When Was That Written?

So for tonight I've got one that was suggested by a good friend.  The funny part about it is that this friend (yes I do consider him to be that) is someone I've never met.  I only know him through interaction on Google+ and instant messaging.  A few weeks ago he posted something regarding the entertainment industry, it bugged me then and still does.  Now I have a few minutes to write about it.

I'm not sure what many of you do for entertainment but I don't do a whole lot of movie viewing.  And there are 2 huge reasons for that.  The first reason is because of the cost.  When I was a kid, a movie ticket was only a couple of dollars and you could get a large bag of popcorn for a buck.  The total cost for a date was much less then $20.  Now though, that $20 will pay for 1 person.  Tickets alone (the last time I went) are $9, popcorn is $5, and a drink is close to $4.  And the movie industry claims that they are losing money!  Look at the sales of these movies in the first weekend, in the billions of dollars for 3 days!  How is that losing money?  They can make all the claims they want about how difficult it is to distribute and all of the editing that's necessary, it's not nearly as difficult as it used to be.  There aren't any movies made (at least the blockbuster types) that are recorded on film any more.  And that means if something is off, they can digitally correct it.  And what do you get for that $40 date night?  You get to sit in a seat that reaks because they never clean them after soda is spilled on them, funky springs that make it uncomfortable to sit for any length of time, sticky feet, soda that's been watered down drastically because they fill the cup completely with ice, and greasy popcorn.  Sounds just wonderful to me!  Then you need to sit through several ads for upcoming movies plus a couple of real ads.  All because they claim they aren't making any money on a facility that they don't need to light very well or repair.  Top that off with the profits they make on what they sell you.  That $4 soda you bought cost them less the 50 cents, and most of that cost is in the cup (I know, I was a manager at Burger King).  And that popcorn, buy yourself a bag of popcorn, it's about a $1.50 for 2 pounds retail and they don't pay retail.  That "huge" bucket they are giving you for $5 is costing them, again, less then 50 cents.  Likely the "butter" they put on it costs more then the rest combined.

The kicker is the movie itself.  Have you noticed how many of these movies are actually re-writes of old ones?  My friend posted something stating that they were remaking Fletch.  A movie done by one of the great comedic actors of all time, Chevy Chase.  And that's not the only one they've done!  What was the writer's strike for if all they are going to do is tweak an old script to accommodate the horrible acting that we are forced to endure.  There aren't quality actors like Robin Williams, Steve Martin, Tommy Lee Jones, Tom Hanks, or any of the others from back in what I would call the boom of movies redoing these.  If they are doing a movie, it's an original where they can (and do) act.  The new crop of actors are all about becoming famous, complaining that they have no personal space, then doing something stupid just to get back in the spotlight.  They aren't the real quality that you saw back in the late 70's through the early 90's.  Let's see something that can stand up to movies such as Fletch, Animal House, Star Wars, or Indiana Jones.  Everyone is so enamored with the special effects that they forget that they are watching a movie that has some kind of plot.  It's now either about how many people you can kill because someone harmed your family or how something magical happens and you live happily ever after, and that is all the choice you get if you want a new movie!  And take a look at how many sequels there are for movies.  Each movie is done with some form of an ending that leaves it open for a sequel just in case the first one made a lot of money.

And let's not stop at the big screen.  Take a look at television.  They find one show that's popular and suddenly that's all you get.  I used to like CSI, but a few of the actors left and it became very predictable.  But once the original became the number one show, they spun off several others, something like 5 of them!  How many times can you watch the good guys win?  It's the same show, just a different setting.  Don't get me wrong, television has been much better then the big screen but it certainly isn't without faults.

Now I know what a lot of you are thinking, it's the experience.  Well I suppose if you like all of that you can spend your $20 per person for 2 hours of experience.  And don't get me wrong, there are movies that I do enjoy.  But when it comes to viewing one, I'd much rather buy a copy of it and watch it in the comfort of my own home.  Yep, if (and that's a big if) I buy one just after it's released it's going to cost me $25, but I'll only spend $25 and get to watch it with my family several times rather then $70-$80 and watch it once.