Boxoffice-November.1999

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This issue's fiim rewiews...

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SPECIAL REPORT: SHOWEAST '99 

The big East Coast holiday show makes Its final Atlantic City appearance this October 18-21. 

80 SHOWEAST SPECIAL: Exhibition Market Profile—The Battle for the Atlantic 

The Battles for the Big Apple and Beantown find in their various corners Loews Cineplex, United Artists, Regal, 

Clearview, Landmark, National Amusements. General Cinema and Hoyts. Round one begins. By Bridget Byrne 

86 SHOWEAST SPECIAL: Independent Exhibition Showcase—Madison, Conn.'s Madison Art Cinemas 

Longtime theatre manager Arnold Gorlick realizes his dream as he relights a downtown New England site to serve 

specialized moviegoers. His guiding principle: "I want to go risky." By Annlee Ellingson 

90 SHOWEAST: Events Schedule 92 SHOWEAST: Trade Show Floor Plan 

94 SHOWEAST: Booth List 102 SHOWEAST: New Products 

106 SHOWEAST: Award Winners 

W^ 

^ This year s honorees include Disney's Phil Barlow (interview. p.-^B)|ôwn's Milt Daly (p. 110); NATO of Pennsylvania's 

H. Donald Busch: Magic Johnson Theatres' Jarvin "Magl^Johftison: Fine Line Features; Cinema S^jfiptions' 

114): filmmakers Norman Jewison, John Frankenheimer and Joel Schumacher: actresses yanet 

Georg^Mansour (p. 

McTeedand Kimberly J. Brown; Universal's^Steve Eltman: and NATO president Bill Kartozian (p. 118). w^ 

< I 

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WVEMBER FEATURES 

M 

SNEAK PREVIEW: "The Talented Mr. Ripley" 

Filmmaker Anthony Minghella follows 'The English 

Patient" with this Rome-drenched remake of "Purple 

Noon," with Matt Damon in the role that made Alain 

Delon internationally famous. By Bridget Byrne 

18 SNEAK PREVIEW: "The End of the Affair" 

Filmmaker Neil Jordan visits Graham Green(e)land for 

a new go at "The End of the Affair," this time with Ralph 

I 

Fiennes and Juiianne Moore in the roles first essayed 

! by Van Johnson and Deborah Kerr. By Bridget Byrne 

56 SPECIAL REPORT: Fall Books on Film 

Booking Hollywood: Noir, sex. Bogie, the undead. Woody 

Allen and Buster Keaton. By Franceses Dinglasan 

62 SPECIAL REPORT: Movie Violence 

Representatives of NATO, the circuits and Hollywood 

address the violence question. By Melissa Morrison 

68 SPECIAL REPORT: Ticketing 2000 

From inline to online, theatre operators are expanding 

the reach of their ticket booths. By Louis M. Brill 

72 SPECIAL REPORT: Cinema Sound 

The importance of listening. By John F. Allen 

122 SPECIAL REPORT: Digital Cinema 

At this year's MITIC, panelists from megaplexer Kinepolis, 

Barco Projection, Real Image Digital, Qualcomm and elsewhere 

debated the industry's Topic #1 for the 21st century. 

132 SPECIAL REPORT: The Future of Sound 

Providing their views on theatre sound at a Cannes seminar 

were representatives from Dolby and the British Film 

Institute and a coterie of European moviemakers. 

140 SPECIAL REPORT: Concessions 

Landmark of Canada Uptown Cinema Centre theatre manager 

Bryan Balderson provides 20 ways to leave your concession 

lines happy moving and prosperous. By Christine James 

178 FADEOUT: Bobs Watson 

Remembering the child actor and two-time BOXOFRCE 

Blue Ribbon winner who made Father Flanagan's work 

famous with "Boys Town" and its sequel. By Pat Kramer 

EDITORIAL STAFF CONTRIBUTORS BUSINESS STAFF 

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 

Williamson kimw@boxoffice.com 

MANAGING EDITOR 

Christine James cliristinej@boxoffice.com 

ASSOCIATE EDITOR 

Francesca Dinglasan francescad@boxoffice.com 

ASSISTANT EDITOR 

Annlee Ellingson annleee@boxoffice.com 

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS 

-inda Andrade, Sandra Koscho 

FEATURE CHARTS EDITOR 

Wade Major (310) 456-2767; fax (310) 456-9750 

CANADIAN CORRESPONDENT 

Shiomo Schwarlzberg (416) 928-2179 

WRITERS 

John F. Allen, Louis M. Brill, Bridget Byrne, 

George Chronis, Tim Cogshell, Kevin Courrier, 

Kristan Ginther, Susan Green, Mike Kerrigan, 

Pat Kramer, Dwayne E. Leslie, Wade Major, 

Melissa Morrison, Luisa F. Ribeiro, Ed Scheid, 

L.J. Strom, Jon Alon Walz 

WEBMASTER 

Ken Partridge marlinco@flash.net 

PUBLISHER 

Robert L. Dietmeier (773) 338-7007 

NATIONAL ADVERTISING DIRECTOR 

Robert M. Vale (626) 396-0250 

ADVERTISING CONSULTANT 

Morris Schlozman (816) 942-5877 

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE 

Gwen Campbell (310) 792-9011 

BUSINESS MANAGER 

Dan Johnson (773) 338-7007 

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR 

Chuck Taylor (312) 922-9326 

i 

30X0FFICE (ISSN 0006-8527). Published monthly by RLD Communications, Inc., 203 N. Wabash Ave., Suite 800, Chicago. IL 60601. 

subscriptions: U.S. $40 per year; Canada and Mexico $50, airmail $80; overseas subscriptions (all airmail) $80. Periodical postage paid at 

Chicago, IL, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Boxoffice, 725 South Wells St., 4th Floor, Chicago, IL 60607. 

© 1999 RLD Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

LETTERS 

PLEASANTLY SUR-PRIZED 

Dear BOXOFFICE, 

When I stopped by your BOXOFFICE 

booth at ShoWest in March and nonchalantly 

threw my business card into a pile 

of a couple thousand other business 

cards, I wasn't thinking about trying not 

to scream too much if you called later 

with some really great news. So when you 

actually did call to let us know that we 

had won your drawing for a complete 

DTS sound system, the carrying-on that 

ensued over the phone at Bally's couldn't 

be stopped. It was a 

true indication of 

how much your and 

DTS's very generous 

prize means to us 

and of how grateful 

we are to be the 

recipient. For a small 

theatre in a small 

town to be handed a 

digital sound system 

is a bit overwhelming, 

and now that it 

is installed and operational 

it has transformed 

our presentations. 

To have 

received this from 

you, 

BOXOFFICE 

Magazine, is especially 

nice; in 1977 

your wonderful publication was the sole 

source of my education into this industry, 

and has been invaluable for all these years 

since. You represent a continuity in this 

crazy business that is increasingly rare. 

Thank you once again for the spectacular 

new DTS sound system and for all 

the years of education, entertainment 

and enlightenment found in your magazine. 

Yours very truly, 

Christine Craig 

Silver Screen Cinema 

Winter Park, Colo. 

[Nothing makes us happier here at BOX- 

OFFICE than hearing about the successes 

of our readers— and if we play a part in 

that success, so much the better! Thanks 

goes to our promotional partners for the 

ShoWest giveaway— DTS, QSC and 

Smart, who generously donated the 

prizes— and to readers like Ms. Craig, who 

are in our minds and hearts as we assemble 

each issue!— Ed. J 

«»1 

BROADENING OUR "SCOPE" 


As a [theatre] 

owner/operator, the twopage 

BOXOFFICE Studio Chart is for 

me the most important feature of each 

month's BOXOFFICE. While I'm very 

happy that you've color-coded the chart 

for easier across-the-page monthly comparison, 

I'm still amazed at how lacking 

this chart is with regards to the optical 

scope or flat) of the coming 

format (i.e., 

features. 

You go out of your way to 

furnish an 

alphabet soup of sound system letters for 

each stereo print, [which is] relatively 

unimportant; we can all drop back to 

analog Dolby Stereo if we have to. 

Why you cannot list each film as being 

either scope or flat, and thus give us that 

critical information we 

need to plan our projection 

platter builds, 

is beyond me. This 

data is not a studio 

secret. A phone call 

from your office to the 

studios could solicit 

this necessary data for 

inclusion in your 

chart, and thus save us 

the trouble of having 

to solicit it ourselves. 

Regards, 

John T. Carlock 

(via e-mail) 

/BOXOFFICE works 

far in advance to bring 

exhibitors timely information, 

sometimes 

months before the studios are in promotion 

mode, and getting complete information 

from them on a long-lead basis can be difficult. 

We've been successful for the most 

part, but our Charts Editor is making a 

concerted effort to persuade the studios to 

obtain andprovide the opticalformat information 

to us in accordance with our deadlines. 

Thank you very much for your 

input— please keep your comments coming, 

as they help us "focus" our efforts!— Ed. J 

BAGKBREAKING BREAKDOWNS 


I am employed at a small, 25-year-old 

three-screen theatre in Coral Springs, 

Florida. Being such a small theatre, we 

have long ago been forced into showing 

second-run movies at discounted prices. 

For the past three years I have been a 

projectonist and as such have built up the 

majority of the films we feature. I am 

writing today to enlighten other projectionists 

(namely the first-run people) on 

what a pain in the ass it is to build up a 

movie that has been broken down 

improperly. I realize people make mistakes, 

especially rookies in the booth, but: 

come on. I have seen movies that are torn 

and scratched, movies that have apparently 

been dropped and movies that have 

been cut in the middle of scenes because 

the person breaking it down was too lazy 

to look for the correct splice. That's not to 

mention the [prints] with no scenes on the 

heads or foots and then the papers don't 

even match the heads! 

Also, I would appreciate it if you would 

not use masking tape halfway through a 

reel when the film snaps while you're 

breaking it down. You think I'm joking, 

right? Well, I'm not. I assure you this is a 

huge problem for us. 

It's 

bad enough that the studios force us 

to wait a year and a half for movies like 

"Titanic." It's even worse when we can't 

even show it because someone decided 

they didn't give a damn. 

The next time you are breaking down a 

movie, please, take your time and remember 

the little guy that's going to get it next. 

Thank you, 

Travis Schwieder 

The Coral Springs Movie Center III 

Coral Springs, Fla. 

A BREAKDOWN IN THE SYSTEM 


I have been in the theatre business for over 

20 years. I started in the snack bar, then 

movied to projectionist and finally to theatre 

manager. I am horrified at the way 

movies are broken down, and then 

shipped to other theatres. It seems that 

there is no professionalism in projection 

booths anymore. Leaders and tails are not 

attached properly. For example, instead of 

removing the splicing tape between reels, 

it 

is generally cut with the leader (or tail) 

spliced on top of the old splicing tape. 

The next person receiving the print must 

then remove the old tape before proceeding. 

Furthermore, I receive many prints 

with leaders and tails not attached at all 

or attached with masking tape, which 

damages the print. 

My opinion is that [the employees] breaking 

down the movies are either inexperienced 

and undertrained or terribly 

lazy, 

or both! 

Thank you for your attention to this matter. 

(Unsigned, via e-mail) 

Send your letters to: 

BOXOFFICE 

155 S. El Molino Ave., Suite 100 

Pasadena, CA 91101 

fax: 626-396-0248 

e-mail: boxoffice@earthlink.net 

6 BOXOFTICE

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Contest Results 

SUMMER GAMES 

It Was a Season In Which Anakin Could Happen 

Top 10 Summer Films 

(May I— Sept. 6;fiîtves in millions) 

1. "Star Wars: Episode I— 

The Phantom Menace" ($421.3) 

2. "Austin Powers: The Spy 

Who Shagged Me" ($205.1) 

3. "The Sixth Sense" ($175.5) 

4. "Tarzan"($167.9) 

5. "Big Daddy" ($161.5) 

6. "TheMummy"($155.1) 

7. "Runaway Bride" ($135.5) 

8. "Blair Witch Project" ($133.5) 

9. -Notting Hill" ($115.1) 

10. "Wild Wild West" ($112.6) 

The 

Force was with exhibition this 

summer. Overhype, bad reviews and 

Jar Jar Binks notwithstanding, "Star 

Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace" 

took in $421.3 milhon domestically as of 

Sept. 6. "Austin Powers: The Spy Who 

Shagged Me's" titular oversexed superspy 

seduced audiences to the tune of $205.1 

million, and Buena Vista's thriller "The 

Sixth Sense" scared up $175.5 million. 

None of the entrants to BOXOFFICE's 

Summer Blockbuster Contest, in which 

readers were asked to guess the top three 

films of the season, picked all three titles; 

"Wild Wild West's" surprising underperformance 

threw off the prescience of most 

respondents. Several had the first two 

titles correct; of those, we've chosen the 

person who most closely predicted the 

combined boxoffice take of the summer's

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HOLLYWOOD 

UPDATES 

GALE ANNE KURD 

Gains Independence 

SANDRA BULLOCK 

Fortis-ies Her Deal at Warners 

RACHAEL LEIGH COOK 

Never Been "Better" 

Producer Barry Mendel has 

moved his eponymous production 

banner to the Universal lot from 

Disney, where he worked for three 

years and produced the studio's 

highest grossing film of the year, 

M. Night Shyamalan's "The Sixth 

Sense" and the underseened but 

critically acclaimed "Rushmore" 

by Wes Anderson and Owen 

Wilson. After weighing several 

offers from other companies, 

including Disney, which is cutting 

back on producer deals, Mendel 

opted to sign a three-year, firstlook 

deal with Universal. 

"It is wonderful to have Barry 

make Universal the home for his 

company," says Kevin Misher, 

president of production for 

Universal Pictures and close 

friend of Mendel's. "\ have great 

expectations for this new development 

partnership." 

"Every producer's dream is to 

find a permanent home where 

each year, the studio is counting 

on you to help them prepare 

their slate," Mendel says. "Base 

on their creative and business 

sensibilities as well as my relationships 

at the studio. Universal 

offers a great opportunity. We 

share a strong belief that the 

screenplay and the filmmaking 

come first. It is an exciting youthful 

studio, and I hope to earn my 

place here. 

"However, I am leaving 

Disney on the best of terms. They 

were the first ones to believe in 

me, and I am very grateful for 

everything they have done." 

Mendel is currently working 

on "Flora Plum," slated to begin 

lensing early next year with Jodie 

Foster at the helm. He's also 

attached to the next projects by 

Shyamalan and Anderson and 

Wilson. 

In the wake of his father's 

departure from the studio, Frank 

Mancuso Jr. has terminated his 

production deal with MGM. Frank 

Mancuso Sr. recently ankled his 

post with the company, and Alex 

Yemenidijian took over as chairman 

with Chris McGurk as his 

right-hand man. FGM, Mancuso 

production entity, had three years 

left on the pact it signed with the 

studio in January 1998. 

"Although Frank Mancuso Jr. 

offered valuable support to previous 

management, MGM's new 

strategic plan follows another 

direction," McGurk says. "We 

thank Frank for his contributions 

to MGM over the years and wish 

him well in future endeavors. 

"I committed my time and 

energy exclusively to MGM in 

support of Frank Sr.," Mancuso 

adds. "As he is no longer actively 

involved in the daily operations 

of the studio, a change 

seemed appropriate. I wish 

MGM well as it moves forward 

under new management." 

Mancuso recently produced 

"Stigmata" for the studio, as well 

as "Ronin" and the "Species" 

films. MGM has agreed to allow 

him to purchase the negative to 

"Mary Jane's Last Dance," currently 

in post production and 

scheduled for release next 

February. 

Largely due to the runaway 

success of "Runaway Bride," 

whose $35 million opening was 

the biggest ever for Julia Roberts 

and for any romantic comedy, 

Lakeshore Entertainment has 

renewed its production-distribution 

deal with Paramount 

Pictures for another three years. 

Under the terms of the agreement, 

Lakeshore will continue to 

develop and produce films that 

will be co-financed and distributed 

by Paramount. Lakeshore 

Intl. handles foreign distribution. 

Lakeshore has produced six 

films for the studio, including 

"200 Cigarettes" and "'Till There 

Was You," and is currently working 

on "The Next Best Thing" 

starring Madonna and Rupert 

Everett. Other films in the 

pipeline include "The Gift" starring 

Cate Blanchett with Sam 

Raimi directing and Billy Bob 

Thornton scripting, thriller "The 

Mothman Prophecies" starring 

Richard Gere, actioner "Shooter" 

and the biopic "O'Keefe." 

Veteran producer Gale Anne 

Hurd has elected not to renew her 

three-year, nonexclusive deal with 

Paramount and has moved her 

Pacific Western Prods, banner off 

the lot to a Studio City, Calif, location. 

Setting up equity deals with 

unnamed partners, Hurd hopes to 

have more control over her films, 

taking an active role in distribution, 

owning or co-owning negative 

rights and sharing in profits. 

She also intends to develop television 

pilots and explore Internet 

and DVD opportunities. Hurd produced 

"Dead Man on Campus," 

"Switchback," "The Relic" and 

"The Ghost and the Darkness" for 

the studio. Her other credits 

include "Dick," "Armageddon," 

"Aliens," "The Abyss" and "The 

Terminator" films. 

Akiva Goldsman, best known 

for penning the two "Batman" 

sequels, has re-negotiated a twoyear, 

first-look deal for his Weed 

Road Pictures production company 

at Warner Bros. Goldsman, 

who recently produced Renny 

Harlin's "Deep Blue Sea," is setting 

up at Warners a big-screen 

adaptation of the 1970s television 

series "Starsky & Hutch" as 

well as comic book-based "Flesh 

& Ink," which he's co-producing 

with Mel Gibson and Bruce 

Davey's Icon Prods. His new 

deal with the studio solely 

encompasses producing duties, 

though he refuses to limit hi 

writing output, which ha 

spawned "A Time to Kill," "Th 

Client" and "Practical Magic" ii 

addition to his "Batman" scripts 

Goldsman plans to produce on. 

to two pics a year for the studio 

Sandra Bullock's Fortis Film 

has reupped its production pac 

at Warner Bros, to include fou 

projects for her to star in—tw( 

live action and two animated. It 

the adaptation of Gormai 

Berchard's novel "Alison' 

Starting to Happen," Bullock wil 

play a self-absorbed womar 

who's given time to find meaninj 

in her life after she dies in a ca 

crash. Also involving a car crash 

"Babe Behind Bars" will star thf 

thesp as a ruthless Hollywooc 

executive sentenced to prisor 

after injuring an elderly womar 

in a reckless car accident. Th( 

animated projects include 

"Nicholas Cricket," based on the 

William Joyce children's book 

and "Jingle," about the world's 

most sarcastic elf abandoned a 

the home of the naughtiest gir 

on Christmas Eve. 

Rachael Leigh Cook, the "she' 

in "She's All That," has expandec 

her starring role in Miramax's 

black comedy "Never Better" to a 

two-picture deal. "Never Better,'' 

also starring Rachel Griffiths, 

Alan Rickman and Natasha 

Richardson, is set in the competitive 

world of hairdressing. The 

other pic has yet to be determined. 

Leigh recently wrapped 

shooting on Dimension's "Texas 

Rangers" opposite James Van Per 

Beek. 

New Line Cinema has signed a 

two-year, first-look deal with 

Theodore Witcher, writer and 

director of the company's "Love 

Jones," and his production company 

MK-Ultra. His first project 

under the deal will be "If I Don't 

Six," a drama set in college football. 

He's also working on 

"Libra," a love story set among 

New York musicians. 

Tyro writers Andrew Lowery 

and Andrew Miller have inked to 

pen two screenplays for 

Miramax in a deal worth north of 

$1 million. Their first project will 

be a remake of the British telepic 

"Dancing Queen," about a 

groom-to-be who's stranded at 

the altar after hooking up with a 

stripper at his bachelor party. The 

duo's second script has yet to be 

determined and will either be an 

original idea or something else 

from the minimajor's development 

slate. Lowery and Miller 

caught the attention of Miramax 

with their script "Boys and 

Girls," to be helmed by "She's All 

That" director Robert Iscove and 

star Freddie Prinze Jr. 

10 BOXOFFICE

If 

only you 

could hear 

this page. 

Iguazu Falls— fiom the giant screen film The Greatest Places. 

Photo provUled courtesy ofthe Science Museum ofMinnesota. 

Waterfall. One word that would take a thousand more to describe the sound. 

With the DTS-6AD Cinema Processor, and DTS' exclusive CD-based technology, 

you can deliver flawless digital sound from the first showing to the hundredth. 

Extra features are DTS-standard, for one all-inclusive price. 

Call us at 818-706-3525 to hear all about it. 

After all, hearing is believing. 

DIGITAL 

E2J SOUND 

Response No. 467

is

EXEL 

Twenty years ago, audiences were dazzled by a movie called Star Wxtrs and a new multichannel 

sound system called DOLBY STEREO. In 1988, Dolby improved the soundtrack with the 

release of Robocop in DOLBY SR. In 1992, Batman Returns mariced the launch of DOLBY 

DIGITAL, 5.1 channels of high quality digital sound. And in 1999. with the long-awaited arrival 

of Star Wars: Episode I—^The Phantom Menace, Dolby Laboratories and Lucasfilm joined forces 

once again to create DOLBY DIGITAL SURROLWD EX, the latest innovation in motion 

picture sound. 

With over 65.000 theatres woridwide equipped to play Dolby soundtracks, and 

10,000 films recorded in Dolby formats, Dolby Laboratories continues to make films sound 

better than ever before. 

To rexiew the next episode in sound innovation, visit our web site. 

www.dolby.com/cinema 

nn [dolby I 

DIGITAL 

surround«ex 

Breaking Sound Barriers 

[Dolby Laboratories Inc. • 100 Potrero Avenue. San Francisco. CA 94103-4813 • Teleplione 415-558-0200 • Fax 415-863-1373 

Wootton Bassett • Wiltshire • SN4 8QJ England • Telephone (44) 1793-842100 • Fax (44) 1793-842101 • www.doIby.com 

Dolby, the double-D symbol, and Dolby Digital Surmund EX are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories 019W Dolby Laboratories Inc 599/12722 

The THX name is OLuca-sRIm Ltd. & TM. .Ml rights reser>'cd. 

Response No. 95

, 

^wrence 

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T.m-mm& m-'JMSM-AUvsihsK4^:itWj.^M-^^MiS'MMM'mmmmmmmîm^^ 

I0FFICE Studio Charts 

— 

Mirama 

818>560-1000i 

310-244-4000 

818-733-7000 

310-449-3000 

212-941-380 

212-593-8900 

212-833-8500 

212-588-0000 

212-708-0300 

323-951-420 

September 1999: 





3realcfast of Champions, 9/17 ltd. 

3lack Com, R, 110 min, DD, SR, Flat. 

3mce Willis, Albert Finney, Nick Nolle. 

Barbara Hershey, Glenne Headley, 

-ukas Haas, Omar Epps. Dir: Alan 

Rudolph. 

Mumford, 9/24. Com, R, 111 min, DD, 

DTS, SODS, SR, Scope. Jane Adams, 

fed Danson, Hope David, Loren Dean, 

)ason Lee, Mary McDonnell, David 

'aymer. Martin Short, Robert Stack, 

'aiitt Taylor Vince, Alfre Woodard. Dir: 

Kasdan. 

October 1999: 

Mystery, Alaska, 10/1, Dra, R, 118 min, 

DD, DTS, SDDS, SR, Scope. Russell 

3rowe, Hank Azaria, Mary McCormack, 

^lila Davidovich, Ron Eldard, Colm 

vleaney, Maury Chaykin, Burt Reynolds. 

Dir: Jay Roach. 

rhe Straight Story, 10/15 ltd, 10/22 

jxp, Fam/Com, G, 111 min, DD, SR, S 

X)pe. Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek, 

Harry Dean Stanton. Dir: David Lynch. 

Ermey, Jodie Benson. John Morris. Dir: 

\sh Brannon. Colin Brady. 

December 1999: 

Deuce Bigalow. 12/3, Com, DD, DTS, 

5DDS, SR, Fiat. Rob Schneider, Ariva 

Jareikas, WilSam Forsylhe. Dir: Mike Mitchell. 

>Bdte Will Rock, 1 ai ltd, 1 2/25 exp, Dra, 

=1, 134 min, DD. DTS. SDDS. SR, Scope, 

•tank Azaria, Ruben Blades, Joan Cusack, 

lohn Cusack, Cary Elwes. Philip Baker Hall, 

yrterry Jones. Angus Macfadyen. Bill Murray, 

/anessa Redgrave, Susan Sarandon, John 

'urturro, Emity Watson. Dir: Tim Robbins. 

Jicertennial Man. 12/17. Rom/Dra. DD. 

DTS, SDDS, SR. Flat. Robin Williams. 

Jam Neill, Embeth Davidtz. Wendy 

>ewson. Oliver Piatt. Dir: Chris Cdumtxis. 

lanuary 2000: 

,'antasia 2000, 1/1 2000, Ani, G, 90 

nin, DD, IMAX. Dir: Hendel Butoy 

Animation). Don Hahn (Live Action). 

»lay It to the Bone, 1/14 2000, Com, 

^, 110 min, DD, DTS, SDDS, SR, 

Scope. Antonio Banderas, Woody 

Harrelson. Lolita Davidovitch, Tom 

iizemore. Dir: Ron Shelton. 

February 2000: 

rhe Tigger Movie (formerly untitled 

VInnine the Pooh), 2/11 2000, Ani. 

XDMING: 

illesion to Mars. 3/10 2000, Dra, DD. 

DTS, SDDS, SR. Gary Sinese, Connie 

Jielsen, Tim Robbins, Don Cheadle. 

Dir: Brian DePalma. 

Dinosaurs, 5/19 2000, Ani/Live Action, 

DD. Dir: Ralph Zondag. 

Recess, 8/4 2000, Anr. 

Blue Streak, 9/17, Com, PG-13, 96 

min, DD, DTS, SDDS, SR, Flat. Martin 

Lawrence, Luke Wilson, William 

Forsythe, Peter Greene, Dave 

Chappelle. Dir: Les Mayfield. 

Jakob the Liar, 9/24, Dra. PG-13, 114 

min, DD. SDDS, SR, Flat. Robin 

Williams, Gregg Bello, Armin Mueller- 

Stahl, Alan Arkin, Bob Balaban, Liev 

Schreiber. Dir: Peter Kassovitz. 

October 1999: 

The Adventures of Elmo in 

Grouchland, 10/1, Fam/Com, G, 77 

min, SDDS, SR, Flat. Kevin Clash (as 

Elmo), Vanessa L. Williams, Mandy 

Patinkin,Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch. 

Dir: Gary Halvorson. 

Random Hearts. 10/8, Dra, R, DD, 

DTS, SDDS, SR, Flat. Harrison Ford, 

Kristin Scott Thomas, Charles S. 

Dutton, Richard Jenkins, Paul Guilfoyle. 

Dir: Sydney Pollack. 

Crazy in Alabama, 1 0/22, Com/Dra, 

PG-13, 108 min, DD, DTS, SDDS, SR, 

>lovember 1999: 

Scope. Melanie Griffith, David Morse, 

CURRENT) 

Cathy Moriarty, Lucas Black, John 

Beasley, Meat Loaf Aday, Rod Steiger. 

Dir: 

rhe Insider (formerly Wigand 

Antonio Banderas. 

Project), 

11/5. Drama, R. 158 min. DD, DTS, The Suburtjans, 1 0/29 ltd, 81 min, SDDS. 

5DDS, SR, Scope. Al Pacino, Russell 

Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ben Stiller, Craig 

Bierko, Robert Loggia. Dir: Donny Ward. 

!^rowe, Christopher Plummer, Diane 

/enora, Philip Baker Hall, Debi Mazar, 

iîchael Gambon, Lindsay Crouse, Rip 

Porn, Stephen Tobokjwsky Gina Gershon. 

Dolm Feore. Dir: Michael Mann. 

Toy Story 2, 11/24, Ani (Disney). DD, 

DD-EX, DTS, SDDS. SR. Flat. Voices: 

Tom Hanks. Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim 

/arney, Wallace Shawn, John 

âtzenberger, Annie Potts, Kelsey 

3rammar. Joan Cusack. Wayne Knight, 

Estelle Harris, Laurie Metcalf. R. Lee 

November 1999: 

(CURRENT) 

The Messenger: The Story of Joan of 

Arc, 11/12, Epic Dra. DD, DTS, SDDS, 

SR, Scope. Milla Jovovich, Dustin 

Hoffman, Faye Dunaway, John 

Malkovich, Timothy West, Vincent 

Cassel, Tcheky Karyo. Dir: Luc Besson. 



(CURRENT) 

NO RELEASES SCHEDULED 


The End of the Affair, 12/3 ltd, Dra, 

SDDS. Ralph Fiennes. Julianne Moore, 

Stephen Rea. Dir: Neil Jordan. 

Stuart Little, 12/10, Com. DD, DTS, 

SDDS, SR, Flat. Geena Davis, 

Jonathan Lipnicki, Hugh Laurie, Michael 

J. Fox, Jennifer Tilly, Bruno Kirby, Gene 

Wilder, Chazz Palminteri, Steve Zahn . 

Dir: Rob Minkoff. 

Girl Interrupted, 12/21 ltd, 1/14 exp, 

Dra, SDDS. Winona Ryder, Angelina 

Jolie, Brittany Murphy, Clea DuVall, 

Vanessa Redgrave, Whoopi Goldberg. 

Dir: James Mangold. 

Hanging Up, 12/25. Com/Dra, SDDS. 

Meg Ryan, Lisa Kudrow, Diane Keaton. 

Dir: 

Diane Keaton. 

January 2000: 




COMING: 

What Planet Are You From?, 3/3 2000, 

SDDS. Garry Shandling. Dir: Mike 

Nichols. 

28 Days, 1st Qtr 2000, SDDS. Sandra 

Bullock, Elizabeth Perkins, Azura Skye, 

Viggo Mortensen. Dir: Betty Thomas. 

All the Pretty Horses, 1st Otr 2000, 

Dra. SDDS. Matt Damon, Henry 

Thomas, Lucas Black. Dir: Billy Bob 

Thornton. 

The Patriot, 6/30 2000. Mel Gibson, 

Heath Ledger. Dir: Roland Emmerich. 

Hoofbeats. 2nd Qtr 2000, Dra/Adv, 

SDDS. Chase Moore, Arie Verveen. Dir: 

Sergei Bodrov. 

I Dreamed of Africa. 2nd Qtr 2000, 

Epic Dra, PG-13. SDDS. Kim Basinger, 

Vincent Perez, Eva Marie Saint, Robert 

Loggia. Liam Aiken. Dir: Hugh Hudson. 

Hollow Man, 7/28 2000. SDDS. Kevin 

Bacon. Elisabeth Shue. Josh Brolin. 

Kim Dickens. Dir: Paul Verhoeven. 

Charlie's Angels. Summer 2000, 

SDDS. Drew Barrymore. 

American Beauty, 9/15 NY/LA, 9/17 

Bos/Tor/SF 10/1 wide, R, DD. DTS, 

SDDS, Scope. Kevin Spacey, Annette 

Bening, Chris Cooper, Peter Gallagher, 

Thora Birch. Dir: Sam Mendes. 

October 1999: 


Galaxy Quest, 12/10, Com, DD. Tim 

Allen, Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver. 

Dir: Dean Parisot. 

January 2000: 




COMING: 

The Road to El Dorado (formerly El 

Dorado: City of'Gold), 3/31 2000, Ani, 

DD, DTS. SR. Kevin Kline, Kenneth 

Branagh, Rosie Perez, Armand 

Assante, Edward James Olmos. Dir: 

Eric "Bibo" Bergeron, Don Paul. 

Chicken Run, 6/23 2000, Ani, DD, DD- 

EX, DTS. Voices: Mel Gibson, Julia 

Sawahia, Miranda Richardson, Ben 

Whitrow, Lynne Ferguson, Imelda 

Staunton, Jane Horrocks, Tony 

Haygarth, Timothy Spall. Dir: Nick Pari< 

& Peter Lord. 

What Lies Beneath. 7/21 2000, SR. 

Harrison Ford, Michelle Pfeitfer. Dir: 

Robert Zemeckis. 

Shrek, Holiday 2000, Ani, DD, DTS. 

Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie 

Murphy, John Lithgow, Linda Hunt. Dir: 

Andrew Adamson, Victoria Jenson. 

After Man, TBD, DTS. 

Arkansas, TBD, DTS. 

Gladiator, 2000, DD. Russell Crowe, 

Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, 

Oliver Reed, Derek Jacobi. Dir: Ridley 

Scott. 

Keeper, TBD, DTS. 

The Man Who Came to Dinner, TBD. 

Dir: Danny De Vito. 

Mozart and the Whale, TBD, DTS. 

Neanderthal, TBD. DTS. 

The Newports, TBD, DTS. Dir: Steven 

Spielberg. 

Untitled Cameron Crowe project, 

2000. Billy Crudup. Frances 

McDormand. Kate Hudson, Jason Lee, 

Fairuza Balk, Noah Taylor, Bijan 

Phillips. Dir: Cameron Crowe. 

Untitled Charles Lindbergh Project. 

2000, DTS. Dir: Steven Spielberg. 

Stigmata (formerly Toby's Story), 9/10, 

Thr, R, 102 min, DTS, Scope. Patricia 

Arquette, Gabriel Byrne, Nia Long, 

Patrick Muldoon. Dir: Rupert 

Wainwright. 

One Man's Hero, 9/24 ltd, Dra/Adv. R, 

DD, DTS. Tom Berenger, Daniela 

Roma. Dir: Lance Hool. 

October 1999: 

Novemt)er 1999: 

(CURRENT) 

Flawless, 11/24, Dra/Com, R, DTS. 

Robert DeNiro, Phillip Seymour 

Hoffman. Dir: Joel Schumacher. 



January 2000: 

Supernova, 1/14 2000, SF/Thr, PG-13, 

DTS, SR. James Spader, Robin Tunney, 

Wilson Cruz, Angela Basssett. Lou 

Diamond Phillips. Peter Facinelli. Dir: 

Walter Hill. 


Return to Me. 2/11 2000. Rom/Dra. 

David Duchovny, Minnie Driver, Bonnie 

Hunt, David Alan Grier, Joely 

Richardson, Jim Belushi. Dir: Bonnie 

Hunt. 

COMING: 

Mr. Accident, Spring 2000, Com, DTS. 

Yahoo Serious, Helen Dallimore. Dir: 

Yahoo Serious. 

Autumn in New York, 2000, Drama. 

Richard Gere, Winona Ryder. Dir: Joan 

Chen. 

Mary Jane's Last Dance, 2000, Dra. 

Meredith Monroe, Mia Kirshner, 

Dominique Swain, Oliver Hudson, 

Rachel True, Taye Diggs, Scott 

Bairstow. Dir: Zoe Clarke-Williams. 

Untitled '99 (formerty Crime & 

Punishment in High School), 2000, Dra. 

Ellen Barkin, Monica Keena, Vincent 

Kartheiser. James De Bello. Jeffrey 

Wright, Michael Ironside. Dir: Rob 

Schmidt. 

Outside Providence, 9/1 , R, 1 

DD, DTS, Flat. Shawn Hatosy, < 

Baldwin, George Wendt, Sara'i 

Dir: Michael Corrente. 

B. Monkey, 9/10 NY/LA, Dra, 

min, DD, SR, Flat. Asia Argentf; 

Harris. Rupert Everett, Thandie 

John Rhys-Myers. Dir: Michael' 

Get Bruce, 9/17 LA/NY/Chi/SF 

Guinevere, 9/24, 1 0/1 exp, R, 

Flat. Stephen Rea, Sarah Polls i 

Gershon, Jean Smart, Paul Do 

Audrey Wells. 

October 1999: 

Molly (aka Rescue Me), 10/8 ltd. Happy, Texas, 10/1 NY/LA, Co 

Dra/Com, PG-13, 102 min, DTS, SR, min. Jeremy Northam, Steve Zi 

Flat. Elisabeth Shue, Aaron Eckhart, Jill llleana Douglas, William H. Ma 

Hennessy, DW Moffett, Elizabeth 

Walker. Dir: Mark lllsley. 

Mitchell. Dir: John Duigan. 

The Grandfather (Spain), 1 0/8 N" 

PG, 147 min. Rat. Dir: Jose Luis ( 

Scream If You Know What I D 

Halloween, 10/15. Dir: Keenan 

Wayans. 

That's the Way I Like It, 10/15 

Dir: Glen Goei. 

Holy Smoke, 10/22, R. Pam G 

Harvey Keitel, Kate Winslet. 

Music of The Heart (formeriy F 

Violins, The Music of My Heart) 

DD. Meryl Sfreep, Aidan Quinn, 

Estefan. Dir: Wes Craven. 

Princess Mononoke, 10/29, Ar 

min, DD, SR. Voices: Minnie Or 

Claire Danes. Billy Crudup, Gilli 

The World is Not Enough (formerly 

Bond 19), 11/19, Act/Adv, DTS. Pierce Anderson. Dir: Hayao Miyazakl. 

Brosnan, Judi Dench, Denise Richards, 

Sophie Marceau. Dir: Michael Apted. 


(CURRENT) 

Mansfield Park, 11/5 NY/U, 11 

< 

11/19 exp. Embeth Davidtz, Jon j 

Miller, Alessandro Nivola. Dir: P; i 

Rezema. 


The Cider House Rules. 12/10, 

exp, 1 2/25 exp, DD. Tobey Magi 

Chariize Theron, Michael Caine, ' 

Lindo. Dir: Lasse Hallstrom. 

Scream 3, 12/10, DD. David Arqt 

Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox. I, 

Wes Craven. 

Daddy and Them, 12/23 NY/LA * 

Laura Dern. Billy Bob Thornton, 

Preston, Ben Affleck. Diane Lade I 

Billy Bob Thornton. 

Reindeer Games, 12/25. BenAfl 

Gary Sinese. Dir: John Frankenhl

: C 

' 

a 

" 

j 

' 

November, 199S 

!«ber1999: 





ivironaut's Wife, 9/1, Psy/Thr, R, 

ri. DD, DD-EX, DTS, SDDS, SR. 

:!nny Depp, Charlize Theron. 

Ravich. 

Double Jeopardy, 9/24, R, 106 min, 

DD. DTS. SDDS. Scope. Tommy Lee 

Jones. Ashley Judd. Dir: Bruce 

Beresford. 


For Love of the Game, 9/1 7, Rom'Dra, Chill Factor, 9/3. Dra/Sus. R, 105 min, 

PG-13, DD, DTS, SDDS, SR, Scope. DD, DTS, Cuba Gooding Jr, Skeet 

Kevin Costner, Richard T. Jones, Kelly Ulrich. Peter Firth. David Paymer. 

Preston, Jena Malone, Brian Cox, John Judson Leick. Dir: Hugh Johnson. 

C. Reilly, Carmine Giovinazzo. Dir: Sam The Big Tease (Je M'Appelle 

Raimi. 

Crawford), 9/22, Com, R, DD, DTS, 

SDDS. SR, Flat. Craig Ferguson. Sarah 

Gilbert. Veronica Webb. Dir: Kevin 

Allen. 

J 

)|-1999: 

:t nils, 10/8, Sup/Thr, R, 105 min, 

dps, SR, Scope. Winona Ryder, 

Qiplin, John Hurt, Ellas Koteas. 

^j(jsz Kamlnski. 

'-^ts (formerly Jello Shots), 

R. 99 min, DD, DTS, SDDS, 

.... .-atrick Flannery, Brad Rowe, 

;«• Peet, Jerry O'Connell, Tara 

I, hily Procter. Dir: Michael 

"e tier 1999: 

BINT) 

g:helor, 11/5, Rom/Com, PG-13, 

• DD, DTS, SDDS, SR, Flat. 

:"nell. Ranee Zellweger, 

~'6s. Mariah Carey. Dir: Gary 

eer1999: 

'2'10. Dra, R, DD, DTS, 

. 

:~ Cruise, Henry Gibson, 

- 

Macy. Julianne Moore, John 

''eiora Waiters, Melinda 

3 Baker Hall. Philip Seymour 

- cky Jay. Dir: Paul Thomas 

oay 12 25. DD. DTS. Ice 

-»l^2000: 

'ru/2000: 

Country. 2/25 2000. 

»\Ti, DD, SDDS. SR, Flat. Warren 

îane Keaton, Goldie Hawn, 

facDowell, Garry Shandling, 

itman. Dir: Peter Chelsom. 

f 

I 

' 

i 

i 

i 

i 

Berkley. 

BOXOFFICE Independent Charts 

OCTOBER 

Artisan Entertainment 

! 

310-255-3716 

The Limey, Dra, R, 91 min. Terence 

Stamp, Peter Fonda, Lesley Ann 

Warren. Dir: Steven Soderbergh. 10/8, 

10/22 exp 

El Norte (reissue), Dra, R, 139 min. 

Zsude Silvia Gutien-ez. Dir: Gregory 

Neva. 10/15 ltd 

Artistic License 

212-265-9119 

ISame Old Song (aka "On Connait La 

X^hanson," with Merchant Ivory), 

Rom/Com, 120 min. Jean-Pierre Bacri, 

Sabine Azema, Pierre Arditi, Agnes 

Jasi. Dir: Alain Resnais. 10/15 

Some Fish Can Fly, Rom/Com. Nancy 

St. Alban, Kevin Causey. Dir: Robert 

Pappas. 10/29 

J 

Castle Hill 

212-888-0080 

ftve Wives, Three Secretaries and Me, 

Doc, 80 min. Dir: Tessa Blake. 10/8 NY, 

10/15 NC, 10/22 Dallas, 11/5 Houston 

A Girl Called Rosemarie, Dra, 128 

min. Nina Hoss. Dir: Bernd Eichinger. 

10/15 NY 

\ 

Destination 

1 310-434-2700 

Bats, Thr. Lou Diamond Phillips, Dina 

Meyer, Leon. Dir: Louis Morneau. 10/22 

Filmopolis 

310-914-1776 

ISIaves of Hollywood, Com, 80 min. 

Bill Harper, Nicholas Worth, Katherine 

Morgan, Andre Barron. Dir: Terry 

Keefe, Michael Wechsler. 10/22 

t 

Fine Line 

' 

212-649-4800 

Female Trout>le (reissue). Com, NC-17, 

90 min. Divine. Dir: John Waters. 10/1 

Dog Park, 91 min. Natasha 

Henstridge, Luke Wilson, Janeane 

Sarofalo. Dir: Bruce McCulloch. 10/15 

•Julien Donkey-Boy. Dir: Harmony 

' 

W 

i 

' 

November. 1999 1' 

" 

' 

"ûveiiiber, 1999 

llisan Entertainment 

ibg: Way of the Samurai, Dra, 

rjt Whitaker, John Torney, Cliff 

Bf Dir: Jim Jarmusch. 1/14 

Destination 

I 

Iv the Beholder, Thr. Ewan 

^4,or, Ashley Judd, jiason Priestley, 

kiian Elliott. 

Fine Line 

I 

C

HOLIDA Y 

HIGHLIGHTS 

NOVEMBER 5 

There's a reason they call it Tinseltown 

The Insider 

Al Pacino and Aussie Russell 

After record-setting spring and summer seasons—fueled by surprise 

sleepers such as "The Blair Witch Project" î\^c\ "The Sixth 

Crowe star in this drama as a "60 

Minutes" prcxJucer and a tobacco 

industry informant whose 

Sense" as well as obvious boxoffice winners like "The Phantom 

Menace" and the "Austin Powers" sequel— 1999's boxoffice is virtually 

guaranteed to maintain its comfy 10 percent lead over last 

damaging testimony in 1994 

was never aired on the CBS 

year's totals with the studios coming out in full force for the holidays. 

newsmagazine. These two men 

It was last year at this time that Universal Studios began its steady 

risked everything for the 

financial descent, with dismal performances by the $90 million, 

American people's right to know. 

three-hour "Meet Joe Black," which didn't even earn half that 

Michael Mann ("Heat") directs 

domestically, and the $80 million "Balê: Pig in the City," which 

took in $63.2 million worldwide. Fox's $70 million "The Siege" 

was likewise lackluster, accumulating $40.9 million domestically. 

Other studios had better luck. Disney's $23 million 

Waterboy" took in $186 million worldwide. "A Bug's Life" and 

Paramount's challenge "The Rugrats Movie" battled it out over 

the holiday weekend, but both managed to make a [profit, earning 

$358 million and $140.8 million glolxilly respet lively. 

Disney also had a winner with "Enemy of the State," which raked 

in $245.1 million in domestic and foreign markets. 

and produces; Eric Roth ("The 

This Thanksgiving proves just as ambitious as last year. 

Horse Whisperer") scripts; Pieter 

Columbia's historical epic about Joan of Arc meets Disney's 

Jan Brugge ("Bulworth") also 

recent-history drama about the 1 994 tobacco litigation, while Fox 

produces. (Buena Vista, 11/5) 

offers the urban drama "Light It Up," New Line gets romantic with 

ExplOJtips: Ground this otherwise 

slick Hollywood produc- 

"The Bachelor" and Universal thrills with "The Bone Collector. 

The studios take it easy over weekend number two. Warner 

tion in history, digging up the 

Bros, has the only two major releases, the romantic comedy 

original article that triggered the 

"Three to Tango" and the Japanese animated phenomenon 

film, ''The 

"Pokemon the Movie: Mewtwo 

Man Who Knew Too 

Strikes Back." The next Bond 

Much" by Marie Brenner, and 

installment c\\m\ Tim Burton's rendering of "The Legend of Sleepy 

other news pieces that surrounded 

the 

Hollow" gear up for the holidays a week later. 

Thanksgiving weekend 

$206 billion tobacco 

settlement, the most expen- 

itself is |)arlicularly stuffed. Disney rekvises 

the sec|uel to "Toy Story," superstars Jodie Foster and (how Yun 

sive case brought against an 

Fat give romance a go in the kish "Anna c^nd the King" from Fox, 

industry in U.S. history. Also, 

Rolx>rl De Niro lakes singing lessons in MGM's "Flawless," Arnold's 

see BOXOFFICE 's August cover 

back in "End of Days" and Ang Lee lakes a "Ride with the Devil." 

story interview with Crowe. 

"Patch Adams" was the best present Universal could have 

received last holiday season, pulling Ihe studio out of ils slump 

and going on lo earn almost $135 million domestically. Other 

good tidings came from Osc ar-sweeping "Shakespeare 

The Messenger. 

in Love," 

which grossed just over $100 million domestically mm\ $275 The Story of 

million worldwide; Ihe re-pairing of Tom Flanks and Meg Ryan 

in "You've Got Mail, which did $115 million at the boxoffice; 

Joan of Arc 

,mi\ the lear-jerker "Stepmom," which raked in 91 million. 'The Fifth Element's" 

DreamWorks also passed Ihe $100 million mark with ils ambitious 

animated "The Princ e of Egypt." 

wife Milla Jovovich in 

Luc Besson directs then- 

As is ly|)ical, the studios take the first weekend in 

this 

December 

epic drama about 

off lo lake a breath between Thanksgiving and Christmas. This 

the 15th-century 16- 

year, [)isney's sluffing off Rob Schneider's "Deuce" on Ihe slow year-old girl who 

weekend, and (Columbia introduces Neil Jordan's "The End of announced to the wodd 

the Affair" for a limited run. 

that she would defeat 

The holiday season really slarls a week later, when [:)isney 

the world's greatest 

bows Tim Robbins' "Cradle Will Roc k," Columbia lakes tentative 

steps in computer-graphic animation with "Sluarl Lillle" t\nQ\ 

DreamWorks releases ils sole holiday release "Cjalaxy (ûesl." 

The minimajors will be l)usy in Ihis timeframe, loo. scripts; 

Miramax 

Patrice Ledoux ("The Fifth 

does double duty with "The Cider House Rules" c\m\ "Sc ream 3," 11/5) 

while New Line exc iledly presents Paul Thomas Anderson's follow-up 

lo "Boogie Nights," "Magnolia." 

ject. Back in 

Exploitips: 

December 17 is relatively c|uiel— Disney introduces Robin 

Williams as "Bicentennial Man" and Warner Bros, bows "The 

Green Mile," Frank Darabonl's eagerly aniicipaled encore lo 

falling out, 

"The Shawshank Redemption." Christmas weekend, though, is 

packed with (Columbia's "Girl, Inlerrufjied" :\\m\ "Flanging Up," 

Miramax's "Daddy and Them" c\\m\ "Reindeer Games," 

Paramount's "Angela's Ashes" i[n(.\ "The Talenled Mr. Ripley," 

Universal's "Man on the Moon" and "Snow Falling on Cedars" 

.ind W.irner Bros.' "Any (]iveti Sunday." — Annlco Ellinfison 

sion starring Mira Sorvino. 

Mansfield Park 

Frances O'Connor ("Love 

and Other Catastrophes") 

stars in this film version of 

Jane Austen's novel as Fanny 

Price, a young woman from a 

poor family who was sent to 

live with wealthy relatives at 

a young age. Jonny Lee Miller 

("Trainspotting"), Alessandro 

Nivola ("Face/Off") and 

Embeth Davidtz ("Schindler's 

List") co-star. Patricia Rozema 

scripts and directs; Sarah 

Curtis ("Mrs. Brown") produces. 

(Miramax, 11/5 

NY/LA, 11/12 exp, 11/19 exp) 

Exploitips: "Mansfield 

Park" is one of the first three 

films on the slate of HAL 

Films, a London-based production 

company backed 

by a revolving $50 million 

production fund from 

Miramax. The Arts Council 

of England also awarded £1 

million (US$1.62 million) to 

the $10.5 million BBC Films 

co-production. 

army and liberate her 

country. John Malkovich ("Being John Malkovich") and Faye 

Dunaway ("The Thomas Crown Affair") co-star. Andrew Birkin 

Element") produces. (Columbia, 

This film has a history as long and sordid as its sub- 

1996, Besson joined a production of "Joan of Arc," 

written and directed by Kathryn Bigelow ("Strange Days"), 

promising to secure financing for the project. The two had a 

however, when Bigelow refused to cast jovovich in 

the title role, and Besson pulled out of the project, taking his 

money with him. Besson and Bigelow aren't the only filmmakers 

fighting to bring the virgin warrior's story to the screen, however 

A CBS telefilm starring Leelee Sobieski aired back in May, 

and Ron Maxwell ("Gettysburg") is 

directing a silver-screen ver- 

18 BOXOFFICE

the Very Be 

ties F 

T ce Cream 

• Top Brands • Powerful Merchandising 

• The Right Product Mix • Category Leadership 

Vlakes the Very Best 

For More Information Call 1-800-883-1978 

1? 1999 Nestle USA-Food Group, Inc. • The Blue Watci Patteni is a luile 

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Dole® Fruit N Juice® Bars are distributed by Nestle USA Food Group. Inc. under license (rom Dole Packaged Foods Coi iwration. San.Frj

, 

i 

T^ 

Light It Up 

Usher Raymond ("She's All That") 

and Forest Whitaker ("Ghost Dog: 

The Way of the Samarai") star in this 

urban drama about a group of inner 

city kids who take a security guard 

hostage in an effort to improve conditions 

at their school. Judd Nelson 

(TV's "Suddenly Susan") and 

Vanessa L. Williams ("Soul Food") 

co-star. Craig Bolotin (TV's "Miami 

Vice") scripts and directs; Tracey 

Edmonds ("Soul Food") produces. 

(Fox, 11/5) 

Exploitips: Collaborate with a local or national charity that collects contributions for 

inner-city schools and set up an information/donation booth in your lobby to educate 

your patrons about the themes in the film. 

The Bachelor 

Chris O'Donnell ("Cookie's Fortune") 

stars in this romantic comedy based on 

the Buster Keaton film "Seven Chances" 

about a bachelor who discovers he can 

only claim his $100 million inheritance 

if he gets married within the next 24 

hours. Pop superstar Mariah Carey, 

Brooke Shields (TV's "Suddenly Susan") 

and Renee Zellweger ("One True Thing") 

co-star as potential brides. Gary Sinyor 

("Stiff Upper Lips") directs a script by 

first-timer Steven Cohen; Bing 

Howenstein and Lloyd Segan produce. 

(New Line, 11/5) 

Exploitips: This is the first project from 

O'Donnell's George Street Productions, 

housed on the Warner Bros, lot, to see the 

light of day. See BOXOFFICE's interview 

with O'Donnell in last month's issue. 

Last Night 

Screenwriter and actor Don McKellar 

("The Red Violin") makes his directorial 

debut with this "apocalyptic romance" set 

just six hours before the end of the world. 

His eclectic characters deal with their fate 

in unexpected and diverse ways. McKellar, 

Sandra Oh, Callum Keith Rennie 

("eXistenZ"), Sarah Policy ("Guinevere"), 

"eXistenZ" director David Cronenberg and 

Genevieve Bujold ("The House of Yes") star. 

McKellar scripts; "The Red Violin's" Niv 

Fichman and Daniel Iron produce. (Lions 

Gate, n/5) 

Exploitips: Although Lions Gate didn't 

pick up "Last Night" until last fall's 

Toronto International Film Festival, BOX- 

OFFICE reviewed the pic in its Cannes '98 

coverage in the July 1 998 issue. The fourstar 

review reads, "Though the film has 

some clever humor, the script takes the 

Pokemon the Movie: 

Mewtwo Strikes Back 

Based on the popular animated children's 

program (which, in turn, is based on 

a program for Nintendo Game Boy), 

"Pokemon the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes 

Back" finds Pokemon Master Ash facing his 

biggest challenge yet: the bio-engineered 

Mewtwo, a Pokemon yet to be seen on TV 

or in a video game. Norman Grossfeld, 

who produces the WB television show, 

produces. (Warner Bros., 11/12) 

Exploitips: Even if you have no idea what 

a Pokimon is, let alone who Pikichu is, 

don't worry: Plenty of kids do. "Pokemon" 

is currently the top-rated Saturday morning 

cartoon, and the film, which will be 

redubbed and rescored for its U.S. release, 

was the fourth-highest grossing film in 

Japan last year. The pic will be preceded by 

a short called "Pikichu's Summer 

Vacation." A follow-up is already scheduled 

for release in japan next summer. 

characters seriously, leading to some very 

moving scenes. It is a tribute to McKellar 

as actor, director and writer that [his 

character's] final decision becomes 

extremely suspenseful." Held from 

September. 

The Bone Collector 

Hollywood heavyweight Denzel Washington ("The Siege") pairs with up-and-comer 

Angelina Jolie ("Pushing Tin") in this suspense thriller about a quadriplegic forensics 

expert who mentors a young Gotham cop, who In turn becomes his eyes and legs in a 

serial killer case. Phillip Noyce ("Clear and Present Danger") directs; Jeremy lacone 

("One Tough Cop") and Christopher Crowe ("Fear") script from the novel by Jeffrey 

Deaver; "Nothing to Lose's'" Martin Bregman, Michael S. Bregman and Louis A. 

^MMM Stroller produce. (Universal, 11/5) 

^^^MBBBi^^M^B 

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domestically, while Sony will 

roll it out internationally. Held from 

October. 

My Best Fiend 

German director Werner Herzog puts togeth 

er this impressionistic documentary about hi; 

love-hate relationship with actor Klaus Kinski 

who appeared in Herzog's classics "Aguirre 

Wrath of God," "Woyzeck" and "Fitzcarraldo.' 

Lucki Stipetic (Herzog's "Little Dieter Needs tc 

Fly") produces. (New Yorker, 11/3 NY) 

Exploitips: Screened out of competitior 

at last year's Cannes International Film 

Festival, this pic would do well pro 

grammed with one of the films on whict 

the auteurs worked together 

Train of Life 

Radu Mihaileanu writes and directs this 

comedy set against the backdrop of the 

Holocaust in which a Jewish community 

builds a faux deportation train to transport 

them to safety. Lionel Abelanski stars. 

Frederique Dumas and Ludi Boeken produce. 

(Paramount Classics, 11/5 ltd) 

Exploitips: Paramount Classics picked up 

this pic, whose lead was originally intended 

for "Life Is Beautiful's" Roberto Benigni, after it 

shared the audience award for World Cinen 

at Sundance this year Held from Septemt 

Portraits Chinois 

Helena Bonham Carter ("The Theory SI 

Flight") stars in this French-language drama 

about a couple of costume designers looking 

for their big break and find themselves 

romantically entangled with everyone 

around them. Romane Bohringer ("The 

Chambermaid on the Titanic") co-stars. 

Martine Dugowson directs as well as scripts 

with Peter Chase; Georges Benayoun produces. 

(Phaedra, 11/15 NY) 

Exploitips: BOXOFFICE reviewed "Portraits" 

in September '97, saying, "[Director/co-writer 

Martine Dugowson's] whole cast is excellent, 

but standouts are Bonham Carter (who, 

impressively, speaks fluent French for her 

role) as the somewhat cold Ada and 

Castellitto as the hilariously hapless Guido... 

The movie allows for a smart happy ending 

that nicely twists the fiction/reality conundrum 

of the cinema. Happiest of all should be 

those movie buffs who venture out to see this 

unheralded gem. 

20 BoxomcE

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American Movie 

Wisconsin native Chris Smith ("American 

job") directs this documentary about 

Menomonee Falls' Mark Borchardt, whose 

passion to make a horror movie overcomes 

all obstacles and common sense. 

Borchardt's elderly uncle Bill co-stars. Sarah 

Price produces. (Sony Classics, 1 1/5 NY/LA) 

Exploitips: After a disastrous screening at 

Sundance in which a four-foot-by-six-foot, 

25-pound ventilation panel fell and injured 

three filmgoers and the print burned in the 

projector, Sony Classics beat out four other 

interested indie distribs, paying $1 million 

for U.S. rights to the pic. BOXOFFICE gave the 

pic five stars in the April 7 999 issue, saying, 

"American Movie' is that rarest of rarities: a 

riveting narrative of humor and heart." 

NOVEMBER 12 

Tliree to Tango 

TV's hottest young stars are. once again 

tapped for this romantic comedy about a 

case of mistaken sexual orientation. "The 

Practice's" Dylan McDermott plays a 

wealthy businessman who mistakes a colleague, 

who really needs to land a restoration 

contract with him, as gay and asks him 

to keep tabs on his mistress. This is the 

movies, so of course the desperate client 

falls in love with her. "Friends'" Matthew 

Perry and "Party of Five's" Neve Campbell 

co-star. 

Damon Santostefano directs from a 

script by Rodney Patrick Vaccaro; Jeffrey 

Silver ("Addicted to Love") and Bettina Sofia 

Viviano produce. (Warner Bros., 11/12) 

Exploitips: Warner Bros, has been bouncing 

this pic around quite a bit, originally 

scheduling it for release this past April. 

Here it will see its greatest competition 

from "The Bachelor." 

Felicia's Journey 

Atom Egoyan ("The Sweet Hereafter") 

scripts and directs this drama about a pregnant 

teen who, on a journey to find her 

AWOL boyfriend, crosses the path of a suspicious 

older bachelor instead. Bob 

Hoskins ("Cousin Bette") and Elaine 

Cassidy ("The Sun, the Moon and the Stars") 

star. Bruce Davey ("An ideal Husband") 

produces. (Artisan, 11/12) 

Tlie World 

is Not Enough 

Pierce Brosnan ("The 

Thomas Crown Affair") has 

returned in his third turn as 

agent 007 in the series' 19th 

installment. This time the 

debonair British spy must 

race to defuse an international 

power struggle with 

the world's oil supply hanging 

in the balance. Denise 

Richards ("Drop Dead 

Gorgeous"), Sophie Marceau 

("Lost & Found") and Robert 

Carlyle ("Ravenous") co-star. 

Michael Apted ("Extreme 

Measures") directs a script 

by "Plunkett & Macleane's" Neal Purvis and Robert Wade; frequent Bond collaborators 

Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli produce. (MGM, 1 1/19) 

Exploitips: The new MGM has even more expectations of the latest Bond installment 

than its last Brosnan vehicle, "The Thomas Crown Affair," which proved to have staying 

power and grossed over $100 million worldwide. (Traditional Bond distributor United 

Artists, reorganized as a specialty arm for MGM, will no longer have its banner attached to 

the 007 films.) Brosnan enthusiasts will be pleased to know that the Irish actor has effectively 

squashed rumors that he's tired of the role and afraid of being typecast. He reportedly 

isn't through investigating the character, which is a good thing since Sean Connery was 

the only Bond to go on to a lucrative film career after retiring from superspydom. Look for 

BMW's preview of its new roadster, the BMWZ8, and Garbage's tack on the title track. 

Exploitips: Artisan's purchase of this pic 

was part of its strategy to reposition the company, 

which has seen phenomenal success 

with Sundance pickup "The Blair Witch 

Project." The film screened in competition at 

Cannes, where Egoyan won the the Grand 

Jury Prize in 1997, this year. BOXOFFICE 

gave "Felicia's journey" four stars in its July 

1999 review, saying, "Aided by a uniformly 

superb cast, Egoyan triumphs in a pareddown 

film that makes chillingly impressive 

use of his signature themes." 

Dogma 

Matt Damon ("Saving Private Ryan") and 

Ben Affleck, ("Forces of Nature") among 

many, many others, star in this religious 

fantasy as a couple of fallen angels who try 

to regain entry into heaven because of a 

loophole in the rules. Linda Fiorentino 

("Men in Black"), Salma Hayek ("Wild 

Wild West"), Chris Rock ("Lethal Weapon 

4") and Alanis Morisette co-star. Kevin 

Rosetta 

Brothers Luc and jean-Pierre Dardenne ("La Promesse") write, direct and produce 

this French-language drama about a teenage girl who claws her way out of poverty to 

secure her place in the world. Non-pro Emilie Dequenne stars. (USA, 11/10) 

Exploitips: October Films (later acauired by USA Films) purchased this Belgian 

film for less than $1 million just days before it won the Palme d'Or and best actress 

prizes at the Cannes International Film Festival this spring. The pic's controversial 

prizes beat out other critical and 

commercial favorites, including 

Pedro Atmoddvar's "All About My 

Mother," also out this month. 

BOXOFFICE gave the film three 

and a half stars in its Cannes coverage 

last month, saying, "Dequenne 

gives a strong performance 

of wild energy and angry 

forcefulness that carries the film. 

Though Rosetta is sometimes 

unsympathetic, the intensity of 

her struggle becomes a poignant 

film experience." 

Smith ("Chasing Amy") writes and directs; 

Smith collaborator Scott Mosier produces. 

(Lions Gate, 11/12) 

Exploitips: Smith has had a hell of time 

getting his latest released. Under pressure 

from the Catholic League, Miramax parent 

Disney opted not to sponsor the film, and 

the minimajor's co-heads Bob and Harvey 

Weinstein paid over $10 million out of 

their own pockets to look for an outside 

distributor The League then targeted the 

indie itself, encouraging Disney to dump 

its specialized arm. Lions Gate braved the 

controversy, however, making a $10 million 

commitment to promote the film. Is it 

worth all controversy!' BOXOFFICE gave the 

film 3.5 stars in its Cannes coverage in the 

September 1999 issue, saying, "Opening 

with a brief disclaimer reminding us that 

this is, in fact, a satire, Smith launches into 

fj 

an overlong but intermittently hilarious 

comedy (he calls it a 'comic fantasia') that 

features the writer-director's signature 

blend of base humor and bright, 

social commentary." 

articulate 

Moment of Innocence 

Iranian Mohsen Makhmalbaf ("Gabbeh") 

writes and directs "Moment of Innocence," 

a personal account of the moment in 1974 

when he, then a 1 7-year-old rebel against 

the Shah's regime, stabbed a young policeman 

while trying to steal his gun. Twenty 

years later, the cop and the now filmmaker 

reunite to relive the moment. AbolfazI 

Alagheband produces. (New Yorker, 11/10) 

The Silence 

Makhmalbaf also writes and directs "The 

Silence," a lyrical drama about a lO-year-old 

blind boy who experiences the world, real 

and imaginary, through sound. Tahmineh 

Normatova stars. (New Yorker, 11/10) 

Exploitips: Double-bill these two 

Makhmalbaf features and target Middle 

Eastern pockets of population. 

22 BOXOFFICE

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Sleepy Hollow 

Tim Burton ("Mars Attacks!") 

directs this adaptation of 

Washington Irving's classic "The 

Legend of Sleepy Hollow" starring 

lohnny Depp ("The Astronaut's 

.' 

ire") and indie princess Christina 

Ricci ("200 Cigarettes"). "Seven's" 

Andrew Kevin Walker scripts; Scott 

Rudin ("Bringing Out the Dead") 

and Adam Schroeder ("The Truman 

Show") produce. (Paramount, 

11/19) 

Exploitips: This is Burton's and Depp's third collaboration, following "Edward 

Scissorhands" and "Ed Wood," and the first pic to go before cameras in the new 

Mandalay-Paramount pact in an aggressive effort to defray costs and reduce the risks 

of big budget, special effects-heavy films. 

American Pimp 

Brothers Alien and Albert Hughes ("Menace 

11 Society," "Dead Presidents") direct and produce 

this documentary about the life and times 

of the American pimp. Kevin Messick also produces. 

(Seventh Art, 11/12) 

Exploitips: One of the more controversial 

films screened at Sundance, BOXOFFICE 

gave this pic two-and-a-half stars in the 

April / 999 issue, calling it "Stylishly made 

but thematically confused. 

NOVEMBER 19 

Liberty Heiglits 

Writer-director-producer Barry Levinson 

("Diner," "Tin Men," "Avalon") continues 

his series of funny and dramatic Baltimorebased 

films set in the 1 950s and focused on 

issues of religion, race and class distinction. 

Adrien Brody ("The Thin Red Line") leads 

the ensemble. Paula Weinstein ("Analyze 

This") also produces. (Warner Bros., 11/19) 

Exploitips: Create hype for this release by 

running midnight screenings of Levinson's 

previous episodes in the series. 

42 Up 

Begun as a cinematic experiment based 

on the maxim, "Give me the child until he 

is seven, and I will show you the man," "42 

Up" is the latest in a series of films that 

revisits 14 people every seven years. 

Michael Apted ("The World Is Not Enough") 

directs. (First Run, 11/17 NY) 

Exploitips: Apted worked as a 

researcher on "7 Up," the first in the 

series that chose 14 seven-year-old 

British children to interview in 1964. 

End of Days 

Arnold Schwarzenegger ("Batman & Robin") 

headlines his first film since 1 997 in this millenni 

al thriller from director Peter Hyams ("The Relic'). 

At the turn of the millennium, Satan has come to 

earth searching for a bride. Schwarzenegger plays 

Jericho Cane, a beaten-down ex-cop who is the 

only one who can stop him. Robin Tunney ("The 

Craft") and Gabriel Byrne ("Stigmata") co-star. 

Andrew Marlowe ("Air Force One") scripts; 

Armyan Bernstein ("For Love of the Game") and 

Bill Borden ("Desperado") produce. (Universal, 

11/24) 

Exploitips: Hollywood heavyweight Hyams 

took over this pic when German-born commercial 

and music video director Marcus Nispel left 

the project over "creative differences. " (Perhaps 

the 64-page, third-person manifesto Nispel submitted 

proved too demanding of the studio for a 

tyro filmmaker.) The $100 million Beacon 

Communications production demanded a $145 

million bank credit facility, which it split with 

Beacon picture "The Hurricane," and a record 

setting $100 million completion bond from 

International Film Guarantors. 

Since then, despite having directed 

"Coal Miner's Daughter," "Gorillas in 

the Mist" and "Nell," he continues working 

on the project, stating, "It's the most 

important thing I've ever done or will 

do." 

Toy Story 2 

Woody and Buzz Lightyear are back in the sequel to the 1995 computer-animated 

hit. This time, Andy's off to summer camp, leaving his toys to fend for themselves. 

When Woody is kidnapped by a toy collector, it's up to Buzz and the rest of Andy's 

toys to rescue him and return home before Andy gets back from camp. Tom Hanks and 

Tim Allen again voice the two leads. "Toy Story" animators Ash Brannon and Colin 

Brady direct; Ralph Guggenheim ("Toy Story") produces. (Buena Vista, 11/24) 

Exploitips: This plot line strikes a 

resonant chord in an age where 

toys are instant collectibles. 

Contact local toy dealers or private 

collectors to develop a collectible 

toy display in your lobby. For the 

kiddies, grant free admission for 

any parent-accompanied child 

dressed as their favorite "Toy Story" 

character. Or let the young 'uns 

pick a toy out of a toy chest set up 

in your lobby. 

Knocicout 

In this actioner, a young Latina must over! 

come the death of her father/trainer t(| 

become the boxing champion he never was 

Sophia Adella Hernandez stars. Lorenz( 

Doumani directs as well as scripts with Marl 

Stevens; Simone Sheffield produces, 

(Independent Artists, 11/15 ltd, 11/19 exp) 

Exploitips: Burdened with a doubit 

meaning, this title was produced by DMi 

Entertainment, who also financed anothe 

Doumani film, "Follow Your Heart." Heic 

from October. 

All About My Mother 

Writer-director Pedro Almodovar ("Live! 

Flesh") directs this Spanish-language come-' 

dy/drama about a woman who must come tcj 

terms with both the loss of her only son and 

her past. Marisa Peredes ("Life Is Beautiful" 

and Penelope Cruz ("The Hi-Lo Country") 

star. Agustin Almodovar ("Live Flesh") produces. 

(Sony Classics, 11/19 NY, 12/10 LA) 

Exploitips: Sony Classics bought this film 

from G2 Films in the script stage, citing the 

long-standing relationship that SPC copresidents 

Tom Bernard and Michael 

Barker have had with Almodovar since 

their days at Orion Classics, where they 

introduced the Spaniard to America by 

releasing his "What Have I Done to 

Deserve This?" BOXOFFICE gave the pic 

four stars at Cannes, saying in the July 1999 

issue, "Using his trademark bright color 

palette and bits of nearly farcical comedy 

to offset the occasionaly somber story, 

Almodovar creates an impressively rich, 

evocative film replete with uniformly fine 

performances. 

NOVEMBER 26 

Flawless 

Robert De Niro ("Analyze This") stars in 

this drama produced, written and directed 

by Joel Schumacher ("8MM") as an ultraconservative 

security guard debilitated by a 

severe stroke and assigned to a rehabilita- 

24 BOXOFTICE

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Anna and the King 

Two-time Oscar winner Jodie Foster ("Contact") and Hong Kong superstar Chow Yun Fat ("The Corruptor") star in this historical 

rendering of the true story of the relationship between the King of Siam and British governess Anna Leonowens in 19th-century 

Thailand, largely based on Leonowens' own diaries. Bai Ling ("Wild, Wild West") co-stars. Andy Tennant ("Ever After") directs as 

well as scripts with "Double Impact's" Steve Meerson and Peter Krikes and "Ever After's" Rick Parks. Lawrence Bender ("Jackie 

Brown") and Ed Elbert produce. (Fox, 11/24) 

Expioitips: Fox was unable to secure permission to shoot in Thailand from the Thai government because the script— even after 

revision— viâs "insufficiently respectful to the Thai monarchy." Fox had by that time pretty much settled on Malaysia anyway and 

proceeded to pump an estimated $23 million into the Malaysian economy— just $8 million over Foster's unprecedented salary for 

the film. 

tive program that includes singing lessons 

with the drag queen next door. Philip 

Seymour Hoffman ("Happiness") co-stars as 

the man in the dress. De Niro and Jane 

Rosenthal ("Analyze This") also produce. 

(MGM, 11/24) 

Expioitips: in the spirit of the movie's 

themes, encourage your patrons (male 

and female) to come to the movies 

dressed in drag, giving out discount 

coupons for the best dressed. Held from 

October. 

Tumbleweeds 

Tony award winner Janet McTeer and 

Kimberly Brown (TV's "Guiding Light") star 

in this tender drama as a perpetually 

divorced mom and her daughter who refuses 

to run anymore. Gavin O'Connor directs 

and produces as well as scripts with Angela 

Shelton, who based the story on her own 

life experiences. (Fine Line, 11/24 NY/LA, 

1 2/1 exp, 1 2/24 exp) 

Expioitips: Picked up at Sundance after a 

20-hour negotiation session, "Tumbleweeds" 

earned two-and-a-half stars in BOXOFFICE's 

April 1 999 issue, which stated, "A slight but 

likable movie, 'Tumbleweeds' wouldn't be 

much without the byplay between McTeer 

and Brown. As it is, the believable and moving 

mother/daughter bond they create makes 

for uniquely enjoyable (if not compelling) 

viewing. 

2 by 4 

Jimmy Smallhorne writes, directs and 

stars in this drama about a construction 

foreman whose normal exterior belies his 

cross-dressing tendencies. Terry McGoff 

and Fergus Tighe script; Virginia Biddle 

and John Hall produce. (Strand, 11/24 

NY) 

Expioitips: Declan Quinn ("Leaving Las 

Vegas") won the best cinematography 

award at Sundance '98 for this pic. 

Ride with the Devil 

Skeet Ulrich ("Chill Factor"), Tobey Maguire ("Pleasantville") and pop star 

Jewel in her feature film debut star in this coming-of-age historical drama about 

a young Missouri man and his band of misfits who become entangled in the conflict 

along the Kansas-Missouri border during the Civil War. Ang Lee ("The Ice 

Storm") directs a script by frequent Lee collaborator James Schamus; Ted Hope 

("Happiness"), Robert F. Colesberry ("The Devil's Own") and Schamus produce. 

(USA, 11/24 NY/LA, 12/10 

exp, 12/17 exp) 

Expioitips: Originally set 

up at Universal, the studio 

and start-up USA Films 

struck a deal to maximize 

the pic's Oscar chances. 

Universal will foot the 

prints and advertising bills 

while USA staffers lend the 

title their considerable 

crossover expertise. The 

$35 million picture is New 

York production company 

Cood Machine's most 

expensive to date. 

NOVEMBER UNDATED 

Scrapple 

Tyro filmmaker Christopher Hanson 

writes and directs this '70s stoner comedy 

about a Colorado ski bum, who's 

trying to sell his stash to fulfill his 

dream of having a house in the country, 

and his pet pig. Geoffrey Hanson stars 

and produces; George' Plamondon 

writes and produces. (Indican, 

November undated) 

Expioitips: there's a bit of trivia: 

"Scrapple" is a breakfast hash concocted 

from unusable leftover bacon scraps. 

Karussell 

llona Ziok directs this documentary 

about Jewish entertainer Kurt Gerron, who 

was forced to entertain in exchange for his 

life in a Dutch concentration camp during 

World War II and whose Nazi-funded "The 

Furhrer gives the Jews a City" helped convince 

the Red Cross that the Holocaust was 

not happening. (Seventh Art, November 

undated) 

Expioitips: Create awareness ot 

Gerron's work by hosting a discussion 

panel headed by members of a local university's 

film and wodd history departments 

and showing clips from the cabaret 

director's films. 

Pants on Fire 

• 

li 

Writer-director Rocky Collins casts virti 

al unknowns for his comic melodrama 

about an extramarital affair between two 

teachers and the repercussions it has on 

their lives. Christy Baron, Harry O'Reilly, 

Neil Maffin and Karen Young ("Joe the 

King") star. Steve Apicella produces. 

(Shadow, November undated) 

Expioitips: Maine-based Shadow picked 

up this pic this spring after it had won the 

audience award for best screenwriting at 

the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival. 

Held from September 

26 BoxomcE

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DECEMBER 3 

Deuce 

Ex-"Saturday Night Live" regular Rob 

Schneider writes and stars in this comedy 

tank cleaner who takes over 

about a fish 

the lifestyle of his AWOL gigolo client. 

First-timer Mike Mitchell directs; Harris 

Goldberg ("I'll Be Home for Christmas") 

co-scripts; Adam Sandler of "Waterboy" 

fame produces. (Buena Vista, 1 2/3) 

ExplOitips: Mitchell secured this gig 

after submitting his short comedy "Herd, 

which follows the adventures of an alien 

hand puppet 

has 

who 

come 

to 

destroy Earth, 

to the studio. 

Schneider 

may not be a 

marquee 

name, but his 

buddy 

Sandler's 

attachment to 

the project 

can't hurt this 

pic's chances. 

The End of the Affair 

Ralph Fiennes ("The Avengers"), Julianne Moore ("An Ideal Husband") and 

Stephen Rea ("Guinevere") form a steamy love triangle in this romance set in Europe 

during and after World War II. When a man runs into the husband of an ex-lover, his 

interest in her—and why she ended the relationship— is rekindled. Neil Jordan ("In 

Dreams") writes, directs and produces this adaptation of the Graham Greene novel; 

his frequent collaborator Stephen Woolley also produces. (Columbia, 12/3 ltd) 

Expioitips: Check out this month's Sneak Preview for BOXOFFICE's chat with Jordan. 

Virtual Sexuality 

In this British comedy, Laura Fraser 

("Cousin Bette") plays a high schooler 

who, frustrated with her romantic 

prospects (or lack thereof), designs a perfect 

man inside a virtual reality machine. 

But due to a freak accident, she soon discovers 

that she's actually become the man 

of her dreams. Nick Hurran ("Girl's Night") 

directs; Nick Fisher scripts based on the 

novel by Chloe Rayban; Christopher Figg 

(the "Hellraiser" franchise) produces. 

(Columbia, 12/3 ltd) 

Expioitips: This pic may have legs due to 

the popularity of gross-out teen comedies: 

It's kind of a reverse "American Pie" in that 

the protagonist is a gid trying to lose her 

virginity, not a guy. 

Genesis 

Malian Cheick Oumar Sissoko 

("Guimba") directs this Bible-inspired 

African film based on the story of Jacob 

and his sons in chapters 23-27 of Genesis. 

Jean-Louis Sagot-Durvaroux scripts. (Kino, 

1 2/3) 

Expioitips: "Genesis" played at Cannes 

this year in the Certain Regard category. 

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Response No. 154

The Cider House Rules 

Novelist John Irving pens this 

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("What's Eating Gilbert Grape") directs; Richard N. Gladstein 

("She's All That") produces. (Miramax, 1 2/1 NY/LA, 1 2/1 7 exp, 

1 2/25 exp) 

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Girl, Interrupted 

Winona Ryder ("Alien: Resurrection") 

headlines this drama based on Susanna 

Kaysen's memoir about her 18-month 

stay as an adolescent girl in a New 

England psychiatric hospital in the 

1960s. Angelina Jolie ("Pushing Tin"), 

Vanessa Redgrave ("Mrs. Dalloway") 

and Whoopi Goldberg ("The Deep End 

of the Ocean") co-star. Director James 

Mangold ("Cop Land") also scripts with 

Anna Hamilton Phelan, Lisa Loomer 

and Susan Shilliday ("Legends of the 

Fall"); Douglas Wick ("Hush") and 

Cathy Konrad ("Teaching Mrs. Tingle") 

produce. (Columbia, 12/21 ltd, 1/14 exp) 

Exploitips: This is one for the girls' night out, especially for 

baby boomers who remember growing up in this era. 

Coordinate with a nearby bookstore to generate greater awareness 

of both the film and the book. Held from September. 

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Hanging Up 

Diane Keaton ("Unstrung Heroes") 

does double duty as the director and 

star of this comedy-drama about how 

three sisters come to terms with their 

ornery father's death. Meg Ryan 

("You've Got Mail"), Lisa Kudrow 

("Analyze This") and Walter Matthau 

("Grumpier Old Men") co-star. "You've 

Got Mail's" Delia and Nora Ephron 

script based on the former's novel; 

Laurence Mark ("Bicentennial Man") 

produces with the latter. (Columbia, 

1 2/25) 

Exploitips: Nora Ephron originally intended to direct this film 

herself but eventually deemed the subject matter a bit too close 

for comfort: 

Her sister's 

novel is semiautobiographical. 

Keaton's 

role in the 

film, too, has 

been altered. 

She had initially 

agreed 

to work on the 

film solely 

behind the 

camera until a 

reading with 

Kudrow convinced 

the 

studio that it 

wanted to sign 

both women 

to star. 

Daddy and Them 

"Sling Blade's" Billy Bob 

Thornton writes, directs and stars 

in this comedy about a dysfunctional 

white trash family who 

comes to the aid of an uncle 

when he's charged with murder. Thornton's off-screen steady 

Laura Dern ("October Sky"), Diane Ladd ("Primary Colors"), Kelly 

Preston ("For Love of the Game") and Andy Griffith (TV's 

"Matlock") co-star. 

Geyer Kosinski, 

Larry Meistrich 

("The Bumblebee 

Flies Anyway") and 

Robert Salerno produce. 

(Miramax, 

12/23 NY/LA) 

Exploitips: 

while 

Inspired 

shooting "Pushing 

Tin, " Thornton 

finished this script 

in time to slip it in 

before he started 

production on 

"All the Pretty 

Horses, " starring 

Matt Damon. At 

under $5 million, 

"Daddy and 

Them" was acquired 

for distribution 

in a negative 

pickup deal 

by Miramax. Held 

from October. 

Reindeer Games 

John Frankenheimer ("Ronin") 

directs this thriller about 

an ex-con who gets roped into a 

casino heist against his will. Ben 

Affleck ("Forces of Nature"), 

Gary Sinise ("Snake Eyes") and Charlize Theron ("The Cider 

House Rules") star. Ehren Kruger ("Scream 3") scripts; Miramax 

co-head Bob Weinstein, Marty Katz and Chris Moore 

("American Pie") produce. (Miramax, 1 2/25) 

Exploitips: Miramax genre arm Dimension jumped at the 

chance to shoot this script, paying Kruger a high six-figure sum 

and demanding two more blind scripts from the scribe. 

Weinstein, perhaps a little green at his brother Harvey's 

"Shakespeare in Love" Oscar, decided to get more hands-on 

with this project rather than contributing his usual executive 

producing skills. 

34 Boxofuce

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Angela's Ashes 

Oscar nominee Emily Watson 

("Hilary and Jackie") and "The World Is 

Not Enough's" Robert Carlyle star in this 

adaptation of Frank McCourt's memoir 

about his impoverished childhood in 

1930s and '40s Ireland. Alan Parker 

("Evita") directs a script by Laura Jones 

("Oscar and Lucinda"); Scott Rudin 

("Sleepy Hollow"), David Brown 

("Deep Impact") and Parker produce. 

(Paramount, 12/22 NY/LA, 1/7 exp) 

Exploitips: McCourt's book won a 

Pulitzer Prize and spent over two years 

on the New York Times bestseller list. 

The Talented Mr. Ripley 

For the follow-up to his Oscar-sweeping 

"The English Patient," Anthony 

Minghella adapts Patricia Highsmith's 

1955 cult novel about a young 

American who, commissioned to fetch 

an old school chum from his carefree; 

ife as an expatriate in Italy, instead kills 

him and assumes his identity. Matt 

Damon ("Saving Private Ryan"), 

Gwyneth Paltrow ("Shakespeare in 

Love"), Gate Blanchett ("An Ideal 

Husband") and Jude Law ("eXistenZ") 

star. William Horberg ("Sliding Doors") 

and Tom Sternberg ("Lost Highway") 

produce. (Paramount, 1 2/24) 

Exploitips: Minghella proved very clever by casting Damon: 

before ''Good Will Hunting," Paltrow before ''Shakespeare in 

Love" and Blanchett before "Elizabeth." 

I 

Man on the Moon 

Oscar shut-out Jim Carrey 

("The Truman Show") stars in this 

biopic about Andy Kaufman, the 

often hilarious, more often infuriating 

comic of "Taxi" and 

"Saturday Night Live" fame. 

Milos Forman ("The People vs. 

Larry Flynt") directs a script by 

"Flynt" scribes Scott Alexander 

and Larry Karaszewski; "Out of 

Sight's" Danny DeVito, who also 

plays Kaufman's manager George Shapiro, Michael ShambeTg 

and Stacy Sher produce. (LIniversal, 12/25) 

Exploitips: Carrey reportedly engaged in all kinds of shenanigans 

to get into character for this film. On the first day of the shoot, he 

showed up dressed as an ice cream man and handed out cones to 

the cast and crew out of the back of an ice cream truck. Eventually 

he insisted on having two trailers, one for Andy Kaufman and the 

other for Kaufman's infamous alter ego Tony Clifton. Look for 

Kaufman contemporaries Jerry Lawler and David Letterman. 

("What Dreams May Come 

General's Daughter") co-star, 

scripts with producer Ron 

Bass. "The Sixth Sense's" 

Kathleen Kennedy and 

Frank Marshall produce 

with Harry Ufland ("One 

True Thing") and Bass 

("Stepmom"). (Universal, 

12/22 ltd, 1/7 exp) 

Exploitips: Hicks knew 

he wanted to direct this 

movie since reading 

Guterson's book in 1995, 

but he had to wait for the 

domestic success of multiple 

Oscar nominee 

"Shine" in 1997 for the 

opportunity. "Snow Falling 

on Cedars" has been 

in the can for a long 

time, originally scheduled 

for release last 

February. 

Snow Falling on Cedars 

Part love story, part courtroom 

drama, "Snow Falling on 

Cedars" stars Ethan Hawke in a 

big-screen adaptation of David 

Guterson's best-selling novel as 

a journalist reporting on a 

Japanese man's trial for the murder 

of a fisherman in a small 

Pacific Northwest village. 

Youki Koudo ("Heaven's 

Burning"), Max Von Sydow 

) and James Cromwell ("The 

Shine's" Scott Hicks directs and 

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Response No. 267

Next Friday 

Ice Cube ("Three Kings") scripts and 

stars in this sequel to the 1995 comedy 

"Friday." The follow-up picks up where 

the original left off as Cube's character 

moves to the suburbs with his lottery-winning 

uncle and cousins. Steve Carr 

directs; Matt Alvarez produces. (New 

Line, 12/25) 

ExpiOitips: Co-star Chris Tucker 

("Rush Hour") and director F. Gary Cray 

("The Negotiator") are noticeably missing 

from this production, but New Line 

has faith in Cube, offering him a twoyear, 

first-look deal separate from this 

pic. 

The Ninth Gate 

Writer-director-producer Roman Polanski 

("Chinatown," "Rosemary's Baby") has 

tapped Johnny Depp ("The Astronaut's 

Wife") to star in this thriller as a rare book 

expert assigned to track down the two 

remaining copies of a demonic text. Lena 

Olin ("Mystery Men") and Frank Langella 

(Adrian Lyne's "Lolita") co-star. John 

Brownjohn (Polanski's "Bitter Moon") and 

Enrique Urbizu also script from the novel 

"The Club Dumas" by Arturo Perez- 

Reverte; Spain's Inaki Nufiez and France's 

Alain Vannier also produce. (Artisan, 

1 2/24) 

Exploitips: Polanski's first film in 

nearly half\a decade and his most ambitious 

since\l988's "Frantic," "The Ninth 

Gate" was Artisan's first production 

under new management and was 

announced; even before it changed its 

name from Live Entertainment. At $30 

million, the thriller is also the company's 

largest production investment in its 

10-year history. Held from August, 

where it would have come up against 

"The Astronaut's Wife. 

The Hurricane 

Denzel Washington ("The Bone 

Collector") stars in this biopic as Rubin 

"Hurricane" Carter, the popular middleweight 

boxer who was wrongly 

imprisoned for the murder of three people 

in a New jersey bar. Deborah Unger 

rPayback*), Liev Schreiber ("Jakob the 

Liar") and newcomer Vicellous Shannon 

co-star. Norman Jewison (*ln the Heat of 

the Night") directs from a script by "For 

Love of the Game" producer Armyan 

Bernstein, Christopher Cleveland and 

Dan Gordon ("Murder in the First"); 

Jewison, Bernstein and John Ketcham 

produce. (Universal, 12/29 ltd, 1/14 

exp) 

Exploitips: jewison follows up 

receiving the Irving G. Thaiberg 

Memorial Award at this year's Oscars, 

a lifetime achievement award, with 

this career-rejuvenating blockbuster. 

Washington lost 44 pounds for the role 

and learned to throw 80 punches a 

minutes to imitate Carter's rapid-fire 

delivery. 

Jesus' Son 

Billy Crudup ("Without Limits") and 

Samantha Morton ("Dreaming of Joseph 

Lees") star in this road movie about a young 

man who journeys from a life of drug addiction 

and petty crime to one of redemption. 

Holly Hunter ("Living Out Loud"), Dennis 

Hopper ("EDtv") and Denis Leary ("The 

Thomas Crown Affair") co-star. Alison 

Maclean (TV's "Sex and the City") directs; 

Elizabeth Cuthrell, David Urrutia and Oren 

Moverman script based on Denis Johnson's 

short-stories; Lydia Dean-Pilcher ("Cradle 

Will Rock"), Cuthrell and Urrutia produce. 

(Lions Gate, 12/22 NY/LA, 1/14 exp) 

Any Given Sunday 

Oliver Stone ("U Turn") directs Al Pacino ("The Insider") in this drama set 

against the backdrop of professional football. When his aging star quarterback 

takes one too many hits and his third-string replacement exhibits unpredictable 

talent, Pacino's character struggles to 

hold on to the ideals that got him into 

the game, while the team's owner 

threatens to uproot the franchise. 

Dennis Quaid ("The Parent Trap"), 

Cameron Diaz ("There's Something 

About Mary") and Jamie Foxx ("Booty 

Call") co-star. John Logan ("Gladiator") 

scripts with Stone; Lauren Shuler 

Donner ("You've Got Mail") and "U 

Turn's" Clayton Townsend and Dan 

Halsted produce. (Warner Bros., 

12/25) 

Exploitips: This production has had 

its share of controversy. A scripted 

fight between Foxx and Li Cool J got 

^ i^^«K^^^^^^^HiiMOi»^^^H 

°"^ ^^ hand when they were shooting 

in March, and Foxx ended up filing a 

police report. The pair were back to 

work the following Monday, however, 

and filming continued uninterrupted. 

Sean "Puffy" Combs was also attached 

to the project at one point, but 

dropped out, rumor has it, over issues 

concerning his debatable athletic ability. 

The party line, of course, is that he 

left the shoot over scheduling conflicts. 

Exploitips: Lions Gate picked up thii, 

pic in August for $1 million. Alliance 

Atlantis took international rights to the 

film, which premiered at the Venice 

Film Festival and appeared at the 

Toronto International Film Festival in 

September. 

Topsy Turvy 

Writer-director Mike Leigh ("Secrets & 

Lies") sets this drama against the backdrop 

of Gilbert and Sullivan's original 

1885 production of "The Mikado," portraying 

the lives of people in Victorian 

England at the end of the last century. Jim 

Broadbent ("The Avengers"), Ron Cook 

("Secrets & Lies") and Allan Corduner 

("The Impostors") star. Frequent Leigh 

collaborator Simon Channing-Williams 

produces. (USA, 12/24 NY/LA, January 

exp) 

Exploitips: Leigh won the Palme d'Or 

at Cannes in 1996 for "Secrets & Lies," 

which was also nominated for five 

Academy Awards. His film "Naked" 

won best director and best actor awards 

at Cannes in 1992. "Topsy Turvy" 

diverges from these earlier, gritty urban 

slice-of-lifers in its setting, subject and 

tone. 

IVIr. 

Death 

Errol Morris ("Fast, Cheap & Out of 

Control") directs this documentary about 

Fred A. Leuchter Jr., an engineer who 

designs and repairs gas chambers, electric 

chairs and lethal injection systems. (Lions 

Gate, 1 2/29) 

Exploitips: Lions Gate picked up this pic, 

which debuted as a work-in-progress at 

Sundance this year, for a mid-six-figure 

sum. The distributor and director hope it 

will have a broader appeal than his previous 

pictures. 

38 BOXOFFICE

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Response No. 15

The Third Miracle 

Ed Harris ("The Truman Show") and 

Anne Heche ("Psycho") star in this drama 

about a disillusioned priest sent from the 

Vatican to a Chicago convent to disprove a 

miraculous statue the cries tears of blood. 

Agnieszka Holland directs; John Romano 

and Richard Vetere script based on the latter's 

book; Fred Fuchs (who executive produced 

"The Rainmaker") and Steven Haft 

("Jakob the Liar") produce. (Sony Classics, 

1 2/29) 

Exploitips: Sony Classics began pursuing 

this pic at Cannes this year when it was still 

in production, paying an estimated $1.2 

million without seeing any footage. 

DECEMBER UNDATED 

Heart of Light 

Greenland's Jacob Gronlykke directs this 

drama about a man trying to come to terms 

with his son's violent crimes and suicide as 

well as his own hatred for his father, who 

negotiated the colonization agreement with 

Denmark half a century earlier. Rasmus 

Lyberth, Vivi Nielsen and Anda Kristiansen 

star. Gronlykke scripts with Hans Anthon 

Lynge; Henrik Moller-Sorensen produces. 

(Phaedra, December undated) 

Exploitips: Marketing this one could be 

tough, as even local Scandinavians may not 

be your target audience. Still, try to spark 

interest in ethnic pockets, especially in 

urban areas. Held from dates in April and 

July 

LATE MOVIE MOVES 

New Rose Hotel 

Abel Ferrara ("Bad Lieutenant") scripts 

and directs this cyberpunk love story 

based on William Gibson's story "Burning 

Chrome." Chrisopher Walken ("Blast 

from the Past"), Willem Dafoe 

("eXistenZ") and Asia Argento ("B. 

Monkey") star. Christ Zois lends a hand 

on the script; Edward R. Pressman ("Two 

Girls and a Guy") produces. (Lions Gate, 

opened Jp/1 

ltd) 

Exploitips: Ferrara was nominated for 

the Golden Lion and won the Elvira Notari 

and Filmcritica prizes at the Venice Film 

Festival last year for this film. 

Julien Donkey-Boy 

"Kids" screenwriter Harmony Korine follows 

up his directorial debut "Gummo" 

with this portrait of a schizophrenic family. 

Ewen Bremner ("Trainspotting"), Werner 

Herzog (the director of "Aguirre"), Chloe 

Sevigny ("The Last Days of Disco") and 

Evan Neumann ("Liberty Heights") star. 

Korine scripts and directs; Cary Woods 

("Kids") and "Joe the King's" Robin O'Hara 

and Scott Macaulay produce. (Fine Line, 

opened 10/15 NY/LA) 

Exploitips: The first American Dogme 

95 film, "Julien Donkey-Boy" had its 

world premiere at the Venice Film 

Festival, its North American premiere at 

the Toronto Film Festival and its United 

States premiere at the New York Film 

Festival. 

MORE MOVIE MOVES 

Artistic License issued a limited releas(!i 

of the French film "Same Old Song" oi^ 

October 15. ..Two weeks later on October 

29, the indie rolled out a small run O;! 

"Some Fish Can Fly" as well. | 

DISTRIBUTORS: 

Send press notes, color and 

black-and-white photos and 

release information 

four months in advance 

to assistant editor 

Annlee Ellingson at 

BOXOFFICE MAGAZINE 

155S. ElMolinoAve. 

Suite 100 


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40 BoxomcE 

Response No. 44

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Response No. 461

COMING IN 2000 

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Sneak Preview 

ANTHONY 

IN ROME 

Anthony Minghella Goes Italian for 

''The Talented Mr. Ripley" 

by Bridget Byrne 

,he words flrnv'^rmTT Anthony tion that brought the jilaniour of Alain 

Minghella, smoothlv and cnthnsi- Dclon to intcMnational attention, 

asiically, as he tallis abou|""The .MinghcUa he«;an w(hIv on the screcnphiy 

lalenled Mr. Riple>." I hedi 

SRiniing "The Kn^lish I*atient." 

intense romantie romantic dramas "Iruh. " I 

]^Wi|> "'''*^^ 

J 

"*'" '"'" "'^' ''^'^* diieetinji Oscar. 

Deepl>"* and ""ê Enizh'sh Patient" Boh * Me Jijâme, he says, immediafel> 

the phone from Berkeley, CaHf., where "oh 

>he« snperMsing post-|>rudnction on his abo 

latest mo\ ic. The ParamounJ release stars who 

with the theme of the n()>el 

utsider (Damon as I oni Kiple> 

vents himself in the gnise of 

a quartet of ^claimed younji actors: another yoini*; man—a rich socialite 

Hollywood's M^t Damon. Britain's .hide (law as Dickie (Jreenleaf). 

Law, Oscar winner (;w>neth Paltrow and lioth in an early draft of prodnction 

Australian star Câte Blaiichett. "1 love notes and in this plnnie interview, 

I_JBWBBL^ 

post-prodnctioii." sa>s Minghcl^^'Mt Minghella discuesses at length "the elesuits 

the w riU^^^g|^_ WKk- nient of Kipley" that he believes we all 

possess: I hat dangerous 

I 

longing to be a fake 

somebodv rather than a 

real nobodv. "Pm much 

"TALENTED": Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law and Matt Damon. 

less interested in Riplev 

%1. as a sociopath than 1 am 

in his sense of being an 

outsider. We are all making 

ourselves up as wc go 

through life," says the 

director, born of immigrant 

Italians on the Isle 

of White, off the coast of 

southern England. 

The original story, 

which results in murder 

j^yj „jjj ^^^^, .jcccDted retribution 

for such a 

He calls post "the chance to be meticu- crime, is set in Italy in the 1950s, 

lous, to work at a more tortoise pace in Minghella pushed the timeframe to the 

contrast to the filming, which is mar- latter part of that decade because he 

velous dynamic chaos. When you're wanted to fully capitalize on "II Boom," 

shooting, you are so much at the mercy of an era of renaissance following World 

the production schedule. Ibis is the when the country was bursting 

chance to Ik> considered and contemplative." with pi/za//. "1 wanted it to feel as if 

Of course. Minghella put a h)t of con- Pellini was sh(K)ting just around the corsidered 

and contemplative time into "I he ner, to catch that feeling of beautiful 

lalenled Mr. Kipley" before filming his young people whizzing by on Vespas and 

version of Patricia lliglismith\ mordant groups of men congregating in the 

novel, previously adapted In I960 as squares and cafes." Minghella, now 45, 

"Purple Noon," a French/ltttlian produc- was of course a small bov at that time. 

but he drew on faniilv njeinoriesUslv 

studied photograpiis l)v Ruth Ork,_ 

discover the lo«)k lie was alter. \\ hat ] 

was aiming for, he says, wasn't sonuihit 

completely real, but rather a \iew ol Ua 

wm #*• 

AT THE HELM: Minghella on the streets of Romt 

that is reflected in the lllms not only 

Fellini but also Visconti and Rossellini. 

Recreating that look in today's touris 

crowded and much-modernized Italy post 

> 

many challenges, but after six months 

location scouting, sixteen 

weeks of pr 

production and two weeks of rehearsal 1 

was ready to shoot, assisted by many 

' 

the team that had worked with him c 

"The English Patient," including cin| 

matographer John Scale, costume desigj 

er y\nn Roth, composer Gabriel Yan 

and film editor Walter Murch. 

Exteriors shot in Rome necessitate 

clearing the pervasive clutter of peop 

and things from many famous sit 

including Piazza di Spagna and a ca 

opposite Bernini's Fountain of the Foi \ 

Rivers. Filming also took place in Napl 

and Palermo in Sicily and on the island 

Iscliia, where it was possible to still ca 

ture a version of the idyllic heachlife th 

attracted 1950s hedonists. Minghel 

describes the film as having "a surfai 

below the surface rhythm" not confon 

i 

ing to the dark look of standard mystei 

and suspense but savoring the sun ai 

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i 

Response No. 99

I 

a 

I score 

audience. turninnt too manv movies designed oidv to conj 

bcautj ol t!ie Mednciranoan. -One of the lilm's tlarkesi 

moments is pla>ed out in the most sparkliiiiily beautiful en\ironmciit 

1 could find." he sa\s. stressiiio he stroxe for a sedueti>e 

tone in which dream and reality e\ist at the same time. 

Min«»hella's script takes licenses \uih Mi«4hsmith's book, 

fieshinji out and e\en creatini; adilitional characters and 

addini:'"a uhole element of music, coutrastinii (Jreenleafs lo\e 

of jaz/ with Riple>"s classical bent in complex ways (o underand 

contradict (heir personality 

traits and their illusions 

about wh«> the> are and what 

the\ represent. \et, while lu 

took pains to tr\ to humani/t 

1 Riple> so that audiences can 

relate t(» him. he resisted injectiuii 

an\ overt morali/iny to a 

s(or> that he believes is trul> a 

morality tale. I \en thoniih the 

'"unt* man dtiesn't ijet cauiihi. 

i does, as Minyhella poiiUs 

"mit. "be«;in in a basement apart 

ment in New \ and nmrtifyintilx 

alone. ..movinu further and further into a nightmare." 

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— "înuhella, a universitv lecturer and |)la> wri^hl bef«)ri 

luakini: his first film the thinkiuii lovers" ^hosl 

Lslorv "Indv. Madly. Deeply" in l*WI. believes 

that the lloilvwosid mainstream often underestimates its 

firm what people alread> know. Ihal's not his stNle. but luv 

ertheless he does ta^ the popular l)anu)n as "brave" f«>r 

choosin'4 to pla> Riplev. "He's so fearless, lie's a reallv . oidv interested in the work, lies happv \o just be a j>ood 

act(M. His verve anil conuuitmeni were abs(dule. lie was 

f«»cused. and adorable, and as hcM never realh spent time in 

I urope it was wonderful to see him drinking in Italv and all 

its ccdors." \lins about the youny star. Oscar winninii 

co-writer of "(iood \N ill lluntiuii." 

Minjihella loidud at manv American actms for the role of 

(.reculeaf but eventuallv cast 1 ii 

to do another version of the film with the Ripley/Damon and 

(ireenleaf/Lavv roles reversed. 

Minjihella wrote the role of (Heeideafs girlfriend. Marjic. 

with family friend Paltrow in mind. Me thinks (he role of "a 

verv snnnvi open, uncluttered" woman who is emotionally aiicd 

b> what happens appealed (o (he actress (another Oscar winner, 

for "Shakespeare in love") because it alUwvs her (o be 

seen as a jinwvnup radier (han as ins( an ingenue. Blanched, a 

fan of " Irulv. Madlv. Deeplv." so much wanted to play the role , 

of Meredith, an innocent abroad who falls for Riplev in his 

false jiuise. that Min«;hella enlarjicd the role to acconnn(»datc 

the skills of (he "l.li/abe(h" ac(ress. 

Minjihella also found small roles in (he movie for his paruits, 

Idward and (;ioria. Reflec(in

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HERE COMES 

MR. JORDAN 

Neil Jordan Directs an "Affair" to Remember 

ii 

1 

wouldn't call myself a good fisherman. 

I can see them out there, but I 

haven't caught them." 

When the phone rang, Neil Jordan had 

been fishing from the grounds of his new 

home, right on Bantry Bay in County 

Cork, Ireland. Like the salmon he was 

seeking, he sounded as though he'd have 

felt happier to not be on the line, but nevertheless 

discussed his upcoming movie 

"The End of the Affair" with polite caution. 

"What's easy is making films I relate to. 

I suppose what comes less easily for me is 

the public aspect of that: Selling is what I 

have most difficulty with," says the 49- 

year-old director, admitting that interviews 

are not his favorite sport. 

"The End of the Affair," written and 

directed by Jordan and produced by his 

longtime co-hort Stephen Woolley, opens 

in December through Columbia Pictures. 

The twelfth movie Jordan has directed, it is 

based on a novel by Graham Greene, an 

author who was also reluctant about many 

things, including having his books turned 

sive hate." 

Jordan agrees with that, 

explaining he wanted to adapt 

the novel to the screen because 

"I thought it was just a wonder- 

Julianne Moore and Ralph Fiennes before 

ful 

the end 

story 

of the 

about an extraordinary 

sexual obsession trans- 

"Affair. 

into movies, although, ironically, he was formed into some kind of spiritual obsession." 

The film stars Ralph Fiennes as 

himself at one time during the 1930s a film 

reviewer. (One of the few films he approved Maurice Bendrix, a novelist who falls in 

of was "The Third Man," but that was 

based on material he wrote directly for the 

screen, and he was intimately involved in the 

filmmaking process.) 


In 1955, when Greene was 

still alive, a version of "The 

End of the Affair" was made, 

directed by Edward Dmytryk 

and starring Deborah Ken. 

Van Johnson and Peter 

Gushing. The Halliwell Film 

Guide describes it as "Glum 

sinning in Green(e)land; 

over-ambitious, miscast and 

poor-looking." Greene, who 

had visited the set and been 

appalled to see Johnson 

chewing gum while filming a 

love scene, dubbed it "a disaster." 

Few people have 

probably seen it, but Jordan, 

who has, would concur, describing it simply 

in his soft Irish voice as "a very poor 

thing." 

"Green(e)land" does not, of course, 

refer to the world's largest island, but is a 

term literary critics used to describe 

Greene's somewhat heightened vision of 

whatever part of the world he turned his 

attention to as a writer, deftly getting 

under the skin to expose 

entrails, however seductive the 

surface. 

This story, which is set in 

London during the Blitz of 

World War II, is considered 

almost autobiographical, 

inspired by Greene's own love 

affair with a married woman. 

Greene described it as being 

about "obsessive love and obses- 

love with Sarah (Julianne Moore), the wife 

of an acquaintance (Stephen Rea). His 

paramour's Cathol-icism is the fulcrum of 

the story. 

Neil Jordan directs 'The End of the Affair 

"I didn't want to make a literary artifact. 

I don't like that. I wanted the mutual 

need of these three characters to come 

alive and there to be nothing bookish 

about it," Jordan says. 

In an interview with London's Observer 

newspaper when the film was shooting in 

England earlier this year, Jordan 

explained, "When you read [Greene's] 

stuff, it seems very cinematic because you 

can touch and even smell the atmosphere 

he creates. Often he has great beginnings 

and has a magnificent way of setting up 

templates for drama. But then the development 

of them is often terribly interior as 

they will tend to center more around moral 

dilemmas. That's probably why he hasn't 

been filmed too well." 

So Jordan has made changes and additions, 

including moving the death of a protagonist 

from the middle to the end of the 

story and placing some scenes in Brighton, 

a south coast English town, which was the 

focus of another highly praised Greene 

novel, "Brighton Rock." 

Greene's version of "The End of the 

Aff"air" is confined to London, where the 

Nazi bombs are dropping. The love affair 

takes place mainly between houses surrounding 

Clapham Common, although, as 

that area is now much seedier and less 

upscale than it was over 50 years ago, filming 

took place around Kew Green as well 

as on soundstages at Shepperton Studios. 

48 BOXOFFICE

"It looks lovely," Jordan says. "It looks 

like an erotic ghost story, all set in and 

around war-time London, which was a bit 

like being in a cocoon. It was an era which 

broke down a huge number of barriers, and 

I think we've created a beautiful portrait of 

wartime." Jordan begins to describe the 

style of the film, much of which takes place 

during rain or at night, or both. But he then 

cuts himself off with the admission that he 

doesn't feel right touting his own work. 

The film employs many who have 

worked before with Jordan, 1993 Oscar 

winner for Best Original Screenplay for 

"The Crying Game," the film which starred 

Rea as a man who discovers the woman he 

loves is a man. It's Jordan's tenth collaboration 

with producer WooUey, a relationship 

that goes back to his first film, "Angel," and 

includes his excursion into Hollywood-style 

production "Interview With a Vampire," his 

highly acclaimed "The Butcher Boy" and 

his recent trippy offering "In Dreams," 

made under their development deal with 

DreamWorks SKG. Roger Pratt, who 

worked with Jordan on "Mona Lisa," is 

director of photography. Anthony Pratt, 

who worked on "The Butcher Boy," is the 

production designer. Costumes are by 

Sandy Powell, who also worked on that film 

and four other Jordan movies (as well as 

earning an Oscar last year for "Shakespeare 

in Love"). 

Greene wrote the novel entirely from the 

point of view of Bendrix, whom he 

describes in his autobiography "Ways of 

Escape" as "a lover who was so afraid that 

love would end one day that he tried to hasten 

the end and get the pain over." Jordan's 

screenplay explores two views of the love 

story that hinges on a decision Sarah makes 

because of a promise to God, and Bendrix's 

misunderstanding of that decision. 

Having such an impediment keeping the 

lovers apart—an essential ingredient to 

any successful love story—appealed to 

" This film is of a piece 

mth everything Vve done, 

Ifs about something which 

seems to have surface 

explanation but which 

turns out to have a very 

dijferent one. It's about 

the struggle to understand 

life in its totality. We don't 

really have a clue,'' 

Jordan. "God is very handy, very handy. 

He creates a kind of barrier. He's a jealous 

antagonist. I think there is great irony in 

the fact that Bendrix thinks Sarah has 

another lover, but, when he discovers who 

it 

is she loves, it's someone who, as far he's 

concerned, doesn't exist." 

Although falling bombs move the action 

of the story, they are not its subject matter. 

"It's very beautiful to make a film that had no 

violence in it whatsoever and that is really 

about serious adult emotions, issues of 

tremendous depth," says Jordan. "So few an 

"This film is of a piece with everythin 

I've done. It's about something whici 

seems to have surface explanation bu 

which turns out to have a very different 

one, like in 'Crying Game' when he findl 

out the woman is a man. It's about th' 

struggle to understand life in its totalit} 

We don't really have a clue." 

Jordan, who used to write novels aiK 

thinks he'd like to take time soon to do S( 

again, was born in Sligo and prefers t( 

remain in Ireland where he has a home ii 

Dublin as well as the one in Cork. "It's fa 

more comfortable to be here, outside o 

the mainstream. You don't have the pres 

sure that Hollywood directors have—com: 

paring yourself with your peers, readini 

grosses, trying to find out what's happen 

ing in the business," says the filmmaker. H{ 

describes each movie he makes as a learn! 

ing process and stresses that the mos! 

important aspect in choosing subject mati 

ter is "to make a film you relate to in i 

deeply personal way—for any movie to b 

good it has to be that. 

"Movies are tremendously importan 

things," says Jordan, assuring us that hf 

has "a lot more films I want to make." Anc 

fish to catch. 

Hi 

"The End of the Affair." Starring Ralp} 

Fiennes, Julianne Moore and Stephen Rea 

Directed and written by Neil Jordan. 

Produced by Neil Jordan and Stephet 

Woolley. A Columbia release. Opens Dec. 

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Every Shpvy! 

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SPECIAL FEATURE: Books on Cinema 

AUTUMN LEAVES! 

BOXOFFICE'S List of Fall Favorites 

for the Literate Movie Buff 

by Francesca Dinglasan 

THE NOIR STYLE 

by Alain SUver and James Ursini 

Overlook Press 

256 pgs., $50.00 

Elegant black-and-white stills 

from the film noir genre, 

accompanied by descriptive 

text, pervade Alain Silver and James 

Ursini's oversized tome—a nice addition 

to any film enthusiast's cofee 

table collection. Featuring stunningly 

vivid shots from some of the genre's 

most memorable films (including 

1942's "Dr. Broadway" and "This 

Gun for Hire," 1947 s "Nightmare 

Alley" and 1948's "I Walk Alone"), 

the stark contrast of dark and light 

images will make for pleasurable 

perusal during the colorful season 

change of fall. Complemented by the 

authors' insightful expertise into the 

noir methodology ("A central motif 

of film noir is the night and the city. 

Urban landscapes, sometimes crowded, 

often deserted, sometimes glistening 

from the rain, always alientating, 

envelope the character of noir 

movies '), "The Noir Style" is also an 

excellent reference work distinguised 

by its lyrical style—fittingly appropriate 

to the genre it describes. 

PRE-CODE HOLLYWOOD: 

SEX, IMMORALITY, AND 

INSURRECTION IN AMERICAN 

CINEMA 1930-1934 

by Thomas Doherty 

Columbia University Press 

412 pgs., $19.50 

"Pre-Code Hollywood," Brandeis 

University associate professor 

In 

Thomas Doherty chronicles a little 

known era in the history of 

Tinseltown: the early 1930s— 

four-year period of experimentation, 

when filmmakers took 

full advantage of the relative 

lack of censorship being 

enforced on their products. 

In late 1934, the Production 

Code Administration, also 

known as the Hays Office, set 

the well-defined standards over 

the content of all major motion 

pictures, marking the beginning 

of what would become 

three decades worth of carefully 

regulated big-screen product, 

when Hollywood became overly-conscious 

of avoiding 

themes deemed "immoral" by 

mainstream society's criteria. 

However, just prior to the Hays 

Office's heavy-handed regulation, 

during the years when America was 

pre-occupied with the misery of the 

Great Depression and Hollywood 

was making technological strides 

(most notably the introduction of 

sound pics with 1927's "The Jazz 

Singer"), filmmakers pushed the 

envelope by depicting more controversial 

images and motifs, such as sexual 

relationships outside of marriage, 

the mocking of marriage itself, the 

crossing of racial barriers and criticism 

of economic inequalities and 

political corruption. 

Doherty examines the films of the 

period by looking at them in relation 

to the general malaise rampant 

throughout Depression-era America. 

He also provides readers with an inj 

depth study of the period itselj 

exploring the process that finally le( 

to the rise and implementation of th 

Code, which, as an entertainmen 

watchdog, purported to protec 

America's mores by eliminating an; 

signs of onscreen vice. Dohert;i 

writes, "[I]n pre-Code Hollywood thi 

fissures crack open with roughe 

edges and sharper points. What i' 

concealed, sub 

terranean, am 

repressed 

H o 1 1 y woo( 

under the Code 

leaps out ex 

posed, on th( 

surface, and un 

bound in Hoi 

lywood befon 

the Code...[T]h( 

Product ior 

Code set dowr 

strict laws 

moral gravity 

The universe oi 

p r e - C o d 

H o 1 1 y wooc 

operated undei 

rules of it own.' 

Complete with the a reprint of tht 

actual Code, "Pre-Code Hollywood" 

is for film students and serious-minded 

cineastes interested in taking 

look at a movement that enjoyed a 

succinct period of artistic freedom. 

BOGART: A LIFE IN 

HOLLYWOOD 

by Jeffrey Meyers 

Fromm International 

384 pgs./$ 16.00 

"Bogart: A Life in Hollywood," 

In biographer Jeffrey Meyers has 

provided an engaging portrait of 

one of America's most beloved actors 

and truest of Hollywood icons. 

Beyond offering chronological mile- 

56 BOXOFFICE

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stones of Bogart's life or reprinting 

his filmography, the author paints a 

vivid portrait of his subject, carefully 

distinguishing between the image that 

has been burned into collective memory 

from the actor himself 

The book documents 

Bogart's life from early 

childhood through his 

first three tumultuous 

marriages to his celebrated 

nuptials with 

onscreen partner Lauren 

Bacall. Equal treatment 

is conferred to Bogart's 

professional universe, 

mcluding his rocky transition 

from Broadway to 

Hollywood, the successes 

of "Maltese Falcon" 

and "Casablanca" and 

his Academy Awardwinning 

performance in 

"The African Queen." 

Meyers' fluid writing 

skillfully interweaves the 

two sides of Bogart, 

while rendering insightful analyses of 

the actor's body of work in relation to 

his personal reality. 

A literary biographer, Meyers frequently 

compares Bogart to Ernest 

Hemingway (who has also 

been the 

subject of Meyers' work). The author 

writes, "Bogart embodied Hemingway's 

hardened hero, torn between 

ironic fatalism and despairing 

courage, who seeks authenticity and 

adheres to a strict code of honor. The 

most popular actor of the twentieth 

century remains a vivid presence in 

our imagination." And while Meyers 

describes Bogart as a 

Hemingway character, 

it is in his own 

biography that the 

actor comes alive for 

the reader. 

THE VAMPIRE 

GALLERY: A 

WHO'S WHO OF 

THE UNDEAD 

by J. Gordon 

Melton 

Visible Ink Press 

600 pgs./$19.95 

Hi 

orror flick aficionados 

and 

Goth kids 

alike just can't get 

enough of their favorite 

nocturnal creature, as evinced 

by their numerous requests to J. 

Gordon Melton for a companion 

piece to his 1998 reference work, 

"The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia 

of the Undead." Melton 

has answered their bloodthirsty call 

with his latest publication, "The 

Vampire Gallery: A Who's Who of 

the Undead"—an exhaustive guide t 

the world's most notable blood-gui 

zlers. 

In "The Vampire Gallery," Melto 

narrows his focus from the vast worl 

of vampire folklore examined in "Th 

Vampire Book" (including generc 

terminology, places and organize 

tions associated with the phenome 

non) to specifically the cast of vam 

pire characters featured in films, liter 

ature and television. 

Everyone fror 

the vampire Graf Orlock, who firs 

appeared in the 1922 German silen 

film "Nosferatu," to Louis de Point 

du Lac, portrayed by Brad Pitt ii 

1994's "Interview With A Vampire 

(based on Anne Rice's novel) can b 

found among the nearly 

350 alpha 

betically-listed bios of the livini 

dead. 

The most famous of all vampires 

first introduced to the world in ai 

1897 novel by Bram Stoker, is allot 

ted, of course, his own special sectioi 

in the book's aptly-titled first chapter 

"Count Dracula: King of th( 

Vampires." Melton, in his chronicle 

of the master vampire, lovingb 

observes, "So powerful and pervasivt 

is the image of Dracula that it is not i 

gross exaggeration to say that all of th( 

vampires created in the last half of tht 

twentieth century have been eithei 

Dracula clones or creatures developec 

in conscious reaction to him." 

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i

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Best Performer, 

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Response No. 495

Well-organized and painstakingly 

researched, "The Vampire Gallery" is 

a must-have for those afflicted with a 

bloody passion for the undead. 

RECONSTRUCTING WOODY: 

ART, LOVE, AND LIFE IN THE 

FILMS OF WOODY ALLEN 

by Mary P. Nichols 

Rowman & DttlefieM Publishers 

240 pgs./$22.95 

There is 

probably no one figure 

in twentieth century filmmaking 

that has been able to stir up 

the debate regarding whether art can 

be judged based on the personal life 

of the artist as much as Woody Allen. 

Allen, who exists in the dual roles of 

tabloid fodder (due to his marriage to 

his longtime girlfriend's adopted 

daughter) and 

respected moviemaker, 

is the subject 

of Mary P. 

Nichols' book, 

"Reconstructing 

Woody." 

While 

Allen's 

films have previously 

been the 

topics of interpretation 

and analyses, 

Nichols approaches 

the 

director's body of work specifically 

with the idea that some audiences 

view and come to understand his 

films based on his tumultuous personal 

life. Working with that perspective, 

as well as the notion that many 

of Allen's fans personally relate to his 

on-screen characters, "Reconstructing 

Woody" argues that Allen is 

attempting to 

Art, Jjove, 

explore and reconcile 

the tension 

and Life 

between life 

and art, not just 

in the 

simply combine 

Films 

them. Nichols 

presents her 

case by examin- 

Among 

the 

Anhedonist and 

discusses "Annie 

ing the polar 

opposite and 

somewhat 

archetypal characters 

of some 

of Allen's most 

famous works, 

chapters are "The 

the Singer," which 

Hall," "The Actor 

and the Character," a study of "The 

Purple Rose of Cairo," and "The 

Sportswriter and the Whore" for 

"Mighty Aphrodite." 

A scholarly review of Allen's films, 

"Reconstructing Woody" is a good 

read for the serious-minded—or at 

least the seriously devoted—fan, 

H 

WHEN SILENCE WAS GOLDENi 

The Art of Buster Keaton 

THE THEATER AND CINEMA OF 

BUSTER KEATON 

by Robot Knopf 

Princetoii University Press 

217 pgsJ$14.95 

SILENT ECHOES: DISCOVERING 

EARLY HOLLYWOOD THROUGH THE 

FILMS OF BUSTER KEATON 

by John Bengtson 

Santa Monica Press 

224 pgs./$24.95 

Buster Keaton's special 

brand of physical humor, 

born from his vaudeville background and made 

famous through his silent pics, has had a far reaching influence: 

Everyone from film historians to surrealist artists to 

the plain old film lover has acknowledged the comic master's 

rightful place as a legend of early Hollywood. And 

now, a mini-revival of the man behind the trademark 

"Great Stone Face" seems to be taking place. Not only is a 

big-screen update of Keaton's work soon-to-be released 

(the Chris O'Donnell starrer "The Bachelor"), but two new 

books examining the work and life of the "silent clown" are 

also scheduled to hit bookstore shelves shortly. 

Robert Knopf takes a scholarly approach to his subject 

in "The Theater and Cinema of Buster Keaton," which functions as partbiography 

and part-cultural analysis of the Keaton canon. Launching from 

Keaton's early years, when he performed as part of his parents' act, "The 

Three Keatons," Knopf examines how the comic's roots in stage served as 

invaluable training ground, where Keaton mastered the narrative techniques, 

such as improvisation and mimicry, so flawlessly captured in his 1 920s films. 

Knopf also widens the scope of his focus to explore how Keaton's body of 

work has impacted other artists throughout history. Chronologically ordered 

chapters cover periods throughout the century, including "Katon Re-Viewed: 

Beyond Keaton's Classicism," "From Vaudeville to Surrealism" and "Beyond 

Surrealism: Keaton's Legacy." 

One topic explored by Knopf is the similarity between Keaton's style of 

expression and the ethic of the major art movement of the '20s. He writes, 

"Keaton's gags frequently exhibit an attitude toward objects akin to that of 

surrealism. He is forever using objects in unusual and unforeseen ways, as in 

'Sherlock Jr.' when he turns an automobile into a sailboat by raising its convertible 

top as a sail. Keaton shares the surrealists' interest in transformation: 

The ability to see things not as they are, but as they may be, must be, or are 

in the process of becoming." 

A 

"Silent Echoes: Discovering Early Hollywood Through the Films of 

In Buster Keaton," author John Bengtson performs a great deal of detective 

to work to uncover the areas of Los Angeles (carefully scouted out by 

Keaton himself), which served as the famed settings featured in many of the 

comic's classic films. Writing that "Keaton the filmmaker could not be confined 

within four studio walls," Bengtson's painstakingly researched book 

contains maps that help readers visualize the surroundings of each film setting; 

pictures highlighting specific landmarks that distinguish a Keaton 

scene; and "then" and "now" photos that show a setting as it was during the 

time of production compared to the scene as it is in the present day, enabling 

current generations to relate to these films of a bygone era (or as Bengtson 

eloquently phrases it, "Knowing the 'where' of [Keaton's] films connects you 

to his work in ways that even repeatedly viewing his films cannot inspire"). 

And while Angelenos in particular will appreciate the details of familiar 

streets and neighborhoods, Keaton scholars and fans in general will enjoy 

seeing the portrait of a city so close to their idol's heart. |H 

60 BOXOFnCE

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A Look at Violence and Sex Onscreen, and 

at Who—If Anyone—Should Be in Control 

by Melissa Morrison 

may take a village to raise a child, 

Itbut somebody has to be mayor. In 

the aftermath of the Columbine 

High School killings, the cineplex won 

the election. 

No less a figure than President 

Clinton stood with NATO members in 

early June to announce that theatre 

owners would protect teenagers from 

movie violence by strictly enforcing 

the MPAA rating system. Soon, others 

chimed in. Politicians such as former 

education secretary Bill Bennett petitioned 

the movie industry to police 

itself Studio leaders and directors 

held powwows on the topic of youth 

and media violence. Yet.... 

Circuit owners insist they have 

always enforced the ratings policy. The 

MPAA stalwartly refuses to make its 

rating system more encompassing. 

Congress has rejected laws regulating 

media violence. And many studio reps 

simply refuse to discuss the connection 

between violent content and its 

effect on young people. 

There have been concessions to business 

as usual. The title of Kevin 

Williamson's "Teaching Mrs. Tingle" 

was changed from "Killing Mrs. 

Tingle," after the Columbine massacre, 

in which 12 students (including the two 

killers) and one teacher died. The film 

trades contain reports of violent 

scripts that have been set aside. 

Newspaper "stings" have kept theatre 

owners vigilant about not selling 

"American Pie" tickets to 1 5-year-olds. 

But. after the media and its spothght 

have moved on, there's very little 

evidence that much will have changed. 

"NATO will encourage all of its 

members to post notices reflecting the 

R-rated film admission policy, and to 

require photo identification for any 

young patron not accompanied by a 

parent or guardian."— National Association 

of Theatre Owners Statement, 

Junes, 1999 

Kansas 

City-based AMC Theatres 

posted "You show us your 

picture, and we'll show you 

ours" signs in its ticket booths. Grand 

Rapids, Mich. -based Loeks-Star 

Theatres carded everyone who looked 

younger than 25. Connecticut-based 

Crown Theatres began carding every 

patron who looked younger than 20. 

While making these extra efforts, the 

heads of these circuits, along with others 

nationwide, insist they've always 

enforced the MPAA ratings system, 

which was established in 1968. "It's 

slowed us down a little bit, but we've 

always at Crown had very strict enforcement," 

says Chris Dugger, the circuit's 

director of operations. "Our procedures 

are no different than before." 

Operators at the circuit level point 

to longer lines and some disgruntled 

patrons as clear evidence that their 

continuing or reinvigorated enforcement 

policies are hitting home. But 

NATO is not planning to formalize a 

commitment on the national level, 

such as by establishing a standard set 

of guidelines. Such guidelines would 

color in some of the gray areas of the 

ratings system; for example, by deciding, 

once and for all, whether the 

wording of the R rating ("requires 

accompanying parent or adult guardian") 

means the adult merely purchases 

the ticket at the counter or 

must sit with the young person in the 

auditorium. There are also no plans 

afoot by any agency to organize stings 

in which underage patrons would |. 

attempt to buy tickets for R films, as 

has been done with cigarette vendors. 

Groups such as the National PTA 

support nationalized standards. "As 

far as the National PTA, that would 

be an appropriate thing to see happen 

with movie ratings," says its president, i 

Shirley Igo. But NATO head Bill' 

Kartozian expects members to keep 

up their voluntary efforts after medial 

scrutiny has ended. 

"If in fact something comes up 

that's more interesting to the media, 

we need to keep our eyes focused on 

[enforcement]," he says. "This is the 

right thing to do. This is the system 

we've had in place for 30 years. The 

secondary purpose of the existence of 

a rating system has precluded local I 

censorship boards from springing up 

all over the country." 

Still, exhibitors will have to do so in 

the face of other, competing pressures—not 

only economic but also i 

social—bearing down on them. People 

\ 

aged 12 to 17 go to movies more than 

any other age group. In 1997, 42 percent 

of that demographic bought tickets 

at least once a month (compared to 

27 percent of people over 18), according 

to the MPAA. That's a lucrative 

market to risk offending. 

62 BOXOFFICE

i^ 

I Hi/ "i ,. 

JRlVlER^ 

r^'iilt'HTrTfva 

AI WIST ill^lll.Ujr THI WT-H 

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Barrie Lawson Locks, president of 

Star Theatres and NATO's chairwoman, 

spent "American Pie's" 

opening weekend at her Detroit theatres, 

watching her ticket sellers 

implement the reinforced policy. 

"First of all. people don't like to be 

carded. Some people don't have ID," 

she says. "Our lines were long 

because the process was slow. Kids 

who get turned away are upset. 

"It's hard, it's hard to do it.... We 

hate as business people turning away 

thousands of people.... It's painful.... I 

don't know very many other businesses 

that turn people away when they 

don't legally have to." 

But beyond the controlling of the 

front door is the patrolling of the hallways 

and its many auditorium 

entrances. Due to the substantial costs 

that would be involved, no exhibitor 

has announced a plan to hire sufficient 

staff to guard individual auditoriums 

in order to prevent youth people from 

sneaking into an R film after buying a 

ticket for a PG or G film. 

Kartozian sees auditorium policing 

as the point where exhibitors' responsibility 

ends and that of parents 

begins. "If a young person goes into a 

store and buys tobacco or liquor, the 

store owner is subject to sanctions," he 

says by way of comparison. "If a 

young person goes and steals tobacco 

or liquor, the store owner has been victimized. 

Switching auditoriums is 

more akin to stealing a pack of cigarettes 

or a bottle of beer. 

"The important point here is to 

emphasize the shared responsibilities 

the industry has with parents. The primary 

purpose of having a ratings system 

is to advise parents what their kids 

should or should not see. When a parent 

tells a child, 'Don't lie and don't 

cheat and don't steal,' they should also 

tell them, 'Don't sneak into something 

you're not supposed to be seeing." 

"This small hand of Constant 

Whiners talk to each other, write for 

each other, opine with each other, and 

view with lacerating contempt the rubes 

who live Out There, west of Manhattan 

and east of the San Andreas Fault."— 

Motion Picture Association of America 

president Jack Valenti in a July 20, 

1999, Daily Variety editorial 

'All that matters is that Stanley 

Kubrick envisioned his film one way, 

and Jack Valenti's broken-down rating 

system forces us to see it another 

way."— Film critic Roger Ebert in a 

July 22, 1999. Daily Variety editorial 

Like 

many others in exhibition, 

Locks points to other problems 

beyond merely keeping young 

people out of R-rated movies. Two 

common refrains: that the MPAA's 

rating system is too crude; and that 

studios deliberately market R-rated 

films to an under- 17 audience. And 

there's not much that theatre owners 

can do about either. 

The rating system that makes sex 

comedy "American Pie" as verboten as 

Oliver Stone's bloodbath "Natural 

Born Killers" puts exhibitors in the 

position of offending parents who 

don't view sexual content and violence 

content as equally corrosive^those 

who feel their kids won't end up damaged 

by watching desserts, rather than 

heads, be splattered (or vice versa). 

"I often find parents have very different 

views on sex and on violence, and 

not necessarily consistent ones," Locks 

says. "I've had parents yell at me for not 

letting their eight-year-old in to see 

'Friday the 13th' but won't let their kids 

see anything with nudity, and parents 

who feel quite the opposite." 

But exhibitors must consistently 

enforce the ratings, she says. "It's 

worked pretty well, but changes need 

to be made." For example: Should 

there be PG-16? Should ratings be different 

for sexual content and violence? 

Theatre owners aren't crying in the 

dark. Other groups, such as the 

National PTA, have long supported a 

more comprehensive rating system. 

"In 1974, the National PTA encouraged 

the MPAA to use a rating category 

much like our recommendations 

to the TV industry: PG-V for violence, 

PG-C for cruelty, PG-D for drugs," 

Igo says. "Almost 30 years ago, we 

supported an enhanced rating system, 

and continue to." 

But there's little sign that the 

MPAA is willing to change its system, 

particularly after the debacle of the 

NC-17 rating. The organization's 

head. Jack Valenti, defended the 

decades-old system for its durability 

and dismissed the criticism that it is 

harsher on sexual content than violent 

content. The debate culminated with 

warring Variety editorials between 

Valenti and movie critic Roger Ebert. 

Ebert used Stanley Kubrick's final 

film, "Eyes Wide Shut," as an example of 

a film for mature audiences that would 

benefit from a more restrictive rating 

one that would do what NC-17 was 

meant to, but without its pornographic 

associations. In what is now a notorious 

example of self-censorship, Kubrick digitally 

blocked parts of the film's orgy 

scene to pre-qualify for an R rating, 

Valenti wrote, "The CWs [Constant 

\yhiners] think that everyone ought to 

view an orgy as a diurnal event, observing 

such goings-on with a 'been there, 

done that' casual yawn." To which 

Ebert responded: "No one capable of 

using 'diurnal' in this way is likely to be 

described as a so-called intellectual any 

time soon, although an unmistakable 

tone of Constant Whining can be 

detected in Valenti's prose." 

"Two teenage cousins who told sheriffs 

investigators they were inspired to 

kill one of their mothers by the horror 

movie 'Scream' were convicted of murder 

and conspiracy."— an Associated 

Press report, July 2, 1999 

"The parents of a slain Long Beach 

youth, shot by a 13-year-old boy, blame 

the theater that admitted the killer to a 

violent R-rated film ['Dead Presidents'] 

that ended minutes before the 

shooting."—AP, June 18, 1999 

With 

NATO's announcement, 

the nation's theatres find themselves 

in an odd position as 

gatekeeper. It's as if a counterperson at 

McDonald's was tapped to enforce 

national nutritional guidelines, or Mr. 

Rogers was manning the door at the 

Playboy Mansion: You can only do so 

much with the material you're given. 

This past summer's crop of films 

was a prime season for R-rated 

movies that attracted PG-aged audiences. 

In addition to "American Pie," 

"Detroit Rock City" and "Go," with 

their teen casts, there was "South 

Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut," 

with its cable TV following; "The 

Blair Witch Project," "The General's 

Daughter" and "Deep Blue Sea," with 

their thrills; and "Summer of Sam," 

"The Thomas Crown Affair" and 

"The Wood," with their sexy stars. 

"From my perspective, it's unfortunate 

that we have movies that are R- 

rated that seem to be so clearly directed 

at a younger audience," Locks says. 

"A movie about high school, high 

schoolers want to go see.... That's an 

inherent problem." 

Exhibitors such as Century's 

Dugger don't intend to reject certain 

movies because of questionable content. 

"Because we have larger complexes 

and have the screens that can 

make that product available, we're in a 

position to play anything the studios 

"We try not 

come out with," he says. 

to put ourselves in a censorship role." 

Concerned filmmakers, actors anei 

other Hollywood personnel have met 

to discuss their contribution to the 

culture that spawned the Columbine 

killers. The Creative Coalition, for 

example, hosted a discussion June 30 

in New York. The panel included 

Variety editor Peter Bart, actors Billy 

Baldwin and Stanley Tucci. and psychiatrist 

Alvin Poussaint. The upshot 

of the discussion was that the industry 

needs to take responsibility for the 

violence it portrays. 

Although the industry seems willing 

to discuss the issue in groups, it is less 

64 BOXOFnCE

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vocal one-on-one. Representatives 

from several majors, for example, 

declined to be interviewed on the 

subject. (One studio's press department 

referred BOXOFFICE to the 

MPAA's Valenti, who did not 

respond to interview requests.) 

Those who are willing to discuss it, 

such as director John Badham, bridle 

at the thought of watering down or 

otherwise compromising their work. 

"I've been having that kind of conversation 

since 'Saturday Night 

Fever,'" Badham says. "Kids were 

getting into it right and left. In fact, 

that was part of its appeal. 

Paramount thought, 'We know what 

to do here, all these kids want to get 

in to see this movie, but their folks 

won't let them go.' So they go and 

put out a PG-13 [equivalent]. They 

did a re-release about a year after 

movie was out. Nobody showed up. 

Why?... Kids knew it was damaged 

goods. Everywhere I went to talk to 

film classes," he says, "the students 

wanted to know if I had anything to 

do with this clearly dreadful thing 

that had been done to this movie." 

Congress has also voted in favor of 

protecting free speech over regulating 

violent content. One measure, 

defeated 266-161 in the House, 

would have required Hollywood to 

create its own labeling system and, 

should it fail to do so, would have 

authorized the Federal Trade 

Commission to create its own. Those 

who opposed the bill said it would 

put Washington in a censor's position. 

Another bill, sponsored by Rep. 

Henry Hyde, would have allowed 

certain violent entertainment to be 

defined as obscene and therefore 

subject to banning. Industry types 

such as Badham say even conservatives 

sided with liberals against the 

bill because they believed it was a 

short hop from delimiting the First 

Amendment to doing the same to th^ 

Second Amendment. 

"We are asking the entertainmer 

industry to assume a decent minimum 

of responsibility for its own actions 

and to take some modest steps of selfrestraint."— 

"Appeal to Hollywood" 

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he government hasn't given u 

but it has defanged its tactics, 

TiI One of the most prominent cudw 

rent campaigns is Bill Bennett's psMî 

tion, called An Appeal to HollywoooT' 

It asks filmmakers and others to voluntarily 

establish a code of conduct, 

similar to the one the National 

Association of Broadcasters wrote. 

The code would, according to the 

petition, commit filmmakers to 

reducing onscreen violence and

ncreasing the* aflno'unt of TamiTy 

:ntertainment, among other points. 

Signers include former Joint 

Chiefs of Staff head Cohn Powell, 

:ntertainer Steve Allen, film critic 

Michael Medved, Arizona Sen. John 

McCain and former presidents 

Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. The 

petition has been sent to studio 

heads, including Disney's Michael 

Eisner, Seagram's Edgar Bronfman 

ind Time Warner's Gerald Levin. 

Also in the works is a presidential 

study by the Federal Trade Commission 

and the Department of Justice, 

investigating whether Hollywood is 

marketing its movies to an underage 

:iudience. For the study, the FTC 

plans to ask 60 to 75 members of the 

film, recording and videogame 

industries about sales strategies and 

internal rating policies. If the respondents 

don't want to talk voluntarily, 

the FTC can legally force them to. 

The study will also survey 1,000 

parents on their feelings about ratings 

systems, as well as obtain feedback 

from 150 young-teen focus 

groups. The study will take up to 

34,000 hours and cost $4 million. 

It is unclear what will happen after 

the study's results are announced. 

Some are skeptical that the study will 

accomplish much. Badham says, 

'When in doubt, if you're a politician, 

cinnounce a study: 'We're going to find 

out who killed JFK.' Wander around 

for three or four years, spend a lot of 

our money, and conclude, 'Well, one 

guy did it.' Then it actually looks Hke 

they're doing something." 

When the last petition has been 

mailed, the final study is concluded, 

the media of all types are bored, 

Valenti and Ebert have declared a 

truce, and the dust has settled, one 

might well argue that two things are 

virtually assured: One, that children 

under 1 7 must be accompanied by an 

adult to view an R-rated movie. And, 

two, that unaccompanied children 

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November, 1999 67

SPECIAL REPORT: New Technology 

TICKETING 2000: 

ON-LINE & OFF-SITE 

By Louis M. Brill 

The 

best thing about going to the 

movies for patrons and exhibitors 

aHke is having a customer arrive at 

a favorite theatre, check reahty at the 

door and sit down for two hours of 

unbounded cinema entertainment. The 

worst thing is having hundreds and hundreds 

of other eager patrons have the 

same idea about the 

same film and have the 

same time of arrival, 

leaving all in a long line 

of people waiting to get 

tickets. And of course 

there's no guarantee for 

a patron that a given 

show might still be available 

when the back of 

the line where he begins 

at last reaches the ticket 

counter. At risk for the 

exhibitor is not only 

that single ticket sale but 

also future patronage. 

Ultimately, from the 

exhibitor's point of 

view, the movie business 

is about selling tickets— getting the 

biggest audience share they can for each 

film and getting their customers through 

the ticket line as quickly as possible and 

inside for concessions and seating. 

Naturally enough, weekends, opening 

nights and event movies take a brutal 

toll on a boxoffice and its staff when 

moviegoers show up at the same time to 

see the same one or two movies. 

Having an optimal point of sales 

(POS) ticketing service is about as critical 

as one could get in terms of managing 

a theatre's operation. Optimal efficiency 

in today's marketplace has 

become a moving target, because the 

nature of operating a movie boxoffice 

has expanded from the classic "brick 

and mortar" onsite ticketing office to a 

number of virtual/alternative ticketing 

POS systems that let people buy tickets 

at home, at local malls, and by phone 

whenever they want, 24 hours a day. 

The simple act of movie ticketing has 

become a more complex operation for 

everyone: for the operators in how they 

manage and audit ticket sales for their 

site or circuit; for the companies that 

provide the software, computers and 

kiosks; and for the third-party companies, 

such as AOL MovieFone, that broker 

movie ticket sales for exhibitors. And 

of course for the movie patron, who now 

has several options in 

getting . and guaranteeing 

the film and seat of 

his or her choice. 

The old ticketing 

business model, in 

which a crowd gathered 

to make ticket purchases, 

was the funnel 

approach, with the 

audience collecting in 

long lines to buy tickets 

for same-day shows. 

With today's advanced 

telephony services among 

touch-tone telephones, 

call-in sales and the 

web, the sales model 

has morphed and looks 

more like a hub-and-spoke system. 

Each spoke is a different service, 

with all of them selling from the same 

pool of tickets for each show and doing 

so without worries about busy signals or 

overselling an auditorium. 

Although theatre operators have similar 

needs in selling and getting reports on 

TICKETING 

TOWARD 2000: 

The latestgeneration 

technology from 

EIMS (above left), 

ETM (above right) 

and Vast (at left). 

tiicii daily salcN ilie POS ticket providers 

have their own ways of providing that 

service. (All of these companies offer 

concession POS support and back-end 

services and also install their ticketing 

systems for other public entertainment 

venues such as sports stadiums and musi 

halls. Because of limited space, the focu! 

here is only on the evolving cinema boX' 

office component of what they offer.) 

One company, Gig Harbor, Washj 

based Entertainment and Informatioi 

Management Systems, offers its Sply( 

product, which is a fully functional ticl 

eting management syS' 

tem. The company's 

software represents thi 

entire ticketing flow o! 

selling auditorium seats| 

on a per-show/per-site 

basis and manages tha 

flow per theatre site am 

from site to site back t 

the corporate office! 

The EIMS package 

include Box Offic 

Manager, Kiosk Manager 

and Wide Area 

Manager. (The last connects 

several theatres t< 

a central reporting site. 

EIMS' president 

Michael Von Ditter 

describes Splyce as "an 

integrated real-time ticketing syste; 

that manages a circuit's entire ticketinj 

needs. It handles individual theatres an 

the complete circuit and allows a fil 

exhibitor to consolidate all his Individ' 

ual ticketing POS information to b 

directed to a centralized corporate oUkc. 

to do all bookings and reconciliatioii 

plus any other financial requiremcnis 

:nls,' 

related to ticketing—which then is trans: 

ferred to your accounting system. 

the hardware side, we also offer compui 

)iil-l 

ers and kiosks for offsite ticketing POS." 

Of the various ticketing formats - j 

kiosks, the web, and direct phone 

access—kiosks have come into theif 

own, offering a high visibility to patrons. 

Many exhibitors have kiosks placed onsite 

at their local theatres, allowing them 

to handle a crowd that would othcrwis< 

overwhelm human ticket takers. A seo 

ondary and increasingly popular use ol 

kiosks is offsite in shopping malls, 

supermarkets, restaurants or any public 

68 BOXOFFICE

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^j 

I 

gathering spot. On this level, kiosks not 

only let a patron buy a ticket but also 

upon credit-card confirmation will issue 

an actual ticket stub at that moment. 

John Cardiff, conmiunications manager 

for Ontario, Canada's RDS Data 

Group, a company that provides custom 

POS ticketing solutions for exhibitors, 

notes that the success of a theatre kiosk 

install 

depends on the usual three factors: 

location, location, and location. 

"The positioning of the kiosk in a theatre 

lobby is critical to how successfully 

customers will use it," Cardiff says. 

"Customers will tend to go to the first 

opportunity they see. If they see a kiosk 

first, that's what they'll use. If they see 

the boxoffice first, that's where they'll go." 

For 

some customers, the most convenient 

avenue of ticket purchase 

nowadays is buying a movie ticket 

from home. Moviegoers can do this via 

teleticketing services like AOL MovieFone, 

which can confirm the date and time of a 

particular screening and sell a ticket to it. 

The other and newest method that some 

companies are either already doing or 

readying to launch is online via the web. 

E-commerce (witness Wall Street) has 

become a big deal, and web-sawy movie 

fans can log on to an appropriate website 

and click their way to a ticket purchase. 

Patrons like it because there's no 

fuss — just a site and a few keystrokes. 

Exhibitors like it because it extends their 

boxofiice into the multi-ticketing arena, 

affording greater coverage and helping 

translate a cinemagoing impulse into a 

final ticket-sales transaction. 

Alpharetta, Georgia-based Radiant 

Systems, a comprehensive provider for 

POS ticketing services, offers complete 

hardware and software ticketing solutions, 

including onsite boxoffice, site and 

corporate office management systems, 

kiosks, and interactive voice recognition 

(IVR) services. Chris Lybeer, vice 

president and managing director of 

Radiant Systems' Global Solutions 

Group, says that "the nature of buying 

movie tickets is shifting as people 

become aware of the fact they can complete 

an entire ticketing transaction 

without waiting in line. 

"Naturally, exhibitors like this, and 

they are always seeking avenues to sell 

patrons by reducing labor costs and 

lines. This is driving an increase in the 

number of kiosks purchased for theatre 

use as an additional boxoffice as well as 

heavy interest in web and IVR ticketing 

for advance sales with will-call pickup at 

the onsite kiosks. Additionally, we're 

also seeing a few kiosks being acquired 

for offsite use as an enhancement for the 

impulsive ticket buyer." 

As attendees at this year's ShoWest 

well know (its point of presence seemed 

to be everywhere), another POS ticketing 

provider is ETM Entertainment 

Network, which has created the second 

largest national ticketing service with 

more than 600 ticket kiosks in retail 

sites, several hundred telephone ports 

and one of the most robust websites to 

sell tickets en masse. "Ultimately, managing 

a national networked ticketing service 

is all about accessibility," says Peter 

Schniedermeier, president of ETM. 

"Whenever and wherever people get the 

PUSH AND/OR CLICK: 

A Radiant kiosk (above); 

an AOL Moviefone 

webpage (below). 

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November, 1999 71

SPECIAL REPORT: Sound 

by John E Allen 

When 

one is in the sound business, 

particularly the reproduced 

sound business, the subject 

of how things "should sound" is 

often discussed and debated. A sound 

reinforcement system can easily be 

turned off to hear how well it's doing its 

job because we have the live source right 

there to compare it to. 

Motion picture sound is especially 

perilous, as there is no such point of reference. 

In a case like this, we must rely 

on skill and even taste in the design and 

tuning of sound systems. And so the 

free-for-all begins. 

Given the nature of sound and hearing, 

this is to be expected. Suppose, for 

example, you clang really hard on the 

gigantic 21.4 metric ton "Pummerin" 

bell (see photo, right) sitting atop 

Vienna's St. Stephen's Church. Every living 

person in the entire city will not only 

hear it but, without a doubt, know 

exactly what it is. Though it might be the 

last thing you hear for a while, the sound 

you will perceive is not exactly the same 

sound everyone else hears. Distance 

from the source, wind, humidity, being 

indoors or out, plus other variables such 

as a person's age and the kind of sound 

they happen to like all affect what and 

how a listener "hears." It is often said 

that we each have our own personal filter 

in our brains through which we listen. 

Although everyone throughout 

Vienna will recognize the sound as that 

of the Pummerin, the way they "hear" it 

and "listen" to it will widely differ. 

Like the rest of the world, the theatre 

industry is full of people with ears 

72 BOXOFnCE 

of different ages, tastes and filters. 

After listening to so many films for so 

many years, some all but claim they 

know exactly how every movie should 

sound and how every theatre's sound 

system should be tuned, even if they've 

never heard either one before. My 

question is, how can we be so sure? I 

don't think we can. 

I say "we" because I have made part 

of my living based on how well I hear. 

My success depends on it. But it's not 

how well we hear that really matters; 

it's how well we listen. After nearly 

three decades of serious listening to 

music as well as sound systems, I am 

still learning how to listen. I do not listen 

the way I used to even just a few 

years ago. My judgment of what is best 

is, I hope, improving. 

How does a theatre owner, a musician, 

a sound engineer or anyone else 

become what Aaron Copland called a 

"talented listener"? Well, for one thing, 

we do not do it by Ustening to sound systems—any 

sound system. We need to 

spend years (at least I do) carefully listening 

to as well as enjoying all kinds of 

live natural sounds and orchestras. 

Listening to 

orchestras can 

be difficult, 

even misleading. 

Some are 

better than 

others. So are 

instruments 

and the concert 

halls themselves. 

If you 

can't hear a 

"good" orchestra 

under a 

skilled conductor 

in a "good" 

concert hall, 

you can't possibly 

learn how 

"good" the 

music can really sound. Poor acoustics, 

for instance, can keep some sounds from 

ever reaching your ears. 

This happens in movie theatres too, 

by the way. 

LEARNING TO LISTEN 

Which orchestras, which halls, which 

sounds, which films should you select 

to educate your ears? The answer is, 

probably all of them. For myself, I can 

say that I 

am thoroughly enjoying my 

continuing lessons around the worh 

At least I am also fortunate to Ha 

where I do. I say "fortunate" because 

can have Boston's famed Symphor 

Hall to serve as a reference. I retur 

there regularly not only to enjoy t\ 

symphony but also to "calibrate" m 

ears. Critical listeners need live refe 

ences and, like musicians, constat 

practice to maintain their edge. 

If one is primarily accustomed t 

listening to recordings over loudspeal< 

ers and tries to make judgments aboi 

sound quality, I submit that the 

shouldn't be too sure about their opir 

ions. Too often in these situation 

one's hearing can become biased b 

the timbre and quality, no matter ho 

good, of the sound systems they ar 

listening to, not to mention their ow 

particular tastes that have developei 

and changed over time. 

A "trained" critical listener is on 

who learns nuances and tones. He o 

she does not make qualitative judg 

ments based on personal likes and dis 

likes, but rather on the accuracy of th 

sound reproduction. This can b 

thought of as analytical listening. 

COMPARATIVE 

LISTENING IN THEATRI 

^-^ 

When you think about it, if a salesman 

or technician is to demonstrate a 

sound system to a theatre owner, they 

are all 

at a disadvantage. None of thcni 

really knows what the film should sound 

like, because they didn't make it. And 

who is to say that the sound system in 

question might just play the film better 

than it was made? So the theatre owner

Who says there's nothing 

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Response No. 215

I 

is supposed to decide, usually in too 

short a time, whether he "Hkes" the way 

a film sounds as compared to the way it 

played over another sound system in 

another theatre on another day. This 

may not be the best way to evaluate 

sound systems, but it happens in theatres 

and in hi-fi 

stores every 

day. 

After the 

completion 

of a recent 

installation 

of one of our 

systems, the 

customer was 

pleased with 

the results. 

"However," 

he said, "I 

want to wait 

a few weeks 

and hear 

other films 

before forming 

a final 

opinion." I 

have a lot of 

respect for that approach. We need to 

be very careful not to make hasty decisions 

when comparing high-quality 

sound equipment. 

For example, 

when comparing the 

same film on two systems and, for 

some reason, one system masks a problem 

in the recording while the other 

system reveals the fiaw, we can't stop 

there. Too many seem too quick to mistakenly 

blame the more revealing—i.e., 

more accurate and superior—sound 

system. This is foolish. 

LEARNING TO 

LISTEN TO FILMS 

As you can see, listening to films can 

be a bit of a gray area. The art of creating 

a film's sound and the art of tuning 

a theatre's sound system have both 

grown and changed dramatically over 

the years. The way that we and the public 

listen to films has also changed. What 

may have been considered "good" sound 

in the past is, in some cases, all but unlistenable 

today. Tomorrow's recordings 

will just as surely put the light on today's 

deficiencies. Because films are each 

unique creations, the art of listening 

needs to grow as well. 

We need to widen our tastes considerably. 

In some cases, our expectations 

must be changed, perhaps even enlightened. 

When listening to films, we must keep 

in mind that we are indeed hearing an 

illusion created by reproduced sound, 

not perfect sound. The qualities and 

imperfections in a film's soundtrack can 

be influenced by many factors, from creativity 

to the number of recording generations 

encountered during the production 

process. Sound effects, for instance, 

whose sole intent is to fool you, could 

even be purposely distorted. Their success 

lies not in accurately reproducing a 

particular recording, but in making us 

believe that we have heard the sound of 

something that might not even exist. 

This is a totally subjective art form. 

"Although everyone 

throughout VtennM will 

recognize the sound as 

that of the Fummerin 

[beli at St. Stephe.n's], 

the way they Itemr' 

it and ^Hsten^' to it 

will ividely differ/' 

As Dolby's loan Allen likes to point 

out, different films sound different. 

Unfortunately, the practice in some theatres 

is to attempt to "correct" this 

"problem" by retuning or rebalancing 

the theatre's sound system for different 

films. Serious listeners of films should 

learn to accept and appreciate these differences, 

though they certainly do not 

have to like them or agree with them. 

Consider the often debated subject of 

the surround channel. The use and level 

of the surrounds can vary considerably 

from film to film. Some directors prefer 

the effect more than others. One may 

feel their use should be reserved only 

for certain scenes or special effects, 

while others also like the continuing, 

perhaps even haunting, sense of 

ambiance that surrounds can create. 

Remember "Das Boot"? 

Why should we expect all creative 

people to create the same thing? This situation 

might be compared to the way 

various composers have used voices in 

their symphonies. Mahler employed 

vocal forces in four of his 10 symphonies, 

Beethoven in only one. Brahms 

never did, though some might wish h{ 

had. We can discuss forever whether w( 

agree with the way a film or any wori< 

has been created, but we owe it to the 

public to present these works as cleanl} 

as we can and let them decide what the) 

think for themselves. Properly balanced 

systems should be left alone. 

The skill, art and joy of listening are 

for many of us a most gratifying, lifeenhancing 

and nourishing experience. 

No matter what kind of music or sound 

you prefer, just imagine how a world 

without it would be. It's here where we 

can find the source of many of tk 

debates about how things should 

sound. Because various sounds evoke 

; 

so many different feelings and emotions 

among so many different people, we 

might well understand how the rich and 

complex textures of tones and harmon- 

'. 

Vienna church bell to one, while meanics 

can sound as clear as an elegant; 

ing nothing more than a one o'clock 

chime to another. 

Copyright 1987 & 1999. 

Allen. All Rights Reserved. 

John E; 

John F. Allen is the founder and president 

of High Performance Stereo in 

Newton, Mass. He is also the inventor of 

the HPS-4000 cinema sound system ana 

in 1984 was the first to bring digitai 

sound to the cinema. He can be reached 

by e-mail at JohnFAllen@aol. com. 

Longtime subscribers to 

BOXOFFICE nnll recognize 

the above story, it havingM 

first appeared in our pag^ 

back in 1987, Given that 

the coming year marks tlf{ 

20th that John Allen has 

been informing and enterA 

taining (and occasionally^ 

''challenging'') our readerSf 

ive thought it a valuable 

venture to present a sort 

greatest-hits selection of\ 

his writings. 

Chosen by Mr, Allen with 

an eye toward continuing 

contemporary relevance, 

this is the first of a planm 

four reprises, with the 

others tentatively slated 

February (our sight & soui 

number), April (ShoWest) a\ 

July (Cinema Expo) issues] 

' 

74 BoxomcE

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Special Coatents 

EXHIBITION MARKET PROFILE: 

The Battle for the Atlantic 80 

INDEPENDENT THEATRE SHOWCASE: 

Madison (Conn.) Art Cinemas 86 

PLUS: mm£ SHOWEAST— 

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THEATRES 

*New Windsor Cinemas - Independence Plaza Cinemas * Metro Square Cinemas 

New Windsor, NY Hamilton, NJ Middletown, CT 

^Clarion Cinemas 

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•PittsburghEast22 

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*Chartiers 20 

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All-Stadium-Seating

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Market Profile 

BATTLE FOR THE 

ATLANTIC 

Why Exhibitors Are Banking on the 

Big Apple and Beantown 


NEW YORK: 

BUILDING UP IN 

THE BRONX 

Behind 

closed doors and on the street, 

mammoth upheavals have marked the 

Nev^ ^brk cinema scene. The boardroom 

shuffle that saw the merger of Loews 

Theatres and Cineplex Odeon into Loews 

Cineplex Entertainment brought about a 

nearly 30 percent divestment of screens in 

the cit>, opening the door for other companies 

eager to take Manhattan. 

The city's boom-and-build mentality was 

personified when the old Empire Theater 

on 42nd Street was dragged for three 

days, amid much publicity hoopla, 170 

feet west, where it will anchor a huge 

entertainment complex to include 

Madame Tussaud's waxworks, numeroas 

retail outlets and a 5,000- seat, 25- 

screen AMC cinema. 

Such construction feats do not come 

cheap, but exhibitors are current!} imbued 

with the belief that New Yorkers, already 

paying top dollar for movie tickets and concessioas, 

will be happy to shell out even more 

and more often—if the theatres become 

stale-of-the-art. 

Just how impressed New York patrons 

accustomed to standing in line in the rain, 

feeling like Woody Allen, and knocking 

elbows with strangers in very adjacent 

seats—will really be with major megaplexes 

has yet-to-be seen. 

Iridustr> analysts are already predicting a 

glut of screens. But that hasn't stopped most 

of the major companies, including I nited 

Artists, National Amusements, Regal 

( inomas and C'learview, from jumping in 

deeper to compete with AMC and the wellestablished 

lx)ews Cineplex, which, despite 

its Department of .Justice-mandated divestment, 

still controls 55 screens in New York 

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Brooklyn Heights; and a little later, 14 

more screens will open to the public at 

Columbia Park Center in North Bergen, 

New Jersey. Regal is also planning more 

multiplexes for Queens and Brooklyn. 

All these theatres will contain the same 

elements found in Regal's 2,750-seat multiplex, 

which is scheduled to open in 

Brooklyn's Atlantic Center Plaza in fall 

2001. Features include stadium seats with 

extra padding and retractable cupholder 

armrests; concession stands that will sell 

gourmet coffees and teas and fresh baked 

goods along with traditional items; computerized 

ticketing with advance sales; and 

DTS, Dolby Digital and SDDS sound formats. 

The Regal projects are built in affiliation 

with Cleveland-based Forest City Ratner 

Enterprises, the same company that tugged 

AMC's 3,700-ton theatre along 42nd 

Street. These are, of course, just a few of 

the many efforts being made by exhibitors, 

all hoping to take a bite out of the Big 

Apple. 

BOSTON: 

MEGAPLEX MANIA 

IN MASSACHUSETTS 

Call 

a movie service number for information 

about location and programming 

for a movie theatre in downtown 

Boston or across the river in 

Cambridge, and one of the words the message 

is likely to contain is "historic." 

But a word you won't hear is "stadium," 

or not yet at least. 

There's no stadium seating in any of the 

theatres in these areas, where a handful of 

cinemas—some of them very old—cater 

mainly to the student population from the 

many local colleges and universities. 

That will change, however, come springtime 

2000 when General Cinema Theatres, 

a Massachusetts-based company with 

1,067 screens at 140 U.S. locations, opens 

the Fenway 13, which is part of a whole 

new retail and restaurant redevelopment 

project a few blocks from the ballpark. 

"It's the first new theatre in the city in 

more than a decade," explains Brian 

Callaghan, director of communications for 

the company. This "first state-of-the-art 

theatre" will virtually double the number of 

screens in downtown Boston where, in 

recent years, theatre owners have closed 

venues rather than go to the expense of refurbishing 

them. At the same time, the area 

boasts a fair amount of thriving cinemas, 

including Sony's four-screen Cheri, Loews' 

nine-screen Copley Place and a few independent 

outlets. 

The Fenway, which Callaghan describes 

as "sleek," occupies the "historic" (there's 

that word again) Sears building, which 

stands 20-stories high with a very tall tower 

in the middle. The company decided to preserve 

the original architecture because 

"with a historical building, it's important to 

make the project fit the style. There is a lot 

to be gained in keeping the eye-catching 

sights of the established style," says 

Callaghan. 

"We are known for very high standards 

and the best and largest variety of concessions," 

continues Callaghan about his circuit, 

which brought the concept of luxury 

movie theatres to the apex of leather seating 

and table service in theatres throughout 

Chicago, Milwaukee and Baltimore. 

And 

while The Fenway will not go to that 

extreme, it will include all the state-of-theart 

technological and architectural pluses 

featured in the luxury venues, such as wallto-wall 

screens, digital sound and, of 

course, the all-important stadium seating. 

In addition, concessions will include pizza 

made on the premises, Starbucks coffee 

and a wide range of desserts. 

Potential theatregoers in the downtown 

area, which is somewhat desolate but has 

been gradually revitalized with the influx of 

clubs, restaurants and bars, comprise a mix 

of different groups. However, the largest 

market are college students and young professionals, 

who Callaghan describes as people 

that "go out on a very regular basis and 

want to see everything from the blockbusters 

to the independent and art-house 

films." 

General Cinema Theatres has a deal 

with Sundance to develop cinemas 

designed to showcase films outside of the 

mainstream. And while plans have been 

greenlit for such theatres in other cities, the 

notion of an 1 1-plex art-house sporting the 

Sundance name, made famous by Robert 

Redford, has been scrapped in downtown 

Boston. 

The reason for this. General Cinema 

Theatres admits, is "it was too costly" to 

lease or build on the location that they considered 

suitable to attract target theatergoers. 

This undoubtedly comes as somewhat 

of a relief to owners of the small independent 

speciality theatres in Boston, who, 

though blessed with loyal audiences, do 

speculate that the Redford name might 

have attracted their patrons, especially if 

the chain's stadium seating afforded a 

clearer view of subtitles. 

Connie White, who along with 

Marianne Lampke operates the Beacon 

Cinema Group and programs the Coolidge 

Comer in Brookline, expresses some concern 

that too many screens in the market 

might result in corporate-owned multiplexes 

that ultimately book movies inappropriate 

for their audiences at the expense of the 

quirkier, nurturing art-houses. But, in general, 

such specialized houses as hers, she 

believes, will continue to attract the serious 

moviegoer, even without stadium seating 

and free parking. 

It's not by accident that the programming 

message at the Beacon-owned Brattle 

in Cambridge's Harvard Square welcomes 

customers to the "historic" theatre and 

mentions its convenient location, just one 

step from the Red Line public transportation 

stop. Aware of moviegoers perception 

of downtown and Harvard Square as 

unique areas, Massachusetts-based comp 

nies, eager to keep investing in their loci 

market, look outside the rim of the city fi 

possible venue locations. 

Hoyts 

Cinemas (originally foundt 

in Australia in 1908 and no 

owned by Oz billionaire and po. 

player Kerry Packer), is responsible for tl 

first stadium-seat theatre in New Englan 

and holds 207 screens at 29 locations 

Massachusetts. "Our strategy is to be out 

the suburbs," says Hoyts spokeswoma 

Joanne Berberan. "Urban is not where vi 

are or where we want to be. We go in an 

target underscreened markets and we targ 

every demographic. We believe everybod 

is a potential theatergoer. We are out in tt 

communities where people live, where pec 

pie make their homes." 

Berberan explains that three or foi 

years ago, her company undertook a vei 

extensive study that sought to discove 

what constituted an "ideal world" in tb 

minds of theatergoers. As a result of th 

inquiry, Hoyts has "nothing downtown, 

but three new theatres on Route 495, whic 

loops around the city. New builds includ 

the Hoyts Westborough Cinema 12, whic 

showcases Hollywood's latest offerings. 

Berberan also notes that "easy access" 

a concept of particular importance t 

Hoyts. The company is determined to cor 

tinue building in locations where "anyon 

can get to in 20 minutes and find accessibl 

parking." 

Though each Hoyts cinema is construct 

ed differently, all include large lobbies wit 

areas for hosting events such as children 

birthday parties as well as Quikava cafe 

for thirsty adults. 

The company's strategy places impoi 

tance on seating, stadium-style theatrei 

screen size, sound and the all-importan 

extra "S" of service. As a result, the circuit 

which opens its next 12-screen stadium 

seater in Cape Cod this December, ha 

attracted two types of patrons: moviegoer 

who kept going when Massachusetts-are 

cinemas were less than ideal and peopli 

who dropped their film habit but are nov 

returning because of accessibility and stale 

of-the-art design. 

National Amusements, also Mas 

sachusetts based, is another company tha 

is concentrating on developments outsid 

of Boston's inner city. Company VP Dan 

Wilson confirms that the city's downtov^t 

"is not really for us — not enough lane 

space [and] not enough free parking space.' 

The company, which has 178 screen: 

throughout the state, emphasizes "luxury 

and technology" at theatres such as the 20 

screen Showcase in Revere. These theatre 

boast very large lobbies, oversized stadiuir 

seats, lavish concessions and extra plus! 

decor utilizing imaginative color combos 

including the latest mix of semi-precioui 

stone hues like lapis, amethyst and 

turquoise. The company's theatres may wel: 

be, as Wilson says, "beautiful," but they jusi 

wouldn't fit right in historic downtowr 

Boston. 

I 

84 BOXOFTICE

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Response Ho. 150

INDEPENDENT EXHIBITION SHOWCASE 

CIVIC-MINDED 

Arnold Gorlick Opens an Art-House 

in Downtown Madison, Conn. 

by Annlee Ellingson 

realized my dream. And now I 

I've 

have no life," says Arnold Gorlick, 

owner of the Madison Art 

Cinemas, a two-screen art-house in 

Madison, Conn., that celebrated its 

grand opening this spring. On this particular 

Monday morning (he tries not to 

work on Mondays and Tuesdays, at least 

not at the theatre itself), Gorlick's busy 

schedule forces him to pull triple duty, 

chatting with BOXOFFICE on his cell 

phone while making a delivery to his 

bookkeeper and taking a rare moment 

to enjoy a beautiful fall afternoon. Still, 

the entrepreneur's enthusiasm for his latest 

project inspires an hour-long visit 

and several subsequent phone calls to 

BOXOFFICE to clarify and supplement 

his previous points. 

Gorlick has reason to be excited. After 

a 24-year stint as the general manager of 

the York Square Cinema in New Haven, 

the exhibitor has embarked on a new 

career, re-opening a theatre that had been 

abandoned by Hoyts a year before when 

the company built a 12-plex 20 miles 

down the road and fulfilling a dream he 

never thought would come true. 

"It became clear to me that I wanted 

to own an art cinema, I suppose within 

the past four or five years," Gorlick says. 

"I always thought that I would be working 

in an art venue on some level, but I 

never thought for sure that I'd own my 

own theatre." 

Gorlick's success was ultimately motivated 

by a community movement to 

light the darkened theatre. After Hoyts 

pulled out of the building, J. Sanford 

Davis, the building owner, inquired 

whether the market could support the 

theatre if it opened again. The Madison 

Cultural Arts organization initiated a 

petition to research the question and 

gathered 3,000 signatures within three 

weeks in support of the proposal. 

"The theatre was dark for awhile, and 

I was anxious to get it lit again," says 

Roxanne Coady, an investor in the theatre 

who owns R.J. Julia Booksellers 

across the street. "I think people need 

and want [an] active main street. I think 

the scale of it and the connectedness of it 

[are] very important to day-to-day life. 

They're hard to keep vibrant. 

"It struck me that if we could get a 

theatre and the bookstore and the shops 

that we've got in Madison and the 

required coffee [shop], then we had our 

shot at making it all kind of work. And 

people would feel excited. It feels appeal- 

MAIN STREET, USA: Arnold Gorlick's Madison Art 

Cinemas compliments the neighborhood. 

ing. I think people want a little downtown, 

but they want it to have a certain 

kind of sophistication." 

"[Madison is] a very close-knit community," 

says Milt Daly, executive vice 

president and chief operating officer for 

MAOISON ART CINEMAS 

761 Boston Post Road 

Madison, CT 06443 

(203) 245-3456 

EARLIEST MOVIE MEMORY: 

I remember the Calvary pictures that I used 

to see at the Rogers Theatre in Brooklyn. 

FAVORITE BOXOFFICE FEATRE: 

The indie showcase! That's my favorite! 

Crown Theatres and Gorlick's person 

mentor. "These people do not want 

leave Madison to look for entertai 

ment. With the bookstore's help and tl 

landlord's help, this all came togetht 

The city welcomed it with open arc 

and made it happen very quickly. Th( 

passed his permitting very, very quick) 

And they saw the plans, they liked wh 

they saw, and Arnold had the theatre i 

and operating in 90 days once we got tl 

deal concluded." 

"There were a number of peop 

working for the location to use it for 

variety of venues," Gorlick says. "Tl 

support seemed to coalesce around n 

from the Shoreline Alliance for the Art 

Chamber of Commerce, Main Strei 

Business Community and the town go^ 

ernment, specifically first selectma 

[Thomas Rylander]. The town put pre: 

sure—when I say put pressure, they die 

n't have to really put pressure becauj 

the landlord is a very civic-minde 

guy—to not only retain the movie th( 

atre as a movie theatre, but to transfon 

it into an art theatre. But not just t 

transform it into an art theatre, but t] 

do it according to my vision." 

Gorlick's 

vision was to nestle a| 

old-fashioned movie palace i 

a main street movie house, S'j 

he called on his friend Vladimi 

Shpitalnik, an art director at the Mosco\ 

Arts Theatre and Yale Drama Schoo 

"[Shpitalinik] looked at me early on am 

said, 'Well, Arnold, do you want to gi 

normal or do you want to go risky?' 

Gorlick recalls, mimicking the designer 

Russian accent. "And I looked him bad 

in the eyes and said, 'I want to go risky.' 

FAVORITE CONCESSION ITEM: 

My espresso. 

ADVICE FOR OTHER EXHIBITORS: 

Don't cut corners on certain things. Give 

the audience the most comfortable 

seats. It's easy to want to save money. 

Seats cost a lot of money to buy them 

in numbers. Pay attention to the d§cor. 

You don't necessarily have to spend 

money. 

86 BoxorncE

Puzzled on how to choose a POS 

ana concessions proviaer 

for your theatre? 

Pacer 

CATS 

You'll know you've 

seen the future. 

r;

The color scheme they came up with 

combines antique gold, Ming red and 

aquamarine, which Gorlick admits 

sounds a little too risky. "Every time I 

showed them the colors on a piece of 

paper, most people thought I was nuts," 

he says. "It was really gratifying to see 

people and colleagues walk into the theatre 

and say, 'Man, I didn't 

think that was going to work. 

You really pulled it together.'" 

"The color motif is quite 

modem," Daly agrees. "There's 

warmth to the coloring." 

Gorlick is especially proud 

of the espresso he offers in 

addition to the usual popcorn, 

soda and candy treat available 

at a movie theatre concession 

stand. "I'm an espresso 

fetishist," he confesses. "I've 

spent a lot of time in Europe 

and the Mediterranean, and 

coffee has a different significance 

over there. I think I have 

just about the best espresso in 

the world. To most Americans, 

espresso is bitter, black water, 

and that's what they get. 

"We do it all fresh. We don't have any 

mixes or automatic machines. I import 

my beans from Italy and grind, pack and 

brew them to-order for each espresso 

drink, whether [it be] a cappuccino or 

latte or ice cappuccino or espresso or 

machiatto or anything like that." 

With help from the Largo construction 

company, Jarco Industries (whose 

Jeff Stein visited the theatre personally 

to help design the concession stand) and 

his film buyers at Lesser 

Theatre Service, Gorlick was 

able to bestow the same level of 

care on the rest of his operation, 

from the high-back chairs, 

which boast four extra inchc 

of padding, to the state-of-thc 

art projection and sound equip 

ment to the films he plays. 

But the theatre's physical 

attributes are really only accessories 

for the ambiance created 

by Gorlick and his employees. 

"There is a highly personalized 

atmosphere there, 

not only in 

my person, but all of the 

employees seem to genuinely 

enjoy working there and have a 

high, high level of interaction 

and involvement with the customers," 

he says. "They're conversant 

in the films. They greet them on 

the way in. They see them coming out of 

the theatre, [and] they thank them for 

coming. 

"Despite the efficiency of having a 

homogenized world out there, I think on 

a certain level that most people lament 

the depersonalization of daily life and 

will make an effort to reward someone 

who gives them an atmosphere and an 

experience where they feel not so much 

special, but [where] the experience has 

been personalized and humanized. And 

that's what I've done." 

In Coady's mind, Gorlick's attention 

to the details has paid off in a big way. 

"It's like old-fashioned theatre-going," 

she says. "It's very civilized, that's the 

way I would describe it." 

HARD AT WORK: The Madison Art Cinemas staff provides 

fast, friendly service on opening nigtit. 

"ow that the theatre is up and 

running, Gorlick's plans for it 

X ^ 2are far from fully realized. "I'm 

in the process of organizing a cinema 

club whereby we're going to have not just 

a film society whereby there will be privileges, 

access to discounts, special screenings 

and so on and so forth. There is 

going to be a weekly club whereby we're 

going to present films in a series of six to 

eight weeks, some pre-release, some clas- 

HARDLY WORKING: hAadison, Conn., sees 

tfie madison Art Cinemas for tlie first time. 

sic films, we can choose any kind of 

theme—film noir, French New Wave, 

Italian neorealism, films of the Middle 

East, a Hitchcock series, a Kubrick series. 

And not just to have those run as a series, 

but to have it function with moderators 

and with discussion groups with tie-ins to 

authors, participants. 

"We already have a list of forthcoming 

independent films where the filmmakers 

themselves and [I] have been in 

contact, and we will be able to shol 

those films where the filmmakers then! 

selves—whether it be the actor or pnl 

ducer or director— [are] present at tlj 

film to discuss with the audience wh| 

they've seen. 

"We're already programming benefi 

and premieres, tie-ins with certain film 

If there's a social action grou 

or a cultural group or a civ 

group that's interested in usin 

the theatre for a fundraiser, I'l 

looking to coordinate whei 

they would be taking the opei 

ing night and promoting 

That's one way to involve on( 

self in the community." 

Likewise, the community 

interested in becoming involve 

with the theatre. A group ( 

Madison citizens has formed 

Madison Art Cinemas advisor 

board, a group of men an 

women who want to see th 

theatre succeed. 

"I was happy to have th 

community interested in partic 

ipating, but I let them kno\ 

quickly there will be participa 

tion, but they won't be involved in thi 

day-to-day programming and operatin 

of the theatre," Gorlick says. "They sim 

ply don't have the expertise, nor do the 

have any money on the line. [It] can gej 

away from you like that." 

Instead, the group will function as 

sponsor of a film series, sharing the pro! 

motional and financial responsibilities 

with the theatre. 

Gorlick and Coady are also lookinij 

to collaborate. "[R.J. Julia's ha| 

Pamela Clarke Keogh] cominji 

in for her book called 

Audrey style,' so we've got thi 

little thing where [Gorlick isj 

going to play 'Breakfast a! 

Tiffany's,' and then they'll com(' 

over and meet the authcvr.' 

Coady explains. "Or we ha\t] 

an author who wrote a biograi 

phy of Marilyn Monroe, so htj 

might do a Marilyn Monro( 

retrospective one weekenc 

around that time." 

In the meantime, Gorlick i^ 

just happy to finally have hi^ 

own theatre open for business 

"It's personally rewarding," he 

says. "I have a highly interactive 

business. It's a very sociable 

business whereby I get to have 

an immediate gratification not just at 

seeing the boxoffice while I'm standing 

there, which is rewarding on a level, but 

I can interact with the community and 

hear individuals speak to me and hear 

them speak in appreciative tones. Many 

people came out with a variation of the 

following theme: 'It's just a pleasure to 

sit and watch a movie here.' That's really 

all you want. [My theatre is] very beautiful, 

and it's very comfortable." 

Hi 

88 BOXOFTICE

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/bathrooms 

and concession areas ruin 

the entertain 

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Response No. 499

' 

SHOWEAST '99 

romp Taj Mahal Casino Resei 

ew Jersey • Octobert 8-^21, 1S9S 

HEDULE Of EVENTSi 

MONDAY, October 18 

TUESDAY, October 19 

9-11 a.m. Screening: Fox Searchligh 

5:30-7:30 p.m. 

7:30-9 p.m. 

Specialized Film 

Screening: Trimark's 

"The Last September" 

Cocktail Reception. 

Sponsor: Media Salles. 

International Achievement 

Awards to Cinema Selections' 

George Mansour (Exhibition) 

and Fine Line (Distribution) 

1 0:45 a. m. - Technical and Concessiom, 

12 noon Seminars. Sponsors: ITEA, NAQ 

11-11:45 a.m. Presentation of Media Salles 

European Cinema Yearbooi 

12 noon- Trade Show. Onfloor Luncheor 

6:30 p.m. Sponsor: Dolby Labs. Beverage 

Sponsor: Premier DataVision 

5' 7 p. m. Screening: Fine Line 

9-11 p.m. 

Specialized Film 

Screening: Sony Classics' 

"All About My Mother" 

("Todo Sobre Mi Madre") 

7-9 p.m. Opening Night Dinner. 

Sponsors: Pepsi-Cola, Miramax 

9-11 p.m. Screening: Mirama) 

11p.m. 

Dessert Part^ 

WEDNESDAY, October 20 

THURSDAY, October 21 

6-9:30 a.m. Breakfast. Sponsor: Technicolor 

8:30-11:30 a.m. 

Trade Show 

9:30 a.m.- 

12 noon 

12:30- 

2:15 p.m. 

2:30-5:30 p.m. 

5-7 p.m. 

7-9 p.m. 

Opening Ceremony and Warner 

Bros. Screening. Career Award 

to NATO's William F Kartozian 

Luncheon. Sponsors: 

Eastman Kodak, Warner Bros. 

Trade Show 

Screening: New Line 

Dinner. Sponsor: New Line 

10:30 a.m.- 

12:45 p.m. 

12:45- 

2:30p.m. 

2:30-4:30 p.m. 

Screening: 

Warner Bros. 

Luncheon anc 

Induction Ceremon) 

for Showeast'3 

Hall of Fami 

Sponsor: Son\ 

Pictures Releasini 

Screeni 

9-11:15 p.m. 

Screening: Universal 

6:30-7:30 p.m. 

Cocktail Receptiofi 

11:15 p.m. 

Dessert Party. 

Sponsor: Digital Projection 

7:30-10 p.m. 

Final Night Banquet, 

and Awards Ceremony- 

Sponsor: Coca-Colsk 

90 BOXOFFICE

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I* 

92 BOXOFFICE

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Response No 49 

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.;

SHOWEAST '99 BOOTH LIST 

(Organized alphabetically by company) 

Allen Products Co. Inc. 

1635 E. Burnett 

Signal Hill, CA 90806 

(562) 424-1100; fax: (562) 424-3520 

Rep: Sabrina Adomo 

.1020 

Cargill Foods Inc 

P.O. Box 5693 

Minneapolis. MN 55440 

(612) 742-6213; fax: (612) 742-5503 

Rep: Mark Overiand 

.503, 505 

Dolby Laboratories 701, 703, 800, 80i\ 

100 Potrero Avenue 

San Francisco, CA 94103 

(415) 558-0200; (415) 863-1373 

Rep: Robert Warren 

American Desk. 

1302 Industrial 

P.O. Box 6129 

Temple, TX 76504 

(254) 773-1776; fax: (254) 773-7370 

Rep: Ken Yerrington 

American Intl. Concessions 

20 Dubon Court 

Farmingdale, NY 11735 

(516)420-1869 

American Licorice Company. 

3701 W. 138 Place 

Alsip, IL 60803 

(708) 371-1414; fax (708) 371-0231 

Rep: Will Miller 

Automated Bar Controls 

790 Eubanks Drive 

Vacanville, CA 95688 

(707) 448-5151; fax: (707) 448-1521 

Rep: Darin Rice 

Avaskinc 

75 W. Forest Avenue 

Englewood, NJ 07631 

(201) 567-7300; fax: (201) 569-6285 

Rep: Robert Bredin 

Bagcraft Packaging, LLC. 

3900 West 43rd Street 

Chicago, IL 60632 

(312) 254-8000; fax: (312) 254-8204 

Rep: Laura Olsen 

Banner Candy Mfg. Corp 

700 Liberty Avenue 

Brooklyn, NY 11208 

(800) 221-0934; fax: (718) 647-4747 

Rep: Libby Mauro 

Bass Industries Inc 

380 N.E. 67th St. 

Miami. FL 33138 

(305) 751-2716; fax: (305) 756-6165 

Rep: Robert M. Baron 

BGW Systems Inc. 

P.O. Box 5042 

Hawthorne, CA 90251 

(310) 973-8090; fax: (310) 676-6713 

Rep: Barbara Wachner 

Big Sky Industries 

259 Center Street 

Phillipsburg, NJ 08865 

(908) 454-6344; fax: (908) 454-6373 

Rep: Mike Avallone 

Boston Light & Sound. 

290 North Beacon Street 

Boston, MA 02135-1990 

(617) 787-3131; fax: (617) 787-4257 

Rep: Lawrence Shaw 

Boxofllce Magazine. 

155 S. El Molino Ave., Suite 100 


(626) 396-0250; fax: (626) 396-0248 

Rep: Bob Vale 

Brintons U.S. Axminster. 

1856 Artistry Lane 

Greenville. MS 38703 

(662) 332-1581; fax: (662) 332-1594 

Rep: Michelle Moore 

.801, 803 

.814-818 

.1120 

.1118 

.420 

.1107 

.56 

.85 

.807 

.200, 202 

.73 

.222 

.126 

Christie inc 

10550 Camden Drive 

Cypress, CA 90630 

(714) 229-3158; fax: (714) 229-3185 

Rep: Joe Delgado 

Cincom. 

P.O. Box 2533 

Salem, NH 03079 

(603) 893-4403; fax: (603) 893-1667 

Rep: Matthew Sinopoli 

Cinema Film Systems 

779 N. Benson Avenue 

Upland, CA 91786 

(909) 931-9318; fax: (909) 949-8815 

Rep: Roy Faerber 

Cinema Products Inc. 

1015 5th Avenue North 

Nashville, TN 37219 

(800) 891-1031; fax: (615) 248-2725 

Rep: Ron Purtee 

Cinema Supply Co 

502 S. Market St. 

Millersburg, PA 17061 

(717) 692-4744; fax: (717) 692-3073 

Rep: Gina DiSanto 

Cinemeccanica U.S. 

8753 Lion Street 

Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 

(909) 481-5842; fax: (909) 481-5845 

Rep: Thomas Brenner 

.819, 821 

.408 

.900-908 

.53 

.921 

.805 

The Coca-Cola Co 601-611, 700, 710 

P.O. Drawer 1734, Mail Code USA 873 

Atlanta, GA 30313 

(404) 676-2121 

Rep: Krista Sculte 

Colgate-Palmolive Co. 923 

191 E. Hanover Ave. 

Morristown, NJ 07962 

(973) 631-9000; fax: (973) 292-6028 

Rep: Barbara Kiefel 

Component Engineering Co. 302, 304 

4237 24th Avenue West 

Seattle, WA 98199-1214 

(206) 284-9171; fax: (206) 286-4462 

Rep: Bill Purdy 

Crown InternationaL 1201, 1203 

P.O. Box 1000 

Elkhart, IN 46515-1000 

(219) 294-8200; fax: (219) 294-8020 

Rep: Erica Spencer 

Data Display USA Inc. 

5004 Veteran's Memorial Highway 

Holbrook, NY 11741 

(516) 218-2130; fax: (516) 218-2140 

Rep: Veronica Broome 

David Tyson Lighting. 

P.O. Box 1932 

Callahan, FL 32011-1932 

(800) 385-3148; fax: (800) 385-3149 

Rep: David Tyson 

Dean Pickle & Specialty Pro 

10255 W. Higgins Blvd., 5th Floor 

Rosemont, IL 60018 

(847) 375-8413; fax: (847) 375-8404 

Rep: Mike Trabbold 

.201, 203 

.1021 

.216 

Dr. Pepper/Seven Up Inc 

5301 Legacy Drive 

Piano, TX 75024 

(972) 673-7781; fax: (972) 673-7115 

Rep: Jason Stripling 

Duraform 

1435 S. Santa Fe Avenue 

Compton, CA 90221 

(310) 761-1640; fax: (310) 761-1646 

Rep: Betty Prosser 

.122i, 

.82k 

Durkan Patterned Carpet. 419, 42 

405 Virgil Drive 

Dalton, GA 30721 

(706) 278-7037; (706) 279-8451 

Rep: Teresa McClure 

Eastern Acoustic Works 

One Main Street 

Whitinsville, MA 01588 

(508) 234-6158; fax: (508) 234-8251 

Rep: Rob Carey 

ECi-www.ticketingsystems.com 

1153 Inspiration Lane 

Escondido, CA 92025 

(760) 480-1002; fax: (760) 480-6830 

Rep: Bruce Hall 

EG&G ORC Lighting Pro 

1300 Optical Drive 

Azusa, CA 91702 

(626) 815-3100; fax: (626) 815-3074 

Rep: Jeanie Turunen 

1015-101i\ 

.127 

.809, 811 

ElMSinc 

1109, 1111, 1208, 12U 

8801 State Highway 16, Suite A 

Gig Harbor, WA 98332 

(253) 857-6411; fax: (253) 857-6461 

Rep: Michael Von Ditter 

EVI Audio 1121-1127 

600 Cecil Street 

Buchanan, Ml 49107 

(616) 695-2831; fax: (616) 695-1304 

Rep: Monte Wise 

Fantasy Entertainment. 

8 Commercial Street, Hudson, NH 03061 

(603) 324-3240; fax: (603) 879-9203 

63 Range Road, Windham, NH 03086 

(603)894-1234 

Rep: Mary Bouley 

.m 

Field Container Co 

9t 

1501 Industrial Park Dr, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 

(205) 333-0333; fax: (205) 333-9862 

Rep: Richard Burklow 

Figueras International Seating...401 , 403, 500, 505 

Ctra. Pareta a Bigues, KM 7 7 

Llissa D'amunt 08186 SPAIN 

34938445050; fax: 34938445070 

Rep: Jordi Chaparro 

Fiimack Studios 

1327 S. Wabash Avenue 


(800) 345-6225; (312) 427-4866 

Rep: Robert Mack 

Funacho 

2165 Central Pari

This bulb has to perform at the highest standards 

to receive our highest tribute. ^.-^^"""'"^ 

The Christie name. 

•""^^î, 

When it comes to the Christie name, 

people have come to expect only the 

best in projection room technology. 

And that's precisely why our line of 

bulbs cannot be anything less than that. 

The best. 

Christie delivers the lowest cost 

per operating hour which makes them 

the most cost efficient bulbs on the market. 

They're designed to prevent heatgenerated 

malfunctions including flicker, 

seal failure and blackening or explosion. 

They meet UL listing requirements, too. 

What's more, we give you the longest 

warranty coverage in the business 

20% longer as a matter of fact. And we 

put it in writing. 

Our bulbs carry the Chr-istie name. . 

your guarantee of reliability and dedicated 

service and support. 

Ask your Christie dealer or write us 

for more information. Christie, 10550 

Camden Drive, Cypress, CA 90630, 

(714) 236-8610. 

"We Make Film Come Alive." 

Response No. 3

i 

Uê GreatestWê"* 

U

INSURING CLIENTS NATIONWIDE 

mx, 

MAROEViCH. O'SHEA & COGHLAN 

San Francisco, CA 

(415)957-0600 

TOLL FREE (800) 951-0600 

License No. 0589960 

SUPPLIERS • PRODUCERS 

www.mocins.com 


S fSM^^SMSISMSMSISMSM^M^MÎSMSMSMSM^SISMSMSMSMSMSMSMSSSMSISMSISMSISIEMSl 

SUPERGLO 

A durable pearlescent, 

smooth surface offers 

maximum reflectivity & 

light distribution. 

HURLEY SCREEN 

SILVERGLO 

A smooth, aluminized surface 

offering the highest 

reflectivity for special applications 

such as 3D. 

Screen Framing • AH Types Available 

FAX # (410) 838-8079 

MW-16 

A heavy guage matte 

white surface offering 

excellent light distribution, 

image clarity, and 

color rendition. 

Th«atr« Co 

Gabriella Imports 

5100 Prospect A venue 

Cleveland, OH 44103 

(216) 432-3651; fax: (216) 432-3654 

Rep: Doug Friedman 

Gemini Incorporated. 

103 Mensing Way 

Cannon Falls, MN 55009 

(800) 538-8377; fax: (800) 421-1256 

Rep: Patty Zimmerman 

Ghirardelli Chocolate Co. 

2 Oak Way 

Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922 

(908) 898-0023; fax: (908) 898-0040 

Rep: Patricia lâzzatta 

GlassForm 

43 Saratoga 

Batavia, IL 60610 

(800) 995-8322; fax: (630) 761-8859 

Rep: Cindy Gardner 

Globe Ticket & Label. 

300 Constance Drive 

Warminster, PA 18974 

(800) 523-5968; fax: (215) 956-2490 

Rep: Ricfiard Eddy 

Gold Medal Products Co 

10700 Medallion Dr 

Cincinnati, OH 45241 

(513) 769-7676; fax: (513) 769-8500 

Rep: David Garretson 

Goldberg Brothers Inc 

8000 East 40th Avenue 

Denver, CO 80207 

(303) 321-1099; fax: (303) 388-0749 

Rep: Randall Uriik 

Goldenberg Candy Co 

7701 State Road 

Philadelphia, PA 19136 

(215) 335-4500; fax: (215) 335-4510 

Rep: Mindy Goldenberg 

Great Western Products 

30290 U.S. Highway 72 

Hollywood, AL 35752 

(256) 259-3578 

Rep: Mark Hamilton 

.50, 

.1025^ 

AUTOMATED HIGH SPEED U/L APPROVED TICKETING EQUIPMENT 

Factory Service, the only authorized manufacturer and repair center. 

AUTOMATICKET 

A Division of Cemcorp 

110 Industry Lane - P.O. Box 296 

Forest Hill, MD 21050 

HURIEY SCREEN CORP. 

A Subsidiary of Cemcorp 

410-838-0036 • 410-879-3022 • 410-879-6757 • 410-836-9333 

Si]MSMSMSMSISMSISMS!SMSMSISMSM0MSISMSMSISISISM^SMSMSISMSMSMSMSMSM^Sf^^Si 

JMC 

JOHN MEYER CONSULTING 

120 Bedford Road 

Armonk, New York 10504 

914.273.5225 • 914.273.2102 Fax 

914.273.8261 BBS 

mail@johnmeyerconsulting.com 


Site Planning 

Transportation 

Landscape Architecture 

Civil Engineering 

Design Management 

Environmental Studies 

Land Surveying 

Hazardous Waste 

Construction Services 

Complete Theater/Entertainment Center Services 


Harkness Hall. 

10 Harkeness Boulevard 

Fredericksburg, VA 22401 

(540) 370-1590; fax: (540) 370-1592 

Rep: Joe Ward 

High Performance Stereo 

64 Bowen Street 

Newton Centre, MA 02459-1820 

(617) 244-1737; fax: (617) 244-4390 

Rep: John F. Allen 

Hollywood.com 

1620 26th Street, Suite 370 S. 

Santa Monica, CA 90404 

(310) 586-2031; fax: (310) 586-2001 

Rep: William Zaiokar 

Hunt-Wesson Inc 

1645 W. Valencia, Fullerton, CA 92831 

(714) 578-6087; fax: (714) 578-6505 

Rep: Lisa Hearn 

Icon Software USA 

725, 727, 824, ft 

World Trade Center, 3600 Port of Tacoma Road 

Tacoma, WA 98424 

(253) 926-8075; fax: (253) 926-8076 

Rep: Scarlett Roitman 

International Display Systems 318, 3* 

5008 Veterans Memorial Highway 

Holbrook, NY 11741 

(516) 218-1802; fax: (516) 218-1801 

Rep: Rick Kranz 

Irwin Seating Company. 1114-1117, 1214, 121 

P.O. Box 2429 

Grand Rapids, Ml 49504-2429 

(616) 574-7319; fax: (616) 574-7119 

Rep: Vicki Stein 

98 BOXOFFICE

I 

J Snack Foods Corps , 

,00 Central Highway 

.nnsauken. NJ 08109 

J9) 665-9533; fax: (609) 665-6718 

.•p: Nina Sciacca 

.520, 522 

Mars Theater Mgmt. Systems...209, 211, 308, 310 

335 Madison Avenue 

New York, NY 10017 

(212) 450-8141; fax: (212) 450-8001 

Rep: Dorit Rabbani 

Odell's 820 

P.O. Box 11336 

Reno, NV 89510 

(800) 635-0436; fax: (775) 323-6532 

Rep: Arthur Anderson 

,rco Industries 

J. Box 159 

.bylon, NY 11702 

16) 422-9000; fax: (516) 422-9005 

•p: Justin Stein 

.1023 

;L Professional. 815, 817, 914, 916 

J. Box 2200, 8500 Balboa Boulevard 

'rthridge. CA 91329 

18) 894-8850; fax: (818) 830-7880 

'p: Mike l^cCarihy 

tlmar Systems 

:4 Broadway 

\intington Station, NY 11746 

,16) 421-1230; fax: (516) 421-1274 

:p: Andrew fvlarglin 

inetronics Corp , 

'78 râin Street 

rasota, FL 34236 

t1) 951-2432; fax: (941) 955-5992 

'p: Mark Boswortti 

804 

.507 

ipsch 521,523 

loo Keystone Crossing, Suite 1220 

:1ianapolis, IN 46240 

17) 581-3185; fax: (317) 574-3879 

^p: Ctiris Pyle 

feisley Electric Company. 

D. Box 4692 

ledo, OH 43610 

19) 241-1219; fax: (419) 241-9920 

!p; Betty Schiffler 

?H Thermal Systems 

51 Sneath Lane 

'n Bruno, CA 94066 

50) 873-6071; fax: (650) 873-2182 

!p; Tony Johnson 

'wrence Metal Products 

D. Box 400-M 

y Shore, NY 11706 

16) 666-0300; (516) 666-0336 

>p: Steve Lawrence 

'H-D Enterprises Inc 

80 Okeschobee Blvd., Suite 202 

est Palm Beach, FL 33417 

31) 682-3500; fax: (561) 682-3777 

?p; Lenny Dickstein 

.518 

.220 

.501 

.504 

no Sonego & C. SRL 224, 226 

3 Reset Nr 51, Planzano Di Godega 31010 

iviso ITALY 

438430026; fax: 39 438430287 

jp; Fabio Sonego 

iM/Mars 

'o High Street 

lackettstown, NJ 07840 

08) 852-1000; fax: (908) 850-2734 

ip: Patti Manoogian 

AH Communications Inc 

/ Kalmus, Suite J-7 

)ste lêsa, CA 02626 

14) 966-9164; fax: (714) 966-5838 

.'p; Alex LaBrie 

knko Seating Co 

W. 36th Street 

w York, NY 10018 

12) 695-7470; fax: (212) 563-0840 

>p: Norman Manko 

irble Company. 

02 Ambrose Avenue 

ishville, TN 37217 

JO) 759-5905; fax: (615) 227-7008 

'p; Randy Bauch 

.309, 311 

.321 

.1122 

.1009 

Media Salles 

Via Soparga 2 

Milano 20127 ITALY 

Rep: Elisabetaa Brunella 

.404, 406 

Media Technology/Caddy Prod....515-519, 614-618 

10501 Florida Avenue South 

Minneapolis, MN 55438 

(612) 828-0161; fax: (612) 829-0166 

Rep: Peter Bergin 

Mega Systems 

P.O. Box 4186 

St. Augustine, FL 32085 

(904) 829-5702; fax: (904) 829-5707 

Rep: Carrie Horn 

Merryl Lynch 

120 East Palmetto Park Road 

Boca Raton, FL 33432 

(561) 416-4650; fax: (561) 393-4592 

Rep: David Schaum 

MHS Design Group Inc. 

985 Parchment S.E. 

Grand Rapids, Ml 49546 

(616) 942-1870; fax: (616) 942-2057 

Rep: Richard Murphy 

Mobiliario S.A 

2606 Julianne, Belton, TX 76513 

(254) 939-9392; fax: (254) 939-9368 

Rep: Gary Knight 

Movie Review Magazine 

68 Coombs Avenue, Suite L-3 

Napa, CA 94559 

(561) 748-7676; fax: (561) 748-1024 

Rep: James Erickson 

Moviead Corp 

3500 N. Andrews Avenue 

Pompano Beach, FL 33064 

(800) 329-4989; fax: (954) 784-0700 

Rep: Emit Noah 

Multimedia 

3300 Monier Circle, Suite 150 

Rancho Cordova, CA 95742-6840 

(916) 852-4220; fax: (916) 852-8325 

Rep: George Suganvan 

.82, 83 

.207 

.86 

.101 

.89 

.84 

.128 

Namco Cybertainment Inc 1218 

877 Supreme Drive, Bensonville, IL 60106 

(630) 238-2200; fax: (630) 238-0560 

Rep: Alex Orban 

National Ticket Co 719 

P.O. Box 547, Shamokin, PA 17872 

(717) 672-2900; fax: (717) 672-2999 

Rep: Ginger Seidel 

NATO. 205 

3300 Lankershim Blvd., Suite 340 

North Hollywood, CA 91602 

(818) 506-1778; fax: (818) 506-0269 

Rep: Mary Ann Grasso 

NCS Corporation 600, 602 

99 Limestone Road, Ridgefield, CT 06877 

(203) 438-3405; fax: (203) 438-1419 

Rep: Walter Beatty 

Nestle USA 1101-1103 

30003 Bainbridge Rd., Solon, OH 44139 

(440) 349-5757 

Rep: Cindy Temple 

Neumade Products 915, 917, 1014, 1016 

30-40 Pecks Lane, Newton, CT 06470 

(203) 270-1100; fax: (203) 270-7778 

Rep: Walter Browski 

Omniterm Data Tech 707-711 

2785 Skymark Avenue, Unit 11 

Mississauga, Ontario L4W4Y3 CANADA 

(905) 629-4757; fax: (905) 629-8590 

Rep: Ed Coman 

Osram Sylvania 715, 717 

100 Endicott Street 

Danvers, MA 01923 

(978) 750-2404; fax: (978) 750-2089 

Rep: David Greening 

Pacer/Cats 907-911, 1006-1010 

3701 Wilshire Blvd. #1050 

Los Angeles, CA 90010 

(213) 639-6132; fax: (213) 382-6106 

Rep: Loren Pryor 

Packaging Concepts 1220 

4971 Fyler Avenue 

St. Louis, MO 63139 

(314) 481-1155; fax: (314) 481-6567 

Rep: John J. trace 

Paramount Pictures 1200-1206 

5555 Melrose Avenue 

Hollywood CA 90038 

(323) 956-4836; fax: (323) 862-1054 

Rep: Stephen Gonvan 

ParTech Inc 

8283 Seneca Turnpike 

New Hartford, NY 13413 

(315) 738-0600; fax: (315) 738-1099 

Rep: Eryn Butters 

PCNY USA Inc 

4038 Victory Blvd. 

Staten Island, NY 10314 

Rep: Maria Pepe 

Pepsi-Cola 

1 Pepsi Way 

Somera, NY 10589 

(914) 767-7814 

fax: (914) 767-1287 

Rep: Peter Leyh 

.319 

.423 

.1001-1005, 1100-1104 

Permlight Corporation 1207-1209 

422 West 6th Street 

Tustin, CA 92780 

(714) 508-0729; fax: (714) 508-0920 

Rep: Michael Schmidt 

Phonic Ear Inc. 

3880 Cypress Drive 

Petaluma, CA 94954 

(707) 769-1110; fax: (707) 769-9624 

Rep: Yvonne Ho 

.305 

Pike Productions 1105 

P.O. Box 300 

Newport, Rl 02840 

(401) 846-8890; fax: (401) 847-0070 

Rep: Patrick Mooney 

Premier Seating Co 325, 327, 424, 426 

4211 Shannon Drive 

Baltimore, MD 21213 

(410) 488-8867; fax: (410) 485-4997 

Rep: Edye Abrams 

Prime Ticket Inc 

11540-B Highway 17 

By-Pass Frontage Road 

Murrella Inlet, SC 29576 

(800) 385-3148; fax: (800) 385-3149 

Rep: Keith Black 

.1950 

Proctor Companies 80, 81 

10497 Centennial Road 

Littleton, CO 80127 

(303) 973-8989; fax: (303) 973-8884 

Rep: Judy Stratheam 

urcel Desrochers Inc. 

00 Rachelle Street 

mtreal H1N 1A0 CANADA 

14) 526-2686; fax: (514) 526-3553 

'p: Marcel Desrochers 

.300 

O'Tech Inc 

5610 Lafayette Place 

Hyattsville, MD 20781 

(301) 864-2461; fax: (301) 864-2163 

Rep: Tim Trotter 

..223 

Promotion In Motion 1108-1110 

3 Reuten Drive, P.O. Box 558 

Closter, NY 07624 

(201) 734-5800; fax: (201) 784-1010 

Rep: Aileen Joven 

November, 1999 99

Promotional Management Group.... 

1800 Baltimore KCMO 

Kansas City, KS 64108 

(816) 221-3833; fax: (913) 221-6166 

Rep: James McGinness 

Protocol LLC. 

7370 Mendota Heights Rd. 

Mendota Heights, MN 55120 

(800) 227-5336; fax: (661) 454-9542 

Rep: Jaime Karalis 

QSC Audio Products 

1675 MacArthur Blvd. 

Costa Mesa, CA 92626 

(714) 754-6174; fax: (714) 754-6174 

Rep: Barry Ferrell 

.1125 

.1225 

.721, 723 

Quinette Gallay Intl. 74-76 

15, rue de la Nouvelle France Montreauil Sous B, 

FRANCE 93108 

33149886333; fax: 33148582286 

Rep: Brigitte Berty 

Radiant Systems 925, 927, 1024, 1026 

3925 Brooier1 Schult 

.323 

.1018 

.606 

.525 

.324 

.52 

.78 

.705 

.65-70 

Seating Concepts 407, 409, 411, 506, 508, 510 

4901-600 Morena Blvd. 

San Diego, CA 92112-1089 

(619) 581-5715; fax: (619) 581-5725 

Rep: Alex Tiscareno 

Series USA 1224, 1226 

12570 S.W. 69th Ave., Suite 103 

Tigard, OR 97223 

(503) 639-7480; fax: (503) 639-7430 

Rep: Gaylord Stanton 

Shedfield Systems Inc 


Alsip, IL 60803 

(708) 489-6800; fax: (708) 489-0256 

Simply Done Software Inc 

7815 Beverly Blvd. 

Castle Rock CO 80104 

(303) 814-2777; fax: (303) 688-6359 

Rep: Michael Boltz 

Smart Devices Inc 

5945 Peachtree Comers East 

Norcross, GA 30071 

(770) 449-6698; fax: (770) 449-6728 

Rep: Robin Klamfoth 

Smart Products Inc 

2330 Toomey Avenue 

Charlotte, NC 28203 

(800) 343-3635 

Rep: Kim Wood 

Smithgroup Communications 

614 S.W. Eleventh, Suite 405 

Portland, OR 97205 

(503) 239-4215; fax: (503) 239-1570 

Rep: Gretchen Stevenson 

Snackworks 

8101 Orion #6 

Van Nuys, CA 91406 

(818) 780-8711; fax: (818) 780-8817 

Rep: Josh Schreider 

.124 

.307 

.806-810 

.410 

.214 

.102 

Sony Cinema Products 901-905, 1000-1004 

10950 W. Washington Blvd., Suite 200 

Culver City, CA 90232 

(310) 244-5777; fax: (310) 244-2024 

Rep: Terry Prince 

SPECO 1221, 1223 

709 N. 6th Street 

Kansas City, KS 66101 

(913) 321-3978; fax: (913) 321-7439 

Rep: Jaren Higginbotham 

Stage Accompany USA 

8917 Shore Court 

Bay Ridge, NY 11209 

(800) 955-7474; fax: (800) 955-9564 

Rep: Marcel Vantuyn 

Stein Industries Inc. 

22 Sprague Ave. 

Amityville, NY 11701 

(516) 789-2222; fax: (516) 789-8888 

Rep: Andrew Stein 

Strong International. 

4350 McKinley Street 

Omaha, NE 68112 

(402) 453-4444; fax: (402) 453-7238 

Rep: Ray Boogner 

.54, 55 

.620-626 

.57-64 

Summit Food Enterprises 301, 303, 400, 402 

P.O. Box 141 

Dedham, MA 02027 

(617) 830-0201; fax: (617) 830-0205 

Rep: Kevin Morrissey 

T. Miller Popcorn Co 1229 

1601 Parklane, P.O. Box 493 

Trenton, MO 64683 

(660) 359-6958; fax: (660) 359-6037 

Rep: Joe Digirolamo 

Technology International Inc 322 

P.O. Box 1246 

Midlothian, VA 23113 

(804) 897-5334; fax: (804) 897-8585 

Rep: Penny Caran 

Theatre Confections Inc. 7022 

795 Monroe Avenue. Rochester, NY 14607 

(716) 271-0858 

Rep: David Kates 

THX Division, Lucasfilm Ltd....415, 417, 514, 51 

P.O. Box 10327 

San Rafael, CA 94912 

(415) 492-3900; fax: (415) 492-3999 

Rep: Candice Meng 

Ticket Pro Systems 

870 Mercury Drive S.E. 

Lawrenceville, GA 30045 

(770) 682-5485; fax: (770) 682-8397 

Rep: John Shaw 

TK Architects Inc 

106W. 11th Street, Suite 1900 

Kansas City, MO 64105 

(816) 842-7552; fax: (816) 842-1302 

Rep: Tamra Knapp 

Tootsie Roll Industries 

7401 S. Cicero Avenue 


(773) 838-3400; fax: (773) 838-3569 

Rep: Cheryl Barko 

Trans-Lux Corp 

110 Richards Avenue 

Nonfjalk, CT 06854 

(203) 853-4321; fax: (203) 855-8636 

Rep: Gary Roscillo 

TVP (Theatre & Video Products) 

921 N.E. 79th Street 

Miami, FL 33138 

(305) 754-9136; fax: (305) 759-0863 

Rep: Richard Fowler 

Ultra Stero Labs 

181 Bonetri Drive 

San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 

(805) 549-0161; fax: (805) 549-0163 

Rep: Clint Koch 

Universal Cinema Services 

1205 Corporate East 

Arlington, TX 76006 

(817) 633-2180; fax: (817) 633-2190 

Rep: Kaye Koonce 

Variety. 

6700 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 120 

Los Angeles, CA 90036 

(323) 857-6600; fax: (323) 432-0874 

Rep: Stacie Mindich 

.71, 

.IOC 

.208, 2) 

.509, 51 

VAST. 

315, 317, 414, 4i 

11772 Sorrento Valley Road, Suite 200 

San Diego, CA 92121 

(619) 350-0510; fax: (619) 350-0515 

Rep: Edward Mitchell 

Visteon Seating Systems 215, 217, 314, 31 

26090 23 Mile Road 

Chesterfield, Ml 48051 

(800) 762-6390; fax: (616) 249-9422 

Rep: Tom O'Hara 

Vogel Popcorn 

7450 Metro Blvd. 

Edina, MN 55439 

(612) 896-4328; fax: (612) 896-4328 

Rep: Dan Gray 

Wagner Zip-Change Inc. 

3100 Hirsch Street 

Melrose Park IL 60160 

(800) 323-0744; (800) 243-4924 

Rep: James W. Leone 

Weaver Popcorn 

130 East Main Street 

Van Buren, IN 46991 

(765) 934-2101; fax: (765) 934-4052 

Rep: Ken Wise 

Williams Sound Corp 


Eden Prairie, MN 55344 

(612) 943-2252; fax: (612) 943-2174 

Rep: Jeanne Hetland 

Wyandot Inc 

135 Wyandot Avenue 

Marion, OH 43302 

(740) 383-4031; fax: (740) 382-5584 

Rep: Tammy Fields 

.lie 

.61 

.918, 9: 

.12i 

100 BoxoFncE

[ 

• 

WE'VE GOT IT Alt! 

Total Cinema Development 

to open a cinema anywhere in the world 

— International Cinema Equipment Company is pleased to 

announce that our products and services now include 

I 

total cinema development, planning, supply, installation 

^. 

and operations consultation. Our organization and staff 

has been expanded to include a variety of resources. 

These include: 

• architectural consulting 

• design conceptualization 

•projection 

concession and snack bar design 

^^^-^ • seating layouts • sight line design 

• projection, acoustical consultation and design 

• operations training and management 

\ We have a unique program. It could provide full 

^ 

consulting services for your project included with 

your purchase. Thus, at no additional cost to you or 

your client, you will get the very best advice on your 

and insure that your return on investment is a healthy 

one indeed. 

Let the professionals at International show you how 

easy it is to build, equip and operate a modern Multi 

Cinema Complex. Call us today! 

international cinema equipment company, inc. 

100 N. E.39th Street. Miami. FL 33137 U.S.A./ Phone: (305) 573-7339 / Fax: (305) 573-8101 

Response No. 4

Do your booth service 

techs watch movies with 

your customers to see 

what your 

presentation is really like ? 

OURS DO. 

M-^ 

Theater service from a new 

perspective 

Y2K 

YOURS I 

1-800-310-7940 

semce@ddts.com 

1-877-FAX-DDTS 

Ifs your money. 


Sensible Cinema 

— Software 

"" 

User Friendly 

Affordable 

POS Ticketing 

Solutions 

FREE DEMO DISK AVAILABLE 

(615) 790-8309 

http://www.sensiblecinema.com 

ShowEast 1 999 

New Products Guide 

amplifiers. The DCM-1, DCM-2 and DCM-3 

cover the range of six to eight channels, biamp 

and tri-amp and include Dolby 

Surround EX insert points and provide monitoring 

of the back surround amplifier outputs. 

Any brand cinema processor may be 

used with the DCM. 

The new DCA Series Digital Cinema 

Amplifiers feature the exclusive QSC 

Dataport connection for use with DCM 

Series Digital Cinema Monitors as well as 

a complete range of analog crossover 

accessories. The DCA 3422 is the largest 

of the DCA Series, with 1250 watts per 

channel at four ohms, making it ideal for 

powering subwoofers. All DCA amplifiers 

weight only 21 pounds and require only 

3.5 inches of rack space. Write 1675 

MacArthur Blvd., Costa Mesa, CA 92626; 

call (800) 854-4079 or (714) 754-6175; 

fax (714) 754-6174; logon at www.qscaudio.com. 

Response Number 311. 

Panastereo Inc. has entered the 

Extended Digital Surround market with a 

new product called the SP23. Only 1.75 

inches high, the SP23 will easily fit into 

congested sound racks by removing a 

vent or blank panel. The unit will easily 

interface to any brand digital player or 

analog/digital stereo processor. Lights on 

the front panel display the presence of 

sound material for all three surround 

channels. The SP23 uses the same double 

dominance matrix and equalizer cards 

found in the THX-approved CSP1200 

stereo processor. Write 5945 Peachtree 

Corners East, Norcross, GA 30071; call 

(800) 45-SMART or (770) 449-6698; fax 

(770) 449-6728; or e-mail smart@america.net. 


Digireel Entertainment has pioneered 

release of Digital Multimedia Advertisi 

Technology (DMAT) to become the f 

source of digital in-theatre marketing, adv 

tising and entertainment for movie theatr 

The new multimedia software combines d 

ital computer animations, sound, video a 

projection using internet technology 

replace slide advertising. The on-screen p 

gram features interactive games, digi 

commercials and animated film facts trai 

ferred over the internet. DMAT also gi\ 

theatres a new look at digital cinema by p 

miering digital trailers to moviegoers. Wr 

1 81 5 E. Wilshire Ave., Suite 902, Santa Ar 

CA 92705; call (714) 558-0720; fax (71 

558-0218; e-mail sales@digireel.com; 

logon at www.digireel.com. 


Proctor Companies is the exclusi 

manufacturer of THX Bafflettes, whi' 

are modular, vertical walls instalh 

behind the screen to contain the speak 

system. Unlike the contractor-built wa 

the Bafflette is a ready-to-install kit th 

can be assembled by two or three techr 

cians in a single day. Bafflettes meet Th 

certification requirements and 

designed to each specific auditoriut 

Write 10497 Centennial Rd., Littleto 

CO 80127; call (303) 973-8989; fax (30 

973-8881; e-mail pdi@proctoroco.cor 

or logon at www.proctorco.com. 


Big Sky Industries has three new styles 

film leader in stock and ready for shipmer 

All shipped on cores, black leader wr 

clear frame lines and clear leader wi: 

black frame lines are available in quantitii 

of 25, 50, 100 and 1,000 feet. CountdoM 

Academy leader is available on 15, 30, 4 

75 and 990-foot cores. Write 259 Center S 

Phillipsburg, NJ 08865; call (908) 454-6:54 

or fax (908) 454-6373. 



For Day and Date 

Reviews and 

Much, Much More, 

Logon to 

zuzvzv.boxoffice.com, 

Exhibition's 

Original Home on 

I he Vôrld Wide Web. 

A new, updated design of the popular 

MN586 active booth monitor has been 

released by SMART Theatre Systems. The 

MN586B can now monitor bi-amplified systems 

and has the ability to switch from 

stereo processor to power amplifier, monitoring 

with gain compensation for the 

devices. Premium mating, Phoenix connectors 

have replaced the input terminals at the 

request of cinema installers to make connection 

even faster and easier. Write 5945 

Peachtree Corners East, Norcross, GA 

30071 ; call (800) 45-SMART or (770) 449- 

6698; fax (770) 449-6728; or e-mail 

smart@america.net. 


Kinetroni( 

announces 

new and uniqi 

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the ASC. Th 

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conductivity tests and provides more coiisJ! 

tent anti-static performance since it doesn 

rely on unstable treatments or soggy chemic 

baths. The ASC is effective for cleaning dir 

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2432; fax (941) 955-5992; e-ma 

info@kinetronics.com; or logon 

www.kinetronics.com. 


y 

10* BOXOFHCE

UNIVERSAL PICTURES 

We Proudly Congratulate 

NORMAN JEWISON 

Recipient of the 1999 ShowEast 

George Eastman Award 

II N r^&iSfvL 

www.universalstudios.com 

© UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

SPECIAL REPORT: ShowEast 1999 

// 

E" IS FOR EXCELLENCE 

Phil Barlow^ executive vice president of the Walt Disney 

Motion Picture Group, Receives ShowEasfs "C Award 


Phil 

Barlow, executive vice president 

of the Walt Disney Motion 

Pictures Group, began his career 

in the movies right out of high school, 

serving as a doorman at the Rialto in 

Salt Lake City. Nearly 40 years later, 

he's receiving the ShowEast "E" 

Award, given to an executive for 

accomplishments and outstanding dedication 

to the betterment of the motion 

picture experience. 

Recently promoted from a four-year 

stint as president of Buena Vista 

Pictures Distribution, Barlow initially 

balked at accepting the award. 

"[ShowEast] offered me the Show 'E' 

Award before my appointment," he 

says, "and I asked them to hold off 

because I knew that was in the works. 

After I had accepted the position and 

the announcement had been made, I 

called them back and said, 'Now, if you 

want to change your mind, I certainly 

understand since I'm technically not in 

distribution and obviously not an 

exhibitor.' And they said no, they 

wanted to go ahead with it." 

Perhaps that's because in his newly 

created position, Barlow's duties 

include exploring the development of 

digital cinema, "not from the technical 

standpoint because there are people far 

more qualified than I to do that, but 

from the business standpoint, which 

involves exhibition, obviously," he says. 

Barlow's interest in digital cinema, 

however, does not focus on the effects it 

will have on the industry. "That's the 

wron^ question," he says. "The right 

question is what will it do for the public, 

and the answer is a lot. It will give them 

a better picture that's always the same, 

regardless whether it's the first day or 

the 50th day. It will cost a lot of money 

initially and then eventually it will pay 

for itself" 

Looking ahead to the next millennium, 

the obstacles Barlow anticipates 

mirror those he expects of digital cinema. 

"I think all the challenges revolve 

around the same thing," he explains, 

"and that is giving the public what they 

want and giving it to thein in the best 

surroundings with the best presentation 

of the best motion pictures. I think [the 

Walt Disney Co.'s] challenge is still to 

continue to differentiate ourselves in the 

106 BOXOFFICE 

**Ifeel great about 

[receiving the Show *E' 

Award, but] I don't look at 

it as really coming to me. I 

look at it as a recognition of 

the very, very important part 

that the Walt Disney Co, 

and Buena Vista Pictures 

has played in the exhibition 

industry over this decade," 

competition for the time and money of 

the public. Now, we're competing for the 

leisure time dollar and the leisure time 

time. And I think that our challenge will 

continue to be the same: better movies, 

better theatres, better presentation." 

As indicated by Barlow, he began his 

career on the exhibition side of the 

industry with National General Theaters 

in 1961. Ten years later he was 

working as Southern California's division 

buyer, after which he worked i 

similar capacities at Syufy Theatei 

and General Cinema. Later he joine 

the executive ranks at Edwards Theate 

Circuit, where he served 10 years, an 

Sameric Corp., a Philadelphia-base 

exhibition corporation. 

In 1985, he joined Buena Vista. "Th 

opportunity to work for Disney at tha 

time was just impossible to resist, 

Barlow recalls. "It was 1985, am 

[Michael] Eisenberg and [Jeffrey] Kat 

zenberg and Frank Wells had jus 

taken over the place. Dick Cook an 

the other people I mention© 

approached me, and it just seemed lik 

the most natural thing in the world \ 

do because it was obvious that this wj 

going to be a very exciting place." 

Barlow was a senior vice presidei 

and general sales manager befor 

becoming president of the division ii 

1995. During his tenure, the compan 

posted new records for the top-grossin; 

live-action film ("Armageddon") am 

the biggest opening in the company' 

history ("The Waterboy"). Other hit 

released under his leadership includ 

"Toy Story," "George of the Jungle 

and "A Bug's Life." 

Barlow describes his success at Wal 

Disney and the Show "E" Award a 

more than just a personal achievement 

"I feel great about [receiving the Shov 

'E' Award]," he says. "[But] I don't lool 

at it as really coming to me. I look at i 

as a recognition of the very, very impor 

tant part that the Walt Disney Co. am 

Buena Vista Pictures has played in th( 

exhibition industry over this decade. Wi 

have been the number one supplier o 

boxoffice gross for the entire decade, am 

if you added up all of the gross of all o 

the companies for the decade, you'd sei 

that Buena Vista, which is the distribu 

tion company of the Walt Disney Co. 

more than a billion dollars ahead of ii: 

closest competitor. So I look at this a: 

just sort of a, 'We want to do something 

for Buena Vista, and Phil was the president 

most recently, and so we'll give it tc 

him.'" 

Given his appreciation for those h( 

works with, it's no surprise, then, thai 

what Barlow looks most forward to ai 

the ShowEast convention are—and ii 

couldn't be more simply put- 

"Friends." 

n

UNIVERSAL PICTURES 

We Proudly Congratulate the 

1999 SHOWEAST AWARD HONOREES 

PHIL BARLOW 

Show "E" Award 

EARVIN "MAGIC" JOHNSON 

Salah M. Hassanein Humanitarian Award 

JOHN FRANKENHEIMER 

Lifetime Achievement Award 

JOEL SCHUMACHER 

Award of Excellence in Filmmaking 

WILLIAM F. 

KARTOZIAN 

Career Achievement Award 

MILT DALY 

Distinguished Service Award 

STEVE ELLMAN 

Industry Service Award 

H. DONALD BUSCH 

The Founder's Award 

tm 

www.universalstudios.com 

© UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

Hoyts (inemas Corporation 

Congratulates the ShowEast 1999 

Industry Recipients 

Phil Barlow 


Earvin "Magic" Johnson 


Milt Daly 


H. Donald Busch 


w ^J^t^mtSr 

John Frankenheimer 

Lifetime Achievement AwariC^ 

^ 

Norman Jewison * l^t' 

99 George Eastman Awan 

William R Kartozian 

areer Achievement Awar 

h

Congratulations to the 

»9 ShowEast A^RD Recipients: 

Joel SchÂcher 

ShowEast Award of Excellence in Filmmaking 




ialah M. Hassanein Humanitarian Award 


The Founder^ Award 

Phil Barlow 


Janet McTeer 

Breakthrough Performance 

I 

f 

Norman Jewison 

1999 George Eastman Award 

William E Kartozian 


Milt Daly 


KimberlyJ. Brown 

"Star of Tomorrow" Award 

Steve Ellman 

ShowEast Industry Service Awan 

George Mansour, Cinema Selections 

Media Salles International Achievement Award in Exhibition 

EiNE Line Features 

Media Salles International Achievement Award in Distribution 

A NEWS CORPORATION Company


DALY NEWS 

Milt Daly, Senior Executive Vice President and COO of Crown 

Theatres, Receives ShowEasfs Distinguished Service Award 


At 

the tender age of 16, Crown 

Theatres senior executive vice 

president and COO Milt Daly 

was "fired" from his position as a theatre 

usher—an event that ignited his 

ambition to succeed in the exhibition 

business. And now, 38 years after the 

fateful dismissal, his career-long 

achievements in the industry are being 

recognized at this year's ShowEast convention, 

where Daly will receive the 

Distinguished Service Award. 

It was a simple misunderstanding, 

says Daly, that first inspired his dedication 

to learning all about the world of 

motion picture exhibition. "I was hired 

by Stanley Warner at the Warner 

Theatre in Winston, Mass. when I 

turned 16," he explains. "I was hired 

only for the spring break period, but 

they never told me that. And after 

spring break was over, . . .they asked me 

to go upstairs to see the assistant manager 

[who said], 'Well, we don't need 

you anymore.'" 

That meeting, Daly remembers, left 

him absolutely devastated. "I [thought] 

I did something wrong," he says. "And 

in reality, I didn't. I was a very good 

employee." His youthful pride was so 

senously wounded that he avowed, "I 

will learn more about this business faster 

than anyone else, and I will be the 

youngest vice president of a large company 

if it kills me!" 

Daly made good on his self-promise. 

Two weeks after his discharge, he 

received a call from Warner Theatres 

and was asked to return to work, where 

he became an assistant manager while 

still attending high school. Daly then 

went on to become a division manager 

at New York-based circuit Skouris 

Theatres in 1 966, and two years later, at 

the age of 23, he was named vice president 

and general manager of Cinecom 

Theatres, a chain also based in New York. 

After reaching his goal in just a sevenyear 

period, Daly continued his executive 

climb by taking a position at 

National Amusements as a regional film 

buyer in 1970; he was hired by the 

United Artists Entertainment Co. in 

1 972 as vice president and general manner 

of its eastern division; in 1988, he 

j'sned Warner Brothers Intl. as head of 

it^ European division; he next took the 

t'ost of senior vice president of opera- 

"/ learned something 

many years ago when I 

was a young man, 

fwhich] was to always 

2ive back to the industry 

[because it has îven me] 

a very good livmg and a 

very good life." 

tions for Birmingham, Ala.-based Cobb 

Theatres in 1991; and in 1996, he accepted 

his current position at South 

Norwalk, Conn.-based Crown Theatres. 

Daly's involvement in the exhibition 

business, however, goes far beyond his 

obligations at the office. "I'm very, very 

much involved with all of our industry's 

functions and charities," he says, activities 

that he describes as being part of his 

professional duty "I learned something 

many years ago when I was a young 

man, [which] was to always give back to 

the industry [because it has given me] a 

very good living and a very good life," 

states Daly. "It's always been a hallmark 

of mine to avail myself to the 

various business ventures surrounding 

us, such as the national NATO, Variety 

and Will Rogers. I'm [also] involved in 

our associations: I'm president of the 

Connecticut Association of Theatre 

Owners, I'm on the finance committee 

of NATO,... [I'm] director ol 

ShowEast and I'm chairman of the 

finance committee of ShowEast." 

Daly attributes his commitment tc 

these various organizations as the rea 

son why ShowEast is honoring him foi 

"Distinguished Service" at its annua 

convention in Atlantic City, N.J. "I 

part of the reason for [my] receiving 

this award this year is because of [mj 

participation in the associations], ther 

I guess I'm guilty," he says. 

In addition to accepting his award a 

ShowEast, Daly says that he's als( 

looking forward to a couple of majo 

changes that will take place at thi 

annual gathering. "As director o 

ShowEast,... I've worked very hard thi 

last three years to convince our body tc 

move the show from Atlantic City t( 

Florida," he says about the conven 

tion's new home in Orlando for the yea 

2000. "I feel very proud that that ha 

^ 

occurred." 

I'm also very proud of the fact that w 1 

sold ShowEast to BPI," continues Dab 

j 

"I was the negotiating chairman o 

that,0 and BPI obviously is going to tal 

it to Florida. We've been very, vci 

busy,... but we've accomplished a lot. Si 

I think it's all positive for our industry. 

Having accomplished a lot for th 

industry for nearly four decades, Dal 

has enough experience to offer som 

words of wisdom to today's 1 6-year-ol 

ushers just starting in the business. C 

vital importance, he stresses, is to "get 

good education"—advice he backs u 

through his personal projects. "As pres 

dent of CATO, we have a scholarshi 

program that we put in place when 

took over," Daly explains. "We awar 

$15,000 [worth] of scholarships t 

employees of the state of Connecticut 

exhibitors... I wish that was availab 

when I was going to school." And no\ 

thanks to Daly's distinguished servio 

for the industry, young ushers have sue 

opportunities available to them. 

110 BOXOFFICE

PARAMOUNT PICTURES CONGRATULATES 

THE SHOWEAST 1999 AWARD WINNERS 

PHIL BARLOW 



Sal ah M. Hassanein Humanitarian Award 






Show East Award of Excellence in Filmmaking 

WILLIAM F. 

KARTOZIAN 


MILT DALY 


H. DONALD BUSH 


STEVE ELLMAN 

Show East Industry Service Award 

KIMBERLY J. 

"Star of 

BROWN 

Tomorrow" Award 

JANET McTEER 

Breakthrough Performance Award 

FINE LINE FEATURES 

Media Salle s International Achievement Award in Distribution 

GEORGE MANSOUR, CINEMA SELECTIONS 


,**** 

COmuCHTO 1999 lY PARAMOUNT PICTUItE AU. NCKIS KESEKVED

SPECIAL REPORT: ShowEast 1 999 

SHOWEAST AWARDEES 

FOUNDER'S AWARD 

H. Donald Busch, President, Director and Founder of NATO Pennsylvania 

Like 

many of this year's ShowEast awardees, H. Donald Busch got his start in the exhibition industry in the truest of entry level 

positions: usher. While the part-time stint at Goldman Theatres during the early 1950s helped form the foundation for Busch's 

eventual career field, he first worked as a physicist as well as an educator in computer techniques after graduating from the 

University of Pennsylvania School of Arts and Sciences with a degree in Physics and Mathematics. 

Busch became reacquainted with the movie business while working as a lawyer for Philadelpha-based Harry Norman Ball Esq. from 

1961 to 1975. Not only was Busch's employer the owner of several movie theatres, but the firm provided legal representation to Claude 

D. Schlanger, the founder of the Budco Theatre Circuit. 

Upon leaving Mr. Ball's firm in 1975, Busch formed Busch, Grafman & Von Dreusc, where he continued to serve as a lawyer for 

Budco Theatres. Busch's association specialized in business litigation, real estate, corporate law and motion picture anti-trust, and as a 

result, he represented any film exhibitors and independent distributors during his career. 

In 1986, when AMC Philadelphia Inc. acquired Budco Theatres Inc., Busch was appointed as the CEO and president of the company, 

where he remained until his retirement 10 years later. 

In addition to his tenure at AMC, Busch has been and confinues to be active in all aspects of the exhibition industry. He has been 

a general chairman of the ShowEast convention, chairman of national NATO, director of the Foundation of Motion Picture 

Pioneers, a board member of the Will Rogers Memorial Fund, a member of the ShowEast Executive Committee and the president, 

director and founder of NATO of Pennsylvania. 

SALAH M. HASSANEIN HUMANITARIAN AWARD 

Earvin ''Magic'' Johnson Jr., Founder of Magic Johnson Enterprises 

Better known for his basketball career with the L.A. Lakers than his foray into movie exhibition, 

Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. will nonetheless receive ShowEast's 1999 Salah M. 

Hassanein Humanitarian Award, given for outstanding contributions to both the exhibition 

industry and the community at large. After 13 years in the NBA, Johnson founded Magic Johnson 

Enterprises, redefining himself as a businessman and focusing his efforts on the revitalization of 

neglected communities while providing quality entertainment and services. 

Just one of these efforts has been Magic Johnson Theatres, which opened its first cinema in 

Baldwin Hills, Calif in 1995 and has since expanded into underscreened urban areas across the country. 

Through his state-of-the-art, first-run multiplexes, Johnson has created new employment opportunities 

and boosted local businesses in minority communities. When BOXOFFICE spoke with 

Johnson in 1995, he explained his motivation for launching the theatre chain. "The inner city is not 

used to having a 12-screen theatre in their neighborhood," he said. "They're used to a one-screen, rundown 

place that gets films two or three weeks after release. My thought was to bring a first-class theatre 

to the neighborhood. It's our goal not only to provide entertainment, but to stimulate economic 

growth within the areas we serve." 

In addition to Magic Johnson Theatres, Magic Johnson Enterprises includes entertainment, production, 

music and management group divisions. A separate non-profit Magic Johnson Foundation 

addresses the health, educational and social needs of inner-city youth and organizations. Johnson also 

lends his support to vice president Al Gore's White House Community Empowerment Board, the 

United Nations, the Make-a-Wish Foundation, the United Negro College Fund, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Starlight 

Foundation, the American Heart Association, the Urban League and the American Cancer Society. 

After 

MEDIA SALLES INTL. ACHIEVEMENT AWARD IN DISTRIBUTION 


nearly a decade of distributing innovative art-house fare, Fine Line Features, a New York City-based subsidiary of New 

Line Cinema and the Time Warner Company, is receiving the Media Salles Intl. Achievement Award in Distribution at this 

year's ShowEast convention. Accepting the award on behalf of Fine Line is company president Mark Ordesky, who told 

BOXOFFICE that he is "excited and fillecf with great pride" regarding the honor. 

Fine Line's recent slate of releases includes Bernardo Bertolucci's "Besieged," Jim Fall's "Trick" and Giuseppe Tomatore's 

"Legend of 1900." However, these are just a few of the many projects that the distributor is enthusiastic about. 

Among the future features scheduled to rollout in the next few months are "Tumbleweeds," which Ordesky says is "already [garnering] 

considerable Oscar talk as it relates to [the pic's star] Janet McTeer"; "Sympatico," which he says "[stars] Jeff Bridges, 

Sharon Stone and Nick Nolle, [and] which [Fine Line] is releasing for an Oscar-qualifying run in late December, then releasmg 

wide in early- to mid-January; "The Cup," which Ordesky characterizes as "a really fun, humanistic, warm film" about a "Tibetan 

monastery in exile and the world cup soccer-obsessed monks who live there; "The Filth and the Fury," which is "a documentary 

of [British punk rock band] The Sex Pistols and their rise and fall"; "Dancer in the Dark," a pic he says is directed by Lars Von 

Trier ("Breaking the Waves") and stars BJork and Catherine Deneuve; "State and Main," a David Mamet film to star Alec 

Baldwin, William H. Macy and Sarah Jessica Parker; and "The Invisible Circus" with Cameron Diaz. 

While indeed a thrilling line-up, Ordesky insists that the flicks are just a few highlights of several Fine Line releases that arc 

sure to please audiences throughout the rest of the year and into the millennium. 

112 BOXOFFICE

Congratulations ! 

'SHOW "E" AwarJ" 

Phil Barlow 

Salan M. Hassanein Humanitarian Award" 


'Tne Founaer's Award" —— 


'Distinguisned Service Award" 

Milt Daly 

'Media Salles International Achievement Award in Exninition" 

George Mansour 

'Media Salles International Acnievement Award in Distribution" 

Fine Line Features 

National 

Amusements 

200 ELM STREET 

DEDHAM, MA 02026 

CWTNERS .0

SPECIAL REPORT: ShowEast 1 999 

THE FILM MADNESS OF, 

GEORGE 

Cinema Selection's George Mansour Receives ShowEasfs 

International Achievement Award in Exhibition 


According to 

Cinema Selection's 

George Mansour, who currently 

programs 25 screens catering in 

"specialized" films, it was simply a 

childhood hobby that launched his 35- 

year career being recognized at this 

year's ShowEast convention with the 

Media Salles' International Achievement 

Award in Exhibition. 

"Instead of baseball cards, I collected 

movie ads," Mansour explains to 

BOXOFnCE. "[I loved] movies in general, 

and I was just completely fascinated 

[with them]." His fascination with 

the big screen was so intense, Mansour 

remembers, that it left a noticeable 

impression on his peers. "I was in the 

ninth grade, and we had to do a showand-tell," 

he recounts. "Well, I did the 

rise of the British Film Industry! I had 

charts [and] everything about how [the 

industry] survived during World War 

II. Of course, the teacher was bowled 

over, and every kid in the class wanted 

to kill me!" 

While his classmates might not have 

fully appreciated his great passion for 

the medium, film distributors and 

exhibitors alike have held his devotion 

in much higher esteem: Mansour's love 

of the movies blossomed into a career 

that has involved stints on both sides of 

the industry. 

Starting out on the distribution end, 

Mansour briefiy held posts at Paramount 

and Warner Bros, and eventually 

moved on to a first-time booking 

position at Boston-based Esquire Theatres. 

The job, he insists, was a wonderful 

learning experience that provided him 

with in-depth knowledge in many 

aspects of tne business. 

"It was a great deal of fun at that time 

because I was doing everything," he says. 

"(From] booking cirive-ins to helping to 

distribute sexploitation movies. It was a 

great training ground for someone who 

had no background and no education in 

anything of the sort." 

Also exciting about his time spent at 

the Esquire, says Mansour, were some of 

the innovating discoveries being made 

by the company during his tenure. "I 

was working as a booker for [the] 

chain," he explains, "[and] they decided 

to release some films. Some of them 

lU 

BOXOFHCE 

were notorious, some of them were fine. 

Things like the original 'Friday the 13th' 

were released by them..., [but we also] 

had titles like, 'Karado: The Hong Kong 

Cat!'" 

Although the kickboxing feline pic 

may not have endured in the hearts of 

movie enthusiasts, Mansour insists that 

diamonds still occasionally sparkled 

amidst the coals of forgettable flicks. "I 

was also booking some art-houses, and 

we picked up some marvelous films. We 

also [featured] Wes Craven's very first 

movie [1972's "Last House on the Left"], 

so if it wasn't for me, there would be no 

'Scream' today!" 

After having fine-tuned his professional 

booking skills at the Esquire, 

Mansour founded his own company that 

specialized in foreign and alternative 

films. And although the genre may have 

been his primary focus, Mansour says 

that it wasn't the only type of film he's 

been able to enjoy over the years. 

"There was this schizophrenic situation 

[at the Fsquire] where [I did] the 

booking of [pornos] 'Debbie Doe; 

Dallas' or 'Marsha the Erotic Housewife' 

[and was] also bidding on the new 

TrufFaut," he says. "It was always a loi 

of fun, but I liked everything. I don'i 

confine myself to one genre." 

Confinement, in fact, is something 

that Mansour avoids in the movie theatres 

he visits as well as the movies ht 

chooses to watch. Of all the industrj 

innovations he most welcomes, he says, 

is the replacement of older smaller cinemas 

with today's more technologically-advance 

venues. 

"I'm really happy that the era of the 

little shoebox moviehouses is over," he 

says. "These wonderful complexes with 

huge screens and wonderful sound and 

stadium seating [were] a longtime [in 

coming. I was always perturbed when \ 

went into moviehouses that had flal 

floors, and you couldn't see [the screen 

very well]— particularly you couldn't 

see the subtitles." 

Other worthwhile changes that have 

taken place as a result of the multiplex 

boom, states Mansour, are the greater 

accessibility to and improved screenings 

of art-house fare. "Places like 

Landmark are building new cinemas 

[that] are devoted to art but also have 

state-of-the-art presentations, and people 

really have responded tremendously 

to that," he says. "In some locations, 

because these large complexes have been 

built in places where there was no arthouse, 

some of the larger chains are 

devoting—or at least say that they're 

going to devote—a screen or two to spe-l 

cialized product. In a way, the fact thatj 

there are these screens to fill will bring 

specialized films to areas that never 

[them] before." 

Having been witness to the chan^ 

face of exhibition as an industry insider 

for over three decades now, the film bull 

says that he's just a little surprised about 

receiving his ShowEast award. "It's just 

amazing to me at this stage of my life to 

be given an award for something that 1 

would have been doing for nothing anyway," 

he says. But understanding the 

business as well as he does, he adds 

thoughtfully, "I shouldn't say that— all 

[my] customers will think, 'Good! He 

can cut down on his fee!'" 

1

DreamWorks 

congratulates this year's 

ShowEast Awards Recipients 

PHIL BARLOW 







ShowEast Award of Excellence in Filmmaking 



KIMBERLY J. BROWN 

Star of Tomorrow 

JANET McTEER 

Breakthrough Perfomance 

WILLIAM R KARTOZIAN 


MILT DALY 


STEVE ELLMAN 

ShowEast Industry Service Award 

H. DONALD BUSCH 



Media Salles International Achievement Award 

in Distribution 

GEORGE MANSOUR, 

CINEMA SELECTIONS 

Media Salles International Achievement Award 

in Exhibition 

SKG 

100 Universal Plaza, Building 477, Universal City, California 91608 

TM » e 1999 DramWocb LLC

Warner Brds. 

C D N G RATU LATE S 

All The 

Natd/ShdwEast 

Award 

Winners 

For 1 999

n 

• 

Salah M. 

Show " E" 

Award 

PHIL BARLDW 

Hassanein Humanitarian Award 

EARVIN "MAGIC" JDHNSDN 


NDRMAN JEWISDN 

ShdwEast Award of Excellence in 

JDEL SCHUMACHER 

Filmmaking 



Star d f Tdmdrrdw 

KIMBERLY J. 

BRDWN 


JANET McTEER 


WILLIAM F. KARTDZIAN 


MILT DALY 

ShowEast Industry Service Award 

STEVE ELLMAN 


DDNALD BUSCH 

Media Salles International Achievement 

Award in Distribution 


Media Salles International Achievement 

Award i Exhibition 

GEORGE MAN5DUR, 

CINEMA SELECTIONS 

1>1- 

i 

ei999 Warner Bros. All Rights Reserved

If^^ 

r r 

'WL 

DIGIREEL 

ENTERTAINMENT 

proudly salutes all 

1999 ShowEast Award Honorees 

Congratulations 

on your 

outstanding achievements 

Revolution Digital 

'.digireel.com

would like to congratulate the 

1999 slate of Showeast awardees: 

William F. 

Kartozian, Career Actiievement Award 

Milt Daly, Distinguished Service Award 

H. Donald Busch, Founder's Award 

Earvin "IVIagic" Johnson, Salah M. Hassanein Humanitarian Award 

Phil Barlow, Show "E" Award 

George Mansour, Media Salles' International 

Achievement Award in Exhibition 

Fine Line Features, Media Salles' International 

Achievement Award in Distribution 

Janet McTeer, Breakthrough Performance 

Kimberly J. Brown, Star of Tomorrow 

Norman Jewison, George Eastman Award 

John Frankenheimer, Lifetime Achievement Award 

Joel Schumacher, Award of Excellence in FiSmmaking 

Steve Ellman, Industry Service Award

PROFESSIONAL 

DIRECTOR OF WORLDWIDE CINEMA SALES 

JBL Professional is searching for a leader to direct its worldwide Cinema loudspeaker sales. The 

They will be 

successful candidate will have at least ten years experience in the cinema industry. 

a seasoned sales professional with the skills to negotiate and close major contracts that will 

increase JBL's market dominance in motion picture exhibition. 

We are looking for an aggressive, self-motivated and outgoing personality who will lead the 

worldwide sales activity, building and maintaining relationships with key accounts and 

decisionmakers. 

This person will be an industry insider with the knowledge and presence to 

continue to build JBL Professional's leadership in the cinema industry. 

If you are ready to represent an industry leader, submit your resume with salary history in 

confidence to: 

Darlene Murray, Human Resources 

JBL Professional 

8500 Balboa Blvd. 

Northridge, CA 91329 

FAX (818) 830-1220 

JBL is an equal opportunity employer, offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits 

package.

CaiMGRATLII.ATiaiMS! 

To our colleague and friend... 

MiftDa^ 

fOistlnQuished Service Awarcl 

Phil Bariow 

VlamRl^rton 

JohnFranleih^ 


Oahier Achievement Award 


Eaivin'Magic"Jolinson 


NormanJeyjOT 

Oeorge Eastman Av\/ard 

H. Donaid Bush 

vAjA. CROWN THEATRES 

HH 64 NORTH MAIN STREET 

^°=05 NORWALK, CT. 06854 

Founder's Award

Sony Pictures Entertainment 

Proudly Congratulates 

The following 

1999 ShowEast Award Winners 

arvin "Magic" Johnson 

Salah M. HASSANEIN 

UMANITARIAN AWARD 

PHIL Barlow 




John Erankenheimer 

Lifetime achievement Award 

William E Kartozian 

Career achievement Award 

JOEL Schumacher 

ShowEast award Of 

Excellence In Filmmaking 

Milt Daly 


H.Donald Busch 

The founder's award 

Steve Ellman 

ShowEast Industry Service award 

KiMBERLYj. Brown 

"Star Of Tomorrow" Award 

Janet mcteer 


George Mansour, Cinema Selections 

media Salles international 

achievement award in exhibition 

SONY 

PICTURES"- 

Lighting Up Screens Around The World*

CONGRATULATIONS 

TO ALL THE 1999 

SHOWEAST AWARD WINNERS 

FROM YOUR FRIENDS AT 

BOXOFFICE ONLINE 

www. boxoffice. com 

r, ^ 

Congratulations 

to the 

1999 SHOWEAST 

AWARD WINNERS 

William F. Kartozian 


Phil Barlow 



Media Salles' International 

Achievement Award 

in Distribution 

from yourfriends at 

Tri-State Theatre Service, inc. 

\jPhil LuAnn, Florence & Steve J/ 

\*Ti'- if %Jk r^ 1 1 

rt Goodrich 

vLv 

inll Quality' rheaters, inc. 

Congratulates 

ShowEast '99 

Honorees 

Phil Barlow 

Show 'E' Award 

Milt Daly 


mimiiuiiiynuMiuriimiimim i 



i[u,niurmniu;run!U»'uiiiuii'Utgipg 

k

New Line Cinema 

salutes 

ShowEast 

and congratulates all of this yearns honorees 

Phil Barlow 








William F. Kartozian 


Milt Daly 


^ 



Kimberly Brown 

"Star of Tomorrow** Award 

Janet McTeer 


George Mansour - Cinema Selections 



Media Salles International Achievement Award in Distribution


HAIL TO THE CHIEF 

Outgoing National Association of Theatre Owners 

President William Kartozian Receives ShowEasfs Career 

Achievement Award 

When 

William Kartozian revealed 

last April that he would be retiring 

from his position as president 

of the National Association of Theatre 

Owners at the end of this year, he took 

much of the exhibition industry by surprise. 

The announcement officially heralded 

the ending of an era, which under 

Kartozian's 11 -year incumbency, oversaw 

a massive growth of the country's movie 

theatre business as well as the revitalization 

of the trade organization itself 

In 1988, when Kartozian assumed leadership 

of NATO, the organization representing 

the majority of U.S. screens 

was in a state of decay. Kartozian, 

aware of the difficulties inherent in 

any volunteer-run association of 

NATO's magnitude, was quick to 

implement a series of changes that 

have been credited as saving the establishment 

from extinction. 

What ultimately turned out to be a 

beneficial upheaval was based on 

Kartozian's understanding of the 

organization. "One of the things we 

have always been cognizant of is that 

a trade association is a fragile animal," 

he says. "People who are competitors 

one dav are exoected to come 

together the next day and become collegial, 

work for the common good and put 

aside all their competitive impulses. That's 

not an easy thing to do." 

Yet, exhibitors' ability to establish a professional 

camaraderie has, in fact, been 

made easier due to the efforts of the 

Kartozian-run NATO. Among the president's 

priorities when he assumed his role 

was to ensure that all of the organization's 

members were given a voice, without overt 

favoritism of any one particular group. "It 

has been a challenge to balance the needs 

of the small, independent exhibitors 

against those of the major circuits," 

explains Kartozian. "In part because we 

serve the respective needs of our constituency. 

Some of them may not be interested 

in some of the things that we do, but 

definitely are interested in others." 

And while different-sized exhibitors 

obviously have different-sized agendas, 

Kartozian believes that working to meet 

each other's needs has been mutually beneficial. 

"The smaller exhibitors are cognizant 

of the fact that without the large 

exhibitors—without the financial strength 

which they bring [and] without the personnel 

strength which they bring it would be 


very difficult to have an effective trade 

association," he says. "On the other hand, 

I beUeve that the large exhibitors are very 

cognizant that sometimes the smallest 

exhibitors can be extremely helpful when 

confronted with political issues on a 

statewide or even national basis. Very 

often, the independent exhibitor might 

well be a good friend of a key governmental 

official." 

It's this conscientious effort to maintain 

a balance among all NATO members that 

seems to explain their restored faith in the 

organization—an accomplishment Kar- 

l^rtozian (center) with wife Tish (sitting at his h/s left) and NATO staff. 

tozian believes has been the most meaningful 

to have occurred during his tenure. 

"[When] I look back over the last 1 1 years, 

I think the most important change has 

been that NATO has become a more credible 

entity," he says. "It has the trust of its 

members and I believe the trust and 

respect of all those with whom we deal, 

whether it be the film companies or the 

government or [any other business]." 

It's a turnaround that Kartozian is sure 

to ascribe to the efforts of others. "I really 

attribute [the improvement] to our members 

and volunteers who have devoted so 

much of their time over the last decade to 

making NATO into what it is today," he 

states. 

Although Kartozian is disinclined to 

take credit for what Pacific Theatres president 

Jerome Foreman has called "the new 

NATO," it is by no coincidence that several 

instrumental restructuring changes have 

taken place under his administration. One 

key move was to establish NATO's base in 

Los Angeles, while also building up its 

presence in Washington D.C. "I think having 

our headquarters in L.A. has been 

important in that [the city] is thought of as 

the center of the movie industry," he say; 

"It was also important to establish repre 

sentation in Washington D.C. on a perma 

nent basis [because] there is so much tha 

the government does that affects all of u 

today. That step was as necessary as wa 

the move to Los Angeles." 

Another major occurrence ushered ii 

under Kartozian's charge was the merge 

of the NATO and ShoWest conventions 

which resulted in the NATO of Cali 

fornia/Nevada-run ShoWest event, no\ 

the world's largest and most importan 

exhibition industry gathering. The merge: 

says Kartozian, was a long time i) 

coming. "10 or 1 1 years ago, NAT( 

would have a convention an( 

ShoWest would have a convention, 

he explains. "NATO's conventioi 

would move from place to plac 

every year. It was, in my opinion 

somewhat duplicative and wastefu 

to have both. It was also difficult fo 

the NATO convention to show th 

kind of financial success tha 

ShoWest shows because of the fac 

that [NATO] moved around ever 

year. It was [also] difficult to nego 

tiate appropriate deals with hotels. 

The benefits of this partnership 

says Kartozian, have been phenome 

Having a convention permanently ii 

nal. 

Las Vegas, with its reasonable proximity ti 

Los Angeles, meant that the film compa 

nies could be much more supportive on 

regular basis," he declares. "The generosit 

of NATO of California in providing thi 

vehicle has been important from a finan 

cial standpoint for NATO. NATO derive 

a significant portion of its revenues fror 

the ShoWest convention. 

"[Additionally], bringing NATO int( 

ShoWest, I think, brought stature t( 

ShoWest. And that added stature, I believ( 

helped ShoWest in its dealings with th 

film companies. ShoWest became the plac 

where everybody has to be. I think it i 

because of the combination of NATO am 

ShoWest into one big convention aiK 

trade show, with the attendance support o 

the film companies, that brought abou 

that result." 

Also of undeniable importance to th 

vitality of NATO was the establishment o 

a full-time, paid presidency position. Th 

necessity of which, says Kartozian, wa 

obvious. "[It] was an important stej 

because it enabled somebody to give thei 

full-time [commitment] to the organiza 

118 BOXOFFICE

j 

' 

! 

In 

ion." he explains. "In the past, the presilent 

had been a volunteer who also had a 

•usiness to run and could not, therefore, 

levote full-time. [The appointment of a 

laid president] was important and it had 

jeneficial results. I don't think that any- 

')ody would ever consider, at this point in 

ime. going back to the structure we had 

)efore." And while Kartozian's success as 

he first person to fill the post is a good 

says Kartozian, is the issue of cinema 

auditorium accessibility to all members of 

the community. "We do need to come to a 

resolution. ..[regarding] the concerns of the 

Department of Justice, disabilities rights' 

groups and the Americans with Disabilities 

Act as all those things pertain to 

stadium seating," he explains. "There's no 

question the public loves stadium seating. 

And \et. there are these issues that do need 

be there next year," he says, "and I think 

there's a good chance we're going to be 

there this year")—will be leaving his position 

before that fateful day arrives. It's a 

decision, he feels, which is good for both 

himself and NATO. "I just felt like it was 

the right time [to step down]," says 

Kartozian. "It was pretty much a gut 

instinct. When somebody has the major 

responsibility for an organization, the suc- 

•ndication of why the system works, he 

)nce again insists that others are more 

deserving of any praise. "I'll give the 

iiajor credit to the members who are wiling 

to pay the dues to support 

:his change." he says. 

addition to these past 

iccomplishments, Kartozian is 

•leeping his final days at the helm 

of NATO busy by establishing the 

groundwork for future changes 

'hat stand to advance both the 

organization and the industry that 

t 

represents. The greatest priority, 

' 

of course, is exhibition's expected 

ransition to the digital digital, 

in issue being heavily examined 

•jy the association. 

"The biggest challenge right 

low facing exhibition is the 

Vhole issue of potential digital- 

'zation."' affirms Kartozian. 

"[NATO] has two groups [studying the 

•opic]: We've got what we call a 'digital 

:inema task force' [to examine the finan- 

Hal implications] and a 'digital cinema 

echnical task force.' We want to make 

ibsolutely certain that we keep fully 

ibreast of all of the developments in this 

irea. so that if and when the time comes 

hat the conversion is going to occur, it be 

lone on a basis which benefits exhibition." 

Also important to NATO members, 

m 

ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN: Shaking hands with T/ie 

Fonz" (Henry Winkler) circa 1975 (top left); presenting an 

award to Jimmy Stewart circa 1990 (top right); tete-a-tete 

with lim Carrey (circa 1996). 

to be resolved so that these theatres can 

continue to be built on an economically 

feasible basis, while at the same time 

appropriately serving disabled persons." 

So while NATO continues to tackle the 

challenges facing its members as they head 

into the new millennium, the president 

who established a mission statement vowing 

to raise nationwide cinema attendance 

to 1.5 billion by century-end—and has 

come pretty dam close ("We'll [definitely] 

cess of which is not just measured by [its] 

profitability, it's difficult to...always be 

realistic about how successful you're 

being. I 

think in those instances, it's good 

to have a change of leadership 

after a certain period, whether 

that period be eight years or 10 

years or 12 years—I think it's a 

healthy thing." 

According to 

Kartozian, his 

replacement, whom NATO has 

been actively searching for since 

Kartozian's announcement was 

made, will probably be named at 

the organization's board meeting 

this month. He or she will 

have a hard act to follow, but 

Kartozian says he will have 

"plenty of words of wisdom" to 

offer the new leader, all of 

which, he chuckles, "will be 

given in private." 

Fittingly, as Kartozian's presidency with 

NATO comes to a close, he will be accepting 

the Career Achievement Award at this 

year's ShowEast convention. It's a distinction 

that he says he feels honored to 

receive, especially since "Jack Valenti is 

going to be presenting it." He adds that "if 

people think I did a good job, that's essentially 

what I want to hear"—a good thing, 

considering that Kartozian will be hearing 

ADDITIONAL SHOWEAST WINNERS 

ShowEast's George Eastman Award will be bestowed on the multifaceted Norman Jewison, who counts the titles of producer, 

director and actor among his credits. Recent production and directorial projects for the Canada native include 1991 s "Other 

People's Money," 1994's Only You," 1996's "Bogus" and this year's "The Hurricane." Additional films helmed by Jewison are the 

Academv Award-winning "Moonstruck" (1987), "Agnes of God" (1985), "Rollerball" (1975) and the original "The Thomas Crown 

Affair" (1968). 

The Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to director John Frankenheimer at the 1999 ShowEast convention. 

Frankenheimer is best-known for his revolutionary films sparming the 60s, including "The Manchurian Candidate" (1962), "All 

Fall Down" (1962), "Seven Days in May" (1964), "The Train'^ (1964), "Seconds^' (1966) and "Grand Prix" (1966). While 

Frankenheimer continued to direct and produce for the big and small screen during the last three decades, he has recently received 

a good deal of critical acclaim for his work on the 1998 Robert De Niro starrer "Ronin." His latest project is "Reindeer Games," 

which stars Ben Affleck and is slated for a Christmas release. 

Also receiving an award at this year's convention is actress Janet McTeer. The British thesp stars in Gavin O' Cormor's 

"Tumbleweeds,' which is due for release this month and will be screened at ShowEast. McTeer's voice was featured in last year's 

"Velvet Goldmine" in which she played the film's narrator. Her credits also include "Saint-Ex" (1997), "Wuthering Heights" (1992) 

and "Prince" (1991). McTeer can next be seen in Maggie Greenwald's "Songcatcher" and Keith Gordon's "Waking the Dead."HB 

November, 1999 119

(^ngratulations to all the 

ShowEast Award Recipients 

Phil Barlow 

Show "E" A^N-ard 


Media Salles International 

Achievement Award in Distribution 

Milt Daly 


George Mansour 

Media Salles International 

Achievement Award in Exibition 

Bill Kartozian 







GeSrge Eastman Awârd 

A Specia 

Congratulations to our 

Friend & Partner 

Earvin Johnson 

Salah M. Hassanein 

Humanitarian Award 

Loews 

CiNEPLEX 

ENTERTAINMENT 

LOEWS 

lTHeArg« 

~^5J;iYTHEArRE8 

H160NI 

 

ClNFPLEX 

ODtlON

TO ALL OF 

THE SMiwiAST 

COtt

SPECIAL REPORT: Digital Cinema ^-—-— 

PROJECTING THE FUTURE 

An Industry Panel Discusses Digital Cinema 

the Cannes International Film 

AtFestival this spring, industry experts 

convened to discuss the future of 

film MITIC (Marche' International des 

Technologies et de I'Innovation du Cinema) 

sponsored a conference on digital cinema, held 

at the Variety Conference Center. The panel 

included Keith Morris, electronic cinema market 

development manager ofBarco Projection 

Systems; Michael Corrigan, senior advisor to 

Real Image Digital (in which Technicolor has 

since made a significant investment— see last 

month's Supply Side column); Lance Weiler, 

co-director and co-producer of "The Last 

Broadcast" and co-founder of WaveLength 

Releasing; Joost Bert, CEO of Kinepolis 

Group; Carol Hahn, international marketing 

director of digital cinemafor Quaalcom Also 

on the panel but editedfor space were David 

Baker, CyberStar E-cinema development and 

Mike Hood, marketing manager for Digital 

Projection, Inc Moderator was Rex Weiner, 

president, DDA MediaTek,representing 

MTTIC 

REX WEINER: The subject 

of this 

panel is electronically delivered motion 

happen tomorrow or will 

pictures. Will it 

it be in a few years? One thing is for certain, 

100 years of relationships in this 

industry based on technology will be 

changed radically, from the filmmaker to 

the post-production supervisor, to the studio 

motion picture distributors, marketing 

executives and theatrical exhibitors. 

And we are pleased to have with us on 

this panel people from one end of the 

industry to the other. We'll start with Keith 

Morris, who will tell us just how, from the 

projector's point of view, this digital cinema 

business is going to change everything. 

KEITH MORRIS: Thank you very 

much. Rex.. ..I think up until about a year 

ago we as manufacturers were being told 

loudly and clearly by a variety of industry 

experts—technicians—that there was probably 

no way in which any form of digital projector 

would ever be able to do the job. We've 

seen a dramatic change in attitude over the 

last six months We recognize that we have a 

way to go yet, but I'd like to think that we're 

perhaps 90 percent of the way towards producing 

an image across a 20-meter screen, 

which would be our entry target. I believe 

actually now we have the brightness, and 

brightness is no longer an issue. We don't yet 

have the resolution. But as has been proven 

most recently at ShoWest, we're well on the 

w ay There were demonstrations of film and 

digital technology at ShoWest, which pretty 

much conclusively proved, to us anyway, 

that there was little or no difference between 

film and the digital image displayed. 

I think from a projection manufacturer's 

point of view, now it's a question of 

making that product even more commercially 

viable. And recognizing the fact 

that we now have to add value to the 

engine itself There's a great deal more to 

this business than just simply projecting 

the big image. We have to deal with 

decompression issues. We have to deal 

with traditional access issues. All those 

technologies have to be built into the projection 

head so that they have push-button 

control, and they've all got to be provided 

of course at the right price. From 

the standpoint of the projection technologies, 

we see the discussion not over 

''[Ifs] very nice to hear 

that not only [will] the 

distributors benefit [from 

digital cinema] but also the 

production community will 

now be able to make cheaper 

movies. And [they] also 

have to sit at the table and 

maybe give an extra buck in 

our direction." 

—^Joost Bert, Kinepolis 

but certainly over the rung. We're now 

actually into an implementation phase. 

MICHAEL CORRIGAN: ...If we had 

this panel as recently as six months ago, this 

discussion would have [been] a lot more 

speculative, a lot more theoretical, and the 

fact is, as these gentlemen beside me have 

articulated, we've come a very long way on 

the gating issue. And all discussion of electronic 

cinema [that] has been kicking 

around for 20-plus years has always stopped 

at the issue of whether we could ever find 

the mechanism to deliver an image on the 

screen that was comparable to 35mm film. 

And without that, frankly, we don't have a 

business, because we can't offer the creative 

community a service that doesn't do full justice 

to their work and creativity, and we 

can't offer the audience an experience [that] 

is less than what they currently enjoy But 

the fact is that we are now very, very close to 

having something that is comparable to 

film, and I'm utterly confident that the normal 

pace of technological development will 

get us there in the very near term.... 

The next issue that one gets to—ând the 

only really meaningful other technological 

issue—îs compression. As you know the 

amount of data that's involved when a film 

is reduced to a sum of ones and zeros is phenomenal. 

And there are two things going on. 

Number one, and [most] importantly, is the 

cost of digital storage is dropping like a 

stone. There are storage capacities available 

today that weren't dreamt of two years ago. 

And just as with the microprocessor and 

with semi-conductor chips, the price and 

availability are dropping as capacity is rising. 

So I think we're past that issue. The other 

really important issue relates to the movement, 

the shipment, and we can debate what 

that form of shipment is going to take for 

digital cinema. But whatever forms it takes, 

it's a lot of data to be moved from point A 

from the distributor to point B at the theatre. 

And whoever implements electronic cinema 

is going to have to wrestle this issue of data 

movement. And the vehicle to do that is 

through compression software... 

In my judgment this is a rare opportunity 

for the industry to create a win-win economic 

model that's going to benefit everybody. 

It's going to benefit the creative community, 

it's going to benefit distributors, it's 

going to benefit the exhibitors, and it's 

going to benefit the audience. And it's very 

rare in commercial life that you have an 

opportunity such as this where everybody 

along the food chain is a winner. 

The creative community is going to 

benefit because the flexibility that an 

open architecture distribution system is 

going to offer them will give the opportunity 

for more films to get through to 

the marketplace and to the audience. 

For distributors, the fixed cost of film 

prints today is an enormous burden in 

distribution. Electronic cinema has the 

capacity to substantially and exponentially 

reduce that cost. 

The exhibitor will have a three-fold opportunity 

with the advent of electronic distribution. 

First is much more flexibility, particularly 

in multiplex and megaplex environments, to 

optimize revenue by matching screen and theatre 

size with [the] audience Second is the economics 

of cinema construction; [the digital 

model offers] substantial savings over traditional 

cinema construction because you don't 

have to have protected environments for projection—^you 

don't have to have a mezzanine 

layer in the theatre. And a third new opportunity 

exhibitors will have with digital cinema is 

122 BOXOFFICE

I 

And 

i 

: 

LANCE 

I 

a new mariceting tool. And let's face it, we're 

going to need a new marketing tool because 

[of] enhanced home entertainment experiences. 

Theatrical has to be competitive with 

that. Digital cinema offers a substantive marketing 

hook to exhibitors who want to reach 

:out to both existing and new audiences. 

finally the audience will benefit. 

We're all aware that George Lucas is running 

pilot projections of "Star Wars" on 

digital. Others in the creative community 

are going to come onboard, stimulating 

audience interest and forcing all of us who 

are deliverers of the product to present the 

audience with a better cinema experience. 

'So we've got this unique opportunity to 

•seize both an economic advantage that will 

create a pool of capital to be reinvested in 

^new film, in new filmmakers, and we have 

;a creative opportunity to enhance the quality 

of the service offering to the audience. 

WEINER: Thank you, Michael. And 

inow. Lance Weiler will tell how it is from 

'a filmmaker's point of view. 

WEILER: Basically, my co- 

Idirector Stefan Avalos and I come from a 

film background. We've made many films 

ion celluloid, shot hundreds of thousands 

of feet that way. We approached this pro- 

!ject from a different standpoint. We made 

a desktop consumer fihn called "The Last 

Broadcast," and last October we did the 

first ever national theatrical release in the 

United States of the movie via satellite. We 

worked with CyberStar and with Digital 

Projection Inc. in the States to deliver the 

raovie via a geosynchronous platform 

satellite. Basically what happened was the 

movie was uplinked to a satellite 22,300 

miles above Earth, and then it had an 

umbrella so inevitably, once the infrastructure 

would be in place, you'd be able to hit 

2,000 screens. We demonstrated with five 

theatres where we brought everything in 

and ran the whole show and everything. 

For us electronic cinema represents a new 

•trend in cinema in the sense that I've had 

many prints that have been trashed and 

destroyed, and the one thing that excites me 

the most is the fact that the image quality 

from the first time that you show it— [even] if 

•it's screened 700 times—îs always the same: 

It's pristine. It's inevitable that electronic ciniema 

is going to happen. It's just a matter of 

itime. And for people like us it was an excellent 

way to get our movie out. It worked 

tflawlessly; the technology really came 

Ithrough. And for 99 percent of the audience, 

it didn't make a difference. It was about the 

bontent—it was what was on screen. And in 

khe end they walked away, enjoyed the film, 

teaw some of the new technology 

WEINER: Thank you. Lance. Now 

•we'll hear from Mr. Joost Bert. 

JOOST BERT: ...We [in exhibition] 

\ 

[see digital cinema as a very big opportunity, 

and I think it's wrong if we as 

exhibitors are not part of the discussions 

now being held. We have a number of 

concerns, and we have to bring those 

concerns to some kind of a platform 

where we can discuss this. 

At gotajob.com, we collect the applications. So you can do the 

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November, 1999 123

What are the concerns that we have? 

First of all, will digital cinema change 

the landscape of exhibition? Will, for 

example, smaller exhibitors be able to 

follow the evolution? We're talking about 

$100,000 for every projector. We are 

lucky that we are an exhibition group 

and are ready for the digital revolution. 

The money will be there, the depreciation 

will be there, but we will be ready. But 

will the small exhibitors be ready to follow? 

Maybe that will give an opportunity 

for bigger chains to take advantage of 

that; I don't know. It's a concern. 

Another concern is the screen size. We 

have enough light on screens of 15 

meters, but most cinemas, most big multiplexes, 

have screens that start from 15 

meters all the way up to 25 meters. And 

I'm sure that eventually the technology 

will be ready for it. But what I'm trying 

to say is you have to measure your quality 

on bigger screens. You can't continue 

to work and demonstrate your equipment 

on screens of 1 5 meters. 

Another concern is quality. I think for 

digital cinema to be successful, [it has] to 

aim beyond the quality of 35mm. 35mm is 

not a standard. We feel from our customers 

that they expect more nowadays, and we 

already have digital sound, so sound is okay 

in our theatres. But the picture quality has 

remained too many years on the same level. 

We see that as soon as we place film in 

70mm. Although we don't have a big gain 

in quality, if we give the customers a choice 

whether to go to a 70mm theatre house or 

to 35mm for the same picture, for the extra 

doUar that they have to pay, at least 70 to 75 

percent go for that extra dollar and the 

70mm. So it's clear to me that the demand 

for quality goes beyond 35mm. I should 

recommend as an industry [that] the digital 

industry should aim beyond that. 

Another concern we have is the delivery 

of the signal. A number of exhibitors hate 

very much the idea that we would depend 

on somebody sitting on a switch in Los 

Angeles and saying, "Okay, two days late 

with your invoice," and they cut off the 

switch. I think that exhibitors would like to 

sit on some kind of a disk or whatever that 

is sitting there in our theatre, and we can 

decide what time we will show it. To really 

depend 100 percent on satellite companies 

or telephone companies or even on Los 

Angeles gives us a number of problems. 

And then the biggest thing is who's 

going to pay for everything? At the time 

when we see it happen, between five and 

10 years from now, we would have 1,000 

screens multiplied by $100,000—we're 

talking about a lot of money. Everybody 

will gain from it, I agree 100 percent. We 

will need probably [fewer] people in our 

projection booth, so that's an advantage 

for us. We will need probably [fewer] people 

in our cinemas, that's probably an 

advantage for us. But the biggest advantage 

comes not to the exhibition companies. 

Up to now distribution companies 

are responsible for buying the print and 

leaving the print in our theatre. So they've 

taken advantage of $2,000 for the print, 

an extra $1,000 for shipment—that's for 

them, for every film shown, $3,000 they 

have extra in their pockets. Where will we 

make the splits? I think somewhere distribution 

and exhibition have to find a key 

[as to] how we will split off and benefit in 

an equal way [from the] advantages. 

CAROL HAHN: [I'm] just sitfing here 

thinking, I hadn't heard these words a 

year ago. Electronic cinema, digital cinema, 

E-Cinema. For a small group of 

insiders, yes, we've used these terms for 

many years. But they really have come 

into very common use with articles everywhere 

from the economists to the 

"Financial Times" to the "London 

Times." Suddenly we're seeing a lot of discussion 

about E-Cinema. These words are 

used to describe a wide range of electronic 

images, but when I talk about E- 

Cinema today, what I'm talking about is 

the ability to deliver a 35mm image or better 

to a modem multiplex such as those 

Joost Bert owns. Various panel members 

have spoken about the enormous progress 

that has been made this past year in 

acceptance by the film industry, by the 

studios, by the creative community, the 

exhibition communities, certainly in the 

United States, of the equivalence of an 

image to 35mm film in quality, color, texture 

and brightness. There have been a 

tremendous number of demonstrations to 

groups such as NATO, the Directors 

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124 BOXOFFICE 

Response No. 1 70

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Guild of America, the creative community, 

the studio executixes, and I think that 

people have uniformly walked away surprised 

at what a good job the projector 

companies are doing today at putting a 

film-like image up on the screen. 

Now that there has been real affirmation 

of the quality of the image we are 

able to project, attention really needs to 

turn to the entire distribution chain. 

Putting the picture on the screen is far 

^more than having the projector. There 

needs to be a cost-effective, reliable, 

architecture that's able to deliver 

the movie from the studio to the theatre 

that considers the needs of the worldwide 

market. Motion pictures are all 

about telling stories. Whatever technology 

is used for electronic cinema, it 

provide the storytellers with new 

and enhanced capabilities to tell their 

stories in the most entertaining and the 

most impacting way. Any alternative to 

film needs to serve the industry for many 

\ears to come. It's important that we 

don't limit our consideration to simply 

replacing today's distribution capability. 

[Bert] spoke about the fact that we need 

to have something that is better than 

35mm film, and I wholeheartedly endorse 

that, and I think that we need to consider 

that through the entire chain. We need to 

get the creative community tools. We need 

!to add tools to their tool box that allow 

them to do things creatively that they've 

not done before. We need to give exhibition 

a better image than they are achieving 

with 35mm film. And we also need to 

consider the ability of creating additional 

revenue streams for exhibition. The numbers 

in the United States are that only 1 

percent of the seats are filled during the 

time that the multiplex is open. So it's an 

enormously expensive facility that is not 

maximizing all of its revenue potential. 

We need to deal with the issue of piracy. 

Not only do we have to protect against 

piracy of the electronic image, which is an 

enormous fear for people, we need to be 

looking at ways that we can diminish the 

existing piracy. The numbers for the major 

studios in the United States that belong to 

the MPAA are that piracy costs them two 

and one-half to three billion dollars a year. 

There needs to be support of simultaneous 

worldwide releases. There needs to 

be easy retro-fit into existing theatre facilities. 

We have about 100,000 screens 

around the world, and so we really need to 

be able to look at this equipment [and be] 

able to put [it] in the existing projection 

rooms being run by the people who are 

currently employed by those theatres. We 

can't require a higher level of skill than 

they presently have. We need something 

that's cost effective. [Bert] spoke about the 

concern of what about the small theatre 

owner? Yes, the large chains are going to 

have to find a way to afford this. But smaller 

theatres are often the ones who show 

the independent movies. They tend to be 

the ones that show the European movies. 

We have to make sure that the new architecture 

is affordable, that these operators 

can continue to run their businesses. 

And I think that E-Cinema can allow an 

enhanced moviegoing experience. It can 

allow additional things like cues for laser 

lights within a theatre, cues for motion 

within a theatre, cues for fragrances within 

a theatre, so that we really make the theatre 

experience something that is unique, something 

that cannot exist within the home so 

that people continue to be drawn out of the 

home to watch movies. 

And also there should be support for 

additional revenue streams, whether it is a 

range of live events, whether it is better 

tracking for advertising. [Also there's a 

need for an] architecture for an entire endto-end 

dehvery system, which we intend 

really to take the place of the trucks that 

now deliver the reels of the film to the theatre. 

imposes a change on the studios. It's not 

meant to impose a change on the creative 

community. They can use the same techniques 

that they want, or they have addi- 

It's not meant to be something that 

tional techniques if they want to work in 

the electronic domain in making their 

movies. 

Speaking to [Bert's] concern of not 

wanting somebody to control a switch 

that controls when he can show in his theatre, 

[there will be an] off-hour delivery, 

early delivery so that the movie is actualfy 

resident within the theatre and that the 

theatre owner continues to control his 

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November, 1999 125

schedule and the programming within the 

theatre. And then it needs to have the necessary 

software to allow easy theatre use... 

WEINER: Thank you, Carol. I'd like 

to ask the question, is this going to be an 

overnight transformation of the industry, 

a revolution? Or is it going to take a 

longer time. I throw that question to 

Michael Corrigan. 

CORRIGAN: Thank you. Rex. I 

think it's very clear for a lot of reasons, 

not the least just the practicalities of it, 

that this is going to be an evolution 

rather than a revolution. Revolution 

would also play directly into the hands 

of those parts of the community that 

feel threatened by digital cinema. 

There's a natural replacement cycle for 

physical equipment at the level of exhibition. 

So I suspect that the pacing of the 

introduction of digital cinema across the 

world will somehow track that natural 

capital replacement cycle. I'm not prepared 

to say it will track it exactly because 

I think if there is a take-up, particularly in 

the level of consumer interest, and we are 

all successful in delivering imagery that 

goes beyond 35mm, then maybe the takeup 

rate will be quicker. But it will somehow 

have to track in broad strokes with 

the natural capital cycle of exhibition, 

because at the end of the day, as someone 

said in "The Godfather," "We're not 

Communists. There's a business here." 

MORRIS: Can I just come in on that 

very briefly? We've looked at the business 

over a 

15-year period and realized very 

early on that there's a real issue in the 

business of the availability of materials. 

It's quite likely that film will last for years 

and years and years, but for a short period—for 

10 or 15 years, maybe more—it's 

likely that the movie's going to be available 

on more than one medium. It will be 

available and continue to be available as 

film, it may or may not be available in 

some form of enhanced video disk form, 

and it will be available by our satellites. 

Whether or not that's a direct link, which 

I doubt, or whether or not in fact it takes 

the form of a local store, your exhibitor is 

going to have to take into account that 

he's likely to be receiving material in any 

one of three different forms. He's going to 

have to manage his affairs to enable the 

display from any of those three media. 

That's a real concern to the exhibitor. 

think it's actually very important that as 

manufacturers of digital projectors we 

take into account the fact that it's simply 

not going to be a question of a digital 

projector replacing a 35mm projector for 

some considerable time. They will have to 

run side by side. That affects us in terms 

of the way in which we think of the provision 

and the form of the digital projections 

that we provide, but it also seriously 

concerns the effects of the design of the 

networks, the projection room networks, 

that you build. You're going to see a projection 

room [that] is very different. It will 

I 

take a very different form from the existing 

projection room. You have a very 

large store of movies under some form of 

computer control, and then local distribution 

for each of 1 5 or 20 projectors. Your 

projectionist of the future will be a computer 

operator. He'll be a scheduler. Now 

for a considerable time your projectionist 

of the future is perhaps going to be running, 

initially, perhaps 12 35mm projectors 

and two or three digital projectors. 

How does an exhibitor cope with that 

situation? Indeed, how do the distributors 

cope with that situation? At the end 

of the day the medium is 

only going to 

work if the contact is there. The distributor 

is ultimately going to have to make 

up his mind whether or not he wants to 

distribute the movie as a film or in some 

digital form. And if so, in which digital 

form? There is, I would suggest, some 

potential for leverage there by the distributor 

on the exhibitor. 

Ultimately a 

distributor may actually force the implementation 

of digital projection on the 

exhibitor by simply making a particular 

film available in a particular form, a digital 

form. Now of course if he does 

enforce the acquisition of the digital 

technologies, he's also going to have to 

assist, subsidize, the purchase of that 

product. So there's going to have to be 

some way, either perhaps through the 

adjustment of the film rental fee as one 

very simple suggestion, of assisting the 

exhibitor actually adopt the technology 

It isn't going to be easy. 

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Response No. 169

W EINER: A question from the audience. 

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Could you 

comment on the question of when might 

this happen, and the fact is it's happening 

toda>. There's [a]network in the U.S. that 

shows pre-theatrical movies all the time 

on electronic screens. There's a company 

in France that does event-based electronic 

cinema. I believe on a monthly basis. 

,And really the paradigm is just waiting 

ifor some slight change in the technology 

,to emerge. But the fact is there's a strong 

grass roots push that we saw at ShoWest 

ifrom independent exhibitors who really 

iwant to adopt something that provides 

them with an agility today. 

BERT: If the film is onfy available on a 

digital platform, that's unfair, especially 

unfair for small exhibitors who won't be in 

a. position to switch. And I think that we 

[Europeans will] find a number of laws that 

,will protect those people and wiio won't 

accept the fact that somebody from the 

|U.S.—and I don't have anything against the 

jU.S.—will dictate that, "Okay now we'll 

show it only on this platform." So that's 

(Something we really are going to fight for. 

WEINER: We understand that in 

Asia, for instance, video-projected cinema 

is a reality. Is there a region in the 

world where this might become a reahty 

iSOoner than elsewhere? For instance, 

fJoost. in Europe there is a multiplexing 

movement whereas in the U.S. the 

screens are pretty much in place. Would 

you say that Europe is likely to adopt E- 

Cinema more rapidly? 

BERT: In the States you still see that 

evolution of modernizing the industry. 

The multiplex they built five years ago is 

already an old theatre because across the 

street they're building a megaplex. On 

the other hand, there is pressure on the 

bigger chains to go for a very rapid 

expansion. Besides expanding rapidly 

into multiplex and megaplexing, we have 

to keep in the back of our heads [that] we 

have to be ready for digital cinema, that 

will be an extra problem. So we are aware 

of it, and I think the key of the whole 

thing will be what offers the distribution 

companies give to us exhibitors. It's quite 

clear that the party who will benefit the 

most from digital cinema will be the [distributor]. 

He gets rid of all his prints, he 

gets rid of all his transport costs, he gets 

rid of a concern for piracy, no more 

prints stolen, etc. So he benefits the most 

from it. If they really want to make the 

switch fast, then they have to make a sexy 

oflFer. Then you really have to say, "Okay 

we['ll] do something maybe around 

rental terms or whatever," but they have 

to make some kind of a special offer. 

WEINER: A sexy offer. That's why 

we're here in Caimes. One of the concerns 

is that on the part of many exhibitors the 

changing technology may require them to 

update and upgrade their equipment every 

year or every two years. How does the endto-end 

system that CineComm is oflFering 

cope with that question in terms of the 

equipment that's being offered? Carol? 

HAHN: Speaking for CineComm, their 

plans are that they keep responsibility for 

the end-to-end system so that as technology 

evolves they bear the costs of replacement 

of any components within that endto-end 

chain. It's unreasonable to think 

that exhibition could afford to make technology 

changes every few years. Film has 

been very stable. Filrn projectors are something 

that the exhibition has been able to 

buy and use for many years. And that has 

to be taken into consideration in any 

change to electronic distribution. 

WEINER: But there is a projector 

that's part of the system that you offer? 

HAHN: That is correct. 

WEBVER: And is that projector specified 

at this time? 

HAHN: CineConmi has been working 

with Hughes JVC, and they are the preferred 

projector, but really the image can 

be delivered to any projector that the 

exhibitor wants to have. So if the exhibitor 

wants Sparkle, wants Digital Projection, 

wants Electrohome or any other company, 

the image can be delivered to that projector 

with the appropriate safeguards having 

been worked out in advance so that there 

is no place for piracy of the image. It's 

enormously important that we have the 

proper interface to protect the content as 

it's going to the projector. 

WEINER: So the CineConrai system 

would allow as many projector types of 

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November, 1999 127

manufacturers as are currently existing 

in theatres? 

HAHN: As the interfaces have been 

designed, yes. 

WEINER: I spoke with John 

Wilkinson, the head of the Cinema 

Exhibitors Association, a few weeks ago, 

and he said to me that this is a very hot 

topic right now among the membership 

in his organization. One of the things 

that he stressed most was that the projectors 

that are used for electronic cinema 

must be able to deliver that movie at 

each specified time of showing, over and 

over again. Now we all know how the 

current projectors work and what their 

reliability is, and I'd like to ask both 

Barco and Digital Projections how their 

reliability has been measured in terms of 

hours of usage. Is there a bulb that 

bums out? Is there a sprocket wheel that 

needs to be replaced? How does that 

shape up? 

MORRIS: You're talking digitally so 

that you've got no component parts in the 

projector that are going to break down. 

At the end of the day you turn [this projector] 

up or switch it on and you've got 

electronic cinema. But in the field, not 

only do we support electronic cinema, we 

are projecting in exhibitions and conferences. 

We've had projectors running now 

for a year, seven days a week, 24 hours a 

day at the Rio Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, 

and there are 12 screens there, and I'd say 

they work all day long. 

Actually, I see there are two parts to the 

question. Essentially you've got the issue 

of the technology you're using, and the 

reliability of that technology, the inherent 

reliability of that technology, and then of 

course you've got the reliability of the 

projector itself, the mechanical construction 

of the projector. In terms of the technology, 

as Mike as said, the technology 

that we're both adopting, the Texas 

Instruments technology. Digital Mirror, 

has been very well proven, in a very 

aggressive environment now over the last 

three to five years. Recognizing the importance 

of the reliability issues, TI has 

worked very hard indeed to improve the 

reliability of these small mirrors that flip 

at tremendous speed. And they actually 

measure failure rates in terms of the 

seizure of a mirror in a position over a 

period of time. And you've seen these failure 

rates drop dramatically, particularly in 

the last year or 18 months. You're now 

talking in terms of a mirror failure every 

few thousand hours, and there are a lot of 

mirrors, a few million of them. So the failure 

rate of the essential digital mirror 

technology now is extremely low. 

And in terms of the projector itself, of 

course the most likely element to fail is the 

lamp. We're using Xenon arc lamps, and in 

the configuration that we're currently 

building them into these projectors, [they] 

have, let's say at three kilowatts, a 2,000 

hour lamp life. So they're roughly equivalent. 

Barco is basically going back towards 

NOW 

SHOWING 

the traditional projector lamp anyway. We 

are. So what you're using now is what 

you're going to use in the future. We were 

actually involved yesterday in a side by 

side comparison of digital projection and 

a 35mm Christie projector. They were 

using a three kilowatt xenon arc lamp. We 

were using a three kilowatt xenon arc 

lamp. Interestingly enough the efficiency 

of the digital projection unit was actually 

greater. The image across an 11 -meter 

screen was actually considerably brighter 

than the image being projected at 11 

meters from the 35mm projector. So the 

efficiency is better. And it will get better 

yet, so I'm quite sure that eventually you'll 

find that, as strange as that might seem, a 

digital projector will be at least as, if not 

more, reliable than the 35mm projector. 

But then very briefly, on the issue of 

the serviceability of these projectors. We 

are having to face the fact that there is no 

way that any 35mm projectionist is going 

to be able to manage the sort of technology 

that we're building into these digital 

projectors at the moment. It's 

got to be 

invisible to him. We've got to present it to 

him on a big red button which effectively 

says, "Go". He needs to be totally 

unaware of what's going on. Now, given 

that fact, we can't reasonably expect him 

to do any service work of any kind onsite. 

We would expect to provide an application-specific 

product, something which 

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Response No. 187

; do 

\e expect to provide him with a push 

mtton. we'd expect to provide him with a 

mit that is essentially modular, so that if 

here's any sort of a problem—and he 

Joesn't have to understand what it is 

irstly it's indicated in one of two or three 

litTerent ways. It would be a diagnostic 

eedback as well as, I would hope, some 

ort of video feedback. But secondly he 

Vould just simply remove a unit and 

mmediately replace it. So heaven forbid 

hat there should be a failure you would 

)e able to recover the situation within a 

natter of two or three minutes. 

And as far as our technology and 

ipdating. this is just a constant program 

hat we've been through anyway. We 

)ride ourselves on the upgradabiHty of 

he projectors, and I can't see why cinenas 

would suffer from buying into this 

echnology now. Joost made a point carer 

that he's got this vision of the disributors 

having a stranglehold on elecironic 

cinema, and I see the reverse. I see 

he cinemas as having more control. But 

see the potential for that absolute 

ontrol, and I do think that we're going 

have to limit the capabilities of the 

:chnology to protect the exhibitor. It's 

01 a big deal. Again, it's all nearby 

lelivery to whether you have it fed direct, 

»r \ou have it forward storage. The conrol 

is whichever way you want it. And as 

said, that's available now. 

WEINER: Mike, did you have somehing 

that you wanted to say? 

CORRIGAN: I hstened with great 

interest to all of the commentary about 

this huffmg and puffing that's going to go 

on necessarily here between distribution 

and exhibition. And while we're all in our 

own way very bullish generally about digital 

cinema, the single biggest threat to digital 

cinema is not technological. There's 

such a wealth of technological knowledge 

represented in these companies that are on 

the panel—we're going to get there. The 

threat is exhibition and distribution behaving 

in the same old linear fashion with 

each other. And guess what's going to happen 

if that model sustains? The kinds of 

alternative distribution media that Lance 

was alluding to earlier are going to further 

proUferate, and theatrical as a supply 

chain to the audience is going to diminish 

in importance. That is the threat, and 

we've got to get past that. And while there 

will be the usual huffing and puffing and 

biraiping and grinding between studio and 

exhibition, we've got to get past it, and 

we've got to get past it quickly. 

Everybody in conceptual terms will 

agree to Joost's excellent point that the 

first flow of dollars here, the most immediately 

identifiable beneficiary, is distribution. 

And in general terms distribution 

will acknowledge that it has to in some 

shape or form share some of that benefit. 

So I think the more forward thinkers in 

the industry—and notwithstanding what 

you read in the trades, there are some 

they recognize that this process that Joost 

alluded to is going to have to happen and 

going to have to happen fairly quickly. 

And the technological backdrop for 

that has to be an open architecture. The 

industry, and I shouldn't purport to speak 

for exhibition in this regard, but the industry 

is not going to embrace a standard 

that's rammed down its throat, whether it's 

a projection-base, whether it's a delivery 

mechanism or whatever it is. Even if it's 

digitization of the original film, I think it's 

got to be a standards-based approach as 

opposed to an approach that's wedded to 

a particular hardware or indeed software 

supplier. And with that issue out of the 

way, ladies and gentlemen I firmly believe 

it's down to this issue of how we make the 

business model work. 

WEINER: I'd like to ask Lance Weiler 

how much he spent to make "The Last 

Broadcast," you and Stefan Avalos? What 

was the production costs of that movie? 

WEILER: We made "The Last 

Broadcast" for a high three-figure 

amount. It was $900. We made it with 

desktop technology, used Adobe 

Premiere to cut the film. There's a whole 

trend that's happening with grass-roots 

filmmaking all over the world. We've 

been all over the world with our film, 

talking to people in other countries. 

Whether it be South America, Asia, here 

in Europe, there's a whole new breed of 

filmmakers that are coming up that are 

making things digitally. In fact, a sign of 

the times, if you cross it over into the 

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November, 1999 129

ealm of Hollywood, is the fact that 

George Lucas has made mention of 

shooting Episode 2 of "Star Wars" on a 

digital format. Or you take the Dogme 

pictures that have been coming out of the 

Netherlands. It all points to the fact that 

a lot of people are very interested in 

working with this type of tool. So for us 

it was incredible freedom to make the 

kind of picture that we wanted to make 

to tell the story that we wanted to tell. 

Basically in the end I think that's what it's 

about—it's about telling stories, whether 

you're compelled to see them or not. 

BERT: I would like to add something. 

That's very nice to hear that not only 

[will] the distributors benefit but also the 

production community will now be able 

to make cheaper movies. And you also 

have to sit at the table and maybe you 

can also give an extra buck in our direction. 

[Laughter.] 

WEINER: Does this mean ticket 

prices are going to come down, too? 

BERT: Why not? 

WEINER: If the studios adopt this 

system, actually I'd Hke to ask that question. 

Mike, you were formerly with 

MGM as a senior executive VP, [and] 

you mentioned talking to the studios in 

Hollywood about this. What is your perception 

of their eagerness or reluctance 

to get into this area? 

CORRIGAN: That's a great question. 

The answer is in our experience. It's not 

homogenous. Different studios are at 

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different points on the learning curve as 

it relates to this new distribution model. 

I do think it would be not unkind to say 

that nine months ago this was a subject 

that did not resonate in the studio environment. 

It was largely articulated within 

the realms of the technology elements 

within those studios that, let's face it, 

have not historically been accorded the 

highest of status within the studio 

world. Someone mentioned ShoWest 

earlier, and I agree that it was a seminal 

event in the evolution of this new delivery 

system that really woke studio executives 

up, and the call went downstairs, 

"My God, where are we on this issue?" 

And as a result of that there is a scramble 

to catch up and by catch up I mean 

(a) get educated as to what this thing is, 

(b) find out what the technological 

issues are pro and con, and (c) Okay 

guys, now what's the business model? 

Some studios are further down the road 

than others, but in general we're not yet 

at the point where there's a unified 

Hollywood positioning on the issue. But 

then again there's never a Hollywood 

unified position on anything, is there? 

WEINER: Carol, has that been 

CineComm's experience as well? 

HAHN: Yes, I would agree with what 

was said. There are some people within 

studios who are very passionate about 

E-Cinema. Disney, certainly, with the 

appointment of Philip Barlow as their 

distribution chief He is now responsible 

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for electronic cinema, so that's an enormous 

affirmation by a major Hollywood 

studio that they do expect to deliver 

movies electronically. And then there are 

other studios where there are certain 

people within the studio who are very 

knowledgeable and are very passionate, 

but haven't yet found the senior executives' 

ears. So there's a wide range in 

where they are. 

WEINER: And if Hollywood and the 

international exhibition and distribution 

industry adopt electronic cinema, what 

does this mean really for the filmmaker 

in terms of writing the script, shooting 

the movie. Lance? 

WEILER: Well I don't think it 

changes anything. If anything I agree 

with some of the points that were made 

before about the fact that a lot of stuff is 

originated on film and then it's taken out 

in special effects or done in a digital 

realm anyway. So it makes sense to me 

that you could stay in the digital realm. 

It gave us more creative possibilities. For 

example, with our film 20 percent of the 

movie didn't exist until we were in post. 

All the opticals that we did, things where 

we'd slow things down or add titles— [it] 

was just a tremendous cost factor for 

being able to do it in a post-realm which 

totally freed us up. So I think in that 

sense it gives more flexibility and more 

creative freedom. 

WEINER: Now we've seen how technology 

can actually block the creative 

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the 

Tori, and Tm speaking [of] the format 

ars between VHS and Beta, for instance, 

hich held up the home video industry 

iT some time and really confused the 

onsumer about what it was to either buy 

r rent a video. How is this new technolo- 

V going to avoid that sort of format war? 

nd I put that question to just about 

ciAone on the panel. Keith? 

MORRIS: Ouch. I can only say that 

our discussions with exhibitors it's 

een very clear that they simply won't 

•low the introduction of competing 

They're simply not going 

'chnologies. 

•) 

be put in the position that they are in 

.i\\ with respect to audio systems. They 

mply can't afford to adopt more than a 

ngle format or more than a single techology. 

I think one of the most imporn: 

aspects of the business that perhaps 

e haven't discussed and the phase of 

le business that I believe we're just 

Dout ready to move into is the business 

f developing standards. We're now 

ctually seeing within the industry, 

lank goodness, attempts at consortia, 

tempts at establishing standards, 

tempts at proving these standards. 

o\\. whether it's got to do with the proction 

technology or the encryption 

chnology or the compression techologies. 

the trade industry in all its var- 

'•us forms is in fact talking, trying now 

) agree to standards and improve those 

andards so that at the exhibition level, 

production level, at the distribution 

level, 

everybody knows what their 

options are, what their choices will be. 

So that one would hope that by the time 

the industry is ready to accept this technology 

it has actually made its choices. 

Then of course as manufacturers we'd 

simply have to make sure that our equipment 

is compatible with it. 

HAHN: Could I speak to that please? 

As an American who's very much 

involved in the American movie conmiunity, 

there really is a movement towards 

discussion among the various key organizations. 

You spoke about being a 

member of NATO and of being part of 

a committee at NATO that's talking 

about electronic cinema. There's 

SMPTE, the Society for Motion Picture 

and Theatre Engineers, which has a subcommittee 

group on electronic cinema. 

Some of the studios have come to the 

MPAA and talked about the need to 

have a cross-industry discussion so that 

they don't result in the digital sound 

wars that exhibition has had to live 

through. I think that SMPTE is expecting 

to take the leadership role with the 

participation of a number of the key 

American organizations such as NATO, 

the American Society of 

Cinematographers, the Directors Guild 

of America. They are going to be 

putting together [a] task force to discuss 

and work on these various issues in an 

attempt to define a format that will be 

acceptable to the industry. 

WEBVER: Joost, 

do you have some 

observations on that? 

BERT: We are talking about standards 

and I'm quite happy that we will 

see standards. I think that people have 

learned some lessons from the past, and 

if they want to see this work there can 

only be one standard. That's one of the 

keys of bringing digital cinema into the 

next century. But besides standards there 

are other standards also very important 

for us exhibitors. For example, we see 

already that [the] computer has come 

together with television. We see all those 

things together—television, computer, 

cinema—everything is coming together. 

Cinemas will become teleported, and 

cinemas will be a way of showing television 

sporting events. I will see the eight 

o'clock news. And that's a big threat also, 

and it's also something that we would 

like to see in a standard. We as exhibitors 

want to be protected with the window of 

release. Can you imagine what would 

happen to the studio exhibition industry 

if all of a sudden the signal would be 

available for anybody to pick up and play 

a movie at their home? I think windows 

and discussion about windows will be 

part of the standards with digital cinema. 

I see that television and video and 

allies 

satellite and [the] computer are all 

of the movie exhibition if they respect 

the windows of release. But we want to 

be protected. 

WEINER: Thank you. ^ 

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November, 1999 131

SPECIAL REPORT: Sound 

ARE MOVIES TOO LOUD? 

PART II 

An Industry Panel Discusses the Future of Cinema Sound 

Also 

at Cannes, Dolby sponsored 

a conference on cinema sound, 

moderated by Peter Cowie of 

Variety. The panel included Tim 

Partridge, vice president of marketing at 

Dolby; Francois Groult, a sound designer 

and mixer currently working on "Jeanne 

d'Arc"; sound mixers Gerard Rousseau 

and Jean-Pierre luiforce; writer-directorproducer 

Henning Carlsen; directoractor-producer-writer 

Pons Rademakers; 

and Governor of the British Film Institute 

Tony Sloman. 

PETER COWIE: We were particularly 

proud that Dolby['s conference] 

last year hit the headlines... 

It was on the theme of 

loudness in movies—are movies 

too loud?.. .It was a highly 

entertaining panel. I think 

today's will be as equally 

good.... 

I'm not going to take up too 

much time with preliminary 

remarks, but I would like to 

say that we don't just want to 

look to the future. We also 

want to take benefit of the 

people we have here to look 

back at the remarkable 

changes and evolution that has 

really taken boxoffice attendance 

back up to the highs of a 

previous generation. I think 

the sound effects and the quality 

of sound mixing have been 

significant factors in bringing people 

back to the theatre, which has been in 

all our interests. 

I think deep in the not-so-distant 

past, sound was really just music—music 

laid over films—sometimes almost constantly, 

as a background. It really is 

only in the last 20 years, starting with 

"Apocalypse Now" when Walter Murch 

came here to Cannes and set up a quintiphonic 

sound arrangement in the old 

Palais de Festival, working through the 

night so that you could have [what] we 

now accept as everyday surround sound. 

We are on the brink of an extraordinary 

breakthrough just in a very few days 

from now when Dolby's latest Surround 

EX [film] will premiere, as it were, with 

"Star Wars—The Phantom Menace," 

soon to be followed by "Austin Powers," 

and I'm sure a whole series of films. Tim 

will [say] something later about how that 

functions and what it's going to bring to 

the sound world. 

I think we also ought to ask ourselves 

how will better technology in the 

future influence theatrical boxoffice 

and also how will the dramatic increase 

in quality of home cinema—DVD succeeding 

laser disks and probably 

becoming a mass medium— [will influence 

the boxoffice]. How is this going to 

CHEERS: Dolby president Bill Jasper and marketing VP Tim 

Partridge celebrate the company's 25th anniversary at Cannes 

following the "Future of Cinema Sound" panel. 

actually change the passing of 

moviegoing, and can the cinema itself 

take another step forward and still keep 

us going to the movies and not just sitting 

with our feet up eafing popcorn at 

home? 

I'd like to start with Pons because one 

of the things Walter Murch told me 

recently is [that what's] most difficult for 

a sound designer is to get the right 

sound for the right period. Now, when 

you did "The Assault" that you set in 

WWII, was it a problem to get the sound 

of the weapons and the sounds of the 

period? Was that a concern for you and 

your post production team? 

RADEMAKERS: Not very much 

because it's the very end of the war aiK 

it's 

set in Holland. The war sounds sur 

round. No, it wasn't a big problem. 

AUDIENCE MEMBER: When yoi 

went to Indonesia on location, did yoi 

record a lot of local sounds there? 

RADEMAKERS: That was a rea 

problem because Indonesia is a hugi 

country....When we went to the Left Per 

of Java, we were really in the country. A 

seven o'clock in the morning there wa 

absolutely nobody to see. We starte( 

with the camera and to rehearse, an( 

after one hour there [were] 30,000 peoph 

around. It's the island of Java, which i 

four times as big as th( 

Netherlands, which is a smal 

country, and more than 10( 

million people [live] there. S( 

they really came out of tht 

ground. They speak togethei 

and you can't make them silent 

so it was absolutely impossibh 

to make direct sound. So tha 

was a problem because o 

course [it] is not absolute!} 

quiet in the morning. We tooi 

the sounds of the nature. It wa; 

a big epic film that we did without 

music. It was quite a new 

[idea] because a [film] need^ 

music they think. 

COWIE: Tony, you were saying 

before you wanted to talk 

about footsteps and actually 

that leads into it—the use ol 

natural sound which has gradually 

become more sophisticated. 

SLOMAN: Yes, I think I would just 

like to pay tribute to a very great work 

[that] relates to what Pons was saying. 

One of my favorite soundtracks as a fan 

is a movie called "Battle of Britain." 

which features all those Spitfires in the 

sky. But of course, there weren't any 

Spitfires when the film was made so 

what you are actually hearing arc 

Spitfire engines that have been recreated 

because the planes that they are flying 

have Rolls Royce engines. [That was] I 

think one of the greatest things that a 

sound designer or dubbing editor can 

give an audience, and in this particular 

case, the dubbing editors give me chills. 

132 BOXOFFICE

j 

COWIE: 

; GROULT: 

, hich 

wouldn't even occur to you that every 

ngle engine on the screen has been 

-placed and one of the great things that 

le sound designer can do. 

When we talk about sound, we are 

tten talking about level—loud or excitig 

or it is full of explosions or there is a 

\ice race. One of the great things that a 

ood dubbing editor can do is to replace 

ack. Of course, one of the commercial 

ecessities is recreating every single 

tTect of the dialogue, which the 

.mericans call "Foley" and allege it is 

amed after the person who invented it, 

is absolutely not true. We have 

ilso] called [it] "Hoofsteps." But in the 

rocess, to answer your question, of creting 

a Foley track, and I am sure the 

,anel will agree with me, you can actualenhance 

everything that has previousbeen 

recorded and ultimately remove 

verything that has been recorded by 

^creating [it] in a theatre in perfect synhronization. 

The Foley track ultimately 

iecomes the oral texture of the film. 

COWTE: But using the original as a 

ind of basis. 

SLOMAN: As a guide trap. One 

ould hope that the floor recorder has 

ctually anticipated what is needed on 

ne dialogue, and you would have 

ecorded separately [what] we call, not 

ecessarily footsteps, but small noises. 

COWIE: The battle scene. Could you 

^11 us about the battle scenes in "Joan of 

vFc" for example, which I am sure will 

e \ ery different than previous ones? 

SLOMAN: Well, let's look at "Joan of 

\rc" because you will be recording the 

attle scenes and hoping to use much of 

:ie material. But because of the nature 

f "Joan of Arc." [there] is an inferior 

icture being shot in two different times. 

virplanes will fly in one sequence. The 

nportant sound effects start on cue. 

'he> will have to be recreated. 

Most of the sound effects 

nd the battles are recreated because it is 

mpossible to recall properly the sound 

»n the set. Most of the sound effects are 

Iways breakthrough. 

SLOMAN: Can I ask you something 

I 

little controversial? What is the funcion 

of sound recorders on a big picture 

Vhen you know that all your tracks are 

;oing to be replaced and you end up 

hooting wide tracks? 

GROULT: The wide track is the basis, 

!mt they are recorded in the lengths. 

jVfter we edit, we cannot use this wide 

jrack other than the main track. So, [we 

.tart with] the basis, the basic sound, 

:.nd we build other sound effects, more 

)recise, more effective, 

Henning, I'd like to turn to 

i'ou if I may because your fikns have 

jlways been very subtle in their use of 

ound. music and natural sounds. When 

,ou brought "Hunger" to Caimes, what 

vere the kind[s] of facilities compared 

vith the facilities you were going to enjoy 

m \ our next picture? That must have been 

enormous in 35 years. Sound facilities 

must have improved both in the studios 

and when you come to show your pictures. 

CARLSEN: I don't want to comment 

on that. In the original "Joan of Arc," 

we didn't have that problem. First of all, 

there were no battle scenes. Secondly, 

there were no sounds. 

COWIE: The Carl Dreyer picture? 

C.4RLSEN: Yes, the Carl Dreyer picture. 

Of course, it was a big development, 

but I think that I had already been 

through a big development before I 

made "Hunger" because in the beginning 

of my career, I worked with optical 

sound where we filmed the sound by an 

optical sound camera. We couldn't listen 

to what we had been doing until the next 

day when we'd get a print of that, and we 

couldn't be working too many times with 

the print in the working table, in the editing 

table before the sound track was 

destroyed, so we had to have a new print. 

It was terribly complicated. When I think 

of the fact that [some great flms were] 

done before we got tape, I think it is a 

miracle that those masterpieces were 

realized. It was horrible for them to 

make those masterpieces. 

There is another thing that strikes me 

when you talk about the progress of 

facilities [and] how much easier it has 

become. It has not [resulted] in an enormous 

increase of numbers of masterpieces. 

Facilities are [just] facilities, it is a 

matter of talent. 

COWBE: But they are tools. They can 

be tools to help you shape your vision. 

CARLSEN: They can help you but 

the more facihties you have, the easier it 

becomes to make. I have a Uttle small 

video camera of which I am sure I can 

make a fihn. Everybody can make a film. 

It cost[s] something Uke $500. Everybody 

can go out and buy it and everybody can 

make a film, and it becomes more and 

more a matter of do you have a talent. 

COWIE: I would like to ask either 

Jean-Pierre LaPors or Gerard Rousseau 

to comment on the difference between 

the time allowed for a sound mix in the 

United States and the time allowed for a 

sound mix in France. I am guessing that 

it is around three weeks in France, 

maybe six weeks in the States? 

LAPORS: It is different for every 

movie. In fact, for a movie [of] one hour 

and 30 [minutes], we have three to four 

weeks. But, it is a question of length. It 

is a question of the number of 

sequence[s]...It seems to be that the time 

in the States or in Europe, it is the same. 

It is a question of length, the number of 

shots, the number of sequences. It is different 

for every movie. 

COWIE: Would you say that 

European directors tend to put more 

emphasis on the dialogue, whereas 

American films tend to be more action 

driven and therefore [have] extraneous 

sounds. Take a film like "Armageddon," 

[which] we were talking about last year. 

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RADERMAKERS: 

GROULT: You mean do we have the 

ime interest for the sounds? No. They 

not. Some directors have the feeHng 

f the sound that they try to explain and 

ave a long discussion about the sound 

1 general and the sound particularly on 

leir movie. Some directors want to be 

lere in the mixing room from the first 

the last just beside me, and we worked 

bgether. And some directors, we have a 

onversation]—maybe one, maybe 

AG—of the way we have to mix, and he 

ives me some ideas on that direction. 

\fter he leaves, [we have] maybe one day, 

Ao days, three days ([depending on] the 

itficulty). and [we] come back [and] lis- 

.^n with the paper and the pen and we 

:dlk. [Many] of the directors [have a] 

ery big interest for the sound, but some 

f them [do] not know a way to speak 

bout that. They prefer to give me some 

irection, some ideas, let me alone and 

fter[wards] come back and we have a 

iscussion about ideas alone. 

COWIE: I think so many of the great 

irectors have worked with the same 

esigner over the years. Through your 

areer did you use the same sound coleagues 

or were you dependent on where 

ou made the film? 

I was very happy 

lith them so I changed often. A lot of 

i\ films, I had all the same. 

COWIE: So they got to know you? 

RADEMAKERS: Yes. But I never let 

hem [alone] for one minute. 

COWIE: You sat beside them? 

RADERMAKERS: Always. 

COWIE: What about you Henning? 

C.A.RLSEN: I keep to the same ones. I 

un them down, then I pick up new ones. 

COWIE: Could we turn to music in 

ilms because one of Henning's most 

noving films for me is "Oh, To Be on the 

iand Wagon," which is set in 

Copenhagen. There are a number of 

)eople who come together in a cafe and 

jadually you get to know their prob- 

;ms. and the use of jazz was sort of facored 

in that. Did you come to that film 

vith the jazz already in mind or did it litrally 

emerge from the material? 

CARLSEN: The music actually 

'merged from the scene because the scene 

had] a bar player—a man who is playing 

ê piano in a bar—and he was the central 

Character. My problem with that film was, 

ind that changed for a number of films, 

he style in which I use the music. I had 

)een working with the famous tourist 

'omposer, [Christopher] Komeda who 

•ilso worked for Polanski. We had made 

bur films together and then suddenly he 

lied. For a number of films and years, I 

'lidn't know what to do because he was 

uch a tremendous composer. Then I 

'lecided [that] for "Oh, To Be on the Band 

A/'agon" there should only be music from 

1 source, meaning either from the piano 

)layer. from the bar player or from the 

nusic box. From the music box we took 

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and we had Pat Morrow on it. He played 

two sleepy people ones. [It's] only now and 

then that music continued outside the bar 

on the two sleepy people bar riding on the 

same bicycle home. Otherwise, there was 

no music [that] was sort of commentary 

music. It was all music from the source. 

The first time I worked with him, Hilmar 

[Hilmarsson], was on "Two Green 

Feathers." But I don't want to tell them to 

compose because I can't write a note. I 

can't play. I know very little about music. 

So I said to Hilmar, "The only thing I can 

tell you is if after the film is finished somebody 

comes and says it was wonderful 

music, I'm going to kill you." Now you 

write in your book that it was wonderful 

music so I had to go home and kill him. 

I think the music should be so much a 

part of the picture that you aren't noticing 

it. Also, I think the same should go for the 

picture. It should be so much a part of the 

film that you don't notice. But that applies 

to all sorts of sounds in many ways. 

COWIE: What tends not to happen, 

and I'd like to make a plea for it, is that 

the sound designer or the dubbing editor 

[or the] sound editor, never meets the 

composer. Consequently, you go into a 

mix where you as a sound designer have 

found and recorded some marvelous 

atmospheres. Time is spent actually mixing 

and incorporating the atmospheres 

and then the music inevitably turns up at 

the last minute. The time you spent creating 

atmospheres—we keep it very simple: 

a bird, a lake, a background—is just completely 

keyed out, never used and dubbing 

time is actually wasted; whereas, if the 

sound editor had at least the music cue 

sheets, he knows where the music goes. 

That invariably doesn't happen. The 

sound guys are working over there. The 

composer is working over there. They 

don't meet. I have to say I just finished 

working on a picture called "Dark 

Summer" where we had a wonderful composer 

that many of you know, Michel 

Colombier. He knew where the atmospheres 

were going and where we didn't 

need them and where the music filled in, 

and we created, with the director's help, of 

course, a wonderful aural feeling to the 

film. Consequently, we were able to mix it 

in a very short period of time. What doesn't 

happen in a collaborative meeting is 

quite simply collaboration. 

The latest Dolby, I know it's another 

one in preparation Tim, but the latest 

Dolby trailer I've seen significantly switches 

from the loud booming explosive or 

rumbling sounds we associate with something 

like Dolby Digital to a very subtle 

sound of raindrops falling. Is that a sign 

that you too are feeling this is a trend? That 

there will be more subtle sounds rather 

than just big, in-your-face explosions? 

PARTRIDGE: No, it's a sign that distributors 

wouldn't use the big loud one 

in front of quiet films, so we had to 

bring out the quiet one as well. It's interesting 

[that] when you do bring out a 

new format, 

as we have been over the 

years, how directors use the new format. 

Almost every time they overuse it for the 

sound. Now, the first stereo movie was 

Ken Russell's "Lisztomania." If you ever 

get a chance to hear that film, [you will] 

hear and see that almost everything is 

hard over to the right side or hard over 

to the left side or it moves around everything. 

Everything in the film moves 

around on this screen because it's never 

been able to do it before. It's more so 

when you mix a film with a director 

who's using the current formats when 

you have surround sound as well. They 

want to put everything on the surrounds. 

[A] number of times we have to say, 

"hold back," because it won't work in 

every cinema. But they do tend to 

overuse it. The first Dolby digital film, 

"Batman Returns"—if you ever hear 

that sound track, it was completely over 

the top in terms of what was on the surround, 

in terms of the dynamic range 

because it was the first time that such a 

dynamic range was available. They do. 

they go over the top and then they eventually 

realize it's not really the sound 

that you impress people with. It doesn't 

have to be overused. Often it's the more 

subtle sounds, like you say, that are more 

impressive. 

COWIE: Some people have seen the 

opening picture here, "The Barber of 

Siberia." That was very obvious that 

there was someone, I wouldn't say playing 

with surround sound, but someone 

who clearly had the budget finally to 

make a really big impressive film 

where... people were turning around and 

following to the back of the cinema 

because it was so palpable and so clear. 

Then I just saw the Kaige Chen film, 

"The Emperor and the Assassin" today, 

and there all the sound emphasis is in 

the front of the hall. The sounds are 

strong, particularly in battle sequences, 

and there are a lot of deep, deep boots 

on concrete and banging beat sounds. 

They were all in the front of the cinema 

and there was very little use made of the 

actual rear speakers. Pons, tell us about 

"The Assault." Was that made in stereo? 

RADERMAKERS: Yes. It gave us 

opportunities we hadn't had before. 

COWIE: I think the [Dolby] revolution 

was not in the home for many, many 

years. I suspect it's only from 1995 when 

laser disks started circulating with Dolby 

digital first in the States. The latest in the 

U.K. could not carry that additional 

information. One could never reproduce 

it. It was only with DVD that we can 

now play Dolby digital films in the home. 

Would anyone like to comment on the 

use of high quality sound in what we call 

home theatre and how this is beginning 

to afiect people's perception when they 

go to the movies? Are they now used to a 

higher standard? 

For 

SLOMAN: It's about time, isn't it. 

a long time teenagers growing up had bet- 

136 BOXOFnCE

' 

:er sound than they've had in the theatres. 

rhey didn't have five speakers, but they 

actually had better sound systems shortly 

ifter the coming of Dolby, when single 

screen cinemas were converted into multiolexes. 

I remember working on Dolby pic- 

:ures. and I'm sure Tim will remember, 

where we had to do Dolby stereo in a 

mono version and invariably the mono 

\ersion played in most theatres. In fact, 

now that has changed so that the sound in 

:he theatre is better than you can get in the 

-lome, which is why home sound is now 

undergoing a tremendous process of 

mprovement. Obviously, if you see a film 

'ind the sound makes a tremendous 

mpression on you. that's what you want 

Ahen you buy the DVD or the laser disk. 

COWIE: One of the big reasons why 

you always used to have to do a separate 

hiix for the home was because of the 

dynamic range, though. You have enor- 

Tious dynamic range you can play in the 

cinema but it can go very loud and very 

quiet. In most people's homes you can't 

Jo that because of the people sleeping 

ipstairs. You still compress the track a 

'ittle bit for the DVD even. 

GROULT: Compress is a word we 

don't use. But we adjust the dynamic 

ange for a little room, and we don't 

leed the same dynamic range for even 

:he great salon with [a] great television, 

ko we have to arrange a little more 

Bynamic range of the mix. For me. 

that's] the main reason we have to do 

wo mixes. But in fact, it's too recent 

vith DVD. We are not used to making a 

second mix. For example, for television 

ind video we are used to making two 

Tiixes. We use the Dolby SR and around 

•he dynamic for the video but now with 

•he DVD I'm sure I['ll] fight with my 

producer to do a second mix for the 

DVD. Because if you want to have the 

same feeling and the same sensation at 

lome with your own theatre, you have to 

idjust a little bit the dynamics. 

PARTRIDGE: What we found a lot in 

he hi-fi magazines [was that some] people 

require the same dynamic as the film 

because they have a wonderful $10,000 

> stem and they want to play it directly. 

50 what we've been able to do with techlology 

is to build into the soundtrack 

arious dynamic ranges [that] the mixer 

limself programs and controls. And 

hen the person at home can select which 

)ne. either the compressed version [for] 

he small house with neighbors, or the 

:omplete dynamic range as with the cin- 

'ma. So it doesn't just have to turn it up 

)r turn it down. He actually listens to 

:he whole mix. 

' 

GROULT: For me, it's not the compressed 

version. For me it's not to cut the 

ligh range and push the low range—it's 

o keep the dynamic as it exists, because 

\e are at home wanting the same sound 

IS in the theatre. Even if you are in a 

jreek castle with a large room, we have 

about] think to the largest audience. So 

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138 BOXOFnCE 

we have to arrange sometimes the 

dynamic but not compress [it] or use a 

compressor. 

COWIE: There is a great danger in 

providing a priority list [that] puts the 

home above the theatre. This isn't particularly 

new, and it's interesting that the 

future is going the same way as the past. 

You always had to provide two different 

versions, and the one with the smaller 

range was called 16mm. It always had a 

different track. I think really you have to 

work for the highest.You can't do it the 

other way around. 

Tim, we're just a few days away from 

the world premiere of Dolby Digital 

Surround EX. Is this a positive feature 

that won't make movies louder? 

PARTRIDGE: Probably it will. I dare 

say it will be quite a loud film. The 

Surround EX development is just an 

extra channel of sound to help the director 

position sounds exactly where he 

wants them. It was something that was 

asked for by the sound crew on 

"Phantom Menace." They wanted to be 

able to send spaceships completely 

around the audience, and at the moment 

with the current system you only have 

two channels behind the audience to be 

able to do that. So they asked for an extra 

channel at the back so that it could go 

down the left wall across the back wall 

and then down the right wall. Also, apart 

from sending spaceships or anything 

around the audience with a separate 

channel, which is a new channel on the 

back wall, it allows them to send things 

straight over the audience's head much 

more easily. Let's not forget what the end 

goal is: an infinite number of channels 

because that's what happens in real life. 

You're trying to create a system where 

there's an infinite number of channels in 

order to allow the director to do whatever 

would happen in real life. But of course 

money comes into it and other technical 

limitations. It's only recently we've been 

able to overcome those to add a third 

channel at the back. So there will be limitations 

compared to real life, but I think 

it will be a big improvement over current 

systems to have these three channels to let 

the director do much more with the 

whole sound field. 

COWIE: What about human limitations? 

I can turn my neck but I'm watching 

the screen. 

PARTRIDGE: It depends on how the 

channels are used. If somebody overuses 

those channels and distracts you from the 

screen, that's a bad thing, and we would 

wholeheartedly agree with that. You 

know as well as I that some of our top 

directors and producers in the U.K. don't 

use surround at all because they feel it distracts 

from the screen. Many directors do 

that, and I think that's more a reflection 

of the system being used. It's a reflection 

of the sound within that system. If it's distract[ing] 

from the screen, then of course, 

yes, it's a bad thing. But if you're trying to 

create an atmosphere in a film, then surely 

being able to create that atmosphere all 

around the audience as well as just in 

front of them may make it more realistic, 

if realism is what you're going for. It's not 

always what you actually want. 

AUDIENCE MEMBER: I have a 

question for Mr. Partridge. I understand 

you have [done] some research at Dolby 

in the U.S. for controlling the [sound] 

levels of [films]. My second question is, 

as far as I know for this surround system, 

it's a kind of analog surround 

sound on the rear speakers. So technically, 

you should have left the possibility 

to add another channel. Is it possible to 

have a seventh channel? 

PARTRIDGE: No, not at the moment 

because the extra channel at the back is 

an analog channel coming out of the left 

surround and right surround, so that is 

the same as you have on the screen. In 

the analog system you have a center 

"^Ne see it is a great 

problem that directors are 

using the dynamic range. 

Perhaps using it and 

driving audiences out of the 

cinema, to an extent. Many 

of the youngsters like to 

have it that loud, hut 

there's an awful lot of 

people out there who don't, 

and they have no control in 

the cinema so they are leaving 

the cinema. And of 

course we get the blame 

because it's our system. " 

—Tim Partridge, Dolby 

channel coming out to left and right. At 

the moment, there's no capacity within 

that system to add an extra one. 

The research you referred to was the 

model 737, which we announced here at 

Cannes last year. It was to address this 

whole loudness problem. We see it is a 

great problem that directors are using the 

dynamic range. Perhaps using it and driving 

audiences out of the cinema, to an 

extent. Many of the youngsters like to 

have it that loud, but there's an awful lot 

of people out there who don't, and they 

have no control in the cinema so they are 

leaving the cinema. And of course we get 

the blame because it's our system. So we 

thought we had to at least address the 

problem by having the panel here last 

year. What's come about is using this 

meter, which [measures] the loudness of 

a movie, not just how much voltage you 

have in a loud speaker, but it mixes how 

the ear perceives the loudness of a movie. 

We've now convinced the U.S. majors 

to use this and bring down the levels of the 

trailers. It's the trailers that are the big 

problem—the commercials where they all 

want to be louder than the next one. So 

hopefully in America they will hear the 

loudness of trailers is coming down 

because it's being regulated. In Europe, 

where we have cinema commercials, they 

are also a problem and they were driving 

audiences to complain also. So we've convinced 

the people who regulate the commercials 

to also use the meter and to use it 

to bring the level down. So from January 

1, 2000, all the commercials around 

Europe you will notice will be at slightly 

more bearable level. But we've not been 

able to do anything with the feature films. 

We don't think it's our purpose to put creative 

limitations on filmmakers. But I 

think the filmmakers are realizing that 

making things too loud is damaging the 

boxoffice or their audience. I think they 

are beginning to tame a little bit. It would 

be interesting to pose questions to the mixers 

[about] how they feel the issue is 

because I'm sure they are always getting 

directors [who] say make it loud and make 

it louder. As far as I see it, it's the fight in 

the mixing room between a director who 

wants something very loud because he 

thinks that will impress and the mixer who 

is a little bit more sensitive to sound and 

realizes that loudness in itself does not 

impress. It is range within a film that can 

impress. 

Is that so Francois? 

GROULT: Yes, Tim... For a few years 

now we['ve] know[n] that we have a great 

dynamic range, maybe 90 decibels. [It is] 

new for us, for directors and for everybody 

working on it. So it is really normal 

that there are some exaggerafions. 

But for me, it's very dangerous to say 

that each thing in digital format is too 

loud. There [are] some examples, but not 

too much. So for me it's because surely 

we are not used to really using dynamic 

range. But now that we have some background, 

I'm very confident in the future 

in using the dynamic sound in digital 

format. For me it's not a problem. Today 

it's a problem maybe because there are 

some bad examples, but for me the 

future is not really a problem. Each of 

them we have to learn about. 

AUDIENCE MEMBER: I'd like to 

speak from the film composer aspect....! 

personally believe that if we've been 

involved to the point where we can contribute 

and we do get credit, we could be 

[at the final mix] as film editors are and 

as sound designers are. Quite often the 

reason film composers are sometimes 

excluded from the dubbing stage is that 

[the filmmakers] are going to do things 

that will upset the composer. So I would 

like to feel that we've been involved in 

the project from the script level. 

Sometimes we should see it through to 

the end and not be locked out for a week 

only to find that our music has been su£^ 

pressed.

. composed 

, how 

I 

j 

; 

stage, 

, what 

, the 

i 

the 

! suddenly 

. don't 

I 

, some 

I 

mind 

PARTRIDGE: I think Tony can best 

respond to the suggestion that composers 

should always be at the mixing 

stage because it can be very good and 

beneficial. You know exactly what's been 

and how it can be used and 

you envision it being used in the 

film. On some films I've been on—where 

the composer has been there—it's ended 

up being a music film. Just in the same 

way the Foley guy was on the mixing 

it would end up being a footstep 

film. It's understandable that you want 

you've created to be there, but at 

end of the day somebody's got to call 

shots and that's the director. If he 

decides at the last minute, "I 

want music over this section," you 

know you've sweated blood for three 

weeks on that particular music and he 

throws it out, obviously it would give 

risht to tension. 

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Could I just 

add I think there is a responsibility to 

the composer to almost try to second 

guess what the sound effects guy is going 

[ to do. If you look at the fihn properly, 

, there are a lot of clues. I feel sorry for 

of the younger guys up and coming 

because thev don't see those clues. 

PARTRIDGE: You shouldn't have to 

second-guess. There should be collaboration 

there with the editor so you know 

exactly what's going to happen. You 

never know exactly what's going to happen 

unless you all get there with the 

director. Even then, he can change his 

at the last minute, but you have 

,much more of an idea. 

Yes, we can put everything into your 

mixing studio so that when you hear it in 

the mixing studio, the music studio, it 

sounds as close as possible to how it will 

sound in the large room. For many 

\ears, up until about the mid-'80s, that 

ne\er happened. Of course, everybody 

was disappointed with the way the music 

sounded in a dubbing room, the way it's 

been equalized as well as [how] it sounds 

in a big room. Then we started to put the 

matrix system, the four-chaimel system, 

into music studios. Now we would do 

the same thing with the five-chaimel system. 

Sometimes the problem is that the 

film doesn't decide to go five channel 

until the last minute, in which case you 

can never see that. Nowadays most films 

are digital, and I think it's fair to assume 

from the composer's point of view that 

they ought to be worth an additional 

medium and a discreet medium and then 

jwe would go along and help it. I would 

^y even the top music mixers such as 

iwn Murphy (who does a lot of the 

ucasfilm stuff) always asks us to come 

for every mix he does in a music stuo, 

and we even equalize the loud 

kers to make them sound hke film 

studio and cinema loud speakers 

(because he knows that is the medium 

that's going to be heard [at] the end of 

the day. Now, a lot of music engineers 

hate the thought of you tampering with 

their loud speakers. 

AUDIENCE MEMBER: ...Sometimes 

it's a big potluck who you're going to get 

there. That's why I think if you can be 

there at least you can get a bit of a balance. 

PARTRIDGE: You only need to teU 

your producer where and when you mix 

it and we'll come along and set your studio 

up. 

CARLSEN: I just want to mention that 

in the four films I made with Komeda, he 

was always present at the mixing. He was 

not only there to defend his music that it 

should be loud enough, but he was also 

there to make sure that we didn't make the 

music too loud. There was also the problem, 

which I think really justifies the presence 

of the composer, [of] when you mix 

real sound into the music. The composer 

should really be there and make sure that 

you have the right balance. The fimny 

thing about Komeda was he was just as 

active on the reels where there was no 

music at all, where there was only sound. 

He was also critical as to what we did in 

the mixing. So I think it was very, very 

positive to have him. 

AUDIENCE MEMBER: I'd hke to 

take the conversation back to natural 

sound. I'm an underwater production 

speciaUst and was filming wild dolphins 

in Egypt in January. I would like to ask 

Tony Sloman, who I understand is dubbing 

editor on "The Fruit Machine," 

how you picked up dolphin sounds. 

How did you exclude the sounds I 

encounter, which are my own regulation, 

the crew regulators, the boats above that 

may pass by, parrot fish crunching 

coral? We obviously have common systems. 

How did you exclude those lovely 

clicking sounds? 

SLO-MAN: The problem with "Fruit 

Machine" is that dolphins were speaking 

to our hero and they weren't necessarily 

in the water. We were suppUed 

with a lot of wild track from the floor, 

which had water sounds and boat 

sounds on them. Ultimately, we couldn't 

use any of them. Dolphins have a language, 

and we actually found the dolphin 

language. I know this sounds ludicrous, 

but this panel is familiar with 

Dutch problems in filmmaking I'm sure. 

We actually [determined] what the dolphins 

would be saying, then we recorded 

them using a special microphone 

[that] eliminated the sound of water 

sloshing on the sides of the boat. But 

what we had was the clunking of boats 

because we couldn't lose that. So ultimately—any 

sound mixer recorder will 

appreciate this—we used the dolphin 

tracks as guide tracks so we actually 

had (for the very few members of the 

audience who would know what the dolphin 

is saying) the correct noises. Then 

we hired [an] animal impersonator to 

copy them. 

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November, 1999 139

SPECIAL REPORT: Concessions 

TURTLE RACING 

Landmark's Bryan Balderson Suggests 20 Ways 

To Speed Up Concession Lines by Christine James 

Bryan 

Balderson, manager of 

Landmark of Canada's Uptown 

Cinema Centre, recently discovered 

20 turtles infesting his theatre's concession 

stand. Needless to say, they were 

hurting business. Balderson and his staff 

had to figure out a way to exterminate the 

turtles—and fast. 

Now, don't go calling the Board of 

Health. These turtles were not of the reptilian 

variety. Rather, the Uptown was 

being plagued by Time Turtles, insidious if 

metaphorical creatures responsible for 

slowing down concessions operations in 

theatres all over the world. 

Balderson found that on one weekend, 

the line would move quickly and efficiently; 

on the next, it might barely inch along. 

Given that the number of staffers and customers 

would be the same in both instances, 

what could account for this disparity? 

Balderson polled his staff and observed 

their transactions to try to discover reasons 

for the puzzling phenomenon. Together, 

they found 20 hindrances, or Time Turtles, 

as they dubbed them; upon identifying the 

problems, the group brainstormed solutions, 

and even made a humorous instructional 

video illustrating the wrong way and 

the right way for a concession stand 

employee to handle each scenario. These 

findings were shared with ShowCanada '99 

attendees at a lively seminar entitled 

"Concession Transaction Dynamics." 

Problem 1: Nothing is Happening. 

The customer is standing in front of 

you, slack-jawed, staring at the menu or 

gazing into space, and holding up the line 

in the process. Look the customer in the 

eye and politely ask, "May I help you?" 

Repeat yourself if necessary. If there is no 

response, offer to help the next customer in 

line. Additionally, placing menu boards 

next to the line can help prevent this problem 

by allowing patrons to make their 

choices before gettmg to the counter. 

Problem 2: Sizes, Sizes, Sizes. 

When a person requests a drink, just 

asking "what size?" can lead to a longwinded 

dialogue about the various sizes. 

Saying "Will that be a large?" indicates 

that the employee needs to know the size, 

in addition to promoting the larger size. 

Problem 3: Incomplete Orders. 

A customer may sound like he's finished 

ordering, but just as you've tallied the 

total, he'll request another item. If the 

patron orders a drink, suggest some popcorn, 

and ask if he would like anything 

else. This encourages larger orders as well 

as helping to determine when the order is 

complete. 

Problem 4: Show Me the Money. 

You present the customer with his order 

and announce the total; now the scrounge 

for exact change begins. Instead, tell 

patrons the total in advance so they can 

search their wallets while the order is in the 

process of being filled. 

Bryan Balderson, manager of Landmark of Canada's 

Uptown Cinema Centre in Red Deer, Alberta. 

Problem 5: Running Out of Stock. 

If you have to go into a backroom to 

retrieve an item, customers will become 

restless and irate and perceive your theatre's 

operations as being unorganized. 

Overstock all items and try to keep backup 

supplies close at hand. 

Problem 6: Waiting For the Next Order. 

If the customer is engaged in conversation 

with someone else and doesn't 

respond to your offer to take his order, 

serve the next person in line. 

Problem 7: Did I Get the Correct Change? 

Never give the customer a handful of 

change and expect him or her to trust it's 

accurate. The customer may hold up the 

line recounting the change, or he might 

walk away harboring a doubt. To avoid 

this, always count back the change. 

Problem 8: Customer Re-Adds Amount Owed. 

If a customer has poor math skills, he 

might waste valuable seconds trying to add 

the cost of soda, popcorn and M&Ms to 

make sure the amount cited is correct. 

WTien you see this occurring (usually characterized 

by a look of perplexed concentration 

and the muttering of figures), 

explain how you arrived at the total by listing 

the prices of each item. 

Problem 9: The Inquiring Customer. 

There's always someone who has to 

know the ingredients of each item, the 

amount of joules generated by the calories 

in a packet of Junior Mints and who 

invented the popcorn popper. Answer 

questions as matter-of-factly as possible, 

avoiding long, drawn-out conversations; if 

the customer persists or if you don't know 

the answer, refer him to the manager. 

Problem 10: Parlez-Vous? 

Sometimes a customer doesn't seem to 

speak your language—or any language 

recognizable in the solar system, for that 

matter. Be patient; remember that raising 

your voice doesn't aid in comprehension; 

and suggest items by pointing to them. 

Problem 11: Change of Mind. 

If a customer decides to go with the 

nachos instead of the popcorn, redo the 

order and adjust the price without hesitation. 

Problem 12: Children Wanna Know. 

When a young one approaches your 

counter, chances are you're in for a laborious 

dialogue—unless you head it off at the 

pass. Most frequently reported is a neverending 

series of "How much is this? How 

that?" questions. Instead of wait- 

much is 

ing for each query, explain all the prices at 

once. Better yet, ask how much money the 

child wants to spend and suggest items in 

that price range. 

Problem 13: A Fistful of Money. II 

When a customer pays with a large 

amount of coins, if the sum looks approximately 

accurate, don't worry about the 

few cents it may be off. Assume it's correct 

instead of taking up valuable time to count 

it out. "It almost always is [correct]," finds 

Balderson, "and for the few times it's not, 

it's not worth the trouble." 

Problem 14: Oops! Wrong order. 

If a customer points out that you got his 

order wrong (even if you know for a fact 

that he ordered a Diet 7-Up and not a 

Coke as he claims), don't argue or even 

pause. Give the customer what he wants. 

140 BOXOFFICE

Problem 15: Doing it Right the First Time. 

With larger orders, ask early on if the 

customer would like a tray. Fill it as you go 

instead of handling the food twice. 

Problem 16: You Want What? 

If a customer asks for an item you don't 

carry, merely saying "We don't have that" 

can create dead time as the patron must 

rethink his order. Automatically suggesting 

similar alternatives (e.g. "We don't 

carry root beer, but we do have Pepsi, Dr. 

Pepper and Sprite") speeds this process up. 

Problem 17: How Big is Big? 

When a patron asks "how big is a large," 

chances are he's also going to want to 

know "how big is a medium" and "how big 

iis a small," and, subsequently, "how much 

is a large," "how much is a medium," etc. 

Prevent time-wasting follow-up questions 

by telling him the size and cost of all 

options at once. Alternatively, create a display 

of the cup, bag and box sizes with 

clearly-marked prices that you can point to 

when the query arises. 

Staff members at the Uptown reenact some of the key scenes from Balderson's training video. 

Problem 18: What Did He Say? 

No one likes to repeat themselves. Look 

at your customer when he's speaking and 

don't allow yourself to be distracted. You're 

more likely to take the order accurately, preiventing 

both the wasted time in fixing the 

order and the risk of alienating a patron. 

Problem 19: A Social Situation. 

If a customer insists on being chatty 

'with you, politely but persistently ascertain 

if you can serve him. If he doesn't place an 

order, go on to the next customer. 

Problem 20: What Am I Doing Here? 

An employee who has to repeatedly ask 

other staffers how much everything costs 

and what sizes go with the combo meals not 

only wastes time but puts forth an unprofessional 

impression. Staff must be properly 

trained before being left alone at the concession 

stand; otherwise the work will be 

inefficient and both the customers and the 

employee will become frustrated and dissatisfied. 

Thorough training instills competence, 

confidence and the ability to deal 

with all the situations described above. 

Balderson summed up by pointing 

out the fact that in North 

America, concessions account for 

approximately two-thirds of a theatre's 

profits. Stop the Time Turtles from 

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have more customers munching away on 

your concessions. 

For further information regarding 

Bryan Balderson's Time Turtles training 

video, phone 403-342-1412 or fax 403- 

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November, 1999 141

NATIONAL 

NEWS 


NO TARIFFS ON 

U.S. FILM EXPORTS 

U.S. distributors saw record film rentals 

from foreign theatres last year. Domestic 

film exports reached $5.7 billion, beating 

1997's record by $400 million. Japan, 

increasing its business with the U.S. industry 

by 19 percent, was the top export market, 

spending $377 million. Second-place 

Germany also increased its U.S. film rentals 

by 19 percent, shelling out $335 million. 

Rounding out the top five were the United 

Kingdom ($246 million), France ($236 million) 

and Spain ($176 million). The Middle 

East, Latin America and Europe all showed 

significant increases in film rentals, but economic 

and currency problems contributed 

to a five percent decrease in the Asia-Pacific 

region. 

MGM GOES ON THE ROAD 

After pushing back its $750 million equity 

offering from the first week in September 

to later in the month, the new MGM, headed 

by chairman and CEO Alex Yemenidjian 

and vice chairman Chris McGurk, finally 

commenced a road show in mid- 

September, intending to drum up national 

and international interest in the sale. 

Yemenidjian, McGurk, CFO Dan Taylor 

and other MGM executives planned to 

meet with bankers and investors throughout 

the country and in London, Paris and 

Frankfurt to raise money to cover company 

debt and pay for other general corporate 

expenses as well as expand the studio's 

base of shareholders. Majority shareholder 

Kirk Kerkorian is prepared to purchase any 

unsold shares, but if the offering is completely 

subscribed at roughly $20 a share, 

his stake will fall from 90 percent to 72 percent 

of the company. 

CORPORATE REPORT CARD 

Fox Filmed Entertainment reported $345 

million in operating income, up 36 percent 

from $254 million a year ago. The unit's 

fourth-quarter earnings nearly quadrupled to 

$22 million from $6 million in 1998, thanks 

to the Force. Parent company News Corp. 

posted a 25 percent drop in operating profit 

this fiscal year, down to $91 7 million, or 92 

cents a share, from $1 .22 billion, or $1 .26, a 

year ago. Annual revenue rose six percent to 

$13.6 billion from $12.8 billion. Fourthquarter 

earnings were $214 million, or 21 

cents a share, not including one-time factors, 

down from $266 million, or 27 cents, 

in this timeframe in 1998. 

Seagram Co., despite recent success at 

the boxoffice from its filmed entertainment 

division, reported a net loss of $129 million 

in the quarter ending in June. For the fiscal 

year, the company earned $686 million. 

Annual revenue was up 30 percent to 

$12.3 billion. Universal's operating loss 

plummeted to $206 million, down from a 

profit of $229 million in fiscal 1998. 

Revenue rose five percent to $2.9 billion 

tor the year. 

LEAD STORY: RED HOT SUMMER BOXOFFICE 

After breaking records in the months of June, July and August, this summer's boxoffice 

reached a scorching $3 billion, beating last year's record summer by nearly 20 

percent. "The Phantom Menace" was the top grosser in the May 7-to-September 6 

timeframe, raking in around $420 million, and set the pace for the rest of the season's 

success, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. president Paul Dergarabedian. "Part of 

the momentum was created by the "Star Wars" movie, which got a lot of people out 

to the theatres," Dergarabedian says in an interview with BOXOFFICE. "Audiences 

were exposed to trailers and posters and that type of thing, and it sort of created a 

momentum, and that's why we were able to beat last year's record by a pretty wide 

margin." 

Other top-grossing pics included "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" ($205 million), 

"The Sixth Sense" ($175 million), "Tarzan" ($165 million), "Big Daddy" ($160 million), 

"The Mummy" ($155 million), "Runaway Bride" ($135 million), "Blair Witch 

Project" ($130 million), "Notting Hill" ($115 million) and "Wild Wild West" ($110 million). 

This list represents "just a really good variety of films, films that had a terrific word-ofmouth, 

and a summer that had a slew of must-see movies, one after the next," 

Dergarabedian says. As a result, turnstiles were working overtime during the summer 

months as well. Ticket sales reached 610 million, a 14 percent increase over last summer's 

figures. 

Buena Vista led the studios for the season with 1 7.5 percent of the market share and over 

$500 million in summer grosses. Fox and Universal were close behind with 15.9 percent 

rounded 

and 15.8 percent of the market, respectively, and Paramount and Warner Bros, 

out the top five with 10.7 percent and 10 percent. 

"Now we are about nine to 10 percent ahead of last year['s boxoffice] at this same 

point," Dergarabedian says. "Last year was a record year with $6.95 billion. We're certainly 

going to blast past the $7 billion mark for the year." 

In its annual Global Sector Review, ratings 

agency Standard & Poor's found that the parent 

companies of Hollywood studios are 

posting profits despite the rising production 

costs, indicating that investment rating 

upgrades are possible. "Universal parent 

Segram Co., Walt Disney Co., Fox parent 

News Corp., Columbia TriStar parent Sony 

Corp., Time Warner Inc. and USA Television 

parent USA Networks inc. are all 

investment 

grade or better, leaving only nonrated MGM 

Inc. out of the picture," the report said. An 

investment-grade rating situates a company 

among top corporations, widening the range 

of investors who can lend it money and lowering 

fund-raising costs. 

AIR APPARENT 

Bel Air Entertainment, a joint production 

venture between Warner Bros, and France's 

Canal Plus, has secured a $225 million 

financing facility with a consortium of banks 

led by Germany's West LB. Since forming in 

February 1998, Bel Air has released one pic, 

the Kevin Costner starrer "Message in a 

Bottle," but the company plans to produce 

20 to 24 films in the remaining six years of 

its deal with Warners. Other films in the 

pipeline include "The Replacements" starring 

Keanu Reaves, and "Dancing in the 

Dark" starring Angelina Jolie. 

WIRED WORLD 

The Walt Disney Co. has announced 

plans to purchase the remaining 57 percent 

of Internet company Infoseek Corp. 

and combine it with its other online concerns 

to form a new company called 

go.com. Disney's offering current 

Infoseek shareholders 1.15 shares in the 

new company, in which the entertainment 

giant will have a 72 percent stake. 

The move indicates that Disney anticipates 

the convergence of the Internet and 

television. 

Big Entertainment has completed its 

acquisition of media industry analyst Paul 

Kagan's motion picture Internet data properties 

in a deal worth $10 million in Big E 

securities. The company plans to fold 

pkbaseline.com, which boasts film credits. 

ON THE MOVE 

Sony Pictures Entertainment has welcomed 

Mel Harris back into the fold, 

appointing him co-president and COO of 

the company. Harris left Sony in 1995 when 

his contract negotiations came to a standstill. 

He will share his role with Bob Wynne 

and the newly promoted Masayuki Nozoe, 

who will head the digital entertainment divi- 

sion. 

Former General Electric executive 

, 

Frederick Huntsberry has been promoted 

to CFO at Universal Pictures, a post 

vacated when William Sutman became 

CFO of Universal Studios (see National 

News, October 1999). Huntsberry had 

been working as CFO for the Universal 

Television and Networks Group. In his 

new position, he will oversee all global 

finance activities including performance 

monitoring, accounting a^Ki 

reporting for Universal Pictures. ^^< 

The Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group 

has named Bruce hiendricks as president of 

physical production. Formerly an executive 

VP of production at Walt Disney Studios' 

motion picture division, Hendricks will 

continue to oversee physical aspects of production 

for the studio's motion picture bi 

ners. 

films in production, new movie releases; 

boxoffice data, film synopses, biographies 

and reviews, into its websit| 

Hollywood.com. 

I 

Warner Bros, is using the Internet tff 

put film fans in direct contact with their 

favorite directors. The inaugural site is 

RennyHarlin.com, launched to coincide 

with the release of Harlin's "Deep Blue 

Sea" this summer. The site will include 

the helmer's biography, filmography, 

clips and behind-the-scenes photos as 

well as a direct e-mail address and a 

section on current and upcoming projects 

that Harlin will be updating personally. 

Other directors to follow in the 

series include Harold Ramis ("Analy 

This") and David O. Russell ("Thr 

Kings"). 

142 BOXOFFICE

MavEHiber. 1999 143 

EXHIBITION 

BRIEFINGS 

/lANN TROUBLE 

Encino, Calit.-based WestStar Cinemas, 

le parent company of Mann Theatres, 

as filed for Chapter 1 1 . WestStar has listd 

both its debts and assets as more than 

1 00 million each, with several major stu- 

'ios, smaller distributors and vendors 

bunted among its 1,000 creditors, 

ntertainment industry groups seeking 

epayment include Buena Vista (ov^'ea 

iver $576,000), Universal Pictures 

^558,000), New Line Cinema ($390,000) 

nd Paramount Pictures ($356,000)— 

mong many others. 

In an effort to revitalize itself, the comanv 

has appointed Michael Solomon to 

jn the 54-theatre, 354-screen circuit, 

he new topper states, "My role is to turn 

v'estStar into a viable chain. This busiess 

has a great name, great locations 

nd can oe a great company." 

dditionally, funding for the circuit's connued 

operation has been ensured by 

ebtor-in-possession financing of up to 

15 million. Institutions topping the list 

[ backers are Canadian Imperial Bank, 

hich claims a debt of $25 million, fol- 

)wed by Cinamerica Theatres, which 

aids an unsecured note for $2.5 million. 

BREAKING NEWS: WB AND 

PARAMOUNT TO SAVE MANN 

In the latest twist to this month's leadng 

Exhibition Briefings story, entertainnent 

heavyweights Warner Bros, and 

'aramount have reached an agreement 

o jointly purchase the recently bankrupt 

Aann Theatres chain. The studios conirmed 

at press time that they would buy 

he 365-screen chain in its entirety from 

)arent company WestStar in an attempt 

3 resurrect the financially beset exhib 

ircuit. Warner Bros, and Paramount 

ireviously owned Mann from 1986 

intil 1997 under the joint venture 

novvn as the Cineamerica partnership. 

he studios plan to enlist the help of forler 

WB distribution chief Barry 

j>eardon, who will come out of retire- 

,ient to work with the newly restored 

ijneamerica. Although Reardon's exact 

j'Ost with the company is still under 

•; egotiation, it is widely oelieved that his 

.aturn will be for the short-term. 

lAKING GENERAL CHANGES 

Chestnut Hill, Mass. -based General 

nema's parent company GC Cos. has 

nounced plans for heavy consolidation 

order to save an estimated $10 million 

the 2001 fiscal year. The company aims 

sell or close about 37 underperforming 

âtres (comprising a collective total of 

arly 300 screens) throughout California, 

B South and the Northwest. While the 

ain has already sold 40 of its older 

venues this year, GCC chairman Frank 

Stryjewski stresses that the company's latest 

decision in no way indicates that the 

entire circuit is on the block. GCC will 

instead centralize all 

business activities at 

its Massachusetts headquarters and close 

by Francesca its regional offices. The chain will also 

Dinglasan focus its efforts on maintaining its approximate 

1,000 remaining screens m the 

Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast 

regions of the country. 

MUNCHKINS IN MISSOURI 

The grand opening ot Mission, Kan. -based 

Dickinson Theatres' EastGlen Theatre in 

Lee's Summit, MO happened to coincide 

with the 60th anniversary of "The Wizard of 

Oz's" world premiere. So the circuit decided 

to not only mark the occasion by presenting 

special screenings of the classic pic, but it 

also invited four of the original Munchkins 

to share in the festivities. Actors Jerry Maren, 

Margaret Pellegrini, Meinhardt Raabe and 

August Clarence Swensen helped launch the 

new 1 6-screener, which is just a short tornado 

ride away from Dorothy's beloved 

Kansas. 

MUNCHKIN REUNION: (I to r) Swensen, Pellegrini, Maren 

and Raabe. 

TALK ABOUT TICKETS 

Other changes taking place at General 

Cinema involves its latest innovation in 

advertising. Working in conjunction with 

Miramax and Hearst Corp.-owned Talk 

magazine, the circuit unveiled its newest 

boxoffice tickets, which featured coupons 

attached to the bottom of each stub. 

Distributed throughout September and 

October, the coupons offered free samples 

of Freedom, a new fragrance from designer 

Tommy Hilfiger. The circuit is currently 

planning the next use of the coupon 

attachments, which will likely be to promote 

an upcoming studio release. 

FISCAL MARKS AT MARCUS 

The Marcus Corporation has released its 

fourth quarter results for fiscal 1999. The 

Milwaukee-based organization saw a 2.7 

percent revenue increase to over $85,000 

for the period ending last May, with net earnings 

totaling $2.5 million, or nine cents per 

diluted share, compared to 1998 fourth 

quarter results, which indicated pro forma 

earnings of $3.8 million, or 12 cents per 

share. Figures for the fiscal year show a total 

revenue increase to $362.9 million, jumping 

8.4 percent in comparison to $334.8 million 

earned during the previous 12-month period. 

Net earnings for the group, however, 

tumbled to $23.4 million, or 77 cents per 

share, from its fiscal '98 earnings of $28.4 

million, or 94 cents per share. Marcus 

invested more than $60 million in its cinema 

chain during the period, which resulted in a 

19 percent increase in screens to a circuitwide 

total of 428. 

MORE REVENUE IN THE WERKS 

Also reporting its fiscal year results is 

large-screen entertainment company Iwerks, 

which recorded a shrinking net income loss 

of $4.7 million from 1 998's $1 1 .5 million in 

red ink. Company revenue during the 12- 

month period totaled $34.8 million, compared 

to $25 million a year ago, while fourth 

quarter revenue equaled $8.4 million with a 

net loss of $2.5 million, or 21 cents per 

share—a slight turn for the worse in comparison 

to previous year revenue of $6.5 

million with a loss of $2.4 million, or 20 

cents per share. 

SOCAL'S DIGITAL DISPLAY 

Starting last September, Newport Beach, 

Calif.-based SoCal Cinemas has been presenting 

digital entertainment, including digital 

trailers, on 90 of Its screens. The circuit 

has enlisted the use of Digireel 

Entertainment Inc.'s Digital Multimedia 

Advertising Technology, which features 

interactive games, digital commercials and 

animated film facts that are transferred via 

the Internet. The new program is expected 

;o be displayed on 2,000 screens by the 

middle of next year. 

EXHIBS SWING TO LATIN BEAT 

According to the latest report released by 

U.K. -based exhibition Industry consultant 

Dodona Research, the world's fastest growing 

cinema market Is Latin America. Out of 

the 43 major markets analyzed by Dodona, 

the region's cinemagoers accounted for a little 

less than 10 percent of the 330 million 

movie tickets sold In 1998, signifying an 

admission growth of approximately 34 percent 

In the area since 1 994. The rise seems 

to correspond directly with the region's 

increased number of screens, which grew by 

34.6 percent over the four-year period. The 

Latin American screen spurt far exceeds the 

worldwide average, which Increased by 22.8 

percent during the same timeframe. The 

countries showing the fastest growth In the 

region Include Argentina, wnich saw its 

screen count grow by 1 56 percent since '94, 

and Mexico, which witnessed a 61 percent 

screen Increase over the four years. 

Exhibitors leading the charge in the region 

are Mexico-based Ramirez Cinemas with 

686 screens, Dallas, Tex. -based CInemark, 

which has 492 screens In Latin America, and 

Circuito Estrellas de Oro, which holds 204 

O'NEIL OPENS IN NEW ENGLAND 

Slldell, Louisiana-based O'Nell Theatres 

has opened a new 41,000-square-foot 12- 

screen plex In Westbrook, Conn. Anchoring 

the Westbrook Factory Stores shopping center, 

the theatre, which bowed last May, is the 

first In the southern half of the state to feature 

stadium seating as well as the circuit's 

first foray Into the New England territory. 

Dubbed the Westbrook Cinema 12, the project 

is a joint venture between O'Neil and 

Vienna, Virginia-based Charter Oaks 

Partners, with Konover Construction Corp. 

serving as general contractor.

ARE YOU A SHOWMAN? 

Do you make an extra effort to market your movies to your theatre's patrons? Would you like 

your showman efforts to be featured in our "Showmandiser" section? Here's all you need do: 

(1) Complete the form below, and send it along with... 

(2) ...color or black-and-white prints (with names and captions!) to business editor Francesca 

Dinglasan at Boxoffice, 155 S. El Molino Avenue, Suite 100, Pasadena, Calif. 91101. 

Showmandiser Form : 

Name of Person Who Created the Promotion: 

Name of Theatre: 

City/State: 

Name of Movie Being Promoted: 

Date(s) Promotion Was l-ieid: 

(If applicable) Studio Providing Giveaways: 

Outside Companies (TV/Radio Stations, Retailers, etc.) That Participated: 

Description of the Promotion (up to 200 words): 

Questions or comments? Kindly call Francesca Dinglasan at 626-396-0250. 

NEW "WIRED WORLD" FEATURE... 

With the January 2000 issue, Boxoffice Magazine is launching several new editorial offerings, 

including a monthly look at one of the growing number of exhibition company websites, which play 

an increasingly important role in informing potential patrons and attracting them to theatres. 

Is your website so good that your competitors have online envy? What have you found that works— 

or doesn't? Is your site graphics- or text-driven? Do you link to distributor sites to provide specific 

film information, or do you handle that content in-house—and is your website as a whole built andj 

maintained by staff or by an outside firm? Is e-commerce (specifically ticket sales) still off on thi 

new-century horizon, or is it already here? What else might 2000 hold for your e-efforts? 

If you would like us to feature your site In our pages, please contact editor-in-chief Kim Williamso^ 

at 626-396-0250, or e-mail us at boxoffice@earthlink.net 

144 BOXOFnCE

SHOWMANDISER PROMOTIONS OF THE MONTH 

Ethusiastic Showmandiser Mr. Charly has been 

awfully busy lately designing promotional sets for 

exhibitors, but he still had time to share two of his 

latest creations at the AMC Huebner Oaks 24 in San 

Antonio, Texas with BOXOFFICE. To promote the 

release of DreamWorks' "The Haunting," Charly re-created 

the flick's foreboding feel by decorating the theatre 

with various elements featured in the pic. A decaying 

garden, complete with dying trees and overgrown vines, 

greeted entering cinema patrons, while the main lobby 

depicted features of a haunted mansion, including a 

large fireplace, pieces of art, a canopy bed, pillars and a 

full dining area. As an added touch, the stone lions, gargoyles 

and ceramic cherubs that so terrorized characters 

in "The Haunting" were littered throughout the display. 

Seven truckloads of material deliveries, 1,550 man 

hours of 

assembly 

and zero 

dollars \\] 

expenditures (all work was performed in exchange for in-theatre 

advertising and movie passes) were required to finish the 

display. 

Charly's 

second exhibit, also at the AMC Huebner Oaks 

24, was for the Buena Vista release "The 13th Warrior." 

The large front section of a Viking ship was installed 

adjacent to the theatre's exterior boxoffice. Measuring 11 x 12 

feet wide and 17 feet high and featuring full sails, the vessel 

>urely 

inspired onlookers to come aboard the AMC experimce. 

1 i A 1 

1 ^ ^r

SUPPLY 

SIDE 


DIGITAL PROJECTION IMAXIMIZES 

The Imax Corporation has purchased all outstanding 

shares in Digital Projection International, 

a projector manufacturer that specializes in largevenue 

environments. The acquisition will deepen 

both companies' current engineering resources. 

"Imax Corporation's roots are in technology, 

and we have always strived to be at the 

leading edge of entertainment technology," 

say Imax's co-CEOs Bradley J. Wechsler and 

Richard L. Gelfond. "We are excited about 

integrating DPI into IMAX and exploring the 

synergies of brand leverage, shared research 

and joint product development." 

"With Imax's resources, industry renowned 

engineering and publicly acknowledged 

prowess at creating immersive experiences," 

says Mike Levi, president of Digital Projection's 

North American operations, "Digital Projection 

will be empowered with even more tools for 

expanding its current markets and developing 

the products of the future. We are thrilled to be 

the newest part of Imax Corporation." 

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE 

ELECTROHOME FOR CHRISTIE 

Christie Inc., a leading manufacturer of 

theatre projection equipment, has acquired 

Electrohome Projection Systems, a leading 

developer of high performance projection 

solutions based in Ontario, Canada. The 

merger will position Christie at the forefront 

of the digital cinema evolution. 

"Both Christie and Electrohome have been 

witnesses, as well as contributors, to this century's 

evolution of the moviegoing experience," 

says Christie's executive VP and COO Jack 

Kline. "Our combined expertise and talented 

engineering staffs, working side by side, will 

build digital cinema projectors that will launch 

the industry into the next millennium." 

'The synergy of the two organizations will help 

to bring maturity to digital projection in movie 

theatres and large format venues worldwide," 

says Electrohome president Gerry Remers. 

IWERKS IS A FREEMAN 

Iwerks Entertainment has reached an 

agreement with MacGillivray Freeman 

Films, the producers of "Everest," to develop 

ride simulation films and attractions based 

on future MacGillivray Freeman projects. 

The first film under consideration for conversion 

is "Wild California," due in theatres 

in June 2000. The two entities will also collaborate 

on films from the MacGillivray 

Freeman's "Great Adventure Film Series." 

"[MacGillivray Freeman's] films have captured 

the world's imagination," says Iwerks president 

and CEO Charles Goldwater. "Combining 

their content with our ride simulation technology 

will create entertaining and educational experiences 

for theatre audiences around the world." 

"Iwerks has proven over the years that 

their technology is top-notch, and working 

with them will allow us to meet our shared 

objective of bringing large-format film to new 

and expanded audiences," says MacGillivray 

Freeman president Greg MacGillivray. 

AMC IS RADIANT 

Radiant Sytems, a leading provider 

integrated technology solutions, has sign 

a four-year contract with AMC Theatres 

implement Radiant's Theatre Managemeni 

Solution in many of its largest facilities 

around the world. The system, which 

includes boxoffice ticketing, concessions 

point of sale, site management systems and 

ticketing kiosks, will be deployed in 70 AMC 

locations throughout the United States and 

in select international markets in the second 

half of 1999. 

« ii 

"SONIC" BOOM 

DTS has unveiled a new trailer, called 

"Sonic Landscape," designed to take audiences 

on a stirring visual and audio journey 

that showcases the dynamic range and clarity 

of the company's discrete, multi-channel 

digital sound. Developed by Pittard 

Sullivan's Jennifer Grey, sound mixers Bill 

Varney, Steve Maslow and Eric Martel, director 

of photography Steven Finestone and 

composer Walter Werzowa, the new trailer 

premiered on Labor Day weekend in L 

Angeles, New York and other major U 

cities. 

ON THE MOVE 

Melvin Flanigan, former CFO and VP of 

operations at Santa Clara, Calif.-based 

SensArray Corporation, has been named VP 

of finance and CFO at DTS. Flanigan will 

oversee all aspects of the company's 

accounting, finance and reporting and will 

participate in the company's strategic planning 

and general management. 

SMART PEOPLI> 

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146 BOXOFTICE

INTERNATIONAL NEWS BRIEFS 

NORTHERN EXPOSURE 

Canadian News Notes by Shiomo Schwartzberg 

1.ICKERS DATA 

Canadians are going to the movies more than they have in the past 17 

•s, according to a new survey covering 1997-98. There were nearly 100 

liion (99.9 million to be exact) theatre and drive-in admissions to the 

novies during that period, an 8 percent increase over results for the previous 

season. The moviehouse industry earned CS85.8 milhon in that time, an 

ncrease of 31 percent. Other significant numbers in the Statistic Canada 

urvey: Bigger moviehouses reported a six percent jump in patrons, but 

23 percent of their audience and small houses went 

hidsize theatres lost 

lown 10 percent. Large theatres also earned 94 percent of total moviehouse 

jrofits and made more on ancillary sales of candy bars, soft drinks and the 

ike. The largest theatres raked in more than CSl milHon. while midsize 

{Quses grossed in the CS500.000-C$999.999 range; small houses pocketed 

ess than CS500.000. In all. there were 617 theatres operating in Canada, 

omprising 2.186 screens. Drive-in sitage stood at 71 theatres with 115 

.creens. Interestingly, while the latter's screen count actually increased, 

admissions still fell 5 percent, to 2.2 million ozoner admits, making it the 

bird consecutive year that drive-ins reported a drop in earnings. A final figire: 

The average Canadian went to the movies 3.3 times a year. 

lELVING INTO ATLANTIS 

Robert Lantos, co-founder and former chair of Alliance 

Ommunications, received almost CSS million in severce. 

bonus and stock options when he left the company 

^t year to function solely as a producer. Lantos wangled 

three-year production deal with the newly merged 

liance Atlantis Communications, including such highofile 

productions as Atom Egoyan's "Felicia's Journey," 

h opened the Toronto International Film Festival, and 

n Szabo's epic "Sunshine," starring Ralph Fiennes. 

.lor Loewy, Lantos' co-founding partner, was paid 

i>650,000 as signing bonus to become chair of Alliance 

lantis' motion picture group. 

IONS' OPEN GATE 

It may be boasting Oscar winners like "Affliction" and con- 

Dversial films like the forthcoming "American Psycho," but 

Ions Gate Films, which sold its studio recently, is reportedly 

»> for sale itself Despite claims that it was not in financial 

tjuble. Lions Gate posted an ominous net loss of C$9.5 mil- 

^n. nearly five times its former predictions for the year. The 

cmpany is seeking a buyer and reportedly is asking for C$80 

ullion. Despite its high-profile titles and some success with 

"he Red Violin," which grossed S8 million in North America, 

\s company's releases, which also included "Lolita," did not 

v> as well as hoped. Lions Gate recently acquired Kevin 

!nith's incendiary "Dogma" from Miramax's Weinstein 

I others and has expectations for the equally edgy "American 

lycho," which is due out next year. 

viously with Columbia and Paramount in 

executive levels. The move to form XL 

seems to be a bid to silence rumors of 

Behaviour being in trouble. Behaviour 

recently had planned to sell its film distribution 

arm to Remstar, ostensibly to concentrate 

on production. 

PROJECTING WOE 

Projectionists in British Columbia are now 

in their eighth month of a labor dispute with 

Canada's two largest chains. Famous Players 

and Cineplex Odeon. The dispute is the same 

one that Ontario projectionists went through 

when Cineplex Odeon demanded that projectionists 

sacrifice jobs and salary. A lockout 

there ended with half of the personnel losing 

their jobs and the rest seeing their salaries cut 

by as much as 50 percent. (Famous imposed 

the same terms on projectionists and avoided 

having to lock them out.) Before the lockout, 

BC projectionists earned about C$31 an hour; their Ontario 

counterparts now make C$14.50-C$ 15.50 an hour. 

SKY PILOT LIGHT 

Toronto "s Colossus megaplex, one of Famous Players' most 

successful theatres in Canada, stands out—at least in part— 

because of the SKY Tracker 4,000-watt xenon seachlights that 

shine above it every night. The four STX-A single-headed 

iZING UP XL 

Kevin Jones has been tapped to head Behaviour 

stribution's new production division, it was announced 

.ently. The company, to be called XL Productions, will 

educe mainstream, studio-type movies and will also 

ease completed films from Behaviour Worldwide, such as 

ivid Fincher's adaptation of James Ellroy's "Black 

ihlia" and Peter Hyams' "Pegasus Option." Jones was pre- 

searchlights, which are mounted in parabolic reflectors, add to 

the multiplex's "alien feeling," complementing its flying saucer 

shape, says Jack Johnston, sales manager for Xenotech- 

Strong, the Omaha, Neb.-based company that manufactures 

the SKY Tracker. The SKY Tracker is visible from more than 

three miles away in the night sky. 

November, 1999 147

INTERNATIONAL NEWS BRIEFS 

EUROVIEWS 

European News Notes by Francesca Dinglasan 

T 

LEAD STORY: UiP'S DUAL FOR RENEWAL 

BRUSSELS—The European Commission has announced that 

it plans to renew an agreement with movie distributor United 

International Pictures (a joint venture among Paramount, 

Universal and MGM) that gives the company a five-year exemption 

from antitrust regulations. UIPs original exemption expired 

in 1993, but the distributor has continued its operations without 

interruption since that time. UIP maintains that it has made a fair 

amount of compromises, including an assurance not to engage in 

block-booking (the act of forcing exhibs to show less sought-after 

fare in order to obtain more anticipated pics) as well as investing 

over USSl billion in European product (see Euroviews, July). The 

EC made its preliminary decision regarding the exemption's renewal 

last July; however, the case has remained open to allow third 

parties to present their objections. Among the most vocal opponents 

to the renewal has been the Federation of European Film 

Directors, which has insisted that UIP is driving European films 

out of the market through its blatant favoritism of American product. 

EXHIB PURGING AT VIRGIN? 

LONDON—Virgin Group, the conglomerate owned by British 

billionaire Richard Branson, is rumored to be considering selling 

partial stake—or perhaps even all holdings—in its 34-theatre circuit 

located throughout the U.K., Ireland and Japan. The company 

has enlisted Deutsche Bank AG to advise on all dealings concerning 

the exhibition unit. The chain, which plans further expansion 

in Japan and entrance into the U.S. market, is estimated to be 

worth approximately £200 million (US$322 million). 

PROFIT DOWNTURN AT KINEPOLIS 

BRUSSELS—Despite a 6.3 percent increase in revenue to 

nearly 72 million euros (US$76 million) for the first half of this 

year, Belgium-based Kinepolis Group saw profits plummet by 

nearly 14 percent compared to 1998 totals. The decrease has been 

attributed to the 15 percent downturn in cinema attendance 

throughout France and Belgium, two of Kinepolis' major markets. 

Analysts speculate that the circuit's highly successful new 25- 

plex in Madrid, which sold 1.3 million tickets during the sixmonth 

period, helped keep Kinepolis' profit margin from slipping 

even lower. 

KINOWELT SEES REVENUE RISE 

BERLIN—German film distributor Kinowelt Median has 

reported a revenue jump of nearly 80 percent over last year's total 

for the first half of 1999. The Germany-based company earned 

DM68.7 million (US$36 million) for the six-month period with 

"Rush Hour." The Jackie Chan-starrer was Kinowelt's highest 

grossing release with three million admissions recorded in the 

country. 

Kinowelt's success during the first half resulted in a 10.2 percent 

share of the boxoffice, placing it ahead of competing distributors 

20th Century Fox and Columbia TriStar Intl. Reinvesting 

the marks, Kinowelt now owns 20 percent of leading Canadian 

film company Alliance Atlantis, with plans for a co-ventured 

L.A.-based production company and a half-stake of U.K. distributor 

Alliance-Atlantis Releasing. 

UFA EXPANSION 

BERLIN—Another German company also on the move is 

exhibitor Ufa, which has announced the opening of two new multiplexes. 

In addition to the circuit's latest additions in the cities of 

Berlin and Kassel, Ufa will begin construction on a 2,500-seat 

plcx in Aachen, which is slated to bow late next year. 

148 BOXOFFICE 

CINEMARK TARGETS GERMANY 

DUSSELDORF—Also making strides in Teutonic plex 

development is Piano, TX-based exhibitor Cinemark, which has 

announced plans to build a theatre in the Dusseldorf suburb of 

Heme. Company marketing manager James Meredith told 

BOXOFFICE that the cinema, which is Cinemark's first in 

Germany, is presently in the "pre-planning phase," and a definite 

opening date will be set sometime early next year. Other 

European sites currently in development include the Bri| BriiMii 

cities of North Hampton, Halifax and Scunthorpe. 

I_ 

IWERKS HOT FOR SCOT 

LOCH LOMOND, SCOTLAND—Iwerks Entertainment is 

donning its tartan skirt one more time. The Burbank, Calif.- 

based high-tech entertainment systems provider has announced 

it will open its second large format theatre in Scotland. The new 

venue, located in an area known as Loch Lomond, marks the 

fifth installation of Iwerks' trademark Extreme Screen. A large 

format film named after the area will be produced for the 

atre, which is expected to attract 450,000 visitors annually. 

IRISH EYES SMILE ON LOCAL PRODUCTION 

DUBLIN—A new government recommendation backec 

Irish Arts and Heritage minister Sile de Valera calls for Irelanci to 

revitalize local film production by increasing marketing efforts by 

the Irish Film Board and, perhaps more importantly, by undoing 

recent reductions in the tax benefits (formerly 100 percent, now 80 

percent, for films 75 percent shot on the Emerald Isle) accorded 

film investors. The Strategic Development of the Irish Film and 

Television Industry 2000-2010 Report projects that local shoots 

by offshore producers could quadruple to US$675 million by that 

decade's end. 

TAORMINA MEETING 

TAORMINA, ITALY—A "Declaration of Taormina" res 

from a late July gathering of American film execs from the majors 

and minors with Italian Minister of Culture Giovanna Melandri. 

The pact calls for twice-yearly meetings to exchange information 

on new media and to mutually chart ways to attract patrons to 

Italian and U.S. fare on both continents vis-a-vis other leisi 

time competition. 

EURONOTES 

I 

Warner Village Cinemas has launched on online ticket booking 

service on its www.warnervillage.co.uk site, which also offers film 

information and maps to the U.K. theatres... Seeing a nationwide 

potenfial in the US$150 million onscreen advertising business, 

U.K. market leader Carlton Screen Advertising has opened a stateside, 

ofiice headed by Adam Poulter; Debbie Chalet takes Poulter's 

former post as CEO of U.K. and European efforts and could be 

looking for Continental acquisition targets... Virgin Cinemas 

chairman Robert Devereux will serve as a non-executive chairman 

of U.K.-based indie exhibitor Film Network... Cologne-based producer 

Splendid Medien, which holds 49 percent of Initial 

Entertainment Group, will go public by October; other German 

film firms looking IPOward include Bernd Eichinger's Constantin 

Film and Wim Wenders' Road Movies...Germany's Senator Films 

shareholders have approved an option for the producer/distributor 

to buy back 499,500 shares; Senator is also expected to reenter 

the world sales business it exited in 1997.... Roger Wingate has 

bought Crescent Entertainment's four cinema holdings, including 

the Curzon Soho and Curzon Mayfair; Wingate retains his 30 percent 

ownership of City Screen, which operates the sites 

I

'

HS9S?^ 

REVIEWS 

November 1999 

DAY AND DATE: NOV. 19 

LEGEND OF 1900 ^^^ 

Starring Tim Roth, Pruitt Taylor 

Vince, Melanie Thierry and Clarence 

Williams III. Directed and written by 

Giuseppe Tornatore. Produced by 

Francesco Tornatore. A Fine Line 

release. Drama. Rated R for language. 

Running time: 124 min. 

It's a credit to the moviemaking and 

screenwriting skills of Giuseppe Tornatore 

that his 

English-language 

film debut, "The 

Legend of 1900," 

survives with any 

emotional impact 

whatsoever, having 

lost more than 

35 minutes of its 

original running 

time due to a contractual 

dispute 

with the thoughtless 

bean-counters 

at Fine Line. 

Even in its current 

form, "The Legend 

of 1900" (originally 

titled "The Legend of the Pianist on 

the Ocean") stands as Tornatore's best 

and most accessible film since his 

Oscar-winning "Cinema Paradiso," here 

creating a magical, allegorical tale of a 

world-class pianist whose entire life is 

spent onboard a transatlantic cruise 

liner, never once setting foot on dry 

land. Named for the year of his birth by 

the ship's furnace worker (Bill Nunn) 

who found him as a baby. Nineteen 

Hundred (Tim Roth) lives a life of both 

superhuman joys and desperate pains. 

Tim Roth as the pianist Nineteen Hundred. 

Told through the memories of Max 

(Pruitt Taylor Vince), a journeyman 

trumpeter who became Nineteen 

Hundred's closest friend, an enigmatic 

portrait of the pianist emerges, a man 

whose cripplingly agoraphobic fear of 

leaving the ship is repeatedly offset by 

the magic he generates when his fingers 

stroke the keys of a piano. 

No less than real-life jazz great Jelly 

Roll Morton (Clarence 

Williams III) 

even shows up to 

test the man's legendary 

abilities in a 

"piano duel" that is 

one of the film's 

more spectacular 

moments. Yet Nineteen 

Hundred seeks 

no lasting fame or 

glory of his own, 

rejecting every opportunity 

for the 

kind of notoriety 

that might require 

him to leave his 

beloved ship. 

All things considered, Tornatore has 

crafted a wonderful journey, even if the 

Fine Line cuts have made it more of a 

highlight reel than a full-bodied character 

study. Thanks to eye-popping production 

values and a bracingly romantic 

score by Ennio Morricone, it's hard to 

protest even flaws that seem to have 

remained from the original version. 

Precisely what kind of reception might 

have greeted Tornatore's cut, however, 

looks to be a privilege reserved for DVD 

buyers. Wade Major 

••*•* OUTSTANDING 

***• VERY GOOD 

*** GOOD 

•* FAIR 

* POOR 

(no stars) BOMB 

TORONTO (PART I) 

The Annihilation of Fish, Barenaked in America 

The Best Man, Between Your Legs, Black and 

White, Boys Don't Cry, But I'm a Cheerleader, 

The Cider House Rules, The Cup, Deterrence, 

Est-Ouest, Goya in Bordeaux, Gregory's Two 

Girls, Jesus' Son, Mansfield Park, Me Myself I, 

Mr. Death, Mumford, No One Writes to the 

Colonel, Ride With the Devil, A Room For I 

Romeo Brass, Simpatico, Sunshine, Sweet an^ 

Lowdown, The Third Miracle, Third World Cop, 

To Walk With Lions, Top of the Food Chain, 

j 

Touched 

MONTREAL 

The Bone Collector, The Bridge, The Darkest 

Light, Deceit, Dreaming of Joseph Lees, The 

Girl on the Bridge, The Last September, 

Lisboa, Love and Rage, Lovers, The Mating 

Habits of the Earthbound Human, Out of the 

Cold, The Outfitters, A Reasonable Man, Siam 

Sunset, The Wisdom of Crocodiles 

TELLURIDE 

Farewell, Home Sweet Home, I'll Take You 

There, Orfeu, Place Vendome 

REVIEWS 

The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland . R-132 

American Beauty R-135 

The Astronaut's Wife R-139 

Blue Streak R-136 

Chill Factor R-138 

A Dog of Flanders R-140 

Double Jeopardy R-133 

Dudley Do-Right R-140 

Everybody Loves Sunshine R-131 

For Love of the Game R-133 

The Grandfather R-132 

In Too Deep R-1 39 

Lena's Dream R-131 

Love Stinks R-137 

On the Ropes R-134 

One Man's Hero R-134 

Random Hearts R-132 

Show Me Love R-131 

Soft Toilet Seats R-132 

Speaking in Strings R-136 

Stigmata R-1 39 

The Suburbans R-131 

Teaching Mrs. Tingle R-1 42 

The 13th Warrior R-141 

Train of Life R-135 

Universal Soldier: The Return R-1 42 

The Very Thought of You R-140 

Whiteboys R-138 

DAY AND DATE: 11/19 

Legend of 1900 R-119 

SPECIAL FORMATS 

150 (R-n9) BOXOFFICE

. ersy 

TORONTO REVIEWS 

Toronto 

failed to get some key titles 

this year, from the likes of Pedro 

Almodovar, Martin Scorsese and 

Klike Leigh, but it had enough World and 

Slorth American premieres to cement its 

rontinuing reputation as one of the 

A Grid's most important film festivals. 

Among the films exciting buzz or controin 

the festival's first five days were 

hometown boy Atom Egoyan's festival 

[opener "Felicia's Journey," as well as 

''Dogma, " "Barenaked in America, " "The 

îve Senses," "Mr. Death" and "American 

Beauty."— Shiomo Schwartzberg 

^^^1/2 

Starring Kevin Pollak, Timothy Hutton 

DETERRENCE 

ind Sheryl Lee Ralph. Directed and written 

by Rod Lurie. Produced by Marc Frydman 

and James Spies. A Paramount Classics 

elease. Drama. Not yet rated. Running 

'ime: 101 min. Opens 1st Quarter 2000. 

It's the year 2007 and U.S. President 

Walter Emerson (Kevin Pollak), who took 

office when the incumbent and popular 

president died, is now running for the presdency. 

Trapped by bad weather in a smalltown 

Colorado diner during that state's 

primary, Emerson is suddenly forced to 

deal with a major crisis when Saddam 

Hussein's son, Udei, the current Iraqi dicator, 

invades Kuwait, and his troops massacre 

an American peacekeeping force in the 

Drocess. More ominously, Saddam's son 

possesses nuclear weapons, which he's aimed 

it Tel Aviv, Greece and Turkey. Emerson's 

response to the invasion: Udei pulls out of 

Kuwait or the U.S. nukes Baghdad. 

An engrossing cross between "Fail 

Safe" and "Miracle Mile," "Deterrence," 

.vhich almost matches those films, impli- 

:ates the audience in its plot by forcing 

ihem to put themselves in Emerson's 

>hoes. What's smart about the movie is 

:hat. like Patton, Emerson can be seen in 

iwo lights—either frighteningly unthinking 

or admirably tough. Just as inventive is 

Pollak's poker-faced performance. He cre- 

Ates a persona that makes sense only at the 

conclusion, when he plays his final hand. 

—Shiomo Schwartzberg 

ME MYSELF I **1/2 

Starring Rachel Griffiths and David 

Roberts. Directed and written by Pip Karmel. 

Produced by Fabien Liron. A Sony Pictures 

Classics release. Drama. Not yet rated. 

Running time: 104 min. Opens Spring 2000. 

Here we go again! If "Blind Chance," 

"Sliding Doors," movies about people who 

get to live alternate versions of their lives, 

v\eren't 

enough, we've now got an Aussie 

variation on this increasingly tired theme. 

Rachel Griffiths ("Hilary and Jackie") stars 

as Pamela Drury, a single, very unhappy 

investigative joumaUst who is consumed 

with wondering what would have happened 

if she'd married her one great love, Robert 

Dickson (David Roberts). Then an accident 

suddenly thrusts her into another world 

where she has indeed done that and has had 

three kids besides. The problem is that her 

career's been diminished—she writes superficial 

lifestyle articles for a vapid women's 

publication—and she's still not content 

with her lot. 

Neither as smart as "Blind Chance" nor 

as gritty as "Sliding Doors," "Me Myself 

I" does push all the right sentimental buttons, 

which should make it a hit despite its 

shortcomings. Shiomo Schwartzberg 

THIRD WORLD COP iîr 

Starring Paul Campbell, Mark Danvers 

and Audrey Reid. Directed by Chris 

Browne. Written by Suzanne Fenn, Chris 

Browne and Chris Salewicz. Produced by 

Carolyn Pfeiffer Bradshaw. A Palm release. 

Drama. Not yet rated. Running time: 98 

min. Opens 2125. 

From the people behind the energetic 

1997 Jamaican hit "Dancehall Queen" 

comes "Third World Cop," a lifeless drama 

set in the crime-ridden slums of Kingston, 

Jamaica. Maverick, violent cop Capone 

(Paul Campbell) has been transferred 

his hometown and promptly sets out to 

revisit his old cronies and find out what's 

happening in the street. He bumps into 

Ratty (Mark Danvers), the brother of a 

deceased friend, who is working for the 

Inevitably, the two have 

local crime boss. 

to confront each other, with predictable, 

tragic results. Other than the still cinematically 

underused Jamaican setting, there's little 

that is fresh about "Third World Cop." 

There's a good performance by 

Danvers as a man who can't see his way 

onto the straight and narrow and a hint 

of complexity in the ambivalent response 

of the locals to the police, but "Third 

World Cop" rarely surmounts its cliches. 

— Shiomo Schwartzberg 

MR. DEATH: THE RISE AND FALL 

OF FRED A. LEUCHTER JR. 

^^ 

Starring Fred A. Leuchter Jr. Directed by 

Errol Morris. Produced by David Collins, 

Michael Williams and Dorothy Aufiero. 

Documentary. A Lions Gate release. Not yet 

rated. Running time: % min. Opens 12129. 

A.merica's quirkiest documentarian, 

Errol Morris ("The Thin Blue Line", "A 

Brief History of Time"), tackles an unusual 

and highly provocative subject—that of 

Fred Leuchter Jr., an expert in "humane 

executions" who became a dupe for neo- 

Nazis. But the film doesn't amount to 

much. Introduced in the film's first halfhour, 

Leuchter is revealed as a sincere, 

oblivious sort who is making a living 

advising various state 

improve the quality of their electric chairs 

to 

prisons on how to 

and systems of lethal injection so that the 

prisoners who are executed don't suffer. 

But then he is commissioned by notorious 

Toronto Holocaust denier Ernst Zundel to 

go to Auschwitz and "prove" that it could 

never have been used as a gas chamber to 

kill hundreds of thousands of Jews. He 

does just that, and the rest of "Mr. Death" 

details what happened to Leuchter as a 

result of that trip. 

Morris provides plenty of evidence that 

Auschwitz was indeed a killing field, but 

his linkages in the film are suspect. Like 

Morris, many will connect Leuchter and 

his blathering about how to best to execute 

a man with the Nazis and their genocidal 

ways. But that's facile; you could just as 

clearly argue that proponents of capital 

punishment genuinely want to see justice 

served, a concept which has nothing in 

common with anything the Nazis did during 

their reign. And Leuchter, while interesting 

at the outset, is finally revealed as a 

fool who has little insight to offer about 

anything he's done. 

"Mr. Death" has none of the underlying 

power of "The Thin Blue Line," which 

actually freed a man from jail. At best, 

Leuchter's tale might have made for a 

decent "60 Minutes" segment. Stretched to 

a feature, it's Morris' most pointless 

film. Shiomo Schwartzberg 

JESUS' SON ^ 

Starring Billy Crudup and Samantha 

Morton. Directed by Alison Maclean. 

Written by Elizabeth Cuthrell, David Urrutia 

and Oren Moverman. Produced by Lydia 

Dean Pilcher, Elizabeth Cuthrell and David 

Urrutia. A Lions Gate Release. Drama! 

Comedy. Not yet rated. Running time: 105 

min. Opnes 12122. 

Unlike "Drugstore Cowboy" or 

"Trainspotting," which de-glamorized 

drugs by probing the bleak lives of users, 

"Jesus' Son" romanticizes the drug culture 

by showing how down-and-out losers 

shoot up in order to find their dreams. 

And even if one major character dies of an 

overdose, it's presented in a way that spiritually 

frees another. 

Director Alison Maclean ("Crush") 

directs in that ironic, hip, post-modem 

style that substitutes smug humor for feeling. 

F.H. (which stands for "F—head"), is 

played by Billy Crudup, who earns his 

name by screwing up every time he 

attempts to help someone. The problem is 

that we don't know why he is helping anyone, 

or even who he thinks he is. Samantha 

Morton is his hapless girlfriend who 

appears in various states of dishevelment. 

And even though Dennis Hopper and 

Denis Leary turn up in tired cameos, only 

Holly Hunter gives a radiant glow of possibility. 

But by that time, "Jesus' Son" has 

Kevin Courrier 

crucified itself. 

November, 1999 (R-120) 151


SIMPATICO 

iri, 

Starting Nick Nolte, Jeff Bridges, 

Sharon Stone, Catherine Keener and Albert 

Finney. Directed by Matthew Warchus. 

Written by David Nicholls and Matthew 

Warchus. Produced by Dan Lupovitz, Timm 

Oberwelland and Jean-Francois Fonbipt. A 

Fine Line release. Drama. Not yet rated 

Running time: 106 min. Opens 12117. 

"Simpatico" is a textbook example of 

how to waste a great cast. This adaptation 

of Sam Shepherd's play sidesteps 

dramatic realism and adorns the actors 

with the kind of heavy "meaningful" 

symbolism that sinks their performances. 

Instead of offering a compelling 

character study, "Simpatico" burdens us 

with overwrought ruminations on friendship, 

betrayal and corruption. The issues 

are writ large, diminishing the people on 

the screen and our interest in them. 

Lyle Carter (Jeff Bridges) is a multimillionaire 

owner of a Kentucky horse 

farm, with a prize thoroughbred named 

Simpatico, while his former best friend 

Vinnie (Nick Nolte) is a down-on-hisluck 

barfly in California. Twenty years 

earlier, Vinnie and Lyle used to fix horse 

races, which ultimately destroyed an 

innocent man's life. When Vinnie wants 

to come clean, and ruin Carter and his 

wife (Sharon Stone), who Vinnie once 

loved, as well as offer restitution to 

Simms (Albert Finney), the man they 

framed, the score isn't settled as planned. 

This debut feature by British theatre 

director Matthew Warchus shows some 

visual imagination, and it's paced with 

the speed and grace of the Kentucky 

Derby. But this emblematic story is so 

caught up in its "meanings" that it bogs 

everything else down in improbabilities. 

And while Nolte, Bridges, Stone and 

Finney give their roles some flair, it 

doesn't help us understand them as people 

caught in a terrible bind. They're not 

motivated by their inner turmoil; they're 

only motivated by the writer's conceits. 

Catherine Keener, as a woman who falls 

between Lyle and Vinnie, develops an 

emotional resonance that occasionally 

transcends the weakness of her role. At 

moments, she ends up becoming more 

simpatico than anyone else in the 

movie. Kevin Courrier 

THE CIDER HOUSE RULES 

i^^ 

Starring Tobey Maguire, Michael 

Caine and Charlize Theron. Directed by 

Lasse Hallstrom. Written by John Irving. 

Produced by Richard N. Gladstein. A 

Miramax release. Drama. Not yet rated. 


Proof that authors should not adapt 

their own books, "The Cider House 

Ilules" is a disappointingly sleepy and 

i'^2 (R-121) BOXOFFICE 

exceedingly dull version of an idiosyncratic, 

offbeat and memorable novel. John 

Irving has boiled all the flavor out of his 

story of orphan Homer Wells (Tobey 

Maguire) and his mentor/father figure. Dr. 

Wilbur Larch (Michael Caine), whose differing 

approaches to medicine and the 

issue of abortion put them on separate 

paths. 

Dropping the first hundred pages or so 

of the novel, and most of the explanation 

of why Homer turns out the way he does, 

is part of the reason that the drama in the 

film is so enervated. But it doesn't explain 

why Lasse Hallstrom, whose films, such as 

"My Life As a Dog" and "What's Eating 

Gilbert Grape," virtually personify quirky, 

has directed this movie with so little passion 

or style. 

"The Cider House Rules" simply plods 

along relentlessly as Homer sets out on an 

odyssey which finds him picking apples on 

a farm, where he begins a relationship with 

Candy (Charlize Theron), a young woman 

whose fiance is off fighting in World War 

Two. 

He also befriends the black migrant 

workers who travel to Maine to work in 

the fields and crosses swords with the 

group's leader (Delroy Lindo), who is hiding 

a deep and shocking secret. Yet for a 

movie that handles so many hot button 

issues, such as abortion, racial prejudice 

and medical ethics, there's surprisingly little 

tension or urgency here. Irving's main 

concern, of freedom of choice when it 

comes to handling pregnancy, is soft-pedaled 

so much it may as well have been 

deleted. And the movie feels quaint and 

sweet, like something out of "The 

Waltons," which surely can't be what 

Irving, a realist at heart, had in mind. 

— Shlomo Schwartzberg 

RIDE WITH THE DEVIL i,i, 

Starring Sheet Ulrich, Tobey Maguire, 

Jewel and Jeffrey Wright. Directed by 

Alison Maclean. Written by James 

Schamus. Produced by Ted Hope, Robert F. 

Colesberry and James Schamus. A 

Universal Release. Drama. Not yet rated. 


Set during the American Civil War, 

"Ride With the Devil" is a sweeping drama 

about Jake (Tobey Maguire), the son of a 

German immigrant, who is raised in 

Missouri, and his best friend Jack Bull 

Chiles (Skeet Ulrich), the son of a plantation 

owner. When Chiles' family is wiped 

out by Union marauders, Jake and Jack 

create their own guerrilla army—"bushwhackers"— 

to fight them. 

Since director Ang Lee ("Sense and 

Sensibility," "The Ice Storm") is someone 

who brings an impersonal type of craftsmanship 

to his work, "Ride With the 

Devil" resembles one of those Hallmark 

Hall of Fame epics which dramatize historical 

epochs by doing everything in 

broad strokes. And Lee hands the actors 

dialogue that is so long in platitudes that 

it's short in believability None of it 

reveals anything remotely interesting 

about the characters we are watching. 

It's simply a collection of familiar dull 

moments from a variety of bad historical 

dramas. 

"Ride With the Devil" also has no 

real depth of feeling for the period, even 

though it is beautifully shot by Frederick 

Elmes ("Blue Velvet"). One just doesn't 

get a sense of the way the war tore apart 

families, as well as the country, and how 

it affected race relations. "Ride With i 

the Devil" is a long journey to nowhere. 

— Kevin Courrier 

THE THIRD MIRACLE 

^^^ 

Starring Ed Harris, Anne Heche and 

Armin Mueller-Stahl. Directed by 

Agnieszka Holland. Written by John 

Romano and Richard Vetere. Produced by 

Fred Fuchs, Steven Haft and Elie 

Samaha. A Sony Pictures Classics 

Release. Drama. Not yet rated. Running 

time: 120 min. 

When movies today try to deal with 

the rituals of Catholicism, faith, and the 

possibility of miracles, we often get bad 

gothic horror like "The Exorcist" or 

"Stigmata," or silly melodramas like 

"Priest." We can all be thankful that 

"The Third Miracle" is an intelligent 

attempt to grapple with those issues. 

And Agnieszka Holland ("Europa, 

Europa," "The Secret Garden") explores 

them with great sensitivity. 

Father Frank Moore (Ed Harris) is a 

Catholic priest who is struggling with his 

belief in God. He's also a "spiritual 

detective" sent out by the Church to 

probe the existence of miracles when 

they are reported. Because of his ongoing 

skepticism, he usually finds proof to 

debunk them. But his latest quest leads 

him to a miracle that he comes to 

believe. His personal faith, however, is 

continually in question because he's also 

fallen in love with Roxanna (Anne 

Heche), the daughter of the late woman 

who is being considered for sainthood. 

Harris, with his sly, simmering eroticism, 

is perfect for the role of a spiritually 

torn priest. And Heche continues to 

be amazing at finding radiantly funny 

and delicate ways to express her characters' 

hungers and desires. But as wellmade 

and well-acted as "The Third 

Miracle" is, it isn't a very exciting movie. 

There's a quality of quaintness that prevents 

it from casting a spell on audiences. 

"The Third Miracle" is a fine 

movie about spiritual issues that lacks an 

aura of spirituality. Kevin Courrier


MANSFIELD PARK *•• 

Starrin fi 

Frances O'Connor, Jenny Lee 

Miller, Embeth Davidtz, Alessandro 

Sivola, Harold Pinter, Lindsay Duncan, 

Sheila Gish, Hannah Taylor Gordon and 

Sophia Myles. Directed and written by 

Patricia Rozema. Produced by Sarah 

Curtis. A Miramax release. Historical 

drama. Sot yet rated. Running time: 111 

nun. Opens 1115. 

Just when we thought there couldn't 

possibly be any Jane Austen stones left 

unturned, along comes Miramax with 

"Mansfield Park," a picturesque pastiche 

of the author's letters, early journals and 

1814 novel of the same name. In the 

hands of Patricia Rozema ("I've Heard 

the Mermaids Singing"), the book has 

been pared down and the screenplay 

pumped up as a biography that fits the 

director's contemporary agenda. 

With the click of a mouse, she deleted 

Fanny Price's "repressed anguish," to 

paraphrase the production notes, reconfiguring 

the female protagonist as something 

of a feminist icon. This adapted 

Cinderella story—in which the impoverished 

Fanny finds her soulmate after 

going to live with upper-crust relatives 

e\en drops what seems to be unspoken 

lesbian longing into the mix. 

Rozema's style, such as a dizzying 

hand-held camera in some early scenes, 

often intrudes on the plot rather than 

enhancing it. And because Fanny is so 

resolute from the get-go, there's never 

any real sense of peril when the stakes 

should be very high. Nevertheless, just 

enough sardonic wordplay pokes 

through to keep the Jane Austen in this 

Jane Austen. — Susan Green 

SWEET AND LOWDOWN ^^1/2 

Starring Sean Penn, Samantha 

Morton and Uma Thurman. Directed and 

written by Woody Allen. Produced by 

Jean Doumanian. A Sony Pictures 

Classic release. 

Comedy. Not yet rated. 


A departure for Woody Allen, "Sweet 

and Lowdown" is actually based on a 

true story, that of Emmet Ray (Sean 

Penn), widely considered the secondbest 

guitarist in the world in the '30s, 

after the legendary Django Reinhardt. 

But Emmet disappeared from sight 

and the music world—after the breakup 

of his relationship with the mute Hattie 

(Samantha Morton), the woman who. 

though he didn't realize it at the time, 

was the love of his life. 

There's a sweetness to "Sweet and 

Lowdown" whenever Penn and Morton 

interact on screen and, mostly, she's the 

reason for that. Hers is a wondrous performance, 

poignantly capturing, without 

any dialogue, Hattie's dreams, needs and 

genuine love for the egotistical, self involved 

Emmet. It's as impressive an acting turn as 

Morton's breakthrough role in "Under the 

Skin." Penn, who couldn't give a bad performance 

if he tried, is also fim as the foolish 

Enrunet, though the part isn't much of a 

stretch. Uma Thurman as a debutante who 

loves hearing about the seamy side of life 

perks up the film, too. For a change, the 

actors in an Allen movie actually get meaty 

roles instead of glorified cameos. 

Oddly, what's missing here is musical 

passion, which you'd exp)ect to find in 

spades from jazz fanatic Allen. "Sweet and 

Lowdown" is a staid, chaste film, which 

even sanitizes the druggy aspect of the jazz 

milieu. Granted, "Sweet and Lowdown" 

isn't as unfocused or bilious as recent 

Allen movies, but it's still pretty mundane. 


BLACK AND WHITE ^^^1/2 

Starring Bijou Phillips, 

Robert Downey 

Jr. and Brooke Shields. H ritten and directed 

by James Toback. Produced by Ron 

Rotholz. A Palm release. Comedyldrama. 

Not yet rated. Running time: 98 min. 

With overlapping dialogue, a big cast 

of interwoven characters, a plot that 

involves an assassination and Brooke 

Shields as a filmmaker documenting 

everything she sees with a Geraldine 

Chaplinesque intrusiveness, "Black and 

White" is surely James Toback's 

"Nashville" wannabe. The curious film 

doesn't quite work on that level, but it 

does offer its own compelling bleak vision 

of America in the late 1990s. 

Writer/director Toback ("Two Girls 

and a Guy") obviously began with a question 

that might intrigue many people: Why 

does the indigenous hip-hop culture of the 

African-American community exert such a 

hold on Caucasian youth? While he never 

provides a complete answer, the movie is a 

frenzied yet rambling look at the forces in 

society that prompt people to replace an 

unfashionable identity with one that's 

more alluring. 

Charlie (a very adept Bijou PhilUps) is 

an upper-middle class New York teenager 

who has reinvented herself with street talk 

and gestures to impress some tough black 

Harlem rappers—specifically Rich (Power 

of Wu-Tang Clan), the ringleader. Her 

white classmate (Elijah Wood) is jealous 

but admires the "gangstas" as much as his 

peers all do. Sam (Shields) is married to 

Terry (Robert Downey Jr. at his comic 

best), who is actually gay and forever making 

passes at other men. When he 

approaches Mike Tyson, the two have a 

hilarious but, in light of Downey's subsequent 

jail term, ironic exchange about 

parole. Claudia Schiffer plays Greta, the 

basketball hero named Dean (Allan 

brainy and calculating girlfriend of a college 

Houston). When an undercover cop (Ben 

Stiller) bribes him to throw a game, it 

upsets the balance of Dean's lifelong 

friendship with Rich. 

The topical, satirical nature of the story 

is sometimes eclipsed by Toback's own 

apparent need to show that he's down with 

the boys in the 'hood. Susan Green 

BOYS DON'T CRY **• 

Starring Hilary Swank, Chloe Sevigny 

and Peter Sarsgaard. Directed by Kimberly 

Peirce. Written by Andy Bienen and 

Kimberly Peirce. Produced by Jeffrey 

Sharp, John Hart, Eve Kolodner and 

Christine Vachon. A Fox Searchlight 

release. Drama. Not yet rated. Running 


The true story of Brandon Teena, a 

young woman who passed herself off as a 

man in rural Nebraska and was murdered 

for it in 1993, has been turned into an 

effective and emotionally powerful movie. 

But it skimps on the story's subtext, rendering 

it less than it might have been. 

Hilary Swank is superb as Brandon 

Teena, bom Teena Brandon, who recklessly 

lives as a man and, not incidentally, 

runs up a string of female conquests 

along the way. Despite her gay cousin's 

warnings, she won't drop the charade, and 

that stubbornness gets her into trouble 

when she falls in with a group which 

includes striking Lana (Chloe Sevigny). 

Their involvement is what finally seals 

Brandon's fate. 

Kimberly Peirce, a first-time feature 

filmmaker, directs plainly and strongly, 

and the sequence leading up to Brandon's 

murder is harrowing. Yet, strangely 

enough, "Boys Don't Cry" avoids most of 

the sexual politics that fuelled Brandon's 

odyssey. She's aware that she's a transsexual 

but doesn't do anything about getting a 

sex change, preferring to live as male, without 

considering the consequences of her 

actions. That's complex, but the film doesn't 

let us see beneath this man/woman, 

except for one lovely scene when Brandon's 

menstruation, and her need to get some 

tampons, devastates her. Her feelings 

about her body's "betrayal" are hard to 

watch. Otherwise, we have to take on faith 

the depths of Brandons pain and confusion. 

Similarly, the movie only allows Lana 

one moving moment in which she becomes 

aware of the chances she's taking with her 

previously fixed sexual identity after she 

hooks up with Brandon. The film also 

doesn't make allowances for how threatening 

someone like Brandon would be in sexually 

conservative Nebraska. It may not 

turn her into a noble victim, but "Boys 

Don't Cry" doesn't really do justice to 

Brandon Teena's story, either. Shlomo 

Schwartzberg 

November, 1999 (R-122) 153


THE BEST MAN ir 

Starring Taye Diggs, Morris Chestnut, 

Monica Calhoun, Nia Long, Melissa 

DeSousa and Harold Perrineau. Written 

and directed by Malcolm D. Lee. Produced 

by Spike Lee, Sam Kitt and Bill Carraro. A 

Universal Release. Drama!Comedy. Not yet 

rated. Running time: 115 min. 

Given the success of "Waiting to 

Exhale" and "When Stella Got Her 

Groove Back," it's safe now to assume that 

black audiences have developed the same 

appetite for bland middle-class comedy 

that white audiences have. With "The Best 

Man," black viewers might have their first 

equivalent of a Rock Hudson/Doris Day 

comedy, in the worst sense. 

Harper (Taye Diggs), a young novelist, 

writes a novel based on many of his 

friends. When an advance copy gets into 

their hands, it creates a major stir. But 

things come to an explosive head, when he 

is to perform the duties of being the best 

man to a friend whose bride, his book 

reveals, he once slept with. 

One of the odd incongruities of "The 

Best Man" is how it features black characters 

living an opulent upper-middle class 

life, but still talking as if they are somehow 

from the 'hood. The filmmakers must have 

hoped to draw young urban audiences, but 

such a demographic will certainly not 

appreciate the affluent white stereotype 

hand-me-downs. "The Best Man" is one of 

the worst movies. 


MUMFORD irir 

Starring Loren Dean, Hope Davis, 

Jason Lee and Alfre Woodard. Directed 

and written by Lawrence Kasdan. 

Produced by Charles Okun and Lawrence 

Kasdan. ComedylDrama. A Buena Vista 

release. Rated R for sex-related images, 

language and drug content. Running time: 

113 min. 

Lawrence Kasdan's variation on "Being 

There" has all the obviousness of his 

"Grand Canyon" but none of its quiet 

power. It's the superficial and meandering 

light tale of Dr. Mumford (Loren Dean), a 

psychologist who has come to the small 

town of Mumford, where in a mere few 

months he has become part of the community's 

social fabric and doctor to many 

of its most prominent inhabitants. But he's 

hiding something, and that revelation will 

impact many of the townfolks' lives. It may 

seem like a neat joke that Dr. Mumford 

does nothing but soak up his patients' neuroses 

and then let them cure themselves, 

but Kasdan's execution of the premise is 

half-hearted, 

pedestrian and riddled with 

irritatingly banal new age shibboleths. 

Since Kasdan can't quite decide on the 

P'oper balance between comedy and 

drama, "Mumford" frequently stalls or 

drifts into irrelevancy and pointlessness. 

This is a script that needs a lot more work. 

And while the nation's psychologists will 

rightfully view with disdain the film's 

premise that they're a useless bunch, audiences 

searching for wit or wisdom in this 

movie should also apply elsewhere. 

Frustratingly, except for Dean and 

Jason Lee as a whiz kid inventor, who are 

dull, the actors in "Mumford" are exceptional, 

particuarly Martin Short as a 

smarmy criminal lawyer who is suspicious 

of the doctor, David Paymer as another of 

the town's shrinks, Hope Davis as a patient 

of Mumford's and Alfre Woodard as his 

neighbor. Watching these pros at work, 

one wishes Kasdan had fashioned a better 

movie in which they could have excelled. 


THE CUP ***1/2 

Starring Orgyen Tobgyai, Neten Chokling 

and Jamyang Lodro. Directed and written 

by Khyentse Norbu. Produced by Malcolm 

Watson and Raymond Steiner. A Fine Line 

release. Comedy. Not yet rated. Running 

time: 93 min. Opens 112812000. 

"The Cup" has a deceptively simple 

plot that is based on a true story. A couple 

of teenaged monks who are training at a 

monastery in India are completely 

obsessed with the 1998 World Cup soccer 

tournament. While desperately trying to 

hatch various plots to rent a TV and a 

satellite dish, they also have to convince 

the monastery abbot to give them permission 

to watch the final match. 

Much like Iranian cinema, which deftly 

and subtly hides its political themes within 

modest parables, "The Cup" also holds an 

assortment of rich and provocative ideas 

within its story. For example, the comic 

notion of the modem world invading a 

monastic one is explored with great sensitivity 

as well as irony. Also underlying 

"The Cup" are wistful undercurrents of 

homesickness since many of the monks are 

Tibetan exiles. The nationalism which fuels 

the World Cup competition seems to also 

symbolize the monks' own struggle for a 

national identity. Khyentse Norbu treats 

this sad state of affairs with a sly sense of 

humor. 

Although "The Cup" is paced a little 

slowly— by Western standards—for a comedy, 

the lush serenity of the Himalayas is 

the perfect backdrop for adolescent chicanery. 

(Kids, being kids, always get bored 

in such surroundings.) There's also a wonderful 

moment when the abbot, who is initially 

confused by all this excitement over a 

tournament staged for a little cup, finally 

understands its significance when he lovingly 

cradles his teacup. "The Cup" is a 

satisfying comedy about finding your place 

in the world. 


TOUCHED ^ 

I 

Patrick O'Connor. No distributor set. Drat^ | 

Starring Lynn Redgrave and Tygh RunySm 

Directed by Mort Ransen. Written by Joan 

Hopper and Mort Ransen. Produced by 

Raymond Massey, Trevor Hodgson and Diane 

Not yet rated. Running time: 105 min. 9 

If Mort Ransen earned the considerable 

praise he received for directing the 

award-winning "Margaret's Museum" in 

1 994, he wears out that faith and good will 

directing "Touched." Part of that shopworn 

genre about the sanctity of the mad. 

"Touched" tells us that they are the truly 

sensible ones who heal our troubled lives. 

Lynn Redgrave badly overplays a drunken 

widow being driven from her home by a 

native community and ostracized by her 

estranged daughter (Lolita Davidovitch). 

She is saved by a young native drifter 

(Tygh Runyan) who spouts such dialogue 

as, "Life is tragic but the river is magic." 

Not only does this New Age Rod McKuen 

make her feel attractive again, he also 

cures alcoholism, child abuse, and human 

greed. By the time he woos Redgrave's 

character into bed with such romantic 

quips as "old is gold," you just might want 

to hit the bottle yourself 


A ROOM FOR ROMEO BRASS iM 

Starring Andrew Shim, Ben Marshall and 

Bob Hoskins. Directed by Shane Meadows. 

Written by Shane Meadows and Paul Eraser. 

Produced by George Faber and Charles 

Pattinson. No distributor set. Drama. Not 

yet rated. Running time: 90 min. 

"A Room for Romeo Brass," the second 

feature from British director Shane 

Meadows, has its virtues and liabilities. 

Like his previous film, 1997's 

"TwentyFourSeven" Meadows develops 

some strong dramatic ideas about contemporary 

British life, especially about the 

hopes of the younger generation who have 

grown up in the wake of the Thatcher era. 

But his biggest weakness here (as in his 

first effort) is in developing the characters 

so that they can enrich the themes he's 

working with. In "A Room for Romeo 

Brass," he concentrates on the friendship 

between two young boys, Romeo (Andrew 

Shim) and Gavin (Ben Marshall), who 

have fathers who are absent in their lives. 

When a simple-minded man. Morel! 

(Paddy Considine), comes into their lives 

to fill that emotional gap, he turns out to 

be a psychopath who threatens the bond 

between them. The film might have been 

stronger if we understood more clearly 

how and why Morell succeeded in dividing 

and conquering their friendship, but we're 

given so little that we're just supposed to 

believe it. By the end, "A Room for Romeo 

Brass" only makes room for gothic melodrama. 


154 (R-123) BOXOFFICE

1 Sunshine." 

November, 1999 (R-124) 155 


SUNSHINE 

^^^ 

Starting Ralph Fiennes, Jennifer Ehle 

ind Rachel Weisz. Directed by Istvan 

^zabo. 

'ôrovitz. 

\\ ritten by Istvan Szabo and Israel 

Produced by Robert Lantos and 

indras Hamori. Drama. So distributor set. 

Sot yet rated. Running time: 180 min. 

Istvan Szabos sprawling three-hour, 

temi-autobiographical epic, spanning four 

;enerations of an assimilated Hungariane\\ 

ish family, is a hit-and-miss affair, but 

me with enough substance and intelligence 

to make for worthwhile viewing. The 

ilms title refers to a health tonic that the 

rreat great grandfather of the movie's narator. 

Ivan, patented. The tonic is labeled 

A Taste of Sunshine," a pun on the fami- 

\ name of Sonnenschein, and its gradual 

iisappearance from the family's life is 

rfTectively contrasted with the equal 

iiminution of the family's Judaism. First 

heir name is changed, then their religion is 

iltered. all so they can advance in highly 

mti-Semitic Hungarian society. 

Szabo, who touched on the subject in 

ii> masterful "Colonel Redl," offers an 

insentimental, unsparing treatment of 

Hungarian Jewry who, like their German 

ousins. were incredibly naive about their 

mminent fate as Jews under the Nazis. 

fhe film's most disturbing scene has the 

amily cheering their exemptions under 

arious aspects of the country's newly 

nsiituted anti-Jewish laws; we know, even 

f I hey don't, that their Jewish ancestry 

neans they won't be protected in the end. 

Less gripping are the various romantic, 

oapy entanglements that roil the family. 

rheyre just not that interesting. Neither is 

1*>6 (R-125) BOXOFFICE 


GOYA IN BORDEAUX iîr 

Starring Francisco Rabat, Maribel Verdu 

and Dafne Fernandez. Directed and written 

by Carlos Saura. Produced by Andres 

Vicente Gomez. No distributor set. Drama. 


The life story of Francisco De Goya 

Lucientes, one of the world's great painters 

and a turbulent personality in his own 

right, ought to make for a riveting, 

provocative film. But Spanish master 

Carlos Saura 's rendition of Goya's history 

is a real snooze. Rather then craft a conventional, 

linear bio, Saura chooses to capture 

Goya (Francisco Rabal) at the end of 

his long life, in exile in France, where he 

remembers his past, interacts with his 

daughter and pontificates on the grim 

political realities of his beloved Spain. It's 

a good approach but very dully laid out 

and Rabal fails to animate the great artist. 

Other than in its depiction of Goya's 

somewhat touching, obsessive relationship 

with the vixenish Duchess of Alba 

(Maribel Verdu) and Vittorio Storaro's 

typically ravishing cinematography, which 

effectively brings Goya's paintings to life, 

the film's as memorable as a bad forgery. 


NO ONE WRITES TO THE COLONEL 

•••1/2 

Starring Marisa Paredes, Fernando 

Lujan and Salma Hayek. Directed by 

Arturo Ripstein. Written by Paz Alicia 

Garciadiego. Produced by Jorge Sanchez. 

No distributor set. Drama. Spanish-language; 

subtitled. Not yet rated. Running 


In "No One Writes to the Colonel," 

based on the novella by Gabriel Garcia 

Marquez, Arturo Ripstein has etched a 

moving portrait of an aging couple facing 

the dashed hopes from their youth. The 

Colonel (Fernando Lujan) is a retired army 

officer who fought in the anticlerical 

Cristeros war. His wife, Lola (Marisa 

Paredes), is sick with asthma, as well as 

with grief for the recent death of their son. 

While the Colonel waits every week for the 

promised pension that never comes, his wife 

can only find comfort in the local cinema. 

Marisa Paredes is simply remarkable as 

a woman forced to swallow her pride. And 

Fernando Lujan gives a touching portrait 

of an old war horse with nothing left but 

his dignity. Often movies about elderly 

couples are dishonest and cloying in the 

manner of "On Golden Pond." Ripstein 

strips away those hypocrisies so that their 

fragile lives are nakedly exposed. When 

Lola tells a priest that she wasn't taught 

how to beg, he replies, "Only life can teach 

you that." "No One Writes to the Colonel" 

is a compassionate film that also cuts to 

the bone. 


GREGORY'S TWO GIRLS 

^^ 

Starring John Gordon Sinclair, Carly 

McKinnon and Maria Doyle Kennedy. 

Directed and written by Bill Forsyth. 

Produced by Christopher Young. Comedyl 

Drama. No distributor set. Not yet rated. 


Bill Forsyth, the man behind the 1981 

laconic Scottish gem "Gregory's Girl," is 

back with a nominal sequel to that movie. 

But what was once delightfully wry and 

understated has become self-important, 

even pompous. Gregory Underwood (a 

mugging John Gordon Sinclair), the 

gawky, oblivious teenager of "Gregory's 

Girl," has grown up and become a high 

school teacher. He still doesn't understand 

the opposite sex but he's also become a bit 

of a radical, quoting Noam Chomsky and 

pontificating about American imperialism. 

His values are put to the test when a local 

factory owner and old friend (Dougray 

Scott) is suspected of building torture 

devices. Then there are the two women in 

his life: Frances (Carly McKinnon), a 

nubile student he fancies, and Bel (a 

delightful Maria Doyle Kennedy), a fellow 

teacher who fancies him. Some of 

Gregory's interlay with the forthright Bel 

reminds one of the earlier film but the rest 

of it is warmed-over Ken Loach. Shlomo 

Schwartzberg 

BETWEEN YOUR LEGS 

^^^1/2 

Starring Victoria Abril, Javier Bardem and 

Carmelo Gomez. Directed and produced by 

Manuel Gomez Pereira. Written by Joaquin 

Oristrell, 

Yolanda Garcia Serrano, Juan Luis 

Iborra and Manuel Gomez Pereira. No distributor 

set. Drama. Spanish-language; subtitled 

Not yet rated Running time: 115 min. 

A festival sleeper, "Between Your Legs" 

should, if there .is any justice, move 

Manual Gomez Pereira to the front ranks 

of international filmmakers. Pereira, 

whose best-known film in North America 

is "Mouth to Mouth", has crossed De 

Palma and Hitchcock with his fellow 

Spaniard Pedro Almodovar and created 

something wholly original in the process. 

Two lost souls, Javier (Javier Bardem) and 

Miranda (Victoria Abril) meet and fall in 

love at a group therapy session for sex 

addicts. He's addicted to phone sex; she 

pick ups stranger while walking her dog. 

She's also married and he's obsessed with 

the woman who turned him onto phone 

sex fantasies, so they've got some obstacles 

in their way. There's also been a murder, 

which ties in somehow to Javier. 

Pereira 's appropriation of Hitchcock's 

black wit, De Palma's flamboyant compositions 

and Almodovar's freewheeling sexuality 

is leavened by his smart reworking 

of film noir. That's most apparent in the 

movie's dazzling first half hour wherein 

Pereira expertly builds fantasy upon fantasy, 

intertwines numerous complex scenarios 

and offers up a delirious portrait of a 

society in which every gesture and word 

has sexual meaning. Then the movie settles 

down, and, admittedly, loses a bit of its 

pizzazz as it concentrates on its unlikely 

lovers and the murderer who threatens 

their future happiness. Abril and Bardem 

are terrific together, a glamorous but 

slightly faded and more than a little 

screwed couple. But everyone in the film 

gets a turn or two. Shlomo Schwartzberg 

BARENAKED IN AMERICA iîîcli 

Starring The Barenaked Ladies, Jeff 

Goldblum, Jon Stewart, Conan O'Brien, 

Andy Richter and Moses Znaimer. Directed 

by Jason Priestley. Produced by Cheryl 

Teetzel. No distributor set. Documentary^ 


With a provocatively funny title, actc 

Jason Priestley (of "Beverly Hills 90210")'s 

"Barenaked in America" is a charmingly 

witty examination of the rise to fame of 

one of Canada's best pop groups, The 

Barenaked Ladies. Priestly follows the 

group on their first major tour of America 

in 1998 after the release of their CD "Rock 

Spectacle." But Priestly doesn't just fawn 

over the band; he probes the reasons for 

their success and allows their quirky personalities 

to emerge. What we discover is a 

group of guys who personify the suburban 

adolescent whose ambitions were formed 

in the isolation of their rec rooms. 

"Barenaked in America" is a full frontal 

spectacle of good fun. 


THE ANNIHILATION OF FISH 

Starring James Earl Jones, Lynn 

Redgrave and Margot Kidder. Directed by 

Charles Burnett. Written by Anthony C 

Winkler. Produced by Paul Heller, William 

Fabrizio, John Remark and Eric Mitchell. 

Drama. No distributor set. Not yet rate^^ 


^B 

A wretched drama, this is as far 

removed from Charles Burnett's finely 

wrought masterpieces "Killer of Sheep" 

and "To Sleep with Anger" as one could 

imagine. James Earl Jones plays a 

Jamaican immigrant known as Fish who is 

^ 

constantly wrestling with a demon thai 

only he can see. Lynn Redgrave's character 

calls herself Poinsettia and is having an 

affair with the ghost of the late Italian 

composer Giacomo Puccini. They eventfully 

both end up in a rooming house, run 

by the equally loopy Mrs. Muldroone (an 

unrecognizable Margot Kidder), and love 

blooms. A magical realist fable without the 

slightest hint of cinematic magic, "The 

Annihilation of Fish" is distinguished 

Redgrave's embarrassing overacting an 

complete absence of a credible story 

characterization. Shlomo Schwartzberg

' 

' 

The 

MONTREAL REVIEWS 

Wt 

)lle some fear the approaching 

turn of the century could 

ignite Y2K disasters, those of 

he moviegoing persuasion might have 

\ause to celebrate. If the 23rd Montreal 

world Film Festival offers any indication 

or the future, the state of global cinema is 

joking up. 

At an otherwise contentious press con- 

^rence in early August, Serge Losique 

predicted that the pre-millennial extravajnza 

"will be one of the best yet. " Lo and 

ehold, he was right— despite the fact that 

le feisty festival president is still dodging 

ullets from the Quebec media about not 

ttracting major productions, big stars or 

olashy parties to the annual event. 

According to a random survey of crits 

in attendance this year, the schedule of 

Imost 300 films yielded innumerable 

easures. 

Instead of winding down with 

nervating fare, the festival actually 

dined momentum over the course of 11 

avs. 

Even the jury— comprised of actor 

tephen Rea, actress Bibi Andersson, 

'Irectors Pat O'Connor and Percy Adion, 

mong others— was hot, hot, hot. They 

estowed the Prix des Ameriques on Iran's 

The Colour of Paradise" by Majid Majidi, 

nd gave a Best Director nod to Canadian 

ouis Belanger for "Post Mortem." The 

eople's Choice Award went to "Postmen 

1 the Mountains," a Chinese entry by 

iuo Jianqi. 

Does Montreal's 1999 success bode 

ell for the next thousand years? j'espere, 

les amis.— Susan Green 

HE WISDOM OF CROCODILES 

Starring Jude Law, Elina Lowensohn, 

imothy Spall, Kerry Fox, Jack Davenport 

nd Colin Salmon. Directed by Po Chih 

eong. Written by Paul Hoffman. Produced 

V David Lascelles and Carolyn Choa. A 

firamax release. Drama. Not yet rated. 

unning time: 101 min. Opens April 2000. 

The cinema of chilliness, sacrificing 

'uman warmth for style, resurfaces in this 

-Rbeat thriller masquerading as a love 

.ory. 

character played by Jude Law, 

;sembling a zombie-like Laurence Harvey 

'i "The Manchurian Candidate," is not 

cactly a vampire even though he's partial 

> blood. Steven Griscz, Law's hero-villain 

'i "The Wisdom of Crocodiles," uses his 

le-cold handsomeness to lure the women 

f must drink dry during sex to survive. 

By day, Steven is a successful medical 

searcher. By night, he carefully catagues 

souvenirs of the partners he has disitched 

to kingdom come. Among the 

xeased is Maria (Kerry Fox), rescued by 

THE BONE COLLECTOR iririr 

Steven from a suicide attempt and then 

an account of misplaced affection. 

Latifah steals any scene she's in as 

A British soldier (David Tennant) is 

Rhyme's hilariously no-nonsense, roundthe-clock 

nurse. Ditto for Luis Guzman, 

courting the flighty young Lois (Keeley 

Hawes), who lives at the country estate of 

playing a technician assigned to the case. 

her uncle (Gambon) and his wife (Smith). 

Less successful is the usually fabulous 

Lois is smitten with a houseguest 

Michael Rooker, in the thankless role of 

(Lambert Wilson) although he's married 

an uptight police commander who gets in 

to Francie (the always stilted Jane Birkin) 

the way of progress with bureaucratic 

and in love with Marda (Fiona Shaw). The 

bungling. 

moral quagmire threatens to sink them all 

Cinematographer Dean Semler manages 

to make the Montreal and London 

when a rebel fighter (Gary Lydon) shows up. 

It's a lot of plot and this is a movie too 

locations merge seamlessly with a 

in love with itself to make much sense. 

cityscape of the Big Apple, where cinematic 

crime does not pay. Susan Green 

— Susan Green 

seduced with lethal consequences. 

Starring Denzel Washington, Angelina 

When the police begin nosing around, Jolie, Queen Latifah, Luis Guzman, 

he disarms a wily inspector (Timothy Michael Rooker, Ed O'Neill, Mike 

Spall) with his manufactured charm and McGlone, Leland Orser and John 

cunning calculations. Why would Steven Benjamin Hickey. Directed by Phillip 

kill someone he has saved from jumping in Noyce. Written by Jeremy lacone. 

front of a train? 

Produced by Martin Bregman, Louis A. 

Anne, a structural engineer with glamour 

and brains, is initially just another Universal release. Thriller. Rated R for 

Stroller and Michael Bregman. A 

conquest but she theoretically begins to strong violent content including grisly 

melt Steven's frozen heart—although images, and for language. Running time: 

there's little change in Law's expression to 117 min. Opens 1115. 

convey such a transformation. In this role, 

As each new movie about a serial 

Elina Lowensohn, so deadpan herself in 

the films of Hal Hartley, seems positively 

killer seeks to outdo its predecessors, the 

plots become ever more convoluted while 

animated next to her costar. 

the crimes grow more ornate and grisly. 

Will Steven feast again or can Anne 

It's getting so these fictional lunatics 

tame the dispassionate beast within him? hardly have time to wash the dishes or do 

The more compelling pas de deux is 

their laundry. 

actually the one he has with the detective. 

The gruesome one-upmanship of 

Lowensohn is not a bad actress but Spall, 

"The Bone Collector"—directed with 

a veteran of several Mike Leigh pictures, requisite stylishness and a few cheap 

really inspires some nuances in Law's performance 

as they embark on a familiar cat- 

scares by Philip Noyce—does not necessarily 

translate into better filmmaking. 

and-mouse routine. 

But a cast that includes Denzel 

Director Po Chih Leong and cinematographer 

Oliver Curtis certainly know Latifah does make it worth watching 

Washington, Angelina Jolie and Queen 

how to provide visual splendor for this film 

when not covering your eyes to avoid the 

without much of a pulse. 

gore. 

Call it the cinema of sangfroid. Susan Washington appears as Lincoln 

Green 

Rhyme, a brilliant NYPD detective left 

THE LAST SEPTEMBER ^1/2 

quadriplegic and prone to life-threatening 

seizures by an on-the-job accident 

Starring Maggie Smith, Michael four years earlier. Although arranging for 

Gambon, Fiona Shaw, David Tennant, his own euthanasia, he reluctantly agrees 

Keeley Hawes, Lambert Wilson, Jane to help solve a string of murders. He in 

Birkin and Gary Lydon. Directed by turn recruits a new partner 

Deborah Warner. Written by John Bamille. 

— policewoman 

Amelia Donaghy (Jolie)—to 

Produced by Yvonne Thunder. A Trimark serve as an extension of himself for investigating 

release. Historical drama. Not yet rated. 

crime scenes, of which there are 

Running time: 100 min. Opens February suddenly plenty. While Rhyme communicates 

2000. 

with her through the state-of-the- 

Even nifty actors like Maggie Smith art technology at his bedside, Amelia 

and Michael Gambon apparently cannot slowly cedes her naturally defensive attitude 

to accept a mentor-disciple relation- 

rescue an ill-conceived film from ruin. A 

self-important Irish period piece that ship. 

amounts to very little in the end, "The Luckily, the chemistry sizzles between 

Last September" should at least offer glorious 

these two immensely talented actors, a 

images of 1920s County Cork. But 

director Deborah Warner keeps returning 

to the same trite camera angles to tackle 

welcome distraction from the improbable 

narrative adapted from a Jeffrey Deaver 

novel by screenwriter Jeremy lacone. 

November, 1999 (R-126) 157


DREAMING OF JOSEPH LEES 

***• 

Starring Samantha Morton, Rupert 

Graves, Lee Ross, Frank Finlay, Nick 

Woodeson and Holly Aird. Directed by Eric 

Styles. Written by Catherine Linstrum. 

Produced by Chris Milburn. A Fox 

Searchlight release. Drama. Not yet rated. 


The title perfectly captures the mood of 

this heart-rending British tale, which takes 

its time to detail the complex thoughts and 

actions of characters who ultimately create 

their own nightmare. 

In the otherwise serene landscape of 

Somerset, Eva is a virginal young woman 

torn apart by the wrong choices she makes 

in her quest to experience passion. In 

agreeing to live with a local pig farm.er 

named Harry who loves her, she sidetracks 

her long-time secret yearning for an adventurous 

older cousin, Joseph Lees. 

This romantic affinity gone awry infuses 

the film, set in 1958, with a sense of 

tragic destiny worthy of Thomas Hardy. 

As Eva, the luminescent Samantha 

Morton moves from skittery girlish innocence 

to sensual completion to haggard 

resignation. Actor Lee Ross brings vibrancy 

to the equally dramatic arc of change in 

Harry, whose self-assured swagger hides a 

damaged human being. And Rupert 

Graves, playing the elusive Joseph, gives 

the most accomplished performance of his 

career as a geologist with the soul of a 

poet. 

Director Eric Styles, whose credits have 

been mostly for television, allows the performers 

great subtlety in a saga that could 

easily have become maudlin. Susan 

Green 

THE MATING HABITS OF THE 

EARTHBOUND HUMAN ^ 

Starring Mackenzie Astin, Carmen 

Electro, David Hyde Pierce, Lucy Liu, 

Markus Redmond, Leo Rossi and Lisa 

Rotondi. Written and directed by Jeff 

Abugov. Produced by Larry Estes. An 

Independent Artists release. Comedy. Not 


David Hyde Pierce's droll observations 

seem to belong to another movie altogether, 

although he's ostensibly narrating this 

not-quite-a-mockumentary by Jeff 

Abugov. 

"Mating Habits" stars Carmen Electra, 

generally dressed like a hooker, as the girl 

of Mackenzie Astin's dreams. She's supposedly 

"in computers"; he owns an 

accounting business. Neither occupation is 

even remotely credible for the vapid pair, 

who radiate zero chemistry after meeting 

cute in a disco. 

Their relationship is the subject of 

ongoing commentary by Pierce, an 

158 (R-127) BOXOFHCE 

extraterrestrial sociologist trying to 

explain the behavior of Earthlings in the 

kind of dry educational film popular in the 

1950s. His dialogue is sometimes a hoot, 

particularly when describing an available 

female as intent on finding "a father for 

her future cubs." 

But even the alien humor wears thin 

after a while in Abugov's one-joke screenplay, 

which could be sufficiently conveyed 

in a "Saturday Night Live" sketch. Susan 

Green 

THE BRIDGE iri^V2 

Starring Gerard Depardieu, Carole 

Bouquet, Charles Berling, Stanislas 

Crevillen, Melanie Laurent and Dominique 

Reymond. Directed by Gerard Depardieu 

and Frederic Auburtin. Written by Francois 

Dupeyron. Produced by Gerard Depardieu. 

No distributor set. Drama. French-language; 


time: 89 min. 

While "Jules and Jim" apparently is 

intended as a touchstone, that 1962 classic 

by Francois Truffaut involves a far more 

intriguing romantic triangle than the one 

in Gerard Depardieu 's "The Bridge." 

The older film relied on atmosphere 

and emotional insights rather than a tightly-written 

narrative to spin a yam about a 

woman unable to decide between the two 

men she loves. The audience cannot accurately 

guess what the enigmatic Catherine 

(Jeanne Moreau) will do. 

Some 37 years later, the sophomore 

effort from one of France's most beloved 

actors—co-directed with Frederic 

Auburtin—never leaves much doubt about 

which fellow the lovely Mina (Carole 

Bouquet) will choose. Her husband 

Georges (Depardieu) is an earnest, hardworking, 

unexciting bloke. Her lover 

Matthias (a poker-faced Charles Berling) 

has pizzazz but is sensitive enough to cry 

as often as she does at movies like "Jules 

and Jim," which Mina has seen many 

times. 

If Georges and Mina didn't have 15- 

year-old Tommy (Stanislas Crevillen) to 

consider, the marriage might have come 

apart much sooner. It's so very French that 

the boy's (rather selfish) mother draws him 

in as her co-conspirator when Tommy discovers 

she's having an affair. It's also thoroughly 

Gallic for Georges to keep his cool 

while confronting Matthias. In an equivalent 

American film, the cuckolded husband 

would very likely become unhinged 

and buy an Uzi. 

Tommy, meanwhile, is engaged a small 

subplot of his own. He and a neighbor's 

disaffected daughter (Melanie Laurent) 

plan to escape their respective suffocating 

family dysfunctions. 

The moral of "The Bridge," which 

takes place in a small Normandy town at a 

time when men wanted their wives to stay 

home, is best symbolized by a sad shrug. A 

shrug might also suffice for an audience's 

response to this bittersweet little tale, wellcrafted 

but incapable of surprises. 

Green 

THE DARKEST LIGHT 

iîîî^^ 

Susan 

Starring Stephen Dillane, Kerry Fi 

Keri Arnold, Kavita Sungha, Jason Walton, 

Nisha K. Nayar, Nicholas Hope and Alvin 

Blossom. Directed by Simon Beaufoy and 

Bille Eltringham. Written by Simon 

Beaufoy. Produced by Mark Blaney. No 

distributor set. Drama. Not yet ratCi 


Although it maintains a mournful ton' 

there is a breathtaking spirit of renewal in 

this directorial debut by Simon Beaufoy 

best known as screenwriter of "The Full 

Monty"—and co-helmer Bille Eltringham. 

"The Darkest Light" employs a toucj 

of magic realism to present a down-i 

earth Yorkshire farm family undergoing 

series of wrenching catastrophes that seem 

to hint at environmental doom. It's an endof-millennium 

movie that refuses to 

exploit its own subject matter. 

Newcomer Keri Arnold gives remarkable 

depth to 

10-year-old Catherine, both 

jealous of the attention her leukemiastricken 

younger brother gets and frightened 

he will die. She is a child trying to 

fathom the unfathomable. 

Her exhausted mother, played by Kerry 

Fox ("Shallow Grave"), has little time or 

patience left for the distraught daughter. 

Meanwhile, Catherine's father (Stephen 

Dillane of "Welcome to Sarajevo") discovers 

his sheep are succumbing to a highly 

infectious disease. These magnificent 

actors capture the anguish of parents 

whose previously ordinary existence suddenly 

spirals out of control. 

When Catherine befriends Uma 

(Kavita Sungha), it's a pairing of Catholic 

and Hindu sensibilities. As the girls frolic 

at a grotto waterfall one day, they're 

stunned by a powerful energy surge that 

momentarily transforms everything w^H 

the contrast of a photographic negative. 

Catherine immediately concludes she's 

had a sign her brother will recover. Uma. 

however, feels it was an omen of terrible 

things to come. Depending on their respective 

cultures, people in town believe the 

two have witnessed either the Virgin MiHB| 

or Krishna. 

S 

Atheists might suspect the sighting was 

actually an underground nuclear test, in 

part because the grotto is on a presumabh 

abandoned military site. m 

With exquisite restraint, Beaufoy exajHj 

ines the nature of faith, which remains IP 

elusive as the source of the mysterious 

apparition complicating the already tn troMi 

bled lives of decent people. Susan Grei 

rem 

i

' 

Whimsy 


)ECEIT (COMMEDIA) ^1/2 

Starring Jonathan Pryce, Susan Lynch, 

Claudia Gerini, Enrico Silvestrin, 

ilessandra Acciai and Brian Protheroe. 

directed by Claudia Florio. Written by 

âvid Ambrose. Produced by Sergio 

Zastellani and Carlos Pasini-Hansen. No 

distributor set. Thriller. Not yet rated. 


Contrived up the yin-yang, "Deceit" 

las delusions of grandeur but only one 

a\ing grace: Luciano Tovoli's gorgeous 

inematography. 

Director Claudia Florio seems to think 

he's delivered an important work of art in 

he story of two young women who 

::ome ensnared in a stranger's dark fan- 

Michela (Claudia Gerini) is an actress 

ehearsing in a stage production of 

Othello"—a big, 

unsubtle clue pointing 

o this dull thriller's conclusion. A shad- 

\\\ man calling himself Mark Walker 

Jonathan Pryce) offers to pay her for 

lerely reciting aloud with him the lines of 

is dreadfully pretentious script about a 

•rominent art historian begging his maried 

lover to continue their affair. Michela 

visely backs out of the deal, but her roombate 

Corinna (Susan Lynch), tired of a 

areer in food photography, convinces 

lark she's right for the role. This nincom- 

'oop finds herself increasingly attracted to 

he "playwright," whose sinister motives 

re also patently absurd. Susan Green 

i 

HE GIRL ON THE BRIDGE 

^•1/2 

Starring Daniel Auteuil, Vanessa 

âradis, Demetre Georgalas, Isabelle Petitacques 

and Frederic Pfluger. Directed by 

âtrice Leconte. Written by Serge 

rydman. Produced by Christian Fechner. 

so distributor set. ComedyIFantasy, 

'/ench-language; subtitled. Not yet rated, 

Running time: 92 min, 

is the guiding force of Patrice 

'xconte's new romantic comedy—unfortuiately, 

it's forced whimsy. The auteur 

«hind "Ridicule" and "Monsieur Hire" 

ries very hard to win over his audience 

/ith caprice in "The Girl on the Bridge," a 

=lack-and-white confection about a couple 

b right for each other that good fortune 

'nly blesses them when they're together. 

' 

The problem with this intriguing 

remise of fate superceding free will is that 

le people in question are the middle-aged 

labor (Daniel Auteuil) and the twen- 

^^something Adele (Vanessa Paradis). 

alpiat's right, yet another in a long line of 

1*lms pairing a not-so-attractive older man 

nd a stunning younger woman more than 

alf his age. It's really a genre unto itself, a 

lale prerogative that has become exceedigly 

tiresome. Susan Green 

USBOA ^^ 

Starring Carmen Maura, Federico 

Luppi, Sergi Lopez, Antonio Birabent, Laia 

Marull and Miguel Palenzuela. Directed by 

Antonio Hernandez. Written by Antonio 

Hernandez and Enrique Braso. Produced by 

Federico Bermudez de Castro, Marcelo 

Itzkoff, Ramon Pilaces, Eduardo Perez 

CUment and Enrique Gonzalez Macho. No 

distributor set. Crime drama, Spanish-language; 



Legions of Carmen Maura fans trek 

to see any obscure film with this sensational 

Spanish actress who first captured 

their hearts a decade ago in Pedro 

Almodovar's "Women on the Verge of a 

Nervous Breakdown." 

In "Lisboa," she's on the verge of nervous 

exhaustion as Berta, the wealthy 

socialite hitching a ride with a sad sack of 

a salesman (Sergi Lopez) while on the run 

from her corrupt and unmerciful husband 

(Federico Luppi). He's killed his business 

associate, a man doubling as Berta's married 

lover but at the same time getting it 

on with her daughter. Don't you just hate 

it when that happens? 

Her entire family, in fact, is trying to 

stop Berta from reaching Lisbon with a 

wealth of incriminating evidence. The 

tangled plot begins promisingly but bogs 

down in a conventional gangster movie 

mode. For Maura's minions, however, 

even this dud is a golden opportunity to 

watch the lady emote. Susan Green 

LOVE AND RAGE ^1/2 

Starring Greta Scacchi, 

Daniel Craig, 

Stephen Dillane, Donal Donnelly and 

Valerie Edmond. Directed by Cathal 

Black. Written by Brian Lynch, Produced 

by Rudolf Wichmann and Cathal Black. 

No distributor set. Drama. Not yet rated. 


Consider him a downwardly mobile 

devil. 

When James Lynchehaun appears on 

the remote Irish island of Achill in 1896, 

it's clear to the audience—albeit not to 

the local folk—that the handsome rogue 

is paving a crooked road to hell. 

A ravishing, independent-minded, rich 

English widow named Agnes MacDowell 

(Greta Scacchi) cannot resist her attraction 

to this clever, charismatic lad. 

Lynchehaun (Daniel Craig, who looks 

something like Robert Mitchum) quickly 

connives to replace Sweeney (Donal 

Donnelly) as her business manager and, 

before very long, he's also in her bed. 

As trouble begin brewing, he joins 

forces with the rebels, arranges some dastardly 

doings and calculates how best to 

turn Agnes into his love slave. 

Inexplicably, just when he hits the top of 

his game, an obnoxiously drunk 

Lynchehaun humiliates and rapes her. 

Rather than try to woo his way back into 

her good graces once sober, he turns into 

a homicidal maniac. 

Only intermittently absorbing until 

this point, "Love and Rage" then 

becomes an overheated gothic horror 

story. It would have been far more interesting 

to see the savvy Agnes engage 

Lynchehaun in a battle of wits and souls. 

Instead, she's a hapless victim. 

Stephen Dillane, as a doctor still in the 

late 19th-century closet, pops into the picture 

from time to time. We learn Agnes' 

late husband was also gay. Neither sexual 

orientation serves any purpose whatsoever 

in this misguided production. 

Director Cathal Black, working from 

a Brian Lynch script, leaves huge holes in 

the film's logic and character development. 

Given that smooth-talking 

Lynchehaun supposedly has significant 

powers of persuasion, why is he such a 

loser? His kind of charm might bum 

itself out in a mere run-of-the-mill 

sociopath, but the film suggests supernatural 

gifts. What's the world coming to 

when even Satan self-destructs? Susan 

Green 

SIAM SUNSET 

^^ 

Starring Linus Roache, Danielle 

Cormack, Ian Bliss, Roy Billing, Alan 

Brough and Rebecca Hobbs. Directed by 

John Poison. Written by Max Dann and 

Andrew Knight. Produced by Al Clark, No 

distributor set. Comedy, Not yet rated. 


Perry begins to suspect the heavens are 

conspiring against him when a refrigerator 

falls from an airplane and crushes his 

wife at the beginning of "Siam Sunset." A 

previously content English chemist who 

devises new colors for a paint company, 

the depressed widower navigates his way 

through all kinds of other devastations to 

take the holiday in Australia he wins at a 

bingo game. 

Given his luck. Perry (Linus Roache, 

the tormented cleric in "Priest") finds the 

vacation package is third-rate, inviting 

every disaster imaginable. A plethora of 

grotesque but theoretically loveable characters—standard 

central casting for so 

many Australian movies of the "Muriel's 

Wedding" and "Strictly Ballroom" ilk 

populate the tour bus. 

This self-conscious screwball comedy 

directed by John Poison also brings a 

pretty woman (Danielle Cormack) fleeing 

from an abusive boyfriend into the befuddled 

protagonist's life. As the madness 

escalates, the point of "Siam Sunset" 

becomes fuzzier and the creativity diminishes.— 

Susan Green 

November, 1999 (R-128) 159


THE OUTFITTERS ^1/2 

Starring Danny Nucci, Del Zamroa, 

Dana Delany, Paul Le Mat, Sarah Lassez, 

Jo Harvey Allen and Ed Bruce. Directed, 

written and produced by Reverge Anselmo. 

No distributor set. Comedy. Not yet rated. 


It's a full-time job trying to keep track 

of all the people, places and things discussed 

in "The Outfitters," a low-budget 

comedy that sags under the weight of confusing 

references. The old show-don't-tell 

adage might have helped writer/producer/director 

Reverge Anselmo, whose project 

is reminiscent of another New 

Mexico-based movie that's much better 

and more topical, "The Milagro Beanfield 

War." In the newer film, P.D. and A.J. 

(Danny Nucci and Del Zamora) are brothers 

struggling to make money in a dusty 

little town where the quirky locals gather 

at a saloon owned by Cat (Dana Delany). 

She's keeping company with a cop (Paul 

Le Mat) but actually loves P.D., whose sibling-related 

enterprises invariably fail. 

A song on the soundtrack about being 

"tired of following all my little dreams and 

schemes" perfectly summarizes the fatigue 

that might overtake viewers hoping to 

make heads or tails of the what could have 

been a nice, simple story. Susan Green 

LOVERS ^^^1/2 

Starring Elodie Bouchez, Serguei 

Trifunovic, Genevieve Page, Dragan Nicotic 

and Thibault de Montalembert. Directed by 

Jean-Marc Barr. Written by Pascal Arnold 

and Jean-Marc Barr. Produced by Pascal 

Arnold. No distributor set. Drama. Not yet 


Navel-gazing though "Lovers" may be, 

this intense scrutiny of a romantic attachment 

that could use some breathing space 

has its charms. 

For one thing, Elodie Bouchez— 

gamine just a notch shy of beautiful 

knows how to inhabit the demanding role of 

a young woman emotionally overwhelmed 

by a volatile guy. Her Jeanne, who works in 

a bookstore with a poster of Samuel Beckett 

on the wall above the cash register, cherishes 

independence. When she falls for Dragan (a 

dynamic Serguei Trifunovic), a handsome 

Yugoslav artist with no visible means of 

support, they are soulmates one minute 

and adversaries the next. 

The fervor of their on-again off-again 

liaison is heightened by director Jean- 

Marc Barr's cinematic philosophy: 

"Dogma 95," an approach trumpeted by 

several European filmmakers that 

demands a hand-held camera, available 

lighting, real locations rather than sets and 

no background music. 

Barr, an actor in Lars von Trier's 

"Zcntropa" (or "Europa," depending on 

the country of its release) and "Breaking 

the Waves," debuts at the helm of this 

sometimes blurry anti-production values 

production. The process does provide intimacy, 

however, which works to the advantage 

of the story. 

Jeanne and Dragan are battling the vicissitudes 

of Balkan wars—his refugee status is 

a major issue—as well as each other's expectations. 

He drinks too much and, though 

she's the breadwinner when they move in 

together, thinks nothing of buying something 

expensively frivolous after seUing one 

of his paintings. Dragan is aggressively jealous 

of all her friends and former boyfriends, 

yet Jeanne is addicted to the passion that 

comes with this imprisonment. 

The proceedings are so intense, in fact, 

that a little music would be a welcome 

respite. Susan Green 

OUT OF THE COLD 1/2 

Starring Keith Carradine, Judd Hirsch, 

Mercedes Ruehl, Mia Kirschner, Bronson 

Pinchot, Brian Dennehy and Kim Hunter. 

Directed by Sasha Buravsky. Written by Alex 

Kustanovich and Sasha Buravsky. Produced 

by Roee Sharon and Leonid Zagalsky. 

No 

distributor set. Historical drama. Not yet 


A pipsqueak of a production that fancies 

itself an epic, "Out of the Cold" is 

director Sasha Buravsky's ludicrous potboiler 

about the diminishing fortunes of 

an alcoholic American entertainer trapped 

in Estonia. With a timeframe that flashes 

back 20 years from 1959, the story follows 

Dan Scott (Keith Carradine), who has hit 

bottom. (Veteran actress Kim Hunter 

plays his disapproving mother for about 

two seconds.) Leon (Judd Hirsch) coaxes 

him to perform at the cabaret he owns in 

Tallinn, where Dan is a celebrity because 

of his Estonian heritage. 

The citizens there all seem to dress to 

the nines and speak English with a wide 

array of accents. At the cabaret, Dan's flying 

feet dazzle the crowd but indicate the 

work of a stunt double. He meets Deborah 

(Mia Kirschner, whose acting style 

screams, "Look at my beautiful blue 

eyes!"). Their romantic notions are nipped 

in the bud by Deborah's snooty fiance 

(Bronson Pinchot). So Dan woos a 

chanteuse named Tina (Mercedes Ruehl, 

speaking with Boris-and-Natasha inflections). 

Meanwhile, Nazi sympathizers 

smash up the club because Dan is Jewish. 

He teaches Deborah to dance and they 

consummate their desire, but plans to perform 

a musical satire about the political 

situation in Europe are railroaded when 

she becomes pregnant. The Soviets invade 

and Deborah flees to New York City, 

where her alTection for designer fashions 

unaccountably gives way to the peasant 

refugee look- complete witn babushka. 

While sentenced to a Siberian gulag. 

Dan chops off a leg to free himself from 

an avalanche of logs. He eventually makes 

his way to the U.S. Embassy, persuading 

the ambassador (Brian Dennehy) to help 

him repatriate. 

This is a greatly abbreviated synopsis of 

a movie so idiotic it could become a co; 

cult classic. Susan Green 

A REASONABLE MAN ^^^^ 

1 

Starring Gavin Hood, Nigel Hawthorne, 

Nandi Nyembe. Loyiso Gxwala, Janine Eser, 

Ian Roberts, Vusi Kunese, Ken Gampu and 

Graham Hopkins. Directed and written by 

Gavin Hood. Produced by Paul Raleigh and z/id 

Gavin Hood. No distributor set. Drama. iVi 


Witchcraft, generally presented for h 

I 

ror's sake in American films, appareni 

provides deeper layers of meaning m 

South African cinema. In "A Reasonable 

Man," writer-director-star Gavin Hood 

delivers a swift-paced psychological and 

legal thriller that explores the complexities 

of clashing cultures. 

Hood plays Sean Raine, a corporate 

lawyer who stumbles upon the aftermath of 

a brutal killing in a Zulu village. A gentle 

teenaged shepherd named Sipho (Loyiso 

Gxwala) has slain a toddler. Was he practicing 

"muti," a voodoo-like belief that 

requires body parts for black magic rituals? 

Or, as Sipho claims, was he merely attacking 

an evil spirit known as the "fikoloshe"? 

Either way, in a post-apartheid South 

African courtroom, the young man is on 

trial for murder. Although inexperienced in 

criminal law, Sean decides to defend Sipho 

in the belief he was acting from a time-honored 

superstition. 

Unsure how to explain this premise to 

the judge (Nigel Hawthorne, who was 

raised in Cape Town), Sean seeks the 

advice of a wise but rather cantankerous 

"sangoma," or witch doctor (Nandi 

Nyembi, a sangoma-turned-actress in real 

life). She tells the attorney he must first 

locate his own heart of darkness, buried 

during the decade since he served as a soldier 

in Angola. "You have a snake inside 

you," she says, giving him hideous potions 

to exorcise the demon. 

The film's fascinating anthropological 

permutations — peeking into an intricate 

indigenous world that most white citizens 

only dimly perceive—are enhanced by outstanding 

performances. Hood gives Sean a 

perfectly bottled-up persona poised to 

open itself to unseen wonders. As a man 

who could put Judge Judy to shame. 

Hawthorne is wry and unpredictable. 

"The Blair Witch Project" might have lavw 

cornered the sorceress market, 

Nyembi's riveting portrayal of a "san, 

ma" certainly makes for the crank iesT 

witch doctor on any screen. Susan Green 

160 (R-129) BOXOFFICE

TELLURIDE REVIEWS 

Rr the 26th year, the Telluride Film 

Festival showed a wide range of 

international films in a small former 

vining town in the mountains of Colorado, 

ipecial events included tributes to three 

iiverse artists: Catherine Deneuve, David 

ynch and composer Philip Glass, 

êneuve's tribute was highlighted by a very 

3ntertaining onstage conversation with fesival 

regular Roger Ebert; her films 'Time 

'Regained" and "Place Vendome" were 

hhown. Lynch was in Telluride with "The 

'Straight Story/' which was well-received at 

\innes. Class and the Kronos Quartet colaborated 

on a score for the 193 1 "Dracula" 

^hat was performed live. Several of the 

ictors and directors with films at Telluride 

oarticipated In outdoor seminars. 

Besides those reviewed below, the 

Telluride schedule included "The Girl on 

'he Bridge," "Jesus' Son," "Princess 

Wononoke," "Black and White," 

Kadosh," "East is East" and a surprise 

screening of Woody Allen's "Sweet and 

.owdown." 

3RFEU **l/2 

Starring Toni Garrido, Patricia Franca 

md Murilo Benicio. Directed by Carlos 

Oiegues. Written by Carlos Diegues, 

Hermano Vianna, Hamilton Vaz Pereira and 

°aulo Lins. Produced by Renata Almeida 

Magalhaes and Paula Lavigne. No distribuor 

set. Drama. Portugese-language; subtiled. 

Sot yet rated. Running time: 112 min. 

Carlos Diegues ("Bye Bye Brazil") has 

et this update of the Orpheus myth in the 

lillside slums of contemporary Rio de 

'aneiro. Sweeping overhead shots emphaize 

the enormity of poverty in the urban 

irea. The residents are also continually 

nenaced by the violence of the drug trade, 

ie\er sure if outside sounds are fireworks 

^r bullets. 

Orfeu (Toni Garrido) is a celebrated 

nusician who still lives in the poor area in 

yhich he grew up. His fame has protected 

from the violence of both drug dealers 

d police. Orfeu falls in love with the unsoticated 

Euridice (Patricia Franca), who 

|ias come to visit her aunt in the city. Orfeu's 

'eelings for Euridice begin to dominate his 

ife, but their romance is threatened by 

Drfeu's childhood friend Lucinho (Murilo 

3enicio), who is now the head of the local 

Irug ring. The jealousy of Orfeu's former 

overs, including Euridice's aunt, also comjlicates 

the relationship. 

Diegues' direction gives the too-simple 

tory a vibrant atmosphere enhanced by a 

Qusical score that includes samba music as 

well as Brazilian rap. Orfeu and Euridice 

lay out their mythic destinies amidst 

tic's annual Carnival, an elaborate and 

iOlorful 

spectacle that outshines the tale 

tseU.—Ed Scheid 

FAREWELL, HOME SWEET HOME 

• *• 

Starring Otar losseliani, Nico 

Tarielashvili, Lily Lavina. Directed and 

written by Otar losseliani. Produced by 

Pierre Grise Productions. No distributor 

set. Comedy. French-language; subtitled. 


"Farewell, Home Sweet Home" centers 

on an unconventional family living in a 

manor house. The father (played by 

writer/director Otar losseliani) spends 

most of his time drinking wine and playing 

with his toy trains while his domineering 

wife (Lily Lavina) leaves by helicopter to 

settle some business deals. Their son (Nico 

Tarielashvili) escapes the comforts of his 

family life for a harsher experience in Paris 

where he works as a dishwasher at a bistro. 

He encounters a diverse group of Parisians 

and becomes friends with a homeless man 

and some petty criminals, and secretly 

brings his new friends to the family home. 

The film maintains an eccentric charm 

throughout a series of episodic vignettes, 

losseliani and his cast of non-professionals 

create an amusing variety of offbeat 

personalities while the film builds up a 

steady accumulation of humorous details 

as the stories of the many unusual characters 

intersect. Ed Scheid 

iîî^ 

Starring Ally Sheedy, Reg Rogers and 

Lara Harris. Directed and written by 

Adrienne Shelly. Produced by Jim Stark. 

No distributor set. Comedy. Not yet rated. 


Adrienne Shelly is best known for her 

performances in Hal Hartley's "Trust" and 

"The Unbelievable Truth." "I'U Take You 

There," the second feature she has written 

and directed, is a contemporary screwball 

road movie that begins in New York City. 

Reg Rogers plays Bill, whose life has 

fallen apart after his wife Rose (Lara 

I'LL TAKE YOU THERE 

Harris) leaves him for his best friend. He's 

left his real estate job and remains in his 

disheveled apartment, still obsessed about 

his wife. Flashbacks show how his marriage 

broke up. His sister (Shelley) tries to 

help him out of his despair by setting him 

up on a date with her friend Bemice 

("Sugar Town's" Ally Sheedy). But Bill 

devastates Bernice with cruel insults. 

Bemice later shows up at Bill's apartment 

toting a gun; she forces him into her car, 

telling him that after he takes her to her 

destination, he can drive on and confront 

his wife at her new home upstate. Bemice 

sets the warped tone for the trip by making 

her first mission a prom dress robbery. The 

drive becomes a strange adventure of discovery, 

and as Bill leams more about 

Bemice he begins to change his low opinion 

of her, but still remains determined to 

win back his wife. 

"I'll Take You There" is often very 

funny; the slight plot is enlivened with 

clever and quirky humor and some unconventional 

characters. Sheedy skillfully 

shows both Bemice's steely determination 

and the pain beneath her bizarre behavior. 

Rogers gives a strong comic performance 

as a man continually on the brink of collapse. 

Alice Drummond ("Awakenings") 

stands out in the supporting role of 

Bemice's straight-talking grandmother. 

—Ed Scheid 

PLACE VENOOME iîîrir 

Starring Catherine Deneuve, Jean- 

PierreBacri, Emmanuelle Seigner and 

Jacques Dutronc. Directed by Nicole 

Garcia. Written by Nicole Garcia and 

Jacques FieschL Produced by Alain Sarde. 

No distributor set. Drama. French-language; 

subtitled. Running Time: 117 min. 

"Place Vendome" is the third film 

directed by Nicole Garcia, who has acted 

in several French films including the classic 

"Mon Oncle d'Amerique." The wellwritten 

screenplay co-authored by Garcia 

investigates dark intrigue beneath the elegant 

surface of the stylish jewelry stores in 

the Place Vendome district of Paris. 

French icon Catherine Deneuve plays 

Marianne, a once-promising jewelry broker 

who spends most of her time in a clinic 

in an alcoholic haze. Still beautiful, she 

is described as someone who is "brought 

out for special occasions." Her husband, 

who treats Marianne like a child, is director 

of one of the major jewelry establishments. 

After his suicide, Marianne finds 

seven diamonds that may be stolen. The 

diamonds rekindle an interest in life and in 

her former profession. 

Tension mounts as Marianne travels 

throughout Europe to investigate the diamonds. 

She meets NathaUe (Emmanuelle 

Seigner), a young saleswoman at her husband's 

firm who reminds Marianne of her 

own youthful ambition. Nathalie is trying 

to end a relationship with Jean-Pierre 

(Jean-Pierre Bacri); though Jean-Pierre 

seems an outsider to the jewelry world, he 

manages to regularly meet Marianne and 

offer her a sympathetic ear. Marianne is 

still drawn to a former lover (Jacques 

Dutronc) who is also determined to get the 

diamonds. 

"Place Vendome" is extremely successful 

as both an intricate mystery and an 

absorbing character study. Deneuve gives 

an exceptional performance—one of the 

best in her continually impressive career. 

She creates a very compelling characterization 

as Marianne struggles to overcome 

her alcoholism and discover the secret of 

the diamonds. Like a fine jewel, Deneuve's 

character proves exquisitely multifaceted. 

— Ed Scheid 

November, 1999 (R-130) 161

REVIEWS 

EVERYBODY LOVES SUNSHINE 

**** 

Starring Goldie, Andrew Goth and 

David Bowie. Directed and written by 

Andrew Goth. Produced by Joanne Reay. A 

Lions Gate release. Crime drama. Not yet 


This gritty, urban saga is not an easy 

movie to watch because the characters 

really do seem like real people living in a 

tragically real world in the North of 

England. You pretty much know they are 

doomed and there seems little they can do 

about it. 

But it's worth all the discomfort. 

Inhabited by carefully drawn individuals 

and acted with a natural but grim reality, 

it's a film that will stay with you. It also 

looks fabulous—the visual version of techno 

music, all black and shiny and a more 

than a little dangerous. 

The story is about two cousins who are 

released from jail after serving two years, 

and both are desperate to back to their 

world. For one, played by British music 

sensation Goldie (named for his array of 

metal-filled teeth), that means a life of 

crime. For the other (writer/director 

Andrew Goth), it's something more, even 

if he's not sure quite what. Adding to the 

confusion is the fact that the gang they left 

in charge of a veteran crimelord (David 

Bowie) is under siege by a vicious Chinese 

Triad. One cousin wants to fight, the other 

wants to walk away. 

It has all the makings of a classic 

tragedy—and it delivers. Goth's writing is 

taut and effective. His direction is wonderfully 

stylized and enormously potent. And 

he is absolutely right in the role of Ray, the 

gentler cousin. 

Bowie pops up throughout the film and 

brings a calming presence to the mayhem. 

In a Michael Caine accent he talks about 

the honor among thieves and villains years 

ago. It not only points up the changes talking 

place but puts the violence in context. 

Make no mistake, this is a very violent 

film, and it's not so-called cartoon violence. 

When people get shot here, they stay 

dead. It is a brutal and uncompromising 

movie, but it has very valid points and it 

makes them well. Mike Kerrigan 

THE SUBURBANS ^^ 

Starring Donal Lardner Ward, Amy 

Brenneman, Will Ferrell, Craig Bierko, 

Tony Guma and Jennifer Love Hewitt. 

Directed and produced by Donal Lardner 

Ward. Written by Donal Lardner Ward and 

Tony Guma. A TriStar release. Comedy. 

Not yet rated. Running time: 85 nun. 

With the '80s nostalgia wave in full 

swing and VHl's "Behind the Music" and 

"Where Are They Now?" specials generating 

rabid popularity in a culture morbidly 

fascinated by the inner workings of the 

downward spiral, the concept behind "The 

Suburbans" seems sure-fire on paper. In it, 

the titular (fictional) one-hit wonders from 

1982 are given a second chance at fame 

when a young and bubbly record company 

exec (Jennifer Love Hewitt) arranges a 

comeback pay-per-view special. But the 

band was, is and always will be mediocre at 

best, and no one is remotely interested in 

them. That quickly established, all the 

audience has left to care about is the fate of 

the band members' messy personal lives. 

Given that they're all a bunch of pathetic 

boobs, we don't. The Suburbans frontman, 

Danny (scripter/director/producer Donal 

Lardner), is the only one of the quartet 

who's remotely fleshed out, and obviously 

is the Everyman we're supposed to be sympathetic 

to, but it's hard to feel sorry about 

the romantic woes of a man who responds 

to his insecure girlfriend's query as to 

which of her body parts is his favorite with 

an exacerbating "Can I be excused from 

this exam?". 

The crash-and-burn of fleeting superstardom 

is a macrocosmic metaphor for 

the trajectory of most people's dreams and 

aspirations, but this film fails to bring any 

insight to the psychological ramifications 

and subsequent adjustments, positive or 

negative, to such life-altering disappointments. 

Not that we need deep meaning or 

social significance in our goofing-on-the- 

'80s comedies. But much more egregiously 

absent is any sort of clever exploitation of 

the era's notoriously wacky fashion and 

music sensibility. The Suburbans' insipid 

hit song "Right By Your Side" sounds 

vaguely '60s if anything, and the shimmery 

blue suits and skinny ties are downright 

conservative in comparison with the true 

garb of the decade in which everyone constantly 

looked as though they were on 

their way to a sci-fi convention. 

James 

Christine 

LENA'S DREAM ^^^ 

Starring Marlena Forte, Gary Perez, 

Susan Peirez, Jeremiah Birkett, David 

Zayas, Judy Reyes and Kai Adwoa. 

Directed and written by Heather Johnston 

& Gordon Eriksen. Produced by Chip 

Garner. A Cinema Guild Release. 

Drama/Comedy. Not rated. Running time: 

86 min. 

Fame is fickle. For some it comes quick 

and easy; for others it's a lifelong pursuit, 

always just out of reach. For Lena 

(Marlene Forte, "The Refuge"), it has been 

the latter. Now in her mid-30s, she's beginning 

to wonder if she should give any more 

of her life to the dream. 

Writer/directors Heather Johnston and 

Gordon Eriksen's take on the struggling 

actor theme is sharp, witty and dead-on 

and should resonate with those who have 

dreamed of a life in the arts. Lena is stalwart 

in her desire even in the face mounting 

rejections. Yet she feels ambivalent 

when she sees all her old friends moving 

on; even her boyfriend is looking for a 

"civilian" job. When she does finally 

decide to throw in the towel, low and 

behold, she's offered one of the best new 

roles on Broadway. But is it just another 

lure? Perhaps the dream has run its course. 

"Lena's Dream" is poignant and pithy and 

very funny. Tim Cogshell 

• 

SHOW ME LOVE 

iriririr 

Starring Alexandra Dahlstrom and 

Rebecca Liljeberg. Directed and written by 

Lukas Moodysson. Produced by Lars 

Jonsson. A Strand release. Drama. Not 


This teenage angst movie was originally 

called "F—ing Amal," that being 

the name of the provincial Swedish community 

where the story is set preceded by 

the sorry opinion one of the characters 

has of her hometown. Amal, you see, is 

the kind of place where its latest craze 

has already been pronounced obsolete by 

the hip Stockholm teen magazines. Sadly, 

the new title fails to convey any of the 

flavor of the original which, for obvious 

reasons, was changed for domestic consumption. 

The film remains, however, a real gem. 

The high schoolers seem to share the problems 

of teens all over the industrial world. 

Boredom is a hazard; so are relationship;^ 

and parents and popularity. What makes 

writer-director Lukas Moodysson's work 

head and shoulders above similarlythemed 

movies is the sheer unaffectedness 

of it. We seem to be eavesdropping on 

these kids as they meander through theii 

days. 

The acting, from a largely novice cast, 

is totally convincing. The documentary 

style adds convincingly to the effect. They 

argue about Leonardo di Caprio ("he's 2 

doughboy"), wonder why they are watching 

a lottery TV show when they haven'i 

bought a ticket, ponder why a family 

would serve a vegetarian daughter meat ai 

her 1 6th birthday party. 

The two leads are outstanding 

Alexandra Dahlstrom is blonde bombshel 

Elin, who is going to be a model—or a psy 

chologist. She plays it large but occasion 

ally reveals a less confident core. Rebeccs 

Liljeberg is Agnes, the introverted scholar 

ly one who has a crush on Elin. Her per 

formance is achingly authentic. She man 

ages to convey more with a long, sad lool 

than most actors can manage with a pagi 

of dialogue. 

While it deals with issues of grea 

importance—at least for its characters- 

Moodysson's film also has some wonder 

fully funny sequences. Mike Kerrigan 

162 (R-131) BOXOFTICE

I 

The 

i 

, sexual 

November, 1999 (R-132) 163 

REVIEWS 

*•• 

OFT TOILET SEATS 

Staring Samnii Davis, David Alex 

osen, Alexa Jago and Jonathan Aube. 

Urected and written by Tina Valinsky. 

loduced by Shirley Craig. A Phaedra 

lease. Comedy IDrama. Rated R for nudisituations, 

violent images and 

Hi,' content. Running time: 105 min. 

At last—a sexy comedy thriller for 

rown-ups. After some successful festival 

rings. Tina Valinsky's stylish debut movie 

getting a release and should do well with 

ireful handling. 

Ame Steinberg (David Alex Rosen) 

u\ s himself a house in the suburbs and is 

orrified to learn that the previous tenant 

>ammi Davis) was either murdered or 

?mmitted suicide. With the help of her 

^rmer roommate (Alexa Jago), he sets 

oout unraveling the mystery. 

It is a good-looking movie with an 

(tractive (and frequently naked) cast. The 

;nsual scenes are frankly pretty steamy 

iih a little something to suit most tastes on 

le sexual spectrum. But it is never tawdry 

r cheap — just good old healthy lust. Davis 

Hope and Glory." "Four Rooms") is dead 

hen the movie starts, but that doesn't stop 

er from getting down, dirty and deceased 

1 a series of remarkably erotic flashacks. 

Mike Kerrigan 

HE GRANDFATHER ^^1/2 

Starring Fernando Fernan-Gomez, 

*Mfael Alonso and Cayetana Guillen 

Cuervo. Directed by Jose Luis Garci. 

Vritten by Jose Luis Garci and Horacio 

alcarcel. Produced by Luis Maria 

ielgado, Valentin Panero and Enrique 

uintana. A Miramax release. Drama, 

'panish-language; subtitled. Rated PG for 

hematic elements and language. Running 

'me: 145 min. 

This lengthy portrait of a struggle 

»etween love and honor is full of wisdom 

nd humor, but never fully quickens into a 

•'ork of sustained emotion. The secret at 

,ie heart of this story, set in Spain circa 

'900, 

provides a solid backbone that sus- 

"iins interest despite the slow unfurling, 

•ut the events that surround the title charbter's 

dilemma seem too often indulgent 

^t pieces which, though acted with charm 

bd sensitivity, stifle rather than elate his 

Jjumey to the truth. 

"Grandfather" role is played by 

emando Fernan-Gomez, refreshingly 

"ee of the sort of cute old codger antics 

lat one might expect. He's as comfortable 

|dth the faded old grandee's weaknesses as 

Nth his strengths, and aware that his good 

.nd bad characteristics are entwined by 

jae bonds of history and mores into a 

omplex whole which can be spiteful as 

I'ell as admirable. Much amusement can 

e found in his musings in company with 

Rafael Alonso, who plays the dispirited 

old school teacher hired to tutor the 

count's pretty young granddaughters. This 

partnership plays interesting tricks on all 

our established notions of the old knight 

and his faithful sidekick. 

There is much spirit in the constant 

exchange of verbal insult, whether 

between the count and Cayetana Guillen 

Cuervo as his antagonistic widowed 

daughter-in-law or the sycophantic bunch 

of unworthy townsfolk which pay her 

homage as she schemes to keep her secret. 

Agustin Gonzalez puts on a good turn as 

the most venal of her factotums. 

The production values waver between 

scenes that have the ease and beauty of 

reality— particularly those on the beach 

and cliffs near the family's estate—and 

those which seem false and slightly shoddily 

contrived. Overall the mood, heightened 

by director Jose Luis Garci's taste for the 

languid, remains a Uttle leaden in this 

stately movie which was nominated for a 

Best Foreign Film Oscar in 1998. Like the 

people it profiles, it wants to be more 

august than it is. It really only springs to 

life when it forgets its pretensions, enjoys 

its ironies and relies on its strong collection 

of character actors to tweak the strings of 

the heart. Bridget Byrne 

RANDOM HEARTS ^^1/2 

Starring Harrison Ford and Kristen 

Scott Thomas. Directed by Sydney Pollack. 

Written by Kurt Luedtke. Produced by 

Sydney Pollack, Marykay Powell and Ray 

Stark. A Columbia release. Romance. 

Rated R for language and sexuality. 


Misleadingly billed as a thriller, this 

Sydney Pollack romance is less about the 

discovery of an adulterous affair than the 

havoc it wreaks on those left behind. 

Dutch Van Den Broeck (Harrison Ford) 

and Kay Chandler (Kristen Scott Thomas) 

are an internal affairs investigator and an 

incumbent congresswoman who discover 

that their respective spouses have been 

involved in an illicit relationship when 

their weekend-getaway flight ends up in 

the ocean. While Dutch uses his detective 

skills to dig up the past, Kay does her best 

to let sleeping dogs lie. Meanwhile, the 

spumed spouses spark a fast and furious 

affair of their own. 

But it's too fast and furious. Though 

remarkable circumstances bring these two 

together, it's not clear why their first desperate 

sexual encounter later leads to a 

tender romance, and Kay's willingness to 

sacrifice her pending campaign for a fling 

with a stranger becomes clear only when 

she explains to Dutch and the audience 

that "Nobody knows who I am anymore." 

Her lover's response is indicative of the 

pedestrian dialogue that plagues the whole 

script: "I know you." 

When Dutch isn't 

endangering Kay's 

career, he's ruthlessly investigating a dirty 

cop, suffering a suspended license due to 

his rabidity. This completely unrelated 

supporting storyline intersects violently 

with the romance at the end but nonetheless 

could have been left out all together. 

Meanwhile, Kay's entire campaign merely 

provides a setting in which the two furtively 

interact, and the effects of their relationship 

on her campaign are left to the 

imagination. 

Pollack does succeed in other areas 

where he leaves out information. For 

example, the audience doesn't need to 

actually see the affair or the moment that 

Kay tells her daughter that her father's 

dead. But on the whole, he leaves too many 

unanswered questions, leaving the biggest 

ambiguity for the parting scene. Annlee 

Ellingson 

THE ADVENTURES OF ELMO IN 

GROUCHLAND ^^^1/2 

Starring Mandy Patinkin and Vanessa 

Williams. Directed by Gary Halvorson. 

Written by Mitchell Kriegman and Joseph 

Mazzarino. Produced by Alex Rockwell and 

Marjorie Kalins. A Columbia release. 

Family. Rated G Running time: 77 min. 

While the other Muppets venture into 

space, the denizens of "Sesame Street" 

have an urgent mission of their own tackle. 

When Elmo (voiced by Kevin Clash) 

loses his special blanket in Oscar the 

Grouch's trash can home, he blindly dives 

in to retrieve it, unaware that he is about to 

embark on a magical journey that will 

transport him straight to the dirty, smelly, 

refuse-ridden world of Grouchland. Upon 

his arrival, he is given an unwelcome greeting 

and told to go home. But Elmo isn't 

leaving without his blanket, which has 

been stolen by the greedy Huxley (Mandy 

Patinkin). Fearing Elmo to be alone, 

scared and lost in a hostile land, the 

Sesame Street gang jumps into the trash 

can and heads for Grouchland to save him. 

In his feature film debut, Elmo starts 

off as a selfish, tantrum-throwing monster 

who learns from his various experiences 

the meaning of respect, sharing and 

friendship. As he meets new friends and 

foes during his quest, so does the audience; 

after 30 years, "Sesame Street" is still able 

to modify and broaden its horizons without 

being redundant. The new land Elmo 

explores will interests both adults and children—an 

interest that will remain piqued 

as Elmo journeys farther into Grouchland 

to reach Huxley's castle. 

Although the film could have been a 

little more subtle in its moralizing, "Elmo 

in Grouchland" is certainly as entertaining 

as it is instructive in socialization skills. 

— Dwayne E. Leslie

REVIEWS 

FOR LOVE OF THE GAME ^^^ 

Stalling Kevin Costner, Kelly Preston, 

John C. Reilly, Jena Malone and Brian Cox. 

Directed by Sam Raimi. Written by Dana 

Stevens. Produced by Armyan Bernstein 

and Amy Robinson. A Universal release. 

Drama. Rated PG-13 for some sexual content. 


The national pastime and the 

Hollywood star most closely associated 

with the sport come together 

for a third time in "For 

Love of the Game," Kevin 

Costner's latest outing at 

the ballpark. 

Costner takes the 

mound as Billy Chapel, an 

over-the-hill pitcher for 

the Detroit Tigers. The 

physically aching Billy is 

scheduled to start at 

Yankee Stadium on the 

last day of the regular season—a 

game that means 

nothing to the floundering 

visiting team. To make 

matters worse, Billy receives a series of 

shocks just prior to the game: His longtime 

girlfriend Jane (Kelly Preston) tells 

him that she is ending their relationship 

and moving to London, while the owner 

of the Detroit franchise informs him that 

the team has been sold, leaving the veteran 

to face being traded after 20 years as a 

Tiger. 

Entering into a mode of intense concentration 

once he takes the field ("Clear 

the mechanism," he tells himself to shut 

off the noise of the outside world), Billy 

determines he's going to "throw hard 

today." In his trance-like state, he gets batter 

after batter out, all the while reflecting 

on pivotal moments throughout his life 

especially his five-year relationship with 

Jane. Caught up in his thoughts, he doesn't 

realize until the eighth inning that not a 

single Yankee has made it on base, awakening 

him to the fact that he's on the verge 

of achieving a perfect game, one of baseball's 

ultimate feats. 

While Billy's memories reflect some 

powerfully poignant moments, most 

notably the nostalgic recollections of his 

father playing catch with him (a la "Field 

of Dreams"), the main focus of his onagain-off-again 

love affair with Jane is 

almost unbearably tedious. Besides the 

utter lack of chemistry between the couple, 

verbal interchanges between the characters, 

whether sentimental or passionate, 

are painfully trite and never overcome 

their initial awkward feel. 

The on-field sequences, however, are 

outstanding. Even the most adamant 

purists of the game will appreciate the 

utter flawlessness of the choreography. 

164 (R-133) BOXOFFICE 

WILDFIRE: FEEL THE HEAT ^^1/2 

Directed by Mike Slee. Written by Michael Olmert. Narrated by Andre Braugbt 

Produced by Richard Sattin, Phil Streather and Mick Kaczorowski. A Discover 

Pictures release. Documentary. Not rated. Running time: 40 min. 

Having chilled audiences to the bone with the awe-inspiring "Everest," large-fc 

mat screens now go to the other extreme and raise viewers' temperatures with the 

heroics of the men and women who fight forest fires and other blazes in hard-toreach 

areas. 

The visuals are stunning and on the giant screen one is taken right into the heart of 

the inferno. Director Mike Slee puts his camera 

into some very imaginative places as well as 

obviously dangerous ones. There are several of 

the tried-and-true aircraft exteriors, but he also 

puts one on the ground as the water-dropping 

plane douses the fire—and, seemingly, the viewer. 

He latches another to a smokejumper, a firefighter 

who parachutes onto a blaze that cannot be 

reached in any other fashion. The audience is 

right there at the landing, and it's a jolting experience. 

However, no matter how spectacular it looks, 

"Wildfire" has an emotional void. The film fails 

to seriously involve us with who these heroes are 

or why they do what they do. Without that 

difficult to see their exploits in other than in an abstract way. There are a few voiceover 

quotes from the firefighters used along with Andre Braugher's restrained narration, 

but nothing that would draw us into the action with them. — Mike Kerrigan 

which is arguably the most realistic in the 

history of the genre. Avid baseball fan Sam 

Raimi masterfully frames Costner's 

impressively accurate fastball and curve to 

convey the aging pitcher's intensity. The 

closing innings slow to a tension-filled 

snail's pace, where screeching liners and 

ground choppers jump off opposing players' 

bats, each hit threatening to unravel 

Chapel's last stab at achieving the rarest of 

accomplishments in the century-and-ahalf 

old game: perfection. 

Like baseball itself, "For Love of the 

Game" inspires several types of emotions 

in its viewers while running its course 

sometimes suspenseful, sometimes excruciatingly 

slow and sometimes able to capture 

the timelessness of a special part of life. 

— Francesco Dinglasan 

DOUBLE JEOPARDY ^^^1/2 

Starring Ashley Judd, Tommy Lee Jones 

and Bruce Greenwood. Directed by Bruce 

Beresford. Written by David Weisberg and 

Douglas S. Cook. Produced by Leonard 

Goldberg and Richard Luke Rothschild. A 

Paramount release. Thriller. Rated R for 

language, a scene of sexuality and some violence. 


Libby ("Kiss the Girls'" Ashley Judd) 

couldn't be happier: She has a loving husband 

("The Sweet Hereafter's" Bruce 

Greenwood), an adorable son and giving 

friends. Then, in a split second during a 

romantic weekend with her husband, her 

enviable life becomes a living nightmare. 

it's 

She wakes up, finds blood, a knife and no 

husband. Now, an overwhelming amount 

of circumstantial evidence and a $2 million 

insurance policy threaten to destroy 

her perfect world. With no hope of winning 

a wrongful death case, Libby is incarcerated 

and torn from her young child. 

Then one day, during a phone conversation 

with her son, she overhears him say 

two simple words that send chills up her 

spine as the implications set in: "Hello, 

Daddy." 

Motivated by sheer hatred and, of 

course, the double jeopardy law, under 

which no person can be convicted of the 

same crime twice, Libby puts into gear a 

plan to get her son back—and to do the 

crime for which she's already done the 

a no- 

time. The only person in her way is 

nonsense parole officer ("U.S. Marshals'" 

Tommy Lee Jones), who has sworn to 

bring her back to jail if she violates her 

parole. 

With chases, shootings, family values, 

undying love, betrayal and a thoroughly 

involving plot, "Double Jeopardy" has 

something for everyone. Libby is a likable 

character who's easy to identify with; when 

she suffers setbacks, the audience is right 

there with her, especially during her narrow 

escapes and cross-country search for 

her son. And when it comes to chasing 

armed and dangerous fugitives, who could 

be better than Lee? With him in hot pursuit, 

audiences are in for a wise-cracking, 

explosive time. Dwayne Leslie 

I

REVIEWS 

(NEMAN'S HERO ilr^^^ 

Starring Tom Berenger, Daniela Romo 

, (/ Joaquim de Almeida. Directed by 

'nee Hool. Written by Lance Hool and 

ilton S. Gelman. Produced by Lance 

)l. An MGM 

,'ease. Historical 

cama. Rated R for 

ilence. 

Running 

'w: 122 min. 

The story of the 

int Patrick 

ittalion. which 

Light with Mexico 

ihe war against 

nerica in the mid- 

.^ 

ot^ the last centuis 

a footnote to 

vtory almost totalignored 

in the 

nited States. But 

s a compelling 

^ry that has almost 

de its way to the 

g!>creen several 

nes. Now it has 

id a rattling good 

o\ ie it is. 

The film is almost 

throwback to the costume epics of yesr\ 

ear when filmmakers used every bit of 

e wide screen and told tales in bold 

okes. The core of the story is a complex 

.oral dilemma faced by the small band of 

Idiers but it's played out on the vast cans 

of overwhelming social change. It 

ckles the subject with diligence but still 

anages to be wonderfully entertaining. 

Irish emigrants fleeing the potato 

mine were promised U.S. citizenship if 

e\ joined the army. Not only was the 

omise broken but the soldiers faced disimination 

because of their Catholic relion. 

When the U.S. declared war against 

lexico to seize territory, some Irish solers 

deserted and went over to the 

lexican side. When Mexico lost, many 

pK executed for treason. 

I Director/writer Lance Hool weaves a 

ive story through the beautifully phofgraphed 

action and the intricate ethics of 

ie drama with a very confident hand, 

asting is spot-on with the strong, quiet 

om Berenger perfect as Sergeant John 

"iley, the real-life hero of the story. And 

•s hard to imagine anyone better than the 

lulti-talented Daniela Romo as his love 

•terest or Joaquim de Almeida as the 

iVashbuckling rebel leader. 

i After watching the classic adventures 

iade by John Ford, Michael Curtiz, 

reorge Stevens, David Lean and the rest, 

wple often complain, "They don't make 

Jm like than anymore." Well, apparently 

•ey still do. Mike Kerrigan 

FLASHBACK: October 30, 1948 

What BOXOFFICE Said About... 

JOAN OF ARC 

[Columbia's "loan of Arc" starring Milla Jovovich stakes out 

theatres November 5. Below is BOXOFFICE's review of the 

1948 Ingrid Bergman version of the historical epic] 

"Joan ot Arc" will rank as one of the great films of this generation 

on several counts—importance of theme, splendor of production 

values, pictorial beaut\', skillful handling of emotional buildup 

and honesty of characterizations. Victor Fleming, who directed, 

also was director of "Gone With the Wind." Ingrid Bergman as 

Joan seems to have derived inspiration from the historic story. 

The battle scenes, enhanced by Technicolor, are tremendous. As 

sheer spectacle, they top those of "Henry V." The latter part of the 

picture, devoted to the trial and burning of Joan, are emotionally 

devastating—a mood of sustained tragedy. The picture will be 

road-shown for a long time. 

EXPLOITIPS: 

Even the producers of this picture are not certain yet about the 

selling slants. They expect to learn the best approach by a 

slowly developing series of roadshows in scattered cities. In 

New York they have practically rebuilt the Victoria Theatre to 

fit the production. Certain possibilities of religious controversy 

are involved. If these do not develop, it will be possible to concentrate 

both on the amazing performance of Ingrid Bergman in an inspired role 

and the magnificence of the Technicolor spectacle. 

CATCHLINES: 

Magnificent! Arresting! Histor>' Relived!... 

Most Tragic Figure in History, Joan of Arc, Comes to Life Again. 

She Becomes Inspired. ..She Leads a Nation to Victory.. .She Crowns a King. ..And 

Dies at the Stake. ..Ingrid Bergman Scales a New Peak of Achievement. 

ON THE ROPES ***l/2 

Directed and produced by Nanette 

Burstein and Brett Morgen. A WinStar 

release. Documentary. Not rated. Running 

time: 90 min. 

Little in film could ever be more comp>elling 

than Harry Keitt's wary, weary face 

as he registers life unfolding in all its awesome, 

careless complexity. Nanette 

Burstein and Brett Morgen's camera captures 

Keitt and those who share his hopes 

and disappointments with an unselfconscious, 

unfussy style which is neither falsely 

intrusive nor self-importantly judgmental. 

This excellent documentary structured 

around Keitt, survivor of many mistakes 

and mentor to young people he hopes will 

avoid the pitfalls which ensnared him, 

focuses on the Bed-Stuy Boxing Center in 

Brooklyn where he teaches pugilist skills 

and life lessons with equal devotion. 

The three pupils attracted to the hope 

Keitt offers, but often unable to live up to 

the challenges set, provide a portrait of 

those fated by birth for the wrong side of 

the tracks. It's an intensely heartfelt study 

which inspires admiration and anger. 

Fiction would have to be the work of 

genius to create such a surge of emotions 

as those evoked by the travails of Tyrene 

Manson. She's a young woman on the 

verge of escaping from her hemmed-in, 

beaten-down life. She's qualified for a 

Golden Gloves bout which may be her 

entree into a new world, but she's slammed 

into another dead end by an atrocious 

criminal justice system. 

Slightly less severe impediments hamper 

the two other aspirants, Noel Santiago 

and George Walton, but their lives are 

much tougher than anyone would ever 

wish to handle. 

Keitt, despite the welter of his own sorrows, 

still has the will to offer essential 

encouragement in the face of these youths' 

failures, whether self-inflicted or cruelly 

imposed on them by the harsh realities of 

their emotionally and financially impoverished 

existence. 

The filmmakers' method, at once disciplined 

and free-form, is a perfect match for 

this slice of hard life in which boxing is no 

metaphor but day-to-day truth in a bodyblow 

reality. Bridget Byrne 

November, 1999 (R-134) 165

REVIEWS 

TRAIN OF LIFE 

îtn^ 

Starring Lionel Abelanski, Rufus, 

Clement Harari, Michael Muller, Agathe 

de la Fontaine and Bruno Abraham-Kremer. 

Directed and written by Radu Mihaileanu. 

Produced by Marc Basket, Ludi Boeken, 

Frederique Dumas-Zajdela, Eric Dussart 

and Cedomir Kolar. A Paramount Classics 

release. Drama. French- and German-language; 

subtitled. Rated Rfor some sexuality 

and nudity. Running time: 103 min. 

Between "Fiddler on the Roof" and 

"Life is Beautiful," by way of Emir 

Kusturica's "Underground," comes "Train 

of Life," a joyful, if jittery, fable of hope set 

against the cacophony of the impending 

Holocaust. Written and directed by 

Romanian-born Radu Mihaileanu, the 

award-winning French-language comedy 

follows the offbeat odyssey of an entire village 

of Eastern European Jews as they 

endeavor to preempt their certain seizure by 

the Nazis in staging their own deportation. 

When it becomes clear that his quaint 

little shtetl will not be spared the advance 

of Hitler's war machine. Rabbi (Clement 

Harari) solicits suggestions from the townfolk, 

finally settling on the outrageous proposal 

of Shlomo The Fool (Lionel 

Abelanski) that they simply deport themselves 

first. Faster than anyone can say 

"I'chaim," the entire village has pitched 

in—creating false documents, purchasing 

and refitting a dilapidated old train with 

Nazi markings and sewing authentic Nazi 

uniforms for whichever courageous villagers 

can speak the best German. 

It's a clever, even brilliant, conceit that 

writer/director Mihaileanu—himself a 

Jewish refugee from the regime of former 

Romanian dictator Ceausescu—does one 

step even better. Like Roberto Begnini's 

"Life is Beautiful," which "Train of Life" 

allegedly pre-dates, the humor is merely 

dressing for the wound, allowing 

Mihaileanu to address other equally compelling 

issues of the era that might otherwise 

have been overshadowed by the weight 

of the Holocaust itself Not the least of 

these is the internal strife that erupts 

between the once happy villagers during the 

course of their odyssey, a bizarre schism 

that pits the mock-deportees against the 

mock-Nazi officers, with another faction of 

would-be Leninists finally stirring enough 

trouble to all but sabotage the plan. 

Though far from the league of "Life is 

Beautiful," "Train of Life" nonetheless 

manifests a quirky charm of its own that 

will have a special apj)eal to fans of Emir 

Kusturica's unique brand of Felliniesque, 

Eastern-European theatrics. Kusturica's 

carnival-like style, in fact, seems to have 

been a clear infiuence here, sometimes 

pushing the film just a bit too far towards 

the absurd. Waiie Major 

AMERICAN BEAUTY ^^^^ 

Starring Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, 

Thora Birch, Wes Bentley and Mena Suvari. 

Directed by Sam Mendes. Written by Alan 

Ball. Produced by Bruce Cohen and Dan 

Jinks. A DreamWorks release. Drama. Rated 

Rfor strong sexuality, language, violence and 

drug content. Running time: 120 min. 

The tagline for Sam Mendes' feature 

film debut reads, "...look closer," a mantra 

that Mendes repeats over and over as he 

dissects the modern American family. 

Lester and Carolyn Burnham (Kevin 

Spacey and Annette Bening) are a couple 

living the American dream. His 14-year 

stint at a computer magazine and her independent 

real estate business have provided 

for all that defines success: a two-story 

house in the suburbs, a silk-upholstered 

couch, a white picket fence adorned with 

rich red roses. But somewhere along the 

way, their relationship disintegrated and is 

now plagued by an undercurrent of contempt 

that's contaminated their daughter 

Jane (Thora Birch). 

After meeting (and subsequently fantasizing 

about) Jane's blonde bombshell best 

friend Angela (Mena Suvari) and realizing 

that he's about to lose his job due to company 

cutbacks, Lester blackmails his boss 

and packs his desk, choosing to spend his 

time working out and smoking pot 

instead. Spacey superbly captures just how 

goofy it is to be the dad of a teenage girl, 

inspiring sympathy from the audience even 

in his vilest moments. 

Bening, on the other hand, suffers from 

a caricaturized role as the enemy. In 

response to her husband's new lifestyle, 

Carolyn engages in an extramarital affair 

with her competitor and releases stress at a 

local shooting range. Already fanaticalh 

regurgitating self-help affirmations anc 

physically beating herself up at any hint o 

failure, her husband's dramatic life adjust 

ment prompts even more bizarre behavior 

effectively alienating her completely froir 

the audience. Meanwhile, their daughtei 

takes tentative steps toward first love wit! 

Ricky (Wes Bentley), the son of a Marim 

officer next door who funds his videotap 

ing pastime by selling dope and is the onlj 

character in this story mature enougl^ , 

understand what real beauty is. SI 

Alan Ball's script strips away this fames' 

carefully constructed appearance, revealint 

the misery that lies beneath a glossy fapadc 

with both pointed humor (the kind that elicits 

the nervous laughter that stems from selfrecognition) 

and poignant drama. 

Mendes, the director of Broadway's 

Nicole Kidman-baring "The Blue Room,' 

uses this new medium masterfully tc 

reflect the themes of the script, focusing or 

mirrors, windows (both as transparent and 

reflective surfaces) and a video camera tc 

explore how we look at 

ourselves and at 

others, sometimes combining these elements 

to further complicate the image's 

meaning. (For example, Ricky videotapes 

Jane's reflection in a mirror through her 

bedroom window.) Mendes seems to particularly 

appreciate the dramatic possibilities 

of the extreme close-up. 

"American Beauty" is that rare 

instance where all the elements of a 

movie—story, setting, acting, shot construction—come 

together to convey its 

message. And although discontent disguised 

by living the American dream isn't 

a new theme, its never been rendered so 

beautifully. Annlee Ellingson 

^ 

PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED: OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEIVIBER FILMS 

The alphabetical list below notes the issue of BOXOFFICE in which our review of ar 

upcoming film appeared, the star rating, and the distributor/release date information^ 

''Agnes Browne" ifirir: USA, 1215; see September 1999. 

*'All About My Mother" ifiîîr'. SPC, 11119; see July 1999. 

'American Movie" *•*••: SPC, 11112; see April 1999. 

"American Pimp" •*: Seventh Art, 11112; see April 1999. 

"Beefcake" *: Strand, 10113; see October 1999. 

"Being John Malkovich" idrlll: USA, 1011; see October 1999. 

"The Boys" irir: Stratosphere, 10115; see September 1999. 

"Felicia's Journey" iririr-k: Artisan, 11112; see July 1999. 

"Happy, Texas" ••••1/2: Miramax, 1011; see July 1999. 

"Joe the King" iriîcir: Trimark, 10115; see October 1999. 

"Last Night" *•••: Lions Gate, 1115; see July 1998. 

"The Limey" •*: Artisan, 1018; see July 1999. 

"Plunkett & Macleane" •*l/2: Miramax, 10122; see July 1999. 

"Portraits Chinois" •••*: Phaedra, 1115; see September 1997. 

"Princess Mononoke" •••1/2: Miramax, 10129; see July 1999. 

"Rosetta" iricirm: USA, 11110; see September 1999. 

"The Straight Story" ir-kicir: Buena Vista, 10115; see September 1999. 

"That's the Way I Like It" iriricm: Miramax, 10115; see October 1999. 

"Tumbleweeds" ••1/2; Fine Line, 11119; see April 1999. 

"The War Zone" irir-km: Lot 47, 12110; see April 1999. 

166 (R-135) BOXOFnCE

; 

Martin 

)LUE STREAK ^^1/2 

Starring Martin Lawrence and Luke 

i ilson. Directed by Les May field. Written 

IV Michael Berry and John Blumenthal. 

Produced by Peaches Davis, Michael 

ôttrell and Toby Jaffe. A Columbia 

elease. Comedy. Rated PG-13 fi)r some 

{iotence and language. Running time: 93 

nin. 

Lawrence's special brand of inour-face 

physical humor is the driving 

brce behind his latest vehicle, "Blue 

itreak," a decently jocose but wholly 

meven action-comedy that comes as the 

ummer season ends—a release date sure 

o hurt boxoffice receipts considering that 

:een-aged and early-twentysomething 

nales (the audience most likely to be 

Jrawn to this pic) will be back in school by 

Urn's opening. 

Lawrence is professional thief Miles 

-ogan, a high-tech safecracker whose 

ewel heist goes awry when Deacon, a double-crossing 

member of his team, attempts 

o murder his cohorts and keep all the 

orofits from the stolen diamond. Miles, 

crambling to escape from Deacon as well 

IS pursuing police officers, ends up in a 

lewly constructed building's vent system 

\ ith the multi-million dollar rock in hand. 

\\vare of his imminent arrest once he 

eaves the building, Miles duct-tapes the 

precious stone inside the vent, determined 

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to recover it at a later date. 

The story picks up two years later when 

Miles, fresh out of prison, discovers that 

the building housing his diamond has been 

turned into an LAPD station. Visual slapstick 

abounds as he schemes his way onto 

the building's third floor where the gem 

awaits. Desperate to get past the tight security. 

Miles' antics include disguising himself 

as a wacked-out pizza delivery boy 

(performed in Lawrence's typical over-thetop 

style) and, to greater success, impersonating 

a newly-transferred robbery 

detective. 

Fans of Lawrence's work are sure to be 

amused by the actor's trademark frantic 

delivery; highlights include Miles imitating 

scenes from TV's "Cops" to prepare for his 

scam as well as an "NYPD Blue"-style 

interrogation to convince observing police 

officers that he's the real thing. 

Unfortunately, much of Lawrence's verbal 

humor is more miss than hit, with the 

misses certain to come off" as juvenile to 

the uninitiated ("Can I buy you some cereal?" 

he offers as an apology to an overweight 

relative of his ex-girlfriend). 

Throwing off" the jovial mood, too, is a 

good deal of unexpected violence that 

occurs at the wildly unbelievable ending, 

making the B.S. of "Blue Streak" that 

much more noticeable. Francesca 

Dinglasan 

SPEAKING IN STRINGS 

^^^ 

Starring Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg. 

Directed by Paola di Florio. Produced by 

Paola di Florio and Lilibet Foster. A 

Seventh Art release. Documentary. Not 


"I sometimes feel possessed when I play," 

says violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, an 

exuberantly fiesty and amusingly sardonic 

but darkly troubled woman whose violently 

intense playing alternately draws accolades 

for her passion and criticism for contrivance. 

Viewers of this documentary will quickly 

realize that her performances are far from 

mannered. Nadja, who feels that without 

music as an outlet she would "surely be 

dead," exhibits a painfully empathetic connection 

with the powerful music she plays. 

"Speaking in Strings" captures the true travails 

of an emotionally stunted and inwardly 

tormented musical prodigy, such as audiences 

have recently seen in the acclaimed 

biopics "Hilary and Jackie" and "Shine." 

Why genius and madness run so closely 

together is not sufficiently explained here; 

we're given bits of Nadja's history, but with 

some vital details very obviously withheld 

from the audience. But Nadja is a compelling 

and achingly sincere personality and 

director Paola di Florio impressively manages 

to go beyond the intimidating facade to 

forge an intimate bond between viewer and 

subject. Christine James 

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REVIEWS 

WOMEN iri^m 

Starring Carmen Maura, Miou-Miou, 

Marisa Berenson, Guesch Patti and Marthe 

Keller. Directed by Luis Galvao Teles. 

Written by Luis Galvao Teles and Don 

Bohlinger. Produced by Jani Thiltges. A 

WinStar release. Drama. French-language; 

subtitled. Not rated. Running time: 97 min. 

If you don't relate to Linda (Carmen 

Maura)—she's the one who lets her career 

get in the way of her love life—maybe 

you'll identify with Eva (Miou-Miou); 

she's the one who falls for a much younger 

man, little more than a boy, but really cute. 

If that's not your scene maybe you'll share 

regrets with Branca (Guesch Patti), who's 

put her own good times ahead of her 

daughter's needs, or, failing that, admire 

Chloe (Marisa Berenson), whose wishes 

and dreams are complicated by her bisexuality; 

or perhaps you'll sympathize with 

Barbara (Marthe Keller), who has to cope 

with divorce and serious illness. 

Originally titled "Elles" and bluntly 

translated here as "Women," this drama is 

a tale about a journalist, a teacher, an 

actress, a beautician and a cook; the film 

respects the females it portrays and wants 

to be heartfelt with amusing touches, but 

ultimately it feels artificial. Just as the 

women seem never really to successfully 

bond as friends, the film never manages to 

gel together its disparate stories into a satisfactory 

whole. It feels Hke little more 

than one of the themed case studies about 

women's issues which Linda, the TV journalist, 

creates for her news-magazine show. 

All these European actresses exude star 

quality—which in some ways works 

against them. But all look grand at various 

stages of what used to be called middle 

age. Writer-director Luis Galvao Teles 

gives each moments of revelation, whether 

in strength or weakness, which they seize 

with confidence and skill. But somehow 

you never come to care about them all, all 

the time—only at moments about her or 

her or even occasionally him, when one of 

the men in their complicated lives is 

allowed to use his Hmited screentime well. 

— Bridget Byrne 

LOVE STINKS ^^1/2 

Starring French Stewart, Bridgette 

Wilson, Tyra Banks and Bill Bellamy. 

Directed and written by Jeff Franklin. 

Produced by Adam J. Merims, Todd 

Hoffman. An Independent Artists release. 

Comedy. Rated R. Running time: 93 min. 

French Stewart (TV's "3rd Rock From 

the Sun") manages to largely carry this 

lightweight package, which is essentially a 

sitcom episode stretched to fit, with 

raunch and language added for shock 

effect and cheap laughs. The story is about 

a Seth (Stewart), a TV comedy writer who 

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falls for a marriage-minded beauty ("The 

Suburbans'" Bridgette Wilson) who then 

spends the rest of the movie making his life 

hell. Any sane human being would have 

walked away, but Seth seems paralyzed as 

the abuse is heaped upon him. 

That is not to say the movie is without 

laughs; it's just that they are usually standalone 

gags. Set-up is followed by punchline 

often with little regard for character or 

context. It is a TV technique so it comes as 

no surprise that the small screen is writerdirector 

Jeff Franklin's training ground (he 

created "Full House" and "Hangin' With 

Mr. Cooper"). 

Wilson as Seth's love/hate interest is to 

be saluted for taking on the meanest character 

this side of Leona Helmsley. She 

tackles it with gusto and guts. Tyra Bank&| 

on the other hand, is largely decorative, m 

Some of the stuff in the movie must 

have been hilarious at industry screenings 

but surely will be lost in the heartland. 

Former NBC president Warren Littlefield 

is stunt-cast as a network head who 

knocks NBC. Not funny. But most moviegoers 

will get the process server who is also 

pushing his spec "Frasier" script. 

What would have been interesting 

would have been to switch the two leads 

with Wilson as the TV writer and French 

as the needy and increasingly lunai 

boyfriend. Mike Kerrigan 

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REVIEWS 

/HITEBOYS *** 

Stalling Danny Hoch, Dash Mihok, 

lark Webber, Piper Perabo and Eugene 

yrd. Directed by Marc Levin. 

Written by 

"arth Belcon & Danny Hoch and Marc 

evin & Richard Stratton. Produced by 

ienri Kessler, 

Richard Stratton and Ezra 

werdlow. A Fox Searchlight release, 

'omedylDrama. Rated R for pervasive lanuage, 

substance abuse, some violence and 

'xuality. Running time: 87 min. 

The glorification of violence and too- 

-toi demeanors depicted in rap videos give 

\\ hite boy crew in Iowa a gross misconcep- 

011 of reality. The leader, Flip (Danny 

och), feels that the black mark (a mole) on 

is arm is his true color and the rest of his 

cin is a birthmark. He contrives to live his 

fe as though he were a gangsta rapper from 

le projects in Chicago—which is where he 

reams of going one day so that he can bust 

rh\ me with the homies and make millions 

ith his first album. It is up to the new kid 

II 

the block, Khalid (Eugene Byrd), who is 

om Chicago, to be the conductor who 

ikes Flip for a ride into the hood that 

ro\ es to be a rude awakening. 

The fish-out-of-water scenario is fre- 

Liently hilarious, and, to a point, the 

o\s" gangsta personae entertain, but 

)on. the audience just wants them to be 

lemselves and cease the stereotypical chaide. 

Dwayne E. Leslie 

CHILL FACTOR ^^ 

Starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Sheet Ulrich 

and David Paymer. Directed by Hugh 

Johnson. Written by Drew Gitlin and Mike 

Cheda. Produced by James G. Robinson. A 

Warner Bros, release. Action. Rated R for 

violence and language. Running time: 100 

min. 

"Oh sh--!" In "Chill Factor," this is the 

trademark catchphrase of Arlo (Cuba 

Gooding, Jr.), and it is also what 

Gooding must be thinking after starring 

in this flaccid action picture. 

Dr. Richard Long (David Paymer), a 

military scientist, has built a deadly 

chemical weapon. One of his tests goes 

terribly awry, but the good doctor doesn't 

take the fall for his mistake. Instead, 

Major Andrew Brynner (Peter Firth), the 

man in charge of the mission, is courtmartialed 

and sent to prison for 10 years. 

When Brynner's sentence is up, he and 

his rag-tag group of ne'er-do-wells seek 

out Dr. Long, bent on revenge and the 

retrieval of Long's deadly creation. They 

break into Long's laboratory and fatally 

wound the doctor. 

However, before Long dies, he grabs 

the weapon and gives it to his friend.Tim 

Mason (Skeet Ulrich), with this warning: 

If the weapon is exposed to temperatures 

above 50 degrees, it's 

doom and destruction 

for the entire nation. Mason must 

get the weapon to the authorities, so he 

hijacks an ice cream truck driven by 

Arlo, and the unlikely duo are off on a 

dangerous adventure with Brynner in hot 

pursuit. 

It's easy to understand why "Chill 

Factor" was made in that its premise is 

highly pitchable—it's "Broken Arrow" 

meets "Speed." However, "Speed 2" 

already proved that we don't need to see 

either of those movies again. Worse, and 

not surprising given its unabashedly blatant 

plot theft, "Chill Factor" is not nearly 

as innovative as the movies it aspires to 

imitate. 

While director Hugh Johnson's action 

sequences are tense and taut, not much 

care has gone into crafting an actual 

story to pass the time between the thrills 

and chases. The script by Drew Gitlin 

and Mike Cheda is cliched and by-thenumbers; 

the characters, plot, and dialogue 

are all borrowed from previous, 

better action films. And because the 

actors have little to work with, there is a 

lot of sneering, swearing, and shameless 

overacting to compensate. Gooding is 

just riffmg on his wild Pepsi commercial 

persona. Firth is a poor man's James 

Woods, and Ulrich is bland. "Chill 

Factor" leaves you with the cold reality 

that you've seen it all before. Kristan 

Ginther 

CY YOUNG 

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Response No. 67 Response No. 72 

November, 1999 (R-138) 169

170 (R-139) BOXOFTICE 

REVIEWS 

STIGMATA irir 

Starring Patricia Arquette, Gabrielle 

Byrne and Jonathan Pryce. Directed by 

Rupert Wainwright. Written by Tom 

Lazarus and Rick Ramage. Produced by 

Frank Mancuso Jr. An MGM release. 

Horrorl Thriller. Rated R for intense violent 

sequences, language and some sexuality. 


A cursed talisman from a remote thirdworld 

village is sent to a young woman in 

the United States who unwittingly construes 

it as a decoration. She begins behaving erratically, 

and it soon becomes evident that she 

has become possessed by an entity that lacerates 

her, levitates her, speaks in tongues 

and taunts priests. The Vatican investigator 

assigned to her case, meanwhile, is undergoing 

a crisis of faith, a weakness ruthlessly 

exploited by the demon. 

So "Stigmata" bears more than a passing 

resemblance to "The Exorcist." 

Absolution would be bestowed if the film 

delivered on the thrills and chills. But 

there's nothing scary about a spirit who 

writes cuneiform gospels on walls in the 

hopes of sharing the lost words of Jesus 

with the world. The fact that the conduit 

for the message, a twentysomething atheist 

hairstylist and party girl named Frankie 

(Patricia Arquette), must suffer excruciating 

torture as she is mysteriously inflicted 

with crucifixion wounds would be more 

troubling if she seemed to be in real jeopardy. 

Although we're told that if Frankie 

receives all five wounds suffered by Christ 

she will die, the momentum is shot as we 

repeatedly see her walking around fully 

recovered and surprisingly unconcerned 

and incurious only hours after having 

invisible spikes driven through her hands 

and feet. Some of these dire wounds seem 

to need only to be dabbed with a damp cloth 

by a concerned onlooker to remedy all pain, 

blood loss and permanent damage. 

The nature of Frankie's possession is 

annoyingly glossed over; the elements of 

good and evil and the resultant stigmatic 

manifestations are explained, but unsatisfyingly 

so. Overwrought hallucination 

sequences and style-over-substance symbolism 

like dripping water, doves and fleeting 

corporeal disembodiments seem to be 

vague and unsuccessful attempts at clumsily 

inserting some much-needed mysticism. 

And if Frankie can only elicit enough to 

concern to half-heartedly ask if she's going 

to die, why should we care? The fate of the 

world is not at risk. The only person who's 

worried is the obligatory corrupt Cardinal 

(Jonathan Pryce) who fears the Church 

and his power will be undermined if the 

general populace learns Christ's secret 

message, which is pretty silly given that it's 

about as revelatory as a Stuart Smalley 

diiiiy affirmation. Christine James 

The "hauntingly" beautiful Patricia Arquette in MGM's "Stigmata." 

THE ASTRONAUT'S WIFE ^^ 

Starring Johnny Depp and Charlize 

Theron. Directed and written by Rick 

Ravich. Produced by Andrew Lazar. A New 

Line release. Sci-Fil Thriller. Rated R for 

violence, language and a strong scene of 

sexuality. Running time: 108 min. 

New Line made the right decision not 

giving "The Astronaut's Wife" an advance 

press screening. The best the studio can 

hope for is some brisk business before the 

film sinks beneath the weight of critical 

opinion and word of mouth. 

It's not that it is that bad a film. It was 

obviously made with great care by experienced 

writer/rookie director Rick Ravich. 

It is just that it never reaches the necessary 

level of menace and foreboding that would 

enable the audience to become immersed 

in the plot. Call it sci-fi lite. 

Johnny Depp ("Fear and Loathing in 

Las Vegas") is Spencer Armacost, an 

astronaut to whom something mysterious 

happens on a space walk. Charlize Theron 

("Mighty Joe Young") is Mrs. Astronaut, 

a.k.a. Jillian Armacost, who spends most 

of the movie trying to figure out just what 

the heck is going on. Turns out that 

Spencer's body has been taken over by 

some alien force who plan to use Jillian as 

the tall, blonde vessel for breeding the next 

generation. 

She gets her first inkling during a postspace 

night bout of rough and rather distant 

sex. But it takes him actually offing 

her sister before the penny finally drops. 

Theron battles gamely with some 

impossible material but is never really convincing 

as the agonized spouse with the 

troubled past. Depp goes from cheery to 

cold and heartless in a flash. He might well 

be possessed but you would think that if 

these aliens were so smart they could hi 

done something about his personality 

The movie looks and sounds fabulous 

but by the time the Stepford Wife ending 

comes around you really don't ca 

— Mike Kerrigan 

IN TOO DEEP ir 

Starring Omar Epps, LL Cool J ai 

Stanley Tucci. Directed by Michael Rymer. 

Written by Michael Henry Brown & Paul 

Aaron. Produced by Paul Aaron & Michael 

Henry Brown. A Miramax release. 

Action! Thriller. Rated Rfor brutal violenc^ 

strong sexuality, language and drug conte^ 


With hopes of making the streets sal 

rookie detective Jeffrey Cole ("The M| 

Squad's" Omar Epps) joins an underco\ 

team and busts a few drug dealel 

Thinking he is ready for the big leag 

Cole takes on a virtually uncrackable case 

in which he has to single-handedly infiltrate 

the biggest gang in town, find out 

who supplies their drugs, and take out its 

leader, 

God ("Deep Blue Sea's" LL Cool 

J). In trying to win the trust of the gang, he 

is thrust head-first into a world of corruption, 

torture, lost loves and twisted values. 

Being a cop with a conscience. Cole finds it 

extremely difficult to stand by and do 

nothing to protect the gang's victims, but 

this empathy begins to fade away as he gets 

more deeply involved and the thin 

between what's right and wrong beco^ 

blurred. 

"In Too Deep" barely scratches the i 

face. Although it is based on a true sto| 

the subject matter has been covered 

many times to care, and the by-the-bodl( 

plot plods along to an anti-climatic 

finish. Dwayne E. Leslie

REVIEWS 

\ DOG OF FLANDERS ^^ 

Starling Jack Harden, Jeremy James 

\i\sner, Jesse James, Jon \oight. Cheryl 

Mild, Steven Hartley and Bruce McGill. 

directed by Kevin Brodie. Written by Kevin 

3rodie and Robert Singer. Produced by 

"^rank Yablans. A Warner Bros, release, 

"âmily. Rated PG for mild violence and 

nild thematic elements. Running time: 96 

ttin. 

Based on Marie Louise de la Ramee's 

hildren's novel of the same title, "A Dog 

>t Flanders" is the moralistic tale of Nello 

Jesse James/Jeremy James Kissner), an 

)rphaned boy who strives to overcome the 

mguish of his poverty with the aid of 

\itrasche, his loving canine and a fellow 

ictim of lifelong hardship. 

Set in a small village in the Belgian 

._ion of Flanders, Nello is raised by his 

u andfather Jehen (Jack Warden) after the 

loath of his artist mother. As he grows 

ilder. Nello discovers that he has inherited 

lis mother's talent; and while perfecting 

lis skills, he comes to idolize Flemish 

>ainter Peter Paul Rubens. Prompted by 

he support of his childhood friend and 

ketch model Aloise (Madylin Sweeten) as 

veil as village art instructor and patron 

^lichel La Grande (Jon Voight), Nello 

mers the local scholarship competition 

or aspiring artists. With a sizeable cash 

Avard and the opportunity to receive a fornal 

education on the line, the contest 

quickly becomes Nello's ticket out of desitution. 

The urgency of Nello's need to 

V in is amplified by the death of his grandather, 

whose funeral expenses leave the 

oung boy even further impoverished. 

Despite its billing as a family feature, 

's not quite clear which member "A Dog 

jf Flanders" would appeal to. Children of 

J 

ill ages are likely to be bored by the pic's 

low pace and disappointed by the lack of 

creen-time given to the title character 

trasches close bond with the boy is 

lore of a passing footnote in the film 

er than its thematic focus). Parents can 

pect to be similarly restless, although 

;heir pains could be attributed to the emojionless 

deliveries of stale lines, including 

niichel's grandiose words of wisdom to his 

jrodigy, "Reach for the stars!" 

While excellent use is made of locations 

ihroughout Flanders to depict the grit and 

uusterity of 19th-century working- and 

bwer-class life (especially in contrast to 

ihe grandeur of Flemish cathedrals and 

he work of Rubens), the implication of 

ociety's treatment of the poor simply get 

i»uried until the all-too-Hollywood happy 

mding. Moreover, stronger performances 

ill around could have gone a long way in 

alvaging this classic tale about love, loyaly 

and faith in the face of extreme indigence. 

Francesca Dinglasan 

DUDLEY DO-RIGHT ^1/2 

Starring Brendan Fraser, Sarah Jessica 

Parker, Alfred Molina and Eric Idle. 

Directed and written by Hugh Wilson. 

Produced by John Davis, Joseph M. Singer 

and J. Todd Harris. A Universal release. 

Comedy. Rated PG for mild comic action 

violence, andfor brief language and innuendo. 


"Dudley Do-Right" brings Jay Ward's 

television cartoon to the big screen in liveaction 

form. Brendan Fraser plays the title 

character, a thick-headed but good-hearted 

Royal Canadian Moimtie whose career and 

love hfe are threatened when the evil, mustachioed 

Snidely Whiplash (Alfred MoUna) 

takes over Semi-Happy Valley. After buying 

out the town, Whiplash sets off an artificial 

gold rush so as to rake in the profits from 

the influx of tourists; his power and apparent 

benevolence attract the admiration of 

Dudley's childhood sweetheart, Nell (Sarah 

Jessica Parker). Having lost not only his gjrl 

but his home, his horse, and his xmiform, 

Dudley is forced to learn courage from a 

grubby prospector-tumed-kung-fu-master 

(Eric Idle) and become the "bad guy" in 

order to save the day. 

Dudley may do right, but the movie 

doesn't; it hardly even tries. What's most 

frustrating is that the filmmakers don't 

take full advantage of the animation origins 

of their material. Rather than create a 

separate world with its own loony logic, 

they have stubbornly nailed their story to 

the real world with an utterly lackluster 

style. L.J. Strom 

THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU 

••• 

Starring Monica Potter, Rufiis Sewell, Tom 

Hollander and Joseph Fiennes. Directed by 

Nick Hamm. Written by Peter Morgan. 

Produced by Grainne Marndon. A 

Miramax release. Romantic comedy. Rated 

PG-13 for language. Running time: 83 min. 

The plot of "The Very Thought of 

You" is totally preposterous, relying on 

such mind-nimibing coincidence as to be 

totally unreal, and the characters are largely 

two-dimensional. But you don't care. 

They are so damned charismatic and it is 

so beautifully paced that you just have to 

go along for the ride. At 83 minutes it is 

exactly the right length with hardly a wasted 

moment. 

Monica Potter plays a fed up midwestemer 

who decides to change her life by 

buying a one-way plane ticket to England. 

At the Minneapolis airport, wealthy, skirtchasing 

record executive Hollander secretly 

buys her a first-class ticket so he can hit 

on her at 30,000 feet. 

In London she coincidentally meets his 

two best friends and falls for one of them. 

Of course, none of the three guys know 

about the involvement of the others, and 

the object of their affection doesn't know 

the three have been pals since they were 

kids. 

Potter is by turns luminous and quirky. 

Joseph Fiennes is in his element as a tortured 

soul wracked by self-doubt and 

indecision. The supporting cast is firstrate. 

Mike Kerrigan 

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November, 1999 (R-140) 171

REVIEWS 

THE 13TH WARRIOR ^^ 

Starring Antonio Banderas, Vladimir 

Kulich and Dennis Storhoi. Directed by 

John McTiernan. Written by William 

Wisher and Warren Lewis. Produced by 

John McTiernan, Michael Crichton and 

Ned Dowd. A Buena Vista release. 

A ctionlAdventure. Rated R for bloody battles 

and carnage. Running time: 103 min. 

One of the most troubled major studio 

productions of the past few decades, "The 

13th Warrior" finally crawls onto screens 

some two years after its original release 

date, allegedly re-edited and reworked (by 

some accounts even re-shot) by producer 

Michael Crichton after the acrimonious 

departure of director John McTiernan. 

Whatever the case, it's unlikely that either 

McTiernan or Crichton (on whose novel 

"Eaters of the Dead" the film is based) 

would have been able to salvage much in 

the way of coherent or logical storytelling. 

Nor, paradoxically, does it much matter 

given the film's unrelenting celebration of 

blood and thunder-the only attributes 

about which its target audience of chestbeating 

males will care. 

Loosely based on a true-life 10th-century 

Arabic scholar named Ahmed Ibn 

Fahdlan (Antonio Banderas), "The 13th 

Warrior" details an adventure wherein the 

itinerant Fahdlan encounters a band of 

Vikings somewhere between Europe and 

his native Baghdad, soon agreeing to join 

them in returning to Scandinavia to do 

battle with marauding hoards of seemingly 

demonic cannibals. 

With Jerry Goldsmith's bombastically 

Wagnerian score trumpeting the characters' 

bravery at every turn, the story quickly 

swells to Beowulfian proportions, with 

Buena Vista's 'The Thirteenth Warrior." 

characters rambling mystical platitudes 

between violent orgies of bloodletting and 

dismemberment. For fans of the genre, it's 

an inexorably primal exercise almost like 

cinematic steroids: quahtatively lacking, if 

not harmful, yet superficially irresistible. 

Faults notwithstanding, one has to 

imagine that this is precisely the kind of 

muscular, lunk-headed film that its makers 

intended. From free-spending executive 

producer Andrew Vajna (of Carolco bankruptcy 

fame) to producer/director John 

McTiernan ("Die Hard") to co-screenwriter 

William Wisher ("Terminator 2"), 

"The 13th Warrior" is a testosterone-laced 

guys' movie, top to dim-witted bottom. 

It comes as no surprise, then, that historical 

and cultural accuracy, as well as 

any regard for the classic lore on which the 

book was presumably based, are among 

the film's first casualties. Anyone the least 

familiar with literature, anthropology or 

history (much less able to read) is probably 

too far removed from man's evolutionary 

origins to connect. 

Technically, the film's credentials are 

more solid, highlighted by the superlative 

work of cinematographer Peter Menzies 

Jr. and production design of Wolf 

Kroeger. Surprisingly, the film's performances 

are likewise solid, with two magnetic 

newcomers-Vladimir Kulich and 

Dennis Storhoi-all but steaHng the show 

from Banderas. 

Ironically, McTiernan may wind up 

being the sole beneficiary of the film's 

belated release. Still basking in the success 

of his more polished "The Thomas Crown 

Affair," any negative press is likely to pass 

to Crichton-which is probably where it 

belongs, anyway. Wade Major 

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172 (R-141) 


BOXOFFICE

* 

town. 

TITLE/MPAA 

DISTRIBUTOR 

Excellent 

REVIEWS 

Review Digest 

I 

TEACHING MRS. TINGLE 

1**1/2 

Starring Helen Mirren, Katie roles, shine in their bit parts, 

Holmes, Barry Watson and and co-star Marisa Coughlan (a 

'Marisa Coughlan. Directed and Williamson darling in-the-making, 

starring in his fall TV show 

written by Kevin Williamson. 

Produced by Cathy Konrad. A "Wasteland") does a respectably 

Miramax release. Black Comedy. funny re-enactment of a scene 

Rated PG-13 for thematic con- from "The Exorcist," though its 

*tent, violence, sexuality, lanrelevance 

to the rest of the film is 

questionable upon reflection. On 

the whole, though, Williamson 

^guage and teen drinking. 


Kevin Williamson has lost 

his edge. The wickedly clever 

screenwriter behind the revitalization 

of the horror genre 

('Scream" and "Scream 2") and 

boom in TV teen dramas 

("Dawson's Creek") has not 

only forsaken the "Scream" 

franchise but turned out a directorial 

debut that's neither 

\\ icked nor clever. 

Williamson darling Katie 

Holmes ("Dawson's Creek") 

stars as Leigh Ann Watson, one 

of the best students in her high 

school who's depending on a 

college scholarship to escape 

her town and her mother's life 

as a waitress. The only thing 

that stands in her way is Mrs. 

Mirren's appropriately overt 

he-top performance-marked by 

her icy glare, biting words and 

sly manipulation of her captors' 

omotions-is undermined by her 

character's complete lack of 

motivation for her evil deeds. A 

backstory is hinted at here and 

there: She wants to see her students 

fail because she was never 

able to escape the godforsaken 

But why does she favor 

mother straight-A student over 

Leigh Ann? Why didn't she ever 

move away? And what's so bad 

about this place, anyway? Leigh 

Ann's rationale is equally 

•.ketchy. Surely a girl as bright as 

ihe realizes that tying up and 

jagging her history teacher isn't 

he only way to get into college. 

Jeffrey Tambor, Michael 

McKean and Molly Ringwald, 

cast here solely for wink-wink 

familiarity in otherwise minimal 

fails precisely where he's succeeded 

so spectacularly in the past: 

the script. Annlee Ellingson 

UNIVERSAL SOLDIER: THE 

RETURN ** 

Starring Jean-Claude Van 

Damme, Heidi Schanz, Michael 

Jai White and Bill Goldberg. 

Directed by Mic Rodgers. 

Written by John Fasano and 

William Malone. Produced by 

Craig Baumgarten, Allen 

Shapiro and Jean-Claude Van 

Damme. A Tristar release. 

ActionIAdventure. Rated R for 

nonstop strong violence, and for 

language and nudity. Running 

time: 89 min. 

Jean-Claude Van Damme 

reprises his 1992 role as Luc 

Deveraux, the product of a topsecret 

military experiment 

involving cyborg technology. 

Now, Deveraux is training of 

the new breed of Universal 

Tingle (Helen Mirren), her history 

teacher who seems determined 

to see her fail. When Mrs. 

Tingle falsely accuses Leigh 

Ann of cheating, the salutatorian 

and her friends go to her 

teacher's home to plead her Soldiers (Unisol), which are 

icase, and from there events spiral 

out of control, resulting in prototype instructor. 

stronger and faster than their 

Mrs. Tingle's near murder and a Upon overhearing that the 

hostage situation. 

Unisol program will be shut 

down, the supercomputer 

S.E.T.H. (Self-Evolving Thought 

Helix) takes charge of the 

Unisols and puts plans into 

motion to preserve itself Under 

the leadership of Romeo (professional 

wrestler Bill Goldberg), 

the Unisols' first mission is to 

bring in Deveraux to enter the 

code to stop the self-destruct 

countdown. Deveraux is not 

willing to comply and the stage is 

set for the free-thinking to battle 

the mind-controlled. 

With Goldberg and master 

martial artist Michael Jai White 

as super-charged villains, the 

choreographed action gets upclose 

and very personal. 

Unfortunately, the ultraviolence 

is 

the only thing about this film 

that is memorable. Dwayne E. 

Leslie 

Genre key: (Ac) Action; (Ad) Adventure; (Ani) Animated; 

(C) Comedy; (D) Drama; (Doc) Documentary; (F) Fantasy; (Hor) 

Horror, (M) Musical; (My) Mystery; (R) Romance; (Sat) Satire; 

(SF) Science Fiction; (Sus) Suspense; (Th) Thriller; (W) Western. 

5 

Good 

Very 

4 

Good 

Fair 

Poor 

3 2 1

Moviegoer Activity Report 

for the month of August 1 999 

MovieFone' (777-FILM*) and its sister service, moviefone.com*, are now/ the single largest source ofmovie showtime information in the country, 

[yv\Mriginforrmtimtoover100rnillionmov-ejc^'-;^3:'- 

Rank 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

Exhibitor 

LCE 

AMC 

United Artists 

Regal/Act III 

General CInenna 

Cinemark 

Harkins 

National Amusements 

Clearview 

Century 

tiested Exhibitors 

Top 10 Exhibitors & Theatres 

Total Requests 

2,033,218 

1,618,709 

1,335,343 

868.124 

723,370 

433,904 

372,327 

433,904 

362,888 

341,841 

Last Month's 

R^nk 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

8 

6 

11 

10 

9 

Rank Market Theatre 

NY 

LA 

NY 

SD 

PH 

PX 

KC 

DA 

PX 

SF 

Most Requested Theatres 

LCE Lincoln Square 

AMC Century 14 

LCE Kips Bay 

AMC Fashion Valley 

UA Riverview Plaza 

Hark Arizona Mills 

Last Month': 

Total Requests Rank 

75,329 

3 

65,863 

11 

65,143 

8 

63,076 

62,766 

57,538 

AMC Independence Commons 52,659 

AMC Mesquite 30 51,957 

Hark Metro 48,963 

LCE Metreon 45,930 

10 

9 

2 

20 

19 

21 

15 

Total 

Requests 

New York 

' 

2,413,879 

Los Angeles 

1.068.326 

Dallas 

979,187 

Chicago 

673.346 

Philadelphia 

620,458 

Miami 

582,424 

Phoenix 

580,333 

San Francisco 

494,209 

Boston 

418,383 

Toronto 

386,167 

8an Diego 

334,654 

Kansas City 

319.739 

Ranic Theatre (# sc reens) 

nflost Requested Theatres Per Screen 

Total Last Month's Total 

Requests 

""'CityCin East 86th St. (3) 32,779 

ClvwBeekman{1) 9,409 

LCE Astor Plaza (1) 7,357 

LCE Showcase (1) 21,247 

GCC Avco (3) 28,678 

Mann National (1) 7,073 

dnn* Tinseltown Six Flags (9) 31,909 

Crirrt

HWWW HOME RELEASE CHART 

November 1 999 

HOME VIDEO 

RELEASE 

DATE

I 

ADVERTISERS INDEX 

Actiuii Lighting 1 77 

AlCP 39 

AM/COMM Systems Inc 141 

American Licorice Co 77 

Automaticket/Hurley Screen 98 

Birtcher Construction Services 128 

Caddy Products 125 

CCBC Architects 133 

Christie inc 

96,C-2 

Cinema Cleaning Systems 66 

Cinema Consultants & Services IntI 136 

Cinema Film Systems 23 

Cinema Supply Co. Inc 135 

Cinevision Corp 103 

Colgate Palmolive Co 89 

Component Engineering 85 

CPI (Cinema Products Intl.) 124 

Cy Young Industries Inc 169 

DOTS Inc 104 

Deep Vision 3-D 139 

Digital Projection 33 

Dolby Laboratories Inc 13 

DTS/Digital Theater Systems 11 

Eastman Kodak Co 65 

EAW (Eastern Acoustic Works) 25 

Edifice Inc 46 

EG&G Optoelectronics/ORC 45 

EIMS Inc 35 

Equipment Etc 1 34 

ETM 81 

EV (Electro-Voice) 31 

Filmack Studios 127 

Classform 66 

Clobalmic Inc 1 67 

Cold Medal Products Co 28 

Gotajob.com 123 

Hadden Theatre Supply Co 50 

HarknessHall 130 

Hershey Chocolate USA 97 

International Cinema Equipment Co 101 

Irwin Seating Co 91 

Iwerks Entertainment 93 

JBL Professional 7 

John Meyer Consulting 98 

Kneisley Electric Co 1 68 

Largo Construction Inc 1 30 

Lavi Industries 50 

Lawrence Metal Products Inc 73 

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MANAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES: Regal Cinemas 

has o()enings available for management positions. 

Please visit our website at www.regalcinemas.com for 

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MIDWEST BASED company seeks experienced manag«'rs, 

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LED (Lighting & Electronic Design Inc.) ... 136 

M&M/Mars 59 

Machine O'Matic Ltd 49 

Mag North Inc 141 

Marble Co. Inc 1 68 

Maroevich, O'Shea & Coghlan 98 

MARS Theatre Management Systems 82 

McRae Theatre Equipment 134 

Munters Corp 67 

National Cinema Service Corp 126 

National Ticket Co 1 69 

NCS Corp 95 

Nestle Ice Cream 19 

Nick Mulone & Son Inc 137 

Odell's 54 

Pacer/CATS 87 

Panastereo Inc 83 

PepsiCo Inc 29 

Permlight Inc 57 

Pike Productions 131 

Potts, Robert L. Enterprises 137 

Premier Datavision Inc 47 

Premier Seating 51 

Proctor Companies 41 

Promtion in Motion Co. Inc 55 

QSC Audio Products C-3 

RDS Data Group Inc 63 

Ready Theatre Systems 171 

Ricos Products Co. Inc 75 

Schneider Optics 21 

Sensible Cinema Software 104 

Silver Screen 1 71 

Smart Products Inc 71 

Smart Theatre Systems 37 

SPECO 40 

Stein Industries Inc C-4 

Strong International 9, 61 

System Operating Solutions 67 

Technikote Corp 1 35 

Tempo Industries Inc 1 35 

Theatre Services Corp 1 29 

TicketPro Ticketing Systems 58 

Tootsie Roll Industries Inc 3 

TVP (Theatre Video Products) 1 46 

Universal Cinema Services Inc 139 

USL Inc 69 

Visteon 43 

Vogei Popcorn 27 

Willming Reams Animation 167 

Wolk, Edw. H. Inc 137 

Worrell 172 

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Send resume and salary requirements to: ShoPro Inc., 

Attn: Director of Operations, PO Box 190, Yorkville, 

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THEATRE MANAGEMENT OPPORTUNITY: Wallace 

Theatres, a nationally recognized regional theatre circuit, 

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working with the public and are seeking a career and 

a future in the motion picture exhibition industry, send 

your resume to: Personnel Director, Wallace Theatre 

Corp., 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Building One, Box 55, 

Honolulu, Hawaii, 96831. 

WELL ESTABLISHED THEATRE EQUIPMENT DEALER 

has an opening for a Cinema Sales and Customer 

Service person. Knowledge of various types of theatre 

equipment will be required. Please send your resume 

to: Fred Fisher, P.O. Box 19937, Atlanta, GA 30325. 

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE 

18 PROJECTION BOOTHS — complete. Includes: 

projectors, soundheads, bases, sound systems, lenses. 

Additionally: 3 Dolby stereo systems, 3 DTS stereo 

systems, 3500 Irwin Citation seats, misc. concession 

equipment and displays. Excellent condition. Phone 

(801) 265-0188, fax (801) 265-0558. 

BURLAP WALL COVERING DRAPES: $2.05 per yard, 

flame rctardanl. Quantity discounts. Nurse & Co., Old 

Millbury Rd., Oxford, MA 01540 (508) 832-4295. 

COMPLETE THEATRE EQUIPMENT: (New, 

Used or 

Rebuilt) Century SA, R#, RCA 9030, 1040, 1050 

Platters: 2 and 5 Tier, Xenon Systems 1000-4000 Watt, 

Sound Systems mono and stereo, automations, ticket 

machines, curtain motors, electric 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. 

CUPHOLDER ARMREST. "State of the art." Call Cy 

Young Industries Inc. 800-729-2610. 

DIGITAL SOUND SYSTEM: DTS-6D (used four 

weeks, like new), Dolby CP-50, JBL power amps, 

Altec stage speakers, JBL 4688-4 subwoofer, 8 surrounds, 

$7900. Phone (301 ) 949-4761 , fax (301 ) 949- 

4763. 

COLD MEDAL 48" Coronado enclosed popcorn 

machine with 48 oz. kettle. Only 1 7 months old—like, 

new—$4200. Other concession equipment availabja^ 

Phone (301 ) 949-4761 , fax (301 ) 949-4763. M 

MICRO-FM STEREO RADIO Sound Systems for 

Drive-in Theatres. Static free. Call or write: AUDIO 

VISUAL SYSTEMS, 320 St. Louis Ave., Woonsocket, Rl 

02895. Phone (401) 767-2080; Fax (401) 767-2081. 

OPERATING THEATRE will close mid-November. All 

projection, sound (stereo) and concession equipment 

has to be sold. Excellent condition. Please contact 

Boxoffice Response Number 4753. 

PATRON TRAY. Fits into cupholder armrest. Call 

Young Industries Inc. at 800-729-2610. 

PROJECTION BOOTHS - COMPLETE. $7950 

includes: projector, soundhead, base, platter, lamphouse, 

power supply, automation, light dimmer, 

sound system, stage speaker, scope lense. Excellent 

shape. Phone (301) 949-4761. Fax (301) 949-4763. 

REBUILT CENTURY SA & R3 projector/soundhead 

$4450. Simplex XL $4750. Xenon lamps, platters, 

many lenses, excellent line of other used projection 

and sound equipment. TANKERSLEY ENTERPRISES^ 

PO Box 36009, Denver, CO 80236. Phone (303) 7 

0884; fax (303) 716-0889. 

SIX-PLEX EQUIPMENT: Complete contents of 6-plex 

for sale. Projection equipment, sound systems, speakers, 

seats, screens, concession equipment, et^ 

Excellent shape!!! Call (301) 949-4761, fax (301) 9'«B 

4763. 

[ 

J! 

TABLET TRAYS. Fits into all cupholder armrests. Used 

in multi-purpose theatres, bingo, etc. Call Cy Young 

Industries Inc. at 800-729-2610. 

TELEPHONE ANSWERING EQUIPMENT. All major 

heavy-duty tape announcers and 

brands of reliable, 

digital announcers are available at discounted prices. 

Please call Jim at Answering Machine Specialty, (800) 

222-7773. 

USED EQUIPMENT FOR SALE: PROJECTORS, 

Prewired Stereo Racks, Platters, Lamps, etc. Premier 

Seating Co. Inc., 1 (888) 456-SEAT, Fax (410) 488- 

9969, Email: info@premierseating.com. 

USED PROJECTION EQUIPMENT. Low prices. 

Christie platters. Simplex projectors, Dolby sound 

processors, lamphouses and rectifiers, ISCO ari~" 

Schneider lenses. Call (818) 881-5800. 

USED PROJECTION/SOUND EQUIPMENT 

Century, Simplex, Cinemeccanica, Norelco. 16/35^ 

mm, Dolby Electronics, lamps, consoles, lens' 

Xenon bulbs, etc. Contact Charlie at Kurfj 

Enterprises (760) 956-6938; Fax (760) 956-7069. 

WILL TRADE: YOUR THEATRE SEATS FOR OUR 

USED THEATRE EQUIPMENT. Great condition at 

great prices. Platters, projectors, lamphouses, complete 

prewired stereo racks and much, much more. 

Premier Seating Co. Inc., 1 (888) 456-SEAT fax (410^ 

488-9969, email: info@premierseating.com. 

EQUIPMENT WANTED 

I 

PURCHASE OR TRADE: For your used theatre eou' 

ment, concession equipment, theatre seats. Ask about 

our storage facilities. Premier Seating Co. Inc., (888) 

456-SEAT, Fax: (410) 488-9969, Email: info@pr^ 

mierseating.com. 

VINTAGE TUBE TYPE AMPS, woofers, drivers, hoirfll^ 

1< 

parts, from Western Electric, Westrex, Altec, Jensen 

JBL, EV, Tannoy, Mcintosh, Marantz. Phone David at 

(626) 441-3942. PO. Box 80371, San Marino, "' 

91118-8371. 

WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE: We will purch^*' 

com 

Century projectors or soundheads, new or old, 

plete or incomplete, for cash. Also interested in XL 

and SH-1000. Call (502) 499-0050. Fax (502) 4'" 

0052, Hadden Theatre Supply Co., attn. Louis 

WE WILL BUY OR TRADE for 

used/new equipmerjl ier« 

on any projector/soundhead/platter/lamphouse/console/speakers/lens 

and concession equipment. We can 

remove or pick up anywhere in the U.S. or overseas. 

TANKERSLEY ENTERPRISES, RO. Box 36009, Denver, 

CO 80236. Phone (303) 716-0884; fax (303) 71' 

0889. 

176 BOXOFTICE I

. 

)NLY 

•HEATRES FOR SALE/LEASE 

INEMA GRILL - TWIN THEATRE FOR SALE: 

'Dinner-and-a-Movie" theatre. Southeastern U.S. 

ông term, very cheap corporate lease. Established, 

jrnkey operation, recently renovated, 2-screen thetre. 

Commercial rental income. Please contact 

iQxoffice Response Number 4751. 

INEMA DRAFT HOUSE THEATRE FOR LEASE. New 

icility - large screen - DTS digital surround system, 

tate-of-the-art kitchen - booming market - tremenous 

opportunity - one-of-a-kind in the nation!! 

"ontact: Dan McGregor, Colliers International, P.O. 

;ox 7248, Boise, ID 83707-1248. Or call (208) 472- 

851. 

:LIFTEX THEATRES...reeling with history. Seventy- 

AO year old single-screen located in the beautiful 

exas Hill Country. Recent renovations with an eye 

)\\ard historic preservation. New surround sound 

A stem. Call Luann at (254) 675-4690. $60,000. 

NNIS IS A SMALL TOWN in S.W. Montana. Oneireen, 

250-seat theatre. Now operates only two 

lonths per year. Owner's age prohibits running 

)nger. World renown Madison River borders village 

1 the beautiful Madison Valley. $225,000. Jess C. 

>rmitage, PO. Box 576, Ennis, MI, 59729. 

OUR-PLEX, great Southern California location. 700 

eats. Includes ice cream store and arcade. 14,000- 

quare-ft. building and parking lots. Turnkey. Call 

760) 364-3663. 

GAME IN TOWN: Two-screen theatre for sale 

r lease, located in northern Nevada. Built in 1986 

.ith continual upgrades and in like-new condition. 

all or fax now for fact sheet. Ask for Jim B. at (800) 

97-9709, or fax (702) 623-1061 

WIN CINEMA IN WISCONSIN RESORT AREA: 

locking chair seats, great stereo sound projection 

quipment. Three apartments, two commercial storeonts. 

Ideal situation for owner/operator. Please con- 

Kt Boxoffice Response Number 4752. 

WO WELL ESTABLISHED TWINS with 

long-term 

.jases, loyal clientele, good concessions. A near-north 

Chicago art cinema and a handsomely remodeled 

uburban vaudeville era house. Rare window of 

()oortunity. Please contact Boxoffice Response 

«umber 4749. 

HEATRES WANTED 

VANTED TO ACQUIRE: Well-maintained multiplex 

neatres in small and mid-sized markets. Contact John 

liller, Aliance Entertainment, 134 E. Elm, Suite 10, 

.ew Albany, IN 47150. Fax (812) 941-5645. 

)RIVE-IN CONSTRUCTION 

)RIVE-IN SCREEN TOWERS Since 1945 Selby 

roducts. Inc., PO. Box 267, Richfield, Ohio 44286 

530) 659-6631, 800-647- 6224. 

HEATRE SEATING 

000 USED IRWIN CITATIONS $15 & up. American 

odi-form & Stellars, seat covers, $3.50, chair recovring. 

new chairs. Hayes for Seating. (800) 882-5155. 

ALL AMERICAN SEATING" by the EXPERTS. Used 

leats of quality, various makes. American Stellars from 

12.50 to $32.50. Irwins from $20.00 to $40.00. 

leywood & Massey rockers from $40.00. Full 

^building available. New American Desk chairs from 

•85.00. All types theatre projection and sound equiplent. 

New and used. We ship and install all makes, 

ry us! We sell no junk! TANKERSLEY ENTERPRISES, 

'.O. Box 36009, Denver, CO 80236. Phone (303) 

.16-0884; fax (303) 716-0889. 

iLLSTATE SEATING is a company that is specializing 

h refurbishing, complete painting, molded foam, taior-made 

seat covers, installations, removals. Please 

'all for pricing and spare parts for all types of theatre 

mating. Boston, MA. Phone (617) 268-2221, FAX 

: ?1 7) 268-7011. 

.UDITORIUM SEATING SPECIALIST. New installaons, 

rebuilds, repairs and reasonable rates. Bob, 

)70) 224-1147. Perfection Seating Inc., 295 Lone 

ine Creek Drive, Red Feather Lakes, CO 80545. 

BOOSTER B. SAURUS" Child booster seats. Call Cy 

oung Industries Inc. at 800-729-2610. 

INALLY, AN ALTERNATIVE TO ON-SITE UPHOL- 

TERY: Call us about our new upholstered Backs and 

"ushions by mail program. More cost-efficient than 

n-site upholsterers, fast turnaround, quality conoiled 

in our combined 160,000 sq. ft. State- Of-Thert 

Factory. Premier Seating Co. Inc., 1 (888) 456- 

EAT, Fax: (410) 488-9969, Email: info@premierseatig.com. 

OR SALE: 750 THEATRE SEATS, high back, rocker 

^cliner, very comfortable, dismantled, easy to transport 

and install, available immediately. $15.00 each. 

Rochester, NY. Call (716) 272-0040. 

MUST SELL!!! Erwin spring and fold seats. 230 pes. 

Excellent condition. $5.00 per seat. Please call 

ASAP!!! (801) 295-4699 or (801) 390-6034, Jared. 

ON-SITE UPHOLSTERY SERVICE! Replacement covers 

and parts available for all chairs. We service theatres 

nationwide. For information on very competitive 

pricing, call Theatre Seating Services to speak with 

Sandra at (847) 821-7063, or fax me at (847) 821- 

0185. 

QUALITY USED CHAIRS for sale. Reasonable prices. 

Delivery and installation available. Call SANDRA at 

(847) 821-7063 before you buy and $ave money. 

SEAT AND BACK COVERS: Most fabrics in stock. 

Molded cushions. Cy Young Industries Inc., 800-729- 

2610. 

SEAT FOAMS: All makes/all models, fast turnaround. 

Premier Seating Co. Inc., (888) 456-SEAT, fax (410) 

488-9969. Email: info@premierseating.com. 

THEATRE SEAT AND BACK COVERS: Large in-stock 

fabric inventory, fast turn-around, competitive pricing 

at any quantity. Premier Seating Co. Inc., 1 (888) 456- 

SEAT, fax (410) 488- 9969. Email: info@premierseating.com. 

THEATRE SEAT RECONDITIONING: 

Total or Partial Theatre Seat Restoration in 

our combined 160,000 sq. ft. State-Of- 

The-Art Factory, featuring Sandblasting, 

Powder-coating, and In-House 

Upholstering. Restore your seats or purchase 

from our inventory. Premier Seating 

Co. Inc., 1 (888) 456-SEAT, Fax: (410) 

488-9969. Email: info@premierseating.com. 

THEATRE SEATS WANTED: Will 

surplus and unwanted the- 

buy/trade for 

atre seats, all makes and models. Premier 

Seating Co. Inc., 1 (888) 456-SEAT. Fax 

(410) 488-9969. Email: 

info@premierseating.com. 

"WHILE THE THEATRE SLEEPS zzzzz" 

On-site reupholstery, 20 years' experience 

in the field. Top fabrics, molded seat 

cushions and .State of the Art. Cy Young 

cupholders. Call Cy Young Industries Inc., 

(800) 729-2610. 

MARQUEES 

MARQUEE LETTERS: All makes, all styles. 

Heavy-discounted — immediate shipping. 

Bux-Mont, phone (215) 675-1040, 

fax (215) 675-4443. 

FILMS FOR SALE 

A BEAUTIFUL, LIKE-NEW, GREAT 

COLOR SIX REEL animated cartoon. 3-D 

feature. $75.00 plus UPS. George Carroll 

Theatre, 308 Madison, Highland, IL 

62249. 

MISCELLANEOUS 

MOVIE POSTERS WANTED: Highest prices 

paid for lobby cards, 1-, 3- and 6-sheets, 

window cards, banners, glass slides. 

Dwight Cleveland, P.O. Box 10922, 

Chicago, IL 60610-0922. Phone (516) 877- 

2914, fax (516) 877-0283. 

MOVIE POSTERS WANTED! I pay top dollar 

for vintage material. John Hazelton, P.O. 

Box 119, Huntington, Ny 11743. Phone: 

(516) 421-7203, fax: (516) 421-7240. 

SERVICES 

ALTEC, JBL, E.V. SPEAKER RECONING: 

Factory authorized service, fast turnaround. 

We stock diaphragms for popular theatre 

drivers. Cardinal Sound & Motion Picture 

Systems Inc. Dealer inquiries welcome. 

(301 ) 595-881 1 . 

CALL ME about rebuilding your intermittents, 

projectors and souna heads. Century 

or Simplex. .Pinky. Pinkston at (903) 523- 

4912. Pinkston Sales and Service, Rt. 1, 

Box 72-H, Sadler, TX 76264. 

IN-THEATRE DESIGN. Hand-pleated 

drapes installed. Speakers and wire mounting. 

Movie screens installed. Painting and 

polymix. Coast-to-coast service. Call (508) 

285-7593. Haffer Co., Norton, MA. 

MOTORS REPAIRED - for all types of projection 

equipment. Save on cost of replacing 

motors. 6-month warranty on repairs. 

Phoenix Cinema Specialties, Inc. (301) 

831-7360. 

Un«Bd Stitn PosUI S«>vlc« 

ACTION 

DIRECT IMPORTERS-MANUFACTURERS 

TOLL FRKE ^ 

CANADA & US A^ 

800-248-0076 


SOUND/DRAPING FABRICS IN STOCK. All new selection 

of fabrics. Installation on brackets available, or 

sewn in pleated drapes. Call Cy Young Industries Inc., 

800-729-2610. 

ULTRAFLAT REFLECTORS: Why buy new when you 

can have it restored? Hopeless cases restored to brightness. 

Call your dealer or ULTRAFLAT, 20306 Sherman 

Way, Winnetka, CA 91306. (818) 884-0184. 

http v/wvyw. u ItrafI at .com 

"WHILE THE THEATRE SLEEPS zzzzz" On-site reupholstery, 

20 years' experience in the field. Top fabrics, 

molded seat cushions and State of the Art. Cy Young 

cupholders. Call Cy Young Industries Inc., (800) 729- 

2610. 

Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation

178 BOXOFnCE 

FADEOUT 

The 

youngest of nine siblings in the Watson clan, known 

as the "First Family of Hollywood" for their thousand 

film roles and this year jointly honored with a star on 

Hollywood's Walk of Fame, Bobs Watson was a prolific child 

actor, appearing in more than 120 movies by age 10 and 160 

during his career. His first role, at the age of six months, was 

as a baby in Mack Sennett's ''Riding to Fame" (1931). Other 

infant and child turns followed—on the average of four a 

year—culminating in the role that won him recognition at age 

7 as "Peewee" in the 1938 classic "Boys Town." in which he costarred 

with Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney. Watson's ability 

to reproduce emotion on command, particularly tears, 

made him a Hollywood favorite for many years, and his heartfelt 

performances moved exhibitors and audiences alike. 

While his turn as a ragamuffin orphan in "Boys Town" 

launched Watson to star status, it also helped draw attention 

to Father Flanagan's home for wayward and orphaned boys 

outside Omaha, Neb. The film also left an indelible impression 

on the child star and later led to his choice to enter the ministry 

in his mid-30s. Of the MGM film, Watson proudly says, 

"Today, one of the first things every child that goes to Boys 

Town sees is 'Boys Town,' because it gives them a visual, actual 

history of how Boys Town came to be." 

Watson won a starring role in 1939's "On Borrowed Time," 

the film for which he received his first BOXOFFICE Blue 

Ribbon Award. In it, he played "Pud," an orphaned child who 

fights to stay with his cantankerous grandfather (Lionel 

Barrymore) against the wishes of a nasty spinster aunt. Saying 

he is more proud of that role than any other in his career, 

Watson explains, "I was more aware of being a professional 

actor. Here I was eight and I knew exactly what I was doing. 

My dad, of course, directed me in everything that I did." 

Upon learning of Bobs' winning of the honor, Watson's family 

photographed him while the boy 

lay sleeping. When he awoke, Bobs 

recalls that his father, James Coy 

Watson, told him of the award and 

its significance. "At that time, it was 

explained to me that to get an award 

from BOXOFFICE was really 

"uptown"—that was really class 

stuff, at least for my father and 

myself We were not HoUywoodites, 

so to speak; we were not in the glamour 

lane. So when we understood 

what BOXOFFICE was— by the people 

who run the theatres—that's as 

close as you can get to public opinion." In addition to receiving 

the Blue Ribbon Award, Watson received a solid gold watch 

from screen star Barrymore, a present he still cherishes today. 

Watson 

did not receive an award for "Boys Town 

(saying he was still an "unknown" to the public), 

but he did receive his second Blue 

Ribbon Award for "Men of Boys Town," the 

MGM sequel in 1941, sharing star-level credit 

this time with Tracy and Rooney. Referring to that 

film as "more Hollywood" than the original, Watson 

says "Men of Boys Town" filmed primarily on the lot at 

MGM, unlike the original, which was shot at the boys home 

The second Blue Ribbon, Watson believes, was really in recognition 

of his role in "Boys Town." "There are certain Hollywood 

people who receive awards, not so much for the movie they did 

but for the movies that they didn't get recognized for," Watson 

says. "In this particular case, I think it was more in the minds and 

;hc women of BOXOFFICE Magazine that I should have gotten 

the award for Peewee from 'Boys Town' and didn't." 

After that 1941 film, Watson's career slowed down as he 

went through a painful teenage stage, gaining weight and losing 

the endearing childish quality that had vaulted him into 

the public eye. Following high school and college, Watson 

entered the Army, for which he appeared in about 600 training 

films. Then in the late 1950s he returned to a renewed career in 

film and TV, appearing in another 40 films and on two dozen 

TV shows, including episodes of "The Virginian," "The 

Beverly Hillbillies" and "The Lou Grant Show." But, despite 

his success as an actor, Watson says he felt a gnawing ache to 

do more in life than just portray characters. 

In the mid-1960s, he received "his calling" to enter the min-i 

istry. "I didn't have a choice. I was called to it and, when you're 

called, you have to respond." 

Looking back to his early experience with religion in the 

film "Boys Town," Watson reminisces about the men he most 

admired. Spencer Tracy, Watson says, "had eyes that could 

look right into your soul—and Father Flanagan had those 

very same qualities. As a child, it really affected me." 

The Reverend Bobs Watson has since retired from his active 

ministry in Southern California, having been diagnosed with 

prostate cancer. However, he still participates in fundraising 

events for the nonprofit Boys Town organization, which now 

outreach centers in cities across the country. 

When asked how he feels about the contribution he 

made to Hollywood film history, Watson says, "I feel 

old, but I'm very proud to have been a part of 

Hollywood's Golden Era." Recalling that first 

Blue Ribbon Award, he adds, "It was overwhelming! 

Especially when I learned from 

whom it came: From the people, from all over. 

who showed the films. I was deeply moved. 

"Even now, as I think back. I am still very proud, sc 

very proud, of both the awards I received." Pat Krama 

[Editor's Note: Bobs Watson passed away in the seaside town 

of Laguna Beaeh, Calif, on June 26; services were hvhl at i/ie First 

United Methodist Church in Rurfmnk. Watson was 6S. Fittingly, 

the family suggests memorial iioiuit ions Ih' scni to Boys Town.]

«.-••••••. «.•••*•••. ....••-.. «.'-'\ 

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Boxoffice-November.1999

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