Why people will always go to a theater.

There’s a chill in the air and a Ricky’s “Pop-Up” Costume Shop on my block . . . so that can only mean one thing.

Halloween is almost here.

Along with the usual slutty nurses, and snack-sized Kit-Kats, Halloween also brings us a slew of scary movies at the cineplex.

This season, we’ve got a sequel that’s scaring up some serious business . . . Paranormal Activity 3 . . . which shattered a record last week with its $54 million opening.

Why did this one do so well?

That’s the question that was asked of Don Harris, Paramount’s President of Distribution.  Don had a lot to say about sequels, reviews, and more.

But it was his final response that reminded me why all those who talk about the “death” of theater are just plain wrong.

Ultimately, it gets back to why there’s still a theatrical business, why people still go to the movies.  We want to laugh in a group, we want to be scared in a group, people like to cry in a group in the dark where nobody can see them crying. It’s all the reason movie theaters exist and this genre has always been front and center.

Obviously, Don’s talking about his industry of course, and not ours . . . but all the above is a primary reason why people go to our theater as well.

We just have to work harder to make sure we don’t lose any more of our audience to Don.

Because that, would be horrifying to us all.

 

(Got a comment?  I love ’em, so comment below!  Email subscribers, click here, then scroll down, to say what’s on your mind!)

—————-

FUN STUFF

– Win tickets to Michael John LaChiusa’s Queen of the Mist!  Click here!

– Seminar alert:  Tune Up Your Marketing Materials – 10/29  &  Get Your Show Off The Ground – 11/19

 

Related Posts

Podcasting

Ken created one of the first Broadway podcasts, recording over 250 episodes over 7 years. It features interviews with A-listers in the theater about how they “made it”, including 2 Pulitzer Prize Winners, 7 Academy Award Winners and 76 Tony Award winners. Notable guests include Pasek & Paul, Kenny Leon, Lynn Ahrens and more.

LEARN MORE