Comments from andysummers

Showing 26 - 50 of 88 comments

andysummers
andysummers commented about Cineworld Cinema - Leicester Square on May 8, 2009 at 9:18 am

I didn’t take as many as I expected as the Trekies seemed to have gone into some kind of habitation or where clocking there true appearance in casual dress which did seem a bit odd.

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I’m interested dressing up thou I did go fully clothed and not naked! It’s the original shows films that I like the most and this new one of course which turned out more than brilliant, in fact. Fantastically out of this world in six-track Dolby digital THX sound system.

Sat up front and centre as I said and the screen THX size is to die for in scope. Nice selection of Star Trek theme music that was playing over the JBL stage and surrounds while the neon lighting goes thou its usual changing of colour and mixing of random colours is always pleasing to see.

Got some video on phone camera I’m getting friend to help me load it up on Saturday as it’s a bit tricky, unlike my digital camera which is easy

The sound was reference quality throughout from start to finish. The opening made scene no, I’m not going to say. Bass and subwoofer track rumbled effortlessly without strain with lots and lots of slam and deep depth effects. Practically when Nero creates a black hole!

Warp speed sound effects came with fast snapping sharp attacks that jolted me in the rocker seat.

The Foley effects footsteps like when Nero leaps down to grab Kirk slammed me in the chest, larger then life it was. The phaser effects where very hot on the mid to high range had sonic believability I could feel the impacts on to bodies of Nero’s men or ricocheting off metal structures within his ship.

Surrounds was clear on most occasional effects that came in. Doors hissing on what sounded like centre back to me and few sidewall surround effects of the Enterprises interior. Oh and the ship herself looked awesome on the EMPIRE screen wow she is a beautifully ship.

Second viewing sat in the circle thou its not what I’d call upstairs as someone at box-office said. The floor sloops upwards and the upwards I’d hardly qualify it as upstairs, unlike Odeon Leicester Square which does have an upstairs or baloney that I won’t even bother with anymore.

Anyway enough of OLS screen 6 okay!

Sound was just as positive with hard hitting smooth effects in the middle thou a few db lower of course than the front. dialogue centre stage and effects and music of different blend was solid up front as it was in the middle. Nice and warm on Sarek played by (Ben Cross) Those JBL 4642 five-screen LF. Soft whispery dialogue speech with Spock and Uhura “I’m sorry” was crystal JBL THX clear!

Oh I forget to take a few pictures of up and coming EMPIRE 6 which is in the slow building contraction at the moment should be opened in six weeks.

I heard rumours that EMPIRE 3 is going to be modified. I think I was so overwhelmed with logical emotion LOL that I have forget to take the odd 1 hundred pictures. I apologize I’ll do better next time around which might be Terminator 4 with Terminating JBL 56KW THX! :D

andysummers
andysummers commented about Moderne Cinema on Apr 30, 2009 at 7:34 am

One thing I dislike about the bingo hall is the paint work outside! I mean god damn, whew that is brutal! LOL I mean who pained the exterior a bland man?

andysummers
andysummers commented about Moderne Cinema on Apr 30, 2009 at 7:29 am

I was in the Winton area today while doing some shopping and decided to have peek inside to see what is happening with the ole cinema. Its been renovated into church seems like Bingo is out but it could still be modern THX cinema with the right JBL stuff and digital and 35mm projection. Oh, well too late now. The refitting won’t be completed until around 2011.

I took these pictures as it stands today. Oh one more thing! I never saw film at this cinema when it was open the only cinema that I visited in the Winton area was when the Continental showed a double bill of Planet of the Apes around mid late 1970’s. And even that cinema is gone now completely gone!! sigh

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andysummers
andysummers commented about Cineworld Cinema - Poole (Tower Park) on Apr 24, 2009 at 2:28 pm

LOL this is where I started out as projectionist 20 years ago LOL.

It was great in its day but since I left and over the years this dump really started to sound like a load of RUBBISH!

The house Dolby fader on the Dolby CP65 I believe that used to be installed was often turned up beyond 7 buy the other younger projectionists and they busted in several hundreds pounds worth of surround speakers!

It was great time and leaning experience, but would I do this type of job again and at this site. Not for £million pounds!

I couldn’t care less what upgrades they’ve made recently with this digital nonsense. first impressions is what makes it count and this cinema as failed time and time again in the past though the 1990’s and into the early years of the 21st century. Its not worth going to this site! Its not an Event!

If you want and EVENT! Go to the Empire Leicester Square screen1 JBL installation 56KW THX sound system its OUT OF THIS WORLD!

andysummers
andysummers commented about Cineworld Cinema - Leicester Square on Apr 21, 2009 at 12:28 pm

Found some additional pictures of the Empire Leicester Square with some early pictures of Empire 3 that is located upstairs.

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[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2117/2105828666_b9402119f3.jpg?v=0

Empire Leicester Square 1948
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September 1984
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January 1985
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March 1986
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May 1984
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October 1984
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1986

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August 1988
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andysummers
andysummers commented about Cineworld Cinema - Leicester Square on Apr 21, 2009 at 12:25 pm

Though secondary research I’ve found some more rare images of the Empire Leicester Square saved the images and edited them down. I like the way the cinema looked back around 1983 interesting how its gone though slight cosmetic change over the years.

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andysummers
andysummers commented about Cineworld Cinema - Leicester Square on Apr 21, 2009 at 12:24 pm

widescreen view of EMPIRE 1
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andysummers
andysummers commented about Cineworld Cinema - Leicester Square on Apr 21, 2009 at 12:22 pm

I almost left out a few more pictures of the Empire. Its like a lunar trip its not a routine trip I take each week the cost is £20.00 pounds travailing and admission is £10.00 plus underground £5.00 and refreshments so its around £45.00 and that is huge amount of money.

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andysummers
andysummers commented about Cineworld Cinema - Leicester Square on Apr 21, 2009 at 12:20 pm

LOL I guess there the Scully (Gillian Anderson) fans!:D

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The bidding was conducted outside over in Leicester Square common, this where you can sit and think or conduct bidding sessions, :D on an X-Files movie promotion cardboard board, £150pounds, lord knows how that girl was going to get that thing home it stood up at nearly 5 feet 7”!

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andysummers
andysummers commented about Cineworld Cinema - Leicester Square on Apr 21, 2009 at 12:19 pm

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The chap here pictured with his back to the camera I had a little chat with him. He was from Sweden and I asked if they had anything like this over his county. “No not of this size” I guess from looking at the picture before I spoke with him, he was just gob-smacked because he was just looking it over, I’m sure hi jaw was on the floor somewhere? LOL

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Seat “23” front and centre is mine!!!!

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Also after the screening of X-Files I want to Believe there was crowed of girls outside in the foyer that have just come out of private screening of the X-files and that is what puzzled me? I think they each paid £17 pounds while I paid £10pounds and saw it on the largest and loudest THX screen the whole of Europe, but they where quite happy and pleased with the screening. There was slight auctioning of an X-Files I what to Believe cinema promotion board that went for, £150 pounds!

The bidding started at £5pounds and then I placed a bid of £20 pounds and that was it for me, because the biding whet up and up and up, £150pounds, wtf! LOL

andysummers
andysummers commented about Cineworld Cinema - Leicester Square on Apr 21, 2009 at 12:16 pm

The day out at London’s famous Leicester Square, wasn’t a bad day, all in all it was pucker.

The X-Files I want to Believe wasn’t a an all, too bad film and I’d rate it with 3 ½ stars.

Now to the meat of things the Dolby SR-D soundtrack wasn’t as powerful as Transformers on the new 56KW JBL THX sound system, or as powerful as some of the 70mm films that I’ve heard and felt on the original THX JBL specification that was only 13KW.

It was loud sure it had few lows but the sound system was only reproducing what is on the soundtrack as faithfully and richly than any other sub standard cinema system.

The most SPL db level was around from 110 to 115dbc while high ranges where considerably less on the mix. The snowplough crashing into the car was plenty loud and while there was no gunshots fired in the film was a little disappointing, but I’d take the snowplough anytime in the day and night as well.

Now if I can try and decipher my, shorthand writing on the notepad as I wrote a few descriptions on what was happening, now let’s see…

The presentation was a Dolby cinema digital screening and thou I did notice grain structure at, oh bugger I thought I noted the time, it was when Scully and Mulder where in bed and scene was darkly lit on the certain parts, I was sure I could see some visible pixilation movement, in the dark portions of the image, but it was the grain.

If you squint slightly you’re eye will soften the roughness of the grain out and that’s what I noticed when trying that out, it was mealy to see just how good digital projection was, thou I’m sure the film was 35mm to digital transfer, kinder like a 35mm to 70mm blow-up and not an original high definition HD film process, still no scratches in the vertical or horizontal or little specks of golf balls.

42 minutes into the film I noticed like many off screen sound effects over the widest THX screen in the UK a door handle being levered down (Right channel) as Scully enters a board hearing at the medical centre where she now works.

At 1 hour 18 minutes I could almost swore I saw X-Files creator (Chris Carter) sat down on bench in hallway on the left hand side of the screen for brief moment.

Music wasn’t too bad by Mark Snow who set the theme tone and is now part of TV and film history, just whistling a few bars and someone will say, X-files.

There was funny little gag in the film with film where Mulder and Scully go back to the FBI and Mulder notices a picture of most unpopular US president George W. Bush and an X-Files tune is played with slight laughter in the cinema.

I almost forget to mention, before the film started the non-sync was playing the (Mark Snow) score over what sounded like inner left and inner right or left extra and right extra as the sound was very tightly narrowed, while sat front and centre row.

Anyway on with the little picture show now and I took more than the last visit.

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I took a few pictures with management permission of Empire 5 one of two new digital auditoriums that opened at Empire recently.

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Due to the low light level I could barely tell what model JBL was behind the screen, but from the rough guess I would say its single 15” bass cab for LCR didn’t get a shot of the HF but I would say its part of the package.

Not sure if the was sub because I did have peek under the black masking below and in front of the middle and saw no sub, unless its mounted on the stage behind the screen in-between the left and centre or right ad centre?

The surrounds liked like JBL 8330 thou the angle of the enclosure was different and it was very dark and the camera flash didn’t illuminate enough for a good view. I’ll try better on my next visit which maybe the new James Bond film opening in October I think?

All seating is rockers the best of the best for real true cinema comfort.

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andysummers
andysummers commented about Cineworld Cinema - Leicester Square on Apr 21, 2009 at 12:12 pm

Found this on Google image under a few keywords. STAR TREK the motion picture 1979 at the EMPIRE 1979, this would have been around December as I seem to recall seeing at the local ABC screen 1 Bournemouth.

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andysummers
andysummers commented about Cineworld Cinema - Leicester Square on Apr 17, 2009 at 8:44 pm

On the right hand side, hmm I wonder if this is visible at the front while looking in-between where the neon lighting system is placed. I have some pictures of the left hand side only. I’ll take some new pictures this May when Star Trek opens on May 7th.

andysummers
andysummers commented about Cineworld Cinema - Leicester Square on Oct 22, 2008 at 8:27 am

Does anyone here no what precise year the THX sound system was installed on the first THX installation around late 1980’s and what the first films were that featured in THX in Empire screen 1? Thanks.

andysummers
andysummers commented about Cineworld Cinema - Leicester Square on Jun 22, 2008 at 7:45 am

Wow I’d hath to make trip up there soon and have a look, thou chances are I’d see film in the 56KW THX JBL screen 1.

andysummers
andysummers commented about Odeon Luxe London Leicester Square on May 26, 2008 at 9:27 pm

I wonder just how good Indiana Jones sounded at this not a really good technical Dolby dts SDDS8 cinema its pants. Saw “Leatherheads” (2008) there on (Sunday April 20th 2008) and it was pants PANTS! The fronts where so narrow sound stereo was almost non-existent stereo surrounds wasn’t even involving and why the cinema politics! Because Indiana Jones thou its not really the best of the last two Temple of Doom was kinder taking the piss and the last the newest with that U.F.O. at the end was like something from the ending of the X-Files 1998 movie, what a RIP OFF!

So be warned the Odeon Leicester square has a crap sound installation and isn’t the final word in sound that, belongs to the Empire Leicester square screen 1 and its power JBL customized THX 56KW, I would pay three time to have seen it at the Empire and I wouldn’t even pay a dog to crap on the floor at the Odeon Leicester square, shame, shame we know your name Odeon!

andysummers
andysummers commented about Odeon Westover Bournemouth on May 22, 2008 at 7:34 pm

Spencer Clark and Dave are Odeon Wet Fish Muppets. Dave looks like a frigging wonky one eyed wombat, when looking at you; you just try not to laugh because he really does look like the wonky one eyed wombat.

just spreading the good and truthful joy of the lows and highs thou there are more lows than highs and its something this cinema still can’t even achieve with scandalous overpriced tickets for Frankenstein seating that feels like a crap bench down the carp beach and with carp sound to top it off with and dts that is made worse with piss poor donkey Muppet calibration that is so shameful it has to me mentioned publicly…

as the worse sounding cinema still to this day! Indian Jones was totally let down with too bright a sound and nothing to punch you, with solid sound reinforcement. I would have rather watched The Jazz Singer on there piss poor crap for crap sound system then dts being played it as its worse sigh.

andysummers
andysummers commented about Cineworld Cinema - Leicester Square on May 11, 2008 at 12:03 pm

So does anyone else have any updates on the Empire any digital pictures that you would like to share and hare are few of mine from The Spy Who Loved Me. April 20th 2008.

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“Please don’t blame me, blame them” was rough quote that Mr. Gilbert said to the audience, with slight chuckle of laughter.

andysummers
andysummers commented about Omniplex High Wycombe on May 11, 2008 at 11:56 am

I think they should install THX back into its main screen, what was the number of that screen as I’ve only been there one?

andysummers
andysummers commented about Cineworld Cinema - Leicester Square on Apr 14, 2008 at 11:24 am

This Sunday Empire Leicester square screen 1 will be holding a one day Bond screening of “The Spy Who Loved Me” (1977) [url]http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076752/[/url] in one the UK’s largest THX screens that boasts and incredible 56KW JBL customized THX certified.

I have gotten off the phone with projection, and was told that technical crewmembers will be attending the screening, including director Lewis Gilbert. [url]http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0318150/[/url]

Performance starts on Sunday April 20th at 14:00
Tickets are £13.50p free seating, throughout Empire 1, 1130 seats.

I’ll be getting my couch ticket this week for Sunday’s Bondastic THX showing, miss this no way, its been 31 years since, I’ve seen this on large screen at Bournemouth’s Gaumont screen 2 summertime,1977 and that was in 35mm scope 2.35:1, optical mono sound.

Technical cinema information
[url]http://www.empirecinemas.co.uk/index.php?page=cinemainfo&tbx_site_id=5[/url]

andysummers
andysummers commented about Cineworld Cinema - Leicester Square on Apr 5, 2008 at 5:41 pm

Well I’ll be popping up to the Empire Leicester square this May to see Indiana Jones in THX I guess a photo opportunity is in order to see how things are developing with screens 4 & 5.

andysummers
andysummers commented about Happy 25th, 'Blade Runner'! on Nov 23, 2007 at 9:58 am

I was browsing thou the internet and found this link to a few selected cinemas in the UK that is playing Blade Runner on a limited run. Why isn’t this playing at the VUE in London in THX?

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andysummers
andysummers commented about Happy 25th, 'Blade Runner'! on Nov 23, 2007 at 9:51 am

I’ve seen only a 35mm 2.35:1 scope Dolby Stereo A type at the local ABC cinema here in Bournemouth back in 1982. Over the years I’ve waited for the original 1982 version to come to DVD with the original 1982 Dolby stereo six-track mix, if Mr. Scott can accommodate my needs in that department well done is all I can say. If he can’t and if I don’t like the theatrical version, with this so called 5 disc DVD set, I guess I will become even more cautious of buying future DVD and I doubt HD or Bluray is any better.

Over years this become a cult film in the VHS tape world and then later with laserdisc editions. I own a 1992 CAV laserdisc edition which is the “directors cut” it sucks because of the ending and the narrative track. So what big deal, there’s plenty of other films that use lots and lots of narrative, “Casio” “Gangs of New York” “Last Man Standing” “Titanic” and so. I only like Blade runner for what it once was when seeing it in the cinema a good piece of science fiction escapism, even if it was dark and depression, (PK Dick) wasn’t far off the mark about the future.

andysummers
andysummers commented about Cineworld Cinema - Leicester Square on Nov 23, 2007 at 8:59 am

LOL I guess by have the concession stand in front of Empire 1 will minimize the running distance because even when I’ve attended a film I’m practically running flat-out to the concession stand and back to Empire 1.