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I arranged last week to get Spiderman on the 24th for a week. It was a done deal. I tried a couple days ago to get it a week earlier and agreed to play it for two weeks. She said she wouldn't know until Monday. Now the studio rep called and said I can only get it on the 24th and have to play it two weeks at 70/50. Heck, if I wanted to play it at 70% I would have opened it for the darn four weeks they wanted. I have never paid 70% for anything other than opening week. But I want the darn movie. If I agree to their terms what's to stop them in the future from continuing the practice?

Come on you're the only game in town. Tell them that you would be glad to play it on the 24th for one week at 50% or you would be perfectly willing to wait a month until the terms are better. Make them want you not the other way around. Turn on the feminine charm. I have a friend in Telluride who gets the Miramax Christmas movie on the break for 50% just because Miramax wants that screen every Christmas.

Burney: I think you have just run up against ego. If they were going to deal nicely with you they would do that BEFORE the movie opened. Since Spidey opened so well - I think better than THEY expected - they will be very difficult to deal with on Spidey and any other movie for a while. It takes a little humbling before they can see your point of view again.

Maybe they are getting impressed with your grosses. We've paid a lot of 70's for first weeks! Make that "best week"! It sounded like an okay deal to me! 2 weeks? Sounds good. Make the deal!

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Mike Hurley
www.bigscreenbiz.com