With movie theaters in the middle of an all-time record weekend in an all-time record year, the L.A. Times produces a useful round-up and look ahead at the theatrical release window:

 Exhibitors have drawn a line in the sand, steadfastly resisting the compression of release dates that they view as a threat to their livelihood. They get nervous when a studio attempts to release a movie on DVD less than 90 days after opening in theaters. Nonetheless, theater executives now are acknowledging they may need to adapt.

"We're going to protect our side of the business," said Amy Miles, chief executive of Regal Entertainment Group, the nation's largest theater circuit. But "we'd like to think that we'd work with the studios as business models evolved."

It's a delicate balancing act.

Theater operators want to be open to change without undercutting ticket sales, which have been remarkably strong. Above all, they hope the studios won't be oblivious to their concerns. "We want to know what's going to happen, and we want to have some input," said Tony Kerasotes, chief executive of Kerasotes Showplace Theatres and chairman of the National Assn. of Theatre Owners, a trade group.

For all their talk, however, studios say they're not ready to do away with windows entirely, fearing it could cannibalize their own business.

"People always say consumers want it all now, and Hollywood needs to change its business models," said Jim Gianopulos, co-chairman of Fox Filmed Entertainment. "But I've yet to see anyone show up with a simultaneous-release model that works.

"We need to experiment and allow consumers to take advantage of new technologies and ways to experience movies conveniently."

Read the whole thing.

Tags: admissions, Box Office, movie theaters, release windows, Windows

Sometime today, on a calendar year basis, domestic box office will pass $10 billion for the first time ever.

Through yesterday, more than $9.992 billion worth of tickets had been sold, which means (if my calculations are correct - and they are) the $10 billion mark should have been reached right about now. It's a remarkable achievement for the industry and there are still nine more days left in the historically busy holiday movie-going period.

Box office is running nearly 9% ahead of last year at the same point and admissions are nearly 5% ahead.

Using the offical "industry year" calendar, which starts on the first weekday of each year (January 5, this year and running through Jan 4, 2010), box office stands at $9.777 billion (up 7.1%). and ought to break $10 billion over Christmas weekend.

 

 

Tags: $10 billion, industry calendar, record box office

That's a quote from a wonderful L.A. Times article on this year's booming box office under the comically generic headline "Box-office revenue up for 2009".

The piece goes somewhat deeper than the headline suggests, considering whether booming box office and increased attendance this year are economically-driven or if something fundamental is underway in the way people want to watch movies. It even notes that new social media technologies like Twitter may be powering positive word of mouth far longer and more broadly than anticipated.

The box-office boom has not only surprised many in Hollywood, but provided a much-needed source of revenue growth as DVD sales have plunged more than 13% so far this year.

And it has proved that despite a digital revolution in the ways audiences consume content, one of the oldest methods has not lost its appeal.

"When the economy is down, people start cutting back, but after a while they want to go out and be entertained," said Ed Mintz, the president of market research firm CinemaScore. "Even at $10, or $15 for IMAX or 3-D, going to the movies is still a cheaper night out than almost anything else."

The economy is clearly part of the equation, but perhaps something else is happening. I'll leave Sony's Jeff Blake with the final word:

"There was a feeling that the business was recession-proof, but this is more than that," said Jeff Blake, vice chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

"This is people rediscovering going to the movies."

Tags: attendance, economy, International, Jeff Blake, Los Angeles Times, movie theaters, Movies, recession

In case you haven't heard, a young woman was arrested for recording a portion of Twilight: New Moon at Muvico's Rosemont, Illinois theater. After two weeks of the expected misinformed commentary in the press and on the Internet, the charges were dismissed today.

A Twilight fan site notes Summit Entertainment's reaction:

In regards to the situation with Samantha Tumpach, we applaud Muvico for upholding the zero tolerance policy on piracy when the incident occurred at their theater in Rosemont, IL. The pirating of films is a very serious issue and we all need to remain vigilant to protect the art of film and the myriad of businesses that the film industry supports. We believe that the attention that this incident has drawn, has served as a reminder to us all that any form of film piracy, or perceived piracy, will be treated with the utmost seriousness. Summit is pleased that all charges against Ms. Tumpach have been dropped and appreciate the efforts of the police and the prosecutors in this outcome.

Muvico also release a statement reading, in part:

Muvico will continue to enforce the “zero-tolerance policy” adopted by the MPAA and fully supports anti-piracy laws and the motion picture industry’s efforts to protect against copyright infringement.  Under the law, any unauthorized audio or visual taping in a movie auditorium while the feature film is playing, regardless of the length of recording, is a federal and state offense that Muvico is compelled to report.

While Muvico stands by its action in this instance, it is happy that the judicial process has reached an appropriate result and is pleased that the charges against Ms. Tumpach have been dismissed.

(...)

In a continuing effort to educate its guests about the illegality of film piracy, Muvico prominently places a number of posters and signs within its theaters alerting moviegoers of its “zero-tolerance” policy with respect to the camcording of films in its auditoriums.

The Muvico release is available here.

This case is similar to one in Virginia two years ago, which you can read about here.

Tags: Laws, Movie Theft, Muvico, Samantha Tumpach, Summit Entertainment, Twilight

The interview covers the waterfront from Avatar to windows.

Tags: 3D, Amy Miles, Avatar, economy, popcorn, recession, Regal, release windows, ticket prices

The Matrix is 10 years old.

Tags: Bullet time, LEGOs, The Matrix

Sony has stirred up the ire of theater owners with its plans to offer Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs to owners of Internet-enabled Sony brand Bravia TVs a mere 81 days after its theatrical bow. According to the Hollywood Reporter:

Exhibition sources said Tuesday that at least four major theater chains were poised to pull "Meatballs" from theaters: Regal Entertainment, AMC Entertainment, Cinemark and Marcus Theatres.

Distributed in both 2D and 3D versions theatrically, "Meatballs," which bowed Sept. 18 in theaters, played last weekend in a total 1,126 venues and was expected to shed at least a few hundred engagements starting Friday. As a result of the exhib protest, "Meatballs" could play in as few as 300 theaters beginning this weekend.

"Meatballs" rung up $1.3 million last weekend. So the accelerated wind-down to the pic's theatrical campaign likely will cause a modest but quantifiable revenue loss for Sony. There's been little reaction from the DVD retail community to the distributor's digital moves with "Meatballs" and "Hancock," perhaps due to the high $24.95 price for the digital viewing.

Stay tuned to your Internet-enabled TVs...

Tags: AMC, Cinemark, Cloudy with a chance of meatballs, Marcus, Regal, release windows, Sony

You don't have to make a Federal case out of it.

Oops..wait:

In regulatory filing today, the Motion Picture Assn. of America, the chief lobbying group for the major studios, restated its support for a waiver of current Federal Communications Commission rules that would clear the way for a technology that would allow consumers to watch movies at home close to or during their theatrical release. The so-called selectable output control technology would prevent the illegal copying of movies, which has been a major stumbling block to delivering first-run movies directly to consumers.

"Many of us love movies, but we just can't make to the theater as often as we'd like. That is especially true for parents of young children, rural Americans who live far from the multiplex and people with disabilities that keep them close to the home,'' MPAA Chairman and CEO Dan Glickman said in a statement. "Having the option to enjoy movies in a more timely fashion at home would be a liberating new choice."

This is actually not new. The initial MPAA request for the SOC waiver was made last summer. NATO filed comments with the FCC opposing the plan. The MPAA recently stepped up its campaign for the waiver and made a very public case for it today in a press release explaining its reasoning.

Variety notes NATO's response.

National Assn. of Theater Owners prexy John Fithian said his org is opposed to the MPAA's request because of the windows issue and not because of the antipiracy technology. He said it is disconcerting that the MPAA hasn't said exactly when a movie would be made available.

"We do oppose an undefined model of early release to the home. We want to know how early these movies are going to be released," said Fithian, who is meeting with the FCC this week on the issue.

Over at Deadline Hollywood, Nikki Finke looks at the story with typical restraint.

Tags: Dan Gkickman, John Fithian, MPAA, NATO, release windows, SOC

CBS' 60 Minutes talks piracy:


Watch CBS News Videos Online

Tags: camcording, John Malcolm, Movie Theft, MPAA, Piracy, Steven Soderbergh

Live in-theater advertising at New York's Ziegfeld Theatre. They'll be back Friday night.

Tags: dancing, theater advertising, Ziegfeld Theatre