Tuesday May 22, 2012

JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

Movie crowds in U.S. dip to 16-year low as apathy lingers

Arts & Culture Dec. 29, 2011 - 05:05AM JST ( 9 )

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9 Comments

-1

JerryLermanDec. 29, 2011 - 09:07AM JST

Perhaps, not sure, but maybe some part of the reason is that the Movie industry with their relentless lawsuits (21,000+ in the US) against even sick elderly people claiming these people stole copyrighted movies from the Internet and their unending attempt to destroy the Internet with unethical laws that they pay politicians millions of dollars to sponsor and support that would give them power over all Internet content has made it difficult for people to want to pay them any money at all. With all their threats, lawsuits and paying for police action internationally, for me anyway, it feels painful handing them any money at all. I have to see quite an upside before I'll pay the devil. And not many movies have an upside good enough for me. I do resent paying them money when I do. I actually do feel a bit guilty at the box office. This is what they've done.

It just seems like basic business principle to me that your customers will buy less from you if they really hate you. And they've done and continue doing everything possible to be hated more every day. I'm happy they are hurting, actually. And now that I know they are, I am encouraged to go to the movie theater even less often. Really, I am.
1

MaboDofuIsSpicyDec. 29, 2011 - 01:07PM JST

Going to a movie once a week will put you in the poor house.

For those of you not living in Japan, you would be shocked at the ticket prices here.
-1

It"S MEDec. 29, 2011 - 01:12PM JST

Mabo.

Try hitting an overseas cinema and also see the price difference between a 2d and a 3D movie. Cinema is no longer cheap.
0

ElvensilvanDec. 29, 2011 - 04:01PM JST

I'd rather wait for the DVD rentals shop's 100 yen prices than to go to a moviehouse.

@Jerry: that's painfully true. The crackdown on illegal movie sharing is a joke. There are still hundreds of websites up on the internet hosting streaming videos, most of the new ones even taken obviously from a cinema.
0

m5c32Dec. 29, 2011 - 04:24PM JST

When 50" LCD TVs are in people's homes, is there much reason left to get on the train or get on the bike or car to see a movie with a group of strangers who will likely disturb the movie experience in some way? Not only that, but no pausing, or replaying, etc. At 50", it's pretty much "good enough", for many people.

As the article says, movies are not the only affordable entertainment in town any more. Goodbye candlemakers and carters.

The industry needs to get out of the channel mentality. They need to look at their product as entertainment with multiple channels of distribution and monetization models instead of "movie receipts". Well, they kind of are aware of that, but they have failed to "realize" that -embrace that. They are being disrupted under flat-footedness.
0

Ranger_Miffy2Dec. 30, 2011 - 06:19AM JST

At Y1800 a movie in Tokyo/Japan, one does not even get decent popcorn. I think more people would come to movies if they could buy freshly popped p'corn and fresh snacks, not just candy. Although one theatre I went to recently sold beer by the plastic cup. Not exactly what I want on a regular basis, though. Bring back great popcorn!
0

Carlos GodoyDec. 30, 2011 - 08:37PM JST

Mr. Jerry Lerman speaks the truth. Why am I paying for Hollywoods excesses when their product is becoming more tiring. anyway, I think that the Video Gaming industry is very much biting into the movie industry profits.
0

MapleGDec. 31, 2011 - 01:08AM JST

Movies--very exciting to see in the 1920's, 30's etc...but in today's world, hardly a novetly and "must do" form of entertainment. I don't know why media even goes on and on about it...I mean I really don't care what the Box Office gross was last weekend.

The typical movie goer is someone under 30. Ask them how much they spent on video games last year vs how much they spent on movies. The answer is obvious.
0

anglootakuJan. 01, 2012 - 11:59AM JST

Piracy up by 500%