Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Ladykillers, Limited Release?

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Posted by Adam Fraser (Member # 1074) on 03-08-2004, 09:46 PM:

We tried to book Ladykillers today for the 26th and were told that only 1200 prints were being made and we'd likely have to wait. Is this true? Seems to be a small print count for the amount of advertising they have been doing.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 03-08-2004, 10:43 PM:

What you should do is to book the Real "Ladykillers that stars Alec Guiness instead of this stupid remake. Nothing will ever come close to the charm and humor of the original film.

Mark

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-08-2004, 10:46 PM:

Last I checked theaters were in the business to make money. I doubt charm and humor of older movies available on video would work too well for Adam. [Razz]

Posted by Dick Vaughan (Member # 540) on 03-09-2004, 02:44 AM:

Mark

You're absolutely right the original could never be bettered.
As an aside, Hebert Lom who appeared in the film alongside Alec Guinness and Peter Sellars is a guest during Widescreen Weekend at our upcoming 10th Bradford Film Festival; http://www.bradfordfilmfestival.org.uk/2004/filmdetail.asp?ida=4394

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 03-09-2004, 08:42 AM:

Brad,
Actually the last time a series of Ealing Comedies was run at a theatre in both MIlwaukee and in Chicago they did VERY, VERY well and would have run longer were it not for the lack of prints and available playdates.

Does anyone know where in the U.S. these famous comedies are available from these days. I'd love to see them all again on the big screen. Perhaps our local Brew And View would book the series.... These truely great films are what really define the word comedy! The Titfield Thunderbolt is by far my favorite one.

Dick, Wish I was going to be there!

Mark @ CLACO

Posted by Stewart Anderson (Member # 1809) on 03-09-2004, 09:41 AM:

I think the box office numbers for its opening week will be very big simply because of Tom Hanks. But, I also think the movie is going to be a bit weird, and the box office numbers will probably drop pretty rapidly after the first week. It was directed by Joel Coen (same guy who did Intolerable Cruelty [uhoh]

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 03-09-2004, 10:26 AM:

Sadly, the only Ealing prints still doing the rounds here are worn out, too (apart from National Film and Television Archive ones, which don't see the light of day very often - usually because rep houses either can't run changeovers and/or can't afford or can't be bothered to book the print and clear the rights separately). I did see an IB print of The Ladykillers from Canal Plus about a year or so. It was scratched and battered to hell and had quite a few sections missing. [Frown]

Incidentally, according to Wilhelm & Brower's Restoration of Color Photographs, Slides and Motion Picture Film, The Ladykillers was the last British film to be shot with the three-strip camera.

Posted by Dick Vaughan (Member # 540) on 03-09-2004, 10:44 AM:

quote:
Incidentally, according to Wilhelm & Brower's Restoration of Color Photographs, Slides and Motion Picture Film, The Ladykillers was the last British film to be shot with the three-strip camera

Well Jack Cardiff will be here with Herbert Lom and I can't think of a better chap to ask to confirm this [Smile]

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 03-09-2004, 10:47 AM:

It was also the last film to be run at what would have been my local cinemaa at the time, but since I was two years old when it closed, I don't remember it.

There was an anniversary season of some of the Ealing films not that long wasn't there, three years or so, at several London Cinemas, including the Barbican, I think. What prints were used for that?

These films generally do well when they do get shown, I would have thought that it would be possible to recover the cost of a few new prints fairly quickly.

Dick, I met Jack Cardif a couple of times at the Phoenix, East Finchley. The second time was when he came to a screening of 'The Red Shoes' and 'The Great Mr. Handel'. The latter seems to be very seldom screened.

There is a slim chance that I may be able to make it to Bradford on the Sunday. It would be too late for me to come back by train, but there is an overnight coach from Leeds, which becomes the infamous 01:45 from Sheffield, and gets me in to London at 06:20 on Monday morning. My training course in the City starts at 09:30, so I could just about make it.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 03-09-2004, 02:03 PM:

I would hazard a guess that the Ealing prints now doing the rep rounds were made for that Barbican season, which was mid to late '90s if my memory hasn't totally gone down the tubes. Almost a decade of circulation later - and being such popular titles, it's likely those copies will have gone to shoestring arts centres, other part-time venues and film societies which tend to mangle prints - and sadly, they're the worse for wear. Towards the end of my time at City Screen I also showed Whisky Galore, The Man in the White Suit, Kind Hearts and Coronets, Dead of Night and one or two others from the Canal Plus circulation prints. Sadly, all were very much the worse for wear.

Posted by Bill Carter (Member # 156) on 03-09-2004, 08:36 PM:

Last I was told, these are still unavailable in the US. They played in Minneapolis within the last decade, just before they were withdrawn.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 03-11-2004, 09:59 PM:

I've seen the new one (via HD projection in fact) and I think it will do well. Only the basic concept has been borrowed otherwise it's a completely original film.

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 03-13-2004, 09:59 AM:

Back to the print numbers subject...
We asked if we could get a print & were told that much larger theatres in much larger markets than ours are having trouble getting in line. Translated... "probably not"! [Roll Eyes]

I heard the limited number, too... seems it was 1800, but it could have been 1200. Still, too low to trickle our way.

Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 03-13-2004, 11:14 AM:

They're taking an interesting release pattern on this ... art houses and urban houses first.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 03-13-2004, 04:28 PM:

Well, you know that Tom Hanks fellow doesn't really do well in big movies. [Razz]

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 03-13-2004, 04:44 PM:

I fail to understand how "1200 prints" constitutes a "limited release." [Smile]

Sorry, folks, but I'd tend to say that "limited release" would constitute 1-100 prints, maybe up to 500 prints to be generous. A 1200-print release should cover all major markets and then some.

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 03-13-2004, 09:25 PM:

OK, then what would you call releases of between 2800 & 3500???

(oversaturation, probably) [Razz]

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 03-13-2004, 09:54 PM:

Everyone is getting too used to films playing at virtually every non-competing multiplex. Hence the ads saying now playing EVERYWHERE. If a film is playing in all major markets and many smaller ones and the large metro areas have it at several theatres across the region (not just the downtown art or flagship house) I wouldn't call it a limited release.

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 03-14-2004, 12:33 AM:

Actually 1200 prints could be considered a limited location release if everyone got two prints that is 600 locations. However I consider a limited release to be anything under 500 locations. I would imagin that this film will open in at least 1500 locations or more.

Posted by Adam Fraser (Member # 1074) on 03-14-2004, 11:56 AM:

The reason I asked is that we almost never get turned down for a mainstream title on break. I know we dont gross anywhere near what the major multiplexes do in the biggger cities, but we do gross well for our rural area.

Maybe they are trying to create a buzz for the film though by doing a lot of advertising and rolling it out slowly to the smaller markets.

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 03-15-2004, 02:00 AM:

Dick Vaughan, I want an autographed photo of Herbert Lom. I think he's a brilliant actor, always has been, always has done hard things & brought them off effortlessly. Just in the Pink Panther movies, he's astounding: plays straight, plays comic, goes low, goes high, & you don't even see him shifting gears, he's just slinging Peter Sellers around behind him. And on his own! That bit with him reading the eulogy for Clouseau is put-it-in-a-glass-case classic.

I'm not kidding. An autographed photo. I know folks with plenty of free time who can come up from Truro & aggravate you relentlessly. They are hard & cruel, & would think nothing of making fun of your lab coat in front of other people.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 03-15-2004, 03:27 AM:

quote:
I know folks with plenty of free time who can come up from Truro & aggravate you relentlessly.

Are these the folks who starred in Straw Dogs (which was shot not very far from Truro)? They know how to aggravate, that's for sure!