CINEMA BuzzFEED - 11 October 2013

Dolby Hits the Sweet Spot

Everyone knows that sound is one-half the mix that makes for a superior presentation experience - whether you are sitting in a cinema or your living room - audio is just as important as the viewed image.  However, capturing full, life-like sound and reproducing it has been the goal of film and content makers from day one - now it is a reality with the new Dolby Atmos Sound System.

This past week I attended a dealer seminar conducted by Dolby Labs which demonstrated  and discussed the technological details of Atmos.  I can honestly say that this achievement, by Dolby, is a landmark in cinema history.  The Atmos sound experience is so immersive and so superior to current 6 or 8 channel sound that there is no real comparison.

The premise of Atmos is that reproduced sound at cinemas should be life-like.  So, for example, if someone is talking on the left side of the screen that sound should be on the left. If a plane is passing overhead, the sound should pass overhead.  To accomplish this (and it should be noted that Atmos can be installed into any size auditorium) Dolby has developed a sound processor, the CP850, that can output up to 64 discrete channels of sound - yes, you read right, up to 64 channels. Additionally, the CP850 has automatic equalization of all channels and supports 5.1 (6) and Dolby 7.1 (8) channel sound with automatic switching into Dolby Atmos.

To date, about 70 films have been released with Atmos and more will be forthcoming. Dolby admits it will take time for the studios' recording engineers and film directors to get use to the system's capabilities, as soundtracks will now be mixed differently given the potential of Atmos. There are presently 47 mixing stages worldwide that can handle Atmos and 225 screens where it has been installed.

Make no mistake, this is a milestone for the cinema industry. The Atmos  sound is so immersive and so realistic that cinemas that install it could upcharge for the experience, it's that good.  For me, the experience is much better than the 3D experience in terms of getting me involved in the movie experience.  Giant kudos to Dolby - the Atmos System is a real big winner.

NEC - First to Launch Laser Projector

NEC will be the first manufacturer to market, a cinema laser projector - the NC 1040L.  NEC began taking orders for the NC 1040L last week in Japan and the first installation will be this fall in Tokyo.

NEC's NC-1040L Laser Projector

CMG spoke with Gerd Kaiser, NEC's marketing director, who told us that, "We have considerable interest from cinema exhibitors.  The projector has been demonstrated, in private, to exhibitors in Paris and other cities in Europe with great success".

Laser projection is touted as being the next step in digital cinema and all of the projector manufacturers are developing models, NEC happens to be the first to market.  Laser illumination technology, which has been in the works for several years, provides a much brighter on-screen image than xenon lamp driven projectors. Other advantages of the technology include: lower operating costs, reduced power consumption, and increased system lifespan.  However, it should be noted that before laser projectors can be sold, regulatory issues must be overcome. For example, in the U.S. the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), among other governmental agencies at the federal and state levels, must approve their use.

NEC knows the hurdles they face but the technology drives itself in many ways. The laser light source, for example, will last up to 20,000 hours (roughly equivalent to 10 years of a normal cinema operating each day for 10 hours) and the projectors are scalable so that the brightness can be varied depending upon the image throw and screen size.

NEC expects adoption of the projectors to be slow, even after regulatory approvals are met.
"Laser projectors are currently much more expensive to purchase (approx. $170,000) and therefore will be adopted first at premium, high-grossing sites which offer giant-format presentation, such as IMAX" says NEC's Kaiser. However without a Virtual Print Fee program from the studios to subsidize the cost, I believe, adoption will be a very, very slow.  My guess is, three to four years, minimum, before any meaningful number of installs and the price will have to be dramatically reduced.

In summary, laser projection technology is still at a very early stage, needs all sorts of regulatory approvals, and its capacity to provide more on-screen brightness is only meaningful to the very biggest auditoriums. Therefore, I don't think the average cinema exhibitor needs to worry about laser projectors for years and years to come.

Cannes Winner Banned

Blue is the Warmest Colour, the Palme D'Or winning film at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, has been banned from exhibition in Idaho.  One of the most anticipated and controversial films of the year, and long awaited by art house movie goers, the three-hour French drama will not be aired at cinemas in Idaho.  Carole Skinner, owner of the Flicks Theatre in Boise told CMG, "We will not be able to exhibit the film because our alcohol license prohibits the screening of movies which feature - acts or simulated acts of sexual intercourse, sodomy, oral sex or other acts which are prohibited by law." Suffice it to say, Blue is the Warmest Colour, includes pretty much all of the banned acts.  However, the Flicks is the only art house in Boise, so Idaho residents will have to cross state lines to view the film. Photo, to right, is of Director and Stars of the film taken at the recent Toronto Film Festival where it earned Best Foreign Film Award.

Blue is riding high however. For its debut last week it came in second at the French box office and is the highest grossing independent film so far this year.  Interest in the award winner is huge both in the rest of Europe and the U.S. where it will be released in November. Look for it at your local cinema art house.

Best
Jim Lavorato

CINEMA BuzzFEED - Week of 6 October 2013

Jedi Light-sabers Become a Reality


Physicists at Harvard and MIT have discovered a way to bind photons together in order to form a new molecule which behaves almost exactly like the Star Wars deadly light-sabers.

Harvard physics professor, Mikhail Lukin told CMG, "Most of the properties of light we know about originate from the fact that photons are massless and do not interact.  What we have done is create a special type of medium in which photons interact with each other so strongly that they act as though they have mass and bind together to from molecules.  The physics of what's happening in these molecules is similar to what we see in the movies."

No one has begun to build actual light-sabers; however, with a trilogy of new Star Wars movies in the works by Disney - this is great PR.  "Let the force be with you".

Battling the Pirates


In the last week of September, Google took down a record-breaking 5.3 million content pirated links from its search engine.  That's equivalent to nine links every second.

According to Google, they have significantly increased their take-down rate to requests from copyright holders.  The response started in February, when the take-down rate hit 3.8 million per week.  In March it had risen to 4.5 million and peaked at the September, record rate  of 5.3 million spanning 37,413 domain names from 5,407 copyright owners - that's a 4000% increase over the first take-down which Google started in July 2011.

This is welcomed news for both Hollywood and movie exhibitors as pirated films dramatically eat into movie attendance. In the past, the movie industry has condemned Google, and other search engine providers, for doing too little to prevent pirated content online.

Hillary Themed Projects Get the Boot


As a follow-up to a CMG post of last month on the movie "Rodham" which is a portrayal of a young, up-and-coming, and in love Hillary, throw Monica under the bus, Clinton two other projects that were in the works by CNN and NBC were cancelled last week.

CNN dropped a planned docu-drama after the network received strong back-lash from both Democratic and Republican operatives, while NBC abandoned its planned miniseries, "Hillary" that was to star Diane Lane.  An NBC spokesperson, stated "After reviewing and prioritizing our slate of movies/miniseries development, we've decided that we will no longer continue developing  the Hillary Clinton miniseries."  The series was to be "partly fictionalized" .

Regarding CNN's decision, the Huffington Post reported that Charles Ferguson, who was to direct the docu-drama, said "Nobody, and I mean nobody, was interested in helping me make this film. Not Democrats. Not Republicans".

The feature film, "Rodham" is still, sort of, in the works.  However, the New York Times reported that the project currently has "no cast or financial backing".  The film's expected release date was originally set for late 2014 or early 2015. Carrie Mulligan, refused the role to play Hillary.

Let's face it, is any of this necessary? There are over 50 books and a number of movies about Hillary, do we really need more?  Do we need to have more flash and propaganda about a candidate right before an election?

Best
Jim

CMG's Annual Report on Today's Cinema

The 'Industry's' Condition

The production and distribution of motion pictures and television programing is one of our nation's most important and valuable cultural and economic resources - bar none.  The 'industry' supports over 1.9 million domestic jobs that will pay out over $110 billion in wages for 2013 - with an average salary of  $84,000 (75% above the average salary nationwide).

The 'industry' supports over 108,000 businesses located in every state in the country, and is one of the most highly competitive around the world - one of the few industries that consistently generates a positive balance of trade in very country where it operates.  In fact, the 'industry's' trade surplus is larger than each of the surpluses in the telecommunications, management and consulting, legal, medical, computer, and insurance services sectors - and should exceed $18 billion this year.

Global Box Office

The worldwide cinema box office for 2012 totaled $34.7 billion, of which, $10.8 was domestic (U.S. and Canada) and $23.9 billion international. As expected, the Chinese box office experienced the most growth (36% at $2.7 billion) and became the largest international market, surpassing Japan.

The international market is where the growth for cinema will continue. Over the last five years the international market has grown by 32%  while the domestic box office grew by 13%. I anticipate that the international box office (currently making up 69% of the total) will continue to accelerate and by decade's end be at 75% of the total.

The top five international box office markets for 2012 were: China - $2.7b, Japan - $2.4b, United Kingdom - $1.7b, France - $1.7b, India - $1.4b.  Globally there are approximately 130,000 cinema screens of which 42,803 are located in the U.S. and Canada (33%).

Domestic Market (U.S. & Canada)

Domestically, admissions reached 1.36 billion (or 4.1 per capita) for 2012 and it is anticipated that 2013 will exceed that figure by 3-4% due solely to increased attendance, as average ticket prices remain static.  Over 225 million people went to the movies last year, about 68% of the population, with broader demographic shares remaining constant. Notable exceptions are 12-24 year olds and Hispanics, which continue to oversample in moviegoing vs. other groups.

The admission price for a family of four averaged $31.84 last year exclusive of concessions, well below the cost of other out-of-home entertainment. Average cost for a family of four attending an NFL Game - $313.52, NHL Game - $244.04, NBA Game - $208.96, Theme Park -$199.00.

Demographically moviegoers can be grouped by age or ethnicity. For 2012, 61% of moviegoers fell into the 12-39 age group, with 25-39 year olds representing the largest group with 25% of total admissions. Ethnically, Caucasians (as would be expected) make up the largest group of moviegoers with 56% of the total. However, Hispanics were at 29% (much greater than their share relative to the overall population), while in contract, African Americans only accounted for 1% of moviegoers. Gender wise, female admissions totaled 51% vs. 49% for males.

There were 677 movies released by Hollywood last year of which 36 were in 3D format (down from 45 in 2011). As in the past, the box office is skewed toward the high-impact, action movie. The top 25 movies (3.7% of movies released) totaled $5.37 billion or 49% of the total box office gross, with the top 5 films (The Avengers, Dark Knight Rises, Hunger Games, Skyfall, and Twilight: Breaking Dawn II) grossing $2.1 billion or 19% of the total.

Summary

I expect the trends to continue. Globally, Hollywood has a very bright future as the demand for expensive, well marketed super-hero and action films will remain strong as more cinemas are built, particularly in the Asia/Pacific region. Domestically, the box office will remain strong and steady even in the face of more competition from the internet and in-home entertainment sources.

Jim Lavorato

'BREAKING BAD' & BATMAN

Unless you're a Cisterian monk or in a coma you are either a fan, observer, or have heard about 'Breaking Bad' the hit TV show which aired its final episode last night.

'BAD' TEDDY

What this series has meant for the actors in the 'Bad' are major kudos and mega-offers for more TV and film roles.  Bryan Cranston, the star of  'Bad' is no stranger to TV (Malcolm in the Middle) or movies (Saving Private Ryan, Argo, Drive) but is now getting bigger and better role offers. He is rumored to be tapped as Lex Luthor in the upcoming "Man of Steel" (WB) film, but Cranston has denied these rumors.

Responding to reports that he had signed on for six films as Superman's nemesis, Cranston told the Boston Globe, "Six, this is all news to me.  I think that maybe my name is bandied about because I'm known to be bald. 'What bald guy can we get ?' The reality is they can take any actor and shave his head or put a bald cap on him."

Widely known as "Superman v Batman" after Warner Bros. stated that the two superheros would square off in the upcoming movie (schedule for release in 2015), Ben Affleck is rumored to play Batman while Henry Cavill will continue his role as Superman.  Former James Bond portrayer, Timothy Dalton, is being considered for the role of Alfred (Batman's butler). Dalton, who is 69, (time does fly by) would push out Michael Caine (80) who wants the role he as played in three previous Batman films.

On another 'Bad' topic. As the series comes to an end, fans had a chance to enjoy a piece of the show, literally.  ScreenBid.com auctioned off over 250 props used in the show yesterday. From a car (Walt's Aztec) to a teddy bear (starting bid was $1,500 for the pink teddy) fans gobbled up the mementos in short order.

Best
Jim Lavorato

RoboCop: Metaphor for Detroit Rebirth

RoboCop - Old vs. New Version

A giant 10 foot bronze RoboCop is being fabricated after fans of the half-human/half-cyborg crimefighter raised funds through Kickstarter.  The statue is to be inaugurated next summer and reside at Wayne State University's TechTown campus.

The project, with the backing of Peter Weller (the star of the original RoboCop movie)
 and the Kickstarter crowdfunding raised the $67,000+ needed in just six days.

It all began when a supporter of the idea tweeted Detroit Mayor, Dave Bing, and suggested that his favorite movie hero be celebrated as one of Detroit's own.  The idea went viral on Facebook and a group was formed called "Build a Statue of RoboCop for Detroit."  Venus Bronze Works, Warren Ally Foundry, and Edgewise Forge, all of Detroit, will cast the statue.

The RoboCop statue coincides with the arrival of a new RoboCop movie scheduled for release in February.  Joel Kinnaman, plays RoboCop in this new version.  This time the 'Cop' is clad in an all black custom vs. the original steel suit. The recently released trailer of the film looks impressive and should do well at the box office.

Best
Jim Lavorato

Weekly Cinema BuzzFEED - 26 September 2013

Do Celebs Make Good Citizens ?

Celebrities, particularly big stars, by their very presence cause security and crowd problems.  Being present at a public forum, such as a courthouse, voting station, or charitable event usually makes for problems.

Sheen Self-photo Entering Courthouse

Case in point: jury duty.  Crazy but true. Last week Charlie Sheen appeared for jury duty - What!  Can you imagine Charlie in the jury box determining your fate.  Even he thought the scenario was way too nutty - as he snapped a photo of himself entering the courthouse.  Needless to say, Charlie was 'excused' before he make it to the jury box.

In another case, Steve Martin tweeted "REPORT FROM JURY DUTY: defendant looks like a murderer. GUILTY. Waiting for opening remarks"  In fact, having celebs as jurors is such a joke that celebrity news site TMZ has a "Celebrity Jurors: Reporting For Jury Duty" tag.

Tom Hanks appeared for jury duty last month and the case he was assigned to was declared a mistrial after a star-struck member of the LA City Prosecutor's Office cornered Hanks and began asking questions while admitting fanatic devotion to him, which lead to an allegation of jury tampering by the defendant.

Do celebs make good citizens - hell no! But it may not be all of their fault.

Building The Largest Film Studio Ever

Wang Jianlin, a Chinese property mogul, is in the process of building the largest and most expensive film studio complex ever constructed.  The Chinese government is hell bent on shaping an image of China as progressive and modern, but different then America - and media (particularly motion pictures) is an all important factor in developing that image.  So, last week, Wang, China's richest person, held a gala and broke ground, on what will be the largest film studio ever constructed.  At an estimated cost of $5+ billion the studio will be built in Qingdao, a quiet city (by Chinese standards) of three million people on the country's east coast.

The Qingdao Oriental Movie Metropolis is expected to open in 2017 and will cover over 2 square miles.  It will include: 20 sound stages, a studio for filming underwater scenes, a car show/museum, seven resort hotels, indoor amusement park, 300 slip yacht club, and a hospital among other facilities.

The 58 year old Wang, chairman of the Dalian Wanda Group, which purchased the AMC Theatre chain last year is the world's largest movie exhibitor.  Stated Wang, "The studio is the most expensive film industry investment of all time, an unprecedented project that will create history.  China's cinema audience is currently the world's second largest, I expect it to take the top spot from the US by 2018.  With the huge potential that comes with a population of 1.3 billion, the global film industry will recognize that the sooner you partner with China, the sooner you make more money."

Critics, however, say that no matter how much cash you throw at it, China will not be able to best Hollywood until its film industry and makers are given full creative freedom.  I tend to agree, but you never know.  Wang recently donated $20 million to the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences in LA, which will name a new film library in his honor.

4k Will Eventually Rule

Ultra High Definition (UHD) known as 4k (which refers to the number of pixels that run across the screen) serves up four times as much information as today's High Definition TVs (1k) image and your local cinema's 2k on-screen image.

The UHD-TV or cinema 4k is eye-popping visually but comes with a high price.  For TV, sets must be large for viewers to appreciate the value of 4k; however, consumers will not buy a 4k set unless there is content available to watch on the larger screen.  Trouble is, content providers and studios don't want to invest in 4k content until there is a large consumer base of UDH-TVs in living rooms. 4k TVs nonetheless are creeping into living rooms.  Currently, 30% of all TVs sold are 50 inches or larger and falling prices will ensure this trend will continue.

Not to be left out, content streamers are entering the fray.  Recently, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings commented, "4k capable tablets and PCs will catch on before 4k TV and thus consumers will need broadband connections capable of streaming 4k video.  The Hollywood studios have been building up a large archive by scanning movies in 4k, meaning internet streamers, like Netflix, will eventually have a decent library of on-demand 4k to tap into."

Pixel Counts
Standard Definition = 720x576 pixel count
High Definition = 1280x720 - current HD-TV
Full HD = 1120x1080 - 1k
UHD = 3840x2160 - 4k

Best
Jim Lavorato

Star Wars Casting Call

Disney/LucasFilms Calls for 'Tall' Actors

Disney Studios (the new owner of LucasFilms) put out a casting call last week seeking seven-foot+ actors for "an untitled studio feature".   Speculation is that the actor(s) will portray 'wookiees' that will be making a return to the Star Wars space saga.

The casting call, issued by British casting service - Spotlight, called for "males 7ft. to 7ft. 3" tall with slim/thin builds and upright posture.  Not too worked out or too thick set especially in the shoulders.  Broad facial features would be a bonus". Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca (Han Solo's wookiee buddy) in the original Star Wars trilogy was 7ft.2" tall.

The new film, currently known as Episode VII Legacy Of The Sith (subject to change) will be one of a trilogy of new films planned by Disney/LucasFilms.  The film's director JJ Abrams stated that, "the new film will be as emotional and authentic and exciting as possible. We all know that  Star Wars creator George Lucas' dream has become almost a religion to some people. As much a fairytale as it was, it felt real.  And to me, that is exactly right".

As previously reported in CMG, Disney will release the Episode VII in 2015.  Original actors Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), and Harrison Ford (Han Solo), have all signed up for Episode VII, which will began filming in London early next year.

Good luck to all you tall and lanky actors.  Playing a wookiee would be a great payday, not to mention lots of fun.

Weekly Cinema BuzzFeed - 19 September 2013

Hollywood Ladies Love Pearls

Marilyn with favored pearls

Marilyn Monroe was not noted for her interest in bling, however, she did love the simple pearl necklace given to her by Joe DiMaggio on their honeymoon.  In fact she wore it at their divorce hearing in 1954, not in scorn but because she really adored that pearl necklace.

Liz Taylor however, was into bling in a big way.  Her famous comment, "Big girls need big diamonds" summed it all up.  Her collection included the La Peregrina pearl which was part of the 16th Century Spanish crown jewels.  La Peregrina has no literal translation in Spanish but many called it the 'pilgrim' or 'wanderer'. It has an estimated value of $2-3 million. 

Many celebrities favor pearls over diamonds believing they are less ostentatious.  Jackie always wore pearls.  However, the formation of pearls is so rare that a natural pearl forms in only one in every 2,000 oyster shells.  In some cases, one in 50,000 shells for some of the rarer colored pearls, making them rarer then many precious gems.

Irregardless, Hollywood female stars have always favored pearls.  Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, and Natalie Wood all favored pearls, today Keira Knightly and Lady Gaga, all have or had an affinity to pearls.

Metro Manila

If you get a chance, even if you have to travel a bit, do go and see the indie movie Metro Manila by Sean Ellis. Remortgaging his house to raise funding, Ellis got the additional $600,000 needed to make the $1 million character-based thriller.

The story centers around a farmer who is forced on to the streets of Manila after the price of rice drops, he finally gets a job as an armored truck driver, falls in with shady company, and the movie goes from there.

Metro Manila premiered at Sundance in January, taking the Audience Award for Best World Drama.  Its release, next month, in the Philippines has become a national event.

Asked what is in store after the success of Metro, Ellis commented that, "There are some great scripts being sent to me. But, what was it Michael Caine said? The kind without other people's coffee stains on them". That's good.

Jackie Chan 'World' Just Like Disney World?

Jackie Chan, the Chinese martial arts and film star, is opening his own theme park in Beijing, China. To be called JC World, the park will be almost a square mile in size, and have five sections each offering a different "cultural experience".  Entrance to the park will be free, although certain attractions will carry a charge that will be used to maintain the facility.

Chan told reporters, "I was very poor when I was a child, so when I had money later on, I bought all sorts of things and went around the world collecting them."  These collections will all be on display."  Chan has amassed collections of sandlewood houses, jewelry, furniture, and many other items.

China has been opening theme parks as of late. Disney will open an enormous resort in Shanghai in 2015 which has been 15 years in the making.  The world's first Angry Birds park recently opened and DreamWorks plans a resort titled Dream Center to open in 2016 also in Shanghai.

We wish Jackie all the best.

Nicole Knocked Down But Gets Up Fighting

Nicole Kidman says she will press charges against Carl Wu, the notorious biker paparazzo, after she was knocked to the ground when Wu hit her with his bike. See photos at right taken by other paparazzi on the scene.

Racing to get a photo of the celeb, Wu collided with Kidman outside the Carlyle Hotel in New York, where she was attending Fashion Week. Kidman was allegedly sent sprawling when Wu smacked into her, although she did not appear to be seriously injured.  Police issued a ticket to Wu for cycling on the pavement. Wu recently also had a run-in with Lady Gaga's security people in Boston as he tried to take an up close photo of the singer.

Paparazzi activities have drawn a lot of ire out of Hollywood celebs recently and several including Halle Berry and Jennifer Garner appeared before the California legislature to tout a new law against the taking of photos of children accompanying famous people.

Best
Jim Lavorato

12 Best Movie Soundtracks

Best soundtracks.  Wow, preferences in music are quite diverse, nonetheless, the BBC recently polled its listeners to find out what they felt were the greatest movie soundtracks.  The results for the top 12 were as follows:


1. Diamonds Are Forever
2. Lord of the Rings
3. The Assassination of Jesse James
4. Natural Born Killers
5. The Pianist
6. A Clockwork Orange
7. The Last of the Mohicans
8. Goldfinger
9. Transformers: The Movie
10. Shaft
11. Once Upon a Time in the West
12. Schindler's List

Agree? Disagree?  I disagree, yes some of the above films have great soundtracks but what about: Star Wars, Fight Club, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Apocalypse Now, Singin' In the Rain, Pulp Fiction, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Saving Private Ryan, The Godfather. And these are just off the top.

Like I said at the start, it's all preferential. One thing we can agree on is that a great soundtrack is essential to a great movie.  Sound is one-half the movie presentation, and vital to a film's structure.  A great movie with a so-so soundtrack is equivalent to being served a great meal  with bad service - it just can't make up for it. 

Best
Jim Lavorato

CINEMA BuzzFEED - 12 September 2013

Bond's Submarine Car Sells for Over $800,000

The white submersible Lotus Esprit, which was featured in The Spy Who Loved Me was sold at auction for over $800,000.  The sale came 24 years after the vehicle was found in a New York City storage container which sold for $100. 

The car is said to be fully functional in submarine mode but cannot be driven on land.
In the movie, Bond drives the Lotus off a pier into the ocean as he tries to evade a pursuing helicopter, which he eventually destroys. The Lotus then emerges from the sea on a beach and drives away.

The Lotus Submarine Car, although pricey, was not the most valuable Bond car, that goes to the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 used in Goldfinger and Thunderball, which sold for $4.6 million.

Cinema Posts Record Summer

Even with a few mega-flops the U.S. summer box office, which ended on Labor Day,  made a record $4.7 billion. The studios packed the summer with big-budget blockbusters that ranged from hugely successful films to major bombs.  In all, the summer box office saw a 10.2% increase over last year, with attendance up 6.6%.

Moviegoers had a line-up of one-after-the-other big budget films which meant faster turnover which may have actually hurt some films.  The biggest summer hit was Disney's Iron Man 3, which earned $409 million domestically and $1.2 billion worldwide. Despite successes, Disney lost big on The Lone Ranger which grossed only $88 million but cost $215 to produce.  Other bombs included: Turbo, After Earth, White House Down, The Wolverine, and The Hangover Part III.

Hollywood studios consider the summer months to be primetime, when the audiences are the widest.  Several low and medium budget comedy and horror films did very well, including The Conjuring and The Purge, as did the summer's top comedy film, The Heat.  It was interesting to note that the top six summer films were all sequels or part of existing franchises.

The high cost of marketing a movie, which can rival or surpass production costs, makes it likely that the studios will continue to increasingly depend on high-impact action movies and teen fare during the summertime.

The box office is as unpredictable as ever, where sure things - like Will Smith in After Earth or Johnny Depp in The Lone Ranger - do not always spell success, while a low-budget movie, like The Heat, can make tens of millions.

R2D2 Spotted in Star Trek Movies


It was the final frontier, as far as die-hard Trekkies are concerned, as R2D2 the dome shaped robot of Star Wars films, was spotted in a second Star Trek movie.

First seen briefly in the 2009 movie Star Trek, R2 has now showed up in the latest film in the Star Trek saga, Star Trek Into Darkness, where the small droid can be seen being sucked into space (one hour and 17 minutes into the feature).  Trek bloggers and fans blasted Into Darkness and voted it the worst Star Trek movie ever at their annual Vegas convention held last month. One blogger wrote, "Star Trek is not Star Wars.  Trek and Wars come from two totally different places. One is thoughtful serious fiction, the other, a mash-up of Westerns, Asian action films, and '30s serials."   We can guess which one he thinks is a mash up.

Bedtime Stories Get 'Stressed Out'

A recent poll commissioned by Littlewoods, the clothing and houseware retailer, found that only 13% of parents read to their children each night.  What use to be the way a parent and child bonded at the end of each day is pretty much gone.  No more 'Cat in the Hat', Grimm tale, or Snow White  parents say they are too 'stressed out' and 'tired' to read to their kids.

Of the 2,000 mothers polled with children 0-7, only 64% said they had ever read bedtime stories, although 94% responded they were regularly read stories when they were young.  Further, only 13% of the respondents read a story every night, which was surprising since 87% believed that bedtime reading is 'vital' to children's education and development.

The poll discovered that 9% of parents feel "too stressed" to read bedtime stories and 13% admitted they did not have the time.  Nearly 50% of the mothers said their kids found television, computer games, and other toys more diverting, while 4% said their children do not own one book!

My take. Children lose imagination without stories.  They become lackluster thinkers.

Jim Lavorato

Fifty Shades of (Green)

Coming out of virtual obscurity four years ago, EL James, the author of the Fifty

Johnson and Hunnam get starring roles

Shades of Grey book trilogy, has become the highest earning author in the world.

Forbes Magazine has reported that James, 50 (whose real name is Erika Leonard) earned $95 million over the last 12 months, as the books sold over 32 million copies.

The first book, Fifty Shades of Grey, is to be made into a feature film which is now in production and is scheduled for release in August of 2014.  Currently big best sellers are more lucrative for authors with movie and TV rights, and other fee generators such as translation rights given the much more 'connected' world in which we live.



EL James

James's earnings stem from her erotic novels which are a combination of romance and sado-masochism and should translate well onto the silver screen.  Charlie Hunnam, 33, will star in the Fifty Shades film portraying billionaire Christian Grey.  Hunnam was last seen starring in two TV series, Sons of Anarchy and The Vikings.  Dakota Johnson will costar as Anastasia Steele, Grey's sex toy.  The movie will tone down the steamer sex of the novel as it will have an 'R' rating.

Fun fact.  Although earning mega $s for her novels, James's books topped the list of books most likely to be left at a Travelodge, which reported that of the over 22,000 books discarded at it lodging chain over the last 12 months, Fifty Shades Freed was number one.  Go figure.

Jim Lavorato

Cinema's Must Have 'WOW' Presentations

LG's Curved Screen

In discussing digital conversion with cinema owners, I must make absolutely sure they understand that the conversion offers them a great opportunity to enhance their presentation with a 'WOW' factor which can not be replicated in the home.

Why? Because the competition for movie viewer eyes is relentless.  Home entertainment A/V equipment is constantly improving and reaching new heights, on what seems to be, a daily basis.

For example, this week both LG and Samsung unveiled Ultra High Definition (UHD) TVs with curved screens.  LG introduced a 77 inch (6.4 ft.) curved screen UHD-TV which, Havis Kwon, LG Home Entertainment CEO, said "was proof that we will never stop pushing the boundaries and exploring new possibilities".

Meanwhile, Samsung showed off a 65 inch (5.4 ft.) curved screen UHD-TV, as well as, debuting a 98 inch (8.2 ft.) UHD flat screen, which is a companion to the 110 inch (9.2 ft.) it unveiled in January (see right).

LG's 77 incher is the world's largest curved screen UHD-TV and is touted as presenting an IMAX-like image that fills the viewer's field of vision.  Jay Vandenbree, LG Senior VP, said "This new 77 UHD exemplifies our commitment to leadership - the razor-thin TV has an unlimited contrast ratio and technology that quadruples the resolution - making this the pinnacle of home entertainment viewing."

So, when exhibitors tell me they want to purchase the smallest digital cinema projector to save what amounts to a few thousand dollars vs. purchasing a projection system which would provide a WOW on-screen image - I argue my case: presenting a movie using a small, under-sized projector will not provide the means to compete long-term against constantly improving competition.

When movie patrons walk into a cinema they need to say "this is the best picture I have ever seen".  Having this WOW factor is not optional, but required.  Exhibitors must ensure that their movie and alternative content presentations are stellar and head and shoulders above what consumers can achieve in their living rooms.  If exhibitors think they can squeak by with poor on-screen images and uninspiring sound they are woefully mistaken - they will be crushed by the competition.

Jim Lavorato

CINEMA BuzzFEED - 7 September 2013

Going Out On Top

Rumors are that 76 year old, three time Oscar winner Jack Nicholson is retiring from acting due to memory loss as he can no longer remember script lines.

Nicholson was last seen in the 2010 romantic comedy How Do You Know which co-starred Reese Witherspoon and Paul Rudd.  Before that he starred in The Bucket List with Morgan Freeman which was released in 2007.  He currently has no film deals pending.  Nicholson won two Best Actor Oscars (in '75 for One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and in '98 for As Good As It Gets) and a Best Supporting Actor Oscar (in '84 for Terms of Endearment), and holds the record for the highest number of Oscar nominations for a male actor: 12.  He has also won six Golden Globe Awards.

According to sources close to the Nicholson, "He's not retiring from public life, at all. He just doesn't want a tribute. He's happy to tacitly join the retirees club, like Sean Connery".  Although the rumors are unconfirmed, Nicholson reportedly turned down the chance to play an alcoholic father travelling with his son to pick up a million-dollar lottery prize in the film Alexander Payne's Nebraska. That role won 77 year-old Bruce Dern the best actor prize at this year's Cannes film fest.   Nicholson was also due to star alongside Clint Eastwood and Warren Beatty as retired superheroes in Matthew Vaughn's The Golden Age; however, this project is currently on hold.

The Demise Of The 3D Movie

As time goes on the popularity of 3D movies seems to be waning. It appears that Hollywood's efforts to advance the 3D format may be dying, as popular demand for 3D is fading away.

The graph shows just how much the 3D format has dipped - with only 16 3D films scheduled for release in 2014.  After the release of Avatar, 3D took off and many films, which should never have been released in 3D, unfortunately, were.  I believe, that starting next year, the studios will only release their very biggest titles in 3D - and that is how it should be.

For awhile, the novelty of 3D got moviegoers to see movies they may otherwise have ignored, particularly after Avatar - which was so successful as a 3D feature - but everything gets old and routine and the enticement of 3D has now worn off.  The same can be said for 3D TVs, as their sales have steadily declined as well.

Don't expect to see 3D movies disappearing but the studios are going to be much more selective in how they use the 3D format in the future.

Best
Jim Lavorato

CINEMAS Are In The RETAIL BUSINESS

Movie theatres, whether or not they want to recognize it, are in the retail business. They deal directly with the public, and market/sell a product called a movie.  They have no control over the making or distribution of the products they sell but they do have control over how that product is delivered to the end-user and have the responsibility of selling 'ancillary' or 'accessory' products.  In the case of cinemas those ancillary products are popcorn, soda, and candy bolstered by other concession items.

These concession items are where cinemas make all of their profits, as the admission revenue - shared with the movie's distributor - only contributes to overhead costs.
However, this business model is not unlike what many retailers face - from car dealers to big-box stores - selling the big ticket items at or near cost and making large margins on the ancillary or accessory products that compliment the larger purchase.

In retail, the name of the game is to segment the market, in most cases by age and/or gender, and target your marketing and advertising programs toward that group.  All advertising is based on one of three components or a combination of the three, which are: sex, fear, or novelty. In addition to 'basing' your marketing, segmenting potential buyers (consumers), is essential.  Be it for a 'point-of-sale' lobby display or advertised coupon discount, cinemas should know the breakdown of their 'moviegoers' so as to stay relevant and meet the evolving social and product needs of Generations X, Y, and Z, as well as, Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation.

Generation Z  Born: 2001 - present, Age: 13 or less
Generation Y  Born:1980 - 2000, Age: 13-33 (referred to as Millennials)
Generation X  Born: 1965 - 1979, Age: 34-48
Baby Boomers Born: 1946 -1964, Age: 49-67
Silent Generation Born: 1925 - 1945, Age: 68 - 88

So, determining the make up of a cinema's customer base provides great insight into their buying needs and desires, and presents the foundation for your cinema's marketing and promotion.

Start today,
Jim Lavorato

Ant-Man: The Newest Superhero

Ant-Man: Next Big Super Box Office Hero

In my last post I spoke to the issue of the marriage between Hollywood and the Comic Book Companies: Marvel and DC Comics.  That marriage has become the most lucrative in the history of the cinema and is continuing with no end in sight.  Adding to the roster of superheroes to hit the silver screen will be Wonder Woman, The Flash and the rather obscure Ant-Man, who will hit the screen on 2015.

Comic-book aficionados know of Ant-Man's troublesome creation and his disrespect by creative movie teams. Ant-Man or Henry Pym (who is married to Janet van Dyne - The Wasp) got a bad rap in the '80s when he was expelled from the Avengers for attacking an enemy from behind when the enemy had stopped fighting.  Additionally, he manhandled Janet and had planned to build a robot which would attack his hero comrades.  That is all in the past however, and Ant-Man is about to make a return to his rightful place along side his super friends.

The upcoming movie will offer up a new and improved Ant-Man, who will stand alone, and not meet with other heroes just yet.  Says, Edgar Wright, Ant-Man creator and the film's director, "I think, the first movie's, just doing its own thing is the accepted history, but it's still part of the other superhero movies and always was. I like to make it stand-alone because I think the premise of it needs time. I want to put the crazy premise of it into a real world, which is why I think Iron Man really works, because it's a relatively simple universe."

Ant-Man has the super ability to morph from the size of an insect to that of an elephant and beyond.  This should offer ripe material to deliver a movie in which Ant-Man is able to shed his dubious past - but does allow the option for him to fall back on his villainous ways.  I look forward to the Ant-Man movie and we should be prepared for a hair-raising cinema experience.

Best
Jim Lavorato

Hollywood + Marvel Comics = Mega $$$$

Marvel and DC Comics have brought the superhero genre of movies to new heights. Currently, moviegoers are enthralled by superheroes - each  gifted with superpowers but also burdened with personal and social issues which give them a more human character. Hollywood took the superhero from comic book fanboy fantasy to international mega-stardom and there appears to be no end in sight.

Lots more superhero movies are on Hollywood's agenda and new heroes are being added all the time - look for Wonder Woman and Ant-Man to join the already large roster.  And it's not just films that bring in the super-dollars, but T-shirts, toys, costumes, video games, books/comics, even exhibitions - like, the Marvel Super Heroes 4D experience at Madame Tussauds.

Why are these films so popular? Because they make us believe in the hero, they make us believe a man can fly. Due to spectacular special effects, fantastic make up and costumes, live action superheroes are made to be believed. Starting on TV in the '50s with George Reeves's Superman the superhero has evolved into a mega $$$ phenomena.  Problem was the superhero didn't quite look the part and special effects were subpar and couldn't compete with their comic counterpart, but that all changed with the big-budget grand, computer generated, special effects that started to appear with X-Men in 2000. Coupled with great costuming, A-list actors, and seasoned directors, the genre has taken off to the point where the action was realistic and, more importantly, believable.

Film technology has reached a point where it can do what comic books were always able to do - have a superhero storyline that is enhanced by fantastic imagery.  In fact, the current superhero films are better than their comic equivalent.  What they do for the moviegoer is to satisfy the need for the spectacular which can only be experienced at a well equipped (picture and sound) cinema. 

If the Oscars were awarded based upon global box office grosses, merchandising sales, and fan appeal and approval, the superhero movies would win every category.   

Riddick: On a Roll

Syfy for thinking people - that may be the best way to describe the Riddick movies, the third of which debuts on September 6th. 

Diesel and Judi Dench in The Chronicles of Riddick

Riddick (Richard B.) is a fictional antihero and a 'whatever it takes' survivalist who winds up in very hostile environments and situations.  Riddick is a Furyan, a descendent of a warrior race which has been rendered near extinction.  Riddick has the ability
to see in the dark but his eyes, which are very light sensitive, require the use of protective goggles in normal light.

Launched in 2000 with the movie Pitch Black, and a sequel, The Chronicles of Riddick in 2004, Riddick has become a syfy cult figure and the upcoming third episode (entitled simply Riddick) is anticipated to be a box office blockbuster - I'm predicting a $70 million opening weekend even with a 'R' rating.

Vin Diesel, who portrays Riddick, is on a box office streak coming off this summer's earlier huge success of Fast &Furious 6 (F&F 7 is due out next July).  David Twohy (insert) has scripted and directed all three Riddick episodes. He was interviewed recently.

CMG: David, you have been quoted as saying you prefer the 'R' rating over the 'PG-13", why so?

DT: If you make it PG-13 then you have to make concessions, and that's what happened on The Chronicles of Riddick where we had to downplay a lot of our action sequences and remove a lot of the blood.  We found it was tying our hands, so we vowed not to do that again.

CMG: Why doesn't the new Riddick film take up where the Chronicles left off ?

DT: Had Universal said to us, "lets roll over, lets pick it up right at the end of the last movie" and funded it, we would have ventured into the Necromonger universe and we would have had a big The Lord of the Rings style movie. But that  didn't  happen, so cleverly Vin and I got the rights back and produced it ourselves on a smaller scale.  That said, it still looks like a big movie.  I think the audience will see the tip of the hat to Pitch Black, but they won't feel claustrophobic.

CMG: Best of luck David

Jim Lavorato

CMG CINEMA BuzzFEED - 18 August 2013

Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique in full body makeup

Makeup Can Make or Break a Role


Makeup can make or break a role.  Changing the actor into someone/something entirely different from their 'real' look.  If done well, makeup can lead to a big box office gross and/or accolades from peers, press, and public. Sometimes lost is the process, makeup provides the real fantasy vs. the special effects of a film. And for certain genre, like syfy, horror, and period pieces makeup makes the movie.  Appreciate the art of the makeup artist next time you're at the cinema.

The Butler - A Lot of Hype But No History


Fonda/Rickman as Nancy/Gibber

As they have done over and over in the past, the Weinstein Company tried to drum up free buzz for The Butler by making a huge deal out of the fight for the use of the title - "The Butler" (which was used by Warner Bros. in a previous film from the 1940s). Remember the recent fuss the Weinstein Company put up over the audience rating the MPAA give to The Bully. It was an "outrage" shouted Harvey Weinstein, "that the youth of American could not view the film because of its R rating." It finally got the PG-13 rating wanted but for all the hoopla The Bully has only grossed $3.4 million to date.  It's like the boy who cried wolf, after awhile nobody listens to the Weinstein wails.

Having said that, The Butler, as a movie, is a cliché. It offers no new perspective as it journeys through the life of Cecil Gaines, a civil service employee that worked as a White House butler through 6 U.S. administrations (Ike's, JFK's, LBJ's, Dick's, Jimmy's, and The Gipper's).  Forest Whitaker's portrayal of Gaines is a mix of Hank's Forest Gump and Seller's Chance the Gardener.  A middle-class family man dedicated to a cause (his job) which is disrupted by outside forces he can not control.

The Butler tries to cover too much history, resulting in a film that is peripheral to the issues it raises.  For example, Gaines is only marginally involved in the civil rights movement and to believe that President after President would ask a WH Butler for advice on complex domestic issues and seem to be awe inspired by the very humble advice given by Gaines is ludicrous.  I can't imagine Ike, JFK, LBJ, or The Gipper asking a butler for advice on any issue of national importance. Jimmy Carter was left out of The Butler, I guess the only civil unrest under him was taking place in Iran with the U.S. hostages and I guess Cecil didn't have any answers to that dilemma.

Regardless of the 'expected' Weinstein hype, The Butler, to be fair, is a decent drama but it brings very little historic reality to the screen.

2015 Could Be The BIGGEST Box Office Ever


In looking out at what is in production it struck me that 2015 was shaping up to be the year of the blockbuster - as it has a very heavy slate of  'sure thing' sequels of franchises that never stop giving.  The 2015 lineup includes:

- Avengers-Age of Ultron / Release Date May 2015
- Untitled Superman/Batman Movie / Release TBA
- Star Wars: Episode VII / Release TBA
- Independence Day-2 / Release July 2015
- Jurassic Park 4 / Release TBA
- Terminator 5 / Release June 2015
- Assassin's Creed / Release June 2015
- Ant-Man / Release Nov. 2015
- James Bond 'Solo' / Release Nov. 2015
- The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Park II / Release Nov.2015


Best
Jim

H'wood Geezers - Is 70 the New 40

'One step too slow' may be a euphemism for aging athletes but not for Hollywood  oldsters. Cosmetic surgery, physical trainers, personal chefs, and constant pampering makes for a long and rich acting career.

No movies could be more exemplary of this than The Expendables - a brain-child of Sly Stallone (67), this series of films depicts a group of supposed over-the-hill mercenaries (most with phychological baggage) that take on assignments with improbable odds for success. The Expendables 3 is now in production but ran into a road bump last week, as Bruce Willis (58) walked away from the film after Stallone (who co-produces and co-writes the films) refused his demand for $1 million/day for four days work.  Willis was offered $3 million for the four days but refused.  Stallone then tweeted that Willis "was greedy and lazy - a sure formula for career failure". Willis made no response. 

Willis, however, was quickly replaced by Harrison Ford (71) who will be joined by new Expendables Jackie Chan (59), Nicolas Cage (49)  and Wesley Snipes (51) for the August 2014 release of The Expendables 3. Mel Gibson (57) and Steven Seagel (61) are also rumored to have roles.  Returning will be Stallone along with Arnold Schwarzenegger (66), Jason Stratham (46), Jet Li (50) , and Mickey Rourke (61). The Expendables 3 has a production budget of $90 million, which is cheap given the fact that the first two Expendables films grossed over $600 million.

The addition of Harrison Ford was a bit of a surprise. An actor of with a long (over six decades) and very lucrative career, he was given the Actor of the Century Award by the National Assoc. of Theatre Owners - as his films grossed more revenue than any other actor. In addition to the Star Wars (it is rumored he will return as Han Solo in the upcoming Disney Star Wars film) and Indiana Jones sagas, think Blade Runner, Jack Ryan in the 'Patriot' films, The Fugitive, and on and on.


The Expendables, like Red 1 and 2 (currently in release), may hit a mental chord with baby-boomers - a "we can still cut it' sense of  bravado.  Nonetheless, in Hollywood, at least, 70 may be the new 40 (for male actors anyway).  Hey, this is Hollywood, where anything can be made to be believed.

CINEMA BuzzFEED - 6 August 2013

Will Wonder Woman be the next BIG Superhero?

Linda Carter as WW on TV

Why not! It seems that Warner Bros. agrees with me, in fact, they are planning a 2017 release for Diana, the Princess of Themyscira (aka Wonder Woman).

Warner's would be remiss if they didn't push Wonder Woman's superhero status given the success of female leads in fantasy films of late.  Tomb Raider grossed over $430 million, Hunger Games has surpassed $690 million with two episodes to go, Resident Evil,  is a $1 billion franchise with 5 films, Underworld's four films have grossed over $500 million, and the list goes on.  Female superheros are everywhere and Wonder Woman - the most well known and popular female superhero of all - deserves (no, demands) a solo movie.

Conceived by William Marston in 1941, WW is an Amazon warrior princess, gifted with a wide-range of superhuman powers and skills who battles for justice and equality.

Warner Bros. DC Comics Entertainment Head, Diane Nelson told CMG that Wonder
Woman is "one of the top three priorities" among the studio's comic-book roster. "We have to get her right, we have to. She is such an icon for both genders and all ages and for people who love the original TV show and the people who read the comics now."  That reference is to the current $100,000 per month in sales for the Wonder Woman comic which has been in publication since the 1950s.

Wonder Woman is a known brand with proven staying power and success over six decades in a variety of different mediums.  A full-length feature is what is needed to spur this superhero on to her rightful place in fantasy land history.

Who would play Wonder Woman? A-lister or new face?  I'm thinking 'newer' face but with a track record.  A good actor who is believable in the role and has a commanding screen presence. Any suggestions?

Digital Viewing Surpasses TV Watching

For the first time in history, during 2013, time spent viewing digital media will surpass time spent watching TV programming. The average adult will spend 5 hours per day on-line or with other digital media as compared to 4.5 hours of TV viewing.

U.S. adults (over age 18) will spend, on average, 2hrs. 21 minutes per day on non-voice media activities, including mobile internet usage on phones and tablets and an additional 2.5 hours viewing other digital content such as DVDs or videos via streamers such as YouTube or via pay-per-view content.  It's scary how much time we all spend on the web or viewing TV shows.  Is there something more productive we should be doing?  Hmmm ..... Ok, what?  Much of the on-line stuff could be work related - emails, texting and such.  TV, on the other hand, is escapism - watching sports, reality shows, sitcoms etc. I don't know how you classify the social networking of  YouTube and Facebook but it sure takes up a lot of time.  Blogs are a whole other beast as are video games. There is no right or wrong to it. It is just what we do.

Most Watched Made for TV Movies in 2013

Yes, believe. The Disney Channel's July 19 debut of Teen Beach Movie drew 8.4 million viewers, making it the most-watched original movie on cable TV this year. This level of viewership would equate to a cinema box office gross of about $75 million. Listed below are other 'small screen' blockbusters so far in 2013 and their viewership on their debut:

1. Teen Beach Movie/BET Network - 8.4 million
2. Being Mary Jane/Lifetime - 4.0 million
3. Anna Nicole/Lifetime - 3.2 million
4. Prosecuting Casey Anthony/Lifetime - 3.2 million
5. Jodi Arias:Dirty Little Secret/Lifetime - 3.0 million
6. Twist of Faith/Lifetime - 2.8 million
7. Cedar Cove/Hallmark Ch. - 2.6 million
8. Behind the Candelabra/HBO - 2.3 million
9. Betty & Coretta/Lifetime - 2.2 million
10. An Amish Murder/Lifetime - 2.1 million
11. Pastor Brown/Lifetime - 2.1 million

The Lifetime Network seems to have their finger on the pulse of what cable viewers are tuning onto for movie watching, their original productions thus far in 2013 would have equated to a cinema gross of over $204 million with 22.7 million viewers.

Cinema operators beware: It is imperative that your movie presentations surpass anything that can be viewed on a TV screen - both picture and sound. Don't try to just get by with a mediocre presentation to save a few dollars, it simply won't work in the long run - the competition is far too great.

Best and Happy Movie Going!
Jim