Monday, November 17, 2008
Film Bad Milk
Posted by Paul Constant on Mon, Nov 17, 2008 at 3:10 PM
There is a Facebook group trying to keep people from watching Milk at Cinemark theaters. Apparently, the owner of Cinemark theaters donated $9,999 to the Yes on Proposition 8 campaign, and so this group is fighting to make sure that gay and gay-friendly people who can choose other theaters to watch Milk do choose other theaters.
The group's initial goal was to get 1,000 people to join, ensuring that Cinemark will lose at least 10,000 dollars for their anti-gay-marriage stance. They easily passed that mark, and are now trying to get 10,000 people to swear they won't watch Milk on a Cinemark screen. There are only two theaters in all of Washington owned by Cinemark (the Century Federal Way and the Century Olympia) so it won't be so hard for us Washingtonians to watch Milk at other theaters. Slog readers who are from elsewhere are advised to look here to determine if their local theater is owned by Cinemark. I think this is an example of a useful boycott.
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1
Some people don't have a choice of which theater to see it at, and would have to skip the movie all together, which most likely won't make a dent in Cinemarks profit at all, and if anything will hurt the studio more than it will the theater, since most of the money from ticket sales go back to the studio.
3
Lordy, the prick owns every good theater within 15 miles in my county in North California. That's good to know for long term boycotting.
4
If I recall (from the days where my roommate was a cinema manager) theaters don't earn much money, if any, off ticket sales. The majority of their profit comes from concession sales, hence the ridiculous price of the junk they peddle. So if you do see the film at one of this fellow's theaters, don't buy popcorn.
'Course, I could be wrong. I'll research.
'Course, I could be wrong. I'll research.
6
Does it mean it's still OK to see Quantum of Solace at a Cinemark Theater? I think it should be, boycott Cinemark Cinemas period.
7
This is secondhand knowledge, but somebody told me Century Theaters also donated a large sum of money to the Yes on 8 campaign. Uh oh.
8
It would be interesting to see what the actual profits off a ticket sale are in these theaters. If it is actually is little to none it would be better to just have a ton of people go to the showings and boycott the concession stand in the theater. Signs, maybe a big human chain blocking peoples access to overpriced goodies.
9
I saw Milk at the Meridian at last week's advanced showing and it is very good. You should all try to go see it opening weekend to support more films for audiences like this. In the end, as #1 and #4 say, it probably supports the studio more than the theater.
10
Should straight people even read slog anymore? Funny how in times of an awful economy that slog is trying to cater to a very small group of people.
11
I heard a very sad commentary on NPR about how young gay folks don't know or really care who Harvey Milk was, and I was sitting there shaking my head at my idiot generation. Then I find out that I didn't even know there was a movie about him coming out ... tsk, tsk.
12
Well, but that's sort of when this kind of protest is going to be most effective, isn't it? If you're having to fight for every single customer you can pull in, anything that pisses off any of them -- anything that causes you to lose any of your slender, slender profit margin -- is going to be terrifying -- look at the Watermark post, for example.
13
If you want to impact profits, go see the movie the first weekend.
If it's at a theater that gave to Prop 8, then don't buy ANY popcorn or drinks. That impacts them more than the ticket sale.
If it's at a theater that gave to Prop 8, then don't buy ANY popcorn or drinks. That impacts them more than the ticket sale.
14
@10 - I'm straight, and I don't find that my sexuality affects the level of enjoyment I get out of Slog. Maybe it's affects you because you can't find anybody, male or female, to love you?
15
Harvey Milk was a sexual harasser who chastised a straight man.
I don't see why you would want to associate a movement which is calling for equality with a person who willingly used verbal sexual harassment against an innocent member of the Straight Community!
I don't see why you would want to associate a movement which is calling for equality with a person who willingly used verbal sexual harassment against an innocent member of the Straight Community!
16
@15
Perhaps you could share your exact source to prove your claim about Harvey Milk. Otherwise you're just slandering the dead. Being homostupid can't be your only excuse.
Perhaps you could share your exact source to prove your claim about Harvey Milk. Otherwise you're just slandering the dead. Being homostupid can't be your only excuse.
18
@15
Oops! Sorry Mr. Bailo. I didn't realize that you consider Caribou Barbie to be a "hot chick." I should have realized there wasn't much there in your post when you used the phrase "Straight Community." My bad. Homostupid it is.
Oops! Sorry Mr. Bailo. I didn't realize that you consider Caribou Barbie to be a "hot chick." I should have realized there wasn't much there in your post when you used the phrase "Straight Community." My bad. Homostupid it is.
20
during the first one or two weeks of a big release, theatres keep 10% of ticket sales. their share of this revenue stream increases slightly each week thereafter. if a movie stays at the theatre for two or three months, the theatre gets the lion's share of ticket sales.
in any case, the easiest way to hurt the cinema is to bring your own snacks and stay away from the concessions.
in any case, the easiest way to hurt the cinema is to bring your own snacks and stay away from the concessions.
21
@7
Cinemark is the parent company; they also operate theaters under the brand name Century (a chain which they acquired in 2006). So it's the same company.
The theater complex in the Westmark San Francisco Centre is also run by Cinemark.
Cinemark is the parent company; they also operate theaters under the brand name Century (a chain which they acquired in 2006). So it's the same company.
The theater complex in the Westmark San Francisco Centre is also run by Cinemark.
22
Should trolls even read slog anymore? Funny how in times of an awful economy that slog is trying to cater to a very small group of people.
23
John Bailo was a troll harasser who bothered people on Slog.
I don't see why you would want to associate a movement which is calling for equality with a person who willingly used verbal troll harassment against an innocent member of the Slog Community!
I don't see why you would want to associate a movement which is calling for equality with a person who willingly used verbal troll harassment against an innocent member of the Slog Community!
24
See the film and quit worrying who will loose 34 cents.
It is excellent, award material. The Seattle invitation only preview on the 12th was full, full, full.
SGN has a full blown interview with Gus van Sant in its Fri. edition, one of only a few thus far. See, sgn.org.
Reviewed as well.
Penn will get the Oscar, he becomes Harvey Milk half way into the film.
Political murders, Milk and Moscone, on a par with Robert or Jack Kennedy, an amazing true story, we should wish was fiction.
It is excellent, award material. The Seattle invitation only preview on the 12th was full, full, full.
SGN has a full blown interview with Gus van Sant in its Fri. edition, one of only a few thus far. See, sgn.org.
Reviewed as well.
Penn will get the Oscar, he becomes Harvey Milk half way into the film.
Political murders, Milk and Moscone, on a par with Robert or Jack Kennedy, an amazing true story, we should wish was fiction.
25
"Milk" is positioned to become this year's Brokeback with perhaps better results.
John Bailo - you harass people with your words - so how are you different from Harvey? Plus I want to associate with a movement that has no innocent straight members. You Babylon.
John Bailo - you harass people with your words - so how are you different from Harvey? Plus I want to associate with a movement that has no innocent straight members. You Babylon.
26
To commenter #1:
The Facebook protest is ***NOT*** suggesting people not see "Milk".
What they are saying is IF you have a choice of several theaters, join the boycott and buy your ticket at a non-Cinemark theater.
The organizers specifically stated that they understood for some people, Cinemark might be the only game in town, so by all means, if that's the case with you, go see the movie (if you want to). But in those cases, they suggested bypassing concessions, so Cinemark doesn't get any additional dollars.
I think this boycott is a great idea. Especially if people can see how dollars and cents can impact a company's bottom line.
The Facebook protest is ***NOT*** suggesting people not see "Milk".
What they are saying is IF you have a choice of several theaters, join the boycott and buy your ticket at a non-Cinemark theater.
The organizers specifically stated that they understood for some people, Cinemark might be the only game in town, so by all means, if that's the case with you, go see the movie (if you want to). But in those cases, they suggested bypassing concessions, so Cinemark doesn't get any additional dollars.
I think this boycott is a great idea. Especially if people can see how dollars and cents can impact a company's bottom line.
27
"Should straight people even read slog anymore? Funny how in times of an awful economy that slog is trying to cater to a very small group of people."
You know, just about every second of every minute of every day is straight time, sweetie.
Every movie, every ad, every TV show, every image we see every damn day assumes straight privilege and a straight world.
So when you whine, cry and bemoan your existence because the coverage of other people's lives that aren't exactly like yours rises from .00000002% to, gasp, 5 or 10%, I have absolutely NO sympathy for you.
The world does not exist to validate your existence, or your every though, word, or deed. Get over it.
You know, just about every second of every minute of every day is straight time, sweetie.
Every movie, every ad, every TV show, every image we see every damn day assumes straight privilege and a straight world.
So when you whine, cry and bemoan your existence because the coverage of other people's lives that aren't exactly like yours rises from .00000002% to, gasp, 5 or 10%, I have absolutely NO sympathy for you.
The world does not exist to validate your existence, or your every though, word, or deed. Get over it.
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