Film Journal January 2018

Film Journal International Distribution Guide Vol. 121, No. 1 / January 2018
Distribution Guide
AARON SORKIN
plays for high stakes
in his directorial debut:
Jessica Chastain and
Idris Elba in Molly’s Game
INTERNATIONAL
January 2018
STEVEN SPIELBERG
reports on The Post
ALEXANDER PAYNE
and the little people
MICHAEL GRACEY
runs away with the circus
PLUS: VR, the new entertainment
reality; and relevance of art houses
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From the Editor’s Desk
In Focus
Disney Deal Creates Tremors
The motion picture industry as we know it is about to
undergo one the most dramatic changes ever over the next
five years. It all starts with the recent announcement of The
Walt Disney Company’s acquisition of the film and TV studio
and other properties of 21st Century Fox. The deal is pending
regulatory approval that could take up to 18 months, and
Disney is betting $66 billion that it will be approved by the
Department of Justice.
The chatter in the industry is that the pact between these
two giants will be industry-altering, a mega-merger reshaping
the business and resetting the balance of power. In 2016,
Disney and Fox together controlled 40 percent of the movie
box office.
Over the next several months as this all gets sorted out,
everyone will be talking about the ramifications of the deal.
They are truly massive. Here are areas most likely to be
affected:
* Exhibition will confront the possibility of onerous terms
and less content.
* Fox Searchlight and other small independents will face
great competition and possible hardship going forward.
* What will happen to the many top executives at Fox?
* How will rival studios react to the merger?
* And what happens to Fox Studios?
These are all questions that will be thoroughly digested,
with commentary coming from the press, other studios,
lawyers, theatre circuits and more. With the growing
competition from Amazon, Google, Netflix and Facebook, the
studio system is in for a great awakening. We see potential
takeovers and mergers of Paramount, Lionsgate and Sony.
How else will these companies be able to compete against the
likes of the new Disney company and Warner Bros.?
The Disney takeover is truly about positioning the
company to compete with the Amazons of the world and
to acquire content to boost its own streaming service and
surpass Netflix in this digital arena.
How big is big? Will the biggest companies continue to
co-exist? Only time will tell, but we are going to experience
mergers, acquisitions and consolidation like never before.
Hold on tight—the ride is just beginning.
Virtual Reality Gains Traction
One of the more successful strategies for the survival
of the movie theatre complex in this competitive age has
been the effort to transform them into full-fledged “family
entertainment centers.” You’ll find examples of this business
approach around the country, from the installation of
videogame arcade rooms to elaborate adjoining play areas
where patrons can enjoy everything from climbing walls to
laser tag to mini-golf.
Now, there’s a new diversion making its mark in movie
theatre complexes: virtual reality. VR and AR (augmented
reality) have achieved a degree of popularity with personal
consumer helmets and devices, and now they’re becoming
an added attraction at some of the world’s highest-profile
cinema destinations. IMAX has been leading the way: The
giant-screen pioneer has VR installations next to the popular
Grove lifestyle center in Los Angeles and in theatre complexes
in Shanghai, China; Manchester, U.K., and New York City.
And it’s just opened VR centers in two high-profile venues:
the Scotiabank in Toronto and the Regal E-Walk Stadium 13
& RPX in New York’s Times Square. At the E-Walk, virtual
reality is playing a key role in the complex’s celebration of the
blockbuster Star Wars: The Last Jedi. During opening week,
not only did the latest Star Wars adventure play in every
auditorium, Regal patrons could participate in two IMAX
VR Star Wars experiences: “Droid Repair Bay” and “Trials
on Tatooine.” So VR is already proving itself a symbiotic
promotional tool.
“Droid Repair Bay” is also active at Cineplex’s Scotiabank
Toronto location, along with seven other VR experiences,
including three inspired by franchise movies: Justice League,
John Wick and Star Trek.
In an interview in this edition of FJI, IMAX chief
development officer Rob Lister talks about IMAX’s
pioneering VR initiative and notes that IMAX’s relationship
with blockbuster filmmakers gives it a leg up in creating VR
experiences that will complement their movies: “Being at the
table in discussions about Justice League resulted in us being
able to talk with the same creators and filmmakers about
Justice League the VR experience. Having those relationships
with studio executives and with filmmakers allows us to get
involved at the earliest stage in terms of creating VR content
around tentpole movies.”
Cineplex also recently brought “good vibrations” to VR
with the debut of D-BOX’s VR concept at the Scotiabank
Theatre Ottawa in Quebec. D-BOX’s approach combines seat
motion and vibrations with virtual reality for the 12-minute
animated adventure Raising a Rukus. “Our cinema-friendly
proposal is appealing to many exhibitors,” says D-BOX
marketing VP Michel Paquette. “We see a great opportunity
for many more of these projects in the near term.”
All these signs point to VR becoming more of a reality at
your nearby multiplex.
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JANUARY 2018 / VOL.121, NO.1
A Film Expo Group Publication
PUBLISHING SINCE 1934
Post Mortem.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Streep, Hanks and Spielberg team up
for drama based on The Washington Post’s
friendly rivalry with The New York Times
to publish the explosive Pentagon Papers.
Hanks and
Streep in
The Post, pg. 16
Alexander Payne
and the Little People .. . . . . . . . . 20
The director of Election, Sideways and
Nebraska turns his satiric genius on the
small-world movement with Downsizing.
High Stakes .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Noted screenwriter Aaron Sorkin makes
his directorial debut with star-studded,
dialogue-rich, true-crime drama about
the mother of all gambling dens.
The Noblest Art.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Hugh Jackman is P.T. Barnum in an
exuberant musical of the man whose
motto was, “The noblest
art is that of making
others happy.”
Niko Tavernise © 2017 20th Century Fox
In Between…in the Middle East. . 32
Three Palestinian women balance
faith and tradition in modern Tel Aviv.
West Side Story .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
The Landmark at 57 West offers
New York City an elegant stateof-the-art
cinema experience.
Virtual Cineplex.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Canada’s leading circuit unveils
a new entertainment reality.
Think Virtual.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
IMAX counts on partners for a new
premium experience.
Community Spirit….. . . . . . . . . . . 46
Convergence founder Russ Collins
reflects on the relevance of art houses.
Participating in Good….. . . . . . . 48
Participant Media spurs social change
through the power of movies.
Spanning the Cinema World .. . . 52
ICTA’s L.A. seminar provides
a global perspective on exhibition
New Player in Town . . . . . . . . . . 54
Entertainment Studios Motion
Pictures looks for broad-appeal releases.
Distribution
Guide
FJI’s annual reference
of theatrical film
distribution companies,
pgs. 58-69
Zendaya, Hugh Jackman
and Zac Efron star
in The Greatest Showman,
pg. 28
Niko Tavernise © 2017 20th Century Fox
Canada’s Cineplex
enters virtual reality, pg. 38-45
DEPARTMENTS
In Focus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Reel News in Review .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Trade Talk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Film Company News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Concessions: Trends .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Concessions: People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Ask the Audience.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Buying and Booking Guide .. . . . . . . 70
European Update.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Asia/Pacific Roundabout. . . . . . . . . . 80
Advertisers’ Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Star Wars: The Last Jedi, pg. 74
REVIEWS
All the Money in the World. . . . . 78
Downsizing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Ferdinand.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
The Greatest Showman .. . . . . . . . . 74
Happy End.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
In Between .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
In the Fade .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.. . . 72
The Leisure Seeker.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Phantom Thread . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Pitch Perfect 3.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
The Post .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Star Wars: The Last Jedi. . . . . . . . . 74
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REEL
NEWS
IN REVIEW
Disney to Acquire
Large Chunks of Fox
The Hollywood studio system sees a
big shift with Disney’s purchase of large
parts of 21st Century Fox for a reported
$66.1 billion. The boards and stockholders
from both companies have approved the
deal, which is expected to take between
12 and 18 months to officially close.
Once it does, Disney will own Fox’s film
and TV studios, on top of several cable
channels (not including Fox News) and
sports networks. Among the properties
that are set to join the Disney sandbox
are Deadpool, Avatar, the X-Men and the
Fantastic Four. Disney chairman and CEO
Rob Iger, who was expected to step down
in 2019, has re-upped his contract through
the end of 2021.
Cineworld to Purchase
Regal Entertainment
Another big deal is going down in the
exhibition sphere. Regal Entertainment
Group and Cineworld Group have announced
their intention to enter into a
merger that will see Cineworld, the U.K.’s
largest exhibitor, acquire Regal for $5.9 billion.
Said Regal CEO Amy Miles in a statement,
“We believe this partnership with
Cineworld will enhance Regal’s ability to
deliver a premium moviegoing experience
for customers and further build upon our
strategy of introducing innovative concepts
and premium amenities designed to enhance
the value of our theatre assets.”
Saudi Ar abia
Legalizes Cinemas
After nearly four decades, Saudi Arabia
has legalized movie theatres. Into the
breach runs AMC, which has signed a
non-binding memorandum of understanding
with the country’s Public Investment
Fund as a means of exploring future collaboration.
Per CEO and president Adam
Aron, “Saudi Arabia represents a lucrative
business opportunity for AMC Entertainment,
and no one does the cinema
experience on a global scale better than
AMC.” Saudi Arabia’s theatrical exhibition
industry is expected to grow to a
value of $1 billion.
Academy Board Approves
Standards of Conduct
In the wake of a wave of sexualharassment
revelations, the Academy
of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
(AMPAS) has approved “Standards of
Conduct” designed to stop those among
AMPAS’ 8,427 members who would
“abuse their status, power or influence
in a manner that violates recognized
standards of decency. The Academy is
categorically opposed to any form of
abuse, harassment or discrimination on
the basis of gender, sexual orientation,
race, ethnicity, disability, age, religion
or nationality.” Those who violate these
standards will be subject to disciplinary
action, potentially including suspension
or expulsion.
Holly wood Execs Announce
Anti-Har assment Commission
Elsewhere in Hollywood, two dozen
entertainment executives—among them
Disney/Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy,
Disney’s Bob Iger, Warner Bros.’ Kevin
Tsujihara and Netflix’s Ted Sarandos—
have formed the Commission on Sexual
Harassment and Advancing Equality in
the Workplace, to be chaired by lawyer/
whistleblower Anita Hill. Said Hill in
a statement, “We will be focusing on
issues ranging from power disparity,
equality and fairness, safety, sexualharassment
guidelines, education and
training, reporting and enforcement,
ongoing research and data collection. It
is time to end the culture of silence.”
IMAX and Fox
Renew Partnership
In slightly less groundbreaking news
for Fox than the Disney acquisition,
20th Century Fox Film and IMAX have
signed a deal to release five Fox films.
One of those films, Kingsman: The
Golden Circle, already came and went;
the other four (The Darkest Mind, The
New Mutants, X-Men: Dark Phoenix and
Gambit) extend through 2019.
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Publisher/Editor
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Andrew Sunshine
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Art Director
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Senior Account Executive,
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Film Journal International © 2018 by Film
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may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval
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TRADE TALK
CINEMARK LAUNCHES
MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM
Cinemark Holdings
announced the launch of
Movie Club, a monthly movie
membership program offering
ticket and concession discounts
along with other exclusive
benefits. For $8.99 per month, a
Movie Club membership provides
the following:
▶ One 2D movie ticket each
month with premium-format
ticket upgrades available;
▶ Rollover of unused tickets,
which never expire for active
members;
▶ Ability to reserve seats
and buy tickets in advance with
no online fees;
▶ Additional tickets at the
member price of $8.99 each;
▶ A 20 percent discount on
concessions during every visit.
SPOTLIGHT NETWORKS
FORMS EVENT DIVISION
Spotlight Cinema Networks
announced the formation of
CineLife Entertainment, a new
division to distribute event cinema
and other alternative programming.
The content will be
available to Spotlight’s nationwide
network of art-house and luxury
cinemas representing nearly 300
theatres and 1,000+ screens, as
well as exhibitors around the
world. This marks the first time
that Spotlight is moving into the
event cinema marketplace.
CineLife Entertainment will
distribute multiple programs per
quarter starting sometime in
early 2018. These include musical
theatre, opera, dance, cult film
classics, anime, contemporary
musical performances, and faith
and inspiration movies.
Mark Rupp has been
appointed managing director
of CineLife Entertainment
and will report directly to
Spotlight Cinema Networks
CEO Jerry Rakfeldt. He will
work closely with Ronnie Ycong,
Spotlight Cinema Networks’
head of exhibitor relations and
operations, who will manage
content distribution. Prior to
joining Spotlight, Rupp was
president of SpectiCast, a cinema
marketing and distribution
company for the past eight years.
REGAL DEBUTS
E-WALK VR CENTRE
Regal Entertainment Group,
in partnership with IMAX,
unveiled the new IMAX VR ®
Centre at Regal E-Walk Stadium
13 & RPX in Times Square, New
York City. Regal’s new IMAX
Centre is one of only six in the
world, and invites guests to
experience other worlds with
immersive, multi-dimensional
virtual-reality experiences,
including movie entertainment
content and games.
The Centre, located on
the fourth floor, employs a
new design—proprietary to
IMAX—to allow multiple players
to enjoy interactive, moveable
VR experiences in an highly
social environment. The Centre
consists of two “pods,” which
are designed to optimize user
mobility and interaction in virtual
environments and can be adapted
for specific content experiences,
whether single or multi-user,
as well as a GloStation—a new
hyper-reality escape room VR
experience that allows up to four
players at a time to compete as a
unit with free-roam mobility.
HARMAN OPENS L.A.
EXPERIENCE CENTER
Harman Professional Solutions
announced the grand opening
of the Harman Experience
Center in Los Angeles. The facility
joins a worldwide network of
Harman Professional Solutions
Experience Centers in Singapore,
China and soon in London. The
new 15,000-square-foot, multifunctional
facility showcases
Harman Professional Solutions
products in a variety of entertainment
and enterprise market
applications.
The Experience Center is
comprised of several dedicated
spaces, including a grand entrance
corridor featuring lighting
effects and audio synced to
an 18’x’10’ Samsung LED video
wall; a product showroom; a
6,000-square-foot soundstage
delivering live entertainment
audio, video and lighting demonstrations,
and a boardroom and
training center.
BARCO ANNOUNCES
CHINA JOINT VENTURE
Barco has reached an
agreement to enter into a
strategic joint venture with
China Film Co. Ltd., Appotronics
and CITICPE. The joint venture
will serve as the dedicated
commercialization systems
channel for each company’s
products and services for the
global cinema market excluding
Mainland China.
The partners plan to capitalize
the joint venture in the
amount of $100 million. Once all
partners have entered the joint
venture, Barco will own 55% of
the joint venture, Appotronics
and CFG will each own 20% and
CITICPE will own 5%.
Wim Buyens, general manager
of Barco’s Entertainment division
for the past seven years, will
be appointed CEO of the joint
venture.
NAC SETS 2020 DATE
AT HILTON ORLANDO
The National Association
of Concessionaires (NAC) announced
that the 2020 NAC
Concession & Hospitality Expo
has been scheduled for Tuesday,
July 28 through Friday, July 31 at
the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena
Vista Hotel adjacent to Disney
Springs (Downtown Disney) and
Disney World in Lake Buena
Vista, Florida. The 2018 Expo
takes place August 7-10 at the
New Orleans Marriott Hotel
in New Orleans, LA. The 2019
NAC Expo is slated for July 30 to
August 2 at the Fairmont Chicago
Hotel in Chicago, IL.
CTC BECOMES
INDEPENDENT UNIT
CTC (cinema-technology.
com), previously the
subcommittee of the
International Moving Image
Society (BKSTS), announced
a significant re-launch with a
renewed vision of supporting
the global cinema industry at
its awards night held in London,
England, on Nov. 21.
CTC, with the endorsement
and support of IMIS, has
now become a completely
independent, not-for-profit
industry organization focused
on bringing organizations,
professionals and students
together from across the
world to share knowledge and
expertise related to cinema
technology with the aim of
improving the experience for
moviegoers.
As well as implementing
a new internal structure
comprising of an executive board
and a board of governors, CTC
is creating a new 15-person
advisory council to help
provide steering and support
on key focus areas and future
outputs for the organization to
ensure these are aligned to the
objectives of the industry.
For further information
on CTC including membership
opportunities, visit www.cinematechnology.com
or e-mail info@
cinema-technology.com.
THX PARTNERS
WITH CHINA FILM
THX Ltd., known for
the certification of cinemas
and consumer electronics,
has entered into a strategic
partnership with China Film
Giant Screen (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
(CGS), a subsidiary of China Film
Group, for both technology and
business collaborations.
The partnership is expected
to enable both parties to work
together over the next three
years to secure commitments
from exhibitors to roll out a
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target of 400 screens worldwide
featuring jointly developed nextgeneration
cinema experiences.
On Dec. 7, THX and CGS
announced the grand opening
of Zhuhai Haiyun China Film
Cinema, China’s first all-THXcertified
multiplex.
4DX SIGNS PACTS
WITH GSC & PVR
CJ 4DPLEX, a cinema
technology featuring moving
seats and environmental effects,
signed a binding memorandum of
understanding for a partnership
with Golden Screen Cinemas
(GSC) in Malaysia and agreed to a
new pact with PVR Cinemas.
This deal with GSC and CJ
4DPLEX will bring a 4DX theatre
to the GSC Paradigm Mall Johor
Bahru location by the end of
2017. This location is GSC’s only
site in the state of Johor and is
accessible to an estimated two
million people. GSC is Malaysia’s
largest cinema exhibitor.
PVR Cinemas already has
three 4DX screens operational
in the country at Noida, Mumbai
and Bengaluru and two screens
soon to be launched at new,
prominent sites. With this
extended partnership, PVR will
add 16 more 4DX screens at its
cinemas, taking the total to 21
4DX auditoriums in India by the
end of 2019.
GDC SHOWCASES
CINEMA AUTOMATION
GDC Technology Limited
showcased its next-generation
cinema automation system to
motion picture exhibitors during
CineAsia 2017 in Hong Kong.
The GDC Cinema
Automation 2.0 (CA2.0) is the
first-ever centralized system
to provide comprehensive
automated management of
content storage and playback,
show scheduling, power
supply and screening quality.
GDC Cinema Automation
2.0 incorporates the SCL-
2000 Centralized Storage
Playback Solution, an integrated
centralized storage and playback
system designed to streamline
content management.
GDC Technology Limited
also announced that cinemas’
global adoption of its SX-
4000 immersive sound media
server with a built-in DTS:X ®
decoder, and the XSP-1000
cinema processor (the GDC
Immersive Sound Solution),
continues to expand. The GDC
Immersive Sound Solution has
been installed, or committed
to installing, in more than 750
screens worldwide. Within
the Asia-Pacific region, China
has the highest growth rate of
DTS:X installations, increasing
the number of screens by 39%
in 2017.
NCM TAPS BARRY
FOR SALES POST
John Barry joined National
CineMedia (NCM) as senior
VP, sales planning, inventory
and analysis, based in NCM’s
New York office. He will report
to Adam Johnson, senior VP,
operations and planning.
Prior to joining NCM, Barry
held various senior leadership
positions over 18 years at
Discovery Communications,
most recently serving as senior
VP, advertising sales, driving
revenue across all brands with
primary responsibility for TLC,
Discovery Fit and Health, and the
HUB Networks.
SCREENX REACHES
128 LOCATIONS
ScreenX, the multi-projection
system that provides a
270-degree panoramic film viewing
experience within a theatre
setting, reported a successful
2017 in terms of attendance
and expansion. ScreenX has
more than doubled its number
of worldwide locations to 128
screens as of December 2017.
Also in 2017, 10 titles were
screened in ScreenX, more than
double the number from 2015.
EMAGINE DEBUTS
SUPER EMAX
Emagine Entertainment,
Inc. debuted the largest movie
screen in the state of Michigan,
Emagine’s Super EMAX, located
exclusively at its Novi location.
The official ribbon-cutting took
place on Dec. 15, followed by
the first showing of Star Wars:
The Last Jedi.
Emagine’s theatre in Novi
was the company’s first foray
into metropolitan Detroit,
opening in October 2002. Its
ownership has invested over
$5 million to renovate and refresh
the theatre throughout,
including the introduction of the
new Super EMAX screen. The
venue’s revitalization includes
1,400 powered reclining chairs
separated by seven feet of row
spacing, sightlines that have been
computer-modeled to ensure
every seat in the venue has ideal
views, upscale décor throughout,
an enlarged “E-Bar” sitdown
bar, new restrooms, new
ticketing counters, soft seating
areas, and a new concession
menu featuring expanded food
choices.
Emagine’s Super EMAX was
created by combining two smaller
auditoriums and expanding the
overall building footprint. The
screen measures 92 feet wide by
over 48 feet tall and is only comparable
nationwide to the TCL
Chinese Theatre IMAX ® in Hollywood,
according to the circuit.
The Super EMAX also
introduces another innovation
to the Michigan market: Christie
4K RGB laser imagery. It is
paired with a 64-channel Dolby
Atmos ® immersive audio system
and further enhanced with a
QSC Core 110f, a multipurpose
software-based digital audio
signal processor.
REGAL SALUTED
FOR DIVERSITY
Regal Entertainment Group,
one of the largest theatre circuits
in the U.S., has been recognized
by Great Place to Work
and Fortune as one of the 2017
“Best Workplaces for Diversity.”
This prestigious recognition
is determined by more than
440,000 employee surveys from
thousands of organizations in
various industries, and applauds
corporate practices and opportunities
including professional
development, innovation, leadership
confidence and consistent
treatment among employees of
different backgrounds.
“We are honored to be
recognized by these prestigious
organizations, and are proud of
our fantastic team at Regal,” said
Randy Smith, chief administrative
officer and counsel at Regal
Entertainment Group. “Regal
works hard to ensure equal
opportunity throughout the
organization, and to facilitate
important conversations about
inclusiveness in the workplace.
Everyone brings something different
to the table, and we will
continue to foster a company
culture of inclusion.”
VISTA UNVEILS
CINEMA MANAGER
At CineAsia 2017, Vista Entertainment
Solutions (aka Vista
Cinema) introduced Cinema
Manager, a browser-based application
that enhances box-office
and concessions sales activities
and frees cinema personnel from
the back office.
“Cinema Manager, which will
start rolling out in early 2018,
was designed with a user-first
approach from the ground up,”
says Kimbal Riley, CEO of Vista
Cinema. “We spent a lot of time
researching how managers really
worked, so that the tasks
they complete in the application
better match their operational
goals. It’s a browser-based application,
so it is accessible on a
range of devices, and utilizes a
contemporary user interface design
that is more intuitive, easier
to learn and faster to complete
day-to-day tasks.”
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FILM CO. NEWS
AMAZON STUDIOS
The Theory of Everything
co-stars Felicity Jones and
Eddie Redmayne are in talks to
reteam for Amazon Studios’
The Aeronauts. Directed by Tom
Harper (“War & Peace,” “Peaky
Blinders”), the film tells the true
story of 19th-century hot-air
balloonists Amelia Wren and
James Glaisher. Jack Thorne
(Wonder) wrote the script.
FOCUS FEATURES
Focus Features acquired
worldwide rights to Won’t You Be
My Neighbor?, Morgan Neville’s
documentary about Fred (aka
“Mister”) Rogers. Neville previously
directed the acclaimed
docs 20 Feet from Stardom, Best of
Enemies: Buckley vs. Vidal and The
Music of Strangers. Won’t You Be
My Neighbor? is set to hit theatres
on June 8, 2018.
KINO LORBER
Kino Lorber acquired U.S.
rights to Like Me, writer-director
Robert Mockler’s thriller about
social-media obsession. Addison
Timlin (Little Sister) stars as Kiya,
a teenage girl who broadcasts
a crime spree on social media.
Kino Lorber will release the film
theatrically in January 2018, to
be followed by a VOD release in
March.
LIONSGATE
Andy Serkis has joined
the cast of Lionsgate comedy
Flarsky, about a journalist (Seth
Rogen) who tries to strike up a
relationship with his childhood
crush/former babysitter (Charlize
Theron), who just so happens
to be the Secretary of State.
Flarsky is written and directed
by Jonathan Levine, who worked
with Rogen on the 2011 comedy
50/50. Lionsgate will release the
film on Feb. 8, 2019.
2017’s Top-Grossing Films Worldwide
1. Beauty and the Beast ($1.26 billion)
2. The Fate of the Furious ($1.23 billion)
3. Despicable Me 3* ($1.03 billion)
4. Spider-Man: Homecoming ($880.2 million)
5. Wolf Warrior 2 ($870.3 million)
6. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ($863.6 million)
7. Thor: Ragnarok* ($842 million)
8. Wonder Woman ($821.9 million)
9. Pirates of the Caribbean:
Dead Men Tell No Tales ($794.9 million)
10. It ($697.6 million)
11. Justice League* ($636 million)
12. Logan ($616.8 million)
13. Transformers: The Last Knight ($605.4 million)
14. Kong: Skull Island ($566.7 million)
15. Dunkirk ($525.2 million)
16. The Boss Baby ($498.9 million)
17. War for the Planet of the Apes ($490.7 million)
18. Star Wars: The Last Jedi* ($450.8 million)
19. Coco* ($450.7 million)
20. The Mummy ($409.8 million)
Data compiled as of December 18. Asterisk
indicates movie is still in theatres as of press time.
NETFLIX
We have a cast list for the
next film from writer-director
Noah Baumbach, and not much
else. Here goes: Adam Driver,
Laura Dern, Scarlett Johansson,
Merritt Wever and Ozzie
Robinson. Like Baumbach’s
latest, The Meyerowitz Stories,
this new film will be financed and
distributed by Netflix.
PARAMOUNT
The filmmaking duo of Benny
and Josh Safdie are heading to
Paramount division Paramount
Players for a remake of buddycop
actioner 48 Hrs. The Safdies
will direct, with Josh co-writing
the script with Ronald Bronstein;
the trio previously collaborated
on 2017’s Good Time.
SONY
Call Me By Your Name
director Luca Guadagnino is
moving on from sun-dappled Italy
to 19th-century Iceland for Burial
Rites. Jennifer Lawrence will star
in Guadagnino’s adaptation of
Hannah Kent’s 2013 novel, about
the last woman to be publically
executed in Iceland. In addition
to starring, Lawrence will
produce the film, which is being
released through Sony subsidiary
TriStar. Other upcoming
Guadagnino projects include a
remake of Suspiria and a sequel to
Call Me By Your Name.
20TH CENTURY FOX
Another one bites the dust.
Another director of Queen
biopic Bohemian Rhapsody,
starring Rami Malek as Freddie
Mercury, that is. Midway
through filming, director Bryan
Singer was fired, with Eddie
the Eagle’s director Dexter
Fletcher stepping into the
breach. According to Fox, Singer
was fired as a result of him just
up and disappearing from set,
which is something the director
reportedly has a history of
doing. Singer’s story is that Fox
refused to let him take time off
to be with a sick parent. Either
way, the film is still slated for a
Christmas 2018 release.
Kerry Washington and
Rashida Jones are teaming up for
20th Century Fox’s Goldie Vance,
based on the acclaimed graphic
novel series by Hope Larson and
Britney Williams. Published by
BOOM! Studios, Goldie Vance
tells the story of a teenage
girl whose dream of being a
detective lands her in hot water
with an international crime ring.
Washington will produce through
her Simpson Street banner, with
Jones writing and directing.
Fox has optioned the
rights to John Green’s youngadult
novel Turtles All the Way
Down, about a teenage girl with
OCD who tries to unravel the
mystery of a missing billionaire.
Fox previously adapted two of
Green’s other novels, The Fault In
Our Stars and Paper Towns. A cast,
director and writers have yet to
be chosen.
Kenneth Branagh’s Murder
on the Orient Express was a bit
hit-or-miss. After failing to catch
on with critics, it made less than
$100 million stateside but still
managed to pull in $200 million
internationally. Considering its
$55 million budget, that’s enough
for Fox, which has green-lit an
adaptation of Agatha Christie’s
Death on the Nile as a followup.
Michael Green, who wrote
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Murder on the Orient Express, is
returning for Death. It’s assumed
that Kenneth Branagh (and his
moustache) will be back to direct
and star as famed detective
Hercule Poirot, though no deal
has yet been confirmed.
UNIVERSAL
Universal has beat out
several other studios to acquire
the rights to Long Way Down,
Jason Reynolds’ novel about a
young man who must decide
whether to kill the person
who took his brother’s life.
No director, writers or stars
have yet been attached; Michael
De Luca (The Social Network)
and musician John Legend will
produce through their respective
banners.
WALT DISNEY
Chinese actress Liu Yifei,
also known as Crystal Liu, has
landed the coveted role of Mulan
in Disney’s live-action remake
of their 1998 animated hit. Niki
Caro (Whale Rider) will direct
the film, about a young woman
who impersonates a man so
she can infiltrate the army and
save her father. Liu is a massive
star in her native China, where
her credits include Once Upon a
Time, The Forbidden Kingdom and
The Assassins.
WARNER BROS.
Following the shuttering
of Broad Green Pictures’
production division, the studio’s
legal drama Just Mercy has
officially moved over to Warner
Bros. Destin Cretton (Short
Term 12) is set to direct and
co-write the film, based on the
true story of a lawyer (Michael
B. Jordan) who founded an
initiative designed to defend the
poor and wrongfully accused.
The film will reportedly begin
shooting in early 2018.
INDEPENDENT
Having tried his hand quite
successfully at the superhero
genre with the two Guardians of
the Galaxy films, James Gunn is returning
to his horror roots. Gunn
will produce an untitled horror
project for The H Collective, with
Brian and Mark Gunn writing the
script. In addition to directing the
two Guardians films, Gunn recently
co-wrote and co-produced Greg
McLean’s The Belko Experiment.
Girls Trip breakout Tiffany
Haddish has joined the cast of The
Oath, a satirical social thriller written
and directed by Ike Barinholtz
(“The Mindy Project”). Barinholtz
will also co-star, along with John
Cho, Carrie Brownstein and Billy
Magnussen. The film, set in a world
where American citizens have
to take an oath of loyalty, will be
executive produced by Haddish.
Lucas Hedges, Julia Roberts
and Courtney B. Vance are set to
star in Ben Is Back, written and
directed by Pieces of April’s Peter
Hedges. Lucas, the director’s
Oscar-nominated son, will play
Ben, a troubled young man who
ventures home for the holidays,
forcing his mother (Roberts) and
stepfather (Vance) to try to keep
their family out of danger.
Oscar winner Mahershala Ali
(Moonlight) and Viggo Mortensen
star in Participant Media’s Green
Book, based on the true story
of an Italian-American bouncer
(Mortensen) hired to chauffeur
a world-class jazz pianist (Ali)
through the Deep South in the
1960s. Peter Farrelly will direct a
script co-written by himself, Brian
Hayes Currie and Nick Vallelonga.
Linda Cardellini co-stars.
Noah Buschel, director of Glass
Chin and The Phenom, is heading
back in time to the 1960s for The
Man in the Woods. Marin Ireland,
Jane Alexander, Sam Waterston,
Jack Kilmer and Odessa Young
star in the Pennsylvania-set thriller,
about a group who confront the
mysteries of their community while
searching for a missing girl.
Pikachu Catches Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds has signed on to play the titular character
in Legendary and Universal’s Detective Pikachu, a live-action
Pokémon movie from director Rob Letterman. If you’re familiar
with Pokémon, you’ll know that Pikachu is a little yellow furry
creature, so presumably we’re looking at some sort of CGI/liveaction
hybrid. (Also, Pikachu doesn’t really talk. Basically, there
are a lot of questions here.) Justice Smith (Jurassic World: Fallen
Kingdom) and Kathryn Newton (“Big Little Lies”) co-star.
James Mangold Eyes Patty Heart
Director James Mangold has decided on his follow-up to the
critically and commercially successful superhero flick Logan: a
Fox adaptation of Jeffrey Toobin’s best-selling book American
Heiress. Mangold’s film will not share its name with that book
but will tackle the same subject matter, namely the case of
kidnap victim-turned-radical Patty Hearst. Elle Fanning is in talks
to play the famous heiress.
Quentin Tarantino Boards Star Trek
Well, this one is…unexpected. Quentin Tarantino has a Star Trek
movie in the works, and yes, it will be R-rated. Tarantino and
J.J. Abrams are reportedly in the process of putting together
a writers’ room for the film. This is a separate Trek from the
one Paramount already has in the works, the unnamed fourth
installment in the rebooted series that began with Abrams’
Star Trek in 2009. That film has yet to sign a director, though it
is reported that Chris Hemsworth—who played Kirk’s dear
departed dad in the first film—will be returning.
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CONCESSIONS
TRENDS
VALUE PROPOSITIONS
Sizing Up Refillable
Popcorn Tubs and Drink Cups
by Larry Etter, Concessions Editor
In an era of expanding concession items, heartier
menus remain one of the biggest challenges to
convincing theatre patrons that concession
snacks are a good value. One means of
creating a value proposition is offering
refillable vessels. Some cinemas chains have
toyed with the idea of creating a value
proposition of annual refillable vessels, such
as popcorn tubs. Purchase the large bucket
for a higher price and receive unlimited
refills for the remaining calendar year. The
question is: How do theatre operators
make this work? Is the aim to build higher
per-capita sales? Is the aim to create a
loyalty program that invites patrons back
to the concession stand for added value? Is
the promotion aimed at making the consumer
visit the concession stand working?
All of these considerations lead to the
concept of value proposition. “I will spend more
today, but my total concession purchases for the
extended period of a year will be less” is the predominant
viewpoint of the participants in these programs.
Many theatre owners offer a refillable vessel, whether it
be for beverages or popcorn, as an incentive to buy into the
snack options at the concession stand. Nearly all proprietors
that use this system tend to add the combo effect to
this application. The overall intent is to meet or exceed
customers’ expectations about the theatre experience.
Some theatre circuits have implemented the ultimate
value system by promoting the “annual popcorn tub
purchase.” The customer is able to buy a popcorn tub at a
higher price than a large popcorn and they get refills at a
huge discount for the remaining visits thoughout the year.
Example: Purchase the 170-oz. large plastic vessel for $20
and get it refilled on any return visit for $2. In comparison,
a typical 170-oz. tub might sell for $8 on a single visit. The
patron may see the first purchase as “sticker shock,” yet they
believe that as a regular moviegoer and popcorn connoisseur
this will make sense and make for a real savings with multiple
visits to the theatre.
Wally Helton, VP of merchandising and promotions for
Cinemark USA, has extensive experience in this arena of
value offerings and is considered by his peers an expert on
the subject. “I started selling refillable popcorn containers
and drink cups in 2000 at United Artists Theatre Circuit and
have sold them at Cinemark since 2009,” he notes. “This
was just an early version of a loyalty program. Once the
guest buys the vessel at your theatre, they need to return to
your theatre in order to use them. Then our guests enjoy a
discounted price for the rest of the year.” This mechanism
of refillable tubs serves a win/win proposition for guests and
theatre operators.
Neely Schiefelbein, VP of sales at Cinema Scene, reports
that the success of the refillable tub has led to many more
circuits employing this strategy. “We’ve seen many customers
adopt the refillable tub concept. Some do it with 85-ounce or
130-ounce, while others use larger sizes like the 170-ounce
and 190-ounce. While it’s been done in many different ways—
standalone purchase, paired with combos, etc.—it’s proven
successful at many circuits across the country. People like the
idea of saving money on return visits. And loyal customers will
buy into this type of promotion knowing they will be back to
their favorite theatre with the incentive of a deal!”
The theatre owner should proceed
with caution, as there are outside
complications to this promotion.
First, after the initial sale of popcorn
in what is typically a plastic tub, how
sanitary is the vessel? Has the patron
kept the tub in the trunk of their car
and do they pull it out on their return
visit to the theatre? Does the local
health department require certain
administration to insure sanitary
conditions for repeat uses of the food
vessels? While the idea of extra value
by buying a refillable vessel has merit,
is the theatre operator aware of the
health risk that they will inherit when
offering such promotions?
In similar conditions, theatre owners are
offering a collector cup for beverages. In many
cases, these cups highlight a particular franchise
film or even the company brand. These vessels are great—
they commit the patron to the brand. Sometimes the drink
vessel has a long-term refillable option—i.e., all-year refills at
one dollar, or sometimes free refills on the day of purchase.
Here is the issue: What if the patron buys the specialty
drink cup on Tuesday, then returns on Saturday with the
same cup and asks for a “free refill” when in fact he/she did
not purchase anything that day on that visit? How does the
concession cashier know the difference? That is why some
suggest a limited-time-only “collector cup” selling out after
100 hours of operation; this way, the concessionaires know
the vessel was not sold on that particular day.
The other option that is emerging is the collectible
popcorn tin. The graphics are incredible. The stability of a
metal vessel is longer than the plastic competitor. The metal
vessel also serves as a multi-use container for the purchaser
after the consumption of the popcorn snack. Patrons can use
the popcorn tins for their home use when popping microwave
popcorn and watching TV sitcoms. The tins themselves are
more expensive, yet theatre operators should understand this
type of retail effect allows the movie lover to attach themselves
to the franchise film. They can take ownership in the movie and
it becomes a reminder of their movie experience, encouraging
repeat visits to the cinema for more “take home” memories.
Larry Etter is senior vice president at Malco Theatres
and director of education at the National Association
of Concessionaires.
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This month, we remember a legend of the concession
industry, Frank Liberto. Frank passed away in early
November from a lingering illness, and the concession
industry lost “the King of Nachos.”
Frank lived his life with zest and vigor. He was a great
entrepreneur and a mentor to many of his colleagues and peers.
Of Italian decent, he credited his father for his discipline and
dedication to work. Everyone who met Frank has a story to tell,
since he was always willing to give advice and consultation for the
betterment of their lives. While his father, Enrico, and grandfather,
Rosario, were the founders of the family business, Liberto
Specialty Company, and gave him guidance and direction, no one
could have taught Frank the devotion and keenness he had for the
concession industry.
Frank himself founded Ricos Products in 1977. He was a
leader at NAC and served as a regional vice president of NAC for
over 20 years, creating many a concession seminar and educational
program for the people of Texas and the Southeast. He will always
be remembered for wearing his yellow ascot cap with the red
Ricos logo.
Frank was a third-generation leader of Liberto Specialty
Company. He is also credited with inventing concession nachos,
which were unveiled at Texas Arlington Stadium in 1976. While
the family business focused on distribution of food items and
concession equipment, he had an entrepreneurial spirit that led
him to add to the snack offerings at the concession stand. His first
attempt was when he approached the stadium food and beverage
manager at Arlington Baseball Stadium, suggesting he give nacho
cheese with tortilla chips a chance. The manager was reluctant,
but Frank would not take no for an answer and delivered 35 cases
of canned cheese to the stadium anyway. Legend has it that the
stadium sold all 35 cases in one day and the manager called Frank
asking why he didn’t deliver more cases. Frank said he responded
with an expletive, stating, “I told you it was a winner.” Nachos
as we know them today were born from that “Never take no”
attitude. That was Frank Liberto: strong, dogged and persistent
until he got his way.
“Our father, Frank Liberto was a man of integrity,” Ricos
president and CEO Tony Liberto asserts. “He led our company
with an entrepreneur spirit and a passion that had an impact on
his employees, customers, business associates and friends.” Frank
could hold an audience by telling stories and anecdotes about
his early days in sales. He oftentimes had a raw way of discussing
matters, but nevertheless you knew Frank was filled with ardor for
the business. He was driven by a desire to succeed.
A driving force of the National Association of Concessionaires,
as president and board member, Frank never gave up on the idea
of helping young prodigies in the industry. He often took the lead
in creating educational forums that protected the integrity of the
industry and assisted in networking efforts for young managers.
He consistently sponsored NAC events, regional meetings and the
national convention. He contributed countless dollars to offset
the cost of scholastic programs. In 1997, he was awarded the Bert
PEOPLE
REMEMBERING FRANK LIBERTO
A Look Back at the Life
of ‘the King of Nachos’
Nathan Award by NAC, recognizing him for his contributions to
the concession channel of business. He remains one of just three
honorary lifetime board members at NAC.
Liberto received many awards and accolades over the course
of his life. He was charitable both at work and in the community.
He was presented the 1988 Distinguished Alumni Award from
St. Mary’s University and in 1994 was named one of the South
Texas Entrepreneurs of the Year, while Ricos Products was named
the Texas Family Business of the Year by the Hankamer School
of Business at Baylor University. 2005 saw Ricos named a Top
20 private business in San Antonio, Texas by San Antonio Success
magazine.
Frank Liberto advocated for many local and national
organizations in the fields of education, health and human services,
the arts, the military and multiple political organizations as a
donor and supporter. He served with the Knights of Columbus,
the Oblate School of Theology and the Juvenile Diabetes Research
Foundation, just to name a few. He truly gave back to society as
much as society gave to him.
Frank was the kind of guy you always wanted to meet, offering
a huge smile, barrel laugh and great stories. If you worked for
Frank, beware: He was driven, competitive and never accepted
less than perfection. Yet nearly every person who was under his
employ has gone on to excel in business. “Some of my fondest
memories and lessons learned came from Frank Liberto,” states
Charles Gomez, VP of specialty markets at Ricos. “Outside of my
parents, he was the biggest influence in my life. He gave me a work
home when I desperately needed one and was always supportive
of my efforts. He was a pioneer in the concession industry and
instilled in me the value of treating people well. Frank enjoyed life
and we will all miss him.”
Anita Watts Largent, an early hire in sales for Ricos, fondly
recalls her relationship with Frank at Ricos and his personality
that required everyone on his staff to have the same commitment
and resolute attitude. “I was very lucky to work with Frank at
the beginning of my career and he gave me an extraordinary
opportunity to hang myself or fly, and I will always appreciate
it. There were times when I could just strangle him, and other
times when we would drink a scotch and I realized what an
amazing life he had lived. In the end, we should all hope to have as
much living in our story as Frank Liberto,” Anita recalls.
The reality is that Frank Liberto treated everyone the
same. He was not particular in his expectations, nor biased—he
expected everyone to have the same dedication and devotion to
the business, regardless of status, position or relationship. This is
what made him a leader and a success. “That’s our Frank” was a
common phrase among his peers. No one could deny his love for
the concession business or his appreciation of what could be.
Frank Liberto will always be remembered as the father of
nachos, a global empire he built. Those of us who knew Frank
intimately will remember him as a friend and symbol of the
concession channel. A promoter, for better or worse, he loved his
family, his business and his friends.
—Larry Etter
CONCESSIONS
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ASK THE AUDIENCE
A Collaboration Between
ASK THE AUDIENCE is a monthly feature from Film Journal International and National CineMedia (NCM) that allows you to ask
an audience of 5,000 frequent moviegoers, known as the Behind the Screens panel, the pressing questions of our industry.
Decisions, decisions. At every turn,
moviegoers are given options.
What movie? What time? What
concessions will they buy? Where will they
sit? But to you, the theatre owners, the one
that matters the most is one of the first the
customer will make – which theatre should
they go to? Landmark Cinemas wanted to
take a closer look at the thought process
behind that question, so we set out to find
what factors customers weigh most heavily
while they decide which movie theatre to
visit. We asked the audience.
Let’s start with the obvious: location. 68%
of the Behind the Screens panelists say that
they typically frequent one to two theatres
based on proximity. The average distance
they travel to get to the theatre is 9.3 miles,
though 41% said they travel 5 miles or less.
Outside of location, the cleanliness of the
theatre was the number one factor
customers considered when choosing
between multiple theatres, with 89%
saying it was somewhat to very important.
Showtimes took the next slot, with 86%
saying convenience in their schedule played
a big role in their decision. 74% also pointed
to the ticket cost and loyalty program
rewards as major factors.
We also asked our panelists what
improvements, besides lowering prices,
their local theatre could make that might
help push them past the competition.
Common answers included cleaner theatres,
adding luxury and reserved seating if not
already available, friendlier employees,
better loyalty perks, and higher quality
food at concessions. For example, one
panelist wrote that they’d like to see more
concessions specials like a “deal of
the week”… or “candy of the month that
you can add to your purchase for a nominal
amount.” People also seemed interested in
special events, such as “theme nights with
unique snacks and retro movies” or “special
promotions for the local community.”
Loyalty rewards were also popular in the
comments, including “cool perks like giving
out free posters” or “rewarding their best
customers with discounts or coupons.”
So, the moral of the story? Customers
appreciate convenience, a high-quality
experience, and a good deal. Do your best
to keep your theatre clean, consider ways to
make your customers feel like their ticket or
concessions purchase is a better value than
your competitors, and use loyalty reward
programs to keep customers coming back
for more. Before long, you’ll be making your
customers’ decision an easy one.
MOST important
4.39 4.34 4.11 4.02 3.87 3.77 3.55 2.73
LEAST important
Cleanliness
of Theatre
Convenient
Showtimes
Cost of
Ticket
Loyalty
Program Rewards
Type of
Seating
Promotions/
Deals
Cost of
Concessions
Special
Events
Women were 13% more likely than men to
consider the cost of the ticket “Very Important.”
Millennials valued special events the most,
with 32% considering it an important factor.
Parents with children 15.
To submit a question, email AskTheAudience@ncm.com with your name, company, contact information,
and what you would like to ask the Behind the Screens panel.
14 2 FILMJOURNAL.COM / JULY 2017 / JANUARY 2018
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Post
by John Hiscock
When Steven Spielberg
comes across
a script he thinks
is so timely it needs his
immediate attention, he
does not hesitate: He drops
whatever he is doing to start
work right away on the new
project.
That is what happened
with 20th Century Fox’s
The Post, which recounts The
Washington Post’s handling
of the Pentagon Papers
drama of 1971, centering on
such issues as press freedom
and gender equality.
The spec script from Liz
Hannah was passed to him
by producer Amy Pascal
while he was working on the
Warner Bros. thriller Ready
Player One.
“When I read the first
draft, I couldn’t believe the
timing,” he says during a talk
at the Four Seasons hotel in
Beverly Hills. “I knew the issues
and answers in this story
needed to be told at once and
not wait two or three years.
I need a motivational reason
to make any movie and this
was a story I felt we had to
tell today.”
The Post focuses on the
unlikely partnership between
the newspaper’s
Katharine Graham (Meryl
Streep), the first female
publisher of a major American
newspaper, and editor
Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks)
as they wrestle to publish
the Pentagon Papers, a suppressed
analysis of the government’s
mishandling of
the Vietnam War spanning
decades.
Most of the action takes
place over just a few days,
with the drama stemming
from the Nixon administration’s
efforts to stop the
Post and The New York Times
from printing top-secret
information about the war.
The script’s topicality in this
era of “fake news” and journalists
being banned from
White House briefings resonated
with Spielberg, who
rushed it into production.
He called on a who’s-who
of film, television and theatre
actors to fill out his cast.
Joining Hanks and Streep are
Alison Brie, Carrie Coon,
David Cross, Bruce Greenwood,
Tracy Letts, Bob
Odenkirk, Jesse Plemons,
Matthew Rhys, Michael
Stuhlbarg and Bradley Whitford,
among others
“I certainly hope that
our movie makes people
aware of the kind of effort
that goes into searching for
and seeking and printing
the truth,” Spielberg declares.
“Print is becoming
an antiquity and everything
today is digital, but the
truth is never going to be an
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Mortem
Meryl Streep (as Washington
Post publisher Katharine
Graham) and Tom Hanks
(as Post editor Ben Bradlee)
star in The Post, directed
by Steven Spielberg, shown
on set with the actors,
above left.)
Photos: Niko Tavernise © 2017 20th Century Fox and Storyteller Distribution Co. LLC. Aall rights reserved.
Streep, Hanks and Spielberg team up
for drama based on The Washington Post’s
friendly rivalry with The New York Times
to publish the explosive Pentagon Papers
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antiquity and is never going to
go out of style.”
Surprisingly, Hanks and
Streep had never previously
worked together, although The
Post is Spielberg’s fifth collaboration
with Hanks and he has
known Streep socially for many
years. “I have always wanted to
work with her, but she was the
wrong type for War Horse,” he
jokes. “And I couldn’t find a role
for her in Lincoln. But I knew
Katharine Graham and when
this project came to me I felt
there was nobody on the face
of the Earth that could play her
better than Meryl Streep.”
When I spoke with Streep,
she told me, “I’d never worked
with Steven Spielberg before
and he’s such an amazing filmmaker.
I’ve never, ever worked
with anyone who has a more intuitive
feel for how to construct
a visual narrative. It was so exciting
to go to work.
“He doesn’t rehearse, so that
was completely terrifying and
destabilizing for me. But Tom
knew that, so Tom was always
ready and it made me step up
my game, too. It was a joyous
experience.”
“So finally Meryl Streep
and Tom Hanks had a chance
to make a film together,” says
Spielberg with satisfaction.
“And I am just so pleased that
I got to be the director of the
debut of those two great actors
onscreen together.”
Katharine Graham became
the Post publisher by accident
when her husband, who had
been left the newspaper by her
father, died suddenly and it fell
to her to take it over.
She did so, showing strength
and determination, factors
Spielberg has always admired in
women. “I have had a lot of female
co-workers, as you know,”
he notes. “I have had companies
run by women, starting with
Kathleen Kennedy, who ran
Amblin for me for many, many
years, and then transitioning
with Laurie MacDonald with
Walter Parkes, who ran Dream-
Works for about 12 years, and
then Stacey Snider, who ran
DreamWorks for the next seven
years. And I am probably looking
for a woman to run this new
iteration of Amblin Partners
right now, because I am not going
to be doing this job for the
rest of my life.
“I had a very strong mother
who was more of a friend to
me than a primary caregiver
and I learned so much from
her about managing relationships,
especially managing difficult
personalities. I just find
that women are better attuned
to creating a kind of ambiance
and I think I am better working
in that kind of culture than I
am just working surrounded by
guys all day long, like I was on
Saving Private Ryan for three
months.”
Steven Spielberg is smartly
dressed in a suit, collar and tie
and he is thoughtful and unassuming,
answering questions
willingly. Critics have often
taken issue with the sentimentality
and emotional manipulation
they feel permeates some of
his movies, but he is one of the
Western world’s most famous
and successful filmmakers, with
enduring hits like Jaws, E.T.,
Close Encounters of the Third
Kind, Jurassic Park, Saving Private
Ryan and Lincoln to his
credit.
The man who has accumulated
three Oscars, three
Golden Globes, four Emmys
and another 180 awards knew
from the time he saw his first
movie, Cecil B. DeMille’s The
Greatest Show on Earth in 1952,
exactly what he wanted to do
with his life.
“I was making movies in
the house and blowing things
up in the kitchen and putting
fake blood stains on the walls
and ceiling and blowing up the
backyard with cherry bombs
and firecrackers,” he recalls.
“Fortunately, I had very liberal
parents who somehow let me
get away with it.”
He made his first home
movie when he was 12 and created
his first feature film at 16,
a two-hour science-fiction adventure,
Firelight. He applied
for admission to USC Film
School but was rejected three
separate times. Instead, he went
to Long Beach State, but ended
up dropping out before he got
his degree.
“Had I gone to USC, I
might have been holding lights
for George Lucas instead of directing,”
he laughs. “So maybe it
was good that I went someplace
without any competition.”
Then, at the age of 23, on
the basis of a 24-minute short
called Amblin which was shown
at the Atlanta Film Festival, he
was signed by Universal, where
he directed episodes of “Night
Gallery” and “Columbo” before
making the TV movie Duel,
followed by his first feature,
The Sugarland Express, and his
breakthrough, Jaws.
At the same time, his fellow
would-be filmmakers, Francis
Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese,
George Lucas and Brian De
Palma, were also beginning to
make waves in the film industry.
They have all remained friends
for more than 50 years.
“We just wanted to make
movies and tell stories, but we
didn’t think anybody would let
us do it,” Spielberg recalls with
a smile. “Francis was the first
success when he broke through
with You’re a Big Boy Now and
then The Godfather. And then
he became our godfather, giving
us the encouragement to
keep making those 16mm films
and to not give up when people
tell you no, but just find another
door that will be unlocked
for you.
“Francis was a real mentor
for all of us, but we never expected
to succeed the way that
we did. If we could have simply
continued to tell stories on film,
we would have been satisfied for
the rest of our lives. We weren’t
expecting any of this and it’s the
last thing that we ever thought
would have happened to us. But
the most amazing thing is that
we have stayed friends and collaborators
and mentors for each
other, ever since Marty and I
met in 1967 and George and
I met in 1968 and Brian and
I met in 1968. It all happened
a long time ago, but we stayed
together.”
Since those early days he
has seen many changes in the
world of filmmaking and marketing
and he is intrigued by the
opening up of the Asian market
for movies. “The Asian market
has very, very hungry people
who are looking for entertainment
of all kinds and not just
tentpole, Marvel-type movies,
but movies of substance and
movies about something real.
Those markets have opened up
beyond anything I could have
imagined 20 years ago. China,
Asia and Korea have an incredible
hunger and thirst for good
entertainment. So the market
just gives us more people to
show our movies to.”
He is also monitoring the
growth of virtual reality and sees
it as something for the future. “I
don’t know when it’s really going
to take hold and explode,”
he says. “But the most shocking
thing about virtual reality is
when you finish the experience
and you take off the goggles and
you are back where you started,
you would rather be in the
goggles again. That is the most
amazing thing about it—the
shock is coming back to real life
as opposed to getting lost in the
digital world.”
Spielberg is currently busy
with promotional duties for
The Post, but when they are finished
he has a daunting list of
projects awaiting him. He has
almost finished Ready Player
One, is preparing The Kidnapping
of Edgardo Mortara, and
will produce and direct the next
Indiana Jones film. Then there’s
a potential remake of West Side
Story for which he has secured
the rights after trying to get
them 15 years ago.
For his future projects he
will once again be using the
same collaborators he is intensely
loyal to: editor Michael
Kahn, cinematographer Janusz
Kaminski and composer John
Williams.
“I have been blessed with
some amazing collaborations
18 FILMJOURNAL.COM / JANUARY 2018
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throughout my career and I
stick with the same people my
whole life,” Spielberg notes.
“Michael Kahn has cut every
single movie I have directed
since Close Encounters and
John Williams has composed
just about every score, including
The Post. And Janusz Kaminski
and I have now worked
together since 1993 and
Schindler’s List.
“I found him because I was
watching television one night—
you can profit from watching
TV if you are in my business—
and there was a TV movie on
that Diane Keaton had directed
called Wildflower that Janusz
photographed. And that was the
beginning of our relationship. I
hired him to do Schindler’s List
based on this television movie
he shot with Diane Keaton.
“I have worked with some
great cinematographers in the
past, Vilmos Zsigmond and
Allen Daviau and Mikael Salomon,
but I have never, ever
had the experience of working
with someone who has also
become one of my best friends.
Janusz just finds a different
way of telling a story with light
and I leave that to him. He decides
the color temperature the
film should be, and I remember
when we made Lincoln he
found this amazing color temperature,
so even though it was
in color, it looked like it was in
black-and-white, because there
were no light bulbs in 1865,
and so the film was relatively
dark. That was a real risk that
Janusz and I took, but that was
Janusz’s idea.”
In preparing for his movies,
Spielberg differentiates between
those that need his imagination
and those that require detailed
research. “A film which is just
entertainment depends on my
imagination to supply it with
all of its needs, and a film that is
historical fiction or completely
true is a film that requires less
imagination and a lot of research
and fact-checking and
confirmation of those facts,” he
explains. “So when I did Lincoln
and now with The Post, I probably,
with Josh Singer and Liz
Hannah the writers, did more
research to confirm that everything
that we were putting
in the story actually happened.
So my imagination would be
a hindrance to something like
The Post. I mean, I still have an
imagination with a historical
drama based on the pacing and
the timing and where the camera
goes and how I can more
dramatically tell the story. But
the facts are the facts, and in a
sense I had to become a journalist
to be able to tell the story in
the right way.”
In the past, Spielberg would
take years off at a time to be
with his wife of 26 years, actress
Kate Capshaw, and their seven
children—one by his previous
wife Amy Irving and two
from Capshaw’s previous marriage—whose
ages range from
21 to 40. “My family’s always
come first and in the past when
I didn’t make a movie for three
years, I was raising my kids,” he
says. But now that they have all
left home he has more time for
moviemaking. “As long as I have
good scripts, I’ll keep working,”
he asserts. “When I don’t have
them, I won’t work. It’s always
been that way.”
During his 55-year career,
Spielberg has produced more
than 160 movies and TV series
and directed 55 films, yet despite
his success and the stack
of awards he has accumulated,
he has retained a wide-eyed,
almost childlike enthusiasm for
his work.
“My body isn’t telling me
to slow down yet, and whenever
I find something new to do
I get excited and become like
a kid again,” he says. “For me,
the fountain of youth is an idea
or a story I have either come up
with myself or read somewhere
and I say, ‘I’ve got to tell that
story.’ That’s what keeps me
going and fuels my passion.
And I’m constantly grateful
that it does.”
IMAGINATION, INVENTION AND INNOVATION
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ALEXANDER
PAYNE
AND THE
LITTLE PEOPLE
by Daniel Eagan
An experimental miniaturization process that might ease overpopulation
is the jumping-off point for Paramount Pictures’
Downsizing. Starring Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Kristen
Wiig and Hong Chau, it’s the latest work from director, co-writer
and two-time Oscar winner Alexander Payne.
With its science-fiction elements, use of visual effects and
worldwide scope, Downsizing may not seem like an Alexander
Payne project on its surface. His last film, the intimate, black-andwhite
Nebraska, had a budget of $17 million and a shooting schedule
of 35 days.
Downsizing, on the other hand, took 80 days to shoot, and had
a budget of $70 million. It has 85 speaking parts and 750 effects
shots. Many scenes take place within a miniature world, but the
story also spreads out to Nebraska, New Mexico and Norway.
“When approaching this film, I had the fear, the concern
that the machinery of it, and perhaps commercial pressures given
its larger budget, could dilute its potency,” Payne says during a
promotional tour. “You can’t let the machinery of the effects mar
the quality of the acting. Or the intimacy of what’s being acted.”
The director singles out production designer Stefania Cella,
saying, “You can’t really talk about visual effects without simultane-
Kristen Wiig and Matt Damon play Audrey and Paul
Safranek, and Maribeth Monroe and Jason Sudeikis
play small people Carol and Dave Johnson, in Downsizing.
© 2017 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
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ously talking about production design. Because you want to build
as much as you can and can afford, and then use digital effects only
when you have to.”
Payne, who wrote the screenplay with his longtime collaborator
Jim Taylor, wanted Downsizing to be his next film after Sideways.
The team started writing the script over a decade ago, nurturing it
through a long development process until the project was approved
by Brad Grey at Paramount. (Grey passed away in May 2017.)
“We had an itching to have the kind of political and social
awareness that we had in Election and Citizen Ruth,” Payne says.
“We’re not overtly political filmmakers by any stretch, Jim and I.
But inasmuch as character enters the human arena often through
politics, that’s what we’re interested in.”
Payne sees Downsizing as a sort of culmination of his last six
films and their themes, with the return of actors like Laura Dern
and Phil Reeves.
“Downsizing very much related to my other films,” Payne
observes. “Almost disappointingly so. It would be nice to get away
from the Midwestern white male for a minute. The schnook from
Omaha going on some kind of journey of self discovery.”
The film follows Paul Safranek (Damon), an occupational therapist
at Omaha Steaks, who decides to undergo the miniaturization
procedure with his wife (Wiig). Complications set him on an entirely
different path, one involving genial Serbian smuggler Dusan
Mirkovic (Christoph Waltz) and a Vietnamese political dissident,
Ngoc Lan Tran (Hong Chau).
“One of the joys of making this film was finding and working
with Hong,” Payne says. She has earned supporting actress nominations
from the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild for a
performance that is by turns spellbinding and bitterly funny.
Often during Payne’s movies, the sense of watching a
constructed narrative is replaced by the feeling that real life is
unfolding before your eyes. Tran at one point describes a horrific
Alexander Payne and Director of Photography Phedon
Papamichael confer on the set of Downsizing.
THE DIRECTOR
OF ELECTION, SIDEWAYS
AND NEBRASKA TURNS
HIS SATIRIC GENIUS
ON THE SMALL-WORLD
MOVEMENT WITH
past—the loss of her home and family, imprisonment, a forced
miniaturization as political punishment, the amputation of her
leg—that has brought her face-to-face across a kitchen table with
Paul, Dusan, and Konrad (Udo Kier), a renegade sea captain.
Her eyes brimming with tears, Tran delivers a speech that stops
time, that pulls her three listeners, and viewers, out of themselves.
Rather than shooting the moment like a conversation with cutaways
and complementary angles, Payne and director of photography
Phedon Papamichael chose to film Chau centered in the
frame, the camera pulling in slowly on her face through the speech.
“That scene is one of the most extreme hairpin turns in the
narrative,” Payne says. “How to get this foursome to Norway, where
we wanted the story to go. It’s a little bit contrived, but we had to
© 2017 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
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sell it. Often when you shoot widescreen, you’re told not to center
things, put her slightly off, one side or the other. No, we put her
in the center, because she’s direct and moral, and it’s nice to center
people like that.
“And then she just does it. That’s it. She so understood the
dialogue, the screenplay, that it was supposed to be funny and have
pathos at the same time. I couldn’t do that, deliver a performance
like that with the camera and the lights and me and the cinematographer
all right in her face.”
Miniaturized people in Downsizing.
Speaking at this year’s Camerimage festival, Papamichael revealed
that he too was crying at the end of Chau’s speech, and that
there may have been tears in the eyes of Payne and the other actors
as well. Papamichael also marveled about the “efficiency” of Payne’s
shooting methods, how he could accomplish so much in one shot
that other coverage wouldn’t be necessary.
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Akira Kurosawa’s 1965 Red Beard, in which Toshiro Mifune
plays a doctor in a rural medical clinic, was one inspiration for
Downsizing. Payne also cites the movies of William Wyler, Orson
Welles and Anthony Mann, praising their use of visual space.
“I’m still working on classical filmmaking,” Payne says about
his style. “Performance is the most important thing. If I’ve got it,
what else do you need? I don’t want every film to have the same
visual style, but in general I try to shoot as few shots as possible,
and get as much in every shot, and cut only when we need to cut.
I shoot wider lenses, because I like to see the figures in space and
see the background. I like seeing man in space, and the connection
between the two.”
The director’s self-deprecating tone can obscure how expertly
he elicits award-worthy performances from veterans and relative
newcomers alike. “The midwifing part of directing,” he calls it.
“Allowing the space or freedom or conditions for that to come out.
That’s the main job of the director, I think. And not just with the
actors, but with the technicians, to foment their creativity and give
them the right environment. A performance like Hong’s requires a
lot of relaxation and focus on her part.
“When we make films, there’s almost no rehearsal. However,
each day of shooting is in a way a rehearsal for the entire rest of the
film because the actors are falling more into their characters and
being at ease with the technicians, with me, with the shooting style.”
Payne achieves that safe space in part from using his own life
experiences in his work. Paul Safranek and his wife go to a highschool
reunion at the same Jesuit prep school Payne attended. “It’s
a nice place to set stories,” Payne says of Omaha, his home town.
“I used to have a mentor, he’s now deceased, the Czech director Jiří
Weiss. And he would say, ‘Oh my dear, in Omaha you have your
own little Czech republic in which to make films, with its own
mores. You can tell any story there.’”
Payne gives a direct example: “The name Safranek. John
Safranek sat next to me in Latin class for four years.”
Self-effacing to a fault (and captured to a T by Matt Damon),
the film’s Paul Safranek has been disappointed by a world that
seems to operate against him. Like Candide or Gulliver’s Travels,
Downsizing sets out systems for Paul to try. Materialism leaves
him feeling empty, romance doesn’t work, hedonism leads nowhere.
Religion, apocalyptic cults, politics, back-to-nature movements are
all dead ends. In terms far more terse and simple than Payne uses,
Paul must give up everything to make any progress.
“He finds himself in service to others,” the director says,
joking that “most people are selfish bastards. But many people find
meaning in service to others. And indeed it’s given away cornily
when he’s at his reunion, and he sees a banner, authentic by the
way, that ‘the door to happiness opens outward.’ It’s right there in
front of your face.”
Still, Payne is reluctant to ascribe themes to his films. “When
we do things, it’s at once unconscious and conscious. ‘Themes’ are
often detected only in hindsight. It doesn’t mean they’re not present,
but they’re not a priori. I just thought this was a good idea for
a movie. It allowed us to make a movie about the times. The entry
point was overpopulation, and by extension climate change. It’s a
‘what if,’ a science fiction what if, that allows us to touch on other
hideous elements in contemporary life.”
A first-time father with a 12-week-old daughter, Payne admits
that “the enormity of responsibility freaks you out a little bit.” He
also says that he has no idea what his next film will be.
“Of course I have four or five ideas,” he adds. “I’m also open to
something I haven’t thought of. The next film, I want to do something
genuinely different.”
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scn-film-journal-ER-170927-final.indd 1
9/27/17 1:47 PM

Noted screenwriter
Aaron Sorkin makes
his directorial debut
with star-studded,
dialogue-rich,
true-crime drama
about the mother
of all gambling dens
by John Hiscock
HIGH
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Michael Gibson © 2017 STX Financing, LLC.
Jessica Chastain
in Molly’s Game,
directed by
Aaron Sorkin
(inset).
© 2017 STX Financing, LLC. All rights reserved.
It’s a highly potent combination: the Oscar-winning screenwriter
Aaron Sorkin directing his first movie and the twice Oscar-nominated
actress Jessica Chastain starring in it.
The result is STX Entertainment’s Molly’s Game, based on the true
story of Molly Bloom, a charismatic young Olympic-hopeful skier who,
after a devastating injury, took a job running the world’s most exclusive
high-stakes underground poker game, where the players included Hollywood
royalty, sports stars and business titans.
Its path to the screen started with a book written by Bloom, whose
winning streak had come to a grinding halt when she become entangled
with Russian mobsters
and was arrested by
the FBI.
Sorkin was initially
reluctant to meet Molly,
nicknamed “the Poker
Princess” by the tabloids,
and did so solely as a
favor to an entertainment
lawyer he knew. “I
was not expecting to be
impressed. I thought I
was going to be meeting a
woman who was cashing
in on her decade-long
brush with celebrity and
that’s not something
I like,” he recalls during
a conversation in a
beachfront hotel in Santa
Monica. Calif. “I don’t
like gossip, I think it’s
bad for all of us. And I
certainly don’t like gossip
for money. So I went to
this meeting as a courtesy.”
Chastain with co-stars
Kevin Costner and Idris Elba.
But ten minutes into their first meeting, which would be followed
by many others, Sorkin knew he wanted to write her story and include
many of the facts she had omitted from the book. “Boy, did I want to
write it” he says. “This was like a blind date that you are not looking
forward to, but you leave knowing that this is going to be the person
you are going to spend the rest of your life with. Obviously I am not
talking about Molly the person, but Molly the story. It was love at
first sight and that had only happened once before, when I was having
lunch with Stacey Snider, who was then head of DreamWorks, and she
asked me if I’d heard about two guys claiming that Mark Zuckerberg
didn’t invent Facebook and that it was them. An hour after that, my
Linda Källérus © 2017 STX Financing, LLC.
Michael Gibson © 2017 STX Financing, LLC.
STAKES
JANUARY 2018 / FILMJOURNAL.COM 25
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agents made a deal for me to write The Social Network.”
Sorkin, who won an Oscar for writing The Social Network and is
a five-time Emmy winner for the TV series “The West Wing,” has
a distinctive and unmistakable style, although not everyone is a fan
of his witty, fast-talking dialogue and morality tales with politically
liberal messages. Still, “The West Wing” is considered by many to be
one of the best television dramas of all time.
To the Hollywood powers-that-be, he is a bona-fide moneymaker,
with hit movies going back to 1991’s A Few Good Men
(based on his stage play). He followed it with Malice and The
American President and created the highly praised half-hour series
“Sports Night” and the short-lived drama “Studio 60 on the Sunset
Strip.” Following his adaptation of Charlie Wilson’s War, he wrote
The Social Network and received more acclaim for Moneyball and
Steve Jobs, although his HBO cable drama “The Newsroom” received
more mixed reviews.
Reading Bloom’s book, Sorkin was worried about the implications,
because he had worked with some of the people she had written
about, including four very famous actors. Some were his friends.
He spent the next two years hearing more of her stories and
another year writing the screenplay. “I started out the same way I
have always started out, though, with quite a bit more enthusiasm,”
he recalls. “There was something here that was very special: I felt that
where other people were seeing a story of glamour and decadence
and sex and money and bold-faced Hollywood names, I was seeing
a story set against the backdrop of those things but I was also seeing
the story of an honest-to-God, real-life movie heroine—someone
with a kind of quiet integrity and character that is rare today, even
less common in popular culture. I just felt that I had found a hero in
the strangest place and that even Molly herself didn’t realize that.”
To avoid using the real-life names in the drama, he invented a
composite character, played by Michael Cera, to replace the highprofile
movie stars who were Molly’s regular clients and came up
with a fictional lawyer he called Charlie, played by Idris Elba, who
discovers there’s a lot more to Molly than was revealed in the salacious
tabloid stories.
But he had not even thought about directing Molly’s Game until
producer Mark Gordon asked him. “I didn’t pursue that job,” says
Sorkin. “I was asked to direct it and I am very grateful now that
I was. I knew I would be risking humiliating myself on a very big
stage because of the chance that the movie would tank, But I was
willing to do that rather than risk the movie in someone’s hands
being something else.
“In other words, if this was going to go bad, I wanted it to be
my fault,” he smiles.
Although this was Sorkin’s directorial debut, he was by no
means a novice on a movie set. “Because I have been a show runner
on four television shows that I created, and being a show runner
with a distinct voice, I have had experience,” he affirms. “And I have
been on the set every day of every film that I have written, which
doesn’t qualify as directing experience, but I think maybe I was a
little bit further along than other first-time directors.”
One of his concerns in deciding to direct the movie was gathering
the very best cast and crew around him. “Charlotte Bruus Christensen
was our DP, and Josh Schaeffer and Alan Baumgarten our
editors, but particularly, who was going to play Molly and who was
going to play Charlie? And would a Jessica Chastain or an Idris Elba
be willing to work with a first-time director and how would that go?
“And thank God they were willing, and they too felt like I
wasn’t a first-time director because of the other places where I had
had control.”
In fact, his first meeting with Chastain formed the foundation
of their mutual admiration society. “It wasn’t an audition, because
Jessica didn’t have to convince me of anything,” Sorkin says. “I went
simply to discover if Jessica Chastain—Golden Globe-winning
Jessica Chastain, two-time Academy Award-nominated Jessica
Chastain, who has been directed by Ridley Scott and Chris Nolan
and Kathryn Bigelow and Terrence Malick—would be willing to
take direction from a first-time director. Or would I be taking direction
from her?
“We sat down and exchanged pleasantries and about two minutes
into the meeting, she said, ‘This meeting is stupid, you should
just give me the part.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, okay, you’re right.’ And it
went on like that from there. Jessica was directing me a lot of the
time.” He laughs.
On Chastain’s part, she had no qualms at all about working with
a first-time director as long as it was Aaron Sorkin and he had written
the screenplay. “I kind of feel like all the work I’ve done up till
now has prepped me to do an Aaron Sorkin script,” she says before
Sorkin briefly joins her for a reunion hug. “He’s a political filmmaker
and in his writing there are these themes of justice prevailing against
the odds. Which is why we’re so inspired by ‘The West Wing,’ A Few
Good Men and ‘The Newsroom.’ I think he’s the best writer we have
in our industry and you definitely feel his own signature rhythm and
style. As an actor, you feel this music that’s within the language of
great writers, and because Aaron Sorkin’s dialogue is so musical, a lot
of the time I was singing musicals with Aaron.
“We’d be on set and someone would say, ‘OK, we’re going to
turn around, the camera’s going to turn around.’ And Aaron and I
would sing, ‘Turn around.’ It was like a game we would play every
day when someone would say something and we would just break
into a song-and-dance number that would go on and on.” She
laughs. “I’m hoping in the future he and I can work on something
musical together.”
Chastain also laughs about getting her brain to work at Sorkin
speed, saying it helped that she had learned to perform the work of
a wide range of modern writers while studying acting at Juilliard.
But it was by no means an easy shoot. “In fact, it’s the hardest
thing I’ve done,” Chastain says. “We did 47 pages of dialogue in the
very first week, which I’ve never done before on a film. I thought
Miss Sloane was a lot, and this one was double that. But it was like
theatre, so we had a great time.”
Sorkin has nothing but fulsome praise for his star. “Jessica straps
this movie to her back in her very first scene, runs a full sprint for
two hours and twelve minutes and doesn’t put the movie down until
the end credits roll. That is called ‘carrying a movie,’” he says.
Sorkin jokes that his directorial style is to say yes to people
when they have really good ideas. Then he adds seriously: “Yes, I do
like having the final say, but I am not looking for people to work
with who will simply follow my instructions; I am looking for people
who are better than my instructions. I am looking for people
who will push back and say, ‘I think I have got a better idea.’ I want
people who are bringing their own thing to the table.
“In the editing room, there was nothing better than having the
editors say, ‘We tried something, and it may sound crazy, but just
take a look at it.’ And sometimes it is crazy and sometimes it elevates
the entire movie. Those are the people that I want to be with,
and that is true with actors as well as cinematographers, production
designers, editors, cameramen and everybody.”
Now that Sorkin has directed his first movie, he wants more.
“I love working with great directors and I want to continue to do
so. But I had a wonderful time directing this movie and I am very
proud of what we did together. So I want to do it again. I would
like to direct more movies.”
26 FILMJOURNAL.COM / JANUARY 2018
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Zendaya co-stars
in The Greatest Showman.
by Rebecca Pahle
Michael Gracey is the first to admit that The
Greatest Showman is, “purely from a business perspective,
not a sure bet.” A big-budget spectacle from a
first-time feature director—that’s infrequent, but not exactly
unheard of. What makes The Greatest Showman truly rare
is that it’s not just a movie musical, but an original movie
musical, one not based on existing songs or properties.
“If it’s a jukebox musical, at the very least you know people
are going to like the music. If it’s based on [existing] IP, you
know there are thirty years’ worth of audiences who are going
to see the film,” explains Gracey. “When you’re investing
enormous amounts of money in creating a film, you want
some sort of security. And there is very little security in an
original musical [with songs] written by two guys who, at
the time, had done a Broadway musical that wasn’t a huge
success… It wasn’t so easy when I first wanted to work with
them, because everyone was like: ‘Who are these guys?’”
“These guys” are Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. When they
met Gracey, they’d just picked up a Tony nomination for
Photos: Niko Tavernise © TM & © 2017 20th Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
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The Noblest Art
Hugh Jackman is P.T. Barnum in this exuberant musical
of the man whose motto was,
‘The noblest art is that of making others happy.’
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A Christmas Story: The Musical. Two days after the meeting, they’d
already written two of The Greatest Showman’s songs, one of which,
“A Million Dreams,” made the final cut. Flash forward, and Pasek
and Paul have become the reigning golden boys of Broadway, with
an Oscar and a Tony under their belts thanks to their songs for La
La Land and Dear Evan Hansen.
High-profile talent behind the camera was matched by highprofile
talent in front of it: Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, Zendaya
and the greatest showman himself, Hugh Jackman. And now, eight
years after getting The Greatest Showman’s script from Jackman,
Gracey and 20th Century Fox are about to find out if their allsinging,
all-dancing risk is going to pay off.
Director Michael
Gracey and
cinematographer
Seamus McGarvey
Regardless of its eventual box-office take, The Greatest
Showman stands on its own as a bit of splashy, fun, crowd-pleasing
entertainment, befitting both its release date—Dec. 20, right
around the corner from Christmas—and its subject: P.T. Barnum,
1800s impresario and inventor of the circus.
Don’t let The Greatest Showman’s nonfiction roots fool you
into thinking that Bill Condon and Jenny Bicks’ script presents,
or intends to present, a straightforward, historical record of
Barnum’s life. “P.T. Barnum wrote his autobiography multiple
times, and he would burn earlier editions and destroy the plates,
because he wanted to reinvent himself each time,” Gracey says. “I
feel like this is the film that P.T. Barnum would make. He would
cast Hugh Jackman as himself, even though he looks nothing like
Hugh Jackman!”
At the same time, The Greatest Showman doesn’t shy away from
the fact that Barnum is a “deeply flawed character.” You could
call him a self-absorbed charlatan, and you wouldn’t exactly be
off-base. (Though Barnum never actually said, “There’s a sucker
born every minute,” Gracey admits that it’s the sort of thing he
would have said.) Jackman, then, was a necessary bit of casting:
You need someone charismatic and fundamentally good enough
that audiences root for Barnum to come out the other side of his
personal struggles with his soul intact. Explains Gracey, “There
are very, very few people who could play [Barnum] and do what
[ Jackman] does in this role.”
Factually speaking, The Greatest Showman hits the high points
of Barnum’s life: Barnum starting a museum and filling it with
human “oddities,” like the Bearded Woman (Keala Settle, a Tony
nominee with a powerhouse voice) and the dwarf who would come
to be known as General Tom Thumb (Sam Humphrey). A visit to
Queen Victoria (Gayle Rankin) designed to boost his credibility
www.nikotavernise.com
among the snooty upper classes. A creative dalliance with superstar
opera singer Jenny Lind (Rebecca Ferguson) that took him away,
for a time, from his circus roots. In the spaces in between these
historical anchor points, in Gracey’s words, exists “a healthy dose of
imagination.”
The goal, Gracey explains, was to take the groundbreaking
spectacle and popularity of the original circus and translate it—not
completely, but somewhat—into modern terms, creating a sort of
“fantastic fairytale version” of Barnum and his story. To that end,
Jenny Lind belts out not an aria but the sort of “pop ballad Adele
would sing.” The musical number that opens the film, “The Greatest
Show,” has Jackman trying his hand at a “hip-hop beat.”
On the dancing side, the circus performers, led by ringmaster
Barnum, strut their stuff in group numbers choreographed by
Ashley Wallen. (Lest we forget, Jackman is no stranger to musicals,
having toplined theatrical runs of Oklahoma!, Carousel and
The Boy from Oz before starring in Tom Hooper’s Les Misérables in
2012.) One particular number, a romance duet shared by trapeze
artist Anne and Barnum’s upper-crust protégé Phillip, serves as
something of a nod to Cirque du Soleil, sending Zendaya and Zac
Efron soaring high above the circus floor.
Gracey notes that, with the exception of a few moves, all the
actors did their own dancing. “They signed up for ten weeks, and
they worked so hard at doing these really complicated sequences.
There were a few moments where it was such a big drama point,
such a big hit, that it becomes a stunt as opposed to a dance step.
People did get hurt, though. Michelle [Williams] cracked one
of her ribs” in a rooftop ballet-inspired number. “She was in a lot
of pain.”
The musical numbers—dynamic, intricate, high-energy—are
the most impressive part of The Greatest Showman. That’s why
it’s something of a surprise to learn that they were the element
of the film that Gracey was most confident about despite his
lack of experience with anything near The Greatest Showman’s
scale. That’s due to his background as a commercial director.
Working on “musical-driven” commercials has been “a common
theme running through my work,” he explains. “It was great
to bring a lot of those lessons into the world of The Greatest
Showman. Because it is my first film, I want to do it in a way
that is unique and bold and memorable… I don’t want it to be
what [audiences] expect.”
In a further concession to modernity, all the circus animals in
The Greatest Showman—the odd handful of horses, elephants and
lions—were created using CGI. “Myself as a filmmaker, and the
studio, were always very adamant that the way we were going to
approach this film was without any animals,” Gracey says. “No one
wants to repeat the acts of cruelty that went on at the circus in
regards to the animals… The public consciousness and the world,
fortunately, have evolved since then. Even though we were showing
what was true in the 1800s, the way in which we went about it was
with a contemporary approach.”
That mix of old and new extends to Ellen Mirojnick’s costume
design, which blends capes and tailcoats with more contemporary
touches like Zendaya’s pink hair. In crafting the look and feel of
the film, notes Gracey, “we would say, ‘This is what it was then.
What is the modern equivalent to that?’ In terms of the wardrobe,
we would ask, ‘What are the styles and cuts that are influenced by
the 1800s? That you would see on the cover of Vogue?’
“You take the best of the old and the best of the new and you
fit it in this pocket somewhere in between the two. And that pocket
is what’s unique to this film. That visual and musical signature
becomes The Greatest Showman.”
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THREE PALESTINIAN
WOMEN BALANCE
FAITH AND TRADITION
WITH MODERN LIFE IN
Yaniv Berman
IN BETWEEN…IN THE MIDDLE EAST
by Maria Garcia
Maysaloun Hamoud’s given name is drawn from a famous
incident in the history of the Arab world that took place
in present-day Syria. “My name is a story,” the Israeli-
Palestinian filmmaker says, in an interview in New York City. Her
debut feature, In Between (from Film Movement), will open in
theatres on Jan. 5.
The narrative bestowed on the filmmaker by her parents begins
at the end of the First World War. In a battle that helped to
topple the Ottoman Empire, the British-backed Sharifian Army
took Damascus. The leaders of that army hoped to unite their
people by establishing an Arabic state in Syria. In 1918, Emir
Faisal, a general and an Arab nationalist, formed a monarchy, but
by then the British had already betrayed their Arab compatriots;
in partitioning what is today called the Middle East, the British
promised Syria to the French. In 1920, at the Battle of Maysalun,
just west of Damascus, French forces encountered those of the
Arab Kingdom of Syria.
“We lost, of course,” Hamoud says, “but we see it as the first
brave resistance to colonialism of the Arab people. In a sense, the
battle sowed the seeds of Arab identity.” And, with In Between, Maysaloun
Hamoud sets out to redefine that identity in female terms.
Her film is about the day-to-day lives of three Israeli Palestinian
women, all with very significant names. Laila (Mouna Hawa, previously
seen in Zaytoun), meaning “night” in Arabic, is a shapely criminal
lawyer who enjoys Tel Aviv’s club scene. She shares an apartment
with Nur (Shaden Kanboura), “light” in Arabic, a younger woman
and a college student, and Salma (Sana Jammelieh) whose name in
Arabic and Farsi existed before the era of Islamization.
The names deepen the audience’s understanding of the characters,
who are subject to double standards as women and as
members of an ethnic minority in Israel. Hamoud, who holds undergraduate
and graduate degrees in history, says that In Between
overturns common stereotypes of Muslim women, and it does, but
what American audiences may miss is that Laila, Nur and Salma
▲ Maysaloun Hamoud (at left) directs Mouna Hawa,
Sana Jammelieh and Shaden Kanboura in In Between.
also represent subtle generational divides. “I am 35, and an older
member of the generation that includes Laila and Salma,” the
writer-director explains. Hamoud was 18 at the start of the Second
Intifada in 2000.
“Our parents faced the military regime, but we didn’t,” Hamoud
says. “We grew up more freely and the Second Intifada made
us more aware of our rights and identity as Palestinians.” When
Hamoud’s parents came of age, Israeli Palestinians were not permitted
to attend the country’s universities. They went to Hungary,
then part of the Soviet Union, which for political reasons had a
long history of supporting Palestinians in their struggle for statehood.
Her father was attending medical school in Budapest when
Hamoud was born.
Nur’s generation, nearly a decade after Laila and Salma’s,
reached maturity during the Arab Spring. “I can see that influence
in the subculture we have now, in cinema, music and art,” Hamoud
observes. “It is the same in all other Arab countries around us. We
are no different from the Arabs in Beirut or Cairo, even though we
live inside Israel, in Jaffa, Tel Aviv and Ramallah.” The filmmaker
remarks that during her stay in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, she was
reminded of Jaffa, the oldest part of Tel Aviv, where she has lived
for the last eight years. “We have an art scene, and gentrification,
too.” In In Between, which refers to the position of Hamoud’s
characters in Arab society, the women’s apartment is in the Yemeni
sector of Tel Aviv.
Nur’s fiancé, Wissam (Henry Andrawes), on his first visit,
has trouble finding the apartment, and calls her to ask directions.
“Their conversation is one of the small but important ones in the
movie, because Tel Aviv is built above several Palestinian neighborhoods,”
Hamoud says. “The Yemeni quarter is one of many places
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that was destroyed by the Zionist Israelis in 1948 to cover the
origins. The quarter was a Menashiya neighborhood.” Nur tells
Wissam that she is not far from the Hassan Bek Mosque, a Menashiya
building that was not razed. While these layers of history
and meaning, which refer to the Yemeni laborers who migrated to
Israel for jobs, may only be understood by Arab and Israeli audiences,
In Between has wider appeal, both because of its novelty and
Hamoud’s skill as a writer-director.
One of Hamoud’s favorite movies is Ridley Scott’s Thelma &
Louise (1991), and she is pleased when others are reminded of it
while watching In Between. (Look for an early scene in which the
three characters are in Laila’s car.) Hamoud’s film is a women’s
buddy movie, too, complete with the dark undertones of Thelma &
Louise. Salma has Christian roots, and Laila a Muslim background;
both are secular, while Nur is a practicing Muslim. Laila wears
pencil skirts and revealing tops, and Salma, a gay DJ, is sporty and
pierced. Nur is the new addition, and arrives wearing a hijab and
abaya. “Shaden won Best Actress at the Israeli Film Academy,” the
filmmaker notes, “and Mouna Best Supporting.” The characters are
shockingly unconventional, even for Israelis; American audiences
have never seen Arab women represented as they are by Hamoud.
In the course of the film, Salma’s family is scandalized when
they catch her kissing another woman, and Nur is victimized by
an abusive Wissam. Laila has a flirtation with a Jewish lawyer
but she reminds him that his family will reject her. She finds love
with Ziad (Mahmud Shalaby), although later she is disappointed
when he makes it clear that if they are to stay together, she will
have to stop smoking and start dressing conservatively. “Laila and
Salma have burned their bridges, and they have the label of sluts,”
Hamoud says. “They are not really welcomed inside the society, but
men like Ziad can travel and live with women and later take another
woman to marry and be accepted in society and by his wife’s
family.” With the exception of Nur’s loving father, and a male gay
couple, Western women may find the men in the film repugnant,
but Hamoud characterizes them as “weak.”
In Between is not a flattering portrait of Tel Aviv or of Israel.
Asked about the process of getting approval for her script in order
to receive state funding, she replies: “Of course, it is complicated,
but first, I am a Palestinian and they expected from me specific
stories about the occupation and about the conflict. I like to think
the story was so refreshing that they couldn’t refuse me.” At several
points in the film, the characters are subject to mild forms of
discrimination; one example is in a scene where Laila and Salma
are shopping. “In our everyday life, we are always confronting
racism,” Hamoud says. “Jewish Israeli audiences did not talk about
these scenes, but they connected with the social and feminist
aspects of the film.”
Hamoud’s next project is a television series for Israeli TV. “My
theme for the show is ‘in-between,” she says. She worries about
having to do commercial work to support her filmmaking. “I want
to be strong and resist and make my own movies,” she muses. “I am
a female and I will continue to make films from my point of view.”
As for portraying the lives of Palestinians in Israel, she points out
that her movie represents a progressive stance. “I did not really
want to include Israelis in the movie, because I think Palestinians
can stand by themselves and speak among ourselves,” she says. “I
think it’s an important step for all societies when they do not need
to see themselves through the Other or among the Other.”
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y Rob Rinderman
At street level, beneath what can
candidly be described as a funky,
multi-tiered pyramid structure that
also doubles as a Manhattan residential
apartment building (designed by renowned
Danish architect Bjarke Ingels and
colleagues), is The Landmark at 57 West.
Debuting in mid-September 2017, this
is the newest location of the Landmark
Theatres chain, the only exhibitor
with a national footprint dedicated
primarily to showcasing independent
movies. Landmark is also a marketer of
indie films through its sister company,
Magnolia Pictures, a theatrical and home
distribution company.
Landmark Theatres is part of the
Wagner/Cuban Companies, a vertically
integrated group of media properties
co-owned by Todd Wagner and
charismatic “Shark Tank” investor
Mark Cuban. Wagner/Cuban also coowns
production company 2929 Prods.,
and high-definition networks AXS TV
and HDNet Movies.
The Landmark at 57 West features
eight state-of-the-art auditoriums
utilizing laser systems by NEC Display
Solutions, projected onto wall-to-wall
screens. According to the company, the
decision to go with laser was predicated
on its ease of maintenance, not to mention
the ability to deliver a superior viewing
experience unlike anything else on the
market. GDC, with a world-leading
digital cinema server installed base, is also
a key vendor.
Some of the posh auditoriums almost
have the feel of personal screening rooms
or home theatres, given their intimacy
and small seating capacity. For example,
several screens have approximately
20 reservable, reclining lounger seats
spread over just three rows. Talking and
cellphone usage are, not surprisingly,
discouraged.
In today’s era of luxurious cinema
seating, this location stacks up just fine.
Spanish supplier Figueras and Michiganbased
U.S. manufacturer Telescopic
Seating provide the very comfortable seats
at this location.
At the film showing I attended in
one of these tiny auditoriums, a theatre
employee introduced himself in between
the ads and trailers, encouraging guests
to contact him during their time at the
theatre if they had any questions or
concerns. This is a nice, personalized
touch lacking at most cinemas.
Another feature, invisible to most
theatregoers, is the use of theatre hearing
loops for those with hearing disabilities.
A hearing loop is an induction system
that magnetically broadcasts sound
directly via patrons’ hearing aids (with
t-coils) or cochlear implants. The sound
gets customized for individual hearing
instruments. This technology also has
the advantage of eliminating the need for
checking out and returning headsets that
typically deliver inferior, generic sound.
“I don’t think there is a theatre
anywhere in Manhattan that provides
the cinema experience we are providing
at West 57th,” says Landmark president
and CEO Ted Mundorff. “It’s a beautiful
building with terrific food offerings, a
comfortable bar and superb customer
service in a brand new space.”
Speaking of the bar, when patrons
enter the theatre they come through JD’s
Place, which offers a full array of adult
beverages, including craft beers, cocktails
and an extensive wine list. It’s ideal for
picking up a drink before or after the
movie, but also attracts its own clientele
of non-cinema ticket buyers. There’s no
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WEST
SIDE
STORY
The Landmark at 57 West
offers New York City
an elegant,
state-of-the-art
cinema
experience
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need to go through ticket takers to enter
and enjoy JD’s.
“We are dedicated to presenting
the features without distractions or
interruptions that may occur in dine-in
facilities,” continues Mundorff. There
are many other dining options beyond
just popcorn, fountain drinks and candy
available at the concessions counter. As
with other Landmark locations, there’s an
emphasis on carrying products produced
by locally based suppliers.
According to Mundorff, “We always
try to support the regional economy
by selling local goods. Our head of
concessions lives in New York City and
had a great time selecting the many items
we are offering.”
At 57 West, some samples of what
cinemagoers can purchase include pizza
slices from Two Boots, a New York City
pizza pioneer with a 30-year track record
of success and a unique cornmeal crust;
Eisenberg Gourmet Beef Franks on locally
baked Pretzel Buns from Bronx Baking
Co., and Bronx Pretzels, which can be
dipped in Sir Kensington’s (a craft condiment
company headquartered in Manhattan’s
Soho district) Spicy Brown Mustard.
If you’re seeking artisanal desserts from
nearby makers, you have lots of options:
Treat House Crispy Rice & Marshmallow
Treats; Sweet & Sara Vegan Smores; Sugar
and Plumm Macarons, and brownies from
Fat Witch. Melt Ice Cream Sandwiches
are also on the menu and available in seven
different flavors, including Morticia and
Elvis (yes, banana and peanut butter flavors
are combined in these).
Since the theatre’s immediate
neighborhood location is slightly off
the beaten path near the Hudson River,
a number of blocks away from higher
foot-trafficked neighborhoods of the
city and its network of subway lines, the
Landmark team has made it a point to
proactively reach out to nearby residents
to help drive attendance.
“After launching a rather extensive
advertising and publicity campaign, we
had a few open houses offering the nearby
residents a chance to check out their new
neighbor. So far, we have only had positive
observations,” Mundorff says.
An auditorium at the Landmark
at 57 West and, above, the lounge.
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Congratulations to
Landmark Theatres
on the Opening
of 57 West!
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we are looking to diversify our
business, to become less reliant on the
‘ATCineplex,
movie product and be seen more as an
entertainment destination for Canadians.”
Sarah Van Lange, director of communications for
the leading circuit of 163 theatres with 75 million
guests per year (www.cineplex.com), is talking about
“branching off” into initiatives such as The Rec Room,
introduced on these very pages one year ago, Cineplex
VIP and event-cinema offerings, eSports, as well as
Playdium game centers and plans to bring “Top Golf”
to the country (www.topgolf.com/us). “Canadians
can look forward to more and more of these types of
announcements and initiatives down the road.”
Just in time to ring in the holiday season, Cineplex
announced two major additions to its Scotiabank
flagship multiplexes in Toronto and Ottawa, leading
the way to what is arguably the hottest trend in
38 FILMJOURNAL.COM / JANUARY 2018
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VIRTUAL
CINEPLEX
by
Andreas Fuchs
Canada’s Leading Circuit Unveils
a New Entertainment Reality
entertainment: virtual reality (VR). Within a short
three weeks of each other, Nov. 17 and Dec. 7, to be
exact, the proudly Canadian exhibitor unveiled VR
experiences that were designed by two longstanding
Canadian partners, IMAX and D-BOX.
In 2009, making them one of the earliest adopters,
Cineplex began deploying D-BOX motion technology,
which is now in use at 88 auditoriums across the
circuit, including many premium offerings with the
newest D-BOX recliner models. Similarly, IMAX and
Cineplex can look back on a partnership that jointly
built 24 auditoriums across the country, including
downtown Toronto.
Located in the heart of Toronto’s Entertainment
District, the IMAX VR Centre at Scotiabank Theatre
features the latest and greatest technologies that allow
visitors to step into other worlds. At its unveiling,
Mark Welton, president of IMAX Theatres, noted:
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“Together, we look forward to ushering in the next evolution
of immersive entertainment and bringing the highly social and
interactive IMAX VR experience to audiences in Toronto.” (For
a detailed roundup of all things IMAX VR, please read our
exclusive Q &A with Rob Lister, chief development officer at
IMAX Corp., on the following pages.)
A few weeks later, Claude Mc Master, president and chief
executive officer of D-BOX, talked about putting their successful
motion-seat technology at the service of VR storytelling at
Ottawa’s Scotiabank Theatre. “We are extremely proud of this
new venture and cannot wait for people to see just how immersive
the D-BOX VR Cinematic Experience is… We have created a
groundbreaking attraction the whole family can enjoy.” To live up
to its name and cinema location, D-BOX in fact selected “Raising
a Rukus,” a 12-minute adventure created by The Virtual Reality
Company to showcase its movable offerings.
According to D-BOX, this animated VR motion picture
experience is the first-ever in-lobby attraction offering “the
rich storytelling traditions of cinema” while being “creatively
amplified” by immersive powers of virtual reality and D-BOX
motion technology. “Our system is not a typical motion
ride,” explains Michel Paquette, VP of marketing at D-BOX
Technologies. “It is actually a unique experience that enhances
the overall journey of moviegoers, both with a strong cinematic
story and within a cinematic VR environment thanks to
360-degree visual and audio. D-BOX helps to bring the sense of
immersion to a new level.”
On a purely physical level as well, D-BOX VR is all about the
DNA of cinema. Paquette mentions sitting down comfortably
and securely, watching entertainment for all ages, and driven by
ease of use in operations. “Cinema DNA is all about storytelling.
Good storytelling is the main reason why people go to movie
theatres and D-BOX Cinematic VR continues along that line.”
Just like D-BOX motion seats have been doing for many major
films, one might add.
“Today, VR is still in the novelty stage,” Paquette observes.
“Nonetheless, cinemas are very keen on finding new ways
of presenting these stories. Our cinema-friendly proposal is
appealing to many exhibitors. We see a great opportunity for
many more of those projects in the near term.”
Feedback from customers and those tasked with assisting
them has been positive as well, he has observed. “It is quite
surprising to see how exciting content can create connections
amongst people. Moreover, D-BOX is proving that VR can be
monetized in the cinematic environment.”
Yet, one could say that virtual reality is really all about an
individual experience. “I am a big fan of virtual reality, personally,
and its ability to put yourself into the movies,” Cineplex’s Van
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Lange concurs. Recalling her first ride in the Batmobile at the
IMAX VR Centre, “That is what that one was certainly able to
do…it was pretty amazing. I tend to gravitate towards the more
social experiences. That complements what is going on upstairs
at Scotiabank Theatre as well, because going to the movies is an
inherently social experience.”
Bringing up multiplayer options of VR engagement such as
Star Trek Bridge Crew, Van Lange believes “that our guests right
now are also gravitating towards the more social virtual reality
experiences as well.” Although she and three others players who
assumed specific roles on the flight deck “did not succeed in
our assigned tasks,” she chuckles, the experience was awesome
entertainment.
Another social aspect of the IMAX VR Centre is that
friends can watch you from the back while you are roaming
around with the virtual gear. “There’s a rather embarrassing
video that was taken of me while I was driving the Batmobile,”
Van Lange confesses. “As you are driving, you are hitting
things, or running up over ramps. One of my colleagues caught
me hooting and hollering about, but that is also part of the fun
of virtual reality, you know?”
Ten individual IMAX VR spaces were created on the groundfloor
level of Scotiabank Theatre. Advances in mobile and online
ticketing allowed for fewer ticket-selling stations and their
relocation to the auditorium-level floor. Just as the VR action
coincides with showtimes for the theatre, Van Lange explains
that by “working with some of the leading filmmakers and
content creators, much of the IMAX content in the VR Centre
downstairs actually mirrors and complements the content upstairs
in our movie theatres.” Case in point, the Batmobile ride was part
of the “League of Legends” experience that Cineplex was able to
premiere alongside the launch of Justice League.
Operationally as well, there is more of that upstairsdownstairs
dynamic going on. “A number of the staff from the
theatre actually volunteered to just transition down and have
their role in the IMAX VR Centre.” Special training, Van Lange
continues, includes proper handling and thorough cleaning of the
equipment after each play, teaching guests how to use the gear
and making sure that all is safe and sound.
An equally careful strategy is in place for taking the next steps
into such virtual territory. Part of the plan for more VR at Cineplex
is gaining experience with the D-BOX and IMAX offerings along
with those of two other VR vendors that are operating at The
Rec Room destinations: “Ctrl V” at West Edmonton Mall and at
South Edmonton Commons (www.ctrlv.ca/locations); and “The
Void” at Toronto Roundhouse (www.thevoid.com/faq). “While
it is certainly burgeoning, the market for virtual reality right now
is in its infancy still,” Van Lange explains. “We are testing and
learning, seeing where our guests naturally gravitate to. In the
theatre business, we find guests vote at the box office with the types
of movies that they like. So, we are taking a similar approach here
by letting our guests tell us which one or which ones of the VR
options they like the best.”
THINK
VIRTUALby Andreas
Fuchs
IMAX Counts on Partners
for a New Premium Experience
‘A
lot of people are talking about
virtual reality,” says Rob Lister,
chief development officer at IMAX
Corp. “We have actually done something.
We are out there, operating a pilot business.
We are trying to understand how
to make this platform successful. It is really
very early. We do not want to raise
anybody’s expectations, we are not giving
models to analysts or talking about what
this will look like if it is scaled out as a full
business. Time will ultimately tell.”
Beginning a year ago in January with a
standalone location across from The Grove,
the most popular lifestyle-shopping destination
in Los Angeles, IMAX opened
its second VR Center at AMC Loews
Kips Bay Theatre in New York City in
May. The first location in Asia followed
in October, with partner Jinyi in Shanghai,
China; and two more opened in
November—at Odeon in Manchester,
United Kingdom, and the IMAX
VR Centre at Scotiabank Theatre in
Toronto, Canada. (You’ll find more
information in our story on the preceding
pages.) By time of publication, New
York City will have its second IMAX VR
42 FILMJOURNAL.COM / JANUARY 2018
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location at Regal E-Walk on 42nd Street.
You can access the full list at https://
imaxvr.imax.com.
Except the Los Angeles flagship location,
the IMAX VR Experience is located
within movie theatre destinations. Given
the choice, we asked Lister whether the
company would remain connected to
movie theatres to have that prime association.
“You hit the nail on the head in terms
of what we are trying to find out. Our
chief executive officer, Rich Gelfond, refers
to being in a pilot period in terms of VR
that is designed to find out the answers:
Is this a good product in a multiplex? Are
we bringing the right type of content into
it? Are we at the right price points? Do we
understand how to operate well? These are
all questions that we are trying to answer.”
Interest from exhibitors has been
strong, Lister assures. “Because of our
long-term relationships with virtually all
the big exhibitors in the world, we can roll
out a network very quickly if we decide
that this is in fact the type of platform
we want to build. Whereas we have the
ability, I think we need six more months,
at least, of information coming from these
locations to fully inform us as to whether
these are the places we want to locate the
centers… Does it work better in a retail
center or a shopping mall or another type
of entertainment destination? I think we
are going to try a few of these and see what
works best.”
What is already working, of course, is
“The IMAX Experience” itself. This exclusive
Q&A with Rob Lister is structured
around the greatest strengths of IMAX as
they are carried over into the world of virtual
reality—one being the IMAX brand,
the other the content. And there is all that
technology, of course.
FJI: IMAX spent a significant amount of
time determining the systems that would best
represent the IMAX brand and experience.
How did you find your technology partners?
IMAX VR is using an approach that is different
from your cinema systems that are built
in-house and with proprietary technology.
RL: When you are dealing with thirdparty
technology as we are with VR, the
process becomes to try and aggregate bestin-class
technology, and that could be a
moving target. That can change from year
to year, time to time. We may find a better
platform. We may find a better headset.
We start experimenting with free-roam
VR, and we may find better technology
there as well. My point is: This is an evolving
platform, and we will always queue to
Rob Lister
best-in-class. Right now, we consider the
very best to be the Star VR headsets from
our partners at Starbreeze, which have a
very large, close to an IMAX field-of-view.
And the HTC Vive headsets we find make
a very nice combo with some of the movie
IP that we developed. On top of that, we
look for other peripherals to add to the VR
experience, such as haptic vests, next-generation
hand controllers, D-BOX moving
seats. We try and aggregate these together
into an experience that is truly immersive
and brand-consistent.
FJI: If technology is in such a flux and
rapidly changing in the world of virtual reality,
does IMAX add a special ingredient to
the process? Other than the company’s obvious
expertise?
RL: When it comes to the design of
our centers and the look and feel of the
pods that house the VR experiences, all
that is quite proprietary. We developed
that ourselves with the goal of creating a
very social experience… From our standpoint,
trying to build a true location-based
entertainment center, we are focusing a
lot on the social environment… In addition,
we procure specialized content that
is optimized for IMAX VR centers. We
consider that to be a source of differentiation
as well.
We designed these centers almost like
a hub-and-spoke model. The hub is this
social center where you can watch your
friends play. There are monitors and the
pod themselves were built quite low to
the ground so that your friends can stand
around and watch you engage.
So far, we have been adjusting to
different environments. Most VR hubs
have gone into multiplex lobbies. We
are still very open, and as a matter of
fact we are keen on trying out an actual
auditorium. Screen number 16 or 17 that
does not generate a ton of box office, we
would like to try that option. We are quite
flexible within the overall design. At some
places, we installed as few as eight pods,
going to as many as twelve. Regal E-Walk
in Times Square will have a small number
because the pods are complemented by
Glo Station technology. This is our freeroam
VR partner [https://glostation.
com] at the Los Angeles flagship. Think of
“Deadwood Mansion” as an escape-room
zombie-shooting experience for multiple
players. We are really encouraged about the
results so far.
FJI: Even with multiplayer games for
two to six people at one time, the irony remains
that moviegoing is inherently social.
Instead of sitting with hundreds of people,
virtual reality is individual, and at best you
have someone watching you. Do you think
eventually this may become as large as one
hundred guests partaking in more of a movielike
shared experience?
RL: I think that the technology exists
right now—and not just in movie theatres
but in your home too—to have a fantastic
experience watching a movie without the
headset. Presented with great audio, visuals,
and one that is quite social. While
there can probably and will be further
improvements in that area, I do not think
that is where virtual reality needs to go
to find success. If you look at some of the
free-roam VR technology that is emerging
right now, such as what The Void is doing
[www.thevoid.com/faq], and Glo Station,
you will see more and more people—two,
four, eight, and I do think it will ultimately
be even a few dozen people—all interacting
in the same virtual environment… I
think, unlike moviegoing, that’s an area
where virtual reality has a ton to offer.
FJI: With regards to branding, IMAX has
some heavy hitting to offer as well. More than
any one of the new VR players, to say the least.
IMAX is well known worldwide for creating
immersive experiences.
RL: Whether relating to our large
screens, with immersive audio, and we
are really the inventors of the modern
incarnation of 3D, we are building a
laser system now—all the technology
that IMAX built on the cinema side has
been geared to create a more immersive
experience that puts the viewer inside
the movie. It is hard to think of another
platform where you are placed more inside
the content, and inside the experience,
than in virtual reality. In our cases, we
are really trying to err on the side of the
most interactivity possible. So instead of
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going to an IMAX VR pod and watching
a 360-degree video, you are interacting
with the environment. You have a gun, you
have hand controllers, you are impacting
the environment and the environment
is impacting you. The ultimate kind of
immersive entertainment is one where
you are literally interacting with the
environment, and that is IMAX VR.
FJI: The third element to IMAX VR is
content. In addition to some great experiential
tie-ins with new film releases from John
Wick to Justice League: Dawn of Justice,
does IMAX foresee digging deep into its
library and offering some of the classic assets,
such as nature documentaries?
RL: I would offer a little bit of a
twist on that thought. Rather than
going back and wrapping existing
movies into 360-degree videos, we can
instead leverage our relationships with
the content providers in creating VR
experiences out of movies that are in the
pipeline. For example, we just released
Justice League, both the IMAX movie and
the VR component, at the same time,
working with our friends at Warner Bros.
Our involvement in the VR experience
was completely piggybacking off our
involvement in the cinema experience.
Being at the table in discussions about
the Justice League film resulted in us being
able to talk with the same creators and
filmmakers about Justice League the VR
experience. Having those relationships
with studio executives and with filmmakers
allows us to get involved at the earliest
stage in terms of creating VR content
around tentpole movies… Think of people
like J. J. Abrams, and Christopher Nolan,
who are big-time IMAX filmmakers.
They are not the types of filmmakers that
will just allow their intellectual property
to be used by any new platform. Content
creators really must trust the technology
behind the platform, and we have
engendered that very trust over years of
working with them on the IMAX cinema
side. I think that gives us a big advantage
in virtual reality.
FJI: We talked about content, branding,
what type of locations and technology. What
we still need to know about is the underlying
business model. With a per-admission charge,
is the setup very much like for a film? How
does it work?
RL: With the multiplex operators, it is
a split revenue model [that] roughly breaks
down in thirds. One third goes to IMAX,
one to the exhibitor and a final third to the
content provider. While you remove the
multiplex partner at the standalone location,
we take two-thirds…while paying
rent and incurring operating expenses that
we don’t get to share with a partner. Multiplex
locations provide the space for us. We
provide all the hardware and install it, we
train their staffers, their staff runs the VR
experience.
FJI: Looking at the larger business model,
talking about scale and bigger pies, do you
foresee this becoming an affordable way for
people to experience IMAX VR in the home?
RL: I really don’t think that is the
ultimate goal, honestly. That is not what
we are looking for. IMAX is looking to do
what IMAX does best, which is locationbased
entertainment. We are about taking
a piece of great content or entertainment
and eventizing it, just like we do with our
movies. You know, Star Wars: The Last Jedi
is released very soon and it is going to be
an event in IMAX. I just do not anticipate
us to bring eventizing into the home. We
bring people to our events. That’s really
what the goal is here.
FJI: And it sounds like a good one indeed.
Thank you for the conversation.
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COMMUNITY SPIRIT
Convergence Founder Russ Collins
Reflects on the Relevance of Art Houses
Convergence is a “coming together” of
art-house cinemas. We don’t care if they’re
for-profit or not-for-profit—all we care
about is that they’re community-based and
passionate about programming for the community.
We think of them as “communitybased,
mission-driven.” Independent cineby
Bob Gibbons
The timing was almost perfect. In
the early 1980s, as Russ Collins was
completing his graduate degree in
Arts Administration at the University of
Michigan in Ann Arbor, the Michigan
Theater, a former movie palace from the
1920s, was on the verge of being turned
into a food court. The community saved
it, but when volunteers tried to run it,
they floundered. In 1982, they hired Collins,
and he began his long career as its
executive director. Now, fully restored and
operated as a not-for-profit cinema and
performing-arts facility, the Michigan
Theater has been named the Outstanding
Historic Theatre in North America by the
League of Historic American Theatres.
Along the way, Collins turned his talent
for business and his passion for independent
cinema into a continually expanding
career. Today, he’s executive director of
both the Michigan Theater and Ann Arbor’s
State Theatre. He’s also artistic director
of the Cinetopia International Festival
in Detroit. And he’s the founding director
of the Art House Convergence.
The 2018 annual conference of the Art
House Convergence takes place Jan. 15-18
in Midway, Utah. Over four days, there are
dozens of speakers, 20 educational sessions,
several film screenings, and lots of opportunities
for art-house cinema operators to
learn from one another. In a wide-ranging
conversation, Collins began by talking
about the conference’s progress since its
inception.
On the beginnings
of the conference
In 2006, Sundance invited 14 respected
art-house cinemas from around the country
to join them at the Sundance Film
Festival to celebrate the 25th anniversary
of the Sundance Institute. We were one
of the theatres selected. We got together
with our colleagues and had a wonderful
time, sharing problems and solutions and
war stories. Sundance invited us back the
second year so we could continue the dialogue.
In the third year—2008—we went
off on our own and started the first Art
House Convergence conference.
That first year, twenty-seven people
attended. Last year, we registered 620
delegates; this year, we’re expecting to
have to turn people away. There have been
many people who’ve attended our conferences
and said: “I want to start a community-based,
mission-driven cinema in my
home town”—and they did. But I can’t
think of any established theatres that have
come to the conference and have gone out
of business.
On this year’s
conference themes
Russ Collins
We’re focusing on two important legal
and ethical issues. One is how well arthouse
cinemas do—or do not—deal with
diversity and inclusion. The other has recently
dominated weeks of the news cycle:
harassment and intimidation—particularly
sexual harassment and intimidation. But
we’ll also be talking about what theatres do
in terms of programming, marketing and
operations.
The role of the conference is to gather
people who are passionate about cinemas and
local communities and willing to share information
about how they’re achieving success
and how they can do things better. They help
each other through their collective experiences;
they discuss their successes and their
failures honestly with their colleagues.
The conference has exclusively a cinema
focus. But the ethos and the history of
performing arts—which as late as the early
20th century were exclusively commercial
enterprises and then gradually developed
both a commercial and cultural dynamic—
provide a good model for cinema exhibition.
Art-house cinemas often are operated
as highly commercial enterprises—and
simultaneously as institutions that focus
intently on artistic and cultural aspects.
On learning
from other performing arts
My background and training are in
nonprofit performing arts, and what I’ve
contributed to art-house cinema is helping
them to think of themselves as a cultural
organization that is of great benefit to their
local community. That’s how nonprofit arts
organizations function—as communitybased
philanthropic organizations. And
since cinemas have the same pressures and
face the same issues as other performing
arts, I used to wonder why there wasn’t
that same thinking going on for cinema.
We often consider cinema as exclusively
a commercial business. But we don’t do
that with music, for example. With music,
we understand there’s a commercial part—
and another part that’s more cultural. And
there are parts in between. And it seems to
me that cinema should be thought about
the same way. That’s especially important
in smaller towns, where cinemas may need
community support—beyond just ticket
sales—to survive. That’s where this notion
of culturally based cinema programs
exists—and that’s part of what the Art
House Convergence is about.
On the enduring purpose
of the Art House Convergence
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ma—art house cinema—it’s the same thing.
The purpose of the Art House Convergence
is to increase the quantity and
quality of art-house cinemas in North
America. Every year, about 900 movies
are released into the North American
market—and each art house is a curator
to a certain degree. How do we match the
films available with the interests and tastes
of the communities we serve? That doesn’t
always mean showing them the films that
they “want”; sometimes, it’s showing them
the films they need to see—so we have to
be a little ahead of the community’s curve
in terms of taste, but we can’t be too far
ahead, because if we do we can leave the
audience behind. It’s a tricky balancing act.
Quality has also to do with operating
the theatre. How well do we inform our
community about the films we’re playing?
How good is our customer service? How
good is the image on the screen? How
good does the audio sound? Are we being
a good curator? Are we thinking about that
long arc of quality—and not just the short
term? Do we know—and are we responding
effectively to—our community? Those
are the qualitative aspects we’re focusing
on. In terms of quantity, we’re convinced
the number of independent cinemas is increasing
and attendance is stable—but success
is in the hands of the local art-house
operators and in how effectively their communities
support them.
On being not-for-profit
There can be certain fiscal advantages
to being a nonprofit, mostly because you’re
compelled to engage with your community
and have your community engage with
you. But if someone becomes a nonprofit
simply as a tax dodge, they typically won’t
succeed, ultimately.
If you look around the country, many
places don’t have an independent or arthouse
cinema, so I think there’s a lot of
opportunity for growth. The thing that
independent cinema can and should do
best is to think about themselves as a community
cultural institution—even if they’re
a commercial business. That requires them
to get involved in their community—be
members of the Chamber of Commerce,
volunteer for community service projects,
serve on boards, be thought of as a community
leader. All of that helps people see
them not just as the local movie house, but
as someone who is thinking carefully about
the quality of the community and how the
cinema can broadly benefit the community.
That’s how they can remain vital.
In the “digital cinema panic era,” many
small for-profit and not-for-profit cinemas
discovered their communities really loved
them because when they said, “We’re
going to go out of business because we
can’t afford a digital projector,” in many
places around the country their community
stepped up and supported them. The
cinemas were surprised. But I think that’s
how an independent cinema can continue
to thrive—by being connected to their
community.
On what constitutes success
for art-house cinemas
Maintaining your passion and paying
your bills are important, but an independent
theatre should be run with passion;
it has to be motivated by passion before
profit. It’s not that you don’t want to make
money; every business—whether it’s forprofit
or not-for-profit—has to end up
taking in more money than it spends. But
art-house cinemas are businesses of passion
and they can succeed in any town, large
or small, if they have the right group of
people who are smart about business—and
dedicated to their community.
On the difference
between large chains
and small independents
If you’re a national chain, you make your
money by applying a formula broadly across
a wide geographical area. There are national
chains in all kinds of businesses—not just
cinema—and they’re run by smart businesspeople.
But there are also very successful
local businesses and they usually distinguish
themselves by being uniquely connected to
their community. My boss is my community,
it’s not someone in an office in some
major city. I don’t think that makes me a
better cinema, but it does mean that I can
operate by a different business model.
My uncle ran a hardware store in a
small town in southern Missouri at a time
when Walmart was putting local hardware
stores out of business. He did just fine in
the face of their challenge because if people
had an issue, they knew they could talk
to my Uncle Bill. He knew them, he could
relate to their problems, he was involved
in his community. He’d be fair, but he was
also a good businessman. Large cinemas
do fine, but some people really want that
special local connection—and we also play
many movies they can’t really find anywhere
else.
On the importance
of learning the language
of film
Young people today are much more
savvy in terms of cinema repertoire because
such a vast array of films are available for
them to watch on Blu-ray, DVD, at their
local library and via streaming. Two-yearolds
have Disney movies memorized from
watching them on iPads. Even people who
like to go to the cinema typically see more
movies at home on their TV or computer
screen than they see in a theatre. That’s
been true for many years. Still, most people
are generally ignorant about the nature of
cinema language. It’s like they’ve had a lot
of stories read to them but they’ve never
learned to read or understand English
grammar. Generally, people understand the
stories movies tell, but they don’t understand
how the art form is composed or the
techniques used to tell the story.
That cinema “grammar” is often taught
in colleges, in film-appreciation courses,
but a small minority of students take
those—and it’s really too late. Because
most people get most of their information
from audiovisual media—TV, phones,
computer and theatre screens—we should
be teaching the grammar of that media
at a very young age. Children need to understand
how that media tells its stories,
communicates its messages, convinces
them to make decisions. They need that
understanding to make intelligent choices
not just in the movies they see, but in the
way they live their lives.
On the future
Cinema—and the media in general—
are mature businesses, so we have to be
constantly aggressive and thoughtful and
imaginative about how we pursue our
business so we can stay in the market and
continue to be an effective service to our
customers. But human beings are creatures
of stories; our brains are organized around
stories and there’s something primal and
profound in sitting in a darkened room full
of strangers and having a story presented
by flickering lights. It’s primal desire. Cinema
fulfills that desire. Plus, people like to
go out and one of the best places to experience
quality stories is in a well-run movie
theatre. I like to think that the Art House
Convergence enables and encourages both
that primal desire and the chance to get
out of the house and escape our day-today
lives for a few hours. And that’s a very
good thing!
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cannot change the world
if you don’t like each other.”
‘You
A fine guiding principle for
a nonprofit organization, a political
activist group, a self-help seminar…but
a production company? You bet—when
that production company is Participant
Media, which since 2004 has been
bringing movies that seek to affect social
change to the big screen.
“Compassion,” continues CEO David
Linde, “is central to the perspective
of Participant. We believe in a
compassionate world. And when you’re
talking about 75-plus movies and over
two billion dollars’ worth of box office,
I would say that there are a lot of people
who agree with us.”
A scan down Participant’s filmography
backs Linde up. Commercial and
critical successes—Lincoln; The Help;
Contagion; Food, Inc.; and this year’s
Wonder, just to name a few—abound.
There are Oscar winners—like Tom Mc-
Carthy’s Best Picture winner Spotlight,
about the Boston Globe’s investigation
into the Catholic Church’s child molestation
cover-up, and Best Documentary
Feature winners CITIZENFOUR, The
Cove and An Inconvenient Truth. Come
the 90th Annual Academy Awards on
March 4, they could have some new
brethren: Steven Spielberg’s The Post;
Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk’s documentary
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to
Power; and Chilean drama A Fantastic
Woman, from director Sebastián Lelio,
are all awards-season hopefuls.
Joshua Oppenheimer’s documentary
PARTICIPATING
IN GOOD
Participant Media Spurs Social Change
Through the Power of the Movies
by Rebecca Pahle
duo The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence. Breathe, Andy Serkis’ biopic of Robin
Cavendish (Andrew Garfield), a crusader for the disabled. Based-on-a-true-story
actioner Deepwater Horizon. Spielberg’s Cold War drama Bridge of Spies. The films
Participant has (ahem) participated in
run the gamut, but they have one thing
in common: a shared determination to,
in the words of president of documentary
film and television Diane Weyermann,
“tell stories that are engaging and can
reach people, and that illuminate issues
that may or may not be in the spotlight.”
“One thing that film can do is
A scene in Kenya from Human Flow.
inspire,” elaborates Jonathan King,
Participant’s president of narrative film
and television. “In a climate where
political division is especially acute, we look for ways to draw people together. There’s
a movie out right now called Wonder”—about the experience of a young boy (Room’s
Jacob Tremblay) with facial differences who goes to a public school for the first time—
“that’s really about embracing differences and relating to people who may be different
than you are, and looking at them with compassion. That kind of movie is really
resonant with audiences. It is completely in line with our mission.”
Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep
in The Post.
Felicity Jones as Ruth Bader Ginsburg
in On the Basis of Sex.
48 FILMJOURNAL.COM / JANUARY 2018
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CEO David Linde (center) with Participant Media executives Jonathan King and Diane Weyermann.
In that same vein, Weyermann cites
upcoming Sundance Selects/IFC Films
release Far from the Tree, about families
where parents and children are profoundly
different from one another due to Down
Syndrome, dwarfism, being transgender
or some other cause. “It’s really a film
about love and acceptance and compassion.
In this polarized environment we
find ourselves in, where people don’t speak
to each other and there’s a lot of fear of
the ‘other,’ these are really important films
to get out there… We’re all looking for
ways to be more positive and more hopeful
and more inspired, rather than being
pulled down by division and fear.”
That hunt for “common ground,”
King explains, is one of Participant’s
primary raisons d’etre. It’s also something
that “in some ways, film as an art form is
uniquely suited to do.”
In the end, it all boils down to “spinach.”
That’s the word that Linde uses to describe the sort of films Participant doesn’t want
to make: chock-full of positive messages, but dry, dull and preachy. You may not want
to eat it, but hey, it’s good for you!
That is emphatically not the Participant way. “We don’t make spinach,” Linde says.
“We’re making movies. And television
shows and digital short film content.
There are lots of people out there making
spinach. That’s not us.” Story must
come first, always. “People want to be
entertained. They want to be thrilled.”
Or, put another way: “You can’t change
the world if nobody sees your movie.”
King cites Mimi Leder’s On the Basis
of Sex, out later in 2018, about the efforts
of young lawyer Ruth Bader Ginsburg
A scene from A Fantastic Woman.
(Felicity Jones) and her husband Marty
(Armie Hammer) to bring gender
discrimination cases before the Supreme Court. “It wouldn’t have made for a good
movie if it hadn’t been a really great, surprising, engaging, emotional story.”
Participant also teamed with Steven Spielberg to tackle gender equality in The Post.
Owen Wilson, Jacob Tremblay,
Izabela Vidovic and Julia Roberts
in Wonder.
Al Gore in An Inconvenient Sequel:
Truth to Power.
Photos courtesy Participant Media
016-057.indd 49
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On one level, it’s a ripping yarn about
a key moment in American history: the
publication of the Pentagon Papers.
On another, it’s about journalism and
freedom of the press. On yet a third,
says Linde, it’s “a fantastic story about
a woman [Washington Post publisher
Katharine Graham, played by Meryl
Streep] who is realizing her importance
and relevance in the world.” With those
two films, Participant is “engaging in
conversation about great woman leaders.
This year and next year. And people
who are going to be seeing On the Basis
of Sex are going to be reminded about
The Post. It’s a very organic process of
conversation.”
With these two films about “strong
women in professions that are primarily
male-dominated,” Weyermann points
out that Participant has landed “in the
right zeitgeist… [The Post and On the
Basis of Sex] land right at the time when
people can really relate to them and
respond to them. That’s something we
always look at: What stories are cresting?
What’s going on in the zeitgeist?”
Linde calls this “catching moments.”
“Moments” caught in Participant films
over the last few years include: the global
refugee crisis (Ai Weiwei’s Human Flow),
the leaking of classified government
information (Laura Poitras’ CITIZEN-
FOUR), the Arab Spring movement
(Jehane Noujaim’s The Square) and cyberterrorism
(Alex Gibney’s Zero Days).
John Goodman in the Participantbacked
2018 thriller, Captive State.
Through always looking ahead to
what issues people are hungry to engage
with, Participant Media, through its
films, sparks conversation. For Linde,
King and Weyermann, it’s not just a
matter of making films, handing them
off to the distributors and then moving
on to the next one. For many of its films,
Participant partners with NGOs in ways
that raise awareness and prompt real
change. For example, with An Inconvenient
Sequel: Truth to Power, Participant
partnered with the Climate Reality
Project, the Sierra Club, the Natural
Resources Defense Council and the Environmental
Defense Fund to help combat
climate change. An online “action
center” used social media to push out
videos that were seen 75 million times.
“We have a responsibility and a
mission to engage people around the
subject of each movie,” Linde explains.
“It’s not our job to market them into the
movie theatre. We’re not a distributor.
That’s what our partner does. But we’re
embracing a much broader spectrum
of partners around a movie than a
typical distributor would. They have
their stakeholders and partners and
audience, and we have our stakeholders
and partners and audience. And we
merge them together over the life of the
film to create as much awareness of the
movie and the issue as possible. The film
distributor actions them into the movie
theatre. Our NGO partners action them
to actual action. And you’re building
this very organic, dynamic life around a
movie”—one that extends well beyond its
theatrical release.
“You’d better bring a lot to the table,
if you’re going to survive in the media
business,” Linde adds. “You’d better
be distinct about what it is that you’re
doing. And this company is unique, and
it brings a lot to the table. And that’s
how we make ourselves different.”
Participant’s unique approach is
what the distributors want, what the
filmmakers want, what the NGOs
want…and also, increasingly, what
consumers want as well. For some
people, Linde notes, seeing a movie is
just seeing a movie, “and that’s fine.”
But by and large, he argues that we’re
in the “age of the conscious consumer,”
with people of all ages and backgrounds
showing an increasing interest in how
they can use their buying power to make
a positive impact on the world. These
consumers “are applying a new value
filter to their purchases. And that’s just
a fact. TOMS shoes and KIND bars
wouldn’t exist and be successful if that
wasn’t one of the momentum changes
going on.”
“Our task,” says Weyermann, “is to
bring stories to life that we hope can
get people to think about things in a
different way and maybe act towards
change.” And it’s working. Weyermann
recalls an event where the filmmakers
behind An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to
Power were honored by the California
League of Conservation Voters. There,
Weyermann spoke with a young
environmental activist—herself receiving
an award there—who recalled that
she attended one of Al Gore’s training
sessions after finding out about them in
the first An Inconvenient Truth.
Sometimes the impact is large: the
Indonesian government acknowledging
for the first time its genocide of
suspected communists as a direct result
of The Act of Killing and The Look of
Silence. Sometimes they’re smaller: all
the people who grew more conscious of
their eating habits as a result of seeing
Robert Kenner’s 2008 documentary
Food, Inc. “These kinds of things are
incredible,” Weyermann says. “It’s really
about how these films connect to viewers
and get them to think or change or
feel supported or feel acknowledged or
inspired. Whatever the case might be.
That’s what gives Jonathan and me a lot
of pride in what we do.”
50 FILMJOURNAL.COM / JANUARY 2018
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THE BEST
NETWORKING EVENT
IN THE INDUSTRY!
...
TO ALL OF OUR
PARTICIPANTS FOR MAKING
THIS SUCH A
SUCCESSFUL EVENT!
FROM THE ICTA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
INTERNATIONAL CINEMA
TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION
L.A. SEMINAR SERIES
JANUARY 15-17, 2018 — UNIVERSAL CITY, CA
ICTA-WEB.COM
fj ad for lass.indd 1
11/30/17 11:50 AM

SPANNING
THE CINEMA WORLD
ICTA’s L.A. Seminar Provides
a Global Perspective on Exhibition
by Mark Mayfield, Director, Global Cinema Marketing, QSC LLC
For more than a decade, the International
Cinema Technology Association
has hosted its annual Los
Angeles Seminar Series. Initially conceived
as an educational session, the L.A. Seminar
Series has emerged to become one of
the most important industry gatherings
for keeping up with new developments in
cinema technology, monitoring business
issues and networking.
This January, the ICTA/LASS promises
to be one of the most comprehensive
events ever hosted by ICTA. Over two days,
attendees will participate in 16 sessions
including panel discussions, presentations,
and three offsite visits to local cinemas for
live demonstrations. Topics range from new
trends in cinema technology, theatre design
and operations, moviegoer research and
interactive attraction technologies to insights
on the global cinema market. And, as
always, attendees will get a preview of new
products and technologies from the industry’s
leading equipment manufacturers.
This year’s Los Angeles Seminar kicks
off on Monday evening, January 15, at
the Universal Hilton with the traditional
welcome cocktail reception open to all
attendees. The following day opens with a
keynote address featuring a global perspective
on the evolving international cinema
exhibition market, presented by Cinépolis
chief operating officer Miguel Mier.
Day one sessions continue on a vital
topic, as the cinema environment becomes
increasingly networked. James Pope, an
IT expert and sound/video engineer at
Charles Creative, will discuss “Network
Security Best Practices, Penetration Testing
and Horror Stories.”
One of the most dynamic and most
talked-about recent trends in cinema
over the past year is the potential of large
direct-view screens in theatrical exhibition
applications. Frank Tees of Moving Image
Technologies will lead a panel discussion
on “Direct View Cinema Displays.” featuring
industry experts and representatives
from equipment vendors. Panelists will
discuss the implications for theatre owners,
equipment manufacturers, installers and
the moviegoer.
While ICTA was originally conceived
as an organization for cinema equipment
manufacturers, over the past decade its
mission has expanded to include membership
and perspectives from all other
corners of the cinema industry. The year’s
Seminar features an “Exhibitor Roundtable,”
where technology managers from
several leading cinema chains will share
viewpoints on a variety of topics that impact
theatre operations.
Cinema sound technology is always
evolving, with new formats and methods
of delivering the auditory experience to
theatre patrons. Ultimately, that experience
comes down to the selection of equipment
and the environment in which it operates,
including power amplifiers, loudspeakers,
audio signal processing and room acoustics.
While some may view these as mature
technologies, they are certainly not indistinguishable,
as John F. Allen points out
in a session themed “Amplifiers Are NOT
All the Same.” This session covers the important
attributes of power amplifiers and
compares their different classes.
Afterwards, Mark Elliott, CEO of
Eomac. will lead an informative panel discussion
on the “Design and Construction
Challenges of Food and Beverage Services
in the Cinema of 2018,” which will include
concessions vendors, designers and architects.
Panelists will discuss how the expansion
of concession services has impacted
theatre interior design.
Looking toward the worldwide market,
attendees will get an opportunity to learn
about the current climate of global content
distribution in a one-on-one interview
with Andrew Cripps, president of 20th
Century Fox International Distribution.
What does today’s moviegoing audience
think about the current state of the
cinema industry? Since our true collective
end-customer is the moviegoer, this year’s
Seminar provides several sessions devoted
to listening to our customers. Billy Jones,
senior director, strategic marketing, with
leading cinema advertising network and
research firm National CineMedia, will
review some of the findings from their ongoing
frequent-moviegoers research initiative
“Ask The Audience” (a regular feature of
Film Journal International). Also, a group of
young moviegoers will present their opinions
of today’s moviegoing experience, in a
panel discussion led by Paul Dergarabedian,
senior media analyst at comScore.
The first day of LASS 2018 will conclude
with a post-dinner trip to the UCLA
James Bridges Theatre for an entertaining
“Look at 70mm”, hosted by UCLA’s Jess
Daily and Ioan Allen of Dolby Labs.
Day two will begin with a field trip
across the street to the AMC Universal
Cinemas for a fascinating presentation/
demonstration about archival film restoration.
Theo Gluck, director of library restoration
and preservation at Disney Studios,
will show film samples and trace the painstaking
process of restoring and preserving
classic film masterpieces.
One of the most promising technologies
on the horizon for motion picture image
quality is high dynamic range (HDR).
A panel discussion led by Christie’s Susie
Beiersdorf will offer different viewpoints
from studios, tech experts and filmmakers
on the definition of HDR, what we can
expect from it, and the realities of implementing
it in today’s cinema.
As cinema technologies evolve, we
sometimes lose perspective on the cultural
importance of the cinema. Is it fundamentally
an art form, entertainment or
a business? To lend some clarity to the
52 FILMJOURNAL.COM / JANUARY 2018
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Schedule of Events
topic, two presenters will provide different
viewpoints. One of the industry’s foremost
experts on image and projection quality,
Harry Mathias, professor at San Jose State
University, will discuss the crossroads of
technology and art in a special lecture.
Then, attendees will hear a research-based
perspective from Dan Cryan, executive
director of media and content at IHS
Markit, a global market intelligence firm.
Dan will discuss the relationship between
the cinema experience and the technology
used to deliver it.
Event cinema offers one of the most
promising revenue generators for theatre
operators to allow them to capitalize on
their investment in properties and technology.
Ray Nutt, CEO of Fathom Events,
will lead us through the current state of
this exciting opportunity, and how theatre
operators can be part of it.
The final business discussion for the
day dives into the world of data, focusing
on how cinemas are collecting tons of data
on their customer transactions and how
they can use that data in order to improve
the business. Alan Roe, CEO of Jack Roe,
and Leon Newnham, president of Vista
USA, will discuss “Using Data to Build
Your Business.”
Another opportunity for alternative use
of the cinema is recreating the excitement
of a live sporting environment in a movie
theatre. The final event of the Seminar will
be an offsite visit to Hollywood’s legendary
TCL Chinese Theatre, for an e-sports
demonstration and reception hosted by
MediaMation.
This year’s ICTA Los Angeles Seminar
offers a full 360-degree look at what’s
going on in the theatrical exhibition business.
If movie theatres are part of your life,
there is simply no better opportunity to
mingle with your peers, gain new insights
and learn ways to grow your business—and
have some fun along the way.
Monday, January 15
7:00 PM—Welcome Cocktail Reception
& Dinner (Ballroom C)
Tuesday, January 16
8:30 AM—Breakfast (Foyer A&B)
9:00 AM—Welcome: Mike Archer,
President, ICTA
9:15 AM—Keynote Address.
Speaker: Miguel Mier, COO Cinépolis
9:45 AM—“Network Security Best
Practices, Penetration Testing and
Horror Stories”
Speaker: James Pope, Sound/Video
Engineer & Editor at Charles Creative
10:30 AM—“Direct View Cinema
Displays: Let’s Talk Solutions, Not
Panels”
Moderator: Frank Tees
Special Remarks: Peter Lude, CTO,
Mission Rock Digital
Panelists: Barry Ferrell, QSC
John Batliner, Harman
Charles Robinson, Dolby
Chris Buchanan/Bill Mandell, Samsung
Gary Mandle, Sony Electronics
11:45 AM—Exhibitor Roundtable
Moderator: Joe DeMeo
Speakers: Mark Louis, Alamo Drafthouse
Mark Collins, Marcus Theatres
Kirk Griffin, Harkins Theatres
Jon Kidder, National Amusements
12:30 AM—“Amplifiers Are NOT
All the Same”
Speaker: John Allen,
President, High Performance Stereo
1:00 PM—Lunch (Ballroom C)
2:00 PM—2018 Annual ICTA Convention,
NAPA Marriott
Speaker: Joe DeMeo
2:15 PM—“Not Just Popcorn & Soda Pop—
Meeting the Design and Construction
Challenges of Food and Beverage
Services in the Cinema of 2018”
Moderator: Mark Elliott, CEO, EOMAC
Speakers: Derek Galloway, Martek
Mike Cummings, TK Architecture
Bruce Proctor, Proctor Companies
Bob McCall, JKRP Architects
3:00 PM—Interview with Andrew
Cripps, President of 20th Century Fox
International Distribution
3:30 PM—“Ask the Audience”
Billy Jones, Senior Director, Strategic
Marketing, National CineMedia
4:00 PM—Panel of Students on Likes
and Dislikes of Today’s Cinema
Moderator: Paul Dergarabedian,
Senior Media Analyst, comScore
4:30 PM—Manufacturers’ Presentations
5:00 PM—Wrap-Up for Day 1
by Mike Archer
5:30 PM—Dinner Reception
(Ballroom C & D)
6:30 PM—“A Look at 70mm”
Hosted by Jess Daily, Motion Picture
Projection Services, UCLA
UCLA James Bridges Theatre
Buses depart at 6:30 pm and
return at 9 pm.
Wednesday, January 17
Mark Mayfield takes over as moderator.
8:30 AM—Breakfast (A & B Foyer)
9:30 AM—“One Frame at a Time:
Preservation, Restoration,
Reconstruction”
Speaker: Theo Gluck, Director,
Library Restoration & Preservation,
Disney Studios
11:00 AM—“HDR in the Cinema”
Moderator: Susie Beiersdorf,
VP Sales, the Americas,
Christie Digital
Speakers: Chris Witham
Walt Disney Studios
Mark Christiansen, Paramount Studios
Jerry Pierce, NATO Technology Advisor
Curtis Clark, ASC
Michael Zink, Warner Bros.
12:00 PM—Lunch (Ballroom C)
1:00 PM—“Technology vs. Art
in Today’s Cinema”
Speaker: Harry Mathias, Professor
at San Jose State University,
Department of Film and Theatre
1:30 PM—Research Report
Speaker: Dan Cryan, IHS Markit
2:00 PM—“The Evolution & Impact
of Event Cinema”
Speaker: Ray Nutt,
Fathom Entertainment
2:30 PM—“It’s Not What You’ve Got
But What You Do with It:
The Value of Data to Today’s
Movie Theatres.”
Speakers: Alan Roe, Jack Roe
Leon Newnham, Vista
3:00 PM—Manufacturers’
Presentations
4:00 PM—Wrap-Up for Day 2
by Mike Archer
5:00 PM—E-Sports Demonstration
and Reception,
Sponsored by MediaMation
Buses depart for TCL Chinese Theatre
promptly at 5:00 pm from the
Universal Hilton.
JANUARY 2018 / FILMJOURNAL.COM 53
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ESMP’s 47 Meters Down may become
the second-highest grossing indie film of 2017.
Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures
Looks for Broad-Appeal Releases
NEW PLAYER
IN TOWN
by Doris Toumarkine
Amid so many career-wrecking
scandals and horrifying fires, the
new theatrical distribution entity
Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures
(ESMP), an offspring of comedian/entrepreneur
Byron Allen’s L.A.-based global
media operation Entertainment Studios
(ES), is bringing some good news from
Hollywood to theatres and film fans.
As the abundance of quality
entertainment soars, dazzles and confuses,
the creation of ESMP, the new kid on the
distribution block, could be seen as risky.
But its odds rose this summer with its first
release, the hit thriller 47 Meters Down,
which may become the second-highest
grossing indie film of 2017. ESMP’S next
release, Hostiles, a western starring Christian
Bale that opened Dec. 22, suggests that that
47 wasn’t beginner’s luck. Releases to follow
(see below) suggest ESMP will continue to
deliver the goods.
As with all “kids,” good parenting
counts. ES founder and CEO Allen birthed
his new theatrical distribution business from
his 2015 purchase of Freestyle Releasing,
the well-established independent service
distribution company founded by industry
veteran Mark Borde, now ESMP president
of theatrical distribution, and the late Susan
Jackson. When the highly regarded Jackson
unexpectedly passed away, Allen, who had
been a friend of Jackson’s, bought Freestyle,
thus adding film distribution to the
25-year-old ES’ growing family of first-run
television syndication, game shows, OTT
sports and seven cable-network businesses.
Allen’s Freestyle purchase brought
into the ESMP fold two significant
Allen hires: Borde and Freestyle’s young
gun Chris Charalambous, now the
division’s head of acquisitions.
Californian Borde, an industry veteran
brought up in the biz, has roots in exhibition.
“I owned two theatres, one in L.A.
and the other in Monterey and I know
how theatres work from the inside out,” he
says. Charalambous, who went Hollywood
Byron Allen
(center), Mark
Borde (left)
and Chris
Charalambous.
54 FILMJOURNAL.COM / JANUARY 2018
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ESMP’s Chappaquiddick, with Jason Clarke as Sen. Ted Kennedy, and Hostiles, starring Christian Bale, open wide in 2018.
following a New York hospital administration
job, was raised in Queens (“only
a block and a half from where the Weinsteins
grew up”). Arriving West with a bit
of “star is born” backstory (“without a cent
or financial safety net”), he became a serial
temp, landing jobs at the E! Network,
MGM and, most importantly, a full-time
one with Pierce Brosnan’s production company
Irish DreamTime where he remained
eight years and met his first mentor, the
late Beau St. Clair, Brosnan’s friend and
production partner. Next on his C.V. was
the job at Freestyle and a new mentor in
Susan Jackson. As he explains it, St. Clair
taught him “show business, what production
was all about” and Jackson was “business
show,” a way into the nuts and bolts of
distribution and exhibition.
However different in age and background,
Borde and Charalambous share a
strong faith and focus—faith in the continuing
strength of the theatrical platform (Says
Borde, “People will always want to get out of
the house and kids want to go out on dates”)
and focus on bringing to large audiences
on as many as 3,000 to 4,000 screens highquality
mainstream entertainment (“with lots
of popcorn thrown in,” quips Borde).
But the mission is clear—ESMP,
whether initially appealing to action fans,
millennials or families, means to hit that
often coveted, sometimes elusive mid-budget,
MOR box-office sweet spot. Their slate
(this reporter was afforded a look) offers a
broad range of genres and subject matter
and supports the ESMP mission.
Charalambous, after dealing with
TWC’s Bob Weinstein, rescued Dimension
Films’ 47 Meters Down from a direct-to-
DVD fate. A pure genre exercise of thrills
and damsels in distress, it’s a fun thriller
about two sisters on vacation in Mexico
on a pleasure boat outing for underwater
shark-watching. Their cage takes them to
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JANUARY 2018 / FILMJOURNAL.COM 55
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the ocean bottom and a lurking shark, but,
alas, needed better maintenance.
As contrast, the current Hostiles, which
goes wide in January, has Christian Bale in
one of his best roles, here as an embittered
late-19th-century Army captain stationed
at a fort in the remote West. He’s ordered
to return a dying Cheyenne prisoner and
his family through dangerous territory to
his Montana homeland. With gorgeous
vistas and an unobtrusive undercurrent of
seriousness, Hostiles recalls the artistry and
western adventures of Hawk and Ford or
Zinnemann with High Noon.
Also for 2018, ESMP has the smart
Chappaquiddick, a gripping political drama
based on the 1969 scandal when Senator
Ted Kennedy, then a Presidential hopeful,
left the scene of a Martha’s Vineyard car
accident that took the life of his passenger,
Mary Jo Kopechne. Kate Mara as Mary Jo,
Jason Clarke as an uncannily credible Teddy
and Bruce Dern as the harsh Kennedy
patriarch add luster to a dark tale of crafty
political maneuverings.
The sci-fi thriller Replicas, starring
Keanu Reeves, has a scientist driven to
bring back to life his deceased family from
a tragedy he was involved in. It’s awash
in suspense and the snazzy visuals that its
tech-world setting demands.
Also moving “fast and furious” along
ESMP’s genre lane is Rob Cohen’s (The
Fast and The Furious) The Hurricane Heist,
about a massive heist attempt at an Alabama
U.S. Treasury mint facility during a
category-five hurricane.
Next year also puts ESMP in the animation
ring with Animal Crackers, about
a family’s struggle (using a magical box of
Animal Crackers!) to save a rundown circus
from an evil uncle. The impressive voice cast
(Emily Blunt, Danny DeVito, John Krasinski)
should please the whole family.
Borde is deservedly excited about this
lineup. He calls Hostiles “the best movie of
the year!” He labels Hurricane Heist “deep in
genre. It’s action, cars, a blast, popcorn film
and what I like about going to the movies.
No Academy Awards—just sit back and
enjoy.” He calls his bias toward genre “a
mainstream take with an indie bent.”
As Hostiles gets some buzz, so does the
upcoming Chappaquiddick. (Yes, subject
matter matters.) Says Borde, “It’s controversial
and a true story that reminds that some
things never change. When you’re in a position
of power you can make things happen,
make things go away. It’s mind-boggling
how some get away with that.”
ESMP’s overall m.o., says Borde, is “to
license mostly for the U.S. and Canada, but
on new titles we’re moving toward acquiring
all rights worldwide when available.”
ESMP isn’t (yet) in the tentpole business,
but, says Borde, “we target wide releases
and go after movies that can play 2,500 to
4,000 screens, which sets us apart from the
smaller companies. I like them [smaller
companies like Roadside Attractions, etc.],
we’re friends but not competitive, because
ESMP is in the studio space. We love
thrillers, horror, comedy, African-American,
animated. We try to find movies we
can target without using a shotgun.”
ESMP also has the indie SVOD/VOD/
DVD group Freestyle Digital Media and
its vast library, which Charalambous oversees.
“This programming feeds ES’ different
cable, digital and broadcast business lines,”
Borde notes.
Regarding what Borde sees as his
biggest challenge, his quick answer is:
“Finding what is called in the distribution
business ‘shelf space’; there’s certainly
no shortage of movies. Look at what we
get each week: maybe four or five studio
films and countless smaller films, and all
the amenity choices to deal with. The 3D
waves, IMAX, D-BOX. So many releases,
often ten to twenty new ones each week,
whether wide, limited, exclusive, but especially
at the end of the year.
“So my challenge is to deal with shelf
space, and as a distributor who’s been in the
business a while, it’s a need to know how
and when to hold or fold, or find that clear
runway for your comedy, thriller, whatever.
I’m very conscious of competition for the
week and even before, because trailerplaying
is critical to beginning traction. And
there are always surprises and shifts, so you
have to be nimble.”
Borde believes audiences today are different.
“They’re younger, as proven by Pixar and
Marvel [product]. Thematically, the audiences
are there for tentpoles and older filmgoers
are coming out for the right movie.”
As for exhibition’s seasonal attendance
bumps and slumps, Borde acknowledges,
“There are better times of the year for films,
such as summer for mainstream and blockbusters,
but it’s definitely a twelve-monthsa-year
business.” And there’s no bad playing
time. “Good films can play anytime and
cream rises to the top.”
Borde, who will be sticking to the 90-
day window, praises exhibitors for “trying
everything, even trying new ticket sales
programs like what Regal and Arclight are
doing. This is part of the evolution of a huge
cultural industry and things are happening
at lightning speed and we all have to cope
and stay relevant.”
On the acquisitions side of ESMP,
Charalambous says, “I’m looking for something
specific—the wide releases that can
go out to thousands of theatres and not the
indie darlings. I’m going after commercial
content, a movie-movie, an event of the
action, horror, thriller, family kind.” For
Freestyle Digital Media, he’s on the lookout
for limited-release product or smaller
discovery titles.
The company, he says, aims for a broader
audience than do most other indie distributors,
“Our mission,” he explains, “is to feed
the audience, not chase an audience. We
believed that our shark movie [47 Meters
Down] would appeal to teens, and older
audiences would follow. We are in the business
of finding things that make the most
sense and being able to say confidently, ‘This
is a good movie and you will like it.’”
With so much content to sift through,
how does Charalambous find what ESMP
needs? He immediately responds with a
claim of “good memory! And good networking
and knowing a lot of people. We
do great tracking, always talking to producers
and hitting the big festivals like Cannes,
AFM, Toronto, Sundance. As a company,
we have our eyes and ears on all the festivals,
even smaller, niche-ier ones.”
How ESMP landed 47 Meters Down
is testament to staying in touch and being
vigilant. “I knew the finance people and
they tipped me to the fact that it was going
to DVD. We felt it deserved better.”
ESMP’s western powerhouse Hostiles
too is quite a get. Says Charalambous, “We
knew the movie was out there and premiering
at Telluride. We heard there was good
response there, so we followed it to Toronto,
where we acquired it.”
As an acquirer, ESMP, he indicates,
also shows the money and generous P&A
commitments ($30-40 million potentially)
for release to thousands of theatres. Further
proof of deep pockets comes from reports of
lost bids. “We made the biggest bid for The
Birth of a Nation [a lucky loss, as the film’s
release was ultimately undone by scandal],”
he says, “and went big for Mudbound,” which
Netflix grabbed. (ESMP has an output deal
with Netflix.)
And now a shark alert: Distribution
soon won’t be ESMP’s only game, as it has
just begun the dive into production with
its undersea sequel 48 Meters Down. Says
Borde, “As with producing any film, it’s a
long and winding road. But we are so excited
to be following up our huge success
47 Meters Down. We have secured the same
creative team, although the film has not
been cast as of yet.”
56 FILMJOURNAL.COM / JANUARY 2018
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I N T E R N A T I O N A L
2018
The
DISTRIBUTION GUIDE
Distribution Guide provides ready reference information
on the theatrical film distribution companies, including contact
information and the names and titles of key executives.
A24
31 W 27th St., 11th Fl.
New York, NY 10001
(646) 568-6015
www.a24films.com
Founders: David Fenkel, Daniel Katz,
John Hodges
www.facebook.com/a24
Twitter: @A24
ABRAMORAMA
448 Manville Rd.
Pleasantville, NY 10570
(914) 741-1818
info@abramorama.com
www.abramorama.com
Pres.: Richard Abramowitz
www.facebook.com/AbramoramaInc
Twitter: @abramorama
ADOPT FILMS
2-14 50th Ave., Ste. 1006W
Long Island City, NY 11101
(718) 392-2783
www.adoptfilms.com
Founders: Tim Grady, Jeff Lipsky
www.facebook.com/AdoptFilms
Twitter: @AdoptFilms
ATLAS DISTRIBUTION
Los Angeles, CA
(310) 826-5000
www.atlasdistribution.com
Chairman: John Aglialoro
Pres.: Harmon Kaslow
COO: Joan Carter
CTO: Scott DeSapio
facebook.com/AtlasMovies/
Twitter: @AtlasMovies
AMAZON STUDIOS
1620 26th St., Ste. 4000N
Santa Monica, CA 90404
(310) 573-2305
COO: Albert Cheng
ANNAPURNA PICTURES
812 N Robertston Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
www.annapurna.pictures
Founder & CEO: Megan Ellison
www.facebook.com/AnnapurnaPics
Twitter, Instagram: @ AnnapurnaPics
ARGOT PICTURES
465 E 7th St. #6V
Brooklyn, NY 11218
(646) 732-3725
argotpictures.com
Instagram: @argot_pictures
Founder: Jim Browne
www.facebook.com/argotpictures
www.youtube.com/user/ArgotPic/videos
Twitter: @Argotpictures
BEIJING ENLIGHT PICUTRES
3rd Fl., Bldg. 3, Hepingli E St.
Dongcheng District, Beijing 100013 China
010-64516000
Fax: 010-84222188
www.ewang.com
www.facebook.com/enlight.pictures
BLEECKER STREET
116 East 27th St., 5th Fl.
New York, NY 10016
(212) 951-5700
www.bleeckerstreetmedia.com
www.facebook.com/BleeckerStFilms
Twitter: @bleeckerstfilms
BOND/360
466 Broome St., 4th Fl.
New York, NY 10013
hello@bondinfluence.com
bond360press.com
Founder: Marc Schiller
Pres.: Sara Schiller
BRAINSTORM MEDIA
280 South Beverly Dr., Ste. 208
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(310) 285-0812
Fax: (310) 285-0772
info@brainmedia.com
www.brainmedia.net
Pres.: Meyer Swarzstein
Dir. of Marketing & Digital Distribution:
Michelle Swarzstein
BREAKING GLASS PICTURES
133 N 4th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(267) 324-3934
Fax: (267) 687-7533
sales@bgpics.com
www.breakingglasspictures.com
SVP, Sales & Distribution: Michael Repsch
CEO, Co-Pres.: Richard Wolff
Co-Pres. & Dir. of Domestic Sales:
Richard Ross
www.facebook.com/BreakingGlassPictures
Twitter: @breakingglasspx
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BROAD GREEN PICTURES
6555 Barton Ave., 2nd Fl.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 688-1800
info@broadgreen.com
www.broadgreen.com
VP, Creative Affairs: Lauren McCarthy
CEO: Gabriel Hammond
SVP, Development & Production: Asher
Goldstein
Chief Creative Officer: Daniel Hammond
www.facebook.com/broadgreen
www.linkedin.com/company/broadgreen/
www.youtube.com/broadgreenpictures
Twitter: @broadgreen
CAVU PICTURES
630 Ninth Ave.,
Film Center Bldg., Ste. 405
New York, NY 10036
(212) 246-6300
CAVUpictures@aol.com
www.cavupictures.com
Pres.: Michael Sergio
Pres. of Distribution & Marketing: Isil Bagdadi
CBS FILMS
1100 Glendon Ave., Ste. 1100
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 575-7000
Fax: (310) 575-7551
Andrew.Lee@cbs.com
www.cbsfilms.com
Pres.: Terry Press
Marketing Dir.: Alison Chavez
SVP, Production: Mark Ross
EVP, Distribution: Steven Friedlander
CFO: Reid Sullivan
EVP, Business Affairs: Jack Bleck
EVP, Post Production: Jack Schuster
EVP, Acquisitions: Scott Shooman
EVP & Gen. Counsel: Rik Toulon
EVP, Marketing, Publicity & Promotions:
Christine Batista
SVP, Creative Advertising: Eric Mickelson
VP, Marketing & Strategic Partnerships:
Eddie DeVall
VP, Regional Publicity & Promotions: Anne
Collins
VP, Interactive Marketing: Matt Gilhooley
SVP, Sales & Distribution: David Magedman
SVP, Communications: Grey Munford
VP, Publicity: Hayley Perry
Dir., Creative Advertising: Justin Hamann
www.facebook.com/cbsfilms
Twitter: @CBSfilms
CHINA FILM GROUP
www.zgdygf.com
Chairman & CEO: Sanping Han
Gen. Mgr.: Tong Gang
CHINA LION FILM DISTRIBUTION
1880 Century Park E, Ste. 1002
Los Angeles, CA 90067
(323) 396 9168
info@chinalionentertainment.com
www.chinalionfilm.com
COO: Robert Lundberg
www.facebook.com/chinalionfilm
www.youtube.com/chinalionfilm
Twitter: @chinalionfilm
CINEDIGM ENTERTAINMENT GROUP
15301 Ventura Blvd.,
Bldg. B, Ste. 420
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
(424) 281-5400
www.cinedigm.com
Branch Office:
45 W 36th St., 7th Fl.
New York, NY 10018
(212) 206-8600
(212) 598-4898
Chairman of the Board & CEO: Chris McGurk
CFO: Jeffrey Edell
EVP, Content, Acquisitions & Digital Sales:
Yolanda Macias
EVP Corporate Marketing & Communications:
Jill Newhouse Calcaterra
Pres. of Cinedigm Entertainment Group:
Bill Sondheim
CINEMA GUILD, THE
115 West 30 St., Ste. 800
New York, NY 10001
(800) 723-5522
Fax: (212) 685-4717
info@cinemaguild.com
www.cinemaguild.com
Chairman: Mary-Ann Hobel
www.facebook.com/cinemaguild/
www.youtube.com/user/CinemaGuild
Twitter, Tumblr: @CinemaGuild
CINEMA LIBRE STUDIO
120 S Victory Blvd., 1st Fl.
Burbank, CA 91502
(818) 588-3033
Fax: (818) 736-5820
info@cinemalibrestudio.com
www.cinemalibrestudio.com
Pres.: Philippe Diaz
CFO/VP, Marketing & Business Development:
Beth Portello
COO/Head of Distribution & Acquisitions:
Rick Castro
Head of Foreign Sales: Mohamed Ouasti
VP, Int’l Sales & Television: Cristian Bettler
Head of Home Entertainment: Rick Rieger
www.facebook.com/cinemalibrestudio
Twitter: @cinemalibre
CINEMA SLATE
10915 Queens Blvd., Ste. 3B
Forest Hills, NY 11375
(347) 330-4738
rodrigo@cineslate.com
www.cinemaslate.com
Founder: Rodrigo Brandão
www.facebok.com/cinemaslate
Twitter: @cineslate
CINEMA TROPICAL
611 Broadway, Ste. 836
New York, NY 10012
(212) 254-5474
info@cinematropical.com
www.cinematropical.com
Co-Founder & Exec.: Carlos A. Gutiérrez
www.facebook.com/CinemaTropical
Twitter: @CinemaTropical
CJ ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA
3530 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 1220
Los Angeles, CA 90010
(213)-355-1600
Fax: (213) 355-1615
www.cj-entertainment.com
CEO & Pres.: Mark W. Shaw
COO: Angela Killoren
facebook.com/cjentertainmentusa
Twitter: @CJENT_USA
Instagram: @cjent_usa
COHEN MEDIA GROUP
750 Lexington Ave., 5th Fl.
New York, NY 10022
(646) 380-7929
www.cohenmedia.net
Chairman & CEO: Charles S. Cohen
EVP: John Kochman
EVP: Gary Rubin
VP Publicity: Maya Anand
VP Marketing: Josh Kappraff
Controller: Rudy Garcia
VP, Domestic Distribution: William Thompson
SVP, Int’l Distribution: Liz Mackiewicz
www.facebook.com/CohenMediaGroup
DADA FILMS
9660 Yoakum Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 273-1444
maggie@dadafilms.net
www.dadafilms.net
Pres.: MJ Peckos
Director of Marketing & Distribution:
Maggie Cohen
DIGINEXT FILMS, LLC
250 East Broad St.
Westfield, NJ 07090
(877) 286-7610
info@diginextfilms.com
2018 DISTRIBUTION GUIDE
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2018 DISTRIBUTION GUIDE
www.diginextfilms.com
Co-Founder/Mgrs.: Larry Meistrich, Bud
Mayo, Ari Friedman
DISTRIB FILMS US
32 Court St., Ste. 2107
Brooklyn, NY 11201
distribfilmsus@gmail.com
www.distribfilmsus.com
CEO, Acquisitions: François Scippa-Kohn
Dir. of Distribution & Bookings:
Clémence Taillandier
Chairman: Eric Brunswick
www.facebook.com/distribfilmsus
Twitter: @distribfilms
DRAFTHOUSE FILMS
612A E 6th St.
Austin, TX 78701
info@drafthousefilms.com
www.drafthousefilms.com
Founder & CEO: Tim League
CBO: Christian Parkes
COO: James Shapiro
VP, Marketing & Distribution:
Sumyi Khong Antonson
www.facebook.com/drafthousefilms
Twitter: @drafthousefilms
EDKO FILMS LIMITED
1212 Tower II, Admiralty Centre
18 Harcourt Rd.
Hong Kong
+852 2529 3898
Fax: +852 2529 5277
info@edkofilm.com.hk
www.cinema.com.hk
Exec. Dir.: Bill Kong
Gen. Mgr., Sales & Acquisitions: Esther Yeung
Sr. Mgr., Int’l Sales & Distribution: Julian Chu
ELECTRIC ENTERTAINMENT
Los Angeles, CA
www.electricentertainment.com
CEO: Dean Devlin
Founding Partner: Marc Roskin
Co-Founder & Partner: Rachel Olschan
COO: Dionne McNeff
CFO: Jeff Gonzalez
Head of Int’l Distribution: Sonia Mehandjiyska
SVP Int’l Distribution & Co-Production:
Nolan Pielak
SVP, Business & Legal Affairs: Craig Gates
VP, Development: Ben Kim
Twitter: @ElectricEnt1
ENTERTAINMENT ONE
134 Peter St., Ste. 700
Toronto, ON M5V 2H2
Canada
(416) 646-2400
entertainmentonegroup.com
Branch Office:
150 S El Camino Dr., Ste. 300
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
CEO & Pres.: Darren Throop
Co-President, Film, Television & Digital:
Steve Bertram
Pres. of Les Films Séville: Patrick Roy
EVP, WW Acquisitions: Lara Thompson
facebook.com/eOnefilms
Twitter: @entonegroup
ENTERTAINMENT STUDIOS
MOTION PICTURES
1925 Century Park E, 10th Fl.
Los Angeles, CA 90067
(310) 277-3500
www.esmp.com
Founder, Chairman, CEO, Entertainment
Studios: Byron Allen
Co-Founder, Entertainment Studios:
Carolyn Folks
Pres. of Theatrical Distribution, ESMP:
Mark Borde
Gen. Sales Mgr., ESMP: Mike Simon
Head of Acquisitions, ESMP: Chris Charalambous
EVP of Marketing & Creative Services:
Dick Roberts
EVP & Gen. Counsel: Mark DeVitre
EUROPACORP
345 N Maple Dr., Ste. 123
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(424) 522-1200
www.europacorp-corporate.com/US/
Chairman: Luc Besson
CEO: Marc Shmuger
COO: Kevin McDonald
Pres., Development & Production: Lisa Ellzey
Head of Acquisitions: Federica Sainte-Rose
Pres., Domestic Television & Digital
Distribution: David Spiegelman
FACTORY 25
274 Willoughby Ave., #4R
Brooklyn, NY 11205
www.factorytwentyfive.com
Founder: Matt Grady
www.facebook.com/Factory-25-160451372230
Twitter: @factory_25m/
FILM ARCADE, THE
360 N La Cienega Blvd., 3rd Fl.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 951-9197
Fax: (323) 400-4246
info@thefilmarcade.com
thefilmarcade.com
Partners: Miranda Bailey, Jason Beck
Acquisitions Coordinator: Ayo Kepher-Maat
www.youtube.com/user/TheFilmArcade
www.facebook.com/TheFilmArcade
Twitter: @TheFilmArcade
FILM COLLABORATIVE, THE
137 N Larchmont Blvd., #606
Los Angeles, CA 90004
(323) 610-8128
Fax: (323) 908-4012
theatrical@thefilmcollaborative.org
www.thefilmcollaborative.org
Founder & Co-Exec: Orly Ravid
Co-Exec. Dir.: Jeffrey Winter
www.facebook.com/thefilmcollaborative
Twitter: @FilmCollab
FILM MOVEMENT
237 W 35th St., Ste. 604
New York, NY 10001
(212) 941-7744
Fax: (212) 941-7812
info@filmmovement.com
www.filmmovement.com
Pres.: Michael Rosenberg
VP, Sales: Demetri Makoulis
Mgr., New Media: Melissa Lyde
Dir., Non-Theatrical Sales: Maxwell Wolkin
Dir., Theatrical Sales: Clemence Taillandier
Mgr., Exhibitor Relations: James Weaver
facebook.com/FilmMovement
youtube.com/user/FilmMovement
filmmovement.tumblr.com
linkedin.com/company/film-movement
Twitter: @film_movement
Instagram: @filmmovement
FILMRISE
220 36th St., 4th Fl.
Brooklyn, NY 11232
(718) 369-9090
contact@filmrise.com
FilmRise.com
CEO: Danny Fisher
Pres.: Jack Fisher
Chairman: Alan Klingenstein
VP: Bob Jason
VP, Distribution: Elias Watamanuk
VP, Technical Operations: Thibault
Hermenault
Director, Creative Services: Aaron Hamel
VP, Communication & Distribution: Jess Mills
Director, Technical Operations:
Hector Peralta
Manager, Distribution & Marketing:
Gibson Merrick
www.facebook.com/FilmRise
www.youtube.com/user/FilmRiseTV
Twitter: @filmrisetv
FIRST RUN FEATURES
630 Ninth Ave., Ste. 1213
New York, NY 10036
(212) 243-0600
Fax: (212) 989-7649
info@firstrunfeatures.com
www.firstrunfeatures.com
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Pres.: Seymour Wishman
VP: Marc Mauceri
www.facebook.com/firstrunfeatures
Twitter: @firstrun
FOCUS FEATURES
100 Universal City Plaza,
Bldg. 2160/Ste. 7C
Universal City, CA 91608
www.focusfeatures.com
Pres., Distribution: Lisa Bunnell
SVP, Sales: Lawrence Massey
VP, In-Theatre Marketing: Eric Carr
Director, In-Theatre Marketing: Emily Maguire
Coordinator, Sales: Alec Doherty
www.facebook.com/FocusFeatures
Twitter, Instagram: @FocusFeatures
FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES
A 20th Century Fox Company
10201 West Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90035
(310) 369-1000
Fax: (310) 969-3165
www.foxsearchlight.com
Branch Office:
1211 Ave. of the Americas, 16th Fl.
New York, NY 10036
(212) 556-2400
Fax: (212) 556-8248
Pres., Fox Searchlight Pictures: Stephen Gilula,
Nancy Utley
EVP, Marketing: Michelle Hooper
EVP, Marketing, Creative Advertising
& New Media: Larry C. Baldauf
SVP, Gen. Sales Mgr.: Frank Rodriguez
Pres., Fox Searchlight Int’l: Rebecca Kearey
SVP, East Coast Publicity: Diana Loomis
SVP, Media & Market Research: Rob Wilkinson
VP, Audiovisual Creative Advertising: Flavia Amon
VPs, Ntl. Publicity: Melissa Holloway,
Angela Johnson, Barry Dale Johnson,
Cassandra Butcher
SVP, Creative Advertising: Heather Artis
VP, Ntl. Publicity (East Coast):
Barry Dale Johnson
Mgr., Creative Advertising:
Natalya Baryshnikova
VP, Field Publicity & Promotions:
Isabelle Sugimoto
Dir., Digital Marketing, Searchlight Marketing:
Alissa Norby
www.facebook.com/foxsearchlight
Twitter: @foxsearchlight
FUN ACADEMY STUDIOS
Atlanta, GA
funacademystudios.com
Pres.: Joseph B. Wilkinson Jr.
COO: Crystal Trawick
CFO: Tom Sheehan
www.facebook.com/funacademyinc
www.linkedin.com/company/fun-academymotion-pictures-inc.
www.pinterest.com/funacademyinc/
Twitter: @funacademyinc
GKIDS
225 Broadway, Ste. 2610
New York, NY 10007
(212) 528-0500
Fax: (212) 528-1437
dave@gkids.com
gkids.com
Principals: Eric Beckman,
David Jesteadt
GRASSHOPPER FILM
12 East 32nd St., 4th Fl.
New York, NY 10016
(646) 586-3060
info@grasshopperfilm.com
www.grasshopperfilm.com
Founder/Pres.: Ryan Krivoshey
www.facebook.com/ghopperfilm/
Twitter: @GhopperFilm
Instagram: @ryankrivoshey
GRAVITAS VENTURES
209 Richmond St.
El Segundo, CA 90245
(310) 388-9362
caleb@gravitasventures.com
www.gravitasventures.com
CEO & Founder: Nolan Gallagher
Pres.: Michael Murphy
SVP, Business Affairs: Brendan Gallagher
VP, Sales & Marketing: Laura Florence
VP, Operations: Karia Brown
Dir., Public Relations & Social Media:
AJ Feuerman
Dir., Acquisitions: Josh Spector
Marketing, Digital Sales, & Theatrical
Booking Coordinator: Caleb Ward
facebook.com/GravitasVentures
linkedin.com/company/gravitas-ventures/
Twitter: @GravitasVOD
Instagram: @gravitasventures
GUNPOWDER & SKY, LLC
2260 S Centinela Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310) 751-7065
info@gunpowdersky.com
gunpowdersky.com
www.facebook.com/gunpowdersky/
Instagram: @gunpowder_sky
Twitter: @GunpowderSky
CEO: Van Toffler
Pres.: Floria Bauer
HBO DOCUMENTARY FILMS
2500 Broadway
Santa Monica, CA 90404
(310) 382-3000
www.hbo.com
Branch Office:
1100 Ave. of the Americas
New York, NY 10036
(212)-512-1000
www.facebook.com/hbodocs
Twitter: @HBODocs
ICARUS FILMS
32 Court St., 21st Fl.
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 488-8900
Fax: (718) 488-8642
mail@icarusfilms.com
www.icarusfilms.com
Pres.: Jonathan Miller
VP: Livia Bloom
www.facebook.com/IcarusFilms/
Twitter: @IcarusFilms
IFC FILMS/SUNDANCE SELECTS
11 Penn Plaza, 18th Fl.
New York, NY
(212) 324-8500
Fax: (646) 273-7250
ifcfilmsinfo@ifcfilms.com
www.ifcfilms.com
Co-Pres., IFC Films & Sundance Selects:
Jonathan Sehring
EVP, Sales & Distribution: Mark Boxer
EVP, Acquisitions & Productions:
Arianna Bocco
Co-Pres., IFC Films: Lisa Schwartz
SVP, Publicity & Promotions: Lauren Schwartz
www.facebook.com/IFCFilmsOfficial
Twitter: @IFCFilms
IMAX CORPORATION
2525 Speakman Dr.
Mississauga, ON L5K 1B1
Canada
(905) 403-6500
Fax: (905) 403-6450
info@imax.com
www.imax.com
Chairman: Bradley J. Wechsler
CEO, IMAX Corp.: Richard L. Gelfond
CEO, IMAX Entertainment & Sr. EVP, IMAX
Corp.: Greg Foster
Chief Legal Officer & Chief Business
Development Officer, IMAX Corp.:
Robert Lister
CTO & EVP, IMAX Corp.: Brian Bonnick
CFO & EVP, IMAX Corp.: Patrick McClymont
Chief Quality Officer & Pres. IMAX Post/DKP
Inc., Emeritus & EVP, IMAX Corp.:
David Keighley
Pres., Global Sales, Theatre Development &
Exhibitor Relations & EVP, IMAX Corp:
Don Savant
2018 DISTRIBUTION GUIDE
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2018 DISTRIBUTION GUIDE
Pres., IMAX Theaters, IMAX Corp.:
Mark Welton
CEO, IMAX China Holding Inc.: Jiande Chen
CMO, IMAX Corp.: JL Pomeroy
Chief Human Resources Officer & EVP, IMAX
Corp.: Carrie Lindzon-Jacobs
Pres., IMAX Home Entertainment & EVP,
IMAX Corp.: Jason Brenek
Branch Offices:
IMAX Corporation
110 East 59th St., Ste. 2100
New York, NY 10022
(212) 821-0100
IMAX Entertainment
12582 West Millennium Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90094
(310) 255-5500
IMAX China Holding, Inc.
399 West Nanjing Rd.
A401-410 Tomorrow Square
Shanghai, China 200001
86-21-2315-7000
www.facebook.com/IMAX
www.youtube.com/imaxmovies
Twitter: @IMAX
INDICAN PICTURES
1041 N Formosa Ave.,
Formosa Building Suite 221
West Hollywood, CA 90046
(323) 850-2667
Fax: (800) 862-6234
contact@indicanpictures.com
www.indicanpictures.com
Pres.: Shaun Hill
www.facebook.com/indican.pictures
Twitter: @IndicanPictures
JANUS FILMS
215 Park Ave. S, Fl. 5
New York, NY 10003
(212) 756-8822
Fax: (212) 756-8850
booking@janusfilms.com
www.janusfilms.com
www.facebook.com/janusfilms
Twitter: @janusfilms
KETCHUP ENTERTAINMENT
13949 Ventura Blvd., Ste. 310
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
(818) 572-1188
www.ketchupentertainment.com
CFO: Artur Galstian
COO: Vahan Yepremyan
CEO, Head of Acquisitions: Gareth West
www.facebook.com/ketchupentertainment
KEW MEDIA GROUP
19 Heddon St.
W1B 4BG London
Great Britain
+44 20 7851 6500
london@kewmedia.com
www.kewmedia.com
Pres. of Distribution: Greg Phillips
EVP Sales, Distribution: Jonathan Ford
KINO LORBER
333 West 39th St., Ste. 503
New York, NY 10018
(212) 629-6880
Fax: (212) 714-0871
contact@kinolorber.com
www.kinolorber.com
Co-Pres. & CEO: Richard Lorber
www.facebook.com/kinolorberinc
Twitter: @KinoLorber
LANTICA MEDIA
Juan Dolio, Autovía del Este Km. 55
San Pedro de Macorís, 21004
Dominican Republic
+1.809.544.0000
info@lantica.media
lantica.media
facebook.com/lanticamedia1
Twitter, Instagram: @lanticamedia
LEISURE TIME FEATURES
40 Worth St., Ste. 824
New York, NY 10013
(212) 267-4501
bpleisure@aol.com
www.leisurefeat.com
Pres.: Bruce Pavlow
LIONSGATE
2700 Colorado Ave., Ste. 200
Santa Monica, CA 90404
(310) 449-9200
generalinquiries@lionsgate.com
www.lionsgate.com
Branch Office:
530 Fifth Ave., 26th Fl.
New York, NY 10036
CEO: Jon Feltheimer
Vice Chairman: Michael Burns
Co-COO, Lionsgate & Pres., Lionsgate Motion
Picture Group: Steve Beeks
Co-COO: Brian Goldsmith
Chief Strategic Officer & Gen. Counsel:
Wayne Levin
CFO: Jimmy Barge
Co-Chairman, Lionsgate Motion Picture
Group: Patrick Wachsberger
Co-Chairman, Lionsgate Motion Picture
Group: Joe Drake
Co-Pres., Lionsgate Motion Picture Group:
Erik Feig
Pres., Production, Lionsgate Motion Picture
Group: Michael Paseornek
Co-Pres., Production, Lionsgate: Peter Kang
Pres., Production, Summit: Geoffrey Shaevitz
Pres., Acquisitions & Co-Productions:
Jason Constantine
Pres., Lionsgate Domestic Theatrical
Distribution: David Spitz
EVP, Exhibitor Relations/Operations:
Mike Polydoros
EVP, Gen. Sales Mgr., Lionsgate Domestic
Theatrical Distribution: Shaun Barber
EVP, Strategy, Operations, & Business
Development: Jen Hollingsworth
Chief Brand Officer & Pres., Worldwide
Theatrical Marketing: Tim Palen
Pres., Business & Legal Affairs, Lionsgate
Motion Picture Group: Patricia Laucella
EVP & Gen. Mgr., Business & Legal Affairs: B.
James Gladstone
Co-Pres., Business & Legal Affairs, Motion
Picture Group: Robert M. Melnik
EVP, Production: Jim Miller
EVP, Acquisitions & Co-Productions:
Eda Kowan
SVP, Exhibitor Relations: Will Preuss
Pres., Home Entertainment: Ron Schwartz
EVP, Worldwide Digital Marketing & Research:
Danielle DePalma
VP, Publicity: Mike Rau
SVPs, Theatrical Publicity: Meghann Burns,
Karen Lucente
SVP, Investor Relations & Exec.
Communications: Peter Wilkes
VP, Field Publicity & Promotions: Erin Lowrey
www.facebook.com/lionsgate
Twitter: @lionsgatemovies
MACGILLIVRAY FREEMAN FILMS
PO Box 205
Laguna Beach, CA 92652
(949) 494-1055
Fax: (949) 494-2079
info@macfreefilms.com
www.macfreefilms.com
Chairman: Greg MacGillivray
Pres.: Shaun MacGillivray
Dir. of Distribution: Patty Collins
VP, Post Production: Stephen Judson
Dir. of Marketing & Communications:
Lori Rick
Post-Production Coordinator:
Matthew Muller
Cinematographer: Brad Ohlund
Assoc. Editor: Rob Walker
www.facebook.com/macgillivrayfreeman
Twitter: @macfreefilms
MAGNOLIA PICTURES
49 West 27th St., 7th Fl.
New York, NY 10001
(212) 924-6701
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Fax: (212) 924-6742
info@magpictures.com
www.magpictures.com
Branch Office:
1614 W. 5th St.
Austin, TX 78703
(512)-474-0303
Fax: (512)-474-0305
Pres.: Eamonn Bowles
EVP, Acquisitions: Dori Begley
EVP, Marketing/Publicity: Matt Cowal
Head of Theatrical Distribution: Neal Block
Head of Home Entertainment: Randy Wells
www.facebook.com/MagnoliaPictures
Twitter: @MagnoliaPics
MENEMSHA FILMS
2601 Ocean Park Blvd., Ste. 100
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 452-1775
Fax: (310) 452-3740
neilf@menemshafilms.com
www.menemshafilms.com
Pres. & Founder: Neil Friedman
www.facebook.com/menemshafilms
Twitter: @menemshafilms
MILESTONE FILMS
P.O. Box 128
Harrington Park, NJ 07640
(800) 603-1104
milefilms@gmail.com
www.milestonefilms.com
Co-Founders: Amy Heller, Dennis Doros
www.facebook.com/pages/
Milestone-Film/22348485426
Twitter: @MilestoneFilms
MISTER SMITH
77 Dean St.
London, W1D 3SH
Great Britain
+44 (0) 20 7494 1724
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7494 1725
mistersmithent.com/
CEO: David Garett
COO: Dan Fisher
EVP, Int’l Licensing & Distribution:
Ralpho Borgos
EVP, Marketing & Distribution: Jill Jones
MOMENTUM PICTURES
134 Peter St.
Toronto ON, M5V 2H2
CA
(416) 646-2400
momentumpictures@entonegroup.com
www.momentumpictures.net
MONGREL MEDIA INC.
1352 Dundas St. W
Toronto, ON M6J 1Y2
Canada
(416) 516-9775
Fax: (416) 516-0651
info@mongrelmedia.com
www.mongrelmedia.com
Pres.: Hussain Amarshi
www.facebook.com/mongrelmedia
Twitter: @MongrelMedia
MONTEREY MEDIA
125 Auburn Ct., #220
Westlake Village, CA 91362
(805) 494-7199
acquisitions@montereymedia.com
www.montereymedia.com
CEO: Scott Mansfield
CFO: Jere Rae-Mansfield
Publicity Dir.: Darrell Rae
www.facebook.com/montereymedia
Twitter: @indyfilmz
MONUMENT RELEASING
173 Richardson St.
Brooklyn, NY 11222
(718) 383-5352
Fax: (718) 362-4865
releases@monumentreleasing.com
www.monumentreleasing.com
Theatrical Distribution: Gavin Briscoe
Marketing & Publicity: Jerry Li
facebook.com/monumentreleasing
Twitter: @MonumentDist
Instagram: @MonumentReleasing
MUSIC BOX FILMS
173 N Morgan St.
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 241-1320
Fax: (773) 248-8271
info@musicboxfilms.com
www.musicboxfilms.com
Pres.: William Schopf
Dir. of Distribution & Acquisitions:
Brian Andreotti
Dir. of Home Entertainment Sales:
Lisa Holmes
Marketing & Publicity: Becky Schultz
Theatrical Sales & Booking: Kyle Westphal
facebook.com/musicboxfilms
Twitter, Instagram: @musicboxfilms
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PARTNERS
485 Lexington Ave., 3rd Fl.
New York, NY 10017
(212) 656-0724
Fax: (212) 656-0701
filmdist@ngs.org
movies.nationalgeographic.com
VP, Film Distribution: Antonietta Monteleone
Dir., Film Distribution : John Wickstrom
www.facebook.com/natgeomovies
Twitter: @natgeomovies
NEON
580 Broadway, Ste. 1200
New York, NY 10012
hal@neonrated.com
neonrated.com
Founder & CEO: Tom Quinn
Co-Founder: Tim League
CMO: Christian Parkes
COO: James Emanuel Shapiro
EVP, Distribution: Elissa Federoff
SVP, Marketing & Distribution:
Sumyi Khong Antonson
VP, Content & Digital Distribution:
Jeff Deutchman
VP, Publicity: Christina Zisa
www.facebook.com/neonrated
Twitter: @NEONrated
NETFLIX
100 Winchester Cir.
Los Gatos, CA 95032
(408) 540-3700
netflix.com
Founder & CEO: Reed Hastings
CMO: Kelly Bennett
Chief Content Officer: Ted Sarandos
OPEN ROAD FILMS
12301 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 600
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 696-7575
Fax: (310) 571-2278
www.openroadfilms.com
CEO: Tom Ortenberg
SVP, Acquisitions: Lejo Pet
EVP, Domestic Distribution: Elliot Slutzky
EVP, Domestic Distribution: Scott Kennedy
Pres. of Publicity: Liz Biber
www.facebook.com/OpenRoadFilms
Twitter: @OpenRoadFilms
THE ORCHARD
6725 W. Sunset Blvd., Ste. 230
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(212) 201-9280
losangeles@theorchard.com
www.theorchard.com
Branch Office:
23 E 4th St., 3rd Fl.
New York, NY 10003
Founder & VP, Int’l: Scott Cohen
Founder & CCO: Richard Gottehrer
CEO: Brad Navin
COO: Colleen Theis
CTO: JP Lester
EVP, Film & TV: Paul Davidson
EVP & Gen. Counsel: Tucker McCrady
SVP, Strategy: Prashant Bahadur
www.facebook.com/theorchard
www.linkedin.com/company/the-orchard
Twitter: @orchtweets
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2018 DISTRIBUTION GUIDE
ORION PICTURES
An MGM Company
1888 Century Park E, 7 th Fl.
Los Angeles, CA 90067
(310) 282-0550
Pres.: John Hegeman
EVP Distribution: Kevin Wilson
Twitter: @OrionPicutres
OSCILLOSCOPE LABORATORIES
140 Havemeyer St.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(212) 219-4029
Fax: (212) 219-9538
info@oscilloscope.net
www.oscilloscope.net
Pres.: Dan Berger
Acquisitions: Aaron Katz
Publicity: Sydney Tanigawa
Sales: Andrew Carlin
www.facebook.com/oscopelabs
Twitter: @oscopelabs
PALADIN
11 Broadway, Ste. 865
New York, NY 10004
(212) 480-9500
contact@paladinfilms.com
Pres.: Mark Urman
SVP, Head of Marketing: Amanda Sherwin
www.facebook.com/PaladinFilm/
PANTELION FILMS
2700 Colorado Ave.,
Ste. 100
Santa Monica, CA 90404
(310) 255-4979
info@pantelionfilms.com
www.pantelionfilms.com
CEO: Paul Presburger
Chairman: Jim McNamara
Co-Head of Marketing: Brenda Rios
Dir. of Operations: Jacqueline Jimenez
www.facebook.com/PantelionFilms
Twitter: @PantelionFilms
PARAMOUNT PICTURES
5555 Melrose Ave.,
Marathon Building
Hollywood CA, 90038
(323) 956-5000
Fax: (323) 956-4836
paramount.com
Chairman & CEO, Paramount
Motion Picture Group: Jim Gianopulos
Pres., Int’l Theatrical Marketing & WW Home
Media Entertainment: Mary Daily
Pres., Int’l Theatrical Distribution: Mark Viane
Pres., Domestic Theatrical Distribution:
Kyle Davies
Co-Pres., Domestic Marketing:
Rebecca Mall
Co-Pres., Domestic Marketing:
Peter Giannascoli
EVP, WW Distribution Ops:
Mark Christiansen
EVP, Global Communication & Corporate
Branding: Chris Petrikin
SVP, WW Operations: Jim Smith
SVP, WW Distribution Services: Liza Pano
SVP, Non-Theatrical Sales: Joan Filippini
SVP, In-Theatre Marketing: Patricia Gonzalez
SVP, General Sales Manager: Joe Saladino
VP, EMEA Int’l Marketing & Distribution:
Richard Aseme
VP, EMEA Int’l Marketing & Distribution:
Yit-Ching Lee
VP, Asia/Pacific Int’l Marketing & Distribution:
Han Seng Lim
VP, LATAM Int’l Marketing & Distribution:
Ricardo Cortes
facebook.com/Paramount
Twitter, Instagram: @ParamountPics
PICTUREHOUSE
66 Palmer Ave., Ste. 13C
Bronxville, NY 10708
(646) 392-8831
contact@picturehouse.com
www.picturehouse.com
Pres.: Jeanne R. Berney
www.facebook.com/PicturehouseUS/
Twitter: @PicturehouseUS
PURE FLIX
18940 N. Prima Rd., Ste. 110
Scottsdale, AZ 85255
(480) 991-2258
info@pureflix.com
www.PureFlix.com
COO: Stephen Fedyski
CEO: Michael Scott
Co-Founder: David A.R. White
Managing Partner: Liz Travis
VP of Int’l Sales & Distribution: Ron Gell
facebook.com/PureFlix
Twitter: @Pure_Flix
RAINBOW RELEASING
1250 6th St., Ste. 101
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 271-0202
Fax: (424) 238-5682
slester310@aol.com
www.rainbowreleasing.com
Pres.: Henry Jaglom
Dir. of Distribution: Sharon Lester Kohn
RELIANCE ENTERTAINMENT U.S. INC.
1588 US Hwy. 130
North Brunswick, NJ 08902
(212) 960-3677
sumit.m.chadha@relianceada.com
www.relianceentertainment.net
RIALTO PICTURES
120 E 23rd St., 5th Fl.
New York, NY 10010
(212) 620-0986
media@rialtopictures.com
www.rialtopictures.com
Co-Pres.: Bruce Goldstein, Adrienne Halpern
National Sales Dir.: Eric Di Bernardo
www.facebook.com/pages/Rialto-
Pictures/128986880461942
Twitter: @RialtoPictures
RLJ ENTERTAINMENT
The Trillum—East Tower
6320 Canoga Ave., 8th Fl.
Woodland Hills, CA 91367
media@RLJEntertainment.com
www.rljentertainment.com
Pres., RLJE U.S: Sylvia George
CEO: Miguel Penella
Chief Acquisitions Officer, Feature Film:
Mark Ward
Chief Marketing Officer: Sylvia George
ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS
7920 Sunset Blvd., Ste. 402
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 882-8490
Fax: (323) 882-8493
info@roadsideattractions.com
www.roadsideattractions.com
Co-Pres.: Howard Cohen, Eric d’Aberloff
Head of Marketing: Dennis O’Connor
SVP of Distribution: Gail Blumenthal
SVP of Publicity: David Pollick
Sr. Dir., In-Theatre Marketing: Brian Flanagan
Twitter: @roadsidetweets
SABAN FILMS
10100 Santa Monica Blvd., Ste. 2525
Los Angeles, CA 90067
(310) 203-5850
info@sabanfilms.com
sabanfilms.com
Pres.: Bill Bromiley
CFO: Shanan Becker
SVP, Distribution, Sales & Marketing:
Jonathan Saba
SVP of Finance, Controller: Azniv Tashchyan
SAMUEL GOLDWYN FILMS
9570 W Pico Blvd., Ste. 400
Los Angeles, CA 90035
(310) 860-3100
Fax: (310) 860-3195
info@samuelgoldwyn.com
www.samuelgoldwynfilms.com
Branch Office:
30 W 26th St., 3rd Fl.
New York, NY 10010
(212) 367-9435
Fax: (212) 590-0124
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Pres.: Peter Goldwyn
Sr. Dir., Sales & Marketing: Meg Longo
Dir., Acquisitions & Theatrical Sales:
Miles Fineberg
Manager, Marketing & PR: Ryan Boring
facebook.com/samuelgoldwynfilms
Twitter, Instagram: @GoldwynFilms
SCREEN GEMS
10202 W. Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 244-4000
www.sonypictures.com
Pres.: Clint Culpepper
EVPs, Marketing: Danielle Misher,
Damon Wolf
EVPs, Production: Glenn Gainor,
Scott Strauss
EVP & Gen. Mgr.: Pamela Kunath
EVP, Post Production: Brad Word
SVP, Production: Eric Paquette
SVP Creative Advertising: Alyson Jones
SVP, Field Publicity & Promotions:
Courtney Harrell
VP, Marketing & Promotions:
Kristie Alarcon
SCREEN MEDIA FILMS
800 3rd Ave.
New York, NY 10022
(212) 308-1790
Fax: (212) 308-1791
info@screenmedia.net
www.screenmediafilms.net
SVP, Int’l Sales: Almira Ravil
SVP, Worldwide Acquisitions: Seth Needle
VP, Business Affairs: Davic Fannon
Dir. of Operations: Donna Tracey
www.facebook.com/pages/
Screen-Media-Films/103301649764255
Twitter: @ScreenMediaFilm
SHADOW DISTRIBUTION
P.O. Box 1246
Waterville, ME 04903
(207) 872-5111
Fax: (207) 692-2482
shadow@prexar.com
www.shadowdistribution.com
Pres. & Acquisitions: Ken Eisen
SHOWTIME NETWORKS, INC.
10880 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 1600
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 234-5200
www.sho.com
EVP, Corporate Communications:
Johanna Fuentes
SVP, Corporate Communications:
Erin Calhoun
www.facebook.com/showtime
Twitter: @showtime
SONY PICTURES CLASSICS
25 Madison Ave., 24th Fl.
New York, NY 10010
(212) 833-8833
Fax: (212) 833-8844
sony_classics@spe.sony.com
www.sonyclassics.com
Co-Pres.: Michael Barker, Marcie Bloom,
Tom Bernard
EVP, Operations: Grace Murphy
EVP, Acquisitions: Dylan Leiner
EVP, Marketing: Carmelo Pirrone
SVP, Sales: Tom Prassis
Exec. Dir. of Acquisitions: Seth Horowitz
www.facebook.com/SonyClassics
Twitter: @sonyclassics
SONY PICTURES RELEASING
10202 W Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 244-4000
Fax: (310) 244-4337
www.sonypictures.com
Eastern Division:
555 Madison Ave., 9th Fl.
New York, NY 10022
(212) 833-7623
Canada Office:
1303 Yonge St., Ste. 100
Toronto, Ontario M4T 1W6
(416) 922-5740
Chairman, SPE, Motion Picture Group:
Tom Rothman
Pres., Worldwide Marketing & Distribution:
Josh Greenstein
Pres., Sony Pictures Releasing: Adrian Smith
EVP, Worldwide Operations, Marketing &
Distribution: Paula Parker
EVP, Worldwide Exhibitor Relations: Ann-
Elizabeth Crotty
EVP, Worldwide Marketing & Distribution &
Strategic Partnerships: Scott Sherr
SVP, Legal Affairs: Eric Gaynor
SVP, Gen. Sales Mgr., Canada: Michael Brooker
SVP, Worldwide Airline, Non-Theatrical &
Repertory Sales: Rana Matthes
VP, Worldwide Theatrical Financial
Administration: Darryl Banks
EVP & Gen. Sales Mgr.: Adam Bergerman
SVP, Specialty Releases & MPAA Ratings:
Wendy Armitage
EVP, Gen. Sales Mgr., Western & Southern
Region: Adam Bergerman
SVP, Ratings Administration: Wendy Armitage
SVP, Worldwide Distribution Analytics:
Steven Tsai
SVP, Worldwide Marketing & Distribution &
Strategic Partnerships: Jonathan Gordon
VP, Regional Sales: Janet Murray
VP, WW Sales Operations: Dane Shigemura
VP, Regional Sales: Patricia Dougherty
VP, Regional Sales: Carla Jones
VP, Sales: Lisa Mancini
VP, Sales: Stella Leong
VP, Print Operations: Rosemarie Ortiz
VP, Non-Theatrical Sales & Marketing:
Richard Ashton
VP, WW Marketing & Distribution Operations
& Strategic Partnerships: Tom Cotton
VP, WW Marketing & Distribution Operation
Strategy: Norman Tajudin
VP, Marketing & Distribution Operations
Strategy: Arjun Grover
www.facebook.com/SonyPictures
Twitter: @sonypictures, @sprER
SONY PICTURES RELEASING INT’L
10202 W Washington Blvd.,
Culver City, CA 90232-3195
(310) 244-4000
Chairman, SPE, Motion Picture Group:
Tom Rothman
Pres., WW Marketing & Distribution:
Josh Greenstein
Pres., Sony Pictures Releasing Int’l:
Steven O’Dell
EVP, Australia, NZ & Northern Asia:
Stephen Basil-Jones
EVP, WW Marketing & Distribution &
Strategic Partnerships: Scott Sherr
EVP, WW Exhibitor Relations:
Ann-Elizabeth Crotty
Sr. EVP, Int’l Distribution & Operations:
Ralph Alexander
SVP, Sales EMEA: Mark Braddel
SVP, Specialty Releases & MPAA Ratings:
Wendy Armitage
SVP, WW Airline, Non-Theatrical &
Repertory Sales: Rana Matthes
VP, WW Theatrical Financial Administration:
Darryl Banks
SVP, Int’l Distribution, Asia: Brett Hogg
EVP, WW Operations, Marketing &
Distribution: Paula Parker
VP, WW Sales Operations: Dane Shigemura
VP, Non-Theatrical Sales & Marketing:
Richard Ashton
SVP, WW Marketing & Distribution &
Strategic Partnerships: Jonathan Gordon
SVP, WW Distribution Analytics: Steven Tsai
SVP, Int’l Distribution: Andre Sala
VP, WW Marketing & Distribution Operations
& Strategic Partnerships: Tom Cotton
VP, IPS: Stephen Foligno
VP, WW Marketing & Distribution Operation
Strategy: Norman Tajudin
STRAND RELEASING
6140 W Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 836-7500
Fax: (310) 836-7510
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strand@strandreleasing.com
www.strandreleasing.com
Co-Pres.: Jon Gerrans, Marcus Hu
VP, Theatrical Sales & Acquisitions:
Mike Williams
VP, Home Entertainment & Acquisitions:
Brandon Kirby
Dir. of Digital Distribution & Acquisitions:
Corey Gates
Dir. of Acquisitions, Home Entertainment:
Frank Jaffe
Dir. of Non-Theatrical Sales & Acquisitions:
Nathan Faustyn
Dir. of Publicity & Acquisitions: Jenna Martin
www.facebook.com/StrandReleasing
Twitter: @strandreleasing
STUDIOCANAL
1 Place du Spectacle
Issy-Les-Moulineaux, 92130
France
+33 1 71 35 35 35
gabrielle.tensorer@studiocanal.com
www.studiocanal.com/en
Branch Offices:
50 Marshall St.
W1F9BQ London, UK
+44 020 7534 2700
Neue Promenade 4
D-10178 Berlin, Germany
+49 30 810 969 0
Chairman & CEO: Didier Lupfer
Chief Financial & Strategy Officer:
Elisabeth D’Arvieu
EVP Int’l Production & Acquisitions: Ron Halpern
EVP Production & Distribution France:
Geraldine Gendre
EVP Business & Legal Affairs: Sylvie Arnould
VP Communication: Antoine Banet-Rivet
EVP Human Resources: Valerie Languille
CEO United Kingdom: Danny Perkins
CEO Germany: Kalle Friz
CEO Australia & New Zealand:
Elizabeth Trotman
EVP Int’l Distribution: Anna Marsh
www.facebook.com/STUDIOCANAL/
www.youtube.com/user/StudioCanal
www.dailymotion.com/studiocanal
Twitter, Instagram: @studiocanal
STX ENTERTAINMENT
3900 W. Alameda Ave., 32nd Fl.
Burbank, CA 91505
stxentertainment.com
Domestic Distribution:
Pres. of Domestic Distribution: Kevin Grayson
EVP, Head of Theatrical Sales: Mike Viane
VP & Assistant Head of Sales, Domestic
Distribution: Shari Hardison
VP, Theatrical Sales: Lisa DiMartino
VP, Theatrical Sales: Ryan Markowitz
Exec. Dir., Theatrical Sales: Sam Boskovich
Manager, Theatrical Sales: Justin Hamilton
VP of In-Theatre Marketing: Mark Mulcahy
Coordinator, In-Theatre Marketing:
Alysse Houliston
SVP, Theatrical Distribution & Operations:
Rob Springer
Exec. Dir., Theatrical Accounts:
Carina Stewart
Exec. Dir. of Theatrical Operations:
David Messinger
Manager, Theatrical Distribution Analysis:
Alex Keyes
Coordinator, Distribution Operations:
Isabel Meza
Coordinator, Domestic Distribution:
Rachel Levine
Int’l Distribution:
Pres. of Int’l Sales: John Friedberg
Mgr. of Int’l Sales: Holly Hartz
www.facebook.com/STXEntertainment
Twitter: @STXEnt
TLA RELEASING
110 S 7th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 733-0608
Fax: (215) 733-0668
contact@tlareleasing.com
www.tlareleasing.com
Branch Office:
12 Archer St.
London W1D 7BB, United Kingdom
+44 207 287 0605
asilver@tlareleasing.com
tlareleasing.co.uk
Pres.: Derek Curl
Operations Mgr., UK: Adam Silver
www.youtube.com/tlareleasing
TRISTAR PICTURES, INC.
A Sony Pictures Company
10202 W Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 244-4000
www.sonypictures.com
Chairman, SPE, Motion Picture Group:
Tom Rothman
Pres., TriStar Pictures, Inc.: Hannah Minghella
SVP, Tristar Productions: Nicole Brown
Creative Execs.: Shary Shiraz,
Nick Krishnamurthy
TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX
P.O. Box 900
Hollywood, CA 90213
(310) 369-1000
Fax: (310) 369-3823
www.foxmovies.com
Atlantic Division Office:
1211 Ave. of the Americas, 16th Fl.
New York, NY 10036
(212) 556-8600
Fax: (212) 302-3069
Pacific & Central Division Office:
23975 Park Sorrento Dr., Ste. 300
Calabasas, CA 91302
(818) 876-7200
Fax: (818) 876-7291
Canada Office:
33 Bloor St. E, Ste. 1106
Toronto, Ontario M4W 3H1
(416) 515-3354
Fax: (416) 921-9062
Chairman: Stacey Snider
Exec. Dir., In-Theatre Marketing: Pablo Rico
VP, In-Theatre Marketing: Susan Cotliar
Dir., In-Theatre Marketing: Akira Egawa
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TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX
INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTIONS
A 20th Century Fox Company
10201 West Pico Blvd., Bldg. 88
Los Angeles, CA 90064
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Pres.: Tomas Jegeus
TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX INT’L
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Fax: (310) 362-2299
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Asia/Pacific Office:
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Europe Office:
31/32 Soho Square
London W1D 3AP, England
Japan Office:
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Latin America Office:
Blvd. Manuel Avila Camacho, No. 40, Piso 12
Torre Esmerelda
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C.P. 11000, Mexico D.F
Exec. Dir., Int’l Marketing: Laura Abele
VP, Publicity: Kimberly Wire
66 FILMJOURNAL.COM / JANUARY 2018
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UNIFRANCE
13 Rue Henner
Paris 75009, France
+33 1.47.53.95.80
Fax: +33 1.47.05.96.55
contact@unifrance.org
unifrance.org
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UNITED INT’L PICTURES
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+44 (0) 20 3184 2500
Fax: +44 (0) 20 3184 2501
enquiries@uip.com
www.uip.com
UNIVERSAL PICTURES
100 Universal City Plaza
Universal City, CA 91608
(818) 777-1000
www.universalstudios.com
NBCUniversal:
CEO, NBCUniversal: Steve Burke
Vice Chairman, NBCUniversal: Ron Meyer
EVP, Communications, NBCUniversal:
Adam Miller
EVP, Global Communications, Universal
Filmed Entertainment Group, &
Corporate Affairs, NBCUniversal:
Cindy Gardner
Universal Pictures:
Chairman, Filmed Entertainment Group:
Jeff Shell
Chairman, Universal Pictures: Donna Langley
Pres., Universal Pictures: James Horowitz
Pres. & Chief Distribution Officer, Universal
Pictures: Peter Levinsohn
CFO, Filmed Entertainment Group:
Rowan Conn
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Communications, Filmed Entertainment
Group: Evan Langweiler
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Universal Pictures Production:
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VPs, East Coast Publicity: Stacey Zarro,
Peter Dangerfield
Universal Pictures Int’l Theatrical
Distribution & Marketing:
Pres., Distribution, Universal Pictures Int’l:
Duncan Clark
EVP, Distribution, Universal Pictures Int’l:
Niels Swinkels
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Simon Hewlett
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Noah Bergman
SVP, Int’l. Creative Advertising: Rachel Staff
(London Office)
SVP, Int’l Publicity: Mark Markline
VP, Int’l Publicity: Cathy Hsia
VP, Int’l Publicity: Cortney Lawson
Branch Offices: New York, Dallas,
Los Angeles, Toronto
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VERTICAL ENTERTAINMENT
2500 Broadway, Ste. F-125
Los Angeles, CA 90404
(424) 238-4456
www.vert-ent.com
Co-Pres.: Richard Goldberg, Mitch Budin
Acquisitions & Marketing: Peter Jarowey
VITAGRAPH FILMS
6712 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(310) 701-0911
Fax: (323) 390-3822
info@vitagraphfilms.com
www.vitagraphfilms.com
Pres.: David Shultz
Twitter: @vitagraphfilms
WALT DISNEY STUDIOS
MOTION PICTURES
500 S Buena Vista St.
Burbank, CA 91521
(818) 560-1000
Fax: (818) 567-6303
Marketing Coordinator, Cinema Partnerships:
Samantha Black
Marketing Coordinator, Cinema Partnerships:
Stefanie Diaz-Decaro
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2018 DISTRIBUTION GUIDE
President, WDSMP Sales & Distribution:
Dave Hollis
VPs of Cinema Partnerships: David Sieden,
Ruth Walker
Asst. Chief Counsel Legal Affairs:
Rey Rodriguez
SVP, WDSMP National Sales North America:
Ken Caldwell
VP, WDSMP Strategic Planning Administration
& Operations: Paul Holliman
VP, WDSMPD Non-Theatrical:
Martin Sansing
www.facebook.com/WaltDisneyStudios
Twitter: @DisneyPictures
WALT DISNEY STUDIOS
MOTION PICTURES INT’L
500 S Buena Vista St.
Burbank, CA 91521
(818) 560-1000
Fax: (818) 841-3225
SVP, Sales & Distribution: Jeffrey Forman
Pres., TWDC EMEA: Diego Lerner
EVP/Country Mgr., Italy: Daniel Frigo
VP, Global Sales Planning & Analytics:
Dominic Hougham
SVP, Int’l Marketing: Ticole Richards
VP, European Publicity: Maggie Todd
VP, APAC Sales & Marketing:
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VP/Managing Dir., Australia & New Zealand:
Catherine Powell
Gen. Mgr., Brazil: Jose Franco
Exec. Dir., Marketing in Finland:
Jussi Makela
GM/Country Mgr., France:
Jean-Francois Camilleri
Gen. Mgr., TWDC APAC Singapore:
Tom Batchelor
VP/Gen. Mgr., Ireland: Trish Long
GM, Joint Venture Office in Mexico:
Philip Alexander
Exec. Dir., Nordic Sales: Inger Warendorf
Sr. VP/Gen. Mgr., Spain & Portugal
(Iberia: Simon Amselem
SVP/GM of Nordic: Casper Bjorner
Country Mgr., Switzerland: Roger Crotti
VP/Gen. Mgr., Taiwan: Laura Folta
Country Mgr/Head of Studio Distribution,
EMEA & UK: Tony Chambers
www.facebook.com/WaltDisneyStudios
Twitter: @DisneyPictures
WARNER BROS. PICTURES
DISTRIBUTION
4000 Warner Blvd.
Burbank CA, 91522
(818) 954-6000
warnerbros.com
Pres., WW Marketing & Distribution:
Sue Kroll
Pres., WW Marketing: Blair Rich
Pres., Domestic Distribution: Jeffrey Goldstein
EVP & General Sales Mgr.: Scott Forman
SVP & Assistant Gen. Sales Mgr.: Cary Silvera
SVP & Gen. Counsel: Connie Minnett
SVP, Exhibitor Marketing & Distribution
Strategy: Kelly O’Connor
SVP, Non-Theatrical Sales: Jeff Crawford
SVP, Distribution Services: Stella Burks
SVP, Sales Initiatives: Jennifer Amaya
SVP, Sales Planning & Forecasting:
Kevin Strick
VP, Sales & Marketing, Non-Theatrical Sales:
Angelica McCoy
VP, Exhibitor Services: Melissa Aronson
Exec. Dir., Exhibitor Services: Tanya Girmay
Dir., Exhibitor Services: Michael Lynch
Dir., Exhibitor Services: Francis Orante
VP, Business Resources & Systems:
Jocelyn Page
VP, Eastern Division: Bobbie Peterson
VP, Exhibition Innovation & Initiatives:
Jeff Wilk
VP, Midwestern Division: Gigi Lestak
VP, North Atlantic Division: Andy Strulson
VP, Sales Initiatives: Kim DiMarco
VP, Southern Division: Ron MacPhee
VP, Theatrical Revenue: Mary Weeks
VP, Western Division: David Ogden
VP, WW Distribution Planning: Vicki Evans
facebook.com/warnerbrosent
Twitter: @WBPictures
WARNER BROS. PICTURES INT’L
4000 Warner Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91522
(818) 977-6278
www.warnerbros.com
Pres., Int’l Distribution & Growth Strategies:
Veronika Kwan Vandenberg
EVP, Int’l Distribution: Thomas Molter
EVP, WW Theatrical Analytics & Planning:
Nancy Carson
EVP, Int’l Productions/Acquisitions & Latin
America Distribution: Monique Esclavissat
EVP, WW Operations & Finance, Theatrical
Marketing & Distribution: David Brander
SVP, WW Marketing & Distribution Finance:
David Williamson
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Acquisitions & Latin America: Jack Nguyen
SVP, Int’l Distribution: Brenda Danley
SVP, Int’l Distribution: Tonis Kiis
VP, Int’l Distribution: Karry Kiyonaga
Pres., WW Marketing: Blair Rich
Pres., Int’l Marketing & WW Planning &
Operations: Lynne Frank
EVP, Int’l Publicity: Lance Volland
EVP, European Marketing: Con Gornell
VP, Eastern European Sales: Jacques Dubois
VP, European Theatrical Distribution:
Sarig Peker
Pres., France: Iris Knobloch
SVP Theatrical, France: Olivier Snanoudj
SVP, Marketing, Data & Innovation France &
Benelux: Gregory Schuber
Pres. & Managing Dir., Germany: Willi Geike
SVP, Marketing: Tim Van Dyk
VP Sales Theatrical Distribution:
Volker Modenbach
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SVP Joint Marketing: Barbara Pavone
SVP Distribution & New Theatrical Ventures:
Thomas Ciampa
Managing Dir., Poland: Waldemar Saniewski
SVP & Gen. Mgr., Spain: Pablo Nogueroles
Managing Dir., Switzerland: Leo Baumgartner
Managing Dir., Turkey: Banu Oruc
Pres. & Managing Dir. WBUK, Spain & Harry
Potter Global Franchise Development:
Josh Berger
EVP & Group Marketing Director, WBUK &
Ireland & Chief Marketing Officer:
Polly Cochrane
VP & Deputy Managing Dir., UK:
Neil Marshall
EVP & Managing Director, China: Gillian Zhao
EVP & Managing Director, Asia:
Erlina Suharjono
SVP, Marketing, Asia, Weelin Loh
VP & Managing Dir., India: Denzil Dias
Pres., Japan: Masami Takahashi
VP Sales & Distribution: Kunio Yamada
VP Marketing: Tomohiro Doai
Gen. Mgr., Korea: Hyo-Sung Park
Gen. Mgr., Philippines: Francis Soliven
Managing Dir., Singapore: Peng-Hui Ng
Gen. Mgr., Thailand: Henry Tran
Gen. Mgr., Taiwan: Eric Shih
Gen. Mgr., Argentina: Griselda Fortunato
Gen. Mgr., Brazil: Patricia Kamitsuji
Gen. Mgr., Puerto Rico: Carmen Velez
www.facebook.com/warnerbrosent
Twitter: @WarnerBrosEnt
THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY
375 Greenwich St., 3rd Fl.
New York, NY 10013
(212) 941-3800
Fax: (212) 941-3949
www.weinsteinco.com
www.facebook.com/weinsteinco
Twitter: @WeinsteinFilms
WELL GO USA ENTERTAINMENT
3801 E. Plano Pkwy., Ste. 300
Plano, TX 75074
(972) 265-4317
Fax: (972) 265-4321
Jason@wellgousa.com
www.wellgousa.com
Chairman of the Board: Annie Walker
Pres. & CEO: Doris Pfardrescher
CFO & COO: Dennis Walker
68 FILMJOURNAL.COM / JANUARY 2018
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AS DETECTIVE
EVP of Sales: Tony Vandeveerdonk
SVP, Global Digital Distribution:
Jason Pfardrescher
SVP, Acquisitions & Theatrical Distribution:
Dylan Marchetti
VP of Production: Eddie Mou
Dir. of Marketing: Chrissy Walker
www.facebook.com/WellGoUSA
Twitter: @wellgousa
WOLFE RELEASING
21570 Almaden Rd.
San Jose, CA 95120
(408) 268-6782
info@wolfereleasing.com
www.wolfereleasing.com
Pres.: Jim Stephens
CEO: Kathy Wolfe
www.facebook.com/WolfeVideo
Twitter: @wolfevideo
WREKIN HILL ENTERTAINMENT
10685 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 470-3131
Fax: (310) 470-3132
info@wrekinhill.com
www.wrekinhillentertainment.com
Pres. & CEO: Chris Ball
XLRATOR MEDIA
Los Angeles, CA
xlratormedia.com
CEO: Barry Gordon
Pres.: Michael Radiloff
Operations: Barbara Javitz
Publicity: Big Time PR
Twitter: @XLratorMedia
YASH RAJ FILMS USA INC.
301 N. Harrison St., Ste. 9F-715
Princeton, NJ 08540
(516) 280-5662
usoffice@yashrajfilms.com
www.yashrajfilms.com
Chairman: Aditya Chopra
Head of Operations, North & South America:
Vaibhav Rajput
www.facebook.com/yrf
Twitter: @yrfmovies
ZEITGEIST FILMS
333 W 39th St., Ste. 503
New York, NY 10018
(212) 274-1989
Fax: (212) 274-1644
mail@zeitgeistfilms.com
www.zeitgeistfilms.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/zeitgeistfilms/
Co-Pres.: Nancy Gerstman, Emily Russo
www.facebook.com/ZeitgeistFilms
Twitter, Instragram: @zeitgeistfilms
Untitled-2 1
neveR mIss an Issue:
www.fILmjouRnaL.com/
subscRIbe
BY JOHN HISCOCK
K
enneth Branagh has had his morning
espresso with honey—”brain food,”
he says—i smartly dressed in suit,
shirt and tie and ready to address the
big question surrounding his new
movie based on the Agatha Christie whodunit,
Murder on the Orient Express.
Branagh, who produces, directs and
stars in the Fox release, sporting an extravagantly
outsize moustache to play the
Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, concedes
that nearly everyone has eithe read the
book or seen Sidney Lumet’s 1974 movie
and knows just who dunnit.
So, how to make it fresh and different?
It was a question that came up constantly
in the many production meetings
before filming began. And Branagh dodges
revealing the solution that was arrived at,
saying enigmatica ly: “I’d have to ki l you if I
told you a l that. I’ l say this: There’s mystery,
bu there is rage and there’s loss and grief
underneath it a l. And everybody has a story.
“What we did was to create as much
paranoia and suspicion as we could. As for
the end of the movie and people’s familiarity
with it, the who and the how and the
why become rea ly important. And the
why become something that gives us great
suspense… We’ve had the chance to be
inventive and a bit imaginative about how
the story goes, so I think there are some
surprises.”
So that’s that. He is also cagey about
how closely the plot of his film resembles
Christie’s novel. “It’ sti l on a train and
you sti l have many of the same characters,
but how do you refresh it? Well, we have
added some pieces, no question, so we give,
for instance, a sense of who Poirot is earlier
and differently in this film than is the case
in the novel or the previous movie. Our
inspiration comes from the novel, but we
have also raided some of the other books.”
He won’t even confirm that Edward
Ratchett, the vi lainous American played
this time by Johnny Depp, i sti l the murder
victim, as he was in the book and the
previous movie.
We are talking in a marquee on the
massive set at Longcross Studios in Surrey,
where snowy mountains loom above
a life-size replica of the famed Orient
Express—a fu ly moving train comprised
of an engine, a tender and four complete
carriages and able to move along the nearly
one mile of track that was laid down at
what was once a Ministry of Defense tank
testing site. A l the interiors of the carriage,
the dining salon and sleeper cars were built
a second time, with lavish interiors and
floating wa ls to a low filming inside.
On a nearby soundstage, a replica of
Stamboul (now Istanbul) Station has been
constructed, with huge columns, two tracks
and platforms on either side, while on the
back lot a viaduct has been built, with a
mountainside and the mouth of a tunnel
a the top.
The train in the film i stalled by an
avalanche rather than a snowdrift, with the
passengers stranded on a perilously high
bridge, and 56-year-old Branagh’s Poirot is
physica ly much fitter than his predecessors.
With the 13-week shoot finished, we
talked again, this time a the Ham Yard Hotel
in Soho, where in the nearby theatre most
of his a l-star cast were posing for pictures.
Depp is one of a big-name group of
supporting characters who were happy
to be cast in roles that, while larger than
KENNETH BRANAGH
DIRECTS AND STARS
HERCULE POIROT
IN MURDER ON THE
ORIENT EXPRESS.
NICOLA DOVE © TM & © 2017 20TH CENTURY FOX FILM CORPORATION. A L RIGHTS RESERVED.
cameos, did not demand too much of
their time. They include Miche le Pfeiffer,
Penélope Cruz, Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi,
Daisy Ridley, Wi lem Dafoe, Josh Gad and
Olivia Colman.
“They are a lovely group, aren’ they?”
Branagh asks proudly. “You can te l that
this is a group with rapport. A rea ly critical
component was Judi Dench, who was
the first person I cast. I asked her if she
would do it and I hadn’t finished the question
when she said yes.
“Jud is a talismanic figure. Derek
and Judi know each other from a thousand
years ago; Johnny has worked with
Judi and he worships her. She was like a
weather vane. And also, she is always first
there. She has trouble seeing, but she never
complains about it.”
Although he has a fierce intensity of
focus, Branagh seems much more relaxed
in the confines of a luxury hotel than he
was on the fake snowy set at Longcross
where he was juggling directing and acting
duties while trying to keep his large cast
happy and involved.
“I tried never to waste their time,” he
says. “Always ge them when they are in
the mood, ge them on the train and shoot
quickly. Rea ly shoot quickly because that
is 16 actors times 16 makeup artists times
16 costume assistants and so that becomes
a bloody train carriage.”
Kenneth Branagh is no stranger to
both acting and directing, having doubled
up 20 time since Henry V in 1989, which
earned him Oscar nominations for both
acting and directing.
But he admits that Murder on the Orient
Express was a tough task. Although he
had stand-in who knew Poirot’s lines and
did a sterling job, Branagh had to learn to
speak French like a Belgian and to do so he
had a voice coach and tapes to practice with.
“Hours of tapes,” he says. “If my Jack Russe l
KENNETH BRANAGH ASSEMBLES
ALL-STAR CAST FOR STYLISH
REMAKE OF AGATHA CHRISTIE’S
MOST CELEBRATED MYSTERY
ALL ABOARD THE BRANAGH EXPRESS
26 FILMJOURNAL.COM / NOVEMBER 2017 NOVEMBER 2017 / FILMJOURNAL.COM 27
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CineEurope Issue INTERNATIONAL
July 2017
Film Journal international Exhibition GuidE
Exhibition Guide
publishing since 1934
The Leading Publication for Film Exhibitors,
with Essential Industry News and Reviews
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JANUARY 2018 / FILMJOURNAL.COM 69
March 2017
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INTERNATIONAL • SINCE 1934 • FOR THE LATEST REVIEWS WWW.FILMJOURNAL.COM
BUYING & BOOKING GUIDE
VOL. 121, NO.1
THE POST
20TH CENTURY FOX/Color/1.85/115 Mins./Rated
PG-13
Cast: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Alison Brie, Carrie Coon,
David Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Tracy Letts, Bob
Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson, Jesse Plemons, Matthew
Rhys, Michael Stuhlbarg, Bradley Whitford, Zach
Woods, Jessie Mueller, Deirdre Lovejoy, Pat Healy,
Philip Casnoff, John Rue, Stark Sands, Rick Holmes,
Will Denton, Michael Cyril Creighton, Dan Bucatinsky,
Austyn Johnson.
Directed by Steven Spielberg.
Written by Liz Hannah, Josh Singer.
Produced by Kristie Macosko Krieger, Amy Pascal, Steven
Spielberg.
Executive producers: Tom Karnowski, Josh Singer, Adam
Somner, Tim White, Trevor White.
Co-producers: Liz Hannah, Rachel O’Connor.
Director of photography: Janusz Kaminski.
Production designer: Rick Carter.
Editors: Sarah Broshar, Michael Kahn.
Music: John Williams.
Costume designer: Ann Roth.
A DreamWorks, Amblin Entertainment, Pascal Pictures
and Star Thrower Entertainment production.
Spielberg’s timely Pentagon Papers drama
is packed with great performances, none
more impressive than Meryl Streep’s vulnerable
turn as Katharine Graham, the newspaper
heiress who defied the business world and
the President himself.
For his most taut and dashing movie since
Munich, Steven Spielberg chose an unlikely
subject: the publishing of the so-called Pentagon
Papers in 1971. It’s not history that Spielberg
tends to favor. There are no great battles
or monumental court cases; well, there is the
latter, but Spielberg whips right past it without
pausing for gassy Amistad oratory. The
heroes are neither grand orators nor men of
action. Instead, they’re mostly disputatious
ink-stained wretches in off-the-rack suits
mixed in with a few townhouse grandees.
Nevertheless, as uncinematic as reporting
(on smudgy old newsprint no less!) about a
bunch of Xeroxed studies done by the Rand
Corporation would seem to be, the Pentagon
Papers did arguably bring an end to the Vietnam
War and took a chunk out of President
Nixon’s hide just before Watergate brought
him down. So, yes, there’s a hell of a movie
here. And that’s before one even considers
Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks.
There are two stories going on in the
screenplay deftly concocted by Liz Hannah
and Josh Singer. The first is the more obvious
history lesson. This one tells how military
analyst Daniel Ellsberg (Matthew Rhys)—disenchanted
after having Secretary of Defense
Robert McNamara (Bruce Greenwood) agree
after a Vietnam visit in 1966 that America
wasn’t winning the war, only to see him
proclaim victory to the press—decided to
leak a classified report on the progress of the
war. Once the story breaks in 1971 that the
government knew the war was essentially lost
years earlier but kept fighting and sacrificing
thousands of young Americans to save face, it
hits like a tidal wave.
The big problem here for most of the
characters in this movie? The New York Times
got the story, not The Washington Post. This
irks Post editor Ben Bradlee (Hanks), who’s
snapping at the chance to take down the Times
like a velociraptor going after a T. rex. “Any
one else tired of reading the news?” he barks
at his newsroom with the kind of gruff belligerence
that Hanks hasn’t delivered for years.
Bradlee’s eagerness to transform the Post
from a sleepy local paper into a national player
sets up the movie’s second and arguably more
interesting story. Just as Ellsberg is slipping
pages to the Times and Bradlee dispatches his
reporters to beat the bush for any crumbs of
the story to avoid getting scooped yet again,
the paper’s publisher Katharine Graham
(Streep) is undergoing her own crisis: the
public offering of her previously private family
company that runs the paper.
Streep’s Graham is a sublime creation, at
once a to-the-manner-born heiress who rules
the Georgetown cocktail circuit and a shy and
fluttery flibbertigibbet thrown off her game by
the dark-suited men telling her how to handle
the public offering. The Nixon Administration
turns its full fury on the Times, denouncing
them for publishing secret documents and
threatening legal doom to any other papers
that follow their lead; Spielberg uses real
audio of Nixon’s telephone rants about the
leaks here to frightening effect. The pressure
put on Graham by her investors ratchets up
to near panic level.
By putting so much stock in Graham’s
character, the movie keeps the audience from
too easily siding with Bradlee’s charismatic
band of pirates. As a woman in a man’s world
suspected of being in her job because the
predecessor was her deceased husband,
Graham has potentially more to lose than
anybody in the newsroom. Certainly, there’s
a chance they could all go to jail, but the
paper is her family and her legacy, not just her
job. Although there is never an instant when
the rightness of publishing stories about the
classified material in the Pentagon Papers is
seriously questioned, the movie doesn’t let us
imagine it was an easy right choice.
Spielberg plays the skittering triangulating
tensions between the government, the Post
and Graham’s investors so well it’s hard to
imagine anybody checking their watch during
this one. He’s helped along not just by the
top-line stars, but a deep bench of less glittery
talent, ranging from the various reporters
played by Bob Odenkirk and David Cross,
among others, to Graham’s advisors, particularly
Bradley Whitford and Tracy Letts (who
is quietly becoming one of Hollywood’s go-to
guys for the voice of wry wisdom).
A better thriller than Bridge of Spies and
a cracking good journalism movie, The Post
just about deserves ranking alongside All the
President’s Men and Spotlight (the latter of
which Singer co-wrote). It tells a history lesson
without much Spielbergian speechifying
and even makes a couple of pointed but subtle
notes about the glass ceiling; the scene where
Graham walks down the Supreme Court steps
through a crowd of young women watching
her with silent beaming pride is more powerful
for being so quietly handled.
There is triumph here, but it’s tempered
with a timely reminder about abuses of
power. The movie is in part about American
journalism finally coming into its own as true
investigative bloodhounds. But it also concludes
on a sobering note that will remind
audiences of their daily reality: a mad President
raging into the night. —Chris Barsanti
DOWNSIZING
PARAMOUNT/Color/2.35/Dolby Digital/135 Mins./
Rated PG-13
Cast: Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig, Christoph Waltz, Hong
Chau, Udo Keir, Jason Sudeikis, Rolf Lassgård, Ingjerd
Egeberg, Rune Temte, Margareta Pettersson, Soren
Pilmark, Joaquim De Almeida, James Van Der Beek,
Neil Patrick Harris, Laura Dern, Niecy Nash, Margo
Martindale.
Directed by Alexander Payne.
Written by Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor.
Produced by Megan Ellison, Mark Johnson, Alexander
Payne, Jim Taylor, Jim Burke.
Executive producer: Diana Pokorny.
Director of photography: Phedon Papamichael.
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Production designer: Stefania Cella.
Editor: Kevin Tent.
Music: Rolfe Kent.
Visual effects supervisor: James E. Price.
Costume designer: Wendy Chuck.
An Ad Hominem Enterprises production, with Gran Via Prods.
Experimental process leaves occupational
therapist Paul Safranek five inches tall in a
gentle sci-fi satire from director Alexander
Payne.
By turns exceptional and merely amusing,
Downsizing applies director Alexander Payne’s
familiar themes to a science-fiction adventure.
A script bursting with timely ideas and
a breakout performance by Hong Chau are
the best elements of a movie that can feel
sidetracked at times.
Shot in the style of a brightly lit educational
film, a sprightly prologue explains how
Scandinavian scientists develop a process to
miniaturize humans as an answer to overpopulation.
At first a novelty, “downsizing”
eventually leads to several colonies of little
people across the world.
The main attraction for occupational
therapist Paul Safranek (Matt Damon) and
his wife Audrey (Kristen Wiig) is that their
modest nest egg translates to a fortune in the
small world. They leave their home in Omaha,
Nebraska to undergo the procedure at Leisure
Land in New Mexico in a sequence that
makes great use of retro sci-fi visuals.
But the results force Paul to confront
a host of problems, old and new, in his life.
It also gives Payne and his co-writer and
longtime collaborator Jim Taylor the chance
to question contemporary life with both sharp
jabs and gentle asides.
Class differences don’t disappear in Leisure
Land. If anything, they are exacerbated by elites
like black marketeer Dusan Mirkovic (Christoph
Waltz), who casually oppresses workers
housed in an off-site ghetto. One of them is
Vietnamese dissident Ngoc Lan Tran (Hong
Chau), who escapes imprisonment, forced
miniaturization and the loss of her leg “so now
she can clean my house,” as Dusan puts it.
Downsizing makes its political points quickly,
like a barroom argument that little people
should only get one-eighth of a vote, or the
huge wall that separates workers from Leisure
Land mansions.
Rather than hit easy targets, Payne and
Taylor are more interested in what happens
to Paul, who tries romance, hedonism, religion
and whatever other system he can find
in an effort to bring meaning and happiness to
his life.
Paul’s journey through an unfriendly world
echoes ones in Payne’s earlier movies like
Sideways, The Descendants and Nebraska. Downsizing
gives answers that mainstream viewers
probably don’t want to hear, and it does so
with a rigorous logic that requires a lot more
concentration than most Hollywood releases.
But Downsizing offers extraordinary
rewards. With her imperious tone and pidgin
English, Tran may strike some as an uncomfortable
stereotype. But the script adds
intriguing layers to her character, and Chau’s
performance is simply phenomenal. She is
joined by Payne veterans like Laura Dern in an
extremely strong cast.
Phedon Papamichael’s classical lensing,
Rolfe Kent’s smart score and Stefania Cella’s
intriguing production design give Downsizing
a hyper-realistic feel in which special effects
are comparatively unimportant. Not all of the
subplots and tangents in the movie feel entirely
successful. But any filmmaker who can be this
entertaining while raising such important topics
deserves all the support he can get.
—Daniel Eagan
JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE
COLUMBIA/Color/2.35/Dollby Digital/119 Mins./
Rated PG-13
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan,
Nick Jonas, Bobby Cannavale, Alex Wolff, Madison
Iseman, Ser’darius Blain, Morgan Turner, Rhys Darby,
Marc Evan Jackson, Colin Hanks, Tim Matheson.
Directed by Jake Kasdan.
Screenplay: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Scott Rosenberg,
Jeff Pinkner.
Screen story: Chris McKenna, based on the book Jumanji
by Chris Van Allsburg.
Produced by Matt Tolmach, William Teitler.
Executive producers: David Householter, Jake Kasdan,
Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Ted Field, Mike Weber.
Director of photography: Gyula Pados.
Production designer: Owen Paterson.
Editors: Mark Helfrich, Steve Edwards.
Visual effects supervisor: Jerome Chen.
Music: Henry Jackman.
Costume designer: Laura Jean Shannon.
A Columbia Pictures presentation.
Reboot of the book and film project sends
an expert cast through a jungle journey as fun
as it is exciting.
With two of Hollywood’s biggest stars and
a brainy but family-friendly script, Jumanji:
Welcome to the Jungle is poised to cash in on
holiday viewers who can’t get into Star Wars:
The Last Jedi.
Chris Van Allsburg’s wonderful children’s
book from 1981 became a middling Robin
Williams vehicle in 1995, followed by a TV
series and videogames. A sequel more than
20 years later may not sound promising, but
Welcome to the Jungle works much better than
expected thanks to its generous spirit and
hard-working cast.
The script flips Van Allsburg’s original
premise, which brought the dangerous
characters of a board game to life in a
suburban home. Now, four kids are pulled
into a videogame, where they must search
for clues and succeed in a quest to return
to their lives.
The movie’s best twist is that the highschoolers
turn into Jumanji avatars. Nerd
Spencer (Alex Wolff) becomes hero Dr.
Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson); selfabsorbed
mean girl Bethany (Madison Iseman)
turns into rotund cartographer Shelly Oberon
(Jack Black); Spencer’s jock friend Fridge
(Ser’darius Blain) is now sidekick Franklin
“Moose” Finbar (Kevin Hart); and loner Martha
(Morgan Turner) ends up mankiller Ruby
Roundhouse (Karen Gillan).
It takes a while to get the kids (who meet
during detention) into their new bodies, and
for director Jake Kasdan to explain the rules
of Jumanji (mostly watch out for animals and
Bobby Cannavale’s villain Van Pelt). Since it’s
a videogame, some characters exist only to
plant clues (in verse). The avatars have a few
lives to spare, making their encounters with
rhinos and mambas a little less fraught.
Eventually Jumanji settles into chases and
battles that are legitimately nerve-wracking,
broken up by scenes typical for the genre. The
avatars’ visit to a native bazaar is just like the
shopping trips in Tomb Raider and Valerian. The
difference here is the game’s avatars are still
figuring out who they are.
Johnson is a delight as an insecure teen in
a weightlifter’s body, and his winning chemistry
with Hart from Central Intelligence remains
intact. Hart’s motormouth asides show why
he is such an admired comic. Gillan does
a hilarious bit trying to flirt with bad guys
before employing her avatar’s “dance fighting”
skills. And Black is a revelation, finding the
bewildered heart of a social-media showoff
without camping up her part.
The characters have a certain self-awareness,
but mostly avoid irony and snarkiness.
They complain about their bodies, their
costumes, even their genders, and can’t stand
the clichés that unfold before them. One of Jumanji’s
real pleasures is how it delivers exactly
what they fear the most—the bimbo clothes,
the deadly booby-traps, the snarling threats—
only to top their expectations.
Like a good family film, everyone here has a
lesson to learn—including viewers, who are gently
reminded about tolerance. The action scenes
are satisfying, and the effects fun, if not earthshaking.
But the best thing about Jumanji: Welcome
to the Jungle may be how well-crafted it is.
—Daniel Eagan
THE LEISURE SEEKER
SONY PICTURES CLASSICS/Color/2.35/111 Mins./
Rated R
Cast: Helen Mirren, Donald Sutherland, Christian McKay,
Janel Moloney, Dana Ivey, Dick Gregory.
Directed by Paolo Virzi.
Screenplay: Stephen Amidon, Francesca Archibugi,
Francesco Piccolo, Paolo Virzi, based on the novel by
Michael Zadoorian.
Produced by Fabrizio Donvito, Marco Cohen, Benedetto
Habib.
Executive producers: Alessandro Mascheroni, Dov
Mamann, Daniel Campos Pavoncelli, Cobi Benatoff,
David Grumbach, Mathieu Robinet, Gilles Sousa, Bryan
Thomas.
Director of photography: Luca Bigazzi.
Production designer: Richard A. Wright.
Editors: Jacopo Quadri.
Music: Carlo Virzi
Costume designer: Massimo Cantini Parrini.
An Indiana Prods. and RAI Cinema production, in
collaboration with Motorino Amaranto and 3 Marys
Entertainment
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A somewhat generic but mostly agreeable
road-trip movie about a long-married couple
(Donald Sutherland and Helen Mirren) on
their final vacation.
Mounting predictability and a few credibilityfree
scenes notwithstanding, Paolo Virzi’s The
Leisure Seeker is an engaging road-trip movie
about two still-ambulatory seniors who are
nonetheless circling the drain. It’s John and
Ella Spencer’s (Donald Sutherland and Helen
Mirren) final vacation in their beloved 1975
Winnebago, which they’ve dubbed “the leisure
seeker.”
Deterioration, death, dying and “choosing”
how one dies—hot-button issue, that
one—are the thematic motifs coupled
with gentle life-affirming comedy and, yes,
romance. After 60 years of marriage, the
Spencers continue to be in love and are more
committed to each other than ever.
Loosely adapted from Michael Zadoorian’s
highly readable, entertaining yet poignant
novel, The Leisure Seeker recounts the Spencers’
adventures on that fateful expedition as
they travel down the East Coast along Route
1 from their home in Wellesley, Mass., to Key
West, Florida, where John, a retired English
professor and Hemingway authority, will visit
the iconic writer’s stomping ground. While
John enjoys moments of astonishing lucidity—he
knowledgeably discusses lofty literary
topics, quoting verbatim from one source or
another—he’s suffering from dementia; much
of the time he’s confused, forgetful and childlike
(in some ways the male counterpart to
Alice Howland in Still Alice).
Ella, his junior by at least ten years, is
mentally intact though gravely ill. She’s often
in pain, popping pills, and sports a wig. It
doesn’t take too much insight to surmise she
has cancer. (This movie has its share of suds.)
Still, for the most part she is cheerful and
relentlessly chatty, offering personal tidbits (in
an inconsistent Southern accent) to anyone
she encounters. When she’s not prattling away
to strangers, she’s John’s caretaker and guiding
force. In the novel, she’s the narrator.
The Spencers have two grown children,
the laid-back Jane (Janel Moloney) and the
frenetic Will (Christian McKay), the latter
spinning his wheels at what he views as an
imprudent misstep on the part of his parents.
But the Spencers refuse to be caged in by
their children, doctors or anyone else. They’ve
upped and left without telling a soul. This is
yet another Virzi testimonial to freedom, a
trope he sentimentally dramatized in his film
Like Crazy, about two mental patients who
escape an asylum and take to the road.
Along the way, the Spencers make stops
at diners, historic theme parks and campsites
where nightly Ella sets up a slide show,
projecting pictures of their earlier vacations
onto a screen in an effort to jog John’s
failing memory. Their excursion includes an
encounter with thugs who hold them up (the
confrontation has become de rigueur in roadtrip
pics), and in another scene Ella slips onto
the floor, John falls on top of her and both are
immobilized. The accident telegraphs their dilapidation
and interdependence. Indeed, their
disintegration forges a greater bond between
them. The film successfully captures their
intimacy on many fronts.
Still, festering wounds resurface and
secrets are exposed. The genre has come to
demand these revelations, and here they’re
particularly jarring. In his befuddlement John
can’t stop harping on Ella’s first boyfriend, Dan
Coleman, whom he’s convinced she’s had an
ongoing affair with throughout their marriage.
To put that notion to rest, Ella tracks down
Dan in a nursing home where he now resides.
She hasn’t seen the man in 60-plus years,
yet sets out to visit him with John in tow.
Dan (Dick Gregory in his final role) is now
wheelchair-bound and has no recollection of
who she is. Everything about the section is
fakery beyond redemption, short of Gregory’s
fine performance
Also out of left field and equally contrived,
at one point John confuses Ella for a neighbor
with whom he had a two-year sexual relationship
years earlier. Hallucinating, he spills all!
Naturally, Ella was clueless and now, in an
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enraged tailspin (a spurious response if ever
there was one), she unceremoniously deposits
John in the nearest nursing home. Admittedly,
she calms down, picks him up later and they
continue on their journey. But what has been
gained by any of it? The viewer shouldn’t be
asked to endure these gratuitous intrusions.
Still, the chemistry between the two actors
is palpable and a lifetime is evoked. Exasperated
at John’s decline, Ella plaintively asks,
“What is going on in that brain of yours?” and
when he voices a cogent, clear-headed moment,
Ella celebrates his “coming back” to her
as the John she knew and loved. It’s a touching
interlude made all the more so in light of its
short duration. Within seconds, he is groping
for words and unsure of where he is.
Sutherland gives a great performance.
No one conjures up the professorial persona
better than he does, whatever the character’s
mental competence. Who can forget
his stoned prof in Animal House? Mirren is, as
always, a consummate pro, though her intermittent
Southern accent is distracting. It’s not
clear why she had to be Southern at all.
Perhaps because it’s Virzi’s first Americanbased
film and thus a somewhat alien universe
to him, The Leisure Seeker feels generic. It
doesn’t, for example, have the nuance of the
recently released Our Souls at Night, also a
senior romance with Jane Fonda and Robert
Redford, or for that matter 5 Flights Up, a
touching 2014 film with Morgan Freeman and
Diane Keaton, or the most moving of the
lot, I’ll See You in My Dreams (2015), featuring
Blythe Danner and Sam Elliott. Still, to the
degree that The Leisure Seeker represents,
whatever its flaws, mature lovers for whom
the journey is now the destination, there’s
something to celebrate. —Simi Horwitz
THE GREATEST SHOWMAN
20TH CENTURY FOX/Color/2.35/Dolby Digital/
105 Mins./Rated PG
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron,
Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Keala Settle, Paul Sparks,
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Austyn Johnson, Cameron
Seely, Sam Humphrey, Will Swenson, Byron Jennings,
Betsy Aidem, Damian Young, Tina Benko, Gayle
Rankin, Shuler Hensley.
Directed by Michael Gracey.
Screenplay: Jenny Bicks, Bill Condon.
Story: Jenny Bicks.
Produced by Laurence Mark, Peter Chernin, Jenno
Topping.
Executive producers: James Mangold, Donald J. Lee, Jr.,
Tonia Davis.
Director of photography: Seamus McGarvey.
Production designer: Nathan Crowley.
Editors: Tom Cross, Robert Duffy, Joe Hutshing, Michael
McCusker, Jon Poll, Spencer Susser.
Costume designer: Ellen Mirojnick.
Songs: Benj Pasek, Justin Paul.
Music score: John Debney, John Trapanese.
Choreography: Ashley Wallen.
A 20th Century Fox presentation of a Laurence Mark/
Chernin Entertainment production.
Eager-to-please musical about the struggles
of pioneering impresario P.T. Barnum will
have devotees and detractors.
The movie musical has made somewhat of a
comeback in the 21st century, with box-office
hits (and sometime award winners) like the
Broadway adaptations Chicago, Dreamgirls,
Mamma Mia!, Sweeney Todd and Les Misérables.
But original movie musicals are a rarer species:
The 2000s have brought us Moulin Rouge (not
so original with its recycled pop songs), the
animated blockbuster Frozen, the intimate
Once, and last year’s almost-Best Picture, La
La Land. The latter was equally beloved and
reviled, and the same divided reactions will
likely greet The Greatest Showman, the ambitious,
go-for-broke musical gloss of the life of
impresario P.T. Barnum, with songs from the
fecund La La Land/Dear Evan Hansen team of
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
“This is the greatest show!” blares the
cast in the opening number and, dammit,
they’re going to overexert every muscle to
get you to agree. Though the film is set in the
mid-1800s, it takes the anachronistic Moulin
Rouge route of conveying its show-biz origin
tale with a decidedly modern, decidedly pop
sensibility. Call it the Hamilton effect: How
else are you going to deliver a young audience
to an American history lesson? The fluffy
songs would be right at home on a Katy Perry
album, but as earworms they do their job.
So does Hugh Jackman, who is charismatically
ideal casting for the role of a dynamo like
Barnum, the poor son of a Connecticut tailor
whose drive and imagination led him to a literally
sensational career in New York City as
the founder of a museum specializing in exotic
displays, including live attractions like bearded
ladies, tiny “General” Tom Thumb and the
Siamese twins Chang and Eng. In pursuit of a
higher-class clientele, he also recruited Swedish
opera singer Jenny Lind and made her an
American superstar.
Jenny Bick and Bill Condon’s screenplay
is not a faithful retelling of Barnum’s life: His
chaste (at least here) relationship with Lind
may or may not have put a strain on his marriage
to his devoted, moneyed wife, Charity
(Michelle Williams), and scorn for his family of
“oddities” may or may not have sparked the
fire that engulfed his grand museum. (In fact,
Barnum had not one but two establishments
destroyed by fire.) The script also fabricates
a business partner for Barnum, Phillip Carlyle
(Zac Efron), a well-to-do theatrical producer
who runs away to the circus (and an interracial
romance with a trapeze artist played by
the singer Zendaya). That daring relationship
is but one facet of the movie’s underlined and
bold-faced 21st-century message of acceptance
of society’s outcasts.
There’s nothing subtle about The Greatest
Showman, but its high style and relentless
energy may very well seduce willing audience
members. Australian commercials director
Michael Gracey makes a confident feature debut,
abetted by the craft of cinematographer
Seamus McGarvey (Atonement) and especially
production designer Nathan Crowley
(Dunkirk, The Dark Knight). Jackman, Williams,
Efron and Zendaya are all up for the challenges
of their big numbers (with Zendaya and
Efron outdoing Pink on their trapeze duet),
and big-voiced Keala Settle as bearded lady
Lettie Lutz stops the show with the Golden
Globe-nominated “This Is Me.” And Rebecca
Ferguson makes a stunning and elegant Jenny
Lind, even if her powerhouse singing is dubbed
by Loren Allred.
Sort of like John Stephens pre-emptively
labeling himself a “Legend,” The Greatest Showman
insists that you’ll have a great time. If its immodesty
doesn’t seem too irksome, you just might.
—Kevin Lally
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI
WALT DISNEY/Color/2.35/Dolby Atmos &
DTS:X/152 Mins./Rated PG-13
Cast: Daisy Ridley, Mark Hamill, John Boyega, Adam
Driver, Carrie Fisher, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson,
Laura Dern, Benicio Del Toro, Kelly Marie Tran, Andy
Serkis, Gwendoline Christie, Billie Lourd, Justin Theroux,
Lupita Nyong’o, Anthony Daniels, Jimmy Vee.
Written and directed by Rian Johnson.
Produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Ram Bergman.
Executive producers: J.J. Abrams, Tom Karnowski, Jason
McGatlin.
Director of photography: Steve Yedlin.
Production designer: Rick Heinrichs.
Editor: Bob Ducsay.
Music: John Williams.
Costume designer: Michael Kaplan.
Visual effects supervisor: Richard Bain.
A Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures presentation of a
Lucasfilm production.
With Rian Johnson, the keys to the Star
Wars franchise are in the right hands.
When Disney announced its purchase of
Lucasfilm, there were some concerns in fan
corners—this fan among them—that the
franchise from a galaxy far, far away would suffer
homogenization at the hands of the Mouse
House. They’ve done it with the Marvel Cinematic
Universe over the years, after all, and
reports of existing characters like Han Solo
and Obi-Wan Kenobi getting prequel spinoffs
isn’t exactly indicative of a commitment to
originality. J.J. Abrams’ The Force Awakens, for
all it was an excellent start to a new Star Wars
trilogy, was essentially a soft remake of A New
Hope, with a new trio of adventurers standing
in for Luke, Leia and Han. Some sparks of risktaking
showed in Gareth Edwards’ Rogue One,
which abandoned the traditional space-opera
formula in lieu of a war movie populated
mostly by previously unknown characters.
With The Last Jedi, director Rian Johnson
mixes up the formula even more, to wonderful
effect. Official apologies are extended to
Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. I’m
sorry I ever doubted you.
On the surface, The Last Jedi is par for the
Star Wars course. As with 1980’s The Empire
Strikes Back, we start with a group of scrappy
rebels—led by General Leia Organa (the late
Carrie Fisher) with the support of protégé
Poe (a dashing Oscar Isaac)—staring down
the barrel of imminent destruction. There are
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space battles and splashy, eye-catching locations,
like the Jedi island temple of Ahch-To
and the one-percenter casino planet Canto
Bight. If some of these detours drag on a bit,
hampering momentum and bulking up The Last
Jedi’s not-entirely-necessary two-hour-and
32-minute runtime, well, at least the various
locales are fun to look at. It’s Star Wars. They
always are.
Old favorites are present, notably Leia and
Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), who’s gone from
a wide-eyed farm boy to a grizzled cynic. In an
unexpected but thoroughly welcome move,
Hamill gets to show off his comedy chops in
a way the original trilogy never really let him.
Domhnall Gleeson, in a small but delightful role,
does his best Peter Cushing as scenery-gnawing
First Order villain General Hux. Some new
characters are in play, the most prominent being
Kelly Marie Tran’s Rose, who teams up with
Finn (John Boyega) for a side adventure. There
are a lot of characters at play here, but Johnson
weaves them together all but flawlessly. Every
character gets their moment, and even less
prominent characters—like Benicio Del Toro’s
scoundrel DJ or Laura Dern’s Rebel leader Amilyn
Holdo—feel fleshed-out despite a dearth of
screen time.
Two characters not mentioned yet are
Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Kylo Ren (Adam
Driver)—and it’s with them that The Last Jedi
really takes flight. The age-old conflict between
good and evil, light and dark, has always
been the driving force (sorry) of the Star Wars
franchise. In how he interweaves the evolution
of aspiring Jedi Rey and aspiring Sith Kylo Ren,
Johnson deepens the Star Wars mythology,
complicates it—makes The Last Jedi nothing
less than the smartest, most nuanced, most
ambitious Star Wars film ever made.
In doing so, Johnson widens the Star Wars
story, taking it from what it was—a relatively
personal saga of the Skywalker family, their
inner dramas and interpersonal conflicts writ
large across a galactic stage—to what it has
to be in order to move forward: a sprawling,
epic, full-fledged mythology that finally feels like
it’s stretching its fingers to the very edge of a
galaxy far, far away. —Rebecca Pahle
PHANTOM THREAD
FOCUS FEATURES/Color/1.85/Dolby Digital/
132 Mins./Rated R
Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps, Lesley Manville,
Camilla Rutherford, Gina McKee, Brian Gleeson,
Harriet Sansom Harris, Lujza Richter, Julia Davis.
Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.
Produced by Joanne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson, Megan
Ellison, Daniel Lupi.
Executive producers: Adam Somner, Peter Heslop, Chelsea
Barnard.
Director of photography: Paul Thomas Anderson
(uncredited).
Production designer: Mark Tildesley.
Editor: Dylan Tichenor.
Costume designer: Mark Bridges.
Music: Jonny Greenwood.
An Annapurna, Perfect World Pictures and Joanne Sellar/
Ghoulardi Film Company production.
The mystery of artistic creation—in this
case, high-fashion gowns—is pretentiously
probed here by Paul Thomas Anderson and
Daniel Day-Lewis in a too self-conscious and
somewhat enervative style.
The golden age of haute couture—that most
rarefied and costly of fashion, requiring dozens
of seamstresses toiling over one dress
for a small eternity, to be sold at a prohibitive
cost to only the most wealthy—reached
its peak in the 1950s. Holding sway over
this most exclusive of butterfly worlds were
genius designers like Christian Dior, Jacques
Fath, Pierre Balmain, Hubert de Givenchy
and the two acknowledged innovative masters
of this art, wild and crazy Charles James,
whose sculptural gowns were complexly
structured so as to be practically architecture,
and sober, discreet Cristobal Balenciaga,
whose wildly coveted clothes reflected
the quiet elegance and deceptive simplicity of
the man himself.
There really has never been a film dealing
with this subject and period…until now. In
tackling it, appropriate names like Vincente
Minnelli or Pedro Almodóvar or even Tom
Ford might spring to mind, so it is all the
more surprising that Paul Thomas Anderson,
a director more known for gritty subjects as
in Boogie Nights, Inherent Vice and There Will
Be Blood, has undertaken the task. Supposedly
inspired by the need to do something
“fancy,” he’s said, after Inherent Vice, as well
as a spate of illness during which he was
faced with the novelty of his wife suddenly
being in charge of him while he steeped
himself in fashion publications, Anderson
approaches his theme with a well-researched
reverence. This quality is shared by his star,
Daniel Day-Lewis, who has revealed that he
even learned to sew for the role of eminent,
eminently difficult and temperamental designer
Reynolds Woodcock and, at a recent
Q&A after a screening, was dropping obscure
fashion designer names like Victor Stiebel as
if he were Anna Wintour.
Day-Lewis has also announced that this
decidedly offbeat role will be his swan song
from acting, and it’s interesting to think that,
if true, he is going out in a gay role, like the
one in My Beautiful Laundrette that helped
put him on the map some 30 years ago.
Woodcock is, to put it mildly, very set in his
ways, something that his devoted if toopresent
sister and lifelong business partner,
Cyril (Lesley Manville), has learned to live
with, however much it may chafe. Almost
the very definition of stuffy Englishman and
then some, Woodcock insists on his idea
of perfection in everything, whether it’s his
lavish garments or the level of noise he can
abide at breakfast (i.e., none), and his Paris
workspace and home are beyond pristine
in their excruciatingly ordered refinement.
Woodcock is both obsessed and subsumed
by his work, with something of a fanatic’s
reluctance to even let a dress leave his salon,
although bought and paid for.
One of the most diverting scenes
involves a deeply neurotic heiress (think Barbara
Hutton), played to a quiveringly neurotic
fare-thee-well by stage treasure Harriet Harris,
whom Woodcock rages against as being
“unfit” to wear a gown of his. He conspires
with a loyal cohort to invade her bedroom
and literally remove said dress as its wearer
lies in a drunken stupor. This episode was
obviously inspired by the antics of Charles
James, who would actually deprive his clients
of their rightful couture if he felt the fit was
less than perfect, for a myriad of reasons.
Thanks to Harris, this is also one of the
few divertingly funny moments in the film,
which goes the opposite route of Robert
Altman’s silly piffle of a fashion film, Ready-to-
Wear, with a surfeit of awestruck seriousness,
as if it were conceived by Woodcock
himself. Although elegant to look at, with
a very fancy music score by Johnny Greenwood,
there’s a sterility to it, due to the
very limited “tasteful” palette Anderson has
allowed himself—mostly black, muted grays
and blinding white. Woodcock’s designer
creations follow suit, which is fashionista
revisionist history, for the grand couturiers
were all famed for their vivid and flamboyant
sense of color. This is Anderson’s first film
set outside the U.S. and his direction feels
too tight and restrained overall. At over two
hours, not much really happens, apart from
the arrival into Woodcock’s life of that aforementioned
accomplice in theft, Alma (Vicky
Krieps, who does bring some welcome
slyness and surprise), a young immigrant
waitress he meets in a café one night and
becomes fascinated with, to the point where
she moves in and joins his firm. The reactions
to her over the years—for both women are
into Woodcock for the long haul—from the
jealous, possessive spinster Cyril provide the
main drama in the movie.
Given such a parched Anderson script,
even Woodcock’s actual, mentioned homosexuality
only evinces itself in some very
prissy, bitchy remarks—he evidently having
foresworn any obvious gay involvement,
whether physical or romantic. It’s a much too
easy dramatic choice by this heterosexual
director and star, and although Day-Lewis
and the quite wonderful Manville, in what
could be described as the “Mrs. Danvers”
role, score a lot of giggles through their constant
sibling warfare, the film feels severely
underpopulated and repetitive (with too
many shots of Day-Lewis, like a very calm and
purposeful mad scientist in the salon which
is his lab, sketching or measuring laid-out
patterns to be cut in the snowy, immaculate
muslin which is his vital tool). Anderson’s unfamiliarity
with fashion unfortunately reveals
itself in the Woodcock creations provided by
his film’s designer, Mark Bridges, which are
unmemorable, more costume-y than actual
hyper-refined clothing.
—David Noh
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IN THE FADE
MAGNOLIA PICTURES/Color/2.35/105 Mins./
Not Rated
Cast: Diane Kruger, Denis Moschitto, Johannes Krisch,
Samia Chancrin, Numan Acar, Ulrich Tukur, Rafael
Santana, Hanna Hilsdorf, Ulrich Friedrich Brandhoff.
Written and directed by Fatih Akin.
Co-writer: Hark Bohm.
Produced by Nurhan Sekerci-Porst, Fatih Akin, Herman
Weigel.
Director of photography: Rainer Klausmann.
Production designer: Tamo Kunz.
Editor: Andrew Bird.
Music: Joshua Homme.
Sound supervisor: Kai Storck.
A Magnolia Pictures, Bombero International and Warner
Bros. Film Prods. Germany presentation, in coproduction
with Macassar Productions, Pathé, Dorje
Film and Corazón International, with the support of
Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, German
Federal Film Fund, Federal Government Commissioner
for Culture and the Media (BKM), Film und Medienstiftung
NRW, German Federal Film Board, in cooperation
with CANAL+ and CINÉ+.
In German, Greek and English with English subtitles.
Aftermath of a terrorist attack leaves a
mother searching for answers in a troubling
drama from director Fatih Akin.
The premise couldn’t be timelier. A happy
family, a terrorist bomb, a grieving widow
and mother on her own. Fatih Akin’s In the
Fade doesn’t just spring from news events, it
attacks its story with an intensity that leaves
characters and viewers alike emotionally
stunned.
A methodical filmmaker, director and
co-writer (with Hark Bohm), Akin builds In
the Fade in simple steps. Katja (Diane Kruger)
marries drug dealer Nuri (Numan Acar)
against her family’s wishes. Nuri reforms and
becomes an activist helping Kurdish refugees.
He’s with their son Rocco (Rafael Santana)
when a bomb destroys his office.
Akin uses a documentary style to portray
what follows. The police gather evidence and
question witnesses. They think rival drug
dealers are responsible at first, and for a time
Katja herself is a suspect. Each clue leads to
another, and with plodding thoroughness the
investigators find enough to bring a neo-Nazi
couple to trial.
The courtroom scenes unfold in excruciating
detail, with Katja forced to watch and
listen to medical testimony about what happened
to her husband and son. She is powerless
to stop the defense’s lies and smears. The
German justice system may seem unfamiliar,
but not the tactics lawyers use to twist facts
and malign witnesses.
The verdict sends Katja into an emotional
tailspin that is painful to watch. What she
learns from the trial enables her to seek her
own form of justice. And it’s exactly here that
Akin’s strict realism begins to cloud the story.
Katja’s anger may be justified to viewers,
but how she achieves her revenge in some
ways reduces her to the level of the terrorists
she is fighting. And by showing how terrorists
operate in such meticulous detail, Akin is in
danger of encouraging similar behavior.
Akin is too smart a filmmaker not to realize
the risks he is taking. In the Fade is made with
skill and precision, both on technical terms and
in its performances. Diane Kruger is a marvel,
effortlessly portraying a range of emotions,
never giving in to sentimental touches, never
flinching from her character’s behavior. The
other performers are uniformly excellent.
Akin makes passionate films that address
difficult questions. In the Fade will be an acid
test for his fans and for moviegoers in general.
It’s a film almost no one really wants to see, a
story of cruel, senseless bereavement without
a hint of closure. Yet it deals with some of the
central issues of our time, problems that are
argued daily. Given Kruger’s remarkable performance,
Akin’s determination as a director
and the movie’s excellent production values,
In the Fade is not to be missed, no matter how
difficult its subject matter.
—Daniel Eagan
HAPPY END
SONY PICTURES CLASSICS/Color/1.85/107 Mins./
Rated R
Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Mathieu
Kassovitz, Fantine Harduin, Franz Rogowski, Laura
Verlinden, Aurélia Petit, Toby Jones, Hille Perl, Hassam
Ghancy, Nabiha Akkari, Joud Geistlich.
Written and directed by Michael Haneke.
Produced by Margaret Ménégoz, Stefan Arndt, Veit Heidusck,
Michael Katz.
Director of photography: Christian Berger
Production designer: Olivier Radot.
Editor: Monika Willi.
Costume designer: Catherine Leterrier.
A Les Films du Losange, X Filme Creative Pool and Wega
Film presentation, in co-production with Arte France
Cinema, France 3 Cinéma, Westdeutscher Rundfunk,
Bayerischer Rundfunk and Arte, with the participation
of Arte France, France Télévisions, Canal Plus, Cine
Plus and ORF Film/Fernseh-Abkommen.
In French with English subtitles.
This blistering and timely account of the
privileged classes, relayed with dark humor
and impeccable craft, is a return to form
for the 75-year-old Austrian auteur Michael
Haneke.
In a film by Michael Haneke titled Happy End,
you can of course surrender any idea of a
conventional happy end. Haneke’s bracingly
acid brew about the discontents of a wealthy
French family includes many ingredients familiar
from his oeuvre: surveillance, cold-hearted
murder, the moral bankruptcy of the haute
bourgeoisie, an immigrant underclass shoved
to the margins. Add to this mix his signature
twisted humor, consummate craft and, in a departure,
a series of lo-res Instagram Live-style
videos and some X-rated sexting.
Some viewers will be put off by the film’s
grimness (in Cannes, home to Haneke loyalists,
the response was tepid and peppered with
boos). Others will be hugely entertained by the
steely control of the Austrian maestro as he assembles
this puzzle-like narrative into a scathing
critique of the world’s economic elites.
The film kicks off with a kid’s phone
videos showing a woman at her toilette, spliced
between the opening credits. The videos take a
more sinister turn when the kid films a hamster
overdosing on Mom’s tranquilizers (in what
may be a trial run). By cutting back and forth
to the credits, the opening sequence produces
a Brechtian distancing effect. Unlike in Amour,
Haneke does not ask for empathy for his
characters. What he does require is your unflagging
attention in order to piece together an
enigmatic story that plays like a thriller.
The video-maker of the opening turns out
to be one of Haneke’s more fascinating creations:
13-year-old Eve (Fantine Harduin), with
the pert-nosed, impassive face of either an angel
or a demon. Following her mother’s death
(which she may have nudged along), she comes
to live with her surgeon father, Thomas Laurent
(Mathieu Kassovitz), who has remarried,
in the palatial family residence in Calais. The
joyless, creepy household is presided over by
an infirm patriarch (Jean-Louis Trintignant)
who is bent on offing himself, and Thomas’
sister, Anne Laurent (the matchless Isabelle
Huppert in a role that fits like a second skin),
who runs the family construction empire.
Happy End interweaves several skeins.
The negligence of Anne’s grown son (Franz
Rogowski) triggers a fatal accident on their
construction site, sending the son off the
deep end (capped by his performance of the
Sia song “Chandelier” in a drunken karaoke
session). The patriarch doggedly pursues a
plot against his own life, even approaching
his barber for help. And Thomas conducts a
torrid affair (conveyed in kinky texts on yet
another screen) while his young wife cares for
their infant son.
The glacial heart of the film, though, is
Eve, who is onto her father’s extramarital
fling. In a telling scene, she begs her mystified
dad not to send her away to a “home.” In
fact, she has correctly zeroed in on her own
expendability and the core attitudes of people
who hold nothing dear but themselves. Eve
forms an unsavory alliance with the patriarch
based on a mutual willingness to take a step
too far. (In a reprise of Amour, he confesses
to smothering his wife.) At the blistering
denouement, Anne’s son disrupts her posh
engagement party by bringing an entourage of
immigrants, while she retaliates in a way only
Haneke could have imagined.
Who better than the Austrian maestro to
nail the corruption and bad faith of the onepercenters
(or at least his vision of them?)
And what subject, in the age of Mnuchin,
could be timelier? Of course, Happy End
includes a potshot at their cavalier treatment
of servants: In a party scene, Anne praises her
Arab cook as “a real pearl”—French code for
the ultimate condescension.
In keeping with his view of a surveilled
society, Haneke films several key sequences as
long shots that might appear on security-camera
footage. In a darkly funny traveling shot in
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front of noisy traffic, his camera follows the
grandfather as he approaches a bunch of kids
in hoodies. (We hear nothing but the roar of
cars, but may assume he’s requesting a killerfor-hire.)
When Anne’s son visits the projects,
where he’s presumably trying to make amends
for the construction accident, the scene is
filmed from such a remove you can only intuit
what triggers the ensuing violence. (It will be
later be used against the worker’s family in the
settlement.)
In American films about family dysfunction,
the usual cause is lack of parental love, sibling
rivalry, etc. etc. In Haneke, it’s the lopsidedness
of the larger world that warps character. Eve
is not so much a bad seed as the logical mutant
produced by her self-absorbed clan, a spawn
of the one-percenters who pushes their values
to a twisted extreme. She barricades herself
behind technology, the better to manipulate
a family who would show her no mercy, she
intuits, when push came to shove.
The confidence Haneke projects as he
maneuvers the scattered mosaics of his tale
into a cohesive whole is nothing short of
thrilling. And when the true “happy end”
circles back to Eve’s final video, it inspires the
darkest sort of laughter. In fact, Haneke’s brilliant
orchestration of his materials is as much
the subject—and triumph—of Happy End as
anything else. To criticism that his vision is
overly gloomy, the filmmaker replies, “I simply
present things the way they are.”
—Erica Abeel
FERDINAND
20TH CENTURY FOX/Color/2.35/Dolby Atmos &
DTS:X/106 Mins./Rated PG
Voice Cast: John Cena, Kate McKinnon, Anthony Anderson,
Bobby Cannavale, Raul Esparza, David Tennant, Belita
Moreno, Peyton Manning, Gina Rodriguez, Daveed
Diggs, Gabriel Iglesias, Jeremy Sisto, Boris Kodjoe,
Flula Borg, Sally Phillips, Carlos Saldanha, Juanes,
Jerrod Carmichael.
Directed by Carlos Saldanha.
Screenplay: Robert L. Baird, Tim Federle, Brad Copeland.
Screen story: Ron Burch, David Kidd, Don Rymer, based
on the book by Munro Leaf, Robert Lawson.
Produced by Bruce Anderson, John Davis, Lori Forte, Lisa
Marie Stetler.
Executive producer: Chris Wedge.
Director of photography: Renato Falcao.
Art director: Thomas Cardone.
Editor: Harry Hitner.
Music: John Powell.
A Blue Sky Studios, Davis Entertainment and Twentieth
Century Fox Animation production.
Fox sends in an animated animal act to do
battle with Star Wars for the Christmas trade:
a peace-loving bull who won’t fight—don’t
ask him.
If that Spanish bull named Ferdinand wasn’t
the first to stop and smell the flowers, he is
certainly the most famous, and Ferdinand (the
2017 film) celebrates that fame.
Munro Leaf dashed off this pacifistic
mammal in pencil on six sheets of yellow
legal pad in 40 minutes back in 1936 and gave
it to a friend, Robert Lawson, to illustrate.
That combo created a bestselling children’s
yarn beloved for generations. This version
boasts all the computer-generated bells ’n’
whistles of contemporary animation, weighing
in at 108 minutes—making it the longest
cartoon feature ever produced by Blue Sky
Studios. It has more padding than a matador’s
cummerbund.
Happily, none of this is dull. It’s frenetically
eventful and usually fun—once you forgive
the unnecessary plot tangents and irrelevant
additions. Okay, so there’s the obligatory bullin-a-china-shop
scene, but it’s nevertheless
calamitously entertaining.
The title toro (voice-casted with John
Cena for no apparent reason other than his
beefy persona) comes with a full complement
of cohorts. First and foremost and emphatically
funniest is Kate McKinnon’s Lupe, a calming
goat who is a long way from calm, functioning
primarily like Burgess Meredith to Cena’s
Sylvester Stallone.
Miraculously, the story’s overriding message
is not lost in all the extraneous detours
and par-for-the-cartoon-course silliness:
Ferdinand remains true to himself, smelling
flowers rather than butting heads. And he’s
right to resist the secret, silent agenda of Casa
del Toros, a camp in rural Spain that trains
bulls for Madrid’s arena.
Six screenwriters—Ron Burch, David
Kidd and Don Rymer for screen story; Robert
L. Baird, Tim Federle and Brad Copeland for
screenplay—are credited with refrying Leaf’s
40-minute concoction. As previously noted,
there are a lot of side trips in this movie, but
the beginning and the end are beautifully—
brilliantly—connected by a red carnation. As a
young calf, Ferdinand is bullied when a young
bull crushes a red carnation into the ground;
later, as a fully grown bull about to be sacrificed
to a matador’s blade, he zeroes in on a red
carnation thrown by the crowd and smells it.
—Harry Haun
IN BETWEEN
FILM MOVEMENT/Color/2.35/103 Mins./Not Rated
Cast: Mouna Hawa, Sana Jammelieh, Shaden Kanboura,
Mahmoud Shalaby, Henry Adrawes, Aiman Sohel Daw,
Riahd Sliman, Ahlam Canaan, Ferass Naser, Khawlah
Dipsy, Suhail Hadad, Eyad Sheety, Amir Khuri.
Written and directed by Maysaloun Hamoud.
Produced by Shlomi Elkabetz.
Director of photography: Itay Gross.
Production designer: Hagar Brotman.
Editors: Lev Goldser, Nili Feller.
Costume designer: Li Alembik.
Music: M.G. Saad.
A Deux Beaux Garçons Films and En Compagnie des Lamas
production.
In Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles.
A propulsive debut from Maysaloun Hamoud.
Girls just wanna have the freedom to have
fun in this electric debut from Arab-Israeli
filmmaker Maysaloun Hamoud. Her In Between
is a political film, critical of Arab culture
and Arab-Israeli relations, but thanks to the
strength of its characterizations it is never a
didactic film. Hamoud proves once again the
potency of a tried-and-true formula: Elucidate
the macro through the personal.
Three Palestinian twenty-something
women are sharing an apartment together
in Tel Aviv. There’s Lalia (Mouna Hawa), the
gorgeous-and-she-knows-it criminal lawyer
who plays just as hard as she works, which is
to an extreme. She is a thick-skinned, cosmopolitan
woman who has yet to abandon her
belief in romance and who is capable of great
tenderness. Lalia has been roommates for
some time with Salma (Sana Jammelieh), a DJ
who is cool to the point of sullenness, who
comes from a Christian family in Galilee, and
who is beginning to explore her feelings for
another woman. At the beginning of the film,
they’re joined by a devout Muslim student
named Nur (Shaden Kanboura), who rents
their third bedroom so she can be closer to
her university. Nur wears a hijab and doesn’t
know what raves are; her fiancée, a man so
unctuously pious one suspects he doth pray
too much, doesn’t like the drinking, smoking,
fornicating ways of her new roommates. But
after a rocky start, Nur bonds with Lalia and
Salma. She resists her fiancée’s attempts to
convince her to move elsewhere. We know
this cannot end easily.
Meanwhile, Lalia and Salma wrestle with
romantic entanglements of their own. The
seemingly liberal Arab man for whom Lalia has
fallen may not be as enlightened as he first appeared,
while Salma must juggle the romantic
freedom she enjoys while living on her own
in Tel Aviv with the unyieldingly traditional
viewpoints of her family. Again, no easy solutions
are in sight.
Without resorting to cumbersome flashbacks
or clunky exposition, we are given a clear
understanding of the life of each protagonist
as we follow her for a time solo. It is the time
taken to explore these women individually that
makes those occasions when they interact together
so impactful. When a moment of shocking
violence occurs, the emotionality of their
reactions is deepened by this understanding of
each in her turn, and continues to reverberate
to the film’s conclusion..
The film’s greatest strength lies in its unwillingness
to go for an easy sense of righteousness.
Yes, these women are asserting themselves; yes,
there are victories gained. But swimming against
the tide and living “freely” is not easy.
In Between ends on a note of ambiguity
over which a less confident filmmaker may have
glossed, or eschewed altogether. But Hamoud,
who, thanks to In Between, has become the target
of the first fatwa to be issued in Palestine since
1948, is nothing if not confident in her choices.
This story of clashing values and women chafing
and pretty young things in-and-out-of-love is
not novel, however of-the-moment it may be
politically. But when filtered through Hamoud’s
sensibility, the result is distinctive, a mix of rock
’n’ roll and sorrow.
—Anna Storm
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PITCH PERFECT 3
UNIVERSAL/Color/1.85/Dolby Digital/93 Mins./
Rated PG-13
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld, Brittany
Snow, Anna Camp, Hana Mae Lee, Ester Dean, John Lithgow,
Elizabeth Banks, John Michael Higgins, Alexis Knapp,
Chrissie Fit, Kelley Jakle, Shelley Regner, Matt Lanter, Guy
Burnet, DJ Khaled, Ruby Rose, Cain Manoli.
Directed by Trish Sie.
Screenplay; Kay Cannon, Mike White.
Produced by Paul Brooks, Max Handelman, Elizabeth Banks.
Executive producers: Jason Moore, Scott Niemeyer, David Nicksay.
Director of photography: Matthew Clark.
Production designer: Toby Corbett.
Editors: Craig Alpert, Colin Patton
Music: Christopher Lennertz.
Costume designer: Salvador Perez.
A Universal Pictures and Gold Circle Entertainment presentation,
in association with Perfect World Pictures, of a
Gold Circle Entertainment/Brown Circle production.
The Bellas become action stars (of sorts) in a
sequel that fails to hit the high notes of the first
movie, but which nonetheless delivers laughs.
This third and seemingly final (you never
can tell) installment in the saga of the Barton
Bellas a cappella group is the flashiest of the
franchise. There are offshore bank accounts
in the Cayman Islands, explosions onboard
yachts and—most shocking of all—instruments
on stage. Bigger is rarely better, of course, and
Pitch Perfect 3 falls short in charm and narrative
coherence of 2012’s Pitch Perfect. Still, writers
Kay Cannon and Mike White are masters of the
one-liner and they do their darnedest to ensure
you know they know that we all know this is
the silliest of stuff. Once again, contemporary
pop songs and jokes about social awkwardness
prove an undoubtedly entertaining combination.
Save for Emily (Hailee Steinfeld), all of the
Bellas whom we have grown to love over the
past five years have graduated from Barton and
are struggling to find their places in the real
world. Just about all of them hate their jobs and
would do anything to relive their college glory
days and perform as an a cappella group once
again. Beca (Anna Kendrick) in particular is disillusioned
by what should have been her dream
job as a music producer.
Luckily, Aubrey’s (Anna Camp) military
father, whose harsh words of advice are a staple
of his daughter’s conversation and neuroses,
can secure the former Bellas a spot on an
international USO tour to entertain the troops.
This wouldn’t be a Pitch Perfect without a competition,
however, as the characters themselves
point out in one of many meta-reflections.
As it turns out, the Bellas will be touring with
real-life hip-hop impresario DJ Khaled and three
other bands. At the end of the tour, Khaled
will choose one group to open for him. Almost
immediately the Bellas are intimidated by the
competition, an all-girl collective named Evermoist
(fronted by Ruby Rose) especially. When
the dodgy father (played by John Lithgow) of
Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) shows up, things really
start to get complicated.
It would be easy to quibble the film to death.
Many new characters are introduced only to
hang about half-formed, including a hunky soldier
who acts as the girls’ escort, the sexy-sneering
ladies of Evermoist, a strange rapper who flirts
with the strangely near-silent Bella, and an attractive
music exec on Khaled’s team who has a
thing for Beca. Evermoist in particular is framed
as a major antagonist only to fall by the wayside
as other, bigger, kookier concerns take over.
Any one of these threads could have made for a
strong subplot in its own right, but all together
they prove a mishmash of bits and gags. But because
this is a comedy, the film gets away with its
scattered elements, though only just. In the end,
it is the Bellas’ story and everyone who is not in
the gang is something of a prop to be used by it.
Smartly, the story has aged with its
characters. The streak of earnestness that runs
through all the films and which was done best
in the first movie with the Benji (Ben Platt of
“Dear Evan Hansen”) and Jesse (Skylar Astin)
characters, both absent here and sorely missed,
focuses on the girls’ bumpy transition into
adulthood. This tale of Millennials being forced
to face adulthood is as timely as the movie’s
soundtrack and its emphasis on sisterhood. But
after turning Fat Amy into an action hero, there
aren’t many more places for the franchise to
go. Heaven forfend a Bad Moms angle should be
taken for any Pitch Perfect 4. Let this be indeed
their final song.
—Anna Storm
ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD
TRISTAR/Color/2.35/Dolby Digital/132 Mins./Rated R
Cast: Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer, Mark
Wahlberg, Romain Duris, Timothy Hutton, Charlie Plummer,
Charlie Shotwell, Andrew Buchan, Marco Leonardi,
Giuseppe Bonifati, Nicholas Vaporidis.
Directed by Ridley Scott.
Screenplay: David Scarpa, based on the book by John
Pearson.
Produced by Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas, Quentin Curtis,
Chris Clark, Ridley Scott, Mark Huffam, Kevin J. Walsh.
Director of photography: Dariusz Wolski.
Production designer: Arthur Max.
Editor: Claire Simpson.
Music: Daniel Pemberton.
Costume designer Janty Yates.
A TriStar Pictures and Imperative Entertainment presentation
of a Scott Free and Redrum Films production.
Gripping account of the John Paul Getty
kidnapping in the 1970s opens a window into a
world of unimaginable wealth.
Against all odds, John Paul Getty III survived
a kidnapping that could have crashed and failed
several times. The same can be said of All the
Money in the World, a completed movie that was
a few weeks away from release when one of its
leads was accused of sexual harassment.
Christopher Plummer now plays J. Paul
Getty, described as not only the richest man
in the world, but the richest man in the history
of the world. The revered actor gives a precise,
chilling, damning performance as a 1970s
Citizen Kane, a man besotted by “things” and
incapable of ceding control. He is the frightening
heart and soul of this enormously entertaining
movie.
All the Money opens like a fairytale, with
Dariusz Wolski’s camera floating through a
black-and-white dolce vita vision of Rome. Still a
teenager, John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer)
ambles by a street of friendly, joshing prostitutes
when thugs pull him into the back of a van.
His mother Gail (Michelle Williams) thinks
their ransom demand is a joke at first. She then
turns to Getty, her father-in-law, who refuses to
negotiate with the kidnappers. Instead, he asks
security chief and ex-CIA agent Fletcher Chace
(Mark Wahlberg) to “fix” the problem.
Working from an adroit script by David
Scarpa, director Ridley Scott uses quick flashbacks
to flesh out the family’s background. Despite
Getty’s incredible wealth, his long-estranged
son John Paul Getty II (Andrew Buchan) and wife
Gail live in genteel poverty. Reaching out to his
father ruins Getty II, who dissipates himself with
drugs and alcohol in Morocco.
Divorced, penniless apart from child
support, Gail is assaulted by paparazzi and neglected
by indifferent policemen as she tries to
rescue her son. (All the Money delights in Italy’s
dysfunctions, from its hapless crooks to its inept
gangsters, cops, journalists, drivers, coroners,
etc.) Chace returns from Rome to tell Getty
that Paul’s kidnapping is a hoax.
Only it’s not, which Scott shows in scenes
with Paul and his captors that build breathless
suspense. Cinquanta (Romain Duris), one of
the kidnappers, forms a kind of relationship
with Paul. He and the rest of the world can’t
understand why the Gettys won’t pay.
That very reasonable question the movie
tries to answer by showing exactly what it
meant to be J. Paul Getty. As F. Scott Fitzgerald
wrote, and as Paul echoes in the narration, the
rich are different from you and me. Not just in
what they have, but in how they see themselves.
Getty is self-absorbed to a monstrous
degree, and his behavior, as depicted here, is
jaw-dropping.
Plummer captures the steel underneath
Getty’s jovial surface, his icy greed, his disdain,
his murderous contempt. It’s a beautifully calculated
performance that only occasionally verges
into overkill. The other actors are largely along
for the ride, responding in varying degrees of
disbelief to his behavior. As played by Williams
and Wahlberg, Gail and Chace have backbone,
but are powerless against an overwhelming foe.
Scott’s expertise as a director—his unerring
visual sense, narrative focus, mordant humor,
and ability to fine-tune performances—elevates
All the Money from TV-movie biopic to something
like a Ross Macdonald novel, a generational
saga of evil and decline that increases its
pull as it probes deeper into the murk.
And no matter how publicists spin the
story behind the production, this is one of the
director’s best efforts. Perhaps shooting it first
with Kevin Spacey showed him how to refine
and distill the story, to find a deeper, truer Getty,
to position him as one of the great villains
in cinema. Whatever the cause, this is a film of
hypnotic urgency, a cautionary tale so rich and
smart it will stand up to repeated viewings.
—Daniel Eagan
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EUROPE
by Andreas Fuchs
FJI Exhibition / Business Editor
CINEMA TECH COMMUNITY
RE-LAUNCHES
As we all make plans for doing/being/
feeling better, let us kick off the first column
of 2018 with one such forward-looking
makeover. Best of all, you can be part of that
enterprise.
CTC (Cinema Technology Committee)
announced a “significant re-launch with a
renewed vision of supporting the global
cinema industry,” the London, Englandbased
organization announced. Previously a
subcommittee of the International Moving
Image Society (www.societyinmotion.com),
CTC has become an independent, not-forprofit
industry network that is “focused on
bringing organizations, professionals and
students together from across the world to
share knowledge and expertise…with the aim
of improving the experience for moviegoers.”
“We believe that there is an inherent
need to bring the entire cinema community
closer together, from filmmakers through
to exhibitors and manufacturers, to address
some of the pressing issues relating to
technology and presentation of content,”
noted Richard Mitchell, president of CTC and
VP, global marketing, at Harkness Screens
(www.harkness-screens.com). This past
summer, Mitchell was tasked with expanding
the committee. (See our July 2017 column.)
In addition to providing guidance and
support to theatre operators “from large
multinationals through to small independent
operators,” CTC facilitates research projects,
white papers, training courses, lectures,
technical handbooks, educational visits, seminars
and networking events, to name a few
(www.cinema-technology.com/our-activities).
“Technology and innovation continue to drive
change not just across the cinema industry but
in the way consumers digest and interact with
content.” Mitchell hopes that the impartial
Andreas Fuchs runs the Vassar Theatre in Vassar, MI.
approach set forth by the group will “enable
the cinema industry to understand the opportunities
new technology can provide,” and
when and how they might be implemented.
Ultimately, he says, CTC is about “what makes
a better future for cinema.”
CTC is looking to establish an advisory
council that can provide “steering and support
on key focus areas and future outputs for
the organization to ensure these are aligned
to the objectives of the industry.” Cinema
industry members from across the globe “who
share the vision of improving the moviegoing
experience” are invited to nominate
themselves at info@cinema-technology.com.
Village Cinemas’ Sphera
Premium Cinema
at The Mall of Athens
ECLAIRGAME ON!
Ymagis Group (www.ymagis.com)
announced the launch of EclairGame, their
new esports-based entertainment system
“fully dedicated to gaming in cinemas.” For
Christophe Lacroix, senior VP of Ymagis Group,
this is a growing worldwide phenomenon,
“whether through fighting, strategy or sports
videogames.” Developing EclairGame aligns
perfectly with the company mission “to ensure
that cinemas remain the entertainment venue
of choice, while helping our cinema partners to
diversify their revenue stream.”
The first agreement was signed with Les
Cinémas Gaumont Pathé for France. During
so-called CineSessions, gamers and moviegoers
come together at the Pathé La Villette in Paris
(www.cinemasgaumontpathe.com/cinemas/
cinema-pathe-la-villette) “to enjoy the comfort,
conviviality and interactivity of a cinema auditorium,”
the company writes. “Powered by the
latest, sophisticated digital projection technologies,”
professional and amateur gamers engage
in in championships, “play today’s most popular
videogames and even undertake training sessions
in the comfort of a cinema auditorium.”
Nikos Karanikolas
In another first, CinemaNext, the exhibitor
services specialist in Ymagis Group, and
Village Cinemas launched the Sphera Premium
Cinema (www.spheracinema.com) at The Mall
of Athens, Greece (www.villagecinemas.gr/el/
aithouses/vmax-sphera). “The response from
moviegoers, national press and social media
has been overwhelming,” confirmed George
Christodoulou, chief executive officer of Village
Cinemas. “With Sphera, we keep our company
on the cutting edge of innovation while
maximizing our revenues, with a 50 percent
increase in average ticket price over a sevenweek
span.”
Centered by a 25-meter wide (82 feet)
wall-to-wall screen for 669 custom seats,
the high-contrast 4K projector and Dolby
Atmos sound come with “interactive ambient
lighting” that is fully automated and compatible,
with no specific DCP or programming
required. CinemaNext suggest that it makes
a perfect match “to all alternative content,
pre-shows, youth-oriented features or even
advertising programs.”
KINEPOLIS CONCLUDES
LANDMARK DEAL
After reaching an agreement with the
company shareholders to the tune of CAD
122.7 million (US$95.74 mil., € 84.2 mil.) in
mid-September, Kinepolis Group was able to
officially complete the acquisition of Landmark
Cinemas. On Dec. 7, the Minister of Canadian
Heritage approved the takeover of 44 movie
theatres with 303 screens in Central and
Western Canada. With a market share of
10%, Landmark Cinemas welcomed 10.6
million guests in 2016 to its 55,000 seats.
Back in Europe, where the Group
operates 48 cinemas in seven countries, a
separate set of 125,000 seats has just started
shaking. Just in time for The Last Jedi to invade,
Kinepolis opened its first 4DX auditoriums
in Brussels and Antwerp, Belgium. Also in
December, guests to Kinepolis Madrid, Spain,
will see all five senses tickled in sync with the
onscreen action, followed by the 4DX theatre
in Lomme, France, this January.
“Kinepolis has always been a leader
in introducing innovative technology that
intensifies the movie experience,” said
Eddy Duquenne, chief executive officer
of Kinepolis Group. “Cinema is all about
experiencing emotions together and 4DX
continued on page 82
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ASIA
by Thomas Schmid
FJI Far East Bureau
CHINA BOX OFFICE
REACHES NEW RECORD
China’s State Administration
of Press, Publication, Radio,
Film and Television (SAPPRFT)
reported that on Nov. 20, 2017,
the country for the first time
broke the magical box-office
threshold of 50 billion yuan
($7.5 bil.), setting a new record.
The SAPPRFT report said a
total of 1.448 billion tickets had
been sold nationwide up until
that date, corresponding to an
increase of approximately 19
percent year-on-year.
Box-office revenues for
domestic movies reached 26.2
billion yuan, or 52.4 percent of
the total. The remainder of 23.8
billion yuan, or 47.6 percent of
total takings, was pocketed by
foreign films. A total of 78 films
had each earned 100 million
yuan or more, including 39
domestic ones. Among these
local offerings was action thriller
Wolf Warrior 2, which alone
raked in about 5.68 billion yuan
and turned out to be this year’s
fifth-highest-grossing movie
worldwide. Second place went to
the eighth installment of the Fast
and Furious franchise, The Fate of
the Furious, which pocketed 2.67
billion yuan, closely followed at
third place by domestic comedy
Never Say Die, which earned 2.2
billion yuan.
China, which effectively
has become the second-largest
movie market worldwide after
the United States, has seen its
box-office revenues increase
steadily over the past 15 years.
At the turn of the millennium
it accounted for less than one
billion yuan; by 2010 it had
reached 10 billion; in 2013 it
stood at more than 20 billion;
and in 2015 it already exceeded
40 billion yuan.
CineAsia 2018
As the Christmas and New
Year period will see the release
of a slew of high-profile local
and foreign movies—including
domestic action fantasy Legend
of the Demon Cat and the muchawaited
Star Wars: The Last
Jedi—it is expected that this
year’s total box-office earnings
might reach well over 55 billion
yuan by the end of December.
Meanwhile, Miao Xiaotian,
general manager of China Film
Co-Production Corp, was
quoted in a report released
by China’s official news agency
Xinhua with the prediction
that China would overtake the
United States to become the
world’s largest film market in
about three years.
CHINA TO BOAST WORLD’S
MOST SCREENS BY 2020
In a related development, a
SAPPRFT official has said that
Now in our 23nd year, CineAsia continues to be the best
and most effective way to network and do business with theatre owners,
managers, buyers, and operators from all over Asia.
At CineAsia, attendees will get the chance to hear about
the current trends and new state-of-the-art technologies
in the motion picture industry. Nowhere else in Asia can you accomplish
as much in a short period of time to sustain, and help grow,
your business in the year to come. Join your cinema exhibition,
distribution, and motion picture industry colleagues to network;
and see product presentations and screenings of major Hollywood
films soon to be released in Asia. Attendees will also get
the opportunity to visit the Trade Show where you will find the latest
equipment, products, and technologies to help make your theatre
a must-attend destination. CineAsia will take place at the Hong Kong
Convention & Exhibition Centre on December 11-13, 2018.
the country is going to have
over 60,000 cinema screens by
2020, which would make it the
world’s largest film exhibition
market. “By 2020, China will
produce around 800 movies
each year and the annual box
office will reach 70 billion yuan
[$10.6 bil.],” Zhang Hongsen,
deputy director of SAPPRFT,
told attendants at a symposium
in the eastern Chinese city
of Hangzhou on Nov. 26. It’s
also possible that China could
become the world’s new film
production hub, as recent
developments could provide
an incentive for some foreign
studios to choose China as a
production base. Some foreign
films, such as India’s sports
drama Dangal (2016), have taken
in higher box-office takings
in China than in their own
countries, making China an
increasingly attractive market
for foreign film producers,
Zhang told the symposium
participants.
HORROR FLICK TOPS
2017 INDONESIAN B.O.
A horror film co-produced
by Indonesian company Rapi
Films and South Korean
outfit CJ Entertainment has
reportedly turned out to be
Indonesia’s top box-office draw
this year. After its release
on Sept. 28, Pengabdi Setan
(Satan’s Slaves) topped the
country’s box-office ratings
for three consecutive weeks,
attracting more than 4.1 million
moviegoers nationwide, a
statement published by CJ
Entertainment said. This would
make Pengabdi Setan Indonesia’s
most popular film of the year in
terms of audience attendance.
The company also claimed the
movie to be Indonesia’s fourth
highest-grossing film of all time.
Pengabdi Setan is a remake
of a 1982 domestic horror
80 FILMJOURNAL.COM / JANUARY 2018
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y David Pearce
FJI Australia / New Zealand Correspondent
DOWN UNDER
film of the same title. Directed
by Joko Anwar, the movie’s
storyline revolves around a
haunted house in which a girl
and her three brothers live
all by themselves after their
mother dies of a strange illness.
She eventually returns in tow
with evil spirits to pick up her
children and claim one of the
siblings as “the devil’s child.”
Pengabdi Setan was nominated
in 13 categories at this year’s
Festival Film Indonesia (FFI)
Citra Awards, of which it won
seven, including Cinematography,
Art Direction, Best
Visual Effects and Best Music.
According to CJ Entertainment,
the rights to the film have been
sold to 45 countries including
Japan, Malaysia and Poland.
KOREAN ANIMATION
EXPORTS RISE BY 30%
International exports of
Korean animation have risen by
more than 30 percent to $100
million this year, reported the
Korea Creative Content Agency
(KOCCA). This remarkable
growth materialized despite
extremely stiff competition from
China, KOCCA said, basing its
findings on the buyer response it
met at various international content
trade shows throughout the
year, where KOCCA operated
Korean booths in support of
approximately 50 Korean animation
enterprises. The agency said
the presence resulted in more
than 300 licensing deals and
co-production projects with 50
different countries. Broadcasters
made up 42 percent of the
deals, while new media platforms
including Netflix grabbed 26
percent. Of all deals signed, 31
percent were made with North
American countries.
For inquiries and feedback,
contact Thomas Schmid at thomas.
schmid@filmjournal.com.
Anyone who thinks that cinemagoing is on the
wane should head to Brisbane in Australia,
just north of the Gold Coast. Three new
cinema complexes with a total of 25 screens have
just opened, and five new complexes are on the
way with another 39 screens, making a total of 64
new screens over about three years. All of this
shows great faith in the industry along with some
new trends. Many of these new cinemas are going
up in areas where large new apartments are being
built, and are even part of the developments.
Dendy just opened a 10-plex in the redevelopment
of the Coorparoo Apartment complex. The independent
Sourris family have opened a new sevenscreen
cinema in a converted building, which
housed the Queensland Irish Association, and have
just lodged a development application to convert
a former skating rink into a five-screen cinema
in the suburb of Paddington. Reading has two
new complexes on the books, the eight-screen
Newmarket cinema opened on Dec. 14 and a new
complex among a series of residential towers at
Woolloongabba due to open 2021-22. The other
three complexes have not announced who will operate
the cinemas, but they include nine screens at
Mount Ommaney Shopping Center, eight screens
at the Ferny Grove apartment redevelopment and
a further eight screens at two eight-story apartments
in Wynnum.
h
Village Cinemas recently changed their name
to Village Entertainment, as they plan more 4DX
screens and launch their virtual-reality arcade
unit, XOVR. In 2018, Village will open what they
call their first “Full Concept Cinema” in the
Melbourne suburb of Plenty Valley. This will have
a collection of premium cinema-going experiences
including Vjunior, Vpremium, Vmax and Gold
Class, along with what Village says is a collection
of food and beverage options not yet seen in the
Australian cinema market.
h
It not just new cinemas in the news. The
Majestic Theatre in Taihape in New Zealand is
celebrating its 100th anniversary, although its
history is a bit older. The Station Street Theatre
was built in 1912 to show silent films. In 2018, it
was totally destroyed by fire and was rebuilt as
The Kings Picture Theatre. Then, in 1925, new
owners bought the cinema and it became The
Majestic. By 1981, the theatre was on its last legs,
The Majestic Theatre
in New Zealand
the council took over, sold the equipment and
then sold the building to a demolition company
in 1987. That was when the community decided
it was time to save the building. Over the years
funds were raised, firstly to pay out the demolition
company, then to restore the building and equip it,
and later to install digital equipment. Happily, we
can report that the old cinema is operating well
and looking forward to its centenary this year. The
theatre has a full history of the building on sale at
the cinema.
h
Greg Hughes has resigned as CEO of the local
exhibition/distribution group Dendy/Icon. No replacement
has yet been announced.
h
With director George Miller currently in a
legal tussle with Warner Bros. over Mad Max: Fury
Road monies, it looks like any new Mad Max film
will not be forthcoming anytime soon.
h
UPDATE: Several months ago, we reported
on the new Ned Kelly film The History of the Kelly
Gang, which films in 2018. Now much of the cast
has been announced, with British actor George
Mackay (Captain Fantastic) to play Kelly, a role
previously filled by Heath Ledger and Mick Jagger,
among others. Russell Crowe is also in the
cast along with Aussie Travis Fimmel (TV series
“Vikings”) returning home for the filming. They
will be joined by Essie Davis (The Babadook) and
Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road).
Send your Australia/New Zealand news to David
Pearce at insidemovies@hotmail.com.
Courtesy www.majestictaihape.co.nz
JANUARY 2018 / FILMJOURNAL.COM 81
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ADVERTISERS’ INDEX JAN. 2018
Arts Alliance Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Barco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
comScore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
C. Cretors & Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Dolphin Seating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Eisenberg Sausages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Enpar Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Entertainment Supply & Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Franklin Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
GDC Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
ICTA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Lightspeed Design/DepthQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Moving Image Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Omniterm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55, 73
Proctor Companies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
QSC Audio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Spotlight Cinema Networks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
St. Jude Children’s Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
TK Architects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Ushio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
VIP Cinema Seating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Will Rogers Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
FJI Best of 2017
Kevin Lally:
Call Me By Your Name
The Shape of Water
Get Out
Dunkirk
Mudbound
The Florida Project
Okja
A Fantastic Woman
Lady Bird
Their Finest
Rebecca Pahle:
Colossal
Get Out
Professor Marston and the Wonder Women
Blade Runner 2049
Okja
Nocturama
Mudbound
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Lady Bird
Your Name
Europe continued from page 79
will further increase this.” As of October 2017, Seoul, South Koreabased
CJ 4DPLEX had installed more than 49,000 4DX seats in 405
auditoriums across 49 countries (www.cj4dplex.com).
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MEANWHILE AT MEDIAMATION…
Moving right along in the multi-sensory movie word, MediaMation
showcased its latest MX4D seating system at CineAsia. Partnering
with Europe’s leading 3D provider, Volfoni, MediaMation’s Dan Jamele
said, “The result is a fully immersive and interactive experience for
the audience.” Thierry Henkinet, chief executive officer of Volfoni,
added, “3D plus 4D equal a perfect combination,” after five years of
working closely together.
Along with Arts Alliance Media, MediaMation (www.MX-4D.com)
and Volfoni (www.volfoni.com) are both members of the Luxin-Rio
Group, a provider of turnkey solutions for entertainment equipment.
BERLINALE REVIVES ANCIENT LAW
For its “Berlinale Classics” program, the 68th Berlin International
Film Festival selected the 2K restoration of Ewald André Dupont’s
Das alte Gesetz (The Ancient Law, 1923). Together with a new score by
French composer Philippe Schoeller, this version will have its world
premiere on Feb. 16, 2018 in the Friedrichstadt-Palast (www.palast.
berlin/en/backstage).
The latest restoration drew upon nitrate prints in five different
languages found in Europe and the United States, the archival team at
Deutsche Kinemathek noted. When the original censor’s certificate
was uncovered, containing the text of the long-lost original title cards,
renewed research was initiated worldwide. The result is the first time
that a version corresponding to the 1920s German theatrical release
will be shown, both in its original length, and with the colorization—
as derived from two surviving prints—digitally restored.
Postmaster: Please send address changes to: Film Journal International, P.O. Box 215, Congers, NY 10920-0215.
Canadian Publication Mail Agreement #41450540. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: MSI, P.O. Box 2600, Mississauga, On L4T OA8.
82 FILMJOURNAL.COM / JANUARY 2018
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