MOVIES - Feb. 8, 1989

Alarmed that French box office receipts have dropped by about 40% in the last four years and U.S. movies now account for almost half the films seen in France’s 5,000 movie theaters, the French government Tuesday announced a package of measures designed to revive the French film industry, keep theaters open and lure viewers away from their television sets. Culture Minister Jack Lang said $32 million in extra state subsidies will be made available for French-language films, and $8 million will be spent to help rescue theaters facing imminent closure. “I want us to be present on the international stage, but it is simply not possible for the state to support a film not made in French,” he said. The government also will encourage local authorities to take over failing cinemas and study why seats were unsold. “However much we may like television, nothing can ever replace the magic of the cinema. We want to get the French people back into the movie houses,” Lang said.