Mitzi Peirone Weaves a Surrealist Horror Standout with Braid

Horror is looking good in Braid, the creepy, gorgeous first film from writer/director Mitzi Peirone. Out in theaters this Friday, the film stars Imogen Waterhouse and Sarah Hay as a pair of women who, in desperate need of money, decide to drop in on—and steal from—their rich childhood friend. Only one problem: the friend, played by Cam’s Madeline Brewer, is obsessed with a game of make-believe the trio used to play as children. Three rules: Everyone Must Play. No Outsiders Allowed. Nobody Leaves. Peirone plays with time, story, and reality itself, crafting an intoxicating blend of genres that reads like a surrealist Sofia Coppola film mixed with...

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Kinepolis and RealD Announce New Multi-Year Partnership on 3D equipment

PRESS RELEASE Kinepolis and RealD announced a new partnership on RealD 3D equipment and 3D glasses in France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain and Luxembourg. Kinepolis will use RealD 3D equipment in all its venues to create a premium 3D cinema experience to customers across all its territories. The contract was signed as part of a wider deal to include Landmark in Canada. Eddy Duquenne, CEO of Kinepolis Group, said “this long-term partnership with RealD will enable us to introduce a uniform, industry leading 3D system in all our territories. It has always been our goal to create the ultimate movie experience for our customers and ever evolving technology, including mind-blowing 3D, contributes significantly to that experience. We believe movies like ‘Alita: Battle Angel’, ‘Avengers: Endgame’, the upcoming ‘Star Wars: Episode IX’ or family entertainment like...

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Trailer Impact: ‘LEGO Movie 2’ Posts Highest Recall at 25.5%; ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Posts Most Interest in a Cinema View at 76.2%

February’s animated sequel and April’s superhero sequel lead our two main metrics this week. Top Three Trailers with Highest Recall Score Among Moviegoing Audiences Moviegoers tell us the trailers they most recall seeing at their most recent visit to a cinema, among films opening in the next 10 weeks. The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part Warner Bros. Friday, February 8 25.5% of moviegoers (359 respondents) saw and recalled this trailer this week. That’s a new peak, up from 20.7% last week and a prior 24.7% peak. It spends its sixth consecutive week in the top three on the recall metric, and its fifth non-consecutive week at #1. Chris Pratt and Elizabeth Banks star in this animated sequel about the adventures of the popular building-block toys. Captain Marvel Disney Friday, March 8 21.1% of moviegoers (298 respondents) saw and recalled this trailer this week. That’s...

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Weekend Forecast: Miss Bala and They Shall Not Grow Old Open on Slow Super Bowl Weekend

The dead zone of late January will reach its nadir this weekend as the box office endures another lull due to the lack of high profile new releases combined with the effects of Sunday’s NFL Super Bowl game. Despite the success of films like Dear John ($30.5 million), The Woman In Black ($20.9 million), Chronicle ($22.0 million), and Warm Bodies ($20.4 million) between 2010 and 2013 (not to forget Taken‘s $24.7 million in 2009 and Hannah Montana‘s $31.1 million in 2008), it’s been six years since any new release earned more than $13 million (2017’s Rings) on SB weekend. In contrast to the increased adoption of year-round scheduling for blockbusters, this has become a weekend studios have increasingly avoided. That six-year streak isn’t likely to change this year as Sony is the only new entrant...

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Retail Design Collaborative Teams with Maya Cinemas for Las Vegas 14-Plex

PRESS RELEASE – Long Beach, CA – January 30, 2019: Retail Design Collaborative today announced the grand opening of a new multiplex in North Las Vegas by Maya Cinemas, a circuit providing family-oriented entertainment to underserved, Latino-dominant communities. The complex features a 14-screen movie theater designed in a contemporary style of architecture. It is the chain’s sixth location in the United States. Retail Design Collaborative served as the architect of the project. The cinema’s ground and mezzanine levels are 72,000 square feet, designed with 14 screens and 1,605 seats that fully recline, along with accessible seating areas. The lobby adds an additional 10,000 square feet and includes a variety of amenities such as a bar, concessions, a game area, guest services and a party room. Additional private viewing rooms were also designed on the mezzanine level. “We...

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UltraStar Multi-tainment Center at Ak-Chin Adopts Imagination Park’s Augmented Reality

PRESS RELEASE – Vancouver, Canada – January 29, 2018: Imagination Park Technologies Inc. today announced that the UltraStar Multi-tainment Center at Ak-Chin Circle, an enterprise of the Ak-Chin Indian Community, will implement a new futuristic augmented reality (AR) campaign from Imagination Park. Imagination Park enables UltraStar customers to point their phones at logos, signs, posters and landmarks to view or retrieve coupons, messages, videos and more. Customers just need to download Imagination Park’s XenoPlay AR mobile browser app from the app store to open up a new world of interactive entertainment digital options while inside the multi-tainment...

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Gold Medal Adds New Branch Location in Allentown, PA

PRESS RELEASE For popcorn, cotton candy, Sno-Kones®, and all your concession food favorites, businesses can now rely on the newest branch location for Gold Medal Products Co., Gold Medal – Mid Atlantic. Formerly operating as Kloss Fun Foods, Gold Medal – Mid Atlantic will serve as the region’s expert resource for concession equipment and supplies. Gold Medal’s vice president of branch operations and sales, Pete Bakala feels this new addition represents a significant opportunity both regionally and locally. He says, “Gold Medal is excited to be in Allentown. Not only does it provide a valuable regional presence, it is an outstanding local community where we look forward to building and growing relationships.” Gold Medal – Mid Atlantic is located at 7566 Morris Court, Suite 310 in Allentown, PA. Its showroom features a variety of product lines including popcorn poppers,...

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Cielo and Cinemaxx Partner for Digital Management of Theater Operations Across Indonesia

PRESS RELEASE – Miami, USA & Jakarta, Indonesia – January 30, 2019: Cinemaxx Global Pasifik, Indonesia’s fastest-growing movie theater network and part of Lippo Group, has selected Cielo, a leading platform in analytics, remote monitoring and automated support for the cinema industry, as its partner of choice for digital management of the entire Cinemaxx circuit in Indonesia. Founded in 2014, Cinemaxx operates 45 theater complexes with 235 screens and growing across Indonesia. As part of their growth expansion, Cinemaxx identified Cielo’s machine-to-machine (M2M) technology as a turning point in theater operations, allowing them to proactively manage their business with mobility and real-time visibility. Lance Gil, VP of global sales for Cielo Cinema, said, “We are extremely proud to have been selected by Cinemaxx to deliver our enterprise monitoring solution in Indonesia....

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K-Pop Concert Film Sets Event Cinema Record for Single-Day Global Box Office

French event cinema distributor Pathé Live will be bringing back BTS concert film WORLD TOUR LOVE YOURSELF IN SEOUL for additional screenings on February 9 and 10. The encore follows the title’s record-setting debut on January 26, in which it reportedly achieved the highest one-day box office for an event cinema release by registering 1.2 million admissions and $11.7 million in global box office. February’s encore screenings will be available in ScreenX at participating locations in 15 territories. The title is the largest worldwide event cinema release recorded, with 4,100 participating locations across 102 territories. It fared particularly...

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Celebration Cinema’s John D. Loeks to Receive 2019 NATO Marquee Award

The National Association of Theatre Owners will honor John D. Loeks, chairman of Studio C, with the 2019 NATO Marquee Award during this year’s CinemaCon, it was announced today by Mitch Neuhauser, managing director. CinemaCon, the official convention of NATO, will be held April 1-4, 2019 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Loeks is being recognized by NATO for his dedication, commitment and service to the motion picture theater industry. He will receive his industry tribute as part of CinemaCon’s “State of the Industry: Past, Present and Future” presentation on Tuesday morning, April 2. “John Loeks’ role in the exhibition industry defines leadership. This humble gentleman from Michigan had the vision to create the Global Cinema Federation and unite exhibitors around the world, while never forgetting the role of the independent theater operators,” said John Fithian, president...

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Cinemark to Open New 14-Screen Location in Waco, Texas

PRESS RELEASE PLANO, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jan. 29, 2019– Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK), a leader in the motion picture exhibition industry, announced plans to build an amenity-packed, 14-screen theatre in the new Cottonwood Creek Market development in Waco, Texas. Located at the intersection of I-35 and Loop 340/Hwy 6, the theatre is part of a 143-acre, master planned, mixed-use center developed by NewQuest Properties and is scheduled to open in the spring of 2020. “We are proud to work with our long-time partner, NewQuest, to bring the Waco community the ultimate moviegoing experience with our new Cinemark location coming soon to Central Texas,” said Mark Zoradi, Cinemark’s CEO. “With our Luxury Lounger recliners, XD auditorium and more, Cinemark will give guests the opportunity to enjoy the newest films in one of the most innovative viewing environments.” All...

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Majid Al Futtaim Opens First VOX Cinemas Multiplex in Jeddah at Red Sea Mall

PRESS RELEASE – Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, January 29, 2019: Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas, the dedicated cinema arm of Majid Al Futtaim, the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia today opened its first VOX Cinemas multiplex in Jeddah. The ceremony was attended by government officials, including the chief executive officer of the General Commission for Audiovisual Media, Bader Al Zahrani, and the executive teams of both VOX Cinemas and Red Sea Mall. In 2018 VOX Cinemas announced its plan to develop 600 screens over five years and today confirmed that 110 screens will be operational in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by the end of 2019. Moreover, three new cinemas will open in Riyadh within the first quarter of 2019. In addition to the Red Sea Mall Jeddah, VOX Cinemas is planning to launch its deluxe experiences in Al...

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The Wizard of Oz 80th Anniversary Screenings Break $1 Million at the Box Office

PRESS RELEASE DENVER – January 28, 2019 – The Wizard of Oz, the inimitable 1939 musical-fantasy, grossed over $1 million at the domestic box office on Sunda –the first day of a limited 80th anniversary re-release–setting a new record for Fathom Events as the highest-grossing single-day classic film presentation in the company’s history. The Wizard of Oz was No. 8 at the domestic box office on Sunday with just two showtimes in nearly 700 cinemas nationwide. The 80th anniversary presentation of The Wizard of Oz also had the highest per-screen average of any film in wide release that day. The Warner Bros. feature is the first film in Fathom Events’ yearlong 2019 TCM Big Screen Classics series, which is presented in partnership with Turner Classic Movies. Two encore screenings–one on Tuesday, January 29, and one on Wednesday, January 30–were previously scheduled,...

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Sony R608, GDC SR-1100 Receive DCI Compliance

PRESS RELEASE HONG KONG, January 29, 2019 – Professional Solutions China of Sony (China) Ltd.(“Sony”) and GDC Technology Limited (“GDC”) today announced Sony’s SRX-R608-DS dual 4K laser projection system integrated with GDC’s next-generation SR-1100 integrated media block (IMB) completed the full range of tests necessary to receive compliance from Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI). As a result of receiving DCI compliance for this latest projection system, exhibitors are positioned to capitalize on the continuing advancement in laser and high dynamic range (HDR) technologies with a high-end, reliable product designed for small theatres. The test...

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Boxoffice Breakouts: 10 Movies That Could Make a Big Impact in 2019

Captain Marvel Friday, March 8 Disney Directors: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck Cast: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson Marvel Comics’ first female lead aims to emulate rival DC Comics’ Wonder Woman, a smash at $412.5M. Captain is already Fandago’s third-highest pre-seller ever among Marvel films, behind only Avengers: Infinity War and Black Panther—which become the company’s two biggest titles. This title is poised to be one of Q1’s biggest box office earners.  Avengers: Endgame Friday, April 26 Disney Directors: Joe Russo, Anthony Russo Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner Avengers: Infinity War was last year’s...

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Studio Weekend Estimates: ‘Glass’ Remains No. 1 w/ $19M; ‘Kid Who Would Be King’ Takes 4th w/ $7.2M

It was a slow frame for new releases at the North American box office, allowing last weekend’s champ Glass to stay on top with an estimated $19 million. Meanwhile, freshman entries The Kid Who Would Be King and Serenity opened soft, The Upside remained strong thanks to continued positive word of mouth, and a crop of Oscar nominees either increased their screen counts or made their way back into theaters. Remaining No. 1 for the second weekend in a row was Universal’s Glass, which fell 52% from last weekend’s $40.3 million three-day opening. That’s a much steeper second-weekend drop than 2017’s Split, which dipped roughly 36% to $25.6 million after opening to about the same amount in January 2017. That film, of course, was much better-received critically and seems to have benefitted from positive word-of-mouth. Glass now has $73.5 million in the bank after ten days...

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Weekend Estimates: ‘Glass’ Repeats ($17M+); ‘The Upside’ Holds Up ($10.4M+); ‘Kid Who Would Be King’ & ‘Serenity’ Debut Modestly; ‘Green Book’ Shines Among Oscar Noms

As expected, Glass is on track to repeat at the top of the box office in its second weekend. The M. Night Shyamalan trilogy-capper earned $4.98 million on Friday, down 69 percent from opening day last week. That brings the film’s eight-day haul to $59.5 million, just under Split‘s $59.6 million total and 18 percent ahead of Unbreakable‘s $50.6 million through the same points, respectively. Current weekend projections stand around $17.3 million. The Upside continues to represent one of the new year’s early bright spots as it posted another $3.1 million yesterday, down just 26 percent from last Friday and giving it $54 million earned in 15 days. STX expects a third frame between $10 million and $10.4 million, although we’re a bit more bullish at $11 million with the lack of competition from football on Sunday. Debuting noticeably below expectations,...

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Long Range Tracking: Jordan Peele’s Us

One of early 2019’s most buzzed-about new releases is the focus of our long range report this week, filmmaker Jordan Peele’s anticipated follow-up project to 2017’s Get Out. UsOpening Weekend Range: $35M – $55M PROS: Jordan Peele shot to immediate star director status with the wildly successful Get Out two years ago, which bowed to $33.4 million and legged out to $176 million domestically — earning praise from audiences, critics, and award guilds alike. The first trailer has been strongly received since debuting at Christmas, earning more than 13 million views on the first day from Peele’s Twitter announcement post. The studio’s decision to delay the film’s release until after a premiere at SXSW in March could serve to drum buzz up even higher. Horror/thriller films have remained reliable box office draws in recent years, and this is undoubtedly the first...

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Christie RealLaser Powers Charity Screening of ‘A Dog’s Way Home’ in Taipei

PRESS RELEASE – TAIPEI, Taiwan – January 25, 2019: Over a hundred dog owners and their pets from all over Taiwan recently converged on Songshan Cultural and Creative Park for a charity premiere of the Hollywood film A Dog’s Way Home. The Sony release tells the story of Bella, a dog who embarks on an epic 400-mile journey home after she is separated from her beloved human. Organized by film distributor A Really Happy Film and Taiwan Dr. Dog Program, the premiere screening was powered by the Christie CP2320-RGB pure laser projector featuring RealLaser technology and CineLife electronics platform. It was installed by Christie’s Taiwanese partner,...

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Christie RealLaser Showcased at Charity Premiere of A Dog’s Way Home in Taipei

PRESS RELEASE TAIPEI, Taiwan – (January 25, 2019) – Over a hundred dog owners and their pets from all over Taiwan recently converged on Songshan Cultural and Creative Park for a charity premiere of the Hollywood film, A Dog’s Way Home. It chronicles the heart-warming adventure of Bella, a dog who embarks on an epic 400-mile journey home after she is separated from her beloved human. Organized by film distributor A Really Happy Film and Taiwan Dr. Dog Program, the premiere screening was powered by the Christie CP2320-RGB pure laser projector featuring RealLaser technology and CineLife electronics platform. It was installed by Christie’s trusted...

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