What are you watching? - Catherine Elsworth reports for news.telegraph that Hollywood is making a killing in the DVD market:
Hollywood is rediscovering raunchy adult comedy after years of shunning the genre for fear of box office failure.
The comeback is being driven by the booming market in DVDs, especially the soaring demand for "unrated" versions packed with explicit scenes "too hot" for cinemas.
With DVDs earning more than 60 per cent of studio revenue, producers are realising that even if raunchy films do not top the box office, they can earn a fortune in the shops.
"Comeback"? I'm not certain "comeback" is the right word choice.
No, strike that. I am certain that "comeback" is the wrong choice.
Hollywood is playing to the lowest common denominator to earn cash, and people in America are lapping it up.
I've noticed this trend of packing DVD's with scenes "too hot" for the silver screen and wondered why they would leave them on the cutting room floor when it came to the box office. After all, if those scenes are making so much money in the DVD market why wouldn't they make money for the Box Office market?
I guess there's a number of reasons. Here's a few I can think of right away:
One: Loud Organizations. Like the American Family Association, who make a big racket over inappropriate movies.
Two: The socially ingrained movie rating system. Including such sexually explicit scenes would likely earn movies an "X" rating in theaters. And those kind of ratings produce labels in the minds of people and act as barriers.
Three: Shame. Going to the theater is a social event. Though theaters are dark there is the assurance of community. Watching such explicit scenes in a theater can, and rightly should, make a person uncomfortable in that shared experience. Particularly if you are sharing that experience with friends and family.
So now, the Hollywood industry is taking a cue from the porn industry. Home viewing is a much more private experience. Hollywood has come to the realization that what a person won't do in public might be done in private.
Four: Replay Value. A person is likely to spend more money to own a video that can be watched repeatedly in the comfort of his/her own privacy.
So what movies do you own or rent that you would be ashamed of watching with your friends and family on the big screen?
Obviously the business of DVD's is big and getting it's money from someone. I would think that same someone must largely be made up of those people who wouldn't see the movies in public.
So I'm left wondering just how many "Church goers" are hiding more sinful secrets in their hearts and handing over cash God provides them for filth He would never condone?
