THE LONG, LONG TRAILER(S)

In an admittedly unscientific survey, the Wall Street Journal has found that the amount of time theaters are devoting to coming-attraction trailers has lengthened to as much as 25 minutes. Even distributors are acknowledging that the preview times have become excessive. Bob Berney, described by the Journal as a veteran distribution executive, told the newspaper, […]

ATTENDANCE UP, TICKET PRICES UP — WHY NOT REVENUE, TOO?

Attendance at movie theaters may be up 9.2 percent from last year, but that percentage is not reflected in ticket-sales revenue of theater chains, reports have indicated. That anomaly left industry watchers scratching their heads even more on Friday when the National Association of Theatre Owners disclosed that the average price of a movie ticket […]

WILL BULLY CONTROVERSY SHAKE UP MPAA RATINGS SYSTEM?

The controversy over The Weinstein Bros.’ Bully could “turn out to be a pivotal chapter in the battle to overhaul the Motion Picture Assn. of America’s ratings system,” Los Angeles Times columnist Patrick Goldstein wrote today (Thursday). Goldstein noted that although John Fithian, head of the National Association of Theatre Owners, had warned that theaters […]

3D MOVIES DECLINE AT BOX OFFICE

The latest revival of 3D may have turned out to be another flash in the pan. While a record 47 movies were released in 3D last year, revenue from 3D movies dropped 18 percent to $1.8 billion in 2011 versus $2.2 billion in 2010, according to figures released Thursday by the Motion Picture Association of […]

WEINSTEIN TAKES THE BULLY PULPIT

Harvey Weinstein is ratcheting up his battle with the MPAA and theater owners over the R rating his soon-to-be-released documentary Bully has received because of language. On Tuesday Weinstein responded to a letter from John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theatre Owners, who wrote that if Weinstein refuses to submit future films to […]

NATO CHIEF SUPPORTS NC-17 MOVIES, CALLS FOR MORE

Persistent reports that newspapers will refuse out-of-hand to run advertisements for NC-17 movies and that many theaters will likewise refuse to screen them are perpetuating a “myth,” according to John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theatre Owners. In an interview with the Associated Press, Fithian hailed Fox Searchlight for its decision not to […]

GOODBYE, $60 MOVIE RENTALS; WE HARDLY KNEW YE

Bowing to pressure from theater owners, Universal has scrapped plans for a test of Premium Video on Demand (PVOD) that would have made its upcoming Tower Heist available for a $60 rental fee in two markets, Atlanta and Portland OR, three weeks after it hit theaters. Two large exhibitors, Cinemark and National Amusements had threatened […]

ANALYST URGES STUDIOS TO ACCELERATE PREMIUM VIDEO-ON-DEMAND

Movie studios, which in the past have engaged in half-hearted tests of premium video-on-demand (PVOD), ought instead to embrace it as both a potential driver of profits and a hedge against piracy, BTIG media analyst Richard Greenfield wrote in a note to clients on Friday. PVOD allows viewers at home to rent movies from cable […]

THEATER OWNER BALKS AT $60 VIDEO-ON-DEMAND

It’s hard to imagine that any theater chain would feel threatened by Universal Pictures’ announcement on Wednesday that it plans to release the Eddie Murphy-Ben Stiller comedy Tower Heist on “Premium Video-on-Demand” two weeks after it hits theaters in two test markets, Portland, OR and Atlanta, for $60. But the Cinemark chain wasted no time […]

STREAMING PIRATE MOVIES MAY BECOME A FELONY

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday approved The Commercial Felony Streaming Act that would make streaming copyrighted material online a felony. In effect, the bill provides the same penalty for streaming as current law already does for illegal downloading. Presently, streaming is considered “public performance” under the law and is punishable only as a misdemeanor. […]

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