That marketplace is now filled with state-of-the-art home theater systems, DVDs that cost but a few dollars and are sometimes available just weeks after a film's theatrical debut, and any number of electronic devices grabbing the precious free time of Hollywood's most important audience, teenage boys.
Against that backdrop, some theater owners said, the studios in 2005 released a slate of movies -- anyone remember "Son of the Mask," "The Honeymooners" and "XXX: State of the Union?" -- that repeatedly failed to generate audience interest.
"There are some movies that I said, 'Even if you could see it for free, you wouldn't,' " said Peter Brown, the chairman of AMC Entertainment, which operates more than 5,600 screens.
The movie studios promised its upcoming releases would reverse the slide, and will spend the week trying to convince theater owners its word is good. Disney showed ShoWest guests its animated movie "Cars"; DreamWorks is scheduled to preview its animated film "Over the Hedge"; Paramount previewed two clips from the new "Mission: Impossible" sequel.
Former Vice President Al Gore was also in attendance to drum up interest in his new documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth."
His voice booming as he strode inside the theater, he grew more impassioned as he implored theater owners to book -- and then keep playing -- the May documentary about global warming: "You are all in a unique position.... There is going to be a grass-roots campaign like you have never seen."
Glickman said the MPAA's survey of consumer attitudes is common sense: "We simply can't afford to rely on guesswork."
John Fithian, president of the National Assn. of Theater Owners, the organizers of ShoWest, said such a campaign should not be read as "an act of desperation."
Added Fithian, spreading equal responsibility between the studios and theater owners: "It takes good movies and a good moviegoing experience for this business to work."
