Finns and Americans at the movies
People around the world have been visiting the cinemas less and less, Finland is no different, but Finns didn’t go that often to begin with…
As recently as 2002 and 2003, aggregate attendances at Finnish cinemas were around 7.7 million, but in 2004 this had slipped to 6.9 million. A Finn makes an average of around one and a half trips to the cinema each year, which is conspicuously fewer than the three-times-a-year European mean, not to mention the five annual visits of American movie audiences.
A cinema ticket costs an average of EUR 7.30 in Finland, putting the country among the half-dozen most expensive places to see a film in Europe.
…the article suggests that piracy could be a factor but I have two other ideas: 1) Hollywood has been pumping out crappy movies lately, they should promote more indies. 2) Finland shouldn’t wait six months to release a movie, it’s often already out on DVD in the states when it’s shown here. Screw Finnkino, goto the Espoo Film Festival – make sure you see “Crash” and “Millions“, both are superb.
make sure you see ???Crash??Â
Isn’t this a remake of this? It’s probably a watered-down version anyway. Indeed, if the industry has nothing better to offer than remakes of 8-year old films, it’s a small wonder that people don’t bother.
A cinema ticket costs an average of EUR 7.30 in Finland
In the big theatres in Helsinki, it can go up to 10 EUR. Lots of small independent theatres have died in the last 10 years and I suspect that the big players have a cartel. At least ticket prices have been climbing at a ridiculous rate. Hooray for hard-core capitalism.
Comment by Anonymous — Wed, Aug 24th, 2005 @ 12:41 pm
I don’t think it’s the same, the descriptions sound totally different, but I could be wrong.
Comment by Phil — Wed, Aug 24th, 2005 @ 12:56 pm
Hooray for hard-core capitalism.
The newer theatres have bigger screens, better sound systems, more showing times, larger theatres, higher seats etc… – all this for just a euro or two more per ticket. Well worth it. The citizens have made their decision. Blaming capitalism for the death of small independent theatres is just silly.
Comment by Phil — Wed, Aug 24th, 2005 @ 1:00 pm
My husband and I decided to go to the cinema last Sunday but couldn’t find anything we wanted to see. In fact, the selection this summer has been pretty abismal (imho). Do Finnish cimemas hold back movies until autumn on purpose for when everyone is back in town? (e.g. Willy Wonka this summer and Harry Potter last year)
Comment by Kathryn — Wed, Aug 24th, 2005 @ 1:01 pm
“Hooray for hard-core capitalism”
Well, I suppose they should know that if they push prices up they will get less revenue because they lose customers. The equilibrium is of course not the one of free markets now, if the cartel really exists, what do you think? The cartel DOES have competion (DVD-rentals, piracy, internet downloads..) though, so perhaps the “problem” lies elsewhere (higher nominal pay for workers perhaps, higher taxes, better service, better equipment than in other european states?). Or maybe Finns have somehow different spending patterns due some absolutely different reason (the spending power of finns is the 3rd lowest in EU-15). These of course are just top-of-the-head arguments, but it really is an interesting situation. Any ideas?
Comment by jl — Wed, Aug 24th, 2005 @ 1:05 pm
The current Crash has nothing to do with the Cronenberg movie based on the Ballard book of yore. It just shows how short cultural memory is:-)
Comment by Arttu — Wed, Aug 24th, 2005 @ 1:17 pm
Do Finnish cimemas hold back movies until autumn on purpose for when everyone is back in town?
That’s a good question, I was wondering the same thing. I suspect you’re right.
Comment by Phil — Wed, Aug 24th, 2005 @ 1:20 pm
Number one reason I don’t go to movies that often (but more often than average American, it seems) is the price. It’s the 13-15 euros at the theater or 1.50-3 euros at Makuuni choice, since there’s two of us. For some reason Makuuni prices feel often quite tempting. A movie has to be very interesting for us to go see it in the theater.
With lower prices, we would probably see few movies more. However, the effort is another obstacle which would become more pronounced if the price was lower: it’s just so much easier to just rent the DVD instead of making the trip to the theater…
Comment by Mikko — Wed, Aug 24th, 2005 @ 1:59 pm
The equilibrium is of course not the one of free markets now, if the cartel really exists, what do you think?
Since when were cartels and monopolies not part of the free market?
perhaps the ???problem?? lies elsewhere (higher nominal pay for workers perhaps, higher taxes, better service, better equipment than in other european states?).
for workers perhaps
News of massive raises to film theatre workers have escaped me. Since 1990 (when the price of a ticket was a little over 4 EUR), income tax and many other taxes have been significantly reduced. The cost of living index was 1 248, in 2004 it was 1 580. (source: http://www.stat.fi)
(the spending power of finns is the 3rd lowest in EU-15).
Funny coincidence, we also have the most profitable companies, small to mid-sized ones being on average twice as profitable as in the US.
Comment by Anonymous — Wed, Aug 24th, 2005 @ 2:52 pm
The current Crash has nothing to do with the Cronenberg movie based on the Ballard book of yore. It just shows how short cultural memory is:-)
You’re right, I took a closer look and it looked quite interesting, probably better than the Cronenberg Crash. Sorry for the knee-jerk reaction.
Comment by Anonymous — Wed, Aug 24th, 2005 @ 3:30 pm
“Since when were cartels and monopolies not part of the free market?”
Yes, actually you are right. Of course in a completely free market no-one has the right to limit companies making cartels. Does anyone know of studies about this, and how to avoid this within a liberal market.
However, monopolies don’t exist that much in a free market, unless there is an actual natural monopoly; it is not possible to enter the market profitably at all.
Comment by jl — Wed, Aug 24th, 2005 @ 5:41 pm
Does anyone know of studies about this, and how to avoid this within a liberal market.
I don’t know of any studies (economics as a science is on par with astrology anyway in my book) but it is amusing to see libertarians stumble over this issue. Usually it goes in two steps:
1) Vaguely imply how all cartels and monopolies are the result of government regulation
2) Conclude that cartels and monopolies are in fact good for the consumer
However, monopolies don???t exist that much in a free market, unless there is an actual natural monopoly; it is not possible to enter the market profitably at all.
Have you ever taken a look at the personal computer operating system market?
Comment by Anonymous — Wed, Aug 24th, 2005 @ 6:14 pm
Crash was released in the States in April some seven months (!) after it was premiered at a festival in Canada. It has been released across Europe gradually during the summer (not usually a good time for films hereabouts, for obvious reasons), and there seem to be a good many territories where it has yet to surface. Interestingly, it has NOT APPEARED in DVD yet (September sometime), so I suppose we should ask how you got to see it: I don’t recall your being back in the States this summer. Surely it couldn’t have anything to do with piracy?
No, that would be unthinkable.
P.S. There is no DVD of Millions, either.
Comment by Factor this — Wed, Aug 24th, 2005 @ 6:17 pm
Have you ever taken a look at the personal computer operating system market?
For years computer lovers were divided, everyone cried out for a system and OS that everyone would use. Microsoft did just that, and now suddenly they’re the biggest assholes in the universe.
If it wasn’t for government muscle, a third-party could write a competing OS that could run Windows applications. But the U.S. government allows Microsoft to maintain their monopoly. Of course, it’s not really a monopoly, is it? Mac OS and Linux are quite popular.
Comment by Phil — Wed, Aug 24th, 2005 @ 7:00 pm
I don???t recall your being back in the States this summer.
Who is this, my mom writing? I obviously must have seen this back home in the states!
Comment by Phil — Wed, Aug 24th, 2005 @ 7:02 pm
Yes, movie theaters keep the movies coming out in summer. NYT used to have lists of the “most watched movies in theaters this week” list, and it showed very dramatic drop for the summer months. Of course, the reason could be that no new movies come out. Hitchiker came out in the rest of the world around middle-April, and here they said it would come out in 14.7… and then they moved the day forward for one month. After printing and promoting the first day.
So, theaters believe that people dont go to see movies during summer, and therefore dont bring them out… and they start pushing the movies forward pretty early in the year. And people wont go see movies during summer because there isint anything to see.
And then they whine how the revenue goes down and down..
Comment by Justen — Thu, Aug 25th, 2005 @ 9:16 am
Wathing movies at own home is much cheaper, easier and nicer than in movies. Movie theater chairs are unconfortable, you cannot go to wc during movie, can’t pause video if somebody phones and there is no fridge. You have to go to movie excactly in the time when it starts and it costs 10x more than renting video (who goes alone movies?).
The only thing that is better is screen and audio (which is usually way too loud so it might be actually worse!).
Comment by Syltty — Thu, Aug 25th, 2005 @ 12:12 pm
For years computer lovers were divided, everyone cried out for a system and OS that everyone would use.
I have certainly not wished for such a foolish thing.
If it wasn???t for government muscle, a third-party could write a competing OS that could run Windows applications.
How does “government muscle” come into this? Do you mean copyright laws perhaps?
Of course, it???s not really a monopoly, is it? Mac OS and Linux are quite popular.
Oh yeah, Linux is so popular that a whopping 0.1 per cent of computer users are running it.
Comment by Anonymous — Thu, Aug 25th, 2005 @ 12:17 pm
1. Many non-American movies are released here first. In states later or never
2. Finland doesn’t release movies. American corporatations release the foreign prints of their own movies.
3. Stop being so American centric. It hurts my brain.
Comment by think about it — Thu, Aug 25th, 2005 @ 4:59 pm
Part of the reason for the slump in attendence is figure must be to do with me becoming a dad. Me and the missus used to go to the cinema on average 3 weeks out 4. Since baby was born 16 months ago we’ve been twice.
Other things happen less often after babies are born as well, but there’s no need to go into that here…
Comment by Toby — Fri, Aug 26th, 2005 @ 9:41 am
1. Many non-American movies are released here first. In states later or never
Like Finnish movies. And “Ali G in da House”
Comment by Phil — Fri, Aug 26th, 2005 @ 9:49 am
You have to go to movie excactly in the time when it starts and it costs 10x more than renting video (who goes alone movies?).
I do. Most often I go with my boyfriend, but I like going to the movies alone. I like the atmosphere and the fact that I actually leave the house to do something entertaining.
I think that people who prefer to rent DVDs and videos and watch them at home on their big-screen TV while romping between the fridge and the bathroom in their dirty underwear are asocial nitwits.
Comment by Anzi — Fri, Aug 26th, 2005 @ 1:36 pm