Boxoffice-March.1989

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EDITOR AND ASSOCIATE 

PUBLISHER 

Harley W. Lond 

The business magazine of the motion picture industry 

MANAGING EDITOR 

Tom Matthews 

ASSOCIATE EDITOR 

David Kipen 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

John Allen 

Bruce Austin 

David H Chadderdon 

Tony Francis 

Karen Kreps 

Lesa Sawahata 

Mort Wax 

CORRESPONDENTS 

(Atlanta) Stewart Hamdl, (Baltimore) Kale Savage, (Boston) Guy 

Livingston. (Oiarlotte) Charles Leonard, (Chicago) Frances Clow. 

(Cleveland) Elaine Fned, (Dallas) MableGuinan. (Flonda) LoisBaumoel, 

(New England) Allen Widem. (Honolulu) Tals Yoshiyama. (Indianapolis) 

GeneGladson, (Milwaukee) Wally Meyer. (Minneapolis 

Paul) Jack Kelvie, (Philadelphia) Maune Orodenker, (Raleigh) Rayid 

Lower/, (San Antonio) William R Bums. (San Francisco) Nan- 

Foley, (Toledo) Anne Kline. (Washington DC) Elias Savada 

CANADA (Calgary) Maxine McBean. (Edmonton) Linda Kupecek. 

(Montreal) Jim C Oiorio, 

(Toronto) Doug Payne 

St 

FOUNDER 

Ben Shiyen 

PUBLISHER 

Bob Dietmeier 

(312) 271-0425 

NATIONAL ADVERTISING DIRECTOR 

Robert M. Vale 

(213) 465-1 

ADVERTISING CONSULTANT 

Morris Schlozman 

(816) 942-5877 

BUSINESS MANAGER 

Dan Johnson 

(312) 271-0425 

COMPTROLLER 

Judy Munn 

(312) 271-0425 

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR 

Chuck Taylor 

(312) 922-9326 

MARCH, 1989 VOL. 124, NO. 3 

"Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, 

and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful" 

— Samuel lohnaon 

FEATURES 

14 Cover Story: A Hard Act to Follow 

A candid interview with acclaimed director John Frankenheimer. 

18 Theatre Profile: The Santikos Embassy 

Act Ill's dazzling 14-plex in San Antonio. 

24 Interior Design: Multiplex Movie Palaces? 

A California designer would like to see the grandeur of old applied to 

today's multi-screen complexes. 

30 Interior Design: Theatres By Design 

Corporate Designs of Texas brings fresh ideas to elegant design. 

32 Fall/Christmas Blue Ribbon Ballot 

Cast your vote for the best and most popular films. 

SW-1 NATO ShoWest Intro 

Our exclusive coverage of the theatrical event of the year. 

SW-3 NATO /ShoWest '89 Introductions 

SW-4 Women In Exhibition 

SW-6 Recapturing the Movie Palace Magic 

SW-10 New Opportunities for Theatre Expansion 

SW-1 2 Show Schedule 

SW-14 Trade Fair Booths 

SW-26 Marketing "A-Mlnus B-Plus" Titles 

SW-26 Showmanship and Independent Distribution 

SW-30 Intermission: The Bogle Quiz 

SW-32 Theatre Telephone Information Systems 

SW-36 KIntek, Inc.: New Innovations In Sound 

SW-40 A Little Cafe Goes a Long Way 

SW-42 Digital Sound Update II 

SW-45 Sound Advice: Optical Sound Head Maintenance 

SW-46 The Moving Image: Better Screen Image Quality 

SW-48 Tech Notes: Sound System Equalization 

89 Tech Tutorial: Showmanship in Presentation 

94 Showmandiser 

95 Short Takes: Cinema Computer Systems 

REVIEWS— Following page 108 

The Accidental Tourist. Working Girl, The January IVlan, True Believer, 

Gleaming the Cube, Voices of Sarafina!, Deepstar Six. 

DEPARTMENTS 

Hollywood Report 

OFFICES 

Editorial and Publishing Headquarters: 

800 N Highland Ave., Suite 710. Hollywood, 

CA 90028-4526 (213) 465-1 186 

Corporate: Mailing Address: P O. Box 

25485, Chicago, IL 60625 (312) 271-0425 

Circulation Inquiries: 

BOXOFFICE Data Center 

1020 S Wabash Ave., 

Chicago, IL 60605 

(312) 922-9326 

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HOLLYWOOD REPORT 

Brian Dennehy 

"Street Legal" Brian Dennehy, 

fresh from his minuscule 

performance in "Cocoon II," 

stars in this crime drama 

about an undercover cop who 

leads a team of suspended 

police officers on a mission 

that bends the law as it tries 

to thwart an international political 

incident. The film costars 

Jeff Fahey ("Psycho 

III"), Joe Pantoliano ("Empire 

of the Sun") and Bill 

Paxton ("Near Dark"), and is 

being directed in Los Angeles 

by John Mackenzie ("The 

Long Good Friday"). An 

Orion release this summer. 

"Silence Like Glass" Martha 

Plimpton ("Running on 

Empty") and Jami Gertz 

("Mismatch") star in the 

somber drama as patients in 

a cancer ward who are aided 

by a compassionate psychiatrist, 

played by Dayle Haddon. 

Carl Shenkel directs the 

film in Munich and in New 

York City. Distribution is 

pending. 

"The Dead Poets Society" 

Robin Williams, suddenly 

a bankable movie star following 

years of false starts, stars 

in this drama about a highly 

unorthodox teacher and the 

impact that he has on his 

pupils (think of it as a modem 

"Goodbye, Mr. Chips"). A 

cast of young newcomers are 

featured as Williams's 

charges, with Kurtwood 

Smith ("True Believer") and 

Norman Lloyd (Auschlander 

on TV's "St. Elsewhere") 

playing a couple of the adult 

roles. The film is being directed 

in Delaware by Peter 

Weir ("Witness," "The Mosquito 

Coast") from a script by 

Tom Schulman. A Buena Vista 

release. 

"Lethal Weapon 2" The 

big action hit of 1987 spawns 

a sequel, with Mel Gibson, 

Danny Glover and director 

Richard Donner returning 

(Jeffrey Boam, the super-hot 

screenwriter of "Innerspace," 

"The Lost Boys" and 

"Indiana Jones and the Last 

Crusade," provides the 

script). The new story takes 

place three years after the 

original, with partners Riggs 

and Murtaugh still working 

together and still getting on 

each other's nerves. Their assignment 

this time: To babysit 

an accountant who is 

scheduled to testify in a narcotics 

case — an accountant 

who also happens to be involved 

in a crime syndicate 

they're trying to break. Donner 

promises more humor in 

this followup. A Warner Bros, 

release this summer. 

"The Threepenny 

Opera" The beloved musical 

comes to the screen with an 

impressive cast that includes 

Raul Julia ("Tequila Sunrise"), 

Richard Harris, opera 

star Julia Migenes, Julie Walters 

("Buster") and former 

lead singer of the Who, Roger 

Daltrey. The film is being 

directed in Hungary by Cannon 

Films honcho Menahem 

Golan ("Hannah's War," 

"Over the Top") from a 

screenplay by Joseph Goldman. 

Cannon will release the 

film, unless Warner Bros, exercises 

its right to distribute 

Cannon product, a la "A Cry 

in the Dark." 

"Cabal" British author Clive 

Barker, whose ghastly novels 

have provided the source for 

the "Hellraiser" series, is directing 

this new thriller 

which is also based on one of 

his books. The story is about 

a warped psychiatrist who 

commits a string of gruesome 

murders, and then tricks a 

troubled patient into believing 

that he did it. The doctor 

is played by an acting newcomer 

who knows something 

about giving his audience the 

creeps: director David Cronenberg 

("The Fly," "Dead 

Ringers"). The film will be 

shot in Calgary, Alberta, and 

in London. This is a Morgan 

Creek production, a company 

which is currently releasing 

its product through 20th Century 

Fox. 

"Confidence" Bryan 

Brown, who played Tom 

Cruise's gregarious and 

doomed buddy in "Cocktail," 

produces and stars in this romantic 

comedy about a 

small-time con man who arrives 

in a country town with a 

plan to relieve the townspeople 

of their money, only 

discover his affection for the 

community becomes greater 

than his greed. The film will 

be directed in Australia by 

Michael Jenkins. A New Century/Vista 

release. 

"The Fabulous Baker 

Boys" Those acting siblings 

Jeff and Beau Bridges star in 

this comedy about a pair of 

tacky lounge musicians, with 

Michelle Pfeiffer co-starring 

their lives. 

as the woman in 

The film is being directed in 

Los Angeles by Steve Kloves; 

a fall release is planned by 

20th Century Fox. 

"Medium Rare" Hollywood's 

seamier side is played 

for laughs in this contemporary 

comedy about a producer 

of B-movies who inadvertently 

sets off a series of 

bizarre events when he tries 

protect his beloved wife's 

to 

cinematic reputation. Burt 

Young, still best known as 

Rocky's mumbling sidekick 

in the "Rocky" series, stars, 

along with Lainie Kazan 

("Beaches"), Brad Dourif 

("Mississippi Burning"), acid 

guru Timothy Leary and rock 

singer Meat Loaf co-starring. 

The film is being directed in 

Los Angeles by Paul Madden. 

Distribution is pending. 

"Why Me?" Christopher 

Lambert ("The Sicilian"), 

Kim Greist ("Punchline") 

and Christopher Lloyd star in 

this wild comedy about a 

hapless Swiss jewel thief who 

unwittingly steals the highly 

coveted Byzantine Fire ruby, 

and ends up with the Los 

Angeles police department, 

the CIA, the Turkish government 

and Armenian terrorists 

on his trail. Along with 

his girlfriend and his partner 

in crime, the trio must return 

the ruby without getting 

themselves killed. Gene 

Quintano, who wrote "Police 

Academy III" and "IV," directs 

from a script by crime 

novelist Donald E Westlake. 

Distribution is pending. 

Debra Winger 

"Everybody Wins" The last 

time playwright Arthur Miller 

("Death of a Salesman") 

had an original screenplay 

produced, it was 1961 's "The 

Misfits," which was the last 

film of his then-wife, Marilyn 

Monroe. Now he's back with 

this drama that tells the story 

of a woman in a New England 

town who hires a detective to 

prove the innocence of a man 

imprisoned for murder. Debra 

Winger and Nick Nolte 

star, with Jeremy Thomas 

("The Last Emperor") producing 

and Karel Reisz ("The 

French Lieutenant's Woman") 

directing. An Orion 

release. 

"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern 

Are Dead" The 

movie version of Tom Stoppard's 

acclaimed play is currently 

in production in Toronto, 

with Sean Connery, 

Robert Lindsay ("Bert Rigby, 

You're a Fool") and Sting 

starring. Stoppard is making 

his directorial debut on this 

production, which is beuig 

made for PBS but will almost 

definitely receive a theatri( al 

release as well. 

"Miller's Crossing" Joel 

and Ethan Coen, the Muiwestem 

smart guys responsible 

for "Blood Simple" and 

"Raising Arizona," propel 

their careers in yet another 

direction with this drama 

about battling Chicago gangsters 

in the 1920s. Gabriel 

Byrne ("Hello Again," "Julia 

& Julia") and John Turturro 

("Five Corners") play the 

heavies, with Marsha Gay 

Hardin playing the moll who 

is loved by both of them. A 

Circle Films production; a 

20th Centurv Fox release. 

6 BOXOFFICE

CUSTOM FABRICATION

TRAILERS 

March Releases 

Dead-Bang 

See cover story, page 14. 

Bank Job 

Touchstone Pictures, which is not 

known for coming up with the most imaginative 

titles for its movies, is the producer 

of this adventure-comedy about 

a, .bank job! But that's only half the story, 

because the film hops back and forth 

between the crooks on the run, and the 

bumbling cops who are on their trail. The 

film stars Corben Bemsen and Lou Diamond 

Phillips, as well as Fred Gvirynne, 

Ed O'Neill, and singers Hoyt Axton and 

Ruben Blades. The film is written and 

directed by Jim Kouf, who wrote the 

Touchtone hit "Stakeout." A Buena Vista 

release. 

True Believer 

James Woods stars in this trumped-up 

courtroom drama about a liberal lavi^yer 

whose radicalism from the '60s has been 

replaced by cynicism in the '80s. He earns 

a living getting dope dealers off the hook 

by using legal loopholes, but he gets sense 

of duty back when he reluctantly agrees 

to defend a young man imjustly imprisoned 

for murder. Robert Downey Jr. 

plays the young law student who tries to 

revive Woods's spirit, Margaret Colin 

("Three Men and a Baby") plays the 

street-smart private eye who helps in 

their case, and Kurtwood Smith ("Robo- 

Cop") plays the villainous prosecutor who 

opposes Woods in court. The film is 

directed by Steve Ruben, who made the 

little-seen but extremely eerie, "The 

Stepfather." A Columbia release. 

Fletch Lives 

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen 

You'd have to go back to "Ishtar" to find 

a film that has had more horrible prerelease 

press than this big budget fantasy. 

A nmaway production which was overschedule 

and over-budget almost from 

day one, this adventure tells the tale of 

the fabled storyteller who travels from 

the depths of the Earth to the surface of 

production was shut down to get the 

movie under control, he walked). 

The movie is directed by Monty Python 

animator Terry Gilliam, who had identical 

problems with the tnuch-ballyhooed 

but ultimately-disappointing "Brazil " 

"Baron Munchausen" has been running m 

Europe for a few months now and eamnii; 

the moon in search of thrills. The film respectable grosses, but not enough to 

features an ensemble cast that includes begin to make up) for Columbia's production 

and marketing costs. Whether thus 

Eric Idle, John Neville, Sarah Polley and 

Oliver Reed, and Robin Williams turns in holdover from the studio's David Puttnani 

an uncredited cameo (Sean Connery had era will fare better in the States is questionable. 

a featured role at one point, but when the 

Troop Beverly Hills 

Little girls in Beverly Hills need parental 

guidance, too, so Shelley Long volunteers 

in this comedy about the unorthodox 

activities of a Girl Scout-like troop. 

Long's idea of preparing the over-privileged 

tots for the real world is to take 

Leviathan 

More dangers below the ocean's surface 

are found in this action-thriller from 

George Pan Cosmatsos, the director o\ 

"Rainbo" and "Cobra." Something mysterious 

and very dangerous is stalking the 

members of an underwater lab, whose 

members include Peter Weller ("Robo- 

Cop"), Amanda Pays ("Max Headroom"). 

Richard Crenna ("Rambo") and Daniel 

Stem. Curiously enough, 20th Centiu\ 

Fox is releasing the similarly-thennd 

"The Abyss" this suminer, and that film i> 

written and directed by Jaines Cameron 

who also wrote "Rambo" for Cosmatsos 

Pure coincidence, you say? We wondei 

An MGM UA release. 

Following the disappointment of "Funny 

Farm," Chevy Chase returns to one of 

his most popular characters in this ongoing 

saga of the glib reporter. This time, he 

travels to New Orleans, where he has 

inherited a rundown plantation and 

where he somehow gets mixed up with 

crooked TV evangelists. Hal Holbrook, 

Julianne Phillips, Lee Ermcy ("Mississippi 

Burning") and Randall (Tex) Cobb costar 

Michael Ritchie, who directed the 

first film, repeats those chores here. A 

Universal release. 

them camping at plush hotels, and instead 

of teaching them how to take care 

of themselves, she takes them to employment 

agencies to train them in the hiring 

of servants who will tend to their needs. 

Jeff Kanew, who directed the Kirk Douglas/Burt 

Lancaster romp, "Tough Guys," 

directs. A Weintraub Entertainment 

Group production; a Columbia release. 

Worth Winning 

Mark Harmon, whose big screen career 

hasn't exactly taken off yet, stars in this 

comedy about a weatherman who accepts 

a bet that says that he can't become 

engaged to three different women within 

a prescribed period of time. The lucky 

women are played by Madeleine Stowe 

("Stakeout"), Lesley Ann Warren and 

Maria Holvoe. The film is directed by Will 

(comimied p 10) 

8 BOXOFFICE

Even when an idea's time has finally come, it still takes plain old guts and a clear vision to be 

he first to act on it. Two men with these qualities are Stan Durwood and Larry Jacobson of 

American Multi-Cinema. 

We at Sigma Design Group applaud their courage and insight for using the T0rus Compound 

:urved Screen in their High Impact Theater Program. . .motion picture audiences have never had 

t so good! 

Along the way many 

other people and 

companies have 

encouraged us to 

bring the Tprus 

Screen into the world. 

A few of them are...

Mackenzie, who directed episodes of TV 

shows like "Family Ties" and "Moonlighting 

" A 20th Centui:>' Fox release. (Note: at 

presstime, this was moved to 

release) 

Millennium 

Gladden Entertainment, which is run 

by the infamous David Begelman and 

which has been responsible for such disappointments 

as "Space Camp" and "The 

Sicilian," is producer of this thriller about 

a government air crash investigator probing 

a bizarre series of incidents with the 

help of an airline employee who has a 

strange connection to the case. Kris Kristofferson, 

rebounding from "Big Top Peewee," 

stars, along with Cheryl Ladd and 

Daniel J. Travanti. The film is directed by 

Michael Anderson, from a script by 

science fiction novelist John Vamey. A 

20th Century Fox release. 

Sing 

The Rescuers 

Walt Disney Pictures re-releases this 

animated adventure fantasy about a 

group of brave mice who risk great peril in 

an attempt to rescue a little human girl 

and her lost doll. Bob Newhart and Ava 

Gabor provide some of the voices. Disney 

is currently planning a sequel to this 1977 

feature, which makes it the first time that 

the studio has ever done a followup to one 

of its animated hits. A Buena Vista re- 

Let It Ride 

Richard Dreyfuss stars in this comedy 

about a compulsive gambler who goes to 

the horse track one day and suddenly 

cannot lose. Also starring is Dreyfuss's 

"Close Encounters" wife Ten Garr, along 

with David Johansen ("Scrooged"), Allen 

Garfield and Michelle Phillips. The film 

was shot on location in Miami by di 

,Joe Pvkta A Paramount release. 

Chances Are 

Emilc Ardolino ("Dirty Dancing") directs 

this comic fantasy about a widow 

who discovers that her dead husband has 

In an era that sees very few movie 

musicals produced, this marks Tri-Star's 

second in this still-young year (the first 

was "Tap"). This one revolves around the 

real-life "Sing" competitions in New 

York, which have been held annually 

since 1947 and which nurtured up-andcoming 

stars like Barbra Streisand. Dean 

been reincarnated in the body of a much 

younger man. Cybill Shepherd and Robert 

Downey Jr. star, along with Ryan O'Neal 

and Mary Stuart Masterson. A Tri-Star 

release. 

Slaves of New York 

The trendy novel by Tama "You love 

her or you hate her" Janowitz is the 

source for this comedy about the goingson 

in the chic art world of the Big Apple. 

Bemadette Peters, who hasn't appeared 

in a feature film since 1981, stars, along 

with Chris Sarandon, Mary Beth Hurt and 

Madeleine Potter. Janowitz, a former cohort 

of Andy Warhol and a genuine New 

York trend-setter, wrote the script, and 

Merchant-Ivory Productions, known heretofore 

for such thoroughly British fare as 

"A Room With a View" and "Maurice," is 

the producer. A Tri-Star release. 

plays a supporting role. This film is said to 

not be anywhere near as caustic as 

"S.O.B.," Edwards's last comedy about 

Pitchford, who wrote the music for the hit 

"Footloose," penned ten new songs for 

the movie, and Richard Baskin directs. 

Lorraine Bracco ("Someone to V/atch 

Over Me"), Peter Dobson, Louise Lasser, 

George Dicenzo and singer Patti LaBelle 

star. A Tri-Star release. 

Hollywood, but it does reportedly contain 

the funniest condom joke yet perpetrated 

on the big screen. A 20th Centun,' Fn.\ 

release. 

Say Anything 

lone Skye ("River's Edge"), John c;usack 

("Tapeheads") and John Mahoney 

("Moonstruck") star in this offbeat romantic 

comedy about the friction that 

exists between a young girl about to 

embark on an education in England, her 

unusual boyfriend, and her father. The 

film is written ^nd directed by Cameron 

Crowe, a rock and roll journalist and the 

screenwriter of "Fast Times at Ridgemont 

High," and its executive producer is "Broadcast 

News" director and "Big" co-producer, 

James L Brooks. A 20th Century 

Fox release. 

Also in March 

Skin Deep 

"La Boheme" The legendary Puccini 

opera is adapted to the screen by director 

Blake Edwards writes and directs 

Luigi Comencini Updated to 1910 Paris, 

this 

contemporary comedy about a Hollywood 

screenwriter whose personal life is turned 

upside-down by a drinking problem and 

the film is both a faithful rendition of the 

original libretto and an imaginative cinematic 

adaptation of the tragic love stoiy. 

an unconquerable obsession with sex. Barbara Hendricks and Jose Carreras star. 

John Ritter, trying once again to make the A New York Films release. 

jump from TV to movies, stars; Julianne 

Phillips, Bruce Springsteen's ex-wife, 

(amtiiiucd i^ 1~ 

10 BOXOFFICE

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"The Big Blue" Not a re-release of last 

year's underwater drama starring Rosanna 

Arquette, but an experimental film 

from NYU grad Andrew Horn It tells the 

Ed Begley Jr., 

Wallace Shawn, and director 

Paul Mazursky. A Cinecom release. 

"Scandal" John Hurt stars in this factbased 

drama about the sex scandal which 

rocked London in the early '60s. He plays 

John Profumo, the country's Minister of 

War, who has an affair with a young call 

girl, not knowing that she is also involved 

with the Soviet Naval Attache. Joanne 

Whalley ("Willow"), Ian McKellen and 

Bridget Fonda co-star. A Miramax release. 

"The Adventures of Milo and Otis" 

Dudley Moore naiTates this live-action 

children's film about the adventures of a 

down on their Kansas estate. Suzy Amis, 

Dylan McDermott and Lois Chiles also 

star A Vestron release. 

"Shell Shock" Two soldiers — one a 

Colonel, the other a recruit who is a fashion 

photographer at home — meet in a 

stvli/ed stor>' of one man's mistake, and 

how it triggers a series of unforseen 

events. The film stars David Brisben, Taunie 

Vrenon and John Erdman. An Angelika 

Films release. 

"Cold Feet" Oscar-nominee Sally 

Kirkland stars with Keith Carradine in 

this gritty comedy about a band of outlaws 

who encounter more than they had bargained 

for when they take over a small 

Montana town. Bill Pullman ("The Accidental 

Tourist"), Kathleen York and Rip 

Tom co-star under the direction of Robert pug-nosed puppy and a mischievous kitten 

This Japanese production is directed 

Domhelm ("Echo Park"). An Avenue Pictures 

release. 

by Masanon Hata. A Columbia release 

"Scenes From the Class Struggle in "Twister" Crispen Glover and Harry 

Beverly Hills" Cult director Paul Bartel Dean Stanton, two very eccentric actors, 

("Eating Raoul") is responsible for this are among the cast in this strange comedy 

earthy satire about the sexual escapades about a wealthy family caught up in personal 

squabbling. As they bicker, they fail 

of the very rich. The ensemble cast 

includes Jacqueline Bisset, Ray Sharkey, to notice the tornado which is bearing 

military clinic for the emotionally distuibed 

Once released, both discover that 

their psychic wounds lie deeper than they 

had expected An Israeli film from Angelika 

Films, 

"Lonely Woman Searching For A 

Life Companion" Vyacheslov Krishtofovich 

directs this Russian film, which stars 

Alexander Zbruyev and Irina Kupchenko. 

An International Film Exchange release, 

"Sand and Blood" A toreador and a 

radiologist who is obsessed with bull fighting 

form a troubled duo in this psychological 

drama. A New Yorker Films release 

"Soursweet" Sylvia Chang and Jodi 

Long star in this drama about a family 

from Hong Kong which tries to assimilate 

into contemporary British society. 

Skouras release. 

Mobile poster available 

Size 15Vx12'V' 

Contact 

American 

Union City. CA 94587 

Ask your concessionaire supplier for RED VINES . 

Or call collect (415] 487-5500. 

12 BOXOKHCE

Introducing our latest seating innovation: themechi 

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A NEW ROCK 

ClASSK

COVER STORY 

A Hard Act 

to Follow 

How will "Dead-Bang/' 

John Frankenheimer's new film, 

measure up to his recentlyrevived 

masterpiece? 

As 

By Tom Matthews 

Managing Editor 

DIRECTOR John Frankenheimer 

prepares for the March release of 

"Dead-Bang," his 24th film in 33 

years, he finds himself in an unusiuil 

position that is uncommon in Hollywood 

history. It all has to do with the 

fact that Frankenheimer directed what 

Esquire magazine and the Wall Stre(;t 

Journal called the best film of 1988. The. 

curious thing is that the film was "Th

IWE TAKE PRIDE IN SUPPLYING HIGH 

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Sr. Vice President 

Ron Offerman 

President 

FEATURING 

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SUPER XENON LAMPS 

Frankenheimer 

(amttnucd from p 1-1) 

gets caught up in this murder case. I lis 

an obsessive guy, and out of that ob.sr.ssion 

comes this relentless need to not! 

give up until he tracks down the ki 

er." 

Hearts Dance." In this new film, Johnson 

is back on more familiar turf, playing 

real-life LA. homicide investigator Jerry 

What follows is a cross-country trek 

which ultimately leads Beck into the 

heart of a murderous campaign that is 

Beck. He plays a complicated charac- 

ter who is on the brink of emotional collapse, 

and it was that element which led 

Frankenheimer to believe that "Dead- 

Bang" could be more than just another 

cop movie. 

"The character (Jerry Beck) is fascinating. 

being carried out by the extreme right. It 

is the kind of dark and slightly paranoid 

story which Frankenheimer has always 

excelled in ("The Birdman of Alcatraz," 

"Seven Days in May" and "French Connection 

11" are among the director's other 

prominent credits), and it is a vehicle 

This is a guy who is strictly on that he feels will present Johnson in a 

the edge; he is really facing emotional 

bankruptcy," observes Frankenheimer. 

"Nothing is working right for him: He's 

whole new light. 

"Don has a vulnerability about him 

that has never been tapped on screen, 

going through a messy divorce, his exwife 

my opinion. I saw a way to use tli 

won't let him see his kids, it's qualit>' in this movie," Frankenheimer 

Christmas, he's got no money, and he says, adding that the nunors about 

drinks too much 

Johnson being difficult to work with 

"His life IS m a shambles when he turned out to be untme, at least in this 

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"The character is 

fascinating. This is a guy 

who is strictly on the 

edge; he is really facing 

emotional bankruptcy." 

bporvjfe No 'M 

16 BOXOKKKt

, Johnson 

; last 

nstance. "Don is a very bright guy and 

t \ou tiy to B.S. him, you're in trouble. 

M) I found that being dreadfully honest 

iiid straight-on with him worked very 

veil. We both have a lot in common, 

Hid I had no problems with him." 

had been Lorimar's choice 

01^ the lead, Lorimar being the film's 

Producer when it went before the camspring. 

But while the movie 

vâs deep into production, the strugglmg 

tudio was bought up by Warner Bros., 

I 

nd the future for "Dead-Bang" seemed 

j mcertain. Frankenheimer admits that 

! le was very scared at the time, worrying 

bout what the new company would 

hink about his film and whether it 

/ould get released at all, but the direcor 

is happy to report that all seems to 

e working out for the best. 

I won't know until the film is re- 

3ased, but the [transition from Lorimar 

3 Warners] may be one of the best 

hings that has ever happened to me," 

•I i- frankenheimer says. "There is no doubt 

y ihat Warner Bros, is one of the two or 

hree best companies in terms of releasig 

inovies, and Lorimar was perhaps 

he worst. So to go from Lorimar to 

\?amers is like ending up on the Yanees. 

And Warners really /fes this mo- 

;, which is terrific." 

One of the changes which the new 

istributor had been considering was a 

hange in the tide, although it appears 

ow that Warners viall stick with the disnctive, 

if somewhat obscure "Deadang." 

So for the record, what exactly 

oes the name mean? 

"'Dead-Bang' is a police term," Franenheimer 

reveals as he forms an imaglaty 

gim with his fingers and trains it 

n his inquisitor with an icy scowl. "It 

leans 'I've got you dead-bang in my 

ights. Right square in my sights, 

here's no getting away. I got you. 

)ead-bang'"' 

He pulls the trigger. But the questions 

ontinue. 

^ 

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'"H^H

4| THEATRE PROFILE 

The Santikos Embassy 

Act Ill's dazzling 14 plex in 

San Antonio. 

Photos by R. Greg Hursley 

•^ * 

THE 



Santikos Embassy theatre in 

San Antonio, Texas, is not unlike 

the state itself: large, colorful, and 

spread out over a considerable amount 

of open space. Built by Act III Communications, 

which acquired the Santikos 

circuit in 1986, the 14-screen Embassy is 

a towering example of the kind of 

inroads that the relatively new exhibitor 

intends to make as it continues to 

increase its visibility in the market [see 

sidebar]. According to Scott C. Wallace, 

president and CEO of Act III Theatres, 

the Embassy was built as a demonstration 

of where the future of exhibition 

lies. 

"One of exhibition's biggest challenges 

is to tackle new architectural 

ground in terms of cinema design, and 

that's what we tried to do with the 

Embassy," Wallace says. "We reexamined 

the entire range of architectural 

possibilities that a theatre might offer, 

and we built upon that, as opposed to 

designing a simple box. 

"We feel that theatre lobbies should 

be bigger," Wallace says, offering one 

example of Act Ill's "bigger is better" 

philosophy. "The waiting areas in front 

of the concession stand should be symbolic 

of a night out at the theatre. They 

should be more than just lobbies" 

To approach the Embassy is to discover 

that Wallace's grand vision for 

theatre design has been realized both 

inside and out. The thing that one first 

encounters is a spacious courtyard, a 

courtyard which offers nothing but 

architectural elegance and open air over 

a chunk of prime real estate on which 

another exhibitor might have built one 

(contmucd im page 21)

Act Ill's 

First Act 

Act III Theatres is a division of Act 

III Communications, Inc., an entertainment 

and communications corporation 

founded in Januarj', 1986, 

by television writer-producer Norman 

Lear ("All in the Family," 

"Maude"). Act Ill's first hard move 

into exhibition came in December of 

1986, when the company acquired 

the 66-screen Santikos Theatres circuit 

in San Antonio. Almost a full 

year later, in November of 1987, Act 

III strengthened its grip in central 

Texas by acquiring the 18-screen 

Presidio Theatres circuit in Austin. 

Now, however. Act III is poised to 

dramatically break out of Texas and 

into other regions of the country. 

Late last year, it was announced that 

the company had signed an agreement 

to buy the 293-screen Luxury 

Theatre circuit in the Pacific Northwest, 

beating out both United Artists 

Communications and an investment 

bank, both of which had made a play 

for the influential circuit. Like the 

Santikos deal. Act Ill's purchase puts 

them in line to acquire real estate in 

addition to existing theatres, and the 

company's plan is to carry out Luxury's 

existing expansion plans, with 

Tom Moyer, the chain's CEO, staying 

on as a consultant. 

Scott C. Wallace, who has been 

with Act III since the Santikos acquisition, 

recently spoke to Boxoffice 

about this latest venture, and about 

the long-term plans for the company. 

BOXOFFICE: WJien you spoke to us 

last year, you refored to Act III as a 

'boutique operation^' Is that still true, 

in light of the Luxury acquisition? 

WALLACE: Absolutely. We have 

no manifest destiny with respect to 

becoming a national exhibitor. Our 

goal is to become a strong regional 

player in areas in which we can 

make a difference. I think that the 

Moyer acquisition is a testament to 

that strategy. We're trying to remain 

very concentrated in geographical 

areas in which we can add to the 

business. 

Wl%y do you think Act III and Tom 

Moyer were able to come to an agreement 

where others had failed? 

I think we just hung in there longer 

than anyone else. At the end of the 

day, I think any important business 

transaction is going to be based on a 

personal relationship between the 

buyer and the seller. We worked really 

hard to address some of Tom 

Moyer's financial requirements, and 

we just got creative in the financing 

Scott C. Wallace 

of the transaction In the end, everybody 

was going to pay the same 

amount. It was just a question of how 

to handle the transaction itself 

It also helped that an exhibitor was 

buying another exhibitor, as opposed 

to an investment bank. They [the 

bank) were faced with a whole host 

2(» BOXOFUCE

: consulting 

— 

Embassy 

or two additional auditoriums. The facade 

of the building is supported by 

nearly 100 columns, each of which had 

to be set separately. Three-quarters of a 

mile of neon illuminate the night sky in 

shades of red and blue, serving like a 

beacon to draw in ticket-buyers from 

across the plains. 

Upon entering the complex, passing 

beneath a sculpted tower which stands 

nearly three-stories tall, one finds that 

the aesthetic power of the architecture 

is more than matched by the technical 

attributes of the theatre itself The Embassy 

offers 14 first-run houses, all featuring 

Dolby stereo and four boasting 

THX sound. Tlie attention to audio, 

Wallace says, is a circuit-wide concern. 

"One of exhibition's 

biggest challenges is to 

tackle new architectural 

ground in terms of 

cinema design" 

f questions which are difficult to 

nswer if you're not in the business. 

Miat was it about the Luxury circuit 

jhich appealed to you? 

One of the benefits of the deal is 

hat we are able to pick up where 

ôm Meyer left off in terms of 

xpansion plans. We intend to build 

s many as 115 screens there in the 

irst two years, similar to what our 

trategy was when we acquired Sanikos. 

And when we say we're going 

build screens, we go out and build 

hem. We're going to add theatres 

/here there is a need for more 

heatres, and that's the beauty of the 

/loyer transaction. We're buying a lot 

'f real estate, and when you own a 

Dt of real estate, your opportunities 

or expansion are much greater than 

/hen you have to rely on landlords 

nd developers. 

What will your relationship he with 

"om Moyer, now that he is moving into 

position? 

I think Tom is feeling similar to 

low John Santikos felt when we 

lought his circuit. Tom is very exited 

about getting out of the day-tolay 

involvement and being able to 

ilan the new locations for Act III 

"heatres. It is not a case of offering 

dm a symbolic consultant position. 

He will be an integral part of the 

whole process. 

Tltis acquisition will place Act HI 

among the top ten theatre circuits in 

the country. Is that a source ofpride for 

you? 

Being in the top ten just represents 

a figure. First of all, that doesn't talk 

about gross revenue or net profit, it 

just talks about the number of 

screens you have. And frankly, I'm 

really not that interested in having 

the most screens. Our objective is to 

build the best facilities and to hopefully 

make the most money. 

Wlxat's next for Act IIP What part of 

the country do you think you'll move 

into next, and how big do you see the 

circuit becoming within five years? 

At this point in time, we are limiting 

ourselves to opportunities where 

we can buy a major regional concentration, 

preferably in the Midwest 

and in the West. In five years, I hope 

that we will be up to 800 screens, 

both through internal expansion and 

through acquisitions. We will continue 

to concentrate in regional areas 

where we can dedicate the kind of 

resources and management that we 

need to do the job better than anybody 

else. Everything will be based on 

our regional strategy. T.M. 

"Santikos has the highest concentration 

of THX screens per theatre unit in 

the entire industry," he says proudly. 

"Also, Dolby recently ran an advertisement 

which acknowledged the commitment 

that certain exhibitors have expressed 

for Dolby SR, and of the nine 

theatres in Texas that were cited in the 

ad, six of those were Santikos theatres. 

That's the kind of commitment that we 

have toward presentation." 

The 14 houses in the Embassy range 

in size from 120 to 475 seats, and Wallace 

says that the complex was designed 

so that four additional auditoriums 

could be added. The entire facility occupies 

about 63,000 square feet, construction 

took 18 months from start to finish, 

and when the theatre finally opened in 

November of 1987, Wallace estimates 

that Act III spent about $9.5 million on 

the entire project. 

And has that investment of time and 

money proven to be worth it? "The 

Embassy has been doing fantastic," 

Wallace states. "It has exceeded all of 

our projections." 

The Embassy is just the crowning 

achievement in Act Ill's ongoing campaign 

to stake its claim to the San Antonio 

area, which also happens to be the 

home base for Act III Theatres. In the 

two years since the company acquired 

the Santikos circuit, they have increased 

their screen count in the city to 

(continued p 22) 

March, 1989 21

Embassy 

(ami mucd from p 21) 

over 100, starting with the 66 which 

they purchased from Santikos. In the 

entire state of Texas there are four 14- 

plexes, and three of those are in San 

Antonio and owned by Act III. 

It is that kind of aggressiveness that 

has nearly filled the city of over 14 million 

people to the bursting point with 

theatre screens (Wallace himself concedes 

that Act III may have over- 

"The Embassy is the 

base upon which we're 

trying to build even 

bigger and better 

theatres." 

screened the market), and it is also 

what allows Santikos to enjoy complete 

exclusivity in the area. Despite threats 

from would-be competitors, for the time 

being anyone who wants to attend a 

first-run movie in San Antonio must buy 

their tickets from Santikos. 

"It would not be prudent for another 

operator to come in [to this market]," 

Wallace states flatly. 

TT 

•••• 

(Highest Rating) 

II 

So now that Act III is extending its 

reach outside of Texas and into the 

Pacific Northwest and beyond, how 

much of the artistic and technical 

knowhow that went into the Embassy 

will be applied to future projects? Wallace 

calls the Embassy Act Ill's flagship 

theatre and he concedes that it 

represents 

something special to the circuit, 

but he blanches noticeably when it is 

suggested that perhaps the Embassy is 

an extravagant, one-shot affair that will 

not be duplicated elsewhere. 

"I don't think that a flagship theatre 

is necessarily a one-time-only kind of 

thing," Wallace says. "The Embassy is a 

flagship in that we're very proud of it. 

But at the same time, we hope that our 

new theatres will take us even further 

down the learning curve in terms of trying 

to improve physical design. 

"If anything, the Embassy is the base 

upon which we're trying to build even 

bigger and better theatres. It's not that 

we went crazy and shot the works on 

the Embassy just because San Antonio 

is our headquarters. To me, it was our 

opportunity to buUd something exciting 

and big, and to create something that 

can be used as a base to bmld upon. 1 

think that future theatres that we build, 

particularly in the Pacific Northwest, 

will take the next logical step beyond 

the Embassy. It's an evolutionary pro- 

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multiplexes. The single-screen movie 

palaces, built at a time when real estate 

was reasonably priced and movie-going 

was an event, were almost preposterously 

ornate halls which squandered 

huge amounts of money and space in 

the pursuit of pure aesthetics. The multiplex, 

while increasingly elaborate, remains 

restricted by space and the almighty 

dollar, with every single squarefoot 

put to its best practical use. The 

multiplex has become the Japanese car 

of movie theatres — compact, efficient 

and often lacking in individual style — 

while the movie palace has become like 

a classic, late model Cadillac. Anyone 

who loves cars would love to own one, 

but the economics of the day simply 

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Dillion 

{continued from p 24) 

sy back into the movies," Dillion says. 

"We're not out to produce a realistic 

fantasy, we're out to produce a fantastic 

reality." 

- 

At the same time that Dillion, his 

wife, and their threadbare crew were 

performing their magic on the Shattuck, 

they were also called upon to restore 

the recently "de-tvWnned," 1,200-seat 

Alhambra in San Francisco, and to provide 

the plaster art for Pacific's Crest in 

Westwood, Calif (Both of these projects 

were profiled in recent issues of Boxoffice). 

It became clear to Dillion, who 

claims to have nearly expired from 

exhaustion trying to finish all of these 

projects simultaneously, that the tide in 

exhibition seemed to be turning back 

toward theatres that were as pleasing to 

the eye as the mo\'ies were (hopefully) 

pleasing to the mind. 

"I don't think people are really happy 

sitting at home Vkdth their VCRs, but the 

movie industry is realizing that they 

have to compete wath that," says Dillion. 

"This new type of treatment offers 

audiences something that they can't get 

at home." 

The Alhambra and the Crest were 

specialized situations, but the success of 

the Grand Lake and the Shattuck convinced 

Dillion that prefabricated, retrofit 

plaster components could be devised 

that could fit into any theatre. But to 

interest exhibitors in the package, Dillion 

and his crew also had to deal with 

the side effects of lining an auditorium's 

walls with plaster artwork. Special coatings, 

which have been approved for 

THX sound, had to be devised that 

would not affect the acoustics of the 

room, and Dillion also has to be prepared 

to modify his modules so that 

"The big theatre chains 

are taking the show 

business out of the 

show." 

they can accommodate the speaker 

placement that each theatre might favor. 

And for a theatre that is lined with 

Soundfold curtains, Dillion offers hanging 

fixtures which are positioned in 

front of the drapes. 

There is also the question of vandalism, 

although Dillion claims that so far, 

this has not been a problem. 

"The theatres seem to be self-policing," 

Dillion says, speculating that the 

sheer beauty of the theatres is discouraging 

patrons from making their mark 

on them. "We went back to the Grand 

Lake four years after we did it, and the 

only vandalism that we foimd was three 

pieces of gum. Allan runs kiddie matinees 

in those theatres every Saturday 

and they're always packed, so it's not 

like those exteriors haven't been exposed 

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"It seems that audiences are so tickled 

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Dillion's challenge now is to convince 

exhibitors across the country that while 

it's sometimes difficult to justify the 

expense of improving the aesthetic 

beauty of their theatre, in the long mn it 

could be the thing that sets them apart 

from the multiplex across the street. 

And in order to show the theatre owner 

what his auditorium would look like 

after its face lift, Dillion is implementing 

state-of-the-art technology to make 

his point. 

"We're setting up to do computerized 

scenarios, in which we would send a 

videotape technician out to actually videotape 

the interior of the theatre," Dillion 

says. "We then would use the videotape 

and our computer to 'install' our 

modular components onto the walls of 

the theatre, exactly as they would fit. 

(continued p 28) 

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Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland, 

Dillion 

(connnucdfynmp 26} 

We show the customer what his theatre 

would look like with our components." 

Dillion hopes that such technology, 

combined with his genuine interest in 

bettering the movie-going experience, 

will eventually lead to his designs being 

installed in theatres across the country. 

But, interestingly, he's determined to 

not have his work implemented too 

widely. 

"We want to spread this out over as 

large a geographical area as possible, but 

we are limiting our regional sales. It 

won't do us any good if all of the 

theatres in one area are ornamented to 

the point that there won't be any competition 

between them," he says. "We're 

probably looking to do four or five multiplexes 

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^ 

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In 1985 The Whatever Works was instrumental in creating the first new movie palaces in 

decades. In 1988 wc brought the movie palace atmosphere to the multiplex cinema. Today our 

new subsidiary. Sculptured Wall Systems, can transform your theater into a mini-movie palace! 

Bring excitement and romance into your theater ... send your customers home talking about more 

than the movie by giving them the adventure of a total environment. 

Sculptured Wall Systems is pleased to announce ModuWall, an inexpensive, easily 

installed modular treatment to convert your theaters into enticing movie palaces.. ..overnight! As 

any showman knows, if people have fun they'll return. Theater owners are realizing, the theater 

itselfcan he a main attraction. 

ModuWall is an interior design process offering creative freedom, easy installation and 

low maintenance. Constructed completely from non-comhustihle materials our system requires no 

structural modifications, architects, permits or contractors. Now, for dfraction ofthe cost normally 

associated with such projects, anyone can create an exciting, but familiar interior design which will 

keep your customers coming back. 

Sec us at NATO/ShoWest or call 4 15/526-4090 and we will provide you with informative 

material and an.swer any questions you may have regarding this exciting new product. 

Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of your ma^^'clous busines 

IL 

28 BOXOKUCI

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INTERIOR DESIGN 

Theatres By Design 

The country's largest circuit is employing two Texas 

designers to make their theatres works of beauty. 

By Kristi Turnquist 

MENTION 

INTERIOR DESIGN, and the 

average person is likely to think 

of soothing doctors' offices, 

tasteful homes, imposing executive 

suites, or brisk corporate conference 

rooms. 

But a pair of entrepreneurs in Texas 

want two words to come to mind when 

you think of interior design: movie 

theatres. Because until recently, Melissa 

MacDonald and Tina Warner, who are 

partners in Corporate Design, a company 

based in the Dallas suburb of Irving, 

have faced an uphill battle. For years, 

the interior of movie theatres have 

seemed like an architect's afterthought; 

an occasional frill thrown in to keep the 

customers satisfied, but hardly the main 

attraction. 

But Corporate Design founder and 

president MacDonald believes that in an 

era of renewed competitiveness and aggressive 

building, no theatre manager 

can afford to let the movie house or 

multiplex down the street gain an 

edge. 

"We feel that the more elegant you 

make a theatre, the more people you'll 

attract," MacDonald says, adding that 

it's just too risky to keep doing design 

the bad old-fashioned way. "It used to 

be that the architect did the design by 

simply putting up a couple of strips of 

different-colored vinyl and a few light 

fixtures." 

Faced with a choice between that 

grim setting and a professionally 

dressed space, she asks, "Where would 

you rather take your date?" 

One of the worst offenders in terms 

of homely interior design used to be the 

United Artists circuit, MacDonald says. 

However, it was UA, the nation's largest 

theatre chain, that gave MacDonald and 

Warner their start in show biz. 

About three years ago, MacDonald 

heard that UA was contemplating a 

remodelling job on one of its theatres in 

llie InMng area, doing into marketing 

rate Design an escape from the slumping 

Dallas economy. Though MacDonald 

originally designed the company to 

handle all kinds of commercial work, 

she and Warner soon found that the 

local lack of new construction was 

threatening their business. 

"The economy just kept getting 

worse," MacDonald recalls of that period 

leading up to her decision to get into 

theatre remodeling. "It seemed like the 

writing was on the wall." 

UA's Northpark Theatre in Jackson, Mi: 

overdrive, she convinced reluctant company 

officials to hire Corporate Design 

for the job, and it turned out so well that 

UA has since become Corporate Design's 

bread-and-butter client. "To date, 

we've done 25 theatres for United Artists," 

says MacDonald, adding that 

they've also done jobs elsewhere in the 

country for such circuits as National 

Theatre Corporation and Theatre 

World. 

When the UA decision-makers took a 

chance on "the girls" ("That's what 

they call us, 'the girls,'" MacDonald says 

with a laugh), they were giving Corpoald 

calls "a pretty strong remodel" (a 

"face lift" would be lessj. A typical project 

for Corporate Design involves selecting 

new carpet, renovating the concession 

stand — which MacDonald regards 

as the focal point of a theatre — 

and adding new wall coverings, wall 

sconces and bathroom tiles. 

MacDonald and Warner pay special 

attention to color combinations. "We 

tend to use a lot of peach and teal, black 

accents, mauve and greys. They all 

seem to be popular," says MacDonald. 

Overall, they strive for a design that has 

"excitement, is nice, clean, pleasant. 

If an exhibitor wants to refurbish an 

aging theatre, he can expect to pay from 

.$200,000 to $300,000 for what MacDonand 

says, 

'Come m and watch my movies.'" 

However, MacDonald and Warner 

pride themselves on not flying in with a 

"one-design-fits-all" approach. Instead, 

they first meet with the client to gauge 

what he or she might want, talk aboiii 

budget and titneliness, tour the theatic 

and then observe it during showtimcs 

Typically, they also check out other 

theatres within a five-mile radius, then 

visit the local Chamber of Commerce to 

find out about regional points of interest, 

or local claims to fame. This approach 

allows the pair to customize a 

30 BOXOFFKK

UA's The Movies at Hialeah ( Fla, ) scheduled to open May 

. 

design, in both conceptual and financial 

terms. 

As an example of the kind of work 

Corporate Design does, MacDonald 

points to UA's Four Hills Theatre in 

Albuquerque, which is a job she is especially 

pleased with. In their research, 

the partners discovered that the city 

holds an annual hot air balloon festival 

that draws people from all over and is a 

source of local pride. 

"So we decided on a hot air balloon 

theme for the theatre," MacDonald 

patron must wait in line at the concession 

stand or in the lobby, better he or 

she should have something interesting 

to look at. 

Though the majority of Corporate Design's 

work involves working on new 

theatres, MacDonald is once more keeping 

her eye on the future. "Our ultimate 

goal is to do more remodelling projects," 

she says, "because in two to three years, 

they're not going to be building as many 

new theatres."And to keep those new 

theatres in top condition, she believes 

that a theatre-owner should plan on 

remodeling his theatre every five to seven 

years, since the damage inflicted by 

thousands of patrons begins to show. 

"Everything just wears out," she 

says. 

MacDonald is bullish on the movie 

says. "The 'halo' over the concession 

stand is the lower part of a balloon, and 

the base is made of handwoven wicker 

basket. We hand-selected some unusual, 

industry, which, she believes, will continue 

strong for the next few years. And 

that's just the way she and Warner like 

it. 

"When we tell people that we work in 

artistic shots of the festival, and 

we blew them up to about four-feet by 

five-feet and put them around the perimeter 

interior design and they ask us how it's 

going, they always expect us to say, 'Oh, 

we 

of the lobby. Then we added terrible.' But instead say, 'It's going 

miniature balloons hanging from the 

HI 

great!'" 

ceiling, and a navy blue carpet with 

swirls of primary color." The project Kristi Tumquist, a former associate editor 

illustrates MacDonald's belief in the importance 

of crowd control in design: If a for BoxOFFiCE, is a free-lance writer 

based in Portland, Oregon 

It takes more than just five 

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We invite you to look inside 

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discover why XELAMP has 

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LP, ASSOCIATES, INC. 

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TEL 213-462-4714 FAX 213-462-7684 

Simplicity, by design.

THE 

ACCOMPANYINC; BALLOT is for 

your vote in the semi-annual Blue 

Ribbon Awards. The awards, first 

introduced in 1932, recognize both the 

aesthetic and commercial importance 

of feature films. 

Your selections in this round are 

drawn from new films first distributed 

during the fall and early winter months. 

The next round of voting v^dll be held in 

the October issue to cover the spring 

and summer releases. 

Please pick films in two categories: 

the films that were most popular at the 

ticket booth; and the films that showed 

the highest aesthetic quality, regardless 

Blue Ribbon Ballot 

of commercial success. A film may 

appear in both categories. 

Results of this month's balloting will 

be annonced in the May issue. 

For your ballot to count, you must 

include your name, your company and 

your signature. To make your selection, 

look over the list of films on ths page. 

You will note that each film has a number 

assigned to it for identification. Use 

these numbers in making your selection. 

On the ballot card, first list the five 

films you believe were the most important 

audience attractions. Put them in 

order, listing the biggest hit first, the 

next-biggest second and so on for five 

choices. 

Next, list your choices for the five 

best films, regardless of whether or not 

they proved to be major attractions. Ol 

course, a film can be both aestheticallj 

excellent and commercially successful 

and therefore you are free to vote foi 

such films in both categories. 

There is also room on each ballot fo; 

you to add your personal comment! 

about the films, their stars or the pro 

motional campaigns, or to include 

write-in vote for a movie not listed. 

When you have completed your bal 

lot, remove it from the magazine anc 

drop it in the mail by March. 1. 

Fall/Christmas Films 

1. The Accidental Tourist (WB) 

William Hurt. Dir: Lawrence Kasdan 

2. The Accused (Paramount) 

Jodie Foster, Kelly McGillis. Dir: Jonathan 

Kaplan 

3. Alien Nation (Fox) 

James Caan, Mandy Patinkin. Dir: Graham 

Baker 

4. Another Woman (Orion) 

Gena Roivlands. Dir: Woody Allen 

5. Bat 21 (Tri-Star) 

Gene Hackman, Danny Glover. Dir: Peter 

Markle 

6. Beaches (Buena Vista) 

Bette Midler, Barbara Hershey. Dir: 

Garry Marshall 

7. The Beast (Columbia) 

Steven Bauer. Dir: Kevin Reynolds 

8. Betrayed (MGM/UA) 

Dehra Winger, Tom Berenger. Dir: Costa-Gavras 

9. Bird (WB) 

Forest Whitaker, Diane Venora. Dir: 

Clint Eastwood 

10. The Boost (Hemdale) 

James Woods, Sean Young. Dir: Harold 

Becker 

1 1. Burning Secret (Vestron) 

F(iyc Dxnaiciui, Khnis Maria Branda 

ucr. Dir: Audreir Birkin 

12. Buster (Hemdale) 

Phil Collins, Julie Walters. Dir: David 

Greer 

13. Child's Play (MGM/UA) 

Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon. Dir: 

Tom Holland 

14. The Chocolate War (MCEG) 

John Glover. Dir: Keith Gordon 

15. Clara's Heart (WB) 

Whoopi Goldberg. Dir: Robert Mulligan 

16. Cocoon: The Return (Fox) 

Don Ameche. Dir: Daniel Petrie 

17. A Cry in the Dark (WB) 

Meryl Streep, Sam Neill. Dir: Fred Schepisi 

18. Dangerous Liaisons (WB) 

Glenn Close, John Malkovich. Dir: Stephen 

Frears 

19. Dead Ringers (Fox) 

Jeremy Irons. Dir: David Cronenberg 

20. The Deceivers (Cinecom) 

Pierce Brosnan. Dir: Nicholas Meyer 

21. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Orion) 

Michael Caine, Steve Martin. Dir: Frank 

Oz 

22. Distant Thunder (Paramount) 

John Lithgoiv. Dir: Rick Rosenthal 

23. Ernest Saves Christmas (BV) 

Jim Varney. Dir: John Cherry 

24. Everybody's AllAmerican (WB) 

Dennis Quaid, Jessica Lange. Dir: Taylor 

Hackford 

32 BOXOFFICE

1 

TAKING NEW DIRECTIONS ? 

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has redefined anlmatioH possibilities. 

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of all ages. 

Why Y\(A present your message 

or c.orôr2^t image in a 

mdmex that appeals 

. Let CINEMA CÔW^V^^ create 

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Response No 8 

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Cmema Concepts 

(fteatre ^fvjce 

Companyr 

Inc

n 

. Women 

. Working 

. Young 

25. Far North (Alive) 51. 

Jviisica Ldii'ic Dir: Sum Shcpard 

26. Fresh Horses (Columbia) 

Andn ir McCinihy, Molly Ringwald. Dir: 

52. 

27. 

Darid A»siHi»!/li 

Full Moon in Blue Water (TWE) 

Gctic llackniau. Teri Gun: Dir: Peter 

Masterson 

53. 

28. The Good Mother (BV) 54. 

Diane Keaton. Dir: Leonard Nimoy 

29. Gorillas in the Mist (Universal) 55. 

Sigonrney Weaver. Dir: Michael Apted 

30. Heartbreak Hotel (BV) 

Charlie Schlatter. Dir: Chn.v Columbus 

31. Hellhound: Hellraiser H (New World) 

Claire Ilim/iiis. Dir: Tony Randel 

56. 

57. 

32. 

33. 

Hero and the Terror (Cannon) 

Chuck Xorris. Dir: William Tannen 58. 

High Spirits (Tri-Star) 

Peter Toole. Dir: Neil Jorda 

59. 

34. 

35. 

36. 

37. 

38. 

39. 

40. 

41. 

42. 

43. 

44. 

45. 

46. 

47. 

48. 

49. 

50. 

Imagine: John Lennon (WB) 

Dir: Andrew Solt 60. 

The Iron Triangle (Scotti Bros.) 

Beau Bridges. Dir: Eric Weston 

The Kiss (Tri-Star) 61. 

Mimi Kuzyk. Dir: Pen Densham 

Lair of the White Worm (Vestron) 

Amanda Donohoe. Dir: Ken Russell 62. 

The Land Before Time (Universal) 

Voice of Helen Shaver. Dir: Don Bluth 63. 

Little Dorrit (Cannon) 

Derek Jacobi. Dir: Christine Edzard 

Madame Sousatzka (Universal) 64. 

Shirley MacLaine. Dir: John Schlesinger 

Memories of Me (MGM/UA) 65. 

Billy Crystal, Alan King. Dir: Henry 

Winkler 

Miles From Home (Cinecom) 

Richa rd Gere. Dir: Ga ry Sin ise 66. 

Mississippi Burning (Orion) 

Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe. Dir: Alan 

Parker 67. 

Moon Over Parador (Universal) 

Richard Dreyfnss. Dir: Paul Muzursky 68. 

My Stepmother Is an Alien (Columbia) 

Dan Aykroyd. Dir: Richard Benjamin 

Mystic Pizza (Goldwyn) 69. 

.hilia Roberts. Dir: Donald Petrie 

The Naked Gun (Paramount) 

Leslie Xielsci. Dir: Da rid Zucker 70. 

Nightmare on Elm Street 4: 

The Dream Master (New Line) 

Robert Engluud. Dir: Penny Harlin 71. 

1969 (Atlantic) 

Kiefer Sutherland, Robert Downey, Jr. 

Dir: Ernest Thompson 72, 

Oliver & Company (BV) 

Voices of Rett e Midler, Cheech Marin. 73, 

Dir: George Scril)ner 

Paperhouse (Vestron) 

Charlotte Burke. Dir: Bernard Rose 

The Prince of Pennsylvania 

(New Line) 

Keanu Reeves. Dir: Ron Nyswaner 

Rain Man (MGM/UA) 

Dust in Hoffman, Tom Cruise. Dir: Barry 

Lev in son 

Red Sorghum (New Yorker) 

Gong Li. Dir: Zhang Yimou 

Salaam Bombay! 

(Cinecom International) 

Shafq Syed. Dir: Mira Nair 

Scrooged (Paramount) 

Bill Murray. Dir. Richard Donner 

Some Girls (MGM/UA) 

Patrick Dempsey. Dir: Michael Hoffman 

Static (MCEG) 

Keith Gordon. Dir: Mark Romanek 

Talk Radio (Universal) 

Eric Bogosian. Dir: Oliver Stone 

Tapeheads (Avenue) 

John Cusack, Tim Robbins. Dir: Bill 

Fish man 

Tequila Sunrise (WB) 

Kurt RîsselL Mel Gibson. Dir: Robert 

Towne 

They Live (Universal) 

Roddy Piper. Dir: John Carpenter 

Things Change (Columbia) 

Joe Mantegna, Don Ameche. Dir: David 

Ma met 

Torch Song Trilogy (New Line) 

Harvey Fierstein. Dir: Paul Bogart 

The 21st International Tournee of 

Animation (Expanded Entertainment) 

Voice of Christopher Plummer. Prod: 

Terry Thoren 

Twins (Universal) 

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito. 

Dir: Ivan Reitman 

U2: Rattle and Hum (Paramount) 

Bono Hewso)!. Dir: Phil Joanou 

The Wash (Skouras) 

Mako, Nobu McCarthy. Dir: Michael Tosh 

iyuki Uno 

The Winter People (Columbia) 

Kelly McGillis, Kurt Russell. Dir: Ted 

Kotcheff 

Without a Clue (Orion) 

Ben Kingsley, Michael Caine. Dir: Thorn 

El)erhardt 

on the Verge of a Nervous 

Breakdown (Orion Classics) 

Carmen Maura. Dir: Pedro Almodovar 

Girl (Fox) 

Melanie Griffith. Dir. Mike Nichols 

Guns (Fox) 

Emilio Estevez. Dir: Christopher Cain 

« 

34 BoxohKKK

fiilflj 

NATO 

arid I 

ShoWes 

Published by Boxoffice Magazinj 

"^ 

NATO/ShoWest '89 Feb. 14-16 Ballv's La;

W W(MI> PICTURES 

WELCOMES YOU TO 

MTO/SHOWEST 

'89 

''K. 

iiVwwOWX>WCn«ES

. . osophy 

— 

. . information 

. . 

— 

NATO/ShoWest '89 

Welcome To NATO/ShoWest '89! 

rEW 

By Robert W. Selig 

General Chairman 

ShoWest 

WOULD HAVE DREAMED in 1975, 

when 183 ShoWesters gathered in 

San Diego "to exchange ideas" on 

xhibition, that 1989 would welcome 

,000-4,000 exhibitors from all over the 

vorld. 

But it has happened. 

There may be differing viewpoints on 

3why" those who operate motion picture 

heatres rally so intensely and so loyally 

ShoWest's annual gathering. 

As a ShoWester from the humble beginlings, 

my explanation of the massive moivation 

is simple: 

"Give them something—besides a good 

ime—to take home with them!" 

And that's what a review of ShoWest 

igendas would reveal: the underlying phiof 

Make it relevant Make it 

neaningfid! 

But there's one other key element that 

jeems to keep the ShoWest registrations 

growing each year. ShoWest is different! 

vVe don't go for "interminable, droning 

lessions" or "sleep-provoking seminars." 

The criteria we establish for any pro- 

-am is "jazz it up, showmanize, drama- 

-and make a point!" Sure, ShoWest 

iocs have panels and seminars. And, sure 

ive have some participants who mean 

well, and are qualified—but they may be 

ccustomed to only low-key, drawn-out 

methods of reaching a point. And we 

mderstand. But ShoWest dares to be different'. 

What we are saying is: "ShoWest is 

aimed at excitement, innovation, action 

and, most importantly, useful, usable information 

and ideas'. 

We hope and trust the /ir.sf amalgamated 

NATO/ShoWest carries on our 

proven tradition. 

^ 

ONCE 

By Herb Burton 

Executive Director 

ShoWest 

AGAIN, we're pleased to announce 

a record setting pace for the 

1989 NATO/ShoWest Convention 

and Trade Fair! 

The Trade Fair has been sold out for 

months—and sold out again after we 

expanded the floor plan! There are some 

interesting new exhibits in addition, of 

course, to your old favorites. The Trade 

Fair theme will be "There's No Business 

Like Show Business" and, like last year, 

. . . the 

look for some familiar faces! 

Our Trade Fair Exhibitors are boasting 

an all new prize program—the "Blockbuster 

Movie" Prize Program 

prizes are great, and winning is easy! 

We have some sponsors with exciting 

news for this year. This, blended with our 

old friends — promises to outshine even 

last year! You'll get "what you came for"! 

Entertainment . . . . and 

to renew old friendships! 

Dual programming proved popular, so 

we've brought it back for '89 with another 

series of informative topics. 

Plus! A few new changes in response to 

your requests: Reserved seating for all 

lunches and dinners, no buffet meals, an 

optional "daily" package . 

All in all, we at ShoWest have done our 

best to bring you what you've requested 

we hope you find this year's activities 

exciting, fun-filled, and, of course, of 

^ 

i;ieat value as you strive for success in the 

motion picture exhibition industry. 

NATO /ShoWest '89 Introductions 

Women in Exhibition 

Recapturing the Movie Palace Magic 

New Opportunities for Theatre Expansion 

Show Schedule 

Trade Fair Booths 

Marketing "A-Minus/B-Plus" Titles 

Showmanship and Independent Distribution 

NATO/SHOWEST INTRO 

SW-3 Intermission: The Bogie Quiz SW-30 

SW-4 Theatre Telephone Information Systems SW-32 

SW-6 Kintek, Inc.: New Innovations in Sound SW-36 

SW-10 A Little Cafe Goes a Long Way SW-40 

SW-12 Digital Sound Update II SW-42 

SW-14 Sound Advice: Sound Head Maintenance SW-45 

SW-26 The Moving Image: Screen Image Quality SW-46 

SW-26 Tech Notes: Sound System Equalization SW-48 

March, 1989 SW-3


Welcome to NATO/ShoWest '89 

By William F. Kartozian 

President 

National Association of Theatre 

Owners 

1988— Another rexord boxoffice year! 

1989— What will it hold for Exhibition? 

Clearly it is too soon to tell, but 

NATO/ShoWest '89 is a great way to 

begin! For the first time, all of Exhibition 

has come together to participate, innovate, 

celebrate and learn. And with our 

partners from NAC and TEA and many of 

our friends from Distribution, and under 

the always able leadership of ShoWest 

General Chairman Bob Selig, we can only 

hope that this wondrous and wonderful 

Convention and Trade Show (now only 15 

years oldj portends a bountiful 1989 for us 

all. 

While Exhibition's progress in this decade 

has been phenomenal, this is not an 

industry content to rest on its laurels. I 

know that the dynamic leaders of Exhibition 

will embrace the ideas, improve upon 

the concepts and capitalize on the predictions 

set forth at ShoWest '89 to go forward 

to build an even stronger industry of 

which we can all be proud. 

willing to help in any way we 

can. 

NATO is 

Women In Exhibition 

By Mary Ann Grasso 

Executive Director 

National Association of Theatre 

Owners 

MY 

OBJECTIVE IN pulhng this panel 

together was to identify women in 

unexpected and powerful positions 

within the exhibition industry. As I began 

casting about for panelists, I was surprised 

and delighted to discover just how 

many women were already in positions of 

authority and had already manifested a 

significant influence within the industry. 

Our topic is the future: What do we 

need to know today to be successful 

exhibitors in the coming decade? We've 

assembled what I see as five pieces of a 

pie, each piece an element integral to the 

rimning of a successful company. We've 

assembled experts from the financial, 

buying/booking, inanagement /training, 

technological, and legal divisions of the 

industry, each of them unusually qualified 

to steer you in new and useful direc- 

• Peggj' Brockschmidt, director of financial 

planning for American Multi-Cinema, 

will serve as our finance authority. As an 

expert on financial forecasting, she will 

address the applications and uses of marketing 

research. 

• Lawryer Barrie Loeks is vice president 

and general counsel for Jack Loeks 

Theatres, Inc. as well as president and a 

50-percent shareholder of Loeks Michigan 

Theatres, Inc. The Loeks chain ranks 

among the most innovative in the industry 

(especially in terms of employee motivational 

techniques) and Barrie's topics 

will include training innovations and what 

operational concerns the future holds. 

• Barbara Stokes has wide-ranging experience 

in marketing, advertising and public 

relations— including an 11-year stint with 

AMC. She will speak on theatre technology 

(state-of-the-art as well as BEYOND 

state-of-the-art), and the necessity and 

importance of booth training. 

• Legal issues will be addressed by another 

attorney on the panel. Gail Markels, 

legislative counsel and counsel to the 

Classification and Rating Administration, 

Motion Picture Association of America, 

will discuss First Amendment legislation 

and how theatre owners can protect 

themselves from the spectre of censorship. 

She will also discuss how exhibitors 

can influence legislation that can or will 

affect them. 

. Rounding out the pane! will be Victoria 

Hawker, for more than a decade a highlyrespected 

buyer /booker for Seattle-based 

Northwest Diversified Entertainment. 

She will discuss how to take advantage of 

^ 

the forever changing booking environment. 

SW-4 

Boxoffice

Your ticket to higher profits. 

Hershey's debuts its new concession program. 

One of the all-time great profit-makers just got greater. Our program includes: 

• The #1 selling concession item, 

Y&S Twizzlers. 

Hershey's #1 selling boxed item, 

Reese .'s Pieces 

• Merchandising funds for increased 

sales 

• The #1 selling packaged 

chocolate candy, Hershey's Kisses 

• The #1 selling chocolate-covered 

wafer, Kit Kat. 

• The #2 selling single bar, Reese.'s * National advertising campaigns for 

Peanut Butter Cups 

each product 

• Our leading Milk Chocolate with 

Almonds brand 

• Hershey's #1 selling premium 

item, Golden Almond. Solitaires 

• Price points ranging from $1.25 to 

over $2.00 

CONCESSION LINE 

h' 

^Jmonas 

HERSHm;

A 


Movie Palace Magic 

worth seeking out. And a special moviegoing 

experience creates a word of mouth 

momentum which resuhs in an ever 

growing audience base. 

The panel discussion at NATO/Sho- 

West '89 entitled "Move Palace Magic— 

'How To' Resuscitate or Recreate the Glamor 

of Hollywood's Fantasy Architecture" 

is intended to provide ideas and 

inspiration to exhibitors as to what can be 

done to improve the boxoffice performance 

of their theatres, both old and new. 

The panelists will each present several 

case studies of successful rehabs or unusual 

newly constructed cinemas and 

demonstrate the boxoflfice advantages of 

their unusual approaches to theatre design. 

Some of these conversions have 

achieved amazing resuhs that will surprise 

many in the audience. We hope to 

provide the impetus for others in exhibition 

to follow a similar course to success. 

During the 1920s, the Golden Rule in 

Theatre design and construction was 

called the "Six P's"; "Pretty Playhouses, 

Please Patrons, Pay Profits." This maxim 

^ 

still works today; and can be used to 

improve your bottom line. 

Allen Michaan is the president and owner 

of Renaissance Rialto Inc , an independent 

circuit operating m the San Francisco Bay 

Area- Founded in 1972, Renaissance Rialto 

currently operates 13 screens and is a joint 

venture partner in another 16 screens operated 

by Pacific Theatres' Cinerama subsidiary. 

Michaan is known for his restorations of 

vintage movie palaces and his unique approach 

of creating 1920s style opulent interiors 

in new theatres he has built He will be 

heading a panel discussion on recapturing 

the Movie Palace Magic of Hollywood's 

Golden Era at ShoWest on Tuesday, February 

14, at 9:30 a m Joining him in his presentation 

will be Steve Levin, past president 

of Theatre Historical Society, Lynda Friendly, 

executive v.p of marketing and communications 

at Cineplex-Odeon Corporation, 

and Gary Meyer of Landmark Theatres. 

The panel discussion will focus on the value 

of restoring and highlighting the architectural 

merits of vintage movie houses, and creating 

promotional value and media attention 

which have been proven stimulators of boxoffice 

performance. 

Also to he presented and discussed is the 

new trend, still in its infancy, of creating 

movie palace interiors in brand new multiplex 

theatres. The presentation will be 

kicked off by "Paradise in Plaster," Steve 

Levin's fascinating and informative slideshow 

history of the evolution of the motion 

picture palace. Slide presentations will be a 

major component of the panel, as each participant 

will conduct a case history of one or 

two projects with full visual accompaniment 

NOWPUyiNG: 

THE WRONG SniFr 

BOX OFHCE BUILDERS: A dirty projection "'^'^j 

screen is the wrons way to treat your audience. 

It's sood practice to dust it frequently, wash it 

when necessary and keep it curtained between shows. 

You'll find these and other tips for better presentations in 

Reel People, the industry periodical from Kodak. For 

a free subscription, call (213) 464-6131. Ask about 

our "It's Your Imase" seminar, too. It 

make every performance a quality 

P,ese«o„ 

£as|„a^ 

Motion Picture Rims 

can help you 

c Eastman Kodak Company, 1988 

SW-8 BOXOFFICE 

Response No. 53

Is proud to announce 

our 1989 feature line up 

Party Line 

Summer Job 

Cameron's Closet 

Underground Terror 

Out Of The Body 

Midnight 

Prime Suspect 

Come see the 

La View Video Projection Systenn 

from Sony 

SVS Films Suite 

Showest '89 Las Vegas 

Oak Room 

Century Plaza Hotel 

during AFM


New^ Opportunities 

For Theatre Expansion 

By Don Martin 

One way to capture the value oriented 

market is to build high quality from-theground-up 

dollar houses offering secondrun 

REPRESENTATIVES OF national theatre 

movies at a price affordable to fami- 

chains will discuss new opportunities 

lies, a concept practiced by Cinemark 

Theatres and others. To attract the older, 

for theatre expansion in an 

hour-long panel at ShoWest '89. The panel 

more discriminating audiences, other 

will focus on opportunities to increase 

market share and profit for theatre opera- 

operators are experimenting with deluxe 

presentation houses and private "screen- 

tors. 

The recent wave of theatre construction 

marks the end of an era that saw 

theatre circuits expand primarily by rapid 

construction of new screens across the 

country. Already most major circuits are 

finalizing expansion efforts or are pulling 

back from rapid growth modes to finetune 

their strategic positioning within 

their markets. 

Although opportunities for expansion 

and increased profitability through continued 

construction still exists, the 1990s 

will offer an entirely new range of opportunities. 

These include building new 

theatres only in select, specialized locations 

or specific types of emerging real 

estate projects. Other opportunities include 

market expansion through special 

movie exhibition venues, alternative 

methods to increase existing market attendance, 

and enhancing profitability 

through innovative and expanded use of 

existing facilities. 

Panelists include Jay Shapiro, senior 

vice president for General Cinema 

Theatres; Lee Roy Mitchell, president of 

Cinemark Theatres; Donald Beck, senior 

vice president for Cineplex Odeon; Michael 

Swinney, independent consultant 

and formerly of Lucasfilm's Skywalker 

Development Company; and John P. 

Boom, president of Campeau Development. 

The panel will be moderated by 

Don Martin, partner in the Cinexcel Consulting 

Group. 

Panelists will discuss these opportunities 

in an informal discussion and will 

answer questions from the audience Specific 

topics include; 

Special Venue Opportunities 

Some circuits are adopting strategies 

specifically targeted for reaching new 

and/or expanded audiences. Recent industry 

studies show aging baby-boomers, 

the largest movie-going public, adopting 

new and diversified characteristics including 

seeking more value for their money 

and the desire for mc 


ing rooms" while offering luxuries like 

valet parking, in-auditorium food service, 

private lounge /bar areas for more concession 

sales, and reserved seating at higher 

prices. 

New technologies are emerging as well 

— such as High Definition Television 

(HDTV), video presentation, expanded 

IMAX and other large-format auditoriums 

capable of playing first run movie product, 

and attraction-type presentation and 

seating from companies like Iwerks — 

with possible widespread applications for 

expanding auditorium usage. 

Single-Zone Theatres 

Site selection for new theatres has taken 

on a new twist in the last few years 

with the trend toward larger, more monopolistic 

theatre developments. These 

theatres are designed to control new or 

emerging film buying zones particulariy 

in downtown metropolitan areas or near 

regional retail or festival market-type developments. 

In these cases, theatre operators 

can tie up 14 or more screens in one 

location, discourage or limit future competition 

and assure themselves of future 

benefits as the market area expands over 

time. 

Theatre as Retail Anchor 

Using theatres as retail development 

anchors provides retail developers new 

options for future development. Major national 

developers have projects underway 

or in the planning stages which combine 

retail and entertainment in a synergistic 

mix that creates a powerful regional dr 

for customers. Likewise, local developers 

are using theatres as legitimate anchors i 

smaller centers to greatly extend the 

retail center's operating hours into the 

nighttime hours. Such anchor positions 

give theatre owners an opportunity to 

negotiate for substantially lower anchortype 

rental rates and rent concessions 

Expanded Merchandizing 

Perhaps one of the most exciting new 

developments in the theatre industn,' is 

that operators are beginning to expand 

the role of concessions and merchandizing 

in the theatre lobby. Given that ( oncession 

sales is often the major profit center 

for theatre operators, it is no wonder 

that they are beginning to look at ways to 

dramatically boost their sales-per-person 

and make better use of the theatre's sub-: 

stantial drawing power and underutilized 

lobby areas. 

While expanded merchandizing opportunities 

are just now being seen around 

the country, they are sure to become an 

increasingly important component in 

theatre profitability. Some examples: full 

service restaurants, cafes or deli's are 

being added within or adjacent to the lobby 

to capitalize on the fact that most 

theatre patrons combine dining out with 

the movie-going experience. Kiosks, push 

carts, and expanded concession areas offer 

a variety of new concession products. 

And cross-promotion of movie products, 

posters, caps, t-shirts, toys and the like 

are becoming increasingly available from 

distributors for sale in the theatre lobbv. 

In some select cases, theatre owners 

are turning toward renting or controlling 

adjacent retail space in strip centers by 

plugging in their own versions of ups( ale 

video arcades, video tape rentals stores or 

various food service concepts to trade of! 

of the theatre crowds they are already 

attracting. * 

Don Martin is a partner in the Au.sfinbased 

theatre and rcalestate cunsultirî 

fr-ni. CINExccl .

. 

Boxoffice Means Business 

October 

VT 

^SfJnO ,0028 

teach decis^^^° ggg 

b^^ exi a,vei:ti= a'-' „ew the 

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to decisi 

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Editorial Exceiience, Advertising Power 

See us in Booth 117A

Luncheon Ticket E% Wednesday) Palace Room 1 


Monday, February 13 

Dinner Ticket Exchange (For Thursday) Palace Room 2 

iHea Palace Room 3 

Breakfast with Reynolds & Reynolds 

Celebrity Room. 

Casino Level 

Luncheon Ticket Exchange (For Tuesday) Palace Room 1 

Will Rogers Health Center Palace Room 5 

Dinner Ticket Exchange (For Tuesday) Palace Room 2 

9:30 

a.m. 10:30 

Will Rogers Health Center Palace Room 5 

I.A.T.S.E. Technical Presentation 

Gable Rooms, T 

Tuesday, February 14 

ShoWest Headquarters open Palace Room 3 

Luncheon Ticket Exchange (For Tuesday) Palace Room 1 

Dinner Ticket Exchange (For Tuesday) Palace Room 2 

Breakfast with Screenvision 

Will Rogers Health Center 

Palace Room 5 

Luncheon with TriStar Pictures 

p.m-7:C 

Luncheon Ticket Exchange (For Wednesday) 

2:00 

p.m,5;00 

p.m. 

Grand Ballri 

6:00 p.m. 

CockUil Reception with New Vision Pictures 

8:00 p.m 

Dinner with Buena Vista 

Goldwyn Ballroom 

Wednesday, February 15 

ShoWest Headquarters open 

SW-12 

BOXOKFICE


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And jBL's extraordinary sensitivity remarkable power handling and 

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Bring Them Back with the Sound of )BL. The flawless, 

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Response IMo 83

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Don Howell 

2124 Jackson Parkway, N.W. 

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(404) 792-8424 

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'Sening the Southeast Since 1939" 

SVV-24 

BoxomcK 

Hesponse No 

10^

Welcome to ShoWest! 

We acknowledge our 

clients around the world 

for their commitment 

to presentation sound 

quality. 

Act III Theatres 

American Multi-Cinema, Inc. 

Cinema Rex 

Cinerama Theatres of California 

Chinachem Entertainment, Ltd. 

CIC Theatre Group 

Cinemark Corporation 

Cineplex Odeon Corporation 

Commodore Associates, Inc. 

Commonwealth Theatres, Inc. 

Consolidated Theatres, Inc. 

Decatron 

Edko Films, Ltd. 

Edwards Theatres 

EmpresaVallarta, S.A. 

Escurlai Panorama 

Famous Players, Ltd. 

Filmtheaterbetriebe 

Fox Theatres 

General Cinema Theatres 

Gold Coast Theatres 

GIE Associates 

H.M. Theatres, Inc. 

Hotel Lotte Co. Ltd. 

Hoyts Cinema Corporation 

Kino-Theater J FG 

KinobiJro Hannover, GmbH 

Kinomatograph Film, GmbH 

Krikorian Premiere Theatres, Inc. 

Loeks Theatres 

M. Marcel Guillaume Theatres 

Maico Theatres 

Mann Theatres 

Moyer Theatres 

Multicine 

Muvico Theatres 

Myung Bo Cinema Corporation 

National Amusements, Inc. 

National Theatre Corporation 

Olympic Filmtheaterbetriebe 

Pacer-Kerridge Corp. Ltd. 

Pacific Theatres 

Pyong Ree Co. Ltd. 

Quinnie Cinema Films Ltd. 

Riverside Casino 

Sam-Film SF 

Societe Anonyme des Grands Theatres 

Sonor S.A. 

Suministros Kelonik, S.A. 

Syufy Enterprises 

Tom Moyer Theatres 

United Artists Theatres 

Village Roadshow Technology Pty. Ltd. 

Walch & Co. Kinobetriebe 

Warner Brothers Theatres 

Wehrenberg Theatres, Inc. 

Wometco Theatres, Inc. 

THX Sound System Program 

Box 2009 San RafaeLCA 94912 415-662-1900 

c> 1989 Lucasfilm, Ltd. All Rights Reserved. 

Response No. 57

Effectively Marketing 

"A-Minus/B-Plus" Titles 

By Ken Badish 

President and 

Chief Executive Officer 

Moviestore Entertainment 

THERE IS 

A range of product covered 

by the labels "A" movie and "B" 

movie. First of all, let's assume an 

"A" movie is a film v/ith a negative cost of 

$8 million or higher (usually with a publicity/advertising 

launch of $4-5 million) 

that is typically released by a major studio. 

Let's then say that there are several 

categories of "B" movies, v/ith budgets 

ranging anywhere from $750,000-$5 million. 

There's the true, low-end "B" movie 

that is just a bad movie; there is the small, 

decent film without a "name" in the cast; 

and then there is what I consider to be an 

"A-Minus" film. This is a film that has a 

real story with a strong beginning, middle 

and end, that is thoroughly playable and 

that consumers will enjoy. Many of these 

"A-Minus" titles are "genre" oriented 

(horror, comedy or heavy action) and 

they usually have several "names" in the 

cast. 

These kinds of "A-Minus/B-Plus" titles 

did not perform particularly well in 1988. 

For some reason, we saw a rather dramatic 

percentage of film rentals generated 

going to the "AAA" titles only. However, I 

think that the market indicates there is 

still room for some solid "A-Minus" 

grosses, with those pictures earning anywhere 

from SI. 5-5.0 million in theatrical 

film rentals. Some recent examples of 

these titles would include "American 

Ninja 2," with a $4 million boxoffice gross; 

"Near Dark," with S3. 4 million; "The River's 

Edge," with $4.6 million' "Hairspray," 

with $5 million, "My Demon Lover," with 

$4 million; "Prom Night 2," with $2.7 million, 

"Three for the Road," with $1.6 million; 

"Rosary Murders," with $1.7 million; 

"18 Again," with $1.5 million; and "The 

Offspring," with $1.6 million. 

I think the theatrical marketplace is 

telling us that truly "dreadful" movies 

can no longer succeed. Bad movies are not 

working, due to the increased sophistication 

of today's audience. Today's consumers 

are simply too well-informed, given 

the prevalence of video, pay and cable 

television, pay-per-view, TV programs 

like "Entertainment Tonight," and newspapers 

reporting boxoffice grosses and 

releasing Nielsen ratings. But I still believe 

there is room for the "A-Minus" type 

product to perform reasonably well, first 

in theatres and then later in the video and 

other markets. 

In the past, we've seen these kinds of 

films marketed with "blitz" level television 

advertising and fairly strong newspaper 

support, with occasional radio advertising 

and promotion. We're starting to 

see marketers doing different things in 

the theatrical market, given the incre 

ingly high costs of TV and newspaper 

rates, coupled with the lower-than-average 

returns of theatrical film rentals. We 

as distributors need to start being more 

inventive with the use of the media, by 

being more selective with television and 

by including more targeted media, i 

cable TV buys, like MTV, which include 

specific audience programming, and the 

use of targeted radio buys. We're seeing 

an increase in specialized "A-Minus, B- 

Plus" movie campaigns that use the print 

media only, coupled with high levels of 

publicity and promotion. I think we'll 

(continued) 

Showmanship and Flexibility Key to 

Independent Distribution Success 

By David J. Miller 

President and CEO 

Triax Entertainment Group, Inc. 

THERE 

ARE A couple of old Sayings that 

I've continually looked to for solace 

during my years in independent film 

distribution. The first is: "Experience is 

what you get when you get nothing else." 

It's apropos of life in general, certainly, 

but it also points up an inescapable truth 

about our business. That is, to succeed we 

must learn from our own and from each 

other's mistakes. Without the ability and 

willingness to acknowledge and amend 

distribution and marketing misdirections, 

we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of 

the many independents who have thrived, 

then faded before us. 

Various independents through the 

years have had initial success only to 

come up short in the end. Many, of 

course, have failed because of poor production 

choices, overextending themselves 

financially, or because of similar 

problems. Others have fizzled simply because 

they neglected to evidence that 

basic marketing tool; showmanship. In a 

highly competitive marketplace, independents 

have to work harder to get 

noticed. We have to be more creative and 

aggressive in our efforts to raise awareness 

about our films, even when they are 

modest in comparison to those of the 

majors, and even when our efforts seem 

dwarfed by the scope of a major's campaign. 

We can't simply expect, as in days 

now long gone, to survive by ancillaries 

alone. In fact, home video sales now more 

than ever before benefit from being aggressively 

marketed. 

And that brings me to the second adage: 

"You can't climb the ladder of success 

with your hands in your pockets." Now I 

know that this prolsably refers more to 

idleness, but I translate it for my worid to 

mean that you can't launch a picture 

without the proper media and promotional 

support. Again awareness is everything 

for an independent. It's not going to do 

anyone any good to merely throw a jiu - 

tore out into the marketplace. It doesn t 

benefit the picture, it doesn't demonstrate 

commitment to exhibitors, it 

doesn't encourage new producers to bring 

you their pictures, it short changes you in 

the ancillary areas; in effect, it doesii t 

show that you are serious about yinir 

product or about staying in this business. 

That's why when we began operations at 

Triax one year ago, we made a promise to 

ourselves and to exhibitors that the company 

would support our regional releases 

with hands-on marketing efforts, enipli.isizing 

aggressive, special promotions aiul 

advertising. 

(contimu.i) 

SW-26 

BOXOIKKK

19 

Congratulations 

To Our Dear Friends And Associates 

BENMARCUS 

BOB SELIG 

TIM WARNER 

Upon Receiving Nato/ShoWesVs 

Most PrestigiousAwards. 

Your continuous efforts and contributions 

on behalf of our industry are sincerely appreciated. 

Best Wishes. 

PACIFIC THEATRES 

^ A DECURION COMPANY

CONGRATULATIONS 

TIM WARNER 

"SHOWESTER OF THE YEAR" 

BEN MARCUS 

"B.V. STURDIVANT AWARD" 

.x'Tfy^v 

i"7T!Hi:. 

from your friends at 

lb 'Sen Mircus & Tim "Warner 

CongraudaHons Jrom 

NATIONAL SCREEN SERVICE GROUP. INC


BEN 

mMARCUS" 

l_THEATRES_l 

. . . FROM YOUR FAMILY OF 8000 EMPLOYEES AT 

THE MARCUS CORPORATION 

î^^^^î^^t^T^^^^^trtr-t^T^î^î^^^^ 

^ 

^ 


To 

Tim Warner 

^ 

ShoWester of the Year 

THEATRES PROJECTING INTO the future

•r 

Universal Pictures 

Congratulates 

BEN MARCUS 

on receiving the 1989 

B.V.Sturdivant Award 

and 

TIM WARNER 

on being named 

"ShoWesteroftheYear"

NATIONAL 

AMUSEMENTS 

INC. 

15 f/if kader in fnotoi picture exhibition operating (lie tuition's 

largest and most liLXiirious multi-screen cinemas. 

Our current expansion program is generating career 

opportunities in a number of major markets. 

If you are ambitious, career minded, and have experience and a strong interest 

in the entertainment industry-, we want to talk to you! With over 500 operating 

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has career opportunities available throughout the eastern United States. 

Current avaiJabk openings include: 

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Send your resume today: ATTENTION: Mr. Dennis Dotson 

Operations Department, National Amusements, Inc. 

200 Elm StTxêt, Dedham, MA 02026 

Showcase Cinemas • Multiplex Cinemas 

A Division of National Amusements, Inc.

Congratulations Bob Selig 

On Receiving NATO's 

Prestigious 

Sherrill C . 

Corwin Award 

From All Your Friends 

In The Industry

United Artists Theatres 

and 

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invite you to ouri iilj 

booth at ShoWest. 

, i i 

See the next generation of 

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li 

Booths: 13-13A ShoWest Rally's Hotel Las Vegas, NV February 14th-16th 

A 

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BOXOFFICE 

The business magazine of the motion picture Industry 

1800 North Highland Avenue Suite 710 

Hollywood. CA 90028

Orfumlna Pictures 

A unit of Columbia Pictures Entertainment. Inc.

^^ 

The Gift of Caring 

^ 

"I never met a man I didn't like!' 

Words which typify the tradition 

upon which the Will Rogers Institute 

has prided itself for over 50 years. 

Since 1936, the Institute has 

been caring for employees of the 

entertainment/communications 

industry by providing them with 

health services. 

Our representatives can put you 

in touch with expert medical care 

and your first consultation with 

one of our nationwide pulmonary 

specialists is absolutely free. 

Write or call - to learn more 

about the benefits we offer and you 

will see just how we embody the 

spirit of that great humanitarian 

and entertainer, Will Rogers. 

National Headquarters 

White Plains, NY 10605 

(914) 761-5550 

UCLA Medical Center 

Los Angeles, CA 90024 

(213) 206-6191

' 

, n their day, they 

were the state-of-the-art. The theater organ (or piano) provided < 

the sonic textures required to completely involve an audience 

the film on screen. The megaphone... well, it was reliable, but its limitations 

quickly became obvious. Its frequency response was rather limited, 

iLs direct dependence on input level made it usable only by oral athletes. 

With man's undying need to to expand his ears' horizons, the film soundtrack 

came to replace live accompaniment. Sound reinforcement came to span 

eserythmg from audio in the home, to rock and roll in the arena. As the quality of 

these mediums grew, the need to surpass the limitations of existing amplification 

became apparent. 

Ashiy's MOS-FET Power Amplifiers represent our ongoing dedication to 

exceeding these boundaries. The FET Series feature an open, modular design with a 

Class-A, full-complementary, two-stage front end for stability and speed; MOS-FET 

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reactive loads and high frequency overdrive; perfect overload and square wave response 

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Today 

Things are a little differenty

Moviestore 

theatrically, in video and in television? 

What spending/media plan can maximize 

our net receipts out of the theatrical 

market? At the same time, we look at 

ways in which we can enhance our video 

and television values through the use of 

our theatrical marketing. Before we come 

up with our "game plan," we look first at 

maximizing the theatrical gross, and second, 

for ways to enhance our video and 

ancillary values. 

Since we do not produce these titles 

ourselves but rather acquire them from 

outside sources, some of the ways that we 

custom tailor our filins include changing 

the original title to make the picture more 

appealing to both a theatrical and video 

consumer, coming up with creative artwork 

and ad campaigns that are geared to 

creating high awareness levels, and selectively 

editing some of our releases to 

make them run more smoothly thematically. 

— 

Creating a high level of theatrical 

awareness is very important to ensure 

(conrimcfd) 

value in the video and ancillary markets. (continued) 

A video consumer will tend to rent the 

continue to see the increased use of publicity 

and promotion as marketing tools, if he remembers the newspaper ad or the a picture regionally for the smaller inc 

"A-Minus/B-Plus" title that he's heard of, There are many advantages to releasi 

rather than the enormous advertising expenditures 

for television and the other not a major theatrical success. The mar- 

the business, of course. However, one 

radio promotion, even if the picture was pendents. That's not news to anyone 

electronic media. 

keting budget in each market is not as the key advantages is not necessar 

At Moviestore Entertainment, we custom 

tailor our marketing efforts by evalu- 

the awareness level it creates. While we the fact that you can fine tune your mec 

crucial as the quality of the campaign and exploited by a lot of the independents 

ating each picture as if it was its own still use television advertising for many of campaign if it is discovered that it's n 

"business". We ask ourselves: what is the our movies, we're also using more radio working. Being flexible gives the indepe 

revenue potential in each market that we promotions and heavier newspaper campaigns 

to generate higher levels of aware- 

can, with sometimes only minor 

dent an edge. Your television and rad 

can expect to achieve for this picture 

adju! 

ness. We're planning to use occasional 

prime time television advertising, which 

is less efficient for the teen market, for 

example, but actually creates broader levels 

of awareness in the given market area 

in which our film is playing. This, again, 

helps us down the line in creating increased 

value in the video and other 

ancillary markets. 

In the next few years, I think that 

things will be getting better for "A-Minus/ 

B-Plus" pictures for a variety of reasons. 

The marketplaces we are dealing in are 

maturing, which is forcing us to become 

better programmers, better marketers 

and better business people. We need to 

nm our businesses more efficiently than 

ever before. I think there will be fewer 

distributors marketing fewer movies, 

while, given the increase in the number of 

theatres in the last couple of years, the 

films we do release should play longer in 

those theatres. 

iM 

Triax 

ments, become effective in one mark 

when it proved ineffective in the prece 

ing market. We've all seen this and fortl 

most part utilized this tactic in our initi 

test markets. But it can certainly benefit 

picture beyond the tests, and has oft« 

provided an added boost to a release. 

Showmanship as well should be carri( 

on across the country. Promotions ai 

merchandising tie-ins too can be effe 

tively employed on a regional basis. Tii 

ins with regional retailers are just ; 

important in cities other than New Yor 

L.A. and Chicago. Special promotions ar 

events staged to raise awareness needni 

be national in scope to help your pictur 

Any exhibitor will tell you that, of cours 

But it's the obvious that all too ofte 

makes the difference to the independei 

release. And remembering the obviou 

like these old sayings, can serve the di: 

tributor well. | 

The INTEIXIGIBLE choice in modem theatre sound 

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SW-28 

BoxoilKK

;i 

Jame 

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the new 

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Win an RCA XL-100 

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suggestion. 

want a great name for our 

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Names like "Super-SUB", "Big 

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idered. The best suggestion was 

t our friends and customers 

e the product and offer a nice 

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Anyone can enter. Send as 

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icate entries, the first received 

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1130,1989. 

THEATRE SYSTEMS 

Green Industrial Way 

iita,Ga.30341 l-(800)45-SMART 

Ergas, Receptionist at SMART shows tlie 

Aprill 

new DS571 single subwoofer and DS572 double. 

Here's what you need to know to name the product. The Subwoofer 

systems use 18" speakers that produce twice the sound 

as a pair of 15" speakers. The cabinets are made of high density 

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for an average multi-cinema, and the DS572 is for the largest 

auditoriums. Both systems are self powered with the largest 

amplifiers in the business for super clean reproduction. 

irMinilllll- ?qil The industry's first True Digital subwoofer 

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Save that TV for me! 

My suggestion is. 

NAME 

ADDRESS 

CITY 

STATE

: 

INTERMISSION 

The Bogie Quiz 

By Dick O'Donnell 

Humphrey Bogart started out in the 

twenties as the tennis-playing pretty 

boy type on the Broadway stage. 

He wasn't sweet enough. There was a 

snarl and a sneer about the man and, in 

time, he moved west to Hollj'wood to 

play tough guys in a series of Warner 

Brothers movies. Eventually, he melted 

a bit and made love to Bacall, Bergman, 

Sheridan, Gardner, Astor, Scott, Stan- 

Vi?yck and a lot of other film beauties. 

Whether hard or not, there was a 

magic about the guy. He wasn't the typical 

Hollywood glamour boy, so men 

admired him. As for the women, he was 

as popular as Gable wdth them. 

After his death in the late 1950s, 

Bogart was adopted by the college 

crowd. Today his movies are shovkoi over 

and over again at revival theatres near 

campuses. And on television too. It is 

safe to say that Humphrey Bogart, who 

was a tremendous boxoffice attraction 

when he was alive, is as popular as ever 

today. 

The following quiz is all about 

Humphrey Bogart. There are no prizes. 

This is simply a question and answer 

game about Bogie and his films. 

1. Humphrey Bogart won an Oscar for 

his role in "The African Queen." He 

played: 

(a) Phillip Queeg 

Cb) Charlie Allnut 

(c) Harry Morgan 

2. Bogie's most famous role was that of 

private eye Sam Spade in "The Maltese 

Falcon", made in 1941. Five years later, 

in "The Big Sleep", he played another 

famous fictional detective. He was: 

(a) Sherlock Holmes 

(b) Charlie Chan 

(c) Phillip Marlow 

3. In what film did Bogie have an Irish 

brogue? 

(a) Dark Victory 

(b) The Roaring Twenties 

(c) Black Legion 

4. In what film did Bogie have a Spanish 

accent? 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

Beat The Devil 

Virginia City 

The Barefoot Contessa 

5. One of Bogie's most famous lines 

was "Here's looking at you, kid." He said 

it 

to: 

(a) Lauren Bacall in "Dark Passage" 

fb) Ingrid Bergman in "Casablanca" 

(c) 

Ida Lupino in "High Sierra" 

6. Bogart's leading lady in "Deadline, 

U.S.A.", a 1952 hit, was: 

(a) Ann Sheridan 

Cb) Gene Tiemey 

(c) Ethel Banymore 

7. Bogie once played a Dracula-Q| 

character who drained fair maidens 

their blood. The movie was: 

(a) All Through The Night 

(b) Dead End 

(c) The Return of Dr. X 

8. In 1941, Bogart made a thriller tl 

accurately predicted the Japanese 

tack on Pearl Harbor. It was: 

(a) Across The Pacific 

(h) Tokyo Joe 

(c) Dead Reckoning 

9. In a 1947 film. Bogie was an aii 

who painted his wives as Angels 

Death and then murdered them. T 

movie was: 

(a) The Two Mrs. Carrolls 

(b) It All Came True 

(c) The Left Hand of God 

10. In what Bogart film did actor-din 

tor John Huston play his first role? 

(a) The Petrified Forest 

(h) Sahara 

(c) The Treasure of Sierra Madre 

11. Bogart's last film, made in 191 

was: 

(a) The Big Shot 

0) The Harder They Fall 

(c) Knock on Any Door 

12. In "The Maltese Falcon," B( 

sent the murderer of his partner i 

detective agency to jail. What was 

partner's name? 

(a) Miles Archer 

fb) Joel Cairo 

(c) Casper Gutman 

Dick O'Donnell is a free-lance wri 

based in Honolulu, Hi 

ANSWERS 

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SW-30 

BOXOKUCE

atkitr 

1989 

Japanej 

Inl978, 

we introduced 

your audience 

anew standard of 

film sound 

Inl989, 

your audience 

demands more. 

Dolby Stereo SR. 

Spectral RECORDll^G 

nni DOLBY STEREO i PS^fsl 

Recent and upcoming 

films featuring 

the Dolby Stereo SR 

process. 

Rainman 

Mississippi Burning 

Lawrence of Arabia 

Everybody's Ail-American 

Scrooged 

Moonwalker 

Communion 

Betrayed 

Colors 

Farewell To The King 

La Boheme 

Married To The Mob 

Monkey Shines: 

An Experiment In Fear 

Tucker: The Man 

And His Dream 

U2: Rattle And Hum 

Willow

Theatre Information Systems: 

There's More To Telephone Messages 

Than Meets the Ear 

YOU'VE 

By Barbara Vetter 

DONE ALL your promotional 

homework. Teaser trailers have 

been trumpeting the latest blockbuster-to-be 

on your screens for weeks now, 

your answering machine. But therein lies 

the rub. For one of the weakest—and perhaps 

most important— links in your advertising 

and promotional campaign is the 

way in which you let your audiences 

know about showtimes. Newspaper ads 

may not have the room to list all of your 

screens' times, and your phone message 

may be so long that callers get frustrated 

waiting for the pertinent information—if 

they can get through the busy lines! 

But those problems should be ancient 

history if the people at AudioFAX, Inc. 

have their way. It is their determined goal 

to bring their state-of-the-art marketing 

tool, the Showtimes Theatre Information 

System, to theatres accross the country. 

The Showtimes system is not a glorified 

answering machine but, instead, is a sophisticated 

computerized information 

system that offers theatre-owners the 

ability to provide a variety of information 

to patrons at the push of a touch-tone 

telephone button. With the Showtimes 

system, patrons can dial a central number 

for all your theatres and selectively access 

information for different locations, 

different screens, and different showtimes. 

According to Douglas Kilgour, director 

of business development for the Marietta, 

Georgia-based company, the exhibition 

industry is, by its very nature, an information 

intensive business, but one which, 

until now, has not had its needs adequately 

met. The typical theatre has a poorsound-quality 

telephone answering machine 

that must be updated manually. 

AudioFAX, of course, would like to 

change all that and bring exhibition information 

systems into modem times. The 

company feels theatre-owners need to 

view their telephone systems as a prime 

marketing priority. 

"Theatre-owners don't feel that their 

telephone systems are a priority," Kilgour 

says. "They don't think about them at all, 

unless they're broken But they have to 

realize the tremendous amount of revenue 

that can be generated by their 

phones. More patrons will have access to 

the theatre-owner's product by allowing 

more callers to get information." 

The Showtimes system is a complete 

business management system. It includes 

and one sheets and standees are in place. a computer system with color monitor, 

You've taken all the publicity material the keyboard and printer and software with 

studios have to offer and your staff has voice response technology. When a potential 

customer dials a chain's central 

come up with several great in-theatre 

promotions to heighten community number, the phone is answered with a 

awareness. All that remains now is to 

squeeze your showtimes into small type 

professionally recorded voice which has 

been digitized and stored in the computer. 

The caller then chooses a theatre and 

for the newspaper ads and reprogram 


requests information about specific movies 

by pressing corresponding numbers 

on a touch-tone phone. Operating instructions 

and Showtiines programs are 

pre-loaded into the computer so that the 

system can be started up fairly easily, 

usually only after a few hours of training 

(provided by AudioFAX). The company 

Douglas Kilgour of AudioFAX 

provides voice digitized messages as well 

as information on some 800 current and 

future film releases, which can be manipulated 

by managers and owners to create 

custom showtime information (Audiofax 

updates titles each month and ships a 

new floppy disk containing information 

on new releases as they become available). 

The system also tracks incoming 

r.all.s thr number of people that have 

( alli J ,1 p.iiiK iilar theatre or the number 

ol ]i((i]il( w ho have called aboiu a particulai 

lihii rhr magic is in the software," 

says Kilgour, "not the hardware. In fact, 

our computers are 'oflT-the-shelf equipment, 

meaning that in case of a malfunction 

any qualified computer technician 

can repair them." 

And almost anyone can handle the system. 

At one of the earliest Showtimes 

sites the theatre manager was virtua 

computer illiterate when the systi 

installed. During the 16-hours of oii-i 

training included with the syst 

became very much at ease with the p 

cess and became interested in compute 

in general. In most cases a regional ma 

ager is responsible for putting in the inf 

mation for an entire chain of th 

That job is relatively simple with the e; 

menu-driven system, requiring just c 

keystrokes to enter the information 

gour calls the system "idiot proof," 

says that it was designed for people wl 

are, for the most part, not that famili 

with computers. 

The computer gives the manager-ope 

ator prompts that he or she can follow 

make the system work. It can be update 

as often as necessary and the updat 

take effect immediately. The messag 

are not computer generated (which mig 

give them an unfriendly or harsh sount 

rather, AudioFAX goes into 24-track 

dios with voice talent and records 

time, in five minute intervals, ratinf 

special messages, and titles of film; 

then digitizes the information. 

Without getting overly technical 

Showtimes digital voice recording sy 

works as follows: 

Analog speech is digitized and stored 

a high speed CPU (computer). Digitia: 

audio data is currently the purest forrtl' 

storing and providing audio data, wi 

consumer coinpact discs being fonus 

digitized audio data. 

There are several advantages to dif 

tized audio data technology over storii 

and retrieving audio data from other m, 

diums such as audio or video tape. Firstl 

the Showtimes audio data is recorded ai 

stored in 

a 24-track recording studio ui 

lizing state of the art digital recordii 

methods. Digital audio media does n 

degradate like audio tape which will b 

come de-magnetized over time resultii 

in progressively poorer quality soun 

Like the compact disc, the digitized Sh( 

times data maintains the same < 

quality, regardless of the number ol 

ings. 

The theatre data is recorded usuiu p 

fessional voice talent, edited and 

ferred directly to the computer's mc 

These audio files actually con; 

hundreds of individual words and p 

that are linked together upon rctji 

give the appearance to the caller of 

tinuous recording. 

By creating this library of fili 

theatre operator does not need 

record every time there is a change 

pi

iMjeiV 

MODtL 141XJ 

QSC Customers 

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TTieyreAlso 

Buying Our 

Support." 

It if it breaks?" That's an ugly question, but an 

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a problem with one of our amplifiers. We pride 

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iffera 

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eries 

hie amps 

idi 2-year warranty on our Series One. For QSC, 

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feive design. Through careful engineering, we've 

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airds is built right into QSC amplifiers. Take the 

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pivides complete protection from short circuits 

^ 

amplifier's performance. Both the 

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listen to your problems as well as your praise. And we've 

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contact: QSC Audio Products, 1926 Placentia 

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^SC Quality 

Service 

Commiti

Theatre Information ^ inucd) 

Instead, any speech file can be 

constructed from the existing Hbrary by a 

non-technical person using the system 

keyboard at a central location. In this way 

data can be changed for any theatre or 

film in a metro area by one person in one 

spot. 

Secondly, the SHOWTIMES digitized 

audio data is processed virtually instantly 

by utilizing high speed computers. This 

permits the system to service multiple 

requests for movie information simultaneously. 

The audio tape driven devices that 

theatres are commonly using today can 

answer many lines simultaneously but 

can handle only a single request for information 

at any one time. Consequently, all 

callers will listen to the same message 

. . 

the Town Center Theatre press 2, for the 

Palms Theatre press 3 ." and so on. The 

caller enters the number of the theatre he 

or she wishes to attend. 

"The beautiful Town Center theatres 

are located in the Town Center Mall at 

starting at whatever point the tape is 

playing when they make their telephone 

connection. This 'barge-in' type of system 

results in the familiar scenario of listening 

to your call start in mid-sentence, 

the comer of Monterey and Highway 111 

in Palm Desert. For showtimes on the following 

movies enter the number anytime 

after you hear the movie title. 'The Land 

with no idea what came before or how 

much information you are required to listen 

Before Time', rated G, press 1; 'Oliver & 

Company', rated G, press 2; 'The Naked 

to before your particular question has Gun', rated R, press 4; etc." The caller 

been answered. 

enters the number of the film. 

The best way to describe how the "The Land Before Time', rated G: showtimes 

Showtimes system works is to recount an 

are 1:00, 2:35, 4:15, etc. Admission 

actual telephone session, here tran- 

to the Town Center theatres is $6.00 for 

scribed from an AudioFAX system installed 

to cross-sell theatres for Metropolitan 

Theatres in the Palm Springs, Calif 

area (619-322-3456. AudioFAX maintains 

a toll-free demonstration line at 800-356- 

0778): 

"Thank you for calling Metropolitan 

Theatres of the Desert. Now bringing to 

you the best in theatre information. To 

obtain movie and showtime information 

make your selection by entering the 

theatre number at any time on your 

touch-tone phone." A choice of theatres 

with a corresponding number is given to 

the caller. These are to be entered on any 

normal touch-tone phone. 

"For the Courtyard Theatre press 1, for 

adults, etc. To repeat the movie selections 

at this theatre press 1, to select your 

favorite movie at another Metropolitan 

Theatre near you press 2, for any information 

not found on this recording prei 

(for more information you may call 

theatre at 619-323-4466), otherwise 

thank you for calling." 

According to Kilgour, the Showtir 

system offers the theatre operator a nu 

ber of very tangible and significant be 

fits, including increasing potential 

nue by converting potential lost custc 

ers into paying patrons, saving hard c 

dollars by reducing newspaper adver 

ing linage., saving hard cost dollar 

reducing the number of individual te 

phone lines to theatre locations, sav 

telephone information system mair 

nance man-hours, providing concise i 

agement reports and statistical analy 

increasing the quality level of your 

corded information, and ensuring a 

of the art audio information system 

now and for the future. 

"There's a new information a 

preaching, and the theatre-owner has 

ready crossed the biggest hurdle,' 

Kilgour. "He or she has enticed poten 

audience members to dial the phone i 

seek information (inquire about wh< 

playing). Now, it's only a short step 

introduce those patrons to the future c 

more intelligent, and easy to use, inf 

mation system." 

Barbara Vetter is a free-lance 

based in Los Angeles, Calif

LATENT 

(#3,661^7 

imdiui 

rancisti 

of yon 

Innovation. Every manufacturer in our industry claims it. We've 

|demonstrated it. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences 

(verified it. In awarding Kinoton with dn Academy Award 

this year, they said, "(the platter) ...has 

made possible a resurgence in the 

construction of new theaters, providing 

:he motion picture industry with expanded 

/enues for exhibition of new films." 

vVe were innovating 20 years ago when 

ê invented the platter, the technology 

I'hat began projection room automation. 

It reduced show failure rate, improved 

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-rom standard 16/35/70mm 

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Response No 270

Kintek, Inc.: New Innovations 

In Theatre Sound Technology 

TODAY'S 

By Barbara Vetter 

MOVIE-GOING audiences are 

more sophisticated than ever before. 

Filmmakers have gone to increasingly 

farther and more sophisticated 

lengths to satisfy the audience's demands 

for the best in effects, both visual and 

aural, and theatre ovi^ners have upgraded 

their theatres in an effort to present films 

as close as possible to the filmmakers' original 

intent. And yet there's alv/ays room 

for improvement, particularly in the realm 

of sound reproduction, which in the 

last few years has seen a plethora of new 

recording and reproduction processes and 

equipment. Theatre owners should no 

longer doubt the efficacy of upgrading to 

better sound equipment; enough has been 

said within these pages to persuade you 

do just that. But if you have any doubts, 

talk to the people at Kintek, Inc. They'll 

dispel any fears you may have about buying 

and installing a new, and impressive, 

sound system. They've been in the theatrical 

sound market since 1978, and their 

product innovations and expertise show 

for it. 

Kintek was founded by David Blackmer 

and Zaki Abdun-nabi, who had worked 

together in the late 1950s at Epsco, Inc., a 

company involved in digital to analog 

converters and data processing at an early 

stage. When Dolby was founded in the 

mid-1960s, Abdun-nabi and Blackmer, 

both audiophiles, took a look at the 

emerging marketplace and felt that there 

might be a different, more efficient way 

to implement noise reduction in sound 

recording and playback. Realizing the 

enormous potential for improvement in 

this area, they began producing unique 

and advanced audio test meters, as well as 

the circuitrv that was to eventually become 

their innovative Linear Decibel 

Noise Reduction, or decilinear, technique 

(which allows for compression and expansion 

over the entire recording dynamic 

range rather than just a portion of 

the dynamic range, as in competitive systems, 

resulting in greater noise reduction 

for quiet portions and greater head room 

for loud and transient peak portions of the 

material). 

The two men (Blackmer representing 

the technical side and Abdun-nabi possessing 

the necessary business acumen) 

founded dbx, where products using their 

highly effective noise reduction system 

met the needs of the professional and 

semi-professional recording industry, dbx 

grew from just the two founders to over 

300 employees and was quickly acquired 

by sound industry giant BSR, Inc. Blackmer 

and Abdun-nabi stayed on to help 

manage dbx, but soon branched out to 

found Kintek as a separate entity to service 

the motion picture industry. In 1979 

Dan Taylor, vice president of marketing 

and sales, joined the team. 

According to Taylor, the key to Kintek's 

success in the motion picture marketplace 

has been their development of 

innovative products to accurately reproduce 

film soundtracks regardless of their 

format. "For example," Taylor says, "two 

of those innovations are Blackmer's patented 

rms detector and voltage controlled 

amplifier. Distortion in the voltage controlled 

amp is lower than any major competitive 

design. Both products are at the 

heart of Kintek's noise reduction and 

automatic gain control systems for optical 

soundtrack recording and playback systems. 

Kintek's noise reduction system, in 

fact, is a virtual sister to the dbx noise 

reduction adopted by the broadcasting 

industry for the stereo TV (MTS) standard." 

But Kintek is not known only : 

noise reduction systems. The 

branched out to provide a whole gam 

sound equipment for the theatrica 

try, to meet the needs of both large 

small theatres. One very important de 

in the Kintek lineup is their Stereo Ge 

ator, an integral part of the KT-700 st^ 

optical sound processor, which 

mono soundtracks to stereo. "As mar 

seven separate tracks can be generat 

give the movie viewer a complete sp 

sound field," Taylor says. "The dialog 

kept in the center by the generator's 

nitive speech circuitry, which separ 

dialogue from music and effects. In 

the system works so well that the TV 

adcast industry widely uses this Kii 

technology to convert mono progi 

ming to stereo. The KT-700 also 

i 

an SVA processor and noise reduc 

system for accurate reproduction of 

by Stereo encoded sound tracks, maki 

a system that can be used interchan 

bly with standard mono as well i 

encoded films for 100 percent stereo \ 

zation and presentation." 

One of Kintek's latest products is 

KT-2020 Sound System for use in sm; 

theatre auditoriums. It is a biampl 

center/split surround sound systen 

which the center channel uses an ac 

crossover network to bi-amp the ce 

stage speaker to improve dialogue art 

lation and split surround to enhance 1 

right effects. The KT-2020's proce 

contains a stereo preamplifier with b; 

up, dynamic range expander, stereo 

tical decoder, a surround synthesizer, 

tive crossover, and Kintek's own th 

band decilinear noise reduction for st( 

or mono prints. The system can be o 

ated manually or automatically; the 

cessor, for example, can automatic 

detect stereo optical film as it pa 

Zaki Abdun-nabi. President Fully equipped KT700 Processor Dan Taylor, VP Marketing & Sales 

SW-36 

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HOW TO KEEP 

UP YOUR IMAGE. 

Kodak's Manasement by Observation 

(MBO) prosram is givins 

movie theaters a hand in preserving 

a good reputation. The MBO 

seminar helps keep you up on 

the latest procedures and innovations 

within the industry. So 

you can maintain your positive 

image. Just call 213 464-6131. 

And keep your audience 

focused in the right direction. 

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s 

hrough the projector and changes over to 

VA without operator assistance. Kintek 

ilso offers a low cost option to accurately 

lecode the new Dolby SR format. 

At the other end of the extreme is Kinek's 

KT-2700 series deluxe turnkey sysems 

developed for multi-screen theatre 

lomplexes. These systems can accommolate 

any 35mm stereo optical or mono 

jrint and can reproduce up to seven stero 

tracks with the KT-700 stereo sound 

jrocessor. Features include automated 

brmat detection and selection, stereo deoding, 

an extra octave of low-frequency 

nhancement and three-band dynamic 

ange expansion with noise reduction, 

he most advanced of these systems is 

he model KT-2755E, which adds to the 

lasic package a KT-750 SVA processor for 

alid reproduction of Dolby Stereo films 

nd a KT-725 surround extender for three 

hannel stereo surround. Biamplified sysems 

are also available, using the new KT- 

023 bi-amp crossover package. 

Other Kintek products include the Diginate 

series of amplifiers, including the 

110 amplifier (200 watts times two chanlels 

into eight ohms continuous commerservice, 

the amp contains a unique 

rotection circuit— Signalgard— which 

oes not shut down all power in case of a 

nalfunction but appropriates usable powr 

to keep the system going; it also feaures 

a 630 watt transient peak power 

apability) used in the KT-2700 series 

ackages and the 1100 Quad integrated 

our channel amplifier with 80 watts per 

hannel into eight ohms continuous comlercial 

service; amplifier exciter lamp 

supplies; surround speakers, and 

elf-powered subwoofers. 

Kintek recently introduced the KT-780 

lodule for accurate reproduction of the 

ew Dolby SR format with the KT-700 

rocessor. According to Taylor, the new 

lodule is a relatively low cost option that 

ts within the KT-700 processor. This 

ard uses Kintek's own patented circuitry 

D faithfully reproduce the encoded charcteristics 

of Dolby SR. The company is 

Iso offering the SR option on their new 

.T-2020 system for smaller theatres. 

"Kintek has dedicated itself to becomig 

the most advanced design and manuacturing 

company of theatre sound 

quipment," Taylor says. "Our equiplent 

can accommodate all standard 

3rmats: mono, synthesized stereo, Dolby 

tereo, and now Dolby SR, and reproduce 

lem in the most realistic manner. We've 

Iso developed Kintek's own stereo op- 

.cal encoding process, the Kintek Deciliear 

noise reduction, a spinoff from our 

6mm stereo optical project, which is 

ompatible with Dolby A-type yet sounds 

lore like Dolby SR when played back on 

intek processing equipment. A unique 

apability of the process is the use of split 

urrounds for stereo surround reproduc- 

-on. We've even created a new promoonal 

trailer which highlights its capabilies. 

Theatre owners can trust Kintek's 

jngevity and innovation in the marketlace 

to provide present and future prodcts 

to keep their audiences coming back 

Dr more of the best sound reproduction 

Barbara Vetter is a frt 

ised in Los Angeles, Calif. 

March, 1989 SW-39

A Little Cafe Goes A Long Way 

n 

By Kurt J. Connolly 

Proctor Companies 

cappucino, 

H 

frozen yogurt, 

bottled seltzers, cookies, 

pizza; What a great selection!" 

what theatre patrons will say when 

they see the menu items offered at a new 

specialty concession stand in your lobby. 

While popcorn, soda and packaged candy 

remain the backbone of theatre concession 

sales, many theatre operators are 

offering new concession items to appeal 

to patrons who want a larger variety of 

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Response No 107 

items to choose from. These it 

usually presented in a specialty coi 

sion stand, or "cafe." If designed cor 

ly, the cafe can be an exciting and p 

able addition to a theatre lobby, an 

tion that doesn't have to require a 1 

space. 

Proctor Companies has designed 

built cafes for several large theatre cl 

recently, for both new construe 

remodel projects. With the correct de 

attractive displays, and colorful ligl 

the cafes have been real attention ge 

adding excitement and generating 

interest in the lobby. Wally Helton, 

service manager for American Multi 

ema. Inc., says, "In the right locatioi 

cafes have shown an increase of 

cents per person, with no loss fron 

main concession stand." This soi 

"found money" can show a constni 

payback in a year or less. Helton re 

that in certain locations, he tries to h 

wider selection of concession items i 

able to serve an increasingly sop 

cated audience. 

Demographic studies have shown 

as the "baby boom" generation ages 

average theatre audience is getting ( 

Market Cast, Inc., a Needham, Massa 

setts, based market and strategic rest 

firm led by Joseph Helfgot, Ph.D., 

some interesting observations in the 

cently published paper "Aging 

Boomers and Declining Leisure Tii 

Strategic Implications for the Movii 

dustry." They claimed that one of the 

sons approximately only 30 percei 

patrons make a purchase at the coi 

sion stand "may be the absence of at 

five items." It's the remaining 70 pei 

of your patrons to whom a cafe can p 

bly appeal. 

A specialty concession stand cert 

can offer a variety of attractive, profi 

items. The colorful selection, if pro 

displayed, can create a new intere 

concession stand purchasing. The r 

for a small stand can be change 

reflect the audience demand of an 

vidual theatre. Market Cast goes on tt 

"The fast food industry' has disco\ 

that new product introductions are a 

tinuous necessity; and this seems like 

be critical for the movie industry 

well." 

One of the reasons people don't 

chase concession items is that thej 

afraid of missing the beginning of the 

tured movie. The cafe as an addit 

point of purchase can reduce main 

cession stand lines and retrieve son 

those lost sales. As the theatre indi 

becomes more competitive, owners 

to look at such avenues to increase p 

and satisfv changing patron demani 

well. 

In the right location, a cafe can b 

exciting, attractive addition that 

quickly pay for itself Some time ii 

near future, theatre patrons may ( 

your lobbv and ask "Where's 

'cafr? 

SW-40 

BOXOFFKE

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' 

Digital Sound Update II: 

Boxoffice Readers Make a Valuable 

Contribution 

By John F. Allen 

ARTICLE MARKS the beginning of 

THIS my 10th year writing for Boxoffice 

Magazine. May I say that it has been 

my privilege. 

As I have often said in the past, few 

things offer so much potential for motion 

pictures as the introduction of an all digital 

soundtrack. People love pleasant and 

even spectacular sound. Almost since 

their first appearance, the demand for 

compact digital discs has regularly outstripped 

the industry's ability to produce 

them. When we realize that no modem 

audience will sit through a silent film 

without background music, we begin to 

understand just how important sound is 

to any filmed entertainment. Since we are 

in the business of selling film entertainment, 

we should employ every available 

means to perfect the sound that audiences 

hear. 

How well has the industry responded to 

this issue? Not well enough. Once the 

proud leader in High Fidelity, the motion 

picture industry of 1989 still uses analog 

optical soundtracks for 99 percent of all 

film presentations. 

Advances such as Kodak's Stereo Variable 

Area soundtrack and various noise 

reduction systems, particularly Dolby SR, 

have enabled interested exhibitors to at 

least stay in the running while audience's 

ears have become tuned to compact digital 

discs, VHS Hi-Fi and laser video discs. 

While producers have done a relatively 

good job, now releasing some 75 percent 

of their major releases in stereo, some 65 

to 70 percent of the theatres in the US are 

still mono! Optical stereo installations 

have, in general, failed to deliver all the 

sound available to an audience. One need 

only listen to a film on a good home stereo 

system to realize how much is missing in 

all too many theatres. 

Against this background, several things 

are happening At last count, six companies 

from around the world have cither 

officially announced that they were 

working on digital sound for films, or have 

approached me privately to say so. 

In 1986, the Society of Motion Picture 

and Television Engineers (SMPTE) 

formed a study group to look at the subject 

of digital film sound and make appropriate 

suggestions. As part of this effort, 

Boxoffice readers participated in a survey 

which I prepared for the February 

1988 issue. The results of this survey 

proved so enlightening that they became 

a major part of the study group's final 

report presented last October at the 

SMPTE's national convention in New 

York City. 

More than just enlightened, I felt encouraged 

as well. Though only 128 responses 

were received, it was clear they 

were what pollsters call high quality. Approximately 

70 percent came from 

theatre owners and technical directors. I 

have assumed that these responses were 

from people in a position to make equipment 

purchasing decisions. The remaining 

responses came from theatre managers 

and others who have a day-to-day 

contact with moviegoers. 

Both groups' answers to the six survey 

questions were remarkably similar and 

therefore we can consider their responses 

together. 

The Results 

Question 1; Do you agree that digital 

stereo film presentations will inerease ticket 

sales^ An overwhelming 85 percent either 

slightly or strongly agreed. Only about 

four percent disagreed and the rest were 

neutral. One interesting exception was a 

note that all but blamed stereo for a 40- 

year decline in theatre attendance. 

Question 2: How much of an incr 

would you expect> Again, a strong fee 

among those responding: 79 percent 

ticket sales would increase five percei 

more, with 50 percent answering fiv< 

10 percent, 35 percent indicating 10 t( 

percent and 15 percent expecting a 

percent growth or greater. 

Against these expectations we as 

question 3: How much would you real 

cally he willing to spend to equip a si. 

theatre for digital stereo' Sixty-three i 

cent answered $5,000.00 or more. How 

er, 37 percent answered $3,000.00 

$5,000.00. Such a small amount will v 

likely not be enough, especially 

theatre's speakers and amplifiers ai 

adequate. This is a curious response 

some of the respondents had to be 

] 

those anticipating an increase in tic 

sales of five percent or more. 

Question 4: If digital movies would 

quire theatres to replace current speai 

and amplifiers, how willing would you b 

replace them' Thirty-eight percent 

sponded "very v\alling." Forty-four j 

cent indicated "only in top theatres." 

rest were neutral or unwilling. Again, 

would indicate a strong belief in 

potential for digital stereo. 

Technical Questions 

We asked two slightly 

technical qi 

tions. Question 5: How many chanr. 

including surrounds, should films he 

Twenty-two percent said four chann 

18 percent said five, 33 percent said 

and the rest said eight. Since we curtei 

have only four channels of stereo in rr 

theatres, the majority of those respond 

are clearly saying that this is not enou 

Question 6: How many surround ch 

nels should there be' Only eight perc 

said one surtoimd channel, such as 

curtently have. Forty-five percent ir 

cated two and the rest were evenly s 

between three and four channels 

I must confess this was a bit of a ti 

question. With only three surtound 

walls available (left, rear and right), ; 

with the difficulties encountered mix 

multiple surround channels, it's hard 

imagine four surround channels H( 

ever, what we did see was a substan 

desire for more than a single surtoi 

SW-42 

BOXOKUCE

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Each of these components and systems 

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In short, with Kintek Stereo you have a 

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turn-key sound system for any theatre, whatever 

its size. If that's what you've been looking 

for, just write for the full Kintek story. 

Center/ Surround Systems. Built 

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playbacl< of either Dolby 

Stereo films or mono soundtracl

, 

channel. Indeed, one response indicated a 

total of five channels with four surrounds. 

This wouldn't even be stereo, but would 

ily be surrounding. 

The Report 

In the study group's final report there 

was a general consensus on several issues. 

The group felt that digital movies 

should only be introduced if they can 

offer a sound quality superior to what we 

have now. Digital ought to be used to genuinely 

improve motion pictures, not just 

to help sell them. 

In considering the number of channels 

employed, we should briefly review current 

practice. The two largest sound 

formats currently available are the 70mm 

discrete six track, and 70mm Dolby Stereo 

with split surrounds. Both are rarely used. 

The original, and now almost forgotten, 

straight 70mm six track format uses five 

full range speakers behind the screen 

plus one surround channel. Typically today's 

70mm releases use the so-called 

"baby boom" format with three full range 

speakers and one bass channel behind the 

screen plus one surround channel. In the 

last 10 years, only about half a dozen 

70mm releases have used the Dolby split 

surround format. In this format, the surrounds 

are stereo only in the treble frequencies. 

The bass remains mono. 

The committee's recommendation was 

that digital films should have no less than 

three full range screen channels, one bass 

channel and two completely discrete surround 

channels. This represents a slight 

: 

improvement over the largest current 

Dolby 70mm format. But making such a 

format available for all 35mm prints in 

pure digital form would indeed be a significant 

improvement. 

Of the two major systems developed to 

store digital sound on film, both Peter 

Custer's Fluorescent Sound system and 

Kodak's optical digital system are said to 

handle sufficient data for the format suggested 

by the study group. In fact, Custer's 

system has a total of eight redundant 

channels. Kodak's system is generally 

thought to be best configured as a 5.01 

channel system, with five full range 

channels and one bass channel. The 

amount of digital information needed for 

a bass only channel is about .01 of that 

required for a full range channel; hence 

the 5.01 designation. 

Other committee recommendations 

called for a digital system with a bandwidth, 

or frequency range, of 20 to 20,000 

Hertz for all but the bass channel and a 

dynamic range of around 100 dB. 

Will The Audience Hear 

The DifiFerence? 

This often asked question is a good one. 

The answer is an unqualified maybe. Unless 

theatre owners plan now for a digital 

future and install speaker systems and 

amplifiers powerful enough to deliver the 

dynamic range yet articulate enough to 

reproduce all the nuances, in my opinion 

digital stereo will be about as appreciated 

as Dolby SR is today. In other words, the 

available improvement in sound quality 

will be significant but, in general, im 

this quality will be lost in the the ,1 1 1 1 n 

recent case, a team from a film < mi ^ 

heard one of their Dolby SR relea.sc; 

true digital ready sound system and j 

on another (trand new) system verv 

cal of today's installations. The a] 

ences were so great that they coni|il,i 

to the management that the ss) 

theatre was not playing their film m 

turns out that both theatres wen 

ped with Dolby SR, but the tru. 

ready sound system really showc 

film's soundtrack. 

In order to take full advantage of 

present and future film sound tech 

gies, the theatre industry must redt 

its efforts to understand these tech 

gies better than is now the case. \ 

discrete digital stereo becomes aval 

for every feature, mixers, producers 

directors will surely leam to take ac 

tage of these tools to make better 1 

Their knowledge will grow. T 

charged with presenting these 

should do no less. 

The SMPTE has asked me to expre 

sincere thanks to the readers of 

OFFICE for taking the time to provide 

valuable insight. Thanks also g 

Messsrs. Bob Dietmeier and Harley 

of BoxoFFlCE for their kind cooperatic 

supporting and publishing the survey 

© Copynght 1989 ]ohn F Allen All r 

rescved 

John F Allen is a sound c.onsidrant 

distributor of the HPS-4000"' theatre s. 

system 

' 

1^ J d 

'=

SOUND ADVICE 

The Optical Sound Head 

A Maintenance Program 

I 

rHERE 

By Clyde Mc Kinney 

HAVE BEEN many changes in 

motion picture sound systems since 

the optical sound head was introiced 

to the industry. Most of the 

anges over the last 20 years have been 

wespi* amplifiers, speaker systems, and low 

iJeis of 'el formatting electronics. Consequentthe 

emphasis on maintenance has 

en on this new technology. The sound 

ads sold today have not had fundamendesign 

changes made to them for some 

years. Advances in component design 

d in manufacturing technique have 

gated durable, and reliable sound reprocers. 

The fact that the sound heads are 

bullet proof, combined with the explom 

of large multiplex theatre facilities, 

s lead to a relaxing of routine maintence. 

This practice leads to sound qualiproblems, 

and a shortened equipment 

er each showing of a print. After cleanthe 

gate assembly and film path of the 

Djection head, the sound head's film 

th, except for the sound lens and cell 

;embly area, should be inspected for 

t and cleaned. A small paint, or tooth 

ish, that does not shed it's bristles, is a 

jd tool to clean the film path, 

rhe area of the sound lens and cell 

lembly should be visually inspected usflashlight 

to determine if there is 

n residue or dirt adhering to the lens or 

cell assembly. If residue is found it 

)uld be removed using a Q-tip. Wet the 

tip with some isopropyl alcohol and 

ig it out on a clean towel, by twisting 

head of the Q-tip in the direction the 

3rs were wound. This tightens the tip 

1 reduces the possibility of distributing 

from the Q.-tip as you clean. Wipe 

a single motion across the lens turning 

; tip as you move to remove the dirt, 

f the cell assembly is a stereo cell, it is 

y fragile and should only be cleaned if 

:essary. Damage to the cell can put you 

the air until a new cell can be 

tailed. Maintenance is intended to be 

istructive, not destructive, so when in 

ibt, 

defer to a more experienced projectionist. 

To clean the cell assembly, 

again use a Q-tip as above, but this time 

only, clean where the slit of light falls on 

the cell, near the top. Place the Q-tip on 

the cell at it's mid point and gently move 

upward. Repeat the procedure until the 

residue is removed. Do not touch the 

wires at the base of the cell. If the sound 

head is equipped with a mono cell, it is 

better protected, and it is easier to clean. 

Do not neglect the film drum. Most 

sound head designs have the base side of 

the film in contact with the dnmi Clean 

the dmm with a soft, lintless cloth wetted 

with isopropyl alcohol. Make sure it is diy 

prior to threading the print. 

When threading the print, check to see 

that the keepers, motion damping arms, 

and rollers seat and move properly. If 

there is a problem discovered here, a field 

engineer should be called. Do not run a 

projector that can not be threaded and 

run normally. 

Once each day go into the theatre and 

listen to the sound quality and level. Note 

There are four levels of maintenance 

at should be done. The first three are 

3 responsibility of the projection staff; any changes, and make appropriate adjustments, 

or call the field engineer for 

; fourth should only be done by a trainfield 

engineer, with the proper tools, help. 

d test equipment. 

Failure to catch problems at this level 

The first level of maintenance is that of maintenance can result in damage to 

ich is performed by the projectionist the print or the projector, and poor presentation. 

The second level of maintenance is 

performed at the start of each day of projection. 

The projector should be started and run 

for five minutes without the projection 

lamp on or film threaded. This distributes 

the lubricants throughout the mechanism. 

Never leave a projector threaded 

overnight, and start it cold under that 

stalled load the next day. It is very hard 

on the internal drive train. This practice, 

though widely used, accelerates the wear 

process, and leads to early failure of the 

drive train and intermittent assembly of 

the projector. 

After the warm up procedure check the 

oil levels and the belt tensions and condition. 

Thread up a tone level set loop and 

check the set level. Adjust the pre-amp 

level if needed. Perform the checks outlined 

above, and thread up for the first 

show. 

Level three maintenance occurs each 

week. Perform level two maintenance, 

and then open the exciter lamp access 

door and check the lamp condition. If it 

has a silvery crystalline look to it, or if the 

envelope has a smudgy black cast, change 

the lamp. Refer to the manual for replacement 

instructions specific to the 

sound head. 

It is important to correctly align the 

lamp after it has been changed. The 

sound head converts light intensity to 

sound level. If the light is not uniform or 

at too low a level, dynamic range will be 

affected. If the rectangle of light that is 

projected on the sound track is bent, the 

phase between the channels will be affected. 

A quick way to see if the lamp is 

properly aligned relative to the slit lens is 

to place a piece of thin bond paper on the 

exiting element of the slit lens assembly. 

The light pattern should be a well defined, 

evenly lit rectangle with straight 

edges. 

If the top and bottom are curved, 

the lamp is too high or low with respect to 

the entrance element of the lens. 

top and bottom curve up, the lamp is 

If the 

too 

low. If the light seems to fall off in level to 

one side, the lamp is displaced laterally 

and should be moved in or out to even the 

light intensity across the pattern. Improper 

level or a bent projected slit of light 

compromise the stereo separation, and 

dynamic range of the sound track. Perform 

level one maintenance and thread 

up for the first show. 

Level four should be performed four 

times per year, but is often only performed 

once or twice per year. This maintenance 

level is performed by the field 

engineer, and will test the performance, 

as well as the condition of the sound head, 

and pre-amp system. 

To check the condition of the sound 

head: 

• Back lash in the gear set, condition of 

any belts, the condition of the motor, and 

bearings are checked. 

• The sprockets should be checked for 

worn or hooked teeth. 

• The level and condition of the oil is 

examined. 

• The surface condition of the film dn-ini, 

it's bearing set and stabilizer, are 

checked. 

• The condition of the pad roller, or other 

film tensioning device, is checked. 

• The condition of the flutter filter and its 

oil level is examined. 

• The condition of the exciter lamp, slit 

lens, and cell assembly are checked. 

• Finally the general physical condition of 

the sound head casting and door should be 

examined. 

(continued) 

March, 1989 SW-45

— 

THE MOVING IMAGE 

Better Screen Image Quality 

Need Not Be Avant-Garde 

By Glenn Berggren 

BETWEEN THE Kinetoscope of 1898 

INand Showscan of 1989, there are 

hundreds of exciting film systems that 

have been tried and forgotten, and parts 

of others which have gone into vi^hat we 

have as a "standard" today (and unHmited 

types not yet tested). 

With the electronics (video) industry 

internationally "breathing down our 

necks," there is need to review the exciting 

possibilities of the panorama of film 

projection to an assembled audience. 

There is no question that the electronics 

industry is not really interested in the 

future of theatre exhibition; it is only 

interested in selling new, patented electronics 

equipment in the hope that our 

industry will "junk" the film system. For 

little screens, video electronics have 

much to offer; but for medium and large 

screens (25 feet to 60 feet), the concepts 

are astronomical in cost and disappointing 

in screen image quality. There is some 

thought that the electronics (video) industry 

was going to ride the wave of the 

trend toward smaller auditoriums with 

smaller screens, and step in with their 

ideas; but with the trend toward larger 

auditoriums, with even larger screens (in 

proportion), they seem to have turned 

their interests toward replacing film in 

the Hollywood camera; and toward High 

Definition TV for the home and club. Fortunately, 

we may be happily stuck with 

film for at least the next generation in 

movie theatres. 

The possibilities for film use have never 

been fully explored, and there are open 

roads for development in every direction. 

For instance, FuturVision (New York) has 

recently made its new home in a modem 

uptown theatre, with a huge screen, a 1 .4 

aspect ratio, and 30 frames/second— it's 

sharp, crisp, bright and breathtaking. 

(Wait until you see the sky-diving sequence 

they have.) FuturVision uses 

70mm film, 65mm camera work, 30 

frames, and a special and unique lens to 

create the awesome final effect. If you 

are sitting in the front row, you might 

need a seat belt, and still have to hold 

on! 

Showscan Film Corp. continues to expand 

its activities, with announced plans 

for a full-length feature film, plus numerous 

installations (and plans for more) of 

everything from information and orientation 

centers in many countries to theme 

park thrill rides involving the Showscan 

process. Showscan uses 70mm film, 

65mm camera work, 60 frames/second 

and special projectors, lenses, and large 

lamphouses. It is normally huge in appearance, 

with a 2.2 aspect ratio, very 

bright (like real life), and with rapid 

motion control in the film system that is 

unmatched by any other system— the 

strobing and camerapan problems seem 

to disappear— a Showscan exclusive. 

They now have a library of films, from 

"New Magic" to their films for the Vancouver 

World's Fair, the Japan World's 

Fair, the New Zealand project, and for 

Australia, France, etc—a growing affair. 

There are many rumors of new developments: 

of circular theatres with screens 

all around; of new formats for 70mm film, 

and new 3-D projects (mainly for theme 

parks). 

And for the 22,000 screens we have for 

daily use, we still have 35mm, in widescreen, 

mostly color, using formats and 

lens concepts from 25 or more years ago! 

There are two continuing desires in 

film-making-land: one, that some major 

film might be made in 65mm negative, 

which would vastly improve reality-detail 

in the final release prints; and second, 

that 30 frames/second be used as a film 

speed. The latter is interesting for many 

reasons. First, with 30 frames/second, the 

flicker problem is gone! With that gone, 

then twice the light can be used, which 

radically changes the quality of the 

screen image— colors are then fully saturated 

and look like the real thing, plus all 

details have much greater contrast of 

black vs. white, (which means that they 

are easier to see!). How many times have 

you looked at a magazine photo, and you 

naturally move toward a window or light 

so that you can see it easier. The picture 

did not change, but when you double or 

triple the light, then suddenly the fine 

details and colors jump out at you. There 

were tests conducted in Hollywood last 

year to determine the effect of more light, 

comparing that to normal projection 

lighting. However, the experimenters 

used a higher density film in their tests, 

which negated the benefits of more light 

ing! Naturally, the experimenters "con 

eluded" that the difference was not im 

portant. The idea of moving a magazine 

photo toward more light is to see the same 

picture with more light. In other words, 

you need not change the film density, you 

must add more light, and then the image 

quality is boosted. That "test" 

however, has probably slowed or stoj 

the whole idea of 30 frames/second 

the other hand, when FuturVisioi 

Showscan use 30 or 60 frames/sec 

they apparently do not increase the 

sity, but gain higher picture quality 

more light. 

Other ideas have come along for 

Movies Within the past two and one 

years, the introduction of the ISCO L 

Star"* lenses for 35mm projection 

again boosted screen image quality t 

heights Even some studios are cha 

to this lens to be sure that the final 

print is of the right quality 

words, they want to see their prints u 

the same or better conditions i 

occur in any of 22,000 theatre audi 

ums There is some hope that film qu 

is improving. 

During the past two and one-half y 

there have been new camera films i: 

duced by Kodak, with extra-fine T-C 

structure, and it seems that the ei 

"grainy prints" may be over. Of 

the "grainy" appearance is 

not the 

release print, but it comes from ea 

print masters, or probably the selectic 

grainy film negatives in the camera 

less they left it out in the sun bet\ 

location shots). 

Further changes have occurred inj 

vie theatres, where curved screens! 

becoming more popular, now that p( 

sion computer generated screen cu 

(precisely matched to the auditoriumi 

seating plan) are available. It does 

take special lenses, and the light re 

tion (with common short focal lense 

far better than with a flat screen of 

same gain factor. 

In addition to the usual curved sc 

(single curve), there has been the d< 

opment of the Torus compound cu 

screen, which is curved left-to-right, 

also top-to-bottom, for bright clear 

ners, top edge and bottom edge fror 

seats. 

There are now 60 plus such screet 

daily use, plus a full semi-circle c 

pound curved screen for pilot/driver s 

ty training. 

So where are we, at the beginnin 

1989? Simply that a whole industry is 

ily changing, upgrading, improving 

growing. The major events in Hollyv 

seem to be more special effects 

improved T-Grain films; and we w 

(amtin 

SW-46 

BOXOKKKF.

: focus, 

Azusa, 

— 

Kinney 

leck the performance of the sound 

-BT buzz track fihn is used to check 

jcation of the film, relative to the slit 

3 location of the cell assembly is 

TECH NOTES 

Sound System Equalization 

By Todd Rockwell 

Marketing Specialist 

Mark IV Cinema Systems 

THROUGH 

THE YEARS the function of 

the equaHzer and its proper use have 

changed significantly, as have the 

tools and methods for its use. With a basic 

understanding of the tools used to equalize 

a sound system, their limitations and 

their proper use, the theatre technician 

can make the judgements necessary to 

equalize a system to its full potential. 

When improperly used an equalizer can 

have catastrophic effects, making even 

the best theatres and equipment sound 

bad. However, when used properly the 

equalizer can deliver phenomenal results. 

The history of sound system equalization 

is relatively short, with its earliest 

cinema use only some 14 years ago. In 

this short period of time equalizers have 

been used in a variety of ways and for a 

variety of purposes in motion picture cinemas. 

Some of these uses were performed 

out of necessity and some were performed 

out of ignorance. In the early 

years of equalization, totally horn loaded 

systems with less than perfect transducers 

were the norm. For these systems the 

equalizer played the important role of 

smoothing out the loudspeaker's jagged 

frequency response. In addition to loudspeaker 

inadquacies, room acoustics of 

that time were quite poor. Little was 

known about room acoustics and what 

was known was not put into practice regularly 

in cinemas. Therefore, equalizers 

were called upon to improve both the 

inadequacy of the speakers and the room 

to make a rough system's (room + loudspeakers) 

frequency response less rough 

and more intelligible. 

Today, loudspeakers are available 

which provide both flat frequency response 

and even coverage of the audience 

area. Also, more is known about room 

acoustics and this new knowledge is being 

applied in the majority of new theatres 

and theatre upgrades. With these developments 

in cinema audio the function of 

the equalizer has changed. Today the 

equalizer can be used as a much more 

precise tool, tuning a system to a specific 

curve with deviations of less than 3 dB 

across the entire seating area. This insures 

that the entire audience hears the 

movie as it was meant to be heard. 

A properly equalized system is not 

accomplished easily An involved testing 

and tuning procedure must be followed to 

obtain maximum performance from current 

cinema audio systems. A system is 

only as good as its weakest link. No equalizer 

in the world can make up for deficiencies 

in loudspeakers, installation 

and/or room design. These factors must 

be considered long before the equalizer is 

ever used. 

Equalization can be accomplished in 

many ways with many different pieces of 

equipment The most common in the cinema 

industry is through the use of pink 

noise and a real time analyzer (RTA). As 

with all the various methods of equalization, 

this method has its limitations. To 

properly equalize a system you must 

know your equipment, the principles on 

which they work and their limitations. 

Pink noise is an important, but seldom 

understood, tool in cinema sound system 

equalization Pink noise is random noise 

with equal energy per 1/3 octave when 

averaged over time. Pink noise is never 

flat at any instant in time, it is only flat 

when averaged over time. With this in 

mind, we have to take an appropriate 

average over time to êt an accurate reading. 

This can be graphically seen when 

the pink noise source is connected directly 

to an RTA. 

Most high quality RTA's have three or 

more averaging times, typically labeled 

"fast", "medium" and "slow". When you 

measure pink noise in the fast setting you 

can see random peaks on the RTA. It is 

almost impossible to read a level in any 

1/3 octave band. When you switch to the 

"medium" setting, the randomness begins 

to slow down and you can almost visualize 

that the noise could be flat. In the "slow" 

response position, you can clearly see 

that the pink noise is truly flat when averaged 

over time. You may see fluctuations 

in the lower frequencies, but these sht 

be less than 1 dB when a high quality I 

and pink noise source are in use. 

Typical pink noise has random peak 

random frequencies. The ratio of the p 

to the average is called crest factor I 

noise is designed with a crest facto 

simulate the peaks that are coi 

found in program material, in a statisti 

ly predictable manner. A good pink n 

unit has a crest factor of four, meat 

there are peaks four times (6 dB) gre, 

than the average. Average program m 

rial also has a crest factor of four Thi 

fore, pink noise not only tests sys 

quency response, but also dynamic rai 

In short, pink noise approximat 

gram material in a predictable way. Si 

it is similar to the random program m 

rial and predictable, we can use it to ] 

diet a system's performance when j 

gram material is used. 

BRINGS us to the real time ana 

THIS 

er and its proper use. First off 

real time analyzers are not ere; 

equally. Several parameters dete 

real titne analyzer's degree of accur 

including filter type, relative filter 

ness, response modes, averaging tii 

noise floor, full scale range, microph 

range, frequency response and dyna 

range. To avoid being accused of wri 

an RTA buyer's guide, I will only men. 

a few key specifications and their sid 

cance. 

The first of these, the type of fi 

describes the filters that divide the i 

lyzer's input into 1/3 octave bands. 

I 

viously they must be flat and narro\| 

avoid coloring the source's response.! 

ters are rated by ANSI (American Nat| 

al Standards Institute); the higher 

class, the better the filter. 

Noise floor is another important paT] 

eter. It is determined by both the an^ 

er's electronics and the microphone bi 

used. This parameter is especially imi 

tant when measuring NC levels of b; 

ground noise or HVAC noise. For ex 

pie, to accurately measure an NC of 

the lowest SPL measured will need t( 

21 dB or below at 8kHz. If the noise f 

of your equipment is above 21 dB, 

would not be able to accurately mea; 

an NC 25. The noise floor of the RTA 

microphone must be considered when 

uring the system noise floor. 

The microphone is probably one of 

most important and least understood 

SW-4« 

BOXOHKK

econditioned 

I 

, 

Three 

' 

I 

jters of the RTA system. The microle 

is 

the single largest contributor to 

curate RTA reading, and therefore 

-operly equalized theatres. For equalim 

purposes a microphone with pery 

flat on- and ofiF-axis frequency 

Dnse is ideal. Unfortunately, no mihone 

exhibits these perfect charactics. 

Every microphone has some 

uation in frequency response and 

than perfect oflf-axis frequency rese. 

The key is to pick the best microle 

you can aflFord, be aware of its limins 

and work with them. For in- 

:e, if the high frequency response of 

microphone rolls off at 6 dB per 

/e above 8kHz. You shouldn't equalle 

system flat to 20 KHz. on the RTA 

that would give you a real world 

" 

lency response that increased at 6 dB 

ive above 8kHz. Instead, you folhe 

roll-off" of the microphone on the 

screen and achieve flat frequency 

)nse in the room. 

e microphone itself is not the only 

ophone-related parameter to considcrophone 

placement is another key 

icurate system equalization. In the 

it has been recommended that the 

ophone be placed 2/3 of the way 

the theatre and slightly off" center, 

places the microphone in the diffuse 

d field with nearly equal sound ener- 

.'ing from the loudspeaker and 

ombining to form the frequency 

mse at that point. This is the best 

ion if only one microphone is being 

however, one microphone position 

)t give an accurate representation of 

the system's total response. 

To get an accurate representation of 

the systems' response, samples must be 

taken at several locations in the room and 

averaged together. The exact number of 

positions for a given area can be figured 

statistically with a given degree of accuracy. 

To make things simpler, the International 

Standards Organization (ISOJ has 

performed all the statistical calculations 

A properly installed and 

equalized modern sound 

system will sound 

noticeably better to the 

audience. Customers 

will come back to a 

superior sounding 

theatre; make sure they 

come back to yours. 

and written the ISO 2969 standard. ISO 

2969 states that five positions should be 

averaged when performing octave band 

measurements and nine positions when 

performing 1/3 octave measurements. 

Few people have the time or patience to 

hand average nine 1/3 octave band measurements 

to find out the actual frequency 

response of their system. Modem technology 

has a solution to this problem: 

microphone multiplexing. 

The microphone multiplexer averages 

together three or four microphones and 

outputs a single averaged signal to the 

real time equalizer. With this method only 

two or three measurements have to be 

averaged to come up with the system's 

true frequency response. 

WITH 

THE IN.STRUMENTATION basics 

mentioned above, a theatre technician 

should feel more comfortable 

with his equipment and how it works. 

However, there is more to performing a 

good equalization job than knowing your 

equipment. As system accuracy increases, 

new problems and procedures for 

finding those problem are developed. The 

following procedures will help prevent 

the equalizer from being used to try to 

solve problems it can not solve. 

One of the most important steps in 

equalizing a system for maximum performance 

is performed before the equalizer 

is ever touched. The system should 

be checked, before it is equalized, for 

mechanical rattles and buzzes. This is 

best accomplished with a sine wave generator 

and an assistant sitting in the 

theatre. The system should be swept 

through its operating range at a high level. 

The assistant should listen for rattling 

light fixtures, HVAC ducts, loose speaker 

hardware or defective loudspeakers. Any 

rattling or buzzing heard during this test 

will show up on your real time analyzer in 

later tests and if severe enough will affect 

your final equalization. Even if the rattle 

does not affect vour test results, they are 

I/^ equipmenc companu 

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6750 NORTHEAST 4th COURT/MIAMI, FLORIDA 33138 U S.A./PHONE: (305)756-0699/TELEX: 52207 , 

(#(H 

March, 1989 SW-49

621 

Sound 

Equalization c 

very annoying to the audience and usually 

get worse with age. 

The next step in system equalization is 

to connect pink noise to the system. Listen 

to the system for harshness or distortion 

before any equalization is performed. 

Harshness or distortion are symptoms of 

an improperly installed, designed or manufactured 

component. If something 

sounds wrong, perform the test on another 

similar speaker in the same room and 

try to diagnose and repair the problem 

before continuing. After doing this a few 

times, you will learn how a particular 

manufacturer's speaker system is supposed 

to sound before equalization and 

you will be able to pick up on any problems 

right away. You can not make a 

defective component (speaker) sound 

look flat 

good; however, you can make it 

on an RTA with an equalizer. Now, the 

system equalization can actually begin. 

When using a multiplexer, one multiplexed 

microphone average is usually 

used to equalize the system flat, then the 

microphones are moved a seat or two 

from their original position. A new measurement 

is taken and the system is fine 

tuned to 1 '2 the variation seen on the 

RTA at the second position; thus you have 

averaged the two multiplexed microphone 

positions. If there is a lot of variation 

from the first measurement to the 

second measurement, a third measurement 

should be taken for accuracy. Care 

should be taken when choosing microphone 

positions. No microphone should 

be closer than 5 feet from any wall and no 

closer than 16 feet from the speaker being 

measured. The actual procedure and 

specifications for system equalization are 

covered in ISO 2969. 

In ISO 2969, ISO has taken all the 

acoustics theory, mathematics and statistics 

in account to produce a simple and 

comprehensive procedure for proper cinema 

sound system equalization. ISO 2969 

expands on many of the points listed in 

this article and combines them into a 

detailed procedure for proper system 

equalization This document should be 

part of any theatre technician's library. If 

you do not have a copy, it can be obtained 

by writing to: 

Amerian National Standards Institute, Inc. 

1430 Broadway 

New York, New York 10018 

To 

GET MAXIMUM performance from 

state-of-the-art loudspeakers, proper 

equalization is only a beginning. 

Several other audio parameters can now 

be practically measured in the theatre 

environment to give us a better idea of 

system performance. Among these are 

room reverberation time, loudsp^ 

source alignment, room background i 

and transmission loss (cross talk) 

tween auditoriums. Remember, 

measurements, along with real ti 

ysis with pink noise, are only mea 

ments used to approximate human 1 

ing. The final test tool is the ear. 

The final step in properly equali 

room should always be a listenm 

with a familiar piece of film such 

Dolby "Listen" or "Jiffy" test films 

time, you will become familiar with 

these films are supposed to sound an( 

will be able to make the final equ; 

adjustments by ear. Remember, 

and popcorn have never been sold 

real time analyzer. Make sure the sy 

sounds good with your ears before 

declare the job complete. 

A properly installed and equa 

modem sound system will sound not 

bly better to the audience. A large 

ment has already been made on 

equipment; there is no reason n< 

spend a few extra moments to get the 

possible performance from that in 

ment. Audiences are becoming incr 

ly more aware of sound. Patrons are 

ing to use sound quality as a measurq 

cinema's quality. Customers will 

back to a superior sounding theatre; 

sure they come back to yours. 

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(415) 595-549( 

Hebponbe No \2b 

SW-50 

BOXOKHCE

Does the quality of 

our sound leave them cold? 

1 

^- 

There's nothing worse than sitting 

ugh a great movie played through a 

tandard sound system. That translates 

D lost revenue for you when dissatisfied 

tomers spend their money elsewhere. 

Welcome to Mark IV Cinema Systems. 

Mark IV offers THX® Sound Systemproved 

equipment in every category—from 

Give us a call. Mark IV has the perfect solution, 

no matter what your size. One that's userfriendly, 

easy to install, and always reliable. 

It's a fact . . . Audiences will not only 

remember having seen a great movie— they'll 

remember where they heard it. And they'll look 

forward to attending a repeat performance. 

ounds to behind-the-screen systems to 

woofers to amplifiers. 

We also offer easy to assemble hom-mount- 

; kits, and a dedicated crossover developed 

jcifically for theatre sound application. 

Ask your contemporaries. Or listen for 

irself. At Disney Studios in Burbank, the 

n Mateo Academy, Chestnut Hills Cinema in 

ston, or the California Club in Hollywood, 

)rida—just to name a few. 

MARK IV 

CINEMA 

SYSTEMS 

THX is a registered trademark of Lucasfilm Ltd. 

Response 

No, 129

what does Pepsi give you that 

the other guys dorft? 

Single Souiioe 

Solutions. 

The simplest way to solve 

a problem at your theatre concession 

stands is to call one source 

for assistance. Your Pepsi-Cola 

bottler knows this. But tlie otlier 

guys? Call them and you may be 

playing tlic numbers game. They 

could have one phone number 

for sales, one lor marketing 

assistance, and still anoUier for 

service. And downtime waiting 

for a response can lead to lost 

sales and unhappy customers. 

Witli Pepsi, you call one 

direct line to your local Pepsi 

bottler tor fountain sales, service 

and marketing. You will get quick 

response from a soft drink 

specialist, who knows tliat his 

success depends on your success. 

So if you want solutions 

from a single source. . .The 

Fountain Choice is Pepsi. 

EÊPSll; 

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SkubRhSE

TECH TUTORIAL 

Showmanship in 

Presentation 

What Every Manager /Operator 

and Projectionist 

Should Know About Projection 

directors, and—especially, as this is a 

visual medium— the work of the camera 

crew, from the film loader to the director 

of photography (cinematographer), will 

be for naught if the projectionist is not 

properly doing his or her job. All the beautiful 

images that have been put on film 

will be wasted if they are not properly 

presented. 

The Hollywood Professional View 

Unfortunately, many of today's filmmakers 

cringe when they hear horrorstories 

about the presentation of their 

product (it is not coincidental that large 

II ^ 

film production companies not only bring 

R: 

By Clarke Keller 

found through sad experience that in 

many cities and towns they cannot depend 

on local theatres to be able to 

Introduction 

I "screen" their "dailies" or "rushes" (previous 

day's footage shot and processed) 

THE AIM of a motion picture producer, with well-installed or well-maintained 

IFdirector and cinematographer is to film and properly adjusted equipment. (There 

"beautiful pictures" that will enhance are of course exceptions.) A production 

and help tell a story, then the aim of a 

conscientious theatre manager and projectionist 

crew cannot determine if a shot is "bad" 

or "overexposed" or "underexposed" or 

should be to present those "pic- 

"misframed" if they cannot see their 

tures" in the way intended by the filmmakers. 

work properly projected! 

Many years ago the motion pic- 

Many filmmakers are apprehensive 

ture industry had a slogan, "Movies Are about how their films are projected outside 

of major cities. They fear that local 

Better Than Ever," aimed at the lost 

audience sitting at home with the thennew 

film reviewers might see their film under 

wonder, television. Well, today mov- 

improper presentation conditions and 

ies really are better than ever— IF THEY then review the film as being "dim," 

ARE PROPERLY PRESENTED! Now that "dark," "jumpy" or, worse yet, "filmed 

a television set is in every home, and in 

some cases in every room, there is a lost 

out of focus." By their own admission, 

technicians in the Hollywood community 

audience out there that can only be have been spoiled by seeing their work 

regained by good films presented in wellmaintained 

theatres and properly shown 

presented under ideal projection conditions, 

either in studio screening rooms or 

by a caring staff. 

in well-equipped high-tech Hollywoodarea 

theatres (of the 12 "screens" on Hol- 

The theatre projectionist— or more 

likely today the manager/operator— is lywood Blvd. between Vine and Orange 

the last link in the chain of the motion Drive in Hollywood, eight have 70mm 

picture production. All the work that has capability and the rest all have the most 

gone before, from that of the writers to 

the actors, from the producers to the 

I their own projectors on shooting location 

when they leave Hollywood, in many 

cases they bring along a studio projectionist 

to operate them). The studios have 

modem of 35mm equipment). 

With a little interest and "tender loving 

care," every theatre can present well projected 

films. It does not require all new 

equipment, or even 70mm capability. 

There are many, many theatres which 

present bright, sharp, steady pictures 

with equipment built in the 1940s and 

1950s. Of course, it takes interested people 

to do this 

Current theatrical projection 

technique—and problems 

Some of the information in this article 

will seem like "old hat" to older or experienced 

projectionists and manager/operators. 

But it will be repeated for the sake of 

the younger people now responsible 

for 

projection equipment and presentation 

quality. If some of these suggestions and 

guidelines seem out-of-date, please be 

aware that you cannot do a good job today 

if you don't know some of the history and 

technique that came before you! 

Most modem theatres have only two 

sets of lenses and aperture plates for their 

35mm projectors: Anamorphic (usually 

called "Scope," after the first popular 

anamorphic process, CinemaScope, introduced 

by Fox in 1953), and spherical 

wide-screen (usually called "flat," i.e. 

"non-scope"). The standard cinematography 

and projection aspect ratio for anamorphic 

films today is 2.35/1 (sometimes 

stated as 2.35:1 or 2.35-to-l, which means 

the picture width on the screen is 2.35 

times the picture height), and in the 

United States and several other countries 

the standard spherical projection aspect 

ratio is 1.85/1. Usually a projectionist can 

'figure out' that if a print is anamorphic 

(that is to say, 'everyone is squeezed 

together and looks thin') it will be projected 

with the "Scope" lens and "Scope" 

aperture plate in position, and the screen 

masking (if the theatre has a movable 

masking, which it should for a good looking 

presentation, with no "unused" 

screen area visible to the audience) set 

for the 2.35/1 position. 

However, it is in the projection of "flat" 

films that many newer projectionists get 

confused. In the early days of "wide 

screen, flat" films there was usually a 

very wide black frame line visible on the 

film, and this wide frame line "forced" 

the projectionist into making sure these 

films were "in frame." Depending on 

where the film was produced or where 

the prints were made, this very wide 

frame line on the film masked the picture 

area down to either an aspect ratio of 

1.66/1 or 1.85/1. Most of Europe and 

much of the rest of the world have selected 

the 1.66/1 aspect ratio as a standard, 

and many larger, older or very well 

equipped theatres will also have another 

set of lenses and aperture plates for the 

presentation of films from countries that 

favor 1.66/1. British films, or even American-financed 

films that are made in Britain, 

can be in either the 1.85/1 or 1.66/1 

aspect ratios. Theatres that regularly 

show foreign-language films that are sub- 

March, 1989 89

titled should definitely be equipped to 

show films properly in the 1.66- 1 aspect, 

if for no other reason than to allow proper 

viewing of subtitles without having to cut 

tionist cannot tell by viewing the film in 

your hand or on the make-up table what 

the proper or suggested aspect ratio is. 

This is because even "flat" films are 

2. Project with 1.66/1 lenses cind 

plates (if you have them: othi i- 

wise, use 1.85/1) if the film is Eumpean 

or Asian produced sin 

1960. 

1 

off people's heads. And likewise, art or 

repertory theatres that regularly show 

is 

films made before the 1950s should also 

have lenses and aperture plates to show 

35mm films in the old original "sound" or 

"Academy" aspect ratio of 1.37/1, which 

the same picture "shape" as your television 

set. 

Modem 35mm motion picture release 

prints do not necessarily have the proper 

projection aspect ratio printed on the 

leader or even the film-wrap paper bands, 

and in a majority of cases you as a projec- 

OUTER BLACK SOLID LINE IS 

1.33/1 ACADEMY APERTURE 

35 MM CINEMATOGRAPHY. 

Dotted line 'X' 

theatrical 

Dotted line 'Y' is 

ffieatrical 

Dotted line 'Z' 

is framing for 

1.66/1 aspect ratio. 

framing for 

1.85/1 aspect ratio. 

is TV safe 

action 1.33/1 aspect ratio 

guide. 

printed with either "Academy" frame 

lines (about 2.5mm "thick") or with hairline 

"Scope-type" frame lines. In these 

cases the following table should prove 

useful: 

A. If the film has the hairline ("Scopetype") 

or Academy (approx. 2.5mm 

thick) frame lines, then: 

1. Project with 1.85/1 lenses and 

plates if the film was produced 1955 

or later, and if it is a "made in 

U.S.A." film. 

3. Project with 1.37/1 lenses .; 

plates if you have them; if not 

(1st choice) 1.66/1, (last chon 

1.85/1 for any film produced .n 

where before approx. 1955. 

B. If the film has frame lines that are I 

wider than the Academy-type (approx. 

2.5mm) but not as ttide as the I 

1.85/1 type (approx. 5.5 to (Smm), 

then project with the 1.66/1 l.( s 

and plates if you have them; oth( i- 

wise use 1.85/1. This odd-si/( 

frame line thickness was seen in 

some (not all!) release prints in the 

1950s and 1960s, and repertory 

theatres especially will encounter 

it in such films as Hitchcock's 

"North By Northwest," etc. 

C. If the film has a "hard matte" (very 

sharp edges to the frame lines) 

aspect ratio of 1. 66/1 (frame lines 

approx. 4mm thick) project with 

1.66/1 lenses and plate, if you have 

them, otherwise use 1.85/1. 

Theatres with many foreign subtitled 

films should seriously consider 

purchasing 1.66/1 lenses and 

plates. 

D. If the film has a "hard matte" (very 

sharp edges to the frame lines) 

aspect ratio of 1.85/1 (frame lines 

approx. 5.5mm thick) then project 

with 1.85/1 lenses and plates. 

E. As mentioned at the outset, all ana- 

In the Western States. . . 

Pe/KUMO^êd, 

Sfdfcccent Scnwcel 

• 16/35/70mm Projection and Stereo-Sound Equipment. 

• Xenon Bulbs. 

• Screens, Drapery, Curtain-Motors, Rigging and Tracl

'finini) 

otiij,. 

, 

without 

niif (ap. 

Weasii, 

morphic prints (which will have a 

"squeezed" image and narrow 

frame lines) must be projected 

with the anamorphic or "Scope" 

lenses and plates. 

Your attention is called to the question 

md answer section at the end of this arti- 

](•, where more valuable information is 

isted on various technical "problems" of 

'putting on a good show." 

Enter the Showman 

'lejj^ 

A little 'creativity' and 'showmanship' 

is required of the projectionist or manodd-sij, 

ager/operator to properly "frame" films 

when the image on the print is of a larger 

area than the aspect ratio of your projected 

picture. If you are showing all your 

'flat' films with a 1.85/1 (or greater) 

aspect ratio lens and plate, then you must 

be aware that you can be "out of frame" 

itsJ5(^J 

nn your screen at hast in the way the picis 

framed or composed, as was ined 

by the film's director or cameraany 

"frame lines" being 

visible on the screen. This is what has 

occurred if you see the tops of people's 

heads cut off on the screen and yet no 

frame line is visible at the bottom of the 

screen. YET YOU ARE OUT OF FRAME, 

AS FAR AS COMPOSITION GOES! 

A competent projectionist will "know" 

the center position or normal position of 

his framing knob on the projector that 

will permit the exact center of each 

frame of film to be exactly centered in the 

projection aperture. This can easily be 

tested (before the theatre opens, or during 

the initial set up of new equipment) 

by making a "loop" of film out of some 

spare SMPTE countdown leader (the type 

with the "running clock" printed on each 

frame), and projecting this loop and centering 

the clock on the screen. Even if the 

whole clock is not visible it should at least 

be centered! If your theatre has a situation 

in which your projected picture has 

an aspect ratio greater than 1.85/1 (some 

theatres show "flat" films at aspect ratios 

up to 2.00/1) then you should very slightly 

down-frame your projected picture, so 

that the "head room" (top portion) of the 

frame is very slightly "favored" in your 

screen image. In this way, any adverse 

cutting off of the picture will occur in the 

lower portion rather than the more important 

upper portion. 

Projectionists and manager/operators 

who really care about good presentation 

can take an interest in the magic of "film" 

and become good showmen, thereby increasing 

their theatre's business, and 

their own skills. 

Questions and Answers 

Following are a few questions that 

seem to be asked most often by new or 

"student" projectionists: 

Why is the film 35mm wide with 16 

frames per foot^ 

35mm gauge was chosen almost by 

accident (it was originally called "standard 

1%-inch film") by Thomas Edison 

and his assistant W.K.L. Dickson back in 

1889 when they ordered that size film 

"with 64 perforations per foot" from 

George Eastman of Rochester, New York. 

Edison was at the time pcrfn liny his 

"moving picture p.irlnj im.h liim , .md 

had made up his nnnil tli.n Im' im rdi .1 ili.it 

size film, and 16 pii iuk .s [ni liini, Im his 

system. 

Wfty is sound printed optically on the 

Because it is simple, wear-resistant, 

and of sufficient quality for a theatre. 

Optical sound tracks were the first successful 

means of placing "sound on film" 

when the process was perfected in the 

late 1920s. There was no magnetic recording 

at that time. (Magnetic tracks on 

release prints did not appear until the 

mid-1950s with CinemaScope 4-track 

35mm magnetic sound and of course the 

70mm release prints with 6-track magnetic 

sound. Cinerama, circa 1952, was actually 

the first popular motion picture 

format with magnetic sound, recorded on 

a separate full-coat 35mm film that ran in 

sync with the three separate 35mm "pi(^ 

ture only" strips.) Optical sound tracks on 

35mm release prints are economical to 

"print" when compared to the cost of 

35mm prints with 4-track magnetic 

sound. 

For any given "frame" un 35mm prints, 

where is the matching "sound" to go with 

that frinm' mi tciiidar 35mm optical sound 

release pnnt. 

The sound is by necessity printed 20 

frames "ahead" of its corresponding picture 

frame, and this was standardized in 

• ••• 

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- H.H.H^ Metrotimm, Minm-apalts, Minnesota 

• ••• 

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freeing our help up to do things we've been wanting to get at for 

months!" — Marie Homer — Homer Theatres, Homer, Alaska 907-235-3440 

THE CADDY CUPHOLDER 

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realize the benefits of having a place to keep 

their beverage or snack. The Caddy not only 

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it also significantly reduces clean-up 

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The Caddy Cupholder is available in any 

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Response No 163

the industry when optica! tracks were 

developed. In this way projector and 

sound equipment manufacturers could 

design their equipment so that when 

properly threaded according to instractions, 

the sound track on the film would 

be "in sync" with the lip movements of 

the performers. (On 35mm magnetic 

track prints, and on 70mm prints, the 

sound is "behind" the picture, because 

the magnetic sound heads on projectors 

are on top of the projector head.) 

If the sound in my theatre sounds "out of 

sync" to the ears of the audience, what can I 

do to conect it? 

For 35mm prints with optical tracks, if 

the sound is "eariy" (that is you hear a 

word before the actor moves his lips), it 

means that your "loop" of film between 

the intermittent sprocket and the sound 

drum is too small. Conversely, if the 

sound is "late" (you see the lips move 

before the sound), then that same "loop" 

is too large. Projectionists new to the job 

or working with unfamiliar equipment 

should (before the show starts!!) practice 

threading machines so that exactly 20 

"frames" of film are between the projection 

aperture and the point that the exciter 

lamp beam "scans" the sound track on 

the print. In a very small theatre, experienced 

projectionists will sometimes make 

the lower "loop" about two-sprocket 

holes larger than normal, to give a 1/48 

second "delay" to the sound, which 

sounds more natural in a very small 

theatre. Likewise, in a very large theatre 

(about 1,000 seats or more), a lower loop 

about two-sprocket holes shorter than 

normal will give a 1/48 second "presync" 

to the sound, which actually sounds more 

natural in a very large house. 

What IS the recommended standard for 

screen brightness? 

The Society of Motion Picture and Television 

Engineers (SMPTE) has set as a 

standard 16 foot-lamberts at screen center, 

with a low of 14 foot-lamberts being 

"acceptable" and a high of 18 foot-lamberts 

being just a little too bright. Although 

these measurements are made at 

screen-center, the four comers should be 

at least 80 percent as bright as the center. 

When motion picture release prints are 

made, they are balanced for projection at 

these levels. If not enough brightness is 

available in your theatre, flesh-tones will 

appear "dark" or "veiy tan," greyish areas 

will appear black, and white areas will 

appear off-white, or almost beige. If you 

have too much light (which is very rare in 

today's theatres), blacks will appear 

greyish, flesh-tones will appear with 

bright highlights on such areas as noses, 

foreheads, etc. 

Hoiv can I best adjust my projection lamp 

for even screen illumination' 

First of all, you should have the correct 

size bulb for the screen size you have. But 

even if you don't, it is more important to 

have even illumination side-to-side and 

comer-to-comer than it is to have a very 

bright screen-center with dim comers. 

There is a "focus" knob or set-screw 

adjustment or rod on the back of most 

xenon lamps. This is used to "slide' ! 

bulb holder back and forth length wi 

which controls the "size" of the lam 

"spot" on the back of the film gate asscm 

bly of the projector. Too large a spot \vi 

result in a very dim overall picture, whi 

too small a spot will result in a very briah 

center but with dim comers. Adjust 

; 

lamp to a "happy medium" of good, brigh 

even illumination. This adjustment 

done with the projector running but with 

out film. In any event read the instructioi 

books for your equipment. 

Older theatres still using arc lamp. 

make the same adjustment in a simila 

way, by moving the burner assembly bad 

' 

' 

and forth for proper light beam 'focus 

theatres with reel-to-reel two (or mo 

projectors for each screen, both machine; 

should be "balanced" for light output s( 

that the audience is not aware when 

"changeover" to another projector ha; 

been made. If you don't have access 

screen brightness meter, then eyeballinj 

and comparison with other known "good' 

theatres can be helpful. Word-of-moutl 

among employees and patrons will let yoi 

know if your theatre is known for a "darl 

picture" or a "good, bright picture." Un 

fortunately, bad news travels fast, and 

dim picture will kill your business mon 

than any other picture or sound factor 

How can I get a good focus on my picture 

When I focus on the center of the screen, th, 

left and right sides go out offvcus 

This problem is especially bothersomi 

in theatres with either severely curvec 

screens, short projection throws, vei^ 

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Response No 

Ibb 

92 BOXOIIICK

I 

ralybat 

'£ 

i 

high speed projection lenses, or severe 

projection angles (either vertical or horizontal). 

Each projection lens has an area 

of acceptability in its focus where the 

screen image will appear "in focus" even 

with minor focus knob adjustment. 

.Skilled operators will find a point where 

focus. Every theatre and every screen is a 

peculiar situation, and even changing 

lenses in the same theatre brings on different 

problems. Operators will learn 

with experience what particular "tweaking" 

or "touching up" is required of any 

particular lens in a particular situation. 

output 

Older "slower" projection lenses with a 

Bben "slower" focal speed (higher "F" number) 

will allow a sharper picture with less 

'JMor In 

Sttessio 

focus problems, but with some loss of 

neballiii light. Theatres with very severe focus 

problerns would be well advised to tradein 

their super fast modern projection 

i-o(. 

mam lenses for some slightly "slower" lenses, 

fotj-dai and then make up the light-loss by slight- 

"dre"Ui 

IM, and 

they can just slightly "defocus" the 

screen center to help bring the sides or 

comers into acceptable focus. This is to 

be preferred over having a needle-sharp 

center focus and poor side or comer 

ly increasing the power to their lamps. 

Lens and projection port housekeeping 

can also make you "think your picture is 

out of focus." Lenses should be cleaned at 

least once a week following the maker's 

instructions, and the glass in the projection 

port should be cleaned just as often; 

the port glass must be optical glass quality, 

not just plain window pane glass. 

What are the aspect ; 

; and projector 

apertures to he used when I am projecting 

70mm prints in my theatre? 

There are three projection and print 

aspect ratios for 70mm release prints; 

only two are greatly seen today. Those 

two are: Nonnal 70mm spherical (nonsqueezed) 

with a projector aperture of 

1.912-inch wide by .870-inch high, with a 

resulting projected aspect ratio of approx. 

2.2/1; "Shrunk" 70mm spherical (nonsqueezed) 

prints, for "blow-up" prints of 

films photographed in wide-screen 

35mm, and with a projector aperture of 

1.61 -inch wide by .870-inch high (these 

are the 70mm prints with the wide black 

area o:i the right and left sides of the picture 

on the prints), with a resulting projected 

aspect ratio of 1.85/1. The third 

70mm projection process is not often 

used today, unless you are running an older 

70mm print of films shot in the Ultra- 

Panavision 70 or similar process. These 

prints have a very slight (1.25/1) anamorphic 

squeeze factor, which is difficult 

to notice with hand examination of the 

print. They are projected with a 1.912- 

inch by .870-inch aperture plate and Ultra-Panavision 

anamorphic (1.25/1 

squeeze factor) projection lens, resulting 

in a projected aspect ratio between 2.7/1 

and 2.75/1. 

How can I thread my projector and be 

in-frame when the picture comes on the 

screen^ And how can I be in-frame when I 

make a splice^ 

Believe it or not, this question is still asked. 

Properin-frame threading seems to "scare" a 

lot of would-be projectionists. 

Remember, each "frame" (or "picture") 

on 35mm prints have four perforations 

on each side for each frame. For the 

projected picture to be "in frame," the 

four perforations that match any particular 

frame must be adjacent to and lined 

up with the side of the "hole" in the aperture 

plate. Period! When threading the 

projector, first manually rotate the mechanism 

until the intermittent sprocket (the 

sprocket just below the film gate, the one 

that "stops and goes all the time") is in its 

stationary or "locked" position. Then, 

thread the film in the gate with a "frame" 

of leader properly lined up with the aperture 

(some projector models will have a 

more easily visible "framing aperture" or 

"frame locating point" located somewhere 

more visible to the projectionist, 

but usually at the upper part of the film 

gate or trap assembly). When splicing, 

just remember that each "frame" of film 

contains four perforations per side; after 

each splice is made count the number of 

perforations on the frames on both sides 

of the splice ("one, two, three, four, one, 

two, three, four") to double check that 

you have made a proper splice. Caution: 

When threading up or splicing 70mm 

prints, remember each frame has/iiê perforations 

on each edge! 

Clarke KeJkr 

known Huttijiri' 

technical in irn 

engineer He lui> 

^ 

pen name of a wcll- 

,11 iui,iuat

SHOWMANDISER 

THE 

NICE THING about "A Nightmare 

on Elm Street's" Freddy 

Krueger — aside from the fact 

that he sells tickets like crazy — is that 

with a nibber mask, a ratty green and 

red sweater, and a glove crafted from 

kitchen cutlery, you can get the old guy 

to make a personal appearance at your 

theatre. 

That's what theatre manager Dean 

Melvin did when "A Nightmare on Elm 

Freddy Kruger poses with manager Dean Melvin while scaring up business. 

Street IV" played the Bordeaux Cinemas 

III and Eutaw Movies in Fayetteville, 

N.C., last fall. 

"The response was phenomenal," reports 

Melvin, who works for the Consolidated 

Theatres circuit based in Charlotte. 

"Freddy made appearances in 

shopping malls, night clubs and other 

high traffic areas, and we also had him 

in our theatres to have his picture taken 

with our patrons. 

"Overall, the promotion was a big 

success for Consolidated, as evidenced 

by our gross being much higher than out 

nearest competitors'." 

That may be true, but Melvin also 

reports that in some cases, Freddy may 

have been too convincing. 

"Kids were really scared. They were 

all running and hiding behind their parents. 

And one adult couple turned, ran 

back to their car, and drove away." 

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94 BOXOHKK 


Response No, 173

eftmj 

Free Source List of 

Retail Software 

More than 150 software companies and 

29 inanufacturers of peripheral hardware 

are inchided in the 1988 point-of-sale and 

peripherals source list released this 

month by the Indiana Cash Drawer Company, 

The list gives operating system and 

memory requirements for listed programs, 

and company address and telephone 

information for listed suppliers. 

The Indiana Cash Drawer Company is a 

leader in computer-compatible cash 

drawer operation, and offers manually 

activated cash drawers as well. The LCD. 

point-of-sale Software and Peripherals 

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from Indiana Cash Drawer Company, P.O. 

Box 236, Shelbyville, IN 46176; (317) 398- 

6643; FAX (317) 392-0958. 

CCS Computerizes 

Theatres in the European 

Economic Community 

CCS — Cinema Computer Systems — is 

finally entering the U.S. market. CCS has 

made a name for itself in the field of boxoffice 

and adiTiinistratioii systems for 

theatres in Gennany, Austria, Switzerland, 

Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, Finland 

and Spain. More than 2,000 European 

cinemas employ CCS technology. CCS 

incorporates such advantages as advanced 

booking, telephone reservations, 

and numbered seats. A customer information 

display infomis the visitor from afar 

which seats have already been occupied. 

At the 1988 Photokina convention, European 

counterpart to ShowEast and 

ShoWest, CCS revealed the "Cinemat," a 

credit-card-operated cinema ticket vending 

machine used to purchase admission 

for single perfonnances or a series of 

films. At the touch of a button, the moviegoer 

can inform himself about the films 

that are being shown (contents, actors, 

starting times, etc.). Payment for tickets 

can be made with most credit cards. It 

would also be possible to pay with coins. 

Although customers can use the machine 

around the clock, the CCS Cinemat — 

which can be set up in cinemas, hotels or 

shopping centers — also serves as a second 

boxoffice during rush hours. 

Tiffany Not Alone Now 

"MCA Presents.. ..The Magic of Hollywood," 

a unique traveling entertainment 

showcase featuring live music acts, legendary 

Hollywood memorabilia and interactive 

displays, will tour the U.S. throughout 

1989. Prompted by the success of the 

shopping mall tour that introduced litigious 

teenybopper Tiffany to mainstream 

America in 1987, "MCA Presents. ...The 

Magic of Hollywood" will feature the 

debut of "Boys Club" and "The Boys," two 

musical groups from MCA and Motown 

Records. 

"The Magic of Hollywood" will make 

three-day-weekend appearances at shopping 

malls, amusement parks, county 

fairs, and other sites across the country. 

The tour represents the first project from 

MCA's newly-formed Event Marketing 

Division. Included in the display of legendary 

Hollywood memorabilia at each venue 

will be such treasures as the ruby 

slippers worn by Judy Garland in "The 

Wizard of Oz," the original ski vest worn 

by Michael J. Fox in "Back to the Future," 

the rocking chair used in the production 

of Hitchcock's "Psycho," and a Hawaiian 

shirt worn by Tom Selleck in the TV 

series "Magnum, P.I." The tour kicks off 

Jan. 18, 1989 at the Glendale Galleria Mall 

in Los Angeles, and wraps up in November 

in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. 

Short Shorts 

A new public relations agency has 

hung out a shingle. Weissman/Angellotti 

will partner Murray Weissman & Associates, 

Inc. and Tony Angellotti. The two 

men previously served as vice presidents 

of the now-defunct ICPR public relations 

agency. Among clients carrying over to 

Weissman /Angellotti are the Academy of 

Television Arts & Sciences (including its 

Primetime and Daytime Emmy Awards, 

and the Television Academy Hall of 

Fame), "Bird," Heritage Entertainment, 

Spectrafilm, and Triax Entertainment 

Group. Staying on as a senior account 

executive with the company is Biz Dailey. 

Weissman/Angellotti will maintain offices 

at the Egg Company Building, located 

at 3855 Lankershim Blvd., North 

Hollywood, CA 91604; (818) 763-2975; 

FAX (818)505-8101.... 

Bose Professional Products has announced 

the appointment of two new rep 

finns for their Professional Products Division. 

Silver Peak Marketing of Wheat 

Ridge, Colorado will cover the Rocky 

Mountain area, and Joseph P. Mazzeo 

Associates will see to Upstate New York. 

R C Theatres' new 8-plex in Christiansburg, 

VA features a Bose Cinema Sound 

System in its 320-, 350- and 410-seat 

theatres. R C Theatres operates under the 

leadership of Scott Cohen, a third-generation 

movie house proprietor. "We have a 

somewhat unusual approach to theatre 

design," Scott says, "in that we design the 

screens first, and then put a building 

around them." 

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March, 1989 95

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Critics' Organizations 

Review 1988 

Unanimity was hard to come by in 

the traditional 

year-end balloting of the New York 

Film Critics Circle and the National Board of 

Review, Together with the previously announced 

choices of the Los Angeles Film Critics 

Association, these citations seem to suggest 

this could be a wide-open year for the 

Oscar race. There is no consensus on best 

film; only "Dead Ringers" placed on all 

three 

lists, but It failed to take the top prize on any 

of them, "Mississippi Burning" dominated the 

Board of Review's awards but did not appear 

on Los Angeles' or New York's top-three list. 

What follows is a rundown of the 1988's best 

according to the Association, the Circle, and 

the Board: 

Best Picture 

LA Association Little Dornt 

NY Circle 

The Accidental Tourist 

Nat'l Board 

Mississippi Burning 

Best Screenplay 

LA Association: Ron Shelton 

(Bull Durham) 

NY Circle: Ron Shelton 

(Bull Durham) 

Natl Board: no award 

Best Director 

LA Association: David Cronenberg 

(Dead Ringers) 

NY Circle: Chris Menges 

(A World Apart) 

Nat'l Board: Alan Parker 

(Mississippi Burning) 

Best Actor 

LA Association: Tom Hanks 

(Big, Punchline) 

NY Circle: leremy Irons 

(Dead Ringers) 

Nat'l Board: Gene FHackman 


Best Actress 

LA Association: Christine Lahti 

(Running on Empty) 

NY Circle: Meryl Streep 

(A Cry in the Dark) 

Nat'l Board: lodie Foster 

(The Accused) 

Best Supporting Actor 

LA Association: Sir Alec Guinness 

(Little Dorrit). 

NY Circle: Dean Stockwell 

(Married to the Mob, Tucker) 

Nat'l Board: River Phoenix 

(Running on Empty) 

Best Supporting Actress 

LA Association: Genevieve Bujold 

(Dead Ringers, The Moderns) 

NY Circle: Diane Venora 

(Bird) 

Nat'l Board: Frances McDormand 


Best Foreign Film 

LA Association: Wings of Desire 

NY Circle: Women on the Verge of 

a Nervous Breakdown 

Nat'l Board: Women on the Verge of 

a Nervous Breakdown 

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and 

Sciences will announce the Oscar nominations 

on Feb. 15. 

Response hjo 179 

96 BOXOKFKE

NATIONAL NEWS 

-lollywood Releases 11/2 

VIovies a Day in 1988 

New feature films released in the U.S. durng 

1988 tallied 513, pulling nearly even witfi 

1987's record-setting pace of 515 openings 

^.4 billion in North American ticket sales 

jeat out last year's record take by about 4 

Dercent. As many as 145 bull-market-financed 

ilms scheduled for 1988 release were post- 

Doned. Frequent leader Warner Bros, rejpped 

as the most prolific distributor with 25 

eleases (up from 17 in 1987) while Cannon 

ed independents with 23 film debuts in 

America. The majors rebounded with 161 

new releases, up almost 20"o over last year. 

Independent exhibited some retrenchment 

distributors 

caused by Wall Street woes, 

with 

a decline of 8% to 352 on the year. 

AMC Restructures MAC 

American Multi Cinema has taken over 

management of Mid-America Cinema as of 

Dec. 31, 1988. AMC will operate the MAC 

circuit of 70 screens, 50 of them in Kansas 

City, six in loplin, and 14 in Heath and 

Newark, Ohio. A change of ownership is in 

abeyance, with AMC retaining the option to 

buy as much as 70">, of MAC. The Merchants 

Bank of Kansas City will keep 15°,, and the 

Martin Stone family will hold on to the last 

15%, reducing their share from 85%. 

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ShowEast '89 to 

Monopolize Park Place 

Having outgrown its customary digs at 

Resorts International, ShowEast is moving to 

Bally's Park Place for its 1989 caucus, Oct. 3-5, 

Bally's is opening an 800-room addition, upping 

to 1300 the number of rooms available 

to conventioneers. The regular tabletop trade 

exhibit will expand to a full-fledged trade 

show. 

General Cinema on the 

March 

In an expression of long-term confidence in 

the profitability of theatrical exhibition. General 

Cinemas is ignoring a national drop in 

per-screen patronage and proceeding with 

plans to add 225 screens this year to their 

stable, which already numbered 1359 screens 

at the close of fiscal 1987-88. The circuit 

opened 112 new screens in 1988, while darkening 

81 primarily older twins and triplexes. 

Sun Rises on Japan-Backed 

Indieprod 

With an initial investment of $50 million, a 

Japanese-funded firm has launched an independent 

film production company in Hollywood. 

The outfit, incorporated as Apricot 

Entertainment, has set up housekeeping in a 

32,000-square-foot, two-soundstage studio 

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The End of the Year News 

Following are the 25 highest grossing releases 

of 1988. Figures are in 

1. Who Framed Roger Rabbit 

2. Coming to America 

3. Good Morning, Vietnam 

4. Big 

5 "Crocodile" Dundee II 

6. Three Men and a Baby 

7 Die Hard 

8 Moonstruck 

9. Cocktail 

10. Beetlejuice 

11. A Fish Called Wanda 

12. Willow 

13 Rambolll 

the milli jns 

$150 

$128 

$120 

$112 

$109 

$108 

$80 

$79 

$77 

$73 

$60 

$57 

$54 

"Running Man" Spawns 

Real Game Show 

Undaunted by the failure of arena rollerball. 

Fries Entertainment has developed a 

high-tech, action-adventure, audience-participation 

game show loosely based on that featured 

in 

1987's "The Running Man." "Interceptor," 

as it's 

called, exhorts contestants to 

14. Scrooged 

15. Bull Durham 

16. Nightmare on Elm Street 4 

17. Colors 

18 Young Guns 

19. The Last Emperor 

20. Biloxi Blues 

21 The Great Outdoors 

22. Twins 

23 Broadcast News 

24, Big Business 

25. Midnight Run 

$51 

$50 

$49 

$461 

$44, 

$44 

$43 

$41 

$41 

$40 

$40 

$38 

Totals for "Good Morning, Vietnam,' 

"Three Men and a Baby," "Moonstruck," 

and "Broadcast News" include money made 

last year. All figures are subject to litigation. 

run an obstacle course in 

search of clues to 

valuable prizes At the same time, players 

must elude malevolent-seeming interceptors 

played by colorfully decked-out professional 

stuntmen. The interceptors will carry harmless 

laser "weapons" to fire at photoelectric 

cells on competitors' backpacks. Still in search 

of a host, the program could premiere as early 

as the fall of 1989 

98 BOXOFFICE

I 

1 

NATIONAL NEWS 

44 More Screens 

Ifor UA in '89 

United Artists Theatre Circuit, easily the 

l:ountry's largest chain, will add 244 screens 

(o its year-end plateau of 2677. UATC is also 

DP the brink of acquiring the 16-screen, fourfheatre 

Capitol Services circuit in Milwaukee 

(jZapitol figured several years ago in the landnark 

case which found product splitting a per 

lie 

criminal violation of the Sherman Antitrust 

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CC's Bottling Sale Fizzles 

An antitrust inquiry by the Federal Trade 

ommission into General Cinema's plan to 

,ell its soft drink bottling business to Pepsi for 

$1.5 billion has poured cold water on the 

deal Under the terms of an agreement 

signed by GCC and Pepsi on Nov. 30, the sale 

needed to close by the end of calendar 1988 

for tax purposes. 

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CORPORATE DESIGN 

r HE A T R E IN 

exhibition on its screens. Designed and produced 

by a team from MTV, one of Nationil 

National's Sarah Joins 

Curtain-Raiser Sweepstakes 

National Amusements became the latest 

chain to commission a trailer 

for pre-feature 

al's companies, the 90-second curtain-raiser 

jj 

features flight attendant "Sarah" taking patrons 

on a brief tour of coming attractions as 

well as the theatre's art-gallery lobby (a 

National signature). The short incorporates 

special effects achieved through the new 

high-definition tape-to-film transfer process. 

Pelman in Deep Water 

Yoram Pelman signed off as president of 

Trans World Entertainment's domestic theatrical 

and video distribution and marketing 

arm in January, pausing to trade recriminations 

with TWE chief executive officer Frank 

McKevitt. The release of TWE's "Full Moon in 

Blue Water," a boxoffice disappointment, 

suffered because of the company's refusal to 

commit a promised $4 million in prints and 

advertising, according to Pelman Mckevitt 

countered that TWE met all contractual obligations 

for "Full Moon," and said Pelman 

should have positioned the film as an art 

house sleeper, not a platform release. 

iCarmike Breaking 

New Ground 

The 701-screen Carmike Cinemas has earmarked 

approximately $12.5 million for the 

construction of 41 new screens in 1989 Carmike 

will venture into three states where it 

has not previously operated - Iowa, 

Colorado and Indiana The fourth state to get 

new Carmike screens in 1989 will be North 

Carolina, where the circuit already has in the 

neighborhood of 200 screens. 


If Your Callers Aren't 

Getting the Message, 

Someone Else Is 

Getting Their Business. 

More than half of all movie-goers use the telephone to help 

them make ticket-buying decisions. If the line is busy, or the 

theatre they call isn't showing the movie they want to see at a 

convenient time, they hang up and call another theatre. 

With SHOWTIMES, callers dial one number and hear the 

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particular market. One call gives them the information they 

need to choose the right theatre — one of yours. 

Call Today To Hear Our Interactive Demo 

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March, 1989 99

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NATIONAL NEWS 

Sixth Annual Showbiz Expo 

The sixth ,Annual Showbiz Expo will takei 

center stage |une 5-5, 1989 at the Los .Angeles' 

Convention Center, Showbiz Expo has become 

l

lATIONAL NEWS 

nm David Kipen Joins Boxoffice 

Staff 

BOXOFFICE is pleased to announce the 

ippointment of David Kipen as Associate Edior 

in the Hollywood offices of the maga- 

n 

Like the industry he loves, Kipen grew up in 

.OS Angeles. He received his bachelor's degree 

in Literature from Yale University in 

1985. While at Yale he contributed reviews, 

.hort stories and poetry to various student 

Dublications. In addition, he founded, programmed, 

or ran several campus film socie- 

;ies. He also interned at Movies on TV, where 

Tiany of his capsule reviews and traces of his 

ghostwritten introduction still appear. 

Upon graduation, Kipen read aloud for the 

lind, captioned television for the hearingmpaired, 

and read screenplays for Caroico 

ictures. 

Before joining BOXOFFICE, Kipen divided 

[his time between managing Landmark's Nuart 

Theatre, the premier revival house in Los 

ngeles, and reviewing film and television for 

the Hollywood Reporter. 

|GCC Sliows IVIoxie, 

erseveres in Pepsi Deal 

As the current issue of BOXOFFICE went to 

ress, it was learned that General Cinemas 

nd PepsiCo have overcome the hurdle 

irown up by the Federal Trade Commission, 

ind revised their deal to sell GCC's soft-drink 

bottling concern to Pepsi for $1.75 billion 

cash. The newly drafted transaction is still 

subject to the signing of a definitive agreement, 

but CCC said no delays are expected in 

responding to the FCCs request for additional 

information. The announcement was 

greeted with a 1 7/8 surge in CCC stock, 

boosting it to a new high of 25 7/8. 

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Response No 240

EASTERN NEWS 

Burlington, VT 

Independent Vermont exhibitor Merrill C, 

larvis 

has Incorporated the words "Acres of 

Free Parking" Into the logos for his plexes in 

metropolitan Burlington. "As purveyors of 

entertainment," says larvis, "we must provide 

as relaxing an environment as possible 

for incoming patrons. What better proposal 

than assuring availability of adequate and free 

space in which to park a car'" 

Philadelphia 

Ramon Posels Ritz Five in Philadelphia now 

otters customers the theatre's "At the Ritz" 

program magazine for a yearly subscription 

rate of $10 Subscribers also get 10 $1-off 

admission coupons 

Reading, PA 

Lou Perugini and Newton A. 

Perrin of the 

newly-created Friends of the Astor Inc. have 

announced plans to restore the 2,200-seat 

Astor Theatre in Reading The Astor, a property 

of the Berks County Redevelopment 

Authority, is the oldest standing art deco 

movie palace in Eastern Pennsylvania. Renovation 

is expected to cost an estimated at $3.5 

million and take as many as five years to complete. 

Doylestown, PA 

Innovative American films again dominate 

the program for the Bucks County Film Festival, 

organized by |ohn David Toner for the 

Film 5,''Closely Watched Films weekly screenings. 

JPROCTOR 

POPCORN WARMER 

Collegeville, PA 

AMC Philadelphia's FHighway Drive-In 

Theatre, occupying 16 acres at a rural crossroad 

outside Collegeville since 1962, is tjeing 

sold to Parec Realty to make way for a shopping 

center The last drive-in in all of Montgomery 

County, the Highway was one of 

only five drive-ins in all Eastern Pennsylvania 

and Southern New lersey Ten years ago 

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there were seven drive-ins in South lersey, 

and 1 1 in the Pennsylvania suburbs across the 

Boston 

The perennial bills concerning motion picture 

exhibition throughout New England have 

been filed in the Massachusetts legislature. 

Most of the bills, proposing to lower ticket 

pnces or impose additional taxes, are the 

same ones that have been beaten year after 

year by the Theatre Owners of New England.... 

When Loews Theatre Management absorbed 

USA Cinemas, it apparently also absorbed 

the USA-sponsored Boston Film Festival. 

The fifth annual edition will be presented 

under the Loews banner Sept. 14-21 and is 

expected to feature many more than the 40 

ml 

films presented in 1988 ... 

USA Cinemas is also co-sponsoring the 

new Class Pass program, which provides 

added incentives for high school students to 

attend their classes. 

Baltimore 

A Maryland chapter of Women in Film and 

Video has just been inaugurated in Baltimore. 

The purpose is to get women involved in all 

aspects of filmmaking via workshops, screenings, 

and talks by women working in film. The 

establishing a women's media center in 

first public meeting showed the movie "Hairspray" 

and featured guest speaker Pat Moran, 

who has production-managed most of 

lohn Waters' films. Long-range plans include 

Baltimore... 

Thomas Kiefaber is restoring the Senator 

Theatre in Baltimore to its 1939 glory. At a 

cost of over a million dollars, the renovations 

will 

preserve the Art Deco designs of architect 

lohn Zink. 

The Senator recently donated a percentage 

of its admissions for "U2: Rattle and 

Hum" to the Maryland homeless. 

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MIDWEST NEWS 

igeio? 

Dayton 

A six-week run of "The Last Temptation of 

Christ" at downtown Dayton's Neon Movies, 

viewed by more than 5,000 patrons, gave the 

operators a badly needed financial boost. 

General manager Larry Smith said there was a 

90"i. positive response, and the other 10",, 

were "|ust bored by it," About 400 protested 

the film's opening Sept. 30. 

Neon Movies also helped promote the 

Homeless Awareness Festival one recent Saturday 

by offering "The Crapes of Wrath," 

"Sugar Cane Alley," and "Streetwise." A 

donation of $5 for each film was solicited. 

The city-owned Classic Theatre, which appears 

on the National Register of Historic 

Places, may be renovated for $T5 million if a 

community group can raise money to restore 

the building within the next two years. The 

Classic, built by Carl Anderson and Goodrich 

Giles, two black men from nearby Piqua, was 

closed in 1959. If the neighborhood group 

fails to find the funds, which includes a 400- 

seat auditorium, the building could be sold or 

razed. The plans call for renovation of 17,000 

square feet, with the first floor to be a theatre 

for both live and film programs 

Akron 

General Cinema launched its West Market 

Plaza seven-plex in Akron on Dec. 7. 

Bath Township, OH 

I 

General Cinema opened its new West 

iMarket Plaza seven-plex in Bath Township 

Dec. 7 and plans to continue expanding its 

screen count in the Cleveland market until it 

controls at least 50 screens in 

11 venues. 

Euclid, OH 

Theatre owner Al Saluan is converting his 

Lake Theatre tri-plex, in the Cleveland suburb 

of Euclid, into a seven-screen venue. The four 

new screens will comprise a free-standing 

mall annex. 

IVIilwaukee 

The baseball film "Major League," which 

recently wrapped shooting in Milwaukee, will 

feature crowd members wearing Miller Beer 

caps, and vendors pouring Miller High Life 

from bottles into plastic cups. Miller's Hollywood 

agency. Norm Marshall & Associates, 

reads scripts for as many as 500 films each 

year, looking for scenes where the brewery's 

products may be promoted. In exchange for 

the product tie-ins, the brewery arranges 

support for a film by creating posters for distribution 

through Miller sales offices. 

Carthage, MO 

B & B Theatres has twinned its Carthage 

screen. A video store, a family arcade, and a 

racquetball/health club were added. 

GROUP 

v

SOUTHERN NEWS 

Virginia Beach, VA 

The 1989 Mid-Atlantic convention of the 

National Association of Theatre Owners has 

been set for Wednesday through Friday, July 

12-14, a departure from the confab's traditional 

Sunday through Tuesday program The 

convention, to take place at the Cavalier 

Hotel in Virginia Beach, is sponsored by 

NATO affiliates in Maryland, Virginia, West 

Virginia and Washington, DC. )erome Gordon 

again serves as convention coordinator. 

Miami 

Wometco Theatres is bringing Looney 

Tunes shorts back to the big screen on a trial 

basis One cartoon will be shown before 

each movie, in response to numerous requests 

the company has received through 

comment cards 

Wilmington, NC 

De Laurentiis Entertainment Croup is sifting 

several offers for the North Carolina Film Studio 

in Wilmington, said Susan Feldon, a 

spokeswoman for DEC in Beverly Hills. The 

company filed in August for protection from 

its creditors under Chapter 11 of federal 

bankruptcy laws. One bid - valued at $35 

million - was submitted by Ventura Entertainment 

Croup Ltd of Encino, CA Attracted 

by North Carolina's right-to-work statutes, a 

number of film companies are currently renting 

the facilities, which employ about 35 

people 

WESTERN NEWS 

Austin 

Ceneral Cinema saw a December opening 

for its Highland Pavillion 10-plex in Austin. 

San Francisco 

The 32nd San Francisco International 

Film 

Festival, North America's oldest festival, has 

been set for March 8-19, 1989. Artistic director 

Peter Scarlet expects the fest to be centered 

at the AMC Kabuki 8 Theatres in San 

Francisco for the third consecutive year. The 

Pacific Film Archive will once again host a portion 

of the program in Berkeley. 

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Universal City, CA 

A pair of gunmen robbed an armored car 

of approximately $166,000 as money bags 

were being picked up at Cineplex Odeon's 

Universal City 18-plex Nov. 26. No shots 

were fired during the 5:40 p.m. heist. 

PHONE 303 934-5455 

FAX 303 934-6236 

CANADIAN NEWS 

Montreal 

French Canadian distributor Cinepix Films 

has left Cineplex Odeon for an agreement 

with rival Famous Players. Players currently 

operates 62 screens in Quebec, about half of 

which show French-language product. 

Cineplex Odeon's recent takeover of 

Montreal's last 

English-language repertory venue, 

the Cinema V twin, made local headlines 

and precipitated concern among aficionados 

of the theatre's fare 

Six months after the V s 

closing, however, a trio of local college film 

professors have rented the 62-year-old Rialto, 

hoping to fill 

house and, until 

the gap. A former vaudeville 

1985, a Creek movie theatre, 

the venue was slated for new life as a shopping 

atrium until the profs moved in, changed 

the sound, screen and projection systems and 

slapped on new plaster and paint. 

Both the 

English and French press have hailed the venture, 

which opened Sept. 30. 

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^ Phone: 312-939-2720 

Response No. 21b 

KM 

Boxoiiio;

: 1,913-seat 

Vancouver 

Station Square, a new mall complex in the 

ancouver suburb of Burnaby, B.C., will feajre 

movie theatres owned and operated by 

oth of Canada's largest theatre chains. The 

NO multiplexes, which face each other from 

irectly across the mall, opened simultaeously 

on Dec, 16. The two circuits. Cinelex 

Odeon and Famous Players, also have 

ompeting multis in the suburban West Edlonton 

Mall in Alberta. Famous Players has 

losed its Downtown Theatre in Vancouver 

iroper. The circuit purchased another down- 

Dwn venue from Cineplex last spring, and is 

1 the process of renovating it. 

Toronto 

Cineplex Odeon has renovated the former 

airview Mall Twin, and reopened it Dec. 9 as 

six-plex. The venue brings Cine- 

)lex's Toronto area screen count to 127 at 23 

ites, and is one of four renovated Canadian 

:omplexes to re-open in December Cineplex 

low operates 1,780 screens in the US, UK 

'» ind Canada. 

1442-1444 High level German 

InielllgenccOITicer 

1972-1982 Secretary-General 

ofllie United Nations 

1986- President of Austria 

ON THE MOVE 

Elizabeth I. Routman, who was public relaions 

assistant for the Philadelphia Film Office, 

las been named a communications associate 

/vith the local Federation of )ewish Agencies. 

David Grossman, founder and director of 

he Philadelphia Film Society and the Center 

Zity Cinematheque, has resigned. He cited a 

need to make some changes in my own life, 

jnd in the future of classic films in Philadeljhla." 

Grossman founded the Film Society 

and the movie house in 1974. 

lohn Brannen has departed the Marcus 

lapitol Court Theatre to become manager of 

he Marcus Northtown Cinemas. 

Mark Kotishon is the new relief manager at 

the Senator Theatre in 

Baltimore. 

Universal Pictures Distribution has realigned 

its 

sales department and promoted 

lohn W. Finn to vice president, division manager. 

Finn, most recently Los Angeles branch 

manager, joined Universal in 1958 as a salesman 

in Boston. He has also been Denver 

branch manager and Boston branch manager. 

The sales department has been reorganized 

with the appointment of Finn, who joins vice 

president, division managers Dave Richoux 

and Phil Sherman on the Universal lot. Under 

the revised setup, Finn will be responsible for 

Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake City, 

Boston, New Haven, Cincinnati, Buffalo and 

Albany. Richoux's territories will include San 

Francisco, Denver, Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, 

Indianapolis, St. Louis, Des Moines, 

Detroit and Cleveland: while Sherman will 

take care of Dallas, Oklahoma City, Memphis, 

New Orleans, Kansas City, Atlanta, Charlotte, 

Jacksonville, Washington, DC, Philadelphia 

and Puerto Rico. 

Ifthe press didn't tell us,who would? 

To get printed information on tine role of a free press and how It 

protects your rights, 

or to discuss any free press issue, call the First Amendment Center at 1-800-542-1600. 

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March, 1989 105

Pacific 

McVay 

Gaines of the Ontario 10-plex, Kirk Hansen of 

the Winnetka 6 (Chatsworth), Greg lones of 

the Lakewood Center 4, Martha McVay of 

the Sweetwater 6 (San Diego), |. Lee Padilla of 

the Hi-Way 39 four-plex (Westminster), Dar 

Padilla 

Theatres has promoted nine of its 

California theatre managers to the rank of 

managing director. Those so honored are 

lorge Escobar of the Commerce 4, loann Fluharty 

of the Vermont 3 (Gardena), Steve 

Stein 

vid Scholan of the Grossmont 4 (San Diego) 

and Ruth Stein of the chain's Northridge sixplex. 

According to operations vice president 

Frank Diaz, these nine were singled out for 

their "strong management abilities/' 

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Response No 

106 BOXOFUCE

1 

Annette Painter, AMC Home Office Acounting, 

has been promoted to Assistant 

Controller. Her primary responsibility will be 

the complete control, review and analysis of 

;he General Ledgers for all AMC companies 

)oerg Agin, Vice President and General 

Vtanager, Motion Picture & Audio Visual 

'roducts Division of Eastman Kodak, has 

been elected to the Board of Directors of The 

Will Rogers Memorial Fund. 

Alan Friedberg has returned to Boston, 

where he will be executive consultant with 

Columbia Pictures Entertainment, the parent 

company of Loews Theatres. Previously second 

in command at Loews, Friedberg is 

expected to participate in the refurbishment 

of USA Cinemas, which will be reopened 

under Loews' corporate banner 

Harmon (Bud) Rifkin, whose family 

founded and operated the Cinema Centers 

Corp. before it was purchased by Hoyts in 

September 1986, left office as Hoyts' president 

and chief executive Nov. 12. |ohn 

Rochester has assumed Rifkin's titles and 

duties. 

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Edward Krysiak, 62, former operator of the 

Shea Theatre in Turners Falls, MA and the 

Capitol Theatre in Athol, MA, died recently in 

North Adams. 

leri K. Baker, 42, senior editor for Channels 

lets 

magazine, and a former special assistant to 

the president of the MP. A. A. in Washington, 

D.C., died recently at her parents' home in 

Manchester, CT. 

Be sure 

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Lydia F. (Jones) Allen, 87, former manager 

of the old Falls Theatre in Chicopee Falls, MA, 

also died recently. 

Frank B. Quinlivan, 82, former regional 

zone manager for Dipson Theatres in Western 

New York, died in December 

The Consumer Information Catalog will 

enlighten you with over 200 federal 

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and all are helpful Get your free copy by 

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FILMACR STUDIOS 

March, 1989 107

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HOLLYWOOD UPDATES 

PRODUCTION NOTES 

Although her feature fihn work has 

been less-than-spectacular so far, Madonna 

continues to shoot toward an acting 

career and has signed a first-look development 

deal with Columbia Pictures. 

Columbia has yet to announce a release 

date for the singer's next film, "Bloodhounds 

on Broadway," which is based 

on a Damon Runyon story and which costars 

Jennifer Grey, Randy Quaid and 

Matt Dillon. 

The feature film rights for the hit 

Broadway play "Les Miserables" have 

been snagged by Tri-Star Pictures, although 

fans had best not hold their breath 

waiting for its release. Director Alan 

Parker ("Mississippi Burning") will not 

take the project before cameras any earlier 

than January, 1991. 

Carolco Pictures has renewed its distribution 

pact with Tri-Star Pictures 

through 1992. Upcoming releases will include 

Bob Rafelson's "Mountains of the 

Moon" and the Mickey Rourke /Forrest 

Whitaker crime drama, "Johnny Handsome." 

Long term plans include Arnold 

Schwarzenegger's "Total Recall", as 

well as "Rambo IV," which is not expected 

to begin production until at least 

1991. 

Atlantic Entertainment Group, 

which could not find much commercial 

success last year with films like "A World 

Apart," "Patty Hearst" and "1969," is set 

to be acquired by Indiana-based video distributor 

KVC Home Video. A holding 

company with the name Atlantic/KVC 

will be formed once the deal is finalized, 

and a $50 million cash infusion will be 

pumped into Atlantic's film fund by the 

end of 1989. KVC will also acquire video 

distribution rights for Atlantic's 100-fi!m 

library. Current Atlantic chairman and 

president Tom Coleman will step down 

following the transaction but will remain 

as a consultant; Alan Saffron, KVC's 

chief executive and primary stockholder, 

will now take the top post. 

Filmstar Inc., a novice production entity, 

has signed deals with several filmmakers 

and intends to produce nine films 

over the next few years. Indian Neck 

Prods., the independent company which 

scored big with "Hoosiers," is one of those 

included in Filmstar's plans, as is producer 

Paul Maslansky (the "Police Academy" 

series), who is part of a four-way production 

group which is planning to shoot 

(he adventure drama "Lost" in the Soviet 

Union. 

Not surprisingly, Morgan Creek 

Prods, has already announced "Young 

Guns II," with a tentative summer 1990 

iclease planned. John Fusco, author of 

the original, is already at work on the 

script for the sequel, and the production 

company reportedly has commitments 

from the six young stars of the original to 

return to the Western saga. The first film 

grossed $44 million, and was the 18th 

highest grossing film of 1988. 

Anxious to counteract reports of se' 

financial problems, New World Pictures 

has announced an ambitious production 

and release slate for the upcoming year. 

In addition to "Hellhound: Hellraiser 

II, which was a moderate hit for the company 

in late '88, New World's immedi, 

release plans include "Warlock," a SIO 

million fantasy-thriller; the long-delayed 

"Brenda Starr," starring Brook Shields; 

and "Heathers," a dark teenaged co 

dy "Meet the Applegates," a science 

fiction comedy starring Ed Begley, Jr. and 

Dabney Coleman, and "The Punisher,"; 

a pulp crime drama starring Dolph 

Lundgren, should also be out by mid-year. 

Long-term plans include a remake of 

Hitchcock's "Rear Window" and "Village 

at the End of the Universe," a dr 

ma which revolves around the Woodstock 

rock festival. 

FilmDallas Inc., which found critical 

raves but commercial failure with such 

films as "Patti Rocks" and "Da," has been 

forced into involuntary bankniptcy by its 

creditors. In the wake of that, the company's 

five top executives, including president 

and CEO Sam Grogg, resigned their 

posts. FilmDallas Pictures Inc., a subsidiary 

of FilmDallas Inc., will continue to 

support the regionally-released "Spike of 

Bensonhurst." Future releases, including 

the comedy "The Trouble With Dick,' 

have been put on hold. 

PERSONNEL 

Continuing to weather a rough trai 

tion period, Columbia Pictures announced 

the resignation of Dan Michel 

in December. Michel, who served only 

months after having been hired by studio 

president Dawn Steel, had been responsible 

for the marketing of such films as 

"The Beast" and "White Mischief," projects 

from the previous David Puttnam 

administration which Columbia released 

with a seeming lack of enthusiasm. Michel's 

replacement is Bufiy Shutt, a 

former marketing head at Paramount. 

Shutt's long-time partner, Kathy Jones, 

is executive vice president. 

Independent producer 'distributor Miramax 

Films has a full slate of mainstream 

releases for 1989, and has gone 

through a major corporate restructuring 

in order to handle the load. Eight executives 

have been hired in the acquisitions, 

distribution, marketing and accounting divisions, 

including Martin Zeldman, vice 

president of distribution, while Adam 

Rogers has been promoted to national 

sales manager. Miramax released the critically 

acclaimed "Pelle the Conqueror" 

in late 1988; films this year include 

"Scandal," the fact-based drama starring 

John Hurt; "Loser Takes All," starring 

Molly Ringwald and Robert Lindsay; and 

"The Lemon Sisters," a comedy starring 

Carol Kane and Diane Keaton. 

lOX 

BOXOFUCE

' 

I 

Reviews 

been dealing with the tragedy by turning inward and shutting 

everything — mcluding Sarah — out. Macon reacts to the 

news of her leaving much as he does to everything else: he 

sighs wearily, screws up his face as if he's about to protest, 

then let's it drop. 

Suddenly deprived of his entire family, Macon becomes 

even more laconic and he moves in with his siblings (Amy 

Wright, David Ogden Stiers and Ed Begley Jr.) for support 

This delightful trio of middle-aged eccentrics live in a world 

all their own, and upon meeting them it becomes immediately 

clear that Macon's aloofness is inbred. The four happily (if 

that's the word for it) keep to themselves in a rambling old 

house, arranging their canned goods alphabetically and playing 

some kind of bizarre parlor game known only to them. 

It's not until Macon meets Muriel (Geena Davis), a freespirited 

and outgoing dog trainer, that he is forced out of his 

shell. She pursues him cheerfully and slowly breaks down his 

defenses, only to have Sarah return and claim to want to 

resume their marriage. Macon must then choose between 

returning to his safe but stilted life with Sarah, or continuing 

his offbeat affair with Muriel. 

"ci 

THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST 

Starting William Hurt, Geena Davis and Kathleen Timier 

., Produced by Lawrence Kasdan, Charles Okun and Michael 

'""° Directed by Lawrence Kasdan Written by Frank Galati 

"L.k! 

'^nd Lawrence Kasdan 

A Warner Bros release Dramatic-comedy, rated PG Running 

'lime: 121 min Screening date: 12/19/88. 

This emotionally-deadened salute to moping is expertly 

made, but it's just so lethargically paced. Sophisticated 

ludiences seemed not to mind, nith a strong $13.5 

million taken in over four weekends. 

"The Accidental Tourist" is a muffled movie about a mufled 

man. Extremely well-made and boasting one of William 

.hurt's best performances to date, the film still seems like an 

anlikely candidate for tremendous commercial success. This 

oittersweet story about a man who has been cut off from the 

•nost basic of human feelings is emotionally deadened by 

design, and that is the very thing that makes for intelligent, 

jften amusing, but rather stiff entertainment. 

Hurt plays Macon Leary, an uptight writer whose inherent 

ussiness makes him the ideal candidate to become "The 

Accidental Tourist," the author of a string of travel books for 

:he reluctant businessperson who would just as soon stay at 

home. 

As the story opens, Sarah (Kathleen Turner), Macon's wife, 

announces that she's leaving him. Their son had been killed in 

1 robbery attempt a year earlier, and since then Macon has 

The problem with "The Accidental Tourist could very well 

be Hurt's genius as an actor. Playing a man possessed with the 

emotional range of a zombie. Hurt is encouraged by co-writer 

and director Lawrence Kasdan to drag the pace of the movie 

down to a lethargic crawl, and he succeeds almost too well. 

Whether staring blankly into space or grimacing every time 

someone tries to penetrate his Texas-sized personal space, 

Macon is a man who suffers from a pathological funk, and 

Hurt essays him to distracting perfection. It's great acting; it 

makes for often exasperating viewing. 

To bring a man out of a depression this absolute, the character 

of Muriel would have to be an exceptional woman, but 

Davis fails to give her the kind of dimension that such a role 

demands. Muriel's wackiness is familiar at best, and irritating 

at worst, and it becomes clear early on that only an actress of 

Hurt's caliber could successfully counterbalance his character's 

moroseness. As played by Davis, Muriel is a fun but twodimensional 

kook, and it's never clear why Macon chooses to 

drop his guard for her. Since this is the crux of the story, this is 

a considerable failure. 

Review Index

Having said all this, however, "The Accidental Tourist" is 

probably the odds-on favorite for the Best Picture Oscar. It's 

an impeccably crafted film, Kasdan is certainly long overdue 

for critical attention, and it's the type of serious-minded adult 

movie that the Academy loves (comparisons to "Terms of 

Endearment" are not off basej. If nominating factions react to 

the movie the wav that most major critics have, there should 

be plentv of fanfare to boost the film's boxoffice potential 

Rated'PG for language— Tom Matthews 

WORKING GIRL 

Starring Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford and Sigoumey Weaver 

Produced by Douglas Wick. Directed by Mike Nichols Written 

by Kevin Wade 

A 20th Century Fox release. Comedy, rated R Running lime: 

113 min Screening date: 12/15/88 

This working girl didn't work for us, but the film 

opened well nevertheless. By the fourth weekend, 

business had dropped off ten percent, n-ith a total gross 

of $30 million. 

An unconventional lead actress, combined with an upscale 

and rather cold setting, should make "Working Girl" a hit in 

major markets, but an unknown quantity elsewhere. Like 

"Broadcast News" last year, this highly polished production 

may find resistance from mainstream audiences for whom 

this uptown fable is a bit too remote. 

The title character is Tess McGill (Melanie Griffith), an 

ambitious but under-schooled secretary' in a New York brokerage 

firm who is determined to make it from the company 

lunchroom to the corporate boardroom, without having to pass 

through a prospective employer's bedroom. Her new boss, 

played briefly but with much good humor by Sigoumey Weaver, 

is a deceptively friendly tyrant who professes an interest in 

furthering Tess's career, while at the same time trying to 

swipe a viable idea which Tess has come up with on her 

own. 

When the boss breaks her leg on a skiing trip and is stranded 

miles away in a hospital bed at the same time that Tess discovers 

that her idea had been stolen, the plucky secretary 

decides to make things happen for herself Taking over her 

boss's office and wardrobe, and working diligently to smooth 

over her rough edges, Tess passes herself off as a broker and 

tries to put the deal through herself 

one expects a certain amount of vibrancy and guile in the 

character, but Griffith's unique acting style offers little ut 

either. 

There's also the question of how interested Middle America 

is in the travails of a bunch of single-minded corporate types 

who seem to have no lives outside of their deal-making and 

career-furthering (aren't these the same people who boorishly 

tried to steer Benjamin Braddock into plastics in "The Graduate," 

which was also directed by "Working Giri's" Mike 

Nichols?), In the very last shot of the movie, Nichols pulls 

back slowly from Tess's hard-won new office to reveal that 

she has simply become one of hundreds of drones in a faceless 

corporate complex. Are we supposed to applaud her victory, 

or has Nichols waited until the last moment — as he did in 

"The Graduate" — to show that a life spent in pursuit of a 

vaguely defined goal is often a hollow one? Or are we just 

over-intellectualizing the whole thing? 

"Working Girl" does offer some choice comic moments 

from Weaver and Joan Cusack, and it especially had us longing 

for more comedic work from Harrison Ford. But the success 

of the film rests squarely on Griffith's shoulders. How 

audiences react to her performance will determine the boxoffice 

potential for the film. 

Rated R for language and brief nudity.— Tom Matthews 

She meets Jack Trainer (Harrison Ford), another broker, 

and together they sell a major company on buying a chain of 

radio stations. The infuriated boss returns at the last minute to 

expose Tess, but everything works out fine. The boss is 

revealed to be a thief, Tess and Jack fall in love, and Tess gets 

the high-powered position she had dreamed of 

The biggest problem with "Working Giri" for us is the casting 

of Griffith in the lead. With her flat, almost soulless baby 

girl voice, we found it very hard to believe that anyone on Wall 

Street would take her seriously. Tess — and Griffith for that 

matter — might be an extremely intelligent woman, but her 

voice and her sedate manner are in perfect contrast to the 

ambition which supposedly drives her. In a fairy tale like this. 

THE JANUARY MAN 

Stamng Kevin Kline, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantuniu, Haivcy 

Keitel, Alan Rickman, Susan Sarandon, Rod Steiger and Danny 

Aiello 

Produced by Norman Jewison and Ezra Swerdlow Directed by 

Pat O'Connor Written by John Patrick Shanley 

Comedy-Thriller, rated R Running time: 

An MGM/UA release 

97 min Screening date: 1/9/89 

For anyone who's ever admired the work of Kevin Kline or 

John Patrick Shanley, watching "The January Man" is like 

having the congressman you stumped for indicted. You gape 

in numb shock. Were your expectations too high? Or maybe 

you heard wrong. Did Kevin Kline really take time out from 

his death-grapple with a psycho to grumble "I hate this job," 

just like every other cop in every cop movie since "Lethal 

R-10 BOXOKUCt

||/eapon"? 

Kline plays a shaggy, unconventional NY. homicide detec- 

|ve, out to nail a mad strangler so boring and unremarkable 

lat he's murdered eleven women in a three-paper town withfanuary 

is the worst month for movies, so the title of 

'tis incomprehensibly bad comedy-drama-thriller is 

tierfect. Opening weekend on 876 screens earned a 

sty $1.7 million. 

Wanting for once to write a real movie-movie, the romantic 

thriller to end all romantic thrillers, Shanley even lets one of 

his characters exhort Kline to get out there and "catch the 

killer and save the girl." This is desperate, self-conscious writing, 

the hapless mayday of a bad idea gone wrong. 

— 

a 

It 

picking up a decent nickname. We first meet Det. Starkey 

; he's rescuing a little girl from a burning building. Say 

''iiere, Kevin, you wouldn't happen to be — forgive our pre- 

.lUmption — the hero? Of course he is; just like that man who 

varottles a young woman to death in her high-rise apartment 

nd jumps out the window halfway through the movie, just as 

ae pacing was starting to flag, is the copycat. Who else could 

e be? 

What a relief it inust be for screenwriter J. P. Shanley to 

lave his first flop out of the way. As a playwright, he used to 

lop all the time, but after "Moonstruck" and "Five Comers," 

was looking like he could do no wrong at the movies. That 

id of infallibility can paralyze a writer, but in the wake of 

January Man," infallibility shapes up as the least of 

inley's worries. There's some bright writing in it, a seduc- 

Jion scene over hot chocolate that's witty and fresh, but mosttf 

the picture just drags on lifelessly, like a party whose guests 

pnt to be having a better time than they are. 

It's as if Shanley made up his mind, as an exercise, to play 

the rules he's been breaking or ignoring so triumphantly up 

lill now. "The January Man" doesn't just lapse into the formuit 

dives into it, revels in it, rolls around and wallows in it. 

The Irish director Pat O'Connor, who distingiushed hmiselt 

a few years back with "Cal," follows hard on Neil ("Mona 

Lisa," "High Spirits") Jordan's heels as the latest talented 

Irishman to run aground on American shores. It's been said 

that hack studio directors "fail upward," delivering mediocre 

pictures on time and on budget and thereby earning evermore 

prestigious assignments; just as reliably, hot foreign 

filmmakers like O'Connor tend to succeed downward. He never 

finds a coherent tone for his first major studio release, 

preferring instead to fiddle around with cute, meaningless 

shots of aquarium fish swimming in slow motion. He's even 

allowed two competent actors — zestily profane Rod Steiger, 

and "Moonstruck's" Danny Aiello — to give the exact same 

performance. Is Nick Starkey such a nonconformist that he 

has to exasperate two authority figures before we'll get the 

point? 

"Murder. Corruption. Comedy," the ads bark. "You tell us," 

they seem to shrug. The last five minutes emphasize comedy 

at precisely the wrong time, calling on Kline's slapstick skills 

when he's already shown us he can't even muster an amusing 

pratfall on ice skates, let alone wrestling down a stairwell with 

a psychopath. This is a romantic thriller from concentrate. 

From the day Shanley settled for a puzzle instead of a plot, 

and gave the ingratiating Kline a parrot instead of a personality, 

"The January Man" was off the rails for good. David 

Kipen 

TRUE BELIEVER 

Starring James Woods, Robert Downey }r, Margaret Colin, Yuji 

Okumoto, and Kurtwood Smith. 

Produced by Walter F. Parks and Lawrence Lasker. Directed 

by Joseph Ruben Written by Wesley Stiick 

A Columbia Pictures release Drama, rated R Running time: 

100 min. Screening date: 11/10/88 

Moviedom's favorite creep with a heart ofgold finds an 

interesting character here, but he is not sen'ed well by a 

flat story and an under-utilized supporting cast. 

Our first glimpse of James Woods in "True Believer" telegraphs 

that we may have been introduced to one of the most 

interesting leading characters ever to lurch into his own major 

Hollywood vehicle. Woods plays brilliant, radical Greenwich 

Village-based attorney Eddie Dodd, an ACLU renegade who 

has sold out in a rather monstrous way: years of cynicism have 

transformed him into New York's leading defender of dope 

dealers. He's still defending civil rights, only now they're the 

rights of big-money criminals who can compensate Dodd with 

handsome cash payments. 

Robert Downey Jr. plays Roger Baron, the" clear-eyed young 

idealist fresh from bar exams who travels cross-country to 

work with his role model, only to find that the fiery young 

litigator he idolized no longer stands on the side of the angels. 

It is Roger who must convince Eddie to stop arranging bail for 

March, 1989 

R-ll

1 

j 

crack dealers long enough to take the pro bono case of a you ns 

Asian man (Yuji Okumoto) falsely convicted of a gang slaying. 

exploitable senses. The young audience we saw it with went 

nuts, and even adults could do a lot worse. 

Christian Slater stars as Brian Kelly, a typically maladjusted r 

teenager from the sparse, concrete suburbs of Orange County, i 

Calif Brian loves skateboarding and sneers cynically at every- 

J 

thing else, until his Vietnamese half-brother, Vinh (Art Chu- 

J 

Fox delayed this skateboard drama for months, and 

then snuck onto screens with almost no fanfare. Which 

is too bad, because it could do well with teenagers. 

Opening weekend: a non-gnarly $740,780. 

dabala), hangs himself in a motel room across the street from 

Disneyland. Vinh had been everything that Brian isn't 

smart, responsible and respectful to his parents — and Brian 

had felt a lot of contempt for him while alive. But Brian 

certain that Vinh couldn't have taken his own life, and he 

takes it upon himself to find out the true cause of his death. 

It is good fun indeed watching the now-complacent Dodd 

endure the aggravation of defying violent lowlifes (to say 

nothing of the smug city officials with hidden political agendas) 

who don't want him to take this case. Even so, when the 

case is won, the victory feels hollow; there's no sense that the 

triumph has redeemed Eddie as "The Verdict" redeemed Paul 

Newman. The evil political underpinnings that really might 

have attracted these maverick legal eagles to the case do not 

manifest themselves convincingly until too late. And Roger, 

by the way, doesn't have a whole lot to do after he convinces 

Eddie to take the case, and the promised bonding between the 

two suffers by consequence — the talented Downey is largely 

relegated to the role of standard-issue inquiring sidekick. 

"Believer" also indulges too few amusing set pieces, the 

Brian's danger-filled investigation into what turns out tn he 

murder isn't that interesting (Vinh had stumbled into a plot to 

, 

skim funds from a Vietnamese relief effort and had been rubbed 

out by gangsters). But what is fresh about "Gleaming the 

Cube" is the skateboard subculture, which director Graeme 

best here being a bnef confrontation with a nest of speedfreak 

white supremacists. The attraction that permeates the 

entire picture remains Woods's trademark sleazeball-withprinciples 

characterization, which rivals even his wonderful 

work in "Salvador." The meager financial prospects that 

greeted Oliver Stone's similarly political, 1986 picture will 

surely attend this film as well. 

Rated R for violence and language.—/im Kozak 

GLEAMING THE CUBE 

Stairini; Christian Slater, Steven Bauer, Min Luong and Art 

Chudahala 

Produced by Lawrence Turman and David Foster Directed by 

Graeme Clifford Written by Michael Tolkin. 

A 20th Century Fox release Drama, rated PG-13 Running 

time: 105 min. Screening date: 1/12/89 

With the proper marketing — which it probably won't get — 

"Gleaming the Cube" could do respectable business with 

teenaged audiences. This surprisingly well-made kiddie drama, 

which somehow manages to merge the gimmick-laden 

theme of skateboarding with a crime thriller, understands 

teenagers remarkably well, and it plays directly to their more 

Clifford infiltrates with surprising accuracy. The stunt sei 

quences are thrilling (although mercifully not overdone), and 

| 

they actually work as part of the story, not just as a gimmick 

which could be cut together later for an MTV promotional 

video. These are desperately bored kids who need to do something 

to shake themselves out of their complacency, and the 

death-defying tricks they do on their boards do just that. 

What's even more interesting is when Brian realizes that he 

must leave all of it behind if he's going to solve his brother's 

murder. With his spiked hair, earring and shabby, skull-covered 

clothes, he discovers that he can't get respect from the 

R-12 BOXOFFICE

lilts whose help he needs. The average teen flick would've 

ciintained Brian's rebellious streak throughout the movie and 

liked it endlessly in order to appease its young audience, but 

beaming the Cube," while still just a juvenile action picture, 

rives for a little realism. Brian cuts his hair, starts wearing 

/eaters and riding a bicycle, much to the amusement of his 

lends. 

— 

cast, while offering scenes from the one-set production and 

footage from actual South African townships. Even though 90 

percent of the action takes place in a theatre in Manhattan, 

the film leaves you with a strong feeling of having just been in 

Soweto. 

As aware and concerned as Americans may be about South 

African politics, they will still be shocked to see that children 

are in the forefront of the racial struggle. 

Little soldiers in a 

guerrilla theatre, the 25 young performers, wearing school 

uniforms and New York City souvenir T-shirts, pour out their 

hearts in intimate interviews and exhausting rehearsals. 

Theirs are first-hand accounts of friends and family who have 

suffered indignity and death at the hands of South Africa's 

minority white government. 

Proud and determined, their shiny faces laugh in the face of 

pain. "Crying doesn't accomplish anything," they explain, 

although they weep with joy during an emotional encounter 

with singer Miriam Makeba, the black activist whose torch 

they proudly carry on. Wise beyond their years, these kids 

know the theatre is the only voice they have in a land where 

newspapers are censored. 

J 

Slater, a kind of a less-affected River Phoenix who pos- 

Jsses a great Jack Nicholson-like drawl, is terrific, as are his 

nd of skateboarding cronies. The teenaged humor is dead- 

[i, but there are moments in which it becomes clear that 

iter Michael Tolkin recognizes the drama that lurks 

fcneath a young person's cavalier snottiness (while flying 

fer their neighborhood, looking for empty swimming pools in 

tiich to skateboard, one kid observes cheerfully, "Hey, 

's my mom's house. ..and there's my dad's house!"). 

'Gleaming the Cube" will no doubt be dismissed as a 

i|rmula teen movie by adults, but kids will have fun with it. 

hey probably won't mind the familiarity of the murder invesfgation, 

and they will definitely appreciate the air of realism 

at Clifford (who directed such adult fare as "Frances" and 

'.urke and Wills") brings to the production. 

Rated PG-13 for language and violence.—Tom Matthews 

llIMif/OICES OF SARAFINA! 

fl 

Starring the cast of the Broadway Production of "Sarafina'," 

eluding Leleti Khumalo, Baby Cele and Pat Mlaba 

Produced by Bernard Gersten and Nigel Noble Directed by 

,igel Noble 

/' A New Yorker Films release Documentary, not rated. Running 

~me: 85 min. Screening date: 12/7/88. 

Difficult to market as documentaries are, "Voices of Sarafia!" 

stands a shot at success. Its subject is the black acting 

oupe from South Africa which is now performing on 1 

ay in the play "Sarafina!," a hit musical about apartheid 

hich is performed by its actual victims. Oscar and Emmy 

Aârd-winning director Nigel Noble interweaves the deep 

and pulsating rhythms of Hugh Masekela's ; 

heartrending interviews with "Sarafina's" director and 

Not only do we learn about the lives of the children in South 

Africa, but also about their lives today as young performers as 

their chain-smoking director, Mbongeni Ngema, drills them in 

enunciation, breathing technique, focus, and energy. Their 

lilting voices and thick Zulu accents lend a baleful cadence, 

but much of the dialogue is difficult to catch. Where diction 

fails, theatrical pantomime sometimes succeeds. But pantomime, 

sadly, works better on stage than on screen, and so in the 

film there is a lot of footage from production numbers which 

might have been better left out of the film. 

Topical relevance is this film's calling card, and just as the 

play "Sarafina!" does well with largely black audiences, the 

film should rouse enthusiasm from black church, civic and 

school groups in communities from coast to coast. 

The film contains mock violence, but otherwise is suitable 

for young viewers. Karen Kreps 

DEEPSTAR SIX 

Starring Greg Evigan. Nancy Everhard, Taurean Blacque and 

Miguel Feirer 

Produced by Sean S Cuwiingham and Patrick Markey 

Directed by Sean S Cunningham Written by Lewis Abemathy 

and Geof Miller 

A Tn-Star Pictures release Thnller, rated R Running time 100 

mm Screening date: 1/10/89 

They're trapped! The walls are closing in! There's no 

escaping this terrible thing that just won't stop! It's not 

easy being a movie audience these days. Opening 

weekend for this silliness: $3.3 million. 

How bad is "Deepstar Six?" At the screening we attended in 

Westwood, Calif, one of the stars of the film — the one who 

perhaps has the best role in this soggy underwater thriller — 

sat beside us and laughed derisively along with the rest of the 

audience, and then bolted for the exits before the lights came 

up, apparently ashamed to be recognized. If he can't stand 

being in this movie, why should audiences be expected to pay 

money to see it? 

March, 1989 R-13

REVIEW DIGEST 

Story type key: (Ac) Action: (Ad) Adventure: (An) Animated: (B) 

Biography: (C) Comedy: (Cr) Crime: (D) Drama: (DM) Drama with 

Music: (Doc) Documentary: (F) Fantasy: (H) Horror: (M) Musical; 

(My) Mystery: (OD) Outdoor: (Pol) Political: (R) Romantic: (SF) 

Science Fiction: (Sus) Suspense: (W) Western. 

IS a 

«5 gSs 

Accidental Tourist PG (WB) 

b£ a > nee j Si 

Simply put, "Deepstar Six" is just a cheap "Alien" rip-ott, 

with the accent on cheap. Its one concession to originality 

(forgetting for a moment that there were two other movies in 

production at the same time that had the same premise) is 

that this one takes place deep beneath the sea. The flimsy sets 

and amateurish miniatures don't really convey this, but it is 

supposed to be beneath the sea. 

A ragtag group of engineers and scientists have been sent 

there to install underwater missile bases for the military, but 

darned if they don't unearth some kind of giant, fast-moving, 

camera shy monster. This thing simply swims through the 

story, eating engineers and scientists to-and-fro, without 

actually being shown until way over an hour into the story. 

This is either a nod to Hitchcock's theory by which an 

audience's fear and dread grow proportionally to the amount 

of time which they are prevented from the seeing the killer's 

identity, or else the filmmakers were simply too cheap to build 

a monster. We're guessing the latter, but it's only a guess. 

The group of humans (there seem to be about 30 of them 

when the stoiy opens) is achingly old hat. There's a wisecracker 

or two; there's the requisite black man (Taurean Blacque, 

who dies earlier than we had expected); there's the 

romantic interest; there's the villain whose blind commitment 

to the group's mission puts everyone in peril. And then there's 

the coward (Miguel Ferrer), who provides comic relief, as well 

as the movie's most refined moment. Toward the end, the 

coward freaks out and climbs into the last remaining escape 

pod, and he shoots himself to the surface without being able to 

decompress. As he rises to freedom, blood starts streaming out 

of all of his orifices, then he explodes. Sure, it's a blatant 

rip-off from "Brideshead Revisited," but what fun! 

The claustrophobia experienced by the doomed crew in this 

cockamamie actioner is exceeded only by that of the 

audience, as they look desperately for an inIi ,niil \\'()iider just 

how much more contempt Hollywood ( ,in sl^nw lor us ticketbuyers. 

With "Leviathan" and "The Abv.sN' \\,ntni;.;iM tlii' wings, 

the best that one can say about "Ucep.stai Six" is that 

there's no place to go but up. Which is exactly what the 

exploding coward said as he climbed into that escape pod. 

Rated R for gore and language— Tom Matthews

II 

SNEAK PREVIEWS 

following films are tentatively scfieduled 

(sflr release during the months of May and 

ne 

The distributors, however cannot stress 

-ongly enough that these dates and titles are 

b/ect to change 

NTITLED KEVIN COSTNER 

This title-less dramatic comedy, tormerly 

lown as "Shoeless Ice," stars Kevin Costner 

an Iowa farmer who follows the voices in 

s head which tell him to build a baseball 

adium in his corn field. Burt Lancaster, lames 

irl Jones, Amy Madigan and Ray Liotta star in 

lis whimsical vehicle, which is written and 

reeled by Phil Alden Robinson ("All of Me," 

n the Mood"). A Universal release 

HE ABYSS 

Further evidence that there are precious 

w new ideas in Hollywood, this is the third 

spense movie this year which is set underater. 

This one, though, has the best pediee, 

because it is directed by "The Terminaand 

"Aliens" director lames Cameron It 

ars Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastran- 

>nio as employees of an underwater oil rig 

ho are threatened by some l

PG. 

R, 

, 125 

PG 

R, 

BOXOFFICE 

1 DEC 

Atlantic 

Releasing 

(213) 650-2500 

(212) 213-3232 

For Queen and Country. D 

Denzei 

Buena Vista 

(818) 560-5151 

„ C. PG-13. Martm Short. 

New York Stories. Antti . Woody Allen 

Nick Nolle, Rosanna Arquette 

Bank Job. C, R, Corben Bemsen, Lou 

Cannon 

(213) 658-2100 

Kinjite. Ac, Charles Bronson, Peggy Lipton 

Columbia 

(818) 954-6000 

(212) 751-4400 

PG 13, 

Dan Aykroyd, Kim Basingcc, Jon 

Lawrence ol Arabia, AD, Peter Toole, 

Alec Guiness, Anthony Ouinn 

True Believer. D, James Woods, Robert 

Downey J( 

) Beverly Hills. C, Shelley Long, 

nlures ol Mllo and Otis. Adv 

Robin Williams, Eric I 

MGM/UA 

(213) 444-1500 

133 mm , 

Dustin Hoffman. 

Pays, Richard Crenna 

New Line 

Cinema 

(212) 239-8880 

New World 

(213) 444-8100 

i/inona Ryder. Christia 

Orion 

(213) 282-0550 

(212) 696-9450 

„C, llOmin.PG. 

Steve Martin, tiflicliael Came, Glenne 

Headley 

mm, R, Gene 

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. C, i 

Winters, Keanu Reeves, George Carlin 

Heart ol Dixie. D, Phoebe Cafes. Virgini 

Madsen, Ally Sheedy 

Paramount 

(213) 468-5000 

(212) 333-4600 

Naked Gun. C, 85 mm 

, 

13, Le; 

Nielsen, Pnscilla Presley, Ricardo 

fviontalban 

The Experts. C. John Travolta, Ayre Gross 

Pet Sematary. H, Fred Gv^nne 

Cousins. C. Ted Danson. Isabella 

Rossellmi, Sean Young, William L 

. C, Richard Dreyfuss 

Sing, Mus , 

Lorraine Bracco, Patfi La 

Tri-Star 

(213) 201-2300 

Tap. M Gregory Mines, Sammy Davis, Jr 

Who's Harry Crumb?. C. John Candy. 

Slaves ot New York. C, Bemadette P 

Chris Sarandon, fWary Beth Hurt 

Chances Are. C, Cybil Shepherd, Rot 

20th Century 

Fox 

(213) 277-2211 

(212) 977-5500 

Working Girl. C, 1 13 mm Melanie 

, 

Griffith, Harrison Ford, Sigourney Weaver 

Cocoon Th« flelurn. F, 116 mm 

, PG. Don 

Ameche, Hume Cronym, Jessica Tandy, 

Steve Guttenberg, Brian Dennefiy 

Fly It. thr, R, Eric Slolt2, Daphne Zuniga 

Skin Deep, C. R, John Riner 

Say Anything, C. John Cusack 

Universal 

(818) 777-1000 

(212) 759-7500 

Tlie Walchers, Ttir. Corey Haim, 

Twins. C, 103 mm , 

Arnold 

Sthwaizenegger, Danny DeVilo 

. C, Tom Hanks, Came F 

Warner Bros. 

(818) 954-6000 

(212) 484-8000 

. Mys. Tom Sellech Lean on Me. D, PG-13. Morgan Freeman I Bang. AC, Don Johnson

, James 

. Kieter 

FEATURE CHART — MARCH 198S 

Hard Rain, D. Tom Selleck 

•'^ »'$ Little Girl, C. R. Tony Danza 

Ghoslbusters II, C. Bill Murray. Dan 

Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis. 

Sigourney Weaver 

ii, C, Michael J Fox, Sean 

Karate Kid III. D. Pat Monta. Ralph 

Macchio 

Rob Reiner Untitled, C. Billy Crystal. Meg 

Ryan. Carrie Fisher. Bruno Kirby 

Kirk Cameron Untitled, CD. Kirk Cameron. 

Jami Gertz. Roy Scheider 

License Revoked. Ad. Timottiy Dalton 

i Zone, C. John Candy. Joe Flaherty. 

le Levy. Tim Matheson. Peter Boyle. 

ne\ Spinx. Tom and Dick Smothers 

5 KristoBerson. Cheryl 

ige, C. 

Rick Moranis. 

. C. Mark Harmon. Madelin 

Diamond Phillips 

Sutherland. Lou 

Ttie Dream Team, C. Michael I Sea of Love, D. Al Pacino. Ellen Barkin 

Belushi. Mel F 

Lethal Weapon II, 

Ac. Mel Gibson. Danny

3 

) 

3 

s

Oxford, 

) 

Clearing House 

RATES: 75c per word, minimum $20, $7 50 

extra for box number assignment Send copy w,' 

check to BOXOFFICE, P O Box 25485. Ctiicago, 

ILL, 60625, at least 60 days prior to publication 

BOX NO. ADS: Reply to ads with box numbers 

by writing to BOXOFFICE, P O Box 25485. 

Chicago. ILL 60625; put ad box # on your letter 

and in lower left corner of your envelope Please 

use ff 10 envelopes or smaller for your replies. 

HELP WANTED 

MANAGEMENT: Opportunities are availble for experimeed 

multiplex managers and assistant managers 

'lease send resume to William Homer, Cobb Theatres, 

)24 Montclair Road, Birmingham, AL 35213. Replies 

be held in strictest confidence 

THEATRE MANAGER. Experience necessary Four 

«;reens. two theatres. Specialty ' Art Bay area locaion. 

California Send Resume and Salary requirements 

Boxoffice #4669 

XPERIENCED MANAGERS WANTED for our existng 

Michigan theatres and new multiplexes to open dur- 

1989 in Indiana- For professional theatre managers 

offer competitive pay, and incentive program, medcal/ 

dental /optical. Send resumes to Goodrich The- 

J9508 

Inc, 3565 29th Street. SE. Kenhwood, IVII 

THEATRE CIRCUIT ENGINEER—TECHNICIAN Agressive, 

expanding theatre circuit seeking top-flight 

engineer / technician with administrative experience. 

Salary commensurate with experience. All replies conidential. 

Please send replies to Boxoffice #4670. 

QUIPMENT FOR SALE 

-OWEST PRICES HIGHEST QUALITY: NEW AND 

JSED PROJECTORS, SOUND SYSTEfvIS; New Xenon 

3ulbs, carbons, lenses, seating, automation. No one 

sells for less Dealer most mfg's "NEW STEREO 

;QUIPMENT" FACTORY PACKAGED OR CUSTOIVI 

SYSTEMS featuring ULTRA STEREO, SMART. EPRAD 

1 Others, call The Theatre Doctor for Stereo Installaion 

or Booth Service, Smith Sound and Projection, 

3922 Nolen Avenue SE.. Huntsville, AL 35801. Phone 

(205) 534-2824. 

'ROVEN AFFORDABLE ACTION LIGHTING! Four 

ihannel marquee belts Rope lighting, Multi Effect solid 

controllers Top quality 11 SI 4 bulbs (11 watt 

130 volt) 3,000 hour Available in eleven colors. 39 

each (not a misprint). Minimum quantity 120 

5ulbs. Distributor for all types of bulbs. Action Lighting, 

nc. 406-586-5105, 

COMPLETE THEATRE EQUIPMENT: (New. Used or 

Rebuilt) Century SA. R3. RCA 9030, 1040, 1050 Platters: 

3 and 5 Tier. Xenon Systems 1000-4000 Watt. 

Sound Systems mono and stereo, automations, ticket 

machines, curtain motors, electric rewinds, lenses, 

parts and many more items in stock COMMERCIAL 

large screen video projectors Plenty of used chairs 

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AND INSTALLATION 

AVAILABLE DOLBY CERTIFIED Call Bill Younger 

Cinema Equipment Inc., 9418 N,W, 13 Street, Miami. 

Florida 33172 (305) 594-0570 

PROJECTION LENSES available new, like new. used 

Anamorphics—ISCO Ultra MC2X $450. Benoist Hypergonar 

$375. Kowa $325. Sankor $300 ISCO Magnaoom's 

$325. Phme lenses: ISCO Ultra MC 90MM to 

50MM $300. Other lenses as low as $75 Wnte for 

price on Magnacom's for 70MM in 70 6MM Dia & 4" 

for D-150. Todd-AO, Dome type Iscovision, Omnivision, 

Tropel, Spacearium. more. Int'l Cinema. 6750 

N.E. 4th Court, Miami, FL 33138, Ph: 305-756-0699. 

FAX: 305-758-2036, Telex 522071, 

SPECIAL PRICING on select types of Xenon bulbs 

Surplus but new— never used 

Warranty same as original 

Supplies limited Osram 4000-W/HS $1,200. 

450W/V $300 ORC lOOOW'V $325. 2000W/HS 

$425. 2000WHTP $425. 1600HTP $400: Christie 

2500HTP $600. 3000W/H $600 Hanovia 4200W/V 

$900 Have many special hard to find lamps Hurry! 

Int'l Cinema. 6750 N E, 4th Court. Miami, FL 33138, 

Ph: 305-756-0699. FAX: 305-758-2036, Telex 

522071. 

MULTIPLEXING, building, 

upgrading? We have largest 

selection pre-owned equipment in US A Rebuilt 

has two year warranty Save thousands Trades 

accepted Century JJII 35-'70 W/ Lens /Aperture 

changer. 4000W Christie Console, PGS Arms, Automation, 

CP-200 Fully Loaded W/Sr updates, Christie 

AW35/70 platter 8 Mut, three JBL 4657 speakers- 

Total System . $38,500. Bauer U4 W/Auto turret, 

lamphouse, pedestal, reel arms $4,995 Noreico FP-20 

$2,900 Noreico DP-75 35/70MM $4,995 Sound 

Investments—Dolby CP-100 $4,000, CP-50 $3,000. 

CP-55 $3,995, Altec 2200 $500. Cinemeccanica C-55 

AMPS $400. JBL 4675 speakers $1,200. Cinema 

Radio Drive In Sound System $495. Smart SR300 Processor 

$1,400, Eprad Starscope Processor $1,400. 

Exporters invited International Cinema, 6750 N.E 4th 

Court. Miami. FL 33138, Ph: 305-756-0699, FAX: 

305-758-2036. Telex 522071 

BLOW QUT SALE! Century Soundheads new ( 1 

MR-3-E $200 00. ( IPr ) MTR-4 used $200,00. Super 

Simplex $100,00. E7 simplex $200 00, Magnarc Lamphouses 

$100 00 Lots of Magnarc parts. Simplex and 

Century Bases $150 00. Rewinds, Hand $50 00 up 

pair, Numade automatic $150 00, Reels 35mm EZ 24" 

& 26" $50 00, Strong IKW rectifiers $50,00, De VRY 

35mm XD $1000 00 pair, E7 Simplex Arc Booth complete 

$5000 00 pair, G E Selsyns $50 00, Many misc. 

items, Lenses, benches, drive gears at low prices. Contact 

DICK BARTEL at 189 Linden Ave, San Bruno, CA, 

94066 Phone (415) 871-4900. 

FOR SALE: 300 good, used theatre seats, one 1940 

Manley floor model popcorn machine, one Cinemascope 

movie screen All in good, usable condition Call 

(605) 285-6138, or write to Ray Bachman, Box K, 

Bowdle. S D, 57428. 

BURLAP WALL COVERING DRAPES: $1 68 per 

yard, flame retardant Quantity discounts. Nurse & Co.. 

Millbury Rd 

, MA 01530 (508) 832-4295, 

EQUIPMENT WANTED 

DOLBY CP-50'S OR 55'S. Century "Slider" 

motorized 

lens changer with or w/o motorized aperture 

changer Willis Johnson (312) 968-1600 

TUBE-TYPE EQUIPMENT by Western Electric. Westrex. 

Langevin. Mcintosh. Marantz, Quad, ARC Early 

speaker systems, units by W E Jensen. Altec. JBL. 

EV. RCA, Tannoy. Telephone (818) 701-5633, Audio 

City, P O Box 786, Northridge, CA 91328-0786 

THEATRES FOR SALE 

TEXAS GULF COAST Port Lavaca. Texas. "TWIN 

DOLPHINS " Port Lavaca, near Victona, Texas Building, 

land and business Seats 456-228 each side 

Priced under market $350,000 Owner wants to retire 

RUSSELL CAIN REAL ESTATE. Box 565. Port Lavaca. 

TX 77979 (512) 552-6313 

TWIN THEATRE Tequesta. Florida 281 seats, shopping 

center, low rent, automated, stereo Play American 

and foreign films. Owner wants to retire. Asking 

$75.000.00 (407) 746-9781- 

FOR SALE: Operating 590 seat indoor with 2 apartments, 

plus a very modern drive-in theatre in college 

town with diversified economy. Only theatres in a 25 

mile radius Located in the Rocky Mountain West 

Great hunting and fishing $140,000 takes all Call 

(307) 754-421 1 evenings 

FOR SALE by owner, beautiful single screen theatre in 

the heart of Wisconsin Vacationland, Tomahawk. Wisconsin, 

430 seat theatre with living quarters and video 

store. Well maintained building downtown location- 

Excellent money maker Make an Offer- Ask for Tim 

(715) 623-4570, 

WASHINGTON STATE-Historic 1928 theatre building—rural 

community— nearest theater 25 milesl Building 

and equipment only $54,000- Contact Century-21 

Pacific Properties, 625 Heath Street, Raymond, Washington 

98577 (206) 942-5521 

THEATRES WANTED 

INDOOR THEATRES for lease or sale Eastern, Southern 

or Midwestern states sought by well-financed independents 

Inquines confidential- Information to Louis 

Silverman, 2715 Dysart Avenue, Altoona, PA 16602, 

Call (814) 943-1880 

THEATRE SEATING 

ALLSTATE SEATING, INC. Specialists in auditorium 

and theatre seating service, installation, covers Phone 

(617) 436-3448 

"SEATING SPECIALISTS" New & used seats 

Installations 

anywhere! Good American (red) Bodiform 

chairs from $15 00 Good to excellent Irwins from 

$25 50 Heywood and Massey rockers New Hussey 

chairs TANKERSLEY ENTERPRISES, PO Box 

36009. Denver. CO 80236 Phone (303) 980-8265, 

TRI STATE SEATING AND INSTALLATION CO. 

Used seats & parts, sales & service, preventive maintenance 

programs, complete 8 partial renovations to 

accommodate your budget, acoustical wallcoverings 

and more Services offered throughout the United 

States and Canada, Free Information: (313) 928- 

THEATRE REMODELING 

FOR TWINNING THEATRES call or write Friddel Construction, 

Inc , 402 Green River Drive, Montgomery. TX 

77358 (409) 588-2667 

MULTIPLEXING THEATRES We can perform all functions 

from consulting to complete turnkey package professionally 

and efficiently with minimum down time. 

Write or call Bill Clark, Quadrants Construction, (313) 

261-9800, 12425 Stark Road. Livonia, Ml 48150 

MARQUEES, SIGNS 

LEASE OR PURCHASE PLANS: Replacement Marquee 

letters shipped immediately. BUX-MONT Electrical 

Advertising Systems, Horsham. PA, 19044, Call 

(215) 675-1040, 

THEATRE DESIGN 

THEATRE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS-Complete 

architectural, structural, mechanical, plumbing, 

and electrical drawings and specifications. Proven successful 

design. Various seat counts for twins up to 

8-plex $600.00 per auditorium. Call (303) 421- 

9516. 

DRIVE-IN CONSTRUCTION 

SCREEN TOWERS INTERNATIONAL New. Used, 

Transplanted, Complete Tower Service Plus Indoor 

Screens Box 399-Rogers, TX 76569, 817-642- 

3591 

DRIVE-IN SCREEN TOWERS Since 1945 Selby 

Industries, Inc. P.O. Box 267, Richfield, Ohio 44286 

(216) 659-6631. 

MISCELLANEOUS 

WANTED: CASH PAID FOR MOVIE POSTERS. No 

Amount Too Small or Large— All inquiries answered. 

Gregg Sabbatino, 488 Henley Avenue, New Milford, 

N J 07646. 201-262-3513. 

WANTED: Collections of movie posters and lobby 

cards Will buy a few or many. Older materials preferred, 

but will consider all offers. Call (213) 651- 

5618. 

March, 1989 119

' 

.' 

READ THIS AD 

STANDING UP 

bianamg wosn T nara was it 

In foct. vou pJODODly didn t even 

think about it You automoticallv 

flexed o few leg muscles ana 

presto— you were up Well, for tialf 

a million Americans it isn't ttiat 

easy In fact, it s impossible 

due to spinal cord injuties But 

witfi your tielp. ttiey can get out 

A cure for paralysis is possible - 

thanks to the Mate Buoniconti 

Fund/Miami Project To Cure 

Paralysis, a national research 

project based at the University ot 

Miami Jackson IVIemorlal fêdical 

Center and headed by some ot 

the world's most preeminent 

1 can bring us one 

step closer to finding this cure 

And if you're wondering whether 

or not to contribute, maybe we 

can help you decide Sit bdck 

down-and just imagine how 

you' 

1-800-STAND-UP. 

THE MIAMI PROJECT TO CURE PARALVSIS 

Fiddling Wraparound 

Fixed Slraighl or Curved Po 

Ad Index 

Alpro Acoustics 100 

American Desk Mfg. Co 22 

American Licorice Co 12 

American Theatre Products 31 

Ashly Audio, Inc 

SW-27 

AudioFAX. Inc 99 

AudioRents, Inc 92 

AutomatiCket 100 

Bass Industries. Inc 

SW-47 

Bevelite-Adler 90 

C Cretors & Co 17 

Capitol City Supply Co 

SW-24 

Christie Electric Corp C-2 

Cinema Computer Systems 

SW-21 

Cinema Concepts Theatre Service, Inc 33 

Cinema Equip Sales of California, Inc 90 

Cinema Film Systems 15 

Cinemeccanica U.S., Inc C-3 

Coca-Cola USA 3 

Corporate Design 99 

Crest Sales of Texas 100 

Crown Industries, Inc 108 

Deep Vision 3-D 96 

Dolby Laboratories 

SW-31 

Eickhof Projection & Sound 97 

Eastman Kodak Co 

SW-8, SW-38 

Filmack Studios 107 

Forest Bay Construction 27 

Frazier Inc 

SW-44 

Goldberg Brothers 16 

Gold Medal Products Co 103 

Good Stuff Beverage Co 96 

Greer Enterprises, Inc 

SW-20 

Hadden Theatre Supply Co 106 

Hayes Equipment Supply 107 

Hershey Foods Corp 

SW-5 

Joe Hornstein, Inc 101 

Hurley Screens 100 

Hussey Seating Co 13 

Intermedia Designs 105 

Intermission Productions Ltd 97 

International Cinema Equipment Co , Inc 

SW-49 

Irwin Seating C-4 

JBL Professional 

SW-17 

Just Born, Inc 

SW-23 

Kinotone 

SW-35 

Kintek, Inc 

Klipsch & Associates, Inc 

SW-4; 

SW-4 

L&L Decor, Inc. /Applied Lighting 

SW-24, SW-50, 9: 

Lawrence Metal Products 10( 

Lucasfilm Ltd/THX Sound Systems SW-2! 

MTS Northwest Sound, Inc 9 

Manutech 9< 

The Marble Company 

SW-4( 

Mark IV Cinema Systems 

SW-5 

Nick Mulone & Sons 12( 

Navitar/DO Industries 

New World Pictures 

SW-1( 

SW-: 

Odell's 91 

Openings 102, 104, 10' 

Optical Radiation Corp 

Original Cookie Company 

SW-lf 

Osram Sales Corp 1 

Pacer Corp 

Pepsi-Cola Food Service Division 

Perdue Motion Picture Equip., Inc 

Pike Productions of Boston 

SW-i; 

SW-5; 

lOi 

SW-3. 

Proctor Companies 

102, 10^ 

QSC Audio Products 

SW-3: 

RGM Industries 

SW-2: 

Reed Speaker Co 9: 

Ricos Products 

SW-5i 

Ringold Theatre Equipment Co 10 

SVS Films 

SW-' 

Sculptured Wall Systems 2; 

Seating Concepts 

SW-3! 

Showtimes Information Systems 9! 

' 

Sigma Design Group 

Silver King Refrigeration 

Smart Theatre Systems 

lOi 

SW-2 

Soundfold International 10 

SPECO 9 

Stein Industries 

Strong International 

SW-3 

Teccon Enterprises Ltd 2 

Technikote Corp 10 

Telncom 2 

Theatre Systems 9 

Theatron Data Systems 

SW-1 

Theatre Video Products 12 

Ultra-Stereo Labs, Inc 2 

Universal Pictures 

SW- 

Wagner Zip-Change, Inc 9 

Weldon. Williams & Lick 10 

Edw. H. Wolk, Inc 10 

Wyandot. Inc 10 

ailui 

MA Conventional 

Fixed Straight or Curved Position 

NICK MULONE & SON 

PITTSBURGH STReET CHESWICK PA 15024 

St£ VOUfl IHtAlRE SUPPLY DEALER 

QC^ BUS (1121 2746646 

s^ [JZ^ RES 1412)274-9547 

^ 

Responsf No 245 

Harold Yuker is Provost 

of Hofstra University. 

He has cerebral palsy. 

President's Comtnittee on 

Employment of the Handicapped 

Washington, D.C. 20210 

Let's not be deaf 

to the needs of the 

disabled for jobs. 

President's Committee on 

Employment of the Handicapped 

Washington. D.C. 20210 

^^^_ .^-^^ \l()

-" 

,

A company with over 

six decades of 

dedication to the motion 

picture theater industry 

A company committed to 

the continuous refinement 

of projection and optical systemi 

A company with 

new products and 

traditional qnahty 

Stii Avenue North, Clearwat( 

TEL: 813-573-3011 

FAX: 813-572-0136

A Celebration of Innovation 

\ 

ISC 

id innovative design, ere; 

Available in 3 back types and decon 

aisle standards: wood, plastic, and upholstc 

Optional wood or upholstered inserts attach nc 

to the bottom of the plastic seat sij 

The seat and back components are also interchangeabi 

existing Irwin installatie 

A untried concept that will stand the test ofti

Boxoffice-March.1989

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