I agree that Hollywood's lack of income is more complex than just "It's the pirates". In addition to the fact that there's a lot of crap movies these days there are other things competing for our time. Internet surfing, chatting and blogging, online/network gaming, online poker. There is a boardgame trend here in Sweden.

There is no such thing as a simple answer.

Great podcast as usual.

I believe that the movie studios must rethink their release stratgies. With the advent of DVDs and HT many people opt to stay at home and watch movies in an evironment they control.

Studios have to realize this and rethink the best way to release a movie. Audiences will come out to the theater for films that cry out for the big screen like Ben Hur, Gone With The Wind, LOTR, Star Wars, Spiderman etc. Those same people will be more inclined to watch the more character driven or smaller movies at home.

Releasing an epic film is not enough to draw big numbers. These films need to have stories centred on people and not effects. An empty epic film will bomb or maybe make its money back if it is done well. To truly soar the epic films must have characters that engage the audience emotionally. Exceptions abound, like the SW and Matrix movies but they are exceptions and not the rule.

The problem point for studios will be the so called smaller movies. With such films it makes sense for the studios to release the DVD for these movies simultaneously or at the end of the theatrical run. That way the movie is still fresh. As an incentive to see the movie in the theater the studios and theaters should consider selling the DVDs for such movies at the theater before they are released to the retail chains. Some control mechanism should be brought into play ie. you must present your ticket stub for the movie in order to buy the DVD.

This would give both parties an ancilliary revenue stream and an incentive to bring people back to the theater.

They will keep putting out crap... because when they say "losing money", don't forget, there still making a profit(sure some arn't..)

Oh my.. movies are down 2.7%... thats 2.7% of 28BILLION industry.. so, what they should really be saying is that there losing money over and above the cost of to make the movie...because wether we realize it or not.. they still are making money, the numbers prove it :0, so why spend 100mill to make a good movie, when you can take a lesser risk of 20mill and still expect a profit.

Indefatigable.

One word to describe both John and Doug.

;-)

It's too easy to say it's good for Hollywood to be all about the money. If that's the case then lets file out videogame adaptations one after the other, Boll is making money out of them.

There's a balance. It's better to say it's a business. They have to make money, but if they're looking at it as a business then they want a smaller investment bringing back bigger profits. That means good movies concentrating more on story than groundbreaking effects and expensive actors.

Another great audio edition...Geez you guys can talk!

Rich, I bet when we meet them up for drinks when they happen to be in our neck of the woods, we dont need to worry about how to entertain them, first round of drinks on me! ;-)

We won't say a word...just drink...and that's where Scottish people are best!