How many times did you go to the theater in January to see a movie? If you responded with a number greater than zero, this would be surprising. Why? January has long been considered “dump month” for movies, since studios typically use this time to schedule theatrical releases that are not expected to perform well at the box office. In January, many people are coming off the winter holiday break, getting back into their routines, and working to rebuild their savings after the season of high spending. As such, movie-going is low on their list of priorities (if it is on their list at all). So, the studios figure: why release a promising film in a month when theater seats are close to empty? It seems like a sound business strategy. But can it also be true that cinephiles don’t go to the theaters in January because of the lackluster releases, thereby creating a self-fulfilling prophecy? Join us on the Cup of Tea Critiques Podcast to figure out where you fall on January dump month.

Send us a comment to let us know what side of the January dump month debate you fall on.

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Fink, Richard. “Why January Is Considered a Dump Month for Movies, and Is That Still True?” Movieweb (January 10 2023). https://movieweb.com/january-movies-dump-month/

Laman, Lisa. “How January Became a Dump Month for Cinema - and Why That's Changing.” Collider (January 20 2022). https://collider.com/january-dump-month-changing/.

Roberts, Gage. Why January is such a lackluster time for movies?” The Voyager (January 29 2024). https://uwfvoyager.com/4069/features/why-january-is-such-a-lackluster-time-for-movies/.

“Why is January usually a dead month for new releases?” Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/boxoffice/comments/18zl5l0/why_is_january_usually_a_dead_month_for_new/.

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