Is box office reviving?

The success of the two films brought an end to a three-week period that saw the box office dip well below the same period last year. The top 12 films earned an estimated $135 million, up 6 percent from a year ago. “This is a jump-start to get the summer box office back on track,” Exhibitor Relations chief Paul Dergarabedian told the Associated Press. However, others pointed out that the 6 percent gain reflected barely more than the rise of ticket prices during the past year. Reporting on this year’s fall-off in movie attendance, the Los Angeles Times commented Monday: “With few exceptions, the usually dependable repeat business pattern of the summer months has largely fallen apart, with the economy and overall low satisfaction level contributing to the decline.”