TCL Chinese Theatre
6925 Hollywood Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90028
6925 Hollywood Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90028
159 people
favorited this theater
Showing 426 - 450 of 1,670 comments
Yes the Seattle Cinerama is quite spectacular. Saw 2001 there in it’s Cinerama opening back in the day and wow! Just as good as any Imax. This theatre has been completely restored and plays both Cinerama, 70 mil. and 3D. And it has stars in the ceiling. LOL. The Chinese will be great again too.
So ArcLight just put tickets onsale for GRAVITY at every location but Hollywood. However, on their Facebook page, they wrote “*Hollywood tickets for "Gravity” will be on sale soon. Make sure to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram to be the first to know!"
So I guess we’re still in the dark on whether there will be co-bookings when the Chinese gets the IMAX version.
Edward he said the EXSISTING I take that to mean the speakers that were allready in the theatre previously have been retained for standard non IMAX movies playing there, which makes sense considering they are still going to be playing regular movies as well. plus looking at the pictures from the media days the surrounds are in the same placement that they were at before the renovation
I think Escott meant to say SURROUND speakers instead of DOLBY speakers. Give him a break, Ed! :)
Mark: I have experienced The Cinerama back in Christmas 2005. An unforgettable experience!
Guess it doesn’t matter Dolby doesn’t make speakers. :|
The question is: will they use the masking for regular IMAX presentations (becoming the only IMAX theater in the world to do this, to my knowledge), or just for special presentations like premieres? The “no masking” craze on all premium-branded screens, not just IMAX, makes me think they like to keep the screen maximally opened up just to prove it’s there and is huge.
Cliffs, I was not referring to you. There are plenty of people scared of ANY change to the special place, and many who think it should somehow have been “preserved” as they first saw it! For a while I responded to these folks informing them that I doubt anyone alive remembers the original! The Chinese has been remodeled before many times, and it probably will be again!
This is a private business, and as much as some of us wished we owned it, we don’t! We are lucky that the current owners care as much as they do for both the legacy and the future of this important theatre!
By the way, if anyone wants to see progress photos by me and my fellow L.A. Historic Theatre Foundation photographers, check out our Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/groups/125430125723/
Thanks for the update Escott. I really hope it all works out. I am just sorry my next trip down to LA will be before it reopens. Chris: if you are ever in Seattle, give me a shout. The Cinerama awaits you.
Escott, I hope you’re not referring to me when you say someone will always find something to complain about. I’ve been a supporter of this plan since the tour in April pre-closing. I simply pointed out the differences in geometry between 1.43:1 and 1.90:1 and what that might mean in terms of traditional IMAX fare. That was oddly (and incorrectly) seen as bashing The Chinese by some in an argument that grew akin to someone denying it gets dark at night.
I’m excited to see The Chinese soar again and am even more excited by your first hand account. It sounds like they made all the right choices. Now let’s just hope they get all the IMAX bookings they can to keep that place packed week after week.
I was able to get inside the Chinese today, and it looks fantastic! This will be the premier place to see any movie, so of course they have moveable masking on sides and top and bottom as needed. The manager specifically talked to me about this, and said he has seen tests over the last few days of different movie formats and it looked great!
Existing Dolby speakers will be used, and additional IMAX speaker clusters have been added in the rear corners as well as a small read center speaker.
They are reusing the huge front curtain, and to extend it for the new height they have added a new section to the top.
The side curtains and silver murals on the side walls are still in place as before.
They are relighting the chandeliers so they will glow once again, using long-lasting LED bulbs. They were lowered to the seats when I was there.
The seats are luxurious red high backs, with a nice classical shape, not just a contemporary flat top.
The new carpet in the aisles is color matched to the original carpeting in the lobby. It is a nice pattern, featuring a lotus flower and swirls reminiscent of details in the lobby carpet, which has been carefully protected during construction.
As has been discussed, the stairs at the back of the house are removed so the last row is at lobby level as it was originally, and the slope goes down to the lowered floor in front of the screen, where they have replicated the Chinese dragon from the forecourt in the carpet, nice detail!
No matter what they do with the most famous movie palace in the world, SOMEONE will find something to complain about, but I think they have done a marvelous job, protecting all of the historic elements, and putting a lot of thought into new details! I am very much looking forward to next month’s opening!
Mark: Wizard of Oz looks like an IMAX only version, so 2D/3D for this one seems unlikely. We’ll know their plans for certain when Gravity opens in October.
What about the Chinese 6? Will it be playing the same titles in standard 2D or 3D that the Chinese will be playing in IMAX? Will the Arclight or El Capitan be sharing those titles like they did the last Terminator film? Are they doing anything to upgrade the Chinese 6? Have not been there in a couple years…
Hello-
I have to be frank and say i find much of the tech numbers mentioned a bit confusing. admittedly i’m no techno wiz. to which what I hope is a simple question- when the 3-D TWOO opens the end of Sept. will they be able to mask the screen so all we see is the movie? whatever the dimensions of a screen it drives me up a ****** wall when it is not properly masked and you see unused screen on the top, bottom or sides.
Sorry Chris my comment didnt come out correctly.
Re wording it “My point is that Into Darkness despite being filmed in IMAX for specific scenes didn’t fill the entire screen on the “TRUE” IMAX screens at the Rave or Citywalk.
And even Dark Knight Rises didnt fill it either at Citywalk IMAX as there was several feet of screen on both top and bottom durring the IMAX scenes as well when i watched it at Citywalk. I saw it twice there (because the first time I saw it they had the lights behind the screen on ruining the presentation, so I was given a pass for it again.
But your right Chris time to drop this conversation, just be happy we are going to see the chinese get the great booksings again with IMAX
Cliffs, I am not going to agree with you and definately not going to say your correct, but you have the right to think what ever you want and until we actually see a movie on the screen I have the right to disagree with you.
No, Robert. Saw TDKR at Rave 3 times. The IMAX camera scenes filled the entire screen. The 35MM scenes were the only ones with top & bottom blankage.
I suspect that the OZ screenings at the chinese will not be pillar boxed (and definately not cropped( As we allready know the chinese has top side and bottom masking for its IMAX screen so I suspect that the masking will be drawn in on the sides at the chinese for OZ
My point is that it didnt fill the entire screen on the “TRUE” IMAX screens at the Rave or Citywalk.
And even Dark Knight Rises didnt fill it either,there was several feet of screen both top and bottom that were blank durring the IMAX scenes for that as well.
here here i agree
Now that all is said and done and the screen is mounted, let us cease this great debate…until September 20th when OZ comes home to the Chinese!
Thank you Edward, that was the only point I was trying to make with regard to 1.43:1 on the new Chinese screen.
Robert, you are correct. Trek’s IMAX scenes were 1.66:1, still taller than the 1.90:1 ratio of the new digital screens, requiring either cropping top and bottom or pillarboxing on the sides (but in this particular case it was cropped top/bottom for digital). I don’t understand… does something start to burn if you simply say, “that’s correct?”
1.90:1 IMAX digital presentations of 1.85:1 or 2.39:1 shot movies would either be cropped to fit the screen or letterboxed. 1.90:1 IMAX digital presentations of 1.43:1 IMAX 15/70 shot movies or 1.33:1 Academy Ratio shot movies, such as the upcoming Wizard of Oz presentation, would either be cropped to fit the screen or windowboxed.
1.43:1 IMAX 15/70 presentations of 1.85:1 or 2.39:1 shot movies would either be cropped to fit the screen or letterboxed. 1.43:1 IMAX 15/70 presentations of 1.33:1 Academy Ratio shot movies, such as the upcoming Wizard of Oz presentation, would either be cropped to fit the screen or windowboxed.
It’ll be the same argument no matter which way you go. But of course, had IMAX not decided to go digital years ago, we likely wouldn’t be having this discussion today, since they were on the fast track to going under before the rebranding.
The IMAX scenes* sorry typo on my phone.
Cliffs your sarcassim at the end of your last post, doesnt sell home your opinon. I personally dont think you are 100 percent accurate in your guess, and I will use Universal and the Rave as my examples why I don’t agree.
When I went to universal to watch Star Trek Into Darknes the IMAX scenes did not completely fill up the screen top to bottom there was a good number of feet both upper and lower that was black. Others who went and saw it at the Rave said the same thing.
I called the Booth Manager of Citywalk tody and he said yes that when Star Trek played in IMAX, the IMAX screens did not completely fill their screen.
If you think I am wrong thats fine, but I wont be lacing my comment wih sarcasim.
Sorry all. My frustration grew from the fact that the single and irrefutable fact I was trying to point out (that anything that continued to be shot with IMAX cameras – in the traditional 1.43:1 IMAX ratio – would not be able to be fully presented at the Chinese) was somehow still being refuted and that I was somehow attacking the Chinese and the new screen. I’m excited for the new Chinese and have been saying so since the last Historical Society tour this past April. I was simply pointing out that, while 1.90:1 might be the digital future and the future of IMAX, any IMAX titles, past or future, still shot on film at 1.43 (like Catching Fire or Interstellar) would have to be cropped at the Chinese. Whether that number of films is 20% or .5%, it’s still true. The size of the screen or it’s ranking in the world or whether it’s digital projection or 15/70 is irrelevant. I’m not saying that to bag on the Chinese, I’ve just been trying to point something out for the instances (however rare) it might be relevant.
If that still doesn’t make sense… How about this: The Chinese Theater screen is fantastic and NOTHING (past or present) EVER will have to be cropped on that screen until the end of time.
That should cover it.
And i will seeing this beautiful cinema next year when I.visit the USA