Every 'rule' that the film distributors have set in the U.S. (zoning, split product, etc.) is being broken somewhere out there. I have managed theatres in over 30 cities and seen every 'rule' being broken somewhere. There are theatres out there -right across the street from each other- that are playing 'day and date' with each other. It is all a political process - much like our government. As long as the film companies control it - there is nothing we can do about it. My only advice - is to build a theatre where there is NO competition - whatsoever. And that is getting pretty impossible these days.

Think about it - we are paying an average of OVER 55% of the reciepts back to the distributors now. We are simply THEIR pawns in THEIR game.
We just have to deal with it.

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I play Santa Clause 2 so THEY get Treasure Planet
I played Hannibal so THEY get Die Another Day
I played the first Harry Potter so THEY get Harry 2
I played Austin Powers 3 so THEY get LOTR:2 Towers

My employees and customers are upset. I've thought about getting some phone numbers of distributors and telling customers to call them and complain about the situation. I've also heard one customer asking about a petition. You think if I sent a petition signed by X amount of people that the distributors would listen. People don't like the other theatre.

The best thing that you can do is to stay on top of the situation. I used to be in the same type of situation in Mankato, MN (we work for the same company, I believe). In Mankato, I had an 8-screen, but we split product w/ 2 4-screen Carmikes. Have you ever noticed how the allocations tend to be "feast" or "famine"? Create a relationship with your competitor's manager so that you can call on Mondays and find out what he's dropping. During your famine periods, pay attention - he will always be dropping stuff you can "move over" because of his feast. Call your booker first thing Tuesday (your booker is NL, I believe, he's very helpful ... helps me get subrun product here ASAP), and ask if you can move over the decent title. Once the distributors start seeing that a movie grosses more at your theater after the move-over, they will start playing more product there. To give you some examples from Mankato ...

2001 Buena Vista
played Pearl Harbor AND Monsters, Inc.

2001 Universal
Cinemark - Mummy Returns, Fast & Furious, Jurassic Park 3, K-PAX, Spy Game, Beautiful Mind
Carmike - Head Over Heels, Josie/Pussycats, American Pie 2, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Musketeer

2002 Sony Summer
Cinemark - Spider-man, Mr. Deeds, Men In Black II, XXX
Carmike - Stuart Little 2, The New Guy, Master of Disguise

Look to lower Manhattan: The UA Union Square splits product with the Village East, two Loews multiplexes and four arthouses. UA opened Harry Potter last year and will do so again this year.

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