The Wu Tang Clan once wrote a song named C.R.E.A.M, which appropriately stands for “Cash Rules Everything Around Me”. While most sane people enjoy this rap song for the novelty that it is, The Wu seem to be more of prophets rather than a rap nonet. In entertainment and media, all that matters to the people that put up money to fund a project is cold hard cash. It’s the reason college football doesn’t have a playoff system, it’s the reason that remakes are so prevalent, and it’s the reason that Michael Bay even has a career. This should be inherently clear to the viewer looking at a summer release schedule that includes remakes, established franchises, and mindless subject matter (“popcorn” movies).
Of course, these movies are not always terrible in fact; many of them could be imbibed and interpreted as a fun night out. However, I believe that you readers are pretty smart, so I’m pretty sure you are all with me and the realization about how ridiculous it is when these major studios release reputable indies in the fall to try and show people it isn’t all about money and the artistic medium of film is about portraying social commentaries on difficult and taboo subject matter (Spoiler Alert: just about money). That is a whole other article for another day, but what I want to do right now is drum up some discussion topics that you amazing and beautiful readers can digest while speaking about how money affects movies.
Ticket price have just gone up for a very tactically delivered unspecified reason. This increase in ticket prices are varying in different areas of the world by a lot of factors including cost of living, socioeconomic conditions, and other governmental classifications. This is a strange business model considering that it’s becoming difficult for a family (or even an individual) to afford an hour and a half of entertainment at their local multiplex.
Sure the experience of going to the movies is a lot of fun, but technologically savvy audiences are running the movie experience and soon people will just stop finding positive qualities affronted in going to a movie theater. Why would you spend 13 dollars on a single movie ticket when you could go to a minor league baseball game for 8 bucks a person? Sure this example doesn’t apply to everyone, but you get the point that there are other avenues of entertainment available to at a price that you may have thought were too expensive an alternative.
We all know this is a racket and it is a crying shame that theaters have to charge this much for concessions. Let’s just move on here.
Again like that concessions debacle I just gave you, theaters are in a strong decline. It’s harder and harder everyday to find an independent cinema anywhere nowadays which can’t afford to stay in business even with lower ticket prices to national chain alternatives. Could we blame the studios for demanding their high share in movie profits? Sure, but I’m not going to make that decision for you, fall on whichever side of the fence on that issue that you feel is right.
Sure I don’t get to see the biggest Hollywood releases the weekend that they come out and I’ve come to peace with that. Instead I just sit at home, order the movie via cable OnDemand/Amazon VOD/Pay Per View, or any one of the other 50 options I have to rent movies now. Yeah I know I’m not hip with the newest releases, but that’s mostly because I couldn’t afford to go to the theater to see whatever movie I was trying to watch a few months ago.
I think tonight honey we’ll just sit in front of the 50’ plasma and watch the movie that came out three months ago instead of drudging ourselves out to the theater with the kids and a necessary fistful of dollars. See the picture I’m painting here? I love the theater experience more than anyone, but every weekend this alternative is making a lot more sense to me.
I don’t condone piracy, and I strongly believe in supporting the people that make films so that they can see something for their efforts and thusly make more films I want to see. But when you are charging me 15 dollars to see a movie, how do you really expect someone to not pirate it for free often days within its theatrical release time? Then you have the nerve to come up with a ridiculously inflated number about how much studios are losing because of this? Really? I understand that piracy can have a major affect on the filmmaking process and I truly do wish that it didn’t exist, but stop feeding me bullshit stats that are more inflated that blouses at a 6thgrade school dance.
Times are tough nowadays for everyone who depends on a wallet to survive. So where does this fit in for horror fans? We we’ve gotten used to never seeing stars in our films, stories with micro budgets, and visual effects that look terrible. Essentially we would just see less of those. Of course that also means that we will be seeing less horror movies, which means there may not be enough coffee in that glass for the cream to rise to the top.
I try to do my part.
I mean, yes I bitch and moan, but you have to cut the studios some slack, they have been losing so much money for the last five years. Wait… what? The US and Foreign Total Box Office Gross has been up every year since 2005, even in terrible economic times? Movie studios, we love watching your products and we love going t0 the movie theater, but you have to meet us half way here, otherwise this just isn’t going to work out. I’ll be left with nothing to watch and you’ll be back to turning trips on Ventura Boulevard in order to keep the lights on. No one wants that… do they?