Thursday, May 28, 2009

Next Week's Film May 28 - Jun 4


There were three new films available for next week.


17 AGAIN: I've never really planned to play this film. I think it skews a little too young for our demographic, especially with school out. I'll keep it in the maybe file if nothing good comes off sometime in the next couple weeks.


MONSTERS Vs. ALIENS: I booked this in and then had a thought later, maybe it wasn't a good idea to put a kid's film up against the opening weekend of a new Pixar Film (UP). So I changed the booking and Monsters will play starting Jun 5th with a 7:00 show, weekend matinees and maybe a late show.


THE SOLOIST: I wasn't sure whether to play this but based on how Sunshine Cleaning and State of Play have done I think there's a good market for adult oriented dramas still. I think it will do well.


I'm hoping Wolverine comes off the week after Monsters plays. There's not much else I'm waiting for, maybe Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. Star Trek will be a while.

100 classic movie lines in 200 seconds.

Great little video someone put a lot of work into. I've seen almost all of these movies. There's a few of the older ones I would like to see at some point.


Wednesday, May 27, 2009

The Hangover- surprise hit of the summer?

I first saw the trailer for this film a few months ago and thought it looked funny but nothing special. However buzz from screenings has been building and it looks like it may be a major hit.

Here's the trailer:



Here's some comments WArner reported from a screening in Toronto. There's a lot of them and pretty consitent. It looks like I'll have to put up a slide before the movie starts telling the audience there's something in the credits and not to bolt at the first sign of a credit.

At the bottom is funny little promo clip from Funny or Die. Hopefully the embedding works better than the last time I tried. The link below the player should work.

Some comments from the “HANGOVER” screenings Thursday, May 21(from Tribute contest winners across Canada) (there are about 90+)
Generally very very good!
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It was so funny that I kept on laughing the whole way throuh. I definitely would recommend it to anyone. Loved it and I would watch it again in the theatres

This movie was awesomely funny and outrageous! The character that really added to the movie was the guy with the beard...don't we all have one of those in our lives?

very funny!

I was surprised by The Hangover - it turned out to be much better than I expected. Funny situational humor - at one point, it seemed impossible to resolve all of the loose ends, but it happened. Would recommend this.

This is one movie u actually have to stay to the end to see what really happens, absolutely loved it thanks again for the passes, Joyce

Yes, by far the funniest movie this year...not very often the whole theater is laughin. I may have to see it again as I was laughing so hard i may missed some jokes..

It was one of the funniest movies I have seen in years. We definitely have to see it again and will be recommending to all our friends.

So funny!!!

Worth going to if you want to have a good laugh. Loved the tiger and the whole story line. Some parts were x-rated, but on the whole, a very enjoyable and funny movie.

I laughed harder than I have in a long time - I was not disappointed!!! I have not stopped bragging about it to friends at work.

extremely funny, haven't laughed that hard in a long time

It was good. Really funny. More different from the other movies in it's genre than I expected. I did think the final scene was more graphic than it needed to be. They still could've got the point across with even half of the nudity in the photographs... or even none of it.

I thought it was pretty funny! Great cast and ridiculous storyline! Great laughs all around!

This movie was excellent. It was a lot of fun. The story is very well done. You don't know what to expect all along. Merci! Thanks for the free movie

This movie was hilarious. Every story had some kind of twist to it. I laughed so hard throughout the entire movie.

very funny and relaxing movie very nice

Super funny movie! Saw the advance screening and I'll probably watch it again once its released into theatres!

Some parts were funny, however, some parts of the movie were pretty dumb, I guess it will appeal to a very certain demographic.

Hilarious...had me laughing out loud, often. A little bit of a slow start..just to get the characters in place..then non-stop off-the-wall comedy!

Above average comedy. A lot smarter than Dance Flick, but that is to be expected.


The comedy built and built so that we laughed so hard my husband said it was a "Pee yourself funny movie". Everyone stayed to see the photos during the final credits and we were still laughing as we drove home.

I did not have high hopes for this movie, but it was hilarious. Some of the gross humour probably could have been left out, but it's worth seeing the movie if you want a good laugh. This movie is for anyone who thought Weekend at Bernie's was a scream.

It was very funny.

Quite funny

This was one of the best movies I have seen in a while. It was very funny, I especially loved the ending where they were showing the pictures.

The film was generally funny although there were some parts that dragged a little. I was very pleased during the film that it didn't take the "low road" by including lots of gratuitous sex and nudity for the sake of ratings. This was true unitl the closing credits when the photos of the lost night were shown. Out came the photos of strippers and oral sex. Very disappointing.

Crazy fun, I recommend this moving to every one who needs a good laugh!

Not laugh-a-minute, but the comedy is pretty even throughout. It's better than amusing and in the words of my brother, I wouldn't mind seeing it again or owning it on DVD.

A surprisingly funny movie about a plan to go awry gone awry. Very enjoyable.

This movie was absolutely hilarious, by far the funniest movie I have seen in a long time. The theatre was constantly filled with laughter. An excellent movie, and I would definately see it again!


Very funny. Wish they would have taken more time scrolling through the pictures at the end though.

Very funny . A kind of movie to forget life problems .

I enjoyed this movie immensely; it was hilarious and unpredictable. Each of the main characters' personalities played a role in the hijinks that these friends got into. Look for a significant cameo by Mike Tyson, and don't expect the chicken to be explained!

It was awesome, I enjoyed so many parts of this movie! Especially the tiger parts! haha!

It was hilarious, entertaining and long over due!!!!!!! I do not remember when last time I saw a good SUMMER type movie was.

In a world of murders, muggings, job losses, etc., it was a relief to watch a movie and be transported to a world of funny stuff. Thanks.

It had funny parts. The baby and tiger was awesome.

Hello, I really like this movie. Very funny and cleverly made especially since you only see waht really happened at the very end .

really funny. I liked how you only find out at the very end what truly happened in Vegas. One scene that was not really necessary was the one where they have the baby doing you know what... but other than that I enjoyed this movie very much. Thank you for choosing my name

Great Movie! Thoroughly enjoyed it. Light hearted, feel good movie. Put a smile on my face.


I went to the see the movie with my husband with not too high expectations but to our surprise we never laughed so much. Each actor portrayed their part so well. The story line was so interesting...trying to remember and retrace their steps to what happened in only 1 night was totally hilarious. Of course, the line What happens in Vegas...totally appropriate. I already recommended this movie to my co-workers. P.S. Baby is really adorable.

Thought the movie was very funny. Loved the little baby. Truly, enjoyed going.

when I first saw the preview for this movie I thought nah, it's just one of those stupid funny comedies. I have not laughed like that I'm a long time. It kept laughing throughout the whole movie!

very funny

I thought the movie was definitely one of the best I have seen in a while. It was remarkably funny, and it made me and my friend laugh alot. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I will most definitely be recommending this movie to all of my friends.

Incredibly funny! The story was non-stop twists that kept you laughing. Each scene was funnier than the last. Ed Helms from the Office played such a hilarious part...definitely a must see for any friends who've experienced one of those rough crazy nights!

I thought it was funny and quite believable considering the myths about Vegas!! lol

Pretty good!

It was the funniest movie I see in years. 5 stars


Very funny, laugh out loud movie. The fact that the guys have no memory of what they did the night before makes it unpredictable. Funniest movie I have seen in a while!

Very funny, I couldn't stop laughing. I am going to tell my friends to see this movie.

Pretty hilarious movie!

the movie is hilarious. Men hanging over with a baby with differents problems... Strongly recommended.. you won't waist your money at all

I expected it to be all Juvenile teenage boys jokes but was pleasantly suprised at the comedic content.

This movie is absolutely hilarious. Just when you think it can't get any worse, it does. It will have you rolling in the aisle with laughter. Truly, an enjoyable and fun movie to see.

Some very funny moments in the movie. My son enjoyed it more than I did. Maybe more a movie guys can identify with.

I had read that the movie tested very well and in advanced screenings and that the studio had already ordered production of the sequel, so I thought that I might be seeing a hidden gem. I found, however, that there were very few hearty laughs during the course of the movie and the most entertaining part came at the very end.

It has some funny parts - and was what I expected. Overall a good rental but I don't know if I'd come out and pay to see it in theatres.

the funniest film we have ever seen in 71 years!!


great movie!! very funny and the characters were fantastic! would pay to go and see it again!!

The Hangover is the funniest film I have ever seen in my 71 years, we went expecting not much, and laughed through the entire time, the film never lets up--you have a real winner here! Thank you so much for an hysterical evening. We are still laughing about it today!

Very funny movie! I think it will be good summer entertainment.

The most hilarious movie I have seen in a long time.Laughs from start to finish.

This movie was the funniest things I have seen in a LONG time. I laughed out loud until I cried. Actors were fabulous and movie was well directed. Good job guys. I would love to buy the DVD when it comes out to see all the bloopers. Just NON STOP laughing all throughout. I can't even pick my favorite moment because it was all too good!

This was the funniest movie that we've seen in a long time. It had surprise after surprise and you never knew what to expect next! Even the passing off of the tuxedos on the road was reasonable, but still unexpected! I would highly recommend this as a must-see and my boyfriend said after the movie that he would want it in his selective DVD collection.

Very funny. Although the premise has been done before, this was handled well, with just enough vugarity and filth to keep it interesting. The slideshow at the end was hilarious.

Laughted myself silly , had to wipe my eyes a few times . Please send me another pass to see it again .

Hilarious. Couldn't stop laughing. I had been looking forward to this since the first time I saw the trailer and it did not disappoint. Would recommend this to anyone that loves laughing. Mike Tyson singing? Nothing funnier. Will definitely purchase this DVD.

I find it great. The idea is original and we can not predict in advance what will happen. The guys are hilarious, I'm sure everyboday will enjoy this movie.


We thought this was a very funny film and I will not be hesitating to go see it again when it comes out June 5th.

We really enjoyed the movie and everyone was laughing from start to finish. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to see The Hangover. I will recommend to my family and friends. :)

It was good entertainment. There were plenty of laughs, not necessarily where you were doubled over with laughter, but it never dragged.The best part was how the characters kept leaping from one crazy situation to the next. The movie is not appropriate for children due to the extensive nudity.

I thought it was funny

My wife and I were lucky enough to view an advanced screening of this film and it was a riot! One of the funniest movies I've seen in a long while. Zach Galifianakis was hilarious from his first scene until his last. Not to say that the rest of the cast didn't do a bang up job, each were just as funny in their own right. Wolf-pack forever!

The cast, the plot,the trailer, what more can be said ! This is definately goin' to be a blockbuster,laughed my you know what off during the trailer.Really can't wait for this one,love a good comedy and this will for sure top the all time best list !

The movie is really good and funny to see. It's so cute. I suggest to go to see it. It's a good investment

HILARIOUS! The pictures at the end were the best!

The movie was funny with no political messages which I enjoy. A super summer movie that a lot of people both young and old will enjoy.

It was much better than I had expected it to be and I am so glad that I won tickets from Tribute. I will definitely be recommending this movie to my friends. Thanks, Tribute!

This was a super funny film. Its not very often that you laugh so hard that you can't stop. It touched all the right notes without being offensive. Was a great night out and I would recommend it highly for an evening of pure humour.

Hilarious and awesome

The movie was just what I needed that day! It was fun and one of the funniest movies I've seen in a long time. The hilarity just never stopped. And the audience was great too - adding to the fun with great infectious laughter! I'd recommend it to anyone!



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Friday, May 22, 2009

Next Week's Film May 22 - 28


There were only 2 new films available for next week.


OBSESSED: The movie did well overall but wouldn't do anything at Western Film, especially this time of year. I might have played it as a late show when the students were still here.


STATE OF PLAY: based on the results of the Sunshine Cleaning experiment (see previous posts) I should play this film. It did okay and has fairly good awareness and star power. Reviews were generally positive. It's more of an adult film which is what I should be playing this time of year. I think it will do well but not great.


I'm pretty sure Monsters Vs. Aliens will come off for the following week. UP! will bump it out of the 3-D theatres which is probably the only reason it's still playing, that and the lack of family films until Night at the Museum 2 and then UP! come out.


I'm planning to play matinees and a late show. The late show may not work but I'm hoping there will be some adults who don't want to see it with kids in the audience. Matinees of kid's films are a pretty safe bet. One thing that might get interesting. This will be the first film Western Film has played that was strongly marketed as being in 3-D and WF can't play 3-D. I'm curious how many people will show up expecting 3-D, not realizing that it takes special, very expensive, equipment to play 3-D that not every theatre has.


If Monsters isn't available I might have to get creative again.

Comparison between 2 movies for booking.

One thing I keep mentioning is how the attendance and hence booking patterns for Western Film are different from almost any other theatre. To illustrate this I'm going to compare two films.

FAST AND FURIOUS- $70 million dollar opening (biggest April opening ever), $153 million total box office, 4th in a series, some fairly well known names although Vin Diesel and Paul Walker aren't as big as they used to be. High awareness. Did about $500 for the week at Western Film which is quite low for us.

SUNSHINE CLEANING-$219,000 opening in 4 theatres, $11 million total, original, not a sequel or remake, some lesser but still well known names but on the way up (Amy Adams, Emily Blunt). Low awareness. Did almost $800 for the week, still low but not bad.

Seems counter intuitive doesn't it? This is a general pattern at Western Film although it does have exceptions. The Dark Knight was still one of the highest grossing films at Western Film.

There's several reasons I think this occurs-
For many movies the audience who wants to see them go see them first run, this is why Western Film doesn't play horror films and most smaller action films. In many cases they don't want to wait until WF plays the film even if we are cheaper.

Part of it is timing, it depends on the time of year the film plays.

Smaller movies aimed at adults can do well here. Adults are more likely be willing to wait and/or want to see it for less money. Western Film is also less busy and crowded. Although I wouldn't mind seeing that change.

Smaller films often don't play in theatres much. Sunshine played for a couple weeks at the Westmount, F&F played at all the theatres in the city.

By the time WF gets a film word of mouth has spread and if it's bad it will affect us. The opposite effect can occur with good word of mouth for the smaller films that start in the bigger cities then spread out from there.

Being a University theatre our primary market is a more intellectual and discriminating group. They are more likely to take a chance on something that looks different. They are also less likely to seek out out only escapist fare.

The best example I can give is Hotel Rwanda. It was the biggest grossing movie at WF the year it came out however it did only $20 million in overall box office.

The Sunshine Cleaning experiment results.


As written in an earlier post my decision to play Sunshine Cleaning the week that just ended was a bit of an experiment. There were no bigger movies to play and I didn't know how Sunshine would do as it had low awareness but good reviews. I heard 'never heard of it' a lot this last week. I decided to try it because with the lack of students I thought something more aimed at adults might do okay.


Result: The experiment worked. While it didn't go great overall it did better than a couple of the last films. It actually did a bit more than my most optimistic prediction. I can pretty much guarantee it did better than FIGHTING which was the only wide release film available.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Funny Promo for The Proposal

This is a fun little clip to promote the movie The Proposal with Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock. I think the movie looks good and the advance word from screenings say it is. Language is NSFW but bleeped.

Update: The embedding doesn't seem to be working. Click on the text along the bottom to link to the video.


Friday, May 15, 2009

A Star Wars fans revenge?

This a fun little clip.


Star Trek is Awesome!


I did something this week I haven't done in years. I saw the same movie twice, two nights in a row. I've been Star Trek fan since I was little and have been really looking forward to the new film.

I found the film exciting and a lot of fun. There were a couple places that seemed a bit forced (the guy in the water tube) and some logical inconsistencies ( how can a supernova threaten the galaxy?)

Overall the characters were good, the action was fun and the effects were flawless. There were never any of those moments where the effect is so obviously an effect it takes you out of the film. Wolverine had some of those.


Part of the reason I was it twice was I was checking out the new theatres at Westmount. I saw it on Sunday in one of the VIP theatres. It was cool but I was off center of the screen and it wasn't a real big theatre so I really noticed it. On the way out I talked to the manager who said theatre #1 of the regular cinemas has a 50 foot screen and almost 400 seats. I had to check that out! I figured Star trek would only play in that theatre for a week and Angels and Demons would take over on Friday. I went back on Monday for the late show and saw it in #1. That theatre is huge and the showing was impressive. I was able to sit in the exact center of the screen as I like it.


Some Star Trek fans are upset with the new film because it doesn't stick to the established canon. I don't think they could have stuck to the canon and made a film a lot of people want to see for a couple reasons.

-after 10 movies and several TV series I would imagine the canon is so twisted and complicated anything they did would contradict something. It would also severely limit the options for some of the characters.

-obviously since there is no TV series running and the last couple movies fizzled there isn't enough interest in Star Trek as it was to warrant making another film.


I'll probably watch Star Trek again when it plays at Western Film. I'm looking forward to the sequel. The characters have been reestablished so they can just go straight into a hopefully interesting story.

Next Week's film May 15 - 21


There was only one higher profile film available for next week.


FIGHTING- It was a good film but I wouldn't have played it at Western Film even during the school year. Just not the kind of film we do well with. It's especially true right now considering how bad Observe and Report and Fast & Furious have done. All three appeal to a similar demographic and they just aren't around this time of year. This is always the worst time of the year.


I decided to try an experiment. Since the younger patrons aren't around I'll try something that appeals more to older movie goers. It's a good week to experiment as whatever I experiment with can't do much worse than what I've been playing and could do better.


I considered playing Waltz With Bashir but decided it was too serious and I was told by the booker it didn't play well anywhere in Canada.


I decided to try playing SUNSHINE CLEANING. It's apparently a good, funny film but has low awareness so I'm not sure what will happen. It played for a couple weeks at the Westmount, it must have done at least some business since they kept it for a second week.


I'm not sure what I'll do the following week if Monsters Vs. Aliens or something similar isn't available.

I don't think we'll have to wait too long for Wolverine considering the word of mouth and big second weekend drop. I'm still planning to play it as it is a big release and while it wasn't great it wasn't horrible either.

Building / Western Film hours.

In response to a recent comment. During the summer the hours of the UCC building have been reduced but Western Film is still open as usual.
This is the first year that has happened. In previous year the building stayed open normal hours but since Campus Rec (the gym) moved into their new building there is no reason to keep the entire building open during the summer. Western Film is pretty much the only thing open on the weekends except the radio station.

Friday, May 08, 2009

I wish more cinemas would play these trailers.

I can't remember what they are called right now but I'm referring to the trailers that show off a particular part of the equipment , usually the sound system. The various Digital Sound systems all have their own, plus THX has some. Anyone who goes to Western Film knows we play a DTS one before every movie. I wish they would make a new one, that one is getting a bit overplayed.

Generally I prefer the Dolby Digital trailers, they seem more inventive and there are more to choose from.

I noticed few theatres seem to play them any more. I'm not sure why, it's not a big deal to put one on, we just attached our DTS one to the Feature Presentation and treat them as one unit.

If Western Film ever gets Dolby Digital you know I'll be playing the trailers.

This is a collection of THX trailers. The original THX trailer is still one of the most effective in my opinion. THX used to be a specific way of building a theatre to meet set criteria. If a theatre met THX specs you knew it was a good theatre. However it seems to have fallen out of use. Probably because theatres didn't want to pay the licencing fee every year to keep using the THX name. It's used on home equipment but in a very different way. I have a copy of one of the earlier ones on film and every so often I'll play it and crank the sound system.




This one holds a special place in my heart. My best friend and I at the time were trying to build a theatre here and we wanted it to be THX. When this segment of The Simpson's came on we laughed so hard it hurt. I saw this on the big screen once at the Uptown, my favorite theatre in Toronto, since torn down. It was a huge old palace and when the bass notes hit you could feel your chest vibrate.



This is one of the better Dolby Digital trailers. I love the bass in this one, again you could feel it in your chest.


Thursday, May 07, 2009

Murphy's Law


Murphy loves the movie business. When I used to work as a projectionist at the other theatres I ended up dreading working Tuesday. This was when everyone had a discount Tuesday so it was busy. Things always seemed to go wrong on Tuesday even though as far as operation of the booth is concerned it doesn't matter whether there's 2 or 200 people watching a film.


Here's some recent examples.


One of the motors on the platter which pays out the film was making a funny noise so I took it in to be repaired. The shop changed the bearings. When I hooked it back up it's running considerably slower that the other motors even though nothing has changed on the platter and the shop didn't change anything else.


I was away last weekend, planning to leave on Friday morning. Thursday afternoon OBSERVE and REPORT hadn't been delivered yet. I called and Technicolor thought we were picking up the print from Silver City but I was told one would be delivered. The problem with this is since it was still playing at the Silver City Thursday night it couldn't be picked up until Friday. Naturally this had to happen when I wasn't planning to be in town on Friday. I had to get one of my staff to pick up the film.


While I was away the juice fridge stopped working but no one thought to tell me until Monday night. I called Coke who showed up on Wednesday to fix it. The fan in the refrigeration unit had gotten jammed. The Coke guy fixed it and it seemed to be running fine. At the end of the night I noticed a burning smell and opened up the fridge again. The fan had stopped working completely so something must have burned out. Now I have to get Coke back in, and we'll have warm juice again.


Since we are the only place on campus that's open at night during the summer I sell hot dogs for the people that are looking for something closer to real food than popcorn. We haven't sold any since we started, not unexpected since summer school hasn't started yet. Tonight the machine wasn't working and we had two people ask for hot dogs. The rollers are sticking so I have to find out what one uses to lubricate a machine that comes in contact with food. Somehow I don't think WD-40 would work quite right...

Next Week's Film May 8 -14


There were a couple choices this week.


FAST AND FURIOUS - I booked this for the 7 pm show. I'm not sure how it will do. It opened huge, biggest April opening ever, and did quite well but I can see it being one of those films where most who wanted to see it already did.


TAKEN- Fox was finally willing to let me split it but I decided not to play it. It comes out on DVD on Tuesday and there's no one here to see it right now.


CRANK 2 was available but I never planned to play it. It's a fun completely over the top film but wouldn't do much business at Western Film even during the school year.


Looks like I made one of my occasional misjudgments. I was away for the weekend and came back and my jaw just about hit the floor when I saw the numbers for OBSERVE and REPORT. It had done $72 all weekend as opposed to several hundred for I LOVE YOU, MAN?! I haven't had a film do that bad in years. I thought there was a chance it might not do great but had no idea it could do this bad. I don't think it's just based on the movie although it seemed to be one of those movies where people either liked it or hated it. It's mostly timing, exams are over and summer school hasn't started yet so there's few students around. It also occurred to me tonight that a lot of our regulars saw it at the advance screening we did.


So there's no late show next week based largely on that. I don't like running single shows for the sake of my staff who get about half the hours they normally would but if there isn't anything I think people will come see then I can't play a late show. This is generally the worst time of the year for us so I just kinda hunker down and try to lose as little money as possible.

Next Week's Films May 1 -7

There were only a couple to choose from this week.

I LOVE YOU, MAN. I was kind of surprised we got this one this fast but Wolverine opened on so many screens it pushed it off early. I booked it for the 7pm show.

OBSERVE AND REPORT- I wasn't sure whether to play it but decided to try it. I figure the dark humour makes it a good late show and Seth Rogen is popular. I wish I could have played it before the students all left.

I expect MONSTERS VS. ALIENS to come off soon. I'll probably do matinees for that one.