Chapter 19: Opening Day Box Office
[Chapter 19: Opening Day Box Office]
In the morning, Link worked part-time at a fast-food restaurant. By noon, he took the subway to the Burbank United Theater to check the box office results from the previous day.
"Link, the opening day box office numbers are in. We screened the movie twelve times yesterday and sold 213 tickets. That only accounts for less than 5% occupancy, bringing in a total of $1,110.50, which is far from the minimum guarantee line.. At this rate, running it a few more days won't make a difference. I advise you to be realistic and pull the film now to minimize your losses."
In the theater office, William Mason handed over a sheet detailing the performance of various screening rooms from the previous day along with box office data, including the number of tickets sold at what times and the ages of attendees.
The majority of the audience for Buried fell within the 20 to 50 age range, with a fairly equal male-to-female ratio. The other data were quite disappointing.
"Well, Mr. Mason, I appreciate your input, but the film is already released. We'll run it for a few more days. Even if the numbers are low, I'll consider it a leap of faith."
"Alright, Jerome told me you're a pretty stubborn young man. Just hope you don't end up regretting this decision when the final box office results come in."
"Of course, it's my choice," Link replied.
...
After reviewing the opening day box office report, Link called Jerome Preston to ask about the screenings at the Grove Shopping Center. There were only two theaters showing Buried, but traffic there was heavy, so he hoped for better numbers.
Jerome informed him that there had been eight screenings of Buried at the Grove, selling a total of 442 tickets for a revenue of about $2,807.70. Unfortunately, that ranked dead last among films showing at that time.
Jerome asked how the numbers were at the United Theater.
"Not bad, actually. Given the lack of marketing, selling over 200 tickets exceeded my expectations," Link said.
Jerome chuckled, noting how calm Link remained under pressure.
...
With the call ended, Link left the United Theater and swam a few laps at the nearby pool. By four in the afternoon, he returned to the cinema and was surprised to find a crowd gathering outside. Only one ticket window was open, and a long line formed in the lobby.
Despite there being only a dozen people in line at first, it was unusual for Buried, which had little buzz around it.
Standing across the street, Link watched more than fifty people arrive in less than half an hour, outpacing the audience from yesterday's two-hour period.
Curious, Link wondered where these viewers had heard about Buried since there hadn't been any promotion. Did they just happen to stop by because it was a Saturday afternoon?
...
After observing for a moment, he decided to blend in as a regular viewer and took his spot at the back of the line, tapping the shoulder of a chubby guy with curly hair in front of him.
"Hey, man, what movie are you here to see today?"
"Buried, it's on the poster. Didn't you see?" the guy replied, glancing back as he shrugged, disinterested in chatting.
"Buried? I haven't heard of it. Did you come specifically to see it, or are you just browsing?"
"Of course, I came to see it. Are you a reporter or something?"
"No, I'm just interested in the movie, but I don't know if it's worth seeing," Link said.
"I don't know either. A friend told me there was a cool movie playing here, and I had some time today, so I figured I'd check it out. Wait a second, man, you look kind of familiar. Have I seen you before?"
The chubby guy scratched his head and blinked at him, sizing him up.
"Maybe. You probably mistook me for someone else."
"Maybe!"
The guy didn't recognize him as the actor on the poster. After a few minutes in line, he got to the ticket booth, pulled out twenty dollars, bought a ticket, a bucket of popcorn, and a large soda, and headed into Theater 9.
...
After waiting three to four minutes, about half of the 150 seats filled up, and the movie began. The chubby guy took a sip of soda, set it in the cup holder, and grabbed a handful of popcorn to munch on while watching the movie.
"What the -- cough cough! That's him! That's the guy I met earlier!" he shouted, pointing to the screen at Link.
Others turned to give him strange looks, some gestured for him to be quiet.
He withdrew his finger, scratched his head in embarrassment, and stopped shouting, staring at the screen with a strange sense of familiarity.
---
"Dude, you mean you saw a review of this movie in the newspaper before coming? Was it today's paper?"
"Yeah, in the Hollywood Reporter, the film section."
"Got it, thanks!"
In the theater lobby, Link disguised himself as an audience member and asked around, piecing together the sudden increase in viewers.
First, there was word-of-mouth. The audiences who had seen Buried the day before recommended it to their friends.
Secondly, there was media coverage. A film critic had seen Buried the day before and wrote a review published in the Hollywood Reporter. Many people likely came out of curiosity after reading it.
...
Link stopped by a newsstand downstairs to grab a copy of today's Hollywood Reporter.
In the film section, there was a roughly 500-word review nestled among others that didn't draw much attention. The critic's name was Will Roger.
The title of the review was "The World's Loneliest Movie: Buried."
Will Roger shared that he had been invited to the United Theater to watch this very unique independent film, noting that it featured only one actor throughout its entirety.
One actor, a few props, all set in an immobile box sustaining a 95-minute runtime. Just hearing about it brought a sense of loneliness to the forefront.
Will continued to recount that when he arrived at the theater that afternoon, he found nobody else had shown up. He alone occupied a theater meant for over two hundred people.
Will claimed he felt an overwhelming sense of solitude while watching the film, branding it 'the world's loneliest movie,' not just from the actor's performance and narrative but also from the isolation of the viewing experience itself.
Will concluded the review mentioning he originally thought a movie featuring just one actor in a cramped wooden box would be dull and poorly made. Yet, upon watching it, he found it surprisingly good with commendable acting, storytelling, and cinematography fitting for a thriller.
Overall, the review struck a balanced note, addressing both strengths and weaknesses of the film while also piquing curiosity.
Many viewers probably decided to check it out post-review, driven by interest.
...
Link put down the paper, wondering how many viewers this review would bring in, but he felt optimistic about the slowly growing word of mouth.
Throughout the afternoon, Link stayed across from the theater, monitoring the ticket sales.
He could keep count easily at first, but by six or seven o'clock, over a hundred people flooded in, and he lost track after hitting 455, then struggled further past 465.
But that was okay; it was the first time he felt happy about being bad at math.
...
Ding, ding, ding!
Around seven o'clock, his pager went off, and Link pulled it out to check. He walked into a phone booth to call Jerome Preston.
"Link, how did Will Roger end up reviewing your film? Did you pay him something?"
"I thought you hired him."
"Haha, Will Roger is a well-known critic. I can't afford him, but Mason probably pulled some strings since he knows people in the business."
"Is that so? Mr. Mason is a really good guy. You're a good guy too."
"Don't flatter me; I'm just doing my job. How's the United Theater doing?"
"No solid numbers yet, but I counted for a bit. By seven, around 500 people saw Buried here. How about your place?"
"Pretty decent. By 6:30, there were 646 tickets sold across eight screenings in two theaters, with a 31% occupancy rate -- better than yesterday."
"Fingers crossed for tomorrow."
"Good luck!"
As darkness crept in, Link's stomach grumbled -- he realized he had forgotten to eat again. He turned back toward the theater, then headed to West Hollywood for dinner.
*****
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