•wMiM^

• • 

•wMiM^ 

business magazine of the motion picture industry November 1993, $4.95 

Fighting Words 

Director Oliver Stone on 

His Struggle to Move 

Heaven and Earth 

\ 

Declaration of Independents: 

Profiles of Eight Distributors 

Theatre Profiles: 

New Builds by Pacific and Regal 

Holiday Treats: 

Christmas Coming Attractions 

Plus Special Reports: 

Five Year Film and Video Forecast 

New Technology Updates 

Sizing Up Digital Stereo

^Hil 

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The business magazine of the motion picture industry 

NOVEMBER, 1993 VOL.129 NO. 11 

Originality i ! thinkingfor yourself, not in thinking differently from other people. 

âmes Fiujames Stephen 

ON THE COVER 

Newcomer Hiep Thi Le stars with Tommy Lee 

Jones in Oliver Stone's "Heaven and Earth," 

a Vietnam saga that tells the other side of a 

tragic historical story. The Warner Bros, film 

is scheduled for a December release. Our 

exclusive interview with Stone begins on 

page 1 6. 

(Cover photo by Roland Neveu) 

REVIEWS—Following page 114

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H A Harman International Company

L 

Ted Mann, the founder of the Mann Theatres 

circuit (which he sold to Paramount parent 

company Gulf -h Western for a whopping 

$220 million back in 1986) has a history of 

thinking big when it comes to motion picture 

exhibition. So it should come as no surprise 

that Mann has announced plans to purchase 

the Toronto-based IMAX Corp. IMAX is the 

creator and operator of the technologies used 

in its chain of specialty theatres located in the 

U.S and Canada, which utilize a proprietary, 

large format projection system to project high 

quality images on enormous IMAX screens. 

Known mostly for a series of educational and 

scientific films, IMAX has produced one feature-length 

work, a )ulien Temple-directed 

rock-and-roll concert film entitled "Rolling 

Stones at the MAX." In addition to its IMAX 

imaging process, the company is developing 

two new 3-D formats, including one called 

"Solido" which will project giant three-dimensional 

images on a dome, so that a viewer 

will be completely surrounded by the projected 

landscape. Financial details of the 

Mann purchase (which is subject to approval 

by the Canadian government) were not made 

public, but if the deal goes through, Ted Mann 

is expected to undertake a sizeable expansion 

program. 

Like the undead rock star Brandon Lee 

played in his troubled final film "The Crow," 

the controversy surrounding the 28-year-old 

actor's fatal shooting as cameras churned on 

the North Carolina set last March has assumed 

a life of its own. In separate legal decisions, 

the district attorney's office in Wilmington, 

N.C.said it would not file criminal negligence 

charges against "The Crow's" production 

company, while Lee's mother, Linda Lee 

Cadwell, filed a civil suit charging negligence 

against producer Edward R. Pressman and 1 3 

others affiliated with the production. Wilmington 

D. A. Jerry Spivey said the investigation 

by his office yielded no evidence of 

Safety and Health Administration as to 

whether Crowvision violated North Carolina 

workplace safety standards is still pending, as 

is 

the civil suit. 

The "Demolition Man" interactive home 

game (which includes special footage of Sly 

Stallone and Wesley Snipes) will have competition 

on the home entertainment front from 

a man who has become a primary challenger 

for the action hero title which "Demo" star Sly 

Stallone once indisputably held. "Under 

Siege" star Steven Seagal has become the first 

Hollywood luminary to spawn his own home 

video game. Titled "Steven Seagal; The Final 

Option" the TekMagik product features a 

Seagal character and a female lead in a desperate 

attempt to rescue her son from a variety 

of villains. The game, which was created 

using real actors in digitized form, utilized a 

look-a-like for the Seagal role, since the 1 

6-bit 

digital imaging used in home video cartridges 

has a low resolution quality which makes it 

hard to tell the difference. In future (and subject 

to the star's approval), TekMagic hopes to 

use Seagal himself for CD-ROM versions of its 

games. 

Robert and Jimmy Sunshine, the peripatetic 

organizers of ShowEast and of the Belgianbased 

Cinema Expo, are planning to extend 

their increasingly global interests with the 

launch of an Asian exhibition convention 

under the moniker of Cine-Asia. The Sunshine 

brothers expect to launch the Cine-Asia expo 

in either Singapore or Hong Kong some time 

in early 1994, and are currently looking toward 

possible sponsors for the event. With the 

Asian film market becoming increasingly important 

to theatrical exhibition, the Sunshines 

seem, once again, to be getting the jump on a 

developing area of exhibitor interest. 

Director John Badham has signed a new 

two-picture deal with Paramount, and the 

studio (which, in the Sherry Lansing era, has 

been at pains to give the impression of renewed 

vitality) has taken the unusual step of 

naming the two features which Badham will 

make. First up for Badham is "Drop Zone," an 

action spectacular about parachuting criminals 

who break into a federal computer system 

in an attempt to get confidential information 

on undercover DEA agents. Badham will follow 

that one up with "Nick of Time," about a 

man abducted and forced to commit a crime, 

with his family's life hanging in the balance. 

Badham, whose latest feature was the lackluster 

sequel "Another Stakeout," will also serve 

as an executive producer on both films. With 

the studio's future currently in flux (see National 

News), it will be interesting to see 

whether Badham's films are made under yet 

another new Paramount production regime. 

willful or wanton negligence by Crowvision, 

the production company. According to the And finally: The Samuel Coldwyn Co. gets 

strict investigative guidelines necessary for a our nod as indie of the month for its clever and 

criminal charge, Spivey would have had to very showman-like fall promotional idea for 

prove not only that negligence existed on "The Kenneth Branagh's lusty movie adaptation of 

Crow" set, but that these conditions had been the William Shakespeare comedy "Much Ado 

knowingly created by the film's producers. A About Nothing." Goldwyn's star-studded 

report from the North Carolina Occupational film, which passed the $20 million mark at the 

U.S. boxoffice in early September, was the 

thinking man's (and woman's) date movie for 

the summer of '93, and benefitted from arthouse 

audience patronage all summer long. 

With school back in session, Coldwyn is now 

targeting the classroom constituency, offering 

students and educators a substantially discounted 

admission price as well as free study 

guides and posters. W. W. Norton, the publishers 

of Branagh's book about the adaptation, 

also offered a limited time tie-in discount 

to educators on the tome throughout the 

month of October, but the discount program 

(which is being pushed by such organizations 

as the National Endowment for the Arts) 

open-ended. A "Much Ado" hotline for interested 

educators has been created; for 

is 

additional 

promo information, dial 

1-800-6-GOLDWYN. 

; 

EDITOR AND ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER 

Harley W. Lond 

SENIOR EDITOR 

Ray Greene 

ASSOCIATE EDITOR 

Marilyn Moss 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Alex Albanese 

John Allen 

Bruce Austin 

Jem Axelrod 

Tracy Biga 

George T. Chronis 

Mari Florence 

Shiomo Schwartzberg 

Fern Siegel 

Eric Williams 

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Elaine Fried, 216-991-3797, DALLAS Mary Crump, 214-821-981 1 

DULUTHAWIN CITIES Roy Wirtzfeld, 218-722-7503, FLORIDA: 

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ter L Meyer, 414-692-2753: NEW ENGLAND Allen M Widem, 

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David Forth, 701-943-2476, OREGON Bob Rusk, 503-861-3185, 

PHILADELPHIA Maune Orodenker, 215-567-4748, RALEIGH 

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Burns, 210-736-2320: TOLEDO Anna Kline. 419-531-7702, CAN- 

ADA Maxine McBean, 463-249-6039 International News NEW 

YORK Mort Wax, 212-302-5360, DUBLIN, IRELAND Doug Payne, 

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Response No, 101

HOLLYWOOD REPORT 

Singelton with Janet Jackson 

"Higher Learning" Like 

"Boyz N the Hood" before it, 

John Singleton's "Poetic Justice" 

provoked controversy within 

the exhibition community after 

Cineplex Odeon initially refused 

to screen the film at a 

major L.A. multiplex where 

gunplay had erupted during 

"Hood's" opening weekend. 

"Justice" still managed to open 

as the number one film in the 

U.S. against stiff summer competition, 

though its boxoffice fell 

off precipitously (by about 57 

percent) in its second week, and 

the film did a fast fade after that. 

Rumors are flying about 

Singleton's next project, with 

industry insiders betting he'll 

bypass the action-thriller "Burnout" 

in 

favor of "Higher Learning," 

a script Singleton wrote as 

a student at U.S.C. about a 

group of street punks who manage 

to make it out of the 'hood 

in order to attend college. No 

casting details were available at 

press time. (Columbia) 

"Significant Other" Substance 

abuse is the topic of this 

Buena Vista drama starring 

Andy Garcia and Meg Ryan as 

a couple who seem to have it 

all—until their idyllic world is 

shattered by Ryan's alcohol addiction. 

The inside word is that 

Disney will try to rush this one 

through post-production to capitalize 

on the commercial fallout 

from Ryan's "Sleepless in 

Seattle;" "Significant Other" is 

currently slated for a January, 

1994 release. Directed by Luis 

Mandoki ("White Palace") from 

a screenplay by Ron Bass, Al 

Franken and Susan Shilliday. 

(Buena Vista) 

"Forrest Gump" Though best 

known for his Spielberg-produced 

blockbusters "Roger 

Rabbit" and the three "Back to 

the Future" features, director 

Robert Zemeckis has a satirist's 

heart, as both his first 

film (the 

acerbic "Used Cars") and his 

latest (the blackly comic "Death 

Becomes Her") amply proved. 

With "Forrest Gump," 

Zemeckis climbs back in the 

satiric saddle directing Tom 

Hanks (the summer smash 

"Sleepless in Seattle") as a man 

with an idiot-level I.Q. who 

uses his positive outlook on life 

to succeed in one career after 

another. Robin Wright ("Toys") 

stars as Hanks' love interest in 

this farcical flick, which began 

principal photography last August. 

(Paramount) 

"A Summer Story" Here's a 

unique idea for a sequel: take an 

only marginally successful title 

which succeeded mainly as a 

video cassette, recast it entirely, 

and presto! You've got a new 

movie! Charles Grodin ("Beethoven") 

and Macaulay's 

brother Kiernan ("Nowhere to 

Run") star in this follow-up to 

1 983's "A Christmas Story," reprising 

roles originated by 

Darren McGavin and Peter 

Billingsley as an apoplectic father 

and his apple-cheeked son. 

Co-scriptor Jean Shephard 

again narrates a la TV's "The 

Wonder Years," which is appropriate, 

since both "Stories" are 

drawn from Shepard's autobiographical 

book "In God We 

Trust, All Others Pay Cash." 

Original director Bob Clark is 

back for seconds; you don't 

have to be a psychic to predict 

a summer '94 release lôr this 

one. (MGM) 

"The Muppet Treasure Island." 

Buena Vista recently took 

the rare step of taking out 

splashy, two page, four color 

ads to announce the commencement 

of development on 

the next Muppet Movie, entitled 

"The Muppet Treasure Island." 

"Treasure Island" is no longer 

under copyright and can therefore 

be filmed by anyone with 

the money to do so; the Buena 

Vista ad buy was probably 

Disney's way of claiming dibs 

on the property, though the latest 

word was that director John 

McTiernan ("Die Hard") is still 

actively developing his own live 

action version. (Buena Vista) 

"Quiz Show" Director Robert 

Redford follows up the 

breakthrough success of his tender 

art-house smash "A River 

Runs Through It" with this 

drama about the "payola" scandals 

which rocked the world of 

television game shows in the 

1950s. John Turlurro ("Barton 

Fink"), Rob Morrow and David 

Paymer co-star; scripted by Paul 

Attanasio. "Quiz Show" is yet 

another example of the speed 

with which Buena Vista mounts 

projects in order to beat out rival 

films mired in the glacial development 

process at other studios. 

Barry Levinson and Mark Johnson 

have reportedly been developing 

a "payola" project for 

years and cried foul when this 

film was announced; their own 

project is now, at least for the 

time being, effectively 

neutralized. 

(Buena Vista) 

"The Neverending Story III" 

Despite the lackluster performance 

of "The Neverending 

Story II," Cinevox has announced 

yet another sequel to 

the effects-laden kiddie epics, 

lason James Richter ("Free 

Willy") plays Bastian, an enchanted 

child who brings several 

of his friends from the 

fantasy world of Fantasia to the 

human world after evil creatures 

known as "the Nasties" 

steal his magical Neverending 

Storybook. Peter Macdonald 

("Mo' Money") directs from a 

script by Jeff Lieberman. With 

"NE-IV" already in development, 

this begins to look like a 

neverending story indeed. (Distribution 

pending) 

"Naked Gun III: 

The Final 

Insult" The ZAZ boys are at 

again. Executive producers jerry 

Zucker and Jim Abrahams join 

forces with producer David 

Zucker to round up the usual 

suspects for another installment 

in 

the pratfalling escapades of 

Lt. Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen). 

Priscilla Presley, George 

Kennedy and O.j. Simpson reprise 

their roles from the preceeding 

"Naked Gun" features 

as Drebin's girlfriend, 

it 

superior 

officer and running gag respectively. 

Screenplay by ZAZ associate 

Pat Proft, with writer Peter 

Segal making his directing 

debut. Since Abrahams' "Hot 

Shots" sequel is considered a 

disappointing summer sequel, 

"Naked Gun III" will test 

whether audiences are getting 

tired of this particular approach 

to movie comedy. (Paramount) 

"The Browning Version" 

Britisher Mike Figgis 

("Internal 

Robert Redford 

Affairs") directs Albert Finney 

("Rich in Love"), Greta Scacchi 

("The Player") and Matthew 

Modine ("Equinox") in this 

screen adaptation of the acclaimed 

play by Terence 

Rattigan. Finney stars as an austere 

classics professor at an influential 

boys public school 

whose disillusionment with his 

career and marriage drives his 

wife (Scacchi) into the arms of a 

visiting American science 

teacher (Modine). Screenplay 

adaptation by Ronald Harwood. 

(Paramount) 

Etcetera: Caroline Thompson, 

whose screenwriting credits 

include "Edward 

Scissorhands," makes her writing-directing 

debut on a new 

version of Anna Sewell's classic 

novel "Black Beauty." Warner 

Bros, will distribute. ..Four renowned 

female directors will 

present their individual portrayals 

of uninhibited erotica in 

"Erotique," a Group 1 omnibus 

feature showcasing directors 

Lizzie Borden, Clara Law, Ana 

Maria Magalhaes and Monika 

Treut..."Lawnmower Man" Jeff 

Fahey stars in "Temptation" as 

an ex-con on the trail of a double-crossing 

partner. .."Beverly 

Hills Cop 3" (see March Hoiiywood 

Reports) is finally in production, 

with Eddie Murphy 

under John Landis' direction. 

Word is, it's another "Die Hard" 

terrorism variant, set in an 

amusement park. .And the Hollywood 

fascination with serial 

killers touched off by Hannibal 

Lector is about to extend behind 

the former Iron Curtain: "Red 

Ripper" unites writer Dan 

O'Bannon ("Alien") and director 

Todd Holland on a film 

about a real-life Russian serial 

murderer, who killed during the 

communist era. "Silence of the 

Lambskis," anyone? 

8 Boxoffice

" 

" 

The Toughest Critics Chom DTS 

"Together with modern day state-of-the art visuals and an amazing array 

of special sound effects, DTS supports an overwhelming audio/visual 

experience for our viewers. 

CINEPLEX ODEON 

THEATRES 

AHm Karp, Presiienl and CEO, Gncpkx Oclwn Corp. 

"We have been very impressed with the technical reliability of the 

DTS system and how easy it is to install. We found that people are 

^k 

LmitU/IHIOI!Mr 

Theatres 

very aware of DTS and more and more are choosing DTS theatres 

over others. UA is very forward looking when it comes to technology. 

And if the technology is better, the patrons are more satisfied." 

Boil Pinkston, Via Pnsiioit oj Projections and Sound, 

United Artists Theatre Circuit 

"I saw a demonstration of DTS and initially, it was the price that got 

/%'HkC 

my attention. Then I heard the sound. That's what sold me. Jurassic 

Park' on DTS did four times the business than any other film in my 

theatre's four-year history. Customers told me they came from 1 00 

miles away to see the film in DTS. 'Jurassic Park' may have brought 

people to a DTS theatre, but the residual effect is that they have been 

coming back to our theatre in record numbers." 

Wendell Jacob, theatre owner, Coljax Theatre, Davis, California 

"People who saw 'Jurassic Park' in my theatre were blown away Since 

then, we've been getting phone calls from patrons asking if our other 

films will be shown in DTS. We've even had groups of people from 

neighboring areas come to our theatre just to hear DTS. The sound 

quality is incredible. People are becoming more discerning and for two 

hours of their time they want to get the best entertainment value 

possible. It's tremendous news that other studios will be releasing 

their films on DTS. 

George Rivers, theatre owner. Century Theatre, Lindsay, Ontario, Canada 

Ustm, And fie Amztl 

m' Digital Theater Systems 3135a Via Colinas #101 Westlake Village. California 91362 

Response No, 467

FEEDBACK 

Second Soundtracks for the 

Sightless and Visually Impaired 

Dear Editor: 

The June issue of Boxoffice carried a 

letter from Marty Klein of Woodstock, NY, 

wherein he requested that movies be rated 

for the sightless and visually impaired. 

IK 

ASHLY has been the world's leading authority in 

What should be implemented is a special 

second soundtrack that would include 

a narrative to cover those visual sequences 

in which there are only sound effects and 

music. 

Although the hearing impaired can also 

be privy to this unique narrative track, this 

in a sense could enhance the enjoyment of 

thefilm. It would be like sitting atafootball 

crossover 

technology since 1972. So, when we decided to ofifer a crossover input 

option as part of our new PowerCard Series of ampUiier accessories, we 

knew exactly what woidd be expected of us. Exclusive features like our variable 

phase controls that allow up to 360 degrees of adjustment between the 

high and low outputs (eqimalent to a 1.25 ms time delay when crossing 

over at 800Hz). A wide range of crossover frequencies can be easily selected 

by changing internal resistor networks, and our imique Output Mode 

Switch allows for either biamped or dedicated sub woofer operation. CD 

horn EQ is switch selectable, and we even provide aux outputs for 

cotmcction to other power amplifiers in yoiu system. Why compromise features, 

function, and performance when selecting a crossover-amp combination? 

Cross over to a package that offers it aU. Cross over to ASHLY! 

or baseball game and hearing the sports 

announcer over the radio calling the plays 

and the color. 

When Klein speaks of catering to an 

additional audience, according to your information 

"there are some five million 

Americans without sight; another 20 million 

Americans are visually impaired." 

Coming up with a second soundtrack specifically 

to describe the body movements, 

expressions and actions of those "silent" 

moments will no longer make any motion 

picture "off limits." And as you also noted, 

there will no longer have to be "that someone 

sitting in an auditorium describing, 

even in low tones, the action on screen to 

a friend (which could) disturb other moviegoers". 

Sometimes, while dialogue is taking 

place, there are visuals equally important 

to the story line. In these instances a narrative 

can also easily be worked in during the 

dialogue. 

These unique narrative second 

soundtracks must be inventively carried 

out in order to properly service the millions 

who have yet to enjoy the same complete 

pleasures of "watching" motion pictures. 

In 

1990, President Bush signed and put 

into law the "Americans with Disabilities 

Act" (ADA), giving rights to the hearing and 

visually impaired. Currently, only the hearing 

impaired have a special "hearing system" 

when they go to the cinema. Now, the 

sightless and visually impaired can be 

given a new interest in going back to the 

movies again. 

Catering to both the hearing and visually 

impaired would also be a major milestone 

in motion pictures. The added cost of this 

unique narrative soundtrack would more 

than be offset by the increase in millions of 

dollars in "extra" boxoffice grosses for the 

producers and studios. Eventually, the second 

soundtrack could be utilized for all TV 

movies-of-the-week and pre-recorded television 

programs. 

The next move is up to the technical 

sound engineers to make room on the 

soundtrack. It can be done. The question 

now is, how soon? 

Respectfully, 

Barnard Sackett 

CEO/Pres. Super-V Corp. 

Los Angeles, CA 

Ashly Audio Inc., 100 Fernwood Ave. Rochester. NY 14621 

lull Free (800) 828-6308, Telephone (716) 544-5191, FAX (716) 266-4589^m 

10 Boxoffice 

Response No 443

I 

HmeTJcas 

Legendary PerfOTmeis 

1

2 

FEEDBACK 

A Moveable Beast? 

Dear Editor: 

My thanks for the article on Shockiku 

Cine-Fi (July, 1 993: "Drive-ins in lapan?"). 

(Shortly after the article appeared! we received 

a request tor a phone interview from 

a network in the States which is syndicated 

to 1,100 stations across the U.S., Canada, area) our screens were once listed in the 

Europe and Oceania. The kicker for this book of records as the biggest in the world: 

was the article in your magazine. 

they consist of 161 tonsof concrete and 12 

There is only one niggle about the arti- 

tons of steel for a size 1 6 by 1 2 meters! I'm 

cle. The picture titled "As night falls, the 

portable screen..." is actually a picture of 

one of our 1 73 metric ton, earthquake-resistant, 

typhoon-proof permanent screens! 

At 1 6 meters wide by 8 meters high (white 

- 

***•,•* 

We're The "Original'^ 

Theatre Sour Candy! 

sure that you can understand how un-portable 

that makes them. 

Please, please do not think that we are 

nit picking, but we think that the information 

may be interesting, as well as relevant, 

for the Japanese have yet to devise a way 

of moving one of these. Our non-permanent 

sites have scaffold frame screens 1 

meters wide by 6 meters high (white area) 

stayed with multiple steel 

cables to withstand 

typhoons. 

Once again, thank you very, very much 

for your time. 

Yours sincerely, 

Anthony Winston 

Shockiku Cine-Fi 

Tokyo, Japan 

Check that Spelling, Please 

Dear Editor; 

[mji ASSORTED 

CANDV nETWT3.50Z 

I always enjoy seeing the latest in theatre 

technology in your magazine. The September 

cover does, however, cause one to ask 

the question: When will we get computer 

spell checkers for the electronic marquees? 

Sincerely, 

Martin McCaffery 

Director 

Capri Theatre, Montgomery, AL 

— The one moviegoers 

ask for by name. 

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Fax:214-692-7559 

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Film buying and marketing agency for first 

run and sub run theatres 

Also please be advised that Cinemedia 

America, Inc., a company involved in marketing 

and consulting for motion picture theatre 

advertising, has gone out of business.

, Respcjnse 

POLBY STEREO nnI DIGITAL 

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Act III, Lincoln 

No 95

FORUM 

After Forty Years 

This Drive-in Still Rocks 

By Karen Cornwell 

Parma Motor-Vu Drive-in, Parma, Idaho 

When 

television enlered this quiet, 

little Idaho community in 1953, 

my father. Bill Dobbs, set out to 

salvage his devastated movie theatre by 

expanding with one of the valley's first 

drive-in theatres, the Parma Motor-Vu. 1 

was a freshman in high school and, as we 

"rocked around the clock" it became a most 

exciting time in my life. 

Those were good years socially; however, 

business-wise, they were not great 

years. In 1960, my husband Dave and I 

moved to Lewiston, thinking, "Boy, are we 

glad we don't have to run that place for the 

rest of our lives." 

I've lost track of the year Spanish speaking 

movies were introduced at the drive-in. 

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but it must have been about 1 961 . This was 

the real heyday for drive-ins, and the TV 

depression was over. Mom and Dad spent 

many prosperous years out at the Motor-Vu. 

By the mid-70s they felt it was time to 

retire. But every time a potential buyer 

came around, Dad would run 'em off the 

place. It was 1 976 when we entered into an 

arrangement to keep the folks semi-retired; 

and we've been here ever since. 

One very major change that we made 

was the conversion to radio sound, thus 

eliminating those troublesome speakers. 

Then about five years ago we gave up the 

old carbon arc system and converted to the 

continuous big reel and the "bulb." 

The "heyday" continued for several years 

after Dave and I took over. Then, the early 

1 980s brought that old downward swing as 

cable TV and VCR movies arrived. We had 

nothing to do but keep going every Friday, 

Saturday and Sunday night from April 

through October. 

Dad passed away in 1 982 and by then we 

had moved from Weiser to Caldwell, making 

the commute a bit easier. Mom still lives 

out there and is our watchdog. 

There's been some great times with the 

crazy and neat kids we hire. During our 

more difficult times the marquee's neon 

letters all went out except the "M" and the 

"O." Of course the kids started calling it 

"The Mo." At first, it didn't seem too cute 

to us, since it was a reminder of "hard 

times," but it wasn't long before we, too, 

were calling it "The Mo". Finally, we had it 

fixed and would you believe it all worked 

except the "R"? It was then the "Moe Toe 

Voo." With the new highway going in, the 

marquee has been moved inward. In the 

process, it has received a new paint job and 

is 

in fine repair. 

1 regret having not kept a guest book for 

the characters who have stopped by as they 

travelled cross country. We've had them 

camp in front of the screen and use our 

restrooms to get ready for bed. 

We commemorated those 40 years with 

a special celebration. The festivities commenced 

Friday, June 25, when we welcomed 

the "Greater Idaho Stampede Run, 

'93," which was not a bunch of cows. "The 

Crusin' Classics" and "The Heap Herders" 

are among the many auto clubs which enjoyed 

a night of nostalgia at the drive-in. On 

June 26 we had a special party, a BBQ, 

which started at 6:00 pm and ran until the 

movie, 1 953's "Rock Rock Rock," screened 

at 10:00 pm. The second feature was another 

drive-in classic, "Invasion of the Saucer 

Men." Both films also screened 

Sunday. 

Sponsors, who supported the weekend 

and donated prizes were Inland Coca Cola, 

Channel 7, J. Weil Foodservice, The Idaho 

Statesman, Seely Drug, Capitol Distributing, 

Idaho Press Tribune, Channel 2, Parma 

Furniture, and the Parma-Nyssa Review. 

Forum provides exhibitors vi/ith the opportumity 

to "speak out" to other exhibitors. 

To take advantage of this grass roots 

"freedom of speech" forum, contact our 

editorial office at 6640 Sunset Blvd., Suite 

100, Hollywood, CA 90028.

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Highest per seot gross in Los Angele 

AMC Century 14 Theatres 

Response No, 415

COVER STORY 

FIGHTING WORDS 

Like 

With "Heaven and Earth, " Oliver Stone Returns to the Scene of an American Crime 

only a few 

filmmakers before him 

(Hitchcock, Coppola, 

Orson Welles), Oliver Stone 

has reached a point in his career 

where an out-sized, easily-caricatured 

rendition of 

who he is and what he represents 

precedes him into every 

conversation. On the one 

hand, he is Oliver Stone, 

filmmaker Winner of three 

Academy Awards. A director 

whose output is among the 

most distinctive of recent 

American oevres, and whose 

current project, the Vietnam 

epic "Heaven and Earth," 

must be anticipated eagerl\' 

as a result. Say what you will 

about Oliver Stone, he is 

clearly an American original. 

On the other hand there is 

Oliver Stone, the icon. 

Dragonslayer for the liberal 

left. A fire-breathing ideologue 

who wields the camera 

like an acetylene torch. The 

man who hurls himself 

against entrenched, politically-charged 

targets (the 

Warren Commission, the military 

industrial complex, the 

C.I. A.) like a human Molotov 

cocktail, with a Molotov 

cocktail's willingness to selfdestruct 

so long as its target is also consumed 

by the resulting conflagration. If 

Stone lived up to the sensartonalized press 

this altcr-ego has received, he would enter 

the room belching smoke. 

So it comes as a bit of a surprise when, by 

way ofanswering the very first question put 

to him ("Given your influential foes in the 

press, do you think by making another Vietnam 

movie, you may have set yourself up 

for negative criticism?"), the indomitable 

Oliver Stone actually itinces. 

"That's a pretty direct question," Stone 

says, seemingly mortified. "Jesus! How do 

I answer that one? What would you say? 

There's no way I can win with tluit one!" 

Stone's flash of vulnerability may be intentionally 

exaggerated— he has a reputation 

for putting on the press, after all. Then 

again, 

perhaps he's simply jockeying for 

By Ray Greene 

Senior Editor 

Vietnam is more than a country,^ says 

Stone. ^'It's a state of mind.'' 

position, creating some rhetorical elbow 

room for himselfby playing against tjrpe. In 

the course of the next hour, Stone will discourse 

(sometimes reluctantiy) on a variety 

of creative and social topics, and he will 

repeatedly (at times with evident pleasure) 

try to deflate some of the pre-conceived 

norions about where he stands as an artist 

and where he stands as a man. 

He criticizes Bill Clinton's "Clintonomic" 

social programs as an afft-ont to freewheeling 

capitalism, for example, saying that he 

is against entidements in their current form 

"and I think Socialism sucks. I'm ftx)m the 

Republican 

." side on d:is one. . Talking about 

"Salvador," his 1986 attack on the Latin 

American policies of Ronald Reagan, Stone 

says that, though he disagreed with most of 

Reagan's agenda, "Reagan was a great 

leader. A lot of other people like Carter 

tripped over their own shoelaces 

when they were trying to 

lead." Despite "JFK," he expresses 

distaste for the cults of 

personality which accrue 

around individual political figures 

("super-media creating 

super-President who fixes everything," 

Stone calls the phenomenon) 

before confessing 

that he finds a certain attraction 

in some of the policy positions 

held by H. Ross Perot. 

In other words. Stone seems 

to go out ofhis way to illustrate 

that the cliches about his life, 

work and politics are simplistic 

and incomplete. Orson 

Welles used to deride his career-ravaging 

reputation for 

extravagant genius by calling 

his persona "Crazy Welles" 

and claiming it had littie to do 

with who he was and how he 

made movies. If as he appears 

to, Oliver Stone finds his reputiition 

for radical extremism 

an encumbrance, he wouldn't 

be the first filmmaker to do so. 

"Frankly," Stone says, "I 

can't care. It's not to say I don't, 

but I can't. The bad part of the 

movie business is the bad part 

of the media business is the 

bad part of the feshion business. 

Eveiything is a fashion. 

Who's in, who's out, all that media crap, it's 

an ugly system. I've done that now, fi-om 

both sides, I've been a winner and a loser, 

and I'm not really into it any more." 

What Stone is into at die moment is 

work— piles and piles of work. He is currentiy 

putting two films through post-production 

simultaneously — "Heaven and 

Earth" vM be ready for die 

1 993 holiday 

season, with the black comedy "Natural 

Bom Killers" (co-scripted by Stone and 

Quentin T^rantino) slated for a tentative 

opening in the summer of 1994. Stone has 

taken on this kind of production burden 

before; "Salvador" and "Platoon" were released 

just months apart in 1986, as were 

"The Doors" and "JFK" in 1991. Despite 

all-too-evident exhaustion, Stone admits 

that part of the logic behind what seems to 

an outsider like chronic workaholism is his 

16 BoXOFFiCE

I 

' 

icason 

dread of the circus-like atmosphere that 

accompanies the release of a finished feature 

film. 

"I enjoy making the movies, I love writing 

them, I love editing them," Stone says. "But 

I don't enjoy the release at all. My mind is 

into the next movie because ifyou dwell on 

the picture you're releasing, you allow yourself 

to be hurt. I once said— and I think it's 

sort of a silly comment, but it's true— 

would like to make the movie and then ha\e 

six or seven years elapse and then 

release it so that there's a time 

capsule reaction to it. There's a 

sense of satisfection for me if people 

shake my hand and look me in 

the eye and tell me they enjoyed 

my film, but the superficiality of 

the process, it's of no importance." 

Stone believes "Heaven and 

Eartln" should be looked at not only 

for the ways it interacts with his 

previous films but for how it 

departs 

from them. A fact-based feature 

adapted ftpin two volumes of 

memoirs by Vietnamese autlior 

Le Ly Hayslip, Heaven and Earth" 

recreates the Vietnam War fi-om a 

Vietnamese perspective (a first for 

a mainstream American feature), 

as seen through the eyes of a female 

protagonist (a first for Stone, who has 

been consistently criticized for failing to 

present strong female characters— a criticism 

he admits has some validity). 

Though he resists any psycho-biographical 

attempts to analyze "Heaven and Earth" 

in terms of his two tours of duty as a Marine 

in Viemam, Stone does feel the U.S. still has 

a sizeable unpaid debt to honor 

"Compassion is the ability to understand 

both sides of suffering," Stone says, "not to 

diminish either side. And truly, in America 

we have ignored the Vietnamese, we know 

that, and it's nothing to be 

proud of We rebuilt Germany 

a year after [World War II|, and 

they killed far more people 

than the Vietnamese. In 

WWII, there were far more 

men missing in action then 

there were in Vietnam, and 

yet the RO.W. issue is consistently used to 

incite the wrath of the American public. It's 

so selfish, so ethnocentric. For us to be 

one-sided and callous to the suffering of the 

other side is un-American. We should be a 

generous race." 

some ways, the map of the world has 

Inchanged substantially since Stone's last 

filmic treatment of Vietnam, I989's 

"Bom on tl:e Fourth of July." When Tbm 

Cruise appeared under Stone's direction in 

Iwhat may be Stone's finest film to date and 

what was surely Cruise's finest hour as an 

actor, America was in its ninth straight year 

Df conservative Republican rule, and the 

Cold War was still going strong. Tbday, 

(there's a Democrat in the Oval Office, the 

^Soviet giant has disintegrated, Castro's Cuba 

may be on the ropes, and the U.S. military 

has prosecuted a successful (iflopsided) war 

in the Persian Gulf George Bush even tried 

to utilize the. Gulf victory to cauterize the 

country's Viemam war wounds, announcing 

in his 1 991 victory speech that America's 

"Vietnam syndrome is over" 

A year earlier, Oliver Stone said while 

accepting the Academy Award for directing 

"Bom on the Fourth of July" that those who 

say the war is over are dead wrong. It's a 

Stone directing newcomer Hiep Thi Le on location in Thailand. 

statement Stone stands by today. 

"What did Bush mean by the war is over?" 

Stone asks. "He meant the defeatist military 

syndrome had ended. The feeling that the 

military was inadequate and incapable, our 

post-Vietnam lack of faith. But he was also 

saying that the pessimism that was created 

by the war is over, and that's not the case. 

The pessimism of the war will only be over 

when we acknowledge that we fought the 

war for the wrong reasons, and that it was 

the wrong war 

"[Vietnam historian] Neil Sheehan hit on 

'For us to be one-sided and callous to the suffering 

of the other side is un-American. We 

should be a generous race. " 

it very clearly," Stone adds. "'The disease of 

victory' he called it. All these WWII military 

types— good, strong fighters, good soldiers—they 

somehow got fat off of WWII, 

and began to believe the myth of their own 

invincibility. Guys like [the U.S. commander 

in Vietnam, General William] Westmoreland 

went over there thinking they 

were going to kick ass, that their lives were 

not worth as much as ours. "The disease of 

victory...' It's a good tenn." 

Stone is asked if perhaps the furor during 

the 1992 election over Bill Clinton's avoidance 

of service in Vietnam doesn't also 

disprove the idea that Vietnam has exhausted 

its significance as a social issue. 

"My generation is in power now and all 

our relationships are going to come up again 

and again," he says. "Vietnam is more than 

a countiy, it's a state of mind. It represents 

any American imperialist involvement in 

third world economies. It's happened, how 

many times? 'Itn times since we pulled out 

of Vietnam? It's happening all the time." 

where does "Heaven and Earth," a 

Sofilm Stone describes in lavish, sensory 

terms ("I think it's sumptuous," he 

says, "a feast of a film") fit into what Stone 

sees as the ongoing argument over the 

meaning of Vietnam? 

Stone laughs. 

"Exactly into the middle of it. 

Between heaven and eardn. You'll 

see. The movie isn't made to make 

.1 political statement. That's not 

I make movies, I've 

ml that before. I 

don't stick to an 

issue and make an issue-oriented 

movie I made the movie because 

._ [author Le Ly Hayslip] moved m&. 

^4 She told the story well, it's a great 

^ ^ story It was a challenge. Life seen 

hom tlie other side, not only by 

the eneiny, but by a woman, 

which was different for me, as you 

know. It could miss entirely, but 

m proud of having made it. I 

really am. It was a special experience 

to make a movie in the great, 

classic narrative tradition, a large story, 

combining two books." 

The "Gone With the Wind" of Vietnam 

movies? 

Stone laughs again. 

"1 used that phrase once, and I'm sure I'll 

get nailed for it now, because anything you 

say comes back to haunt you. Just to refer 

to your first question, if someone wants to 

write badly about you, they can do it, they 

can write badly about anybody . and they can 

also write positively. It's a choice that they 

make. The way you live your life is your 

business, and it has nothing to 

do with the work that you do, 

because the work is independent 

of your behavior Edgar 

Allan Poe was hardly a model 

citizen, but he was a great artist. 

Picasso was amoral actually, 

and he wasn't criticized 

for his amorality. If Michael Jackson wants 

to diddle littie boys, that's somebody else's 

problem, it has nothing to do with what he 

does. He's a hell of an entertainer 

"You can say positive things about anybody 

and you can say negative things. On 

certain people in this business tiiey concentrate 

on saying the negative things, and on 

certain others, you always hear the positive. 

And you know neither is true. 'Cause we're 

all combinations— off of us are combinations— 

of the positive and negative. But, you 

know, they just make a choice." 

'Heaven aiui Eaith. ' Stamiig Hxcp 77ii Le, 

Tbmmy Lax. Jones, Joan Chen atui Haing S. 

Ngor. Adapted and directed by Olwcr Stone A 

Warner Bros Rekuise 

November. 1993 17

I 

SNEAK PREVIEW 

A PERFECT MATCH 

Why Director Barry Sonnenfeld Believes in 

"Addams Family Values " 

Breaking 

By Jeff Schwager 

The director at work Barry Sonnenfeld on the set 

of Addams Family Values 

into the film business 

isn't supposed to be 

easy, but every once in a 

while you hear a story that just 

makes you wonder— Lana 

Tlimer being discovered at the 

soda fountain of Schwab's Drugstore, 

say, or John Wayne being 

spotted by director John Ford 

while doing extra work during a 

summer off from the USC football 

team. 

Director 

Barry Sonnenfeld's 

entrance into the biz may not 

have those sorts of mythical 

makings, but it does sound surprisingly 

effortless. "Growing 

up," Sonnenfeld says, "I had no 

interest at all in movies. I was a 

political science major in college. 

After graduating, I went to 

film school for lack of anything 

better to do. It was just a way to 

stay off the street for three more 

years. Then, while I was at film 

Coen at a party. "They were trying 

to raise the money to make 

'Blood Simple' by shooting a 

trailer as though it were a finished 

movie, and then showang 

that trailer to potential investors. 

We hit it off and I shot the 

trailer for them, and a year later 

we were making the movie. So 

the first day I was ever really 

on a film set was the first day 

1 shot 'Blood Simple."' 

If the jump fi-om cinematographer 

to director was 

equally easy— after shooting 

every Coens' film through 

"Miller's Crossing" plus Rob 

Reiner's "When Harry Met 

Sally," diree agents oflFered to 

land him directing assignments—actually 

directing his 

first film was not so simple. "It 

was a nightmare," Sonnenfeld 

says of "The Addams Family," 

the film with which he made his 

directorial debut. "I thought I'd 

never direct again." 

Sonnenfeld had reason to be 

school, I discovered I was sort of 

an idiot savant when it came to 

movies. I just had a certain talent 

for shooting film." 

The rest, as they say, is history. 

After film school, he 

bought a 16mm camera and 

began shooting documentaries 

and industrial films. Then he 

nervous. There were well-documented 

problems on the "Addams 

Family" set, climaxing in 

a Premiere magazine report alleging 

that Sonnenfeld was on 

the verge of a nervous breakdown. 

ran into fellow fledgling 

When Orion Pictures 

filmmakers Joel and Ethan nearly went belly-up, it put "The 

" 

'The Munsters. ' than the first one. And best of 

Addams Family" on the block to shooting schedule, and I had already 

raise capital. When the dust 

had been 

directed two films. It's a 

your cleared, the film lot easier directing third 

picked up by Paramount, 

and it 

film 

your 

than 

first 

ended up becoming 

film. It was 

one of 1991 's 

great work- 

biggest blockbusters. 

ing with 

Raul Julia, 

A nj el i ca 

had no idea 

Hustonn and 

how successful 

it would 

a c o r s I 

the Dther I 

I 

he," Sonnenfeld 

again. We 

says now. "It was 

w ere 

so difficult making 

more re- 

that movie 

d, and 

couldn't be 

much more 

that I 

optimistic about 

away 

well paid. 

amazing 

It I was 

hom my family; 

It's 

how much 

was getting paid one quarter of fun it is making a movie when 

what I make as a cinematographer; 

you're making a ton of money 

I was renovating my to do it." 

house, and it went 200 percent Sonnenfeld is particularly 

over budget; my wife spent happy v\ath the new film because 

some time in the hospital. Everything 

he feels it captures the 

spirit of the Charles Addams 

that could go wrong went wrong. It was such a disaster 

cartoons that inspired it. "I was 

you couldn't say, 'Yes! This is never particularly a fan of 'The 

going to be a big hit.'" 

Addams Family' TV show," he 

In the wake of "The Addams admits, adding with a laugh, "I 

Family's" phenomenal success, always preferred 'The Munsters.' 

however, Sonnenfeld has few 

But, growing up a Jew in 

such worries today. His experience 

Manhattan, it was sort of a cul- 

on the second chapter of tural requirement that you read 

the "Addams" saga was nothing the New Yorker, and I was a 

like the nightmare of the first. gigantic fan of Charles Addams' 

"It was so much easier this cartoons. I have a macabre 

sense of humor myself, so I 

"/ was never particularly 

guess you could say we're a 

perfect match." 

a fan of the TV 

Sonnenfeld promises that 

"Addams Family Values" will 

show, " be "less claustrophobic than 

Sonnenfeld 

first the one, taking place 

says with a laugh. "/ more outside the mansion, 

with the Addamses dealing 

much more with the real 

always preferred 

world. It's a much better film 

time," he saj's. "First of all, we 

went into 'Addams Family 

Values' with a much better 

script. I actually turned down 

the first film three times because 

I was convinced that the 

script was awfi.il. I'd like the 

poster on 'Addams Family 

Values' to look just like the first 

one, but to have a banner across 

it saying, 'This time with a plot!' 

"But also, I was out here with 

my family, it was a shorter 

all, audiences won't leave the 

theatre saying, 'Was he really 

Fester?"' 

"Addams Family Values. " 

^ 

Starring: 

Anjelica Huston, Raid Julta, 

Christopher Lloyd, Joan Cusak, 

Carol Kane, Christina Ricci and 

Jimmy Workman. Screenplay by 

Paul Rudnick. Directed by Barry 

Sonnenfeld. A Paramount Pictures 

Release. 

Release Date: Nov. 

19. For a plot synopsis, please see 

Holiday Deats in this tssMe, 

18 BOXOFFICE

I 

-1- 

(îmerica's 

, Movie 

Favorites 

Nestle... 

The Leader In Concession Condv 

Response No. 50 

^^ ^

SNEAK PREVIEW 

In 

ONE TO GROW ON 

With "Mrs. Doubtfire," "Home Alone" 

Director Chris Columbus Comes ofAge 

By Alex Albanese 

The boyish director of "Home Alone" fee/s"Mrs. Doubtfire" 

is one of his most mature films to date. 

Chris Columbus's new film 

"Mrs. Doubtfire," Robin Williams 

plays a divorced father 

so desperate to spend time with 

his estranged family he impersonates 

an elderly woman 

who ex-wife Sally Field then 

hires to take care of their children. 

Though he is following his 

hugely successful "Home 

Alone" features with another 

comedy, Columbus feels this 

film marks a turning point in his 

career "The thematic component 

of this film is much 

denser," he says, "and it deals 

with more complex issues than 

anything I've done in the past. I 

think that's a result of me turning 

35, and really wanting to 

deal with more adult things." 

With "Mrs. Doubtfire" Chris Columbus—the 

man who wrote 

"Goonies" and "Gremlins"— is at 

last trying to grow up. 

This new career maturity' is 

evident not only in the choice of 

subject matter, but in the absence 

of his former mentors, 

Steven Spielberg and John 

Hughes. "1 felt with 'Mrs. 

Doubtfire' it was really time for 

me to become my own man,"he 

says. "I know in the past I'vejust 

been affiliated with these other 

two strong producer/directors, 

and it was time for me to branch 

out on my own." 

The screenplay, which he cowrote, 

is based on an English 

children's story which provided 

both a ftinny, interesting premise 

for a film and what Columbus 

felt was an honest view of 

divorce. "I have nieces and 

nephews who come from 

divorced families, and I 

really 

wanted a film that 

wouldn't lie to them, that 

wouldn't tell them 'Oh 

your parents are going to 

get back togedier' I wanted 

to deal with the realities of 

divorce, within a very entertaining 

picture." 

Tlie project also allowed 

Columbus to achieve a 

long-held goal: working 

with Robin Williams. "I 

was really blown away by 

'Good Morning Vietnam,'" he 

says, "and I always thought God, 

it would be just wonderful to 

work with an actor of that caliber 

You just can't believe that 

someone of Robin's stature 

gives so much to their work. 

He's always on the set, he's always 

talking about the scene, he 

always wants to try something 

different, to make sure that 

every aspect ofhis performance 

is perfect." 

In the film, Williams' foil is 

played b^' Pierce Brosnan, an 

old flame who reenters Sally 

Field's life. "We didn't want a 

character who was the n pically 

sleazy father 

figure replacement" 

Columbus 

explains, 

"who the audience 

would be 

cheering for 

Robin to defeat. 

What I felt was 

more comically 

interesting was 

someone who 

comes into the 

family's life and 

is the perfect replacement. 

In 

many ways he 

may even be a better father to 

the kids, and he certainly will be 

abetter husband to Sally. ..Robin 

is in a situation where his wife 

takes him in as a confidant, he 

learns things about his relationship 

with her he never would 

have heard as Daniel Hillard, he 

can only hear them through 

Mrs. Doubtfire." 

Columbus admits comparisons 

between his film and "Ttiotsie" 

will be almost inevitable. 

"I'm sure at the end of this year 

they'll be writing about all the 

cross dressing movies that are 

"/ don 't sit down and say 

'Can I turn this into a 

hundred million dollar 

picture?' I take a project 

because I honestly feel 

" 

passionate about it. 

coming out— eve lything from 

The Ballad of Little Jo' to 'M 

Butterfly' to 'Mrs. Doubtfire.' For 

some reason we seem to be 

heavily populated with cross 

dressing films at this point," he 

laughs. 

"But two major issues 

differentiate 'Mrs. Doubtfire' 

from "Ibotsie; First, "Ibotsie' was 

primarily about an actor who 

just wanted to get a job, so where 

that 

career, 

film was about finding a 

this one is about re-entering 

into your family. Secondly, 

when Dustin became 

Dorothy he didn't undergo the 

same [level] of transformation 

Robin does Robin has to fool his 

wife of 14 

years, and his 

children, into 

believing 

he's a 60 

year old 

woman." 

As to future 

career 

objectives, 

Columbus 

says he primarily 

wants 

to continue 

to grow as a 

director of actors, 

and to 

make a range of films in all 

genres, from comedy to heavy 

drama. He admits these goals 

may be slightly at odds with his 

image. 'Teople would never believe 

me because of the work 

I've done, but I never take a 

project based on its commercial 

viability. I don't sit down and 

say 'Can I turn this into a hundred 

million dollar picture?' I 

take a project because I honestly 

feel passionate about it— because 

if you don't really love 

what you're doing you're going 

to be miserable for a year and a 

half of your life. 

"I have a hidden desire to 

work with people like Al 

Pacino and Robert De Niro, 

even Marlon Brando," Columbus 

adds. "I stUl think 

Brando has another great 

performance in him. Those 

are the kinds ofdreams that 

really tuel my career, because 

people like Brando, I 

just think there's a lack of 

good parts for these people, 

but they are still great, great 

actors." 

IH 

'Mrs Doubtfire" Starring: 

Robin WiUiains, SaUy Field, Pierce 

Brosnan, 

a}^d Harvey Fierstein. 

Screenplay by Randi Singer, Leslie 

Dixon and Chiis Columbus. 

Based on the rtovel for children 

Madame Doubtfire" by 

"Alias 

Anne Fine. Directed by Ijy Chris 

Columbus A Tli'entieth Ceiituaiy 

Fox Release. Release date. Nov. 24. 

20 BOXOFFICE

Edwards Theatres 

Mann Theatres 

QSC Ampliliers are featured in Edwards Theatres, 

including their 

flagship Newport Cinema, the largest screen on the West Coast. 

Mann's Chinese, the most famous movie house in the world, 

is only one of the Mann Theatres that relies on QSC amplifiers. 

Pacific Theatres 

United Artists Theatres 

The Pacific Cinerama another Hollywood landmark, is powered by 

QSC Ampliliers. as are other theatres in the Pacific Theatres chain. 

United Artists developing a new generation of theatres like the 

UA Greenwood in Denver is using QSC Ampliliers to move into 

next century of entertainment 

ie Power Behind 

he Pictures: 

ACT III Itieatres, Allen Ttetres, Assoaated Ttiatres, Budget Cinera, Cennal Slates Theatres, 

s 

Centuiy Ttieatres, Cinema Woitd. Cineplex (Meon Theatres, Ctoc Onemas, Oidonson Theatres. Douglas Theatres, General Cinemas, GKC Theatres, GTl Theatres, 

Marions TTiealres, Loews Theatres, Maico Theatres, Manos Theatres, Man:us Theatres, Mulone Theatres, Muvico Theatres, National Theatres, Neighboihooi) Onemas, 

PIrtt Theatres, Rhyan Theatres, U C I 

305 (D 

Theatres, Warner International Theatres, Western HTS Cinemas, and many, many more

SPECIAL REPORT 

TJw 

A DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENTS 

Our BOXOFFICE Round- Up of Some Prominent Players on the Independent Scene 

By Ray Greene 

Senior Editor 

ever-shifting landscape ofA mencan mdependent production and dtstiibution shifted more tJmn usual in the past sixteen months or so, 

mth new companies like Arrow and Savoy entering the theatrical ftny even as ynajors like Disiiey and Universal began waking up to the 

profit possibilities represented by smaller films and limited release patterns The following is an update on a handfiA of independent 

distiibution houses, seleaed to offer a vaned portrait ofrecent developments within the volatile world ofindependent film. In alphabetical order 

Gramercy's blaxploitation Western "Posse" posted respectable 

numbers early in ttie record-breaking summer of '93. 

Academy Pictures 

Academy Entertainment, a successful independent 

video supplier, launched its own 

feature film division under the moniker 

Academy Pictures in April of 1 990. 1 993 was 

a critncal year for Academy Picuires, which 

decided to begin distributing its own features 

on a test-run basis. "Romper Stomper," 

a tough-minded look at Australia's neo-Nazi 

skinhead counterculture, was the first Academy 

tide to go through the in-house pipeline, 

receiving solid reviews and decent 

boxoffice in the process. The announced 

Academy distribution strategy will be to 

focus on specialty titles, limiting distribution 

to about six films per year, with many 

of the films acquired from other production 

sources. In addition. Academy will continue 

to produce its own features. Academy productions 

released in 1993 included "Gun 

Crazy," directed by Tkmra Davis and starring 

Drew Barrymore. 

Arrow Entertainment 

Cannon Group founder Dennis Friedland 

fwho co-founded Cannon with partner 

Chris Dewey in 1966 and then sold the 

company to Menachem Golan and 'Voram 

Globus in 1979) announced the formation 

of Ar.'-ovv Entertiiinment in late 1 992. Unlike 

Cannon (which, during 

tine Golan/Globus 

ney/Miramax deal. 

Wliile not an outright purchase like tlie 

became all-butsynonymous 

Disney buyout, the Universal/PolyCram 

era, 

with ex- 

ploitation titles) 

partnership is similarly designed to allow 

the two film companies to combine their 

Arrow's mandate appears 

With Universal's added market 

strengths. 

to be directed at 

die art-house circuit; 

Arrow's 1993 acquisimusclepower 

behind Gramercy, PolyGram 

has gained guaranteed distribution for features 

produced under its three production 

included "Sofie," arms: Working Title, Propaganda and A&M 

Htions which was Bergman Films. Universal gains from Gramercy in at 

actress Liv Ullman's least two directions: the studio can now 

directorial debut, and 

"Combination Platter," 

produce smaller "specialty" films, and it can 

bid for the kinds of limited release titles it 

might have passed on previously, secure in 

an award-winproduce 

_. _ ning feature film by 

co-writer /director 

Tony Chan about a 

the knowledge tiiat the apparatus exists to 

give such films the special care and handling 

they require. Recent Gramercy titles 

Hong Kong im- 

have included Mario Van Peebles' "blaxploi- 

migrant's struggle 

adapt and find love in 

contemporary New 

York. Arrow Entertainment formed it's own 

distribution arm. Arrow Releasing, in February 

of 1993. 

Gramercy Pictures 

when Miramax 

was folded into tlie 

Walt Disney Co. as an 

autonomous production 

and distribution 

entity, the move was 

widely hailed by industry-watchers 

as 

another example of 

Disney's visionary 

management style. 

Wliat only a few observers 

noted was 

that, savvy as the Disney 

purchase was, in 

this instance, Jeffrey 

Katzenberg and Michael 

Eisner were 

playing follow the 

to 

tation" Western "Posse" and "Kalifomia," 

starring Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewas. Gramercy 

has also concluded a distribution 

arrangement with Spike Lee's Universalbased 

40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks. 

I.R.S. Media 

Started in 1987 by 

Paul Colichman and 

-^ Miles Copeland 3d 

(who manages rock 

star Sting and who 

also founded I.R.S. 

records), I.R.S. 

Media had a breakthrough 

year in 1 992, 

producing and disiiihuting 

three welliv( 

I'ived independent 

tiilcs: Carl Franklin's 

"One False Move," 

Alison Anders? "Gas 

Food Lodging" and 

"My New Gun," a 

black comedy about 

America's love affair 

After years of trial and error, I.R.S. hit its 

with firearms, which 

stnde when director Carl Franklin (above) 

made "One False Move" starred Diane Lane. 

(1992). 

Fonnerly known for 

quirky, low-budget titles like Penelope 

Spheeris' "Decline of Western Civilization 

Part II: The Metal Years," I.R.S. has been 

moving closer to the mainstream of late. 

22 Boxoffice

while still maintaining the spirit of creative 

experimentation on which Colichman and 

Copeland founded their company. I.R.S.' 

1993 releases included "The Music of 

Chance," an allegorical drama which 

starred James Spader, Mandy Patinkin, 

Charles Duming and Joel Grey. 

Savoy Pictures Entertainment 

Formed by former Columbia Pictures executives 

Victor Kaufhian and Lewis Korman 

early in 1992 and boasting financial 

participation from such major Hollywood 

players as former Columbia Pictures president 

Frank Price and Carolco co-founder 

Andre Vajna, Savoy Pictures 

is already shaping up 

as an indie powerhouse. 

Among the most well-capitalized 

indies ever (Savoy 

was reportedly incorporated 

with $100 million in 

start-up funding), the company 

has gone out of its 

way to form alnces 

with 

major Hollywood 

players. 

Savoy's 1993 

releases in- 

_, .. 

elude "A Bronx 

Savoys solid gold contacts with 'A-list' talent Tiadettie ,^. „ , ,. 

indie an Ideal place for Robert De Niro to Tiile," 

g jwtien 

the directorial 

debut of 

tie wanted to tell "A Bronx Tale." 

Robert De 

Niro, and director Richard 

Attenborough's "Shadowlands," 

a biographical romance 

starring Anfliony Hopkins as 

poet C.S. Lewis and Debra 

Winger as New York author Joy 

Gresham. Recently, Savoy 

scooped the majorsby securing 

the screen rights to Tom 

Clancy's best-seller "Without 

into a leading man capable of challenging 

Jack Ryan at the theatrical boxoffice. Savoy 

has also signed a precedent-setting producing 

pact with African-American filmakers 

George Jackson and Doug McHenry, allowing 

the duo to greenlight projects in the $6 

to $12 million budgetary range as long as the 

films are on contemporary black themes. 

Trimark Pictures 

Like Academy Pictures, 

Ttimark is an 

offshoot of a home 

video company, in this 

instance Vidmark Entertainment, 

which 

founded Trimark to 

feed its video pipeline 

back in 1990. TVimark 

has offered an eclectic 

range of product in the 

American marketplace, 

including British 

director Ken 

Russell's art film 

"Whore" and the Van 

Damme-less sequel 

"Kickboxer 2," but 

Tnmark fias made millions witti 

Trimark's corporate 

bread-and-butter has 

Reinorse," a potential franchise 

modestly-budgeted tiorror films like 

title which upgrades 

John Kelly— a minor character 

"Warlock: Ttie Armageddon." so far been in the horror 

genre, where the 

from Clancy's Jack Ryan novels where he 

appeared under tlie code name "Clark"— 

company has had two very successflil indie 

releases: "Warlock," starring Julian Sands as 

OLLYWOOD 

24 Boxoffice

the son of satan, and "Leprechaun," which 

featured "Willow" star Warwick Davis as an 

evil Irish imp. Intriguingly, TVimark announced 

the formation of an interactive 

arm last March in partnership with tine 

^0/20 video chain. Among the first titles to 

go into development at THmark Interactive: 

"Warlock" and "Leprechaun" tie-ins, 

naturally. 

TVimark Interactive is 80 percent 

owned by THmark and 20 percent owned 

by 20/20 Video, with Kelly Flock, the former 

head of the Lucasarts games division, 

as executive vice president. 

Troma Inc. 

If cult director John Waters ("Polyester") 

founded an independent movie company, 

it would probably look a lot like TVoma, 

where camp favorites "The Tbxic Avenger" 

and "Sgt. Kabukiman, N.Y.P.D." reign supreme. 

Founded by Lloyd Kaufman and 

Michael Herz nineteen years ago, TYoma 

has proudly taken bad taste and made it an 

aesthetic by manufacturing hip, 

self-consciously 

cheesy low-budget trash for the 

unsuspecting masses. TVoma's longevity in 

the difficult independent film world would 

be achievement enough, but the company 

has actually enjoyed at least one spectacular 

success: "The Tbxic Avenger," TVoma's 

1985 feature about a weakling transformed 

tcatines and TVoma's flourishing animated 

TV series, "The Tbxic Crusaders." Though 

TVoma suffered a setback in 1993 when a 

planned $12 million "Tbxic Crusaders" feature 

collapsed into 

legal battles with 

New Line Cinema, 

Troma is a company 

that appears 

to be on the move. 

Representative 

Troma titles include 

the self-explanatory 

"Surf 

Nazis Must Die" 

and TVoma's recent 

paean to intergalactic 

cross-dressing, 

"Vegas in Space." 

Zeitgeist Films 

Zeitgeist Films 

Troma's ever-popular Toxic Avenger (that's 'Toxie' to his fhends) 

was founded in 

started life as an R-rated movie monster, but his popularity with kids 

1988 by Emily resulted in a kinder, gentler makeover by the time of 'Toxic Avenger II.' 

Russo and Nancy 

Gerstman to give special handling to a limited 

number of independent releases each 

year Tlie Zeitgeist track record is one of the of the most harrowing and unflinching documents 

to emerge from the AIDS most consistentiy eclectic in independent 

crisis. 

distribution, with a tendency toward "politically 

correct," leftist subject matters and 

documentary "Let's Get Lost," and two successful 

recent documenuiries: "Manufacturing 

Consent: Noam Chomsky and the 

Media" and "Silverlake Life: T'he View From 

Here." The latter, a stunning self-portrait by 

two gay filmmakers dicing ofAIDS was one 

For additional information about ir\depen- 

into a mutant super-hero by industrial pollutants, 

spawned an honest-to-goodness 

viewpoints. Gay director Tbdd Haynes' film 

"Poison" is a Zeitgeist title, as is Derek 

dent releases, please see our Ii^depetvknt Feature 

Chart in this and every issue ofBoxoffice 

franchise in the form of additional "Tbxic" Jarman's "Wittgenstein," the Chet Baker Magazine. 

A Hollywood Benchmark! 

Made in America for the World! 

ORC 

Optical Radiation Corporation 

1300 Optical Drive, Azusa, GA 91702 

800-755-LAMP 

Response IMo 99 

November. 1993 25

HOLIDAY TREATS 

The Season^s Comming Attractions: 

The Films to Watch For in November and December 

— 

'II Do Anything 

Not since Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood 

warbled their way through the old west in 

"Paint Your Wagon" has so determinedly unmusical 

a cast been assembled around a Hollywood 

musical as the one put together by 

James L. Brooks for this song and dance extravaganza. 

Nick Nolte ("The Prince of 

Mrs. Doubtfire 

The debut film for Robin and Marsha 

Williams' Blue Wolf Prods, is this 20th 

Century Fox comedy, directed by Chris 

Columbus ("Home Alone 2: Lost in 

NewYork"). Williams is an out of work 

voiceover artist going through o messy 

divorce. When his wife (played by 

Sally Field) gets custody because of his 

unemployed status, a desperate Williams 

disguises himself as an older 

woman and gets a job as the nanny to 

his own children. Are we the only 

movie magazine in America to notice 

the parallels between the "Mrs. 

Doubtfire" scenario and Marsha 

Williams' own past as the former 

nanny to the Robin Williams clan who 

ended up marrying the (already married) 

boss? The script is by Randi 

Mayem Singer, based on the British 

children's novel "Madame Doubtfire" 

by Anne Fine. "Mrs. Doubtfire" will be 

released Nov. 24. (Fox) 

is by rock star (and sometime movie star) 

Prince. (Columbia, Holiday) 

Flesh and Bone 

Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan team up for 

the first time since 1988's "D.O.A.," a film 

which failed at the boxoffice, but which succeeded 

in initiating a romantic relationship 

between the two actors which continues to 

this day. In "Flesh and Bone," Quaid is an 

uptight vending machine operator with a dark 

secret in his past, with Ryan as the lady friend 

he makes after she jumps out of a cake at a 

raucous party. Ryan is riding high after "Sleepless 

in Seattle," and can probably survive the 

performance of just about any film. But Quaid 

could use a hit after the dissappointing performance 

of almost every film he's done since 

his breakthrough in "The Big Easy" back in 

1987. (Paramount, Nov. 5) 

Even Cowgirls Get the Blues 

After years of failed attempts, novelist Tom 

Robbins will see his cult tome "Even Cowgirls 

Get the Blues" make it to the big screen in the 

idiosyncratic hands of director Gus Van Sant 

("My Own Private Idaho"). Robbins' bizarre 

plotiine is hard to synopsize, but we'll try: 

UmaThurman is a hitch-hicking cowgirl with 

outsized thumbs who leads a mutiny against 

a patriarchal, woman-hating ranch owner 

(and— you should pardon the euphemism 

"feminine hygiene product" magnate) at the 

Rubber Rose Ranch. John Hurt ("The Elephant 

Man") and Keanu Reeves ("Bram Stoker's 

Dracula") are among the supporting players. 

Tides"), Albert Brooks ("Defending Your 

Life"), Tracy Llllman and Julie Kavner are 

among the performers ready to reveal their 

latent lyricism in Brooks' tale of an unemployed 

actor suddenly forced to care for the 

d

A/ith 

multiple cameos, including one by 60s 

author (and former Merry Prankster) Ken 

Kesey. (Fine Line, Nov. 3) 

Carlito'S Way 

Gilbert Grape 

Al Pacino and Brian De Raima re-team 

johnny Depp seems to be making a habit 

for the first time since "Scarface," with 

Df playing offbeat characters with wacky 

Pacino again cast as a Latino gangster. 

names. First came his delightful performance 

Pacino is Carlito Brigante, a Harlemborn 

Puerto Rican gangster attempting 

as the man-made Edward Scissorhands in Tim 

Burton's satiric fantasy of the same name. 

Now Depp is slated to play the title character to go straight after a prison stretch. Sean 

in "Gilbert Crape," a big-screen version of the Penn (De Palma's "Casualties of War"), 

novel "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" to be v^ho renounced acting in favor of directing 

just before his directorial debut "The 

directed by Sweden's Lasse Hallstrom ("My 

Life as a Dog") from a script by Peter Hedges, Indian Runner" opened and bombed a 

who wrote the original book. Set in Iowa, 

few years back, returns to the screen as 

"Crape" is the bittersweet story of a maladjusted 

boy's relationship to his chronically 

Pacino's sleazy lawyer. After "Bonfire of 

the Vanities" and "Raising Cain," De 

overweight mom. The recent off-beat Depp 

weepie "Benny and Joon" did surprisingly Raima sure could use a hit; with the 

well, so perhaps the former "21 lump Street" added cache Pacino brings in the wake 

star may be developing a following for this of his 1992 Oscar for "Scent of a 

type of performance. (Paramount, Dec.) Woman," perhaps he'll get it here. 

Based on the novels Carlito's Way and 

Beethoven's 2nd 

Every dog may have his day, but 

Universal's $57 million dollar St. Bernard 

Beethoven is that rare cinema canine who 

gets a second run at the nation's boxoffice. 

Rod Daniel ("Teen Wolf," "The Super") directs, 

with original star Charles Crodin reprising 

his role as the Felix Unger-ish George 

Newton, and Bonnie Hunt returning as 

Crodin's wife. Success has it's perks for animal 

superstars, too; in this one, Beethoven 

reportedly finds love and becomes a family 

man. Filmmaker Ivan Reitman ("Twins") executive 

produced the original "Beethoven," 

and also served in that capacity on the sequel; 

the script is by Len Blum. "Beethoven's 2nd" 

is yet another Christmas present to the 

nation's exhibitors. (Universal, Dec: 17) 

After Hours by Edwin Torres, Carlito's 

way was scripted by David Koepp, who 

recently co-wrote another adaptation 

for a little number called "Jurassic Park." 

(Universal, mid-November 1993) 

Wayne's World 2 

Despite it's fluke success at the boxoffice, 

"Wayne's World" was a trouble-plagued feature, 

with director Penelope Spheeris ("The 

Beverly Hillbillies") refusing to return for the 

sequel as a resultof her clashes with star Mike 

Myers on the original film. In this supplement 

to the $121 million comedy, Wayne (Myers) 

and Garth (Dana Carvey) have to deal with it 

when Wayne's favorite babe (Tia Carrere) 

Heaven and Earth 

For years, director Oliver Stone has 

promised to round out his two Vietnam 

epics "Platoon" and "Born on the Fourth 

of July" with a look at the conflict which 

shaped so much of his thinking from the 

vantage point of the other side. With 

"Heaven and Earth," Stone makes good 

on that promise, creating a based-on-fact 

account of the life and times of Le Ly 

Hayslip, a Vietnamese woman whose 

experiences spanned the French and 

American occupations of Vietnam. Newcomer 

Hiep Thi Le plays Hayslip, with 

Joan Chen ("The Last Emperor") as her 

mother. Dr. Haing S. Ngor as her father, 

and Tommy Lee Jones ("Under Siege") as 

the American military man who married 

Hayslip and eventually brought her to the 

United States, screenplay is by Stone, 

based on Hayslip's autobiographical 

memoirs "When Heaven and Earth 

Changed Places" and "Child of War, 

Woman of Reace." (Warner, Dec.) 

comes under the influence of a slimy record 

mogul (Christopher Walken). The eclectic 

supporting cast includes Charlton Heston, 

Drew Barrymore and Kim Basinger; "Saturday 

Night Live" producer Lome Michaels is giving 

Stephen Surjik of Michaels' HBO series "The 

Kids in the Hall" his feature directing break 

here. The success of "Wayne's World" was 

widely regarded as freakish, and the failure of 

Myers' Wayne-less "So I Married an Axe Murderer" 

at the summer boxoffice indicates the 

character (rather than the actor) was the principle 

draw. If "WW2" tanks, Myers may wish 

he'd been a bit more cautious before deserting 

"Saturday Night Live" to become a big-time 

movie star. (Paramount, Dec. 10) 

We're Back: A Dinosaur's Story 

Sometimes it's scary how carefully structured 

Steven Spielberg's relationship with 

Universal has become. When "Jurassic Park" 

was released with a PG-1 3 rating last summer, 

a lot of people wondered why Universal cut 

themselves off from the under-age boxoffice 

a PC would have fostered. Here's the answer: 

an animated "children's" dino pic, targeted 

for the kids who never got to visit 

"Jurassic 

Park." In "We're Back," a pack of revived 

dinosaurs return to their old stomping 

grounds— in modern day New York. Script by 

John Patrick Shanley ("Alive"). With a live-action 

"Flintstones" flick in the Amblin pipeline, 

expect Universal's Studio Tour to devolve into 

Dino World over the next few years via 

Spielberg tie-ins. (Universal, Nov. 24) 

M. Butterfly 

former horror specialist David Cronenberg 

follows up the critical success of his bizarro 

adaptation of William Burroughs' "Naked 

Lunch" with this screen version of David 

Henry Hwang's award-winning dramatic 

November, 1993 27

play. Jeremy Irons (Cronenberg's "Dead Ringers") 

and John Lone ("The Last Emperor") star 

in this tale of a diplomat who falls in love with 

an oriental courtesan before realizing that she 

is actually a cross-dressing he. Hwang 

scripted, from his own play; supporting players 

include Ian Richardson and Barbara 

Sukowa. What was a daring idea when the 

play was written may seem like old hat alter 

"The Crying Came;" the early buzz on this 

one (which premiered at the Toronto Film 

Fest) ain't good. (Warner) 

Batman: The Mask of Phantasm 

Those clever folks at Warner Bros, have 

found a way to keep the "Batman" franchise 

SCHINDLER'S LIST 

Having resharpened his boxoffice incisors 

on the unstoppable "Jurassic Pork," 

Steven Spielberg turns again to the less 

certain task of establishing himself as a 

serious film artiste. "Schindler's List" has 

been on Spielberg's always overflowing 

back burner for more than a decade; as a 

producer, he even attempted to put the 

project together around Martin Scorsese. 

The fact-based "Schindler" seems more 

suited to Spielberg's affirmative worldview; 

though a Holocaust story, "Schindler" offers 

the possibility of moral uplift in a fiorrific 

context. Liam Neeson ("Darkman") is 

Oskor Schindler, the roguish German profiteer 

who used his chummy relationship 

with the Nazis to save 1 ,200 Jewish workers 

from genocidal Plasgow executioner 

Amon Goeth. If Spielberg doesn't pull this 

off, his quest for artistic legitimacy may 

begin to seem increasingly quixotic. Script 

by Steven Zoillian. (Universal, Dec. 15) 

alive between live action efforts while at the 

same time entering the lucrative feature animation 

market in a manner that avoids direct 

competition with Disney. Based on the Fox 

Television series, "Batman: The Mask of 

Phantasm" features the voices of Kevin Conroy 

as Batman, EfremZimbalist Jr. as his butler 

Alfred, and former skywalker Mark Hamill as 

the loker. Warner promises a new villain 

named "Phantasm" and a flashback glimpse 

of Batman's first love. After the general disaffection 

with "Batman Returns," it will be interesting 

to see how exhibitors react to a 

cartoon Caped Crusade, even one launched 

by a popular TV show. (Warner, Dec. 25) 

The Saint of Fort Washington 

Despite his bread-and-butter reputation as 

an action star thanks to the "Lethal Weapon" 

series, Danny Clover ("Bopha!") remains one 

of Hollywood's most socially conscious players. 

I nth is offbeat drama. Clover is a homeless 

Vietnam vet who befriends a schizophrenic 

man (Matt Dillon) after the hospital puts him 

out on the streets because of a lack of funds. 

Directed by Tim Hunter. (Warner, Dec. 1 7) 

Addams Family Values 

Just Dan Quayle's luck; the smart-alecks 

behind the "Addams Family" were lookingfor 

a sequel title just as he was sticking it to 

Philadelphia 

Is Hollywood ready to deal with AIDS? With "Philadelphia," Oscar-winning 

director Jonathan Demme ("The Silence of the Lambs") is willing to find out. Tom 

Hanks ("Big") is a lawyer fired by his firm when he contracts the disease. Denzel 

Washington is the brilliant but homophobic attorney Hanks hires to take on his 

wrongful termination suit. Demme, who was accused of gay-bashing because of 

the ill-defined sexuality of the serial killer in "Lambs" describes "Philadelphia" as 

a film "about men, women, AIDS, homophobia, lawyers, friendship, discrimination, 

having babies, being gay, being straight, the American system of justice, 

Philly cheese steaks, prejudice, acceptance, heartbreak and laughs; in other 

words, America today." Script by Ron Nyswaner ("Mrs. Soffel"). (TriStar, Dec.) 

Murphy Brown for her unwed pregnancy. In 

"Addams Family Values," Comez (Raul Julia) 

and Morticia (Anjelica Huston) have marital 

problems thanks to the effect of their new 

baby boy, the mustachioed Pubert, on the 

rhythms of their lovelife. With loan Cusak as 

Uncle Fester's (Christopher Lloyd) outwardly 

normal but possibly murderous fiancee Debbie 

(Joan Cusack of "Toys.") Screenplay by 

Paul Rudnick,whoallegedlyrewrotethe original 

"Addams" script for pay but not screen 

credit. The original "Addams Family" feature 

grossed $112 million in 1991. (Paramount, 

Nov. 19) 

28 BOXOFFICK

Flavors that go together 

together 

.ntroducing Strawbana^^ 

and Lem and Mel! 

Each has two favorite flavors 

kids can eat together or munch 

separately. Tangy lemon and 

I 

refreshing watermelon team up in 

Lem and Mel. The fruity tastes of 

strawberries and bananas make new 

Strawbana twice as delicious. 

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Response No 298

a 

conscience when his master begins flirting 

with Nazism. James Fox is Lord Darlington, 

with Emma Thompson as the spunky maid 

with whom Stevens falls in love. Reuniting 

most of the collaborative elements from 

"Howard's End" will make this a hard one for 

the critics to ignore. Screenplay by Ruth 

Pravver Ihabvala, based on the novel by Kazuo 

Ishiguro. (Columbia, Nov. 5) 

Romeo is Bleeding 

Gary Oldman ("Bram Stoker's Dracula") 

plays a different kind of sucker in "Romeo is 

Bleeding," a film no/r black comedy written 

and directed by Peter Medak ("The Ruling 

Class"). Oldman is a crooked NYPD officer 

stationed in Queens who falls for Mafia 

queen-pin Lena Olin ("Havana") and goes 

straight to hell under her influence. Annabella 

Sciorra and Juliette Lewis are Oldman's wife 

and mistress, respectively. (Gramercy, Nov. 

19) 

Six Degrees of Separation 

Will Smith of TV's "The Fresh Prince of 

Bel-Air" is being touted as the next Eddie 

Murphy thanks to his recent performance in 

"Made in America." In "Six Degrees of Separation," 

Smith stars as a savvy young con man 

who convinces Stockard Channing and Donald 

Sutherland that he is the real-life son of 

actor Sidney Poilier. John Guare ("Atlantic 

City") adapted from his play for director Fred 

Schepisi ("The Russia House") If Smith really 

is the "next big thing," this could be the 

sleeper of the season. (MGM, Nov.) 

Shadowlands 

Rebounding from the negative reviews and 

lackluster boxoffice for his Chaplin bio-pic. 

Sir Richard Attenborough directs this basedon-fact 

romantic drama. Anthony Hopkins 

stars as the celebrated British author C. S. 

Lewis, who falls madly in love with a beautiful 

New York writer (Debra Winger). Script b\ 

Nicholson from his award-winning pla\ ; 

"Shadowlands" marks the third collaboration 

between Attenborough and Hopkins, who appeared 

in "Chaplin" as the editor of Chaplin's 

biography and starred as the demented ventriloquist 

in Attenborough's 1978 thriller 

"Magic." (Savoy Pictures, Dec. 25) 

Robocop 3 

Robo is back despite lackluster reviews and 

boxoffice for his second outing. This time, it's 

a kinder, gentler cyborg (played by Robert 

Burke instead of Peter Weller) who quits his 

job with the Detroit Police Department to 

protect the community from Omni-Consumer 

Products Corporation, the company which 

originally designed the Robocop robots. Written 

by Fred Dekker and "graphic novelist" 

(that's "comic book writer" to you and me) 

Frank Miller; directed by Fred Dekker. If anything 

can bring Orion back from the dead, it's 

"Robocop" (which doesn't necessarily mean 

that anything can bring Orion back from the 

dead...) (Orion, Nov. 5) 

Sister Act II 

Nothing heals old wounds like a $140 million 

domestic gross. "Sister Act" was notorious 

for the feud between Whoopi Goldberg 

and Disney brass, but that hatchet was buried 

under an avalanche of boxoffice admissions 

in the summer of 1992. Directed by Bill Duke, 

"Sister Act 11" reunites Goldberg, Kathy 

Najimy and Maggie Smith as those oh-so-fun 

nuns. In a typically clever cost-cutting maneuver, 

Disney got the sequel moving along 

quickly by adapting an existing project— 

gospel musical developed by Dawn Steel—to 

accommodate the "Sister Act" cast. "Sister 11" 

finds Goldberg helping troubled inner-city 

high school students find themselves via the 

organization of a student-run gospel choir. 

Script by James Orr and Jim Cruickshank; 

believe it or not, "Sister Act II" is based on a 

true story! (Buena Vista, Dec.)

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— 

The Three Musketeers 

what's Disney's problem with TriStar, anyway? 

Disney's "The Three Musketeers" 

(based on the Alexandre Dumas classic) 

forced a TriStar version into turnaround, just 

Angie I Says 

An acrimonious rift eruiafed between 

former Fox production chief Joe Roth and 

actress/singer Madonna over this comingof-age 

story about an Italian girl in Brooklyn, 

which Madonna personally 

developed at Fox with screenwriter Todd 

Graff. When Roth left Fox to form his 

Disney-bosed production company Cara 

van Pictures, he took "Angie" with him 

w(7/iouf Madonna, who publicly accused 

Roth of dropping her because of reservo 

tions about her acting ability 

(hmmm.. .maybe he caught on advance 

screening of "Body of Evidence."). "After 

as the Disney "Huck Finn" did before it. Chris 

O'Donnell ("Scent of a Woman") plays 

D'Artagnan, with Kiefer Sutherland ("The 

Vanishing") as Athos and Charlie Sheen ("Hot 

Shots Part Deux") as Aramis. Script by David 

Loughery; "The Three Musketeers" is a coproduction 

of )oe Roth's Caravan Pictures and 

Avnet/Kerner, the team that produced "Fried 

Green Tomatoes," in which O'Donnell was 

featured in a small but showy role. Preview 

screenings are reportedly off the scale with 

audience approval. (Buena Vista, Nov. 1 2) 

directing 'Coup de Ville' and being in 

volved in 'Revenge of the Nerds' [and] 

'The Excorcist III' you certainly are qualified 

to speak about. ..great filmmaking' 

said Madonna in a sarcastic, widely cir 

culoted fox. Madonna's "A League of 

Their Own" co-star Geena Davis is joined 

by a post-"Crying Game" Stephen Rea 

under the stewardship of Martha Coo 

lidge ("Romblin' Rose") taking over the 

reigns. (Buena Vista; Dec, limited) 

Look Who's Talking Now 

Kirstie Alley and John Travolta reunite for 

"Look Who's Talking Now," in which Alley's 

character loses her job and Travolta's cabbie 

becomes a successful airline pilot. Don't expect 

Bruce Willis or Roseanne Barr to 

lend 

their vocal talents to this one; this time, it's not 

the kids but the household pels who talk! 

Co-written and directed by Tom Ropelewski, 

with Diane Keaton and Danny DeVito as the 

mutts with the mostest. (TriStar, Nov. 5) 

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Far Away, So Close 

Recuperating from the expensive english- 

Idnguage flop "Until the End of the World," 

German filnimakerWimWenders retraces his 

steps with this sequel to "Wings of Desire," 

one of the most popular foreign films ever. 

The original told the story of a guardian angel, 

played by Bruno Ganz, who falls in love with 

a human and becomes a man so he can court 

her. The sequel focuses on Otto Sander as 

Cassiel, an angel Ganz left behind when he 

fell to earth. Original cast members Peter Falk, 

Solveig Dommartin and Ganz are joined by 

Natassja Kinski ("Cat People"), and Roberto 

Begnini ("Night on Earth"). Advance reviews 

have been negative. (Distribution pending). 

Wrestling Ernest Hemingway 

Shirley MacLaine takes her annual Oscarqualifying 

stab at playing a crotchety old 

biddie in "Wrestling Ernest Hemingway," a 

buddy-comedy about the friendship which 

develops between retirees Robert Duvall and 

Richard Harris in a Florida retirement community, 

with MacLaine as a hot-to-trot senior 

sexpot. Directed by Randa Haines ("Children 

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he played llic biuthci ol ^\ane iheHiii whose 

favorite toy soldier comes to lite as a handsome 

prince. Now that he's the 800 pound 

gorilla of child actors, Mac's prancing as the 

prince himself, natch. Dance critics of America, 

sharpen your pencils! (Warner, Nov. 24) 

In the Name of the Father 

Daniel Day-Lewis reunites with Irish 

filmmaker )im Sheridan, the man who directed 

him to his 1989 Oscar for "My Left 

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Foot." "In the Name of the Father" tells the 

true-life story of Gerry Conlon (Day-Lewis), a 

Belfast man imprisoned by the British for 15 

years for a terrorist act he didn't commit. The 

film has already provoked controversy, with 

co-star Emma Thompson ("FHoward's 

End") 

taking flack from the British press forthe film's 

supposed pro-IRA stance. Script by Sheridan 

and Terry George from Conlon's prison memoir 

"Proved Innocent." (Universal, Dec.) 

My Life 

It used to be that when a comedic actor 

wanted to be taken seriously, he'd make a 

movie riddled with Chaplinesque pathos. 

Now comedians seem to be turning to disease-of-the 

-week motifs, with Tom FHanks as 

an AIDS victim in "Philadelphia" and Michael 

Keaton as a Hollywood publicist (does this 

guy want sympathy^ dying of cancer who 

decides to make a video of his life so his 

unborn child will be able to know him. Both 

Keaton and FHanks have long been undervalued 

as actors (we defy any actor to top the 

FHanks' grieving phone confessional in 

"Sleepless in Seattle"), so here's hoping "My 

Life" is the showcase Keaton deserves. Written 

and directed by Bruce )oel Rubin 

("Ghost"); co-starring Nicole Kidman and 

Queen Latifah. (Columbia, Nov. 12) 

Response IMo. 293 

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EXHIBITION PROFILE 

Growing With the Comniunity: 

Pacific Theatres' Carmel Mountain 12 

Pacific Theatres premieres its largest theatre to date in Metro San Diego, 

an area that has shown impressive growth in the last decade. 

As 

By George T. Chronis 

an exhibition market, San Diego 

has definitely come of age. The independent 

Nickelodeon circuit, based 

in San Diego, has been aggressively building 

in the area (Boxoffice, September 1993) 

and now Pacific Theatres has debuted its 

latest and largest theatre there as well. Why 

the heavy expansion into this Southern California 

community? For Pacific, a circuit 

operating solely in California and Hawaii, 

there were a good number of solid reasons 

behind building the Carmel Mountain 12 in 

San Diego. 

"We're looking for markets with young 

families and growth potential within an established 

region," says Jay Swerdlow, executive 

vice president and general manager 

of Pacific Theatres. "We don't have detailed 

statistical surveys done before we build in a 

community. There isn't a firm group of 

numbers we look for, such as "a 200,000 

person market." Our expansion process is 

not that scientific. But we do look for underserved 

markets. In San Diego, we have a 

high growth area with a lot of new housing 

and proposed ftiture housing. As a result, 

this is a market we've identified as being 

very important to us." 

Census Bureau statistics confirm San 

Diego's status as a growth market. The 1990 

census shows that San Diego has passed San 

Francisco to become California's second 

most populous city with a litde over 1.1 

million people. This translates into a 26.8 

percent growth rate between 1 980 and 1 990. 

So when Swerdlow says, "we believe in 

building large multi-plexes in growing markets 

designed to 

capture the bulk of die 

target market share from the beginning," it's 

obvious why Pacific would concentrate on 

expanding in San Diego. In fact, Pacific has 

made a goal of having the most screens in 

town, and with the opening of the Carmel 

Mountain 12, achieved that goal with a current 

total of 45. 

Set on an outdoor community center site 

in the nortlieastem metropolitan portion of 

San Diego, first identified as desirable more 

than six years ago. Pacific had to wait for a 

slew of developers to come and go before 

the project was finally solidified and actaal 

construction could begin. During this period. 

Pacific continued to refine its theatre 

design philosophy— one based firmly in a 

large multiplex formula. So, as the Carmel 

Mountain 12 came to fruition, it did so as a 

12 screen multiplex— the largest theatre Pacific 

has ever built since the circuit's founding 

in 1939. "This theatre is a culmination 

ofall the latest equipment and design knowhow 

we could get our hands on," says 

Swerdlow. 

A contemporary multi-story design, the 

interior was planned to be attractive and 

very easy to maintain and manage. For 

example. Pacific uses marble flooring in the 

lobby and ceramic tile in the rest rooms. 

Swerdlow says both are easy on the eyes 

and easy to clean. The lobby features a low 

multi-colored ceiling painted bright and colorfiil 

in turquoise and light magenta colors 

accented with playfiil amenities and lighting, 

including aluminum and neon. 

Pacific's architect, KM & A, also took 

advantage of some strict Health Department 

requirements concerning tiie proper 

If you include the entire metropolitan statistical 

area (MSA), San Diego's market totals 

almost 2.5 million people with an ate die interior's visual whimsy. "We took 

ventilation of popcorn poppers to accentu- 

income per capita (1990) of just under the opportunity to be playfiil with the way 

$15,000 ($15,762 for L.A. during die same we get that smoke out of the concession 

period). 

area," Swerdlow said. "All of the venting 

ducts for the popcorn machines have a 

unique sculptured look using stylized piping." 

The concession area itself is an 800 

square foot self-service snack bar island in 

the middle of a "T-shaped" floor plan. Accommodating 

up to eight cashiers, the 

snack selections most favored by Pacific are 

the standards— soda, popcorn and candy. 

Swerdlow believes that focusing selection 

on these staples not only makes die selfserve 

concept viable, it also gives the public 

what it wants and lessens the amount of 

time taken to serve tiie customer quickly. 

He is also quick to point out that Pacific's 

custom island design can also be quickly 

adapted to merchandising other products 

when necessary. 

The same emphasis on moving customers 

quickly through the ticketing process 

was also at work in the boxoffice design. 

Featuring 10 stations, Swerdlow says the 

boxoffice has die personnel and the technology 

to move customers quickly. "We put in 

the latest in computerized equipment by 

Theatron Data Systems," he says. "We're 

giving die patron the ability to buy tickets 

for any show days in advance, or via telephone. 

Tlie system is also set up to handle 

credit card and debit card purchases. We're 

one ofthe first circuits to embrace debit card 

payments." For security of tiie cash handling 

process, Swerdlow says they utOize 

pneumatic tijbes to safely get the money 

from the boxoffice and cash registers back 

to the counting areas. "We've used this a few 

times in the past, but overall it's still new to 

us." 

As for the auditoriums, all 12 are 

equipped for Dolby SR, and tivo can accommodate 

Dolby Digital and THX sound. "V^'o 

of the auditoriums can hold more than 400 

people, two more tiian 300, another six can 

seat 200 plus, and the last t^vo offer 1 66 seats 

each. Swerdlow says the sightiines in every 

auditorium meet with Academy guidelines, 

and that Pacific took extia effort to offer 

plush seating with extra legroom. In addition, 

FM receivers are available for the hear- 

November, 1993 39

EXHIBITION PROFILE 

ing-impaired, just as 

all parts of the theatre 

are accessible to 

the physically-impaired 

in compliance 

with the 

Americans with Disabilities 

Act (ADA). 

For the grand 

opening of the Carmel 

Mountain 12, 

Pacific distributed a 

direct mailing introducing 

the theatre to 

85,000 homes over a 

seven mile radius 

around the site. Pacific 

also set up onsite 

tie-ins with local 

radio stations, and 

cross-promotions 

with local merchants 

and restaurants. 

One of the 

most fruitful of these, according to 

Swerdlow, has been the relationship Pacific 

has developed with the nearby Islands restaurant.

CONGRATULATIONS 

Its Showtime 

PACIFIC 

THEATRES 

on the opening 

of your new 

CARMEL 

MOUNTAIN 

1 2 THEATRE 

Your Friends at 

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PACIFIC 

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on the GRAND opening of your new 

CARMEL MOUNTAIN 

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-x'a^tiliiMIII1IIHItli1i|Jillll|i|,llg^ 

November, 1993 41

EXHIBITION PROFILE: Pacific Carmel Mtn. 12 

{continuedfrom p. 40) 

number one, nvo or three in San Diego 

grosses for even,' picture we open there," he 

said. "Wlien we opened up 'Tom & Jerry: 

The Movie,' not only did we have the highest 

grosses for all of San Diego, but also for the 

entire Los Angeles A.D.I. We almost did as 

well witli 'The Fugitive.'" 

Another aspect of the theatre that 

Swerdlow believes accounts for the excellent 

grosses at Camiel Mountain is that it 

has been set it up to be a regular venue for 

art house films. Now that local residents 

have a choice other than driving downtown 

to see more off-beat pictures, he says art film 

lovers are staying closer to home. Local 

restaurant managers have confirmed a significant 

increase in dinner hour patrons, an 

increase tliey directly attribute to the Carmel 

Mountain 12 keeping residents in the 

area. 

Now that patrons are coming to visit the 

theatre, Swerdlow is sure that his circuit's 

service programs will keep them coming 

back. "We stake a lot 

in our Academy of 

Courtesy and Excellence," he says. "All 

of 

{continued p. 44) 

PACIFIC THEATRES 

1 20 North Robertson Boulevard 

Los Angeles, CA 90048 

310-657-8420 

Fax:310-652-2439 

Executive Roster: 

Michael R. Forman, Chairman 

Jerome A. Forman, President 

)ay Swerdlow, Executive VP, General 

Manager 

Chan Wood, Executive VP, Film Buyer 

Bonnie Alt, VP, Insurance & Human Resources 

Dan Chernow, VP, Assistant to the General 

Manager 

Michael Collins, VP, Purchasing/Snack 

Bar Operations 

)im FHudson, VP, Finance 

Don Immenschuh, VP, California Operations 

Vital Statistics 

Milt Moritz, VP, Advertising/Public Relations 

Founded: 1939 

Screen count: 320 

Locations: 80 

Average screens per location: 4 

Projected screens by end of 1993: 328 

Theatre Employees: 4,000 

Corporate Employees: 1 75 

States located in: California, Hawaii 

Company Ownership breakdown 

A private company 

Projected revenues by end of 1993: 

N/A 

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{contiimedfrom p. 42 

our staff go to the Academy on an on-going 

basis 1 2 times a year and meet with instructo 

help patrons, and a whole cross-section 

of incentives from snack bar sales to improved 

expense control, outside group ac- 

Carmel Mountain, it won't hold its size title 

for long. Before the end of the year. Pacific 

will finish up a 14-screen multiplex m 

tor on how to handle customers with courtesy' 

and good service. For all of our new 

locations we also schedule special orientation 

sessions. We put a lot of emphasis on 

this ffaining. We have people pleasing points 

tivity sales and gitt cerriHcate sales. Sen'ice 

is what differentiates circuits today." 

Based on what it has been able to do with 

its largest multiplex design so far. Pacific has 

decided that all 

future sites will feature at 

for our staff members who go the extia mile least 1 2 screens or more. Unfortunately for player in this region.' 

Northern Calitomia's Marin Counr\'. But for 

now, as he surveys the San Diego marketplace 

from the Carmel Mountain 12, 

Swerdlow confidently exclaims, "we now 

consider ourselves to be the dominant 

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'; 

INSIDE EXHIBITION 

SAVVY AND SUBURBAN 

Regal Cinemas Creates an Ever-Expanding Niche in Exhibition 

There 

By Marilyn Moss 

Associate Editor 

is a new multiplex in the metro 

Philadelphia area, Regal Cinemas' 

Huntingdon Valley 14. This 14-screen 

complex, with its state-of-theart 

design (art deco with neon 

enhancement') and concessions 

(it includes a gourmet 

cafe that sells cappuccino, 

espresso and freshly baked 

cookies) is a reflection of the 

Knoxville, Tenn. -based 

circuit's state-of-the-art knowhow 

in increasing— and creating—a 

niche for itself in the 

business of exhibition. In 1989 

Mike Campbell, founder, 

chairman and president of 

Regal Cinemas, had just sold 

his also Kiioxville-based Premiere 

Cinemas to Cinemark. 

In 1990, he decided to start 

again— from scratch. In only 

three and a half years Rega 

has gone from to just under 

350 screens. Says Campbell, "I think we've 

done it even better this time." 

The story of Regal and its savvy means of 

operation prove Campbell right. The 

Huntingdon Valley 14 is the circuit's first 

venture into the metro Philly area. But 

Regal has been adding on the average about 

80 to 90 screens each year on major areas 

of the map. And at the end of September the 

company unveiled another major expansion 

with plans to add 145 screens in 1994. 

Why did Regal come to Philadelphia?The 

answer to that question is the history of the 

company's strategy and success. Says 

Campbell, "Rega! is always looking for opportimirics 

in markets that we perceived to 

be cither underscreened or underserved, 

and in doing our research, the metro Philadelphia 

area kept popping up. It's a market 

that could use some additional screens, particularly 

in some of the suburban areas. As 

population shifts have taken place, in many 

cases theatre growth has not followed." 

In addition, says Campbell, the circuit 

has other projects ongoing in the metro 

Philb- area. "If you look at the populationto-screen 

ratio," he adds, "it's obvious that 

that market in general is underscreened 

when you compare it to national averages." 

The way Regal looks at Philadelphia is the 

way it looks at other potential markets. Says 

Campbell, "We are also building theati'es in 

Gregory at the Huntingdon Valley Cinema 14 in Ptiiladelphia 

the metropolitan Cleveland area, and our 

strategy is basically the same in that market; 

we're building theatres around and near 

Cleveland where the population has shifted 

to the suburbs and [screen] growth hasn't 

followed. Counting the Huntingdon Valley, 

we now have 349 screens at 44 locations. 

Next we will open a 12-plex near Indianapolis 

and an 8-plex in Shreveport, Louisiana; 

and within the next six weeks we're going 

to be opening a 10-plex near Greenville, 

South Carolina." 

How does Regal view its competition in 

specific geographical areas? Says Campbell, 

for example, "Huntingdon Valley is a noncompetitive 

zone and we're not directiy 

competing with anybody. The nearest theatres 

are a litde over five miles away. Like 

most exhibitors, we track our competitors' 

film numbers, and I feel like we've generated 

a substantial amount of new business 

in the area that wasn't being served before.The 

Huntingdon Valley serves a very 

upscale patronage in a suburban area; there 

we target a sophisticated audience and play 

what I would call more mainstream specialty 

films or art films, for example, 'Howards 

End: It's a very good sophisticated and 

family market: an educated and high income 

area rather than an action-adventure 

[film] audience." 

In general, says Campbell, Regal tries to 

market its theatres and tailor 

them to the specific segments 

of the cities that they're 

"We have some small bid markets 

in the South that are marketed 

primarily with 

inainstream films, maybe a 

slant toward the action and 

family audience films. We 

have a couple of urban locations 

where we program the 

theatres more for an urban 

audience, an action audience. 

We have many locations similar 

to Huntingdon Valley 

where we program upscale, 

higher income audiences.' 

Yet once a theatre finds its 

market, it must continue to 

promote both itself and its 

product, lb increase its 

visibility, 

says Campbell, Regal has probably 

three to four project films a year "We give 

the managers a small range of films t0| 

choose from and designate project films and 

dien go out in the local communities. " 

"We also have competitions for best promotion 

on certain films," says Campbell. 

During the past Christmas season we had a 

promotion with the film 'Aladdin'; we had 

managers go out and decorate their lobbies 

with caricatures ft-om tlie film. We'll have 

managers go out and negotiate deals with 

car dealerships to give away free automobiles. 

We did well enough in the ['Aladdin'] 

promotion to place second nationally with 

Disney. We had several of our theatres in 

the top 20 in tire Buena Vista promotion. 

Also, several of our tiieatres used 'Free 

Willy' as a project film Oris summer We had 

people doing everytliing from decorating 

their concession stands as ships to doing 

tie-ins with aquariums, etc., to generate interest 

in the film." 

Regal also puts emphasis on promoting 

and marketing its new theatres, says Camp- 

(continued p. 48) 

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(continuedfrom p. 4G) 

bell. This entails use of various avenues. 

"There's direct mail, which is unusual in our 

business. We'll send out a fiall-color postcard 

type maOer direct to as many as 40,000 or 

50,000 homes surrounding the theatre describing 

all the amenities and offering free 

concessions, saying 'Drop by, no obligation.' 

We've put together a sky diving team, 'The 

Flying Elvises' for our last five or six openings. 

We've taken a group of local sky divers 

from the Nashville, Tfenn. area willing to 

travel all over tlie eastern part of tlie countr\'. 

We'\'e generated a lot oflocal interest on 

that, and it's good for at least one or two clips 

on the six o'clock news when we do it." 

Also, says Campbell, "We sometimes 

bring in live bands, a kind ofbigband sound, 

for our theatre lobbies for a special VIP 

grand opening. A lot of it we barter; I think 

that's the beauty of it. Even though we 

designate substantial dollars to be spent, 

we're normally getting three to four times 

as many dollars worth of advertising back 

because of the bartering that we do. We just 

give other entities— such as radio stations, 

TV stations, etc. —the opportunity to kind of 

tag along and be part of the promotion." 

Adds Campbell, "In many cases when we 

open new theatres we will do promotions 

within the lobbies. It's kind ofbecome standard 

practice for us to go out and try to solicit 

an automobile to give away, to have patrons 

perhaps for the first four to six weeks of a 

new theatre register to win a free automobile; 

there will be a drawing at the end ofthe 

first month ofbusiness. Generally those are 

donated; it doesn't cost anything." 

Regal makes improvements on the complexes 

it acquires. According to Campbell, 

tlie company goes in and upgrades them to 

more of the standard it expects of the theatres 

it constructs. "We've added a lot ofneon 

and put in new sound systems in many 

theatres; we've also put in new seating with 

cupholder armrests and computerized ticketing 

systems in theatres that don't have 

them. It's an internally developed system. I 

think the public has responded well. We 

have a reputation for running clean theatres 

with good presentation and a lot of emphasis 

on quality control." 

And what of Regal's relationship with 

major distributors? "As far as we're concerned," 

says Campbell, "we have excellent 

relationships with all ofdie m. We don't have 

any particular alliances; we play all films 

and enjoy a ver\^ good relationship with 

everybody. We're not out of business with 

anybody and haven't been. We've been 

blessed with a lot of cooperation from the 

distributors and have been able to get most 

anything we've asked for" 

The circuit has been a member of NATO 

for only a year now. "I wouldn't have joined 

if we didn't think there would be benefits 

there. I personally feel that NATO, over the 

past few years, has evolved into a more 

effective organization. Says Campbell, "As 

far as responding to issues that pertain to 

exhibition in general, I feel like tliere's more 

of a cooperative spirit within NATO now 

than perhaps there was in the past when, 

even though you had an organization of a 

certain group of business owners, you still 

had that competitive factor there and reluctance 

to, maybe, share information. I 

think 

that is becoming less of a problem." 

Looking at an overview of the state 

exliibition now, Campbell tiiinks that in 

general it continues to upgrade the moviegoing 

experience, "certainly," he adds, "with 

better facilities, [and] certainly where Regal 

is concerned. We're averaging more tlian 

eight screens per location across the board, 

our theatres are new, well-equipped, well- 

of 

( continued p. 50)

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[continuedfrom p. 48) 

maintained theatres, and I think that's always 

the key. And where we've gone in and 

built theatres like that, we can demonstrate 

in hard numbers the fact that we've been 

able to expand tlie market. We have increased 

moviegoing there." 

Does Campbell think exhibition has 

reached a saturation point? "I think some 

markets are overscreened," he says. "I think 

there are still numerous opportunities in 

other markets that are either underscreened 

or in need of more modem 

facilities." And does Regal do anything to 

protect itself against a screen glut? "Well, I 

think that's a risk we always take, " Campbell 

says. "But it just seems logical, the way the 

industry's going, that the burgeoning ancillary 

markets with film entertainment, such 

as cable TV and videocassettes, and now 

pay-per-view, are driving the industry in 

general. Even though movie theatres are 

still the engine that drives the train, the 

other ancillary' markets are what makes the 

industry attractive for production companies. 

As for what that's doing— I think it's 

evident now diat there is an increase in film 

production; it's obviously going to take more 

screens to take care of the films." 

"Let's put it into perspective," says Campbell. 

"This past summer was a record one. 

But in many [Regal] theatres ^vhere we have 

as many as 14, 16 or 18 screens in a zone, 

we were still not able to open up all the films 

that needed to be opened. As long as the 

ancillary markets are increasing the total 

revenue pie for the production companies, 

there's going to be an ample supply of film 

product to fill up tlie screens." 

"In my opinion, " adds Campbell, "and this 

is already the case, you're going to see increasing 

niche marketing for films. When 

we got into the business 10 years ago, the 

most successful films seemed to be the ones 

that were just a general audience film, but 

today diere have been several films targeted 

at certain age groups or certain income or 

ethnic groups that have been vety successfill. 

I think that the ability to market films 

on a niche basis is much greater today." 

And how does the rise in popularity ofdie 

independent film influence the market? 

Says Campbell, "I think there are always 

going to be people in the independent [film] 

community that if they take the pulse right, 

so to speak, of the filmgoing community, 

they are going to be successful. I think the 

biggest problem tliat independent companies 

are going to continue to face is capital, 

and I think that's where the advantage of 

being a major studio comes in— that is, tlie 

capital is available to produce these films." 

"It remains to be seen, " he adds, "whedier 

or not these independent companies that 

are being absorbed into the smdios can 

maintain their flair for tlie niche films. The 

general appeal films are always going to be 

the most successftil. We design our theatres 

with a very wide seating capacity range. If 

you look at Huntingdon Valley, our large 

theatre seats something over 500 people; 

the smallest ones seat 1 30. 1 think that when 

you have a wide range of seating capacities 

like that it enables us to exhibit some more 

specialized films profitably without tying up 

a 400 or 500-seat theatre. And all of our newtheatres 

are designed witli that concept. 

Regal Cinemas has a philosophy, concludes 

Campbell, that has enabled it to grow 

rapidly and profitably. "We've gone from 

basically zero to a public company in a little 

over diree years. I think our strategy is one 

of rational business evaluations, cost control 

at all levels and providing excellent 

service and, hopefully, a superior moviegoing 

experience. And ifyou try to do all those 

things you can't go wrong." 

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FORECAST 

Filmed Entertainment Growth: 

A Five-Year Forecast 

By Veronis, Suhler & Associates, Inc. 

The latest Communications Industry Forecast predicts that spending on filmed-entertainment 

will increase at a 7.1 percent compound annual rate over the next five years, 

compared with 8.2 percent during the 1987-1992 period. 

Coming off the strongest holiday performance in history, boxoffice spending rose 1.4 percent 

in 1992, representing a turnaroundfollowing two consecutive years of decline. Over 

the nextfive years, boxoffice admissions will average 997 million, and will reach 1.0 billion 

in 1997. 

An increase in prices will help boost total boxoffice spending at a 6.4 percent annual 

rate during the nextfive years, well above the 2.8 percent growth of the previous period, 

with spending reaching $6.6 billion in 1997, from $4.9 billion last year. 

OVERVIEW 

Spending on filmed entertainment totaled 

S26.0 billion in 1992-$4.9 billion for 

boxoffice spending, $12.0 billion for home 

video, and $9.1 billion for filmed entertainment 

on television. Spending rose 5.6 percent 

in 1992 and increased at an 8.2 percent 

compound annual rate over the 1987-1992 

period. After rising at double-digit annual 

rates throughout the 1980s, spending 

growth fell to mid-single digit rates over die 

last three years. For the forecast period, we 

look for spending to increase at a 7. 1 percent 

annual rate. We anticipate faster growth for 

household growth moderates. By 1997, 

spending on filmed entertainment will total 

an estimated S36.6 billion. 

THEATRICAL FILMS 

Boxoffice Spending Revives With a 

Strong Fourth Quarter 

Boxoffice spending rose 1.4 percent in 

ever The year was saved by the strongest 

holiday performance in history, with a record 

$1.3 billion spent in die fourth quarter 

"Home Alone 2," "Aladdin," "Bram Stoker's 

Dracula," "A Few Good Men, "and "The 

Bodyguard" each grossed over $50 million 

during the holiday season. 

Admissions Continue to Lag 

Although buoyed by the strong fourth 

quarter, the number of admissions for the 

year fell to 964 million, down 1 .8 percent 

from 1992. The last two years marked the 

first time in well over a decade that fewer 

In fact, between 1987 and 1990, admissions 

were higher dian in 1985 and 1986. Thus, 

there is litde evidence that the VCR or cable 

television—both of which allow for the 

viewing of uncut, unedited, uninterrupted 

movies in the home—has systematically 

1992, a turnaround following two consecutive 

years of decline. The $4.9 billion spent Hits or the Economy: 

by consumers in 1 992 remained below the What Drives the Industry? 

$5.0 billion threshold achieved in 1989 and Since hit.s MV clctincd by their boxoffice 

1990, but was still the third-highest total gross, it is impossible to deteniiine whether 

hurt the performance of films in die dieatres. 

spending is driven by the appeal of individual 

tides or by underlying economic conditions. 

Certainly, must-see movies bring 

people into theatres. What drives attendance 

for the average movie, however? The 

question is, will more people go to movies 

when die economy is strong, or is the economy 

irrelevant? 

Circumstantial evidence suggests that 

the economy does have an impact, although 

the case cannot be proved. In 1992, for 

example, the holiday surge in admissions 

coincided vdth a 

similar surge in overall 

retail sales. Over die last two years, the 

boxoffice and television spending than in than one billion tickets were sold. Was this decline in boxoffice attendance can be attributed 

1987-1992 since these segments will be 

helped by an improved economy. We look 

for slower growth in home video, however, 

as the industry matures and the pace ofVCR 

failure to meet die one-billion mark due to 

a lack of hits, a weak economy, or competition 

from home video and cable television? 

As recendy as 1989, well after the home 

to a weak economy that affected 

consumer spending across die board. Similarly, 

rapid economic expansion in 1 983 and 

1984 can account for the 1.2 billion admissions 

video and cable industries became fully 

totals in those years. 

established, admissions totaled 1.13 billion. On the other hand, admissions were also 

strong in 1982, a recession year The early 

1980s, however, were marked by a steep 

runup in fliel costs— the result of the 1979 

OPEC price action. By 1 982, energy prices 

had come down, thereby lowering the cost 

of transportation and stimulating out-ofhome 

activities despite die recession. 

Exca-pted with pennission from Vavnis, 

Suhler & Associates' seventh annual five-year 

Communications Industry Forecast. ® 1993 

by Veroriis, Suhla' & Associates. 

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FORECAST 

Filmed Entertainment Spending 

Bo> Office 

1 1 Videocassette 

Te,e.,s,on

...manufacturer ar\

FORECAST 

home alternatives have not materially affected 

the desire of people to go to the 

movies, at least not when the economy is 

healthy. 

In 1991 and 1992, however, movie attendance 

fell significantly, to an average of 973 

million, nearly 10 percent below the average 

of 1 986-1 990. We believe the weak economy 

was the primary cause for the drop in 

admissions. In earlier recessions, consum- 

Growth of Box Office Admissions, 

Average Prices, and Total Spending 

Tiar

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FORECAST 

boxotfice spending increased at only a 2.8 

percent annua! rate. The difference stems 

from our expectation that admissions will 

increase at a 1.1 percent annual rate. Between 

1987 and 1992, admissions fell at a 

2.4 percent compound annual rate. 

HOME VIDEO 

The Home Video Juggernaut Roll On 

Home video spending rose 8.9 percent in 

1992, making this one of the fastest-growing 

segments of the Communications Industry. 

The $12.0 billion spent in 1992 by consumers 

to rent or purchase prerecorded 

videocassettes represents an ouday of 

SI 65.75 per VCR household. The 1992 performance 

also represents a rebound compared 

with 1991. After increasing at 

double-digit annual rates for its entire history, 

spending growtli slumped to 5.2 percent 

in 1991, apparendy a result of the 

recession. Aldiough the industry has matured 

to the point where annual double-digit 

increases cannot be maintained, even the 

modest improvement in the 1 992 economy 

produced a healthy increase in consumer 

spending. 

VCR Penetration Nears 80 Percent 

VCR penetration rose to 78.4 percent in 

1992, up from 73.6 percent in 1991 and 

nearly 30 percentage points higher than in 

1987. People who buy VCRs use them and 

are almost universally satisfied. As a result, 

home video ranks near the top in consumer 

value. (Pay-per-view ranks near the bottom.) 

As a percentage ofTV households, the 

expansion path of the VCR mirrors that of 

color television over their respective first 21 

years. Using the experience of color television 

as a guide, the VCR is on track to reach 

the 90 percent penetration level by 1997. 

Rentals Per VCR Household Rise in 

1992 

Consumers rented 49.5 tapes per VCR 

household in 1992, an increase over 49.3 in 

1991. Over the four years prior to 1992, 

rentals per VCR household declined from 

their 1987 peak of 57.1. The rental industry 

has now entered into a new phase in its 

development. New VCR owners typically 

rent tapes at high rates. The novelty of the 

new medium and the availability of thousands 

of movies together generate high initial 

rental activity. During the early 1980s, 

when the proportion of new VCR owners 

was relatively high, rentals per VCR household 

rose steadily. As the novelty ofthe VCR 

erodes, and as consumers go through the 

old movies that they want to rent, 

activity declines. 

rental 

During the latter part of 

the 1 980s, VCR owners in this second phase 

dominated the industry, and overall rentals 

per VCR household fell. In the final phase 

rentals become a habitual part of the VCR 

household's lifestyle and the pace of rental 

activity stabilizes. In 1992, long-term VCR 

owners became the dominant sector, and 

rental activity settled at just under one tape 

per week per VCR household. 

The evolution of the retail distribution 

system contributed to the life cycle changes 

in rental behavior of VCR households. 

Through the mid-1980s, the industry was 

dominated by Mom and Pop video stores 

that had limited capacity. New releases 

were often out of stock and the inventory of 

otlier films was limited. By the late 1980s, 

superstores such as Blockbuster began to 

dominate the market. With their large capacity 

they could often stock as many as 40 

copies of a new hit release while maintaining 

at least one copy of virtually every film 

released in video. The result was that renters 

were less likely to be disappointed, and 

going to the video store became a pleasant 

experience. 

Sell-Through Continues to Soar 

Consumers purchased 265 million tapes 

in 1992, 16.4 percent more than in 1991. 

Spending on purchased cassettes rose 16.0 

VCR Households 

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•îSlH 

FORECAST 

percent. In fact, spending gro^vth on purchased 

cassettes has not fallenbelow double 

digits since the early 1980s. Tlie average 

VCR household bought 3.7 tapes in 1992, 

more tlian twice tlie 1.5 of 1987. Thus, the 

development of the retail sales market has 

followed a diflerent path from that of the 

rental market. 

Originally, the home video market was a 

sales market. In 1977, 20th Century Fox 

began releasing its films on videocassette. 

The prerecorded market was almost exclusively 

a s

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FORECAST 

ovmership tenure. Now that the average 

VCR household has passed through its initial 

stages of rental activity, we look for 

rentals per household to stabilize. In feet, 

with a faster-expanding economy, we expect 

a modest increase in rentals per VCR 

household -rising from 49.5 in 1992 to 50.1 

by 1997. With an expected VCR universe of 

88.5 million households in 1997, the number 

ofrental transactions will increase to 4.4 

billion, having grown at a 4.4 percent rate 

from 3.6 billion in 1992. Over the last five 

years, rental transactions expanded at a 7.9 

video on demand. By keeping rental prices 

under S3, the video store will make it difficult 

for pay-per-\aew services to compete. 

Afxordingly, we expect the average rental 

price to rise at only a 1 .7 percent compound 

annual rate over the next five years, reaching 

an average of $2.50 In 1997 compared 

with $2.30 in 1992. 

Tbtal consumer spending on rentals will 

reach $11.1 bUlion in 1997, an increase of 

$2.9 billion over 1992. Growth wUl average 

6.1 percent compounded annually, down 

from the 9.4 percent annual increase of 

1987-1992. 

On the sell-through side, the continued 

increase in demand should lead to a firming 

up of prices. We believe modest price increases 

can be sustained without halting 

growth in purchases per household. We 

look for prices to climb back to the $1 6 level 

by 1997, for a 2.5 percent annual increase. 

That would represent a mrnaround from 

the 3.8 percent annual drop in prices over 

the last five years. 

Purchases per VCR household should 

continue to rise, however, boosted in coming 

years by the anticipated releases of "Aladdin," 

"Pinocchio," and other children's 

fare, more hit movies priced for the sellthough 

market, and further expansion of 

nontheatrical tapes. By 1997, we expect the 

average VCR household to buy 4.5 tapes per 

year, up fi-om 3.7 in 1 992. At that level, total 

unit sales will reach 400 million compared 

with 264.5 million in 1992. Unit sales growth 

over the 1992-1997 period wiW average 8.6 

percent. Over the last five years, unit sales 

expanded at a 32.5 percent rate off a low 

billion by 1997, grovnng at a 7.9 percent 

annual rate. Between 1987 and 1992, consumer 

spending increased at a 1 3.5 percent 

rate. 

MOVIE DISTRIBUTOR REVENUES 

Revenues Rebound Strongly in 1992 

Following years of double-digit annual 

growth, total revenue growth for distributors 

of motion pictures slumped to 3.8 percent 

in 1991. In 1992, however, revenues 

grew by 9.5 percent to S14.5 billion. Home 

percent rate. 

The projected increase in rentals will video showed the strongest perfonnance in 

occur only if the pace of price increases 1992, with revenue increasing 13.9 percent— 

18.0 percent for domestic distribu- 

remains modest. We expect that to happen, 

particularly as the development of new tion and 9.0 percent for foreign. Foreign 

technologies raises the potential threat of revenues rose faster than the domestic revenue 

stream in theatrical exhibition and 

television, however Foreign theatrical exliibition 

was 9.6 percent higher than in 1991, 

while foreign television growth was 9.9 percent. 

Revenues from domestic sources rose 

only 1.4 percent for theatiical exhibition 

and 5.3 percent for television. 

Home Video is the Largest and Fastest- 

Growing Revenue Stream 

Home video— both domestic and foreign—accounted 

for 45.1 percent of movie 

distribution revenues in 1992, compared 

with 32.0 percent for theatrical exhibition 

and 22.9 percent for television. Although 

boxoffice performance attracts the most 

media attention, U.S. movie distributors received 

only 16.5 percent of their revenues 

from domestic theatrical exhibition. Over 

the last five years, home video revenues 

rose at a 16.8 percent compound annual 

j-ate— 14.3 percent for domestic distribution 

and 20.6 percent for foreign. 

Exports Exceed 45 Percent of Sales 

Through 1990, exports were tiie principal 

driver of movie revenue growth. Over die 

last two years, however, domestic and foreign 

revenues have grown at approximately 

the same rate. The recession experienced 

by most of our trading partiiers and adverse 

exchange-rate shifts contributed to the 

downturn in foreign sales in 1991. Nevertheless, 

foreign sales rose by 9.4 percent in 

1992 and accounted for 45.1 percent of 

movie distributor revenues. By contrast, in 

1986 foreign sales accounted for only 35.0 

percent of movie revenues. 

I 

Forecast Assumptions 

For Theatrical Films 

The economy has an influence 

on boxoffice admissions. 

I Over the next five years, a 

stronger growing economy will 

stimulate movie attendance relative 

to 1991 and 1992. 

I The proposed energy tax will 

curb the growth in activities requiring 

transportation, including 

movie attendance. 

I Price increases are more aggressive 

during periods of 

healthy economic growth. 

I Prices will rise faster over the 

forecast period than in 1991 and 

I 

1992. 

Forecast Assumptions 

For Home Video 

VCR household penetration will 

reach 90.4 percent of U.S. television 

households by 1 997. 

I Rentals per VCR household 

have stabilized and will rise 

slightly over the forecast period 

as the economy expands. 

I Rental prices will continue to 

grow at modest rates. 

I 

I 

I 

Unit sales per VCR household 

will rise to 4.5 by 1997. 

Retail prices will begin to rise, but 

at modest rates, over the forecast 

period. 

Pay-per-view and video on demand 

will not have a material 

impact on the home video industry 

over the next five years. 

base. By 1997, consumers will spend $6.4 

billion buying tapes, representing an 11.3 

percent annual expansion over the $3.7 

billion in 1992. 

Foreign Television Posts an Erratic 

Growth Pattern 

been anything but stable. Spending rose by 

54.7 percent in 1988, and by 38.5 percent in 

1990, but by 2.0 percent or less in 1989 and 

Revenues fi-om foreign television have 1991 This pattern reflects the emergence in 

Tbtal home video consumer spending 

from $12.0 1992 $17.5 

grown at a 19.6 percent annual rate over the the last five years of new private television 

will rise billion in to 

last five years, but the growth pattern has channels in Europe, creating spikes in the 

62 BOXOFFICE

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Response No^ 296

FORECAST 

growth pattern. 

Another factor exacerbating 

those spikes is that movies are typically 

licensed on a multiyear basis. Tfelevision 

broadcasters spend a disproportionate 

amount in a given year but relatively litde 

in subsequent years until the license period 

comes up for renewal. 

The Outlook for Movie Distributor Revenues 

We expect exports will once again become 

the driving force in movie distributor 

sales. Expansion of the VCR household universe 

overseas ^\'ill spark home video sales, 

while the continuation of the process of 

building and renovating theatres will stimulate 

boxoffice attendance and boost revenues 

to U.S. distributors. Meanwhile, the 

development of the television advertising 

market in Europe and elsewhere will fuel 

growth for foreign television when license 

renewals come up. In the short term, however, 

the economic weakness that is affecting 

many countries will dampen spending. 

Nevertheless, in 1992-a year of economic 

weakness in many countries— foreign revenues 

increased by 9.4 percent. Given a 

stronger economy, we look for faster 

growth over the forecast period. By 1 997, we 

expect movies to generate $11 .6 billion in 

foreign revenues. Growth will average 12.0 

percent on a compound annual basis, compared 

with 17.6 percent for the last five 

years. 

On the domestic side, growth in movie 

distribution revenues will be driven by 

spending growth for each of the components 

discussed in this chapter Accordingly, 

we forecast home video growth at 8.1 

percent compounded annually over the 

1 992-1 997 period, theatrical exhibition at 6.4 

percent, and television at 6.6 percent. Tbtal 

growth fi-om domestic sources is estimated 

at 7.2 percent, down from the 10.8 percent 

of tlie last five years. 

By 1 997, movies on a worldwide basis will 

generate S22.9 billion in distributor revenues— 

$11.3 billion domestically and $11.6 

billion from sales abroad. Thus, foreign 

sales will represent a majority of movie 

distributor revenues by 1997. 

^H 

1992 Shares of Sell-Through Unit Sales

THX@ approved 4 channel processor

Blue Ribbon Awards 

The accompanying ballot 

for your vote in the semi-annual 

Blue Ribbon Awards. First introduced 

in 1 932, the awards seek 

to recognize both the aesthetic 

and commercial value of the following 

films, released during 

the spring and summer of 1993. 

Your votes are cast in three categories: 

popularity; artistic 

is 

success; 

and, conversely, the worst 

film ofthe period. There isspace 

at the bottom of the ballot to 

write in any film missing from 

the list, and to comment on you 

choices. Please mail your com 

pleted ballot no later than No 

vember 15. 

The results of your voting wil 

be published in our January, 

1994 issue. The next round of 

voting, which will commemo 

rate the 62nd anniversary ofthe 

Blue Ribbon Awards, will be 

held in March, 1994, and 

cover this year's fall and winter 

releases. 

1. Adventures of Huck Finn, The 

Elijah Wood (Buena Vista) 

2. American Friends 

Michael Palin (Castle Hill) 

3. American Heart 

Jeff Bridges (Triton) 

4. Amongst Friends 

Steve Parlavecchio (Fine Line) 

5. Another Stakeout 

Richard Dreyfuss, Emilio Estevez (Buena Vista) 

6. Bad Behaviour 

Stephen Rea, Sinead Cusack (October Films) 

7. Benny & Joon 

Johnny Depp (MCM) 

8. Betty 

StephaneAudran (MK2) 

9. Bodies, Rest, and IVIotion 

Bridget Fonda (Fine Line) 

10. Boiling Point 

Wesley Snipes (Warner Bros.) 

11. Bound by Honor 

Damian Chapa (Buena Vista) 

12. Cliffhanger 

Sylvester Stallone (TriStar) 

13. Coneheads 

Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin (Paramount) 

14. Cop and a Half 

Ikirt Reynolds (Universal) 

15. Crush, The 

Cary Elwes (Warner Bros.) 

16. Dark Half, The 

Timothy FHutton (Orion) 

17. Dave 

Kevin Kline (Warner Bros.) 

18. Dennis the Menace 

Walter Matthau (Warner Bros.) 

19. Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story 

lason Scott (LJniversal) 

20. Equinox 

Matthew Modine, Lara Flynn Boyle (I.R.S.) 

21. Extreme Justice 

Scott Glenn (Trimark) 

22. Father Hood 

Patrick Swayze (Buena Vista) 

23. Firm, The 

Tom Cruise (Paramount) 

24. Free Willy 

Lori Petty (VVarner Bros.) 

25. Fugitive, The 

Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones (Warner Bros.! 

26. Guilty as Sin 

Don lohnson (Buena Vista) 

27. Hard Target 

Jean-Claude Van Damme (Universal) 

28. Heart and Souls 

Robert Downey, Jr. (Universal) 

29. Hocus Pocus 

BetteMidler (Buena Vista) 

30. Hot Shots! Part Deux 

Charlie Sheen (Twentieth Century Fox) 

31. House of Cards 

Kathleen Turner (Miramax) 

32. Indecent Proposal 

Robert Redford (Paramount) 

33. Indian Summer 

Bill Paxton, Elizabeth Perkins (Buena Vista) 

34. In the Line of Fire 

Clinl Eastwood (Columbia) 

35. Jack the Bear 

Danny DeVito (Twentieth Century Fox) 

36. Jacquot 

Doc. (Sony Classics) 

37. Josh and S.AM. 

(Columbia) 

38. Jurassic Park 

Laura Dern, Sam Neill (Universal) 

39. Just Another Girl on the IRT 

(Miramax) 

40. Kalifornia 

Juliette Lewis (Gramercy) 

66 BOXOFHCE

Blue Ribbon Ballot


Harkins Theatres Celebrates 

Its 60th Anniversary 

On 

September 22, 

Harkins Theatres 

celebrated its 60th anniversary as 

Arizona's favorite entertainment 

venue. At 60, it is the only locally owned 

first-run theatre chain in Arizona and the 

longest running independent chain in the 

Southwest. 

Harkins Theatres was established in 1 933 

when the father of Dan Harkins (the 

company's president and owner), Dwiglit 

"Red" Harkins, opened Tfempe, Arizona's 

first movie house, the State Theatre, while 

a student at Arizona State Ttacher's College 

(now ASUJ. The State Theatre advertised 

"talkies" and premiered "A Warrior's Husband" 

starring Elissa Land. Red Harkins, 

always the master showman, brought celebrities 

like Bob Hope and Bing Crosby to 

town as a way to enliven the public's enthusiasm 

for the magic of motion pictures. 

Red Harkins also introduced the state's 

first outdoor movie theatre at Tfempe Beach 

Park in Tempe, and in 1 940, built the College 

Theatre on Mill Avenue, today known as 

the Vallev Art.

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of durable, high impact FR-ABS and features low noise yield (68 DB). Other features 

include a 3.5 ft. flexible wire reinforced elastomer-urethane hose for unobstructed movement, 

padded nylon shoulder straps and back pad for a comfortable fit, and removable 

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So when your needs call for a powerhouse, remember, we don't call it Blohard for nothing! 

See your theatre supply dealer or call us toll free at: (800) 676-BLOW

' ( ( k-long 

INSIDE EXHIBITION (continued) 

tauglit him well. Throughout the 1970s and 

1980s, Dan single-handedly kept Harkins 

Theatres alive, quickly building a reputation 

as one of the most 

innovative and well respected 

independent 

theatre chains in the 

w 

country. 

In 1976, he created 

and successfully promoted 

Arizona's first foreign 

and art film 

program, a Harkins' 

trademark that continues 

today. Dan is respon- 

^V?./>BERUT_> 

sible for bringing moiv 

than 700 foreign and ait 

films to the Valley that 

otherwise would not 

have found an appreciative 

Phoenix audience 

In die 1980s, Dan iii 

troduced Phoenix niu\ - 

iegoers to the concept of 

'P mwwi 

"luxury' theatres," featuring 

gourmet snack bars, 

technologically superior stereophonic 

sound in all auditoriums, computerized advance 

ticket sales, "heart-smart" popcorn, 

comfortable high-back seats, cup-holder 

amirests, and many other state-of-the-art 

\^m? 

^1i»SaaB3«= -BARBARA STANW«K ', 

MSYCOCa 

HtEtTHESTtWuir 

The College Theatre built and opened in 1940 by founder Red Ha 

amenities that make attending a Harkins 

Theatre one of the most enjoyable entertainment 

experiences in town. 

Dan's many accomplishments, however, 

do not end there. During the past two decades, 

Harkins Theatres has consistently 

demonstrated its commitment 

to the betterment of 

the community, raising 

more money for charity 

than perhaps any other local 

business. Dan estimates his 

tlieatres have raised more 

tlian $400,000.00 for various 

community groups through 

movie premieres and special 

screenings. 

In 1990, a special engagement 

of Walt Disney's 'Tantasia" 

earned more than 

520,000 00 to help buy band 

unifoims and instruments 

h)i over 50 elementary 

s( hools This past year, a 

revival of "Star 

Ware" at the Harkins' Cine 

CapriTheatre collected over 

573,000.00 to aid the Phoenix 

Boys and Girls Clubs. 

The theatres overall donate more than 

$345,000.00 annually in free screen adverf 

fif 

Rieos Portioii dûpj 

/ 

Lawrence posts and 

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for best director. 

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When it comes to maintaining an orderly, positive environment 

tor patrons, no one helps you do it better — 

or with more style — than Lawrence. 

Our attractive and durable posts are available with a 

variety of ropes, rods, chains and tapes providing an 

endless choice of styles, finishes, color combinations 

and capabilities What's more, they're easy to set-up, 

adjust or move and can be stored in limited space. No 

wonder Lawrence wins the award for best director 

every year. For a detailed catalog, contact your local 

dealer or Lawrence Metal Products, 

"THE ORIGINATORS OF CONCESSION NACHOS" 

| 

Response No 49 

70 BoxomcE

tising to organizations such as St. Vince nt de 

Paul's Shelter for the Homeless, the United 

Way, the City of PhoenLx Water Consen'ation 

Project, the Phoenix 

Symphony and tlir 

Phoenix 2too. Forthi p.isi 

17 years, grade m Im^ >\ 

children have rai 

funds for their schools 

through Harkins' "Summer 

Movie Fun" program, 

the most 

successful of its kind 

anyivhere. Harkins also 

sponsors a film-makere 

scholarship fund at 

Scottsdale Community,' 

College and free 

senior 

citizen morning shows at 

the Camelview Cinemas 

in Scottsdale. 

hi may 1993, Harkins 

Theatres purchased the 

Mann Theatre chain in 

Phoenix, adding six new 

theatres and 41 

screens 

to die Harkins family. Dan is currently in 

the process of "Harkinizing" the former 

Mann Theatres to tit the family mold. 

With tile completion of the new Harkins 

Centeipoint 11 Luxur\' Cinemas in Ttmpe, 

Harkins 1 1 screen Centerpoint Luxury Cinemas is Phoenix's largest comple 

Harkins Theatres now boasts 16 Valley locations 

and 83 screens and, of course, even 

new innovations. The Centerpoint pioneers 

the first installation of Dolby Digital sound 

in Arizona. Looking to the future, Harkins 

Theatres recendy announced plans to build 

the state's largest theatre 

complex at the Arizona Center 

in downtown Phoenix. 

Dan hopes to expand the 

chain to more than 100 

screens in tlie coming years, 

all widi the unique Harkins' 

flair for state-of-the-art innovation. 

Tb celebrate the anniversary, 

on September 22 and 

23, selected Harkins' theatres 

ran vintage films from 

the 1930s (including "Forty- 

Second Street," "San Francisco," 

"The Good Earth," 

"Captain Blood," "Jezebel," 

"Ninotchka," and "Litde 

Women") at vintage prices: 

25 cents for adults, 10 cents 

for children. On Wednesday, 

all movie patrons received 

a free regular-size 

soft drink and regular popcorn. 

Red Harkins would be proud. 

HI

SOUND TECH NOTES 

Digital Stereo Demonstration: 

An Invitation to the Industry 

Bv John F. Allen 

Anyone 

who honestly beheves in high 

quality sound, as opposed to high 

qualitj' industry politics, should plan 

to attend the digital sound presentation that 

will take place on Saturday, December 11, 

1993, beginning at 9:00 a.m. at General 

Cinema Theatres' Framingham Shoppers 

World Cinema, in Framingham, Mass. In 

This is Not a "Shootout" 

This program is in no way to be considered 

a "shootout"! It couldn't be such an 

event since each system will actually be 

playing different material. Ratlier, this presentation 

is being given to tlie Boston sections 

of the Audio Engineering Society 

(AES), the Society of Motion Picture and 

Television Engineers (SMPTE), the Boston 

Audio Society (HAS) and the Acoustical Society 

of America (ASA). It is intended to be 

nothing more than a supreme demonstration 

of these three excellent digital formats 

SIZING UP THE PRINCIPAL DIGITAL CONTENDERS 

addition to an opening 70mm "surprise," 

this program will feature presentations of all 

three digital sound formats in current use: 

Dolby's SR«D, Digital Theatre Systems' UTS 

and Sony's SDDS. Sony's participation will 

depend on the availability of one of their 

over a sound system designed to be trul\' 

capable of reproducing the fiill dynamic 

range which digital recordings demand. 

Needless to say, I enjoy these opportunities. 

As long ago as 1979, for example (and 

long before our competitors), work began 

nine prototype processor units. At this time on our HPS-4000 motion picture sound 

they cannot confirm but they are trying to system. Even though Dolby Stereo was just 

arrange for one to be available. 

getting started, one of my primary objectives 

was to eliminate early obsolescence, to 

look to the future and build a truly digitalready 

sound playback system. Radier than 

simply taking speaker systems from a catalog 

and calling them theatre speakers, as 

some havedone, we formed a special relationship, 

first with Klipsch and Associates, 

Inc., then with GUlum Loudspeakers and 

embarked on a unique program to market 

genuine dedicated modem theatre speaker 

systems. This involved redesigning some 

speakers as well as developing new ones 

from scratch. Indeed the screen-loss defeating 

supertweeters we use, were designed by 

Dolby Laboratories, Digital Tlicatre Systems 

(DTS) and Sony Dynamic Digital 

Sound (SDDS) each offer a different approach 

to digital motion picture sound. Since 

each of these digital soundtrack formats is 

incompatibk;, how does an exliibitor evaluate 

them? Tb some extent, exhibitors don't 

really have a choice. That is, if one wants to 

play "Jurassic Park" in digital stereo, DTS 

must be installed. For "The Fugitive," Dolby 

SR»D Ls the only choice. 

Each of these fonnats has its own advantages. 

All retain the standard optical analog 

stereo soundtracks on the print. Tliis greatly 

simplifies distribution by avoiding double 

inventories. The analog soundti:acks also 

serve as an easy backup should the digital 

processing encounter trouble. All the digital 

systems proposed employ at least the standard 

left, center, right, bass, left surround 

and right surround theatre speaker configuration. 

Of cxjurse, each of fliese digital systems 

(an produce excellent sound quality,'. 

This Ls, however, where the similarities end. 

Exhibitors, no doubt, see the differences 

in the.se systems as so many pluses and 

minuses. OTS, for example, uses the least 

digital compression. This is technically better. 

But, the compression schemes employed 

by SDDS and Dolby are also very 

good and the practical advantage, if any, of 

somewhat lower compression, is veiy small. 

On the otlier hand, the DTS system costs 

about one-half to one-third less to install than 

the othere. This is a significant difference, 

and there aie other differences. 

Dolby and Sony, for example, are single 

system formats, with the digital soundtracks 

on the print. DTS uses a double system with 

time code added to the print instead of the 

actual digital information. The DTS digital 

tracks are instead played from two Compact 

Disc-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM) discs, 

which are sjTichronized to the picture via 

the time code. Some see the use of double 

systems in theatres as a minus. Tliis certainly 

has been the case in the past. However, 

DTS uses a computer to keep things 

togetlier and is certainly the best double 

system offered for movie theatres. 

Sony is the only one currently offering 

more than the usual six audio channels. For 

theatres with large screens, tire addition of 

left-center and right-center screen channels 

is a real plus. For theatres with smaller 

screens (let's say 40 feet wide or less) the 

Sony processor folds down the mix from five 

screen channels to three. 

Both Dolby and Sony have placed their 

digital information on different areas of the 

Him. Dolby's SR»D data is located in- between 

the sprocket holes next to tlie analog 

tracks. Sony uses both edges of the film 

beyond the perforations for its two tracks. 

This added area allows SDDS to have 100 

percent digital data redundancy. This can be 

vei-y helpfljl as digital data made up of such 

small spots on the film can be hard to read 

and can require lots of error conection. 

Dolby uses a much laiger spot size on the 

film easing the pickup process. The UTS 

reader is the simplest, as it 

the time code track on the film. 

is only reading 

At the moment, Dolby leads the industry 

in the number of digital releases as weU as 

years of production and field ex-perience. At 

over 1 ,000 equipped dieatres, DTS is way out 

in front. Sony is cun'entiy operating withjust 

a few prototype units in tlieatres. Production 

SDDS units are slated to begin arriving in 

1994. 

A quick look at these three systems reveals 

a selection of single and double systems 

at various prices and numbers of audio 

channels. The audio quality provided will 

probably not prove to be an impoilant issue. 

They are all superb. Still, there are issues for 

exhibitoi-s, not the least of which is theu 

present fhistration at the lack of a single 

dear digital staiidard, the need for replacement 

of most of the current speakers and 

amplifiers, and digital's total cost. 

72 BOXOFFICE

Perivale 

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TECH NOTES (continued) 

Paul W. Klipsch himself. This effort alone 

took more than two years. (See Boxoffice 

February', 1992, p. SW-48 for a more complete 

discussion of the TMCM-4 speaker 

system) 

The December 11th program is acUially 

the latest in a long series which I have 

presented in Boston, since 1981, to the 

above mentioned societies. Ibpics have included 

Dolby Stereo, the Kintek system, 

motion picture sound in general and, of 

course, the HPS-4000 sound systems. All 

these programs have been very well attended 

and plenty of ftm, not to mention 

hard work. 

digital demonstrations as it was designed to 

be and indeed is our reference HPS-4000 

sound system. In addition to the topof-theline 

Klipsch TMCM^ stage speakers and 

the new High Performance Stereo SR-70 

digital-ready surrounds, BGW Systems' flagship 

750-G power amplifiers were selected. 

This is to provide not only the cleanest 

sound I've heard from professional amplifiers, 

but ftill power metering for each channel 

as well. As with all our installations, 

heavy duty, flat response, low loss, self-inductance-canceling 

speaker wire was used. 

In addition, each amplifier has its own isolated 

ground electrical circuit. 

True Digital Power 

While it is always "interesting" (to audio 

amateurs at least) to talk about how many 

of today's theatre sound systems has left: 

exhibitors unprepared and compromised. 

The industry is saddled with an intolerable 

siuiation: three great digital formats and 

virtually nowhere to truly hear them. 

lb illustrate, a typical bi-amplified theatre 

sound system advertised as "digital-ready" 

may have a total of 3,500 watts available 

from the amplifiers. Impressive? Well, not 

really. After going through the speakers, the 

total radiated acoustic power available is in 

the area of 66 acoustic watts. This is somewhat 

less than a symphony orchestra. 

In a 100-foot long theatre, such a sound 

system calculates to reach fiill power and 

clip (distort) 2 dB short of the highest digital 

peaks. In other words, such a system has 

only about 63 percent of the minimum 

power required for digital. The siftiation is 

far worse when it comes to the surround 

speakers, where only about 30 percent of 

watts all the amplifiers can deliver, it is the 

A Reference System 

acousticpower available from the loudspeakers 

the needed power is available. 

which really counts. Yet, this factor is 

1989 saw the installation ofthe HPS-4000- 

XL sound system at General Cinemas' Framingham 

complex. The "XL" indicates tliat many watts your speakers need is like brag- 

Framingham is Important 

rarely mentioned. Bragging about how Why Hearing Digital at 

it is the largest ofour now four dieatre sound 

systems, employing die industry's only 

ging about how much gas your car canburn. 

Now, however, with digital soundtracks, the 

In contrast, the HPS-4000 system at General 

Cinemas' Framingham Cinema has 

four-way fully horn loaded loudspeakers in 

the main channels. 

dark little secret which is the amazing lack 

of acoustic power found in the vast majority 

only about 10 percent more amplifier power 

than die typical system just described. But, 

This particular installation is ideal for 

due to the use of much more efficient 

speaker systems, this sound system can 

deliver nearly 500 watts of acoustic power. 

This is equivalent to seven symphony orchestras. 

This is a huge and even thrilling 

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difference. It is also four times the power 

required for digital in a theatre of this size. 

Yes, if we wanted to, this means that we 

can get louder But we don't. The purpose 

here is to be able to reproduce tlie peak 

signals with the full dynamic range these 

digital formats offer, without amplifier clipping, 

power compression or loudspeaker 

venues. 

How large are the speakers required to do 

this? These modem designs have actually 

made things smaller The stage speakers at 

Framingham are about halfthe size and half 

the weight of the familiar Altec A-4 system, 

yet produce TEN times the output at 40 

Hertz, all without the need forbi-amplification 

or in this case of a four-way speaker 

system, quad-amplification. 

What Does the Audience Hear? 

Since die 1989 installation, this theatre 

has become widely regarded as the best in 

the area. People regularly call to inquire if 

the film they wish to see is playing in the 

HPS-4000 dieatre. Patrons from as far as 

Connecticut and New Hampshire are willing 

to drive the distance for the experience 

Why this Demonstration 

Last summer, after experiencing a UTS 

SLX-track digital presentation of "Jurassic 

Park" at this theatre, the local chairman of 

the AES (driving in from New Hampshire) 

realized that the potential of such a sound 

system made this theatre a perfect place for 

a digital theatre sound demonstration and 

asked me if I could organize it. 

I 

agreed and was pleased when Dolby, 

errs and Sony all readily consented to help. 

Dolby SR»D, DTS and Sony SDDS will each 

be presented with special demonstration 

materials as well as a choice reel from a 

release, each selected for maximum effect. 

(For a complete descriprion of these three 

systems, see Boxoftice, July, 1993 p. 40) 

Though different in significant details, 

each of these digital fonnats can deliver 

exceptionally high sound quality with 

failure. In fact we have never had such a in Framingham. One sound consultant I've 

come to know drives over 800 miles, round 

failure. 

The system is big to make its now enormous 

job into an effortless one. The sound theatre. (Is he nuts I wonder?) 

35mm films. One thing I especially enjoy is 

trip, from Maryland to see movies at this 

quality from such a sound system is 

Local critics have gone out of dieir way to the quality of the music. Having been 

also 

transformed into a more lifelike event and attend films here. The sound quality has trained in front of live classical symphony 

orchestras (my real love), it is extremely 

looses its "canned" qualitj'. The improvement 

even become the subject on local radio talk 

in sound quality realized from tliis 

kind ofdesign approach hasbeen known for 

shows. Tb those who still like to claim that 

the audience can't hear or doesn't care 

gratifying to hear recorded music sound so 

natural and believable in a movie theatre. 

over half a century, but space and other 

seldom 

about die difference, I ask, "Have you heard 

happening Framingham?" 

The sole purpose of our December 11th 

constraints allow for it in public what's at 

presentafion is to share the experience of 

such clear, spectacular and beautiflil sound. 

Onbehalf of General Cinema Theatres, the 

participating manufacturers and myself, we 

welcome anyone in the film industry to 

attend. For further information, information 

on area hotels, etc., you may call me at 

617-244-1737. ^ 

e Copyjight 1993, John F AUen. All Rights 

Reserved. 

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November, 1993 75

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DRIVE-IN CULTURE. 

FOR SCREAMERS, SQUIRMERS AND 

SMOOCHERS 

Although 

By Harley VV. Lond 

Editor 

the occasion may have 

sHpped past most people, last June 6 

marked an important anniversary: 

on that day 60 years ago Richard M. 

Hollingshead opened the first drive-in theatre 

in Camden, N.J. Though drive-ins 

today represent only a small portion of the 

exhibition business, at one time ozoners 

accounted for almost 25 percent of all U.S. 

film revenues. In 1958 diere were 4,063 

drive-in screens in the U.S.; now, according 

to NATO, there are only 870 screens still 

stimding. 

Though its image was that of a "teenage 

passion pit," the drive-in was a place for the 

entire family to enjoy a film without being 

bothered by others (the family attendance 

group of two adults and children accounted 

for more than 50 percent of drive-in audiences 

surveyed in the 1950s and 1960s); in 

the safet>' of their automobiles the American 

movie-going audience could laugh, cry, 

eat, scream, and have sex to their heart's 

content: the final, indulgent American 

Dream. Here are 10 drive-in classics that 

were, or should have been, screened at the 

local ozoner, and which, in one way or 

another, represent the best of drive-in culture: 

kids, cars, thrills and chills. 

American Graffiti (1973): This film, 

more than any other, pinpoints what it 

nic.im to hi; a teenager in the early 1960s: 

the naive lust of the dating game, the sentimental 

romanticism of teenage love, the 

macho car-culture posterings. Director 

George Lucas solidified his career and 

boosted the careers of a dozen or so actors 

with this exploration of the events of the 

night after high school graduation, 1962, in 

Northern California. Stars Richard Dreyftiss, 

Ron Howard, Paul LeMat, Charles Martin 

Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, 

Mackenzie Philhps, Hamson Ford, Bo Hopkins, 

Kathleen Quinlan, Suzanne Somers. 

The Blob (1958): Not one of the best but 

certainly one ofthe most typical ofthe 1 950s 

science fiction action films. This one is notable 

for starting Steve McQueen off on his 

acting career and for being the penultimate 

expression of the 1950s version of the generation 

gap: there's something horrible 

going on out there (in this case, a slimy blob 

from outer space eating everyone in sight) 

and only the teens know how to stop it. The 

adults won't even recognize the problem. A 

true drive-in classic. 

A Bucket of Blood (1959): 

Tliis low budget Roger Gorman cult classic 

was the kind of film you went to see 

when you actually had other things on your 

mind: socializing with your buddies, hugging 

your honey, and chomping on popcorn. 

When you finally did look out at the 

screen, you honked your car's horn in derision 

at the "corny" goings-on. Tbo bad, too, 

because this 

tongue-in-cheek honor film, 

about a coffeehouse busboy who makes it to 

the top of the art world with his all-too-"lifelike" 

sculptures, is a great spoof of the beatnik 

era and a black comedy in its own right. 

Invasion oftlie Body Snatchers (1956): 

This scary science fiction thriller, about an 

invasion from outer space in which alien 

"pods" take over human beings, rendering 

them emotionless, was a great drive-in flick: 

during die frightening scenes, your girl 

friend was sure to jump into your arms for 

comfort. The film also has a strong political 

subtext: it can be "read" as a warning about 

the dangers of Communism (the Red Scare 

of the Gold War) or as a condemnation of 

the corporate conformity of the decade. 

Stars Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, King 

Donovan and Carolyn Jones; directed by 

Don Siegel. 

It Came Fmm Outer Space ( 

1 953): Don't 

let tlie exploitation tide fool you. This intelligent 

"invasion from outer space" science 

fiction thriller was notable for several reasons. 

Its storyline, about aliens crash landing 

on Earth and cloning Arizona desert 

townspeople to repair their ship, turned the 

typical invasion theme on its head: the 

townspeople were ultimately more hostile 

than the aliens. It was also filmed and released 

in 3-D, and subtlety made use of that 

process rather than flaunting it (though 

there are some smnning scenes in which 

on-screen objects— rocks from a landslide, a 

telescope, Barbara Rush's tor.so — protrude 

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into the audience). Good acting by Rush and 

Richard Carlson (in his typical role as a 

common man hero) and fine direction by 

Jack Arnold; loosely based on a Ray Bradbury 

stor>'. 

/ Was a Ibeti-age Wereivolf {\95T): One 

of the first teen exploitiition films, thislow- 

'budget American International Picture 

l(which made a lot of money) is notable for 

lits title and for its star, a very young Michael 

Landon. Landon plays a borderline juvenile 

delinquent unwttingly transformed by an 

evil psychiatrist into a werewolf, an event 

which instigates a trail of teenage blood. 

The boy can't help himself, and part of tlie 

fim is in seeing Landon, much to his chagrin, 

become a werewolf in stop motion 

makeup effects. A tme drive-in movie: 

there was plenty else to do while this one 

unspooled. 

Night of the Living Dead (1968): The 

horror film that spawned the current generation 

of explicit slasher and gore movies 

(in which almost no amount of terror and 

blood has been left to the imagination) is 

tame by today's standards. Flesh-eating 

zombies (all the better to frighten you because 

of the low-budget acting and black 

and white photography) terrorize the countryside 

outside Pittsburgh. A perfect drivein 

movie: you shouldn't see this one alone. 

Directed by George A. Romero. 

Rebel Without a Cause (1955): Vie teen 

picture of tlic 

1950s made an eternal place 

Two ikons of the 1 950s; Jai 

in teenage heaven for James Dean, Natalie 

Wood and Sal Mineo. Dean is the angstdriven 

teen rebel of all time, searching for 

love and values in a worid all too devoted to 

money and materialism. This Nicholas Raydirected 

wide screen blast defined so many 

teen fantasies that the images still haunt us 

today: drag racing over a cliff into the Pacific 

Ocean, knife fights in the Griffith Park Observatory, 

love and fiiendship in an abandoned 

Holljrivood mansion. Should always 

be double billed with "A Summer Place." 

A Stonvier Place (1 959): A quintessential 

tearjerker that was just meant to be seen in 

a "passion pit." An amalgamation of all the 

elements that gave back seat "necking" a 

reputation (good or bad, depending on your 

persuasion): a top 20 hit theme song 

"Theme From A Summer Place," teenage 

heart throb stars (Sandra Dee and Tl-oy 

Donahue), unrequited love (Richard Egan 

and Dorothy McGuire) and plenty of romance. 

Peter Bogdanovich's first 

feature is a suspense thriller with overlapping 

storylines (a Iwironneister, played by 

Boris Karloff, 

discovers his monster films 

are no match for the horrors of real life; a 

Vietnam Vet starts shooting everybody in 

sight) that climax at a drive-in theatre; the 

perfect way to end a twilight double bill. 

And by the way, all these films are available 

on videotape for screening in your very 

own "drive-in" living room. HH 

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November. 1993 79

NEW TECHNOLOGY 

BRAVE NEW WORLD 

An Inter-info-edii-kine-visi'hyper-active Look at the Synergistic Interface 

Between Feature Films and Emerging Entertainment Technologies 

By Ann Kwinn, Ph.D. 

The Theatre of the Future? 

a sunny afternoon in late summer, 

It's 

and exuberant crowds mill about at the 

L.A. Counts' Fair in Pomona, Calif. From 

Ferris wheels to roUercoasters, attendees 

can choose from a variety of terrifying machines 

designed to play on their fears of 

falling, crashing and throwing up. 

All the classic "state fair" trappings have 

been assembled, 

along with a new 

kind of ride, one 

with no track, no 

spinning tea cups, 

no scruffy operator. 

This brave new 

technological creation 

is housed in 

an unassuming 

structure which, 

from the outside, 

looks like nothing 

so much as a 

small, portable 

moviehouse. But 

inside, this attraction 

is a synthesis 

of state-of-the-art, 

mass-entertainment technologies, combining 

live action film footage with computer 

graphics and seats which react to projected 

images through movement. 

The figure on the "marquee" is familiar to 

anyone whose movie memories stretch 

back more than five years. Welcome to the 

world of Iwerks Entertainment's "Robocop: 

the Ride." 

As a veritable smorgasbord of elements 

derived from feature film and computer 

entertainment technologies, "Robocop: the 

Ride" symbolizes new trends which are 

breaking down the barriers between movie 

ment a ; we move toward the "theatre of the 

future. 

Robocop star of Iwerks Entertainment s 

Robocop the Ride 

Iwerks 

"Robocop: the Ride" flight simulator 

technology is the same type 

The 

used 

in "Star Tours" at Disneyland and in 

the "Back to Future" ride at Universal Studios. 

Passengers are kept in constant, synchronized 

motion with 

a moving image on a 

large screen. Seats are 

placed close, to bring 

viewers into the action. 

Near misses with people, 

bridges, monsters, 

and space ships make 

viewers duck and flinch 

in delight. The Iwerks' 

simulators are called 

"Turbo Rides" when 

they're constructed as 

permanent attractions, 

and "Reactors" when 

(like "Robocop") they're 

of the portable variety. 

"Robocop: the Ride" is 

currently touring fairs, 

air shows and other public events, with 

Iwerks considering a tie-in with Orion's upcoming 

movie "Robocop 3." 

Iwerks' "Tlirbo Rides" will be a fixture in 

their larger theme park conception, 

Cinetropolis. "Cinetropolis is a movie based 

entertainment center that will combine up 

to four Iwerks attractions with restaurants 

and retail stores in a highly 'themed' environment," 

says Mark Young, vice president 

of marketing for Iwerks. The prototypal 

Iwerks Cinetropolis complex is scheduled 

to open in December of 1993 in Ledyard, 

Conn., at the Foxwoods Casino. The com- 

exhibition, theme park operation, film production, 

and computer-driven pastimes like circular, "Video 360" dance theatre with 

plex wall feature one Iwerks Tirbo Ride; a 

games and educational software. Tlie interrelationship 

of these fields, and the compaelogue; 

and an 1 ,800-seat big-screen theatre. 

nine contiguous screens; a big-screen travnies 

which are driving the emerging Iwerks has received major investment 

technologies, are poised to transform mass from Itochu Corporation, a Japanese trading 

company, to develop 30 Cinetropolis 

entertainment, with ramifications in terms 

of product supply and audience expectations 

which could affect all fonns of filmed million each. There are plans to build 30 

complexes in Asia, at a cost of about $30 

entertainment. The new movie-related, centers in the U. S. and 15 in Europe. Otlier 

high-tech companies and the processes and ceni'irs may include a "virtual reality" arcade, 

featuring new technology to be un- 

products they provide will both reflect and 

infliu^ncr: the direction of mass-entertainveik:ri 

by Iwerks later this fall. 

Turbo 

Interaction 

Rides engage more senses than 

a traditional movie does, which is one 

of the goals of "virtual reality" (i.e., 

artificial environments that are "virtually" 

real). But "Robocop: the Ride" does not fit 

one of the other new entertainment categories; 

it couldn't be termed "interactive." 

There's that word again— the adjective 

tliat simultaneously titillates and confiises 

the general populace. These days, "interactive" 

describes everything from pay-perview 

television to home shopping to 

CD-ROMs and point-of-sale kiosks. 

For something to be interactive, the 

viewer or user must be able to make a 

choice about what he or she will experience. 

How can a theatre audience make choices? 

Controlled Entropy Entertainment's "Interfilm" 

offers one possible answer 

Controlled Entropy's "Interfilm" 

"Interfilm," which is shot on 16mm 

An and projected from a videodisc in a 

retro-fitted theatre, allows viewers to 

vote on plot twists by pressing one of tliree 

buttons on pistol grips built into tl:e right 

arms of every seat in the house. 

The first Interfilm, "I'm Your Man," ran 

about 20 minutes, but with a total of about 

90 minutes of available footage for audiences 

to select from in each cycle. Three 

main characters— the hero, a bad guy, and 

the heroine— asked audiences to make 

choices, and then responded to diose selections 

accordingly. 

"I'm Your Man" ran at theatres in the New 

York and Los Angeles areas for about two 

months last winter. At the Los Angeles-area 

screening (attended by this vmter), the 

Interfilm concept appeared to be a hit with 

teenagers, who were finally allowed (if not 

encouraged) to talk back during a movie. At 

press time, there were plans in the works 

for Loews to exhibit a second Interfilm, this 

time with wider distribution. 

Repurposing: Converting for the 

Home Market 

Many 

of the major Hollywood film 

studios are bringing new technologies 

into the home, especially in the 

fonn of CD-ROM titles. 

80 BOXOFFICE

ha.s 

Doug Mealy, president of Multimedia 

Public Relations, which represents Time 

Warner Interactive Group, predicts that 

"tills market will become enormous in the 

next few years. There is [currently] a very 

comfortable mix of entertainment and 

'edutainment' titles," i.e., those designed to 

educx-tte whDe they entertain. 

In many cases, movie studios are developing 

programs based on pre-existing properties 

in order to 

capitalize on dicii 

original develo|> 

ment investment. 

This redirecting of 

existing titles (like 

"Robocop" or the 

upcoming CU- 

ROM of "Demolition 

Man") is called 

"repurposing," 

temitliat describes 

a key link between 

movies and emerging 

technologies. 

a 

At Paramount Interactive Group, developing 

for various platforms is not just an 

option; it's 

policy. Cynthia Fine, vice president 

of product development, reports that 

"with anything we design tiiat is CD-ROM 

disc based, we are looking to the fiiture, 

toward repurposing for interactive TV." 

Time Warner Interactive Group 

According 

to Time Warner consultant 

Mealy, the biggest stumbling block 

for CD-ROM developers is getting 

copyright infomiation and approval. "If 

someone wanted to do a retrospective of 

Bette Davis movies, for example, you could 

have to go through all kinds of legal maneuvers 

to get clearance for every single thing." 

One of Time Warner's advantages is that 

the company is the largest copyright holder 

in the worid, not only through Warner Bros. 

Pictures, but through the multiple copyrights 

of the Time/Life publication empire. 

Some high profile Time Warner rifles include: 

"Clinton: Portrait of Victory," which 

is a chronology of the 1992 campaign featuring 

photos and speeches, and "Hell Cab," 

a game program that takes players on a 

rime-travelling trip through history in a taxi 

that is (literally) from hell. Time Warner's 

"Funny" is a film-based CD, adapted from 

the documentary of the same name in 

which people tell their favorite jokes. 

Paramount Interactive 

t Paramount Interactive, "Busy- 

Tbwn" is both a successflil children's 

i-tifle based on characters by author 

Richard Scarry and a name that could describe 

thr i^noiip itself Like Time Warner, 

Par.iiuininl Inicr.u tive (which was formed 

lasi M,i\ .u ( ess 

1 

to a parent company's 

many lK)ldin.gs, including films and TV 

shows, theme parks, and two pro sports 

teams, the Knicks and the Rangers. 

Upcoming Paramount games will be 

based on "Star Tl-ek: Deep Space Nine" and 

the "Viper" TV series. 

Film-Based Games 

ther studios are getting a 

piece of the interaction as 

o; well. The films "Aladdin," 

"Jurassic Park," "Tferminator 2: 

Judgement Day," "Wliite Men 

Can't Jump," and "Demolition 

Man" will all soon be converted 

into interactive titles. 

In the case of "Demolition 

Man," production of the film included 

two days of shooting just 

In the next decade, 

for the game, the first time game 

"new technologies 

design has had such an impact 

will become another 

Funny." a feature documentary, was on film production. This allows 

"repurposed" as CD-ROM software. 

licensing op- 

the release of the game to coin- 

tion for feature 

cide with the film's theatrical run, when 

films" states Iwerks' Mark Young. 

public awareness is especially heightened. 

Some movie personalities are cashing in 

on their cachet, even without a film to 

"repurpose." Steven Spielberg is designing 

an interactive game for LucasArts Entertainment 

called "The Dig," which puts users 

into the point of view of a fiituristic space 

cowboy. The upcoming 

TfekMagic original "Steven 

Seagal: The Final Option" 

is based on a Hollywood 

star rather than a Hollywood 

movie, and uses entirely 

new material 

Philips CD-I: the 

New Home Video? 

Traditional films are 

also being delivered 

on new formats. 

Using a new video compression 

technology. Paramount 

will release 50 

feature length films on Philip's CD-I (Compact 

Disc-Interactive). Philips, in alliance 

with Sony, Matsushita, and JVC, has introduced 

frill screen, full motion video on a 

CD-I with 76 minutes running-time per 

side. 

Philips Interactive president Dr Bernard 

Luskin predicts that CD-I w\l\ co-exist sideby-side 

with the VCR and says Philips plans 

to release CD-I films day-and-date with 

video releases. Philips has taken advantage 

of CD-I's interactive capability by adding an 

on-screen interface which gives viewers 12 

speeds of slow motion; stop motion on a 

perfect image; chapter stops, and so on. 

Philips is also moving toward including 

more entertainment tides in its main product 

line. New Philips CD-I products will 

incorporate the Jetsons, the Flintstones, 

and other Hanna-Barbera cartoons. A Playboy 

relaxation massage disc, an interactive 

psychotherapy disc and a CD-I on Caesar's 

World of Boxing are also on the horizon. 

"We're taking everything you could do in 

an arcade, everything you could do in a 

motion picture theatre, everything that 

United Airlines could do in a flight simulator 

for a pilot and reducing it down to a 

compact disc. We're serving it to the public 

on a silver platter," says Dr Luskin. 

I 

Oi 

The Theatre of the Future 

Revisited 

n the question of whether these new 

technologies could replace movie 

theati"es, Luskin replies, "I 

don't see 

that at the moment. Everyone in the software 

and consumer electronics businesses, 

and at the telephone and computer companies, 

including the President of the United 

States, is forecasting a digital highway. And 

what they're saying is: this is the future of 

information processing. Through the air, 

through the wires, in the homes, in the 

stores, in the markets, in the theatres, and 

in the theme parks— it's going to be digital." 

So which inter-info-edu-kine-visi-hyperactive 

media will be part of the theatre of 

the future? Tliat theatre may bear a striking 

resemblance to the family room in an average 

American home, or it may be wherever 

people (and 

screens) 

On "Demolition Man," stars Wesley Snipes 

and Sly Stallone (pictured) put in extra sf)ooting 

time for the CD-ROIVI version 

congregate. 

It may be 

primarily a 

form of relaxation, 

or 

an intense, 

almost 

gymnastic 

activity 

combining 

screens and 

physical objects 

in int 

r i c a t e , 

interactive 

patterns. 

Consider 

the following scenario: a boy of die friture 

hangs his head deep into his space suit. 

"Mom, I'm not smart enough to go to the 

movies. I don't understand the logic flow, 

and my eye-hand coordination doesn't cast 

my vote fast enough." lb which his mother 

replies, "Zakgi-cb, you're goingto the movies 

whether you want to or not. You need the 

exercise." 

mn 

Ann Kimnn is pwject nuinager for perforjnance 

technology mid multimecHa at ASK 

InterTiational, a Los Angeles-based development 

compam/ specializing in computer-based 

training and multimedia products 

November, 1993 81

ENTERTAINMENT DATA, INC. 

CONGRATULATES 

SLEEPLESS 

n SE ATTL 

$100,000,000 

FOR 

GROSS BOX OFHCE RECEIPTS 

AS OF 

AUGUST 14,1993.

ENTERTAINMENT DATA, INC. 

CONGRATULATES 

$100,000,000 

FOR 

GROSS BOX OFHCE RECEIPTS 

AS OF 

AUGUST 27, 1993.


1 

. 

: 

Educated Moviegoer Survey 

Provides Clues to Viewing Choices 

The 

results of an independent, nationwide 

survey of educated moviegoers, action-adventure genre, unexpectedly they 

are often seen as preferring films from the 

conducted by media psychologist Stuart 

Fischoff, Ph.D., have been tabulated and mention the cinematic romantic icon "Ca- 

were almost twice as likely as females to 

analyzed. The sample included 558 male sablanca" as one of their top five films. 

and female respondents with an education Females, however, were three to five times 

level ranging from some college to Ph.Ds. 

All major racial groups in ages ranging fiôm 

18-83 were included in the study. 

Dr Stuart Fischoffs Educated Moviegoer 

Survey looked at a varietj' of factors regarding 

movie preference and attendance. Data 

was collected concerning such factors as 

types or genres of movies liked and disliked, 

reasons for going to the movies, sources of 

information for deciding which movies to 

see, frequency of movie attendance, elements 

of movies such as lead actors/actresses, 

directors, writers, and soundtrack 

which enter into movie viewing choices. 

A particularly interesting and informative 

set of responses concerned the listing 

of five all-time favorite fiJms. Wlien the 

entire survey sample was taken as a whole, 

in order of frequency of mention, the top 

five rated films were: 

"Gone with the Wind" 

2. "Dances with Wolves" 

3. "Casablanca" 

4. "The Sound of Music" 

5. "The Godfather" 

Dr Fischoff explained, "While it might be 

expected that 'Gone With the Wind' would 

rank the highest with mention by 16 percent 

of the entire survey sample, it was 

quite surprising that 'Dances with Wolves' 

was a close second with a 13 percent mention 

rate. Of equal surprise was the universal 

popularity' of the musical 'The Sound of 

Music' 

"Also of interest was that the films by 

I'rancis Ford Coppola were cited more often 

than any other director whose films made 

the top 25. 'The Godfather; 'The Godfather, 

Part 

2' and 'Apocalypse Now' were the films 

of Coppola that received the most mention. 

"Director Steven Spielberg's films were 

the second most frcquendy mentioned with 

'E. T' and 'Aiders of the Lost Ark' ranking 

in the top 25 films." 

Also according to Dr Fischoff, while men 

as likely to mention films such as "Pretty 

Woman," "Ghost," "Steel Magnolias" and 

"Beaches" as their favorite all-time films. 

Males were far more likely than females to 

mention science fiction films such as "2001 

A Space Odyssey," "Star Wars" and "Blade 

Runner" 

"African Americans and Native Americans 

were more likely than other racial 

groups to list films whose plots, and whose 

stars or directors were, respectively, African 

American or Native American," Dr Fischoff 

stated. "Latinos and Asians were less influenced 

in favorite film choices by racially 

compatible themes or creative elements. 

Another altogether understandable but surprising 

result was that Afiican Americans 

were the only racial group whose top 20 

films list did not contain 'Gone With tiie 

Wind; 

"Oscar nominations and awards certainly 

mean something when it comes to favorite 

films, but not everything," Dr Fischoffcommented. 

"Of the top 100 films mentioned, 

26 percent won Academy Awards for Best 

Picture and another 25 percent were nominated 

for the best picture Oscar The remaining 

50 percent of the top-rated films, 

some of which were higWy successftil both 

commercially and critically such as 'Ghost,' 

'Pretty Woman' and '2001 

: A Space Odyssey,' 

neither won nor were nominated for the 

Academy Award for Best Picture in the year 

they were released. Only two foreign language 

films, 'Cinema Paradiso' and 

Bergman's 'The Seventh Seal' garnered 

enough votes to be listed in the top 100 most 

popular films. 

"WTiile there was some bias in 

favor of 

films released in the last decade with 40 

percent of the favorite films being released 

within the last 

10 years, 60 percent of all 

films listed in the top 100 spanned a total of 

six decades," said Fischoff. 

"Finally, two things were abundantly 

clear from the research results. Those who 

ranked action-adventure films as their most 

favorite genre were less likely to be sensitive 

to the issue of gratituous violence in films. 

While this may seem to be a self-evident 

corelation, it is one that, heretofore, has 

been difficult to prove scientifically. While 

males are admittedly more partial to actionadventure 

films than were females, as they 

grow older the differences between males 

and females practically disappears and both 

sexes prefer the drama to the action-adventure 

genre, hiteresting also was the fact that 

Asians prefen-ed action-adventures more 

than any other racial group and liked dramas 

the least. In this study, tiiey also objected 

to violence in films far less than any 

other racial group," Dr Fischoff added. 

The survey was conducted on a representative 

group of 276 females and 282 males, 

in three age groups (18 to 25, 26 to 49, 50 to 

83), with educational levels including some 

college, college degree level, some graduate, 

graduate level degree, and Ph.D. Tlie 

ethnic/ racial groups included whites. Latinos, 

African Americans, Asians, and Native 

Ainericans. The siginificance level for die 

survey was 95 percent, meaning tiiat the 

liklihood of it being inaccurate was only five 

percent (five chances out of 100). 

For additional infomiation about the results 

of the Educated Moviegoer Survey 

contact Dr Stuart Fischoff at either the Department 

of Psychology at California State 

University, Los Angeles, (213) 343-2250 or 

at his office (21 3) 466-3078. 

^ 

Dr. Fischoff inhvduced the nation's first 

course in Media Psychology five years ago at 

California State University, Los Angeles where 

he also teaches Psychology. He is the film 

reviewer for the Los Angeles County Psychological 

Association, as well as for the Media 

Division of the American Psychological Association. 

He is a member of the Writers Guild of 

America West, a Fellow in the American Psychological 

Association, a Member of the Advisoiy 

Board for the California AUiance for the 

Maitally 111 and past-president of the Media 

Division of the American Psychological Association. 

84 BOXOIUCK

SHOWEAST '93 

Trump Taj Mahal Casino Hotel 

Atlantic City, New Jersey 

October 26-28, 1993 

Tentative Schedule of Events 

rUESDAY, OCTOBER 26TH

§fTidwEast *93 

A&B BOOSTER 

CONTACT: Kimberly Brown 

Booth 705

1 

. . . retrofit 

ShowEast '93 

CREST AUDIO INC. 

CONTACT: Greg McVeigh 

Booth 315 

CY YOUNG INDUSTRIES INC 

CONTACT Carrie Young 

Booth 306 

DELTA BAG CO. 

CONTACT: Ronald Ruse 

Booth 215 

DIGITAL THEATRE SYSTEMS 

CONTACT: Stacey Williamson 

Booth 101. 103 

DOLBY LABS 

CONTACT: Bill 

Mead 

Booth 602. 604. 701. 703 

DR. PEPPER/SEVEN-UP CO. 

CONTACT: Johnnie Brown 

Booth 211 

DRINK THING 

CONTACT: Terry Fairbanks 

Booth 1 1 

DURKAN CARPET 

CONTACT: Tara Durkan 

Booth 818. 820 

FILMACK STUDIOS 

CONTACT: Robert Mack 

Booth 709 

GLOBE TICKETS LABEL 

CONTACT: Clyde Almy 

Booth 105 

GOLD BOND—GOOD HUMOR ICE 

CREAM 

CONTACT: Don Spencer 

Booth 120 

GOLD MEDAL PRODUCTS 

CONTACT: Sally Fredricks 

Booth 307. 309 

GOLDENBERG CANDY 

CONTACT: Edgar Goldenberg 

Booth 512 

HANOVER UNIFORM COMPANY 

CONTACT: John Mintz 

Booth 317 

HANOVIA, INC. 

CONTACT: Dennis Pnscandaro 

Booth 607. 609 

HARIBO OF AMERICA 

CONTACT: Lori Cherry 

Booth 210 

HENRY HEIDE CO. 

CONTACT: Jean Volpicella 

Booth 608 

HERSHEY CHOCOLATE USA 

CONTACT: Patricia Helnck 

Booth 713, 715 

I 

AURA LIGHTING, INC 

... specializing in THEATER LIGHTING SYSTEMS 

FEATURING 

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AND THE DEALER NEAREST YOU CALL 

1-800-942-8880 

1622 W. 11th Street Phone 909-985-3864 

Upland, CA 91786 Fax 909-985-5938 

All 

product names are registered trademarks 

No 21 

What Would You Do 

To Save An Animal? 

Animals have long held a special place in my 

heart—their companionship has always been veo' 

important to me. That's why it distresses me to tell 

you that tens of thousandi of animals are suffering 

needlessly. 

They desperately need help—and organizations 

like PETA. 

Since 1980, People for the Ethical TVeatment of 

Animals has become this nation's most effective 

advocate on behalf of animal protection. The people 

at PETA are committed to exposing and stopping 

animal cruety—especially in laboratories. 

It feels great to use my voice for animals. Please 

join me and contact PETA today You can help save 

animals too. 

For more information on how you can become 

part of this vital work, write: PETA. P.O. Box 42516, 

Washington. DC 20015 or call (202) 726-0156. 

Rue McClanahan 

Ten 

November, 1993 87

ShowEast '93 

HIGH PERFORMANCE STEREO 

CONTACT: John F. Allen 

Booth 522 

HUSSEY SEATING COMPANY 

CONTACT: Ron Bilodeau 

Booth 209 

IMPERIAL BONDWARE 

CONTACT: Maureen Cardinallo 

Booth 606 

INTL. CINEMA EQUIP. 

CONTACT: Steven Krams 

Booth 212. 214 

IRWIN SEATING 

CONTACT: Vicki Stein 

Booth 308. 310 

J&J SNACK FOODS CORP/FCB 

AMERICA 

CONTACT: Robert Rudley 

Booth 122 

JBL PROFESSIONAL 

CONTACT: Bill Hamilton 

Booth 302. 304 

KELMAR SYSTEMS 

CONTACT: Andrew Marglin 

Booth 616 

KEYES FIBRE 

CONTACT: Gwen Shaw 

Booth 117 

KINETICS NOISE CONTROL 

CONTACT: Larry Holben 

Booth 219 

KINTEK 

CONTACT: Zaki Abdun-Nabi 

Booth 718 

KLIPSCH PROFESSIONAL 

CONTACT: Milton McNally 

Booth 522 

KNEISLEY ELECTRIC COMPANY 

CONTACT: Betty Schitfler 

Booth 313 

LAWRENCE METAL PROD. INC. 

CONTACT: Louis Rabeno 

Booth 401 

LENNOX INDUSTRIES 

CONTACT: Jeannene Spessard 

Booth 205 

LEPRINO FOODS 

CONTACT: Diana Conway 

Booth 208 

LETICA CORPORATION 

CONTACT: Tom Fnese 

Booth 109 

LILY POPCORN 

CONTACT: William Smith 

Booth 422 

FOR THE SIMPLEST AND MOST RELIABLE 

PLATTERS 

BUY 

Potts Film Handling Systems 

Robert L Potts Enterprises 

201 E. Sangamon, Suite 110 

Rantoul, IL 61866 

Tel 217-893-0443 

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HURLEY SCREENS 

SUPERGLO SILVERGLO NW-16 

A durable pearlescent, 

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FAX # (410) 838-8079 

/////////7/Z//>>^^ 

AUTOMATED HIGH SPEED U/L APPROVED TICKETING EQUIPMENT 

Factory Service, the only authorized manufacturer and repair center. 

AUTOMATICKET 

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MASKING FABRIC 

MASKING BOARDS 


November, 1993 89

Congratul%tions 

1993 ShoWEaist 

'' 

Honorees 

Hank Lightstone 

Salah M. Hassanein Humanitanan Award 

Fred Mound î 

Show I Award 

Jack Va 

Lifetime AcfrlBye 

JohiF^ldsen 

Showeast Awaifl

5 

. . 

ShowEast '93 

LINDSEY-FAIRBANKS 

CONTACT: George Mackey 

Booth 107 

LOU-ANA FOODS, INC. 

CONTACT: Richard Biggs 

Booth 319 

LUCASFILM THX 

CONTACT: Kim Yost 

Booth 716 

M&M/MARS 

CONTACT: Mark Kraemer 

Booth 316. 318 

MANKO SEATING CO. 

CONTACT: Norman Manko 

Booth 321 

MARBLE COMPANY INC. 

CONTACT: Ron Purtee 

Booth 312 

MARCEL DESROCHERS, INC. 

CONTACT: Marcel Desrochers 

Booth 106 

MERRILL LYNCH 

CONTACT: Robert Scherzer 

Booth 61 

MINER CONTAINER 

CONTACT: Jeanne Sheehy 

Booth 220 

MOVIEAD 

CONTACT: Emil Noah 

Booth 314 

NATIONAL CINEMA SUPPLY 

CONTACT Barney Bailey 

Booth 814. 816 

complete line of . 

Concession, Snack Bar and Janitorial Supplies 

plus Projection and theatre equipment also parts 

For The Best In Service. . .Give Us a Call 

(IXKMA Sl'l»I>IA' COMPA.NV. IXC. 

P.O. BOX 148, MILLERSBURC;, PA. 17061 

T PI PPHONP: (•'I?) 692-4744 1 -800-4 ^7-'; SO s" 

Serving Major Circuit 

and Independents 

;©T©FSi 

REBUILT 

Overhauls • Dolby Certified 

1-800-388-7547 

^,^ NewEngland 

^ ^ Theatre Service, Inc. 


NATIONAL FILM SERVICE 

CONTACT: Prudence Baird 

Booth 218 

NATIONAL ICEE CORP. 

CONTACT: David Alfarone 

Booth 104 

NATIONAL MAGAZINE/FILM 

CARRIER 

CONTACT George Mundell 

Booth 216 

NATIONAL TICKET COMPANY 

CONTACT: Bill Alter 

Booth 516 

NESTLE FOOD COMPANY 

CONTACT: Paul Hen/ey 

Booth 802 

NEUMADE PROD./XETRON 

CONTACT Mark Smith 

Booth 611. 613 

Pacer Ticket Stock 

Direct from the Manufacturer 

for as low as $35"" per case! 

/// 

Prices based on 1 

size & i;olor, subject to your individual needs 

PO Box 547 

Kt .a^S^-^n^l Order Deportmeni 1 800-829 0829 

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- 

C K E T CO 

SharrK)l>in, PA 1 7872 

NOVAR CONTROLS CORP. 

CONTACT: John Nissen 

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November. 1993 91

A U U 7^ 


Salah M. Hasscniei)! Award 

Fred Mound 

1993 Show E Award 

Jack Valenti 

LifetiDic Adiievemoit Award 

John Avildsen 

SHOÊAST 

AuKU'd ofAchievement 

^'^mm mm^

ShowEast '93 

OSRAM SYLVANIA 

CONTACT Robert Smith 

Booth 807. 809 

INDIl'l NOKNT TIIF.VIRI. SIPPLY. INC 

Dedicated to Supplying Quality 

Motion Picture Equipment 

ODELL'S 

CONTACT Michael Blout 

Booth 707 

OMNITERM DATA TECHNOLOGY 

LTD. 

CONTACT: Ed Coman 

Booth 721. 722 

OPTICAL RADIATION CORP. 

CONTACT: Barbara Stokes 

Booth 407 

P & T DISTRIBUTORS 

CONTACT Paul J Bonfiglio 

Booth 204. 206 

PACER/C.A.T.S. 

CONTACT: Del Ban|0 

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PEPSI-COLA 

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Booth 702-706. 801-805 

PHONIC EAR, INC. 

CONTACT: Beatrice Tappan 

Booth 822 

PIKE PRODUCTIONS 

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CONTACT: Bruce Proctor 

Booth 617 

PROMOTION IN MOTION 

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Booth 708. 710 

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Booth 821 

ROBERTS OXYGEN COMPANY 

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Booth 618. 620 

SPECO 

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Booth 323. 421 

SCHNEIDER CORPORATION 

CONTACT Henry Greese 

Booth 502 

TICKETS AND 

COMPUTER SYSTEM STOCK 

SHIPPED WHEN PROMISED 

PRINTED AS SPECIFIED 

^^^^ CONTACT DAVE KOTAREK 

rTTT^^l 

liîj P.O. Box 168 

P^ f=Sl Ft. Smith, Ark. 72902 

Weldon, Williams & Lick 

" ^^,„"" 501/783-4113 FAX 501/783-7050 

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PRESENTING THE FANTASTIC 4 

SCHULT DESIGN & DISPLAY 

CONTACT Jeffrey Schult 

Booth 804 

SEATING CONCEPTS 

CONTACT: Alexandra Logan 

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Cineplex Odeon Corporation 

Congratulates the 1993 ShoEast Honorees 

Fred Mound 

Show "E" Award 


Salah M. Hassanein 

Humanitarian Award 

Jack Valenti 

Lifetime Achievement 

Award

1 

A 

ShowEast '93 

SMART THEATRE SYSTEMS 

::ONTACT: Norm Schneider 

Booth 71 

SONY DIGITAL SOUND 

CONTACT; Dan Taylor 

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STEIN INDUSTRIES 

30NTACT: Andrew Stein 

Booth 41 1-419 

STRONG INTERNATIONAL 

CONTACT: John Wilmers 

Booth 506. 508. 510 

Hlc 

^ SdMtuHMt fit. '^ 

Realty Sells 

Hot Dogslll 

WARMER 

SALES CABINET 

Holds 

8-12#Nachos 

or 

2y2-3y2# Popcorn 

Prepopped 

STEAMETTE 

Portable 

Steam Table 

Warms: 

Cheese, Beans, 

Butter, Soups, Etc. 

SUNCRAFT MILLS 

CONTACT: Bob Fisk 

Booth 116 

SUNMARK SPECIAL MARKETS 

CONTACT Linda O'Donnell 

Booth 719 

TAN SYSTEM 

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Booth 1 10 

TALKING MESSAGES 

TRANSMITTER 

CONTACT: Bruce Cox 

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TECHNICOLOR ENT. SERVICES 

CONTACT: Barbara Stokesi 

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THEATRE CONFECTIONS 

CONTACT: Jetfery Dodge 

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P.O. BOX 35 • 39 E. CHICAGO ST. • OUINCY, MICHIGAN 49082 • (517) 639-9825 • (800) 783-0636 

For the 

service and 

results 

Independent 

Theatre 

Owners 

expect. 

Response No 

3J(S.n 

CIME/S/IA SERVICE 

OL South'. Pr. 

^rUinrj ^4^ 

• Film buying & booking for first run, sub run & 

art/alternative theatres • Trade screening 

reviews & reactions • Coop advertising • 

Consultation in theatre acquisition, construction 

& refurbishment • in house newsletter 

DALLAS. TEXAS ^. (214)692-7555 


THEATRE SERVICE CORP. 

CONTACT Alvin Wiginglon 

Booth 612. 614 

TICKETPRO SYSTEMS 

CONTACT: Brad Underbill 

Booth 1 13 

ULTRA'STEREO 

CONTACT: Felicia Cashin 

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VARIETY CLUBS INTERNATIONAL 

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Booth 222 

VOGEL POPCORN 

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341 WEST 44TH STREET. NEW YORK, N.Y 10036 

NEW YORK (212) 246-6285 

FLORIDA (305) 545-5842 

WAGNER ZIP-CHANGE INC. 

CONTACT: Casey Krasula 

Booth 812 

WILSHIRE CORPORATION 

CONTACT: Terry Lemke 

Booth 121 

BOB MAAR 

VICE PRESIDENT 

SALES 

Joe Hornstein of Maryland. Inc. 

P.O. Box 127 

Pasadena. MD 21122 

Tel: 301-760-4I80 

301-760-6241 

Bryan Groff. Vice-President 

Response No, 81 

November. 1993 95

CONGDATULATIONS & 5E(ST WIcSHES 

Lo our good friends 

FDED MOUND 

JACK VALENTI 

HANK LlGHTcSTONE 

and 

JOHN AVILD6EN. 

We are happy Lo join ShowfesL in 

saluling you! 

From all 

your friendcS aL 

THEATRES 

inzi

I 

Q 

O O 

Q 

O 

Q 

C 

Q 

C 

^{yn^f^rî/a/ct/^ ^^ 

JACK VALENTI 

FRED MOUND 

=]IAIIIU.IGHISI01I£ 

uKÎ!^S^l!^XX^13nCOX3^XAAoAAo;ojiu 

P oo 

k k 


FRED MOUND 

Show E Award 

HANK LIGHTSTONE 

Salah M. Hassanem Humanitarian Award 

JACK VALENTI 

Lifetime Achievement Aicard 

JOHN AVILDSEN 

SHOWEAST Azi'ard of Achievement 

HERMAN LEVY 

TED MANOS 

Distinguished Service Aivards 

From BEN MARCUS, STEPHEN H. MARCUS, & YOUR FRIENDS AT MARCUS THEATRES 

I—MAfCUS— 

m 

L_r>CAmES_J


Are Christmas Movies Better? 

n Survey of Comparative Quality Ratings 

By Ron Adams 

long heard die opinion dnat tine 

Hax-ing 

highest qualirv' movies tend to open 

in time for tiie Christmas holiday 

season, I decided to test tiie validity of diis 

piece of conventional vidsdom. "Kking adgraphical 

errors) and then calculated a total 

average for all the films for each month. The 

Feature Chans were used to determine the 

months in which films were released. 

The results are shown in the graph. Also 

indicated is tlie total average rating for all 

films for die entire year, 2.92, a fairly below- 

Sep Oct Nov Dec 

Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug 

MONTHS 1992-1993 

vantage of Boxoffice magazine's monthly 

Review Digests (which summarizes important 

film information, including subjective 

qualitj' ratings on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 meaning 

"ver>' poor" and 5 meaning "excellent," 

based on critical reviews in Boxofficf., the 

Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, 

Holljavood Reporter, Variety, and USA 

Tbday) and Feature Charts, I sought to determine 

if this prevailing opinion was backed 

by the statistics for films whicl: were released 

between September 1992 and August 

1993. 

I used the Fevieiv Digest to find the average 

critical rating by month (coirecting foi' 

several calculations, rounding or typo- 

: average based on a scale of 1 to 5 

What else canbe gleaned ft-om the graph? 

Most months in the first half of the year had 

below-average film rating averages, 

whereas summer and fall films appeared to 

be above average in critical ratings. There is 

no spike in December, as might be ex- 

RATING 

OK 

ROVOFIKK

BOXOFFICE MEANS BUSINESS. 

June 

For subscription or advertising infonnation, contact Boxoffice at 

6640 Sunset Blvd., Suite 100, Hollywood, CA 90028, 213-465-1186, Fax: 213-465-5049

Universal Pictures 

Congratulates The 

1993 Showeast Award Recipients 

JACKVALENTI 

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 


SALAH M. HASSANEIN 

HUMANITARIAN AWARD 

JOHN AÎLDSEN 

SHOWEAST AWARD OF ACHIEVEMENT


Congratulates 

FRED MOUND 

1993 SHOW "E" AWARD


FRED MOUND 

Show E Award 


Salah M. Hassanein Humanitarian Award 

JACK VALENTI 

Lifetime Achievement Award 

JOHN AVILDSEN 

SHOWEAST Award of Achievement 

HERMAN LEVY 

TED MANOS 

Distinguished Service Awards 

your friends at

uflfl 

s 

Show E Award 

^


TO THE 

1 993 SHOWEAST HONOREES 

NATIONAL SCREEN SERVICE

Twentieth Century Fox 

is proud to congratulate the 

1993 ShowEast Award recipients: 

Jack Valenti 

Lifetime Achievement Award 


Salah M. Hassanein Humanitarian Award 

Fred Mound 

Show "E" Award 

Ted Manos & Herman Levy 

Distinguished Service Award 

©1993 TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED


Congratulates 

BRIAN DE PALMA 

GEORGE EASTMAN AWARD 

MARTIN BREGMAN 

SHOWEAST PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

THE MOVING IMAGE 

Ule 're Having Leftovers Tonight 

ni liie Movies! 

By Glenn Berggren 

Sigma Design Group 

don't need; but in the movie industry, the 

very basics used in such things as everyday 

camera formats, frame rates, projector 

designs, auditorium viewing 

arrangements— are all leftovers from 

four decades ago. Maybe it's time for a 

chart of the "Old & New"; and maybe it's 

time for a change. 

the "standardization" is wonderful, 

worldwide, but it also becomes an industry 

straitjacket: Guaranteed to keep it in 

we all use leftovers to save its old, somewhat obsolete place. 

Yes, 

money! For food that is. But leftovers 

in, say, telephones— any- 

decrees (when standards were quite 

Just after the 1949 anti-trust consent 

body want to buy some 'pre-dial' firm, and Holljrwood loved it) Hollywood, 

in its paranoia over the expanding 

telephones for half-price? How about 

buying a couple pre-1970 cars with those TV market, decided to move suddenly to 

gas-guzzling engines? Those leftovers we widescreen with Cinemascope, Horizontal 

Vista Vision, and Todd-AO (70mm). In 

doing so, they somehow tried to forget all 

those wonderful "standards" and instituted 

all new formats, and sometimes 

even new frame rates (for 70mm). After 

some years passed, Hollywood again 

"loved" the "standardization" all over 

again, but this time in Widescreen. So by 

The Old and the New in Studio ProductionyTheatre Projection:

THE MOVING IMAGE 

FILM FORMAT 

Composite Table of 35mm Film Projection Formats and Frame Rates

provide much sharper screen images, 

preferably at 30 frames/second for no 

flicker. 

But the film and format standards are 

not the only leftovers in this industry. 

The image performance standards, set in 

1965, are sketchy, with nojump& weave 

specifications, with the screen light standard 

permitting ver\' low light levels to 

be "acceptable," and with no image quality 

test. 

The UltraVision® development of 

1966-1973 replaced all the older standards: 

with elevated screen light standards 

(1970), a jump and weave spec 

(1977), the RP-40 test film (1971), and 

most important of all, the EG-5 screen 

image resolution test (1975). But even 

with those substantial upgradings, that 

solid root of progress is now over 20 vears 

old. 

ow, 

N 

in 1993, we look back on the 

past 20 years of "progress" in theatre 

projection and what can we 

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find? We can only find new projection 

lenses, which are very important, but 

there are no new projectors offering 

greater steadiness, and no new screen 

materials. In the case of the latter, we've 

found that curved screens work better, 

and we've developed computer programs 

to design them, including the 

super TORUS concave screen for maximum 

efficiency and uniformity. Even 

the long standing problem of film motion—on 

axis— in the gate, which softens 

the focus, has had no improvements 

since the 1 960s when Cine-Focus arrived. 

If you wish to consider the complete 

elimination of "leftovers," then carefully 

review the designs of the I-MAX projector, 

which has "slower" lenses, a Pyrex 

lens for the film to lay against, and no 

intermittent, only the "rolling-loop." 

summary, what about "leftovers"? 

InWell there are plenty of them! In attempting 

to keep costs down, most 

exhibitors resist any changes of design 

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that might cost more (except lenses), so 

R&D has come to a complete halt for the 

important part of the industry— where 

the film image is shown to the ticketbuyers 

that support the industry'. In the 

meantime, of course, spending for special 

effects and special cameras goes 

rampant in the Hollywood production 

community. 

There is a likelihood that the elimination 

of R & D in theatre projection 

could be the death knell for 

film as the progressive Electronic Cinema 

comes of age in the next few years. 

The EC demos shown at Sony's facilities 

have screen images that are cleaner, 

steadier, and with better color saturation 

than film theatres, and makes one wonder 

what we shall be watching as we 

move into the next century. ^H 

The Sigma Design Group was instrumental 

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MUSIC HALL, PORTSMOUTH. N.H. 

OPERA HOUSE, SHEPERDSTOWN, WV 

PLEASAOT STREET THEATRE. NORTHAMPTON. MA. 

ROXY THEATRE. PHILADELPHIA. PA. 

SAVOY THEATRE. MOM'PELIER. VT. 

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November. 1993 101

THE NUMBERS PAGE 

Top Twenty Boxoffice Performers 

Distributor Marl

TECHNOLOGY SHORT TAKES 

Mountain Dew Venturer 

Simulator Entertains 

Crowds 

Hughes Training, Inc. and General Cinema 

Theatres have teamed to market a mobile 

version of the Venturer thrill 

ride simulator. 

This 14-seat entertainment simulator immerses 

riders in a combination of sight, sound 

and motion to provide realistic, [soint-of-view 

experiences. From flying the nap of the earth 

in a Lockheed Fort Worth F-16 Fighting Falcon 

to being in the driver's seat of a four-man 

bobsled hurtling down an Olympic run, over 

20 experiences have been developed to deliver 

thrills and excitement. 

The mobile version of Venturer is being 

sponsored by soft drink brand Mountain Devk' 

and is emblazoned with the company's logo. 

In a new high tech approach to brand promotion, 

the Venturer is traveling nationwide on 

a specially designed rig to large festivals and 

major air and boat shows. 

Once in operation, the audience Inside the 

Venturer watches a point-of-view film displayed 

on a large screen at the front of the 

simulator capsule. The simulator's visual system 

uses laser video disc technology and a 

high resolution projector to display the experiences. 

Each visual system experience Is correlated 

to a three-axis hydraulic motion system that 

dynamically delivers acceleration, turning 

and breaking g-forces to the crowd inside the 

capsule. 

Hughes Training, Inc. of Arlington, Texas, 

a leading supplier of military simulation 

equipment, designed the mobile Venturer. 

General Cinema Theatres, which has its 

headquarters in Chestnut Hill, Mass., has 

taken the lead role in marketing the Mountain 

Dew entertainment simulator to major venues 

across the country and other potential sponsors. 

In addition, weeks in advance of attending 

a show General Cinema promotes the 

event and the Venturer on its screens in the 

area. 

"The mobile Venturer is a business that 

works well for us because it leverages our 

existing strengths in areas such as marketing, 

promoting and operating high-profile, highvolume 

entertainment businesses," said Larson 

Gunness, project administrator for 

General Cinema Theatres. "The advantage 

that we offer to the public and to sponsors is 

our ability to deliver the mobile Venturer to 

virtually any event within the continental U.S. 

in just a matter of days." 

Over 150 site-based Venturers have been 

sold and primarily operate within the United 

Kingdom. Entry into the U.S. market began 

this year. 

Hughes Training, Inc. is an established supplier 

of simulation systems for defense, industry, 

entertainment and railroad markets. The 

company is part of the Systems Sector of 

Hughes Aircraft Company, a subsidiary of 

CM Hughes Electronics, itself a unit of General 

Motors Corporation. 

General Cinema Theatres is one of the 

nation's largest motion picture exhibitors, operating 

over 1,.350 screens in 28 stales. 

Harcourt 

General, Inc., 

the parent company, is 

also a leading domestic and international 

publisher and, through its 65 percent ownership 

of the Neiman Marcus Group, is a leading 

spec iaity retailer. 

OCS/Freeze Frame First 

Customer Site For Cineon 

OCS/Freeze Frame or Los /Xngcles recently 

purchasedtheCineondigiUl him workstation 

developed by Eastman Kodak Company. (The 

Cineon digital workstation, part of Kodak's 

Cineon system, uses digital data resulting 

from film that was scanned on a Cineon film 

scanner. The work station then can manipulate 

the digital images; the manipulated data 

is then recorded back to film using the Cineon 

film recorder. The Cinesite Digital Film Center, 

in Burbank, Calif., a wholly owned subsidiary 

of Kodak, used the complete system in 

the recent restoration of Disney's "Snow 

White and the Seven Dwarfs." See National 

News, September) 

"We can now provide leading edge digital 

and optical special effects and lilm restoration 

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November. 1993 103


services under one roof," says OCS/Freeze 

Frame president Ray Mclntyre, Sr. "This puts 

us in the first wave of a trend toward the 

convergence oftheatrical film effects and television 

post-production facilities." 

Freeze Frame was founded during the 

1 960s. Mclntyre, who had some 30 years of 

experience at film labs and optical houses, 

purchased the company around six years ago. 

He modernized the optical printers at the 

facilitywithstate-of-the-artcustomlensesand 

other components. 

During Mclntyre's regime, the company 

has specialized in providing high quality optical 

compositing, main titles and film restoration 

services. They played a key role in the 

restoration of such classic films as "White 

Christmas," "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," 

"Sabrina" and "The Bridge on the River 

Kwai." 

OCS/Freeze Frame has opened a companion 

company called Pixel Magic to drive its 

entry into the electronic post-production 

arena. It is managed by OCS/Freeze Frame 

vice president Ray Mclntyre, Jr. The new company 

is offering a full range of digital post-production 

services, including restoration, blue 

screen compositing, wire, rig and other object 

removal, other image enhancement and retouching, 

texturing and CGI. 

The opening of Pixel Magic culminates a 

research project OCS/Freeze Frame initiated 

some three to four years ago when Kodak 

demonstrated the first prototypes of the 

Cineon digital film system. The Cineon system 

includes a scanner and recorder, a family 

of scalable workstations built on a Silicon 

Graphics Inc. Onyx graphical supercomputer 

platform, and image compositing, retouching 

and enhancement software. 

OCS/Freeze Frame will initially install a 

Cineon workstation with an SGI Onyx supercomputer, 

two color monitors computer-balanced 

for screening room accuracy, and a 

complete software package. 

"This is a scalable, open architecture system," 

says Mclntyre, Jr. "We can expand the 

system and add software features and capabilities 

as they are needed. This gives us the 

flexibility we need to stay on the leading edge 

of digital post-production technology. There 

is no built-in obsolescence." 

He also points out that the open system 

strategy embraced by Kodak ensures that 

OCS/Freeze Frame isn't dependent on one 

vendor for advancing the state-of-the-art. 

"There are hundreds of applications already 

available in the SCI library, and we will also 

develop custom programs which will differentiate 

our services," he notes. "In addition, 

Kodak has provided incentives for third party 

vendors to develop applications." 

"Today, a motion picture film producer 

must live within the limits of traditional film 

post-production techniques, while video offers 

unlimited creativity but reduced quality. 

By completing post-production on a resolution 

independent system like Cineon, we can 

scan the film and give clients the option to 

output to film, D-1, D-2 or other popular 

video formats for NTSC release," he says. "If 

the original output is video, it will be comparatively 

inexpensive for us to produce HDTV 

or 35mm film resolution images if and when 

they are needed. This gives producers a lot of 

flexibility for releasing TV programs and commercials 

to theatres overseas. It also ensures 

compatibility with future HDTV transmission 

requirements." 

The Mclntyres note that proximity to the 

Cinesite digital film center in Burbank gives 

OCS/Freeze Frame convenient access to 

state-of-the-art film scanning and recording 

services. 

"The Cineon film scanner and recorder 

were designed by Kodak to optimize image 

quality, including resolution, tonality and colors," 

says Mclntyre, Jr. "Our current plan is to 

use the Cinesite digital film center for all film 

scanning. That's important because we want 

to be sure that we capture all of the details and 

subtleties in image quality when we convert 

film to digital data." 

Mclntyre, Jr. notes that the Cineon workstation 

is designed for use in an interactive environment. 

"We can look at images on a 

monitor which is balanced to emulate screening 

room image quality," he says. "If the 

customer is in the digital post-production 

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•Î'/JWOLK HAS IT 

I 

I 


suite, this gives them a very accurate indication 

of v^/hat the end-product will look like on 

film. They can look at different ofjtions until 

they see one which suits their tastes." 

OCS/Freeze Frame has installed a CRT recorder 

which will allow immediate access to 

film output. "This gives us the ability to manipulate 

images and output to film at the same 

time, facilitating quicker turnaround. We also 

have the luxury of using the Cineon recorder 

at Cinesite for output. The latter uses a highintensity 

laser light source which is capable 

of replicating the full range of contrast, between 

the brightest and darkest picture elements 

in each frame." 

"We are gratified that OCS/Freeze Frame is 

the first customer for a Cineon workstation," 

says Steven L'Heureux, North American sales 

manager for Cineon systems. "One of our 

primary goals was to enable smaller and medium-sized 

companies to stay competitive by 

providing state-of-the-art tools they can afford 

with the support they need." 

MediaLink Technology 

Comes to Theatres 

MccliaLink technology, a 

new system for 

( iMitiolling audio and multimedia devices, is 

sh PI ling out of the computer lab and the 

rariiii'd air of recording studios into theatres. 

The MediaLink system is based on a standardized 

fiber-optic network which links together 

the components of an audio system for remote 

monitoring and control: basically creating a 

computer controlled sound system. According 

lo Barry Farrell, product manager at QSC 

devices. In the case of power amplifiers, for 

example, this will enable their placement 

anywhere in a theatre while allowing them to 

be monitored and controlled from another 

location. The power amps could be placed 

behind the screen or near the loudspeakers 

and monitored from a computer in the booth 

or even via telephone modem by a service 

technician calling in from another city. 

In the near future, Farrell says, the 

MediaLink system will include the ability lo 

carry digital audio information on the same 

fiber optic network. This, combined with signal 

processing technology, could revolutionizelhe 

installation and architecture of cinema 

sound systems. All audio and control signal 

routing would be configurable by the computer. 

Signal-steering commands, included 

on the digital soundtrack, could be used to 

route special-effects audio signals to additional 

loudspeakers and amplifiers in the auditorium. 

Significant advances could be made by 

incorporating MediaLink technology into all 

proieclion booth eciuipment, including stereo 

sound processors, booth automation, lighting 

dimmers and boxoffice computers, adds Farrell. 

The number of tickets sold could be used 

Audio Products, Inc., of Costa Mesa, Calif., to change the sound volume in the theatre as 

which was the first professional audio manufacturer 

to adopt the MediaLink technology, modate the size of the crowd. Network con- 

well as adjusting the equalization to accom- 

the system allows for remote monitoring and trol of cinema sound and projection systems 

control of any and all audio and multimedia could significantly upgrade presentations and 

allow for quick service through remote diagnosis 

of problems. And a single computer 

linked fiber-optic cable could replace a 

plethora of different audio and control cables 

now tangling up booths and stage areas in 

theatres. 

QSC's EX Series amplifiers now feature 

Open Input Architecture, which means that 

a QLink MediaLink interface card can be 

plugged into the back panel of each amp for 

hook up to the MediaLink network. The 

MediaLink technology was developed by 

Lone Wolf, of Redondo Beac h, Calif. 

Advanced Broadcast Video 

Service: First Link to the 

Theatre of the Future? 

Pacific Bell's Advanced Broadcast Video 

Service (ABVS), is 

a high-speed transmission 

offering that takes advantage of the latest digital 

telecommunications technologies to provide 

superior motion, color and sound for 

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November, 1993 105


applications in the film and broadcast industries. 

Fiber-optic-based ABVS improves upon existing 

analog service by using digital telecommunications 

technology for 

transport of all 

grades of video from high-definition 

television 

to interactive film and video editing. 

It delivers one-way transmission of monochrome 

or National Television Systems Committee 

standard color formats compressed to 

45 Megabits per second along with up to four 

audio channels. 

"ABVS has enormous potential for applications 

in the entertainment industry," said Bob 

Stewart, Pacific Bell product manager for 

ABVS. "For example, it could be used to 

transport raw motion picture footage from a 

filming location to an editing studio, link live 

coverage of sporting events with 

broadcasters' studios or interexchange companies, 

and provide off-air video feeds to 

cable television studios. In the future, ABVS 

could be used to distribute programming and 

advertising to television stations, and provide 

the medium for electronic distribution of motion 

pictures to theatres. 

Rich Mizer, Pacific Bell 

product engineer 

for ABVS, said that because fiber-optic lines 

are virtually impervious to atmospheric, electrical 

and environmental interference, ABVS 

overcomes drawbacks common with analogline, 

satellite and microwave transmissions. 

In addition, even signals regenerated over 

long distances retain their original picture 

quality. 

ABVS is available in all major entertainment 

industry locales throughout California, 

and is permanently in place at many venues, 

such as football stadiums, baseball parks and 

convention centers. 

"We've priced the service on a daily and a 

monthly basis to meet the needs of customers," 

said Stewart. "Broadcasters covering a 

football game need it only for a day, but a 

motion picture studio might want it available 

all 

of the time." 

The first customers for the new service 

include Vyvx Inc., WilTel's television services 

company, which provides nationwide 

switched broadcast-quality fiber-optic television 

transmission services; special-effects 

firm Industrial Lightand Magic; Entertainment 

Digital Network, a provider of communications 

networks for entertainment and media 

post-production; Varitel Video, a film and 

video post-production services facility; Burbank 

broadcast television station KRCA; San 

Francisco Satellite Center; and AT&T. 

• Vyvx provides local connection to its 

nationwide fiber-optic television transmission 

system through ABVS for the transmission 

of sports, news, entertainment, 

videoconferencing, production and editing to 

more than 65 cities nationwide. 

• Industrial Light and Magic, a subsidiary 

of Lucas Digital Ltd., will use ABVS as an 

alternative to transporting videotape from 

production facilities in Los Angeles to its postproduction 

facility in San Rafael near San 

Francisco. 

• Entertainment Digital Network will provide 

video and audio networking between 

producers, directors, video editing facilities 

and post-production service providers nationwide. 

• Varitel will provide interactive editing 

services for commercial fi Im, video and audio 

production and post-production throughout 

California. Varitel also will use ABVS to provide 

network services, 

for example, linking 

advertising agencies with their clients. 

• KRCA-TV Channel 62 will enhance its 

program distribution, video post-production 

and satellite uplink facilities by using ABVS. 

It also will connect its station and uplink 

facility to local sports and entertainment venues 

to assure high-quality broadcast feeds. 

• San Francisco Satellite Center, a division 

of Watson Communications Systems, 

Inc., 

will use ABVS for local connections to its 

satellite teleports for transmission throughout 

the U.S. and overseas. 

• AT&T will use ABVS to connect local film 

and broadcast companies to its fleet of Telstar 

300 and 400 series satellites and its Digital 

Television Service. 

Pacific Bell isasubsidiary of Pacific Telesis 

Croup, a worldwide diversified telecommunications 

corporation based in San Francisco. 

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USA 


Response No. 20

SHORTTAKES 

Loews Theatres Roils Out 

New Campaign 

Loews Theatres has rolled out an unprecedented 

promotional campaign designed to 

position the Loews' circuit as having "the 

world's best movie theatres." The "Everyone 

Goes To Loews" media campaign announces 

Ihe new customer service program implemented 

in the circuit, a program which 

features the Loews "welcoming" program, 

next-in-line service, free soft drink refills, and 

zomplimentary mints for all customers. The 

Loews unique "next-in-line" service program 

Dffers a free soft drink to any moviegoer who 

has to wait more than three minutes for tickets 

ar concessions. 

The campaign was kicked off this summer 

/vith radio spot buys placed in Loews top 1 

narkets, including the New York metropoli- 

:an area, Boston, Chicago, Washington, D.C., 

Houston, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, 

Dallas/Fort Worth and Southern New Jersey. 

Running as deep as 10 stations in some 

narkets, the radio format mix included Adult 

Contemporary, AOR, Alternative, CHR, 

Country, and LIrban. Stations involved with 

:he campaign developed exciting promotions 

hat extended Loews on-air presence through 

he end of the summer. 

To further expose and reinforce the new 

_oews image, one million "Everyone Wins" 

scratch-off cards were distributed in over 1 35 

record and restaurant outlets in the 10 markets. 

Each card was a winner, awarding such 

prizes as $2.00 concession stand discounts, 

Sony CD Samplers, CREEM Magazine subscriptions, 

Loews T-shirts, and more. 

Loews Theatres is the oldest and sixth largest 

motion picture circuit in the country with 

971 screens in 181 locations in 15 states. 

Loews Theatres is a Sony Pictures Entertainment 

com()any. 

Closed Captioning for 

IVIovie Theatres 

Early this summer the Media Access Research 

and Development Office of WCBH, 

Boston's public television station, officially 

launched its pioneering investigation into a 

new field of media technology: making movies 

accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing 

audiences through theatrical closed captioning. 

A meeting of consumer and film industry 

advisors and developers was held in Boston 

as part of this "Motion Picture Access Project." 

The project is examining how to provide 

discreet captioning in movie theaters so that 

deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers who rely on 

text to access visual media can enjoy movies 

without impinging on the enjoyment of hearing 

moviegoers. The project is made possible 

by a $50,000 grant provided by the National 

Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, 

a division of the U.S. Department of 

Education. 

Despite the growth of television closed 

captioning, motion pictures exhibited in theatres 

are conspicuously absent from the inventory 

of media captioned for deaf and 

hard-of-hearing people. One of the 

challenges is in providing captions without 

interfering with a hearing audience's enjoyment 

of a movie. 

Devices and adaptations that may eventually 

provide solutions include: 

• an "invisible" liquid crystal digital (LCD) 

display below the movie screen that can be 

seen with special glasses; 

• a light-emitting diode (LED) display in the 

rear of the theatre which can be viewed via a 

small panel of transparent plastic; 

• text displays for mounting on seat-backs; 

• a miniature TV built into eyeglasses 

which can providetextdisplay of the movie's 

audio; 

• a tiny head-worn computer monitor 

which could also display the captions; and 

• a HyperCard-based program which can 

display captions on a lap-top computer. 

These devices are not pipedreams: several 

prototypes were on hand and demonstrated 

at 

the meeting. The devices were loaned to 

the project by their developers who attended 

the meeting and are working with the staff to 

maximize each technology's suitability for 

theatrical closed captioning. All 

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213-465-5819 

evaluated the pros and cons of each device 

and are providing guidance for further development. 

The project will field-test the devices with 

deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences in a Boston 

theatre during the fall of 1993. Shortly 

after the end of the year, a final report will 

recommend further development and steps 

that will bring abouteventual universal access 

SHORT TAKES 

to movie theatres. 

Representing the motion picture industry 

were Malcolm Green, former chairman and 

past president of the National Association of 

Theatre Owners; Allen Cooper, vice president 

of technical evaluation and planning at the 

Motion Picture Association of America; )ohn 

Townsend, vice president of construction at 

General Cinemas, BobWarrenof Dolby Labs, 

and Ed Zwaneveld, director of technical research 

and development at the National Film 

Board of Canada. 

The Media Access Research and Development 

Office (MARDO) was established in 

1991 to expand and extend the work of 

WGBH's Access Technologies departments: 

The Caption Center, Descriptive Video Service, 

and the Spanish Language Project. 

MARDO is supported with grants from the 

Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the U.S. 

Department of Education, and a variety of 

contract work. 

For another take on closed captioning in 

theatres, see the October Boxoffice National 

News, which discussed Tripod Captioned 

Films. 

igital Theatre Sound 

Picked for More Films 

The Universal Studios-backed Digital Theatre 

Sound digital soundtrack format, 

launched this past summer with the June 1 

the film but is on a separate CD-ROM disk. 

Using a digital time code printed on the film 

to control the operation of a separate CD- 

ROM player wired into the theatre's existing 

speakers, six tracks of digital sound can be 

cued to the action of the film. The film still 

contains the traditional analog soundtrack for 

theatres not equipped for DTS. 

The current and future releases: "Demolition 

Man" (Warner Bros.); "Flesh and Bone" 

(Paramount); "Gettysburg" (New Line); 

"Hearts and Soul," "Hard Target," 

"Schindler's List," "The Real McCoy," "For 

Love or Money," "Judgment Night," "Carlito's 

Way," "We're Back," "Beethoven's 2nd" and 

"In the Name of the Father" (all Universal 

releases). 

DTS is a product of Digital Theatre Systems 

Inc. of Westlake, Calif. 

IFP/West Unveils New Logo 

Independent Feature Project/West, a 

resource group for independent filmmakers, 

has unfurled their striking new logo "in honor 

of all independent filmmakers who struggle to 

enrich our lives with their hard and often 

lonely work." The membership organization 

publishes a monthly newsletter jammed with 

news and notes for and by the independent 

filmmaking community, sponsors film screenings, 

seminars, and informative programs. 

Their latest program is the IFPAVest Resource 

Bank, a panel of exerts who will make themselves 

available to answer questions in 

four 

areas of importance to independent 

filmmakers: legal, production management/line 

producing, creative strategies, and 

marketing and distribution. For more informa- 

release of "Jurassic Park," will be used on a 

total of 1 4 films (not all Universal releases) by tion, contact IFPAVest at 5550 Wilshire Blvd., 

year's end, making it the fastest adopted Suite 204, Los Angeles, CA 90036; 21 3-937- 

sound format in memory. Currently there are 4379; Fax: 21 3-937-4038. 

1 ,209 worldwide DTS installations; the company 

expects that it will be available in 2,500 

theatres by late December. 

The Multiplex Celebrates 

DTS differs from other digital systems in Its 30th Anniversary 

that its digital soundtrack is not contained on 

This is 

a year of big anniversaries: the 60th 

anniversary of the Drive-in theatre and the 

60th anniversary of Harkins Theatres (see related 

stories, this issue). Also celebrating a 

milestone this year is the concept of the multiplex, 

born on July 12, 1963 when Stanley 

Durwood opened the Parkway I II theatres 

at the Ward Parkway Shopping Center in 

Kansas City, Mo. According to the Theatre 

Historical Society of America—L.A.Metro 

District's newsletter Greater L.A. Metro 

Newsreel, the twin theatre reflected 

Durwood's belief "that one way to build 

movie audiences was to give them their 

choices, just as they had on TV." Three years 

later, in 1966, Durwood's expanding Durwood 

Theatres opened the first four-plex, the 

Metro Plaza 1-4, also in Kansas City, setting 

into motion a force that would forever alter 

the ways in which the world's moviegoers 

would attend and perceive films.

I product 

Novemhpr. ^*i^)^ 

HIQ 

NEW PRODUCTS 

The Booster Buddy, from A&B Booster 

Inc., of Ft. Myers, Fla., is a specially designed 

and engineered reversible booster 

;eat for children ages one to seven. Molded 

Df durable, light-weight, easy-to-clean 

Dolyelhylene, the smooth contoured design 

jrovides a small to medium cup holder and 

A new six-slot ticket receptacle, designed 

lor use in multiple theatre lobbies, is now 

available from Lawrence Metal Products 

Inc., Bay Shore, N.Y. Featuring a solid hardwood, 

contemporary design cabinet, with 

golden oak Formica facing, the Model 8601 

Ticket Receptacle is mounted on a sturdy 

bronze pedestal supported by a 16-inch 

diameter weighted base The locking top 

has SIX large ticket slots and plexiglass covered 

recesses lor mo\ le I D tabs A stub rod 

and white stripe; gray post with gray tape; 

polished chrome post with red tape. In addition, 

any of the 15 different color tape 

cassettes may be substituted at no extra 

charge. All Contemporary Tensabarrier 

posts are also available without tape cassettes 

as Receiver Only units. For more 

information contact Lou Rabeno at 516- 

666-0300. 

Response Number 302 

JBL Professional has announced the newest 

addition to the company's popular Control 

Series® line of loudspeakers. The 

Control 1ETM is a personal sized, self-powered 

monitor loudspeaker with built-in EnergizerT^' 

biamplifier and electronic 

crossover. The Control 1 E is said to surpass 

performance characteristics of other monitors 

in this class due to the internal dual 

amplifier design. Well balanced sound and 

exceptional application versatility make the 

Kinetics Noise Control of Dublin, Ohio, 

s developed Gridwall,, a new noise condesigned 

to minimize sound 

ections in large spaces. Gridwall is a 

tem of fabric-faced acoustical panels 

d extruded shapes that, when installed on 

1ical surfaces, allow a multitude of vari- 

3ns, offering the capability of forming 

borate grid systems on the wall. By using 

eet by 2-feet, 

2-feet by 4-feet and 4-feet 

4-feet modular panels, a wide variety of 

gns can be incorporated onto wall sures. 

According to the company, the sys- 

1 provides high absorption, installs 

|y, has panel replacement capability, 

tie in with any ceiling system, and is 

nage resistant. Non-standard dimenis 

can be accommodated (since the pancan 

be easily cut with a knifel and 

3hical layouts are only limited by a 

igner's 

imagination. For more informa- 

, 

contact the Interiors Division of Kinetat 

614-889-0480; Fax: 614-889-0540. 


recessed candy/popcorn liu.,,^, v^ûiu 

ig to the company, the Booster Buddy 

•ovides children with the ability to view in 

)mfort and in safety and allows them to IS standard for each slot Mounted on the 

ijoy concessions without assistance from sides are recessed handles for easy transport 

The unit weighs 70 pounds with a 

eir parents As part of good merchandisg, 

the Booster Buddy can increase family height of 40 inches. Custom finishes are 

tendance and thus concession sales; it available. 

!n also minimize disturbances by children The company has also added a contemporary 

design to its Tensabarrier® line, the 

id reduce spills and cleanups. For more 

iformation, contact Kimberly Brown at pedestrian traffic guidance system that fea- 

10-442-6678; Fax: 81 3-433-1938. 


e rather than the separate 

head and post combination characteristic 

of Standard Tensabarriers. The 

Contemporary is available in a variety of 

combinations: Black post with black tape 

Control 1 E ideal for any installation requiring 

professional monitor performance from 

a compact source. A 20-watt amplifier is 

dedicated to the 135mm (5 1/4-inch) bass 

driver, and a 10-watt amplifier is dedicated 

to the 19mm (3/4-inch) high frequency 

1« 

dome. Just as in large professional multielement 

speaker systems, an electronic dividing 

network splits the signal before 

sending it to the amplifier dedicated to each 

driver. Because each driver has its own 

power amplifier directly coupled to it, maximum 

power transfer efficiency and damping 

are achieved. For more information, 

contact IBL at 818-893-0358. 


Sonelic Laboratories Corp., a division of 

QSC Audio Products, Inc. has introduced 

Ihe SA 185, SA 425 and SA 650 line of 

amplifiers. The Sonelic SA Series features 

independent dual channels, dual secondary 

power supplies, stereo/bridged-mono 

switch, electronically balanced 1/4-inch inputs 

and barrier strip inputs, true clipping 

indicators, increased thermal duly cycle, 

independent speaker protection for each 

channel, thermal overload protection, DC 

lault protection, high frequency oscillation 

and sub-sonic audio speaker protection. 

The SA 185 model is passively cooled; 

the SA 425 and SA 650 have automatic 

2-speed fans for reduced fan noise and are 

THX approved for cinema applications. All 

three models are UL and CSA Safety agency 

approved for commercial installation. Each 

SA Series amplifier comes with a one-year

NEW PRODUCTS 

transferable factory warranty and an optional 

three year service contract. 

The SA 185 has 100 watts per channel 

output power at 8 ohms, 150 watts at 4 

ohms; SA 425 has 200 watts per channel 

housing, plus two stainless steel portion 

control condiment pumps and two plastic 

fountain jars. Said to be easy to clean, the 

oak condiment station features an attractive 

appearance and durable construction so 

operators can count on years of reliable 

service. For more information, call toll-free 

at 800-558-8722. 


Star Manufacturing International, of St. 

Louis, Mo., has introduced a new line of 

mobile merchandising carts. The initial 

entry in the line is a specialty coffee vending 

cart called Espresso Cafe. The Star Cafe 

Espresso Cart is designed and built to NSF 

standards and is constructed of welded tubular 

steel frame and stainless steel. 

J&J 

Snack Foods Corp. of Pennsauken, 

N.|., has added two new items to its 

line of 

hot pretzel snacks. The Superpretzel® Big 

Cheese^" cheese filled soft pretzel combines 

two tastes in one; the fresh-baked 

taste of a soft pretzel with a cheese filling. 

The snacks are "king" size traditional 

twisted pretzel shapes filled with cheddar 

cheese. Superpretzel® Softstixs® also combine 

the fresh-baked soft 

pretzel taste with 

a cheese filling, but come in 3-inch sticks 

filled with either cheddar cheese or nacho 

cheese. 


ohms; SA 650 has 325 watts per channel 


ohms. For more information, contact 

Sonetic at 714-754-7199; Fax; 714-754- 

6174. 


Server Products, a Menomonee Falls, 

Wise, manufacturer of stainless steel serving 

and dispensing equipment, recently introduced 

its Model #67720 condiment station. 

The unit comes complete with oak 

The standard cart is 5-feet 10-inches long 

and comes complete with a two compartment 

sink and a fresh and waste water 

According to the company, extensive 

consumer research has shown that 

system. The electrical system is overcurrent 

Softstix® are unique and have great appeal 

protected, 125/250 volt consisting of one 

to both children and adults. Other marketing 

data has shown that soft pretzels and 

20 amp, 250 volt circuit and two 20 amp 

the 

1 25 volt circuits. 

Optional equipment includes a canopy, 

folding side shelves, a security cover, commercial 

refrigerator, and expanded water 

system. For more information, contact Star 

at 314-994-0228 


frozen snack category are growing in the 

double-digit range, offering concessionaires 

new ways to reach snack hungrv moviegoers. 

For more information, contact 

Maureen F. Gallagher, marketing services 

manager at 609-665-9533. 


Now appearing on theatres everywhere... 

WAGNER® ZIP-CHANGE® 

MARQUEE LETTERS 

-—RATED #1 BY THEATRE OWNERS SINCE 1930 

PP 

The most comprehensive inventory of marquee letters 

and accessories for immediate shipment. Call your 

theatre supplier. For product information/samples FAX: 

1-800-243-4924, Dept. BOM, on company letterhead. 

kVXa WAGNER- ZIP-CHANGE ' 

INC. 

Response No 59

November. 1993 11] 

NATIONAL NEWS 

'lACOM Vying For Paramount 

There's a new communications Goliath on 

le way, though exactly what form it will take 

as up in the air at press time. 

The saga began as Viacom Inc. (the broad- 

3st and cable colossus behind MTV, Nickeldeon. 

Showtime and the Movie Channel) 

id Paramount Communications announced 

teir plans to merge into a single entity, to be 

smed Paramount Viacom International, 

ith Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone as 

•esident and Paramount's Marvin Davis as 

EO. 

No sooner had Viacom and Paramount 

Dmmunications announced their proposed 

J. 2 billion merger subject to stockholder 

jproval than two things happened. The first 

as good news for the betrothed corporate 

ants: the companies' largest shareholders 

Jt the second development threatened to 

St a pall over the pre-nuptial festivities, as 

Iditional corporate suitors began emerging 

)m the woodwork as soon as Paramount 

js officially (as they say on Wall Street) "in 

id a chorus of prestigious Wall Street ana- 

5ts publicly came out in favor of the move. 

ay." 

Ted Turner, who recently acquired New 

ie Cinema and Castle Rock Films, reportly 

received permission to explore a rival bid 

im the Turner Broadcasting System's board 

directors, and Barry Diller, the man behind 

X TV and current head of QVC, the comny 

responsible for the Home Shopping Net- 

)rk, was rumored to be contemplating an 

er as well. Since both Turner and Diller 

ad companies with heavy investment from 

in Malone of Tele-Communications Inc. 

alone shares control of QVC through its 

rent company Liberty Media, while TCI 

'ns 23 percent of TBS), Malone was thought 

be the unifying factor behind the possible 

rnerand Diller offers. Malone expressed an 

erest in purchasing Paramount in the past, 

ure enough, Diller made a more lucrative 

5 billion bid on the studio just days after 

Viacom proposal, which caused Viacom 

k to slide, 

effectively reducing their bid 

lich includes a thereby devalued stock 

ring) to about $7.5 billion. Paramount's 

ss dutifully announced that it would evalethe 

Diller bid seriously, though by week's 

Viacom was accusing TCI of monopolist 

dencies and clamoring for a federal investionoftheQVCbid. 

1 addition to the Diller-Malone axis, there 

the possibility of a bid by Blockbuster 

;rtainment Co. (see "Spelling Annexes Rebelow). 

Paramount is sure to be 

ght by someone in the near future (possioy 

the time you read this), but the question 

ress time was whether the studio would 

d-pick its suitor or get hijacked at the altar. 

IE Warner Sings Theme Music 

another example ol 

the nieri;er-mania 

ently gripping '.omo ol Holivwijod's bigfilm 

suppliers. Time Warner Entertain- 

I, the parent company of Warner Bros., 

me sole owner of the seven-site Six Flags 

ne Parks chain after buying out the 50 

percent equity of two co-owners. 

Spelling 

Time Warner Annexes Republic 

paid a reported $70 million 

to buy 

Multi-media is 

1 5 percent of 

increasingly 

Six Flags from the 

the New 

name of the 

York-based Wertheim 

Hollywood 

Schroder 

game, as 

company 

TV 

and 

programming giant 

Spelling 

35 percent from 

Entertainment 

the Blackstone Croup. 

Group Inc. 

As 

proved yet 

again with its 

part of the 

recent 

deal, which was paid 

purchase of 

off in cash, 

Republic 

Pictures 

Time Warner Corp., in 

will 

a 

also 

deal 

assume approximately 

valued at approximately 

$700 million $100 million. 

in debts accumulated by the 

Under the 

Arlington, Texas 

terms of 

based 

the 

Six Flags organization. 

agreement. Spelling 

will sell 

This 

13.4 million 

latest purchase is the climax 

newly issued 

to a gradual 

Spelling 

shares to the Fort 

absorption of Six Flags which Lauderdale, Fla. 

began when 

-based 

video 

Time Warner 

and 

purchased 

music chain 

a 19.5 percent 

Blockbuster Entertainment 

Co. In a sense, 

stake 

in the amusement park 

the company merger is a consolidation 

in April of 

1 990. Time Warner move 

chairman 

by Blockbuster, 

and 

Spelling CEO Gerald 

M. Levin acknowledged 

and 

Republic. Blockbuster already 

the owns benefits 

a 

of the 

63.5 

percent 

Six Flags 

controlling 

buyout interest in 

for purposes of 

Spelling 

corporate 

and 35 

percent 

"synergy." 

of 

"Our 

Republic; 

ownership when the 

position 

dust 

in the 

of the 

Six 

stock 

Flags Theme swap settles, 

Parks has enabled 

Blockbuster will 

us to extend 

own approximately 

and support our 

70.5 percent of 

films, cartoons, comic books, 

Spelling—making 

the 

magazines and 

video retailer 

other 

an 

properties and 

even 

to market 

more substantial 

player 

and merchandise 

on the Hollywood 

our 

production 

familiar brands 

scene. 

and 

Though Republic handles theatrical titles 

franchises in the unique theme park setting," 

Levin said. Recent movie-related additions to 

the Six Flags entertainment complexes include 

"Batman: The Ride," based on the popular 

Tim Burton-directed "Batman" features. 

Harcourt To Issue General 

CINEMA'S Walking Papers 

Harcourt General Inc., the parent company 

of the General Cinema Theatres, announced 

it would spin-off its General Cinema Theatre 

operations in a tax-free disbursal of newly-issued 

stock to Harcourt shareholders. The 

move will effectively transform General Cinema 

into an independent exhibition entity. 

General Cinema Companies, Inc., the 

newly created company, will take over operation 

of General Cinema's 1 ,351 screens and 

will pursue independent investment and acquisitions 

opportunities, according to Robert 

J. Tarr Jr., Harcourt president and chief executive. 

"We believe that the theatre business 

will benefit from being a separate public company 

with direct access to capital markets," 

Tarr said. "The spin-off also helps to simplify 

Harcourt General and will enable us to focus 

on our core publishing and specialty retail 

businesses and insurance operations." 

Ironically, General Cinema Theatres was 

the cornerstone business on which Harcourt 

General was founded. In its current form, 

Harcourt General includes Harcourt Brace & 

Company, the publishing powerhouse; insurance 

operations under three corporate names 

including the Harvest Life Insurance Group; 

and the Neiman Marcus Group, a specialty 

retailing division which includes the Neiman 

Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Contempo 

Casuals retail clothing chains. In fiscal 1 992, 

General Cinema accounted for just 4.9 percent 

of Harcourt General's earnings. 

The General Cinema Company (GCC) 

spin-off will be accomplished by the issuing 

of one share of GCC stock to shareholders for 

every 1 shares of Harcourt General common 

and Class B stock held as of Nov. 26. Richard 

A. Smith, chairman of Harcourt, will assume 

the added role of CCC's chairman, president 

and CEO. The spin-off is expected to go into 

effect on Dec. 1, 1993. 

for domestic release (including "APEX"—see 

August Hollywood Reports), the allure of Republic 

resides primarily in its stockpile of 

1 400 feature titles, which combines with 400 

Spelling titles to form an impressive library of 

"software" (the industry euphemism for entertainment 

product which can be "repurposed" 

to other media, such as home video and 

interactive CD-ROM). The Republic/Spelling 

library also includes approximately 14,000 

hours of television programming. "Our ambition 

has always been to. ..focus |on] other 

areas of entertainment," RonCastell, a senior 

vp for both Spelling and Blockbuster said. 

"We're going to look at the growing potential 

for interactivity like CD-ROM and games." 

Bluth To Be Re-Animated? 

After a year in limbo, Don Bluth Entertainment 

(DBF), the animation company named 

after founder and former Disney animation 

director Don Bluth ("An American Tale"), 

seems poised for a comeback of sorts. 

DBE is 90 percent owned by Media Assets, 

a Hong Kong-based company recently acquired 

as part of a larger deal by 20th Century 

Fox parent company News Corp. But that 

hasn't stopped the Dublin-based animation 

studio from negotiating a five-year distribution 

deal with Warner Bros., which, if signed, 

could include release of several titles which 

were in various stages of completion when 

DBE slipped into bankruptcy last year. These 

cinematic assets include "Thumbelina," 

based on the famous fairy tale; "A Troll in 

Central Park;" and "The Pebble and the Penguin." 

Currently, DBE is developing a new 

movie project based on the 

Rapunzel fairy 

tale, to shoot some time next year. 

Media Assets took control of DBE for $14 

million in tandem with filmmaker John 

Boorman's Merlin Films, which owns a 10 

percent slake in the company. At the time of 

the Media Assets buyout, DBE had spent a 

combined $50 million on "Thumbelina," 

"Troll" and "Penguin." 

If the Warner Bros, distribution agreement 

is finalized, the DBE production of 

"Thumbelina" could reach theatres as early as 

next Easier.

1 

1 

9 

, 

WE SCARED 

11 MILLION 

PEOPLE! 

WITH OUR FREDDY KREUGER' 3-D GLASSES 

3-D GLASSES 

Anaglyphic-Polorlzed-MM 

pAPbili^lCS 

Send fof tdis 

Case Mistofy 

l%aVAR 

SPOTLIGHT ON LOGIC ONE 

EASTERN NEWS 

NEW YORK, NY 

Loews Theatres has begun construction of 

the new 1 2-screen Loews East Hanover Theatre, 

located in East Hanover, N.). Scheduled 

to open in time for the 1 993 holiday season, 

the complex is designed around the new 

Loews Theatres customer service program, 

with an open manager's kiosk in the lobby, 

six indoor computerized boxoffice stations 

and a huge concession stand equipped with 

1 1 service stations. The 52,000 square foot 

theatre will increase Loews' presence in New 

Jersey to 22 locations with a total of 1 1 

screens. 

Loews also began construction of its sixscreen 

Loews Bay Terrace Theatre in Bayside, 

N.Y. Also scheduled to open in time for the 

1 993 holiday season, the Loews Bay Terrace 

(designed around the Loews Theatres customer 

service program) will feature over 

1,100 rocking chair seats with cupholder 

armrests and will up the circuit's presence in 

the New York area to 2 1 

of 79 screens. 

WOBURN, MA 

locations with a total 

National Amusements announced plans to 

expand the Showcase Cinemas in this city. 

The design plan will include four new auditoriums 

and a newly expanded and renovated 

lobby, bringing the total number of screens in 

the plex to 1 4. National succeeded in obtaining 

permits after a lengthy lawsuit. The theatre, 

which first opened in 1 973, will continue 

to show first run films. 

SOUTHERN 

NEWS 

NEW ORLEANS, LA 

Local French Quarter illustrator Michael 

Deas is the artist responsible for designing the 

new logo for Columbia Pictures. Sony Corp. 

hired Deas to perform the facelift making the 

"Columbia Lady" look more contemporary. 

Homemaker Jenny Joseph served as the 

model for Deas' creation. 

The Coliseum Theatre, built in 1914, has 

been purchased by two local professionals, 

Ron Calamia, a photographer, and Ken Morrison, 

a producer of commercials. The two 

will renovate the building. 

BATON ROUGE, LA 

David H. Jones, director of the Louisiana 

State Film Commission, has announced a 

production information phone line that can 

be accessed by calling 504-342-FILM or 504- 

342-3456. The recorded message gives production 

schedules and events concerning the 

state's motion picture and television communities 

and will be updated weekly. 

ORLANDO, FL 

Harcourt General, Inc. has announced it is 

cutting its theatre division. The conglomerate 

was originally formed in 1991 when 

Orlando's ailing publishing company, Harcourt, 

Brace lovanovich, merged with the 

company—then General Cinema Corp. General 

Cinema Theatres is the chain that helped 

pioneer drive-ins and shopping center theatres. 

The dollars generated by those theatres 

enabled the company to expand into publishing, 

insurance and retailing. 

Last year the 248-theatre division generated 

$1 1 .9 million in operating profit, which 

was about five percent of the company's total. 

Theatre revenue totaled $457 million. Company 

spokesman Peter Farwell said Harcourt 

General was spinningoffthedivision because 

of its maturity and stated it had no growth 

opportunities to speak of. President Robert 

Tarr said 

the spinoff would allow Harcourt 

General to concentrate on its core publishing 

and retail businesses. (For more information 

see National News.) 

The Orlando Museum of Art was the site of 

the 11th annual Central Florida Film and 

Video Festival, September 18 and 19 in this 

city. The festival featured 57 works by independent 

filmmakers from 30 states, Canada 

and Switzerland. Thirteen of the films were 

produced by Florida filmmakers. The event 

was organized by the Association of 

Cinematic and Visual Arts, a non-profit group 

of about 50 Central Florida filmmakers. 

FRANKLIN, TN 

Franklin Cinema recently completed a promotion 

for the film "Like Water for Chocolate" 

in which an award-winning local 

restaurant prepared means featured in the 

best selling novel of the same name (from 

which the film was adapted). A local bookstore 

also promoted the film by creating a 

towering display and issuing discount tickets 

with purchase of the book. The promotion 

resulted in the theatre's second highest opening 

week gross of the year and its highest 

opening week for any art film. 

SAVANNAH, GA 

Now bringing its total screen count to 71 

Carmike Cinemas, Inc., the Georgia-based 

circuit, has opened a new 1 0-screen complex 

in this city. The plex cost $3.2 million. Carmike 

is also building multiplexes in South 

Dakota, South Carolina, North Carolina and 

in Tennessee, which, totaled, will cost about 

$8.5 million. 


2 KoXOFnCF.

6 

— 

WESTERN NEWS 

construction begin on the plex. Possibly 

opening by next summer, it would cost somewhere 

between $6 and $8 million and would 

be the nation's largest black-owned movie 

complex. 

LOS ANGELES, CA 

Continuing its selective expansion program 

and lollovving a year of record-setting 

business, The Samuel Goldwyn Co.'s Theatre 

Croup added two theatres with five screens, 

bring its nationwide total to 1 00 screens in 1 

markets. As a result of its ongoing success in 

building audiences for independent and foreign 

films in numerous cities, Goldwyn's 

Landmark Theatre Croup has grown into the 

largest theatre circuit in the country devoted 

to this niche. Recent acquisitions include the 

Saks in Houston, Texas and The Sacramento 

Inn in Sacramento, Calif. 

The two-screen Saks Theatre in Houston 

will complement the company's existing 

three-screen River Oaks Theatre, which has 

been unable to accommodate the city's growing 

audience for specialized films. Coldwyn 

reopened the three-screen Sacramento Inn on 

September 10. As in Houston, the Inn will 

complement the existing three-screen Tower 

Theatre, which has been able to handle to 

increasing availability of strong films for the 

growing Sacramento audience. 

Said Samuel Coldwyn Theatre Croup president 

Steve Cilula, "It is exciting to reach this 

benchmark, which validates our belief in a 

growing audience of sophisticated moviegoers 

that has supported our efforts over the 

years. Their enthusiasm and the dynamic 

growing community of independent 

filmmakers has enabled us to more than double 

our size since 1 989 when we were operating 

43 screens. We will continue to 

carefully expand our circuit in areas where a 

combination of audience interest, film supply 

and our expertise show that there is an unfulfilled 

demand to be satisfied." 

The famed Egyptian Theatre, opened by 

showman Sid Crauman in 1922 (before he 

moved down the street to open the renowned 

Chinese Theatre in 1927), has been designated 

a city landmark and will hopefully rise 

from the ashes, having fallen on hard times 

under the ownership of United Artists. The 

theatre's status as a landmark will protect it 

from demolition; there is also talk that the 

Egyptian will become the new home of the 

non-profit film organization American 

Cinematheque. If nothing else, the theatre's 

new lease on life could well signal the reemergence 

of Hollywood Blvd. itself as the 

major entertainment area it once was. 

Former Lakers star Magic Johnson has 

)lans to open an eight- to 12-screen theatre 

lomplex in the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw 

laza, a mall in the wealthiest African-Amercan 

community in the country. For the past 

leveral years, developers have tried unsucressfuliy, 

along with investors, to build a 

heatre in Crenshaw Plaza, lohnson, who also 

)wns a clothing store, "Threads of Life," in 

he mall, has a tentative agreement to have 

CANADIAN 

NEWS 

CALGARY, ALBERTA 

In August Cineplex Odeon opened its newest 

theatre complex, the Eau Claire Market 

Cinemas, in Calgary. Located downtown on 

the upper mall level of the new $43 million 

Eau Claire Market, the newly-constructed 

plex houses five cinemas that seat over 1 ,450 

moviegoers and feature state-of-the-art sound 

and projection systems. 

INTERNATIONAL 

NEWS 

IRELAND 

"Jurassic Park" became the most successful 

movie ever released in Ireland, breaking the 

record previously set by the film "The Commitments." 

Spielberg's dinosaur film took IR 

£2.321 million between its opening in mid- 

July and the end of August. "The Commitments" 

took in IR £2.175 million in five 

months. "Jurassic Park," which is expected to 

run until Christmas in some Dublin cinemas, 

is now realistically expected to gross more 

than IR£3 million. 

"The Snapper," the film of Roddy Doyle's 

second book of his Barrytown trilogy, which 

began with "The Commitments," has also 

opened well, taking in IR £134,538 at 10 

screens in its first week of Irish release, in 

August. 

The producers of "In the Name of the Father," 

the film about the Guildford Four 

wrongly imprisoned in Britain for a pub 

bombing—have had a highly successful test 

screening in Los Angeles. Directed and produced 

by Jim Sheridan and starring Emma 

Thompson and Daniel Day-Lewis, the film 

Call Sharon, S

& SERVICESVlINTERNAnONAL 

Consultants in 

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J he words wc live hy 

will have its world premiere In 

Dublin at the 

beginning of December. The movie will also 

be given platform screenings in New York 

and Los Angeles to allow it to qualify for next 

year's Oscar race. 

The $7 million Warner Bros, film "War of 

the Buttons," produced by David Putnam and 

featuring 1 

8 Irish children, has finished shooting 

in West Cork. Putnam says "it will do for 

West Cork what David Lean's 'Ryan's 

Daughter' did for West Kerry." The film, 

based on the French novel by Louis Perpaud, 

written in 1917, features neighboring fictional 

villages and explores their rivalries and 

sense of honor. 

ENGLAND 

Warner Bros, has opened the first of a new 

chain of specialty shops in Britain. Called 

Studio Stores, they will sell paraphernalia 

decorated with the studio's animated and 

screen heroes. The marketing ploy, already 

successful in the U.S., will give the company 

a chance to catch up with Disney in tapping 

the overseas market. Stuart Soloway is the 

managing director of Warner Bros.' European 

retail operations, which kicked off with the 

opening, at the Arndale Centre in Manchester, 

on September 9. The center's owners 

spent several million dollars refurbishing to 

coincide with the opening. Each store will 

have a children's section, a clothing department, 

a kitchen ware section and a gallery of 

animation art. The company is bringing over 

some of its U.S. managers in an effort to 

"infect" British employees with their American 

approach to service. Warner Bros, aims 

to have a total of five UK outlets open this 

year—with the next outlets planned for Lakeside 

Thurrock center on the M25 motorway, 

another in Bentalls at Kingston Upon Thames, 

and one in the West End of London. Birmingham, 

Glasgow, and later, Continental Europe 

and Japan, are also possibilities. 

Hammer Films is 

set to return. The British 

film company known for its horror classics 

has signed a four-year deal with Warner Bros, 

to remake many of its 1960s features. Roy 

Skeggs, who bought FHammer from the receivers 

eight years ago, says the first effort will be 

the science-fiction thriller "The Quartermass 

Experiment," expected to get underway next 

year at a cost of up to $40 million. Shooting 

will take place in London and Los Angeles. 

The "new" Hammer is scripting a total of five 

films now, and there are also plans to update 

"The Devil Rides Out" and "The Stolen Face." 

There are, apparently, no immediate plans 

to revive Hammer's best-known stars, 

Draculaand Frankenstein. The company will, 

however, make "Vlad the Impaler," about the 

ruler who inspired the Dracula story, which 

will be shot in Romania next year. The deal 

gives Warner Bros, exclusive rights to Ihe 

Hammer Library and new material. The 

Elstree-based company made more than 200 

of Dracula," "Frankenstein" and "Plague of 

the Zombies." The company collapsed in 

1980 when its last film, "The Lad Vanishes," 

bombed. The company made international 

stars of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. 

MOSCOW 

Investors will soon get a chance to put 

money into the largest film studios in Europe. 

Moscow's Mosfilm has announced privatization 

planswhich could, bytheendoftheyear. 

permit shares to be owned by foreign, as well 

as Russian, investors in an offer aimed at 

raising $200 million. The studios, on a 50- 

hectare site in the city center, has 13 sound 

stages, a vast collection of props and a library 

of 3,000 feature films. Another asset is a 

state-of-the-art sound complex which could 

be the best in Europe. The studios employ 

2,000 technicians and about 800 freelance 

creative people. Nine independent film companies 

also use the complex. Mosfilm's library 

includes such classics as "War and 

Peace," "The Battleship Potemkin" and "Moscow 

Does Not Believe in Tears." The studios 

retain the right to earn income from the library 

and will not sell the classics. Rocketing costs 

have seen production drop from 60 in 1991 

to 35 this year. 

Warner Bros, has postponed indefinitely its 

$28 million joint venture with Sovexportfilm 

to build multiplex cinemas in the Confederation 

of Independent States. Sovexportfilm 

will, however, go ahead on its own to acquire 

the proposed Moscow site with a view to 

attracting investors. It will also continue to 

distribute Warner Bros, movies and is holding 

talks with Twentieth Century Fox. 

CANNES, FRANCE 

"MILIA," the first international event to 

focus squarely on content which will 

give 

producers, publishers and rightsholders the 

opportunity to buy and sell rights for any 

project, in any format, in any medium, on a 

global scale, will take place January 15-18, 

1994 at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, 

France. 

Since co-editions, co-productions and 

rights sales are now possible in multiple 

media, film, illustrated books, CD-ROM, CD- 

1, books-on-disk, educational software and 

games, audio, video, laserdisc and the full 

spectrum of new media will be offered at the 

market. 

films for television and the cinema before it 

withdrew from film production in the 1970s. 

Among the classics: "The Mummy," "Curse 

114 BOXOFFICE

I 

SHORT CUTS 

Starling Anne Archer, Bruce Davison, Robert Downey Jr. 

Peter Gallagher, Buck Henry, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jack 

Lenmwn, Huey Lewis, Lyle Lovett, Andie MacDowell, Frances 

McDormand, Matthew Modine, Julianne Moore, Christopher 

Penn, Tim Robbins, Annie Ross, Lori Singer, Madeleine Stowe, 

Lili Taylor, Lily Tomlin and Tom Waits. 

Directed by Robert Altman. Screenplay by Robert Altman and 

Frank Barhydt, based on short stories by Raymond Carver. 

Produced by Cary Brokaw. 

A Fine Line Features release. Comedy, rated R. Running time: 

187 min. Screening date: 9/7/93. 

With "Short Cuts," the creative rebirth prematurely attributed 

to Robert Altman after the release of his overrated 

Hollywood satire "The Player" arrives at last, and it's a wow. 

A jaw-droppingly assured adaptation of nine short-stories 

and a narrative poem by Raymond Carver, "Short Cuts" takes 

dark, pessimistic look at human entanglements, set (make 

that relocated) against the city Altman loves to hate, Los 

Angeles. 

In an almost unbelievable act of compression and integration, 

Altman has seamlessly combined plotlines which were 

originally written as autonomous, stand-alone stories. By 

reworking supporting roles in each narrative so that they can 

be performed by the principals from the other storylines, 

Altman not only creates a piece of cinematic whole cloth out 

ofsome stunning patches of storytelling fabric, he adds to the 

sense of dislocation we feel for Carver's alienated, semitragic 

women and men. The overlapping action is its own 

type of irony; in their isolation from themselves and their 

environment, the characters fail to understand what we in 

the audience can literally see from the first; that they are part 

of a larger community where their actions have wider consequences 

than they can ever know. 

Such an ambitious undertaking is impossible to synopsize, 

though it should be pointed out that the recent (and unprecedented) 

award at the Venice Film festival honoring the 

entire ensemble of "Short Cuts" rather than individual actors 

was right on the money. Only Cassavetes (and Altman himself 

in "Nashville," which "Short Cuts" resembles structurally) 

has equalled "Short Cuts" when it comes to laying equal 

emphasis on a whole population of fictional characters. 

In the context of this superb achievement, only two elements 

fall short: the melodramatic, add-on, non-Carver 

storyline featuring Lori Singer as a suicidal cellist; and 

Altman's decision to relocate Carver's stories, moving them 

from a variety of geographic locations to L.A., which is 

Altman's attempt not only to give the separate plotlines 

geographic cohesion but to create opportunities for dealing 

with one of his own thematic obsessions in the context of 

Carver's. The universality of Carver's view of the human 

condition bends uneasily to the task of serving Altman's 

consistent satiric preoccupation with the City of Angels, 

although Altman does manage to use a pair of location-specific 

details (anti-medfly pesticide sprayings and a California 

earthquake) as two metaphoric bridges symbolizing the interior 

crises which link his characters, one to the next. But such 

small imperfections dwindle to insignificance when set 

against this towering achievement. File "Short Cuts" under 

'M" for "masterpiece." 

Rated Rforlanguage, violence and sexual situations. — Kcuy 

Greene 

THE ACCOMPANIST 

Richiird liohrnv. Elena Safonova and Roinaiu: 

Wntten and directed by Claude Miller, adapted from the rwvel 

\'ina Berberouva Produced by Jean-Louis Liui. 

.\ Sony Pictures Classics release. Drama, rated PG. In French 

I jiglish subtitles. Rimning time: 110 min. Screening date: 

It is a well-worn cliche to call the act of filmgoing voyeuristic, 

but voyeurism is an integral part of all the visual arts. 

A range of films have dealt overtly with this aspect of the 

medium, whether it is fetishized ("Blow Up"), sublimated 

("The Draughtsman's Apprentice"), or frankly enjoyed 

("Rear Window"). "The Accompanist," Claude Miller's new 

film, explores themes of voyeurism and vicarious identification 

in the exotic world of the arts community in occupied 

Paris. 

Winter 1942, and Sophie Vasseur (Romane Bohringer), a 

young girl in desperate need of money, is hired by the 

beautiful singer Irene Brice (Elena Safonova) as her accompanist. 

Sophie suddenly finds herself amongst indulgence 

and plenty, because Irene's husband Charles (Richard 

Bohringer) is using his business connections and his wife's 

talent to play both ends against the middle as the war closes 

in around them. 

A complex character, Sophie is completely enamored of 

her employer and the luxurious world she can now move in, 

but she is resentful of her anonymous place in Irene's 

shadow. Onstage, Irene is an ethereal vision in glowing white 

satin, the classical songs arising from her, seemingly without 

effort. Always presented through Sophie's eyes, Irene embodies 

art and talent, fascination and repulsion— an angel of 

creation and destruction. 

Once she moves in with the Brices, Sophie becomes more 

deeply involved in their personal lives and secrets— to the 

further detriment of her own. The film convincingly explores 

the depth of her love/hate relationship, for Sophie is aware 

enough to understand her position and the growing cost to 

her own life, but too passive, or content, to make a change. 

Through her inaction she becomes an integral accomplice in 

the tragedies that follow. 

Set during the war but not overtly about it, Miller skillfully 

uses the heightened atmosphere of wartime to create a 

claustrophobic world for his fascinating trio. "The 

Accompanist's" atmosphere and tone have much in common 

with Renoir's "Rules of the Game." Romane Bohringer is 

compelling as the confused Sophie; beneath her meek exterior 

you can sense the twistings and turnings of her psyche. 

Elena Safonova brings an unusual beauty and a convincing 

sense of "Dieu et mon droit" as the diva, and Richard 

Bohringer's dark looks contrast nicely with the growing 

sympathy with which his character is presented. 

Claude Miller has created a thoughtful, intriguing film 

about life and art, one that is beautiful to look at and, with 

musical selections from Mozart, Schubert and Berlioz, lush 

to listen to. "The Accompanist" is a success on every level. 

Rated PC— Alex Albariese 

Review Index 

Accompanist, The R-74 

Age of Innocence, The R-76 

Calendar Girl R-79 

Farewell My Concubine R-75 

For Love or Money R-81 

Joy Luck Club, The R-78 

Kalifornia R-77 

Malice R-76 

Real McCoy, The R-80 

Romeo is Bleeding R-75 

Short Cuts R-74 

Son of the Pink Panther R-80 

Striking Distance R-79 

True Romance R-77 

Undercover Blues R-80 

Wild West R-75 

November, 1993 R-74

ROMEO IS BLEEDING 

Statring Gary Oldman, Lena Olin, Annabella Saoira, Juliette 

Lewis and Roy Scheider. 

Directed by Peter Medak. Screenplay by Hilary Henkin. Produced 

by Paul Webster, Hilary Henkin and Michael Flynn. 

A Gramercy Pictures release. Drama, rated R. Running time: 

108 min Screening date: 9/20/93. 

Overdone , overacted and over the top, "Romeo is Bleeding" 

is an exercise in excessiveness that challenges its audience 

to keep its mouth closed when gaping and squealing seem 

more the appropriate responses. In a celluloid underworld 

where sex and violence are interchangeable commodities 

(one always denotes the other), sexualized violence and the 

violent sex escape their ordinary meaning to run rampant in 

a fiction campy to the core. At "times it's difficult to know if 

director Peter Medak (long ago, director of the riotous and 

bizarre "The Working Class") has his tongue in his cheek or 

his hands around a cup of coffee that should have been 

decaffeinated. 

The ever talented Gary Oldman is in the middle of all this. 

As veteran cop Jack Grimaldi on loan to the Organized Crime 

Task Force, he's a whirling fuel line of misplaced desire and 

misdirected hunger for both sex and money. Hired to protect 

mob informants about to testify, Grimaldi instead works both 

sides to the middle. He tells the mob the whereabouts of his 

charges, and when they're knocked off he collects his 

$65,000. 

One day, however, he runs into the dementia of Mona 

Demarkov (Lena Olin), a gangster almost too apocalyptic a 

character to be contained within the narrative walls of even 

this black comedy. A man-eating (almost literally), sexually 

insatiable double Grosser, Mona refuses to die and continues 

to escape Grimaldi's traps. Instead she hurls him into a 

life-and-death rampage of murder and deceit that challenges 

even his own excessiveness. Obsessed with stopping Mona, 

hanging in mid-air between his wife (Annabella Sciorra) and 

his mistress (Juliette Lewis), Grimaldi is fast sinking into a 

hole of emotional bankruptcy. 

The entire affair would be tragic if it were not so exceedingly 

(and comically) violent, so sexually overblown, 

so. ..well, hokey. The long-standing predicate "to chew up the 

scenery" is given new definition here. In this film, everyone 

involved goes for the grit yet gets caught up in an inadvertent 

loonybin. 

Rated R for extreme violence and sexuality.— Marilyn 

Moss 

WILD WEST 

Stamng Naveen Andrews, Sarita Choudhury, Ronny fliutti 

and Ravi Kapoor. 

Directed by David Attwood. Screenplay by Hanvant Bains. 

Produced by Eric Fellner. 

A Samuel Golduyn Company release. Comedy, not rated. 

Running time: 83 min. Screening date: 8/19/93. 

All Mickey and Judy ever wanted to do was to put on a 

show and raise some money for MGM— and the form of their 

quintessential "kids who break into show business" films, 

lightweight concoctions of spunk, talent and hokum, has 

survived the intervening decades. Gillian Armstrong's giddy 

"Starstruck" knowingly updated the format into the newwave 

pop scene of early 80's Australia. She gave the formula 

enough of a twist, but the major elements were still intactdreams 

of fame amidst drab reality, uncomprehending 

adults, uncaring producers, and a sudden desperate need for 

cash, all enjoyably tied together with infectious musical 

numbers and some reckless youthful abandon. 

When it works, it still works well, which is why this latest 

cross-cultural re-tooling seems promising enough at the start. 

"Wild West" presents yet another working class youth with 

big dreams, but Zaf (Naveen Andrews) is a true eccentric, a 

Pakistani from London's Southhall "Little India" district in 

pursuit of a career as. ..a country western singer. Unfortunately 

the filmmakers forgot that once you come up with a 

clever pitch you have to do something with it, because the 

two-liner is eaten up in the first five minutes of screen time. 

With over a decade of music video water under the cultural 

bridge, first time director David Attwood aspires to something 

suitablyjump-cutty and hip; he seems to be aiming for 

FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE 

Starring Leslie Cheung, Zhang Fengyi, Gong Li, Lu Qi, Ying 

Da and Ge You. 

Directed by Chen Kaige. Screenplay by Lillian Lee andLu Wei, 

from a novel by Lillian Lee. Produced by Hsu Feng. 

A Miramax Films release. Drama, not rated. Running time: 

160 min. Screening date: 9/17/93. 

This year American audiences are being exposed to an 

unusual number of films with Asian themes and protagonists—such 

as "M. Butterfly" and "Heaven and Earth," along 

with "The Joy Luck Club." Joining these American-made 

films is "Farewell my Concubine," directed by Chen Kaige 

("Yellow Earth," "The Big Parade")— one of a group of active 

Chinese filmmakers known as the "Fifth Generation" and 

winner of this year's Palm d'Or at Cannes. With its two hour 

and 40 minute length, subtides, and a story that spans 53 

years of turbulent Chinese history, "Farewell" might seem 

more like a viewing challenge than it really is. The film has 

compelling characters and strong performances; its setting, 

the world of Peking Opera during the 20th century, provides 

opportunity for both great beauty and conflict. 

The film begins in 1924 when Douzi and Shitou meet as 

children at the All Luck and Happiness Academy. There they 

learn the skills of Peking Opera through a brutal regime of 

practice and beatings. The delicate Douzi is assigned 

women's roles, while Shitou plays opposite him. Douzi, 

symbolically castrated in an early scene by having an extra 

finger cut off, will never be allowed openly to express his 

homosexuality or his love for Shitou. In what will become 

their signature roles, Douzi plays a concubine to Shitou's 

failed king. 

As young men, the "stage brothers" become widely successful, 

but outside events impinge on their beautiful partnership. 

Shitou marries the prostitute Juxian (the wonderful 

Gong Li), Douzi is pursued by ardent patrons, the Japanese 

invade, civil war breaks out, and, most horrifically, the 

Cultural Revolution completely re-orders life. 

The story is told through an alternation of yellows and 

reds. The yellow of Douzi's costume recalls the lost world of 

Imperial China and contrasts with the red of Communist 

banners and free-flowing blood. Characters in almost every 

scene find an excuse to smash bricks, windowpanes, cups, 

plates, and especially picture frames, and they are frequently 

covered in their own or someone else's blood. 

The film also contrasts Peking Opera with the outside 

world. On the highly-ritualized perfection of the Opera stage, 

the story always comes out the way it should— the king and 

concubine are always noble. The messy and unpredictable 

events of Douzi and Shitou's lives, and the betrayals which 

result, make these two characters much less noble but no less 

fascinating. 

Toward the end of "Farewell My Concubine," some of the 

cut foreheads and torn costumes begin to run together. The 

ISOXOFFICE

cinematic translation. As with Fitzgerald's "The Great 

Gatsby," and even the more successful "The Last Tycoon," 

Wharton's great love story has been adapted as if having been 

put through a sieve. The petty mannerisms and the sad 

restrictiveness of 1870s New York society as they snuff out 

human emotions survive intact; yet whatever the depth ot 

those emotions might have been, whatever moral complexity 

lives in the prose, has all but seeped through the pores ot 

this impeccably produced film. In an ironic way, the society 

of the director's mind has achieved the same end as the 

society Wharton disdained. 

l/IALICE 

StaningAlec Baldwin, Nicole Kidman, Bill Pullman and Bebe 

ieuwirth. 

Directed by Harold Becker. Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin and 

cott Frank, based on a story by Aaron Sorkin and Jonas 

icCord. Produced by Rachel Pheffer, Charles Mulvehill and 

iarold Becker. 

A Columbia Pictures release. Thriller, rated R. Running time: 

07 min. Sound: Dolby A. Projection: Flat. Screening date: 

'/9/93. 

Malice" opens with the drama of a young woman making 

ler way home through autumn leaves. The heightened nornalcy 

and the creepy music of the scene— along with the fact 

hat the young woman isn't one of the many well-known 

ctors in the cast— signals the audience that she isn't going 

make it unscathed even to the end of the credits. And the 

nan who is following her, the serial rapist/murderer (the 

amiliar type who loves his mom too much) turns out not to 

e the worst guy in the movie after all. Their are lots of 

illains in "Malice," yet the transition from one to another is 

aade awkwardly and the plot doesn't "twist." It becomes an 

cean liner making a 180 degree turn. 

The initial attack in the movie brings together a seemingly 

rdinary trio. Andy Safian (Bill Pullman) is the assistant dean 

fa small-town college full of co-eds, all potential victims of 

ape and murder. Safian's new wife, Tracy (Nicole Kidman), 

eems content to live out a yuppie dream restoring a Victoran 

house and volunteering her time at the local hospital 

/here we also encounter the town's dashing new trauma 

urgeon, Dr. Jed Hill (Alec Baldwin), a hard drinker and fast 

iver who quickly becomes the Safian's new tenant. 

When Dr. Hill is accused of malpractice, he admits to 

aving a "God complex," which complicates the story somewhat. 

To keep it going, though, the attention continually 

eturns to Andy, who is dogged rather than dynamic. And by 

he conclusion of the movie, he seems to be fighting— not 

rime, but for the right to be a sexless, wimpish professor. 

"Malice" simply fiddles with our expectations and adds 

inventions only to deflate them. The characters here aren't 

eal people, yet at the same time they don't have the power 

f being predictable types. Instead, they end up floundering 

hrough an implausible denouement. Late in the movie, it 

urns into a combination of "Halloween," "Psycho" and "The 

êrdict." Then it veers to the direction of "Rebecca"— instead 

ecoming a mish-mash of its audience's confused expectaions. 

Rated R for language and theme. — Tract/ Biga 

FHE AGE OF INNOCENCE 

Stan-ing Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer and Winona 

lyder. 

Directed by Martin Scorsese. Screenplay by Jay Cocks c'V 

iaitin Scorsese, based upon the novel by Edith Wharton. Pro- 

'uced by Barbara De Fina. 

A Columbia Pictures release. Drama, rated PC. Running time: 

33 min. Sound: Dolby SR. Projection: Flat. Screening date: 

1/14/93. 

Edith Wharton's classic novel of late 1 9th century America 

The Age of Innocence" may now have gone the way of F. 

cott Fitzgerald's definitive work in being adapted for the 

creen— the heart and soul of the novel, embedded in the 

writer's prose style, has proved elusive to the attempt at its 

In the New York City Wharton knew so well, her protagonist 

Newland Archer ( here played by Daniel Day-Lewis) is a 

man who walks around in his life as if performing a ritual 

society demands of him— adhering to moral commitment, 

observing social ethics so as not to disturb their foundations 

or their values. This is not simply second nature to Newland, 

it is his nature. An erotic disturbance— a sexual desire that 

might threaten this order— is not to be tolerated. Engaged to 

May Welland (Winona Ryder), an unimaginative "conspirator" 

in his social world, Newland is about to set up house with 

her and setfle into the routine he has been bred for. 

The only fire that will ever ignite in Newland's heart— in 

his life— comes to him in the form of Ellen Olenska (Michelle 

Pfeiffer), May's slightly older cousin who has just returned 

from Europe after leaving a "disastrous" marriage. For some 

reason this marriage now paints Ellen, in the eyes of New 

York social authority, as a fallen woman— this of course 

coupled with the way Ellen lives her life, more free-spirited 

than restricted. After Newland meets her, he feels it his 

responsibility to stand up for her against those who are quick 

to disapprove of her honest nature. Soon, though, he is love 

with her and his passion inspires his greatest sorrow; he will 

spend the remainder of his davs dreaming of a life with Ellen 

that in truth could ne\( i ( kim Hi in mu s \I i\ iiid sui 

cumbs to his birthright. 

It is not always useful to compare novels with their screen 

adaptions, especially if a filmmaker possesses the vision to 

reinvent the novel in a new way. Here Scorsese is earnest 

enough; more than obviously he reveres Wharton's words, 

even giving them to actress Joanne Woodward in several 

voice-over sequences. Yet he follows the words and the 

November, 1993 R-76

outside world they denote while missing the inner world they 

embrace, and this observance leads to the film's one significant 

failing. Scorsese seems so concerned with issues of irony 

and rfistrictiveness (this comes across especially in his visual 

representation of New York society) that he fails to show us 

the passion beneath that restrictiveness. It seems then that 

Newland and Ellen have been twice snuffed out— first by the 

social politics of their own society, and now by Scorsese's 

hand. The great tragedy that is both their lives, so apparent 

to the reader of the novel, is lost to the viewer of this 

film— especialh' Newland's interior world, which gives the 

ston,' its poignancy and its breadth. In this way the novel's 

heartwrenching conclusion translated by Scorsese feels like 

a gratuitous, tagged-on event. 

In undoing (or missing) these characters' motivating passions, 

Scorsese has recast Ellen as Michelle Pfeiffer, an 

actress who can attract a large boxoffice but whose slight 

demeanor is the antithesis of the dark, earthy Ellen Olenska. 

In Wharton's novel it is easy to see why Newland falls in love 

with Ellen; she is as tragic as the passions inspired by her. In 

the film, however, an excellent Daniel Day-Lewis often looks 

to be suffering a heart-tugging relationship with himself. It's 

easy to know yet difficult to feel his sorrow, since his character 

has now been placed in a story religiously studied yet 

emotionally wanting. 

This is "the age of Edith Wharton goes to the movies," 

however (a handful of her novels, most recendy the betteradapted 

"Ethan Frome," have been or are in development or 

production). In joining the march to bring Edith Wharton to 

the screen, perhaps Scorsese will have served her wellsending 

a previously unsuspecting readership back to the 

bookstore and to the pages of her great fiction. 

Rated PG for extretne control.— Marili/n Moss 

KALIFORNIA 

Stamng Brad Pin, Juliette Lewis, David Duchovny and Michelle 

Forbes. 

Directed by Dominic Sena. Screenplay by Tim Metcalfe. Produced 

by Steven Golin and Sigurjon "Joni" Sighvatsson. 

A Gramercy Pictures release. Drama, rated R. Running time: 

117 min. Screening date. 8/31 /93. 

Since "Silence of the Lambs" showered gold on Orion a few 

years back, serial killers have become the most overdone 

Hollywood trend since the buddy movie (hmmm...buddy 

serial killers! Jonathan Demme, call your agent). The latest 

Gramercy production offers yet another serial killer melodrama, 

but this time affixed to the germ of a great idea. A sort 

of "Straw Dogs" crossed with "Badlands," "Kalifornia" takes a 

liberal writer (David Duchovny) who's hard at work on a 

compassionate book about serial killers and brings him face 

to face with his worst nightmare: the allegorically named 

Early Grayce (Brad Pitt), a career psychopath and mass-killer 

every bit as murderous as the caged psychos Duchovny's 

book seeks to depict as innocent societal victims. 

Brian Kessler (Duchovny) is a civil libertarian magazine 

essayist who has received (and spent) a sizeable advance to 

write a book on some of America's most notorious mass 

killers. Along with his photographer-girlfriend (Michelle 

Forbes), Brian decides to find inspiration by visiting specific 

murder sites on a cross-country drive to California. But broke 

as they are, Duchovny and Forbes can't afford the trip, so 

they advertise for a couple to share expenses. You may well 

ask (as Forbes does): what kind of couple answers an ad for 

a cross-country tour of mass-murder sites? Answer: the kind 

with a professional interest in such matters... 

Enter Early and his sweet, backward, white trash girlfriend 

Adeie Corners (Juliette Lewis), the ride-share from hell. 

If that sounds contrived as a synopsis, there are times 

when, as a movie, "Kalifornia" seeriis even more so. There's 

a too-neat quality to the "bonding" that goes on between the 

two men and their two women, and a kind of implacable, 

by-the-numbers event structure which offers few surprises 

in a dreary story that could use a twist (other than the twist 

of a knife-blade) every now and again. The cause isn't helped 

by director Dominic Sena's decision to "stylize" his entire film 

by shooting everything as if it were a 501 blue jeans commercial, 

nor by the gratuitous use of such "symbolic" locations as 

an abandoned nuclear test site (peopled by mannequins) for 

the climax. Sena (or his screenwriter, Tim Metcalfe) seems 

to have a weakness for metaphoric landscapes of the 

sophomore English variety, and the hyper self-consciousness 

of the visual choices is gready at odds with the gritty realism 

of the ensemble's performances. 

But ah! what performances! All four principals distinguish 

themselves and then some here, raising "Kalifornia" to mustsee 

status for anyone who can stomach its grim premise. Both 

Duchovny and Forbes offer sturdy, well-grounded characterizations 

in the more straightforward roles, with Forbes in 

particular demonstrating the nervy appeal and amazonian 

grace of a latter-day Sigourney Weaver. 

But "Kalifornia" belongs to Pitt and Lewis, who are no 

longer actors to watch but who have developed into actors of 

the first rank. Lewis is utterly, heartbreakingly convincing 

as the shy, unsophisticated and backward Adele, building on 

the mannered innocence of her "Cape Fear" breakthrough 

performance by adding a telling patina of neurotic energy 

which suggests (without overemphasizing it) a young girl's 

secret sorrow. Pitt, who continues to grow as a performer 

with virtually every role, does an amazing, protean transformation 

of his glamour-boy self here. All but unrecognizable 

beneath greasy, unkempt hair and a shaggy, mountain-man 

beard, he never misses a beat as this alternately menacing 

and charming example of a rebel-yell good-old-boy gone 

very, very wrong. It's a virile, randy, cock-a-doodle-doo of a 

performance, a bravura rendering of lowlife scum in the 

tradition of Dustin Hoffman's Ratzo Rizzo turn in "Midnight 

Cowboy." To those who wondered after "A River Runs 

Through It" whether Pitt could give an Oscar-calibre performance, 

the issue is now settled: he already has. 

Rated R for language, violence and sexual situations. —Ray 

Greene. 

TRUE ROMANCE 

Stamng Chnstiau Slater. Patncia Arquette and Gary Oldman 

Directed by Tony Scott. Screenplay by Qiientin Tarantino. 

Produced by Samuel Haddida, Steve Perry and Bill Unger. 

A Warner Bros. Pictures release. Action-comedy, rated R 

Running time: 116 min. Sound: Dolby A. Pivjection: Anamorphic. 

Screening date: 8/13/93. 

So much for the fli^fewr theory. 

"True Romance," the second script from the giddily poisonous 

pen of Quentin Tarantino to make the big screen, 

plays like a bigger-budgeted sequel to "Reservoir Dogs," the 

indie sensation Tarantino both wrote and directed last year. 

The characters speak in the same punchy, hard-boiled dialogue, 

the performances are the same combination of lowkey 

naturalism with macabre violence, and the film walks 

the same fine line between sadism and comedy. "True Romance" 

even includes a torture scene (committed by Christopher 

Walken, against Dennis Hopper) which all but invites 

comparison to Michael Madsen's infamous hack job on an 

unsuspecting policeman in Tarantino's previous effort. 

If Tarantino had directed "True Romance," it would be 

confirmation that his Hong Kong-infiuenced style of 

filmmaking was worth all the hullabaloo generated by "Reservoir 

Dogs" at Cannes and the Sundance Film Festival in 

1992. As it stands, "True Romance" proves something that is, 

in its way, even more impressive: that Tarantino's writing is 

trenchant enough not only to survive an all-stops-out, bigscreen 

treatment by a far more seasoned director, but that 

his corrosive stamp is capable of eating right through even a 

far more seasoned directorial signature. 

In fact, director Tony Scott ("Top Gun") seems almost 

liberated by working with what is unquestionably the best 

screenplay to fall into his lap during his entire career so far. 

The energy Tarantino has lavished on this (in some ways) 

standard outlaw couple caper film is reciprocated by Scott's 

brash, brisk structuring of some (at times) almost unbelievably 

violent action scenes, including a final shootout in a 

Hollywood mogul's penthouse which shows that Tarantino 

isn't the only filmmaker capable of learning from John Woo. 

"True Romance" charts the blood-drenched course of a 

reluctant, more conventionally heroic variation on Bonnie

and Clyde, played in this instance by Christian Slater and 

Patricia Arquette. When Arquette is hired as a whore to 

seduce the geeky, comic-book infatuated Slater, it's mutual 

love and lust at first sight (in a neat slap at predictability, 

they're married just twenty minutes into the movie). Arquette 

hasn't been whoring for long (Slater is her third trick), 

but mere descriptions of her creepy pimp (the ever-perfecto 

Gary Oldman) are enough to cause Slater to act on his comic 

book fantasies by busting a cap upside Oldman's liead. Wiiim 

a sufficiently bloodied Slater follows this murder by ordering 

a terrified hooker to pack Arquette's things in the first piece 

of luggage she can find, the girl inadvertently chooses a bag 

containing an enormous quantity of cocaine, which Slater 

decides to sell off in one big score that will leave him and his 

new bride set for life. But the mob (as usual) has other ideas. 

So okay, much of the plotline sounds awfully familiar. But 

the handful of cliches that drive "True Romance" forward are 

made to seem shiny and new by Tarantino's genuine flair for 

idiosyncratic characters. Though at times brutal, much of 

"True Romance" is laugh-out-loud funny, as when snivelling 

Hollywood assistant Bronson Pinchot gets pulled over for a 

speeding ticket and breaks the seal while attempting to hide 

a "sample" bag of Slater's cocaine, leaving him covered in 

white powder, like a latter day victim of one of Mack 

Sennett's cream pies. The tonal shifts from violence to farce 

aren't jarring, they're riveting, giving "True Romance" the 

same rich combination of combustible comedy and terse 

violence that made "Reservoir Dogs" such blistering entertainment. 

Tarantino has been accused of being little more 

than a Scorsese clone, but that's like accusing Hitchcock of 

cloning Fritz Lang; the milieu may be similar, but the voice 

is uniquely his own. 

Between "Reservoir Dogs" and "True Romance," we could 

have the makings of a new genre. Call it Brute Farce. Call 

Tarantino it's foremost practitioner, a hip and hilarious 

young gun blasting his way across the cinematic scene. And 

call Tony Scott a smart enough director to know what can 

and can't be improved upon. 

Rated R for language, violence and sexual situations. —Raij 

Greene. 

THE JOY LUCK CLUB 

Stamng Kieii Chuih, Tsai Chin, France Nuyen, Lisa Lu, 

Ming-Na Wen, Tamlyn Tomita, Lauren Tom and Rosalind 

Chao 

Directed by Wayne Wang. Screenplay by Amy Tan and 

Ronald Bass, based on the novel by Amy Tan. Produced by 

Wayne Wang, Amy Tan, Ronald Bass and Patrick Markey. 

A Buena Vista Pictures release Drama, rated R. Running 

time: 138 min. Sound Dolby A. Pivjection: Flat. Screening date: 

9/2/93. 

The Joy Luck Club" offers its audience proverbial wisdom—not 

prepackaged sayings from fortune cookies, but 

rich stories shaped from the pain, joy and luck enacted in the 

lives of four Chinese-American mothers and their four adult 

daughters. Refusing to populate their screenplay with recycled 

images of high-kicking Kung-fu experts, exotic/erotic 

prostitutes or w(r)ise-cracking house servants, the film's 

close-knitcollaborative team— writers Amy Tan, Ronald Bass 

and director Wayne Wang— were able to maintain creative 

control overman's novel and beautifully interweave the liv('s 

of these eight women into a richly textured cinematic brocade. 

The four immigrant mothers, who had once hoped that 

their daughters would never have to "swallow any sorr(n\-," 

discover that these daughters, who "grew up speaking onK' 

English

STRIKING DISTANCE 

Staning Bnice WiUis and Sarah Jessica Parker. 

Directed by Rowdy Hemngton. Wntten by Rowdy Herrington 

and Martin Kaplan. Produced by Arnon Milchan, Tony 

Thoniopoidos and Hunt Lowry. 

A Columbia Pictures release. Action adventure, rated R. Runnino 

time: 100 min. Sound: Dolby SR. Projection: Flat. Screening 

date: 9/9./93. 

Rumors circulated around Hollywood for months that 

"Striking Distance" was shaping up as a major disaster, so, in 

an odd way, it's disappointing to report that this latest Bruce 

Willis vehicle is merely a mediocre piece of idiocy and not a 

monumental botch on the grand scale of "Hudson Hawk" or 

"Last Action Hero." 

Willis stars as Tommy Hardy, apparendy the last honest 

cop— the last boy scout, one might say— on the Pittsburgh 

police force. Hardy is the object of snarling scorn from his 

colleagues, first for accusing his partner (who is also his 

cousin) of police brutality, then for alleging a department 

frame-up of an innocent man in a series of grisly killings, 

including that of Hardy's own policeman father. (At times, it 

seems as if every cop in Pittsburgh is related to this guy.) 

After his cousin takes a suicidal leap from a bridge, Hardy 

is demoted to the relatively humdrum river rescue squad, 

patrolling the Allegheny and Monongahela with his new 

partner (Sarah Jessica Parker). Although by now the supposed 

serial killer has been in jail for two years, more bodies 

start bobbing up along Hardy's beat, making it appear that 

the real killer is still on the loose— and is now targeting 

women who have had relationships with Hardy. This development 

is particularly bad news for Parker's character, who 

has fallen for Hardy and whose presence as essentially the 

only woman in the movie has screamed "bait for the villain" 

from the moment she appeared onscreen. 

Willis actually turns in a surprisingly restrained performance, 

largely "dry-docking his smirk and smart-guy quips, 

opting instead for a weary Eastwood-esque surliness. He 

leaves the overacting to the other cast members who, unfortunately, 

oblige. Top (or bottom) honors in the scenerychewing 

derby go to Robert Pastorelli (of TV's "Murphy 

Brown") as Hardy's demented cousin, and Brion James, in 

an excruciating one-note performance as a cop who spews 

so many bilious insults at Hardy whenever they cross paths, 

you almost expect him to vomit on Willis at some point. 

Director and co-screenwriter Rowdy Herrington shows 

considerable flair in staging action scenes. A massive chase 

early on is a delightfully overblown smash-em-up, a 

hyperkinetic frenzy of near misses and direct hits, leaping 

cars and flying hubcaps, which rates favorable comparison 

to the opening of "Beverly Hills Cop" and even the fantastic 

train/bus collision in "The Fugitive." Where Herrington goes 

astray are those more subtle bugaboos of plot, character and 

dialogue. Essential story details and character motivations 

are glossed over, with the identity of one murder victim 

never clarified. 

Herrington also takes far too long informing the audience 

of the link between Hardy and the killer's victims (although 

not as long as it takes the cops to figure out the connection). 

It's a painfully shopworn device to motivate a hero by wiping 

out everyone he's ever loved and, since we never see Willis 

interact with any of these women, we don't feel any emotional 

loss when we later learn that he knew these anonymous 

victims. However, this plot twist does lead to the one 

classic "bad movie" moment in "Striking Distance," as Willis 

achingly confides to Parker that the latest fatality is also a 

woman from his past, confessing, "I took her to the prom." 

Mercifully, the case is solved before the killer gets really 

desperate for victims and starts stalking girls Hardy walked 

home from kindergarten. 

Rated R for violence, profanity and sexual situations.— £nc 

Williams 

CALENDAR GIRL 

Stiinuig /nsoii Piiesilcy and Joe Pantoliano. 

Di reeled by John Whitesell. Written by Paul W. Shapiro. 

Iôduccd by Debbie Robins and Gary Marsh. 

A Columbia Pictures release. Comedy, rated PC-13. Running 

time: 86 min. Sound: Dolby A. Projection: Flat. Screening date: 

9/3/93. 

Summer, 1962. Three high-school pals borrow a convertible 

and road-trip to Hollywood. Their quest? Nothing as 

mundane as catching rays in Malibu or scoping out starlets 

at Schwab's. Nope, they plan to score with Marilyn Monroe. 

That's about it for a story in "Calendar Girl," an almost 

instantly forgettable rites-of-passage tale in which rebel Roy 

(Jason Priesdey) persuades his buddies, sensitive Ned (Gabriel 

Olds) and nice-guy Scott (Jerry O'Connell), to join him 

on his oh-so-wholesome crusade to track down— and nail — 

the world's most famous screen goddess. To accomplish this 

goal, they park outside Marilyn's bungalow, chase her car 

down Sunset Boulevard, even trail her to a nude beach. 

Eventually, one of the guys manages to sneak into Norma 

Jean's bedroom and asks her for a date. Undoubtedlv this 

says something about modern (clcbi ]i\ \\ oi ship and "the end 

of America's innocence" (topics the film touches upon but 

doesn't remotely address), but it's difficult for a present-day 

viewer to watch these guys' "wacky hijinks" without being 

reminded of other devoted fans whose nutty adventures have 

included pursuing Jodie Foster around her college campus 

or waiting patiently outside John Lennon's apartment building. 

Sort of drains the frivolity out of the situation. 

Maybe it's unfair to expect a fluffy little yarn like this to 

delve into weighty cultural issues, but "Calendar Girl" doesn't 

even bring depth to its obvious themes: male bonding and 

the terrors of encroaching adulthood. True, the three lead 

actors spark off one another with enough chemistry that we 

buy them as longtime buddies, and writer Paul W. Shapiro 

provides them a couple of quiet, nicely written moments in 

which they mull over their past disappointments. Still, we're 

never really brought into their lives, their dreams and their 

fears; they remain sketches, not portraits. When they finally 

embark down their separate paths toward the military, college 

and marriage, it's impossible to imagine— or care— what 

happens to them next. (For proof that a movie can accomplish 

this without skimping on the antic hilarity, look no 

further than the classic cinematic depiction of the summer 

of '62, "American Graffiti.") 

If nothing else, Shapiro should be given a few brownie 

points for creating handicapped characters whose disabilities 

are treated offliandedly and not as the symbolic entirety of 

their characters, a writing quirk which actually made "Calendar 

Girl" among the mildest movies ever to draw openingweekend 

protests. Hearing-impaired picketers complained 

about the supporting character of a deaf hoodlum— not because 

a deaf person was shown in a negative light, but 

because the minor role was filled by a hearing actor. So where 

were the amputee protestors, since one of the three central 

characters has a wooden leg— yet was portrayed by a bipedal 

actor? Just wondering. 

Rated PG-I3 for language, nudity and drug content.— £nc 

Williams

'< 

Stalling Kathleen Turner and Dennis Qiiaid. 

Directed by Herbert Ross^ Screenplay by Ian Abrams. Produced 

by Mike Lobell. 

A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer release. Romantic action-adventure, 

rated PG-13. Running time: 89 min. Sound: Dolby A. Projection: 

Flat. Screening date: 9/12/93. 

"Undercover Blues" has been touted as a romantic comedyadventure 

in the spirit of "The Thin Man" series, with Kathleen 

Turner and Dennis Quaid meant to be a 1990s turn on 

Nick and Nora Charles. If this is so, it's a signal that something 

has gone terribly wrong with romantic comedy in the 

60 years since Nick and Nora graced the silver screen. What 

passes for romance and comedy, or for characters, in Herbert 

Ross' new film is a sad reminder that things celluloid have 

gotten more flims\ and hollow with each passing decade 

since the 193Us. Simply put, Jane and Jeff Blue (Kathleen 

Turner and Dennis Quaid) do not a Nick and Nora make. 

The joy of watching Myrna Loy and William Powell ante 

up the body count (and the martinis) in "The Thin IVIan" 

movies was the pleasure of peeking in on a married couple 

who were witty because they were pretty much fleshed out 

as characters. But air pockets seem to have gotten into the 

substance of Jane and Jeff Blue— a fact problem that plagues 

the majority of characters handed to us in movies these days. 

It's difficult to know what the filmmakers here had in mind 

for the characters here, though glibness comes to mind. Jane 

and Jeff Blue are irritatingly glib. For one thing, they don't 

lave a care in the world— this despite being parents of an 

1-month-old who is hanging on Jeffs arm in her carrier as 

le knocks out the villains who come his way. 

The movie's main hook is this infant factor— in the 1990s 

ven super sleuths must be parents— yet the degree to which 

Daby Blue is integral to the actual storyline is minimal 

;nough that she needn't be there in the first place. Furthernore, 

Jane and Jeff are so self-satisfied, so pie-eyed, head- 

5ver-heels smitten by their own prowess, they evoke a strong 

nclination in the viewer to take a punch at them (at great 

isk, of course) more than to identify with and to root for 

hem. 

With characters so obnoxious, it's almost impossible to 

;are what happens to them, or to get caught up in their super 

idventures as sleuths. Their gallivanting across the globe, 

heir agility in out-witting their foes, their actions in general 

lire thus rendered meaningless. Even Asta was possessed of 

;lome character in Nick and Nora's hilarious antics. Here the 

terv thought of character development is a throw-away 

niiK hline. 

K. itcd PG-1 3 for Kathleen Turner's still glorious legs. —Mar- 

Uijn Moss 

THE REAL McCOY 

Staning Kim Basinger, Val Kilmer and Terence Stamp. 

Directed by Russell Mulcahy. Screenplay by William Davies 

William Osborne. Produced by Martin Bregman, Willi Baer 

rid Michael S. Bregman. 

A Universal Pictures release. Action, rated PG-13. Running 

me: 106 min. Sound: Digital Theatre Sound. Projection: Flat. 


Kim Basinger is a better actress than she's given credit for, 

but she's also probably the worst judge of material of any 

major HolK^vood star. It's bad enough that she even considered 

making "Boxing Helena"— a wretched, misogynist film 

whose only profit center was the ludicrously elevated judgement 

made against Basinger for wisely (if belatedly) choosing 

not to star. Now comes "The Real McCoy," Basinger's 

latest career mistake and perhaps the limpest, most languid 

caper film ever made. 

"McCoy" starts promisingly enough, with a nifty, crisply 

orchestrated bank job, presumably perpetrated by Basinger 

as world class bank robber Karen McCoy. Bizarrely, after 

shooting the theft in a mysterioso style which masks the 

identity of the thief, director Russell Mulcahy ("Highlander") 

neglects to punctuate his opening with the expected shot of 

Basinger, removing her mask when McCoy gets nailed by the 

cops. Perhaps that's a sign that the opening robbery was 

tacked on without Basinger's participation in order to "pump 

up the excitement level at the top of the film; if so, it was a 

wise choice, since that opening jolt of adrenalin has to keep 

the audience from nodding off for a long, long time. 

From that point on, "McCoy" degenerates into fake, soap 

opera-ish bathos, with Basinger Thaving served out her prison 

stretch) trying to go straight while her nemesis (a surprisingly 

ineffective Terence Stamp) tries every dirty trick in his 

nasty litde playbook to get her involved in that old movie plot 

cliche, the ubiquitous "one last job." 

An obnoxiously cute child is kidnapped in order to give 

Basinger something to fight for, and Val Kilmer is brou.ght in 

as a romantic interest in order to prove that, despite his 

terrific performance in "The Doors," he is still the sort of actor 

who thinks that the way to indicate that a character is from 

the south is to pose for reaction shots with your mouth 

hanging open. Late in the game, Mulcahy gives out with 

another high-tech robbery (of the same bank) and 

demonstrates yet again that he's happier photographing machines 

than he is filming people, which may account for the 

quality of Basinger and Kilmer's performances under his 

direction. For those politically incorrect males lured to the 

theatre by the sight of Basinger hanging off a building in the 

rubber torso-hugger she wears in "The Real McCoy's" print 

campaign, that outfit does not appear in the film; when 

Basinger suits up for the big caper, she mostly looks like a 

paramilitary refugee from Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation 

1814" period. 

Rated PG-13 for violence.— Ray Greene 

SON OF THE PINK PANTHER 

Starnng Roberto Bcnigni, Herben Lorn, Claudia Cardinale, 

Bun Kwouk, Roben Davi and Debrah Farentmo. 

Directed by Blake Edwards. Screenplay by Blake Edwards. 

Madeline Sunshine and Steve Sunshine. Produced by Tony 

Adams. 

A Metro Goldwyn Mayer release. Comedy, rated PG Running 

time: 103 min. Sound: Dolby SR. Projection: Anamorphic 


The most ambivalendy awaited sequel in some time, "Son 

of the Pink Panther" attempts to dig up the brilliant legacy of 

Peter Sellers and, through sheer lassitude, drops dead in its 

tracks. 

The "Pink Panther" series, particularly in its early phase, 

gave us some classic comic pieces and created a much-mimicked, 

first-rate humbler in Sellers' Inspector Clouseau; so, 

perhaps to honor his legacy, this misfired attempt should be 

graciously dismissed and forgotten. The original series, 

which ran out of steam before Sellers did, hasn't been revitalized 

with the casting of Italian comic Roberto Benigni in 

the title role. Benigni gives a mixed performance, perhaps 

under Edwards' sleepy direction: at once he's sporadically 

energetic in a panicked, confused way. Yet his wild, jerky 

movements and not-so-subtle mannerisms don't combine to 

create a solid character. 

The script, co-written by Edwards, has a germ of a plot and 

a few good comic ideas. The baby Clouseau's Italian mother 

(played by Claudia Cardinale, who starred in the 1964 original 

"Pink Panther") is presumably responsible for his goofy 

November, 1993 R-80

, The 

romanticism. He quotes Shakespeare and belts out arias with 

gusto. This childHke spirit is the only thing tying the older 

and young Clouseau together. 

Little comes of this connection, however, because of the 

way Edwards, who hasn't had a certified hit in over a decade 

(since "Victor/Victoria"), muddles his superior comedy directing 

skills. Here the timing is off over and over again, and 

the many, many gags don't come off —they blend together 

into one big, uninteresting bomb. The plot, marginally detailing 

the kidnapping of a Middle Eastern princess (Debrah 

Farentino) by a curvy crew headed by Robert Davi, seems to 

be an excuse to feature a mish-mash of slapstick gags in a 

variety of exotic locations such as Nice and Monte Carlo. 

A variety of "Panther" characters show up in these locales, 

including Herbert Lom as Commissioner Dreyfus and Burt 

Kwouk as Cato. Their appearances give the movie a strange 

sense of nostalgia, although they're not given the kind of 

funny material to work with that cemented their "Panther" 

careers. Their minimal high points occur when Cato dresses 

up as a Hasidic rabbi transplanted into a harem, and Dreyfus' 

big comic moment comes in being baffled in his hospital bed 

by a bumbling Clouseau Jr. while a Marx Brothers movie 

runs on the hospital TV screen. 

At the conclusion, Edwards actually has the nerve to set 

this spiritless sequel up for its own sequel— an unfortunate 

turn of events, since it's apparent that the director has lost 

his interest in Clouseau. After this fiasco, the audience will 

have, too. 

Rated PC for slapstick violence and mild sexuality.—Man 

Floroice 

< O 

REVIEW DIGEST 

Stoiy type Key: {Ac} Action: (Ad) Adventure: (An) Animated: 

(C) Comedy: (CD) Comedy Drama: (D) Drama: 

(DM) Drama with Music: (Doc) Documentary: (F) Fantasy: 

(Hor) Honor: (M) Musical: (M\) M\sler\: (SF) Science Fiction: 

(Si(s) Su.'ipen.se: (Tli)Tliriller:'(W) Western. 

11 

|g £ i 2 I g o 

H t£ Q W O U. Ss i^ = J 5 S 11 

Aladdin G(BV) 

PG 133 

FOR LOVE OR MONEY 

Stamng Michael f. Fox., Gabrielle Anwar, Anthony Higgins, 

Bob Balaban and Michael Tucker. 

Directed by Bany Sonnenfeld. Screenplay by Mark Rosenthal 

& Lawrence Konner. Produced by Brian Grazer. 

A Universal Pictures release. Comedy, rated PC. Running 

time: 95 min. Sound: Digital Theatre Sound. Projection: Flat. 


Originally titled "The Concierge" and then held back from 

release for several months, "For Love or Money" has been 

little helped by either. A clever little comedy at its beginning, 

the movie quickly slides into nonsense and doesn't emerge 

anytime soon after. 

Michael J. Fox is a no-nonsense, smart-alecky concierge at 

a posh New York City hotel who's obsessed with moving up 

on the fast track and one day owning his own establishment. 

He knows only to well how to manipulate everyone around 

him: his customers, his superiors and his co-workers. The 

only person he can't control is the love of his life, a cosmetics 

salesgirl (Gabrielle Anwar) at a nearby department store who 

keeps avoiding his affections. After pledging his services to 

an unscrupulous businessman so that the guy will finance 

his dream, Fox learns that his erstwhile girlfriend is this very 

married man's mistress. 

Confronted with this messy situation, Fox also faces a 

moral dilemma— thereby enacting the movie's pitch. Should 

he take care of the woman he loves and get her out of her 

mess (she is, of course, naive and unable to do this for 

herself)? Or should he hold out for the money at stake and 

allow the girl of his dreams to be used by a man who also 

holds the key to his own financial future? It's a matter of, yes, 

love or money. 

Yet the more pressing dilemma is—who cares? A story 

bogged down by characters as thin as paper, a storyline and 

gags as sophomoric as has been seen in recent days, "For 

Love or Money" barely manages to inspire anyone to stay 

seated until it resolves itself This is a throw-away movie so 

inconsequential that it will hardly be noticed enough to dent 

the career of Michael J. Fox on his way to larger (though not 

necessarily more weighty) projects. 

Rated PG for little of substance.— Man7i/n Moss

^NT^RTHINM^NT DHTH, INC.'S 

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T/otol UUknd, Screen % Chg, Totol Boxoffice 

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C The Fugitive

I 

BOXOFFICE Independent Feature Chart NOVEMBER 1993 

Arrow Releasing 

212-974-2000 

Between Heaven and Earth D, 

NR, 80 mill. Ccirmen Maura. Dir: 

Marion Hansel. 10/9.? 

Combination Platter D, NR, 85 

min.jeffLau. 10/93 

The Harvest D, NR, 96 min. Miguel 

Ferrer, Leilani Sarelle. Dir: 

David Marconi. 10/9.3 

The Paint Job Sus/D, R, 79 min. 

Robert Pastorelli, Bebe Neuwirth. 

Dir: Michael Taav. 

Cannon 

213-966-5640 

Midnight Ride Ac, 92 min. Mark 

HamilT, Robert Mitchum. 10/29 

Mummy Lives Hor, Tony Curtis. 

Dir: Cerry O'Hara. 10/29 

Rescue Me C/Aciv, PC-13, 99 

min, Michael Dudikoft, Ami 

Dolenz. 10/22 

Cinevista 

212-947-4373 

Amazing Grace, ihrjelil, D, NR. 

Rivka Michael, Sharon Alexander. 

Dir: Amos Gutman. 10/93 

Am My Own Woman,

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

3 

Charles 

3 

, 

Dolby 

' 

BOXOFFICE 

AUGUST 

SEPTEIVIBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER 

Buena Vista 

(818)567-5030 

My Boyfriend's Back. C, PG-13, 80 n 

, Dolby 

A Flat Edward Herrmann. Mary Beth Mun. uir 

Bob Balaban 8/6 

Father Hood, D. PG-13, 95 mm, Dolby A, Flat 

Patrick Swayze 8/27 

The Joy Luck Club, D, R, 138 mm, Dolby A, 

Flat Dir Wayne Wang 9/8 (Ltd) 

Money lor Nothing, D, R, 100 min. Dolby A, 

Anamorphic John Cusack. 9/10 (Ltd ) 

The Program, D, R, 110 mm, SR-D, Rat 

James Caan 9/24 

C, PG, 98 n , f The Three Musketeers, Adv, PG, Dolby SR* 

John Candy 10/1 Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland, Chns 

Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas, O'Donnell 

Anim, PG. 74 mm. Dolby SR'D. Rat 10/13 

(NY). 10/15 (LA). 10/29 (Wide) 

Columbia 

(310)280-8000 

(212)751-4400 

Needful Things, Hor, R, 120 mm, Dolby SR, 

" 

:d Harris, Bonnie Bedelia 8/27 

and S,A.f*l., Fan, PG-13, 97 min, Dolby 

SR, Flat Noah flciss, Jacob Ticrney, 8/20 

Striking Distance, Ac, R, Dolby SR. Rat, Bruce 

Willis, Sarah Jessica Parker 9/17 

The Age of Innocence, D,PG. 135 

. Dolby 

SR, Sony Figital Stereo, Michelle Pfi 

Martin Scorsese 9/17 

Calendar Girl, CD, PG-13, 86 min. Dolby 

I Flat, 

9/3 

The Remains of the Day. D. PG. 1 34 min. 

Dolby SR-D. Super 35 Anthony Hopkins. 

Emma Thompson, Dir James Ivory, 11/5 

My Life, D, 115 mm, Dolby A, Flat Michael 

Keaton, Nicole Kidman 11/12 

IVIGIVI 

(310)449-3000 

Son of the Pink Panther. C. PG. 92 r 

I SR, Anamorphic 8/27 

" or Man, C, PG, 99 mIn. Dolby * 

I Cosby Dir RoberlTownsend 8/6 

, AcC. PG-13. 89 min. Dolby 

A, Flat Kathleen Turner, Dennis Quaid, 9/10 

Flight of the Innocent (Italian), R. 105 mm. 

Dolby A, Flat 9/17 (NY/LA/Toronto) 

New Line 

(212)239-8880 

(310)854-5811 

Jinias, AcC,, PG, 87 min, Dolby A, Flat, 

Dir Neal Israel 8/20 

I Goes to Hell-The Final Friday, Hor, R, 

88 mm, Dolby SR, Dolby SR-D, Rat 8/13 

Mr. Nanny. C. PG. 85 mm. Dolby A. Rat. Hul 

Hogan 10/8 

Geltysberg. D. PG. 248 mm. Dolby SR. Digit; 

Theatre Sound. Flat. 70mm Tom Berenger. 

Sam Elliot 10/8 

Paramount 

(213)956-5000 

(212)333-4600 

The Thing Called Love, CD, PG-13, 1 1 6 n 

Dolby A, Rat River Phoenix Dir Peter 

Bogdanovicb, 8/27 

Bophai. D, PG-13, 122 min, Dolby A. Rat. 

Danny Glover. Alfre Woodard Dir: Morgan 

Freeman, 9/24 

Addams Family Values, C, Anjelica Huston 

Raul Julia Dir; Barry Sonnenteld, 1 1 

Flesh & Bone, CD, R, Digital Theatre Soune r 

Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan, 1 1/5 

Road Scholar, Doc, tJR, 82 min, Dolby A, Flat 

I 

liCodrescu Dir Roger Weisberg 

The Wedding Banguel. RomC, NR, 112 min. 

Mono, Flat Dir Ang Lee 8/4 

erMyslery, C, PG, 108min, 

Rudy, D, PG, 112 mm, Dolby A, Sony Digital 

Dolby SR, Flat Alan Alda, Diane Keaton Dir 

Woody Allen 8/18 

i,C, PG-13, 110 mm, Dolby A, 

Stereo, Flat Sean Astin, Ned Beatty Dir; David 

Anspaugh 10/13 

Mr. Jones, RomD, R. 1 10 mm, Dolby A. Flat 

Kirstie Alley 11/5 

Hat Dennis Quaid. Deborah Winger Dir: Glen 

Gordon Caron. 8/20 (NY& LA) 

Richard Gere, Lena Olin, Anne Bancroft, 10/8 

Freaked, C, PG-13. 79 min. Dolby A, Rat Alex 

Winter, Randy Quaid, Mr. T. 10/1 

Beverly Hillbillies, C. PG. 93 mm. Dolby A. 

Flat Dabney Coleman. Cloris Leachman, Dir; 

Penelope Spheeris, 10/15 

Universal 

(818)777-1000 

(212)759-7500 

Hearts & Souls, C, PG-13. 104 min. Dolby A. 

])igital Theatre Sound. Anamorphic, Robert 

Downey Jr , 

Grodin Dir Ron Under- 

wood 8/1 

I 

Target, Ac, R, 97 mm, Dolby A, Digital 

Theatre Sound. Flat Jean-Claude Van Damme, 

The Real McCoy, Adv. PG-13. 106 min. Dolby 

A, Digital Theatre Sound. Flat. Kim Bassinger. 

Val Kilmer 9/10 

Judgment NIghl i 

lal 

Theatre Sound, 

Cuba Gooding Jr 10/22 

We're Back: A Dinosaur's Story, Anim, Di 

Theatre Sound Voices; Waller Cronklte, J((ev 

Goodman 11/24 

Carllto's Way, Ac, Digital Theatre Sound, i 

Pacino Dir; Brian DePalma 

WamerBros. 

(818)954-6000 

The Fugitive, 0. PG-13. 133 min. Dolby SR-D. 

larrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones 8/6 

The Secret Garden, Fam, G, 99 min, Dolby SR, 

Rat Maggie Smith 8/1 

Ian Without a Face. D, PG-13, 1 14 mm, 

Dolby A, Hat Mel Gibson, Dir; Mel Gibson 

8,25 (Ltd) 

True Romance, AcC, R, 124 min, Dolby A, Anamorphic 

Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette Dir 

Tony Scott 9/10 

Airborne, Fam, PG, 90 mm, Dolby A, Flat 

Shane McDermotI, 9/17 

Being Human. CD Robin Williams 

Fearless, D, R, Jetl Bridges 10/29 (Wide) 

Demolition Man, SF, R, 1 15 mm. Digital Theatre 

Sound, Flat S Stallone W Snipes 10/8 

Mr. Wonderful, RomC, 101 mm, Dolby A, Flat 

Matt Dillon 10/15 

The Body Snatchers, Hor Meg Tilly 10/22 (Ltd 

, Fam, Dolby SR-D, Macau Ic 

J, D Kevin Costner, Clint E 

*ighl.D, PG-13. 89 min, Dolby A, Flat. 

M. Bunerfly, D, R, 101 mm. Dolby A Flat Jeremy 

Irons Dir David Cronenberg 10/1 (Ltd.)

FEATURE CHART—NOVEMBER 1993

Miami. 

Woonsocket. 

. . 

ClearingHouse 

RATES: S1.00 per word, minimum $25. $15.00 

extra for box number assignment. Send copy 

w/check to BOXOFFICE. P O. Box 25485. Chicago. 

IL 60625, at least 60 days pnor to publication 

BOX NO. ADS: Reply to ads with box numbers by 

wnting to BOXOFFICE. P.O. Box 25485. Chicago. 

IL. 60625; put ad box # on letter and in lower left 

corner of your envelope Please use # 10 envelopes 

or smaller for your replies. 

HELP WANTED 

LET THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE your 

new or 

existing small business. Grants/loans to S500.000 

Free recorded message: (707) 448-0201 (RN7) 

Manager Trainee wanted by rapidly growing 

chain/management group. Rapid training and advancement 

potential for film oriented person with 

some entry level or college background. Wnte in confidence 

to County Amusement. 3200 Elton Road. 

Johnstown. PA 15904. 

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE 

ROSSTEMP FLAKE ice maker $880. Sharp cash 

register S300. Cretors D 1 32FP popcorn maker S2800. 

butter server S50. popcorn warmer $195. (505) 479- 

2001 New IVIexico 

MISCELLANEOUS GOODIES: WESTAR BRAND - 

35mm tape splicers $325. surround speaker brackets 

$47.50. SIX channel monitors S350. dual regulated 

exciter supplies $450 Kodak carousel slide proiectors 

$200. Strong Trouper xenon spotlights $3500. carbon 

$1 200. ISCO scope lens $675. portable 35mm projector 

with xenon $3500. 16mm Eiki 6000 professional 

B-6000 $4000. B-4000P $3750. EX-2000A $1500 

Elmo, Bauer. Hortson. Kinoton. Eastman, more - 

free 

lists. International Cinema Equip.. 100 NE 39th St.. 

Miami. FL 33137. Phone (305) 573-7339. FAX (305) 

573-8101. 

CUPHOLDER ARMREST "state of the an" Cy Young 

cupholder. Call 1-800-729-2610 for FREE SAMPLE 

PROJECTORS REBUILT XL - s $3250. w/new auto 

turret $5300. Century SA. H. & C $2500 - 3500. w/new 

auto turrets $4950 Convert your Century, Simplex XL, 

or Pro-35 to auto turret Soundheads, consoles, 

lamphouses, rectifiers, automation, lenses, platters & 

more. New four channel stereo processor w/subwoofer 

& SR $2650. Eprad Star Power-4 amp $450, 

Dolby CP- 55 $4195, CP-50 $2500. CP-100 $3000. 

CP-200 $9250. Speakers, regulated exciter supplies, 

six channel biamped monitors, surround speaker 

brackets. Catalog, trades welcomed. International 

Cinema Equipment. 100 NE 39th St FL 

. 

331 37. Phone (305-573-7339. FAX (305) 573-81 01 

PATRON TRAY. Fits into cupholder armrest. Cy 

Young. Inc. Phone 1 -800-729-261 0. Call for free sample. 

COMPLETETHEATRE EQUIPMENT: (New. Used or 

machines, curtain motors, electnc rewinds, lenses, 

large screen video projectors. Plenty of used chairs 

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AND INSTALLATION 

AVAILABLE DOLBY CERTIFIED Call Bill Younger. 

Cinema Equipment. Inc. 1375 N.W 97th Ave Suite 

. 

14, Miami, FL 33172. Phone (305) 594-0570 Fax 

(305) 592-6970. 1-800-848-8886, 

BURLAP WALL COVERING DRAPES: $2 05 per 

yard, flame retardant. Quantity discounts Nurse & 

Co., MiUbury Rd.. Oxford. MA 01540 (508) 832-4295 

TELEPHONE ANSWERING EQUIPMENT. All major 

brands of reliable, heavy-duty tape announcers and 

digital announcers are available at discounted prices. 

Please r.ali Jim at Answering Machine Specialty. (800) 

Rebuilt) Century SA. R#. RCA9030. 1040. 1050 Platters: 

2 and 5 Tier. Xenon Systems 1000-4000 Watt. 

Sound Systems mono and stereo, automations, ticket 

222-7773- 

EXPORT SPECIALTIES: Kinoton FP20's, DP75's. 

| 

AA 11 (DP-70). Cinemeccanica V4's. V5's, V8's, 

\ 

V10's, V12's, Bauer U4's, Delivenes & installations 

worldwide. Pleased to quote. Catalog, International 

i 

Cinema Equip.. 100 NE 39th St. Miami. FL 33137. 

Phone (305) 573-7339. FAX (305) 573-8101 

NEW 5000 HOUR 1 30V 1 1 SI 4 bulbs with industnal 

seven support filament. Clear and standard colors, 

plus pink, purple, fuschia Ouantity OEM. and distributor 

price levels. 40 AMP chase controllers. 2x2 chase 

channel cans, sockets, belt lighting, 

neo-neon. dimmers, 

chase lighting relays. Catalog 800-248-0076. 

WESTAR XENON BULBS. Full warranty. 1000W 

$362. 1600W $375. 2000W $450. 2500W $475, 

3000W S547, 4000W $985, Volume discounts. Exports 

welcome. International Cinema Equip.. 100 NE 

39th St.. Miami. FL 33137. Phone (305) 573-7339, 

FAX (305) 573-8101. 

MICRO-FM STEREO RADIO Sound Systems for 

Drive-ln Theatres, Meets FCC part 15 Static free- 

Available soon: low cost Micro-FM-jr For the hearing 

impaired Call or write: AUDIO VISUAL SYSTEMS & 

ENG-. 320 St- Louis Ave Rl 02895. 

. 

Phone (401 ) 767-2080; Fax (401 ) 767-2081 

QUALITY REPLACEMENT PARTS, affordable 

pnces for Century. Westar. Westrex. Catalog. We still 

stock factory original spares for Kalee. Prevost. Veronese. 

Cinemeccanica. Kinoton. Bauer. Hortson. Eiki. 

B&H. Many hard to find items. Sync motor kits 1 or 3 

phase, slow start kits. 50/60 cycle for all US & UK 

soundheads 

Intermittent repairs & exchanges (new 

or rebuilt). International Cinema Equip.. 100 NE 39th 

St.. Miami, FL 33137 Phone (309) 573-7339, FAX 

(305)573-8101. 

USED PROJECTION EQUIPMENT: Replacement 

equipment, single or multi booths available. Please 

call if you are purchasing or selling, financing available 

CINEMA CONSULTANTS & SERVICES IN- 

TERNATIONAL. 5800 FonA/ard Avenue. Pittsburgh, 

PA 15217. Phone (412) 422-7551. FAX (412) 422- 

7001- 

THREE COMPLETE THEATRE BOOTHS: 1.000 

Amencan Seating chairs, good condition, Simplex XL 

projectors, Kelmar sound platters, automation, lamphouse, 

lenses, ticket machines and more. Phone (31 3) 

885-4700- 

CRETORS popcorn machine model Dl 32FP, charcoal 

filter, 32 ounce kettle, 240 volt, automatic oil 

pump, FAX (505) 479-6350, Phone (505) 479-2001, 

Alamogordo, New Mexico, Like new, half pnce. 

CHRISTIE AUTOWIND AW-I, three deck platter, LED 

retrofit, make-up table, spare motor, module and parts, 

complete manuals, very good condition- $1100- Film 

Projection Services, (209) 237-5775 

ORC PLATTERS - six, model CP-302E / CP-70-E 

$1250.00 each. Delivery/installation available. Call 

Archie's Cinema Service. (816) 653-4848 

EQUIPMENT WANTED 

OLD TUBE-TYPE equipment such as amps, speakers, 

drivers, horns, etc, from Western Electric. 

Westrex. Langevin. Jensen. Altec. JBL. Tannoy. Mcintosh. 

Marantz. etc. Call Audio City at (818) 701- 

5633- or write to Audio City. P.O Box 802, Northridge. 

CA 91 328-0802 

WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE: We will purchase Century 

projectors or soundheads, new or old. complete 

or incomplete, for cash. Also interested in XL and 

SH-1000 Call (502) 499-0050- Fax (502) 499-0052. 

Madden Theatre Supply Co., attn, Louis. 

TURN UNWANTED, SURPLUS, salvage equipment 

into CASH. Buying all kinds of theatre equipment - 

individual items or complete theatres- Call for quick 

phone offer- Will pickup anywhere- International Cinema 

Equipment- Phone (305) 573-7339. FAX (305) 

573-8101. 

Would like to buy some used Koropp dhve-in speakers 

Also, some old cartoons in fairly good shape for 

use in a dnve-in theatre. Phone (615) 263-9661 - 

WANTED: Three Deck platters with makeup tables- 

Call Paul at (301) 588-1667, or FAX (301) 588-1667. 

WANTED: 1000 watt integrated ORC lamphouse, 

model XI 000- Call (604) 682-1848. 

THEATRES FOR SALE 

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA—600 seat single screen 

- retirement forces sale - balcony-includes real estate 

-twocarriers 1 -800-382-0021 Terms available, make 

offer 

- Bill Parker, agent. 

400 SEAT THEATRE FOR SALE or lease Sept 1. 

1993 The only theatre in Mandan. ND - population 

1 5.000 Across the river from Bismarck. ND - population 

50.000- Write to Theatre Associates. 1 027 Airport 

Road. Bismarck. ND. 58504. 

Theatre tor sale: Thnving. northern 

Condo included. Rose Theatre. 310 Main. Roseau. 

MN. 56751. Or call (218) 463-2601 or (21 8) 386-1 973. 

FOR SALE— MOVIE THEATRES.; San Diego 

county, three screens, established 20 years, owner is 

retiring For more information, call Jill Thompson Business 

& Commercial at (619) 484-9052. 

THEATRES FOR LEASE 

FOR LEASE—Chatsworth Cinema in large Ralphs 

Shopping Center in upper middle class area in Southern 

California's San Fernando Valley. New 50 ton air 

conditioners, huge marquee signs, terrific exposure at 

Devonshire and Mason Avenues. Chatsworth. Calif. 

Now single 820 seats, ideal for conversion to triple 

screen. Call 310-275-5939. 

THEATRES WANTED 

THEATRES BOUGHT AND SOLD. East. Midwest, 

and South by progressive circuit operators/consultants. 

All replies confidential- Reply Holiday Entertainment/Cinema 

Associates. 3200 Elton Road, 

Johnston. PA 1 5904. Phone (814) 266-4308. 

We are an independent company looking for firstrun 

and sub-run theatres in small and large towns in 

the East that are available to be leased or bought. 

Send all available information to Hamilton Cinema 

Corp, P.O, Box 475, Hamilton, NY 1 3346, Or call (315) 

824-2352- All conversations and correspondence will 

be considered confidential. 

THEATRE SEATING 

ALLSTATE SEATING is a company that is specializing 

in 

refurbishing, complete painting, molded foam, 

tailor-made seat covers, installations, removals. 

Please call for pncing and spare parts for all 

types of 

theatre seating. Boston. MA. Phone (617) 268-2221, 

FAX (617) 268-7011. 

SEAT BACK/COVERS: Most fabrics in stock. Cy 

Young. Inc. Call 1-800-729-261 0- 

ON-SITE RE-UPHOLSTERY, "While Theatre 

Sleeps " Top fabrics, molded cushions and "State of 

Art Cy Young Cup Holder Armrest." Call Cy Young 

Industnes. Inc 1-800-729-2610. 

"ALL AMERICAN SEATING" by the EXPERTS! 

Used seals of quality. Various makes. American Bodiform 

and Stellars from $12,50 to $32.50. Irwins from 

$12,50 to $30 00. Heywood & Massey rockers from 

$25-00- Full rebuilding available. New Hussey chairs 

from $70-00 All types theatre projection and sounc 

equipment New and used- We ship and install al 

makes- Try usi We sell no Junk! TANKERSLEY EN- 

TERPRISES BOX 36009 DENVER. CO 80236 

Phone:303-980-8265- 

USED AUDITORIUM CHAIRS: Choose from a selection 

of different makes, models and colors includinc 

American Stellars and Inwin Citations competitivel>: 

pnced. shipped and installed- ACOUSTIC SOUNC 

PANELS & CUSTOM WALL DRAPERIES available ir 

flame-proofed colors and fabrics, artistic or plain. CIN' 

EMA CONSULTANTS & SERVICES INTERNA 

TIONAL. 5800 Forward Avenue. Pittsburgh. Pf 

15217 Phone (412) 422-7551, FAX (412) 422-7001.

t 

) 

'i 

I 

. 

The 

1 

ON-SITE UPHOLSTERY NATIONWIDE REPLACE- 

MENT COVERS, ALL FABRICS. Lease complete theatre 

covers, up to five years to pay. Quotes, samples, 

or brochure, call 1-800-252-6837 anytime, COM- 

PLETE INDUSTRIES, INC, 

QUALITY USED SEATING: Irwin Citations from $30, 

Amencan Stellars M35 $30, Griggs Pushbacks $12. 

more. We buy. sell & export. International Cinema 

Equip.. 100 NE 39th St.. Miami, FL 33137. Phone 

(305) 573-7339, FAX (305) 573-8101. 

1700 used theatre seats for sale Several types to 

choose from. Located in Maryland. Call Paul at (301 

588-1667, or FAX (301) 588-1667. 

THEATRE SEATS - Approximately 700 Irwin Citations 

with cupholder armrests In use about six months. 

Make offer for all! (214) 821-8925 or (817) 267-8607, 

rHEATRE REMODELING 

FOR TWINNING THEATRES call or wnte Fnddel 

Construction, Inc., 402 Green River Drve, Montgomery, 

TX 77358. (409) 588-2667. 

WE CAN MULTIPLEX your theatre, make it look 

istic, and your profits w/ill soar No one does it for 

less. Multiplex Construction Corp, Call (708) 293- 

1401. 

DRIVE-IN CONSTRUCTION 

SCREEN TOWERS INTERNATIONAL New, Used, 

Transplanted, Complete Tower Service. Box 399— 

Rogers, TX 76569, 1-800-642-3591. 

DRIVE-IN SCREEN TOWERS Since 1945 Selby 

Products. Inc.. P.O. Box 267. Richfield. Ohio 44286 

(216) 659-6631 . 

800-647-6224. 

MARQUEES, SIGNS 

MARQUEE: Repossessed eight by twenty feet. Will 

customized theatre over marquee frames. Interior 

high output lighting. 

Sale or lease, very reasonable. 

Also. 5' X 33'6" extOJded bronze aluminum 

interior lighted sign for theatre name. Bux-Mont Electrical 

Advertising Leasing. Phone (215) 675-1 040. Fax 

(215)675-4443 

LEASE OR PURCHASE PLANS: Replacement Marquee 

letters shipped immediately. BUX-MONT Elecrical 

Advertising Systems. Horsham. PA 19044. Call 

215)675-1040. 

FILMS WANTED 

WANTED: 35mm XXX titles. Wanted in good condiion. 

Please send your titles to FAX # (416) 533-8939. 

3ttn Mr. Green. 

;OMPUTERS AND SOFTWARE 

SENSIBLE CINEMA SOFTWARE - Boxottice report 

vriter for theatre with 1-4 screens. Daily/weekly BOR. 

laily and weekly sales reports. Call for FREE WORK- 

NG DEMO. Requires IBM/compatible with DOS v2. 

)r higher and 51 2k. Quantity discount! (615) 790-8031 

(615)790-8309. 

EXHIBITOR TOOLBOX: Personal computersoftware 

or easy film payment calculation and reporting. Build 

'Our own base of valuable information to improve 

lerformance and profits Whte WinterTek, Inc.. 5915 

anderbrook Dr.. Suite 200. Cleveland, Ohio 44124- 

1034 or call (216) 461-9403. 

SERVICES 

"HEATRE BACKGROUND MUSIC. Various arlists 

high quality cassette tapes. Contemporary. Oldies 

ind Easy Listening formats available with quarterly 

ipdales. Call PROFESSIONAL AUDIO SERVICES, 

2)233-1402. 

Ad Index 

A.I.C.P Corp 12 

American Licorice Co 3 

American Paper Optics, Inc 112 

Ashly Audio. Inc 

Audio Rents. Inc 75 

Aura Lighting. Inc 37 

Automaticket 89 

Brejtfus Business Environments 102 

Celestial Products 1 03 

Chaparral Communications 42 

Chnstie Eiectnc Corp 02 

Cinema Consultants & Services 114 

Cinema Film Systems 55 

Cinema Service Co 95 

Cinema Specialties 106 

Cinema Supply Co.. Inc 91 

Cinevision Corporation 44 

Coca-Cola Co.. The 59 

Deep Vision 3-D 108 

Digital Theatre Systems 9 

Dolby Laboratories 13 

Dnnk Thing 102 

Eastman Kodak Co 71 

Edw. H. Wolk, Inc 104 

Entertainment Data. Inc 82-83 

Entertainment Equipment Corp 105 

Equipment Specialist. Inc 108 

Fitzsimmons Theatre Sen/ice 74 

Globe Ticket & Label Co 64 

Gold IWedal Products 30 

Greer Enterpnses 95 

Hadden Theatre Supply 105 

Hebrew National 33 

Herman Goelitz. Inc 31 

Hershey Foods Corp 11 

Hollywood Dream Factory 50 

Hurley Screen 89 

Independent Theatre Supply 93 

International Cinema Equipment 73 

Irwin Seating 

C4 

JBL Professional 5 

JK International. Inc 106 

installation to operation Anywhere in the USA or 

overseas. LUNAMAR THEATRE MANAGEMENT. 

INC.. P.O. Box 1344. Winter Park, FL 32790. Phone 

(407) 678-6049, FAX (407) 678-8621 

MOTION PICTURE THEATRE CONSULTANT SER- 

VICES. All aspects from construction to equipment 

PREVIOUSLY OWNED equipment available: National 

Cinema Supply can provide your equipment 

needs. We will also liquidate your surplus theatre and 

concession equipment. We have clean Automaticket 

model MGEM-3 in slocki Contact Gene Krull, (913) 

492-0966, National Cinema Supply, 8229 Nieman 

Road, Lenexa. KS 66214. 

BACKGROUND MUSIC: WHY PAY MULTIPLE Ll- 

CENSING FEES' Theatre background music from 

PROFESSIONAL AUDIO SERVICES requires only 

one fee. High quality tapes, various artists. Contemporary 

and Easy listening formats. Call (912) 233- 

1402. 

CINEMA CONSULTANTS & SERVICES INTERNA- 

TIONAL can design, build and equip your theatre and 

provide TURNKEY operation if desired or provide 

dynamic ideas to improve cost efficiency, increase 

ticket or concession sales Lease financing for equipment 

purchases nationally 5800 Fonward Avenue, 

Pittsburgh, PA 15215, Phone (412) 422-7551, FAX 

(412)422-7001. 

DULL FLAT PICTURE? RESTORE YOUR XENON 

REFLECTORS! Ultraflat restores Xenon reflectors - 

repolish and recoat "Hopeless Cases" restored to 

bnghtness Contact Ultraflat. 20306 Sherman Way. 

Canoga Park CA, (818)884-0184 

Professional Management Consultant specializing 

in all 

i o 

Jacobs Entertainment Enterpnses .... 101 

Joe Hornstein. Inc 95 

Just Born. Inc 29 

Kit Parker Films 113 

Kneisley Electric 100 

Lavezzi Precision, Inc 36 

Lawrence Ivletal Products 70 

Lou-Ana Foods. Inc 53 

Manutech 69 

Marble Co . 

43. 51 . 63 

McAllister Associates, Inc 34 

Mica Lighting Co., Inc 101 

Nabisco Brands, Inc 37 

National Ticket Co 91 

Nestle Food Co 19 

New England Theatre Service, Inc. ... 91 

Nick Mulone & Son 89 

Novar Controls Corp 112 

OSRAM SYLVANIA 49 

Odell's 79 

Odyssey Products 14 

Optical Radiation Corp 24-25 

PepsiCo.. Inc 23 

Phonic Ear 74 

Pike Productions 40 

Proctor Companies 1 04 

Promotion in Motion, Inc 35 

QSC Audio Products 21 

Reed Speaker Co 113 

Ricos Products 70 

Robert L. Potts Enterprises 89 

SPECO 32 

Smart Theatre Systems 47, 61 

Sony Dynamic Digital Sound 15 

Soundfold International 100 

Stein Industnes 7 

Strong International 45 

Sunmark, Inc 

C3 

Technikote 93 

Theatre Services Corp 57 

Ultra-Stereo Labs, Inc 65 

Wagner Zip-Change, Inc 110 

Wallace Theatre Corp 48 

Weldon, Williams & Lick 93 

Worrell Sound & Projection 103 

Young, Cy 75 

aspects of theatre operation including construction, 

remodelling, historic renovation, business and 

booking consulting, and management. Inquire in confidence: 

County Amusement at (814) 266-4308 or 

(513)325-3255 

EAST COAST THEATRE DESIGN offers complete 

design services for new construction, alterations of 

existing structures, and multiplexing of movie theatre 

buildings. Complete professional architectural and engineering 

services include site design and engineering, 

building design, construction drawings, 

equipment, furnishings, and negotiation and coordination 

with contractors in your area. Complete details of 

our sen/ices and advantages to you are available upon 

request, P.O. Box 499, Washingtonville. NY 10992 

Phone (914) 496-9125: Fax (914) 496-1692. 

MISCELLANEOUS 

WANT TO BUY MOVIE POSTERS, lobbies Bruce 

Webster, 426 N W 201h. Oklahoma City. OK 73103 

Phone (405) 524-6251 

WANTED: MOVIE POSTERS, lobbies, stills, etc. Wi 

buy any sized collection The Paper Chase. 4073 La 

Vista Road. Tucker, GA 30084 Phone 1-800-433- 

0025 

WANTED: 35mm XXX titles. Wanted in good condi 

lion Please send your titles to FAX # (416) 533-8939, 

Green 

MOVIE POSTERS WANTED: pre- 1 960 preferred. Immediate 

cash for vintage original matenal Single items 

or whole collections Cinema Archives. Dept. BO. 235 

Honon Highway. Mineola. NY 11501. (516) 877-2914, 

November, 1993 129

The lEia IPicture 

"Funny thing," Oliver Norvell Hardy told John McCabe, author 

of the ground-breaking biographical study "Mr Laurel and Mr 

Hardy," "but 1 guess I actually got into show business from the 

real business end." TYuer words were never spoken, for Oliver 

Hardy, an authentic comedic heavyweight, began his career in 

the cinema as nothing less than a pioneer of movie exhibition. 

"My mother moved to Milledgeville, Georgia from Madison," 

Hardy told McCabe, "and somewhere around 1910, I opened the 

first movie theatre ever to be built in town...! saw some of the 

comedies that were being made and I thought to myself that I 

could be as good— or maybe as bad— as some of those boys. So 

in 1913, 1 gave up the movie theatre and went on to Jacksonville 

Florida. I started to work for Lubin Motion Pictures, where I made 

S5 a day— with three days work a week guaranteed!" 

The rest, as they say, is history. After a career as a foil for such 

Chaplinesque silent comics as Larry Semon and Billy West, 

Hardy landed at the Hal Roach Studios, where innovative producer 

Hal Roach ("my only rival, " Mack Sennett once called him) 

eventually paired Hardy with another genius of pantomime 

named Arthur Stanley Jefferson, and the imperishable comedy 

team of Laurel and Hardy was bom. 

Though the Hardy centennial (Tie was born in Harlem, Georgia 

on January 18, 1892) went largely overlooked, we at 

BoxoFFiCE thought the ShowEast convention issue an especially 

auspicious occasion to pay tribute to one of exhibition's own. As 

exhibition itself nears its 100th anniversary (for the record, the 

Lumiere Brothers and Thomas Armat held the earliest public 

screenings in Europe and America respectively in 1895), the 

moment approaches for looking backward and taking stock. 

When movie exhibition's multiple contributions to die art of film 

are tallied up, there can be no better place to start then with the 

achievements of the gendemanly giant from Harlem, Georgia, 

and the ageless movie art he helped to create. Another fine mess, 

indeed!— Rfl!/ Greene

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