Boxoffice-Febuary.1999

AGAZINE OF THE GLOB
FEBRUARY 1999, $3.
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LUE RIBBON AWARDS: YOUR BALLOT • I
^ A'
illlllli|^H DM FOLEY HAS A
"BLAST" WITH NEW UNE • THE OTHER BRfflSH INVASIONTlULIEkHRISTIE

Raaoonse No. 3
I
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wo-way? Three-way?
that's a "way?"
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It was a primary design philosophy
when we founded the company
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today we're the world leader
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',
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Response No. 144
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EAW is the worldwide technological and market leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance, professional loudspeaker systems.

COMING
AT
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event in Las Vegas?
If you're there in Sin
City, stop by our booth
(#1504) on the show
floor to check out our
BOXOFFICE ONLINE
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good as there.
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CIRCULATION INQUIRIES
BOXOFFICE DATA CENTER -»
TTte
725 S. Wells SI.. Fourth Floor Audt
A^
Bureau
Chicago. IL 60607
(312) 922-9326; fax: (312) 922-7209
FEBRUARY, 1999
COVER QUOTE: We're, first of all, singers and then, sort of,
musicians, but last of all, we're actors.—Pmi McCartney
DEPARTMENTS
6 LETTERS
Mega phones in;
new addition: FastFeedback
iMacGillivray;
8 HOLLYWOOD REPORT
Branagh votes "Labour"; Spielberg
Cruises to sci-fi; plus 17 more films
10 TRAILERS: MARCH
"Cruel Intentions": (let's hope) next
month's releases (aren't that)
44 EXHIBITION BRIEFINGS
The Place in Seattle; the dome team wins; Hoyts slows, Cinemark
marks; Muvicozying; General-ly worse; a Star is born
46 NATIONAL NEWS
Boxoffice feastings; .com-petition frenzy; webbies MovieFone,
Hollywood Online also make moves; MTS 'werks a deal
47 HOLLYWOOD UPDATES
Poly bagged; Silver struck; Beacon unified
48 NORTHERN EXPOSURE
AMC's Christmas bonus; Famous fabous; Loews nets gain
49 EUROVIEWS
Golden rings Moscow; Paris pastries; Italy +25, -20%
50 PACIFIC OVERTURES
Dodona: plex corona; Reading club; Godzillennium
52 STUDIO FILM RELEASE CHART
Major releases through June and beyond
54 INDEPENDENT FILM RELEASE CHART
Specialized fare through December
56 FILM REVIEWS
"At First Sight"
"A Civil Action"
"E.T. The Extra-
Terrestrial"(1982)
"The Faculty"
"Hallelujah!"
"The Hi-Lo Country"
"Jack Frost"
"Mighty Joe Young"
"Patch Adams"
57
58
60
59
63
57
62
59
60
"Playing by Heart"
"The Prince of Egypt"
"Star Trek:
Insurrection"
"Stepmom"
"Still Crazy"
"The Thin Red Line"
"To Hell With Love"
"The 24-Hour Woman"
"You've Got Mail"
64 CLASSIFIEDS
Including our index to advertisers in this issue
64 "REVERSE ANGLE"
If
Vanilla Ice had been the Sixth Beetle...
OFFICES
EPrrORIAL AND ADVERTISING CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS gUgSQRIPTIQN/CIRCULATIQN
155 8. El Molino Ave., Suite 100 Mailing address: 725 S. Wells St., Fourth Floor
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(626) 396-0250 Chicago, IL 60625 (312) 922-9326
Fax:(626)396-0248 (773)338-7007 Fax:(312)922-7209
57
62
63
60
56
61
63
57
62
4 BoxomcE

SPECIAL REPORT: CINEMA SIGHT AND SOUND '99
This year, BOXOFFICE expands its annual sound issue to include editorial
coverage of the cinema's first element: sight.
28
34
38
40
45
SECRETS OF THE HOLLYWOOD SCREENING ROOMS
Behind the curtains and ports at Tinseltown's little halls in which big
hopes, big egos and big productions collide. PLUS: THE ROOM
THAT lOAN ALLEN BUILT: How films hang in San Francisco.
PLUS: SOUND LEADER. By Bridget Byrne
PROJECTING THE FUTURE: Electronic Cinema
Digital Does Denver: The electronic cinema team reaches Its Super
Bowl, and (surprise!) looks to be leading after three. By Melissa
Morrison. PLUS: MAKING A DIGITAL FIRST: 'The Last Broadcast" tunes in. By Steve Schneider
A FEW NOTES...
The importance of gain structure; an "A" chain update; thoughts on Dolby Surround-EX; and an epilogue on
why movies are notXoo loud. ByJolin F. Allen
SIGHT AND SOUND SUPPLIERS: The Buyers Directory
From amplifiers to lenses to zenon bulbs, these are companies that make and supply exhibitors' projection
and sound needs. Compiled by Annlee Ellingson PLUS: NEW PRODUCTS: The latest in sight and sound
offerings. Compiled by Francesca Dinglasan
SIGHT AND SOUND EXTRA: Dolby, THX Get Famous
Barry Blackburn, Famous Players' technical manager, explains the whys and wherefors of his Canadian
circuit's big EX buy. By Shiomo Schwartzberg
FEBRUARY FEATURES
18
22
24
BLUE RIBBON AWARDS: Your Ballot
It's a Merry War: The 1999 edition of our annual tradition lets
you vote on your favohte (or not) films of 1998, from
"Affliction" to "Zero Effect." Compiled by Christine James
SNEAK PREVIEW:
New Line's "Blast From the Past"
BOXOFFICE discusses "Past,"
present and future with comic player
David Foley, who (1) can do ants
and (2) wigs out over crewcuts.
By Christine James
COVER STORY: "A Hard Day's Night"
The Screen's First Scream: As the Fab Four get set to return
in Miramax's 35th-anniversary reissue of their first film, find
66
out what
they and the
filmmakers
think about
how they
brewed their
ha-ha. By
David Pritchard
and Alan
Lysaght
FADEOUT:
Julie Christie
A look at the
actress that
led the other
British invasion.
By Kim
Williamson
EDITORIAL STAFF
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Kim Wiliiamson
MANAGING EDITOR
Christine James
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Francesca Dinglasan
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Annlee Ellingson
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Linda Andrade
CONTRIBUTORS
FEATURE CHARTS EDITOR
Wade Major (310)456-2767
CANADIAN CORRESPONDENT
Shiomo Schwartzberg (416)638-6402
WRITERS
John F. Allen, Bridget Byrne,
Mike Kerrigan, Rick Leddy,
Dwayne E. Leslie, Alan Lysaght,
Wade Major, Melissa Morrison.
David Pritchard, Michelle Santilli,
Steve Schneider, Shiomo
Schwartzberg, L.J. Strom,
Cathy Thompson-Georges
BUSINESS STAFF
PUBLISHER
Robert L. Dietmeier (773) 338-7007
NATIONAL ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
Robert M. Vale (626) 396-0250
ADVERTISING CONSULTANT
Morris Schlozman (816)942-5877
WEST COAST/ONLINE AD REP
Gwen Campbell (310)792-9011
BUSINESS MANAGER
Dan Johnson (773)338-7007
CIRCULATION DIRECTOR
Chuck Taylor (312)922-9326
BOXOFFICE (ISSN 0006-8527). Published monthly by RLD Communications, Inc.. 203 N. Wabash Ave., Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60601.
Subscriptions: U.S. $40 per year: Canada and Mexico $50, airmail $80; overseas subscriptions (all airmail) $80. Periodical postage paid at
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© Copyright 1 999 RLD Communications, inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or In part without permission is prohibited.
February, 1999 5

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LETTERS
MEGAFACTS
Dear BOXOFFICE:
Regarding the "Mega Pact" blurb in the
National News section of BOXOFFICE's December
issue, [we would like to clarify
some of the information presented].
• The Mega 8/70 projection system is exclusively
produced for MegaSystems by
Ballantyne of Omaha. Our projection system
is for industry-standard eight perforation,
70 mm films which are shown on giant
screens.
• The Great Smokies MegaTheater is
equipped with a Mega 8/70 projection system
and thus incorporates the MegaTheater
name. MegaSystems and World Cinemax
Productions Inc. operate as separate entities
and as such, WCP has ownership in
theatres; MegaSystems does not. Theatres
that carry the Mega name are equipped
with the Mega 8/70 projection system.
• Though the Great Smokies MegaTheater
is equipped with the Mega 8/70 projection
system, it is not a joint venture. MegaSystems
may supply future WCP theatres with a
Mega 8/70 system, but they are not slated
to be joint ventures.
• There are more than 30 MegaTheater
deals in the pipeline; two are currently
operating—the Great Smokies MegaTheater
in Gatlinburg, Tenn., and the SoCal
Cinemas MegaTheater in Murrieta, Calif.
• The MegaSystems Mega 8/70 projection
system works in any theatre designated for
large format. The MegaSystems image is
industry-standard 70mm.
We appreciate your interest to accurately
portray MegaSystems' capabilities and our
relationship with WCP.
Sincerely,
Joy C. Gordon
Director of Public Relations, MegaSystems
FAST FEEDBACK
BOXOFFICE introduces Fast Feedback, in
which industry experts respond to articles
appearing in the same issue. If you're a
professional in the exhibition, sound or
projection industry and would like to participate,
please contact BOXOFFICE at
626-396-0250, or via e-mail at boxofftce®
earthlink.net. This month's Fast Feedback
comes from Glenn Berggren, chairman
of the projection committee of SMPTE,
recipient of five Technical Awards for
projection lenses and projection systems
and a former sound engineer. Berggren
responds to the article "Secrets of the
Hollywood Screening Rooms," which
begins on page 28.
The article on screening rooms leans
heavily on surround sound and avoiding
food spills, when seeing and judging the
picture is the main purpose for the
screening room. All screening rooms are
not created equal. Some are surpassed by
better modern theatres with regard to
LIVING LARGE
Dear BOXOFFICE:
refer you to an article in your December
1998 issue under National News, titled
"imax Profit Attax." You noted the
boxoffice success of the film "Everest," and
-
mentioned that it was "distributed almost
exclusively on Imax screens."
We certainly appreciate your ongoing coverage
of the fast-growing large-format
\
in-
dustry. However, we want to appeal to your
sense of journalistic accuracy. Please note i
'
that "Everest" was produced and distributed
independently by MacGillivray-Freeman,
and that distribution included a
number of locations not affiliated in anyway
with Imax. The vast majority of large-format
titles, including "Everest," are produced and
distributed to all large-format exhibitors by
numerous independent companies.
Very truly yours.
Jack Shishido
Sr. VP, Worldwide Sales & Marketing
Iwerks Entertainment
CLOSE TO THE EDIT
have just read your November '98 Letters
section in which you printed "In a Funk."
You edited the word "s— t" but printed the
N-word. Each time a racist succeeds in
getting that word printed or spoken in mass
media the result is that the racist's seed is
planted in the fertile minds of many.
— Unsigned, via e-mail
Though the abbrieviations for some offensive
words are commonly known, there is
no obvious way ofeuphemizing the abovereferenced
word except through the awkward
phrase "the N-word," which is
difficult to incorporate into direct quotes.
Our response to the letter in question made
clear BOXOFFICE's opposition to the use of
such terminology, but your point is well
taken. Please also note that in our December
issue, we announced that we had discovered
the author of that inflammatory letter had
falsely signed another person's name.— Ed.
screen image quality. Just because
[screening rooms] use a specific lens or
studio projector is absolutely no guarantee
of the screen image results. Screen
image quality factors are not even mentioned
in the three articles [aside from]
claims of "the best!". Even the Academy,
which has superb 70mm results on the
screen, has known flaws in the
Cinemascope format, as witnessed in the
Technical Council Film Formats demo.
The main factors [for good image quality]
are as follows:
• Light: Enough of it, and very uniform,
makes the colors and contrast ratios best.
• Focus: This is based on getting studio
lenses; any method of reducing film flutter
(even eliminating three-blade shutters,
proven to increase film flutter); and a more
efficient screen so that xenon power is very
low (less than six watts per square foot).
• Contrast and color saturation: Low ambient
light, a shallow curved screen,
coated port window and full light level is
the key here. These exist at the Academy
and the Glendale/DreamWorks screen-
Glenn Berggren
ing facilities.
Response No. 443
6 BoxoFncE

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Response No. 342

1 be
HOLLYWOOD
REPORT
DIANE KEATON
"Hanging" Around
GARRY SHANDUNG
Colonizes "Planet"
NATASHA LYONNE
Heads "Cheerleader'
"HANGING UP" Diane Keaton,
who last helmed "Unstrung Heroes/'
will direct and star in this
comedy/drama about three sisters
(Keaton, "You've Got Mail's"
Meg Ryan and "The Opposite of
Sex's" Lisa Kudrow) dealing with
the impending death of their alcoholic
father. (Columbia)
"LORD OF THE RINGS: THE
FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING"
J.R.R. Tolkien's epic sci-fi/fantasy
story about a hobbit who,
with the help of a magic ring,
embarks on a quest to save Middle
Earth from an evil overlord
wi 1 brought to the bigscreen
with Peter Jackson ("Heavenly
Creatures") directing and coscripting.
(New Line)
"UNCONDITIONAL LOVE"
"My Best Friend's Wedding's"
star Rupert Everett, director P.J.
Hogan and producer Jerry Zucker
will reunite for this comedy
thriller about a woman whose
husband of 25 years leaves her
the same day her favorite singer,
Victor Fox, is killed. She goes to
Fox's funeral and meets his
lover (Everett); the unlikely duo
team up to find the murderer.
Hogan co-scripts with wife Jocelyn
Moorhouse, with whom he
wrote the hit comedy "Muriel's
Wedding." (Distribution is to be
set)
"THE CASTLE" A five-star general
(possibly to be played by
"Out of Sight's" George
Clooney) who's convicted of a
capital crime is sent to the
military's maximum security
prison and heads an uprising
after turning the inmates into his
own army. (DreamWorks)
"OXYGEN" A female cop ("Primary
Colors'"
Maura Tierney)
must find a woman buried alive
by a psychopath ("The Thin Red
Line's" Adrien Brody) with only
a 24-hour supply of oxygen in
this thriller. Richard Shepard
("The Linguini Incident") writes
and directs. (Distribution is to
be set)
"LAZARUS AND THE HURRI-
CANE" This Norman Jewison
("Only You")-directed biopic
will star Denzel Washington
("The Siege") as middleweight
boxing champion Rubin "Hurricane"
Carter, who was wrongly
imprisoned for murder. David
Paymer ("Mighty Joe Young")
will portray his lawyer, and John
Doors") will
Hannah ("Sliding
play a contractor who helps organize
Carter's legal defense
fund. "You've Got Mail's" Greg
Kinnear and "Sphere's" Liev
Schreiber also star. (Universal)
"MINORITY REPORT" "Saving
Private Ryan's" Steven
Spielbergwill direct "Eyes Wide
Shut's" Tom Cruise in this futuristic
sci-fi thriller about a cop
who works in the "pre-crime"
division, arresting killers before
the fact. When he's accused of a
murder that's not yet been committed,
he must solve his own
case before it happens. (Fox)
"WHAT PLANET ARE YOU
FROM?" Garry Shandling
("Hurlyburly") is an alien sent to
Earth to procreate, but his mission
is complicated by a lack of
correct male anatomy. This
comedy will be directed by
Mike Nichols ("Primary Colors").
(Columbia)
"A STAR IS BORN" This remake
of "A Star is Born," first filmed
in 1 937 with Fredric March and
Janet Gaynor, then in 1 954 with
Judy Garland and James Mason,
and again in 1976 with Barbra
Streisand and Kris Kristofferson,
puts a gender bend on the story:
Will Smith will star as an aspiring
singer who becomes romantically
involved with a renowned
diva (possibly to be played by
Fugees vocalist Lauryn Hill).
Problems arise as his fame begins
to eclipse hers. (Warner)
"MONSTERS BALL" Sean Penn,
who last directed 1995's "The
Crossing Guard," will helm this
drama about a prison guard on
Death Row who befriends the
widow of an executed convict
and is subsequently motivated
to advocate against abuse and
racism. (Fine Line)
"A TASTE OF SUNSHINE"
"Mephisto" helmer istvan
Szabo will direct this epic
drama about the rise and fall of
a powerful European family
during World War II. Ralph
Fiennes ("The Avengers"), William
Hurt ("One True Thing"),
Molly Parker ("Kissed"), Rosemary
Harris ("Hamlet"), Jennifer
Ehle ("Wilde"), Rachel Weisz
("Swept From the Sea") and Deborah
Kara Unger ("Crash") will
star. Oscar-winning composer
Maurice Jarre will score the
film. (Distribution is to be set)
"LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST"
Actor/director/scripter Kenneth
Branagh, famed for his
cinemazations of Shakespeare,
puts a twist on this adaptation
by presenting it
as a '30s-style
musical. In talks to co-star are
Alicia Silverstone ("Blast From
the Past"), Nathan Lane ("Isn't
She Great"), Matthew Lillard
("SLC Punk!") and Adrien Lester
("Primary Colors"). (Miramax)
"KEEPING THE FAITH" Edwai
Norton ("American History X
makes his directorial debut wi
this romantic comedy, in whi(
he'll also star will Ben Still
("There's Something Abo
Mary"). The two will play lif
long friends, one of whom h
become a priest, the other
rabbi. Their lives are shaken i
when a platonic female frier
from childhood returns a!
grown up; the romance she sti
is complicated not only by tl
rivalry, but by religious restri
tions as well. (Buena Vista)
"THE WORLD IS NO
ENOUGH" Denise Richart
("Wild Things") joins the pa
theon of Bond girls in this 19
installment of the action-thrill
franchise. She'll play nude
weapons expert Dr. Christm
Jones opposite Pierce Brosna
who returns as dashing supersf
007. He must protect Elektra Kir
("Firelight's" Sophie Marceai
the daughter of a murdered c
tycoon. Robert Carlyle, Robb
Coltrane and Judi Dench al«
star for director Michael Apte
("Extreme Measures"). (UA)
"BUT I'M A CHEERLEADER"
teenager ("Slums of Beverl
Hills'" Natasha Lyonne)
shocked to discover her paren
and friends believe she's a le
bian. Despite her protests, she
sent off to a "rehab camp." Th
eclectic supporting cast in th
black comedy includes Bui
Cort, Clea Duvall, Melant
Lynskey, Richard Moll, Cath
Moriarty, RuPaul and Min
Stole. (Distribution is to be set
"TERMINATOR 3" Th
catchphrase "I'll be back" ha
proven prophetic: Arnol
Schwarzenegger is planning t
reprise his role as the takes-a
duce and possibly direct. (FoX;
lickin'-but-keeps-on-tickin' ti
ular killing machine, whil
James Cameron will script, pre
ET CETERA: "Jerry Maguire
writer/director Cameron Crow
may team with "Meet Jo
Black's" Brad Pitt on a filnn
whose details are shrouded ii
secrecy, for DreamWorks..
Christian Bale ("Velvet Goldm
ine") and Chloe Sevigny {"Jh
Last Days of Disco") are set a
the leads in director/co-scripte
Mary Harron's adaptation c
Brett Easton Ellis' disturbini
book "American Psycho," to b
released by Lions Gate.. .Mat
thew McConaughey ("edTV") i
in talks to replace Michae
Douglas in Universal'sjonathai
Mostow-helmed WWII subma
rine action-thriller "U-571 ."
8 BOXOFFICE

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Response No. 509
Making The Investment To Raise The Standard.
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MARCH
TRAILERS
In which we take heed of
Hollywood's ideas ofMarch
known as a full-blown hit haven,
March isn't
but in recent times it has breezed in a few notable
successes, 1 997's "Liar Liar" and 1 998's "The
Man in the Iron Mask" being two that took audiences
by storm. Still, the month has seen some
nor'easters blow by too, like last year's "Twilight,"
"Primary Colors" and "The Newton Boys."
K":ifP^ift;i
MARCH 5
The Other Sister
Juliette Lewis ("Natural Born
Killers") stars in this romantic
comedy as Caria, a mentally challenged
21 -year-old whose move
home threatens her parents' otherwise
tranquil life. Her mom
continues to try to control her
while she attempts to break out on
her own. By securing an education,
an apartment and even a
boyfriend, however, CarIa proves
that she's capable of managing
her own life. Diane Keaton ("The
First Wives Club"), Tom Skerritt
("Smoke Signals") and Giovanni
Ribisi ("Saving Private Ryan") costar.
Garry Marshall ("Pretty
Woman") directs a script he wrote
with Bob Brunner; Mario Iscovich
Alexandra Rose ("Norma
i") produce. (Buena Vista, 3/5)
Cruel Intentions
Yet another adaptation of the
classic novel "Les Liaisons Dangereuses,"
this version has been
updated for the '90s with a cast of
some of today's hottest young
stars. Sarah Michelle Cellar
("Simply Irresistible") and Ryan
Phillippe ("54") star as a pair of
stepsiblings who regard love as
sport. They make a wager: If he
seduces their school's proud-of-it
virgin ("Pleasantville's" Reese
Witherspoon), then he'll get the
roll in the hay he's always
wanted; if he fails, however, he
has to forfeit his 1956 Jaguar.
Roger Kumble directs his own
script in his feature film debut;
Neal Moritz ("I Know What You
Did Last Summer") produces.
Look for our coming March-issue
cover story. (Columbia, 3/5)
A Hard Day's Night
John, Paul, George and Ringo
are back in this 35th-anniversary
reissue of a day in the life of the
Beatles. Credited with not only
illustratingthe mania surrounding
the Beatles but also sparking the
age of the music video, "A Hard
Day's Night" here sports digitally
remastered sound and additional
footage. Richard Lester directs an
Academy Award-nominated
cript by Alun Owen; Walter
The curf^nt forecast contains the latest from a wS\
number of known names, like Clint Eastwood, |i
oduces. See this
Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock, Ron Howard, M
Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal. But, although uld move to 4/1 6)
Q
several releases could find themselves being bil- H
lowed by good turnstile turnout, there's no one E lalyze This
enson, who first approached
iramax about the re-release,
issue's cover
ry. (Miramax, 3/5; the film
Billy Crystal stars in this com-
title that flames to the forefront as a sure smash. || y as a psychiatrist who does his
Let's hope this March isn't an et-tu-Brute month.
st to
^
counsel an insecure yet
erbearing mob boss played by
Aiwvv. UA's "('.uric R
II. " ne other than Robert De Niro.
Lisa
Kudrow ("The Opposite
Sex") co-stars as Crystal's gir
friend. Harold Ramis ("Multipliij
ity") directs a script by Peter Tola]
("My Fellow Americans"), Pho>!
Sutton ("The Fan") and Ken Loij
ergan. Paula Weinstein ("Somij
thing to Talk About") and Jarl
Rosenthal ("Wag the Dog") prcj
duce. (Warner Bros., 3/5)
The Loss of
Sexual Innocence
Mike Figgis ("Leaving L^
Vegas") finally brings his \n&>
labor-of-love to the bigscreen i
this semi-autobiographicc'
drama. Described by Figgis as '"
nonlinear collection of short stc
ries about the phases and corr
plexities of sexual activity," "Th
Loss of Sexual innocence" sta;
Figgis regulars Julian Sane
("Leaving Las Vegas") and Saffro
Burrows ("One Night Stand") i
well as Jonathan Rhys Myei
("Velvet Goldmine"). Figgis pre
duces with partner AnnieStewar
(Sony Classics, 3/5 NY/LA)
Loci(, Steele and
Two Smolcing Barrels
First-time writer/director Gu
Ritchie and producer Matthe'
Vaughn persevered through ni
merous we-love-it-but-can'
make-it almost-deals to brin
their story about a gang of Londo
hustlers who lose $500,000 in
hard-luck card game to th
bigscreen. The cast includes Bri
ish actors Jason Flemyng, Dexte
Fletcher, Jason Statham and Nic
Moran in addition to Sting an
soccer star Vinnie Jones. (Grarr
ercy, 3/5 NY/LA, exp 3/1 2 & 3/H
Six Ways to Sunday
Director Adam Bernstein ("It
Pat") adapts the 1 962 novel "Poi
trait of a Young Man Drowning
for the bigscreen in this blac
comedy about a smothere
mama's boy who inadvertenti
discovers his talents as a thu^
Tagging along with a buddy on
local shakedown, Harry Odur
("Mimic's" Norman Reedus
takes on an adversary single
handedlyand lands himself a spc
in the mob family, much to th
disdain of Mom. Deborah Harr
("Heavy"), Adrien Brody ("Th
Thin Red Line") and Jerry Adie
co-star. With Marc Gerald, Bern
stein adapts the novel by Charle
Perry, and he produces wit
David Collins and Michae
Naughton. (Stratosphere, 3/5)
The Dreamlife of Angeh
In his feature film debut, Eric
Zonca presents the drama of twij
young women destined to work ii
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a sewing factory. Isa and Marie become fast
friends, despite their polar-opposite personalities.
Elodie Bouchez and Natacha Regnier star.
Zonca scripts with Roger Bohbot; Francois
Marquis produces. (Sony Classics, 3/5)
Relax, It's Just Sex!
Jennifer Tilly stars in this comedy about an
assortment of barflies struggling to come to
terms with each other's sexual orientation,
particularly when a gay couple fends off an
attacker by raping him. Mitchell Anderson,
Cynda Williams, Lori Petty, Serena Scott-
Thomas and Eddie Garcia co-star. P.J.
Castellaneta ("Together Alone") directs and
scripts; Megan O'Neill, Harold Warren and
Steven J. Wolfe ("Diary of an American Family")
produce. Oour de Fete, 3/5)
Supernova
MARCH 12
James Spader ("StarGate") gives his sci-fi
chops another shot in this thriller by
"48HRS.'" Walter Hill. When the crew of a
deep-space medical ship answers a distress
signal, they don't bargain for the dangers that
await them from the young man they save, the
alien artifact he sneaks on board and the
gravitational pull of a star about to explode.
Angela Bassett ("How Stella Got Her Groove
Back"), Robert Forster ("Jackie Brown") and
Lou Diamond Phillips ("The Big Hit") co-star.
David Campbell Wilson, Cathy Rabin, Daniel
Chuba and Thomas Wheeler script; Chuba
produces with Jamie Dixon. (UA, 3/1 2)
Baby Geniuses
Kathleen Turner stars in this family comedy
as the head of the world's largest baby-product
manufacturer, a firm that's really a front
for a research lab attempting to crack baby
language and thus the secrets of the universe.
Christopher Lloyd co-stars with Dom DeLuise.
Ruby Dee and Randy Travis. Bob Clark
("Porky's") directs and scripts from a story by
producer Steven Paul. (Columbia, 3/1 2)
Harvest
This family drama from first-timer Stuart
Burkin outlines the dramatic steps a Pennsylvania
farmer takes to protect his family from
poverty. Rather than sow tobacco, he opts for
a crop even more profitable: marijuana.
When a DEA agent shows up to investigate,
the whole community bands together to safeguard
the illicit secret. Mary McCormack
("Deep Impact") and Jeffrey DeMunn star.
"The Substance of Fire's" Ron Kastner and
Lemore Syvan produce. (Warner Bros., 3/1 2)
Carrie II: The Rage
Moved from a crowded 1/15 date, this
sequel to the 1 976 classic about a girl who's
unmercifully teased by her classmates and
lashes back at them with supernatural powers
stars Emily BergI as a girl who is similarly
tortured by her peers and retaliates telekinetically.
Amy Irving plays a guidance counselor
who was a student during the first incident
and believes it's happening again. Rafael
Moreu ("Hackers") scripts. (UA, 3/1 2)
The Deep End of the Ocean
Michelle Pfeiffer stars in this drama
(moved from a 2/26 playdate) as a mom
who, over the course of a number of years,
deals with the loss of and guilt over the
kidnapping of her son. Even when her boy
is returned, both he and the rest of the
family have to adjust to the fact that he's
been calling someone else "Mom" and
"Dad" for all these years. Treat Williams
("The Devil's Own") and Whoopi Goldberg
co-star. Ulu Grosbard directs; Jacquelyn
Mitchard adapts her novel with
Stephen Schiff ("True Crime"); productionshingle
partner Kate Guinzberg produces
with Pfeiffer. (Columbia, 3/12)
With Friends Like These
Four small-time character actors who share
the Hollywood struggle as friends find themselves
all competing for the same breakthrough
part in a Martin Scorsese mob film.
Adam Arkin, Robert Costanzo, David
Strathairn and Jon Tenney star with Beverly
D'Angelo, Elle Macpherson, Amy Madigan
and Laura San Giacomo. Philip FrankMessina
directs and scripts; longtime Woody Allen
associate Robert Greenhut, Amy Lemisch and
Penny Marshall produce. (Fine Line, 3/1 2)
Dona Barbara
This drama from Venezuelan writer/director
Betty Kaplan is a remake of a 1 940s movie
of the same name and an adaptation of the
Romulo novel. The story of a wayward son
who returns to the land of his ancestors to
learn about himself, the epic romance stars
Esther Goris and Jorge Perugorrfa. Peter
Rawley produces. (Legacy, 3/1 2)
MARCH 19
True Crime
Veteran Clint Eastwood directs and stars in
this thriller based on an Andrew Klavan novel
about an experienced newspaper reporter
whose jaded cynicism is challenged by his
latest interviewee: a death-row inmate on his
way to his execution. With just 26 hours to
go, the journalist becomes convinced that the
accused murderer is innocent and races
against time to come up with the proof. Isaiah
Washington, James Woods and Denis Leary
join Eastwood. Stephen Schiff ("Lolita")
scripts; Eastwood and longtime associate Tom
Rooker produce with the "Driving Miss
Daisy" team of Lili Fini Zanuck and Richard
D. Zanuck. (Warner Bros., 3/19)
Forces of Nature
This romantic comedy starring Ben Affleck
follows the misadventures of a groom-to-be
who can't seem to get to his wedding. Sandra
Bullock stars as a hitchhiker— just one of the
many forces of nature that interrupt him.
Maura Tierney ("Primary Colors"), Biythe
Danner and Steve Zahn ("Out of Sight") costar.
Bronwen Hughes ("Harriet the Spy") directs
from a script by Marc Lawrence. "Grosse
Pointe Blank's" Susan Arnold and Donna
Roth, along with "Saving Private Ryan's" Ian
Bryce, produce. (DreamWorks, 3/1 9)
edTV
Director Ron Howard returns to the
bigscreen after a break since 1996's "Ran-fi
som" with this comedy recalling last
summer's critically acclaimed "The Truman
Show." "A Time to Kill's" Matthew McConaughey
stars as Ed, an unmotivated videoji
store clerk whose life suddenly becomes the
focus of a round-the-clock cable TV show.
Jenna Elfman (TV's "Dharma and Greg"),
Ellen DeGeneres ("Mr. Wrong") and Woody
Harrelson ("The People vs. Larry Flynt") costar.
Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel ("Parenthood")
script; Brian Grazer ("Liar Liar")
produces. (Universal, 3/19)
The King and I
Warner Bros, draws on the timeless classic
story for its next an i mated featu re attempt after
j
"Quest for Camelot." Miranda Richardson
("The Apostle") leads as the voice of Anna, the I
independent school teacher sent to reside]
with the king of Siam in 1863. Martin Vicnovic,
previously seen on Broadway, gives
voice to the king. Richard Rich ("The Swan
Princess") directs a script developed by Peter
Bakalian and "Quest's" Jacqueline Feather;
Bakalian and Arthur Rankin jr. ("Wrongfully
Accused") produce. (Warner Bros., 3/19)
Ravenous
"The Full Monty's" Robert Carlyle takes a
star turn in an entirely different sort of film. This
horror/drama tells the story of a handful of U.S.
soldiers isolated in the snowy Sierra Nevadas
in the mid-1 800s. A psychopath who's tasted
hu man flesh before tempts them to soothe their
hunger pains by feasting on each other. Guy
Pearce ("L.A. Confidential") and David Arquette
co-star. Antonia Bird (1 994's controversial
"Priest") directs a script by Ted Griffin; Adam
Fields ("Money Train"), David Heyman and
Tim Van Rellim produce. (Fox, 3/19)
My Father the Hero
Before attracting American audiences with
his appearance in "Lethal Weapon 4," Jet Li
first appeared here, in genuine Hong Kong
action. An undercover cop in mainland
China, Li's character teams up with his aspiring
kung fu champion son and a Hong Kong
policewoman. Tse Miu and Anita Mui ("Rumble
in the Bronx") co-star. Corey Yuen ("No
Retreat, No Surrender") directs a script by
Sandy Shaw. (Miramax, 3/1 9)
Twin Dragons
Jackie Chan does double duty in this action
comedy, playing twin brothers separated at
birth. One is raised in America and becomes
a concert pianist; the other grows up on the
street, fixing and racing cars for a living. When
their worlds collide, naturally hijinks ensue.
Maggie Cheung ("Super Cop") co-stars. Ringo
Lam ("Maximum Risk") and Tsui Hark ("Double
Team") direct. (Miramax, 3/19)
Bandits
The soundtrack is really the star of this
German-language film, which shot to the top
of the charts while the flick itself did $6
million atthe 1 997 homeland boxoffice. Katja
von Garnier's road movie follows the exploits
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solitary childhood and rise to stardom with
commentary by his contemporaries. Matthew
Diamond, a choreographer-turned-director,
,
helms and produces; Jerry Kupfer also pro-
duces. (Artistic License, March undated)
j
of four lasses on the lam as they escape from
prison and head for Hamburg, performing
underground concerts along the way. Katja
Riemann, Jasmin Tabatabi, Nicolette Krebitz
and Jutta Hoffman star as the femme cons.
Von Gamier scripts with Uwe Wilhelm;
Harald Kugler, Elvira Senft and Molly von
Furstenberg produce. (Stratosphere, 3/1 9)
I
Stand Alone
A continuation of director Caspar Noe's
short "Carne," this grim French drama picks up
with a horse-meat butcher after he's served
some time in jail for avenging his mentally
handicapped daughter's near-rape. He moves
to the suburbs, ready to start a new life, but he
can't find happiness because he hates his mistress,
has no butcher shop and misses his institutionally
bound daughter. Blandine Lenoir and
Philippe Nahon star. (Strand, 3/1 7 NY/LA/SF)
MARCH 26
The Out-of-Towners
Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn (who previously
paired in 1 992's "HouseSitter") star in
this remake of a Jack Lemmon/Sandy Dennis
1 970 comedy about a small-town couple on
their way to big-town Manhattan for a job
interview in what they expect will be an
exciting opportunity in their station wagondriving,
picket-fenced suburban lives. Unfortunately,
everything that could go wrong,
does. Sam Weisman ("George of the Jungle")
directs; Mark Lawrence scripts from the 1 970
Neil Simon screenplay; Robert Evans ("The
Saint") and Scott Rudin ("The Truman Show")
produce. (Paramount, 3/26)
Doug's 1st Movie
Previously intended as a direct-to-video
release but now going theatrical to take advantage
of spring-break/Easter playdates, this
animated kids film (aka "Doug") is based on
the successful Disney-owned ABC TV series
about the adventures of Doug and his multicolored
friends. The tale: 1 2-year-old Doug
Funnie finds himself caught between saving
an endangered "monster" of Lucky Duck Lake
and his burning desire to take secret-crush
Patti Mayonnaise to a school dance, even as
pretty Patti is targeted for romance by slick
upperclassman Guy. The production by
Jumbo Pictures (founded in 1991 to create
"Doug" and acquired by Disney in 1996) is
directed by Maurice Joyce; Jumbo president
Jim Jinkins produces with Jack Spillum and
Melanie Grisanti; Jumbo co-founder David
Campbell exec produces. (Buena Vista, 3/26)
Go!
"Swingers'" Doug Liman directs an ensemble
cast in this black comedy about a
drug deal gone all wrong. Beginning in Los
Angeles and ending (where else?) in Las
Vegas, "Go!" presents the action from three
points of view. Taye Diggs ("How Stella Got
Her Groove Back"), James Duval ("Independence
Day"), William Fichtner ("Albino Alligator")
and Katie Holmes (TV's "Dawson's
Creek") star. John August scripts; Matt Freeman,
Mickey Liddell ("Traveller") and Paul
Rosenberg produce. (Columbia, 3/26)
Among Giants
"The Full Monty" scribe Simon Beaufoy
again examines the gritty lives of workingclass
Brits, this time throwing a woman—and
some romance— into the mix. An all-male
crew of freelance painters have some major
readjusting to do when Gerry ("Muriel's
Wedding's" Rachel Griffiths) joins the team,
especially when she sets her sights on the
older foreman rather than one of her hip
young peers. Pete Postlethwaite ("In the
Name of the Father") and James Thornton
co-star. Sam Miller directs; Stephen Garrett
produces. (Fox Searchlight, 3/26 ltd)
Tiiree Seasons
This drama, held from a February release,
has the distinction of being the first full-length
American feature film shot in Vietnam since
the Vietnam War. Indie guru Harvey Keitel,
who helped narrate the critically acclaimed
documentary "Dear America: Letters Home
From Vietnam," stars as a veteran who returns
to the battlefields to search for his half-
Vietnamese daughter. Tony Bui directs and
scripts, and he produces with Jason Kliot.
(October Films, 3/26 ltd)
MARCH UNDATED
Tlie Idiots
The team behind "Breaking the Waves"
reunites for this tale of a band of neo-hippies
frustrated with the lack of creativity and intelligence
in society. They try to shake things up
a bit by going out into the community impersonating
the mentally challenged. Bodil
jorgensen and Jens Albinus star. Lars von Trier
directs and scripts; Vibeke Windelov produces.
(October Films, March undated)
Black Cat, White Cat
While making "Underground," writer/director
Emir Kusturica started to make a documentary
about the Gypsies in his film. He
ended up with "Black Cat, White Cat," a kind
of romantic comedy about the I ives and loves
of the Gypsy people^-and particularly their
music. Severdzan and Bajram star. Gordan
Mihic co-scripts; Karl Baumgartner (also of
"Underground") produces. (October Films,
March undated; could move to 4/9)
Lucie Aubrac
Legendary French writer/director Claude
Berri ("Germinal") presents the story of Lucie
Aubrac, a resistance heroine during the German
occupation. Her husband, a leader in the
movement, is discovered by the Nazis and
sentenced to death. Lucie then mounts a rescue
effort, cozying up to the Gestapo officers
to guarantee her husband's freedom. Carole
Bouquet and Daniel Auteuil star as the epically
romantic couple. (October Films, March
undated; could move to summer)
Love Etc.
Charlotte Gainsbourg ("Jane Eyre") stars
in this French romantic comedy as a shy
woman who thinks she's found love in the
even shyer Benoit until Benoit's outgoing
buddy Pierre becomes jealous and sets out
to seduce her. Yvan Attal and Charles Berling
co-star. Marion Vernoux directs and produces;
Dodine Herry adapts a novel by Julian,
Barnes. (Phaedra, March undated)
Dancemaker
This biopic examines the life of dancer ari'
choreographer Paul Taylor, interweaving his
Fever Pitch
Football—called soccer in America — plays
a starring role in this British-born romantic
comedy (held from February). Colin Firth ("A
Thousand Acres") plays a thirtysomething English
teacher who is having a hard time choosing
between his leading lady, the Arsenal
football team, and a new love interest. Ruth
Gemmell co-stars as the woman scorned.
David Evans directs; Nick Hornby adapts his
semi-autobiography; Amanda Posey produces.
(Phaedra, March undated NY/LA)
The Velocity of Gary
(Not His Real Name)
Thomas Jane ("The Last Time I Committed
Suicide") stars in this drama about a love
triangle set in urban America. His interest in
porn star Valentino ("Fear and Loathing in Las
Vegas'" Vincent D'Onofrio) challenges
Valentino's relationship with his girlfriend.
Salma Hayek ("The Faculty") co-stars as the
jilted lover. Dan Ireland ("The Whole Wide
World") helms; James Still scripts; Dan Lupovitz
produces. (Cineville, March undated)
Strawberry Fields
This 1993 production (held from January)
tells the story, set in the free-love/rock-'n'-roll
early '70s, of a troubled Japanese-American
girl who's coming of age—and who's also a
firestarter. (Phaedra, March undated)
LATE MOVIE MOVES.
Encounter in the
Third Dimension
Stuart Pankin stars as a bumbling professor
in this 3-D adventure about the history of 3-D,
tracing it from the Lumiere brothers'
"L'Arriveedu Train" to James Cameron's "Terminator
2: 3-D" theme park film. Elvira, Mistress
of the Dark co-stars. Ben Stassen directs;
Charlotte Huggins produces. (nWave, 2/26)
The Rook
Martin Donovan stars in this murder mystery
about an alternative-world detective (an
earth of horse-drawn carriages yet available
computers) trying to solve the killing of a
female linguistics professor. John A. MacKay
co-stars in the 1994 production, whose release
continues Strand's mining of older unreleased
films. Eran Palatnik directs, and
produces with Alan Abrams; Richard Lee
Purvis scripts. (Strand, 2/26 NY)
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Jawbreaker
Rose McGowan ("Scream") stars in this
black comedy about the horrors of high
school. The most popular girls in the school
are sailing along carefree until an innocent
birthday prank results in the accidental death
of one of their own. Rebecca Gayheart
("Scream 2"), Julie Benz and Judy Evans Greer
co-star; McGowan's boyfriend, rocker Marilyn
Manson, makes an appearance. Darren
Stein ("Sparkler") directs and scripts his
sophomore effort; Stacy Kramer and Lisa Tornell
produce. (Columbia, 2/19)
October Sky
Based on the popular autobiography
"Rocket Boys" by Homer Hickam jr., "October
Sky" relates the story of a talented
high school student destined to follow his
father's footsteps down the coal mines of
West Virginia— until, that is, he sets his
sights a little higher: to the skies. Jake
Gyllenhaal ("Josh and S.A.M.") stars as the
gifted youth. Joe Johnston ("The Rocketeer")
directs; Lewis Colick ("Ghosts of
Mississippi") scripts; Charles Gordon
("Field of Dreams") and Larry Franco ("Batman
Returns") produce. (Universal, 2/19)
Payback
New 100 percent home to Mel Gibson's
Icon production company. Paramount releases
this no-holds-barred (rated R for strong
A Cool, Dry Place
In this Fox 2000 drama held from last
spring, an on-the-come lawyer ("The
Locusts'" Vince Vaughn) must bear the responsibilities
of single fatherhood after his
wife (Monica Potter, also in "Without Limits")
leaves him. In caring for his young son, he's
fired by his big-city firm, and he must accept
a nowhere position in rural Kansas to support
them. There, he finds romance with a spirited
young woman ("Chasing Amy's" Joey Lauren
Adams), but complications ensue when his
former wife arrives to reclaim their son. John
N. Smith ("Dangerous Minds") directs; Matthew
McDuffie adapts the Michael Grant Jaffe
novel "Dance Real Slow"; Katie Jacobs and
Gail Mutrux produce. (Fox, 1/29 NY/LA)
She's All That
"The House of Yes'" Freddie Prinze Jr. and
Rachel Leigh Cook star in this teen drama
about a high school stud who, on a bet, turns
the school's biggestgeekintothe prom queen.
Anna Paquin ("The Piano") co-stars. Robert
Iscove (TV's "Rodgers and Hammerstein's
Cinderella") directs; R. Lee Flemingjr. scripts;
Peter Abrams, Robert Levy and Richard
Gladstein produce. (Miramax, 1/29)
24 Hour Woman
Rosie Perez ("Fearless") tackles the
challenges of being a married working mom
in this comedy about a low-budget daily
morning talk show. Her first pregnancy
boosts ratings at first, but later she finds the
multiple pressures a bit too much to handle.
Marianne Jean-Baptiste ("Secrets & Lies")
and newcomer Diego Serrano co-star. Nancy
Savoca directs from a script she wrote with
producer Richard Guay; Perez and Peter
Newman also produce. (Artisan, 1/29)
Lumet ("Stranger Among Us") directs; Steven
Antin adapts the original story by Cassavetes.
"Desperate Measures'" Lee Rich and Gary
Foster produce. (Columbia, opened 1/22)
Tinseltown
Aka "Self Storage," this comedy set in Hollywood
sets forth a tale of two friends who are
in a peck of trouble, in that in Tinseltown it's
all about who you know—and the only person
they know there is a serial killer. Tom
Wood, Arye Gross, Joe Pantoliano, Ron Perlman
and Kristy Swanson star. Tony Spiridakis
directs, and he scripts with Shem Bitterman.
(Samuel Goldwyn, opened 1/22 ltd)
Talk to Me
Making his feature film debut, George Esguerra
explores the world of teledating
through the eyes of a first-timer. She grits her
teeth through every pick-up line in the book
until she runs across one voice that sounds as
nervous as hers. Cheryl Clifford ("Desolation
Angels") and Peter Welch star. Esguerra
scripts with Robert Foulkes as well as produces.
(Northern Arts, opened 1/1 5 ltd)
Outside Ozena
This ensemble road movie traces the paths
of a variety of misfits—all listening to the same
country western music station that just happens
to be playing jazz and blues this fateful
night—making their way across the Texas
landscape until they converge climactically in
Ozona. Robert Forster ("Jackie Brown"),
Kevin Pollack, David Paymer and Penelope
Ann Miller ("The Relic") star in this J.S. Cardone-directed
and -scripted flick; Carol
Kottenbrook and Scott Einbinder produce.
(Columbia, opened 1 2/1 8 ltd)
H
Levitation
Scott D. Glass ("Walls of Glass," "Ambition")
directs this supernatural coming-of-age
drama about a young woman on a quest for
identity with the help from a blues DJ named
Downbeat. Sarah Paulson and Ernie Hudson
("The Basketball Diaries") star. Glass scripts
and produces; Shelly Strong ("The Killing Jar")
also produces. (Northern Arts, 1/29 LA)
Coming next
month in
violence, language, and drug and sexual content)
action/thriller ("get ready to root for the
bad guy") about a man who, after surviving
being shot by his wife and best friend, plots
revenge. Mel Gibson stars with Maria Bello,
James Coburn, William Devane, Bill Duke,
David Paymer and Deborah Unger. Brian
Helgeland (Oscar winner for his "L.A. Confidential"
script) makes his directing debut, and
he adapts a novel by Donald A. Westlake
(written as Richard Stark) called "The Hunter"
with the novelist and Terry Hayes; Gibson
produces with Icon executive partner Bruce
Davey. (Paramount, 2/5 wide)
The Last Days
Bill Basch, Alice Lok Cahana and Renee
Firestone appear in this Holocaust documentary
directed by James Moll and produced by
June Beallor and Ken Lipper; Steven Spielberg
executive produces. (October Films, 2/5)
Gloria
in a role that for the 1 980 John Cassavettes
version garnered Gena Rowlands an Academy
Award nomination, Sharon Stone stars as
Gloria, a tough broad fresh off a three-year
prison sentence. The reluctant guardian of a
six-year-old, she finds herself on the run from
the mob that was formerly her family. Sidney
Our annual look
back at the year
that was and how
the industry did
during it in our
DOXOFFICE
BAROMETER
16 BOXOFTICE

The Next Generation
Sony Dynamic
Digital Sound.
Cinemo Sound Processor Siiste
0FP-3BB0
'
Cost effecNve SDDS mi analog sound i
• Hulomoreij memflptore trailer
and feature volume adiuslmenls
Compact StUiamlJned reader uiilli
simplified
• Improved diollal signal processing [DSP] funclions
Advanced user interface uiifh simplified inslallalion.
equalizafion and alignment
Sony Cinema Products Coptation
10950 West Washington Bonlevant. Suits 200
Culver City. Caiifoniia 90232. USA
Tel: 310 244 5777 Fax: 310 244 2024
25 Golden Square, loadon W1R 6UJ. U.K.
W: 44 171 533 1475 Fac 44171 533 1598 ^
www.sdds.com
SONY
Response No 415

BOXOFFICE'S
1999 BLUE RIBBON AWARDS
Following is a list offilms released in 1998, Using the ballot provided, cast your voti
for the Best, Worst and Most Popularfilms of the year. Space is also provided for
your commentary on the releases of '98, BE SURE TO MAIL YOUR BALLOTNO
LATER THAN FEB, 8, Results will be published in our April 1999 issue.
1. AFFLICTION Nick Nolte (Lions Gate)
2. AIR BUD: GOLDEN RECEIVER Kevin
Zegars, Cynthia Stevenson (Miramax)
3. ALMOST HEROES Chris Farley (Warner)
4. AMERICAN HISTORY X Edward Norton,
Edward Furlong, Fairuza Balk (New Line)
5. AN ALAN SMITHEE FILM: BURN, HOL-
LYWOOD, BURN Eric Idle (Buena Vista)
6. ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE James
Woods, Melanie Griffith (Trimark)
7. ANTZ Voice: Woody Allen (DreamWorks)
8. APT PUPIL Ian McKellen (TriStar)
9.ARMAGEDDONBruceWillis, Billy Bob
Thornton, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler (Buena Vista)
10. ARTEMISIA Valentina Cervi; Dir:
Agnes Merlet (Miramax)
11. AUTUMN SUN Norma Aleandro,
Federico Luppi (Capitol)
12. THE AVENGERS Ralph Fiennes, Uma
Thurman, Sean Connery (Warner)
13. BARNEY'S GREAT ADVENTURE
George Hearn, Shirley Douglas (Polygram)
14. BASEKETBALL Trey Parker (Universal)
15. BELLY Ear! "DMX" Simmons; Dir:
Hype Williams (Artisan)
16. BELOVED Oprah Winfrey, Danny
Glover, Thandie Newton (Buena Vista)
17. BEYOND SILENCE Sylvie Testud
(Miramax)
18. THE BIG HIT Mark Wahlberg (TriStar)
19. THE BIG LEBOWSKI Jeff Bridges, John
Goodman, Julianne Moore (Gramercy)
20. THE BIG ONE Michael Moore (Miramax)
21. BILLY'S HOLLYWOOD SCREEN KISS
Sean P. Hayes, Brad Rowe (Trimark)
22. BLACK DOG Patrick Swayze (Universal)
23. BLADE Wesley Snipes (New Line)
24. BLUES BROTHERS 2000 Dan Aykroyd,
John Goodman (Universal)
25. THE BORROWERS John Goodman
(Polygram)
26. THE BREAK Stephen Rea (Castle Hill)
27. BRIDE OF CHUCKY Jennifer Tilly,
Brad Dourif (Universal)
28. BUFFALO '66 Vincent Gallo, Christina
Ricci (Lions Gate)
29. A BUG'S LIFE Voices: Dave Foley,
Kevin Spacey (Buena Vista)
30. BULWORTH Warren Beatty (Fox)
31. THE BUTCHER BOY Eamonn Owens
(Warner)
32. CAN'T HARDLY WAIT Jennifer Love
Hewitt, Ethan Embry, Seth Green (Columbia)
33. CAUGHT UP Bokeem Woodbine (Live)
34. THE CELEBRATION Ulrich Thomsen;
Dir: Thomas Vinterberg (October)
35. CELEBRITY Kenneth Branagh (Miramax)
36. CENTRAL STATION Fernanda Montenegro
(SPC)
37. CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD Carrot
Top (Trimark)
38. CHARACTER Fedja van Huet (SPC)
39. CHINESE BOX Jeremy Irons, Gong Li,
Maggie Cheung (Trimark)
40. CITY OF ANGELS Nicolas Cage, Meg
Ryan, Dennis Franz (Warner)
41 . A CIVIL ACTION John Travolta, Robert
Duvall, William H. Macy (Buena Vista)
42. CLAY PIGEONS Joaquin Phoenix,
Vince Vaughn, Janeane Garofalo (Gramercy)
43. CLOCKWATCHERS Parker Posey (BMG)
44. COUSIN BETTE Jessica Lange, Elisabeth
Shue (Fox Searchlight)
45. THE CRUISE Timothy Levitch (Artisan)
46. CUBE Maurice Dean Wint (Trimark)
47. DANCER, TEXAS, POP. 81 Breckin
Meyer (TriStar)
48. DANCE WITH ME Vanessa L. Williams,
Chayanne (Columbia)
49. DANCING AT LUGHNASA Meryl
Streep, Catherine McCormack (SPC)
50. DANGEROUS BEAUTY Catherine Mc-
Cormack (Warner)
51. DARK CITY Rufus Sewell (New Line)
52. THE DAY OF THE BEAST Dir: Alex de
la Iglesia (Trimark)
53. DEAD MAN ON CAMPUS Tom Everett
Scott, Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Paramount)
54. DECEIVER Tim Roth (MGM)
55. DEEP IMPACT Tea Leoni (Paramount)
56. DEEP RISING Treat Williams, Famke
Janssen (Buena Vista)
57. DEJA VU Stephen Dillane (Rainbow)
58. DESPERATE MEASURES Michael
Keaton, Andy Garcia (TriStar)
59. DIGGING TO CHINA Kevin Bacon
(Legacy)
60. DIRTY WORK Norm Macdonald (MGM)
61. DISTURBING BEHAVIOR James
Marsden, Katie Holmes (MGM)
62. DOWN IN THE DELTA Alfre Woodard,
Al Freeman Jr., Wesley Snipes (Miramax)
63. DR. DOLITTLE Eddie Murphy (Fox)
64. ELIZABETH Gate Blanchett (Gramercy)
65. ENEMY OF THE STATE Will Smith,
Gene Hackman, Jon Voight (Buena Vista)
66. ESMERALDA Maria Rojo (Fine Line)
67. EVER AFTER Drew Barrymore (Fox)
68. THE FACULTY Josh Hartnett (Miramax)
69. FALLEN Denzel Washington (Warner)
70. FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS
Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro (Universal)
71 54 Ryan Phillippe (Miramax)
72. FIRELIGHT Sophie Marceau (Buena Vista)
73. FIRESTORM Howie Long (Fox)
74. FIREWORKS (HANA-BI) Takeshi
Kitano (Milestone)
75. FIRST LOVE, LAST RITES Natasha
Gregson Wagner, Giovanni Ribisi (Strand)
76. A FRIEND OF THE DECEASED Alexandre
Lazarev (Sony Classics)
77. FULL TILT BOOGIE Robert Rodriguez,
George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino (Miramax)
78. GADjO DILO Romain Duris (Lions Gate)
79. THE GENERAL Brendan Gleeson, Jon
Voight; Dir: John Boorman (SPC)
80. THE GINGERBREAD MAN Kenneth
Branagh, Embeth Davidtz (Polygram)
81. GODS AND MONSTERS Ian
McKellan, Brendan Eraser (Lions Gate)
82. GODZILLA Matthew Broderick (TriStar
83. GO NOW Robert Carlyle (Gramercy))
84. THE GOVERNESS Minnie Driver (SPC)
85. GREAT EXPECTATIONS Ethan Hawke,
Gwyneth Paltrow (Fox)
86. HALF-BAKED Dave Chappelle, Jim
Brewer (Universal)
87. HALLOWEEN H20 Jamie Lee Curtis,
Josh Hartnett, Michelle Williams (Miramax)
88. THE HANGING GARDEN Chris
Leavins (Goldwyn)
89. HAPPINESS Jane Adams, Philip Seymour
Hoffman (Good Machine)
90. HARD RAIN Morgan Freeman, Christian
Slater, Minnie Driver (Paramount)
91 . HAV PLENTY Christopher Scott Cherot,
Chenoa Maxwell (Miramax)
92. HE GOT GAME Denzel Washington,
Ray Allen, Milla Jovovich (Buena Vista)
93. HENRY FOOL Thomas Jay Ryan; Dir:
Hal Hartley (Sony Classics)
94. HI-LO COUNTRY Woody Harrelson,
Billy Crudup (Gramercy)
18 BOXOFHCE

95. HIGH ART Ally Sheedy (October)
96. HILARY AND JACKIE Emily Watson,
Rachel Griffiths (October)
97. HOLY MAN Eddie Murphy (Buena Vista)
98. HOME FRIES Drew Barrymore, Luke
Wilson, Jake Busey (Warner)
99. HOMEGROWN Billy Bob Thornton,
Hank Azaria (TriStar)
100. HOPE FLOATS Sandra Bullock (Fox)
101 . THE HORSE WHISPERER Robert Redford,
Kristin Scott Thomas (Buena Vista)
102. HOW STELLA GOT HER GROOVE
BACK Angela Bassett, Taye Diggs (Fox)
103. HURLYBURLY Sean Penn, Kevin
Spacey, Robin Wright Penn (Fine Line)
104. HURRICANE STREETS Brendan Sex-
(MGM)
ton III
105. HUSH Jessica Lange (TriStar)
106. I GOT
THE HOOK-UP Master P, A.J.
Johnson (Miramax)
1 07. I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS Jonathan
Taylor Thomas (Buena Vista)
108. THE IMPOSTORS Stanley Tucci, Oliver
Piatt, Lili Taylor (Fox Searchlight)
109. IN GOD'S HANDS Patrick Shane
Dorian (TriStar)
1 1 0. 1 STILL KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST
SUMMER Jennifer Love Hev^itt (Columbia)
111. I WENT DOWN Brendan Gleeson
(Shooting Gallery)
112. JACK FROST Michael Keaton (Warner)
113. JOHN CARPENTER'S VAMPIRES
James Woods (Columbia)
114. JUNK MAIL Robert Skjaerstad (Lions
Gate)
115. THE KINGDOM II Udo Kier (October)
1 1 6. KISSING A FOOL David Schwimmer,
Bonnie Hunt, Jason Lee, Mill Avital (Universal)
117. KNOCK OFF Jean-Claude Van
Damme, Leia Rochon, Rob Schneider (TriStar)
118. KRIPPENDORF'S TRIBE Richard
Dreyfuss, Jenna Elfman (Buena Vista)
1 1 9. LAND GIRLS Catherine McCormack,
Rachel Weisz (Gramercy)
120. LAST DAYS OF DISCO Chloe
Sevigny, Kate Beckinsale (Gramercy)
121. LAWN DOGS Sam Rockwell (Strand)
1 22. LES MISERABLES Liam Neeson, Geoffrey
Rush, Uma Thurman (Columbia)
123. LETHAL WEAPON 4 Mel Gibson,
Danny Glover, Chris Rock, Jet Li (Warner)
124. LET'S TALK ABOUT SEX Troy Beyer
(Fine Line)
125. LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL Roberto Benigni
(Miramax)
126. LITTLE VOICE Jane Horrocks, Michael
Caine, Brenda Blethyn (Miramax)
127. LIVE FLESH Liberto Rabal (MGM)
128. LIVING OUT LOUD Holly Hunter,
Danny DeVito, Queen Latifah (New Line)
129. LOST IN SPACE William Hurt, Gary
Oldman, Matt LeBlanc (New Line)
130. LOUISA MAY ALCOTT'S LITTLE
MEN Mariel Hemingway (Legacy)
131. LOVE AND DEATH ON LONG IS-
LAND John Hurt, Jason Priestly (CFP)
132. LOVE ISTHE DEVIL Derek Jacobi (Strand)
1 33. MADELINE Hatty Jones (TriStar)
134. MAFIA! Lloyd Bridges (Buena Vista)
135. MAJOR LEAGUE: BACK TO THE MI-
NORS Scott Bakula, Corbin Bernsen (Warner)
136. THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK
Leonardo DiCaprio, Gabriel Byrne (UA)
1 37. MASK OF ZORRO Antonio Banderas,
Anthony Hopkins (TriStar)
138. MEET JOE BLACK Brad Pitt, Claire
Forlani, Anthony Hopkins (Universal)
139. MEET THE DEEDLES Steve Van Wormer,
Paul Walker (Buena Vista)
140. MEN WITH GUNS Frederico Luppi;
Dir: John Sayles (Sony Classics)
141. MERCURY RISING Bruce Willis, Alec
Baldwin, Miko Hughes (Universal)
142. A MERRY WAR Richard E. Grant,
Helena Bonham Carter (Lions Gate)
143. THE MIGHTY Kieran Culkin, Elden
Henson, Sharon Stone (Miramax)
144. MIGHTY JOE YOUNG Bill Paxton,
Charlize Theron (Buena Vista)
145. MOON OVER BROADWAY Carol
Burnett (Artistic Licence)
146. MR. JEALOUSY Eric Stoltz, Annabella
Sciorra (Lions Gate)
1 47. MR. NICE GUY Jackie Chan (New Line)
1 48. MRS. DALLOWAY Vanessa Redgrave
(First Look)
149. MULAN Voices: Ming-Na Wen, B.D.
Wong (Buena Vista)
150. MY GIANT Billy Crystal, Gheorghe
Muresan (Columbia)
151. THE NEGOTIATOR Samuel L. Jackson,
Kevin Spacey, Paul Giamatti (Warner)
1 52. NEIL SIMON'S THE ODD COUPLE II
Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau (Paramount)
153. THE NEWTON BOYS Matthew
McConaughey, Ethan Hawke (Fox)
154. NEXT STOP, WONDERLAND Hope
Davis; Dir: Brad Anderson (Miramax)
1 55. NIAGARA, NIAGARA Robin Tunney,
Henry Thomas (Shooting Gallery)
156. A NIGHT AT THE ROXBURY Chris
Kattan, Will Ferrell (Paramount)
157. NIGHTWATCH Ewan McGregor, Patricia
Arquette, Nick Nolte (Miramax)
158. NO LOOKING BACK Lauren Holly,
Edward Burns, Jon Bon Jovi (Gramercy)
159. THE OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION
Jennifer Aniston, Paul Rudd (Fox)
160. ONE TOUGH COP Stephen Baldwin
(Stratosphere)
1 61 . ONE TRUE THING Renee Zellweger,
Meryl Streep, William Hurt (Universal)
162. THE OPPOSITE OF SEX Christina
Ricci, Lisa Kudrow (SPC)
163. ORGAZMO Trey Parker (October)
164. OUT OF SIGHT George Clooney,
Jennifer Lopez, Ving Rhames (Universal)
165. PALMETTO Woody Harrelson, Elisabeth
Shue (Columbia)
166. THEPARENT TRAP Lindsay Lohan, Dennis
Quaid, Natasha Richardson (Buena Vista)
167. PASSION IN THE DESERT Ben Daniels
(Fine Line)
168. PATCH ADAMS Robin Williams,
Monica Potter (Universal)
169. PAULIE Hallie Kate Eisenberg, Gena
Rowlands, Jay Mohr (DreamWorks)
170. PECKER Edward Furlong (Fine Line)
1 71 . A PERFECT MURDER Michael Douglas,
Gwyneth Paltrow (Warner)
1 72. PERMANENT MIDNIGHT Ben Stiller,
Elizabeth Hurley, Janeane Garofalo (Artisan)
173. PHANTOMS Peter O'Toole, Ben
Affleck, Rose McGowan (Miramax)
174. PHOENIX Ray Liotta (Trimark)
1 75. PI Sean Gullette (Artisan)
176. THE PLAYERS CLUB Lisa Raye; Dir:
Ice Cube (New Line)
177. PLAYING BY HEART Gillian Anderson,
Anjelina Jolie (Miramax)
178. PLEASANTVILLE Tobey Maguire,
Reese Witherspoon, Joan Allen (New Line)
179. POLISH WEDDING Lena Olin, Gabriel
Byrne, Claire Danes (Fox Searchlight)
180. PRACTICAL MAGIC Sandra Bullock,
Nicole Kidman (Warner)
181. A PRICE ABOVE RUBIES Renee
Zellweger, Christopher Eccleston (Miramax)
182. PRIMARY COLORS John Travolta,
Emma Thompson (Universal)
183. PRINCE OF EGYPT Voices: Val Kilmer,
Ralph Fiennes (DreamWorks)
184. THE PROPOSITION Kenneth
Branagh, Madeleine Stowe (Polygram)
185. PSYCHO Vince Vaughn (Universal)
186. THE QUEST FOR CAMELOT Voices:
Jessalyn Gilsig, Gary Elwes (Warner)
187. THE REAL BLONDE Matthew Modine,
Catherine Keener (Paramount)
188. THE REPLACEMENT KILLERS Chow
Yun-Fat, Mira Sorvino (Columbia)
1 89. RETURN TO PARADISE Vince Vaughn,
Anne Heche, Joaquin Phoenix (Polygram)
190. RIDE Malik Yoba (Miramax)
191. RON IN Robert De Niro (MGM)
192. ROUNDERS Matt Damon (Miramax)
193. THE RUGRATS MOVIE Voices: E.G.
Daily, Christine Cavanaugh (Par)
1 94. RUSH HOUR Jackie Chan (New Line)
1 95. RUSHMORE Bill Murray (Buena Vista)
196. SAFE MEN Sam Rockwell (October)
1 97. SAVING PRIVATE RYAN Tom Hanks,
Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns (DreamWorks)
198. SAVIOR Dennis Quaid (Lions Gate)
199. SENSELESS Marlon Wayans (Miramax)
200. SHADRACH Harvey Keitel (Columbia)
201. SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE Joseph
Fiennes, Gwyneth Paltrow (Miramax)
202. SHATTERED IMAGE William Baldwin,
Anne Parillaud (Lions Gate)
203. SHOOTING HSH Kate Beckinsale (Fox)
204. THE SIEGE Denzel Washington (Fox)
205. SIMON BIRCH Joseph Mazzello, Ian
Michael Smith, Oliver Piatt (Buena Vista)
206. A SIMPLE PLAN Bill Paxton, Billy Bob
Thornton, Bridget Fonda (Paramount)
207. SIX DAYS, SEVEN NIGHTS Harrison
Ford, Anne Heche (Buena Vista)
208. SLAM Saul Williams (Trimark)
209. SLAPPY AND THE STINKERS B.D.
Wong (TriStar)
210. SLIDING DOORS Gwyneth Paltrow,
John Hannah (Miramax)
211. SLUMS OF BEVERLY HILLS Natasha
Lyonne, Alan Arkin (Fox Searchlight)
212. SMALL SOLDIERS Kirsten Dunst,
Gregory Smith, Phil Hartman (DreamWorks)
February, 1999 19

i
I
21 3. SMOKE SIGNALS Adam Beach, Evan
Adams, Tantoo Cardinal (Miramax)
214. SNAKE EYES Nicolas Cage (Paramount)
215. SOLDIER Kurt Russell (Warner)
216. A SOLDIER'S DAUGHTER NEVER
CRIES Kris Kristofferson (October)
217. SOUR GRAPES Craig Bierko, Steven
Weber (Columbia)
218. THE SPANISH PRISONER Campbell
Scott, Steve Martin (Sony Classics)
219. SPECIES II Natasha Henstridge (MGM)
220. SPHERE Dustin Hoffman, Sharon
Stone, Samuel L. Jackson (Warner)
221 . SPICE WORLD The Spice Girls, Richard
E. Grant (Columbia)
222. STAR KID Joseph Mazzello (Trimark)
223. STAR TREK: INSURRECTION Patrick
Stewart, Donna Murphy (Paramount)
224. STEPHEN KING'S THE NIGHT FLIER
Miguel Ferrer (New Line)
225. STEPMOM Susan Sarandon, Julia
Roberts, Ed Harris (Columbia)
226. STILL BREATHING Brendan Eraser,
Joanna Going (October)
227. STILL CRAZY Stephen Rea (Columbia)
228. STRANGELAND Dee Snider (Shooting
Gallery)
229. STRIKE Kirsten Dunst (Miramax)
230. SUICIDE KINGS Christopher
Walken, Denis Leary (Artisan)
231. SWEPT FROM THE SEA Vincent
Perez, Rachel Weisz (TriStar)
232. THE SWINDLE Isabelle Huppert, Michael
Serrault (New Yorker)
233. TARZAN AND THE LOST CITY Casper
van Dien, Jane March (Warner)
234. TEA WITH MUSSOLINI Cher, Judi
Dench (Shooting Gallery)
235. THE THEORY OF FLIGHT Kenneth
Branagh, Helena Bonham Carter (Fine Line)
236. THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY
Cameron Diaz, Ben Stiller, Matt Dillon (Fox)
237. THE THIEF Vladimir Mashkov
(Stratosphere)
238. THE THIN RED LINE Sean Penn,
George Clooney, Adrien Brody (Fox)
239. THREE NINJAS: HIGH NOON AT
MEGA MOUNTAIN Hulk Hogan (TriStar)
240. THE TRUMAN SHOW Jim Carrey, Ed
Harris, Laura Linney (Paramount)
241. TWILIGHT Paul Newman, Susan
Sarandon, Gene Hackman (Paramount)
242. TWO GIRLS AND A GUY Robert
Downey Jr., Heather Graham (Fox Searchlight)
243. URBAN LEGEND Jared Leto, Alicia
Witt, Rebecca Gayheart (TriStar)
244. U.S. MARSHALS Tommy Lee Jones,
Wesley Snipes, Robert Downey Jr. (Warner)
245. VELVET GOLDMINE Jonathan Rhys
Meyers, Ewan McGregor (Miramax)
246. VERY BAD THINGS Christian Slater,
Cameron Diaz, Jon Favreau (Polygram)
247. WAKING NED DEVINE Ian Bannen,
David Kelley (Fox Searchlight)
248. THE WATERBOY Adam Sandler,
Kathy Bates, Henry Winkler (Buena Vista)
249. THE WEDDING SINGER Adam
Sandler, Drew Barrymore (New Line)
250. WELCOME TO WOOP WOOP
Johnathon Schaech (MGM)
251. WHAT DREAMS MAY COME Robin
Williams, Annabella Sciorra (Polygram)
252. WHATEVER Liza Weil (SPC)
253. WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE?
Halle Berry, Vivica A. Fox (Warner)
254. WIDE AWAKE Rosie O'Donnell
(Miramax)
255. WILDE Stephen Fry, Jude Law (SPC
256. WILD MAN BLUES Woody Allen,
Soon-Yi Previn (Fine Line)
257. WILD THINGS Matt Dillon, Neve
Campbell, Denise Richards (Columbia)
258. WITHOUT LIMITS Billy Crudup,
Donald Sutherland (Warner)
259. WOO Jada Pinkett Smith, Tommy
Davidson (New Line)
260. WRONGFULLY ACCUSED Leslie
Nielsen (Warner)
261. THE X-FILES David Duchovny, Gillian
Anderson, Martin Landau (Fox)
262. YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS
Jason Patric, Ben Stiller (Gramercy)
263. YOU'VE GOT MAIL Tom Hanks, Meg
Ryan (Warner)
264. ZERO EFFECT Bill Pullman, Ben
Stiller (Columbia)
^B
(800) 726-2609
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Association
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GOOD SIGHT. GOOD SOUND
THE KEY TO GREAT CONCESSIONS
Response No. 169

OUIPMENT FOR MOTION PICTURE THEATERS AND STUDIOS
'
A NAME YOU TRUST...
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ind processor for the future.
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Sneak Preview
FOLEY ARTIST
// 9f
Past,
Present and
Future With
Comic Maestro
David Foley
hy Christine James
Can
you picture radio station executive
Dave Nelson, unflappable straight man
to the antics on "NewsRadio," as an
Isabella Rossellini impersonator, demonic
minion of Hell or cartoon ant? Those don't
even scratch the surface of Toronto-bom
David Foley's repertoire of characters, many
ofwhich he developed on the ingenious sketch
comedy TV series "Kids in the Hall," which
debuted 10 years ago. A decade later, the
comic actor has come into his own, starring on
one of NBC's most critically-acclaimed (if
schedule-schizophrenic) sitcoms and voicing
the main insect in Buena Vista's smash animated
comedy "A Bug's Life." His newest
persona is the styUsh, sassy Troy in New Line's
comedy "Blast From the Past," which stars
Brendan Fraser as Adam, a man who has lived
all of his life in a fallout shelter. Raised with
only his parents (Christopher Walken and
Sissy Spacek) as role models and with no
information from the outside world, he has
grown up with a decidedly '60s values system.
When he comes to the surface for supplies, he
must keep his history a secret, which causes
lots of complications when he meets the beautiful
but hard-edged Eve (Alicia Silverstone),
who doesn't know what to make of this impossibly
well-mannered and archaically
dressed hunk of adorable naivete. Troy is Eve's
platonic roommate, whose overt homosexuality
Adam never quite picks up on.
What first drew Foley to the project was the
fact that the director was Hugh Wilson, creator
and producer of the '70s sitcom "WKRP in
Cincinnati." "I used to watch it all the time
when I was a kid. When I first met [Wilson],
he said he took a real interest in 'NewsRadio,'
because he saw it as kind of a descendant of
'WKRP,'" Foley tells BOXOFFICE during
lunch break on the "NewsRadio" set.
Foley describes Troy as "the matemal side
or the more warm side to Alicia's character."
Troy is more patient than Eve with Adam's
idiosyncrasies, and tries to help him adapt to
modem society. "Part of the point was [Adam]
was supposed to have no concept of what gay
was, so it had to be very clear tiiat this was a
gay man," Foley explains. "I didn't want to
play another one of those gay characters which
is a straight actor playing a gay character, and
the whole point of it is, 'Look! Gay people are
just like us.' Not always! Some gay people are
really gay! I was not afraid of being sort of
feminine with it, and sort of lighter."
Some might view that as a particularly
brave move given that this role may revive
misconceptions about Foley's sexuality,
which arose due to the Kids in the Hall
troupe's proclivity for cross-dressing, and the
fact that one of its five members, Scott Thompson
(HBO's "The Larry Sanders Show"), is
one of Hollywood's few openly gay actors.
"Pretty much everyone thinks [The Kids in
the Hall are] all gay" Foley confirms. "The
inherent homophobia in this culture says,
'Well, if they're not all gay, why would they
hang out witii a gay guy?' Even the gay community
is that way."
Perhaps male viewers were merely afraid of
their own conftised reactions to
the delicately-featured Foley,
who, with the right wig, makeup
and outfit, could definitely rank
as one of the world's most beautiful
women. Nevertheless, he
has no plans to double his career
opportunities by becoming an
A-list actress. "I think 'Kids in
the Hair was really the only
place where there was any legitimate
reason for me to play
women," he muses.
Instead, Foley is frequently
cast as the voice of sanity in an
unreasonable world, though he
avoids being simply the straight
miui by slyly sliding in subtly
oblique moments of mirth. Even the mainstream
"NewsRadio" affords him moments of surrealistic
humor: One episode saw him briefing
his staff on emergency building escape plans
for every conceivable scenario, and when confronted
by one employee asking what would
happen in situations involving mythical characters
such as a wizard, he calmly turned to the
appropriate chart and continued his explanation;
on another occasion, he eUcited hilarity
merely by ignoring-with deft facial expressions
and perspicacious timing-that same
staffer's claims that a masked man resembling a
Francophihc Hambuiglar was sneaking in and
breaking the coffee pots. "I think that's fundamentally
the role ofthe central guy in any sitcom,
whether it's Mary Richards or Bob Hartley or
Dick Louden, that you kind of wander through
setting stuff up. But a good straight man gets a
laugh, plays the reactions. Dick Van Dyke was
essentially the straight man in the 'The Dick
Van Dyke' show. But he had opportunities to
be a little absurd. And I get to do that too."
What might reaUy seem absurd—delightfully
so—is the idea of Foley as one of the architects
of Watergate, a portrayal he'll essay in
Columbia's upcoming fihn "Dick." Foley's
role as Richard Nixon's chief of staff. Bob
Haldeman, resonates with irony for the actor:
"Even going back to the age of eight or nine, I
remember just hating Nixon. During the '72
election, my grade four teacher was talking
about what a good man Nixon was. I said,
don't tmst him. The guy just seems really
dishonest and horrible.' And then Watergate
broke. And my teacher looked like an idiot.
"It's one of those things where [I thought],
'That would be a fun thing to do, fun to get into
a wig . ' Well, actually not a wig, but I had a crew
cut for it, a lot of make-up and fake teeth."
When David Foley sinks his teeth, fake or
otherwise, into a role, audiences are assured a
bitingly fiinny performance.
'I
IHII
"BlastFrvmthe Past. "Starring Brendan Fraser,
Alicia Silverstone, David Foley, Christopher
Walken and Sissy Spacek, Directed by Hugh
Wilson. Written by Hugh Wilson and Bill Kelly.
Produced by Penny Harlin and Hugh Wilson. A
New Line release. Comedy. Opens Feb. 5.
THREE'S COMPANY: Brendan Fraser, Alicia Silverstone and
David Foley in New Line's "Blast From the Past."
22 BoxoFncE

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Cover
THE FAB FOUR
FROLIC AGAIN
John^ Paul, George & Ringo Return to the Silver Screen
With the 35th Anniversary Reissue of "A Hard Day's Night
by David Pritchard and Alan Lysaght
Richard
Lester: The deal was that, if we
got it ["A Hard Day's Night"] into the
cinemas before the beginning of July
[ 1 964] , then they would make it because they, the
music department of United Artists, felt The
Beatles probably wouldn't last the summer. We
are talking about Britain, of course. So we started
shooting in February. We had to make the film,
cut it, dub it, and all of it in a very short period.
We had to do it quickly so that the company
wasn't left with a film about some has-beens.
We set out to make the film that best captured
what was going on around us. The week
we began shooting. The Beatles went and did
"The Ed Sullivan Show," and we provided a
bit of material to take with them. By the time
they came back, it was fairly obvious we were
going to be all right. It still didn't alter the fact
that, on the first run of the picture, one of the
[United Artists] executives said, "Fine, but
we're going to have to redub it! We're going
to have to postsync them because nobody in
America will understand their voices."
Alun Owai, Walter Shenson and I went to
Paris where The Beatles were doing an Olympia
conceal at the beginning of 1964 with Silvie
Vartan. We watched than in their hotel room at
the GeorgeV behaving in a way that was extraordinaiy.
In other words, they were prisoners. They
had come to Paris and they saw the car that took
them thae, they saw the backstage of the Olympia,
they went to their hotel room and stayed there
and sandwiches were brought up. In essence, a
screenplay b^an to form in our minds because
we were watching it h^jpen. [Because we had
decided to make] a film tiiat was going to be a
fictionalized documentary, all we were doing
was just trying to keep our eyes open.
Victor
Spinetd: I was in a car with
The Beatles on the way to shooting
for "A Hard Day's Night," and we
couldn't move because of all the crowds of
kids in the street. Some of the girls grabbed
the back bumper of the car and were dragged
along. They scuffed their legs, but they
didn't care, because it was The Beatles.
Walter
Shenson: We were calling the
picture "The Beatles Movie." We
didn't have a title. Our distributors
were calling from New York and begging us
to come up with a tide because they didn't
know how to publicize it. I said we would
keep calling it "The Beaties Movie" until we
came up with a title. Originally I thought the
title of one of the six or seven songs would
lend itself. But neither I nor Dick Lester nor
The Beaties themselves felt that any of those
songs would make a good tide.
Then one day, while we were filming, I
had lunch with John Lennon, who asked me,
"Have you ever heard Ringo misuse the
English language?" I asked him to give me
an example and he said, "Well, when we
work hard on a recording session that lasts
until four or five in the moming, the next day
Ringo's apt to say something like, "Wow.
That was a hard day's night!" It struck me
that it was kind of a catchy phrase.
So I said to John, "Why don't we call the
movie "A Hard Day's Night" and get them off
our backs about the title?" John said, "Why
not?" Then we asked the other Beatles and
Dick Lester and they all said it was pretty good.
Now it dawned on me that I didn't have a
song called "A Hard Day's Night," and I
wouldn't be much of a producer if I let a picture
go without a titie song, so I asked John
one evening, "Can you and Paul write a song
called 'A Hard Day's Night'?" He said, "Oh,
God, we've ateady written all the songs !" But
I told him we needed it. He said, "Does the
song have to reflect the story?" I told him it
didn't, and he said he'd do the best he could.
That was at ten o'clock at night. At eightthirty
the next moming John and Paul called me
into their dressing room at the studio. On the
back of a matchbook cover they had Uie lyrics
of"A Hard Day's Night." The two of them took
out their guitars and played this song, which
became a number-one song when it came out.
I couldn't believe the genius of these two writers
who could write a hit song on demand.
24 BOXOFFICE

Victor
Spinetti: The set of "A Hard
Day's Night" was chaos because nobody
really knew what they'd gotten
into. Walter Shenson went to the American
movie companies and said, "I'm doing a
movie with The Beatles." And they said.
"Who?" But The Beatles had a ball. Dick
Lester had five cameras miming all the time
because The Beatles would never stick to the
script. You never knew what they were going
to say or do. They had to cut so many scenes.
Honestly, if you could get all of the outtakes,
you'd ha\e another fihn because they shot
enough to make "Gone with the Wmd."
TTiey sent each other up all the time. They'd
say things like. "Paul, you're the prettiest. You
get out of the car first." As the lunatic director.
Yd walk up to them and say, 'Tou're late. You
should have been at rehearsals ages ago." John
would say. "You're not a television director.
You're Victor Spinetti acting as a television
director." They were always sending people
up, and. because the cameras kept rolling the
whole time, the essence of The Beatles was
caught, and that''? the magic of the film.
Walter
Shenson: After the first day
of shooting, I looked at the rushes
and my wife said, "Can they act?"
I said. "I don't know. But I do know you
can't take vour eves off them."
ohn Leimon: Our acting
J
in the film?
Well, it is as good as anybody who makes
it but can't act, you know.
aul McCartney: We are not actors.
We're, first of all, singers and then, scMt
of. musicians, but last of all, we're actCM^.
Our Players: The Beatles;
Richard Lester, director of ''A
Hard Day's Night" and "Helpt";
\Malter Shenson, producer of ''A
Hard Day's Night" and "Help!";
and Victor Spinetti, the British
actor who co-statred in "AHard
Day's Night," "Help!" and
"Magical Mystery Tour." j
Ringo Starr: [Asked about the film] It's
not bad. It's cdcay. [Asked if he was
pleased with his woric] Yeah, I think so.
Walter
Shenson: Peopleaskme. "Were
The Beatles good actors?" And I say,
"The Beatles were better than good
dcion. The> were brilliant at being themselves."
Richard
Lesten We didn't set out to
change the world. I don't think any
good work is conceived with the objecfive
of saying, "This is the film that's
going to alter mankind." Films are mirrors.
Films reflect the times. I had a marvelous
image in front of me to reflect, and that is,
or was, their energy and their originality.
February, 1999 25

Richard Lester: For three years I was in the
center of the universe, from "A Hard Day's
Night" to "Help!" to "How I Won the War,"
and I knew at the time that it would be the
pinnacle of whatever I did. I said in the late
1960s that 30 years from now, if I'm knocked
down by a bus, the Evening Standard poster
will be, "Beatles Director in Dead Drama."
You can't avoid that and I'm perfectly happy
because at least I've had the opportunity to
have had that experience.
So life is downhill, okay, but at least you've
been up and seen the view. The fact that a part
of you Uves on, apart from your own children,
is a rare privilege and I'm perfectly happy. I'm
thrilled to have made a fihn like "A Hard Day's
Night" that will always be a good antique
mirror. One that will say, "This is as accurate
as I could produce what it felt like to be around
that experience at the time."
I
Quotes are excerptedfrom "The Beatles: An
Oral History, " a new hardcover book by David
Pritchard andAlan Lysaght based on interviews
for their radio documentary "The Beatles: The
Days in Their Life. " The book is availablefrom
Disney's publishing house, Hyperion Press.
"A Hard Day 's Night. " Starring John, Paul,
George andRingo. Directed by Richard Lester.
Written by Alun Owen. Produced by Walter
Shenson. Comedy. For its 35th anniversary,
Miramax is re-releasing this 1964 UA/Proscenium
effort (with newfootage) this spring.
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26 BoxoFncE
Ftesponse No. 40
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28 BOXOFFICE
SPECIAL REPORT: Sight & Sound '99
SECRETS OF THE
HOLLYWOOD
SCREENING ROOMS
You Think Paying Audiences Are Demanding? Imagine
Having the Producer of the Latest $100 Million Studio
Production Sit Down to Watch His Latest in Your
Auditorium (And With You Both Knowing That That
All-Important Reviewer Is Just Three Seats Away)
by Bridget Byrne
Plush seats. Plenty of legroom. Drinks
and candy. As perfect a projection of
sound and image as is possible to get.
The movie you want to see at the exact time
you want to see it.
Except when looking for rough-cut response,
Hollywood filmmakers don't stand in
l^e hoping for this combination of experiences
at their local multiplex. They book a
screening room. Seeking the perfect presentation
for their latest and greatest, most of them
have tried all the available sites around
Hollywoodland, whether privately run facilities
on the likes of Sunset Strip and Beverly
Hills, or screening rooms on studio lots from
Culver City to Burbank, or theatres at such
industry headquarters as the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences, the Directors'
Guild or the Writers' Guild.
It's doubtful that anxious executives and
earnest artists favor one room over another
because of the quality of the free concessions,
although such extras do factor into the overall
experience— -just not as high on the Ust as the
quality of image and sound.
New technologies have created "state of the
art" wars between rival facilities, all vying to
be the best. "The best. We are the best. Because
we care—we care a lot. We love the work."
That's how the goal is described by Jack Piandaryan,
the projectionist at the Todd-AO Studios
West (formeriy Skywalker West) on the
ocean side of town in Santa Monica.
"We're here to put on a good picture," says
WalterMoshay ofthe Sunset Screening Room,
located on the Plaza area of the famous boulevard.
"We're here to please people. We show
the picture the best. Picture the 'best,' and that
is us." Spoken just like an exhibitor.
'This is the best, the most comfortable viewing
space of all," insists Charles Aidikoff,
whose address reads 90210, close to big talent
agencies and executive mansions. "The only
one Uke it is Robert De Niro's Tribeca room in
New York. When he came here, he said,
'Mine's the best,' but I said, 'Mine's better!'
His has pillars that make it more aesthetically
attractive, but not so good acoustically."
And
the best are busy. On the Monday
after Christmas, the Charles Aidikoff
Screening Room is booked for a midday
showing of Miramax's "Playing by
Heart." About 12 people were expected, but
some 40 arrive to occupy the 53-seat room.
Many take advantage of the free Oreo cookies
and hot coffee. From his office, Aidikoff keeps
a watchful eye on proceedings, popping into
the DTS-equipped auditorium just before the
hghts go down to tell the attendees to "have
fun" but "clean up their own mess."
Then he slips into the room via a back door
to watch and listen to the film's opening moments
to check the sharpness of image and
level of sound. When he notices latecomers, he
instructs them to enter via that rear entry, even
as he lowers the lights in the corridor so less
brightness will intrude when they enter.
So presentation details are not just technological,
although much play is given in marketing
brochures, on websites and via other
advertising outlets dedicated to detailing each
pride-and-joy installation. The renowned
1,012-seat Samuel Goldwyn Theatre—a studio
fave for Oscar-consideration screenings
at the Motion Picture Academy on Wilshire
Boulevard in Beverly Hills bills itself as a
"world-class theatre custom-designed to present
films at maximum technical accuracy."
There are actually two halls at the Academy—the
aptiy named Little Theatre, and the
main room in which giant gold Oscars flank
the walls. The Goldwyn has a 25-foot-high,
57-foot-wide screen that adjusts to all standard
ratios and various film speeds. Its prodigious
sound system is listed as providing Dolby
SRD, DTS and SDDS, with noise reduction
and separate magnetic soundtracks. Its control
console, that all-important instrument which
allows the filmmaker to feel constantly empowered
no matter what the state of his film,
is centrally located 88 feet from the screen.
All this comes at a price: Daytime rental for
the Goldywn is a minimum of $600 for two
hours, and evening rental, which includes additional
staff and could include use of lobby
areas for pre- or post-screening receptions,
runs much higher. For the cost-conscious, the i
67-seat Little Theatre, which also provides
"cutting-edge capabilities in both sound and
projection systems," is cheaper, but not cheap.
All
of the town's screening rooms, regardless
of dimensions and decor, host
viewings for film critics, buyers and
sellers, and Oscar voters. Dailies mn for people
in production. Sound mixing and vision check
needs are met for those in post-production.

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30 BoxoFncE
Films are presented for corporate events, private
parties, nervous producers, anxious directors,
major stars, and so on.
"We screen everything," says Chris Wilson,
chief projectionist for the three screening
rooms on the Tara-like Culver Studios lot adjacent
to the Sony complex in Culver City.
"Make-up and camera tests. Cut footage to
finished footage. We see stuff from pre-production
through post-production to release.
We run Academy screenings, publicity screenings,
screenings for films hoping to be eligible
for festivals like Sundance." He oversees the
new 1 1 9-seat Ince, the 49-seat DeMille and the
eight-seat Executive rooms, all of which contain
what he describes as "top-of-the-line,
well-maintained" equipment.
Post-production experts like Debbi Bossi,
who recently worked on Universal's "Meet Joe
Black," understands the importance of selecting
work arenas appropriate to the scale and
tone of a film. She praises the various screening
rooms on the Warner Bros, lot, which have
dubbing room-quality sound, and she likes
both the Academy and the Writers Guild theatres.
But she admits that "working in really
nice rooms" has ruined her ability to simply
enjoy the pay-your-$7.50-variety moviegoing
experience, where she usually has to fight the
desire to msh back to the projection booth to
demand adjustments.
And there's the kicker. Carl Williams, president
of Cinema Equipment Sales of California,
admits that the state-of-the-art screening
rooms within the industry probably help create
product that can rarely be seen and heard so
perfectly in commercial theatres, especially
given that these rooms undergo the continual
maintenance essential for any facility used for
dubbing. "Within the production community,
almost everyone is used to sound played at
proper levels," WiUiams says. "But, for the
general public, it is probably too loud."
Of
course,
even filmmakers argue
quite audibly—about such things as
sound levels and screen brightness,
because human tastes vary. Usually, screening
room owners and projectionists are discreet
about what they see and hear, but Aidikoff,
now in his 80s and with more than six decades
of experience as a projectionist (he ran a
smaller screening room on Sunset Boulevard
for a quarter-century before moving in 1 99 1 to
his current location), has been around long
enough to feel fi^ee to tell a story or two.
His screening room entryway features pictures
of himself with a multitude of celebrities,
fiom the late iconoclast Orson Welles to the
current megastar Tom Hanks. His memory of
extensive "outtakes" include Sonny Bono
screening Cher's first movie, "Chastity," back
in the Swinging Sixties and being upset that
the sound didn't come across like it did on his
movieola at home; Prince Charles viewing
special effects-enhanced footage of his elongated
fingers playing the bagpipes; and Katharine
Hepburn and her agent allowing
themselves just one cookie.
Just building its history is the screening
room at DreamWorks' new animation studio
THE ROOM THAT lOANALLEN BUILT
Perhaps
loan Allen is not the father of
Dolby, but he's at least its uncle—and
he's the proud papa of one of the
world's finest film presentation facilities.
The corporate c.v. of the vice president of
San Francisco-based Dolby Labs reports
only this about his years before joining the
sound company in 1969: "Mr. Allen was educated
at Rossall School and Dartmouth
Royal Naval College, England. After leaving
the Royal Navy in 1969, he did technical
writing, including work on Admiralty manuals.
He then spent several years in artist management
and record production." Then
comes the key event: Allen "was in large part
responsible for the origination and development
of the Dolby Stereo film program."
Allen, in answer to a question about his life
history, says merely, "I've had a checkered
past. I've been almost
everything
apart from a lumberjack."
Allen
proves far more
willing to talk a-
bout business than
about himself as he
traces the gradual
improvement of
film sound, beginning
in the late
1960s, to the simple
fact that, as
"people got better
hi-fis, their expectations
rose."
And then came a
slew of mid- '70s
movies on the scale
of "Star Wars" and
"Superman,"
whose special effects
needed special
sound. The result: The cycle of improvement
began to move even faster.
For his hand in such improvements, Allen
has won many awards, including in 1 985 the
Samuel L. Wamer Award for contributions to
motion picture sound. He's also received Scientific
and Engineering Awards fi^om the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
in 1979 and 1987, and a full-blown
Oscar in 1989. Butoneof his favorite accomplishments
dates to when he was the concepts
and systems designer for Dolby's Presentation
Studio atop the company office building
in the city by the bay. The screening room
took about three years to design and about 1
months to build; the installation consumed
nearly five miles of conduit.
A 60-seat room with a 52-foot projection
throw, it is conceived in what Allen calls
"1929 Northern California style." But
there's nothing laid-back about the quality
of its sound isolaiit)!!. The achievement is
due to construction that ulili/cd thick concrete
slabs, small neoprene blocks and 45
tons of sheetrock configured so that the bottom
and top slabs separate, allowing the interior
stmcture to float.
"It's a floating box. It's not connected to
the building. You can't hear any traffic" or
other transmitted exterior noises, AUen says
as matter-of-factly as though it were as easy
to float a room as fly a kite. Other potential
sound problems are taken care of by the the
room having a dedicated air-conditioning
system, which allows a lot of air to movebut
move very slowly—^in the room, something
than would never occur in the average
movie theatre, where the msh of air from
cooling and heating systems can on occasion
sound like miscued sound effects.
Equal care is taken with the screen light
and color and with the reflected Hght. Allen
says polished wood might look better aesthetically,
but the chosen matte surface decor
avoids such problems. Tiered seats are set on
a gentle slope so as not to distort projection
something, Allen points out that is not the
case in many bigscreen commercial theatres,
which have gone the stadium-seating route.
Also, in Dolby's screening room, the seats
have the same sound absorbency, whether
occupied or empty. Tliat way, the sound stays
pure whether the nxim is packed to capacity
or has an audience of one.
There is a recording studio control room
attached; one client is the San Francisco
Symphony. The screening room also provides
an excellent venue for film soundtrack
evaluation, speech recording, theatre sound
test runs, a company meeting room, a Uaining
course facility, and demo iuid R&D purposes.
It's also made available to local
filmmakers like Francis Coppola and Phil
Kaufman and for Oscar-consideration
screeniniis tbi- Academy members. That's
because it attains the goal of any exhibition
site, whether a small single-screener or a
contempordiy megaplex: It's a wonderiiil
place to see movies. Bridget Byrne

MMaiMtflil^H
mrDimMl i
There are many current digital soundtracks that have mid-surround
sound "phantomed" between the two surround channels. The CS-EX will
extract this sound and place it into a new string of speakers on the rear
wall of the auditorium. Several big movies will be released this summer
that have specific channel information for the mid-surround channel.
You will be ready NOW/l
CS-EX mid-surround adapter
Use it Now!
The CS-EX will fit conveniently in almost every rack by removing a vent panel. The
product has three full octave equalizers built-in for the three surround channels.
This mid-surround adapter also has a 4th output for future overhead surround
speakers. If the producer of the film wishes to encode this special channel, effects
can pass from any stage channel, over the audience, and land in any surround
channel. Studios, please ask about our Circle Surround studio encoder for this
effect. The CS-EX is compatible with any digital player or analog/digital processor.
NEW!
Our EQ6-1/3 contains three 1/3 octave equalizers to expand
the CS-EX adapter to 1/3 octave equalization on the three
surround channels. A DB25 computer cable connects the two
products together. The unit has a built in power supply for
120/240 - 50/60 Hz. operation.
This new equalizer extender also works with our MOD VI
cinema stereo processor. A direct connect computer cable
allows the two units to work together. An optional sub-bass
expander card is also available for the subwoofer channel.
The Cinema Equalizer Box may also be used with a CP45 to
extend the limited equalization built into the processor. Now
you can have 1/3 octave EQ on the stage channels and full
octave EQ on the surround channels for analog and digital
players.
A/Mi^
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in Burbank, which has 150 seats and is the
forerunner to what will undoubtedly be an
even grander, newly state-of-the-art room to be
built at the SKG studio faciUty planned foi
Playa Vista. Roy Hummel, who oversees international
post production, film archiving and
asset management for DreamWorks, admits to
being more an "image" than a "sound" person—
"because let's remember it all started
with silent movies"—and comes across as one
amused by the eternal struggle to match perfectly
screen and soimd at the expense o;
A SOUND LEADER
almost as if Michael Leader talks in
It's
surround sound. He can envelop you in
a continuous torrent of information
about the state ofthe sound industry with an
enthusiasm for detail and deUght in innovation.
"Films are horribly noisy, and I think
that is a great waste oftechnology," believes
Leader—who also thinks that "not all sound
goes in your ear." Leader's Vancouver, Canada-based
Leader Sound Technologies specializes
in audio and acoustics for the
broadcast, film and recording industries,
and his work in home presentation (his
Leader Hollywood Format sound system,
he says, allows "the audience to bond with
the screen") can be considered a competitive
bellwether for exhibitors.
The company Leader is a family business.
Its president credits both his father
Gerry's background in radar development
in World War D and electric-guitar skills and
his mother Joyce's culinary talents as influencing
the family's constantly evolving
sound business, which was first established
in Canada in 1963 . Michael Leader also cites
the influence of the movie "Cinerama Holiday,"
which he saw as a boy in 1955 at
London's Leicester Square cinema, for
sparking his awareness of the power of
sound and image. "I remember it as though
it was 30 seconds ago," says Leader, recalling
a specific scene. "When the bobsled
took off, I felt as though I was picked up ofl^
my seat and moved into the action."
Although Leader stresses that, when it
comes to sound on film, "the state of the art
is on the soundtrack," he spares nothing in
trying to make the listening experience as
real as possible whatever the location and
whether it's when the Terminator crushes
something or when Pocahantas sings "Colors
of the Wind." Indeed, "Pocahantas" and
'Terminator 2: Judgment Day" were the
focus of two Leader temporary installs.
He set up a theatre inside the University
of British Columbia's Museum of
Arthropology for a screening of the Disney
film during a conference and deliberately
played the sound lower to prove that
"louder is not belter" when it comes to
sound quality. In contrast, he made sure the
sound had physical impact at a screening
of the Carolco sci-fi flick so that the audience
could feel as well as heiu' the explosions.
Bridget Bynie
32 BoxoFncE
Response No. 130

. . . connects
State-af'the-art saund and
autamatian cantral products.
LEATHER AND LACED: The Sunset
Screening Room, with film ready to roll.
neither, while beheving his facility has come
as close to achieving that state of grace as is
currently possible.
The room was originally intended mainly
tor production work." Hummel says, describing
what he calls the 'Tower of Babel" sound
N\ stem and spectacular lamination. But media
screenings were held there for "Saving Private
R\ an" and, says Hummel, "I'm told it's one of
Steven Spielberg's favorite rooms." Where
Spielberg goes the industry follows, and many
other producers now want to show their movies
there. "My poor projectionist is working 17
to 1 8 hours a day," Hummel says, who is proud
enough of the room that he's put a "nice little
sign on the door that says 'no food or drink'"
because he will not have people spilling things
and ruining perfection. Not all rooms are so
strict, though the preference is for viewers to
do their eating and drinking in the lobby or
reception areas, pre- or post-screenings.
Moshay, who was bom into and married into
show business, feels that providing snacks
such as goldfish crackers and jellybeans enhances
the screening experience. "My wife's
grandfather was in the exhibition business and
he used to tell stories about standing there at
the theatre, greeting people, making sure everyone
is happy. We get lots of nervous producers
and directors. We try to make them
happy," says the Sunset Screening room boss
who, besides handling that 36-seat room, runs
itwo additional rooms with 25- and 50-seat
;capacities in Burbank. Moshay is also looking
for another space to replace the one he lost
when the Century City tower where Orion
Pictures had its screening room closed for
refurbishment. "We get so many calls for the
same time period," he says.
What Moshay and his compatriots are at
heart are exhibitors. Todd-AO's Piandaryan
describes his childhood back in Armenia as
being like "Cinema Paradiso." "I loved movies
so much I would sneak into the theatre. Finally,
the doorman got sick and tired of me and took
me to the projection booth, locked the door,
and my luck was sealed—my life became
movies," says the enthusiast, who feels his
screening room succeeds by providing an atmosphere
in which clients feel "at home.
They feel good. They step into here.
Everything's fine," says Piandaryan. His other
task is back inside the booth: "to present someone
else's dream" as perfectly as possible.
Sound system products—
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head.
Sound
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STRD-30 for full
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I MS-100
Enough inputs are provided that all
significant points in the theatre's
sound system can be sampled and
their condition quickly determined.

SPECIAL REPORT: Sight & Sound '99
PROJECTING
THE FUTURE
Electronic Cinema Marks a New Era
in Exhibition—the Digital Age
by Melissa Morrison
oioff»2S^*^J12!?n'«i
already as good as or better than 80 percent o
what's on screens right now," Anderson says,
Dan Harkins, the president and CEO oi
Arizona's 1 74-screen Harkins Theatres circuit
was catalyzed by the Denver demonstration
"Until now, [digital projection] was always
Uttle hot, a little flat, more 2-D than 3-D," h(
says. "What caught my attention, what actu
ally put me in awe, was for the first time in m}
life I saw electronic cinema that matched, anc
in some ways beat, 35mm film.
"I grew up with film. I grew up splicing iti
taping it, gluing it together, watching it breal
and trying to mend it. Now, for the first time ii
my life, I see an invention that could replace
that— [it's] akin to a race-car driver seeing ai
invention that's going to replace the car."
The other advantages of the digital world
which observers say will likely be a reality ii
five to 10 years, include:
• Image durability. By eliminating the neec
In
STUDIO
CENTRAL HUB
DRAWING ON EXPERIENCE: An artist's rendering by CineComm technology provider
Qualcomm illustrates how digital cinema will be employed in theatres.
the digital cinema Utopia, movies are
beamed directly from the studios into
small-town bijoux and urban megaplexes
the world over, each successive screening as
pristine as the premiere. For 700 NATO members
at the Nov. 17 watershed Denver exhibition
of digital technology, that fantasy entered
the realm of reality. But now come the hard
questions: Even a Utopia has to have its garbage
collected and its su-eets policed.
'There are a lot of controllable problems
electronic cinema can help, but it also brings
in problems," says J. Wayne Anderson, chair-
man of NATO's Blue Ribbon Technical Committee
and the COO of Baltimore-based R/C
Theatres.
First the good news: The Denver display
proved to exhibitors that it is indeed technically
possible for digital projection to provide
an image as good as that of 35-millimeter
film. Six companies demonstrated their systems
in Denver and showed exhibitors that if
the images weren't decidedly superior to celluloid,
they had the potential to be.
"Certainly the digital presentation NATO
sat through [showed that digital projection] is
for physical film, which degrades each time i-
is used, digital projection means the movie i
fan sees eight weeks into its run is as good as
the one he saw at the premiere.
| j
• Unlimited openings. The days of a 5,000^'
unit print run would be over, allowing a movie
like "Armageddon" to actually open on every
screen in the world, not just seem like it did*
Likewise,
small-town cinemas would nc
longer be relegated to second-run prints and
could premiere "You've Got Mail" on the,
same day as their big-city counterparts.
• More flexibility in screening schedules.
"Given proper contracts, it would be very easy
to run multiple screens on weekends, cut back
weekdays and maybe show more independent
movies or smaller movies then," says Paul
Breedlove, program director of digital cinema
at Texas Instruments, one ofthe companies that
participated in the Denver demo.
34 BOXOFFICE

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• Auxiliary income. Exhibitors could use
the same technology to screen events other
than movies, such as pay-per-view fights or
concerts.
• Less piracy. Advocates such as Anderson
believe digital data, encrypted by the studios
until it reaches the movie house for decryption,
will dramatically cut down on opportunities
for media pirates to hijack the images.
But the Denver demonstration, in addition
to providing a preview to a better world, also
opened a Pandora's box. Now that digital's potential
has been hamessed, the industry has to
figure out how to deUver it, how to pay for it,
and how to standardize it, among other issues.
The biggest question mark is mode of transmission.
WUl the information be sent via satellite,
each exhibitor manned with a computer
server to download and decrypt the movie? Or
should a fixed medium be used, such as a kind
of disk similar to a DVD or
Li
CD, which would require exhibitors
to have a special kind
of player? Then there's the
now-ubiquitous Internet—^wiU
it eventually have the capacity
to transmit a movie's worth of
data across cyberspace? And if
so, will exhibitors have to rely
on their 1 2-year-old kids to tell
them how to download the
damn thing without crashing?
Texas Instruments, based in
a Dallas suburb, is leaving the
mode of transmission up to the
studios. AccordingtoBreedlove,
Wavelength
Esther
"LAST" MAKES A FIRST
Digital Projection Makes its Theatrical
Debut With "The Last Broadcast"
It
almost sounds like a trailer for yet another sci-fi melodrama aimed straight at the hearts of
'90s techno-nerds. "In a world where film is obsolete, digital video is beamed dinectty into
theatres across the country from deep within the lair of a mysterious trio of mad geniuses.
These renegade cybetpunks are out to rewrite the book of cinema. Their way."
Give or take a few degrees of hyperbole, that's exactly what happened the weekend of Oct.
23, when Wavelength Releasing's 'The Last Broadcast" became the first film to be transmitted
via satellite to a handful of U.S. theatres. Houses in Maitland, Fla.; Portland, Ore.; Philadelphia,
Pa.; Minneapolis, Minn.; and Providence, R.I. took the initial, tentative steps toward what
promises to become an industry revolution, temporarily turning their projection rooms into
rec:ei ving stations for a signal that carried not only a high-resolution digital feature, but the clarion
call for a new wave of film distribution as well.
For Wavelength co-founders Lance Weiler, Stefan Avalos and Esther Robinson, the unconventional
premiere was merely the latest chapter in a story that's broken most of the rules of
filmmaking. For their first collaborative effort, the Pennsylvania
auteurs elected to shoot on digital video instead
of film stock, and employed affordable computer
equipment for editing. The total cost was a paltry $900,
and their satisfaction with the finished produa reaffirmed
their faith that the indie ethos could be extended
into new realms of do-it-yourself accessibility.
"We always joked that we wanted to keep the digital
integrity of our ptxjject/' notes Wetler, explaining why he
and h is partners elected to distribute thei r f i 1m
i
n a man ner
as unconventional as its creative genesis. In transmitting
their gueriiia-tech labor of love directly to theatres, they
determined, they'd not only maintain their aura of innovation,
but circumvent a distribution system that, Weiler
believes, exerts a stranglehold on the independent
director's ability to get his work in front of an audience.

; "Ahnost
I
cost. That disparity is one ofthe biggest hurdles
! facing a full-scale digital conversion, says
DreamWorks' Mark Christiansen, head of operations
for theatrical distribution.
all of the cost of the system is on
1 the exhibitors' side. Almost all of the benefit is
on the distributors' side," he says. "There has
; to be some way to work that out." He says he's
unaware of any meetings between the two
groups to resolve the inequity.
I
CineComm propose s to pay for the technology
itself, charging its exhibition clients for the
I
service instead. "We're prepared to undertake
the economic risk of capital, and provide a
[service, which will cost the industry less than
what it costs them currently to deal with film,"
says CineComm's Targoff.
Targoff believes the large circuits will lead
the evolution to digital because multiscreen
complexes have the most to gain from the
"medium's flexibility, such as the ability to
show simultaneous, staggered screenings of a
blockbuster without the expense and logistics
of multiple prints of the same film. He estimates
two years until a significant number of
cinemas are using CineComm's system.
Independent houses such as Austin's Dobie
Theatre are more circumspect. "My fear is
iwaiting for the technology to settle down," says
Scott Dinger, a Dobie owner "Yes, I can invest
in it,
but I want something that's not going to
be obsolete or 'the old one' in two years."
Anderson believes the costs of converting
|to digital will be shared by distribution and
exhibition, saying that what's good for the
industry as a whole is good for each part of it.
And as with other kinds of technology— personal
computers, VCRs—the equipment will
become cheaper as the market stabilizes.
He says exhibition's biggest concern is ensuring
digital projection doesn't go the same
route as digitd sound, with three companies
DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS: Texas
Instruments' DLP Cinema Prototype Projector.
and three different systems vying for business.
"The biggest thing we [in exhibition] have
to do is to make sure we control our own
destiny," he says. "We need to work with
distribution very closely to see there's only one
system—whatever system that may be. But
we would Uke to have 100-plus manufacturers
work with this system."
He explains that just as there are worldwide
standards for 35mm films, so must there be for
digital projections. "Now, one ofthe few things
compatible all over the world is a piece of
35mm fibn with analog sound."
In addition to distributors and exhibitors, the
support ofcinema's creative artists will be critical
to digital cinema's adoption. TI's Breedlove says
he was surprised at cinematographers' reception
of digital. He assumed they would be
resistant because it
traditional medium of their craft.
does away with film, the
"I misunderstood what their craft is,"
Breedlove says. "Their craft is making images
that convey the art to the audience. So
they've been most helpful, because they see
this as another tool in their palette." The
digital process allows, for example, the reworking
of color and shading on a frame-byframe
basis. And the colors remain as vivid,
no matter how many times the movie has
screened.
"I think the improved creativity will help
drive it into being," he says of overcoming the
current business hurdles.
Anderson agrees that creative players will
be key in digital's acceptance. "I'm talking
about major players like Steven Spielberg and
George Lucas," he says. "They call the shots
of how they want their 'film' shown. Steven
Spielberg got behind 'Jurassic Park' withDTS,
so everyone jumped on the bandwagon.
"Suppose Steven Spielberg decides to release
'Jurassic Park 24' in digital cinema? It would
probably make it an instant success."
MM
Response No. 496
February, 1999 37

SPECIAL REPORT: Sight & Sound '99
A FEW NOTES:
The Importance of Gain
Structure; an "A" Chain
Update; Thoughts on Dolby
Surround-EX; and an
Epilogue onWhy Movies
Are Not Too Loud
by John F. Allen
Whether
GAIN STRUCTURE
it be an amplifier, a processor,
a cableTV system or acinema sound
system, the relative level of the signal
as it passes from one stage to another is
critical. TTiis is often referred to as gain structure.
A good designer makes sure that the signal
is amplified, processed or transmitted with as
little added noise or distortion as possible. Indeed,
it is the limits of noise and distortion that
define the dynamic range of the final system.
In sound systems, noise and distortion are a
constant presence. For instance, if we record
music on an audio cassette at too low a level
on the tape, we will hear a large amount of
noise in the form of hiss. If we record at too
high a level, we hear distortion. This is pretty
familiar stuff, to be sure. But, when designing
or installing a motion picture sound system,
gain structure is just as important and yet is
often overlooked. We can't change the intemal
workings of a processor or an amplifier, so
most of the gain structure of such a system is
defined by the manufacturers of these devices.
In addition, the gain structure of the various
sound pickups in the "A" chain are defined by
the non-adjustable digital readers, or the setting
of Dolby level for the analog reader.
This leaves the cinema processor-to-amplifier
stage as the one area where the sound
system designer or technician is responsible
for obtaining a proper gain structure. Unfortunately,
there is little (if any) guidance to go by.
Some years ago, the practice of setting the
amplifier's input controls to their maximum
began. The logic was that the maximum position
was the easiest setting to restore should
someone change or tamper with the adjustment
of the control. At first glance, this makes
very good sense. How else can we be certain
that the input controls and the sound levels in
the theatres will remain where they belong?
38 BOXOFTICE
The problem with this approach is that with the
amplifiers running, in a sense, wide open, the
signal levels out of the processor will need to
be quite low—so low, in fact, that we can
sometimes hear hum and noise from the processor
itself. This noise is the noise floor ofthe
processor. If the signal level is too low, then the
ratio of signal to noise is too low.
When the amplifier's inputs are set to maximum,
a second source of hum caused by
ground loops becomes far more evident. It is
most troubling that most of the power amplifiers
in movie theatres today do not provide a
ground lift to disconnect the audio-ground
from the chassis-ground. Such a connection
should be made only once in a sound system
at the processor. Connecting the audio-ground
to the chassis-ground not only at the processor,
but again and again at each amplifier, creates
ground loops as well as audible hum.
The proper way to eliminate this hum is for the
amplifier to provide a ground lift Professional
audio equipment provides ground lifts. It's one
ofthe things that niakes professional audio equipment
professional. Without such a ground lift, we
are forced to either live with the hum or install
transformers at each input ofeach amplifier. The
lattCT, of course, never happens due to cost. As a
result, we have hum in a lot of theatres.
One way to at least mask the hum is to tum
down the input controls on the amplifiers.
Because the hum signal is coming in on the
input cables, its level can be effected by the
input controls. However, if one tums these
controls down too far, the processor will need
to be tumed up too high and begin distorting.
So there must be a happy medium, and there
is. For some years now, I have been setting the
output of each channel of the processor at 500
millivolts, except the digital subwoofer, which
is set 1 dB lower at 1 60 millivolts. This is done
by simply using the processor's pink noise
generator as the signal source. The processor's
fader is set to its normal position during these
adjustments—typically '7." These levels represent
an excellent signal-to-noise ratio for the
processor as well as allow us to tum down the
amplifier's input controls low enough to prettA'
well, though not entirely, cover up grounci
loop-induced hum.
Once these levels are set, the processor'
output levels are not touched. All sound level
in the theatre are then set with the amplifier'i
input controls. The only exception to this is tii(
optical subwoofer level, which is
set by th(
processor's optical subwoofer level contro'
after the digital subwoofer level is set by tht
subwoofer's amplifier input controls.
Ofcourse, in setting the gain structure usinj
the amplifier's input controls, we lose tht
ability to know that these controls will sta\
where they belong. There are several solu
tions to this: First is to use a small ball o
plumber's epoxy to lock the control knobs iii
place. This works beautifully because thi;
epoxy hardens into virtual concrete in a fev
minutes. Second is to use amplifiers with thei
input controls on the rear panel instead of the
front. One should still use epoxy in this cast
as well. A third option is to use special "XLR'i
input connectors with built-in variable atten
uators. Unfortunately, these special connec
tors are more expensive than transformers.
The best solution is to equip cinema ampH
fiers with two different sets of input controls
One set of controls is on the front panel; thest
are normally set to maximum. The second se
is on the rear panel; it is these rear controls tha
are actually used to set the sound levels in tin
theatre. The rear panel controls should be tht
locking-shaft type for security. This solution i:
ideal because the sound system has an exct^l
lent gain structure for each and every channel
plus the technician still has complete contro
of the ampUfier with the front panel controls
To my knowledge, BGW is the only amplit u:
manufacturer offering this option, with its M i
lennium 3-HPS, GTB-HPS and 750-HPS am
plifiers. In addition to the dual input controls
these amplifiers all have ground lift switches.
So not only can we set an ideal gain structure
there is no ground loop-induced hum.
1
1

. additional
t
"K" CHAIN UPDATE
November 1996 BOXOFFICE, I
In the
wrote an article entitled "ExciterLamp and
Chains and
IR/LED Optical Reader 'A'
Their Setup Procedures." In that piece, I recommended
the use of black-and-white based
pink-noise test film. Several people have asked
me where to get it since Dolby discontinued
this version of its CAT-69 film.
USL Inc. (Ultra Stereo Labs, 805-549-
0161) now offers a black-and-white optical
pickup test film with both pink noise and tone
tracks. I have tested this film against my reference
CAT-69 films and found it to be accurate.
A't
DOLBY SURROUND-EX
the recent Showeast convention in
Atlantic City, Dolby Laboratories introduced
a modified digital format
being called Surround-EX. Rather than having
I just the traditional left surround and right sur-
'. round channels, this format adds a derived
icenter surround channel — "derived" because
•the center surround channel is not recorded in
the digital soundtrack as a separate channel. It
is instead the sum of the left surround and right
Surround channels.
This is done using the same technique that
^derives the center screen channel ft^om the
ttwo-channel matrixed optical stereo format.
i Information that is common to both surround
•channels is steered to the surround speakers on
^?the rear wall while it is also suppressed fi"om
the left and right surround speakers. Both an
stereo amplifier and an adapter to
\
the cinema processor are required. If a theatre
has no surround speakers on the rear wall, they
will need to be installed.
Surround-EX has been developed in part
due to Lucasfilm sound designer Gary
R\ dstrom's desire to expand control of the
surround channels for the upcoming release of
"Star Wars: Episode 1." Although that film's
May debut will mark the first use of a sound
format with more than two surround channels
in a modem general release, the use of three or
more surround channels is not a new idea
My own thoughts and experiences with
three or more surround channels go back more
than 18 years. In my very first article for
BOXOFHCE in 1980, 1 recommended a third
surround channel. I even suggested that in
.ertain hmited cases the speakers for the third
surround channel could be placed down the
center of the ceiUng. During the 1988 SMPTE
ieliberations concerning the new digital sound
film format, I once again suggested three sur-
'ound channels. But the feeling was that two
surround channels were enough. Since then, I
jliave heard a home theatre system demonstrated
with a ceiling surround source and was
surprised to find that it worked better than I had
Actually, the use of multiple surround chan-
lels is one of the oldest notions in cinema
j
magined. Several years ago, I was finally able
;o put some of these ideas into practice when I
Degan mixing special-venue films in formats
A'ith both three and four surround channels.
^»und. All of these ideas, including a ceiling
surround channel, steering as well as the original
pan pot, were originally done by the truly
pioneering engineers at Disney and RCA in
1939, during the development of the
Fantasound system for 'Tantasia."
From more recent experiences, I can report
that there is some enhancement gained with
three or more surround chaimels. However,
with the exception of a hard rear source, the
enhancement is limited. This is especially tme
with well-designed surround arrays. Ironically,
however, with the all too common poorly designed
surround arrays found in today's theatres,
the addition of a third surround channel
should offer an even greater improvement,
particularly with directional effects. This is
because these typical surround arrays currently
fail to deliver such eflects convincingly.
I should also report that, in my opinion, the
demonstration heard at Showeast seemed out
of balance,
with the rear speakers sounding
weak when compared to the sides. Those who
heard this demonstration might be encouraged
to know that Surround-EX can indeed add more
than what they might have heard that afternoon.
LOUD MOVIES EPILOGUE
My
November 1998 article explained
why the distortion created by inadequate
speakers and amplifiers was
a key cause of patron complaints that movies
are too loud, when for the most part they are
not. At about the time the article appeared, I
had a chance to put this notion to what tumed
out to be a severe test in a refurbished theatre
in Westhampton Beach, N.Y.
The Westhampton Beach Performing Arts
Center is a dream come true for many dedicated
citizens of the Long Island community.
Built in 1933, the theatre has been mosdy used
for movies in the last few years. Much of the
building was in bad repair when a group was
formed to raise the funds needed to restore the
theatre and create a facihty for live performances
as well as occasional film premieres
and festivals. I was honored to be asked to
design the motion picture sound system by
Gerry Ferrara, who served as the cinema consultant
and technician for the project. Gerry is
president of Production Screenings Inc. in
Southampton, N.Y. His principal activity is
providing the equipment needed to screen daihes
during film productions.
During the final planning for my trip to the
theatre to perform the tuning and calibration of
the system, I was informed that the managemait
wished to have a demonstration screening. Gerry
and I decided to use the film 'Twister." Because
the soundtrack of this particular film is so demanding
and dynamic, we thought that it would
provide a terrific danonstration. In addition to
being a movie about tornadoes, this film has the
loudest and most powerful surround track I have
ever encountered. In fact, 'Twists" became
known for destroying speakers all over the country
on die day it opened.
When I arrived, I was surprised to discover
that there would be an invited audience of as
many as 200 contributors, benefactors and
board members. Indeed, I began to wonder if
'Twister" was the best choice, but it was too
late. On the night of the screening, I was asked
to make some comments before the film
began. I noticed that there was a generous
number ofpeople in attendance who were over
70. Considering the number of complaints
heard ftxjm older patrons about sound levels, I
thought that this audience was going to provide
much more of a test of me than anything else.
In my remarks, I brought up flie subject of
"loud movies." I explained that this was a loud
movie but that, because the sound system was big
enough so that it would never distort, I believed
they would not mind the loudness. The film was
played in its entirety at the normal fader setting
of '7." It was never tumed down (or up, needless
to say). The digital format was DTS.
As soon as the fihn ended, people began
coming up to congratulate me on the sound.
Without exception, each and every one who
spoke to us at the reception that followed stated
that they thought the sound level was perfect:
they would not have changed it. The most
striking of these comments came from a
woman who mshed to stop me as I walking up
the aisle at the end of the film. She showed me
a set of commercial-grade earmuff-type hearing
protectors, the kind that people wear when
near heavy machinery and jet aircraft. I was
stunned. She said that because she so hated the
loudness in theatres she could not go to movies
without them. Yet she told me she hadn't used
them once during the evening. She said that the
film was loud when it was supposed to be loud,
but the sound was so clear it didn't bother her
and she wouldn't have altered anything.
This audience was made up of philanthropic
people who had literally paid thousands
of dollars to see this film. Had they been
unhappy about anything, we certainly would
have known. Even the newspaper accounts
that followed echoed the approval of the audience.
The sound system they heard is designed
to have at least 6 dB, or four times, the
dynamic range of the loudest digital motion
picture. In this medium-size theatre, this
means that the acoustic power required of the
sound system is equivalent to eight symphony
orchestras—all playing at once.
Six decibels might sound like a lot, but in
reality it isn't. It's about the difiierence in raising
your voice. The purpose of this additional
output power is to ensure that the sound will,
at all times, be reproduced with effortless clarity
and an absence of overload or distortion.
My November article made the case that the
distortion resulting fix)m the lack of such capability
in today's movie theatre sound systems
is a major contributor to patron complaints
about loud sound Given the experience at the
Westhampton Beach theatre, I believe that I
can rest my case.
Mi
Copyright 1999 John F. Allen. All rights
reserved.
John F. Allen is thefounderandpresident of
High Performance Stereo in Newton, Mass.
He is also the inventor of the HPS-4000 cinema
sound system and in 1984 was thefirst to
bring digital sound to the cinema.
February, 1999 39

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Projection and Sound Suppliers
The following companies are manufacturers and distributors of specialized sound and projection
I
equipment and supplies. Listings have been organized by product category based on descriptions
provided for inclusion in our 1998 BUYERS DIRECTORY. Companies appearing in more than one category
are indexed according to their first survey appearance. Companies wishing to appear in future editions of
I
this directory are encouraged to contact BOXOFFICE via fax at 626-396-0248.
Compiled by Annlee Ellingson
AMPLIFIERS
AB INTERNATIONAL ELECTRONICS
1830-6 Vernon St., FOB 1105
RosevillcCA 95678
916-783-7800; FAX: 916-784-1050
APOGEE SOUND INC.
2180 S. McDowell Blvd.
Petaluma, CA 94952
707-778-8887; FAX: 707-778-6923
HAFLER
P.O. Box 1860, Tempe, AZ 85281
888-423-5371; FAX: 602-894-1528
HIGH PERFORMANCE STEREO
64 Bowmen St.
Newton Centre, MA 02459
617-244-1737; FAX: 617-244-4390
JBL PROFESSIONAL
8500 Balboa Bl., Northridge, CA 91329
818-895-3481; FAX: 818-830-7865
STAGE ACCOMPANY USA:
8917 Shore Ct., Bay Ridge, NY 11209
800-955-7474; FAX: 800-955-9564
STRONG INTERNATIONAL INC.
4350 McKinley St, Omaha, NE 68112
402-453-4444; FAX: 402-453-7238
TECCON ENTERPRISES LTD.
686 Cliffside Dr., P.O.Box 38
SanDimas,CA91773
909-599-0817; FAX: 909-592-2408
WESTAR/INTL. CINEMA
|
EQUIPMENT CO. (see
AMPLIFIERS)
I
XEBEX INC . (see AMPLinERS) I
XETRON (A DIVISION OF
NEUMADE PRODUCTS)
30-40 Pecks Lane
Newtown, CT 06470
800-526-0722; 203-270-1 1 00
FAX: 203-270-7778
ASHLY AUDIO INC.
847 Holt Rd., Webster, NY 14580
716-872-0010; FAX: 716-872-0739
BGW SYSTEMS INC.
13130 Yukon Ave., P.O. Box 5042
Hawthorne, CA 90250
800-468-AMPS, 310-973-8090
FAX: 310-676-6713
CFS/RENTEC
3820 N. Big Spring Drive SW
Grandville, MI 49418
616-249-9400; FAX: 616-249-9422
CINEMA GROUP LTD.
23679 Calabasas Rd., Suite 518
Calabasas, CA 91302-1502
800-582-9690, 818-225-8030
FAX: 818-225-8029
CINEMECCANICAU.S.INC.
8753 Lion Street
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
909-481-5842; FAX: 909-481-5845
CONTINENTAL FAR EAST
3-18-9 Roppongi, minato-Ku
Tokyo 106, JAPAN
(3) 35838451; FAX: (3) 35890272
CPI (CINEMA PRODUCTS INTL.)
1015 5th Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37219
615-248-0771, 800-891-1031
FAX: 615-248-2725
EVI AUDIO
600 Cecil St., Buchanan, MI 49107
61 6-695-6831 , 800-234-6831
FAX: 616-695-1304
FRAZIER DIVISION, SOUNDCRAFT
SYSTEMS
3030 Canton, Dallas, TX 75226
214-741-7136, 800-422-7757
HADDEN THEATRE SUPPLY CO.
10201 Bunsen Way
Louisville, KY 40299
502-499-0050; FAX: 502-499-0052
KELMAR SYSTEMS INC.
284 Broadway
Huntington Station, NY 11746
516-692-6131; 516-421-1230
FAX: 516-421-1274
MEGAMAX SYSTEMS
P.O. Box 4186
St. Augustine, FL 32085
904-829-5702; FAX: 904-829-5707
ODYSSEY PRODUCTS INC.
5845 Oakbrook Pkwy, Suite G
Norcross, GA 30093
770-448-4873; FAX: 770-825-0245
ORC LIGHTING PRODUCTS
1300 Optical Dr., Azusa, CA 91702
626-815-3100, 800-755-LAMP
FAX: 626-815-3074
PEAVEY ELECTRONICS
711 A Street, Meridian, MS 39301
601-483-5365; FAX: 601-486-1278
QSC AUDIO PRODUCTS INC.
1675 MacArthur Blvd.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
714-754-6175; 714-957-7100
FAX: 714-754-6174
RAVEN LABORATORIES INC.
87 Central Ave., Glen Rock, NJ 07452
201-445-5519; FAX: 201-444-7793
ROM INDUSTRIES INC.
3342 Lillian Bl., Titusville, FL 32780
407-269-4720; FAX: 407-269-4729
SMART THEATRE SYSTEMS
5945 Peachtrec Corners East
Norcross, GA 30071-1337
800-45-SMART; 770-449-6698
FAX: 770-449-6728
STAGE ACCOMPANY
Anodeweg 4, Hoom 1627 LJ
The Netherlands
31229282930; 316549022668
FAX: 31229282930
USL INC. (ULTRA-STEREO LABS)
181 Bonetti Dr.
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
805-549-0161; FAX: 805-549-0163
WESTAR/INTERNATIONAL
CINEMA EQUIPMENT CO.
100 NE 39th Street, Miami, FL 33137
305-573-7339; FAX: 305-573-8101
XEBEX INC.
No. 11, Kanda Konya-Cho
Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo, JAPAN
813-32517001; FAX: 813-32517017
APERTURE PLATES
BALLANTYNE OF OMAHA/
STRONG INTERNATIONAL
4350 McKinley St., Omaha, NE 68112
402-453-4444; FAX: 402-453-7238
CFS/RENTEC (see AMPLIFIERS)
CHRISTIE INC.
10550 Camden Dr.
Cypress, CA 90630
714-236-8610; FAX: 714-229-3185
CINEMECCANICA(see
AMPLIHERS)
HADDEN THEATRE SUPPLY CO.
(see AMPLIFIERS)
KELMAR (see AMPLinERS)
LAVEZZI PRECISION INC.
999 Regency Dr.
Glendale Heights, IL 60139
630-582-1230; FAX: 630-582-1238
MEGAMAX (see AMPUHERS)
VERONESE PAOLO
CINEMATOGRAFIA
Via Montcfior No. 12
20128 Milano, ITALY
39-2-2591988; FAX: 39-227201704
AUTOMATIOH
CONTROLLERS \
AVASKINC.
75 West Forest Ave.
Englewood, NJ 07631
201-567-7300; FAX: 201-569-6285
BALLANTYNE OF OMAHA/
STRONG (see APERTURE
PLATES)
BIG SKY INDUSTRIES
259 Center St., PhiUipsburg, NJ 08865 I
908-454-6344; FAX: 908-454-6373
CFS/RENTEC (see AMPLinERS)
CHRBTIE (see APERTURE PLATES)
CINEMECCANICA(see
AMPLIFIERS)
COMPONENT ENGINEERING INC.
4237 24th Ave. W.
'
Seattle, WA 98199
206-284-9171; FAX: 206-286-4462
CPI (see AMPLIFIERS)
EDLO INDUSTRIES
435 Morrissee Avenue
Haledon, NJ 07508
201-445-5519; FAX: 201-444-7793
HADDEN (see AMPLinERS)
KELMAR (see AMPLIHERS)
MARBLE
421 Hart Lane, P.O. Box 160030
Nashville, TN 37216
800-759-5905, 615-227-7772
FAX: 615-228-1301
MEGAMAX (see AMPLinERS)
ORC (see AMPLinERS)
40 BoxomcE

RAVEN (see AMPLIFIERS)
REEL AUTOMATION
3508 Oak Ridge Drive
Chattanooga, TN 37415
423-876-1415; FAX: 423-876-1416
RGM (see AMPLIFIERS)
SMART (see AMPLIFIERS)
SPECO/SYSTEMS & PRODUCTS
ENGINEERING CO.
709 N Pth St , Kansas City, KS 66101
913-321-3978,913-321-3979
FAX: 913-321-7439
STRONG (see AMPLIFIERS)
XETRON (see APERTURE PLATES)
CARBONS
CPI (see AMPLIFIERS)
CFS/RENTEC (see AMPLIFIERS)
CHRISTIE (see APERTURE
PLATES)
CINEMECCANICA(see
AMPLIFIERS)
HADDEN (see AMPLIFIERS)
KNEISLEY (see CHANGEOVER
DEVICES/CUE MARKERS)
L.P. ASSOCIATES INC.
6650 Lexington Ave.
HoUywood, CA 90038
213-462-4714; FAX: 213-462-7584
ORC (see AMPLIFIERS)
STRONG (see AMPLIHERS)
WESTAR/INTL. CINEMA
EQUIPMENT CO. (see
AMPLIFIERS)
APOGEE SOUND INC. (see
AMPLIFIERS)
ASHLY (see AMPLIHERS)
CFS/RENTEC (see AMPLIFIERS)
CINEMA GROUP LTD. (see
AMPLIFIERS)
CONTINENTAL FAR EAST (see
AMPLIFIERS)
EVI AUDIO (see AMPLIFIERS)
FRAZIER (see AMPLIFIERS)
HADDEN (see AMPLIHERS)
MEGAMAX (see AMPLIHERS)
RAVEN (see AMPLIFIERS)
RGM INDUSTRIES INC. (see
AMPLIFIERS)
CPI (see AMPLIFIERS)
DIMENSIONS
5240 Medina Rd.
Woodland Hills, CA 91364-1913
818-592-0999; FAX: 818-592-0987
HADDEN (see AMPLIHERS)
JOS. SCHNEIDER OPTISCHE
WERKE KREUZNACH
Ringstr. 132
D-55543 Bad Kreuznach, GernianN
49-671601280; FAX: 49-671601108
KNEISLEY (see CHANGEOVER
DEVICES/CUE MARKERS)
L.P. ASSOCIATES (see
CONSOLES)
MARBLE (see AUTOMATION
CONTROLLERS)
MEGAMAX (see AMPLIFIERS)
HADDEN (see AMPLIFIERS)
MARBLE (see AUTOMATION
CONTROLLERS)
CHANGEOVER
DEVICES/CUE
MARKERS
CFS/RENTEC (see AMPLIFIERS)
CINEMECCANICA(see
AMPLIFIERS)
COMPONENT ENGINEERING INC.
(see AUTOMATION
CONTROLLERS)
CPI (see AMPLIFIERS)
HADDEN (see AMPLIFIERS)
KNEISLEY ELECTRIC COMPANY
P.O.Box 4692, Toledo, OH 43610
419-241-1219; FAX: 419-241-9920
MARBLE (see AUTOMATION
CONTROLLERS)
MEGAMAX (see AMPLIFIERS)
RAVEN (see AMPLIHERS)
SPECO (see AUTOMATION
CONTROLLERS)
WESTAR/INTL. CINEMA
EQUIPMENT CO. (see
AMPLIFIERS)
WOLK, EDW. H. INC.
921 S. Jefferson St.
Chicago, IL 60607^422
312-939-2720, 800-621-4424
FAX: 312-939-0654
XETRON (see APERTURE
PLATES)
CONSOLES
BALLANTYNE OF OMAHA/STRONG
(see APERTURE PLATES)
XETRON (see APERTURE
PLATES)
DIGITAL STEREO
CFS/RENTEC (see AMPLIFIERS)
CINEMA GROUP LTD. (see
AMPLIFIERS)
COMPONENT ENGINEERING INC.
(see AUTOMATION
CONTROLLERS)
CONTINENTAL FAR EAST (see
AMPLIFIERS)
DOLBY LABORATORIES INC.
100 Potrero Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94103
415-558-0200; FAX: 415-863-1373
DIGITAL THEATER SYSTEMS INC.
5171 Clareton Dr.
Agoura Hills, CA 91301
818-706-3525; FAX: 818-706-1868
HADDEN (see AMPLIHERS)
HIGH PERFORMANCE STEREO
(see AMPLIFIERS)
KARASYNC DIGITAL AUDIO INC.
17 Washington St.
Norwalk, CT 06854
203-899-0671; FAX: 203-348-1430
ODYSSEY (see AMPLIHERS)
RAVEN (see AMPLIHERS)
SONY CINEMA PRODUCTS CORP.
10950 W. Washington Blvd., Suite 200
Culver City, CA 90232
310-244-5777; FAX: 310-244-2024
WESTAR/INTL. CINEMA
EQUIPMENT CO. (see
AMPLIFIERS)
XEBEX INC. (see AMPLIFIERS)
EQUALIZERS
SMART (see AMPLIHERS)
STAGE ACCOMPANY (see
AMPLIFIERS)
USL INC. (see AMPLIHERS)
XEBEX INC. (see AMPLIFIERS)
LAMPHOUSES
BIG SKY (see AUTOMATION
CONTROLLERS)
CFS/RENTEC (see AMPLIFIERS)
CHRISTIE INC. (see APERTURE
PLATES)
CINEMECCANICA(see
AMPLIFIERS)
HADDEN (see AMPLIHERS)
KNEISLEY (see CHANGEOVER
DEVICES/CUE MARKERS)
L.P. ASSOCIATES INC. (see
CONSOLES)
MEGAMAX (see AMPLIFIERS)
NAVITARINC.
200 Commerce Drive
Rochester, NY 14623
716-359-4000, 800-828-6778
FAX: 716-359-4999
ORC (see AMPLIFIERS)
STRONG INTERNATIONAL (see
AMPLIFIERS)
VERONESE PAOLO
CINEMATOGRAFIA(see
APERTURE PLATES)
XEBEX INC. (see AMPLIHERS)
XETRON (see APERTURE
PLATES)
LENSES
CFS/RENTEC (see AMPLIHERS)
NAVITARINC. (see
LAMPHOUSES)
ORC LIGHTING PRODUCTS (see
AMPLIFIERS)
SCHNEIDER OPTICS
285 Oser Ave.
Hauppauge, NY 11788
516-761-5000; FAX: 516-761-5090
SUPER-VCORP.
1311 N. Fairfax Avenue #15
West HoUywood, CA 90046-4749
213-851-8842; FAX: 213-874-9798
WESTAR/INTL. CINEMA
EQUIPMENT CO. (see
AMPLIFIERS)
XEBEX INC. (see AMPLIHERS)
NOISE REDUCERS
CFS/RENTEC (see AMPLIFIERS)
CINEMA GROUP LTD. (see
AMPLIFIERS)
CONTINENTAL FAR EAST (see
AMPLIFIERS)
CPI (see AMPLIFIERS)
DOLBY (see DIGITAL STEREO)
HADDEN (see AMPLIFIERS)
MEGAMAX (see AMPLIHERS)
SMART (see AMPLIHERS)
WESTAR/INTL. CINEMA
EQUIPMENT CO. (see
AMPLIFIERS)
XEBEX INC. (see AMPLIHERS)
PLATTERS
BALLANTYNE OF OMAHA/STRONG
(see APERTURE PLATES)
3IG SKY(see AUTOMATION
CONTROLLERS)
AB INTERNATIONAL (see
AMPLIFIERS)
CONTINENTAL FAR EAST (see
AMPLIFIERS)
BIG SKY INDUSTRIES (see
AUTOMATION
CONTROLLERS)
February, 1999 41

CFS/RENTEC (see AMPLMERS)
CHRISTIE (see APERTURE
PLATES)
CINEMECCANICA(see
AMPLIHERS)
HADDEN (see AMPLIFIERS)
MEGAMAX (see AMPLIHERS)
NEPS ENTERPRISES
Rural Route 3, Lacombe Alberta
CANADA TOC ISO
403-782-7649; FAX: 403-782-7649
ORC(seeAMPLinERS)
ROBERT L. pons ENTERPRISES
201 E. Sangamon, P.O. Box 867
Rantoul, IL 61866
217-893-0443; FAX: 217-893-4204
SPECO (see AUTOMATION
CONTROLLERS)
WESTAR/INTL. CINEMA
EQUIPMENT CO. (see
AMPLMERS)
XEBEX INC. (see AMPLMERS)
XETRON (see APERTURE
PLATES)
PROJECTOR PARTS
CFS/RENTEC (see AMPLIFIERS)
* Si CHRISTIE (see APERTURE
. ^» PLATES)
IM
CINEMECCANICA(see
AMPLMERS)
CPI (see AMPLMERS)
HADDEN (see AMPLMERS)
LAVEZZI PRECISION (see
APERTURE PLATES)
MEGAMAX (see AMPLMERS)
ROMAR/HERSTAL ASSOCIATES
434 5. Euclid St., Suite 128
Anaheim, CA 92802
714-772-7863
FAX: 714-758-1190
TECO (THEATRICAL
ELECTRONICS CO.)
1122 Industrial Dr.
Mathews, NC 28105
800-863-8326; FAX: 704-845-1709
VERONESE PAOLO
CINEMATOGRAFIA(see
APERTURE PLATES)
WESTAR/INTL. CINEMA
EQUIPMENT CO. (see
AMPLMERS)
WOLK, EDW. H. INC. (see
CHANGEOVER DEVICES/
CUE MARKERS)
XEBEX INC. (see AMPLMERS)
XETRON (see APERTURE
PLATES)
PROJECTORS
BALLANTYNE OF OMAHA/
STRONG (see APERTURE
PLATES)
BIG SKY (see AUTOMATION
CONTROLLERS)
CFS/RENTEC (see AMPLMERS)
CHRISTIE (see APERTURE
PLATES)
CINEMECCANICA(see
AMPLIFIERS)
HADDEN (see AMPLMERS)
IWERKS ENTERTAINMENT
4540 W. Valerio St.
Burbank, CA 91505
818-842-7165, 818-841-7766
FAX: 818-842-0921
MEGAMAX (see AMPLMERS)
NAVITAR (see LAMPHOUSES)
RAYTHEON ANSCHUTZ GmbH
Zeyestr. 16-24, D-24106 Kiel
GERMANY
494313019250; FAX: 494313019604
STRONG (see AMPLMERS)
VERONESE PAOLO
CINEMATOGRAFIA(see
APERTURE PLATES)
XEBEX INC. (see AMPLMERS)
XETRON (see APERTURE PLATES)
REELS
CHRISTIE (see APERTURE
PLATES)
CINEMECCANICA(see
AMPLIFIERS)
GOLDBERG BROTHERS INC.
P.O. Box 17048, Denver, CO 80217
303-321-1099; FAX: 303-388-0749
HADDEN (see AMPLIHERS)
MEGAMAX (see AMPLMERS)
WESTAR/INTL. CINEMA
EQUIPMENT CO. (see
AMPLMERS)
WOLK, EDW. H. INC. (see
CHANGEOVER DEVICES/
CUE MARKERS)
XEBEX INC. (see AMPLMERS)
XETRON (see APERTURE PLATES)
REEL ARMS/
SUPPORTS
BIG SKY (see AUTOMATION
CONTROLLERS)
CFS/RENTEC (see AMPLMERS)
CHRISTIE (see APERTURE
PLATES)
V
f
NEW PROJECTION AND
SOUND PRODUCTS
Big Sky Industries now offers
First Run, a cleaner that removes
dust, dirt and residue
from film. Call (908) 454-6344.
Cinema Film Systems' electronic
projector, Dreamcatcher,
utilizes state-of-the-art
stepping motor and micro-processor
technology and functions
without moving parts, such
as belts, gears, pulleys and heavy
drive motors. CFS claims that
and
V Dreamcatcher can move f i Im
control the shutter with unequaled
precision. The result is a sharper,
brighter image on the screen. To
learn more, contact Marlene
Partidaat{909)931-9318.
Digital Projection has added
the Power 7gv to Power Displays,
its line of large venue
projectors. Operating at 6500
ANSI lumens, the Power 7gv is
the brightest of projectors i ncorporating
the company's "Digital
Light Processing" projection technology.
The projector produces
images for any application, has a
brightness complemented by
more than 1 billion colors, and has
grayscale tracking and luminance
uniformity greater than 90 percent.
Call (770) 420-1 350.
Christie Inc. introduces the
EPIC series electronic 35mm
and 70mm film projectors. Designed
for special-venue applications
including motion
simulation rides, large-format
and 3-D theatres, the EPIC offers
maximum versatility and is
completely automated. Call
(71 4) 236-8610 for details.
Sweden-based
cinema
equipment developer Autograf
Cinema Systems has introduced
the CAF-100, an autofocusing
system for cinema projectors.
The system operates by filming a
set portion of the movie screen,
calculating the focus of the picture
and adjusting the lens on the
projector until the projected picture
reaches complete focus. Because
the system is able to detect
focus variations that are undetectable
to the human eye, the
CAF-100 allows a more precise
focus than normally possible
when performed manually. Contact
Jennie Hellterg at (46-8) 587
935 GO for moj
To tackle the problem of
noise reverberation in theatres,
Kinetics Noise Control introduces
its CinemaSeries Acoustical
Panels. The panels offer
low-frequency sound absorption
and exceed criteria for
Class A fire rating per ASTM
E84. The panels have a velvetlike
appearance and are available
in any color, as well as any
thickness from 1" to 4". Call
(800) 959-1 229, ext. 21 7.
Christie Inc. has created a
basement reader soundhead
known as the Christie Central
Pivot. The device is designed to
avoid slipping on the sound
drum—a source of sound distortion
associated with polyester
film. Phone (71 4) 236-8610.
Costa Mesa, Calif. -based
QSC has announced the release
of its
Digital Cinema Amplifiers.
The line, which currently
consists of four models—the
DCA1 222, DCA1 622, DCA2422
and DCA3022—ranges in power
from 600 to 1,500 watts per
channel at 2 ohms. QSC can be
reached at (71 4) 754-61 75.
BGW Systems' Millennium
3-HPS speakers offer a large
power supply capacity and increased
number of output devices,
among other features.
Call (800) 468-AMPS, or e-mail
sales@bgw.com.
Sony Cinema Products Corp.
has unveiled the DFP-3000 Cinema
Sound Processor System,
which processes both digital
and analog soundtracks utilizing
advanced decoding functions
and unique user-interface
capabilities. It provides a costeffective
alternative for theatre
owners through its dual capabilities.
Call (310) 244-5777.
Klipsch Professional's KPT-
200 is a 12-inch, two way cinema
surround system. The
KPT-200 is designed for use
with digital or other high-fidelity
sound reproduction equipment
and offers extended bass
response, high efficiency, controlled
coverage and standard
SMPTE/ISO 2969 X-Curve deemphasis.
Call (317)574-3866
or visit www.klipsch.com.
42 BoxoFncE

I
CINEMECCANICA(see
AMPLIHERS)
[
CPI(seeAMPLinERS)
KELMAR (see AMPLIHERS)
MEGAMAX (see AMFLIHERS)
ORC(seeAMPLinERS)
SPECO (see AUTOMATION
CONTROLLERS)
VERONESE PAOLO
CINEMATGGRAFIA(see
APERTURE PLATES)
WESTAR/INTL. CINEMA
EQUIPMENT CO. (see
AMPLIFIERS)
XEBEX INC. (see AMPLIFIERS)
XETRON (see APERTURE
PLATES)
REFLECTORS
CFS/RENTEC (see AMPLIFIERS)
CHRISTIE (see APERTURE
PLATES)
CINEMA XENON INTL. INC.
Zol Vallev Vista Drive
Camarillo, CA 93010-1655
888-669-7271,805-383-7226
f
FAX: 805-389-9611
CINEMECCANICA(see
AMPLIFIERS)
CPI (see AMPLinERS)
GOLDBERG BROTHERS (see REELS)
HADDEN (see AMPLIHERS)
LP. ASSOCIATES INC. (see
CONSOLES)
MARBLE (see AUTOMATION
CONTROLLERS)
IK6AMAX (see AMPLIFIERS)
ORG (see AMPLIHERS)
WESTAR/INTL. CINEMA
EQUIPMENT CO. (see
AMPLIHERS)
BEX INC. (see AMPLIFIERS)
(see APERTURE PLATES)
EWINDS
WESTAR/INTL. CINEMA
EQUIPMENT CO. (see
AMPLIHERS)
XEBEX INC. (see AMPLIHERS)
XETRON (see APERTURE
PLATES)
SOUND DESIGN
APOGEE (see AMPLIHERS)
CFS/RENTEC (see AMPLIHERS)
DOLBY (see DIGITAL STEREO)
FRAZIER (see AMPLIHERS)
HADDEN (see AMPLIHERS)
HIGH PERFORMANCE STEREO
(see AMPLIFIERS)
KELMAR (see AMPLIHERS)
LUCASFILM LTD., THX DIVISION
P.O. Box 10327, San Rafael, CA 94912
415-492-3900; FAX: 415-492-3999
MEGAMAX (see AMPLIFIERS)
ODYSSEY (see AMPLIHERS)
RAVEN (see AMPLIFIERS)
SMART (see AMPLIHERS)
SOUNDHEADS
CFS/RENTEC (see AMPLIFIERS)
COMPONENT ENGINEERING (see
AUTOMATION CONTROLLERS)
CONTINENTAL FAR EAST (see
AMPLIHERS)
CPI (see AMPLIHERS)
DOLBY (see DIGITAL STEREO)
EVI AUDIO (see AMPLIFIERS)
HADDEN (see AMPLIHERS)
TECCON ENTERPRISES LTD. (see
AMPLIHERS)
WESTAR/INTL. CINEMA
EQUIPMENT CO. (see
AMPLIHERS)
SPEAKERS
APOGEE (see AMPLIHERS)
EVI AUDIO (see AMPLIHERS)
FRAZIER (see AMPLIHERS)
HADDEN (see AMPLIHERS)
HIGH PERFORMANCE STEREO
(see AMPLIFIERS)
JBL (see AMPLIHERS)
KARASYNC (see DIGITAL STEREO)
KLIPSCH PROFESSIONAL
8900 Keystone Crossing #1220
Indianapolis, IN 46240
(317)581-3185
FAX: (317) 574-3870
MEGAMAX (see AMPLIHERS)
MILLER & KREISEL SOUND CORP.
10391 Jefferson Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232-3511
310-204-2854; FAX: 310-202-8782
OMNIMOUNT SYSTEMS
1501 W. i7th St., Tempe, AZ 85281
602-829-8000; FAX: 602-756-9000
SMART (see AMPLIHERS)
STAGE ACCOMPANY (see
AMPLIFIERS)
STRONG (see AMPLIFIERS)
TOTAL AUDIO
3006 Strong Ave.
Kansas City, KS 66106
913-362-3762; FAX: 913-362-5642
XEBEX INC. (see AMPLIHERS)
STEREO SYSTEMS
CFS/RENTEC (see AMPLIHERS)
CINEMA GROUP LTD. (see
AMPLIHERS)
CONTINENTAL FAR EAST (see
AMPLIFIERS)
CPI (see AMPLIHERS)
DOLBY (see DIGITAL STEREO)
EVI AUDIO (see AMPLIFIERS)
FRAZIER (see AMPLIHERS)
HADDEN (see AMPLIHERS)
HIGH PERFORMANCE STEREO
(see AMPLIFIERS)
JBL (see AMPLIHERS)
KELMAR (see AMPLIHERS)
WESTAR/INTL. CINEMA
EQUIPMENT CO. (see
AMPLIHERS)
XEBEX INC. (see AMPLIHERS)
SYNTHESIZERS
CFS/RENTEC (see AMPLIHERS)
CHACE PRODUCTIONS
201 S. Victory Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91502
818-842-8346; FAX: 818-842-8353
CINEMA GROUP LTD. (see
AMPLIHERS)
HADDEN (see AMPLIFIERS)
MEGAMAX (see AMPLIHERS)
SMART (see AMPLIHERS)
USL INC.(see AMPLIHERS)
WESTAR/INTL. CINEMA
EQUIPMENT CO. (see
AMPLIFIERS)
XENON BLUBS
BIG SKY (see AUTOMATION
CONTROLLERS)
CFS/RENTEC (see AMPLIHERS)
CHRISTIE INC. (see APERTURE
PLATES)
CINEMA XENON (see
REFLECTORS)
CPI (see AMPLIHERS)
GOLDBERG BROTHERS (see REELS)
HADDEN (see AMPLIHERS)
KNEISLEY(see CHANGEOVER
DEVICES/CUE MARKERS)
L.P. ASSOCIATES (see
CONSOLES)
MARBLE (see AUTOMATION
CONTROLLERS)
MEGAMAX (see AMPLIFIERS)
NAVITAR (see LAMPHOUSES)
ORC (see AMPLIFIERS)
OSRAM SYLVANIA INC.
P.O. Box 3305, Brentwood, TN 37024
800-394-0363; FAX: 615-661-4710
jt
SKY (see AUTOMATION
CONTROLLERS)
CFS/RENTEC (see AMPLIHERS)
IpPI (see AMPLMERS)
liOLDBERG BROTHERS INC. (see
REELS)
I
IpUIDEN (see AMPLIFIERS)
IkELMAR (see AMPLIHERS)
MEGAMAX (see AMPLIHERS)
BGW SYSTEMS (see AMPLIHERS)
CFS/RENTEC (see AMPLIFIERS)
CINEMA GROUP LTD. (see
AMPLIFIERS)
CONTINENTAL FAR EAST (see
AMPLIHERS)
CPI (see AMPLIHERS)
EAW (EASTERN ACOUSTIC WORKS)
One Main St., Whitinsville, MA 01588
508-234-6158; FAX: 508-234-8251
LUCASFILM (see SOUND DESIGN)
MEGAMAX (see AMPUHERS)
ODYSSEY (see AMPLIFIERS)
RAVEN (see AMPLIHERS)
RGM (see AMPLIHERS)
SMART (see AMPLIHERS)
TOTAL AUDIO (see SPEAKERS)
USL INC. (see AMPLIFIERS)
WESTAR/INTL. CINEMA
EQUIPMENT CO. (see
AMPLIHERS)
WOLK (see CHANGEOVER
DEVICES/CUE MARKERS)
XEBEX INC. (see AMPLIHERS)
XETRON (see APERTURE PLATES)
YUMEX ILC CO. LTD.
399 Java Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94089
408-745-7900, 800-347-2474
FAX: 408-744-0829
February, 1999 43

EXHIBITION
BRIEFINGS
SCREENINGS IN SEATTLE
Harlan Jacobson's extremely popular series
"Talk Cinema" has come to General
Cinema's Pacific Place Theatres in Seattle.
Sponsored by Cinema Seattle, producer of
the Seattle International Film Festival, the
subscription-based program features new,
unreleased films which audience members
critique and discuss after viewing. The program,
which has sold out major venues in
New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, Philadelphia,
Denver and Boston, is scheduled
to play in Seattle until May. All films previewed
at Talk Cinema are chosen by Jacobson
from major film festivals. The audience
is
invited to remain after each screening to
participate in discussions about the film led
by film critics, filmmakers or other experts
in the field.
SHOWMANDISER PROMOTION OF THE MONTH
1
Cinemark
USA's Tinseltovi'n Theatre
in Fayetteville, Ca., has
given new meaning to the term
"jumbo-sized" popcorn. The theatre,
along with children enrolled in local
after-school programs, managed to fill a
container 34 feet in diameter and four
feet high with the crunchy snack. The
students and theatre employees had
been popping the 7,838 cubic feet of
corn for months in preparation for the
event. Their work paid off handsomelynot
only did Kedron Elementary School receive a cash prize from Cinemark for
having popped the largest amount of com, but the effort has been submitted to the
Guinness Book of World Records for review {the previous record stood at 7,400
cubic feet of popcorn). Poor weather conditions delayed this event, which was
originally scheduled for Tinseltown's grand opening, but despite the slight setback,
it looks like all involved had a poppin' good time.
Send photos and descriptions of your promotions to: BoxOFFiCE, Showmandiser,
155 S. El Mofino Ave., Suite 100, Pasadena, CA 91101.
RED INK CAUSES HOYTS
TO SLOW U.S. EXPANSION
in an attempt to reduce its debt, Australiabased
Hoyts Cinema Group Ltd. has announced
plans to drastically reduce its
expansion rate within the United States over
the next few years. Hoyts, which currently has
a total of 945 screens in 1 1 6 sites throughout
the U.S., has determined its primary objectives
to include increasing the expected rate
of return from new projects and developments;
improving project management capacity
and controls; and selling or closing
existing sites that do not perform well financially.
Hoyts' most recent U.S. expansion has
centered on the northeast region of the country.
During the June 30, 1 997-June 30, 1 998
period, the company financed $75 million
worth of construction and expansion within
the U.S., most notably the addition of six
megaplexes in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
While the majority of these plexes
perform admirably and dominate each of their
local markets, their presence has also had an
ironically negative effect on the company:
Already-existing Hoyts theatres in proximal
distance to the new plexes are experiencing a
decrease in attendance. Hoyts has determined
that it will invest an additional $38
million in plex development throughout the
United States, but it will take care to avoid
creating a system of theatre cannibalization in
its markets.
SHALL WE SUNDANCE?
The spirit of Sundance will be coming to
the city of Brotherly Love. Well, actually,
more than just the spirit will be there, with
construction of the first Sundance Cinema
center currently underway. The 40,000-
square-foot multi-screen theatre, which will
showcase independent films, documentaries
and international productions, is being built
at a site adjacent to the University of Pennsylvania
and is expected to be completed late

; The
I
Februan. 1999 45
iHUVICO-ZY THEATERS
Fort Lauderdale-based Muvico Theatres is
)ringing the concept of luxury seating to a
lew level— literally and figuratively. The
ircuit is currently constructing a 20-auditoium,
4, 000-seat theatre in Boca Raton, Fla.,
hat will feature balconies designed for the
liscerning moviegoer. For customers wiling
to pay a slightly higher admission fee,
he theatre offers luxury seating in a special
)alcony section where they can savor a
;:ocktail and put their feet up. Privileges also
include a private entry, boxoffice and valet
ervice, as well as access to a 200-seat resaurant
with the largest bar in the area,
i^uvico's newest theatres also have an on-
|)remise babysitting service available. The
|/luvico 20 is slated to open this fall.
i
)RANGE YOU GLAD THERE'S A
IEW30-PLEX?
MBK Construction Ltd. has completed con-
,'truction of a 30-screen megaplex in Orange,
Calif. Despite rain and weather delays, the
heatre was completed ahead of schedule and
i)pened simultaneously with the shopping
;enter it anchors. The 132,000-
iquare-foot theatre offers Orange
L'ounty residents complete stadium-
'tyle seating, oversized screens and
in upscale interior design. Frank
4oson, vice-president of MBK, states.
The boxoffice area will be finished in
larble and the Terrazzo flooring will
iclude inlaid movie scripts. Super
;raphicsof film stars, movie out-takes
;nd memorabilia will create a drahatic
setting for moviegoers."
theatre is located at The Block, an
prange retail center built on the former site of
! he City shopping center.
i
STAR IS BORN
Prairie du Chien, Wis. -based Star Cinema
as announced the appointment of Scott
klenar as the company's new Operations
Manager. Sklenar's duties consist of overseeig
all theatre operations, concession mangement,
marketing and advertising,
romotions and special projects.
Star, owned and operated by ACT Enterrises,
also announced the expansion of their
Inema in Johnson Creek, Wis., and construeon
on a new 10-screen theatre in Lake
)elton, Wis. The Johnson Creek theatre will
row from its current eight screens to 10
jrreens and will have a maximum capacity of
,895. The Lake Delton Theatre, scheduled
|)r completion this spring, will be part of the
alahari resort and will remain consistent
'ith the resort's North African theme by utizing
a Moroccan palace-style design.
HOWMINDER CALENDAR
Remember to save these dates: ShoWest,
ilarch 8-11, 1999, Bally's Hotel, Las Vegas,
'all (310) 657-7724. ..ShowCanada, May 8-
3, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Call
i'ina Lebo at (416) 969-7057. ..NAC Expo/
jnack Bar University, June 7-1 0, Disneyland
iotel, Anaheim, Calif. Call (312) 236-
1858.. .Cinema Expo, June 21-24, RAI, Ami-erdam.
Call 21 2-246-6460.
SIGHT & SOUND EXTRA
SOUND WARS: THE NEW FORCE
DOLBY, THX TEAM UP TO INTRODUCE
DOLBY DIGITAL SURROUND EX
you thought "Saving Private Ryan" had great sound, you ain't heard nothing
Ifyet. Beginning next May, with the much anticipated release of "Star Wars:
Episode 1 —^The Phantom Menace," audiences attending select theatres will
experience Dolby Digital Surround EX, a new theatrical sound format—co-developed
and jointly owned by Lucasfilm THX and Dolby Laboratories Inc.—that promises to
revolutionize the way sound is heard in the movies. Among the first to ally itself with
the new format is Famous Players Inc., which bought 700 of the Surround EX adapters.
BOXOFFICE spoke to Barry Blackburn, Famous Players' technical manager, about the
chain's commitment to and expectations for the new format.
BOXOFFICE: What does Surround EX do?
BARRY BLACKBURN: It gives the film producer or director the ability to
generate more sound information more realistically [with] extra channel ability.
BOXOFFICE: How does it do that?
BLACKBURN: There is an added rear wall [of sound] behind or beside you, a
more specific location within the auditorium.
The original source [of sound] is digitally
picked up. The channel is in one new place,
directly behind the audience. It gives you the
ability to l

NATIONAL
NEWS
BOXOFFICE FEASTS
Thanksgiving weekend is always a heavy
hitterattheticketbooths, but this past November
also Mcgwired audiences, registering a
record monthly tally of $599.1 million. Buena
Vista takes much of the credit, having a trio of
high grossers in the top 5—including "The
Waterboy" at number —and 1 garnering
nearly 40 percent of the month's business.
Christmas was a treat too, with four latermonth
releases ("Patch Adams," "Stepmom,"
"You've Got Mail" and "The Prince of Egypt")
headed toward passingthe $100 million mark
domestical ly, even as the top 1 2 f i I ms over the
three-day holiday itself pulled $1 33.9 million,
up 3 percent, thanks to expanded screen
counts. However, according to ACNielsen
EDI stats, the 1 7 days from the pre-Christmas
Friday through the post-New Year's Sunday
generated $533.8 million, down 8.9 percent
against the year-ago comparable period.
That was due in part to a wintry New Year's
in much of the country, but the 1 998 boxoffice
year closed hot, topping 1 997's record results
by 9.9 percent, according to analyst Leonard
Klady. Ticket sales for the year reached 1 .39
billion, up 5.5 percent and best since 1966,
for a total take of $6.88 billion.
This gain came despite a long-promised
distributor decrease in releases: 149 versus
1 997's 1 61 . Wide releases generated just over
$6.25 billion (91 percent of the total), Klady
said. Edging out Paramount (powered by "Titanic")
for the boxoffice crown was Buena
Vista at $1,109 billion, thanks to late-year
entries "The Waterboy" and "A Bug's Life";
Warner, Columbia and Fox followed. "The
holiday season proved to be an especially
healthy one for Buena Vista," said Disney
distribution president Phil Barlow.
DATA ENTRY
ACNielsen EDI (formerly Entertainment
Data Inc.) continues to serve as the film
industry's leading supplier of boxoffice data,
even as it sees some title changes in its executive
suite. Marcy Polier, who founded EDI in
1978, now acts as chairman; longtime chief
operating officer Tom Borys adds the title of
president, taking over the now-international
business' day-to-day operations.
MR. M: SALESMAN OF THE YEAR
MovieFone has amplified its relationship
with Loews, United Artists and AMC, increasing
the number of those circuits' screens for
which customers can purchase advance tickets
via the phone or over the Internet by 1 ,000
(for 3,600 total). MovieFone and its online
equivalent, Movielink.com, say they have increased
usage 30 percent to 1 10 million user
sessions last year, representing 20 percent of
all U.S. moviegoers in 1998. The company
plans to add 1 markets to its current 38-city
phone service list (1 5,500 screens), including
Pittsburgh and Portland, Ore.; MovieLink
looks to have another 50 by 2000.
SHOWEST WATCH
The Bros, may be back, but the Lines never left. For the seventh straight year. New
Line Cinema and Fine Line Features will host a ShoWest luncheon, the date this year to
be March 9. With the successes of "The Wedding Singer" and "Rush Hour" under their
belt, New Line and Fine Line are eager to show off what they have in store down the road.
Part of the festivities at the New Line/Fine Line luncheon will be the presentation of the
first-ever ShoWest Silver Jubilee Award to Pacific Theatres president Jerome A. Forman.
Forman is largely credited as the individual most responsible for the creation of the
ShoWest convention a quarter- century ago.
Following up its first appearance last year, Miramax will also return, taking the closing-day
(March 1 1) luncheon. "Miramax held its first major ShoWest event in 1998 and immediately
demonstrated just how important a force this distributor has become in our industry," said
convention general chairman Milt Moritz. Moritz also announced that Bill Mechanic, chairman
andCEO of the newly spun-off Fox Filmed Entertainment, will deliver the keynote speech
at the March 8 international luncheon. Overseas delegates—many of whom profited in their
territories in 1998 from Fox International's "Titanic"—will be looking forward to the May
release of Fox's "Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace."
Also at the convention, ShoWesters will get a side-by-side demonstration of digital cinema
versus traditional 35mm film stock. At a March 10 event, NATO will present two digital
cinema systems, most likely the CineComm Digital and TI-Digital Light Processing Cinema
Systems that impressedNATO members at their board meeting in November. Both filmmakers
and exhibitors welcome the innovation, expecting decreased costs and increased progranmaing
flexibility. National Amusements vice president of operations Jim Murray will receive the
B .V. Sturdivant Award at a Reynolds & Reynolds breakfast on March 1 1 . The award is granted
to individuals for their extraordinary service in the exhibition industry.
ShoWest '99 will conclude the evening of March 1 1 with a convention finale hosted by
Buena Vista, most recently seen at the gathering in 1997, when Leslie Nielsen was emcee for
an event that closed with a song/dance/confetti push for "The Hunchback of Notre Dame."
.COM-PETITION
MovieFone has a new rival—or rather its
sister Movielink.com does. FilmFrenzy.com,
an online showtime site launched by Nubis
Inc., claims to provide wider coverage
(25,000 screens in all 50 states) and greater
speed, plus supplemental material such as
reviews, movie news, film and theatre information,
and even directions to moviehouses.
ONLINE INLINE
Hollywood Online has added a second
in-theatre trailer to its arsenal. A joint venture
between NATO and Times Mirror, the webbased
service has a 15-second animated
trailer showing on 15,000 screens representing
80 chains through February.
H0LLYW0dD.COM
Calling its hollywood.com handle "the
one-stop solution for [consumer] movie information,"
Hollywood Online chairman and
CEO Michael Rollens said "our partners in this
campaign are the theatre owners, with whom
we work closely to increase interest in moviegoing
and, more specifically, to encourage
attendance at their theatres." The service's first
promotion, a 30-second co-promotion with
Miramax (for "The Mighty") launched last
July, ran on about 14,000 screens.
CAPITAL GAINS
Having seen one of its best years since
acquiring the studio (finishing second behind
Disney), Paramount parent Viacom redeemed
$600 million of its preferred stock held by Bell
Atlantic—half of the phone giant's total holdings.
Chairman Sumner Redstone rewarded
his deputy chairmen Tom Dooley and
Philippe Dauman for the lucrative year with
five-year contracts in addition to a one-time
grant of 1 million options. Extensions were
granted to other senior management as well.
TIME IS MONEY
Declaring a two-for-one stock spl it when its
shares topped $100, Time Warner achieved
the investment grade credit rating toward
which it had long been struggling. This year,
the company expects to turn its first full-year
net profit since the two media titans merged,
generating enough money to start buying back
shares. The company credits its more recent
merger with Turner (which brought aboard
New Line) for the turnaround, as well as its
continuing efforts toward financial discipline.
MTSWERKSOUTADEAL
Iwerks Entertainment has allied with Media
Technology Source, a major theatre equipment
provider, in a partnership to allow clients
to make all of their large-format and
ride-simulation purchases, including sound
systems, in one place and at a lower price.
Iwerks also reports it's working on a dual
projection system with which venues could
present both large-format and 35mm films,
nudging the large-format format—which accounted
for 1 .5 percent of domestic boxoffice
in 1 998—even closer to the mainstream.
MORE KODAK MOMENTS
Continuing its licensing push, Kodak has
,
joined forces with Disney to put people in the
,
movies with their favorite Disney characters. ,
The two companies have agreed that popular
animated Disney characters and live-action
:
movie scenes will appear in the Sticker Print
Kiosks and Fantasy Theaters that Kodak is
placing in movie theatres and other entertainment
venues, such as theme parks.
46 BOXOFHCE

[ Seagram's
•
Universal,
I
with
;
Lemmons.
^in
HOLLYWOOD
UPDATES
SILVER STRUCK
Over at Universal, the studio's tarnished
boxoffice streak, when continued with
Thanksgiving's "Meet Joe Black" and particularly
the $90 million "Babe: Pig in the City,"
put the nail in the coffin for a couple of
heavyweights. Universal Studios' Frank
Biondi and Universal Pictures' Casey Silver
were ousted within days of each other; former
CAA talent honcho Ron Meyer formally took
jover Biondi's post but effectively replaced
(both men, picking up Silver's duties as well.
film division closed the December-ending
quarter $65 million in the red,
down from a $98 million profit the year before.
The scarlet flow isn't expected to abate:
jSeagram expects negative results for the current
quarter and fiscal 1 999.
Joining Meyer in Uni's new charge is Stacey
Snider, promoted to president of production,
and Kevin Misher, named co-president of production.
Needing a number two, Meyer appointed
Brian C. Mulligan to be executive vice
president of operations and finance.
In other Universal news, Kathleen Kennedy
jand Frank Marshall are in talks to move their
production company from Disney to the Universal
lot...The studio is scaling back on risky
j
big-budget ventures, as evidenced by its exit
from backing the high-ticket Cuban missile
crisis drama "13 Days" starring Kevin Costner,
who gave the studio "Waterworld."
BEACON'S MORE PERFECT UNION
Producer entity Beacon Communications,
formerly a Columbia supplier but now set to
release a couple of big-budgeters through
I
has closed a deal with Union Bank
of Californiafor a $1 45 million credit line. The
fundswill help back the Arnold Schwarzenegger
vehicle "End of Days" and the Denzel
'Washington starrer "Hurricane Carter."
WARM JERSEY FOR OCTOBER
After trying to work out a distribution deal
t
Universal-based October last year fell
through, Jersey Films is giving it another shot.
The two-picture agreement of)ens with the
Samuel L. Jackson vehicle "The Caveman's
Valentine," helmed by "Eve's Bayou's" Kasi
The second film will be a remake
.of the 1939 romantic comedy "Midnight."
IK'IRK KALL
MGM completed its rights offering late last
year, generating about $700 million for the
company off 84.8 million shares of common
stock. Shareholders were offered 1 .289 transferable
subscription rights per share; because
nearly everyone cashed in, the offering was
oversubscribed by nearly 2 million shares.
The Tracinda Group, MGM's principal stockholder
in the fjerson of Kirk Kerkorian, took
almost 76 million shares, leaving 8.9 million
for all other holders to buy at $8.25 per.
POLY BAGGED
In an agreement worth SI 0.4 billion. Seagram sealed the deal to acquire Polygram NV,
sending the entertainment/'wine-and-spiril^ conglomerate up to S4 billion in the red and thus
lowering its credit ratings, .-\lthough Seagram tried to as>ure in\estors by boosting its bond
sale by 75 percent and insisting the company intended to continue to support its beleaguered
$750 million annual film program, the latter plan lacked sufficient specifics to persuade Wall
Street The s
goal of the purchase was to combine music power Polygram with Universal
Music ii> .;v.;;c the world's Uu"gc>t mu^ic group.
Already loaded -studio-side w ith Unixersal and indie-side with October. Seagram intended
to sell Polygram's tllmed entenammeni unit—which had begun releasing studio-level films
via the Polygram label and had earlier taken a 100 percent position in art-house supplier
Gramercy—but was unable to gamer its asking price of SI. 2 billion or remainder-table
discount of S750 million. Instead. MGM bought PFE's 1.500-title film librar\ for S259
million: the TV libron. was expected to go to Britain's Carlton for S 1 30+ million; and Seagram
decided to merge the rest w ith Universal Studio^. Not surprisingly, all the upheaval resulted
in the loss of some top-le\el execs: PFE president and CEO Michael Kuhn left with a
settlement between S5 and SIO million, and Polygram CEO Jan Cook, who replaced Alain
Levy and presided over the Seagram acquisirion, retired when the deal was done.
BOND JIMMYING
After the success of Pierce Brosnan starrers
"GoldenEye" and "Tomorrow Never Dies,"
everybody is gunning for Bond. A judgment
handed down from the U.S. Court of Appeals,
however, again denied Sony Pictures' attempt
to get in on the action, affirming an injunction
that prevents Sony from developing its own
Bond products or using the Bond trademarks.
The decision bodes well for MGM's UA label
and Danjaq—the companies that distribute
and produce the Bond films.
THEMS GEMS
Sony Pictures has returned to its studio's
roots, creating a new distribution label named
after the small-screen subsidiary that later became
Columbia Pictures TV. Screen Gems
will effectively replace the low-budget Triumph
label, which chairman and CEO John
Galley shuttered in one of his first moves after
coming over from MGM.
The new label, slated to be operational by
June, will distribute about a half-dozen pictures
annually. Screen Gems productions will
focus on the small- to mid-budget range that
exists between Columbia's big-budget lineup
and Sony Classics' art-house fare.
NEWS: STRINGER
In a move to streamline operations at Sony
Corp. of America, president Howard Stringer
has been elevated to chairman and will serve
as the only direct line of communication to
the Tokyo parent. Sony Music Entertainment's
Tommy Mottola and Sony Pictures Entertainment
head John Galley have likewise been
promoted to CEOs of their respective divisions
but will now answer to Stringer rather than
reporting to headquarters individually, effectively
reducing their workloads while widening
Stringer's responsibilities.
FOX FAMILY
Marking a significant shift away from Its
policy of steering clear of split-rights deals
(except, of course, in the case of "Titanic"),
Fox has agreed to produce several event films
with co-production vet DreamWorks. The
most significant project will pair Tom Cruise
with Steven Spielberg for the first time, this on
the sci-fi thriller "Minority Report." Other
films include another to-be-determined Spielberg
flick and two from Robert Zemeckis: the
Tom Hanks vehicle "Cast Away" and the Harrison
Ford/Michelle Pfelffer starrer "Beneath."
FOX ON A BENDER
Producer Lawrence Bender, best known for
his work at Miramax, has signed a secondlook
feature deal with Fox 2000, where he's
currently working on the Jodie Foster/Chow
Yun-Fat starrer "The King and Anna" in addition
to two other projects. John Baldecchi,
who produced "Deep Rising" and "Tom Sawyer"
for Disney, has also signed on, now
producing at Bender Prods.
SANDLER'S NEW LINE: $25 MIL.
Adam Sandler, whose "The Uaterboy"
buoyed November's boxoffice to record levels,
has signed a two-picture deal with New Line
Ci nema that's I ikely to eam him more than $ 25
million plus gross participation. Sandler had
already agreed to develop "Little Nickey" for
the Time Warner unit, but this new pact also
includes a blind deal for another picture.
HOLLYWOOD HIGHLIGHTS...
Stacy Spikes, former October Films marketing
executive and Urbanworld Film Festival
executive director, has decided to take matters
into his own hands. His Urbanworld Films is
a new distribution company that will focus on
the annual release of seven to 1 independent
films aimed at a minority demo.. .Unhappy
with editing changes that star Edward Norton
made to his first feature film "American History
X," director Tony Kaye has sued both
New Line and the Directors' Guild of America
for not letting him use a pseudonym on the
final product, claiming a violation of his contract
and his First Amendment rights.
Indie producer/distributor Lions Gate reported
a net loss of $841 ,000 for the second
quarter. The company blamed the loss on the
expansion of its small-screen activities as well
as poor boxoffice returns for its theatrical
releases...Odyssey Corp. has re-launched its
Odyssey Pictures, with Ian Jessel, founding
president of Miramax International, now serving
as CEO of the production and distribution
division and also sitting on the parent's board
of directors. Odyssey, which was taken public
last year by a group of European investors, has
also established sports and music divisions to
aid its new growth spurt.
February, 1999 47

|
INTERNATIONAL NEWS BRIEFS
NORTHERN EXPOSURE
Canadian News Notes by Shiomo Schwartzberg
CHRISTMAS BONUS: AMC'S NEW THEATRES
PERFORM WELL OVER HOLIDAYS
AMC, whose first two Canadian theatres (located in Toronto)
opened in December, has pronounced its seasonal returns a
huge success. Though he decl ined to divulge boxoffice figures,
jack Gardner, head of marketing for AMC Theatres of Canada,
tells BOXOFFfCE he was "extremely pleased by the performance
of the two megaplexes [the Winston Churchill 24 and
the Kennedy Commons 20] in theCTA [Greater Toronto Area]
over the holiday season. They were unbelievably competitive
[and performea] to our expectations."
Gardner credits the theatres' success in part to AMC's innovations,
such as the MovieWatcher card, which awards points
for film attendance that can be redeemed for free soda and
popcorn. "People have seen the value of this," he says. AMC's
Twilight film discount, for movies showing between 5 and 6 p.m.
and costing C$5.75 (US$3.74), has also met with an "outstanding"
reception. "Generally speaking, our theatres and [others
such as] Famous Players' Coliseum in Mississauga, Ontario
[have created] the biggest film pocket in North America;
they're sucking people tnrough the door." Next up for AMC:
the Interzone 30 on the outskirts of Toronto, set to open in May.
Same unbeatable optics
the Xenex II
35.5" of std. rack space
as
YEAR-END RESULTS TURN OUT FAMOUSLY
Famous Players reports that its theatres grossed C$250 million
(US$162.5 million) in
1998, making up 47 percent of the total
Canadian boxoffice and reflecting a 30 percent increase for Famous
over 1997. Of the top-10-grossing theatres in Canada, six
were Famous Players sites. In the past two years. Famous has
added 19 theatres, comprising 209 screens. It expects to top
those numbers in 1999, with 23 theatres, encompassing 329
screens, set to open. Currently, Famous Players operates 109
theatres with 653 screens.
NEW GALAXY HOPES TO MAKE BIG BANG IN EXHIBITION
Galaxy Entertainment is the newest exhibitor in Canada. The
Toronto-based company has acquired seven theatres in six Ontario
cities, and is looking to upgrade and expand. Galaxy is controlled
by Onex Corp., which is its major shareholder. Norman Stem has
been announced as its president, and former CFO of Cineplex
Odeon Steve Brown is the new CFO of Galaxy.
LUX FILMS ANNOUNCES SLATE
Lux Films, the feature film production company acquired by
Behaviour Communications 1 8 months ago, has announced its first
production slate since the takeover. It includes the newest film'
from director Bruce McDonald ("Hard Core Logo"), a Canadian/French
co-production entitled "Claire's Hat." The C$4.2 million
(US$2.7 million) film, 80 percent of whose budget will be
financed by Lux, starts shooting in Toronto and Montreal in May.
Other films on the Lux slate are "Saint Jude" from Toronto filmmaker
John L'Ecuyer ("Curtis' Charm"), and "Le Nouveau Pauvre,"
a French-language comedy starring and co-written by popular
Quebec stand-up comedian Daniel Lemire.
Large access doors and
panels
Clean and uncluttered
interior for
easy maintenance
THE NEW KNEISLEY CONSOLE
Whatever your choice, Console or Xenex II, you
WILL OBTAIN THE HIGHEST PICTURE QUALrTY AVAILABLE.
Write or call for descriptive literature.
KNEISLEY
ELECTRIC
COMPANY P O Box 4692
Toledo, Ohio 43610
(419) 241-1219 FAX (419) 241-9920
Response No. 4
LOEWS GINEPLEX'S NET GAINS
Loews Cineplex Entertainment Corp.'s new corporate website,
www.loewscineplex.com, is up and running. Among the information
to be made available on the site will be the company's annual
report, a corporate overview, financial press releases and an event'
calendar.
SOUNOMASTER HONORED BY ACADEMY |
Soundmaster Group, a Canadian high-tech company which spe-'
cializes in control systems for the film sound industry, will receive^
a Scientific and Engineering Academy Award this month. The
award will be given m recognition of Soundmaster' s achievement
in designing and implementing the Soundmaster Integrated Oper-^
ations Nucleus (ION) operating environment. The Soundmaster'
a central command and control center which integrates'
ION is
various technologies used in the production of a film soundtrack.
That can include everything from music scoring to final digital mix.
"We feel like we're a 16-year-old overnight success in Hollywood,
since Canada has been using this since the 1 980s," Bob Predovich,
chairman and CEO of Toronto-based Soundmaster, tells
BoxoFncE,
DO YOU HAVE AN EXHIBITION-RELATED NEWS
ITEM ABOUT THE CANADIAN MARKET?
CONTACT SHLOMO SCHWARTZBERG IN CARE OF
OUR CANADIAN NEWS BUREAU AT: 418-928-2179,
OR FAX: 418-324-8888
I
48 Boxoffice

i site,
;
STOCKHOLM—Sweden'
I
'
will
!
LONDON—Some
I
INTERNATIONAL NEWS BRIEFS
EUROVIEWS
European News Notes by Francesca Dinglasan
GOLDEN EYES MOSCOW
MOSCOW—Despite the country's economic instability, the-
J
atre development in Russia is flourishing. Plex builder Golden
\ Ring Entertainment has announced plans to develop a fouri
screenerto be located in Moscow's Ranstorn shopping mall. The
which will have more than 700 seats, is slated to open next
1 month. The U.S. -based GRE is also currently developing two
other plexes within the capital: one is a four-screener, the other
I
hold 1 to 1 4 screens, and both will anchor shopping malls.
'
They are expected to be online by year-end.
MALMOMENTOUS OCCASION
s SF Bio has opened the first theatre
ko feature an autofocusing system for projectors. Called the CAF-
[100, the system is composed of a surveillance camera and a
•mechanism mounted on the projector' s turret. It operates by filming
'a set portion of the movie screen, calculating the focus of the picture
and adjusting the projector's lens until the picture is completely
focused. The CAF-100, developed and patented by Sweden-based
Autograf Cinema Systems, is featured in three of the eight audito-
.riums in SF Bio's Filmstaden Malmo, located in Malmo, Sweden.
FUNDING GROUNDING
LONDON—The All-Industry Fund, a proposal designed by the
U.K. government's committee on fihn policy, has been officially
abandoned due to a lack of support from domestic broadcasters,
local subsidaries of Hollywood major studios, and the U.K.'s
culture department. The policy had been designed to raise annual
funds of 15 million pounds (US$24 million) for the development,
production and distribution of British films through a voluntary
levy on all film companies operating inside the country. The
companies withdrew their support of the poUcy based on an inconclusive
feasibility study conducted by consultancy London Economics.
Although the companies displayed indifference to the
All-Industry Fund, they agreed to negotiate with the culture department
on alternative proposals that would address the main
iweaknesses the original policy was designed to remedy.
jMAKING A CASE WITH DNA
29 million pounds (US$48 million) in lottery
isupport is going to an organization whose membership includes a
•number of the country's top directors and scripters. DNA Films, a
U.K. lottery franchise winner, is expected to produce 16 films
during its six-year Ufe, with the first scheduled to begin production
in March. The company, which will concentrate its efforts on
(developing screenplays, hopes to discover new talent along with
producing the works of akeady established filmmakers. Among
those slated to work on projects are John Hodge ('Trainspotting"),
Peter Capaldi. Amy Jenkins, Angela Pope and the company's
.co-chairs, Duncan Kenworthy and Andrew Macdonald. Each film
produced by DNA will be financed equally by lottery funding and
its own resources earned through an agreement with Universal
Polygram, which will handle local and foreign distribution.
flANDS ACROSS THE WATER
PARIS—France's Canal Plus and England's Film Four are
collaborating on four films, with Four prebuying rights to three
Canal Plus projects; they come from helmers David Lynch
("Straight Story"), Jim Jarmusch ("Ghost Dog") and Diane Kurys
("Les Enfants du Siecle"). The French concern is co-financing the
Brits' "Hotel Sordide," directed by Terence Gross.
BON APPETIT
PARIS—The French, never quick to embrace anything
associated with la vie americaine, have no intention of participating
in the popcom-and-jumbo-sized-soda ritual so indispensible
to the moviegoing public on this side of the
Atlantic. This essential cultural difference explains in part the
lackluster revenues at French multiplex concession stands,
which generate an average of just 10 to 20 percent of sites'
total income, compared to the nearly 70 percent generally
earned by their American counterparts via the troughs.
In an attempt to increase profit margins, however, some of
France's largest multiplex operators hope to lure refined
French palates by offering such treats as homemade chocolates,
brioche and nougat. Leading circuit UGC has already realized
higher returns through its "cine-cite cafes," which offer cappuccino
and croque monsieurs to clientele passing through theatre hallways.
But other chains, including Gaumont, are gauled by the idea of thus
yankeeizing their cinemas. Of course, the incorporation of stadiumstyle
seating, larger screens, and state-of-the-art sound systems into
plexes countrywide seems to again demonstrate the futiUty of
French resistance to the industry's new world order.
BOOT WALKING 25 PLEXES FORWARD, 20% BACK
ROME—Exhibition circuits in Italy, which have traditionally
lagged those in other European countries in terms of quantity,
quahty and boxoffice take, are now beginning to develop at an
astonishing rate. Warner Village Cinemas is leading the way with
plans to construct 25 multiplexes throughout the country. Among
the company's projects are an 18-screen entertainment center
(Italy's largest) in a Roman suburb; a five-screen plex. to be
operated jointly by WVC and state-run Ente Cinema, to open
summer 20(X); and a 14-screener to be located on the Adriatic coast.
But a recent law governing film showings may seriously hamper
regional expansion plans for WVC and other plex developers. The
law states that all cinemas with more than 1,300 seats (WVC sites
average 2,000-1-) must show 15 percent Italian and/or European
productions. The rule has not specified whether the quota is to be
applied weekly, monthly or annually. Because boxoffice generated
by Italian and European films is overwhelmingly small in comparison
to the revenues produced by American products, exhibitors
predict a 20 percent profit dip if the law is appUed conservatively.
EURONOTES...
Ha\ ing drawn far fewer Swedish shoots than had been expected
after its 1995 opening, the $ 10 million production studios of Svensk
Filmindustri in Stockholm' s south end will be closed. The company
is returning its headquarters to central Stockholm by this summer...Cinequanon
Pictures Intl., an indie producer based in Los
Angeles, has established CQN Filmgroup in the U.K. CQN will
be involved in production, financing, sales and distribution for the
parent company...German producer/distributor Helkon Media, 5
percent of which has been acquired by Dutch TV giant Endemol,
has signed a one-film co-production deal with Canada's expanding
Behaviour Worldwide and has also acquired three more Behaviour
titles...Sony, which has recently been launching local production
platforms in Asia and Europe, is reportedly talking with
Scotsman Sean Connery (who has an on-lot deal at Columbia for
his Fountainbridge shingle) about a $100 million investment to
build an Edinburgh studio ($35 million) and finance a 20-picture
slate ($65 million). ..Roberto Benigni's "Life Is Beautiful" was
awarded Best European Film of 1998 at the 10th annual European
Film Awards. Benigni, who directs, co-scripts and stars in the film,
was also named Best European Actor for his work in "Life."
February, 1999 49

INTERNATIONAL NEWS BRIEFS
PACIFIC OVERTURES
Notes From the Pacific Rim by Francesca Dinglasan
LEAD STORY: MODERN MULTIPLEXES CREATE
MOVIEGOING BOOM IN ASIA, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND
According to a report released by film industry consultants Dodona
Research, the presence of American-style multiplexes throughout Asia,
Australia and New Zealand has had a generally positive effect for exhibitors
in the regions. The booming growth of multi-screen theatres in Asia has
directly resulted in a clientele willing to pay higher admission prices—most
notably for the ambiance exuded by the luxurious plexes and the
distributors' willingness to show Hollywood blockbusters in state-of-the-art
auditoriums.
Dodona's report also concludes that New Zealand and Australia were
"the test-bed for a new international business plan for cinema exhibition,"
where the revitalization of the countries' cinema infrastructures
centered on providing choice and convenience for consumers (such as
attaching the plexes to shopping centers). Local moviegoers have reacted
favorably to the changing face of theatres, with cinema admissions per
Australian shooting up from 1 .8 to 4.3 per year from 1 984 to 1 997, and
from 1 .7 to 4.6 per year in New Zealand from 1990 to 1997.
Dodona predicts that potential problems in the near future may include
market saturation in Australia and, because of economic instability,
a lack of shopping center development (which plexes generally
anchor) in Asia. Nonetheless, cinema admissions throughout Australasia
are expected to climb during the early years of next century, with a
forecasted regional total of 728 million admissions by 2002, up from 655
million in 1997.
READING JOINS THE CLUB
SYDNEY—Australia's Reading Entertainment has been given
the green light by local council members to construct a 12-screen
plex in Penrith, a western suburb of Sydney. The decision comes
amidst protests from competitor Hoyts Cinemas, which currently
has two theatres in proximal distance to Reading's future cinema.
Reading's battle to construct a theatre in Penrith's Panthers' recreational
club, a site with high-volume traffic, has lasted for two years
and might continue if Hoyts appeals the council's decision as
expected. If Reading is ultimately allowed to develop the site, it is
slated to open by mid-2000 and will be Australia's first multiscreener
located within a club. Reading Entertainment is also currently
developing 50 screens (21 presently in operation) at six other sites
throughout the country.
I
WANT MY UTV: INDU^'S UNITED TELfVISION EXPANDS
INTO EXHIBITION, DISTRIBUTION, PRODUCTION
BOMBAY—India's underscreened market will be getting a
boost from United Television, a locally-based TV software outfit.
The company, which operates under the name UTV, is building
two new multiplexes in the cities of Mumbai and Gujarat. In
addition to cinema operation, UTV began handling film distribution
early last year and is now considering the possibility of moving
into film production. UTV also recently established Ram Mohan
United Studios, an animated division that is attracting the attention
of such U.S. studios as 20th Century Fox and Walt Disney Co.
HONG-RY FOR MORE: HONG KONG EXHIBITORS
CONTINUE TO BUILD DESPITE ECONOMIC WOES
HONG KONG—Although the region' s economic troubles have
had a negative impact on Hong Kong's boxoffice revenues, plexers
remain optimistic and continue to develop sites throughout tne city.
The number of theatres in 1998 grew from 73 to 81, bringing the
50 BoxoFncE
screen count to 1 86 (expected to increase to 300 by
year's end). Kansas City-based AMC has entered
the market with a 2,000-seat, 11 -screen theatre
located across the harbor in Kowloon's Festival
Walk mall, and the cinema chain is actively seek-;
ing additional sites for future development. Locall
exhibitor Golden Harvest plans to add five morei
screens to its current 24 (14 of which are operated
in conjunction with Village Roadshow), and a new
five-screen plex will be added to United Artists'
seven cinemas and 30 screens within Hong Kong.
AUSTRALIAN FILM FUNDING INITIATIVE
TO RAISE AUS$40 MILLION
SYDNEY—The Film Licensed Investment Co.
program, an Australian film funding initiative, has
been approved by the country's senate nearly two
years after its initial introduction. FLIC, which will
be put into effect this April, is designed to attract
private investment by offering a 100 percent tax
reduction on funds received. The program is aiming
to raise AUS$40 milUon (US$25 million)—all
of which is earmarked for the production of local
film and television projects. While generally supported
by Australia's film industry, the initiative's
major points of contention have included a lobby
that called for a 120 percent tax reduction instead
of the present 100 percent and an opposition that
insisted FLIC not become a replacement for direct subsidy programs
currently in progress.
GODZILLENNIUM
TOKYO—Godzilla, the world's favorite atomic bomb-produced
Uzard, is making a comeback—again. Japanese film studio
Toho Co. will begin filming "Godzilla Millennium," the 23rd
installment of the monster series, this April. Prompted by the large
number of fans who abhorred the computerized, stealthier and
oddly maternal version of Godzilla presented in TriStar's film,
Toho is getting back to basics with a production featuring the
campy rubber-suited creature once again destroying models of the
Japanese capital. For those traditionalists wishing to see the firebreather
in his restored splendor, Toho will release "Millennium"
in Japanese theatres for the 1999-2000 New Year.
PACIFIC RIMSHOTS
U.K.-based Granada Media Group has expanded into the
Australian market through its purchase of Melbourne-based Artist
Services, one of the largest local indie producers. GMG's absorption
of Artist is part of the company's plan for global expansion
that was jump-started with the formation of Grananda Entertainment
USA nearly two years ago...Twentieth Century Fox Intl. is
planning, in consultation with Toho-Towa Co., its present distributor
in Japan, to self-distribute its films sometime later this
year.. .Delegates at the most recent CineAsia convention have
named video compact disc and DVD piracy as one of the greatest
problems for the region's industry. For as httle as HK$30 (US$4),
Hong Kong shopping stalls are offering VCD versions of films
newly released in the United States. Exhibitors in Asia are particularly
concerned with the piracy because consumers, faced with the
region's economic difficulties, are opting for these cheaper forms
of entertainment over attending theatre showings.

Pasadena, Calif, is iiome to tiie
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BOXOFFICE
January
FEBRUARY
(Current)
March
Buena Vista
(818)567-5000
(212)593-8900
A Civil Action, 1/8 exp wide, Dra, PG-13, 110
min. All Formats, Flat. John Travolta, William
H. Macy, Robert Duvall, Stephen Fry, John
Lithgow. Dir: Steve Zailllan.
fiusftmore, 2/5, Com, R, 93 min, SDDS, SR,
Scope. Bill Murray, Olivia Williams, Jason
Schwartzman, Brian Cox. Dir: Wes Anderso.,
My Favorite Martian, 2/12, Com, PG-13,
SDDS, SR. Flat. Jeff Daniels, Christopher
Lloyd, Elizabeth Hurley, Ray Walston.
Dir: Donald Petrie.
The Other Sister, 3/5, SDDS, SR. Diane
Keaton, Juliette Lewis, Giovanni Ribisi,
Tom Skerritt. Dir: Garry Marshall.
Doug, 3/26. Ani.
Mystery, Alaska. 4/2. Russell Crowe, ii
Azaria, Mary McCormack, Lolita David ;l
Dir; Jay Roach.
Mumford (working title). 4/30. SR. Lo
!
Dean. Hope Davis. Mary McDonnell, T
Danson, Martin Short, David Paymer.
Dir: Lawrence Kasdan.
Columbia
(310)244-4000
(212)833-8500
Gloria, 1/22, Dra, R, SDDS, SR, SRD.
Sharon Stone, Gena Rowlands, George
C. Scott. Dir; Sidney Lumet.
Still Crazy, 1/22 It,. SDDS. Stephen Rea, Billy
Connolly, Jimmy Nail, Timothy Spall. Dir:
Brian Gibson.
Baby Geniuses, 1/29, Com, SDDS, SR.
Kathleen Turner, Kim Cattrall. Dir: Bob Clark.
8mm, 2/12, Thr, R, 126 min, SDDS, SR, SRD,
Scope. Micolas Cage, Joaquin Phoenix, Catherine
Keener, James Gandolfini, Peter Stormare.
Dir: Joel Schumacher.
Jawbreaker, 2/1 9. Pam Grier. Dir; Darren Stein.
The Deep End of the Ocean, 2/26, Dra, PG-13,
113 min, SDDS, SR, SRD, Fiat. Michelle Pfeiffer,
Treat Williams, Jonathan Jackson, Whoopi
Goldberg. Dir; Ulu Grosbard.
Cruel Intentions, 3/5, SDDS, SR, SRD.
Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese
Witherspoon, Christine Baranski. Dir; Roger
Kumble,
Go!, 3/26, SDDS, SR. Christina Ricci, Taye
Diggs, Scott Wolf, Jay Mohr. Dir: Doug Liman.
Idle Hands, 4/23, SR, SRD. Devon Sa ;
Green, Vivica A. Fox. Dir: Rodman Hei
Dick, 4/30, SR. Kirsten Dunst, Michell
Hams, Will Ferrell. Dir; Andrew Fiemin-
DreamWorl(S
(818)733-7000
In Dreams, 1/15, Dra/Thr, DTS, SDDS, SR,
SRD, Flat. Annette Bening, Robert Downey
Jr., Aidan Quinn, Stephen Rea. Dir: Neil
Jordan.
Forces of Nature, 3/19, DTS, SR, SRD. Ben
Affleck, Sandra Bullock, Maura Tierney, Joe
Don Baker, BIythe Danner. Dir; Bronwen
Hughes.
(212)588-6000
MGIVI/UA
(310)449-3000
(212)708-0300
At First Sight, 1/15, Rom/Dra, PG-13, DTS,
Rat. Val
Kilmer, IVlira Sorvino, Nathan Lane,
Kelly WIcGillis, Steven Weber. Dir: Irwin
Winl

STUDIO FEATURE CHART — FEBRUARY 1999
May June Forthcoming

j
BOXOFFICE Independent Feature Chart FEBRUARY 1999
JANUARY
Artisan
310-255-3716
My Name Is Joe, Dra. Louise
Goodall, Peter Mullan. Dir: Ken
Loach. 1/22 NY, 2/5 exp
Artistic License
212-265-9119
Devils Island, Dra, 103 min.
Baltasar Kormakur. Dir: Fridrik Thor
Fridriksson. (could go Feb.)
Cowboy
212-989-8179
Mighty Peking Man. 1/29
Fine Line
212-649-4800
Hurlyburly, Dra, R, 122 min. Sean
Penn, Kevin Spacey, Meg Ryan,
Anna Paquin. Dir: Anthony Drazen.
1 /1 5 exp
The Theory of Flight, Dra, R, 98
min. Kenneth Branagh, Helena
Bonham-Carter. Dir: Paul Greengrass.
1/22 exp
First Run
272-243-0600
Private Confessions. 1/6 NY, 1/20
LA
The Winners, Doc, 85 min. Philipp
Hirschhorn. Dir: Paul Cohen. 1/20
Like It Is. 1/22
Fox Searcliiiglit
310-369-4402
Waking Ned Devine, Com, PC, 91
min. Ian Bannen, David Kelley,
James Nesbitt, Susan Lynch, Eileen
Dromey, Fionnula Flanagan. Dir:
Kirk Jones. 1/8 exp wide
indican Pictures
323-650-0832
Pariah, Dra.
Kino
212-629-6880
Dr. Akagi, Dra, 128 min. Akira
Emoto. uir: Shohei Imamura.
Lions Gate
212-995-9662
Blood, Guts, Bullets & Octane,
Com/Thr, 87 min. Dir/Star: Joe Carnahan.
1/15 NY/LA
The Empty Mirror, Dra, 119 min.
Norman Kodway, Joel Grey. Dir:
Barry Hershey. 1/29
October
212-539-4000
Hilary & Jackie, Dra, R. Emily Watson,
Rachel Griffiths. Dir: Anand
Tucker. 1/1 5 exp wide
Palm
312-751-0020
Razor Blade Smile, Hor/Act, 101
min. Eileen Daly, Christopher Adamson.
Dir: Jake West.
Phaedra
213-938-9610
Cool Crime.
A Little Bit of Soul, Com, 90 min.
Geoffrey Rush, Frances O'Connor.
Dir: Peter Duncan.
Love, Etc. (France). Charlotte
Gainsbourg. Dir: Marion Vernoux.
Nobody Oapan), Act, 100 min.
Masaya Kato, Jinpachi Nezu. Dir:
Toshimichi Ohkawa.
Strawberry Fields, Dra, 100 min.
Suzy Nakamura, James Sie, Heather
Yosnimura. Dir: ReaTajiri.
Rialto
213-933-2733
Peeping Tom (reissue), Thr, 101
min. Car! Boehm. Dir: Michael
Powell. 1/29
Samuel Goldwyn
212-594-3334
Tinseltown. Kristy Swanson, Ron
Perlman, Joe Pantoliano, David
Dukes. Dir: Tony Spiridakis. 1/29
Seventh Art
213-845-1455
City at Peace, 100 min. Dir: Susan
Koch.
Honey and Ashes, Dra, 85 min.
Nozha Khovadra, Amel Samia,
Ledhili Mzali. Dir: Nadia Fares.
The Photographer, 80 min. Dir:
Dariusz JabTonski.
Strand
310-395-5002
The Sticky Fingers of Time, SF, 82
min. James Urbaniak, Terumi Matthews.
Dir: Hillary Brougher. 1/22
NY/LA
Dry Cleaning (France), Dra, 97 min.
Miou-Miou. Dir: Anne Fontaine.
1/29 NY/LA
Trimark
310-314-3040
The Day of the Beast, Hor/Com, R.
Rosie Perez, Javier Bardem. Dir:
Alex de la Iglesia. 1/1 exp SF, 1/22
NY
Another Day in Paradise. James
Woods, Melanie Griffith, Vincent
Kartheiser. Dir: Larry Clark. 1/22
exp
Turbulent Arts
415-552-1952
Uncut, Dra, 92 min. Matthew Ferguson.
Dir: John Greyson. 1/8 SF
FEBRUARY
Artisan
The Breaks. Mitch Mullany. 2/26
Attitude
212-995-9008
The Trio (Germany), 97 min. Gotz
George, Christian Redl, Jeannette
Hain. Dir: Hermine Hundgebirth.
2/1 2 NY
Cinema Village
212-431-5119
Cartoon Noir, Ani/Anth, 85 min.
Dirs: Various. 2/12 NY
Pusher.
First Run
Fox Lorber
(formerly Planet
Pictures)
212-686-6777
ConceivingAda, Dra, 85 min. Tilda
Swinton, Timothy Leary, Karen
Black. Dir: Lynn Hershman Leeson.
2/19
Fox Searchlight
20 Dates, R, 88 min. Myles
Berkowitz, Tia Carrere, Richard
Arlook. Dir: Myles Berkowitz. 2/5
NY/LA, exp Feb
Kino
The Milky Way, Dra, 1 04 min. Muhammad
Bakri, Suheil Haddad. Dir:
Ali Nassar.
Legacy
213-467-3700
Hands on a Hardbody, Doc. 2/5 exp
Eight Days a Week. Keri Russell.
2/^6
Lions Gate
Metroland, Rom/Com, 99 min.
Christian Bale, Emily Watson, Lee
Ross, Elsa Zylberstein. Dir: Philip
Saville.
Milestone
212-865-7449
Pizzicata, Rom, 93 min. Cosimo
Cinieri, Chiara Torelli, Fabio
Frascaro. Dir: Edoardo Winspeare.
2/3
New Yorker
212-247-6110
The Apple, 85 min. Dir: Samira
Mkhmaibaf. 2/12
October
Three Seasons, Dra, PG-13. Harvey
Keitel, Kathleen Luong, Zoe Bui.
Dir: Tony Bui.
Phaedra
Fever Pitch. Colin Firth. Dir: David
Evans. NY/LA
Remembering the Cosmos Flower
(Japan), Dra, 1 1 7 min. Oda Akane,
Mari Natsuki, Megumi Matsushita.
Dir: Junichi Suzuki.
Zone 39 (Australia), SF, 95 min.
Peter Phelps, Carolyn Bock, Bradley
Byquar. Dir: John Tatoulis.
Shadow
207-872-5111
Windhorse, Dra, 97 min. Dadon,
Jampa Kelsang. Dir: Paul Wagner.
2/12 LA/SF, 2/26 NY
Sony Classics
212-833-8851
Tango, Dra/Mus, PG, 1 1 5 min. Miguel
Angel Sola, Cecilia Narova,
Mia Maestro, Juan Carlos Copes,
Juan Luis Galiardo. Dir: Carlos
Saura. 2/1 2 NY/LA
Stratosphere
212-605-1010
Hideous Kinky (tent, title), 99 min.
Kate Winslet. Dir: Gillies Mackinnon.
2/5
School of Flesh, R . Isabeile H uppert,
Vincent Martinez. Dir: Benoit
Jacquot. 2/26
Turbulent Arts
Paulina, Doc, 88 min. Dirs: Vicky
Funari, Jennifer Maytorena Taylor.
2/1 2 SF
MARCH
Fox Searchlight
Among Giants, R, 93 min. Pete
Postletnwaite, Rachel Griffiths. Dir:
Sam Miller.
Gramercy
310-385-4400
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Bai
rels. Sting. 3/5 NY/LA, 3/12 exf
3/1 9 exp
1
Jour de Fete
213-933-2733
Relax. It's Just Sex!, Com, 1 06 mir
\
Jennifer Tilly, Mitchell Andersor
Lori Petty. Dir: P.J. Castellaneta. 3/
Legacy
Dona Barbara (Spanish). 3/1 2
October
Black Cat, White Cat, Com. Bajan
Severdzan. Dir: Emir Kusturica.
The Idiots. Louise Hassing, Anne
Grethe, Bjarup Riis. Dir: Lars Voi
Trier.
Lucie Aubrac, Dra. Carole Bouquet
Daniel Auteuil. Dir: Claude Berri.
Phaedra
states of Control, Dra, 85 min. Jen
nifer Van Dyck, John Cunningharr'
Ellen Greene. D\r: Zack Winestine
Sony Classics
The Dreamlife of Angels, Dra, 1 1
min. Elodie Bouchez, Natach.
Regnier, Gregoire Colin, Jo Prestiaj
Patrick Mercado. Dir: Erick Zonca
3/5
The Loss of Sexual Innocence, R,
101 min. Dir: Mike Figgis. 3/f;
NY/LA
Strand
I Stand Alone, Dra, 92 min. Philippe
Nahon, Blandine Lenoir. Dir: Gas
-
par Noe. 3/1 7 NY/LA/SF
Jeanne and the Perfect Gu;
(France), Mus, 95 min. Virgini
Ledoyen, Mathieu Demy. Dir: Oliv
ier DuCastel & Jacques Martineau
3/19
Stratosphere
Six Ways to Sunday. 3/5
Bandits, R, 1 09 min. Katja Riemann
Jasmin Tabatabi, Nicolette KrebitZi
Jutta Hoffmann. Dir: Katja Von Gar
n ier. 3/19
APRIL
Fox Lorber
Beautopia, Doc, 104 min. Laurer
Hutton, Elle MacPherson. Dir
Katharin Otto. 4/2
Fox Searchlight
Best Laid Plans, R. Alessandrc
Nivola, Reese Witherspoon, Josl',
Brolin. Dir: Mike Barker. Ltd
Gramercy
Plunkett & Macleane, Act/Adv
Robert Carlyle, Liv Tyler, Jonny Lef
Miller. Dir: Jake Scott. 4/16
Leoacv
CluBland. Lori Petty. 4/1 6 ltd
October
Cookie's Fortune, PG-13. Glenn
Close, Julianne Moore. Dir: Roben
Altman.
Phaedra
Heart of Light (Denmark), Dra, 92
min. Rasmus Lybgrth. Dir: Jacob
Grunlykke.
54 BoxomcE

'
!
Fox
i Metal
I
, The
I
BOXOFFICE Independent Feature Chart FEBRUARY 1999
Skin (Australia), Dra/Thr, 1 00
min. Tara Morice, Aden Young. Dir:
[Geoffrey Wright.
Polygram
310-385-4000
Arlington Road, Thr. Jeff Bridges,
Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack, Hope
Davis, Robert Gossett, Mason Gamble.
Dir: Mark Pellington.
Rialto
The Third Man (reissue), Thr. Joseph
Gotten, Orson Welles. Dir: Carol
Reed.
Samuel Goldwyn
The Red Dwarf (Belgium), 1 02 min.
Anita Ekberg. Dir: Yvan Le Moine.
'4/16
Desert Blue, R, 87 min. Christina
Ricci, Kate Hudson, Casey Affleck,
Sara Gilbert. Dir: Morgan J. Freeman.
4/30
Sony Classics
SLC Punk!, Com R, 97 min. Matthew
Liilard, Michael Goorjian, Annabeth
Gish, Jennifer Lien,
Christopher McDonald, Devon
Sawa, Jason Segel, Summer Phoenix,
James Duval, Til Schweiger.
I Dir: James Merendino. 4/2 NY/LA
rThe Winslow Boy, Dra, 110 min.
fNigel Hawthorne, Rebecca Pidigeon,
Jeremy Northam, Gemma
Jones. Dir: David Mamet. 4/2
This Is My Father, 120 min. Aidan
Quinn, James Caan, John Cusack,
Richard Harris, Stephen Rea. Dir:
Paul Quinn. 4/23
Stratosphere
I
Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl, Dra.
'Joan Chen. Dir: Joan Chen.
MAY
Fox Lorber
'My Dinner With Andre (reissue),
'Com, 110 min. Wallace Shawn,
[Andre Gregory. Dir: Louis Malle.
5/14
Searchlight
,
William Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer
Night's Dream', PG-13, 88
min. Kevin Kline, Michelle Pfeiffer,
Rupert Everett. Dir: Michael Hoffman.
I
Samuel Goldwyn
'The King of Masks (China). Dir: Wu
'Tien Ming. 5/7
Sony
[
Classics
Assassin, Dra. Gong Li, Li Xuej-
'ian, Zhang Fengyi, Sun Zhou. Dir:
,ChenKaige. 5/21 NY/LA
Strand
[The Edge of It, Com, 99 min. Chris
jStafford, Tina Holmes. Dir: David
jMoreta. 5/14 wide
Stratosphere
Wne Boys (French-Canadian), Com.
JUNE
Legacy
I
Caligula (20th anni. reissue;
director's cut). 6/4
October
The Muse. Albert Brooks, Sharon
Stone. Dir: Albert Brooks. 6/4
Sony Classics
Run Lola Run (Germany), 81 min.
Franka Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu,
Herbert Knaup, Armind Rohde,
Joachim Kroi, Nina Petri. Heino
Ferch. Dir: Tom Tykwer. 6/l 8
JULY
Strand
Head On, Dra, 104 min. Alex
Dimitriades, Paul Capsis. Dir: Ana
Kokkinos. 7/23
AUGUST
Fox Searchlight
Untitled Aileen Ritchie project. Dir:
Aileen Ritchie.
DECEMBER
Fox Lorber
The Emperor's Shadow, Period
Drama, 117 min. Dir: Zhou Xiaowen.
1 2/1
FORTHCOMING
Artisan
Open Your Eyes. Penelope Cruz.
Dir: Alejandro Amenabar. 1 st Qtr
The 24 Hour Woman. Rosie Perez,
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Patti
Lupone, Aida Turturro. Dir: Nancy
Savoca. 1st Qtr
The Ninth Gate. Johnny Depp, Lena
Olin, Frank Langella. Dir: Roman
Polanski. Spring
The Bumblebee Flies Anyway.
Elijah Wood. Dir: Martin Duffy. 2nd
Qtr
Frogs for Snakes. Barbara Hershey,
Harry Hamlin, Debi Mazar, Robbie
Coltrane. Dir: Amos Poe. 2nd Qtr
Don't Shoot 'Til We Get to Flagstaff.
Rosanna Arquette. Dir: Carrie
Blank.
The Limey. Terence Stamp, Luis
Guzman, Peter Fonda, Amelia
Heinle, Lesley Ann Warren, Barry
Newman. Dir: Steven Soderbergh.
The Second Arrival, SF, R. Patrick
Muldoon, Jane Sibbett. Dir: Kevin
Jenny.
CQN
213-658-6043
Fantastic Planet.
Discovery
301-986-1999
Africa's Elephant Kingdom.
Fine Line
Besieged. Thandie Newton, David
ThewTis, Claudio Santamaria. Dir:
Bernardo Bertolucci. 1999
The Legend of the Pianist on the
Ocean,T)ra. Tim Roth, Pruitt Taylor
Vince, Clarence Williams III. Dir:
Giuseppe Tornatore. 1999 NY/LA
The Lovers of the Arctic Circle.
1999
First Look
310-855-1199
llluminata, Rom/Com. John Turturro,
Susan Sarandon, Christopher
Walken, Rufus Sewell, Beverly
D'Angelo, Donald McCann, Georgina
Gates, Ben Gazzara, Aida
Turturro. Dir: John Turturro. Spring
Alegria, Dra, PG. Frank Langella,
Julie Cox, Rene Bazinet, Heatncote
Williams, Clipper Miano. Dir:
Franco Dragone.
Marcello Mastroianni—I Remember,
Doc, 198 min. Marcello
Mastroianni. Dir: Anna Maria Tato.
First Run
Flushed. 1 st Qtr
Leila. 1 st Qtr
Mob Queen. 1st Qtr
Fox Lorber
Files, Rom/Dra, 97 min. Miou-
Miou, Marisa Berenson. Dir: Luis
Galvao Teles.
Madadayo, Dra. Dir: Akira
Kurosawa.
On the Ropes, Doc.
Fox Searchlight
Dreaming of Joseph Lees. Rupert
Graves, Samantha Morton. Dir: Eric
Styles. Fall
Hard Men (U.K.), Dra, R. Vincent
Regan, Ross Boatman, Lee Ross.
Dir:J.K. Amalou. 1999
White Boys. Danny Hoch. 1999
Gramercy
Being John Malkovich. John
CusacK, John Malkovich. 1999
Dad Savage. Patrick Stewart, Kevin
McKidd, Marc Warren. Dir: Betsan
Morris-Evans.
I Want You, Rom/Dra, R. Rachel
Weisz, Alessandro Nivola, Labina
Mitevska. Dir: Michael Winterbottom.
1999
Mad About Mambo. 1 999
The Match. 1 999
Resurrection Man. Stuart
Townsend, James Nesbitt, Sean
McGinley, Brenda Fricker. Dir:
Marc Evans. 1999
Snarl Up. Dir: Michael Winterbottom.
1999
Thursday. Thomas Jane, Aaron Eckhart,
Mickey Rourke, Glenn Plummer.
Dir: Skip Woods. 1 999
Waking the Dead. 1999
What Rats Won't Do (U.K.),
Rom/Com. Natascha McElhone,
James Frain, Charles Dance. Dir: AlaistairReid.
1999
IMAX
905-403-6500
American Road, Doc.
Mission to Mir, Doc.
Kit Parker
800-538-5838
Sisters (reissue; director's cut), Thr,
R. Margot Kidder, Jennifer Salt. Dir:
Brian De Palma. 2nd Qtr
Lions Gate
Friends and Lovers, Com. Robert
Downey Jr., Stephen Baldwin, Claudia
Schiffer. Dir: George Haas.
Spring
The Red Violin, Dra, 1 20 min. Samuel
L. Jackson, Greta Scacchi, Jason
Flemyng, Don McKellan. Dir:
Francois Girard. Spring
Last Night, Dra. Don McKellan,
Sandra Oh, Galium Keith Rennie,
Genevieve Bujold, David Cronenberg.
Dir: Don McKellan. Summer
All the Little Animals. Christian
Bale, John Hurt. Dir: Jeremy
Thomas. Summer
Dinner Game, Com, 82 min.
Thierry Lhermitte, Jacques Villeret.
Dir: Francis Veber. 1999
Northern Arts
413-268-9301
Continuing Adventures of Reptile
Man.
Levitation.
Talk to Me.
October
Alice et Martin. Juliette Binoche,
Alexis Loris. Dir: Andre Techine.
Spring
G's Trippin'. Dir: David Rayner.
Spring/Summer
The Mammy. Angelica Huston. Dir:
Angelica Huston. Fall
Condo Painting, Doc. George
Condo, William S. Burroughs, Allen
Ginsberg. Dir: John McNaugnton.
Palm
Perfect Blue. 1 st Qtr
Black and White. 1 999
Polygram
The Story of LJs. Bruce Willis, Michelle
Pfeiffer, Paul Reiser, Rita Wilson,
Rob Reiner, Julie Hagerty, Tim
Matheson. Dir: Rob Reiner.
Where the Money Is, Com. Paul
Newman, Linda Fiorentino, Dermot
Mulroney. Dir: Marek Kaniesvska.
Shooting Gallery/TSG
212-243-3042
illtown, Dra. R, 97 min. Michael
Rapaport, Lili Taylor, Adam Trese,
Tony Danza, Isaac Hayes. Dir: Nick
Gomez.
Trimark
Frida. Salma Hayek. Dir: Roberto
Sneider. 1st Qtr
The Man with Rain in His Shoes, R.
Lena Headey, Douglas Henshall,
Penelope Cruz. Dir: Maria Ripoli.
1 st Qtr
Trance (formerly Michael Almereyda's
The Mummy, formerly The
Eternal), R. Alison Elliot, Jarea Harris,
Christopher Walken. Dir: Michael
Almereyda. 1 st Qtr
Carnival of Souls. Bobbie Phillips,
Larry Miller, Shawnee Smith. Dir:
Adam Grossman. 1999
Zeitgeist
212-274-1989
Brakhage, Doc, 75 min. Dir: Jim
Shedden.
Late August, Early September, Dra,
1 1 min. Mathieu Almaric, Virginie
Ledoyen. Dir: Olivier Assayas.
Let It Come Down: The Life of Paul
Bowles, Doc, 73 min. Dir: Jennifer
Baichwal.
A Place Called Chiapas, Doc, 90
min. Dir: Nettie Wild.
DISTRIBUTORS:
Fax your schedule updates
release charts editor Wade
Major at 310-456-9750.
February, 1999 55

i^icirif^if:
OUTSTANDING
••** VERY GOOD
••• GOOD
•* FAIR
* POOR
(no stars) BOMB
REVIEWS
REVIEWS
At First Sight R-10
A Civil Action R-1
The Faculty R-12
Hallelujah! R-16
The Hi-Lo Country R-10
Jack Frost R-1
February 1999
Mighty Joe Young R-12
Patch Adams R-13
Playing By Heart R-10
The Prince of Egypt R-1
Star Trek: Insurrection R-16
Stepmom R-13
^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^
British rock band Strange Fruit reunites after 20years
in Columbia's comedy "Still Crazy. "
STILL CRAZY •*•*
Starring Stephen Rea, Billy Connolly,
Jimmy Nail, Timothy Spall, Bill Nighy
and JulietAubrey. Directed by Brian Gibson.
Written by Dick Clement and Ian La
Frenais. Produced by Amanda Marmot.
A Columbia release. Comedy. RatedRfor
language, sexuality and drug content.
Running time: 94 min.
Strange Fruit is a British rock group
with its future firmly behind it. It finally
went out in a bang when an electrical
storm atomized an open air concert 20
years ago.
One of its members sets about putting
the band back together for a reunion
tour, but his plan is fraught with problems.
One musician is dead, another
presumed so and most of the rest are
settled into staid, non-rock lives.
But the lure of the lights,
the screams, the memories,
the music and the money is
enough to get this motley
crew Dack together, and the
result is a brilliantly observed
tale of rock-and-roll
and riotous reality.
Writers Dick Clement
and Ian La Frenais ('The
Commitments") have perfect
pitch when it comes to
capturing the way musicians
talk and behave. The
drummer (Timothy Spall)
is crestfallen when he
learns he never played at
the Hollywood Bowl. "It
was one of my most favorite
memories," he laments.
The cast is excellent,
with a special nod to a
couple of new faces. A scene in which
the tall, skinny Bill Nighy as the lead
singer goes to an AA meeting in Holland
name of
only to discover he's at Overeaters
Anonymous is priceless. Brit stage veteran
Juliet Aubrey is superb as the
group's manager, who still carries a
torch for a missing band member.
Director Brian Gibson equals his bravura
performance on the Tina Turner
biopic "What's Love Got To Do With
It." He manages to shoot lavish, largescale
concert footage while keeping it
intimate.
About the only thing wrong with this
bitingly funny movie is its title. Almost
anything would have been better, including
something using the
group or, even better, their signature
tune, "The Flame Still Burns." Mike
Kerrigan
The Thin Red Line R-14
To Hell With Love R-16
The Twenty-Four Hour Woman .. R-10
You've Got Mail R-15
DAY AND DATE: 1/29
still Crazy R-9
FLASHBACK: 1982
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial R-13
PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED
Coming films already reviewed ... R-15
REVIEW DIGEST
Our monthly release overview ... R-16
Access
BOXOFFICE '5
website each
Friday for the
latest movie
reviews!
http://www.
boxojfice. com
56 (R-9) BOXOFFICE

I
'
REVIEWS
Patti Lupone, Karen Duffy and
HE 24-HOUR WOMAN i^iririr
Starring Rosie Perez, Marianne Jeaniptiste,
iego Serrano. Directed by Nancy Savoca.
by Nancy Savoca & Richard
ritten
nay. Produced by Richard Guay, Larry
eistrich and Peter Newman. An Artisan
lease. Comedy/drama. Rated R for
•ong language. Running time: 93 min.
Grace Santos (Rosie Perez) has it all: a
gh-powered job producing a soaring momg
TV show, a hunk of a husband who is also
i-host of her program, and now she is about
have a baby. So why is her world falling
laii? Maybe it's because she's only human.
In a smart and sassy movie, director
ancy Savoca takes on the legend of the
odern-day superwoman and dazzlingly
\ eals how everything comes with a price.
le does it with esprit and elan but always
ith a great humanity.
Taking her cue from the film's frantic,
.tional television show "The 24-Hour
Oman." Savoca and frequent collaborator
chard Guay—they are also married
.id us at breakneck speed through Grace's
ci burdened life. It's bad enough when
r pregnancy is played out on screen day
ter day, but when she tries to return to
jrk just five weeks after her daughter is
'in. we know something's got to give.
ad when it does, it is not only hilarious.
It Savoca delivers some of the most biting
tire of TV since "Network."
As Grace, Perez finally gets the role she
s been working toward for the last dede.
It's a gutsy performance, full of rawned
pain and aching self-doubt. She
\es huge chances to pulls off some heroic
mic moments. Mike Kerrigan
r FIRST SIGHT ^
Starring Val Kilmer, Mira Sorvino and
'lly McGillis. Directed by Irwin Winkler.
ritten by Steve Levitt. Produced by Irwin
inkier and Rob Cowan. An MGM reise.
Drama. Rated PG-13for scenes inlying
sexuality and nudity, and brief
ong language. Running time: 124 min.
Let the puns begin: "Cover your eyes
!ien you see this one!" Or, "If only the title
ferred to the sight on a deer rifle." Val
Imer ("The Saint") plays Virgil, a blind
asseur, the way some people talk to sightis
people—very slowly, as if their handip
somehow made them a little
ick-headed, too. He falls in love with
ny ("Mimic's" Mira Sorvino), a fast-
CK Manhattan architect who convinces him
have an operation that will restore his sight,
•rvino's flat, perky delivery makes endearaits
sound like she's addressing her Uncle
|l. Virgil's struggles to adapt to the visual
prld cause domestic strain, so much of the
m chronicles the couple's bickering. As a
pance, "At First Sight" goes straight from
fSt kiss to "who gets the stereo?" without
ich fun stuff in between.
As a medical drama, the film fumbles maial
by Oliver Sacks, the writer-doctor
lose chronicles of unusual true-life cases,
;h as the one this story was based upon,
ike for rich metaphors about human relationships
and perception. ("Awakenings" is
another film based on his work.) Steve
Levitt's screenplay hammers the point,
though, with lines like, "Even though he
doesn't look at me, I feel like he really
knows who I am." Kelly McGilhs ("The
Accused") plays Virgil's overprotective
sister, who would rather he stay in the Dark
Ages; the wonderful Bruce Davison ("The
Crucible") doesn't have much to do but
speak soothingly as an eye surgeon; and
Nathan Lane ("The Birdcage") makes a
brief appearance in what should now be
known as the Robin Williams Role as an
unconventional therapist. But their cumulative
talent doesn't add much to a movie that itself
contributes nothing but yet another cheerfully
disabled person ("I'm all ears!" Virgil says)
who shows us sighted specimens just how
blind we really are. Melissa Morrison
PLAYING BY HEART **1/2
Starring Gillian Anderson, Angelina
Jolie, Madeleine Stowe, Gena Rowlands
and Sean Connery. Directed, written and
produced by Willard Carroll. A Miramax
release. Drama/comedy. Rated R for language.
Running time: 121 min.
A series of interconnected stories about the
modem search for love and fulfil knent, "Playing
by Heart" features an impressive ensemble
cast who, despite their combined talents,
have difficulty breathing life into Willard
Carroll's parade of conversation-driven characters.
They talk. A lot. Unfortunately, their
carefully crafted discussions, arguments and
emotional outbursts about the varying stages
of love and life give the impression of people
talking at each other, rather than with each
other, and the one-sided nature of these nearlectures
hinders the characters' ability to develop
genuine bonds with one another, let
alone with the audience.
The couples in the film range in age from
twentysomething hipsters Joan (Angelina
Jolie) and Keenan (Ryan Phillippe) to middle-aged
adulterers Gracie (Madeleine
Stowe) and Roger (Anthony Edwards) to an
elderly husband and wife, Paul (Sean Connery)
and Hannah (Gena Rowlands). The
pairings also reflect various types of relationships
that include the pursuer and the
pursued (Jon Stewart and Gillian Anderson);
a mother and her dying son (Ellen
Burstyn and Jay Mohr); and two drunk
strangers in a bar (Dennis Quaid and
Nastassja Kinski). While some of these
match-ups provide moments of substantiated
reflection, particularly Paul and Hannah
confronting old demons in their 40-year
marriage, and the mother and son confessing
long-hidden secrets before the latter'
inevitable death, the stories generally suffer
because of improbable dialogue and a plot
that progressively becomes harder to swallow.
Worthy of mention is Jolie' s memorable
performance as a sharp-tongued Gen-Xer
committed to winning over the affection of
a quiet loner. But her strong delivery is
unable to overcome the contrived feel of her
verbal interchanges with Phillippe, which
convey as much youthful angst as a Gap
commercial. The script's overall artifice,
combined with a convenient burst of "I love
yous" and an all-too-obvious surprise ending,
work to undermine an otherwise interesting
concept. Francesca Dinglasan
THE HI-LO COUNTRY irir
Starring Woody Harrelson, Billy Crudup,
Patricia Arquette, Cole Hauser, Sam Elliott
and Penelope Cruz. Directed by Stephen
Frears. Written by Walon Green. Produced
by Barbara De Fina & Martin Scorsese and
Eric Fellner & Tim Bevan. A Gramercy
release. Drama. Rated Rfor some sexuality,
a scene of violence, andfor brief language.
Running time: 112 min.
Had Max Evans' 1961 novel, 'The Hi-Lo
Country," been adapted for the screen at the
time of its publication, its central preoccupation
with the disappearance of the cowboy
lifestyle might have held more
resonance. Nearly four decades later, the
greater question for audiences may be why
so many talented people would be drawn to
such a tired collection of cliches.
Set in Texas during the 1940s, "The Hi-
Lo Country" is a modernist Western that
ultimately seeks to cover much of the same
ground as George Stevens' classic, "Giant,"
similarly mourning the loss of a simpler,
more rugged lifestyle amid the confusing
complexities of an increasingly industrialized
world. Such issues are indeed compelling,
and would be so here were it not for
the thicket of melodramatic complications
surtounding them.
Big Boy and Pete (Woody Harrelson and
Billy Crudup) are a dying breed—roughneck
cowpokes who still live the rancher
lifestyle with reckless abandon: drinking,
brawling, playing poker and just generally
living dangerously as all good cowboys
supposedly should. Unfortunately, it's the
20th century, not the 19th, in which they
live, an era better suited to the likes of Jim
Ed Love (Sam Elliott, sans mustache), a
ruthless cattle baron whose wily ways
threaten to roll over every other rancher in
the area. Making matters worse, both men
are infatuated with the same woman, Mona
(Patricia Arquette), the wife of Jim Ed's
jealous foreman. But while Pete struggles
to keep his passions under wraps. Big Boy
foolishly and openly indulges his, carrying
on a love affair with Mona that risks undermining
everything he and Pete have struggled
to build together.
On the whole, "The Hi-Lo Country" is a
competent piece of work, featuring a handful
of memorable performances and undeniably
polished production values.
Unfortunately, the effort seems to have
been for naught, for nowhere does the film
proffer as much as an idea that wasn't already
worn out by the likes of John Ford.
Even more problematic is the character of
Pete, presumably the level-headed counterbalance
to Big Boy's recklessness. Any empathy
for Pete is undone by his irritating
proclivity for consistently making not only
wrong choices, but choices of such profound
stupidity that one wonders why the
cattle aren't herding him. Wade Major
February, 1999 (R-10) 57

A CIVIL ACTION ^^^
Starring John Travolta, Robert Duvall,
Tony Shalhoub, William H. Macy, John
Lithgow and Kathleen Quintan. Directed
and written by Steven Zaillian. Produced
by Scott Rudin, Robert Redford and Rachel
Pfefffer. A Buena Vista release.
Drama. Rated PG-13for some strong language.
Running time: 115 min.
Tarnished by years of pulpish John
Grisham adaptations, the revered courtroom
drama genre wins back a portion of its
luster with "A Civil Action," writer/director
REVIEWS
Steven Zaillian' s intelligent and polished
adaptation of Jonathan Harr's fact-based
chronicle about a Boston toxic waste dumping
trial in the 1980s. Though the plot plays
largely by the numbers, Zaillian treats the
material with a welcome level of maturity
that manages to sustain interest even when
the storyline doesn't.
John Travolta stars as personal injury
attorney Jan Schlichtmann, an oily ambulance
chaser who, with his three partners,
has built a mini-empire on the suffering of
others. It is a rural toxic waste case, however,
that lures Schlichtmann to abandon
his usual cache of auto accident and workers
comp claims when he discovers that the
tannery believed responsible for the leukemia
deaths of several children is owned by
none other than deep-pocketed mega-corporation
Beatrice. But taking on the likes of a
corporate heavyweight Uke Beatrice proves to
be far beyond the resources of Schlichtmann
and his partners as the battle pushes their firm
to the brink of bankruptcy.
Robert Duvall and John Travolta in
Buena Vista's "A Civil Action."
Not surprisingly, the Schlichtmann character
is similar to that of Oskar Schindler in
Zaillian' s Oscar-winning "Schindler' s List"
screenplay—a mthless opportunist who develops
a conscience just in time to risk losing
everything in the service of it. Admittedly,
the device is less effective here, but it workj
well enough to freshen the otherwise
creaky courtroom drama conventions wit!
which audiences will undoubtedly be well
familiar.
The downside to the "Schindler" approach,
of course, is that it makes the
attorney's plight the primary focus of the
story, rather than that of the clients, an angle
that has worked previously in no less a filn:
than Sidney Lumet's classic "The Verdict.'
Its real value here, however, is to offei
audiences welcome respite from the sloppy
sentimentality in which the recent crop ol
"underdog attorney" films have so shamelessly
wallowed.
Not to be overlooked is Zaillian's
growing skill as a director, which he sc
ably debuted with "Searching for Bobb>
Fischer." Elegantly styUzed and crisply
edited, the film also features a host of fine
performances, with Travolta and Willian::
H. Macy noteworthy standouts.
It is Robert Duvall, however, as Beatrice's
brilliantly crafty lead attorney, Jerome
Facher, who steals the film's most memorable
moments.
Excellent work from composer Danny
Elfman, editor Wayne Wahrman, cinematographer
Conrad Hall and production designer
David Gropman round out the
effort. Wade Major
58 (R-11) BoxoFncE
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Response No. 82

\
Hatosy,
\ and
\
Rodriguez.
'
I
taken
REVIEWS
THE FACULTY ***l/2
Starring Elijah Wood, Laura Harris,
'Josh Hartnett, Clea Duvall, Shawn
Jordana Brewster, Bebe Neuwirth
Robert Patrick. Directed by Robert
Written by Kevin Williamson.
iProduced by Elizabeth Avellan.
Miramax release. Horror. Rated
\ Rfor vi-
\olence/gore, strong language, drug use
\andsome nudity. Running time: 104 min.
\ In a small town in Ohio, where the performance
of the local high school football
\
I team dictates the general feeling of the day,
\ who would think of spending school funds
i on new books, computers or field trips? But
[the students' uncomplicated lifestyle is
[about to take a deadly 180 degree turn. For
some reason, the burned-out faculty mem-
I
[bers are suddenly energized and unusually
f aggressive. When the school photographer
i (Elijah Wood of "Deep Impact") catches a
(glimpse of what is really going on, he has
to convince his peers that the school is being
over by aliens. It's up to a loner
jC'She's All That's" Clea Duvall), the head
icheerleader (Jordana Brewster of TV's "As
the World Turns"), the captain of the football
team ("Outside Providence's" Shawn
Hatosy), the school drug supplier (Josh
Hartnett of "Halloween H20") and the new
kid in school ("Scalper' s" Laura Harris), led
by Wood's character, to put an end to the
takeover.
The seemingly simple plot turns out to be
labyrinthine: There are so many twists,
turns and dead ends that one's mind must
be put in reverse and turn left instead of
right to figure out what's going on.
The best thing about "The Faculty,"
which brings together the dynamic talents
of "Scream" scripter Kevin Williamson and
"From Dusk Till Dawn" helmer Robert
Rodriguez, is that the characters have intelligence
and hidden talents. The sci-fi/horror
genre could take a lesson from "The Faculty."
Dwayne E. Leslie
MIGHTY JOE YOUNG ^^i^^
Starring Bill Paxton and Charlize Theron.
Directed by Ron Underwood. Written
by Mark Rosenthal & Lawrence Konner.
Produced by Ted Hartley and Tom Jacobson.
A Buena Vista release. Adventure.
Rated PG for some menacing action violence
and mild language. Running time:
114 min.
Finally, a family film that really can be
enjoyed by the whole family. It's not
jumbed down for kids. It's not full of double
entendres pandering to grown-ups. It's
iust a wonderful example of rock-solid, gilt-
;dged entertainment that, on a good day,
lobody in the world does better than Amercan
moviemakers and nobody in America
iocs better than Disney.
Ron Underwood has made an updated
/ersion of the fondly remembered 50-year-
)ld RKO picture by taking its best elements,
ike its humanity, and making them work
"or the '90s. It gently teaches lessons about
espect for human and animal life while
)eing thoroughly engaging.
A
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Response No. 57
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tquipn
February, 1999 (R-12) 59

'
'
i
i
REVIEWS
In truth, the 1949 "MJY" was often compared
unfavorably with "King Kong,"
which many of the same people had made
16 years earlier. What was recognized,
however, was the vast improvement in special
effects. Ray Harryhausen, the first master
of stop-frame animation, had by then
joined up with "Kong's" Willis O'Brien,
and between them they breathed new life
into the gorilla.
These days, their torch is confidently
carried by special effects supervisor
Rick Baker, who takes the art to a whole
new level. This is no ordinary Joe, but
an astonishingly realistic creation using
a combination of hve action, animation,
and computer wizardry. The result is
seamless, a 15-foot, 2,000-pound character
who is as real as anyone else in the
film. (And for trivia buffs, Harryhausen
makes a cameo appearance.)
And as for those other actors, the
ubiquitous Bill Paxton ("Twister," "Titanic")
competently portrays another nice
guy, while the luminous Charlize Theron
("Celebrity") is totally convincing as the
woman who has shared Joe's life since she
was a child and is now his only protector.
In this version, Joe leaves Africa because
he is in jeopardy in his native habitat. Of
course, life on the West Coast has its hazards
too, as his long-time nemeses—a couple
of poachers—try to capture the unique
beast. This leads to an exciting, if rather
conventional, chase through the streets of
Hollywood and beyond.
One odd note: The villains, played by
Croatian Rade Sherbedgia and Britain Peter
Firth, speak with marked South African
accents but are hinted to be Eastern European,
presumably so as not to upset sensitive
Boers. Charlize Theron is, however,
really from South Africa. Truly a "Mighty
Joe Young" for the politically correct
'90s. Mike Kerrigan
PATCH ADAMS ^^1/2
Starring Robin Williams, Daniel London,
Monica Potter and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Directed by Tom Shadyac. Written by
Steve Oedekerk. Produced by Barry Kemp,
Mike Farrell, Marvin Minoff and Charles
Newirth. A Universal release. Drama. Rated
PG-13for some strong language and crude
humor. Running time: 115 min.
Hunter "Patch" Adams (Robin Williams)
believes that laughter is literally the best medicine,
and will stop at nothing to bring his
vision to the medical profession. When not
butting heads with his professors. Patch
spends his free time at the nospital, donning a
red rubber nose to entertain kids and adults
alike, even though med students aren't allowed
to see patients until the third year. By
the time graduation rolls around. Patch has
already established the Gesundheit Institute,
a home where people can come for free medical
treatment—and a good time.
Of course, it isn't always a smooth ride,
and this is where "Patch Adams" falls victim
to a predictable plot trajectory. After
building his peers' confidence in his venture
and getting them to believe in him,
FLASHBACK: July, 1982
What BOXOFFICE Said About..
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
[On February 12, Buena Vista brings to the bigscreen *'My Favorite Martian, "in which
a newsman (Jeff Daniels) plays host to a stranded space alien (Christopher Lloyd), going
to extreme lengths to conceal his new roomate's identity.
In 1982, a little boy named Elliott was put in a similar
predicament in a film that introduced audiences to
cinema's all-time favorite martian: E.T.]
"E.T. The Extra-Teirestrial," Steven Spielberg's first
"small film " is a modem classic. Forsaking the overload
of special defects and high adventure that marked his
previous successes to focus instead on a small story
propelled by heart and imagination, Spielberg has made
a fihn that will touch audiences for years to come.
"E.T." follows the warmly personal story of the
magical friendship of 10-year-old Elliott (Henry
Thomas) and an abandoned being from another world who seeks the youngster's
protection. Spielberg's mastery at combining story with special effects has already
been shown in such films as "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "Close Encounters of
the Third Kind," but the loving care he puts into E.T. gives this film that little
"extra" that just may find it a place in cinema history.
Working with a small budget and cast, Spielberg proves that magic can come in
small packages. Moreso than any other current filmmaker, Spielberg reflects a
generation with eyes raised to the sky in wonder. As a loving tribute to those who
have wished upon a star and dreamed of its inhabitants, "E.T." is more a gift than
a work of art. It is also a gift to theatre owners, as this film is sure to delight
audiences again and again, emerging as the summer movie to beat in 1982.
tragedy strikes, and Patch loses faith in his
own cause. His buddies feel betrayed; even
his enemies encourage him. But it takes an
inordinately dramatic confrontation with
God for Patch to become reinspired—only
to be cruelly challenged by the medical
institution. But when his friends and foes,
patients and peers rally behind him, Patch
triumphs over all.
But to what end? Is Patch's cause really so
noble? He claims helping others helps him
forget his own problems. That can't be
healthy. And he's generally not depicted actually
practicing medicine. What he's really
good at is joking around with his patients, and
his unwavering determination to become a
doctor lacks convincing motivation.
Still, this is Robin Williams we're talking
about, and he brings a magic and charm to this
character that no one else could. The film's
best moments come at the beginning when
Patch is self-committed at a mental institution
and helps his roommate overcome his fears of
imaginary squirrels by shooting them with an
equally invisible bazooka.
The supporting cast is also noteworthy,
though romantic interest Monica Potter
("Without Limits") plays the ice queen with
such steely resolve that it would be tough to
fathom why Patch would even be interested
in her if she didn't so closely resemble Julia
Roberts. Philip Seymour Hoffman (recently
seen stalking Lara Flynn Boyle in
"Happiness") plays Patch's suspicious
roommate with an intimidating intensity.
"Patch Adams" succeeds in putting a
twinkle in your eye. Unfortunately, the
story's a bit too formulaic to summon the
tears it's going for. Annlee Ellingson
STEPMOM irir
Starring Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon \
andEd Harris. Written by Gigi Levangie and
Jessie Nelson & Steven Rogers and Karen
Leigh Hopkins and Ronald Bass. Directed
by Chris Columbus. Produced by Wendfy
Finerman, Chris Columbus, MarkRadcttjfe
and Michael Barnathan. A TriStar release.
Drama. Rated PG-13 for language and thematic
elements. Running time: 124 min.
Isabel (Julia Roberts) is a young woman
attempting to juggle a relationship with her
boyfriend Luke (Ed Harris), her new role as
a mother figure to his two young children,
and her career as a photographer. But the
most challenging of all these feats is trying
to maintain peace with Jackie (Susan
Sarandon), Luke' s ex-wife. She continually
,
tries to make things work with Jackie and
the children, with little success. That is,
until she learns that Jackie is dying of cancer.
This devastating disease causes the
,
family to come together and look less at
their differences.
Chris Columbus, best known for such popular
comedies as "Home Alone" and "Mrs.
Doubtfire," never finds an appropriate tone
for this picture. His awkward direction randomly
maneuvers the audience's emotions ;
from grieving to giddy. In one moment the ;
family leams of Jackie's life-threatening illness;
in the next they are flitting about the
room, dancing and singing, playfully using
curling irons as microphones. The filmmakers \
seem to be very aware of how best to play the
audience's heartstrings, plucking a carefully
composed song. But this orchestration is obvious
and patronizing. Michelle Santilli
60 (R-13) BOXOFFICE

REVIEWS
THE THIN RED LINE i^iriririr
Starring Sean Penn, Adrien Brody, Jim
Caviezel, Ben Chaplin, John Cusack,
Woody Harrehon, Elias Koteas, Nick
\olte and John C. Reilly. Directed and
written by Terrence Malick. Produced by
Robert Michael Geisler, John Roberdeau
and Grant Hill. A Fox release. War drama.
Rated Rfor realistic war violence and language.
Running time: 170 min.
For better or for worse. Terrence Malick
nas become an icon of American cinema.
m\ steriously rising from talented '70s film
orat to legendary '90s auteur without making
so much as a single film in the interim.
For two decades, his unexplained absence
from the director's chair has focused attenion
on his only two previous efforts
1973's "Badlands" and 1978's "Days of
Keaven"—lyrical yet thematically com-
-)\t\ works that remain as critically divisive
oday as when they were made.
It is, therefore, understandable that his
etum project. "The Thin Red Line," would
?ngender almost messianic expectations in
lopes of finally deciphering the Malick
nystique. But such hopes were doomed
"rom the start. For Malick is less a storyeller
than a metaphysical poet, an observer
md articulator of humanity's innermost
.ontradictions and abstractions. Like his
previous works, "The Thin Red Line"
isks more questions than it answers and
iolates more rules than it obeys, ultinately
prodding audiences to engage in a
ar greater level of intellectual participaion
than any film has since "2001: A
)pace Odyssey."
Adapted by Malick over a period of eight
ears from the acclaimed semi-autobioiraphical
novel by "From Here to Eternity"
lUthor James Jones, "The Thin Red Line"
las long been considered one of the most
eminal pieces of war fiction ever com-
•osed. a work of rare emotional power and
Tutal honesty. So much so, in fact, that the
irevious 1964 film version by director Anrew
Marton has been largely forgotten, a
oble but failed effort to adapt an unadaptble
book. Nearly 35 years later, however,
"errence Malick has dared to meet the
o\ el's challenge, radically altering James'
arrative so as to preserve its most fiindalental
concerns.
Focusing on the experiences of an army
ompany during the World War II battle
f Guadalcanal, Malick' s narrative is not
30ted in any sequence of events, but in
le psychological and emotional travails
f its characters. No fewer than a halfozen
men participate in the collage of
ounds, images, thoughts and memories
lat Malick has superimposed upon the
nmediacy of war.
It is an exercise that is at once metaphoral.
allegorical, existential, impressionistic
ad desperately profound—a cinematic
ream of consciousness certain to divide
Imgoers and critics as violently as war
self.
There can be no underestimating the radal
extent to which Malick flouts convenon.
Less an entertainment than a
philosophical challenge, the film features
extensive voice-over narration, has no definable
protagonist, no clear-cut narrative
structure, and no easily identifiable moral
position. At the same time, there is a mythical,
Homeric quality to the vision that cannot
be fully absorbed but with multiple
viewings. As turbulent and poetic as a John
Milton epic, as visually splendorous as a
Claude Monet painting, "The Thin Red
Line" is ultimately about the same conflicts
that have inspired and troubled great artists
for centuries. In Malick' s view, the war
between the Americans and the Japanese is
secondary to civilized man's war with his
primal self.
The uniformly outstanding cast features
performances that range from substantial
(Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Elias Koteas, Ben
Chaplin, Jim Caviezel) to brief (Woody
Harrelson, John Cusack), while others are
resigned to cameos (John Travolta, George
Clooney) or semi-cameos (Jared Leto, Adrien
Brody, John C. Reilly). Many of the
original cast's more prominent names,
meanwhile, have been deleted entirely
(Mickey Rourke, Bill Pullman, Lukas
Haas), although most will probably reappear
in an eventual director's cut.
The film also represents a personal best
for many of Malick' s already esteemed collaborators,
including cinematographer John
Toll, composer Hans Ziimner and production
designer Jack Fisk, all
Dash Mihok in Fox's The Thin Red Line.
of whom are
j?mi.
^
virtually assured Oscar nominations for
their work.
How audiences will respond to 'The
Thin Red Line," however, is less certain,
particularly in Ught of the already rampant
comparisons to 1998's other World War II
epic, "Saving Private Ryan." Ironically, the
films share next to nothing in conmion aside
from their release year. Unlike Spielberg,
Malick is not after comfortable reconciliations
and resolutions. He wants audiences
to face the same moral dilemmas as his
characters and to emerge just as confounded
and frustrated. He wants to spur the debate,
not placate it. Debating the film's objective
merits, therefore, becomes a somewhat
pointless proposition. As with any great
work of art, there will be those with whom
the message connects, and others with
whom it does not. But even the film's detractors
must acknowledge the courage of
Malick' s vision, arguably the most ambitious
film to emerge from a major American
studio in decades. By any measure, it must
be viewed as a monumental accomplishment,
a cinematic milestone that cannot be
adequately encapsulated in any review.
Even describing the film as the masterpiece
that it is shortchanges the achievement.
"The Thin Red Line" must be seen, felt
and remembered to be fully appreciated.
And for those willing to rise to the occasion,
the reward is beyond compare. Wade
Major
February, 1999 (R-14) 61

REVIEWS
JACK FROST ^^
Starring Michael Keaton, Kelly Preston,
Joseph Cross and Mark Addy. Directed by
Troy Miller. Written by Mark Steve Johnson
& Steve Bloom and Jonathan Roberts
& Jess Cesario. Produced by Mark Canton
and Irving Azoff. A Warner release. Comedy/drama.
Rated PG for mild language.
Running time: 101 min.
For the first half hour or so, Michael
Keaton plays Jack Frost, the leader of a rock
group who's having trouble balancing imminent
success and the responsibilities of
family life with his wife (Kelly Preston) and
fifth-grade son (Joseph Cross). The leisurely
set-up promises an engaging drama
about parenting, with the bonus of discovering
that Keaton has quite a way with a
song.
Then Jack turns into a snowman. Well,
first he has to be killed in an automobile
accident so that his spirit can return to inhabit
a creepy-looking version of Frosty,
with beady eyes of coal and even shifty
eyebrows. Ostensibly, he's back to help his
kid grow up and get over the loss of his
father. But he's really there to help the
filmmakers replicate the success of "Ghost"
for the pre-teen set. That it doesn't is mainly
because the movie is all over the place.
The performances are okay, but the actors
are not asked to stretch. Keaton is a
stand-up snowman with a few off-color
lines, presumably to keep the adults awake,
but the creature, made by Jim Henson's
people, is no Muppet. A big disappointment
is the woeful underuse of Mark Addy, playing
Keaton' s best pal. There is barely a hint
of his wonderful work in "The Full Monty."
There are
some entertaining action sequences,
including a well-shot snow chase,
a spirited snowball fight and some nice ice
hockey action, but they don't make up for
the hollow emotional center. A movie like
this is supposed to make you laugh and
make you cry, but "Jack Frost" just leaves
you cold. Mike Kerrigan
YOU'VE GOT MAIL ^^^
Starring Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks, Greg
KinnearandParker Posey. Directed by Nora
Ephron. Written by Nora Ephron and Delia
Ephron. Produced by Lauren Shuler Donner
and Nora Ephron. A Warner release.
Romantic comedy. Rated PGfor some language.
Running time: 119 min.
Back in 1940, the filmmakers of "You've
Got Mail's" progenitor, "Shop Around the
Comer," couldn't have known that their
romantic comedy's premise, in which two
penpals fall in love without knowing each
other's identity, would become one of the
primary forms of courting and social interaction
nearly six decades later. Through
e-mail, thousands of people connect, literally
and figuratively, every day; whether
their electronic relationships could survive
in the real world is a question that usually
goes unanswered due to geographic distance,
previous romantic entanglements or
just plain cold feet.
But screen names NY 152 and Shopgirl,
who have been enjoying the safety of^ano-
nymity in their increasingly affectionate and
contemplative exchanges, are about to
meet—to neither of their knowledge, and not
under the best of circumstances. NY152 is Joe
Fox (Tom Hanks), heir to and a top executive
in Fox Books, a giant chain building a new
megastore in New York — just around the corner
from Shopgirl/Kathleen Kelly (Meg
Ryan)'s small but beloved children's book
shop. The two almost instantly lock horns,
then complain about the confrontations to
their onUne confidantes, not realizing they're
both talking to the nemesis in question.
While Hanks and Ryan certainly have
chemistry, as demonstrated in the swooning
smash "Sleepless in Seattle" (also directed
and co-scripted by Nora Ephron), the problem
here is an imbalance of power. Joe
seems to be, professionally and emotionally,
in the driver's seat, while Kathleen is
too often an easily-frazzled victim, despite
her plentiful spunk. Still, Nora Ephron and
Delia Ephron' s screenplay is adequately
warm and funny, and the characters sufficiently
charming, to draw audiences in to
the unlikely but ultimately engaging love
affair. Christine James
THE PRINCE OF EGYPT ^^^1/2
Voiced by Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes,
Patrick Stewart, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra
Bullock, Jeff Goldblum and Danny
Glover. Directed by Brenda Chapman,
Steve Hickner and Simon Wells. Story supervised
by Kelly Asbury and Lorna Cook.
Produced by Penney Finkelman Cox and
Sandra Rabins. A DreamWorks release.
Animated drama. Rated PG for intense
depiction of thematic elements. Running
time: 99 min.
The Biblical Book of Exodus provides
the basis for this rags-to-riches-to-salvation
rendition of the life of Moses. Keeping true
to the story (with the filmmakers going so
far as to consult religious scholars), "The
Prince of Egypt" tells the tale in a dynamic,
dramatic way. After a perilous basket journey
in the Nile, baby Moses ends up at the
palace and is adopted by the troubled Pharaoh
Seti (voiced by Patrick Stewart).
Growing up, Moses (voiced by Val Kilmer)
is very mischievous and enjoys challenging
his brother Rameses (voiced by Ralph
Fiennes). One night, Moses ventures outside
of the palace and is confronted and is
told truth about his past; once this is confirmed
by his father, Moses feels that all he
knows to be true is a lie. After a soul-searching
walk in the dessert, he finds a new life
and meets God. He then heads back to
Egypt to relay God's message.
The visual depth of "Prince of Egypt"
captivates the senses and makes audiences
forget they are watching an animated film.
The combinations of various animation
techniques have set a precedent in innovating
the standards of the medium. The hieroglyphic
dream sequence is a standout
example, with mesmerizing results.
Usually, animated films are primarily for
children, with overly-exaggerated comic
relief characters, cutesy animal sidekicks
and plenty of singalong songs. "The Prince
of Egypt" dares to flout this formula: This
animated drama is for adults, but is rated so
that children can also see it. There are no
talking animals and the songs are not the
toe-tapping extravaganzas that have become
predictable and obligatory in the genre.
"Prince of Egypt" is filled with real
human emotions. Uncertainty, fear and remorse
are some of the feelings Moses must
wrestle. However, because the film has
gone to great lengths to not offend, it has
omitted several facts, skimming the surface
of the story and adding color. The result
leaves one visually fulfilled and emotionally
drawn in, but intellectually unsatisfied.
Dwayne E. Leslie
PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED: JANUARY/FEBRUARY/MARCH FILMS
The alphabetical list below notes the issue ofBOXOFFICE in which our review ofan
upcoming film appeared, the star rating, and distributor/release date information.
"Among Giants" ***l/2: Fox Searchlight, March undated; see Nov. 1998.
"Another Day in Paradise" **: Trimark, 1/22 (exp); see Nov. 1998.
"The Apple" ••1/2: New Yorker, 2/12; see Nov. 1998.
"Bandits" •••: Stratosphere, 3/19; see Sept. 1998.
"Blood, Guts, Bullets & Octane" •••; Lions Gate, 1/15 (ltd); see Nov. 1998.
"Children ofHeaven" •••1/2: Miramax, 1/22 (NY/LA); see Nov. 1997.
"Dream Life ofAngels" ••••: SPC, 3/5; see July 1998.
"Dry Cleaning" ••••: Strand, 1/29; see Nov. 1998.
"Eight Days a Week" ••: Legacy, 2/26; see April 1997.
"God Said, 'Ha!'" ••: Miramax, 2/12 (NY); see Nov. 1998.
"Hilary and Jackie" •••: October, 1/15 (exp wide); see Dec. 1998.
"Hurlyburly" irirlll: Fine Line, 1/15 (exp); see Jan. 1999.
"Jeanne and the Petfect Guy^' if : Strand, Jan. undated (NY/LA); see Nov. 1998.
"Metroland" ififitic\/2: Lions Gate, Feb. undated; see April 1998.
"Mighty Peking Man" ••1/2: Cowboy, 1/29 (ltd); see Nov. 1998.
"My Name is Joe" ••••: Artisan, 1/22 (NY); see July 1998.
"Rushmore" ••: Buena Vista, 2/5 (wide); see Nov. 1998.
"The School of Flesh " • • • 1/2: Stratosphere, 2/26; see July 1998.
"Shakespeare in Love" •••1/2: Miramax, 1/8 (exp natl); see Jan. 1999.
"Tango'' ir-k-k 1/2: SPC, 2/12 (NY/LA); see Nov. 1998.
"The Theory of Flight" ••: Fine Line, 1/22 (exp); see Nov. 1998.
"Waking Ned Devine" icir if 1/2: Fox Searchlight, 1/8 (exp wide); see Nov. 1998.
62 (R-15) BOXOFFICE

I
This
REVIEWS
Review Digest
STAR TREK:
INSURRECTION iririr
Starring Patrick Stewart,
Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner
and Donna Murphy. Directed
by Jonathan Frakes. Written
by Michael Filler. Produced by
Rick Berman. A Paramount
'elease. SF/Action. Rated PG
for sci-fi action violence, mild
language and sensuality. Running
time: 103 min.
Going where "Star Trek" has
akeady gone before, this ninth
entry in the popular film fran-
;hise is a respectable and enjoyable,
though hardly groundbreaking,
adventure. "Star
Trek: Insurrection" finds starship
Captain Jean-Luc Picard
J^atrick Stewart) and his crew
&Dm creator Gene Roddenberry ' s
television series "Star Trek:
The Next Generation" risking
;ourt-martial in order to save a
loeaceful. Zen-like race of people,
the Ba'ku. from forced relocation.
Picard" s government
s so beleaguered by war that it
las joined forces with the morally
shady, cosmetically chalenged
Son' a race in order to
exploit the Fountain of Youth
qualities of the Ba'ku' s planet,
md it falls to Picard and the
Enterprise crew to make a stand
jjor what's right. A pinch of rotaance,
a dash of good-natured
pimor, and some serious aUen
putt-kicking—by fisticuffs,
[Aaser, and flaming interstellar
las—as well as a touch ofphilos-
)phizing and a ticking bomb
Tound out the story.
Stewart wears his role as the
loble, dignified captain like a
;econd skin by now, and he and
lis fellow cast members have
developed an enviable rapport
hat's a joy to watch. But in
r\ ing to tag all the usual "Star
Trek" bases—except, oddly
;nough. that old "sense of wonler"—the
story doesn't leave
nuch room for character monents,
and the moments we do
5et have a glossed-over quality,
or the pacing is rapid and the
general feeling of the film
[omewhat perfunctory.
is made all the more
ronic by the presence of
^card's love interest, played
ivith disarming serenity by
)onna Murphy; she shares with
lim the wisdom of slowing
lown and living in the moment.
With assets like the seasoned
»ut still frisky ensemble cast
Jid breathtaking locations in
he High Sierras, it's unfortunte
that the filmmakers didn't
•ay closer attention to their own
idvice.—L. J. Strom
HALLELUJAH! ***l/2
Starring Ron Athey. Directed
and written by Catherine
Saalfield. An Artistic License
release. Documentary. Unrated.
Running time: 91 min.
"What I like about Ron is fliat
he doesn't respect your boundaries,"
says one of the cast members
of performance artist Ron
Athey's troupe in "Hallelujah!."
Viewers be lorewamed: Neither
does this documentary. "Hallelujah!"
is an unflinching look at a
man whose work includes onstage
enemas, body piercing and
bloodletting, all of which occur
on camera here. In spite of the
sensational (and sometimes sickening)
content of Athey's performances,
"Hallelujah!" is more
interesting for its insights into
what woidd make someone want
to do all this. Filmmaker Catherine
Saalfield offers a thoughtful
look at the underpinnings of a
very extreme ait. Althou^ "Hallelujah!"
can be stomach-tuming,
what is really memorable
about this film is not the freakshow
quality of Athey and his
entourage, but the way this man
has transmuted a bizarre childhood
and painful adulthood
into a sort of disgusting beauty.
— Cathy Tliompson-Georges
TO HELL WITH LOVE **
Starring David Cob urn,
Corey Michael Blake and Michael
McCaffety. Directed and
written by Karl Kozak. Produced
by Karl Kozak and Victor
Lou. A Panorama release. Comedy.
Running time: 96 min.
Based on the Murphy's Law
premise—all things mat can go
wrong, will—'To Hell With
Love" covers several catastrophic
days in the life of Alan
Rigatelli (David Cobum), an aspiring
writer waiting for his big
break in the pubUshing world.
Dumped by his live-in girlfriend,
fined from his day job, robbed of
his car and separated from the
sole copy of his novel's manuscript,
AJan seems only able to
succeed at failure. Although
Cobum is convincing as the consummate
victim ofcircumstance,
his character, devoid of charm or
wit, is ultimately hard-pressed to
elicit any sympathy ftom viewers.
Similarly, tfie fUm's two subplots
involving Alan's married
but sexually-needy brother (Michael
McCafferty) and his
womanizing cousin (Corey Michael
Blake) provide wellacted
performances, but still
fall short of redeeming the
script' s formulaic feel-good nature.
Francesca Dinglasan
Genre key: (Ac) Action; (Ad) Adventure; (Ani) Animated; (C) Comedy;
(D) Drama; (Doc) Documentary; (F) Fantasy; (Hor) Horror;
(M) Musical; (My) Mystery; (R) Romance; (Sat) Satire;
(SF) Science Fiction; (Sus) Suspense; (Th) Thriller; (W) Western.
< 5
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H g U > U Eb Sk
H Q i« •* f»> fs —
u

San
ADVERTISER INDEX
AM/COMM Systems Inc 58
Automaticket/Hurley Screen Corp. 59
Christie Inc C-2
Cinema Supply Co. Inc 65
Cinevision Corp 35
Component Engineering 33
Consolidated Vending Programs 65
Crown Audio 23
Deep Vision 3-D 6
Digital Projection 9
Dolby Laboratories Inc C-4
DTS (Digital Theater Systems) 11
EAW (Eastern Acoustic Works) 3
ElMSInc 15
Equipment, Etc 6
Flavor Wear 58
Hadden Theatre Supply Co 26
International Cinema Equipment Co 65
JBL Professional 7
Kinetics Noise Control 37
Kinetronics Corp. USA 26
Kneisley Electric Corp 48
Maroevich, O'Shea & Coghlan 59
National Cinema Service Corp 20
Panastereo Inc 13
QSC Audio Products C-3
Ready Theatre Systems 32
Schneider Optics 29
Smart Theatre Systems 31
Sony Cinema Products Corp 17
Strong International 27
System Operating Solutions 32
Technikote Corp 32
USL Inc 21
Wallace Theatre Corp 59
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
HELP WANTED
LET THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE your new or existing
small business. Grants/loans to $500,000. Free recorded
message: (707) 448-0270. (RN7)
LOS ANGELES AREA MANAGER WANTED. The Vista
Theatre In Los Angeles, celebrating its 75th anniversary,
is one of the most unusual single screen theatres in the
world. Newly renovated and flowing with character; the
qualified candidate will have a character to match with
experience in 35mm projection and platter equipment.
The person we are looking for will be totally dedicated to
IvMer^e Aq^/
- S • < I. .
:
E*d"in3 ^

! magazines,
; material.
I
I
; Blvd.,
!
0963,
DRIVE-IN near southern Indiana college town. High
grosses, loyal clientele. Good concessions. Well-maintained.
For sale (no leases). J. Kapczynski, Realtor (812)
876-7350.
FOR SALE: NEWLY REMODELED MULTIPLEX THE-
ATRE in southern Michigan. Owner of 30 years is retiring.
A first-run theatre with long history of strong gross income.
Reply; Boxoffice Response Number 4747.
MOVIE THEATRE NW ATLANTA: three screens, high
growth area. No competition. S3275 rent; $175,000
sales. SI. 50 movies, nights & weekends. Asking
51 50.000.(770)419-7788.
NORTH CAROLINA CIRCUIT. First-run, non-competitive.
Anoskie 4 screens, Clinton 5 screens, SmithfiekJ 4 screens.
80 year-old owner retiring. R.A. Howell. PO Box 528,
Smithfield. NO 27577, or call (919) 934-5208, 934-4625.
ONLY GAME IN TOWN: Two screen theatre for sale or
lease, located in northern Nevada. Built in 1986 with
continual upgrades and in like-new condition. Call or fax
now for fact sheet. Ask for Jim B. at (800) 697-9709 or
fax (702) 623-1061.
OPERATING IN ANDERSON, INDIANA. Built in 1930,
has been completely renovated. New projection equipment,
roof, HVAC. carpet, seats, plaster, paint, marquee.
Beautiful architecture, 1,207 seats. 5195,000. FC
TUCKER/OC CLARK. REALTORS. (765) 643-3391.
OPERATING SINGLE-SCREEN THEATRE in rural
southwestem Washington for sale or lease. 290 seats
with balcony. Also parts for hundreds of way older seats,
different makes, mostly needing repair. You haul free.
(360) 983-8569.
DRIVE-IN CONSTRUCTION
DRIVE-IN SCREEN TOWERS Since 1945 Selby Products.
Inc., P.O. Box 267, Richfield, Ohio 44286 (330)
659-6631 , 800-647-6224.
THEATRE SEATING
230 SEATS - must sell ASAP. En^/in springs and foW.
Top of the line. Excellent condition. Red and tan. Call
(801) 294-4402 (Jared). Good price!!!
1,600 AMERICAN SEATS: Style 38-220 with cup holders.
All new in 1992. Ready to use condition. $29.00/ea.
Call (517) 725-5410 any time, ask for Gary.
"ALL AMERICAN SEATING" by the EXPERTS. Used
seats of quality, various makes. American Stellars from
$12.50 to S32.50. Inwins from $20.00 to $40.00. Heywood
& Massey rockers from $40.00. Full rebuilding available.
New American Desk chairs from $85.00. All types theatre
projection and sound equipment. New and used. We ship
and install all makes. Try us! We sell no junk! TAN-
KERSLEY ENTERPRISES, P.O. Box 36009, Denver,
CO 80236. Phone (303) 716-0884; fax (303) 716-0889.
ALLSTATE SEATING is a company that is specializing
in refurbishing, complete painting, molded foam, tailormade
seat covers, installations, removals. Please call for
pricing and spare parts for all types of theatre seating.
Boston, MA. Phone (617) 268-2221, FAX (617) 268-7011.
AUDITORIUM SEATING SPECIALIST. New installations,
rebuilds, repairs and reasonable rates. Bob, (970)
224-1 147. Perfection Seating Inc., 295 Lone Pine Creek
Drive. Red Feather Lakes. CO 80545.
"BOOSTER 8. SAURUS" Child booster seats. Call Cy
Young Industries Inc. at 800-729-2610.
FINALLY, AN ALTERNATIVE TO ON-SITE UPHOL-
STERY: Call us about our new upholstered Backs and
Cushions by mail program. More Cost-efficient than onsite
upholsterers, fast tum-around, quality controlled in
our combined 160,000 sq. ft. State-Of-The-Art Factory.
Premier Seating Co. Inc., (888) 456-SEAT, Fax: (410)
488-9969, Email: info@premierseating.com.
MOVIE THEATRE SEATS FOR SALE, FROM THE 60s.
400. art deco. like new cushions, metal frames, heavy
duty. Call for price: (217) 726-7290, Illinois.
SEAT AND BACK COVERS: Most fabrics in stock.
Molded cushions. Cy Young Industries inc., 800-729-2610.
SEAT FOAMS: All makes/all models, fast tum-around.
Premier Seating Co. Inc., (888) 456-SEAT, fax (410)
488-9969, email: info@premierseating.com.
CHILD BOOSTER SEATS: Molded plastic, large quantity
in stock, multiple colors available, will not deteriorate like
booster bags. Premier Seating Co. Inc.. (888) 456-SEAT,
fax (410) 488-9969. email: info@premierseating.com.
THEATRE SEAT AND BACK COVERS: Large in-stock
fabric inventory, fast tum-around, competitive pricing at
any quantity. Premier Seating Co. Inc., (888) 456-SEAT,
fax (410) 488-9969, email: info@premierseating.com.
THEATRE SEAT RECONDITIONING: Total or Partial
Theatre Seat Restoration in our combined 1 60,000 sq. ft.
State-Of-The-Art Factory, featuring Sandblasting, Powder-coating,
and In-House Upholstering. Restore your
seats or purchase from our inventory. Premier Seating
Co. Inc., (888) 456-SEAT, Fax: (410) 488-9969, Email:
info @ premierseating.com.
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FADEOUT
Bearing a beauty that could barely believe itself, Julie Christie seared herself into moviegoers' memories with 1965's
"Darling" (top photo). Starring for her "Billy Liar" director John Schlesinger, she played a contempo young woman "whose
idea of being fulfilled," offered the character played by co-star Dirk Bogarde, "is having more than one man in bed at the
same time." Critics differed on the film—Pauline Kael judged it "as empty...as the empty life it's exposing," while Judith
Crist found it "a cool, clear and devastating look at the glossy success set"—but audiences and the industry were enraptured
by Christie, with the Academy voting her the year's best actress Oscar.
Along with the Swinging Sixties likes of Samantha Eggar and Judy Geeson, Christie led a British invasion of a different
occupation and gender than that helmed by the Beaties (see our cover story). But Christie distanced herself from that madding
crowd with her turn as Lara in "Doctor Zhivago" (lower right), also in 1965. Maybe it was her upbringing on her father's tea
plantation in India, but the contempo Christie proved made for period pieces, a talent displayed in 1966's "Far from the Madding
Crowd" (lower left) and 1971's "The Go-Between" and "McCabe & Mrs. Miller," the latter bringing a second Oscar nom.
Aside from "Heat and Dust," Christie made only fitful appearances onscreen in the 1980s and early 1990s, but—after
warmup work in 1996's "Hamlet" and "Dragonheart"—she completed a circle of sorts the next year in Alan Rudolph's
"Afterglow," playing an older woman whose idea of fulfillment is having no men in her bed. Audiences and the Academy
(which nominated her for a third time) left theah-es feeling Christie's afterglow once again.
However made for period pieces, Christie even more has always seemed made for distance: Whether posed gazing across
vastly empty Russian tundra, or in apparently simple conversation across the wide emotional crevasse separating her and
a lover, Christie has, in a way like no other, been able to show the ache of human existence in her eyes. It is perhaps her
greatest gift: a woman of incomparable beauty who instead said. Here, look at the bruises on my soul—Kim Williamson
66 BOXOFTICE

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INTRDDUCING A JDINT DEVELOPMENT FROM
boLBY LABDRATDRIES AN D
*
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D I G I T A L
SURROUND'EX
LU C AS FI LM. THX
Debuts May 2 1,1999