Even with last Thursday's record one-day ticket sales of $50 million, the year's box-office total is lagging 5 percent behind last year's, and attendance is down almost 9 percent.

'Star Wars' Breaks Box-Office Records

For George Lucas in particular, as well as for the film and theater industries more broadly, the release of "Sith" is shaping up as a "going out with a bang" event.

That's nice, because in more ways than one, tonight represents the beginning of the end of the beginning.

On the ride to the bottom, we hope you enjoy the bad dialogue, clumsy attempts at political commentary, and lush digital fakery. And please remember to disable your John Williams ringtones. (Unfortunately, there is just no stopping the silly cheering, clapping, and other equally pointless antics of the overzealous True Believers.)

At Movietickets.com, a spokesman said the new "Star Wars" film accounted for 98 percent of all tickets sold on Monday.

The film industry has limped along through a blockbuster-free spring. Over all, box office receipts are down 8 percent for the year to date, and weekend grosses have been lower than last year's for 12 straight weeks. Nationwide attendance at movies this year is 7 percent lower than in 2003.

But, lo! -- sales of Katamari Damacy are up sharply! The stars are coming back! I feel the cosmos!

I'm sure you know the old saw about how "Dog Bites Man" isn't news, but "Man Bites Dog" is.

Perhaps there should be a new variation on the theme, in which "Head Bites Own Tail" isn't news, but "Long Tail Strangles Head" is.

Have you ever seen a snake commit suicide? You will, and the dying giant that will bring it to you: Hollywood.

In the future, will people look at "Star Wars" as today we look at the Cathedral of Notre Dame?

'Star Wars' on Track for Record Opening

It's no secret that movie studios, which generally earn more money from home video than box office returns, are eager to capitalize on DVD dollars as soon as they can.

Remember the recent article about changes in the number of R rated films? This is part of the explanation.

An Ever-Shorter Leap From Theater to DVD

What makes some feel betrayed and angry after seeing "Million Dollar Baby" is exactly what makes many more stop and think: one of Hollywood's most durable cowboys is saying that it's not always morning in America, and that it may take more than faith to get us through the night.

Caution: this article contains plot spoilers.

How Dirty Harry Turned Commie

See What Your Friends are Watching

1. Invite a few friends

2. Once they accept, you can see each other's ratings and suggest movies to each other.

Both you and your Friends will see how one another rated movies. If you don't rate a movie your friends won't see it.

NetFlix Friends

The movie, it seemed, dramatized a host of doubts and fears and fascinations, some half as old as time, some with a decent claim to be postmodern. To a lot of people, it looked like a fable: our fable.

The Unreal Thing

In an age of mass tourism, it unabashedly revives the venerable, romantic notion that travel can enlarge the soul, and even change the world.

On the Road With Young Che

But, sex raises a lot of very interesting questions."

About "Kinsey", A.O. Scott said that "the director addresses sexuality with candor and wit, but it is the act of research as much as its object that imparts to "Kinsey" its flush of passion and its rush of romance. I can't think of another movie that has dealt with sex so knowledgeably and, at the same time, made the pursuit of knowledge seem so sexy.

Kinsey

Generally speaking, Indians love show tunes.

Hollywood is tone deaf. Meanwhile, Bollywood has more than doubled its exports in the last few years.

Three of the top 10 movies in the United States last year were rated R.

The Bollywood process -- in which a popular American film is "chutneyed" -- basically has three stages: sex scenes are toned down, the schmaltz factor is ramped up, and much singing and dancing is added, sometimes without regard to plot or logic.

Almost 50 percent of Chinese city dwellers regularly visit a Western fast-food restaurant.

G-rated exports

Films rated PG and PG-13 drew 75 percent to 90 percent of the domestic box office, compared with 10 percent or less for G-rated, or family, films, among the 20 highest-grossing movies for each of the last four years, according to the MPAA.

Generally speaking, kids love crap.

Family Films but Decidedly Not Rated G