Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Lackluster weekend

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Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 12-22-2002, 05:34 PM:

Even with 3 prints of LOTR II this has been a V-E-R-Y slow weekend. I really don't see the next week being that much better. Gangs doesn't look to fare well but hopefully, Catch MIYC will pull in some butts....

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 12-22-2002, 06:16 PM:

Gee...I walked into the theatre on Saturday will the signs posted "All shows Sold Out" today. All but the last show of LOTR was sold out for Sunday by the time I left!

Steve

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 12-22-2002, 06:24 PM:

I was at the mall today to finish xmas shopping, around 11:30AM. The 17-plex had sold out all shows of Two Towers for the day except the 10PM round. Gangs of New York had 1 evening show already sold out. The rest may not be doing much though -- the place seemed eerily deserted (the next round for LOTR and GONY was a couple hours later). Star Trek Nemesis is down, what, 70% this weekend? It'll be lucky to hit $50M.

Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 12-22-2002, 06:45 PM:

The AMC Hamilton 24 looked deserted today. Nothing was sold out, not even Gangs of New York [Big Grin]

or The Two Towers. It doesn't help that there are some big NFL games on TV today.

David: Star Trek Nemesis was down 76 percent [Eek!]

per the early estimate posted on Box Office Mojo.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 12-22-2002, 07:22 PM:

Disney and Paramount probably screwed the pooch by releasing Treasure Planet and Star Trek in this crowded field of blockbusters. TP & ST:N are decent films that could have done better, but they got buried. They should have held off their release until early 2003 when things are less competitive.

Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 12-22-2002, 07:27 PM:

We've been slow this week. [sleep]

It's a combination of old product and the Christmas shopping season. I went to a theatre that had Lord Of The Rings and except for that, they were dead too.

We'll see what the 26th brings. [eyes]

Posted by Rachel Gilardi (Member # 1016) on 12-22-2002, 07:28 PM:

We were very slow also with the Art Films, MBFGW is just starting to slow down (1 of only 2 local theatres still running it). Far from Heaven is doing well but everything else just died this weekend. Hopefully it will pick up with Pinocchio and Evelyn on Christmas Day.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 12-22-2002, 07:30 PM:

Bowling for Columbine opened here Friday, at the independent Bijou Art Cinemas. Maybe everyone not interested in LOTR was over there. [Big Grin]

Posted by William Leland III (Member # 1400) on 12-22-2002, 08:04 PM:

At the Charleston IMAX we just sold out our 7:30 show of Santa vs Snowman 3D. I had to hold the movie for 10 minutes [Smile]

We have been doing good business considering we have to compete with new movies.

Star Wars Ep II is doing pretty well also about 60 people show up for the 8:30 tonight. I think we average about 50 people a show on the weekend. We run 3 times on the weekend.

Posted by Kara J. McVay (Member # 1285) on 12-22-2002, 08:46 PM:

LOTR is doing very well for me, but Thornberrys is a big dissapointment. I expected there to be a much better turn out than we had. Anyone else having a bad Thorn. turnout?

Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 12-22-2002, 08:50 PM:

Kara,
Horrible, plain horrible. One of my two prints, yes two opened as a double up on the break! That was forewarning enough to me.... Well, that and it's a Nick film....

Posted by Nate Lehrke (Member # 1460) on 12-22-2002, 08:58 PM:

We had one of our more busy weekends in the past 2 months. With 2 prints of Gangs, 1 of Evelyn, MBFGK, Frida, Far From Heaven. This next weekend we open with Pinochio also.

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 12-22-2002, 09:32 PM:

Santa v. the Snowman sold out a show?! Holy cow. This film has been doing especially poor business everywhere.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 12-22-2002, 09:36 PM:

We are a single screen playing LOTR. It is great tonight, but nights up to now have been quieter than expected. I attribute it to Christmas shopping, high-school sports, and "just plain busy." I look for it to heat up starting Christmas day and the weekend after. (At least I HOPE that's what happens!)

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 12-22-2002, 10:16 PM:

quote:
... from Adam:
Santa v. the Snowman sold out a show?! Holy cow. This film has been doing especially poor business everywhere.

Makes me wonder how large some of these auditoriums actually are...

In our area, we have a theatre that has 2 72-seaters, a couple of 118's & some that are slightly larger. At that level, we'd be bragging about sold out houses all the time, and I can't imagine people would be too happy about their choice of seating if they COULD get in. A 500 seat auditorium is slightly more of a challenge to stuff... but by comparison, it sure is a nice looking screen when you're running all that great LOTR scenery! [Big Grin]

Posted by Richard C. Wolfe (Member # 431) on 12-22-2002, 10:36 PM:

No Lackluster Here! [Razz]

After having waited over six months for "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", and having seen almost every patron who came in my theatre who saw the poster remark how much they enjoyed the movie, I was concerned as to whether there would be any business left in it for me.

My worries were unfounded. Near sellout shows (with 557 seats)throughout the weekend put to rest any fears I had about that. By Christmas day this film will become my highest grosser for 2002. [Smile]

What a wonderful way to end what has been a pretty good year. It looks like this picture will easily carry over and give next year a good start as well.

The only down side is that even while crowds stream through the lobby, and the line goes down the block outside, there are no lines to the refreshment counter. Seldom are there more then five people in each of the two lines at the snackbar. The per capita is running around 75 cents.

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 12-23-2002, 01:52 AM:

We have numbered seating here. When the queue at the ticket taker gets long enough, we make an announcement in the lobby to the effect of, "Welcome blah blah blah. You still have plenty of time to visit our snack bar before we begin seating for the next show of (whatever title). Please check your tickets for your preassigned row and seat numbers ... your seats are reserved." At which point the snack bar gets rushed. [Smile]

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 12-26-2002, 07:08 PM:

Long Lines Xmas Day

The writer got the name of the theater wrong. Should be Cinemark 17, not Movies 12 (Movies 12 is a dollar-fifty theater on the opposite side of the mall from the 17).