2. Decline Of The Western Civilisation
But maybe you like those luvvie filled British farces and dramas about growing up on a council estate. Maybe you love the anti-blockbuster nature, the not-so-predictable endings, and the quirky characters that are the antithesis of the cookie cutter archetypes of mainstream Hollywood. Maybe youre sick of safe, PG-13 films and you long for something more adult, be it slashers running amok, harrowing divorces, or hero cop saves the day - with lots of guns and f-bombs. Maybe youre sick of franchises, remakes, comics and toys being transmitted to the big screen. And, like me, maybe youre sick of your childhood being raped for the tweeners of today. And that is why you should be worried. Because Hollywood is running scared. There is no lack of creativity (the usual charge thrown about by the disenfranchised). Theres plenty of original scripts sat in studio vaults and directors with brave new ideas. There is no lack of creativity - its simple economics. N.A.T.O (not
that N.A.T.O. but the
National Association of Theatre Owners) has confirmed that the 12-17 year olds have now overtaken the 18-36 demographic as the most spend-happy at the cinema. And like all businesses, studios cater to their customers. In addition, what with teenagers becoming increasingly obnoxious - messing on their phones and talking throughout - and the rise of internet streaming from Sony, Netflix and LoveFilm, adults are preferring to watch in the comfort of their own homes and on their widescreen HD TVs with surround sound. Its the cinema experience without the raging hormones and hoodies. Most of all, with the rise in internet piracy and free illegal downloads, studios are losing money hand over fist. Now most films lose money and its the success of the tent poles that allow the loss making films, such as the quirky, niche and indie films, to continue to be made (so think on next time you slag off Hollywood for the latest braindead franchise). But only so much can be sustained and as a result, all the major studios have shut their independent divisions - because they never made money - and the number of films made each year has dropped significantly. All it takes now is for one $100m film to fail at the box office and a studios profits for that entire year can be wiped out. So put yourself in the executives shoes: your job, even your
company hinges on the next film you green light - are you going to go for that original idea by an unknown writer or are you going to go for something with an inbuilt audience, brand recognition, and aim it at the largest demographic - those goddamn tweens? As tent poles have always been the most assured money makers, studios are focussing on them. Hence the rise in $200m+ films. It may sound counter intuitive to spend so much on so few titles when the industry is losing out to illegal downloading but the finances don't lie. These films also pull in the much missed adult audience as they take their kids and grandkids to the cinema. And every adult is a sucker for a blast from their youth no matter how dire they know its gonna be. Which is why
Starsky and Hutch and
Dukes of Hazzard got the go ahead despite the tweens they were aimed at having no idea what they were. If you feel the urge to gouge your eyes out when yet another sequel to
Pirates of the Caribbean is announced, or
Fast and the Furious, or
Resident Evil; if youre sick of getting intrigued at an upcoming horror film only to see its PG-13 - ie: horror without any horror (
The Possession, House at the End of the Street, Boogeyman,
The Woman in Black) then this is why the failure of
Dredd 3D (along with
The Last Stand and
Bullet to the Head) should leave you with a heavy heart.You may moan that they dont make em like they used to but look what happens when they do. Maybe theyll do a storm on home video, as
Dredd3D is doing, but thats an ancillary market and theyll never recoup their budgets that way. Now you know why fellow old-schooler John Mcclane went 12A for his latest outing - as did
Taken 2.