Space-jammed into submission
Campus Times
December 6, 1996
by Raechel Fittante
Managing Editor
In addition to the plethora of movie theaters now open throughout the
Inland Empire -- there are from two to five in just about every city --
next week die-hard movie fans will be pleased when two new movie theaters
open in the glorious Ontario Mills mall, otherwise known to many as the
biggest money-making scam of the season.
I say die-hard new release movie fans will be pleased because they are
perhaps the only ones who agree with the contractors of the newly-erected
AMC and Edwards theaters that it is an absolute necessity to have around
50 or so movie screens all in the same place showing practically all the
same new release films, such as "Space
Jam," "Ransom" and "Romeo
and Juliet."
Do not get me wrong, I am sure "Space Jam" is a quality family
film, but it seems preposterous that we need 50 screens of all the same
movies that any person can go right down the street from their home to see.
So, what about "The
Funeral?" What about "Swingers?"
Could it be that the addition of the movie theaters to Ontario Mills
could be yet another ploy to get people to come far and wide for the new
shopping excursion, or just that the people who dreamed up this little promise
for a more satisfying shopping and movie-going trip were really dreaming
of nothing but "money, money, money?"
Although it is a pretty basic fact that money rules the world, there
is also a large audience of people in this area who are not satisfied with
what many of the multi-million-dollar movies provide and who are forced
to drive into Pasadena or Los Angeles to seek out the movies they prefer
in smaller art theaters because the big screens of this area do not offer
movies that are not well-known, widely- advertised or highly-budgeted.
Regardless of the fact that many of these smaller, not-so-mainstream
movies are not made to cater only to a mainstream audience, the fact is
that, around here, they are not being offered. There are people who are
looking to see movies that contain aspects of quality and intellectual stimulation
that are more than just earth-shattering special effects and actors with
the big contracts. These people are not considered in the thought process
of what types of movies to show locally because they supposedly would not
bring enough money to the theaters. It is not as if the new releases are
going to lose money, instead it is the movie theaters who are striving to
compete with other theaters running the same movies who promote this repeating
movie madness.
Some of the most ingenious films are not shown locally because theater
chains refuse to believe an audience exists for anything not starring Tom
Cruise or Barbra Streisand. If a movie is not anticipated to sell out for
three straight nights upon release, most local theaters will not carry it.
What about the demand for different types of movies?
This is a symptom of the larger trend in Hollywood -- merchandising
has surpassed storytelling as the main reason for studios to make movies.
The movie-makers dedicated to storytelling -- the small, independent producers
-- are being marginated by the record company executives and fast food merchandisers
who control motion picture economics.
Obviously the financial puppeteers of our society do not want the public
to become interested in movies that are not on Hollywood's top 10 list because
it is their way of keeping us glued into the conformity they provide for
us while they suck our minds and pocketbooks dry. If other movies were offered,
more people besides the ones who are used to driving 35 miles away might
go see them and realize that there is more to life than "101
Dalmatians."
Raechel Fittante, a junior journalism major, is managing editor of
the Campus Times. She can be reached by e-mail at fittante@ulvacs.ulaverne.edu.