Would you care to cast a vote regarding what you'd like the culture to be like? You can do so this weekend. And every weekend thereafter. It'll only cost you the price of a movie ticket. Every weekend the entertainment industry focuses its attention on one place -- the box office. And every weekend, the success or failure of any movie opening that weekend communicates to the entertainment industry what it is that the public wants to see. Saw opened well? Then we shouldn’t be surprised to see Saw II and Saw III at the box office. Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie tanked at the box office? It’s no wonder we haven’t seen Bob and Larry on the silver screen since. So what are we to do? Decry those degenerates who enjoy blood and gore? That may make us feel better, but it wouldn’t accomplish anything. Instead, we should opt for a much more enjoyable and constructive alternative -- let's all go to the movies! Judicious movie attendance can send a loud and clear message to Hollywood. Far too often, conservatives sit on the sidelines, waiting to be assured regarding the political and moral purity of a movie before even approaching the theater a few weeks after the movie opens. That's a few weeks too late. According to Jonathan Bock, president and founder of Grace Hill Media, “Opening weekend is the barometer by which Hollywood measures success. If a film earns a lot of money in its first three days, nothing else matters. It’s a hit, and the industry will immediately scramble to make more films like it.” In Hollywood, the amount of money a film makes is the bottom line. They don’t care about the values of conservatives unless those values are having a direct impact on their bottom line. One can argue that Hollywood would be doing much better if they weren’t offending our values, but they won’t understand that until they see movies that share our values raking in the cash at the box office. So where do we begin? Well, thanks to Walden Media, conservatives have an ever-increasing number of opportunities to vote for cultural change. Education-oriented Walden is committed to bringing award-winning children's literature to the silver screen and has already treated us to Because of Winn-Dixie, Holes, I Am David, Charlotte's Web, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. This past weekend Walden released Bridge to Terabithia, which landed in second place at the box office, letting Walden know that their strategy is sound and sending a message to the rest of Hollywood (wouldn't you like to inspire some copycats?) that this is just the sort of family-friendly entertainment we're looking for. Continued... |