Our Readers Tell Us What’s Wrong With Hollywood!
A few weeks ago we ran a contest asking our readers to weigh in on a topic that’s been pretty concerning for us film fans, namely the fact that movies seem to be losing a bit of their prestige as far as the pop culture goes. Whether it’s new forms of entertainment, like what you’d find online, the increasing quality of TV shows, and the rise of streaming, there are loads of reasons why folks just don’t flock to movie theaters like they used to. Case in point – even the year’s most successful films aren’t pulling down the staggering grosses that were commonplace before the pandemic, an event which arguably Hollywood has never wholly recovered from (the strikes certainly didn’t help).
In the end, five of the essays our readers sent in were actually chosen to be published, so if you haven’t checked them out, I urge you to do so this weekend.
In the first essay, Eric Stumpf says Hollywood is in the midst of a creativity problem, writing, “Theaters are flooded with soulless sequels, hollow remakes, and reboots nobody asked for. Nostalgia has been weaponized as a business model. From Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny to The Marvels, the industry keeps banking on old IPs to do the heavy lifting, only to be shocked when audiences don’t show up.” READ THE REST HERE!
In the second essay, Mike Hoff puts the blame on exhibitors, writing, “Perhaps the best example of Hollywood and theater chains misunderstanding their dilemma is the oft-mocked ads of Nicole Kidman vacantly smiling from her darkened seat. Not only is this yet another advertisement for moviegoers to sit through, but reassuring fans of their purchase — rather than appealing to people who haven’t bought a ticket — seems a waste of time and money.”READ THE REST HERE!
In the third, Dave McGrath notes the virtual death of the home video market, writing, “We’ve already lost the era of video stores and the thriving home video market that once supported a wealth of original, mid-budget films. A strong Hollywood is crucial—not just for the industry itself, but also for independent filmmakers who rely on its opportunities in addition to passion projects. I want to see audiences return to movie theaters, and studios are key to making this happen.” READ THE REST HERE!
In the fourth, Nicholas Mountjoy notes Hollywood has shot itself in the foot with too short theatrical to streaming windows, writing, “Back in the day, movies were on pay-per-view forever before making it to cable channels like HBO or Showtime—and even longer before airing on broadcast networks like TBS or FOX. Going back to that “old way” might help reinforce the importance of box office revenue, and make theatrical releases feel more special. If people know they won’t be able to stream a movie for a year, they might go to the theater.” READ THE REST HERE!
And finally, in the fifth, Mike O’Neill lays the blame at the feet of big business, writing, “today, studios are too focused on churning out hit after hit, assuming the formula for one successful movie can simply be applied to the next. That’s how we’ve ended up with endless superhero films—most of which are starting to look and feel the same.” READ THE REST HERE!
Which one of these essays struck a chord with you? Let us know in the comments!
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