CinemaCon, the annual trade show for the movie theater business, is underway this week, with Anousha Sakoui covering from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.There are some brands that have no business existing as long as they have, but persist nonetheless.If the movie showtime listings service enters anyone’s consciousness today, it’s probably as a cheeky 90s pop culture reference, having been parodied on “Seinfeld” for the stentorian voice that greeted customers who called in to 777-FILM.
Founded in 1989, Moviefone rose to fame for the booming vocals of Russ Leatherman, a.k.a. Mr. Moviefone. But starting in 1999, the company embarked on a tour of the tech/entertainment business mergers-and-acquisitions highway to hell. He’s trying to revive the name by bolstering Moviefone’s movie listings website with video content from his syndicated “Made in Hollywood” behind-the-scenes interview series, which is now in its 18th season on local TV stations.
This week, O’Neal and Moviefone are hosting a Wednesday party at CinemaCon in Las Vegas in honor of Paramount Pictures’ “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.”