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Author Topic: Single Screen Dilemma 2006: James Bond or Happy Feet? Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-14-2006 08:38 PM                        Every year, Film Techers have helped us smaller operators decide which movie will have the best "buzz" and the best "legs." Hopefully this year will be no different. If you had a single screen, would you book "Casino Royale" or "Happy Feet?" Remember, they have to hold up in a small town for at least 2 weeks. I had been leaning toward Casino, but I'm feeling myself wavering after watching audience reactions to the Happy Feet trailer. Any thoughts from the F-T ranks?  |  IP: Logged Matt Fields Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 545 From: Ohio, United States Registered: Jun 2005 posted 10-14-2006 08:54 PM                     Happy Feet. Trailer looks good, and at least in my town, Bond doesn't play very well.  |  IP: Logged Mike Heenan Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1896 From: Scottsdale, AZ, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 10-14-2006 09:04 PM                     So the 30th animated kids movie with animals to be released this year or a new Bond film? I'd go with the new Bond film but if you have more families with kids that attend you theater, then the kids film is probably a better choice  |  IP: Logged Caleb Johnstone-Cowan Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 593 From: London, UK Registered: Mar 2006 posted 10-14-2006 10:05 PM                     Thing is Happy Feet actually looks original. Whilst I've not bothered with any of the computer animated kids films this year I'll make the effort to see this. What you could do is take Bond for two weeks and then when Christmas vacation hits bring Happy Feet in, guessing you do 11am shows in the holidays? If Casino Royale does do well you could run Happy Feet 11am 1pm 3pm 5pm 7pm and Bond 9pm. Although it really does depend on if you do well on kids films or not. [ 10-16-2006, 05:44 PM: Message edited by: Caleb Johnstone-Cowan ]  |  IP: Logged Eric Hooper Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 532 From: Fort Worth, TX, USA Registered: May 2003 posted 10-14-2006 11:01 PM                     The kid films I would think would sell the most concessions.... (Correct me if I'm wrong.)  |  IP: Logged Mike Spaeth Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1129 From: Marietta, GA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 10-14-2006 11:20 PM                        Happy Feet  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-15-2006 12:57 AM                        The reason this is a particularly hard decision for me is, while we do really well with kids movies, we also do well with films that are "hyped up" like the Harry Potters and the Pirates of the Carribeans and such. With the advance talk this new Bond is getting, I just wonder if it falls into that kind of category or is it going to be a one-weekend picture. We haven't done all that wonderful on previous Bonds. But then we've never opened one on the break, either.  |  IP: Logged Jeremy Jorgenson Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1002 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: Feb 2005 posted 10-15-2006 06:32 AM                        007 all the way! As Mike Heenan mentioned, there have been a bunch of animated films recently. Casino Royale is about the only high profile franchise/event film of 2006's holiday season.  |  IP: Logged Anslem Rayburn Master Film Handler Posts: 476 From: Yuma, AZ, USA Registered: May 2002 posted 10-15-2006 07:04 AM                     'Happy Feet' has a lot of buzz from it's banners and sparce ads. The 007 preview has been receive rather cold. If I had to stake money on one or the other, I would choose 'Happy Feet', unless my market showed a strong following for Bond in the past...  |  IP: Logged Steve Scott Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1300 From: Minneapolis, MN Registered: Sep 2000 posted 10-15-2006 11:58 AM                     I think the Happy Feet trailer will suit them fine. Bond is the way to go. An actioner that will sell later in the evening  |  IP: Logged Scott Jentsch Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1061 From: New Berlin, WI, USA Registered: Apr 2003 posted 10-16-2006 10:54 AM                        I think Casino Royale has the possibility of doing to the James Bond franchise what Batman Begins did to that franchise. It wiped the slate clean and drew an audience that was tired of what had been done to the franchise (both suffered from movies that progressively diluted the franchise). I've seen the publicity for Happy Feet and I just don't see the draw. I've got kids, and I can't imagine taking them to see it. Maybe on a Saturday for a cheap matinee, maybe. I brought home a beach towel from Showest with the penguin from Happy Feet, and my 6-year-old chose a different beach towel to use this summer when given the choice. Unless your audience is primarily families with kids and you don't do very good evening business (so you depend on weekend matinees for your traffic), I would go with Casino Royale. It's too bad you can't run Happy Feet until 6pm and then show Casino Royale after 6pm!  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 10-16-2006 02:15 PM                     I'm trying to withhold judgment on Casino Royale until it is released. I don't consider this "re-imaging" of James Bond to be on the same par as the very different (and superior) Batman Begins. Judy Dench is back playing "M" and the movie is directed by Martin Campbell, the guy who directed Goldeneye. The idea of a blond James Bond is still very controversial even though Daniel Craig is a very good actor. The only problem I have with his casting is he seems better suited to bad guy roles. He was downright creepy in The Road To Perdition. Still, the guy has a good "I'm going to kick your teeth in if you fuck with me" angry glare that scares people and gets coked-up fashion models aroused. So he might actually be really good in the role. I just think Clive Owen would have been a safer choice to play James Bond. Anyway, Happy Feet does seem like the umpteenth talking animals CGI movie to come out this year. However, its production quality looks very good and seems to tread close to Pixar's very high standard bar. The movie was directed by George Miller, his first feature effort since Babe: Pig in the City in 1998. Yes, this is the same guy who directed the Mad Max movies. I think for general audience appeal, Happy Feet looks like the safer choice. But I do have concerns the whole CGI animals thing has gone way past the saturation point. On top of that, the movie reportedly will not have any 3D versions, despite those IMAX 3D teaser trailers that ran during summer. Basically, both movies could end up sucking ass. I'm not hoping for that negative outcome, but the possibility is definitely there.  |  IP: Logged Anslem Rayburn Master Film Handler Posts: 476 From: Yuma, AZ, USA Registered: May 2002 posted 10-16-2006 02:44 PM                     quote: Bobby Henderson I don't consider this "re-imaging" of James Bond to be on the same par as the very different (and superior) Batman Begins. Judy Dench is back playing "M" and the movie is directed by Martin Campbell, the guy who directed Goldeneye. It's also written by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade, the same guys that wrote the last two Bond pics. I think we're getting a lot of hype with the promise of starting fresh, but I don't see how they could possibly deliver on that promise. Example dialog (from the trailer): Woman : The treasury has agreed to stake you in the game. But if you lose, our government will have directly financed terrorism. I will be keeping my eye on our government's money; and off your perfectly formed ass. James Bond: You noticed.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 10-16-2006 03:00 PM                     Hmm. Okay. Go with Happy Feet!  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-16-2006 06:36 PM                     Happy feet is going to be huge. Or I can set up theater 2 for you in a railroad boxcar across the street..... Bond stuff seems to peter out pretty fast over the last few releases. Who can resist those cute Penguins anyway... the H.F. trailer is an attention getter. quote: Steve Scott An actioner that will sell later in the evening There is no later evening in Forsyth... Mike has a time switch that automatically rolls up the sidewalks and puts em to bed after the last show starts . Mark  |  IP: Logged

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