Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Midnight shows

This is topic Midnight shows in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=8;t=002432

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 09-02-2003, 06:21 AM:

I was recently talking with a theatre owner about this. For those who do midnight shows, what's currently popular with the college crowd?

Some films seem to never lose popularity ("Clockwork Orange," "Holy Grail," "Rocky Horror," "The Godfather," etc.), but I'm more interested in current trends. "Donnie Darko" seems to be big right now. Has anyone done "Fight Club" lately? In the late '90s, "Ferris Bueller," "Princess Bride," and other '80s titles were big, as well as early '90s "indie" stuff like "Clerks," "Pulp Fiction," and "Trainspotting." Are any of these still playable?

What else might be worth booking?

Posted by Bob Maar (Member # 763) on 09-02-2003, 11:21 AM:

Night Of the Living Dead

Invasion of the Body Snatcher's

All Monty Python Movies

All Mel Brooks Movies

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 09-03-2003, 12:19 AM:

Fight Club and Princess Bride do very well for us. We run both twice a year Saturday misnight to 600 to 800. None of the others mentioned in either post have brought us more than 125. With the exception of Rock Horror which we will not run due to the problematic audiences and Johnny Darko which we are doing next week.

Posted by Jeff Stricker (Member # 224) on 09-03-2003, 10:39 AM:

THE BLOB [uhoh]

The original with Steve McQueen.

Posted by Peter Kerchinsky (Member # 1098) on 09-04-2003, 02:53 PM:

Scott
All those titles you mentioned have played a Landmark theatre here in Seattle at midnight and I believe all have done well.
I would like to see THE WANDERERS show up on the midnight circuit, but not sure if Warners have any prints. Bizarre movie!
Great soundtrack!

Posted by Jason Burroughs (Member # 68) on 09-04-2003, 04:04 PM:

Any of the Indiana Jones trilogy, Top Gun, Blade Runner, Alien, Aliens would also make good midnight shows

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 09-04-2003, 04:30 PM:

When we had late shows at the Odeon Theatre in Westwood, Ca. (Near UCLA) We ran late shows on Sunday night and did very well with them. Here are a few titles that we ran.

Apocalypse Now in 70MM
Alien in 70MM
Aliens in 70MM
Doors in 70MM
Deliverance in 70MM
Road Warrior in 70MM
Altered States in 70MM

La Femme Nikita in 35mm
Adv. of Buckaroo Banzai in 35mm

We also ran a print of the "Big Bus", that one did only fair.

Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 09-04-2003, 11:03 PM:

If its the Rocky horror crowd your after, run Hedwig and the Angry Itch at midnight [Wink]

Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 09-05-2003, 12:55 AM:

Another big one ... I've seen audience participation/dress-up

"The Big Lebowski"

Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 09-05-2003, 09:56 AM:

Howard The Duck in 70MM

No wait... you want people to show up, don't you? [Wink]

You could always do a "George Lucas Film Fest" and not release the titles you will be showing. Just that it will be a Lucas-Related movie each night. [evil]

=TMP=

Posted by Dan Lyons (Member # 1454) on 09-05-2003, 03:27 PM:

I agree with Josh, try Hedwig.

Here in the SoCal area we have 2 theatres that show the film monthly at midnight with a full cast. One in Long Beach at the ART, one in the Hollywood area at the Laemmle Fairfax 3.

Unlike RHPS, the crowd tends to be more mature, and more peaceful. No throwing of things or screaming of obscene language. Everyone just sings along with the film and has a great time. [thumbsup]

Danny

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 09-08-2003, 02:13 AM:

What about 70s - 80s retro r&r films like The Wall & Repo Man?
Totally dead to the demo now?

Geesh, this makes me remember Basket Case midnights at the Waverly in NYC & Rocky Horror at I think it was the Silver Screen in Atlanta. Rocky Horror was also running at I think the 4th Street Playhouse in NYC?

It would be fun to recycle old ideas with "Freddie vs. Jason" out now, & do a "Midnight til Dawn Nightmare on Elm Street Marathon" or something.

Posted by Ron Lacheur (Member # 1126) on 09-08-2003, 09:05 AM:

Seeing The Wall in 6track 70mm would be just awesome, but it's too bad that most of those prints have faded.

I've always liked the idea of having a Dusk to Dawn " Lethal Weapon " or " Die Hard " trilogies.

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 09-09-2003, 01:04 AM:

These have been our best performers---run more than once to crowds over 500
Dark Side of Oz (Wizard of Oz with Dark Side of Oz soundtrace)
Princess Bride
Goonies the best performer of all
Fight Club
Office Space
Neverending Story always a very rowdy crowd
Exorcist
Indiana Jones All
Labyrinth we have never run it, but it continues to be the most requested film. There are no prints. Hinson & Associates owns it and they say they do not intend to have any prints produced. They told us that license is available if we can get a print. They did not discuss a price
Bladerunner

These were all poor performers
Ferris Bueller
A Clockwork Orange
Pulp Fiction
Monty Python----All
Mel Brooks Comedies All
The Wall
Repo Man
Lethal Weapon All
Die Hard---the first one,never tried the rest, no need to.
Airplane brought less than 50 and the print was a gorgeous pink

Posted by Rick Long (Member # 213) on 09-09-2003, 11:19 PM:

A popular film for college crowds I did not see mentioned here on my first run-through is "Harold and Maude". Great performances by Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon and soundtrack features Cat Stevens.