Comments on: Peggy Noonan On Hollywood’s Problems http://literalbarrage.org/blog/archives/2006/03/09/peggy-noonan-on-hollywoods-problems/ Faith, Family, Friends. Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:33:41 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: K T Cat http://literalbarrage.org/blog/archives/2006/03/09/peggy-noonan-on-hollywoods-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-5717 K T Cat Mon, 13 Mar 2006 13:56:49 +0000 http://literalbarrage.org/blog/archives/2006/03/09/peggy-noonan-on-hollywoods-problems/#comment-5717 I really enjoyed Peggy's article, too. I <a href="http://ktcatspost.blogspot.com/2006/03/peggy-noonan-hollywood-and-french.html" rel="nofollow">posted about it</a> on my blog. I really enjoyed Peggy’s article, too. I posted about it on my blog.

]]> By: nobrainer http://literalbarrage.org/blog/archives/2006/03/09/peggy-noonan-on-hollywoods-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-5706 nobrainer Fri, 10 Mar 2006 14:23:30 +0000 http://literalbarrage.org/blog/archives/2006/03/09/peggy-noonan-on-hollywoods-problems/#comment-5706 If the problem is Oscar viewership, then Noonan probably isn't too far off. As for what's going on in Hollywood, I really don't follow things well enough to know if the companies are doing well, bad, or otherwise. They will always make stinkers and they will always make some good movies. To some extent I think they suffer from the same syndrome as awards shows and baseball cards in the early 90s. Once there are sooo many they become too common and less valuable. Let's be honest, coming up with a really new idea is difficult. I think I've read that the take from the box office is down, but I'm betting that they are making up a lot of the lost ground with DVD sales. Let's face it, the theater just isn't the experience it used to be. Most Americans have sufficiently big, high quality TVs and stereos to really take in a movie. Moreover, watching in your own home you can pause, rewind, not stick to the floor, and eat popcorn that didn't cost more than a bottle of your favorite wine. The only 2 reasons I can think of to go to the theater are to leave your house just to get out, or to see the movie because you really just can't wait to see it. But when the cost of a DVD is the same as a trip for 2 to the movies, I can wait. I also think that Hollywood has a major left tilt. I don't think this hurts them as much as people on the right like to think. It may hurt specific individuals who like to speak out, thus hurting viewership when it comes to the Oscars. I have a nagging feeling that even "mainstream" America just wouldn't buy movies that are to an acceptable level of "covservative." This is a point where I really didn't like the book South Park Conservatives. The author sort of blithely says that conservative TV isn't being made because the producers don't know how to make it, which may be partly true. Or maybe it just doesn't sell. Fox seems to have conservative news down, but the regular network programming is far from conservative. That disconnect tells me that there just isn't a market for it, or that the market is there and being exploited in other ways that we just don't realize (ie reruns, or intelligent TV like the History and Discovery Channels). If the problem is Oscar viewership, then Noonan probably isn’t too far off.

As for what’s going on in Hollywood, I really don’t follow things well enough to know if the companies are doing well, bad, or otherwise. They will always make stinkers and they will always make some good movies. To some extent I think they suffer from the same syndrome as awards shows and baseball cards in the early 90s. Once there are sooo many they become too common and less valuable. Let’s be honest, coming up with a really new idea is difficult.

I think I’ve read that the take from the box office is down, but I’m betting that they are making up a lot of the lost ground with DVD sales. Let’s face it, the theater just isn’t the experience it used to be. Most Americans have sufficiently big, high quality TVs and stereos to really take in a movie. Moreover, watching in your own home you can pause, rewind, not stick to the floor, and eat popcorn that didn’t cost more than a bottle of your favorite wine.

The only 2 reasons I can think of to go to the theater are to leave your house just to get out, or to see the movie because you really just can’t wait to see it. But when the cost of a DVD is the same as a trip for 2 to the movies, I can wait.

I also think that Hollywood has a major left tilt. I don’t think this hurts them as much as people on the right like to think. It may hurt specific individuals who like to speak out, thus hurting viewership when it comes to the Oscars. I have a nagging feeling that even “mainstream” America just wouldn’t buy movies that are to an acceptable level of “covservative.” This is a point where I really didn’t like the book South Park Conservatives. The author sort of blithely says that conservative TV isn’t being made because the producers don’t know how to make it, which may be partly true. Or maybe it just doesn’t sell. Fox seems to have conservative news down, but the regular network programming is far from conservative. That disconnect tells me that there just isn’t a market for it, or that the market is there and being exploited in other ways that we just don’t realize (ie reruns, or intelligent TV like the History and Discovery Channels).

]]> By: Celebrity Wonk » Why Hollywood Makes So Many Crappy Movies http://literalbarrage.org/blog/archives/2006/03/09/peggy-noonan-on-hollywoods-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-5704 Celebrity Wonk » Why Hollywood Makes So Many Crappy Movies Thu, 09 Mar 2006 17:16:24 +0000 http://literalbarrage.org/blog/archives/2006/03/09/peggy-noonan-on-hollywoods-problems/#comment-5704 [...] Instead of looking for the next Napoleon Dynamite, studios are likely looking for the next obscure 60’s film or comic book to remake.  Sure, there are films that win in the short term with that strategy, but there are just as many losers.  The long term effects are painful to watch.  Moviegoers who are just bored with what they see.  Movies - like the award shows that surround them - are no longer remarkable. [...] [...] Instead of looking for the next Napoleon Dynamite, studios are likely looking for the next obscure 60’s film or comic book to remake.  Sure, there are films that win in the short term with that strategy, but there are just as many losers.  The long term effects are painful to watch.  Moviegoers who are just bored with what they see.  Movies – like the award shows that surround them – are no longer remarkable. [...]

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