http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8769622/site/newsweek/

Ummmm..................

"ticket sales this summer have dropped about 10 percent."

With cinematic gold such as Fantastic Four, Hitch, and a Big Mommas House sequel on the way, how could this be? :rolleyes:

Don't forget the pointless remakes of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Dukes of Hazzard, as well as Dark Water (a slight variation on the Ring, without the creepy girl). Oh, and War of the Worlds. This is indeed a dark year for cinema.

Charlie was decent, and better than the original, as Burton is a cinematic genius.

this figure isnt accurate, remember a little movie called 'the passion of the christ?'

Yeah, but: Johnny Depp.

Johnny Depp

this figure isnt accurate, remember a little movie called 'the passion of the christ?' [/b][/quote]Passion came out last year.

Ouch.

I also blame how that people are probably tired of brainless summer blockbuster movies. Just look at the massive bombings of THE ISLAND and STEALTH, each cost around $125 million or so.

Yeah, but: Johnny Depp.

Johnny Depp [/quote]What's wrong with Johnny Depp?

Yeah, but: Johnny Depp.

Johnny Depp [/quote]You mean Johnny Depp, one of the top two actors of his generation, along with Edward Norton? Oh, right, I despise his talent and craft. Ramble, ramble, ramble! Roar!

Acutally, I thought Depp was despised for being filthy rich as well, but hey what do I know?

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was a great film, and better then the original in making the characters more interesting.

You guys have to remember of course, that there are people who rely on downloading to see movies, or just DVDs nowadays. I'm not surprised it has dropped.

As for Depp, he is the best of the younger actors in America, IMO just ahead of Edward Norton.

At least somebody agrees with me...

Oops, didn't really make myself clear. Nothing aganist Depp per se, just not happy that he was cast as Wonka (or that the movie was remade at all).

Depp is too young and engaging to play the mysterious and standoffish Wonka. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was one of my favorite childhood books, and I loved Wonka as an awkward miserable old bloke, a proper old-fashioned nutcase. Gene Wilder's portrayal of him was pretty much spot on, he had that edgy quality which Depp always aspires to.

Depp's cause is not helped by having appeared in the schmaltzy vomit-inducing Finding Neverland and his pantomime efforts in Pirates of the Carribean. Castnig him as Wonka is an insult to the orignal book and film; it is a typical Hollywood schmaltzification transforming a disturbing and profound work of fiction into sugar candy cinema. Hence:

Well, the original film wasn't really much like the book, and Raold Dhaul wasn't happy with it himself...

I find Depp to be a spectacular actor, and the remaking to be much more suiting for the dark-feeling of the book. Or, so that's my opinion.

I saw both of those, becaue I like brainless summer blockbuster movies. True they weren't even the greatest of that group of movies but some people like to go to movies for two hours of empty fun.

As for the article, god I hope theaters don't go away, I'll never be able to afford a screen that big, and I love the experiance of going to the movies with large crowds. I love going early to get a seat like a geek, I like the roaring laughter - like when I saw Undercover Brother and I missed at least three jokes because the laughter was so loud, I like the oos and ahs and screams not to mention the little moments that only happen at the theater. Like the thirty year old man wimpering like a school girl during The Ring 2- hell actually that was the best part of the movie, or when (granted this was a long time ago) when there was a preview for Strange Days and Ralph Fiennes is going through the "I'm your priest" speil and he says "have you ever jacked in?" someone down in front yells "Have you ever jacked off?". That happened years ago and I still remember it, I'll never tire of the theater and in fact they can pretty much count on me to be there every weekend.

Yeah, Dahl hated it so much he refused to let them make a film out of the book's sequel. He was angry at the changes, like the new songs written for the film and the fact that the Oompa Loompas were changed from a fictional African tribe to the orange men, supposedly for obvious reasons. I think the film, however is a very good one, and a childhood favorite of mine, although it's not the masterpiece it's often made out to be. Neither is Burton's film, however his visuals and additions bring new life to the story, and deepen the interest. My only problem was that it got a little over the top at times. Depp's performance is good, although he has done better. I do believe Depp however when he said he did not base his performance on Michael Jackson, nor do I agree with Ebert's comment that "Depp wasn't bad, but it was a wrong performance" or something to that effect.

"Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

What was wrong with Captain Jack Sparrow or Sir James Matthew Barrie!? I loved Pirates of the Carribean and surprisingly liked Finding Neverland too

Fifty-five years ago, everyone predicted that television would kill the movies, and it didn't.

What will happen in the future, I think, is that

-- Production costs will rise.
-- Admission prices will increase.
-- Attendance will decrease.
-- Fewer films will be produced.
-- With fewer films out there, we will witness a gradual disappearance of the huge expensive-to-operate multiplexes.
-- Seeing a movie in a theatre when it is first released will become more of an "exclusive" activity, like seeing a live show or sporting event.

But even if a film is available on DVD at the same time it is being shown in theatres, as long as people need somewhere to go on a Saturday night there will always be "the movies".

suspect_5 put it rather well.

I agree, I think that have to get back to the Grand experience of Cinema. I read a little of the article and I think they are missing the point ( downloading a premiere feature and wathing it on TV which will only promote more crap).

Maybe they can revive the Grand theaters and only show the cream of the crop and keep the multi plexes for the rest of the crap.

Today a new release is only a 3 week advertising blitz for the DVD release.