'Shutter Island' poised to shut down the competition

By Sarah Sluis

The only new wide offering on the market, Shutter Island (2,991 theatres), should go straight to the top this weekend, pushed along by equal interest among male and female moviegoers. The longer President's Day weekend is usually followed by larger-than-average drops among returning films, so despite three movies grossing $30 million plus last weekend, only Valentine's Day has an off-chance of besting the latest (but not greatest) work from director Martin Scorsese.

A "Gothic-style psychological thriller," according to Executive Editor Kevin Lally, Shutter Island suffers from "a surfeit of plot ingredients." Leonardo DiCaprio plays a guy investigating a disappearance in an insane asylum, and creepy things are happening. Two options pop up pretty quickly, perhaps even before the lights go down to start the show: Is it possible that the staff is conspiring to make him insane--or is he already insane, and everything is a delusion? It's a ruse that's sustained the whole way through, but grows wearying towards the end. As critic A.O. Scott of the New York Times aptly puts, "...just when the puzzle should accelerate, the picture slows down...[and gives viewers] painstaking exposition of matters that the audience already suspects are completely irrelevant." Still, the movie is beautiful to look at and draws inspiration from great filmmakers, including 40's suspense great Val Lewton.

Four theatres will unveil The Ghost Writer, which will expand over the next two weekends. Director Roman Polanski creates a professional, "well-made thriller that delivers two hours of slick entertainment" according to critic Rex Roberts, but "the movie feels as though it's been plotted by numbers," and the filmmakers include a number of slick contrivances to "coax their story along." With all the publicity from Polanski's imprisonment, as well as a general thumbs-up in the critical community (it's tracking at 78% on Rotten Tomatoes), this movie's opening numbers will be one to watch.

Rounding out the offerings, several small releases will make their way into theatres. The Good Guy, starring Alexis Bledel in a pre-recession love triangle involving Wall Streeters, opens in nine theatres. Happy Tears, about a man (Rip Torn) taking up with a crackhead hussy, much to his daughters' (Demi Moore and Parker Posey) chagrin, opens in 15 theatres. Maybe Torn's drunken bank robbery ("I thought I was in my home") can generate some dollars from people curious to see if he looks soused on-screen? Finally, newbie distributor Paladin releases Blood Done Sign My Name (95 theatres), a civil-rights era drama about violence sparked by the racially motivated murder of a black Vietnam veteran.

On Monday, the mystery of Shutter Island's performance will be solved, The Ghost Writer will have an idea of its prospects in the weeks ahead, and we'll see how Valentine's Day, Percy Jackson, and The Wolfman held on through their second week.

'Couples Retreat' has no company at the box office

By Sarah Sluis

Couples Retreat (3,000 theatres) has the benefit of being the only wide release of the weekend. Date-night audiences are expected to bring the weekend total to $20 million. Because it's applying the ensemble premise that worked so well for He's Just Not That Into You, I think the movie could go over that number, especially since those that are "kinda" interested in seeing the movie will have no other material to choose from. On the other hand, Universal just replaced its chairmen, so maybe it's another film on their slate that hasn't been tracking so well. Critic Kirk Honeycutt lamented that "the script...gets pulled in opposite directions" by trying to cover the gamut from potty to sexual humor. He also noted that "the best sections of the film deal with [Vince] Vaughn and [Malin] Akerman, since they represent a critique of the relationship industry that is determined to justify its existence in finding problems even if none exists. The most problematic in comedic terms involves [Jon] Favreau and [Kristin] Davis. No week at a couples retreat is going to solve their myriad problems." The latter observation, according to speculation by Movieline, must have been echoed by focus groups. Favreau and Davis' acts of adultery depicted in the trailer are absent from the film--and Favreau was pulled away from Iron Man 2 for reshoots.

Among returning films, Zombieland is considered a top choice for #2. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs has been beating Toy Story/Toy Story 2 during the weekdays, but perhaps audiences with more time will seek out the double feature for a matinee this weekend. Whip It had a disappointing opening weekend despite positive word-of-mouth. I saw a TV spot last night that de-emphasized the roller derby aspect (apparently a tough sell), so perhaps Fox Searchlight will be able to re-position the movie to take only a small drop this weekend.

On the specialty front, the much-lauded An Education releases. Our critic Rex Roberts found the film "comes close to perfection: inspired casting and performances, exquisite design and photography, witty and well-crafted script, empathic yet nuanced direction." Carey Mulligan has turned more critics' heads than I can count, and Roberts dubbed her "the most interesting ingnue to grace the screen since Audrey Tautou delighted audiences in Amlie." The film will release in 4 theatres in New York and Los Angeles.

Also opening this weekend is The Damned United (6 theatres), a soccer drama that, according to critic Daniel Eagan, "almost brings to life a feud 35 years ago between two notable British sports figures," but is "ultimately too insular to attract many stateside viewers."

After making appearances on all the morning and female-skewing talk shows, including "Oprah" and "The View," Chris Rock releases the documentary Good Hair (185 theatres)--but did he give away all of the best parts already on the television shows? Frank Scheck found it "entertaining and substantive enough to be interesting even for those completely unfamiliar with weaves and relaxers." While Rock is best known as a comedian, his documentary achieves a "pointed sociological examination of its heretofore cinematically unexplored subject"

On Monday, we'll see how successful Couples Retreat was at the box office, which returning films held on, and mull over the opening weekend of An Education.

Live 3D sports events win raves from Rave, Carmike and Empire

By Sarah Sluis

"I'm convinced this is the future. The business model has changed. The possibilities are endless."

Those are the words of Fred Van Noy, chief operating officer and senior VP of operations at Carmike Cinemas, speaking at Cinedigm's Live 3D presentation at ShoWest Thursday morning. Van Noy and two other exhibitors recounted their success with Cinedigm's recent live 3D offerings of the BCS Championship Game and the NBA All-Star Saturday Night, the first such national sports broadcasts in cinemas.

Tom Stephenson, president and CEO of Rave Motion Pictures, reported that the BCS event sold out in nine Rave locations and overall accounted for seven of the top ten grossing cinema attractions that night. What's more, concessions (which at Rave included beer, wine and nachos) posted an increase of $5.23 per patron.

Dean Leland, VP of studio and media relations at Canada's Empire Theatres, said his circuit charged $20 plus tax for the NBA spectacular at his Toronto location, and company research showed that many patrons drove in from other cities and said they would return for a similar experience.

Cinedigm COO Michele Martell reported some impressive stats for each event: The BCS game, she said, did 2000% more business than the number-one movie that day, while the NBA event earned 45% more than nine of the top ten movies that Saturday night.

The audience at ShoWest got a look at footage from both events, and the NBA highlights were particularly impressive, with multiple 3D angles on the action produced exclusively for theatres.

Van Noy noted that, with the help of Disney and ESPN, Carmike first experimented with a live 3D broadcast of a Morgantown, West Virginia home football game in 2005, and patrons willingly paid $10 to $12 for something they could see free at home on TV. The tailgate parties in the parking lot and the cheering crowds were Van Noy's first inkling that "we've got something here."

On opening weekend of Monsters vs. Aliens, Carmike purposely played the 3D animated feature on 110 2D screens in addition to its 439 3D screens for comparison purposes. The difference in business was striking, as high as 17 to 1 in one Carmike multiplex, Van Noy reported.

Rave's Stephenson encouraged his fellow exhibitors to come aboard the 3D train. That's where the business growth is, he asserted, as audiences get accustomed to a whole new brand of cinema experience.

Cinedigm scores with live football in 3D

By Sarah Sluis

Veteran FJI writer Doris Toumarkine ventured to Brooklyn, New York, to watch the BCS National Championship football game live in 3D at the Pavilion Theater. Here's her report on this sporting innovation:

Cinedigm (formerly AccessIT) scored a big first on Jan. 8 with the first-ever nationwide feed to cinemas of a live 3D sports event. This reporter, rooting from a seat at Brooklyn's Pavilion Theater, felt like she was almost on the 50-yard line for the FedEx BCS National Championship Game between the University of Florida and the University of Oklahoma.

I had a remarkably immersive experience watching the usually high-scoring Florida and Oklahoma teams showing defensive muscle and plenty of fighting spirit. The auditorium, one of two in the Pavilion where the game played, was packed. Cinedigm owns the theatre, which it calls its Digital Showcase Theatre.

Cinedigm, using its proprietary CineLiveTM Satellite Distribution Network, delivered the championship event to 80 theatres in 31 states, with 19 of those locations sold out. The company reported that the engagements grossed more than four times higher than the best per-screen gross that evening. Such a large turnout was all the more remarkable since the game was broadcast simultaneously on Fox TV and was the Nielsen ratings winner that evening against the broadcast competition.

The 3D visuals were spectacular (there was even great definition and color for fans in the distant grandstands) and the in-theatre event was also greatly enhanced by the Dolby 5.1 surround sound that assured that "we are there" feeling.

Cinedigm worked hard to keep the interstitial programming engaging. A 3D surfing short was such a hit, it got the Pavilion audience clapping.

And that audience was certainly loud and demonstrative during the game itself: The cheers, the groans, the shouting�anathema for movie screenings but a blessing here, as such audience participation actually contributed to the excitement and "reality" of the championship. Even the catcalls that greeted the vividly 3D cheerleaders evoked the real stadium setting, while reminding that we were an in-theatre minority among hot-blooded Brooklyn male sports fans. For once, talking back to the screen was not just appropriate, it was welcome.

The feed provided all the replays we love to see but didn't show the two superimposed clean lines on the field that designate where the ball is being played and where first down beckons, a perk beloved by TV viewers.

Cinedigm won't say what kind of fee was paid to Fox Sports, but the theatre event did have Sony as a sponsor. Whatever their deal, the Fox/Cinedigm partnership clearly demonstrated that the right kind of football event isn't just for a TV audience but is popular enough to attract fans of both the big and small screen without cannibalizing one medium.

What Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. might consider from this first go at live sports in 3D is that, beyond the 3D, there may be other ways to enhance the in-theatre experience by mimicking the live stadium experience. After all, stadium fans and movie fans alike get out of the house to a large venue for a big communal experience with like-minded souls. So why not designate theatre sections dedicated to the specific teams so that patrons, on a voluntary basis, can feel more team spirit? Or why not think about deals that allow for the sale in theatres of appropriate souvenirs? Or stadium-like concessions? Or why not have some kind of benign (legal!) in-theatre betting competition? Or why not provide more interstitial 3D programming of the caliber of that surfing short, a real audience-pleaser?

Cinedigm's live 3D football event worked big-time, but there's plenty to be learned from this first kickoff. Meanwhile, basketball fans will get a taste of live 3D sports from Cinedigm's Feb 14 NBA All-Star Saturday Night event. I'll sit that one out, as football and tennis are this movie fan's games. Tennis 3D, anyone?