This is topic New Years Weekend business in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Scott Madsen (Member # 167) on 01-01-2001, 08:41 AM:
Happy New Year! So how is/was New Year's weekend business going for everyone? Cast Away seems to be the real deal so far. Everyone here doing well this weekend?
Posted by Evans A Criswell (Member # 381) on 01-01-2001, 10:23 AM:
Here in Huntsville, AL, on New Years Day, I don't think business is going to be very good at all because we got snow last night, and I tried to drive out of my neighborhood about an hour ago (around 10:30) and decided it was too dangerous to drive at this time. If conditions don't improve this afternoon, I don't think many people will make it to the theatre. Going about 15 MPH, I typically slid 40 to 50 feet (or more if going downhill) every time I hit the brake, and my car would start going sideways. Sharp turns were also a problem, as you could imagine.Are any others affected by snow or ice today?
Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 01-01-2001, 12:42 PM:
This has been our third busyiest period of time since we opened. It has been a great way to cap our first year in business. 
Posted by Jerry Chase (Member # 660) on 01-01-2001, 12:45 PM:
Yep. It doesn't melt as quickly in my glass. 
(From sunny South Florida, where it is a frigid 62 as I type.) Sorry guys, I worked in the cold for years and took every move south to be able to make smartass comments like that.
I HATE the cold, having frozen my backside and nearly everything else on my childhood paperboy route in central Vermont.
For a webcam of my old stompin' grounds in Vermont- http://www.wcax.com
Then click on weather, then skywatch3 weather shots.
I'd make another remark about how Vermont drivers know how to drive on snow, but I've experienced the Alabama and Georgia ice storms, which offer all the misery of winter driving with none of the pleasures of the snow covered Vermont scenery. I feel your pain.
Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 01-01-2001, 02:22 PM:
New Year's day in Rochester today is beautiful. A few inches of fresh snow, not much wind, just below freezing, and a sunny blue sky (rare for Rochester). Roads were slick, but the crews plowed and salted early this morning, so lots of people out and about. My daughters went to see "Castaway" at a weekday matinee last week, and said the theatre was quite full. Bowl games tonight may keep people at home watching TV (Go Notre Dame Irish! 
).------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Posted by Erik Schill (Member # 675) on 01-01-2001, 05:20 PM:
with the exception of cast away and what women want our business has pretty much sucked this weekend, durring the week it was ok, not great. One thing I did notice was that NO BODY was on time to see any movies, everyone was 15-30 minutes late to every show. Got pretty annoying durring the week when our last show was at 10:15 and we could not close the gate until around 10:40 or later because of all the "wasted" straglers, and yes they were all wasted
Posted by Rachel Carter (Member # 693) on 01-01-2001, 11:54 PM:
We did a little over normal with our business. The only movies that did anything were Rugrats in Paris and Meet the Parents and they pretty much carried everything else along.
Posted by Greg Kristopik (Member # 594) on 01-03-2001, 12:30 AM:
Our busiest five day stretch in the 5 year period we've been open. Second only to Thanksgiving weekend this year. And that's actual tickets sold, not ticket prices.
Posted by Gracia L. Babbidge (Member # 582) on 01-03-2001, 02:00 AM:
We've seen a fair amount of business since 'The Grinch' opened. 'The Grinch' had a bunch of sold out crowds... moved into the busy Thanksgiving weekend... ticket sales slowed a bit, but gift certificate sales went crazy right up to about the middle of the matinee set on Christmas eve... as soon as kids were out of school for Christmas break (or the snow day the day before), ticket sales picked up again and had stayed pretty constant, with New Year's Eve & New Year's Day both being fairly busy... the day after new years day was not dead either, but not nearly as busy as it had been, but hey - the college kids are still on break!
By the end of the month, things will have died off a bit more. Just the nature of the business.~GLB
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In some cultures, what I do is considered normal.
Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 01-02-2002, 01:03 PM:
For the last 6 years I have had a New Year's Day ritual: Breakfast at the diner followed by a movie -- the first show of the day on the first day of the year. Since the stadium theater near me picked up The Royal Tenenbaums my New Year's breakfast turned out to be two Quarter Pounders with Cheese in a Mickey D's only 250 feet away.Turnout? Surprisingly huge! Jimmy Neutron all but sold out its first New Year's show (the theater just dropped Harry Potter). Ocean's 11 was still bringing 'em in, teens as well as adults. The Royal Tenenbaums drew about 30-35 for its first matinee (pic was also playing a nearby mall theater and the closest arthouse). The Lord of the Rings didn't seem to have anyone in its first matinee. On my way out (2:30) the parking lot was almost filled and the ticket line was almost 20-deep on a frigid day.
How was your New Year's turnout?
Posted by Brian Hogan (Member # 940) on 01-03-2002, 04:35 AM:
i got kinda freked out when i read "cast away" in the first post... then i looked at the date... thought i was going nuts. anywho.slower than last year... but still decent. although i took it upon myself to stay at the theatre alllll night new years eve on to new years day (since i had to open anyway). what a loser i am
Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 01-03-2002, 01:17 PM:
We were kicking ass and taking names this year. We did $10,000 a day for 5 straight days. (That's very good.) Our big films are In The Bedroom, Amelie and Mulholland Drive.It also rained for 5 straight days. The 14-plex was so busy that they were sending people our way. There were reports on the radio that they couldn't get everybody in and that they were sold out many shows in advance. Well bully for them.