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Topic: Sony Takes a Page From the Disney Playbook

Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 09-06-2002 11:19 AM

Ehhh, I don't think they can suddenly say that now MIB has grossed over $400 million just because of a short release of it in a double bill with Spider-Man. That would stretch credibility even for a film company.

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Michael Gonzalez
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 790
From: Grand Island , NE USA
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 09-06-2002 12:01 PM

No but if anyone were to buy tickets to see Spiderman and leave without staying to see MIB that Spiderman ticket will count toward MIB's grosses.

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Thomas Procyk
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1842
From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 09-06-2002 01:01 PM

A local theater, (same one showing the Indiana Jones trilogy) is running Spiderman and MIB2 seperate, in that you buy a ticket for one and can stay for the other. Unless of course, you go to the last showing of MIB2, then you're SOL. Their showtime listings don't indicate anything about a double-feature, only their phone recording.

=TMP=

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Michael Gonzalez
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 790
From: Grand Island , NE USA
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 09-06-2002 01:21 PM

We have it advertise as a double feature everywhere except our website. But yea I am just waiting for a smartass customer to show up for the last show and make noise because he cannot see both with the usual threats of suing us for false advertisement. I should get a pool going here as to just when this will happen.

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Charles Everett
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1470
From: New Jersey
Registered: May 2001

posted 09-06-2002 06:58 PM

The stack ads confirm it today: "See two of the biggest movies ... with one ticket."

If Spider-Man and MIIB do well as a double feature they might be held over. Fox has pulled The Transporter, which was to have opened next week.

Mike S also got it correct again: BV has re-released Bad Company though nobody in Manhattan or Northern New Jersey got it back. The Regal Barn Plaza in Doylestown PA is the closest theater to me with Bad Company -- in a double-up with yet another re-release (The Importance of Being Earnest).

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Mike Spaeth
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1129
From: Marietta, GA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 09-06-2002 09:00 PM

Word on the street is, with Bad Company, they only need $200,000 to get to the next breaking point on ancillary negotiations. The film rental terms on the re-issue are almost non-existant, and BV is paying for the shipping of the prints.

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David Stambaugh
Film God

Posts: 4021
From: Eugene, Oregon
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 09-06-2002 09:06 PM

Maybe the box office should have a sign in the window saying "Starting time of the last double-feature show this evening is _____PM. Tickets purchased after that time are not for a double-feature."

Cinemark and Regal are both carrying this double-feature here and advertising it. Only Regal shows the individual start times for each movie by name. Cinemark has 2 titles listed together as a double-feature and a list of show times but no indication which movie starts at what time.

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Thomas Procyk
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1842
From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 09-07-2002 09:49 AM

Just looked at the showtimes for today. There is a strange combination of ways different theaters are handling this "double feature":

--Most of the Regals have showtimes for each film, with an extra "10:xx" showing of Men In Black II, not followed by Spiderman

--Some theaters list showtimes for both films, but work it so if you come see Spiderman you stay for Men In Black II (as Sony is advertizing it).

--One theater has it set up so that you come see Men In Black II and can stay for Spiderman. There's also an extra "10:xx" show of Spiderman.

--And one, yes only one theater actually lists it as a "Double Feature" with the showtimes for the double feature, not the individual films.

Have people forgotten what a "double feature" is?? It seems some theaters have added in about 30 minutes of cleaning time between the two features! I would be pretty upset if I had to wait that long for the next movie on my "one ticket" to start. IMHO, they should treat it as a single 3 1/2 hour feature. That way, some theaters can fit 3 double-feature showings in one day and get rid of the stupid oddball showing at 10:00.

=TMP=

**EDIT**: Just found a theater that's playing a full run of Spiderman and NOT playing Men In Black II. I'd hate to answer the phone at that place...

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David Stambaugh
Film God

Posts: 4021
From: Eugene, Oregon
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 09-07-2002 11:49 AM

Clarification

Cinemark's showtimes are for a complete "double feature". The last time listed would be the last show you could buy a ticket for and see a double feature.

Regal is listing all the showtimes for both films but not indicating when the start of the last double-feature would be.

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Paul Linfesty
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1383
From: Bakersfield, CA, USA
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 09-07-2002 11:58 AM

The Arclight cinema in Hollywood is the only theatre indicating in the main ad in the LA Times as Buy a ticket for MIB2 and stay as our guest to see Spiderman. I think that double feature may be a problem for that theatre since they have reserved seats.

I remember the days of the double features from the late 60's-early 70's when theatres scheduled only FIVE minutes between each show! Back then of course, people came and went whenever they felt like. There was actually a second run locally that oftentimes srtared the first Sat. morning show halfway through the movie (change-over days) to make the scheduling balance out to the evening schedule. I complained once (I was only a kid then) and I was told not to worry, because I could always stay and see the beginning again after the next feature (showtimes were not regularily advertised back in those days.)

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Michael Gonzalez
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 790
From: Grand Island , NE USA
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 09-07-2002 09:57 PM

Business hasn't been too bad for the Double Feature about what I'd expected. When I did the film schedule I started with the last show time (9:00 Spiderman) and worked my way back with the films having a 15 minute break inbetween. We haven't had any problems yet with an exception of a couple of customers concession items getting thrown away inbetween shows (hey the only other option would be not to clean that auditorum all day). So far so good.

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Charles Everett
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1470
From: New Jersey
Registered: May 2001

posted 09-11-2002 02:45 PM

As I hinted at earlier, the double feature will get held over for another week.

Spider-Man and MIIB did $2.1 million+ as a twin bill for #9 in a slow weekend. Sony is not counting the double feature's gross toward the individual gross for either picture.

The AMC Hamilton and several Philadelphia-area Regals also get The Bourne Identity back this Friday. The Bourne Identity is ohthisclose to turning a profit on its US release.

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Mike Spaeth
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1129
From: Marietta, GA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 09-11-2002 09:34 PM

Charles -

This weekend will be weekend #3 for Bourne Identity at my subrun.

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Michael Gonzalez
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 790
From: Grand Island , NE USA
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 09-12-2002 03:26 PM

I was kind of wondering about that. Do the film companies pull movies from the subruns if they plan on re-releasing them at the first run houses?

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Mike Spaeth
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1129
From: Marietta, GA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 09-12-2002 07:29 PM

It all depends on the distributor.

Universal, New Line, and Fox all do market-by-market subrun. In other words, when it comes off of all first run screens in your market, the subruns can open it.

Sony, Paramount, Buena Vista, and Warner Brothers all have national sub-run dates. The distributor picks a date, and all subruns nationally receive the picture on that date, regardless of whether it is still showing first-run in that market.

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