Boxoffice-January.1992

• ••••••• V'#^

Have You Heard the Latest ...
About the coming year's biggest films?
...See the product reels at NATO/ShoWest '92!
About wtiere our industry is going?
... Hear the experts at the NATO/ShoWest '92 Seminars!
About new technologies and concession opportunities?
... Walk the Industry's largest trade show at NATO/ShoWest '92!
About your future in our industry?
.. Attend NATO/ShoWest '92
y^
-- "Projecting the Future"!
NATO
:^
TENTATIVE ES^3 AGENDA
Monday - February 1 7, 1 992 Wednesday - February 1 9, 1 992
9:00 am
9:30 am
1 :30 pm
5:15 pm
7:30 pm
Lapidus Golf Tournament
Lapidus Tennis Tournament
International Delegates Seminar
International Delegates Welcoming
Reception hosted by Columbia
Tri-Star Film Distributors International
Welcoming Reception hosted by
Pepsi-Cola Company
8:00 am Breakfast with Nestle/Imperial Bondware
9:30 am "Projecting the Future" Business Sessions
12:1 5pm Luncheon hosted by Warner Brothers
2:00 pm Trade Fair Open
3:00 pm Image Seminar
4:00 pm Independent Seminar
6:30 pm Reception
8:30 pm Dinner hosted by Paramount Pictures
Tuesday - February 18, 1992
8:00 am Breakfast with Screenvision
9:30 am NATO/ShoWest '92
Opening Ceremonies
12:15pm Luncheon hosted by Columbia Pictures
2:00 pm Trade Fair Open
3:00 pm NATO International Committee Meeting
4:00 pm NATO Government Reations Committee
6:30 pm Reception
8:30 pm Dinner hosted by Buena Vista Pictures
Distribution
Thursday - February 20, 1992
8:00 am Breakfast with Reynolds & Reynolds
9:30 am "Projecting the Future" Business Sessions
12; 15pm Luncheon hosted by Universal Pictures
2:00 pm Trade Fair Open
6:30 pm Reception hosted by Miramax Films
8:30 pm NATO Awards Banquet
Hosted by Coca-Cola USA
REGISTER NOW! -
Call 310/657-7724 for information.

The business magazine of the motion picture industry
JANUARY, 1992 VOL. 128 NO. 1
A great literature is chiefly the product of inquiring minds
in revolt against the immovable certainties of the nation.
-H. L. Mencken
ON THE COVER
:Michael Caine, Carol Burnett, and Christoipher
Reeve head up an ensemble cast in
IPeter Bogdanovlch's new comedy, "Noises
Off," a Buena Vista release for January. (See
fover story, page 8)
FEATURES
Cover photo by Ron Batzdortf
REVIEWS—Following page 25

'
HOLLYWOOD UPDATES
EDITOR AND ASS'
PUBi
Harley
Fans of Jonathan Demme's brilliant thriller
"The Silence of the Lambs" are already eagerly
awaiting a sequel, but Orion Pictures,
which distributed the blockbuster, may have
trouble delivering. No, it's not because of the
company's much-bemoaned financial difficulties
(they haven't put a new film into production
since last January); it's because
producer Dino De Laurentiis owns a previous
claim to the character Hannibal Lecter stemming
from his 1986 release "Manhunter,"
which, like "Lambs," is based on a novel by
Thomas Harris. Lecter, the ingenious serial
killer played by Anthony Hopkins in "Lambs,"
was seen briefly in "Manhunter" (where he
was played by Brian Cox) and the producer
retains right offirst negotiation and last refusal
on any sequel involving the character. When
Orion acquired movie rights to "Lambs," the
studio made a one picture agreement with De
Laurentiis for the rights to use the character.
But after the runaway success of "Lambs," De
Laurentiis plans to be in the bidding for rights
to the next Lecter story, which novelist
Thomas Harris will publish next June through
Simon & Schuster. And even if De Laurentiis
can't afford the rights, he would still be in a
blocking position to prevent Orion from using
Lecter. One possibility that has been suggested
is that Orion and De Laurentiis team
up on the upcoming sequel, a pairing that
would seem to benefit everyone involved. In
the meantime, "Lambs" is a serious Oscar
contender in several categories, and should
Hopkins or co-star Jodie Foster bag either a
nomination or an award, the sequel's value
would rise even higher.
Ending weeks ofspeculation, producers Alexander
and llya Salkind announced that unknown
Italian-American actor George
Corraface would play the title role in their
upcoming $40 million film "Christopher Columbus:
The Discovery." Correface, who previously
appeared in Peter Brook's "The
Mahabharata,"replacesTimothy Dalton, who
had been slated to play the lead. At different
times following Dalton's departure, Willem
Dafoe and Matt Dillon had been rumored to
be frontrunners for the role. The Salkind production,
which is going head to head with a
rival Columbus film directed by Ridley Scott
and starring Gerard Depardieu, has been in
constantturmoil for several months, following
director George Cosmatos' departure from the
film and his replacement by John Glen. At one
point, many expected the project's budget to
be drastically reduced and that it would become
a TV miniseries. The Salkinds denied
this possibility, however, and scored a major
coup when they signed Marlon Brando (who
had a cameo in their "Superman") to play
Torquemada, the Grand Inquisitor. Of the
Corraface signing, llya Salkind said, "The moment
Corraface walked in the room we knew
he was our Columbus. It was like the first time
we saw Christopher Reeve; He was not a
well-known star, but we knew we had our
Superman." Both versions of the Columbus
saga are scheduled to be released by this
October, which marks the 500th anniversary
of the explorer's discovery of America.
The world premiere of screenwriter Nora
Ephron's ("When Harry Met Sally") directorial
debut "This is My Life" (distributed by Twentieth
Century Fox) will be the opening film at
the Sundance Film Festival on January 16 in
Park City, Utah. The comedy-drama stars Julie
Kavner as a housewife who, with the help of
agents Dan Aykroyd and Carrie Fisher, becomes
a standup comedienne. Among the
other premieres highlighted at the festival will
be "Twin Peaks" co-creator Mark Frost's feature
debut, "Storyville," and Paul Schrader's
latest effort, "Light Sleeper," which stars
Willem Dafoe and Susan Sarandon. Also featured
will be a showing of Steven
Soderbergh's "Kafka" (Soderbergh first rose to
prominence at the 1989 Sundance Festival,
where his debut feature "sex, lies and videotape"
took the grand prize); a screening of
"Incident at Oglala," a documentary about the
trial of American Indian activist Leonard Peltier
directed by Michael Apted and executive
produced and narrated by Sundance founder
Robert Redford; and a retrospective of the
work of director Stanley Kubrick. The festival,
which runs through January 26, will feature
22 premieres and special screenings, 33 documentary
and dramatic films in competition
and 30 sidebar films.
In the past, Jon Peters has been more controversial
for his personal life and professional
conduct than for the relatively tame movies
(including "Batman") he's produced. But that
may change with the announcement that the
first production of his newly formed Peters
Entertainment Co. will be based on Gary
Sick's recently published bestseller "October
Surprise: America's Hostages in Iran and the
Election of Ronald Reagan." Peters, you'll
recall, resigned his co-chairmanship of Sony
Pictures Entertainment last May after Sony
executives expressed displeasure over his
flamboyant behavior. Nevertheless, he remained
at the studio as an independent producer,
and still has close ties with SPE
Chairman Peter Guber and Columbia Chairman
Mark Canton. Now the studio has shelled
out $300,000 for an option on "October Surprise"
against a $1 million purchase price
should a film be made. According to the
theory in Sick's book, Reagan's then-campaign
manager and laterClAdirector William
Casey made a secret deal with representatives
of the Iranian government to delay the release
of the hostages until after the 1 980 presidential
election, insuring Reagan's victory over
President jimmy Carter.
Bud Yorkin, the veteran producer-director
of such hits as "Come Blow Your Horn" and
"Start the Revolution Without Me," has signed
a two-year first-look deal with TriStar Pictures.
The first project under the agreement will be
"Breaking Legs," the hit play Yorkin recently
co-produced off-Broadway. Written by Tom
Dulack, it deals with a young playwright who
searches for backing for his play and eventually
gets it financed by the Mafia. The film is
likely to go into production some time next
year, and, if Yorkin has his way, will feature
Tom Hanks in the lead role.
ASSOCIATE L
l^aril.
CONTFIIBUTING Wr
Jc
Bruct.
Arthur Byro-
MariFii
Aid'
Karen
Fern '
Mort Wax (Internationa'
j>R
CORRESPONDEfS
BALTIMORE Kate Savage, 301 •367-4964, BOSTON Gy,
slon, 617-782-3266, CHARLOHE Charles Leonaid 7C
0444, CINCINNATI Tony Rutherford, 304-525-3837, CLEVE
Elaine Fried, 216-991-3797: DALLAS MaryCrump, 21-
DULUTH/TWIN CITIES Roy Wirtzfeld, 218-722-7503, FLC
Lois Baumel, 407-588-6786, Rhonda P Hunsinger,
6359; HOUSTON Ted Roggen, 713-789-6216; MILWAUKE(j/a
ter L Meyer, 414-692-2753, NEW ENGLAND Allen ^
203-232-3101, NEW ORLEANS Wendeslaus Schuiz, 50-
0127, NEW YORK Fern Siegel 212-228-7497, NORTH DA h
David Forth, 701-943-2476, OREGON Bob Rusk, 503-861
PHILADELPHIA Maurie Orodenker, 215-567-4748, RAlff
Raymond Lowery, 901-787-0928 SAN ANTONIO
Burns, 512-223-8913, x704, TOLEDO Anna Kline, 419-531
CANADA Maxine McBcan, 463-249-6039, DUBLIN
Dublin, Ireland l^3531
Barbeliuk, 011-61-2-502-4158
Doug
402-35543; AUSTRALIA/PACIFIC
FOUN
Ben Sf B
PUBLISH
Bob Dietnif
(312)338-X
NATIONAL ADVERTISING DIRECT
Robert 1^^ a
(213)465- 8
ADVERTISING CONSULTN
Ivlorns Schlo/ia
(816)942- 7
BUSINESS MANAE
Dan Joh .;
(312)338- (
CIRCULATION DIREC 3
Chuck T
(312)922 :
OFFIE
Editorial and Publishing Headquarters:
6640 Sunset Blvd., Suite 100, Hollywooc
90028-7159 (213) 465-1186, FAX: (213)
5049
Corporate: Mailing Address: P,0, Box 2t^\
^
Chicago, IL 60625 (312) 338-7007
The
Circulation Inquiries:
BOXOFFICE Data Center
1020 8, Wabash Ave.,
Chicago, IL 60605
(312)922-9326
FAX: (312)922-7209
4 BOXOFFICE

1
cues
I
the
I
HOLLYWOOD REPORT
Woody Allen
"Woody Allen Fall Project
'91" Wouldn't it be neat it he
actually released a film with one
of these titles? As far as the plot
goes, your guess is as good as
ours. The cast (it's
listed alphabetically
so as to insure no speculation
about who's got the
leading roles) includes Allen
himself, Judy Davis, Mia Farrow,
Emily Lloyd, Liam Neeson
and director Sydney Pollack
(who, you'll recall, gaveasplendid
performance as Dustin
Hoffman's agent in his own
"Tootsie"). This is the
Woodman's first feature away
from Orion in a decade—the
Iroubied studio let him move
over to TriStar for the time being
while they sort out their financial
difficulties. TriStar chairman
Mike Medavoy, a former
Orion and United Artists executive
whose working relationship
with Allen goes back almost 20
years, has guaranteed the
filmmaker his usual complete
creative control. (TriStar)
"Hero" British director Stephen
Frears has built up a considerable
critical reputation
over the last decade with such
films as the low-budget cult favorite
"My Beautiful Laundrette,"
the high-brow Oscarwinner
"Dangerous Liaisons"
and the gritty Oscar-nominee
"The Crifters." He has yet to
score a major commercial hit,
but this one looks likely to do
the trick. It stars Dustin hloffman
as a fugitive con man who
witnesses a plane crash and resthe
passengers. But when
resulting publicity seems
likely to blow his cover, he steps
aside and watches another man
(Andy Garcia) take the credit for
his heroic deeds. The screenplay
is by David Peoples ("Blade
Runner"). Ceena Davis co-stars.
iColumbia)
"Boomerang" Eddie Murphy
stars as a ladies man who finally
meets his match in this comedy
from producing-directing brothers
Warrington and Reginald
Hudlin. Robin Civens, who
proved herself as much of a
knockout artist as ex-husband
Mike Tyson in "A Rage in FHarlem,"
co-stars as the femme fatale
with whom Murphy falls in
love and by whom he is rejected.
The supporting cast
includes
Halle Berry ("Strictly
Business"), Grace Jones, Chris
Rock and Eartha Kitt. The
screenplay is by Barry W.
Blaustein and David Sheffield,
who wrote for Murphy on "Saturday
Night Live," as well as
authoring the screenplay for
"Coming to America." (Paramount)
"Mr. Saturday Night" Billy
Crystal, who had a smash hit
starring in and producing "City
Slickers," makes his directorial
debut with this bittersweet comedy
he co-wrote with "City
Slickers" scripters Lowell Ganz
and Babaloo Mandel. Crystal
stars as stand-up comic Buddy
Young, whose life and career
span 50 years. The film focuses
on Buddy's relationship with his
brother Stan (David Paymer),
who manages him and helps
him fight and claw his way on
the fringes of show business
without ever really making it
to
"The Plague" "Kiss of the
Spiderwoman" co-stars William
Hurt and Raul Julia reteam for
this adaptation of Albert Camus'
classic novel. Set in the near
future in the fictional city of
Oran, the film focuses on Dr.
Bernard Rieux (Hurt), who first
diagnoses the onset of bubonic
plague in Oran and heroically
fights to find a cure. Ignoring
bureaucratic demands to
the top. Also starring is Julie
Warner, the skinnydipping object
of Michael J. Fox's affection
in "Doc Hollywood." (Columbia)
conceal
news of the outbreak, he
watches as government officials
call in the military, close off the
city in a state of emergency and
isolate the victims in tortuous
conditions. Julia plays Cottard,
a shady underworld figure who
agrees to help a desperate TV
anchorwoman (Sandrine
Bonnaire, the star of "Vagabond")
escape the disease-ridden
city. Directed by Luis
Puenzo, who also macJe the
Oscar-winning Argentinian film
"The Official Story." (Distribution
pending)
"Lorenzo'sOII" Nick Nolte is
one of the hottest actors in Hollywood
following his splendid
and wide-ranging performances
in "Cape Fear" and "The Prince
of Tides." Here he joins forces
with Susan Sarandon (no slouch
herself after the success of
"Thelma and Louise") for the
story of two parents who go to
desperate measures in search of
a miracle cure for their terminally
ill child. George Miller,
who rocketed to fame with the
"Mad Max" films but who hasn't
made a movie since "The
Witches of Eastwick" back in
1 987, directs from the script he
co-wrote with Nick Enright.
Peter Ustinov co-stars. (Universal)
"Night and the City" Robert
De Niro reteams with his "Cape
Fear" co-star Jessica Lange, his
"Guilty By Suspicion" director
Irwin Winkler (who also produced
Martin Scorsese's "Raging
Bull," for which De Niro
won an Oscar) and his "Mad
Dog and Glory" writer Richard
Price in this remake of Jules
Dassin's 1950 film noir classic.
De Niro stars as Harry Fabian, a
fast-talking, small-time New
York lawyer who impulsively
decides to enter the world of
big-money boxing. Lange plays
his love interest, who is swept
up in his dreams but becomes
endangered by the reality of
boxing's violent underworld.
The supporting cast includes
Cliff Gorman, Jack Warden and
Alan King. (Fox)
"Raising Cain" After the
monumental disaster of "Bonfire
of the Vanities," Brian De
Palma returns to the genre that
made him famous with this contemporary
thriller (originally
known as "Father's Day") that
he also wrote. It stars John
Lithgow as child psychologist
Carter Nix, who kidnaps his
own daughter then masterminds
a scheme to frame his
wife's ex-lover for the crime. Lolita
Davidovich (who made a
splash in the title role of "Blaze")
co-stars as the wife, while Steven
Bauer plays the ex-lover
who is the victim of Lithgow's
plot. De Raima's wife. Gale Ann
Hurd, produces. Among Hurd's
previous credits are several
films with her ex-husband
David Lynch
James Cameron, including both
"Terminator" films, "Aliens"
and "The Abyss." (Universal)
"Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With
Me" No show in television history
went from the top of the
Nielson ratings to the bottom as
quickly as "Twin Peaks." It
wasn't really surprising: David
Lynch never had mainstream
sensibilities, and once the curiosity
factor wore off, a lot of
people were left wondering
what exactly the point of the
show was. For Lynch fans, however,
the point was always
clear: it was the tone of the
show—weird, funny, eerie and
moving all at once, "Twin
Peaks," like "Blue Velvet," was
a guided tourthrough America's
subconscious. The movie
doesn't pick up where the show
left off; it picks up before it
began. These are the seven days
leading up to the death of Laura
Palmer, and (with the constraints
of commercial television
removed) should prove to
be a Lynchian potpourri of sex,
violence and weird for weird's
sake. Joining series regulars
Kyle MacLachlan, Sheryl Lee (as
Laura Palmer) and Michael
Ontkean are Kiefer Sutherland,
Harry Dean Stanton and rock
stars Chris Isaak (whose hit single
"Wicked Game" was used to
great effect in Lynch's "Wild at
Heart") and David Bowie. (New
Line)
Sequel report: Mel Gibson,
Danny Glover and producer/director
Richard Donner join
forces once again for "Lethal
Weapon 3." (Warner). ..Harrison
Ford replaces Alec Baldwin
as CIA agent Jack Ryan in "Patriot
Games," the sequel to
"The Hunt For Red October."
Philip Noyce ("Dead Calm") directs.
(Paramount)
January, 1992 5

. TRAILERS: JANUARY
The Dark Wind
Errol Morris, who has made a name for
himself as a documentarian with the brilliant
"Thin Blue Line," makes the jump to features
in this adaptation of Tony Hillerman's
bestselling mystery. Lou Diamond Phillips
stars as Detective Jim Chee and Fred Ward is
Lt. Joe Leaphorn, two American Indian policemen
who set out to solve a case of routine
vandalism and end up entangled in a bizarre
string of events that include revenge, witchcraft
and murder. The screenplay was co-written
by Neil Jimenez ("For the Boys"), Eric
Bergen and Mark Horowitz. Robert Redford,
who has a longtime interest in American Indian
issues, is executive producer. (Seven
Arts/New Line, 1/10)
Kuffs
Teen heartthrob and would-be "mobster"
Christian Slater stars as a carefree delinquent
who is forced to get his act together when his
policeman brother is murdered. With the help
of a troublemaking San Francisco Police Department
officer (Tony Coldwyn), he sets out
to avenge his brother's death and take on the
big city gangster responsible. Bruce Boxleitner
and Milla Jovovich co-star. Veteran
screenwriter Bruce A. Evans ("Stand by Me")
makes his directorial debut from a script he
co-wrote with his longtime partner Raymond
Gideon (the pair also co-wrote "Starman").
(Universal, 1/10)
Until the End of the World
William Hurt stars as a mysterious man with a price on his head who travels the woi Id
taking pictures with a special camera that gives eyesight to the blind in this futuristic thrille
from director Wim Wenders ("Wings of Desire"). The supporting cast includes Solvei]
Dommartin ("Wings of Desire"), Sam Neill ("A Cry in the Dark"), Max Von Sydo'
("Hannah and Her Sisters") and Jeanne Moreau ("Jules and Jim"). The script was co-writtei
by Wenders and prize-winning novelist Peter Carey ("Bliss"), while the cinematograph'
is by Wenders longtime collaborator Robby Muller. The soundtrack includes songs by U2,
REM, Peter Gabriel and Elvis Costello. (Warner Bros.)
slang for respect, and the film deals with the
relationship between four young men who go
about earning their juice in different ways.
The cast of newcomers includes Omar Epps,
Khalil Kain, Jermaine Hopkins, 2 Pac (ol'the
musical group Digital Underground) and
Cindy Herron. Dickerson co-wrote the script
with Gerard Brown. (Paramount, 1/1 7)
Hard Promises
Sissy Spacek stars as Chris Coalter, who is
about to get married for the second time only
to discover that her ex-husband Joey (William
Freejack
!
Emilio Estevez stars as a race car drisr
who, in the midst of an accident, is hurled i o
The Hand that Rocks the
Cradle
Rebecca DeMornayand AnnabellaSciorra
star in this thriller from director Curtis Hanson,
whose "The Bedroom Window" was a
stylish Hitchcock pastiche. Sciorra plays a
woman who is molested by her gynecologist.
When she presses charges, the doctor commits
suicide, and his distressed widow (De
Mornay) sets out for revenge by concealing
her identity and taking a job as Sciorra's
nanny. (Buena Vista, 1/10)
Juice
Ernest Dickerson, who has served as cinematographeron
all of Spike Lee's films, makes
his directorial debut with this coming-of-age
story set in Harlem. The title refers to street
Petersen) has been invited to the wedding.
Joey, it turns out, didn't even know she had
divorced him, and now he's determined to
win her back in the 24 hours leading up to her
wedding. Martin Davidson ("Eddie and the
Cruisers") directs the romantic comedy,
which also stars Brian Kerwin and Mare
Winningham. (Columbia, 1/1 7)
the future. There, he encounters a corn)
industrialist (Anthony Hopkins) and a ruthl
bounty hunter (Mick Jagger) who are ouu
get him. Geoff Murphy ("Young Guns |1
directs. (Warner Bros., 1/1 7)
I
The Cutting Edge
This romantic comedy is set in tht'\\oil()l
competitive figure skating. It sl.iis Di.
Sweeney as a former hockey player w),
forced to retire because of an injury, pairs p
with an up-and-coming skater (Moira Kell,/)
and goes for the gold. Paul Michael Cla.'r
(the former star of "Slarsky and Hutch") i-
rects. (MGM)
*
6 BOXOFFiCE

)
A Midnight Clear
Actor Keith Cordon ("Christine"), who made an impressive
directorial debut with the low-budget drama "The Chocolate
War," goes behind the camera again for his own adaptation of
William ("Birdy") Wharton's World War II novel. Ethan Hawke
(who also co-starred in the screen version of Wharton's "Dad"),
Kevin Dillon ("Platoon") and Frank Whaley ("Career Opportunities")
head the cast as members of a high-I.Q. army think-tank
who get a taste of real combat when they're confronted by a group
of German soldiers in a remote area. (InterStar, 1/24)
Shining Through
"Working Girl" Melanie Griffith stars as secretary and lover to
a secretive lawyer (Michael Douglas) who turns out to be a
government agent in this WWII-era romantic thriller. When
Douglas needs a woman to go under cover in the home of a
high-ranking Nazi official (Liam Neeson), Griffith lands the job,
with perilous results. David Seltzer ("Punchline") directs and
adapted the script from the novel by Susan Isaacs ("Compromising
Positions"). John Gielgud and Joely Richardson co-star. (Fox,
1/31)
Also This Month:
Noises Off
Uirettor Peter Bogdanovich (see cover story) returns with this adaptation of Michael
Frayn's hilarious British stage play about the trials and tribulations of a theater troupe
putting on a farce. Michael Caine plays the director, while Carol Burnett plays the
once-famous star who has invested her life's savings in the show. The company includes
)ohn Ritter, Denholm Elliott, Julie Hagerty, Marilu Henner, Christopher Reeve, Mark
"Aces: Iron Eagle III" Louis Gossett, Jr. is
back as Colonel "Chappy" Sinclair, teaming
up this time with three maverick fighter jocks
to battle a German drug lord in the jungles of
South America. John Glen ("The Living Daylights")
directs. (New Line)
"Into the Sun" Anthony Michael Hall ("The
Breakfast Club") stars as a brash young Hollywood
superstar preparing for a role as a Top
Gun pilot by training with the genuine article
(Michael Pare) in what sounds uncomfortably
similar to last year's "The Hard Way." Deborah
Moore, daughter of Roger, co-stars in her
film debut. (Trimark)
"The Lunatic" Ribald comedy about a German
tourist in Jamaica starring Brits Paul
Campbell and Julie T.Wallace (the miniseries
"The Lives and Loves of a She-Devil"). (Triton)
"Shaking the Tree" A story of loyalty and
friendship Ijetween four young men over the
course of ten years. Director Duane Clark
makes his feature debut. (Castle Hill)
"35 Up" The latest chapter in filmmaker
Michael Apted's ("Gorillas in the Mist") documentary
study of a group of Britons, interviewed
at seven year intervals from the ages
of seven to 35. (Samuel Goldwyn)
Linn-Baker and Nicolette Sheridan. (Buena Vista, 1/31
January, 1992 7

COVER STORY
I
The Trick of It
Director Peter Bogdanovich Looks For a
New Beginning With "Noises Off
Movie
By Jeff Schwager
Senior Editor
producers have always been
shameless scavengers: from the si-
ity. And why not? Didn't Shakespeare
borrow many of his plots from myth, legend
and history? The fact that the Bard didn't
invent Antony and Cleopatra doesn't negate
the fact that he told their story better
than anyone else before or since.
For filmmakers, as for all
adapters, the
trick has been to improve on the source
material. Given a popular novel or play (and
one of high enough quality to attract the
filmmaker's interest), how does one make
it better? Or, more importantly, how does
one reimagine it in cinematic terms? That
was the problem facing director Peter
Bogdanovich with "Noises Off," Michael
Frayn's hilarious farce that was a smash hit
on the London and Broadway stages.
A backstage comedy about a theatrical
troupe who are themselves trying to stage a
farce, "Noises Off had caught the attention
of no less a cinematic force than Steven
Spielberg, who hoped to co-produce the
screen version for his Amblin Pictures with
Frank Marshall. Trouble was, Spielberg
didn't know what approach to take. "I saw
the play in New York, and I had the same
reaction that Spielberg had," says
Bogdanovich. "I didn't know if I'd ever
seen anything so funny in the theatre, but I
didn't really know how you'd go about
filming it. But the more I thought about it,
the more I wanted to give it a try. Later, I
talked to Frank Marshall, and I asked what
they were going to do with it, and he said,
'Steven wants to do it,
but he can't figure
out how,' And I said, 'I don't know either.
But I've got an idea.'"
Bogdanovich's idea came to him when
he remembered a conversation he once had
with one of cinema's undisputed masters.
"When I interviewed Hitchcock back in the
'60s, he told me that he felt the main mistake
that people make on a movie when it's
based on a hit play is that they open it up
too much. They ruin the very thing that they
bought. He hadn't changed 'Dial M For
Murder' at all when he filmed it, and he said
[here, Bogdanovich offers a perfect imita-
'
Of course, Hitchcock saying just shoot
it means just shoot it the way he would,
which is brilliantly. That's not as easy for
the rest of us. But I found that he was right:
the trick was not to open it up. The play
worked so well that we wanted to keep as
much of the construction as possible. Because
we knew that that worked. We didn't
want to fritter away or dilute that construction.
And as a result, it's probably the most
faithful adaptation of a play that's been
done in a long time."
That's good news for theatre buffs who,
in recent months, have suffered through
Garry Marshall's sitcom "Frankie and
Johnny," based on Terrence McNally's
"Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune":
Norman Jewison's kinder, gentler version
of Jerry Sterner's look at Wall Street liquidators,
"Other People's Money": and Peter
Greenaway's bastardization of
Shakespeare' s "The Tempest," "Prospero' s
Books." But whether it will transfer to
cinematic boxoffice success is another niter.
And for Bogdanovich, it is a matteiif
the utmost importance. The director kncs
he needs a hit with "Noises Off ' (which vll
be released this month by Disney's Toui-
lent era on. they've been perfectly tion of Hitchcock], 'No, because the construction
stone Pictures). As he himself puts it, h s
happy to filch material from every imaginable
"looking for a new beginning."
is what made it a hit. When you
source, with little regard for original-
change the construction you're destroying
what you bought. Don't open it up: just Bogdanovich's saga is, by now. par)f
shoot it.'
Hollywood's communal folklore, le
first came to prominence as a fii
critic and journalist, but he soon made :ie
jump into filmmaking with the low-budei
Roger Corman production "Targets." h
second film, "The Last Picture Show." ^^s
an instant classic that catapulted him ito
the first rank of American filmmakers. le
followed "Picture Show" with two mit
smashes, "What's Up Doc?" and "Paer
Moon," and. for a brief time, the sky re;l\
seemed to be the limit.
But he was brought back down to e;th
with an adaptation of Henry James"
D;S}
Miller" and the big budget musical At
Long Last Love," both of which w ere cmmercial
failures. The situation was nile
worse by the fact that both films stauii
Cybill Shepherd, whom Bogdanox ich ni
been living with since "Picture Show. Ii
seemed that Hollywood was only too haj)
to see the young hotshot fall. When the tine
came to produce his next film. "NiciJlodeon,"
he couldn't get it made unlesAc
agreed not to cast Shepherd, despite the :i
that he had written the film with her spd f-
ically in mind. Desperate, he made the c i-
cession, but the film still bombed.
As the '70s pulled to a clc i,
Bogdanovich managed to restore som if
his critical reputation with "Saint Jack a
low budget adaptation of Paul Theroi .s
novel. And as the "80s began, things see; d
to be looking up. Although his relation:
with Shepherd had ended, he was cngi^ id
to marry Playboy Playmate of the Year id
budding actress Dorothy Stratten, who is
co-starring in his next film, "They; 11
Laughed." But shortly after that n
wrapped, Stratten was murdered by he 5-
tranged husband. Though Bogdano :h
managed to finish the film and persor ly
p
8 BOXOFFICK

_i\ CI see its release, he had, by that time, lost
s
Inis passion for filmmaking, and he didn't
make another movie for four years.
Recalling that difficult time.
Bogdanovich's voice takes on a weary, sad-
get away from it. Psychologically,
you can understand it. because Dorothy
was killed on a picture, and so
I associated her death with that. 1
think with that kind of tragedy, you
can just turn against everything you
believed in. And pictures was all 1
Icnew. So I decided I wanted to knuu
something about something else
read all those books I said I was
going to read on a rainy day. And 1
wrote a book ["The Killing of the
Unicorn." which dealt with
I Stratlen's death]. travelled. And
eventually I came to that place where
{ wanted to make pictures again."
Bogdanovich's first
film following
his hiatus was "Mask." a gentle,
life-affirming drama about a teenlaged
boy suffering from the same
iisfiguring disease that afflicted the so-
;;alled Elephant Man. It received uniformly
[Strong reviews and was a surprise hit. and
no doubt would have restored him to
iHolly wood's good graces had he not entered
into a battle of wills with Universal'
:hen-head Frank Price over the film's
soundtrack (Bogdanovich wanted to use
imusic by Bruce Springsteen, but Price
didn't think it was worth the high royalty
rates the singer's record label demanded).
Bogdanovich lost not only the battle but the
war. as the industry rumor-mill affixed him
with the label "difficult." As Bogdanovich
succinctly puts it, "I think it [the controversy]
hurt me in town. People began to
wonder if I was crazy."
Despite these bad memories, "Mask" is a
film he still feels strongly about. In a strange
way. Bogdanovich says, one of the things
that attracted him to the story was that the
feelings of its
central character were feelings
shared by Stratten. "Being with her,"
he explains, "I came to understand how
difficult it was to be as attractive as she was.
(t made her stand out on the street, wherever
she went. I came to realize that being stared
at if you're beautiful or being stared at if
you're ugly have one thing in common:
you're being stared at. Either way, it can
make you feel like a freak. In both cases,
you're being judged, evaluated, on how you
look. Which I think is one of the things I've
been most interested in
with my pictures:
this conflict between illusion and reality:
the difference between the way things appear
to be and the way they really are. I think
that's one of the things "They All Laughed"
is about. In a way. it's what "Noises Off is
about. The difference between what's going
on onstage and what's going on backstage."
Following "Mask," Bogdanovich's hard
luck continued. His next film, "Illegally
Yours," was supposed to be a return to the
carefree screwball comedy of "What's Up
Doc?", but the producers ran into financial
jened tone. "I honestly just didn't feel like difficulties and the film was barely released.
Those who did see it were not
making films anymore." he explains, doodling
carelessly on a pad of paper. "It wasn't kind—not to Bogdanovich, not to star Rob
a po.se; 1 simply had no interest. I wanted to Lowe, and not to newcomer L.B. Straten,
read, and 1 wanted to think and I wanted to Dorothy Stratten' s younger sister, who
played a supporting role in the
soon became Bogdanovich'^
At a professional low point,
Bogdanovich returned to the setting of his
first success. Archer City, Texas, where he,
novelist Larry McMurtry and the reassembled
cast of "The Last Picture Show" set out
to make a sequel, "Texasville." But once
again there were problems, not the least of
which was the fact that McMurtry's story
was much lighter in tone than the original,
disappointing audience expectations. "Everybody
expected the same kind of elegiac,
sad tone," Bogdanovich says, "and it was
more of a comedy." Consequently, many
who revered "The Last Picture Show" resented
the sequel: and those who didn't
weren't particularly interested. Still,
in retrospect,
it's a rewarding film, and one of
which its director is justifiably proud.
Bogdanovich's next film was to have
been the disastrous Richard Pryor-Gene
Wilder comedy "Another You," but a week
into production he left the project over the
proverbial "creative differences." After his
departure from that film, rumors again
began to circulate that Bogdanovich was
difficult to work with, and some speculated
that his career might be over. Not surprisingly.
Bogdanovich was eager to lay those
rumors to rest, and when his old friend
Frank Marshall (who had been location
manager on "What's Up Doc'?" and later
co-produced several of the director's films)
came through with the offer on "Noises
Off." Bogdanovich jumped at it.
As
with "Texasville," his last attempt
at a new beginning, "Noises Off
finds Bogdanovich looking to his
past. For although he first came to prominence
as a film critic, and although he later
became famous as a filmmaker,
Bogdanovich's earliest show business ambitions
involved the theatre. "I started out
in the theatre when I was a kid," he remembers.
"When I was 15 I went into summer
stock. That first summer, the summer I
turned 16, we did 10 shows. Between then
and when I was 25, I worked on about 45
different theatrical productions. I was director
of six or seven: I produced a
couple: and as an artistic director I
did a whole season. And I
I
acted too.
really started out wanting to be an
actor. So I
really started in the theatre,
and if I hadn't, I don't think 1
would have known how in the hell
to do 'Noises Off.' It really required
a knowledge of the theatre.
"You see, things that are funny
are funny," he goes on. discussing
the difficulties of transferring physical
humor from the stage to the
screen. "But one of the dynamics in
the theatre of this particular play is
that the audience is sitting there
watching while these people are
yi^i running around, almost breaking

;
-
THEATRE PROFILE-
Revitalizing Hollywood
With the Opening of General Cinema's Galaxy 6, the World Famous
Cinema District Gets Another Shot in the Arm
By Jeff Schwager
Senior Editor
How times have changed. Back in the
early part of the century, the corner of Hollywood
Boulevard and Sycamore Drive
was home to the world famous Garden
Court Hotel, one of Tinseltown's poshest
establishments. Built in
1906, in its earliest
days the Garden Court didn't exactly cater
to the newborn film industry: until the late
teens, a prominent feature in the entryway
was a sign that read "No Actors," which not
only let members of that rag-tag profession
know they weren't welcome but also let a
better class of people know that their stay
wouldn't be disrupted by any show business
nonsense. Ah, the good old days.
Later, the Garden Court reluctantly
began to have dealings with movie people,
if only because the movies had, by the twenties,
become Holly wood's cottage industry.
So it was that the Garden Court became
home away from home to such luminaries
as Louis B. Mayer, Oliver Hardy and Elvis
Presley. But, as times changed and
Hollywood's movie district deteriorated,
the hotel, like so many other local landmarks,
became a run down shadow of its
former glory and following a fire in the
abandoned structure several years back the
Garden Court was finally razed.
Today, Hollywood's movie district is undergoing
a full-fledged renaissance. Last
June, saw the reopening of the beautifully
renovated El Capitan Theatre in all its glory.
And, in December, on the sight of the Garden
Court, General Cinema opened the Hollywood
Galaxy 6, a 2400 seat multiplex that
is the nearly 1500 screen chain's new flagship.
Located on the top level of a new, four
story, S30 million entertainment and restaurant
complex. General Cinema hopes that it
will be the home to the kind of lavish premieres
Hollywood was known for in its
golden days. Needless to say, actors will be
welcome.
For General Cinema, opening the Hollywood
Galaxy 6 was the final step in an
expansion plan that began in the mid-' 80s.
"General Cinema has been in the greater
Los Angeles market since 1 969," says GCC
President Paul Del Rossi. "The Los Angeles
market is a very important market in production,
distribution and exhibition, and
we've always felt it's important to have a
strong presence there. This new theatre will
give us a total of 64 screens in Southern
California. When we sat down and formulated
our master plan in 1985, this was
actually the first theatre we planned. So the
one that was supposed to open first, this
one, is actually now the last to open. It was
just a combination of landlords and environmental
agencies and so forth."
The company's plans went along pi
fectly with the city's Hollywood Rede\i
opment Plan, a 30-year program that t
Los Angeles City Council approved back
1986. Having made the first major comm
ment to the plan, the Hollywood Galaxy hi
a relationship with the city that. Del Ro:
says. "Couldn't have been better. We rea
did have a good relationship with the ci
the community interest groups, and I mi
say from our competitors in that mark
We're pleased because this is really the fi
new theatre in the Theatre district in almd
five decades. And we're very happy to :
there and be part of the communit\ andi:
part of that revitalization of that pan ni l-
city."
(General Cinema is already gi\ i
thing back to the community. E\cii
ii;j m hi -
tvluthe
theatre had it's grand opening >>n I
cember 12, it had a week of screen nvj^ i !
highlighted different studios, with \W |t
ceeds going to charity. Accordm;^ lo c
Galaxy's manager Robert Buckiiu\
studios chose the charities for h
screenings, while the theatre's enif
got to choose what charity the rest
money would go to They chose ihL .\lin
ity AIDS Project an organization that
gotten much needed publicitN in rci
months following Los Angeles Lakers
The Galaxy 6 lights up a dark evening on Hollywood Blvd.
Galaxy 6 ticket booth and foyer
10 BoxomcE

arvin "Magic" Johnson s announcement
lat he has the H.I.V. virus that uUimately
luses AIDS. "It's great for the commu-
.ty." Buckmeyer says, "and it's great for
lie employees, too, to feel that they have
ontributed.")
In addition to the El Capitan
vhich is owned by Pacific
[heatres), the so-called "Cin-
,ma District" also boasts
.A.'s three-screen Egyptian
heatre and Mann's historic
hinese Theatre all within a
;w blocks of the Galaxy. But
espite the presence of such
igh profile competition, Del
ossi isn't concerned about
aking out a place in the maret.
"We think that there is
)om for more screens in that
art of the Los Angeles maret,
obviously, or we
ouldn't be there," he says.
And with the theatre we
ailt—with six screens and
400 seats, which is the most
;ats we have in any location
1 Los Angeles—we felt that
-e could be competitive with the other fine
leatres in that marketplace."
In addition to the state of the art technolgy
'ill
inside the theatre ( see chart), customers
also be treated to some fine attractions
utside. There will be a variety of shops, a
food court with different cuisine from
around the world, and an outdoor entertainment
center which will feature live acts for
food court patrons. The Hollywood Galaxy
is decorated with stunning, multi-colored

THEATRE PROFILE (continued)
like— it can be three to five years before you
ever sell a ticket at that location. So you
don't build thinking about how next Christmas
or next summer is going to be. You
make judgements based on thinking that
there's a population that you hope will support
you for the next 15 or 20 years. So we
tend to take a long term view of the business,
and we think the long term view is
very healthy.
"But we won't be building the number of
theatres we built in the '85 to '90 period.
We opened approximately 90 locations and
over 800 screens in that time. Going forward
over the next five years, we'll be building
on a much more selective basis. Only on
absolutely important locations. So there'll
be very few per year, simply because we've
stocked up and replenished our inventory.
We have today just shy of 1 .500 screens,
but since
1985, when we began this latest
building and renovation activity, 70 percent
of our locations are new or have been completely
remodelled."
Although GCC recently made industry
news by buying the publishing company
Harcourt. Brace, Jovanovich, and though
they also own 60 percent of the Neiman-
Marcus department store chain, the heart of
the company is till in the theatre business.
And as in the past, GCC plans to expand by
sticking to major metropolitan areas. "Our
business strategy has been to be located in
or near major regional shopping malls and
suburban areas throughout the country,"
says Del Rossi. "We are in about 36 of the
40 largest metropolitan areas in the country.
The only ones we're not in are San Diego,
Salt Lake, Portland and Denver. There are
a number of companies that have gone into
the smaller areas, and I
think that's a very
viable strategy. But it's not one we've pursued,
and I don't think we will."
By continuing to develop in areas where
expectations are highest. General Cinema
has had to keep on top of all the new developments
in film technology. Del Rossi says
he's thrilled every time filmmakers come
up with a way to improve the presentation
of films. For though it means an initial
investment in terms of upgrading theatres,
he feels it's an investment that customers
appreciate and reward. "The very first THX
system in the country was at our Avco
Theatre in Westwood," he is quick to point
out. "I was in a conversation in the early
'80s with George Lucas about a sound system
he was developing, and he wanted to
test it
in a larger environment, so we did it
at the Avco, which was one of his favorite
theatres. [The first film to screen with THX
was Lucas' "The Return of the Jedi" in
1983] We're in the business of providii
entertainment, and we want the best ente
tainment possible. So whatever filmmake
do to improve the films in the productit
process, we will then exhibit them in tl
same enhanced way. At the moment, th
means THX, 70mm, Dolby systems," eai
of which the Hollywood Galaxy boasts.
Like everyone in the business, the oi
complaint Del Rossi hears most often fro
customers is that ticket prices keep goii
up. But, as he tells his customers, tick
haven't risen any faster than the consum
price index. And, he says, he rarely hea
complaints about prices when patrons a
satisfied with the movie. "You never he;
'Boy was that a good movie, but it wasr
worth seven dollars. It's only when they"
disappointed with the film that the questi(
of price comes up."
For Del Rossi, that's the bottom line: gi
the people what they want and they'll
!
happy. "When the smoke all clears, peop
come to see a movie on the big screen th
is absolutely in focus, with quality soui
and a comfortable environment. There
nothing like being in a full auditorium loo
ing at the big picture of Robin Williar
playing Peter Pan. That's what the movi
going experience is all about."
GENERAL
CINEMA
HOLLYWOOD
GALAXY 6 PLEX
Hurley Screen Corp.
A Subsidiary of Cemcorp
1610 Robin Circle • P.O. Box 217
Forest Hill, Md. 21050
(301)836-9333
FAX (301 ) 838-8074
JJ
t^s^is^is^is^is^ts^fS^is^rb^ibM^ssiSM
CongRatalaCions
GENERAL
CINEMA
on^ the gRan5 opening
of youn riGUJ
HOLLYWOOD
GALAXY 6
Cinemeccanica U.S.
115th Avenue North, Clearwater, Florida 34620
Tel: 813-573-3011 FAX: 813-572-0136
12 BOXOKFICE

.
congratulations
General
Cinema
on the opening of . .
lOLLYWOOD GALAXY
From your friends m
^BCOttStlCS
A worldwide supplier of engineered
acoustical wall and ceiling panels
CONGRflTULflTIONS
G€NeRnL CINeMfi
ON THe
Grand Opening of the
Gninxv 6
( ^r\r>^rA
\
\ \C^V/\ ^ ^ mo south Robertson Soulevord, suite 2
Rngeles, Colifornio 90035 • 310/205-8955
January, 1992 13

BLUEPRINT
CINEMA ACOUSTICS
By William Fearon, PE
Agreat deal has been written about the
'correct" acoustical environment inside
cinemas. Hopefully the following
information will clear away some of the
mystery.
It is the goal of film producers to make
the audience believe that they are actually
a part of the film, and not sitting in a movie
theatre watching it. The producers do this
with marvelous new techniques—wide
screens, large film size,
and sparkling surround sound.
intimate theatres,
Realistic sound is an extremely important
aspect of audience involvement.
Quality,
level, direction and clarity of the sound all
contribute to the total acoustical experience.
Modern movie theatres are much different
than their earlier predecessors, and are
vastly different from concert halls and performance
theatres. Old time theatres used
very hard surfaces to reflect sound, thus
same hard surfaces can significantly reduce
the quality of sound in the seating areas.
Sound can be looked at as a wave form with
the length of each wave varying with frequency.
High frequency sounds have a
short wave length and low frequency
sounds, a very long wave length. Sound in
the speech range has a wave length that
varies from three inches to ten feet. When
sound reflects off hard surfaces, the returning
waves can reinforce the direct wave, or
can cancel the direct wave which results in
some seats having unsatisfactory sound,
others having sound difficult to hear, and
still others having unbalanced sound.
In addition to the film's sound track and
the electronic amplification system, the
acoustical properties of the theatre play a
very large role in fulfilling the movie
producer's expectations. The ability of surfaces
such as the walls, floors, ceilings,
seats, and furnishings, to absorb sound or to
dissipate it properly, is the key to achieving
a high quality theatre environment.
that the sound field is reflected many wi
and does not appear to be coming from ai
given direction.
Still others feel that theatre acoustics a
of little importance, because customer :
isfaction is a result of film quality and th
atre decor.
With the advent of films with a bro;
sound frequency spectrum, which can va
from very low bass to shrill treble, recordc
in a wide dynamic range, including
whispers to loud undistorted special effec
booms, proper theatre acoustics are ve
necessary. Wall treatments cannot be ov
emphasized if the theatre designer
achieve uniform coverage in the thcat
with each person in the audience enjo> i
the same accurate acoustical experience.
Despite the opinion of many experts w!
design theatres with reflective or dissip
tive wall construction, most successful nt
and refurbished theatres are construct
with absorptive ceilings, fabric seats, flo
carpeting and absorptive wall ireatmen
DESCRIPTION

id may make dialogue difficull to underand.
As can be seen from Table 1. different
all treatments absorb sound in different
lanners.
Thin, hard acoustical panels ab-
)rb mid-range sounds, while thick, soft
all treatments absorb almost all of the high
equency and more of the low frequency
)unds.
leatre
Acoustical panels spaced off of the
walls absorb more low frequency
junds and most of the mid and high freaency
sounds.
It can also be seen from the table that hard
irfaced walls absorb very little sound, and
low almost all frequencies to reflect off of
alls many times.
Following are some guidelines theatre
ivners should be aware of when considerig
sidewall acoustical panels:
Sidewall panels should serve two distinct
motions—they should be attractive and
;tention getting and have a thick three dilensional
configuration to absorb a high
srcentage of all
•ea.
le
frequencies in the theatre
Panels should be manufactured to meet
exact requirements established by the
leatre designer, and fabrics should be seated
to coincide with the designer's
;heme.
Because of potential damage caused by
over-/ealous theatre-goers, especially near
the bottom of the lowest panels, surfaces
should be densified to increase damage resistance,
and fabric edges returned to the
back side of the panels to prevent peeling.
Panels should be manufactured to exacting
standards, after computer-aided layouts
and details are made. Panel sizes should be
based on contract drawings, sketches, and
designer schemes.
Because of fast track construction schedules,
theatres should be physically measured
while the panels are in the early stages
of manufacture, then the panels can be modified
during manufacture to conform to the
actual building dimensions.
After the initial painting of each theatre,
panels should be installed by an experienced
installation crew, under the direction
of a company supervisor.
Because panels can be damaged or soiled
during installation, extreme care is necessary
by the installation crew.
Cautions to
other trades is important to prevent unintentional
damage before each theatre opens for
business.
Panels should be attached to the theatre
walls at their exact design location using a
combination of mechanical fasteners and
liquid adhesive. Because some designs require
that panels extend away from the wall
by up to six inches, mechanical supports,
supplied by the factory, should be used to
carry the added weight.
Some newer sidewall panel designs can
incorporate speaker supports, low voltage
lighting and house lights as well as other
custom features.
To aid in installation, each panel should
be marked with its appropriate location in
the overall design, and each tagged with its
installation sequence.
With installation complete, acoustical
evaluations should confirm that a full range
of frequencies are absorbed by the panels,
which allow the speaker system to do its job
by faithfully reproducing the sound that the
filmmaker intended.
n^
William W. Fearon is a Professional Mechanical
Engineer, and is president and
chief executive officer of Kinetics Noise
Control, Dublin, Ohio, a major supplier of
wall panels, ceilings and related products
for sound control. Mr. Fearon has been an
authority on building acoustics for over 30
years, and has authored numerous papers
and articles on various subjects relating to
sound and vibration control.
Congratulations
GENERAL
CINEMA
on the
grand opening of your
HOLLYWOOD
GAL«Y6
=5« PROCTOR
CY YOUNG INDUSTRIES, INC.
zZ^ While Zzz
^ ^ Theatre Sleeps ^^z
• Reupholster
your
2335 S. INCA
DENVER, CO 80223
PHONE 303 934-5455
FAX 303 934-6236
* "State Of The Art" Cy Young Cup Holder Armrest
1-800-729-2610
Response No 12
January. 1992 15

—
COMPUTERS: ONE BYTE AT A TIME
Getting Started With Computers
Part II
By Russell Wintner
President
WlnterTek, Inc.
month in this space we took a brief
Last
look at how to get started with computers:
how to determine exactly what
your computing needs might be. This
month we'll offer advice on how not to
over-buy, how to prepare for reasonable
growth, and how to select a monitor.
When shopping for computers, its always
tempting to get caught up in looking at and
considering the latest, hottest, fastest and
sexiest machine available. This may not be
necessary, depending on your particular
needs. If someone tries to push you into a
bigger or faster machine than you think you
need, ask yourself the following: If my need
for a computer is just to have simple word
processing for writing letters, with the ability
to store them on a floppy disk instead of
filing original copies in a file cabinet, how
much computer power would I need? I can
only type 60 words per minute, slower than
any computer. My printer can only print 300
characters per second. This is
fast but still
slower than the output of any computer.
What is the real difference to me between
one second per page and two seconds per
page? Not much. So. for the simplest word
processing, an IBM-XT would be fine, an
IBM-AT (with an 80286 processor) would
be more than nice, and anything more than
that would be a total waste of money!
Now, the odds are that you will want to
do more than create simple letters. And the
odds are greater still that once you start
using your computer you will find even
more uses for it. But remember what it is
that you are doing and remember that the
newer and faster the machine, the more you
will spend. If money is no object, sure, buy
a new 50MHz 486 giant. But if you are like
most exhibitors, there is a smarter way.
Buy enough speed and memory to support
the software that you have just 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 really ready to use
the extra capacity or features you have paid
for, chances are there will be better alternatives
on the market at better prices. I have
too often tried to beat this law of computerdom
and I have lost every time. I once spent
a lot of extra money on a super-duper monitor
that was to take care of all my dreams
for the next 10 years. And then, six months
later, the industry developed a better video
system, one that is very inexpensive and
totally incompatible with my super-duper
monitor. I could easily have saved $200,
gotten a good-enough monitor, and made
enough in savings to put toward the new
technology, if and when I needed it. Don't
try to defy the odds. The computer industry
moves too fast: don't waste your money in
buying more than you need!
Virtually Free Software
Don't miss out on Boxoffice's free software
offer: Boxoffice Magazine's
Exhibitor's Addressbook (provided by
WinterTek, Inc.), a niliy 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.
The next logical question is: "What is
reasonable growth?" This is a good question,
one which is not so easily answered.
This is where a consultant can help you best
and where it is possible to easily be over or
under sold. The answer comes with experience.
A basic rule is to add enough size to
your permanent storage (fixed disk drive)
to accommodate your estimated data plus
20 percent, and your combined program
storage needs plus 50 percent. If you know
that your business is going to grow and you
have some idea as to how big and how fast,
you may want to increase the overhead for
data. You will also want a computer faj
enough and with enough memory to opera^
your present software (and any softwai
you already know you are going to buy) .,
an easily acceptable speed. You' 11 also waij
to be able to accommodate software updatt
when they become available. (Updates ai
invariably more complicated, and requii
more speed to run. especially if there is a li
of screen activity or graphic work.) Ju
don't over do it. If you are happy with
l6MHz 386SX, chances are that you sti
will be happy with anything else you ac
over the next several years. If your applic
tions require 2 Megs of RAM. don't unne<
essarily insist on 4 Megs. Memory c;
almost always be added later at a nomin
expense. Simply said, if you have mom
left over, don't invest it in overhead that > i
don't need. Rather, put it
in additional fe
tures that will save you time now and mal
your computer more secure and reliable.
There are many items with more uscf
value for today than any investment y*
could make in the iffy computer future. Y<
may want to have a tape back-up to mal
the job of securing your data much easi
and faster. You certainly will want pow
line protection in the form of line conditio
ers to smooth out damaging electric
surges from the utility company, and y(
may even want battery back-up to preve
data loss during a power failure or monie
tary
brown-out. Perhaps you can forgo
little speed or excess RAM for dazzlii
VGA color instead of monochrome? As \ i
can see, there are a lot of places to spei
your money—so do it wisely.
Some of the remaining hardware i
sues will have to be the subject
future articles, but it is necessar\
mention two important items that you w
be buying at the outset: a keyboard and
monitor. The keyboard generally com
bundled with the
computer and you ni
very well not have a choice. But this is
one piece of hardware you will touch t
most and use the most. Make sure it fet
comfortable and is laid out acceptabi
Something as simple as a keyboard cou
change your mind between two otherwi
equivalent machines.
t
16 BoxoFncE

As for the monitor, depending on which
tystem you choose, there may be few or
lany choices. For the Macintosh computrs,
one can only choose between color or
lack and white, and one or two screen
izes. With IBM. however, there are many,
ometimes difficult choices to be made. The
urrent standard for monitors is called VGA
Video Graphic Array, available in color or
lonochrome). There are superlatives, like
uper VGA and professional level VGA,
nd there are some holdovers from previous
;chnologies, including some excellent
uality EGA systems. Stay clear of systems
ffering the much older CGA display if you
•are for your eyes. These rarely save you
nough to make them worth the discomfort,
'olor is an excellent choice especially with
xlay's high resolution monitors.
Whatever you buy, be sure that you look
losely at the monitor itself. Monitor qualy
is measured in dot pitch, the distance in
lillimeters between the center of one dot
flight and the next. (Computer images are
jally just rows and columns of dots which,
'hen seen from a distance, make up a comlete
image.) Measurements of .31 and
')wer are excellent. Above that, you may
experience some eye fatigue due to the
lower resolution. Resolution is one place
where you should not skimp. Look carefully
and compare closely. Don't get sold
on expensive versions with extended ranges
of color or imdtifreqiiency unless your applications
require it. Standard VGA is more
than adequate for most businesses.
[Editor's Note: And while you're looking
at monitors, you might want to consider
^y|
purchasing a combination anti-radiation,
anti-glare, anti-static screen filter. While
the jury is still out on the extent of damage
to the human body caused by electromagnetic
radiation emitted by video display
terminals, there is growing evidence that
eyestrain, miscarriages, and some forms of
human gene damage may be caused by such
electromagnetic radiation. Play it safe and
invest in an adequate filter to protect yourself
and your employees. For a list of
sources that provide information on VDT
protection, computer safety and good office
ergonomics, send a self-addressed, firstclass
stamped #10 envelope to Computer
Info., BoxoFFiCE Magazine, 6640 Sunset
Blvd., Suite 100, Hollywood, CA 90028-
4159.]
Just remember the two rules we have
discussed: ( 1 )
pick your software first and
(2) don't over-buy but buy for your most
immediate needs. There is one consolation
which may offer you comfort as I close. If
your computer works today and does the job
you require it to do, then it will continue to
do the job for many years to come subject
only to your growing needs. And if what
changes is your growth, then so will grow
your opportunities to buy again in the future
allowing you to choose from what today we
can only imagine will be available.
Next Month: Getting Started. Part III:
Software.
t
Just a Little Bit
BETTER!
We specialize in providing equipment
for the technical part of
your theatre: Seats, Sound, Projection.
(No, we don't sell popcorn!)
See why more and more,
Hadden has become the industry
standard for high performance!
HADDEN r-t
THEATRE SUPPLY COMPANY
10201 Bunsen Way
Louisville, KY 40299
(502) 499-0050
(502) 499-0052 FAX
Louis Bornwasser, Owner
DesignConsultation-Sales
Theatre
Interiors
From Design to Installation
You Can Rely On Us For:
Acoustical Wall Coverings
Acoustical Insulation
Class A Wall Carpet
Speaker Mounts
Complete Front Ends, Frannes, Screens &
Masking Set-Ups
AAAA
THE INDUSTRY LEADER
PC. Box 292125, Dayton, OH 45429
Phone 513-293-2671
Response No 15
Januan, 1992 17

Barometer Star Poll
The accompanying post-paid ballot allows you to vote for your
selections in our 1 992 Barometer Star Poll. An annual event for over
50 years, the Star Poll asks you to pick the top male and female
boxoffice attractions of the past year, as well as the most promising
newcomers. Your votes should be based on your estimation of a star's
marquee value, or a newcomer's potential marquee value, not on
the artistic merits of their performances.
Needless to say, the lists below are not complete; space does not
allow us to list every actor and actress who appeared in a film in
1991. These are simply the candidates we think are most likely to
attract your attention. If, however, we have excluded someone yoi,
find deserving, please feel free to use the space provided for write-ir
votes. The candidates in the Most Promising Newcomer section may
have appeared in film roles prior to 1991 , but we feel that the filn-,
accompanying their name was their breakthrough.
Space has also been provided for any comments you may have
about the year in film, either commercially or aesthetically. Pleasf
return your completed ballot as soon as possible. The results will bf
published in the March Barorpeter issue.
TOP MALE BOXOFFICE ATTRACTION
1 . Danny Aiello (29th Street)
2. Woody Allen (Scenes From a Mall)
3. Dan Aykroyd (My Girl)
4. Kevin Bacon (He Said, She Said)
5. Alec Baldwin (The Marrying Man)
6. Warren Beatty (Bugsy)
7. James Belushi (Curly Sue)
8. Tom Berenger (At Play in the Fields of the
Lord)
9. Jeff Bridges (The Fisher King)
10. Albert Brooks (Defending Your Life)
1 1 . Mel Brooks (Life Stinks)
12. Bryan Brown (FX2)
13. James Caan (For the Boys)
14. Bill Campbell (The Rocketeer)
15. John Candy (Only the Lonely)
1 6. Chevy Chase (Nothing But Trouble)
1 7. Kevin Costner (Robin Hood)
18. Billy Crystal (City Slickers)
19. Macaulay Culkin (My Girl)
20. John Cusack (True Colors)
21. Willem Dafoe (Flight of the Intruder)
22. Jeff Daniels (The Butcher's Wife)
23. Robert DeNiro (Cape Fear)
24. Brian Dennehy (FX2)
25. Danny DeVito (Other People's Money)
26. Matt Dillon (A Kiss Before Dying)
27. Robert Downey, Jr. (Soapdish)
28. Richard Dreyfuss (What About Bob?)
29. Robert Duvall (Rambling Rose)
30. Larry Fishburne (Boyz N the Hood)
31. Harrison Ford (Regarding Henry)
32. Michael J. Fox (Doc Hollywood)
33. Morgan Freeman (Robin Hood)
34. Danny Glover (Grand Canyon)
35. John Goodman (King Ralph)
36. Gene Hackman (Class Action)
37. Gregory Mines (Eve of Destruction)
38. Dustin Hoffman (Hook)
39. Hulk Hogan (Suburban Commando)
40. Anthony Hopkins (Silence of the Lambs)
41 .William Hurt (The Doctor)
42. Don Johnson (Paradise)
43. Raul Julia (The Addams Family)
44. Michael Keaton (One Good Cop)
45. Val Kilmer (The Doors)
46. Kevin Kline (Grand Canyon)
47. Spike Lee (jungle Fever)
48. John Lithgow (Ricochet)
49. John Malkovich (The Object of Beauty)
50. Steve Martin (Father of the Bride)
51. Bill Murray (What About Bob?)
52. Leslie Nielsen (Naked Gun 2 1/2)
53. Leonard Nimoy (Star Trek VI)
54. Nick Nolte (The Prince of Tides)
55. Gary Oldman (Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern are Dead)
56. Ed O'Neill (Dutch)
57. Al Pacino (Frankie and johnny)
58. Jason Patric (Rush)
59. Gregory Peck (Other People's Money)
60. Joe Pesci (The Super)
61. River Phoenix (Dogfight)
62. Keanu Reeves (Point Break)
63. Alan Rickman (Robin Hood)
64. Kurt Russell (Backdraft)
65. Arnold Schwarzenegger (Terminator 2)
66. Steven Seagal (Out For justice)
67. William Shatner (Star Trek VI)
68. Charlie Sheen (Hot Shots)
69. Christian Slater (Mobsters)
70. Jimmy Smits (Switch)
71. Wesley Snipes (jungle Fever)
72. James Spader (True Colors)
73. Sylvester Stallone (Oscar)
74. Patrick Swayze (Point Break)
75. Robert Townsend (Five Heartbeats)
76. John Turturro (Barton Fink)
18 Boxoffice

1
1
79. Forest Whitaker {A Rage in Harlem)
80. Robin Williams (Hook)
81. Bruce Willis {The Last Boy Scout)
82. James Woods (The Hard Way)
MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER—MALE
1 . Robert Arkins (The Commitments)
2. Scott Bakula (Necessary Roughness)
3. William Baldwin (Bacl

THEATRE PROFILE
The National Theatre Recovers Its Past
The
By Marilyn Moss
Associate Editor
fate of historic old movie theatres
in this country is, at best, unpredictable:
just as quickly as some get torn
down — gone the way of a multiplex or a
shopping center—others are granted a new
lease on life. And as much as movie palaces
in large cities have seen their demise in the
past decade, many historic houses in the
country find the respect they deserve—especially
in smaller towns and communities.
The story of the National Theatre in Graham.
Texas is a story with a happy—and
"memorable"—ending. In a very real way,
the National is remaking history.
Located on the courthouse square in
Graham (population 9.000. located about
90 miles from Ft. Worth), the National reopened
its doors a year ago last November
after nearly a decade of constant deterioration
until it ceased to operate at all in 1987.
When its new owners, dentist Dave Scott
and his wife. Pam. purchased the National
several years ago they began the arduous
task of renovating and restoring the building
inside and out. Reshaping the life of this
historic house meant rekindling the memory
of what the National once was. especially
in its heyday.
Originally constructed in 1919 and
owned by the local Larmour family, the
National Theatre first opened its doors in
1 920. Pic Larmour had purchased the house
from a Dr. W.F. Box of Waco, Texas and
was involved in every stage of the theatre's
development even before he became its
owner. The first feature to play at the National
was "Bill Anderson's Boy," and the
price of admission that year was 25 cents.
The National was kept in the family—and
even rebuilt after a fire in 1939. It was run
by Larmour"s son, Jim, until 1 987, when he
The National's auditorium: Before
was forced to close the theatre's doors.
Shortly after that,
the Scotts bought the
historic house and made plans to restore it
to its original splendor.
And splendor there was. In the 1920s a
Wurlitzer pipe organ provided the background
music to the silent films that played
the National. In the 1930s the theatre
sported live entertainment, with singing
cowboys and renowned opera stars, includthe
famous Madam Petticlair. Then
there v\erc the special attractions— such as
the Showball on Friday nights and the
Wahoo on Saturday nights—along with
midnight shows, previews, and various
vaudeville acts, and an assortment of other
live entertainers.
Pam and Dave Scott knew the historic
value of the National when they began renovating
it, and they kept in mind its importance
to the city of Graham. The theatre's
facade was painted and repaired—and
flashing blue, gold and red lights that once
illuminated the court square could again be
seen. The front doors to the theatre again
became a bright red color. Due to extensive
water damage inside the building, an extensive
facelift was necessary. And then a new
roof was put on the building and a new
heating and cooling system was installed.
The theatre's seats were updated or repaired,
with 134 of the old seats actually
restored to mint condition.
In addition, new projection equipment
was installed in the theatre, as well as a new
28-foot by 13-foot screen now replacing
the old one. More improvements included
a new concession area, new restrooms and
a game room added on the main floor. As
to the second floor, it now houses a museum—a
bit of history for patrons to enjoy.
In this museum, whose room used to be the
elder Larmour's office, the Scotts have decided
to display some of the old movie
projectors, chairs and other artifacts that
were once part of the National. Pam am
Dave Scott decided to keep as much mem
ory alive as possible. As they say, "Pic
Larmour [and his wife. Norma] meant at
awful lot to this town. And we want to kee{
their memories alive in this theatre."
This way. Dave Scott also says, memo
ries of the first days of the theatre will liv(
into the present. "Our first
priority was tc
restore as much history in the theatre a;
possible. Everywhere we went, people hac
stories to tell about the National. We knew
we hit some heart strings." His wife. Pam
adds that neither of them ever seriously
considered any other location for the theatn
when they first took it over. They believec
the city needed and would support the Na
tional. "The original building was our tof
choice all the way. It really was a fun proj
ect. even though there was so much to do.
While the Scotts manage the Nations
themselves, they nevertheless get advic
from Jim Larmour, who operated the thea
tre for his family until it
closed. The Scott
say they have a healthy respect for th
Larmour family's role not just in buildin
and running this great old theatre but als
in the community itself. "The family had a
unselfish devotion to the theatre."
The National brought some firsts to th
town of Graham—when it opened in 192(
it was the first building in Graham to hav
air conditioning (from evaporative coolei
vented through walls on both sides of th
movie screen). And, say the Scotts, for a
most 70 years, generations of Graham fan
ilies came to escape the heat, not to mentio
hard times. There are some traditions wort
holding onto, say the Scotts. The Nation
Theatre belongs to the present as well as ti
past. So, fittingly, it features first run mo'
ies alongside an occasional old classic. Th
is as it should be—where history is reco
ered and reshaped for the future.
20 BoxoFncE

ion
NATIONAL NEWS
Meaty Thanksgiving
Theatre owners had much to
be thankful
for as the Thanksgiving season rolled around.
After months of gloomy boxoffice reports, the
forecast has finally brightened as
Hollywood's eagerly awaited holiday films
have begun to be unveiled. By far the biggest
hit of the month was Paramount's "The Addams
Family," which took in more than $55
million in its first 10 days of release, the
biggest opening since "Terminator 2" premiered
on the fourth of July holiday weekend.
Paramount acquired "The Addams Family"
from financially strapped Orion, and gleefully
watched the film's grosses soar despite very
mixed reviews.
Elsewhere, Martin Scorsese's "Cape Fear"
scored with critics and audiences alike for
Universal. The Robert De Niro-Nick Noltelessica
Lange thriller brought in about $40
million in its first three weeks of release. And
Disney's latest animated offering, "Beauty
and the Beast," broke records for family fare
with $26 million in grosses after a platform
opening. That spelled bad news for Universal/Amblin's
sequel, "An American Tail;
Fievel Goes West," which chalked up a lessthan-thrilling
$8 million in 10 days of wide
release. But by far the most disappointing
totals were for "For the Boys": the big budget
Bette Midler-lames Caan musical drama
brought in a dismal $6 million in 10 days, far
below Fox's expectations.
Overall, though Thanksgiving boxoffice
was down 10 percent from last year and 1 3
percent from 1 989's record totals, the picture
was nevertheless looking fairly rosy: total fall
boxoffice (from Labor Day through Thanksgiving
weekend) was nearing the $780 million
mark, down less than 10 percent from
1 989's $83 3 mil I and less than five percent
from last year's $808 million. The year to date
total, as of the first week in December, was
$4.11 billion, as compared to $4.31 billion
last year and $4.39 billion in 1989. Pending
results from such December blockbusters as
TriStar's "Hook" and "Bugsy," Columbia's
"The Prince of Tides" and Warner Bros.'
"JFK," 1991 may yet prove to be a fairly strong
one at the boxoffice.
Studio IVIovie Budgets Down
After a year of disappointing boxoffice revenues
and calls by studio executives for belt-
Itightening, a recently published study
indicates that feature film budgets are going
down. According to the report printed in Variety,
the average negative cost for a major
studio production went down from $ 1 9.8 million
in 1990 to $19.1 million in 1991. However,
the projected average for 1 992 was back
up to $19.5 million. Surprisingly, Buena
Vista— Disney's distribution arm and the
home of Jeffrey Katzenberg, whose now-famous
28 page memo was among the first calls
for austerity—actually saw an increase in average
budgets for the year from $19.7 million
to $20.3 million.
But according to Variety's
projections, Buena Vista's average budget for
1992 will be down to a mere $1 7.4 million.
By far the most extravagant studio was TriStar,
which had a per picture average budget of
$38.1 million, due in part to its distribution
deal with Caroico, which funded the $80
million blockbuster "Terminator 2."
New Income For Exhibitors
Always on the lookout for new sources of
revenue, theatre owners may want to follow
the lead of Cineplex Odeon, which has recently
begun screening music videos as featurettes.
The catch is that instead of paying to
run the song-length shorts, the chain is being
pa/c/to play the videos by record companies.
It began back in October, when Cineplex ran
a short promotional film for Michael Jackson's
new album, "Dangerous," which is being distributed
by Sony Music. Then, in December,
it was a short film built around the title song
to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers latest
MCA record, "Into the Great Wide Open."
The clip, which had already been screening
on television (including MTV) for some time,
stars Johnny Depp and was directed by Julien
Temple ("Earth Girls Are Easy"). Cineplex
spokesman Howard Lichtman has acknowledged
that the chain is being paid to run the
shorts, but has declined to reveal financial
details. "The music industry," he told Variety,
"is waking up to the fact that the same people
who go to the movies are the same people
who buy records."
And, in another money making scheme,
the newly formed company Cinemedia is
going to test market popcorn bags and buckets
that feature printed commercial advertisements,
offering exhibitors one-third of gross
ad revenues. According to Cinemedia president
Anthony Rubenstein, the popcorn containers
should be in
use at 10 Mann Theatres
locations as early as February. Rubenstein is
negotiating with motion picture studios, soft
drink companies and home electronics manufacturers
about becoming the first advertisers
in the new medium. During the two-week
trial period, Cinemedia will distribute 25,000
bags featuring the ads and then interview
patrons to get their reactions, testing consumer
recall, awareness and general attitude
about the idea. If the test proves successful,
Rubenstein hopes to expand nationally by the
summer.
Goldwyn Paramount Prez
John Goldwyn has been named the president
of production for Paramount Pictures,
fi 1 1 ing a newly created post that combines jobs
formerly held by David Kirkpatrick and Gary
Lucchesi. Goldwyn had been the studio's executive
vice president of production since
November, 1990, and had previously been
executive vice president of worldwide production
at MGM/UA. Goldwyn comes from a
long line of movie people: his grandfather was
Paramount co-founder Samuel Goldwyn,
whose name also provided MGM with its
middle initial. Samuel Goldwyn, Jr., John's
father, is head of The Samuel Goldwyn Company.
And John is the brother of actor Tony
Goldwyn and husband of actress Colleen
Camp.
While at MGM/UA, Goldwyn was instrumental
in such hits as "A Fish Called Wanda"
and "Moonstruck." At Paramount, he was
involved in the recently released "Star Trek
VI: The Undiscovered Country," the upcoming
"Wayne's World" and the currently shooting
Eddie Murphy comedy "Boomerang."
Former Pa;amount head Robert Evans, who
has been developing several projects with
Goldwyn for the studio, praised the promotion,
saying, "It's as refreshing a studio announcement
as has been made in a decade.
He has extraordinary dignity. He loves films
and has a heritage in films."
Jaffe Goes to Fox
In a move that stunned Hollywood, Twentieth
Century Fox announced that Andrea
Jaffe, one of the industry's most powerful
publicists, would take over as president of its
domestic marketing department. Jaffe replaces
former advertising executive Joel
Hochberg, who joined Fox in January, 1991
and still had two years remaining on his contract
with the studio, laffe is the daughter of
former Columbia Pictures head Leo Jaffe and
the sister of Paramount Communications
President Stanley Jaffe. She has no previous
studio marketing experience, but as the head
of Andrea Jaffe and Associates she counted
among her clients such Hollywood heavyweights
as Warren Beatty, Tom Cruise, Oliver
Stone, Dustin Hoffman and Bette Midler.
Valenti Optimistic
In a speech to the Los Angeles Chamber of
Commerce, MPAA President Jack Valenti
continued his campaign to discount worries
about the current state of the industry, pointing
out that entertainment revenues worldwide
were up six percent over the first half of
1991. While acknowledging the boxoffice
slump that plagued Hollywood this fall ("The
theatre boxoffice in September and October
was dismal. In many localities we had to
subpoena people to get them to the theatres,"
he joked), Valenti urged his listeners to keep
in mind the cyclical nature of the film business.
"Too many people in this town are
thinking only about the dismal boxoffice for
the past two months or about which picture
they're going to work on next," Valenti cautioned.
"They need to take a longer view."
Pointing to recent reports submitted by MPAA
member companies, Valenti said the industry
has reason to be optimistic.
In addition to citing the overall increase in
entertainment income, Valenti pointed out
that international revenues had risen a significant
13.8 percent. "We allowed our kinship
with audiences to grow slack,"
Valenti said.
."
We offered them less than we are capable
of, and not as much as they deserve. We have
borne witness to instability in our industry.
IButI once we screw our courage to the sticking
place we will regain our wits and rejoice
in the reasserting of the competitive edge.
When competition for funding grows tense
and the struggle for an audience's favor tightens,
the creative cure inevitably ascends."
January, 1992 21

)
NATIONAL NEWS
NATO/ShoWest '92
Announces Awards, Panels
NATO/Showest is gearing up for another
major success when the convention reconvenes
at Bally's Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas
this February. By early December, all 288
available booths had already been sold, with
a waiting list started for those unlucky companies
that didn't get an early jump. Between
5,500 and 6,000 are expected to be in attendance
for the convention, which begins February
1 7.
The show, which has always been in the
forefront of fostering an international view of
exhibition and distribution, will feature a special
business session on the development of
the international marketplace. Scheduled
speakers include Peter Ivany, CEO of Hoyts
Croup International, Millard L. Ochs, COO
of UCI, and Salah Hassanein, President of
Warner Bros. International Theatres. Other
panels include "The Importance of Black Film
in America," featuring "Boyz N the Hood"
director John Singleton, "New lack City" producers
George Jackson and Doug McHenry,
and D. Barry Reardon, Warner Bros, president
of domestic theatrical distribution; and "The
Current Financial Environment And Future
Theatrical Financing, with speakers to include
Robert R. Brace, director of entertainment
lending at the Bank of Boston, and Lee Roy
Mitchell, president of Cinemark Theatres.
On the honors front, recipients of three
major awards have been named. George
Kerasotes, chairman of the board of Springfield,
Illinois-based CKC Theatres, has been
selected as the Robert W. Selig ShoWester of
the Year for his dedication to the exhibition
industry throughout his career. The 80-yearold
Kerasotes, whose family was in the nickelodeon
business before he was born, owns
and operates more than 160 screens in
Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. His award will
be presented at the Final Night Award Banquet
on February 20. Eunice Chesler,
Paramount's vice president of government
and community relations, will receive the Ida
Schreiber Award, which was established to
honora woman who makes a significant philanthropic
or humanitarian contribution to the
industry. She'll receive her award at the Reynolds
& Reynolds breakfast on February 20.
And, at the same breakfast, Jerome Gordon, a
65-year veteran of the motion picture theatre
industry and longtime executive director of
the Mid-Atlantic NATO, will receive the B.V.
Sturdlvant Award.
EASTERN NEWS
BOSTON, MA
Theatre owners here are considering a
price increase on admissions following the
announcement that the Boston Red Sox will
increase prices for the baseball games at
Fenway Park next season. The Red Sox and
the legitimate theatre in Boston have long
been competitive with films. However, the
average movie theatre admission price of $6
is still the lowest price in town, with legitimate
theatre musicals going for $26-$36 a seat.
Some theatre owners are noting the economy
in the state, which is at an all time low, and
urging a decision to stay with the present
admission prices. Massachusetts has the largest
number of people out of work in the
nation. Still,
other theatre people are considering
a reduction in prices. No action on the
matter is expected until after the holiday season,
always the largest grossing period for
motion picture theatres.
banks agreed to donate money and interest
owed by the facility's former owners to the
college. Most recently the home of American
Public Radio's "Mountain Stage," the theatre
closed following the live show's move to the
Cultural Center located in the state capitol
office complex. It will now be an extension of
the institution, to be used primarily for classes
and seminars.
ST. ALBANS, VT
The independent Welden Theatre here has
now expanded from a twin to a triplex.
HARTFORD, CT
National Amusements' Showcase Cinemas
1 recently hosted a Connecticut premiere of
Warner Bros. "Other People's Money" with a
screening to benefit the Students at the Stage.
The Hartford Stage Company program provided
discount legitimate theatre tickets and
educational programs for metro Hartford students;
admission was $15. The film has Connecticut
ties in that director Norman Jewison
shot location footage with principal players
Danny DeVito, Gregory Peck and others at a
lower Connecticut valley factory last year,
EXETER, NH
The loka Theatre, with a rerun of Wall
Disney's "101
FESTIVAL and EVENT CALENDAR
Dalmatians," went the extra
mile promotion-wise. Manager James Blanco
arranged with a Dearfield family fond of Dalmatians
to bring in some of their four-footec
friends—a half-dozen, 8-weeks old—for ar
introduction from the theatre stage. The inno
vation sparked considerable New Hampshi
media attention.
PHILADELPHIA, PA
UA's Sameric 4 Theatre tied in with the
Philadelphia Daily News to promote thf
opening of the film "Necessary Roughness.
For an advance preview screening, the city'
daily newspaper conducted a random draw
ing, among readers sending in newspape
coupons, with 1 00 pairs of passes distributee
for the screening. Also, UA's Sam's Place :
Richard A. Smith, chairman of General
Cinema Corp., the nation's largest movie theatre
chain, gave up his post as head of the $2
billion company after 30 years as its chief
executive to buy the New England Patriots
football team. Smith has decided to stay on at
the Chestnut Hill-based General Cinema as
chairman of the board, but he has stepped
away from his daily business activities after
closing his $1 .5 billion deal to buy Harcourt-
Brace Jovanovich this past November.
CHARLESTON, WV
After a brush with the wrecker's ball,
the
historic Capitol Plaza Theatre has been saved.
West Virginia State College acquired the former
vaudeville music hall after several local
Jan. 8-10 Assoc, of Independent TV Stations, S.F., Calif. (202-887 1970)
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. 19-23 NATPE, New Orleans, La. (213-282-8801)
Jan. 23-24 New York World Television Festival, New York (9 1 4-238-448 1
Jan. 29-Feb. 14 Television Festival of Monte Carlo, Monaco i33 ')3 30 4944)
Brussels International Film Festival, Belgium
Jan.
Feb. 7-16 Miami Film Fest. (9th), Gusman Ctr., Miami, Fla. (305-377-3456)
Feb. 13-24 Berlin International Film Festival, Germany (030-254-890)
Feb. 13-Mar. 1 Portland International Film Festival (15th), Oregon (503-221-1156)
Feb. 1 7-20 NATO/ShoWest Convention, Las Vegas, Nev. (2/,3-657- 772/;
Feb. 27-Mar. 6 American Film Market, Santa Monica, Calif. (213-954-5858)
Feb.
Teheran Film Festival, Iran
Mar. 27-Apr. 5 Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Calif. (805-689-INFO)
22 BoxoFncE

; local
heatre linked with the weekly City Paper and
16 Borders Bookstore for the opening of
Rambling Rose." A limited number of movie
asses to admit two were distributed by the
lookstore to those coming into the store with
copy of the movie's advertisement in the
lewspaper.
Since the city of Philadelphia has cut the
ludget for the Philadelphia Film Commisjon,
allowing no expenses for the remaining
taff of two persons to promote the use of the
ity's facilities for film production, a voluneer
Philadelphia Film and Video Commis-
Jon has been established by Harry Jay Katz,
theatrical buff with financial reources.
A Crab Fest Sunday to benefit the charities
or handicapped children in the area, coniucted
by the Philadelphia Variety Club, Tent
>lo. 1 3, was staged at Carbbie's Seafood Resaurant
in Northeast Philadelphia. The event,
;oing from noon to 4 p.m., featured live
jntertainment, radio disk jockeys, sports peronalities,
clowns, face painters and a variety
)f seafood for sale. There was a $25 charge
or entering the crab-eating contest. The fesivities
were held in the parking lot of the
Delaire Shopping Center, where the seafood
estaurant is
located.
Philafilm, the annual film festival here for
independent producers and directors, plans
to broaden its exhibition scope in 1992.
Under the leadership of Larry Smallwood, the
Philadelphia International Film and Video
Festival— as it's officially known—has retained
International Film Festival, a Canadian
consulting firm, to help chart the course this
year. In addition to AMC's Olde City Theatres
used last year, Smallwood said that in 1992
Philafilm will work with Ramon Posel's Ritz
Five Theatres to increase the number of
screens as well as audiences. Most recently,
the three-day festival featured 41 films.
WHITE PLAINS, NY
Keith Carradine, star of Broadway's "Will
Rogers Follies," will appear as spokesman in
the latest mini-film for the Will Rogers Institute.
Dressed in buckskins and twirling a
lariat, Carradine utilizes his lighthearted stage
portrayal of the cowboy humorist to explain
the health benefits available to members of
the entertainment industry and their families,
as well as the history of the Institute and its
work in the areas of research and health
education. The four and a half minute minifilm
will be shown to theatre companies,
unions, video dealers and at industry conven-
MIDWEST NEWS
MERRILLVILLE, IN
This past November Loews Theatres
opened the new Loews Merrillville 10, located
at Merrillville Crossing, 2360 East 79th
Ave. The theatre features ten plush auditoriums
that seat between 250 and 400; total
seating capacity is 2,600. Each auditorium is
equipped with Dolby Stereo or Kintek stereo
sound and all of the seats offer cup holder
armrests.
CANNON FALLS, MN
Gemini Inc. hasacciuired Bevelite-Adler, a
58-year old company with a history of participation
in both the sign and theatre industries.
The company is a composite of the Adler
Silhouette Letter Company, started in 1933,
and Bevelite Manufacturing, started in 1 948.
Given the super successful midnight marithon
of the "Star Wars" trilogy, Ramon
'osel's Ritz 5 Theatres has scheduled a repeat
/vith another Harrison Ford trilogy, under
.ponsorship of the Silver Screen Society.
'This was the 1 0th anniversary of 'Raiders of
he Lost Ark' and we didn't want it to go
jnnoticed," said Joe Tammessello, the
iociety's founder. The midnight showing also
ncluded "Indiana Jones and the Temple of
Doom" along with "Indiana Jones and the
.ast Crusade." The society, a non-profit group
Dased here, holds screenings one Sunday
Tiorning a month at Posel's Ritz at the Bourse
and generally features classic films.
The preview opening of UA's new 11-
screen RiverView Theatres complex was
staged as a benefit. With a screening of "29th
Street" for the Philadelphia Variety Club, all
proceeds went to the local Tent's charities for
handicapped children.
In a move to improve viewmg at its movie
houses, AMC Theatres in this region are prohibiting
the admittance of children under six
years of age after 6 p.m., with exceptions for
features rated C and PC. In addition, some
AMC Theatres recently featured a Summer
Encore Special, offering some of the hottest
features of the summer months at a special
reduced admission price of $3.50.
2625 Walnut Street, Denver, C;0 8020=.
(303)296-8520 800-662-9595
FAX: 303-296-2320
Response No, 25
Januan,, 1992 23

SOUTHERN
NEWS
NEW ORLEANS, LA
A number of locdl theatres here, including
the loy's Theatre, the Cinema City and the
Panorama, have returned to their $1 admission
tor all performances, with 50 cents
ladies' day and seniors' price on Tuesday
matinees. Former prices were $ 1 for matinees
and $2.50 for evening screenings. When
asked about the new price. Cinema City manager
Chuck Berger said, "We want to give the
customer a real bargain in these tough economic
times."
SHREVEPORT, LA
The loy's Quail Creek Cinema in this city
'
has been expanded from two screens to four
and reopened for business, lenny Holt manages
the multiplex.
CENTRAL NEWS
FORT WORTH, TX
In November, AMC Theatres and Sundance
West opened the new AMC Sundance
1 1 Theatres located in downtown Fort Worth
within walking distance of downtown restaurants,
retail establishments, museums, a fourstar
hotel, office buildings and a 12-story
residential complex on Fort Worth's historic
Sundance Square. The facility's exterior is
reminiscent of Hollywood's golden age, with
a towering neon marquee and an art deco
facade. The theatre's opening was a benefit
screening of "For the Boys," with proceeds
from the event going to benefit Fort Worth's
Sister Cities International.
WESTERN NEWS
YAKIMA, WA
The Uptown Plaza Theatre, owned by
Yakima Theatres, Inc. and located at 202 East
To all the people who think the press goes
too far sometimes, consider the alternative.
was involved, where it was destined and
where it was bound. It did concede in 1986
that the incident was classified as among its
Chestnut in the downtown area, is being expanded.
By early spring it will increase from
three screens to five. In addition, right before
Christmas the Cinema West, also owned by
Yakima, changed its admission policy. Prices
for all shows, all ages, is now $1 .50.
PASADENA, CA
The Old Pasadena 8, which opened in
November (See October Boxoffice), held a
film festival screening to celebrate the event.
Proceeds from the opening (which included
classic films such as the "Star Wars" trilogy,
"Play It Again, Sam," "A Streetcar Named
Desire" and "Who's Afraid of Virginia
Woolf?") benefitted the Variety Children's
Charities.
HOLLYWOOD, CA
The long-awaited Hollywood Entertainment
Museum has finally found a home: the
famed Hollywood Pacific Theatre on Hollywood
Blvd. Reportedly, the Los Angeles
Community Redevelopment Agency will provide
$3 to $5 million toward purchasing the
property from Pacific Theatres, which owns
the building. The Hollywood Entertainment
Museum, which will be dedicated to the disciplines
of television, film, music and radio,
IS slated to open in 1995.
INTERNATIONAL
NEWS
Dublin, Ireland
Cinema attendance in Ireland continues tc
climb. Dublin recorded an August-Septembei
increase of 50 percent, while nationally the
increase was slightly more than a third.
Murakami-Wolfe, the Dublin-based ani
mation house that produced many of tht
Ninja Turtles tales for television, recently laii
off more than 60 people in "an enforcec
pause in activity," it was said. The animatior
sector also recently saw the closing of th<
Emerald City Studio in nearby Dun Laoghaire
with the loss of 40 jobs. But Sullivan-BlutF
Studios, which ran
into refinancing difficul
ties earlier this year, has been busy finishinj
up the soundtrack recording for its next re
lease, "The Troll in Central Park."
landler
of Greenpeace, said their research had
established that man')
To team more about the role ofa
Free Press and how it protects your
rights, call the First Amendment
Center at 1-800-542-1600.
If the press
didn't tell us,
who would?
ON THE MOVE
On the move recently: Philip M. Singletor
to senior vice president and chief operatin;
officer and Peler C. Brown to senior vie
: message of The Ad Council and The S t Professional Journatlsis
24 BOXOFUCK

I Harland
i
; Mass.
,
Massachusetts
1
closed.
'
i
president and chief financial officer at
AMC....)on Jashni to president of Giant Pictures,
the newly renamed motion picture division
of Azoff Entertainment. ..Al Shapiro to
executive vice president, general sales manager
of New Line Distribution,
Inc. ...David
Seal to vice president of AMC Entertainment
International,
Inc. ...Michael Kaiser to president
of marketing at Orion Pictures Distribution
Corporation. ...John Goidwyn to
president of the Motion Picture Group/Production
of Paramount Pictures. ...Christina
Kounelias to senior vice president of publicity
and promotions at New Line Cinema, along
with Michael Spatt to vice president of finance,
Margaret Blatner to
vice president,
business affairs and Susannah )uni to vice
president of participations and contract accounting.
Also: Michael Manning to senior vice president
of production along with Inga Vainshtein
to vice president, production for the
Motion Picture Group at Paramount Pictures.
...at Samuel Goidwyn Company, Stephanie
Kluft to publicity manager and Leoniede
Picciotto to senior vice president, worldwide
marketing. ...David Swanson to vice president,
marketing at Landmark Theatres. ...Melissa
Cobb to vice president, development
and acquisitions at I.R.S. Media....Ron Monat
to vice president of marketing at Warner
Bros....Avi Lerner to president and chief executive
officer at Global Pictures International.
Picture Operators LJnion.
Norma Nathan, film critic and gossip columnist,
whose column, "The Eye," in the
Boston Herald achieved a national reputa-
SUPERGLO
A durable pearlescent,
smcxjth surface
offers maximum reflectivity
& light distribution.
A dMskyi o( Cemcoqo
1515 Melrose Lone
PC Box 105
Forest Hill. Md 21050
(301)838-0036
tion, died in November in Boston, Mass. at
the age of 64. Previously she was a political
reporter and also covered the Oscars in Hollywood
and was invited to film sets throughout
the country.
HURLEY SCREENS
SILVERGLO
A smooth, aluminized
surface offering the
highest reflectivity for
special applications
such as 3D,
FRAMING
FAX #301-838-8079
- All types available.
/HilinndlnAel
AUTOMATED HIGH SPEED
U/L APPROVED TICKETING EQUIPMENT
Factory Service, the only authorized
manufacturer and repair center.
MW-16
A heavy guage matte
white surface offering
excellent light distribution,
image clarity, and
color rendition.
OBITUARIES
William E.
Hildebrand of Kansas City recently
died at the age of 67. Hildebrand
became marketing director at Cy Young, Inc.
in 1 987 and became the company's national
representative at the League of Historical Theatres
in 1988.
Donald E. Campion, 52, former owner of
the downtown Paramount Theatre in Springfield,
Mass., died this past October. He operated
the former Western Massachusetts
Theatres, Inc. flagship after a restoration proj-
E. ("Bub") Rowell, 85, died in
October. He operated the Idle Hour Theatre
with his brother, Carroll, in Hardwick, Vt.
James G. Cuarino, 87, a pioneer drive-in
theatre owner-operator in the six-state New
England region, died in October in Milton,
He had some six drive-ins, situated in
and Connecticut, now long
He was also a charter member of the
Variety Club of New England.
Quality.
Com
Durability. Se
When it comes to c
the best quality and vl
movie theatre seatin'
is no arav area .
. .1
only BLACK c
American Seating is|
your best value.
Visit us at bootfis # 39- 40\ at ShoWest -92.
Maurice F. Curran, 75, 50-year projection-
1st in the Springfield, Mass. area, died in
September. He was in the booth at National
I Amusements' Showcases Cinema plex in
West Springfield, for 25 years. He was also a
past business agent, Springfield Local, Motion
901 Broadway
(616)732-
ericanSeating
. N.W.. Grand Raoids, Ml ^
January. 1992 25

—
;
HOOK
Reviews
Staniiiii Robin Williams. Diisrin Hoffimm. Julia Roberts. Maggie
Smith, Bob Hoskins and Charlie Korsmo.
Directed by Steven Spielberg. Screenplay by Jim V. Han and
Malta Scotch Manno. Screen story by Jim V. Hart and Nick Castle.
Produced by Kathleen Kennedy. Frank Marshall and Gerald R.
Molen.
A TriStar Pictures release. Comedy-drama-fantasy, rated PC.
Rimning time: 135 min. Sound: Dolby SR, CDS. Projection: Scope.
Screening date: 12/4/91.
If anyone notices how much Robin Williams resembles director
Steven Spielberg in this film (it's the ifs the hair and the glasses),
then it won't be far to the realization that this tale of Peter Pan is yet
another story about Steven Spielberg wanting to remain a kid in the
worst way. With "Hook" the adult-and-ever-childlike Spielberg has
woven a Peter Pan for the '90s— replete with a politically correct
band of Lost Boys (in ethnicity and race they cover the spectrum)
and a healthy respect for family bonding that audiences love so much
Spielberg has made a career of inventing childhood so many timi
on film. You can't help but wonder what it is he refuses to shake.
Spielberg pulls out all the stops in "Hook"—so much so that tl
audience is apt to feel overwhelmed some of the time; by so muc
of John Williams' beautiful score, by so many fast camera movi
darting in and about, by the many opulent sets. With so much activii
on the screen, at times it seems almost too much to take in—and,
hardly lets up.
But when Spielberg quiets down, his film is enchanting. Mayl
because he wants it so badly, he has a masterful way of capturir
the magical moments of childhood—so much so that no oth^
director can touch him. He makes us yearn for a childhood we alwa;
wanted but never had: full of wistful imaginings and cozy xoon
where any dream can come true.
And so, in "Hook" there's much to see and think about. There
Robin Williams as Peter Banning—the bad father who spends mo
time making business deals than paying attention to his childre
And then there's Peter's magical adventure that begins when I
returns to England with his family to see his adopted "Grandmotlic
Wendy (take a guess), wonderfully played by Maggie Smith. All
Wendy reminds Peter of who he really is (he seems to have forgone
and after Captain Hook returns to kidnap his children, Peter must
back to Neverland and save them. This means he must learn all o\
what it is to be a child and know how to imagine. Meeting up agal
with the Lost Boys and Tinkerbell, and doing battle with Capta^
Hook, his ultimate nemesis, Peter gets the chance to redeem his li^
He does this by learning about the child in himself—no matter hr
scary that might be. After all, he's Peter Pan. He'll never really grc
up. This is important for Spielberg and great fun for everyone els
Rated PG for harmless horsing around.
Marilyn Moss
\
today. Yet beneath this radiant film lies another of Spielberg's
chronic issues—a view of childhood that is utterly grim and a view
of parenthood that is relentlessly unforgiving.
Political correctness is a good idea, and for sure it will get the film
good word of mouth. So will Julia Roberts' appearance—despite her
awkwardness as Tinkerbell—help draw people to the boxoffice. Not
to mention Robin Williams (so impishly delightful that he may be
the ultimate Peter Pan) and Dustin Hoffman (having some trouble
adjusting his British accent but doing well serving up Captain Hook
as a bundle of fidgeting neuroses). Yet beneath all
the hoopla to
"Hook"—and there's plenty of it—there's no coming away from this
beautiful and extremely entertaining film without trying to shake the
feeling that for Spielberg childhood is an awful place to be: it's
frightening (as are the centers of most fairy tales ) and it's a time when
you get abandoned and maybe never recover. Perhaps that's why
STAR TREK VI: THE
UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY
Starring William Shatner. Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelt}
Directed by Nicholas Meyer. Screenplay by Nicholas Meyer a
Dennv Martin Flinn. Produced by Ralph Winter and Steven-Char
Jaffe'.
A Paramount Pictures Release. Science Fiction, rated PG. Ri
ning time: 109 min. Sound: Dolby SR. Projection: 70mm. Screeni
date: 12/3/91.
After the commercially disappointing "Star Trek V: The Fir
Frontier," Paramount Pictures and executive producer Leoni
Review Index
Alan & Naomi R-8
Beauty and the Beast R-3
Boy Who Cried Bitch, The R-5
Close My Eyes R-9
Delicatessen R-8
High Heels R-6
Hook R-
Kafka R-5
La Belle Noiseuse R-4
Lunatic, The R-8
Meeting Venus R-3
My Girl R-2
Past Midnight R-7
People Under the Stairs, The R-7
Prospero's Books R-5
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country R-1
Strictly Business R-7
Woman's Tale, A R-6
R-1 Boxoffice

—
SpoL-k" Nimoy have brought back "Wrath of Khan" writer-director
holas Meyer for a second tour of duty on "Star Trek VI." The
hoice is a shrewd one; though not the most profitable film in the
;ries, Meyer's "Khan" is widely regarded by Star Trek's fan base
s best of show, thanks to Meyer's action directing chops and
icardo Montalban's delicious overacting as Khan. On what truly
ppears to be (at long last) Kirk and company's final voyage, the
ecision was made to send starship Enterprise off into the computerenerated
sunset with an action-packed bang rather than "Star Trek
Though noticeably long of tooth (and thick of waistline), team
Enterprise acquits itself admirably under Meyer's assured stewardship.
By this point, "Star Trek's" major characters have essentially
passed into folklore—correctly assuming that anyone with access to
a television set already understands the interpersonal intricacies of
Star Trek's heroic pantheon.
Meyer wisely avoids the flaccid touchy-feeliness marring the
series' other recent space odysseys, focusing instead on brisk movie
elements that really move. The result is almost closer to "Star Wars "
than "Star Trek," a rough and tumble adventure yam, harnessing
state-of-the-art effects-technology to a tightly constructed story.
Though a notch below "Khan," thanks to obsessively campy in-joking
(a holdover from the Nimoy-directed "Star Treks" III and IV),
"Trek" fans and action junkies alike could do worse than to take this
robust pilgrimage to "The Undiscovered Country"—a salutary conclusion
to one of the great pop culture phenomena of our time as it
slides gracefully off across the final frontier.
Rated PG-13 for occasional violence. Ray Greene
.''s" bo.xoffice whimper. It's a strategy that pays off handsomely
in nearly every level, resulting in a movie that should enable
Paramount Pictures to live long and prosper well into the next fiscal
ear.
Based on a story by Nimoy. Lawrence Konner and Mark
losenthal, "The Undiscovered Country" cleverly blends recent
European developments into the eternal struggle between Trek's
•ederation good guys and the evil Klingon empire. After a Chemolyl-like
accident on a Klingon moon (stunningly executed as a kind
)f apocalyptic tidal Shockwave by George Lucas' Industrial Light
nd Magic effects team), the Klingon home planet is doomed; with
heir emphasis on military hardware, the Klingons are economically
'inprepared for the toxic lunar debris that will gradually render their
vorld uninhabitable over the next half century. Debilitated by years
)f expensive Cold-warfare, the Klingons sue for peace (sound
amiliar?); a reluctant Captain Kirk (whose son died at Klingon
lands in "Star Trek III") is selected to escort Klingon Chancellor
jorkon (David Warner) to the Federation bargaining table, along
vith his warrior crew, led by the one-eyed, neo-Prussian Chang (a
)rancing Christopher Plummer, who's probably still picking chunks
)f scenery out of his teeth after this one).
All hell breaks loose when the Enterprise seems to fire on the
waceable Klingon vessel, disabling its artificial gravity unit. In a
)ravura directorial set-piece, a pair of space-suited assassins beam
aboard the crippled ship, easily dispatching most of the Klingon
diplomatic team as they float helplessly in weightless space. As
Enterprise commander. Kirk stands accused; his reputation—and
intergalactic peace—hang once more in the balance.
MY GIRL
Snirring Dan Aykroyd. Jamie Lee Ciirlis. Macaiday Culkin and
introducing Anna Chlumsky.
Directed by Howard Zieff. Screenplay by Laurice Elehwany.
Produced by Brian Grazer.
A Columbia Pictures release. Comedy-drama, rated PG. Running
time: 102 min. Screening date: 1 1/25/91.
With "Home Alone," Macaulay Culkin established himself as the
biggest child star since the heyday of Shirley Temple; so it seems
strange that he would follow up that mega-hit with the role he has
taken in "My Girl." The film has its charms, to be sure, but it doesn't
seem likely to maintain Culkin as the king of Boxoffice Mountain;
indeed, if another actor were in the role, the film would probably
slide through the crowded holiday season unnoticed.
Culkin's role is actually a supporting one; the real star of the film
is Anna Chlumsky, a 10-year-old newcomer who plays his best
friend, Vada Sultenfuss. Vada lives with her father Harry (Dan
Aykroyd ), a lonely, widowed mortician whose wife died giving birth
to Vada. In the years since Mrs. Sultenfuss died, Vada and Harry
have lived a solitary, melancholy life; Vada has no real friends aside
from Culkin's Thomas J. Sennett, and she's a budding hypochondriac
who runs to the doctor claiming to have whatever illness killed
her father's latest client—including, in one memorable scene, prostate
cancer.
Into their lives comes Shelly DeVoto (Jamie Lee Curtis), a freespirited
young divorcee who takes a job as the funeral parlor's
mortician. (The film is set in the early '70s, and to show Shelly's
free-spiritedness, she lives in an RV and wears miniskirts.) At first.
Vada forms a tentative bond with Shelly, but when her father and
Shelly become romantically involved, Vada turns against the older
woman. She spends more and more time with Thomas J. and also
steals money from Shelly to take a creative writing class with a
teacher (Griffin Dunne) on whom she has a crush. And in the surprise
plot twist that everyone seemed to know before the film opened.
Januarj, 1992 R-2

—
—
Thomas J. (who. we've been told, is allergic to everything) is killed
by a swarm of bees, leaving Vada on the edge of despair.
Like this year's "The Man in the Moon," "My Girl" primarily
focuses on a young girl's coming-of-age, and though it's a lighter
film, it still has a wistful tone. But despite Thomas J.'s death, the
film is, from the outset, on a collision course with a happy ending.
It's always clear from the sentimental flavor of Laurice Elehwany's
script that Vada will resolve her jealousy over Harry's relationship
with Shellv and recover from her friend's death.
Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise. Screenplay by Lind,
Woolverton. Produced by Don Halm.
A Walt Disney Pictures release. Animation, rated G. Runnin
time: 85 min. Soimd: Dolby SR. Projection: Flat. Screening date
11/6/91.
In our world of painful economics and brutal legislations,
fairy-tale is a delightful respite from the daily grind: a fanciful worl
where everyone lives happily ever after. "Beauty and the Beast," th^
thirtieth full-length feature from the elves at Disney and the mos
substantial since "101 Dalmatians," is a smartly written story wed
ded to beautiful, masterfully detailed animation. For sure it \\i
seduce young audiences as well as those who feel grown-up. Un
doubtedly in response to criticism that the cute little "Mermaid.
Ariel, was nothing more than a precocious sexpot, the idea-peopl
behind this beauty—aptly named Belle—chose to make her an ico
of self-reliance, a voracious reader with a curiosity and love fc
everything around her (inducing the Disney trademark: dotin
animals ).
Rather than creating conflict in her unrequited love, Disne
has included the ludicrous Gaston, a hairy -chested bastion of mal
What makes the film effective is the fine work of the ensemble
and Howard Zieff's sure-handed, straightforward direction.
Chlumsky is a charming actress who perfectly captures the confusion
and self-dramatizing flair of a girl on the brink of womanhood.
Aykroyd's performance is one of his best, understated but brimming
with the confidence that Harry's new relationship instills in him,
while Curtis is any middle-aged man's dream of the carefree younger
woman. For his part, Culkin more or less blends in with the scenery;
his performance is about as far a cry from his showy turn in "Home
Alone" as can be imagined, and though he is perfectly adequate in
the role, it' s hard to say what (other than marquee value ) his presence
lends the film. In supporting roles, Richard Masur and Griffin Dunne
give the film some spice as, respectively, Harry's brother Phil and
Mr. Bixler, the object of Vada's crush.
What seems strangest about "My Girl" is the nostalgic way it sees
the early '10s. There's never a hint of the social and political turmoil
the country experienced during those years and, aside from the
assorted hippies in Mr. Bixler's poetry class and Shelly's free spirit
( which, by the standards of the time, is still relatively tame), we might
be watching a film set in the 'SOs, as memorialized in "Happy Days."
But then, "Happy Days" never dealt with the Red Scare or
McCarthyism, and the same amount of time now separates us from
the '70s as that which separated "Happy Days" from the '50s. "My
Girl" may be the first in a long hne of films that see the '70s through
rose-colored glasses.
Rated PG for family viewing.
JejfSchwager
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Starring ihe voices of Paige O'Haru. Rohhy Benson, Richard
White. Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers, Angela Lansbury and Jo
Anne Worlev.
chauvinism who would like to possess the beautiful bookworm fc
his collection of trophies—Beauty barefoot and pregnant, of cours(
But Beauty will instead fall in love with the Beast.
Even before we really meet the Beauty, we are treated to the stor
of the Beast—the painful tale of a spoiled, arrogant prince who
cursed by an angry spiritualist into the body of a Beast and curse
forever unless he can learn to love and be loved. The story that ensu^
is
a delightful one of love, trust and the importance of family an
commitment—all ensconced in the Beast's castle tilled wuh
mated bric-a-brac: a candelabra reminiscent of Maurice Chevalit
and a robust teapot voiced by Angela Lansbury followed lovingl
by her child, a little cracked cup. We also find memorable charactei
stepping in time to routines that Busby Berkeley would have enviee
Tying it all together is a score full of wonderful music written by th
brilliant composer-lyricist Howard Ashman, who also helped creal
"Little Shop Of Horrors" and "The Little Mermaid."
Sadly, Ashman died of AIDS last March. But his beautiful tune
will entertain generations to come, just as "Beauty and the Beast"
bound to enter the archives of Disney's classic stories. This is
glorious story that is
also a brilliantly realized feat of animation;
is replete with laughter, tears and great wit.
Rated G for the entire family. Marl Florence
MEETING VENUS
Starring Glenn Close and Niels Arestrup.
Directed by Ish'an Szabo. Written by Istvan Szabo and Michat
Hirst. Produced by David Puttnam.
A Warner Bros, release. Drama, rated PG-13. Running time: 11
min. Sound: Dolby A. Projection: Flat. Screening date: 11/8/91.
"Meeting Venus" is before anything an oddity: an intimate filr
about staging a grand opera (Wagner's "Tannhauser," to be exact
Yet odd mixtures are both the film's subject and its charm, an
director Istvan Szabo ("Mephisto" ) manages to sweep all the story'
conflicting forces into an elegant whole. And if audiences ca
believe Glenn Close as a renowned diva (mouthing the chords ci
R-3 BOXOFFICE

1 telecast
f-screen soprano Kiri Te Kanawa), then the rest of this tale won't
too difficult to enjoy.
French-Danish actor Niels Arestrup is Zoltan Szanto, a virtually
known Hungarian conductor who is given the opportunity to come
Paris to conduct Wagner's "Tannhauser," a production that will
by satellite to 27 countries world-wide and make him an
brnational figure. It's obviously the chance of a lifetime and he's
ger to meet his obligation. Most important. Zoltan loves music
—
d this is where he gets into trouble.
The first thing Zoltan runs into is trouble—trouble that just won't
ave him alone.
His performers have chaotic personal lives and his
usicians seem to care less about music than they do about their
lion rules and unending squabbles. While Zoltan asks for complete
dication to music, he is met with a management that bickers
nongst itself for power positions, dancers whose union calls a
ike, set designs that begin as a disaster and an opera house that is
ing picketed by an environmental group.
As if this weren't trouble enough, Zoltan and his leading lady
s strong-willed Karin Anderson (Glenn Close)—begin a stormy
ilationship that turns into a love affair. Soon both their lives are
imed upside-down as their love of music is challenged by their love
r each other.
Zoltan comes nowhere close to the strength Karin
!)ssesses, and by the film's conclusion he learns a thing or two about
landing up for himself and conducting his opera as well as his
'•rformers and musicians
Naturally trouble follows him right up to
e last minute, as the electricians' union is now on strike and the
age manager will not raise the curtain. Yet, as his performers stand
1 stage, finally (yes, in front of the dropped curtain), the power as
ell
as the beauty of Wagner's music redeems their spirits as well
. their gumption and chaos collapses into a kind of suspended
irmony— for the moment, at least.
's
In "Meeting Venus" chaos becomes the quirkiest kind of charm,
Richard Wagner meeting up with the world of the politically
)rrect and artifice colliding with the tlesh and blood of the ordinary
orld. Ultimately, the film works simply because director Szabo
fuses it with an off-kilter humor and a view of how the world of
le stage truly does reflect the artful alliances we make in our lives.
Rated PG- 1 3 for sexual situations. Marilyn Moss
—
LA BELLE NOISEUSE
Sinning Michel Piccoli, Jane Birkin, Emmanuelle Beart and
David Bursztein.
Directed by Jacques Rivette. Screenplay by Pacal Bonitzer. Chrisline
Laurent and Jacques Rivette, based on Honore de Balzac 's "The
Unknown Masterpiece. " Produced by Pierre Grise.
An MK2 release. Drama, rated. R. Running time: 240 min.
Screening date: 11/9/91.
Discussing the nearly three hour length of "The Unbearable
Lightness of Being," filmmaker Philip Kaufman once said it seemed
strange to him that Americans were willing to spend several hours
at work or even at a sporting event but unwilling to invest the same
amount of time in a work of art. This point seems especially appropriate
to Jacques Rivette's brilliant new film, "La Belle Noiseuse,"
which runs four hours (and it's a four hours that feels every bit that
long) and which has as its subject the creation of a work of art. It's
a film that anyone interested in the creative process won't want to
miss, but it's much more than that as well: it's as beautifully crafted
and as emotionally honest a film as has been seen in recent years.
The "Belle Noiseuse" (it translates to "beautiful pain in the ass")
of the title is a painting that once-famous artist Frenhofer (Michel
Piccoli) was working on 1 years before the action of the film begins.
When we first meet him, Frenhofer has apparently given up painting
for the more sedate pleasures of domestic life and has married his
"Belle Noiseuse" model, Liz (Jane Birkin). But their blissful country
life actually masks deep dissatisfaction; he has not reconciled with
his decision to retire, and she is overcome with the guilty suspicion
that she has caused him to quit.
Into their lives come Nicolas (David Bursztein), a promising
young painter, and his girlfriend Marianne (Emmanuelle Beart, the
stunning actress who played the title role in "Manon of the Spring"),
a writer who has published a children's book. Nicolas is interested
in learning what secrets Frenhofer can teach, and he's so eager to
please the older man that he offers up Marianne as a nude model
without so much as checking with her first.
the younger man's offer,
Reluctantly accepting
Frenhofer decides to resume "La Belle
Noiseuse" with his new model, shaking the delicate balance in the
relationships of everyone involved. At first, Marianne is shocked
and angered that Nicolas has offered her services ("You sold my
ass," she yells at him) to Frenhofer, and she tells him she won't go.
When she changes her mind, it's as an act of defiance against
Nicolas: she decides to use the modelling to show him he can't
control her.
The early scenes between Frenhofer and Marianne are like two
boxers feeling each other out in the early rounds of a fight: she is a
tentative, inflexible model, and he has clearly lost his confidence.
But as their sessions progress, and as they get to know each another,
their collaborative work seems to take on a life of its own. Rivette
bravely spends much of his time focusing on the paper and canvas
on which Frenhofer does his work, making us feel like participants
in his act of creation. Likewise, he lingers on Marianne's often
difficult and painful poses: this is perhaps the only film ever made
that gets inside the feeling of agony for both artist and model.
The relationships between these four characters make up the heart
of the film. Though Frenhofer and Marianne keep their relationship
platonic. her relationship with Nicolas nevertheless deteriorates. In
offering her as a model, he may have subconsciously wanted to
establish his control over her; but she turns this to her advantage,
spending more and more time modelling and less time being available
to him. For Liz, seeing Marianne take her place as Frenhofer'
model is difficult, but she handles it remarkably well. Marianne
cannot help being suspicious, however, and when Liz w arns her not
to let Frenhofer paint her face; she takes it as a sign of jealousy. But
when Marianne sees the finished painting she is shocked: Frenhofer
has apparently captured a side of her she had hoped to keep hidden,
and having it exposed devastates her. How Rivette works this to a
conclusion is deeply moving and lyrical.
All the actors do fine work in difficult roles, but the film clearly
belongs to Piccoli and Beart. She is required to pose nude for much
of the film, and she is unquestionably stunning to look at. But more
than that, she manages to make Marianne's transformation power-
s
January 1992 R-4

:.
fully compelling; she is as naked emotionally as she is physically.
Piccoli is utterly believable as the artist and has the film's strangest
und most touching scene near the end, when he confirms that it
the act of creation and not the reception his work gets that means the
most to him. Birkin's role is necessarily vague, but she does a
wonderful job tilling out her character, while Bursztein, as the
spumed Nicolas, has just the right combination of conniving self-interest
and charm.
The look of the film is another of its pleasures, with William
Lubtchansky's cinematography giving the picture a gorgeous sheen.
This is Rivette's first film to be released in this country in nearly 20
years, and it's a potent reminderof what a great filmmaker he is: for
no one less than a great artist could make a film that so powerfully
reveals the struggle of the artistic spirit. One hopes that in the future,
American distributors will enthusiastically embrace the work of this
master.
Rated R for considerable nudity. — JeffSchwager.
PROSPERO'S BOOKS
Stanini^ John Gielgiid. Michael Clark and Michel Blanc.
Adapted and directed by Peter Creenaway from "The Tempest"
hy William Shakespeare. Produced by Kees Kasander.
A Miramax Films Release. Drama, rated R. Runninii time: 126
min. Screening date: 10/30/91.
Peter Greenaway devotees and academic theoreticians are perhaps
the only audience members who'll get anything remotely worthwhile
out of Greenaway's "Prospero's Books"—and even they may
find their loyalties divided if they have more than a passing acquaintance
with the film's source in William Shakespeare's elegiac final
play, "The Tempest." To non-Shakespeareans, it may seem — daring
and insightful of Greenaway to forcibly equate Prospero "The
Tempest's" conjurer-protagonist—with Shakespeare, the wizardly
wordsmith who created him; but the fact is. the same "insight" can
be found, rendered with more clarity (and far more entertainingly),
in the eight-page forward to any respectable paperback edition of the
te.xt.
References to Prospero's authorial role in the action were only
one facet of Shakespeare's multi-layered pastoral comedy before
Greenaway sank his ham-fisted hooks into it. Here, "The Tempest"
is recast as a sort of monotonous puppet show, with star John Gielgud
reciting every role— a promising idea for verse fans, given Gielgud'
facility with Shakespearean wordplay, if Greenaway hadn't elected
to muddy Sir John's readings by blending them on the soundtrack
with the stilted performances of the forgettable supporting ensemble
whose mouths he's putting words into. When he's not wandering the
crowded, nymph-infested halls of his island habitat in one of
Greenaway's endless horizontal tracking shots, Gielgud can be
found scribbling Shakespeare's verse onto the pages of a great
notebook—a pedestrian literalization of a metaphoric relationship
Prospero's magic and Shakespeare's artistry have enjoyed since the
play's inaugural production on the Jacobean stage.
The great failing of "Prospero's Books" is that it severs its
connection to the magical lyricism of Shakespeare while offering no
adequate replacement. Other ambitious filmmakers—Orson Welles,
Peter Brook—have offered up equally radical transformations of
Shakespearean masterpieces, and the best of these—specifically the
Brook Lear and Welles' cut-and-paste Falstaff pastiche "Chimes at
Midnight"—managed to establish a unique creative identity rivalling
the illustrious sources they drew on. But despite dozens of nude
extras, the ennobling presence of Gielgud — perhaps the greatest
Shakespearean actor alive—and a handful of intriguing Kabuki
theatre-like staging ideas, there is little artistry and even less poetry
in this "Tempest." With those qualities removed, what remains is
just smoke and mirrors, a film so offputting and dull it makes one
pine for the embalmed Classics Comics approach of last year's
Zeffirelli "Hamlet"—which at least managed to be watchable and
simultaneously boring. By even that slight standard of comparison.
"Prospero's Books" is but a tale told by a facile technician— full of
sound and fury, signifying nothing.
Rated R for extensive nudity and some violence.
—
Ra\ Greene.
s
is
THE BOY WHO CRIED BITCH
Starring Harley Cro.'ss and Karen Young.
Directed hy Juan Jose Campanella. Screenplay by Catherine Mc
Levin. Produced by Louis Tangredi.
A Pilgrims 3 release. Psychological melodrama; not rated. Rui
ning lime: 105 min. Screening date: 9/26/91.
It's a parent's worse nightmare: a dangerously uncontrollab
child. But with its problematic title, "The Boy Who Cried Bitch"
no "Problem Child." The heavy handed screenplay by executi^
producer Catherine May Levin is far too sinister and unsettling'
draw audiences outside of the festival-art house circuit.
Despite his cherubic face, 1
2-year old Harley Cross convincing
plays a serial killer in the making, prone to outbursts of profani
and fits
—
of violence. A pint-sized, potential ax-murderer, the be
terrorizes his single mother and kid brothers. When he's put aw;
in a hospital for psychotic children, his violent behavior is more th;
the doctors can handle and the boy is (incredibly) returned home f'
a tragic showdown.
Cross carries off with broad force the demanding role of a kid i
sane mother could love. But Karen Young, as the helpless mothe
is a more difficult character to believe. Her abrasive, uneducat
speech pattern contradicts her appearance as an elegant, wealtl
heiress. Her imbalance is so obvious that it quickly becomes apps
ent that despite her well-meaning intentions. Mom is
probably
nuts as Sonny. Gene Canfield. Moira Kelly and Adrien Brody fie
out the psychological landscape with their acute portrayals of t
screwed-up friends the boy acquires during his troubled young lii
This low-budget, independent production was shot in New Yoi
but you'd hardly know it from all the interior shots. Especial
spooky are those scenes filmed in the notorious Creedmore mem
hospital. The highly stylized direction of Argentinian Juan Jo
Campanella. along with Daniel Shulman's powerful visuals a
Wendy Blackstone's suspenseful score, gives this psychologic
thriller an intensity that makes it difficult to watch.
Not rated, "The Boy" shocks with excessive expletives, violen
and sexual suggestion. Karen Kreps
KAFKA
Starring Jeremy Irons. Theresa Russell. Joel Grey. Ian Hoi
Jeroen Krahbe. Armin Muetler-Stahl and Alec Guinness.
Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Screenplay by Lem Dobbs. Pi
duced by Stuart Cornfeld and Harry Benn.
A Miranuu Films release. Drama, rated PG-13. Running >
98 min. Sound: Dolbx SR. Projection: Flat. Screening da.
11/13/91.
When Terry Gilliam's "Brazil" was released in 1985, it w
immediately tagged as Kafkaesque, and by that same token o
might call Steven Soderbergh's "Kafka" Gilliamesque, or perha
Brazilian. For though it is set for the most part in Kafka's Pragi
and though it features a fictionalized version of the author as
protagonist, the film's realization of its
themes, particularly in
final portion, more clearly recalls the mechanized, horrific future
Gilliam's Brazilian netherworld than Kafka's landscape of alie
ation.
For fans of Soderbergh's "sex, lies and videotape," this will
doubt be a disappointment, for the humanity he showed his chars
ters in that film, as well as the brittle ironic wit, is all but absent frc
"Kafka." It's a cold, strangely hollow portrait of the artist's wor
and though Soderbergh's cinematic technique is expert, it is
enough to save Lem Dobbs' script from its lifelessness. As in ma
latter day Sherlock Holmes films, which sneak in as many Holmf
ian cross-references as possible, Dobbs seems too delighted by i;
ways in which he can insert and recycle Kafka's motifs to notice til
he hasn't bothered to construct a story of any real interest. In the ci
this film has about as much to do with Kafka and his work as " 1
Seven Percent Solution" had to do with Freud and "The Interprv
tion of Dreams."
Dobbs' Kafka (much like his historical counterpart) is a mi
mannered insurance agency clerk who spends his spare time wriii
bizarre stories for an unapprcciativc world. But there's no depth*
R-5 BOXOFFICE

[
And
'
i
—
—
lobbs' characterization, no hint at what motivates Kafka artistically,
/e may be meant to assume that the adventure we're watching is
'hat sparks his imagination, but that leaves unexplained the stories
e's already written.
the adventure we see is hardly compelling: in addition to
Brazil," it recalls "The Third Man" as Kafka investigates the
|isappearance of a friend and traces the man back to a group of
jvolutionaries. One member of the group is Gabriela (Theresa
l.ussell), the missing man's former mistress and a co-worker of
lafka's who draws the writer deeper into the group's covert orgaization
only to eventually vanish, herself. After her disappearance,
ilafka becomes determined to penetrate the mysteries of the ominous
lastle that houses the offices of government, and it is there that the
Im ultimately self destructs amid tlashy inconsistencies.
Granted, Soderbergh's visual design is undeniably stunning. The
i,lm
is shot in lush black and white for its first 80 minutes (recalling
ot only "The Third Man" but also the shadowy world Orson Welles
reated in his adaptation of Kafka's "The Trial") before opening up
iito
"Brazif'-style color when Kafka gets within the castle walls,
tut while the stylistic flourishes are striking, they can't mask the
mptiness of the story.
Neither can the cast's mostly fine performances. Jeremy Irons
;nds Kafka a measured, tentative civility, and though he doesn't
ive any real insight into the character, he is always interesting to
i-atch. So are Armin Mueller-Stahl as a police inspector, Ian Holm
s a government doctor, Joel Grey as Kafka's nosy supervisor, Alec
Juinness as the head of the company and Jeroen Krabbe as one of
ne writer's few fans. Only Russell falters, giving Gabriela a monotnous,
graceless quality that again makes one wonder why
ilmmakers think her pouty sex appeal is an adequate substitute for
cting talent.
Rated PG- 1
3 for adult themes.—Jeff Schwager.
\ WOMAN'S TALE
Starring Sheila Florance. Gosia Dobrowolska and Norman Kaye.
Directed by Paul Cox. Screenplay by Paul Cox and Barry' Dickins.
'reduced by Paul Cox and Santhana Naidu.
An Orion Classics release. Drama, rated PG-13. Running time:
14 min. Screening date: 11/14/91.
Films made in the last decade dealing with elderly people, apart
rom being far and few between, have maintained a certain consisency
of tone. "Driving Miss Daisy," "My Trip to Bountiful," and
':ven "Cocoon," though fine films, all possess the type of high
entimentality typically reserved for little-giri-coming-of-age stories
md vintage nostalgia pieces; old age seen through the filter of
celluloid idealism and old age as young people would like to see
t—not, perhaps, as it really is.
Not so in Australian filmmaker Paul Cox's "A Woman's Tale."
Here is a film dealing with old age and its
ieath—with refreshing, albeit disturbing, realism.
adjuncts—sickness and
Martha (Sheila Florance) is a proud, vital, free-thinking, almost
':ighty-year-old woman. She believes in love, life and kindness in a
ivoHd that is all too hostile. She's an avid swimmer and a determined
.moker—determined, though she has terminal lung cancer. Her story
begins when she returns from the funeral of an old lover who, she
';laims. was a weakling for dying with so little fight. Martha, her-
;elf—with grit, humor and compassion—battles against the pains of
ler situation: the landlord who can't wait to rent her fiat (
her precious
lome) to a higher paying tenant; the son who would strip her
iwssionale independence and put her in an institution; and most
wignantly her body, cloaked in "old skin," wherein her immense
Upirit is trapped.
Manha is loving master to her cat and her bird, Jesus, protector of
herold somewhat senile neighbor, Billy (Norman Kaye) and mentor
;o her best friend, a young nurse, Anna (Gosia Dobrowolska). She
|"evels in Anna's youth and beauty, helping her consummate an affair
iwith a married man by urging her to make love in the bed Martha
tiopes to die in. In turn, Anna loves and cares for the old woman,
Standing up for her independence and listening to the stories of her
youth. And when Miss Inchley, (a ninety year-old virgin, according
to Martha), compares life to a waterfall— rushing, falling, then at
peace— Martha rolls her eyes and says, "Oh please." But inevitably,
though her spirit rages, even Martha cannot stop the water's flow.
Paul Cox's film is deeply moving and strikingly unsympathetic,
largely due to Sheila Florance's straight-forward delivery. In fact.
Florance's performance is utteriy stunning. The Australian stage
actress, whom Cox calls the film's "subject and maker," herself died
of cancer in October, and some of Martha's stories in the film are
lifted from her own life. Add to this Cox' s courageous filmmaking
he doesn't balk at a scene in which Martha sits semi-nude in the
tub—and Nino Martinetti's photography, which captures character
in a face instead of glamorizing it, sometimes with Goya-esque
results. The outcome is a film whose resounding clarity reveals truth:
while the human body is ever fragile, the human spirit is strong and
constant.
"A Woman's Tale" may sound depressing to some, and certainly
the last few moments are heart-wrenching; but when the film ends,
its exhilarating message is clear. As Martha says to Anna, "Life is
beautiful. Keep love alive." Amen.
Rated PG-13 for language and slight nudity. Diana Karanikas
HIGH HEELS
Starring Victoria Abril. Marisa Paredes and Miguel Base.
Written and directed by Pedro Almodovar. E.xecutive produced
by Agustin Almodovar
A Miramax Films release. Comedy-drama, rated R. Running time:
115 min. Sound: Dolby A. Projection: Flat. Screening dale:
11/18/91.
Contemporary Spain's most celebrated auteur, Pedro Almodovar
("Women on the 'Verge of A Nervous Breakdown" and "!Tie Me
Up, Tie Me Down!"), is back, and he's murderously funny. He's got
mischief on his mind as much as ever. In his last two outings.
Almodovar broke nearly every sexual code of ethics that we Americans
could take—with seduction meaning rape and rape meaning a
lesson in humility. Now he opts for a bit more seriousness in his
search of how sex. murder and family spill
over into each other's
boundaries and make for marvelous fun. At times deadpan, at other
times hilariously humorous, "High Heels" has that distinct Almodovarean
signature written all over it: everything we do is material
for satirizing everything we are. And everything we do and are
has sex written all over it.
In Almodovar' s world, sex makes us tick.
In "High Heels" the director makes it clearer than he ever has that
women are his favorite subjects. Much like in his last two exports.
Almodovar seems to take up residence in a women's souls. Synip,ithetic
to the end, he lets his women (maybe even himself) get aw a\
with murder.
In "High Heel," his heroine, Rebecca (Victoria Abril), is a yount:
woman who can't shake her mother— in more ways than one. .An
aging but still beautiful pop idol, her mom, Becky Del Paranm
(Marisa Paredes), has come back into her life after years of what
have seemed like abandonment. Mother and daughter are tense but
holding up,
except for one hitch—Rebecca has married Beck>'s
ex-lover (well, one of them), and the two women seem destined to
do battle in an Oedipal drama of stratospheric proportions.
The actual battle never ensues, however, because this husband is
soon found murdered—but by whom?. After this point "High HeeK"
focuses mainly on the way mother and daughter handle the past and
present hurt that is so much a part of their life together. While
Rebecca, who is the most obvious suspect, goes to jail (she ultimate! \
gets out), her mother moves in and out of histrionic episodes— guilt.
remorse and a little self-consumed worrying. The audience never
knows just how much this mother is on her daughter's side until the
film's conclusion.
Almodovar keeps the spirit light. Murder is never punished;
instead it becomes a situation rife with satiric possibilities. The mood
and attitude in "High Heels" are characteristically Almodovarian in
that seriousness and humor vie for each other throughout the stoi\
Nothing is ever sacred enough—family, homicide, even love—thai
it is immune to the director's stinging wit. And while this film is a
bit more serious than Almodovar's previous work—not to wony. it
January. 1992 R-6

—
—
doesn't lust for long. "High Heels" is a story for those who take film
seriously.
Rated R for lansuase and sexual situations.
Marilyn Moss
STRICTLY BUSINESS
Starring Joseph C. Phillips. Tommy Davidson and Halle Berry.
Directed by Kevin Hooks. Screenplay by Pam Gibson and Nelson
George. Produced by Andre Harrell and Pam Gibson.
A Warner Bros, release. Comedy, rated PG- 13. Running time:
84 min. Sound: Dolby A. Projection: Flat. Screening date:
] J/13/91.
A new era of exploitation has begun for black audiences. Following
the successes and big dollar earnings of Spike Lee, Robert
Townsend. Keenan Ivory Wayans and up-and-comer John Singleton,
studio money men are fashionably saying, "Yeah, let's make a
movie with /)/«tA- people in it. Lots of "em!" Without care or concern,
"Strictly Business" is another dollar mentality product, smacked full
of hip new music, hoppin" dance steps and more than a germ of an
insidious story line.
Ostensibly the story of a black man to rise up the proverbial
corporate ladder, hard-working young real-estate exec—and Sidney
Poitier clone—Wa>mon 1 insdale 111 (Joseph C. Phillips) finds redemption
along with his ethnicilN h\ dumping his militaristic yuppie
girlfriend (mercilessly portrayed by Anne Marie Johnson) for steamier
sex with bra-less wanna-be actress Natalie (Halle Berry) while
also discovering that hangin' with mailroom homey Bobby Johnson
(Tommy Davidson) is far superior to running with the racist white
guys that form his company's power core. A thinly veiled complement
to "The Secret of My Success" and other fantasy career flicks.
"'Strictly Business" buys into the white American power game,
liberally applying blackface over what should be the new black
dream and masking it with a liberal dose of funky dance music.
Rather than suggesting that niacks continue to carve a niche in this
capitalist society, this film slickly recommends that the young and
disenfranchised buy into the dream of white, male-dominated oppression.
We can only hope no buying takes place.
Rated PG- 1 3 for innocuous. Mari Florence
PAST MIDNIGHT
Slarriiiii Riiii;cr Haiter. Natasha Richardson and Clancy Brown.
Directed by Jan Eliasberg. Screenplay by Frank Norwood. Produced
by Lisa M. Hansen.
A New Line Cinema release. Suspense-thriller, rated R. Running
time: 100 min. Screening date: I1/21/9L
Creak, creak, creak goes the plot line of this hopelessly hokey
suspense-thriller. How bad is it? Well, for starters, it features more
red-herrings than a fish market on a Friday. Factor in a snail-paced
script, weak characterizations and some embarrassing performances
and you'll begin to get some idea of "Past Midnight."
The film opens on a promising note, with the release of a convicted
murderer (by Rutger Hauer) whose social worker (Natasha Richardson)
takes more than a passing interest in his case. Moreover,
because Hauer is established as a rather intelligent and attractive
(albeit
potentially dangerous) character whose conviction for the
murder of his pregnant young wife was shrouded in considerable
doubt, the audience has every reason to be as intrigued as docs
THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS
Starring Brandon .-\dams. Everett McCill. Wendy Rohie
dA..
Longer.
Written and directed by Wes Craven. Produced by Mari
Maddalena and Stuart M. Besser.
A Universal Pictures release. Horror, rated R. Running time: 10
min. Sound: Dolby A. Projection: Flat. Screening date: 11/20/91.
Writer-director Wes Craven has built a reputation by offering
plethora of strongly written gore-fests that give in to gratuitot
slashings and gallons of prefab blood. This doesn't make for suppo
from critics, but his stable of loyal fans has more than compensate
by making him one of the most successful modem day horror filr
creators.
For audiences used to watching this genre through the crevice
between their fingers. "The People Under the Stairs" is
relative!
mild. Actually, it's not the hungry living dead hiding in the wall
w ho are the real threat. Instead it is Everett McGill and Wend> Robi
(Daddy and Mommy, respectively), the very proper looking lunatic
who have systematically ghettoized the city and turned their hom
into a sadomasochist's dream.
The audience first falls into Mommy and Daddy's clutches whe
hen
a couple of career hoodlums drag the film's endearing little
"Fool" (Brandon Adams), over to the nightmarish house of the
slumlords u ith the full intent of robbing them of the monies the> '\
stolen from the community. But they soon learn that no one leave
this house, and "Fool" is left to his own devices as the two others ai
R-7 Boxokuce

•
Starring
1
Directed
j
—
—
—
d to the titular folks (all but their hands, which seem to be favored
iggic treats).
Bui ihc film goes nowhere from here: "Fool," an idealistic young-
.'I,
lun unly wants to escape but also decides to go back for Alice,
oiiini) and Daddy's captive teen daughter who is as much a
isoner as the half-people under the stairs. However, there's hardly
lough suspense to keep the film running, and not enough humor to
deem it. McGill and Robie turn in hilariously flamboyant perforanccs
as the masters of this bell home (alluding to campy favorites
ch as "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" and "Mommie Dear-
,t"). \et their faces grow old quickly, and unless you have a
ndness for this pair from their earlier "Twin Peaks" liaison, they
n't carry the film.
Unfortunately, director Craven has forgotten the formula that
ade his success. With little humor, little fright and only a bit of
atuitous gore (that earned the film its "R" rating), "The People
nder the Stairs" certainly can' t compete with other members of the
nre. However, if a moviegoer is looking to introduce someone to
e wonderful world of horror, this film is safe enough.
Rated R for a bit of gore. Mari Florence
JELICATESSEN
Marie-Laure Dougnac, Dominic Pignon, Karin Viard
hd Jean Claude Dreyfus.
by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro. Screenplay by
'lies Adrien. Produced by Claude Ossard.
A Miramax Films release. Comedy, not rated. In French with
iglish subtitles. Ruiming time: 95 min. Screening date: 1 1/20/9 1.
Combining Jerry Lewis-style slapstick with a plot reminiscent of
iating Raoul," Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro. the co-directors
"Delicatessen," have come up with a stupefyingly unfunny black
medy.
Set in the post-apocalyptic future in which there is no more
estock. it's about a butcher and the tenants who live above his
[op. The butcher, desperately in need of meat to keep his business
ing. has taken to killing off his assistants and tossing their remains
the meat-grinder. But his clumsy, hopeless daughter has fallen in
\ve with the new assistant, putting her father in a major bind. And
jitters aren't helped any by the cave-dwellers, a group of Vegetar-
1 terrorists now trying to put the butcher out of business.
Given this premise, one supposes that a reasonably entertaining
cture might be possible, but Jeunet, Caro and screenwriter Gilles
Irien certainly haven't found a way to make one. Instead, they've
ven us a dark, nightmarish view of the future that delivers neither
Jghs nor insights. "Delicatessan" would make a good promotional
m for the Hemlock Society; unless you're looking for a reason to
lip the future, skip this film.
Not rated, suitable for militant vegetarians.
JejfSchwager.
LAN & NAOMI
Starring Lukas Hass. Michael Gross, Zohra Lampert, Amy
mine and Vanessa Zaoui.
Directed by Sterling VanWagenen. Screenplay by Jordan Horotz.
Produced bx David Anderson and Mark Balsam.
A Triton Pictures release. Drama, rated PC. Running lime: 96
min. Screening dale: 11/12/91.
Hate crimes—they're topical,
they're dramatic and they're the
subject of a new film about two kids sensitively directed by independent
producer Sterling VanWagenen. A Jewish "Do the Right
Thing," "Alan & Naomi" gives thinking audiences of all ages
something on which to chew. But its prime audience will be those
for whom the warm and authentic portrait of Jewish family life
during Worid War II is familiar.
Lukas Haas, a remarkable child actor, gives yet another powerful
performance as a scrawny, pimply-faced kid concerned with stick
ball, model airplanes and fitting in with the (mostly Christian)
neighborhood kids. Unlike his father, he doesn't pay attention to
radio newscasts about the war. When Alan's loud-mouthed mother
demands that he befriend Naomi, the refugee giri next door, he tries
to keep his activity secret for fear of being seen with the neighborhood
"crazy" and then being called a sissy. Newcomer Vanessa
Zaoui gives a painfully tragic performance as Naomi, a child severely
traumatized by having witnessed her father's brutal death at
the hands of Nazis. Only gradually is she drawn out of her catatonic
state by Alan's resourceful ventriloquism (the boy could grow up to
be a great psychiatrist). The relationship becomes enriching for both
children, but then Naomi sadly relapses into her psychosis when
anti-semitic violence erupts in the schoolyard.
Injecting considerable warmth and humor into this grim story Is
a colorful ensemble of classic ethnic types. "Family Ties" star
Michael Gross seems stiff as Alan's loving, pedantic father, but Amy
Aquino is vibrant as the shrewish young wife. Kevin Connolly
makes the friendship between Alan and an Irish boy an important
subplot, and Zohra Lampert is endearingly warm as a Yiddish-speaking
neighbor who shelters Naomi and her quiet, passive mother
(played blankly by Victoria Christian). The film has a stagy quality:
David Anderson and Mark Balsam edged out their low budget and
captured the feeling of a Brooklyn neighborhood of half a century
ago. even though they confine their shooting to a half-dozen locations.
Rated PG for violence and strong language.
THE LUNATIC
Karen Kreps
Starring Paul Campbell. Julie T. Wallace and Carl Bradshan.
Directed by Lol Creme. Screenplay by Anthony C. Winkler. Produced
by Paul M. Heller and John Pringle.
A Triton Pictures release. Comedy; rated R. Running time: 9.^
min. Screening date: 10/23/91.
"The Lunatic" is a refreshingly off-beat comedy that serves up a
rarely seen glimpse of life in rural Jamaica. Though not for all tastes,
the film is a true original that blends plentiful portions of outrageous
humor and sexual carryings-on with more moderate doses of cutting
social commentary. Add in two terrific leads, lush sun-drenched
locations and a healthy dash of reggae music and you're
ready to
cook—Jamaican style.
The film begins by introducing us to Aloysius (Paul Campbell),
a rather deranged but extremely likable young man who spends a
good deal of his time conversing with the local flora and fauna. After
a particularly discouraging day, Aloysius is informed by his best
friend—a tree, no less—that his luck is about to change. This sets
the stage for the arrival of Inga (Julie T. Wallace), a bawdy German
tourist who wastes little time in seducing a rather flabbergasted
Aloysius. Before long, Inga extends her sphere of sexual influence
to include a village butcher and cunningly coerces her two lovers
into building her a funky little love shack. And while neither of the
men is all that thrilled with this arrangement, each nonetheless
complies because, to cite the local argot, "poom-poom" rules.
However, when Inga concocts an ill-advised plan to rob a wealthy
landowner in order to replenish her rapidly dwindling cash supply,
Aloysius (but not the butcher) finds himself faced with a far more
thorny dilemma. On the one hand, he knows that he's sure to lose
his lusty lover if he balks, while on the other, his conscience (not to
mention his friend, the tree ) strongly urges him to stick to the straight
and narrow. But the temptation is too great and after a good deal of
soul searching. Aloysius reluctantly consents to Inga's hair-brained
Januarj', 1992 R-8

—
—
scheme. As you might expect, everything that could go wrong with
the robbery does, and then some, which is not to say that the film
doesn't have a happy ending. But rather than recount all these events,
suffice it
to say that due in part to the efforts of a sympathetic local
barrister, Aloysius emerges triumphant.
In addition to endearing performances turned in by Campbell and
Wallace, director Lol Creme and screenwriter Anthony C. Winkler
deserve a good deal of credit for making this rather unusual little
comedy as appealing as it is. A founding member of the rock group
lOCC and an acclaimed director of numerous music videos, Creme's
most meaningful contribution to "The Lunatic's" success is the way
he has managed to make us care about his characters, which is no
small feat given the film s outlandish story trappings. To put it even
more succinctly, "The Lunatic's" got soul.
Rated R for sexual innuendo. Alan Karp
REVIEW DIGEST
Story type key: (Ac) Action; (Ad) Adventure: (An) Animated: (C
Comedy: (D) Drama; (D/Vl) Drama with Music; (Doc) Documentar]
(F) Fantasy: (H) Horror; (M) Musical: (My) Mystery: (SF
Science Fiction; (Sus) Suspense; (Th) Thriller; (W) Western.
tt 5 g ...
Addams Family
PG-13(Par)
28l°S
V m N •- «
& §
X as -I z 3
CLOSE MY EYES
Still riuii Man Ricknian. Clive Owen and Saskia Reeves.
Directed by Stephen Poliakojf. Screenplay by Stephen Poliakojf.
Produced by Therese Pickard.
A Castle Hill Productions release. Romantic drama, rated R.
Running lime: 109 niin. Screening date: 10/14/91.
"Close My Eyes" is a bit of an anomaly. On the one hand, it's a
passionate romantic drama about incest that frequently threatens to
scorch the screen, while on the other, it is a curiously detached
meditation on the vicissitudes of sexual behavior in the age of AIDS.
A strange marriage to be sure, but one that writer-director Stephen
Poliakoff nearly manages to pull off. Moreover, because it boasts
some fine performances and a lushly languorous look, this multi-faceted
film seems to have the potential to do fairly well on the art house
circuit if given the proper handling.
The story begins by establishing Richard (Clive Owen) and Natalie
( Saskia Reeves ) as a decidedly different set of siblings who have
never been very close. For her part, Natalie is on the verge of a
nervous breakdown following a slew of dead-end jobs and unsuccessful
affairs, while Richard leads the carefree life of an upwardly
mobile young bachelor in contemporary London. By the next time
they meet, however, their roles have reversed. Richard has forsaken
his yuppified ambitions for a low-paying but socially responsible
position and a radiantly revitalized Natalie has become ensconced
in the palatial digs of her filthy-rich new husband Sinclair (Alan
Rickman). It is at this point that Richard begins to take a real interest
in his sister (until now, he barely seemed to notice her or to acknowledge
her obvious affection for him), and when they finally get
together in his flat, it isn't very long before they find themselves
making love. Although they meet again a few weeks later, Natalie,
who is really responsible for initiating the affair, tries to break it off
when she realizes that Richard has become hopelessly fixated on her.
When Natalie tells her brother that she and Sinclair are about to move
to Connecticut, Richard becomes desperate and, after pleading with
her not to go, makes a rather half-hearted attempt to commit suicide.
This is followed by a violent climactic confrontation, but when the
dust clears, all three members of the triangle seem to have gained at
least some measure of increased self-awareness from these tumultuous
events.
Along with the convincing performances turned in by Clive Owen
and Saskia Reeves, Alan Rickman's bravura turn as Natalie's humorously
eccentric husband is particularly worthy of mention for the
much needed sense of levity and balance it brings to these proceedings.
But what really makes this film deserving of attention is
writer-director Stephen Poliakoff s intelligent way of going beyond
the sensationalistic aspects of the affair in an effort to reveal many
of the modern day anxieties and pressures that made it
the first place.
possible in
At least some mention should be made of Poliakoff s stunning use
of locations in London's Home Counties, which imbue "Close My
Eyes" with a sultry, tropical look that is both appropriate and
unexpected.
Rated R for nudity and sexual situations.
Alan Karp

. Chg
CNT€RTniNM€NT DRTn, INC.'S
consT TO consT boxofficc summrrv
IlJcOP 10NRTIONnLR€L€nS€S
Totol Boioffi
O C
Curly Sue

[S/^€GIONnLRnNKINGS
Dallas exchange
op Lueesend grosscrs ronkecJ by scrsen overage)
Ronh
T.;.^

THE NUMBERS PAGE
Top Twenty Boxoffice Performers
Gross
($mil)
1stWk$Ave. 2nd Wk $ Ave.
/ # Screens / # Screens
3rd Wk $ Ave.
# Screens
4th Wk S Ave.
# Screens
Open
Date
Weeks in
Release
1

Dolby
, PG,
, R,
,
Dolby
BOXOFFICE
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
JANUARY
Buena Vista
(818)567-5030
Duslin Hoffman, Nicole Kidman Dir; Rol
Benton 11/1
Beauty and tlie Beast, Anim ,
G, 84 min
Dolby SR. Flat Angela Lansbury, Jerry
Orbach. David Ogden Stiers, 1 1/22
Father ol the Bride, CPG, 140 n
Hat, Steve Martin. Diane Keaton,
Short 12/20
Noises Off, C Doiby A, Flat Michael Cai
Carol Burnett Dir Peter Bogdanovich, 1
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, Ttir. I
mm, Dolby A, Rat Annabella Sciorra.
Rebecca DeMornay 1/10
Columbia
(310)280-8000
(212)751-4400
ThePrinceofTides, D, R, 132n
Rat Barbra Streisand, Nick Nolts
Streisand 12/25
A
Inner Circle„D, PG-13. 134 min, Tom Hulce,
12/25 (Ltd)
MGIVI-Pathe
(310)444-1500
Shattered Thr, R, 97 mm, Dolby SR. Flat.
Tom Betenger Greta Scacchi, Bob Hoskins.
Dir Wolfgang Peterson 10/11
l\/liramax/
Prestige
(212)941-3800
Eraserhead (reissue). D Jack Nance, Dir:
David Lynch
K-2, Ac Michael Biehn Dir Franc Roddam
Antonia and Jane, C, R, 72 mm Dir: Beeban
Rules of Ifie Game, C 11/15
Spotswood. C Anthony Hopkins, 11/1
Prospero's Books, D, R, 126 min John
Gielgud Dir Peter Greenaway 11/8
The Double Life of Veronique, D 11/22
Exposure. D,R, Dolby A, 11/1
High Heels, CD, R, 115 mm, DolbyA, Flat.
Dir: Pedro Almodovar 12/20
Kalka.D, PG-13, 98 min, Dolby SR, Flat
Jeremy Irons Dir Steve Soderbergh, 12/04
New Line
(310)854-5811
(212)239-8880
J Reeves Dir: Gus Van Sant,
DolbyA Paul
fter Dark, C,R, 86 m
Medak 12/6 (Ltd)
114min Dir Peter
Aces: Iron Eagles III, Ac Louis Gossett
The Dark Wind, D Lou Diamond P
Errol Morris 1/10
Orion
(310)282-0550
(212)980-1117
Paramount
(213)956-5000
(212)333-4600
lulcher's Wife. C.PG-13, 105 min,
Dolby A. Rat Demi IVIoore, Jeff Daniels 10/25
lie and Johnny, D, R, 1 1 7 mm, Dolby A,
\] Pacmo, Michelle Pfeiffer 10/11
Stepping Out, CM, PG, 153 mm, Dolby A
jzaMinnelli 10/4
Star Trek VI. SF. PG, 109 min, Dolby SR.
70mm William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy I
Nicholas Meyer 12/13
Dir
Ernest Dickerson,
Samuel
Goldwyn
(310)552-2255
City of Hope, D, R. 130 mm, Dolby A, Scope
/incent Spano, Joe Morton, Tony Lo Bianco
Dir John Sayles 10/4
Madame Bovary, D, PG-13, 143 min . Dolby
A, Flat Isabelle Huppert Dir Claude Chabrol
12/25
35 Up Dir: Michael Apted (Ltd)
Bugsy. D. R, 135 min. Dolby SR. Flat, Warren
TriStar
(310)280-8000
Beatty, Annette Bening. Dir; Barry Levinson.
12/20
Hook. Fan, PG, 135 min. Dolby SR. COS,
Scope, Robin Williams. Dir: Steven Spielberg.
12/11
Universal
(818)777-1000
(212)759-7500
Warner Bros.
(818)954-6000
29th Street. C. R. 101 min,, Dolby A. Hat,
Danny Aiello, Anthony Lapaglia, 10/25
The Super, C, R, 84 mm, Dolby A, Flat,
Pesci 10/4
min, Dolby A, Flat Dir Wes Craven, 11/1
Cool as Ice, Ivlus. PG. 91
Vanilla Ice, 10/18
Joe
mm. Dolby A, Fl:
Other People's Money, D, R, 103 min, Dolby
A Fiat DannyDeVito,Gregory Peck 10/18
Ricochet, Thr, R, 100 mm. Dolby SR. Scope,
Denzel Washington, John Lithgow, 1 0/4
Grand Canyon, CD, R, 140 mm,, DolbyA.
Scipe Kejin Kline, Steve Martin. Danny
ForHie Boys, D. R, 148 min , DolbyA, CD!
,lover, Dir; Lawrence Kasdan, 12/25 (Ltd)
Flat, Bette Midler, James Caan Dir: Mark
Rydeii 1 1/22
An American Tail: Fievel Goes West, Anim,
Fried Green Tomatoes, D, PG-13, DolbyA.
G, 75 mm A, Flat James Stewart, Amy
,
Hat Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy 12/27 (Ltd)
Irving, Dom DeLuise, John Cleese 11/22
At Play in the Fields ol the Lord, D, R. 1 87
Cape Fear, Thr, R, 130min, Dolby SR.
min, Dolby SR, Flat Kathy Bates, John
Scope Robert DeNiro, Nick Nolle, Jessica
Lithgow, Dir: Hector Babenco, 12/6 (Ltd)
Lange Dir Martm Scorsese 11/13
Curly Sue, C, PG, 99 mm, Dolby A, Flat
The Last Boy Scout, Thr, R, 107 min, Mono,
James Belushi Dir John Hughes 11/1
Scope Bruce Willis, Damon Wayons, 12/13
Strictly Business, C, PG-13. 83 mm, Dolby /> JFK, D, R, 188 mm, Dolby SR, Scope,. Kevin
Costner Dir Oliver Stone 12/20
Until the End of the World Thr, R, 157 min.
Dolby A, Rat Dir: Wim Wanders, 12/25
Free Jack. SF. R Emilio Estevez, Mick

. CMus
Bill
FEATURE CHART JANUARY 1992
EBRUARY
MARCH
fan, D,
105 mm, Scope Sean
SlraighlTalii, MusC, Flat James Woods,
Dolly Padon 4/31
Close lo Eden, Thr Dir Sidney Lumet, 4/3
Passed Away, D, Flat. Bob Hoskins, 4/10
Newsies. Mus. 119 mm. Scope
Honey. I Blew Up the Baby, C 93 n
DolbyA, Flat Rick IVIoranis
Buena Vista
(818)567-5030
Won, D,
R,100min.,DolbyA.
DolbyA, Scope, Dir: Richard
Columbia
(310)280-8000
(212)751-4400
Once Upon a Crime. C, PG John Candy
Dir: Eugene Levy 3/20
Criss Cross, D, 100 mm, Dolby A, Flat
Goldie Hawn, Keith Carradine, Arliss
Howard Dir Chns Menges 3/6
MGM-Pathe
(310)444-1500
s per Miramax, release schedule too
Miramax/
Prestige
(212)941-3800
p,
Thr. Rutger Hauer, Natasha
0. Drew Barrymore, Tom
Light Sleeper, D Dir: Paul Schrader
The Lawnmower Man, Hor
Incident at Oglala, Doc Dir Michael Apted
Stepkids, C
Where Angels Fear to Tread, D
Roadside Prophets, D
Edward II, D
Deep Cover, Thr Dir Bill Duke
A Gnome Named Gnorm
Live Wire, Ac Pierce Brosnan, Ron Silver
London Kills Me, D
Where the Day Takes You, D
New Line
(212)239-8880
(310)854-5811
:D. R, 100 min, Dolby SR, Flat

I
I
BOXOFFICE Independent Feature Chart JANUARY 1992
SEPTEMBER
Aries
(212)246-0528
TheStory of Boys and Girls, C,
92 min. Dir: Pupi Avati.
Clnevista
(212)947-4373
Black Lizard, D.
Cannon
(213)966-5640)
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. Rip
Torn.
R S
(818)505-0555
Blood and Concrete, CD. Billy
Zane, Jennifer Beals.
Orion Classics
A Tale of Springtime, CD. Dir:
Eric Rohmer.
Sliapiro Glickenhaus
(818) 766-8500
McBain, Ac. Christopher
Walken, Maria Conchita Alonso.
Triton
(310)275-7779
Twenty-One, D, 101 min.
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.
BridHPt Fonda, Jeff Fahey.
Hemdale
Highway to Hell, Hor. Chad
Lowe, Richard Farnsworth.
Kino
(212) 629-6880
The Wages of Fear ircissuc.
1952), D. Yves montand. Dir:
Henri-Georges Clouzot.
Orion Classics
The Search For Signs of Intelligent
Life in the Universe, C,
PG-13, 116 mm. Lilv Tomlin.
Streamline
(310)657-8559
Fist of the North Star, Anim
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, PG, 1 11 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: John Frankenheimer.
NOVEMBER
Aries
Overseas, D, 96 mm.
Crown
(310)657-6700
Brain Twisters, Thr.
Greycat
(702) 737-5258
Resident Alien, D. Quentin
Crisp, Sling.
Horseplayer, Thr. Brad Dourif.
Hemdale
Cheap Shots, C, PC-13. Louis
Zuricn.
I.R.S.
Shakes the Clown, C. Bobcat
Coldthwait, Julie Brown.
InterStar
(913)338-3880)
Highlander II: The Quickening,
SF, R. Sean Connery, Christopher
Lambert.
Kit Parker Films
(408) 649-5573
House of Wax ti-D. reissue,
1953). H, 88 mm. Vincent
Price. Dir: Andre Dc Toth.
Dial M for Murder, (3-D, reissue,
1954), Mys, 105 min. Ray
Milland, Grace Kelly. Dir: Al-
Ircd Hitchcock.
MK2
(212)956-7969
La Belle Noiseuse, D, R, 240
min. Micht'l Piccoli,
Emmanuclle Beart and Jane Birkin.
Dir: |acc|ues Rivette.
October Films
(818) 783-3200
Life is Sweet, CD. Dir: Mike
Leigh.
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, PC. Wil Wheaton.
Dir: Cabe 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 Hudson, Elizabeth
Taylor, James Dean. Dir:
George Stevens.
Orion Classics
Rhapsody In August, D. Richard
Cere. Dir: Akira Kurosawa
Troma
Class of Nuke'Em High II, Hor.
33!
Castle Hill
Voyager, PG-1 3. Sam Shepard.
Dir: Volkcr Schlondorff.
Memoirs of a River
Shaking the Tree, Arye Gro
I.R.S.
Guilty as Charged, Ac. F
Steiger, Lauren FTutton.
One False Move, Thr.
Paxton
IFEX International
(212)582-4318
The End of Old Times, C,
Jiri Menzel
InterStar
A Midnight Clear, D. Et
Hawke, Kevin Dillon, Fr
Whaley. Dir: Keith Gordon.
Kino
Andrei Roublev, (1966, r
sue), Russian. Dir: Andrei '
kovsky.
Trimark
Into the Sun, R. Anthony
chael Hall, Michael Pare.
Dolly Dearest. Sam Bottc
Rip Torn.
Triton
Alan & Naomi, D, PG, 96 n
Lucas Haas, Michael Cross.
Hearts of Darkness, Doc.
The Lunatic, C, R, 93 min
Campbell.
Troma
Dead Dudes in the House, h
They Call Me Macho Worn
Hor.
FEBRUAR^
Double Helix
(213)655-9335
Ted & Venus, CD, Bud C<
Carol Kane, jimBrolin. Dir:
Cort
Roxie Releasing
(415)431-3611
The Good Woman of Bang
D. Dir: Dennis ( )'Rourke
Trimark
Final Approach, D. James
Sikking, Hector ElizoncJo.
Triton
Toto the Hero, D
Triumph
D. Danny Ruby, Aiel.
Sherilyn Fenn. Dir: John Ma
kenzie.ee
40 BoxoFncE

Kerasotes
tvliami.
Ivliami.
Clearing House
"rates: 90c per word, minimum $25. $7 50 extra
for box number assignment Send copy w check
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
t> 10 envelopes or smaller for your replies
ELP WANTED
ULTIPLEX THEATRE MANAGERS, CITY MAN-
GERS, SUPERVISORS needed for Kerasotes
leatres, an innovative, expanding leader in the motion
cture exhibition industry, located across the fvlidwest
pportunity for rapid advancement Please send rejme
and salary history, in confidence, to: Human
esources Dept . Theatres. 104 N 6th St
.
pfingfield. IL 62701
ET THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE your new or
«isling small business Grants loans to $500,000
lee recorded message: (707) 448-0201 (RN7)
QUIPMENT FOR SALE
i;OMPLETE THEATRE EQUIPMENT: (New, Used or
I'iebuilt)
Century SA, R3, RCA 9030, 1040, 1050 Platjfs:
3 and 5 Tier. Xenon Systems 1000-4000 Watt,
lound Systems mono and stereo, automations, ticket
'lachines, curtain motors, electric rewinds, lenses,
[arts and many more items in stock COIVIIVIERCIAL
lirge screen video projectors Plenty of used chairs
I'ROFESSIONAL SERVICE AND INSTALLATION
iVAILABLE DOLBY CERTIFIED Call Bill Younger
anema Equipment Inc.. 9372 N.W. 13 Street, Ivliami.
Tonda 33172 (305) 594-0570 Fax: (305) 592-
i970
KIRLAP WALL COVERING DRAPES: $185 per
ard. flame retardant Quantity discounts Norse & Co..
aibury Rd-. Oxford. IVIA 01540 (508) 832-4295,
:UPHOLDER ARMREST "state of the an" Cy Young
upholder. Call 1-800-729-2610 for FREE SAIvlPLE.
»ATRON TRAY. Fits into cupholder armrest Cy
toung. Inc Phone 1-800-729-2610, Call for free samie.
»IEW LENS-Super Sankor—Satisfaction guaranteed
l^ll us for a cost-plus quote. lilELCHER ENTER-
»niSES 1-800-423-5020, in Wisconsin (414) 442-
5020
KA BRENKERT projectors, model BX100 & BX80S-
[199 00 ea Simplex XL projectors $2,250 00 ea XL
nundheads $1,200 ea ALL IN EXCELLENT COND
>hone (604) 682-1848 ANYTIIvIE
FACTORY FRESH fully warranted bulb sale Proudly
made in US. ORC XM 2000 H VC. $525 00 XM
3000 H VC. $650 00 We ship anywhere in the world
Other sizes available at special prices Write, wire or
call Cinema Equipment Inc . 9372 N W 13th Street.
I^iami, FL, USA Phone (305) 594-0570, Telefax
(305) 592-6970
WW MICRO-FM'" stereo radio sound systems FOR
[HE HEARING IIVIPAIRED tvleets FCC pan 15 Call or
wite Audio Visual Systems, 320 St Louis Ave Woon-
,
ocket, Rl 02895 Phone (401) 767-2080, (401)
'69-2710 Fax (401) 767-2081
=OUR XL PROJECTORS with RCA soundheads, Sim-
)lex bases with changeover, four Ballantyne power
applies
Four each PEERLESS Magnar lamphouses.
5u Ivlotion Audio-Visual Video, Inc ,
1601 (Montana, El
"aso. TX 79902, (915) 532-2760, FAX (915) 532-
)467
;OMPLETE PROJECTION and sound system Inrtudes
Potts 3 tier platter. Century projection. Strong
amphouse and power supply, sound system with two
ransmitlers. $4950.00. Phone Barry at (606) 849-
i871
WANT TO SAVE MONEY on theatre equipment and
supplies? Call us for the best quote around. Melcher
Enterprises. 1-800-423-5020 In Wisconsin. 1-414-
442-5020
DOLBY'S - CP-55 $4100. CP-65 (inquire). CP-100
$3300. IVIPU-1 $995. IVlPU-2 $1700 Westar CSP-
1000 $2625 QSC 1400 $618. Altec. JBL. Electrovoice.
Klipsch. new & used Westar exciter monitor
new $600 International Cinema Equipment. 6750 NE
4th Ct . IHiami. FL 33138 Phone (305) 756-0699.
FAX (305) 758-2036 Dealer discounts & inquiries
welcome.
EXPORT SPECIALS - Refurbished, warranty. 50/60
HZ. I^ultivoltage. Pans for all All w lens turrets and
aperture changers, feed, takeup. pedestal, more
Bauer U4 Xenon Lamphouse, $5500; Philips FP-20
w/new auto turret. $7950; DP-75 35, 70mm w/new
auto turret. 6 track cluster. $12,995, Cinemeccanica
V8 35mm manual turret, feed & takeup, includes 2K,
2 5K or 4K lamphouse, $6500; USA Government guaranteed
financing to qualified buyers Catalog Ivlany
more makes to choose from, agents wanted
International
Cinema. 6750 NE 4th Ct .
FL 33138,
USA. TEL: (305) 756-0699, FAX (305) 758-2036.
WESTAR factory fresh xenon bulbs proven by field
test, full warranty. 1000W $362. 1600W $375.
2000W $450, 2500W $475, 3000W $547, 4000W
$985. Volume discounts. Exports welcome. International
Cinema. 6750 NE 4th Ct . FL 33138
Phone (305) 756-0699. Fax (305) 758-2036
SPART PARTS for Westar. Westrex. Century. Simplex.
Kalee. Cinemeccanica. Hortson. Kinotone/ Philips.
Prevosf, B&H. Bauer Specials - ALL NEW: Sound
slit tins ,47 mil $241 00. 53 mil $172 00. Anamorphic
lens $425-00. Bodine sync motor kits 1 or 3 phase,
slow start kits. 50/60 cycle. Century, Westar. Simplex
XL & Four Star. Five Star, Century molded gears, intermittent
repairs & exchanges, dealer prices, catalogs
and pricelists
International Cinema Equipment Co This
is the real thing. PH: (305) 756-0699. FAX (305)
758-2036.
DI/AN computerized ticketing
machines — complete
systems up to 8 plex. Reconditioned. Includes boxoffice
issuer, f^ovie fvlaster drive, manager's station,
monitor, keyboard. & printer, with warranty, while they
last, $5750 00. Set for 50 or 60 HZ International Cinema.
PH: (305) 756-0699, FAX (305) 758-2036
GOOD USED SEATING - Irwin Citations from
$25.00. American Stellars from $20 00. Ivlassey Loungers
$25 00. Ivlassey rockers from $30 00. Wakefield
rockers from $2000. Ivlassey Polaris from $15 00.
American Bodiform from $1200. Pushbacks $10 00,
We export. We buy good used seats International Cinema,
6750 NE 4th Ct.. Miami, FL 33138 Phone (305)
756-0699, FAX (305) 758-2036
EQUIPMENT WANTED
OLD TUBE-TYPE equipment such as amps, speakers,
drivers, horns, etc from Western Electric, Westrex,
Langevin, Jensen, Altec. JBL. Tannoy. Ivlclntosh. Marantz,
etc. Call Audio City at (818) 701-5633. or write
to Audio City. P.O. 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
THEATRES FOR SALE
FOR SALE, MOVIE THEATRES. 6 SCREEN, South
em California real estate included, good profit Contact
Jil Thompson. BKR. business and commercial at
(619) 484-9052
THEATRE FOR SALE: Renovated in 1990-seats
315—new single Perlux screen—new Dolby stereo
sound— Bicknell, Utah near Capitol Reef National
Park—Good family business or theatre chain- Beautiful
location Call (801) 425-3515.
DRIVE-IN THEATRE, Fallon, NV Only drive-in within
70 mile radius, serving over 30,000 people ( including
Naval Air Station) Can be packaged with theatre complex
Owner financing! For more information, call or
write BERNEY REALTY. 290 W Williams. Fallon. NV
89406 702/432-4230.
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)
8420122 or (405) 948-7467.
SEAT BACK COVERS: most fabrics in stock. Cy
Young. Inc. Call 1-800-729-2610 to match fabric.
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
$ 1 2 50 to $30 00 Heywood & Ivlassey 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 Junki TANKERSLEY
ENTERPRISES BOX 36009 DENVER, CO 80236
Phone: 303-980-8265
CUSTOM MADE SEAT and back covers Ivlany FR
fabrics & vinyls to choose from. Call (617) 923-1910.
or write Winco, 9 Boyd St., Watertown, MA 02172
THEATRE REMODELING
FOR TWINNING THEATRES call or write 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. Richfield, 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., 221 Horsham Road, Horsham, PA 19044.
(215) 675-1040.
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,
(continued over)
January, 1992 41

1
PC
CROWD CONTROL
STANCHIONS & ROPES
^V
)n of colori are available
^V
CROWN INDUSTRIES
Clearing House
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 , 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.
WANT to buy movie posters, lobbies, Bruce Webster,
426 N,W 20th, Oklahoma City, OK, 73103 (405)
524-6251
American Seating
Automaticket/ Hurley Screen
Brass Smith, Inc
Cine Coasters
Cinemeccanica U.S
Crest Sales USA
Crown Industries
Decoustics
Hadden Theatre Supply Co
Joe Hornstein, Inc
LucasArts Entertainment Co
National Ticket Co
Proctor Companies
Adinde
12,:
Smart Theatre Systems (
Soundfold International
Cy Young 15,
CREST SALES USA-MOTION PICTURE EQUIPMENT
Complete Sales — Service
AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTOR FOR MANY MANUFACTURERS
Ed Cernosek
1 900 South Central Expressway
Dallas, TX 75215
m
Response No 39
Roy LIsenbe
214-5b3-78a4
Response No 35
QUIKSHIP-
1
IMMEDIATE SHIPPING
Seat Covers — S3.90 up
• Cup Holder Arms
- $3.94
• Molded Seat Cushion
- $5.90
• Safety Covers — $11.20
• Patron Trays — $3.74
• Wall-Drape Fabric
- $5.25 yd.
Free Samples Available
CY YOUNG
INDUSTRIES, INC.
1-800-729-2610
42 BoxoFncE
Response No 3

Void after March 1992
Reader Service
por more information,
i|„lt. advertisement and product news

u
ii t
. Bn\(HH(
was
The film magazine for the film industry
In a survey of 13 film and entertainment magazines, the prestigious
Charlotte Observer said about Boxokkk k: "If you exhibit, distribute or
write about movies, you can't do without this nuts-and-bolts mix of
features, release charts, reviews, and industrv news."
If It has to do with lihii exhibition. it\ in B<
1
the first
publication to explore the innovative Show Scan pi
N\sicni.toiniroducc Digital
Sound to theatre owners, to tout the benefits of endless phiticrs mo. not a bullet lor
theatre-owners, but the oversize film reel used in niiiliiplcx theatres i. When Dolbs
introduced SR sound, it was introduced in Boxoi-i ii i . W hen a small conipan\ named
Pacer introduced a computer for theatres. BoxtiiiHi was ihcie to ininiduce the
conipain to theatre owners, and introduce conipulcri/ation to the industix , When
surround sound was fust prcsentetl locxhibilioii. Bi ixoi i i surrounded theatre ow. ners
w ith articles elaboratmi: on the new scal-shaknii; process.
To keep up with the film exhibition indusir\. it ni.ikes sense to turn to the industiN 's
journal. E\er> month brinys _\ou information on pre- and |iost-producluin films.
synopses of each month's releases, technical articles on past, present and future
technologies, theatre profiles, celebrity inter\ lews, and m-depth re\ leus ol hoxoffice
blockbusters and bombs. .Ml m one place. .All in Boxoi i
Incisive reviews. ...in-depth interviews.. ..theatre profiles.
...technical articles. ...computer softH'are. ...comprehensive
film feature charts.. . . coming attractions
BOXOFFICE
6640 Sunset Blvd.. Suite 100
Hollywood, CA 90028-71 59
213-465-1186 Fax:213-465-5049
Subscriptions: $35.00 per year

IF YOU DON'T HAVE ONE
O.
THESE FOR SR PRINTS . .
DD Dolby SR
CofufCLst 280
SR Effiulation Playbaik NR
mmmmmmmmtm
. . Your Stereo System may
sound very, V^i^, strange!
Spectral Recording soundtracks and Dolby Stereo®soundtracks are not com
patible for several technical reasons. Without the boring details, the main thine
you will notice when you walk into the auditorium, is background noise. You car
identify an SR print in a second: by the background noise. Wind noise, stree
sounds, room tone, etc. are all much louder if not played back through th?
proper noise reduction cards. The proper card(s) are the Dolby Cat. 280 or Cat
300 SR NR. More and more single inventory SR prints are released each month
If you fainted when you saw the price to equip each of your auditoriums with Cat
280(s) and adapters, you will probably smile when you hear the low price of tht
CopyCat 280 SR Emulation cards from SMART.
The CopyCat 280 is not the patented Spectral Recording process. It is ai
electronic system that emulates the playback characteristics of SR. You cai
expect quiet playback, smooth frequency response, and restored dynamics
just like the Cat. 280. It fits any SR adapter on the market including Dolb^
Ultra*Stereo, SMART, and others because it is physically the same size and
electrical pin-out as the Cat. 280.
The big news is the price of the CopyCat 280 is less than half the price of th
competitor. See if you can hear the difference!
k of Dolby Licensing Corporation, San Francisco, CA. Ultra*Stereo t:
of UI1ra*Ster»o l_abs, Tarzana, CA.
Theatre Systems
5945 Peachtree Corners East - Norcross, GA 30071
(404) 449-6698 FAX: (404) 449-6728
TOLL FREE CALL
In ALL of Canada
United States
Hawaii, Alaska
Puerto Rico
(800) 45-SMART
Response No 50