The BFI opened its doors last week to some of the UK’s sharpest creative minds to discuss the issues and opportunities that 3D film-making presents. Headlined by Ang Lee and David Attenborough, the two day event took an in-depth view of the vast creative possibilities 3D is opening up to enhance the art form of film since the advent of digital film-making techniques.
DCM’s Commercial Director, Joe Evea, took his place on a panel dedicated to “Making 3D Sell” alongside Luke Beauchamp from Compendium Media, James Stewart from Geneva Films and panel chairman Danny Edwards, editor of Shots magazine. Read more
Six months ago, DCM embarked on the most significant change in the history of cinema advertising. It has been an ambitious and challenging journey and its successful implementation has been made possible by the support and commitment of all DCM’s exhibitor partners nationwide.
With your help, cinema advertising can now compete with other media on a level playing ground as a faster, more flexible, even more creative advertising option. Read more
DCM welcomes the Curzon Eastbourne to its estate following its conversion to digital last year, the latest innovation in the cinema’s 93 year history.
Originally named the Picturedrome, the historic site opened its doors in 1920, when it showed silent films accompanied by piano until the advent of talkies in the 1930s. Widescreen and cinemascope took over in the 1950s before the arrival of Dolby sound in 1967 when the cinema changed its name to the Curzon. Read more
Last week, Twentieth Century Fox was the first major studio to release a trailer tailored for Vine, Twitter's six second video service.
The Vine trailer was the first glimpse of the movie, due for release 26 July. With a predicted box office of £15m in the UK, The Wolverine is set to continue the commercial success of the X-Men franchise, which has now taken over $1b worldwide. The audience are predicted to be predominately affluent males, aged between 25-34. Read more
The Croods was the big Easter winner, easing just 6% (when previews are removed) to £3.3m and a very healthy ten day total of £10.6m. This is ahead of the animation benchmark set by Brave 3D last year.
G.I. Joe: Retaliation 3D was the best performing newcomer, easily outstripping the first GI Joe film with £2.8m (including £890k from previews). Read more
Film director Martin Scorsese has made an impassioned plea for young people to embrace the rich cinema heritage of America before it disappears.
The 70-year-old Oscar-winning director of films such as Raging Bull, Goodfellas and Taxi Driver, was delivering the annual Jefferson Humanities lecture at the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts in Washington. Read more
Hello Exhibitors,
Here we are coming towards the end of March and with no sign of spring appearing on the horizon. I am wondering where spring has gone. In spite of the cold, perfect cinema going weather, admissions in February dipped 8.8% to14m. Read more
Although May to July is traditionally known as Summer blockbuster season, this year sees an unusually high number of upmarket arthouse releases. Coming out on the same weekend as Iron Man 3 (April 26) are two all-star features with a strong comedic slant. Bernie earned a Golden Globe nomination for Jack Black’s performance and is a black comedy about a mortician who strikes up a friendship with a wealthy widow. The Look Of Love reunites Steve Coogan with director Michael Winterbottom (24 Hour Party People, The Trip) and tells the story of Paul Raymond who was once the richest man in the UK and known as the King of Soho.
A week later sees the return of one of Europe’s most distinctive auteurs, Pedro Almodovar, with comedy set aboard an airliner, I’m So Excited. Mud was a hit at Cannes last year and with Matthew McConaughey experiencing a career renaissance, expect a strong performance from May 10. Read more
The Croods 3D proved a prehistoric sized hit this weekend opening with a sizeable £5.4m (including £1.9m from previews). The Friday to Sunday total of £3.5m puts it just behind Oz: The Great And Powerful in fourth place in the biggest opening weekends of the year. 44.9% of The Croods’ gross came from 3D presentations.
Another big family film opened in second spot as fantasy epic, Jack The Giant Slayer 3D debuted with £1.6m. Although that’s a disappointing start, the upcoming Easter holidays should provide a boost. Oz: The Great And Powerful 3D made it a trio of family films in the top three as a further £1.3m took its cume to £10.1m. Read more
Congratulations to the Gala Cinema in Durham on its conversion to digital last week.
The centrepiece of Durham’s arts programme, the Gala Theatre, is situated in a beautiful, purpose-built, £15m building on the banks of the River Wear in the heart of this historic city. The venue houses a state-of-the-art modern theatre, spacious and comfortable café-bar, two cinema screens and superb conference facilities. Read more
DCM Tuesdays made it to event number ten this week and celebrated with our biggest screening yet. In conjunction with the inaugural London AdWeek, we screened stylish Brit thriller Welcome To The Punch to a packed audience at the May Fair Hotel and preceded it with a Q&A with the film’s producer Rory Aitken.
Punch is a muscular action thriller that makes fantastic use of its stunning London locations. Performances from the British cast, including James McAvoy, Mark Strong, Andrea Riseborough and David Morrissey, are strong and the ambition shown by a group of young British film-makers (this is director Eran Creevy and producers Ben Pugh and Rory Aitken's second feature film) should be given the highest praise. Read more
Oz: The Great And Powerful 3D had a solid hold at the top of the box office, easing just 30% to £2.6m and a cume of £7.7m. Alice In Wonderland also experienced a decline of 30% on its second weekend. A solid hold suggests strong word of mouth for Oz and bodes well for the coming weeks.
Side Effects was once again in second place, easing a very strong 16% with £759k for a cume of £2.3m. Over the next couple of days it will overtake the final total of Steven Soderbergh’s last thriller, Haywire, which finished on £2.34m. The highest new entry in third spot was stylish London-set thriller Welcome To The Punch with a well-known cast, including James McAvoy and Mark Strong, debuted at £460k. Read more
