Another Voice of Reason

My review of Syriana will come later today, but I thought I would post an excerpt from an article in the October issue of In Focus magazine, a publication run by another NATO--The National Association of Theatre Owners, from president John Fithian:

Iger considers the slowdown in theatre box office and DVD growth a �wake-up call� for the industry. I�m not sure who was asleep, but it wasn�t the exhibition industry. Here�s what we know about 2005 � the movies are not as good. They�re not terrible. They�re just not as good. And so the industry has experienced a temporary drop-off compared to 2004 � the biggest box office year in movie history.

Further, factor out last year�s big grossing specialty surprises � �Passion of the Christ� and �Fahrenheit 911� � and add in the fact that there are fewer wide general releases this year, and the alleged industry �slump� disappears.

Seems like someone, you know, like a person who actually works within the theatre industry (not someone who hears something and declares it fact) agrees with me about the slump. The comments made by Fithian are, thankfully, a breath of fresh air as box office naysayers continue to find something to belittle about 2005's money.