Americans Prefer Watching Movies at Home

The Associated Press reports "Hollywood is in the midst of its longest box-office slump in 20 years, and 2005 is shaping up as the worst year for movie attendance in nearly a decade if theater business continues at the same lackluster rate."

I find this interesting. I think this trend is tied to a cultural move away from community gatherings, clubs, and socials.

AP contiues, "In the poll released Thursday, 73 percent of adults said they preferred watching movies at home on DVD, videotape or pay-per-view. With more than two-thirds also saying movie stars are poor role models - Russell Crowe's phone-throwing being the latest example - it may take more than a blockbuster or two to reverse Hollywood's slide.

"Just 22 percent said they would rather see films in a theater, according to the poll conducted by Ipsos for The Associated Press and AOL News. One-fourth said they had not been to a movie theater in the past year."

Wow! What a shift.