June
16Hollywood's Flight from Reality
Times are tough, but Hollywood won't acknowledge it. Increasingly, the show business community is feeling the economic crunch, but it’s not being reflected in the product. My colleagues at Variety who monitor TV shows report that they rarely, if ever, witness characters discussing money or indeed displaying any recognition of financial reality. More and more, movies too focus on superheroes or other realms of fantasy.
Yet there’s no denying the growing impact of the recession. Film attendance is down as gas prices continue to escalate (higher ticket prices disguise this trend). The restaurant business is hurting as higher commodity prices trigger price hikes on the menu.
Meanwhile, the business of producing movies and TV shows also is being affected. Studios want more shooting on the lot and less gas-guzzling location work. Start dates for some new TV shows are also being held up by tensions surrounding a possible actors’ strike.
Economists differ on how severe a recession we may be facing, but clearly those who belittled the crisis as “just a downturn in the housing market” have been proved wrong. The impact is far wider and the hurt is far deeper.
One of these days, a character on a TV show or in a movie may actually acknowledge that times are tough.
Yet there’s no denying the growing impact of the recession. Film attendance is down as gas prices continue to escalate (higher ticket prices disguise this trend). The restaurant business is hurting as higher commodity prices trigger price hikes on the menu.
Meanwhile, the business of producing movies and TV shows also is being affected. Studios want more shooting on the lot and less gas-guzzling location work. Start dates for some new TV shows are also being held up by tensions surrounding a possible actors’ strike.
Economists differ on how severe a recession we may be facing, but clearly those who belittled the crisis as “just a downturn in the housing market” have been proved wrong. The impact is far wider and the hurt is far deeper.
One of these days, a character on a TV show or in a movie may actually acknowledge that times are tough.
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That's one of the reasons I'm excited to see -- don't laugh -- Kit Kittredge: An American Girl Movie. The film gets a 3 1/2-star near rave from Roger Ebert and concerns a family trying to make ends meet during the Great Depression as their next-door neighbors face eviction.
Sounds like the least likely issue movie ever. Kudos to the American Girl guys for playing it smart, rather than delivering another mindless toy tie-in, a la recent Bratz movie.
Posted by: Peter Debruge | 6/24/2008 3:22:21 PM
Interesting. People want to plunk upwards of $50 for a night at the movies...to forget they just spent $50 at the movies.
Posted by: insomniacdee | 6/18/2008 2:00:19 PM
Isn't that what movies are for? Escapism.
Posted by: Escape | 6/17/2008 9:10:03 AM
Really? What about the whole escapism aspect that built the entertainment business. Why would I want to see people discussing the gas prices when that's something I'd rather forget?
Hollywood fled reality a long time ago. Now, logic, I don't have a problem with, but leave the economics off my screen.
Posted by: BigTex | 6/16/2008 11:41:13 PM