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Recession Era Movies: From Fast & Furious to Grapes of Wrath

As Fast & Furious does better at the weekend b.o. than it has any right to do--the weekend was up 75-80% from last year-- Entertainment Weekly's Mark Harris sees the first casualty of the recession: ambition. If all audiences want is escape, he worries, that's all the studios and TV networks will give them. "Stop the inanity!" he pleads.

By Anne Thompson
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April 6, 2009 5:30 AM
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Recession Boxoffice Surge

Well, the movie industry doesn't mind that audiences are returning to theaters in droves during a recession. It's obviously good news all around. But David Poland debunks the NYT's recession "hype." While the studios may have been smart enough to not only give the audiences what they want but market the hell out of Paul Blart: Mall Cop and Taken, there's no question that these movies are doing better than they would ordinarily do. And the NYT stat that admissions are up by almost 16% is staggering.

By Anne Thompson
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March 2, 2009 5:55 AM
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Recession Red: Media Industry Jobs Slashed

When I run into my fellow journos on the town, they look at me with palpable anxiety. I'm a reminder of their worst fear: losing their staff jobs. (The ranks of media freelancers are expanding rapidly.) And many of the people I'm talking about are stars, writers who by any measure are hard-working and successful. Some are veterans who expected to finish out their careers at their paper, others are young rising careerists. All are scared.

By Anne Thompson
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February 12, 2009 7:32 AM
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Hail Fredonia! Hollywood Depression Economics

"We're in the money," sang Ginger Rogers in the escapist musical Gold Diggers of 1933. Luxurious Busby Berkeley musical comedies were big hits during the Depression.

By Anne Thompson
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October 12, 2008 12:40 PM
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Wall Street Meltdown: Crisis Explained By Frank, Moore, Comedians

Two smart British gents make fun of Wall Street hedge funds selling dodgy debt packages, and bailouts that "reward the ingenuity of the market." Very amusing. And as it's several months old, on the money, as it were.