Sack Sex, Veto Violence, the Secret to Silver Screen Success

January 2008

By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

Hollywood is beginning to understand what movies Americans want to see. They want to see good conquer evil, truth triumph over lies and justice prevail over injustice," says Dr. Ted Baehr, chairman of the Christian Film & Television Commission and publisher of Movieguide.org.

Dr. Ted Baehr

They would also like to take their whole family, including their grandparents, to the movies more often, says Dr. Baehr.

For years, Hollywood and advertising executives have told themselves, that sex and violence sell. However, 2007 box office returns tell a different story from the conventional wisdom that mass media and advertising gurus have been spouting.

Even after a 2.3 percent increase in ticket sales, North American moviegoers purchased 410 million more tickets, setting new records in domestic and overseas box-office sales.

Dr. Ted Baehr attributed this success to the increased number of family films that premiered in 2007, based on the findings of Movieguide's® yearly report to the entertainment industry.

He added: "Year in and year out, our annual box office analysis at Movieguide.org shows undoubtedly that the vast majority of moviegoers want to see entertaining, heroic, clean movies with positive moral values and even overt Christian content.

"That's why Spider-Man 3 was the top movie this summer in the United States and Canada. It also explains why American Idol was by far the top rated show on network television."

On Feb 12, 2008 Movieguide® with the generous support of The John Templeton Foundation will host the 16th Annual Faith & Values Awards Gala and Report at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. At the gala, Movieguide® will present the $50,000 John Templeton Epiphany Prizes for Most Inspiring a Movies & TV.

MOVIEGUIDE® is dedicated to redeeming the values of the entertainment industry by influencing industry executives and informing the public about the influence of the entertainment media. For more information, please visit www.movieguide.org  and www.movieguideawards.com.

Dr. Ted Baehr, founder and publisher of MOVIEGUIDE® and Chairman of the Christian Film & Television Commission, is a well-known movie critic, educator, lecturer, and media analyst.

For more information or to arrange an interview with Dr. Ted Baehr, please contact Joe Turman at Shirley & Banister Public Affairs at 703-739-5920 or jturman@sbpublicaffairs.com.

Contact: Joe Turman
Shirley & Banister Public Affairs
703.739.5920/800.536.5920
jturman@sbpublicaffairs.com  

Michael Ireland is an international British freelance journalist. A former reporter with a London newspaper, Michael is the Chief Correspondent for ASSIST News Service of Lake Forest, California. Michael immigrated to the United States in 1982 and became a US citizen in September, 1995. He is married with two children. Michael has also been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station.