Recent Survey Asks: Are Movies Terrible?
by Maria Lewis illustration by Elgin Smith Every summer, movie theatres are flooded with a series of blockbuster hopefuls, each one striving to break new records for ticket sales and millions grossed. This summer was no exception. The steamy months from Memorial Day to Labor Day saw the release of films such as War of the Worlds, The Dukes of Hazzard, The Fantastic Four , and The Island . A few, such as War of the Worlds , were modestly successful. But most, including The Island, The Dukes of Hazzard , and The Fantastic Four , were expensive flops. Even with extensive marketing campaigns, glittering star power, and lots of explosions and shiny objects, movies that seemingly fit the Hollywood formula for success fizzled without much fanfare. Indeed, in a summer where the sleeper hit is March of the Penguins , one has to wonder if the public’s taste in entertainment is changing. Or maybe it’s just that these days, movies are terrible. That seems to be the conclusion of a recent survey fr
