This is topic Matrix Reloaded Allocations in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by John Carpenter (Member # 1488) on 03-15-2003, 12:41 AM:
 
I know its a bit early, but if your town is anything like ours is you are constantly hearing questions about this release. My question really only relates to those of us in "competitive zones" where you share film allocations with another theatre...

Have any of you in this case heard if you are booked for the film yet? Or heard when the bookings might be out? Thanks!!
 

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Posted by Kevin Baglow (Member # 721) on 03-15-2003, 01:36 AM:
 
yep, I think everyone here in oz has their dates confirmed.
 

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Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 03-15-2003, 08:59 AM:
 
competative zones,

Well, at this time this is the way it is going to work. If you play Matrix reloaded this summer. Your competitor will play the next Matrix this winter. No compete zones those wich get everything will not have this problem.
 

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Posted by Michael Gonzalez (Member # 593) on 03-15-2003, 10:28 PM:
 
Hey Darryl, in a ideal world that would be true. However, from my experance, in a competive market, one theater tends to have more "pull" with reguards to bookings and it is not necessarly the theater with the best presentation either.
 

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Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 03-15-2003, 10:39 PM:
 
He who books more screens (in total) wins.
 

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Posted by Michael Gonzalez (Member # 593) on 03-16-2003, 12:22 AM:
 
Actually it is he who's theater belong to a national chain as oppose to a local one, wins.
 

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Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 03-16-2003, 12:24 AM:
 

quote:

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Actually it is he who's theater belong to a national chain as oppose to a local one, wins.

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That's not always true. If enough theatres book together they can usually get some pretty decent product. Of course if you're known to have a crappy theatre or are delinquent on your accounts you're not going to be treated as well.
 

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Posted by Nicholas Roznovsky (Member # 861) on 03-16-2003, 01:38 AM:
 
Good point, Darryl. It may not be the case in big markets, but in middle to small-sized ones, independents who care about exhibition can still do pretty well.

Back in the day when we ran a pair of independents, we were out screened (the Cineplex Odeon/Plitt/Carmikes had 7 to our 4), out seated (approx. 2000 to 1300), and out-dated (there newest facility was less than 5 years old, ours were built in 1945 and 1979). It didn't matter. Because we cared about the customer's experience, both in and out of the auditorium, our grosses were higher on dud films than they did on decent ones. We were willing to take the crap they wouldn't play in January and February. When summer and Thanksgiving rolled around, we always got the primo engagements and we sold out a 500 seat auditorium for four shows a day for almost two months straight every summer in a town of 22,000. Customers didn't ask if we were getting Batman Returns or Jurassic Park. They knew that we would because we were the premiere show in town. Sure, our competition had neat policy trailers and spiffy uniforms, but they failed to do the most important thing you can do in this industry - make a movie a pleasurable experience for the customer.

All four of our auditoriums were big (250-502 seats) and had at least 30' wide screens. Our competition built crappy shooting-gallery auditoriums with microscopic screens. Our theater installed Dolby Stereo in '78 for Star Wars and DTS for Jurassic Park in '93. Their theaters were still using optical mono exclusively when they finally closed in 2000. Their "projectionists" were kids who couldn't make the cut at McDonald's. Ours were union guys with over fifty years combined experience.

Once we pointed out our willingness to present the best film possible, along with the past history of box office grosses, it was a no brainer for the studio goons. They're out to make as much money as they can off of box grosses. They don't really care if SuperMegaOmniPlex Cinemamania or Mom & Pop's two-screen shows their film in Podunksville, USA as long as it's making them money.

In many ways, I miss the days when we didn't belong to a chain (albeit a very tiny one). We certainly had more direct control over the factors that bring customers in to theaters in the first place.
 

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Posted by John Carpenter (Member # 1488) on 03-27-2003, 08:02 PM:
 
Bumping up...

Still kinda wondering if any "competive zone" theatres have heard about this yet. I have heard WB is wanting 30 day advance ticketing, but it is less than 3 weeks to that date. Also there was something posted on the wb exhibitor link page about contracts having to be returned to them by this Friday???
 

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Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 04-15-2003, 05:00 PM:
 
Is it true that WB allocated The Matrix Reloaded to the Angelika in NYC? The Angelika claims it's so per their website. Correct me if I'm wrong.

The only WB titles the Angelika generally plays are arthouse product, like A Mighty Wind (which opens tomorrow).
 

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Posted by John Carpenter (Member # 1488) on 04-15-2003, 05:51 PM:
 
I know I started the question, but in our competitive zone we got Reloaded at our theatre... found out last Friday 4/11. Tickets go on sale soon!
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 04-15-2003, 06:06 PM:
 
One thing's for sure, the allocation process SUCKS in my town. I found out Wallace Theater's slum, the Cache 8, will be getting "Matrix: Reloaded". That dump really doesn't deserve any of the bookings it gets.

The Carmike theater down the street is far superior. But ever since it opened back in 1994, it has gotten the end of the stick on many bookings with the dump down the road having a larger balance of the "good" product.

Lawton is badly overscreened. This is a city with a little over 100,000 people and 28 first run screens divided up between three locations. That's too much. Isn't the threshold something like 1 screen for every 8,000 to 10,000 people? But apparently enough people are visiting the Wallace location to keep it open (or it costs Wallace less to keep operating it and not pay some kind of penalty for bowing out of its lease).
 

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Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 04-15-2003, 06:42 PM:
 
The two competing chains in Honolulu, Pacific's Consolidated Theatres and Signature has an equal amount of screens showing current hit films. Although Signature's Dole Cannery 18 will do tons of business with "MATRIX RELOADED", Consolidated will outperform them because the Ward 16 is a much more exciting place for young people to go with a lot of exciting shops, restaurants including Dave & Busters to spend time before and after a movie. A Bose store with the latest audio video hardware is below Dave & Busters and all of this is part of the Victoria Ward Entertainment complex which is part of the larger Ward Center mall. All Dole Cannery has is a run down food court with a small McDonalds and other unattractive small food voutlets. They also have a shoe store and a travel agency in the area surrounded by an industrial centre. The Dole Cannery is a very Booooooooring place to go if you want a lot of action before and after a movie. Wallace will play "MATRIX RELOADED" in only one or two theatres on Oahu and is expected not to do well as Consolidated and Signature.

By the way, why did I not like the first "MATRIX" film? I was bored out of my skull and almost left when I first sat through this movie in a theatre. I even gave the movie a second chance by renting the DVD and tried to watch it at home but turned it off after an half an hour. Am I the only one that did not like this movie?

-Claude
 

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Posted by Steve Anderson (Member # 364) on 04-16-2003, 06:46 PM:
 
Our little theater (180 seats) has booked "MATRIX RELOADED"
No problem in our area....there is a 20 plex just five miles from us. But hey,they don't serve Beer and Pizza.

 

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Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 04-16-2003, 07:41 PM:
 
They are probably free zoned and it wouldn't have mattered. Plus I think independents can get some leeway as long as they agree to the booking terms.
 

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Posted by Ray Bernardi (Member # 1615) on 04-27-2003, 12:26 AM:
 
The problem for us independents is the length of time they want us to run the movie. In a small town running a movie for 4 weeks is insane. We could do it if they'd let us share the screen (I only have one) with something else, but nooooooooooo, that can't happen.

Matrix reloaded will drop like a stone in the third week in this little town. Running for 4 weeks is something I've only done twice, (Harry Potter 1 & 2).

I can premiere Matrix Reloaded, but in the long run, will I actually make money?

Has anyone out there got a three week contract? Has anyone got any minumum number of weeks yet? I was told I'd hear on Monday....
 

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Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 04-27-2003, 12:10 PM:
 
you may be better off getting the film Down with Love instead of Matrix Reloaded. I don't know yiour town spacifically but Down with Love sounds like a better choice to play and does not limit you on how long to play it. That's where being a single screen has it's limits.
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 04-27-2003, 12:24 PM:
 
If Ray has been promoting Matrix for his grand-reopening, it might be better to stick with it and bite the bullet the first few weeks.
 

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Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 04-27-2003, 05:32 PM:
 
true, if he has been promoting it for his grand opening he should go ahead with the planes to open it.
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 04-27-2003, 06:05 PM:
 
It might turn out to be a wash compared to another title anyway. Matrix will be very big for the first week, maybe two. Another film might do much less on the opening. Just make sure to sell lots of concessions in the first week.
 

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Posted by Timothy Eiler (Member # 383) on 04-28-2003, 09:30 AM:
 
That is an easy question for me to answer. The Indoor (I run the Drive-in) is getting the movie. Most Studios have the same message Indoor first,indoor first, indoor first. This happens on all films expected to do any kind of business. If it is a marginal film and the indoor cannot open it then maybe they will let me have it.

Tim
 

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Posted by Ray Bernardi (Member # 1615) on 04-28-2003, 02:53 PM:
 
I was smart enough (does not happen often) to not run any promotions about the Matrix premiere. I'm in the clear that way. I've had a call in all day today with no reply at all! I was hoping I'd know what the terms were today - no luck. If they'll let me run 3 weeks, 2 shows a day 4 a day on weekends I can do it. 4 shows a day for 8 weeks is not the right scale for a single screen theatre. That only works for a multi-plex. In my area, the nearest multi-plex is 50 minutes away. It's pretty spread out up here. I hope WB will work with me on this - I'll let you know.

EDIT -

WB gave it to me for 4 weeks - they want 2 shows a day. I can do that. Looks like I'm good to go - we will premiere it. Seems they will work with an indy. If anybody gets a shorter run I'd like to know. I tried for 3 but they pushed for 4. I prolly should have tried for 2 and they would have pushed for 3! D'oh!

[ 04-28-2003, 08:37 PM: Message edited by: Ray Bernardi ]
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 05-01-2003, 08:07 PM:
 
Anyone hear anything about Warner wanting to know what each theater is equipped with projection and sound-wise? Apparently they are asking some theaters around town.
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 05-01-2003, 10:58 PM:
 
I would be kind of surprised if Warner Bros. or any other distributor really cared about the level of sophistication in a theater's sound and projection system.

But wouldn't this kind of thing be something a film checker could document? I know they'll pay unannounced visits to see if you're running all your trailers properly and such. It would only seem logical a checker could take notes on presentation quality as well.

Just calling around informally seems a little odd to me. Some theater operators will be happy to talk about their equipment and others may just sluff it off and saying something like, "oh digital sound? Yeah, we got that in a few auditoriums," and probably be lying about it.
 

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Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 05-08-2003, 05:56 PM:
 
My earlier post turned out correct and more! Per MovieFone, the NYC Angelika will open 2 prints of The Matrix Reloaded and the Village East will open 2 prints as well.

WB is allowing Wednesday-night previews starting at 10 PM local time. The Village East may have already sold out its 10 PM preview -- final exams at NYU end Wednesday afternoon.
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 05-10-2003, 01:02 PM:
 
Brad asked:

quote:

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Anyone hear anything about Warner wanting to know what each theater is equipped with projection and sound-wise?

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It would only seem logical a checker could take notes on presentation quality as well.

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quote:

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Some theater operators will be happy to talk about their equipment

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quote:

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Return to 2001 experience. The Warnor Theatre is the only theatre in central California equipped with 6-track stereophonic sound. You will hear electronic compositions from 9 overhead Altec-Lansing speakers and 20 frontal A-7 console speakers. 4' high, 3' wide, 3' deep. The screen at the Warner is 50' across and 24' high. You will see 2001 projected from the 70mm Cinerama projectors. Return to 2001 experience.

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quote:

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Return to 2001 experience. The Coronet is equipped with 6-track Ampex sound system, stereo (magnetic) 840 watt total. You will hear electronic compositions from 5-Lansing speakers 9' high, 6' wide & 4' deep plus 20 surrounding Altec A-7 surround speakers. The screen at the Coronet is 53' across and 28' high. You will see 2001 projected from Norelco AA 70mm projectors. Return to 2001 experience.

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And yes, I know some of these figures make no sense and are obviously wrong, but it's still interesting so much detail went into the ads.
 

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Posted by Steve Anderson (Member # 364) on 05-10-2003, 06:49 PM:
 
We are showing Matrix Reloaded Wednesday night at 10PM.
 

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Posted by Michael Gonzalez (Member # 593) on 05-10-2003, 07:34 PM:
 
Anybody else suprised by the number of prints that they are getting? I had hoped that we would get at least 2 but instead we are actually getting 4. I think that that is overkill. Although I don't have anything to do with this part of it, I am afraid of just what kind of booking terms that these four prints are going to have. I would hate to think that four weeks from now, I am still going to have 4 prints of this movie. In contrast, we only received 2 prints of X-Men and one print of LOTR (I and II).
 

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Posted by Jason Whyte (Member # 1433) on 05-11-2003, 02:56 AM:
 
I was getting worried that I was going to be sold out on the thursday shows, but it's opening on so many bloody screens in Victoria (4.5 at Silvercity Tillicum, 3 at Capitol, 2 at Alliance Atlantis, and one each at Caprice and Star Cinema) that I think I'll be okay.

Also, for every screen it's playing on, there's a Wednesday night showing as well (10, 10:30, 11:00, and so on).

Vancouver, the film is opening on as many as SEVEN auditoriums at many of the massive 12-20 screen megaplexes. Show up practically ANYTIME during the day and you'll have a show starting in 30 minutes, tops.

This is insane. Everyone is going to have seen this film in two days.

Jason
 

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Posted by Paul Konen (Member # 41) on 05-12-2003, 09:35 AM:
 
Receiving 5 prints at my 24 screen.

Must play all prints for Wed preview (or whatever you want to call it) starting at 10:00 PM every 15 minutes.
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 05-12-2003, 06:27 PM:
 
The ridiculous number of prints on recent films kind of pisses me off. A 6,000 print order here, an 8,000 print order there, so on and so forth. Did I miss something? I thought the film distributors were bitching about the cost of film prints in their need to promote low-rez glorified TV ("digital projection"). They were griping about print costs when most "big" movies would issue out 2,500 to 4,000 prints. Now we're seeing more than double that. WTF? Are print costs a real problem or not? Jeez, if the studio can afford 8,000 or even 10,000 quad format prints, they should be able to throw in a few 70mm blowups here and there!

Maybe they have some new marketing model, via "Spiderman" (an arguably mediocre film that makes $400 million in the US alone within a month). I forget how many prints there were of "Spiderman", but it seemed like anyone who had the least little desire to see the movie was able to do so immediately.

Granted, I don't particularly like waiting in lines wrapped around a city block for 3 hours to see a new blockbuster release, but won't this kind of print overload do more to hurt movie theaters? Things get really slow after all the "big" summer movies have played out. If they shoot their wad in attendance within a few days of opening that would only seem to leave a lot of down time afterward with lots of screens playing prints of a movie everyone has already seen.

Exhibitors will need more flexibility on print contracts and their required play time. This "you have to play the print on your best screens for 8 weeks" stuff just isn't going to wash under these conditions. "X2" is already showing signs of having gone limp (if you'll excuse the expression). I guess the point I'm trying to make is if a high profile print is playing to an empty house, the theater must have the flexibility to pull it and show something else -even if it is obscure art house product.

[ 05-13-2003, 03:23 PM: Message edited by: Bobby Henderson ]
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 05-12-2003, 06:34 PM:
 
Looking at Cinemark 17's Thursday lineup here, they will have only 10 titles playing, maybe the fewest ever there, including:

• Matrix Reloaded, 4 screens
• X-Men 2, 4 screens
• Daddy Day Care, 3 screens

 

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Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 05-12-2003, 07:23 PM:
 
2 prints here but the stupid Regal 4 miles down the road has a rediculous 6 prints playing starting 15 minutes apart. Now you know some of them are going to be playing in small auditoriums pissing people off when they find themselves in a small shoebox. Now both of ours are in our 2 largest auditoriums.
 

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Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 05-12-2003, 08:44 PM:
 
We have the same situation here in our area. We've just got one print, though it's the largest auditorium in the county... just under 500 seats & a 36 foot screen.

There are 6 other prints in our county of 250k. One of Regals quads is playing X-Men on 2 screens, which will make them a 2-title house for a while. They've got 5 of the 7 prints in this county.

As for the bulk number of prints, I'd agree that it's killing demand far sooner than it used to. Many of these shows are tapped out a week before the studios' minimum booking demands.

What's it doing? Making much more money for the studios. That print cost of around $1200 is peanuts (per John P's link... see http://www.sabucat.com/digital.pdf). At a first-week cost to the theatre of 70%, all a theatre has to do is make $1,715 at the boxoffice and the print is paid for.

If the studios dump a buttload of prints on the market and tap a show out before the percentage drops to where a theatre can actually make some boxoffice profits from it, they (the studios) and Kodak (no offense, John) make a killing, while the first-run houses pay through the nose, lose the lower-percentage weeks, maybe pay for a lot of unused square footage during 3rd & 4th weeks... and severely damage (if not kill outright) the sub-run and discount markets.

We've really noticed it at our drive-in. Time was, we could bring a show in 6 weeks after it released (well... there was a time when we didn't have much choice), and still do pretty well with it. Now, we're playing combos of double features that are all playing as singles in local hardtops. The number of shows we run on break has jumped... as has what we're paying the distribs. They're happy... so are we, I guess... but it sure has made it hard to find decent product to fill the screens after Labor Day, when studio output about stops.

And to think there was a time when we could book up 3 months in advance. Oooops... dated myself there, didn't I?
 

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Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 05-13-2003, 07:05 AM:
 
A sample of bookings from my area . . .

Reading, Manville: 12 screens, 4 prints

AMC Hamilton: 24 screens, 5 prints

AMC Clifton Commons: 16 screens, 5 prints -- 3 prints full-time, 1 print doubled-up with Lizzie McGuire, 1 print doubled-up with Holes

Loews New Brunswick: 18 screens, 6 prints -- they drop Bend It Like Beckham to play the 6th print

Regal Warrington Crossing: 22 screens, 7 prints

Regal Hadley Center: 16 screens, 5 prints
 

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Posted by Jonathan M. Crist (Member # 413) on 05-13-2003, 12:44 PM:
 
I understand that the Empire 25 in NYC is getting 10 prints.
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 05-13-2003, 03:59 PM:
 
I'm still pissed about the Carmike 8 here in Lawton missing out on both "X2" and "Matrix: Reloaded" all thanks a ridiculous allocation agreement with a slum-plex down the street.

There may be some silver lining about it. I just know the under-equipped 12-plex at Central Mall is going to botch at least a few of their shows. Only two of the 12 screens have DTS; the rest are analog. Much of the time the management doesn't bother to load the CDs either. Plenty of folks are going to be watching "The Matrix" in the glory of mono. Yeah, that theater's automations are funky and unless the projectionist is there riding it, you'll hear the film in mono instead of stereo optical. And then there's the Cache 8 with its pictures by Braille and mono sound that leaks from one auditorium to the next.

A lot of people are going to see "film done wrong" in my town over the next few weeks. Perhaps that might do more to make audiences appreciate having an unsung all-DTS equipped 8-plex in town with a manager that actually cares about putting on a decent show. Its either that or many are going to say "screw all those theaters together; I'm only watching movies on DVD from now on."
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 05-13-2003, 04:09 PM:
 
By "slum-plex", are you referring to:



I liked the sign better though when there were a few more pieces left hanging on for dear life. Though I guess the single word "CINEMA" conveys all the information anyone really needs.
 

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Posted by Daniel Fuentz (Member # 1684) on 05-13-2003, 05:10 PM:
 
That sign is outside a theater that's still open?!?! Egads, the ABANDONED 6-plex here in Fresno has a nicer marquee than that!!! If the outside of the place looks like that, I shudder to think what it's like on the inside!!
 

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Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 05-13-2003, 05:38 PM:
 
If they don't used the sign as a marquee, it could have a second life as auxilliary parking lot lighting. At least it would be easier to change the bulbs on the sign than on the light poles!
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 05-13-2003, 05:54 PM:
 
Same sign in better days (all photos by Bobby Henderson):

 

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Posted by Daniel Fuentz (Member # 1684) on 05-13-2003, 06:02 PM:
 
Oh, my goodness! Those are "better days"! And there's not a tour of this "fabulous" theater on Cinematour. I think you're being too kind calling it a slumplex. It would have to remodel to get to that level!

Here, this marquee is outside an ABANDONED theater here in town. Maybe we can crate it up and ship it to that place...



(post edited to add picture of abandoned marquee that is nicer than what that slum has)

[ 05-14-2003, 04:26 AM: Message edited by: Daniel Fuentz ]
 

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Posted by Jason Whyte (Member # 1433) on 05-14-2003, 12:19 AM:
 
Are there pictures of the inside? I can't believe that place is even in business.

I'd certainly never let a film of mine into a place like that. Ugh...

Jason
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 05-14-2003, 11:39 AM:
 
If they're too cheap to repair the broken sign (which everyone can see), it makes you wonder what's going on in the booth behind the scenes...
 

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Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 05-14-2003, 12:03 PM:
 
Here are the show times for tonights screenings of the "MATRIX RELOADED" at the AMC Empire 25 on 42nd Street in Times Square.
Empire shows are listed as SDDS.

• 10:00 PM
  10:10 PM
  10:20 PM
  10:40 PM
  11:00 PM
  11:30 PM
  11:40 PM
  12:00 Midnight
  12:20 AM
  12:40 AM
  1:00 AM

• 10:00 PM
  10:15 PM
  10:30 PM
  12:15 AM
  12:45 AM
  1:00 AM

• 10:00 PM
  10:30 PM
  11:00 PM
  11:15 PM
  11:30 PM

quote:

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Some 3,603 theaters are locked and loaded with a record 8,517 prints of Warner Bros.' "The Matrix Reloaded," set to open May 14 with a fusillade of 10 p.m. showtimes in 2,750 of those venues.

Playdate count is the highest ever for an R-rated pic and trails only the record 3,741-theater launch of 20th Century Fox's "X2: X-Men United," which enters its third weekend with a print run just under 8,000. The "Matrix Reloaded" screen count outpaces even last December's then-record 8,515-print run for Warners' "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets."

Meanwhile, "Matrix Reloaded" is expected to sell out most evening showtimes, but the real question is whether action sequel's restricted rating will keep matinees from producing the highest-possible grosses.

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