I remember an interview with Roger Ebert where he talked about the psychology of expectations going into a movie. People who are really psyched to see a movie are more likely to be disappointed and rate a movie lower than people who went in with lower expectations. With movie tickets being so expensive, my speculation is that the vast majority of moviegoers are highly motivated by their expectations and excitement to see said movie while casuals are less likely to roll dice on it. Those initial reviews and audience ratings can sink a movie quickly in the public’s eye.
I’m not saying that I don’t think the quality of movies is waning, because I definitely prefer older movies to newer ones. I think the downturn in quality combined with the unmet expectations of the diehards who still go to the movies is a bad formula for the movie industry, though.
