Not to get all Kottke about it, but I really like the NY Times' infographic data visualization tool thing [is that an inexpert enough description for you?] that plots out the inflation-adjusted weekly domestic box office numbers of movies from 1986-a couple of weeks ago.
It's fun to play with and interesting to watch in the same way the highly addictive Baby Name Wizard's NameVoyager interface is.
Still, I think Ebb & Flow's got some near misses in terms of usefulness. The tool's big takeaways--that studios are relying more and more on blockbusters, that there are more films released, for much shorter runs--are best seen over the years, so a zoomout would've been nice. Also, a zoom in, since so many recent films are reduced to single, stubby lines.
And while I'm sure it was a decision based on the underlying value of the box office data--as provided by NYTimes Company subsidiary StudioSystems and Box Office Mojo--the details I want to click for are not a synopsis and a link to the Times' review; it's the box office numbers and the duration of the theatrical run for that particular film.
Also, Idiocracy isn't in there. I wonder why, since despite Fox's best efforts, the movie was technically released last year. [Note to self: next time I see Mike Judge, give him $20 for downloading the movie in a way that provided absolutely no financial benefit to the studio who killed it.]
The Ebb and Flow of Movies: Box Office Receipts 1986 - 2007 [nyt]
