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This topic comprises 3 pages: 1 2 3
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Topic: AMC to use pre-show projectors and satellite to distribute movie
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Manny Knowles
"What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???"
Posts: 4247
From: Bloomington, IN, USA
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 09-08-2004 12:29 PM
quote: Paul Linfesty
Actually it was to give independent theatres access to major studio films.
While this is correct, it is still only partially correct. The use of the word "actually" here seems to suggest that my answer was incorrect. I stand by my answer, adding the following...
The Consent Decree eliminated, among other things, the practices commonly known as blind bidding and block booking which had left independent exhibitors without much of a "say" in terms of what product they would show. So, it follows that the independent theatres already had access to the major studios' product up to that point. That was not the problem, per se. Rather, the concern surrounded the unfair conditions for use and the negative consequences thereof.
The short story, in plain English:
The "little guys" could get the "big movies" but then they couldn't show anybody else's movies. They also had to show a whole bunch of crappy movies in order to get a few good ones. They also never knew which would be good ones or bad ones because they were not permitted to preview any of those movies. There was also no guarantee that they would get a movie at the time of release or at some later point. Furthermore, they might find themselves competing directly with a bigger "studio theatre" across the street or on the same street or in the same neighborhood. Being so tightly tied-up with the big movies meant they could not show "independent" movies. Hence, both independent exhibitors and producers were being screwed by that kind of deal. Hence, the investigation, lawsuit and the eventual Consent Decree.
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Mitchell Dvoskin
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1869
From: West Milford, NJ, USA
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 09-08-2004 02:39 PM
The Consent Decree eliminated, among other things, the practices commonly known as blind bidding and block booking which had left independent exhibitors without much of a "say" in terms of what product they would show.
Eh? The "Consent Decrees" were back in the 1950's. Blind bidding was alive and well until well into the 1980's, and to some extent still exists today. Sometime in the 1970's, Pennsylvania made it illegal, but that only applied to that state.
In addition, the "Consent Decrees" only apply to those companies that signed agreements with the Justice Department to abide by them, in return for the Justice Department dropping their anti-trust lawsuits against them. Other companies, and companies that did not exist at that time are not bound by them, and are only subject to the broader anti-trust laws.
/Mitchell
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