|
The just ended movie holiday season was major for film exhibitors while the quality of domestic releases was a letdown February 28 neatly bookends the three-month-plus "holiday season" for China's film industry, which began on Nov 20. The receipts have been tallied and box-office sales topped 3 billion yuan ($439 million). But not everyone in the industry is laughing all the way to the bank. In fact, quite a few are weeping behind closed doors. The reason is simple: Domestic releases had a lackluster response and the two Hollywood blockbusters, 2012 and Avatar, accounted for more than half of the receipts. So the unprecedented turnout across the nation's cinemas turned out to be good news for film exhibitors, like those movie chains, but terrible news for most filmmakers. Now it's time to play the blame game. I must say the public is more mature about the state of affairs this time. Few have pointed their fingers and called it a "foreign invasion". Also, government intervention was limited to pulling Avatar from 2-D screens. Had it pulled the runaway hit from all screening venues, it could have triggered a major backlash. Some people endured a five-hour ride to get to the nearest theater with 3-D or IMax facility, and once there, put up with an eight-hour wait in shivering cold. These people must not be crossed. The only person who did not seem to understand this was the director of Confucius, who tried to talk up her own movie at the expense of Avatar and ended up accruing a mountain of ill will. | 
