This is topic Stupid Universal ad at the feature's end in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 05-22-2000, 03:22 PM:
I always hated that ad snipe Universal puts at the end of features they release. First, it's more advertising, which sucks. Then their park (at least the one in Calif.) sucks, too. Lastly, they are the cheapest major studio, ever. Just about all the films they produce are cheap, TV type junk.I've been putting the "end-of-show" cue on a bit early, so the MPAA rating is shown, but the shutter closes before "Ride the Stars" or whatever appears. But now with, "Gladiator" the tricky bastards put their ad, then the THX title, then the MPAA rating last.
Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 05-22-2000, 04:19 PM:
1) Yes, they are cheap. They never co-op ads for one. But no, they do make some good movies. Mummy and Gladiator are both excellent examples (in my opinion of course). Now Sony, there is a company that makes really shitty movies.2) It doesn't really bother me becuase there isn't anyone in the auditorium by the time that pops up anyway.
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 05-22-2000, 04:26 PM:
You mean this one? 
It's about as useful has having the "if you experienced any problems with the presentation, call George Lucas" tag at the end of movies. No one will be there to see them.
At least it gives you more tail leader! 
Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 05-22-2000, 04:53 PM:
I never show the ratings band, personally. It looks crappy if you happen to have red curtains (it looks like a really ugly shade of purple), and is quite useless anyway. I'd agree that the "visit Universal Studios" tag is equally dumb, but my audiences have never seen it, so that's not a big deal. I _do_ show the Lucasfilm/TAP tag, though...
Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 05-22-2000, 05:04 PM:
Brad,
Actually people do respond to the "Call George Lucas" tag at the end. Customers of mine have gotten letters from TAP for everything from too loud to the best sound I have ever heard.
Mark
Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 05-22-2000, 06:47 PM:
TAP does respond with the infamous WaterWorld a local theatrem scratched reel4 and they got a complaint. The theatre had to pull the print till a replacement reel could be struck and still pay the distributor there percentage based on the best week with the screen black
Funny after that they haven't had a scratch up again
Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 05-22-2000, 06:55 PM:
Hey Brad,
Does the Universal thingy at the end still say "Ask for Babs"? Who the hell was Babs anyway?
Mark
Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 05-22-2000, 08:38 PM:
Mark Said:"Does the Universal thingy at the end still say "Ask for Babs"? Who the hell was Babs anyway?"
Have you ever seen 'Animal House'? If not- watch it, ALL of it all the way to the last frame. Then you will know who Babs is.
AFAIK, all John Landis films From 'Animal House' on that were distributed by Universal have the 'Ask For Babs' on the Universal ad at the end of the film.
Aaron
...who actually ASKED for Babs once while visiting Universal Studios... 
Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 05-22-2000, 09:50 PM:
Note to Dustin:I'm pretty sure Dreamworks produced "Gladiator;" Universal only distributed it. Not sure about "The Mummy" though. If you look at films Universal produced and distributed, there aren't too many good ones. But you are right, there are some.
Note to Brad:
Where is that auditourium shown in the picture? It looks pretty nice. Good size, big screen (curved?)
Posted by Tyler Skinner (Member # 229) on 05-23-2000, 01:54 AM:
>>Where is that auditourium shown in the picture? It looks pretty nice. Good size, big
screen (curved?)I dunno... the corners look a bit dark.... 
also, has anyone ever thought of calling the THX hotline about other competitors theaters around them??? I know a few AMC's who could use a Lucas phone call or two....
tyler
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 05-23-2000, 05:36 AM:
Tyler, That is a picture of auditorium #8 (a medium one) at the UA Galaxy in Dallas, TX. I used to work there and I shot that on one of my final days working there. The picture in this thread is compressed a bit due to the shrinking, but you can see it as well as others more clearly in the picture warehouse here on the site under "UA Galaxy".
Dark corners??? I think not, but you CAN see the trademark negative dirt of the Deluxe Hollywood lab at the end of most every reel they print in the full sized picture at the warehouse.
(Yes I am anal enough to show these and to make sure that the douser does not close until the black tail leader passes through the gate. The standard 50 feet of tail leader I always add also ensures there is never a mark even on the final frame of the rating band, or in this case the Universal ad.)
Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 05-23-2000, 04:06 PM:
Besides, "Ask for Babs" almost every John Landis movie also has the phrase, "See you next Wednesday" showing somewhere in the background somewhere in the movie. "Animal House" is the only movie I haven't been able to find it in. Maybe it's written in the grafitti on the walls of the frat house?
Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 05-23-2000, 07:25 PM:
Actually Dreamworks distributed Gladiator. I don't know who produced it.
Posted by Michael Barry (Member # 237) on 05-24-2000, 01:37 AM:
I'd have to disagree about Universal not making anything good - I like Universal's product, but like every studio, there's going to be some good ones and then there's always some schlock.'Touch of Evil' is a great, classic example.
'The Thing' is one of my recent favourites, as is the 'Back to the Future' trilogy. How about 'Jaws'? And 'White Palace'...too many to mention.
And if you want a GREAT sound mix...lush, expansive, dynamic, transparent, full-range with scale and massive impact, try 'Fear' (James Foley).
Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 05-24-2000, 09:24 AM:
Regarding my opinion that Universal makes cheap films, I meant that films they totally produced and distributed. IMHO, other people "make" the film, Universal only throws in some money and their distribution. Also, I'm not including films they did before they became big into TV stuff, which means after about 1960 or so.From the Internet Movie DB;
White Palace- produced by; Double Play, Mirage and Universal Pictures
Back to the Future- produced by; Amblin Entertainment [us] and Universal Pictures
The Thing (1982)- produced by; Turman-Foster Company and Universal Pictures
As far as Jaws is concerned, (to me) it's a Speilberg film.
Hey, it's my opinion, however contorted to fit!! I never said I made sense!
Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 10-21-2001, 04:21 PM:
Bringing it back for an update . . .The so-called "stupid Universal ad" appears on all Universal titles after the rating card. This includes negative pickups (Mulholland Drive) and the US versions of split-rights pictures (Meet the Parents, Erin Brockovich).
John W, Dustin: Gladiator was a split-rights title via DreamWorks in US/Canada and Universal elsewhere.
Posted by William T. Parr (Member # 677) on 10-21-2001, 04:46 PM:
I am just curious to what happened to the little 30 to 40 second live action snipes Universal used to put at the begining of thier films? I know there were at least 4 different versions at one time. Last Universal movie I saw one on was advertising E.T. at Universal Studios Hollywood. I kinda miss those, Glad I have a copy of the last one they made. Would like to get the one where it starts out with a Boat coming straight at you from the screen.
Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 10-21-2001, 11:39 PM:
Why is that "Call George Lucas" thingy at the end of the prints? Why would you call THX if there is a problem with a movie that is not shown in a THX house? I never could understand that. What I think would be better would be to have that at the end of the THX trailer so that 1) it would only be shown in THX houses, and 2) there would actually be customers in the auditorium when it hits the screen!
Posted by Stan Gunn (Member # 554) on 10-22-2001, 05:59 AM:
In the past when I was not Retired I found that the ends of all films I made up fell off, as in oz they made no sense here.also I wanted to see what my picture is :beer
Guess Ill just keep monkeying about.
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SERVICE TO 35 AND 16MM
PROJECTION EQUIPMENT.
Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 10-22-2001, 06:51 AM:
Ken asked: "Why would you call THX if there is a problem with a movie that is not shown in a THX house?" The distributors that contract for the 1-800-PHONE-THX program are interested in the presentation quality of their films in ALL theatres. A certain number of theatres may have evaluators (sent by Lucasfilm) visit their theatres to subjectively evaluate presentation quality, and report their results, as part of the Theatre Alignment Program. But when a distributor contracts for the service for a particular feature, all the prints have the logo at the end, and all comments called or e-mailed to Lucasfilm are forwarded to the distributor.
Here is a link to details about the THX/TAP program:
http://www.thx.com/professional_services/tap.html
Film-Tech participant Ted Costas of Lucasfilm may also want to comment on the program.
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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
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