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Topic: vaguely threatening letter from 20th Century Fox

Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-10-2011 02:02 PM

From yesterday. Apparently real.

I am tempted to call them and ask if this applies to older titles as well or just new releases.

I wonder when they will change their name to "20th Century Fox Video Corporation."

If you want to write to this guy and tell him how you feel, his address is

CHRIS ARONSON
Twentieth Century Fox
10201 West Pico Blvd.,
Bldg. 86, Room 112
Los Angeles, CA 90035

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Louis Bornwasser
Film God

Posts: 4441
From: prospect ky usa
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 11-10-2011 02:06 PM

Key word: "Reduce." Louis

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Martin McCaffery
Film God

Posts: 2481
From: Montgomery, AL
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-10-2011 02:06 PM

I had the same question. As I was informed Fox's old titles are handled by Criterion, but I don't know how far back and there are plenty of titles they don't have in 35mm. And, of course, the deal is not in perpetuity.

Oh, and that it is not sustainable in the long term for Fox to maintain duel inventories, but perfectly sustainable for exhibitors to take the hit on the installation and maintenance of digital cinema.

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Justin Hamaker
Film God

Posts: 2253
From: Lakeport, CA USA
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 11-10-2011 04:49 PM

quote: Martin McCaffery
but perfectly sustainable for exhibitors to take the hit on the installation and maintenance of digital cinema.

Capitalism at work. There is absolutely nothing that says the studios have an obligation to provide any particular format for any particular amount of time. We are lucky that NATO and other the major studios were able to workout VPF deals. The studios could just have easily said we are on our own.

Yes, I know the relationship between studios and exhibitors is supposed to be symbiotic. They need us as much as we need them. But anyone who has been in exhibition for any period of time knows the studios do not do business that way. They view our screens as their entitlement and don't really care whether their terms are beneficial to our business.

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Hillary Charles
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 748
From: York, PA, USA
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 11-10-2011 04:59 PM

Fox and their demands! We're still trying to pay off that "Miracle Mirror Screen" they forced us to buy!

Okay, it's been a while since I worked at that theater...

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-10-2011 05:02 PM

The date not mentioned in the letter is 1-1-13!

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Louis Bornwasser
Film God

Posts: 4441
From: prospect ky usa
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 11-10-2011 06:55 PM

Clearly, with VOD, they do not treasure us or our screens. Louis

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Mark Campbell
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 148
From: Seattle, WA USA
Registered: Jul 2007

posted 11-10-2011 07:00 PM

I guess I should start saying goodbye to my favorite independent neighborhood theatres.

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Ian Parfrey
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1049
From: Imbil Australia 26 deg 27' 42.66" S 152 deg 42' 23.40" E
Registered: Feb 2009

posted 11-10-2011 09:13 PM

Dear Chris Aronson and 20th Century Fox.

Kindly get fucked.

Yours
Independent Cinemas Worldwide.

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Victor Liorentas
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 800
From: london ontario canada
Registered: May 2009

posted 11-10-2011 09:21 PM

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-11-2011 08:25 AM

I wrote to him. You should, too.

quote: Justin Hamaker
We are lucky that NATO and other the major studios were able to workout VPF deals. The studios could just have easily said we are on our own.

Not really. These deals pretty much universally suck, requiring the purchase of monitoring service and the signing of NDAs. And they won't help in 5-10 years when the current equipment needs to be upgraded. What really needed (needs) to happen is for there to be a dramatic shift in "film" rental terms.

quote: Mark Campbell
I guess I should start saying goodbye to my favorite independent neighborhood theatres.

If and when this happens, then, pretty much, yes.

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Jock Blakley
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 218
From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Registered: Oct 2011

posted 11-11-2011 08:41 AM

quote: Mark Campbell
I guess I should start saying goodbye to my favorite independent neighborhood theatres.

Well, maybe not all of them... if we can get twenty years out of this Barco.

Anybody got a truckload of Ushio DXL-65BAs going spare?

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Carsten Kurz
Film God

Posts: 4340
From: Cologne, NRW, Germany
Registered: Aug 2009

posted 11-11-2011 11:04 AM

It may not be a statement we like - but at least they now MAKE official statements. Even if they are not accurate, this will create sort of a domino effect, other distributors will refer to this timeline as well, the word spreads, etc, so, slowly approaching that now fuzzy deadline, it will become more and more of a real deadline.

- Carsten

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-11-2011 11:51 AM

quote: Carsten Kurz
It may not be a statement we like - but at least they now MAKE official statements.

Agreed. I should have mentioned this earlier, but I do give them credit for being the first major US distributor to make a statement about this issue that can be taken somewhat seriously.

I still hate John Fithian for his "2013" deadline thing. He is not a film distributor and had no business stating a date, but he did it anyway. Now, it seems to have had some media traction and may become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

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Justin Hamaker
Film God

Posts: 2253
From: Lakeport, CA USA
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 11-11-2011 12:32 PM

quote:
I still hate John Fithian for his "2013" deadline thing. He is not a film distributor and had no business stating a date,

You almost suggest that Fithian will be responsible for the death of film himself. The reality is the date has been sitting on the horizon for several years. Whether it's 2013 or 2015, it's still coming soon.

I image there are very few people who have a better understanding of the digital conversion status and time line than Fithian. His job is to represent theatre owners. I assume the 2013 date came from looking at the state of the industry and from information from the studios about when they would start to cut back on film.

My understanding is (some of) the studios have been saying for a while that they would start to ramp down 35mm once digital installs reached 50% of screens. The industry crossed that 50% mark a couple months ago and the pace is accelerating. Regardless of whether you like the deals, it is to the advantage of most theatres to get in on the VPF deals rather than to get shut out. And many owners had been dragging their feet until the last 6 months or so.

Furthermore, the issue is deeper than just the studios no longer distributing 35mm. We are also seeing the companies who support the 35mm industry fall: local couriers, equipment suppliers and distributors, and equipment manufacturers. The writing is on the wall, whether you choose to read it or not.

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