Simply put, the movie industry is an oppressive force.  They have become arguably the most powerful group of people in existence.  Not powerful like the president.  I’m talking powerful like the church.  No other group can influence public opinion the way that the movie industry can.  They have been this way for over a century, but only recently has their stranglehold on the world been challenged.  And with this challenge, all of the industry’s bad points are coming to the surface, public.  I give to you, the top 10 problems with the Movie Industry.

  1. The MPAA.  Most movie theaters will not carry movies that aren’t rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.  The MPAA is a tool the industry uses to shape the collective opinion of society.  Make no mistake, the reason that the average American believes that violence is more appropriate in entertainment than sexuality is because that’s what the movie industry wants us believe.  The MPAA’s history of being more lenient on violence and condemning of sex isn’t a reflection of society.  On the contrary, we believe that sexuality in film is bad because the MPAA says that it is.  If anything, there should be more sexuality in films, and much less violence.  The MPAA also charge fees for their rating service, which help to keep low budget movies from even getting a rating.
  2. Censorship.  The movie industry exercises censorship.  This is due to the fact that the rating system in question has its roots in Catholic dogma.  The rating system evolved from The Hays Code, which was originally devised as a way to keep movies from “lowering the moral standards of those who see it.”  That is a direct quote.  While society has evolved outside of this principle, the movie industry hasn’t moved very far from the concept of controlling what is considered moral or not.  This is the main reason why the 2002 film “The Profit” has been banned in the United States.  The movie quite simply pissed off some powerful people who wanted to see the movie go away.  And away it went.
  3. The Glass Ceiling.  The industry has a glass ceiling.  As far as movies have come within the last 20 years, there is still very little money or success to be made unless a powerful executive lets you have it.  You can release a movie independently, but in order to gain an audience in this country, the movie has to have millions of corporate dollars behind it.  An independent film scene could grow and become prosperous, allowing for many people to share their viewpoint and artistic expression, but since this would cut into the industry’s bottom line, they try to prevent it from happening.
  4. Actors are paid way too much.  As evidenced by the fact that actors get paid too much is how little some of them have to work.  By definition, when someone “does” something for a living, he or she must actually do it more than one time a year!  Otherwise, the actor “did” something for a living.  Even considering the ridiculous, out of touch lifestyle that these people live, they still make more than enough money to not have to work very often.  And these are the people that we are supposed to “connect” with when we watch movies.  There are a few exceptions though, such as Samuel L Jackson, who have a great work ethic, but these are few and far between.
  5. The industry blames piracy, instead of their own decision to turn movie theaters into a free for all when it comes to unruliness, the presence of cell phones, demographics, the declining span of time between theatrical and video release, and the very concept of paying what is now over $10 for a ticket only to be assaulted with 15+ minutes of advertisements!  Trust me, piracy is a byproduct of the industry’s total disregard for the audience.  Piracy is NOT the problem, it is a symptom of the problem.  But what does the industry do?  They put us on a guilt trip!
  6. Lack of Artistic Direction.  Nowadays, movies are being planned in boardrooms and business meetings.  The aim has become to make money, and because that is so common in Hollywood, we are led to believe that it’s okay.  Well, it’s not okay.  Movies are an extension of the human desire to tell stories.  The stories are what’s important.  The money comes into play so that an artist has the OPPORTUNITY to tell his story, and not the bloody OBLIGATION to!  Filmmakers are making movies, so that greedy executives can live out their lavish lifestyles, and so that movie theaters can continue to churn out more new releases every single Friday.  The movie industry is nothing more than a glamorized assembly line.
  7. Movies are no longer events.  The appeal of seeing a movie in the theater is diminished when the viewer knows that it will be on DVD within three months.  And not only that, but the average moviegoer has turned into such a prude about other people enjoying the movie.  If you don’t believe, try cheering or clapping the next time you go to a crowded movie and see how well that goes over.  When was the last time you went to a film, and considered it to be an event that you would remember for many years?  Movies should be that way EVERY time you go, and if you believe otherwise, then you are a victim of the diminished value that the industry has created.
  8. Advertising.  There is no reason that advertising has to be so prominent in movies.  People have shown that they WILL pay money to watch movies.  With outlets such as movie theaters and pay per view being profitable ventures, it shows people will even pay to watch a movie one time!  The ability for movies to make money is there.  Why punish your loyal customers by making them watch commercials in the theater, disable the “next” button on DVD trailers, and cutting in with countless product placements?  The time has come for the common people to show that this is NOT acceptable.
  9. Political Agendas.  Some people say that the media in general has a liberal bias, while other people think that the media is ran by conservative tycoons.  What is for sure is that movies are used too often as a primary source of a person’s information on a given subject.  Movies can be one of the most powerful media in the world, and it sucks that it is being misused by some people.  I won’t name any names, but they’re out there.
  10. Lack of Responsiblity.  Ultimately, the movie industry’s number one problem is their lack of responsibility for their own faults.  Movie ticket sales are down.  Way down.  And instead of looking to simple concepts such as supply and demand, the movie industry places the blame solely on you, the viewer.  There are many, many reasons why movie attendance is down, but rather than adapt to changes in society, and adjust their business to fit these changes, the industry decides to increase ticket prices, and insert more advertising.

So you tell me, is it our fault that the movie industry isn’t as powerful as it used to be?  We have given them this power that the cling so dearly to for about a century now.  Now they wield their power over us.  I’m going to assume that you watch movies, because most people do.  What are you going to do about it?  Will you continue to give these people your attention and hard earned money, or will you help to contribute to the independent scene?  Whether you assist Swollen Thumb Entertainment or not, I implore you to do your part in some way.  Don’t take the abuse any longer, and speak out with your words and your dollars.  It is time to put the industry in it’s place.  They work for us… not the other way around.