Why Movie Attendance is Dropping

 

Let's Go to the Movies!

When I was around ten years old some of the best movies ever made were put on the big screen.  In fact, I remember one big hit after another.  We were introduced to Indiana Jones, Darth Vader, E.T., The Blade Runner, Mad Max and Christopher Reeve's Superman.  These movies were inventive and thrilling.  I would spend a day in bait beds digging up thousands of nightcrawlers to attend.

We've had some one hit wonders since then but not all quick fire like in the late 70s early 80s.  The Matrix amazed me.  I really enjoyed the second Spider-Man with Tobey Mcquire and Kirsten Dunst.  Doc Octavius was marvelously realized.  Braveheart by Mel Gibson moved me emotionally.  

I enjoyed the "Lord of the Rings" movies but tired of watching actors walk around New Zealand. The first Iron Man seemed to be the role for Robert Downey Jr.  After Iron Man, I felt there were too many characters with inconsistent powers that were not fleshed out enough, in my opinion.

New superhero movies were coming out fast and furious, no pun intended.  The quality of the writing was poor from the get-go to me. 

I went to Furiosa with a free movie ticket not expecting much.  I thought the movie was fun taking us on another tour through the dystopian world of Mad Max, even though he was on the screen for two seconds.

There was me and one other guy watching the movie at 7:00 pm on opening weekend. Great for us but not for the future of movie theatres.  What's going on?  

Covid happened:  People don't want to get all close and chummy with folks they don't know.  We still have a preset comfortable distance in our brains.

Politics:  People that enjoy film like me go to the movies to escape the world around us for a couple of hours.  My favorite things about movies are the beautiful symphonic music, the visual artistry, new ideas to think on, and interesting stories. 

I don't enjoy the fringe politics of the right or the left in my escapist entertainment.  So, if politics are introduced into a movie they should be done in a creative and interesting way. Not the same bipartisan drudgery. 

The duel between Darth Maul and Obi-Wan Kenobi, with their mastery of the Force and lightsaber combat, is far more captivating than the politics of Federation Trade Routes.

Now Hollywood seems to be using most of their movies to preach their political stance.  ZZZzzzz!  That is not what I leave my comfortable couch and Costco 44 bags of microwave popcorn for. For the last decade they are using many of their movies to be the political arm of the extreme liberal left.  Boring.  

You've made your message clear.  We get it.  We agree to disagree. Please move along if you want our hard-earned money. 

If they continue to use their stage as a pulpit, movie theatres will continue to lose money.  We are paying for entertainment, not political grandstanding.  

Most of these entertainers don't have much education and pretend to be someone else for a living.  They are also puppets that are told what to say and do by directors and writers for a living. When they speak off screen for themselves it ain't pretty. 

 It ruins the character of Snow White when the actress is snarky and hateful toward men in real life.  Why would I want to watch a movie when the creators tell me the movie is made for a small eccentric audience?

Poor Writing:  I watched the Count of Monte Cristo from 1934 the other night.  It's been released on Amazon Prime video.  Even though the movie was in black and white I was interested.  They really fleshed out the villains and the intricacies of Edmond Dantes' revenge.  The court scene at the end was riveting.

All the movie had was good writing.  The film has aged, and the sound was not that good.  I put on closed captioning.  Nothing visually to feast on or listen to compared to the movies of today.  I understood issues that were unclear in the newest rendition of the movie with Jim Caviezel and Richard Harris.

The older version was better written, I think. 

If this movie was written today, the focus may be on Mercedes (Edmond's Love) and Count Mondego (Edmond's backstabbing friend) with Edmond Dantes being a background character.  Mercedes might be in love with a female servant due to the neglect of both Counts.  

Napolean Boneparte and his politics vs. Mercedes' political stance might be written into the dialogue.  Edmond would probably be a black man and many other characters would be strangely very diverse for Marseille.  The three villains would still be white American men stereotypes, though.  The women would have current hairstyles of gay women in Hollywood.  

Mercedes might swordfight Napolean and Mondego at the end of the movie.  Surprisingly, she is a master of fencing and defeats both swiftly.  Her prowess with the sword might not be explained.  Nevertheless, she would convey to The Count of Monte Cristo that her affections had changed after sixteen years apart, and then sail into the sunset, hand in hand with the maid.

And I would feel that this movie strays too far from the meaning of Alexandre Dumas' French novel.  Even if well made, the movie would not resonate with us much.  We would not feel excited to attend movies made by this director and actress in the future.  

A movie about lesbian lovers and extreme in-depth politics is not interesting entertainment to general audiences, in my opinion. Little current politics and uncommon sexuality in movies goes a long way with most men and women.  Especially children.

I enjoy movies that interest plebians. Interesting stories first. Like over 90 percent of people out there.  If they want me to attend, they need to stop writing weird and uninteresting scenarios in more than 5-10 percent of films. And please label them. Hmmm. Yes.

 Maybe one more rating? We added PG-13 because of "The Temple of Doom".  How about "NA" for not intended for general audiences.  I would really appreciate it. Another might be "FR" which means you are going to see some fringe stuff, especially with sexuality and politics.  If they want movie attendance to improve, they had better come up with some kind of solution.  I don't want to pay for movies about characters I don't understand and don't care about.  Sorry, we are all just human.  Most movies are losing our interest because we can't relate.

Expensive with Inflation:  In 1980, I went to "Empire Strikes Back" for 2 bucks matinee price. I am about to go to "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" with my daughter.  The cost of the ticket is 8.25 matinee price.  Not too costly compared to other theatres in other areas.  

I already eat before I go because concessions are ludicrously priced. The secret to making popcorn taste like at the movies is an unhealthy amount of salt and corn oil. 8 bucks for popcorn and 7 bucks for a drink. I can't imagine going to the movies with a family today.  

That would be 25 bucks or more just to pay for the tickets for a normal sized family. 50 dollars or more to round up the family for a boring poorly written entertainment most of the time.

Streaming and VOD:  Moreover, for 5 bucks we can watch the same movie one month later (or less lately) on our 65–100-inch 4K LED television with a 300-watt soundbar.  The soda and popcorn are plentiful and cheap from Superstores. With their prices for pop, water and corn they must think the theatres have a monopoly on this stuff.

  Also, streaming services are releasing movies from the beginning of cinema till today. 

Something grotesque or offensive presented can be instantly skipped.  You only pay a 5 dollar "Stupid Tax" instead of 50!  Then families never watch another presentation from this producer, actor, or whatever.  Some streaming subscriptions include the latest releases with a relatively low cost of 12 to 15 bucks monthly.

Disney Plus is of special note as I blog:

 

"We want to make men cry" 

 "The Force is Female"

"Star Wars is Gay"

"The Prince in Snow White is a Stalker"

These statements are from Disney's actors and directors!  Are these folks about making a profit anymore?  If I was Disney, they would be fired and sued.  Or sued then fired.

What's going on with this company? They are basically saying "we hate men" and "our shows are not for you, Ted".  "We only want gays and girls coming to our movies".  Okay, as you wish.

I digress, but not much...............................

There are plenty of movies, TV series and miniseries that I missed in the past.  I've never seen "The Maltese Falcon", "Flight of the Phoenix", "Robinson Crusoe", "1989 Lonesome Dove", "Justified", "V" the complete miniseries", "Blue Bloods, Season 10", "The Graduate" and on and on.  

The first 4 Star Wars were the only ones that I was giddy to see anyway.  "The Phantom Menace" was good but not great like the first three, to me.  The Mandalorian was the last interesting one.

I just noticed "The Man in the Iron Mask" starring Richard Chamberlin on Amazon Prime video.  Cool.

I wonder what their take on Alexandre Dumas' story will be?  I'm sure that in 1978, CBS didn't have statements like "Turn off your Television, men!"  I think it was "Don't Touch that Dial, everybody".

What's this? "The Disney Acolyte", "Two Women Conceive Twins".  What the Crud? Too weird for this guy.  And how is this achieved?  Don't Care!

That's why movie theatres are empty and will continue to be. 

I'm tired......................................I wonder if this movie can keep me interested?

Best Cars to Buy when Broke

 

I'm broke and I need a cheap reliable car.

Actually, the car above is not necessarily the best option when money is scarce.  There are better options to get you from point A to point B on the cheap.  Here's the ones I would start looking for:

 

1997-2001 Buick LeSabre

The Buick LeSabre or Buick Park Avenue can be picked up from some elderly persons garage with less than 100,000 miles. Probably shouldn't pay more than 2 to 5 thousand bucks.  You should be able to drive them for another 100,000 miles without major expense. 

I would immediately check the plastic intake manifold plenums to make sure they are not cracked and leaking antifreeze.  The 3800 series II engine is pretty swift and runs for a long time.  When purchasing one I would look for new tires, brakes, and suspension components for an even sweeter deal.

I bought my daughter an Oldsmobile Cutlass when she was attending college.  That thing is still scampering about.  Realize that the LeSabre, Park Avenue, Pontiac Bonneville, and Oldsmobile Cutlass are all GM with different styling and badges.

They have comfortable seats and a smooth ride. They are great when budgets are strained.

1997-2001 Toyota Camry

The 1997-2001 Toyota Camry should cost about 2 to 3 thousand bucks with 150,000 to 200,000 miles on them. Don't be threatened by the high miles.  These boring cars keep running and running with the 2.2-liter engine producing adequate 130 horsepower.  The 3-liter six is even better if it has been maintained. At 200,000 miles valve cover gaskets, oxygen sensors, timing belt, brakes and such will need to be examined.  I've personally seen one that was not ever garaged with over 300,000 miles on the clock.  Find one made in Japan if possible.  

 

The Ford Crown Victoria

Put a rack on the top of the Crown Vic and drivers will slow down every time they see you.  There is good reason the police and taxis use these cars.  They are reliable.  You should be able to find one with less than 100,000 miles for about 2 to 3 thousand bucks.  In north country good snow tires and weight in the trunk may be needed.  They are rear wheel drive.  The Crown Vic is comfortable and powerful.  Don't fall asleep behind the wheel.

I've seen these things with over 300,000 miles and the odometer was not functioning.  They are relatively cheap and easy to keep running.  Because they are bland and unpopular great deals can be had.

2004-2008 Toyota Corolla

The only problem I have with the Corolla is that people want to sell them for 5000 bucks with 200,000 miles on them.  They almost always state "It's a Toyota".  That may be a good deal if they have recently replaced the brakes with rotors, struts, spark plugs with coils and tires.  It also must be meticulously maintained for that price!  The clear coat should still sparkle.

Otherwise, nah!  Better options are out there.  Walk away.

The 1.8-liter engine is peppy moving along such a small car.  Without a timing belt all there is to keep this thing moving is fluid changes.  In other words, basic maintenance.  Avoid the 2.4-liter engine.  This car is for someone that thinks a car should go and stop.

What the buyer has going for them is that the Corolla has been sold more than any other car.  Parts are plentiful and cheap if ever needed. Also, they go 300,000 miles without much effort, so you don't have to shrink away from high mileage.  

Always take cars to a trusted mechanic with a scan tool before handing over the cash.

The Toyota Yaris with the 1.5-liter engine

These little go carts of cars run 300,000 miles with basic maintenance. You can pick one up for 3000 bucks with 200,000 miles and drive them another 100,000 miles or more.  With the 1.5-liter engine these things will run forever.  You will sell it because of being tired of having the same little car.

This small car is for folks that don't even like to think about cars until the maintenance light comes on to change the oil.  We know who we are.

When you are broke, at least your car will be anxiety free. 

The Toyota 2004-2007 Toyota Highlander

These crossovers are basically an overbuilt lifted Toyota Camry.  You will want to pick up one with the 3.3-liter engine that was previously used in the Lexus ES 330.  Avoid the 4 cylinders because of head bolts and oil consumption. The 2005 to 2007 limited models feature lots of safety features not in the earlier models.

I have seen these bland looking SUVs with over 400,000 miles on them still running strong.  If they have been well maintained, you have found a gem. They are available with 200,000 miles on them for around 5000 dollars without a recent timing belt change.  With the timing belt changed they leap up to over 10,000 bucks.  Some people are ridiculous. That's because changing the timing belt cost about 1000 dollars.

However, 6000 bucks should be the new price, not 10!  I wouldn't pay more than 5.

What I would do is negotiate a reduced price below 5000 if the timing belt is due.  I would offer 4000 after getting the machine checked by a trusted mechanic. Watch for oxygen sensors, catalytic converters, wheel bearings, struts and lower ball joints.  If these items still have life, you've found a good one.

Mine has 140,000 miles with everything original except the tires.  Everything works and the car is 18 years old.  The brakes are still at 6 millimeters.  However, this car has never been abused except the staining the cabin mishap last year. Oops. 

We plan to drive this SUV 240,000 miles and then pass it down. I doubt we will get that distance since this is our current second car and we put only 3900 miles on it last year.  That means the next timing belt replacement will be in six years or 160,000 miles. A car that old starts to present little annoyances.

In my opinion these crossovers were the top of Toyota ingenuity.  They are substantial, comfortable, reliable and useful in so many situations. The real 4wd works well. You will feel like you are driving a Lexus.  They can tow 3500 pounds.

I owned a hybrid version first that I loved, but as the miles racked up, I grew concerned about the cost of repairs.  The parts are unique and expensive.  Even though the hybrids can be bought cheaper than the gas only, I would pass on them.

The 2009-2010 Toyota Avalon

I have never personally owned this car.  However, I have heard good reports from family and friends.  They drive them 200,000 miles and sell them to someone else.  They can still be bopping around with 300,000 miles on the clock.  

The 3.5-liter 2GR engine was so trusted that Toyota put them in the Highlander, Sienna Van, Lexus RX, Lexus ES, Rav 4 and Camry.  The price has dropped down to 5-6 thousand bucks for this 270 hp beast.  

With this car the issues to watch for are excessive piston slap, severe oil leaks, and suspension issues.  If the car skipped these problems, you have stumbled onto a good one.

Elderly folks love this Toyota that is comfortable as a Buick.  They are usually garaged by seniors.  There are good deals to be found here.  Unfortunately, I've never owned an Avalon because I find Camrys cheaper with great prices.  My current Camry was 10,250 bucks with 20,000 miles on it. Today, it only has 50K. Sweet.

So, if I woke up tomorrow with a low bank account, I would trust these cheap cars to help me through.  I might fly to a destination after many conversations with the owner and pics of the Carfax report.  I would take the car to a mechanic of my choice with a scan tool. I would hand the owner 2-5 thousand bucks cash and drive the thing home.  Don't write anything on the title.

Another 100,000 miles would last me 10 years or more.  There are other models that I could look into like the Lexus RX 330-350, Lexus ES 330-350, Scion Xa, Scion Xd, the Mazda 3.  Some are more expensive, and I don't have much experience with these cars.  Body on frame trucks are way too expensive in my opinion for a person who is broke.  I'm just too cheap!

I'm tired and need a shower.............................

 

                                                                                                                                 

Pining for the End Times?

 

This type of world is not what I pine for.

However, it is obvious to me that some tough times are on the horizon.  Our government keeps pushing inflation to make paying their debts more manageable in the future.  There are viruses coming that we have no answer for.  Folks are not paid wages to keep up with inflation.  We have a serious housing supply problem that I don't see being solved any time soon. These problems are in the wealthiest nation in the world. Moreover, war tensions in the Middle East are a powder keg.  I could state 100 more concerns right off the top of my head.

Well, aren't I Mr. Happy? We are looking for answers and wonder how this all is going to work out. The future looks pretty bleak no matter how I slice it. The only good answer that I find is in the Bible.  That God is going to intervene and save us.  All I have to say is "Whew!" Thank goodness there is a God.

Some folks believe that human ingenuity is going to save the day.  I don't have enough faith to believe that.  Everything we accomplish is imperfect.  This statement is coming from a man that owns two of the most reliable cars ever built.  Both Camrys.  They are boring middle class cars but very reliable with regular maintenance.  They really can go hundreds of thousands of miles if not abused.

This artificial intelligence we have created will most likely be the end of us all. Have you seen Terminator, Blade Runner or any such A.I movie.  They are almost always horror.  We all know that creating machines that are smarter than us is problematic.  The machines first order of business is to always destroy their creator. Seems about right. Yet, we create these things anyway.

But I digress.........................

I do not pine for such times, the opposite in fact. But the outcome seems inevitable. We haven't figured out how to run an economy that isn't built on continual growth. We have problems that are an enigma. The only good news that I find is in the scriptures in reality.  That there will be only seven years of this dystopian stuff (those that love God will escape) followed by the return of God to be a benevolent King. In fact, the Bible says there will be heaven on earth for all eternity.  Who wouldn't love having a loving, kind, and all sufficient king?  

The answer is human beings.  Not me, but future generations rebel against God again. That's after Jesus rules for 1000 years.  Hard to believe but the Bible has been accurate thus far.

The big deception today is that we will save ourselves from mounting problems.  That we are little gods or some sort of nonsense in this line of thinking.  All the while antisemitism is on the rise, again. Just like before WW2 with Adolf Hitler.  Belligerence and lawlessness abound more than usual. Just like crime was so high in the 1970s last time.  Remember the "War on Crime?" Just watch.  If the wrong candidate is elected, looting and burning of cities will start up, again. Just like 2016-2020.  All from the political party of love and tolerance. If burning businesses is the utopian future the extreme left wants you can count me out. 

My hope is in Jesus Christ of the Bible.  It's obvious that humankind needs a savior.  We seem to never learn from our past mistakes.  If the Bible is an amazing myth, then there is no hope for any of us in this world.

Since the 70s I have seen things get worse and worse in America.  

I never imagined in the 80s that I was watching the golden age of movies.  Today movies are action heavy devoid of ideas and good storytelling on the whole.  I think most movies today are rubbish repeating the same beats over and over.  In fact, I see cinemas closing across this nation if current trends don't change.

What happened to the days of Empire Strikes Back, Blade Runner, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., Dragon Slayer, The first Superman movies, The Wrath of Kahn and the list goes on and on.  The first two Terminator movies were astonishing and still hold up today.  Today we get angry stoic women acting like men in movies that are a knockoff of the great movies above.  They are not resonating with me at all.  I did enjoy Furiosa but understand why most people skipped it.  The Road Warrior it ain't.

I can hardly drive anywhere without someone almost running into me.  Speed is the main issue. Also, stop signs seem to be a suggestion today.

I can't even watch the local news without being overwhelmed by a lot of bad news.  The news from around the world is horrifying.

How is this all going to end?  

If there is no God, human beings are circling the drain.  I really mean that statement.  Apart from God I foresee nuclear holocaust, escalating war, old countries with few offspring, and murder becoming the norm in every aspect of life.  Especially infants and the elderly are vulnerable.  Within a couple of centuries A.I. will be the predominant species on this planet.

I'm tired.................................more later.

 

 

Trump's Going to Prison?

 

This image is popping up everywhere right now.

I see on YouTube clickbait ads that Donald Trump is headed for jail.  34 felonies? Sounds serious. That he used hush money or some sort of monetary mismanagement.  All of this money spent to convict a former president, and this is his heinous act? Oh, brother.  How long has it been since our judicial system started this expensive goofy process?  Three years?  And this is all they have accomplished?  That Trump defrauded the IRS?  And we are talking about 130,000 bucks!  What happened to Russian Collusion or insurrections?

If it took this kangaroo court 3 years to accomplish this major feat, how long would it take to prove anything of importance? It appears to this blogger that there is no "there"......there.

We are being deceived, again.  We must realize that almost all the news channels are now the National Enquirer or People Magazine.  That just about everything we hear or read today is akin to Elvis sightings, or the return of Bat Boy. 

When I am checking out at Safeway or Walmart, I see these kinds of announcements all the time.  "Tom Cruise has Meltdown over Nicole's new Boy Toy".  "Oprah Winfrey admits 10-year Depression Stint".  "Swift and Kelce have Shouting Match at Mall". 

Then later on the "deception box", "Donald Trump convicted of 34 Felonies!" "Jail Him Now!" "Trump Behind Bars!"  Why does anyone watch these exaggerators?

 If we want to save ourselves a lot of stress and anxiety in this country, we learn to dismiss quickly what our news outlets are exposing.  Their main audience seems to be depressed people who revel in the suffering of others.

Trump will most likely not see a single day behind bars.  How can I know that?  History.  I read it. He may be fined, and the bill will be picked up by the GOP.  

In fact, I see this as a possible ploy in Donald Trump's favor.  In the sight of most of this country Trump is being oppressed by this country's largest political party.  These sad pics of Trump behind bars may backfire on the democratic party in a major way.  I would say this all is scripted if I didn't know any better.  Americans love "bad boys", martyrs or the oppressed.  

Why do you think college students are protesting for a terrorist organization?  They see Israel as the more powerful nation and the oppressor.

Donald Trump is most hated for being a bully.  And the liberal strategy is to be the bigger bully.  I don't get it. I foresee these actions galvanizing Trumps's fan base more than anything else. 

Are we being punked?

We'll see.......................................I'm tired