There's been a lot of talk about a box office "slump" in Hollywood, but as this perceptive article in Slate points out, the six major studios are actually doing better so far this year than they were in 2004. The difference between this year and last year's box office was almost entirely due to The Passion of the Christ and Fahrenheit 9/11, a pair of independent surprise hits that came from outside the studio system. I guess the lesson here is that you can't expect a Passion every year, although I have high hopes for The Aristocrats.