Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Updated 2010 Regal Roller Coaster Policy

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 11-08-2010, 12:26 PM:

There are lots of threads about policy trailers but none seems to fit. [Shrug]

Some people probably hated it but the Regal Roller Coaster policy was always one of my favorites. Regal recently brought it back in an updated version and I still like it. Sounds great when played on the DCI system and not the inferior FirstLook preshow.

Regal Roller Coaster Policy 2010 in HD

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 11-08-2010, 02:33 PM:

...and it's soon will be available in 3D.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 11-08-2010, 03:29 PM:

Seriously, who cares? I saw it on a recent movie I watched at Regal and I immediately wondered why anyone would make such a fuss about it. Hell, even the UA Hallway was better. If the policy trailer is one of the high points of your moviegoing experience, something else is seriously wrong.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 11-08-2010, 03:31 PM:

Wait for it... Wait for it... Yes! I predicted it correctly.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 11-08-2010, 05:28 PM:

If you predicted correctly, why even bother posting?

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 11-08-2010, 06:14 PM:

Joe, why are you having some kind of problem with me in particular today because I like the Regal Roller Coaster and thought it interesting and possibly of interest to others that they brought back an updated version of it? Shall I bump up a bunch of old threads about other policy trailers that people liked so you can trash them too?

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 11-08-2010, 08:20 PM:

..even the old MANN Theatres and the Cineplex Odeon policy tags were pretty good ... in their days..

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 11-08-2010, 08:28 PM:

I didn't mind the roller coaster policy trailer. I've certainly seen worse!

Posted by Jeremy Weigel (Member # 4208) on 11-08-2010, 08:38 PM:

My favorite was the Pepsi Girl policy with Jack Palance as her voice.

Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 11-09-2010, 11:49 AM:

Are they running the roller coaster on the pre-show before the trailers, or are they running it between the trailers and the movie?

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 11-09-2010, 01:44 PM:

On the pre-shows (the "Firstlook" presentations), it's place towards the end, but there is still a couple of ads before the "Sprint Feature presentation/silence your cellphones" tag.

Posted by Emma Tomiak (Member # 1862) on 11-09-2010, 03:36 PM:

I was quite pleased when I showed up for work and the Regal Roller Coaster was back. It was a nice surprise, since we hadn't had any sort of notification that they were updating it. It's good to have a policy back again. It's hardly the best, but it's better than nothing.

Posted by Ky Boyd (Member # 23) on 11-09-2010, 08:25 PM:

I've seen this a couple of times on recent visits to Regal. They've never gotten out of the old movies are either a ride or space trip motif. I thought it seemed really dated and frankly dismissive of the power and breadth of movies, but then again, I'm an arthouse guy. At least no one's head is popping up out of the popcorn. That one was probably the worst policy trailer ever in my book. I've never been able to find an on-line version of my favorite trailer which is actually a festival trailer for the 2004 Toronto International Film Festival. It was really great. The theme of it was "See the World."

Just my opinion and yet the trailer remains the same.

I miss the old AMC Clip policy trailers. The Coca-Cola drive-in intermission ad about going down a dusty road was always a fave too.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 11-09-2010, 10:21 PM:

quote: David Stambaugh
Joe, why are you having some kind of problem with me in particular today because I like the Regal Roller Coaster blah blah blah

Nope. The only thing I didn't like from you is your second post which was just nonsensical. But regarding the Regal Rollercoaster, I have been seeing it all over Facebook with people geeking out over how mega-fantastic it is that this AMAZING roller coaster policy trailer is now back. It's not just you. People are actually going out of their way to mention it. It really seems to enhance their lives as a whole. It truly baffles the hell out of me.

The old Mann Theaters policy trailer, though featuring crude graphics, was one of my favorites... the one with the older, curved Mann logo. Cool music and none of the sci-fi/amusement park ride motif that plagues so many other policy trailers. I kind of like the UA Magic Hat as well, though it can get annoying.

Posted by Scott D. Neff (Member # 185) on 11-10-2010, 01:40 PM:

I think people get excited by this because it's something they remember from ten years ago when probably many of the people on facebook were kids. I know I would be excited if Regal made the distinction to play ANY of the old UA trailers at their UA branded theatres just because I remember seeing them for the short time I worked for UA. Pacific Theatres still shows their policy trailers (last time I was at one) and it makes me happy because it's what I saw growing up.

I think that with the invention of the digital pre-show many of chains have lost whatever differentiation they had between one chain and the next. I think it's good that AMC has their weird stadium auditorium turing into a forest, it reminds people that they're not at a Regal, Cinemark or other chain that uses the NCN preshow.

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 11-10-2010, 07:29 PM:

I can still hum the Pacific People Pleasing People policy...

Posted by Manny Montes (Member # 5639) on 11-10-2010, 08:10 PM:

I like it because its something different, its something I remember from when I was a little kid and it is cool to see it brought back, and It did have a following which is why i'm sure a lot of people are happy to see it back.

But just by people liking it on facebook or talking about it does not mean that they find it to be the "best part of the movie experience"

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 11-10-2010, 08:48 PM:

They didn't mention anything about the movie itself.

quote: Manny Montes
It did have a following

WTF??? Policy trailer groupies?

Posted by Manny Montes (Member # 5639) on 11-10-2010, 09:24 PM:

People are crazy these days...

Plus considering some movies that come out, the policy might be the best part of the entire experience

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 11-10-2010, 10:14 PM:

I used to like the AMC H.I.T.S. snipe back in the day.

Posted by Jonathan Goeldner (Member # 4854) on 11-10-2010, 10:45 PM:

I love the Roller coaster pre-film policy - my friends and I would raise our hands in the air and totally annoy everyone near us - "weeeeeee"

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 11-12-2010, 01:02 PM:

I've heard that Regal will be moving the roller coaster policy from the pre-show to the feature. So now we'll have something other than 4K CineAlta snipes to test with...

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 11-12-2010, 10:01 PM:

I would agree with that move. Put it between the last trailer and the movie like it should be. Lights go down as the policy starts.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 11-12-2010, 10:05 PM:

quote: Mark J. Marshall
I used to like the AMC H.I.T.S. snipe back in the day.

I have one of these. Of course I etched the letter "S" in front of it on every frame, but that only made the advertising truthful. [Razz]

Cinemark should bring back the ORIGINAL Front Roe Joe policy trailers. The first few were quite catchy (and long). Once they left Willmington Reemes (not sure if I am spelling that correctly), and started adding the Back Row Ho their trailers really started to suck.

Posted by Michael Riley (Member # 5693) on 11-13-2010, 12:33 AM:

The policy directive from Regal is that the roller coaster policy ad is to be programmed first before any of the trailers.

Posted by Sean McKinnon (Member # 612) on 11-13-2010, 06:19 AM:

I always liked the special "muppets" policy trailer that Loews played on it's kiddie films. I think it was a cool idea.

Posted by Doug Willming (Member # 728) on 11-13-2010, 09:51 AM:

Thanks Brad - it was actually Willming Reams, but close enough. I still operate as PreShow Productions, but have curbed policy trailer production quite a bit as the business model has changed drastically. I still have all the original Cinemark Front Row Joe trailers' 35mm. negs and mag tracks so they would convert beautifully to digital, but I don't think the CEO/CFO that run Cinemark now give a flip about spending a nickel on something that doesn't add to the bottom line. I have the trailers posted on my YouTube site and get quite a few comments about wishing Cinemark would bring them back - like the Regal rollercoaster, many folks have nostalgic feelings about them, remember the songs, and would get a kick out of seeing them again on the big screen, at least for a time. The last one we did was 1997; I've been sad to see the fate of FRJ in the hands of other animation production companies since then.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 11-13-2010, 10:40 AM:

Bring back Snack Canyon!

This is one of my all-time favorites with respect to general cheesiness.

I actually ordered one of these in 1998 from Cinema Concepts. Unfortunately, that copy was on acetate and broke at startup due to a slipping drive belt (I ran it before a one-off screening "March of the Penguins"). I tried to order another copy in 2005 or thereabouts, but Cinema Concepts told me that they no longer had the negative to it. Oh, well...I do have the older print, still in nice shape, minus a couple of frames.

The Avon shows Lets Go to the Lobby (available from Filmack) regularly. The customers seem to like it, but I seriously doubt that it has any effect on concession sales.

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 11-13-2010, 12:44 PM:

"El Gato Joe" is alive and well south of the border...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi6uD1n8_m8
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-ViLxB2T7o

Posted by Jeremy Weigel (Member # 4208) on 11-13-2010, 01:03 PM:

Anybody have the old Litchfield Theatres policy with the sea wheat?

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 11-13-2010, 01:12 PM:

Stupid question: a bunch of old concession trailers (particularly those targeted at drive-ins) make reference to "Buttercup Popcorn." Is or was this a particular brand of popcorn or is there something special about it? Or is it just generic popcorn served in containers labelled "Buttercup"?

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 11-13-2010, 02:01 PM:

quote: Mike Olpin
"El Gato Joe" is alive and well south of the border...

I wouldn't say he's "well".

Posted by Jonathan Althaus (Member # 5042) on 11-13-2010, 02:30 PM:

FRJ will be making an appearance at the Dallas White Rock Lake marathon......

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 11-13-2010, 03:45 PM:

You mean he exists in REAL LIFE? I'll be there.

Posted by Jonathan Althaus (Member # 5042) on 11-13-2010, 04:08 PM:

There are a few costumes and supposedly he will be there

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 11-13-2010, 04:42 PM:

If you go here, let the intro play through, then click "Warren Theatres v2.0" under the "In Progress" section of the screen, you can play the Warren's policy trailer, as well as the "Feature Presentation" tag they put at the end of the trailers.

Form your own opinions.

(Yes, that is a fairly accurate representation of the 13th Ave and Moore Warren lobbies).

Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 11-14-2010, 12:08 AM:

"...Regal recently brought it back in an updated version and I still like it..."

I wasn't aware it had ever "left". The local UA Theatre has always shown it prior to the feature. The next time I go I'll see if they have the updated version.

Mike

Posted by Michael Riley (Member # 5693) on 11-14-2010, 03:32 PM:

Regal still has (had?) a handful of locations, mostly art house and 4 or less screen buildings, that never got converted to their digital preshow and were still using rolling stock and slide projector ads. These are the only Regal theaters that should have still been running the Roller Coaster prior to it being adopted company wide again. If any location was still using the Roller Coaster policy trailer in addition to the digital preshow, they were doing it wrong.

Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 11-14-2010, 05:21 PM:

How is this a 'roller coaster' when the entire car is enclosed? Looks more like a commuter train to me. (Nice to see they sold some advertising space to Sprint in this new version,- gotta sell advertising everywhere we can!)

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 11-14-2010, 10:12 PM:

Clearly the more advertising we can have, the better. Regal doesn't make very much money so they have to find a way to bring money in somehow. [Wink]

Posted by Michael Riley (Member # 5693) on 11-14-2010, 11:00 PM:

Honestly, even though the company as a whole does well, you'd be surprised how many locations Regal ran that had huge financial defecits at the end of the year. Mall theaters in particular usually run at a huge loss for most companies since the rent is always too damn high and it's impossible to do enough business to overcome it.

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 11-15-2010, 08:36 PM:

Also, this cannot be unseen:

Posted by Jeremy Weigel (Member # 4208) on 11-15-2010, 09:05 PM:

Don't see Brad doing any Film-Tech on-screen advertising out of principle. Or maybe he does at his locations?

Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 11-17-2010, 04:38 PM:

And again, look at the car- it is NOT a roller coaster. During that brief time I worked at one of their theaters, it was commonly called a 'train' or "choo-choo" as one person had labeled it.

Posted by Chris Bias (Member # 6049) on 04-17-2011, 07:04 PM:

Anyone else happened to notice that the frames they are riding on consist of 5 sprockets?

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 04-17-2011, 10:10 PM:

quote: Scott Norwood
a bunch of old concession trailers (particularly those targeted at drive-ins) make reference to "Buttercup Popcorn." Is or was this a particular brand of popcorn or is there something special about it? Or is it just generic popcorn served in containers labelled "Buttercup"?

The Buttercup program goes back as far as I can remember... 40 years or so. As I recall, it was merely a plan to promote popcorn sales by using logoed containers and film clips with a snazzy song. You had to buy the cups and promise to use real butter. That was about it.

The Buttercup song is in our preshow automation... plays fairly often... along with "Clyde Lionheart", the Armour Franks intermision tune and the Sprite instrumental, which we put behind a lot of the old Alliance Coke/Sprite stuff.