Walter Reade Theater

I saw ‘Lord Jim’ and ‘Khartoum’ earlier this year at the AFI Silver and those 70mm prints were outstanding – the former in particular looked nearly mint. Odd that the ‘West Side Story’ screening doesn’t mention if the soundmix is the original 6-track mix that recently got restored. … and damn CBS Home Video for a flawed hidef transfer/bluray release of ‘My Fair Lady’ – maybe since Warner’s just got back the rights to the film, another proper transfer of the original 65mm elements can be done now.

Hmmm. No mention of “restored” or “archival” for either 2001 or West Side Story. Are these the same prints that ran at the Ziegfeld a few years back? Can’t remember now if those were 70mm showings. I’m intrigued by the 197 minute restored IAMMMMW print. Is this the anniversary print that ran at the Dome a few years back, with the outtakes and “corrected” trims inserted to pad the running time?

http://www.filmlinc.com/films/series/cinematic-goddess-american-sex-symbol-the-films-of-raquel-welch

“For five days Film Society is delighted to bring back to the big screen a showcase of rarely screened mainstream classics all on the best projection formats available with the lady herself here to talk about them.”

! ! !

Registering.

The Walter Reade featured a 75th anniversary tribute to 20th Century Fox over Labor Day weekend, including screenings of “MASH” (with a Q&A including Elliot Gould and Sally Kellerman), the director’s cut of “Alien” and 70MM screenings of “Cleopatra” and “Patton.” I attended the “Cleopatra” screening—-I estimate that the auditorium was about 75-80% full. A treat to see it in 70MM on the big screen, with all of the roadshow trappings (overture, intermission, etc.)—-and the quality of the print was stellar. I hope the solid turnout will encourage the Walter Reade to schedule more 70MM showings, as it is one of the few theaters in NYC that remains equipped for 70MM. The only other Walter Reade 70MM screenings that I recall from the last few years are “El Cid” and “Playtime.” More, please!

Philharmonic Hall (renamed Avery Fisher Hall) was regularly used for the opening and closing nights of the New York Film Festival each year, as well as for special film events. In its first years it was pretty much used for the entire festival. (I have in front of me a program booklet from 1966). I remember seeing Gance’s Napoleon and Stroheim’s Greed there.

The Walter Reade just had an 11 film tribute to Charlton Heston. I saw Omega Man, Soylent Green, Will Penny, and Earthquake.

All studio archived prints so the quality was exceptional expecially Will Penny (new Print) and Earthquake..vibrant colors..

The best movie theater in New York hands down — the auditorium is perfect — all seats/sight lines are great, the sound is excellent, the screen large and the perfect size for the room.

I just hope that the two smaller auditoriums under construction as part of the big Lincoln Center/Alice Tully Hall renovation live up to the Walter Reade’s standards.

My only complaint is print quality on some revivals — the Film Forum seems a little better at getting new prints.

I only went to the movies twice here; both revivals. In 1991, a double feature of STAR WARS and RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK and in 2000 for SUPERMAN.

I attended 10 of the 14 films screened in this series that ended a week and a half ago or so and it didn’t draw all that well for the most part.

They had the President of the Bing Crosby Fan Club introducing many of the films and he had a hand in organizing the retro and used his contacts to get some good and from what I understand rare prints.

HIGH TOR, which was a print from Crosby’s widow, kind of melted on screen. The films got tangled and made that “melting look” on the screen you seen once in a while

And the print for THE EMPEROR’S WALTZ was terrific, but some sloppy projection. We would see the “leader” of the end of the reel/beginning of the reels. Kind of sloppy.

I think the Film Forum does better with the retro screenings. Not only is it a ‘downtown’ crowd that’s more into that stuff, they have way better advertising than the Walter Reade. I wanted to see one or two of the Bing films, particularly the one that has alot of cocktails in it (forgot the title). Walter Reade did well with the Michael Powell series that ran earlier this summer. I was only able to see two of those-‘Thief of Bagdhad’ and ‘Black Narciscus’. Both had good crowds. As far as Film Forum and retro stuff, I wish they would bring back the ‘LSD Week’ series that ran during their annual ‘Science Fiction & Fantasy’ festivals. They discontinued it a few years back which sorta has me scratchin my head. Would be great if they could start doing those again.

As I predicted, the Bing Crosby retro isn’t drawing flies. The prints so far have been excellent. Less people than the just completed Louis Malle retro, which did ok I guess. As I wrote before, I was surprised Malle wasn’t a tougher ticket given how well other French series have done at the WR.

I wonder what the genesis of the Crosby retro is? It is only running for a week or so and it includes only 14 films so it is not comprehensive like the Malle retro. Some guy is there introducing the films and he’s written a book about Crosby. Maybe the book is new and the retro is tied into publication of the tome.

On the other hand, virtually every screening I took in at the Film Forum for the Paramount Pre-code series was jammed, with the FF about 90% filled.