Watching Spock while waiting for Harry

Wall Street is broke and the Motor City is bankrupt, but the film business is booming. Cinema revenue in the US has jumped by 14 per cent since January. US box-office revenue is expected to reach $4.5 billion this year — up from $4.1 billion in 2008. With the help of Mr. Spock, Tom Hanks and Harry Potter, Hollywood hopes to make 2009 the best year in its history.

The boom, during these depressed times, recalls previous downturns. In five out of the last seven recessions, cinema revenue increased. "Escapism seems to be the order of the day," Jeff Brock, a senior analyst at ercBoxOffice, told The Times. "People don't want to sit around at home worrying about the economy; they want to get out, and going to the movies is one of the cheapest forms of entertainment."

A strong line-up of films this year is helping the bottom line. Angels & Demons, starring Tom Hanks, and Star Trek, with an all-new cast, are among the successes so far. Terminator: Salvation, Transformers 2, and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince are still to come.