Hi, Guest
12-23-2015, 11:48 AM
Star Trek fans are Trekkies, I am not sure Star Wars fans have a similar nickname. As someone old enough to have attended the first Star Wars debut, I sort of qualify as a Star wars fan.
In my childhood (way back in the 1950's and only one TV channel), I used to go to the movies quite regularly every Saturday. With my quarter, I was able to purchase admission, a bottle of pop, a box of popcorn and a few penny candies.
The movies started with previews of coming attractions, a newsreel of current events, a cartoon or two, a serial (Flash Gorden or some other swash-buckling series) and then the main attraction.
That first Star Wars movie, Episode IV A New Hope, was for me, a very pleasant reminder of those old serial, swash-buckling, adventures. Sadly, only that first version worked. The sequals, and even later prequals, sadly lacked that punch.
Added to the mix, is the marketing hype. Highest grossing film, opening weekend attendance, record breaking, etc. etc. Marketing hypes does not mean the film was the best film of all time. First, check out the advertising budgets. Ads start months ahead of the film release (did not happen in the distant past.) Second, there are many more theatre screens as well as more screening times today than there were in the 1930's. Third admission prices are well north of ten dollars compared to the dime admission even in my own more recent childhood experience.
The only statistic that should be considered is the number of admissions, not the dollar value. A movie like Gone With the Wind I believe would score much higher than one of this years "hits" Fifty Shades of Grey.
In my childhood (way back in the 1950's and only one TV channel), I used to go to the movies quite regularly every Saturday. With my quarter, I was able to purchase admission, a bottle of pop, a box of popcorn and a few penny candies.
The movies started with previews of coming attractions, a newsreel of current events, a cartoon or two, a serial (Flash Gorden or some other swash-buckling series) and then the main attraction.
That first Star Wars movie, Episode IV A New Hope, was for me, a very pleasant reminder of those old serial, swash-buckling, adventures. Sadly, only that first version worked. The sequals, and even later prequals, sadly lacked that punch.
Added to the mix, is the marketing hype. Highest grossing film, opening weekend attendance, record breaking, etc. etc. Marketing hypes does not mean the film was the best film of all time. First, check out the advertising budgets. Ads start months ahead of the film release (did not happen in the distant past.) Second, there are many more theatre screens as well as more screening times today than there were in the 1930's. Third admission prices are well north of ten dollars compared to the dime admission even in my own more recent childhood experience.
The only statistic that should be considered is the number of admissions, not the dollar value. A movie like Gone With the Wind I believe would score much higher than one of this years "hits" Fifty Shades of Grey.