Ziegfeld Theatre

The pre-show with ads and the first few trailers, mostly for TV shows like SPARTACUS, did not fill the whole screen. The trailer for THE LOVELY BONES also did not.

The trailer for Weinstein release YOUTH IN REVOLT, prior to the feature, already filled the whole screen.

Is it possible they resorted to the 35mm print of the feature with an attached trailer as a result of trouble the day before.

In both the Digital and 35mm formats, trailers are shown in the same aspect ratio as the feature. The difference being that the trailers, if not anamorphic, will not fil the screen just as if they were projected 1.85 Flat versions of trailers are shown with the scope lens and, in the case of 35mm, the aperture.
This just makes what happened during Bills visit that much more confusing. Perhaps there is something new going on since I retired that I am not aware of and some sort of lens adjustment is neeed when the feature begins.
For example, Jeff mentioned a “Zoom ratio” which I am not familiar with.

If you remember, when we were at LOA, I did get up to complain. It was acknowledged that they knew of the problem and could do nothing about it. I was given passes for a future show, that had a expiration life of TWO WEEKS, remember? For someone that doesn’t live in the city, and makes a 40 mile trek to see a rarely shown film in it’s original format, that was a pretty disappointing way to handle it.

I know exactly how you feel because I know you and how you feel about films.

Oh yes, that too. But the Zhivago thing came later than the Lawrence of Arabia thing. And this new disappointment reminded me of the same feeling I had at Zhivago: that I should have gotten up and reported the problem. I wish they had an employee stationed in the actual auditorium who you could complain to.

If it was digital, I suspect there is no aperture plate as there is on a 35mm projector. It sounds like a zoom ratio was off. Remember he said it was 2:35 inside the 1:85 screen.

Besides, if you left the 1.85 plate in on a scope film, you’d have some serious cropping! You’d loose a lot of image on top/bottom and you’d have black bars at screen top/bottom.

I just came back from the 4:30pm showing and although the masking and curtains never moved, after the third trailer the screen was fully filled and the movie itself appeared to be in shown what passes for CinemaScope these days. The first few trailers were shown “flat” with fully open masking.

It sounds like the aperture plate was never switched to wide at the showing Bill attended.

I just think that if Rob Marshall knew of the problem he would voice a concern to all involved. There can be no excuse for improperly masked screen images and complete lack of attention to detail such as dimming lights and use of curtains. NONE! Please, Clearview management, don’t bore me with another excuse about how this or that does not work. In my 50 years of exibition I have never heard so many lame excuses coming form one single theater in all my life.
Many of our film makers care very much about how their movies are presented in the theatres. I have written many times about the letters and presentation instructions that I received for many of the road show and premiere events.
Clearview has a responsibility with the Zeigfeld to keep showmanship alive. It’s the Ziegfeld for heavens sake, show some respect for the tradition of “putting on a show”
Shame on all involved.

A “presentation” such as the one Bill described can not be tolerated. A letter of complaint and disgust must be sent to
IATSE local 306, Clearview management and Rob Marshall.
It is bad enough when we have to endure such a lack of professionalism in out local theatres run by ushers but it can not and should not be tolerated at the Ziegfeld.
It just makes my blood boil, in my day we would have ridden those responsible out of town.

“Nine” was a good movie, but it didn’t even come close to the emotional impact of Fellini’s original “8 1/2”. Best work was from Marion Cotillard and Fergie. Sophia Loren didn’t get much to do, but it was a real pleasure just to see her in a movie again.

A curious thing about the presentation. I assume it was digital projection, but it didn’t fill the screen at the Ziegfeld. It was a 2.35 image letterboxed inside a 1.85 frame. After it started I was waiting for the screen to expand to full width during the first big musical number, but it never happened. Did anyone else notice this?

Also, the curtains weren’t used, the unused spaces at the sides of the screen weren’t masked, and the lights went off abruptly as if someone pulled the plug on them. Not what I was expecting from an exclusive (till 12/25) engagement at the Ziegfeld. Have to say something positive, though: the movie and the score sounded great.

Does anyone know if “NINE” is playing at the Ziegfeld? If not, where?

If you check out the website, the $30 tickets are the cheap seats on the sides and back of the auditoriums. Top price in NYC is still around $9 for a child and Clearview is not selling tickets, so I suspect a Disney four-wall gouge fest.

View link

That is what there reporting to rentrak as the film rental gross.

Those are not really movie grosses. The $50 tickets include Mardi Gras Beads, an Exclusive Limited Edition Collectible Lithograph and the Ultimate Disney Experience at the Roseland Ballroom after the movie.

Reminds me of when we sold “DICK TRACY” T-shirts as part the midnight previews to jack up the opening grosses for that stinker.