my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Ground Level   » Ladykillers, Limited Release? (Page 1)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Author Topic: Ladykillers, Limited Release? Adam Fraser Master Film Handler Posts: 499 From: Houghton Lake, MI, USA Registered: Dec 2001 posted 03-08-2004 09:46 PM                        We tried to book Ladykillers today for the 26th and were told that only 1200 prints were being made and we'd likely have to wait. Is this true? Seems to be a small print count for the amount of advertising they have been doing.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-08-2004 10:43 PM                     What you should do is to book the Real "Ladykillers that stars Alec Guiness instead of this stupid remake. Nothing will ever come close to the charm and humor of the original film. Mark  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 03-08-2004 10:46 PM                     Last I checked theaters were in the business to make money. I doubt charm and humor of older movies available on video would work too well for Adam.  |  IP: Logged Dick Vaughan Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1032 From: Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK Registered: Jul 2000 posted 03-09-2004 02:44 AM                        Mark You're absolutely right the original could never be bettered. As an aside, Hebert Lom who appeared in the film alongside Alec Guinness and Peter Sellars is a guest during Widescreen Weekend at our upcoming 10th Bradford Film Festival; http://www.bradfordfilmfestival.org.uk/2004/filmdetail.asp?ida=4394  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-09-2004 08:42 AM                     Brad, Actually the last time a series of Ealing Comedies was run at a theatre in both MIlwaukee and in Chicago they did VERY, VERY well and would have run longer were it not for the lack of prints and available playdates. Does anyone know where in the U.S. these famous comedies are available from these days. I'd love to see them all again on the big screen. Perhaps our local Brew And View would book the series.... These truely great films are what really define the word comedy! The Titfield Thunderbolt is by far my favorite one. Dick, Wish I was going to be there! Mark @ CLACO  |  IP: Logged Stewart Anderson Expert Film Handler Posts: 105 From: Sandy, Utah /United States of America Registered: Aug 2003 posted 03-09-2004 09:41 AM                        I think the box office numbers for its opening week will be very big simply because of Tom Hanks. But, I also think the movie is going to be a bit weird, and the box office numbers will probably drop pretty rapidly after the first week. It was directed by Joel Coen (same guy who did Intolerable Cruelty ).  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 03-09-2004 10:26 AM                        Sadly, the only Ealing prints still doing the rounds here are worn out, too (apart from National Film and Television Archive ones, which don't see the light of day very often - usually because rep houses either can't run changeovers and/or can't afford or can't be bothered to book the print and clear the rights separately). I did see an IB print of The Ladykillers from Canal Plus about a year or so. It was scratched and battered to hell and had quite a few sections missing. Incidentally, according to Wilhelm & Brower's Restoration of Color Photographs, Slides and Motion Picture Film, The Ladykillers was the last British film to be shot with the three-strip camera.  |  IP: Logged Dick Vaughan Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1032 From: Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK Registered: Jul 2000 posted 03-09-2004 10:44 AM                        quote: Incidentally, according to Wilhelm & Brower's Restoration of Color Photographs, Slides and Motion Picture Film, The Ladykillers was the last British film to be shot with the three-strip camera Well Jack Cardiff will be here with Herbert Lom and I can't think of a better chap to ask to confirm this  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 03-09-2004 10:47 AM                     It was also the last film to be run at what would have been my local cinemaa at the time, but since I was two years old when it closed, I don't remember it. There was an anniversary season of some of the Ealing films not that long wasn't there, three years or so, at several London Cinemas, including the Barbican, I think. What prints were used for that? These films generally do well when they do get shown, I would have thought that it would be possible to recover the cost of a few new prints fairly quickly. Dick, I met Jack Cardif a couple of times at the Phoenix, East Finchley. The second time was when he came to a screening of 'The Red Shoes' and 'The Great Mr. Handel'. The latter seems to be very seldom screened. There is a slim chance that I may be able to make it to Bradford on the Sunday. It would be too late for me to come back by train, but there is an overnight coach from Leeds, which becomes the infamous 01:45 from Sheffield, and gets me in to London at 06:20 on Monday morning. My training course in the City starts at 09:30, so I could just about make it.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 03-09-2004 02:03 PM                        I would hazard a guess that the Ealing prints now doing the rep rounds were made for that Barbican season, which was mid to late '90s if my memory hasn't totally gone down the tubes. Almost a decade of circulation later - and being such popular titles, it's likely those copies will have gone to shoestring arts centres, other part-time venues and film societies which tend to mangle prints - and sadly, they're the worse for wear. Towards the end of my time at City Screen I also showed Whisky Galore, The Man in the White Suit, Kind Hearts and Coronets, Dead of Night and one or two others from the Canal Plus circulation prints. Sadly, all were very much the worse for wear.  |  IP: Logged Bill Carter Expert Film Handler Posts: 162 From: Minneapolis, Minnesota Registered: Sep 1999 posted 03-09-2004 08:36 PM                     Last I was told, these are still unavailable in the US. They played in Minneapolis within the last decade, just before they were withdrawn.  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 03-11-2004 09:59 PM                    I've seen the new one (via HD projection in fact) and I think it will do well. Only the basic concept has been borrowed otherwise it's a completely original film.  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 03-13-2004 09:59 AM                        Back to the print numbers subject... We asked if we could get a print & were told that much larger theatres in much larger markets than ours are having trouble getting in line. Translated... "probably not"! I heard the limited number, too... seems it was 1800, but it could have been 1200. Still, too low to trickle our way.  |  IP: Logged Mike Spaeth Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1129 From: Marietta, GA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 03-13-2004 11:14 AM                        They're taking an interesting release pattern on this ... art houses and urban houses first.  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 03-13-2004 04:28 PM                    Well, you know that Tom Hanks fellow doesn't really do well in big movies.  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.