Summer movie watch: Rough waters ahead

So my new EW has the provocatively titled article "What's Wrong With This Summer's Movies?" It appears that box office revenue's are down about $147 million so far, and 2010 had the worst Memorial Day box office since 2001. Eeep! The article argues that by this time last year two future Best Picture nominees had been released and several blockbusters had arrived. Definitely not so this year.

So what gives? Bad movies seems to be the main explanation. Sex and the City 2 fizzled both with critics and with ticket sales, and has since had the even more dubious distinction of being taken off my must-see summer movie list. The Killers, Prince of Persia and Shrek: Forever After all have taken big hits from their reviews and it shows in their weak opening weekends. Could it also be, as the article suggests, that we've been majorly spoiled with great TV shows that have just wrapped for the season, and we therefore don't have the patience for mediocre crap like we used to? Both valid arguments.

What irks me, however, is there have been a couple of good movies released the last few weeks that I think should have gotten higher box-office draws. Get Him to the Greek is one. The night I went to see it my roommate and I had narrowed our choices to either that or SATC. We went with Greek because, as I argued, it had better critical praise and it was an hour shorter. And it was good, damn it, as I pointed out in my earlier review. So why did it cough up only $18 million it's opening weekend.

Anther film is The A-Team, which, I've discovered, pulled in a low enough opening weekend that hopes for a sequel have been pretty much scrapped. What the hell? It was so fun! So what if it wasn't Oscar worthy, it was a great summer movie! I would've loved to see round two. Life so is not fair.

So what does all this mean? Not sure. Perhaps Hollywood's umpteenth wake-up call? The summer season is still early, so hopefully things can still pick up. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World has been added to my summer list, which will hopefully salve my wounds over Sex and the City. I'd even bought a shirt with a stiletto to wear when I went and saw Carrie and the girls. That shirt will have to wait for something special (cue tear drop).