Boxoffice-December.1991

c
I he business magazine of

NEW FROM CHRISTIE
THE SLC-S
The Christie Xenolite Console with Stereo Sound Rack
The 1990's ushers in the state-of-the-art in film projection
equipment at Christie. The Christie Xenolite console features:
• Pre-set Automatic Flat/Scope
Bulb Adjustments
• 11 V2" Dichroic Metal Mirror
• Computer Generated Optics
• Factory Laser-Aligned Optical Bench
• Motorized 3-Axis Bulb Adjustment
Remote Bulb Focus
Stereo Sound Rack
Revolutionary Pressurized Plenum
Cooling System
Design Flexibility and Construction
®
18120 South Broadway, Gardena, CA 90248 Tel (213) 715-1402 • FAX
(213) 618-8368
Response No. 1

1
WHEN IT COMES TO
TELEPHONE TICKET SALES,
EVERYONE'S GOT
.il«'iiiV-h
OUR NUMBER.
mmi
CALL333-FILM
Y)ur what where and when
guide to the movies.
''"'''•i'"- -I" I'.''-.. »' ..f.;.:h.ii'::^' I
Mili
:iJk_ij
CALL444-FILN
Your what where and when
guide to the movies.
7r«i,i,,'kii!nut{,.
^iiimuoiii ^.M mmMmmwm^.
'.:i, I'.r,. ii' ,:! 'j!ir;!.li"lf|i'..:/!iW/:f;i:KlITrF
h
' ''n.::;iWiff::'!Wi)i'-„';iifiiiiii;-
CALL888-FILM
Your what where and when
guide to the movies.
p l

The business magazine of ttie motion picture industry
DECEMBER, 1991 VOL.127 NO. 12
The subject mailer oj art is life, life as it actually is;
but thefunction of art is to make life better.
-George Santayana
ON THE COVER
Kevin Kline, Mary McDonnell and Steve Martin
star in "Grand Canyon," a compelling
urban drama from writer-director Lawrence
Kasdan. The Twentieth Century Fox release
opens wide Christmas day. (See cover story,
page 14)
Cover photo by Firooz Zahedi
i /
£vy

This Season's Hottest Sequel.
Cinema Sound.
i-wn,- ^L'C|iicl lias a .sLicccssfiil
predecessor, andJBL Cinema
Sound Systems are no exception.
I'or years, they have been
a box office smash, and our
newest 1( )ucLspeaker systems
are destined to get two thumbs
tip from the toughe.st critics of all...
\\u- movie goinji public.
Behind The Screen.
I c )r superior matching to
\ arious .screen sizes and
exhibition areas, JBL
Cinema Sound Systems
provide a choice of single
or dual direct radiator low
lree|uency designs. With
premiere components like
I >ur patented titanium
diaphragm compression
drivers. Vented Gap
Cooling (VGC) low frequency
loudspeakers and exclusive
Bi-Radial® horns, your toughe.st
system rec|uirements can easily be met.
Plus, to help \'ou save time and money we've significantly
reduced installation costs by partially pre-assembling the sy.stems.
Behind the Scene.
As good as any cinema loudspeaker might be, you c:in't .stand
behind the product if tlie manufacturer won't .stand behind
you 100%. That's why .specifyingJBL Cinema Sound Systems
marks the beginning of a true long-term pannership. "^'ou're
never without immediate and ccjmpleie technical support. Atid,
the inventory you need to make your biggest order happen
in the shortest po.ssible time is in the warehou.se and ready to
ship. Today.
Like you, we know that "cinema sound magic" is really the result
ot ver\- hard work. That's why we put ,so much effon into making
JBL Cinema Sound Systems the number one sequel of the season.
JBL Professional
8500 Balboa Boulevard, Noithridge, CA 91329
H A Harman International Company

HOLLYWOOD UPDATES
Rosalie Swedlin, one of Hollywood's most
powerful agents, has left Michael Ovitz's Creative
Artists Agency for a five-year production
deal with Universal Pictures that the studio
hopes will net three to four films per year.
Swedlin, who co-headed CAA's motion picture
department, had a client list that included
directors Martin Scorsese, Alan Parker and
Philip Kaufman. It is expected that her first film
for Universal will bean adaptation of Richard
Price's soon to be published novel "dockers,"
which will be directed by Scorsese after
the latter completes his next project, an adaptation
of Edith Wharton's novel "The Age of
Innocence," for Columbia. "Clockers," meanwhile,
was the subject of much controversy at
MCA/Universal after the studio agreed to pay
a whopping $1 .9 mill ion for rights to the novel
and Price's services as screenwriter. According
to studio insiders, MCA motion picture
group chairman Tom Pollock, who's been
trying to implement an austerity program, was
angered that Universal production president
Casey Silver made the deal without consulting
him, and tried to steer the rights to Paramount,
where producer Scott Rudin was reportedly
interested in the project. Price, however, demanded
that Universal make good on its bid
because he wanted to work with Scorsese and
Swedlin. (Price has previously scripted "The
Color of Money" and a segmentof "New York
Stories" for Scorsese.)
Pint-sized superstar Macaulay Culkin is
branching out. Following his appearance in
Fox's "Home Alone 2: Alone in New York,"
Vv-hich begins shooting this month in the Big
Apple, he'll appear in the psychological
thriller "The Good Son" for the studio. The
original screenplay, by novelist Ian McEwan
("The Comfort of Strangers"), tells the story of
the effect the title character (an evil, manipulative
child to be played by Culkin) has on his
orphaned cousin. The film was originally set
to go into production this fall under the direction
of Michael Lehmann ("Hudson Hawk"),
but was postponed to fit Culkin's schedule. It
is uncertain whether Lehmann, who didn't
think Culkin was right for the role, or Mary
Steenburgen, who was set to play the Culkin
character's mother, will be involved with the
film when it goes before the cameras next fall.
Richard and Lili Zanuck, the Oscar-winning
producers of "Driving Miss Daisy," have
signed an exclusive, three-year agreement
with beleaguered MCM. The Zanuck Co. currently
has two films in the works for MCM:
"Rush," which will be released this Christmas
and marks Lili's directorial debut; and "Rich
in Love," which reunites the Zanucks with
"Daisy" director Bruce Beresford and writer
Alfred Uhry. It is the second long-term talent
pact the studio has entered into under the
direction of chairman Alan Ladd, who previously
inked a deal with "Rush" star lason
Patric. MCM is still in the midst of a legal
power struggle involving Ladd, various lenders
and Italian financier Giancarlo Parretti.
Richard Zanuck, a longtime associate of
Ladd's, said he has "every confidence in Laddie
and his efforts in turning MCM around,
and it will give me great pleasure to play a role
in this endeavor."
Jonathan Lynn, who directed the upcoming
loe Pesci comedy "My Cousin Vinny" (which
was very well-received at ShowEast) for
Twentieth Century Fox, has signed a twoyear,
first-look deal with the studio. Lynn's
first project under the agreement will be a
remake of loseph L. Mankiewicz's 1 947 classic
"The Ghost and Mrs. Muir," which starred
Rex Harrison and Gene Tierney. Lynn previously
directed the sleeper hit comedy "Nuns
on the Run" for Fox.
Pat Proft, who co-wrote the two highlysuccessful
"Naked Gun" films with the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker
team, has signed a
two-year exclusive deal to write and produce
for Paramount, jerry and David Zucker also
have a deal at Paramount;)im Abrahams, with
whom Proft also co-wrote this summer's hit
"Hot Shots," has a deal with Fox, which released
that film. Proft, a former standup comedian
and prolific television sitcom writer, also
scripted the upcoming Paramount comedy
"Lame Ducks," which stars John Turturro.
JVC-backed Largo Entertainment, producer
Lawrence Gordon's production company,
announced that it would be releasing
future product through Universal Pictures as
well as Twentieth Century Fox. Cordon
started Largo in August, 1989 with a three
picture, non-exclusive deal with Fox. Since
then, two of the company's films, "Point
Break" and "The Super," have been released
by Fox, the former bringing in a healthy $41
million at the domestic boxoffice, while the
latter had a weak opening in early October.
Currently lensing is "Used People" starring
Shirley MacLaine, while "Unlawful Entry,"
starring Kurt Russell and Ray Liotta, will begin
shooting October 21; both films will be released
by Fox. Largo is also co-financing Spike
Lee's "Malcolm X," and will be responsible
for foreign distribution on that film.
Bits and Pieces: Cult fave David
Cronenberg("The Fly"; "Dead Ringers") is set
to direct the screen adaptation of David
Henry Hwang's Tony Award-winning "M.
Butterfly" for Geffen Film Co. Nocastyet, but
lohn Lithgow won raves on Broadway for his
performance as the real-life diplomat who had
a long-term affair with a Japanese man whom
he believed to be a woman; Anthony Hopkins
played the role in London. Cronenberg's latest,
an adaptation of William S. Burroughs
literary classic "Naked Lunch," is due in January
from Twentieth Century Fox. ..Actor/director
Sidney Poitier has been named the 20th
recipientof the American Film Institute's Life
Achievement Award, which will be presented
next March. Poitier will be the first black to
receive the award.. .Francis Ford Coppola will
direct the Quincy Jones Entertainment Co.
adaptation of the current bestseller "). Edgar
Hoover: The Man and the Secrets" following
completion of his "Dracula" film for Columbia.
No word yet on who will play the notorious
former FBI head.
EDITOR AND ASSOCIATE
PUBLISHER
Harley W. Lond
SENIOR EDITOR
Jeff Schwager
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Marilyn Moss
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
John Allen
Bruce Austin
Arttiur Byron Cover
Mari Florence
Alan Karp
Karen Kreps
Fern Siegel
Mort Wax (International News)
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Diana Karanikas
CORRESPONDENTS
BALTIMORE: Kale Savage, 301-367-4964. BOSTON- Guy Livingston,
617-782-3266: CHARLOTTE Charles Leonard, 704-333-
0444: CINCINNATI Tony Rutherford, 304-525-3837, CLEVELAND:
Elaine Fried, 216-991 -3797: DALLAS Mary Crump, 214-821-981 1
,
DULUTH/TWIN CITIES Roy Wirtzfeld, 218-722-7503, FLORIDA
Lois Baumel, 407-588-6786, Rhonda P Hunsinger, 407-292-
6359, HOUSTON Ted Roggen. 713-789-6216, MILWAUKEE- Walter
L Meyer, 414-692-2753, NEW ENGLAND Allen M Widem.
203-232-3101: NEW ORLEANS Wendeslaus Schuiz, 504-282-
0127: NEW YORK Fern Siegel, 212-228-7497: NORTH DAKOTA
David Forth, 701-943-2476, OREGON: Bob Rusk. 503-861-3185:
PHILADELPHIA: Maurie Orodenker. 215-567-4748, RALEIGH
Raymond Lowery. 901-787-0928, SAN ANTONIO William R
Burns. 512-223-8913, x704, TOLEDO Anna Kline. 419-531-4623.
CANADA: Maxine McBean. 463-249-6039: DUBLIN Doug Payne,
Dublin, Ireland |+353] 402-35543, AUSTRALIA/PACIFIC Mark A
Barbeliuk, 011-61-2-502-4158
FOUNDER
Ben Shylen
PUBLISHER
Bob Dietmeier
(312)338-7007
NATIONAL ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
Robert M. Vale
(213)465-1186
ADVERTISING CONSULTANT
Morris Schlozman
(816)942-5877
BUSINESS MANAGER
Dan Jotinson
(312)338-7007
CIRCULATION DIRECTOR
Chuck Taylor
(312)922-9326
OFFICES
Editorial and Publishing Headquarters:
6640 Sunset Blvd.. Suite 100. Hollywood, CA
90028-7159 (213) 465-1186, FAX: (213) 465-
5049
Corporate: Mailing Address: P.O. Box 25485.
Chicago, IL 60625 ^(312) 338-7007
The
Audit
Bureau
Circulation Inquiries:
BOXOFFICE Data Center
1020S, Wabash Ave.,
Chicago, IL 60605
(312)922-9326
FAX: (312) 922-7209
pniNIEO WITH
IsoyinkI
6 Boxoffice

IT TAKES THE BEST TECHNOLOGY
ENGINEERING AND SERVICE
TO FINISH LAST
OSRAM IS the number one supplier of Xenon bulbs in the
United States, Canada and the rest of the world because we
always finish last. Our Xenon bulbs last longer than any other
OSRAM Xenon bulbs are known to regularly operate
up to 50% beyond their rated life. This means that a
2000W bulb with a warranty of 2,000 hours can last up to
3.000 hours. This offers you significant savings in
operating costs.
And, here are just a few of the many services we offer
you; OSRAM maintains a staff of warranty test engineers
and a facility unmatched in the industry Each and every
lamp returned for evaluation is thoroughly tested and a
computer generated analysis is provided. We have field
engineers who will visit your theatre and provide
technical advice. We do this to be sure your projection
systems are in top operating condition.
All orders are shipped within twenty-four hours and
second-day delivery is standard. If necessary we can
ship the same day and you'll have delivery in 24 hours.
The OSRAM insurance program guarantees that your
lamp will
we maintain offices and warehousing on both coasts.
be delivered safely To better serve your needs,
OSRAM invented the Xenon bulb over forty years
ago, and it changed the film exhibition industry It paved the
way for today's multiplex theatres with sophisticated
automation systems. OSRAM, the third largest lighting
manufacturer in the world, is dedicated to providing
the highest quality and the most innovative lighting products.
These are just a few examples of how OSRAM offers
you the best technology engineering and service in the
industry which is why we're so proud to finish last,
j^s
For further information call 1-800-338-2542. [T*AJ
TECHNOLOGY BROUGHT TO LIGHT
Response No. 5
OSRAM

.
.
l"81j,
ONE feature;
OUR cow
DOESN'TWAN
Concession Express^" lets
you promote and pre-sell
concession packages at the
box office to dramatically
increase throughput and per
capita sales
PC compadhilky ensures
that your system will never
become obsolete -
irr=^.-l
K
Graphic Movie Sc/iedii(mg
not/ling's /aster or better
at helping you organize
showtimes artd concession
stand traffic for optimum
pro/ita/iilif\.
PT
* « ^
\
Ticfceis are big, bold and
fcar-cotied for instant audit
capability. And. they're
color-coded for better showtime
identification.
Communication that lets
you collect the data you need
in a form you can use , rrtaximijing
home office control.
Matinee Mode lets yuu
economize during slow periods
by selling tickets from
your concession stand

.
I'RESENTXnON
PETITION
r YOU TO SEE.
Frequent moviegoer cluhs. Teleticketing. On-line
box office reporting.
Touch Screen TechnuLigy
at the box office uiui concessiun
itand alhrni you to
complete even the must
complex sale with the touch
of a finger
You may have foreseen these innovations
ten years ago. Unfortunately, most box office systems
didn't.
Which is why we've introduced the most
important innovation of all - the first flexible, PC-compatiplc
biix office system. One that's guaranteed to change
when you change. And grow when you grow.
It all starts in the back office, where you will find
smoother scheduling, easier and taster operations, and better
planning through Microsoft Windows'. '
And at the
box office and concession stand, touch-screen technology
helps you maximize your profits and productivity at the
touch of a finger.
At In-Touch, everything we learned about running a
theatre, we learned from you. After talking with dozens
of managers and exhibitors, we've put our finger on just
what your needs are.
And now, with the resources and
support ot one of the nation's leading financial services
companies - a leader in tc )Lich-screen technology - we let
you put your finger on the solutions.
Eas\ ID read management
reports print quickly at\d
save lime.
24 hour service and the Help
Desk TrackinglReportmg
System assure that In-Touch
is nei'er out of touch.
If you've witnessed the changes exhibition has undergone
in the last ten years, then you know there's still
one change to make. Call Jay Mailer at (212) 366-4600
tor more information
IN'TDUCH
TECHNOLOGIES
Open Minded Systems.
Response No. 9

—
HOLLYWOOD REPORT
Alan Alda
"Sessions" Alan Alda, who
was recently seen on the London
stage in a revival of "Our
Town" and will soon return to
Broadway in Neil Simon's
"Jake's Women," has been taking
some real career chances of
late. After a post-"MASH" decade
of playing it safe with
whiny, sensitive-guy sitcoms
padded to feature length, he finally
decided to start acting
again after stealing the show as
a slimy TV producer in Woody
Allen's "Crimes and Misdemeanors."
In this sensual thriller, he
plays a respected psychiatrist
who helps his protege (Annabella
Sciorra) come to terms
with the sudden death of a patient.
But things really go haywire
when her new lover ()amey
Sheridan) is tagged as the prime
suspect in a murder investigation,
leading the sleuthing
shrinks to a series of bewildering
discoveries, lill Clayburgh
co-stars as Alda's wife, a respected
psychiatrist in her own
right, while Anthony LaPaglia
(who turned in a fine comedic
performance in "29th Street")
plays a detective investigating
the murder. Written and directed
by Chris Crowe, whose
last effort was the Vietnam mystery
"Off Limits." Look for a title
change to avoid confusion with
the Billy Crystal-produced TV
show. (Paramount)
"Used People" Todd Graff,
who played Jodie Foster's crippled
boyfriend in "Five Corners,"
wrote this ensemble story
about a Queens, New York family,
set in 1969. It stars Shirley
MacLaine ("Terms of Endearment")
as a recent widow and
Marcello Mastroianni (making
his American film debut) as her
longtime admirer who begins
wooing her on the day of her
husband's funeral. Kathy Bates
("Misery") and Marcia Gay
Harden ("Miller'sCrossing")costar
as MacLaine's daughters,
while Jessica Tandy ("Driving
Miss Daisy") plays MacLaine's
mother. The legendary Sylvia
Sidney—who made her film
debut in 1929, and in 1936
starred in Hitchcock's "Sabotage"
and Fritz Lang's "Fury"
plays Tandy's best friend.
(MacLaine, Bates and Tandy are
all Oscar winners for Best Actress,
and Bates and Tandy also
co-star in "Fried Green Tomatoes,"
due from LJniversal this
month.) British director Beeban
Kidron ("Antonia and Jane")
makes his American feature
debut. (Fox)
"The Pickle" Paul Mazursky
has had a diverse career— he's
directed everything from the
'60s groundbreaker "Bob &
Carol & Ted & Alice" to the '70s
groundbreaker "An Unmarried
Woman"; and from the hilarious
"Down and Out in Beverly
Hills" to the moving "Enemies:
A Love Story"—but he's never
stooped to directing a teenage
science fiction flick about a flying
pickle. That's what director
Harry Stone, the protagonist of
Mazursky's latest, is forced to
do when he finds his career on
the skids and himself deep in
debt. Convinced he's committed
artistic suicide, Harry caroms
from ex-wives to his young
French girlfriend to his family as
he waits for the ax to fall in the
angst-filled days leading up to
the big premiere. Danny Aiello
stars as Harry, while the supporting
cast includes Jerry
Stiller, Dyan Cannon, Shelley
Winters and Mazursky himself.
(Columbia)
"Frozen Assets" TV stars
Corbin Bernsen ("L.A. Law")
and Shelly Long ("Cheers") hit
the big screen in this lighthearted
romantic comedy. Long
plays Dr. Grace Murdock, an
idealistic biologist who helps
create babies for childless couples.
Bernsen is the owner of a
small town sperm bank who's
looking to raise deposits by
sponsoring a virility contest.
Sound like they've got something
in common? Is this what
Tracy and Hepburn would be
doing if they had been born 50
years later? Only the celluloid
will tell.
"School Ties" This comingof-age
drama takes place in
1955 in an elite New England
prep school. There, a young
man (Brandon Eraser) from a
Pennsylvania coal mining town
gets his big chance when he
wins a scholarship to play quarterback
on the school football
team. But in order to gain the
acceptance of his classmates he
must first overcome the liability
of being an outsider in an unfamiliar
environment. Robert
Mandel ("F/X") directs. (Paramount)
"While Sands" Willem
Dafoe, Mickey Rourke and
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
head up an all-star cast in this
noirish thriller from director
Roger Donaldson ("No Way
Out"). Dafoe plays the smalltown
sheriff of a backwater New
Mexico town who becomes
embroiled in a treacherous
world of covert activities and
FBI intrigue when he assumes
the identity of a dead man in
order to solve a murder. Rourke
is a charismatic adventurer who
leads Dafoe into a perilous arms
deal that may be at the heart of
the murder investigation, while
Mastrantonio (the lovely Maid
Marion from "Robin Hood:
Prince of Thieves") is the seductive
woman of means who
bankrolls the venture. The supporting
cast includes Samuel L.
Jackson (the crackhead brother
in "Jungle Fever") as an FBI
agent who draws Dafoe into the
undercover scheme; Mimi Rogers
("The Rapture") as Dafoe's
loyal wife; and M. Emmet
Walsh ("Blood Simple") as the
coroner who helps Dafoe's investigation.
The screenplay is by
Daniel Pyne ("Pacific Heights").
(Warner Bros.)
"That Night" Craig Bolotin,
who co-wrote Ridley Scott's
1989 thriller "Black Rain,"
makes his directorial debut with
this bittersweet coming-of-age
story starring C. Thomas Howell,
luliette Lewis (who played
the daughter of Nick Nolle and
Jessica Lange in "Cape Fear")
and Helen Shaver. Set in the
early '60s, Bolotin's script looks
through the eyes of 1 0-year-old
Alice (Eliza Dushku), who idolizes
her 1 7-year-old neighbor
Sheryl (Lewis). Things come to
a head when Sheryl becomes
pregnant by her boyfriend Rick
(Howell), and her widowed
mother (Shaver) sends her away
to a home for unwed mothers.
(Warner Bros.)
Rob Reiner
"A Few Good Men" Rob
Reiner has had a remarkable record
of success as a filmmaker
since leaving the role of Meathead
on TV's "All in the Family":
from farce ("This is Spinal
Tap") to teen drama ("Stand By
Me") to fantasy-adventure ("The
Princess Bride") to romantic
comedy ("When Harry Met
Sally") to suspense ("Misery"),
he's proved there's no genre he
can't handle. Now he tackles a
courtroom drama with this adaptation
of the long-running
Broadway hit. Tom Cruise stars
as a young Navy lawyer determined
to get to the bottom of a
soldier's murder. Unfortunately,
the military isn't cooperating,
and a crooked colonel
(Jack Nicholson) is set on making
sure the truth never comes
out. Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin
Bacon and Demi Moore round
out the all-star cast. (Columbia)
"Sneakers" Following the
failure of "Havana," Robert
Redford hopes to reestablish his
boxoffice credentials with this
caper film from writer-director
Phil Alden Robinson ("Field of
Dreams"). He plays a legendary
fugitive from the '60s and the
leader of a team of high tech
security experts (known as
Sneakers) who are united by
their c|uestionable pasts. When
Redford's true identity is discovered
by a government agency,
he and the Sneakers are blackmailed
into participating in a
covert operation. The supporting
cast includes Dan Aykroyd
as an eccentric Sneaker; Sidney
Poitier as a retired FBI agent;
Mary McDonnell ("Dances
With Wolves") as Redford's former
lover, now a teacher of
gifted children; River Phoenix as
a young computer hacker; and
Ben Kingsley as a classmate of
Redford's from '60s. (Universal)
10 BoxoFncE

TRAILERS: DECEMBER
At Play in the Fields
of the Lord
Filmed entirely on koation in the Amazon
rain forest, this long-awaited adaptation of
Peter Mathiessen's novel is finally making it
Hook
Rol)in Williams stars as an adult Peter Pan,
once known as "the boy who wouldn't grow
up," in this epic fantasy adventure directed by
Steven Spielberg. Returning to Neverland,
Moriarty ("Raging Bull") and Maruschka
Detmcrs ("Devil in the Flesh") co-star as the
women in their lives, while Desi Arnaz, Jr.
plays his father, who hires the brothers to play
Rii k\' Riiardo's singing (ousiiis on "I Love
^^^^B * '^^^
to the screen thanks to the efforts of producer
Saul Zaeniz ("Amadeus") and director Hector
Babenco ("Kissof theSpiderwoman"). It concerns
two mercenaries (Tom Berenger and
Tom Waits) whose plane crashes in the Amazon,
where they encounter the native culture,
a fundamentalist minister (John Lithgow), his
wife (Daryl Hannah), another missionary
(Aidan Quinn) and his wife (Kathy Bates). As
personalities and cultures clash over the fate
of the rain forest, everyone involved must
confront their fears and mortality. Screenwriter
lean-Claude Carriere( "The Unbearable
Lightness of Being") adapted Mathiessen's
novel. (12/6)
Robin must regain his boyish spirit in order to
rescue his children, who have been captured
by the villainous Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman).
Also starring are Julia Roberts (as
Tinkerbell) and Bob Hoskins. (TriStar, 12/11)
Star Trek VI:
The Undiscovered Country
Nicholas Meyer ("Star Trek II :
The Wrath of
Khan") reboards the Starship Enterprise for his
second journey with that "Star Trek" gang.
The Last Boy Scout
This one raised eyebrows from day one,
when Shane ("Lethal Weapon") Black's spec
script fetched a remarkable $2 million. Only
ticket sales will tell if it was worth it, though
if the finished product doesn't bring in some
big bucks producer Joel Silver and star Bruce
Willis (the team responsible for "Hudson
Hawk") could see their stock severely plummet.
Anyway, it sounds like a hit: Willis plays
an ex-CIA agent turned private eye who teams
up with a former football star (Daman
Wayans) to track down a killer; and director
Tony Scott ("Top Gun") knows a thing or two
about high-tech thrills. (Warner, 12/6)
William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy star in
the this 25th anniversery adventure. Will it be
the last trip for the original crew? Only
boxoffice receipts will tell. (Paramount,
12/13)
The Mambo Kings
Based on Oscar Hijuelos' Pulitzer Prizewinning
novel "The Mambo Kings Play Songs
of Love," this is the story of two Cuban immigrant
brothers (Armand Assante and Antonio
Banderas) and their lives as musicians in
New York City in the early '50s. Cathy

Oscar Favorites?
JFK
Oliver Stone has long been an Academy favorite,
taking Best
Picture and Director honors for "Platoon" and Best Director for
"Born on the Fourth of July." But if "The Doors" didn't alienate him
from much of the Academy, this might: a revisionist magnum opus
on the alleged conspiracy behind the assassination of President lohn
F. Kennedy shot in the multi-perspective style of "Rashomon."
Another Oscar poster-boy, Kevin Costner ("Dances With Wolves"),
stars as Jim Garrison, the former New Orleans district attorney
whose book "On the Trail of the Assassins" helped fuel the fire of
conspiracy theories. Gary Oldman co-stars as Lee FHarvey Oswald,
while Sissy Spacek, Walter Matthau, lack Lemmon, Ed Asner,
Donald Sutherland, Kevin Bacon, Tommy Lee Jones and John
Larroquette round out the cast. (Warner Bros., 1 2/20)
The Prince of Tides
Barbra Streisand returns to the screen for the first time since
"Nuts" in 1987, directing and producing as well as starring in an
adaptation of Pat Conroy's bittersweet bestseller. She plays the
psychiatrist of a comatose, would-be suicide who receives help
from her patient's brother (Nick Nolte) in reconstructing their
troubled family history. During this intense, therapeutic process the
two eventually fall in love. Will Oscar make up for the writing-directing-producing-acting
snub Streisand received with "Yentl"?
(She's already got a set of Oscar bookends for her acting in "Funny
Girl" and her songwriting in "A Star is Born.") Will she be the first
woman to win a Best Director Oscar? Will Nolte finally get the
recognition he deserves? At this point, we don't know. (Cokimbia,
12/25)

^
'
5
I
Fried Green Tomatoes
The last two Academy Award-winners for
Best Actress, Kalhy Bates ("Misery") and )essica
Tandy ("Driving Miss Daisy"), star in this
heartwarming tale of a middle-aged housewife
and the elderly nursing home resident
she befriends. Mary Stuart Masterson, Mary
Louise Parker and Cicely Tyson co-star, while
Ion Avnet directs the screenplay he co-wrote
with Fannie Flagg. (Universal, 1 2/25)
Grand Canyon
Director Lawrence Kasdan (see cover story)
returns to "Big ChilT'-style structure and social
commentary with this powerful ensemble
piece about six urban dwellers whose lives
intertwine in modern day Los Angeles. Danny
Clover is the tow truck driver who helps
attorney Kevin Kline out of a tight spot, leading
to a friendship that changes both of their
lives. Steve Martin, who took his own look at
the City of Angels in "L.A. Story," co-stars as
Kline's best friend, a movie producer who
specializes in violence. Mary McDonnell,
fresh from her Oscar-nominated triumph in
"Dances With Wolves," is Kline's wife, while
Mary Louise Parker and AlfreWoodard round
out the cast. Kasdan co-wrote the screenplay
with his wife, Meg. (Fox, 1 2/25)
Rush
Lili Fini Zanuck (who, along with husband
Richard D. Zanuck, won the Best Picture
Academy Award as producer of "Driving Miss
Daisy") makes her directorial debut with this
high-tension love story set against the world
of undercover drug busts, based on the
bestselling novel by former narcotics agent
Kim Wozencraft. Jennifer Jason Leigh, who
has been sensational in a wide variety of films
including "Miami Blues" and "Last Exit to
Brooklyn," could finally get a well-deserved
Oscar nomination for her role as an undercover
agent, lason Patric co-stars. The screenplay
is by novelist Pete Dexter ("Paris Trout").
(MGM, 12/25)
Inner Circle
Given the recent events in the Soviet
LJnion, this romantic drama could stir up a
good deal of interest: it's the first western film
ever to shoot inside the Kremlin, KGB Headquarters
and the Soviet Red Army's war college.
Tom Hulce ("Amadeus") stars as a loyal
Soviet citizen who becomes a friend to Stalin
when he becomes the dictator's personal projectionist.
The supporting cast includes Lolita
Davidovich ("Blaze") and Bob Hoskins
("Who Framed Roger Rabbit"). (Columbia,
12/25)
Naked Lunch
Expect something very weird: with David
Cronenberg ("Dead Ringers") adapting William
Burroughs' surreal IiIcmin classic, anything
might pop u|i nil SI urn Peter Weller
stars as a writer who is liberated from his
mental block when mysterious forces send
him on a nightmarish adventure to a world
populated by spies, junkies, witches and
shape-changing monsters. The supporting
cast includes |udy Davis, Julian Sands, Ian
Holm and Roy Scheider. (Fox, 12/27)
Also This Month:
Madame Bovary Isabelle Huppert stars as
Guslave Flaubert's heroine in Claude
Chabrol's adaptation of the literary classic.
(Samuel Goldwyn, 12/25)
High Heels Pedro Almodovar returns with
this black comedy about a love triangle involving
a mother and her daughter that ends
in murder. It stars Victoria Abril, who previously
starred in the director's "Tie Me Up!
Tie Me Down!" (Miramax, 12/25)
We just repackaged our most popular HERSHEY'S
brands especially for your business. With their
new striped motifs, they're going to attract
plenty of attention. And because they're
unique to concession sales, your customers will
know they can't get them at a lower price
anywhere.
Free point-of-sale to boost sales performance.
Our free promotional material — developed
exclusively for concession sales — encourages
^ I
^^
your customers to "add another
star" by including a HERSHEY'S
Star Performer in their enjoyment.
How about a trip to Hawaii?
Qualified concession managers
A ^^ can enter the HERSHEY'S "Added
^^ .^_^ Attraction" Sweepstakes. Win our
Grand Prize of a 7-day trip to
Hawaii (or, if you prefer, a cruise
to Bermuda). Or one of ten Sony
27" TVs (or $1 ,000 in Sony audio
equipment). Or one of twenty
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Stt- ullicial rul« lor delaib Musi be 18 years or aje and a
manacer nsponsible tor ciirikessuin product deasions to enter Void where prohibited-
Enterhv tilling out an oltinal enin lilank or hand-printing your name, company, address,
telephone number on a y x 5" card and mailing it in a stamped envelope to HERSHEY'S
"Added Attraction" Sweepstakes, c/oTal, inc., 1 862 Charter Lane, [.ancaster, PA 17601
Promotion runs through March 15, 1W2-
Sony cordless phones. And, if you wdn, members
of vour concession crew each win a high-quality
HERSHEY'S gym bag.
Call or write today.
For more details on
how to get your free
promotional material or
to enter our "Added Attraction" Sweepstakes,
contact your HERSHEY representative today
And while you're at it, ask about signing up for
our "StarPerformers" program, which lets you
accumulate points good for great prizes from
our "Star Performers" catalog. Mail the coupon
below or call (717) 534-7393.
I'm not going to mi.ss an opportunity lilce this! Enter me in the sweepstaices
and send me my promotion lot today.
NAME
COMPANY
ADDRESS
an STATE ZIP CODE
PHOI^
Mail to: HERSHEY'S "Added Attraction" Sweepstakes c/oTal, Inc.,
1862 Charter Lane, Lancaster, PA 17601
''
"^
991 X*^"*****^*'* Corpora
Response No 1

COVER STORY
—
Canyon Country
With "Grand Canyon," Filmmaker Lawrence Kasdan
Looks at the City of Angels and Sees a Divided America
The
By Jeff Schwager
Senior Editor
opening scenes of "Grand Canyon"
are every urban dweller's nightmare.
Pulling out of the Los Angeles
Forum parking lot. Mack, a wealthy attorney
played by Kevin Kline, lands in heavy
traffic and decides to weave his way
through side streets. But instead of finding
a short cut, he finds himself lost in an increasingly
run-down, seedy part of town,
where his car breaks down and he finds
himself at the mercy of some gun-toting
gang members.
It's a nerve-wracking moment, far more
frightening in its realism than any number
of blood-soaked Texas chainsaw massacres.
Mack needs a hero, and he gets one in
the form of Simon, a gentle tow truck driver
played by Danny Glover, who talks down
the gang leader and saves the day. From this
incident a friendship forms, and it's this
friendship, which spans the invisible borders
between L.A.'s violence-ridden South
Central neighborhood and the wealthy
wonderland where Mack lives and works,
that makes up the heart of writer-director
Lawrence Kasdan's brilliant and moving
new film.
In style and structure, "Grand Canyon"
(which is being released by Twentieth Century
Fo.x on Christmas Day ) resembles "The
Big Chill," Kasdan's Reagan-era look at the
spirit of disillusionment and compromise
that had overtaken a group of former '60s
radicals. But while "The Big Chill" was
primarily a comedy, generating laughter
with its characters' crises, "Grand Canyon"
(which was co-written by Kasdan and his
wife Meg) is a drama that takes a very
serious look at our troubled world.
"I wanted to write something about what
I felt was going on in the country," says
Kasdan during a break from mixing at Skywalker
Sound in Santa Monica. "L.A. specifically,
but I think also the country as a
whole. The sense of things going to hell,
and not much being done about it. The fact
that people are living wildly different lifestyles,
in different levels of comfort and
safety, and yet they're very much connected.
You can't keep the worlds apart.
One thing about L.A. that's more pronounced
than in eastern cities is that enormous
despair exists just within a few miles
of enormous prosperity and hope.
"We're coming out of an era in which the
idea has been that the people who are comfortable
don't have to worry about the people
who aren't. I think that's a fantasy: the
whole country rots from the center, and if
things are tenible for some of the people
today they'll be terrible for everybody
eventually. We've got to figure out a way
to make it a little bit better all around."
For the characters in "Grand Canyon."
that means finding human connections despite
the chaos that sunounds them. But
while the film focuses on those personal
relationships, it is also Kasdan's most political
film to date, explicitly showing the
results of the me-first attitudes which have
dominated America for the last decade.
Although Kasdan says he didn't set out
to make a political film, he points out that
"you can't look around at what's happenino,
vou can't show it in a movie, without
there being a political tinge to it. It's too
outrageous. It's not about left and right at
all. it's about what's proper. How should we
be running the country? How should people
be expected to live? It's about decency, and
dignity. It's about finding some kind of
meaning in a situation that's grim. So
maybe it's political in that sense, because
there's a certain amount of outrage in the
movie. But the outrage is not about the
political system. The outrage is about everybody
kind of quietly accepting this decline
in the quality of our lives.
"I passed 40 a couple of years ago, and
my older son is about to go off to college,
and I think that always gives you pause,
because it seems that only yesterday they
were babies. You're very aware of the passage
of time. I think you're very aware of
your own mortality. If you're not. you're
not reading the newspapers; you're not feeling
your own body: you're not seeing
what's going on around you. Everything is
so close together, the good and the bad
things. How do you make sense of that
this sense of catastrophe in every corner that
we've gotten used to? Catastrophe has al-
14 BoxoFncE

—
ready struck for so many people ihat you sec
in the streets, and yet v\c can li\e in relali\e
comfort just up the block. How do you make
any sense of that? It's very confusing. I
guess in that way it's political, but it's not
in any way ideological."
The central theme.s of "Grand Canyon"
are themes that recur throughout Kasdan's
previous films. As Kasdan puts it. his films
"always seem to be about how to lead an
honorable life in a situation that
is seductive, tempting in terms of
going the w rong way, a situation
that is bmtal and insensitive.
What choice are you willing to
make? What compromise are
you willing to make?"
Kasdan sees a natural e\olution
from "The Big Chill" to
"Grand Canyon." an evolution
that is the result of the wisdom
he's gained in the last decade.
"It's all about things getting
more complicated every day,"
says Kasdan of the difference between
the two films. "Nothing is
as simple as I thought it was.
Wrong and right is a far more
difficult choice than I ever imagined.
I think the change is evident
between "The Big Chill'
and 'Grand Canyon.' 'The Big
Chill,' which I'm very proud of,
expresses how I felt when I was
}2 years old. and it's a lighter
movie. But it's struggling with
the same central issue, which is;
What's the right way to be?
"'Grand Canyon' is struggling
with that in the face of mortality.
It has to be. I think that happens.
In "The Big Chill,' mortality
doesn't impact those people the
same way. They don't think that their
friend's suicide is an intimation of their own
mortality. It brings them together, and it
makes them question what went wrong and
where they've been in that same period of
time that ended so tragically for their friend.
'Grand Canyon' is looking in the other direction,
which is that everyone dies. And
therefore, how should we live today. 'The
Big Chill' is about the enormous potential
in the characters' lives. They've already
gone a few laps and they're thinking, 'Wait
a minute, I'm not even running on the right
track.'
'Grand Canyon' is about how brief
the whole trip is."
The
trip may indeed be brief, but for
Kasdan, who has seen his childhood
dream of being a filmmaker come
true, it's been a remarkably fulfilling one.
Born in Miami Beach in 1 949, Kasdan grew
up in West Virginia, where his family encouraged
his ambition to be a writer. He
studied English literature at the University
of Michigan, supporting himself with a variety
of writing awards and eventually earning
a master's degree in education.
After graduation, he spent the next five
years working as an advertising copywriter
in Michigan and then Los Angeles, where
he became determined to break into the
motion picture business as a screenv\riter.
He had his first five scripts rejected before
selling "The Bodyguard" to Warner Bros,
in 1977. (The script, which was not produced
at the time, is finally set to go before
the cameras this month, with Ke\in Costlier,
who izot his first bii; break in Kasdan's
"/ always wanted to make movies. Movies
were always the best times for me.
Growing up, I would rather go to a movie
than anything else. When the lights went
down, something great happened. "
".Silverado," and pop star Whitney Houston
in the leading roles.)
Kasdan's next script, "Continental Divide,"
caught the attention of Steven
Spielberg, who served as executive producer
for the film, which starred John
Belushi. Spielberg then hired Kasdan to
write the screenplay for "Raiders of the Lost
Ark," which was produced by George
Lucas and led to the writing assignments on
the second and third installments of the
"Star Wars" sagas. Impressed with
Kasdan's talents, Lucas used his influence
to convince Alan Ladd. Jr. to let Kasdan
direct his next script. "Body Heat." which
proved to be a successful, stylish film noir
and helped launch the careers of William
Hurt and Kathleen Turner. From there.
Kasdan's career as a director has continued
to flourish, with "The Big Chill,"
"Silverado" and "The Accidental Tourist"
following.
"I always wanted to make movies,"
Kasdan says when asked how he ended up
a filmmaker. "Movies were always the best
times for me. Growing up. I would rather
go to a movie than anything else. When the
lights went down, something great happened.
And I pretty much liked all movies.
When 1 went to college I started seeing all
the foreign films I'd never seen, and all the
old American films I'd never seen, and I
thought, "This is even better than I thought:
movies are just the best thing there is." If
you came out of a small town in West
Virginia and you saw "Hiroshima. Mon
Amour.' you didn't know w hat happened to
\ (HI. These people were using movies to do
whatever they wanted to. It was
an enormously liberating experience.
I never had any doubt
about what I wanted to do. I still
think movies are the best thing
there is."
As a filmmaker. Kasdan has
concentrated on ensemble pieces,
ignoring the standard Hollywood
wisdom that audiences need a
single central character, or at
most two characters, to identify
with. "I'm interested in the variety
of life," Kasdan explains. "So
I've shied away for the most part
from single person stories. In
most movies, secondary characters
are not very well written, and
they have no impact on the
movie; they're sort of props. And
that's not my experience of life.
My experience of life is that a lot
of people impact you over the
course of your day. You may be
in your own movie, but you're
just a supporting player in somebody
else's movie. Or you may
be a co-star in somebody else's
movie. To me it's very close to
life, this feeling of ensemble and
swirling personalities.
"Also. I love actors. I'm fascinated
by them, and I'm in awe of
what they do, and I want to write a lot of
parts so that I
can work with a lot of different
actors. After I made "Body Heat'
which was a wonderful experience, but it's
a claustrophobic story, and it was a claustrophobic
filmmaking experience; it was
really just me and Bill and Kathleen together
for three months—I thought. 'This is
great, I love it, but I want to work with more
actors.' So I wrote 'The Big Chill' with a
lot of parts with that very much in mind, that
I would then get to cast a lot of actors, and
have a lot of actors around the set. Because
I'm excited by what happens when a lot of
good actors get together."
Actors, in turn, are excited about working
with Kasdan. "Grand Canyon" stars Glover
and Kline are both veterans of previous
Kasdan films. Steve Martin, who had just
written, produced and starred in his own
very-different look at the City of Angels,
'"L.A. Story," committed to a supporting
role after a single reading of the script. Mary
McDonnell, fresh from her Oscar-nominated
triumph in ""Dances With Wolves."
says that what first interested her in '"Grand
Canyon" was that ""Larry is telling a story
about all of us, and he leaves it pretty raw.
"-"""***""
December, 1991 15

—
I think that often we try to make drama out
of our Hves, but our Hves are pretty dramatic
Larry understands that."
For Kasdan, whose last two films, "The
as it is.
Accidental Tourist" and "I Love You to
Death," originated with other writers, it was
a pleasure to get back to writing an original
script. "I feel like I'm in a lucky place," he
says. "I get to write and direct whatever
occurs to me. I'm always looking for other
people's scripts to direct, but it's very hard
to find something I'm willing to commit a
year-and-a-half of my life to when I
think I could take the same time and
write something that's very much
from my heart and direct it too. It's a
privileged situation that I'm in, and I
have the feeling more and more that
I'm going to take advantage of that.
It's very satisfying to sit in your room
and write something and three
months later to be on the streets
somewhere filming it."
Working on "I Love You to
Death," a black comedy by writer John H.
Kostmayer, was a particularly different experience
for Kasdan. While he co-wrote the
adaptation of Anne Tyler's novel for "The
Accidental Tourist," "I Love You to Death"
found him working for the first time from
another writer's screenplay. "It was fascinating,
because it was someone else's
script, and I felt in the same position as an
actor trying to understand what he meant
and how a scene was supposed to go. When
you write them, you hear it all in your head;
it may not turn out exactly that way, but it's
very clear to you what the scenes are supposed
to be. When you work on someone
else's script— you know, I've seen this
done to my scripts it's a struggle to understand
what the writer meant."
The film proved to be Kasdan's first commercial
and critical failure, an occurrence
he is still at a loss to explain. Still, he seems
more surprised by the negative reception
than upset by it. "I took a beating on it, but
''There 's a responsibility^ among the
filmmakers who have the choice and
power to do whatever they want, to
speak to the issues that are going
through peoples minds.
I believe
there's a hungerfor that. "
I like the movie a lot. You know, when
you're making these movies, you just have
to love them while you're doing it. It's such
hard work, you just have to enter the world.
And you think everyone will love it the way
you do. And it's only later you discover that
you were wrong, or wrong about them loving
it. I*vaS shocked. There was this huge
reaction from the critics, and this huge nonreaction
from the audiences. Clearly, there
was something in it—and I don't take it
personally—that really bugged people."
With "Grand Canyon," Kasdan is almost
certain to regain his critical standing and his
audience. He'll follow it by co-producing
his script "The Bodyguard" (Mick Jackson,
who directed Martin's "L.A. Story," will
direct), writing and directing an original
comedy next year, and then reteaming with
Costner for a drama by "Blade Runner"
screenwriter David Peoples. It's a diverse
slate that satisfies the different aspects of
Kasdan's image of the filmmaker.
"People often say that movies are
for escape, movies are for entertainment,"
he says, "and I agree. I've
written movies like that. I've directed
some movies like that. I believe in
that: I like escapist movies. But I also
believe there's a responsibility,
among the filmmakers who have the
choice and power to do whatever they
want, to speak to the issues that are
going through people's minds. And
I've done that too. I believe there's a
hunger for that. I believe there's a constituency
out there, an audience, that is not being
served by a diet of steady escapism. So in a
sense it's a little disturbing to go to the
movies and to come out and be in the world
of the movie, which is what happens with
'Grand Canyon.' But in the other sense it's
very vivid when you're in the movie. It
touches things that you may have been
thinking about but not articulating. And I
think that's very satisfying."
^
More Power ToYou
FET-IOOO,
FET-1500, FET-2000. Introducing the latest series of professional power amplifiers from
Ashly, featuring more models, with more power than ever before. From movie theaters featuring the
sonic excellence of Lucasfilm's THX'" sound reproduction systems to outdoor stadium events covering
. -^„^well over 80,000 satisfied audio enthusiasts, Ashly amplifiers have developed a solid reputation for
""^teady performance and near-perfect reliability. And now that legendary Ashly power advantage is
ible in even more configurations to meet the needs of any amplification situation.
Ashly amplifiers utilize Power MOS-FET Technology to achieve superior overload and square wave
response, with no ringing or unwanted transients that degrade program material. Ashly amplifiers are stable
into virtually any load and deliver full output even under the most demanding circumstances.
Unrestrained, uncolored sound reproduction with remarkable accuracy is assured by choosing Ashly for all
your power needs. All MWy ampyflers are now backed by our exclusive Five Year Worry-Free Warranty.
RATIN.
ASHLrS „,,„,
FET SERIES muoo:
m-IOOO:
U$TED3SE5
COMMERCIAL
'SOUND EQUIPMENT I
Ashly Audio Inc. 1 00 Fernwood Ave. Rochester, NY 1 4621
Toll Free (800) 828-6308 In NYS (71 6) 544-51 91
In Canada: Gerraudlo Dist. 363 Adelaide St. E. Toronto, MSA 1N3 (416) 361-1667
Response No 19
16 BoxomcE

,.'.^1
'•9 >
W
H
_i^j-iis
ss^snen

n
That's right. In theaters across the country during week three,
fee showing Terminator 2: Judgment Day with Cinema Digital
Sound (CDS) outdrew those showing T2 in analog sound by as much
as 120%. And an average ot 68.8%.* Why? Simple. Moviegoers
across the country were blown away by what the amazing sound CDS
added to the Terminator 2 experience. And their enthusiasm is
reflected in these higher box office receipts. Just like Terminator 2
CDS is on an unstoppable roll—wowing audiences in major markets
nationwide. For more information about Cinema Digital Sound and \
the tremendous impact it can have on box office business, call
Optical Radiation Corporation at 1-800-7,67-0456 without delay.
r
^ ^ Optical
110 Radiation
L^ll^ Corporation
Eastman
Motion Picture Films
'Based on a sampling of comparable-size Iheatets m the same complexes
Cinema Digital Sound was developed by Optical Radiation Corporation and Eastman Kodak Company ?' Eastman Kodak Company. 1991
Response No 17

fm^^^^mmmmm^mmmi
GIANTS OF E

iiiiiiiiiiiiimi
REGAL CINEMAS
71 i2 Commercial Park Drive
Knoxville, Tennessee 37918
(615)922-1123
(61 5) 922-6085 (fax)
Executive Roster:
Michael L. Campbell — President and Chairman
R. Neal Melton — VP, Construction and Equipment
Robert Engel — VP, Film and Advertising
Mark Jarvis — Director, Operations
Gregory Dunn — Director, Concessions and Marketing
R. Keith Thompson — VP, Finance
Timothy Leveille — Controller
Founded: 1990
Current number of screens/sites: 21 2/31
Projected totals by end of 1 991 : 226/32
State(s) located in: Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, West
Virginia, Ohio, Deleware
Please describe your flagship, or the theatre you feel best represents
your circuit.
The New Macon, Georgia Rivergate 10 freestanding- 30,000
sciuare feet; 2000 seats; auditoriums ranging from 400 seats to
slightly over 100 seats; all stereo; inside, climate-controlled box
office; huge, neon-enhanced lobby with adjacent game room;
exterior features unique architectural steel arch entry covered with
neon.
What do you feel that a circuit such as yours offers that might be
overlooked by a "major"?
Closer to the pulse of individual markets in regard to audience
likes and dislikes. Customer comment cards in all theatres that are
sent directly to the corporate office for review and response. A very
detailed ongoing maintenance and quality control program that is
under constant review and scrutiny.
What causes you concern? What do you perceive to
be the
biggest challenge facing an exhibitor such as yourself?
Turmoil in real estate markets and banking circles, which severely
curtai Is the abi I ity of many real estate developers to secure financing
for new retail developments, including theatres. Control of operating
costs and product (film and concession) costs. Lac:k of quality
film product during certain times of the year. Distributors still resist
releasing product during "off play" time, in favor of glutting the
market with more films than the average moviegoer can possibly
absorb during summer and holiday seasons.
What do you think the next ten years hold? Are you optimistic?
We have faith in the viability of film exhibition. The average
American has a need to be entertained outside of the home on
occasion and that need can certainly be fulfilled by presentation.
However, it is imperative that both the production and exhibition
segments of the film industry develop and sustain a more responsible
program of cost control.
Respondent: Michael L. Campbell, President
December, 1991 21

1
GIANTS OF EXHIBITION IV
FRANK THEATRES, INC.
P.O. Box 33
Pleasantville, N.J. 08232
(609)641-3595
(609)646-0131 (fax)
Executive Roster
Aivin M. Frank — Chairman
Bruce S. Frank — President
Deborah S. Frank — Executive Vice President
Founded: 1921
Current number of screens/sites: 71/18
Anticipated growth in 1992: 34 screens
State(s) located in: New Jersey
Please describe your flagship, or the theatre you feel best represents
your circuit.
Frank Theatres us anchored with its flagship, the Towne 16
Theatre, located in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The balance of the
circuit is located on the Barrier Islands of southern New Jersey. The
circuit concentrates all its efforts in noncompetitive marketplaces
which it operates on a seasonal basis.
What do you feel that a circuit such as yours offers that might be
overlooked by a "major"?
Frank Theatres maintains the highest standards of operations and
first run film in these resorts. It is possible that a major would spend
less time, effort and money on theatres that do not produce 52 week
revenues.
What causes you concern? What do you perceive to be the
biggest challenge facing an exhibitor such as yourself?
Our concerns are the cost of product, erosion of disposable
income as the economy weakens and the decline in major studios,
together with the amount of product being produced. In addition,
the exploitation of the European and other world markets will
continue to make the United States market less important.
What do you think the next ten years hold? Are you optimistic?
The next ten years will show a reduction in the amount of screens
in the United States. Growth will slow for major circuits as developers
are unable to finance theatres/mall projects. Many independents
will disappear due to basic economics. Neighborhood
theatres, twins and triplexes will be closed affording the larger
complexes better product flow, consolidation of expenses and
concentration in each marketplace.
As to our optimism, we continue to make strides strengthening
our customer, business and community relations. Exhibition will
need to control costs and work closely with distribution in order to
prosper during the next decade.
Respondent: Bruce S. Frank
/^ ^Who offers the largest
\jp \ and most complete
y line of cinema sound
^^
[
equipment in the world?
Stereo Processors
Booth Monitors
Exciter Supplies
Stereo Packages
Power Amplifiers
Sub-Woofer Systems
Stage Speakers
Hearing Impaired
Factory Wired Systems
Digital Announcers
Surround Speakers
Mono Sound Systems
5945 Peachtree Comers East
Norcross, Georgia 30071 - U.S.A.
(404) 449-6698 FAX: (404) 449-6728
Response No. 2
22 BoxoFncE

ENTERTAINMENT DATA, INC.
"Access a world ofinformation."
WEEKLY RELEASE SCHEDULE
OVERNIGHT GROSSES
ON-LINE DATA BASE
EDI INTERNATIONAL
CUSTOM RESEARCH
ENTERTAINMENT DATA, INC. 331 N. MAPLE DRIVE • BEVERLY HILLS, CA 90210 213 271 2105
LOS ANGELES SAN FRANCISCO DALLAS CHICAGO WASHINGTON, D.C. NEW YORK ATLANTA JACKSONVILLE LONDON
Response No 3

2
GIANTS OF EXHIBITION IV
CINEMACAL ENTERPRISES, INC.
1170 Burnett Ave. Suite A
P.O. Box 27848
Concord, CA 94527
(415)685-6650
Executive Roster:
Dale Davison — President and CEO
Lou Lencioni — VP, Head Film Buyer
Ron Dunning — VP, Operations
Rich Moore — VP, Finance
Maurice L'Estrange — VP, Advertising
Founded: 1983
Current number of screens/sites: 46/1
Projected totals by the end of 1 991 : 54/1 3
State(s) located in: California
Please describe your flagship, or the theatre you feel best represents
your circuit.
Our circuit is currently best refjresented by the Galaxy 8 Cinemas,
Pleasanton and the Galaxy 6 Cinemas, Monterey. A feeling of
excitement and anticipation starts to build as soon as a patron first
sees their striking marquees. Upon entering the theatres' large
lobbies, the combination of our liberal use of colorful interior neon,
the four screen video walls promoting future attractions, and the
enthusiastic, attentive theatre personnel really makes one happy
they decided to come to the movies. The most essential enhancements
are inside the large auditoriums. These include plush seating
with cup holders, THX Dolby Stereo, and, in Monterey, larger than
life wall panels on the side walls featuring the likenesses of
Hollywood's most famous stars, including Bogart, Chaplin, Monroe
and, of course, Mickey Mouse.
What do you feel that a circuit such as yours offers that might be
overlooked by a "major"?
One of our circuit's strongest assets which differentiates us from
many major companies is the performance of our theatre managers.
Their persistent care and motivation to do everything possible to
provide the best operation for everyone would be hard to duplicate.
Our present circuit of 1 3 locations for 54 screens is small enough
that daily communication between the managers and the owner is
common, and helps the managers feel how important they are to
the company's success.
What causes you concern? What do you perceive to
be the
biggest challenge facing an exhibitor such as yourself?
The biggest challenge facing CinemaCal is to provide the best
operation possible at all times. This goal cannot be overstated. We
must always insure that our theatres more than satisfy all of the
desires of any patron or film distributor. We very much hope that
all theatre owners give this matter the same attention. Thus, it is in
our interest that whenever a patron visits a theatre other than our
own that they have very satisfying visit. Otherwise there is some
potential thatthecustomer'sdisappointment will leadtodiminished
theatre attendance, and thus negatively affect how our business is
generally perceived.
What do you think the next ten years hold? Are you optimistic?
CinemaCal is very optimistic about the next ten years for a variety
of reasons. More money than ever is being dedicated to the research
and development of a better picture, improved sound and overall
new technological advances. The further aging of our population
will significantly enlarge the age range of our patrons, providing a
broader audience than we have served in the past. There has been
a recent infusion of capital from overseas which will insure increased
product flow at certain studios. The entry of film distribution
into our business has given the studios a more realistic perspective
of our industry, and this can only be helpful. There is more pressure
on distribution to release profitable films than ever before, and this
situation should helpthequality of their future releases. Ultimately,
people will always be hungry for entertainment and there is not any
outside-of-the-home entertainment which costs less, or is equal to
a first run feature in a desirable theatre complex.
Respondent: Dale Davison, President
24 BoxoFncE

iinimiiin M iiimilll lll l l l l ll l llllin
Jack Loeks Theatres
1400 West i8th Street
Grand Rapids, Ml 49509
(616)532-6302
(61 6) 532-3660 (fax)
Executive Roster:
lack Loeks — Chairman and CEO
)ohn Loeks — President and COO
Ron VanTimmeren — Executive VP
Nancy Hagan — Treasurer
Roger Lubs — VP, Operations
Founded: 1944
Current number of screens/sites: 54/1 1
State(s) located in: Michigan
Please describe your flagship, or the theatre you feel best represents
your circuit.
The studio 28 20 screen theatre in Grand Rapids, Michigan, our
hometown, is a one of a kind. We play every available film and have
the ability to run two prints, tandem to get enough seats and
showtimes to avoid sellouts. Our staff is well-trained and experienced
to show each customer the magic of the movies.
What do you feel that a circuit such as yours offers that might be
overlooked by a "major"?
We have an advantage as a local operator because we live in the
towns in which we operate. We have more staff per screen than
major exhibitors, which allows us more hands-on management. That
allows us to give better all-around service to each customer.
What causes you concern? What do you perceive to be the biggest
challenge facing an exhibitor such as yourself?
( )ur bigm'sl i hallenge is every exhibitor's challenge—how to get
more people to see more films. There is a huge potential audience
that never goes to the theatre to see a movie. Wc applaud NATO on
the ida of a national ad campaign to promote movicgoing in general.
What do you think the next fen years hold? Are you optimistic?
Motion pK tute exhibition will still be a vital industry 10 years trom
now. As long as our industry continues to upgrade services and offers
an exclusive situation unduplicated anywhere else, we will survive.
We anxiously await the next generation of presentation opportunities.
Future Goals:
In the short term, lack Loeks Theatres is hoping to make coservative
expansions and gear up for a 50th anniversary in exhibition. For
the long term, lack Loeks Theatres is bullish on exhibition and hopes
to mvoe this family business into the enxt generation of Loeks and
on into the 2 1 st Century.
Respondent: Ron VanTimmeren
KIT^PARKER^FILMS
Presents
BUGS Bunnv
AND FRIENDS
Hour GbbmM4/w mt
f
THE CLASSIC WARNER BROS. CARTOONS
Call 1-800-538-5838 and ask Sharon or Jen for details!
*Plus Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, The Road Runner, The Original "Superman" and much more!
Bugs Bunny, Daffy Ducl(, Porky Pig and Road Runner ctnaracter. name and related indicia are trademarl

INVEST
IN YOGR FGTGRE...
Attend
NATO
ShoWest
PROJECTING THE FUTURE
February 17-20, 1992
Rally's Hotel-Las Vegas
Call 213/657-7724 for information

GIANTS OF EXHIBITION IV
R.L. Fridley Theatres
1321 Walnut
Des Moines, Iowa 50309
(515)282-9287
(51 5) 282-8310 (fax)
Executive Roster:
R.L. Fridley — President
Terry Dotson — Vice President
Myrna Fridley — Secretary/Treasurer
Eleanor Hatfield — Office Manager
Brad Ramer — Concessions/Equipment
Buyer
Founded: 1947
Current number of screens/sites: 44/24
State(s) located in: Iowa, Nebraska
R.L. Fridley's Paramount Theatre in Arkeny, Iowa
Affiliated companies: Video Warehouse
(28 video stores)
Company History:
The company was founded in 1 947 by R.
L. Fridley. The company operates theatres
and video stores throughout the state of a
Iowa. The circuit has a reputation for building
outstanding theatres, having built the
first 7o mm theatre in Des Moines, Iowa,
and the River Hills/Riviera complex in Des
Moines. R.L. Fridley Theatres continues to
build and restore theatres in rural Iowa,
bringing first class facilities and entertainment
to areas often overlooked by major
circuits. The company continues to grow
and expand both theatre and video operation.
R.L. Fridley Theatres has doubled in
size since 1986.
PIKE
PRODUCTIONS
makes trailers
that reacti out
and pull in
more customers
for theatres!
••••••••••••
NOW PIKE
PRODUCTIONS
has completed
their new 3-D
special effects
and surround
sound studios
in Newport, Rl
••••••••••*•
Ask about Pike's
co-op radio
campaigns
••••••••••••
POLICY TRAILERS
ANIMATED LOGOS
FEATURE PRESENTATIONS
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
•••*••••••••
CALL:
(401) 846-8890
FAX:
(401) 847-0070
WRITE:
PIKE PRODUCTIONS
PC Box 300
Newport, Rl 02840
••••••••••••
PiK
PTODUceion^
••••••••••••
Response No. 33
December, 1991 27

SALE
>Tmif
To order your copy, please send check or money order for $54.10
(California residents please add $4.13 sales tax) to:
NATO Encyclopedia of Exhibition
4605 Lankershim Blvd. #340
North Hollywood, CA 91602

m iii i iinin m^rTTMli
1
KENT THEATRES
2830 University Blvd. W. Suite 103
Jacksonville, FL 32247
(904)731-9616
Executive Roster:
I. Ciieveland Kent — President
John B. Kent — Attorney
Current number of screens/sites: 49/9
Projected totals by the end of 1991 : 51/9
State(s) located in: Florida
MILGRAM THEATRES
1616 Walnut St. Suite 2000
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215)985-4900
(215)985-4934
Executive Roster:
William Milgram — President
FHenry Milgram — Executive VP
Robert Milgram — VP, Film Buyer
Current number of screens/sites: 57/28
Projected totals by the end of 1 991 : 60/29
State(s) located in: Pennsylvania, N. J.
DOUGLAS THEATRE
CO.
1 300 P Street
Lincoln, Nebraska 68501
(402)474-4909
Executive Roster:
Russell Brehm — CEO
David Livingston — President
Deborah Brehm-Mardock — V.P
Willard Beck — Head of Concessions
Margaret Lane — PR/Advertising
Founded: 1953
Current number of screens/sites: 51/12
State(s) located in: Nebraska
Company History:
Founded in 1953, the first six theatres
constructed were drive-ins in Nebraska
and Texas. Now all 51 screens are indoors
and in Nebraska. Two of the three original
business partners, Russell Brehm and
Roman Hruska, and their families remain
as owners of Douglas Theatre Co., the operating
corporation, and its land-holding
partnership affiliate. Center Associates. A
regional company which is continually updating
to changing technologies, Douglas
Theatre Co. has and will continue to expand
to meet perceived customer demand.
Experience a New Feel
in Seating Comfort.
American Seating's Cinema Series chairs
are designed to encourage a return
trip to your theatre.
New seat cushion formulations
combined with traditional American
Seating quality at competitive prices
establish the Cinema Series as the year's
best value.
There's more! Call us.
s^pAmericanSeating
Architectural Products Group
901 Bro.icKvav N.W. Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504
(616) 732-6895
Response No. 3
December, 1991 29

Why plow through all these publications
each month to get the information you need?
all you need is
Boxoffice.
BOXOFFICE
The business magazine of the nnotion picture industry

nmiTMiiiMtnuir
GIANTS
K/B THEATRES
4818 >uma St. NW
Wdshington, D.C. 20016
(202)244-7700
THE LEADER IN CHANGEABLE SIGNAGE
Executive Roster:
Ronjld Goldman — President
Nancy Goldman — Vice President
Jonathan Bailey — Secretary/Treasurer
Aaron Scidler — Booker/Buyer
Evelyn layson — PR/Advertising
Founded: 1926
Current number of screens/sites: 56/1 5
State(s) located in: Washington, D.C, Virginia,
Maryland
TRAD-A-HOUSE
1 926 C Corporate Square Drive
Slidell, LA 70458
(504)641-4720
(504) 641-4709 (fax)
Executive Roster:
Tim O'Neal — Owner
Tim O'Neal III — Vice President
Betty O'Neal — Secretary/Treasurer
Current number of screens: 94
CHAKERES THEATRES
State Theatre Building
Springfield, OH 45501
(513)323-6447
Executive Roster:
M.H. Chakeres — Chairman/President
Pauline Chakeres — Vice President
Grant Frazee — General Manager
Ed Schuerman — Film Buyer
Dorothy Hart — Film Booker
CALL OUR TOLL FREE PHONE NUMBERS
FOR PRICING AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
14824 South Main Street, Gardena, CA 90248
Toll free: 800/421-1256 In Calif: 800/521-9697 213/321-5641
Fax: 213/324-1 175
Response No 25
Shouldn't You Specify
Replacement Projector
Parts Made By
A Company
Who Puts Quality First?
Current number of screens: 52
B & B THEATRES
119 West 2nd
Salisbury, MO 65281
(816)388-5219
Executive Roster:
Elmer Bills — Owner
Bob Bagby — Owner
Sterling Bagby — Owner
Current number of screens: 53
A
If
your success depends upon a quality screen image, it makes sense to
• replace worn projector parts with the best available components.
Since 1908, LaVezzi built its reputation on quality. That's why LaVezzi precision
parts are specitied by OEMs. LaVezzi keeps projectors in top operating condition.
If quality sprockets, gears, starwheels, or other projecter parts are in question,
LaVezzi is the answer Contact your local TEA dealer or call LaVezzi for information.
LAVEZZI
LaVezzi Precision, Inc.
900 N. Larcti Ave. • Elmtiurst, IL 60126
(708) 832-8990 • Toll free: 1 (800) 323-1772
FAX: (708) 832-5865
Response No 27
December, 1991 31

Getting Started With Computers-
Part I
By Russell Wintner
President
WinterTek, Inc.
the market for a computer system?
InWhere do you look for information?
Open up any computer magazine, walk
into any computer store, or just begin a
conversation with your friend-the-computer-wizard
and you will find a plethora of
brands, model numbers, processor platforms,
and carefully assembled "solution"
packages to make even the most daring of
us timid. The computer revolution is still
progressing at incredible speed with new
gadgets, faster options, and computers with
more processing capability being announced
nearly every month. The result is
that many would-be purchasers hold back:
either afraid to make a choice or anxious
over the next development that might
render their purchase obsolete.
In the next several articles we will take
the mystery out of the names and labels
bandied about in the computer marketplace,
and offer some simple advice that will make
this frightening maze become more of the
delightful aiTay of alternatives that computer
designers mean for it to be. In this and
the next issue, we will lay out the steps one
must take to complete a successful purchase
while outlining available hardware choices.
In our next series of articles we will explore
the world of software and examine the basic
approaches used to solve common business
problems, and then, finally, we will learn
how to choose a computer consultant:
someone to assist you in selecting a computer,
implementing it in your office, solving
small problems, and expanding your
system's capabilities as your business
grows in the future.
To start with, let's learn a primary rule
that governs the entire selection and purchase
process. Ever since computer users
were first made to chose between different
makes of computers, a simple rule evolved:
"software drives the hardware." Software is
what makes the hardware come to life. In a
sense, software does the thinking and problem
solving, using computer hardware
much as our brains use our bodies. The
irrefutable lesson is that one should always
select the needed software first and then
find the computer that will run this software
most efficiently and economically.
Despite the significance of software, it is
still the hardware which remains the sexiest
aspect of computer systems, and at the same
time the most difficult to understand. It
the computer hardware that is always being
upgraded (made more powerful and/or
faster) and it is the software products which
are always being upgraded to keep up with
hardware developments. That is why we
will begin our discussion with hardware and
why so many people make the sometimes
calamitous mistake of buying their hardware
before they have any idea what software
is required to successfully run their
business. Notwithstanding your impulse to
Virtually Free Software
Don't miss out on Boxoffice's free software
offer: Boxoffice Magazine's
Exhibitor's Addressbook (provided by
WinterTek, Inc.), a nifty program that
helps you track information on your theatres
and your employees. The software
is for IBM-PC and IBM-PC compatible
systems, with a minimum of 51 2K memory,
DOS 2.1 1
or higher. For a virtually
free copy, specify either 5 1/4 or 3 1/2
floppy disk, and send $2.00 (postage and
handling) to Boxoffice Software Offer,
6640 Sunset Blvd., Suite 100, Hollywood,
CA 90028-71 59. Allow four to six
weeks for delivery.
do otherwise, you need to remember the
computer buyer's rule: "software drives the
hardware."
In the world of computers, we often speak
of plalfonns. There are Hardware platforms
and Operating System platforms.
Hardware refers to the actual pieces of
metal, plastic, and electronic parts that create
the physical computer. Different Hardware
platforms that we will discuss are the
Macintosh platform, a product of Apple
Computer, and the IBM platform, with all
of its clones and compatibles.
Operating Systems are special operating
programs (software) specific to a certain
is
class of machine, the major purpose of
which is to control the interaction between
various parts of the hardware. The Operating
System is responsible for such things as
getting messages to display on the monitor,
translating key strokes into meaningful
electrical signals, and reading and wridng
information from diskettes. Another major
responsibility of any operating system is the
management of application programs by
making the computer hardware accessible
to the program. More about this next month.
The particular operating system that one
uses is a platform from which all other
software programs can be launched (used).
Macintosh has a single operating system,
but the IBM world has several: DOS (Disk
Operating System), Unix, and OS/2, to
name a few. A specific program or application
may be made available for more than
one of these operating systems, but a separate
physical copy of the program must be
designed for each specific system; the programs
are not directly interchangeable. A
program written for DOS will not work
under OS/2, for example. Most stand-alone
IBM computers, such as the ones we will be
discussing in these columns, will be set up
to run under DOS.
In the world of business computing, there
are essentially two hardware platforms, the
aforementioned IBM and Macintosh platforms.
The IBM platform of personal computers
encompasses the entire mass of
computers made by IBM, as well as the
IBM "clones" or "compatibles" which
come in styles from tiny laptops to huge
towers that sit on the floor. (For the purposes
of these articles, any references to
IBM refers to the entire world of IBM computing,
and not specifically to IBM Corp.)
Macintosh is represented by the popular
business and desktop publishing computers
that first made graphical computing so popular.
Each operating platform is totally incompatible
with the other.
Apple has made the Macintosh computer
system rather simple. There are not a lot of
hardware choices and the choices that are
available are almost entirely dictated by the
applications one plans to use. Apple files
(files are stored information and programs)
are not directly interchangeable with IBM
32 Boxoffice

and Apple's approach to interfacing with
the computer user is entirely graphical, an
idea first
created by Xerox and pioneered
by Apple since 1984. The Macintosh operating
system uses an intuitive approach,
with little graphic symbols, called icons, to
pictorially convey the purpose of each command
one needs to give the system, making
command selection as easy as pointing to a
desired picture and clicking a button.
For example, if you want to obtain a
listing of the files stored on a Macintosh
main disk drive, you would simply point to
the picture of a filing cabinet on the monitor
and click a button on the mouse (a simple
pointing device attached to the computer).
Quickly, a display of various file headings
and descriptions would appear, organized
simply and understandably. To erase a file,
all you have to do is point to the file name,
drag it across the screen to the picture of a
garbage can. and click the mouse button. In
its graphically-oriented approach, Apple is
unique in its simplicity and ease of use.
The approach taken by IBM and DOS is
text and conimancl orienled. To get a listing
of tiles, you must type in the required information
at a command tine on the monitor.
.Some of the commands are cumbersome,
and typing mistakes can cause errors in
copying or erasing files. Several software
vendors have developed add-on shells
which can be used to automate and simplify
the DOS commands. One of the major IBM
software suppliers, Microsoft Corp. (which
developed the DOS software), has developed
Windows software for IBM computers,
which closely approximates
Macintosh's intuitive graphical approach to
computing: little windows on the screen
contain graphical representations of your
programs and commands. But none of these
operate with the same degree of intuitive
simplicity as the Macintosh system.
[Editor's note: Though graphic-based
operating systems may be easy to learn and
use, the merits of text-based systems should
not be taken for granted. A recent survey of
college students revealed that students who
used Macintosh computers to write papers
received lower grades than students who
used IBM computers]
Nonetheless, much of the business world
is largely based on IBM computer systems,
with more software available for IBM than
any other personal computer. The inherent
graphic capability of Macintosh has led it in
the direction of desktop publishing and the
graphic arts with comparatively little software
being devoted to business applications,
such as bookkeeping, database
management, communications, and networking.
The number crunching ability and
vast array of hardware options available to
IBM machines, together with a large and
loyal mass of software vendors and business
users, have pretty well secured the
business market for the IBM system and its
followers.
When it comes to deciding upon purchasing
the actual hardware that comprises the
computer system, there is really scry little
you must knovs to make an intelligent decision.
Hirst of all. you will (or should) ha\e
already selected the software you need for
your business; the software will dictate
what your minimum hardware needs will
System board with microprocessor and
RAM
be! More than that, all you need to know are
the very basic parts. First there is the computer
box itself which houses the Central
Processor Unit (explained in more detail
later on), the main memory (RAM. or Random
Access Memory ) for running softw are
(which loses its memory when the power is
turned off), the permanent storage devices
in the form of fixed disks and floppy disk
drives, and the input and output connections
to which one would attach both optional and
some necessary peripheral devices such as
a printer, a modem for telephone communications,
a monitor, and your keyboard. Of
course, there are still other options for more
advanced tasks, some of which get attached
externally and some of which go underneath
the computer's cover.
The Central Processor Unit, or CPU. is
the heart of any microcomputer. The IBM
style machines are based on processors
An 80386-based computer system
made by the Intel Corp.. and are labeled
with numbers such as 8088. 80286.
80.^86SX. 80386DX, and 80486 (each
higher number indicating a higher evolutionary
stage of computing power). Apple
utilizes a completely different CPU in its
Macintosh, the Motorola 68000 and its sibling
68030. The distinguishing factors between
CPU's can be complex, but all of the
characteristics can be summarized by looking
at each CPU's speed, data handling
capabilities, and memory management
abilities. Future articles will explain the
details of CPU design and development in
business machines, but nime of this knov\ledge
is necessary to be an informed consumer.
What is important is having some
idea of when to step up to the next more
powerful processor and when to know when
you are being over sold.
One piece of carefully considered ad\ ice
is not to automaticall\ think that one must
buy a computer with the newest or fastest
chip available. Newer and faster may in fact
be better, but these CPU's almost always
cost more and may very well be overkill for
the job you have in mind. You probably will
want to stay clear of the older 8088 and
8086 level machines (the IBM-XT series
was of this vintage). They are really too
slow and too lean on memory to handle
most of today's advanced software. And the
80286 chips are more an investment in the
past than any sort of hedge for the future.
While good deals exist on 80286 based
machines, this chip suffers from enough
memory management limitations to make
the investment a poor choice for the newer
software coming to market—software
which you will probably want to use.
For most businesses, computers based on
the 8()386SX or 80386DX chip are fine,
including the slower ones that are rated at
1 6 or 20 MHz. (MHz. is the abbreviation for
million cycles, or Hertz, per second, the
speed of the internal clock of a chip. The
older IBM-XT models ran at 4 to 8 MHz.;
the IBM-AT, based on the 80286 chip, ran
at 12 to 16 MHz; top speeds for 80386DX
chips are 33 MHz.: the 80346 can operate
at 50 MHz. ).
For use in work stations, these
are fast enough for most jobs and more than
capable of running cunently available applications
software. 386 computers rated
above 20MHz and all 486 machines have
their place as file servers in large networks
or as workstations in very demanding number
crunching, desktop publishing and engineering
graphics applications.
With all these different types of computers,
don't let someone push you into buying
a bigger machine than you think you need.
Buy enough speed and memory to support
the software that you have chosen and follow
this small piece of advice: buy a computer
with enough overhead to
accommodate reasonable growth and no
more. You cannot adequately protect yourself
now for more than just a few years
ahead. The computer industry changes too
quickly and, by the time you are ready to
use any unnecessary extra capacity or extra
features you paid extra for, chances are
there will be better alternatives on the market
at better prices.
Next month: more on not overbuying;
how to prepare for reasonable growth; selecting
a monitor.
December, 1991 33

THEATRE PROFILE
Loews East Village Seven-Plex
Levels the Competition
Since its opening, this unique seven level cinema in New York's Greenwich Village has
outperformed the competition
By Fern Siegel
could be a scene out of a Hollywood
Itmovie. What was once an innocuous
New York telephone garage has been
miraculously transformed. With the design
expertise of New York's The Walker Group
and $17.3 million, Loews Theatres has created
Manhattan's "first vertical cinema
complex"—a seven floor theatre with one
screen per level—billed as the most expensive
theatre in the United States per seat and
per square foot. But the seven theatre extravaganza
is doing more than filling the
coffers of the construction trade, it's successfully
heating up the downtown New
York City competition for moviegoers. And
the gamble is paying off.
The Loews Village Theatre VII, (66
Third Avenue) opened May 24, generating
the nation's highest gross for "Thelma and
Louise"—a weekend gross of $69, 1 3 1—as
well as the highest gross for any picture
playing in metropolitan New York! Other
top performers at the new complex:
Madonna's "Truth or Dare" lured $27,264,
the revived "Citizen Kane" commanded
$ 1 2,957. and "Drop Dead Fred," "Angel At
My Table" and "Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken"
drew $10,587, $8,865 and $3,470 respectively.
First time luck? Guess again. As of Labor
Day, Kenneth Branagh's filin noir thriller
"Dead Again" enjoyed, according to A.
Alan Friedberg, chairman of Loews Theatres,
"its biggest engagement in the U.S.,"
while the ever-popular "Thelma and Louise"
has captured "the highest grosses in the
world. Loews Theatre VII is the biggest
grossing house on a per seat basis in New
York City and," he predicts, "it can only get
better."
Part of the theatres' success rests with its
location. The volume of people in the East
Village area alone is staggering. And consider
the added bonus—a hugh New York
University dorm right across the street.
second explanation may reside with the theatre
complex itself. Loews is serious about
consumer comfort.
Loews Village Theatre VII boasts a total
seating capacity of 2,100 with
A
individual
theatres, ranging in size from 225^00
seats. All feature state-of-the art equipment
such as luxurious 22-inch Irwin seats
equipped with cup holders, Dolby Stereo,
and 70mm capabilities. The largest theatre
also carries one of only two Lucasfilm/THX
sound presentation systems in Manhattan:
the first THX installation in the 878 screen
Loews chain. As a subsidiary of Columbia
Pictures Entertainment, which is owned by
Sony, Loews is expected, according to
Friedberg. "to exploit the latest in technology-"
For New York movie fans the seven-level
cinema means there is plenty of room to
accommodate a crowd and adequate insulation
to prevent noise from either the street
or other films-in-progress. The complex offers
five concession stands (complete with
Mr. Jubbly sweet popcorn imported from
Europe and washed down with Walkabout,
a bottled Australian water), 12 escalators
and an elevator, and total accessibility for
the handicapped.
But the real delight for New York moviegoers
is Loews' Teleticket ticketing system
(provided by C.A.T.S. USA), which
sold over 700 advance sale tickets in its
debut run.
By using the Loews Teleticket
service, patrons can charge tickets ($7.50)
by touch tone phone by dialing 212-
59LOEWS three days to three minutes in
advance. Tickets are picked up at a special
will-call area at the theatre. Patrons can use
either Visa or MasterCard to order and prepay,
and are charged a S 1 .00 service fee per
ticket.
"We want Loews to be number one In the
consumer's mind for services and convenience,"
explains Friedberg. To insure it the
Village Theatre VII offers a Loews concierge
who has information on area restaurants
(he or she will make a reservation for
you) and film schedules at other Loews
Theatres—the concierge will even call for
a taxi. All free of charge.
In addition, the theatre complex sports an
art deco interior design fashioned by The
Walker Group of Manhattan. The color
scheme is teal and charcoal and utilizes
various textures and shades of tiles throughout
the building. Soft grey tones on the
walls are accentuated by art deco mosaics
grandly holding yellow lights. Each concession
stand is embellished with multi-colored
tile patterns that compliment the plush
blue/green/burgundy floral caipet. It's reminiscent
of the Twenties, while paying homage
to the sleek style of the Nineties.
It's all
so delightful, delectable, and decidedly
expensive. Friedberg says the
seven-plex price tag means it will take
longer to recoup costs than at other Loews
sites, but freely admits, "If I could have
gotten more screens in the Village Theatre
VII, I would have. We did what we could
with city requirements, dimensions such as
height and space configurations."
But Loews Village Theatre VII isn't the
only kid on the downtown cinema block.
There's City Cinemas Village East, the
Loews 19th Street Theatre, Cinema village,
and the venerable Quad Cinema. Is
Friedberg woiried about long-term competition,
a virtual battle of the bijous?
"What competition?" asks Friedberg.
"We are firm believers in the Darwinian
principle of survival of the fittest. We are
the fittest; furthermore, cream rises to the
top. We are the cream."
Sm
34 BOXOFFICE

Boxoffice's Holiday Gift Guide
Our choice selection of books and videos for tiie film buff
on your gift list
Son of Film Flubs: More Memorable
Movie Mistakes
By Bill Cntvis
Citadel Press, $7.95 paper
This is the sequel to last year's very popular
Film Fhihs. an amazing collection of
on-screen mistakes, goofs, glitches, and
general continuity en'ors in motion pictures.
The first voluirie listed historical and logical
errors in some 200 movies ranging t'roni
"Abe Lincoln in Illinois" to "You Only Live
Twice." and was a best seller the minute it
hit the stands. This edition expands on
Hollywood journalist Gi\ens procli\ ity for
discovering Hubs: aided and abetted by
many loyal friends and readers (dubbed the
Flub Spotter Squad) who have contributed
numerous examples of movie mistakes,
Givens finds continuity errors in 14 of the
top 20 grossing films of 1990, as well as
sorting through the mistakes in "The Godfather,"
the "Back to the Future" and the
"Indiana Jones" series. With chapter titles
like "Now You See It. Now You Don't," "In
the Time Tunnel," "Miraculous Healings
and Wondrous Cleanups" and "Costume
Changes," this book is the ultimate movie
nitpicker's bible. Order the book early however;
last years edition sold out way before
Christmas, wrecking the continuity of many
a Hollywood executive's gift list.
Film Directors: A Complete Guide
Compiled and Edited by Michael Siiii^er
Lone Eafile Publishing Co.. $59. 95 hardcover
This is the eighth edition of the most
comprehensive listing of film directors
available on the market today. Editor Michael
Singer has created a publishing empire
of sorts for Lone Eagle; after his
impressive first edition of Film Directors
debuted in 198.\ the company went on to
successfully publish such other directories
as Film Writers Guide: Film Composers
Guide; Cinematographers, Production Designers.
Costume Designers and Film Editors
Guide; Film Producers. Studios,
Agents & Casting Directors Guide; Special
Effects & Stunts Guide; Television Writers
Guide; and Television Directors Guide. As
with Film Directors, each guide is accurately
cross-referenced by names and films:
Film Directors, which is our constant reference
companion, catalogs some 2.500 directors
here and abroad and lists each
director's work on full-length feature films
and telefilms (with notations for studio.
\ear and country of release),
contains an
alphabetical listing ofover 2.S.000 films, an
index of agents/managers, and an index of
foreign-based directors. The 5.'>8 page volume
is definitely a must for anyone working
in the film industry, from theatre owners
w ho need to know who did what and when
for booking purposes, to students researching
the cinema's past and present for academic
reasons.
Variety 1990: The Year in Review
By Marilyn J. Malelski
Focal Press. $21.95
This is the first of a proposed series of
annual anthologies that summarize and
highlight the year in entertainment as seen
in the pages of the weekly trade paper Variety.
This first edition covers film, video,
international news, theater, and music; subsequent
editions will present broadcastvideo
information in even-numbered years,
film-theater data in odd-numbered years.
Author Matclski has brought together a
year's worth of important articles, charts,
and lists to create an at-your-fingertips directory
of vital industry information, major
headline stories and significant statistics
(such as feature film negative and marketing
costs 1980-1989, all time film rental
champs, boxoffice shares, a global price
guide for theatrical films, and breakdowns
on major film distributors). The anthology
also includes chapters on "A Brief History
of Variety." "How lo Read Variety." and
"Research Methodologies in Mass Communication,"
and finishes up with an index
to 1990 Variety film reviews and a necrology
for the year. All in all, an impressive
1 7.^ pages of information.
The Encyclopedia of Film
By James Monaco aiul the Editors of
Baseline
Perigee Books, $18.95
For years, the number one general encyclopedia
for film fans has been Ephraim
Katz" The Film Encyclopedia, a monumental
work scrupulously annotating the people
and films of almost a century of cinema.
That book, however, has not been updated
since 1979, and film buffs looking to locate
up-to-date capsule information about the
work of Jacques Rivelte or Dusan
Makavejev have had no where to turn lo.
That \'oid has been filled v\ iih this new Film
Encyclopedia, put together by prolific cinema
writer and entrepreneur James Monaco.
This 600 page volume profiles
important (and obscure) directors, actors
and actresses, composers, screenwriters,
and producers, providing in-depth biographies
and filmographies for each listing.
Here one will find thorough analyses, technical
information, and historical tidbits on
everyone from Bud Abbott to Edward
Zwick. Along with Michael Singer's Film
Directors: A Complete Guide, Leonard
Maltin's annual TV Movies and Video
Guide, and Leslie Halliwell's (now weaker
and truncated) Fihngoer's and Video
Viewer's Companion, film buffs can again
have a complete reference guide to cinema
in less than a foot's worth of shelf space.
Hollywood in the Age of Television
Edited by Tiiu> Balio
Unwin Hyinan, $21.95 paper
This is a fascinating anthology of articles
that examines the rough and tumble, at
times adversarial but for the most part conciliatory,
relationship between Hollywood
and television from the 1 940s to the present.
Edited by Tino Balio, perhaps best known
for his lively reference book on the history
of Hollywood. The American Film Industry,
this anthology is heavy with academic
contributors and footnotes, but is nevertheless
highly accessible to the lay reader. Part
I features nine chapters examining
Hollywood's response to television, including
an informative case history,
"Hollywood's Attempt at Appropriating
Television: The Case of Paramount Pictures,"
which should once and for all debunk
the myth that Hollywood ignored TV
in the hopes that it would go away; on the
contrary, Hollywood tried all in its power
to usuip and control the fiedgling indu.stry.
The second Part contains five chapters examining
Hollywood's response to new
technologies: each article here is a minicasebook
covering pay TV, home video.
made-for-TV movies, Cineplex Odeon's
December, 1991 35
.-—...

Boxoffice's Holiday Gift Guide
(continued)
multiplexes, and the deregulation of European
Television. Highly recommended for
those interested in accurate research into
Hollywood's recent past.
The Devil's Candy: The Bonfire of
the Vanities Goes to Hollywood
Sv Jiilit' Saliiiiion
Houiihum Mifflin. $24.95 cloth
Author Salamon was given carte blanche
(by director Brian De Palnia) to follow the
production of "The Bonfire of the Vanities"
from beginning to end, and the result of her
copious notetaking is the 1990s version of
"Final Cut": how a major studio can turn a
work of art into a monumental flop. The
talk of Hollywood, and just in time for the
holidays.
Off Hollywood Movies:
A Film
Lover's Guide
By Richard Skorwaii
Harmony Books, $14.95 paper
Richard Skorman, who runs a repertory
art house in Colorado Springs, Co.. has put
together a lively guide to 445 independently
produced American movies, foreign films,
cult classics, and oddball studio films in the
hopes of acquainting film fans with movies
that are "cinematic gems that, lacking big
studio hype, are unknown to most moviegoers."
Although most of the films reviewed
here are available on video, or
occasionally appear on cable-TV. the book
is still a good booking guide for art house
programmers as well as for film societies
and teachers. Includes indexes by director,
actors, cinematographers, and countries.
Famous Movie Detectives W
By Michael R. Pitts
Scarecrow Press. $47.50 cloth
Because of its price, this interesting book
can only be recommended for diehard
movie detective fanatics or for acquisition
by libraries. In 3.50 pages, Pitts exhaustingly
covers the filmic versions of the
sleuthing of Arsene Lupin, Hercule Poirot.
Inspector Clouseau, Inspector Maigret,
Mike Hammer, Miss Jane Marple, Nurse
Sarah Keate, PeiTy Mason, Philip Marlowe,
Raffles, Sexton Blake, The Shadow, Sherlock
Holmes, The Whistler, and 23 other
movie detectives. Includes incisive descriptions
and filmographies. (The first volume
included Charlie Chan, Ellery Queen,
Nancy Drew, Dick Tracy, The Saint, Sam
Spade. Philo Vance and others).
Risky Business: Rock in Film
By R. Serge Denisoff and William D.
Romanowski
Transaction Publishers. $39.95 cloth
Another book with a hefty price tag.
Risky Business is definitely a must for libraries
and film historians and researchers:
an in-depth overview ( 768 pages) of the role
of rock music in film, from the early, innocent
days of "Rock, Rock, Rock" and "Love
Me Tender" to the high profile synergy of
soundtracks and MTV. The authors impressively
cover all aspects of their topic,
commenting on hundreds of films that use
rock music or that are about rock music and
musicians. Chapters also examine the monetary
ideologies behind soundtracks and the
success and failure of "rockumentaries."
Film Noir: Reflections in a Dark
Mirror
By Bruce Crcnvther
Continuum. $14. 95 paper
A fascinating study of film noir. that
genre of film drama that projected an atmosphere
of dark, brooding disillusionment
and foreboding, and which lasted from,
roughly. 1945 to 1955. This lively book,
illustrated with more than a hundred production
stills, looks into film noir's literary
background as well as examining the contributions
of the directors, actors and actresses,
writers, cinematographers and
supporting players who made the genre
unique for its "glorification" of the other
side of the American Dream. Crowther
even takes a look at the psychological underpinnings
of the period: paranoia, disillusionment,
anxiety and violent fear. A fine
gift for the film fan on your list.
The Cinema of Stanley Kubrick
By Norman Kagan
Continiaim. $12.95 paper
A must for fans of Kubrick. Kagan
chronicles all of Kubrick's work ( 12 films
in 40 years, each one a compact, intricate,
complex and artful tour de force) with a
wealth of background information on the
filmmakerand his films. With the exception
of "Spartacus" (1960), Kubrick has kept
close control of his productions, beginning
with the conception on through to the
camerawork and final editing. Kagan's indepth
examination of the films, which includes
behind-the-scenes tidbits,
production information, descriptions of
storylines and key scenes, and the cultural
and critical response to the works, is heavy
on readability and light on theory.
Epic!: History on the Big Screen
By Baird Searlcs
Ahrams. $60.00
This is the ultimate coffee table book for
film buffs: 240 oversize (10 1/4 by 13 1/4
inches), glossy pages that presents the history
of the world as seen through the movies.
Abrams has long been known for publishing
outstanding art books, with loving
photographic reproductions, and the company
has now transfened its expertise to the
world of film books. This gorgeous production
features 250 illustrations (most in
color) and a text that analyzes some 150
films based on each film's artistic merits
and its historical context. The book is divided
into time periods (Antiquity, The
Middle Ages, Renaissance to Revolution,
The Modern Age—Centuries 19 and 20),
and mingles the history of each period with
descriptions of the films made about that
period.
Includes a filmography, bibliography,
and index.
Great American Movie Theaters
By David Naylor
The Presenatlon Press. $16.95 paper
A fine little, odd-sized (5 1/4 inches wide
by 10 1/4 inches high) book that lovingly
surveys the remains of the golden age of
theatre architecture. Lest you fear that too
many theatres have been turned into parking
lots, banks and shopping centers, you're
right; but enough of them remain so that
Naylor was able to put together this great
276 page tome. Naylor starts out with a brief
overview of the history of theatres and the
movies (including a look at the major movie
moguls and theatre architects) and looks at
current restoration and rescue practices, and
then moves on to the meat of the book:
descriptions, by Statcof 360 of the greatest
remaining theatres. Although written in
1987 (making some of the listings obsolete
by now), the book is a great archive of a lost
art form. Lavishly illustrated with 450 photos
and drawings, and with a bibliography,
index, and information sources, the book is
a must for every theatre owner and theatre
buffs collection. The Preservation Press is
the publishing arm of the National Trust for
Historic Preservation, a private, non-profit
organization chartered by Congress in 1947
to encourage public participation in the
preservation of sites, buildings and objects
significant in American history and culture.
The book probably won't be stocked at your
local bookstore; write or call the Trust at
1785 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington,
D.C. 20006; 202-673-4200 or 800-274-
3694. (The Press's 24 page catalog lists
books on old houses, historic hotels, curious
architecture. America's downtowns, bridges
and dams, old bathes, and collectible
postcard books)
"Citizen Kane": The 50th
Anniversary
This is the newly restored version (from
a new master print with light and sound
rebalanced by the film's original editor.
36 BOXOFFICE

Books and Videos for the Film Buff on Your Holiday Gift List
Robert Wise) of the most-acelaimed film of
all time. To celebrate the film's 5()th anniversar)'.
Turner Home Entertainment has
released three collcetor's editions of Orson
Welles" impressive story of the life and
death of publisher and would-be-politician
Charles Foster Kane (loosely based on the
life of William Randolph Hearst). The 50th
Anniversary Citizen Kane Limited
Collector's Edition features the film, an
additional video which contains "Refiections
on Citizen Kane"" program and the
original movie trailer, a hardcover book.
"The 50th Anniversary Album."" by Harlan
Lebo. a reproduction of the script, glossy
stills and publicity material, and a 50th Anniversary
one-sheet (S99.98); The 50th Anniversary
Citizen Kane Gift Set features the
film, the "Refiections"" program, and the
hardcover book ($49.98); a single cassette
of "Kane"" plus the "Reflections"" program
is also available ($19.98). All make gorgeous
holiday gifts for film lovers.
"The Godfather" Collector's Edition
To celebrate the completion of "The
Godfather'" trilogy. Paramount Home
Video has put together this collectors"s edition
of the monumental work. "The Godfather.""
"The Godfather Part II."" "The Godfather
Part III"" (with an additional nine
minutes of footage), and "The Godfather
Family: A Look Inside."" a 73-minute behind-the-scenes
chronicle of the three films,
are packaged in a leather embossed boxed
set which retails at $150.00. Unlike "The
Godfather Epic.'" which was a re-edit into a
linear epic (similar but slightly different
than "The Godfather .Saga"" re-edit for network
television) of the first two "Godfathers""
by Francis Ford Coppola, this set
contains the three films as they were seen
in their theatrical versions (except "Part
III."" which has been expanded with nine
minutes of footage).
"The Civil War"
When "The Civil War."" the highest rated
television series in PBS history, was released
to home video, it sold out in 48 hours.
Just in time for the holiday season. PBS
Home Video has re-released the nine-volume
collection, packaged in a commemorativecase.
for$179.95. The program, which
won two 1991 Emmies, is the first full scale
film history of the conflict that defined the
U.S. as a nation, and features stunning period
photographs and recreations of music
from the era. Folk history at its finest.
World War II Documentary
Collection
Video Treasures of Troy, Mich., has released
a package of eight videotapes (featuring
20 documentary films on World War
II) to coincide with the 5()th anniversary of
Pearl Harbor. Its value to film buffs resides
in the fact that many of the films were made
by HoIlywood"s top directors, including
Frank Capra, John Ford and John Huston.
Some of the tapes: Preparing for War,
includes "War Comes to America"'
v\hich
and "Prelude to War,"' both by Frank Capra;
Nazi Invasions, with "Divide & Conquer"
by Capra and Analole Litvack. "Battle of
Russia," by Litvack, and "The Nazi Strike,"
by Capra and Litvack; Weapons of War,
featuring "Thunderbolt" by William Wyler
and John Sturges; and The Pacific Theater,
featuring "December 7, 1941" by John
Ford. Each videotape, ranging in length
from 93 to 184 minutes, retails for S9.99.
For more information, contact Video Treasures
at 3 1 3-280- 1 1 0.
Renovation

Wehrenberg Balloon Race Is the Centerpiece for
Year's Worth of Promotions
Wehrenberg
Theatres' Annual Regional
Balloon Race Championship
& Carnival is a great annual
promotion for the St. Louis, Mo., chain.
The 1 1th annual competition I ifted-off Saturday,
June 22 and Sunday, June 23, at
Jefferson Barracks Park, and was free to the
public.
Pre-race activities began at 2:30 p.m.
both days, and the breathtaking sight of
more than 30 hot-air balloons readying for
take-off came at approximately 5:00 p.m.
The "Hare and Hounds" race pitted the
region's best balloon pilots, vying for thousands
of dollars in prize money, as they
chased the Wehrenberg balloon at the
whim of the South St. Louis County wind
currents. Along with the ten-story hot-air
balloons were the uniquely shaped display
balloons depicting a Porter Paint Can and
a United Van Lines Truck, adding to the
photo opportunities.
The fast-paced, fun-filled afternoon of
family entertainment included
Wehrenberg's Helium Balloon Contest,
which offered a Wehrenberg Theatres' Season
Pass as first prize, carnival games, and
a kiting show presented by the Gateway
Kite Club.
The Bob Kuban Brass entertained on the
main stage, while Moolah Shrine Clowns,
mimes, and a comic juggler bewitched the
youngsters, who also enjoyed riding the
Wehrenberg Popcorn Express Train.
In a special presentation, the Aerial Express
Parachute team plummeted into a
"bulls eye" on the balloon field, just as the
balloons were preparing to inflate and
tether for the race.
According to Ralph Craczak, director of
promotions for Wehrenberg Theatres,
more than 10,000 people attended the
two-day affair. Each year staffers from the
theatres run the concession and game
booths; the whole affair is planned and run
by a committee of general managers from
Wehrenberg theatres.
The annual weekend of entertainment is
sponsored by Wehrenberg Theatres, Coca-
Cola and the St. Louis County Parks Department.
This is the 85th anniversary year for
Wehrenberg, the oldest family run theatre
circuit in America, and the Balloon Race
Championship was preceded by "Nickelodeon
Days" in May. That three-week promotion
entitled patrons to 5 cent theatre
admissions on one Wednesday, nickel
popcorn the next week, and nickel soft
drinks the final week.
During the summer, the circuit featured
a 'scratch-and-win' trivia game with such
prizes as a car, a cruise, and concession
discounts.
For the coming holiday season,
Wehrenberg is heavily involved with the
Salvation Army's "Tree of Lights" campaign.
Wehrenberg president Ronald P.
Krueger is on the board of directors for the
Salvation Army in St. Louis, the home of the
"Tree of Lights" drive. The circuit's theatres
will collect cans of food for the Salvation
Army to be distributed to the needy, and all
theatres will collect change in counter-top
kettles for the Army's annual fund drive.
The capper to the Wehrenberg efforts on
behalf of the Army is their "Balloon Glow,"
in which two to three dozen hot-air balloons
are lit from the inside with quartz
lights to illuminate the balloon field. Passers-by
make donations to the Salvation
Army, which stations its people around the
field. A bright and fitting end for an impressive
year of promotions and community
service.
Marketing Concept
Entry Drew Entire
Community Into Theatre
when John Boehm, former manager of
the Excellence/Carmike Cinemas of Mankato,
Minn., submitted the first entry in The
Hollywood Reporter's 1991-1992 Marketing
Concept Awards, he crowed only about
the fact that his promotional campaign for
"Dances With Wolves" drew 20,000 viewers.
What he forgot to mention was that the
entire community of Mankato has a population
of only 30,000. And that the film was
run only on one screen. And that the theatre
has only 160 seats.
The Marketing Concept Awards, celebrating
its 1 1th year, is the only competition
that recognizes and honors those
responsible for the best promotional campaigns
by local theatres designed to boost
attendance and promote community public
relations. The awards, sponsored by The
Hollywood Reporter, are judged by a blue
ribbon panel of industry experts. The top
prize of $1,000 is awarded to the Grand
Prize Winner for Exceptional Showmanship.
Other winners receive prizes of $ 1 00,
$50, or Certificates of Honorable Mention.
As an example of the quality of entries
received, Boehm's incredibly successful
campaign included full wall displays of
original artwork, behind-the-scenes photos,
and a museumquality exhibit of American
Indian and Civil War artifacts,
contributed in part by local residents.
Boehm, who was assisted by Richard
Wanke, indicated that the community
might have had more than a passing interest
in the movie "Dances With Wolves."
"The area around Mankato once had a very
large American Indian population and, in
fact, the town was the site of the largest and
last mass Indian hanging in the LJ.S. ordered
by Abraham Lincoln in the late
1 800s," explained Boehm.
Whether other entries this year can top
Boehm's "behind the scenes" success
story, remains to be seen. Hundreds of
entries are received each year for the competition
and are only accepted in scrapbook
form, along with locally produced
1/2-inch VHSvideosof30or60-second TV
commercials and standard audio cassettes
of radio spots. The cut-off date for entries
was November 1 5.
Judging will take place prior to the
NATO/ShoWest Convention and Trade
Fair, in Las Vegas, February 17-20, 1992,
where winners will be announced and
prizes awarded.
Those interested in additional entry information
for next year may call either
Connie Hill or Renee Simone, the Awards
Program coordinators, at (213) 464-741 1,
extension 270.
38 BoxoFncE

SHOWMANDISER
Classic Theatre,
Classic Experience,
Draw Crowds to Atlanta Film Fest
Police
struggled to clear the crowd
from Peachtree Street in front of
Atlanta's historic Fox Theatre. The
r.cene looked like the premiere of a new
ilm, perhaps a popular artist's rock concert.
But no, this was a one-night showing
)f a movie released last year. "We turned
Atlanta's liistoric Fox Ttieatre
2,000 people away," says Fox general
manager Edgar Neiss, recalling the July 22
showing of "Dances With Wolves." "The
fire marshal helped us clear the aisles."
Neiss says the 4,518 seats at the Fox
were filled again the following night for an
extra showing of the film. A few nights
later, the Fox drew 2,000 people downtown
for "Home Alone." "And it's already
out in video," Neiss notes.
The Fox averaged about 3,000 people
for each of the dozen features in the 1 991
Kimberly Clark Film Festival. This is the
14th year the non-profit Fox has hosted a
summer film festival, although sponsors
have changed. The features range from
classics—this year's festival included the
recently restored "Spartacus" and "Citizen
Kane"-to more contemporary blockbusters.
Few are rated stronger than PC. Most
are chosen for their big-screen impact.
Many classics are screened in 70mm.
More accustomed to hosting live concerts
and drama, the Fox has found the
festival perennially popular. The goal.
Neiss says, "is to revive the classic moviegoing
experience of the 1940s." The doors
open early at the Fox on movie nights. At
7 :20, a local disc jockey takes the stage and
announces that night's door prizes and special
entertainment.
For "Dances With Wolves," two Native
Americans gave a short presentation on the
demise of their people. Next, organist Jay
Mitchell rose like magic from the orchestra
pit. Following slides projected on the
screen, the crowd sang along with his renditions
of "Home on the Range," "April
Showers" and "Old Man River." Trailers
led into a classic "Bugs Bunny" cartoon
and primed the crowd for the start of the
feature at 8:00.
Many in the audience for "Dances With
Wolves" said they had seen the film before.
But the stars and clouds projected on the
Fox's ceiling, six-channel Dolby sound, the
biggest screen in town and the winner of
seven Oscars combined to make the evening
something special.
After the show, many said they came out
of nostalgia for the theatre and for the
power of the film. "We came for the stars,"
said Fran Montgomery, pointing to the ceiling
and the screen. She attended the show
with 20 family members in Atlanta for a
reunion.
Neiss says he sees a trend back to "the
classic movie experience" as old movie
palaces are renovated. He notes that even
Organist Jay Mitchell plays for the crowds
when he draws only 1 ,200, as he did one
night this summer, he's still doing quite
well. "That would fill your average fourplex
two or three times over," Neiss says.
What do
IBM
CITICORP
KODAK
GENERAL MOTORS
and the
U.S. ARMY
have in common
with your theatre?
US.
In just a few years we
have become an equipment
supplier to some
of the world's largest
and most demanding
organizations.
WHY?
Because our expertise in
cinema equipment
allows us to
provide you
the BEST Products
at the BEST Prices
with the BEST Service.
Your answer to
everything in
cinema equipment.
i'JNk^*]:^;^(Mi:
IN NORTH AMERICA
CALL:
1-800-448-1656
Response No. 35
December, 1991 39

SHORT TAKES
Academy Announces 1991
Index To Motion Picture
Credits
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences' 1 5th edition of the Annual Index to
Motion Picture Credits is now available. The
Index includes more than 14,000 individual
credits for 358 domestic and foreign films
released in the Los Angeles area in 1990.
Motion picture credits are indexed by film
title, craft and distributor; a separate index of
casting credits is also included. The book
concludes with comprehensive indexes listing
all
the individuals mentioned in this edition,
along with their credits, as well as a
listing of all films appearing in the annual
volume since 1975. Extensive cross-referencing
ensures easy access to ail credits information.
Compiled from primary sources and information
obtained directly from feature film
producers and distributors, the Index emphasizes
major technical and post-production
credits. Credits are verified by the producers
and the individuals who work on each film.
The Academy's Annual Index to Motion
Picture Credits can be ordered from bookstores
or by directly contacting the Academy
at (213) 247-3000. Cost for the hardbound
book is $60 on subscription; $80 list price.
IVIusic Inspired By Hemdale
Films Released On
Cinemasters Label
Music inspired by Hemdale Films' "Impromptu,"
has been issued by DCC Compact
Classics on its new Cinemaster label.
Cinemaster recently debuted with "The Best
of Hemdale," selections from 1 1 soundtracks
(including "Platoon," "The Last Emperor,"
"River's Edge," "Salvador," and others) and
the original soundtrack of "The Terminator."
The new CD presents the music of Chopin
and Liszt, the former performed by Edith
Hirshtal and the latter by Ick Choo Moon,
both noted concert pianists.
Titles include Chopin's "Ballade in C
Minor. Opus 23 No. 1," "Fantaisie Impromptu
in C Sharp Minor, Opus 66," "(Minute)
Waltz in D Elat, Opus 64 No. 1," and
"Posthumous Nocturne in E Minor, Opus 72,"
and Liszt's "Transcendental Etude No. 10"
and "Sonata in B Minor."
The "Impromptu" album, along with "The
Best of Hemdale" and "The Terminator," joins
a growing catalog of film scores being issued
by DCC, including a trio of classics long out
of print, "Music by Erich Wolfgang Korngold,"
the original motion picture soundtrack for
"The Nun's Story," and, the original motion
picture score for "For Whom the Bell Tolls."
Earlier soundtrack releases have included
the original film scores for "Gone with the
Wind" and "Spellbound" and the original
London cast version of "Show Boat."
For exhibitors wishing to stock the
soundtracks as impulse concession stand
items, contact DCC Compact Classics headquarters
at 8300 Tampa Ave., Suite C, Northridge,
CA 91324; 818-993-8822; Fax
818-993-0605.
Theatre Service Network
Offers Unique Exhibitor
Relations Services
Theatre Service Network, Inc., an exhibitor
services firm based in Yorkville, III., recently
began operations handling the information,
marketing, and film needs of theatre owners
and film buyers across the country.
Originally developed to satisfy the need
among independent theatre owners for more
complete information and quality film buying
assistance, TSN represents a more involved
and cooperative approach to theatre relations.
Founded byexhibition and distribution veterans
Buck Kolkmeyer and Steve Felperin,lhe
firm's activities include information and marketing
subscription services in the form of
complete release/synopses reports, overnight
boxoffice grosses, screening reports, promotion
guides, and its own monthly publication,
"Admit One."
Theatre Service Network's expanding film
department currently buys films for over 30
screens in 5 states.
The company is located at 217 Bridge
Street (mailing address is P.O. Box 190), Yorkville,
IE 60560; 708-553-0588.
Film Fans' Tastes Revealed
In Movie Channel
Movie Lover Poll
For the sec ond consecutive year, film fans
named Katherine Hepburn and Paul Newman
the "Top Stars of All Time," in The Movie
Channel Movie Lover Poll. Survey respondents
also spoke out on their favorite (and less
favorite) actors, actresses, movies and directors—as
well astheirfeelingsaboutthe industry
today.
The poll was conducted among more than
2,000 movie lovers between the ages of 25
and 45. Here's a look at the results.
Interestingly, although Kevin Costner is
tinseltown's man of the hour, movie lovers
denied him top billing as "Today's Top Male
Star." That honor went to Mel Gibson, whose
17 percent beat out lack Nicholson (9 percent),
Tom Cruise (9 percent), Dustin Hoffman
(9 percent), Sean Connery (8 percent)
and Costner (8 percent).
The race for "Top Female Star" was considerably
tighter: Meryl Streep won with 14 percent,
followed by Michelle Pfeiffer (12
percent) and Bette Midler, Kathleen Turner
and Sally Field in a three-way tie for third
place (10 percent apiece).
Despite the fine figure he cuts in a horse
blanket, Costner was again virtually ignored
in the "Sexiest Male Star" voting. Mel Gibson
took top honors in the category with 24 percent,
while Costner was left "dancing with
himself" in fourth place (9 percent). "Sexiest
Female Star," said movie lovers, is Kim Basinger,
closely trailed by Michelle Pfeiffer and
Kathleen Turner. America's "Favorite Director"
is clearly Steven Spielberg—the only person
in any survey category to garner 40
percent of the vote. Ironically, a distant second
and third place went to two directors on
whose work young Steven grew up: Alfred
Hitchcock (15 percent) and John Huston (7
percent).
How do movie lovers feel about today's
films? Well, three-quarters of those polled
said there's too much violence in today's
movies; three-fifths said there's too much sex;
and nine out of ten said ticket prices are too
high. Despite this, they still love the movies.
When asked their favorite type of film, survey
participants chose comedy (14 percent) over
drama (9 percent) and action-adventure (8
percent).
When asked to peer into their crystal balls
and name "Which of Today's Young Stars
Will Still Be Around in 20 Years," respondents
chose Tom Cruise and Meg Ryan.
In the "Most Disappointing Career" cate-
place, followed by
gory, Rob Lowe took first
John Belushi and Eddie Murphy.
Turning their attention to the films themselves,
21 percent of respondents named
"Gone With the Wind" the best movie of all
time—for the second consecutive year. Distant
also-rans were "The Sound of Music" (5
percent), "Rain Man" (4 percent) and "E.T." (4
percent). "GWTW" was also named "Most
Romantic Movie of All Time," also for the
second year in a row.
"Funniest Movie of All Time" was "Vacation,
" while "Raiders of the Lost Ark" was
voted most action-packed. "Scariest Movie"
honors went to "The Exorcist." And the
"Worst Movie of All Time," according to The
Movie Channel's poll, was "Attack of the
Killer Tomatoes," which just barely edged out
"Rambo."
Humphrey Bogart was tabbed as Best Actor
of the '50s for his work in "The African
Queen," while Best Actress of the '50s honors
went to Vivien Leigh, whose depiction of
Blanche DuBois ("Streetcar Named Desire")
edged her past second place Joanne Woodward
("Three Faces of Eve"). Best Picture of
the 50's was "Ben-Hur," followed closely by
"Bridge on the River Kwai" and "From Here
to Eternity."
In the Best Actor of the '60s category, Gregory
Peck was the clear winner for "To Kill a
Mockingbird." Katharine Hepburn was
named Best Actress of the '60s for the controversial
"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner."
Best Picture of the '60s went to "The Sound of
Music."
Jack Nicholson's work in "One Flew Over
the Cuckoo's Nest" netted him Best Actor of
the '70s honors, while Sally Field won the
hearts of movie lovers in the title role of
"Norma Rae." Best Pictureof the '70s, respondents
opined, was "Cuckoo's Nest," which
just barely defeated "The Godfather."
Dustin Hoffman ran away with Best Actor
of the '80s, snaring 40 percent of the vote for
his stunning performance in "Rain Man."
Katharine Hepburn ("On Golden Pond")
squeaked by Meryl Streep("Sophie'sChoice")
by a mere two votes to take Best Actress of the
'80s honors. And "Rain Man" was voted Best
Picture ofthe '80s with 35 percent of the vote.
The Movie Channel Movie Lover's Poll was
conducted in 1 4 cities: New York, Los Angeles,
Chicago, Pittsburgh, Sacramento, Dallas,
Houston, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Tampa, Atlanta,
Providence, Louisville and Phoenix.
The Movie Channel regularly polls the

'
Modem
5
SHORTTAKES
n^ition's movie lovers on their favorite films,
performers and viewing habits, as well as a
wide range of topics relating to the motion
picture industry.
Christmas Promotions
Tie-In to 1992
As the year's big holiday movies arc finally
hitting the screens, several of the more family
oriented films are getting an extra push from
a familiar source: promotional tic-ins. Steven
Spielberg's big-budget Peter Pan extravaganza,
"Hook," and the animated features
"Beauty and the Beast" and "An American
Tail 2: Fievel Goes West" are among the titles
expected to profit the most from their associations
with such partners as McDonald's,
Burger King and Pizza Hut.
TriStar's "Hook," which insiders expect to
be the season's biggest hit, is getting the largest
boost, with such giants as McDonald's,
Coca-Cola and Mattel contributing an estimated
$27 million in media exposure above
and beyond the studio's own promotional
budget. The McDonald's tie-ins include a
kid-themed Happy Meal promotion as well as
an adult-directed promotion. And by the time
the film opens on December 1 1 , Mattel's line
of toys should be in the stores. Sony, TriStar's
parent company, is also planning products
around the film. "Beauty and the Beast," the
new Disney animated feature which opened
November 22, is expected to benefit from $1
to $20 million in media coverage courtesy of
tie-ins with Burger King and Colgate, as well
as a soundtrack album featuring material by
Alan Mencken, who also worked on last
year's hit "The Little Mermaid." Universal's
animated "An American Tail 2: Fievel Goes
West," a sequel to the 1 986 animated hit, has
tie-ins with Nabisco and Pizza Hut that are
expected to generate $ 1 million in exposure.
And although the 1991 Holiday season has
just come u[)on us, retailers and merchandisers
are already preparing for some of 1992's
big releases. Uppermost on everyone's mind
is Warner Bros.' "Batman Returns," which is
scheduled to open June 19. More than 100
licensees are expected to join in on the push
for the sequel to the 1989 hit, which generated
an estimated $500 million in merchandising
revenues and grossed over $250
million at the domestic boxoffice.
Among the key licenees are Kenner Toys
and Signal Apparel, which will be looking at
new concepts to differentiate the sequel from
its predecessor. According to Warner Bros,
sources, there will be a new logo to replace
the black and yellow bat-wing logo of the first
film, and a newly designed Gotham City.
Merchandise will look less like comic books
and more like images from the actual film.
Some products may be available as soon as
the beginning of March, though most will not
hit the streets until June.
The independent Samuel Coldwyn Co. has
also staked out some ground in the lucrative
promo market, making deals with Dairy
Queen and Quaker Oats that should reap
$5.5 million in coverage for their spring release,
"Rock-a-Doodle." This agreement to
lend support to the animated musical from
Don Bluth marks the first promotional deal for
Dairy (^ueen since their ill-fated tie-in with
Columbia's "Radio Flyer." That deal, which
was scheduled for last summer but was scuttled
when "Radio Flyer" was twice postponed,
proved an embarrassment for both
Dairy Queen and Columbia and left the fast
food company reluctant to enter into another
promo agreement. Goldwyn, however, alleviated
those doubts by presenting Dairy
Queen with a completed film months in advance
of the spring release date.
Finally, Paramount Pictures is expected to
renew their "Passport to Summer Entertainment"
program next summer, despite the
widespread feeling that it bombed last year.
Paramount is expected to revamp the program,
which will kick off next May, but like
last year's program will include several promotional
partners and will promote all of the
studios summer releases, including the Eddie
Murphy comedy "Boomerang" and the animated
films "Bebe's Kids" and "Cool World."
TihieaVtipie
aVt iiir§
IBlE§T
ILieinTiNe
The TOTAL SOI.UTION by McAllister A.s.snclates. Inc.
TMAS
Theatre Managment & Accounting Systems
Comprehensive Systems Designed Specifically for
Movie Theatre Chains:
Aisle lights
Step lighting
Wall-lights
Concession
area lights
Chase lights
Chandeliers
Lighted door handles
and
hand
rails
Easy lo Use
Customized to YOUR
unique needs
Priced to fit your budget
AU Systems are FuUy Integral
Multi-user, Shared data Base
interfaces to your Automatic Ticketing and Concession
Systems.
McAllister Associates provides proven solutions in the
following areas:
» Booking and Film Remittance
» Box Office and Distribution Analysis
» Concession Sales Analysis and Yield Reporting
» Cooperative Advertising and Media Contracts with Film
Remittance Offsets
» General Accounting Systems - General Ledger, Financial
Reporting, Accounts Payable, Payroll
These comprehesive packages will run on a complete line of
computers, from a Multi-user Unix Based system with a
capacity for over 200 users, to a Multi-user Network or small
single user DOS system.
VISTA MFG. INC
Box 428, Ponder, TX 817 479 2787
Response No 37
Call or write for additional Information:
McAllister Associates, Inc
274 Main Street, Reading, MA 01867
(617) 942-0700 Dick or Jesse
Response No 39
December, 1991 41

think
I
1
NATIONAL NEWS
Canton in, Price Out
at Columbia
Former Warner Bros, executive Mark Canton
has taken over as chairman of Columbia
Pictures, replacing Frank Price, whose resignation
was simultaneously announced, after
months of speculation. Price, who had previously
been Columbia chairman from 1 978-
1 983 as well as Universal Pictures chairman
from 1983-1986, had been Columbia's head
for the past 1 8 months.
Canton, who had been Warner's VP of
worldwide production and development, is a
longtime friend and colleague of Sony Pictures
Entertainment chairman Peter Cuber,
with whom he worked on the development of
"Batman" at Warner Bros. Speculation that
Canton would join Cuber at Columbia began
as soon as Cuber became the company's chief
executive in 1 989, but Cuber's contract with
Warner Bros, prevented Sony from negotiating
with him. In recent months, however,
Canton's relationship with Warner Bros, had
soured, and many at the studio held him
accountable for the failure of "The Bonfire of
the Vanities," one of last year's biggest flops.
According to Cuber, when Canton was finally
released from his contract in early September
SPE was ready to move: "Mark was an opportunity
that presented itself. When he became
available and interested, it was an opportunity
to bring someone into the mix compatible
with our style. Mark is a tenacious, creative
enthusiast who is able to create an environment
where he can build a management team
of young, creative executives who are different
enough yet share a common vision."
Of his move to Columbia, Canton was
quoted as saying, "Columbia is one of the
great historic film companies, and I was
weaned at another studio with great history.
I've always wanted to manage one of the great
studios. I want us to be a studio that is responsible
for the world we live in, but that is
audience-driven. We are not the audience,
and money is important to the audience. I
want them to get real value for their money.
When they get to see a Columbia picture,
want them to get diverse entertainment that
has meaning."
Price, meanwhile, said, "I know, and knew
when I took the job, that Peter and jon (Peters)
and Mark have worked closely together and
have a long association. [The change] didn't
surprise me. And I think at the time they took
over Columbia, had Mark been available they
would have brought him in. ..I went in to do
the job and get the studio going and do the
best job possible, and I that's been
done." Price, who will now return to independent
production and a non-exclusive deal
with SPE, is expected to receive a settlement
between $10 and $20 million for his Columbia
contract.
ShowEast a Hit
Despite a bad year at the boxoffice and the
simultaneous occurrence of the American
Film Market, attendance was up and the
mood was upbeat at this year's ShowEast in
Atlantic City. The convention, now in its seventh
year, attracted a record 1 ,300 registrants
for looks at 1 20 exhibits of theatre products
and early peeks at such films as "The Prince
of Tides," "Cape Fear" (which was introduced
by director Martin Scorsese), "The Addams
Family" and "Beauty and the Beast."
In the convention's opening ceremonies,
NATO president William Kartozian addressed
the current boxoffice slump, saying
"we are seeing the downleg of a cycle which
seems worse because we are experiencing
longer intervals between these cycles." In
addition to blaming the economy, he also
pinned blame for the slump on "marginal
product like 'Bingo,' 'V.I. Warshawski' and
'FHudson Fiawk.'" Kartozian predicted, however,
that "just a peek at the holiday product
indicates that change is just around the corner."
And indeed, theatre owners were enthusiastic
about most of the films screened and
joined Kartozian in predictinga strongChristmas
season.
One upcoming film that wasn't screened at
the convention was Barry Levinson's "Bugsy,"
which stars Warren Beatty and Annette Bening.
Levinson, however was supposed to be
on hand to pick up the George Eastman
Award, ShowEast's highest award for
filmmakers. But Levinson, who was in Italy
working on the film's score with composer
Ennio Morricone, was stranded by a national
strike and was unable to attend.
Film Production Up,
Boxoffice Down
According to reports in Daily Variety, English
language feature film production is up
through the first three-quarters of 1 991 , but as
of the end of October, boxoffice is still down.
Film starts for the year have risen from 285 in
1 990 to 306 this year, with that seven percent
gain attributable to a 1 5 percent upswing in
independent production, offset by a five percent
drop in production by the majors.
Through the end of October, however,
boxoffice for the year had dipped to
$3,794,700,000 this year, from
$3,984,700,000 last year and
$4,051,500,000 in 1989.
As of October 6, the domestic boxoffice
market shares for the year were as follows,
with the number of releases in parentheses:
Twentieth Century Fox, 14.4 percent (16);
Warner Bros., 1 3.4 percent (21 ); Buena Vista,
12.3 percent (19); Universal, 11.1 percent
(17); Orion, 10.5 percent (8); TriStar, 10.2
percent (1 1 ); Columbia, 9.5 percent (1 0); Paramount,
9.1 percent (1 6); New Line, 4.2 percent
(1 5); MGM/UA, 2.7 percent (1 4).
Film Revenues Up,
Profits Down
According to the ninth annual Communications
Industry Report from investment
bankers Veronis, Suhler and Associates, revenues
were up for film companies in 1990,
but profits were down, due primarily to higher
production and marketing costs. The increase
in revenues was from $10.5 billion to $12.3
billion, or 16.8 percent, largely attributableto
the success of Paramount and Disney, which
accounted for nearly 60 percent of the
industry's revenue growth over the year.
Paramount's "Ghost" and Disney's "Pretty
Woman" were the year's highest grossing
films.
Time Warner Joint Venture
In the latest example of an infusion of Japanese
cash into FHoilywood, Time Warner Inc.
has sold minority stakes in its movie, cable
and pay TV units to two Japanese companies
for approximately $1 billion. Toshiba Corp.,
a $30 billion electronics conglomerate, and
C. Itoh Inc., a $150 billion revenue trading
house, agreed to pay $500 million each for
6.25 percent stakes in Warner Bros., FHBOand
Time Warner's cable systems, which will
merge as Time Warner Entertainment, or
TWE. Those three businesses generated $5. 92
billion in sales in 1990. It is expected that
other investors, probably from the U.S. and
Europe, will be brought into TWE over the
next year. In the wake of the announcement,
there was a dramatic increase in the value of
Time Warner's stock, and it is believed that
other motion picture companies will follow
TWE's lead in forming joint ventures.
Cineplex Odeon Cuts Staff
Due to the current doldrums at the
boxoffice, Cineplex Odeon Corp. has laid off
more than 20 employees in five U.S. cities.
The cuts, which were in the publicity and
promotions departments, occurred in New
York, Chicago, Houston, Washington D.C.
and Los Angeles. The company also shut
down their in-housead/p.r. agency. Projected
Image, in Washington D.C. According to a
letter passed out to terminated staffers, "the
operations of the company are being consolidated,
reorganized and restructured." Two
years ago, Cineplex Odeon was approximately
$700 million in debt, a figure which
has since been pared down to a reported $450
million.
Studio 3 Files Chapter 1
Studio 3, the independent distribution
company that released "Popcorn" and "Rich
Girl," has filed for Chapter 1 1 bankruptcy
protection, and says it plans to sue United
Investors of America for failing to live up to its
equity investment agreement. The company
plans to try to develop a reorganization plan
and restructure its $6.7 million debt. Originally
founded by former New World executives
Robert Cheren and Jonathan Wolf,
Studio 3 had a modest hit with "Popcorn" but
stumbled with the failure of "Rich Girl." It has
two other films in the can, but releases have
been postponed pending the restructuring. In
the meantime, Dallas and New York offices
have been closed. The company's Canadian
joint venture. Studio Three Canada Ltd., will
continue to acquire and distribute product in
the Canadian marketplace.
42 Boxoffice

—
SOUTHERN
NEWS
ATLANTA, GA
Alldiilii theatre tompany Storey Theatres
has bought six acres of ground in Cobb
County on Delk Road., between 1-75 and
Powers Ferry Road, and plans to construct on
that site a new, ultra-deluxe 1 0-screen motion
picture complex. The new complex will be
state-of-the-art equipped to handle both
35mm and 70mm films, with six-channel
magnetic stereo and Dolby SR and digital
optical stereo sound. All auditoriums will
have full-width curved screens, digital automation
and super-luxurious high backed
chairs with deep plush padding and cupholder
arm rests. The Delk Road complex
will be the second largest movie theatre Storey
will have in Cobb County. Construction
offouradditional auditoriums is nearing completion
now at the Storey Town 8 Theatre in
Town Center at Cobb in Kennesaw.
OCEAN SPRINGS, MISS
The Springs Twin Cinema, the only theatre
in this city, shut its doors for the final time in
October. Owner Cal Crosscup cited the inability
to get new product on a timely basis,
plus the influx of home videos, as reason for
the theatre's demise. The property and the
theatre building were sold to the Merchant's
Bank. The Springs Twin Cinema opened in
1 972 and was twinned in 1 980.
METAIRIE, LA
Richard Gehrig is the newly appointed
general manager of AMC's Galleria 8 in
this
city. Gehrig formerly managed AMC's Irving
6 in Irving, Texas. Former Galleria general
manager Bob Balusek has moved to the brand
new AMC Sundance 1 1 in Fort Worth, Texas.
WESTERN NEWS
LOS ANGELES, CA
Financial problems have been cited by
Metropolitan Theatres as the reason it is closing
the doors on its historic theatre, the
Cameo, in downtown Los Angeles. One of the
oldest theatres in the country, the Cameo
located at 528 S. Broadway, between Firth
and Sixth streets—first opened on Oct. 10,
1910. Back then it was called Clune's Broadway
Theatre, a 787-seat venue that was soon
to be surrounded by movie palaces built in
the same area. The Cameo had recently been
running second-run features and losing more
and more revenue. Metropolitan Theatres
owns or operates most of the old movie palaces
within the historic Broadway core. Although
the Cameo has been declared a
historic landmark (within a historic district),
there is nevertheless concern by preservationists
that the building may be lorn
down to make way for commerc iai office
space.
Landmark Theatres announced that the
1982 Sci-Fi classic, "Blade Runner" (directed
by Ridley Scott), reissued last month for the
first time in its original director's version, set
a new house record in its World Premiere
engagement at the NuArt Theatre here. With
turn away crowds at numerous showings in
its first week, the film had grossed $53,000,
breaking the previous high set by the 50th
Anniversary reissue of Orson Welles' "Citizen
Kane" last May. In light of the film's success,
its run was extended.
HOLLYWOOD, CA
There is yet more bad news for fans of
historic movie theatres in Los Angeles; The
Greater L.A. Metro Newsreel reports that
Pacific's Hollywood Theatre, located on Hollywood
Blvd. and Wilcox Ave., may be shut
down and turned into a museum that would
also house offices within its structure; the new
project would be called the Hollywood Entertainment
Museum. It was also noted that in
1978 Pacific Theatres offered the entire building
to another group for the same purpose.
The Greater L.A. Metro Newsreel is published
monthly as an independent publication in the
interest of Theatre Historical Society members
and prospective members. Subscriptions
are $ 1 2 per year; P.O. Box 401 65, Pasadena,
CA91 11 4; 81 8-794-7782.
PASADENA, CA
The second annual CyberArts International
conference was held in mid-November in this
city. CyberArts is the premier professional
conference and exhibition established to advance
the use of emerging interactive and
multimedia technologies in entertainment,
the arts and education. The November conference
featured presentations and hands-on
workshops given by some of the leading innovators
in film and video. Among the sessions
were a workalhon in Silicon Graphics
animation, a presentation on the latest in
morph technology and a demonstration on
the creation of audio backgrounds for video
and computer games.
MIDWEST NEWS
TOLEDO, OH
The City Council here has voted to approve
a public-private $3,900,000 financing plan to
rehabilitate the six-story downtown cityowned
brick building which for more than
century housed the Loews Valentine
half a
theatre. The vole climaxed eight years of
efforts by the Toledo Cultural Arts Center
members to prevent the razing of the historic
strut ture. Plans call for preserving the theatre
and converting the rest of the building, once
used as a hotel and office space, into 54
apartments. The first phase will be the apartment
conversion. The second phase, estimated
at a cost of $12,000,000, is the
restoration of the auditorium into a performing
arts center. The general partner in the
project is a for-profit subsidiary of National
Church Residences, a Presbyterian-based
non-profit corporation.
CLEVELAND, OH
Al Salaun just remodeled his Maplelown
Theatre to a three-screen house and his Colony
Theatre will soon become a five-screen.
The Colony will show only first-run films and
there will be three auditoriums in the downstairs
section, with 200 to 500 seats each.
Solon, a suburb of Cleveland, has not had
a movie theatre since the early 1970s. Now
moviegoers can choose from eight screens at
the new $2 million Solon Commons Cinema
8. The eight theatres seat 406 patrons. Greg
Dunn, director of concessions and theatre
promotions for Regal Cinemas of Knoxville,
Tenn., owners of the new complex, said the
largest theatre could seat 332 while the two
smallest seat 99 and 93. The theatres will be
managed by Bob Wiles of Piqua, Ohio and
will employ two full-time projectionists and
30 to 35 part-time employees. There will be
four shows per day in each theatre.
Berea Movies, Inc. won a temporary restraining
order in court against Local 160 of
the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage
Employeesand Moving Picture Machine Operators.
The order stems from a contract dispute
between the theatre and the union,
which represents three projectionists. Unable
to reach an agreement, the second-run movie
house got a new projectionist.
EASTERN NEWS
BOSTON, MA
The seventh annual Boston Film Festival,
which traditionally donates its profits to local
cultural institutions, and which is underwritten
by Loews Theatres, is set to distribute over
$46,000 back to the cultural community of
Boston. Recipients of this year's profits,
among other, are: The American Repertory
Theatre, Cambridge; the Museum of Fine
December, 1991 43

Arts; The Institute of Contemporary Art; Boston
Lyric Opera; Boston Ballet; Isabel Stewart
Museum; Boston Symphony Orchestra; Boston
University School of Film; The Artists
Foundation; and the National Center for Jewish
Films.
The Coolidge Theatre Foundation has paid
$33,622 to the Hamilton Charitable Foundation
for back rent, ending eight months of
bickering over the continuance of the Coolidge
Corner Theatre in Brookline, a suburb
of Boston. Both parties signed a new lease
allowing the Coolidge to maintain its tenancy
lor another six months. The disagreement
concerned the exact amount of monthly rent
owed.
INTERNATIONAL
NEWS
IRELAND
Work on the Irish Film Centre is underway
in Dublin's Templebar area. The facility.
which will house two cinemas, a film archive
and library, conference room, some production
facilities and an information office for TV
and film producers, is under the direction of
administrator Laura Magahy.
The second Junior Dublin Film Festival
(Oct. 7-1 8th) featured a range of international
cinema for audiences from nine years of age
and up. It overlapped the 36th Cork Film
Festival.
Producer Noel Pearson and director Jim
Sheridan are set to collaborate for the third
time. The "My Left Foot" and "The Field" duo
are to begin U.S. filming in the spring on "The
Plumber," a contemporary thriller scripted by
writer Lewis Colick. Shooting will include
locales in both Philadelphia and Kansas. The
film, for Universal, is the first of a two-picture
deal.
Dublin's Templebar Co., Wicklow and
Dingle in the west, were both locations for
the Tom Cruise film "Far and Away," which
was shooting during September after first
stage filming in Billings, Montana. More than
£250,000 was paid to Temple Bar businesses
who allowed their shop fronts to be converted
to a turn-of-the-century Boston locale. Now,
there's some talk among tenants about leaving
many of the mostly cosmetic changes in
place. "It adds to the area," says one.
And, as "Far and Away" was departing
from Ireland, Gabriel Byrne's "Into the West,"
directed by Robert Dornhelm, was moving in.
The film is the story of a widower and his two
sons, originally from the travelling (gypsy)
community, now settled in north Dublin.
When their horse is sold, the boys rescue it
and a chase across Ireland takes place. The
shoot was scheduled to last for seven weeks.
U.S. distribution will be by Miramax and
elsewhere by Majestic.
Sean Penn is to be given hell-raising lessons!
Penn now involved in a project on the
life of Brendan Behan, is to be given tips on
the notorious writer's behavior by Behan's
widow Beatrice Behan. The film, to be produced
by Billy Graf, is based on "Confessions
of an Irish Rebel," the autobiography that
Brendan Behan dictated just before he died.
The screenplay was written by Shay Duffin
with re-write help from Jim Sheridan. Jim's
brother Peter will direct. It's thought filming
will start in Dublin by year's end.
Animedia, Ireland's latest animation company,
has signed its first joint venture agreement
with a British company. Animedia has
How is it possible that one of America's oldest
theatre supply firms could still be growing so fast?
KNOWLEDGE
EXPERIENCE
PERFORMANCE
PERSONAL SERVICE
You owe it to yourself to see what we can do for you.
We don't sell popcorn, but we do sell the best sound,
seats, and projection systems available.
MADDEN r-t
THEATRE SUPPLY COMPANY
10201 Bunsen Way
Louisville. KY 40299
(502) 499-0050
(502) 499-0052 FAX
Institute
Your Partner In Good Health.
"1 never met a man 1 didn'l like"
Words which cypifv the tradition
upon whith the Will Rogers Institute
has prided itself for over 50 years.
Since 1936, ihe 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
Louis Bornwasser, Owner
National Meadquaners
White Plains, NY 10605
(914) 761-S550
UCLA Medical Center
Los Angeles. CA 90024
(213) 206-6191
44 BOXOFHCE
DesignConsultation-Sales
Response No 49

,
7
also signed a deal with Poland for painting
work. The British contract—with Storm
PLC— is to produce 26 1
1
-minute cartoons
based on an idea provided by Storm and
written by Animedia's writers.
Morgan O'Sullivan, former head of
Ireland's Ardmore Studios, has lined up his
first major film deal since moving to Los
Angeles last year. Heads of agreement have
been signed with Blake Edwards film production
company for a $40 million film based on
the Cordon Thomas novel "Deadly Perfume."
The Write Company, O'Sullivan's operation,
will receive a sulistantial fee for rights and
O'Sullivan himself will becreditcd asco-producer.
The book's title refers to biological
weapons, terrorists and the Middle East. Author
Thomas, who lives in Co. Wicklow, has
given up his non-fiction career after more
than 30 books, and is now committed to five
more thrillers.
PARIS, FRANCE
Xavier Roy, chief executive of the Midem
Organisation, has announced another record
breaking attendance for the seventh edition
of MIPCOM, the international film and program
market for TV, video, cable and satell ite.
The total number of professionals who attended
the market was 7,914, compared to
7,459 last year. The number of companies
registered rose to 1,859 from 1,736 at
MIPCOM '90; a growth of seven percent.
Three hundred and eighty-six companies
from 35 countries exhibited at MIPCOM '91
as compared to 374 from 32 countries last
year. Countries with the greatest number of
companies present were: France (342), Great
Britain (327), U.S.A. (296), Italy (85), Germany
(84), Spain (83), Canada (72), Netherlands
(59), Japan (51) and Belgium (49).
Television has a 1 7.5 percent stake in Roadshow.
Although posting record profits, the
distribution arm of Roadshow is still facing
pending legal action from the United Independent
Cinema Group that is claiming substantial
breach of trade practice legislation by
the use of so-called "no share" policies with
regard to independent exhibition. The profit
of Village has no doubt been boosted by the
success to date of the Warner Bros. Movie
World, a theme park on the country's north
east coast.
OBITUARIES
David Hunter Muir, who reviewed motion
pictures for children on a popular radio show
in Philadelphia, died in September from AIDS
at the age of 25.
C. Carleton Hunt, who had a long and
successful career in the entertainment industry,
died in Newport Beach this past August.
He was 83 years old. He got his projectionist
license in 1 924 and worked on theeast coast.
He was also stage carpenter and also worked
for RKO Studios for 10 years, becoming Assistant
Head of the Editorial Department. In
the early 1950s he and his partner, Hans de
TICKETS AND
COMPUTER SYSTEM STOCK
SHIPPED WHEN PROMISED
PRINTED AS SPECIFIED
CONTACT DAVE KOTAREK
Weldon, Williams & Lick
P.O. Box 168
Ft. Smith, Arl

Schulthess, owned and operated theatres in
the San Joaquin Valley and then bought Paramount
Laboratories to form General Film
Laboratories. From 1 961 to 1 964 he reorganized
the company, and became President of
Glen Glenn Sound Company. In 1964 he
joined Twentieth Century Fox as President of
Deluxe Laboratories, Inc., retiring in 1 972.
Sam Bendheim, III, age 56, president of
Neighborhood Entertainment, Inc., died this
past )uly in Richmond, VA. hie was a veteran
of more than 30 years in Virginia motion
picture exhibition. Bendheim's father was
one of the original principals, along with
Morton G. Thalhimer, Sr., who formed
Neighborhood Theatre, Inc., in 1926. The
younger Bendheim joined his father in the
business in 1958, serving first as advertising
director, assistant to the president, and later
as vice president and member of the board of
directors and executive committee of the corporation.
Bendheim played a key role in
state, regional and national concerns for the
exhibition industry, and was one of the original
champions of state legislation outlawing
"blind bidding." FHe served as president and
chairman of the board of NATO of Virginia
and was a member of the president's advisory
cabinet and board of directors of the Motion
Picture Pioneers. He is survived by his wife.
Shelly Clasner Bendheim, three sons, Stephen,
Kenneth and Sam Bendheim IV, his
mother, Ruth K. Bendheim and a sister, Kay
B. Politos.
1992 Festival and Event Calendar
Jan. 8-1 Assoc, of Independent TV Stations, S.F., Calif. (202-887- 1 970)
Jan. 8-15 Palm Springs International Film Festival, Calif. (619-322-2930)
Jan. 16-22 Sundance U.S. Film Festival, Park City, Utah (801-328-3456)
Jan. 19-23 MIDEM, Cannes, France (212-689-4220)
Jan. 20-24 NATPE, New Orleans, La. (213-282-8801)
Jan. 23-24 New York World Television Festival, New York (914-238-4481)
Jan. 29-Feb. 14 Television Festival of Monte Carlo, Monaco (33 93 30 4944)
Jan.
Brussels International Film Festival, Belgium
Feb. 7-16 Miami Film Fest. (9th), Cusman Ctr., Miami, Fla. (305-377-3456)
Feb. 17-20 NATO/ShoWest Convention, Las Vegas, Nev. (213-657-7721)
Feb. 27-Mar. 6 American Film Market, Santa Monica, Calif. (213-954-5858)
Feb.
Teheran Film Festival, Iran
Feb.
Portland Film Festival, Oregon
Feb.
Berlin International Film Festival, Germany
Mar. 27—Apr. 5 Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Calif. (805-689-lNFO)
Mar.
New Directors/New Films, New York
Mar.
International Festival of Women's Films, Creteil, France
Mar.
Strasbourg Film Festival, France
Mar.
U.S. Film Festival, Texas
Mar.
Baltimore International Film Festival, Maryland
Mar. Carolina Film/Video Fest., Greensboro, N.C. (919-334-5360)
Apr. 3-5 "Console-ing Passions": TV, Video, & Fem., Iowa City (319-335-0579)
Apr. 7-8 United Theatre Owners/Oklahoma (405-843- 1 1 58)
Apr. 9-23 AFI Film Festival, Los Angeles (213-856-7707)
Apr. 9-23
L.A. International Film Festival, Los Angeles
Apr. 1 3-16 National Assn. of Broadcasters, Las Vegas (202-429-5335)
Apr. 19-24 MIP/TV, Cannes, France (212-689-4220)
Apr. 23-May 7 S.F. International Film Festival, San Francisco (415-567-4641)
Same unbeatable optics
the Xenex II
35.5" of std. rack space
Large access doors and
panels
as
p!s
*^-
Everything
you need to
lead the way.
Frames, Signs, Posts, Ropes
and Accessories
Clean and uncluttered
interbr for
easy maintenence
THE NEW KNEISLEY CONSOLE
Whatever your choice, Console or Xenex II, you
WILL OBTAIN THE HIGHEST PICTURE QUALITY AVAILABLE.
Lawrence information and directional systems
help make a visit to your establishment
a pleasant experience. And that's what keeps
people coming back. There are hundreds of
stock ideas to choose from. So write
or call for a copy of our catalog today.
Write or call for descriptive literature.
KNEISLEY
ELECTRIC
COMPANY P O Box 4692
Toledo, Ohio 43610
(419) 241-1219 FAX (419) 241-9920
Crowd Control Specialists since 1881
L^Clm^ENCE METAL PRODUCTS
P.O. Box 400-M. 260 Spur Drive South. Bay Shore, NY 11706
1 800 441-0019 'In NY Slate 516-666-0300 • Fax:516-666-0336
Portable Posts • Ropes • Turnstiles • Signs • Urns
46 BoxoFncE
Response No. 45
Response No 47

Apr. 24-May 3
Apr.
Apr.
Apr.
Apr.
Houston Int. Film Festival (25th), Houston, Texas 171 _!-965-9955)
Cleveland International Film Festival, Ohio
New York International Home Video Market, New York
U.S.A. Film Festival, Dallas, Texas
European Environmental Film Festival, Paris
May 3-8
National Cable TV Assn. (202-775-.)h90)
May 7-18 Cannes International Film Festival, France (212-832-88601
May 29-31 ShowBiz Expo West, Long Beach Con. Ctr., L.A. (213-668-181 1)
May 31 -June 3 NAC Snack Bar U./Expo '92, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (312-236-38581
May
Filmfest, D.C., Washington, D.C.
May Louisiana Assoc, of Theatre Owners, '>04-482-
( 1460)
May
Seattle International Film Festival, Wash.
May
Troia International Film Festival, Portugal
May
American Film and Video Festival, Illinois
June 16-21 Int. Video and TV Festival, Montbeliard, France (33-81-30-90-30)
June 29-|uly 2 Cinema Expo International, Brussels, Belgium 1212-265-6548}
June
Yokohama French Film Festival, Yokohama, Japan
June
Melbourne Film Festival, Australia
June
Munich Film Festival, Germany
June
Sydney Film Festival, Australia
June
AFI/European Community Film Festival, Los Angeles
July 1 6-1 9 Mid-Atlantic NATO, (804-595-2207)
July 26-29 Video Software Dealers Assn., Las Vegas, Nev. (609-231-7800)
July
The Philadelphia International Film Festival, Penn.
July
Moscow International Film Festival, Russia
Aug. 1 NATO of Ohio (614-488-0617)
Aug. 7-Sepf. 7 World Film Festival, Montreal, Canada (514-848-3883)
Aug. 23-26 Theatre Equipment Assoc. Convention, Stowe, Vt. (212-246-6460)
Aug.
Locarno International Film Festival, Switzerland
Aug.
Edinburgh Film Festival, Scotland
Aug.
Deuauville Festival (American Cinema), France
Aug.
Telluride Film Festival, Colorado
Aug.
Venice International Film Festival, Italy
Sept. 14-16 ShowBiz Expo East, Meadowlands, Secaucus, N.J. (213-668-181 1)
Sept. 14-24 Boston Film Festival (8th), Mass. (201-319-11 1 1)
Sept. 1 5-1 7 Rocky Mtn. Five State Theatre Owners (208-734-2402)
Sept. Motion Picture Exhib. of Wash., N. Idaho, Alaska (206-823-9456)
Sept.
Festival of Festivals, Toronto, Canada
Sept.
Sept.
New York Film Festival, New York
Tokyo International Film Festival, Japan
WE'D LIKE TO
REMIND YOU
THAT THE
UNCENSORED
CONTENT
OF THIS
MAGAZINE
IS MADE
POSSIBLE
BY THE
CONSTITUTION
OF THE
UNITED STATES.
THE
CONSTITUTION
I he words wc li\'c b\'
Tc- Icain more .ibout ihc Constitution wi rtc Con
iiitution. Wjshiiigiori. D.C. ;o;oQ. The Coiiinn'. j
iion on ihc Ricfntcnni.il ofTlir V S Connniition CriimCfimcil
Oliver's Stoiy
Oct. 1 3-1 5
Oct.
Oct.
Oct.
ShowEast, Atlantic City, N.J.
MIPCOM, Cannes, France
Mifed, Milan, Italy
SMPTE
Oct. 92nd Audio Engineering Society Convention, (212-661-8528)
Oct. Vancouver Int. Film Festival (10th), Canada (604-685-0260)
Oct.
Denver international Film Festival, Colo.
Oct. Chicago International Film Festival, 111.
Oct.
Montreal Int. Festival of New Cinema & Video, Canada
Nov. 12-21 Fort Lauderdale Film Festival, Fla. (305-563-0500)
Nov. 15-17 CyberArts Int., Pasadena Ctr., Pasadena, Calif. (408-446-1105)
Nov. 20-22 Lighting Dimensions International, Dallas, Texas (212-353-1951)
Nov. International Documentary Assoc. Awards (8th) (310-284-8422)
Nov.
Women in Film Festival, Los Angeles
Nov. AFI National Video Festival, Los Angeles (213-856-7707)
Nov.
Western Cable Show, Anaheim, Calif.
Nov.
Sarrasota French Film Festival, Sarrasota, Fla.
Nov.
London Film Festival, England
Nov.
International Film and TV Festival of New York, New York
Dec.
Havana International Film Festival, Cuba
Dec. NATO of Wise/Upper Mich. (414-271-6696)
Dec. Tri-State Theatre Owners (Ark., Tenn., Miss.) (901-642-8518)
Oliver
is one of the lucky ones.
He was one of six dogs we rescued
before they could be sold to a major
dog dealer for experimentation.
The interstate transportation of lost and
stolen dogs destined for laboratories is a
nightmare for these animals— many of them
beloved companions— even before the experiments
begin. It is estimated that 100.000 dogs
per year make the journey to dog dealers and
experimenters.
Since 1980, People for the Ethical TVeatment
of Animals has become this nation's most effective
and hard-hitting organization when it
comes to exposing and stopping animal cruelty,
especially in laboratories.
Suffering animals need knowledgeable and
assertive fighters on their side—they're not all
as lucky as Oliver
For additional information on how you can
help, write: PETA, P.O. Box 42516, Washington,
DC 20015, or call (202) 726-0156.
December, 1991 47

The editorial and display advertising offices of

BOB
rmtlffulTTiiirm
—
.
Bette Midler is back doing what she does best here: singing and
FOR THE BOYS
Sliinini; Hi-iic MiJUr. .hiincs Ccuin. Geor)>e Se^al. Piur'uk
O'Neal. Norman hell and Christopher Rxdelt.
Directed hy Mark Rydctt. Screenplay hy Marshall Brickman. Neal
Jimenez and Lindy Lciub. Produced hy Bette Midler. Bonnie
Bruckheimer and Marf>aret South.
A Twentieth Century Fox relea.se. Musical drama/comedy, rated
R. Running time: I4S min. Sound: Doth\ A. CDS. Projection: Flat.
Screeninfi date: 11/14/91.
It's big. it's heartt'ell and il's personal. "For the Boys"is a bold
sweep of a mo\ ie in the grandest of Hollywood proportions. It sets
out 10 tell a moving story within the framewurk of showcasing its
stars' (Bette Midler's mostly) enormous talents, both dramatic and
musical—and it succeeds wonderfully. Rydell has the word epic in
mind here, and by the conclusion of the film's 148 minutes—which
fly by almost too quickly—he has given the audience a fusion of
living, loving and singing during a span of five decades in the lives
of his characters and the country in which they—and we— live.
"For the Boys" makes good use of its generic conventions. When
the film opens we find an aging Dixie Leonard (Bette Midler) who,
in being called to join her former singing partner of several decades,
Eddie Sparks (James Caan), in accepting a prestigious award, reminisces
back to the days when the two first met. From here on. the
film moves swiftly between flashback and present day.
It's during World War II when Dixie and Eddie first meet. He's
already a well-known musical star; she's just beginning. They team
uptoentertain American troops in England and embark on what will
become a partnership taking them through three wars (including
Korea and Vietnam) and five decades of their lives. Their relationship—much
like the events they live through—is intense and often
bi^tal; but always it's a close one. Together they suffer the loss of
people close to them (sometimes through war, sometimes through
personal conflict) and together they pull each other through when
it's difflcult to go on. They don't always get along, but somehow
they always come out singing.
"For the Boys" has some of the trappings of a film with music and
epic on its mind. Midler and Caan are asked to soft-shoe and argue
to the tune of oftentimes manipulated emotions, and the story
develops in places where the characters surely don't. Despite these
flaws, the film manages to pull in the audience in amazing ways. The
direction is crisp and w ell-paced; and Midler and Caan are a winning
team up on that screen. And director Rydell's intentions are more
than honest. He wants the viewer to love his characters and cry for
their tragedies. His Vietnam sequence, alone, steals the show (no
less than does his son. Christopher, who plays Midler's son at age
30 in the sequence), and at its conclusion we are convincingly
transported back to that terrible time in our history. This segment,
along with the film's exhilarating opening musical sequence, is truly
dramatic, truly compelling.
flaunting her saucy self in front of us. And James Caan has little
trouble holding his own while sharing the stage with her. But
soft-shoeing is not all these two can do. Each has great dramatic
moments in "For the Boys"— moments that almost rival the musical
numbers they belt out. The film succeeds on many levels; it's funny
and sad. large and intimate. More than any thing it takes seriously the
art of entertaining.
Rated R for language.
CAPE FEAR
Starring Robert De Niro,
Marilyn Moss
Nick Nolte. Jessica Lange. Joe Don
Baker. Robert Mitchum. Juliette Lewis and Gregory Peck.
Directed by Martin Scorsese. Screenplay by Wesley Strick. Produced
by Barbara De Fina.
.\ Universal Pictures release. Thriller, rated R. Running linw: IM)
min. Sinmd: Dolby SR. Projection: Scope. Screening date: 1 1/7/91
With "Cape Fear" Martin Scorsese may be the only director in
recent memory to inherit the mantle of the master. Alfred Hitchcock—
at least for the moment. While Hitch's movies chant that we
are all guilty of .something, we neverquite know what that something
is. We know that our unconscious fears are on the loose, and scaring
us in the worst way, but we can never put our finger exactly on what
we've done to deserve such a fate. With "Cape Fear," Scorsese is
telling us outright that we are as guilty as sin. We have a past that
hides a dark secret; we transgress every moment we are alive. And
so, Scorsese sets the avenger upon us. And not in our worst nightmare
could we ever imagine we'd be stalked by the likes of Robert
De Niro' s character. Max Cady, here. When De Niro hits the screen,
all hell breaks out.
In the original "Cape Fear." director J.
Lee Thompson had Greg
ory Peck stalked by psychopath Robert Mitchum. Peck was an
innocent: he had merely been at the wrong place at the right time and
had inadvertently seen Mitchum beating up a woman. He testified
in court and Mitchum went to prison. And when Mitchum showed
up years later to terrorize Peck and his family, the ordeal made for a
shrewd but not terribly frightening bit of suspense.
But that was 1 962. This is 1991 and Scorsese has the stuff to show
us the difference. In this remake. Nick Nolte is an attorney who
actually did hide evidence when he defended Max Cady (De Niro)
in a rape case. But in his judgement, the evidence didn't matter. Cady
Review Index
Addams Family, The R-90
Antonia and Jane R-93
Billy Bathgate R-91
Black Robe R-93
Blue Movie Blue R-95
Butcher's Wife, The R-90
Cape Fear R-87
Curly Sue R-92
For the Boys R-87
Frankie & Johnny R-89
Little Man Tate R-89
Other People's Money R-90
Overseas R-94
Prince of Tides, The R-88
Rapture, The R-91
Ricochet R-93
Super, The R-92
29th Street R-92
Whore R-94
Zentropa R-94
December, 1991 R-87

—
—
was a psycho who had to be put away. Now, as Cady seeks revenge.
Nolte is the "sinner" in us all and he and his family must be brought
down.
Scorsese builds his characters—and his story—slowly. But by the
time "Cape Fear" is finished with us. De Niro has seeped into our
subconscious mind and has permanently lodged there. He's a reincarnation
of Travis Bickle for the "QOs, And this time around, his
pathology doesn't just stalk a city; it drags us sinners down into the
murky waters and holds us under until we are absolutely sure that
we'll never resurface. Max Cady keeps returning, and he just won't
stop.
"Cape Fear" is one more bit of evidence that Scorsese is a master
filmmaker. He takes the suspense genre and injects his frenetic
imagination into it. Unlike last year's "GoodFellas," where his
masterful style could not always hide the fact that his story was only
skin deep, "Cape Fear" has a sensual, sultry quality that sends the
action almost into our bones and makes the suspense seem urgent,
as if like it's suddenly a matter of life or death that we understand
just how our own lives are implicated in the drama up on the screen.
If a filmmaker can succeed in making his story seem this important,
then he has succeeded, period, Scorsese has done this in "Cape Fear."
He's transformed his actors into artful perpetrators—the entire cast
is superb—and he has made us aware that movies are supposed to
take us into their grip and never let go until they've changed our
lives.
Rated R for language and extreme violence,
Marilyn Moss
and he turns in some of his finest work; it should earn him a
long-deserved Oscar nomination, though his performance in "Cape
Fear" this year may be more deserving,
Nolte plays Tom Wingo. a former high school football coach from
South Carolina whose life is at loose ends. His marriage is on the
rocks and, since his brother's death a couple of years earlier, he has
been in a deep depression. As the film opens, he learns of his sister's
latest suicide attempt (she's a tortured poet), and he ventures to New
York to help her psychiatrist. Susan Lowenstein ( Streisand ). unravel
the mysteries of her past.
As Hollywood formula dictates (see "It Happened One Night," or
any Tracy-Hepburn film), Tom and Susan don't hit it off at first. He
has too many family secrets he's hiding to be open with her, and he
resents her attempted intrusion into his psyche. She, on the other
hand, has her professional ethics to worry about—she can't become
personally involved with a patient, and even though this man doesn't
precisely qualify as one, she keeps her distance. But as formula
dictates (see same examples), they eventually fall in love, with each
helping the other overcome personal deficiencies.
Where the film deviates from Hollywood formula (though it does
recall the Oscar favorite "Ordinary People") is in its frank treatment
of psychological trauma. At times, it plays like a two-plus hour
commercial for psychotherapy: both Lowenstein and Wingo are
suffering from repression-depression at the outset, and after some
heart-to-heart sessions of talk. talk. talk, they learn to confront their
feelings and become better persons as a result. But at other times it
offers genuine insight, and while the affair between Tom and (as he
refers to her) Lowenstein is predictable from the outset, it still carries
some dramatic weight.
In addition to the fine work by Nolte and Streisand, there are
several supporting performances that are top-notch. Blythe Danner
as Tom's wife. Kate Nelligan as his mother and Melinda Dillon as
his suicidal sister all give Oscar-worthy supporting turns. George
Carlin provides some light moments as a gay neighbor of Tom's
sister, Jeroen Krabbe (the Dutch actor best known for his work with
THE PRINCE OF TIDES
Stanini; Barhra Streisand. Nick Nolte. Blythe Danner. Kate
Nelligan. Jeroen Krahbe. Melinda Dillon. George Carlin and Jason
Gould.
Directed by Barhra Streisand. Screenplay by Pat Conroy and
Becky Johnston, based on the novel by Pat Conroy. Produced by
Barbra Streisand and Andrew Karsch.
A Columbia Pictures release. Drama, rated R. Running time: 132
min. Sound: Dolby A. Projection: Flat. Screening date: 10/24/91.
"The Prince of Tides" is the kind of movie Academy Award voters
go crazy over: it's got big stars, serious subjects, covers a wide range
of emotions, and, after a long and bumpy ride, sees its heroes
redeemed in the end. The stars are Barbra Streisand and Nick Nolte,
The serious subject is childhood abuse and its resulting insanity. The
redemption, of course, comes from love.
And while "The Prince of Tides" is a film that is easy to be cynical
about— it has a by-the-numbers feel that even its most shocking
revelations can't dislodge—it's hard to deny its emotional impact.
Streisand (who also produced and directed) has, for the first time in
a decade, found a role that fits her talents and persona. While it was
hard to believe her as a young-woman-disguised-as-a-man in
"Yentl," or a hardened prostitute in "Nuts." she is convincingly cast
here as a chic New York Jewish psychotherapist. Nolte, on the other
hand, is a chameleon-like actor who has always been hard to categorize.
Here, he takes on a role unlike anything he's done before.
Paul Verhoeven) gives a charming, evil and snaky performance as
Lowenstein's famous violinist husband. And Jason Gould
(Streisand's son from her marriage to Elliott Gould), cast as
Lowenstein's teenaged son. Bernard, who would rather play football
than follow in his father's footsteps, acquits himself admirably,
Pat Conroy, who adapted his own novel with the help of Becky
Johnston, has sacrificed the story's sub-plot invohing the death of
Tom's brother, but otherwise has remained true to his source.
Streisand's direction is competent, though never particularly inspired;
it's the kind of job that any pro, given the same script, could
have done. But that may be good enough for the Academy members
who chose "Ordinary People" over "Raging Bull" and "Dances With
Wolves" over "GoodFellas," Streisand, who's been smarting ever
since her acting-producing-directing- writing Oscar snub for "Yentl"
in
1983. may just get the last laugh here: although no woman has
ever won a Best Director Oscar, her high-profile name might just be
the one to make voters think twice.
Rated R for adult subject matter and one scene of strong violence,
JeffSchwager.
R-88 BoxomcE

FRANKIE& JOHNNY
Suiniiii; Al I'm imi, Michelle Pjciffer. llcclor Elizimdo and Kale
Nelligan.
Directed and produced by Garry Marshall. Screenplay by Terrence
McNalley, based upon his stage play, "Frankie & Johnny in
the Clair De tune. "
A Paramount Pictures release. Comedy-drama, rated R. Runniiiii
time: 1 17 min. .Sound: Dolh\ A. Projection: Flat. Screeniiif; date:
10/7/91.
—
Frankie and Johnny were only lovers in Terrencc McNally"s stage
play. "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune." In director Garry
Marshall's view of things, they are a metaphor for the world at large.
Says Marshall in this film, if Frankie and Johnny can fall in love, so
can the rest of us. And to Marshall's way of thinking, there is really
little else for human beings to do in their lifetime. With this mind
set in tow, Marshall goes about averting his eye to the slea/ier part
of life, such as New York City, where this love story is set. He doesn't
mind dipping into the pot of depression, though—because in
"Frankie & Johnny" everyone's life is seeped in it. But he seems
intent on showing us that no one stays depressed forever— at least
not his actors.
As a waitress at the Apollo Cafe. Frankie (Michelle Pfeiffer) is a
and prefers to spend her
woman who's given up on love and life
evenings snuggling up to her VCR. So. in the Hollywood scheme of
things, we know she's about to get her goose cooked and meet the
one man who can break her resistance. And if any woman has to
have her shell punctured, who better to do the job than Al Pacino,
whose boyish good looks seem to be winning out against age as well
as the punkish grey locks Francis Ford Coppola gave him in "The
Godfather Part III" last year. As Johnny, the former jail bird who's
cooking up something beside food at the Apollo Cafe. Pacino is
winning enough to make even Frankie come to her sense.s—which
she must do anyway if she's going to hang around in Garry
Marshall's movie.
Do we need all this sentiment, all this cockle-warming—all this
inevitability? You bet. Watching "Frankie & Johnny" is like taking
all your guilty pleasures with you and going public. It's like going
on "The Phil Donahue Show" and spilling your guts out in front of
millions of TV viewers. Afterwards, everyone in the world knows
who you are and what makes you cry. It may be a venture into a low
common denominator, but you can't deny the fact that you're human
and that you cry at love stories. Garry Marshall's "Frankie &
Johnny" isn't the stage play that Terrence McNally originally wrote.
It's opened up on the screen to scoop everyone in. But late at night,
when you're turning out the lights, you have to face facts: Garry
Marshall's world isn't the worst place to be.
Rated R for language. Marilyn Moss
LITTLE MAN TATE
Starrini; Jodie Foster. Dianne V/iest and Adam Hann-Byrd.
Directed by Jodie Foster.
Written by Scott Frank. Produced by
Scott Rudin and Peggy Rajski.
An Orion Pictures release. Drama, rated PC. Running time: 99
min. Sound: Dolby A. Projection: Flat. Screening date: 10/3/91.
Fred Tate is filled with existential dread. He writes poems about
death. He's not much of a ballplayer, but he paints, plays classical
music on the piano and fiddles aroimd with quantum physics. He
doesn't ha\e an\ friends, but he's got an ulcer. And he's se\en years
old.
Fred is the title character of "Little Man Tate." the enchaiiiiiig and
thoughtful new film that marks actress Jodie Foster's directorial
debut. Foster, who won the Best Actress Oscar for "The Accused,"
and w ho has been a movie star for almost all of her 29 years, proves
that all that lime on movie locations was not idly spent—she's got
the visual gifts of a natural filmmaker, and she gets excellent
performances froin her acting ensemble. In one scene, Fred reads
about aiigst while seated on the library floor amongst piles of books,
and the camera darts in on him at a low angle like an attacking
alligator: it's one of the film's many perfect moments. There are
other sequences that don't work — particularly when Foster succumbs
to the temptation to intercut two disparate scenes for ironic
effect, putting herself at the end of a long line of young filmmakers
who have felt compelled to steal from "The Godfather"—but overall
it's an assured and promising debut.
The plot has to do with the power struggle between Fred's mother.
Dede (Foster), and Jane Grierson (Dianne Wiest)—a psychologist
and teacher who runs the Grierson Institute for gifted children—over
control of the boy's mind and. ultimately, his soul. Dede, a waitress
and would-be dancer, is no intellectual, and there is no Mr. Tate
Dede tells Fred he was an immaculate conception—so it's never
clear how Fred turned out to be such a genius. Dede has raised him
alone, has suffered along with him through his trials and has come
to the conclusion that what he needs is to be more normal. Jane, on
the other hand, wants to put him together with her class of junior
Einsteins and take him on tour—a kind of intellectual Olympics for
kids. Reluctantly. Dede allows Fred to go along with Jane, and later
to accompany her to a university where he can take a summer school
class in quantum physics.
The motivations of both women are questionable. They seetn to
be considering their own interests as much as, if not more than,
Fred's. At times, it appears that the boy is little more than the rope
in
their ego-fueled game of tug of war: each woman has half the
qualities that make a good mother, with Dede's best friend/earthmother
doing battle with Jane's robotic woman-of-science. The
relationship between Fred and Dede is often the opposite of a
"normal" parent and child: he takes care of her when she is hung
over and helps get her up in the morning: she may need him more
than he needs her. For her part, Jane was a gifted child whose parents
indulged her intellectually but ignored her emotionally. While her
affection for Fred appears to be genuine, she's hardly cut out for
parenting: her meat loaf looks like a moon rock and her cominunication
with Fred is more reminiscent of school or therapy than of
home life. Spiritually, despite the attentions of both of these women,
Fred is something of an orphan.
A film that focuses on a child is always a precarious proposition:
it's easy to find a youngster who's cute enough to catch our attention,
but it's hard to find one who's talented enough to hold it. If anything,
this difficulty is magnified in "Little Man Tate," because we have to
be convinced that Fred is a genius. In his first film role, Adam
—
December, 1991 R-89

—
—
Hann-Byrd does a splendid job of making us believe in Fred's
dilemma. There's a light in his eye and a quickness in his voice that
suggest an exceptional child, but there's also a kind of blankness to
his wide-eyed, freckled face that hints at what's missing—his brilliance
has deprived him of the chance to fit in and instead has paid
him back with hypersensitivity and pain. He's a wonderful find, and
Foster deserves kudos for her fine eye in casting him.
Rated PG; suitable for family viewing. JejfSchwager
THE ADDAMS FAMILY
Slairiiig Anjelicci Huston. Riiiil Julia and Christopher Lloyd.
Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. Screenplay by Paul Riulnick. from
a story by Caroline Thompson and Larry Wilson. Produced by Scott
Rudin.
A Parainoutit Pictures release. Comedy, rated PG-13. Running
time: 101 min. Sound: Dolby SR. Projection: Flat. Screening date:
10/24/91.
It's hard to think of a television show better suited to the big screen
than "The Addams Family." It offers its actors a chance to ham it
up. the director a chance to indulge quirkiness, the writers a fountain
of black humor and, with its gothic eeriness. a field day for production
designers, cinematographers and effects specialists. And sure
enough, these contributors all shine in the film—all the producers
have forgotten was to find a decent story.
Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston are ideally cast as Gomez and
Morticia Addams, the couple who heads the wealthy but bizarre
family. In the scenario concocted by Caroline Thompson ("Edward
Scissorhands"), Larry Wilson ("Beetlejuice") and Paul Rudnick,
Gomez is mourning the disappearance of his brother. Fester, after a
dispute the two had some twenty years earlier. His lawyer, desperate
for some money, concocts a scheme involving a man who looks just
like Fester (Christopher Lloyd). But as the double gets closer to
winning the family's confidence (and gaining the loot), he begins to
feel like one of them—he begins to believe he is Fester.
If this sounds like a slight premise, it is. The story never gains any
momentum and w orks onlv as a framework on which to banc a series
of sometimes delightful, sometimes idiotic gags. The entire cast does
fine work—Lloyd in particular is a scene stealer as Fester's lookalike—and
first-time director Barry Sonnenfeld confirms the reputation
for stunning visuals he earned as cinematographer on such
films as "Miller's Crossing" and "Misery."
But in the end. what one remembers most is Thing, the one-handed
(all Thing is. literally, is a hand) family member who plays chess
with Gomez and runs around of his (hers? its?) own voUtion. It's a
clever effect, to be sure, but it points up the film's biggest flaw—it's
flashy, yes, but it has no substance, no body.
Rated PG; suitable for family viewing.
Jeff'Schwager.
OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY
Starring Danny DeVito. Greg(}ry Peck. Pciwlope Ann Miller and
Piper Laurie.
Directed by Norman Jewiscm. Screenplay by Alvin Sargent, based
on the play by Jerry Sterner. Produced hv Norman Jenison and Ric
Kidney.
A Warner Bros, release. Comedy, rated R. Running time: 101 min.
Sound: Dolby A. Projection: Flat. Screening date: 10/14/91.
is—a slick but
If you take "Other People's Money" for what it
charming comedy about the seductiveness of greed—then you will
have a great time and feel pretty satisfied when you leave the theatre.
Director Jewison, working with veteran screenwriter Alvin Sargent,
knows how to make his audience feel good. The editing is lightening
quick and seamless; his sets are lush and his actors never want for
the right expression or the right place to be in front of the camera.
With a story now toned down from Jerry Sterner's seething play
about the world of corporate takeovers. Jewison swiftly makes us sit
up for this fiction and not feel cheated when it's over.
There's a lot of fun to be had in "Other People's Money." First
off. there's Danny DeVito having a grand time being his adorable,
slimy self. As Larry Garfield (aka "Larry the Liquidator"). DeVito
is a greedy corporate vulture, flying over any business he can find
to rub out and take over. This time he's 2ot his sights set on a
family-owed wire and cable company in New England. And as the
genre would have it. there stands in his way the company's patriarch
(Gregory Peck), who has little intention of letting go. So it's new
world greed colliding with old world principles—and there's plenty
of both to go around.
The hitch: Peck's significant other (Piper Laurie) has a daughter
(Penelope Ann Miller) who's an attorney with a body and a mind to
reckon with the likes of Larry the Liquidator. So Miller sets her sights
on out-snarling the wormy DeVito and saving the family business.
From here on out it's a matter of who can outsmart whom. Will
DeVito be outdone by Miller's savvy? Will DeVito buckle or will
he prosper? Will Peck keep his company simply because old-fashioned
moral fabric must overcome high-tech greed?
The good news is that there's no predictable ending to what .seems
a well-worn path. The story of Larry the Liquidator strikes a happy
and greedy balance. Characters don't suddenly jump out of the skin
they've been wearing for up to two hours, nor does the story sell
itself out in the end. Perhaps greed takes the stronger foothold here,
but it would be difficult to wipe out Larry the Liquidator in the year
1991. "Other People's Money" is funny and satisfying to its greedy
little conclusion. DeVito is a strutting eye-full to behold, and he even
makes for a believable romantic leading man. As long as he can strike
out for a little ham once and awhile—of course.
Rated R for language and sexual innuendo. Marilyn Moss
THE BUTCHER'S WIFE
Starring Demi Moore, Jeff Daniels. George Dzundza. Maiy
Steenbnrgen. and Fraiu'es McDormand.
Directed by Terry Hughes. Screenplay by Ezra Litwak and Marjorie
Schwartz. Produced by Wallis Nicita and Lauren Lloyd.
A Paramount Pictures release. Comedy, rated PG-13. Running
Time: 105 min. Sound: Dolby A. Projection: Flat. Screening date:
10/23/91.
In the first sequence of "The Butcher's Wife." Demi Moore, her
hair blonde and her feet bare for her role as the clairvoyant Marina,
stands atop a suspiciously phallic lighthouse. Her heart is steady and
true, and she seems to have grown up with no knowledge whatsoever
of human culture, not to mention human nature. As she ruminates
on how her "split-apart" will fulfill all her romantic dreams, ideals.
R-90 BOXOKUCE

—
—
and umbiiions with their very first encounter, the lumpy Leo (George
Dzundza), the Butcher of New York, washes up on her island shore.
Soon she becomes his wife.
Now the fihnmakers probably thought this entire set-up was
economical, and so it certainly seems for the next few scenes as Leo's
new bride makes a fantastic impression on some of his clientele.
Marina anticipates the orders of the rudest customers, reforms a
juvenile delinquent, becomes the confident of Robyn the soap opera
actress ( Margaret Colin |. dispenses i omaiilic advice to lesbian clothing
merchant Grace (Frances McDormand) and career advice to the
dowdy aspiring blues singer Stella (Mary Steenburgen). She also
inadvertently becomes the adversary of the uptight shrink Alex (Jeff
Daniels) who lives across the street from Leo and his butcher shop.
There are comic possibilities in the conflicts that arise from
Marina's talents. And the script even manages to stumble across a
few as Leo and Stella discover they were meant for each other
because she sings the blues, as the various supporting characters go
through their various crises, and as Alex and Marina discover each
other through the machinations of screwball comic love. The trouble
with all this is that as Alex and Leo wonder what gives with the
strange woman who can read the future of everyone but herself, the
viewer feels absolutely no suspense or sense of wonder. There is no
anxiety that everything will turn out all right for all concerned,
because those possible emotional involvements in the story have
been eradicated by the economical opening: Marina is definitely
psychic, and so the men's suspicions regarding her mental state are
reduced to a mere plot device, thus robbing scriptwriters Ezra Litwak
and Marjorie Schwartz of their only chance to make this gumbo mess
actually be about—in some substantial way—the wonder and inystery
of life and love.
Although the script aspires to a level of intelligent farce a la
Howard Hawks and Preston Sturges. director Terry Hughes here
seems to have studied the Sergio Leone of "The Good, the Bad. and
the Ugly" and "Once Upon a Time in the West" instead. For not
since these films has so much action taken place off-screen while the
camera is strained on intense close-up of a stoic actor. Only instead
of a seedy bad man watching his buddies gunning somebody down.
here we see Daniels doing his Edgar Kennedy impersonation.
The only performer who without question possesses the kind of
comic genius that would have been necessary to pull off this idea is
Mary Steenburgen. "The Butcher's Wife" might be advertised as a
star vehicle for Demi Moore, but Steenburgen steals the show. Few
Films about spiritual quests are rare, so one must give writer-director
Michael Tolkin credit for tackling "The Rapture." An uncompromising
look at religious fanaticism and modern morality, it's a
film that asks hard questions and offers no eas\ answers. Bui despite
the best of intentions, and some undeniably powerful moments, the
film as a whole doesn't gel: at times o\er\\roughl. at times plain
clumsy, it's a noble effort that comes up short.
Mimi Rogers stars as Sharon, a bored telephone operator whose
only solace is the after hours mate-sw apping she engages in with her
slick boyfriend, Vic ( Patrick Bauchau). Around the phone company,
she hears several of her co-workers speaking of a religious experience
they've shared, and Sharon becomes obsessed with the idea o\
finding God. When she succeeds, she is overcome with bliss: instead
of giving customers the phone numbers they ask for, she gives them
sermons; and she leaves the atnoral Vic for one of her other
bedmales. Randy (Davitl Duchovny), whom she quickly converts.
Along with their daughter. Mary (Kimberly Cullum), they live a
perfect life, until one day tragedy intervenes. Forced to confront her
worst fears and doubts, Sharon is driven to the brink of her faith.
This is thought-provoking stuff, to say the least. Unfortunately,
it's cinematically dull—there's no visual texture to speak of, the pace
is awkward, and there are several arid stretches in which Tolkin
sermonizes rather than dramatizes. Rogers gives a brave perlormance,
showing more talent and guts than one would have guessed
at from her previous work, but too often she's stranded with silly
dialogue and unbelievable action. Near the end of the film. Tolkin
comes close to redeeming himself, with a vision of the apocalypse
that is haunting and moving. But it's too late; despite the undeniable
power of this denoueinent, it can't compensate for the inconsistencies
that came before it. Next time around, Tolkin should concentrate
a little more on the basics of storytelling and structure; if he can do
that without sacrificing his vision, he'll have the makings of a great
film.
Rated R for strong sensuality,
JeffSchuager.
BILLY BATHGATE
Starring Dustin Hoffman, Nicole Kidnum, Steven Hill. Loren
Dean and Bruce Willis.
Directed by Robert Benton. Screenplay by Tom Sloppard. Produced
by Arlene Donovan and Robert F. Colesberry.
A Touchstone Pictures release. Drama, rated R. Running time:
106 min. Sound: Dolby A. Projection: Flat. Screening date:
10/28/91.
Oh, where have you gone, Billy Boy, Billy Boy? Oh where have
you gone, charming Billy? Gone Hollywood, gone Tom Stoppard,
gone under cover, gone to the boxoffice. Going, going, gone.
Not exactly gone, but pretty hard to grasp. The essence of E.L.
Doctorow's novel, "Billy Bathgate." has escaped director Robert
Benton here, given that the beauty as well as the subtlety of Billy's
story—his entrance into the mob and tutelage under the wings of his
mentor, Dutch Schultz—rested firmly with the writer's prose style.
It was Doctorow who gave Billy his point of view; it's Benton who's
actresses are as capable of being as sweet and appreciative as she i.s
while receiving a shrunken frog for a present. All the players,
especially Dzundza and Daniels, seem truly inspired while playing
opposite her, and it soon becomes the clear that despite all the magic
in its plot, the only real magic in "The Butcher's Wife" belongs to
Steenburgen.
Rated PG- 1 3 for sexual situations
Arthur Byron Cover.
THE RAPTURE
Slurring Miini Rogers. David Duchovny and Patrick Baitcliau.
Written and directed by Michael Tolkin. Produced by Nick
Wechsler. Nancy Tenenbaum and Karen Koch.
A Fine Line Features release. Drama, rated R. Running rime: 102
minutes. Screening date: 9/24/91.
taken it away. But translating style has always been difficult; something
that anyone who ever tried to film F. Scott Fitzgerald's prose
will attest to. And so, instead of Billy's essence on the screen, we
are faced with a Billy Bathgate (Loren Dean) left holding the bag of
December, 1991 R-91

—
—
—
a
his vapid screen presence.
But the problem is not only Billy's. In less than 20 minutes into
this film, you get that sinking feeling—so very familiar at the movies
these days—that the characters and the script are going nowhere.
You wait and you hope — you hope that this story, so beautifully
filmed and so packed with star power, will take hold and take off.
But it never does. You don't know the motivation behind any of the
people up on the screen. And then you are confronted with perhaps
your first experience ever of watching Dustin Hoffman—here as the
dreaded and often demented Dutch Schultz—and not caring much,
not looking forward to the next time he walks into the frame.
Benton has most recently become a director of soft edges, of films
like "Kramer vs. Kramer" and "Places in the Heart." He's no longer
the outlaw who gave co-wrote the screenplay for "Bonnie and
Clyde" back in 1967. Perhaps—and unfortunately—eveiyone is a
little softer these days. Perhaps, also. Benton is the latest victim of
a Hollywood that seeks to cash in on a novel (and novelist) having
the smell of big money at the boxoffice, that seeks to find success
by infusing into a project big names like Dustin Hoffman, Bruce
Willis and even Nicole Kidman (this one's a little difficult to
understand). So, if you want to know about Billy Bathgate, go back
to Doctorow's book. Billy's still alive and kicking on the page even
if he's for the most part dead on the screen.
Rated R for violence and sexual situations.
Marilyn Moss
29th STREET
Starring Anthony LaPaglia. Danny Aiello, Lanie Kazan and
Frank Pesce.
Written and directed hy George Gallo. Produced by David Permut.
A Twentieth Centiiiy Fo.\ release. Comedy, rated R. Running time:
101 minutes. Sound: Dolbx A. Projection: Flat. Screening date:
9/16/91.
Written and directed by George Gallo, who is best known for his
screenplay for "Midnight Run," "29th Street" is the kind of warmhearted
fable that used to be the bread and butter of the studio system.
These days, however, it's the kind of movie patrons are more likely
to wait for on video or cable rather than shell out the admission price
in theatres. It recalls "Moonstruck" in flavor, but it doesn't have that
film's inspired wit. and it also doesn't have Cher's star power; Danny
Aiello, though an engagmg actor, has never been much of a factor
at the boxoffice.
The film tells the story of the Pesce family, and in particular
focuses on their youngest son, Frank, Jr. (Anthony LaPaglia, in a
winning performance), who seems to have been bom under a lucky
star. As the film opens, he's firing snowballs at the church and
cursing God and his good luck: Frank, it seems, has just won the first
New York State lottery (the film is set in the '70s), and for some
reason he's none too happy about it. The remainder of the film,
following his arrest for the snowball escapade, has Frank telling the
police about his life and leading up to why he's upset about his good
fortune.
Along the way we meet his bickering family, which includes
Frank, Sr. ( Aiello, in his standard loud-mouthed-but-endearing role),
Mrs. Pesce (Lanie Kazan) and Frank's older brother (played by
Frank Pesce, whose real-life saga inspired the film). The performances
are all strong, and the script has some funny moments and
a strong sense of family. Making his debut as a director, Gallo does
an unobtrusive job. letting the material unfold at its own pace and
giving the story a satisfactory visual sheen. None of which changes
the fact that, although "29th Street" is a pleasant diversion, there's
no really compelling reason to see it.
Rated R for language.
JejfSchwager.
THE SUPER
Starring Joe Pesci. Vincent Gardenia and Ruben Blades.
Directed by Rod Daniel. Screenplay by Sam Simon. Produced hy
Charles Cordon.
A Twentieth Century Fo.x release. Comedy, rated R. Running time:
86min. Souiul: Dolby A. Projection: Flay. Screening date: I I/I4/9I.
It had to happen. Sooner or later, screen villain supremo Joe Pesci
just had to get his. After slashing bodies in "GoodFellas," after trying
to get that cute Macaulay Culkin in "Home Alone," Pesci's had it
coming. He's also had it coming to get his own vehicle; and it's about
time. Too bad he had to get it this way—as a slum landlord caught
up in a demonstration that Hollywood knows how to make a politically
correct million or two with a scenario where the underprivileged
become powerful and the powerful beg for mercy. "The Super"
is
also an urban nightmare where our worst dreams of apartment
hunting show up at the front door. If you're looking to rent, don't
look here.
In "The Super," Pesci is—well, Pesci—and that's always good.
Here he's a spoiled rich kid now looking at his own half-century
mark and still living off the fat of the land handed to him by his
wormy father (deliciously played, as always, by Vincent Gardenia).
Daddy owns a slew of New York's tenement slum buildings, and he
has been teaching his kid how to grow into his own shoes for a long
time now. When the movie opens, Pesci is handed one of Daddy's
prizes: a building where rats and other vermin outnumber the suffering
tenants two to one, but where you can't see most of them because
the electricity doesn't usually work, anyway. It's a landscape where
the lights are perpetually off
Pesci takes to his father's footsteps and treats his tenants like
scum. But one day he finds himself looking at a court conviction.
The terms: live in your own building and stew (until the building
gets an overhaul ) or go to jail. So, Pesci moves into his own tenement
and wallows in it until the film's predictable ending catches up with
him.
"The Super" is fun enough, if you don't mind feeling you need to
take a bath all the time you're sitting in your seat—which may be
what the filmmakers wanted. But the film's grittiness is sometimes
a bit too gritty and oppressive, and you wish it would lighten up
(metaphorically

HBmBOBHfl
innmiiiiM iiiMiii iiifnnnnTiiiiiTiiriiniiinninnmim
"
homeless scam artists who go around purposefully taking accidents
with hapless motorists in order to cadge meals and cash out of their
marks. Enter Grey Ellison (Kelly Lynch—and where does Hughes
get these character names?)—a frigid, careerist divorce lawyer,
defined in the early passages of the film as a sort ofjoyless post-feminist
zombie for daring to choose career over child-bearing. What
Lynch really needs is a dose of good old-fushioned motherhood,
which she gets when she runs down Belushi (twice of course—in a
Hughes film, an unfunny gag is always worth repealing) and falls ui
love at first sight with the ever-adorable Porter.
Ever-adorable is perhaps too mild a description of Porter's performance
(almost all of which is shot in claustrophobic close- up.
like a Friday the 13th sequel). Porter is ferociouxly, relenllessly.
implacably adorable—the Terminator of cute, a Frankensteinian
compendium of every cuddly tic and mannerism an ambitious stagemother
ever beat into her unwilling progeny. Belushi manages to
hold his own against her by doing what he has always done— refusing
to act—but Lynch, who actually has wide dramatic range.
short-circuits each time she's pinned in the high beams of Porter's
arc-light smile. 1 hat Lynch seems positively stricken by the maternal
transformation Hughes script demands of her only draws increased
attention to the falsified assumptions underlying Hughes' reactionary,
get-back-in-the- kitchen attitudes about working women.
With only about a sit-com's worth of plot complications to fall
back on. Hughes resorts to a trick he's used since his "Breakfasl
Club" days to pad things out. There are no less than ilircc excruciatingly
elongated montage sequences in "Curly Sue" (four if you
include the dreamy imagery playing behind what seems like 20
minutes of titles at the front of the film), and none of these advances
the plot in anything like proportion to the screen time occupied. That
the effect is ultimately like sitting through a collection of music
videos or car commercials is perhaps intentional— Hughes has a
franchise to promote, after all. as "Curly Sue's" ain't-she-sweet ad
campaign (featuring Porter's smirking mug) has already made abundantly
clear.
It's apparent from this desperate attempt to out McCaulay Culkin
himself that Hughes regrets bitterly his farming out of the biggest
hit he will likely ever be associated with to director Chris Columbus
last Christmas. But no matter what ruse the studio uses to try to get
people into a theatre screening "Curly Sue." their best bet will still
be to stay home alone.
Rated PG for cide.— Rav Greene.
RICOCHET
Starring Denzel Washington. John Lilhgow. Ice T and Kevin
Pollak.
Directed by Rii.ssell Mulcahy. Screenplay by Steven E. de Souza.
Produced by Joel Silver and Michael Levy.
A Wamer Bros, release. Drama, rated R. Running time: 102 min.
Sound: Dolby SR. Projection: Scope. Screening date: 10/15/91.
Call it a ricochet romance between an on-screen couple—Denzel
Washington and John Lithgow—who are wildly incompatible. "Ricochet"
is the predictable story of an L.A. attorney (Washington)
being hunted down by the maniacal Lithgow. a psychopath wildly
out of control and obsessed with getting back at Washington for once
putting him behind bars. The scenario in "Ricochet" is predicable
)
enough to w arrant a good time; however. Steven E. de Souza's script
makes Washington's character so patently heroic that you wish
Lithgow would indeed get rid of him and put all of us out of our
misery.
Never one to crack a smile, Washington is annoy ingly self-serving
and stiff as the ex-cop who wants to clean up L.A. and make it safe
for women and children. Maybe he'll also make some wise career
mov es along the way and then run for public office. As if this vvercn' I
irritating enough. Washington breathes not an iota of life into his
character. He ma> be the most boring do-gooder in recent memois
and he makes comtoriable a dirty word.
Enter Lithgow the Dragon. His character is so utterly sinister, so
pathologically obtuse, that he almost single-handedly saves "Rico
chet" from misfiring completely. He's got a frame large enough to
crush any offender and a mind tw isted enough to add new meaning
to Lilhgow's already well-deserved reputation as an impeccable
actor of enormous range.
But almost is only almost. It's bad enough that Washington's
character doesn't bite the dust in this film. Worse yet. "Ricochet
gives new meaning to the fantasy of male-oriented violence. Bodies
are maimed in ways that add fuel to this genre, and gore is carried
to its ultimate limit. Unfortunately, the aesthetic of all this violence
is dampened by a script that makes its own genre seem amazingly
pat.
Rated R for language and gory violence. Marilyn Moss
BLACK ROBE
Starring Lothaire Bluleau. Aden Young and Sandrine Holt.
Directed by Bruce Beresford. Screenplay by Brian Moore, based
on his novel. Produced by Robert Lantos. Slephane Reichcl and Sue
Miliken.
A Samuel Goldwyn Company release. Drama, rated R. Running
time: 101 minutes. Sound: Dolbx A. Projection: Flat. Screening
date: 10/9/91.
Over the years, director Bruce Beresford ("Driving Miss Daisy "
has proven himself to be a talented craftsman, but in many of his
films he seems to have substituted craftsmanship for passion. Such
is the case with his latest effort. "Black Robe." which tells the story
of Father Laforgue ("Jesus of Montreal's" Lothaire Bluteau. in a
subdued performance), a Jesuit priest who journeys into the Canadian
wilds in hopes of converting the native tribes to Christianity.
It's an idea that has promise—a "Dances With Wolves" that substitutes
missionaries for the cavalry—but it doesn't ever come to life.
Like Beresford' s last film, "Mister Johnson," "Black Robe" looks
at the infiuence of European imperialism on uncivilized people. Bui
Beresford's chief interest isn't political: he's more concerned with
the human aspects of the situation, and his primary focus here is on
the toll, both physical and spiritual, this journey takes on Laforgue.
Unfortunately, the physical toll comes mostly from incidents of
unsettling graphic violence, and the spiritual toll reinains vague,
never really manifesting itself on celluloid.
Most of the blame must go to screenwriter Brian Moore, who
adapted the script from his own novel. While fiction, with its wide
open spaces for internal monologue, is the ideal forum for the kind
of psychic drama that's going on here, a screenplay needs to offer
some kind of visual indication of what's happening in a character's
mind. Moore never succeeds in revealing Laforgue's soul on screen,
and the result is a hollow, though handsome, film.
Rated R for grisly violence and fairly graphic sex. JejfSchwager.
ANTONIA AND JANE
Starring hnelda Staunton and Saskia Reeves.
Directed by Bee Ban Kidron. Screenplay by Marcy Kalin. Pro
duced by George Faher.
A Miranuix Films release. Comedy, rated R. Running time: 72
minutes. Screening date: 08/13/91.
The challenge of "Antonia and Jane" is to find a short subject good
enough to play alongside such a delightful buddy movie, which runs
barely longer than an hour. Silly and sentimental, this upbeat gem
—
—
December, 1991 R-93

of a movie will leave audiences not only laughing, but actually
feeling better about themselves.
Between the two protagonists, there's enough neurosis for any
every moviegoer to identify with. Veering recklessly between realism
and absurdity, British director Bee Ban Kidron presents the story
of two women, complete opposites, who have been friends for
life—though the friendship has wracked their lives with competition,
jealousy and resentment.
Unwittingly, the women share the same analyst and on her couch
recount their failed lives. Jane would gladly trade her kinky boyfriends
and kinky hair for Antonia's life of beauty and marriage. In
turn, Antonia would gladly trade her troubled home and fast-lane
career for Jane's arty life of abandon. Jane has never had the guts to
confront Antonia, even though the blonde beauty stole nerdy Jane's
"one and only love," and Antonia can't face up to the fact that in
doing so she won the booby prize. Their relationship has diminished
to an annual dinner, and separately, stoically, the two gear up to
tackle the intolerable feelings such a reunion inevitably will raise.
What this low-budget production is missing in the way of sets and
location is more than compensated up for with colorful personality
and sophisticated wit. Screenwriter Marcy Kahn balances the story
neatly. First we get Jane's side of the story, then Antonia's. Played
with enormous warmth and candor by Imelda Staunton, Jane confesses
her long life of troubles, which include a boyfriend who can
be aroused only when read aloud to from the works of Iris Murdock
and a collection of overbearing friends and relatives she can't tell
off. The statuesque Saskia Reeves is quite the opposite with her
shallow indifference to scruples and her doctrine that "clothes are
key." But over the course of the therapy, they two women come to
terms with themselves and their lives begin to turn around radically.
Just in time for the dreaded dinner.
If it weren't for some nudity and kinky sexual situations, this R
rated film would be ideal for friends and enemies of all ages. Karen
Kreps
—
—
—
OVERSEAS
Starring Nicole Garcia, Marianne Basler and Brigitte Rouan.
Directed by Brigitte Rouan. Screenplay by Brigitte Rouan.
Philippe Le Guar. Christian Rullier and Cedric Kahn. Produced bv
Serge Cohen-Solal.
An Aries Film release. Drama, not rated. Running time 96 min.
Screening date: I0/I5/9L
The first film directed by French actress Brigitte Rouan is a finely
crafted, highly complex piece of work. It's also something of a piece
of work to follow and understand—even for seasoned audiences.
Rouan tells the story of 3 adult sisters living lives of privilege in
Algiers during the French occupation—from the point of view of
each sister. The first time round, all seems romantic, light and
dreamlike. As they are observed over an 1 8-year period, sipping iced
tea in sun-drenched gardens and dancing in white gowns with their
handsome, white-coated officers, what's really going on is unclear.
It's difficult to sort out which sister is which and whose man is
whose. The second time around, the same incidents are enacted and
the dark shadows of political unrest begin to take on definition. As
relationships and issues fall into focus, the film becomes more
interesting.
But it is not until the final part of this triptych that an ironic
intertwining of the personal and the political becomes apparent, and
here Brigitte Rouan' s genius shines through. Rouan, herself, gives
a powerful performance as the middle sister, tough-edged and practical,
who runs the family vineyard in spite of a wimpy husband
(Yann Dedet) and rebellious workers. Her on-camera presence is
matched by two equally outstanding actresses. With the high-toned
elegance of a Meryl Streep, Nicole Garcia plays the eldest sister, an
unliberated romantic who grieves to death when her husband
L
1
ZENTROPA
Starring Jean-Marc Barr and Barbara Sukowa. Narrated by Max
Von Sydow.
Directed by Lars Von Trier. Screenplay by Lars Von Trier and
Niels Vorsel. Produced by Peter Aalbaek Jensen and Bo
Christensen.
A Prestige/MiramcLx Films release. Drama, unrated. Running
time: 107 minutes. Screening date: 9/19/9L
Formerly titled "Europa," this German-language effort had it's
name changed to avoid confusion with another recent import, "Eu-
"opa, Europa." And while it would be a cheap shot to point out that
'Zentropa," nee "Europa," is only half the film the moving Holocaust
study "Europa, Europa" is, it seems fair to say that the name
change was unnecessary: for if arose by any other name would smell
IS sweet, a vase by any other name would still be hollow.
Zentropa"—despite its striking visual texture—has more in comnon
with a vase than a rose.
Set in post-World War II Germany, the film focuses on Leopold
lessler (Jean-Marc Barr, in a strained, lifeless performance), a
lerman-American who takes a job with the German railroad comany
Zentropa shortly after the end of the war. He becomes entangled
ith the Hartmanns, the family that owns the railroad, and is seduced
oy the beautiful Katharina Hartmann (Barbara Sukowa, whose
femme fatale performance gives the film its only heat), who may
belong to the Werewolves, a group of pro-Nazi terrorists.
Director Lars Von Trier has devised a premise that is vaguely
reminiscent of the noir thrillers of the '40s, but he withholds the
conventions of the genre; he doesn't give us any thrills. Cinematically,
his work recalls Welles, Hitchcock and Fritz Lang—indeed,
"Zentropa" plays like a film school homage to the masters—but
those filmmakers were smart enough to have a compelling plot to
hang their pictures on. Von Trier doesn't have any real story he
wants to tell, just images he wants to show. And while those images
are often stunning, they're not enough to sustain a two hour film.
Unrated, with some violence and sexuality.
JeffSchwager.
(Philippe Galland) is reported missing in action. And. in a smaller
role, Marianne Basler manages to play the equally enigmatic baby
sister, with her surreptitious allegiance to the Algerian resistance.
In this film, men are seen as handsome, romantic—and unreliable.
And children (who are always hearmg things they shouldn't) are
strictly disciplined—emphasizing the Victorian moral setting that
filters through the story. Rouan evokes a distant time and place, with
a level of production and costume design that one might expect only
from a more experienced filmmaker. Even if "Overseas" lacks
popular appeal, critics and festival -goers alike will appreciate
Rouan's directorial aptitude and will anticipate her creative potential
for the future.
Not rated, the film contains nudity, sexual situations and violence.
Karen Kreps.
WHORE
Starring Theresa Ru.Ksell.
Directed bv Ken Russell. Screenplay by Ken Russell and Deborah
Dalton. Produced by Dan Ireland and Ronaldo Vasconcellos.
A Trimark Pictures release. Drama, rated NC-17. Running time:
85 minutes. Screening date: 10/2/9
A film released with much fanfare over it's controversial NC-17
rating, "Whore" is another self-indulgent exercise from the loins of
filmmaker Ken Russell. Attempting to make some sort of perverse
social comment, Russell fails by uncovering secrets exposed too
R-94 BoxomcE

—
—
many moons ago. Audiences know that prostitution is no delightfully
kinky sex game, so Russell looses that myth he neetls to ie\eal.
Without this, the tllm is no more than a common whore: turning
indisiduuls into product and selling them shamelessly for the price
of a theatre ticket.
Story type key: (Ac) Action; (Ad) Adventure: (An) Animated: (C)
Comedy: (D) Drama: (DM) Drama witli Music: (Doc) Documentary:
(H) Horror: (M) Musical: (My) Mystery. (SF) Science Fiction:
(Sus) Suspense: (W) Western.
Is
-1 t-
f- 5
o o £ o ^
Mm o is J
K o E- t- ^
< O UJ
uj O u. a >
O < O W < -^ 01
Ul V CO a b: _) z 3
u
So
An Angel at Mv Table
R(NLI
Theresa Russell as the prostitute. Liz. is coyly sweet. She affects
street smarts and preens tor the camera at every opportunity. Dressed
to sell in an ornamental (laming silver bra. red lace and zip leather
mini and the kinchi heels only Frederick's of Hollywood sells.
Russell gives a perfunctory performance—not nearly her strongest,
but better than the material given to her deems. Through voice-over
and straight narrativ e on a dismal work day. Liz whines on about the
perils of her trade: learning the hard v\ ay not to get into a van; kinky
senior citizens w ith bondage fantasies; John's w ho refuse condoms
and a pimp who takes her money and in turn treats her badly.
Posturing to be an instrument of enlightenment. "Whore" is pretty
much of a joke: glorifying prostitution and violence throughout its
85 minutes. Ken Russell has never delivered more beautifully than
in his adaptations of D.H. Lawrence ("Women In Love" and "The
Rainbow " ). Perhaps he should confine his talents to prose rather than
writing new pages of pornography.
Rated NC- 17 for pornographic situations, nudity, violence and
language. Mari Florence.
BLUE MOVIE BLUE
Staniiii; Nina Sicnuiszkii. Wcmh Huf^hes. Tom Skerritl. Robert
Duvi and Brent Praser.
Directed and written by Zahnan Kiufi. Produced by David
Saunders and Rafael Eisenman.
A Vision International release. Drama, rated R. Riinnint; time:
107 minutes. Screening date: 7/26/91.
A charmless rite of passage bit that neither entertains nor intrigues.
"Blue Movie Blue" is artfully styled and photographed—and little
else. Reeking of playful allusions to Louis Malle's "Pretty Baby."
"Blue" is the product of the inane glorification of prostitution and is
weighted down by a stodgy story line. It's the late I93()s in Central
California and Blue (newcomer Nina Siemaszko) has spent the first
17 years of her life traveling with Ham, her trumpet-playing dad
(Tom Skerritt). Thus far, he's protected her from life's surprises, but
he can't shelter her from the inevitable— his heroin habit.
One night, to get her dad his desperate fix. Blue sells her body to
his friend. When Ham sees how his indulgence has ruined his
daughter he takes his own life, leaving her to the wolves. After his
funeral, Elle (Wendy Hughes), the beautiful local madam, takes Blue
under her wing. Before Blue understands what is happening, she is
the featured attraction in Elle's house of ill-repute; the baby dressed
in blue. Blue struggles with the issues of money and power that men
(and could this mean male directors'?) associate with sex-for-money.
Blue tries to reach out for a normal life and even tries to escape with
the aid of grounds-keeper Sully (charmingly played by Robert Davi ).
'let, each attempt is thwarted by Elle's omnipotence.
"Blue Movie Blue" is neither entertainment nor social commentary,
but instead a dreary, gratuitous tidbit for the senses: an exploitative
ploy to expose, degrade and steal a young woman's burgeoning
sexuality.
Rated R for nudity and sexual situations.
Mari Florence

THE NUMBERS PAGE
Top Twenty Boxoffice Performers

€NT€RTniNM€NT DRTR, INC.'S
consT TO consT BOXOFFICC SUMMRRV
OP 10NnTIONnLR€L€nS€S
Iicie
CThe Fisher King
Ueekenc)
To(ol
0/11 . -0/15
% Chg,
UUknd.
Totol
Screen % Chg. Totol Boxoffice
Screens Rveroge flveroge Through • 10/15 Distributor

[ff/^6GIONRL nRNnlNC3S (Top ujeetencl grossers ranked by screen overage)
Dallas exchange
Ronk Title LUeek Screens
UJeekend
Screen % Chg Total % Ctig Totol SoxofFice
Average Rverage 10/1 1 • 10/13 Totol Through • 10/15 Distributor
C_
Frankie & Johnny

)
)
TEASERS
These are films lh,il have gone
into production but are not yet
set tor release: estimated seasons
of release are listed in italics.
The dates in parentheses
indicate the issue ot Bosorrn i in
which the film was profiled in
the Hollywood Report column.
If the title has changed since the
film went into production, the
original title is also listed in parentheses.
Avenue
American Heart (D)
left Bridges, Edward Furlong.
Dir: Martin Bell (11/91) fall
The Player (C)
Tim Robbins. Dir: Robert Altman
(6/91) spring
Buena Vista
Aladdin (Anim)
Dir: lohn Musker, Ron Clements
("The Little Mermaid").
sprinii
Blame It On the Bellboy (C)
Dudley Moore. (5/91 ) spring
Close to Eden (D)
Melanie Crillith. Dir: Sidney
Lumet. (11/911 fall
Straight Talk (C)
lames Woods, Dolly Parton.
{] 0/9]) summer
Cannon
Chicago Loop (D)
lames Spader, Theresa Russell.
Dir: Nicolas Roeg. (7/91 ) fall
Columbia
Bram Stoker's Dracula (D)
Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins,
Gary Oldman. Dir: Francis
Ford Coppola. (5/91 ) Christmas
Honeymoon in Vegas (C)
lames Caan, Nicolas Cage,
Sarah lessica Parker. (11/91)
summer
A League of Their Own (CD)
Geena Davis, Madonna, Tom
Hanks. Dir: Penny Marshall.
(8/91 ) summer
Machine Gun Kelly (D)
William Baldwin. Dir: Marek
Kanievska. (6/91) fall
Mo Money (AcC)
Damon Wayans. (6/91)
summer
Single White Female (Thr)
Bridget Fonda, lennifer lason
Leigh. Dir: Barbet Schroeder.
(1 0/9 Dspnng
Sleepwalkers (Thr)
Alice Krige, Brian Krause,
Madchen Amick. spring
The Year of the Comet (Ad)
Penelo[)e Ann Miller, Louis
Jourdan. Dir: Peter Yates. (8/9 1
spring
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Conundrum (D)
Sallv Field. (4/91) spring
Of Mice and Men (D)
lohn Malk()\i( h. Dir: Gary Sinised
1/91) tail
The Vagrant (Thr)
Michael Ironside, Colleen
Camp. Dir: Chris Walas ("The
Fly 2"). (5/91 )spring
New Line
The Dark Wind (D)
Lou Diamond Phillips. Dir:
Errol Morris. (1 2/90 )spring
Glengarry Glen Ross (D)
Al Pacino, lack Lemmon, Alec
Baldwin. Dir: lames Foley.
(8/91) fall
The Lawnmower Man (Hor)
left Fahey, Pierce Brosnan.
(1 0/9 l)spr/ng
Light Sleeper (D)
Willem Dafoe, Susan Sarandon.
Dir: Paul Schrader. (8/91) /.)//
London Kills Me (D)
Steven Mackintosh, Emer
McCourt. Dir: Hanif Kureishi.
spring
Past Midnight (Thr)
Rutger Hauer, Natasha Richardson.
(6/91) spring
Poison Ivy (Thr)
Drew Barrymore, Tom Skerritt.
(9/91) spring
Ruben and Ed (C)
Crispin Glover, Howard Hesseman,
spring
Serious Money (C)
Leo Rossi, spring
Where the Day takes You (D)
Dermot Mulroney, Adam Baldwin,
Lara Flynn Boyle. (9/91)
tall
Orion
Clifford (C)
Martin Short, summer
The Dark Half (Thr)
Timothy Hutton, Amy Madigan.
Dir: George Romero. (1/91)
spring
RoboCop 3 (Ac)
Robert Burke, Nancy Allen. Dir:
Fred Dekker ("The Monster
Squad"), summer
Shadows and Fog (CD)
Woody Allen, Mia Farrow,
lodie Foster, Madonna, lohn
Malkovich. (2/91 ) spring
There Goes My Baby (D)
Dermot Mulroney, lill
Schoelen. Dir: Floyd Mutrux
("American Hot Wax"). (1 1/90)
fall
Orion Classics
Howards End (D)
Helena Bonham-Carter, Anthony
Hopkins, Vanessa
Redgrave. Dir: lames Ivory.
{7/9]) fall
Paramount
Jennifer Eight (Thr)
Andy Garcia, Uma Thurman,
lohn Malkovich. Dir: Bruce
Robinson. (1 1/91 ) spring
Ladybugs (C)
Rodney Dangerfield. Dir: Sidney
Furie. (9/^1 ) spring
Samuel Goldwyn
The Playboys (D)
Rohm Wright, Albert Finney,
Aidan Quinn. (6/91 ) spring
Rock-a-Doodle (Anim)
Dir: Don Bluth ("An American
Tail") spring
Tri-Star
Bartholomew Vs. Neff (C)
Sylvester Stallone, lohn Candy.
Dir: lohn Hughes ("Uncle
Buck"), spring
Basic Instinct (Thr)
Michael Douglas. Dir: Paul Verhoeven
("Total Recall").
spring
Charlie (Bio)
Robert Downey, |r. Dir: Richard
Attenborough.( 10/91)
Christmas
Thunderheart (D)
Val Killmer, Crahame Greene.
Dir: Michael Apted.(7/91 ) fall
Universal Soldier (Ac)
Dolph Lundgren, jean-Claude
Van Damme. Dir: Andrew
Davis ("The Package"), spring
Twentieth Century Fox
Alien III (Ac)
Sigourney Weaver. Dir: David
Fincher. (
.V9 1 ) M.n .?J
_
Fern Gully: The Last Rain
Forest (Anim)
(4/9 1 ) sprint;
The Last of the Mohicans (Ad)
Daniel Day Lewis. Dir: Michael
Mann. (8/91 ) summer
My Cousin Vinny (C)
|oe Pesci. Dir: lonathan Lynn.
(4/91) spring
Prelude to a Kiss (CD)
Alec Baldwin, Meg Ryan. Dir:
Norman Rene("LongtimeCompanion").
spring
Rapid Fire (Ac)
Brandon Lee, Powers Boothe.
(9/91 )spnng
Storyville (Thr)
lames Spader, lason Robards.
Dir: Mark Frost. (6/91 ) suninicr
White Men Can't Jump (C)
Wesley Snipes, Woocfy ilarrclson.
Dir: Ron Shelton. (8/91)
summer
Universal
American Me (D)
Idward James Olmos, William
Forsythe. ( 1 0/91 ) summer
Army of Darkness (H)
Dir: Sam Raimi ("Darkman").
sining
The Babe (D)
)ohn Goodman, Kelly McGillis.
Dir: Arthur Hiller.(7/91)
summer
Far and Away (D)
Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman.
Dir: Ron Howard. (9/91)
summer
Kuffs (D)
(Christian Slater, Milla Jovovich.
(8/91).spnng
Leaving Normal (D)
Christine Lahti, Meg Tilly. Dir:
Edward Zwick. (10/^1 ) spring
Lloyd of London (C)
Keenan Ivory Wayans. Dir:
Keenan Ivory Wayans. (6/91
spring
Mad Dog and Glory (CD)
Robert De Niro, Bill Murray.
Dir: lohn McNaughton.(7/91
.summer
Mr. Baseball (Tokyo
Diamond ) (C)
Tom Selleck. Dir: Fred Schepisi
("The Russia House"). (1/91
summer
Stop Or My Mom Will Shoot
(C)
Sylvester Stallone, EstelleGetty,
loBeth Williams. Dir: Roger
Spottiswoode. (8/91 ) summer
Warner Bros.
A Class Act (CMus)
Kid 'N' Play. (10/91) spring
Malcolm X (Bio)
Denzel Washington. Dir: Spike
Lee. (1 1/91) Christmas
Memoirs of An Invisible Man
(C)
Chevy Chase, Daryl Hannah.
Dir: lohn Carpenter, summer
The Power of One (D)
Morgan Freeman, Armin-
Mueller Stahl. Dir: lohn G. Avi-
Idsen. (9/91 ) summer
Singles (CD)
Campbell Scott, Bridget Fonda.
Dir: Cameron Crowe. (4/91)
spring
Unforgiven
Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman,
Morgan Freeman, Richard
Harris. (1 1/91) summer
December, 1991 61

R.
1
Dolby
BOXOFFICE
NOVEMBER
Buena Vista
(818)567-5030
Paradise. D, 107 mm
,
Gntfith. Don Johnson 9/21
Dolby A, Rat Melanie
Decerned. Thf.PG-13. 103 mm. Dolby A, Flat
GoWie Hawn, John Heard 9/27
Ernest Scared Stupid. C. PG. 91 mm. Dolby
A, Rat. Jim Varney. Eartha Kitt. 1 0/1
Billy Bathgate. D. R. 106 mm. Dolby A. Flat
Dustin Hoffman. Nicole Kidman Dir Robert
Benton 11/1
Beauty and the Beast. Anim .
G. 84 mm.
Dolby SR. Rat Angela Lansbury. Jerry
Orbach, David Ogden Shers. 11/22
Father of the Bride. C. PG. 140 mm. Dolby A.
Flal Steve Martin. Diane Keaton. Martin
Short. 12/20
Columbia
(310)280-8000
(212)751-4400
Lale For Dinner, D, PG. 92 mm, Peter Berg,
Brian Wimmer Dir WD Richter 9/20
Taking of Beverly Hills, Thr.R. 94 min. Dolby
A. Rat KenWahl Oir Sidney Furie 10/11
My Girl. C. PG. 99 mm. PG. Dolby A. Flat. Dan
Ackroyd. Jamie Lee Curtis. Macaulay Culkin
11/27
The Prince of Tides. D.R. 132 mm. DolbyA.
Flat Barbra Streisand. Nick Nolle Dir Barbra
Streisand 12/18
Inner Circle,.D. Tom Hulce. 12/25 (Ltd).
iVIGM-Pathe
(310)444-1500
The Man in Die Moon. D. PG-IS, 99 min..
Dolby A, Rat Tess Harper. Sam Waterston.
Dir Robert Mulligan.
Company Business. T\\

^^ FEATURE CHART — DECEMBER 1991

BOXOFFICE Independent Feature Chart DECEMBER 1991
AUGUS
Avenue
(310)442-2200
Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll, CD, R,
96min. Eric Bogosian. Dir:)ohn
McNaughton.
Orion Classics
(212) 956-3800
My Mother's Castle, D, PC, 98
mm. Dir: Yves Robert.
SEPTEMBER
Aries
(212)246-0528
The Story of Boys and Girls, C,
92 min. Dir; Pupi Avati.
Cinevista
(212) 947-4373
Black Lizard, D. Akihiro
Maruyama. Dir: Kinji Fukasaku.
Cannon
(213) 966-5640)
The Borrower, SF. R, 91 min.
Dir: John McNaughton.
Fifty-Fifty, Thr. Peter Weller,
Robert hayes. Dir: Charles Martin
Smith.
Expanded Entertainment
(310)473-6701
23rd Tournee of Animation,
Anim.
Hemdale
(213)966-3700
Beautiful Dreamers, D.
Torn.
I
R S
Rip
(818)505-0555
Blood and Concrete, CD. Billy
Zane, lenniler Beals, Darren
McGavin.
Orion Classics
A Tale of Springtime, CD. Dir:
Eric Rohmer.
Shapiro Glickenhaus
(818) 766-8500
McBain, Ac. Christopher
Walken, Maria Conchita Alonso.
Triton
(310)275-7779
Twenty-One, D, 1 01 min. Patsy
Kensit.
OCTOBER
Cannon
The Hitman, Ac, R, 93 min.
Chuck Norris.
Castle Hill
(212)888-0080
The Giant of Thunder Mountain,
D. Richard Kiel, Jack Elam.
Iron Maze, D, R, 100 min.
Bridget Eonda, Jeff Eahey, J.T.
Walsh.
Hemdale
Highway to Hell, Hor. Chad
Lowe, Richard Farnsworth.
Kino
(212)629-6880
The Wages of Fear (reissue,
1952), D. Yves montand. Dir:
Henri-Georges Clouzot.
Kit Parker Films
(408) 649-5573
Looney Tunes Hall of Fame,
Anim, 85 min. Bugs Bunny,
Daffy Duck
Orion Classics
The Search For Signs of Intelligent
Life in the Universe, C,
PG-1 3, 1 16 min. Lily Tomlin.
Streamline
(310)657-8559
Fist of the North Star, Anim.
Dir: Toyoo Ashida.
Trimark
(310)399-8877
And You Thought Your Parents
Were Weird, C, PC, 92 min.
Marcia Strassman, Alan Thicke.
Whore, D, NC-1 7, 85 min. Theresa
Russell. Dir: Ken Russell.
Triton
Mindwalk, D, PC, 1 1 1 min. Liv
Ullmann, Sam Waterston.
Triumph
(213)882-1013
Homicide, D, R, 100 min. Joe
Mantegna. Dir: David Mamet.
Year of the Gun, Thr, R. Andrew
McCarthy, Sharon Stone.
Dir: lohn Frankenheimer.
NOVEMBER
Aries
Overseas, D, 96 min. Dir:
Brigitte
Rouan
Crown
(310)657-6700
Brain Twisters, Thr. Terry
Londeree, Farrah Forke, Joe
Lombardo
Greycat
(702) 737-5258
Resident Alien, D. Quentin
Crisp, Sting.
Horseplayer, Thr. Brad Dourif.
Hemdale
Cheap Shots, C, PG-1 3. Louis
Zurich.
I.R.S.
Shakes the Clown, C. Bobcat
Coldthwait, lulie Brown.
InterStar
(913)338-3880)
Highlander II : The Quickening,
SF, R. Sean Connery, Christopher
Lambert.
Kit Parker Films
House of Wax i3-D, reissue,
1953), H, 88 min. Vincent
Price. Dir: Andre De Toth.
Dial M for Murder, (3-D, reissue,
1954), Mys, 105 min. Ray
Milland, Grace Kelly. Dir: Alfred
Hitchcock.
MK2
(212)956-7969
La Belle Noiseuse, D, R, 240
min. Michel Piccoli,
Emmanuelle Beart and Jane Birkin.
Dir: Jacques Rivette.
October Films
(818) 783-3200
Life is Sweet, CD. Dir: Mike
Leigh.
Triton
Hearts of Darkness, Doc.
Troma
(212) 757-4555
Wizards of the Demon Sword,
Fan.
Vision International
(213)969-2900
Blue Movie Blue, D, R, 107
min. Tom Skerritt, Nina
Siemaszko. Dir: Zaiman King.
DECEMBER
Aries
Thank You and Goodnight,
Doc. Dir: Jan Oxenberg
Expanded Entertainment
National Film Board/Canada
Animation Festival
Greycat
Dingo, D. Miles Davis, Colin
Friels. (For Academy consideration
only)
I.R.S.
December, D, PG. Wil Wheaton.
Dir: Gabe Torres
Kit Parker Films
Monty Python and the Holy
Grail, (reissue, 1974), C, 89
min. Terry Gilliam, John Cleese.
Giant (reissue, 1956), D, 201
min. Rock FHudson, Elizabeth
Taylor, James Dean. Dir:
George Stevens.
Orion Classics
Rhapsody in August, D. Richard
Gere. Dir: Akira Kurosawa
Troma
Class of Nuke'Em High II, Hor.
Chopper Chicks in Zombietown
JANUAR
Castle Hill
Voyager, PG-1 3. Sam Shepard.
Dir: Volkcr Schlondorlf.
Memoirs of a River
Shaking the Tree, Arye Cross.
I.R.S.
Guilty as Charged, Ac. Rod
Steiger, Lauren FTutton.
One False Move, Thr. Bill
Paxton
InterStar
A Midnight Clear, D. Ethan
Hawke, Kevin Dillon, Frank
Whaley. Dir: Keith Gordon.
Kino
Andrei Roublev, (1966, reissue),
Russian. Dir: Andrei Tarkovsky.
Trimark
Into the Sun, R. Anthony Michael
Hall, Michael Pare.
Dolly Dearest. Sam Bottons,
Rip Torn.
Triton
Alan & Naomi, Lucas Haas
The Lunatic, Paul Campbell
Troma
Dead Dudes In the House, Hor.
They Call Me Macho Woman,
Hor.
64 BOXOFFICE

Kerasotes
9372
221
Clearing House!
RATES: 90c per word, minimum $25. $7 50 extra
for box number assignment Send copy wchecis
to BOXOFFICE, P O Box 25485, Chicago. 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 letter and
in lower left corner of your envelope Please use
tt
10 envelopes or smaller for your replies
HELP WANTED
MULTIPLEX THEATRE MANAGERS, CITY MAN-
AGERS. SUPERVISORS needed for Kerasotes
Theatres, an innovative, expanding leader in the motion
picture exhibition industry, located across the Midwest
Opportunity for rapid advancement Please send resume
and salary history, in confidence, to Human
Resources Dept , Theatres. 104 N 6th St.,
Springfield, IL 62701
MAJOR WEST COAST circuit is looking for a top
notch executive director for ancillary income including
theatre promotions, rentals, screen advertising, video
games, etc. Qualified candidate will be an energetic
self starter who can manage multiple priorities with
ease Theatre operations experience, college and good
computer skills preferred Send resume including salary
history and requirements to Boxoffice Response
Number 4695
POSITION WANTED
AGGRESSIVE career professional with 20+ years of
progressive experience desires responsible and challenging
position with innovative company Familiar with
all phases, including operations, advertising and supervision
High energy, bottom line oriented individual who
can produce results. Respond to Boxoffice Response
Number 4694
EQUIPMENT FOR SALE
COMPLETE THEATRE EQUIPMENT: (New. Used or
Rebuilt) Century SA. R3. RCA 9030. 1040. 1050 Platters:
3 and 5 Tier. Xenon Systems 1000-4000 W/att.
Sound Systems mono and stereo, automations, ticket
machines, curtain motors, electric rewinds, lenses,
parts and many more items in stock COfvllvlERCIAL
,
large screen video projectors. Plenty of used chairs
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AND INSTALLATION
AVAILABLE DOLBY CERTIFIED Call Bill Younger
Cinema Equipment Inc N W 13 Street. Miami,
Florida 33172 (305) 594-0570 Fax: (305) 592-
6970.
BURLAP WALL COVERING DRAPES: $1 85 per
yard, flame retardant. Quantity discounts. Norse & Co
.
Millbury Rd., Oxford. MA 01540 (508) 832-4295,
CUPHOLDER ARMREST state of the an" Cy Young
I
cupholder. Call 1 -800-729-26 1 for FREE SAMPLE.
PATRON TRAY. Fits into cupholder armrest, Cy
Young. Inc. Phone 1-800-729-26 10, Call for free sample^
NEW LENS—Super Sankor—Satisfaction guaranteed
Call us for a cost-plus quote MELCHER ENTER-
PRISES 1-800-423-5020. in Wisconsin (414) 442-
5020
EQUIPMENT: Simplex XL and SHI 020 with Dolby
cell, mint condition, 2 Century SA. 2 Simplex SH1000
1 Century R-5 with Dolby cell 2 Zeiss Prevost 35
70mm projectors with Dolby cells and American exciter
assemblies 2 Zeiss 2.500 watt vertical with Kneisley
power supplies 2 Strong Lumex with power supplies 8
Simplex and RCA enclosed pedestals Call (315) 829-
2680
RCA BRENKERT proiectors. model BX100 & BX80s-
$199 00 ea Simplex XL projectors $2,250 00 ea XL
soundheads $1,200, ea ALL IN EXCELLENT COND,
Phone (604) 682-1848 ANYTIME
FACTORY FRESH fully warrantied bulb sale Proudly
made in U S ORC XM 2000 H VC. $525 00 XM
100 H VC. $650 00 We ship anywhere in the world
ther sizes available at special prices Write, wire or
Cinema Equipment Inc.. 9372 N.W 13th Street.
Miami, FL, USA Phone (305) 594-0570. Telefax
(305) 592-6970
NOW MICRO-FM'" stereo radio sound systems FOR
THE HEARING IMPAIRED Meets FCC part 15 Call or
write Audio Visual Systems. 320 St Louis Ave . Woonsocket.
Rl 02895 Phone (401) 767-2080. (401)
769-2710- Fax (401) 767-2081
1991 XETRON PREVOST 16mm projector. 1 10 volt
system complete 1,000 watt Xenon-6.000 ft reels As
new condition with manual List price $28,500 00 Sale
pnce $11.500 00 Will send fax specs Fax (213)
467-7724 Phone (213) 462-4609 Jack Lombardo.
EQUIPMENT WANTED
OLD TUBE-TYPE equipment such as amps, speakers,
drivers, horns, etc from Western Electric. Westrex.
Langevin. Jensen. Altec. JBL. Tannoy. Mcintosh. Marantz,
etc. Call Audio City at (818) 701-5633, or write
to Audio City. PO Box 802. Northridge. CA 91328-
0802,
WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE: We will purchase Century
projectors or soundheads, new or old. complete or
incomplete, for cash Also interested in XL and SH-
1000 Call (502) 499-0050. Fax (502) 499-0052.
Hadden Theatre Supply Co.. attn, Louis
EQUIPMENT WANTED: Good, used intermittent
movement for Simplex XL projector Call (604) 682-
1848 anytime
7MM COPPER COUPLERS WANTED. Contact Family
Theatre. P O Box 224. East Tawas. Ml 48763 Or
phone (517) 739-9542.
THEATRES FOR SALE
THEATRE INTERESTS for sale in Eastern Oregon
Excellent business opportunities Closed towns
Theatres open, operating, profitable Includes land,
buildings, equipment and business. Principals call
(213) 454-6677 454-3527.
THEATRE FOR SALE: Scenic Maine coastal community,
single screen, newly renovated Summer circuit
brings first run films' Excellent opportunity Write P O
Box 472. Boothbay Harbor. Maine 04538, (207) 633-
4108
THEATRE IN DALLAS low lease /option for movies/
stage, refurbished, well equipped (35 and 70 MM)
Stage lighting, good location (213) 540-1670
DRIVE-IN-THEATRE—Swap shop 8 acres prime real
estate Palm Beach County. Florida, one of fastest
growing counties in nation. Ideal for multi-plex Call
(407) 269-5726 of (407) 585-7643
FOR SALE, MOVIE THEATRES, 6 SCREEN, Southern
California real estate included, good profit.
Contact
Jil Thompson. BKR. business and commercial at
(619) 484-9052
THEATRES WANTED
WANTED: Single screen or twin. Minnesota or N W
Wisconsin (Twin Cities area preferred) Reasonably
pnced. terms available Write Theatre. 4148 N Flag
Ave., New Hope. MN 55427-1042
THEATRE SEATING
THEATRE SEATS FOR SALE: Approx 600 Haywood
Wakefield seats Self risers Extra clean. Thick
backs with extra seat covers $25 00 each Call ( 405)
842-0122 or (405) 948-7467
SEAT BACK COVERS: Most fabrics in stock. Cy
Young, Inc. Call 1-800-729-2610 to match fabric.
550 AMERICAN SEATING CHAIRS ready for rehab
Cy Young Industries. Inc 913-780-1776
ON-SITE RE-UPHOLSTERY, While Theatre
Sleeps " Top fabrics, molded cushions and "State of
'
Art Cy Young Cup Holder Armrest Call Cy Young
Industries. Inc. 1-800-729-2610
"ALL AMERICAN SEATING" by the EXPERTS! Used
seats of quality Various makes American Bodiform
and Stellars from $12 50 to $32 50 Irwins from
$12 50 to $30 00 Heywood & Massey rockers from
$25 00 Full rebuilding available New Hussey chairs
from $70 00 All types theatre projection and sound
equipment- New and used We ship and install all
makes Try us' We sell no Junk! TANKERSLEY
ENTERPRISES BOX 36009 DENVER. CO 80236
Phone 303-980-8265
THEATRE REMODELING
FOR TWINNING THEATRES call or wnte Friddel Construction.
Inc 402
. Green River Drive. Montgomery. TX
77358. (409) 588-2667
WE CAN MULTIPLEX your theatre, make it look fantastic,
and your profits will soar No one does it for less
Muliplex Construction Corp Call (708) 293-1401.
DRIVE-IN CONSTRUCTION
SCREEN TOWERS INTERNATIONAL New. Used.
Transplanted. Complete Tower Service Box 399—
Rogers. TX 76569. 1-800-642-3591.
DRIVE-IN SCREEN TOWERS Since 1945 Selby Products,
Inc.. P.O. Box 267, Richfeld, Ohio 44286 (216)
659-6631
FLAGS—FLAG POLES
FLAGS OF ALL NATIONS Custom flags, flag poles,
large or small. Prompt shipment. BUX-MONT FLAG
POLE CO . Horsham Road, Horsham, PA 19044.
(215) 675-1040
THEATRE MANAGEMENT
FREE CASSETTE TAPE Gives details on "How to
Become a Successful Theatre Manager " Order your
free tape today! EXEC-U-TAPES. P.O. Box 9306-B.
Waterbury. CT 06724. Include $1 00 P/H.
SERVICES
PREVIOUSLY OWNED equipment available: National
Cinema Supply can provide your equipment needs. We
will also liquidate your surplus theatre and concession
equipment- We have clean Automaticket model
MGEM-3 in stock! Contact Gene Krull. (913) 492-
0966. National Cinema Supply. 8220 Nieman Road,
Lenexa. KS 66214.
BACKGROUND MUSIC: WHY PAY MULTIPLE
LICENSING FEES? Theatre background music from
PROFESSIONAL AUDIO SERVICES requires only one
fee High quality tapes, various artists Contemporary
and Easy Listening formats Call (912) 233-1402
MOTION PICTURE THEATRE CONSULTANT
SERVICES. All aspects from construction to equipment
installation to operation Anywhere in the U S A
or overseas- LUNAMAR THEATRE MANAGEMENT
INC., PO- Box 1344. Winter Park. FL 32790 FAX:
(407) 678-8621
MISCELLANEOUS
WANTED: MOVIE POSTERS, lobbies, stills, etc Will
buy any sized collection. The Paper Chase. 4073 La
Vista Road. Tucker, GA 30084. Phone 1-800-433-
0025
WANTED: 3D demo reels made by viewmaster in the
fifties and distributed to theatre owners to promote 3D
movies Top dollar paid Split Infinitive. PO Box 2324.
Bremerton. WA 98310
December. 1991 65

I
f^ .^ TAPP QP
;^ TAPE SPLICERS
^ XENON BULBS
^ CARBONS
^ PROJECTION
LENSES
^ FILM PERFORATION
REPAIR EQUIPMENT
All the ingredients
for a good show!
Distributed by International
Cinema Equipment Company
Ad Index
Alpro Acoustics 29
American Seating 29
Ashly Audio, Inc 16
Audio Rents, Inc 37
Automaticket 45
Beveiite-Adler 31
Christie Electric Corp
C2
Cinema Digital Sound / Eastman
Kodak /Optical Radiation Corp 17-19
Cinema Supply Company, Inc 66
Crest Sales USA 66
Deep Vision 3-D 66
Entertainment Data, Inc 23
Entertainment Equipment Corp 39
Hadden Theatre Supply Co 44
Hershey Foods Corp 12-13
Hurley Screens 45
International Cinema Equipment 66
In-Touch Technologies 8-9
Irwin Seating
C4
JBL Professional 5
Kit Parker Films 25
Kneisley Electric Corp 46
LaVezzi Precision 31
Lawrence Metal Products.Inc 46
McAllister Associates, Inc 41
MovieFone, Inc 3
National Ticket Co 66
Osram Sales Corp 7
Pike Productions 27
Smart Theatre Systems 22
Soundfold International 37
Strong International
C3
Vista Manufacturing 41
Weldon, Williams & Lick 45
You'll be surprised at
how much money you can save.
The Consumer Information Catalog will
enlighten you with over 200 federal
consumer-oriented publications Many are free
and all are helpful Get your free copy by
writing —
Consumer Information Center
Dept. TD, Pueblo, Colorado 81009
o
o
I
incernacionai Cinema
eauipmenc company inc
6750 N E 4th Court, Miami, Fl 331 38 U S A
Phone (305) 756-0699, Fax (305) 758-2036
Telex 522071 Int Cinema Mia
Response No 55
DEEPER 3D
MPm^Wh
Red- Blue/Green
Anaglyph Glasses
U S General Services Administration
CREST SALES USA—MOTION PICTURE EQUIPMENT
Complele Sales — Service
AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTOR FOR MANY MANUFACTURERS
Ed Cernotek
1900 South Central Expressway
Dallas, TX 75215
complete line of . . .
Response No. 59
Roy Lisenbe
214-565-7894
Concession, Snack Bar and Janitorial Supplies
plus Projection and theatre equipment also parts
For The Best In Service. .
.Give Us a Call
CINEMA SlTppi.Y COMPANY. INC.
P.O. BOX 148, MILLERSBURG, PA. 17061
TELEPHONE: (717) 692-4744
Response No 61
-LOW' PRICES,
c
FAST SERVICE
^
-24 HR HOTLINE o
DEEP VISION 3-D
pp. BOX 38 386
O HOLLYWOOD CA 90038
o
° 213-465-5819
°
'
'''''
°Oo odo O O O O O O OOP qo
Response No 57
Would you buy a computer from a ticket printer?
NO?
Then why buy tickets from your computer supplier???
Nobody knows tickets like we do. No matter what the system, PACER. THEATRON,
IN-TOUCH, AUTOMATICKET, CATS, or DI-AN, we can supply the tickets that will
work for you.
DISCOUNT COUPON BOOKS. ROLL TICKETS of all sizes and AUTOMATICKET
equipment also available.
ELIMINATE THE MIDDLE MAN! GO DIRECT TO NATIONAL TICKET COMPANY
National
E T
PO BOX 547, TICKET AVENUE, SHAMOKIN, PA 1 7872
PHONE (717)648-6803
TOLL-FREE FAX: 1-800-326-9320
Response No 63
66 BoxoFncE

, Reader
December 1991
Void after February 1992
Service
For more information,
write advertisement and product new* Reiponee Numbers In
tliese boxes.

When It Comes To Projection Equipment,
One Name Keeps Rising To The Top...
Projection Systems —
Strong gives you variety!
From the famous Simplex to
the durable, hard-working
Ballantyne. Both give you the
convenience of full, factory
prewiring for the ease of
installation and lower setup
cost.
Lamphouses — Strong pioneered
the science of xenon
lamphouse design and manufacturing.
Our high-efficiency
lamphouses, featuring the
incredible Strong Super
Lume X and Super 80 from
1000 to 7000 watts, are a
tough act to follow.
Projection Consoles - The
Strong X-90, Super Highlight
and Highlight console systems
give you sophisticated,
high-tech packages in prewired
projection consoles.
Stay on top with the finest equipment in the business.
One call does it all. Call Strong International.
NTBVIAnONAL
WhoRy Owned SiibMM
4350 McKinley Street • Omaha. Nebraska 68112
(402) 453-4444 • Fax (402) 453-7238 • Telex 484481
Manufacturer of
Projection Systems Xenon Lamphouses • • Xenon Bulbs • Prewired Consoles
Film Platter Systems • Sound Systems • Power Supplies • Automation Systems
Response No 65

'.
Sfo other company gives you
this kind ofpublic support
•l
m
If they gave Academy Awards for
seating, this would be the winner. The
Irwin Citation. Truly a classic.
Stylishly smart. Extremely durable.
Affordably priced.
No wonder it's the favorite in theater
seating. Eveiy year Citation outsells
all competing lines combined.
Choose 31!" or 35" Hi-back design.
They're both Irwin solid, backed by
Irwin service.
With computer-aided design, we
help you work out seating plans, floor
slopes and sight lines. No detail is too
small. No delivery is more important
than yours. In fact we haven't missed
an opening yet.
Public support is our product. Customer
support is our business.
For more information call us at (616)
784-2621. Irwin Seating Company, P.O.
Box 2429, Grand Rapids, MI 49501.
Response No. 67
Irwin Seating Canada, Ltd., 5675
Timberlea Blvd., Mississauga, Ontario
L4W 2S4, (416) 238-1502.
Irwin
Seating
Company^