It has been keenly observed by movie analysts that this has been a dry summer for movies.
This is a fairly easy point to make. Off the top of your head, what was the most recent movie to hit theaters that really excited you? For me, that answer is “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” which debuted in May.
I am a superhero geek, so the only movie I anticipate for the rest of this summer is “Guardians of the Galaxy.” But say you like comedies. In that case, you got “22 Jump Street” but have now had to make do with the abysmal “Sex Tape.”
For romance, audiences were a bit luckier, with movies such as “The Fault in Our Stars” and “Begin Again,” which were relatively well-received by critics. But I suspect nobody will be blown away by the quality of the upcoming “Step Up: All In.”
Furthermore, none of these movies have been crossover hits that appealed to demographics outside their target audience. Heck, for that, you have to go to “Transformers 4,” which will probably make more than a billion dollars and prove Michael Bay is an alchemist who can turn explosions into money.
This is sad because none of the “Transformers” movies are very good. Looking back, I can recall no singular character, line of dialogue or even image from the three installments I have seen.
The five highest-grossing movies of the past weekend have an average RottenTomatoes score of 45 percent. This includes “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” which has the only “fresh” rating of the bunch.
Now, studios are obviously in it for the money, and what I am about to argue is in no way revolutionary. But it is important.
Our summer movie blockbusters are at stake. If you want quality films in theaters, give quality films your ticket money.
If you want fewer films like “Transformers 4” to be made, by no means should you give them money for a ticket. That is how this and every other business works.
Of course, if you happen to enjoy “Transformers 4” or “Sex Tape” or any of the other movies neither critics nor audiences seemed to particularly like, then ignore this plea.
Carry on your merry way. But if you, like me, want a bit more selection at the theaters in the next few years, then be judicious with your ticket money.
Make an informed decision with your hard-earned cash. That, or we resign ourselves to “Sex Tape 2.”
