Sales of movie tickets are down this year and Hollywood is taking their ball home in a snit. Message to Hollywood � if Passion of the Christ was removed from consideration ticket sales were also down in 2004. This chasm that was box office profit, that shrinks by the weekend, isn’t exactly news.

Several theories might explain the two year decline. First, DVD’s arrive mere months after theatrical release. One expert makes the point that it’s not that people are seeing less movies, it’s that they are seeing them in different ways. That’s true in part, as DVD sales are steady. To many it’s a lot nicer watching in the privacy of their home, no lines, no commercials, cheaper food all of which dovetails into the second issue – the sorry state movie theater experience.

A four hundred and fifty pound woman testing out the recline feature of the seats against your knees while slobbering into a wheelbarrow of popcorn, and slapping her son all the way through the flick can only lead to great tragedy. Inconsiderate cellphone man? Why he’s next to me. Behind, a pack of teenagers kick my seat. Despite the obvious annoyances, I believe a third theory is the most likely culprit, that quality is down and consumers don’t perceive the benefit of the big screen.

As a hard core theater goer I do not say this lightly, but this season offers the smallest number of flicks I consider must see in years. This is the biggest reason the frequency of reviews dropped on the site. I still see a lot of movies; it’s difficult saying nice things about many of them. So I skip the review.

An endless stream of sequels, prequels, reverse engineered television series, half baked horror shows, and reality styled flicks have soured my taste buds. Yes, there’s commercials and steep concession prices, but neither bother me. Really, the commercials beforehand are no problem at all, I just show up 12 minutes after the film �starts�. I’ve yet to miss the final trailer before the flick. And food? What I can’t smuggle into the multiplex in my jacket and jeans, I eat later. I actually don’t mind the woman and her child yapping. However, I do mind when the film is weak.

A final theory for Hollywood. People who pay full price for movies have friends, email and telephones. Weak box office sales because of poor word of mouth and low quality eventually means weaker DVD sales.

America knows what it wants — less crap! Stop making crappy 70’s television shows into crappy movies. Except Wonder Woman. That one will be a smash.