I was able to check out the new laser projection demo in the ETX auditorium yesterday. From my earlier post, you can tell I was not a fan of this locations' ETX screen. It was nice to actually see the Dolby ATMOS trailer played, and I did notice the sound was much more intense then it was last week, and the extra surrounds were quite noticeable.
As far as the Laser projection, it is different. First off, it is much much brighter. So bright, that at times the light coming from the booth hits your 3D glasses and it seems like someone has their smartphone on in the row behind you. The picture though, was phenomenal! This was a crappy film (g.I.Joe 2) that had a 3D conversion, and yet the 3D was amazing. Even the dark scenes weren’t dark. Then again, in these digital times, I find it odd that watching a movie in the proper light is something that is unique and worth noting, when I feel that should just be the norm.
Fascinating that Christie got the first theatrical demo of laser projection and not Barco. This theater needs it. I came here last week to see OZ in Dolby Atmos. There was no trailer for Dolby Atmos, the staff had no idea if it was playing (even though it was advertised), and it even seemed like the bass and right surrounds were so muted you could barley make them out. Also, the left corner of the screen was way under lit and I had the privilege of paying $17.50 to experience one of the worst presentations i have ever seen.
I will try and check out this new laser Demo next week and report back if I make it. I swore I would never go back, but darn it, now i am curious.
This week Laemmle Fallbrook is showing The Untouchables in 70mm!
Mon to Wed, 3 shows a day. Was hoping to get here before AMC took over, and this is a perfect way to usher this cinema out in its current form!
Speaking of Screen Sizes, it appears this one is getting bigger.
In the LA Times this morning, it appears the new owners sold the naming rights. For $5 MILLION dollars, a Chinese tech company gets to name this The TCL Chinese Theatre.
It appears that the new owners are taking the money and making improvements to it at least. This is from the end of the article.
“Planned improvements include a new extra-wide screen, stadium seating, superior sound and projection systems, and a new box-office marquee on Hollywood Boulevard.”
Taking out the Graumans name, and adding Stadium seating scares me a bit. However, I highly encourage a new huge screen.
We saw the 4pm showing yesterday. There were about 300 people or so in the auditorium. Since I am one to watch the LOTR trilogy over and over, I was going in with very high expectations. This exceeded every expectation my friend and I had. The 48fps HFR did get some getting used to, I understand the comments of it being too ‘video’ looking, yet on the other hand I have never seen 3D that looked so real and smooth, and with no eye strain at all. I didnt take my glasses off for the entire length of the film, it was as if you forget it was in 3D. The nearly 3 hour run time just flew by. The manager told me that the tech team from Warner Brothers was in the theatre all week calibrating the projectors and sound and it showed.
It was great to see a new film at the Chinese full of fans, people were yelling and clapping during the titles, when Gollum showed up and at the end.
Everyone will have their own opinion as to whether or not the HFR will work. Sure, it seemed a bit video gamey at time…and there were times I was expecting the cast of Upstairs Downstairs to show up and serve tea, but for a movie about trolls, hobbits, goblins and mountain giants….I think a little suspended disbelief adds to the tale. BTW…the sound was just amazing….the new THX trailer was great too.
Bought my tickets for The Hobbit and found out there is NO reserved seating for this engagement in the main theater, only upstairs at the 6 plex. We are going old school and waiting in line at the Chinese on opening weekend….guess there are worse things…. :)
All Hobbit info is at
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2012/11/07/64780-complete-listing-of-theaters-showing-hobbit-hfr-3d-imax-3d-imax-dolby-atmos/
They list all theaters that will be playing this in each of the 5 formats and if it has Dolby Atmos. What I still don’t get, is they list IMAX and IMAX3D. I have never seen an IMAX theater not play a movie in 3D if it was available. Also, it is not made clear if the IMAX version will be HFR.
All I know is that The Hobbit will play the Chinese, I will be seeing it there and I am thankful for that!
If I am reading this correctly, THE HOBBIT will open here in December, in High Frame Rate 3D. Tickets are on sale now and are $19. This is the first Christmas in a few years they will be getting a genuine box office hit, that Arclight didnt snag. Looking forward to this, finally!
Thank you John Sittig for the fantastic Cinerama Festival this week. I attended This is Cinerama on Sunday night and just got home from seeing IAMMMMW in 70mm. Sunday was sold out and tonight was close it it. It was fantastic to see these great films (well ok, TIC is not that great, but it is fun) presented how and where they should be shown!
It was announced Sunday that you will be retiring, and I wanted to personally thank you for decades of the best projection and sound possible! Thank you for your dedication and hard work on restoration so people like myself in 2012 can actually see Cinerama movies in 3 strip Cinerama! Some of my most treasured memories happened on your watch at the Dome over the past few decades, and I wish you much happiness in your retirement!
Singing in The Rain was a 2K file according to the TCM programming guide. The only 4K DCP they showed was Two for The Road. 20000 leagues was also 2K. I am not sure why, there are 4K DCP files available, Barco provided a 4K projector, I found it quite disappointing to be honest. I mean 4 day passes are 600 bucks, this is Hollywood, I just assumed that all features on a huge screen would be the best file available. Even the premiere restoration of Warner Bros Cabaret on Opening Night was in 2K, I cannot imagine that Warner’s would not have,and want to show a 4K file.
I saw Snow White and Casablanca last weekend at the TCM fest..it seemed more crowded then last year, but it was just the perfect day. We were in stand by and got seats in the end sections almost next to the side curtains….and it didn’t matter at all. There are no bad seats there with 1000 people sharing the same experience. All digital showings except one or two were all 2K, less then last year. I might get a pass next year, it will even be busier I bet.
They are showing HTWWW Sunday April 15th at 9am. You can try for stand by tickets at $20 each. I did standby for the TCM Film Fest last year and got in for all 3 movies I went to at other venues, but I am sure this will be much more difficult.
www.in70mm.com lists there will be a Cinerama Festival here from Sept 28th to Oct 4th. Hope that is the case!
The new silver screen (installed in 2010 for 3D) is 73 feet wide for scope. It is not bigger then the DOME, but it is bigger then most every other large screen in the city.
I am with Chris on this. They should market the Large Single Screen Experience here. I actually remember the screen advertised as being 73 feet in the LA Times when Clash of the Titans opened. They could get it to 80 feet or so I bet…and maybe get a few good films to show on it. If they get the product, market it as something unique…people will come.
The Chinese is still part of the TCM Film Fest 2012, both the main house and the 6 plex will show films (and the Egyptian) like the last few years. I went last year and it was amazing, will try and do standby again this year. It is the weekend of April 12th. If you ever wanted to see a classic on the big screen, this is an amazing opportunity, and hopefully not the last.
TCM announced today that the 2012 Turner Classic Film Festival will again be held at the Chinese and Chinese 6 (along with the Egyptian)! It was a blast last year to see some classic films here just walking up and waiting for will call, and I am so thrilled that the new owners will continue this tradition. It will be April 12th – 15th, 2012.
Danny, according to the website the Dome uses a NEC-2500 for digital features. I also read that they are using NEC’s for all their 3D showings in the multiplex, so you have to assume they are going with all NEC’s.
Hey guys, the LATHF is working with them to ensure they do it right. They are also holding an event here on 4/20.
Check out http://www.lahtf.org/2013-movie-making-movies.html
I was able to check out the new laser projection demo in the ETX auditorium yesterday. From my earlier post, you can tell I was not a fan of this locations' ETX screen. It was nice to actually see the Dolby ATMOS trailer played, and I did notice the sound was much more intense then it was last week, and the extra surrounds were quite noticeable.
As far as the Laser projection, it is different. First off, it is much much brighter. So bright, that at times the light coming from the booth hits your 3D glasses and it seems like someone has their smartphone on in the row behind you. The picture though, was phenomenal! This was a crappy film (g.I.Joe 2) that had a 3D conversion, and yet the 3D was amazing. Even the dark scenes weren’t dark. Then again, in these digital times, I find it odd that watching a movie in the proper light is something that is unique and worth noting, when I feel that should just be the norm.
Fascinating that Christie got the first theatrical demo of laser projection and not Barco. This theater needs it. I came here last week to see OZ in Dolby Atmos. There was no trailer for Dolby Atmos, the staff had no idea if it was playing (even though it was advertised), and it even seemed like the bass and right surrounds were so muted you could barley make them out. Also, the left corner of the screen was way under lit and I had the privilege of paying $17.50 to experience one of the worst presentations i have ever seen.
I will try and check out this new laser Demo next week and report back if I make it. I swore I would never go back, but darn it, now i am curious.
This week Laemmle Fallbrook is showing The Untouchables in 70mm! Mon to Wed, 3 shows a day. Was hoping to get here before AMC took over, and this is a perfect way to usher this cinema out in its current form!
Shouldn’t we pleasant to one another on this board ?
Speaking of Screen Sizes, it appears this one is getting bigger.
In the LA Times this morning, it appears the new owners sold the naming rights. For $5 MILLION dollars, a Chinese tech company gets to name this The TCL Chinese Theatre.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-fi-ct-chinese-theater-20130111,0,1298028.story
It appears that the new owners are taking the money and making improvements to it at least. This is from the end of the article.
“Planned improvements include a new extra-wide screen, stadium seating, superior sound and projection systems, and a new box-office marquee on Hollywood Boulevard.”
Taking out the Graumans name, and adding Stadium seating scares me a bit. However, I highly encourage a new huge screen.
We saw the 4pm showing yesterday. There were about 300 people or so in the auditorium. Since I am one to watch the LOTR trilogy over and over, I was going in with very high expectations. This exceeded every expectation my friend and I had. The 48fps HFR did get some getting used to, I understand the comments of it being too ‘video’ looking, yet on the other hand I have never seen 3D that looked so real and smooth, and with no eye strain at all. I didnt take my glasses off for the entire length of the film, it was as if you forget it was in 3D. The nearly 3 hour run time just flew by. The manager told me that the tech team from Warner Brothers was in the theatre all week calibrating the projectors and sound and it showed.
It was great to see a new film at the Chinese full of fans, people were yelling and clapping during the titles, when Gollum showed up and at the end.
Everyone will have their own opinion as to whether or not the HFR will work. Sure, it seemed a bit video gamey at time…and there were times I was expecting the cast of Upstairs Downstairs to show up and serve tea, but for a movie about trolls, hobbits, goblins and mountain giants….I think a little suspended disbelief adds to the tale. BTW…the sound was just amazing….the new THX trailer was great too.
Bought my tickets for The Hobbit and found out there is NO reserved seating for this engagement in the main theater, only upstairs at the 6 plex. We are going old school and waiting in line at the Chinese on opening weekend….guess there are worse things…. :)
All Hobbit info is at http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2012/11/07/64780-complete-listing-of-theaters-showing-hobbit-hfr-3d-imax-3d-imax-dolby-atmos/
They list all theaters that will be playing this in each of the 5 formats and if it has Dolby Atmos. What I still don’t get, is they list IMAX and IMAX3D. I have never seen an IMAX theater not play a movie in 3D if it was available. Also, it is not made clear if the IMAX version will be HFR.
All I know is that The Hobbit will play the Chinese, I will be seeing it there and I am thankful for that!
If I am reading this correctly, THE HOBBIT will open here in December, in High Frame Rate 3D. Tickets are on sale now and are $19. This is the first Christmas in a few years they will be getting a genuine box office hit, that Arclight didnt snag. Looking forward to this, finally!
Thank you John Sittig for the fantastic Cinerama Festival this week. I attended This is Cinerama on Sunday night and just got home from seeing IAMMMMW in 70mm. Sunday was sold out and tonight was close it it. It was fantastic to see these great films (well ok, TIC is not that great, but it is fun) presented how and where they should be shown!
It was announced Sunday that you will be retiring, and I wanted to personally thank you for decades of the best projection and sound possible! Thank you for your dedication and hard work on restoration so people like myself in 2012 can actually see Cinerama movies in 3 strip Cinerama! Some of my most treasured memories happened on your watch at the Dome over the past few decades, and I wish you much happiness in your retirement!
This theater is closing on Monday the 28th, 2012.
Regal’s RPX Screen opens here Friday, 5/25 in what was the Egyptian auditorium.
Singing in The Rain was a 2K file according to the TCM programming guide. The only 4K DCP they showed was Two for The Road. 20000 leagues was also 2K. I am not sure why, there are 4K DCP files available, Barco provided a 4K projector, I found it quite disappointing to be honest. I mean 4 day passes are 600 bucks, this is Hollywood, I just assumed that all features on a huge screen would be the best file available. Even the premiere restoration of Warner Bros Cabaret on Opening Night was in 2K, I cannot imagine that Warner’s would not have,and want to show a 4K file.
I saw Snow White and Casablanca last weekend at the TCM fest..it seemed more crowded then last year, but it was just the perfect day. We were in stand by and got seats in the end sections almost next to the side curtains….and it didn’t matter at all. There are no bad seats there with 1000 people sharing the same experience. All digital showings except one or two were all 2K, less then last year. I might get a pass next year, it will even be busier I bet.
Did anybody get to see HTWWW or the digital version of 2001 yesterday?
They are showing HTWWW Sunday April 15th at 9am. You can try for stand by tickets at $20 each. I did standby for the TCM Film Fest last year and got in for all 3 movies I went to at other venues, but I am sure this will be much more difficult.
www.in70mm.com lists there will be a Cinerama Festival here from Sept 28th to Oct 4th. Hope that is the case!
The new silver screen (installed in 2010 for 3D) is 73 feet wide for scope. It is not bigger then the DOME, but it is bigger then most every other large screen in the city.
I think i just threw up a little while reading this……
I am with Chris on this. They should market the Large Single Screen Experience here. I actually remember the screen advertised as being 73 feet in the LA Times when Clash of the Titans opened. They could get it to 80 feet or so I bet…and maybe get a few good films to show on it. If they get the product, market it as something unique…people will come.
The Chinese is still part of the TCM Film Fest 2012, both the main house and the 6 plex will show films (and the Egyptian) like the last few years. I went last year and it was amazing, will try and do standby again this year. It is the weekend of April 12th. If you ever wanted to see a classic on the big screen, this is an amazing opportunity, and hopefully not the last.
UltraStar Cinemas has taken over management from SR Entertainment of both the Desert IMAX and the Mary Pickford 14 across the parking lot.
TCM announced today that the 2012 Turner Classic Film Festival will again be held at the Chinese and Chinese 6 (along with the Egyptian)! It was a blast last year to see some classic films here just walking up and waiting for will call, and I am so thrilled that the new owners will continue this tradition. It will be April 12th – 15th, 2012.
Danny, according to the website the Dome uses a NEC-2500 for digital features. I also read that they are using NEC’s for all their 3D showings in the multiplex, so you have to assume they are going with all NEC’s.
They have installed the two Christie 2K digital machines on top of the SR 15/70 film projectors.
They are keeping both formats.