Information on the seismic activity at the Earthquake Research Center of Santiago de Cuba alternated with songs of Buena Fe and Polo MontaÃ±ez. Some reporters that circulated by the New Van Van neighborhood announced rumors of cracks and fallen walls in the area.
Bidding requires that the theater agree to pay a fixed amount for the right to show the movie. For example, a theater might bid $100,000 for a four-week engagement of a new movie. During that time, it could make $125,000 for a profit of $25,000. Or it might take in only $75,000, which means the theater has a loss of $25,000. Few distribution companies use bidding anymore.
But cutting through the clutter and building awareness takes money.. In 1980, the average cost of marketing a studio movie in the U.S. was $4.3 million ($12.4 million in today's dollars). By 2007, it had shot up to nearly $36 million. If the MPAA still tracked spending on P&A, that number would be north of $40 million today for medium-size films like The Fault in Our Stars or Tammy.