Posts Tagged ‘movies’

You were there for one of the “biggest box office bombs of all time!”

Friday, March 25th, 2011


(AP Photo/Walt Disney Studios)

Congratulations – you’re witnessing history in the making! “Mars Needs Moms” – the 3-D animated Disney disaster that came out last weekend – has had one of the worst opening weekends… ever.

The film earned $6.8 million in its opening weekend… but it cost about $150 million to make. Most movies break even within a few weeks of release and then – ideally – start to turn a profit. Not so for this tribute to the power of moms. Though it brought in some revenue, it wasn’t enough to cover the cost of producing the flick.

Disney distribution president Chuck Viane says the problem is simple: “Not enough people came to see the movie.” (Um, duh.) One possible reason is that there were a lot of other animated movies in theaters this weekend, and Earth moms weren’t about to shell out $20 for 3D tickets to all of them.

So were the dismal box office numbers a product of poor timing or a cruel twist of fate?

Perhaps the movie’s budget directors should have taken Budgeting 101?

What’s up with 3-D movies anyway? Are you paying to see them? Tell us.

Movie Ticket Prices At An All-Time High, To No One’s Surprise

Tuesday, February 8th, 2011

“If you thought it was getting more expensive to go the movies, your hunch was right. The average ticket price at theaters in the U.S. last year rose to an all-time annual high of $7.89, up 5% from $7.50 in 2009, according to the National Assn. of Theatre Owners. In the fourth quarter, the average price was $8.01, up 5% from the year-ago period.”

What do you think?

Can you believe they’re still cheaper than they were in 1970? (When you factor in inflation.)

Filmmaker Kevin Smith Calls For “Indie 2.0” With A New Self-Released Film And A Lot Of Free Publicity

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011

“(Reuters) – Film director Kevin Smith has unveiled a plan to self-release his new “Red State” at the Sundance Film Festival, after facing down protesters that brought him publicity money can’t buy.”

What do you think?

Do you think Kevin Smith can bring back the low-budget independent film – now that “indie” has become overrun with expensive actors and spendy producers?

The Hobbit Lives In New Zealand!

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

New Zealand wants the new Hobbit films to be shot within its borders so badly that it’s changing labor laws to make it happen.

  • Just when it seemed the J.R.R. Tolkien film adaptation industry was moving to New Zealand for good, Warner Bros. almost pulled its latest project – a two-part adaptation of The Hobbit – out of the country.
  • After an actors’ union boycott threatened production, Warner Bros. management flew to New Zealand to discuss whether the movie could be made there or not. Thousands of Hobbit fans took to the streets to protest.
  • New Zealand’s government responded swiftly, promising Warner Bros. additional tax breaks on future movies, setting up a joint marketing deal, and changing the country’s labor laws to “clarify the differences between a contract worker and a movie production employee.”

Facts & Figures

  • The Hobbit film project is worth about $500 million to New Zealand.
  • Losing the film could have meant up to a $1.5 billion loss.
  • “The Hobbit,” by J.R.R. Tolkien, was first published in 1937.

Best Quote

“Making the two Hobbit movies here will not only safeguard work for thousands of New Zealanders, but it will also follow the success of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy in once again promoting New Zealand on the world stage.” – John Key, Prime Minister of New Zealand

Demand For 3D Projectors Stifled By Lack Of Supply

Thursday, April 8th, 2010

As consumer demand for digital projectors skyrockets, the industry may not be able to supply quickly enough.

  • Privately owned makers of projector components have struggled to keep up with the soaring demand.
  • Despite the inability to match supply with demand, digital projector purveyor Barco doubled its projector sales in 2009 – its best year to date.
  • Barco considers additional funding of component makers as a potential option for solving this supply crisis, and may even use a secondary supplier to meet its component needs.

Facts & Figures

  • 85% of the world’s cinemas have yet to be fitted with digital projectors.
  • Barco thinks it could make nearly 150 million euros ($203.6 million) in 2010.
  • Barco shipped around 1,000 projectors in the fourth quarter of 2009, worth around 36 million euros.

Best Quote

“The challenge will not be how many you can sell, it will be how many you can make.” – Eric Van Zele, CEO of Barco