Cinema Lounge, a film discussion group, takes place at 7:00 PM at Barnes and Noble, 555 12th St., NW in Washington, DC (near the Metro Center Metro stop). You do not need to be a member of the Washington DC Film Society to attend.

Cinema Lounge is moderated by Daniel R. Vovak.

What methods does Hollywood use to attract kids to films?

In November, we discussed the topic "What methods does Hollywood use to attract kids to films?" The first comment from the group was that "movies do not have to have kids in [the movie] to attract kids to the film." Someone added that X-Box games take kids out of the puzzle. Meanwhile, Halo-3 is believed to be hurting the box office. In general, people have less time, which must always be considered. Among the group, we divided "kids" into four categories: 0-7, 8-12, 13-18, and 19-35.

Tie-ins are important, like Happy Meals and amusement park rides, with the obvious example of Pirates of the Caribbean (2003) coming to mind. Transformers (2007) made a movie out of toys. Also, Bratz (2007) was based on toys, though it was not a success. Blogs are helpful, too, along with DVDs aimed at children. Sometimes characters are suitable for children. The Mac commercial guy, Justin Long, helped attract kids. Slasher films can attract kids, even though they are rated R, since kids can sneak into them, like the remake of Prom Night (1980): When a Stranger Calls (2006).

T&A, as a topic arose, the censored term for "[cleavage] and [butt]." Superbad (2007) talked about it, but did not show it, along with Team America (2004). Van Wilder (2002) was similar to American Pie (1999). Sometimes studios will put T&A in the DVD version, though.

Perhaps T&A is not in films anymore because Hollywood is becoming more conservative, fearing the politicians, who fear the negative votes of "soccer moms." Does sex still sell? Lost, Caution (2007) had nudity, along with Eyes Wide Shut (1999). Currently, parents make the decisions for what their kids see. Thus, Hollywood is no longer the forbidden fruit, as the internet has taken the place of that.

There is also a change of traditional American themes. For instance, Dukes of Hazzard (2005) did not feature the car's confederate flag on its poster. Also, GI Joe (2009) is now a United Nations soldier, rather than an American soldier. In Superman Returns (2006), Superman had a different look. The Superfriends (1978) have also changed, now going by the name Justice League (2001). Fantastic Four (2005) had a lighter theme, too, a change from the darker themes of the past.

One person commented about how children's movies are layered, with themes that apply to children and adults. For instance, The Great Muppet Caper (1981) has a long scene in it which adults find funny but that goes over the heads of kids. Someone else added that the trailers in Grindhouse (2007) were more funny than the movie. Many laughs came from someone mimicking "Don't, f--- with a Mexican," and "Werewolf man of the S.S."

Sometimes newer spins on old themes can bomb. Nancy Drew (2007) bombed. Do modern kids even know who she is? Fat Albert (2004) didn't do well either, probably for the same reason. However, Brady Bunch Movie (1995) did, though no one could really explain why. Bee Movie (2007) is an example of kids driving their parents to the films, though not literally. The same is true for Knocked Up (2007) and King Kong (2005).