Have a news tip for us?
Just email . Ideas for stories, links to interesting articles, and press releases are welcome.
Technology
-
August 16, 2011
Brisbane Times looks at the future of moviegoing
In this piece, the writer looks back at the summer of movies and whats on the horizon. He also delves into how different technologies have fared.
0 comments -
July 25, 2011
A digital future for the Augusta
AUGUSTA, KS — The Augusta Historic Theatre is converting to digital but they’re placing some big bets to do it. The classic theatre is trying to keep up with the times but it has required major renovations.
Read more in the Wichita Eagle.
-
June 30, 2011
MoviePass Offers Unlimited Movies for $50 (Updated)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A new service called MoviePass wants to become the Netflix of theatrical moviegoing. For $50 per month, moviegoers can see any movie they want (from participating theaters) whenever and however often they like.
What’s the catch? The service, which uses your iPhone or Android to reserve tickets, is currently only available at select San Francisco theaters. (There is still a $3 upcharge for 3-D movies, though.) For more information, check out Entertainment Weekly’s profile or visit MoviePass' website. My vote? If they expand to Los Angeles, they can have my Ulysses S. Grant.
UPDATE: Studios and theaters — especially AMC — are angry, according to The Wrap. Stay tuned …
-
June 24, 2011
Cineplex selects Christie for 900+ projectors
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA — Christie is expanding its presence in Canada as Cineplex Entertainment will be installing 900 new digital projectors throughout their circuit, making them their exclusive provider. With coverage like this, Christie is quickly becoming the go to company for digital conversion.
Click “more” for the full press release.
-
June 20, 2011
NY Times discusses best movie apps
-
June 13, 2011
Gothamist: “AMC Empire: Where You Pay $13 To See The Wrong Movie With The Wrong Lens”
-
June 5, 2011
Terrence Malick’s Instructions for Projectionists Showing ‘Tree of Life’
-
May 27, 2011
Cinema chains dimming movies “up to 85%” on digital projectors
It’s been reported that AMC, National Amusements and Regal Cinema chains are leaving 3D projector lenses on for 2D movies. This means that the projected image is polarized and far dimmer than it should be. The 3 chains are mum but an insider, speaking on condition of anonymity, says it’s “unspoken” corporate policy.
Delving deeper, a possible reason for this is it’s too much work after each film to accurately swap lenses but also because a certain security feature could be disabled; DRM (or Digital Rights Management) that is the bane of privacy issues to most internet users.
-
April 27, 2011
Pressure on exhibitors to go digital increases; financing, filmprint availability decreases
LOS ANGELES, CA — As reported earlier smaller theater chains and independent operators are finding it difficult to make the change to digital projection if they want to keep showing first run films. Even with financing provided by the major studios, the cost to some operators is prohibitively expensive. Making the situation worse, this special financing is reportedly only going to be available for about another year and a half or so and securing prints of first run films is getting harder as studios are cutting back on ordering print copies. Some within the industry are predicting that print availability will esentially cease in the U.S. by the end of 2013.
“Simply put, if you don’t make the decision to get on the digital train soon, you will be making the decision to get out of the business,” Fithian told attendees. “That would be tragic because digital cinema and 3-D have so much to offer.”
Overseas, theater operators also are rapidly converting to digital, although studios are expected to continue shipping film prints to some smaller countries for the foreseeable future.
There is more in the Los Angeles Times.
-
January 13, 2011
Imax, Cinemark settle issues regarding big-screen formats
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Imax Corporation and Cinemark Theatres have settled a lawsuit regarding Cinemark’s XD format and IMAX’s digital theatres. The result is that Cinemark will upgrade its film-based IMAX theaters to the digital version while installing Digital IMAX screens at some of its theaters.
