The LA Times takes a look at the summer season so far. Things started off very hot (Star Trek) but have cooled off considerably. Here’s what they’ve learned:
Women make a difference
Female ticket buyers made up nearly half of the audience for the supposedly male-appeal titles “The Hangover” and “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.” At the same time, women moviegoers helped give Sandra Bullock’s Disney romantic comedy “The Proposal” the actress’ best opening weekend by a wide margin: $33.6 million, compared with her previous best debut, $17.6 million for “Premonition.” If women turn out for July 24′s and “Julie & Julia,” they could leave an even bigger mark on the summer season.
Of course the LA Times put this point as the last point but at least women were acknowledged. We buy half the tickets to the mainstream movies and more than half the tickets to the movies targeted at women SO women actually turn out in bigger numbers for women’s films and help propel them to success. (I’m not saying that this means every movie that stars a woman will be a success because ones there are many that aren’t very good, but ones that are good and have decent word of mouth will be successful.)
Other points:
Films are on average are dropping about 52% on the second weekend because word of mouth sucks on many of them. Word of mouth is something that really propels women’s films because there is usually less marketing money spent. The Proposal which had good word of mouth dropped about 45%, but My Sister’s Keeper which had bad word of mouth dropped 53%.
Adult and star driven dramas are in serious peril. Julia Roberts flopped in the spring and John Travolta and Denzel Washington along with Russell Crowe have had a hard summer. Movies (especially from the studios) are moving more and more towards being kid focused that it makes me really nervous. I want to go to the movies too!
Also for another news flash critics don’t matter
Summer Movie Season Cooling Off (LA Times)
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
i’ve been thinking some things pretty similiar about females going to box office. (but i couldn’t have said it as well as you)
so has 2009, been a worse year cinema wise for you/than 2008 ??? hey, i know it’s hard out there/for an adult.
I think its been a little worse especially at the beginning of the year with a couple of really regressive chick flicks. We also will probably only have one really big women’s films this year with Julie & Julia and last year we had 2 with Mamma Mia and Sex and the City. But I am more optimistic this year about women directors. Several of the film could have the possibility of going the distance at award time.