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Author Topic: New Line / Fine Line - destroy prints? Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-09-2005 08:21 PM                        For repertory print quality, I've had the best luck with Warner Bros. They always seem to have good prints and they seem care about making them available for bookings as needed. The rest of the distributors seem to have prints that vary more widely in quality. Universal is probably second-best, though. (I'm not including specialized distributors like Kino in this discussion.) I don't know what the deal is with Buena Vista. I do know someone who recently ran "George of the Jungle" (of all things...) and got an "archive print" for the show (the director was present to introduce it). Not sure if that was because someone requested it or because BV didn't have any other prints. I haven't dealt much with older BV titles. I will be showing some prints from UCLA later this month. I hope that they are in good shape, as I had to practically sell my soul to the devil in order to get them to rent to us.  |  IP: Logged Chris Trainor Expert Film Handler Posts: 161 From: Greenville, RI, USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-09-2005 08:27 PM                        Barry: I found Paramount to be quite awesome to deal with as far as older titles. Most of the time we just did flat rate with them. I could get nearly everything. On Saturdays we used to run classics and 95% of the titles were Paramounts. Didn't matter when... ran stuff from the 50's no problem. Some of the older movies even had recent reprints done. The best deals I had with them were the flat rates on kids films. Twice I ran kids shows for free, they were a huge hit... and we made a fortune on concessions. Just had to pay Paramount their rather low flat rate for the week. (like $250 at the time plus ship). --Chris  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-09-2005 09:28 PM                        quote: Barry Martin Buena Vista which told me they don't keep ANYTHING anymore as it became too much of a hassle for them and people wanting things all the time Lots of smalltown theatres have "matinee programs" during the summer and winter. Disney pulled out of all those programs years ago, saying that the older films would compete with their new products. Apparently a fast $200 for a print that's just gathering dust isn't enough for them. The other companies must like the money better because they all still participate.  |  IP: Logged Tao Yue Expert Film Handler Posts: 209 From: Princeton, NJ Registered: Apr 2001 posted 01-10-2005 12:30 AM                        Well, "years ago" Disney felt they had a near-monopoly on the animation/kids market. So that reasoning actually makes sense given that the $200 guarantee is likely all they'll get out of the print. Other studios wouldn't have been in the position of having a near-monopoly on a certain genre, so they'd be competing with other studios' repertory product as well as their own. Summary: Disney decided that $x on a new film was better than $200 on an old film, other studios decided that $200 on an old film is better than nothing. Of course, today the situation is different.  |  IP: Logged Rich Ferrando Film Handler Posts: 64 From: Royal Oak, MI Registered: Nov 2003 posted 01-10-2005 12:56 AM                       quote: Barry Martin Criterion, they have both DVD and film versions of many New Line titles available. Hmmm... We've dealt with Criterion before. I believe our print of "Moulin Rouge" print came from them. Perhaps I'll give them a call and see what New Line prints they have available.  |  IP: Logged Thomas Procyk Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1842 From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 01-10-2005 07:06 AM                     FOX is another company that has been very good regarding titles and quality for rep. (either that or we've been lucky!) Two most recent titles from them were for kid shows: "Ice Age" (AWESOME print with only a tiny base scratch for the first few minutes, Kodak Vision 2393) and "Anastasia" (Surprisingly good print for an older kid's title. Few extra frames gone at the reel ends, but no major damage. Nothing like a SCOPE cartoon! ) I didn't know BV was so hard to deal with. Is that also the case for Miramax stuff? I've been trying to compile a list of good classics that would do well around the 10-11pm set, and Miramax controls a few of the good ones, especially the Kevin Smith stuff. (Except Mallrats, which is Universal) As for New Line, come to think of it I remember the Loew's Cineplex at Universal Studios playing a bunch of the Friday the 13th films around Halloween last year. They even ran Freddy's Dead in 3D but with no glasses available. (My friends brought their own and said it worked ok). I think in the "Midnight Movies" thread there were also a few New Line titles people had booked. I guess it all boils down on how to approach them. If they think you're just another grind house calling to book a movie you think is "cool" only for the studio to get its print back trashed, they might have to lie and say prints don't exist. At this point, you cite a few of your buddies' theaters that ran it and ask again. That's why I believe Warner Craft sent us such a detestable print of The Wall last year. Sub-run theater doing a one-off show on a Wednesday night? That doesn't exactly warrant an archive print. But they COULD have sent us something without green lines. =TMP=  |  IP: Logged Dean Kollet Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 591 From: Florida State University Registered: Jul 2003 posted 01-10-2005 11:00 AM                     not to mention that the Loew's in Universal probably has a little more pull to get those prints than your average house or sub-run.  |  IP: Logged Barry Martin Expert Film Handler Posts: 203 From: Newington, CT USA Registered: Jul 2002 posted 01-10-2005 04:24 PM                        quote: Scott Norwood Universal is probably second-best When I did that first call around, I got one contact in Universal (not even sure that he works FOR Universal or if their repertory is simply run through him) but he basically told me I'd have a hard time booking anything more than 5-10 years old (despite their availability of real classics like Creature from the Black Lagoon) because I run platters. I explained to him that I considered film handling a privelage and serious responsibility and send my prints out in as good if not better condition than when they arrive and even referenced this site telling him how much I've learned and it didn't seem to make a dent. Glad to know the platter reputation is so well known.  |  IP: Logged

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