I saw ‘Mirror Mirror’ last Friday as well at Tysons, and like the commercials on TV, the trailers were obscenely loud – the feature though was not (thankfully!), if the sound levels are pre-determined, then AMC has successfully made the trailers as obnoxious as they can be.
I miss 8-SDDS, they were the equivalent as the (6-track) five front channel mixes of pre-1977 70mm films – since DCI specs can allow 16 channels of sound and some of those are implemented for Auro3D sound features – there is nothing stopping the resurrection of five front channel sound (fingers crossed).
the ‘Lawrence’ re-release is to coincide with the bluray release (street date TBA but rumoured later this year).
As for ‘Hello, Dolly!’ – I thought this second presentation I saw looked better, in terms of color. although there is still an abrupt odd cut in the opening store scene between Barnaby and Cornelius.
I agree I thought the sound seemed a bit off, notably the surrounds being rather non-present. I also thought the treble from the front speakers was a tad too bright at times. In terms of the audio, Todd-AO sound and most 6-track sound at the time was five front channels plus mono surround, so yes, the music and dialogue has a wide directional presense.
I saw ‘Wrath’ (in IMAX) last Friday morning I thought it was an excellent presentation. Some of the trailers conveyed that the film was 2.35, but I was pleasantly surprised that the film filled the entire 1.78 IMAX screen (although for one scene, when the Chimera’s tail jutts towards the viewer’s face the image was framed at 2.35). According to guest services, the theater’s sixteen screens are now ‘all digital’
the marque now states the theater will reopen in the Fall (2012) as a Jazz/Blues music venue – I think they’d also might want to branch out and include other musical genres as well – it actually might work.
that’s too bad about your experience and it seems to be very prevailent problem – the dual projector and the projectionist(s) don’t know how to calibrate it right when they keep switching from 2D to 3D features. The Barco (single projector) systems over at the Egyptian ‘XD’ and ‘Xtreme’ screens (at Rave Fairfax) are top notch and consistently display flawless digital projection (dark inky blacks notably). AMC should have gone with the Christie Solaria systems that are single projectors – the dual systems have nothing been a problem here on the ETX screen from day one. Proper masking?? you’re never going to get that on any of the speciality large screens – even in IMAX (15/70 and digital) any and all scope films will have black borders above and below the image.
given ‘John Carter’ is a scope (2.35) film, wide screen movies always look great and suitable on the Uptown screen – no black borders above and below the movie as on an IMAX (or IMAX-lite) screen.
oh and if DCP is to succeed, pre-1977 70mm and 8-channel SDDS films can (and should) be archived with the five front channel sound for historical purposes. DCP specs already have the left/center, right/center channels of sound in place, but nothing has been encoded/output as such… yet. Two films in the Film Forum’s showcase are ‘West Side Story’ and ‘2001’ where the soundtrack is superior just for the simple fact the 70mm/6-track sound has five channels of sound coming from behind the screen.
I noticed that in yesterday’s Post that ‘John Carter’ is being presented in both 2D and 3D – an Uptown first, giving it’s patron’s a choice in which visual version to see/pay for.
I’m pretty sure that what Landmark E Street and Bow Tie Reston are showing are DCP’s. E Street has the Capital Classic series and Reston (as well as other Bow Tie theaters) has the Cine Classic series (and Reston is all digital now)
It’d be utter cool, if Cinemark could show the recent DCP 4K restoration of ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ on the XD screen – maybe before the Fall bluray release. Oh and thanks for the Godfather II update MovieTix86
okay, got an email from one of the festivals folk and he said in regards to ‘Cane Toads’:
“The film is not being shown in 3D because the filmmaker expressed to us that his various 3D Festival screenings have not gone well and have been plagued with technical difficulties (of course not all of them). He now prefers it be shown in 2D. This is what he told us. For the E Street screening we’re bringing in a special HDCAM SR deck and sound system to E Street to ensure that while it will not be 3D, it will be screened in true HD with great surround sound.”
I’m so peeved that Landmark’s digital conversion is moving at a snail’s pace – there are plans on converting all the screens in the DC market (Bethesda included) to playback digitally come spring time, (and I hope they retain some of the 35mm projector’s for the classic and midnight films) but ‘Cane Toads: The Conquest’ which is a 3D shot movie, is having it’s DC screening at next month’s Environmental Film Festival – and since E Street doesn’t have a 3D system – it’s not being shown as it should be …. grrrrrrr (I’m livid).
I was wondering when this bit of news was going to be posted. I remember the old Carmichael Auditorium when I was a kid because the 35mm print of the 1973 film: “From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler” upped and burned near the ending of the movie. On a technical side the theater is equipped with Kinoton FP38E Premiere 16/35 projectors and the Barco DP2K-23B DCinema projector (with 3D playback). Sound wise the system can also decode and present film in 7.1 sound
I plan on seeing Dolly again, the prior screening was gorgeous, when she comes down the restaurant stairs I thought she was going to walk right off the screen.
oh I forgot, in regards to the 70mm print of ‘Lifeforce’ the print looked a bit dodgy, but the sound.. oh the sound, my jaw was on the floor, by the time the film reached it wild over the top conclusion my ears felt like they had rocketing off my head – wow!, WOW!!
even though I just received the blu-ray of ‘Cleopatra’ which is glorious looking – AFI should have shown the 70mm print of that during the most recent Elizabeth Taylor retrospective. I’d love to see ‘Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines’ ‘Vertigo’ ‘South Pacific’ ‘Lord Jim’ ‘Oklahoma!’ ‘Ryan’s Daughter’
I saw ‘Mirror Mirror’ last Friday as well at Tysons, and like the commercials on TV, the trailers were obscenely loud – the feature though was not (thankfully!), if the sound levels are pre-determined, then AMC has successfully made the trailers as obnoxious as they can be.
I miss 8-SDDS, they were the equivalent as the (6-track) five front channel mixes of pre-1977 70mm films – since DCI specs can allow 16 channels of sound and some of those are implemented for Auro3D sound features – there is nothing stopping the resurrection of five front channel sound (fingers crossed).
the ‘Lawrence’ re-release is to coincide with the bluray release (street date TBA but rumoured later this year).
As for ‘Hello, Dolly!’ – I thought this second presentation I saw looked better, in terms of color. although there is still an abrupt odd cut in the opening store scene between Barnaby and Cornelius.
I agree I thought the sound seemed a bit off, notably the surrounds being rather non-present. I also thought the treble from the front speakers was a tad too bright at times. In terms of the audio, Todd-AO sound and most 6-track sound at the time was five front channels plus mono surround, so yes, the music and dialogue has a wide directional presense.
I saw ‘Wrath’ (in IMAX) last Friday morning I thought it was an excellent presentation. Some of the trailers conveyed that the film was 2.35, but I was pleasantly surprised that the film filled the entire 1.78 IMAX screen (although for one scene, when the Chimera’s tail jutts towards the viewer’s face the image was framed at 2.35). According to guest services, the theater’s sixteen screens are now ‘all digital’
the marque now states the theater will reopen in the Fall (2012) as a Jazz/Blues music venue – I think they’d also might want to branch out and include other musical genres as well – it actually might work.
that’s too bad about your experience and it seems to be very prevailent problem – the dual projector and the projectionist(s) don’t know how to calibrate it right when they keep switching from 2D to 3D features. The Barco (single projector) systems over at the Egyptian ‘XD’ and ‘Xtreme’ screens (at Rave Fairfax) are top notch and consistently display flawless digital projection (dark inky blacks notably). AMC should have gone with the Christie Solaria systems that are single projectors – the dual systems have nothing been a problem here on the ETX screen from day one. Proper masking?? you’re never going to get that on any of the speciality large screens – even in IMAX (15/70 and digital) any and all scope films will have black borders above and below the image.
well aptly John Carter didn’t last that long here, ‘Hunger Games’ opens 12am tonight.
@bigjoe: the Seattle Cinerama, the Ziegfeld – Baltimore’s Senator used to be until the recent news of the updates and adding a second screen.
The theatre is one the first to feature ‘Auro-3D’ 11.1 channel sound – I’m assuming it’s on the ETX screen – anyone care to verify.
this theatre is one of the first theaters to feature ‘Auro-3D’ 11.1 sound
given ‘John Carter’ is a scope (2.35) film, wide screen movies always look great and suitable on the Uptown screen – no black borders above and below the movie as on an IMAX (or IMAX-lite) screen.
Screen 9 is now the second auditorium to be converted to an “Xtreme” screen
oh and if DCP is to succeed, pre-1977 70mm and 8-channel SDDS films can (and should) be archived with the five front channel sound for historical purposes. DCP specs already have the left/center, right/center channels of sound in place, but nothing has been encoded/output as such… yet. Two films in the Film Forum’s showcase are ‘West Side Story’ and ‘2001’ where the soundtrack is superior just for the simple fact the 70mm/6-track sound has five channels of sound coming from behind the screen.
I noticed that in yesterday’s Post that ‘John Carter’ is being presented in both 2D and 3D – an Uptown first, giving it’s patron’s a choice in which visual version to see/pay for.
I’m pretty sure that what Landmark E Street and Bow Tie Reston are showing are DCP’s. E Street has the Capital Classic series and Reston (as well as other Bow Tie theaters) has the Cine Classic series (and Reston is all digital now)
It’d be utter cool, if Cinemark could show the recent DCP 4K restoration of ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ on the XD screen – maybe before the Fall bluray release. Oh and thanks for the Godfather II update MovieTix86
any idea MovieTix if the second film (or [shudder]… the third film) is going to get shown on the XD screen in the near future?
okay, got an email from one of the festivals folk and he said in regards to ‘Cane Toads’:
“The film is not being shown in 3D because the filmmaker expressed to us that his various 3D Festival screenings have not gone well and have been plagued with technical difficulties (of course not all of them). He now prefers it be shown in 2D. This is what he told us. For the E Street screening we’re bringing in a special HDCAM SR deck and sound system to E Street to ensure that while it will not be 3D, it will be screened in true HD with great surround sound.”
I’m so peeved that Landmark’s digital conversion is moving at a snail’s pace – there are plans on converting all the screens in the DC market (Bethesda included) to playback digitally come spring time, (and I hope they retain some of the 35mm projector’s for the classic and midnight films) but ‘Cane Toads: The Conquest’ which is a 3D shot movie, is having it’s DC screening at next month’s Environmental Film Festival – and since E Street doesn’t have a 3D system – it’s not being shown as it should be …. grrrrrrr (I’m livid).
I somehow missed the Post article – when was the story printed up? link??
that will be interesting how this affect’s DC Film Fest in April – all movies will have to be DCP and not 35mm
I was wondering when this bit of news was going to be posted. I remember the old Carmichael Auditorium when I was a kid because the 35mm print of the 1973 film: “From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler” upped and burned near the ending of the movie. On a technical side the theater is equipped with Kinoton FP38E Premiere 16/35 projectors and the Barco DP2K-23B DCinema projector (with 3D playback). Sound wise the system can also decode and present film in 7.1 sound
Screens 7 (Barco DLP), 8 and 14 are outfitted to playback 7.1 surround sound.
I plan on seeing Dolly again, the prior screening was gorgeous, when she comes down the restaurant stairs I thought she was going to walk right off the screen.
oh I forgot, in regards to the 70mm print of ‘Lifeforce’ the print looked a bit dodgy, but the sound.. oh the sound, my jaw was on the floor, by the time the film reached it wild over the top conclusion my ears felt like they had rocketing off my head – wow!, WOW!!
even though I just received the blu-ray of ‘Cleopatra’ which is glorious looking – AFI should have shown the 70mm print of that during the most recent Elizabeth Taylor retrospective. I’d love to see ‘Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines’ ‘Vertigo’ ‘South Pacific’ ‘Lord Jim’ ‘Oklahoma!’ ‘Ryan’s Daughter’
the 12th of April date is still a go and on the 9th it’s the ribbon cutting and Howard Theatre Community Day
http://www.howardtheatre.org/gala-tribute-concert.html