Re: Those 10% monocular dictators

[P3D Michael Kersenbrock <michaelk@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> on the list), and I can't help wondering--does more than 90% of the population
> at large ever actually patronize any one movie? And then I go on wondering. I

If one thinks about the numbers, I suspect that the champion, #1, most widely
watched movie of all time (talking purely in the U.S.) was seen in a movie theatre
by quite a bit less than 50% of the population, and that the typical audience is
quite small in terms of population percentage.  Something that would be 
a failure on television could be a wild success in the movie theatre with the
same number of watchers.

Think about what successful movies gross *worldwide* (significantly under a 
billion dollars) and think about the population of the U.S. (about a quarter
billion) and the average price of a ticket. Movies, I understand, get about 
half their revenue outside of the U.S. -- and a large percentage of their
eventual gross comes from videotapes.

Make your own guesses at numbers, but I think the result will be much less
than 90%!

The currently successful film (attendance is dropping now though) "Independence
Day" is, I think, currently grossing in the 100-Million dollar range last I
saw -- maybe a bit higher now.

Mike K.


P.S. - I was using the U.S. definition of "billion" (thousand million).

P.P.S. - A local theatre advertised showing one or two 50's 3D movies about a month
         or so ago, but I couldn't make it!  ARRRRRRGGGG!!!   :-)






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