The problem with younger 20-somethings and this article is the fact that most people of this generation have never experienced proper theatrical exhibition. We won’t even talk about 70mm exhibition of yesteryear. I am talking about proper projection and sound the way movies are to be properly experienced. You are seldom to get that at your local Regal or AMC crapplex. Its no surprise that they would rather watch movies on their iPods or home sets and not spend the $10 to see it in a movie. Even $14.50 for IMAX-lite at AMC is barely a half notch better then their other presentations. Can you imagine David Lean saying how great Lawrence of Arabia is on an iPod? Heresy I say! Shame shame shame!
Okay Jason, what exactly are your plans to reopen the Foundry 7 given retail is still there or is it? I haven’t been there recently, but I could drive by there this labor day weekend to be sure.
Re: Wisconsin 6. Yes, it is Fannie Mae owned, but wouldn’t they jump at the chance to lease it out and earn some money if Jason has funds to open a theater again? Auditoriums 4 and 5 were 70mm, imagine the programming they could have classic-wise. The other screens weren’t too bad, even if they were smaller.
Re: Cinema. I’m having second thoughts. A single screen large venue would be hard to run in this day and age. Twinning would be a disaster and yield another long tunnel-type screening room configuration.
Re: MacArthur. How would you get CVS to go? When I visited there a few years ago, their retail floor space occupies just the old lobby area. The building goes into the side of a hill where maybe they could relocate to what was the balcony area, perhaps expanding it to allow for an entrance on the left side? The auditoriums must still be intact, undoubtedly used for stock and storage but, again, given the limited retail floor space usage, they definitely do not utilize the auditorium sizes of the former 3 auditoriums for stock. No way. So you’d need to reinstall the screens, sound system and presumably, seats and projection system. The entrance on MacArthur Blvd is probably where the stock trucks line up and enter in, which was the emergency exit for the theater (#2? maybe).
So…you could bring back Auditoriums 1 and 3; small, yet intimate little theaters. Auditorium 2, the main one with the 600 or so seating capacity and 60' screen. The 3 screens would be good to offer second run programming and keep #2 or the main one for your new releases, exclusives or other special programming. I’d like to see a 70mm retrospective at least twice a year; fall and spring seasons maybe? I’m getting ahead of myself..I know. :)
Re: Old Embassy Theater. On second thought, I’d be hesitant to drive to that part of town on a late night. Parking is difficult, too. The MacArthur seems to be in a safer part of town even if its still DC. Plus, its closer to home in MD :)
Then I take it there are two DP auditoriums; 6 and 12? 6 wasn’t that big of an auditorium and the sound was ho hum. Its not worth the drive for me unless they are consistent or I have business in that part of town.
Wasn’t the Foundry a plex of shoebox theaters? You would have stiff competition from the AMC Georgetown for sure. Have you looked at other area venues? I think the Wisconsin 6 is vacant and would be better, the plex is larger and the 4 and 5 were THX certified once upon a time. :) There is garage parking, a McDonalds across the street and there’s busy Wisconsin Ave traffic going back. It needs a larger marquee to be seen then the one they had in the past.
Of course, I would prefer someone to bring back the MacArthur, it had 3 theaters, balconies, with one massive (the original) one that could show 70mm, if current tenant CVS could be booted out. It is surrounded by a wealthy suburban neighborhood. The Cinema is another treasure and the last time I went there the furniture store that replaced it is gone.
You speak of Visions, what about the Embassy theater, itself? Its just sitting there now isn’t it? I do not know what or why the previous venture didn’t make it. I suppose lack of patronage, which is understandable given its location. I think with the right programming, discount nights/days, Sun AM special features, Sat midnight specials, etc. it could’ve done better but then who knows? We’re still in a recession.
If you were to go to the MD suburbs, I know the Flower Theater is vacant. It was a church but it should be easy to convert back to a theater. The neighborhood has a large Hispanic population so programming for them should be considered. On the other side of Takoma Park, closer to DC, is the Takoma Theater. Not sure of its current status but I believe it is outfitted for both stage and film presentations.
I have used and relied on the local movie directory for years, until recently. In my area we have DC, Maryland and Virginia and the venues that are within. If a movie opened, it was a great source of one glance info to find where your movie was opening, when it was showing, which theater and what the theater amenities had for that particular movie. Before it was 70mm, Stereo, Dolby Stereo. Now its Digital Stereo, Digital Projection. 3D, IMAX and/or THX certification if the venue so advertises it. Now its virtually nothing. It sucks. The movie ads, themselves, do not have the delineation it used to either. Now you have to bookmark the various chains and independents in your browser and open them in tabs to get the info. It sucks.
In 1991, I saw Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country with my friend in what I believe was #5. Compared to my experience at the then THX-certified Union Station’s Grand Theater, the sound and experience here was poor. Since then, I have never been back.
The mall is still standing. There are several small shops inside and a food court in the basement level. With the AFI and Regal nearby, I don’t know how much successful this place would be given the accessibility of 27 screens within blocks of each other. When I went to the Burlington Factory store near the theater, you can still see the refreshment stand there. I do not know what remains of the theater interiors. I am sure the seats and equipment are all gone.
Great retrospective, Michael even though the site has discussed this movie before. I like your 70mm feature on in70mm.com, too.
I was too young to see a rated R movie, much less anything else in a theater so said my conservative parents. By that time, in early ‘79, I had seen Superman, Rocky and Escape From Alcatraz in theaters since my oldest brother pretty much forced us (my brothers) since he had the car and driver’s license. I do vividly remember the ads on tv for it and even those were creepy. The eerie music, the slow title revelation and the very short snippets of the movie and the cracking egg and light effects. It wasn’t until early '80 that I snuck in to see this movie, at a midnight showing, at the now closed AMC Academy 6 in Greenbelt MD. The theaters were one of the first of the AMC’s in the DC area and were basically shoe box theaters with Dolby sound. The crowd was packed and for a pre-teen having not seeing such a film was shocking to say the least. The chest burster scene had people screaming as well as the other scenes involving the alien. What was especially cool was the final countdown when Ripley engages the auto destruct and runs through the Nostromo corridor with that cool strobe lighting effect in the theater.
When they released the re edited version in ‘04, I caught it in DLP and THX and thoroughly enjoyed it and the new scenes. Even though by that time I had seen the movie many times, the digital sound mix still had me and my movie going friend jumping during the scary scenes.
Even though I did not experience this movie in 70mm, it still is quite an experience in 35mm or even DP. They don’t make them like this anymore. I hear Ridley Scott is involved in a prequel. It should be interesting and one to see when it comes out.
I saw Wizard for the first time on film at Baltimore’s Senator Theater for its 60th anniversary back in ‘99. It was my first time to the theater and have been a patron since. The theater boasted a new print where the non-Oz scenes were in its original sepia tone and not color. I never knew or saw it that way. On tv, prior to that, it always in black and white then to color when Dorothy left her house and ventured into Munchkin Land and Oz. I brought my parents along and they, too, were totally enthralled with this viewing even though we’ve seen the movie many times on tv. And surprisingly, neither of them fell asleep during the show (they usually do during other movies which is why I seldom take them out.)
If an area theater has it on film, I’d rather see it there as opposed to HD TV. Its not in DP either. May as well watch it at home on tv.
Since he shot the movie in IMAX, I am especially looking forward to experiencing it in a TRUE IMAX venue and not the AMC IMAX-lite venues. True IMAX films are immersive but if you can add believable 3D, it can be something truly spectacular. I think Cameron is onto something really good.
10 was rip roaring tonight with the showing of GI Joe in DLP and no air conditioning. The auditorium was packed and unfortunately, my niece took too much time enjoying her dinner to realize we should leave to get good seats. We ended up sitting smack in row 1. While my neck did feel some discomfort, the film was enjoyable if a bit cliche with the set up and characters. Channing Tatum stars and acts every bit of a plastic doll come to life. After reading the Variety review, I will agree that some of the visual effects lack polish as if sequences were rushed. What had seemed to be an improvement over the Matrix Reloaded highway chase scene sputters due to some fx shots that lose focus or or cut too quickly to fully realize.
I’m curious as to how the place looks on the INSIDE. It went from a 980 seat theater, with balcony to only 298 seats? So what happened to all that space that opened up after the removal of the 700 seats or so. Also, does the place still have balcony seating for movies?
Not meaning to go way off topic, but there IS a newer 70mm print of WSS in circulation. Just go to in70mm.com and see for yourself. When WSS was here at the AFI, it was only in 35mm, but they always manage to get 2001 and Lawrence of Arabia in 70mm, but hardly anything else.
Now to the topic at hand :). My memory of first experiencing Dark Knight was in IMAX. Prior to its release, I had read that Director Nolan had filmed some scenes in IMAX and with the hype surrounding Heath Ledger’s death there was increased interest in seeing this movie. I remember that on Fandango, the King of Prussia IMAX had sold out its entire weekend of shows through late Sunday!
The movie was rather dark and, yes, Heath Ledger was good in it and there were some interesting twists at the end with the Commissioner. The masking of this movie was annoying as it has with movies like this that aren’t truly IMAX having the width but not height of a regular one. If only they had curtains to hide that dead open space, it would make the viewing more immersive. The few shots that were shot in IMAX were the action scenes towards the end, it just made you want the whole movie to be that way. Also, this particular IMAX theater doesn’t have the thundering bass that the best THX cert theaters can deliver.
In the end, with all the killing and bloodletting, I felt numbed. Christian Bale is numbing to watch on the big screen. He seems to always brood and be in a bad mood. Knowing that Ledger was dead also cast this dark cloud over the movie. That fact was also numbing. If I had surgical knowledge, I probably could have performed my own appendectomy without anesthesia being so numbed out. For these reasons and probably more..now that the feeling of numbness is coming back, this movie isn’t one of favorites, but the experience is memorable. :)
Unless I haven’t scrolled far enough up, has anyone experienced a movie here in the D-Box set up? I’m curious to know if it adds to the entertainment or is it just a gimmick? Also, are the screens at the Chinese 6 all the same size? The pictures Hollywood has seem to indicate Auditoriums 1 and 5 are the largest and have somewhat curved screens.
In the mid 90s, I went to Vegas and experienced Doug Trumbull’s Showscan 3D extravaganza at the Luxor Hotel. The screens were IMAX-huge and you wore these heavy 3D headsets that had speakers as you sat in motion controlled rocking seats. They were quite cool. I don’t remember the exact storyline but it seemed to be a journey through time. There were three parts and three different theaters. There was some prominence of an obelisk and lots of cool visual light shows and ending that reminded me of an expanded version of Back to the Future II’s depiction of a skyway. Anyway, D-Box sounds like a miniature version of what I experienced in Vegas. What made it work for me was of course, the humongous, yet clear screen size and sound inundation.
I saw ‘Up’ in #5 in Dolby Digital. Unfortunately, it was not in 3D as it just left the Mall 11 before I had a chance to see it. The movie, itself, was engaging despite the lack of 3D. There are some decidedly adult moments 1/3 through the movie that I thought would be upsetting to some. Overall, the film was a delight and another Pixar hit. Surrounds were evident when needed to be and as the film was not digital, there were noticeable scratches screen hiccups towards the end.
I’m not sure why some of you object to the posting. Granted, the movie isn’t one of my favorites, it is hardly a classic, but to him it is a “memory” and was categorized as such and if memory serves me correctly, theatrical memories ARE a part of the site. To him, it is a treasured cinema moment. Perhaps, Justin should’ve written something more along the lines of his fond memory of experiencing this film in a grand IMAX theater such as NYC’s Lincoln Square. And if memory serves me correctly, last year someone did a posting about his/her memories of seeing Return of the Jedi 25 years ago? Did anyone object? Not that I recall.
My friend and I saw “Public Enemies” starring Johnny Depp in #4. They played a Dolby Digital EX trailer, a new one, or at least different from the one I remember at the Senator way back in ‘99. Unfortunately, I didn’t notice rear theater sound fx (in the trailer) to showcase the EX part sitting pretty close to the front. The film, overall was good, with decent sound.
I thought I saw them advertising in the Weekend. Given the fact that the alternatives are AMC’s Georgetown and Regal’s Gallery Place and their respective eeny weenie tiny screens, Washingtonians know the Uptown is the place to go for true widescreen enjoyment. I was looking at the Harry Potter advance ticket shows and they are selling 3am shows for opening day. I’m guessing someone is confident there will be demand for it assuming the midnight show sells out.
I’ve recently returned from a vacation overseas and I would like to share the fact that in many areas, the prevalence of movie piracy is quite rampant. All it takes is a one or two people in a town and a storage device (USB pen drive, DVD, etc) to distribute them for free or little cost. Its no wonder movie houses are dying. If you can download it for free and its a good copy, many are, why pay?
In my theater going experience, its generally the closer I am to the city , the worse it becomes for cell phone usage. Even though the chains play the silence your cell phone message, you can see that annoying white light of someone texting or even talking on the phone. Maybe theaters should resort to using an in-theater dampening field to kill the signal going in or out.
I remember the few times the Uptown balcony was closed for shows, too, Norelco. It was usually during the slow periods like the fall and during the week when attendance was low, Besides, I’d like to be closer to the big screen to get that immersion experience of theatrical exhibition.
My friend and I saw Angels and Demons here last Sun (5/17/09) to an almost sell out crowd. We sat in the balcony in the bleeder seats (by choice). It has been a long time since I saw a movie here sitting in the balcony…I’m guessing Who Killed Roger Rabbit? (in ‘70mm back in '88). The movie was still engaging and we could hear surrounds even up in the balcony. Of course, the huge screen helps. Since I had low expectations for this movie, it turned out to be a decent thriller of sorts especially with the ending twist. Now if only they had booked Star Trek here….
I finally caught Star Trek, yesterday (Sun 5/25/09), here before it left the Ziegfeld. This was the first time I had to stand and wait before going into the theater. I suppose the last showing was especially trashy. The female usher took our tickets and told us we could sit anywhere we wanted. Wasn’t this always the case?Hoping to surpass my experience watching the last Star Wars movie, I was both pleased and disappointed. The sound and picture were superb. Even the pre-show commercials were unusually bright and colorful that made you take notice of them. I couldn’t believe myself actually watching all the commercials before the show! You’d never see anything like this at a Regal or AMC.
The movie seemed brighter with better contrast than the DP versions I’ve seen. Or, maybe its the fact I sat pretty close to the screen? Soundwise I heard surrounds I’ve never heard before, which was a pleasant surprise but there seemed to be less bass than I’ve been used to, especially in comparison to my local THX cert venue in Annapolis. Punches had less of an ‘oomph’ impact and during the Enterprises ‘escape from the grav pull of a forming black hole (hard to believe), it almost sounded as if the speaker was crackling from the high demands of the soundtrack.
This is the first time we had to wait in line before going in. I’m guessestimating there was a crowd of less than maybe 200, but a very enthusiastic group. Judging from the age range, I suspected most were repeat viewers but I could over hear conversation from behind me of first time viewers, who were familiar with the series, who thoroughly enjoyed the movie as well.
Unfortunately, my expectation of the Ziegfeld’s superb showmanship were diminished somewhat since the curtain was not used during the show. Additionally, they did not show the Dolby Digital Cinema trailer, either. If they aren’t going to consistently use it (curtain), remove the damn thing and be like every other boring multiplex.
Caught the new Terminator Salvation in #1, with the best sound in the area. The theater, itself, was barely full. I doubt this movie will open as big as Star Trek but the market it is saturated and perhaps attendance was fanned out. Unfortunately, they need to replace or use another THX trailer as when it was played, it was scratchy and did not properly showcase what this theater can do soundwise and projectionwise. I wish they’d bring back the popcorn seasonings.
The problem with younger 20-somethings and this article is the fact that most people of this generation have never experienced proper theatrical exhibition. We won’t even talk about 70mm exhibition of yesteryear. I am talking about proper projection and sound the way movies are to be properly experienced. You are seldom to get that at your local Regal or AMC crapplex. Its no surprise that they would rather watch movies on their iPods or home sets and not spend the $10 to see it in a movie. Even $14.50 for IMAX-lite at AMC is barely a half notch better then their other presentations. Can you imagine David Lean saying how great Lawrence of Arabia is on an iPod? Heresy I say! Shame shame shame!
Okay Jason, what exactly are your plans to reopen the Foundry 7 given retail is still there or is it? I haven’t been there recently, but I could drive by there this labor day weekend to be sure.
Re: Wisconsin 6. Yes, it is Fannie Mae owned, but wouldn’t they jump at the chance to lease it out and earn some money if Jason has funds to open a theater again? Auditoriums 4 and 5 were 70mm, imagine the programming they could have classic-wise. The other screens weren’t too bad, even if they were smaller.
Re: Cinema. I’m having second thoughts. A single screen large venue would be hard to run in this day and age. Twinning would be a disaster and yield another long tunnel-type screening room configuration.
Re: MacArthur. How would you get CVS to go? When I visited there a few years ago, their retail floor space occupies just the old lobby area. The building goes into the side of a hill where maybe they could relocate to what was the balcony area, perhaps expanding it to allow for an entrance on the left side? The auditoriums must still be intact, undoubtedly used for stock and storage but, again, given the limited retail floor space usage, they definitely do not utilize the auditorium sizes of the former 3 auditoriums for stock. No way. So you’d need to reinstall the screens, sound system and presumably, seats and projection system. The entrance on MacArthur Blvd is probably where the stock trucks line up and enter in, which was the emergency exit for the theater (#2? maybe).
So…you could bring back Auditoriums 1 and 3; small, yet intimate little theaters. Auditorium 2, the main one with the 600 or so seating capacity and 60' screen. The 3 screens would be good to offer second run programming and keep #2 or the main one for your new releases, exclusives or other special programming. I’d like to see a 70mm retrospective at least twice a year; fall and spring seasons maybe? I’m getting ahead of myself..I know. :)
Re: Old Embassy Theater. On second thought, I’d be hesitant to drive to that part of town on a late night. Parking is difficult, too. The MacArthur seems to be in a safer part of town even if its still DC. Plus, its closer to home in MD :)
Then I take it there are two DP auditoriums; 6 and 12? 6 wasn’t that big of an auditorium and the sound was ho hum. Its not worth the drive for me unless they are consistent or I have business in that part of town.
Wasn’t the Foundry a plex of shoebox theaters? You would have stiff competition from the AMC Georgetown for sure. Have you looked at other area venues? I think the Wisconsin 6 is vacant and would be better, the plex is larger and the 4 and 5 were THX certified once upon a time. :) There is garage parking, a McDonalds across the street and there’s busy Wisconsin Ave traffic going back. It needs a larger marquee to be seen then the one they had in the past.
Of course, I would prefer someone to bring back the MacArthur, it had 3 theaters, balconies, with one massive (the original) one that could show 70mm, if current tenant CVS could be booted out. It is surrounded by a wealthy suburban neighborhood. The Cinema is another treasure and the last time I went there the furniture store that replaced it is gone.
You speak of Visions, what about the Embassy theater, itself? Its just sitting there now isn’t it? I do not know what or why the previous venture didn’t make it. I suppose lack of patronage, which is understandable given its location. I think with the right programming, discount nights/days, Sun AM special features, Sat midnight specials, etc. it could’ve done better but then who knows? We’re still in a recession.
If you were to go to the MD suburbs, I know the Flower Theater is vacant. It was a church but it should be easy to convert back to a theater. The neighborhood has a large Hispanic population so programming for them should be considered. On the other side of Takoma Park, closer to DC, is the Takoma Theater. Not sure of its current status but I believe it is outfitted for both stage and film presentations.
I have used and relied on the local movie directory for years, until recently. In my area we have DC, Maryland and Virginia and the venues that are within. If a movie opened, it was a great source of one glance info to find where your movie was opening, when it was showing, which theater and what the theater amenities had for that particular movie. Before it was 70mm, Stereo, Dolby Stereo. Now its Digital Stereo, Digital Projection. 3D, IMAX and/or THX certification if the venue so advertises it. Now its virtually nothing. It sucks. The movie ads, themselves, do not have the delineation it used to either. Now you have to bookmark the various chains and independents in your browser and open them in tabs to get the info. It sucks.
In 1991, I saw Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country with my friend in what I believe was #5. Compared to my experience at the then THX-certified Union Station’s Grand Theater, the sound and experience here was poor. Since then, I have never been back.
The mall is still standing. There are several small shops inside and a food court in the basement level. With the AFI and Regal nearby, I don’t know how much successful this place would be given the accessibility of 27 screens within blocks of each other. When I went to the Burlington Factory store near the theater, you can still see the refreshment stand there. I do not know what remains of the theater interiors. I am sure the seats and equipment are all gone.
Great retrospective, Michael even though the site has discussed this movie before. I like your 70mm feature on in70mm.com, too.
I was too young to see a rated R movie, much less anything else in a theater so said my conservative parents. By that time, in early ‘79, I had seen Superman, Rocky and Escape From Alcatraz in theaters since my oldest brother pretty much forced us (my brothers) since he had the car and driver’s license. I do vividly remember the ads on tv for it and even those were creepy. The eerie music, the slow title revelation and the very short snippets of the movie and the cracking egg and light effects. It wasn’t until early '80 that I snuck in to see this movie, at a midnight showing, at the now closed AMC Academy 6 in Greenbelt MD. The theaters were one of the first of the AMC’s in the DC area and were basically shoe box theaters with Dolby sound. The crowd was packed and for a pre-teen having not seeing such a film was shocking to say the least. The chest burster scene had people screaming as well as the other scenes involving the alien. What was especially cool was the final countdown when Ripley engages the auto destruct and runs through the Nostromo corridor with that cool strobe lighting effect in the theater.
When they released the re edited version in ‘04, I caught it in DLP and THX and thoroughly enjoyed it and the new scenes. Even though by that time I had seen the movie many times, the digital sound mix still had me and my movie going friend jumping during the scary scenes.
Even though I did not experience this movie in 70mm, it still is quite an experience in 35mm or even DP. They don’t make them like this anymore. I hear Ridley Scott is involved in a prequel. It should be interesting and one to see when it comes out.
I saw Wizard for the first time on film at Baltimore’s Senator Theater for its 60th anniversary back in ‘99. It was my first time to the theater and have been a patron since. The theater boasted a new print where the non-Oz scenes were in its original sepia tone and not color. I never knew or saw it that way. On tv, prior to that, it always in black and white then to color when Dorothy left her house and ventured into Munchkin Land and Oz. I brought my parents along and they, too, were totally enthralled with this viewing even though we’ve seen the movie many times on tv. And surprisingly, neither of them fell asleep during the show (they usually do during other movies which is why I seldom take them out.)
If an area theater has it on film, I’d rather see it there as opposed to HD TV. Its not in DP either. May as well watch it at home on tv.
Since he shot the movie in IMAX, I am especially looking forward to experiencing it in a TRUE IMAX venue and not the AMC IMAX-lite venues. True IMAX films are immersive but if you can add believable 3D, it can be something truly spectacular. I think Cameron is onto something really good.
10 was rip roaring tonight with the showing of GI Joe in DLP and no air conditioning. The auditorium was packed and unfortunately, my niece took too much time enjoying her dinner to realize we should leave to get good seats. We ended up sitting smack in row 1. While my neck did feel some discomfort, the film was enjoyable if a bit cliche with the set up and characters. Channing Tatum stars and acts every bit of a plastic doll come to life. After reading the Variety review, I will agree that some of the visual effects lack polish as if sequences were rushed. What had seemed to be an improvement over the Matrix Reloaded highway chase scene sputters due to some fx shots that lose focus or or cut too quickly to fully realize.
I’m curious as to how the place looks on the INSIDE. It went from a 980 seat theater, with balcony to only 298 seats? So what happened to all that space that opened up after the removal of the 700 seats or so. Also, does the place still have balcony seating for movies?
Not meaning to go way off topic, but there IS a newer 70mm print of WSS in circulation. Just go to in70mm.com and see for yourself. When WSS was here at the AFI, it was only in 35mm, but they always manage to get 2001 and Lawrence of Arabia in 70mm, but hardly anything else.
Now to the topic at hand :). My memory of first experiencing Dark Knight was in IMAX. Prior to its release, I had read that Director Nolan had filmed some scenes in IMAX and with the hype surrounding Heath Ledger’s death there was increased interest in seeing this movie. I remember that on Fandango, the King of Prussia IMAX had sold out its entire weekend of shows through late Sunday!
The movie was rather dark and, yes, Heath Ledger was good in it and there were some interesting twists at the end with the Commissioner. The masking of this movie was annoying as it has with movies like this that aren’t truly IMAX having the width but not height of a regular one. If only they had curtains to hide that dead open space, it would make the viewing more immersive. The few shots that were shot in IMAX were the action scenes towards the end, it just made you want the whole movie to be that way. Also, this particular IMAX theater doesn’t have the thundering bass that the best THX cert theaters can deliver.
In the end, with all the killing and bloodletting, I felt numbed. Christian Bale is numbing to watch on the big screen. He seems to always brood and be in a bad mood. Knowing that Ledger was dead also cast this dark cloud over the movie. That fact was also numbing. If I had surgical knowledge, I probably could have performed my own appendectomy without anesthesia being so numbed out. For these reasons and probably more..now that the feeling of numbness is coming back, this movie isn’t one of favorites, but the experience is memorable. :)
Unless I haven’t scrolled far enough up, has anyone experienced a movie here in the D-Box set up? I’m curious to know if it adds to the entertainment or is it just a gimmick? Also, are the screens at the Chinese 6 all the same size? The pictures Hollywood has seem to indicate Auditoriums 1 and 5 are the largest and have somewhat curved screens.
In the mid 90s, I went to Vegas and experienced Doug Trumbull’s Showscan 3D extravaganza at the Luxor Hotel. The screens were IMAX-huge and you wore these heavy 3D headsets that had speakers as you sat in motion controlled rocking seats. They were quite cool. I don’t remember the exact storyline but it seemed to be a journey through time. There were three parts and three different theaters. There was some prominence of an obelisk and lots of cool visual light shows and ending that reminded me of an expanded version of Back to the Future II’s depiction of a skyway. Anyway, D-Box sounds like a miniature version of what I experienced in Vegas. What made it work for me was of course, the humongous, yet clear screen size and sound inundation.
Just y’ll wait until December and I will unleash the most extravagant, stupendous, gar
gantuan, ravishing, spectacular 30th anniversary memory of that great classic…..
DRUMROLL….
Star Trek: The Motion Picture!!!! :)
I saw ‘Up’ in #5 in Dolby Digital. Unfortunately, it was not in 3D as it just left the Mall 11 before I had a chance to see it. The movie, itself, was engaging despite the lack of 3D. There are some decidedly adult moments 1/3 through the movie that I thought would be upsetting to some. Overall, the film was a delight and another Pixar hit. Surrounds were evident when needed to be and as the film was not digital, there were noticeable scratches screen hiccups towards the end.
I’m not sure why some of you object to the posting. Granted, the movie isn’t one of my favorites, it is hardly a classic, but to him it is a “memory” and was categorized as such and if memory serves me correctly, theatrical memories ARE a part of the site. To him, it is a treasured cinema moment. Perhaps, Justin should’ve written something more along the lines of his fond memory of experiencing this film in a grand IMAX theater such as NYC’s Lincoln Square. And if memory serves me correctly, last year someone did a posting about his/her memories of seeing Return of the Jedi 25 years ago? Did anyone object? Not that I recall.
My friend and I saw “Public Enemies” starring Johnny Depp in #4. They played a Dolby Digital EX trailer, a new one, or at least different from the one I remember at the Senator way back in ‘99. Unfortunately, I didn’t notice rear theater sound fx (in the trailer) to showcase the EX part sitting pretty close to the front. The film, overall was good, with decent sound.
I thought I saw them advertising in the Weekend. Given the fact that the alternatives are AMC’s Georgetown and Regal’s Gallery Place and their respective eeny weenie tiny screens, Washingtonians know the Uptown is the place to go for true widescreen enjoyment. I was looking at the Harry Potter advance ticket shows and they are selling 3am shows for opening day. I’m guessing someone is confident there will be demand for it assuming the midnight show sells out.
I may be wrong but as a patron of the Senator for many years, I’ve never noticed the movie screen to be curved.
I’ve recently returned from a vacation overseas and I would like to share the fact that in many areas, the prevalence of movie piracy is quite rampant. All it takes is a one or two people in a town and a storage device (USB pen drive, DVD, etc) to distribute them for free or little cost. Its no wonder movie houses are dying. If you can download it for free and its a good copy, many are, why pay?
In my theater going experience, its generally the closer I am to the city , the worse it becomes for cell phone usage. Even though the chains play the silence your cell phone message, you can see that annoying white light of someone texting or even talking on the phone. Maybe theaters should resort to using an in-theater dampening field to kill the signal going in or out.
I remember the few times the Uptown balcony was closed for shows, too, Norelco. It was usually during the slow periods like the fall and during the week when attendance was low, Besides, I’d like to be closer to the big screen to get that immersion experience of theatrical exhibition.
My friend and I saw Angels and Demons here last Sun (5/17/09) to an almost sell out crowd. We sat in the balcony in the bleeder seats (by choice). It has been a long time since I saw a movie here sitting in the balcony…I’m guessing Who Killed Roger Rabbit? (in ‘70mm back in '88). The movie was still engaging and we could hear surrounds even up in the balcony. Of course, the huge screen helps. Since I had low expectations for this movie, it turned out to be a decent thriller of sorts especially with the ending twist. Now if only they had booked Star Trek here….
I finally caught Star Trek, yesterday (Sun 5/25/09), here before it left the Ziegfeld. This was the first time I had to stand and wait before going into the theater. I suppose the last showing was especially trashy. The female usher took our tickets and told us we could sit anywhere we wanted. Wasn’t this always the case?Hoping to surpass my experience watching the last Star Wars movie, I was both pleased and disappointed. The sound and picture were superb. Even the pre-show commercials were unusually bright and colorful that made you take notice of them. I couldn’t believe myself actually watching all the commercials before the show! You’d never see anything like this at a Regal or AMC.
The movie seemed brighter with better contrast than the DP versions I’ve seen. Or, maybe its the fact I sat pretty close to the screen? Soundwise I heard surrounds I’ve never heard before, which was a pleasant surprise but there seemed to be less bass than I’ve been used to, especially in comparison to my local THX cert venue in Annapolis. Punches had less of an ‘oomph’ impact and during the Enterprises ‘escape from the grav pull of a forming black hole (hard to believe), it almost sounded as if the speaker was crackling from the high demands of the soundtrack.
This is the first time we had to wait in line before going in. I’m guessestimating there was a crowd of less than maybe 200, but a very enthusiastic group. Judging from the age range, I suspected most were repeat viewers but I could over hear conversation from behind me of first time viewers, who were familiar with the series, who thoroughly enjoyed the movie as well.
Unfortunately, my expectation of the Ziegfeld’s superb showmanship were diminished somewhat since the curtain was not used during the show. Additionally, they did not show the Dolby Digital Cinema trailer, either. If they aren’t going to consistently use it (curtain), remove the damn thing and be like every other boring multiplex.
Caught the new Terminator Salvation in #1, with the best sound in the area. The theater, itself, was barely full. I doubt this movie will open as big as Star Trek but the market it is saturated and perhaps attendance was fanned out. Unfortunately, they need to replace or use another THX trailer as when it was played, it was scratchy and did not properly showcase what this theater can do soundwise and projectionwise. I wish they’d bring back the popcorn seasonings.