Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Bowling Out?

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Posted by Mitchell Cope (Member # 32) on 03-24-2003, 06:36 AM:

Do you think there will be a theater owner backlash against Michael Moore and his film "Bowling For Columbine"? The Dixie Chicks lost radio playtime for being controversial as we went to war. Will the same fate come to Michael? (In keeping with Brad's rules, no political comments here.)

Posted by Nicholas Roznovsky (Member # 861) on 03-24-2003, 12:01 PM:

I think for the most part, Bowling For Columbine has played itself out in most of the major markets across the country. While there will be the usual post-Oscar bounce, I don't think there will be any concerted backlash against the film. This film has already had to overcome two big stigmas with a lot of people: it's title (most Americans do judge a film by its title!) and the sometimes sickeningly gruesome subject matter.

I think Michael Moore's views were pretty much evident before the Oscars. Anyone who's seen any of his previous stuff should know which end of the spectrum he lands on. I don't see why theater owners should drop a film just because the director has a big mouth.

Of course, I'm sure that someone will get a wild hair and go picket a movie theater somewhere. There's always somebody who does. And, of course, the local theater will be labeled as "Anti-American". I hate small town [bs]

like that.

I had members of a local church sending me "prayergrams" praying for my soul when our theater showed XXX . They didn't even bother to find out what the movie was about! They just assumed that it was a porn film and decided that I was a minion of Satan. [evil]

I still have some of them framed in my office, just as a reminder of what I'm dealing with.

My opinion is that moviegoers should get to decide what they should watch, not a couple of people raising a fuss in the community. If we gave in to the community "leaders", I'd be showing A VeggieTales Movie, Pollyana, and The Apple Dumpling Gang 365 days a year.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 03-24-2003, 02:05 PM:

quote:
I think for the most part, Bowling For Columbine has played itself out in most of the major markets across the country.

That is true, but look at the statistics.... league bowling is seriously down all over the country. Damn evil gun nuts!

[Wink]

Posted by Gunnar Johansson (Member # 1661) on 03-24-2003, 03:42 PM:

No offence but it might affect american theatres, but it might actually play even better in some foreign countries. Sweden is usually very pro-american, and just because of that there´s sometimes a "back-lash" movement were this film fits right in. Missed the Awards live (on between 2.30-6.30 am) but some swedish news showed part of it, calling it a scandal.
On the whole I agree with Nicholas, but it might look different outside of the States...
My two cents
//Gunnar

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 03-24-2003, 03:52 PM:

We blow a lot of smoke about free speech in this country but as soon as someone (like the Dixie Chicks) expresses a free opinion they are ready to put them out of work. What a bunch of hypocrites. No, it's not a governmental action but when it's big business thwarting your ability to make a living then it might as well be.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 03-24-2003, 04:07 PM:

As a businessman you do not have an obligation to provide a free forum for your opponent to espouse their own political agenda. That's just silly. It has nothing to do with stifling free speech. Michael Moore or anyone else in showbiz can write an op-ed piece for the New York Times if they want to exercise their right to free speech. Or get on the Bill O'Reilly show on Fox. Or just tell the media in general "Hey, I'm available and willing to talk" and I'm sure the paparazzi will fawn all over them to get the story. [Big Grin]

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 03-24-2003, 04:12 PM:

I dont think that any backlash against Mr. Moore's film from theatre owners. If the film seels well, you keep it. However, if the film-goers choose to backlash, than the film wont continue its run for long. Basicly if the film sells, keep it! If it doesnt, remove it.

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 03-24-2003, 04:46 PM:

quote:
As a businessman you do not have an obligation to provide a free forum for your opponent to espouse their own political agenda.

True, but they can certainly sneak in under the guise of commercial entertainment.

One good example is "On Deadly Ground", the 1997 Steven Segal film. After the usual show as a martial arts master, he proceeds to "stand at a podium to deliver a long lecture about the dangers of big oil companies ruining the environment and pleading for an alternative source of energy".

It wasn't that great a film to begin with, but that sermon at the end made you feel like you'd just paid $7 bucks to watch him preach... a feeling not totally unlike having paid the same bucks to watch commercials!

Posted by Michael Gonzalez (Member # 593) on 03-24-2003, 09:59 PM:

The Dixie Chicks and Michael Moore have the constitional right to say what ever they want. Consquently, any one else has to constitional right to disagree with what they said by not going to see Moore's movie (or even protest where they are playing) or by not playing the Dixie Chicks music or in some cases steamrolling their CDs. It cuts both ways. So there may be an attendence realted backlash to Moore's comments but I also agree at this point that the movie has pretty much ran it's course.

Posted by Rachel Gilardi (Member # 1016) on 03-24-2003, 10:15 PM:

Well, I can now comment on this as our work day has gone by. We have a Bowling for Columbine 9:45pm show running which did very well last week. This week we have it running at the same time and 4 people showed up. Although it was a slow night we have not had less then 15 people in there since we brought it back (We had it before and then brought it back because it was up for an oscar). Apparently there is some sort of backlash amongst our customers.

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 03-25-2003, 02:27 PM:

quote:
as soon as someone (like the Dixie Chicks) expresses a free opinion they are ready to put them out of work.

Who's "they"?

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 03-25-2003, 02:43 PM:

Please move the "Dixie Chicks" discussion to the Political Arena forum.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 03-26-2003, 10:53 AM:

Moore's Rant could end up having a positive effect. Let's face it, the documentary Oscar winner very rarely gets a major theatrical release anyway, and some people who heard Moore sounding off on the podium might be intrigued as to what the film which put him there is like.

This was certainly the case when Crash came out - the local religous fanatics and elements of the press and radio ran a campaign to ban it where I was working at the time. The result was full houses for what would otherwise have been an obscure Canadian art movie. Many customers walked out a reel or two after the start: the older ones out of disgust, the younger ones out of boredom.

Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 03-26-2003, 12:48 PM:

Nicholas is correct: Bowling for Columbine has played out most everywhere. The AMC Empire and Landmark Sunshine in NYC are the only first-run theaters near me still showing it.

In this case it might have more to do with product flow than politics. Spirited Away is being re-released to cash in on its own Oscar. Laurel Canyon and Bend It Like Beckham have their national arthouse break Friday.

Posted by Michael Gonzalez (Member # 593) on 03-26-2003, 01:10 PM:

We have had Chicago in one of our smallest houses for the past couple of weeks, however, I am moving it to one of our larger houses this weekend just in case.

Posted by Ky Boyd (Member # 23) on 03-26-2003, 06:09 PM:

For all the media talk of backlashes, I just don't see it happening. We are playing Bowling for Columbine at 10:30 in the morning 4 mornings a week and our business Tue and Wed was significantly better than it was on Sat or Sunday. I expect that come Friday when Bowling goes back to having a 9:30pm show it will do quite well for about a week.

As for the Dixie Chicks, while their airplay may be off at Country radio, their sales and airplay with the pop audience hasn't waned at all. Landslide is still in constant rotation, especially it seems on clear channel stations.

Posted by Blake Zaugg (Member # 1455) on 03-26-2003, 11:05 PM:

Columbine has been doing quite well for us the last 4 weeks, but since Sunday, attendance has been up. We'll see this weekend how well it does. With the added buzz hopefully we'll will get some more people in.

Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 04-04-2003, 03:25 PM:

The Reading Cinemas in Manville NJ has Bowling for Columbine this week -- last show only (9:50) in a double-up with Agent Cody Banks. Mainly it's because Reading is not opening Phone Booth.