Stepping Back and Featuring the Big(ger) Picture

In some ways countering what he calls the “conventional wisdom” addressed in some of Obst’s points, Dolgen said, “I don’t really believe that people are honing to that conventional wisdom as people would like to say.” And Obst countered, “The conventional wisdom is in crisis right now because the movie stars who make $20 million a picture aren't systematically opening pictures -- the crisis of the studio system this year is that its not automatic that if you pay $20 million that your baby boomer generation movie star is gonna open that movie." The new star, she explained, is "production," or the effects and spectacle that, as in the case of "Titanic," can only be delivered when studios (in this case Viacom's Paramount and News Corp's FOX) are involved.

For Harvey Weinstein, the crisis is in the scheduling. Never mind the "glut of indies" argument that arises at virtually every gathering of insiders from the indie community. Harvey is battling for screens with Hollywood. "The distribution schedule looks like a mine field combined with a chess board, and its just taking unbelievable skills to be able to dance through that particular situation," Weinstein commented. Obst interjected, "And its driving up marketing costs enormously -- the only way you can compete with a glut of movies is by a glut of marketing."

The ever-probing Frost attempted to steer the conversation to the studio-specialty system that recently saw the addition of a new company at Paramount. "Do you feel that people are sort of copying you Harvey, to try an exploit the cheaper picture?" Weinstein responded plainly, "I feel like Israel and everybody is the six Arab nations." Frost replied, "Do you feel like Netanyahu or Peres?" Harvey concluded, "I feel a bit more like Peres, but we have a good Air Force ..." Next question.

With regard to the way that specialty pictures are being distributed, Peter Bart quizzed Weinstein about the possibility of taking the old "roadshow" approach. "A picture like the 'English Patient' arguably could have opened in one city, charged reserved seats, had an intermission -- it needed an intermission -- there maybe some argument in returning to that...how do you feel about that?"

"I've got 'Cinema Paradiso'," Weinstein explained, "We actually have the director's cut -- which contrary to rumor we didn't cut, it was actually cut by his French producer -- and I think we're going to experiment with that -- because its three hours and ten minutes -- and put an intermission in and see what that does."

"I agree with Michael," Weinstein added, "One of the great things about going to the movies is its so democratic. You just go into the theater. Everybody pays the same price. Its one of the last bastions where there isn't a corporate box and you don't have to feel excluded -- its just so accessible -- which is why its the more popular medium, so I don't want to lose that. But I think when a movie is really long sometimes maybe you can make a special presentation and that way you subsidize the one performance a night that you can get...and I disagree with Peter -- I thought the 'English Patient" was just fine and it grossed $200 million dollars around the world.

Finally, a topic that was on the minds of many on the panel was reactions to Seagram Chairman Edgar Bronfman's comments earlier in the day suggesting that tickets for bigger budget movies should be sold at a higher price. "Rubbish," Polygram's Michael Kuhn stated when asked by Frost for his reaction. He continued, "When I make a movie such as 'Bean', which is coming off a 250 million gross around the world -- it cost 17 million dollars -- why should I be paid less. Because people enjoyed it just as another movie that grossed $250 million and cost $70 million to make. I think its a complete nonsense of an argument." Agreeing, Viacom's Dolgen quipped, "It would have one interesting benefit -- you would actually have the studio lying to up the cost of their film."