thoughtfulFor example. And even then, it was a hallucination, whereas Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is something you can show to other people.
Sadly, when the opening weekend box office for Scott Pilgrim was reported, it was well below industry expectations, and the movie was promptly written off as a flop. It doesn't matter if it makes back its budget and more on DVD; it failed. It didn't bring in big bucks in the theater. The same thing happened to Slither, which has been one of my favorite movies of all time basically since the first commercial aired. Bad box office, great DVD sales, game over. (And yes, opening week matters. It's incredibly rare for something to have sales that climb after the opening rush has passed, which is why, weirdly, it's important to be a part of that initial rush, if you can. That initial rush is what tells the accountants "this is going to be okay.")
A lot of people said a lot of things when the numbers for Scott Pilgrim started coming in, and what a lot of them said boiled down to, "Why do you care?" You are not, after all, involved with writing, producing, marketing, or selling the movie; you're just a consumer. The movie was there to be consumed, you consumed it, now move on. And to a degree, they're right. No one can ever take Slither away from me; all the bad box office in the world can't keep Scott Pilgrim out of my DVD collection once it's released in a purchasable format. So why do I care?
I care because we're not going to get another movie like Scott Pilgrim any time soon. I care because Slither tanking at the box office is why we had to wait five years for Zombieland. I care because all entertainment is profit-driven, and when we don't put our quarters in the plastic pony, it stops bucking.
Why do book series end in the middle? Because not enough people bought the books. Sometimes they can live on, as with
tim_pratt's online serialization of his fabulous Marla Mason stories, but for the majority of authors, if the sales aren't there, the story's over. Why do midlist authors disappear? Because their sales weren't good enough to justify their continued publication. Why are TV shows canceled? Because not enough people gave money to their advertisers. All entertainment is profit-driven. We pay to play, and when we stop paying, they stop playing.Scott Pilgrim is important because it's a weird, wacky, wonderful movie, and it's going to be a long time before we see something else like it. Next time you love something weird, wacky, and wonderful—whether it's a movie, a TV show, or a book—remember the lesson of Scott Pilgrim, and the eighth evil ex: the box office. In this economy, it's more important than ever that we kick its ass.
August 24 2010, 18:35:18 UTC 6 years ago
I should add that I went with my husband and he loved the whole thing, while I was wishing I was somewhere else, or at least had brought my knitting! Two hours of my life I won't get back.
I think the quirky technology approach was interesting, but the attitudes and storyline really ruined it for me. And the fact that they pushed the in-your-face 'we're cool, look at our look' aspect really put me off. If you don't have a decent story, the best visual tricks still aren't going to cut it.
What I find sad is that this stupid story used up a chance for a well-written, good cutting edge movie to have done well in the box office. Its flopping will affect the chances of other quirky films getting made. Too bad it blew the chance.
August 24 2010, 21:06:13 UTC 6 years ago
It makes me sad, because that is why the median always wins.