• by George Simpson , Featured Contributor, April 14, 2016

The National Association of Theater Owners this week reported that global box office sales in 2015 were up 5% to $38.3 billion, with the U.S. and Canada growing 8%, to $11.1 billion. But while box-office receipts hit record levels, the numbers of frequent moviegoers declined by 10%, marking the fourth consecutive year of declines for ages 18-24 -- the sweet spot for any studio.

And they aren't the only ones who have stopping going to the movies as often. So have I, and probably you. Hollywood would argue that if they have "the product" -- such as “Deadpool” -- that people will come to the movies in great numbers. Perhaps, but the incessant appeal to the 18-24 mindset keeps everyone else out of theaters.

Not that I don't enjoy special effects, vulgarity, creative violence and full-frontal nudity, but somewhere hidden in there has to be a storyline and some character development, and teen movies tend not to have either.

Also this week it was reported that in-theater video advertising rose 13% in 2015, with revenue hitting $716.4 million. I am sure this is at least due in part to the ad guys claiming a captive audience that stares numbly at the screen, which in my experience and observations in totally untrue.

At the movies I go to, nearly everyone is on his/her cell phone, emailing or texting right up to (and often into) when the previews start. Or they are yakking away as loud as if they were on a street corner, or running back and forth to spend $7 on about 35 cents worth of popcorn. Regardless, having to watch commercials and what the chains claim is pre-film "entertainment content" is a tedious experience -- and one more reason NOT to spend between $10 and $15 for a ticket.

Another problems, at least where I live, is that there are only two art house theaters that show quality independent and foreign films -- and then only for a few days, until they are gone forever. The big chains tend only to book the crap that comes out of Hollywood, which stays and stays regardless of how empty the theater is.

If they really want to sell more popcorn (since they claim that's where the real money is), theater owners might want to try variable pricing, knocking back the price for movies that open poorly or are panned by the critics.  There are lots of movies I would pay $5 to see -- but at $10 to $15, it is a much more considered decision.

One of the sad byproducts of OTT video is that even when people go out to public theaters, they still think they are in their living rooms and talk loudly and check their emails/texts. The crunch of popcorn and the painfully slow opening of cellophane-wrapped candy adds to the cacophony.

I have been in theaters where some patrons think it is entirely OK to bring in a bucket of fried chicken and stink up the place while they chow down. Some theaters now encourage this kind of thing by selling cocktails and meals designed to be consumed during the show.  

It has always been a mystery to me why it's nearly impossible for many people to sit quietly and not eat for 90 to 120 minutes. If they did, I might see them more often -- at the movies.