06-26-86 Agenda & Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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4 Leisurerotarglarkftest June 16, 1986 cal pace of late: the May b.o. slumped TV - MOVIES - VCR to lowest level in 5 years for tickets and dollars. Top film was "Top Gun," which also looks big for June. For 5 months, cumulative b.o. gross was low- Record sales of consumer electronics est in 4 years (Variety) . The reces- are expected in manycategories bythe �ores sion began 11/2 years ago (Dec '84) with Electronic Industries Assn. , which now only short 4-month break last December expects factory sales of everything thru March. from color TVs to compact disk players * * * * * * * * to hit $26.1 billion, up 7% from 1985. _ sIm'r predictions came during the Con- sumer MUSIC, RECORDS & TAPES sumer Electronics Show in Chicago this month. Color TVs and VCRs are among those expected to set records, with stereo TVs taking 20% of the color TV The nationwide controversy over porno- market with 3 million sales. VCR sales graphy caught up with Dead Kennedys to dealers would reach a record 12 mil- rock band, in Los Angeles, for includ- lion units this year; home computers ing a "sexually explicit poster" with will have sales of 4.2 million units their album "Frankenchrist." Lead this year. Camcorders (camera-record- singer Jello Biafra is owner of Alter- ers) will have 1 million in sales this native Tentacle Records, a distributor year and 1.5 million in 1987; that com- of the album; he was charged under his pares to 517,000 last year. real name Eric Boucher. The group ap- pears in court July 3; if convicted, Price declines have boosted sales, and maximum sentence is a year in jail and even the rising yen is not seen as a a $2,000 fine. III major factor. Two announced products Also in Los Angeles,not yet in the U.S. market have raised q , a grand jury in- a flap: a VCR from Samsung of South vestigation is just getting underway Korea has two recording capabilities into purported mob links with the rec- built in, so that rented cassettes can ord business. A New Jersey grand jury is said to be close to issuing • be duplicated. The Motion Picture As- indict- sn. of America has said it will sue if ments; another probe in New York also the VCR is sold here; it would have a is just underway. Counterfeiting of "devastating impact' on the $5 billion records is involved, as are sales of home rental/sales market in cassettes "cutout" records and tapes. MCA sued each year. A VCR from JVC Corp. fea- in March, charging a Pennsylvania firm, tures compatibility for the new 8 mm Scorpio Records, with counterfeiting. format and existing VHS cassettes. * * * * * * * * Prince and the Revolution are perform- Ted Turner is keeping the MGM film li- ing "live' again, despite announcements brary and selling the studio to United that tours were out. A surprise con- Artists for $300 million. Turner had cert May 23 in San Francisco pulled a wanted the films, and bought the compa- sellout crowd of 2,175 on two days po- ny in March for $1.4 billion. Lorimar- tice (Amusement Business, 6/7) . Prince Telepictures is buying MGM's 44-acre may tour this summer; his movie has facility and film lab for $190 million; been held off until fall. UA gets the entertainment company. Liberace grossed $529,268 in 8 shows at How much is a film library worth? HBO the Fox Theatre in St. Louis on crowds is signing a $600 million, 5-year con- of 30,878 (possible 37,320) Bill tract with Warner Brothers for rights Cosby did capacity-plus of 9,000 at to about 125 films. Showtime earlier Carolina Coliseum May 17 on the campus had signed a $280 million deal for 180 of the Univ of So Carolina. Gross was films from Cannon Group, Walt Disney $134,325 on ticket price of $16.50. .. . Productions and Atlantic Releasing. The David Copperfield had a sellout of pay-cable already has an exclusive deal 4,60Q at Ottawa's National Arts Centre, with Paramount Pictures. Showtime lost grossing $62,996 (U.S ) about 300,000 subscribers last year; it has about 8.2 million subscribers, with Frank Sinatra led Amusement Business' The Movie Channel. Both are owned by (5/31) f x Boscoreor a one-night sellout Viacom. d • * * * * : * * * crowd of 13,702 at the Providence (RI) Civic Center. Gross was $334,850 Meanwhile, today's films go begging at Judas Priest, billed with Dokken the box office. Memorial Day weekend or Raven, placed 5 times in the top 20 was a sharp pickup from the lackadaisi- of AB's list that week. A sellout at