Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Who's showing Horrorfest?

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Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 10-16-2006, 03:50 PM:

This looks like it could be a lot of fun. Since these movies are only showing once each, I'm assuming that they are all going to be shown from the pre-show digital projectors. Is that correct?

Posted by Blaine Young (Member # 3992) on 10-16-2006, 04:27 PM:

I know that my 16-plex in Bellevue is on the list. We've not had any word as to if they are on 35mm or DVD.

Posted by Kenneth Wuepper (Member # 1174) on 10-17-2006, 11:05 AM:

I don't see any way to contact them about this event. We might like to try something like this in our area.

KEN

Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 10-17-2006, 12:20 PM:

This weekend's Horror & Science Fiction Festival at the Lafayette Theatre in Suffern NY is all 35mm...

Lafayette Theatre Festival

And the following weekend's Horror Festival at The Landmark Loews Jersey is all 35mm...

Loews Jersey

I can stay home and watch DVD's.

Posted by Blaine Young (Member # 3992) on 10-17-2006, 12:50 PM:

Agreed - I think it's silly to show DVDs at the theater. We ran the documentary "Black Gold" a couple of weeks back. We had 35mm trailers for the film, but when it came to show it to the paying public, all we could get was a DVD. It wouldn't have been so bad, except they mastered it like a Home DVD title that had a menu you had to play through. I'd have liked it better if the thing had simply started the movie when "Play" was pressed.

Posted by Scott Jentsch (Member # 1681) on 10-19-2006, 04:17 PM:

I don't agree that it's silly. That would be saying that a theater has nothing extra value to offer audiences. While an argument could be made that this is true for many theaters, it shouldn't be the case.

Going to a theater to watch a movie has value, even if the same content is available for home viewing. It's up to the theater to figure out what value they can add to the equation.

Any theater that can't figure it out should seriously examine its ability to be a viable business.

Posted by Blaine Young (Member # 3992) on 10-22-2006, 01:55 AM:

Well, it looks like Horrorfest 2006 will be actual 35mm prints. We got a listing of the scheduled show times for each of the days, starting on November 17 and running through Wednesday the 22nd.

The published theater list has been revised significanly as I think better than half of the venues hadn't committed to the festival. The 16-plex outside Seattle where I work is now in "negotiations" for the program.

Of course they couldn't have picked a worse weekend for this - with Casino Royale and Happy Feet the same weekend. Doing this the weekend of Halloween - or perhaps even Friday the 13th would have been better.

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 10-24-2006, 12:31 PM:

What is your evidence that they're using 35mm prints?

Posted by Blaine Young (Member # 3992) on 10-24-2006, 04:21 PM:

We received an email from the coordinators outlining which films were to show at which times. The requirements of how large the auditorium needed to be and so forth. This email also contained information about the delivery of the prints on the Tuesday prior to showing. I can only assume that 'prints' means 35mm prints rather than DVDs.

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 10-24-2006, 10:10 PM:

Curious. I'm not sure how this endeavor will break even with 35mm prints, but I guess we'll see.

Posted by Anslem Rayburn (Member # 1267) on 10-25-2006, 05:05 AM:

I've been told we are doing this, but I am concerned. We don't have digital projector for pre-show (we run slides), and am not convinced they would pay for 35mm prints for a single weekend at various locations. 8 prints would cost a fortune, and they could never make that much money from it here in a single weekend. If anyone has any information about format, please share it. I have e-mailed the company through the pre-buy link on the site, but have not gotten a response. If I hear anything, I will post it in this thread, and I hope you will do the same.

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 10-25-2006, 08:13 AM:

quote: the website
This is only a partial theater listing. In all, 500 theaters in 35 markets will be participating in Horrorfest.

I'm not sure what they mean my 'markets' are all 500 theaters showing all 8 films? On the same days? If so, that would need 4000 prints, just for a one-off event, which seems rather unlikely. It's spread over three days, but even is the same prints could be moved to different venues on different days, it would still need a lot of prints.

quote:
I've been told we are doing this, but I am concerned. We don't have digital projector for pre-show (we run slides),

You need to find out as soon as possible what format it's in. If it's anything other thandard 35mm film you should have already been notified by the organisers of the event. but you may not have been.

If it is in some digital form, could you hire in suitable equipment for the weekend?

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 10-25-2006, 08:40 AM:

quote: Stephen Furley
it would still need a lot of prints.

A lot of prints and a lot of shipping costs. Don't get me wrong, 35mm would be great. I'm just not convinced.

I also tried to email them through the site. If I hear anything back, I'll post it here.

Posted by Joseph L. Kleiman (Member # 3097) on 10-25-2006, 03:57 PM:

SANTA MONICA, Calif. and BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Sept. 27
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), the leading independent
filmed entertainment studio, and filmmaker/producer Courtney Solomon and
financier Allan Zeman's After Dark Films (ADF) have signed a production and
distribution agreement that calls for the two companies to release a strong
slate of wide releases and a select number of specialty films over the next
three years as part of an important new partnership, Lionsgate and ADF
announced today.

The pact follows closely on the heels of After Dark's independent box
office hit An American Haunting, which Lionsgate will release on DVD on
October 24. ADF wrote, produced and directed An American Haunting and
successfully released the film themselves on 1,700 screens against the
opening weekend of Mission Impossible 3.

Under the deal, ADF will supply Lionsgate with multiple wide release
films each year and a select number of specialty films annually. The two
companies will take a collaborative approach to marketing and distribution
strategies, evaluating the best wide release options on a film-by-film
basis. Lionsgate will manage and have DVD, pay television, free television
and PPV/VOD release rights to all films under the agreement, and Lionsgate
will also handle international rights to nearly all films acquired and
produced under the agreement.

As ADF continues to ramp up its production capabilities, Lionsgate and
After Dark will also coproduce films, with P&A expenses to be determined on
a per film basis. In addition, ADF will produce and acquire its own films
for wide release through its newly-formed alliance with Mark Borde and Mike
Doban's Freestyle Releasing (An American Haunting), which will serve as
ADF's exclusive distribution arm. ADF will manage its own P&A and marketing
for these films under the leadership of Solomon and VP of Creative Affairs
Stephanie Caleb.

"After Dark has already established a distinctive signature in the
marketplace, and we look to them as an important supplier of independent,
commercially strong motion picture product as we continue to organically
and cost-effectively grow our film slate," said Lionsgate Vice Chairman
Michael Burns, who helped orchestrate the partnership shortly after the
release of An American Haunting. "We are delighted to form an alliance with
Courtney and Allan, who are exactly the kind of entrepreneurial partners
with whom we want to be in business. ADF will help us continue to expand
our wide release slate with exciting independent product that complements
our current business model."

"We are thrilled to partner with Lionsgate, the top independent studio
in the business," said Solomon. "They bring their renowned marketing and
distribution skills, acquisition prowess and production expertise to an
alliance that will be an important new source of commercially exciting and
distinctive motion picture product in our industry. This is a classic
win/win situation, where we help them continue to grow their theatrical,
DVD and international slates with product that is distinct from what they
are already releasing while they help us build After Dark into a strong new
indie-friendly mini-major with a unique creative voice and vision."

Zeman added, "I am very excited to be in business with Jon, Michael and
the rest of Lionsgate's talented team of executives. Their business model
helps position us for profitability in what is typically a difficult
business."

The ADF agreement also reflects another step in Lionsgate's growing
leadership in the horror genre. Fresh off An American Haunting, ADF's next
release is 8 Films To Die For, After Dark Horror Fest, a collection of
eight horror separate films to be released on November 17 in the top 500
horror-grossing theatres in the U.S.

Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer and Vice Chairman Burns established the
foundation of the deal with Solomon and billionaire real estate mogul Allan
Zeman. The agreement was negotiated by Wayne Levin, Lionsgate General
Counsel and Executive Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs, and ADF
business and legal executive Greg Bernstein and CFO Betsy Davis. ADF's
banking for the deal was handled by Carmen Carpenter of Comerica Bank.

Lionsgate is the leading independent filmed entertainment studio,
winning this year's Best Picture Academy Award (R) for Crash, and the
Company is a premier producer and distributor of motion pictures,
television programming, home entertainment, family entertainment and
video-on-demand content. Its prestigious and prolific library of more than
9,000 titles is a valuable source of recurring revenue and a foundation for
the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate brand is
synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around
the globe.

After Dark Films is a film production and distribution company headed
by partners Courtney Solomon, who wrote, produced and directed An American
Haunting and Dungeons & Dragons and Hong-Kong based real estate financier
Allan Zeman. After Dark's first release was the unique success story An
American Haunting, released in May 2006 on over 1700 screens with total
domestic box office of $16.5 million. In addition to writing, directing and
producing the film, Solomon personally handled its distribution and
marketing with Zeman funding the P&A campaign. Unable to find a domestic
distributor, Solomon and Zeman decided to release the film themselves with
no previous marketing and distribution experience. Solomon spearheaded the
campaign and hired various agencies to handle theatrical booking, trailers,
key art and media buying. After Dark, which has offices in Beverly Hills,
California and Hong Kong, intends to build its profile as an indie-friendly
mini-major with the ability to release on a cost-effective wide release
basis appropriate independent films that might not otherwise reach their
target audience or true potential.

Posted by Anslem Rayburn (Member # 1267) on 10-25-2006, 05:08 PM:

quote: Stephen Furley
If it is in some digital form, could you hire in suitable equipment for the weekend?

I do not believe there is anywhere in town to rent a digital projector. We would probably end up having to purchase one, as well as a DVD player if that's the format.

Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 10-25-2006, 10:07 PM:

quote: Joseph L. Kleiman
ADF's next
release is 8 Films To Die For, After Dark Horror Fest, a collection of
eight horror separate films to be released on November 17 in the top 500
horror-grossing theatres in the U.S.

Is this actually any different than a normal release? They make it sound like a contest more than a booking.

Posted by Anslem Rayburn (Member # 1267) on 10-31-2006, 05:45 AM:

Latest word we have is :

$10 per show, $75 for 9 shows (pre-sale). 35mm film, all arriving the day before the first shows on 11/17. 2 films on Friday, 3 on Saturday, 3 on Sunday. Monday and Tuesday shows encores of 'fan favorites'.

The only thing actually confirmed is the $75 price for the all-access pass. Everything else is "almost-confirmed", and if I hear anything different, I will post it here.

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 10-31-2006, 01:25 PM:

Fascinating.

I can't wait to see how much money this makes.

Posted by Jared Thornton (Member # 3580) on 11-01-2006, 09:00 PM:

I just found out that we are booked for this as well [Mad]

. This is a 35mm event as we have been told the prints will arrive Thursday 11-16 via ETS/DFS courier.

The other Century's in the region showing this are:
Anchorage 16
Salt Lake City 16
Tuscon Park Place 20
Las Vegas Orleans 16
Las Vegas Sam's Town 18
Las Vegas South Point 16

Of all the weekends to schedule this thing why did they pick the week Casino Royale and Happy Feet open?

[ 11-04-2006, 08:33 PM: Message edited by: Jared Thornton ]

Posted by Anslem Rayburn (Member # 1267) on 11-01-2006, 11:44 PM:

If it helps at all, Tenacious D doesn't come out until 11/22, after all the After Dark screenings are done.

Seriously, though, 8 prints in addition to your normal lineup is a nightmare, and they really should be delivering these prints earlier than 1 day prior to the first screening.

Oh well, such is life...

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 11-02-2006, 09:00 AM:

quote: Anslem Rayburn
$10 per show

Anslem, what is your normal adult evening show ticket price?

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 11-02-2006, 09:59 AM:

Can you tell from this that 35mm prints might not cost as much as you think? Louis

Posted by Anslem Rayburn (Member # 1267) on 11-02-2006, 04:45 PM:

Normal evening adult tickets are $7.50.

Edited to add : Just received an update. The all-access passes are not going to be offered, and we will be selling tickets at our normal rate now.

Also, it will be 3 films on Friday, 3 on Saturday (2 shows each), 3 on Sunday (2 shows of 2 films, and one of 'Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horrors'). So make that 9 films arriving... for 8 films to die for!

Posted by Paul Konen (Member # 41) on 11-03-2006, 09:58 AM:

Me Me Me! Cinemark Legacy, Plano TX.

Just found out last night [Confused]