Give it a week, the MPAA will blame file-sharing for this slump and say the execs quoted in this article were quoted out of context....../conspiracy.
-rick This Just in: Flops Caused Box Office Slump Studio execs who pinned problems on factors beyond their control now take responsibility. By Claudia Eller and John Horn Times Staff Writers October 1, 2005 One of Hollywood's basic tenets is that when things go wrong it's somebody else's fault. Which is why it's so startling, suddenly, to hear studio executives and producers taking responsibility for the rows of empty seats in movie theaters this year. "It's really easy for all of us to blame the condition of the theaters, gas prices, alternative media, the population changes and everything else I've heard myself say," said Sony Pictures Vice Chairman Amy Pascal, whose summer releases "Bewitched" and "Stealth" flopped. "I think it has to do with the movies themselves." After months of hand-wringing and doomsday forecasts about the permanent erosion of moviegoing, the lunchtime chatter at Mr. Chow in Beverly Hills and other industry haunts has turned decidedly inward. Now, four straight weekends of crowded theaters have forced moguls and creative executives to admit in public what they have spent months avoiding: They were clueless about what audiences wanted. "There's always a year when the pundits say the movie business is over," said producer Brian Grazer, whose May release "Cinderella Man" was a disappointment despite strong reviews. "If there's a movie people want to see, they go see it. I just think we all have to do our best to make better movies." < snip > http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-boxoffice1oct01,0,5042859.story You are a subscribed member of the infowarrior list. Visit www.infowarrior.org for list information or to unsubscribe. This message may be redistributed freely in its entirety. Any and all copyrights appearing in list messages are maintained by their respective owners.
