THE ongoing recession couldn’t stop Jamaicans from spending a record $428.5 million at the movies over nine months to March 2010, which was 28.9 per cent more than the similar period in 2009.

Theatres benefited from sold-out seats for 3-D movies that included Avatar and Alice in Wonderland but it was also a period marked by price increases compared with the similar period in the prior year. As a result, movie-goers spent $95.8 million more during the review period compared with the $332.6 million spent in the similar nine months in prior year, according to just-released data from Palace Amusement Company, which runs the island’s cinemas.

Box office tickets sales totalled $297.7 million with an additional $130.8 million spent on popcorn, nachos, drinks, and so on. The company increased prices during the review period, by some 10 per cent, but saw its box office tickets grow 29.9 per cent. Theatres in Kingston had the biggest movie spend followed

by Montego Bay and Mandeville. Specifically, box office receipts were $161.3 million, $55.7 million, $61.3 million and $19.4 million at Carib Cinema, Palace Cineplex, Place Multiplex and Odeon Cineplex, respectively, while confectionery sales at these theatres were $72.6 million, $25.1 million, $24.2 million and $8.8 million, respectively.

The nine-month review period when annualised would be $571 million or US$6.38 million — the most Jamaicans ever spent at the movies, even when quoted in US dollars. The previous record was US$6.09 million ($71.40/US$1) in the 2009 financial year ending June. In fact, attendance at cinemas has been declining from a high of 1.2 million in 1994 to under 900,000, according to data from Palace’s annual reports.

The industry is still plagued by $200- bootlegs and streaming web movies. With increased access to the high

speed Internet, users can freely stream

or download movies. Currently, Internet users bypass the cinemas on

sites including surfthechannel.com; Privatebay.org; and watch-movies.net. The Jamaica Intellectual Copyright Organisation, the local copyright authority, aware of the illegal downloading, told the Sunday Observer in a previous interview that legal action rests with the copyright owners ultimately based in Hollywood USA.

Blockbuster movies (December to March) according to madeinatlantis.com include: Avatar, which grossed over US$1.9 billion worldwide; Alice in Wonderland, which grossed $575.8 million worldwide; Shutter Island, which grossed $201.1 million worldwide; and The Book of Eli, which grossed $129.3 million worldwide. Box Office Mojo stated in January that Avatar was the top-grossing movie in 24 countries, including Jamaica.