2. home-theater
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Why go out???

Just returned from watching Knives Out at one of these supposedly premium theaters. Well the seats at least are premium. Big, reclining, and comfortable enough. None of the usual crammed in like cattle feel. That's it for the good news. For some unfathomable reason the theaters are numbered but without movie names. We walk down the hall, not one name or even a poster. We weren't the only ones, another couple was roaming around wondering where to go. 

The screen was (Guessing) not even 16:9 and with awful grainy coarse quality which you think well it'll be better for the feature but no, its not! Who in this millennium shows movies in pan and scan? Woodinville! Hard to believe this is the only one- let me know! 

In case you're wondering no, this isn't me being audio/videophile finicky, my wife was complaining all the way home! My projector is Sony, not even the latest, not even 4K, and no Blu-Ray I'm a Pirate Bay/RARBG scofflaw kinda guy, all movies watched off the MacBook Pro (with ECT, and the system is to die for but still....) MY WIFE was complaining! She actually thought it was worse than me! (Well I make allowances, but still...)

What gets me is, I've seen and know how good movies can be. Seen Lawrence, Hamlet, My Fair Lady etc in 70mm. Hateful Eight in 70mm too but that one the projectionist clearly didn't know what he was doing. Beside the point. Cinema should be an experience. A memorable experience. Hamlet was. My Fair Lady was. This one was memorable only in the sense that we will remember not to come back.

Time was not all that long ago no amount of money would get you to cinema quality. But now? Cinema has descended, home theater (IF you do it right!) is actually better. Not a little either. WAY better!

Is it me?Or are they killing the motion picture industry?

Why go out? 
millercarbon

Showing 1 response by roxy1927

roxy1927
138 posts
 
My favorite movie experiences were the great NY midtown palaces in the 70s. They occasionally showed 70mm prints with 6 channel stereo which pinned you to the back wall of the theater. And there was the time Radio City showed a gorgeous Technicolor print of Singing in the Rain. Superman at the Criterion was wonderful as well before that magnificent theater was sliced up in '80.

After that in the 90s there were the great Robert Harris restorations of Spartacus and Lawrence. His recent restoration of MFL on Bluray is better than the one he did in the 90s. It is closer to the original roadshow 70mm print I saw a long time ago in the Warner Cinerama on Broadway.

Also I disagree about sound. I much prefer the 6 track stereo that existed before Dolby then but you were probably speaking about the sound of the average theater of the time. Acceptable but mono. Nothing beats Super Panavision 70 and Todd AO. Yeah it's pointless to go to movies for me today. Contemporary films are fine on bluray and a large HD TV are good enough for me. Even the clips I've seen of the new Skywalker look spectacular on my Bravia Smart.

Now if David Lean were to come back from the dead and show his films at the rebuilt Warner or Rivoli on Broadway with their large curved screens and Western Electric stereo speakers I'm there and I'd be super happy.
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