'Tomorrowland's' Box Office - A World Beyond

Speaking of the loss of star-power - one only has to look at 'Tomorrowland' - George Clooney just couldn't get 'tomorrow' into today's box office.  At a cost of $180+ million, Disney has laid another very big egg.  Projections are that the film's domestic take will end up in the $80-100 million range.

'Tomorrowland' is a child-friendly romp and an original film (not based upon a book, comic, or other source).  The movie did not deliver in terms of mind-blowing special effects - the effects were good but not great and word spread fast.  The marketing of the movie was better than the final (advertised) product.

For Clooney, he should take solace in the fact that no actor has star-power any longer.  No current actor can draw large attendance numbers unless they are supported by a great film. Its been proven time and again that the big box office bruisers don't need a big-name actor to get in the mega-grosses. Even the Disney name, as family-friendly as it is, cannot guarantee audiences.

'Tomorrowland' is what it is - a 'B' movie whose shortcomings quickly became apparent to moviegoers. Many reviewers are blaming the fact the the movie was an original film, in my mind that really doesn't matter.There have been plenty of films that started out as originals and then became huge successes - Fast & Furious comes to mind.

High-impact, action films w/good actors and special effects = good box office. A mediocre film with big-named star and studio cache = bad box office.  Maybe Disney can recoup some of the loss through DVD and pay-per-view sales. Best of luck.

Jim

DOJ Probes AMC and Regal For Misconduct in Movie Booking

It is common knowledge (to anyone in the industry) that the large cinema circuits have used 'clearances' for years.

Clearances are agreements that cinema chains strike with the studios in order to gain the exclusive right to play a given movie in a particular market.  Problem is, this practice is illegal and the Department of  Justice Antitrust Division has initiated a probe at the two largest cinema circuits - Regal Entertainment Group and AMC Entertainment Holdings - to see how this practice has stymied competition from competing theater operators.

AMC, in a statement, said the DOJ "wanted information into potentially anticompetitive  conduct which we do not believe we violated and are cooperating with the governmental authorities."

The DOJ's civil investigative demands, received by AMC and Regal on May 28th, "gave it subpoena power and request for documents and answers to certain questions regarding the practice of clearance". AMC and Regal also received additional civil investigative demands from the Office of the Attorney General of Ohio, which has similar inquiry under Ohio's antitrust laws.

Regal, in a statement, said that it had been asked by the DOJ to "preserve all documents and information since January 2011 relating to movie clearances or communications or cooperation" between the company and its chief rivals, AMC and Cinemark Holdings Inc. We do not believe that any investigation of movie clearances or any communications or cooperation involving the Company and AMC or Cinemark will produce evidence that the Company has engaged in any anticompetitive conduct in violation of Federal or State antitrust or competition laws.

Come on guys, the clearance issue has been around and practiced for years, and has been complained about for years by many independent cinema exhibitors.  The National Assoc. of Theater Owners (NATO) has also known about this for years - and did nothing about it. Not a peek.

It now appears that the practice has become so widespread that it finally couldn't be ignored by the DOJ and State regulators.  The increase in clearance requests by the large circuits has coincided with a rise in cinema construction, and sufferers of the practice say it allows the larger chains to wield significant market power and drive new and existing smaller competitors out of business. AMC, Regal, and Cinemark have commented that clearances are part of a long-standing and established industry practice that only affects a small number of their locations.

Well, just because something is done doesn't mean it's right or, for that matter, legal.  As I said, clearance has been going on for years and everyone in the industry knew it was happening and knew it was wrong.  Clearances should not be granted and the practice needs to be stopped - a large civil judgment against the large circuits may be what will end it.

Jim

The Ultimate Fan

A few weeks ago a post on the greatest movie fans detailed how the 'Stars Wars' juggernaut had the most dedicated fans; however, I may have spoken to soon.  It seems that a 'Star Trek' fan has taken the all-time greatest fan prize.

Liu Dejian, a Chinese web app developer and over-the-top Trekkie, has built his company's corporate headquarters in the shape of the SS Enterprise, Captain Kirk's space ship.  Now, this is what I call a fan!

At a cost of $160 million, Liu has actualized  his obsession with Star Trek and fulfilled the mantra of 'going where no man has gone before'.  Reports from within NetDragon Websoft, Liu's company, indicate that Liu went so far as to secure the copyright for the Enterprise, to make his dream headquarters 100% legal. No word on how much he paid for the copyright but it may have been a good bit over the $160 million construction cost for the building. The huge space-ship shaped corporate campus is quite functional and beautiful and may be as large, if not larger, than the fictional SS Enterprise.

NetDragon has had great success with mobile smartphone games and other apps in China, and Liu himself has branched out of the app game and into fields like bioengineering.  Liu had an early love for the 'Star Trek' TV show and the Trek-series of movies, and is wealthy enough to indulge his passion as a Trekkie. This is quite impressive, it's fantasy to reality in very big terms.

Best
Jim

It's Not All About Money - Or Is It.

I received a few comments from readers saying that I was cynical regarding the movie business being all about money.  That the art of movie-making is not all about profits and grosses but done for a great cause - an artistic endeavor.  Alright, have it your way.  But to bolster my case following are a few recent examples of Hollywood 'good deeds' :

- The American Federation of Musicians of the U.S. & Canada filed a law suit last week accusing the major film studios of "recycling old soundtracks in new movie releases".  The Federation claims that the studios, including Disney, Paramount, and Sony have violated the terms of their contract with song writers by using previously recorded film scores or parts of scores in later movie releases.

The law suit names a number of examples where this 'recycling of film scores' has occurred. For example, there was 1 minute/10 second clip of the 'Titanic' used in 'This Means War', a 33 second clip from 'Castaway' featured in 'Bridesmaids', a 35 second clip from 'Battle of the Planet of the Apes' used in 'Argo'.  These and many other examples were cited in the law suit.

The studios are in agreement that "all music soundtracks already recorded, will not be used at any time, for any purpose, except to accompany the picture for which the music soundtrack was originally prepared."

Well, how cheap and greedy are the studios.  They can't compensate the music writers for use of their songs or scores.  How much money does this save?   Hmmmm ........ but Hollywood's not about money.

- Gender inequality in movie actor pay - that is the current mantra of movie actors. Equal pay for equal performance.  It seems that the leaked emails for the Sony Studio hack indicated that the studios are not paying female stars the same amount as their male co-stars. This has now reached the stage where it begs the question: are these actions on the part of the studios illegal discrimination.

The stuff that leaked through the internet when Sony was hacked speaks for itself.  The emails between executives at Sony indicate that, for example, 'American Hustle' stars Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence were paid less than their male co-stars.

Again, it's all about the money. The solution for this is simple - for the studios. Just pay the male actors less!  Bring their pay down to the level of the female actors - problem solved.  So, instead of making $10 million for their role the male stars make $8 million. They are all over-compensated anyway.  Everyone knows that most films are not star-driven anyway. What?  There have been 5 or 6 Batmen, 3 or 4 Supermen, 3 or 4 Spidermen - you got my drift. It's been proven time and again that a movie doesn't need a star to make a big gross.  Ok, Ok. That's one solution. But honestly, it should be equal pay for equal work without exception.

What is a movie-star. anyway?  Defined as an actor who has become famous for their acting roles or is deemed marketable and whose name is used to promote a motion picture.  Really well known and recognized movie-stars become super-stars.  But are there really any super-stars now?  In the past there were people who sang, danced, acted, and played an instrument - all with great genius. These people were not just movie-stars they were entertainers - and you don't find them in today's Hollywood.

Best
Jim

Trouble in Paradise

It's only a rom-com but 'race-casting' has reared its ugly head once again.  This time it's in Hawaii, where an indigenous peoples support group is targeting the film 'Aloha' with race-casting by featuring - "to few Asian-Pacific Islanders and for insulting the Hawaiian culture."

The new film - to be released this week in the U.S. - has been accused of "white-washing".  The Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA) released an angry statement against Sony Pictures and Cameron Crowe (the film's director) saying they failed to recognize the majority of Hawaii's population.

"Caucasians only make up 30% of the population but from watching this film you'd think they made up 99%," said MANAA. "This comes in a long line of films that use Hawaii for its exotic backdrop but goes out of its way to exclude the very people who live there.  It's an insult to the diverse culture and fabric of Hawaii."

'Aloha' stars Bradley Cooper, who falls in love with a female pilot while he is trying to reconnect with his ex-wife.  The female leads are played by Emma Stone and Rachel McAdams.

What can I say? Hollywood, I believe (as should everyone) is color and ethnic blind, except for the fifty shades of green - as in moola.  Like the constant belly-aching by African-American actors saying they deserve more and bigger roles, to all the other groups that say they are under-represented in movies - the only concerns of film producers is if the film is going to make a profit.

If putting Asian, African, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, or others into their movie would garner a larger box office gross - it would be done.  Movies are made with a certain demographic in mind, and that demographic is what that film is intended to 'play' to.  'Aloha' is a simple rom-com, chick-flix.  Its demographic is white females aged 18-38.

Nuff said,
Jim

Just Say - "Can"

The 2015 Cannes (say 'can') Film Festival (the tops in film fests) is over - and, as is always the case, there was controversy, arguing, and disappointment.

It seems to me that Cannes has become political vs. artistic. The Festival has morphed into a nature preserve, a sanctuary for endangered foreign and documentary films, rallying against the un-natural, polluting, and destructive ways of Hollywood.

The grand prize winner of this year's Palme d'Or was 'Dheepan'. A French made film, 'Dheepan', the work of Jacques Audiard, is about a Tamil Tiger, who escapes Sri Lanka with a bogus family (a woman and child he doesn't know) and goes to France where he gets caught-up in a drug turf-war.  A great film? A good film?  I hope to view it at an arthouse. I'll let you know what I think.

'Dheepan' would never have won an Oscar - but then again Cannes is not an awards show but a festival - a coming together of cinema makers to show their wares and craft-skills.  Cannes, in my opinion has gone to the dark-side.  It's less about the art of film-making and more about the message. Political messages and viewpoints are smeared all over the Festival - from the monotonous, blustering of the global warming threat to the Tamal Tigers (a defunct pro-self governing military organization which formed in Sri Lanka in1976 and was destroyed by the Sri Lankan military in 2009).

Cannes is still the preeminent annual affair for all the biggies in the global movie industry to be seen and heard.  Like most industries, the movie business in now global.  This globalization can be witnessed by the number of films screened at Cannes which were in English (the world's un-official universal language).  Of the 20 films in competition for top honors, only three were made by English speaking film-makers, yet 12 were in English.  So, even foreign films are being made and distributed in English.

I post about Cannes because it's all about excess. In dress, in food, in private jets and yachts, in the way the glitterati pontificate to the 'common and misinformed man', and in the way our hum-drum lives are, some how, made better by the existence of Cannes and its Festival.

Just saying,
Jim

CINEMA BUZZ by Seymore Flix

New York Times To Cut Number of Movie Reviews

The venerable New York Times says it lacks the staff  to review all of the films that are being released and that it will be independent and documentary films that will be taken off the review roster.

Capable of making or breaking a movie with one of its reviews, the Times' Chief Critic, AO Scott, stated that, "Because of the increasing volume of new films released each year, the Times in no longer able to guarantee reviews of all New York theatrical releases." He added, that new movies would now be chosen for review on a case-by-case basis, but promised that the Times would continue to review as many as possible.

The Times has (in the past) criticized the number of low-quality releases screened at cinemas, for even one or two runs, which would require a review from the famous newspaper.  Termed. 'vanity bookings', Scott says, "It's not hard to spot vanity bookings. There are clues. If there's a chance something will be worth our time and space, we want to review it." 

The concern is that a very good film may miss a review and lose out on an Oscar nomination.  The entry rules for Best Documentary Oscar is that the film must have been reviewed by either the NY Times or the LA Times.  "We didn't tell the documentary branch of the Academy to make us the standard and it's tricky because a lot of those are, in effect, good films", says Scott. "We have three staff critics and a good roster of freelancers, but it takes time and space and editorial labor and cost to review so many movies."

I agree that there are just too many movies being produced. Many are not worth big screen time and a great number do go straight to cable or VOD from one of the internet streamers.  As a cruise Netflix or Amazon for films to watch, I see a lot of so-so features and foreign movies - single-star stuff that has no business being shown at a movie theatre.

Do people still read newspaper film reviews?  Or even reviews by web based critics?  If the film is not a big budget blockbuster it's success is mostly word-of-mouth via tweets, texts, or verbal.  There seems to be a documentary on very possible subject, from kudzu to meerkats and each  year more and more would-be filmmakers enter the fray.  There is just too much mediocre product and the Times is right in not wanting to spend the time and money on reviewing them.

Porn in 3D - It's 'Love' in Cannes

Noe' (w/beard) and cast of 3D pron-film 'Love'

Defending his new movie, 'Love' which was screened at the Cannes Festival, film-maker Gaspar Noe' did admit it would "have been hard to make the film in America". There is "nothing nasty" about the film, Noe' stated, however there are explicit sex scenes that do jump out at the audience via the 3D effect.

'Love' tells the story of the melt-down of a relationship between an American ex-pat in Paris and his girlfriend which is perpetuated by the introduction of another female into their relationship.

'Love' will be distributed in the U.S. by Alchemy, an indie film distributor.  It is unlikely that any of the major cinema chains will screen the film. It will carry an 'unrated' rating and it would be a huge struggle to get it into cinemas.

The chances that 'Love' will be playing at your local cinema are very slim. Not only because of the explicit sexual content but that it will have to play in 3D and not many (if any) cinemas are willing to give up a 3D blockbuster for a sex film with a very limited audience.  I think the affair with 'Love' was over before it started.

'Unfriended'


The first social media horror film, 'Unfriended' is again in release. The film, produced by Blumhouse Productions (a Universal Studios subsidiary), cost about $1 million but last weekend ( in a re-release from 2014)  grossed $15.8 million in the U.S. and an additional $3 million overseas.  'Unfriended' has room to grow over the summer, so if you're an exhibitor and haven't booked it, try and do so.

Blumhouse, best known for its 'Paranormal' franchise has made mega-bucks on its ultra-low budget horror movies.  'Unfriended' takes place within web browsers and Skype cams of teenagers where internet searches reveal half the name of the next murder victim.

'Unfriended' is a winner, especially for drive-ins, but also for indoor cinemas which have a good teen demographic.

Best,
Seymore

The Old, The Familiar, The Comfortable - That's Today's Hollywood

Remakes, sequels, franchise films - that's what drives Hollywood these days.  The major studios pop-out these films on a regular basis and plan for more of the same - it's what moviegoers crave and are willing to part with their cash for.

Indies, foreign, documentaries, serious dramas, etc. are auditorium fodder for the multiplexes, in-between fillers as exhibitors wait for the next box office bruiser to be released - and it appears that this scenario is going to be in play for some time to come.  The six majors (Disney, Fox, Paramount, Sony, Universal, and Warners) will continue to focus on what they know works. The only concern is keeping up with the technology.  Technology has made movies more expensive to make as each time a new special effect, immersive sound, or visual enhancement is achieved and delivered it raises the entertainment expectations of moviegoers for more and better.

Generally, a major release ($100 million or more cost) needs to make 2.5-3 times its budget before it can be considered a success.  That's why the studios favor known box office winners with a ready-made audience.  Hence the remake or sequel -  give moviegoers the familiar, the old and successful, the comfortable - with characters and story-lines that they can relate to.  Books have become a huge source for movie content.  Marvel comic characters, for example, come with a large and supportive audience that already knows the background story and traits of their favorite heroes.  Fan boys and girls that range in age from 12 to 65 - the older generations were comic fans, the younger video game fans of the same characters.

It is now common for a remake or sequel to outperform the original movie.  This is particularly true of franchise films which build one-upon-the-other making the characters more and more familiar to the audience, and thus more and more believable.

The old, the familiar, the comfortable is what Hollywood banks on - and it's paying off.

Best
Jim

Barden Bellas 'Bitch-Slap' Mad Max

Boxoffice Battle of The Sexes

Women a Force in Films

In a boxoffice battle last week, the girls came out swinging and beat-down the gents in a no-holds barred bout.  'Pitch Perfect 2' - representing the growing power of the female moviegoer - grossed $70.3 million, while 'Mad Max: Fury Road' - the male-centric film - garnered only $44.4 million.

Women, one could argue, have been underrated as a bloc when it comes to moviegoing. but this notion is changing.  The audience for 'Pitch Perfect 2' was 75% women and outscored its older sister, 'Pitch Perfect' (released in 2012) which grossed a total boxoffice of $80.8 million over its entire run. Thing is, 'Pitch Perfect's' VOD and DVD sales were huge prompting Universal to move forward with the sequel.  The film also had a mega soundtrack hit with the Barden Bellas, the 'Pitch's' singing group.

Making matters worse for the guys is that 'Mad Max' cost $150 million, while 'Pitch Perfect 2' costs only $29 million to produce.  However, coming into the Memorial Day weekend the 'Max' should perform well, and we'll see if the girls can sustain their winning streak.

The performance of 'Pitch Perfect 2' coincided with remarks made by actress, Salma Hayek, at Cannes this week.  Saying that women have been ignored by the studios and industry in general. "The only kind of movie where women make more than men is the porno industry" cried Hayek.  "They don't see us as a powerful force."   Well, this may all be changing as women dominated films kill at the boxoffice.

Films by and about women are now having huge boxoffice success.  Hayek also remarked about missing out on roles because male stars get the right to veto female co-stars - but women don't get the same right.  Additionally, since the Sony Studio's computer hack of last year, we now know that women lead or co-lead actors don't get the same money as men.

The battle of the sexes in movies will continue and I'm betting my money on the fairer sex.

CINEMA BUZZ by Seymore Flix

'Tentpoles' - What Are They In The Movie Business

The word 'tentpole' is frequently used to describe movies that are box office blockbusters.  These are the franchise films that the studios are betting will hit it big. Currently, these are the high-impact, action or fantasy films that moviegoers crave and support.

Tentpoles are known quantities that the studios are banking on and have strategically positioned there release dates to garner the best possible grosses - so as to prop-up the year's releases that will be flops.

But where does the term 'tentpole' come from?  Well, it been around for decades.  In fact the term goes back to 1917 when a theatre critic, Alexander Woolcott, described the stage actor Harry Mestayer as a "tentpole".  Mr. Woolcott wrote, "Every now and then a visitor to a play sees an expert actor holding up a scene as a tentpole holds up an acre of bellying canvas"  That phrase has resonated for decades and somewhere along the line tagged it to movies that bolster (lift up) box office grosses.

The term was first used in reference to movies by then Paramount chairman, Frank Mancuso. "Tentpoles are movies that because of content, star value or story line have immediate want-to-see"., stated Mancuso. That phrase stuck and 'tentpoles' are what drives the movie industry today.

No Flats At The Cannes

Oui! Oui!

It's Cannes Film Festival week and as usual things got ugly.  This year it's all about footwear - or at least women's footwear.

Aucun! Aucun!

It seems there is an unwritten Cannes rule that says women MUST wear high-heeled shoes to all red carpet events.  Well, I, for one, was appalled when a number of women tried to circumvent the rules and were promptly turned away for wearing flats.  The gall of it all.  Anyway, so what if some of the women had medical or phyicial conditions which prohibited the wearing of high-heels.  Rules are rules!

The Cannes dress policy for red-carpet events states, "men must wear black tie with black shoes and women must be elegantly dressed with smart footwear".  I guess high-heels are smart and rhinestone loafers dumb - at least at Cannes.

Ah, the superfluousness of it all- the glitterati arguing over shoes - I love it!

World of Warcraft ...... Finally

Doomhammer -  so cute.

Nine years in development the first scenes of the movie based on the gigantically popular video game, 'World of Warcraft' has hit the web. Released by the film's director, Duncan Jones, the clip is a shot of orc chieftain - Orgrim Doomhammer (to know him is to love him). Doomhammer comes to life via the efforts of Industrial Light and Magic, which also did the Hulk in 'Avergers: Age of Ultron'. The creatures, in the film, are real characters yet are regenerated using digital filming techniques.
"We've gone beyond the point where these are just creatures in movies. We now have the technology and the ability to make new characters entirely", says Jones.

'World of Warcraft' is scheduled for release in June 2016 and will mimic the video game's on-going battle between humans and orcs in the fantasy world of Azeroth.


Seymore Flix

Bikes vs. Cars

I like documentaries. Even if I don't agree with the filmmaker's point-of-view or message I learn something about the subject or situation.

A recent docu from Fredick Gertten, a Swede, who has been making films for many years, caught my eye - entitled 'Bikes vs. Cars'.  The film is an expose' on the war between bikes and autos, which seems futile and very one-sided until you dig a little deeper.

Major cities across the globe are designed for cars and are more or less hostile to bike travel. Gertten knows this, so his film centers on the notion that, "Car dependency is a disease for society. If you're dependent on having a car everyday, you have lost your freedom.  Most people are unhappy in traffic. Yet, the people who bike, become city-lovers.  When you're in a car, you don't see the city, you are only watching the road.  On a bike, you can see the sky, you can see the trees."  That's all well and good Fredick, but people need cars to get to and from work, play, food, recreation, vacations, visits, etc.  So there has to be more to it than a love for cities.

However, Gertten does have a point. People, in many countries, have come to believe that auto traffic is a normal, natural thing - it isn't. And eventually we all will have to change our ways of 'getting around'.  Although the film is very much on the pro-side of biking, in the end you feel more sorrow for auto-commuters.  So miserable, so tired, so fed-up, in a futile and wasteful part of their lives.  In San Paulo, commuters spend, on average, three hours per day in traffic.  In LA, the roads at rush hour are so clogged that one fender-binder puts traffic at a full-stop (this a can personally attest to).

Docu-maker Fredrik Gertten

As the statistics on the number of cars in the major cities around the globe go ballistic, a picture starts to develop - where perhaps perpetual growth meets the limitations of space.  One always thinks that population growth, water shortages, etc. would be the big catalysts for pushing sustainability but transport may rise first.  The absurdity of trying to cram more and more cars into already clogged roads makes the case for sustainability without even trying to argue it.  Gertten is right when he states, "I don't even think it's about growth or not growth.  Growth needs to be sustainable to be counted as growth, this is just destroying things".

'Bikes vs. Cars' opened in early May to a limited release.  If you get a chance to view it do so - you may not agree with the message but the final outcome seems pretty certain.

Best
Jim

In-Cinema Advertising - The Answer To Many Marketers

Market Fragmentation Not An Issue For Cinemas

Everyone knows that in-cinema, pre-show advertising is very much worth the cost for advertisers. The greatest concern for any company advertising its products or services is market fragmentation - which has never been greater.  Getting to a target audience is primary and a huge challenge for most companies.  But cinemas offer up such an environment, if fact, cinemas are stand-outs as audience fragmentation gets worse.

The normal (and old) response to audience fragmentation by marketers is to use the shot-gun approach - offer the same ads to everyone. But this approach doesn't work well and cost a lot of money, in addition, it does not have an audience that is paying full attention to the ad.

Cinemas offer an audience that IS paying full attention - there are no distractions.  Cinemas offer an environment where other outlets (particularly online or mobile) face - an ever increasing number of ways for consumers to avoid watching ads.  Only 50% of viewers say they pay attention to ads on TV, and there are ways to 'not-view' ads - using DVRs, ad-skipping, ad-blocking and time shifting, and through the use of streaming services, like Netflix and Amazon.  This leaves companies wondering; Who is watching our ads, and more importantly, how do we get to the target market.

What advertisers want is to have viewers not only watch their ad but impact them to take action.  They want consumers to see and engage.  The only place this works well, give the fragmented marketplace we live in, is cinemas.

Every weekend audiences show up in the millions at their local cinemas - and those audiences are captive and impressionable.  Cinemas offer up the world's best programming in an immersive and distraction-free environment. Offering unique ad awareness, as 0% of a cinema's audience can skip ads, and the impact is 100%.

Taking this one-step further, cinemas ads can be pin-pointed to a particular viewing audience.  Different ads can be presented depending upon the movie being played. For example, an ad played for an audience that came to view a high-impact, action hero movie vs. ads presented for a rom-com.

All cinema operators should be running pre-feature ads and adding that revenue to their profits.

Jim

CORD CUTTING - Not A Big Savings

Value in the Bundle 

You hear a lot about people 'cutting-the-cord' or getting off of cable TV and going with internet or 'over-the-top' (OTT) content viewing. The biggest reason for 'cord-cutting' is cost. Many people believe that cable has gotten too expensive and many of the channels they are paying for they never watch.  But is this true?  If you look at the numbers you get a different picture.

what is referred to as

Despite the hype, OTT packages offer a very limited number of channels, and most don't have all of the sports - that many people young and old crave.  Even non-sports fans get short-changed as they have to subscribe to several OTT packages or services to satisfy their entertainment needs. Factor in the cost of basic broadband and the total cost of OTT  approaches a 'double' or 'triple' play from a cable provider. 'Double' play means having cable TV and internet connection. 'Triple' play means having cable TV, internet connection, and phone connection.

To me 'cord-cutting' sounds great in conversation but crumbles when faced with reality.  When taken individually, none of the OTT offerings provide everything viewers want, and cable providers will move toward a menu driven programming whereby subscribers can pick-and-choose the channels they want to see and only be charged for these.

What Are The Costs

A cable TV provider 'bundle' (TV, internet (broadband) service, and phone service) runs about $100 per month - give or take.  The cost of  OTT services varies greatly, but here is a current rundown:

- Amazon Prime - $99/year and free Amazon shipping. Offer some original series and library of old movies, music, etc.
- Apple TV- $30-40/month.  25 live channels including ABC, CBS, and Fox.
- Sling - $20/month. Live streaming channels, including ESPN, TNT, TBS. Other content and extra $5/month.
- HBO Now - $14.99/month. Movies and original series
- Hulu Plus- $7.99/month. Current and past TV shows from major broadcasters and cable networks.
- CBS All Access - $5.99/month. Live and on-demand programming from CBS network.
- Noggin- $5.99/month. Ad-free programming for kids.
- PlayStation Vue - $49.99/month. 50 networks including CBS, NBC, Fox, TNT, TBS, etc.
- Netflix - $7.99/month. Original programming plus library of movies, TV shows, etc.
- Xfinity - $49.99/month. Offers 140 channels including major networks, plus ESPN and others.

So, you still need an internet (broadband) connection to access any of the above. Average cost of broadband $50-60 per month. On all of the above a lot of the newer content, especially movies, are on a pay-per-view basis and most don't offer 'everything' that you want. The result is that most 'cord-cutters' wind-up subscribing to two OTT services and sometimes more!  So the 'bundle' being offered by the cable TV provider gets to look better and better in terms of value, accessibility, and content variety.

What is happening is that the folks are, by-and-large, sticking with their cable provider (which also provides broadband service) and subscribing to one or two of the OTT services - like Amazon or Netflix.

Best
Jim

It's All About Moms

It's Mother's Day and I want to congratulate all of the great Moms out there, each any very one.
However, it struck me that sometimes Moms aren't so great. And what about bad Moms in the cinema.

Let's start with the first Mom, Eve. Hmmmm not so great.  Ate the forbidden fruit and condemned us all to hell. Plus one of her sons killed the other. Not too nurturing, Eve.  But let's talk bad cinema Moms. Here are some of my favorites:

Ramsey in 'Throw Mama'

Throw Mama From The Train (1987) - starring Danny Devito, Billy Crystal, and Rob Reiner with Anne Ramsey playing Devito's cruel and domineering mother who he plots to kill.  This is a black comedy that is well worth the view, bad Ma aside.

Dunaway with wire hanger

Mommie Dearest (1981) Semi-bio memoir and expose' of actress Joan Crawford. Played by Faye Dunaway, the story goes that Crawford, the mother of four children (two of which were orphans), becomes abusive due to a series of career and romantic frustrations, coupled with alcoholism. "I told you never to use a wire hanger" Crawford screams at her daughter.

Ma Barker's Killer Brood (1960) depicts the life of Arizona Donnie Barker, better known as Ma Barker - the ring-leader of a notorious gang (which included her four sons).  The Barker gang robbed, kidnapped, and murdered throughout the mid-western U.S. in the early 1930s.  Ma was a great role model and taught her sons the tricks of the criminal trade. The real Ma Barker was killed in a shoot-out with FBI agents in 1935.  Although the movie was highly dramatized it nonetheless showed Ma in her glory days.

The Manchurian Candidate (1962). Eleanor Iselin (played to perfection by Angela Lansbury) takes pleasure in brainwashing her son into becoming an assassin in the hopes of using him to further her (and her new husband's) political fortunes.  The movie, which was controversial had its release postponed due to the Kennedy assassination.  The film also starred Frank Sinatra and Lawrence Harvey and ends well, as the son kills the not-so-good nurturing Mom.

Well, what can I say. Yes, there are bad Moms, just ask Oedipus.

Just saying,
Jim

Cinema Buzz

IN THIS POST:

- Another Actor Agrees With Me ...... They are finally getting it right!
- Deluxe and Technicolor Join Forces
- Eastwood Opens Up At CinemaCon


Downey Gets Down on Indie Films

Another actor has come forward in describing the movie industry and its fixation with indie films that are "exhausting to make and a lot of times suck."  That according to Robert Downey, Jr., one of Hollywood's highest paid and sought after actors.

On a promotional campaign for 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' Downey got down in an interview and stated that independent film-makers are "inexperienced and lame for the most part".  As I've stated many times in this blog the big, blockbusters need to get their due.

When asked by an interviewer from Entertainment Weekly whether he ever felt like making a $500,000 budget indie movie, Downey's response was a flat, "No. Because they're exhausting and sometimes they suck and then you just go, "What was I thinking?"  The indie film makers are like, "Hey, man, we're just running a couple of days behind. Do you think you can stay through your birthday and then come back on the fourth of July? And, by the way, like the crew - can you pay for the craft services?"  Craft services are snacks provided on film sets between main meals.

Downey indicated that he has little patience with the snobbery of those in the indie industry.  Three cheers for Robert Downey. Finally actors are coming to the front and speaking out regarding the Hollywood hoi poloi and their films that make no money and have little entertainment value.


Deluxe and Technicolor Form Joint Venture

Together in a new venture, called, 'Deluxe Technicolor Digital Cinema', the new entity will specialize in cinema digital mastering, distribution, and key (movie codes) management.

The new venture will be managed by Deluxe and be based in Burbank, CA.  The company was conceived to streamline the D-Cinema distribution process and open the way to the next generation of immersive cinema entertainment without competing with each other. This will impact all movie exhibitors and hopefully make the distribution and running of movies easier and more efficient.

Both Technicolor, Inc. and Deluxe Entertainment Services Group have been in the movie industry from the beginning. Deluxe since 1915 and Technicolor since 1914.

Eastwood on Eastwood

At this year's CinemaCon, Clint Eastwood received the 'Legends of the Cinema Award'.  At 84, Eastwood is still going strong, having just seen his latest film, 'American Sniper' become a huge box office success.  On 'American Sniper' Eastwood said, "Everyone has opinions on it, but nobody's really thought about it from the point of view of the families of the people who volunteer for a belief that some of us think is a great idea and some of us don't thing is a great idea."

 As Man with No Name

Eastwood has had a long and very successful career - starting in TV, moving overseas to star in the famous spaghetti westerns, then into direction and production of a wide range of films including several that gave him Best Director Oscars - 'Unforgiven' (1992) and 'Million Dollar Baby' (2004), Regarding his career, Eastwood stated, "I ain't stopping when it comes to making movies, but I won't be doing any superhero movies."

Eastwood started his production company, Malpaso Productions in 1967.  He has starred in many of his films but there are many in which he did not appear, such as 'Mystic River'(2003), 'Letter from Iwo Jima' (2006), and the recent 'American Sniper' - most of which have won critical acclaim.

Clint deserves the 'Legends' award. We all owe him thanks for a great many hours of fine viewing entertainment.

Jim

Cinema's Unlikely Ally

'A Movie Never Looks The Same on TV'

Moore speaking at CinemaCon

At CinemaCon this week, Julianne Moore, this year's Best Actress Oscar winner for her role in 'Still Alice' had this to say about the cinema. "A movie never looks the same on television. We work very hard as creators in creating a theatrical experience. We're always so disappointed when you hear the words, 'day-and-date'." And she is absolutely right.

Of course, Moore is referring to the practice of studios releasing a film in cinemas, on DVD, and streamed via video-on-demand (VOD) to homes entertainment services - all at the same time. A practice which is becoming more and more prevalent, and one which I have noted in this blog for some time.

Now, there is debate over whether a day-and-date release actually hinders or helps a movie's total box office gross, but irregardless, it doesn't help a cinema's gross from a particular film.  However, I believe the trend will continue so cinemas must take this quite seriously and ensure that their movie presentations are spectacular in both image and sound quality, and that their concession is first-rate, and their cinema is clean, tidy, and inviting - a little showmanship goes a long way as well.

Moore further stated, "Hollywood isn't in the business of creating parts for actors.  They're in the business of creating product. It's about making a package."  Moore acknowledged her need to continue making big studio pictures, as well as, indie films, like 'Still Alice'. "The great parts are not going to come to you on a silver platter. You need a commercial profile so that investors will invest in something smaller. You can't make a living doing just indie films."

And that is why the big, box office bruisers. The high-impact, action and animated films deserve credit for generating the huge box office paydays that support the indie type films.  The blockbusters deserve more awards and kudos than they receive. And Julianne is right when she says that movies look much better on the big-screen than at home.

Best
Jim

Fans, Fans, Crazy Fans - Which Are The Best

There are fans, and than there are FANS. Hello Kitty Fans, Cosplay Fans, Comic Fans, Sports Fans - but which are the best fans. Well, it is hard to beat 'Star Wars' fans. At a time when obtaining, and harder still, controlling the fan community none does it better than the folks at LucasFilms.

Unlike most studios, LucasFilms (now owned by Disney) has a Fan Relations Department, which is responsible for, among other things, responding to hard-written notes and letters (yes, I said hand-written, the mailed kind - which come mostly from children), pumping out daily buzz on six social networks, and coordinating the fan based marketing efforts of the studio.

One of  the LucasFilms'  Fan Relations Department's major responsibilities is the coordination of a biennial get-together called the "Star Wars" Celebration - a four day event which was held in Anaheim last week.  Thousands attend the Celebration - the line to get into the convention started forming Wednesday afternoon, 28 hours before the doors were scheduled to open.  To help feed the  'faithful',  LucasFilm employees arrived Wednesday night and served up 200 pizzas.

This year, there will be over 30 hours of 'Star Wars' events, including a droid demolition derby, a sculptor who carves 'Star' characters out of vegetables, a Q&A session with Princess Leia (aka Carrie Fisher) and numerous events to enthrall the faithful.  Disney wants to prove to fans, many of which had mixed feelings about its purchase of LucasFilms, that their beloved 'Star Wars' is in good hands and went all out to demonstrate this. LucasFilms  even had a history of recruiting from its fan base and making them employees. Disney, kept up that tradition, when it hired fans to work in the 'creative department' building droids for use in  'The Force Awakens' - the next 'Star Wars' installment to be released at cinemas in December.

Lucas with Leia look-alikes at the 'Celebration'

LucasFilms' approach to fan relations may be impossible for other studios to copy, as George Lucas ran the studio as he wanted - if he wanted a vibrant fan department he simply allocated to funds for it. Most studios don't work like that, but Disney is trying, and in some respects has very good fan relations given their roster of animated characters which have fan bases.

The scene at this year's Celebration  (the tenth) was described as organized chaos, as thousands of, mostly adults, clad as Jedis, Empire Stormtroopers, Wookiees, droids, and many other 'Star Wars' characters clamored to get to the events.

Cinema operators should tap into the 'Star Wars' craze and prepare an event at their cinema for the upcoming December film - you have plenty of time to plan and market an event.

May the Force be with You
Jim

INVENTING THE CINEMA

Inventing the Cinema, The Lumiere Brothers

Louis and Auguste Lumiere invented the cinema. Now, 120 years later, a new exhibition is being held in Paris at the Grand Palais to celebrate and pay homage to their achievement.

The exhibition entitled 'Lumiere! Inventing Cinema' will be on view until June 14th, and showcases all of the Lumieres' early films which have been pain-stakingly restored.  The show also seeks to put the Lumieres in historical context. Many inventors at that time were experimenting with recording images, including Thomas Edison, but it was the Lumieres, who in 1894, invented the cinematograph, a compact device that united all the existing technology to capture 17-minute films on 35mm film strips and project them. Their cinematograph was patented in 1895.

As soon as the technology took hold, the Lumieres sent novice filmmakers all over the world to document what they saw. Additionally, their cinematograph had early adopters, who began making movies on their own, so that by the early 1900s the first 'feature films' were being made and distributed for projection to the masses, and by 1914, Hollywood had started to form entities which we now refer to as movie studios.

The Lumieres made over 1500 films, which included fiction, as well as, reporting and documentaries. For this tribute to the Lumieres, all 1500 films will be exhibited on large cinema screens.  The first known cinema screening was held at the Salon Indien, inside the Hotel Scribe - Paris in 1895, where 10 Lumiere films were exhibited to a paying audience, thus ushering  in the cinema as we know it today.  

Cinema News & Views

IN THIS POST:

- D-Cinema Equipment Less to Operate
- Blackmagic Launches Tiny Cinema Camera for Drone Use
- Celebs Who Don't Live Large


On-going Operating Cost of D-Cinema Proves Advantageous

For movie exhibitors the day-to-day cost of operating a D-Cinema Projection system is relatively small even when compared to the carbon arcs of begone days.  In the '80s, when I started out in the cinema equipment business, it was common for cinemas to spend anywhere from $300-500 per month for carbons to burn in their carbon arc lamphouses.  Today, a xenon lamp cost a fraction of that. A grind house running 10-12 hours per day will use up a xenon lamp in about 9 months, or the equivalent of $100-200 per month - a far cry from what they were paying 25 years ago!

Xenon lamps for cinemas are inexpensive and besides the lamps and filter kits for the projectors there is really no cost for equipment. No gears. No Sprockets. No Parts. No Splice or Cue Tape. No Reels. No Platter Parts. No Supplies. No Lubricants. No Projectionist!

So, I wish exhibitors would stop complaining about the high cost of digital and focus their attention on showmanship and concession management - where the money is.


Blackmagic Masters of Drone Photography 

Blackmagic camera attached to drone

A GoPro just doesn't cut it for filming movies as the quality demands are too high. For aerial footage not only is a heavy cinema camera demanded but to lift and control them large drones are required. Enter the world of Blackmagic Design, the company that produces the Micro Cinema Camera.

Blackmagic's cameras are suited for high-end image capture while attached to drones.  The cameras have 13 stops of dynamic range and weigh only one pound, including the lens.  This means that it can be mounted on a drone that cost $700 vs. one that costs $3,500 and are much easier to control.

Celebs Who Don't Live Large

We all think that big Hollywood celebs live the high-life. Multiple homes, numerous cars, bling everywhere, an entourage.  But many extremely rich celebs lead very normal and even modest lives. No glitz. No bling. Just living ordinary lives despite their super wealth.

Tyra Banks

- Tyra Banks - 42, net worth $90 million. Super model turned actress, and TV celebrity leads a very normal lifestyle without frills and glitz.

- Jennifer Lawrence - 25, net worth $50 million. Lives in a modest apartment and drives a Chevy.

Jennifer Lawrence

- Sarah Jessica Parker - 50, net worth $100 million. No expensive vacations or restaurants. Lives in a NYC brownstone.

- Jay Leno - 65, net worth $350 million. Has never spent a dime of what he earned from the 'Tonight' show. Lives modestly off of his earnings from his stand-up gigs. Only excessive expense - his auto collection. Never had an agent or manager.

Halle Berry

- Sharon Stone - 56, net worth $60 million. Started out as fashion model and moved onto movies. Lives very modestly and is ordained minister in Universal Life Church.

- Halle Berry - 49, net worth $80. A beauty queen (came in 2nd in Miss USA contest). A Best Actor Oscar winner she lives modestly and is seldom seen at any Hollywood or NYC nightclub or restaurant.

-Denzel Washington 61, net worth $190 million. Although he has one of the nicest homes in Beverly Hills, along with neighbors Eddie Murphy, Sly Stallone, and Rod Stewart, Washington lives a quiet and relatively modest lifestyle. He is noted for his charity and philanthropic work.

Best
Jim Lavorato

CINEMA SCENE by Seymore Flix

Into the Scrap Heap of Cinema

Grace Kelly

Grace of Monaco, the much hyped biopic about the life of Grace Kelly, and which stars Nicole Kidman, have been relegated to the equivalent of the 'cinema trash bin'.  The film will never see the light of day at cinemas and will premiere on the Lifetime cable TV network in May.

The movie had generated much controversy and was publicly labeled a total misrepresentation of Princess Grace's life by the royal family of Monaco - Princess Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier of Monaco.  The movie was a big budget project produced by Weinstein Films and the move to release it directly to cable TV represents a big financial loss.

Kidman as Kelly

The Monegasque royal family, now headed by Kelly's son Prince Albert II and including her daughters Princesses Caroline and Stephanie, issued a statement saying the film, "in no way constitutes a biopic, as it recounts one rewritten, needlessly glamorized page in the history of Monaco and its family with both major historical inaccuracies and a series of purely fictional scenes".

The film's director,Oliver Dahan said, "a have made a human portrait of a modern woman who wants to reconcile her family, her husband, her career."  The Weinsteins had no comment.


Depp: In Rehap or Not?

Production of the fifth film in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and its entire crew have been put on hold because Johnny Depp has been a no-show on the set.  Depp, who is 51, flew home from the Gold Coast, on March 10th to have 'surgery on his hand' was the official word - he hasn't been seen since.

About half of the film crew, which totals 400, were told there would be no more work for them for 'at least two weeks'.  Speculation is rampant that Depp is in rehab and not recuperating from hand surgery.

Depp as Cap. Jack Sparrow

According to a spokesperson for Jerry Bruckheimer Films, which is making the movie for Disney, said production of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, "will absolutely continue when he returns".  However questions are being raised as to when that will exactly be, as it is widely believed that Depp is in rehab in the U.S. Production still has fourteen weeks of shoot time to go.

Depp has admitted problems with alcohol in the past. Last December, Depp appeared to give a drunken speech at a Hollywood Press Association awards night. Shortly afterwards, the National Enquirer reported that Depp was attempting an "at-home" treatment for his alcohol issues.

Clearly Disney is not going to scrap the project, it is far too important a franchise. The four prior 'Pirates' films have grossed over $3.73 billion and have generated many more billions in video games, toys, DVDs, pay-per-view, and other revenue enhancers.  The treasure chest are the movies and Disney won't be giving up that booty just because Jack Sparrow has a few too many rums.

Beating Out The Pundits

Furious 7 Hits It Realllly Big

Yesterday I posted that 'Furious 7' would gross $145 million over the weekend - going against most of the pundits which were predicting a box office of $110-120 million. Well, I hate to brag but the movie grossed a friggin $143.6 million. That coupled with a global gross of $384 million.

The $143.6 gross was the 3rd largest pure weekend debut for a film and a real vindication for a franchise that is 14 years old - and proves, once again, that the action, high-impact movie is what moviegoers are eager to view at cinemas and these are the films that deserve the awards and accolades.

I believe that 'Furious 7' is on its way to a $1 billion total gross before all is said and done which is remarkable for a seventh film in a franchise that started out with a little, small budget, B movie about racing cars.

The film played in N. America to a 51% male audience of which 25% was white, 37% Hispanic, 24% black, and 10% Asian.  So, its demographic was very wide as the gross numbers indicate.

Get ready cinemas for your biggest ever year!

Best
Jim

CINEMA SCENE by Seymore Flix

For Cinemas, Summer Started April 1st

Furious Stars, Michelle Rodriques and the late Paul Walker

The summer box office season started yesterday.  That's right, the summer blockbusters are here and it started with 'Furious 7' which raked in a huge $67+ million on Friday. It's now Saturday evening, as I compose this post, and I believe 'Furious 7's weekend gross will top $145 million. We are talking high altitude, thin air numbers where records will be broken, and the best part about it is that it's only the beginning of April!

2015 is going blow the top off of the 2013 box office record and it's going to do so in a big way. Finally, cinemas get their fair share and it's all coming from the high-impact, action, fantasy films - the very films that the Hollywood hoi polloi castigate yet which bring in the big paydays and support all of the other 'junk'. Yes, I said it - junk - perfect examples of which were most of this year's Oscar winners.

The cinema needs more films like 'Furious 7' and 2015 will have its share - to the betterment of the entire cinema industry - junk and all.

Box office bruisers to come: 'The Avengers', 'Batman vs. Superman', 'Ant-Man', 'Star Wars - The Force Awakens', 'Jurassic World', 'The Fantastic Four', X-Men - Apocalypse' and many others.

Tataouine Becomes Isis Stronghold

Tataouine littered with 'Star Wars' 'stuff'

The Tunisian town of Tataouine, with its ancient domed structures, was the model used by George Lucas for the 'Star Wars' planet Tatooine, Luke Skywalker's  home. The town and the surrounding area in Tunisia has become a destination for die-hard 'Star Wars' fans but is now unsafe to visit as it has become a way point for Isis Islamic fighters traveling to and from training bases in Libya.

Although the upcoming 'Star Wars - The Force Awakens' will feature Tatooine, JJ Abrams, the film's director, did not return to Tunisia for filming but instead used locations in Abu Dhabi.  It will be a big blow to Tunisia's economy if the tourist trade dries-up so it appears the Tunisian authorities are pushing back against the insurgents. who killed 23 people on March 8th in Tunis, the capitol of Tunisia. Government forces have now set up a buffer zones between Tunisia and both Libya and Algeria.

Weinstein Joins The List

Ambra Battilana

Accused of assaulting  a 22 year-old model he met the day before, Harvey Weinstein, (owner of Weinstein studios) is now under investigation by the NYPD for the alleged sexual abuse. The incident took place at the Tribeca Film Center where Weinstein has an office.

Ambra Battilana, told police that Weinstein, 63, sexually assaulted her by grabbing her breasts and asking her "are these real". She asked him to stop, but he then put his hand up her skirt and asked her to "kiss him".  She told him "No" and left his office. She then went to the police station and reported the incident.

Weinstein - Accused of Sexual Assault

Ms. Battilana had met Weinstein the day before at the red-carpet premiere of  'The Rockettes Spectacular' that he had co-produced.  "He initiated the contact" a NYPD source said of Weinstein. "He saw her and spoke to her. She didn't know who he was until he approached her." Ms. Battilana, a former Miss Italy runner-up, reported that Weinstein gave her his business card and they exchanged emails and agreed to meet the next afternoon. She went to Weinstein's office at "his request to talk business".

NYPD Special Victims Unit interviewed Weinstein the next day. He requested that he speak with his lawyer and was allowed to leave the police station.

Reportedly, Battilana has turned down offers of up to $100.000 from media outlets to go public with her story - but so far has refused.  Good luck Harvey.

Best,
Seymore