Middle-Ground Movies
“A Squeeze Play Tags the Summer Box Office” (Aug. 2) mentions that this summer’s films are either mega-hits grossing over $100 million or losers buried in red ink, leaving no real middle ground. This is attributed to the fact that there are too many films to choose from. This may be part of the reason but not all.
Even in hard economic times, people will still spend money for escapist entertainment. As money gets tighter, however, and with theater tickets getting more expensive, people are more likely to spend on what they consider a first-rate film with a proven track record, rather than risk it on a film with so-so reviews and a lackluster box-office performance.
How often do you now hear the question, “Is it worth seeing in the theater or should we wait for it to come out on video?” Which means: Is it worth spending $7.50 per person at a theater today, or just $3.50 for a home-video rental in a few months?
So, until the economy improves or movie tickets become cheaper, the middle ground will continue to dwindle.
JOHN McGLYNN
Unemployed university graduate
Glendale
Only good movies
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