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This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
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Author
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Topic: Kino shipped coffee stained print.
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Ian Price
Phenomenal Film Handler
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Posts: 1714
From: Denver, CO
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 05-10-2001 01:09 AM
I received this print of The Legend of Rita today. It had the following note in the can. 4-17-01 To whom it may concern, "I have been a Projectionist for 30 years and this Print is without a doubt the worst (although most unique) mess that I have ever seen. The film itself is in good condition, but whoever ran this print before me, spilled what appears to be a cup of cappuccino in the cans holding reels 1, 2 and 3. (It now resembles molasses) They also neglected to clean up the mess, I tried but without success because it is so thick. Fortunately the film ran OK and did not stick together but it is a problem. I hope they realize that there is a special hole in hell reserved for those who screw up a print and leave it for the next unfortunate sot to sort out. I wrote this note to emphasize that the damage was done PRIOR to the film arriving at Allegheny College, and also to alert you to the problem Gary Williamson Projectionist Meadville, PA" He not only wrote this note, but he called Kino International to complain. They knew about it. Yet almost a month later, they sent it to me. So immediately get on the horn to Kino and demand another print. They tell me there aren't any others available, so I have to live with this. I am spitting mad. I haven't touched the print yet. I guess I will try to build it up tomorrow. I will try Film-Guard on the print. But what I really want to do is tell Kino that the engagement is off and I will not show this print. What would you do?
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Brad Miller
Administrator
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Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99
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posted 05-10-2001 05:14 AM
Duh Ian. Don't even take it out of the can. Make a stand and DO NOT SHOW THE PRINT. If you run this print, it will just be one more person telling them that prints in this sort of condition are acceptable. If you go through and clean it up, it will just make things even worse. Cancelling playdates is the only way IMHO to get through to the depots and studios.Besides, most of the time when I hear the phrase "that is the only print", another one appears the next day. In these situations, they do not care and do not want to have to deal with you. It's "to hell with Ian's presentation" in their minds.
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Adam Martin
I'm not even gonna point out the irony.
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Posts: 3686
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 05-10-2001 12:25 PM
I think the point here is that Kino knew about the problem and had a month to do something about it. At the very least, they should have told Ian when he booked the film that, "yes, we have a print available for such-and-such-a-date, but it is not in good condition, would you like to screen it before confirming your booking?" is in the business of running a theater, not a film inspection depot or AFI's film restoration department. I'm sure he has enough bombs being dropped on him from other sources. Can you imagine if Technicolor sent out films like this? Okay, bad example. ![](http://www.film-tech.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif) Personally, I would have a look at the print. If it's okay, I'd run it and send it back and tell Kino that I'll never book with them again, thank you very much. (Even better if the film does well!) If it's not okay, I'd cancel the booking and (after re-reading my booking agreement) send Kino a bill for all of the marketing, etc., I did for the film that I couldn't play. They are responsible for providing useable product. But then again, I'm an a-hole.
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Leo Enticknap
Film God
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Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000
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posted 05-10-2001 08:19 PM
There's been a lot of (probably justified) spitting at Kino in this thread, but I would like to say something in defence of small-scale art and rep distributors such as Kino, Milestone and Kit Parker in the US and Artifical Eye, the BFI and Gala in the UK.For a major Hollywood distributor like Warners or UIP, losing a print thanks to the moron who poured a cappuccino all over it is no big deal. The number of prints struck of a mainstream title will vary from a couple of hundred to several thousand. After the opening weekend, a significant proportion of these will probably never be used again. A print written off by a coffee accident is one less they have to pay to send to the recycling people. For an art or rep distributor, this could well be a catastrophe. These figures will probably not be relevant to the US system, but they do illustrate how much work is done by such a small number of prints over here: 'The Low Down' - UK release with 2 prints 'Bread and Roses' - 20 prints (and that was probably only because of Ken Loach's involvement) 'Sous le sable' - 5 prints 'The Wind Will Carry Us' - 2 prints 'Mildred Pierce' (rerelease) - 2 prints The several hundred pounds per copy (a lot more if it is laser-subtitled) represents a major investment for the people who distribute these titles. They do not have seven-figure 'P & P' (prints and publicity) budgets, and often struggle to break even. I can well believe that when a projectionist calls in and reports that one of these prints has been trashed, that there is no replacement readily available. What makes this situation worse is that the kind of places showing these films (e.g. university film societies, community arts centres with miniscule budgets) are precisely the places that are likely to have very little money to spend on equipment maintenance and projectionist training, and so are going to be most at risk of inflicting greater wear and tear and/or damage on the prints they handle. But the distributors are not in a position to say 'OK, we've had enough, you're barred from renting any more of our prints' because they depend on these places for their income. So really the art and rep circuit is a catch-22 situation in which greater print damage is the result. The fact that these prints tend to do shorter runs in a larger number of venues (hence more making up and packing off) exacerbates the problem. None of this in any way justifies spilling coffee all over a film. But if I received a film like that, I would probably have a go at cleaning it before making the distributor suffer from a cancelled booking. But if it were a print of 'Star Wars' then I wouldn't lose a minute's sleep over rejecting the print.
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