THE YEAR IN FILM


and the joys of january cinema.

The day after the announcement of Academy Award nominations -- Paul Giamatti got jobbed. but that's another post for another day -- and all the attendant, self-congratulatory Hollywood hype seems like a nice time to consider and to recommend an interesting, if unsurprising piece by Erik Lundegaard (no relation to Jerry) that appeared on MSNBC.com last week. Analyzing the findings of the folks at rottentomatoes.com, the great online compendium of film criticism, Lundegaard produced some hard data from 2004 that essentially proves what even casual moviegoers have known for a long time: that January is the year's crappiest month for new releases, and that every month of the year produces its share of crappy film fare.

Of the 157 films that last year enjoyed a "marginal release" -- opening in 500 or more theaters -- only 44 managed a "fresh," or recommended, rating. For those of you counting along at home -- and maybe bemoaning the money you spent on tripe like Taxi and Troy and Catwoman -- that translates to a paltry, putrid 28%. It's not that these movies weren't great or brilliant or Oscar-caliber; it's that they -- three out of four of them -- weren't even worth a meager, measly, marginal recommendation from a critical mass of critics across the nation. The worst month, January, produced only one film (out of ten) worth seeing.

Makes you want to run right out and plunk down your $8.50 for Alone in the Dark or Hide and Seek this weekend, doesn't it?

Posted: Wed - January 26, 2005 at 06:56 PM          

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