movies

Should You Go to a Movie Based on Its Box Office Take?

May 30, 2018 By David Robson 1 Comment

As people who monitor our spending very closely, many of our decisions are made based on numbers. Especially with regard to entertainment, for which our budget may be quite small.

Base your movie-going decisions solely on box-office statistics and you might miss seeing *Solo: A Star Wars Story* at the theater.

At the time of this writing, the big entertainment news has been the box office disappointment of Solo: A Star Wars Story. It feels like the box office takings of the movie were discussed more than whether the film was any good.

Which raises the question: Should you base your movie-going decisions on box office stats? Short Answer: No. Even the long answer is essentially no.

Box office figures used to be of interest only to readers of Hollywood trade publications. Variety would collect the figures on movies rented by theaters, and would list the most popular movies rented by theaters in the largest cities.

It was only in 1981 that data was collected from all movie theaters, this time focusing on the box office — on what patrons around the country (and later, around the world) were paying to see movies.

This information became distributed in more mainstream publications, including newspapers.

Even as detailed film criticism was phased out of many newspapers (and film critics wound up on the internet, flooding the thing with endless movie reviews), that compact top ten box office list remained, offering quantitative data without taking up too many column inches.

Water Cooler Talk

The weekend grosses of movies became something we could easily access and talk about around the water cooler Monday mornings.

Combine that with the increasing dominance of the blockbuster mentality in Hollywood (and among the so-called indie studios), and you have a formula by which the most profitable movie appears to equal the best.

Your average Joe may be reluctant to offer an artistic opinion on a movie but may feel comfortable pointing at the hard data which suggests that millions of people went to a movie theater to enjoy the same experience he or she did.

Many viewers simply feel safer spending money to see a movie that everyone seems to be going to than to take a chance on something fewer people are talking about.

The Big Box Office “But”

But there are a mess of economic factors that figure into a movie’s box office grosses. Many big budget blockbusters have the advantage of tremendous studio backing, and will be booked into a large number of theaters worldwide.

Many screens in the same multiplex will offer the same movie, feeding the bigger-is-better notion (“It must be good if the ‘plex is showing it on three screens.”).

In small-town markets with only one or two neighborhood theaters, the latest blockbuster may be the only movie screening in town, and so it’ll sell a number of tickets to small-town viewers who want to see the latest movie on offer, regardless of what it is.

Big Splashy Action Movies

This kind of wide, shock-and-awe release will tend to be a big, splashy action movie, especially in the summer.

Effects-driven, highly visual movies have always been good business for Hollywood. The studios continue to chase big successes in the international markets, where they have an established and successful track record with bigger, louder movies featuring an emphasis on familiar characters, big action, and busy visuals.

And so mainstream theaters will be flooded with such movies during the summer blockbuster months.

What About Solo?

In the case of the aforementioned Solo: A Star Wars Story, it may have been that the studio miscalculated the interest in a movie based on the early days of one of the franchise’s earliest characters.

It has been booked on thousands of screens, and its marketing has been difficult to miss. If you want to see it, you’re in luck – it’s certainly playing at a theater near you, even if there’s only one movie theater in your town.

Which leaves us with the perplexing story that the new Star Wars movie is a flop financially. On paper the movie’s grosses — $150 million in its first three days – seem impressive (after all, that’s more money than most of us will see in our lifetimes).

What Flop?

But the main story emphasizes what a flop this movie has been: The previous Star Wars movie, The Last Jedi, took $220 million in its first three days in just the U.S. and Canada; and Solo is only the seventh-highest Memorial Day opening for a movie.

Given the prominence in reporting of a movie’s financial success, words like “flop,” “disappointment,” and “undersold” create a misleading impression of inferior quality that has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not the movie is any good.

The Transformers movies have made nearly $5 billion between them, but would you call them classics?

The discussion of box office grosses also ignores smaller movies. Foreign and independent films have nowhere near the theatrical distribution of the major blockbusters, and many of them could really use your ticket dollars to break even. (Many of them are more deserving of your ticket dollars, really.)

Your Favorite Movies Might Have Been “Flops”

Plus, movies become enshrined classics over time, often without the benefit of large box office dollars.

The Coen Brothers’ 1998 stoner comedy The Big Lebowski is one of the most-quoted and deeply beloved comedies of the last 20 years, a huge build from its initial box office take of $46.2 million.

The home videos outsold *The Godfather,* but *Tommy Boy* fizzled at the box office.

The Chris Farley and David Spade comedy Tommy Boy had even more modest box office revenues of $32.7 million in 1995. But 10 years later its director Peter Segal was told by Paramount that the movie had outsold The Godfather on home video.

Paramount then put out a new disc for the movie, loaded with extras, which took its profile even higher.

And surely you or someone in your office can bust out a quote from 1999’s Office Space, a funny and evergreen movie that took in $12.2 million during its theatrical run.

So Where Should You Look?

If a movie’s box office taking isn’t a reliable indicator of a movie’s quality, what can you use instead?

Film Reviews

If your local paper doesn’t have a busy film critic or reviewer (or if that person sucks), there’s a bunch of great film writing on the web.

RogerEbert.com has many writers on staff who are continuing the tradition of clear, insightful, and useful film writing established by the late, great Chicago critic.

Rotten Tomatoes

The fresh or rotten binary is sometimes misleading, but Rotten Tomatoes isn’t a bad first stop for an overview on a movie. It includes excerpts of reviews, plus a fresh or rotten certification based on those reviews that will tell you if a majority of reviewers liked it.

Ask a Friend or Acquaintance

You’re sure to have a movie-mad friend who’d love to make recommendations. Just ask — straight up and spoiler-free — if the movie’s worth seeing.

Twitter

Every movie that comes out has people tweeting about it. You can either type the title into the search window or look for the hashtag for the movie (i.e. #Solo or #SoloAStarWarsStory).

This will get you to a mess of different opinions about the movie. If any particular person’s tweets about a movie feel right, are smart or amuse you, follow that person.

Even better, if you can find out the Twitter handle of a movie critic you dig, follow that profile for additional recommendations.

All of the above ideas will help you navigate your way through the summer movie season, when lots of flicks tend to generate big numbers because kids are out of school.

Just remember: bigger box office doesn’t automatically mean a better movie. And the little movie you take a chance on might turn out to be tomorrow’s classic. Happy viewing.

How seriously do you take a movie’s box office takings when considering a movie’s worth? Where do you go for movie recommendations? And which movies do you want to go see this summer?

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10 Fun Things That Are Cheaper Than a Swimming Pool

May 30, 2018 By Travis Pizel Leave a Comment

Cheaper Than A Swimming Pool

The typical vision of a backyard oasis includes a swimming pool, but with an average price exceeding $23,000, many find it hard to make that vision a reality. But you can have fun for a lot less money: check out this list of 10 things that can be done in just about any backyard for less money.

Mega Water Slide

Kids and adults can cool off on hot summer days with a 75-foot water slide found on Amazon for $149.95.

Backyard Adventure Water Park

Nobody will complain about not having a swimming pool if they have their own water park. It comes with a giant beach ball, slide arches, obstacle beams and sprinkling palm tree.

The pieces have four-way connectors allowing any formation you can imagine. The Backyard Adventure Water Park is available from Amazon for $466.07.

Hammock

Swing to the gentle summer breeze in a hammock. Amazon sells a two-person hammock with a stand and sunshade for $219.99.

Giant Trampoline

Jumping on a giant trampoline is not only fun but great exercise. Walmart sells a 15-foot trampoline with a safety enclosure for $279.99 each.

Fire Pit

Enjoy summer nights around a fire pit in your backyard. Home Depot sells quality fire pit kits starting at $349. They include stones and a steel insert — so that your fire pit will last for years.

Bird Feeders

Watching colorful birds outside your window can relax and entertain you at the same time. Purchase a bird feeder station for $24.99 — and a set of two bird feeders for $17.99 from Amazon and you’ve created a new hobby for $42.98.

Garden

Spend the whole summer nurturing your own backyard vegetable and herb garden. Buy a seed kit from Amazon for $22.95 and harvest the benefits in the fall.

Volleyball Net

Set up your own volleyball court and invite your friends and neighbors over for a little friendly competition. Everything you need is included in a volleyball package from Walmart priced at $76.99.

Outdoor Movies

With an inflatable movie screen ($249.99) and wireless projector ($299.99) from Best Buy, you’ll be the envy of the neighborhood by hosting outdoor movies.

Backyard Camping

Treat your kids to a camping experience without leaving the yard: Put up a six-person tent from Target ($80.99), throw in as many pillows and blankets as you can find and sleep under the stars.

How About All of the Above?

Unbelievably, you could do all of the things listed for $2,238.89, which is still a fraction of the cost of a swimming pool.

Just imagine how much fun your backyard would be with all of these things in it — or at least more than one of them.

Readers, would you rather have a swimming pool or all of these things at a fraction of the cost?

If you enjoy reading our blog posts and would like to try your hand at blogging, we have good news for you; you can do exactly that on Saving Advice. Just click here to get started.

budget activities, frugal activities, cheap fun things to do

Elon Musk’s Younger Sister: Tosca Musk’s Net Worth

March 7, 2018 By David Robson Leave a Comment

How has Elon Musk spread his wealth among his family members? A look at his younger sister Tosca Musk’s net worth may shed light on that question. But focusing only on Tosca’s finances provides an incomplete picture of her accomplishments.

Tosca Musk’s Net Worth

Tosca’s net worth has been estimated as high as $169.4 million, which is only a modest figure if your last name is Musk — Elon has a net worth of $20.8 billion. Although her fortune comes to her through her family, she has put her money into her passions and forged her own path.

Although Tosca worked at Zip2 (the company founded by her brothers, the acquisition of which launched their fortune), she quickly left after the company was acquired to actively pursue a filmmaking career.

Film Career

Prior to her tech career, Tosca studied filmmaking at the University of British Columbia and completed her final undergraduate film (an ambitious dramatization of the 1976 anti-apartheid Soweto riots) in her home country of South Africa. Her first film-related project, Tiki Bar TV, fused her family’s aptitude for technological innovation with her own passion for hands-on filmmaking. Tiki Bar TV was the first-ever video podcast, for which Musk served as producer and darn near everything else, down to building the set for the show in her own home and hand-painting numerous props for each episode.

More crucially, she brought in sponsors and increased the show’s merchandising, transforming Tiki Bar TV from an internet cult item to an ongoing, sustainable business with over half a million subscribers. Tosca and the show’s creators were showered with awards for their work on the show, which was cited by Forbes as “one of the first breakout stars in the world of internet television.”

Musk continued to actively write, produce, and direct numerous features in diverse genres, including the highly successful tele-film Holiday Engagement, which set a record as the most-watched movie on the Hallmark cable network.

Passionflix

Many of her passions come together in the appropriately-named Passionflix, which began operating last year. She raised $4.75 million to fund the company — with angel investments from her brother Kimbal Musk (who has an estimated net worth of $672 million), Jason Calacanis, Bill Lee and Norman Lear.

Passionflix aims at an audience looking for classic and new movies featuring relatable female protagonists. For $5.99 a month, viewers can enjoy a specially-curated selection of romantic movies, as well as original material created by Tosca herself and a growing slate of female filmmakers.

Some may balk that most of the company’s original offerings are adaptations of popular romance novels, but Tosca is simply working to fill the demands of a specific and growing audience. Her efforts to boost feminine representation both on-screen and behind the camera (in a year where only 3% of major studio movies will be directed by women) are downright laudable.

Tosca remains busy and shows no sign of slowing down. As the face of her own brand, she is strong and committed — in a word, genuine. And as she shares in her family’s considerable fortunes, she also happily appears to share in their eccentricities as well, enabling us to post the picture of a sincere female filmmaker brandishing a flamethrower.

Is Tosca Musk's net worth as high as her brothers?

What Is Guillermo Del Toro’s Net Worth?

March 5, 2018 By David Robson Leave a Comment

The Shape of Water, the latest film from visionary director Guillermo del Toro, just won four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, and has made $126.4 million at the box office so far. But what is Guillermo del Toro’s net worth?

Guillermo del Toro's net worth

His net worth is estimated at $40 million. He is perhaps the most famous and financially successful Mexican filmmaker, and among the best-known directors of horror and fantasy films.

But he achieved that position after more than two decades of hard, passionate work spent honing his craft and working on a huge number of projects.

His Directing History

His first feature as director, Cronos (total box office: $621,000), introduced to the world a bold and distinct new voice in fantasy cinema. He turned that initial success into a steady, busy career, alternating between Spanish language films (including the acclaimed fantasy Pan’s Labyrinth, which earned $83.3 million at the box office) and Hollywood franchise films such as the vampire actioner Blade II (box office: $155 million) and the Hellboy films (combined box office: $260 million).

Del Toro’s Pacific Rim, a high-budget tale of giant robots battling huge monsters from another dimension, brought in a whopping $411 million at the box office.

His recent work has taken a more adult turn, including works like the Gothic romance Crimson Peak (box office: $74 million) and The Shape of Water — which in addition to winning four Oscars also gave del Toro his first Golden Globes win earlier this year.

Diversified Career

Naturally much of his current net worth comes from his being an Oscar-winning director, but the fact is he’s incredibly diversified. As side hustles go, being a movie producer (of things like Kung Fu Panda 2 and 3, which brought in over $1 billion at the box office combined) is more lucrative than most. And his Emmy-winning Trollhunters series is Netflix’s most-watched youth-targeted show.

As an author, he co-wrote a trilogy of novels and turned them into the long-running television series The Strain. And those novels have been translated into multiple languages, as well. Factor in the art-heavy books he releases as a writer and artist, and he’s comfortable off his author earnings alone.

As for his assets, del Toro owns multiple houses: one in Toronto, his second home and favored work city, and three houses in Agoura Hills, CA (average price: $1.02 million). Two of them hold his substantial collection of horror and fantasy memorabilia; this collection recently completed a tour of three museums in the exhibition “Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters,” and must itself be considered an asset.

Lessons from Guillermo del Toro’s Net Worth

His incredible career trajectory is the perfect illustration of the principle: Follow your passion. As one goes deeper into del Toro’s writing about the monsters that obsess him, it’s hard to imagine him becoming anything else. He has often put his directing salary (the guild minimum is about $220,ooo per movie) toward the effects of his movies to achieve his vision (though his movies are successful enough that he earns his salary on the back end). He will almost certainly continue to do this when needed, and be sure, his salary and his net worth will definitely increase as a result of his Oscar wins.

Also remarkable is del Toro’s persistence. Some of his projects were too big to execute, or too weird to find financing, but he hasn’t let those setbacks keep him from moving forward (or sideways, on other work). He’s also backed away from deals that haven’t worked for him; his second feature, Mimic (box office: $25 million) was taken from him by the Weinstein Company, and he vowed never to work for them again (a smart decision, given recent events).

Finally, del Toro himself exhibits a warm personality that has endeared him to his fans, and his collaborators are constantly sending messages of friendship and respect over social media. He has reaped huge success while maintaining artistic integrity, while amassing an enviable net worth. Such success could not have happened to a nicer guy.

18 FREE Redbox Movie or Video Game Rental Codes – July 30th, 2015

July 30, 2015 By Will Lipovsky 1 Comment

This post gives the many, many ways to get free Redbox rentals. There are so many ways in fact, light movie watchers never could go all year without paying for a rental. Talk about another great way to save on entertainment! Let’s get started counting to 18.

1. Signup for Redbox Notifications

After you confirm your email, Redbox gives you a free 1-day DVD rental. This is also handy because they will email you when new movies are released. Also, the notification system may offer you more free rental codes throughout the year. Signup for Redbox emails here.

2. Redbox Play Pass

This is a rewards program. You earn 10 points for every disc you rent. After you earn 100 points, you can claim a free blu-ray or DVD rental (no video games – but see #8 on this list to get a free one of those). Even free rentals count towards your points! You also get a free rental on your birthday and Play Pass anniversary. To join the rewards program, click here. Important: Make sure to fill out the birthday portion of the application form so they know when it’s your big day!

3.-6. Text 727272

These are the codes you can text to that number:

MOVIE

MOVIE TIME

MOVIENIGHT

DEAL

You’ll get a code worth a free 1-night DVD rental or $1.20 off a blu-ray rental. You can use these codes at the kiosk, redbox.com, or via the mobile app. All codes expire one week after they are sent.

7. Free Rental via the App

This gets you one free movie rental when you do it through the app. Text APPNOW to the same number as before, 727272

8. Free Video Game Rental

Text GAMEKIDS to 727272 for a free 1-day video game rental (sorry for the ageism, adult gamers).

9. Look at Redbox Locations for Specific Codes

Sometimes Redbox locations will advertise free codes. It’s a way of attracting new customers.

10.-11. Free Redbox at Walgreens

Use either of the follow codes for a free rental at Walgreens:

WALGREENS

DVDATWAG

Note that not all Walgreens locations may accept the code.

12. Free Rentals at H-E-B (a Grocer in Texas)

RDBOXHEB to 727272

13. Free Rental from Sonic Drive-In

Get a free rental from participating Sonic’s with the code:

DRIVEIN to 727272

14. Free Rental from Kroger’s

DVDKROG to 727272

Note that not all locations may participate.

15. Free Rental from Wegman’s (New England Grocer)

DVDATWEG to 727272

16. Free Movie from McDonald’s

Please note that not all McDonald’s locations participate.

17. Free Movie from Stater Bros. (Super Market Chain in Southern California)

18. Watch This Post for New Codes

This list will be continually updated. New codes will be added here for those who don’t want to signup for email alerts on the Redbox website.

And please note that, although this post will be updated regularly, some codes make break at random. There can be errors with a Redbox vending machine, errors with the Redbox network, errors with the Redbox app, or perhaps a store (or simply one of its locations) has cancelled the freebies before I’ve had a chance to update this post. If you find any errors, feel free to comment below. I see all comments same day.

Enjoy your free rentals! Light movie watchers can definitely go year-’round without ever having to pay. Just don’t forget to return them! Late fees will really kill your experience.

Planning For Every Activity Is Not Always Possible

August 3, 2010 By David G. Mitchell 2 Comments

Yesterday I went to the movies with one of my sons. He is a film buff and wanted to see a Ray Harryhausen movie on a big screen. Fortunately, a local cinema was offering a free screening 1974’s all too memorable Golden Voyage of Sinbad and we took advantage of that. Just as we left, a friend of my son’s arrived at the house and we invited him to join us.

Before the movie, I purchased a couple of pitchers of diet cola and three orders of popcorn. Normally, I do not indulge in popcorn because I know that it will clog my arteries, but I felt like I had to buy something to justify the free screening. By the time I was done, I had spent thirty dollars on food and drink. I did not mind spending the money because it supports a local non-profit cinema and I want the cinema to succeed. At the same time, thirty dollars for soda and popcorn for three seemed to be a bit excessive.

When I returned home, I noticed that halfoffdepot was offering instant-print gift certificates for a fifty percent discount. I could have purchased three before I left my house and saved fifteen dollars – half of what I spent.

While I recognize that most of my readers will question my decision to purchase popcorn and soda at a cinema, that was my decision and I don’t mind having made it. I do kick myself, for whatever that is worth, for having failed to check for discounts before I left my home. My excuse, if I have to come up with one, is that I have been extraordinarily busy at work this week and I just did not have the time. I know that is not much of an excuse, however, because we had been planning to see the movie for the past three weeks and I know that I could have checked out Half Off Depot, Groupon and other sites to look for discounts last weekend when I did have the time.

Planning for our every activity is not always possible. I, for one, would hate to lose out on spontaneous fun just because I was afraid of missing out on a discount. At the same time, I know that I can enjoy more activities if I do plan ahead and look for discounts ahead of time. Of course, even the thought of planning ahead requires planning and that can be an unwelcome chore even for the most diligent of frugalistas. When I do have the presence of mind to plan, here is what usually crosses my mind.

What Discounts Do I Already Have in my Back Pocket? Before I look for new discounts, I look for the discounts that I have already earned or claimed. Most cinemas, for example, offer reward programs. Everyone in my household has a reward card for each of our local cinemas. As a result, I usually have at least one coupon for a free movie ticket stored in my coupon folder. I make sure that everyone in the house knows when the coupons expire and that the coupons get used before they do expire. After all, there is no reason to look for other entertainment when a free ticket to an air conditioned cinema is on hand.

What Discounts Can I Purchase? I have already mentioned Half Off Depot and Groupon. I check those sites every day if I have a spare minute or two. I know the places at which I regularly shop and will snap up discount vouchers any time I see them available. There are also opportunities to purchase discount vouchers through the American Automobile Association and through many employers.

What Discounts Does Each Vendor Offer? If I am going to a movie, I know that matinees will be less expensive. If I am going to dine out, I look for the discounts that restaurants offer on certain days.

What if I Can’t Find a Discount? There is not always a discount available. If that is the case, I ask myself whether I really cannot select a different event or restaurant. If I have my heart set on a particular experience, finding a discount is a nice perk but the lack of a deal won’t deter me from an experience that I want to have.

How much do you think about discounts before you head out for the day? Do you try to anticipate everything that you will do so that you can bring every possible discount coupon with you or do you take a more relaxed approach? How much does the opportunity to get a discount influence your purchasing patterns?