American Society of Authors and Writers

Bouncing Back after Tragedy

Producer/entrepreneur Mark Maine sends this good news about the state of entertainment following the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington:

October 2, 2001—Moviegoers flooded back into theaters in numbers last weekend, with ticket sales up by 52 percent from the previous weekend and 26 percent over the same weekend last year, with the top 12 movies garnering an estimated $66.2 million. 20th Century Fox's distribution chief, Bruce Snyder, told Monday’s Wall Street Journal, "I think the country is trying to get back to normalcy of some sort." And entertainment analyst Art Rockwell told Bloomberg News, "The box office hasn't been negatively affected by terrorism…People found great relief in going to a movie." Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations, said audiences should continue to grow in coming weeks with more releases, including some violent fare. "People find their release in all kinds of movies," he said. "We don't have to spoon-feed them lighthearted movies for the next 10 years."

Domestic theatrical activity rebounded during the weekend with the introduction of three well-received releases, 27% higher than the previous weekend, which was weakened by the terrorist attack-related withdrawal of two potentially productive pictures. They were Buena Vista's "Big Trouble," Warner Bros' "Training Day" and Fox's disappointing Mariah Carey vehicle, "Glitter," which earned a meager $2.4 million during its opening three days.

According to Angelic Entertainment Chairman & CEO, Mark Maine, "These are trying and stressful times. But what the experts have realized for many years is that people need to escape the realities of life during such times. That’s the interesting thing about the movie biz," states Maine. "When times are prosperous, people go to the movies. When times are tough, people go to the movies, and not just to see comedies."

A case in point is Fox's "Don't Say a Word" which debuted in the top spot for the weekend with $17.1 million. Analysts put this figure at the high end of expectations based on pre-release audience surveys. Paramount's comedy "Zoolander" opened in second place at $15.5 million, which was followed by Warner’s' "Hearts in Atlantis." Those numbers were in line with analyst’s projections. The performance by "Don’t Say a Word" attracted the older audience that also attended "Hearts." Both films drew mainly females age 35 and older, according to opening-night surveys conducted by CinemaScore.com. Some thought "Don’t Say a Word's" serious subject matter could be a psychological negative in these troubled times. As it turned out, the comedy "Zoolander," starring Ben Stiller as a fashion model turned international spy, came in behind the serious "Don’t Say a Word."

"People sometimes forget how popular war movies were during WWII," says Maine. "But I think it’s important to note that the ones that did well were the ones about heroes. People don’t mind stories of tragedy in bad times as long as heroics are portrayed. It’s healing, because in the span of an hour-and-a-half we can experience the range of emotions and get a sense of resolve. Horrible things happen in life and yet here are these people going through what I’m going through and surviving…no, not just surviving…but sometimes acting like heroes. In America’s history we have seen disaster bring the very best out in people, and the fact that we can re-live it in a few minutes in a darkened theater gives us hope. Consider Titanic and Pear Harbor as examples, even though audiences already knew the ending."

Psst! Wanna Know a Secret?

Well, okay, it may not be a well-kept secret, but it may nonetheless be of interest to you. The industry's major flix opening the first week of October 2001:

• 20th Century Fox's "Joy Ride," directed by John R. Dahl and edited by Glen Scantlebury ("Lara Croft: Tomb Raider," "Armageddon"), Eric L. Beason ("For Love of the Game," "A Simple Plan"), Scott Chestnut ("Red Rock West," "The Blue Iguana") and Todd E. Miller (associate editor on "Armageddon").

• Buena Vista Pictures' "Max Keeble's Big Move," directed by Tim Hill and edited by Tony Lombardo ("My Cousin Vinny," "Popeye").

• Miramax's "Serendipity," directed by Peter Chelsom and edited by Christopher Greenbury, A.C.E. ("American Beauty," "There's Something About Mary").

• Warner Bros.' "Training Day," directed by Antoine Fuqua and edited by Conrad Buff, A.C.E. ("Thirteen Days," "Titanic").

• "The Learning Curve," directed by Eric Schwab and edited by Adam C. Frank (Tony Lombardo's second assistant editor on "My Cousin Vinny"). This one is a limited release (click here to see if it's playing in a theater near you).

Events of Note

High Falls Film Festival, Oct. 17-21, Rochester, New York. This year's fest features a retrospective of animator Faith Hubley.

Film Info Tech Conference, Oct. 18-19, Century Plaza Hotel, Los Angeles.

ResFest 2001, charting the evolving frontiers of digital entertainment, makes a stop at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, Oct. 25-28. Click here for details.

Burbank International Children's Film Festival, Oct. 26-Nov. 3, Media City Center in Burbank, Calif. For information, call 818-841-3901.

American Cinema Editors annual internship program, deadline for applications is Nov. 1. During the program, which will take place in February, each intern spends a week each with an editor of an episodic show, a long-form television editor and a feature film editor. For details, click here.

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