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Friday, January 21, 1983 3
Managers of theaters
pick movie favorites
by Kim Schmidt
Battalion Staff
Mention the Academy
Awards, and speculation be
gins: Who will be nominated?
Who will win the prestigious
Oscar awards.
Of course, everyone has
opinions and predictions re
garding the outcome of the
awards. And they express those
opinions most visibly by attend
ing their favorite movies featur
ing their favorite actors and
actresses.
Based on movie attendance,
several local movie house mana
gers have made their Academy
Award predictions, reflecting
both their own opinions and
those of Bryan-College Station
residents.
E.T. probably has been the
biggest box office draw at area
theaters and is the overwhelm
ing favorite of theater managers
for best picture of the year.
E.T. is one of those movies
that has everything — story,
character developement, and
special effects," said Rick
Atwood, manager of Manor
East III Theaters, explaining his
pick for best picture. "It
appealed to everyone," he said.
Also getting a vote from the
managers for best picture are
The Verdict, starring Paul New
man and Tootsie, starring Dus
tin Hoffman — both big box
office draws.
Newman and Hoffman, not
surprisingly, are also the top
choices for best actor, theater
managers said.
And an actor can be a big
factor in the success of the film.
Oftentimes, managers said,
Staff photos
by
Rob Johnston
Andy Hartman — Post Oak Mall Cinemas
the actor starring in the movie
rather than the movie's subject
matter makes it popular. Some
times the star alone can elevate
film sales.
"It makes no difference what
the film's subject is, but who
stars in the movie for it to sell,"
said Allan Jones of Campus
Theater.
R. J. Narowitz, manager of
Plitt Cinema III at Post Oak Mall,
said movies featuring certain
actors are more likely to sell in
College Station than movies
without those actors.
"A&M people like certain
actors," Narowitz said. "They
usually go for Steve Martin, Burt
Reynolds, or Richard Pryor."
Other actors favored in the
Bryan-College Station area for
best actor by theater managers
are Ben Kingsley for Ghandiand
Richard Gere for An Officer And
A Gentleman.
Meryl Streep was the only ac
tress named by the managers as
a choice for best actress. Her
latest movie is Sophie's Choice.
Managers also agree that the
likelihood of any one movie
sweeping the awards is slim.
"There won't be a sweep this
year," Narowitz said. "The
films are too diversified."
Predictions made by movie
managers and local residents,
however, don't always parallel
the opinions of the Academy of
Motion Picture Arts and Sci
ences.
Managers said some of this
area's biggest box office draws
may not be nominated to win
awards.
For example, some of the tri
ple X-rated movies shown at the
Campus Theater may never win
awards but according to Allan
Jones, a theater employee, they
are the biggest box office draws.
"We have trouble sometimes
keeping the box office open until
midnight (when the triple X-
features are usually shown) be
cause we sell out so quickly,"
Jones said.
Another theater manager
said that serious drama films
rarely draw as big a crowd as
horror movies, especially at the
midnight show.
"For instance, at the mid
night show, if we show a serious
movie, about 30 people will be
there," said Tim Sager, assistant
manager of Plitt Cinemas I and
II. "But if we show Dawn of the
Dead — for the 300th time — we
will sell out."
Other movies that do particu
larly well in the Bryan-College
Station area are action-
adventure type films, comedies,
and science fiction films, mana
gers said.
"Military related films such as
Taps and An Officer and a Gen
tleman also do especially well
because of the military atmos
phere of the area," said Andy
Hartman of Post Oak Mall
Cinema.
Airplane II, Annie, The Toy,
Poltergiest, and Pink Floyd The
Wall were also listed by the
managers as some of the most
popular films in Bryan-College
Station this year.
"But no matter what class the
movie falls into , if it is a quality
movie, it will do well at the box
office," Atwood said.
Allan Jones — Campus Theatre
pages 8 & 9