If you want to talk about movies in Lethbridge there’s probably no one better qualified than The Movie Mill’s Leonard Binning. The Movie Mill just celebrated its 20th anniversary of providing entertainment to Lethbridge audiences. I made some popcorn and popped these questions for Len. Or is it, I popped some popcorn and made these questions? Either way, here you go:
Do you have any recollection of the first movie you ever watched?
JAWS – in the big Paramount theatre with my sister and brother n law. Still remember the head rolling out of the bottom of the boat. I would not even go in a swimming pool for a year after!
How many movies do you watch in a given year?
In theatres, upwards of 150+. On TV that number grows by another 100.
What’s the biggest challenge for an independent movie owner like you?
Having no clout – being the little guy left to look for scraps. No national advertising or promotion – it is all us (word of mouth, social media, etc.)
What’s the biggest advantage?
Flexibility and the ability to find and showcase the scraps
Movie pirating is a huge problem. Where are we at with that in Canada?
Some progress has been made in recent times. Canada used to be an international joke – breeding grounds for huge piracy operations. Now the copyright laws are getting some teeth whereby the law can go after the end users.
There are those who say that the “The Interview” controversy was actually created by Sony. You have inside information about that.
The data breech/hack was/is definitely real. My contacts at Sony are still without computers and emails. We have had to step back a few generations and use telephones! The blame onto North Korea and the terrorist threats appear to have been somewhat of a red herring to try and deflect attention to the real source. As a publicity stunt – it failed financially, as an opening weekend at Christmas on 3,000 screens would have brought Sony north of $30 million rather than the $15 million they earned through VOD revenues. They have also jeopardized their relationship with the major theatre chains (National Association of Theatre Owners – NATO).
Could a movie theatre exist without the concession stand?
Not any more – film companies take anywhere from 50-90% of each and every ticket sold, leaving an un-sustainable amount to cover other operating costs and generate a profit.
You have a history of giving a break to local wanna-be Stephen Spielberg’s by showing their movies in your theatre but I’m sure you have a standard. Or do you?
My standards are one of appropriateness to the community. I weigh out the subject matter, the source (institution, student, etc.) and at the end of the day if they want to rent out a theatre for their own private showing that is almost always a possibility.
Do you have any criteria for bringing in a movie or is your mindset, “If people want to see it, I’ll bring it in?”
I ask two questions – (1) is it worth seeing or critically acclaimed, and (2) will it at least break-even?
Your top pet peeves of movie theatre goers are…(I’m guessing cell phones are a big one.)
General lack of respect for others and self. People talk to themselves, to each other and on cell phones. They arrive late. They kick seats. They text. They are often complete pigs (you would be disgusted to see the state of the theatre floors after some visits). The list goes on…
What changes have you witnessed technologically in the theatre business?
Sound has made probably the greatest improvement. Of course digital presentation has cleaned everything up (no more scratched prints), but perhaps at the expense of the true art of film. 3D technology has advanced to the point where it is quite convincing – when done right. Better comfort – leather seats, high back, rockers, cup holders, more leg room – all make for a better experience.
What’s your credo for making sure your costumers have a good theatre experience?
What do I value as a movie-goer. I try to always think as a consumer first.
You attend regular “movie conventions.” What are they like, what do you learn?
They are a lot of fun, but quite exhausting. We are “wined and dined” by the film companies trying to woo us into playing their pictures and spend money making the experience better. We really are the main marketing arm for them. We often screen movies well in advance of release, and view exclusive product reels of upcoming films. Often stars and directors are in attendance to introduce and pump up the hype. The big problem is that the days start at 8am and do not end until often midnight – that does tend to wear you out. I am NOT complaining!
Would you rather watch an Adam Sandler movie that makes you laugh but is critically panned or would you rather watch something artsy that is critically acclaimed?
Depends on my mood – often I find the critics are high on some mind altering substance. There are days when I just want mindless entertainment and there are times when I want to experience something special.
You’ve told me you just can’t stand Nicholas Cage. Have you found a movie where you actually liked his performance?
National Treasure – however I think it may simply be the role was just that good, and not necessarily him.
You are a rich movie producer and you’ve gotta have your favorite actor in your movie. Who are the top 3 on your call list?
Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey and Al Pacino – closely followed by Robert DeNiro and more recently Matthew McConaughey.
Same question but you need the actress to go along with him.
Meryl Streep, Judy Dench and Charlize Theron.
Tough one: Name your top 5 favorite movies of all time.
Empire Strikes Back, Shawshank Redemption, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, The Usual Suspects and (my wife will hate me for saying this one) – Monty Python and the Holy Grail,
In your opinion, are there too many movie award shows?
Yes
As you gaze into your movie crystal ball, where do you see the industry in 10 years?
We are a shrinking industry unfortunately, however I believe that people will still value a night out at the movies simply to escape the day to day routines. We will see 3D without the need for glasses and I think that all of our senses will be stimulated more fully (sight, sound, smell, touch) – comforts will continue to increase, and hopefully cell phones will be outlawed!
Thanks Len. We’ll see you at the movies!!
Mark Boogieman 