This is topic Barry Levinson in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 11-17-2000, 07:35 PM:
Barry Levinson is in Santa Rosa, CA to film his latest film “Bandits.” It stares Cate Blanchette, Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thornton. I read about it in this morning’s newspaper. Thursday was the second day in Sonoma County for the Barry Levinson film, a story about two bank robbers who break out of an Oregon prison and work their way to Mexico, picking up Blanchett along the way and falling in love with her.
Then my concessionist called up and told me that the Sonoma County Film Commissioner was in our lobby and wanted to speak to us.
It turns out the Barry Levinson is looking for a theatre with a capacity of 250 to screen his latest film called “An Everlasting Piece.” So on Sunday we may be having a screening for the boys. I hope they all show up.
So they send the editor around to scope out the theatre. He seemed to be pleased. He wanted THX. We told him that while we weren’t THX we did offer Dolby Digital. I, of course, started to obsess over every piece of dirt. They insisted on checking out each auditorium. He told Ky that he thought our place was “fabulous.”
They went back to report to Mr. Levinson and see if we are going to do this screening.
If we do this screening we are giving up the revenue on two showings of a film we advertised for a favor to be named later. What a wonderful way to get poor.
Well, it’s on. The Levinson people have called us back and we are doing the screening. Will the stars show up? Will I drool on Cate Blanchette? Will we have anything for Billy Bob Thornton to sign?
Stay tuned.
Posted by Jerry Chase (Member # 660) on 11-17-2000, 08:50 PM:
>If we do this screening we are giving up the revenue on two showings of a film we advertised for a favor to be named later. Why does this remind me of...
"If you purchase a hambuger for me today, I will gladly repay you on Tuesday." -Wimpy
I guess money must be tight for Barry. Perhaps that favor will be reduced terms on your run of the film?
Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 11-18-2000, 12:47 PM:
Worse, my partner actually suggested that instead of the $300 we would have charged that perhaps Barry might be kind enough to address our film club at a later date. I told him to get the money but Barry bit and said he would address our film club at a later date.
Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 11-18-2000, 10:23 PM:
Ian -- that may turn out to be a good deal after all. We did great business whenever we had someone to introduce a film. We didn't do this all that often, but when we did, the 500-seat theatre sold out in most cases. Not really "big names," either...James Ellroy intoduced "LA Confidential," Chris Bram introduced "Gods and Monsters," etc. I bet you can get some good free press for stuff like this, too.
Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 11-19-2000, 07:36 PM:
Well our screening is going on right now. Bruce Willis flew home to take care of the kids. Billy Bob Thornton isn't here either. With his wife, i'd be rushing home too. Cate Blanchette is here. We will try to get her to sign a poster after the film. 
Barry Levinson signs his Liberty Hieghts poster.
Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 11-19-2000, 09:10 PM:
Ky Boyd & Cate Blanchette
Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 11-20-2000, 08:16 AM:
Ian and Ky:Congratulations! I'm sure you did a great job on the screening of "An Everlasting Piece". Barry and Cate seemed pleased. Any chance you'll be doing any pre-production (dailies) screenings for "Bandits"? Hopefully, the Sonoma County film commission will keep your theatre in their database for when other productions come to town and need a good theatre.
------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 11-20-2000, 02:50 PM:
Blair Daly (The films Editor) told me that they drag around a trailer with two projectors and mono sound to screen dailies. He travels with the production to edit on the go. He edits using his own equipment which is like Avid but is a diffent brand. He edits on the computer and then sends the files to LA where the film cutters do their work.
Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 11-20-2000, 09:19 PM:
I hear he's good people.------------------
Better Projection Pays!
Posted by Russ Kress (Member # 461) on 11-26-2000, 06:36 PM:
I met him and Dustin Hoffman when they premiered "Rain Man" in Huntington, WV about a million years ago.I think that Hoffman had based his character on an autistic man who lives in Huntington.
We sold out 1800 seats at some un-Godly ticket price and the funds went to the local autism folks.
Barry and Dustin were both more interested in the theatre than the movie (guess they had already seen it!). Even the Dolby guys wanted a tour.
Premieres are fun! Looks like yours went well.
Russ
Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 11-27-2000, 07:51 PM:
>> Hopefully, the Sonoma County film commission will keep your theatre in their database for when other productions come to town and need a good theatre.<<Hey! I am the one who has done all the non-union dailies around these parts!!! and have access to better (IMO) theatres!! Boy it sucks to be 4 hours away doing an install/opening/training when this happened! 
Aaron
Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 11-28-2000, 12:03 AM:
We did a premiere for "Ride With the Devil" in Kansas City last year - sold 900 tickets at $50 a pop to benefit charity.
Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 11-29-2000, 10:35 PM:
We did a premier/opening last year for Dougs First Movie. The director is a Richmond native and wanted it at our theatre. They filled all 1392 seats, most were given to local under priveledged children thru charitable organizations the rest went to studio people, various officials and a few were sold at the box at $10. each. Giant Pics. did all promotions and paid the theatre four grand for the evening.
Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 06-14-2001, 07:07 PM:
Liberty Heights was "Oscar bait" with an unusual release pattern: Opened in NY/LA/Baltimore, expanded to suburbs that have a sizable Jewish population, then expanded to arthouses/upmarket towns nationwide. Since my area has a sizable Jewish population the Loews megaplex got Liberty Heights before the arthouses. Not only that, it spent more time in the national top 20 than Boys Don't Cry 
and with none of the hype!BTW, I might not have seen Liberty Heights if Loews had not run the trailer in front of American Beauty. Shows you what good trailer programming will do for your customer base.