Boxoffice-March.1988

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."
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