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Topic: Matrix Reloaded Allocations

Ray Bernardi
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 120
From: Antrim, NH, USA
Registered: Feb 2003

posted 04-27-2003 12:26 AM

The problem for us independents is the length of time they want us to run the movie. In a small town running a movie for 4 weeks is insane. We could do it if they'd let us share the screen (I only have one) with something else, but nooooooooooo, that can't happen.

Matrix reloaded will drop like a stone in the third week in this little town. Running for 4 weeks is something I've only done twice, (Harry Potter 1 & 2).

I can premiere Matrix Reloaded, but in the long run, will I actually make money?

Has anyone out there got a three week contract? Has anyone got any minumum number of weeks yet? I was told I'd hear on Monday....

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Darryl Spicer
Film God

Posts: 3250
From: Lexington, KY, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 04-27-2003 12:10 PM

you may be better off getting the film Down with Love instead of Matrix Reloaded. I don't know yiour town spacifically but Down with Love sounds like a better choice to play and does not limit you on how long to play it. That's where being a single screen has it's limits.

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David Stambaugh
Film God

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

posted 04-27-2003 12:24 PM

If Ray has been promoting Matrix for his grand-reopening, it might be better to stick with it and bite the bullet the first few weeks.

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Darryl Spicer
Film God

Posts: 3250
From: Lexington, KY, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 04-27-2003 05:32 PM

true, if he has been promoting it for his grand opening he should go ahead with the planes to open it.

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David Stambaugh
Film God

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

posted 04-27-2003 06:05 PM

It might turn out to be a wash compared to another title anyway. Matrix will be very big for the first week, maybe two. Another film might do much less on the opening. Just make sure to sell lots of concessions in the first week. [Wink]

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Timothy Eiler
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 126
From: Litchfield , Minnesota, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 04-28-2003 09:30 AM

That is an easy question for me to answer. The Indoor (I run the Drive-in) is getting the movie. Most Studios have the same message Indoor first,indoor first, indoor first. This happens on all films expected to do any kind of business. If it is a marginal film and the indoor cannot open it then maybe they will let me have it.

Tim

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Ray Bernardi
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 120
From: Antrim, NH, USA
Registered: Feb 2003

posted 04-28-2003 02:53 PM

I was smart enough (does not happen often) to not run any promotions about the Matrix premiere. I'm in the clear that way. I've had a call in all day today with no reply at all! I was hoping I'd know what the terms were today - no luck. If they'll let me run 3 weeks, 2 shows a day 4 a day on weekends I can do it. 4 shows a day for 8 weeks is not the right scale for a single screen theatre. That only works for a multi-plex. In my area, the nearest multi-plex is 50 minutes away. It's pretty spread out up here. I hope WB will work with me on this - I'll let you know.

EDIT -

WB gave it to me for 4 weeks - they want 2 shows a day. I can do that. Looks like I'm good to go - we will premiere it. Seems they will work with an indy. If anybody gets a shorter run I'd like to know. I tried for 3 but they pushed for 4. I prolly should have tried for 2 and they would have pushed for 3! D'oh!

[ 04-28-2003, 08:37 PM: Message edited by: Ray Bernardi ]

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 05-01-2003 08:07 PM

Anyone hear anything about Warner wanting to know what each theater is equipped with projection and sound-wise? Apparently they are asking some theaters around town.

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 05-01-2003 10:58 PM

I would be kind of surprised if Warner Bros. or any other distributor really cared about the level of sophistication in a theater's sound and projection system.

But wouldn't this kind of thing be something a film checker could document? I know they'll pay unannounced visits to see if you're running all your trailers properly and such. It would only seem logical a checker could take notes on presentation quality as well.

Just calling around informally seems a little odd to me. Some theater operators will be happy to talk about their equipment and others may just sluff it off and saying something like, "oh digital sound? Yeah, we got that in a few auditoriums," and probably be lying about it.

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Charles Everett
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1470
From: New Jersey
Registered: May 2001

posted 05-08-2003 05:56 PM

My earlier post turned out correct and more! Per MovieFone, the NYC Angelika will open 2 prints of The Matrix Reloaded and the Village East will open 2 prints as well.

WB is allowing Wednesday-night previews starting at 10 PM local time. The Village East may have already sold out its 10 PM preview -- final exams at NYU end Wednesday afternoon.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

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

posted 05-10-2003 01:02 PM

Brad asked:

quote:
Anyone hear anything about Warner wanting to know what each theater is equipped with projection and sound-wise?

We got a new contract from WB a couple of weeks ago that had blanks to fill out for each theatre's type of sound system and projection equipment.

I was just gonna sit on it, because none of our information has changed in the past 8 years, but then I got a note from our booker saying the contract needs to be on file or they won't ship any Matrix Reloaded prints.

Mostly the new contract seems to be covering them better with regard to digital cinema.

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Paul Linfesty
Phenomenal Film Handler

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

posted 05-10-2003 06:14 PM

quote:
It would only seem logical a checker could take notes on presentation quality as well.

It may be logical, but I'm not sure the average checker employed by a studio would be trained to notice. Nice if they would, though.

At the Pacific Theatre here, there is a checker that is supposed to come into the auditorium every half hour. Their cards have to be filled out and signed, and I have actally seen them come in, BUT its a different person every time, and some things that I notice right away appaarently don't get checked correctly by them.

quote:
Some theater operators will be happy to talk about their equipment

In the past, I have found examples when theatres went to the EXTREME in publicizing what equipment they had. An example from May, 1970. Since both of these ad descriptions were from two different conmpanies in two different cities, yet were for the SAME film (a re-release of 2001: a Space Odyssey), I assume they were coordinated by MGM (or at least the Northern California branch office).

Fresno's Warnor Theatre:

quote:
Return to 2001 experience. The Warnor Theatre is the only theatre in central California equipped with 6-track stereophonic sound. You will hear electronic compositions from 9 overhead Altec-Lansing speakers and 20 frontal A-7 console speakers. 4' high, 3' wide, 3' deep. The screen at the Warner is 50' across and 24' high. You will see 2001 projected from the 70mm Cinerama projectors. Return to 2001 experience.

AND, from San Francisco's Coronet theatre:

quote:
Return to 2001 experience. The Coronet is equipped with 6-track Ampex sound system, stereo (magnetic) 840 watt total. You will hear electronic compositions from 5-Lansing speakers 9' high, 6' wide & 4' deep plus 20 surrounding Altec A-7 surround speakers. The screen at the Coronet is 53' across and 28' high. You will see 2001 projected from Norelco AA 70mm projectors. Return to 2001 experience.

And yes, I know some of these figures make no sense and are obviously wrong, but it's still interesting so much detail went into the ads.

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Steve Anderson
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 168
From: Nashville, TN
Registered: Feb 2000

posted 05-10-2003 06:49 PM

We are showing Matrix Reloaded Wednesday night at 10PM.

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Michael Gonzalez
Jedi Master Film Handler

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

posted 05-10-2003 07:34 PM

Anybody else suprised by the number of prints that they are getting? I had hoped that we would get at least 2 but instead we are actually getting 4. I think that that is overkill. Although I don't have anything to do with this part of it, I am afraid of just what kind of booking terms that these four prints are going to have. I would hate to think that four weeks from now, I am still going to have 4 prints of this movie. In contrast, we only received 2 prints of X-Men and one print of LOTR (I and II).

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Jason Whyte
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 132
From: Victoria, BC, Canada
Registered: Sep 2002

posted 05-11-2003 02:56 AM

I was getting worried that I was going to be sold out on the thursday shows, but it's opening on so many bloody screens in Victoria (4.5 at Silvercity Tillicum, 3 at Capitol, 2 at Alliance Atlantis, and one each at Caprice and Star Cinema) that I think I'll be okay.

Also, for every screen it's playing on, there's a Wednesday night showing as well (10, 10:30, 11:00, and so on).

Vancouver, the film is opening on as many as SEVEN auditoriums at many of the massive 12-20 screen megaplexes. Show up practically ANYTIME during the day and you'll have a show starting in 30 minutes, tops.

This is insane. Everyone is going to have seen this film in two days.

Jason

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