Oh wow. What sad news among everything else that is going on. The Washington Post has an article today on the closing online. I’m surprised the venue was kept open this long to be honest. My last experience there a decade or so was poor. I think I saw Dreamgirls here. Ok, that was 15 years ago.
I suppose when they got rid of their 70mm projectors it sealed its fate as just another theater. The opportunity to offer counter programming with occasional 70mm retrospectives gone. Not that the AFI Silver doesn’t do them, but honestly, its not as immersive as the Uptown.
Maybe we should write Jeff Bezos to buy the property and do a Paul Allen and modernize and restore the Uptown ala Seattle’s Cinerama. :) How cool would that be? Restore 3-strip Cinerama, 70mm, maybe do an IMAX laser install, or Doug Trumbull’s new HFR 3D laser system.
I’d do it but I’m $9,999,999 short of being a multi-millionaire. :( :)
I must have had my notification turned off otherwise I would have responded sooner. Scott, thanks for the correction.
Kevin, the Academy 6 is where I saw my first movie with the family. My oldest brother talked my conservative parents to see a movie in a theater and we saw Rocky. I remember waiting in line to go in but hearing the sound from Star Wars and audience cheering and clapping. I begged to go see Star Wars..almost crying, but Rocky it was. In spite of the shoebox, tunnel-like, sloping auditorium the concept of the movie going experience and theatrical immersion got its start in me. :)
They need to put up the Academy 6 page. It was up, then down, then up, then gone. Memory fades with age. I used to attend many midnight and Wednesday dollar movie shows back in the day.
Finally made it to the original auditorium after its long period of remodeling work. You no longer buy tickets at the box office but enter inside. While this is a good way to increase concession sales, it takes forever to get into the theater if you don’t want to buy anything. Maybe there should be a kiosk to self-purchase tickets to bypass the concession counter. Or, go straight to the cashier to buy movie tickets.
The seats are nice and firm but get tiring to sit in after awhile. I suspect I am spoiled by the faux leather seats at the chains. The big screen looks wonderful as does the projection. They play a nice DP trailer and historical bit at the start of the show. There is a pictorial on the restoration but to be honest, you wouldn’t notice a whole lot of difference between the before and after the remodel. Perhaps, one can’t fully appreciate the details, or in my case, don’t have the eye for it but $250K is a lot to spend. This isn’t a criticism at all. I just figure this is what it cost to modernize and update the place.
I saw ‘Little Women’ on Christmas Day (2019) and ‘1917’ a couple of weeks ago. Both films were very good and deserve whatever accolades and awards they are likely to receive. For'1917'I sat especially close to the screen to better immerse myself into the experience. I was. I love the ‘long take’ style as you feel like you are there in real time. The group next to me snuck in cans of beer. I could hear the sounds of the tab click opening of the cans they consumed. Then the smell. Ugh. Fortunately, they were quiet and not rowdy. There were two employees to greet me but no one bothered to clean up the spilled popcorn on the floor before the start of the show. Not a good thing.
With the Chinese restaurant next door and the sandwich shop across, it would be nice to have more concession fare than the usual popcorn and bakery fare. A decent coffee making machine maybe..iced coffee..latte? Or, movie/restaurant combo special…20% off menu prices with a ticket stub? :) Or, discounted movie ticket with a $20 restaurant purchase?
I peaked into the second theater next door. It is tiny. I remember the dry cleaning place that vacated the space and can recall an enormous space that appeared to run8 adjacent to the original auditorium’s length. There is obviously more to the space than what they’ve used. Maybe they could one day open yet another, larger auditorium if the economics can support a third screen behind the screening room.
Caught Terminator: Dark Fate in the BTX Atmos Theater last week. Great surrounds in the beginning and throughout. Why can’t they BTX all their auditoriums? Even if some are smaller. The $10 Tuesday rate is great. The CGI de-aging of Sarah Connor and John is the best I’ve seen, much better than Princess Leia in Rogue One. The automated kiosks reduces the need for live cashiers, which is okay but the inattentive Attendant should go. Took what felt like an eternity to recognize me and split my ticket to admit me. They should automate his job, too.
Joker is opening here Thu in 70mm. Its a rarity to have the AFI run a more commercial movie here with the 20 screen & Imax Lite Regal just around the corner. With so much bad news reported these days, I don’t know about a dark film and judging from the trailer, a dark character study and probably an acting (insert award title) nomination for sure.
I caught the 40th anniversary release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture in #3 this week. This was not my first venue choice as I thought either Cinemark Egyptian or the AMC Tysons had a larger screen judging by the seating charts. Unfortunately, it was the closest venue and the last show time for the event.
This wasn’t the the same auditorium as the one I saw Spielberg’s ‘Lincoln’ back in ‘12 or '13 but the screen was rather large from ceiling to floor but not scope wide for Star Trek. There were more people here for the weekday showing than I had anticipated.
The picture was cropped and to my surprise, was a digital copy of probably the master they used for the VHS release way back when. Colors looked tv faded. I can say this with certainty because the translation font used was the soft rounded one in the video release and NOT the TMP font in the theatrical release. Also, some of the visuals were slightly panned! I haven’t seen the Blu Ray version but I’m thinking the Blu Ray would’ve looked/sound much better than this one.
I came in with the preshow movie retrospective already midway through. I first thought it was a rehash of the 2K1 Director’s Edition but the copyright has 2009 stamp. Hmmm.
Sound was very good. The rear speakers came alive at least during the Vger reveal. Jerry Goldsmith’s score especially the use of the blaster beam delivered that theatrical resonance that made this movie positively memorable. Although, it does not surpass my original experience way back when the movie came out.
Let’s hope Paramount does a proper 4K cut on this film, as they’ve done releases on far lesser movies.
I noticed Regal has an unlimited $21/month movie membership offer. This is not unreasonable given one can easily recoup the cost after 2 evening shows.
I saw Spiderman: Homecoming in BTX here today. Great sound and presentation. The preview for the next Furious movie and Terminator played surprisingly low. I’m glad I waited a week to pay only $10 today vs $19 last holiday weekend when the movie opened. Had a sense of deja vu with the films VFX. The water creature looked like the water version of the Sandman from the Tobey McGuire era Spidey films. The Spidey flybys could use more visual flair with first person-type fx.
Too late for me, rl. I wanted to catch at least one of the films but couldn’t. Oh well. Maybe they’ll have the films again prior to the Dec opening of the ‘last’ Star Wars film.
Looking at the current summer programming roster, nothing really worth seeing. With 35 yr and 25 yr and older retrospectives, I can think of many good films from ‘94 and '84 they could have that are worth experiencing on the big screen here.
I saw Toy Story 4 in the BTX theater with Atmos. I loved the rear voice track of the characters just as the picture opens. Excellent aural experience but I was not quite ‘feeling’ it at the much talked about ending. They have alcohol now but I opted for the mozzarella bites and cheese sandwich since they were rather cheap. Too much cheese in one sitting but served hot. The service could be better if the server would remember to bring napkins. I’m sure as long as this film makes the $, we’ll see another one as long as the story is compelling. They could reboot the thing with new kids.
I saw Hunt in 70mm also, but I don’t exactly where. I usually chose the best venue in the area. If it was exclusively 70mm here, then it was here. If it was also booked in 70mm in a THX cert house, I would have probably saw it somewhere else like Wisconsin Ave down the street, or one of the Multiplex Cinemas in VA. The last 70mm anything I saw here was Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in ‘89.
Giles, I’m reasonably sure they had 70mm prior to Raiders because I saw ‘Empire Strikes Back’ here when it opened in ‘80. Steve says above they got the Apex’s 70mm projectors for 'Empire.’ My experience is detailed somewhere deep into the postings here.
Being a teen and the only one of my friends who had a job (delivering the Washington Post) I paid for all of us to take the bus, movie tickets and food at the Booeymongers a few blocks down. :) Okay.. I didn’t exactly ‘pay’ for my friend’s tickets, but made them help me deliver the huge Sunday paper with all the ad inserts. Remember when the papers were 5 lb monstrosities? Imagine having to deliver hundreds of those things on a Sunday AM.
With today’s IMAX-lite screens, I’m not sure if I’d enjoy movies here the same way now as I did back then. Its hard to say. Back then, it was a new experience for me having grown up with just a 20" Motorola mono sound color tv.
Star Wars fans..the complete saga is being shown here for one long weekend starting 5/3. I’m wondering why they don’t do this closer to the last film coming out this December. It will still be the 20th anniversary of the start of the middle trilogy.
I don’t recall #1 having EX, yes it has the THX..almost audio nirvana. What I’m wondering if Episode 2 will show here with the same aural power as I remember watching it at the Senator and at the Annapolis Mall in DP. The scene I’m talking about is when Jango Fett sets off those weapons against Obi Wan in the asteroid field with that super loud BONNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGG. The visual and sound effects are so powerful that you almost weave and bop in tune with the ships navigating avoiding the bombs and asteroids. Then there’s the low, but powerful woooosh of Windu’s light saber just before the Jedi knight fight in the arena.
I remember the last time they had the SW movies here they were sell outs. I suspect this will be the same. Its too bad, they couldn’t get someone, anybody..actor or production staff, from some of the movies for a Q&A ala the 2001 retrospective in recent years.
BTX is Bow Tie cinemas branding of a large screen premium presentation experience. 4K, Dolby everything..Atmos. Other than the admission increase, its not much more than what they had when it was just THX and Digital. To cinephiles that may sound blasphemous, but I have had great movie EXPERIENCES here prior to Atmos and the Vision installs. The faux leather recliners are welcome but it gives reason to jack up admission prices such as the IMAX-type places like AMC. Bow Tie is a north east chain.
Had a great time seeing ‘Aquaman’ in BTX. Dolby Vision trailer is the same. Great sound and visual effects. For the $10 bargain Tues price, it is a bargain. Better than paying $18 for IMAX-lite and you still get Atmos. I have to admit, the still pics of Aquaman didn’t do much for me having grown up with the cartoons. Of course, this is probably the way with pretty much all of the Marvel and DC Comic movie adaptations. Wasn’t until Donner’s Superman, that that mold was broken.
Ordered a $13 pizza thinking it was a huge..Costco-like big slice, but it was enough for 2 or 3! Its more of a flat bread pizza like CA Pizza Kitchen. I wish they had a drink order option at the kiosk, they don’t. Delivery service is friendly, but they don’t think to give you napkins. Should have worn long sleeves tonight.. :)
I hear you, Mark. When they had 2001 in the summer, I’d like to think they did well. The last day was sold out as I noted above. They booked again in the fall. If they build and advertise it well, I’m sure people will come (like me). I’ve read the one 70mm Superman print in circulation is pink now. I’d like to experience the title sequence in its full screen 6 track glory at least one time. :)
Vertigo and Rosemary Baby bookings for their respective anniversaries. But no Superman? It turns 40 next month! Vertigo deserves the restored 70mm DTS version, not the 4K. Whats the point?
I’ve been saying the same thing for the last few years. I don’t think they’ve gotten rid of all their projectionists. I thought they had one for those rare 70mm shows. I remember one of the last bookings they only played 70mm on the weekends, thinking they ran digital or some automated showing on the weekdays when attendance is lower.
I found 2001: A Space Odyssey showing here tonight and attended the only showing. Film started promptly at 6:30, intermission at 8, resumed at 13 minutes. No previews or IMAX trailer, whatsoever. Just a prerecorded welcome announcement. The classical music played pre show was nice. One would think the theater would have had slide shows or commercials for the Smithsonian museums, but nothing. Even though today was a holiday, I paid $2 just in case. Fortunately, there was no ticket on my window given the 2 hr parking time max.
Movie was digitally disappointing. Color was not vibrant or sharp. The picture was ok, no transferred film artifacts such as scratches or spotting. In fact, the readouts looked dull. What I saw in the 70mm print at the AFI Silver such as the red veins in Bowman’s eyes in the bedroom suite scene showed a vein, not tree of veins. Bowman’s eye color in the closeups looked green in one scene, opaque in another. Ship/pod readouts were dull, worse than the 70mm print at the AFI.
Even though I’ve seen this film many times, I would always hope there would be a change to one scene. When Bowman rescues Poole, he returns to the Discovery but lets Poole’s body go to get into the ship through the manual airlock. Well…the pod has 4 arms with 4 hands. Bowman should/could have held on to Poole with two of the arms and still have the other two turn those dials on the Discovery exterior to open the airlock, place Poole into the chamber and then enter, himself, as in the film.
Having read of Kubrick’s obsession with perfection, he’d be rolling around in his grave to find this film digitally preserved and presented the way it was tonight.
Peter, so this Nolan supervised ‘new’ 70mm print taken from the 65mm original negative, to use a Trumpism…was an ‘alternative fact?’:) GRRR.
Giles had mentioned the IMAX version was at the Chantilly Smithsonian the previous week. I was thinking about attending that to compare but didn’t have the time to check it out. I hope it makes the rounds again to check out (the IMAX version).
Hooray for me. I caught the last showing of 2001 this evening. This time I bought tickets online to avoid the mess from last time. Turnout was surprisingly decent for a weeknight showing. I guestimate about 200 spread out the Grand Theater.
The theater advertises fresh made Whole Food sandwiches and other items. Unfortunately, they were all sold out. This is ridiculous for a 7:30 pm show. And they stopped selling my favorite stuffed pretzels. And I ain’t paying no $10 for a Costco sized dog that Costco sells for $1.50. Instead, I paid $5 for one oversized cookie and a bag of super crunchy chips. Its funny in that the guy next to me also had chips and as anyone who has seen the film knows its mostly quiet. You can hear audience movement, coughs and whatnot. So he and I were careful to quietly chew our extra crunchy chips, stop when the soundtrack was dead silent and resume chewing when it got loud. :)
Excellent showmanship. They discontinued the slide show and closed the curtain promptly at 7:30pm while the overture or entrance music began. There were some film detracting artifacts such as a sudden drop out as if the film had been trimmed at the beginning of the Dawn of Man scenes. Spotting and lines in certain places led me to believe the film has been shown quite a bit and probably mishandled. Intermission started at 9pm and the show resumed about 15 minutes later. Curtain closed. Audience clapped at the end. After the credits, while many still sat in their seats, curtain closed. ^5s.
Thinking about the ‘experience,’ I have to say it was less than I hoped. While its always great to see a classic on the BIG screen, with a decent audience, there were some other detractions. The color seemed less vibrant from what I thought was a first generation print. For example, the close ups of Dave Bowman. The guy has big BIG BLUE eyes. We’re not talking exaggerated digital blue like Chris Pine in the IMAX-lite Star Trek reboots here. They looked more light blue. My memory of the virgin print from the Uptown viewing from 1990 was more engaging..this is aside from the superior w-i-d-e screen at the theater. BUT..what I did notice this time (for the first time probably) were the red blood veins in Bowman’s eyes.
Another color detraction were the ship monitor readouts as Hal kills the scientists in stasis. The colors looked faded and not properly contrast and sharp. Maybe I’m wrong but I had thought the readouts filled the entire screen not boxed. The sound effect had a less than vibrant piercing beep beep..beep beep. Or, maybe my hearing has, um..lossed some sensitivity after years of THX/Dolby Digital/DTS abuse. :)
On the positive side, in one of the moon shots, there appeared more ‘texture’ than what I remember from before. The space suits by the Discovery looked more blood orange then orange than I recall. Since this print was supposedly made from the original negative would I be correct to assume this was the original intent?
I didn’t spend much time looking at the exhibits, but I did take a minute or two to marvel at the decorations and interior designs and how well things seem to have held up since its reopening some 15 years or so ago.
If Spartacus were shown here in 70mm for the Kubrick retrospective, I would have driven back for it. But for DCP, not so much interest. Might as well see it at home.
I saw the movie Incredibles 2 in #8 last week. The place looks a little more updated with the newer doors and concession upgrades. The recliner seats appear to be similar to the mall ones. If only they had upgraded the sound and installed larger screens. Sound levels for the movie were okay. I think if it played in the mall, it would be louder. Surrounds were ok and ] whatever attendance there was were mostly kids and their parents. Hope to visit the other auditoriums and sample some of the newer concessions on a future visit.
Looking at the AFI Silver’s page, they’ve got 2001 booked for only ONE day, Fri 8/24, with just two showings. I figured they would try to get it back especially with the current Kubrick film retrospectives.
I’m wondering why this year they hardly had any 70mm anything. I know we’re not in Hollywood and have easy access to the film archives and all that but when I see Portland and some of these other places having more 70mm, I’m jealous. This isn’t right. This is the AFI!
Since I missed the last showing of 2001 at the AFI Silver, I walked here to see what was playing and decided to see Ant Man in IMAX. I think its the first time I’ve been back to a Regal theater since the Into Darkness film blogged above. 5 years! And after tonight’s visit, it may be another 5 before I go back. :)
The remodel of the IMAX auditorium is nice. The soft faux leather seats are car seat comfortable and firm. They don’t recline! Seating capacity states 303.
I can’t believe I plunked down $20 for this movie. I used the kiosk to buy as the single cashier was busy. Still having my Regal card, I saw I had 500 points. The movie point system with them has changed in what I believe is just psychological. Instead of singular points for your dollar spending, it is now in the HUNDREDS.
The main concession stand is undergoing a major remodel and was completely closed. The secondary refreshment counter was opened and the counter guy explained you need 7000 points for a measly popcorn. I bought a pan pizza for about $7, not too bad. I asked for ice water and received nothing at the other end. Customer service is poor.
The pre show show plays on the entire screen, which is very nice. On the other hand, the sound plays only on the left side. Why this is, is baffling. You’d expect more for that $20 ticket price.
The IMAX trailer is the same. The circular countdown touting the big screen and immersive sound. They need to update it. Of all the trailers shown, the bio pic of Queen’s Freddie Mercury in the upcoming ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ looks quite good. :)
Presentation of the movie was as expected. This is IMAX-lite. Some decent stereo rear effects but nothing worth mentioning. Paul Rudd looks better with age. The CGI de-aging of Michael Douglas and Michele Pfeiffer’s characters are almost flawless. The darkness of the short scene definitely hides some of the imperfections of the effect but the shots are short that you’ll have to freeze frame the eventual home digital copy to notice it better.
I tried to catch the last showing of new print of 2001 this evening. After fighting rush hour traffic to get to the theater, I was surprised to see a line going to the end of Panera Bread! Still had 10 minutes to show time and then they announced the breakdown of their credit card system. Had no cash. I tried, along with my fellow patrons in line to book tickets online. Not knowing if that system was working, I gave up, since the site was so slow. I doubt the showing was sold out but I’m sure the crowd was a decently sized one.
In my disappointment, I walked around the block and decided to check out what was showing at the Regal theater… :)
Oh wow. What sad news among everything else that is going on. The Washington Post has an article today on the closing online. I’m surprised the venue was kept open this long to be honest. My last experience there a decade or so was poor. I think I saw Dreamgirls here. Ok, that was 15 years ago.
I suppose when they got rid of their 70mm projectors it sealed its fate as just another theater. The opportunity to offer counter programming with occasional 70mm retrospectives gone. Not that the AFI Silver doesn’t do them, but honestly, its not as immersive as the Uptown.
Maybe we should write Jeff Bezos to buy the property and do a Paul Allen and modernize and restore the Uptown ala Seattle’s Cinerama. :) How cool would that be? Restore 3-strip Cinerama, 70mm, maybe do an IMAX laser install, or Doug Trumbull’s new HFR 3D laser system.
I’d do it but I’m $9,999,999 short of being a multi-millionaire. :( :)
I must have had my notification turned off otherwise I would have responded sooner. Scott, thanks for the correction.
Kevin, the Academy 6 is where I saw my first movie with the family. My oldest brother talked my conservative parents to see a movie in a theater and we saw Rocky. I remember waiting in line to go in but hearing the sound from Star Wars and audience cheering and clapping. I begged to go see Star Wars..almost crying, but Rocky it was. In spite of the shoebox, tunnel-like, sloping auditorium the concept of the movie going experience and theatrical immersion got its start in me. :)
They need to put up the Academy 6 page. It was up, then down, then up, then gone. Memory fades with age. I used to attend many midnight and Wednesday dollar movie shows back in the day.
Finally made it to the original auditorium after its long period of remodeling work. You no longer buy tickets at the box office but enter inside. While this is a good way to increase concession sales, it takes forever to get into the theater if you don’t want to buy anything. Maybe there should be a kiosk to self-purchase tickets to bypass the concession counter. Or, go straight to the cashier to buy movie tickets.
The seats are nice and firm but get tiring to sit in after awhile. I suspect I am spoiled by the faux leather seats at the chains. The big screen looks wonderful as does the projection. They play a nice DP trailer and historical bit at the start of the show. There is a pictorial on the restoration but to be honest, you wouldn’t notice a whole lot of difference between the before and after the remodel. Perhaps, one can’t fully appreciate the details, or in my case, don’t have the eye for it but $250K is a lot to spend. This isn’t a criticism at all. I just figure this is what it cost to modernize and update the place.
I saw ‘Little Women’ on Christmas Day (2019) and ‘1917’ a couple of weeks ago. Both films were very good and deserve whatever accolades and awards they are likely to receive. For'1917'I sat especially close to the screen to better immerse myself into the experience. I was. I love the ‘long take’ style as you feel like you are there in real time. The group next to me snuck in cans of beer. I could hear the sounds of the tab click opening of the cans they consumed. Then the smell. Ugh. Fortunately, they were quiet and not rowdy. There were two employees to greet me but no one bothered to clean up the spilled popcorn on the floor before the start of the show. Not a good thing.
With the Chinese restaurant next door and the sandwich shop across, it would be nice to have more concession fare than the usual popcorn and bakery fare. A decent coffee making machine maybe..iced coffee..latte? Or, movie/restaurant combo special…20% off menu prices with a ticket stub? :) Or, discounted movie ticket with a $20 restaurant purchase?
I peaked into the second theater next door. It is tiny. I remember the dry cleaning place that vacated the space and can recall an enormous space that appeared to run8 adjacent to the original auditorium’s length. There is obviously more to the space than what they’ve used. Maybe they could one day open yet another, larger auditorium if the economics can support a third screen behind the screening room.
Caught Terminator: Dark Fate in the BTX Atmos Theater last week. Great surrounds in the beginning and throughout. Why can’t they BTX all their auditoriums? Even if some are smaller. The $10 Tuesday rate is great. The CGI de-aging of Sarah Connor and John is the best I’ve seen, much better than Princess Leia in Rogue One. The automated kiosks reduces the need for live cashiers, which is okay but the inattentive Attendant should go. Took what felt like an eternity to recognize me and split my ticket to admit me. They should automate his job, too.
Joker is opening here Thu in 70mm. Its a rarity to have the AFI run a more commercial movie here with the 20 screen & Imax Lite Regal just around the corner. With so much bad news reported these days, I don’t know about a dark film and judging from the trailer, a dark character study and probably an acting (insert award title) nomination for sure.
I caught the 40th anniversary release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture in #3 this week. This was not my first venue choice as I thought either Cinemark Egyptian or the AMC Tysons had a larger screen judging by the seating charts. Unfortunately, it was the closest venue and the last show time for the event.
This wasn’t the the same auditorium as the one I saw Spielberg’s ‘Lincoln’ back in ‘12 or '13 but the screen was rather large from ceiling to floor but not scope wide for Star Trek. There were more people here for the weekday showing than I had anticipated.
The picture was cropped and to my surprise, was a digital copy of probably the master they used for the VHS release way back when. Colors looked tv faded. I can say this with certainty because the translation font used was the soft rounded one in the video release and NOT the TMP font in the theatrical release. Also, some of the visuals were slightly panned! I haven’t seen the Blu Ray version but I’m thinking the Blu Ray would’ve looked/sound much better than this one.
I came in with the preshow movie retrospective already midway through. I first thought it was a rehash of the 2K1 Director’s Edition but the copyright has 2009 stamp. Hmmm.
Sound was very good. The rear speakers came alive at least during the Vger reveal. Jerry Goldsmith’s score especially the use of the blaster beam delivered that theatrical resonance that made this movie positively memorable. Although, it does not surpass my original experience way back when the movie came out.
Let’s hope Paramount does a proper 4K cut on this film, as they’ve done releases on far lesser movies.
I noticed Regal has an unlimited $21/month movie membership offer. This is not unreasonable given one can easily recoup the cost after 2 evening shows.
I saw Spiderman: Homecoming in BTX here today. Great sound and presentation. The preview for the next Furious movie and Terminator played surprisingly low. I’m glad I waited a week to pay only $10 today vs $19 last holiday weekend when the movie opened. Had a sense of deja vu with the films VFX. The water creature looked like the water version of the Sandman from the Tobey McGuire era Spidey films. The Spidey flybys could use more visual flair with first person-type fx.
Too late for me, rl. I wanted to catch at least one of the films but couldn’t. Oh well. Maybe they’ll have the films again prior to the Dec opening of the ‘last’ Star Wars film.
Looking at the current summer programming roster, nothing really worth seeing. With 35 yr and 25 yr and older retrospectives, I can think of many good films from ‘94 and '84 they could have that are worth experiencing on the big screen here.
I saw Toy Story 4 in the BTX theater with Atmos. I loved the rear voice track of the characters just as the picture opens. Excellent aural experience but I was not quite ‘feeling’ it at the much talked about ending. They have alcohol now but I opted for the mozzarella bites and cheese sandwich since they were rather cheap. Too much cheese in one sitting but served hot. The service could be better if the server would remember to bring napkins. I’m sure as long as this film makes the $, we’ll see another one as long as the story is compelling. They could reboot the thing with new kids.
I saw Hunt in 70mm also, but I don’t exactly where. I usually chose the best venue in the area. If it was exclusively 70mm here, then it was here. If it was also booked in 70mm in a THX cert house, I would have probably saw it somewhere else like Wisconsin Ave down the street, or one of the Multiplex Cinemas in VA. The last 70mm anything I saw here was Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in ‘89.
Giles, I’m reasonably sure they had 70mm prior to Raiders because I saw ‘Empire Strikes Back’ here when it opened in ‘80. Steve says above they got the Apex’s 70mm projectors for 'Empire.’ My experience is detailed somewhere deep into the postings here.
Being a teen and the only one of my friends who had a job (delivering the Washington Post) I paid for all of us to take the bus, movie tickets and food at the Booeymongers a few blocks down. :) Okay.. I didn’t exactly ‘pay’ for my friend’s tickets, but made them help me deliver the huge Sunday paper with all the ad inserts. Remember when the papers were 5 lb monstrosities? Imagine having to deliver hundreds of those things on a Sunday AM.
With today’s IMAX-lite screens, I’m not sure if I’d enjoy movies here the same way now as I did back then. Its hard to say. Back then, it was a new experience for me having grown up with just a 20" Motorola mono sound color tv.
Star Wars fans..the complete saga is being shown here for one long weekend starting 5/3. I’m wondering why they don’t do this closer to the last film coming out this December. It will still be the 20th anniversary of the start of the middle trilogy.
I don’t recall #1 having EX, yes it has the THX..almost audio nirvana. What I’m wondering if Episode 2 will show here with the same aural power as I remember watching it at the Senator and at the Annapolis Mall in DP. The scene I’m talking about is when Jango Fett sets off those weapons against Obi Wan in the asteroid field with that super loud BONNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGG. The visual and sound effects are so powerful that you almost weave and bop in tune with the ships navigating avoiding the bombs and asteroids. Then there’s the low, but powerful woooosh of Windu’s light saber just before the Jedi knight fight in the arena.
I remember the last time they had the SW movies here they were sell outs. I suspect this will be the same. Its too bad, they couldn’t get someone, anybody..actor or production staff, from some of the movies for a Q&A ala the 2001 retrospective in recent years.
BTX is Bow Tie cinemas branding of a large screen premium presentation experience. 4K, Dolby everything..Atmos. Other than the admission increase, its not much more than what they had when it was just THX and Digital. To cinephiles that may sound blasphemous, but I have had great movie EXPERIENCES here prior to Atmos and the Vision installs. The faux leather recliners are welcome but it gives reason to jack up admission prices such as the IMAX-type places like AMC. Bow Tie is a north east chain.
Had a great time seeing ‘Aquaman’ in BTX. Dolby Vision trailer is the same. Great sound and visual effects. For the $10 bargain Tues price, it is a bargain. Better than paying $18 for IMAX-lite and you still get Atmos. I have to admit, the still pics of Aquaman didn’t do much for me having grown up with the cartoons. Of course, this is probably the way with pretty much all of the Marvel and DC Comic movie adaptations. Wasn’t until Donner’s Superman, that that mold was broken.
Ordered a $13 pizza thinking it was a huge..Costco-like big slice, but it was enough for 2 or 3! Its more of a flat bread pizza like CA Pizza Kitchen. I wish they had a drink order option at the kiosk, they don’t. Delivery service is friendly, but they don’t think to give you napkins. Should have worn long sleeves tonight.. :)
Is 8 still THX, Giles? No placard or signage anywhere? If the sound was as bad as you described, I’d write to THX and complain.
I hear you, Mark. When they had 2001 in the summer, I’d like to think they did well. The last day was sold out as I noted above. They booked again in the fall. If they build and advertise it well, I’m sure people will come (like me). I’ve read the one 70mm Superman print in circulation is pink now. I’d like to experience the title sequence in its full screen 6 track glory at least one time. :)
Vertigo and Rosemary Baby bookings for their respective anniversaries. But no Superman? It turns 40 next month! Vertigo deserves the restored 70mm DTS version, not the 4K. Whats the point?
I’ve been saying the same thing for the last few years. I don’t think they’ve gotten rid of all their projectionists. I thought they had one for those rare 70mm shows. I remember one of the last bookings they only played 70mm on the weekends, thinking they ran digital or some automated showing on the weekdays when attendance is lower.
I found 2001: A Space Odyssey showing here tonight and attended the only showing. Film started promptly at 6:30, intermission at 8, resumed at 13 minutes. No previews or IMAX trailer, whatsoever. Just a prerecorded welcome announcement. The classical music played pre show was nice. One would think the theater would have had slide shows or commercials for the Smithsonian museums, but nothing. Even though today was a holiday, I paid $2 just in case. Fortunately, there was no ticket on my window given the 2 hr parking time max.
Movie was digitally disappointing. Color was not vibrant or sharp. The picture was ok, no transferred film artifacts such as scratches or spotting. In fact, the readouts looked dull. What I saw in the 70mm print at the AFI Silver such as the red veins in Bowman’s eyes in the bedroom suite scene showed a vein, not tree of veins. Bowman’s eye color in the closeups looked green in one scene, opaque in another. Ship/pod readouts were dull, worse than the 70mm print at the AFI.
Even though I’ve seen this film many times, I would always hope there would be a change to one scene. When Bowman rescues Poole, he returns to the Discovery but lets Poole’s body go to get into the ship through the manual airlock. Well…the pod has 4 arms with 4 hands. Bowman should/could have held on to Poole with two of the arms and still have the other two turn those dials on the Discovery exterior to open the airlock, place Poole into the chamber and then enter, himself, as in the film.
Having read of Kubrick’s obsession with perfection, he’d be rolling around in his grave to find this film digitally preserved and presented the way it was tonight.
Howard, so true.
Peter, so this Nolan supervised ‘new’ 70mm print taken from the 65mm original negative, to use a Trumpism…was an ‘alternative fact?’:) GRRR.
Giles had mentioned the IMAX version was at the Chantilly Smithsonian the previous week. I was thinking about attending that to compare but didn’t have the time to check it out. I hope it makes the rounds again to check out (the IMAX version).
Hooray for me. I caught the last showing of 2001 this evening. This time I bought tickets online to avoid the mess from last time. Turnout was surprisingly decent for a weeknight showing. I guestimate about 200 spread out the Grand Theater.
The theater advertises fresh made Whole Food sandwiches and other items. Unfortunately, they were all sold out. This is ridiculous for a 7:30 pm show. And they stopped selling my favorite stuffed pretzels. And I ain’t paying no $10 for a Costco sized dog that Costco sells for $1.50. Instead, I paid $5 for one oversized cookie and a bag of super crunchy chips. Its funny in that the guy next to me also had chips and as anyone who has seen the film knows its mostly quiet. You can hear audience movement, coughs and whatnot. So he and I were careful to quietly chew our extra crunchy chips, stop when the soundtrack was dead silent and resume chewing when it got loud. :)
Excellent showmanship. They discontinued the slide show and closed the curtain promptly at 7:30pm while the overture or entrance music began. There were some film detracting artifacts such as a sudden drop out as if the film had been trimmed at the beginning of the Dawn of Man scenes. Spotting and lines in certain places led me to believe the film has been shown quite a bit and probably mishandled. Intermission started at 9pm and the show resumed about 15 minutes later. Curtain closed. Audience clapped at the end. After the credits, while many still sat in their seats, curtain closed. ^5s.
Thinking about the ‘experience,’ I have to say it was less than I hoped. While its always great to see a classic on the BIG screen, with a decent audience, there were some other detractions. The color seemed less vibrant from what I thought was a first generation print. For example, the close ups of Dave Bowman. The guy has big BIG BLUE eyes. We’re not talking exaggerated digital blue like Chris Pine in the IMAX-lite Star Trek reboots here. They looked more light blue. My memory of the virgin print from the Uptown viewing from 1990 was more engaging..this is aside from the superior w-i-d-e screen at the theater. BUT..what I did notice this time (for the first time probably) were the red blood veins in Bowman’s eyes.
Another color detraction were the ship monitor readouts as Hal kills the scientists in stasis. The colors looked faded and not properly contrast and sharp. Maybe I’m wrong but I had thought the readouts filled the entire screen not boxed. The sound effect had a less than vibrant piercing beep beep..beep beep. Or, maybe my hearing has, um..lossed some sensitivity after years of THX/Dolby Digital/DTS abuse. :)
On the positive side, in one of the moon shots, there appeared more ‘texture’ than what I remember from before. The space suits by the Discovery looked more blood orange then orange than I recall. Since this print was supposedly made from the original negative would I be correct to assume this was the original intent?
I didn’t spend much time looking at the exhibits, but I did take a minute or two to marvel at the decorations and interior designs and how well things seem to have held up since its reopening some 15 years or so ago.
If Spartacus were shown here in 70mm for the Kubrick retrospective, I would have driven back for it. But for DCP, not so much interest. Might as well see it at home.
I saw the movie Incredibles 2 in #8 last week. The place looks a little more updated with the newer doors and concession upgrades. The recliner seats appear to be similar to the mall ones. If only they had upgraded the sound and installed larger screens. Sound levels for the movie were okay. I think if it played in the mall, it would be louder. Surrounds were ok and ] whatever attendance there was were mostly kids and their parents. Hope to visit the other auditoriums and sample some of the newer concessions on a future visit.
Looking at the AFI Silver’s page, they’ve got 2001 booked for only ONE day, Fri 8/24, with just two showings. I figured they would try to get it back especially with the current Kubrick film retrospectives.
I’m wondering why this year they hardly had any 70mm anything. I know we’re not in Hollywood and have easy access to the film archives and all that but when I see Portland and some of these other places having more 70mm, I’m jealous. This isn’t right. This is the AFI!
Since I missed the last showing of 2001 at the AFI Silver, I walked here to see what was playing and decided to see Ant Man in IMAX. I think its the first time I’ve been back to a Regal theater since the Into Darkness film blogged above. 5 years! And after tonight’s visit, it may be another 5 before I go back. :)
The remodel of the IMAX auditorium is nice. The soft faux leather seats are car seat comfortable and firm. They don’t recline! Seating capacity states 303.
I can’t believe I plunked down $20 for this movie. I used the kiosk to buy as the single cashier was busy. Still having my Regal card, I saw I had 500 points. The movie point system with them has changed in what I believe is just psychological. Instead of singular points for your dollar spending, it is now in the HUNDREDS.
The main concession stand is undergoing a major remodel and was completely closed. The secondary refreshment counter was opened and the counter guy explained you need 7000 points for a measly popcorn. I bought a pan pizza for about $7, not too bad. I asked for ice water and received nothing at the other end. Customer service is poor.
The pre show show plays on the entire screen, which is very nice. On the other hand, the sound plays only on the left side. Why this is, is baffling. You’d expect more for that $20 ticket price.
The IMAX trailer is the same. The circular countdown touting the big screen and immersive sound. They need to update it. Of all the trailers shown, the bio pic of Queen’s Freddie Mercury in the upcoming ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ looks quite good. :)
Presentation of the movie was as expected. This is IMAX-lite. Some decent stereo rear effects but nothing worth mentioning. Paul Rudd looks better with age. The CGI de-aging of Michael Douglas and Michele Pfeiffer’s characters are almost flawless. The darkness of the short scene definitely hides some of the imperfections of the effect but the shots are short that you’ll have to freeze frame the eventual home digital copy to notice it better.
I tried to catch the last showing of new print of 2001 this evening. After fighting rush hour traffic to get to the theater, I was surprised to see a line going to the end of Panera Bread! Still had 10 minutes to show time and then they announced the breakdown of their credit card system. Had no cash. I tried, along with my fellow patrons in line to book tickets online. Not knowing if that system was working, I gave up, since the site was so slow. I doubt the showing was sold out but I’m sure the crowd was a decently sized one.
In my disappointment, I walked around the block and decided to check out what was showing at the Regal theater… :)