Scorsese

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE OF THE GLOBAL MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY JANUARY 1998, $3.95
iMm
.1
Martin Scorsese
Travels Along Holy
Ground In "Kundun"
IN "DEEP": FAMKE JANSSEN • NATIONAL AMUSEMENTS: LONDON
SHOWCASE • ARENA: POINT OF SUCCESS • 1998 STAR POLL BALLOT

The Most Advanced Pfem
Booth Automation
l40Conliol P.ine lU k or in console. St'ri.il to olhor c oni|)()noiils.
r*
ine PANALOGIC Cincni.i boolh aiitoinalion System inlioduccs a totally allv now concfpl concopl in c inenia automation. A highly flexible
'
tnlly integrated electronics package that takes the hassle out of automation installation and operation, and allows total customi
tion of every aspect of the automation process. At the heart of the new PANALOGIC; is the RC: 1 40 Control Panc>l which takes a
the best of existing competitive products but discards all of the worst problems and combines them into a new concept called
TOTAL SYSTEM INTEGRATION. The RC14() provides a new level of user friendliness for error free o|)eration, even by inexpei
onted users. Gone are [hv rows cim\ rows of pushbuttons, the confusing labels and procedures, and in their place, a new
use control interface that takes cinema automation into the next century.
The PANALOGIC uses a standard RS232 serial communications interface, with open architecture lor third party vendp
lace their eciuipment to the automation of each Iwoth. Ticketing c;omputers, Environmental Management systems or a st^^C
computer can talk to eac h boolh -f>72H
email: smarl@.inHTl(a.nel

BTIOMEXr
;i-roLA. GEfJERATiOH NEXT and the Pepsi Globe design are tfademarks. of PepsiCo, Inc
Response No. 191

•
forward
FADE IN...
Welcome to the New Year 1998, and welcome to
a new year of BOXOFFICE.
And welcome to the new editorial team at
BOXOFFICE. As you read in the December 1997
issue, in editor-in-chief Ray Greene's heartfelt farewell
to his readers, changes are afoot on your
magazine's masthead. Along with the new editorship,
longtime senior editor Christine James has
quite deservedly been promoted to managing editor,
and British-bom Lisa Osborne has quickly proved a
wonderful addition to the staff as senior editor.
As the photo below of Ray Greene and Martin
Scorsese suggests, however, fans of Ray Greene's
writings in the magazine have not lost him at all. As
our new editor at large, Mr. Greene—despite his
intense involvement with that plethora of exciting
new ventures here in Hollywood that enticed his
departure from the staff—has promised to supply
BOXOFFICE with a steady stream of his work. The
year's first issue is an example of what you can look
to in our
pages: Mr. Greene
provides an insightful
cover interview
of Martin
.Scorsese on many
matters, including
"Kundun"; a commentary
on the
iheatre
industry's
megamoves for
lour 1998 Giants of
Exhibition survey;
and—a favorite
feature for many
-another in his
Big Picture series, a section that not only did he
invent but that could be written by no one else.
Of course, your day-to-day and month-by-month
dealings will be with BOXOFFICE' s fresh-faced
in-house trio, and we pledge to continue to live up to
those same editorial standards that have made this
your business magazine of the global motion picture
industry. Ms. James, along with handling a bevy of
other editorial duties, now oversees the review section,
and she will make sure that you continue to
receive the most and the most timely film commentaries
available. Likewise, Ms. Osborne, as the new
head of our theatre desk, will extend the
BOXOFFICE tradition of providing in-depth profiles
of new and successful theatres, both chain and independent,
and of furnishing readers with smart coverage
of the latest industry news and events.
Again, welcome to a new year of BOXOFFICE. its
78th. As with the calendar so too for your magazine;
What's old is new again.— Kim Williamson *.f
BOXOFFICE ONLINE
WEBSITE ADDRESS: http://www.boxoffice.com
E-MAIL ADDRESS: boxoffice@earthlink.net
JANUARY, 1998 VOL. 134, NO. 1 GIANTS OF EXHIBITION
COVER QUOTE: The thing to understand about China is, it's a very
different way of thinl

—
SPECIAL REPORT: THE GIANTS OF EXHIBITION SURVEY 1998
BOXOFFICE's annual exclusive look at the top 50 movie theatre circuits in North America provides full corporate rosters,
our at-a-glance chart summary, and comparative screen- and site-count data for a three-year span.
26 COMMENTARY: THE CHARGE OF MEGACIRCUITRY
1997 proved to be exhibition's year of the big deal. Is the industry grossing the buys, or buying the grosses?
And what—or who—is next? By Ray Greene
28 THE GIANTS TABLE: THE FABULOUS FIFTY
Our one-page at-a-glance chart tabulates the top 50 North American exhibition chains by screen count as of
January 1, 1998. Compiled by Christine James
30 THE 1 998 GIANTS DIRECTORY
Rosters for the top 50 circuits include names, phone numbers, site information and screen-count data
including chain-by-chain projections for 1 999. Compiled by Christine James
JANUARY FEATURES
16 COVER STORY:
MARTIN SCORSESE
America's poet of
mean-streets souls
examines a different
kind of spirit in Buena
Vista's Buddhistthemed
"Kundun."
By Ray Greene
20 SNEAK PREVIEW: FAMKE
JANSSEN IN "DEEP RISING"
Bond's Xenia Onatopp goes down under
against a sea monster in the Buena Vista
action/thriller. By Jon Matsumoto
22 EXHIBITION PROFILE:
NATIONAL AMUSE-
MENTS' LONDON
SHOWCASE
BOXOFFICE visits
the new Showcase
Cinemas Newham,
a 14-screeneron
London's East Side.
By Bridget Byrne
^
i

HOLLYWOOD
REPORT
SANDRA BULLOCK
Makes "Magic"
EDWARD FURLONG
Picks "Pecker"
NICOLE KIDMAN
"Witchy" Woman
"PRACTICAL MAGIC" Sandra
Bullock ("Speed 2: Cruise Control")
will star for director Griffin
Dunne ("Addicted to Love") in
this adaptation of Alice Hoffman's
novel about two witch
sisters living in modern-day
New England and looking for
love. (Warner)
"SOMETHING ABOUT MARY"
This film, to be written and
helmed by "Kingpin's" Bob and
Peter Farrelly, is about a man
("Zero Effect's" Ben Stiller) who
hires a detective to track down
his high school sweetheart ("A
Life Less Ordinary's" Cameron
Diaz), with whom he's still in
love. But when the detective
finds her, he falls in love with
her as well. (Fox)
by Grammy-
"CLUBLAND" Lori Petty ("Tank
Girl") is set to star as India Mac-
Kenzie, a rock singer whose
hard, fast-living exterior belies a
sensitive side. Brad Hunt
("Dream With the Fishes") will
play her band's useless manager.
The script is
winning songwriter Glen
Ballard, who co-wrote Alanis
Morrisette's hit album "Jagged
Little Pill" and will write and
produce songs for the film's
soundtrack. (Distribution is to
be set)
"JAKOB THE LIAR" Robin Williams
plays the title character in
this comedy/drama set in World
War II about a Polish Jew in
Auschwitz who tries to keep the
spirits of his fellow inmates
buoyed by lying about having a
radio and being able communicating
their plight to the outside
world. Armin Mueller-Stahl
('The Peacemaker"), Bob Balaban
("Deconstrurting Harry"), Gregg
Bello ("G.I. Jane"), Alan Arkin
("Four Days in September"),
Liev Schreiber ("Sphere") and
Nina Siemaszko ("Suicide
Kings") also star. Peter Kassovitz
directs and scripts. (TriStar)
"PECKER" Notorious filmmaker
John Waters ("Serial Mom")
scripts and helms this satire
about a young man ("Before and
After's" Edward Furlong) who
takes photographs of workingclass
Baltimore life as a hobby
but winds up discovered by the
New York art community.
Christina Ricci ("The Ice
Storm"), Martha Plimpton ("Eye
of God") and Lili Taylor ("Ransom")
also star. (Fine Line)
"SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS"
Scott Hicks ("Shine") will direct
this Ron Bass ("My Best Friend's
Wedding")-scripfed adaptation
of the novel by David Guterson
about a Japanese-American
man on trial for murder. Ethan
Hawke ("Gattaca") is set to star
as a journalist covering the
trial—who once had an affair
with the accused man's wife.
(Universal)
"A SMALL MIRACLE" This adaptation
of John Irving's novel
"A Prayer for Owen Meany"
about two friends whose relationship
is strained when one
accidentally kills the other's
mother will star Ashley Judd
("Kiss the Girls") and Oliver
Piatt ("Bulworth"). Jim Carrey
("The Truman Show") is set to
narrate the film and make a
cameo appearance as the adult
version of one of the two boys.
(Buena Vista)
"SMALL SOLDIERS" Kirsten
Dunst ("Wag the Dog") will star
with Gregory Smith ("Harriet
the Spy") in this Joe Dante
("Matinee")-directed live-action/computer
animation fantasy
about two kids who
become involved in a battle
with artificial intelligence-enhanced
rival toy factions.
(DreamWorks)
"TOM SLICK: MONSTERHUN-
TER" In this comic adventure
film, Nicolas Cage ("Face/Off")
will portray Tom Slick Jr., an
eccentric Texas oil heir who in
the '50s spent his fortune financing
expeditions seeking
legendary creatures like the
Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot.
Cage is also producing. (Fox)
"I MARRIED A WITCH" The
1 942 Fredric MarchA'eronica
Lake starrer about a man who
unwittingly becomes betrothed
to the same sorceress his ancestor
put to death centuries earlier
will be remade by Tom Cruise
and Paula Wagner's CW Prods.,
possibly with Cruise and reallife
wife Nicole Kidman in the
lead roles. (Columbia)
"BLACK DOC" Patrick Swayze
("Three Wishes") will star in this
action/thriller, in which he'll
play a troubled but kind-hearted
ex-con who's set up by the mob
to drive a truck carrying illegal
weapons. Randy Travis ("Fire
Down Below") and Meat Loaf
("The Rocky Horror Picture
Show") have also signed on to
the cast. Kevin Hooks ("Passenger
57") will direct. (Universal)
"THE PARENT TRAP" Writer/
producer Nancy Meyers ("Father
of the Bride 11") makes her
helming debut in this remake of
the 1961 Hayley Mills starrer
about twin sisters separated at
birth who meet by chance at
summer camp, then swap
places in a plan to reunite their
divorced parents. Dennis Quaid
("Dragonheart") and Natasha
Richardson ("Nell") will play
the parents. Meyers co-scripts
with writing partner and husband
Charles Shyer. (Buena
Vista)
"YOU HAVE MAIL" This adaptation
of the 1939 film "Shop
Around the Corner," about contentious
co-workers who are,
unbeknownst to either of them,
each other's secret pen-pal
amour, updates the scenario by
having the two fall in love
through e-mail. Tom Hanks,
Meg Ryan and scripter Nora
Ephron, who worked together
on the blockbuster "Sleepless in
Seattle," reunite in hopes of recapturing
romantic comedy
boxoffice magic. (Warner)
"TO LIVE ON" Ang Lee will
helm this adaptation of Daniel
Woodrell's novel "Woe to Live
On," which is set in the Old
West and deals with the aftermath
of the Civil War. Tobey
Maguire, who worked with Lee
on "The Ice Storm," will star,
and Matt Damon ("Good Will
Hunting") and pop star Jewel
are in talks to sign on. (Fox)
"THE CORRUPTER" This cop
drama is about a New York
Chinatown cop (Chow Yun-Fat,
"The Replacement Killers") who
turns bad to pay off a debt to a
crime lord. His partner ("Boogie
Nights'" Mark Wahlberg) pretends
to go along with the
wrongdoings but is secretly investigating
his colleague. James
Foley, who worked with
Wahlberg on "Fear," will helm.
(New Line)
ET CETERA: Ben Stiller ("The
Cable Guy") has replaced
Danny DeVito as the helmer of
Universal's comedy-adventure
"Mystery Men". ..Michael Caine,
Brenda Blethyn and Ewan
MacGregor have joined Jane
Horrocks and Jim Broadbent in
Miramax's "The Rise and Fall of
Little Voice"... Robert Carlyle
("The Full Monty") will play a
cannibalistic psychopath who
wants to have Guy Pearce ("L.A.
Confidential") for dinner in
Fox's Milcho Manchevski ("Before
the Rain")-helmed thriller
"Ravenous"... Steve Martin and
Goldie Hawn, who worked together
in "Housesitter," will star
in Paramount's remake of "The
Out of Towners," a comedy
about a couple who go to New
York where mayhem and mishaps
ensue.
6 BOXOFHCE

Remarkable. Reliable
Reasonable.
(Sound Advice For Smart Business.)
The remarkable sound of
DTS has topped the list
of
filmmakers and audiences for over
four years. And why not? The crisp, clear
sound of DTS has provided moviegoers with
the very best in sound while delivering
unsurpassed reliability for theater owners on over
12,000 screens worldwide. Sound incredible? That's our
job. Call us at 800-959-4109.
D I G I T A L
dts
so U N b
Listen. And BeAmazed.
31336 Via ColinasSlO! Westlake \-ill2gc CA 91362 (818!706-3525 (8001959-4109
European Office: 51-55, rue Gustave Hubertl 1030 Brussels, Belgium Phone; 32 1 248 120.
^
Visit our Website hrtp;//www.drstecli.com
Response No. 467

I
I
I
.
"
FEBRUARY
TPIAILERS
Bringing good things
(namely, audiences) to life.
Now here's a bright idea: a year-round release schedule.
In the movie industry, the months after the holidays used to
be the time that the little fellows would be able to shine. So one
(well, except exhibitors) expected that filmgoers, even given the
chance, would be willing to turn out in droves at the theatres in
the cold clime of, say, February. So the winter period was one
spot on the calendar that independent distributors— the
Coldwyns, the Vestrons, theLorimars— would bunch their product.
They knew their only competition would be studio product
the studios had decided they didn't believe in.
A look back at the February 1988 Boxoffice release charts
shows that, while the big-boy likes of Fox—which had spent its
"Broadcast News" and "Wall Street" during the Christmas
rush— was offering only the Justine Bateman vehicle "Satisfaction,
" New Century/Vista was slating the Gene Hackman-starrer
"Split Decisions," Vestron was hoping sex sold with "And God
Created Woman," and Goldwyn was introducing fulie Delpy to
arthouse auds with "Beatrice."
Cut to a decade later, and the change is remarkable. While
the small players look for a safe place to land, the studios unleash
,1 barrage of product that in earlier times would have made for
.1 decent Christmas slate. In particular, Warner Bros, has Dustin
Hoffman and Sharon Stone in the latest Michael Crichton sci-fi
.adaptation, "Sphere," on 2/1.i; UA has Leonardo DiCaprio in a
rendition of the classic "The Man in the Iron Mask" on 2/20; and
Columbia also travels the classics route with its "Les Miserables"
on 2/27. And even these titles are going to have to fight it out
with such competitors as Universal's "Blues Brothers 2000"
(2/6), Polygram's "The Borrowers" (see photo) and New Line's
"The Wedding Singer" (2/13), Paramount's "Twilight" (2/20),
and Buena Vista's "Krippendorf's Tribe" (2/27).
Last one out, leave on the light.
FEBRUARY 6
Blues Brothers 2000
In this c:omedy sequel, Dan
Aykroyd reprises his role as Elwood
Blues in the 1980 hit "The
Blues Brothers," and John Landis,
who directed the original, helms.
Aykroyd also scripts the story
about a battle of the bands between
Chicago and NewOrleans.
Jake Blues, the other half of the
dynamic duo, was portrayed by
the late John Belushi, and in the
new script Jake has died while
Elwood was in jail. John Goodman
(also in this month's "The
Borrowers") plays Elwood's
cousin. Joe Morton ("Of Mice and
Men") co-stars. (Universal, 2/6)
Exploitips: This is ttie month's
single sequel, giving it a presold
quality. The absence of Belushi,
however, is tough to overcome;
Aykroyd was more the sideman of
the Blues Brothers duo, and his
lasttrue lead was "My Stepmother
Is an Alien " a decade ago. Expect
best results on weekend # /
The Replacement Killers
In this actioner. Chow Yun-Fat
("The Killer") makes his American
film debut opposite Oscar winner
Mira Sorvino ("Mighty Aphrodite")
as a Chinese dissidentturned-assassin
who teams with a
forger (Sorvino) to prevent a murder
he had originally agreed to
commit. Antoine Fuqua directs;
Ken Sanzel scripts; Brad Grey and
Bernie Brillstein produce; John
Woo ("Face/Off") executive produces.
See our Dec. 1997 cover
story. (Columbia, 2/6)
Exploitips: Like Jackie Chan a
famed Asian performer (he was
honored as the Star of the Decade
at this year's CineAsia) whose
name recognition stateside is limited.
Chow Yun-Fat for mainstream
American audiences will
less of a pull than the genre,
hat genre, even with betternown
names like Steven Seagal
nd Jean-Claude Van Damme,
as been underperforming of late,
with "The Blues Brothers
OOO," expect aficionados to
how for the first weekend.
Monkey
A wild beauty of the streets
Italian starlet Asia Argento, of
3ueen Margot") becomes the
bject of passion of a schooleacher
("I Shot Andy Warhol's"
ared Harris). "Michael Collins'"
onathan Rhys Meyers and Rupert
verett ("My Best Friend's Wedling")
co-star. Michael Radford
"II Postino") directs; Andrew Da-
'ies adapts his novel with Mihael
Thomas; Stephen Woolley
("Michael Collins") and Colin
Vaines produce. (Miramax, 2/6
ltd, exp 2/1 3 & 2/20)
Exploitips: Moved from several
1 997 slots, the R-rated "B. Monkey"
on its limited weekend faces
some competition from Fox
Searchlight's "Cousin Bette" and
also from Orion's "Music From
Another Room" and Castle Rock's
"Zero Effect. " Of the four, this is
likeliest to draw the hip young
crowd, even as the Radford name
dra ws from the older art-house set
inclined toward the literate
"Cousin Bette." To accentuate
that pull, highlight the Argento
and Radford names.
Music From Another Room
In this romantic comedy, an
ensemble cast including Brenda
Blethyn (Oscar-nominated for
best actress for Mike Leigh's "Secrets
& Lies"), )ude Law
("Gattaca"), Jennifer Tilly
("Bound"), Martha Plimpton ("I
Shot Andy Warhol"), Jon Tenney
("Fools Rush In"), Jeremy Piven
("Crosse Pointe Blank") and
Gretchen Mol star in this romantic
comedy about a man (Law)
who's searching for his true love
(Mol)—a woman whose birth he
assisted when he was five years
old. Charlie Peters (who also
scripts this month's "Krippendorf's
Tribe") directs and scripts.
(MGM/Orion, 2/6)
Exploitips: Despite its (acquired)
studio parentage, "Music
From Another Room" could play
best to a more specialized audience,
given their familiarity with
the players' previous work. For
Zero Effect
Bill Pullman, Ben Stiller and
Ryan O'Neal star in this comic
feature debut of 22-year-old
writer/director Jake Kasdan (son
of Lawrence Kasdan). The story:
an eccentric, dysfunctional yet
brilliant detective, Daryl Zero
(Pullman), and his beleaguered
mainstreamers, though, the romantic
element makes this nice
counterprogramming for the
actioner "Replacement Killers,"
the yucks-weighted "Blues Brothers
2000" and the more purely
comedic "Zero Effect.
assistant (Ben Stiller) take on a
case of a timber tycoon (Ryan
O'Neal) who's being blackmailed.
Lisa Henson and Janet
Yang produce. (Columbia, 2/6
wide after 1/30 ltd opening)
Exploitips: Despite its ISOminute
running time, our critic
(see our Feb. '98 issue) gives
"Zero Effect" a four-star review,
calling the comedy "sharp, original
and unflaggingly hilarious"
and according the cast kudos:
8 BilXMFFICE

'
, I
• If you book a Dolby Digital title, you get a print
with a Dolby Digital soundtrack-no exceptions,
no excuses.
» Over 1,100* Dolby Digital titles have been
released and announced, more than any other
digital format.
•
Dolby has established a record of long-lasting
soundtrack improvements and dependable
theatre processors.
Dolby Digital is more affordable than ever,
thanks to the CP500 cinema processor with
built-in Dolby Digital and projectors with
integrated digital sound heads.
These are just a few reasons why more
and more multiplexes worldwide are
now opening with Dolby Digital in all
SCTeens.
Need more reasons? Call Dolby
Laboratories or your Dolby theatre
equipment supplier.
E>oIby Laiaoratories Inc.
100 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94103-4813
Telephone415-558-0200 Fax415-863-1373
Wootton Bassett Wiltshire SN4 8QJ England
Telephone (44) 1793-842100 Fax (44) 1793-842101 v^-»w.dolby.com
Dolby and thi; double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories
©1997 Dolby Laboratories Inc. S97/1 1775
Statistics as oi \o%embtT 1

"
"
weekend combatants, the likeliest competition
could come from "The Education of Little
Tree" or (depending on rating) from "Sphere,
with parents possibly opting for fare they
could also enjoy, if they deem "The Borrowers"
too kidstuffy. "Borrowers" bookers
should therefore avoid playing to the young
set, lest this release suffer the fate of "A Little
Princess" and "FairyTale: A True Story.
Sphere
In this adaptation of the sci-fi novel by Michael Crichton ("Jurassic Park"), a
team of researchers is sent under water to examine a mysterious spacecraft and
its even more mysterious contents. Dustin Hoffman (last seen in "Mad City"),
Sharon Stone ("the Mighty"), Samuel L. Jackson ("Eve's Bayou") and Queen
Lotifah ("Set It Off") star. Barry Levinson ("Wag the Dog") directs, and he and
Crichton—who last teamed on "Disclosure"—produce with Andrew Wald and
Peter Giulano. (Warner Bros., 2/13)
Exploitips: Doubtless the weekend's big film, if not tfie montfi's, "Sphere" has the
A-list names to attract mainstream audiences plus the SF element to pull those most
devoted of moviegoers: younqer males. The Crichton name, thanks to Spielberg's
"Jurassic" films, is now as solidified with film audiences as it is wi&i paperback
enthusiasts. Suburban strength should be strong, but so should urban turnout, thanks
to the popularity of the SF genre and to Samuel L. Jackson's presence.
"Pullman is wonderfully subtle.... Stiller, the
archetype of exasperation, is fantastic. " Expect
the 1/30 limited opening to get out word
of mouth on this, which could build audiences
through the Valentine weekend.
Cousin Bette
This comic adapation of the classic novel
by Honore de Balzac tells the 1 840s story of
the aristocratic Julot family, replete with adultery,
fortune hunting and characters of suspicious
virtue. Jessica Lange, Kelly MacDonald
("Trainspotting"), Elisabeth Shue ("Deconstructing
Harry") and Bob Hoskins star. Stage
director Des McAnuff makes his movie helming
debut. (Fox Searchlight, 2/6 ltd)
Exploitips: Held from a crowded Christmas,
this is obviously arthouse material— say
"Balzac" to many, and they might guess it's a
video game. The quality cast raises this a
notch above most arthouse entrants, so emphasize
the known names. Expect a bookstore
tie-in to help draw the distaff demo.
Paul Monette: The Brink
of Summer's End
This documentary recounts the life of the
noted gay writer and activist from his seemingly
idyllic New England boyhood through
his death of AIDS in 1 995. Monte Bramer and
Leslie Klainberg direct. (First Run, 2/6 ltd)
Exploitips: The film citably won the audience
award for best documentary at the Sundance
and Outfest L.A. gatherings and a best
documentary nod at the San Francisco International
Lesbian and Cay fest.
IVIotlier and Son
In a cabin in a country landscape, an adult
son tries to come to grips with the approaching
death of his mother. Alexander Sokurov
directs the 73-minute drama, which is a German/Russian
production. (IPC, 2/4)
Expioitips: The good folks at IFC say this is
"a painting on film. It's not really about something."
That nature, along with the foreignlanguage
soundtrack, means "Mother and
Son" is a film for devoted arthouse-goers.
Tlie Borrowers
FEBRUARY 13
A clan of very little people—four inches
tall—named the Clocks live in happy coexistence
with a normal human household—until,
that is, an evil lawyer threatens the happiness
of all by aiming, by hook or by crook, on
capturing the critters. John Goodman (also in
this month's "Blues Brothers 2000") stars in
this PG-rated adaptation of the children's
books by Mary Norton. )im Broadbent
("Rough Magic") co-stars. Peter Hewitt directs;
Working Title heads Tim Bevan and Eric
Fellner produce with filmmaker Rachel
Talalay. See photo, page 8. (Polygram, 2/1 3)
Exploitips: At one time last spring, "The
Borrowers" was to be the first stateside theatrical
release by Polygram, which had long
planned to launch an American distribution
operation. That kudos ended upgoing to "The
Came," but this family film now appears on
a holiday weekend in which that very demo
could be looking for something to do. Of the
Tlie Wedding Singer
In this PG-13 romantic comedy, Adam
Sandler ("Bulletproof") stars as a romantically
minded wedding singer whose life turns to the
dark side when he's jilted at the altar. Drew
Barrymore co-stars as a good-hearted young
woman engaged to a man who is already
having affairs on the side. Frank Coraci directs;
Ira Shuman scripts; Robert Simonds and
jack Giarraputo produce. (New Line, 2/1 3)
Exploitips: New Line was sure enough of
this to take it to ShowEast, and the timing for
a romantic comedy could hardly be better:
Valentine's weekend. Though Sandler isn't
heartthrob material and his films like "l-tappy
Cilmore" haven't been big hits, his name and
Barrymore's are still audience friendly. But,
with love in the air, the sell is the genre.
The Education of Little Tree
Based on the best-selling novel, this $13
million production stars James Cromwell (so
busy since "Babe") as the grandfather of a
young boy named Little Tree ("The Little
Rascals'" Joseph Ashton) in the hills of East
Tennessee during the Great Depression; Tantoo
Cardinal ("Black Robe") plays his grandmother.
When the trio's unconventional way
of life falls afoul of local authorities. Little Tree
is placed in an Indian School ill-conceived by
the government to educate children with supposedly
inappropriate Native American upbringings.
Screenwriter Richard Friedenberg
("A River Runs Through It") makes his directing
debut; Jake Eberts produces. (Paramount,
2/1 3 exp; could go January)
Exploitips: if the film's previous limited
opening has built word of mouth, this could
find a place among family audiences that—
unless Paramount instead expands this during
the January frame— are also considering "The
Borrowers" and "Sphere. " In terms of names,
the biggest sell obviously is "Babe's" Cromwell,
though noting Friedenberg's Oscar nom
for his "A River Runs Through It" script could
garner useful adult attention.
Sliding Doors
Cwyneth Paltrow ("Emma") stars in this
contemporary love story about Helen, a
young woman whose destiny is changed by
the sliding doors of a London subway train.
From that moment, the film bisects to tell the
two parallel stories of what happens if Helen
makes the train and if she doesn't. John Hannah,
John Lynch ("Nothing Personal") and
Jeanne Tripplehorn ("'Til There Was You")
co-star. Peter Howitt directs and scripts; Sydney
Pollack produces for Mirage with William
Horberg and Philippa Braithwaite. (Miramax,
2/1 3 NY/LA, oxp 2/20 & 2/27, nafi 3/6)
Exploitips: Held from an 1 1/21 bow, "Sliding
Doors" now slides into the Valentine's
weekend as the specialized-audience choice
10 BOXOFHCB

O o CD
"O .t "D
. CO
C3 •
O O ^ Q.
=> 2;
> X
P X
••»»«»«

12 BoxomcE
"
"
for coastal date-nighters; good NY and LA
reviews could help build interest inland as
Miramax expands the release. Still, given the
tale's slightly complex narrative, "Sliding
Doors" might be opened less by mainstream
auds than by arthousers.
Hurricane Streets
In this drama (aka "Hurricane"), Brendan
Sexton III ("Welcome to the Dollhouse") stars
as a poor 15-year-old living with his grandmother
who falls for a young Latina and
dreams of a better life. Isidra Vega, Jared
Harris ("I Shot Andy Warhol") and L.M. Kit
Carson ("Running on Empty") co-star; Morgan
J. Freeman directs and scripts, and he produces
with Gait Niederhoffer and Gill Holland.
See the Sneak Preview in our Sept. 1997
issue. (UA, 2/1 3 ltd)
Exploitips: This garnered three Sundance
awards: best director, best cinematography,
and audience. Our reviewer (April 1997
issue) gave it three stars, calling it "a boy's
coming-of-age story on the order of '400
Blows '. " This will play best at art sites, though
its "Romeo and Juliet" element could draw
mainstream youths. Held from previous dates.
The Long Way Home
This documentary recounts the trials and
travails of displaced European Jewry in the
years right after the Second World War. Mark
Jonathan Harris directs and scripts; Rabbi
Marvin Hier and Richard Trank produce.
(Seventh Art, 2/1 3 SF/Miami, reopens LA)
Exploitips: Our reviewer (Sept. '97 issue)
gave this three stars, citing the filmmaker's
excellent choice of images and his simple but
eloquent script and the effectively controlled
narration ofMorgan Freeman.
FEBRUARY 20
The Man in the Iron IVIask
In this adaptation of the classic Alexandre
Dumas adventure novel, Leonardo DiCaprio
("Titanic") plays twin brothers. One becomes
the King of France; the other is raised by
D'Artagnan ("The End of Violence's" Gabriel
Bryne), famed leader of the Three Musketeers—Athos,
Aramis and Porthos (played by
John Malkovich, Jeremy Irons and Gerard
Depardieu, respectively). Randall Wallace
(who was Oscar-nominated for his "Braveheart"
script) directs and writes. (UA, 2/20)
Exploitips: Book tie-ins and a highlighting
ofthe writer/director's "Braveheart" credit are
called for, but the presence of DiCaprio—especially
after the titanic play given "Titanic"—
is the key sell here. "The Man in the
Iron Mask" could draw from a number of
demos, including younger audiences— both
male and female— and older moviegoers
pulled in by the tale's classic nature, who in
its select sites could also be interested in...
TwHight
Paul Newman, Susan Sarandon, Gene
Hackman and Stockard Channing ("The First
Wives Club") star in this contemporary detective
story set in Los Angeles. Reese
Witherspoon ("Fear"), Giancarlo Esposito
("Fresh") and James Garner co-star. Newman
reteams here with his "Nobody's Fool" success
d'estime creators: writer/director Robert
Benton (who co-scripts with Richard Russo)
and producers Arlene Donovan and Scott
Rudin, who's on a winning streak for his
studio. (Paramount, 2/20 ltd)
Exploitips: "Twilight"— previously "The
Magic Hour" and slated for a holiday and then
late-Jan. debut— has "well-made" stamped on
it, given the talents before and behind the
camera. This could also trend toward more
mature audiences, given Newman's (and
Benton's) established reputation with that
demo. Emphasize those strengths and expect
audience support to take a couple weekends
to build (whether booked for the limited bow
or the later expansion), given that mature
moviegoers aren't frequent first-nighters.
Enter the Dragon
The first kung fu action film in which Hollywood
participated in production (Lalo
Schifrin even provided the score), this 1973
U.S./Hong Kong effort stars Bruce Lee and
John Saxon in a story about a master of the
martial arts who is enlisted by Western intelligence
experts to help them stop opium
smugglers. Robert Clouse directs; Michael
Allin scripts; Fred Weintraub and Paul Heller
produce for Warner/Concord. (Warner, 2/20)
Exploitips: Despite his too-early demise
and a career in what some thought of as just
the chopsocky business (Pauline Kael called
"Enter the Dragon" "a good-natured example
of the pleasures ofshlock art"), Bruce Lee still
lives on with some action aficionados. Highlight
the 25th anniversary nature of this reissue
to maximize the draw.
Palmetto
Woody Harrelson ("Welcome to Sarajevo")
and Elisabeth Shue (also in "Cousin
Bette") star in this mystery crime thriller
adapted from James Hadley Chase's novel
"Just Another Sucker." The storyline: A good
guy tries to go bad. Michael Rapaport
("Metro"), Angela featherstone ("Con Air"),
Chloe Sevigny ("Kids") and Tom Wright
("Gridlock'd") co-star. Volker Schlondorff
("The Ogre") directs. (Columbia, 2/20)
Exploitips: This pickup adds to an already
crowded calendar for Sony this month, and
the major sell here is the Harrelson name.
Mrs. Dalloway
In this adaptation of the Virginia Woolf
novel, an older British woman in 1920s London
recalls a summer day spent in the country
1890, when she was beautiful and much
in
courted. Three decades later, a key suitor from
that day arrives, and subsequent events intertwine
her fate with that of a tragic young
man—a young man she will never meet.
Vanessa Redgrave and Natascha McElhone
("Surviving Picasso") star with Rupert Craves
("Damage") and Michael Kitchen. Marleen
Gorris, who directed the Oscar-winning
"Antonia's Line" (also a First Look release),
directs; actress-turned-writer Eileen Atkins
("The Dresser") scripts; Lisa Katselas Pare and
Stephen Bayly ("The Diamond's Edge") produce.
(First Look, 2/20 NY/LA)
Exploitips: Rated PC- 13 (for emotional elements
and brief nudity), this drama could
allow exhibitor outreach to local college or
advanced high-school programs. But arthouse
auds will be the primary movers here,
and good rew'ews from "Mrs. Dalloway's"
Toronto fest appearance could help. Our
critic gave this three stars, citing the film's
ability to deliver on its theme of "coming to
terms with the choices we make in life, and
the deeper feelings of understanding that
often need the test of time to be understood.
FEBRUARY 27
Krippendorf's Tribe
In this comedy that returns Richard Dreyfuss
("Mr. Holland's Opus") to the classroom
for Disney, an anthropology professor whose
wife has passed away decides to raise his
family using grant money, all the while pretending
his youngsters are New Guinea
tribeschildren. Todd Holland directs; Charlie
Peters ("Jungle 2 Jungle") adapts the Frank
Parkin novel; Larry Brezner produces this
Touchstone effort. (Buena Vista, 2/27)
Exploitips: Disney is unlikely to be focusing
on anything else all month except for "An
Alan Smithee Film "and this— given that those
are the only Buena Vista titles slated for February.
"Krippendorf's Tribe" is a bit of a
mouthful, but "Mr. Holland's Opus" was
hardly a "Speed" moniker either, and it generated
an appreciable booty at the boxoffice.
Les Miserabies
In this drama, an adaptation of the Victor
Hugo novel (and not the Andrew Lloyd Webber
stage musical), Geoffrey Rush ("Shine")
plays Javert, a police inspector who chases an
escaped convict named Jean Valjean ("Michael
Collins'" Liam Neeson) for years to
bring him to justice. Uma Thurman
("Gattaca") portrays Fantine, a factory
worker-turned-prostitute. Bille August
("Smilla's Sense of Snow") directs; Rafael
Yglesias ("Fearless") scripts; former Sony head
Peter Guber, Adam Platnick and Todd Black
produce. (Columbia, 2/27)
Exploitips: The release-soaked Sony offers
the month's third classic-title adaptation, the
key other being UA's "The Man in the Iron
Mask. " The UA film probably has thestaredge
in Leonardo DiCaprio, but the stage musical
version has made "Les Miserabies" more of a
household name. Given the projects' participants,
one can expect quality work from both;
the question for the 2/27 frame is if there will
be enough literate moviegoers to service this
debut and weekend #2 of "...Iron Mask.
The Real Blonde
This R-rated romantic comedy, set in New
York's fashion and television industries, tells
the stories of a struggling, disillusioned actor,
a woman who's sick of the duplicitous men
in her life, and a successful soap star who's in
search of the eponymous "real blonde." Matthew
Modine ("Cutthroat Island"), Catherine
Keener ("Living in Oblivion"), Daryl Hannah,
Maxwell Caulfield, Elizabeth Berkley ("Showgirls"),
Kathleen Turner, Denis Leary, Buck
Henry and Christopher Lloyd star. Tom
DiCillo (also "Living in Oblivion") directs and
scripts; Marcus Viscidi and Tom Rosenberg
produce for Lakeshore. (Paramount, 2/27)

,
Versatile,
.
.
Look Down on Us
Beltrac® Public Guidance Systems. .
Beautiful, Adaptable.
As the premier world supplier of outstandin
; and innovative public guidance and hospitalil
products since 1 979, we get around. In stores, theater;
banks, hotels, airports . . . just about any place where efficier
guidance and direction of the public is important, you'll find peopi
looking down on our Lavi Beltrac logo. After all, there are som
pretty good reasons why Lavi is the leader in public guidance
Versatile - Beltracs integrated design conceals the retractabli
belt Within the post. So there are no easily damaged parts o
receptacles. Its patented 4-way post assures that one post wil
work for every possible configuration without costly add-ons
Beautiful - Four metallic finishes, and a variety of Lido-Tone
powder-coated post colors, combined with 15 belt colors give the
designer a broad palette for any project. The 6'-8" belts provide
highly visible space for printed messages or company identification
and integrated sign frames complete your messaging options.
Adaptable - Beltrac portable posts offer an answer to the ever
changing needs of public guidance, with wall-to-wall and
^
post-to-post configurations. Of course, when your interior
requirements call for solid brass or chrome posts with
velour ropes, our Traditional line is second to none.
All systems are designed, engineered and
manufactured in the United States.
^
^
Public Guidance Systems and
For complete information about our
other LAVI products, call us.
V 1-800-959-1036
Industries
Products for People and the Places they
www.lavi.com
»
;
^'"URES TUBINGS
GUIDANCE KITCHEN
& FITTINGS
& CLOSET
& EXTRUSIONS
'810 A..,„e Hopkins. Valencia. M 91355 USA
HARDWARE
. 805-257-7800 • Fa.: 805-257-4938 • & 199Z la,i IndilsUies

14 BoxoFncE Response No. 62
"
Exploitips: DiCillo's most recent, "Box of
Moonlight" for Trimark, drew only a nattering
of good notices. But "The Real Blonde" has
one of those cavalcade-of-stars casts that
could attract various age groups, and
rom/com is always the mainstream audience
favorite. One can hope this comes with an
intelligent script, lest this elicit "Dumb
'Blonde'" headlines from reviewers.
No More Mr. Nice Guy
Hong Kong action maestro Jackie Chan
plays a good-hearted chef who, by helping a
woman in distress, becomes involved in fighting
evil businessmen engaged in skullduggery.
Richard Norton and Mike Lee co-star.
Sammo Hung directs; Edward Tang and Fibe
Ma script; Chua Lam produces for Golden
Harvest. (New Line, 2/27)
Exploitips: Screened at ShowEast as "Mr.
Nice Guy" but tentatively to be titled "No
More Mr. Nice Guy" for its moved-up release
by New Line, this Chan film provides the
usual blend of comedy and action. There's
just one jaw-dropping Chan-in-action sequence
here, involving Chan under a gigantic
earthmover's tires. Expect the usual Chan
boxofflce results, in the 'teens.
An Alan Smithee Film
This satirical look at Hollywood, scripted
by Joe Eszterhas ("Showgirls"), stars the likes
of Sylvester Stallone, Whoopi Goldberg and
Richard Gere, who play themselves in the
documentary-style comedy. In this film, a
director whose real name is Alan Smithee
meets with frustration when he tries to pull his
name from a terrible recut of his film, only to
see the DGA's usual director alias (Alan
Smithee) be credited. In desperation, he steals
the negative. (Buena Vista, 2/27)
Exploitips: In a case of real life imitating (at
least what is hoped to be) art, the director of
"An Alan Smithee Film," Arthur Hiller, has
pulled his name from the film, which now will
be released as an Alan Smithee film. Despite
the smile that induces, it's hardly an audience
attractor. Still, the bevy of big names appearing
plus the directing controversy should win
this press, although it could be bad press; the
earliest reviews have not been too friendly.
Tarzan & Jane
This romance/adventure again adapts the
Edgar Rice Burroughs stories about a jungle
man and the civilized woman who becomes
his lady. In this telling, with a scenario similar
to that of "George of the Jungle," the Ape Man
leaves civilization to return to Africa to save
his homeland. Casper Van Dien ("Starship
Troopers") plays Tarzan and Jane March portrays
Jane. (Live, 2/27 tent.)
Exploitips: This Live acquisition was made
long before "Starship Troopers" opened to
$22 million and made the Van Dien name
known. Jane March, did the NC- 1 7 "The Lovers,
" and the director's cut of her "Color of
Night" also was for adult audiences, so one
might not expect an especially modest Jane
here. Sexsells, of course, and might also for...
The Blood Oranges
A sexually liberated couple (Charles Dance
and Sheryl Lee) living in a small European
town in the 1970s maintain an open relationship,
having extramarital affairs. Matters turns
dark when they meet a pair of travelers. Colin
Lane and Laila Robins co-star. Philip Haas
directs, and he adapts from a novel with
Belinda Haas; she produces with Tom Carouso
and Hector Lopez. (Trimark, 2/27)
Exploitips: Our Toronto reviewer is no fan,
calling this "risible and idiotic. ..a maladroit
adaptation of a novel that should probably
never have seen the light of day." Similar
complaints were made of Triumph's "Bliss,"
but it found a select audience, in part due to
its sensuality. Expect a similar demo in similar
numbers. Emphasize the Haas' arthouse work
("Angels & Insects, " "The Music of Chance").
Homegrown
This R-rated drama is a dark comedy about
three marijuana growers who live the good
life off profits generated by their overseeing a
Northern California crop on land owned by
the mysterious Malcolm— until Malcolm
turns up dead. Billy Bob Thornton, Kelly
Lynch, Hank Azaria ("The Birdcage") and
Ryan Philippe star. Stephen Gyllenhall
("Waterland") directs and co-scripts; Jason
Clark produces for Lakeshore. (TriStar, 2/27)
Exploitips: With Thornton still hot off his
Oscar scripting win for "Sling Blade, " Sony
acquired this title at last year's Cannes from
the folks on a winning streak at Lakeshore,
who've also found homes for the likes of their
"Dream With the Fishes," "The Real Blonde"
(above), "Polish Wedding" and "Still Breathing.
" Expect the cast and story to draw mostly
from the twenty- and thirtysomething crowd.
Genuine
GLassForm ®
Fiberglass Trash Receptacles
and Bench Seating.
1-800-995-8322 or Fax: 1-630-761-8859
Love and Death on Long Island
This drama, starring John Hurt, Jason
Priestly and Fiona Loewi, adapts the novel by
Gilbert Adair and tells the story of a stuffy
British writer whose wife has died. Going to
the movies by himself one night, he chooses
the wrong auditorium and instead of seeing
an E.M. Forster adaptation finds himself
treated to a teenage comedy—and is surprised
to find himself transfixed from there on by a
male screen idol. Richard Kwietniowski directs
and scripts; Steve Clark-Hall and Christopher
Zimmer produce. (CEP, 2/27)
Exploitips:
Our Telluride reviewer gives
this three stars, saying the story provides for
"an intriguing cultural clash " and that Priestly
"amusingly spoofs his own teen idol image.
Still, it's unlikely that TV fave Priestly will
draw arthousers, so Hurt is the likely sell.
Suicide Kings
In this black comedy, four collegians nab a
retired mobster (Christopher Walken) to help
them. Denis Leary ("Wide Awake"), Jay Mohr
("Picture Perfect"), Henry Thomas ("Legends
of the Fall") and Sean Patrick Flanery ("Powder")
also star. Peter O'Fallon directs; Wayne
Rice and Gina Goldman script; Rice produces
with Morrie Eisenman. (Live, 2/27)
Exploitips: If the ensemble here strikes
sparks with the twentysomething crowd, this
could build word of mouth in a way that "8
Heads in a Duffel Bag" did not. Our Toronto
reviewer (Oct. '97 issue) gave this three stars,
citing Walken's energetic turn and narrative
twists. Held from several previous dates.

"
FEBRUARY UNDATED
Bulworth
In "Bulworth" (a tentative title), a wealthy
U.S. senator (Warren Beatty) Is tired of life and
so sees no reason to avoid a hit that's been
planned by a friend—until, that is, the senator
meets a beautiful African-American woman
(Halle Berry). Paul Sorvino, Oliver Piatt, Jack
Warden and Don Cheadle co-star. Warren
Beatty also directs, scripts and produces. (Fox,
Feb. undated; could go Jan.)
Exploitips: Fox materials depict the story
thus: "He must frantically seek out the only
one who can call off the killer in a hair-raising
comic chase. "So expect something more akin
to "Heaven Can Wait" than to "Reds.
The Gingerbread Man
This thriller set in the South stars Kenneth
Branagh ("Hamlet") as a lawyer who takes the
case of a beautiful but distressed woman
(Embeth Davidtz) who wants her wealthy but
mentally unstable father committed. The lawyer
begins to wonder whether his client's motives
are altruistic. Robert Altman directs; John
Grisham adapts his original story; Jeremy Tanenbaum
produces. (Polygram, Feb. undated)
Exploitips: The arthouse name Altman and
the paperback favorite Crisham make for an
odd couple in terms of audience draw; will
this pull mainstream or specialized? Expect
Polygram, despite its earlier decision— since
rescinded—to recut Altman's version, at least
to go after the former, so emphasize the
Crisham side of the parentage.
Stephen Frears, Mike Leigh and Ken Loach."
The harshness of the film— which features
"violence, profanity, blood, sweat and
tears"— and the script's "episodic nature"
make this unlikely megaplex fare, but interest
in the Oldman name should draw specialized
audiences in decent number.
General Chaos:
Uncensored Animation
Manga, now aka Island Digital Media,
launches what it plans to be an annual minifest
of "uncensored" animated shorts; the
1998 iteration includes "Looks Can Kill," "a
burlesque girlie show with unexpected
thrust"; "Zerox and Mylar" from Will Vinton
Studios; and the latest from Bill Plymptonand
from the Bolex Brothers ("The Secret Adventures
of Tom Thumb"). (Island Digital Media,
Feb. undated; could go in Jan.)
Exploitips: Not for the "Anastasia" crowd,
this should perform best in college towns and
in arthouses that have experience drawing
their patrons to the experimental.
Tokyo Fist
This Japanese-language new-waver tells of
a love triangle. (Island Digital, Feb. undated)
Exploitips: Quotably, "Tokyo Fist" has
been described as "an assault and battery of
a movie. " Held from previous dates.
The Butcher Boy
In a small Irish town in the early 1960s, a
young boy (Eamon Owens) with an alcoholic
father ("Michael Collins'" Stephen Rea) and a
manic-depressive mother (AislingO'Sullivan)
but one good friend (Alan Boyle) has his life
turn for the worse when all three exit his life.
Neil Jordan (also "Michael Collins") directs
and produces, and he scripts with Patrick
McCabe. (Warner Bros., Feb. undated)
Exploitips: In a four-star review (Sept. '97
issue), our Calway fest critic said Jordan's
10th film— held from a fall release — is "an
extraordinary piece of cinema.... [N]ot only
are the performances stunning; so is Jordan's
direction, ofthecaliberthatsays 'Oscar. '" The
R rating makes this one for adult audiences,
probably in the same number that attended
"Michael Collins" ($ 1 1 million).
Nil by IVIouth
This R-rated drama—which our Cannes reviewer
calls "a sort of South London version
of 'Once Were Warriors'"—tells the travailfilled
story of a working-class English family:
athuggishoaf named Ray (Ray Winstone), his
world-weary wife Valerie (Cathie Burke) and
Valerie's junkie brother Billy (Charlie Creed-
Miles). Gary Oldman makes his directing
debut and scripts, and he produces with Luc
Besson ("The Fifth Element") and Douglas
Urbanski. (Sony Classics, Feb. undated)
Exploitips: In a three-star review, our
Cannes critic compares Oldman's work here,
mostly favorably ("he does the tradition
proud"), to that of "gritty English realists like
Response No. 30
February, 1998 15

—
Cover
GRACE
PERIOD
Martin
Legendary Director
MARTIN SCORSESE
Makes a New Kind
of Religious Epic
With "KUNDUN''
by Ray Greene
Scorsese hates to fly. As luck
would have it, another round of "El
Nino" stormfront rumors was circulating
on one of the few recent dates when
Scorsese decided to make the New York-to-
L.A. run. Lx)s Angeles might yet wash off into
the ocean at some pwint during the winter, but
it didn't this time: In a pattern that had already
repeated itself all summer long and into the
early fall, broadcast commentators nationwide
were gleefully predicting L.A. rainfalls of
biblical proportions for Scorsese's late September
travel day, only to have nothing more
than modest, periodic and only slightly
noticeable showers materialize.
Still, given his flight phobia and the
meteorological speculation Scorsese
woke up to, it was a near chance that he
might decide to call off his east/west trek
(thereby potentially derailing the January
cover plans of a certain national film
periodical that shall remain nameless).
But Scorsese's love of movies apparently
supersedes all other considerations:
At the last minute, he threw
caution to the winds, chanced the whiteknuckle
plane ride to the City of Angels,
and amved just in time to attend the kind
of event the film buff in him ju.st loves:
an American Movie Classics salute to
the golden era of Hollywood///m noir.
As with almost any subject related to films
and filmmaking, Scorsese's comments on the
AMC tribute are ultimately a statement of his
philosophies as a director. "There was a genuine
warmth, a real love, you could say, of the
images," a scratchy-voiced Scorsese says on
the moming after the event. "It's a world that's
gone by, but we have these incredible artifacts,
and the artifacts make you think about history.
"I'm addicted to history. And I think when
you're addicted to history it's really about studying
human behavior What htqjpens [when you
watch an old movie] is that these people are up
there on the screen behaving. And they're not
really behaving for themselves, they're behaving
for a whole culture of that time."
o;
ver breakfast, Scorsese seems both
|whip-smart and a bit the worse for
wear after his journey. He is highly
verbal—almost parodistically the fast-talking
native New Yorker Words spill from him in
a How dare we make a film
about a man who represents
compassion and peace, and
kindness and tolerance. ..a
story about a man whose
job is to care about
every living thing. "
staccato torrents, with rapid-fire, fully articulated
ideas and opinions .seeming to compete
for mastery in his conversation.
The loud clanking of a barman wiping down
waterglasses sets him on edge, actually derailing
his train of thought more than once, as does
a particularly shrill cellphone that goes off at
berant
regular intervals over the course of the meal.
He flinches at the sounds— piercing and rever-
in the paneled half-light of a restaurant
off the foyer of his posh Beveriy Hills hotel
and then laughs the reaction off. "I get like
Roderick Usher now," he says. "You know,
'The Fall of the House of Usher'?" He
clenches his hands and hunches forward in a
burlesque of horror movie menace worthy of
Dwight Frye: "The cat's paws drive me mad!"
Given the thematic complexity of his films,
it's no surprise that Scorsese is a sharp interview,
or that the jangled, nervous energy that
seems such a part of his directing style is also
part of his personality. He is, after all, the man
who kickstarted his career and redefined
the American crime film with the bloodsoaked
gangster morality tale "Mean
Streets"in 1973, making stars ofHarvey
Keitel and Robert De Niro in the process.
'Taxi Driver." his scary tale of an
obsessed gun lover and would-be political
incite a
assassin, proved potent enough to
1980 copycat assassination attempt
by John Hinckley against thenpresident
Ronald Reagan. And "Raging
Bull" (1980). Scorsese's poeticized rendering
of the violent life and times of
boxer Jake LaMotta is routinely hailed
as the greatest American film of its decade
and, along with Robert Wise's
"The Set-Up," is the most realistic depiction
of the brutality of the fight game
ever committed to film. It would be a contradiction
in tenns ifScorse.se caine off like, say,
a mild-mannered small-town librarian.
What is surprising is that this most urban and
American of filmmakers has gotten up early on
a gray LA. moming to discuss a project that,
on the surface at lea.st, seems to play against
almost all of his acknowledged strengths.
"Kundun"—a rural religicxis epic set in Tibet
16 BUXOFFICE

.lanuarv. 1998 17
and featuring an all-Asian cast of nonprofessional
actors—chronicles the early life of
Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
"Why not?" Scorsese says when asked if he
thinks he's the kind of director for this sort of
material. "It's basically a story about a man
who lives a life in the spirit, and how one lives
a spiritual life in this world, which is to a
certain extent what Charlie is trying to do in
"Mean Streets.' You know, he was trying to
lead an ethical life, according to the precepts
of his religion, in a world where there are
gangsters and there are thieves. [In 'Kundun']
there's no magic, there are no visions. [The
Dalai Lama] is trying to lead a good life and
be an example, I think, to all of us."
with so much of what makes Scorsese
Astick, the journey that led to "Kundun"
began in the darkened
moviehouses of his '50s New
York boyhood. It was there
that he discovered an early
passion for religious
spectacle,
fueled by period epics like
195rs "Quo Vadis?" and
1952's "The Robe." "I remember
'Quo Vadis?'—the
MGM one—and my father
taking me to see it," he says.
"I was fascinated by the beautiful
three-strip Technicolor
and what looked to me like the
artifacts of ancient Rome.
"The next one was 'The
Robe,' and it was the first film
in CinemaScope. The curtain
opening at the Roxy Theatre
for that new kind of image, and
then the music coming up— it
was quite extraordinary."
The '50s boom in religious
spectaculars came at a particularly
auspicious moment in
Scorsese's development, harmonizing
events from his life
with impressions taken from
the fihns he loved at a very
early age. "I had spent my first
year in Catholic grammar
school, and I became an altar
boy," he says. "And the ancient Roman world
became in my mind part of the Church, and
part of the ritual of the Church. The music of
the Church became completely mixed into the
music in 'Quo Vadis?' or 'The Robe.'"
A less well-known epic of the period provided
Scorsese with what he remembers as his
first significant exposure to an ethnographic
moviemaking approach he would explore in
depth later on. A fictional account of the building
of Egypt's Great Pyramid, 1955's "Land
of the Pharoahs" boasted one of Hollywood's
finest directors in Howard Hawks and a script
worked on by (of all people) Southern gothic
novelist and Nobel laureate William Faulkner.
Though it predated Cecil B. DeMille's
more setbound 1956 remake of "The Ten
Commandments," "Pharoahs" had nothing
like the commercial impact of DeMille's
Bamumesque spectacle of ancient Egypt. Except,
that is, in the New York moviehouse
where a prepubescent Marty Scorsese saw it
and found the experience indelible.
"I guess what I was really interested in there
was the way Egypt looked. 'Land of the
Pharoahs' gave the impression that you were
really in ancient Egypt, mainly because they
shot there. And the scale [of the drama] was
more human size [than in most '50s spectaculars]
and very interesting.
"I hadn't seen architecture like that before.
I had seen the film 'The Egyptian' before that,
but that looked more like Hollywood Egypt,
very pretty," he says. "Whereas 'Land of the
Pharoahs' really had a sense of being like a
documentary of ancient Egypt."
That realistic edge became something
Scorsese started to look for as he became more
interested in making films of his own. He cites
CROWNING GLORY: A moment of grace with the young Dalai Lama.
"Land of the Pharoahs" as a direct influence
on "Kundun," which was shot entirely on location
in Morocco in order to capture the
timeless rural isolation of pre-communist
Tibet. "In Morocco," he says, "if you look at a
village outside of Ouarzazate, you are looking
at a village that has been that way for 5,000
years." This attention to realistic detail has
been a hallmark of Scorsese's approach to
filmmaking from the beginning of his career.
"By the time I saw documentaries in the '50s
and '60s," he says, "and neorealism, Italian
films, I realized I would love to make films
where literally you see what the person eats,
the kind of food they're eating, the way it's
presented, the way it's prepared. I began to
realize I wanted to make films that depict the
culture of the people. You get that in 'Mean
Streets,' you get it in 'GoodFellas,' and I beheve
you get it in 'Kundun.'"
Tibet is an awfully long way from the
Still,
Little Italy of "Mean Streets," and the
Dalai Larna's difficult early passage is a
story that exists in a unique and very specialized
milieu. "Kundun" (the title means "The
Precious One") begins in 1937, when a twoyear-old
Tibetan boy named Tenzin Gyatso is
recognized as the 14th reincarnation of the
Buddha of love and compassion. "With Buddhism,"
Scorsese says, "the idea is that it's the
same boy who was here the last time, and the
one before that, and the one before that. At one
point, when he's 1 6 years old, [the Dalai Lama]
asks this fellow who sweeps the kitchen and
played with him when he was little, 'Do you
ever wonder if the regent found the right boy?'
And the man says back, 'No. Of course he did.
Who else would be here?'"
In the Tibetan system of the 1 930s, the Dalai
Lama was not just the spiritual
but also the political leader of
his country. Rigorous training
in the philosophies of Buddhism,
including the central
Buddhist tenet of absolute
nonviolence, occupied much
of Tenzin Gyatso's childhood
and early adolescence. But at
the age of 15 both the Dalai
Lama's hfe and the life of his
country were irrevocably
changed by an event that
would eventually send the
Dalai Lama into exile: the invasion
of Tibet by the armies
ofChairman Mao Zedong, and
its
subsequent annexation as
part of communist China.
The collision ofTibet's nonviolent,
spiritualist way of life
with the militaristic and materiaUst
culture of Maoism is the
skein of tragedy that runs
through "Kundun," which
ends with the Dalai Lama's
forced departure from his
homeland in 1959. In the decades
since, Tenzin Gyatso has
become one of the world's
most revered figures. Global
interest in Buddhism is
at an
all-time high, and the Dalai Lama's political
efforts, which continue to espouse the cause of
nonviolence as well as that of a free Tibet, were
rewarded with a Nobel Peace Prize in 1988.
The rising interest in Buddhism as well as
in Chinese politics has been reflected in a spate
of recent Hollywood projects. Preceding
"Kundun" into the marketplace were both
Jean-Jacques Annaud's "Seven Years in
Tibet," starring Brad Pitt as an Austrian
cUmber who undergoes a Buddhist conversion
experience, and "Red Comer," the political
thriller-cum-expose about the oppressive realities
of the communist Chinese legal system.
Although "Kundun" began as the brainchild
of "E.T." screenwriter Melissa Mathison
a half-decade ago and is a film that
Scorsese has been involved with for more
than three years, Scorsese acknowledges
that his film's arrival at this time does seem

—
a
to reflect part of a wider shift in Western
attitudes about Eastern spiritualism.
"It's a hunger, I think," Scorsese says.
"There's kind of a hunger for peace of mind.
On the downside, it may signal a lack of faith
in our traditional religions in the West. That
doesn't mean everybody's going to become
Buddhist, but I think you could learn certain
things from Buddhism."
Scorsese is philosophical about the fact
that "Kundun" has become part of a sort of
Chinese thematic subgenre. "I would have
liked to have done this film before 'Casino,'"
he says, "but I couldn't. It just tums
out that you have ['Kundun'], and you have
people even realizing it,
the Jean-Jacques Annaud film, and it all
seems to be coming through in a kind of
torrent. A process has happened without
[and] it's all coming
to fruition this year."
The potency of the Dalai Lama as a
symbol ofTibetan struggle is demonstrated
by the ongoing hostility that "Kundun" has
met with from the current Chinese regime.
Almost as soon as the Scorsese project was
announced, the Chinese government, in an
extraordinary move, threatened to block
"Kundun" maker The Walt Disney Co.
from future access to China's vast
and potentially lucrative markets if
the project went forward.
The issue appeared to be resolved
after a petition signed by a
wide-ranging group of American
filmmakers sided with Scorsese's
right to tell the Dalai Lama's story,
and Disney, to its credit, has stood
behind "Kundun" from the first.
Yet, even as this story was going to
press, the plot continued to thicken:
During the recent visit to the
U.S. by the current Chinese
president, China announced
that it was suspending all business
dealings with Disney as
well as with "Seven Years in
Tibet" distributor Columbia
TriStar and "Red Corner"
backer MGM in protest against
what its government views as
each film's unwarranted attack
on Chinese sovereignty.
Ironically,
Scorsese considers
himself a lover of Chinese
culture, particularly of Chinese
cinema. "I think Chinese cinema
is the best cinema in the
world," he says. "The filmmakers,
the cinematographers—I
love their pictures."
Scorsese does, however, draw a
distinction between Chinese culture and the
repressive excesses of the current rulers.
"About the repres.sion of their regime—we're
talking about the regime now, not the people
I think it's extreniely dangerous. I've seen
articles in French magazines about their daily
executions of 'dissidents,' quote unquote, or
'drug dealer;,' quote unquote. Kids in their
20s, they shoot them in the back of the head....
The Tibetan women who go in to have a child.
and they actually kill the child or sterilize the
woman. It's a matter of genocide, really.
'The thing to understand about China is, it's
a very different way of thinking about life, a
very different way of thinking about freedom,
and a very different way of thinking about
privacy—they have a lot of people there. 1 read
"Because what is our nature?
Is it our nature to be violent,
or is it our nature to love,
and be compassionate?'^
an article about [Maoist guerilla] Pol Pot in
Cambodia, where they killed those millions of
people. [Cambodia's genocidal civil war was
chronicled in the 1984 Oscar winner 'The
Killing Fields."] What I got ftxim the article
was that he felt those millions of people deserved
to die, becau.sc it was their bad karma,
so it was understandable. In Western culture,
karma is not necessarily something that we
believe in. Everybody has a right to live."
I
t is an odd coincidence that "Kundun" is
both Scorsese's second attempt at religious
spectacle and the second of his films to be the
subject of vehement ideological attack before it
has even been released. A decade ago, Scorsese's
controveisial adaptation of Nikos Kazantzakis'
'The Last Temptation ofChrist" inspired pickets,
threats of boycott and mass demonstrations
by American religious conservatives—
situation that still angers Scorsese in a remarkably
immediate way given how much
time has passed. "1 can understand being
offended and that sort of thing, but to try to
force us not to go into the theatre is outrageous,"
he says of the "Last Temptation"
controversy. "People say, 'You're offending
my vision of my religion, and you're blaspheming
my God.' Well, he's everybody's
God, and people approach God differently.
And this is America you know? You should
be able to do that... The reality is that what
happened at that time was a bullying of the
American public. A bullying."
He is equally firm in his views about the
fact that "Kundun" has become a very different
kind of flashpoint for attempts at
ideological suppression. "What does this
man represent?' he asks, referring to the
Dalai Lama. "Compassion. How
dare we make a film about a man who
represents compassion and peace,
and kindness and tolerance.... Basically,
it's a story about a man whose
job is to care about every living thing.
And to love every living thing. And
the outrage that we should be told on
this side of the world that we can't
make the picnire. And the outrage
that the story of a man like this could
be considered controversial."
To Scorsese, whose signature
films have so often depicted
hard, brutal men caught in grim
and violent worlds, there is a
strange paradox in the fact that
"Kundun," about the life of a
man of peace, would be the subject
of such political rage.
Richard Gere [who has long
l-)een one of the Dalai Lama's
most public adherents] and I
were talking about it, and he
said, 'Maybe nonviolence is
truly revolutionary.' Maybe it is.
Maybe that's the ultimate revolution.
Because what is our nature?
Is it our nature to be
violent, or is it our nature to love,
;ind be compassionate?"
Scorsese hesitates, as if pondering
again a question so cental
to .so many of his films. "It's both." he says
finally. "But one has to win out some time or
other. Because if it doesn't we have the ability
to be extinct any second we choose."
^H
"Kundun." Starring Tenzjn Thuthoh Tsanmg.
Directed hy Martin Scorsese. Written by
MelLisa Mathison. Produced hy Barlwra De
Fina. A Buena Vista release. Drama. Opens
12/25 NY/IA, widens mid-Jan.
18 BoxoFncE

FOR YEARS, OUR PROJECTION LIGHTING
HAS MADE MOVIES ENJOYABLE FOR EVERYONE.
(PROVIDED THEY'RE NOT STUCK IN THE WRONG SEAT.)
EEEH-GAAD! Here's a scary picture. Imagine the with such features as high arc stability, unsurpassed
theater industry without OSRAM Xenon lamps from reliability, long life, and constant color properties
OSRAM SYLVANIA. Since inventing xenon, a star for over 40 years. through lamp life. And in the future, we'll
this
technology over 40 years ago for
continue to provide innovative, superior
theaters, no lighting company has done
Xenon lamps. Call 1-800-LIGHTBULB
more to ensure their success. Today, we
offer the widest range of Xenon lamps
for information. Or visit our Web site at
OSRAM
www.sylvania.com. SYLl/JUVM
Response No. 29

Sneak Previewi—
"
"RISING" STAR
Plumbing the Depths With
'^Deep Rising ^s^' Famke Janssen
by Jon Matsumoto
looking for a major break
when she suddenly got the call to
audition for a part in the 1995
James Bond movie "GoldenEye."
"[I was told], 'We're interested
in meeting you for one ofthe parts.
I can't tell you what it is but you're
a Russian,'" recounts Janssen by
phone from her home in New
York City. "That's all I knew. I
screen tested, got the part and then
read the script. I had a heart attack.
I thought. 'What am I supposed to
do? I can't say no now. I have to
do this part.' I thought it was the
end of my career, which wasn't
that interesting in the first place."
The role the Dutch-bred actress
landed was that ofXenia Onatopp,
a sadistic Russian villainess with
a penchant for rough and sometimes
lethal sex. Janssen knew
about the stigma of being a Bond
bimbette (oftentimes a career
killer) and worried that the image
of this kinky and cartoonish character
might be even more difficult
to overcome.
Luckily, her deliciously overthe-top
performance in the fantastical
"GoldenEye" brought her to
the attention of more than just the
purveyors of fleshy action/adventure
flicks. Since then, she's managed
to impress two filmmakers
with far more high-minded intentions:
Robert Altman ca.st her as a
ATTACK FROM ABOVE: Famke Janssen and Treat Williams find
danger at every turn in Buena Vista 's "Deep Rising.
Famke Janssen was essentially
an unknown actress soon-to-be-released "The
Southern alcoholic divorcee in his
Gingerbread
Man," and Woody Allen
also pegged her for a part in his
as-yet-untitled movie that's currently
in production. That project
will also feature Kim Basinger,
Drew Barrymore and Leonardo
DiCaprio.
Today, Janssen marvels at how
"GoldenEye" has managed to affect
her career in some very unexpected
ways. "I don't think
anyone would have said,
'You're going to come out of
a movie like 'GoldenEye,' a
Bond girl, and you're going to
be able to work with Woody
Allen and Robert Altman.
That's the biggest miracle of
all," she says. "Bui at the same
time [the Onatopp image] will
be the thing that I will have to
fight and always be typecast
as. [At this point,] if I want to
do a big budget film, I have to
act in that genre. I'm turning toward
independent films for the
characters I want to play and that
I'm closer to."
Jan.ssen's strategy is to balance
high-profile big studio films with
independent projects in order to
play a wide range of roles. In the
new Disney horror/action/thriller
"Deep Rising," she plays a kleptomaniac
on board a cruise ship
that's been infiltrated by a murderous
creature. Her character is on
the ship in order to steal a valuable
necklace. Along the way she falls
in love with Treat Williams' character
as the two work together to
combat the elusive monster,
which has been stealthily killing
off the passengers.
Janssen says
she appreciates
that her character
is more human
than the over
sexed fighting
machine persona
that largely defined
Onatopp.
She almost didn't
get the part in
"Deep Rising" because
the films
producers thought
she might be too identifiable as her
hard-to-forget Bond character
If she so desired (and she
doesn't), the 5' 11" beauty could
probably forge a nice living
strictly playing Amazon women
toting semi-automatic weapons.
"I definitely see a trend [toward
physically aggressive roles for
women]," she acknowledges. "If
you look at the movies of the '40s
you'll see that women were never
these superhuman creatures. They
used their intelligence a lot more
and they used their sexuality and
they used a lot of different things
that are very feminine.
"But Hollywood is still a maledominated
society and action
films are probably the most suc-
"/ definitely see a trend
[towardphysically aggressive
roles for women]. I don V
view women that way in my
everyday life. I don 't view
men that way either. I don 't
see Arnold Schwarzeneggers
running around in my life
cessfijl.
If women want to compete
on that level they have to turn
to those types of parts. I don't see
them really as feminine parts.
They (are male parts] written for
women. I don't view women that
way in my everyday life. To be
honest, I don't view men that way
either. I don't see Arnold
Schwarzeneggers mnning around
in my life."
While growing up in Holland,
Janssen had little ambition to become
an actress. She had been
studying economics and working
as a model when she moved to
New York at the age of 20.
Janssen studied literature and
writing at Columbia University
and began to take acting lessons.
She eventually
procured guest
roles in television
series Uke "Star
Trek: The Next
Generation"
and
""Melrose Place."
She was also cast
opposite Jeff
Goldblum in
1992's "Father
and Sons" and
starred in Clive
Barker's 1995
honor/thriller "Lord of Dlusions."
Since
"GoldenEye," Janssen
has made a number of independent
films. Yet-to-be-released projects
in this genre include a small
comedy called "RPM" in which
she stars opposite David Arquette,
who plays a car thief She also
portrays a self-destructive working-class
woman in Ted Demme's
"Noose," a movie about Irish-
American gang life in Boston.
Janssen can talk at length about
the failings of Hollywood and the
big studio system. For instance,
she is outraged that Polygram
even considered re-editing "The
Gingerbread Man" after Altman
completed the film. (Polygram
backed down from this threat after
Altman said he would remove
f>
his name from the project.)
One of the reasons why
Janssen moved back to Manhattan
after a period of living
in Tinseltown was to iinmerse
herself in an environment that
was more creative and less
business-like.
"It was difficult for me to
live in a place like L. A. where
you're constantly reminded of
your position in the business,"
she says. "Now that I've been living
in New York, where there's a
lot more stuff going on that interests
me culturally, I'm more inspired."
"Deep Rising. " Starring Treat
Williams aixd Famke Janssen. Directed
and written by Stephen
Sommers. Produced by Laurence
Mark and John Baldecchi. A
Buena Vista release. Action/
thriller. Opens Jan. 30.
20 BoxoFncE

For more info: 1 -800-FUNACHO (1-800-386-2246)
No Waste
Less Mess
No Clean Up
fe
%=s§r
Easy Storage
'
Premium 'Quality
Portion Control
^
Save Labor Costs
ic^^
'^^
.^j TtO^'JCtS 'm}^ '"
"2ta!Ji;2 Ih^^ ^
The difference is our ^> ^ - ^ -^ -y^-
---/ ^^^^ - ^^yj^^^-
Response No. 483
Visit Our Website:
vyvyvy.IuJiiiclio.cQiii

3
'
Exhibition Profile
JOLLY GOOD SHOW
National Amusements Opens Two New
Showcase Cinemas in the U.K.
by Bridget Byrne
D
SSsr,
POPULAR PALACE: Showcase Cinemas Newham had 9,000 visitors on National Cinema Day.
Easy
to reach"—that's
a key factor for
Showcase Cinemas Newham, one of
National Amusements' latest multiplexes
in the British Isles. This state-of-the-art,
14-screen, 4,000-seat movie complex is
situated
on the east side of London, a slice of
flashy, modem Americana in an area that
looks like it hasn't flilly recovered ftom the
ravages of World War 11.
On a rare sunny morning in England,
Box

"
ofUiming the abandoned Battersea Power Station
into a $56 million entertainment center
with a 32-screen multiplex.
As these and other companies jockey to
become leader in the cinema multiplex industry,
National Amusements, the 60-year-old
family-run company which owns the "Multiplex"
trademark now considered synonymous
with large theatre complexes, opens another
multiplex. Its 15th U.K. Showcase Cinemas is
a 14-screen, 3,800-seat complex located in
Scodand in Paisley's new leisure park. The
Phoenix. National Amusements executives,
including John Bilsborough, vice president of
international operations, flew in to attend charity
and premiere screenings and gala opening
ceremonies.
British-bom Bilsborough used the occasion
to reflect on the company's decade
of business in Britain. "About 10 years
ago, the obvious lack of development in the
United Kingdom attracted everyone's attention,
suggesting a natural market," he says.
Many neighborhood theatres had closed and
most that remained lacked modem amenities.
Initially, National Amusements buih theatres
which were top-grade technically but
somewhat plain aesthetically. But recendy, the
company has begun constmcting edifices
which truly merit the label "palaces."
"Anyone who hasn't been to a theatre for
five or 10 years and who now comes to one of
ours is truly amazed," Bilsborough says. Audiences
which had very low expectations when
they started visiting the new multiplexes
quickly became sophisticated in their desires.
'Ten years ago in Nottingham, the people
working for us on the building site thought we
were crazy," Bilsborough recalls. "They
thought people would never come back to the
movies; they couldn't visualize the market
turnaround that has hapjjened. But as soon as
that theatre opened, the people began coming
in droves and other businesses realized how
desirable we were as an
anchor business."
In general, the British
public has embraced the
American-style theatres,
where, Bilsborough
notes, "unless you look
outside and see a doubledecker
bus, you might
think that you are in
the United States."
The Newham theatre is clearly designed to
bring back what Bilsborough calls "the magic
of moviegoing," and to attract a wide audience
ranging from children to seniors. "My motherin-law,
who hadn't been to the cinema in 28
years, went to one of our theatres to see
'Schindler's List,' and she has been going
regularly ever since," says Fox.
Bilsborough adds, "We are trying to make
moviegoing an event again, with glitz and
glamour. The buildings have evolved from
merely functional to those that reflect both an
ongoing and nostalgic interest in the movies."
He notes the specially-designed poster and
neon walls at Newham, a prominent customer
ii'
They thought we
were crazy. They
couldn 't visualize the
market turnaround
that has happened.
JUST A SNIP: VP of international operaions John
Bilstorough and Paisley Provost Nancy Allison open
Scotland's Showcase Cinemas at the Phoenix.
service booth, a counter selling movie tie-in
products, a video wall of upcoming attractions,
a video game area, a gjant central concession
stand, cafe seating and both automated and
manned ticket booths.
The "Hollywood" themed neon display depicts
both classic and modem icons from "Fred
and Ginger" to "OOT' and "Rick's Cafe" to
"Cinderella's Coach."
But the theatre's grand opening brought a
Uve Hollywood screen legend, Kim Novak, to
Newham to headUne celebrations which included
a screening of the restored version of
"Rcnic," the 1955 movie adaptation of the
William Inge play, in which she starred with
Williain Holden. A party for local dignitaries
followed, and featured the unveiling of a
plaque naming one ofthe 14 screens "The Kim
Novak Auditorium."
The theatre also boasts Dolby digital sound
systems, the rocking recliner chairs that National
Amusements pioneered, and a couple of
luxuries even rarer in
Britain: air-conditioning
and freshly popped
popcorn.
The English are notorious
for their sweet
tooth, and 70 percent
of the popcorn sold is
sweet rather than salty,
a marked distinction
from America. Additionally,
more than 50 types of candy are on
sale at the "Pic-n-Mix" self-serve counter.
Management is trained to run all aspects of
the theatre, including the giant, pristine oneperson
projection booth. Theatre managers
wear tuxedos so they can be easily identified
by customers.
"The United Kingdom was an area where
we had to regenerate interest in moviegoing.
It's an area for growth and an area where there
is still more room for growth.
"We want to bring people back to the moviegoing
experience and that's what we think
about all day, every day," says Bilsborough.
"We live and breathe it."
^H
Every Seat In The House
Is A Great Seat With
The
CinemaSeat TM
The CinemaSeat is a lightweight
durable booster seat made
especially for young movie goers. It
provides a secure seat for small
children by holding down the spring
loaded theater seat.
Velcro safety
strips hold the seat firmly in place
ensuring the safety of the child.
The CinemaSeat covers the
theater seat upholstery, keeping
shoes from tearing and soiling the
material. The lip on the edge of the
seat holds
spills away
from the
fabric. This
safe and
sturdy
"booster
seat" is a
must for
every
theater. Call
today.
The CinemaSeat is
offered separately or in
this convenient pacl(age,
The System 36
• Use as a concessions holder
• Lightweight, self-nesting
• Available in four colors
• Easy to clean
Smart Products, Inc.
"LEADERS IN CHILD SAFETY"
2330 Toomey Avenue
Charlotte. NC 28203
Order Information
1-800-343-3635 or 1-704-347-0087
FAX:l-704-377-4247
e-mail: ni(iiriex@ aol.com
www. smart-products.com
Response No. 488
.Tanuarv. 1998 23

24 BuxorncE
. The
INDEPENDENTEXHIBITION SHOWCASE
ANEW ARENA
Raven Earlygrow Describes How a Community
Pooled its Resources to Resurrect the Local Theatre
by Susan Lambert
over 10 years ago, Boxoffice began
Just
a series ofprofiles of innovative theatre
owners. It was marked by some as the
beginnings of the Independent Exhibition
Showcase. In this issue, Boxoffice revisits
a theatre owner and cinema that we originally
profiled in April, 1987 to see what a
difference a decade makes.
THROUGH THURSDAY
STARTING FRIDAr COPLAND
POWER OF THE PEOPLE: A:,:.
brand new DTS sound system and a rebuilt
projector with a new console and platter In
fact, the entire theatre is new—rebuilt, quite
literally, from the ground up. And on September
12, 1997,PointArena,atown of about 450,
celebrated the grand re-opening of its favorite—and
only—movie venue for 100 miles.
Raven, who also serves as the mayor of
SPAWN AND ULE£S GOLD
AND LA PflOMESSE SHOW T:MtS "o2 3456
: or the Arena came from the community with
no individual donation over $5,000. Thousands at people donated money, time or supplies.
With
the changing face of exhibition,
we've had to adjust in order to stay
in business," says Raven Earlygrow,
owner of the Arena Theatre in Northern
California's small city of Point Arena "We're
confident that what we've created is an a.sset
to the entire area, especially for those ofus with
a need for laige screen films as a part of our
lives."
Raven might have said it more than adecadc
ago, but the sentiment still holds true today. For
not only arc Raven and his Arena Theatre still
there 10 years later, despite closing the
theatre's doors almost three years ago on
Valentine's Day. 1995, but the small-town cinema
now boasts a new interior, new seats, a
Point Arena, says business was good in 1995,
but years of neglect by the former owners and
the ravages of time had taken their toll on the
building and the city finally condemned it.
"The theatre really was the heart of the
community and when it closed, people were
devastated," says Raven.
The unassuming 1927 building was originally
constructed as a legit stage venue, converted
to a moviehouse sometime in the '.10s.
Since then, it has served as an arena for movies,
plays, concerts, dances and even community
and town meetings.
Raven, in partnership with a former theatre
employee, bought the cinema in 1983 after
years of running a 1 6mm film series in town
that threatened the success of what was then a
mn-down, dilapidated Arena cinema. Despite
their best efforts to improve the structure during
the '80s, it was a losing battle.
Afterthe closing, Raven immediately began
plans to re-open the theatre, but there was long
debate over whether it was worth trying to save
the building. There was so much work needed
to bring it up to code that it was less expensive
to build a new theatre. That approach would
also allow Raven to put in two or more screens.
But the Point Arena community rallied to save
the building.
"People have a lot of history there and they
wanted to keep it," explains Raven. Alocal arts
organization, the Arena Renaissance Co.,
bought the building, sponsored the refurbishment
and now leases it to Raven's Reel Point
Arena business, which runs the theatre. Raven
says the theatre is nicer now than it ever was
before, calling the Arena, in her new form,
"classy, historic and community-oriented."
The $300,000 needed to restore the theatre
was raised within the community with no individual
donation over $5,000. Thousands of
people, some from as far as Santa Rosa donated
money, time or supplies. Volunteers and
local artists redid the interior and, adds Raven,
"from the time we started gutting it, the surrounding
restaurants have supplied free
lunches for everybody who's working. If we
had paid for everything that's gone into this
building, it would have cost us millions of
dollars. Just for the work that's been put in by
local artists and craftspeople—we have
stained glass light sconces in the concession
area, hand-painted recessed niches, handmade
tile in the bathrooms and a copper-covered
marquee. The list goes on."
The Arena doesn't face the same problems
as other independents becau.se of its location.
"We're kind of in a unique position because
we're so far away from everything," says
Raven. "We could get films right away if we
wanted, but we u.sually mn them two or three
weeks after opening becau.se the terms are so
much better."
newly-

—
I»nii»rv IQQS 2S
CREATIVE TOUCH: Local artists fashioned lights for the concession area
theatres in the rest of the world, but he feels
safe that nobody will be building a multiplex
near the Arena anytime soon.
"I think we are lucky," he says. "Independent
theatres have to be special in order to
not going to be technology
survive. If it's
which is unlikely because you can get that at
the multiplexes—it's got to be in service and
theatre design and what films they show."
Raven's confident the newly-restored Arena
is a showcase cinema worth visiting just to see
the faciUty itself. The new theatre will also
stage shows and concerts. It even has removable
seats that reveal a large dance floor perfect
for local celebrations. But at least 22 nights a
month will be devoted
to screening films.
Raven works with
the local theatre group
to provide free admission
for high school
drama students to any of
the
Shakespeare films,
imd liaises with the local
merchants'
association
to provide free kids'
matinees during Christmas
shopping times.
He just started working
with the Spanishlanguage
community to
try to show Mexican or
Spanish-language cinema.
Explains Raven,
"With DTS you can just put in a different disk
and suddenly the movie's dubbed. So we're
going to experiment with that."
Raven says his most triumphant moment
has to be the grand re-opening of the Arena.
Three days of celebration were kicked off by
an open house and equipment demonstration
and ended with a sold-out, $100-p)er-person
fundraiser for the Arena Renaissance Co.
But what Raven loves most about the business
is his audience. "It's a Uttle unique here.
People come to the movies partly to see the
movies, partly to go to the theatre itself and
partly to be with their friends.
"When you're in a small town, people come
ARENA THEATRE
214 Main Street
Point Arena, CA 95468
(707) 882-3020
EARLIEST MOVIE MEMORY:
A double feature — "Down to the Sea in
Ships" (1 922) and "The Red Shoes" (1 948).
FAVORITE CONCESSION ITEM:
Organic popcorn with brewer's yeast.
MOST USEFUL Boxoffice FEATURE:
"The advertising, oddly enough. We find
sources of materials, supplies and equipment
there that we don't find elsewhere."
FAVORITE Boxoffice FEATURE:
Independent Exhibition Showcase.
ADVICE FOR OTHER EXHIBITORS:
"Stick to it—
'[Derseverance furthers,'
that's l^^^tjt^'6 l-Ching puts it."
in early and hang out. There's people shouting
across the room at each other and saying heUo
and spending time with their friends. You don't
see that in your basic cracker box in the mall.
Going to the movies here really is a public
experience."
Growing up. Raven says he developed a
love of movies. "I still find profound influences
from things I saw many, many years ago.
Films Uke 'Black Orpheus' or any of the
Godard films where the images stay with you.
I
like the idea of being able to provide that to
the next generation around here."
^M
Elevate concession per capitas
to a higher level with
Proctor Companies
We combine efficient and
contemporary design
with all
you equipment needs.
Contact US today to
design your cafe.
Call for your FREE
Proctor Catalog
(800 221-3699 ext 284
stproctor companies
10497 Centennial Rd. Littleton, CO 80127 USA
Phone: (303) 973-8989 Fax: (303) 973-8884 E-mail: pdKgprcctorco.com
Response No. 206

26 BOXOKFICE
Commentary
—
MEGACIRCUITS, INC.
1997: The Year of the Big Deal by Ray Greene
Afew montiis ago, I was fortunate enougli
to spend an afternoon in the company
of a legendary and still active film producer
whose career extends all the way back
into the early 1 950s. His conversation was wide
ranging, opinionated, at times even cantankerous—and
instructive in almost every regard
Uncovering my affiliation with BoxoFFiCE,
he waxed nostalgic about the magazine's significance
as a promotional vehicle for producers
like him who began their careers outside
the studio system. He had war stories to tell
delightftil tales of colorful personalities in exhibition,
of booking deals cut at the last
possible minute in bare-bulb back offices, of
improvised strategies that beat his competitors
to the punch. In a few quick sentences, he
conjurad up a time when the men who made
the movies and the people who screened them
sat down face to face to hash out the details of
getting product to the public—a time long
gone in an industry run today by management
teams as opposed to the gut instincts of a
hustling handful, flying through each deal by
the seat of their pants.
CXir conversation wandered into the contemporary
exhibition scene. He was mindful of the
technological transformations of the last decade
or so, ofthe improvements in seating and presentation
that have done so much to bring audiences
back into moviehouses. But he sounded an interesting
cautionary note, one I hadn't heani elsewhere,
when he said that the way things were
going the film industry might easily blunder its
way into a situation not unlike the one it got
caught up in during the late '40s and eariy '50s.
When I asked what he meant, he actually used
the word "antitrust" in his response.
What this very experienced industrywatcher
was getting at was his own
take on several of the more overwhelming
trends in the exhibition field during
recent times. In the late '40s, when soidioowned
circuits booked studio-created product
for studio-derived profits, the U.S. government
decided that much of exhibition was in fact
operated according to monopolistic principles.
As a result, the Supreme Court handed down
what became known as the "coasent decree"
the court-ordered divestiture by the studio production
centers of the studio-owned circuits, an
event that split the exhibition field wide open
for a time. By 1953, when Hollywcxxl holdout
MGM at last severed its ties to the Lxkws Inc.
chain, studio ownership of moviehouses was a
thing of the past—or so it seemed.
In fact, though it took a few decades, many
of the studios have again become important
partners in the exhibition field. The wonl "partners"
is significant here: In most cases, major
circuits with direct stodio ties are co-owned
rather than owned outright by their studio foster
parents—an important distinction in drawing
analogies with die past The word "studio" is
also in need of redefinition, because the vast,
multi-tiered full-service entertainment corporations
of today (in which movie production
and distribution rarely account for the primary
revenue stream) are a far cry from the "one
company, one product" approach of Hollywood's
formative moguls. Studios don't so
much own a piece of the exhibition action as
exist under giant corporate umbrellas that also
happen to keep a circuit or two out of the rain.
Put succinctly, there is not today and probably
never can be anything resembling the
closed dominance over American production,
distribution and exhibition that a handfiil of
companies exercised a half-century ago. The
GIANTS OF
EXHIBITION
1998
situation is far more amorphous than it once
was: Va.st independent circuits such as Carmike,
Regal and United Artists sit atop ourown
Giants of Exhibition survey, and a close examination
of those circuits with direct studio ties
indicates that, in many cases, studio aflTiliations
are a haphazard byproduct of a more general
and industry-wide trend toward companies
with related interests absorbing one another.
Consolidation itself, however, is both the
biggest exhibition story of our time and
an at least potentially worrying development
over the long term. The building spree
of the pa,st five years has seen the U.S. market
grow in sheer screen count at an unprecedented
rate. North America—already the most wellscreened
and competitive movie market in the
world as the 1990s began—has now become
almost a "kill or be killed" situation. This is
particularly true in those coveted population
centers capable of sustaining the modem
equivalent of the movie palace: the state-ofthe-art
megaplex of 20 screens or more, a type
of build for which there was no prototype a
decade ago, but which has emerged in the
1 990s as the new industry standard.
Though offering multiple opportunities for
"economies of scale," megaplexes are costly to
build and costly to operate, and therefore need
to maintain a high rate of attendance to stay
profitable. That the time was right for such a
development within the exhibition industry is
demonstrated by the overall success of the
megaplex model at luring audiences back into
the American moviehouse. The continuing and
uninterrupted climb in U.S. attendance figures
charted by NATO and the MPAA in
recent
years can be attributed in no small measure to
the lure of megaplex-style complexes in urban
and heavily populated suburban markets.
Still, there is grumbling afoot At ShoWest last
year,MGM chiefFrank Mancuso illustrated how
exhibition might be "buying the grosses" by
spending far more on infrastmcture to gain a
relatively modest increase in returns. NATO
president Bill Kartozian used the occasion of his
address to the convention to coin a phrase that
snapped into focus a fear that was already on a
lot of people's minds, and he did so in terms
worthy ofan 1 1 th commandment Quoth Kartozian:
"Thou shalt not Ontario one another"
The reference, ofcourse, was to the infamous
competitive situation that two major, well-mn,
seemingly rational American circuits found
themselves in when they decided to build
megaplexes across the street from one another—a
faceoff nobody thought would ever
go the distance, but in which neither company
blinked. The result is that in Ontario. Calif,
there are now 54 screens within approximately
700 feet of one another, which easily qualifies
the city as the single most well (or is that over?)
screened municipality anywhere in the world.
The jury is out on whether both complexes
will survive long temi; it will likely take a
major slump in production or attendance before
one or the other of the sites truly feels the
squeeze. But the Ontario scenario seemed to
spring up, ready made, at just the time when
thinking people in exhibition were Icwking for
a symbol ofjust how bmtal competition at the
highest levels has become. When the dust
cleared, even some of the participants in this
"clash of the titans" were .shaking their heads.

ResDonse No. 51
As
the rescreening of America approaches
its next phase, it is f)erhaps
inevitable that consohdation has become
the latest trend. Though no one is ready
to say just how much longer the building boom
of the '90s can extend itself, common sense
indicates that the U.S. market, which remains
relatively stable in terms of overall population,
can absorb only a limited number of additional
screens, however well-designed and carefully
market-researched they may be. "Grow or die"
still seems to be the philosophy of the megaexhibitors;
with new construction destined to
become an increasingly less viable option for
expansion in the years ahead, the acquisition
of already existing circuits has emerged as
exhibition's next big thing.
The starting pistol for this trend was actually
fired prematurely back in March 1995 when
Cinemark USA came within a hair's breadth of
merging with Cineplex Odeon to form what
would have then become the largest North
American circuit. That deal never came to fruition,
but in retrospect it has a familiar ring. The
merged company would have had 2,839
screens; it would have combined the market
share of two major but regionally specific players
into a continent-spanning North American
behemoth; and it would have leapfrogged the
third-largest and sixth-largest theatre chains
into the top spot with the stroke of a contract
attorney's pen. The proposed Cinemark/
Cineplex alliance was nothing if not ambitious;
had it gone forward as planned, it is quite likely
that the amalgamated company would still hold
the top slot in terms of screen count to this day.
In retrospect, it was an idea that was ahead
ofits time. For 1997 has been exhibition's year
of the merger, with major companies joining
forces at an almost dizzying rate. On the
smaller side were the likes of Carmike's purchase
of the 105-screen First International circuit
and Regal's buyout of New Jersey-based
Magjc Cinemas and its 95 screens. Such deals,
though not quite commonplace, have been a
consistent part of overall growth patterns for
more than a decade. But next came what appeared
to be the big one: Regal's purchase of
the massive 643-screen Cobb Theatres, taking
Regal's total screen count past the 2,000 mark.
In any normal year, the Regal/Cobb combine
would have been exhibition's biggest
merger story. But, even as the Regal deal was
announced, a rumor began to circulate: Sonyowned
Loews was negotiating to merge with
Cineplex Odeon to create the largest exhibition
chain m history. As our Giants of Exhibition
survey approached its deadUne, that rumor
became fact: If all goes to plan, the combined
Loews Cineplex Entertainment (LCE) circuit
will officially come into existence this spring.
It would be too easy to find cheap cautionary
messages in developments like these. At the
level of metaphor, there has always been something
in the human character that blanches at
alliances of overwhelming size. Look at "Star
Wars": The most popular movie myth of all time
pits a ragtag assemblage of renegade roughnecks
against an evil empire defined almost
completely in terms of unimaginable scale.
But with size comes power As the building
boom continues and old companies join forces
to create giant new ones, an ever-smaller number
of megacircuits will now exercise an unprecedented
amount of control over what
American audiences go to see. Such influence
will be theirs even if they don't wish to have
it, simply by dint of sheer numbers.
Knowing and observing the major players,
there is as yet no reason to view this devel opment
as anything otherthan virtue rewarded, the upside
for a handful of visionaries who are reinventing
the history of exhibition in our time. But big
companies can also represent big taigets, as
Microsoft's ongoing antitrust difficulties cleaiiy
demonstrate. The bad old days of the consent
decree will almost surely never return, but that
doesn't mean exhibition can't leam from its history
in a time where megacircuits for which there
has been no pre-existing precedent start to define
themselves and take shape.
In
a noteworthy sidebar to the Loews/
Cineplex merger, visionary Sony/Loews
executives Barrie and Jim Locks decided
to return to their roots at the 82-screen Loeks-
Star circuit rather than run the newly formed
LCE—a task that, as their public pronouncements
made clear, seemed less than appealing
to executives with a direct, hands-on, entrepreneurial
management style. What the next five
years of exhibition history might tell us is
which was the more historically significant
gesture: the deal that created the largest
megacircuit the world has ever known, or the
choice by the two people who could have reasonably
expected to run it that, sometimes, less can
actually be a whole lot more.
Hi
CINEMA EQUIPMENT, Inc.
Theatrical and Motion Picture
Equipment Sales and Services
Systems Design
Interior Design
In-House Engineering and Designing
Authorized Distributor of:
JBU SDDS, QSC, DTS, Irwin, Smart, Dolby,
Peavey, Strong, Component Engineering
Worldwide Distribution
One Stop Shopping Source
Professional Support Team
We Have Everything Vou Need For
Your Theater But The Movies!!
CINEMA EQUIPMENT
1375 N.W. 97th Avenue, Suite 12
Miami, Fl 33172
Tel (306) 594-0570 Fax (305) 592-6970
E-mail gyounger@worldnet.att.net
Internet http://www.miamicinema.com

THE FABULOUS FIFTY
Below is a listing of the nation's Top 50 circuits, based on screen count.
For complete corporate information, please see the
Giants of Exhibition directory, which begins on page 30.
i

iiT m

30 BOXOFFtCE
Giants of Exhibition
A Directory of North America's
50 Largest Circuits Raniced by Size
(asof Jan. 1,1998)
I.CMMIKE CINEMAS
1301 First Avenue
Columbus, GA 31901
PHONE: 706-576-3400
FAX: 706-576-3419
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Michael W. Patrick, Pres. & CEO
John Barwick 111, CFO
Fred W. VanNoy, Operations
Lamar Fields, VP, Real Estate &
Development
Matthew H. Shirley, Concessions
Anthony J. Rhead, Film Buyer
Jim Davis, Equipment Buyer
Larry M. Adams, VP, Info. Systems
Marilyn Grant, Advertising
YEAR FOUNDED: 1982
TOTAL SITES: 536
TOTAL SCREENS: 2780
SITES LAST YEAR: 530
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 2575
RANK LAST YEAR: 1
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 205
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 3130
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 10,500
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 125
THEATRE LOCATIONS: 35 states:
AL, AR, CO, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL,
lA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN,
MO, MT, NE, NM, NY, NC, ND,
OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT,
VA,WA,WV,WI,WY
2. REGAL CINEMAS if
7132 Commercial Park Drive
Knoxville, TN 37918
PHONE; 423-922-1 123
FAX: 423-922-3188
URL: www.regaldnemas.com
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Mike Campbell, Pres., Chair & CEO
Gregory Dunn, Exec. VP, COO
Lewis Frazer IH, Exec. VP, CFO
Robert Engel, Sr. VP, Film & Adv.
Keith Thompson, Sr. VP, Real Estate
& Dvlpmnt
Denise Gurin, VP, Head Film Buyer
Robert J. Del Moro, VP, Food Service
Michael Levesque, VP, Ops., North
Michael Kivett, VP, Operations, South
Leon Hurst, VP, Security
Susan Seagraves, VP, Corp. Controller
Roger Frazee, VP, Technical Services
J.E. Henry, VP, Mgmt. Info. Systems
Kip Daley, VP, Advertising
Ronald Kooch, VP, Construction
R. Neal Melton, VP, Equipment k
Purchasing
Barry Steinberg, Asst. Head Film
Buyer
Tony Beery, Dir., Training & Safety
Ray DuiJap, Dir., Construction
Jan Frazee, Dir., Oper. Support Svcs.
Mark Monroe, Dir., Acctg. Projects
Phil Zacheretti, Dir., Mktg. & PR
Dean Duncan, Entertainment Centers
Debbie Robertson, Dir., Human Rsrcs.
John Roper, Dir., Leasing
Lisa Depew, Dir., Risk Mgmt.
Lesia Keck, Dir., Adv.
Jermifer Bohlken, Promotions Mgr.
Susan Milam, Concession Acctg. Mgr.
Joseph Marlowe, Asst. Controller
YEAR FOUNDED: 1989
TOTAL SITES: 254
TOTAL SCREENS: 2350
SITES LAST YEAR: 156
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 1282
RANK LAST YEAR: 6
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 1068
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 2873
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 9875
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 190
THEATRE LOCATIONS: 22 states:
AL, AR, CA, DE, FL, GA, IN, KY,
LA, MD, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH,
OK, PA, SC, TN, VA, WA, WV
3. UNITED ARTISTS
THEATRE CIRCUIT
9110 E. Nichols Ave., Suite 200
Englewood, CO 80112
PHONE: 303-792-3600
FAX: 303-790-8907
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Kurt C. Hall, COO
Dennis Daniels, Exec. VP, Ops.
Mike Fade, Exec. VP, Film
Bruce Taffet, Exec. VP, Concessions
Jim Ruybal, Exec. VP, Bus. Dev.
Tim Tarpley, Exec.VP, Dvlpmnt.
Tom Elliot, Exec. VP, International
Gene Hardy, Exec. VP & General
Counsel
Ray Nutt, Sr. VP, Corporate Ops.
Steve Koets, Sr. VP, Tax
Judy Paquet, Sr. VP, Financial Info.
Svcs.
Becky Wilcox Dow, Sr. VP, Legal
Trent Carman, Sr. VP & Treasurer
YEAR FOUNDED: 1926
TOTAL SITES: 357
TOTAL SCREENS: 2275
SITES LAST YEAR: 411
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 2408
RANK LAST YEAR: 2
NEW (1997) SCREENS: -133
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: N/A
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 11,016
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 175
THEATRE LOCATIONS: U.S., Asia
UATC (Central)
1900 S. Central Expressway
Dallas, TX 75215
PHONE: 214-421-1900
FAX: 214-426-1943
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Chris Taylor, VP
UATC (East)
3521 U.S. Rte 1, Princeton, NJ 08540
PHONE: 609-520-8822
FAX: 609-520-9277
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Charlie FogeLVP
UATC (West)
21700 Oxnard St., Suite 1000
Woodland Hills, CA 91367
PHONE: 818-593-4000
FAX: 818-593-4040
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Neal Pinsker, VP
4. AMC if
106 W. 14th St.
Kansas City, MO 64141-6615
PHONE: 816-221^000
FAX: 816-480-4617
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Stanley Durwood, Chairman & CEO
Philip Singleton, President & COO
John McDonald, Sr. VP, Corp. Ops.
Richard King, Sr. VP, NE Ops.
Rolando Rodriguez, Sr. VP, South Ops
Richard Walsh, Sr. VP, West Ops.
Richard Westerling, Corp. Mktg.
John Sherley, Dir., Food Mktg.
Richard Fay, President, Film Mktg.
Gary Thyer, Intl. Ops.
Mark McDonald, Asia Ops.
Bruno Frydman, Pres., AMC Europe
Charles ^lley, Pres., Centertainment
Sam Giordano, Exec VP, Design/
Construction, Centertainment
Nick Bashkiroff, VP, Dvlpmnt, Cent.
YEAR FOUNDED: 1968
TOTAL SITES: 228
TOTAL SCREENS: 2248
SITES LAST YEAR: 237
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 1956
RANK LAST YEAR: 3
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 292
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 2500
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 11,000
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 200
THEATRE LOCATIONS: 23 states:
AZ, CA, CO, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL,
KS, LA, MA, MD, Ml, MS, NC,
NE, NJ, OH, OK, PA, TX, VA,
WA; Japan; Portugal
AMC (Northeast Division)
Main St. Plaza 1000, Suite 503
Voorhees, NJ 08043
PHONE: 609-751-6300
F/OC: 609-751-1838
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Rick King, Sr. VP
Ed Moyer, VP, Div. Ops. Mgr.
AMC (South Division)
Northside Square, Ste. 320
29399 U.S. Highway 19 North
Clearwater, FL 34621-2139
PHONE: 813-789-2911
FAX: 813-786-5961
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Rolando Rodriguez, Sr. VP
Neil Katcher, VP, Div. Ops. Mgr.
AMC (West Division)
Two Century Plaza
2049 Century Park East, Ste. 1020
Los Angeles, CA 90067
PHONE: 310-553-0515
FAX: 310-553-1734
EXECUTIVE ROSTER;
Richard Walsh, Sr. VP
Nora Dashwood, VP, Div. Ops Mgr.
AMC (International Division)
2029 Century Park E., Suite 3945
Los Angeles, CA 90067
5. CINEMARK USA ir
7502 Greomille Ave., Suite 800
Dallas, TX 75231
PHONE: 214-696-1644
FAX: 214-696-3946
URL: www.cinemark.com
E-MAIL: FrontRowJoe@Cinemark.com
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Lee Roy Mitchell, Chairman & CEO
Alan Stock, President
Tim Warner, Pres., Cinemark Intl.
Ken Higgins, Pres., Cinemark de
Mexico
Tandy Mitchell, Exec. VP
Robert Carmony, Sr. VP, Operations
Jeff Stedman,Sr.VP, CFO
Jerry Brand, VP, Film Licensing
Mike Cavalier, General Counsel
Walter Hebert, VP, Purchasing
Randy Hester, VP, Mktg. & Comm.
Don Harton, VP, Construction
Margaret Richards, VP, Real Estate
Philip Wood, Dir., Mgmt. Info. Sys.
YEAR FOUNDED: 1984
TOTAL SITES: 195
TOTAL SCREENS: 1821
SITES LAST YEAR: 186
* = On The Move: Denotes Screen Increase Of More Than 10%

A
f
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 1601
RANK LAST YEAR: 4
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 220
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 2585
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 7000
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 177
THEATRE LOCATIONS: 30 states:
AR, AZ, CA, CO, DE, PL, GA, IL,
IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MN, MS,
NC, NE, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK,
OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA
Cinemark USA (Central)
1818CoitRd.
Piano, TX 75075
PHONE: 972-985-4673
FAX: 972-519-8444
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Tom Harmegan, Region Leader
Cinemark USA (Gulf States)
13280 NW Freeway, Suite F123
Houston, TX 77040
PHONE: 713-460-1468
FAX: 713-460-2258
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Patti Castillo, Region Leader
Cinemark USA (N.E.)
2570 Bethel Road
Columbus, OH 43220
PHONE: 614-538-0404
FAX: 614-538-0405
EXECUTTVE ROSTER:
Charly Street, Region Leader
Cinemark USA (S.E.)
425 CodeU Drive
Lexington, KY 40509
PHONE: 606-269-5404
FAX: 606-269-5601
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Michael Nett, Region Leader
Cinemark USA (Southern)
3407 Wells Branch Pkwy.
Austin, TX 78728
PHONE: 512-388-7547
FAX: 512-388-7548
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Bill BoUing, Region Leader
Cinemark USA (Western)
3601 S. 2700 W.
West Valley City, UT 84119
PHONE: 801-969-6737
FAX: 801-969-9322
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Kim Phillips, Region Leader
6. CINEPLEX ODEON ir
1303YongeSt.
Toronto, Ontario, M4T 2Y9
PHONE: 416-323-6600
FAX: 416-323-6677
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Allen Karp, President & CEO
Ellis Jacob, CFO
Irwin Cohen, Exec. VP, Operations
Mike Herman, Exec VP, Corp. Affairs
Robert Tokio, Exec. VP
Stephen Brown, Sr. VP, Treasury /Tax
James Vassos, Sr. VP, Business Affairs
Michael McCartney, Sr. VP, Head
Film Buyer
Howard Lichtman, Exec. VP,
Mktg/Communications
YEAR FOUNDED: 1979
TOTAL SITES: 327
TOTAL SCREENS: 1740
SITES LAST YEAR: 311
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 1465
RANK LAST YEAR: 5
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 275
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: N/
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 8000
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 180
THEATRE LOCATIONS: 14 states:
AZ, CA, DC, FL, ID, IL, MD, MN,
NJ, NY, TX, UT, VA, WA; 6
Canadian provinces: Alberta,
British Columbia, Marutoba,
Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan
Cineplex Odeon (Chicago)
70 East Lake St., Suite 1600
Chicago, IL 60601-5905
PHONE: 312-726-5300
FAX: 312-726-2732
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Pat Bums, VP, North & Eastern
Divisions
Cineplex Odeon (Los Angeles)
1925 Cenhjry Park East, Ste. 300
Los Angeles, CA 90067
PHONE: 310-551-2500
FAX: 310-203-9698
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Michael McCartney, Sr. VP, Film
Cineplex Odeon (Montreal)
2388, Rue Beaubien Est.
Montreal, Quebec H2G 1N2
PHONE: 514-374-7440
FAX: 514-374-3181
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Guy Gagnon, General Manager
Cineplex Odeon (New York)
241 East 34th St.
New York, NY 10016
PHONE: 212-679-2000
FAX: 212-679-4953
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
George Sautter, General Maiiager
7. NATIONAL AMUSEMENTS
200 Elm St., Dedham, MA 02026
PHONE: 617-461-1600
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Sumner Redstone, Chairman & Pres.
Shari Redstone, Exec. VP
Jerome Magner, Sr. VP, Finance
William Towey, Sr. VP, Operations
Edgar Knudson, Sr. VP, Adv & Pub
George Levitt, Sr. VP, Film Bcxjking
William Moscarelli, VP, Real Estate,
Latin America
Thaddeus Jankowski, VP/Gen. Cnsl.
Mark Walukevich, VP, Film Intl.
John Bilsborough, VP, Ops. Intl.
Peter J.
Brady, VP, Construction
James Hughes, VP, Concessions
Stephen Sohles, VP, Mgmt Ir\fo Sys.
James Murray, VP, Operations
John Zawalich, Asst. VP, Sales & Mktg.
Patricia Reeser, Asst. VP
Dana Wilson, Asst. VP, Corp. Comm.
YEAR FOUNDED: 1936
TOTAL SITES: 122
TOTAL SCREENS: 1177
SITES LAST YEAR: 118
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 1072
RANK LAST YEAR: 8
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 105
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 1260
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 4500
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 211
THEATRE LOCATIONS: 14 states:
CT, L\, IL, IN, KY, MA, MI, NH,
NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VA; United
Kingdom; South America
8. GENERAL CINEMA
THEATRES
1280BoylstonSt.
Chestnut Hill, MA 02167
PHONE: 617-277-4320
FAX: 617-277-8875
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Paul Del Rossi, President & CEO
Bill Doeren, Exec. VP & COO
Alan de Lemos, VP, Film—East
Dan Stravinski, VP, Human Rsrcs
Frank Stryjewski, Sr. VP, Operations
Poston Tanaka, Sr. VP, Devlpmnt
Page Thompson, VP, Theatre Mktg
John Townsend, VP, Construction
Ben Barbosa, VP, Film—West
Ellie Aub, VP, Global Cinema
Network
YEAR FOUNDED: 1922
TOTAL SITES: 185
TOTAL SCREENS: 1166
SITES LAST YEAR: 195
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 1240
RANK LAST YEAR: 7
NEW (1997) SCREENS: -74
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: N/A
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 8614
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 211
THEATRE LOCATIONS: 25 states:
CA, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, LA, MA,
MD, ME, MI, MN, NC, NJ, NM,
NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX,
VA,WA
General Cinemas (California)
15760 Ventura Blvd., Suite 1225
Encino,CA 91436
PHONE: 818-380-6100
FAX: 818-981-2317
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Rich Boynton, Regional VP, Film
General Cinemas (Eastern)
22 Flutie Pass
Framingham, MA 01701
PHONE: 617-264-8459
FAX: 508-628-4422
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Tom Evans, Regional VP, Film
General Cinemas (Texas)
12377 Merit Drive, Suite 220
DaUas, TX 75251
PHONE: 972-934-7700
FAX: 972-934-7717
EXECUTTVE ROSTER:
Web Brainerd, Regional VP, Film
9. LOEWS/SONY THEATRES
711 5th Ave., New York, NY 10022
PHONE: 212-833-6200
FAX: 212-833-6292
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Travis Reid, President
Michael Norris, Exec. VP
Seymour Smith, Exec. VP, General
Counsel
John Walker, Sr. VP, Finance
Terrance Jackson, Sr. VP, Real Estate
Dorian Brov^n, Sr. VP, Corp.
Dvlpmnt & Admin.
Shauna King, Sr. VP, Film
Brian Blatchley, VP, Ops.—East
Len Westenberg, VP, Ops.—West
Fred Gable, VP, Concessions
Marc Pascucci, VP, Mktg. & Adv.
Eric Swartwood, VP, Construction
Peter Foumier, VP, Human Resources
David Badain, VP & Deputy General
Counsel
Jim Fagerstrom, VP, Info. Sys.
Joseph Sparacio, VP, Finance &
Controller
Tom Hogan, Sr. Dir., Purchasing
YEAR FOUNDED: 1904
TOTAL SITES: 140
TOTAL SCREENS: 938
SITES LAST YEAR: 139
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 868
RANK LAST YEAR: 9
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 70
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: N/A
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 4400
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 200
THEATRE LOCATIONS: 15 states:
CA, CT, GA, KY, IL, IN, MA, MD,
NH, NJ, NY, PA, OH, TX, VA
10. HOYTS CINEMAS if
One Exeter Plaza
Boston, MA 02116
PHONE: 617-267-2700
FAX: 617-262-2751
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Peter Ivany, CEO
Roger Eaton, President & COO
Alan Johnson, GM
Terry Moriarty, CFO
Jud Parker, Sr. VP, Film
Daniel Vieira, Sr. VP, Construction
Andrea McKerma, Sr. VP, Mktg.
Hal Cleveland, Sr. VP, Dvlpmnt.
YEAR FOUNDED: 1986
TOTAL SITES: 127
TOTAL SCREENS: 925
SITES LAST YEAR: 93
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 655
RANK LAST YEAR: 11
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 270
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 1090
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 3000
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 70
THEATRE LOCATIONS: 12 states:
CT, MA, MD, ME, MI, NH, NJ,
NY,OH,PA,RI,VT
11. ACT HI THEATRES if
919 S.W. Taylor St., Suite 900
Portland, OR 97205
PHONE; 503-221-0213
FAX: 503-228-5032
URL: www.act3theatres.com
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Walt Aman, President & COO
Wade Canning, VP, Finance
Tim Wood, VP, Operations
Tim Reed, VP, Real Estate
Steve Guffey, Theatre Operations
Robert Perkir\s, Dir., Concessions
Bob Lenihan, VP, Film Buying
Randall Blaum, Dir., Adv & Mktg
YEAR FOUNDED: 1986
TOTAL SITES: 133
TOTAL SCREENS: 836
SITES LAST YEAR: 129
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 758
RANK LAST YEAR: 10
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 78
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 1027
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: N/A
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: N/A
THEATRE LOCATIONS: 7 states:
AK, ID, MO, NV, OR, TX, WA
Act III
(Texas)
4522 Fredricksburg Rd.
San Antoruo, TX 78201
PHONE: 210-736-2666
FAX: 210-736-0129
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Mark Reis, Division Manager
12. EDWARDS CINEMAS ^
300 Newport Center Dr.
Newport Beach, CA 92660
PHONE: 714-640-4600
FAX: 714-721-7170
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
James Edwards III, President & CEO
Bemice Edwards, Co-CEO
Joan Edwards Randolph, CFO
Marcella Sheldon, Exec. Secy.
Chris LeRoy, VP, Fihn
FrarJc Haffar, VP, Concessions,
Equipment, Construction
Don Barton, VP, Mktg & Adv.
Lawrence Davidson, VP & Gen. Cnsl
Kurt Macfarlane, VP & Chief Engineer
Carola Anderson, VP, Film/Ins. Claims
YEAR FOUNDED: 1930
TOTAL SFTES: 86
TOTAL SCREENS: 596
SITES LAST YEAR: 90
January, 1998 31

SCREENS LAST YEAR: 527
RANK LAST YEAR: 13
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 69
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 750
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 2500
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 60
THEATRE LOCATIONS: CA, ID
Edwards Theatres
(Los Angeles)
12100 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 1680
Los Angeles, CA 90025
PHONE: 310-447-7890
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Chris LeRoy, VP & Supervisor, Film
Buying
13. FAMOUS PLAYERS
146 Bloor St. W.
Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1P3
PHONE: 416-969-7800
FAX: 416-964-5839
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
John Bailey, President
Ton Kars, Exec. VP & CFO
Brian Holberton, VP, Operations
Michael Scher, VP, General
Counsel
Roger Harris, VP, Marketing
Joe Strebinger, VP, Booking
YEAR FOUNDED: 1920
TOTAL SITES: 108
TOTAL SCREENS: 555
SITES LAST YEAR: 106
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 506
RANK LAST YEAR: 14
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 49
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 675
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 2644
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 115
THEATRE LOCATIONS: Canada
Famous Players
(Eastern Canada)
1255 University, Ste. 914
Montreal, Quebec H3B 3W4
PHONE: 514-861-6017
FAX: 514-861-4969
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
John Xinos, Exec. Director, Film &
Advertising, Quebec & E. Canada
Famous Players
(Southwest Ontario)
983 Wellington Rd. S.
London, Ontario N6E 3A9
PHONE: 519-685-0244
FAX: 519-685-0473
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
John Dwyer, Dist. Mgr, S.W. Ontario
Famous Players
(Western Canada)
1086 Park Royal
W. Vancouver, BC V7T lAl
PHONE: 604-926-7321
FAX: 604-926-5831
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
David Polny, Dir., W. Canada
14. HOLLYWOOD THEATRES
2911 Turtle Creek Blvd., Suite 1150
Dallas, TX 75219
PHONE: 214-528-9500
FAX: 214-520-2323
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Thomas Stephenson Jr., Pres. & CEO
Robert Painter, COO
James R. Featherstone, CFO
Harold Sawtelle, Dir., Operations
Gary Golden, Head Film Buyer
Carri Irby, Film Buyer, Southern
Division
Hal McClure, Film Buyer, Midwest
Division
Tracy Bundy, Dir., Mktg.
John Curreri, Controller
YEAR FOUNDED: 1995
TOTAL SITES: 86
TOTAL SCREENS: 505
SITES LAST YEAR: N/A
SCREENS LAST YEAR: N/A
RANK LAST YEAR: N/A
NEW (1997) SCREENS: N/A
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 740
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 1700
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 49
THEATRE LOCATIONS: ID, KS,
MO, OH, OK, TX
15. CENTURY THEATRES
150 Pelican Way
San Rafael, CA 94901
PHONE: 415-451-2400
WEBSITE: www.centurytheatres.com
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Raymond Syufy, President & CEO
Joseph Syufy, Sr. Exec. VP
Lynn Oates, CFO/Treasurer
Michael Plymesser, Exec. VP,
Business Affairs
David Shesgreen, Exec. VP, Corp.
Dvlpmnt.
Jim Naify, Sr. VP, Film
Bill Hulme, Sr. VP, Operations
Nancy Klasky, VP, Marketing
Bob Shimmin, VP, Concessions
Tom StoUer, VP, Construction
Chris Duffie, Equipment Buyer
Harry Whitson, Booking
Don Farrar, Booking
Morrie Bimbaum, Booking
Pia Nepomuceno, Booking
Bob Workman, Advertising
Bob Ficken, VP, Human Resources
YEAR FOUNDED: 1941
TOTAL SITES: 57
TOTAL SCREENS: 500
SITES LAST YEAR: 62
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 489
RANK LAST YEAR: 15
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 11
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 725
THEATRE EMPLOYEES; 4000
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 130
THEATRE LOCATIONS: AZ, CA,
NM, NV, UT
16. KERASOTES THEATRES •
104 N. Sixth St.
Springfield, IL 62701
PHONE: 217-788-5200
FAX: 217-788-5207
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Anthony Kerasotes, Pres. & CEO
Dean Kerasotes, VP & COO
Roger Hurst, CFO
Pat Rembusch, Head Film Buyer
John Miller, GM, Operations,
Concessions, Advertising
Tim Johnson, Theatre Operations
Fred Walraven, Equipment Buyer
Barry Tester, Advertising
YEAR FOUNDED: 1909
TOTAL SITES: 100
TOTAL SCREENS: 476
SITES LAST YEAR: 92
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 348
RANK LAST YEAR: 17
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 128
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: N/A
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 1738
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 42
LOCATIONS: lA, IL, IN, MN, MO,
OH
THEATRE
EXHIBITION
EQUIPMENT
NCS Corporation
WORLDWIDE CINEMA SUPPLY DEALER
CONCESSION
&
LOBBY
PRODUCTS
Corporation
nSlltei
XENON
BULBS
jt ONE STOP SHOPPING SOURCE
liF FACTORY DIRECT PRICING
LOBBY
&
BOX OFFICE
FIXTURES
;f TOLL FREE ORDERING
BOOTH
SUPPLIES
&
LENSES
J^ ^ MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED %^
;^ PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT TEAM
^ WORLDWIDE PRODUCT DISTRIBUTION
M- OUR GUARANTEE - 100% SATISFACTION
FILM
PROJECTORS
&
SOUND
SYSTEMS
call 1-800-776-6271
HEB
SuppUfiHf tAe S*tte'it^)u*uH€Ht ^KcUtAintf Since t926
p
SCREENS
&
FRAMES
Response No. 6
32 BoxoFf'iCE

September, 1997
Dear Exhibitor,
The SDDS sound system played an important role in the success of MEN IN BLACK.
Not only was the dynamic range extraordinary compared to a non-digital sound
system, but the low end sub-woofer frequencies added a great deal of manliness to
the soundtrack.
What separates Sony's SDDS digital system from any other digital format is the
eight channels of sound. The spread in sound, especially music, gives a sense of
scope and richness that no other format matches.
More and more, it is the sound system that creates a sense of scale, scope and
importance to the movie-going experience. I was very pleased that MEN IN BLACK
was released in SDDS.
Best regards.
Barry Sonnenfeld
Director
MEN IN BLACK
10202 West Washington Boulevard • David Lean Building, Suite 300 • Culver City, Califomia 90232

1
17. MANN THEATRES
(Cinamerica Theatres LP)
16530 Ventura Blvd., Suite 500
Encino,CA 91436
PHONE: 818-784-6266
FAX: 818-784-6749
URL: www.manntheatres.com
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Charles Goldwater, Pres. & CEO
Ken Crowe, CFO, Exec. VP
Cindy Cronkhite, VP, Operations
Wally Helton, VP, Concessions
Alan Davy, Sr. VP, Film
Dan Criesmer, VP, Theatre
Planning/Dvlpmnt
Rich Given, Exec. Dir., Mktg.
Ben Littlefield, Exec. VP, Real Estate
YEAR FOUNDED: 1973
TOTAL SITES: 66
TOTAL SCREENS: 405
SITES LAST YEAR: 66
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 393
RANK LAST YEAR: 16
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 12
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 457
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 2700
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 75
THEATRE LOCATIONS: AK, AZ,
CA,CO
Mann Theatres (Colorado)
5550 Wadsworth Bl.
Arvada, CO 80007
PHONE: 303-432-2010
FAX: 303-432-2014
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Barbara DeHart, Division Manager
Mann Theatres
(Greater Los Angeles)
16830 Devonshire St.
Granada Hills, CA 91344
PHONE: 818-360-5198
FAX: 818-360-9429
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Bob Lewandowski, Division
Manager
Mann Theatres
(Walnut Creek, Calif.)
1450 California Blvd.
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
PHONE: 510-945-6100
FAX: 510-945-6494
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Dan Sigman, Division Manager
Mann Theatres
(West Los Angeles)
1050 Gayley Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
PHONE: 310-208-7856
FAX: 310-208-3483
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Clay Colbert, Division Manager
18. PACIFIC THEATRES
(Decurion Co.)
120 N.Robertson Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
PHONE: 310-657-8420
FAX: 310-657-6813
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Jerome Forman, President
Christopher Forman, CEO
John Hunter, CFO
Chan Wood, Exec. VP, Head Film
Buyer, Dir. of Adv.
YEAR FOUNDED: 1946
TOTAL SITES: 60
TOTAL SCREENS: 320
SITES LAST YEAR: 66
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 331
RANK LAST YEAR: 18
NEW (1997) SCREENS; -1
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98; 400
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 2354
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES; 135
THEATRE LOCATIONS: CA, HI
Pacific Theatres (Hawaii)
Consolidated Amusement
290 Sand Island Rd.
Honolulu, HI 96820
PHONE: 808-847-1985
FAX: 808-847-9270
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Phil Shimmin, President & COO
19. MARCUS THEATRES
250 E. Wisconsin Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
PHONE; 414-272-5120
FAX; 414-272-0189
EXECUTIVE ROSTER;
Steve Marcus, Chairman & CEO
Bruce J. Olson, President
Mike Kominsky, Exec. VP, Film
Buyer
Don Perkins, VP, Operations
Mark Gramz, VP, Operations
Mike Ogrodowski, VP, Film Booker
Rick Neal, VP, Film Booker
YEAR FOUNDED; 1935
TOTAL SITES: 40
TOTAL SCREENS: 300
SITES LAST YEAR: 42
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 299
RANK LAST YEAR: 19
NEW (1997) SCREENS; 1
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98; 370
THEATRE EMPLOYEES; 1300
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES; 35
THEATRE LOCATIONS: IL, OH, WI
20. GKC THEATRES
755 Apple Orchard St.
Springfield, IL 62703
PHONE: 217-528^981
FAX: 217-528-6490
EXECUTIVE ROSTER;
George Kerasotes, Chairman & CEO
Beth Kerasotes, President
Jeff Cole, VP& CFO
Ed Schuerman, Exec. VP, Operations
Krystal LaReese, Dir., Concessions
Brian Jeffries, Exec. Dir., Film/Mktg.
Terry Wolfe, Equipment Buyer
Jim Whitman, Advertising
YEAR FOUNDED; 1985
TOTAL SITES; 40
TOTAL SCREENS: 260
SITES LAST YEAR; 41
SCREENS LAST YEAR; 271
RANK LAST YEAR: 20
NEW (1997) SCREENS: -11
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98; 300
THEATRE EMPLOYEES; 700
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 31
THEATRE LOCATIONS: AZ, IL,
IN, MI, WI
GKC Theatres (Illinois)
2103 N. Veterans Pkwy, Ste. 300
Bloomington, IL 61704
PHONE: 309-662-1158
FAX: 309-663-4695
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Eileen Grace, District Manager
GCK Theatres (Michigan)
4511 Fashion Square
Saginaw, MI 48604
PHONE: 517-797-6028
FAX: 517-797-2144
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Ben Martinez, District Manager
Act III Theatres • Carmike Cinemas • Cinamerica Theatres • Cineplex Odeon • Cynos Anedos Cinemas • Dickinson Theatres • Eastern Federal • Edwards Cinemas
As I went to sit in my seat
my hands held a drink cold & sweet,
but when I sat down
my face showed a frown,
cause my drink spilled all
over my feet.
Since then I have been to a place
that provides me a neat little space,
where I can sit back
with my cup in a rack,
and relax with a smile on my face:'
Are your patrons smiling?
Call, The Caddy Guys
1-800-845-0591
Caddy Products • 10501 Florida Avenue • Minneapolis, MN 55438 • 612-828-0030 • Fax 612-829-0166
Mann Theatres • Marcus Theatres • Metropolitan Theatres • National Amusements Pacific Theatres • Regal Cinemas • United Artists Theatre Circuit
34 BoxMFFice
Response No. 421

I
GCK Theatres (Northern)
Peru Mall, Suite MT-1
Peru, IL 61354
PHONE: 815-224-3447
FAX: 815-224-3621
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Ruth Kreiser, District Manager
21. SUPER SAVER CINEMAS
109 N. Oregon, Stc 1000
El Paso, TX 79901
PHONE: 915-532-1943
FAX: 915-542-2945
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Lloyd Curley, Chainnan, Pres, CEO
Lynn Hunt, COO
Bill Busby, CFO, Treasurer
Lois Hufnagel, Asst. VP, Operations
Mark Cabral, Purchasing Manager
YEAR FOUNDED: 1987
TOTAL SITES: 31
TOTAL SCREENS: 234
SITES LAST YEAR: 30
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 228
RANK LAST YEAR: 22
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 6
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 234
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 950
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 13
THEATRE LOCATIONS: AZ, CA,
CO, FL, GA, KS, NE, NY, OH,
OK, TX, WI
22. WEHRENBERG
THEATRES
12800 Manchester
St. Louis, MO 63131
PHONE: 314-822^1520
FAX: 314-822-8032
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Ronald P. Krueger, President
John Louis, Exec. VP
Charles Nicks, VP & CFO
Ronald Krueger II, Dir., Operations
Larry Mattson, Concessions
Doug Whitford, VP, Film
Bill Menke, Equipment Buyer
Kelly Hoskins, Dir., Mktg.
YEAR FOUNDED: 1906
TOTAL SITES: 33
TOTAL SCREENS: 228
SFFES LAST YEAR: 34
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 252
RANK LAST YEAR: 21
NEW (1997) SCREENS: -24
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 340
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 850
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 38
THEATRE LOCATIONS: AZ, IL, MO
23. DICKINSON THEATRES
5913 Woodson Road
Mission, KS 66202
PHONE: 913-432-2334
FAX: 913-432-9507
WEBSITE URL: www.dtmovies.com
E-MAIL: gdowns@dtmovies.com
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Georgia Dickinson, Chair. Emeritus
Wood Dickinson, President & CEO
Steve Taul, CFO, Treasurer
Scott Dickinson, VP
Patti Dickinson, VP
Bill Burnett, Exec. VP, Operations
Frank Torchia, VP, Head Film Buyer
Don Carver, Dir., Constr/ Legal Affairs
Ted Manichia, Dir., Concessions
John Hartley, Dir., Purchasing/Maint.
Gary Downs, Dir., Mktg.
Greg Fay, Dir., Info. Sys.
YEAR FOUNDED: 1920
TOTAL SITES: 40
TOTAL SCREENS: 209
SITES LAST YEAR: 46
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 207
RANK LAST YEAR: 23
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 2
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 269
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 1600
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 35
THEATRE LOCATIONS: KS, MO, OK
24. MALCO THEATRES
5851 Ridgeway Ctr. Pkwy.
Memphis, TN 38120
PHONE: 901-761-3480
FAX: 901-681-2044
URL: www.malco.com
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Stephen Lightman, President & CEO
Richard Lightman, Chainnan
Herbert Levy, Secretary, Treasurer
James Tashie, VP, Operations
Robert Levy, VP, Advertising
Bill Blackburn, VP, Finance
James Lloyd, VP
Mike Thomson, VP
Jeff Kaufman, VP, Booking
Larry Etter, Concessions
YEAR FOUNDED: 1915
TOTAL SITES: 36
TOTAL SCREENS: 200
SITES LAST YEAR: 36
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 200
RANK LAST YEAR: 24
NEW (1997) SCREENS:
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98; 279
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 613
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 24
THEATRE LOCATIONS: AR, KY,
MO, MS, TN
24. O'NEIL THEATRES ir
(Trad-A-House Corp.)
1926-C Corporate Square Dr.
Slidell, LA 70458
PHONE: 504-641-4720
FAX: 504-641-5726
E-MAIL: cjj@communiquej\et
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Tim O'Neil Jr., President
Tim O'Neil III, VP
Steven L. Moss, Ops, Equip. Buyer
Lynette Tamburello, Concessions, Adv.
C. Jean Johnson, Booking
YEAR FOUNDED: 1968
TOTAL SITES: 18
TOTAL SCREENS: 200
SITES LAST YEAR: 18
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 168
RANK LAST YEAR: 25
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 32
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: N/A
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 350
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 14
THEATRE LOCATIONS: AL, FL,
GA, LA, MS, TN, TX
26. HARKINS THEATRES ir
8350 E. McDonald Dr.
Scottsdale, AZ 85250
PHONE: 602-955-2233
FAX: 602-443-0950
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Daniel E. Harkins, President & CEO
Wayne Kullander, Ops/Equip. Buyer
Karen Harkins, Corp. Secretary
Tim Spain, Concessions
Mike Bowers, Concessions
Lou Lencioni, Booking
Kirk Griffin, Dir., Engineering
Greta Newell, Controller
(800) 726-2609
• Inttmetionol
Eqorpmen
V/SA
INSTALLATION
AUDIO RACKING
THX RECERTIFICATIONS
TECHNICAL CONSULTING
24 HOUR ANSWERING SERVICE
VIDEO PROJECTION
INTERMITTENT REPAIR
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AND PRODUCTS
INCLUDING
EQUIPMENT
PROJECTION SERVICE*
SOUND SERVICE*
PARTS
BOOTH SUPPLIES
^Annual Contracts or Demand Service
XENON BULBS
SOUND SYSTEMS
CONCESSION EQUIPMENT
LOBBY FIXTURES
FRONT ENDS
LENSES
USED EQUIPMENT
I
P.O. Box 10799
New Orleans, Louisiana 70181
GOOD SIGHT, GOOD SOUND
THE KEY TO GREAT CONCESSIONS
Response No. 169
January, 1998 35

I
I
I
I
I
Kelly Maloney, Advertising
Jere Gabriel, Asst. to President
Janel Schwartz, Human Resources
YEAR FOUNDED: 1933
TOTAL SITES: 21
TOTAL SCREENS: 183
SITES LAST YEAR: 18
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 123
RANK LAST YEAR: 35
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 60
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 217
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 750
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 19
THEATRE LOCATIONS: AZ
27. GOODRICH QUALITY
THEATRES ir
4417 Broadmoor S.E.
Kentwood, MI 49512
PHONE: 616-698-7733
FAX: 616-698-7220
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Robert E. Goodrich, President
RossPettinga,CFO
William T. McMannis, VP, GM
Martin Betz, Theatre Operations
Dale Doten, Concessions
Wanda J.
Hoist, Film Buyer
Jim McHoskey, Film Booker
Carole Ashley, Mktg Mgr
YEAR FOUNDED: 1930
TOTAL SITES: 22
TOTAL SCREENS: 179
SITES LAST YEAR: 18
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 142
RANK LAST YEAR: 27
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 37
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 236
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 555
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 20
THEATRE LOCATIONS: IL, IN, MI
28. GEORGIA THEATRE CO. ir
2999 Piedmont Rtl
2nd Floor
Atlanta, GA 30305
PHONE: 404-264-4542
FAX: 404-233-8184
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
William J. Stembler, President &
CEO
Dennis P. Merton, CFO & Treasurer
John Stembler Jr., VP
Curt Harris, VP, Ops, Concessions
& Equip. Buyer
Kip Smiley, Jr., VP, Film Buyer
Tern Leseueur, Asst. Film Buyer,
Marketing
Tricia Thompson, Adv.
YEAR FOUNDED: 1991
TOTAL SITES: 23
TOTAL SCREENS: 168
SITES LAST YEAR: 21
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 134
RANK LAST YEAR: 32
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 34
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 182
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 400
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 9
THEATRE LOCATIONS: FL, GA
29. SILVER CINEMAS
4004 Beltline Rd.
Dallas, TX 75244
PHONE: 972-503-9851
FAX: 972-503-9013
URL: wwTv.silvercinemasinc.com
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Tom Owens, President
Steve Holmes, CEO
Ron Reid, COO and Equipment
Buyer
Steve Kauzlaric, Treasurer
Kathi Gillman, Concessions
A.J. Roquevert, Booking
YEAR FOUNDED: 1996
TOTAL SITES: 27
TOTAL SCREENS: 163
SITES LAST YEAR: N/A
SCREENS LAST YEAR: N/A
RANK LAST YEAR: N/A
NEW (1997) SCREENS: N/A
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 550
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 500
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 17
THEATRES LOCATIONS: CA, FL,
lA, LA, NM, NY, OK, TX, VT
30. WALLACE THEATRES ir
3375 Koapaka Street, Ste. C345
Honolulu, HI 96819
PHONE: 808-836-6055
FAX: 808-836-6077
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Scott Wallace, President
Brett Havlik, General Manager
Denise Wong, Controller
David Lyons, Dir., Advertising &
Marketing
Dick Gambogi, Booking
YEAR FOUNDED: 1991
TOTAL SITES: 27
TOTAL SCREENS: 157
SITES LAST YEAR: 23
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 108
RANK LAST YEAR: 38
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 49
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 175
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 425
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 9
THEATRE LOCATIONS: CA, HI,
MO, NV; American Samoa;
Guam; Marshall Islands;
Federated States of Micronesia
31. LANDMARK THEATRES
2222 S. Barrington .'\\c,
Los Angeles, CA 900b4
PHONE: 310-473-6701
FAX: 310-477-3066
WEBSITE URL: www.movienet.com
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Stephen A. Gilula, President
Gary P. Cann, Sr. VP, Finance
Bert Manzari, Sr. VP, Film Buying
Paul Richardson, Sr. VP,
Operations, Acquisitions
Janet Grumer, Sr. VP,
Administration
Cary Jones, Dir., Marketing
Dave Strong, Dir., Concessions
YEAR FOUNDED: 1974
TOTAL SITES: 49
TOTAL SCREENS: 140
SITES LAST YEAR: 50
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 138
RANK LAST YEAR: 29
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 2
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 170
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 1094
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 53
THEATRE LOCATIONS: CA, CO,
LA, MA, MI, MN, OH, TX, WA, Wl
32. EASTERN FEDERAL
901 East Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28203
PHONE: 704-377-3495
FAX: 704-358-8427
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Ira S. Meiselman, President & CEO
Paul E. Lloyd, CFO & Concessions
Scott Baldwin, VP, Ops/ Equip. Buyer
Curtis Fainn, Film Buyer
Nancy Herron, Advertising
George Royster, Corp. Secretary
William Wilson, Real Estate
PROJECT
A CLEAN, SHARP IMAGE
Sharp, Dust-Free Projection
Clear Sound Reproduction
Reduces Projector
Maintenance
Extends Print Life
2 Year Warranty
SV-4120
In Norlh & South America
SV-4220
1 778 Main Street
Sarasota, FL 34236 USA
TEL. 1-941-951-2432 or
1 -800-624-3204 (u.s. a ciudo
FAX: 1.941.955-5992
36 ikixonicE
kinetronics
In
Response No. 238
Europe, Asia, Africa & Australia
P.O. Box 45 00 51
D-53344 Alfter
GERMANY
TEL. 49-2222-62105
FAX: 49.2222.65974
THE BEST!
Know who you deal with
personally! One phone call
gets the owner of America's
best equipped shop and
design lab. IDEAS to save
time, money and difficulties.
HADDEN r^
THEATRE
10201 Bunsen Way
Louisville, KY 40299
(502) 499-0050
(502) 499-0052 FAX:
Louis Bornwasser, Owner
SUPPLY COMPANY
Design-Consultation-Sales
Response No. 40

YEAR FOUNDED: 1933
TOTAL SITES: 22
TOTAL SCREENS: 131
SITES LAST YEAR: 22
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 138
RANK LAST YEAR: 29
NEW (1997) SCREENS: -7
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 163
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 500
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 27
THEATRE LOCATIONS: FL, NC, SC
33. ENTERTAINMENT
CINEMAS
7 Central St.
North Easton, MA 02356
PHONE: 781-341-2800
FAX: 781-341-4170
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Bill Hanney, President & CEO
Keith Ash, CFO
Mike Harmon, VP, Operations;
Equipment Buyer
James McGrath, Operations
Patrick Morgan, VP, Construction
Marty Zides, Film Buyer
Rosemary Tanzi, Mktg.
Jo-Ann Overstreet, Concessions;
Admin. Asst.
YEAR FOUNDED: 1986
TOTAL SITES: 17
TOTAL SCREENS: 129
SITES LAST YEAR: 17
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 129
RANK LAST YEAR: 33
NEW (1997) SCREENS:
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: N/A
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 550
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 20
THEATRE LOCATIONS: CT, MA,
NH,RI
??
34. METROPOLITAN
THEATRES
8727 W. Third St.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
PHONE: 310-858-2800
FAX: 310-858-2860
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Bruce C. Corwin, President & CEO
Candace Crawford, CEO/Treasurer
Allen Gilbert, VP
David Corwin, VP
Deborah Clark, Operations,
Concessions, Equip. Buyer
Cheryl Pemble, Film Booker
Mike Doban, Film Buyer
Alan Stokes, Advertising
Bill Hughes, Dir. Real Estate/ Constr.
YEAR FOUNDED: 1923
TOTAL SITES: 26
TOTAL SCREENS: 125
SITES LAST YEAR: 27
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 123
RANK LAST YEAR: 35
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 2
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: N/A
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 735
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 25
THEATRE LOCATIONS: CA, CO
35. CINEMA
ENTERTAINMENT ir
P.O. Box 1126
St. Cloud, MN 56302
PHONE: 320-251-9131
FAX: 320-251-1003
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Robert Ross, President
David Ross, CEO
George Becker, CEO/Treasurer
Tony Tillemans, VP
AVOID
CONSTRUCTION
PROBLEMS!
"CALL A PROFESSIONAL
^ 25 + years theatre construction
experience
• Design/Build
-k Complete turnkey
k Financing avaiiable
-k We will meet your deadlines
if Circuits, Independents, newcomers
-k Licensed throughout the U.S.
•k Stadium seating retrofits
-k Pre-engineered steel buildings
•k Free estimates/site visit
NEW CONSTRUCTION, ADDITIONS,
RENOVATIONS, CONVERSIONS
n
1
Ed Villalta, Operations
Stan McCulloch, Booker
YEAR FOUNDED: 1961
TOTAL SITES: 18
TOTAL SCREENS: 123
SITES LAST YEAR: 15
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 98
RANK LAST YEAR: 40
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 25
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 130
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 370
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 12
THEATRE LOCATIONS: L\, MN,
ND,WI
36. LOEKS STAR
THEATRES if
3020 Charlevoix Dr. S.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
PHONE: 616-940-0866
FAX: 616-940-0046
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Jim Loeks, Chairman
Barrie Lawson Loeks, President
Kenyon Shane, CEO
Jay Laninga, Treasurer
Bob Kleinhans, VP, Concessions
Shauna King, Bcx)ker
Jon Karell, Equipment Buyer
Krystal Bylund, Dir., Advertising
YEAR FOUNDED: 1988
TOTAL SITES: 9
TOTAL SCREENS: 108
SITES LAST YEAR: 9
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 82
RANK LAST YEAR: 49
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 26
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 150
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 865
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 10
THEATRE LOCATIONS: MI
IH
37. EMPIRE THEATRES
115 King St.
Stellarton, Nova Scotia BOK 150
PHONE: 902-755-7620
FAX: 902-755-7640
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Stuart G. Eraser, President
Kevin MacLeod, Dir., Theatre
Operations
Brian MacLeod, Concessions
Greg MacNeil, Film Buyer
Dean Leiand, Dir., Adv.
YEAR FOUNDED: 1984
TOTAL SITES: 19
TOTAL SCREENS: 101
SITES LAST YEAR: 18
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 92
RANK LAST YEAR: 41
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 9
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 120
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: N/A
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: N/A
THEATRE LCXTATIONS: New
Brunswick, Newfoimdland, Nova
Scotia, P.E.I.
38. B & B THEATRES •
114 W. Second St.
P.O. Box 171
SaUsbury, MO 65281
PHONE: 816-388-5219
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Robert E. Bagby, Partner
Elmer Bills, Partner
Sterling Bagby, Partner
YEAR FOUNDED: 1924
TOTAL SITES: 27
TOTAL SCREENS: 100
SITES LAST YEAR: 25
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 88
RANK LAST YEAR: 43
: I I
^«g^ LARGO COriSTRUCTION INC.
^^^^
-
/A A' 555 STREET ROAD, BEIiSALEM, PA 19020
215-245-0300 • FAX 215-638-7933
Response No, 162
6i

Response No. 46
38 BoxonicE
The Buyers Guide
I Ca// 1-800-972-6468
^^
Willming Reams (3^
n
udm mm\ ^
mion!
generic trailer tp
2.View ou\ ne\N
Quality,
Competitively
Priced
S Cmstom/ze your
trailer or order
generic prints
Original music
and sfx
recorded in
Dolby Stereo
4. Watch your
audience go wild!
I
Willming Reams Animation, Inc.
325 East Ramsey Road San Antonio. TX 78216
210-342-2141 or 1-800-WR-AN1M8
The Industry's Leading Producer of
Custom Policy & Promotional Trailers
for Extiibition
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 12
PROJ. SCREENS, 12/98; 122
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 550
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 12
LOCATIONS: KS, MO, OK
39. MANN THEATRES OF
MINNESOTA ic
704 Hennepin Ave.
Suite 225
Minneapolis, MN 55403
PHONE: 612-332-3303
FAX: 612-332-3305
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Steve Mann, President
Benjie Mann, VP
Ken Polta, (Dperations
Jim Payne, C^erations
Neil O'Leary, Film ISooking
YEAR FOUNDED: 1975
TOTAL SITES: 20
TOTAL SCREENS: 98
SITES LAST YEAR: 20
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 86
RANK LAST YEAR: 44
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 12
PROJ. SCREENS, 12/98: 120
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 600
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 11
THEATRE LOCATIONS: MN
39. SOCAL CINEMAS if
(Sanborn Theatres)
13 Corporate Plaza
Newport Beach, CA 92660
PHONE: 714-640-2370
FAX; 714-640-7816
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
A. Bruce Sanborn, President
Gary Richardson, COO
Bonnie S. Richardson, Treasurer
Pete Cole, Booking
Rich Maxey, Equipment Buyer
Lisa Karmo, Advertising
YEAR FOUNDED: 1918
TOTAL SITES: 13
TOTAL SCREENS: 98
SITES LAST YEAR: 14
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 86
RANK LAST YEAR: 42
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 12
PROJ. SCREENS, 12/98: 118
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 420
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 14
THEATRE LOCATIONS: CA
41. LANDMARK OF
CANADA
522-11 Avenue S.W., 4th floor
Calgary, Alberta T2R OC8
PHONE: 403-262-4255
FAX: 403-266-1529
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Hector H. Ross, Chairman
Brian F. Mcintosh, President
Philip H. May, Secretary/
Treasurer
Frank Kettner, Sr. VP
Charles D. K. May, Sr. VP
M. Barry Myers, Sr. VP
Chuck Bradley, Operations,
Concessions, Equip. Buyer
Kevin Norman, Film Buying &
Booking
Donald Langkaas, Mgr.,
Advertising & Creative Svcs.
Gordon Imlach, Mgr., Mktg
YEAR FOUNDED: 1965
TOTAL SITES: 43
TOTAL SCREENS: 95
SITES LAST YEAR: 41
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 89
RANK LAST YEAR: 42
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 6
PROJ. SCREENS, 12/98: 103
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: N/A
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES:
N/A
THEATRE LOCATIONS:
Alberta, British Columbia,
Manitoba, Saskatchewan,
Yukon
41. SIGNATURE
THEATRES, LLC ic
1600 Broadway, Suite 300
Oakland, CA 94612
PHONE: 510-268-9498
FAX: 510-268-9843
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Philip Harris III, President &
CEO
George Mann, CFO
Gwendolyn Wiseman,
Controller
Joe Cuculich, Operations
Christopher Aronson, Booking
Michael Goakey, Construction,
Purchasing
Diane Carelli, Advertising
YEAR FOUNDED: 1996
TOTAL SITES: 17
TOTAL SCREENS: 95
SITES LAST YEAR: 18
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 85
RANK LAST YEAR: 48
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 10
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98:
164
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 500
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 15
LOCATIONS: CA, HI
43. R/C THEATRES
231 W. Cherry HiU Ct.
P.O. Box 1056
Reisterstown, MD 21136
PHONE: 410-526-4774
FAX: 410-526-6871
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Irwin R, Cohen, Pres. & CEO
J.
Wayne Anderson, COO
David G. Phillips, Exec. VP
Scott R. Cohen, Booking & Adv.
Philip Ridenour,VP
YEAR FOUNDED: 1932
TOTAL SITES: N/A
TOTAL SCREENS: 86
SITES LAST YEAR: 27
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 141
RANK LAST YEAR: 28
NEW (1997) SCREENS: -55
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98:
N/A
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: N/A
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 15
THEATRE LOCATIONS: MD,
NC, PA, VA
44. DOUGLAS THEATRES
13001' St.
Lincoln, NE 68508
PHONE: 402-474-4909
FAX: 402-474-4914
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
David Livingston, President
Russell Brehm, CEO
Deborah Brehm, VP
Doug Kinney, Concessions
Frank Rhodes, Booker
Margaret Proffitt, Advertising
YEAR FOUNDED: 1952
TOTAL SITES: 14
TOTAL SCREENS; 83
SITES LAST YEAR: 15
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 86
RANK LAST YEAR; 44
NEW (1997) SCREENS: -3
PROJ. SCREENS, 12/98: 89
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 600
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 11
THEATRE LOCATIONS: NE
44. MUVICO
THEATRES -k
3101 N. Federal Hwy, 6th Floor
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306-1042
PHONE: 954-564-6550
FAX: 954-564-6518
E-MAIL: muvico@muvico.safari
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Hamid Hashemi, President &
CEO
Jerry Gruenberg, Exec VP, Film
Buyer
Michael W. Melvin, VP, Corp.
Development
Deane L. Hashemi, VP,
Operations
Michael Vogelsang, Controller
Randi Emerman, Dir., Mktg.
Keith Nelson, Dir., Construction
YEAR FOUNDED: 1984
TOTAL SITES: 8
TOTAL SCREENS: 83
SITES LAST YEAR: 7
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 61
RANK LAST YEAR: 56
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 22
PROJ. SCREENS, 12/98: 157
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 200
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 20
THEATRE LOCATIONS: FL
46. CENTRAL STATES
THEATRES
Insurance Exchange BIdg.
505 Fifth Ave., Suite 414
Des Moines, lA 50309
PHONE: 515-243-5287
FAX: 515-243-5892
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Myron N. Blank, President
Arthur Stein, Jr., CEO
Ray Jackson, CFO
Roger Hansen, Theatre
Operations
Jim Nicholas, Concessions,
Equip. Buyer
George Catanzano, Booking
Jim Emerson, Advertising
YEAR FOUNDED: 1912
TOTAL SrrES: 22
TOTAL SCREENS: 80
SITES LAST YEAR: 27
SCREENS LAST YEAR; 78
RANK LAST YEAR: 51
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 2
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98:
116
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 443
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES; 20
THEATRE LOCATIONS: L\,
NE
47. CINEMASTAR
LUXURY THEATERS
431 College Blvd.
Oceanside,CA 92057
PHONE: 760-630-2011
FAX; 760-630-8593
WEBSITE URL;
www.cinemastar.com
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
John Ellison Jr., Pres. & CEO
Alan Grossberg, Sr. VP, COO,
Film Booker, Equip. Buyer
Jerry Willits, VP, New Dvlpmnt
Katherine McKeever, VP,
Mktg/Adv
Gary Oster, Operations,
Concessions

A
YEAR FOUNDED: 1989
TOTAL SITES: 8
TOTAL SCREENS: 79
SITES LAST YEAR: 9
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 86
RANK LAST YEAR: 44
NEW (1997) SCREENS: -7
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 100
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 350
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 25
THEATRE LOCATIONS: CA
48. JACK LOEKS THEATRES ^
1400 28th St. S.W.
Grand Rapids, MI 49509
PHONE: 616-532-6302
FAX: 616-532-3660
URL: www.jack-Ioeks.com
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
John Locks, President, CEO & COO
Nancy Hagan, CFO/Treasurer
Roger Lubs, VP, Operations
Ron Van Timmeren, VP, Booking, Adv.
Steve Forsythe, GM
YEAR FOUNDED: 1944
TOTAL SITES: 13
TOTAL SCREENS: 77
SITES LAST YEAR: 11
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 65
RANK LAST YEAR: 55
NEW (1997) SCREENS: 12
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 109
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 350
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 20
THEATRE LOCATIONS: MI
48. R.LFRIDLEY THEATRES
1321 Walnut St., Des Moines, lA 50309
PHONE: 515-282-9287
FAX: 515-282-8310
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Robert L. Fridley, President & CFO
Terry Dotson, VP, Operations
Beth Morgan, Concessions
Eleanor Jackson, Film Booker
Brad Ramer, Equipment Buyer
Carl Seabaugh, Advertising
Howard Steil, Real Estate
Eleanor Hatfield, Bookkeeper
YEAR FOUNDED: 1972
TOTAL SITES: 37
TOTAL SCREENS: T7
SITES LAST YEAR: 37
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 77
RANK LAST YEAR: 52
NEW (1997) SCREENS:
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 80
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 450
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 12
THEATRE LOCATIONS: lA, NE
HELP PUT A SMILE
ON MY FACE
LETS FIND CURES FOR
NEUROMUSCULAR DISEASES.
MUSCUUR DYSTROPHY ASSOCIATION
(800)572-1717
ssBBwar"
Theatre Ticketing and Concessions
Grain/Atlanta's Theatre Ticketing System combines PC Standard equipment with
nineteen years of experience in Buying, Booking & Film Rental Software Systems to
assure PERFORMANCE, PRICE & RELIABILIT'i.
Over 80 Ticketing Systems are installed internationally in Circuits
from 5 to over 400 Screens.
Easy (o Learn and Operate
Daily/Weekly Box Office &
Concessions Reporting
m Up to 4 Ticket Selling
Stations
Wo Mandatory Oogoffjg
Charges
Systems from $9,500
tmfioMi Service Po fk
Tkavn Industrif since 197&
I Continuous Sales Status Display
I
Daily Home Office
Transmissions
Customization Available
' Six Months Free Telephone
Support
' Rapkl Prirtting of Professtonal
Quality rickets
(D
50. CROWN THEATRES
64 .North Main St.
South Norwalk, CT 06854
PHONE: 203-846-8800
FAX: 203-846-9828
URL: www.crown-theatres.com
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Daniel M. Crown, Pres. & CEO
Matt Daly, COO
David Clifford, CFO
Chris Dugger, Theatre Operations
Steve Gould, Advertising
Tom Becher, Dir., Special Projects
YEAR FOUNDED: 1991
TOTAL SITES: 13
TOTAL SCREENS: 69
SITES LAST YEAR: N/
SCREENS LAST YEAR: N/A
RANK LAST YEAR: N/A
NEW (1997) SCREENS: N/A
PROJECTED SCREENS, 12/98: 150
THEATRE EMPLOYEES: 450
CORPORATE EMPLOYEES: 14
THEATRE LOCATIONS: CT, MD, NY

40 BoxoFncE
POV: PERSPECTIVES
BOXOFFICE's Forum for the Industry
every new technology comes hid-
challenges. This was never more
Withden
tme than with the mylar film stock
now in use. Although it is wonderful in terms
of lengthening the ability of films to withstand
the rigors of playing over an extended period
in a large number of venues, the crux of the
problem lies in that very endurance. Mylar's
non-breakable nature mns contrary to the failsafe
units we all employ on our projectors.
For our fail-safe units to work, the film must
break,
signaling a shutdown. Not anymore,
campers—this stuff is bulletproof! And never
more so than when it is wrapped around the
brain of your payout platter. You can have half
a reel or more choked around the center, with
the tension enough to tear out the sprockets
like the rungs on a cheap ladder. Finally, when
a hole bums in the film, that bizarre, fiery
freeze-frame on the screen tells one and all that
it's time to go to the lobby for a refund. Because
experience tells them that it's going to be a long
time before the person in the booth will be able
to undo that snarled mess.
There are new in-line fail-safes that can be
installed to sense when the film has too much
tension due to wraps or other problems. If
you're reluctant to invest in this equipment, r 11
have to presume it is only because you haven't
lost one or more shows on a Saturday night to
such difficulties.
Until such event changes mind.s, there is a
fast (10 minutes or less) way I have found to
fix a wrap. It's not a full fix; the big downside
is that your patrons are not going to see however
many minutes of film are wrapped around
the head. Thus, I don't consider this Tabor
Technique to be a permanent solution or a
money saver, merely a stopgap measure for the
worst situations. Mylar film isn't going away,
but your patrons will if they feel that every
week they're suffering from delays and missing
whole portions of the night's movie.
A FLASH!
FIX FOR
BRAINWRAP
by Jay B. Tabor
You can have half a
reel or more choked
around the center,
with the tension
enough to tear out
the sprockets like
the rungs on
a cheap ladder.
To solve a brainwrap, you'll need the following
tools:
• One empty reel and a split reel (Technicolor
disassembling reels are great for this);
9 A splicer and scissors;
• A screwdriver, preferably with a round
blade that will fit in the reel hole; and
• A setup table that has a flat surface or has
an adjoining flat surface.
Tools
in hand, you're now ready to perform
the four steps of the trouble-te,sted
Tabor Technique:
STEP 1: Ignore any other wrap solutions.
Do not attempt to wind backward; my solution
works best with the film tight. Use your .scissors
to cut the film just past the pulleys going
out and at any clear spot from the back of the
wrap. Lift the wrapped section out whole iind
put it on the flat surface so it can spin freely.
Take your half reel and place your film wrap
on it; then thread the wrap on the spare reel and
start to rewind.
If you have a second person—concession
staffer, panicky manager, whatever—he or she
can be useful for stabilizing the film on the half
reel as it spins so it doesn't go flying. What you
are doing is making the wrapped portion heads
up. (If you're using an adjacent surface, have
some sort of trailer hub for the film to wind
around; when it inevitably wraps toward the
center, it'll have something to wrap around.)
STEP 2: Return to your payout platter and
rethread your movie to your take-up platter,
and leave yourself extra film. (Be sure to splice
out any film portion that's beyond repair.)
STEP 3: Take the screwdriver, reel of film
and .splicer and go to your take-up platter.
Splice the head of your wrapped reel onto the
tail of film on your take-up platter. Set your
platter to go and then run the platter with your
riser and load the film on.
STEP 4: Splice the film coming from the
projector to what is now the tail on your takeup
platter, thread your projector, set your
switches and away you go.
What
I
have described is quick and
relatively easy, especially if you
practice it first. (A few old trailers
work nicely. Just don't turn on the payout
platter.) Again, I stress that the Tabor Technique
is far from perfect; my method is not the
cure but a bandage. Your pattxjns must sit
before a blank screen for up to 10 minutes and
then still miss part of the movie, and you will
be sending a damaged film to the next theatre.
We have the new fail-safes installed at my
theatre, and I can testily to their worth already.
Although I'm never happy with even the
slightest intermptions in a showing, I'm glad
I've been able to get the movie back onscreen
in less than two minutes thanks to the failsafes;
but their bottom-line worth lies in the
money saved on lost shows.
Perhaps too often exhibitors believe that, "if
you have the movies, they will come." There
are theatres that are suffering because more
customer-friendly competition came along in
their backyard. Trying to save money in the
projection booth is like sending a guy with a
caulk gun to repair the Titanic. That 1 2.000 feet
of film, and the people you trust to mn it, are
the true business end of the operation. In the
end, pattDns don't rush in to see me or my staft'
advantage of my low markups on
or take
popcorn and candy. The magic is on the silver
screen, and the secret is keeping it there. Hi
Jay B. Tabor manages, operates and helps
program the Franklin Zeotrope, an independent
three-screen subrun in Franklin, Mass.
Iiicliistiy pivfessUmals wishin}> to
(Diitrihiilc "POV" ammientark's to
liOXOVVlCE should semiDOS disk
copies to us at 6640 Sunset Blvd..
Suite UK), HollywoodCA

LED lIGHTPATHr
J.IGHTS
f
f
T^fETY STEP LIGHTS^
"vTmI (AREA) LIGHTS
/
25 Years of Theatre Lighting Leadership!
Superior Produtts • Superior Servite
Permlight
Technology, LLC
CALL (800) 286-4017

For vntir rpnlv hnlJnt rnrd. kpp inxprt. nnaps: ^4-1^.
* 1998 Barometer Star Poll *
Who were the biggest and breakthrough stars of 1997? Voice your opinions for our
1998 BarometerStar Poll, to be published in the March 1998 BOXOFFICE. The list
below includes actors and actresses from films that debuted in 1997. Use the prepaid
reply-card ballot (inserted between pages 34 and 35 of this issue) to cast your votes.
BE SURE TO RETURN YOUR BALLOT NO LATER THAN JAN. 5, 1998.
Male Star
of the Year
1. Jason Alexander ("Love! Valour! Compassion!")
2. Tim Allen ("For Richer or Poorer," "Jungle
2 Jungle")
3. Woody Allen ("Deconstructing Harry")
4. David Arquette ("Scream 2," "Dream With
the Fishes")
5. Dan Aykroyd ("Grosse Pointe Blank")
6. Kevin Bacon ("Picture Perfect," 'Telling
Lies in America")
7. Alec Baldwin ("The Edge")
8. Robert Blake ("Lost Highway")
9. Matthew Broderick ("Addicted to Love")
10. Pierce Brosnan ('Tomorrow Never
Dies," "Dante's Peak")
11. Gabriel Byrne ("The End of Violence,"
"Smilla's Sense of Snow")
12. Nicolas Cage ("Face/Off," "Con Air")
13. Jim Carrey ("Liar, Liar")
14. Jackie Chan ("First Strike," "Operation
Condor")
15. Chevy Chase ("Vegas Vacation")
16. Don Cheadle ("Boogie Nights," "Rosewood")
17. George Clooney ('The Peacemaker,"
"Batman & Robin")
18. Billy Connoly ( "Mrs. Brown ')
19. Russell Crowe ("L.A. Confidential,"
"Rough Magic")
20. Billy Crystal ("Decoastructing Harry,"
"Fathers' Day")
21. John Cusack ("Midnight in the Garden
of Good and Evil," "Grosse Pointe Blank,"
"Con Air")
22. Willem Dafoe ("Speed 2: Cruise Control")
23. Timothy Dalton ("Beautician & the Beast")
24. Jcfl' Daniels (Trial and Enx)i^')
25. Daniel Day-I^wis ("The Boxei^')
26. Robert I)eNiro ( "Great Expectations,"
"Jackie Brown," "Cop Land")
27. Johnny Depp ("Donnie Brasco")
28. I^eonardo DiCaprio ('Titanic")
29. Matt Dillon ( "In & Out")
30. Vincent D'Onofrio ( "Men in Black")
31. Michael Douglas ("The Game")
32. Robert Downey Jr. ("One Night Stand,"
"Hugo P(X)1")
33. David Duchovny ("'Playing God")
34. Clint Eastwood ("Absolute Power")
35. Dennis Farina ("That Old Feeling")
36. Chris Farley ("Beverly Hills Ninja")
37. Ralph Fiennes ("Oscar & Lucinda")
38. Albert Finney ("Washington Square")
39. Laurence Fishburne ( "Hoodlum,"
"Event Horizon")
40. Peter Fonda ("Ulee's Gold")
41. Harrison Ford ("Air Force One," "The
Devil's Own")
42. Brendan Fraser ("George of the Jungle")
43. Morgan Freeman ('"Amistad," ""Kiss the
Girls")
44. Andy Garcia ("Hoodlum," "The Disappearance
of Garcia Lorca," "Night Falls on
Manhattan")
45. Richard Gere ('The Jackal," "Red Coma-")
46. Mel Gibson ("Conspiracy Theory")
47. Danny Glover ("Switchback," "Gone
Fishin'")
48.John Glover ("Love! Valour! Compassion!")
49. Jeff Goldblum (""The Lost World")
50. Gene Hackman (""Absolute Power")
51. Woody Harrelson(""Welcometo Sarajevo")
52. Ethan Hawke (""Great Expectations,"
""Gattaca")
53. Dustin Hoffman ("Mad City ")
54. Ian Hobn ("The Sweet Hereafter," ""The
Fifth Element")
55. Anthony Hopkins ("The Edge")
56. Ice Cube ("Anaconda," "Dangerous
Ground")
57. Samuel L. Jackson ("'Jackie Brown,"
"Eve's Bayou," "187," "Hard 8")
58. Tcwnmy Lee Jones (""Men in Black," "Volcano")
59. IVIichael Keaton ("Jackie Brown")
60. Harvey Keitel ("Cop Land," "Faiiy Tale:
A True Story," ""City of Industry")
61. Val Kibner ("The Saint")
62. Greg Kinnear ("As Good As It Gets," "A
Smile Like Yours")
63. Kevin Kline ("'In & Out," "The Ice
Storm," "Fierce Creatures")
64. Nathan Lane ("Mousehunt")
65. Martin Lawrence ("Nothing to Lose")
66. John Leguizamo ("Spawn")
67. Jack I^mmon ("Out to Sea")
68. Alex D. Linz ("Home Alone 3")
69. Ray Liotta ("Cop Land," "Turbulence")
70. William H. Macy ("Boogie Nights," "Air
Force One")
71. John Malkovich ("Con Air")
72. Walter Matthau ( "Out to Sea ")
73. Matthew McConaughey (""Amistad,"
"Contact")
74. Ewan McGregor (""A Life Less Ordinary,"
""Brassed Off')
75. Cobn Meaney ("'The Van")
76. Eddie Murphy ( "Metro ")
77. Bill Murray ("The Man Who Knew Too
Little")
78. Mike Myers ("Austin Powers")
79. Jack Nicholson ("As Good As It Gets"
"Blood & Wine")
80. Leslie Nielsen ("Mr. Magoo")
81. Jerry O'ConneU ("Scream 2")
82. Gary Oldman ("Air Force One," "The
Fifth Element")
83. ShaquiUe O'Neal ( "Steel')
84. AI Pacino ('"The Devil's Advocate," "Donnie
Brasco")
85. Jason Patric ("Speed 2: Cruise Control")
86. Guy Pearce ("L.A. Confidential")
87. Sean Penn ("U-Tum," "The Game,"
""She's So Lovely")
88. Matthew Ferry ("Fools Rush In")
89. Brad Pitt ("Seven Years in Tibet," 'The
Devil's Own")
90. Sidney Poitier ("The Jackal")
91. Pete Posflethwaite ("Amistad," "'Brassed
Off," 'The Lost World")
92. Jonathan Pryce ("Tomorrow Never
Dies")
Bill Pullman ("Lost Highway," "The End of
Violence")
93. Dennis Quaid ("Switchback")
94. Keanu Reeves ("The Devil's Advocate,"
"The Last Time 1 Committed Suicide")
95. Jean Reno ("For Roseanna")
%. Burt Reynolds ( "Bcxjgie Nights." "Bean")
97. Ving Rhames ("Rosewood")
98. Michael Richards ("Trial and Error")
99. Linus Roache ("Wings of the Dove")
100. Jason Robards ("A Thousand Acres")
101. Tim Robbins ("Nothing to Lose")
101 Tim Roth ( "Hixxllum. " "Gridlock'd")
103. Kurt Ru.s.sell ( "Breakdown ")
104. Arnold Schwaracnegger ("Batman &
Robin")
105. Tom Everett Scott ("An American Werewolf
in Paris")
106. Steven Seagal ("Fire Down Below")
107. T

Fnr vniir rpniv hnllnt card, siee insert na^es 34-3S.
111. Wesley Snipes ("One Night Stand,"
"Murder at 1600")
112. Kevin Sorbo ("Kull the Conquerw")
113. Kevin Spacey ("Midnight in the Garden
of Good and EvO." "L.A. Confidential")
114. James Spader ("Critical Care," "Crash,"
"Keys to Tulsa")
115. Sylvester Stallone ("Cop Land")
116. Howard Stem ("Private Parts")
117. Patrick Stewart ("Masterminds," "Conspiracy
Theory")
118. Larenz Tate ("The Postman," "lovejones")
119. BiUy Bob Thornton ("U-Tum")
120. John TVavolta ("Mad City," "She's So
Lovely," "Face/Off")
121. Jon Voigjit ("The Rainmaker," "Most
Wanted," "Rosewood." "Anaconda")
122. J.T. Walsh ("Breakdown")
123. Keenen Ivory Wayans ("Most Wanted")
124. Marion Wayans (The 6th Man")
125. Robin Williams ("Hubber," "Good Will
Hunting," "Fathers' Day")
126. Bruce Willis ("The Jackal," "The Filth
Element")
127. Billy Zane ('Titanic," 'This World, Then
the Fireworics")
Female Star
of the Year
1. Joan Allen ("The Ice Storm," "Face/Off')
2. Kirstie Alley ("For Richer or Poorer")
3. Jennifer Aniston ("Picture Perfect")
4. Patricia Arquette ("l^st Highway")
5. Anne Bancroft ("Great Expectations,"
"G.I. Jane")
6. Kim Basinger ("L.A. Confidential")
7. Kathy Bates ('Titanic")
8. Halle Berry ( "B.ARs ")
9. Sandra Bullock ("Speed 2: Cruise Control")
10. Saffron Burrows ("The Matchmaker,"
"Hotel de Love")
11. Neve Campbell ("Scream 2")
12. Helena Bonham Carter ("Wings of the
Dove")
13. Glenn Close ("Air Force One," 'Taradise
Road")
14. Courteney Cox ("Scream 2")
15. Joan Cusack ("In & Ouf ')
16. Qaire Danes ('The Rainmaker," "I Love
You. I Love You Not")
17. Judy Davis ("Deconstructing Harry,"
"Children of the Revolution")
18. Julie Delpy ("An American Werewolf in
Paris")
19. Judi Dench ("Mrs. Brown," 'Tomorrow
Never Dies")
20. Natalie DeseUe ("B.A.Rs, " "Soul Food")
21. Cameron Diaz ("A Life Less Ordinary,"
"My Best Friend's Wedding")
22. Fran Drescher ("Beautician & the Beast")
23. Minnie Driver ("Good Will Hunting,"
"Grosse Pointe Blank")
24. Tara Fitzgerald ( "Brassed OfF')
25. Alison Poland ("All Over Me")
26. Bridget Fonda ("Jackie Brown,"
"Touch," ""Rough Magic")
27. Jodie Foster (""Contact")
28. Vivica A. Fox (""Soul Food," "'Booty CaO")
29. Janeane Garcrf'alo ("The Matchmaker,"
"Romy and Michele's High School Reunion")
30. Pam Grier ("Jackie Brown")
31. Linda Hamilton ("Dante's Peak")
32. Teri Hatcher ("Tomorrow Never Dies")
33. Salma Hayek ("'Fools Rush In")
34. Lauren Holly ("A Smile Like Yours,"
"Turbulence")
35. Helen Hunt (""As Good As It Gets")
36. Holly Hunter ('"A Life Less Ordinary,"
""Crash")
37. Elizabeth Hurley ("Austin Powers,"
""Dangerous Ground")
38. Angelina Jolie (""Playing God")
39. Milla Jovovich ("The Fifth Element")
40. Jessica Lange ("A Thousand Acres")
41. Jennifer Jason Leigh (""Washington
Square," ""A Thousand Acres")
42. Nicole Kidman (""The Peacemakei")
43. Nastassja Kinski (""One Night Stand,"
""Fathers' Day")
44. Mia Kirshner ("Mad City," '"Anna
Karenina")
45. Lisa Kudrow (""Romy and Michele's High
School Reunion")
46. Phyllida Law ("The Winter Guest")
47. Jennifer Lopez (""UTum," "Anaconda,"
"Selena," ""Blood & Wine")
48. Andie MacDoweU ( "The End of Violence")
49. Sophie Marceau ("Anna Karenina")
50. Frances McDormand ("Paradise Road")
51. Bette Midler ('That Old FeeUng")
52. Penelope Ann Miller ("The Rehc")
53. Demi Moore ( "G.I. Jane ")
54. Julia Ormond (""Smilla's Sense of Snow")
55. Gwyneth Paltrow ("Great Expectations")
56. Michelle Pfeiffer ("A Thousand Acres")
57. Parker Posey ("The House of Yes," "sub-
Uibia", "The Daytrippers")
58. Julia Roberts ("My Best Friend's Wedding,"
"Conspiracy Theory")
59. Rene Russo ( "Buddy")
60. Kathleen Quinlan (""Breakdown," "Event
Horizon," "Zeus & Roxanne")
61. Christina Ricd (""The Ice Storm," "That
Dam Cat")
62. Meg Ryan ("Addicted to Love")
63. Winona Ryder (""Alien Resurrection")
64. Elisabeth Shue (""Deconstmcting Harry,"
""The Saint")
65. Alicia Silverstone (""Excess Baggage,"
"Batman & Robin")
66. Mira Sorvino ("Mimic," "Romy and
Michele's High School Reunion")
67. Emma Thompson ("The Winter Guest")
68. Uma Thurman ("Gattaca," ""Batman &
Robin")
69. Jennifer HDy ("Liar, Liai")
70. Jeanne Tripplehom ("TilThereWas You ")
71. Kathleen "mmer ( "A Simple Wish")
72. Emily Watson ("The Boxer")
73. Sigoumey Weaver ("Alien Resumection,"
"The Ice Storm")
74. Vanessa L. Williams ("Soul Food")
75. Mara Wilson (""A Simple Wish")
76. Kate Winslet ("Titanic")
77. Robin Wright ("'She's So Lovely")
78. Michelle Yeoh ('Tomorrow Never Dies")
Breakout
Star— Male
1. Ben Affleck ("Good Will Hunting," "Chasing
Amy," "Going All the Way")
2. Rowan Atkinson ("Bean")
3. Jake Busey ("Starship Troopers," "Contact")
4. Robert Cariyle ("The FuU Monty")
5. Matt Damon (""The Rainmaker," ""Good
Will Hunting")
6. Stephen DiUane (""Welcome to Sarajevo")
7. Lee Evans (""Mousehunt")
8. RupertEverett(""My Best Friend's Wedding")
9. Cameron Finley (""Leave It to Beavei^')
10. Djimon Hounsou ("" Amistad," ""Dl-Gotten
Gains")
11. Sam Huntington (""Jungle 2 Jungle")
12. Vincent Kartheiser (""Masterminds")
13. Jude Law (""Midnight in the Garden of
Good and Evil," "Gattaca," "I Love You, I
Love You Not")
14. Jared Leto ("Switchback," "Prefontaine")
15. Fabrice Luchini ("Beaumarchais the
Scoundrel")
16. Steven Mackintosh ("Different fOTGirls")
17. Nick Scotti ("Kiss Me, Guido")
18. Douglas Spain ("Star Maps")
19. Zdenek Sverak (""Kolya")
20. Chris "Ricker ("Money Talks," "The Fifth
Element")
21. Casper Van Dien (""Starship Troopers")
22. Mark Wahlberg ("Boogie Nights,"
'TraveUei^')
23. Hariand Williams ("RocketMan")
Breakout
Star—
Female
1. Joey Lauren Adams ("Chasing Amy")
2. Cate Blanchette (""Oscar & Lucinda")
3. Katrin Cartlidge (""Career Girls")
4. Anne Heche ('"Donnie Brasco," "'VDlcaiK)")
5. Sarah Michelle Gellar (""Scream 2," "'I
Know What You Did Last Summei")
6. Heather Graham (""Boogie Nights")
7. Jennifer Love Hewitt ("I Know What You
Did Last Summer")
8. Ashley Judd (""Kiss the Girls")
9. Bai Ling ("Red Comer")
10. Nia Long (""Soul Food," ""love jones")
11. Julianne Moore (""Boogie Nights," "'Lost
World," "The Myth of Fingerprints")
12. Lynda Steadman ("Career Girls")
13. Gloria Stuart ('Titanic")
14. Charlize Theron ("The Devil's Advocate,"
'Trial and Error")
15. Deborah Kara linger ("The Game,"
"Crash," ""Keys to Tulsa")
16. Olivia Williams ("The Postman")

44 (R-ll ROXOFFICE
—
.
•••*• OUTSTANDING
*••• VERY GOOD
• •* GOOD
•• FAIR
* POOR
(no stars) BOMB
REVIEWS
January 1998
DAY AND DATE: JAN. 16
STAR KID iriKi^m
Starring Joseph Mazzello,
Joey Simmrin and Cprinne
Bohrer. Directed and written by
Manny Coto. Produced by Jennie
tew Tugend. A Trimark release.
SF. Rated
PG. Running
time: lOOmin.
Twelve-year-old
Spencer (Joseph
Mazzello of
"Radio Flyer" and
"Jurassic Pork")
finds a humanshaped
Cybersuit
(Cyl that has
crashed on Earth to
elude capture by
the monstrous
Broodwarriors who
are attacking its
planet of origin.
Like the Japanese
Gundams and
Mechas, Cy is built
to transport and
fight: Cy can talk
but can't move until
someone steps inside
him. Spencer
does, beginning a
relctionsnip with
HEAVY CY: Trimark's "Slur Kiil.
the intelligent
weapon that helps Spencer face his
fears, including school bully Turbo ("Little
Giants'" Joey SimmrinL and the
Broodwarrior that followed Cy to Earth.
"Star Kid" is full of surprises, including
high production values from cinematographer
Ronn Schmidt and
production designer C.J. Strawn; together,
they avoid the usual barrenness
of low-budget films. Writer/director
Coto's script is thoughtful and funny,
particularly the continuous interplay between
literal-minded Cy and slang-talking
Spencer: the phrase "too cool"
raises Cy's temperature;
forget it"
erases Cy's memory.
The terror of
being sealed inside
Cy is well realized,
as are the
iokes built around
Spencer's attempts
to move the powerful
cybersuit
gracefully. It's
gratifying that the
bully Turbo becomes
Spencer's
ally, though it's a
pity that it happens
only after
Spencer fights
and beats him.
Although the females
ore peripheral
they ore nip
and interesting;
best is the inventive
science teacher
(Corinne Bohrer of
'Vice Versa"), a
smart adult who helps Spencer (a rare
alliance in kids' films).
"Star Kid" stands out as well-crafted
fare, laudable in urging kids to face
their fears because otherwise those
fears don't go away. But it joins the
pack when it portrays violence and aggression
as the only way to deal with
problems. Karen Achenbach
REVIEWS
Anastasia R-3
Bent R-2
Deconstructing Harry R-2
Good Will Hunting R-2
Grizzly Mountain R-5
The Jackal R-4
The Keeper R-7
Lay of the Land R-6
Mad City R-4
The Man Who Knew Too Little ... R-3
The Mouse R-4
My America (...Or Honk If You
Love Buddha) R-5
Nueba Yol 3: Abajo La Nueva Ley R-5
Office Killer R-3
Other Voices. Other Rooms R-4
Pippi Longstocking R-7
Red Corner R-5
Staccato Purr of the Exhaust .... R-6
Starship Troopers R-4
Switchback R-5
Titanic R-2
The Wind in the Willows R-5
Yo Soy, Del Son A La Salsa R-7
DAY AND DATE: 1/16
star Kid R-1
PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED
Coming films already reviewed . .
REVIEW DIGEST
R-3
Our monthly release overview ... R-7
Hit our
website each
Friday for
the latest
in breaking
reviews!
http://www.
boxoffice.com

"
—
January, 1998 (R-2) 45
REVIEWS
TITANIC
•••••
wisdom by 87-year-old Gloria Stuart. who appears to have no chance of partaking
— Joseph McBride of the Ivy life due to the hard-scrabble ex-
DECONSTRUCTING HARRY ^1/2
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Starring Woody Allen, Billy Crystal,
Winslet, Billy Zone, Kathy Bates and Gloria
Elisabeth Shue and Judy Davis. Directed
Stuart. Directed and written by James and written by Woody Allen. Produced by
Cameron. Produced by James Cameron Jean Doumanian. A Fine Line release.
and Jon Landau. A Paramount release. Comedy. Rated Rfor strong language and
Drama/Thriller. Rated PG-13for disasterrelated
peril and violence, nudity, sensu-
Perhaps as close to a dud as Woody Allen
some sexuality. Running time: 93 min.
ality and brief language. Running time: has ever come, "Deconstructing Harry" is
194 min.
an almost resolutely
To describe
un-
"Titanic" as
funny comedy
the greatest
about a angstridden
New
disaster movie
ever made is
York writer
to sell it short.
(Allen, de
James Cameron's
rigeur) who's
recre-
in trouble with
ation of the
his angrily embarrassed
1912 sinking
ex
of the "unsinkable"
(Judy Davis)
liner is
for publishing
one of the
a novel whose
most magnificent
story is a thinly
pieces of
disguised ac-
serious popular
entertain-
troubled marcount
of their
SINKING FEELING: Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet
nudefor their lives in "Titanic.
ment ever to
riage, and
emanate from Hollywood. The gargantuan who's angry at a friend (Billy Crystal) for
production cost—variously estimated between
$200-285 million—has been spent Saint's" Elisabeth Shue) with a proposal of
"stealing" away his girlfriend ("The
on sumptuous, stunningly believable sets marriage. The antics that follow involve
and visual effects, giving the viewer the child kidnapping, family brawling and a
feeling of being a passenger on the ill-fated visit to hell.
voyage. But the three-hours-plus "Titanic" Maybe it's that Allen's character is so
ultimately succeeds so powerfully in retelling
unexpectedly and alarmingly foul-mouthed
this familiar story because, like a that lets the humor leak away; maybe it's
David Lean film, it is an intimate epic that the laughlines are so slight it's as if
with a moving and resonant love story at Allen were writing on autopilot. (The one
its core.
gem has to do with French politics, itself a
Cameron's subtly shaded screenplay follows
sign that Allen isn't digging into the main
the fortunes of Philadelphia socialite material at hand.) Allen used to have con-
Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet), who, cerns; now he has only concerns about concerns.
like the heroine of a Henry James novel,
Although a comedy, "Deconstructing
yearns to break free from the restraints of Harry" is meant to have some depth, but it
money, class and gender. Resisting her imminent
lacks even the insight and feeling of such
marriage to Caledon Hockley (Billy early farces as "Sleeper" and "Love and
Zane), domineering heir to a company that Death." And from whence came this angry
supplied some of the deficient steel for the edge, in which Allen absolves his disreputable
character in front of his audience?
Titanic, Rose rebels through a shipboard
romance with a third-class passenger, Wisconsin
— Kim Williamson
artist Jack Dawson (Leonardo
DiCaprio). Jack's self-sacrificial saving of
Rose "in every way a woman can be GOOD WILL HUNTING ••^
saved" is the prism through which we Starring Matt Damon, Robin Williams,
witness every facet of this vast human
tragedy.
Ben Affleck and Minnie Driver. Directed by
Gus Van Sant. Written by Matt Damon arid
Cameron' s wide, vividly-peopled canvas
takes in everything from the ship's
Ben Affleck. Produced by Lawrence Bender.
A Miramax release. Drama. Rated R for
festive launch to its rigidly stratified strong language, including some sex-related
social events, the awesome technical
dialogue. Running time: 125 min.
apocalypse of its breakup and sinking,
and the appallingly unjust escape of
An impressive scripting debut for actors
Matt Damon ("John Grisham's The Rainmaker")
wealthy passengers while poor ones are
left to drown. The framing story of contemporary
and Ben Affleck ("Chasing
Amy"). "Good Will Hunting" — perhaps in
fortune hunters pillaging part because it feels so little like a film by
the wreckage includes eerie footage Gus Van Sant ("To Die For," "Drugstore
of the actual Titanic at the bottom of Cowboy"), who directs—drew the secondstrongest
audience response at ShowEast.
the Atlantic. On board the salvage ship
is the narrator, 101-year-old Rose, And deservedly so: This story of a collegeage
played with haunting grace, humor and
math savant. Will Hunting (Damon),
istence he's been living since orphaned on
Boston's South Side, usually plays at a level
of fine human emotion and makes little
allowance for sympathy shortcuts in its dramatics.
Even the appearance of Robin Williams
as a concerned psychologist doesn't
deter Damon and Affleck from their course;
though elsewhere—as in "Dead Poets Society"—
given to misty-eyed emotionalism,
Williams delivers an honest portrayal that
adds greatly to the film's character interplay.
Yet audiences drawn by the Van Sant
credit are likely to be surprised at least, and
disappointed at most; "Good Will Hunting"
never veers from a mainstream course,
again recalling "Dead Poets Society," in
which Peter Weir—noted for the singularly
voiced likes of "The Last Wave"—made a
resolutely ordinary studio movie. In
boxoffice terms, of course, "Good Will
Hunting's" appeal to the mainstream is all
to the good. Helping matters along are
Affleck as Will's hard-hat friend and Minnie
Driver as Will's Harvard-student
girlfriend, both providing effective turns as
characters who in their separate ways help
push Will toward a resolution of his personal
problems and the achievement of his
potential. Kim Williamson
BENT ^^1/2
Starring Lothaire Bluteau, Clive Owen
and Brian Webber. Directed by Sean Mathias.
Written by Martin Sherman. Produced
by Michael Solinger and Dixie
Lindner. An MGM/Goldwyn release.
Drama. Rated NC-1 7for a strong scene of
graphic sexuality. Running time: 104 min.
In adapting Martin Sherman' s 1 979 stage
play about Nazi persecution of gays during
World War II, theatre director-turnedfilmmaker
Sean Mathias for the most part
has avoided a stagy feeling in the reworking.
What he and scripter Sherman have
failed to provide, however, is an authentic
feeling; "Bent" is a World War II movie
made by people who weren't there and who
don't seem to be able to imagine what it was
like to be there.
The interplay of the actors—between
"Black Robe's" Lothaire Bluteau as the
self-centered Horst and newcomer Brian
Webber as the pleading-for-affection Rudy,
and after Rudy's death between Bluteau and
"The Rich Man's Wife's" Clive Owen as a
fellow concentration camp internee who
further challenges Horst's egocentrism—is
remarkable. Cameo turns by Ian McKellen
(who originated the Max role in London) as
Horst's experienced gay uncle and especially
Mick Jagger as a cross-dressing chanteuse
add energy to the character mix. But
the filmmakers appear determined to make
their point (however groundbreaking in
pre-'80s climes) at the expense of a realism
that would more fairly allow audience sympathy
for the characters to grow. Maintaining
that realism would have also better
served the filmmakers themselves; it
would have precluded the sufferinghero
ending, which however well played is
still
— Kim Williamson
straight out of high-school theatrics.

46 (R-3) BoxomcE
—
—
CINEMA
TECHNOLOGIES
use dye faded prints with
Kinotech projection filters
www.cinematechnologies.com
Response No. 481
: Box Office '98
I
Ticketing & More...
Windows '95 Based
Microsoft Access Database
Concession Sales & Inventory
State of the Art - Reliable
18 Years Experience
Custom Development
Satisfaction Guaranteed
Electronic Creations, inc.
Ph (619) 480-1002 Fax (619) 480-6830
Response No. 203
INVENTORY REDUCTION
Ticketing &
Concession
Systems
$4,155
Includes: warranty,
installation, training, one box office point
of sale, two concession points of sale, and
manager's office computer.
With close to 1 ,000 customers worldwide
SOS is the right choice!
System Operating Solutions, Inc.
Call 800-434-3098
Response No. 430
WITW
lon't let the dark forces of
'ignorance defeat you. Right in
•
this galaxy you can tap into the
source—the free Consumer
Information Catalog. It lists free and
low-cost federal publications on a
variety of important topics.
So dispel the darkness and get the
source. Call toll-free 1-888-8
PUEBLO for your free Catalog.
•Or set your coordinates for the
Consumer Information Center Web
site www.pueblo.gsa.gov
REVIEWS
OFFICE KILLER ir
Starring Carol Kane, Molly Ringwald
and Jeanne Tripplehorn. Directed by Cindy
Sherman. Written by Elise MacAdam and
Tom Kalin. Produced by Christine Vachon
and Pamela Koffler. A Strand release. Suspense.
Unrated. Running time: 82 min.
As funny as a hernia, "Office Killer" is
just one dark joke stretched out to dreary,
pointless feature length. Wildly overacting,
Carol Kane plays a mousey office employee
who gets back at her co-workers for persecuting
her by knocking them off and placing
their rotting corpses like guests in her living
room. No terror or suspense occupies this
tired, gloomy vacuum, not to mention wit or
humor. Even as a revenge fantasy, director
Cindy Sherman fails to cook up much empathy
or involvement with her plodding pace
and drab atmosphere. Dale Winogura
ANASTASIA •••l/Z
Voices of Meg Ryan, John Cusack,
Kelsey Grammer, Christopher Lloyd and
Angela Lansbury. Produced and directed
by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman. Written
by Eric Tuchman and Susan Gauthier &
Bruce Graham. A Fox release. Animated.
Rated G. Running time: 94 min.
This enchanting fairy-tale, the fu^t release
from Fox Animation Studios, is pure family
entertainment. Set in 1916, it tells the possible
story of Princess Anastasia (voiced by
Meg Ryan), heir to the Russian Romanov
dynasty, who, in this telling, survives a curse
cast on her family by the evil sorcerer Rasputin
(voiced by Christopher Lloyd).
Rasputin's sidekick, Bartok, the albino
bat (voiced by Hank Azaria), is endowed
with unwitting comic genius and a great
sense of timing that takes the edge off some
scenes that might be scary to younger viewers.
He also gets lots of laughs from children
and adults alike.
In Anastasia, Fox has found a modemday,
spunky heroine. Precocious as a child,
she grows up to become an independent,
self-confident woman with a quick wit who
delivers some great one-liners. There is also
more chemistry between the two animated
leads—Anastasia and Dimitri (voiced by
John Cusack)—than apparent in many romantic
clinches between actor and actress.
—Lisa Osborne
THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO LITTLE
•••
Starring Bill Murray, Joanne Whalley
and Peter Gallagher. Directed by Jon
Amiel. Written by Robert Farrarand Howard
Franklin. Produced by Arnon
Milchan, Michael Nathanson and Mark
Tarlov. A Warner release. Comedy. Rated
PGfor language, innuendo, comic violence
and sensuality. Running time: 94 min.
Based on the unpublished novel "Watch
That Man" by Robert Farrar, who coadapts,
this Bill Murray comedy is a genial
production that places its bets on the continued
funniness of the same basic joke,
varied over and over. Des Moines videostore
clerk Wallace Ritchie (Murray) goes
to visit James (Peter Gallagher), his brother
who's found riches in London. His arrival
coincides with an important business dinner
James is throwing; to have the bumpkinish
Wallace out of the way for the night, James
gets him in a popular piece of theatre in
which a participant enacts some street skullduggery
with a corps of actors. It's all to
begin at a particular phonebooth, but the
call with instructions that Wallace receives
is, unknown to him, for a real-life hitman.
Soon, all the while thinking the gunfire, car
chases, knockout potions and ticking
bombs are only stageplay, Wallace finds
himself involved with Russian underworlders,
scheming British spymasters
and a gorgeous callgirl ("Trial by Jury's"
Joanne Whalley).
Despite the repetitive nature of its humor,
this cloak-and-dagger farce delivers a modestly
generous number of laughs, in part due
to the goofy charm of Murray in the lead.
Although cast in a generic eyeful role. Kilmer
makes for a pleasurable romantic interest
and plays off Murray's antics to good
effect. Working in amiable mode, Amiel
("Copycat") keeps matters resolutely
light. Kim Williamson
PREVIOUSIY REVIEWED: KCBMBBH/JAHUAHY/FBBBUARY FILMS
The alphabetical list belovt^ notes the issue of BOXOFFICE in v/hich our
review of an upcoming film appeared, gives its star rating, and
provides nevi^ly updated distributor and release date information.
"Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life" -k-k-k 1/2: Strand, Feb. undated; see March 1997.
"The Blackout" 1/2: Trimark, Jan. undated; see July 1997.
"Four Days in September" ifk-k: Miramax, 1/23; see June 1997.
"Hurricane Streets" •••: UA, 119 ltd; see April 1997.
"Ma Vie en Rose" ••••: Sony Classics, 12/25 NY/IA; see Aug. 1997.
"Nit By Mouth" •••: Sony Classics, Feb. undated; see August 1997.
".Still Breathing" -k 1/2: October. 1/23; see Oct. 1997.
"Suicide Kings" -k-kir: Uve, Jan. undated; see Oct. 1997.
"A Summer's Tale" -k-kif: Artificial Eye, Feb. undated; see Aug. 1996.
".Swept From the Sea" •: TriStar, 1/23; see Nov. 1997.
"Underground" •k-k-kirl/2: New Yorker, Dec. undated; see .Sept. 1995.
"The Winter Guest" •••1/2: Fine Line, 12/19 NY/LA/TOR; see Dec. 1997.

—
—
—
REVIEWS
THE JACKAL •
Starring Bruce Willis and Richard Gere.
Directed by Michael Caton-Jones. Written
by Kevin Jarre and Chuck Pfarrer. Produced
by Sean Daniel, James Jacks and
Kevin Jarre. A Universal release. Thriller.
Rated Rfor strong violence and language.
Running time: 122 min.
Fred Zinneman's masterful 1973 adaptation
of Frederick Forsyth' s bestselling novel
"The Day of the Jackal" is unforgivably
mutilated in "The Jackal," an alleged "remake"
that dispenses with such trite irritants
as logic, narrative cohesion, pacing and suspense.
"The Jackal" refashions Forsyth's
original premise as a post-Cold War tale
wherein a Russian mafioso, seeking revenge
for an FBI-led raid that killed his brother,
hires a nameless assassin (Bruce Willis) to
execute the First Lady. FBI Deputy Director
Preston (Sidney Poitier) answers by enlisting
the aid of a convicted IRA terrorist (Richard
Gere), one of only a handful of individuals
who has ever seen the so-called "Jackal."
If only the film were as interesting as the
backstory. For the better part of 90 minutes
"The Jackal" goes literally nowhere, crosscutting
endlessly between Willis and Gere
in various "preparatory" modes, anticipating
their eventual collision with as much tension
as an afternoon nap. ForOinately, WilUs' tireless
parade of silly costumes and fervent
attempts at conveying menace come off as
more camp than cool, making the film at
least unintentionally comic when it might
have been unbearably boring. Wade Major
THE MOUSE ir 1/2
Starring John Savage. Directed and
written by Daniel Adams. Produced by
Hank Blumenthal, Harris Tulchin and
John Savage. A Strand release. Drama.
Unrated. Running time: 98 minutes.
A curious anti-Rocky drama, "The
Mouse" lacks the spontaneity and punch to
bring its intriguing conceit to life. This telling
of the true story of Bruce "Mouse"
Strauss (played much too broadly by John
Savage), the boxer who's made a living out
of being knocked down more than anyone
else, does not have the narrative structure or
character insight to realize the idea that losing
can be another form of winning. The
aimless writing and amateurish directing
by Daniel Adams fail to develop his
protagonist's journey towards maturity
and responsibility, resulting in a sloppy,
tentative biography that should have been
much better. Dale Winogura
MAD CITY
••1/2
Starring Dustin Hoffman and John Travolta.
Directed by Costa-Gavras. Written
by Tom Matthews. Produced by Arnold
Kopelson and Anne Kopelson. A Warner
release. Drama. Rated PG-13for depiction of
a hostage situation, including violence and
brieflanguage. Running time: 110 minutes.
Dustin Hoffman plays a figure familiar
from any recent film that involves the television
media: a limelight-sucking journalist
who exploits the news rather than communicates
it. The resonance that Hoffman
brings from his earlier portrayal of a reporter
who brought down a president ("All the
President's Men") in the quest for the full
story, to that of Max Brackett, a journalist
who brings down a hapless hostage-holder,
Sam Baily (John Travolta), in a quest for a
ratings coup, is "Mad City's" primary contribution
to a subject ripe for puncturing.
Costa-Gavras ("Z," "Missing"), die director
known for sharp-edged political indictments,
would seem the right man for the job. "Mad
City," however, wavers between all-out satire
and more middle-toned drama, each element
undercutting the power of the other. Satire:
The hostage children thrill to being tabloid
TV stars. Drama: Childlike Sam connects
with them by telling stories. Result: No real
tension about the kids' fate.
There are some sharp touches, particularly
the opening sequence in which a news
crew prepares their equipment the way an
assassin prepares his. The movie's main
elements, though, are more C-SPAN than
CNN. Melissa Morrison
STARSHIP TROOPERS •••1/2
Starring Casper Van Dien and Dina
Meyer. Directed by Paul Verhoeven. Written
by Ed Neumeier. Produced by Jon
Davison and Alan Marshall. A TriStar release.
SF/Action. Rated Rfor graphic sci-fi
violence and gore, andfor some language
and nudity. Running time: 128 min.
Finally, a futuristic sci-fi film that doesn't
depict tomorrow's world as a post-apocalyptic
wasteland populated by underground
tribal renegades with painted faces who
must eat rats to survive! In this satiric actioner
(adapted from Robert A. Heinlein's
novel), a group of young and remarkably
attractive school chums (Casper Van Dien,
Dina Meyer and Denise Richards) decide to
do their patriotic duty, join the federal service
and fight a race of giant alien bugs that
are trying to destroy the Earth.
Director Paul Verhoeven' s filmic dalliances
with sex ("Showgirls," "Basic Instinct")
and sardonic sci-fi action ("Total
Recall," "RoboCop") are genres merged
here to entertaining, engaging, exciting results.
"Starship Troopers" wittily conjoins
the adrenaline-pumped Us vs. Them camaraderie
and heroicism of "Independence
Day" with the black humor of "Mars Attacks!"
and the lustful entanglements of
"Melrose Place," with game, energetic, winsome
performances from most all the players,
and effects that live up to the
hype. Christine James
OTHER VOICES, OTHER ROOMS ••
Starring David Speck, Lothaire Bluteau
and Anna Thomson. Directed by David
Rocksavage. Written by Sara Flanigan
and David Rocksavage. Produced by Peter
Wentworth and David Rocksavage. An Artistic
license release. Drama. Unrated.
Running time: 94 min.
In a sadly dull and uninspired filming of
Truman Capote's semi-autobiographical
1948 book, writer/director David Rocksavage
doesn't dramatize the material so much
as pictorialize it.
In 1938, a 13-year-old boy (David Speck)
is sent to visit his bedridden father at a
Spare parts for 35 & 55/70 mm Westar, Century,
Westrex, CInecita, Monee, Cinemex, Simplex,
Brenkert, Motiograph, and many other projectors,
soundheads and sound systems.
Finest quality attractively priced, dealer discounts,
fast service Write for our list. Dealer
inquires invited.
Westar precision machine parts exclusively
distritxited by International Cinema Equipment
Company Inc
I
incernacionai Cinema
eouipmenc company inc
100 N.E. 39th Street, Miami, FL 33137-3632
Ph: (305) 573-7339, Fax: (305) 573-8101
Response No. 15
ONLY $149.95
k n»w concBption in 38 mm spUcan
Out must ba saan to ba baliavad.
• Top quality
• Inexpensive price
• All metal — no plastic
• Wholesale to the public
• Dealer inquiry welcome
EQUIPMENT ETC.
p. O. Box 1194
Snellville, GA 30078
Phone-(770) 979-FILM
Fax-(770) 979-0919
Ans. Mach. 24 Hrs. A Day
Response No. 443
January, 1998 (R-4) 47

48 (R-5) BoxoFFicE
——
—
—
—
—
REVIEWS
rotting Southern mansion. Instead of getting
to know his estranged parent, he develops
a relationship with the plantation's
dotty mistress ("Angela' s" Anna Thomson)
and her effeminate, possibly gay cousin
(Lothaire Bluteau). Except for some bizarre
playacting and philosophical statements,
not much of consequence occurs here.
A distant, even vacant quality to Speck's
portrayal fails to express the character's
growing awareness and perceptions. A similar
flaw infects Bluteau' s one-note performance,
and worst of all, Thomson's shrill,
exaggerated mannerisms turn her role into
a vapid Blanche DuBois caricature.
An artful use of color and composition
aptly captures a faded glamour and moral
decay, but Rocksavage's pretentious direction
mutes the lyrical ache and existential
fear within. Not even the use of a Capotelike
narrator (a good impression by Ben
Kingdom) lends the film much poetic wonder
or sensibility. The story's central concept,
that of a young man confronting a
mirror image of what he would become, has
simply not been achieved. Dale Winogura
SWITCHBACK • 1/2
Starring Dennis Quaid, Danny Glover
and Jared Leto. Directed and written by
Jeb Stuart. Produced by Gale Anne Hurd.
A Paramount release. Thriller. Rated R.
Running Time 119 min.
Originally written when Jeb Stuart, the
high-profile writer of such action hits as
"Die Hard" and "The Fugitive," was a student
in the early '80s, "Switchback" is purportedly
near and dear to his heart, although
one would never know it from the resulting
film. An illogical, confusing, and contrived
serial killer tale, "Switchback" splices
genres and juggles its cardboard characters
with uncanny ineptitude.
"Switchback" follows a loose cannon
FBI agent named Frank LaCrosse (Dennis
Quaid) as he trails the serial killer responsible
for kidnapping his son. Tracking the
man's bloody trail from Texas into the
Rockies, LaCrosse finds a friend in rural
sheriff Buck Olmstead (R. Lee Ermey), an
old-style Western lawman whose preference
for principle over politics risks losing
him a forthcoming election to his pearltoothed
rival (William Fichtner).
Intercut with all of this is a mini-road
picture starring Danny Glover as an ex-rail
worker and Jared Leto as the hitchhiking
ex-physician he picks up and befriends.
Eventually, it becomes clear that either
Glover or Leto is the killer and that some
kind of trap is being laid for Quaid, although
the precise details of this plot are never
really clear. So tedious and lacking in suspense
is the intercutting of these two threads
that most audiences will tune out well before
the film limps to its climactic set piece.
Stuart tries hard to keep things interesting,
lacing his cliches with unusual twists
and turns. But without the motivations and
characterization to drive them, the twists
become little more than mechanical contrivances
that underscore an otherwise thoroughly
uninspired concept. Wade Major
RED CORNER •V^
Starring Richard Gere and Bai Ling.
Directed by Jon Avnet. Written by Robert
King. Produced by Wolfgang Petersen and
Gail Katz. An MGM release. Thriller.
Rated Rfor some violence and a scene of
sexuality. Running time: 118 min.
Richard Gere is the name-brand star of
"Red Comer," but co-star Bai Ling has the
best part. Her character, a Chinese lawyer
who defends Gere's American lawyer
against charges of rape and murder in the
People's Republic, gets to transform, unlike
Gere's. She starts out a moralizing
apparatchik and becomes a seeker of truth.
She also gets to be a counterpart to Gere,
not an appendage. Gere's Jack Moore, on
the other hand, is ever stalwart as the American
whose business negotiations to sell
"Baywatch"-type satellite TV programs to
the Chinese go sour when he's found with
a murdered woman in his hotel room.
With the exception of Bai's strong role,
"Red Corner" is a standard Asian-set
thriller. There's the inevitable Confuciuslike
quote that starts and ends the movie.
There's the expected naked, beautiful and,
ultimately, dead woman (Jessey Meng).
There's the depiction of a uniformly evil
foreign system. Not that the American government
comes off looking much better,
letting Jack languish in prison so pending
trade deals aren't endangered. The lone
man vs. the world idea is stretched to the
point of ridiculousness in an extended scene
m which Jack—handcuffed and bleeding
from a bullet wound—outruns the entire
Beijing police department across the city's
rooftops. And all this so the Chinese can see
"Baywatch." Melissa Morrison
NUEBA YOL 3: ABAJO LA NUEVA
LEY •**
Starring Luisito Marti and Raul Carbonell.
Directed, written and produced by
Angel Muniz. A New Latin release. Comedy.
Unrated. Spanish language; English
subtitles. Running time: 102 min.
For fans of 1
996' s surprise hit "Nueba Yol"
(which grossed $1.4 million domestically
playing in hmited markets), don't be alarmed
thinking you missed part two. Contemptful of
sequels, director Angel Muniz has opted to
title the second installment of his story about
a Dominican immigrant as Part Three.
Once again Luisito Marti is playing
Balbuena, a warm, honest hard-worker
looking for a better life. Picking up where
the first film left off, Balbuena has recovered
from a gunshot wound and is struggling
to support himself. An added obstacle
this time is a new government immigration
law that will cut off social security and
Medicare to thousand of immigrants. (The
film's subtitle translates to "Under the New
Law," and "Nueba Yol" is a slang term for
New York.) Although very funny, the film
does suffer from some heavy-handed observations
about immigration. But Marti's
Balbuena offers a genuine likability which
wins him a rooting interest in all the mis-
Jose Martinez
haps he gets into.
THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS • 1/2
Starring Terry Jones, Eric Idle and
Nicol Williamson. Directed and written by
Terry Jones. Produced by John Goldstone
and Jake Eberts. A Columbia release.
Comedy. Rated PG. Running time: 86 min.
A cute idea is decimated by a mishandled
combination of lowbrow farce and sophisticated
humor in a strained, leaden lump of
tasteless whimsy. The promising notion of
turning Kenneth Grahame's classic 1908
children's fable into a Monty Pythonesque
comedy collapses due to the cutesy tone and
labored development of Terry Jones'
screenplay. The slight but endearing tale of
the irrepressible Mr. Toad's (played by
Jones at his obnoxious worst) dangerous
love of fast cars and his relationship with
the other local animals has been inflated
with statements on greedy capitalism that
the script's flimsy structure can't support.
The actors miss the simple wonder and
beauty of Grahame's creations. Only Nicol
Williamson's Badger comes close to
achieving the essential delicacy and warmth
of his character. Dale Winogura
GRIZZLY MOUNTAIN •
Starring Dan Haggerty and Martin
Kove. Directed by Jeremy Haft. Written by
Jeremy Haft and Peter White. Produced by
Anthony Dalesandro and Peter White. A
Legacy release. Adventure. Rated G. Running
time: 96 min.
When a couple of kids enter an old Oregon
cave, they're suddenly transported
back to 1870 where they meet a kind old
mountain man (Dan Haggerty in a tired
reprise of his "Grizzly Adams" TV role)
who takes them under his wing. Together,
they try to stop a con man and his cronies
from taking over a small growing town.
Complete with self-righteous preachments
on ecology and Native American
land rights, plus clumsy "Home Alone"-
type gags for good measure, there are no
redeeming values here outside of cardboard
moralistic ones. Even the outdoor photography
feels static, without any style or atmosphere.
This pitiful parade of soggy
cliches, slapdash moviemaking and atrocious
acting is strictly for the undiscriminating.
Dale Winogura
MY AMERICA (...OR HONK IF
YOU LOVE BUDDHA) •••
Featuring Victor Wong. Narrated, directed
and written by Renee Tajima-Pena.
Produced by Renee Tajima-Pena and
Quynh Thai. An SAI release. Documentary.
Unrated. Running time: 87 min.
A road movie memoir, this documentary
on being Asian in America is an interesting
conglomeration of found and fool's gold.
Bom in an America that when she was little
allowed her family to "drive for days" without
seeing another Asian face, narrator/filmmaker
Renee Tajima-Pena (PBS'
"Who Killed Vincent Chin?") concentrates
on finding her people's place, and through
that her own place, in the multicultural
melting pot of the USA of the '90s. Aside

—
REVIEWS
from targeting for an interview the actor
Victor Wong, who she mistaicenly beheves
played the lead in "'Chan Is Missing,"
Tajima-Pena takes an apparently rambling
route through the States, hitting San Francisco,
New York's Chinatown, New Orleans,
Duluth, Seattle and Los Angeles in
cinematic succession.
Tajima-Penas seem blessed by serendipity,
as virtually each new location provides
her with a chance interviewee with a unique
story to tell. Their tales, however, hint at a
depth of theme—life itself—that cuts far
deeper than do the concerns of "My America..."
itself, making the film seem comparatively
insubstantial. Fortunately, Tajima-
Pena' s always sunny telling makes reparation.
Kim Williamson
STACCATO PURR OF THE
EXHAUST •••
—
Starring Ron Garcia, Michelle Beauchamp,
Dennis Brooks and Kristina
Haddad. Directed, written andproduced by
L.M. Meza. A Skunkboy Ink release.
Drama. Unrated. Running time: 92 min.
Screened at the Newport Beach fest.
Despite the high-RPM title, "Staccato
Purr of the Exhaust" is an effectively lowthrottle
tale about Leonard, a live-at-home
young East L.A. man whose parents give
him encouragement by selling his bed. His
girlfriend ("you sit here like a slug and try to
touch me") is fond of beating him up; and,
after showing creative flair at the photography
joint at which he works, he's demoted
to janitor. Yet nothing causes Leonard to rev
his engine until his dad decides to sell
Leonard's prized possession: his beige 1972
Chevelle hardtop. Resolving to find his
dreams in Texas, he tells off everyone in his
life: all ties cut. he's striding toward his car
when it motors off, stolen in front of him.
Taking to life on the streets (and his parents'
front porch), aimlessness returns, punctuated
only by his efforts to resolve his personal
conflicts, identify the thief and find his
beloved auto.
Although purposelessness in a lead always
plays long onscreen, the film's 92-
minute running time bears only a few
stretches in need of petrol. A subplot involving
a Guardian Angel-like group called the
City Protectors, led by a civic guru of unexplained
mystical powers, provides diversion
but doesn't really hit on all cylinders. Kim
Williamson
THE LAY OF THE LAND ^1/2
Starring Sally Kellerman andEd Begley Jr.
Directed by Larry Arrick. Written by Mel
Shapiro. Produced by Jonathan D. Krane
and Sally Kellerman. A Northern Arts release.
Comedy/drama. Rated R for language
and nudity. Running time: 92 min.
In a word, lousy, this supposed comedy
brings nothing new to its tired midlife-crisis
plot, except for some histrionics from Sally
Kellerman as spumed wife MJ and Ed
Begley Jr. as her husband Harvey. Beguiled
by a bimboesque student (Sancira Taylor),
Harvey endangers his marriage and his career
to frolic between the sheets. The resulting
distress leads MJ to the couch of a
complete line of . . .
Concession, Snack Bar and Janitorial Supplies
plus Projection and theatre equipment also parts
For The Best In Service. . .Give Us a Call
CIXKMA SUPPLY COMPANY.
P.O. BOX 148, MILLERSBURG, PA. 17061
TELEPHONE: (717) 692-4744 1-800-437-5505
Response No. 96
INC.
^^^!SSSSS5SSSSSSMS!SS^SMSSSSM^S!SM3MSd!S!^S!^S!S!SMSM^!5!SS5S^^SMSM^SS!SS!SSiL
SUPERGLO
A durable pearlescent,
smooth surface offers
maximum reflectivity 6f
light distribution.
HURLEY SCREEN
SILVERGLO
A smooth, aluminized surface
offering the highest
reflectivity for special applications
such as 3D.
NW-16
A heavy guage matte
white surface offering
excellent light distribution,
image clarity, and
color rendition.
Screen Framing • All Types Available
FAX # (410) 838-8079
AUTOMATED HIGH SPEED U/L APPROVED TICKETING EQUIPMENT
Factory Service, the only authorized manufacturer and repair center.
AUTOMATICKET
A Division of Cemcorp
1 10 Industry Lane - P.O. Box 296
Forest Hill, MD 21060
HURLEY SCREEN CORP.
A Subsidiary of Cemcorp
410-838-0036 • 410-879-3022 • 410-879-6757 • 410-836-9333
Response No. 57
zQm^3TV'i"rt"m
c

Review Digest

—
1 January, 1998 51
NATIONAL
NEWS
DTS RAISES $MILLIONS
Digital Theater Systems (DTS) has closed a
private equity placement totaling $1 2 million
and obtained a $7.5 million senior credit
facility.
The placement—which was oversubscribed
from an initial goal of $10 million
was managed by Hambrecht & Quist and
funded by new investors Eos Partners, Weston
Presidio Capital, Scripps Ventures and Phoenix
Partners. Hambrecht & Quist also participated
as an investor.
The creditfacility is through Imperial Entertainment
Group, a division of Imperial Bank
in Beverly Hills, Calif. In addition tocorporate
lending, the Croup is a big financier of independent
films, helping to fund more than 40
films in production with budgets ranging from
$3 million to $30 million. It financed about
75 films in 1997.
DTS will use the new funding for R&D,
infrastructure improvements and expansion
of its marketing presence in the multi-channel
music, home theatre and consumer electronics
markets.
MGM TAKING STOCK OPTIONS
MGM has begun trading its shares on the
New York Stock Exchange under the trading
symbol "MGM." The company offered nine
million shares of its common stock at $20 per
share. MGM now has about 65.7 million
shares outstanding. In addition, the company
is selling 3,978,780 shares directly to Kirk
Kerkorian's company, Tracinda Corp., for $75
million. Most of the proceeds from this sale
and the stock offering will be used to reduce
company debt.
SIGN COMPANIES SIGN DEAL
Super Vision International, Inc., an Orlando,
Fla. -based manufacturer of fiber-optic
sign and lighting systems, has inked an exclusive
five-year agreement with The Jim Pattison
Sign Group, Western Region. This deal gives
The )im Pattison Sign Group sole rights to
market and sell Super Vision products to the
sign industry in the western Canadian provinces.
The Group has agreed to minimum
purchases of $6.25 million during the fiveyear
term.
ENLIGHTENED ALLIANCE
Tivoli Industries, Inc., Santa Ana, Calif.,
and Targetti Sankey SpA of Florence, Italy,
have created a new U.S. I ighting fixtures company,
called Targetti USA LLC.
Headquartered in Santa Ana, the jointly
owned company will manufacture, market
and distribute original-design lighting solutions
nationwide. Terrence C. Walsh, chairman
and CEO of Tivoli Industries, holds the
same titles at Targetti USA.
CHARITIES JOIN FORCES
Charities in the distribution and exhibition
community have banded together to form the
Council of Charities. Their first collaborative
effort is a national calendar of events, listing
sponsorship costs, available from the Will
Rogers Memorial Fund, (888) 994-FUND.
DUO LIGHT UP U.S. MARKET
Osram Sylvania Products, Inc., and Osram
Gmbh of Munich, Germany have formed a
new business unit to handle sales, marketing,
R&D and manufacturing of Osram Photo Optics
products in the U.S. The Osram Photo
HOLLYWOOD UPDATES
Like modern-day Three Musketeers,
David Aukin, Colin Leventhal and Trea
Moving are a force to be reckoned with.
With financial backing from Miramax
Films, they have formed a new British film
company that will develop, produce, coproduce,
finance and acquire movies. Although
seed money comes from the
U.S.—$3 million for development costs,
plus $50 million in revolving funds to cover
production—the U.K. company will manage
its own finances. In fact, it will run all
Miramax's U.K. businesses, except its sales
arm, Miramax International. Aukin was
head of film at Channel 4, while Leventhal
was managing director of Channel Four
International and chairman of Film Four
Distributors. Hoving served as executive
vice president of acquisitions for Miramax.
They will be joint chief executives and
equity partners in the new company and
will have profit participation. Aukin will
handle production and development,
Leventhal will manage business, operational
and financial matters, while Hoving
will focus on acquisitions. Leventhal will
also work with Bob Weinstein, co-chairman
of Miramax Films, to develop new
businesses in the U.K.
James Bond is a man of action, in this
case, legal action. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Inc. and Danjaq, LLC have filed a lawsuit
in U.S. District Court against Sony Corp.,
Sony Pictures EntertainmentCo., Columbia
Pictures Industries Inc., John Calley and
Kevin McClory "to protect their rights and
joint copyright ownership in the James
Bond film character and the underlying
literary work authored by Ian Fleming."
As stated by MGM, "The suit charges
copyright infringement, trademark dilution,
inducing breach of contract, aiding and
abetting breach of fiduciary duty, unfair
competition, and misappropriation of trade
secrets." The company seeks declaratory
relief and damages.
Co-founded by Cubby Broccoli, Danjaq
has produced 1 8 James Bond movies since
1962, including the latest release, "Tomorrow
Never Dies."
"Bean," the visual comedy starring
Rowan Atkinson and directed by Mel Smith
("The Tall Guy"), is silently smashing records
worldwide. It is the first movie to earn
more than $ 1 00 million at the international
Optic Business Unit, located in Danver,
Mass., is headed by vice president and general
manager Paul Caramagna.
DIRECTOR JOINS FINANCE GROUP
Lewis P. Horwitz has joined the board of
directors of Imperial Financial Group, Inc., a
subsidiary of Imperial Bancorp. Horwitz is
the founder, president and CEO of The Lewis
Horwitz Organization (LHO), an entertainment
lending firm since 1 980.
Acquired by Imperial Bank in 1989, LHO
was spun off in February, 1997, and is now
an asset of the Imperial Finance Group.
boxoffice before opening in the U.S. In the
U.K., it registered the biggest opening ever
for a British film and has grossed $26.2
million. It was the biggest opener of the year
in Norway, Denmark and Finland and is the
highest-grossing film ever in Serbia. "Bean"
had the sixth-largest opening ever in Germany—
1.1 million admissions in its first
three days—behind "Independence Day,"
"Jurassic Park," "The Lost World," "Men In
Black" and "GoldenEye." The German
boxoffice stands at $32.6 million, with 4.2
million admissions. The movie's world premiere
in Australia produced the country's
seventh-biggest opening weekend and netted
35 percent of the top 10 films' business.
ON THE MOVE: Ricardo Mestres has
entered an exclusive three-year production
deal with The Walt Disney Studios. Mestres
will produce films for Walt Disney, Touchstone
and Hollywood Pictures. His company,
Ricardo Mestres Productions, will be
based at the Disney lot in Burbank, where
he will be joined by production executives
Andrew Dunn and Daniel Davids. Mestres,
formerly president of Holl>'wood Pictures,
was most recently a partner in Great Oaks
Entertainment. His producing credits include
"Jack," "101 Dalmatians" and "Flubber."
He is also executive producer of
"Home .Alone 3. "...Holly Jenlcinson is the
new director of development for Universal
Pictures. She will be responsible for acquiring
and developing movies. Current projects
include "Microserfs", the film
adaptation of Douglas Copeland's book
about a group of programmers at Microsoft,
the action/comedy "Confucius Brown" and
a thriller called "Suspect Zero. "...John
Ferraro has been promoted from vice president,
acquisitions to senior vice president,
worldwide acquisitions and co-productions,
for Paramount Pictures' Motion PictureCroup.
His recent acquisitions include
"Breakdown," "Kiss Me, Guido" and "The
Education of Little Tree. "...Paramount
Pictures' Motion Picture Croup has also
named Jeffrey Freedman director of business
affairs. He will negotiate with producers,
directors, writers and actors working on
Paramount movies and will play a part in
rights acquisitions. ..Veronica S. Davis has
left Disney Online to become director of
production for web developer Media Revolution,
a company whose clients include
DreamWorks SKG, Disney, Fox, Sony and
Paramount. Launched in 1 996, Media Revolution
is part of Media Ventures Entertainment
Group.

52 BoxomcE
— 1
1 1 Kartoz ia n sa id that ShowTi mes wi 1
EXHIBITION
BRIEFINGS
SHOW TIMES MOVE ONLINE
ShowTimes, latest fruit of the NATO and
Hollywood Online Internet alliance, made its
debut at the launch of "Starship Troopers." This
new online service enables
moviegoers to find
films at local venues by
typing their zip code or
community on the Hollywood
Online home
page (www.hollywood.
com). They can search
by movie, theatre or|
town. A map provides
directions to the theatre.
TROUPERS: NATO's Bill Kjrtu^ian (third from left) with
Hollywood Online's Michael Rollens, Lyndon Colin and
Stuart Halperin, plus a "Starship" partier; (above) Kartozian
with star Casper Van Dien. (Photos: Katbryn Indiek)
In a conversation with BOXOFFICE, NATO
Pres ident B i
help to swell the moviegoing population. He
credits "the phenomenal growth of the Internet"
and its "disproportionate use by younger people
who are avid nnoviegoers."
In addition to a movie's show times, Hollywood
Online offers information about its stars,
a synopsisand reviews. Trailers, video clips and
audio interviews are included.
RESERVED SEATING:
PILOT PROGRAM TAKES FLIGHT
MovieFone, Inc. and Cineplex Odeon have
put the finishing touches to a pilot program
offering moviegoers in Manhattan reserved
seating at two of the chain's local theatres
Chelsea West and the Ziegfeld. Prospective
moviegoers can reserve their seats via
MovieFone (777-FILM) or at the boxoffice.
There is no charge for the service. MovieFone
callers can choose the front, middle or rear of
the theatre; the right, left or center section;
and either an aisle or row seat. Because time
is shorter at the boxoffice, ticketbuyers there
can choose only from the front, middle or
back of the theatre. All reservations Include
an exact seat assignment. Seats that are ordered
together are group>ed together.
"Every single seat is available to everyone,
whether you call in advance or go to the
boxoffice. It's all on a first-come, first-served
basis," says MovieFone CEO Andrew R.
larecki. The move could allay consumer fears
that reserved seating would create a first- and
second-class moviegoing experience.
Hicks,
UATCSOLD TO NEW YORK INVESTOR
Muse, Tate & Furst, Inc. is buying
United Artists Theatre Circuit,
Inc. (UATC), the third-largest theatre
circuit in North America, for $850 million.
"That assumes about $300 million for the
common equity and refinancing of about
$550 million of debt," says Kurt Hall, UATC's
chief operating and financial officer.
He confirmed that a "definitive agreement"
had been signed and added, "There are certain
closing conditions that we believe will be met
sometime either [in late 1 997] or in January.
"This acquisition is going to provide an
awful lot of financial flexibility for us," Hall
told BOXOFFICE. "It's going to provide us the
opportunity to spend a lot more money renovating
and expanding existing key locations
and building new theatres."
When asked if the acquisition had influenced
the company's sale of its international
"The second circuit that will be doing reserved
seating, after Cineplex Odeon, will be
United Artists, and they are going to start in
the Second Avenue on 64th
Manhattan at
Street Iformerly called The Gemini]," Jarecki
adds. After Manhattan, MovieFone will probably
take the program to Los Angeles. The
company intends to introduce reserved seating
to all its 30 markets in order of size while
continually testing consumer reaction and revising
the concept so that it's appropriate for
consumers in each market, Jarecki says.
MovieFone also will take seat reservations
via its online service, MovieLink {www.
movielink.com). Visitors will view the theatre
seating plan and click on their preference.
JACKAL SENDS INVITES BY E-MAIL
Seventy-five thousand moviegoers received
a personal invitation to see "The
Jackal" courtesy of MovieFone's new e-mail
service MovieMail. More than 1 00,000 moviegoers
subscribed to MovieMail in its first
month, according to MovieLink general manager
Matthew Blumberg. Subscribers sign up
for MovieMail on MovieLink, MovieFone's
online service, giving e-mail address, favorite
types of movie and zip code. They receive
targeted e-mail about movies in their genres.
MovieMail subscribers received two e-
mails about "The Jackal." The first was sent at
the start of the launch week, saying "The
Jackaj" was coming that weekend to theatres
near them and providing a movie synopsis
and poster plus the ability to click and link to
"The Jackal's" website. The second e-mail
said "The Jackal" was opening "today" and
listed the three nearest theatres and showtimes.
Clicking on a time connected the subscriber
live to MovieLink to purchase a ticket.
Will MovieMail bury subscribers under e-
mail? Replies Blumberg, "Most people identify
themselves as liking two genres or 2.5
genres of movies. We run MovieMail campaigns
for specific movies, so it's unlikely that
we will be running, say, six campaigns for six
different action movies at the same time."
CLEARVIEW AHEAD
Clearview Cinema Group, Inc. has bought
the Roslyn Trio theatre in Roslyn, N.Y. The
company says it will upgrade the projection
and sound system equipment immediately. It
theatres (see Pacific Overtures, page 55), Hall
said, "No, not at all. In fact, most of our
international operations had already been
sold. Our decision was based on refocusing
our efforts in the United States and so it was
really a reallocation of both management
time and capital away from international and
back into the United States." The company
plans to remain focused on the U.S.
During 1997, UATC sold or closed 33
theatres (116 screens) that were considered
underperformers or non-strategic. This generated
$1 7 million. At the same time, it opened
1 new theatres (1 02 screens) and had three
more (30 screens) due for completion by the
end of 1997, In addition, UATC sold its theatre
investments in Hong Kong, Mexico and
Argentina for $42.5 million and agreed to sell
a portion of its investments in Singapore and
Thailand for $8.1 million.
also plans to enhance the theatre's exterior,
lobby facilities and auditorium seating.
The company has signed a letter of intent to
acquire two other theatres operated by Southland
Theaters of Hempstead, N.Y. They are the
Squire Theatre, a seven-plex in Great Neck,
N.Y., and the Franklin Square Theatre, a sixplex
in the town of Franklin Square.
Clearview has also agreed in principle to
buy the Parsippany 12 and Succassunna 10
in Morris County, N.J. Both complexes are
operated by Nelson Ferman Theaters, Inc.
Via a separate transaction, the company
intends to assume a lease calling for development
of a 12-screen theatre in Mansfield
Township, Warren County. When completed
in spring 1 998, it will be the county's largest.
IMAX SIGNS GIANT SCREEN PACT
Imax Corp. will provide Cinemark USA with
12 IMAX 3-D theatres—three each in 1998
and 1 999 and six in 2000—for multiplexes in
the U.S., Mexico and South America. Cinemark
will lease at least eight systems; up to
four in North America could be joint ventures.
U.S. locations include Dallas, Tex.; Tulsa,
Okla.; and Rochester, N.Y. International sites
could include Buenos Aires, Argentina; Sao
Paulo, Brazil; and Mexico City, Mexico.
MORE JEWELS FOR CROWN
Crown Theatres is enlarging its kingdom,
opening the six-screen Crown Royale in its
hometown of Norwalk, Conn. Niceties include
THX-certified auditoriums with sixtrack
digital and high-backed rocker seating.
The company is also adding six screens to
its Crown Marquis 10 in Trumbull, Conn.
Construction of the 1 4-screen Crown Grand
in Brooklyn, N.Y. and Crown's Miami Lakes
1 8-plex in Florida begins in March.
MUVICO'S DREAM THEATRE
Dean Morrissey's story, "Ship of Dreams,"
provided inspiration for Muvico's new Pointe
21 Theatres in Orlando, Fla. Images from the
book, such as the ship that sails through the
little boy's dreams, appear in the theatre, in
this case suspended from the auditorium ceiling.
The clouds, star and moon signature plus
3-D rooftops are all present. Pointe 21 will
contain 20 auditoriums plus a 550-seat IMAX

—
—
think
3D theatre. When it opens at the end of
January, the complex will accommodate
3,500 moviegoers.
BEEKMAN THEATRE REOPENS
Past and present co-mingle at the newly
refurbished Beekman Theatre in New York
Cineplex Odeon has restored some of the
original theatre fixtures which date back to
1952, such as the balcony's wood paneling
and the stainless steel door in the foyer. The
theatre also has new high-back seats, cupholders,
carpeting and digital sound. A terrazzo
mosaic has been inlaid in the lobby floor. The
550-seat auditorium is wheelchair accessible
and has listening devices for
the hearing impaired.
GCC SET TO EXPAND
General Cinema Theatres
(GCC) has opened a 6- 1
plex at The Calleria at South
Bay in Redondo Beach,
Calif. Spanning 68,000
square feet, the theatre
holds 3,100 moviegoers,
two-thirds in stadium-style
seats and the rest in rockingchair
seats. All 1 6 auditoriums can play DTS-,
SDDS- and Dolby SRD-formatted films; the
two largest theatres are THX-certified. All
screens are wall to wall.
GCC has four more theaters slated to open
in the next few months. Locations include
Essex Green, N.J.; Franklin Mills, Pa.; Dutch
Square, S.C; and Yorktown, III.
ON THE MOVE
Matthew Brandt and Thomas Brandt
have been elected senior vice presidents of
Trans-Lux Corp. They were formerly senior
vice presidents of Trans-Lux's Theatre Division.
..Gary Wagner has been appointed
managing director and Brandon Malo has
been named general manager of Muvico
Pointe 21 Theaters... Raytheon Electronics
has named Mary Jo Kuehne director of international
sales for its cinema division.
..Patrick Artiaga has left Lucasfilm to
become director of distributor relations at
Dolby Laboratories. ..Clearview Cinema
Group, Inc. has appointed Herbert L.
"Larry" Klein to the newly created position of
general counsel. ..Proctor Companies has
added four members to its staff
Mark
Hanne, concession sales director; Bryan Gilbert,
customer service sales; and Duane
Cisneros and Wendy Mesaros, designers.
SHOWMINDER CALENDAR
Remember to save the following dates:
ShoWest, March 9-12, Bally's, Las Vegas,
Nev. Call 31 0-657-7724. ..ShowCanada, May
10-14, Empress Hotel, Victoria, B.C. Call
41 6-969-7057. ..Cinema Expo, June 15-19,
1998, Amsterdam. Call 212-246-6460...
Australian Movie Convention, Aug. 18-22,
Gold Coast. Call 011-617-33-56-5671...
NAC Expo, Aug. 25-28, Radisson Twin, Orlando,
Fla. Call 312-236-3858...ShowEast, Oct
1 9-22, Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City. Call 21 2-
246-6460.. .CineAsia, Dec. 8-10, Intl. Conference
Center, Hong Kong. Call 212-246-6460.
Q&A:
DOMED TO
SUCCEED
Hollywood's famous Cinerama Dome is getting a new lease on life as the
anchor for Pacific Theatres' planned 5.75-acre, tri-level retail/entertainment
center. Designed by Censler Architects, the Cinerama Dome Entertainment
Center will contain 15 new auditoriums in addition to its curvaceous
centerpiece, and will accommodate 5,400 moviegoers. Nestled between Sunset
Boulevard, Vine Street, and Ivar and DeLongpre Avenues, the center will offer not
only 100,000 square feet of movie theatre space but also 63,000 square feet of
retail/restaurant sitage, a 55,000-square-foot health club, 26,500 square feet of
office space, and parking for 2,000 vehicles.
Building will begin in spring
1998 with ribbon cutting anticipated
late in 1999. Neil Haltrecht, vice president
of Pacific Realty Corp. (a division
of Pacific Theatres), shares his Hollywood
vision with Boxoffice.
BoxOFFiCEiWhat will this project do
for Hollywood?
HALTRECHT: It will help to bring back
a lot of people who live within five miles
of Hollywood and tfie area who really
have few options right now—people from Hollywood, the Hollywood Hills,
Feliz, Silverlake, Hancock Park. All these people have nowhere to go tor an entertainment
evening, so they go up to City Walk or they go to Burbank. This center will
give them an option that is in their community, closer to home. They will be able to
get over there in five or 10 minutes and see movies at an exciting theatre in an
exciting venue. People would like to go to Hollywood but there are not a lot of reasons
to go right now. This will give them a reason to go back.
BoxoFFiCE: Will the Cinerama Dome become your flagship theatre?
HALTRECHT: Yes, I historically it has been but, unfortunately, the singlescreen
theatres are just closing. It's not economically viable to run a single-screen
theatre anymore. Rather than closing it up, we think that it's a great moviegoing
location. And by expanding it we can save it, and build it to be our flagship for the
next 30 years.
BoxoFFiCE: Have you decided what equipment you will use?
HALTRECHT: In the Dome, we are exploring a variety of things right now and we
have not finalized any decisions. As for the rest of the complex, it will be all stadium
seating with digital sound and armrests that raise up. We are going to have some
small auditoriums, but we a re a I so going to have several large ones; we'll have a lot
of 300-seaters and |a few] 500-seaters.
BOXOFFICE: Has this project been in the works for long?
HALTRECHT: It has been in plans for more than a year now. We just want to take
our time and think it through properly and identify the right design for it.
BOXOFFICE: How will this move help booking practices for the Dome?
HALTRECHT: We will have more auditoriums and we'll be able to take more product
and hopefully open some big pictures in the Cinerama Dome. Then, we will move the
picture over when a new big picture comes. But, even if a picture is not premiering, we
like to open the "Lost Worlds" and the great pictures at a huge auditorium like that. It
really differentiates us from the other theatres. It's a unique asset.
BOXOFFICE: Are you concerned about competition from Mann's Chinese Theatre,
which will have 14 new screens opening in a similar timeframe?
HALTRECHT: Not at all, primarily because of the demographics in the area. If we
were out in a suburban area with 50,000 to 1 00,000 people, I'd be very concerned, but
within five miles there are a million people. If you look at most other 1 5- or 20-plexes
within five miles, generally they have 250,000 or maybe 350,000 people, and we've
got triple that. So we feel very comfortable that there is plenty of business to go around
and that both projects will anchor different parts of Hollywood.
BOXOFFICE: Can you describe the plans to project images onto the Dome?
HALTRECHT: The idea is to project entertaining images, things that are fun, on the
Dome. There are different technologies that are available to do that and we will have
to explore them and see what works well. One thing looks good on a computer but
[might not] when you go out there at night and actually project. We will have to see
what works well. Lisa Osborne
Los
WM
January, 1998
S3

s
INTERNATIONAL NEWS BRIEFS
NORTHERN EXPOSURE
Canadian News Notes by Shiomo Schwartzberg
LEAD STORY:
ALLIANCE NET INCOME UP 400 PERCENT
Alliance Communications Corp. has announced a 400 percent boost in
its net income for its first quarter, earning C$4.8 million (US$3.2 million)
on revenues of C$66.6 million (US$44 million). That is up considerably
from last year's numbers for the same period of C$955,000 (US$639,000)
on revenues of $63.5 million (US$42 million).
Part of the gain came from Alliance's sale of its shares in the Vancouver
animation house Mainframe Entertainment Inc. Films such as "The Sweet
Hereafter" and "In the Company of Men" helped film revenues jump 27.8
percent. Video sales also increased, to C$41.8 million (US$28 million),
mainly on the basis of such hits as "Scream," "Emma" and "Secrets &
Lies," which Alliance also distributed theatrically.
EGOYAN IS ISSUED HIS ORDRES
In addition to receiving the honor of having his film, "The Sweet
Hereafter," open the Toronto International Film Festival, and following
his win of three awards at Cannes, Toronto filmmaker Atom
Egoyan has also been awarded the prestigious French Ordre Des
Arts et Lettres. Egoyan was presented the award by the French
ambassador to Canada during a ceremony preceding the Gala
showing of the French film "Artemisia" at the festival.
PARAGON RECEIVES $45M LINE OF CREDIT
Paragon Entertainment Corp. has announced that it has received
a combined C$45 million (US$30 million) line of credit from the
Banque Nationale du Paris to produce feature films. Twenty million
(C$13.4 million) will be released first with another $25 million
(US$16.8 million) to flow "if parameters [of the deal] are met," says
Richard Borchiver, CEO of the company. That will mean Paragon's
putting together projects that are "the kinds of deals they want."
'Twenty million is solid," Borchiver adds. "It really means that
we're taking a business that started last year, with market success,
and creating a pool of credit [that will] expand exponentially, which
is what we're going to do."
Toronto-based Paragon recently acquired England's Handmade
Films library, including such acclaimed films as "Mona Lisa" and
"A Private Function," and its film "Intimate Relations" moved
stateside this fall.
CROTTY HEADS CINEPLEX'S INTERNATIONAL DIVISION
Cincplex Odeon Corporation has hired Joseph R. Croliy as senior
vice president, international, for the company. Crotty, formerly
executive vice president, international development for United
Artists Theatre Circuit, will lead Cineplex's planning and international
expansion. "Joe Crotty brings a wealth of international
expertise to Cineplex Odeon and he will play an integral role in
establishing our solid presence in the global arena," said Allen
Karp, Cineplex's president and CEO, in a prepared statement.
MALOFILM PRESIDENT RESIGNS
Yves Dion has Icll his post as president of Montreal-based
Malofilm Distribution. The company has seen several key executives
leave, including founder Rene Malo and senior vice president
and chief financial officer Stephen Taka.sesy, since the company
was purchased by Discreet Logic head Richard Szalwinski. Two
new Malofilm members, Toronto VP and managing director Andy
Myers and senior VP of marketing, acquisitions and distribution
Pierre Brousseau, will split Dion's duties.
54 BOXOFFICE
REID NAMED CHAIR OF POLYGRAM
John Reid was named chair of Polygram Group
Canada Inc. as the company moves into film distnbution
in Canada. Government regulations mean
Polygram can only distribute films it actually
makes in Canada. The company has agreed to
invest $20 million (US$ 1 3.4 million) of its revenues,
over five years, in indigenous film production.
FAMOUS BREAKS GROUND ON PLEXES
Famous Players Inc. has broken ground on its
theatre in the one million-square-foot, C$200 million
(US$134 million) Empress Walk entertainment
complex currently in development. Along
with Famous' multiplex, the North York complex
will also house condominiums, a supermarket and
stores. Famous Players also broke ground on the
C$72 million (US$48 million) downtown Festival Hall entertainment
complex, which will contain 13 screens and the city's first
3-D IMAX cinema. Resident concerns have pushed the opening of
Festival Hall back to May 1999.
NEW ALLIANCES IN DISTRIBUTION
Alliance has released a few films, most notably "Denise Calls Up,"
directly in the U.S. And now the company, through Alliance Independent
Films, is planning to do the same worldwide with four proposed
Canadian features. The forthcoming films—^Jererny Podeswa's 'The
Five Senses," John L'Ecuyer's "The Ultimate Good Luck," Jack
Blum's "Babyface" and John Kalangis's "Jack & Jill"—will all be
shopped to international distributors. The plan should generate a
higher profile for Alliance Independent Films, which has just
appointed Ted East as vice president of production and acquisitions
forCanadian films. He joins senior vicepresident Charlotte Mickie.
Alliance has produced numerous Canadian films but usually
with better-known filmmakers, such as Atom Egoyan and Patricia
Rozema ("When Night is Falling"). Only L'Ecuyer ("Curtis'
Charm") and Podeswa ("Eclipse") are at all known in Canada. Said
Mickie about the four-picture plan, "We really want to develop
relationships with filmmakers the way we did with Atom and
Patricia Rozema."
TORONTO'S LAST DRIVE-INS CLOSE
Labor Day marked the closing of the last
two drive-ins in the
Toronto area. Famous Players' 400 Drive-In and 7 & 27 Drive-In
both closed after their last shows on Sept. 1 as a result of the decline
of this once popular entertainment in Canada's largest urban market.
In what could be viewed as a symbohc reflection of the trend
in exhibition, the 400 drive-in will be replaced by a I6-screen,
4,800-seat multiplex.
Torontonians still wanting to experience the drive-in phenomenon
will have to travel to other parts of Ontario, like Hamilton or
Oakville, to do so. Famous, which also closed the Brittania, a
drive-in in Canada's capital city of Ottawa, now only has one
drive-in left—Ottawa's Airport Drive-In.
DO YOU HAVE AN EXHIBITION-RELATED NEWS
ITEM ABOUT THE CANADIAN MARKET?
CONTACT SHLOMO SCHWARTZBERG IN CARE OF
OUR CANADIAN NEWS BUREAU AT: 416-638-6402,
OR FAX: 416-324-8668

I
i
{ our
laniini-i' 1 0OS ^S
INTERNATIONAL NEWS BRIEFS
Q&A.
PACIFIC OVERTURES
NOTES FROM THE PACIFIC RIM by Lisa Osborne
AMC BUILDS JAPAN'S
LARGESTMULTIPLEX
AMC's international arm has signed an advance lease agreement
with Daiei Leasing Company to build a 16-screen theatre to
anchor the existing Daiei-Nakama shopping center in the
Nakama suburb of Fukuoka Prefecture in Japan. Daiei Leasing
Company is a subsidiary ofThe Daiei, Inc., the shopping center's
developer. When it opens in fall 1998, The AMC Nakama 16 will
be the largest theatre in Japan. It will have 2,600 stadium-style
love seats and cover about 57,000 squarefeet. All the auditoriums
willbe SDDS equipped and have wall-to-wall curved screens. The
AMC Nakama 16 will be AMC's second theatre in Japan; the
circuit's Canal City 13 opened in Fukuoka in April, 1996. Mark
McDonald, AMC's senior vice president for Asia, discusses the
Japanese market with BOXOFFICE.
Boxoffice: Why are you targeting the Japanese market?
opportunity in
MARK Mcdonald": AMC believes there is
Japan for several reasons, [including] the low ratio of screens to
population and the high educational level of the Japanese public.
In Japan there is almost 100 percent literacy. From an assessment
of the demographic profile of the consumers, we think it's a
wonderful market on that account also.
Boxoffice: How did you choose Nakama City as the location
for your 16-screen theatre?
McDONALD: We had been introduced to that location a couple
of years ago. After the success of Canal City, the shopping center
owner and operator decided that the theatre made a lot of sense at
Nakama.
Boxoffice: Why does the area merit Japan's largest theatre?
McDONALD: It's Japan's largest theatre until we build our next
theatre. It's just another evolutionary step in what we hope is the
market development over time. AMC would love to begin to build
20- to 30-screen theatres in Japan. [AMC generally has] 20-screen
theatres in the suburban markets and 30-screen theatres in the center
city. We would have liked to have buiU a slightly larger theatre but
that wasn't possible; there were space restrictions. You are going
to see a progression where each successive store has the potential
to be larger than the previous store.
Boxoffice: How would you describe the success of your
Canal City 13 theatre?
McDONALD: The theatre has done well. In Fukuoka, based on
review of the attendance statistics, moviegoing and the market
have increased substantially and our theatre has been received very
well by the public.
Boxoffice: What are the primary differences between an
AMC theatre in Japan and the U.S.?
McDONALD: The differences are all minor. You would recognize
that it was an AMC theatre whether you walked into it in Japan
or the U.S. In Japan, it's a three-level theatre, and in the U.S. it
typically would be a one-level theatre. Although Canal City is three
levels, Nakama will be one level. The concession stand has different
items. Actually, there is probably one other difference in Japan: The
ticket prices are substantially higher. In Fukuoka. our top ticket
price is 1 ,800 yen. At today's 1 25 yen to a dollar, that makes it $14
to $15. There are substantially fewer theatres in Japan and I think
over time, as more capacity is built up, ticket prices will find a new
level, a level that will support a larger consumer base and generate
higher revenues for the total industry.
UATC'S INTEREST IN ASIA DECREASES
United Artists Theatre Circuit, Inc. (UATC) has agreed to sell to
Pacific Media Pic (PM) a majority of their joint exhibition assets
in Southeast Asia. The deal could bring UATC $8.1 million.
As a result of these transactions, PM will acquire a 90 percent
interest in the jointly owned Singapore Corporation and a 29
percent interest in the Thailand Corporation. UATC will retain a
10 percent interest in each territory.
PM will assume management responsibihties for both countries and
will retain the UATC Asian management team. The companies will
continue to operate under the Unital Artists name for up to 20 years.
PM is looking to develop multi-screen theatres in other parts of
Southeast Asia, China and India. If suitable opportunities arise, the
new businesses will be run by jointly owned companies under the
United Artists name.
AUSSIE BUYS AMERICAN
Val Morgan Cinema Advertising, the Australian-based screen
advertising contractor, has increased its shareholding in U.S. screen
contractor Screen Seen, Inc. of Rochester, N.Y. to 75 percent and
has renamed it Val Morgan Cinema Advertising, America. No
name change is planned for the onscreen entertainment program,
"Screen Seen at the Movies."
Cheryl Magiros, Val Morgan's former Australian national operations
manager, is now president of Val Morgan America. Adam
Barone and John Schroth are vice presidents.
MEGAMOVES DOWN UNDER: GU, FOX
Although there was a one-month delay in its opening, reset for
November 13, a 30-plex on the outskirts of Adelaide, South
Australia's capital, has made Greater Union the parent of the
Australasia region's largest movie theatre. The megaplex, which
seats 5,676, is part of the joint venture that joins Greater Union with
Warner Bros, and Village Roadshow.
Meanwhile, Fox Studios Australia announced that an AUS $150
million (US $105 million) 16-plex would open later in 1998,
according to chief executive Kim Williams. The multiplex at the
studio site in Sydney, which would be the city's largest, will play
mainstream films on 12 of its screens (to be run by the Hoyts chain)
and devote the remainder (managed by Nova Cinemas) to specialized
fare. Adjacent retail and restaurant development is expected
to help make the theatre a destination site.
TOO-WILD POSTING IN TOKYO
The East Japan Railway Co. refused to
allow 2,500 posters
advertising the Shochiku release "Fruit in a Bad Mood"
("Fukigenna Kajitsu") to be placed on a heavily traveled Tokyo
route it operates because the poster included an objectionable
tagline: "Why is it so much fun to have sex with men other than my
husband?" The poster's copy was penned by Mariko Hayashi, the
female writer of the book from which the film is adapted. About
3,700 posters were displayed in subways and rail lines not operated
by East Japan Railway.
DO YOU HAVE AN EXHIBITION-RELATED NEWS
ITEM ABOUT THE ASIA-PACIFIC MARKET?
E-MAIL LISA OSBORNE AT
boxoffice@earthlink.net

56 Boxoffice
INTERNATIONAL NEWS BRIEFS
EUROVIEWS
European News Notes by Melissa Morrison
LEAD STORY: OUT OF AFRICA
LONDON—Another of the world's major exhibitors has announced a foray into the
room-to-grow European market. South Africa's Ster-Kinekor, which dominates threequarters
of its country's cinema operation scene, will branch onto another continent
with plans for 30 European multiplexes over three years. The $1 50 million investment
involves both the developing Eastern Europe as well as the near-to-saturation British
Isles. It begins with Greece, where the company has begun building a 10-screen
cinema in Athens and an eight-screen theatre in Thessaloniki, both scheduled for
completion in October 1998. So are a 13-screener and an eight-screener in Poland,
with 10 other possible sites in the country being considered. Next door in the Czech
Republic, a 1 2-screen cinema in the city of Brno is scheduled to be finished in 1 999, and
four other sites in the country are being eyed. The company is also working on a 1 3-screen
showplace in Budapest, Hungary. In Western Europe, Ster-Kinekor has confirmed 16-
screen theatres in both London and Dublin, which should be finished in July 1 999. There
are plans for four other British sites.
Meanwhile, a pair of established exhibition giants continue to develop apace.
Warner Bros. International and Village Roadshow International are building five
multiplexes in Italy in conjunction with the Italian company Focus. The first were to have
opened in October in Vicenza and Verona, with another to debut in Bari by year's end.
In addition to these, a 21 -screen megaplex is slated for Cinecitta studio in Rome and
an 1 1-screener for Milan. Most of the theatres are planned for suburban shopping
malls. Italy traditionally has a sparse number of multiplexes, the result of a tangle of
laws governing new construction, but the government has worked to simplify them
in recent years, making the country more amenable to developers.
WAR AND PEACE
SARAJEVO—Bosnia's first postwar film debuted in Europe to
positive reviews and a sense that visual art can help heal viewers
as well as disturb them. "Perfect Circle" tells the story of a poet
surviving in Sarajevo, the site of some of the Balkan conflict' s worst
shelling, and elicited both tears and laughter from a hometown
audience during its autumn premiere. "I'd like to think the film can
serve as a kind of catharsis," director Ademir Kenovic told a
reporter. The movie joins a growing Balkan war oeuvre, which
includes Michael Winterbottom's recent "Welcome to Sarajevo,"
Spain's "Comanche Territory," Macedonia-set "Before the Rain"
and Emir Kusturica's Cannes-winning "Underground." Kenovic
wrote the screenplay during the war, which tentatively ended two
years ago with the Dayton Peace Accords. A French production
company provided the film's $3 million budget. "Perfect Circle"
opened the third annual Sarajevo Film Festival, whil:h ran in early
September, and thereafter opened in France to generally good
reviews. The festival was also notable for some economic rebuilding
in Bosnia's war-shredded economy: Attendee Buena Vista
International announced it was looking for a local partner to
re-establish distribution within the country. It is hoped that Buena
Vista's move will pave the way for the return of major distributors
such as Warner Bros, and United International Pictures.
NO-LITA
ROME—Adrian Lyne's remake of "Lolita," shunned so far in
the United States, was finally unveiled in Europe, premierin^ at the
San Sebastian Film Festival in late September and then receiving a
theatrical release in Rome a few days later. The $62 million film,
based on Vladimir Nabokov's controversial masterpiece about
erudite pedophile Humbert Humbert and starring Jeremy Irons, had
not received an American theatrical relea.se at the time of its
European debut—not the usual order of business for films made by
big-budgel Holly w(X)d directors. Whetherbecauseof its touchy (so
to speak) subject matter, as Lyne and Irons claim, or the questionable
quality of the film, as some film executives claim, "Lolita" has
not been greeted enthusiastically by the
Western market, even though Lyne's
boxoffice record ("Fatal Attraction," "Indecent
Proposal") is strong. The movie
was paid for by France's Pathe, but even
Pathe's distributor arm, AMLF, has said
it was delaying its French release till
January. In Britain, a press campaign decrying
the film has put its release there in
jeopardy. The critics at San Sebastian,
where it was screened out of competition,
weren't thrilled. Lyne, however, has
been widely quoted as blaming
America's "moralistic atmosphere" for
the movie's failure to pick up a distributor
in the United States.
OPPOSITES ATTRACT
MADRID—The trend in Spain seems
to be one of companies from opposite
ends of the film industry spectrum hooking
up. Art-house distributor Wanda
Films now has access to 130 screens
thanks to its deal with Yelmo Films, one
of Spain's biggest cinema chains. The
two cornpanies have formed Wanda Distribucion, which will allow
Wanda Films to distribute a dozen films annually, up from 10. Also,
Telefonica, the Spanish phone company, has made deals with
private production companies, resulting, for example, in plans for
Spain's most expensive movie ever: Andres Vicente Gomez's "The
Trap of Fu Manchu," budgeted at $15 million. And, last but not
least, Spain has signed a co-production treaty with Germany,
promising future collaborations between sun-soaked Iberian auteurs
and Middle Europe's more wintry geniuses.
WB TO USE DOLBY FOR ALL INTERNATIONAL RELEASES
LONDON—Warner Bros, will be utilizing Dolby Digital for all
its international film releases, according to Tim Partriage, Dolby
Laboratories' director of film distribution. "Warner Bros, has always
been a valued customer and a strong supporter of our film
formats, and we are looking forward to working with them on many
future titles," Partridge says. Comments Steve Southgate, vice
president of European technical operations for Wamer Bros., "The
audiences now demand digital sound all the time, and therefore we
are delivering prints with digital sound to as many cinemas as
possible. We have been very nappy with the support from Dolby
and with the sound quality of their digital system, and we intend to
continue to use Dolby Digital on all future original and dubbed
versions of Wamer Bros, frlms."
PEIXOTO NAMED PRESIDENT OF UCI
LOS ANGELES—United Cinemas International, the joint venture
between Paramount Pictures and Universal Studios, has appointed
Joseph Peixoto as president and chief executive officer of
Its international exhibition operations. Peixoto leaves his position
president of Famous Players (a wholly owned subsidiary of
as
Paramount) to take this post. He is now based in UCI's offices in
Los Angeles, from where he will oversee UCI's expanded international
development program. UCI now operates 421 screens in 10
countries worldwide, including the U.K., Ireland, Germany. Austria,
Spain and Japan, and has recently targeted Poland and Brazil.

January, 1998 57
SCREEN NEWS
LONDON—Recently rebom
ABC Cinemas has sold off
nine of its cinemas, throwing
its expansion plans into question,
while Virgin Cinemas has
announced major refurbishment
and expansion plans. In
1996, Barry Jenkins, ABC's
managing director, revived the
circuit, which had been defunct
for more than a decade, by orchestrating
the purchase of 90
cinemas from the Virgin chain.
The reconstituted ABC then
announced that it
would add extra
screens and make
other renovations to
the sites, as well as
commit approximately
$105 million
to construct a minimum
of 17 multiplexes.
The nine
theatres now sold off
have a minimum
number of screens,
but Jenkins did not
comment on
why
ABC decided to unload
them. Some of
the properties sold
will be converted into wine
bars, while a few will retain
their cinematic use and be run
by independent operators.
Jenkins spent $109 million to
buy the theatres comprising the
ABC chain from Virgin, which
itself acquired the cinemas,
part of the MGM/Odeon circuit,
in 1995.
Virgin, meanwhile, has announced
a move into other European
countries and Japan,
and its plans for 20 new multiplexes
over the next three years
in Britain are on course. The
Virgin conglomerate, which
includes an airline, a music
label and the Virgin Megastore
retail franchise, in 1997 almost
tripled its investment in theatres
to $57.8 million, compared
to $19.6 million in 1996. The
decision to speed up investment
was initiated by the
company's unexpectedly
strong performance in 1996,
when Virgin recorded a profit
of $21.5 million, up 90 percent
over 1
995 ' s $ 11 . 1 million. It is
scouting for sites abroad and
recently acquired 25 f)ercent of
the Film Consortium.
And Australia's Hoyts Cinema
will build its first European
theatre, a 12-screener in
Britain, the first of several
planned cinemas throughout
the Continent. They include
more in the U.K. as well as sites
in Belgium and France in partnership
with Belgium's
Bert/Kinepolis group. The
flagship British cinema is
scheduled to open March 1999.
Q. n
Cine-UK,
A
•
STEPHEN WIENER:
AN AMERICAN IN
C^-i^^ • EUROPE 'S CINE-UK
the London-based circuit that took up the rear in BOXOFFICE's list of the
Top 20 Giants of European Exhibition (July 1997 issue), is leapfrogging its way up
the list in Europe's most competitive market. The company opened its first 12-plex
in July 1996 and one year later was operating 36 screens. By year-end 1998, Cine-UK
expects to have at least 10 cinemas with a total of 1 16 screens and possibly more. That's
vying for moviegoers with such levia-
not bad for a company that is
thans as Warner Bros. International TheatresA^illage Roadshow,
United Cinemas International and National Amusements' Showcase.
CEO Stephen M. Wiener is an American who brings his years of
experience with Plitt Theatres, Cineplex Odeon and Warner Bros.
Theatres (UK) to his overseas venture. He talks here about how
Cine-UK became a David among Coliaths.
BOXOFFICE: How would you outline Cine-UK's strategy?
STEPHEN M. WIENER: When Cine-UK was formed, the premise behind
the company was the fact that all multiplex cinema operators in the
country were focusing their expansion ert'orts on the major catchment
areas. This made sense because the more people in an area, the higher
the potential return. In order to try to avoid competition, we selected
markets that had previously been neglected but potentially would still
offer us a good return on our investments. In order to maximize our
returns, we decided that our faci I ities wou Id never be standalone because,
in our opinion, the more facilities at a location, the greater the traffic flow
and therefore the greater the potential revenue from the cinema. Our sites, which usually
include restaurants and possibly bowling alleys, bingo hails, health clubs or family entertainment
centers, offer a full range of entertainment.
BOXOFFICE: You have an ambitious expansion plan: to reach 116 screens in 10 theatres
In 1998. Why?
WIENER: When we formed the company, we knew it was critical tor us to achieve a certam
size as quickly as possible. In order to run a cinema circuit, there is a minimum level of
corporate overhead^ and we therefore need X number of cinemas to support the overhead. It
was also quite obvious at the time that the U.K. market was rapidly approaching maturity and
we needed to move quickly in order to ensure we obtained
our share of the remaining good locations.
BOXOFFICE: As an American in Europe, what can American
exhibitors learn from European ones?
WIENER: The most important thing for Americans in
Europe to remember is to listen. Americans have a tendency
to come to Europe and to say, "This is how we do it
and therefore this is the right way." I have found in my six
years living and working in Europe that many American
The most
important thing
for Americans
in Europe to
remember is
concepts can be and have been improved upon by simply
listening to new ideas. One example is the "Pick 'n' Mix'
shop. Ten years ago in the U.S., I was approached with this
idea and immediately said it could never work. It was the
European cinemas that proved it could work, and today to listen.
"Pick 'n' Mix" shops are in cinemas around the world.
Stadium seating is another example of how European cinema
operators nave taken presentation and comfort to a new level.
BOXOFFICE: What are the biggest issues facing exhibitors in Britain right now?
WIENER: The megaplex, market saturation, potential government interference, rising film
rental, rising construction costs, potential minimum-wage legislation, higher taxes, inflation,
and the list goes on.
BOXOFFICE: How is the British exhibition scene different from the American one? From
that of Continental Europe?
WIENER: The British market is much more mature than Continental Europe, and it is harder
to find locations without competition. One main difference between British and American
exhibition is cost. The level of investment in British cinemas is greater than in America because
things cost more in Britain. In the past, this was offset by what we termed pocket monopolies.
When you built in an area, you were relatively assured there would be no competition. This
has now changed, and therefore the level of risk is increasing rapidly.
BOXOFFICE: The U.K. may be the first European country to reach screen saturation. How
is Cine-UK prepared to meet that?
WIENER: Once the U.K. reaches screen saturation, there will always be room for a tew new
multiplexes each year. The first multiplex in the U.K. opened 12 years ago, and by the time
we reach saturation it will be between 1 5 and 1 7 years old. This puts the early multiplexes in
the category of either renovate or be replaced.
^B

BOXOFFICE
October November December
JANUARY
(Current)
Buena Vista
(818)567-5000
(212)593-8900

STUDIO FEATURE CHART — JANUARY 1 998
February March Forthcoming

60 BOXOFFICE
2
3
3
BOXOFFICE Independent Feature Chart JANUARY 1998
DECEMBER
Artificial Eye
212-255-1922
The Mother and the
Whore
(France, 1973), Dra, 215 min.
Jean-Pierre Leaud, Bernadette
Lafont, Francoise Le Brun. Dir:
Jean Eustache. 1 2/1
Dreamworks SKG
818-733-7000
Amistad (formerly Mutiny), Dra.
Matthew McConaughey, Anthony
Hopkins, Morgan Freeman,
Stellan Skarsgard. Dir: Steven
Spielberg. 12/1 OLA, 12/12 NY
Mousehunt, Com, PC. Nathan
Lane, Lee Evans. Dir: Gore Verbinski.
12/19
Fine Line
212-649-4800
Deconstructing Harry, Com, R,
93 min. Woody Allen, Kirstie Alley,
Judy Davis, Richard Benjamin, Billy
Crystal, Robin Williams. Dir:
Woody Alien. 12/12 NY/LAA^or,
12/25 exp, 1/2 350 ains
The Winter Guest, Dra, R, 90
min. Emma Thompson, Phyllida
Law. Dir: Alan Rickman. 12/25
NY/LA/Tor, 1/1 6 key cities
First Run
212-243-0600
O Amor Natural, Doc, 76 min.
Dir: Heddy Honigmann. 12/31
ltd
Zeitgeist
212-274-1989
Will It Snow for Christmas?.
Dominique Raymond, Daniel
Duval. Dir: Sandrine Veysset.
1 2/1 7 NY
JANUARY
Avalanche
212-265-9119
Killing Time. Craig Fairbrass,
Kendra Torgan, Peter Harding,
Neil Armstrong, Ian McLaughlin.
Dir:BharatNalluri. 1/14
Capitol
301-564-9700
Autumn Sun (Argentina), Rom/
Dra, 103 min. Norma Aleandro,
Federico Luppi. Dir: Eduardo
Mignogna.
Castle Hill
212-888-0080
A Further Gesture, Dra, 96 min.
Stephen Rea. 1/30 ltd
Frozen (China), Dra, 90 min. Dir:
Wu Ming.
Kino
212-629-6880
Fallen Angels, Thr, R, 96 min.
Leon Lai, Karen Mong, Michele
Reis. Dir: Wong Kar-Wai.
Live
818-778-3174
The Real, Dra, R. LL Cool j. Snoop
Doggy Dog, Bokeem Woodbine.
Dir: Darin Scott. 1/3
October
212-539-4000
Still Breathing, Rom, PG-13, 109
min. Brendan Fraser, Joanna
Going. Dir: James F. Robinson.
1/23 NY/LA, wide in mid-Feb.
The Apostle, Dra. Robert Duvall,
Miranda Richardson, Farrah
Fawcett, Billy Bob Thornton. Dir:
Robert Duvall. 1/30
Phaedra
310-478-3308
Gonin (Japan), Act, 104 min.
Takeshi Kitano. Dir:Takashi Ishii.
FEBRUARY
CFP
212-995-9662
Love and Death on Long Island,
Dra. John Hurt, Jason Priestley.
Dir: Richard Kwietniowski. 2/27
First Look
310-855-1199
Mrs. Dalloway, Dra, PC-1 3, 97
min. Vanessa Redgrave, Rupert
Craves, Michael Kitchen. Dir:
Marleen Gorris. 2/20
First Run
Paul Monette: The Brink of
Summer's End, Doc, 90 min. Dir:
Monte Bramer. 2/6 ltd
Fox Searchlight
Polish Wedding, Dra, PG-13.
Claire Danes, Gabriel Byrne,
LenaOlin. Dir: Theresa Connelly.
2/20
International Film Circuit
Mother and Son tCermany/Russia),
Dra, 73 min. Dir: Alexander
Sokurov. 2/4
Island Digital Media
312-751-0020
General Chaos: Uncensored Animation,
Ani, 90 min. Various dirs.
Tokyo Fist, SF/Hor, 87 min.
Shinya Tsukamoto, Kahori Fujii,
Kohji Tsukamoto. Dir: Shinya
Tsukamoto.
Fox Searchlight
310-369-4402
Oscar and Lucinda, Dra, R, 131
min. Ralph Fiennes, Cate
Blanchett. Dir:Gillian Armstrong.
12/31 NYAA
Leisure Time
212-267-4501
Twisted, Dra, 100 min. William
Hickey. Dir: Seth Michael
Donsky. 1 2/5 NY, 1 2/1 2 LA
New Yorker
212-247-6110
128 min.
Undereround, Dra, R,
Miki Manojiovic, Lazar Ristouski.
Dir: Emir Kusturica.
Seventh Art
213-845-1455
Things I Never Told You, Dra, 95
min. Andrew McCarthy, Lili Taylor.
Dir: Isabel Coixet.
Sony Classics
212-833-8851
Ma Vie en Rose, Com, R, 89 min.
MIchele Laroque, jean-Philippe
Ecoffey. Dir;Alain Berliner. 12/25
NY/LA
Strand
310-395-5002
Office Killer, Hor. Carol Kane,
Molly Ringwald. Dir: Cindy Sherman.
1 2/3 NY, 1 2/5 LA, 1 2/1 2 SF
WOOLF WOMAN: Vanessa Redgrave in
Cinema Village
212-431-5119
Cartoon Noir, Ani, 85 min. 1/30
First Run
Arguing the World, Doc, 107
min. Dir: Joseph Dorman. 1/7 ltd
Fox Searchlight
Hard Men (U.K.), Dra. Vincent
Regan, Ross Boatman, Lee Ross.
Dir: J.K. Amalou.
Two Girls and a Guy, Com, NC-
17. Robert Downey jr., Natasha
Wagner, Heather Graham. Dir:
James Toback. 1/30
International Film Circuit
212-691-0770
Every Little Thing (France), Doc,
105 min. Dir: Nicolas Philibert.
1/3
"Virginia Woolfs Mrs. Dalloway.
Sony Classics
Afterglow, Rom/Dra, R. Nick
Nolte, Julie Christie, Lara Flynn
Boyle. Dir: Alan Rudolph.
Strand
La Sentinelle (France), Thr, 144
min. Emmanuel Salinger. Dir:
Arnaud Desplechin.
Toute Vitesse (aka Full Speed).
Elodie Bouchez.
Trlmark
310-314-3040
Star Kid (formerly The \Narrior of
Wa\/erly Street), SF, PG, 101 min.
Joseph Mazzello. Dir: Manny
Goto. 1/16
The Blackout, Dra. Matthew
Modine, Dennis Hopper, Claudia
Schlffer, Beatrice Dalle. Dir: Abel
Ferrara.
Live
Suicide Kings (formerly Boys
Night Out), Dra/Thr, R, 107 min.
Christopher Walken, Henry
Thomas. Dir: Peter O'Fallow. 2/27
Tarzan & Jane, Rom/Adv. Casper
Van Dien. Dir: Carl Schenkel.
2/27 tent.
Polygram
310-385-4000
The Borrowers, Com, PG, 87
min. John Goodman. Dir: Peter
Hewitt. 2/1
The Gingerbread Man, Thr, R,
120 min. Kenneth Branagh, EmbethDavidtz.
Dir: Robert Altman.
Seventh Art
The Long Way Home, Doc, 1 20
min. Dir: Mark Jonathan Harris.
2/1 3 exp Miami/SF, reopen LA
Sony Classics
Nil by Mouth, Dra, R. Kathy
Burke. Dir: Gary Oldman.
Strand
Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life, Doc.
Dir: Michael Paxton.
Nights of Cabiria r/fa/y, 1957 reissue),
Dra. Dir: Federico Fellini.
Trlmark
The Mummy. Alison Elliot. Dir:
Michael Almereyda. 2/1
Blood Oranges. Charles Dance,
Sheryl Lee. Dir: Philip Haas. 2/27

January, 1998 61
BOXOFFICE Independent Feature Chart JANUARY 1998
MARCH
CFP
Junk Mail, Com. Robert Skjaerstad.
Dir: Pal Sletaune.
Dreamworks SKG
Paulie: A Parrot's Tale. Tony
Shalhoub, Cena Rowlands. Dir:
John Roberts. 3/20
First Run
Mendel! (Norway), Dra, 98 min.
Dir: Alexander Rosier. 3/20 ltd
Fox Searchlight
Cousin Bette, Dra, R. Jessica
Lange, Elisabeth Shue, Bob Hoskins.
Dir: Des McAnuff. 3/20
Slums of Beverly Hills. Alan Arkin,
Marisa Tomei. Dir: Tamara Jenkins.
Gramercy
310-385-4400
The Big Lebowski, Dra/Com. Jeff
Bridges, John Goodman, Steve
Buscemi. Dir: Joel Coen. 3/6
Long Time, Nothing New,
Dra/Rom. Lauren Holly, BIythe
Danner, Jon Bon Jovi, Edward
Burns. Dir: Edward Burns. 3/23
Sony Classics
A Friend of the Deceased
(Ukraine), Dra/Thr, R. Alexandre
Laza. Dir: Vyacheslav Krishtofovich.
Men With Guns, Dra, R. Federico
Luppi. Dir: John Sayles.
Zeitgeist
The Taste of Cherry (Iran). Dir:
Abbas Kiarostami. 3/20
APRIL
CFP
Gadjo Dilo, 97 min. Remain
Duris, Rona Hartner, Isidor
Sherban. Dir: Tony Gatlif. 4/3
First Run
Insomnia (Norway), Thr, 97 min.
Stellan Skarsgard. Dir: Erik
Skjoldbjaerg.
Fox Searchlight
shooting Fish. Dan Futterman,
Stuart Townsend, Kate Beckinsale.
Dir: Stefan Schwartz. Mid-Apr
Live
The Substitute 2, R. Treat Williams,
B.D. Wong. Dir: Steven
Pearl. 4/3
Polygram
Barney's Great Adventures, Fam.
Trevor Morgan, Diana Rice, Kyle
Pratt, George Hearn, Shirley
Douglas. Dir: Steve Gomer. 4/3
Strand
Lawn Dogs, Dra. Sam Rockwell,
Kathleen Quinlan, Christopher
McDonald, Bruce Gill, Eric
Mabius. Dir: John Duigan.
Trimarl(
Heaven's Burning. Russel
Crowe, Youki Kudoh. 4/3
MAY
Fine Line
Passion in the Desert (aka Simoom),
Dra. Ben Daniels, Michel
Piccoli. Dir: Lavinia Currier.
Gramercy
What Rats Won't Do (U.K.),
Rom/Com. Natascha McElhone,
James Frain. Dir: Alaistair Reid.
Dove
310-786-1600
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy,
Com/SF. Douglas Adams.
Dreamworl(s SKG
Untitled Neil Jordan Project (formerly
Bue Vision, In Dreams),
Dra/Thr. Annette Bening, Robert
Downey Jr., Aidan Quinn,
Stephen Rea. Dir: Neil Jordan.
Fall 1998
The Prince of Egypt, Ani. Voices:
Val Kilmer, Steve Martin, Ralph
Fiennes, Martin Short, Sandra
Bullock. Dirs: Brenda Chapman,
Steve Hickner, Simon Wells. Nov
SAYLES WOMAN: Tama Cruz in John Sayles' "Men With Guns."
Live
The Second Arrival, SF. Patrick
Muldoon, Jane Sibbett. Dir: Kevin
Tenny. 5/8
JUNE
Dreamworks SKG
Saving Private Ryan, Dra. Tom
Hanks, Ed Burns, Tom Sizemore,
Matt Damon. Dir: Steven
Spielberg. 6/10
JULY
Dreamworks SKG
Small Soldiers. Dir: Joe Dante.
Mid-July
Gramercy
clay Pigeons. Janeane Garofalo,
Vince Vaughn. Dir: David Dobkin.
FORTHCOMING
Artistic License
212-265-9119
Color of a Brisk and Leaping Day,
Dra. Dir: Christopher Munch.
Antz, Ani. Voices: Woody Allen,
Danny Glover, Sylvester Stallone.
Dirs: Eric Darnell, Larry Guterman,
Tim Johnson. 1999
Shrek, Ani. Voices: Chris Farley,
Janeane Garofalo, Eddie Murphy.
Dirs: Kelly Asbury, Andrew Adamson.
1999
Keeper.
Neanderthal.
Fine Line
Wild Man Blues. Dir: Barbara
Kopple. Spring
Theory of Flight. Kenneth
Branagn, Helena Bonham Carter.
Early summer
Pecker. Edward Furlong. Dir:
John Waters. Aug
Esmeralda Comes by Night (Mexico),
Com. Maria Rojo. Dir: Jamie
Humberto Hermosillo.
Girl Talk, Dra/Com, R. Troy
Beyer, Randi Ingerman, Page
Brewster. Dir: Troy Beyer.
The Legend of the Pianist on the
Ocean, Dra. Tim Roth, Dir: Giuseppe
Tornatore.
Red Violin. Samuel L. Jackson.
Dir; Francois Girard.
When I Close My Eyes (japan)
(formerly Love Letter, Letters of
Love), Rom/Com, PG, 1 1 6 min.
Miho Nakayama, Etsushi
Toyokawa. Dir: Shunji Iwai.
First Look
The Other Side of Sunday (Norway),
Dra, 104 min. Bjorn Sundquist.
Dir: Berit Nesheim.
This Is the Sea, Dra. Richard Harris,
Gabriel Byrne, John Lynch.
First Run
Didn't Do It for Love, Doc, 80
min. Dir: Monika Treut. Spring
Fox Searchlight
Ship of Fools, Dra/Com. Tony
Shalhoub, Stanley Tucci, Isabella
Rossellini. Dir: Stanley Tucci.
Gramercy
Body Count, Act, R. Ving Rhames,
Forest Whitaker, David Caruso.
Dir: Robert Patton Spruill.
Elizabeth I, Dra. Geoffrey Rush,
Cate Blanchett. Dir: Shekhar Kapur.
The Hi-Lo Country. Woody
Harrelson. Dir: Stephen Frears.
I Want You, Rom/Dra. Rachel
Weisz, Alessandro Nivola. Dir:
Michael Winterbottom.
Land Girls, Dra. Gwyneth Paltrow,
Rachel Weisz. Dir: David Leiand.
Photographing Fairies.
Plunkett and Macleane, Act/Adv.
Robert Carlyle, Liv Tyler, Jonny
Lee Miller. Dir: Jake Scott.
Greycat
702-737-0670
A Gun for Jennifer, Thr.
Gurney
212-838-2929
Follow the Bitch, Com, R.
Legacy
213-467-3700
The Leading Man, Dra. Jon Bon
Jovi, Lambert Wilson, Thandie
Newton. Dir: John Duigan.
Live
Joyride, R. Benecia Del Toro.
The Breakup. Bridget Fonda.
October
Orgazmo, Com, 95 min. Star/Dir:
Trey Parker. Summer
Condo Painting, Doc. George
Conde, William S. Burroughs,
Allen Ginsberg. Dir: John Mc-
Naughton. Fall
The Naked Man, Com. Michael
Rapaport. Dir: J. Todd Anderson.
Three Seasons, Dra. Harvey Keitel.
Dir: Tony Bui.
24/7, Dra, 96 min. Bob Hoskins.
Dir: Shane Meadows.
Untitled Todd Solondz, Dra. Ben
Gazzara. Dir: Todd Solondz.
Polygram
what Dreams May Come. Robin
Williams, Annabella Sciorra,
CubaGoodingJr. Dir: Vincent Ward.
Shooting Gallery
212-243-3042
illtown, Dra, R. Michael Rapaport,
Lili Taylor.
Trimark
Bombshell. Henry Thomas, Frank
Whaley. Dir: Paul Wayne.

Boxoffice Magazine
presents
NovieFbne's Noviegoer Activity Report
For the Monlh of October 1997
MovieFone" (777-FILM^) and its sister service, MovieLink® Online, are now the single largest source ofmovie showtime information in the country,
providing information to over 12 million moviegoers each month. Thefollowing information representi the most requested theatres and exhibitors on MovieFone.
Top 10 Exhibitors & Theatres
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Most Requested Exhibitors
Exhibttor
United Artists
Sony
Cineplex Odeon
AMC
General Cinemas
Century
Cinemark
Mann
National Amusements
Regal
Total Requests
690,535
596,248
593,107
569,162
302,364
209,750
162,339
129,378
126,615
121.427
Last Month's
Rank
1
3
4
2
5
7
6
8
9
10
Most Requested Theatres
, . „ _^,
Last Month's
Rank Market Theatre Total Requests Rank
'l NY Sony Lincoln Square 67,684 1
2 LA AMC Century 14 38,815 2
3 BO SonyCtieri 35,160 4
4 NY SonyOrptieum 32,361 5
5 PH UA Cheltentiam 31,572 9
6 NY CO Chelsea Cinemas 30.983 16
7 PH UA Riverview Plaza 30,809 8
8 NY Sony Village 7 30,234 13
9 NY City Cin Cinema 1 ,2,3 28.769 194
10 PH UASameric 28,284 35
TMal
Requests
TNew York
1,135,685
Los Angeles
618,732
roallas
485,507
San Francisco
336,518
Philadelphia
300,063
Miami
278,676
Boston
224,006
Phoenix
204,871
199,195
Toronto
156,789
lotnBir
140,319
Seattle
118,968
Rank
Theatre (^ screens)
Host Requested Theatres Per Screen
Total
Requests
1 City Cin Cinema 1.2,3(3) 28,769
2 Sony Astor Plaza (1) 8,779
3 Sony 34th St. Showplace (3) 1 5,960
1 Mann Vill., Bruin & Rgt. (3) 16,456
2 CO Century Plaza (4) 17,729
3 Pacific Crest (1) 4,132
1 UA South (8) 13,949
2 AMC Highland Pk.(4) 6,651
3 AMC Forum (6) .,,«.^,^v 9.456
1 Century Cinema 21 (1) 5,611
2 UA Galaxy (4) 18,339
3 UA Metro (1) 3.791
1 UA Sameric (4) 28,284
2 UA Cheltenham (8) 31 ,572
timp
Cinemagic(3) 10,448
1 Regal California Club (6) 9,742
2 Cobb Miami Lakes (10) 15,993
3 Cobb Kendall (9) 13.079
1 SonyCh9ri(4) 35,160
2 NA Circle Cinema (7) 21,795
Sony Nickelodeon (5) 1 1 ,926
1 Hark Cine Capri (1) 2,553
2 Century Glendale D-l (9) 11,793
3 HarkCenterpoint (11) 12,242
P*' CO Broadway (1) 1,939
2 Sony Pipers Alley (4) 6,971
3 Sony Webster Place (8) 13,142
1 Famous Uptown (3) 6,829
2 Famous Eglinton (1) 1,843
3 CO Hyland 1 & 2 (2) 3.000
T^ CO River Oaks Plaza (12) 12,273
2 CO Spectrum (9) 5,825
. Cinemark Eastway (4) 2.526
1 Act III Crossroads (8) 13,061
2 Act III Mountlake (9) 13,806
3 Landmk Neptune (1) 1,472
Top 3 Actively* Requested Theatres:
'Callof hpociliCiillY rf;qt/< ,tfil Ihr.iUi'
Kaylo
ExMbttor*
AMC
Ad M
AMC ThMtTM. Inc
Aa IN ThMtrM
Cwmikt cirMmM. Ino.
Ctnufy ThMfeM
SUmiftciThMtrw, LP
( CbirMAliMMibw
CiyCintmM
CO
CThMrM
Hark HifUntThatirM
Last Month'!
Rank
31
1
21
5
3
14
5
2
3
4
16
10
2
3
4
3
6
1
5
3
1
2
7
1
4
3
4
2
36
5
17
4
2
9
Total
Requests
San Diego
98,270
Kansas City
85,242
Atlanta
81,850
Denver
75,219
Minneapolis
69,426
Nashville
62,392
Washington, DC
53,064
Las Vegas
51,458
Cleveland
48,793
San Antonio
42,753
40,102
Detroit
35,981
CO Worldwide
New York, NY
tiifliiii.*
Rank
Theatre (4 screens)
1 Mann Cinema 21 (1)
2 Pacific Cinerama (6)
3 UA Honon Plaza (14)
1 AMC Crown Center (6)
2 Dksn Westglen (12)
3 AMC Oak Park Plaza (6)
1 Kings Memorial (4)
2 AMC Phipps Plaza (14)
3 Kings Cobb Center (6)
1 UA Continental (6)
2 Mann Cherry Creek (8)
3 AMC Colorado Plaza (6)
Total
Requests
647
3,775
8,158
5.460
9.588
3,823
1,638
5,485
2,317
3,576
4.739
2.890
1 Landmk Uptown (1)
1,048
2 Mann MN Suburban World (1) 610
,„„^i3Kj.:^.j!3CC Har-Mar-Eleven (11) 5,117
1 Carmike 6 Harding Mall (6) 3.905
2 Carmike Lion's Head (5) 3.131
3 Carmike Fountain Sq. (14) 8.024
1 CO Cinema (1) 1,951
2 CO Uptown (1) 1,417
3 CO West End 1-4 (4) 2,807
1 UA Showcase (8) 5.147
2 Century Cinedome (12) 7,159
3 UA Rainbow Promenade (10) 5,582
1 Regal Severance (8) 5,409
2 General Southgate (3) 1,703
3 GCC Ridge Pk, Sq, (8) 4,093
1 Act III Mission D-l (4) 1,834
2 Act III Bandera (6) 2,528
3 Act III Galaxy (14) 5.822
"Century Century 21 (2) 1 ,784
'
2 Century Sacramento D-l (6) 2,750
3 Century Complex (12) 5,427
1 Star Lincoln Park (8) 2,3 "(;
2 AMC Eastland (2) 550
3 Star Taylor (10) 2,520
Sony Lincoln Sq.
New York, NY
Hdywod HolyjWpBTlWBW>
Kngs
_ Landmk _ UnSnwkTftMti* Corp
Marm MN Mann MirmeApolis
Mat McUqpoMan Thutres Corp
MJR MJR ThMtiQ S«rvx«
MuvKo Muvico TheatTM
Last Month's
Rank
3. Met Courtyard 10
San Diego, CA
NA National AmuMOWits
Paalic Pacrfc Thaaw a
Rogal RaoalClnamaa
Sony SonyThaattM
Star Loak»-Stv TbMbes
SupSav Suptr Savar Onamai
UA Unllw] Arttets Thaatra Circufl
4
21
8
2
3
11
11
4
1
4
8
1
8
11
10
3
11
10
1
2
3
4
1
2
4
1

HOME RELEASE CHART
Hi^tS^'^ JANUARY 1998
HOME VIDEO
RELEASE
DATE

t\A
^fWtWVM-^
1 14
—
Fax
ADVERTISER INDEX
Automaticket/Hurley Screen Corp. . 49
Caddy Products 34
Cinema Equipment Inc 27
Cinema Supply Co. Inc 49
Cinema Technologies 46
Crain/Atlanta Inc 39
DTS (Digital Theater Systems) ... 7
Dolby Laboratories Inc 9
EIMS Inc C-4
Electronic Creations Inc 46
Equipment, Etc 47
Flavor Wear 37
Funacho 21
Glassform 14
Hadden Theatre Supply Co 36
International Cinema Equipment Co. 47
Kinetronics Corp. USA 36
Largo Construction Inc 37
Lavi Industries 13
Maroevich, O'Shea & Coghlan 39
NCS Corp 32
National Cinema Service Corp. ... 35
OSRAM SYLVANIA 19
Peavey Electronics Corp 11
PepsiCo. Inc 3
Permlight Technology 41
Pot O'Gold Productions Inc 49
Proctor Companies 25
QSC Audio Products C-3
Sensible Cinema Software 65
Smart Products Inc 23
Smart Theatre Systems C-2, 29
Sony Cinema Products Corp 33
System Operating Solutions 46
Tivoli Industries Inc 15
United Artists Theatre Circuit, Inc. . 65
Willming Reams Animation Inc. . . 38
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RATES: $1.00 per word, minimum $25, $15 extra
for box number assignment. Send copy with check
to BoxoFFiCE, P.O. Box 25485, Chicago, IL 60625,
at least 60 days prior to publication.
BOX NUMBER ADS: Reply to ads with box numbers
by writing to Boxoffice, P.O. Box 25485,
Chicago, IL 60625; put ad box number on letter
and in lower-left corner of your envelope.
.
now is the time to let us hear from you! Theatre/Swap or
other management experience required and some college
helpful. Send your resume and salary requirements to
Century Theatres and Swaps, Attn: Human Resources
Job Code MGR0897, 150 Golden Gate Ave., San Francisco,
CA 94102. No faxes or phone calls please.
MUVICO THEATRES, INC. is looking for energetic individuals
to join their management team in the Southeast
region. Qualified candidates will have management experience
in theatre, retail or food service industries. We offer
a challenging career in a fast growing theatre circuit.
Competitive salary, bonus and benefits. Relocation expenses
will be paid. Replies held in the strictest confidence,
please send resumes and salary history to:
MUVICO THEATRES, INC., 9101 International Drive,
Suite 2100, Oriando. FL 32819, Attn: Carrie Dent.
SEDONA, ARIZONA—Harkins Theatres is seeking a
general manager for our state-of-the-art luxury cinema
complex in the picturesque resort community of Sedona,
Arizona. Previous theatre management experience is preferred.
We offer superior benefits and a salary range of
$35-40K. Send resume and salary history: Attn: Janel,
Harkins Theatres. 8350 E. l\^cDonald Dr., Suite 2,
Scottsdale, AZ 85250.
THEATRE MANAGEMENT OPPORTUNITY: Wallace
Theatres, a nationally recognized regional theatre circuit,
is seeking outstanding theatre management professionals
to join our rapidly-growing organization as General
Managers. If you are a team player, enjoy working with
the public and are seeking a career and a future in the
motion picture exhibition industry, send your resume to:
Personnel Director, Wallace Theatre Corp., 3375
Koapaka St., Suite 345, Honolulu, HI 96819.
EQUIPMENT FOR SALE
16MM BELL AND HOWELL sound projectors. Fully automatic,
latest models. $50.00 + UPS zone 08 to your
zone, 45 lbs. All excellent and complete! Lloyd Muhr, 6927
Amherst Street, San Diego, CA 921 1 5. (619) 463-1 1 49.
1994 STEIN CONCESSION STAND cabinet including:
three large candy cases, one ADA regulation height candy
case, four drink stations, three popcorn warmers, one
popper base, six cash drawer stations, one hot dog station,
one nacho station, one hand sink station. One—two
station box-office counter. Formica colors: teal sides &
beige top. Stainless steel three compartment sink, ceilingmounted,
stainless steel grease hood, Evenrude water
filtration system. EXCELLENT condition and easily adaptable
to fit any lobby design. Photos and blueprints available.
Fax inquiries to Identity Updates: (612) 770-6323.
ACOUSTIC SOUND PANELS & CUSTOM WALL DRA-
PERIES available in flameproofed colors and fabrics,
artistic or plain. CINEMA CONSULTANTS & SERVICES
INTERNATIONAL INC., P.O. Box 9672, Pittsburgh, PA
15226. Phone (412) 343-3900: Fax (412) 343-2992.
BURLAP WALL COVERING DRAPES: $2.05 per yard,
flame retardant. Quantity discounts. Nurse & Co., Millbury
Rd., Oxford, MA 01540 (508) 832-4295.
COMPLETE CONTENTS of two-screen theatre, over
1,200 seats, Christie lamphouses, ticketing, projectors,
amps, (some antique equipment), drapes, two air conditioners
and water tower, everything must go. Call (888)
749-7500.
COMPLETE THEATRE EQUIPMENT: (New, Used or
Rebuilt) Century SA, R#, RCA 9030, 1 040, 1 050 Platters:
2 and 5 Tier, Xenon Systems 1000-4000 Watt, Sound
Systems mono and stereo, automations, ticket machines,
curtain motors, electric rewinds, lenses, large screen
video projectors. Plenty of used chairs. PROFESSIONAL
SERVICE AND INSTALLATION AVAILABLE DOLBY
CERTIFIED. Call Bill Younger, Cinema Equipment, Inc.,
1375 N.W. 97th Ave., Suite 14, Miami, FL 33172. Phone
(305) 594-0570. Fax (305) 592-6970. 1 -800-848-8886.
CUPHOLDER ARMREST. "State of the art." Call Cy
Young Industries Inc. 800-729-2610.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED to start. Equipment in good
working order to equip a minimum of two theatres. Includes
approximately 500 seats and projection equipment
from bankrupt theatre in S.E. Arizona, fvlany extras. For a
complete list of the equipment, call (520) 428-1341 or
Email: jenny@aepnet.com.
MICRO-FM STEREO RADIO Sound Systems for Drive-
In Theatres. Meets FCC part 15. Static free. Available
soon: low cost Micro-FM-jr. For the hearing impaired. Call
or write: AUDIO VISUAL SYSTEMS & ENG.. 320 St. Louis
Ave., Woonsocket, Rl 02895. Phone (401) 767-2080; Fax
(401)767-2081.
NEW, INEXPENSIVE TICKETING AND CONCESSIONS
SOFTWARE/HARDWARE !!!! Call (800) 891-1031.
PATRON TRAY. Fits into cupholder armrest. Call Cy
Young Industries Inc. at 800-729-2610.
PROJECTION EQUIPMENT—Complete twin booth. Simplex
XL houses, platters, automation, splteer, etc. Call (301)
949-4761 .
(301 ) 949-4763.
TABLET TRAYS. Fits into all cupholder armrests. Used in
multi-purpose theatres, bingo, etc. Call Cy Young Industrieslnc.
at 800-729-2610.
TELEPHONE ANSWERING EQUIPMENT. All major
brands of reliable, heavy-duty tape announcers and digital
announcers are available at discounted prices. Please call
Jim at Answering Machine Specially, (800) 222-7773.
THEATRE EQUIPMENT FOR SALE or 5 screen theatre
for lease to qualified tenant. 5 projection booths, seats in
excellent condition. Located in Riverview, Michigan. Call
Ervin Sleinerat (305) 292-1622.
USED 35MM E-7 PROJECTORS, RCA sound heads.
Xenon lamps, rectifiers, amplifiers, HD bases, rewinds,
manual and automatic, concession equipment as well as
boxoffice. Call R. Negrette at (818) 362-1777. Prices
reasonable and negotiable. Or write 13926 Graber Ave.,
Sylmar.CA 91342.
USED EQUIPMENT FOR SALE: Projectors, prewired
stereo racks, platters, lamps, etc. Ask aliout our financing
program. Premier Seating Co. Inc., 800-955-SEAT, fax
(410) 686-6060, e-mail: pseating@aol.com.
Vtitx^tMi
rrr/l, I,,,»I777'>.
Hkli^
Hoxu'^oi ^'^^
HELP WANTED
ARIZONA—Harkins Theatres has immediate openings
tor managers and assistant managers for our state-of-thean
luxury cinema complexes located in the Phoenix area
and Sedona. Previous theatre management experience
is preferred. Growing company with career opportunities.
We offer superk>r benefits and salary. Send resume and
salary history: Attn. Janel, Markins Theatres, 8350 E.
McDonald Dr., Suite 2, Scottsdale, AZ 85250.
CINEVtSION CORPORATION is
accepting applications
for experieficed technicians with knowledge of projection
and sound equipniant. Send resume and salary requirements
to Can Watkins at 3300 N.E. Expressway. BIdg.
2A, Atlanta, GA 30341.
LET THE GOVERNMENT RNANCE your new or existing
smal business. Qrantsloans to $500,000. Free recorded
«: (707) 448-0270. (RN7)
MANAGER AND MANAGEMENT TRAINEE positions
are avaieUu. We are people-oriented and believe that
excellent customer servk^ and state-of-the-att technology
are the keys to success in the movie theatre/swap
meet irxJustry. We offer a wkle variety of twnetits. competitive
salaries and opporiunities for professk>nal growth.
Join our team as we exparxl in California, Nevada, Arizona,
New Mexk», Utah, Texas, Cotorado and beyond. If
you are kx>klng for growth and opportunity and have the
enthusiasm and the ability to manage/motivate people.
^ -^!^^^m?ifir'iml:^

San
. .
Fax
3
USED PROJECTION EQUIPMENT: Replacement equipment,
single or multi booths available. Please call if you
are purchasing or selling. CINEMA CONSULTANTS &
SERVICES INTERNATIONAL INC., P.O. Box 9672, Pittsburgh,
PA 15226. (412) 343-3900, fax (412) 343-2992.
WILL TRADE: YOUR THEATRE SEATS FOR OUR
USED THEATRE EQUIPMENT. Great condition at great
prices. Platters, projectors, lamphouses, complete prewired
stereo racks and much, much more. Premier Seating
Co. Inc., 800-955-SEAT, fax (410) 686-6060, e-mail:
pseating@aol.com.
EQUIPMENT WANTED
PURCHASE OR TRADE; For your used theatre equipment,
concession equipment, theatre seats. Ask about
our storage facilities and our financing program. Premier
Seating Co. Inc., 800-955-SEAT, fax (410) 686-6060.
e-mail: pseating@aol.com.
VINTAGE TUBE TYPE AMPS, woofers, drivers, homs,
parts, from Western Electric, Westrex, Altec, Jensen, JBL,
EV, Tannoy, l^clntosh, Ivlarantz. Phone David at (818)
441-3942. P.O. Box 80371 , l^arino, CA 91 1 1 8-8371
WANTED!!! Used theatre equipment. Will buy or trade
and will pick up anywhere in the United States. Let US
make YOU a deal. Cinevision Corporation, 3300 N.E.
Expressway, BIdg. 2A, Atlanta, GA 30341 . (770) 455-8988.
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.
WE WILL PURCHASE your used theatre equipment.
Consignments, outright purchases, trades, what have
you? There is only one INTERNATIONAL CINEMA
EQUIPMENT COMPANY at one location in the USA.
(305) 573-7339, Fax (305) 573-8101. VKWw.iceco.com.
SOFTWARE
TICKETING SOFTWAREfor IBM-PC. Complete software
package designed for independents and small circuits.
Point-Of-Sale ticketing for 1-12 movies with daily and
weekly reporting system. Now in use at over 60 theatre
locations in the U.S. Use your own IBM compatible. We
have inexpensive thermal printers, automated cash drawers
and pole displays. Software from $399. Printers from
$499. Call (615) 790-7797 for free demo or download now
on our website at sensiblecinema.com.
THEATRES FOR SALE/LEASE
CALIFORNIA'S KERN RIVER VALLEY and Lake
Isabella. Only theatre for entire area. Outstanding climate,
recreation, schools. Clean, neat, efficient, with terrific
picture and sound. Tumkey. Call Dennis at (760) 376-
6910 (theatre), or (760) 376-3605 (home).
LIVE IN GOD'S COUNTRY. Established movie theatre
business in Ely, Minnesota—heart of canoe country. Business
benefitting from expanding tourism industry.
$175,000. Call Kangas Realty. (218) 365-3236.
OWNERS MUST SELL family-run theatre and properties,
located in a progressive farming community. The building
is 1 00 feet wide, located on Main Street. 400 seat theatre
in one side of the building, other side is a ready-to-be-finished
shell. Asking $395K. Please call (941) 658-1100.
WORLD FAMOUS: Theatre for sale in the Valley of the
Dinosaurs and the home of the world-famous Royal Tyrrell
museum, tourist location. 378 seats, newly renovated
1996, Dolby sound system, volume over $250,000. List
$275,000. Drawing area 30,000. Lome Shapiro, Canalta
Real Estate, Drumheller, Alberta, Canada. (403) 823-21 1 1
THEATRES WANTED
LOOKING FOR SMALLER TOWN THEATRES-pref. in
Northwestern states. All calls welcome. Call (509) 493-
4779 days, (509) 493-311 3 evenings.
DRIVE-IN CONSTRUCTION
DRIVE-IN SCREEN TOWERS Since 1945 Selby Products,
Inc.. P.O. Box 267, Richfield, Ohio 44286 (330)
659-6631, 800-647-6224.
SCREEN TOWERS INTERNATIONAL New, used, transplanted,
complete tower sen/ice. Box 399, Rogers, TX
76569. Phone: 800-642-3591.
THEATRE SEATING
500+ PUSH BACK THEATRE SEATS with cupholders for
sale. Great condition. Rust cotor. 4 Cinemeccanca proj.. 3
with turrets. (888) 341-1853. (760) 921-2245. Jim/Marilyn.
ALLSTATE SEATING is a company that is specializing
in refurtDishing, complete painting, molded foam, tailormade
seat covers, installations, removals. Please call for
pricing and spare parts for all types of theatre seating.
Boston, MA. Phone (61 7) 268-2221. FAX (61 7) 268-7011.
AUDITORIUM SEATING SPECIALIST. New installations,
rebuilds, repairs and reasonable rates. Bob. (970)
224-1147. Perfection Seating Inc., 295 Lone Pine Creek
Drive, Red Feather Lakes. CO 80545.
"BOOSTER B. SAURUS170 Child booster seats. Call Cy
Young Industries Inc. at 800-729-2610.
CHILD BOOSTER SEATS: Molded plastic, large quantity
in stock, multiple colors available, will not deteriorate like
booster bags. Premier Seating Co. Inc.. 800-955-SEAT,
fax (410) 686-6060, e-mail; pseating@aol.com.
FINALLY, AN ALTERNATIVE TO ON-SITE UPHOL-
STERY: Call us about our new upholstered backs and
cushions by mail program. More cost-efficient than on-site
upholsterers, fast turn-around, quality controlled in our
40,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art factory. Premier Seating Co..
800-955-SEAT. fax (410) 686-6060. e-mail; pseating@aol.com.
FOR SALE: 300 cushion theatre seats plus extra parts.
All for $2,900. Rialto, Box 524, Terry, MT 59349. Phone
(406) 635-5384.
ON-SITE UPHOLSTERY and replacement covers. Parts
available for many chairs. Our "Bakers Dozen" gives you 1
covers for the cost of 1 2. Nationwide service. Free samples.
Call Complete Industries for pricing. (800) 252-6837.
SEAT AND BACK COVERS; Most fabrics in stock.
Molded cushions. Cy Young Industries Inc.. 800-729-2610.
SEAT FOAMS: All makes/all models, fast tum-around.
Premier Seating Co. Inc.. 800-955-SEAT. fax (410) 686-
6060. e-mail: pseating@aol.com.
SEATS CLEANED on site.
$1.56-32.36 per seat (coast
to coast). Call (800) 879-231 1 . 24 hours, for brochure. The
Carpet Cleaner. P.O. Box 154, Osceola, MO 64776.
SEATS FOR SALE. American Stellars. great condition.
Call (316) 794-2858 or (316) 650-2255.
SEATS FOR SALE, excellent condition. Stellars and
Massey. Call (301 ) 949-4761 . (301 ) 949-4763.
THEATRE SEAT AND BACK COVERS: Large in-stock
fabric inventory, fast turn-around, competitive pricing at
any quantity. Premier Seating Co. Inc.. 800-955-SEAT,
fax (410) 686-6060. e-mail: psealing@aol.com.
THEATRE SEAT RECONDITIONING: Total or partial
theatre seat restoration in our 40.000 sq. ft. state-of-theart
factory, featuring sandblasting, powder-coating, and
in-house upholstering. Restore your seats or purchase
from our inventory. Ask about our in-house financing
program. Premier Seating Co.. 800-955-SEAT, fax (410)
686-6060, e-mail: pseating@aol.com.
THEATRE
WANTED: Will
SEATS
buy/trade
for surplus and unwanted
theatre seats, all makes
and models. Premier Seating
Co. Inc., 800-955-
SEAT, fax (410) 686-6060.
e-mail; pseating@aol.com.
USED AUDITORIUM
CHAIRS: Choose from
a
large selection of different
makes and models and colors.
American Stellars and
Irwin Citations competitively
priced, shipped and
installed. ACOUSTIC
SOUND PANELS AND
CUSTOM WALL DRAPERlES
available in flameproofed
colors and fabrics,
artistic or plain. CINEMA
CONSULTANTS & SER-
VICES INTERNATIONAL.
Inc. P.O. Box 9672. Pittsburgh.
PA 15226.(412) 343-
3900, Fax (412) 343-2992.
SERVICES
ALTEC, JBL, E.V.
SPEAKER RECONING:
Factory authorized service,
fast turnaround. We stock
diaphragms for popular
theatre drivers. Cardinal
Sound & Motion Picture
Systems. Dealer inquiries
welcome. (301) 595-8811.
FRONT END INSTALLA-
TION with frames, motors
and masking tracks. Call
Cy Young Industries. 800-
729-2610.
MY 50TH YEAR with
M.P.M.O.. Local 249. Dallas.
TX!! Call me. "Pinky"
Pinkston, to rebuild your
Century, Simplex projector
and soundhead. Also, inter-
Sensible Cinema
Softv\/are ®
'^^ar/ TICKETING SOFTWARE
•New Version 3.10
• Fast Thcnnal Printing
• Hourly, Daily & Weekly Reports
•
Pole Display & Cash Drawer Support
T^ew/ MARQUEE MANAGER
AU SEATS 1130
CHEyKiHASE
lATESmWFRlCSAT
Creates Letter "Pick List"
Recycles Old Letters
Clxiks Letter Inventoiy
Saves Time e c
and errors! y 1 O
www.sensib ecinema.com 61 5-790-7797
Response No. 135
mittenls. Pinkston Sales and Service, Rt 1, Box 72H,
Sadler. TX 76264. Or call (903) 523-4912.
INDEPENDENT THEATRE BOOKING. Over 30 years
experience. L.A. based, now accepting a few new accounts.
Personal service, reasonable rates, well-connected.
Write; Charies Boeckman. 22030A Ventura Blvd..
Suite 140. Woodland Hills, CA 91364. (818) 347-0963.
SOUND/DRAPING FABRICS IN STOCK. All new selection
of fabrics. Installation on brackets available, or sewn
in pleated drapes. Call Cy Young Industries 800-729-261 0.
SOUNDFOLDS & CURTAINS cleaned and fireproofed on
site $.20-$.40 per hung sq. ft. (coast to coast). Call (800)
879-2311, 24 hours, for brochure and information. The
Carpet Cleaner. P.O. Box 154. Osceola, MO 64776.
THEATRE PROJECTION and sound installation, service
and upgrades. Most manufacturers. Reasonable rates.
Call Tom at Wyse Guys Theatre Service, (888) 249-6684.
ULTRAFLAT. REFLECTORS: Why buy new when you
can have it restored? "Hopeless" cases restored to brightness.
Call your dealer or ULTRAFLAT. 20306 Sherman
Way. Winnetka. CA 91306. (818) 884-0184.
http://www.ultraflat.com
"WHILE THE THEATRE SLEEPS" On-site reupholstery.
Top fabrics, molded seat cushions and "State of the Ail"
Cy Young cupholders. Call Cy Young Industries Inc..
800-729-2610.
Chief Projection &
Sound Technician
United Artists Theatre Circuit, Inc. is seel^ing a Technician for Iwth
the West and Central Regions. Responsibilities: provide technical
supervision of district Projection & Sound Technicians; supervise
installation and maintenance of p&s systems; design and supervise
maintenance of accurate records; maintain, check and service p&s
in the theatres; provide technical supervision and training as
required; order equipment, coordinate manpower and tracic completion
of projects; oversee, approve/correct all part orders generated;
procurement of parts and supplies for theatres through corporate
procedures; coordinate manpower with proper tools, test equipment
and technical information; assist Field Technicians and Managers
with technical needs; and coordinate with the Construction
Department on their p&s needs for new jobs as well as renovations.
You will also provide backup for projects, emergencies, vacations,
time off, etc; design, order and install p&s related equipment in new
theatres working with General Contractor, their Sub-Contractors,
the Architect and Operations; maximize use of currently owned
equipment and establish fair pricing for equipment scheduled for
resale; design and maintain accurate records such as theatre
inventories, service reports, THX sound system reports, new construction
files and assisted listening devices.
Candidate will have an AA degree or technical school training in the
areas of mechanical or electronics disciplines, 5 years' service in
projections and sound system design installation and maintenance,
knowledge of overall operating p&s systems, ability to present information
to top management. Must also be highly motivated with the
ability to accomplish goals/projects. Frequent travel by car and air
required.
Please mail or fax resume with salary history to:
United Artists Theatre Circuit, Inc., .
Attn: P&S, 9110 E. Nichols Ave.,
^^_.^_^aM&
IMTHJ/lHlBrSiP"
Suite 200, Englewood, CO 80112,
fax: (303) 792-8221 . No phone calls Theatres
please.
EOE
January, 1998 65

I>A
K(>Vfii.'i w I
iriie lEisf Picture
—
Religious
epics are nothing new to the movies, though tiie gcnir
lias been rehitively domiiint in recent times, hi the silent eni.
when tlie vast majority of Ameiicans were regukirchurchgoersand
mov iegoing tastes were farniore unilbnTi than they are today,
many of the first bigsereen spectacles were gnxinded in religious
imagery. The latent |X)\\ cr of the movies to transport audiences to
faraway times and places was only beginning to be discovered,
along with a tendency to ignite debate over public morals. The
appeal of tliat Old Tinie Religion was therefore twofold: The ina,ss
audience could be assunicxi to have ;ui acute interest in religious
subjects, and the Bible seemed a safe bet to producers tired of pi tched
battles with censorship boards.
The silent cycle of religious epics was epitomized by a relative
handful of titles: the original "Ben-Hur." which set a tale of sex,
violence, white slavery and gladiatorial combat against the passion
of Christ; Cecil B. DeMille's "The King of Kings," a blockbuster
retelling of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus that packed in
revival audiences well into the sound era; and DeMille's silent
version of "The Ten Commandments," which used a llashback/fla-shforward
structure borrowed from D.W. Griffith's '"Intolerance"
to combine the story of Moses with a jazz age "Rake's
Progress" seething with illicit sex and corruption.
Judeo-Christian imagery was so pervasive during the period that
some of the contexts it i^Jpeared in were positively surreal. Producer
Thomas Ince's "Civilization"—a wildly popular pacifist
spectacular credited with helping Woodrow Wilson retain tlie
White House in 1916—culminated with a sequence combining
politics and the New Testament with Dickens' "A Christmas
Carol": a ghostly Christ, escorting a ghostly Kaiser Wilhelm over
Europe's battlefields, revealing the full horror of what expansionism
and realpoUtik hath wrought.
Although rehgious values ccmtinued to permeate American movies
throughout the '30s and '40s. biblical tfiemes took a breather
during the early sound era. Of course, there were exceptions, most
of which were made by DeMille: His 1932 "birth of Christianity"
saga "The Sign of the Cn)ss" set a new standard for lowdown
sensuality in the service of hi^ moral purpose, including graphic
iinages of Claudette Colbert bathing nude in ass's milk. Christians
being speiired by Roman arrows, and a captive maiden—vircathed
only in a few strategically placed garlands—^iiwaiting violent death
in the Colosseura
DeMille's decision to use Christianity as anti-censorship insurance
was validated by a letter from a powerful censorship activist
of the era with the unlikely name of Colonel Jason Joy. "Ordin;irily
we would have been concerned with those f)ortioas...in winch ihc
Roman Dancer executes the Kootch' movement," Joy warte. "But
since the director.. .used dancing to show the conflict between
paganism and Oiristianily. we arc agreed that there is justification
for its use under ihe Ccxle."
In
the '5{X, DeMille launched the second great pericxl of the
religious epic when he decided to retum to "Tlie Ten Commandments"
for his final fealure and struck an unanticipated vein of
boxofllce gold. The year w as 1 952. and 1 lollywtX)d was in the midst
of crisis thanks to the advent of television, which put contemponuy
releases into direct competition with the earlier and often better
movies being beamed into American living nxims every night.
Spectacle became the rallying try: epic images, ravishing color,
thundering .soundtracks—anything diat could emphasize the scale
of seeing a movie in a inoviehouse over tlie cut-price black-andwhite
of'50s broadcast TV. And DeMille, a filmmaker never known
kit doing things small, gave Ihe people wliat
they wanted with
'TC2": giKlIy fireballs, wnthing pagso devil-worshippers, and a
blast of Old Testament wrath on llio biuiks of the Red Sea that set
new stiindards for special eft'ects.
Judeo-Christian imagery
was so pervasive during
tlie period tliat some
of the contexts it appeared
in were positively surreal.
In the aftermath of "^fhe Ten Commandments'" success, a spate
of religious epics that lasted well into the '60s was bom. "The
Robe"—which made a star of Richard Burton and was the first
CinemaScope release—told fictionally of the religious conversicm
of a Roman soldier who had participated in Christ's cmcifixion. The
silent smash "Ben-Hur' got a fresh coat of paint and won a staggering
1 1 Oscars—-a record that still endures. "Quo Vadis?"—with
Peter Ustinov as a giddy, psychotic Emperor Nero—revived the old
"Sign of the Cross'' formula by pitting orgiastic Roman decitdence
against Christian piety lor fun and profit.
Some of Hollyw

Q^ Professional Amplifiers supply power
to the hottest screens in thie countty,
In fact, €SC Audio is the largest supplier of professional
annplifiers and accessories to ttie cinema
industry, Legendary reliability, awesonne perfomnance,
versatile features and outstanding value have nnade
QSC ttie Industry standard, Fourteen amplifier models
are currently approved for THX® cinema installations,
wtth more on the way! Each model carries a commercial
UL listing, as well as TUV and CSA approval for
safety, Optional QSC
plug-in accessories are
available to meet the
specific signal processing
requirements of digital
cinema sound systems.
OptionaloaessorycapabtlyofitkaizesanifB
miHmiiafioniJsmtndamk,fnMi
sununtsfeakmaiilequim^mfOiBt
ofpopular dnemo subwoohn.
Audiences demand thie most powerful
presentation of everything that digital soundtraclcs
have to offer. Because power amplifiers are critical
to Hire digital sound chain, QSC powers todays biggest
Screen Stars, Stars demand the best. Shouldn't you?
Call 714-754-6175 for valuable details,
k few of tfie oHier Hieatet ctioins feoturing QSC hum Amplifiers: Allen Theotres, Associated Theolres,
Budget Cinemas, Central States Theatres, Cinemo World, Cineplei Odeon Tlieotres, Oossit Cinemas, Oidiinson
Theotres, Oouglos Theatres, Edwards Cinemos, Generol Cinemos, GKC Theatres, GTI Theotres, Harkness
Qnemos, ljie*'s Theatres, Mako Theotres, Monn Ttieotres, Monos Theotres, Morcus Theoters, Mulone Theatres,
Muvico Theotres, Notional Theotres, Neighborhood Cinemas, f^cifit Theotres, Plitt Theotres, Rhyan Theotres,
SoCol Qnemos, U.CI. Theotres, Worner Internotionol Theotres, Western NTS Gnemos, and mon^ nuay more...
The Power Behind Ihe Pictures.
LucasNm and THX are trademarks o( Lucasttn, Ud.
The Power Behind Tlie Pictures' is a trademeiti of OSC Audo Products. Inc
-OSC- and the OSC logo are regpslared witti the U.S. Patent Office
OSC Audio ProdiK», Inc. 1>7S ItacAnhur Blvd., Costa Mesa, CA 92e2S-14

—
Successful Theatre Management is Not Just
loj^.LUCK
(It's good business management)
Don't gamble with your business!
"h.
.0^
Manage it
with Splyce's state-ofthe-art
theatre management
system. Splyce is uniquely
designed to be fast, powerful
and user friendly in a "32-bit"
Windows® environment. With
the Splyce suite of software you
can control your whole business,
from bookings & payments to selling
tickets and concessions. Modularly
designed to meet your unique business needs.
And when it comes to technical support, well
you'll definitely have an ace in the hole!
Splyce Modules:
Box Office Manager
Employee Manager
Concession Manager
Home Office Manager
jj -ii_iJ _l) jj rdjdQH
^Splyce
Call: (888) 4-SPLYCE or (253) 884-5802
www.eims-inc.com
Response No. 472