Boxoffice-August.1989

ought
GDI
(S.
"
which
10018.
theatres in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Germany,
ll the talks are successful, the number of
screens held by Pathe Cinema S A, in Europe
will leap trom 400 to more than 1,000, Pathe
Cinema of France will be a pure exhibition
entity, which the PCC annual report said [luts
It in a business that offers "a strong and predictable
capital base to sustain itsell through
any adverse period."
"Batman" Puts the Bite
on Piracy
"Batman" and Warner Brothers have declared
war on video piracy. Every one of the
4,000 "Batman" prints worldwide bears an
Identification marking code to enable the
tracing of illegally duplicated videocassettes,
Warner has used this system on past releases
with positive results The encoded serial
marking - not readily visible — is detectable
in all pirated film-to-video and subsequent
\ ideo-to-\ ideo translers uhuh allows investigators
trom the Motion Picture .Association
ot Amrrii .1 to iind Ihc soun e of the pirated
copies V\ iriit rs |oin((ll)\ ( il her film companies
has Mii|p(l ,ii ll .isi ^')') ,
pirate establish
'
ments workK
the United States
-.Ml in
in the last yec ine liliii fiiraiy may consti-
T a maximum penalty of up
years in prison and or a $250,000
Grogg Blossoms
With New Company
Sam Grogg, currently president of FilmDallas,
has announced the formation of a new
motion picture and television production
company, Grogg Entertainment Formed in
partnership with one of Grogg's FilmDallas
colleagues, Ernest Z Frausto, the new company
will reorganize FilmDallas, which is now in
Chapter If, Grogg established FilmDallas in
1984 as a private limited [jartnership investment
fund. He executive-produced the Academy-Award-winning
"Trip to Bountiful," and
made the company's investments in "Kiss of
the Spider Woman" and "Choose Me,"
among others
High-Scoring GAC
Leaves Its Initials
Continuing its expansion program. General
Amusement Corporation installed video
games in 22 new locations during the first
three weeks of May, just in time for the summer
movie season ,MI the new games are in
theatre lobbies, including houses belonging to
AMC, General Cinema and Loews. The new
sites are in California, Delaware, Kentucky,
Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia
Among the games are many of the spring's
most popular models Included are Super
Ofl-Road, Mechanized Attack, and Operation
Thunderbolt Some theatres will also
receive two of the summer's newest entries.
Golden Axe and Bottom of the Ninth
Undergoing Revisions
Act III
Norman Lear's Act III Theatres has embarked
on a $5 million program to remodel
24 multiplexes that the company added in
May as part of the Luxury Theatres acquisition.
The refits will be accomplished in three
phases, and are scheduled for completion by
the end of 1989.
Fox and CD!
Team Up in Italy
20th Century Fox and Sandro Pierotti's GDI
have loined forces to operate a new company
that will operate with its own trademark
and release Fox and Orion product in Italy
According to the agreement ironed out by
Fox and GDI, 20th's films released in Italy will
have the mysterious new trademark in place,
"
followed by the name "Fox had dealt
primarily with the distribution of Orion tilms
Pierotti said that once the co-venture is running
smoothly, Orion films will be distributed
in much the same way as those from Fox
EASTERN NEWS
New York City
Cineplex Odeon broke the $7 ticket
price
barrier )une 9, initiating $7 50 weekend tix at
its Manhattan theatres That's the highest
"
local tab since "Caligula $7 50 in
1980, The pnce hike applies to Saturday and
Sunday screenings all day, plus Friday night
showings after 6 p.rn.
The move was timed to coincide with the
circuit's opening of several new theatre complexes
in the borough, including the first
screens of
three
the Worldwide Cinemas Six-plex
near Times Square That Friday also marks the
reopening of the refurbished Coronet and
Baronet on the Upper East Side Later this
summer the Worldwide will unveil its remaining
three screens, for a total of 2, 100 seats.
In luly, SIX of the nine overdue Chelsea Cinemas
(originally targeted for last Christmas,
but delayed during construction) bow across
the street from Cineplex's 23rd St, West Triplex
With nine screens, the Chelsea is the
biggest multiplex in Manhattan, with 2,500
seats earmarked for the five-story facility. The
paint on the remaining three screens should
dry by August
August also marks the unveiling of the Park
86th Cinemas, a twin on the former site ot
Gimbel's Department Store. By summer's
end, nearly 75".. of Cineplex' Manhattan
screens will be either renovated or new ...
The Angelika Film Center opened six
screens on luly 14 As with most non-Cineplex
theatres in town, top ticket is $7 Four
screens will show first-run fare, and two will
run a rep calendar....
The owner of the Bronx' Fairmont Theatre
has filed a complaint in
Federal Court against
theatre operators Norman Adie and ,AI Williams
alleging that the pair violated their management
agreement ,Aaron Muschel of ,Amshel
Realty asserted that he hired ,Adie to
manage and book the East Tremont Avenue
theatre in October of 1987 According to the
complaint, Williams and Adie, the latter president
of Cine-Centa and an officer of the Cine
42nd St, Theatre Corporation, "diverted a
substantial portion of the receipts from the
operation of the theatre and refreshment
receipts fo their own pockets
"
Terminating
his contract with Adie upon discovery ol the
alleged skimming, Muschel closed the theatre
in March and recently began operating it
himsell
Francis Ford Coppola again presented the
4 1 2-hour Abel Cance film "Napoleon" at
Radio City Music Flail tor a five-day engagement
June 20-24 The screening was accompanied
by the American Symphony Orchestra
under the baton of by Carmine Coppola,
who composed the score, with Dennis lames
at Radio City's Wurlitzer organ.
Albany
The Department of Motor Vehicles for the
State ol New York is using movie theatres to
spread the word about the importance ot
safety belts In bOO theatres throughout the
state, including those owned by United Artists
Communications, a 37-second trailer, titled
"Seat Belt Rap," is trying to make its mark
with young audiences Featuring rap performers
Heavy D and the Bc:)yz, the spot informs
audiences that auto crashes are the number
one killer of young people between 10 and
24 it also includes a message from a young
woman named Bridget, who was not wearing
a seat bell when she was involved in an auto
accident and is now a quadriplegic
Supported by Patricia B. .Adduci, chairperson
for the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee,
and Robin Markowitz, executive director
of the New York Coalition for Safety
Belt Use, the trailers are being offered free ol
charge by West Glen Communications, 14 50
Broadway, New York, N\ , West
Glen's phone number is (2 12) 92 1-2800
Providence, Rl
Outir\ Ir.im the local NA-\CP has led to
Broun Llni\cisil\s decision not to screen
DVV Grillith s landmark 19 15 tilm "Birth ot a
Nation.
chronicles the rise of the Ku
9-J BoVOHKh