Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Are theatres in the US really playing all of those trailers ?

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Posted by Kamakshipalya Dhananjay (Member # 1391) on 08-23-2002, 09:23 AM:

I envy all the theatres which receive so many trailers that are so noted in many forums on this site.

Here in India, how I wish I could play all the trailers you play out there in the US !

Only 30 % of films that are released by the MPAA members are released in INDIA and usually within 5 to 6 weeks of their US debut. But this seems to be improving and DIE ANOTHER DAY is being targeted for a simultaneous release.

MY theatre in BANGALORE received nearly 700000 persons in the last twelve months. I have a policy of not playing any commercials at my theatre. So, I always await trailers from the local distributors while the local distributors themselves wait for weeks. Nobody really pays that much attention to these matters here.

That the law here stipulates only four shows a day, I have all the time during each show to play plenty of trailers. If I could get what I wanted, I would have asked for

LOTR-2
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Solaris
I spy
Shanghai Knights
X-Men 2
Matrix Reloaded
The Core
Die Another Day
Sweet Home Alabama
Red Dragon
Daredevil
The Dreamcather
The Basic
and many more...

But, is there some way I can get these ? Say, from some generous theatres there ? I could give these after use at my theatre to the local distributor and he too would be very happy with them. Please note that the local distributor is none but the appointed agent of the relevant MPAA studio.

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Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 08-23-2002, 11:45 AM:

Why does your government tell you how many shows you may run? This seems to be an unwarranted intrusion into private commerce which doesn't seem to serve any public interest other than the government wanting to control things simply because they can. Is such intrusive regulation common across all industries there?

Posted by Adam Fraser (Member # 1074) on 08-23-2002, 12:19 PM:

Calling the film companies in the U.S. might get you some help. I'm sure the numbers are somewhere on this site. I would think they would want to promote their movies worldwide too.

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Adam Fraser
www.pinestheatre.com

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 08-23-2002, 12:24 PM:

Trailers from the US would have English soundtracks and no subtitles (except for foreign films, of course). These would probably not be very useful in India, unless you have DTS and trailer disks are available in other languages.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 08-23-2002, 12:26 PM:

Here is a link to the Film Journal International Distribution Guide:
Film Journal International Distribution Guide

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: +1 585 477 5325 Cell: +1 585 781 4036 Fax: +1 585 722 7243
e-mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 08-23-2002, 12:36 PM:

Does India have a Government censorship board on the types of films
imported in to the country?

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 08-23-2002, 11:07 PM:

Technically, the trailers (and also the posters) do not belong to the exhibitors. They are property of the distributors and are "to be used solely in connection with advertising or promoting the film at your theatre." That's more in line with how they stated this idea in the mid- to late-1990s.

Most theatres do not return their trailers and posters but -- correct me if I am wrong -- we are supposed to. Seems to me I recall that we are supposed to "discard or return after use." That last one may be an 80s phrasing.

We are repeatedly warned "not to sell, trade, barter or give them away." That's what I've been seeing lately.

~Manny (Yeah. We've got that.)

Posted by Kamakshipalya Dhananjay (Member # 1391) on 08-24-2002, 08:22 AM:

Entertainment is a State subject in India so most states have passed such laws. Certain industries are largely deregulated.

BEsides, as to whether trailers undergo dubbing or subtitling, the answer is none. American films are released in India without any modification except to the extent Censors require of them.

Unlike the US, in INDIA there is what is called a Censor body which is set up and adminstered by the Federal Government.

The following classifications are given :

U - Universal / Unrestricted
A - Adults only. That is, persons who are above 18 years of age
U/A - Suitable for adults only. Minors of any age admitted if accompanied by a adult person

Thats it. The Censors do not permit release of movies that qualify for XX or XXX ratings in some countries. All movies have to compulsorily require a Censor certification.

Besides, there is no separate category of movie theatres for screening pornographic movies.

FYI, the practice of prostitution, in any form, is banned in India. So are strip clubs.

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Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 08-24-2002, 10:52 AM:

In 1965, while I traveled with a US filmmaker, a family invited us to a private screening of a very rough cut of a film they were producing.
Because they did not have a government certificate to show the film, we all climbed the fire escape at midnight to witness this event in a blacked-out theatre.

I think prostitution was banned that year as well. However, pimps roamed the streets near hotels hustling for brothels, while in the center of Bombay, "the cages" did brisk business, with prostitutes
plying their trade in actual outdoor cages, often while nursing infants. Most middle-class people I met denied the existance of this
horror, but in private, others admitted to seeing what I have seen.

I hope that today the gulf between what is forbidden by law and what
actually exists has been eliminated somewhat.

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 08-24-2002, 11:47 AM:

Mr Dhananjay,
I once read that censorship was very strong in India, that not even kissing was allowed onscreen. If that wasn`t exaggerated, how could basically any western movie except children`s movies run in India without moifications?
Michael

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 08-24-2002, 05:19 PM:

We used to have censorship on the state level in the US years ago. I can remember as a kid in NY, seeing at the end of every film, a B&W State seal with holds punched in it. The punch holes would flash by on the screen on top of the image of the state seal. They punched the certificate number into the film. When I finally got to become a projectionist, I saw one of these certificates attached to an old print. It's the only one I ever saw. Quite fascinating.

The MPAA was created to thwart a governmental move at the time to increase censorship and move it to the federal level. The MPAA was kind of a way to "head them off at the pass" kind of thing -- a wise plan, and it worked. So now we have the self-regulatory industry rating system without the need (some say) for government censorship --censorship, of course, being an idea quite antithesis to American culture, unless you are of the extreme right wing persuasion.

Frank

Oh, and just as a point of interest, prostitution is against the law here in American also, except in Las Vegas.

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 08-24-2002, 10:09 PM:

How come prostitution is legal in Las Vegas when it`s illegal everywhere else? Because Las Vegas is a "partytown"? Very strange.
Michael

Posted by Tao Yue (Member # 836) on 08-24-2002, 10:40 PM:

Frank: not according to the Nevada Legal Prostitution FAQ.
http://www.sexuality.org/l/workers/nevada.html

quote:
In the United States, "it" is legal in only one of the fifty states, Nevada. And then not everywhere in Nevada; Las Vegas, Reno, Carson City and Lake Tahoe still have it illegal.

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 08-24-2002, 10:49 PM:

Hey Tao!

As far as I know there is no state law in Nevada stating prostitution is legal. It's just not prohibited by state law and local governments are left to decided for themselves what they want to do about it. All other states have statutes prohibiting "it".

Bob
The Old Showman

Posted by Alex Grasic (Member # 1371) on 08-25-2002, 02:57 AM:

Censorship varies all over the world. I mean in Canada, the ratings vary from province to province. What is considered appropriate in Quebec may not be seen as appropriate in Ontario. I mean, the Ontario ratings board cut out a short scene from Mr Deeds to have it qualify for a PG rating. The differences between our ratings and the US ratings are kind of weird as well...I mean, I've seen rated 'R' in the states for the most part coming out as 'AA' in Ontario.

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 08-25-2002, 04:43 PM:

It is all cultural perception. If you look at the films that caused such an uproar in the 50s with the Catholic Legion of Decency -- BLUE MOON, for example, some wouldn't even rate a R or even a PG-13 today. Go back a little further and look at all the bruhaha about the "I don't give a damn" line in GONE WITH THE WIND. And this was a serious issue at the time.

The concept that we have adopted of "community standards" is a good one, because that is really what this is about -- if it offends the community at large. And because that changes in time and place, it makes sense to leave it up to the local community to decide is something is offensive or not at this particular time. Only problem with that is how does one determine what is offensive to the community? Do you take a pole? And then, how do you reconcile that with our equally important principle of not accepting the "tyrany of the majority"?

It's not an easy issue, especially when it is usually wrought with politicical expediency. There is nothing that gets a politician on the 6 o'clock news faster than him making a speech about his new war on prostitution or pornography.

Frank