“Big screen evolves to compete with small - Cincinnati.com” plus 4 more

Big screen evolves to compete with small - Cincinnati.com
'Final Destination' makes $28.3 million - News-Democrat
'Final Destination' a 'bland killing machine' - Lexington Herald-Leader
Movie theaters evolve to compete with the small screen - Worcester Telegram & Gazette
New hitch hinders 'Arrested Development' movie - New York Daily News

Big screen evolves to compete with small - Cincinnati.com

Posted: 31 Aug 2009 02:25 AM PDT

CHICAGO - Today, young movie-watchers look increasingly like Molly O'Connor. A junior at the University of Dallas, she still goes to the cinema occasionally, but is often just as happy to hunker down on a bed or a couch with friends to watch a downloaded movie on a laptop that's perched on a nearby desk or a chair.

"Sometimes, it's nice to have a wider screen, but I don't think I gain that much by going to a movie theater anymore," the 20-year-old student says. "Now, it's more about convenience."

Or as 26-year-old Michael Brody puts it: "I watch movies the way many people listen to music - anytime, anywhere, any way." A freelance writer in New York who blogs about film, he used to go to the movie theater every week. Now he's there once or twice a month, partly to save money and also because he doesn't think most movies are worth the effort.

Sounds like bad news for movie theaters. But we're talking about an industry that not only survived, but ended up thriving amid the arrival of television in the 1950s, videotapes in the 1980s, and DVDs in the '90s. The reason? An ability to continually remake themselves and find new ways to generate revenue, by introducing everything from the multiplex and more elaborate concessions to lengthy pre-show advertising.

Now they're doing it again.

Step into some of the more modern cinemas these days, and you'll see increasingly common enticements aimed at keeping the lucrative youth market, even as online video becomes more accessible on sites such as YouTube, Netflix or Hulu - or from movie pirates who steal and distribute movies illegally.

These upgraded theaters' offerings begin with the super-comfortable seating, even lounge chairs and bean bags in some auditoriums. Add 3-D effects and larger-than-life IMAX blockbusters, made possible by new digital projectors. And then come the midnight movie premieres and opening-night parties.

To boost revenues and appeal, many theaters also are broadcasting live sporting events, operas and symphony performances and hosting in-theater video game competitions on the big screen. Still others are opening in-house restaurants and bars for those old enough to drink alcohol.

It is this century's answer to the movie palace of old - or the "Broadway-ification" of the moviegoing experience, as Charles Acland, professor of communications studies at Concordia University in Montreal, calls it.

"In a nutshell, what you're going to see is cinema-going aimed at people who go less frequently," says Acland, author of "Screen Traffic: Movies, Megaplexes and Global Culture."

It might cost a bit more, he says. "But it will be much more of a special event. People will expect some sort of an experience that you can't get anywhere else."

In Europe, cinemas are taking it a step farther by remaking themselves as entertainment destinations - with bowling alleys, karaoke bars, comedy clubs and children's play areas. Expect that here, too, as well as interior design schemes that appeal to the 18-to-24 set, and that might "dismay" the older crowd, says Toronto-based theater architect David Mesbur.

He says lobbies of the newer theaters in his city - ones he didn't design - are often mostly black with a few splashes of color, flashing lights and loud music. Video games, often tucked away in theaters of old, also are scattered around in plain view.

"Those are the theaters that I never go to," Mesbur says, chuckling.

Still, experts who track the movie industry say that, so far, all these kinds of efforts appear to be paying off, even in a recession.

Though domestic movie admissions had flattened or dipped slightly in the past couple of years, ticket sales this year are up, whether some of the most popular movies have been Academy Award material or not.

"A bad or poorly received film can go down a bit easier if one is sitting in a comfortable reclining seat and has the chance to occasionally stretch their legs. In this sense, cinema-going has as much to do today with the hospitality industry as it does with the film industry, per se," says Jeffrey Klenotic, associate professor of communication arts at the University of New Hampshire.

That's a disheartening view to Ron Leone, a film and media studies professor at Stonehill College in Massachusetts. He looks around the audiences at the "uncomfortable, but nice" independent movie theaters he regularly attends, and sees few young faces.

"Apparently, watching the cat flushing the toilet is more satisfying," he says, chuckling as he pokes fun at young people's growing appetite for online videos. Those videos include anything from kitschy amateur pieces to the growing array of short and full-length films found online.

That's why more theaters are focusing on movies with monster special effects that don't show well on a computer screen or in-home theater and that are all but all but impossible for movie pirates to steal - and why major filmmakers such as Jeffrey Katzenberg and James Cameron are banking on 3-D and IMAX technology as the future of cinema. (Panasonic Corp. also announced that they're going to start selling 3-D televisions next year.)

So far, movie-goers have been more than willing to pay more to see movies in these special formats.

Earlier this month, when IMAX Corp., maker of large-screen movie-theater technology, reported a second-quarter profit with revenues nearly doubled. The company credited its growing cinema network, which includes about 250 theaters equipped to play Hollywood feature films in IMAX format, which uses digital technology to give what some call a notably richer visual experience, including 3-D.

Those films range from "Transformers," "Pirates of the Caribbean" to the "Harry Potter" films, all aimed at younger audiences. And when IMAX announced a special preview of the upcoming Cameron film "Avatar," "our Web site got more traffic than you can imagine," says Greg Foster, chairman and president of IMAX Filmed Entertainment.

Combining movie and video game themes is a savvy move, says Chris Haack, a Chicago-based senior analyst with Mintel International, a market research firm that regularly monitors the movie theater industry.

He says theaters also would be wise to offer young theater-goers more chance to interact, for instance, letting them vote on which previews are shown or which movies stay at a theater longer than another.

The goal is to keep the attention of the 18-to-24 age bracket - "the most important part of the market," Haack says - and the most likely to watch video online.

A recent survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that 62 percent of Internet users, age 18 to 24, said they watch TV shows and movies online, compared with just over a third of all Internet users.

Overall, online video traffic has skyrocketed more than 80 percent, from 10.8 billion videos viewed in June 2008 to nearly 19.5 billion in June of this year, according to tracking firm comScore.

Acland, at Concordia University, predicts that will translate to more blockbuster action films geared toward the theaters, while character-driven films might open at theaters to create buzz, but ultimately get more play online.

Foster, at IMAX, agrees and envisions fewer "mid-range" films, those with some action but weaker plots or little character depth. "I think those movies are going by the wayside," he says.

Of course, there will always be those surprise hits, such as "The Hangover," a character-driven comedy that caught on by word of mouth - some of it by Twitter and Facebook, which is increasingly the case - and ended up doing well at the box office.

And even when a movie is leaked online, that doesn't necessarily stop movie-goers from seeing it at the theater. That was the case when "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" brought in $87 million at the box office its opening weekend last spring, even though a version of it had been making the rounds on the Internet.

Still, there's no doubt the landscape is shifting. Some filmmakers - Michael Moore, Wayne Wang and Johnny Knoxville among them - have taken some of their work directly to the Internet on YouTube and elsewhere. And more films also are being released in theaters at the same time they've played on cable or online.

The Internet also has provided new opportunities for young filmmakers, like 24-year-old Philip Wang, who are looking to break into the business.

He and his buddies started making short films in 2003 when they were students at the University of California, San Diego. Now their Wong Fu Productions Web site gets 5,000 hits a day from loyal fans who come to view their frequently updated collection of free short films. They make money by selling T-shirts and other merchandise related to their "brand" and from speaking on college campuses across the country.

While they certainly crave a box office hit, Wang still feels very loyal to Wong Fu's online audience. And he only expects that audience to grow, especially as online video becomes part of everyday life for the up-and-coming generation of movie-watchers.

"I don't think movie theaters will ever be obsolete," Wang says. "But these kids are growing up on YouTube and with high-speed Internet. Someone's going to have to create the supply for that demand."

He muses at the unlikely thought that the Oscars would ever add a "Best Online Short Film" category.

But either way, he says, "Sooner than later, success online will translate to success in the mainstream."

'Final Destination' makes $28.3 million - News-Democrat

Posted: 31 Aug 2009 12:59 AM PDT

LOS ANGELES -- Movie fans have made fear their top destination at the weekend box office.

The horror tale "The Final Destination" debuted as the No. 1 movie with $28.3 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Warner Bros. sequel is the latest installment in the franchise about people stalked by death after a premonition saves them from their destined demise.

"Final Destination" took over the top spot from Quentin Tarantino and Brad Pitt's World War II saga "Inglourious Basterds," which slipped to second place with $20 million. The Weinstein Co. release raised its total to $73.8 million after 10 days in theaters.

Weinstein also had the No. 3 slot with the horror flick "Halloween II," which opened with $17.4 million. The movie is Rob Zombie's sequel to his update of the slasher franchise about crazed killer Michael Myers.

It's unusual for two horror movies to open over the same weekend. While "Final Destination" and "Halloween II" competed for the same audience, both managed solid receipts.

Commenting allows our readers to share information, insights and observations about the news stories on our site. We encourage lively, thoughtful discussion, but ask you to refrain from abusive, racist or profane comments. Do not attack other posters for their viewpoints, race, gender or sexual orientation. We do not monitor each and every posting, but reserve the right to delete comments that violate these rules. Notify us of violations by hitting the "Report Abuse" button. Repeat or flagrant offenders will lose their commenting privileges, at our discretion.

Showing:

@Nyx.CommentBody@

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

'Final Destination' a 'bland killing machine' - Lexington Herald-Leader

Posted: 28 Aug 2009 07:58 AM PDT

Comments (0) |

By Roger Moore The Orlando Sentinel

Bobby Campo as Nick and Shantel Vansanten as Lori in New Line Cinemas horror film The Final Destination, a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

FILM REVIEW

'The Final Destination'

R (strong violent/gruesome accidents, language and a scene of sexuality).84 min. New Line Cinema.

"Is it safe to sit here?"

The girl always asks that in Final Destination movies. The answer, on screen, is "Yes yes yes." But we in the audience know it's "No no no." As in "Get out of there. NOW."

In the movie titled The Final Destination, showing in many theaters in 3D, "there" is a stock car race track where the seats are rotting, the cement has cracks and the pit crews are the most accident-prone on the planet. A quartet of college kids go, one "sees" a crowd-killing accident before it happens and convinces his friends to leave. This is followed by a crowd-killing accident. Followed by more chain reaction disasters that take out the survivors who "should have been killed" one by one.

They called it "death's grand design" in an earlier Destination. In the latest unoriginal, exhausted sequel, they give it the pedestrian label "the death list."

The latter Final Destination movies can't fail to make me nostalgic for the James Wong original, a movie wrapped up in high school kids, who all think they're immortal anyway, wrestling with mortality, trying to decode "death's grand design" foreshadowed by the music of John Denver. I was thinking of that one this morning on the way to the office as three "I'm gonna live FOREVER" teens darted across six lanes of speeding traffic to beat their bus to the stop. Making that generation question its lack of fear of death was fascinating fodder for a horror film.

Nine years later, these movies have been reduced to bland killing machines, though The Final Destination, the latest, features aggressive use of 3D, with everything from race cars, tires and engines to nails from a nail gun, entrails and blood blasting off the screen into our laps. Blandly acted by players who seem resigned to the paycheck rather than terrified by the prospect of death or paralyzed by fear or even morbidly fascinated by their impending doom, this one is certainly worth a pass.

Of the blase cast, only Mykelti Williamson, as a security guard who accepts his fate with the help of his faith, and Nick Zano, playing a rude, crude and funny frat-boy jerk, stand out. A few feeble stabs at social commentary — race-fan racism (an attempted cross-burning) and the magic of 3D at the movies (in one scene, they torch a movie theater showing a film in 3D) don't make up for the cheats — violent accidents that may or may not be premonitions — or the exciting-as-a-poached egg leading man (Bobby Campo).

It's not frightening in the least, with only a few amusing moments, a pedal-and-forehead-to-the-metal race track crash opener, and then you just keep time by counting off who survives the initial slaughter, who awaits death when "their turn" comes. Eighty minutes and it's all over. Until the NEXT "Final Destination."

A tip? Don't go to stock car races. Don't leave your sun roof open in the car wash. And don't go in any cinema showing The Final Destination in Theater 13.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Movie theaters evolve to compete with the small screen - Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Posted: 31 Aug 2009 01:28 AM PDT

CHICAGO — Today, young movie-watchers look increasingly like Molly OConnor. A junior at the University of Dallas, she still goes to the cinema occasionally, but is often just as happy to hunker down on a bed or a couch with friends to watch a downloaded movie on a laptop thats perched on a nearby desk or a chair.

Sometimes, its nice to have a wider screen, but I dont think I gain that much by going to a movie theater anymore, the 20-year-old student says. Now, its more about convenience.

Or as 26-year-old Michael Brody puts it: I watch movies the way many people listen to music anytime, anywhere, any way. A freelance writer in New York who blogs about film, he used to go to the movie theater every week. Now hes there once or twice a month, partly to save money and also because he doesnt think most movies are worth the effort.

Sounds like bad news for movie theaters. But were talking about an industry that not only survived, but ended up thriving amid the arrival of television in the 1950s, videotapes in the 1980s, and DVDs in the 90s. The reason? An ability to continually remake themselves and find new ways to generate revenue, by introducing everything from the multiplex and more elaborate concessions to lengthy pre-show advertising.

Now theyre doing it again.

Step into some of the more modern cinemas these days, and youll see increasingly common enticements aimed at keeping the lucrative youth market, even as online video becomes more accessible on sites such as YouTube, Netflix or Hulu or from movie pirates who steal and distribute movies illegally.

These upgraded theaters offerings begin with super-comfortable seating, even lounge chairs and bean bags in some auditoriums. Add 3-D effects and larger-than-life IMAX blockbusters, made possible by new digital projectors. And then come the midnight movie premieres and opening-night parties.

It is this centurys answer to the movie palace of old or the Broadway-ification of the movie-going experience, as Charles Acland, professor of communications studies at Concordia University in Montreal, calls it.

In a nutshell, what youre going to see is cinema-going aimed at people who go less frequently, says Acland, author of Screen Traffic: Movies, Megaplexes and Global Culture.

It might cost a bit more, he says. But it will be much more of a special event. People will expect some sort of an experience that you cant get anywhere else.

In Europe, cinemas are taking it a step farther by remaking themselves as entertainment destinations with bowling alleys, karaoke bars, comedy clubs and childrens play areas. Expect that here, too, as well as interior design schemes that appeal to the 18-to-24 set, and that might dismay the older crowd, says Toronto-based theater architect David Mesbur.

He says lobbies of the newer theaters in his city ones he didnt design are often mostly black with a few splashes of color, flashing lights and loud music. Video games, often tucked away in theaters of old, also are scattered around in plain view.

Those are the theaters that I never go to, Mesbur says, chuckling.

Still, experts who track the movie industry say that, so far, all these kinds of efforts appear to be paying off, even in a recession.

A bad or poorly received film can go down a bit easier if one is sitting in a comfortable reclining seat and has the chance to occasionally stretch their legs. In this sense, cinema-going has as much to do today with the hospitality industry as it does with the film industry, per se, says Jeffrey Klenotic, associate professor of communication arts at the University of New Hampshire.

Thats a disheartening view to Ron Leone, a film and media studies professor at Stonehill College in Massachusetts. He looks around the audiences at the uncomfortable, but nice independent movie theaters he regularly attends, and sees few young faces.

Apparently, watching the cat flushing the toilet is more satisfying, he says, chuckling as he pokes fun at young peoples growing appetite for online videos. Those videos include anything from kitschy amateur pieces to the growing array of short and full-length films found online.

Thats why more theaters are focusing on movies with monster special effects that dont show well on a computer screen or in-home theater and that are all but all but impossible for movie pirates to steal and why major filmmakers such as Jeffrey Katzenberg and James Cameron are banking on 3-D and IMAX technology as the future of cinema. (Panasonic Corp. also announced that theyre going to start selling 3-D televisions next year.)

So far, moviegoers have been more than willing to pay more to see movies in these special formats.

Earlier this month, IMAX Corp., maker of large-screen movie-theater technology, reported a second-quarter profit with revenues nearly doubled. The company credited its growing cinema network, which includes about 250 theaters equipped to play Hollywood feature films in IMAX format, which uses digital technology to give what some call a notably richer visual experience, including 3-D.

Those films range from Transformers, to Pirates of the Caribbean to the Harry Potter films, all aimed at younger audiences. And when IMAX announced a special preview of the upcoming Cameron film Avatar, our Web site got more traffic than you can imagine, says Greg Foster, chairman and president of IMAX Filmed Entertainment.

The goal is to keep the attention of the 18-to-24 age bracket the most important part of the market, Haack says and the most likely to watch video online.

Overall, online video traffic has skyrocketed more than 80 percent, from 10.8 billion videos viewed in June 2008 to nearly 19.5 billion in June of this year, according to tracking firm comScore.

Foster, at IMAX, agrees and envisions fewer mid-range films, those with some action but weaker plots or little character depth. I think those movies are going by the wayside, he says.

Of course, there will always be those surprise hits, such as The Hangover, a character-driven comedy that caught on by word of mouth some of it by Twitter and Facebook, which is increasingly the case and ended up doing well at the box office.

And even when a movie is leaked online, that doesnt necessarily stop movie-goers from seeing it at the theater. That was the case when X-Men Origins: Wolverine brought in $87 million at the box office its opening weekend last spring, even though a version of it had been making the rounds on the Internet.

Still, theres no doubt the landscape is shifting. Some filmmakers Michael Moore, Wayne Wang and Johnny Knoxville among them have taken some of their work directly to the Internet on YouTube and elsewhere. And more films also are being released in theaters at the same time theyve played on cable or online.

The Internet also has provided new opportunities for young filmmakers, like 24-year-old Philip Wang, who are looking to break into the business.

He and his buddies started making short films in 2003 when they were students at the University of California, San Diego. Now their Wong Fu Productions Web site gets 5,000 hits a day from loyal fans who come to view their frequently updated collection of free short films. They make money by selling T-shirts and other merchandise related to their brand and from speaking on college campuses across the country.

I dont think movie theaters will ever be obsolete, Wang says. But these kids are growing up on YouTube and with high-speed Internet. Someones going to have to create the supply for that demand.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

New hitch hinders 'Arrested Development' movie - New York Daily News

Posted: 31 Aug 2009 01:35 AM PDT

Gatecrasher

Sunday, August 30th 2009, 7:30 PM

The highly anticipated "Arrested Development" movie is still arrested, but not for the reason everyone thinks.

Will Arnett is actually the one holding up the flick, despite rumors that the show's breakthrough star, Michael Cera - who hit instant celebrity status after "Superbad" - was the cause of the delay.

So what's up with Will?

The funnyman says he's busy with a whole new show that he's planning with writer Mitch Hurwitz. "The 'Arrested Development' movie is definitely going to happen," he insisted at Hess' Arthur Ashe Kids Day on Saturday. "But Mitch and I have been working on the new show, so unfortunately for the movie, we have been focusing on that for the last couple of months."

However, a rep for Arnett insists, "They are working on the movie simultaneously."

The still-untitled show, Arnett says, is about a guy who has everything in the world, but ultimately he's a good-for-nothing. "And no," he added with a smirk, "I'm not drawing on my personal life for this one."

And the holdup may be a long one, since Arnett's only idea for casting, he joked, is Katharine Hepburn.

As for the "Arrested Development" film, it was rumored that Hurwitz and fellow producer Ron Howard had inked a deal with Fox Searchlight last November, but that no progress had been made since. Not true, says Arnett. "We're definitely not starting from page one," he insists. "There are scripts in order."

Buzz has actively grown about the project since last year when Jason Bateman, who played Michael Bluth on the canceled comedy, started actively talking about making the flick come to life. "We are trying to put a muzzle on him!" Will said about his loose-lipped co-star - and all of the pressure to make the movie that came after Bateman's comments.

And when they do, will Cera be back? "I haven't heard that anyone isn't on board," Arnett says. "Why wouldn't they be?"