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It's a shame they won't see what they're fighting for. |
Posted on 01/21/2006 6:21:27 PM PST by Jet Jaguar
Officials: Film’s absence due to timing, not subject matter
“Brokeback Mountain,” the movie about a gay cowboy love affair that recently won four Golden Globe awards and is expected to be in the Oscar hunt, will not play in any U.S. military theaters in Europe.
And not because it’s a gay cowboy love story.
The movie, which has received almost universally glowing reviews and was the nation’s top grossing film per theater last week, suffers from the same problem that kept many of last year’s Academy Award winners — “The Aviator” and “Sideways” among them — out of AAFES theaters: It was released late in the year by a small, independent movie studio.
When the Army and Air Force Exchange Service selects first-run movies, films from independent studios usually aren’t considered, said John Walters, AAFES motion picture program manager.
Arrangements for first-run movies, shown on military bases within two weeks of their stateside openings, require that distributors send AAFES 11 prints of the film. But movies such as “Brokeback Mountain” — which open on a relatively few screens, unlike blockbusters like “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” and hope to build momentum — do not have an adequate number of copies.
Distributors send prints to theaters in New York, Los Angeles and Seattle, where they think they can maximize profits — not to AAFES, where ticket prices are far less, Walters said, and the audience demographic more challenging.
“There’s a big investment on the distributors’ part. It’s a gamble,” he said. “In the last eight years, I don’t think there’s ever been an independent offered on a first-run.”
“Brokeback Mountain” is being shown on 683 screens in the U.S. By contrast, “Narnia,” a major studio release, is showing on 3,224 screens.
“All the major studio first-runs are pretty much available,” Walters said. “Walk the Line” was a first-run. “Casanova” was a first-run. “The Chronicles of Narnia” generated a lot of discussion and it was on the first-run program, he said.
In addition, AAFES chooses its first-run movies two months in advance, hoping for a movie with broad appeal, based on “studio buzz,” before it can be known how well the movie is received, either by audiences or reviewers.
The timing has to do with advertising. AAFES advertises first-run movies 30 days in advance, Walters said, unlike most theaters, which advertise their offerings only a week or so in advance. Why AAFES must advertise so early, Walters said, “is the million-dollar question.”
If a movie such as “Brokeback Mountain” or “Sideways” does pick up momentum and opens on more and more screens, more prints become available from the distributor, including those that have left stateside theaters for newer movies. Those movies may then appear at AAFES theaters — if they’re deemed to have wide AAFES customer appeal — some weeks or months later, in what AAFES calls regular release.
But if the movie becomes available within 30 days of its home video and DVD release, AAFES doesn’t book it. While “Brokeback Mountain” is due for an April DVD release, theoretically it could be selected for regular release. But, Walters said, “I’ve already committed to movies up through April for Europe.”
The Navy has no plans to show the film at its theaters either. According to its policy, it does not select for presentation any movie that is more than seven weeks old, according to Ron Rossman, director of the Navy Motion Picture Service.
“Brokeback Mountain” is currently in its sixth week of release.
I set em Batman Begins and Spiderman II.........
http://www.soldiertomovies.org/
Thanks!
Awww....they are going to be so disappointed (/sarcasm)
Sheepherders are NOT cowboys.
My spinal column It was!
You've just given me new insight into the old western term, sodbusters.
Good!
I have some friends past and present in the military. I can tell you this, they wouldn't watch Broke Back Mountain if you hog tied them to a chair and sewed their eyelids opened.
It was the nation's top grossing gay cowboy film last week!
The military and gays don't mix well...
I can't think of a bigger lie than saying Brokeback is popular with normal audiences. It is definitely a "specialty" film.
"Grossing" is a very good word choice for this film.
I'll bet the guys over seas are grateful it's not coming their way! Whew!
Here's the deal: NO ONE wants to see two homosexuals in a love story. The love scene, I've heard, is so violent that's it's almost a rape scene. Ain't dat just terrific? Just what our troops want to eat their popcorn with. Yuck.
Speaking from the experience of an AAFES movie goer...let me set the stage for what happens when a "first run" movie is shown.
1) AAFES announces that on "such and such a date" an AAFES theater will be showing a certain movie, for arguments sake, lets say any Harry Potter movie.
2) The movie usually shows on a Friday night, the ticket office will open for "early ticket sales" at 1500-1630, a non-working friend will go buy a bunch of tickets for the rest of us.
3) We show up about 30 mins prior to show-time and there is still is a huge line for tickets!
Bottom line: Don't think anybodies unemployed spouses will be showing up early for early tix sales or there will be any long lines 30 mins prior!! to see "Bareback Mtn"
VERY cool graphic.
It should be simply because it is a gay movie. Gay movies should be banned in all public theaters. Homosexuality is inherently obscene and should only show in "adult" theaters which cater to such tastes.
Agreed.
Our media has lied to us yet again.
You're not shocked, are you? I'm not. Lol.
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