“CinemaScore polls paying customers right after they’ve seen a movie, and its letter grade offers a surprisingly accurate assessment of a film’s eventual theatrical box-office performance. … Studio executives have learned to ignore Cinema- Score’s grades at their peril.”
Tag: 10.13.09
Our Crowded Skylines Were An Omen Of The Recession
According to “something called the ‘Skyscraper index’, … the construction of super-tall buildings is often a sign that an economic downturn is on the way. The best example is the late 1920s, which saw an unprecedented skyscraper boom prior to the Great Depression.”
Are Billboards And Neon Signs Really A Blight?
“If the past 50 years have taught us anything, it’s that eyesores are in the eye of the beholder. Buildings erected and resented in the 1950s now are eligible for landmark status. … [I]f a structure being renovated today includes the faded paint of a long-gone advertiser, you can count on planners wanting it restored as a historic element.”
To Enliven Empty Storefronts, Landlords Welcome Artists
“As the recession drags on and storefronts across New York remain empty, commercial landlords are turning to an unlikely new class of tenants: artists, who in flusher times tend to get pushed out rather than lured in. And the price of entry is not deep pockets, but vivid imaginations and splashy exhibits….”