It was great seeing Dreamgirls at the Ziegfeld. I really enjoyed the atmosphere generated by the “Roadshow” release. Everyone was excited and happy to be there. It certainly made a trip to the movies more exciting than its been in the recent past. Considering the number of gay men there (myself included), to see a line for the men’s room was quite funny.
The staff was great, white gloved, bow-tied and courteous. Someone on staff made an announcement asking the audience to turn off their phones and pagers. That was a welcome surprise, although I didn’t think we needed him at the front of the house introducing the movie. Digital presentation was fine, although the projectionist was a bit slow on the curtain cues at the end.
This is the first time in a long time I can remember going to see an “event” movie. I hope the “Roadshow” is returning and the trend will continue.
This is great; a real discussion about presentation. Usually, when I read posts about Roadshows they are for shows that took place at least twenty years ago. At last, a “roadshow” we can actually go see. Thats progress!
Jeff made a point about the Lafayette only costing $6 or $8. That’s a great price for what the Lafayette provides and I am confident that a show there is well presented. I hope to visit the Lafayette as soon as I am able. However, the BSC series coincides with my working hours and I have not gotten the chance to go, yet. Additionally, The Lafayette is not my neighborhood theater; the Ziegfeld is.
So now we have a Roadshow on a very short road, with tolls. These days the only place I have to enjoy a real Roadshow presentation on a regular basis is my living room. It will be a welcome experience to see it at the Ziegfeld. I, like Bill H., am looking forward to it.
Vito hit the nail on the head. To see Dreamgirls at the Music Hall would have been heavenly.
I believe in the maxim, “Be careful what you wish for”. Perhaps the “studio bean counters” will also come to the conclusion that a $25 ticket price warrants a theater befitting such a price.
Inflation being what it is, I’d pay the extra price if I could have a theater like the Rivoli in which to see a movie. I’m very tempted to take advantage of an American Airlines award ticket to see Dreamgirls at the Cinerama Dome.
I do somewhat agree with Vito. If Dreamgirls were a true Roadshow it would premiere tomorrow at the three theaters its going to play in (and perhaps a few others), running there for a few months prior to opening in wide release. That, unfortunately is not going to happen.
I am pretty confident I am not alone in that I long for a long gone movie going experience. It doesn’t exist in too many places anymore. I must say that seeing Happy Feet on the IMAX screen really impressed me. I do know that when I sit down at the Ziegfeld on Sunday, December 17 I will not have to sit through commercials, slides and trailers. I hope the presentation will be great and the curtains will be closed upon my arrival.
Will this inspire more studios and theater owners to consider a true Roadshow rollout? I sincerely hope so and only time will tell. In the meantime, this week’s show will contain no ads, trailers, etcetera. A reserved seat and a program will have to suffice for now. I intend to go to the movies and have some great fun.
I look forward to the posts here between tomorrow and Sunday.
I am not so sure that print of WSS is new. I believe it is the same print that was shown earlier this year. It’s missing the opening three whistles, meant to be heard just prior to the overture.
Although I tend to agree with yours and Vito’s comments about masking and curtains, I do remember one instance of your opening the masking during a film. It was 1996, during the Warner Bros. Film Festival. The cartoon, “What’s Opera, Doc?” had just ended and you went right into “My Fair Lady”. The opening shot of flowers was on screen and the first notes of the Overture played as you opened the masking for a 70MM presentation. It was perfect and got a big round of applause from the audience.
The question “Is is bigger than a breadbox?” was first posed by Steve Allen, not Miss Kilgallen. Over the years, it became a running gag on “What’s My Line?”. Back on topic, I am going to make my first visit to the Valencia in a couple of weeks. I can’t wait.
Jeff: I thought it was clear that when I wrote “reel” picture show, I meant a changeover house. I also thought the Ziegfeld was equipped for both platter and reel to reel presentation. Can anyone confirm this?
If this is true, that there is an available 70MM print of “West Side Story” and the Ziegfeld still has the capability to do a “reel” picture show, then you should take every step to get that print into your theater next month. I am confident that there are projectionists galore (I was there the night “Lawrence of Arabia” was saved.) who can come in and run the show.
Hopefully, you can make this series even more special than it already is!
To Robert Harris: Mr. Harris, I am reading and re-reading your posts here with great interest. I would like to address you privately regarding your comment about the “starting point” for good 70MM presentations.
A link to my e-mail address appears on my member page, accessible by clicking on my name below. Would you be so kind as to send me an e-mail?
You and your colleagues have provided me with hours upon hours of great entertainment. Thank you. I have three home video editions of MY FAIR LADY. The 1994 Laserdisc box set, the 2004 DVD release, and the 1996 Laserdisc that gloriously features Audrey Hepburn’s “Loverly” vocals in the film itself.
Regarding the sync problem – Are you speaking about the 7:30 show on 3/25? I did not notice anything out of sync at all, all evening. Was there a sync problem last night?
Regarding the sync problem – Are you speaking about the 7:30 show on 3/25? I did not notice anything out of sync at all, all evening. Was there a sync problem last night?
A note: The Ziegfeld did not “ruin” anything. The film broke. It’s a story as old as the art of motion picture projection and one I am sure every licensed (and unlicensed) projectionist can tell.
A GREAT SUNDAY NIGHT AT THE ZIEGFELD – My parter and I attended the 7:30 screening of Lawrence of Arabia on March 25. Everything was great; sound and presentation, spectacular. Shortly after the beginning of Act II, the film broke and burned. Five minutes later, the manager (sadly, I don’t know her name) came out to inform us that Marvin could not fix the problem and offered us passes to return at a later date. That was good customer service.
Suddenly, a gentleman sitting two seats away from us stood up and announced, “I can help fix it.” With the audience cheering, he and a few other projectionists in attendance went up to the booth and fixed the problem. Ten minutes later, to more cheers, the movie resumed. The gentleman sitting next to us returned to his seat with the piece of film that broke. To top is all off, we were still given passes to come back. That was EXCELLENT customer service.
My partner and I thought it added to our enjoyment that the audience was allowed to get involved. Who were they that got up and saved the show? You guys were amazing!
I had the oppportunity to attend six screenings since the series began. I enjoyed all of them. I was told that the Classics Series will continue during the slow months. I hope that the next time it happens, the Hollywood Classics series will take off and play to sold out houses.
I’ve wanted to see a series like this in New York for as long as I can remember. Thank you, Clearview for putting it together. WELL DONE!
To the staff at Clearview Cinemas: The next time you do a Classics series, would you consider setting a “series pass” admission price? Either that, or please consider renting me a seat by the month.
Seven visits to the Ziegfeld in a month. Seven great movies. A few minor tweaks to the presentation of these films would be great; longer intermissions, lights at ½ during the overture. Presentation and sound overall, has been great throughout the whole series.
I was at the 8:15 screening of CE3K on Firday night. The print was in pristine condition. The sound and presentation were excellent. Gary’s speech was very appropriate and reflected a lot of the sentiments posted here.
I was a theater manager for Loews and City Cinemas some years ago. I would always hope to have a staff as friendly and courteous as those at the Ziegfeld. They are wonderful. To the staff at Clearview Cinemas, congratulations and thank you for putting together a terrific series. This has been great fun and I hope it will continue, when possible.
Back to the Ziegfeld on Wednesday for 2001, then Lawrence!
I attended the 4:30 screening of West Side Story on 2/13. It was the most enjoyable experience I had in a movie theater in quite some time. The print looked and sounded great. The theater staff was informative and helpful. What struck me most is that there seemed to be a lovely change in the air at the Ziegfeld. I will address more specific comments in a separate letter to Clearview.
I sincerely hope series such as this one will become part of the regular schedule. Congratulations to all at Clearview who are coordinating the series.
The Brook and the Marine, two of my faovrite local movie theaters. I remember seeing Adam West and Burt Ward on stage at the Marine during the run of BATMAN and being invited for a private screening of CABARET at the Brook. Oh, if I could only find some Turkish Taffy minis…
All I can say is “thank Heaven.” I’m thrilled to see so much discussion about the Ziegfeld series. This means that we’re going and supporting it. I hope Clearview will see the results and continue this policy. I was planning a trip to Bradford, England for their Widescreen Weekend but between the Ziegfeld and the Lafayette, I’m staying home. It’s great to have this type of programming in the NYC area. And organ concerts, too!
It was great seeing Dreamgirls at the Ziegfeld. I really enjoyed the atmosphere generated by the “Roadshow” release. Everyone was excited and happy to be there. It certainly made a trip to the movies more exciting than its been in the recent past. Considering the number of gay men there (myself included), to see a line for the men’s room was quite funny.
The staff was great, white gloved, bow-tied and courteous. Someone on staff made an announcement asking the audience to turn off their phones and pagers. That was a welcome surprise, although I didn’t think we needed him at the front of the house introducing the movie. Digital presentation was fine, although the projectionist was a bit slow on the curtain cues at the end.
This is the first time in a long time I can remember going to see an “event” movie. I hope the “Roadshow” is returning and the trend will continue.
Has anyone seen Dreamgirls yet?
Has anyone seen Dreamgirls at the Dome yet?
This is great; a real discussion about presentation. Usually, when I read posts about Roadshows they are for shows that took place at least twenty years ago. At last, a “roadshow” we can actually go see. Thats progress!
Jeff made a point about the Lafayette only costing $6 or $8. That’s a great price for what the Lafayette provides and I am confident that a show there is well presented. I hope to visit the Lafayette as soon as I am able. However, the BSC series coincides with my working hours and I have not gotten the chance to go, yet. Additionally, The Lafayette is not my neighborhood theater; the Ziegfeld is.
So now we have a Roadshow on a very short road, with tolls. These days the only place I have to enjoy a real Roadshow presentation on a regular basis is my living room. It will be a welcome experience to see it at the Ziegfeld. I, like Bill H., am looking forward to it.
Vito hit the nail on the head. To see Dreamgirls at the Music Hall would have been heavenly.
I believe in the maxim, “Be careful what you wish for”. Perhaps the “studio bean counters” will also come to the conclusion that a $25 ticket price warrants a theater befitting such a price.
Inflation being what it is, I’d pay the extra price if I could have a theater like the Rivoli in which to see a movie. I’m very tempted to take advantage of an American Airlines award ticket to see Dreamgirls at the Cinerama Dome.
I do somewhat agree with Vito. If Dreamgirls were a true Roadshow it would premiere tomorrow at the three theaters its going to play in (and perhaps a few others), running there for a few months prior to opening in wide release. That, unfortunately is not going to happen.
I am pretty confident I am not alone in that I long for a long gone movie going experience. It doesn’t exist in too many places anymore. I must say that seeing Happy Feet on the IMAX screen really impressed me. I do know that when I sit down at the Ziegfeld on Sunday, December 17 I will not have to sit through commercials, slides and trailers. I hope the presentation will be great and the curtains will be closed upon my arrival.
Will this inspire more studios and theater owners to consider a true Roadshow rollout? I sincerely hope so and only time will tell. In the meantime, this week’s show will contain no ads, trailers, etcetera. A reserved seat and a program will have to suffice for now. I intend to go to the movies and have some great fun.
I look forward to the posts here between tomorrow and Sunday.
Anyone see the 2006 Christmas Show yet?
I am not so sure that print of WSS is new. I believe it is the same print that was shown earlier this year. It’s missing the opening three whistles, meant to be heard just prior to the overture.
Bob:
Although I tend to agree with yours and Vito’s comments about masking and curtains, I do remember one instance of your opening the masking during a film. It was 1996, during the Warner Bros. Film Festival. The cartoon, “What’s Opera, Doc?” had just ended and you went right into “My Fair Lady”. The opening shot of flowers was on screen and the first notes of the Overture played as you opened the masking for a 70MM presentation. It was perfect and got a big round of applause from the audience.
I vividly remember the “To Be Continued” credit on the original theatrical version.
The question “Is is bigger than a breadbox?” was first posed by Steve Allen, not Miss Kilgallen. Over the years, it became a running gag on “What’s My Line?”. Back on topic, I am going to make my first visit to the Valencia in a couple of weeks. I can’t wait.
Jeff: I thought it was clear that when I wrote “reel” picture show, I meant a changeover house. I also thought the Ziegfeld was equipped for both platter and reel to reel presentation. Can anyone confirm this?
Dear Craig O'Connor:
If this is true, that there is an available 70MM print of “West Side Story” and the Ziegfeld still has the capability to do a “reel” picture show, then you should take every step to get that print into your theater next month. I am confident that there are projectionists galore (I was there the night “Lawrence of Arabia” was saved.) who can come in and run the show.
Hopefully, you can make this series even more special than it already is!
This is great news! I hope more of us will come out and support this series. I know I’ll be there. Well done, Craig and Clearview.
A game show set to air on VH1, “The World Series of Pop Culture” taped at the Ziegfeld last weekend That’s why the theater was closed.
To Robert Harris: Mr. Harris, I am reading and re-reading your posts here with great interest. I would like to address you privately regarding your comment about the “starting point” for good 70MM presentations.
A link to my e-mail address appears on my member page, accessible by clicking on my name below. Would you be so kind as to send me an e-mail?
You and your colleagues have provided me with hours upon hours of great entertainment. Thank you. I have three home video editions of MY FAIR LADY. The 1994 Laserdisc box set, the 2004 DVD release, and the 1996 Laserdisc that gloriously features Audrey Hepburn’s “Loverly” vocals in the film itself.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Regarding the sync problem – Are you speaking about the 7:30 show on 3/25? I did not notice anything out of sync at all, all evening. Was there a sync problem last night?
Regarding the sync problem – Are you speaking about the 7:30 show on 3/25? I did not notice anything out of sync at all, all evening. Was there a sync problem last night?
A note: The Ziegfeld did not “ruin” anything. The film broke. It’s a story as old as the art of motion picture projection and one I am sure every licensed (and unlicensed) projectionist can tell.
I’m confident Sony Pictures will not go under.
A GREAT SUNDAY NIGHT AT THE ZIEGFELD – My parter and I attended the 7:30 screening of Lawrence of Arabia on March 25. Everything was great; sound and presentation, spectacular. Shortly after the beginning of Act II, the film broke and burned. Five minutes later, the manager (sadly, I don’t know her name) came out to inform us that Marvin could not fix the problem and offered us passes to return at a later date. That was good customer service.
Suddenly, a gentleman sitting two seats away from us stood up and announced, “I can help fix it.” With the audience cheering, he and a few other projectionists in attendance went up to the booth and fixed the problem. Ten minutes later, to more cheers, the movie resumed. The gentleman sitting next to us returned to his seat with the piece of film that broke. To top is all off, we were still given passes to come back. That was EXCELLENT customer service.
My partner and I thought it added to our enjoyment that the audience was allowed to get involved. Who were they that got up and saved the show? You guys were amazing!
I had the oppportunity to attend six screenings since the series began. I enjoyed all of them. I was told that the Classics Series will continue during the slow months. I hope that the next time it happens, the Hollywood Classics series will take off and play to sold out houses.
I’ve wanted to see a series like this in New York for as long as I can remember. Thank you, Clearview for putting it together. WELL DONE!
To the staff at Clearview Cinemas: The next time you do a Classics series, would you consider setting a “series pass” admission price? Either that, or please consider renting me a seat by the month.
Seven visits to the Ziegfeld in a month. Seven great movies. A few minor tweaks to the presentation of these films would be great; longer intermissions, lights at ½ during the overture. Presentation and sound overall, has been great throughout the whole series.
Once again, thank you for a great series.
I was at the 8:15 screening of CE3K on Firday night. The print was in pristine condition. The sound and presentation were excellent. Gary’s speech was very appropriate and reflected a lot of the sentiments posted here.
I was a theater manager for Loews and City Cinemas some years ago. I would always hope to have a staff as friendly and courteous as those at the Ziegfeld. They are wonderful. To the staff at Clearview Cinemas, congratulations and thank you for putting together a terrific series. This has been great fun and I hope it will continue, when possible.
Back to the Ziegfeld on Wednesday for 2001, then Lawrence!
I attended the 4:30 screening of West Side Story on 2/13. It was the most enjoyable experience I had in a movie theater in quite some time. The print looked and sounded great. The theater staff was informative and helpful. What struck me most is that there seemed to be a lovely change in the air at the Ziegfeld. I will address more specific comments in a separate letter to Clearview.
I sincerely hope series such as this one will become part of the regular schedule. Congratulations to all at Clearview who are coordinating the series.
The Brook and the Marine, two of my faovrite local movie theaters. I remember seeing Adam West and Burt Ward on stage at the Marine during the run of BATMAN and being invited for a private screening of CABARET at the Brook. Oh, if I could only find some Turkish Taffy minis…
All I can say is “thank Heaven.” I’m thrilled to see so much discussion about the Ziegfeld series. This means that we’re going and supporting it. I hope Clearview will see the results and continue this policy. I was planning a trip to Bradford, England for their Widescreen Weekend but between the Ziegfeld and the Lafayette, I’m staying home. It’s great to have this type of programming in the NYC area. And organ concerts, too!