Is Mark Cuban Wired or just Tired?
When we first heard that Mark Cuban was buying Landmark, we knew nothing about him. We discovered that he owned a sports team and he'd hosted a reality TV show. So we figured, this isn't a "high art" kind of guy.
On the other hand, he owned Magnolia Pictures, which had released documentaries about the Ramones, Charles Bukowski, and Patty Hearst. Maybe he was just the money guy, and he'd stay away from the operations end.
But it wasn't until we read Mr. Cuban's interview in Wired that we got truly nervous. It doesn't seem as though Mr. Cuban has read the website of his own company, but you should, just the same. It might put our concerns in context.
With that in mind, we'd like to point out a few of the more alarming statements Mr. Cuban made.
"People get frightened about all kinds of things in Hollywood," he says. "That's not my system. I don't have a business to protect. I have a business to build."
But he does have a business to protect. He owns the largest chain of art house cinemas in the country. It is the only national alternative to the major chain theatres (Regal, AMC, Loews, etc.). We don't see anything wrong in trying to grow that business, but Mr. Cuban's comments here suggest to us that he feels it easier to start over again, and ignore what has made Landmark so successful and so important to so many of us. Maybe we're missing something, but we just don't see what was so wrong with showcasing independent film.
Even more exciting to Cuban is the broader range of content that digital systems make possible: Beyond movies, theaters could offer live, hi-res broadcasts of sports events, Broadway plays, fashion shows, and multiplayer electronic games.
It is noteworthy that Mr. Cuban himself mentions no films at all, and the only films mentioned specifically in the article are Elektra and Crocodile Dundee 2. As we are aware of no list of Mr. Cuban's favorite films, we will give him the benefit of the doubt and chalk this up to the article's author wanting to paint Mr. Cuban in a less than favorable light.
Perhaps in his quest to prove himself a visionary maverick, Mr. Cuban hasn't done any market research. If he had, he might have discovered that many of the major chains already show sporting events and concerts. Then again, the major chains also show commercials, something Landmark has taken to as of late. How can Mr. Cuban proclaim himself a leader when he's so busy following?
Mr. Cuban, what's most exciting to your patrons are art films. We quote directly from the Landmark website: "no matter how large it grows, the circuit continues to operate hand-in-hand with local communities to support the art of film." We don't see much in this article to suggest that Mr. Cuban has any interest in the art of film. Not if he's just as soon see films replaced with fashion shows.
"When you're a public company, it's hard to implement change," Cuban says.
Did Mr. Cuban buy Landmark just so he could change it? Did he feel that there was a need for a chain of pay-per-view theatres? Isn't it possible that the reason other theatre chains resist closing the DVD window is that they know it will put them out of business? Change can be positive, but change for the sake of change is pointless.
"We don't have a big legacy business to protect, so why not take chances?"
Thousands of people disagree, Mr. Cuban. You do have a legacy business, one that has been around since 1974. It specializes in showcasing art films. In fact, it's the only major chain to do so.
"I'm not doing this for some greater good - I want to make more money."
We think that this speaks volumes about the kind of person Mr. Cuban is. He has yet to give any indication that Landmark was losing money, so we can only assume that it just wasn't making enough for his liking. So he's fishing around for a strategy that will make money, whether that strategy has to do with Landmark's stated mission or not.
"I love to fuck with people, and I love finding ways to make more money."
Mr. Cuban, on behalf of the patrons of Landmark Theatres, we humbly ask you: please stop fucking with us. Landmark was created by people who had a passion for showing independent film, and in that way, they made money. You seem to have the opposite idea: to make money any way possible, even if it means that Landmark Theatres no longer show art films.
If you're not making enough money with Landmark Theatres, then the solution is simple: sell it.
"If we're wrong, we're wrong," he says. "But if we're right" - a grin flashes across his face - "just think!"
Yes, just think, the nation's largest chain of art house cinemas run into the ground. Those of us who have been loyal patrons of Landmark for years are left to hope that Mr. Cuban will come to his senses and run his theaters responsibly. We've grown quite fond of them over the years, and they've become fixtures of our communities. If he's wrong, he will eliminate one of the last venues independent filmmakers have for showing their films.
Mr. Cuban, unknowingly, you bought something special. Your patrons think so. Your employees think so. You seem to be the only one who doesn't think so. Rather than importing management from the big chains to alienate your customers and demoralize your employees, why don't you read Landmark's website and think about re-focusing on Landmark's core values?
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