until more studios actually release ‘films’ digitally – I don’t think all the theatres should jump on board. If digital is to survive, all the studios (major and independent) should make all the product playable on all the digital projection systems. A chain like Landmark that books independent, foreign and documentary features can’t feasibly convert if not everyone’s on board – it’s counterintuitive.
let’s just hope the independent studios start actually releasing their ‘films’ digitally – some documentaries (that are shown at Landmark’s E Street DC theatre’s Sony 4K system)are being released as such (albeit in 2K), as well the feature film ‘Cherry Blossoms’ from Strand Releasing – which beautifully replicated how the film was originally shot, in hidef.
A good 85% of the films that are shown at the Silverdocs documentary festival, are shown digitally, if the trend is going to go digital, and that’s what the industry wants – then the product HAS to be there and available to the theatres that are making the transition to present digital projection. It’s pointless to go digital if every studio (large and independent) aren’t in the same boat – technically speaking.
I only really go to the Gallery Place cinemaplex, but the pricing of the tix and concessions is very expensive compared to other Regal’s in and around the DC metropolitan area.
what’s the current deal with ‘Ice Age 3’ (3D)? – I remember hearing on NPR that Fox didn’t want to provide glasses for theatres showing ‘Ice Age 3’, the theatre chains balked and were threatening to book only it in standard digital projection and 35mm but not the 3D version – has there been a truce?
what’s dumb about the movies that are selected for IMAX presentations that neary 90 % of the films chosen are 2.35 scope films, that are supposed to be seen on a large W-I-D-E screen not a box like aspect ratio screen where black borders are above and below the image, of course it seems like a rip off when you can easily see that movie on a very large DLP/Sony 4K digital projection system and screen.
and so far, AMC has lost my money twice now since I went over to both Smithsonian IMAX screesn to see ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Night at the Museum: Battle at the Smithsonian’ on the LARGE screens and not over to Hoffman in Alexandria Virginia
I’m VERY mad, I’ve written them two letter (via the mail) regarding this. The relunctance and slowness of converting one of the screens at the promised Tysons Corner multiplex is beyond unacceptable. They could easily save face by converting auditorium #3 that is large enough to be IMAX worthy – I got a letter from one of the managers over at Tysons that I’ve been meaning to call and talk to regarding this, but AMC in my opinion has nothing been hypocrites.
DLP “Digital Light Processing” is trademarked to Texas Instruments, Sony’s is LCoS “Liquid Crystals on Silcone”, wonder how Fandango will denote in the future to differentiate between the two.
Don’t be fooled by the Fandango listing for ‘Angels & Demons’ denoting 4 screens showing this in digital projection – such a listing led me to think AMC was on the ball and actually installed three new Sony 4K systems in time for this 4K release, alas it wasn’t meant to be.
actually IMAX-lite aspect ratio is 1.76 I’d boycott them too, but not all the Smithsonian IMAX screens can’t or won’t book the Hollywood fare (i.e, Transformers 2) and Udvar Hazy the one that does book them, is not 3D equipped.
what’s unfortunate about the conversion is that not all the studios, particularily the independents, have made a committment to releasing their film digitally – for example, AMC Shirlington just outside DC shows art films, not all those film and their respective studios release their films on harddrive form, it might be premature or even presumptuous thinking on AMC’s part that they’ll even have product (films) to present digitally.
Currently at Shirlington:
– American Violet
– Is Anybody There?
– Lymelife
– Sugar
– Sin Nombre
– Valentino: The Last Emperor
– Sunshine Cleaning
Sunshine Cleaning is the only film to be released both in 35mm and ‘digitally’.
I have yet to see to anything from even Sony Classics released digitally.
I see a big, very blatant problem here, that no one in the industry is addressing. What IS the price difference in terms of studios releasing films in 35mm versus harddrive form? Will this change if and when all the AMC theatres start the conversion and begin removing all their 35mm projectors? It would be counterintuitive for some theatres to even go all digial when not everything is released as such – the AFI Silver and I’m sure other theatres are smart in having multiple sources, in particular, the Silver theatre auditorium #1 is outfitted to playback video, 35mm, 70mm and (2k)DLP (ironically they can’t project polarized 3D films) – I think (and hope) they have their bases covered
Reading a magazine such as Box Office – one gets the sense that the industry believes digital is the way to go, it might be, but not everyone is on the same page or feasibly can or willing for that matter.
of the 14 screens only 7 of the screens are DLP equppied, why they ALL aren’t is a mystery. While all auditoriums 6 – 9 have roughly the same screen size: 68 feet in width – they are the largest DLP’s screens in the DC/MD/VA area. Auditorium 7 has it’s problems since the light output of the 3D-DLP unit is set too low, the screen though is comprised of strips so any further illumination reveals this flaw – this however I can confirm is being fixed in the near future with the installation of a new solid screen, so the image can in fact now be set brighter. Unfortunately because the theatre is too close to the Regal, some films don’t get shown at the Cinema because of it’s proximity to one another [case in point, ‘Monsters vs. Aliens 3D’ was only at the Regal (personally, I don’t care for the Regal), on the plus side because of this the Cinema De Lux was the only area theatre to play ‘Battle of Terra’ exclusively in 3D]
until more studios actually release ‘films’ digitally – I don’t think all the theatres should jump on board. If digital is to survive, all the studios (major and independent) should make all the product playable on all the digital projection systems. A chain like Landmark that books independent, foreign and documentary features can’t feasibly convert if not everyone’s on board – it’s counterintuitive.
well, it WAS Warner’s decision to bump Potter from a November initial opening to July, why should ‘Transformers 2’ suffer??
let’s just hope the independent studios start actually releasing their ‘films’ digitally – some documentaries (that are shown at Landmark’s E Street DC theatre’s Sony 4K system)are being released as such (albeit in 2K), as well the feature film ‘Cherry Blossoms’ from Strand Releasing – which beautifully replicated how the film was originally shot, in hidef.
A good 85% of the films that are shown at the Silverdocs documentary festival, are shown digitally, if the trend is going to go digital, and that’s what the industry wants – then the product HAS to be there and available to the theatres that are making the transition to present digital projection. It’s pointless to go digital if every studio (large and independent) aren’t in the same boat – technically speaking.
wow, that’s a really depressing list
I only really go to the Gallery Place cinemaplex, but the pricing of the tix and concessions is very expensive compared to other Regal’s in and around the DC metropolitan area.
what’s the current deal with ‘Ice Age 3’ (3D)? – I remember hearing on NPR that Fox didn’t want to provide glasses for theatres showing ‘Ice Age 3’, the theatre chains balked and were threatening to book only it in standard digital projection and 35mm but not the 3D version – has there been a truce?
what’s dumb about the movies that are selected for IMAX presentations that neary 90 % of the films chosen are 2.35 scope films, that are supposed to be seen on a large W-I-D-E screen not a box like aspect ratio screen where black borders are above and below the image, of course it seems like a rip off when you can easily see that movie on a very large DLP/Sony 4K digital projection system and screen.
‘Harry Potter’ had 3D added to select scenes, but was not filmed with IMAX cameras/film stock.
and so far, AMC has lost my money twice now since I went over to both Smithsonian IMAX screesn to see ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Night at the Museum: Battle at the Smithsonian’ on the LARGE screens and not over to Hoffman in Alexandria Virginia
I’m VERY mad, I’ve written them two letter (via the mail) regarding this. The relunctance and slowness of converting one of the screens at the promised Tysons Corner multiplex is beyond unacceptable. They could easily save face by converting auditorium #3 that is large enough to be IMAX worthy – I got a letter from one of the managers over at Tysons that I’ve been meaning to call and talk to regarding this, but AMC in my opinion has nothing been hypocrites.
I thought NEC which is used at the Arclight and Ziegfeld were 4K ready?
we’ll see who’s quicker in installing these Regal or AMC.
DLP “Digital Light Processing” is trademarked to Texas Instruments, Sony’s is LCoS “Liquid Crystals on Silcone”, wonder how Fandango will denote in the future to differentiate between the two.
Don’t be fooled by the Fandango listing for ‘Angels & Demons’ denoting 4 screens showing this in digital projection – such a listing led me to think AMC was on the ball and actually installed three new Sony 4K systems in time for this 4K release, alas it wasn’t meant to be.
I remember I saw ‘The Elephant Man’ at this theatre.
thankfully ‘Star Trek’ will remain at Udvar Hazy.
yes at both museums on the Mall: Natural History and Air & Space
Two Cinemascope musicals will also get shown this month: ‘Brigadoon’ and ‘It’s Always Fair Weather’
‘Ben Hur’ in all it’s w-i-d-escreen goodness is screening this weekend (Saturday and Sunday, 16th and 17th)
question: supposedly one of the Ultrascreens is equipped for Sony 4K Digital projection – will ‘Angels and Demons’ be projected as such??
actually IMAX-lite aspect ratio is 1.76 I’d boycott them too, but not all the Smithsonian IMAX screens can’t or won’t book the Hollywood fare (i.e, Transformers 2) and Udvar Hazy the one that does book them, is not 3D equipped.
Jodar, Star Trek is over at the non-profit Avalon Theatre – what an honor if the President went to see Star Trek there!
on the plus side, according to the Spring issue of Sony 4K Digital Cinema press release the following films have and will be released in 4K:
what’s unfortunate about the conversion is that not all the studios, particularily the independents, have made a committment to releasing their film digitally – for example, AMC Shirlington just outside DC shows art films, not all those film and their respective studios release their films on harddrive form, it might be premature or even presumptuous thinking on AMC’s part that they’ll even have product (films) to present digitally.
Currently at Shirlington:
– American Violet
– Is Anybody There?
– Lymelife
– Sugar
– Sin Nombre
– Valentino: The Last Emperor
– Sunshine Cleaning
Sunshine Cleaning is the only film to be released both in 35mm and ‘digitally’.
I have yet to see to anything from even Sony Classics released digitally.
I see a big, very blatant problem here, that no one in the industry is addressing. What IS the price difference in terms of studios releasing films in 35mm versus harddrive form? Will this change if and when all the AMC theatres start the conversion and begin removing all their 35mm projectors? It would be counterintuitive for some theatres to even go all digial when not everything is released as such – the AFI Silver and I’m sure other theatres are smart in having multiple sources, in particular, the Silver theatre auditorium #1 is outfitted to playback video, 35mm, 70mm and (2k)DLP (ironically they can’t project polarized 3D films) – I think (and hope) they have their bases covered
Reading a magazine such as Box Office – one gets the sense that the industry believes digital is the way to go, it might be, but not everyone is on the same page or feasibly can or willing for that matter.
of the 14 screens only 7 of the screens are DLP equppied, why they ALL aren’t is a mystery. While all auditoriums 6 – 9 have roughly the same screen size: 68 feet in width – they are the largest DLP’s screens in the DC/MD/VA area. Auditorium 7 has it’s problems since the light output of the 3D-DLP unit is set too low, the screen though is comprised of strips so any further illumination reveals this flaw – this however I can confirm is being fixed in the near future with the installation of a new solid screen, so the image can in fact now be set brighter. Unfortunately because the theatre is too close to the Regal, some films don’t get shown at the Cinema because of it’s proximity to one another [case in point, ‘Monsters vs. Aliens 3D’ was only at the Regal (personally, I don’t care for the Regal), on the plus side because of this the Cinema De Lux was the only area theatre to play ‘Battle of Terra’ exclusively in 3D]