
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 23, 1994                   TAG: 9403230129
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By LON WAGNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

OSCARS WILL BOOST THE TAKE AT GRANDIN, TANGLEWOOD

So, you heard "The Piano" and "Schindler's List" were among the finest movies ever produced in the history of film, but you missed them anyway?

Tired of being the only sap on your block who didn't wrench his heart out during "Philadelphia?"

Well, Monday night's Academy Awards saved you. And they won't hurt business at the Grandin Theatre and Carmike's Tanglewood Mall theater, either.

The locally owned Grandin in Roanoke was an unofficial Oscar winner - two of the three big Oscar winners are still playing there. Grandin Manager Chris Henson said the theater will do some shuffling of this weekend's schedule to make sure people who haven't yet seen "The Piano" or "Philadelphia" get that chance.

"It's supposed to have been in its last week for quite some time," Henson said of "The Piano," for which Holly Hunter won an Oscar for best leading actress. "We've been threatening that, but it keeps doing well."

"The Piano" has been showing in one of the Grandin's 30-seat screening rooms. Henson said he may try to squeeze in a few more showings this weekend.

At Carmike's Tanglewood Mall cinema, "Schindler's List" likely will stay on the marquee. An employee of the Tanglewood theaters said "Schindler's List," for which Steven Spielberg won Oscars for best director and best picture, was "still raking in the money."

The studios won't charge local theaters more to keep Oscar-winning movies. They'll just expect bigger draws, even though ticket prices won't rise.

Henson said he and Grandin owner Julie Hunsaker watched the Academy Awards closely to see which movies won awards or received a lot of attention. They'll have to juggle their showings accordingly.

Two other movies playing at the Grandin - "Remains of the Day" and "In the Name of the Father" - received "good clip runs" during the Oscar ceremonies, Henson said. That might pique interest in those movies.

But the Academy Awards don't rule public taste.

"Mrs. Doubtfire" won an Oscar for best makeup and Tom Hanks won for best leading actor for his performance in "Philadelphia."

Which movie will probably take over the Grandin's largest theater this weekend?

"'Philadelphia's' been in the main theater," Henson said, "but frankly, 'Mrs. Doubtfire' is going to push that out."

by CNB