Boxoffice-March.1988

he business magazine of the motion picture industry March 1988, $3.95
ShoWest ^88
The Milagro Beanfield War
War on the Prairies: The Battle for Texas Movie-goers
Project HQ: 16mm Comes of Age
Annual Miscellaneous Awards: The Best and Worst of 1987

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EDITOR AND ASSOCIATE
PUBLISHER
Harley W, Lond
MANAGING EDITOR
Tom Matthews
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Jim Kozak
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
John Allen
Bruce Austin
Tony Francis
Karen Kreps
Mort Wax
CORRESPONDENTS
(Atlanta) Stewart Hamell, (Balliinore) Kale Savage, (Boston) Guy
Livingston, (Ctiarlotte) Charles Leonard, (Chicago) Frances Clow,
(Cleveland) Elaine Fried, (Dallas) MableGuinan, (Florida) LoisBaumoel,
(New England) Allen Widem, (Honolulu) TatsYoshiyama, (Indianapolis)
Gene Gladson, (Milwaukee) Wally Meyer, (Minneapolis 'St
Paul) Jack Kelvie, (Philadelphia) Maune Orodenker, (Raleigh) Raymond
Lowery, (San Francisco) Nancy Foley, (Toledo) Anna Kline,
(Washington DC ) Ellas Savada CANADA (Calgary) Maxine
McBean, (Edmonton) Linda Kupecek, (Toronto) Doug Payne
FOUNDER
Ben Shiyen
PUBLISHER
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(312) 271-0425
NATIONAL ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
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(213) 465-1186
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OFFICES
Editorial and Publistiing Headquarters:
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Corporate: Mailing Address: P O Box
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FEATURFS
MARCH, 1988 VOL. 124, NO. 3
12 Cover Story: "The Milagro Beanfield War"
Fourteen years after the novel and four months after its original
release date, this highly anticipated film is finally making its
debut.
16 Feature: Just What the World Needs—Another Independent
Distribution Company!
Upstart Triax bucks the odds.
20 Special Report: War on the Texas Prairies!
The battle for Texan movie-goers.
24 The Fourth Annual Miscellaneous Awards
Our writers' picks for the best and the worst of 1987.
33 Fall/Christmas Blue Ribbon Ballot
Cast your vote for the best and most popular films of the
season.
35 ShoWest Intro
An exclusive Boxoffice supplement previewing ShoWest '88,
featuring program notes, ShoWest's schedule of events. Trade
Fair booth listings, and a special roundtable discussion on
"Exhibition and Distribution: The Ties that Bind."
MODERN THEATRE
79 Technology: Project HQ: 16mm Comes of Age
81 Forum: New Strategies for the Future: Two Challenges Facing
Exhibition— Part II
83 Technology: Introducing the Screen that Sucks
A new compound curved screen may revolutionize the projected
image.
85 Theatre Profile: Kerasotes Theatres Danville Six-plex
87 Theatre Profile: Essaness Oakwood Mall Six-plex
90 A Little More Clarity Please
Part 1
of a discussion of common, but frequently
misunderstood, audio terms.
92 In the Booth
Feeling Lucky?
REVIEWS — Following page 100
Shy People; Batteries Not Included; Leonard Part 6; Ironweed; Eddie
Murphy Ravi; For Keeps; Good Morning, Vietnam; The Couch Trip;
Rent-A-Cop; The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne; Anguish; Promised
Land; Pass the Ammo; Eat the Rich; Manon of the Spring; Au Revoir
Les Enfants; The Telephone
DEPARTivitiN IS
Hollywood Report
Circulation Inquiries:
BOXOFFICE Data Center
1020 S Wabash Ave
,
Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 922-9326
ABC):

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HOLLYWOOD REPORT
Bill
Murray
"Scrooge" Bill Murray, the laziest
actor in Hollywood (and
we say that only because we
miss him so), returns in this
pseudo-remake of the Dickens
classic, Murray plays the heartless
producer of a televised production
of "A Christmas Carol,"
and many of the same supernatural
occurrences that haunted
old Ebenezer come to haunt
Murray when he starts losing
the Christmas spirit, Karen Allen
("Raiders of the Lost Ark"), Bob
Coldthwait, Michael I
Pollard
and David lohanson co-star in
the film, and the hot gossip at
press time was that Marlon
Brando would play Scrooge in
the show that Murray is producing.
The film is being made by
director Richard Donner ("Lethal
Weapon") in New York
and Los Angeles. Co-producing
with Donner is Art Linson, who
produced "The Untouchables "
The script is by Mitch Glazer
and Michael O'Donoghue. The
film — probably under a different
title — will be released by
Paramount at Christmas.
"Gleaming the Cube" Gladden
Entertainment is producing
this contemporary action thriller
that takes place in the bright
sunshine of Orange County,
Calif,, and in the shadows of the
mysterious and exotic Vietnamese
community which has
sprung up in its midst. Christian
Slater ("The Name of the Rose")
portrays a rebellious teenager
who sets out to avenge his
adopted Vietnamese brother's
death, and Steven Bauer ("Running
Scared") plays the street
smart detective in charge of the
case. Graeme Clifford
("Frances") directs, and 20th
Century Fox will release the film
this summer.
"Rainman" There may be a
new president in the White
House before we ever see this
film, but It's a big enough project
to announce early. Dustin
Hoffman and Tom Cruise star in
this drama about an idiot savant
(Hoffman) whose gift of total
recall is exploited by his brother
(Cruise). Many writers and directors
came and went on this
project — including Steven
Spielberg — before Sidney Pollack
("Out of Africa") signed on.
This caused some bemused
smiles among industry insiders,
because the fights between Pollack
and Hoffman on the set of
their hit "Tootsie" were the
stuff of legends. MGM/UA is
promising the film for this fall,
but that may be contingent on
how everyone gets along.
"Innocent Heroes" Oscarwinner
Ellen Burstyn stars in this
drama about Hannah Senesh, a
heroine, warrior and humanitarian
who ultimately gave her life
in her fight against fascism. Maruschka
Detmers ("The Devil in
the Flesh") co-stars as Hannah's
freedom-fighting daughter, and
Anthony Andrews ("Brideshead
Revisited"), Donald Pleasance
("Prince of Darkness"), David
Warner ("Time After Time")
and Denholm Elliott ("September")
play supporting roles. The
film IS being directed in Hungary
by Cannon Films chief Menahem
Golan ("Delta Force,"
"Over the Top"), from a script
that he wrote.
"Mr.Christmas Dinner" This
very black comedy marks the
second directorial effort of actor
Anthony Perkins, who debuted
behind the camera with
the surprisingly effective "Psycho
ill he is at the helm
of this story about a 300-pound
man (ioe Alasky) who is desperate
to fall in love and marry.
When a beautiful young girl
(Donna Dixon, recently seen in
"The Couch Trip") dumps her
boyfriend and agrees to marry
our hero, he is understandably
thrilled It isn't until he is taken to
her family's home for Christmas
dinner that he realizes that he is
going to be Christmas dinner
We warned you. The script is
by Pat Proft, writer of such simple-minded
comedies as "Police
Academy" and "Bachelor Party."
New Line Cinema intends
to release the film this September.
"Patty" One of the strangest
sagas of the '70s is brought to
the screen in this drama from
Paul Schraeder ("Light of Day").
British actress Natasha Richardson
(daughter of Vanessa
Redgrave and director Tony
Richardson) stars as Patty
Hearst, the American heiress to
the Hearst publishing empire,
who was kidnapped by radical
terrorists, transformed into a
bank-robbing urban guerilla,
captured by the FBI and put on
trial. The real Patty Hearst is acting
as a consultant on the film,
which is based on her book,
"Every Secret Thing." The script
is by Nicholas Kazan ("At Close
Range"), and the film reportedly
uses a sometimes surreal approach
in documenting the story.
Atlantic Releasing will distribute
the film this summer.
"Flying Blind" NBC Productions,
a new feature film entity
headed by NBC honcho Brandon
Tartikoff, is responsible for
this drama about the impact of
the Vietnam war on stateside
American youth. Taking place
among the coffeehouses of
Philadelphia, the film is set in
1965 and follows a young photographer
caught in the middle
of the social upheaval caused
by the war A cast of newcomers
- including Richard Panebianco,
Frank Whaley, Maura
Tierney and Emily Longstreth —
stars. The film is directed by
Vince DiPersio, an Oscarwinning
documentary filmmaker,
and is produced by actor
Charles Haid ("Hill St. Blues"). A
Columbia Pictures release.
"Woody Allen Untitled '87"
Following production of the
downbeat "September," Allen
went immediately back to work
on this film It is reportedly very
serious, dealing with the mid-life
crisis faced by star Cena Rowlands,
jane Alexander, John
Houseman, Ben Gazzara, BIythe
Danner and Martha Plimpton
co-star, with Gene Hackman
and Betty Buckley reportedly
showing up in cameos. As usual,
the film is being made within the
confines of Woody's beloved
New York, with Sven Nykvist,
Ingmar Bergman's cinematographer,
capturing the images
Orion is produ( ing the film and
will [irobdt)ly release it next winter.
Dudley Moore
"Arthur on the Rocks" Dudley
Moore revives the character
that earned him an Oscar nomination
in 1981, and will hopefully
revive a career that has been
sagging ever since. He will play,
of course, Arthur, the tipsy,
child-like millionaire who believes
that money Is only good if
you spend it extravagantly
whenever and wherever possible.
Also returning is Liza Minnelli,
who plays Arthur's working
class girlfriend, and John
Gielgud, who stole the original
film as Arthur's intolerant butler
(Gielgud's character died at the
end of "Arthur," so his presence
will now be of a supernatural
nature) Writing the script
Andy Breckman, who wrote
IS
for "Saturday Night Live" and
"Late Night With David Letterman,"
in addition to writing
"Moving," Richard Pryor's new
film Directing is Bud Yorkin,
who co-created "All in the Family"
as well as directing the film
"Twice in a Lifetime." Warner
Bros, is producing the film.
"The Wizard of Loneliness"
This World War II drama is
about a bitter 12-year-old boy
whose cynical nature is gradually
softened by the grandparents
that he has come to live with
Lucas Haas ("Witness ") stars as
the boy, with Lea Thompson
("Some Kind of Wonderful"),
John Randolph, Anne Pitoniak
and Lance Guest co-starring Director
jenny Howen is making
the film in Burlington, Vt., with
Phil Porcella and Thom Tyson
acting as co-producers The film
is being produced by Skouras
Pictures and Virgin Vision, in
association with American Playhouse
Skouras will release the
film.
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TRAILERS
OFF LIMITS
Willem Dafoe ("Platoon") and Gregory
Hines ("Running Scared") star as two
temperamental Military Policemen who
try to solve a series of prostitute murders
in Saigon, as the Vietnam war rages
around them. Amanda Pays ("Max Headroom")
co-stars as the nun who helps
them in their search. The film is written
and directed by Christopher Crowe, and
was shot on location in Thailand. 20th
Century Fox was supposed to release the
film at Christmas but, perhaps embar-
they had with
rassed by the riches that
"Wall Street" and "Broadcast News," decided
to hold it back.
BILOXI BLUES
Despite the fact that "Brighton Beach
Memoirs" was one of the big disappointments
of Christmas, 1986, hopes are high
for this second installment in Neil Simon's
autobiographical trilogy. For one
thing, Matthew Broderick is playing the
lead role of the wisecracking Eugene, just
as he had when the play first opened on
Broadway. Add to that the fact that Mike
Nichols ("The Graduate," "Silkwood") is
directing the film, and you've got a major
project that demands to be taken seriously
This seems to be the month where
bumped Christmas releases have come to
settle. Originally promised for late 1987,
THE MILAGRO
BEANFIELD WAR
this much-anticipated directorial effort
from Robert Redford (his first since the
Oscar-winning "Ordinary People") is described
as a magical and humorous film
about a group of people who fight in their
own unique way to protect a:id preserve a
way of life. Our hero is a Chicano handyman
named Joe Mondragon, who illegally
diverts water for his fields frotn a major
development firm and sets off a chain of
events that have overwhelming consequences
for Joe and his people.
The ensemble cast includes (in alphabetical
order) Ruben Blades ("Fatal Beauty"),
Richard Bradford, Sonia Braga
("Moon Over Parador"), Julie Carmen,
James Gammon, Melanie Griffith
("Stormy
Monday"), John Heard ("After
Hours"), Carlos Riquelme, Daniel Stem
("Bom in East LA."), Chick Vennera and
Christopher Walken ("Biloxi Blues"). The
script, which is based on John Nichols's
novel, is by David S, Ward, who wrote
"The Sting." A Universal release.
In the film, Eugene is shipped off to
boot camp, where he quickly learns about
life, death and sex, all imder the eyes of a
demanding drill sergeant (played by
Christopher Walken). The story is much
more serious-minded than "Brighton
Beach Memoirs-' and judging from the
trailer that we've seen, the play has been
"opened up" quite a bit and makes good
use of the great outdoors during the basic
training sequences. Casey Siemaszko
("Three O'clock High"), Penelope Miller,
Corey Parker and Matthew Mulhern costar.
A Universal release.
D.O.A.
With the exceptions of "E.T." and
"M*A*S*H," films with titles cotnprised of
only initials haven't done too well (remember
"C.H.O.M.P.S.?" How about
"F.I.S.T?") But this new film has enough
star power in front of and behind the camera
— and a unique enough premise — to
probably rise above this minor stigma.
Dennis Quaid stars as a jaded writer
who has lost his lust for life — until he is
slipped a lethal, slow-acting poison and is
forced to set out on a campaign to find his
own murderer. Meg Ryan, who played
Quaid's love interest in "Innerspace" and
who (reportedly) fills a similar role in real
life, co-stars. The film is based on the
1949 film of the same name starring
Edmund O'Brien, but new writer Charles
Edward Pogue has reportedly kept the
basic premise and dumped the rest (as he
did with his remake of "The Fly"). Directors
Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel
are credited with creating "Max llc;:droom,"
and have imposed their uniquely
offbeat vision on the film. A Buena Vista
release.
SWITCHING
CHANNELS
okay, go ahead and remake "D.O.A.;"
most people have never heard of it, and it
wasn't that good to begin with. But "His
Giri Friday???" Forget the fact that the
Gary Grant /Rosalind Russel gem was itself
a remake of "The Front Page," that
furiously-paced look at love in the newsroom
set a standard for screwball romances
that remains out of most filmmaker's
reach. Why, oh why, try to recapture
its brilliance?
"Why not?," asks producer Martin Ransohoft",
who cast Burt Reynolds and Kathleen
Turner in the lead roles, updated the
whole story so that it now takes place in a
CNN-like newsroom, and is obviously
hoping that lightning can strike twice.
Also along for the ride is Christopher
Reeve, filling Ralph Bellamy's role as the
schmuck who wants to marr\' Turner and
take her away from the news beat and her
ex-husband (Reynolds, in a role that was
originally to be essayed by Michael
Caine). Unfortunately, Turner still has
both in her blood. A Tri-Star release.
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RUNNING ON EMPTY
Sidney Lumet, who makes movies both
bad ("The Morning After") and great
("Fail Safe," "Dog Day Afternoon," "The
Verdict"), returns with this drama about a
married couple of '60s radicals who remain
on the run 20 years later. Adding to
their problems is their teenaged son, wlio
is growing fed up with not having a stable
home life. Judd Hirsch and Christine Lahti
("Housekeeping") star as the radicals,
and River Phoenix plays their son.
STORMY MONDAY
A group of interesting actors who always
seem to get stuck in unsuccessful
films stars in this caper film that has been
compared to John Huston's "Beat the
Devil." Set in Newcastle, England, Tommy
Lee Jones ("The Big Town") stars as a
devious American businessman bent
upon making a real estate swindle. Sting
("Julia, Julia") co-stars as the owner of a
jazz club who is out to foil Jones's plans,
and Melanie Griffith ("Something Wild")
and Sean Bean ("Carvaggio") play a pair
of young innocents who get caught up in
the battle between the two. The film is
written and directed by Michael Figgis, of
British TV. An Atlantic release.
PUNCHLINE
what's so funny about being a standup
comic? Not a whole lot, at least according
to this dramatic-comedy from David
Seltzer, the writer-director of the critically-praised
but commercially-overlooked
"Lucas," Tom Hanks and Sally Field star
as a pair of comics who work the boards in
the cutthroat comedy clubs of Los Angeles,
trying to make a living with laughs
while struggling with the competitive nature
of their relationship. Honest-to-gosh
standup comics play many of the supporting
roles, and Hanks and Field both made
surprise appearances in L.A. clubs as they
perfected their schtick (Hanks also
demonstrated some of his patter on "Late
Night With David Letterman," and was
suitably hilarious.
MARCH RELEASES
"Split Decisions" Filmed imder the
title "Kid Gloves," this is a generational
drama about a family of New York City
boxers. John McLiam and Gene Hackman
play a father and son who run an amateur
iDoxing program, and Craig Sheffer
("Some Kind of Wonderful") and Jeff
Fahey ("Psycho III") play the young pugilists
who fight for (and with) them. Jennifer
Beals, in only her second film since
"Flashdance," also stars. The film is directed
by David Drury ("Defense of the
Realm"). A New Century /Vista release.
"The Decline of Western Civilization
II: The Metal Years" In the heyday
of the punk era, Penelope Spheeris made
"The Decline of Western Civilization," a
harrowing look at the Los Angeles club
scene that was either fascinating or disgusting,
depending on your appreciation
of the "music" (do those quotation inarks
reveal our opinion?). Now, she turns her
cameras on a form of rock and roll that
has a much longer history than punk,
with almost none of the critical support:
heavy metal. Currently enjoying what
seems like its 20th revival, metal music is
celebrated through interviews with the
likes of Ozzie Osborne, Kiss and other
luminaries, as well as fans of the genre.
Our best wishes go out to any theatre
playing this one. A New Line release.
"Appointment With Death" Peter
Ustinov returns as Hercule Poirot, Agatha
Christie's master sleuth. This time the
murder mystery takes place on the high
seas, and the cast of suspects includes
Lauren Bacall, Carrie Fisher, John Giclgud.
Piper Laurie, Hayley Mills, Jenny
Seagrove and David Soul. A flannon release.
"The Penitent" The unusual Easter
rituals of the Penitent sect of the Amen
can Southwest form the backdrop for tin
story about a love triangle involving t\s
old friends and one of their wives. Raul
Julia (in his third film this spring), Armand
Assante ("Private Benjamin") and
Rona Freed star. A New Century/Vista
release
"The Wrong Guys" A gang of standup
comics (including Louie Anderson, Richard
Belzer, Richard Lewis and Franklvn
Ajaye) star in this adventure-comedy
about the 25th reunion of a Califomian
cub scout troop. When adversity otrikes,
they are forced to rely on their old survival
skills in a romp that is described as a
cross between "Deliverance" and a Hope
and Crosby comedy. A New World Pictures
release.
"Doin' Time on Planet Earth" Its a
teenager's God-given right to feel like he's
different from everyone else, but in this
case our hero finds out that he's really
different: he's an alien. Described as a
smalltown comedy with an offbeat point
of view, the film star.s Man .\dU'i, (. andii e
Azzara, Hugh Gillin and Adam West. It is
directed by Charlie Matthau, the young
son of Walter. A Cannon release.
"Consuming Passions" Michael Palin
and Terry Jones, who appear to be about
the same height, provided the ston,' for
this black comedy about a chocolate factory
that stumbles upon the secret ingredient
that leads to undreamable success
Unfortunately, that ingredient is human
( and you thought Crunchy Frog was bad )
Vanessa Redgrave, Jonathan Pryce ("Brazil"),
Tyler Butterworth, Freddie Jones
{"The Elephant Man") and Sammi Davis
("Hope and Glory") make up the utterly
British cast. A Samuel Goldwyn Company
release.
"Dark Tower" Set against the backdrop
of a major European city, this
science fiction thriller concerns an tmseen
force that unleashes a reign of terror
over a premiere office complex. The series
of murderous events focus on, and
later implicate the prominent American
architect of the building. Michael Moriarty
("Q"). Jenny Agutter ("An American
Werewolf in London"), Theodore Bikel,
Kevin McCarthy, Anne Lockhart and Carol
Lynley star. A Spectrafilm release.
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Milagro
WW Str (continued from p 12)
Beanfield
Then, a few humble residents of Chimayo
decided to go toe-to-toe with the
mighty Robert Redford and his traveling
road show. In an instance that echoes
the premise of the film in many ways,
five elders of the small village decided
that they didn't want the calm and tradition
of their town disturbed by a mob
of Holljovood-types. Despite the fact
that most of the residents were thrilled
by the prospect, and the fact that the
presence of the film crew would bring
enormous income to the village, the elders
held their ground and Redford was
forced to look elsewhere.
Filming finally began in earnest in
nearby Tnichas, but the long ordeal was
far from over. For one thing, Redford
was still in the thick of casting major
characters in the film as he shot around
the still-unfilled roles. Then came a law
suit, claiming that the fictional story of
"The Milagro Beanfield War" was in
fact the true-life story of land-grant
activist Reies Tijerina, and that the producers
of a film about Tijerina's life
were none-too-pleased with Redford's
project (to this day the legal papers in
the suit have never actually been filed,
and Redford and company chose to disregard
the threat).
Finally, the weather added a final set
of headaches by snowng the production
company out of New Mexico. According
to Esparza, it was this last problem and
the necessity of returning to the shooting
site to complete photography that
caused the cancellation of first an early
Fall, 1987, release and then a Christmas
release.
Toward the end of 1986, a lengthy
report in the L.A. Times revolved
around the two words that spell trouble
for any film in production: "behind" and
"over," as in behind schedule and overbudget.
Universal continued to promote
the film as a Christmas '87 release but
as that deadline came and went, the
industry had its first concrete evidence
that all of the problems that had hampered
the project — not the least of
which being the sheer complexity of the
story — had caught up with Redford.
True, films are routinely pulled and
rescheduled because of technical problems,
but it had only been one year earlier
that another highly-touted Christmas
movie had been cancelled abruptly
and pushed back to a Spring release.
They called it "Ishtar."
So here, now, is
"The MOagro Beanfield
War." Redford's absolute insistence
on perfection and secrecy has
kept the film one of the most intriguing
projects in Hollywood of late, with even
simple promotional stills being impossi-
Red Vines
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Response No 23
14 BOXOFFICE

^^^^^^^^^^^m^-
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FEATURE
Just What the World Needs -
Another Independent
Distribution Company!
Upstart Triax Bucks the Odds
1
THEY
By Jim Kozak
Associate Editor
EMERGE FROM the murkiest
depths of the motion picture marketplace,
bearing bizarre, often
guttural-sounding monikers: Skouras,
Vestron, Troma, Cinecom, Spectrafilm,
Miramax, Fries, New Century /Vista.
They are called "the independents,"
and their ranks continue to swell, year
after year.
The latest arrival is Triax Entertainment,
Don Parker's year-old distribution
concern, which is now in the process of
releasing its first slate of four Anglo
Pacific titles. But does America need
another contender in an industry already
glutted with the likes of "Rolling
Vengeance," "Desert Warrior," and
"Ghoulies 11"? What can Triax possibly
offer that Trio and Troma cannot?
"Well, first of all, I think there's
always a need for viable commercial
product whether there's one independent
production company or there's fifty,"
says David MUler, Triax's president
and chief executive officer. "I think the
marketplace recognizes better-made
pictures. But what really differentiates
Triax from the other independents is
that we are theatrically driven. Our
priority is the U.S. theatrical marketplace.
That's how projects are chosen
for production, and that's how we accept
the pictures. I don't acquire a picture
and say 'let's see, if I play 15 of the
top 25 markets and I spend a minimal
amount of money in those markets,
then I
can realize a million or a million
of independent product is aiming for the
lucrative video market, and any attempt
at theatrical release is most often only
cosmetic. Miller's plan is to put the
emphasis back on theatrical release.
"Then, after that, we'll sell off the ancillary
rights," says Miller.
Another key difference will
be the
diversity of product Triax wall distribute.
Its first four releases — "Scavengers,"
"No Hard Feelings," "Murphy's Fault,"
and "Dancing in the Forest" — nm the
gamut from romantic adventure to suspense
to screwball comedy.
There is one genre, though, of which
Miller is wary: "the serious action-type
pictures. I see them as being overlyexploited
and I try to stay away from
those."
Before Triax's first picture, "Scavengers,"
had even seen initial release, MUler,
who has supervised marketing and
distribution for Avco Embassy and International
Film Marketing, was already
talking big plans for his new company.
An additional slate of eight new Anglo
Pacific releases was due to be announced
before ShoWest, and MOler
says he hopes Triax will be able to
maintain in the neighborhood of 10-14
releases per year. Most wall be budgeted
between $3.5 and 5 million, but Miller
also says he intends to also release two
higher-budgeted "major pictures" per
year beginning in 1988. MOler also plans
to go after bigger names. "We will be
concentrating on upgrading the talent
portion of the budget. And we intend to
develop our own talent. Brenda Bakke,
(continued p 18)
and a half in home video.' I look at it
from the standpoint of what's going to
perform in the theatrical marketplace,
given the audience for the picture."
Miller estimates that about 75 percent
Kevin Potter and Holaday Mason, in Triax's second release, "No Hard Feelings."
16 BOXOFFICE

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FEATURE (continued)
who is in 'Scavengers,' we intend to be
using in an upcoming picture. The audience
and film buyer reaction has been
very good toward her. I think we'll be
seeing a lot of her, and not just from us.
She has a lot of potential."
But how does one just start up an
operation of this magnitude, anyway?
Miller almost makes getting the money
sound easy: "We have two categories of
investors: one is the corporate side, and
the other is the 'P&A' investors, who
actually invest in a print and ad distribution
partnership. My corporate operating
budget for the first year is $12 mDlion.
My 'P&A' monies are separate
from that and can and do include separate
investors that are involved with the
separate pictures.
"The way Triax is structured, they
have a very, very limited downside. And
by being in the distribution partnership,
they share in the upside potential.
These are primarily firms and/or individuals
who have been due to put a certain
amount of money into venture capital,
or they're investors, CPAs or lawyers
who want to invest themselves or
represent clients that have been involved
in motion picture partnerships in
the past."
But are people still anxious to get into
the industry from an investment standpoint?
"It cuts both ways," admits Miller.
"If they understand what I'm operating,
then it's easier than if they don't
understand the business. And the business
does not have a good reputation
overall when it comes to an investor's
standpoint. So many of the people in
partnerships have either not seen what
was expected, or what was anticipated
from that particular investment,"
The future? Miller intends to involve
Triax in a number of co-productions
that would effectively turn it into a production
house as well as a distribution
entity. "I could easily see four co-productions
per year," says Miller. And if
MOler's scheme of combining "broadbased
audience pictures that are wellconstructed"
v^rith an aggressive emphasis
on theatrical marketing works, Triax
could, like Vestron and New Line in
1987, emerge as a major independent
player in 1988.
Hi
A rapist stalks campus in Triax's new suspense thriller "No Hard Feelings.'
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SPECIAL REPORT
ON THE TEXAS PRAIRIES!
NORMAN
By Jim Kozak
Associate Editor
LEAR'S A 3 Company paid
a substantial sum of money to
acquire San Antonio's inveterate
Sanrikos theatre circuit in 1986, but at
the time it seemed hke money well
spent. With that purchase, A 3 was able
to stand astride the city like an exhibition
colossus. Gaining control of over 90
percent of San Antonio's 73 Englishspeaking
screens, A 3 inherited what a
lot of exhibition chains probably only
get to dream about: a stranglehold, if not
a virtual monopoly, on a major American
city's moviehouses.
On Nov. 5, 1987, A 3 president and
chief executive officer Scott Wallace
formally announced that Santikos was
in the process of cementing the circuit's
domination of the "Alamo City" by adding
51 new screens, a move that would
establish the Southwest's largest multiplex
in San Antonio and nearly double
the circuit's size.
Less than five days later, Wallace
would get wind of the disturbing rumor.
Word was out that a tiny Arkansas
exhibitor named Tony Rand had been
quietly snapping up Texas real estate
since 1985, and was about to construct
his own fleet of 162 brand new Texas
screens. All the new Rand screens were
said to be due for completion in 18
months, with 30 of them earmarked for
San Antonio. If the rumor proved true.
Rand was likely to manifest a serious
threat to A 3's cozy hold on San Antonio's
film patronage, and his plans were
likely to seriously dilute the value of
Santikos itself
To make matters worse, another 28 of
the Rand screens would be headed for
Austin, the same city that houses A 3's
latest acquisition, the 18-screen Presidio
circuit, which A 3 is already in the process
of expanding to 52 screens.
Today, the big question is; are Tony
Rand's plans coming to fruition? His
plans to take Rand Theatres from 33
(most in Arkansas) to 333 U.S. screens
Little Rock entrepreneur Tony Rand says
his 300-screen expansion is going to
break A 3 Theatres' stranglehold on
San Antonio exhibition.
A war of words has broken out
on the range.
by mid- 1989 would certainly constitute
one of the most ambitious expansions in
American exhibition history. By comparison,
Cineplex Odeon, perhaps North
America's most aggressive exhibition
chain in terms of expansion, only built
or acquired 208 U.S. screens in 1987, and
those over a much larger area. A 3's
Wallace can express little more than
incredulousness over Rand's claims.
"I hope that people don't get suckered
into believing that everything
somebody says is true," said Wallace in
November. "All retail businesses use
press announcements to maybe scare
off competition or to get some other
leverage in the marketplace by giving
[such] information to the press. "If
you added up all the screens that he
[Rand] says he's going to build in Dallas,
Austin and San Antonio, he would build
more screens in a single year than AMC
has ever built in a single year itself, and
[AMC is] a pretty aggressive company
with 30 or 40 people dedicated to
theatre construction."
William Anthony "Tony" Rand, 46,
the Little Rock native behind the 16-
year-old Rand (previously Multi-Cinema)
Theatres chain, really doesn't seem
to care what outsiders think of his
march into Texas, and points out that
he has never actually issued any kind of
announcement. "I've actually dodged
the press for about a year and half,"
shnigs th(' soft-spoken Rand, who has
owned many Liltk; Rock ventures over
the years, including a food and beer dis-
(amtunicd an piigt: _'2)
20 BOXOFFICE

The new Kinotone. The word new sounds trite,
We have a new parent company-the Arriflex Corporation.
but we are new.
It's the largest manufacturer of professional motion picture
production equipment in the world. We have a new infusion of
technology from both Arriflex and Kinotone in West Germanynew
projectors, lenses and platter systems to enhance both
your booth and your bottom line. And we have new marketing
and service support-the combined experience of Kinotone
and Arriflex.
But we have the some commitment \o the future of technology
and the future of exhibition that we've always had. That commitment
has resulted in a continuous stream of innovative technologies
from the 1960's to the present-the patented invention
of the platter; high efficiency lamp houses; combined 16mm,
35mm and 70mm projectors in the footprint of a single mochine.
Kinotone, though, innovates in the present, for the future. Not
the past. Our commitment now leads us to the introduction in
1988 of new Kinotone digital audio systems for your theatres.
And more.
There's a revolution coming in exhibition, and it's not just
technology. We plan to be part of it.
Towards the future of exhibition.
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No 4t

SPECIAL REPORT (continued)
tributorship, an accounring firm, a bank,
and a photo-processing lab. Only the
theatres still remain under the Rand
auspices, and Rand contends that he
has always maintained, and hopes to
continue maintaining, a low profile; the
press, says Rand, came to him, and not
the other way around. "We didn't want
anyone to think we were tooting our
own horn. We just wanted to appear and
do the best job that we could to run our
theatres and let actions speak louder
than words."
He adds that his expansion only seems
sudden. "We've wanted to expand in
Texas for a number of years, but the
land values have always been so inflated,
we've never been able to aiford
the land. But over the last year and a
half we've been buying little bits and
pieces of land around the state."
A 3's Scott Wallace: "I hope that people don't
get suckered into believing that everything
somebody says is true."
Wallace's criticism of Rand's claims
stems largely from Rand's reluctance to
reveal exactly where, and with what
developers, he is building his flotilla of
eight- and ten-plexes. Rand says he is
keeping mum because he is mounting
what is essentially a surprise attack.
"Some areas are very competitive areas,"
notes Rand. "We'd like to be there,
obviously, before our competitors." So
Rand is hoping to sneak into the Texas
markets? "I think 'sneak' is a bad word.
We would aggressively like to be first. In
as quiet a manner as possible."
Wallace isn't sure about Rand's reasoning.
"Every time I make a real estate
deal," says Wallace, "the developer
wants to see an audited financial statement
from a Big Ten accounting firm, I
believe if you asked Tony Rand what his
financial statements looked like, I think
you'd find you're not talking about a
company with the kind of financial
strength or the kind of auditing standards
that are employed by major exhibitors
in this country."
Rand, of course, is not a major exhibitor
yet. He's been using Little Rockbased
CPA Doug Williams to put together
the chain's financial statement
and, in Rand's words, Williams "must be
adequate, or we wouldn't be getting
things done."
Rand readily admits that not all of the
$110-150 million dollar capital he'll
need to complete his expansion is in the
bag, but contends that he has $108 million
"locked up," and already has tentative
commitments for the rest. He says
he derives his investment capital from
four sources; the existing chain, private
investors, bank borrowing, and joint
ventures, "whichever fits the particular
situation."
But even if Rand has the means, Wallace
thinks Rand is imprudent for even
trying to muscle in on San Antonio.
"We're taking Santikos from 66 to 115
screens in about 18 months," explained
Wallace. "We're nearly doubling the size
of this market. If anything, we're going
to be guilty of overscreening. I find it
highly unlikely that there's room for
commercial theatre development outside
of our plan. I mean, we're going
crazy ourselves. We believe we're going
to be cannibalizing a good deal of our
business with our own expansion."
Rand agrees that the San Antonio
market will grow oversaturated with
moviehouses, but has different ideas as
to who will survive the melee. "I think
those with the best locations, the prettiest
and best-run theatres should have
the upper hand, and, hopefully, that will
be us."
Rand's first Texas theatre is definite-
Tony Rand: "I can't think of any reason why
you should believe me. just sit back and
watch."
ly under construction and scheduled to
open in Waxahatchie Mar. 15. In addition,
38 new screens in Louisville, North
Richland Hills, Grape\'ine and Austin
are said to be under construction and
due to bow by Jime 1. In addition. Rand
operations vice president Jeff Rand revealed
in January that the circuit had
acquired its first San Antonio site from
Lincoln Properties, and was on its way
to constnicting its Alamo Heights 10-
plex there.
Even so, Wallace is obstinate in his
nay-saying. "This industry' has been rife
with announcements and no buflding.
Show me a financed, signed lease and
I'll show you a theatre."
But Rand is no hurry to show Wallace
anything of the sort. "I would prefer if I
wasn't believed," says Rand. "I can't
think of any reason why you should
believe me. Just sit back and watch."
DiGiammatteo & Associates' prototype for Rand's proposed fleet of new multiplexes.
22 BOXOFFICE

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The Fourth Annual Boxoffice
Miscellaneous Film Awards
Tom Matthews
Top Ten of '87
Jim Kozak
Top Ten of '87
1. Broadcast News
2. Moonstruck
3. My Life as a Dog
4. Roxanne
5. The Untouchables
6. The Big Easy
7. Hope and Glory
8. Robocop
9. Radio Days
10. (tie) In the Mood
Angel Heart
1 Broadcast News
2. Full Metal Jacket
3. Raising Arizona
4. The Untouchables
5. Robocop
6. The Princess Bride
7. Housekeeping
8. Roxanne
9. Planes, Trains & Autos
10. (tie) Near Dark
Lethal Weapon
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24 Boxoffice
Response No 47

.
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a company with
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"
and
BEST DIRECTION BY A FORMER POPULAR
TV STAR
Rob Reiner, "The Princess Bride."
Runner-up
Leonard Nimoy, "Three Men and a Baby."
WORST DIRECTION BY A FORMER POPU-
LAR TV STAR
Paul Michael Claser, "The Running Man,"
TOP THREE MOVIES STARRING CURRENT
TV STARS
"Three Men and a Baby," $70.8 million.
"The Secret of my Success," $67 million.
"Blind Date," $39.3 million
TOP FIVE MOVIES STARRING FORMER
TV STARS
"Beverly Hills Cop II,"
$153.6 million.
"Fatal Attraction," $123.5 million.
"The Witches of Eastwick," $63.7 million.
"Dragnet," $57.2 million.
"Outrageous Fortune," $52,9 million.
TOP THREE MOVIES THAT USED TO BE TV
SHOWS
"The Untouchables," $76.2 million.
"Dragnet," $57.2 million.
"Star Trek IV," $41.6 in 1987.
THE "MAKE HOWARD STERN TURN AWAY
IN TEARS OF SHAME" AWARD
Lee Ermay, "Full Metal lacket"
Runner-up
Eddie Murphy, "Raw." Interestingly, both
men wrote most of their own dialogue.
SPECIAL KILL-ANYTHING-FOR-A-LAUGH
AWARD
Goes to massive thespian Arnold Schwarzenegger,
who spent most of "The Running
Man" murdering his enemies in incredible,
nasty, brain-fryingly horrible ways, then, after
each vanquishment, proving himself the irrepressible
punster. Arnold strangles a man to
death with concertina wire. "He was a real
pain in the neck," quips the grinning Schwarzenegger.
Arnold launches a man into a brick
wall in a rocket sled traveling hundreds of
miles per hour. "That really hit the spot,"
smirks our favorite bodybuilder-cum-actor.
Arnold slowly cuts a man in half with a bloodspattered
chain saw. "He had to split," growls
the smirking Austrian
As Schwarzenegger's star continues to rise,
we can imagine how screenwriters of the
future will be forced to stretch their imaginations
to continue producing enough dialogue
to accommodate the hulking matinee idol.
Perhaps Arnold can drop serial killers into
huge vats of acid before exclaiming, in badlyinflected
English, "Soup's ON'" Maybe he can
shout "Where's da Beef^" crush them to
death with gargantuan 1,000-pound cheeseburgers
Then he can ask, "Do you want
FRIES wit dat'" If the no-goodniks are frightened
enough to reply in the affirmative,
Arnold can pick up and drop the entire state
of Idaho on them.
LOW COST, HIGH PERFORMANCE STEREO
r "JUNIOR" SERIES

MOST IMPRESSIVE DIRECTORIAL DEBUT
Kdthryn Bigelovv s Near IJjrk undid much
of the bad favor Michelle Manning accrued
for young, female directors with "Blue City "
MOST DISAPPOINTING DIRtCTORIAL
DEBUTS
Spielberg proteges Phil joanou and Chris
Columbus, who foisted "Three O'Clock
High" and "Adventures in Babysitting" on a
defenseless nation
MOST IMPRESSIVE COMEBACK
Steve Martin, who houncecl from his worst
film, "Three Amigos, late last year into his
two best ever, "Roxanne " and "Planes,
Trains and Automobiles "
Runner-up
Dan Aykroyd, who redeemed an entire career
with "Dragnet."
SIX PRETTY DARNED GOOD FILMS THAT
WE WERENT REALLY LOOKING FORWARD
TO AT THE TIME
Dragnet," "Roxanne Robocop," "Lethal
Weapon," "The Hidden," and "Wall Street"
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STUDIO MOST LIKELY TO BE IN UAGUE
WITH SATAN
Paramount Pictures, which grossed over half
a billion dollars in 1987 with six films alone
"Beverly Hills Cop II," "Fatal Attraction,"
"The Untouchables." "Crocodile Dundee,"
"Star Trek IV." and "Raw."
STUDIO LEAST LIKELY TO BE IN LEAGUE
WITH SATAN
Columbia, which released both "Ishlar" and
"Leonard Part VI" in 1987
FUNNIEST BIT PART
lack Nicholson, Broadcasl News"
Runners-up
Gilbert Gottfried, Beverly Hills Cop 11"
Billy Crystal, The Princess Bride"
CRlitlEST TRIBLTTF TO A REVERED
HLMMAKLR
Frank Capra was forced [o sit though the
leaden, witless cinematic subversion "Date
with an Angel " The films chuckleheaderi
creators insisteci that Capra was the inspiration
for this wretchedness, and thought it
might be a nice homage to invite him to a
screening The incident is the Ijest reason we
can think of to avoid fame completely
THE ICARUS AWARD
David Puttnam
CRETORS
he IViipie Who Invented The I'opcorn MathiiuMM
®
Rsr
Sand For Fr«« Information
C. Cretors and Co.
3243 N. Californio Ave
Chicago, Illinois 60618
(312) 5881690
State.
-Zip.
I
-I
I
Marili. \^XH 27

BEST FIRST DATE MOVIES
"Roxanne," "Moonstruck"
BEST LAST DATE MOVIE
""Fatal Attraction"
BEST FIGHT SCENE
Chuck Berry and Keith Richards ("Hail! Hail!
Rock and Roll")
BEST DEATH SCENE
Ronny Cox ("Robocop")
BEST SWEAT SCENE
Albert Brooks ( "Broadcast News")
BEST READING AND SINGING (AT THE
SAME TIME!) EVER CAPTURED ON FILM IN
THE HISTORY OF THE MEDIUM
Albert Brooks ("'Broadcast News")
BEST WORKING COMIC ACTOR
Albert Brooks
BEST NON-WORKING COMIC ACTOR
Bill Murray, the laziest man in show business
BEST NEWS FOR FANS OF COMIC ACTORS
Bill Murray, the laziest man in show business,
has gone back to work
BEST UNINTELLIGIBLE BEHEMOTH
Andre the Giant, "The Princess Bride " The
gargantuan Frenchman actually managed to
beat out perennial favorites Arnold Schwarzenegger
and Sylvester Stallone.
BEST MOVIE ABOUT DEAD PEOPLE
'"Made in Heaven"
BEST MOVIE ABOUT BRAIN-DEAD PEOPLE
"Mannequin"
BEST PORTRAYAL OF THE DEVIL IN 1987
lack Nicholson, 'The Witches of Eastwick"
BEST PORTRAYAL OF GOD
lack Nicholson, "Broadcast News"
BEST MOVIE TO FEATURE RICHARD DAW-
SON ROCKETING INTO A BRICK WALL AT
HUNDRED OF MILES PER HOUR
The Running Man"
See us at SHOWEST Booth 1 76- 7
American
.u,uNo 55
28 BOXOIFICE

with
•••SPECIAL SPIELBERG-BASH SECTION'" IF ONLY HI HAD RUN INTO "POLICL
SEVEN BEST REASONS TO HATE STEVEN
SPIELBERG AND EVERYTHING HE STANDS
FOR
1 Chris "Adventures in Babysitting" Columbus,
who got his start writing "Gremlins" and
"Coonies "
ACADIMV
In d Ihedire in Loi Angeleb, a disturbed man
shot someone dunng a screening ot "Nuts "
He escaped through an ad|oining theatre
'
showing "The Running Man
BOXOMKI RANKS THl TOP VIFTNAM
Pl( lURESOF 1987
1 Full Metal jacket"
2 "Gardens of Stone"
3 "Platoon"
4 "Good Morning, Vietnam"
5. "Hamburger Hill"
BEST OVERALL CAST 1987
Broddtdsl Ni'ws
Runner-up
"The Untouchables
BUT IT'S NOT CENSORSHIP
2. Phil "Three O'Clock High" joanou, whose "Angel Ht'cirl. Kolxnop. Fatal Beauty."
first break came when Spielberg plucked him "Eddie Murphy Raw" ami the independent
out of film school to direct some "Amazing film "Patti Rocks" were all given X ratings
Stories "
when first submitted to the ratings board of
3. Tom "Date with an Angel" McLoughlin the MPAA Only the last film was able to
Ditto
4. "Empire of the Sun "
downgrade its rating to an R without the filmmakers
being torced to remove footage from
5 "Batteries Not Included "
their work
6 "Harry and the Hendersons "
7 Oprah Winfrey
BtST REASON NOT TO
"Innerspace"
THE "WHY, HE'S JUST A MAN!" AWARD
The man who gave us 'EI' produced lour
films in IS87, the highest grossing ot which
was "Harry and the
'
Hendersons |ust
$27 million Films that did better than any ot
Spielberg's in 1987 include: "Like Father, Like
Son," "Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream
Warriors," "Mannequin," "Summer School,
and "Snow White "
.^IJULJ.
SUPPORTING CHARACTER WE'D MOST
UKE TO SEE GIVEN HIS OWN MOVIE
lohn Malkovich s Basey. who was by tar the
most interesting and most underutilized element
in "Empire of the Sun."
I
BEST IDEA OF THE YEAR
In case a tire breaks out in your auditorium,
why not flash the title "Directed by Michael
Cimino" on the screen? Evacuation should be
immediate
THE BIG BOO-BOO AWARD
In "Wall Street, which was set in 1485, mention
was made of the Challenger disaster The
Challenger disaster occurred in 1986
THE "IT'S THE PRINCIPLE OF THE THING"
AWARD
Novelist Gore Vidal sued the Writer's Guild of
America, demanding screen credit for having
written "The Sicilian "
Elsewhere, inventor Klaus Stooky demanded
credit for making skunks stinky
IT'S HOLLYWOOD'S WAY OF TELLING YOU
TO SLOW DOWN
Michael Came was unable to accept his Best
Supporting Actor Oscar in person and had to
back out of an opportunity Ir) star opposite
FOR INFORMATION CONTACn
Kathleen Turner in Switching Channels" because
the rubt>er shark in laws the Revenge"
ASHLY AUDIO. INC.
wouklnt coc,>perate and shof>ling was
ROCHESTER, NY 14621
extended
TOLL FREE: 1-aOO-62S-630e
THE BIG AWARD
IN NY8 (716) 544-5191 (416)361-1667
The year 1987 saA thf rcU'ases of "The Big
Easy," "The Big Town" and Big Shots," and
also saw films going into production with the
BEST SONG 1987
"Hazy Shade ol Winter" Irom Less Than
Zero," hands down Written by Paul Simon,
arranged and performed by the Bangles.
BmWNDTHE
BASICS
Ashly is not the only company that makes power amplifiers and signal
processing equipment. We do, however, woric very hard at being the
best We utilize only the highest quality electronic components, and our
mechanical construction is legendary. Our computer-assisted test systems
assure reliability and allow us to offer our extended warranty
program on each and every product. When the situation calls for
nothing less than the best, you can depend on Ashly.
MAKERS OF HNC AUDIO PRODUCTS SINCE 1972
POWER AMPS • INSTRUMENT PRE-AMPS
NOISE GATES • COMPRESSOR/LIMITERS • PARAMETRIC EQUALIZERS
GRAPHIC EQUALIZERS • ELECTRONIC CROSSOVERS
IN CANADA CONTACTS
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363 ADELAIDE STREET EAST
TORONTO, CANADA MSA IN3
ASHLY AMPLIFIERS ARE THX APPROVED.
Marili, l')HN :

"
"
Production prez Dawn Steel introduces Columbia's
new executive roster to a wary press
corps.
THE MICHAEL CAINE OVER-ACHIEVEMENT
AWARD
To Steve Cuttenberg, who appeared in "Bedroom
Window," "Police Academy IV,"
"Three Men and a Baby" and "Surrender "
This last film, by the way, co-starred Michael
Caine, who tied Mr. Cuttenberg by also
appearing in "The Fourth Protocol," "The
Whistle Blower" and "Jaws the Revenge."
Meanwhile, hazing continues to plague junior
executives at the funstarved Universal lot.
BEST DUMB THING SAID BY GENE SHALIT
And remember. Nuts' spelled backwards is
'Stun'"'
HOTTEST SEX
No Way Out"
'Fatal Attraction"
HOTTEST SEX IN A FILM IN WHICH BOTH
PARTNERS SURVIVED
The Big Easy"
HOTTEST SEX INVOLVING CHICKENS
.Angel Heart"
FILM WE WERE MOST RELIEVED TO FIND
DID NOT CONTAIN HOT SEX
'Withnail and I
Runners-up
"Predator
"Harry and the Hendersons"
"Robocop"
lack Nicholson, Dennis Quaid, Kevin Costner,
Micky Roarke, Charlie Sheen, Cher, Richard
Dreyfuss and )ohn Malkovich each appeared
in three films.
Bill Murray, the laziest man in show business,
appeared in no films.
And in the DEC boardroom, impassioned pleadings of the homeless cheer financially besieged
executives.
ON THE PROWL WITH
SOUND CONTRACTORS IN THE KNOW!
This year FRAZIER celebrates 60 years of service in meeting
sound reinforcement needs of tfie sound contractor
Pnde in crattsmanstiip and performance remain tfie focus at
FRAZIER witfi economy in systems installation a new measurement
of FRAZIERs leadersfiip
Ttie new FRAZIER CATtm designs re-define standards of
perfonnance in music and speech intelligibility by utilizing
state-of-the-art Coincident-Aligned Transducer technology
FRAZIER remains dedicated to the solid feel and pleasing
aesthetics associated with real wood construction Natural
oak and walnut veneers are hand nibbed in the furniture
making tradition.
FRAZIERs new compact designs are easier to install and
ad|ust using a unique mounting system — a potential cost
containment benefit where a modest budget is concerned
Whether you are installing new systems or updating old.
you deserve to benefit from FRAZIER's 60 years of dedicated
service. For more infonriation on FRAZIER's new systems
and the requirements to become a FRAZIER dealer, write
Route 3, Box 319* Momlton, AR 721 1 • 1 -800-643-8747
In Arkansas (501)727-5543
J^
30 BOXOFFKE
Response No b9

A GOOD REASON WHY MOVIES COST SO
MUCH
Unable lo agree on billing for Outrageous
Fortune," Belle Midler and Shelley Long
forced Buena Visia lo strike two different sets
of prints and posters, each giving one of the
actresses the more prominent spot.
A BETTER REASON WHY MOVIES COST SO
MUCH
Dustin Hottman and Warren Beatty (reportedly
paid S6 million apiece for "Ishtar")
Sylvester Stallone (reportedly paid $12 million
for "Over the Top")
Bill
Cosby (paid untold millions for "Leonard
Part b").
These three films combined grossed under
$35 million by year's end.
A LANDFILL BY ANY OTHER NAME...
Alter a disastrous lirst sear Oino I)e Laurentiis
stepped down from his own company
and suggested that the De Laurentiis Entertainment
Croup come up with a new moniker.
WORST FISCAL YEAR
DEC stock staggered into 1487 at 12 3/4 By
year's end, it had been beaten down to 13/
16 Why' Well tell you why
THE RELEASE SCHEDULE FROM HELL!
Five goofl reasons DEC teeters at the brink oi
insolvency
1. "From the Hip"
2. "King Kong Lives "
3. "Tai-Pan"
4 'Million Dollar Mystery
5 "Date with an Angel"
BEST LINE IN "SPACEBALLS"
"What are we - in France'
COOLEST NAME OF A MA|OR STUDIO
PRESIDENT
Dawn Steel, new head ol Columbia
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
"Straight to Hell
Rurtners-up
"Ishtar"
"Someone To Watch Over ,Me "
MOST DISAPPOINTING BOXOFFICE
"Innerspace. " a critically and popularly
praised Steven Spielberg project, should have
been this year's "Back to the Future " It
wound up making less than Harry & the
Hendersons "
THE RUN-D.M.C. AWARD FOR INTIRTAIN-
MENT-RELATED VIOLINI CRIME
Patrons of Eddie Murphy Raw" were responsible
for shootings and gang violence at
screenings in Los Angeles and Baltimore
"
THE "SOLID CRANITl BACKBONE
AWARD
lo New York mayor Ed Koch, who rallierl
moviegoers to boycott Manhattan theatres
charging a $7 admission, then was spolte

36.

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36. Like Father, Like Son (Tri)
Dudley Moore. Dir: Rod Daniel.
37. Made In Heaven (Lor)
Timothy Hutton. Dir: Alan Rudolph.
38. Moonstruck (MGM/UA)
Cher. Dir: Norman Jewison.
39. No Man's Land (Orion)
Charlie Sheen. Dir: Peter Werner.
40. North Shore (Uni)
Gregory Harrison. Dir: William Phelps.
4L
Nuts(WB)
Barbra Streisand. Dir: Martin Ritt.
42. Offspring, The (TMS)
Vincent Price. Dir: Jeff Burr.
43. Orphans (Lor)
Albert Finney. Dir: Alan J. Pakula.
44. Overboard (MGM/UA)
Goldie Hawn. Dir: Garry Marshall.
45. Pick-Up Artist, The (Fox)
Molly Ringymld. Dir: James Toback.
46. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (Pi
Steve Martin. Dir: John Hughes.
47. Prayer for the Dying, A (Goldwyn)
Mickey Roarke. Dir: Mike Hodges.
48. Princess Bride, The (Fox)
Cary Elwes. Dir: Rob Reiner.
49. Principal, The (Tri)
Jim Belushi. Dir: Christopher Cain.
50. Raw (Par)
Eddie Murphy. Dir: Robert Townser
51. Rosary Murders, The (New Line)
Donald Sutherland. Dir: Fred Walto
52. Running Man (Tri)
A. Schivarzenegger. Dir: P. M. Glaser.
53. September (Orion)
Mia Farrow. Dir: Woody Allen.
54. Shy People (Can)
Jill Clayburgh. Dir: A. Konchalovsky.
55. Sicilian, The (Fox)
Christopher Lambert. Dir: M. Cimino.
56. Sign O' The Times (Cineplex)
Prince. Dir: Prince.
57. Slamdance (Island)
Tom Hvlse. Dir: Wayne Wang.
58. Someone To Watch Over Me (Col)
Tom Berenger. Dir: Ridley Scott.
59. Surrender (WB)
Sallii Field. Dir: Jerry Belsc^.
X '0
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ShoWest
Intro
Published by Boxofficc Magazine
ShoWesl '88 Feb. 23-25 IJallv's las Vei-as

"AGFA XT 320 IS THE ONLY HIGH SPEE
STOCK I WOULD EVER USE."
DAVID WATKIN Director of Photography
1986 Academy Award For Best Cinematography.
Since "Out Of Africa" was almost entirely shot on
AGFA 320, i have resorted to this film whenever
its characteristic delicacy and wide tonal range is
called for.
Bright sunlit exteriors are beautifully rendered because of
the wide latitude, and the high speed Is never a
problem because one can use a .6ND filter. The
highlights are always exquisite and always safe
. . .you'll never lose them! It is very important that
this has been achieved without sacrificing the
excellent blacks which are absolutely clean
and intense.
This is also the only high-speed stock I would ever use.
AGFA-GEVAERT, INC. - Motion Picture Products Division
NJ (201) 440-2500 or NY (212) 971-0260
CA (213) 552-9622 or (415) 589-0700
AGFA and XT are registered trademarks ot AGFA-GEVAERT, Antwerp/Leverkusen.
They reflect the best of you: AGFA XT125*& XT320'
COLOR NEGATIVE HLMS
AGFA <
Response No. 63

ShoWest and Showmanship
By Harli-y W. Lond
Editor and Associate rublishcr
Boxoffice
T
HIS rs THE third edition of ShoWest
Intro. BoxoFFicE's comprehensive
guide to exhibition's biggest and
most successful convention And in keeping
with the sut.cess of ShoWest, our
ShoWest Intro is bigger and better than
previous outings Within ihesi- pages you
will hnd a variety of articles and information
to highlight your attendance at the
convention and trade show Included here
are introductory articles by the leaders of
ShoWest as well as statements and manifestoes
by many of the participants in this
year's panels and programs, articles on
merchandising and promoting motion
pictures as well as the first installment in
a new BoxoFFICE department. "The Numbers
Page"; and a special symposium on
"Exhibition and Distribution: The Tics
that Bind"
One of the hotter topics at ShoWest will
center around the promotion and merchandising
of films Faced this year with
what many industrv' insiders consider a
"glut" of product, both exhibitors and distributors
may find that their marketing
efforts will make the difference between
a week of poor grosses and months of
happy ticket sales One important aspect
of film merchandising is promotion at the
point-of-sale: onesheets, standees, intheatrc
promotional materials and the
like Too often, however, exhibitors may
not get materials on time (or at all), or are
not aware of what is available in the way
of p-o-p materials and thus cannot request
them from the studios The problem
is really one of timeliness and communication
since the merchandising of a film
is a collaborative effon. final studio approval
on a promotional campaign may
not be forthcoming until scant weeks
before a film is released, leaving little
time to announce their availability.
What is needed is a central clearinghouse
that can keep tabs on films and
their concomitant promotional material; a
hotline that exhibitors can contact to find
out what is available in the way of merchandising
aids, and when these aids will
be available Such a hotline service should
be established by those organizations representing
the industry: the MPAA, TAC
and NATO Boxoffice would be pleased
to get the ball rolling and act as a conduit
for this valuable infonnalion What do you
think?
ShoWest Will Show Em
Kv Robert W. .Selig
President, Theatre Assoc, of C^alif.
fienf-ral Chairman, ShoWest
AS
WE GATHER for Still another Sho-
West, our challenge is: To give our
conventioners from over the world
something more than a good time!
In our innovative policy and programs,
this year we go all out with a convention
first: Dual Prfigramming'
Too often, at conventions of any kind,
the subject matter appeals to .some, but
not to all "Why didn't they address this?"
Or, "why didn't they explore that?" We
hear it all the time.
So, ShoWest '88 cuts loose with a totally-new
answer to these valid complaints
Twd programs at the same fimi;'
Will it work?
Well, .so far, so good The advance reaction
to our "dual idea" has been hopeful
The challenge has been to book diverse
subject-matter opposite each other for
diverse interests and tastes.
Anyway, we have tried hard to cover
the range of problems and opportunities
coming at us today If some programs are
"competitive" to other, we're sorry But,
we have striven to be truly diverse
Even our opening day is different in its
characteristics. Instead of the customary
separate speeches by the leaders in each
area of our business, we have harnessed
them togther Each in turn interprets the
theme from his own special vantage point
and business relationship to exhibition
So. along with our biggest ever Trade
Fair and a wide variety of breakfasts, luncheons.
dinn

ShoWest '88
Welcome to ShoWest '88
By Herb Burton
Executive Director, ShoWest
DURING
ShoWest '87, we solicited
your comments and suggestions for
ShoWest '88. The response was
overwhelming! We have tried to integrate
as many of these comments and suggestions
as possible into our plans to make
ShoWest '88 "tailor made" for you.
— You asked for a more varied selection
of subject matter— You got it! Simultaneous
programming will allow you to
choose the subjects that interest you the
most in smaller, more personal sessions.
— You asked for bigger prize programs—
You got it! Program sponsors this
year will include Armour Foods, Coca-
Cola USA, ShoWest's own Holiday-In-
Hawaii and Pepsi-Cola. Plus! Look for the
special T.E.A. and N.A.C. prize programs
in our Trade Fair!
—You asked for a free evening to get
out and enjoy Las Vegas—You got it! Last
year's unexpected "evening on your own"
turned out to be a big hit! Your comments
indicated a desire to have the chance to
get out and see a show, gamble, to spend
an evening on the town. So Wednesday
night has been set aside for you'.
But we're not forgetting your favorite
parts of ShoWest— they'll be back—and
better than ever!
The Trade Fair will once again be our
biggest ever (we've expanded our floor
plan twice to accommodate all of the suppliers
and vendors). This year's theme
"There's No Business Like Show Business"
holds a few surprise events in store.
And look for a few familiar faces, too!
We're bringing back your favorite sponsors
and welcoming a few new faces.
Many of this year's events will be . . . well,
just remember to expect the unexpected
from our sponsors!
We think ShoWest '88 will be just the
right balance of business and fim. We
hope you come away both entertained
and enlightened. Enjoy! H
We Must Remain United
By Bob Tankersley
Chairman, Exhibitors West
TODAY'S
EXTREME, AND almost daily,
changes in our industry dictates
even more our need to keep exhibitors
in the Unitied States (and, for that
matter, throughout the world) organized
for the overall good of our great motion
picture industry. I say throughout the
world mainly because as many of you
know, the ShoWest convention has become
international in scope and size, so
what affects the United States industry is
felt throughout the world.
There have always been those doomsayers
in our industry who feel that
theatre organizations are not necessary. A
few years ago, Paul Roth, who was then
president of NATO, Bob Selig, of the California
Theatre Association, and myself,
being President of the Rocky Mountain
Motion Picture Association, did some
brainstorming regarding the value of a
National association, and some of the
ideas that came out of those meetings I
am going to share with you.
I feel that in the past year or two, due to
the changes in our industry, NATO,
RMMPA, Colorado/Wyoming NATO, and
other regional organizations, are having a
tough time coping with some of the
desires on the part of some members,
with keeping membership, with retaining
an interest, and in general keeping a
"pumped up" enthusiastic attitude about
what we are doing as an industry.
A trade association is the cars and eyes
of its membership, and is also the mind
and brains. It is the; soul and conscience,
as well as the voice, of all those it represents,
and in many cases, those it does not
represent.
One theatre or chain, no matter how
large or small, does not have the ability to
know everything that is going on in an
industry the size of ours. By pooling what
we see and hear, we have a chance to
keep each other informed and leani from
each other. None of us are smart enough
or strong enough to fight all of the battles
that come at us from all fronts. There is
strength and insulation in unity; meaning
we can do a lot of things no individual will
do, if for no other reason than the fear of
retribution by Government, by our competition,
or for that matter by film companies!
You can get a lot more people to listen
to you when you explain to them that you
represent 60 to 70 percent of all the
theatres in the country, doing over four
billion dollars a year in boxoffice, . . . coupled
with the tremendous impact that we
exert on people of all ages.
Considering the many things that a
trade association does accomplish, an association
is also of significant importance
for what it prevents It is safe to say, even
though no miracles have been— or will be
created— oveniight, that it is a good bet
that conditions in our industiy would be a
(conlmucd p. SW-12)
SW-4
Boxoffice

V E S T R N PICTURES 88
I-
CJ

V E S T R
N
PICTURES
MIDNIGHT
CROSSING
THE UNHOLY
WAXWORK
SALOME'S
LAST DANCE
YOU CAN'T
HURRY LOVE
PARAMEDICS
BURNING SECRET
THE FAMILY

88
PAPERHOUSE
PARENTS
THE BEAT
CALL ME
DREAM A
LITTLE DREAM
THE COURIER
BACKTRACK
THE DEAD

IN
PRE-PRODUCTION
C.H.U.D.II
GRUD-II
LOVE HURTS
TEEN ANGEL
PAINT IT BLACK
THE HUNCHBACK OF UCLA
LITTLE MONSTERS
HIDER IN THE HOUSE
OPTIONS
The
pointsman
DEAD OF NIGHT
MIDDLE OF NOWHERE
THE LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM
FILTHY RICH
RED BIRD DOWN
IN
DEVELOPMENT
DANGEROUS
CURVES
DIRTY DANCING II
SHE'S BACK
E
VESTROn
PICTURES
VISIT OUR SUITE AT SHOWEST
•
60 Long Ridge Road, P.O. Box 4000 Stamford, CT 069G7
(203) 967 9200 -Telex: 475 0118
2029 Century Park East, Suite 200 • Los Angeles, CA 90067
(213) 551 1723 -Telex: 188 394
6060 l\l. Central Expressway, Suite 732 • Dallas, TX 75206
(214)3617098
(f)198B Veslion Picluies. Inc All lights lesotvod

'
A
PROGRAM: OPENING SESSION
Record Growth! Record Grosses! Record—What Else?
Tuesday, February 23,
1988, 9:30 a.m.
^
By Jack Leonard
President, NAC
DIVIDE
AND Conquer will be. ihr
theme of the 1988 ShoWosl convention
As this theme and lh

PROGRAM: THE FATE OF INDEPENDENT
THEATRES
Wednesday, February 24, 9:30 a.m.
By Tim C. Warner
President, Theatre Operators, Inc.
OUR
INDUSTRY AND its leaders have
demonstrated these past several
years that the only constant in life
is change. We have gone through sweeping
changes, challenges and opportunities
in exhibition: consolidation of theatres,
ownership by distribution, unbridled expansion
by both exhibition and distribution,
and entry of the video market, just to
name a few. Whether these changes bid
well for our industry only history will tell,
but one factor that has remained a constant
for us is the ongoing struggle for the
survival of independent theatres. It is to
this struggle, "The Fate of Independent
Theatres," that I would like to address my
remarks.
I have been involved with this stRiggle
as an independent theatre owner, an
independent film buyer and through various
exhibition groups for the past 18
years. During this time I have become
convinced that the well-meaning leaders
of our industry, from both exhibition and
distribution, want independent exhibition
to survive, but that the realities of the
marketplace countinue to threaten their
existence. This is not a new struggle for
our industry but it does have new participants.
In the past when you referred to
independent threatre owners you basically
were referring to limited-market
theatres. Now, you are referring to
theatres that are now owned by huge conglomerates
or film distribution companies.
These independent theatres, just a
few years ago, would have been considered
some of the larger circuits in the
country. Now, you have two groups of
independents: the limited markets and
independently owned small and large regional
circuits.
A few years ago, I was working with
NATO as head of the Regional Presidents
and as chairman of the Limited Market
Committee. Under the direction and with
the assistance of Dick Orear and Joel Resnick,
we held meetings with the heads of
every distribution company and to a person
they gave what I felt was a sincere
commitment to the survival of the limited
markets at that time. In fact, Barry Reardon
of Warner Bros, developed a plan
which, at that time, was not widely
adopted, to sell small markets on a flat
basis. His plan now is being adopted more
and more by distributors. I felt then and
feel today that selling these markets flat
is the preferred solution of the film companies'
top executives but the policy
needs to be instituted at the sales level.
However, with the consolidation of
branches this policy of selling limited
markets flat is going to become a necessity
for the industry to function.
The other complaint of smaller market
theatres is the problem of getting prints
on a more timely basis. The truth of the
matter, of course, is that what the smaller
(continued p SW-H)
By Merv Viner
President, Cinema Service, Inc.
RECENTLY,
AT A luncheon with the
Branch Manager of a major film distribution
company, I asked him if he
was aware of the amount of film rentals
our clients had paid his company over the
last year He regrettably could not answer
the question.
The next day, he called and said, "I
never realized how much business your
clients do with our company. Last year, of
$12,000,000 in total billings, your share
was over $700,000 (approximately 6 percent)."
This astonishing figure represents film
rentals paid primarily from subsequent
run, small town, and split week situations,
which comprise the bulk of our clients.
However, last year, the president of
another major film distribution company
commented in one of the trade journals
that there is no sub-run in distribution any
more. With narrow-minded attitudes like
these what is the future for independent
theatres?
The importance of the sub-run theatre
should be obvious to the entire film distribution
arena. When a film opens at 1,000
screens, what happens to those 1,000
prints when they come off? If I am not
mistaken, they continue to play at subrun
theatres. It also seems to me that if a
film is on the screen, film rental is being
earned. This earned film rental helps pay
for print costs, advertising, and the salaries
of executives that maintain there is
no subsequent run for films.
In regard to theatre operations, the
independent exhibitor does not live by
corporate dogma. An "indie" can change
any part of the operation, pricing, scheduling,
advertising or anything else that he
or she desires.
In my opinion, what most "indies" la

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Is there a Monster
in your movie?
What do the producers of over 90 feature films, motion picture studio sound
departments, special effects recording studios, major theiue chain owners, and
soundtrack music and sound recording engineers have in common?
They consider Monster Cable® to be a milestone achievement in audio
engineering. And they've discovered the significant performance differences Monster
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And what movies!
First of all, there's Empire Of The Sun. Directed by Steven Spielberg, it marks
the first motion picture soundtrack in which all the music and sound effects were
recorded with Monster Cable. (And the first film to award the screen credit:
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Then there's Fatal Attraction, Beverly Hills Cop II, StarTrek IV: The Voyage
Home, Broadcast News. The Princess Bnde, Ironweed, Three Men and a Baby.
Stakeout, Outrageous Fortune, Ruthless People, JaggedEdge, Karate KidII, Back To
The Future, An American Tail, Batteries Not Included, Heartbreak Ridge, Gremlins,
Innerspace, and Lethal Weapon.
And several soon-to-be-released films: Above The Law, D.O.A.,
Pulse, Punch Line, Little Nikita, and The Milagro Bean Field War.
That's not all.
Vice Versa,
Major motion picture studio sound departments, such as Walt Disney Studios,
are wiring both studio renovations and new soundstage and dubbing room
construaion with Monster Cable to achieve maximum clarity, definition, and sonic
realism in soundtrack recording and prodyrtion.
Special effects recording studios, such as TAJ Soundworks, are recognizing the
importance of Monster Cable. Ed Bannon, Co-owner and Director of Engineering at
TAJ, explains his Monster connection: "In my 20 years of building recording studios,
all the amps, consoles, recorders, and loudspeakers—combined— have not made the
difference that Monster's wire technology has. Monster lets us accurately capture every
sound, from the faintest footsteps to the blast of a huge explosion, with an incredible
feeling of 'being there' and a 'realism' that we could not achieve using other cable."
In addition, major theatre circuits, such as the Mann Theatres Corporation, are
wiring their theatres exclusively with Monster Cable. Ben Littlefield, Director of
Operations for Mann, says simply: "Mann Theatres' reputation as a leader in
providing the finest theatre sound systems is enhanced with the sonic breakthrough
Monster delivers to theaue audiences."
And soundtrack recording engineers are using Monster high-performance cable
in all their work. Shawn Murphy selected Monster for the soundtrack recording of
Empire of the Sun because "we were able to get greater dynamic range and
'transparency' in the music, and that helped us get closer to the true sound of the
100-voice choir and 86-piece orchestra.
There's something else each of the above share: they're film pioneers. Although
once skeptics, they've opened their minds to the idea of high-performance cable.
And their ears to the sound of Monster Cable.
Now some of them won't even work without Monster.
Must be because of Monster's innovative cable technologies and proprietary
construction Like "Bandwidth Balanced®" multiple-gauge wire networks,
"MicroFiberTM" dielectric insulation, "Magnetic Flux Core'" construction, and
"Duraflex® " jacketing. Each an advanced technology other cable manufacturers
can only dream about.
So what is happening in the film industry?
Simple. Film makers and exhibitors are beginning to realize that audio cables are
not only a critical component, but an essential faaor in achieving sound reproduction
excellence.
The implications for the feature film industry arc astounding.
Once you open your cars, it'll be very clear to you. And your audiences, too.
MOIMSTER CRBLE '
Advancing the Art ofListening.
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Telephone: 415-777-135^, TELEX: 470584 MCSYUL FAX: 415-896-1745
WE MUST
REMAIN UNITED
Tankersley
(continued from p SW-4)
lot worse had it not been for the many
organizations in the past that questioned,
challenged, warned, and protected us. In
addition, the socializing that such organizations
provide certainly serves a function
along with the exchange of information,
problems and solutions.
Even with the tremendous grosses that
are being generated in theatres today,
there is still a tremendous amount of frustration
and uncertainty as to where we
are going from one day to the next. I think
it is of absolute importance an organization
of some sort be developed.
Here, then, at this ShoWest '88 convention,
we are gathered to learn, so that we
may earn; to hopefully fulfill our human
desire to socialize and be entertained; but
above all, to stay in association with each
other, and move toward a united group!
THE FATE OF
INDEPENDENT
THEATRES
Viner
(continued from p SW-IO)
theatres at their convenience, instead of
the customer's convenience Scheduling
one show per night with no early showings
or no matinees on weekends docs not
provide the public with alternatives. Exhibitors
who are afraid to be innovative
are doomed.
Those of you who work hard and continually
try new ideas should be aidund
for many years to come.
IWi
RINCOLD
THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO.
(),S04 28th Street, So. Grand R.i[>i(ls, Ml
C.ill Irom OHK1\ IMH \\ \ l-H0().hJ4-'M,JII
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SALES SERVKf SUH k
SW-12
BOXOFFICE
Response No 8
Response No 82

NATIONAL THEATRICAL RELEASE
MARCH 1988
A HERIIAGE
[NHRUINMfNI PRtSJNIAIION
CONTACT: ROBERT SHULEVITZ
NATIONAL SALES MANAGES
INTERNATIONAL FIIMEXCHANGF
(212) 582-4318

THE FATE OF INDEPENDENT THEATRES
Warner
(continued from p SW-10)
markets are saying is that they want the
hits as soon as possible. I can understand
that a distributor does not want to make
up a print for every small market town in
the country, but when they know they
have a hit I feel they could make up a few
extra prints and sell them on fixed playdates
to small markets. This is important
in order for them to have faster playoffs
on big pictures, in particular when they
know the larger markets are not going to
release the prints because of the staying
power of the picture. Some examples of
films that I feel would be in this category
this fall were "Fatal Attraction" and "Dirty
Dancing." In fact, "Dirty, Dancing"
will not have played in several of the
smaller markets before being released on
video.
Film, however, is not the only problem
of small market theatres and/or small
independent exhibition One of the major
problems faced by independent exhibition
is financing and cash flow in order to
keep competitive in the marketplace. I
am convinced after years of studying the
problem that the only solution is to get
the SBA to do away with the exclusion of
theatres that is discriminatory and no
longer valid. This would enable the small
theatre owner to get the necessary financing
to stay competitive in the marketplace.
The new group of independent theatre
owners that is threatened in the marketplace
is the large and small independent
regional circuits. For this reason, I feel
that as an industry we should develop a
plan that allows the independent owner
a flow of product in the marketplace
regardless of the national strength of a
competitor, as long as the independent
has viable theatres and a quality operation.
Currently, there are several film
companies that operate in this fashion
and bring equity to the marketplace, but I
feel that if the independent is to survive
this must become an industry standard
for all film companies. It's an untenable
situation when they have just one customer
in a marketplace and don't give
independents any of their product. If this
situation continues to exist it will be to
the detriment of both distribution and
exhibition because it will be settled outside
of the marketplace and in the courts.
It is important that the independent
theatre owner realize that this struggle is
simply for their fair share of the marketplace;
nothing more, nothing less.
I am sure that there are many other
problems facing independent exhibition
today and that I have dealt with just a
few. I am also confident that a version of
these same problems have been dealt
with in the past and that a variation on
them will be dealt with by future generations
of independent exhibitors. I am confident
that independent exhibition will
survive in some form. Ultimately, we as
an industry must realize that independent
exhibition is healthy for the industry and
that their cause is just.
I would be remiss in writing on the
struggle to save independents and not
acknowledge the efforts on their behalf
put forth by Ross Campbell, Jerome Gordon,
Tony DeSantas, Roy Roper and others
mentioned here. Good luck and good
fortune. I hope you enjoy ShoWest '88. H
The
Boston
Companv
co««5*i«,
?1
and our ne>N P.O. BOX 309
so^^on
ShoWesl'B* BOBth'65
Response No. 79
SW-14
BOXOFFICE

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KUUKAJVL: LA1:3UK AINU tlMrLU I MiiiN i
IN
THE THEATRE
Wednesday, February 24, 9:30 a.m.
By Richard J. Simmons
HISTORICALLY. EMPLOYERS HAVE enjoyed
enormous freedoms to discipline
or discharge employees as
they deemed appropriate, restricted only
by a handful of civil rights and public policy
statutes and, in some cases, selfcreated
contractual obligations. Within
the first three months after entering the
human resources field, however, those
with personnel responsibilities realize
that employer freedoms have become attenuated
as a result of the serious erosion
of the termmation-at-will doctrine. Indeed
the halls of our courts are witness to the
agony of those who have relied on their
ability to terminate at will and who have
thus failed to take necessary steps to
demonstrate that their personnel decisions
were both (1) motivated by legitimate
considerations, atid (2) administered
fairly and in good faith.
In the short space available, it is not
possible to provide a comprehensive examination
of the web of judicially-established
theories that have evolved to restrict
employer freedoms in this area.
Instead, this article has three objectives:
) to identify some of the shortcomings
( 1
of employer actions that have culminated
in significant liabilities in discharge cases,
(2) to address some of the measures that
employers can adopt to safeguard their
interests in connection with the administration
of disciplinary actions, and (3) to
identify some factors that courts have
recognized as enhancing employer arguments
that an employment-at-will standard
is still applicable. In each of these
areas, it must be stressed that the human
resources function will play an increasingly
important role in protecting employers
against enormous liabilities.
Hopefully, it will not take a multi-million
dollar lawsuit to attract management's
attention to the importance of this function.
The Nature Of The At-Will
Relationship And Its Erosion
Despite recent judicial pronouncements
and a large outpouring of employer
concern, employment relationships in
most states are—or are capable of becoming—
terminable at will. Recent court decisions
have simply recognized a number
of exceptions to the general circumstances
under which employers can safely
rely upon the application of the termination-at-will
doctrine.
Many state laws provide that an employment
relationship that is not for a
specified period of time is terminable at
the will of the employer or the employee.
Employers have historically construed
these laws to mean that they could fire
employees for a good or a bad reason, or
for no reason at all. It was necessary only
that the termination not transgress any
law, such as a civil rights statute, or violate
any public policy.
Illustrations of Problem Areas
There are many reasons why employers
have lost wrongful discharge
cases in recent years. There are, for
instance, obvious problem cases where
employers have asked employees to engage
in unlawful or unconscionable acts
and have terminated employees for refusing
to comply with their demands to do so.
These cases perhaps have the greatest
jury appeal. Other cases that have culminated
in employer liability involve far
more subtle violations or offenses of employee
rights. These cases are illustrated
by terminations that have resulted from
inappropriate or suspect motives of supervisors,
poor investigations, or actions
that simply do not make sense, such as
firing a long-tenn employee for mere suspicions
or discharging an employee for
violating a minor rule that other employees
have transgressed without repercussion.
Although each wrongful tennination
case is as unique as a fingerprint, there
are generic problems to many cases that
can often be averted. In the author's
experience, one of the principal causes
for wrongful termination cases is a cavalier
and almost wreckless attitude of employers
who feel that power and authority
are justifications for whatever actions
that they take. It therefore must be
stressed that the power and authority to
discipline or fire an employee bear absolutely
no relationship to an employer's
ability to justify such a decision to a
judge, administrative agency, or jury as
many as five years after it occurs. A second
glaring error is often committed by
employers who wish to comply with their
legal and moral obligations but who fail to
do what is necessary to demonstrate patience
and reasonableness when administering
discipline. It is not uncommon, for
example, for employers to hasten to terminate
an employee only to deal with the
problems engendered by the tennination
for years to come. By exercising patience
and the willingness to provide a long-term
employee a reasonable time to identify
and improve performance to an acceptable
level, where feasible, many employers
could avoid spending time in the
court room. Patience is truly a virtue in
the defense of wrongful termination
cases.
Another area of increasing dithculty
surfaces in connection with the manner
in which disciplinary actions are carried
out. This is illustrated in cases where
employers are justified in tenninating an
employee but administer the discharge in
an entirely unreasonable and inappropriate
manner. For instance, the ability to
fire an employee for legitimate reasons
does not create a right to humiliate or
defame the employee, to invade one's privacy,
or purposely to inflict emotional
distress.
Finally, employers sometimes lose
cases where they are right in their hearts
and actions, yet they are unable to
demonstrate that they acted in a fair and
reasonable manner due to the absence of
sound personnel practices, such as properly
designed and administered progressive
discipline, termination, and documentation
procedures. It is important to emphasize
that it is not mere documentation but
good documeritation that will assist employers
to win termination cases. It is
therefore incumbent on an employer's
human resources professionals to educate
and train supervisors. The fact that supervisors,
personnel officials, and other management
representatives may iac& personal
liability will provide a useful tool in
gaining everyone's attention.
Impetus For Wrongful
Discharge Cases
As an attorney, the author feels comfortable
in acknowledging that one factor
has predominated over all others in providing
the impetus for the increase in
wrongful termination cases. That factor is
the availability of a tort theory of recovery
and the employees' potential ability to
recover punitive and exemplary damages
against their former employers. The advent
of the punitive damage remedy in
the employment area has provided an
incentive for employees to pursue actions
against their former employers and for
attorneys to accept such cases on a contingency
fee basis. The willingness of
juries to play Monday-moming-c|uarterback
with employer decisions and to
award multi-million dollar judgements to
employees whose actual losses, if any, are
a tiny fraction of those awards has stin'ed
the wrongful termination fire even more.
Moreover, candor dictates that the author
disclose that employers are the only real
victims of the wrongful termination theory.
Attorneys representing employees and
employers both benefit from the theory,
as do employees themselves. In fact, it
can be argued that it is more lucrative to
be imemployed in California than to be
employed. In some cases, this is imdoubtedly
true. Nevertheless, the economic realities
and incentives in the area suggest
that a legislative soUilion m.iy be but a
distant goal.
(continued)
SW-16
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LABOR AND
EMPLOYMENT
IN THE
THEATRE
(continued from SW-16)
Protective Measures
In light of the remote possibility that
employers will receive legislative or judicial
relief in the wrongful termination
area, employers must engage in self-help
measures. There are two categories of
steps that employers can take for this,
purpose. First, employers should consider
the adoption of some policies and practices
that are designed to keep their termination
decisions away from the court
room or, at a minimum, juries. This may
include the adoption of well-drafted policies
in employee handbooks' and application
forms that attempt to enhance the
employer's ability to argue that employment
is expressly at-will. Consequently,
the employer can argue that the at-will
relationship cannot be altered by the judicially-recognized
implied covenant of
good faith and fair dealing. Significantly,
the objective of this measure is not to discourage
employers from acting entirely in
good faith and fairly with respect to their
9[1KPniSSIOP
employees. Rather, it is designed to enable
the employer to avoid having to
demonstrate many years later that it has
met this burden. Quite simply, it is designed
to lower the threshold that the
employer will have to pass to prevail in
any wrongful termination action.
Second, there are measures that employers
can implement that will both
reduce the likelihood that wrongful discharge
actions will be filed and enhance
the employer's ability to demonstrate that
they fully met the duty of good faith and
fair dealing, if it is found applicable.
These measures include good investigations,
a two-on-orie rule, fair warning and
progressive discipline procedures, good
documentation procedures, exit interview
procedures, grievance procedures, a comprehensive
review of employee handbooks
and personnel policies, a centralization
of authority to impose or approve
serious disciplinary action in the human
resources department, and, importantly,
an evaluation of the performance of the
employer's performance evaluation system.^
The benefits that can potentially be
reaped from good personnel policies— not
alone but in the aggregate— are enormous.
Conclusion
Wrongful termination cases will not
end. Although many employers will respond
to the call and adopt protective
measures, many will continue to operate
in the bliss of not knowing that there
exists a wrongful termination doctrine
9PODUCIIOnS ^1D
and a need to be circumspect when
administering disciplinary decisions. The
bliss will of course end when a lawsuit is
filed and a former employee seeks to
recover megabucks from the employer and
individuals responsible for the discharge.
Unfortunately, the first meeting with experienced
labor counsel will be the eyeopening
experience for these employers
and may simply be too little, too late.
Those who are willing to be patient and do
what is necessary not only to be right, but
also to be in a position to prove, if necessary,
that they were right will be less likely
targets for wrongful termination actions.
More importantly, even if sued,
such employers will certainly be less likely
victims of large jury verdicts.
Employers must recognize that their
human resource functions will emerge
through the clouds of confusion that surround
this area with the concepts that can
save employers thousands in legal fees,
hundreds of hours of lost time and productivity
wasted in judicial disputes, and
at least as much real emotional distress
for the defendants as apparently any
plaintiff can allege with a stroke of a pen.
The himian resource fimction is a gold
mine to employers—not in money that it
will produce—but in dollars it will save
Those who greet the challenges that
await them in the next decade will face
serious responsibilities and derive significant
benefits from their roles. The most
effective human resource professionals
will find that encouraging fairness and
adopting sound personnel practices will
be the best key to avoiding and winning
wrongful termination cases. Interestingly,
they will advance their employers' interests
most effectively by advancing employees'
interests. Employers will find it
more effective and less expensive to consult
with their labor lawyers before the
termination rather than after. They will
therefore be wise to invest their time and
efforts in the fair treatment of employees
before they get to the court room. tttt
'The Employee Handbook and Personnel
Policies Manual by Richard J. Simmons,
published bv Castle Publications, Ltd.,
P.O. Box 580", Van Nuys, California 91408,
contains sample language for these and
other policies.
CREATIVE YET AFFORDABLE
GENERIC DATERS, CUSTOM
POLICY TRAILERS, CORPORATE LOGOS
AND SPECIALTY TRAILERS
6102 Knoll Valley Drive, Suite 308
Willowbrook, Illinois 60514
(312) 654-3147
SEE US AT SHOWEST '88 BOOTH NO. 147
Hti-Dponbe; N{j 70
-A discussion of these areas is contained
in Chapter 14 of the Employment Disenminatiun
and EEO Practice Manual for Califiniia
Employers by Richard J. Simmons,
published by Castle Publications, Ltd.,
P O, Box 580', Van Nuys. California 91408
© Richard J Simmims All rights reserved
Printed by pcnnissiim of the author.
Richard J Simmons is a nationally acclaimed
author and lecturer and one of the
top civil litigation attomcys in Soutliern Califorriia
Representing employers in a broad
range of labor relations matters, In: is a recognized
expert in wage hour, employee
discrimination, wrongful tcnninitlion and
itniimization proceedings.
SW-18
BOXOKFKi:

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the other guys don't?
Sirigje Source
Soliitions.
The simplest way to solve
a problem at your theatre concession
stands is to call one source
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bottler knows tliis. But the otlier
guys7(;all them aiul you may he
playing the numbers game Ihey
could have one phone number
for sales, one for marketing
assistance, and still another tor
service. And downtime waiting
for a response can lead to lost
sales and unhappy customers.
Willi I'epsi, you tall one
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liottk-r lor lountaiii sales, sen'ke
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F*EPSil SEucRmuE IF
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PROGRAM: STAFF TRAINING/MOTIVATION
Wednesday, February 24, 10:45 a.m.
By Harris M. Plotkin
President, Plotkin & Associates
THE PAST 12 years, Plotkin & Associates
has assisted both large and
FOR
small theatre chains in increasing
their sales and profits by utilizing our preemployment
honesty and personality
testing programs, and our customer service
training program. The keys to increasing
profits are really quite simple,
but too few organizations have taken the
steps necessary to increase those profits.
Training Workers How to Treat
Customers
What are some of the key techniques
and steps necessary to increase your profits?
One is to treat every customer in the
way you would like to be treated if you
were the customer. In order to do that,
you have to treat your employees as if
they were your customers.
We have trained hundreds of organizations,
both in the theatre industry and in
other industries, in customer service
training. Success occurs only in those
organizations where the head of the organization
treats the vice presidents as if
they were his customers, his vice presidents
treat their division managers as if
they were their customers, the division
managers treat their regional directors as
if they were their customers, the regional
people treat their managers as if they
were their customers, and the managers
treat their front-line employees as if they
were their custoiners. Then, and only
then, will the front-line employee truly
treat the customers in the way that you
want them to be treated. There's an old
expression that goes "The fish stinks
from the head." If the head of the organization
doesn't truly believe in customer
service and treat his employees with dignity,
respect and recognition, there is no
way he can expect or will ever see his
employees treat his customers the way he
would really like them treated.
Everything begins and ends with the
customer. We are all in existence to
please our customers, clients and patrons,
whomever they may be. Every action that
we take, whether we are selling boxoffice
tickets or concessions, or in the projection
booth, or booking movies, or paying
bills, or running the organization, must be
directed so that the end result is to make
the customer happy. If the customer is
happy, he will buy more concessions from
you, tell his friends, and attend your
theatre more often than your competitor.
Every major study that questions why
customers stop interacting with a business
comes up with the results: 1 percent
die, 3 percent move, 5 percent develop
other friendships, 9 percent stop because
of competitive price, 14 percent stop because
of product quality, 68 percent stop
because of indifference by sales and service
personnel.
Surprised that two-thirds of the people
that stop attending your theatre do so
because they were treated poorly by
someone on your staff? You shouldn't be.
Whether you are the owner of one theatre
or president of a large chain, at least once
a month it would be worth your while to
visit one of your theatres. Go in some kind
of disguise or have someone you really
trust, a friend, a neighbor, a relative, or
a checking service, visit one of yotir
theatres and report back to you how he
was treated by the cashier, by the tickettakers,
by the concession people, or the
ushers. If every one of those interactions
wasn't exceptionally good or didn't really
make you smile and feel that the help was
there just for you, then it's time to do
something with your organization.
Hiring the Right Person
What is iinportant to do if you do find
problems is not to fire everybody. You
need to analyze the problems. Our 20
years of experience with more than 600
clients, both in and out of the theatre
industry, has led us to conclude the following
about any organization: in order to
be successful, you have to get the right
person into the right job; their inental and
personality traits must fit the job in question;
and they should be honest. Honest
employees have a better attitude toward
work, are absent less, are rarely late, and
in general just want to do their job. If they
also have the required mental and personality
traits, they will do their job very
well. If you train them properly, they'll do
even better. Keep in mind that no amount
of training can train a round peg to fit into
a square hole. If an employee does not
have the right mental and personality
traits to be a cashier, sell concessions,
operate a projector, or manage a theatre,
no amount of training will make that person
better in his/her job. T^ie key to
achieving excellence in customer sen>ice is at
the point of selection Hinng the right person
for the right )ob is the key .
For the past ten years, American Multi
Cinema, Midstate Theatres and other
large and small theatre chains have used
our personality tests primarily to select
their theatre managers and assistant
managers. Some chains have used our
profile test to select all of their personnel,
from cashiers to concessionaires to projection
booth operators. Our honesty test
is used by most theatre groups to select
their front-line personnel. Our customer
service training has been used to train all
theatre personnel in how to deal with the
customer. Despite the great success these
and other organizations have had with our
pre-etnployment testing instruments and
training programs, it's quite surprising to
see how few theatre chains or independents
take advantage of these programs to
increase their profits.
The Tenants of Hiring
The keys to hiring successful people in
any job position are a result of their:
" Being honest
* Having the mental and personality traits
for that job
*
Being trained in the right attitiiilc for
that job in that industry
*
Being given the necessary skill training
for their job
*
Being taught about their product or service
*
Being managed, motivated, communicated
and treated with dignity, respect
and recognition
* Being held accountable for their work
as well as your patience to wait for the
right person to fit the job and the patience
to train them to perform that job successlullv.
^
SW-20
Boxoffice

COLUMBIA PICTURES
CORDIALLY
INVITES THE
mShoUtest 'SB
DELEGATES TO VISIT
OUR PENTHOUSE
HOSPITALITY SUITE.
26TH FLOOR MAIN BUILDING

PROGRAM: WOMEN IN EXHIBITION
Thursday, February 25, 9:30 a.m.
. . and
By M. Christina Galante
Assistant to the President
Public Relations Director
Theatre Assn. of Calif.
TITLE OF our Seminar, "Women In
THEExhibition," is an antipodal statement.
Historically, women have played a minor
role in the exhibition and distribution
industry. Even today, though there have
been some gains, this symbiotic relationship
still exists and there are fevi' Viromen
in executive positions in exhibition or distribution.
I don't believe this is a pejorative conspiracy,
simply an historical fact. I have,
in these past few years, often perceived a
great sense of discomfort from the "old
guard" (no matter how young) at the
intrusion of any women into their ranks.
Those women who do make it are certainly
the brightest and most determined of
us all.
Last year, when putting together a panel
of distribution executives from major
companies, there were no women who
could be placed within that group. That
day was the beginning of what I hope will
be an ongoing affirmative action on the
part of the Theatre Association to give to
capable women the guidance and opportunities
needed to go forward in this
industry and to take advantage of the special
qualities and insights we possess.
Unfortunately, it is not uncomtnon that
the letterheads of most exhibition and
distribution organizations list dozens of
men but, if lucky, only one woman. Our
own TAG has no women board, executive
committee, or coordinating committee
members or officers. These circumstances
have been slow to change, perhaps
because no woman has ever tried to
make those changes. Those of us working
in the industry, though we are small in
number, must become more visible and
more vocal, so that we may help to provide
the opportunities for a more balanced
generation of professionals to
come.
These are the facts, and to some degree
we will discuss how they affect our ability
to perform our day-to-day work.
ShoWest has, in the past, provided an
event called "Ladies Day." However, our
analysis of the women who attend Sho-
West now clearly indicates that these
women are closely involved in running
their own, or jointly helping to run, a familv
theatre or chain. They are involved in
the dav-to-day operations, promotions
and problems inherent to this unusual
business. Their roles are clearly defined
by the operations of those theatres with
which they are involved, and they come
to ShoWest to gain the insight and opportunities
necessary to more successfully
fulfill their goals. (And sometimes they
do, occasionally, suffer from the stigma of
trying to make it in a "man's world")
The object of our seminar is to help
provide the women (and men) who work
in exhibition with new ideas in promoting
their theatres and products, to give them
insight into how the studios can best be
used for ideas and materials: how to promote
at the point-of-sale, how to involve
local merchants and media outlets in special
promotions, and who to turn to for
help for special problems. We have
brought together for this some of the most
talented women working in our industry,
women who have worked both in exhibition,
distribution and marketing, and proinotions,
who understand the problems of
trying to promote in your special areas.
Although primarily aimed at helping
the women in our industry to gain insights
into new areas of opportunities and to discuss
areas of common problems, this
seminar is open to all people who can
benefit from the broad range of ideas and
concepts we will be discussing. MM
By Laura L. Rooney
Assistant Director, ShoWest
WHEN
ASKED TO Speak On the subject
of "Women in Exhibition," I
looked at the list of the other
speakers, then at my own position as
assistant director of ShoWest . panicked!
Like ShoWest, I didn't easily fall
into either the category of exhibition or of
distribution, but somewhere in between.
So what could I talk about? I decided to
stick to what I know best— ShoWest.
We all know that ShoWest is a trade
show, a series of seminars, product viewings
and, of course, social events. But the
real essence of ShoWest is that it provides
a forum for "the exchange of information
relating to the issues facing the industry."
An exchange of information about the
industry by those within the industry. In
short , the object of this exercise is to bring
together the different factions of our
industry— exhibition, distribution aiul
suppliers—in a noncompetitive, cooperative
setting. Quite simply, ShoWest is a
forum for networking.
ShoWest can be one of the best, if not
the best, forums available to the exhibition
industry. Everyone who attends is
industry affiliated. Every person you meet
here has one thing in coinmon—a vested
interest in the welfare of the theatre exhibition
industry That's a lot of common
ground!
If you are contemplating the purchase
of new equipment, what better way to
evaluate the purchase than to talk to
someone who is currently using if?
If you have a problem, whether it be
with film, equipment or concessions, is it
easier to resolves it with a stranger, or
someone who you may have had lunch
Willi here at ShoW('st?
That's what you should take home from
SlioWest—the people you meet here can
be your best resource tor information durinj;
ihe rest of the year. And that, basic, illy,
is what networking really is.
Trade shows, like ShoWest, and trade
associations, like TAG or NATO, are invaluable
tools for networking within your
industry. But many people overlook the
value of networking outside of their own
particular field. There are many associations
that can be useful tools Although
some problems are unique to the theatre
industry, many are coinmon business
problems that everyone faces. The more
channels that are open, the more information
that can be exchanged, the more
problems that can be solved, the more
cooperation that can exist.
Overused, and sometimes misimderstood,
"networking" has become a buzz
word for the 'iiO's It has been presented
as

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WOMEN IN
EXHIBITION
Rooney
(contmued from p SW-22)
attack on women. The truth of the matter
is that networking is not new— it's been
around longer than most women's movements,
longer than "Yuppies." It's been
around as long as business has been conducted.
Since men have conducted most
of the business in the past, men have
done most of the networking. It is a way
of doing business that has been firmly in
place for a long time.
Now, with women more and more a significant
part of this and every other
industry, it is important for women to
learn to tietwork. The most logical place
for women to start, of course, is among
themselves. But the answer is not to build
an "Old Girl's Network" to compete, but
to integrate the two networks into "a
group or system of interconnected or
cooperating individuals." One network.
The bottom line in exhibition, or any
other industry, is business. And networking
is nothing more than a business tool.
Making contacts within (and without)
your industry, exchanging information,
and working towards common solutions,
are not just good ways for "Women in
Exhibition" to succeed, it's just plain, oldfashioned,
good business. And that's what
ShoWest is all about.
^H
T
© 1987 Seating Concepts, In

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Why plow through all these publications
each month to get the information you need?
... all you need is Boxoffice.
BOXOFFICE
The business magazine of the motion picture industry
1800 North Highland Avenue Suite 710
Hollywood, CA 90028

ONGRATULATIONS
JERRY FORMAN
SHOWESTER
OF THE YEAR
Columbia Plctuves
_Kasaw8r~

CONGRATULATIONS
GARTH DRABINSKY
INDUSTRY'S CONSUMMATE
SHOWMAN
(Production • Distribution • Exhibition)
SHOWEST 1988
UNIVERSAL
PICTURES
01988 UNIVERSAL CITY STUDIOS. INC

: CINEPLEX ODEON :!
T^
^
^
ir
CONGRATULATIONS
TO OUR OWN
CONSUMMATE
SHOWMAN
GARTH H. DRABINSKY
YOUR FRIENDS
AND
COLLEAGUES
AT
ODEON
f
CORPORATION /
CINEPLEX

CONGRATULATIONS
JERRY FORMAN
"SHOWESTER" OF THE YEAR
T
SHOWEST 1988
UNIVERSAL
PICTURES
©19B8 UNIVERSAL CITY STUDIOS, INC

WE ALWAYS KNEW YOU WERE A
"BIG SCREEN'* star!
WARNER BROS.
sincerely con^jratulates
JERRY FORMAN
President of Pacific TTieatres
on being named
"SHOWESTER OF THE YEAR"
for his outstanding
contributions to
industry, civic and
community welfare.
CI988 WjnwtBf Im All Rmht. Rrwtvrd

WE ALWAYS KNEW YOU WERE
A BIG EXHIBITIONIST!
WARNER BROS.
sincerely congratulates
GARTH H. DRABINSKY
(in hein^ named
"THE INDUSTRY'S
CONSUMMATE SHOWMAN"
In Production/ Distribution/ Exhibition.
'^lOHS \!l'imrTPrt«< Im All Richtt Ri-«^r>l

Twentieth Century Fox
Film Corporation

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ROUNDTABLE: DISTRIBUTION AND EXHIBITION
THE TIES THAT BIND
By Buddy Golden
Executive Vice President
Domestic Distribution
Orion Pictures
. . . it's part of the
CAN DISTRIBUTION and exhibition
Howwork more closely together? Sho-
West is not only a great place to
raise the question
answer.
Over the years, this annual gathering
has given us a chance to renew friendships,
preview new product, confront the
challenges we share and air our occasional
differences. This year, of course, our
links are even stronger. Now that several
studios are again in exhibition, we can't
help but be more cognizant of each other's
problems. That kind of understanding
can lead only to more cooperation and in
turn higher revenues from which we both
benefit.
As a distributor, for example, I am naturally
concerned about the short shelf life
of the product we sell. There is no way to
vacuum pack or freeze dry a movie. At a
time of escalating print
and advertising
costs, it must open strong and stay on
screens to recoup our outlay.
There are, of course, rare exceptions,
pictures which are justifiably "platformed,"
But in most instances, the challenge
is to survive the birth pangs of the
first weekend's grosses and settle in for a
long healthy run. Nothing is more frustrating
than to see a movie vanish just
when it's starting to find its legs and reach
its target audience.
In the spirit of cinematic glasnost, however,
let's look at the same problem from
the exhibitor's point of view. A fine wine
may need time to breathe but a bad film
doesn't get any better with age. The
temptation to replace a sub-par picture
with an unknown quantity— that just
might be a blockbuster— is understandable.
Still, the beauty of today's multiplex
theatres is that one screen which isn't
performing will not jeapordize an otherwise
strong week. We simply ask our
exhibitor friends to be sensitive to a film's
vital signs and give it every fighting
chance before pulling the plug.
There is another aspect of the relationship
which merits attention; honoring the
commitments we make to each other.
Returning to ShoWest's status as an industry
forum—a swap meet of ideas— the
subject of "theatre environment" has frequently
come up at these conventions.
The nation's exhibitors have made a commitment
to excellence— and kept it brilliantly.
The state-of-the-art projection
and sound, comfortable seats, convenient
parking and well-trained staffs of today's
new cinema complexes confirms the vitality
of our business—and the intelligence
of their management
At the same time, we have honored our
commitment to invest in talent, craft,
imagination and invention— and to back
the films which result with powerful advertising,
publicity and promotion. At
Orion, I'm pleased to say, we have never
(continued p SW-34)
By Samuel Goldwyn, Jr.
President, The Samuel Goldwyn Co.
RECENT YEARS, the relationship be-
exhibitors and distributors has
INtween
become lopsided, with exhibitors
showing a lack of good old-fashioned
showmanship. The burden has been
shifted almost entirely over to the distributors
and producers, with exhibitors in
retreat, particularly on the local level. But
as the business goes through changes year
in and year out, one thing remains the
same—distributors and exhibitors have to
work together. Their mutually beneficial
relationship should both anticipate and
respond to the changing tastes of audiences
by giving the product the best
possible platform.
For the distributor, his work with the
exhibitor is one of his primary marketing
tools. This is particularly true for the
mini-majors and independents, whose
specialized films require an approach
hand-tailored to reach specific audiences
within each market. Although the content
of each film dictates the thrvist of the
advertising and publicity campaigns, the
way that campaign is expressed in terms
of promotions at the local level depends
on the strength of the distributor/exhibitor
relationship, and the imagination that
is put to use.
At Goldwyn, it is one of the areas that
we have concentrated on. Our theatrical
sales managers visit their territories
throughout the year, to get to know the
exhibitors as well as the territories. In that
way the sales managers know the specific
theatres and neighborhoods that will provide
the best results for tlie film.
The sales department, though, is only
the first step in our work with exhibitors.
As soon as bookings are made, the publicity
department steps in, contacting the
exhibitors so that publicity and promotion
will reach optimum levels. In an age
where television and radio film critics
have proliferated on a local level, our contacts
within each territory work with us to
reach these opinion-makers, in addition
to our nationwide press list that gives us
access to the media on a one-to-one basis
across the country. But it is in promotions
that we work most closely with our exhibitors.
Last year, we scored a critical and boxoffice
success with "Hollywood Shuffle."
We felt this film could perfbnn well
across the board, not only in the major
markets, but in smaller cities. In addition
to sending Robert Townsend to New York,
Chicago, Washington, D.C., and other urban
centers, we sent him to places that
most promotional tours don't travel to,
such as Durham, North Carolina. Durham
is the perfect case-in-point to show how
effective good showmanship is on the
local level. Steven Barefoot, a homegrown
Mike Todd from the Carolina
Theatre, got local hotels and merchants
involved both with the film and Townsend's
appearance in such creative ways
thai everyone in town was aware of a very
(ainiiniic{l /'
S\V-32)
SW-28
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ROUNDTABLE: DISTRIBUTION AND EXHIBITION
THE TIES THAT BIND
. . year-round.
a
EVEN
By Mitchell Goldman
President/coo
New Line Distribution, Inc.
AS WE all say goodbye to movie
audience seasonality and issue a
warm vvfelcome to year-round boxoffice
bliss, we might do well to look behind
the proverbial curtain at some of the reasons
for our current collective good fortune.
Independent distributors
Line Cinema have played a crucial role in
strengthening boxoffice, and thus the ties
that bind distribution and exhibition.
While the major studios have traditionally
focused a lot of their energies and
product on the traditional peak periods of
Summer and Christmas—independents
have been a source of fresh motion picture
product during the "in between"
such as New
periods.
Independents realized that the doors of
exhibtion swung open just as wide in February
as in June, provided that there were
appealing films to see. It has been the
independents who have reacted to this
need expressed by exhibition. Independents
have nurtured movie-going during
those off-peak periods—helping to create
the "all-year" market. By filling the void,
independent distribution has helped to
insure a consistently profitable business
for both sides. It may sound corny because
the concept is so simple, but it
works.
Another reason independent distribution
now has established a strong bond
with exhibition is that the line distinguishing
product from majors and independents
is blurring:
• In production values Yes, independents
keep a close eye on expenses. But
we get more for our dollars than majors
who routinely allocate 20 percent or more
of a film's budget to overhead.
• In marketing Here the difference
hardly exists. Leading independents such
a New Line devote substantial advertising,
promotion and publicity budgets, and utilize
the same creative experts for their
films as the majors.
And let me assure you that in the main
the independent distributors are healthy.
We at New Line did not move into lavish
office buildings of marble and glass on
expensive real estate. We did not roll the
dice on movies with negative costs of S25
million.
Quite to the contrary, we are financially
strong and profitable because New Line
has kept to its proven business plan of
producing and distributing a diverse slate
of films, with an eye to the "in between"
periods.
In the spirit of working together, distribution
and exhibition continue to thrive
even as the entertainment marketplace
expands to accomodate new media.
It's a strategy that propelled us to the
Number One position among independents
for boxoffice share in 1987, and that
will serve us and the exhibition community
well in 1988.
We're thrilled to be an important part of
the independent distribution effort that is
creating those increasingly-strong ties
that bind .
H
By Alan Belkin
Executive VP, Distribution
Spectrafilm
THE
MAJOR STUDIOS are having a
uniquely great year at the boxoffice.
Unique, not because there are blockbuster
hits, but because all the studios are
stacking up big numbers. We must remember
that in most years we see only a
few studios hit big while the others watch
picture after picture open and close.
When the wealth is not so evenly spread,
exhibitors will look to independents to
pick up the slack. Logically, they will turn
to the few independents who "behave"
most like the major studios by delivering
quality mainstream product and driving it
to the marketplace with financial clout.
Unfortunately, 1988 will see a reduction
in the number of independent distributors.
There is too much product and too
many distributors. Some will cut back,
some will merge, others will be gone. During
this period of product glut, exhibitors
must support those independents that are
involved in production and have a strong
marketing and sales organization. Spectrafilm
has the staying power to be there
when the dust clears as we establish ourselves
to be one of two or thrc(^ that can
do the job.
Spectrafilm is a full-service distribution
company with four branches located in
Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, and Dallas
We are staffed with personnel that
bring a broad range of studio experience.
Most importantly, we have pockets deep
enough to deliver P & A expense on any
given picture in a manner that allows for
a Spectrafilm release to compete with any
other product.
Knowing who we are and who we aren't
has taken Spectrafilm into the philosophy
that we must work as "partners" with
exhibitors. We rely on their knowledge of
the marketplace to assist in decisions
regarding the timing of the release, required
media support, and screen selection.
In turn, we deliver exhibitors what
we promise, and then some! Spectrafilm
is in the forefront of leading the independents
back to a road show philosophy—
carefully coordinated combination of advertising,
promotion, and publicity. We
are in the theatrical business looking for
theatrical rentals That's the bottom line.
SW-30
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Nd 77

ROUNDTABLE: DISTRIBUTION AND EXHIBITION
THE TIES THAT BIND
By Richard Abramowitz
Senior Vice President/Sales
Cinecom
OUR
INDUSTRY TODAY is Seeing a number
of changes in the ways in which
motion pictures are distributed and
exhibited. How can independent distribution
in general, and Cinecom in particular,
change its vision of the theatrical
market to benefit both ourselves and exhibition?
Using Cinecom as an example,
let's explore some of the ways we can
meet the needs of a changing business.
The sheer volume of product now being
released—more than two thirds of it independently
produced (354 independent
productions versus 161 productions by the
majors/minors in 1986) —means that independent
distributors such as Cinecom
no longer have the luxury of waiting for
good word of mouth to build demand for
the quality product we distribute. The
result is a significant shift in strategy for
Cinecom and other independents noted
for quality product: we now are moving
away from the traditional strategy of exclusive
or limited engagements and toward
mini-multiple and significantly
wider breaks in 1988.
Product Explosion
A number of factors account for this
shift in strategy— not least of them the
tremendous critical and boxoffice success
we and other independents have experienced
over the past few years. The current
surplus of product is such that at
least a dozen new films now open on a
typical three-day weekend, with more
stacked up right behind. Even with the
explosion in the number of available
screens in the plexes, there isn't enough
space in the theatres to accommodate
them all. Consequently, if a film does not
find an audience in the first few weeks of
its release, it's history.
These and related trends have led Cinecom
to modify our approach not only to
distribution, but to production as well.
Our production budgets are still quite
modest by industry standards: A forthcoming
Richard Gere film tentatively titled
"Farm of the Year" came in at its
intended $5 million budget. Nevertheless,
we now are moving beyond "niche" marketing
to produce and distribute films
with broader demographic appeal—a different
kind of "cross-over" film.
Crossing The Demographic Line
The primary audience for most Cinecom
films historically has been the baby
boom generation (including the muchreviled
Yuppies), as opposed to the 12-18
year age group targeted by most major
sutdios over the past ten years. But the
film business is cyclical, and the major
studios have now run through their cycle
of teenage sex comedies and kiddie sci-fi.
They've seen that money can be made
with films like "Room With A View";
they've seen that there's an audience out
there that's older than 16. What's more,
this audience is growing. In 1985, the
median age in the United States was 31;
by 1995, it will be approaching 35. The
members of this older audience will only
see a film once, not two or three times;
but if you reach enough of them, you've
got a hit.
Cinecom's task is to build from this
existing audience base. Creating a "crossover"
hit—even if the crossover is onl^'
between two related demographic
groups—is like cross-breeding roses. You
can create a freak or a beautiful blend.
Richard Gere, for example, does not necessarily
appeal just to 35-year-old male
college graduates. He also appeals to a
younger, blue collar crowd, and to women
of all ages. Similarly, the script for "Farm
Of The Year" is set in a blue collar environment,
but the story is one that has a
sophisticated appeal as well. In other
words, we're looking for that beautiful
blend.
200 to 400 Screens in '88
This is not to say that we intend to compete
head-to-head with the majors—We
don't have 800-1500 prints out there, as
the major studios often do. But we will be
going with broader releases (200-400
screens) in the major metropolitan markets
where Cinecom films have done so
well in the past.
Deeper penetration in the major metropolitan
markets, where our films have
historically performed best, also permits
us to maximize the impact of the advertising
dollars we spend in the big cities—in
effect, to get more bang for our media
bucks.
Finally, in this era of cinematic "supermarkets,"
the increased potential for
cross-plugging films with trailers in the
major chains cannot be ignored; it can be
an extremely important factor in the success
of a broad release. Cross-promotion
of this sort provides a great opportunity to
garner point-of-purchase exposure,
which in our business is a most effective
and cost-efficient kind of marketing.
It's a bigger and more competitive
world out there, and we're ready for it.
Despite the increasing competition, we
believe that quality will out. We believe
that if we continue to produce and market
movies as well as we always have, our
films will always find screens, and of
course, crowds, for those exhibitors who
show our product.
iMi
Goldwyn
(continued from p. SW-28)
special event taking place, and the
grosses reflected these efforts.
On "The Care Bears Movie," our press
kit was supplemented by an exhibitors
manual that not only outlined what promotions
were already in place, which
included tie-ins with Pizza Hut, Kenner
Toys, and American Greetings Corporation,
but also gave exhibitors ideas on the
kinds of things they could do on a local
level. There were suggestions for coloring
contests, point of purchase displays, and
department store tie-ins. With "The Chipmunk
Adventure" we provided an extra
incentive for exhibitors to use the manual
and their imagination— a contest for the
biggest, most imaginative promotional
campaign. The prize was a trip for two to
Paris for the grand prize winner and trips
to Mexico and Bennuda for the first two
rtinncrs-up. Our 22-page manual was read
with avid interest, and the exhibitors
came through with great campaigns to
reach their local audience.
While a trip to Paris isn't always an
incentive, higher grosses are. The work
we did together on films as diverse as "Sid
& Nancy," "Prick Up Your Ears," "Hollywood
Shuffle" and "The Chipmunk Adventure"
increased profits for everyone
involved, and brought us closer to exhibitors
across the country. Once again,
though, it was up to Goldw\'n, as the distributor,
to provide the impetus to put on
a good show It's time to put the distribution/exhibition
relationship bci

EST. 1963
CONSULTING • DESIGN • INSTALLATION • SERVICE
^

«
mShaUiest V8
CONVENTION & TRADE FAIB«FEB 23 24, 25, IMS-BALLYS HOTEL-LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
Schedule of Events
and
Trade Show Booth Listings
Monday, February 22
12:00 noon Registration
- 8:00
p.m.
Palace Rooms 3-4
7:00 p.m.

QSC Customers
Are Buying More
ThanA Product;
They're Also
Buying Our
Support."
Barrj' Andrews
Presidenc.
QSC Audio.
"What if it breaks?" That's an ugly question, but an
unavoidable one for anybody who buys a pro audio
product. At QSC. we won't leave you high and dry if you
have a problem with one of our amplifiers. We pride
ourselves on the reputation we've earned for quick and
courteous
service.
We offer a
3 year warrant^'
on
our Series
Three amps
and a 2-year warranty on our Series One. For QSC.
anticipating problems before they occur is a pan of
effective design. Through careful engineering, we've
been able to make service easy for our customers, our
dealers and ourselves. Protection from real-world
hazards is built right into QSC amplifiers. Take the
patented Output Averaging Circuit used in our top-ofthe-line
Series Three and more economical Series One.
It
provides complete protection from short circuits
without compromising the
amplifier's performance. Both the
input and output stages of QSC
amplifiers are fully isolated against
overdrive. RF bumout or unstable
loads. Even your speakers are
proteaed against destruction
caused by DC fault The modular
design of our Series Three amplifiers makes service easy
in the event that something does go wn-ong. Each
channel is built into its ov\m front-removal module, which
can be easily taken out for service. Modules are
conneaed to the mainframe by means of a locking goldplated
connecnor on a flexible cable -an interface that
stands up to rough handling. For QSC. service means a
lot more than just fixing things. It means listening. We
listen to your problems as well as your praise. And we've
incorporated that real -world experience into the design
and service of every produa we make. For more information
contaa: QSC Audio Produtis. 1926 Placentia
Avenue, Costa Mesa. CA 92627, (714) 645-2540.
Response No 72
^SC Quality
Service
Commiimcni

STEAMETTE
moist heat portable steam table
S 235 WITHOUT PANS
F.O.B.QUINCY, MICH. 49082
/A)/\ 1U(
MS4 HOT DOGS!
SILENT SALESMAN mtra Red Ouanz Tubes Speci
fications Holds 56 Dogs, up to 6'.. inches long, size l7":x17V:
(Foot-Long Spit fits this machine, holds 48 UL-CSA and Nilapproved)
27" High, Lid raised 39" 110 Volt, 10 Amp, 60 Cycle
Weight 45 lbs Stainless Steel-Tempered Glass with Aluminum Fire
Prevention base Guaranteed unconditionally 90 days
MORE THAN DOUBLES HOT DOG &
SAUSAGE SALES— P.D.Q.
STEAMETTE
specifications -Stamless Steel
14"xl3"x12" high Chromolox element with on and otf thermostat heat
control to keep steady temperature Avoids drying out of food or loss
of flavor Your pans will fit the sfeamette Use (4) Vs size 6" deep or (2)
size
'A size 6' deep or (2) and ',.. (1)
SEE YOUR EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER OR WRITE:
Olk^El^ ENTERPRISES ,
BOX 35, QUINCY, MICH. 49082
(517) 639-9825
Response No 87
INC.
1
ADAMS & BROOKS, INC.
Candy
BOOTH 67
ALADDIN SYNERGETICS
Custom printed insulated mugs
BOOTH 58
R.J. ALLEN COMPANY
Candy and confections
BOOTH 91
AMERICAN AMUSEMENT
MACHINE ASSN.
Trade association
BOOTH 201-202
AMERICAN CONCESSION
SUPPLY
THEATRE SPECIALTIES
CO.
Concession supplies and equipment
BOOTH 15, 28
AMERICAN DESK
Theatre chairs
BOOTH 88-89
AMERICAN LICORICE
Candy
BOOTH 155
AMERICAN SEATING
Theatre chairs
BOOTH 174-175
AMERICAN SOFTSERVE
SYSTEMS, INC.
Sottserve mix and equipment
programs
BOOTH 31
AMERICAN THEATRE
PRODUCTS/
LP ASSOCIATES, INC.
Xenon lamp equipment, projectors,
film cleaner
BOOTH 176-177
A.J. ANTUNES&CO./
ROUNDUP FOOD
EQUIPMENT
Hoi dog, hamburger equipment
BOOTH 172
ARMOUR FOOD CO.
Hot dog supplier
BOOTH 2 1
ASHLY AUDIO
Audio equipment
BOOTH 17
ASSOCIATED NETWORK
DISTRIBUTORS INC.
National concession distributor
BOOTH 125
AVL SYSTEMS, INC.
Acoustical wall and ceiling products
BOOTH 42-43
BGW SYSTEMS
Audio equipment
BOOTH 37
BAGCRAFT CORP. OF
AMERICA
Popcorn bags, fast food items
BOOTH 106
BALLANTYNE OF OMAHA
STRONG INTERNATIONAL
Projection equipment
BOOTH 92-95
BANNER CANDY
Candy and confections
BOOTH 90
bAb^a INUUbiHica
Display cases, frames, marquees
BOOTH 96-97A
BEVELITE ADLER
Changeable letters
BOOTH 56
BOSE CORPORATION
Cinema sound systems
BOOTH 212-213
S. BOSE INC.
Movie Mover film shipping containers
BOOTH 29
BRASS SMITH, INC.
Crowd control
BOOTH 194
CALIFORNIA SEATING &
REPAIR CO., INC.
Theatre seating
BOOTH 9
CAM AM PACKAGING
Popcorn bags
BOOTH 119
CARTS OF COLORADO, INC.
Mobile food carts
BOOTH 145-146
CHOCOLATE MAVEN, LTD.
Cookies and brownies
BOOTH 13
COCA-COLA USA
Beverages
BOOTH 100-103
CHRISTIE ELECTRIC CORP.
Projection equipment
BOOTH 104-105
CINE COASTERS
Cuphotder armrests
BOOTH 62
CINEMA CONCEPTS
THEATRE SERVICE
Computerized animated trailers
BOOTH 131
CINEMA FILM SYSTEMS, INC.
Projection equipment
BOOTH 52-55
CINEMECCANICA U.S. INC.
Projection equipment
BOOTH 181
CLARK & CLARK MFG., INC.
Cup holders
BOOTH 165
CLARK SIGNS, INC.
Menu boards
BOOTH 8
J.G. CLARK COMPANY
Popcorn containers, carryout trays
BOOTH 203
CONSOLIDATED
CONCESSION SUPPLIERS
Concession products
BOOTH 111, 124
CONTINENTAL BONDWARE
paper disposables
BOOTH 98-99
SW-36
BOXOFFICE

I
C. CRETORS & CO.
Concession equipment and supplies
BOOTH 74-75
DAWSEY SALES COMPANY
One-Lite. Country Roads.
Econo-Pteat
BOOTH 164
DECOLITE
Low voltage lighting
BOOTH 163
DEL MONTE USA HAWAIIAN
PUNCH
Beverages
BOOTH 159-160
DI-AN CONTROLS. INC.
Computer systems
BOOTH 151-152
DIVERSIFIED MANAGEMENT
SERVICES
Computerized ticketing, concessions
systems
BOOTH 142-143
DOLBY LABORATORIES
Cinema sound processors
BOOTH 6061
DR PEPPER COMPANY
Beverages
BOOTH 59
DURKEE FOODSERVICE
Popping and topping oils
BOOTH 86
EMERALD ISLE
S/iaAes. Inj't drinks
BOOTH 120
EPRAD, INC.
Protection and sourxl systems
BOOTH 161162
FASHION WORLD CAREER
APPAREL. INC.
Unitorrr.i,
BOOTH 209
GEORGE FENMORE
ASSOCIATES, INC.
Souvenir programs, licensed
merchandise
BOOTH 2
KEITH C. FERGUSON
COMPANY
Freezers and ice machines
BOOTH 61*
FINES ARTS PICTURES
framed art prints
BOOTH 210
THE FONDA GROUP. INC.
Cups and tuts
BOOTH >«
THE FOREIGN CANDY CO.,
INC
Candy
BOOTH 1?«
FORT HOWARD
Containers, paper goods
BOOTH 78
FRAZIER
Loudspeaker sysrtKns
BOOTH 35
GERRARD ASSOi.lATtS, INC.
Cor. ,•. ,• • .-; .
booths;
GIACONA CONTAINER CO
Plastic drink cups
BOOTH 166
GLEN RAVEN MILLS
Upholstery labiu
booth 173
GOLD MEDAL PRODUCTS
Concession equipmeni
BOOTH 134
GOLDBERG BROTHERS. INC.
Reels, cases, reminders spliy'ers
BOOTH 115
GUILT-LESS CONFECTIONS
Sugar-tree confections
BOOTH 1 10
HAAGEN-DAZ
|
Ice cream
BOOTH 226
HARRAH'S THEATRICAL
DRAPERIES. INC.
Draperies
BOOTH 46
DA. HAYNE THEATRE
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Corxxssion equipment
design installation
BOOTH 144
HENRY HEIDE, INC.
Candy
BOOTH 156
HERSHEY CHOCOLATE
COMPANY
Candy
BOOTH 127
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
Industry publication
BOOTH 123
HUSSEY SEATING CO.
Theatre seats
BOOTH 44 45
ILLUMILITE, INC.
Low voltage tutx lighting
BOOTH 1 1 ?
IMAGE NATIONAL, INC.
Marquees, signs, interior design
BOOTH 217 218
IMPERIAL CUP CORP.
Cups and containers
BOOTH 157
INTERACT COMPUTER
SYSTEMS
Theatre automation syalama
BOOTH 68
INTERMISSION
PRODUCTIONS. LTD
trailers
BOOTH 147
IRWIN SEATING COMPANY
Ttieatie seatmg
BOOTH 1 VI 119 149
THE PROFESSIONALS
TO CALL FOR:
• Motion Picture Thealte Equipment
• Architectural, Consulting & Engineering Services
• Commercial Screening Rooms
• Private Viewing Rooms
fsR
• Parts, Supplies, Service ip"
• Draperies & Seating
UW
-^
^
f:i^P>'iTC(]W[^^T? ^jOTOE)
BRANCH OFFICES:
MILWAUKEE
34920 West Lake Drive
Suite 200
PO Box 178
Okauchee. Wl 53069
(414) 567-8822
So. Cal.
BURBANK
'•.ANOO BLVD
(818) 842 5111
MINNEAPOLIS
7667 CAHILL ROAD
MINNFAPOLIS MN 5543^.
612/829 0161
DES MOINES
1005 Hi()h SUi'i'A
D.'s fWoin.js, lA 50309
515/243 6520
HARRAH'S
THtA iRlSt:R\ ICE
Si ppi y.
No
/vc-
Cal.
HAY WARD
25413 Dollar SI Unil =1
(415) 881 4989
HARRAH'S
THEATRICAL DRAPERIES. INC.
A Complete Drapers/ Service
401 SiMiili Fl..wir Sl Biiib.ink CA 94541
(818)845-3388
HOLLYWOOD
THEATRE
EQUIPMEFNT
3300 N 29lh Ave Suite 104
Hnllyw(.n

SW-3S
FOR ALL YOUR
PROJECTION ROOM
SUPPLIES...
MARBLE
• X-Cel Xenon Bulbs
• Sankor MC Lens
• Double Eagle Carbons
• Reflectors
• Sound Lens h
• Extra-narrow Slit Lens
• Exciter Lamps
• Splicers and Tape
• Projector Oil
• AND MORE!
QUALITY AT
AFFORDABLE PRICES
IMMEDIATE DELIVERY
see us In Showest Booth 132
or Call Today 1-800-327-3621
THeMaaARBLE COMBMMY INC
^—^ (SIS) 227-7772. Toll Fi»t 1-800-327-3621
BOXOFFICF.
Hesponse No. 84
THE ISALY KLONDIKE
COMPANY
BOOTH 171
ISLAND ENTERPRISES
Signage
BOOTH 224
JBL PROFESSIONAL
Loudspeakers and amplification
systems
BOOTH 30-31
JUST BORN, INC.
Confection items
BOOTH 83A
KINOTONE DIVISION OF
ARRIFLEX
Ttieatre and studio projection
equipment
BOOTH 214-215
KINTEK, INC.
Stereo sound equipment
BOOTH 137
KLIPSCH & ASSOCIATES,
INC.
Loudspeakers
BOOTH 49
KNEISLEY ELECTRIC
COMPANY
Consoles, lamptiouses, power
supplies
BOOTH 12
L & L CONCESSION SUPPLY
Concession supplies
BOOTH 220-222
L & L DECOR
Low voltage ligtiting
BOOTH 213A
LANCER CORPORATION
Beverage dispensers
BOOTH 140
LAWRENCE METAL
PRODUCTS, INC.
Crowd control
BOOTH 122
LEAF, INC.
Candy
BOOTH 82
LEHEIGH ELECTRIC
PRODUCTS CO.
Ligfiting control systems
BOOTH 216
LIFT OFF,
Cleaners
BOOTH 186
INC.
LIQUID DELIVERY SYSTEMS
Carbonators
BOOTH 158
M & M MARS
Candy
BOOTH 71-73
4
MANU-TECH
Backpack blow cleaners
BOOTH 189
THE MARBLE COMPANY
Projection equipment, supplies
BOOTH 132
MARK IV CINEMA SYSTEMS
Loudspeakers and electronics
BOOTH 16. 27
MARSH CONCESSION
SUPPLY
Popcorn, candy, paper goods
METROPOLITAN
CONCESSIONS
INDUSTRIES
Concession supplies
BOOTH 808
1
MICHIGAN FRUIT CANNERS
Ctieese sauce
BOOTH 121
MONSTER CABLE
PRODUCTS, INC.
cable manufacturer
BOOTH 197
NESTLE FOODS
CORPORATION
Candy
BOOTH 1 1
ODELL'S
Popcorn loppings
BOOTH 58
OMNIMOUNT SYSTEMS
Mounting assemblies for speakers
BOOTH 14
OMNITERN DATA
TECHNOLOGY LTD
Computerized ticketing and
management systems
BOOTH 20-23
OPENINGS
Doors
BOOTH 188
OPTICAL RADIATION CORP.
Projection equipment
BOOTH 84-87
THE ORIGINAL MOVIE
COOKIE CO,
Cookies
BOOTH 205
OSCAR MAYER & CO.
Hot dogs and sausages
BOOTH 5-7
OSRAM CORPORATION
Xenon lamps
BOOTH 32-33
P & T DISTRIBUTORS. INC.
Candy
BOOTH 204
PACER CORPORATION
computerized boxotlice ticketing,
1
concessions, management systems
BOOTH 40-4 1 . 50-5

PACKAGING CORP. OF
AMERICA
Molded fibre trays
BOOTH n6
PEPSI-COLA
Son drinks
BOOTH 112-113
PERMEX
Sellillumr>atir}g exit sigrts
BOOTH 4 7
PIKE PRODUCTIONS
r-.j >vs and datefs
BOOT" 15
POTTS, INC.
Platter syslervs
BOOTH Ml
PRESTIGE UNIFORM
CORPORATION
Unitorms
BOOTH 200
PROCTOR COMPANIES
Concessjon counters
BOOTH 107-109
PROGRESSIVE IMAGE, INC.
Unitorms
BOOTH 48
OUINETTE INTERNATIONAL
S.A.
Sealing
BOOTH 207 206
QSC AUDIO PRODUCTS, INC.
Power amplifiers
BOOTH 26
RICOS PRODUCTS CO.
Mac/K« aixl Mexican food products
BOOTH 68
REED SPEAKER MFG. CO.
INC.
Drrve-ln loudspeakers
BOOTH 76
ROCKY MOUNTAIN
CONCENTRATES
Coffee ai-d lea
BOOTH 187
RONNIE PACKAGING
Paper and toil baf/s
BOOTH 185
SAN JAMAR. INC.
Paper product dispensers
BOOTH 70
SARGENTO CHEESE INC.
Cfncolale covered cheesecake on a
stick
BOOTH 206
SCHNEIDER CORPORATION
Lenses
BOOTH IS4
SCHULT DESIGN A DISPLAY
Display cases, /twtqusvs. signs
BOOTH 223
SEATING CONCEPTS
Soaring
BOOTH 380S
SELF-POWERED LIGHTING
S«lf-lurvinous exits
BOOTH 227
SERVER PRODUCTS. INC.
Concessjon equipment
BOOTH 24 25
THE SEVEN-UP COMPANY
Beverages
BOOTH 79
SHIP H OUT COMPANY
Crowd control
BOOTH 196
SILVER SCREEN
SPECIALTIES
Policy trailers
BOOTH 170
SITCO
Beverage dispensers
BOOTH 64
SMART THEATRE SYSTEMS
Soufxi equipment
BOOTH 129-130
SOUND MANAGEMENT INC.
Cuptiolders, computer
software hardware
BOOTH 165
SPACELABS HEALTH CARE
Video scales
BOOTH 153
SPECTRA CINE, INC.
Screen brigtitness measurement
equipment
BOOTH 226
SOUNDFOLD
INTERNATIONAL
Acoustical wallcoverings
BOOTH 1?6
STEIN INDUSTRIES, INC.
Con' *•^-.^^^ -stands and equipment
BOOTH l.'B 179
SYSTEMS « PRODUCTS
ENGINEERING CO
Protection equipment
BOOTH 1&11
TECCON ENTERPRISES. LTD
Magnetic recording lieads
BOOTH 63
TEMPO INDUSTRIES, INC.
Aisle lighting
BOOTH 1 18
THEATRON DATA SYSTEMS
Jtiontin Ik kntirxi 'inti < . vv *,'.'.jivi
rj^anagement oqwpmont
BOOTH 162- 183. 1*2- 103
TIVOLI INDUSTRIES
li^Jlil'i-J .,:l..in:
Htn •!" :*
RGM THEATRE SYSTEMS
Practical Products From
Imaginative Thinking
INDUSTRIES. INC.
3342 Lillian Blvd. • Titusville. PL 32780
Automation
• Single and
Multiple
Projectors
• Remote Controls
• Monitors
SPATS I
MSS 4000
I
Sound
Systems
MONO
• Dual Amp.
• Single Amp
STEREO
• 2 to 6
channel
• Surround
SURROUND
SPEAKERS
• 4ft. -Sft
Amplifiers
• 75W-400W
"m 1
Film Break Pager
Call today for Spec. Sheets and Details
(305) 269-4720
March. I'JHX SW -
W

Teccon Theatre Heads
sound better
and last up to
20 times
longer than
conventional
heads.
1
Created and produced
in the United States of America
TOMMA FOODS, INC.
Snack foods
BOOTH 169
TRANS-LUX CORPORATION
LED displays
BOOTH 18-19
ULTRA STEREO LABS
Sound systems
BOOTH 77
UNIFORMS TO YOU
Uniforms
BOOTH 190-191
UNIVERSAL EDIBLE OILS,
INC.
Oils and shortening
BOOTH 33A
UPKEEPER COMPANY
Vacuums
BOOTH 167-168
VIDECAM PRESENTATIONS,
INC.
Video advertising
BOOTH 131
VISTA MFG., INC.
Low voltage lighting
BOOTH 36
686 Cliffside Dr. San Dimas, CA 91773
(714) 599-0817
VITASCOPE CORPORATION
Wide screen theatre systems
BOOTH 228
Response No 9
WAGNER ZIP-CHANGE INC.
Changeable letters
BOOTH 219
COMPLETE
THEATRE SUPPLY &
SERVICE COMPANY
JOHN R. EICKHOF
PROJECTION & SOUND
Motion Picture Theatre Equipment & Sound
Authorized Distributor for Many Manufacturers
Featuring Altec Lansing & Ultra •Stereo
WELDON, WILLIAMS & LICK,
INC.
Theatre tickets
BOOTH 150
WESTROCK VENDING
VEHICLES CORP.
Vending carts
BOOTH 1
WIDMAN POPCORN
COMPANY
Popcorn
BOOTH 180
C & J WILLENBORG INC.
Gummy bears
BOOTH 199
WILSEY FOODS
Popping oils
BOOTH 133
Projector Paris & Repair Service Featuring
Film Systems, ORC Lamps, Speco, Neumade, Technikole, I'otts
WINCHESTER CARTON A
ROCK-TENN COMPANY
Soxes and packaging
BOOTH 148
SW-40
(916) 346-2094 • P.O. BOX 1071, COLFAX, CA 95713
BOXOFFICE
SAVE $$$ ON YOUR
NEXT XENON PURCHASE
Response No, 93
WYANDOT, INC.
Popcorn and snack foods
BOOTH 195-196
XETRON A DIVISION OF
NEUMADE PRODUCTS
Projection equipment
BOOTH 135-136

I
'
J?!
?ri ?T', 219 ?ie 2ir 2.t JH 2i4 fH« 71! ?.
«i
20. ZS
i- r—
19 ;z4
e^'
"ZJ
IS
!za
14 29
I- I—
15 30
I! '31
[I

MARKETING
Using Promotional Materials
By Madelyn Fenton
Director, Exhibitor Relations
Columbia Pictures
TRAILERS Almost every film has one.
Exhibitors get them for free. Distributors
have anxiety attacks over
them. They can make or break a fihn. And
most trailers will never see a screen.
Many studios view trailers as the single
most effective marketing tool. Trailers
play to captive audiences, who often look
forward to seeing upcoming attractions.
The goals are clear:
(IJ To make the consumer aware of a
film, and
(2) To convince them to see it.
Getting trailers up on screens has become
highly competitive. Frequently,
creative materials are late, so studios
need to have them programmed immediately.
But the glut of product (practically
all films have trailers) has every studio
calling exhibitors and demanding screen
time, regardless of play date.
Exhibition is then faced with a neverending
juggling act. During the busiest
seasons, when there is limited space,
managers may receive instructions to
play only:
(A) Their next upcoming feature (s),
(B) A trailer attached to the film, or
(C) An upcoming trailer for a film from
the same company as the feature.
Occasionally studios need to adjust
their expectations from exhibitors in the
placement of their trailers. On the other
hand, exhibitors must realize the importance
that studios place on trailers to generate
pre-release publicity for their features.
Cooperation can help reduce this
key source of frustration between distribution
and exhibition.
But trailers are not the only tools at our
disposal to make the audience anticipate
an upcoming movie. Some examples: An
allotment of one sheets can be sent to
theatres for customer giveaways. Special
buttons or lobby standees can help to
create more title recognition. Printing
free flyers of critics' reviews can help a
specialty film.
(continued)
Creating a Comprehensive
Marketing Plan
By Michele Reese
Michelc! Reese Marketing
As
A MARKETING executive I have
often been asked "How can we save
money and still market this film
ettectively?" The answer is simple. Start
with a good marketing plan and work that
plan.
Now, this may sound elementarv, but it
IS not. Too often studios find themselves
faced with pre-release uncertainty where
producers and executives are not sure
about the message the marketing-distribution
team is sending to the public a few
weeks before the release. The result of
this imcertainty is at best a confused marketing-distribution
group that telegraphs
U) the public mixed messages about the
film that it is trying to sell. Not only does
the public pick up the air of uncertainty,
but the critics spot the weakness, focus on
it and amplify it to the public reinforcing
that impression
By marketing plan, I mean a comprehimsive,
coordinated blueprint that
makes it clear to those who must imple-
exactly what the studio's design is
ment it
for a particular film. This plan must be
clear, simple, flexible and affordable.
At a minimum, the plan better answer
these questions: What are we selling?
Who are we selling it to? When do we
intend to release it? Where will it be
released? Why will anyone want to sec it?
And, how will we release this film?
What you may have noticed is that the
basic five W's and H of journalism are also
the basis of this planning process.
The other essential element is timeliness.
It makes no difterence how good
your film or your team is if you are too
late to get it all done. I have always been a
firm believer that late marketing is a lot
like bad marketing And last minute
changes add costs, interrupt the team
effort and invariably make things tlifficult.
An example of good marketing couUl Inseen
at Columbia rictures and latcn- at
Universal Pictures while both studios
were under the h.uids of Prank Price and
(ciintmucii}
SW-42
BOXOFFICE

Fenton
(conlimitd)
Any one-of-a-kind opponimity to promote
a film can really make a difference.
Other ideas are trailer contests, direct
mail, and coupons Distributors should try
anything to get the theatre employees
involved. There are unlimited ways to get
a message heard. As is always the case.
these ideas require time, money, and
planning. But some methods are quite
inexpensive A little investment can go a
long way.
Distribution and exhibition are totally
dependent on each other in this area Distributors
have to rely on the cooperation
and efficiency of threatre managers to
play and use promotional materials Generating
audience awareness is a responsibility
we all share.
Everyone benefits from a more exciting
movie-going experience. The payoff can
be seen in increased revenue and a
greater chance for boxofficc success Hi
Reese
(contmutd)
harder and with more confidence when
dealing with the public and the press
Second, a good plan helps the filmmakers
and the studio to pursue a coordinated
approach from the verv beginning This
helps to answer questions and give direction
when inevitable choices and decisions
present themselves A good plan
can largely eliminate last minute changes
causing expensive overtime and unraveling
of the quilt-making in progress
The reality of our industry is that this is
a business of communications. The
people who are the most successful as
filmmakers, marketers, distributors or exhibitors
are those who spend their efforts
and money communicating simply and
clearly to each other before they attempt
to communicate to the public A marketing
plan designed early and used well can
go a long way to help make communications
happen
^B
^om^^^^^^^iiSjm
MOTION PICTURE
PROJECTOR CLASaCS
'\>OP.i
^^^NV^^N^N^NV
Marvin Antonowsky.
Lx)ng before any film began shooting, a
meeting would be held in Frank Price's
office with the producer, director and key
studio marketing, production and distribution
people to make sure that the five
Ws fand the H) were completely clear
and focused Having done that the various
marketing and distribution elements necessary
to effect the plan were lined up
and responsibilities were fixed. As a team
member I was always impressed with
Frank's understanding of and involvement
in the marketing process These
simple meetings led to better relations
with the film maker, better communication
within the marketing and distribution
group and in the long run. lower costs.
Subsequent meetings for fine tuning
then took place in a timely and constructive
manner This improved the targeting
without disrupting the work flow and
execution of the plan Absent were the
last minute hysterics and overreactivc
changes which wave the red flag of
uncertain film salesmanship
In the years I have spent marketing
films I have found two things to be true of
a good marketing plan First, the staff
responds to it with an immediate sense of
security and eagerness to begin work early.
Everyone from the set to the studio
marketing staff feels they really know
what direction to take with the film This
security and unity of approach, not to
mention honesty and a sen.se of reality in
planning, enables team members to push
"^^'^ZZI
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Miirih. I'

THE NUMBERS PAGE
were
"
"Ernest
and
The 50 Top Grossing U.S. Films of 1987
(All figures represent millions of dollars.)
1 . (1 53.6) Beverly Hills Cop II (Paramount)
2. (137.1) Platoon* (Orion)
3. (125.9) Fatal Attraction (Paramount)
4. (76.2) The Untouchables (Paramount)
5. (70.8) Three Men and a Baby (Buena Vista)
6. (67.0) The Secret of My Success (Universal)
7. (65.4) Stakeout (Buena Vista)
8. (65.1) Lethal Weapon (Warner Bros.)
9. (63.7) The Witches of Eastwick (Warner Bros.)
10. (59.7) Crocodile Dundee* (Paramount)
11. (57.2) Dragnet (Universal)
12. (57.0) Predator (20th Century Fox)
13. (54.2) La Bamba (Columbia)
14. (53.5) Dirty Dancing (Vestron)
15. (53.4) Robocop (Orion)
16. (52.9) Outrageous Fortune (Buena Vista)
17. (51.1) The Living Daylights (MGM/UA)
18. (46.6) Full Metal Jacket (Warner Bros.)
19. (46.0) Snow White (Buena Vista)
20. (44.0) Nightmare on Elm Street 3 (New Line)
21. (41.6) Star Trek IV* (Paramount)
22. (41.3) The Golden Child* (Paramount)
23. (40.0) Roxanne (Columbia)
24. (39.3) Blind Date (Tri-Star)
25. (38.0) Mannequin (20th Century Fox)
26.
27.
28. (35.1
29.
30.
31.
32.
33. (32.1
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
(36.7
(35.6
(35.0
(34.9
(34.3
(34.2
34. (31.5
35. (30.7
36. (28.0
37. (27.0
(27.0
(26.9
(26.9
(26.4
(26.3
(25.8
(25.5
(25.3
(23.4
(23.3
(22.7
(22.7
(22.0
Spaceballs (MGM/UA)
Summer School (Paramount)
No Way Out (Orion)
Planes, Trains and Automobiles (Paramount)
The Running Man (Tri-Star)
Like Father, Like Son (Tri-Star)
Adventures in Babysitting (Buena Vista)
The Lost Boys (Warner Bros.)
Can't Buy Me Love (Buena Vista)
Throw Momma From The Train (Orion)
Police Academy 4 (Warner Bros.)
Hoosiers* (Orion)
Harry and the Hendersons (Universal)
Eddie Murphy Raw (Paramount)
The Princess Bride (20th Century Fox)
Little Shop of Horrors* (Warner Bros.)
Revenge of the Nerds II (20th Century Fox)
Innerspace (Warner Bros.)
Cinderella (Buena Vista)
Tin Men (Buena Vista)
Baby Boom (MGM/UA)
Ernest Goes to Camp (Buena Vista)
Nuts (Warner Bros.)
Black Widow (20th Century Fox)
Benji the Hunted (Buena Vista)
•film released in
1986; figures approximate earnings after Dec. 29, 1986 only.
Winners and Losers
«^_?».
1. Paramount (with a 19 7% market
share) roared so loudly out of 1986 on the
momentum of the two monster hits "Crocodile
Dundee" and "Star Trek IV," that nobody really
noticed how badly early releases like "Critical
Condition" and "Hot Pursuit
'
doing
But the studio took care to fuel each subsequent
season with at least one colossal moneymaker
Early summer brought two of the year's
biggest smashes in "Beverly Hills Cop 11" and
"The Untouchables," late summer a smaller
surprise hit in "Summer School," fall the biggrossing.
remarkably durable "Fatal Attraction,"
and winter the hard-charging duo of
"Planes, Trains and Automobiles," and "Eddie
Murphy Raw " Nearly forgotten among all the
success were "Back to the Beach," "Campus
"
Man," and "Hamburger Hill
2. Buena Vista (i4o%)heida
measly 3 5 percent market share as Touchstone
Films entered its second year in 1985
Two short years later, after a concerted effort
to increase studio output, Touchstone released
a remarkable slate of high-yield moneymakers,
virtually all of which made money "Hello
Again" proved a disappointment, but "Tin
Men," "Adventures In Babysitting," "Can't
Buy Me Love,
Goes To Camp," and
"Benji the Hunted." were all surprise hits, and
"Outrageous Fortune," "Stakeout" and Disney's
re-release of "Snow White" all grabbed
spots in the years top twenty The best was
saved for last, however, as Christmas's "Three
Men and a Baby" went on to become the most
successful single-release film in the studios
history.
3. Warner Bros. (12 5%) started
out very strong, then met more and more difficulty
as the year wore on "Lethal Weapon."
was the big picture of the spring season, and
summer delivered three more strong hits in
"The Witches of Eastwick," "Full Metal Jacket"
and "The Lost Boys " But big-budget "Innerspace"
was the years surprise boxoffice
disappointment, and Warner's "Police Academy"
cycle began running out of steam with its
fourth installment. The studio's two big holiday
releases, "Nuts" and
"Empire of the Sun" lagged
far behind their high-powered holiday
competition Ultimately, Warner's wound up
diluting Its early success with a long list of
flops: "Burglar,
"
"Disorderlies," "Over the
Top," "Superman IV." "Who's That Girl,""
"Rat Boy,
"
"Surrender"
SW-44
Boxoffice

"
Cheech
and
'
The
'
"Flowers
"
"
and
ORion
4. Orion (10 4%)gotabigheacl-start
"
Willi bci-uiid-ranked holdover platoon. which
was released in 1986 but made virtually all o<
its money in 1987 Low-budget "Robocop'
was the surprise smash of the year, and No
Way Out" a sturdy sleeper hit Yuletide black
comedy "Throw Momma From The Tram"
started strongly and was showing impressive
legs by years end But Orion's big disappointments
last year included The Believers."
"Making Mr Right." "Malone." "Best Seller."
"House of Games." "No Man's Land." and
"
Woody Allen's two post "Hannah projects.
"
Radio Days. "September
5. 20th Century Fox (8?%)
earned a big early hit in Predator. and an
"
astonishingly strong summer comedy in "Mannequin
Revenge of the Nerds 11" did good
"
business in late summer, as did "The Princess
Bride"' that autumn But Fox's two biggest hits
may still be in the making as twin powerhouses
"Broadcast News" and "Wall Street" continue
to rake in formidable post-holiday revenues
Flops included "Wisdom." "Black Widow."
"The Pick-Up Artist." "Proiect X, "Less Than
Zero." and "The Sicilian ""
7 Tn-Star (6 2%) had a tough season
Moderate tins Blind Date." "Like Father.
Like Son." and The Running Man" highlighted
a largely abysmal schedule that included
"Extreme Prejudice." "Light of Day."'
"
"Nadine." "The Monster Squad. "Ironweed."
"Suspect." "Gardens of Stone."
"Amazing Grace and Chuck." and "The
"
Squeeze studio's market share has been
stuck in a steady decline since the release of
"
"Rambo in 1985
8. Columbia (4 5%) had the distinction
of releasing the twin disasters "Ishtar
and "Leonard Part Vl" in 1987 "La Bamba.
"fit 4
meanwhile, was a huge sleeper, with a total
gross the producers of
"The Buddy Holly Story"
could only dream about "Roxanne did
quite well, and "The Big Easy turned a tidy
profit Disappointments included "The Big
Town. " "Someone to Watch Over Me ""
9. MGM/UA (42%)maintainedits
lead over the independents with two hits, a
new Bond picture. "The Living Daylights," and
Mel Brookss "Spaceballs "" Fatal Beauty."
meanwhile, marked Whoopi Goldtiergs third
low-earner in a row, and the little-seen thriller
"Dead of Winter" never got out of the gate
"Baby Boom," meanwhile, proved a decent
moneymaker, and both "Moonstruck" and
"Overboard" were showing early promise by
years end
'^^/^
6. Universal (? 2%) puned down
two big surprise summer comedy hits in what
was otherwise a lackluster year "The Secret
of My Success." and Dragnet" ranked sixth
and eleventh for the year resp)ectively. but
Harry and the Hendersons" was a major disappointment
from Amblin Entertainment, and
the rest of the studio s release schedule was
rife with losers Jaws the Revenge." "Cross
My Heart." "Cry Freedom." North Shore."
"Three 0"Clock High.' "Walker." and The
Allnighter
Mann scored an impressive
minor hit. though, with "Born in East
LA
10-15 ^i^
The Independents
New World ( 1 9%) led the pack with four key
releases.
"Hellraiser.
in the Attic,"
and Creepshow II. and House II Vestron
( 1 8%) scored its breakthrough hit this year
with Dirty Dancing, the highest-ranking independent
production to make the charts, and
New Line (1 8%) scored big with 20th ranked
Nightmare on Elm Street 3" and "The Hidden
Flailing 0E6 { I 6%). after a long slate of
Uumi
Xi-
films like "From The Hip,"
Million Dollar Mystery."
and "Date with an Angel," is already
putting Its assets on the auction block Cannon
( 1 3%) scraped together a market share out of
sheer quantity, releasing an undistinguished
slate of 18 films m 1987. among them Amer
ican Ninia II, Death Wish 4,"" "Masters of
the Universe." and Tough Guys Don t
Dance Tiny New CenturyA/ista ( 1 0%) took a
full percentile largely through its release of
The Gale." a film mlatrvous (or rwarty outgrossitig
"Ishtar " on« weekend
March, l'>KH S\V -4S

SHOWMANSHIP
Charity Benefit Premieres:
A Valuable Tool for Showmanship Success
Do
By Dan Harkins
President, Harkins Theatres
CHARITY BENEFIT premieres, donations
and goodwill all belong in the
lexicon of a good showman?
Indeed they do, as there is hardly a
more effective way for a local theatre
operator to launch a motion picture. This
heartfelt hometown effort will hit a homerun
with all involved; the exhibitor gets a
boost at the boxoffice, while his community
is funded for a worthy cause.
A charity benefit announces the movie
to a sector of the marketplace that is rarely
tapped. News of the upcoming engagement
will be published in local news stories,
calendar sections and gossip columns,
reaching readers that may seldom
flip to the movie page. Likewise, a seldom-touched
electronic media audience
may be given word of the special event at
your theatre via the evening news. Suddenly,
the cinema is not just an entertainment
center but is the nucleus of community
goodwill.
This exposure happens far enough in
advance of a film's opening to chum a
want-to-see interest in not only the benefit
premiere, but in the picture's longterm
engagement itself Since benefits
almost always involve good films, it is
then assumed by the consumer that a picture
tied to a benefit showing is a movie
worthy of their support.
This kind of promotion puts a bright
twinkle on your theatre's image. Whether
you arc helping underprivileged chiltlren,
organizations for the mentally handicapped,
charities, service groups, schools,
art societies, churches or synagogues, the
benefit group itself becomes a carrier for
a contagious wave of enthusiasm. The
public will say to itself, "Here's a businessman
who is giving something back to
the community. Let's support him!"
The most suitable business relationship
between the theatre and benefit sponsor
is, believe it or not, one in which the sponsor
pays the theatre a nominal fee for the
auditorium. From my own experience,
whenever I or the distributor has donated
the auditorium free of charge, the benefitting
group has received moderate attendance
at best. If — with the distributor's
consent — you ask for a nominal per seat
fee from the sponsor (50 percent down
and the balance on the night of the premiere
J, this will cause the organization to
work much harder and in the end, everyone
will enjoy a bigger success.
In addition to a business relationship, it
is important to establish each party's role
in all of the factors that go into a successful
premiere: promotion, publicity, printing,
ticket sales, guest speakers, hors
d'oeuvres, etc. You will find that some
groups are very experienced at this sort of
endeavor, while others will need to be led
through each step of the process.
The first task is setting up a ticket sales
network. Obviously, the most potent ingredient
for success is having as many
people as possible selling tickets to everyone
they know. During the past 15 years, I
have worked with groups of all sizes,
shapes and strengths, and I have found
that those who have relied solely on publicity
and media exposure have failed
miserably. Beginning at least six weeks
prior to the premiere, committees should
already be working on their contacts
throughout the community.
Always overprint your quantity of tickets,
because too often a well-intentioned
committee member will take a dozen
tickets and on the night of the premiere
will return with most of them unsold (you
can feel comfortable overprinting by as
much as 50 percent, but to do so the
organization's leader must be in frequent
contact with his ticket sellers) And don't
worry if you oversell. A lot of folks buy
tickets just to help the charity sponsor,
and will not attend the screening. A ten
percent oversell is fine, and can even go
as high as 35 percent depending on the
nature of the group
Encourage sponsors to make the benefit
premiere a gala Hollywood-type event.
One of our best premieres ever was the
re-issue of the original "Star is Bom,"
starring Judy Garland. The benefit was
sponsored by the local chapter of the
Screen Actors Guild, and they tapped
every contact in the community to be
sure that local talent and media stars
attended the black tie event. Limousines,
door prizes, a search light and even the
red carpet were donated by co-sponsors
who wanted the exposure. To spotlight
these sponsors, be sure to print a special
program that lists them prominently.
An interesting pricing technique has
worked well for several of our local organizations.
With this type of campaign, we
do not state a fiim price on the tickets,
but rather a price range (the range should
be something that is affordable for your
target group). For example, a local public
interest law firm recently sponsored a
benefit with ticket prices ranging from
$25 to SI 00. People who purchased tickets
worth more than S50 were given a special
"Gold Donor" mention in the program.
The purchase of a $75 ticket placed them
in the "Gold Donor" category, while a
$100 ticket earned the buyer the status of
"Platinum Donor."
Marrying the right picture with the natural
beneficiary always gives the event a
strong resonance. For example, movies
like "Colors," "Dirty Harry Part 5," "Beverly
Hills Cop II," and the Blake Edwards
film "Sunset," are ideal candidates for
benefits with local police fraternities. Likewise,
"Switching Channels," starring
Burt Reynolds, and "The House on Cartoll
Street" could work well with local advertising
or media associations. Hispanic organizations
would work well with "The
Milagro Beanfield War," while local amateur
boxing associations would jump at a
chance to support "Split Decisions." I
think that it's wrong to perceive that
some films are such guaranteed hits that
they cannot be helped by the exposure of
a benefit premiere — there's no such
thing as over-promoting a movie. So even
sure hits, such as "Crocodile Dundee II,"
"Willow" and "Bambi," could receive extra
momentum from this whirlwind of
community teamwork.
If this article does nothing else, I hope
that it at least encourages theatre managers
to occasionally pick up the phone
and call local charities to get involved.
Don't forget that in many ways, your local
theatre is the heart of the community.
You can lend the tremendous influence of
our wonderful industry to a cause ih.U
will benefit us all.
im
SW-46
Boxoffice

Butter;
please.
And salt. And theatre seats.
And marketing services.
The Hollywood Reporter's
Theatre Trade Directory is a
comprehensive directory of
names, addresses and contact
numbers for the circuits and
independent motion picture
theatres in the Western region
of the United States including
vendors, suppliers and
concessionaries.
To order copies, call our
Subscription Hotline:
213-460-2057
Discounts are available
upon request for quantity
orders of two or more.
The Hollywood Reporter
Theatre Trade Directory
67 lo Sunset Boulevard
Hollywood, CA 90028
THEATKE
TRADE
wMtxinwoo^wroi
I7li SUMSET BLVD
HOLL rmxw CA nan
PLEASE SEND KK
OOPKS AT tSOO
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PAYABLE n ADVANCE n US CUHHEHCY ONLY PAJDBY
Ow* Mon^ OrdK |To Ttit Hat/^KJOd fl^pOW
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Acoustical Control in Modern
Multiplex Auditoriums
i

SOUND ADVICE (amtiniied)
rials It is importani to ri-m' different
NRC values for the different mounting
conditions For most wall coverings in
most rooms it is sufficient to consider
only its average sound absorption as indicated
by its NRC value If the area of
acoustical material is multiplied by it's
NRC value the total absorption of that
material is obtained. This product is
square foot Sabines, or more commonly
just Sabines.
"There is a direct relationship between
sound absorption coefficients of materials
in a room and the reverberation time in
that room. Again, the reverberation time
(RT) is the time for a given sound level
(or loudness) to decay to one one-thousandth
of its starting value This is the
range of sound, as we hear it, from loud to
inaudible. The RT depends on the size of
the room (see fig 1 and 2), the degree of
sound absorption in Sabines and, to some
extent, the shape of the room and where
the sound-absorbing materials are placed
A room with a long RT, a high school
gymnasium for example, might be 3 .5
seconds Shout one word in this room and
you will still be able to hear it bouncing
around the room three to four seconds later!
It can be very hard to catch the last
word in a sentence, if all the previous
words are still quite audible This sound
bouncing around long after it should have
been absorbed is excess reverberation.
"Commercially available sound panels
can be attractive in appearance, and are
readily made into custom sizes and
shapes (even corporate logos). These
stretch wall or panel systems are clothcovered
panels over one-inch and twoinch
thick rigid glass fiber board, or the
same board material placed behind drapery
Listed in Table 2 are a series of materials,
from common wall construction materials
to special proprietary sound-absorption
materials which are used in
theatre constniction Most manufacturers
and acousticians can furnish data for other
materials.
"Notice that the acoustic materials
have NRf; values ranging from about .IS
up to 0.9.S T^c latter material is approximately
three times more effective in
absorbing .sound that the former This
gives the designer som

SOUND ADVICE (continued)
that the proper reverberation is important
in all theatres not only in the big presentation
houses. No amount or type of electronic
equalization or amplification can
correct reverberation problems in motion
picture theatres.
The goal of acoustic design in motion
picture theatres is to create an environment
which will not affect a film's soundtrack.
The acoustics of a motion picture
theatre should be neutral, unlike the
"live" acoustics of a concert hall. The
ambient sound and sound perspective of a
film is recorded on the sound track and
will be recreated for the audience by the
theatre's sound system.
Now lets look at an average-sized
theatre, say sixty feet wide, eighty feet
long, twenty-two feet high at the projection
wall, and twenty-seven feet high at
the screen wall— a room of 117,600 cubic
feet in volume. Table 3 shows the relationship
between volume and absorption
needed to reach the reverberation specification
shown in Figure 1. We see we
should have a reverberation of just over
.61 seconds at 500Hz, and a total absorption
of about 6100 square foot sabines.
Table 4 shows the square foot area of
each surface in the room, the area of
those surfaces to be treated, and the treatments
NRC. As you can see we just
exceed the absorption needed. Note the
projection wall has an area of 1,000
square feet that can be covered, due to
seating and entrance ways. We want to
make this wall as absorptive as we can as
this is the first wall the sound from the
screen encounters that has a direct path
back to the screen. For this reason, we
used panels made of 2 inch material,
which have an NRC of ,85, giving us 850
Sabines. At this point, as John stated, we
could play "what if?", and change the
materials and area covered to see the
effect.
One thing to keep in mind: this technique
will only predict the reverberation
between 250Hz and 2000Hz, In order to
comply with the specification shown in
Figure 2, other work must be done (to
comply with the 31,5Hz, 63Hz, and 125Hz
octave bands,)
If you still have questions regarding
acoustical design, find an acoustician that
specializes in acoustical design (some are
specialists in noise and vibration control)
and pick their brain. Remember, good
experienced design is much cheaper then
misdirected research,
Table 2
Material
Bare Concrete
Painted concrete
Concrete Block
Gypsum Board
Typical
Light Curtain
Heavy Curtain
Commercial Carpet / Underpad
Tectum Brand (1")
NRC Values
for common building materials
Cloth Covered Ridgid Glass-Fiber Panel
Cloth Covered Ridgid Glass-Fiber Panel
NRC
(1) Some materials are advertised with
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hut these are measurements for individual
thick panels located on flat surfaces, and it
is the edges (basically multiple surfaces) of
the panels that provide the extra absorption
IH
Clyde McKinney is technical director for
Lucasfilm I.td's Theatre Operation Division

'
EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
PhtzoizNTS
A Seminar for
Theatre Managers,
Manager-
Operators and
Projectionists
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Modern Theatre
Can 16mm Help the
Small Theatreowner?
The next big thing in exhibit imi
may be something much smaller
than we're used to seeing in theatres.
EXHIBITION — AS in most industries
IN— better usually means bigger: bigger
screens, wider print stocks, grander
sound design. But one of the more
interesting technological experiments
scheduled to take place this year takes a
defmite turn in the opposite direction.
toward small.
The idea is not new but it has been,
now, seemingly impossible to
For
up until
achieve: theatre-quality 16mm film.
years, distributors have been all too
aware of the sometimes crippling costs
of processing 35mm and 70mm prints,
while exhibitors have faced the increasing
expenses of shipping prints from
exchange to theatre and back again. It
never took a financial wizard to see that
16mm, both smaller in size and lighter
in weight, would drastically cut costs in
both lab work and in transportation.
The problem with 16mm has been
one of image size: the image projected
by a conventional 16mm projector becomes
completely unsatisfactory on a
screen any larger than what you would
find in a lecture hall, a school classroom
or a church basement. The idea of presenting
multi-million dollar feature
films on such an inferior system, and
then trying to charge money from an
increasingly -sophisticated public,
seemed impossible.
Enter Kenneth Richter, a well-known
lecturer and producer of travel films.
For decades, Richter had been presenting
high-quality 16mm films on
screens as wide as 30 feet, utilizing a
little-known projector that was designed
and then abandoned way bark in
the '60s: the Eastman Mwlel 2.S Over 20
years ago, Eastman Kodak had made a
major commitment to theatre-quality
16mm by designing the Mmiel 25, a
remarkably sturdy projector with ,sli;rco
capabilities and a relatively jjggle-frce
transport system. Unfortunately, it
By Tom Matthews
Managing Editor
turned out that no lab was willing or
able to come up with an equally-precise
16mm printing method. The project was
abandoned, and the Model 25 was consigned
to use on college campuses and
in other non-theatrical applications,
such as Richter's.
TTie story might end there, if it
weren't for a fortuitous coincidence.
While at a Harvard class reunion a few
years back, Richter bumped into Stanley
Durwood, a former classmate who is
now chairman and CEO of AMC Entertainment.
Inc Curiously enough, AMC
had been doing expenments of us own
with 16mm, trying to find some way to
work the more economical system into
its rapidly-growing chain of theatres. As
Durwood tells it, his engineers were
simply unable to achieve a projected
image that would not fall apart on a
screen that was wider than 20 feet.
When Durwofxi hi^ard Richter say that
he was getting a clear, sharp 30-footwide
image with the Eastman Model 25,
Durwood was intngued. In most of the
multiplexes that AMC was building, a
30-foot screen was the norm.
The two men put their heads together
and came up with Project HQ, an ambitious
enterprise that brought together
experts from all areas of theatrical presentation
to conquer the 16mm challenge
once and for all. Charles Swing,
who had developed the ELastman Model
25, was lured out of retirement to consult
on the project. A number of processing
labs were conferred with to ultimately
come up with a new 16mm print
that contains over 100 lines of information
per frame, a vast improvement over
conventional 16mm.
From Kintek Inc., Project HQ was given
a customized, four track optical system
that delivers a "punch" that is
remarkably similar to that of 35mm's.
Christie Electric designed a sjjecial xenon
light source that uses a quartz negative
lens to increase the f-number of its
light
Thf >a«lrTMn Model 2S projcdor
cone, while Isco Optik GMBH of
Gottingen, West Germany, manufac-
March. l'»H« 19

tured a series of veiy flexible lenses to
complete the system.
The results, as demonstrated last
summer to industry leaders in Hollywood,
are surprising. The image is not
indistinguishable from 35mm, but as
viewed on a 34 foot by 17 foot screen in
AMC's Burbank 10, it is convincing
enough to think that this new process
could bring new life to those exhibitors
that Project HQ has been designed to
help: those smaller exhibitors that are
within the umbrella of a distributor's
print and television campaign, but are
thought to be too unproductive to be given
a very expensive 35mm print dayand-date.
"We are not talking about theatres at
the end of the earth, we are talking
about the marginal theatres that just
miss out on first-nm films," says Durwood.
"A motion picture company has
to make most of its money during that
four to six weeks that its marketing
campaign is working. By supplementing
their usual 35mm and 70mm runs with
16mm prints, they could open in as
many as 3,000 theatres and make much
better use of their advertising."
With figures that estimate that a distributor
could make a 16mm print for a
quarter of what it costs to make a 35mm
one, both Richter and Durwood think
that such a scenario is entirely possible.
The savings for exhibitors would be just
as impressive, with Richter claiming
that transportation costs could be cut by
as much as 80 percent.
"There used to be a small theatre in
Essex, New York, where I live, but it
went out of business when Bonded
started charging $200 to transport a
print from New York City to Essex and
back again," Richter says, giving an
"This system could
surely replace SSmm in
80 percent of the
theatres in this country.
The image is £ne in
theatres up to 500
seats."
example. "That same film on 16mm
could be carried by UPS for S15.00."
(An additional savings to exhibitors,
Richter says, is that the films are
shipped and projected on a single reel.
By eliminating assembling and breakdown
duties, personnel hours would be
reduced accordingly.)
With savings as incredible as those
cited here, one has to wonder if Hollywood
and the major exhibitors across
the country might not look to 16mm to
replace 35mm entirely someday. Richter
says no, conceding that the 16mm
image is not that good, and that audiences
in major cities will continue to
demand 35 and 70mm prints. But Stanley
Durwood is not so quick to dismiss
the idea.
"This system could never replace
70mm, but it could surely replace 35mm
in 80 percent of the theatres in this
country," he says. "The image is fine in
theatres up to 500 seats."
Durwood has tentative plans to test
this belief this summer, when he hopes
to place the 16mm projector package in
50 AMC theatres across the country
(mostly in the Western states, he says).
Almost every major distributor has seen
the process and are ready to supply
AMC with first-run, 16mm prints, Durwood
says, and he intends to run these
films head-to-head with 35mm films in
adjoining theatres. The public will not
be notified of the experiment, and Durwood
is confident that no one will know
the difference.
"Our only concern at this point is the
quality and consistency of the 16mm
prints," Durwood says. "The sound and
image quality of the projection system
is just where we want it, and we'll be
testing to make sure that the projector is
as dependable as we think it is. But I am
very picky, and I know that the picture
projected by this system is excellent."
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Response No, 101
80 BOXOFFICE

I-UKUM
New Strategies for the Future:
Two Challenges Facing Exhibition
Part 2
By Garth M. Urabinsky
Chairman, Prcsidrnt and CEO
Cint'plex Odt'on Ckirp.
Transcript of a speech delivered
Tliursdav, Novembir 19, 1987, at the
NATO National C^()n\cntion,
Marriott Wartjuis Motel,
Atlanta, (it^orgia.
Now let us consider the second challenge,
staff at every level.
Those days, you hear on every side that
we are in a "post-industrial" society, that
we now function in an "information economy"
or a "service economy " In the
Province of Ontano. for instance, which
must be fairly typical of the North American
continent as a whole, the service sector—
which by dehniiion comprises all
economic activity other than the primary
industries—agriculture, resourtes and
manufacturing— now accounts for 73 percent
of employment An estimated 80
percent of all new jobs that will btr
created in the next decade will be in the
service sector
Well, the motion picture exhibition industry
has been a part of the service sector
since it began almost 100 years ago
when August and Louis Lumierc erected a
wooden sign marked "Cinematograph" at
1400 Boulevard des Capucines in Paris
And in approaching this problem, once
again it helps to considi^r wh

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82 BOXOFFICE
Response No 102
mentea witn great peninacity ana aetermination
by all of those who are in charge
of the motion picture industn,' today
Again I state: a superbly educated and
prepared work force is our single most
important strategic weapon.
The kind of focused attention and supervision
of their supporting staffs by
capable and caring senior executives that
I am suggesting will enable them to identify
the outstanding young men and women
in their employ. And it is absolutely
vital that a certain percentage of these
are convinced to pursue their future in
our industry. We can convince them to do
so, I think, by setting up a tri-mester system
of our own whereby our most promising
employees spend a few years of their
lives partly undergoing on-the-job training
with us and partly undergoing formal,
or academic, training at a university or
community college of their choice—spurred
on through all this by the assurance of
a rewarding executive's career with us
when they have finished their education.
Remember, we possess certain intangible
assets. We offer a very attractive and
prestigious workplace, involving the ultimate
in glamorous products and providing
abundant scope for the exercise of many
different forms of talent— architecture,
design, advertising and promotion, and
finance, to name a few. We can provide
attractive apprenticeship training by rotating
these potential executives through
the various departments in our organizations—
at the theatre level, at the supervisory
level, and, in some cases, at the head
office level But in addition, under the
program I propose, we also encourage
them, by far-sighted and long-range programs
of scholarships and bursaries and
other forms of financial support, to take a
leave of absence from their work with us
from time to time to attend university in
whatever discipline they may think appropriate
to their aptitudes.
This sort of enlightened two-pronged
prograin has two advantages. The obvious
one is that the employing company is
constantly being benefited by the efforts
of these talented young juniors. But not
quite so immediately obvious is that every
one of the company's employees, if he or
she is made to feel eligible for acceptance
into such an executive training program,
will tend to take more of an interest in
whatever his or her present job entails. In
other words, this two-pronged program,
properly devised and carefully implemented,
will, I am sure, turn out to be
another real morale builder.
The combined apprenticeship-university
program I have so far described is a
very long-term solution to the problem of
a shortage of capable executives. In the
relatively short term, realizing that we
can't just go out and buy enough fullytrained
executives to fill our needs, we
should embark upon an aggressive recruiting
program at America's educational
institutions in order to seek out talented
graduates and then develop them
by training programs that we establish
within our own organizations. We should
be trying to do in our industry what Proctor
and Gamble became famous for in the
soap business— the superb executive
training that it gave to its new university
graduates and postgraduates. And we
snouian t worry it we lose a tew atter
we've lavished on them the best training
we know how to give. We'll prosper with
those that choose to stay, just as Proctor
and Gamble did.
Still in the field of education and training
of the young, I think we should endeavor
every year to foster in existing institutions,
such as business schools, and even
in academies of film studies, the teaching
of skills that are needed in the exhibition
branch of our industry. This, of course,
will involve us not only in donations of
money to these institutions but also donations
of whatever amount of our time is
necessary to assist the institutions to
devise the necessary courses.
Much of what I have said about our
people problem today can be summed up
in that one word "morale." Good morale
leads to high performance and long term
employment. Low morale leads to sloppiness
and turnover—both incredibly expensive
no matter what business you are
in. Some theatre operators hold the view
that the only way to motivate people, at
least at the theatre level, is the hourly
wage. I believe that while a proper day's
work is important, there are other motivators
as well. We've talked about some
high standards of dress and conduct, taking
an interest in employee's problems,
academic education, and practical training.
But there are others—the proper use
of incentive bonuses, stock options, and
contests of various kinds, all of which will
prove invaluable to us in the long term.
may sum up, the motion picture pal-
If I
ace once provided fantasy, laughter, and
entertainment in a setting of splendor It
time
—
was the shrine in which for the first
humanity was joined together in mass
electronic communication.
It is incumbent upon our generation not
only to maintain, but to improve, every
facet of this most estimable form of
entertainment— no matter how prodigious
are the efforts required to do so. For
if we should be guilty, in any measure, of
diminishing the glories that our great predecessors
have handed on to us, we
impoverish not only ourselves but the
public we serve.
It is our responsibility to maintain in
the forefront of our minds the idea that,
from the first moment they enter our
doors, our patrons are our guests and we
are the hosts whose obligation it is to treat
them according to the highest standards
of hospitality. We can discharge this obligation
only if we have assembled, at eveiy
level, a corps of employees whose creed it
is to serve those guests with dedication
and solicitude. Out of this corps of highly
trained and highly tnotivated personnel,
the product of the educational program
that I have described, and that I recommend
should be integrated, on a priority
basis, into our operating system, will
come the new blood that will direct our
industry tomorrow.
And it is my finn conviction that if we
meet and overcoine the two challenges 1
have referred to, of providing, first, the
perfect environment and, second, the
perfect staff, we will send our patrons
forth from our theatres as goodwill ambassadors,
intent on telling everyone they
meet about the world of excitement and
delight that awaits them at the movies.

I
tUMNULUCiY
Introducing the Screen that Sucks
Stewart Filmscreen and a gatherimj of experts have
designed a compound curved screeyi that may revolutionize
the impact of the projected image.
THE
By Tom Matthews
Managing Editor
HUMBLE MOVIE screen is perhaps
the least glamorous link in
the exhibition process. With all of
the advances in projection and sound
engineering — and all of the flashing
lights and gauges that accompany them
— the simple, rectangular expanse of
white that sits at the far end of the auditorium
may not get all the credit that it
deserves But Stewart Filmscreen Corp.
of Torrance, Calif, is about to introduce
a new generation of film screens that
may change all that
Working with Sigma Design Group,
an engineering brain trust that was
formed specifically to develop a new
screen and whose senior partners include
Glenn Berggren of Optical Radiation,
Stewart has developed what they
call the Large Compound Curved Screen
(LCCS). Promising to vastly improve
image brightness and clarity while at
the same time drawing on less wattage
from the illumination source, the LCCS
is a logical synthesis of computer technology
and basic projection knowhow.
"The idea has been in the works for
almost 20 years, but it has only been in
the past year that we have been able to
work the screen into a theatrical application
And, in fact, the screen has done
far more than we had expected," says
Donald Stewart, vice president of marketing
for Stewart Filmscreen. "We had
initially designed it simply to get a better
light output, and along with that we
knew that we would get slightly better
rc„solution But as it turned out, the resolution,
the crispness and the contrast of
the image is so supenor to conventional
projection that it has become the primary
feature of the system The fact that it
also increases screen brightness has Just
become icing on the r^ke."
The secret to the process is a computer-designed
screen that is customcrafted
to each particular auditorium
By taking all of the specific data about
the room — its width and depth, the
slope of the theatre, the distance from
the front row to the screen, etc. — and
feeding them into the computer, Stewart
Filmscreen is then able to pattern a
screen that responds precisely to the
nuances that are unique to that auditorium.
Following the computer's guidelines,
the screen is drawn and cut from Stewart's
standard vinyl, non-perforated
screen stock and is stretched across a
frame. Then a low-energy vacuum system
sucks the screen into its curved
shape, while a sonar sensor gauges the
position of the screen and corrects the
air flow so that the screen is always
locked into perfect alignment. The result
is a curved, seamless screen that
has no hot spots and no perforations to
mar the projected image. In a letter to
Sigma Design Group, Ed DiGiulio,
SMPTE's Engineering Director for Motion
Pictures, called the screen "a major
breakthrough in theatrical presentation."
Like many innovations, though, there
are downsides to the LCCS. TTie first
Overinniini^ the
Limitiitions af
Bvh in (l-screen
s€funtl
Working with a number of experts
in the field, I^rry .lacobson, AMC's
vice president of purchasing and facilities,
has been able to dcrsign a
soimd package that successfully
(hallenges th(! theory that state-ofthe-art
sound must emanate from
directly behind the movie screen
The new multi-channel sound system's
low-frequency loudspeakers —
18-inch Electro- Voice drivers in
vented enclosures — are mounted
is
the cost, which, due to the new technology,
Donald Stewart estimates can be as
much as three times the cost of a standard
screen. Another problem is that
the LCCS is almost tcni good; according
to Gerald Nash of Sigma Design Group,
a poorly-photographed film looks particularly
bad when it is projected onto
the new screen.
The most significant drawback according
to the Group, however, is that
the non-perforated screen material used
by the LCCS eliminates the possibility of
using standard, behind-the-screen
sound packages, including TUX Although
this was at first a major barrier
to Stewan and his colleagues, Sigma
Design Group discovered a happy coincidence
in the work AMC Theatres was
doing in similar situations, and a promising
relationship was struck with the
nation's second-largest theatre circuit.
"Going into this, we knew that when
we went out to try and sell the screen,
the first question was going to be,
'Where the h

KANSAS CITY, KS
8220 Nieman Road
Brookhollow Industrial Park
Lenexa, Kansas 66214
Tel, (913) 492-0966
Gene Krull
Ken Lang
SEAHLE, WA
14020 N E 21st St
Bellevue, WA 98007
Tel, (206) 641-4896
Twyla Odegaard
LOS ANGELES, CA
3100 West Warner
Santa Ana, CA 92704
Tel, (714) 751-2628
William Miller
KNOXVILLE, TN
Johnny Williams
Tel (615) 522-1535
Home Office
51 Sugar Hollow Rd., Danbury CT 06810
Phone (203) 748-3889
Don and Mary Miller - Doug Teetor
Technical Equipment
for the Motion Picture Industry
Offices in following locafions:
TAMPA, FL
Sunstate Commerce Park
4897A W Waters Ave,
Tampa, Florida 33614
Tel, (813) 884-7909
Barney Bailey
NEW ORLEANS, LA
1305 Distributors Row, Suite I
Haratian, LA 70123
Tel, (504) 734-0707
Chiarles Achiee
BOSTON, MA
381 Elliot St
Newton Upper Falls,
MA 02164
Tel, (617) 965-6630
Joe Rossi
Response No 105
CINCINNATI, OH
3740 Glenway Ave,
Cincinnati, OH 45205
Tel, (513) 921-7770
Tom Fishier
Robert Simminger
DALLAS, TX
1620 North 1-35 Suite 308
Carrollton, TX 75006
Tel. (214) 446-2247
RW Pinkston
BALTIMORE, MD
7210 Rutherlord Rd
Baltimore, MD 21207
Tel, (301) 944-6230
Nick Moenssens
ENGLAND
Brian Hobbs
Cinema Supply and Design
UK Ltd
London, England
SOUND SORBIC
technically Is the ideal acoustical wall panel
system to work with 70 mm Dolby Stereo;
35 mm Dolby Stereo" and mono.
SOUND SORBlC is also rated to meet
acoustical criteria in houses equipped with
Lucasfilm's THX' system.
For full information on SOUND SORBlC
call 1-800-821-3595. Or write:
O'BRien*
5301 East 59th Street, Kansas City, MO 64130
Dnihv r,t'-ri'n" 1^ ,1 ingistcfrd u.tctnma'k ol Dult>y Lubaralones Cofporalion
THX* (s d reg/s/efed Uademafk of I ucasttim UO
nymg sound systems. I hey had recently
come up with a new sound package that
solved the problem of speaker placement
[see sidebar], so they were the
natural people for us to contact.
"I had always been impressed with
AMC, anyway," Stewart continues. "I
liked even the small things, like the way
that they spend a few extra dollars providing
theatre seats with the cup holders.
It has always seemed like they give
a little bit more to their customers, and
that's why we went with them."
In January of last year, the LCCS
debuted to the public in one of the auditoriums
of AMC's six-plex in Torrance,
near the home base of Stewart Filmscreen.
Measuring 15 feet by 35 feet and
designed to handle films projected both
in 1.85 and in 'scope, the screen proved
to offer even more surprises once it was
installed.
"Before we put the screen in, the
theatre had been using a 3,000 watt
bulb," says Gerald Nash. "We downgraded
the bulb to 2,000 watts and when
we measured the reflected light off the
screen, it was still way above the
SMPTE recommended standard. So not
only are we giving the exhibitor a far
superior image, but in the long rtm he
will be saving on electricity and bulb
use."
There is also a LCCS in AMC's Century
14 complex in Century City, Calif,
although it is so small as to not get the
full impact of the system (the plan had
originally been to install one of the
screens in one of the large theatres, but
AMC had already committed itself to
using THX sound in those situations).
Stewart Filmscreen does not have an
exclusive relationship with the theatre
chain — Gerald Nash says that Sigma
Design Group is also working vWth
Showscan on some proposed sites — but
it is hoped that AMC will continue to
support the LCCS and will give it a
prominent place in many of the complexes
that the circuit is building. Based
on the results from the LCCS in AMC's
Torrance theatre, that seems quite possible.
"We are in constant contact with the
managers of the theatre, and they tell us
that the public has definitely noticed
the difference," says Stewart. "In fact,
we caused a slight problem for the
theatre when they booked 'Beverly Hills
Cop ir into two of its houses, including
the one w\(h the LCCS. According to the
managers, people who had previously
experienced the quality of the image on
the LCCS screen insisted on getting
tickets for the LCCS-equipped theatre's
screenings of 'Cop II,' and even chose to
wait for a later show if necessary.
"To g('t that kind of response without
having posted a big sign out front t("lling
people about the better screen is w.vy
encouraging to us."
MM
84 BOXOFFKE
Response No 107

THEATRE PROFILE
Kerasotes Theatres
A view of their Jiagship theatre in Danville, III
KERASOTES
By Tom Wat thews
Man.ij'iii}' Ktlitor
Theatres new six-plcx
in Danville. Ill , is further evidence
of cxhihitions drive toward
upgrading the conditions under which
movies are viewed. The Kerasotes circuit
already had four screens in the Village
Mall in Danville when president
Louis Kerasotes chose to expand the
size of the linn's oper.iiion at that location
Instead of retniKleling the existing
building, the decision w.is made to start
over from scraK h anil turn the new
theatn- into what the cin nil now calls a
prototype for all the th(-atre^ they intend
to btiild in the futun;.
Moving to a 20,()0n-s

Kerasotes
(continued from p 85)
cording to Peterson, Kerasote's drive to
be the best is a direct result of the overall
belief in exhibition today that the
customer's comfort is priority number
one.
Working with interior designer Jim
WOson of Springfield, 111., Kerasotes
built a theatre that is unique to Danville
(in all of its construction and remodeling,
the circuit attempts to avoid a "cookie
cutter" look to its theatres and tries
to make each visually different from the
rest). All six of the theatres has 35mm
projection and stereo sound, and all of
the auditoriums feature rocking chair
seating. The sizes of the rooms range
from 157 to 276 seats, with a total of
1,300 seats in the six theatres. Each
screen is complemented by a travelling
curtain,
adding a touch of class which
many smaller theatres choose to do
without. "A great deal of thought was
given to every detail, and the whole project
was geared toward emphasizing the
theatre's decor and the patron's comfort,"
Peterson says. "It was our goal to
make the customer feel like it is an
event to go to a movie." MM
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THEATRE PROFILE
.
Backwoods to the Future:
Is America Ready For A
State-of-the-Art
Boondock Six-Plex?
By Jim Ko/.ak
Associate; Editor
LAWN
CHAIRS AND sleeping bags.
Anyone who's ever smirked derisively
at moviegoers camped out in
lawn chairs and sleeping bags to catch
the next day's premiere screening of
"Return of the Jedi" or "Beverly Hills
Cop H" will appreciate the genius of the
Essaness Oakwood Mall six-plex's 25-
cent "preferred seating" policy.
(continued p 88)
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1
THEATRE PROFILE (continued)
Larry D. Hanson, vice president of
operations for Essaness explains how it
works: "We thought it would be interesting
if for a minimal premium, we could
have a special area where somebody
could come five minutes before showtime
and go right into a preferred area
where he could get right at the concession
stand and, when his film was
called, be the first one into the center
area seats. After that, anyone who
wants to sit in those seats can. I don't
know of anyone else who's doing it, but
I'm sure somebody out there must be
doing it."
How far in advance can you purchase
these reserved seats? "As soon as the
nmning time is available, the picture is
confirmed in our theatre, and the manager
can make up a schedule, it's put
into the computerized system and the
computer takes care of it," says Hanson.
"All the girl has to do is hit the button
and on the screen she can see how
many tickets are available."
New moviehouses are being built so
rapidly one can't swing a cat north of
the Rio Grande vidthout hitting a sixplex
construction site, and the reserved
seating at the year-old Oakwood in tiny
Eau Claire, Wis. is just one small way
Hanson says his inveterate 50-screen
Midwestern theatre chain vdll keep its
chin above the glut.
The Oakwood is Essaness's prototype
for what the circuit calls "the theatre of
the future," and Hanson seems nothing
short of gleeful as he discusses at length
the flagship theatre's state-of-the-art
particulars.
The Oakwood's auditoriums, notes
Hanson, "have continental seating so
you don't have any aisles down the middle
taking the seats out. They're not
shooting galleries, they're very, very
wide. The auditoriums can be 30 to 40
feet wide, and we're talking about auditoriums
where maximum seating capacity
may be 300 or 350 seats. When somebody's
sitting in our theatre, it'll feel like
twice the size.
"We have noise coefficient ratings of
less than 30, which means the ambient
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noise levels are very, very low. You
don't hear a guy puff puffing on a
motorcycle through a back exit, you
don't hear the helicopter above the
auditorium. And all of our heating and
air conditioning systems are done
through ductwork away from the auditorium
In other words, there's no holes
in the roof and no noise coming down.
"Maybe we can't guarantee the quality
of the product you're going to see, but
you're going to have an experience. Our
concession stands sell the regular fare,
but also health foods, apple juice, noncarbonated
beverages, and we are experimenting
with pastries and so forth
But the idea is that there is something
for the other tastes.
"And these are the things," says Hanson,
"that make a pleasant psychic
impression."
AND
Hanson hates tennis shoes.
He Jvites them. You can hear a
loathing edge in his voice every
time he uses the two words together.
"Our ushers don't wear tennis shoes,"
insists Hanson, and one can almost hear
teeth grinding at the other end of the
phone line. "They wear tuxedos. Bill
Blass tuxedos. They wear white gloves.
They don't wear uniforms that fall apart
because they're a hundred years old.
They don't wear ft7jni,s shoes.
"The girls behind the concession
stands and in our boxoffice don't wear
smocks, they wear some very stylish
blouses, and vests, and bow-ties and so
forth. Again, there's no tennis shoes back
there."
Why does Hanson get so excited
about employee uniforms? Because the
way his personnel dress is integral to
Essaness's first-class approach. "We're
people-oriented on both sides of the
counter. We want everybody to make
eye-contact, talk to you, and treat you
not as if you're something on a conveyor
belt. If you have a problem, there'll be
somebody on the floor
"We don't just give our ushers flashlights
and say here, go be an usher We
give you a manual, you are trained, and
then periodically, from two to four
times a year, a group of independent
consultants will come in and you get a
permission slip to get you out of school,
we pay you for that day, and we have
seminars We will teach you how to
handle a situation, whether it's a bomb
scare, or whether it's simply a disgnmtled
customer, or whether it's simply
how to greet .someone at the, concession
stand and be a gofKl front-line salesp>

A Little More Clarity, Please
IN
By John F. Allen
READING SOME of the articles about
sound appearing in these and other
pages, including my own articles, it
occurred to me that technical terms are
freely used, terms which are not always
clearly defined. For instance, in one of
my articles, I talked about distortion but
did not define it or always note the kind
of distortion I was talking about This
then is the first of two articles in which I
will attempt to clarify and discuss a few,
though not all, of the more common
audio terms.
Decibel or dB:
"Deci" means 1/10. "Bel" (named
after Alexander) is often misunderstood
as a unit of sound or power. Actually, a
decibel is simply a logarithm of a ratio,
multiplied by a constant or number,
usually 10 or 20. It may be written as
dB=101og(power level one /power level
2J. This means 10 times the logarithm of
the product of dividing power level 2
into level 1. How does this work? Suppose
you have a 100 watt amplifier operating
at 50 watts. How much more power
in terms of decibels do you have
before the amplifier runs out of power?
First you divide 100 by 50 and get 2. The
logarithm of 2 is .3. Multiply that by 10
and you get 3 dB. Note that to go from
100 watts to 200 watts, or 2,000 to 4,000,
is each stUl a change of only 3 dB. In
other words, every time you double or
halve your power, the level change is 3
dB.
If the ratio you are comparing is that
of two voltages, then you use the
formula: dB = 201og(voltage 1 /voltage
2). The log of 2/1 would srill be .3, but
the change in decibels would be 20
times .3, or 6 dB. The point is that a
decibel is not a unit of anything, such as
a pound or a mOe. It is simply a mathematical
convenience.
Frequency:
Sound is basically a pressure wave at
a frequency we can hear. Waves ripple
through the air much the same way
they do in a pond; they go up and down.
One complete wave is called a cycle or
vibration. Frequency is measured by
counting the number of complete waves
or cycles per second. We can generally
hear frequencies from about 27 cycles
per second to about 15,000 to 20,000
cycles. Several years ago the easily
comprehended term "cycles per second"
was renamed Hertz.
1

-.
Frequency Range or H.iiulvt idth:
The treqiiency range ot a device, also
called its bandwidth, is the range of frequencies
it will operate in. Most monophonic
cinema sound systems have an
upper bandwidth limit of 6,000 to 8,000
Hertz, some arc even less 35mm stereo
optical systems can go up to about
12,(KK) Hertz or so and 70mm magnetic
svstcms to about 16,000 Hertz
Frequency Response:
The term "frequency response" is,
unfortunately, sometimes used synonymously
with frequency range. They are
not the same, however. A device may
have a frequency range of 20 to 20,000
Hertz. Were the device to have a flat
frequency response as well, its output
would remain constant at all frequencies
from 20 to 20,000 Hertz. Most audio
components are not exactly flat in output,
their output varies up or down a
httle at different frequencies. The
amount of this deviation is usually small
and might be ivritten as "frequency
response: 20 to 20,000 Hertz, ± Vz dB."
Impedance:
This often misimderstood term is
most easily described as "that which
impedes." Were you to plug two wires
into an electrical wall socket and keep
them apart, the pote^niial current would
be impeded by the high impedance of
the air between them. Current would
not flow from one wire to the other
Touch the wires together and nothing
would impt^de the current, except the
impedan(.(t of the wires themselves,
which is verv low Now the (low would
be enormous, enough to melt the insulation
off the wires (if the fuse didn't blow
first).
Impc-dance in electrical circuits is
stated in "ohms." An ohm is a unit of
resistance. Impedance is defined as the
total opposition including resistance
and reactance of an alternating current
(AC) circuit. (I'll save reactance for
another day )
Gain and Loss:
Gain is the amount a signal is increased
by a device. Loss is the amount
of signal reduction encountered by
transmission through a device or material.
Gain and loss arc usually expressed
in decibels. Many power amplifiers have
a voltage gain of 26 dB. This is 20 times
gain, or 1
volt in will mean 20 volts out.
In decibels this 201og(20/l ) or 26 dB.
Watt:
A watt is a unit of power Like ordinary
lightbulbs, power amplifiers art;
usually rated in watts. An amplifier may
be said to deliver 250 watts into an 8
ohm sf>eaker and 500 watts into a 4 ohm
speaker. How can this be? Power is voltage
s

IN THE BOOTH
FEELING LUCKY?
THIS
By Tony Francis
IS MY annual "Welcome to Sho-
West" article. I like ShoWest. This
convention seems to signal the end
to the doldrums that follow the holiday
season. Its appearance marks my chance
to see the people who were only voices on
the telephone for so many months. Besides
all that, Las Vegas isn't chopped
liver itself
Everyone should be in a good mood at
ShoWest: 1987 was a good year for product,
and grosses topped $4 billion again.
Furthermore, adults seem to be finding
their way back to our theatres. This alone
is cause for real optimism.
Our industry is virtually assured of
plentiful product in the forseeable future.
The combined demand for product for
theatres and home video has filmmakers
cranking them out in abundance. While
no single 1987 film set incredible records,
several films were very successful. That
also is very encouraging.
The old timers in exhibition believe
that product is the name of the game.
When you have a good product, you make
money. When the product is abundant, a
lot of it will be good enough to make more
money for exhibitors.
If the elders in our industry are right,
1988 should be another good year and
exhibitors should see their profits increase.
And to a large extent we owe this
good fortune to video. The abundance of
new product creates more opportunities
for exhibitors. But these were not earned
opportunities. You might say exhibitors
were lucky for once. Before video, filmmakers
couldn't or wouldn't produce so
many films, at least not at the level we
saw last year.
Some say it is better to be lucky than
good. That is probably true, so long as
your luck lasts. But, as some of us will be
reminded during this Las Vegas junket,
luck is a sometimes thing. In the long
term, you are better off being good.
Being good means striving for excellence.
In Showbiz it means entertaining
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with style and impact; that's a minimum
requirement to sustain real growth Real
growth is increased ticket sales Improved
grosses are great, if they are not mainly
attributable to higher ticket prices. The
best way to increase profits is to sell more
tickets and concessions.
The increase in availability of him
product yields the best opportunity for
growth we have experienced in at least 40
years Customers of all ages are again
interested in going to the movies 1 would
hate to see us blow it, but we could
Pleasing and entertaining customers is
the only way to grow We inight need a
little luck to do it. but thoughtful, hard
work will be more valuable
Exhibitors have begun to focus more on
pleasing their customers, but we still have
a way to go We have leam

NATIONAL NEWS
It's Official: 1987 Boxoffice
Breaks Ail-Time Record
billion
Domestic grosses for 1987 exceeded $4.03
on Sunday afternoon, Dec. 27, breaking
the all-time annual boxoffice record set in
1984. By year's end, U.S. grosses had exceeded
a whopping $4 25 billion, a jump of
more than 11 percent over 1986's $3.78 billion
Holiday Movies Contribute
To Hollywood's Best Week
Ever
Hollywood's year-long record cash-harvest
actually continued to gain momentum as it
hurtled toward 1988; U.S. boxoffice had its
best week in history ending Dec. 31, with a
seven-day gross totalling nearly $158 million,
according to a lanuary survey in Daily Variety
It beat the old all-time weekly record of
$137.9 million (set in the same period one
year before) by over 14 percent.
The big winners in Hollywood's lucrative
holiday sweepstakes were Paramount, 20th
Century Fox, Disney and Orion, all of which
were scoring with heavy hitters at year's end.
Paramount set the pace with three solid
champions: Eddie Murphy's "Raw," which
raked in over $39.1 million by its fourth
weekend; John Hughes's Thanksgivingweekend
release "Planes, Trains and Automobiles,"
which was showing strong, steady
legs in early lanuary with a cumulative $43
million gross; and the third strongest grosser
of 1987 (with $125.9 million by Dec. 31), "Fatal
Attraction," which was still pulling a
healthy $3.4 million weekend gross in its 16th
week of release
Touchstone, meanwhile, was doing the
same kind of business with but a single picture.
The biggest single-release hit in Disney's
history, first-ranked currency magnet "Three
Men and a Baby" was the yuletide monster
that had already sucked up $94.7 million by
as it
Ian, 10, "Baby" marks, incidentally, the second
year in a row in which the top holiday
moneymaker was directed by Leonard Nimoy,
who helmed "Star Trek IV" for Paramount
in 1986
Fox, too, suffered no cash flow problems
offered up a formidable pair of aggressive
workplace-themed Christmas releases,
James L. Brooks's critically beknighted
"Broadcast News" and Oliver Stone's first
post-"Platoon" project, ~"Wall Street."
"Broadcast," still playing only about 700
theatres by New Year's Day, made more than
$22.3 million in its first 17 days of release, and
had an opening day that broke house records
on both coasts. "Wall Street," which made its
bow two weeks earlier, was enjoying solid,
steady business with $26.6 million by the
close of its fifth weekend.
Orion roared into 1988 with the quirky
black comedy "Throw Momma From The
Train." An impressive debut for first-time feature
director Danny DeVito, "Momma" led
the field the week it opened, and made over
$42.7 million in its first 31 days of release.
Other studios enjoyed much smaller pieces
of the pie. Columbia's "The Last Emperor"
was faring quite well in about 100 venues, but
the same studio's "Leonard Part VI," in wide
release, was in the process of going belly up
in a hurry, MGM/UA's "Overboard" was
showing surprising momentum with a cumulative
gross of $16.8 million by its fourth
weekend. Tri-Star's "Running Man" had
largely run out of gas by New Year's, leveling
out at $36 million after eight weeks in release,
and falling far behind Arnold Schwarzenegger's
previous actioner, "Predator," which
soaked up $57 million last summer. Universal's
Steven Spielberg-produced "Batteries
Not Included" debuted reasonably well (considering
stiff competition) with $23. 1 million in
24 days, but Warner's Spielberg-directed
"Empire of the Sun" reaped only a sluggish
$14.5 million in its first 33 days of wide
release By way of comparison, "Broadcast
News" and "Empire" were each playing
approximately the same number of theatres
over the New Year weekend, but "Broadcast"
took in nearly twice "Empire's" gross.
1987 Video Grosses
Outstrip Theatrical By
Nearly 2-1
Hollywood's record $4.2 billion in domestic
theatrical grosses were effectively dwarfed
by home video sales, which took in excess of
$7.46 billion in 1987, almost twice what new
movies made in theatres that year. The figures
indicate a whopping 30 percent increase
in total consumer expenditures on cassette
rentals and purchases, up from $5.76 billion in
1986. Cassette sales in 1987 reflected the
bulk of the increase, up 61 percent over sales
in 1986. Cassette rentals rose by a merely
healthy 16 percent over the same period.
Fued Erupts Between
Columbia and Cineplex
Odeon
Industry sources reported in December
that Canadian-based exhibitor Cineplex Odeon
cancelled 140 playdates for Columbia's
"Leonard Part VI" tjecause Columbia pulled
"The Last Emperor" from scheduled pre-
Christmas bookings at major Cineplex
theatres in the US. and Canada. Soon afterward,
Tri-Star, a then soon-to-be unit of
Columbia Pictures Entertainment, pulled all
of its product from Cineplex outlets. Industry
observers expect CPE president Victor Kaufman
and Cineplex chairman Garth Drabinsky
to cool down and work out their differences
moves that would be in
the best interests of
both companies
Columbia and Tri-Star
Combine Under New Entity
Columbia Pictures and Tri-Star were combined
Dec 18 under a new entity, Columbia
Pictures Entertainment Under the new CPE
banner, Columbia and Tri-Star will continue
to function as separate and autonomous entities,
Victor Kaufman, who remains Tri-Star's
chairman, also became the president of CPE.
The Tri-Star and Columbia television units
have been merged into a single division called
Columbia Pictures Television.
Critics Pick the Best of '87
The Oscar-influential Los Angeles Film Critics
Assn. voted John Boorman's "Hope and
Glory" the best film of 1987. Their East Coast
counterparts, the New York Film Critics Circle,
opted for James L. Brooks's "Broadcast
News" The National Society of Film Critics
chose John Huston's last film, "The Dead."
Indeed, it was difficult to sort out the very
best in what many critics have labeled as a
banner year for cinema The choices of all
three organizations reflected the diversity
and sheer quantity of first-rate films offered
moviegoers last year. What follows is a rundown
of the major winners:
Best Director:
LAFCA: John Boorman ("Hope and Glory")
NYFCC: James L. Brooks ("Broadcast News")
NSFC: John Boorman ("Hope and Glory")
Best Screenplay:
LAFCA: John Boorman ("Hope and Glory")
NYFCC: lames L Brooks ("Broadcast News")
NSFC: John Boorman ("Hope and Glory")
Best Actor:
LAFCA: (tie) Jack Nicholson ("Ironweed,"
"The Witches of Eastwick") and Steve Martin
("Roxanne")
"
NYFCC: Jack Nicholson ("Ironweed, "The
Witches of Eastwick," "Broadcast News")
NSFC: Steve Martin ("Roxanne")
Best Actress:
LAFCA: (tie) Holly Hunter ("Broadcast News")
and Sally Kirkland ("Anna").
NYFCC: Holly Hunter ("Broadcast News")
NSFC Emily Lloyd ("Wish You Were Here")
Best Supporting Actor:
LAFCA: Morgan Freeman ("Street Smart")
NYFCC: Morgan Freeman ("Street Smart")
NSFC: Morgan Freeman ("Street Smart")
Best Supporting Actress:
LAFCA: Olympia Dukakis ("Moonstruck")
NYFCC: Vanessa Redgrave ("Prick Up Your
Ears")
NSFC: Kathy Baker ("Street Smart")
Best Foreign Film:
LAFCA: "Au Revoir Les Enfants"
"
NYFCC: "My Life as a Dog
Again, critics' choices can often influence
Oscar voting. Official Academy .Award nominations
will be announced Feb. 17.
Writer's Guild Strike Looms
Industry experts say the Writer's Guild of
America and the Alliance of Motion Picture
& Television Producers are not likely to agree
on a new contract in time to replace the writers'
old contract, which expires Feb. 29. Key
issues in the dispute revolve around the producers'
proposal to scrap fixed residual rates
in favor of a sliding scale based on a percentage
of a television show's syndication licensing
fees. WGA executive director Brian Walton
told the WGA membership that the new
formula would likely eftect an average writer's
residual fee rollback in the neighborhood
of 15 percent The WGA is expected to vote
down the new proposed contract.
94 Boxoffice

"
I
EASTERN NEWS
Washington, D.C.
Cineplex ( )(leon announced Dec. 15 thai it
had reached an agreement to acquire the
DC -based 80-screen Circle Theatres chain
for $-»5 million Acquisition of the 30-vear-old
circuit brings Cineplexs area screen count to
42 In 28 locations It also ups Cineplexs total
North American holdings to 1,647 screens in
493 locations.
New York City
Holiday decisions on the part of Cineplex
Odeon and Loews Theatres to raise the
admission price of all their Manhattan outlets
to S7 were greeted by the protests of angry
New Yorkers well into the new year Upset at
having to pay the highest ticket price in America
to catch seasonal fare, numerous Manhattan
community organizations, including the
Northwest Central Park Multi-Block Assn and
students from nearby Columbia and Fordham
universities (among many others), called for
extended protests and boycotts against the
two offending chains
New York City councilperson and consumer
affairs committee chairperson Carol Creitzer
announced plans to launch hearings Ian 29
to look into Manhattan theatre operations
"It's bad enough that admissions have increased
40 percent in the last two years to
"
S7, said Creitzer, "without moviegoers having
to put up with the discomforts and Inconvenience
that are part of the moviegoing
experience in New York City
But the most conspicuous cries of outrage
emanated from New York mayor and moonlighting
movie critic Ed Koch, who urged a
tjoycott of theatres charging $7 admissions,
then admitted that he himself had paid $7 to
see "Ironweed Dec. 26 Explained Koch, " I
told you, I'm not starting the boycott until
get an army I'm saying, let's flex our muscles
Write me a letter at City Hall. We can
bring the movie moguls to their knees, to
their knees
"That's a disappointing statement for him
"
to make, replied Robert Sunshine, director
of New York's Metropolitan Theatre Owners
Association Many theatre owners needed
the price increase to pay for renovations and
higher costs, said Sunshine "It's not just an
arbitrary thing when they say let's rip off the
public"
New Milford, Conn.
Rocky and Irish Barry, owners ol the Bank
Street two-plex in New Milford, hosted a
screening of "Cinderella " to benefit the
Washington Monlessori School Building
Fund
Hartford, Conn.
\ilress Catherine Hicks appeared at the
local Redstone/Showcase multiplex to participate
in a benefit showing of "Star Trek IV "
Proceeds from the event go to the Cetacean
Society International
Oaklyn, N.J.
The Ritz Theatre, originally built in 1927,
capped a year-long celebration of its 60th
anniversary during the pre-holiday weeks by
offering free admission to everyone who was
born or married in the year of its opening
Be sure
to stop by
Booth 188
ShoWest:
Boston
General Cinema, the Boston-based exhibition
and tK>ttling concern, doubled its stake in
Cadbury Schweppes PLC to 18 percent by
buying $230 million worth of Slock in late
1987 GC purchased an 8 5 percent slake in
the Bntish beverage and candy company in
Ian 1987 for $136 6 million Cadbury's chairman.
Sir Adrian Cadbury. said any further
investment in his firm would be unwelcome
Cadbury was not notified of the purchase
until after the fact "This is an investment. "
said GC spokesperson Janine Dusossolt
have not asked them lor a board seat"
"We
Patrons of the Brattle Theatre got a free gift
this Christmas two days of free screenings
Dec 22 and 23 Brattle co-director Marianne
Lampke explained that business is slow
around the holidays anyway
The Quiet Door
by Openings, makers
of the TOTAL-DOOR
System featuring:
Quiet Operation
All Fire Labels
On-time Delivery
Single Responsibility
rml
^
New Haven, Conn.
National Amusements announced Dec _'
that It IS building two new luxury theatre complexes
in New Haven County Ground was
broken that day for National's Showcase Cinemas
Milford five-plex at 230 Cherry Street
(on the site of the former Milford Drive-ln)
and construction was already underway to
complete the Showcase Cinemas North Haven
eight-plex at 550 Universal Dr The two
new multiplexes will bring to 58 the number
of National-operaterl screens in Connecticut
The Massachusetts-based chain currently
owns and operates over 400 screens
throughout the East and Midwest

I
'
Springfield, Mass.
The venerable 2400-seat Paramount Theatre
in downtown Springfield, long recognized as
the flagship of the old Western Massachusetts
Theatres chain, was sold by Donald E-
Campion to retailer/entertainment promoter
Brian Alden for an undisclosed amount. Alden
says he intends to spend upwards of
$100,000 to remodel the structure into a performing
arts venue.
Pittsburgh, Penn.
The 187-screen Pittsburgh-based Cinemette
Corp, has been sold to Cinema World,
a group headed by Matthew Bronfman, Jeffrey
Lewine, and New York-based investment
banker Robert Malina. The circuit,
which is run by Ernest Stern with his cousin,
George, and son, Richard, holds 78 locations
in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.
Harrisburg, Penn.
AMC Theatres has scheduled a February
opening for its new Sporting Hill eight-plex,
which will bring the total of first-run screens
on the West Shore to 16. It is expected that at
least one of the new screens will offer occasional
foreign language or independent films.
Harrisburg Patriot News motion picture
editor Sharon lohnson, in her recent "Survivor's
Guide" for filmgoers, asked readers not
to blame house managers for the "generally
shabby look of the Eric theatres" operated by
the Philadelphia-based Sameric Theatres
chain. She charged that Sameric "doesn't
believe in squandering profits on frills like
maintenance of their properties" The exception,
she said, is Eric's Colonial Park: "It hasn't
had time to get run down yet, but wait'"
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PRESENTING THE FANTASTIC 4
XR171
ANTI-STATIC
non-yellowing
pearlescenl surface

I he
MIDWEST NEWS
Toledo, Ohio
\ spring completion date is expected for
National Amusements' new Showcase Cinemas
Spring Meadows four-plex (not a tenplex,
as reported in lanuarys Eastern News)
The 1,20Oseat complex, which will feature
rocking-chair seating and a contemporary art
gallery in its 6.000 sq ft lobby, will bnng to
35 the number of movie screens National
operates in the Buckeye Slate
A historic building in industrialized East
Toledo is being considered for redevelopment
by the non-profit River East Economic
Revitalization Corp to house retail stores and
a theatre The project is dependent on government
and business involvement financialK
and Its future is still in question
Cleveland, Ohio
General Cinema has announced ambitious
expansion plans for the Cleveland area The
chain recently reached a benchmark of -40
screens in Northeastern Ohio with the opening
of the chains elght-plex in Chapel Hill, and
IS planning an additional 60 screens for the
area
Columbus, Ohio
With the opening ol its Dublin Village tenplex
Dec 11. AMC becomes the largest
exhibitor chain in Columbus and Franklin Co
operating 30 screens in four area complexes
The new multiplex, at 6800 Federated Blvd
and Sawmill Rd just south of 1-270, consists of
two 358-seat auditoriums, and eight smaller
208-seaters
Newark, Ohio
The VVealhervane Drive-In was decimated
by fire in the early morning hours after
Thanksgiving Day. with damage estimated at
$ 100.000 Investigators suspect partying juveniles
may have caused the blaze.
Milwaukee
The Oriental Landmark theatre, an ornate
movie palace built in 1927 and still operating
on a daily basis, will be partitioned into a triplex
by May About i 1 million in construction
t)egan on the site in early January The two
new theatres will be built under the existing
auditorium's balcony The balcony itself will
continue to be used as seating for the existing
auditorium
Movie fans had a field day when the Oriental
liquidated its 11-year collection of movie
posters (alxxjt 700 film titles) Dec 12 at a
fjne-day sale
Ladysmith, Wis.
l,id>smiiiis newly-remodeled Miner
Theatre reopened Dec 18 under the direction
ol Rob lovely
Minneapolis
l.isi ihf.ilrc ol the once-mighly Engler
Theatres circuit was sokl in Decemt>er lo the
United Artists chain The 7 1-year-old Engler
circuit once controlled 2 1 cinemas in the Twin
Cities
After years of doing his own bookings, jerry
Hickerson. who operates both the Galaxy
Twin Cinemas and the Starlight Drive-ln in
Thief River Falls, is now using the Viking Film
Service HKkerson says that with all the
exchanges moving out of state it is too hard
for him lo gel things done each week
Elk River, Minn.
Exhittitor Tom Viste sold the Elk Cinema to
Rob Van Valkenberg Nov 1, and announced
that he was gelling out of the film business
Wilson tK>oking service will handle buying (or
the new owner
Kansas City, Mo.
Mid- -XmcrK .i ( incftia made its third expansion
of 1987 when it opened its Manor
Square tn-plex in mid-town Kansas City Dec
18 The new theatre gives the circuit 50
screens in 1 1 complexes in the greater Kansas
City area
Omaha, Neb.
Co(iim

SILVER SCREEN
SPECIALTIES
PO. Box 1223
Caldwell, Idaho 83606-1223
(208) 454-9454
Many have experienced how
successful our first
trailer is
policy
— "The Cowboy"
•
Have you seen our second
release? We call it "The
Detective." It deals with
talking, smoking and littering -
again reminding your patrons
to be courteous.
•
And NOW you can "tackle"
discourteous patrons with our
newest release. It features the
L.A. Raiders committing
themselves to theatre courtesy.
•
Our trailers are filmed with live actors.
ENTERTAINING — EFFECTIVE
See you at ShoWest
Booth No. 170
Response No 167
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^mp^mm,.
Red- Blue/Green
Anaglyph Glasses
SOUTHERN NEWS
New Tazewell, Tenn.
New Tazewell-based Tri-State Entertainment
announced Dec 22 that it had acquired
32 screens in Indiana and Kentucky from
Associated Theatres of Kentucky The acquisition
of the six multiplexes gives Tri-State a
total of 76 screens at 20 locations in Kentucky,
Indiana, Tennessee, North Carolina,
and Georgia. Tri-State officials say the chain
intends to pursue additional acquisition opportunities
as they become available In addition,
the company hopes to build 20-25
screens per year, beginning in late 1988.
Louisville, Ky.
Loews Theatres will construct a new luxury
ten-plex in Louisville, according to a December
Loews press announcement. Groundbreaking
for the 3,150-seat Stony Brook
development multiplex is scheduled to commence
in early 1988
Wilmington, N.C.
North Carolina filmmaking pioneer Earl
Owensby told the Wilmington Evening Star
Dec, 8 that he was talking with DEG officials
about buying the financially troubled firm's
Wilmington studio complex. Studio president
Martha Schumacher, besieged by media inquiries,
said DEG has not discussed a sale of
the studios with Owensby. Owensby, whose
own Shelby studio was the state's first, said
he wanted to buy the complex "for the right
price" though he had not seen it.
Yanceyville, N.C.
Madger Entertainment, Canada's largest independent
filmmaking concern, has announced
plans to build a new studio in rural
Yanceyville for artists who want to make
movies, but don't want to do it in California
Several hundred people will be added to the
new studio's payroll by early 1988, according
to vice-president Ricky Madger.
Coral Gables, Fla.
Wometco Theatres officially opened its
deluxe, ultra-modern 12-plex in the Shadowood
Shopping Center Dec. 3, its largest
ever in the western region of Boca Raton.
Opening ceremonies were highlighted by an
advanced screening of lames L, Brooks' runaway
hit, "Broadcast News."
MIDWEST NEWS
Dallas
Little Rock, Ark -based Rand (ak.a Multi-
Cinema) Theatres detailed the first phase of
its ambitious 18-month expansion program in
early January, a plan that will eventually add
300 US, screens to the 33-screen circuit (see
feature on page 20) According to operations
vice president |eff Rand, the chain's first Texas
outlet, Waxahatchie's Northlake Plaza
four-plex, is scheduled for a Mar, 15 bow. In
addition, 34 more Texas screens are due by
June 1, including a Louisville ten-plex, and an
eight-plex each in Austin, North Richland Hills,
and Grapevine. The next phase of the Rand
plan is expected to launch 100-plus additional
screens in Arizona and Texas by Christmas,
1988, including venues in Scottsdale, Phoenix,
Austin and an Alamo Heights 10-plex in San
Antonio,
Dallas' USA Film Festival presented its
fourth annual KidFilm international children's
film festival Jan. 21-23. Disney animators
Frank Thomas and Ollie lohnson, who had to
cancel their scheduled appearances last year,
were this year's honored guests.
Fort Worth, Tex.
Loews Theatres opened its new City View
eight-plex at Interstate 20 and Bryant Irvin
Road Dec 18. This is Loews' third venue in
the area; it already operates the Lincoln
Square Six and Loews 20 & 287 Six in nearby
Arlington, but the City View is the chain's first
operation in Fort Worth It also brings Loews'
total Texas screen-count to 75.
Park City, Utah
The focus of Park City's 1988 US Film Festival
was "hard facts and useful information,"
according to program director Tony Safford.
The test, which ran Jan. 15-24, featured six
scheduled informal discussions, seven formal
seminars, and a tribute to director Sam Fuller,
Topics included film finance, marketing, exhibition
considerations, foreign distribution
markets and technical production.
Clovis, N.M.
Commonwealth Theatres opened its new
North Plains four-plex in Clovis Dec 18, the
same day the circuit closed its inveterate State
Theatre in the same city.
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Response No. 171

and
"
Los Angeles
\doplion oi a new $4.25 an hour state
tiiinimum wage by the California Industrial
VVeltare Department Dec 18 is being per
ceived as a threat by California exhibitors
Theatre Association of California president
Robert Selig, whose organization fiad been
reconciled to a smaller jump to $4 an hour
warned that the 90-cent increase could cut
moviehouse employment, speed up automation
and raise ticket prices
As part of what AMC is billing as the largest
ma|or market expansion in its history, the
I ham opened two ma)or Southland multif)lexes
Dec 18 The Fullerton 8 and Victor
V alley 10 (in Victorville) |Oin AMCs existing
Century 1-4 (in Century City), as well as the
chain's Puente Plaza 10 (in Puente Hills) and
Mainplace 6 (in Santa Ana) All five multiplexes
were built on or after Sept 1987, and
are scheduled to be joined in 1988 by new
•\MC complexes in Hermosa Beach, Chino.
Santa Monica and on Sunset Blvd at Laurel
Canyon in Hollywood
A man was hospitalized in good condition
Dec 7 after a gunman shot him in the back at
a Los Angeles theatre showing of "Nuts, the
"
story of a young woman facing trial for murder.
Freddie lohns, 32, of Los Angeles, said he
had no idea why he was shot The gunman
escaped the United Artist theatre on Clencoe
\ve. and was still at large at press time
The Wiltern, once a landmark Los Angeles
film palace, was showing movies again Dec
i l-)an 17 as part of the venue's special Rock
on Film series Enpying a renaissance as a live
action venue under the direction of legendary
San Francisco rock promoter Bill Graham,
the Wiltern was upgraded with a 15,000-watt
state-of-art sound system for the event, a 44-
iilm tribute to rock cinema produced by the
association with
American Cinematheque In
Graham The 18-day fest kicked off New
Year's Eve with a special four-hour program
devoted to the roots of rock Subsequent
nights featured a 12-hour Elvis Presley movie
marathon. Rock Around the Clock" (1956),
The Buddy Holly Story" (1978), "The Compleat
Beatles" (1982), "A Hard Days Night
(1964), Stop Making Sense" (1984), Thf
Great Rock'n'Roll Swindle" (1980), 'Purple
Rain "
(1984). a special four-hour compilation
of the Rolling Stones' concert films, a special
iwo-hours-plus Talking Heads "custom
show." the Los Angeles premieres of "jimi at
"
Monterey "Shake." and many others
The event closed Ian 17 with the world pre
miere of lohn Waters' "Hairspray
The 1 1th Annual Excellence in Media Angel
Awards were slated to be handed out at the
Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills Fef) 16
National and international in stope. the nonprofit
Excellence in Media organization uses
the awards to jurlge motion pictures,
television,
radio, plays, vifleos. fKX)ks and recorri
albums for their merit and siriC>u
Ten imogeciaotv and
All screen surfaces are monufoctured, this process assures
longer life & reduced gom fode. as compared with painted surfoces
FRAMING flat
Fire test etc
- curved - wrap around - speaker platforms
provided, wood - steel - aluminum
- United States Testing Co inc provided upon request
AUTOMATED HIGH SPEED
U/L APPROVED TICKETING EQUIPtVlENT
Factory Service, the only auttiorizeC
manulacturer ana repair center
Ftesponse No 176
THEATRE DESIGN EXPERTS
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Response No 1 79
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Response No. 181
Toronto
Following the lead of archrival Famous
Players Canada, Cineplex Odeon increased its
Toronto theatre admission prices from $6 to
$6.50 in mid-December, Famous Players set
Canada's barrier-breaking admission price the
month before, a move that reportedly caught
Cineplex by surprise.
Cineplex Odeon also launched a slew of
Toronto-area screens in December. The
Sherway Cinemas multiplex features nine
wide screens with Lucasfilm THX sound in
three auditoriums and Dolby stereo in all. The
Oakville Mews, to the west of the city,
opened with five screens, all with Dolby stereo.
The opening that got the most publicity,
though, was that of Cineplex's Pantages, an
event that set rival exhibitors Famous Players
and Cineplex at each other's throats. A
restored 1920s vaudeville house, the Pantages
shares the old Imperial Building with six
Famous Players screens. Cineplex's half of the
Imperial includes the front door, which Cineplex
closed, effectively shutting down the
Famous Players screens. Famous Players retaliated
by reporting Cineplex's fire-code violations
to Toronto's fire marshall. As a result,
the Pantages's scheduled Dec. 11 opening
had to be postponed until the following
day
Cineplex has announced plans to test-market
in-theatre boutiques featuring movie
memorabilia and souvenirs. Each boutique
will occupy about 400 square feet.
Famous Players Canada announced that it
plans to expand by 25 percent in the next
three years It is still Canada's largest exhibition
chain, with about 5,000 more seats than
Cineplex overall, but with fewer locations.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
PARIS, FRANCE - The 200-screen Parisbased
Pathe Cinema circuit instituted its new
discount admissions card policy Dec. 16, a
move that allows movie patrons to buy bargain
admissions in bulk with magneticallycoded
discount cards. The card, which can
be "charged" with ten admissions at the cost
of 280 francs, offers a substantial discount
over individually bought tickets, ten of which
would normally run a French filmgoer .350
francs. Pathe has earmarked over S500,000
to promote the benefits of the new card policy.
HAVANA, CUBA - Cheech Mann's debut
directorial effort, "Born in East LA," won
three awards at the Ninth Festival of New
Latin America Cinema in Havana Dec 17, The
lilm was honored for Marin's screenplay and
art direction by Linda Burbank and Ray Fox,
"Born" also took the prestigious Glauber
Rocha award, named for the distinguished
Brazillian filmmaker.
ON THE MOVE
The Cannon Croup, owner of the Commonwealth
Theatres chain, has reached an
agreement with a European company whereby
Cannon will sell its American and European
theatre properties and lease the operations
back The Commonwealth chain will continue
as an operating entity, but not without a restructuring
of management.
Former United Theatre Owners of Oklahoma
treasurer lohn Ruth, who moved from
Oklahoma City to Denver in 1985, will move
now to Kansas City as vice president in
charge of theatre operations. Gary Quick has
moved from Oklahoma City to his hometown
of Wichita, and will be district manager
over Oklahoma, some Kansas towns, one
town in Nebraska, and one in Texas. )im
Buckelew moves up to the position of city
manager for Oklahoma City, and will also act
as manager of the North Park Four Theatre.
W Robert Rich, founder and executive
vice president of the Screenvision Cinema
Network - which sells big-screen commercials
in movie theatres to blue chip sponsors
like Coca-Cola, Kodak, Ford, Pepsi and General
Electric - resigned Nov. 13, vowing to
announce plans for his future in January. Rich
launched Screenvision in 1976.
lohn F. Allen has been elected chairman of
the New England section of the Audio Engineering
Society for the 1987-88 fiscal year.
Allen is the president of High Performance
Stereo in Newton, Mass. and is active in the
motion picture sound industry as the developer
and distributor of HPS-4000 sound systems.
He also serves as the principal writer on
the subject of sound for Boxoffice.
Patricia Brugman joins Theatron Data Systems
as a designer of computerized theatre
ticketing and management systems. As director
of marketing, she will be responsible for
implementing product strategy, customer inquiries,
and trade show logistics
Al Boos, former vice president of AMC's
Midwest operations, has moved on from his
heartland responsibilities to become vice
president of Concession and Food Services
within AMC's home office. Stepping up to fill
Boos's former position is Dick Walsh, previously
AMC's Midwest assistant DOM.
Bernie Finkelstein, head of True North
Records, is the new acting head of the Ontario
Film Development Corp. He's filling in for
Wayne Clarkson, who's on a ten-month
leave of absence. Finkelstein has been an
OFDC board member since the agency was
founded two years ago.
Todd Heller fills Loews Theatres' newlycreated
position of .Associate Director of Real
Estate Heller, a graduate of Boston University,
comes to Loews from the real estate division
of the Westminster Bank USA, where he
evaluated real estate loan transactions
The new chairman ot the Toronto Festival
of Festivals is Allan Gregg Gregg heads the
Decima research and polling firm He replaces
lohn Slan, president of Paragon Motion Pictures,
who is now in Los ,Angeles. The director
of the festival is Helga Stevenson

—
divorced, liberated, intellectual, urbane chain-smoking careerist,
her lifestyle is as breezy and unfocu.scd as Ruth's is
rigorous
The most striking character in the film, though, is Diana's
super-trendy adole.st.eni daughter A privileged product of
successful parents in the big city. Plimpton's (irace is thi
bright, (olorful walking Swatt.h commercial who cheerful!-,
decides to turn Ruth's oppressive primeval wilderness imvironment
on its ear A blond, leggy wisp of budding womanhood,
she singlehandedly introduces her unsophisticated
fun-starved cousins to all the major vices of decadent Man
hatlan — from cocaine and casual sex to Elvis (;ostello —
and the resulting e.scapades an; never less than inspir»:d
Konchalovsky maintains an exceedingly sharp eye for
detail but is careful to kei:p our attention fot.u.sed on ih'
main themes Ultimately. Ruth and Diana both emerge from
their adventures tog

BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED
Staning Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Elizabeth Pena and
Michael Carmine
Produced by Ronald L. Schwary. Directed by Matthew Robbins.
Written by Brad Bird, Matthew Rabbins, Brent Maddock
andS.S. Wilson
A Universal Pictures release. Fantasy, rated PC Running
time: 106 min Screening date: 12/16/87
This whimsical fantasy has all of the elements of a
Spielberg Bint, except for the audiences. Still, after
three weeks it was the #5 movie in the country with a
$23 million take.
been torn down to make way for a huge construction project,
and Tandy's character is so senile that she really should be
in a healthier environment, but Cronyn is determined to
fight the contractor who is trying to chase him out. When
things look bleakest, Cronyn prays for help and, as in all
good bible stories, a small fleet of space creatures come to
help. The aliens — who resemble those two-legged wind-up
toys that hop around like spastic wrens — are particularly
adept at rebuilding things, so every time a part of the building
is destroyed, the aliens magically restore it. The contractor
soon realizes that he's out of his league, and the small,
brownstone building is allowed to remain alongside the shiny
new skyscrapers.
This is a very schizophrenic movie, torn as it is between
being a sensitive survival drama and a spaceman romp.
Unfortunately, it is the spaceman half of the story (the highconcept,
ticket-selling half of the story) that makes the film
so unmemorable. The flying saucers are of the hubcap-ona-string
variety (without the strings), and the aliens are
mute and not enchanting at all. Had the creatures been as
talented as Cronyn and Tandy (we can't believe we just said
that), this might have been a perfectly fine Spielberg clone.
As it is, "Batteries Not Included" is a rare example of human
beings out-shining special effects, which is not at all what
the filmmakers had in mind.
The film is rated PG for mild violence and language. Tom
Matthews
1
—
Steven Spielberg and George Lucas have spent the past
few years slapping their names on films that they may or
may not have had much to do with, partially in order to
deceive ticket-buyers. The problem is that vifith the exception
of "Back to the Future," all of these films have stiffed
("Howard the Duck," "Harry and the Hendersons" and "Innerspace"
all carried the Lucas or Spielberg stamp of
approval). The result is that their names, which once guaranteed
magic, have become trivialized. Unless they are
involved directly with the film (as in "Empire of the Sun"
and "Willow"), these two can turn out movies that are just as
weak and illconceived as the next guy's.
Which brings us to "Batteries Not Included," which is
billed as "a Steven Spielberg presentation." "Batteries" is a
fair recreation of the kind of awe-inspired whimsy that
Spielberg himself used to indulge in before he began chasing
Oscars, and in fact the film is little more than an homage to
him. It pushes all of the right buttons, but the problem is that
by now we've been shown those buttons often enough to be
able to push them ourselves.
Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy star as an elderly couple
who are fighting to remain in their crumbling. New York
tenement building. Every other building on the block has

world and win back his wife. As an epilogue, Cosby's wife
throws food on hirr.. Don't ask.
There are those rare, magical movies in which really bad
filmmaking becomes really f;ix>d psychedelia, and "Leonard
Part 6" is such a movie At one memorable point, Oosby and
his ex-wife are tied up and stalked by killer lobsters Reaching
into his pocket and finding wads of butter, the most
popular man on television proceeds to chase away his
attackers by squatting on the groimd and chanting "Melted
butter! Melted butter!" Right then, we knew that we had
another 'Rocky Horror Picture Show" on our hands, complete
with props and talk-along dialogue It's that terrible.
Cosby is one of the leading victims of "Jerry Lewis disease,
"
in which a once-funny comic has become so wealthy,
so sated by public adoration, and so vitriolic about his critics
that he has come to demand laughs simply because of who
he is, not because of what he's doing ( Las Vegas showrooms
seem to be a major breeding ground for this disease, for
which the only cure is a laugh track) When Bill c:osby, the
man who long ago introduced us to his little brother Russell
and the Chicken Heart, sits in an agonizingly unfininy scene
and seems interested only in making sure that his Coke bottle
is in clear view of the camera, the message is obvious:
The man is more concerned with pleasing his sponsors than
he is his audience. And why not? The sponsor pays better.
What a guy.
The film is rated PG for mild language and violence. Tom
M(itthni"i
IRONWEED
Starring Jack Nichobion, Meryl Streep, Carroll Baker, Michael
O'Kce.fe. Diana Venora. Tom Waits and Hy Anzell
Prmhtced hy Keith Bansh and Marcia Nasatir Directed hy
Hector Bahenco Written hy WiUiam Kennedy
A Tn-Star rekftst Drama, rated R Running time 134 minutes
Screening date 12/15/87
Somewhere within the 114 minutes that comprise "Ironweed"
is a great movie trying to get out Is it a great film? Is it
even a good film? Honestly, "Irnnweed" contains scenes and
whole sequen(;es as powertui and compelling as any seen
this year, but William Kennedy's screenplay doesn't string
them together tightly enough to generate much real momentum
—
—
Meryl Streep, ,is I'hclans .somciiinr bum girllnimd, all but
disappears after the first hour or so. which was fine with us
Glad to see the back of her. Top-heavy with mannerism and
affectation, Streep's annoying ponrait of the cloying, whiny
Helen Archer may be representative of some of her worst
work on film to date. She often seems to be overplaying in a
misguided effort to inaintain some sort of screen-presence
parity with Nicholson, who actually has a much larger role
At times Streep even .seems to be trying to make up ground
by turning Helen into some sort of delirious goofball, but
doesn't demonstrate much of a vocation for low comedy
Once Helen shuffles off, Francis hooks up with far more
interesting characters, and the movie almost gets going Our
own personal favorite sequence involves Hy An/cll as the
gruff immigrant junk dealer Rosskam, who hires Phelan as a
day-laborer. Anzell, all old-world muscle and yiddish bluster,
provides a perfect counterpoint to Nicholson's wry, brooding
loner Had the entire movie been about these two mismatched
characters getting to know each other aboard Rosskam's
horse-drawn junk wagon, we probably would have left
the theatre in much happier mood.
Tom Waits, who may actually be better at acting than he is
at even singing or songwriting, is similarly enjoyable as
Rudy. Phelan's sickly, brain-damaged occasional sidekick
And c;arroll Baker. Diane Verona and Michael O'Keefe (perfectly
cast as Francis's son. the notorious Billy Phelan) are
all quite effective as Francis' abandoned family re-visited
Episodic and meandering, though, "Ironweed" finds its
weakest link in Kennedys pt^rhaps too-reven;nt adaptation
of his own novel A little economy goes a long way. and a
good man with a red pencil might've lost thirty minutes or so
without diminishing the film's power
"Ironweed" is rated R for l.inpu.icr, nutlitv .nnd sexual situ
ations lim Kozttk
Humn, nhosts and had di-ntjl hvfiii-nr — no ttnndrr
this yrr\- dnttnhr.it .ind trr\ lonn film in countinn on
Osfjrs titr .1 hig pus/i. Mtrr thn-i- uri-ks in \ri*- York
and I.. \., itnl\ SJh /,""/( h.is l.ikcn in.
,)d(.k Nicholson i.oriitibutes a cunninglv uiuicisiali d performanf.e
a.s the haunted depression-era drifter f'rancis I'hclan,
an ex-big league ballplayer, ex-lab

EDDIE MURPHY RAW
StatTing Eddie Muifhy
Produced by Robert D. Waehs and Keenen Ivory Wayans.
Directed by Robert Townsend Written by Eddie Murphy.
A Paramount Pictures release Comedy concert documentary,
rated R Running time: 91 min. Screening date: 12/18/87.
If our parents had not spent so much time telling us to
not talk dirty, would we be as rich as Eddie Murphy
right now? This inflammatory laugh riot grossed an
incredible $39 million in three weeks.
Eddie Murphy's brazen confidence and effortless media
domination too often work to obscure the fact that he is still
only 26 years old, an important fact to keep in mind, lest we
judge his state of mind too harshly at this stage of his
career.
Like Prince and Michael Jackson, two other wildly-talented,
wildly-successful black entertainers of his generation.
Murphy exhibits just enough strange behavior to give us
pause. Off screen, his well-docutnented worship of Elvis
Presley never fails to make us squirm with edginess. After
all, young comedians tend to disintegrate before our eyes
easily enough when they're not idolizing substance-abusing
burnouts.
FOR KEEPS
Starring Molly Ringivald, Randall Batinkoff, Kenneth Mars
and Minam Flynn
Produced by Jerry Belson and Walter Coblenz Directed by
John G Avildsen Written by Tim Kazurinsky and Denise
DeClue.
A Tri-Star Pictures release Comedy, rated R Running time:
98 min. Screening date: 1/8/88
The cinematic population explosion continues. However,
unlike "Three Men and a Baby" and "Baby Boom," "For
Keeps" makes its characters go through the messy inconvenience
of actually giving birth, and the result is a tnuch
richer, more affecting film than its predecessors.
But "Raw" proves conclusively that although Murphy may
be an obsessive, he is, at least, a gifted obsessive. If you're
put off by his facile concerns and rampant misogyny, you
must at least admire his ability to fascinate and amuse us
with as much.
He kicks off his first theatrical concert film by relating
how Bill Cosby, a man he had never met, phoned to berate
him for over-employing off-color language in his act. Not
only does Murphy mimic Cosby's tirade perfectly, he actually
comes to embody Cosby in all Cosby's brilliance and fnistration.
Five minutes into the routine, we momentarily forget
Murphy completely and subconsciously begin to accept
that it really is Cosby up there. We're not laughing at Murphy
doing Cosby, we're laughing at Cosby. I tell you, it's weird.
It's like hypnotism. And it's entertaining as all get-out.
Not only that, but five minutes later he's doing the same
thing with Richard Pryor. He becomes Pryor so long and so
flawlessly that for ten minutes it's like watching a wonderful
long-lost Richard Pryor documentary. Again, eerie. Yet brilliant.
"Raw" the film is very, very raw indeed, a document
gorged with monstrous helpings of bathroom humor, f- words
and sexual slandering. The precedents, or course, are Pryor's
concert movies, and Murphy certainly isn't going to set any
bad-taste precedents with that kind of competition.
What Murphy does, and does well, is elicit more laughs per
minute than either of Pryor's last two in-concert extravaganzas.
Not only is Murphy the motion picture industry's most
reliable cash-harvesting actor, he stands to emerge as one of
America's most engaging stand-up comedians.
"Eddie Murphy Raw" is
language. — ]im Kozak
rated R for its deluge of nasty
Darcy and Stan (Molly Ringwald and newcomer Randall
Batinkoff) are teenage sweethearts expecting an uneventful
final year of high school, until Darcy realizes that she's
expecting something else. Suddenly, their futures are completely
changed as they contemplate how to handle this
crisis. Darcy's mother favors abortion and Stan's parents
urge adoption, but the kids decide to keep the baby. They
move into their own apartinent and are faced with the additional
burden of supporting themselves. Once the baby
arrives, the complications increase as the bills mount up and
Darcy withdraws, refusing to take care of the newborn.
When Darcy discovers that Stan has given up a college
scholarship to stay with her and the baby, she tries to break
up their relationship in hopes that at least one of them can
have the future they had planned before the baby came
along. Only after much agony apart do the two of them
decide to get back together, get married, and figure out some
way to further their educations while also being parents.
"For Keeps" takes on the substantial challenge of making
teenaged pregnancy a suitable topic for a romantic comedy.
The film's success is due primarily to a sensitive cast and a
well-crafted screenplay by Tim Kazurinsky and Denise
DeClue. As in their previous collaboration, "About Last
Night," Kazurinsky and DeClue excel in presenting carefully
observed slices of life and infusing their fairly ordinary characters
with enough idiosyncrasies to ke(^p them from lapsing
into cliches. They also take pains to dramatize the seriousness
of Stan and Darcy's jilight, although the story's imabashedly
romantic entiing may still bring complaints ili.it
the hliii encourages teen pregnancy.
Ringwald continues to mature into a very fine ac:tress, and
she's supported well by this cast. Batinkoff's performance is
R-21 BOXOFFICF,

unr.nrumbered by the tics we've come to expect from most
ot today's young actors, so he comes across as just an average
guy This trait works especially well opposite Ringwald's
natural ease on camera.
All in all. "For Keeps" looks to be an entertaining crowdpleaser.
It will be interesting now to see how Kingwald's old
cohort John Hughes handles similar tcrriton,' in the upcoming
"She's Having a Baby" And if that's a hit. this trend may
never end "Rambo and Son." anyone?
The film is rated R for language and sexual situations.
Eric Williams
—
—
GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM
^iiiinHi; K'i}'iti Ui/i'iiiiiis loiisi Wiumkii. Knino Kirhy, JT
Walsh and Richard Edstjn
Prinluced by Mark johnstm and l^rry Brezncr Directed by
Barry l^mnson Written by SUtch Marktninlz
A Bttena Vista release Co'yyrilu rniril H Running; time 120
mm Sirttnmi; date 12 l-l
What do you get fthvn you cross "M'A 'S'H" nith
"WKRP in Cint innjti2" I'nfhrtun.iirh , tint this nnnir.
And ihr scan h tiir thi- prrhu I Kobin It illi.ims \rhii If
continufx.
The good news is that "Good Morning, Vietnam" is such a
great idea it's incredible that nobody thought of it earlier. It's
1965 and Saigon's easy-listening armed services radio station
falls under seige to Adrian Cronauer (Robin Williams), a
maniacal, obscenity-screaming improvisational genius disc
jockey who usurps, overnight, the station morning show
from velvet-throated announcing school grads The vulgar,
ravenously verbal pit bull Cronauer immediately sets about
making his superior officers miserable by replacing the Montovani
with Martha Reeves and. before long, the Nam is rocking
out to America's Top 40.
An airwave commando of this ilk is, of course, the role
Williams was conceived to play, and every minute he's
behind his microphone, Williams is brilliantly, spectacularly,
gloriously funny. Tidal waves of fresh, wonderful, original
Robin Williams-like comedy gushes from Cronauer's twisted
mouth, and it's like discovering the brash, gifted comedian
all over again
per, Henry Blake. Frank Bums and Ho-. Ion playing biitfoon.s
to Williams's Ha wkeye
Several uncomfortable attempts to carry Oonaucr's
booth-bound momentum to the streets of Saigon prove woefully
awkward Williams' rants remain reasonably inspired
but having to watch troops and natives alike giggle at t)v
airman's antics severely diminishes his bad-boy intensity
A few wrong-headed, badly-devised slabs at portraying th'
futility of the U S 's involvement in Southeast Asia onl'
aggravates the situation It'll probably be a long lime befop
anybody gets to make a totally lighi-hearted film about Vier
nam. but maybe it wouldn't be out ot the question at thi
point to set a really black comedy in the area. Such an atii
tude might have helped redeem this movie.
"Good Morning. Vietnam" is rated R for language and vie
lence. but mostly language. Jim Kozak
THE COUCH TRIP
Starring Dan Aykroyd. Cliarles Grodin, Donna Dixon anii
Walter Matthau
Produced by Lawrence Gordon Directed by Michael Rttchu
Written by Steven Kampmann. Will Porter and Sean Stem
An Orion Pictures release Comedy, rated R Running time 9
min Screening date: 1/6/88
During Dan Aykroyd's "Saturday Night Live" career, om
of his most memorable characters was Leonard Pinth-Gar
nell, host of "Bad Playhouse," "Bad Ballet," and other simi
larly-titled programs which celebrated the excniciatingh
awful in the performing arts Leonard Pinth-Gamell would
"
love "The Couch Trip, a meandering spoof of psychiatry in
which the patients are .sane, the doctors are crazy, and thi
laughs are almost nonexistent.
Aykrovd plays John Bums, a white collar crook who h.ui
convinced a judge that he was insane in order to avoid pn.s
on Unfortunately for Bums, Dr Baird (David C;lennen), thi
head of the psychiatric hospital where he was sent, is no'
I he bad news is tm- rest of the film stinks something
awful Williams spends less than a quarter of the movie in
the deejay booth, and when he v(!niiircs out toward the
veldt, the movie slides downhill in a big hurry
Barry Levinson's invitingly kinetic direction makes a Herculean
effort to overcome the .screenplays stnii iiiral imgainliness.
but cannot compen.sate for writer Mitch Markowitz's
essentially vacant .sf.rn.irio and (.haractrri/.iiions At
best, the movie suggests a kind of watnred-dnwn "M'A'S'H."
with shadowy, le.ss-than-compelling versions of Radar. Trap-
March. I

fooled by Bums's act and he threatens to send him back to
the slammer. But Bums finds a way out when he intercepts
one of Baird's phone calls, a call asking Baird to take over the
practice of Dr. Maitlin (Charles GrodinJ, a prominent Beverly
Hills psychiatrist and radio talk show host who is recuperating
from a nervous breakdown.
Bums escapes and goes to California, where he impersonates
Baird and is soon living the good life while giving unorthodox
psychological advice over the absent psychiatrist's
regular radio call-in show. Bums becomes an instant celebrity,
but his new status is jeopardized by a street person (Walter
Matthau), who recognizes the prison-issue pants that
Bums had been wearing when he arrived in L.A. and threatens
to expose him as a fraud. Bums spends most of the film
fighting to keep his cushy job and to develop a romance with
—
the gorgeous Donna Dixon, while Dr. Maitlin and the real Dr.
Baird try to dethrone him.
One weakness of "The Couch Trip" is the vaguely
sketched nature of Aykroyd's character. At times he seems
to be purposely humiliating his patients; at other times he's
supposed to be genuinely concerned. His behavior seems
guided not by any consistent character traits, but by whatever
the writers think would be goofiest- In fact, all of the
roles seem to be written this way, as if having "crazy" characters
freed the writers from the nuisance of using any kind
of logic. This sloppiness extends to the plotting as well,
which unflinchingly allows such absurdities as having two
characters fly from London to Los Angeles in roughly four
hours.
Grodin is a master at playing mild-mannered men who
become completely maniacal, but his efforts here are in the
service of sub-par material. Matthau has a few funny moments,
but his part is little more than a cameo (and, tmthfully,
the film would probably not have benefitted from more of
him). As for Aykroyd, his best moments come early in the
film; his scenes giving advice to his radio listeners are the
the funniest and are over much too quickly. Aykroyd can be
an extremely inventive performer, but his comic talents
have yet to be fully utilized on the big screen. Let's hope that
his next cinematic excursion is better than this "Trip."
The film is rated R for language. Eric Williams
and it's
even more depressing as we start to realize that he
just doesn't know how bad these films are. Which brings us
to "Rent-A-Cop."
Burt plays Tony Church, a sullen Chicago cop (sullenness
being the only mood that Reynolds can convey anymore). At
the beginning of the film he is trapped in the middle of a
drug bust that goes bad, and several of his fellow cops are
slaughtered. The massacre takes place in a ritzy hotel,
where Delia, a prostitute, is plying her trade when she accidentally
comes face-to-face with the killer. Delia, we should
reveal, is played by Liza Minnelli, complete with enough
wacky, kooky hooker outfits and grating mannerisms to
make you wonder who in the world would pay to be in the
company of this woman?
The rest of the story is self-evident: The killer begins
stalking Delia, so she enlists the protection of the sullen
Church, who was kicked off the force because of the killings.
As a botched oil-and-water romance develops between the
two, we're introduced to various nasties who populate Chicago's
mean streets. The nastiest is Delia's madam, played
with hilarious stiffness by Dionne ("Do You Know the Way
to San Jose?") Warwick. Liza Minnelli? Dionne Warwick?
Has Bob Hope's casting director been moonlighting?
"Heat" and "Malone," the two slight cop dramas that Reynolds
starred in last year, were epics compared to this
astoundingly bad film. The frisky banter that is supposed to
draw us to Burt and Liza has the grace of a duck full of
cement, and the action is lumbering when it isn't unintentionally
funny. Toward the end, Delia — who has a microphone
hidden on her — is captured by the killer and driven
off in a van. With Church on the receiving end of the microphone
and giving chase, Delia makes small talk with the
killer by asking things like, "Gee, why are we driving north on
Lakeshore Dnve^" Why not just ask for his address and home
phone number and save us all a lot of time?
Reynolds has developed a genuine hatred for film critics,
and he tends to imply that he's doing quality work while they
continue to pick on him for no real reason. But if a restaurant
critic had been served the dietary equivalent of "Rent-A-
Cop," he wouldn't just write a bad review. He might die.
The film is rated R for language and violence.— Tom Matthews
RENT-A-COP
Starring Burt Reynolds, Liza Minnc.lli, fames Remar and
Richard Masur.
Produced by Raymond Wagner. Directed Jerry London
Written
hy Dennis Shryack and Michael Blodgett.
A Kings Road release. Action, rated R Running time .95 min
Screening date: 1/6/88
Suppose we were to start a fund to pay Burt Reynolds to
not make movies anymore? It's not that we wouldn't miss
him; we like Burt. He has provided us with some fun and
memorable moments at the movies. But whatever knack he
used to have for picking good projects and then turning in an
enthusiastic performance within that project has completely
left him. It's getting to be downright embarrassing to see
this (seemingly) nice guy trapped in perfectly awful movies.
R-23 BOXOFFICE

"
tilin,
1
THE LONELY PASSION OF JUDITH
HEARNE
Starring Maggie Smith, Boh Hoskins and Wcmty Hitter
Produced by Peter Nelsim and Richard Johnson Directed by
Jack Clayton Written by Peter NeUion
An Island Pictures release Drimm mud R Runnina lime
no min. Screening date: 12/2/8~
Vaguely similar to "Ironwcfd," in that it utam two
grrat actors in a hopflrss anil dritrrssing tali;
is vastly more satislying.
$86, 1 7.
ibis one
/"no urrks in lui> thi-atn-s:
Maggie Smith stars in "The Lonely Passion of Judith
Heame" as a spinsteiish piano teacher who has apparently
allowed the world to walk all over her since hirth As the him
opens, she is moving into a boarding house in Dublin that is
filled with a host of vile, mean-spirited tenants, and she
immediately becomes the source of cruel entertainment for
them all — the prying landlady; her fat slob of a son, the
sluttish housekeeper, and the landlady's brother. Mr Madden
Madden (Bob Hoskins) gets the false impression that
Judith has money, so he begins courting her until he finds
out that she is practically broke. Judith, who apparently has
never been in love before, allows herself to fall madly in love
with Madden, and when he callously jilts her she goes to
pieces. She becomes a drunk, loses her faith in God. and
ends up in a sanitarium After Madden tracks her down there
and jilts her for a second time, we are finally left with the
impression that Judith is finally strong enough to survive
such disappointments A more somber happy ending you'll
never find
Beautifully written and acted, "The Lonely Passion ot
Judith Heame" is still something of an ordeal simply
because it is so depressing The story is basically an exercise
in verbal and spiritual abuse as everyone, up to and including
her priest, dumps on Judith, while she is too weak and timid
to fight back
Still, both Smith and Hoskins have become critical darlings
of late fboth were nominated for Oscars last year) and
their presence, together with the overall quality of the film,
should make this a natural for sophisticated arthouse regulars
But "The Feel Good Movie of the Year," this isn't
The film is rated R for sexual situations —Tom Matthews
'
(the dimiliulivr shosli h.isrr in the "Pollcigrist i:, :
Michael Lemer as a mother and son who live in a creepy
house that is filled with pigeons and snails The mother is
crazy and she gets her jollies by hypnotizing her son and
ordering him to go out and kill people Then, as mementoes,
she has him bring home their eyes.
This is all creepy and very disgusting, but after about 20
minutes — when we were about to write this off as just
another slasher film — it is revealed that wc are watching a
film within a film We cut to two teenaged girls (Talia Paul
and Clara Pastor) who are sitting in a movie theatre, watching
the movie about the eyeball killer One of the girls is
terrified by the film and becomes convinced that there is a
real killer within the movie theatre, and this quickly turns
out to be true
Meanwhile, the slasher movie on the screen continues,
and in time Michael Lemer himself goes into a movie theatre
and starts cutting peoples eyes out. So we've got a movie
about a killer loose inside a movie theatre, which is playing a
movie about a killer loose inside a movie theatre. Is any of
this making sense?
"
In short. "Anguish is comprised of two paralleled stories
that are so similar that at times we — the real movie
audience — can't tell which stor>' we're watching: the one
involving the teenaged girls, or the one that's playing on the
screen in front of them In a mind-boggling finale, the "real"
killer takes one of the teenaged girls and holds her at gunpoint
on the stage, as Michael Lemer does the same thing in
the film that is playing on the screen behind the "real"
killer Trying to watch both stories build to a frantic pitch
simultaneously is dizzying, but it's maddeningly fun
Director Bigas Luna has made a movie that is like the
greatest student film ever made, in which style takes complete
precedence over substance Providing himself with one
of the greatest editing challenges in recent memory, he hiphops
ably between the two stories, ultimately blurring the
line between the two completely It's an unsettling feat
which must be experienced to be appreciated, but it makes
for a genuinely spooky film — especially for people who
spend a lot of time alone in movie theatres
NOTE In the spirit of William Castle. "Anguish" comes
with a warning stating that the film contains subliminal messages
and hypnotic tricks that might cause an audience
member's mind to separate itself from his or her body We
believe this to be clever hype We did, however, have such an
experience during "Leonard Part 6
The film is rated R for violence. Tom Matthews
—
ANGUISH
starring /.dda Rubcnstein, Michael Umcr, Talia Paul and
Clara Pastor
Produced by Pepon Cnromina
Written and directed by Bigas
l.una
A Spectrafilm release Thriller, rated R Running time 91
min Review date 12/17/87
"Anguish' is an uncomfortably effective exercise in
audience manipulation The film stars Zrlda Ruben.nlrin
March. I'JXH k-24

—
PROMISED LAND
Starring Jason Gedrick, Kiefer Sutherland, Meg Ryan, and
Tracy Pollan
Produced by Rick Stevenson Written and directed by Michael
Hoffman
A Vestron Release. Drama, rated R Running time: 101 mm
Screening date: 1/11/88
Meandering and nebulous of intent, "Promised Land"
functions well nonetheless as an intriguing portrait of a new
lost generation of Americans.
Based on the true story of a young Idaho policeman who
ends up shooting one of his old high school buddies, director
Michael Hoffman uses this central event to tie together the
otherwise disparate lives of three one-time classmates: high
school basketball hero turned university washout Davey (Jason
Gedrick J,
who winds up returning home to take a job as a
local lawman; unhappy university art major Mary (Tracy
PollanJ, who wants to return home but cannot for fear of
displeasing her family; and dim but likeable Danny (Kiefer
Sutherland), an unambitious drifter who spends the last
years of his young life wandering the American Southwest.
The bulk of the movie follows all three characters as they
converge on their hometown for the Christmas holidays.
Davey patrols his hometown, still shaking off the disappointment
he feels at having his future stall so early. Mary, his
semi-estranged high school sweetheart, is home from college;
university life is already causing her to grow beyond
her small town origins, and she's obviously quite ambivalent
about the transformation.
Danny, meanwhile, is returning home for the first time
since he just picked up and disappeared two years before,
and he's got Bev (Meg Ryan), his brand-new, beautiful, semideranged,
boisterous and gun-happy wife in tow.
Ryan's performance as the chronically quirky but totally
engaging Bev is the highlight of the film, and, oddly, its most
accessible element. A fiercely weird girl with nearly arbitrary
notions of right and wrong, Bev remains easy to like
because she's funny, totally uninhibited and ruthlessly
devoted to Danny. The ubiquitous Sutherland, who has held
the market lately as our leading purveyor of teen evil in
movies like "Stand By Me" and "The Lost Boys," is excellent
in a completely different way as the sad misfit who, with
Bev's help, finally begins to glean some fun from life.
Gedrick is a tad stiff and Pollan's role somewhat underdeveloped,
but Hoffman manages to elicit praiseworthy performances
from virtually every supporting player. The
movie is essentially a character piece, and Hoffman comes
through with some fascinating personalities. Special mention
must go to Oscar Rowland, endearingly pathetic as Danny's
sick, broken husk of a father, and the aptly-named Googy
Gress as Davey's goofy cop sidekick.
Strictly in terms of craft, Hoffman's screenplay and direction
work in tandem to fomiulate scenes rich with wellhewn
texture and detail. There are no real false moves and
many quite superb set-pieces.
The only real problem, really, is trying to figure out what
the film is trying to say. It lacks thematic unity. The climactic
shooting, well-handled though it is, seems a gimmicky
way of drawing the two sets of main characters (who have
really had little to do with each other in the past) together.
In the final analysis, "Promised Land" is an entertainingly
well-crafted movie that will leave audiences scratching their
heads with unremittant vigor.
"Promised Land" is rated R for language, violence, nudity
and sexual situations. Jim Kozak
Claire ("'Crocodile' Dundee's" Linda Kozlowski) has been
swindled out of a $50,000 inheritance by TV preachers Ray
and Darla Porter, so she sets out with her boyfriend Jesse
(Bill Paxton) and her two outlaw cousins to steal the money
back. Their plan goes smoothly until, when trying to escape,
they mistakenly run onto the set of Ray and Darla's live
fundraising broadcast. Caught redhanded on satellite television,
Jesse thinks quickly and takes the show hostage.
The film takes the expected shots at the hypocrisy of the
religious leaders getting rich off the contributions of their
poor followers, but what gives "Pass the Ammo" its humor
and, yes, warmth is its quirky characters and attention to
detail. Writers Joel and Neil Cohen's characters are cut from
the same cloth as the Southern scheiners we've seen in
"Blood Simple" and "Raising Arizona" (which were, coincidentally,
written by Joel and Ethan Coen), but where the
Coen's characters' chief trait was stupidity, these folks are
mostly endearing.
The casting is nearly impeccable. Paxton and Kozlowski
are basically a bland hole in the middle of the film, but the
supporting players more than compensate. Tim Curry is
wonderful as Reverend Ray, oozing with a snake-oil salesman's
sincerity. While Ray is not identifiably patterned after
any specific clergyman, Darla is clearly a thinly disguised
Tainmy Bakker. Typical of the film's light touch, however,
Darla does not become a caricature and, as played by Annie
Potts, emerges as fairly sympathetic. The film's highlight,
however, is Glenn Withrow as Claire's cousin, Arnold. A true
innocent despite his lengthy prison record, Arnold reacts
gleefully to the spectacle he's caught in and spends fully
half the film dressed as Lucifer as he tries to catch the eye of
a choir singer dressed as an angel. It may soimd silly, but
Withrow pulls it off with considerable charm.
David Beaird directs with a minimum of visual flash, but
his sharp timing keeps the action moving. "Pass the Ammo"
will need a solid marketing campaign to tnake up for its lack
of big stars and for a premise that may alienate a substantial
number of potential viewers. But if it gets the chance to
reach its audience, this little gem should do well.
Rated R for language and violence.
—
Eric Williams
PASS THE AMMO
Starring Bill Paxt(m, Linda Kozlowski, Annie Potts, Anthony
Geary and Tim Curry
Produced by Herb jaffe and Mort Engelberg Directed by
David Beaird Written by Neil Cohen and Joel Cohen
A New Century/Vista release Comedy, rated R Running
time: 91 min Screening date: 12/3/87
"Pass the Ammo" takes a well-timed swipe at telcvangelism
and turns out to be a great deal of fun, provided that the
viewer already has a somewhat jaundiced view of the profession.
R-25 BOXOKRCE

MANON OF THE SPRING
Starring Yves Montand. IJanicl Auicuil and EmmanucUr
Bcart
Directed by Claude Bern Written by Bern and Gerard
Brach
An Orion Classics Release Drama, rated PG Running time
113 mm Screening dale 12/17/87
We actually missed ".Jean de Florette" when it came out,
but we'll be certain to see it now Its seciuel, "Manon of the
Spring" is a bnlliantly realized achievement in its own right,
a sad, cunning, thoughtful examination of a villain's heart
and what drives men to evil.
I his sit onil h.ill 1)1 thi- sfo/i ht-^uii ii/(/> " Ir.iii ilirion'ttr"
is ,i ri-ni.irk.ihli' stii(h ol f\il .mil
intriiatcly -staged revenge. Alter nine weeks, the lilni
had earned a healthy SI. -t million.
EAT THE RICH
SIwriH!; [.• . Liy and Nnsher Powell
Produced by Michael Whiff and Tim Van Rellini Directed by
Peter Richardson Written by Peter Richardson and Pete Richens
A New Line Cinema release Comedy, rated R Running lime:
88 min Screening date 12/1/87
The British import "Eat the Rich" bills itself as an "anarchic
comedy," which is only half-right It certainly is anarchic,
but only occasionally does it generate enough laughs to
be called a comedv
Rrmrmhrr bou "Thrrr At

AU REVOIR LES ENFANTS
Star-ring Gaspard Manessc, Raphael Fejto, Stanislas Carre de
Malberg, Francme Racette and Peter Fitz
Produced, written and directed by Louis Malle.
An Onon Classics Release Drama, rated PC 100 min
Screening date: 12/29/87.
How come all these movies about sweet-faced urchins
enduring the rigors of World War II are coming out all of the
sudden? Some forty years after the fact, John Boorman,
Louis Malle and (via Amblin Entertainment) J.G. Ballard
have all decided to jump onto the film scene with highly
personal tales of school uniforms and bomb shelters, we
don't mind it, mind you, we just think it's terribly odd timing^
Louis Malle, director of "Atlantic City" and "My
Dinner with Andre," does perhaps his best work to
date with this autobiographical tale about his
childhood during World War II.
Malle's new film, "Au Revoir Les Enfants," is the best of
the new subgenre, a film at first powerfully evocative of
Boorman's "Hope and Glory" in its depiction of European
schoolchildren diving under wobbly wooden desks at the
blast of air sirens, but which soon convinces us that the War
in France was a lot more than just the War in Great Britain
with subtitles and funnier accents.
Our first clue comes when nosey Nazi collaborators show
up at the young hero's private Catholic boarding school; the
monks start dragging all the Jewish-looking boys indoors and
out of sight. This, Malle demonstrates, is occupied Europe,
and it's not a fun place to be.
Malle's adolescent alter-ego Julian Quentin (Gaspard Manessej
happens to befriend one of these semitic-visaged
"new students" (Raphael Fejto) and becomes embroiled in
keeping the young Jew's true identity a secret. Theirs is a
ttimultuous friendship at once strained and bonded by the
tension of special shared knowledge Much of both the suspense
and dramatic interest in the film revolves around this
central conspiracy; Malle essentially putting the life of one
boy into the hands of another The audience is left to hope
against hope that Julian's moral courage will outweigh any
childish compulsion to spill the beans.
Moral courage is, in fact, the film's key issue. The German
grunts who patrol the periphery of Julian's universe are not
grotesque servants of oppression. If anything, they suggest
their long-suffering American counterparts, men with unpleasant
work to do in unfamiliar places.
Indeed, Malle is much quicker to indict the traitorous jewhating
French collaborators, evil swine too quick to betray
their nation for the pettiest of compensations. In one
remarkable scene, two collaborators harassing an elderly
Jew are thrown out of a "No Jews" restaurant by disgusted
German officers.
But, despite this, Julien's life in occupied France seems so
darned normal most of the time. Little Julian (who could
pass effortlessly for a younger sibling of Quinn Cummings)
hates homework and develops a nasty crush on the school's
piano tutor, but when he gets hopelessly lost playing in the
woods, he is saved by Nazi stormtroopers who artest him for
being out after curfew. He still has to raise his hand to go to
the bathroom, but then there's a guy dressed like Sgt. Schultz
in the hall demanding to see his papers. "Enfants" is rife
with such startling depictions of life during wartime.
And, as if all this weren't enough to keep our attention
from flagging, Malle has fueled Julien's world with numerous
high-octane character turns. Stanislas Carte de Malberg
is a hoot as Julian's older brother, a burgeoning delinquent
who enjoys giving helpless German soldiers cheerfully inaccurate
directions. He toys with the idea of joining the resistance
even as his endearingly pragmatic mother (Francine
Racette) insists that he at least finish school first. And Peter
Fitz really does justice to the term "fascist" as the sneering,
racist, ogrely Gestapo agent with the ugly knack for sniffing
out assimilated Jewry.
Somebody at Orion Classics is obviously doing a tremendous
job of plundering French cinema for American tastes.
Not content with having given us Claude Bern's superb
—
"Jean de Florette" cycle last year, they have now brought
over perhaps Malle's best work to date.
"Au Revoir Les Enfants" is rated PG for language and
violence. Jim Kozak
THE TELEPHONE
Starring Whoopi Goldberg, Eliott Gould and John Heard
Produced by Moctesuma Esparza and Robert Katz Directed
by Rip Tom Written by Terry Southern and Harry Nilsson
A New World Pictures release. Comedy, rated R Running
time: 97 min. Screening date: 1/11/88
The film Whoopi tried to keep you from seeing. The
Blm we're trying to keep you from seeing. Just about
every line is dead in this hackneyed one-woman show.
Whoopi Goldberg gets a lot of mileage out insisting that
she never got into the business to become a Movie Star,
which may explain why she seems to be deliberately sabotaging
her career. Although "The Telephone" is at least a
departure from the raunchy action comedies that she's been
stuck in since "The Color Purple," it is the worst of the lot.
Many more like this, and she'll have to start worrying about
finding employment, let alone becoming a Movie Star
Playing an out-of-work actress named Vashti Blue, Goldberg
has the screen entirely to herself as she inhabits her
character's funky apartment and proceeds to run through
her repertoire of broadly-drawn personas. With only brief
cameo appearances by other actors to get in her way and
fueled by the apparent belief that we find Vashti Blue to be
endlessly charming, Goldberg just flails about the set, dissolving
in and out of various dialects and managing to be
unfunny at best and incoherent at worst. Her rambling monologue
is so unfocused that it's hard to believe that anyone
actually scripted this, let alone Terry Southern ("Dr. Strangelove")
and Harry Nilsson
The film takes a slightly interesting turn at the very end. A
telephone repairman (John Heard) shows up at Vashti's
door to repossess her phone, and we are suddenly told that
her line has been dead for months. All of the phone calls that
we have seen her making (and there are lots) were the product
of a sick mind. Vashti, it turns out, is nuts. This revelation
is overacted something fierce, but at least we are given
an explanation for Vashti's annoying behavior.
The complete ineptitude of "The Telephone" is especially
jarring as this is exactly the kind of multi-character show
that Goldberg had been doing on stage when she was "discovered."
Obviously this is what attracted her to this ultralow
budget affair, and the film obviously got away from her
(as noted elsewhere, she even tried to sue to prevent the
release of the film). Still, it is her and only her up there on
the screen, mouthing gibberish that no knowledgeable actor
would accept. In the press notes for the film, Goldberg is
quoted as saying that the only thing she was worrying aboiu
during production was '"Is what I'm doing going to interest
and please the audience?'" Several of the people at the
screening we attended were apparently so interested and
pleased that they had to leave in the middle of the film to tell
others.
The film is rated R for language.
—
Tom Mattlicws
R-27 BOXOFFICE

°"°""8
REVIEW DIGEST.
HOLLYWOOD UPDATES
WW K«,e^. ,00, o2cL',2nZ,'
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I
B0)9FFIC^
JAN
FEB
MAR
cop SOS, R, James woods, Lesley Ann
Warien. Charles Doming
Tiger's Tale. C,R,C.T^oma="°«f
Ann-Ma-9'et,
Charles Doming. Kelly
Preston.
Monday, a. Tommy Lee Jones.
Melanic Griffith, Sting,
Mull,
Leslie Nielsen
Th,eeMen,n.3Bab,C102-..PG,
Tom Selleck, Ted Danson. Steve
Gultenbetg
Edson
Shoot to Kill. Ad. Sidney Poitier, Tom
Stor,
Berengec. Kiistie Alley
O.O.A., Sus, R, Dennis Quaid
The Fox and the Hound, animated
Freedom Fighters, 0, Pete, Fonda. Reb
Brown
BraddocV.Missin5 in
Norris-
Action HI, AC. Chock
Sh, People, D,
Barbara Hershey.
116 mih..R, Jill Clayborgh.
Appointment with Oeattt.Mys.
Peter
Ustinov. Lauren Bacall
D„i„' Time on Planet Earth. C. Man Adier
LaMi Andrea Burchill.
Leonard: Part VI. CPG.
Bill Cosby. Tom
Courtenay, Joe Don Baker
The Last Emperot.H. 166 min.PG-13,
?obn^SanCbe^me^aTo^
oestinv, D. William Hurl. Timothy Hotton. S-o'^"- ., R.
Stockard Channing
,< M H Hranford Marsalis. Joe Savage
vengeance.
lliegally Yours. C Rob Lo«e. Colleen
collision course. C.PG. Pat Morita. Jay Camp
Leno. Chris Sarandon Tra««, Ad. Shadoe Stevens,
Vice versa, C. Judge Reinhold. Fred
VIcever
The Demon, H.R. Lance
Henricksen
Hill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. C.
Keanu Reeves. Alexander Winter. Georg
Carlih. Bernie Casey
oriesol Me, C. Billy
Crystal. Alan
MGM/UA
Cher, ^^colas cage.
„oonsl-ucV,D.PG^
Vincent Gardenia. Danny Aiello
CGoldicHawn, Kurt Russell
Overboard,
Bright Lights Big CiW,D.
Michael J FOX.
Dianne West.
King
Masquerade. D.Rob Lowe. KimCattr,,
New World
(213) 444-8100
Linda Gray.
Orion
(213) 557-8700
Elliott
(212) 696-9450
Paramount
Rickie Lee Jones.
Eddie Murphy Ra«. Concert. 91 min .
Eddie Murphy
(212) 333-4600 T^-W*i*I*y
Tri-Star
(213) 277-9434
20th Century
Fox
(213) 277-2211
(212) 977-5500
ironweedD
Hurt,
Douglas
Batteries
Universal
(818) 777-1000
McCrae
(212) 759-7500 Mallin
Warner Bros.
(818) 954-6000
(212 484-8000
134 min, R, Jack Nicholson,
MTrylSt'eep. carol Bake,. Fred Gwynne
BroadcaslNev.s,C.131m,n,.RWilham
Albert Brooks, Holly Hunter
wall Street, D. 124 min.R. Michael
Daryl Hannah, Charlie Sheen
R.
106 mia.PG.
Not included, F.
Hume Cronyn. Jessica Tandy. Frank
walker. D, 95 min.R, Ed Harris. Marlee
Aho.elh.l-a«,Ac.HenryS,lva.Pam
Havers. Christian Bale,
Apprentice 10 Murder, Sus. Donald
Sutherland
D.EncStoltz.Jenniler
Jason
Sister, Sister,
Leigh
couch Trip, C.R, Dan Aykroyd. Walter
Matlhaii
Dominick and Eugene. DPG
Hulce, Ray Liotla
For Keeps, C. Molly Rmgwald
13. Tom
Grier
Beetle Juice. C. Alec Baldwin. Geena
Davis,
Bronda Starr, ad, Brooke Shields. Timothy
Dalton. Tony Peck,
The House on Carroll Street,
Kelly
MandyPatinkin.
McGil'sJett Daniels.
Jessica Tandy
She's Having a sab,, C.PG-13.
Kevin
Bacon. Elizabeth McGovern.
sweethearts Dance, D.Don Johnson
The wrong Guys. C.Richard Lewis.
Rrchard Belzer,
Johnny Be Good. C. Anthony MichJ
Robert Downey Jr
Bab Dreams.
Abbott
S,tlslactlon,D,PG13,J"StineBateman
ji„„yReardon,C. River Phoemx
Hines
The Serpen! and the Rainbow. Sus^ Bill
PuHman Cathy Tyson. Paul Win^eld,
Permanent Record, C.KeanuRee>
Michelle Meyrink
A New Lite, C. Alan Alda. Ann-Ma
Switching
Channels, C. Burt Rey
Kathleen Turner.
Christopher Res
H. Jennifer Rubin
on Limits. D. R. Willem Daloe.i
Blloxl Blues, CD. Matthew Bro
Christopher Walken
The Mllagro BeanSeld War. 1
Blades. Soma Braga, Melanie
Frantic. Sus.
Harrison Ford.
Hollo Trot, C, Bob Goldthwi
Coleman
Moving. C.R, Richard Pryoi

I
—
APR
MAY
JUNE 1
f nil «#
JULY
J^ °- ""»»'« ««^>f»nW.n«m
;w.o.o.,„s„„,^^P^ iiSUTiS!:-'"^'^'
nie ResciM. Ao
p**"*". C
Tom Cn»M, Biyw Blown
«,B„i«„,C.B«,. «.«,,, „^,„„„„
^„^^.„,^„^
Hloon l,id.r. Ac. Micfuel D«Jikolt
I KllcHen Tolo. 0. 8o6 P«*. Pftyiio
»• Kikln.Sus. Sidney PortwRn,,
oenn
Oil., widow. H.SytvaKretel.
l—tPti^C. Sieve Kearney. N.na
srr"'"--—
I
J-
c.„.dW.„d.. emcees.
M'cHaei Paiin jjm,e Lee Curtjs
MGM/UA
(213) 444-1500
BtaJd*'"'^'^'''*^
New World
(213) 444-8100
Colon.
Sean Penn. RoOen DuvjII
Orion
(213) 557^700
(212) 696-9450
Eddie M„n)hir Unlli/ed. C. Eddie Murphy ""•i«ir.
A'senio Hall
I. Su>. 0«T> Moore. MkAmI
Jw*. C. Bruce W,ii,s. James Garner
Mane Hemingway. KaiMeen Quinlan
"•"*• "•• *
Sylvejier Suilooe
P'M'llo. 0. Sean Connery. Mark Hwmon
'^^'::;:''"^'^"^^-
"«''""^*M.C.P..WeeHerm»,
SlKmCI,t.ltll.CM«l«iMcX.«,c«x,
Paramount
(213) 468-5000
(212) 333-4600
Tri-Star
(213) 277-9434
. C. Lean Thompion. Vctona
W*. C. Tom Hanks
strsr'*-'"^^'*''^"'
20th Century
Fox
(213) 277-2211
(212) 977-5500
'•'•

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SNEAK PREVIEWS
CROCODILt DUNDEE II
psycholog,s, ,nes .o inves
WHOKIlUDROCfRBABBrT'
,Ra7e Sol claim. I'''''''
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RED HEAT
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SNEAK PREVIEWS
'^trongfy enough tha, these Zl^'Zj:^'
subject to change.
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W.II release thJl'mlsS""""^^-^-"^
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ii*;

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•
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Ad Index
SW-37
SW-2
Agfa-Gevaert Inc 24 MTS Northwest Sound, Inc
• •
^^
American Desk Mfg. Co
^^ Manutech
sW-38
American Licorice Company
^^ The Marble Company, inc
g
American Theatre Products ••••••••.. Mark IV Cinema Systems
^ ^g
29
Ashly Audio, Harry Melcher Enterprises Inc
'^''Z.- 97
sW-23
Atlantic Entertainment
•••
Modern Cinema 35
.SW-12
gg
Monster Cable 93
Automaticl

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