my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Ground Level   » One-screen dilemma: Flightplan or Corpse Bride? (Page 2)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Author Topic: One-screen dilemma: Flightplan or Corpse Bride? Thomas Jonsson Expert Film Handler Posts: 216 From: Bromolla, Sweden Registered: Sep 2003 posted 09-09-2005 02:09 PM                       I have a single screen theater, and usually run two different movies. Isn´t that a thing you can do? Or are the distributors more restricted in the USA? I can run two, even three, blockbusters at the same time. As long as I have enough shows the distr. are happy. Thomas  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-09-2005 02:12 PM                        Nope, that won't work here unless you are a drive-in. Some companies are more picky than others.  |  IP: Logged Eric Hooper Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 532 From: Fort Worth, TX, USA Registered: May 2003 posted 09-09-2005 04:22 PM                     Go with Corpse Bride...  |  IP: Logged Pravin Ratnam Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 844 From: Atlanta, GA,USA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 09-10-2005 01:33 PM                     Who buys the most concessions in your theater. Maybe your choice of movies can reflect that than just total grosses.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-10-2005 01:39 PM                        I'm still leaning towards Flightplan. We haven't had much for the adults lately, and the kids'll eat-up Corpse Bride during Halloween season.  |  IP: Logged Robert Harrison Expert Film Handler Posts: 239 From: Harwood Heights, Illinois, USA Registered: Jun 2005 posted 09-10-2005 04:58 PM                     You know that, in the end, you might as well show "Hoppity Goes To Town" as either of your choices. So far, fall is worse than summer around these parts. This always leads to customers who ask, "When are going to play some GOOD movies?" Your answer can only be, "When there are some GOOD movies to play!" There is no such thing as putting up on your marquee, "CLOSED UNTIL BETTER FILMS ARE AVAILABLE." All you can do is go with your gut, and yours seems to be saying "Flightplan." So be it. By Halloween, "Corpse Bride" will be a distant memory anyway, most likely. Then there's "Kong" and "Narnia." I'm sure you remember the non-event that was the 1976 version of "Kong," despite Paramount selling the hell out it. Decisions, decisions! I guess that's why the multi-screen came into being, so that they could book EVERYTHING and see what sticks. Despite my current "funk" regarding the industry I grew up to love, I wish you well in your decisions.  |  IP: Logged Matt Fields Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 545 From: Ohio, United States Registered: Jun 2005 posted 09-10-2005 07:08 PM                     Robert- Fall movies have pretty much sucked at the box office for years and years...it's nothing new. Mike- Has Disney offered you a flightplan print (if you go that way)? I've got Corpse booked at my place, but my booker is telling me Disney is on the fence about coughing up a print of Flightplan (I want both). I was told they are going for 2800 or so theatres. Are you on their marketing plan? Does either studio want you to commit to more then two weeks? I would think that length of engagement would be almost as important as the terms at a one screen. I know different branches have different quotas, so maybe it different in your area, but around here Disney isn't going for everything they can get.  |  IP: Logged Steve Scott Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1300 From: Minneapolis, MN Registered: Sep 2000 posted 09-11-2005 12:45 PM                     Corpse Bride really appeals to the Hot Topic crowd. Flightplan oughta do well considering Jodie Foster is making one of her yearly appearances at the box office. Look at Panic Room & Contact...  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-11-2005 01:58 PM                        Matt - I think our booker will make final arrangements in the next couple of days. Our weekly booking sheet says Flightplan so I assume he's sure he can get it. I think both studios would have gone for 2 weeks. The only time they usually want more around this part of the country is if the movie is a super-blockbuster like Star Wars or if they HOPE it'll be a super-blockbuster.  |  IP: Logged Jeremy Jorgenson Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1002 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: Feb 2005 posted 04-21-2006 02:04 PM                        So, Mike, with your current Vinci / Hedge query, maybe I should've asked this before I gave my response ... What did you ultimately decide between these two, and do you think it was the right choice?  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-21-2006 06:10 PM                        Actually we wound up not playing either film on the break, and we didn't play Corpse Bride at all. We decided to try to go with Flightplan and save Corpse for Halloween, but then Flightplan wasn't wide enough for us to get a print on the opening. Then, every theatre in the state wanted Corpse for Halloween weekend and since we're smaller, we got passed over in favor of the larger towns. And then right after Halloween week we went into Chicken Little and Harry Potter, so we just never got Corpse into the schedule. We played Flightplan in its 3rd week of release and it did very well here. I heard that WB had plenty of Corpse prints sitting idle in other states but would not ship any more to Montana, so we wound up playing "The Fog" over Halloween and it did OK for us. I meant to come back to this topic and update it on what happened, but it fell off the front page and I forgot about it. I really appreciate all the input from the F-T members, it helps a lot with decision making. (Not just about bookings, either.)  |  IP: Logged Caleb Johnstone-Cowan Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 593 From: London, UK Registered: Mar 2006 posted 04-21-2006 06:25 PM                     Can't believe Flightplan did well it was an awful film. Why can't you run two films at a time?  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-21-2006 11:50 PM                        Because....we are a single screen and we play most movies either on the break or just a couple of weeks later, and the studios don't want you sharing the screen. Sometimes we do play two films, but always with studio permission. You can never share one screen with two movies on the break (unless you're a drive in, I guess) even if the two films attract wildly different audiences. It's a dumb rule, but it's a rule we have learned to live with. Six or seven years ago, playing ANY movie on the break in a small town was unheard of, so progress is being made.  |  IP: Logged Caleb Johnstone-Cowan Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 593 From: London, UK Registered: Mar 2006 posted 04-23-2006 06:27 PM                     That kinda sucks, makes sense though from the studios point of view though as it limits competition. Programming is pretty evil art anyway let alone with one screen and many films  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.