May 8, 2007
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This Just In: Food For Thought
'Spidey' pulls in record audiences
By DAVID GERMAIN, AP Movie Writer
Mon May 7, 9:18 PM ET
LOS ANGELES - "Spider-Man 3" shattered box-office records with $151.1 million domestically and $382 million worldwide in just days, pulling in more people over opening weekend than any film ever has, according to studio figures Monday.
Domestically, Sony Pictures' "Spider-Man 3" drew 22.5 million people in its first three days, based on an average ticket price of $6.70 estimated by box-office tracker Media By Numbers.
I've left the following thought in a couple of comments yesterday and today so I thought I'd post this here.
I'm a die hard movie buff who used to attend a theater engagement at the local multiplex every week. For two years prior to writing this blog on Xanga, I wrote a blog called "The ElectricMovies Diary" and from 1999 to 2002 I wrote semi regular movie reviews for my ElectricMovies website. I minored in film history at the University of Southern California in the early 70s, and I have many film classics in my collection of movies. I consider myself a movie lover.
I'll eventually see the Spider Man movie. I have the first two in my DVD collection. I didn't think about comic books, special effects, or Hollywood when I read the above story yesterday, however. The first thing I thought about when I read the above story yesterday, which claims the new Spider Man movie brought in over
150 MILLION DOLLARS domestically and 382 MILLION DOLLARS worldwide
in it's opening weekend were little hungry refugee children around the world. I thought about hungry children who would rather have some sustenance than spend two hours with Spiderman.
A movie is nothing more than a memory. You see it unfold over two hours. You're lost in the "movie world". You eat some overpriced and possibly unhealthy theater food. You emerge from the "experience" entertained, but next week, or possibly tomorrow you will have other things on your mind. The memory might stick for years, it might fade very quickly. The movie is not "tangible". It is illusory. Fleeting. Finally Forgotten. You might have waited in one of the many queues for a half hour or more before you even were able to see the film.
Suppose instead of paying the average price of $6.70 on Spiderman, which undoubtedly the 22 million people who saw the movie could afford, each one of those people instead purchased a meal for one of the 854 million hungry people in the world. Perhaps the 24,000 people who die every day as a result of hunger could stick around a little longer and relish their own memories.
UN World Food Program
The Hunger Site
Bread for the World
The Hunger Project
Freedom From Hunger
Stop The Hunger
Comments (11)
it is very imbalanced... :rolleyes:
I am always amazed that the entertainement industry rake in so many dollars so fast. We live in a society where we think it is our right to be entertained...and forget about those who are without food.
it would be nice if people thought about those starving kids every once in a while and did do something like that instead. my brother went and saw it opening day. he's in debt up to his eyeballs but he managed to go to the movie and grab a bite to eat there too. his little girl hasn't seen him for months now... i don't know if he's even pay child support at this point. i don't know what to think about him. it really was his choice... but he might have felt depressed and pathetic... i don't know.
You Got smiley's.....:laugh:...Go Mike..It was your birthday!!!!:wink:
I didn't not go see this movie...not because I thought of the sterving children All over the world but because it was sold out!!!!
This is truly an amazing post.....I hate that it is so true!!! I donate money and volunteer my time to homeless shelter's as much as I can!!! I believe it is my responciblity to help those whom can't help themselves!!! Thank you Mike for the eye opener!!:eek:
:sunny:God Bless!!:sunny:
I have heard rave reviews on Spider-Man 3. I've not seen the previous "spider" movies, but might go to see this one for curiosities sake.
Unfortunately I think in our world we are always going to have the "haves and have nots". It's a very sad fact of life that people in many parts of the world will never have enough to eat because of their government's greedy, corrupt ways. Their governments as we all know quite often direct funds sent to help their needy people towards tools for war etc. Tragic, but true.
I think businesses would do so much better, too, if they had discreet little jars for money for the homeless or impoverished or the starving. It's hard for me to take five dollars and send it to Africa, or even to find the right place downtown to give it. I could try harder, sure, but I know other people could do things to make it easier, too. I'm sorry for not including a link to the Island in my post. Perhaps I'll go back and add that later
Your Paradigm Shifting novel does not sound boring. That's a book I think I'd enjoy reading. As much as I claim to read, I'm very picky about what I choose. Jump on that idea fast. I know you've mentioned the title to me before, but it seems very familiar and I fear I might have heard about the concept in other arenas, too. I'm actually reminded of a Star Trek: TNG episode that should be arriving soon. I'm pretty sure it's from the first season, where Riker brings back "the game" from some planet and everybody but Wesley Crusher (or maybe Data) becomes obsessed with it and refuses to do their duty.
Don't feel bad about people not participating at the Island. If I were you, I'd probably be tempted to stop hosting it, too. I, for one, enjoy the topics, even if it usually takes me a week or two to formulate a proper post response. You can lead a horse to water, with your messages and comments and links, but you can't make him drink - no matter how tasty. Peace, Mike!
:wave: Thanks for this very thoughtful and thought provoking post. I do not have much money as I have not come up with a part time job to supplement SS. I do what I can to help with projects for those in need around here. My church supports many needs in the community as well as a "care package" for the troops every month. I take my donations there (money, food, clothing, etc.). Whenever I get additional money from band management fees, I donate 1/10th of it. I don't go to first run movies, anymore, either. Don't even get many DVDs.
RYC: On paloozahead I could not cut the microphone out because it would then cut into my face. I didn't have another "face" for me available. I didn't want to spend a buncha time on it -- just wanted to see how it worked. It was all just for fun, anyway, so . . . :p I consider it a victory that I didn't have to make it perfect (as I am a "recovering perfectionist")
Hope all is well with you.
~~Cheers, Donna :sunny:
I think it would be wonderful if we all went without a meal a week and gave it to a child that was hungry we would not have to diet and the children would get fed. It would also be wonderful if the movie industry gave some of that money to the poor. Thanks for coming by my site. Off to interview for another job. Judi
That's a lot of money!
It's a thought-provoking juxtaposition of facts and figures you got here.
son Obi saw the midnight FIRST showing of Spidey and said he was hugely underwhelmed. I think it probably suffered from too much too much (i haven't seen it yet and may even boycott)... which unfortunately was the case with X-Men 3.
these days, I prefer the well-made little "independent" movie... I saw Year of the Dog and will be seeing Waitress tomorrow night (I'm predicting, just based on seeing the previews which had Nathan Fillion ~captain of the SERENITY~ as the male lead, that WAITRESS will be the sleeper hit of the summer.)
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