Shillin’ for da Man (the Regal Way) Dept.: I hate to devote an entire column to a gripe session, but a recent piece in Variety all but demands some sort of pre-emptive action on the part of theatregoers. Regal Entertainment Group, owners of Regal theatres like the Metropolitan and others here in Austin, have announced a plan to “create 20 minutes of ‘pre-show’ ads and program shorts prior to the advertised start time for its feature films.” According to last Wednesday’s Variety.com, Regal co-CEO Kurt Hall was quoted as saying, “I hope the line between entertainment and advertising will begin to blur,” a statement that all but insures Regal patrons will be forced to watch endless reels of lame Pepsi ads and similar soul-sucking pablum before they’re able to catch the film they’d like to see. A ballsy move on Regal’s part to be sure, and one that would no doubt boost their faltering revenues, but also one that would make the current moviegoing experience that much more derivative and annoying. After all, it’s not like you can change the channel or hijack the projection booth à la Adbusters. What to do then? Why not call the Knoxville, Tenn.-based Regal home office and tell ’em you think the idea stinks. The number is 423/922-1123, and, like most publicly traded corporations, they always like to hear from their adoring public. So give ’em a piece of your mind on this one, unless, of course, the idea of perpetual Xbox ads before each and every moviegoing experience is somehow appealing to you. ‘Nuff said… Casting News: Dennis Quaid will re-team with his The Rookie director John Lee Hancock for The Alamo. Quaid is set to play Sam Houston — a role, curiously, once earmarked for Russell Crowe.
This article appears in November 22 • 2002.