ninja would say.

Tranquilizer?

[Cadallin]

Why a tranquilizer gun? A Silenced .223 round through the back of the head from the projectionist windows would be far more effective!

Re:Why Movies Suck

[titzandkunt]

"I really liked the Starship Troopers movie."

No, I'm Spartacus!

...erm, I mean I liked it too...

T&K.

Re:Why Movies Suck

[CptNerd]

Sounded like a real flim-flame.

"What are our chances?" "Flim and none."

"Misspellings on Slashdot: Accident or terrifying excuse for bad humor? Flim at !!."

I have to admit to feeling flimatic about the whole thing.

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