OMG, my virtual ears are ringing from these incessant posts about IMAX!! :)

I’ve had the privilege of experiencing many ‘IMAX’-lite presentations at the AMC installs in the DC area and let me tell you its nothing to write home about. For one things its not true IMAX with the multi story high screens. The immersion aspect of drawing you into the movie is barely there and if only you sit at the back row, of the first tier of seats.

You all rattle on like its the second coming or something, or as if motion pictures just discovered sound. Its not all that. And you’ll probably be disappointed. Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you… :)

I’ll stop by on my way back from the gym. I just remember seeing ads in the mall about the cinema drafthouse. I’ll update ASAP.

When this was a single screen theater, I believe I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom as a double feature (late ‘84) either here or at the now closed Carrollton (not the AMC Carrollton 6). The theater was huge, of course, but don’t recall if it had stereo of any sort. Sightlines were good as the seating arrangement was somewhat raked.

As I sometimes drive through Riverdale Rd to go home, I still see the place sitting high at the top of the shopping center there. As Jack’s pictures show, it looks like its ready to show movies anytime someone opens the doors.

We saw “Slumdog Millionaire” in the Historic Auditorium to a decent crowd. Excellent presentation and sound. The curtains were drawn after the slide show, which by the way FINALLY, after five years, has decent promos for all things AFI. They should have done this when they first opened. Its good advertising for the place and helps keep funds going in.

Unfortunately, they still don’t carry my favorite stuffed pretzels. After talking with the attendant, she says they changed vendors and haven’t had those for quite a long time. Another patron could be heard requesting the same thing as they advertise the availability of ‘gourmet pretzels.’ All they have now are the plain, yucky Costco-type frozen gup. No thanks. They do have single sized ‘gourmet pizza.’ I had the plain cheese one that was barely cooked in the middle even though the cheese on the outer edges was a little burned. Given all this, I may have to resort to sneaking in food from either next door’s Panera or one of the eateries close by. Shame on you, AFI. You can do better.

Mpol, as far as your statements, I’ll agree with A, B and C. The newer plexes that have been built by AMC in the last several years are much better than we’ve had from Regal. The AMC theaters have larger, wider screens, more comfortable seats and, yes, do charge slightly more but then again, most here charge around $10-11 for adult evening admissions.

Since I live and patron theaters in the Washington DC Metro area, I can only speak for myself and the general area. As I’ve said on different news stories about digital vs. film, on CT, film projection sucks. Why? You have multiplexes that run automated systems that don’t pay attention to proper light levels, sound, picture placement, etc. As such, I’ll take DP movie over film any day, anytime in this CURRENT market and the way things are NOW.

This was probably the second movie I ever experienced in a movie theater as I was very young at the time. My oldest brother, who had his driver’s license kidnapped me ( or so I felt at the time because i didn’t want to go) to see Superman at the now closed NTI Landover 6, in Landover , MD. There was no stereo and the auditoriums were all literal shoebox theaters that felt like you were in a tunnel that went deep into the ground. If memory serves me correctly, they did have curtains. I’m thinking they rose and dropped vertically.

My first impression was that the movie took forever to get anywhere. The opening credits were scary because the volume was loud mono and there was a lot of whoooshing and swooshing going around with the blurred lettering. Although, I thought the Superman logo’s depiction was cool. During the Krypton sequence, I feel asleep, only to be elbowed and awakened during the part where Superman rescues the Lois Lane from the helicopter atop the Daily Planet building. At the time, it felt so real with the way they edited that scene together. You had the real scenes of the people, on the street, Superman looking for a place to ‘change’ and Lois dangling over the street by a seatbelt. In spite of the weekday showing and small audience, there was a group sitting in the front (mostly girls) who’d squeal every time there was a Chris Reeve close up, or he did something heroic as Superman. So naturally, when Superman rescues Lois in his one hand and grabs the falling the helicopter with the other, there was this huge applause and hooplah that started from them, that caused a chain reaction of cheers and applause going to the back of the audience. From then on, I was wide awake until the end.

Even as a young..6th grader, I had great appreciation for the movie as I had expected a silly movie much like the old George Reeves' tv show. Having watched that show in reruns and the animated cartoons for years, it was a surprise to me that the Superman movie would be such an enthralling and engaging adventure even in mono sound. I was even on the verge of tears as Lois ‘dies’ after she gets suffocated by all that gravel. When Superman cries out over the death of Lois, the character lost its cardboard corniness and became identifiably human. For this and, of course, Richard Donner’s superb direction, John Williams score and the superb supporting cast, this movie remains my favorite comic book character film of all time.

My friend and I saw The Day the Earth Stood Still film today. I was more interested in seeing the upcoming (May ‘09) Star Trek film and was not disappointed to see it in the IMAX-lite format (I’m coining it as such as its not true IMAX in its 5 story high screen). The center aisle row seat for me is the best in the house as you can stretch your legs for the show. Unfortunately, you have to deal with late coming patrons and those who need to empty their bladders walking in front of you. The presentation was first rate with the only artifacts being a blur or wavering in the 20th Century Fox logo.

With regard to my prior post and the free ticket issue, customer service was gracious enough to give me a free unrestricted pass. No questions asked. How is that for customer service? :)

I can’t fathom Regal acquiring NA. They already bought out Consolidated and if they get NA they will almost totally monopolize the DC/VA/MD Metro movie market. Other than AMC, there are no big movie chains here. If a sale is to them is pending, somebody at the FTC better be looking into anti-trust laws.

The quality at Regal’s original plexes was bad enough to begin with. Though I haven’t been to what was Consolidated theaters (Royale 14) since the acquistion, I can’t say if things have gotten worse, but it doesn’t bode well for patrons in our market. We’re already at the $10+ admission price for adult evening times.

In the Washington DC area, NA started off quite well, with the opening of the Alexandria, Centrefield and Merrifield multiplexes in the mid 80s. All had at least two auditoriums THX certified and had 70mm capability. As such, they were favored destination spots for me when they booked 70mm. Even in the early 90s, they kept up with cinema advances such as when DTS and Dolby Digital came around in ‘93 or so.

Unfortunately, after the mid 90s things started to go downhill from there. The Alexandria multiplex was a haven for gangs and other riff raff. It just closed a couple of years ago. As far as the others, they weren’t upgraded or kept up. Though Merrifield did receive a DP upgrade, it was in one of the smallest of the shoebox auditoriums, which was disappointing to say the least.

The Fairfax deLuxe is a mixed bag. The DP movies I’ve seen there have been very good, with auditoriums that are fairly large with equally large screens. The Director Halls, with their increased admission and their assigned seating is a joke. They make you feel like you’re in elementary school, with their assigned seating and ushers who check to see if you’re still in your seat, even for shows that aren’t sold out!

As far as the concept of better food, I don’t think food from Sbarro and Nathan’s Hot Dog elevates movie concessions to the next level. Sorry, but I’m not sad to see them being sold off.

Of the many times I have seen DP movies since ‘01; in various venues throughout the DC area, two in Hollywood and 3x in NYC, I can count three times that something went wrong with the presentation, but in no way was the movie cancelled or restarted.

Contrast that to the times where the film went off track to lose either 1) picture, 2) sound, 3) both at my local Regal and other chains such as AMC, National Amusement, etc…there’s a big difference. Even if the film was on track and in focus, the print may not be as bright, or may have scratches due to bad handling. So the question is really, do I put up with lousy film projection and a lousy theatrical experience just because its on film that could be out of focus, scratched, or somehow not treated well?

Sorry, I’d rather have digital with all its “faults” such as a cleaner picture and clearer sound, with Team Member Horace Kowkovsky pushing the DLP Projector button, with his popcorn faux butter laden finger then having to mess up with a reel of film, thank you.

In either case, there’s going to be problems with either format. Neither is perfect. As far as the Benjamin Button preview, they were dumb not to have some kind of backup available or pre-screened it to make sure everything ran right.

I think it started from a post to a fund raiser at the Landmark Theater for Quantum of Solace. Then someone else objected and it started from there. I was in it on the second round then there were four more entries but by the time I got to here, they were all gone.

Just FYI. The immediate area has a Hispanic population. Further up Flower Ave going towards Silver Spring are more family oriented single-family folk. On the other end you have singles, couples and small families in rental units; apartments, duplexes, etc until you run into Columbia Union College, a Seventh-day Adventist run institution, with of course, college aged more conservative leaning, but are generally, an open minded group and then the SDA church, itself.

As you know, the AFI is in the next town over. While their programming is decent, they seem to run the same ‘classics’ every year. More 70mm would be nice, but I suspect the catalog availability would be scarce and would probably require the the theater restoration to that of a single screen, unless you twin the upstairs to a smaller screening-type room.

Good luck with your plans, as I hope they come to fruition. It would be nice to have more variety programming in films than Hollywood fare and the AFI.