Full Transcript for Pressure, Wicker, Dune, Avengers: Special Guest Shaun from Beachside Cinemas Takapuna

00:01:48.319 --> 00:01:49.920 Dell, did you get a chance to see it? 00:01:50.159 --> 00:01:52.319 My wife and I are going to see it this weekend. 00:01:52.560 --> 00:01:52.959 Excellent. 00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:56.400 So, guys, if you haven't seen the film Pressure, it is a fantastic film. 00:01:56.480 --> 00:02:06.400 Uh, follows General Dwight Eisenhower and a guy called Captain James Stag as they face an impossible choice about launching the most dangerous invasion in history, which is the D-Day invasion. 00:02:06.480 --> 00:02:11.199 And of course, they had to get the weather right, two higher C's, it was all gonna go horribly wrong. 00:02:11.439 --> 00:02:13.919 And the film has been pretty solid. 00:02:14.000 --> 00:02:23.199 It didn't probably meet expectations, but I think realistically, folks, we've had so much on our plates, and everybody's been watching what's going on overseas with elections. 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:25.280 But look, the film was fantastic. 00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:27.840 Brent, let's talk about the numbers. 00:02:28.080 --> 00:02:30.400 Brent, you you threw a big bit out. 00:02:30.479 --> 00:02:32.960 You said it was going to do$463,000. 00:02:33.439 --> 00:02:35.840 I'm an eternal optimist when it comes to movies. 00:02:36.240 --> 00:02:40.080 You definitely are, and we can talk about that a little bit more after I reveal what happens next. 00:02:40.240 --> 00:02:47.520 Okay, so I obviously went in a little bit more pessimistic, um, just based on what's been going on recently, and put in$220,000. 00:02:47.759 --> 00:02:51.919 Now, Sean, I don't know if you know what the value was of the box office last week. 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:55.280 I don't know if you already had a sneaky look, but have you have you checked it out? 00:02:55.360 --> 00:02:56.400 Do you want to throw in a number? 00:02:56.560 --> 00:02:58.080 Yeah, I can throw in a number now, can I? 00:02:58.240 --> 00:02:58.560 Yeah, yeah. 00:02:58.719 --> 00:02:59.919 Well, what hell else do you think it played? 00:03:00.080 --> 00:03:02.479 To be honest, I actually just cheated and checked anyway. 00:03:02.560 --> 00:03:05.360 So um I can tell you, Ross, you were the closest. 00:03:05.439 --> 00:03:08.080 I think 500 was always going to be ambitious. 00:03:08.319 --> 00:03:09.680 I think it's a solid fill. 00:03:09.840 --> 00:03:12.639 I think it's really well presented, well acted. 00:03:12.719 --> 00:03:16.639 But I always like those kind of it it's a true, obviously it's based on true event. 00:03:16.719 --> 00:03:20.560 Um, so you're sitting there kind of going, I'm not sure do they actually land? 00:03:20.639 --> 00:03:21.919 And I mean, I'm sure I know this. 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:24.000 Like it's actually a fact, it happened. 00:03:24.159 --> 00:03:30.159 Um, but the thing I got out of it was a lot of the work they put in prior to the landing. 00:03:30.319 --> 00:03:34.400 There was some things in there I didn't know about and some fairly horrific things,

actually. 00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:36.479 So yeah, I found it really informative. 00:03:36.639 --> 00:03:37.599 Love the acting. 00:03:37.759 --> 00:03:39.520 Yes, I I would recommend it. 00:03:39.599 --> 00:03:44.159 I I agree it's probably softer than it deserves, as many movies are. 00:03:44.400 --> 00:03:47.759 But yeah, it's it's uh it's a very good movie, and I am glad I saw it. 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:48.400 Absolutely. 00:03:48.479 --> 00:03:49.680 And look, I I agree. 00:03:49.759 --> 00:03:56.319 The film, the film's really good, it's it's underperforming, but I thoroughly recommend it if you if you're interested in this history. 00:03:56.479 --> 00:03:57.439 I know I'm like you, Sean. 00:03:57.599 --> 00:04:00.319 I saw the movie, and I'm I guess Brent will be the same. 00:04:00.560 --> 00:04:06.479 Right from the get-go of the movie, you learn something that I was never really taught in history books about the D-Day landings. 00:04:06.560 --> 00:04:09.120 So it's actually um quite surprising. 00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:11.439 And I've had customers come out who have said the same thing to me. 00:04:11.520 --> 00:04:19.600 They and these are senior citizens who are in their 80s and it was during grew up through this era, um, and even British people, and they're saying, I never knew that. 00:04:19.680 --> 00:04:20.959 That was never told to us. 00:04:21.199 --> 00:04:28.800 So look, the film pulled in a respectable uh$159,000, it put it at which actually put it at number two in the country, Brett. 00:04:28.879 --> 00:04:34.240 So uh very low, but but that's how slow the industry is right now. 00:04:34.399 --> 00:04:38.800 Um, when a number two film in the country makes 200 or 150 grand. 00:04:39.040 --> 00:04:43.360 I mean, we see films come out with the big blockbusters and they'll make a million dollars in a day. 00:04:43.439 --> 00:04:44.959 So that's a very low number. 00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:54.240 But again, number two in the country, it did struggle, but I think that it is all down to the pressure of the pre-election, it's the run up to Christmas. 00:04:54.399 --> 00:05:04.959 Um, and people are just, you know, we're all putting$4 gas in our cars at the moment, so it's pretty understandable that things like restaurants and cinema, and you know, we are a luxury item, and we understand that. 00:05:05.040 --> 00:05:08.079 So, you know, we just have to roll with it and it'll be fine. 00:05:08.240 --> 00:05:11.360 Now, the film did actually pull a bit more money from the 159. 00:05:11.600 --> 00:05:15.839 It actually did 177k, but we do not count the advanced box office. 00:05:16.079 --> 00:05:20.560 So, um, yeah, let's uh let's see what could happen as we go forward. 00:05:20.639 --> 00:05:22.639 But that's uh it's a pretty good number. 00:05:22.800 --> 00:05:27.600 Like I said, I just I'm disappointed for the industry because you know I think that film deserves better. 00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:29.279 So again, get out and see it, folks. 00:05:29.439 --> 00:05:33.360 Sean, we're gonna have a bit of a chat about the industry and how things are going at your cinema. 00:05:33.519 --> 00:05:35.279 Tell us a bit about the cinema that you're at. 00:05:35.439 --> 00:05:36.879 Uh, we're in Takapuna. 00:05:37.120 --> 00:05:39.920 We're on a site that we've been on for 116 years. 00:05:40.079 --> 00:05:43.120 So as people know, cinema's been around for a long time. 00:05:43.360 --> 00:05:47.360 Yeah, Ross will probably know more about the building than I do because he used to work there. 00:05:47.519 --> 00:05:50.720 But um, I do believe it was Hoyt's head office at one stage. 00:05:50.959 --> 00:05:55.839 I know it was one of the first to get digital uh cinemas in, digital projection in. 00:05:56.079 --> 00:05:58.560 Yeah, it's just we're a boutique kind of cinema. 00:05:58.879 --> 00:06:00.959 We've got uh some very nice layout. 00:06:01.360 --> 00:06:09.519 We're trying to trying to offer uh a service that perhaps the big chains aren't offering, trying to be a little bit more customer focused. 00:06:09.759 --> 00:06:12.959 And perhaps, uh I mean, this is I'm quite new to the industry. 00:06:13.040 --> 00:06:16.319 This is only the third year we've been operating. 00:06:16.480 --> 00:06:19.360 Um, so we're still making a lot of our contacts and stuff. 00:06:19.439 --> 00:06:32.319 But we uh perhaps our niche is probably our independence in that we did uh Dock Edge a month ago, and from that, and we we had already started doing it, but we're doing a lot more kind of independent films. 00:06:32.480 --> 00:06:37.120 We're getting approached by a lot of people to show their not their homemade films, I suppose. 00:06:37.199 --> 00:06:44.959 They're actually production films, but we're getting actors, cast members in to come and watch the the releases that are coming out. 00:06:45.040 --> 00:06:49.759 We got to show Black Sheeps as a as a preview to the cast and and producers. 00:06:50.160 --> 00:06:59.120 This month alone, we've got seven, two, uh, two features and five short films that we're showing to people who've made their own film. 00:06:59.279 --> 00:07:01.199 So we're doing that. 00:07:01.360 --> 00:07:07.439 We're struggling like many, but we've actually managed to grow this year on last year, and we grew last year on the year before. 00:07:07.600 --> 00:07:17.600 So reversing the trend, maybe, but yeah, still a a a battle to to get profitable and and rich that I hoped to do. 00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:21.680 At the moment, it's that legacy how to make a small fortune from a cinema is to start with a large one. 00:07:21.839 --> 00:07:28.879 Hey, but I have to say that at your cinema, and I went and saw the premiere of Revenge of the Sith. 00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:39.360 The movie company did the premiere in Takapuna, and I remember going along, and it was our local because I worked in Takapuna for over a decade, and it was always the cinema we went to. 00:07:39.439 --> 00:07:40.160 We just

loved it. 00:07:40.240 --> 00:07:44.160 So you've you've got a great building and you've got a great product there, that's for sure. 00:07:44.399 --> 00:07:57.360 I certainly know that um a lot of other owners, when they come along, are quite jealous of the lack because the building's purpose-built, where a lot of people with independence have you know legacy buildings, that they're one big screen that they've now chopped up into multiple sites. 00:07:57.439 --> 00:08:03.600 So this building was knocked down in '99, I think, and rebuilt in 2001 as a as a four-screen cinema. 00:08:03.759 --> 00:08:08.800 And so, yeah, so we've just been doing that and yeah, just spending money upgrading things. 00:08:08.959 --> 00:08:14.319 We've got new sound systems and new processors and laser projectors and new servers going in. 00:08:14.399 --> 00:08:16.639 So And you've had a bit of a rough run though, Sean. 00:08:16.879 --> 00:08:17.600 Let's be realistic. 00:08:17.680 --> 00:08:19.120 Uh uh, because I know this. 00:08:19.279 --> 00:08:22.639 Um, you you had a few issues when you first took over the business, didn't you? 00:08:22.800 --> 00:08:27.120 It's no secret, we took over on the 22nd of December 2022. 00:08:27.360 --> 00:08:34.720 And on the 31st of December 2022, I got a phone call from the staff saying there's six fire engines and the police have closed off the road. 00:08:34.879 --> 00:08:38.159 So we had an electrical fire that never came into the building. 00:08:38.240 --> 00:08:40.879 So, as far as I'm aware, that the place has had two fires. 00:08:40.960 --> 00:08:42.799 None of them have ever actually come into the building. 00:08:42.960 --> 00:08:44.320 But it took out the guttering. 00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:46.399 Long story short, we managed to get everything open. 00:08:46.480 --> 00:08:48.159 We're open on New Year's Day. 00:08:48.320 --> 00:08:53.360 A lot of people were very impressed that we soldiered through the whole night, got the place rewired and reopened. 00:08:53.600 --> 00:08:58.559 Certainly had that feeling, some people were like, Oh, you know, you've done really well to soldier through this and keep going. 00:08:58.639 --> 00:09:11.759 And some people are kind of going, hey, well done, but we paid full price and you know, your floor's wet from where the firemen put the fire out because it took out the internal guttering, and so anything that didn't go up and steam came through into the building as water. 00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:16.559 Uh, and then we had the insurance guys come and investigate what happened, and they pulled out the temporary guttering. 00:09:16.720 --> 00:09:21.200 And if anybody knows anything about January 23, that was the floods in Auckland. 00:09:21.360 --> 00:09:24.799 So the guttering didn't go back as watertight as it should have been. 00:09:24.879 --> 00:09:30.639 So we had water coming in the third floor of the building and coming out the first floor of the front doors. 00:09:30.879 --> 00:09:33.759 Look, everything takes the positives. 00:09:33.840 --> 00:09:39.039 We got an insurance payout that managed us to refit out the whole concessions area, the entrance. 00:09:39.120 --> 00:09:44.559 We got new carpets, we got new speakers out of that, redid all the bar area. 00:09:44.720 --> 00:09:49.919 Under insurance policy, we we were only allowed to replace exactly how it looked. 00:09:50.240 --> 00:09:59.679 But we've got new carpet with a slightly different colour, we've got new paint on the walls with a slightly different colour, new coffee machines, new pizza ovens, new fridges, freezers. 00:10:00.159 --> 00:10:04.159 Yeah, so look, we bought it as a going concern. 00:10:04.879 --> 00:10:07.440 Oppenheimer and Barbie came out that year. 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:10.080 We were closed until November 23. 00:10:10.240 --> 00:10:13.519 We had a soft open the end of November and really got going first of December. 00:10:13.679 --> 00:10:17.360 So that's why I kind of say I've been in the industry for three years, but I've owned a cinema for four. 00:10:17.679 --> 00:10:26.080 But look, I I know that when you first got into the industry and you and I were chatting, and um you you and I were chatting quite a lot during that period because you were sitting there going, what the heck? 00:10:26.240 --> 00:10:28.080 And I was like, welcome to cinema ownership. 00:10:28.159 --> 00:10:34.399 It it only gets better or possibly worse, but you know, it's it's still a fun industry. 00:10:34.480 --> 00:10:40.000 And uh, you know, I I I think that all those trials and tribulations aside, I think you're still enjoying it, aren't you? 00:10:40.159 --> 00:10:48.799 Yeah, I was thinking about that today as I was thinking what I was gonna talk about, and yeah, I mean it 99.9% of the industry and and the people are is actually fun. 00:10:48.879 --> 00:11:01.279 You know, it's fun working out what movies you're gonna put on, and I quite, you know, I can have just as much fun from a day where someone's come to every movie I've scheduled, and I go, yeah, I've got the movies that people want to see and they've come along. 00:11:01.600 --> 00:11:05.360 Uh you know, I love Spider-Man and Minecraft when we sell out. 00:11:05.679 --> 00:11:09.440 You don't really have to worry about scheduling, you just put it on as often as possible. 00:11:09.679 --> 00:11:13.679 So yeah, I mean it is obviously you'd like to make more money than less. 00:11:13.759 --> 00:11:17.600 Um, but at the same time, we want to show movies we like. 00:11:17.759 --> 00:11:19.200 We're we're family-oriented. 00:11:19.519 --> 00:11:24.000 We like people that like art house, like movies that actually make you think. 00:11:24.159 --> 00:11:28.480 We will show my preference is June of the ones that are coming out. 00:11:28.639 --> 00:11:30.559 I did just see Hunger Games, the new one. 00:11:30.639 --> 00:11:34.639 So I've got that a couple of weeks before it's released, and that is very good. 00:11:34.960

--> 00:11:37.279 My brother is the biggest, biggest. 00:11:37.519 --> 00:11:38.240 She cannot wait. 00:11:38.320 --> 00:11:39.600 She's already bought her ticket. 00:11:39.679 --> 00:11:40.639 So is it good? 00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:41.679 Were you impressed? 00:11:41.919 --> 00:11:44.000 Hunger Games, yes, very much so. 00:11:44.240 --> 00:11:50.000 Um and you know, uh, you get a lot of people criticizing movies because they they don't live up to what they want. 00:11:50.240 --> 00:12:05.279 Hunger Games is a sci-fi futuristic fantasy movie, but it does tie in the emotional commitment between the characters, you know, the the storyline it fits in between the last one and before the first three. 00:12:05.519 --> 00:12:08.080 If you can, yeah, it's a bit like Star Wars that way. 00:12:08.240 --> 00:12:10.720 Um, but it does tie things together very nicely. 00:12:10.960 --> 00:12:17.200 The action is quick, the special effects are there, the storyline's honest and true to what it was. 00:12:17.360 --> 00:12:22.320 So and I, you know, I gotta say, it had a little tear just in the first half. 00:12:22.399 --> 00:12:25.600 I can't actually remember what it was about, but I was like, I'm surprised about that. 00:12:25.840 --> 00:12:32.240 And then yeah, the the finishes people that like hunker games will go and go, yep, that was a really good. 00:12:32.559 --> 00:12:34.240 You don't have to know the storyline. 00:12:34.480 --> 00:12:40.639 It it helps for the for the geeks in the in the Cinephiles, but it's still a standalone good movie. 00:12:40.799 --> 00:12:43.039 But within that franchise, it's very good. 00:12:43.200 --> 00:12:46.399 And on our next podcast, Brenda, I think it's our next one, we'll be doing the Hunger Games. 00:12:46.480 --> 00:12:48.000 Uh so we'll be trying to guess the box office. 00:12:48.159 --> 00:12:55.759 And I can I already think that that's gonna be uh a turning point for um our industry because that is a franchise that will just pick right up. 00:12:55.840 --> 00:12:59.519 Um, yes, people say that and they go, Oh, yeah, but this movie might be a bit boring. 00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:06.240 But I think that this one in particular, there is a built-in audience for this film, and um they will probably come out and have a look at it. 00:13:06.320 --> 00:13:10.559 Because uh, I think the last one, I think everybody thought the last one was gonna be a bit rubbish, and it wasn't. 00:13:10.639 --> 00:13:12.320 It was okay, it was a good watch. 00:13:12.399 --> 00:13:13.519 So yeah, we'll see what happens. 00:13:13.600 --> 00:13:14.240 It'll be really interesting. 00:13:14.320 --> 00:13:17.519 But yeah, hey, that's interesting, Sean, because uh I didn't get to that screening. 00:13:17.600 --> 00:13:23.840 I I got invited, but I couldn't, I just honestly, if I'm honest, I couldn't justify the petrol to drive to Auckland. 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:25.759 But never mind, never mind. 00:13:25.840 --> 00:13:29.039 Uh next year, there's always next year, it's always gonna be better next year. 00:13:29.200 --> 00:13:33.360 So you know, look, we'll carry on with uh talking about the films that are coming out this week. 00:13:33.519 --> 00:13:38.639 So um, you know, some of these films, Sean, you will have and some you won't have, but that's okay. 00:13:38.879 --> 00:13:41.360 We'll we can sort of chop and change as we go. 00:13:41.440 --> 00:13:46.240 But um, the first thing we've got at Carrie Carry is we've got a very special question and answer event. 00:13:46.320 --> 00:13:53.519 Now, we just had one two nights ago for a film called 500 Days in the Wild, which was fantastic. 00:13:53.600 --> 00:13:58.720 And Deanne, who Deanne Whelan, who was the filmmaker, she came along, did an amazing QA. 00:13:58.879 --> 00:14:04.720 And so we've been very spoiled this year with QAs and having um stars and cast and directors coming to our cinema. 00:14:04.799 --> 00:14:05.759 It's been fantastic. 00:14:06.000 --> 00:14:12.080 And next week we've got another one for a film called, which is a documentary called Beyond the Gnome Seas. 00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:23.679 And it's a story about the forgotten blood and salt water-soaked uh history of modern whaling or sorry, modern whaling in New Zealand in pre-colonial times. 00:14:23.759 --> 00:14:26.320 So this is before Britain had taken over. 00:14:26.559 --> 00:14:31.919 Um, they the the Americans were down here trading with the Māori up here in Russell and Pie here. 00:14:32.240 --> 00:14:42.960 Um, and Carolyn Fitzgerald, who's the filmmaker, has made the film, and she's going to be coming along uh next week on the 11th to Cafe Cinemas and um doing a QA with the people. 00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:46.720 And you know, these QA events they seem to go really, really well. 00:14:46.879 --> 00:14:54.000 We've got um we had almost 100 people to the one the other night, and I'm expecting we'll get about a hundred people to this one as well. 00:14:54.159 --> 00:14:57.440 And that's a pretty solid number for a town of 8,000 people, you know. 00:14:57.600 --> 00:15:02.240 So I think this is something that she's developing, and so don't be surprised, Sean, she knocks on your door. 00:15:02.320 --> 00:15:06.799 I think I did actually mention that your site would be a good one to go to if she wants to do it in Auckland. 00:15:06.960 --> 00:15:09.200 But I'll uh I can send you more info on that. 00:15:09.759 --> 00:15:17.120 So then we've got in the new movie that kicked off this week, Brent, which is just out of the British and Irish Film Festival, which is Wicker. 00:15:17.279 --> 00:15:18.879 Wicker, what is going on with this? 00:15:19.120 --> 00:15:20.080 What is going on with Wicker? 00:15:20.559 --> 00:15:21.600 It's everywhere. 00:15:21.919 --> 00:15:23.200 Wicker is everywhere. 00:15:23.360 --> 00:15:31.120 I know that Weta made the Wicker Man, um, so I'm getting all the posts from that, but boy, oh boy, never has a Wicker Man been so popular, I

reckon. 00:15:31.360 --> 00:15:34.799 Oh, he's he's a hunky uh woven bloke, isn't he? 00:15:35.039 --> 00:15:40.879 Um so look, that film is uh screening at selected cinemas around New Zealand. 00:15:40.960 --> 00:15:47.519 It's a story about a fisherwoman uh played by Olivia Coleman, who is a bit smelly and is always being ridiculed by the town. 00:15:47.679 --> 00:15:59.279 And she decides that she's going to um basically get herself a husband, because everybody always criticizes her about how she's single, and she goes to the basket weaver and says, Look, could you make me a husband out of Wicca? 00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:00.159 Which he does. 00:16:00.320 --> 00:16:04.639 And being a bit of a fairy story, he is um obviously comes to life. 00:16:04.879 --> 00:16:18.000 And uh let's just say that the the rest of the town's women suddenly become very, very jealous because all they can hear at night is a lot of screaming coming from the Wicker Man's bedroom, and the Wicca woman seems to be perpetually tired, shall we say? 00:16:18.240 --> 00:16:25.759 And uh I honestly I've had so many people, our daytime audience, the senior citizens, they've been coming to it in droves. 00:16:25.840 --> 00:16:27.200 They absolutely love it. 00:16:27.440 --> 00:16:28.399 It's hilarious. 00:16:28.639 --> 00:16:30.480 Olivia Coleman's always a draw card. 00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:32.159 Sean, are you showing Wicca? 00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:36.879 Yes, yeah, but uh we don't get to play with the British and Irish Film Festival. 00:16:36.960 --> 00:16:42.720 We've got a very nasty competitor just a kilometer down the road that people like going to, so get on him. 00:16:42.879 --> 00:16:43.519 He's doing well. 00:16:43.759 --> 00:16:47.519 Um, yeah, so we I really liked it. 00:16:47.679 --> 00:16:51.519 I um, you know, we do we do we talk about the positive movies. 00:16:51.759 --> 00:16:55.440 This one I was expecting to be quite raunchy given the trailer. 00:16:55.600 --> 00:17:07.039 It's not as raunchy as the trailer, but the storyline behind it and the people, you know, it kind of starts off that the guys seem a little bit inadequate and it kind of finishes with the women being a little bit inadequate in terms of what's happening. 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:14.400 It's uh Livia Coleman's definitely getting niche or or pigeonholed on on doing movies where the language is uh colourful. 00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:23.200 There's certainly some conversations in there, referencing uh some slang terms to some actions that makes it interesting to sit. 00:17:23.359 --> 00:17:28.319 So the the conversation is quick, it's pacey, the storyline is not hard to follow. 00:17:28.559 --> 00:17:32.240 It covers it covers a multitude of emotions. 00:17:32.480 --> 00:17:33.200 So that's good. 00:17:33.279 --> 00:17:35.680 And I think that's that's really why people are talking about it. 00:17:35.920 --> 00:17:48.480 They come out and they go, actually, it's a little bit quirky, but it's it's nice to sit and and it's very good, solid entertainment, and people like the fact that uh what what are they looking for in relationships? 00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:51.599 Like most good movies, there's a relationship aspect to it. 00:17:51.759 --> 00:17:53.680 So yeah, I have enjoyed watching it. 00:17:53.759 --> 00:17:54.960 I do recommend it. 00:17:55.119 --> 00:18:03.039 Yeah, at the moment there's um a multitude of films that are out that are very, very good, and I don't think box office will do any of them justice. 00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:10.880 Yeah, the next one on my list is Wild Horse Nine, because um that opened uh yesterday, and this is another really good, solid looking film. 00:18:11.039 --> 00:18:29.920 So basically, Wild Horse Nine is about these two CIA agents in 1973, just before the Chilean coup, and they're played by John Malkovich, the perennial John Malkovich, and Sam Rockwell, and they are sent to Easter Island by their bureau chief, who basically says, Hey, you need to go down there and sort some other things out. 00:18:30.079 --> 00:18:34.559 And one of the uh one of the CIA agents, who's a bit uh aging, shall we say, Mr. 00:18:34.640 --> 00:18:39.759 Malkovich, his partner, the younger guy, is basically said uh you know, he doesn't leave the island. 00:18:39.839 --> 00:18:41.680 So there is this sort of a thing now. 00:18:41.839 --> 00:18:45.279 Um the film was written by the guy who did Banshees of Insheren. 00:18:45.519 --> 00:18:47.440 Again, really pacey, really fun. 00:18:47.680 --> 00:18:50.960 A there's a lot of sort of skullduggery going on. 00:18:51.039 --> 00:18:56.160 It's got Steve Buscemi in it, uh, Sam Rockwell, Pakaposey, she's in it. 00:18:56.319 --> 00:19:09.279 Um, yeah, so it's got it's got a really good solid cast, and I think Wild Horne is one of those sleeper hits that people in the know will go and see because everybody, again, everybody who's walked out of it so far has told me how wonderful it is. 00:19:09.359 --> 00:19:11.839 And I was going to go and watch it tonight, but I had to do this. 00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:12.960 This was more important. 00:19:13.039 --> 00:19:14.559 So I'm gonna watch it tomorrow. 00:19:14.799 --> 00:19:21.759 Look, in in terms of ticket sales, Wick is beating Wild Horne, and I'm surprised because Wild Horne had very good publicity. 00:19:22.079 --> 00:19:24.240 I prefer Wild Horse Nine. 00:19:24.720 --> 00:19:34.000 It's the the conversations uh are very good between you know the two characters, and and you get why it's set on Easter Island. 00:19:34.319 --> 00:19:39.200 Um, and which so the scenery itself is magical, you know, it it it it covers that off. 00:19:39.359 --> 00:19:47.279 Like I said, there's a there's a bunch of movies out at the moment that I think are very good, and you know, we already discussed pressure again, another uh period drama. 00:19:47.440 --> 00:19:53.039 But Wicker and Wild Horse Nine, good stories, good, good, good, good, good ideas put together

very well. 00:19:53.359 --> 00:19:55.359 I want to ask a question to both of you. 00:19:55.680 --> 00:19:58.799 How much interest in Dune and the Avengers? 00:19:59.119 --> 00:20:03.200 For us, Avengers has certainly sold more tickets up front. 00:20:03.839 --> 00:20:06.480 The one that's really surprised me is you can see everything. 00:20:06.720 --> 00:20:10.000 I think that's that's coming out next week. 00:20:10.240 --> 00:20:12.640 Uh, but Avengers has perhaps sold more tickets. 00:20:12.880 --> 00:20:15.440 In terms of my interest, June. 00:20:15.599 --> 00:20:22.799 I'm a I'm uh love the whole the book series, I love the movies, even the ones that people hated 20 years ago. 00:20:23.039 --> 00:20:35.039 Yeah, so I'm and and it when you say about you know independence doing things or or being a little bit small, so we've got the three of them playing together, so set that up as a uh double feature or triple feature. 00:20:35.200 --> 00:20:44.559 So I'm I whether I'm the only one in the cinema or not, I'm gonna sit down and watch Dune 1, Dune 2, and then at five minutes past midnight when I'm allowed to play, Dune 3 is gonna start. 00:20:44.720 --> 00:20:45.279 Wow, okay. 00:20:45.359 --> 00:20:46.000 Well that's great. 00:20:46.400 --> 00:20:47.200 This is the thing. 00:20:47.359 --> 00:20:49.519 This is what I love about independent cinema. 00:20:49.599 --> 00:20:50.480 You can do that, right? 00:20:50.559 --> 00:20:53.200 Yeah, you can do it doing things different for the public. 00:20:53.440 --> 00:20:55.359 Yeah, you were saying about your QA as well. 00:20:55.440 --> 00:20:57.599 Like, we we don't do a lot of QA's. 00:20:57.839 --> 00:21:01.519 And and part of it is about building that customer base that come along to it. 00:21:01.599 --> 00:21:03.920 But we just did Mighty Mary. 00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:14.720 So again, friends said, Oh, that they've just made this documentary about the first women-only entry into the America's Cup, 1986, I think it was. 00:21:14.960 --> 00:21:19.759 Um, and this is back when America used to have their own races, and then the challenges had their series. 00:21:19.839 --> 00:21:29.680 And so Mighty Mary was entered as an American challenge, and they well, I can I can give it away because um it's a documentary for a start, so you can look it up. 00:21:29.920 --> 00:21:33.279 Um, they you know, everyone was like, Oh, can women match it? 00:21:33.440 --> 00:21:34.160 What's gonna happen? 00:21:34.319 --> 00:21:34.880 All these things. 00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:39.599 The first entry they went into for a competition, they beat everyone, including Dennis Connor. 00:21:39.680 --> 00:21:44.640 And actually, in the America's Cup and the Challenger series, they were leading that or all winning it. 00:21:44.720 --> 00:21:48.079 And they should have actually had the right to have the race off for the final. 00:21:48.240 --> 00:21:51.200 But watch the documentary, there's a few stories around it. 00:21:51.359 --> 00:21:59.839 But again, when you have those QA's, uh Leslie Eggnott, New Zealand sailor, I subsequently found out, born in America, she was the skipper on the boat. 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:05.039 So she came along and and and did the the QA and spoke about the movie. 00:22:05.279 --> 00:22:11.119 And so you're there and you're like, you love and Pete Montgomery's there because you know North Shaw and all those guys are around. 00:22:11.279 --> 00:22:19.039 And she made a big point of thanking Alistair, her sailing coach, when she was a seven, eight-year-old starting off in Optimus and P class. 00:22:19.440 --> 00:22:26.880 And you caught it, it it does make you feel a little bit emotional that you're able to tell these stories or help these people tell these stories. 00:22:27.440 --> 00:22:35.680 So many people learn so many things about it, but suddenly Alistair's being thanked by 200 people as well for you know his contribution. 00:22:35.839 --> 00:22:38.319 All these documentaries, all these things just add to it. 00:22:38.400 --> 00:22:43.200 So yeah, I do recommend anyone who sees a QA go along. 00:22:43.759 --> 00:22:47.359 You learn so much about what people are doing, and it's so inspiring. 00:22:47.599 --> 00:22:48.400 Oh, absolutely. 00:22:48.559 --> 00:23:02.480 And I I I love doing the QA's as well because um, you know, again, we you often I used to feel like we're little towns get looked over and little cinemas used to get looked over, and all these people used to go to the big the big dogs, you know, um the Hoitzers and the events and what have you. 00:23:02.720 --> 00:23:13.200 Um But what I find now is and through you know through effort and and also people are really starting to swing behind the independent voice of cinema. 00:23:13.359 --> 00:23:24.720 Um and I know that talking with some people who've just come through here in the last couple of months, they would prefer to work with the independent cinemas just purely because it's easy and and they feel more at home. 00:23:24.880 --> 00:23:27.680 They don't feel like it's a a struggle for them. 00:23:27.759 --> 00:23:31.039 And this is nothing against the the big box cinemas, you know. 00:23:31.119 --> 00:23:36.480 This is just that you can really get a rapport going with people when you're actually one-on-one with them. 00:23:36.559 --> 00:23:46.480 And you know, um I've I've spent time with these people while they're waiting for the mood to finish and we had drinks or we've had a dinner and we just chatted, and then we they go in and do the QA afterwards, and and that's just really fun. 00:23:46.640 --> 00:23:49.119 I I enjoy it, I thoroughly enjoy what I do for a living. 00:23:49.200 --> 00:23:50.160 It's fantastic. 00:23:50.480 --> 00:23:52.319 Brad, scores on the board. 00:23:52.480 --> 00:23:54.640 Let's just talk very quickly about scores on the board. 00:23:54.880 --> 00:23:56.160 Yes, that was a win for me. 00:23:56.319 --> 00:24:01.440 That's four in a row, um, which

puts it to 15 wins to me and 11 wins to you. 00:24:01.680 --> 00:24:07.680 But mathematically, you still have the ability to catch up, just like I did to you last year. 00:24:07.839 --> 00:24:21.519 Okay, because we've still got Wicca, we've still got oh, we've got Wicca this week, we've got Hunger Games, we've got the Ray Gun movie, and then we're doing two movies on the last show, which is uh just before Revengers and Dune, which we would reconcile next year if necessary. 00:24:21.680 --> 00:24:24.160 So you do have a mathematical chance to get there. 00:24:24.400 --> 00:24:39.119 And so far, box office prediction-wise, Bren, you've predicted$22,167,000, and I've predicted$20,985,000 for the whole year, and the actual number is$21,082. 00:24:39.519 --> 00:24:43.359 So you've missed by just over a million, and I've missed by 97 grand. 00:24:43.759 --> 00:24:47.119 So accuracy-wise, I'm still taking that as a massive win. 00:24:47.279 --> 00:24:57.039 We're gonna do a quick box office guess for Wicker, and uh Sean, you are more than welcome to put an uh a guess in here, but if you get it right and you beat us, we will never let you on the show again. 00:24:57.119 --> 00:25:00.559 For Wicca, I I I've I've never forecasted by a week. 00:25:00.640 --> 00:25:03.920 I've always kind of looked at it and gone, what do I think it's gonna do for the whole lot? 00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:07.759 And I it deserves better than what it's gonna do. 00:25:08.400 --> 00:25:09.759 We're just in that period at the moment. 00:25:09.839 --> 00:25:13.839 I was thinking 750 to a million probably is what it deserves. 00:25:13.920 --> 00:25:17.279 I think it'll do between the five and 750 all up. 00:25:17.519 --> 00:25:22.559 And if it does that, I'm expecting it to do 200k in the first week. 00:25:22.799 --> 00:25:24.799 I think the election's gonna go through. 00:25:24.880 --> 00:25:26.319 I don't that that's not such a big thing. 00:25:26.480 --> 00:25:28.400 Petrol prices might sort themselves out. 00:25:28.480 --> 00:25:33.200 There's a few people missing$30,$40 out of their pocket each week as they go fill up the cart. 00:25:33.759 --> 00:25:40.640 I just get the I really hope I get the feeling that people are just over it a little bit and summer's coming. 00:25:40.799 --> 00:25:48.079 We're gonna have a warm summer, and I think people are just gonna go out and just have a bit more of a bit more fun than they have the last couple of years. 00:25:48.240 --> 00:25:48.720 All right, buddy. 00:25:48.799 --> 00:25:50.079 Well, so what number are you putting in? 00:25:50.480 --> 00:25:52.559 I feel like you're just dancing around the head of a pin here. 00:25:52.720 --> 00:25:55.680 I was gonna go 200, I'll go 225 for the first week. 00:25:55.920 --> 00:25:58.000 225, 235,000. 00:25:58.160 --> 00:25:59.839 Okay, Brent, do you want to throw a number in? 00:26:00.079 --> 00:26:01.359 Yep, 350. 00:26:01.599 --> 00:26:02.400 350. 00:26:02.720 --> 00:26:06.960 You guys, I I personally think you guys are really low, and I'm I'm gonna be really optimistic. 00:26:07.119 --> 00:26:09.519 I'm gonna say the film does 650. 00:26:09.599 --> 00:26:10.559 Uh, you know what? 00:26:10.720 --> 00:26:12.160 Yeah, uh 675. 00:26:12.240 --> 00:26:13.119 I'm sticking with it. 00:26:13.200 --> 00:26:14.559 Um I'm going hopeful. 00:26:14.720 --> 00:26:16.319 650, 700,000. 00:26:16.400 --> 00:26:18.640 If it did that, I would be very, very happy. 00:26:18.880 --> 00:26:23.200 The the thing that's gonna count against it, it is not it's a great movie, people should go see it. 00:26:23.279 --> 00:26:29.359 But you've got Wild Horne, you've still got pressure going, you got the younger people going to watch Primetime. 00:26:29.519 --> 00:26:32.960 There's it's a it's two years since the Rider's Strike, isn't it? 00:26:33.039 --> 00:26:41.759 And I think actually what you're seeing is a lot of very good movies are hitting the hitting the screens now, and actually there's a there's a a glut of very good stuff. 00:26:42.079 --> 00:26:44.640 Thanks for listening to Eat Sleep Movie. 00:26:44.799 --> 00:26:51.920 Repeat, repeat a movie podcast available at Bug Sprout, Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.