{"id":16630,"date":"2011-10-11T21:25:40","date_gmt":"2011-10-12T02:25:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.filmbuffonline.com\/FBOLNewsreel\/wordpress\/?p=16630"},"modified":"2018-11-20T23:02:26","modified_gmt":"2018-11-21T04:02:26","slug":"indie-theaters-joining-cinemarks-tower-heist-boycott","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.filmbuffonline.com\/FBOLNewsreel\/wordpress\/2011\/10\/11\/indie-theaters-joining-cinemarks-tower-heist-boycott\/","title":{"rendered":"Indie Theaters Joining Cinemark\u2019s TOWER HEIST Boycott"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>It\u2019s looking like Cinemark\u2019s refusal to book the upcoming comedy Tower Heist<\/strong> in response to Universal Studios\u2019 plan to make the film available via Video On Demand services just three weeks after its theatrical opening might just be the opening salvo in a new battle between theater owners and Hollywood studios.<\/p>\n

Yesterday, a group of independent theaters joined with Cinemark in boycotting the comedy which stars Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy. The Los Angeles Times<\/em><\/a> is reporting that Galaxy Theatres, Regency Theatres, Emagine Theatres and a small number of cinema\u2019s representing another 50 screens have all vowed to not screen the film.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just feel it\u2019s a time to draw a line in the sand,\u2019\u2019 said Rafe Cohen, president of Galaxy Theatres, which operates 106 screens in California, Washington, Nevada and Texas. \u201cThis is virtually a simultaneous release that we don\u2019t think will be helpful to anyone. We\u2019re standing on principle that it\u2019s best to preserve the theatrical window.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For its part, Universal is only making Tower Heist<\/strong> available on a total of 500,000 homes in two markets \u2013 Atlanta and Portland,\u2013 at the price of $59.99 as part of what studio execs are calling \u201ca test.\u201d<\/p>\n

But theater owners are seeing the move as just the first crack in a dam that, if burst, would entice audiences to stay at home and not head to theaters to see the latest releases. Theater owners have already expressed anger of a deal that four studios struck earlier this year with DirectTV to make certain titles available 60 days after their theatrical premier for $29.99.<\/p>\n

I anticipate that there will be more theaters announcing their own boycotting of the film in the coming days.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

More opposition to the studio\u2019s plan to push the VOD window even closer to theatrical release dates.<\/div>\n

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