movie534, your earlier response about an out-of-focus complaint reminded me of my main pet peeve: when a comment about focus is made, the projectionist shouldn’t just look at the screen and determine it’s in focus – he should go to the booth and re-focus the lens to make sure it’s as sharp as possible. I usually sit in the 10th row, and it looks different between the 10th row and the last row. The best way to focus is during the credits, when there is writing on the screen and there is less room for interpretation.
One thing that really irritates me is when I tell an usher that the picture is out of focus, he will invariably go into the theater and check for himself first. It takes every ounce of self-control for me NOT to say, listen, fuckwad, I’ve been going to the movies for 40 years and I know when it’s out of focus!
Not everyone was dangerous. Here’s an excerpt from a New York Times review dated Sept. 6, 1969:
“…intimations of mortality passed through my mind yesterday afternoon at the Rialto II where [Russ] Meyer’s newest film, ‘Finders Keepers, Lovers Weepers,’ opened to a large and docile audience.”
(Does the Rialto II have its own listing here? I couldn’t find one.)
Excerpt from a New York Times review dated August 15, 1968:
“THE CONQUEROR WORM,” which opened yesterday at the New Amsterdam and other neighborhood theaters, stars Vincent Price, [who] has a good time as a materialistic witch-hunter and woman-disfigurer and dismemberer, and the audience at the dark, ornate New Amsterdam seemed to have a good time as well.
There are lines like, “Take three good men and ride into East Anglia,” through which a man behind me snored and a middle-aged couple next to him quarreled viciously, but people woke up for the action and particularly cheered when Price was hacked to death.
In the course of the movie, a thin streak of something soapy persisted. It must have been a watermark across the lens in the projection booth.
Excerpt from a New York Times review dated January 18, 1968:
“THE BIGGEST BUNDLE OF THEM ALL” …lasts 106 minutes, of which the last 15 are worth seeing if you are really intent on going to a movie.
The afternoon price of admission at the Selwyn Theater on 42d Street, where the film opened yesterday, is only 85 cents; and although the theater is perhaps not the best ventilated in New York and the audience is not the most reverent, the movie is worth the price of admission, as long as the first 91 minutes are skipped.
The sale of Bootleg videos is killing the movie theaters, especially in poorer neighborhoods. People think — why spend so much money for a night out at the movies when you can get the same move for $5. at the barber shop or beauty parlor or at your place of work…sellers even come into fast food restaurants with their canvas bags of bootleg dvds.
Even Tyler Perry is urging folks to come out to his movies on opening weekend, because he knows that on Monday morning “June Bug” will be selling the bootleg.
I won’t buy bootlegs because it is stealing — from the movie theaters, from the studios, but especially from the writers and producers and actors who all worked on the project but don’t see a dime from these underground sales.
The Imax screen is in Auditorium 1. I took a peek on Friday and the screen doesn’t seem much bigger than the one that was already there, and certainly smaller than the one at Lincoln Square. I wonder about its exact dimensions.
I was only at the Music Box once, and your report really captured the vibe of a unique theater run by people who truly love movies and showmanship. Well done.
Meanwhile foodies are also out of luck if they’re looking for snacks at the Loews in Lincoln Center where all of the concession stands have been shut down for health code violations. “It makes me sick knowing I’ve eaten all the food here before,” said local resident Nischala Dubey. Viewers planning to ride the Pineapple Express this weekend may have to look to the nearby Food Emporium in order to nosh during their moviegoing experience.
This comment was posted on another message board, but what exactly dies it mean?
>>Just left the 3pm at AMC of the 42nd showing of “TDK” and naturally, I was chanting like a mantra, “Please no idiots beside or in front of us, please no idiots beside or in front of us.” My mantra worked and JUST as the movie was starting a mother and 2 kids walked in and the the kid to my right’s excitement was so palpable, it was infectious. He was so cute.
As the movie continued, I noticed the kid kept darting his eyes towards me. I always eat a simple tray of sushi, (no, no chopsticks or anything bitches, I just like it because it’s easy to eat) but the kid very stealthily unwrapping his food from his bag and every time I looked he would stop and put it back in his bag and start all over again.
I so wanted to buy the whole family something, but I knew that definitely wasn’t the way to go.
The mother was so together, the kids were well behaved. Broke my heart.
I’ve been a contributor to this thread over the years, but these last weeks here have been so mundane, I dread seeing that number “12” clogging up my mailbox. I had to drop Radio City for the same reason — too many off-topic comments filling up my email.
However, any posts directly related to the Ziegfeld and its programming are always interesting.
I wonder why they kept the mezzanines closed at the premiere of Sex and the City. They could have easily seated all those left standing outside in the rain.
movie534, your earlier response about an out-of-focus complaint reminded me of my main pet peeve: when a comment about focus is made, the projectionist shouldn’t just look at the screen and determine it’s in focus – he should go to the booth and re-focus the lens to make sure it’s as sharp as possible. I usually sit in the 10th row, and it looks different between the 10th row and the last row. The best way to focus is during the credits, when there is writing on the screen and there is less room for interpretation.
One thing that really irritates me is when I tell an usher that the picture is out of focus, he will invariably go into the theater and check for himself first. It takes every ounce of self-control for me NOT to say, listen, fuckwad, I’ve been going to the movies for 40 years and I know when it’s out of focus!
The Ziegfeld has been a big part of this year’s New York Film Festival, which is why its listings haven’t been available in the usual places.
The Godfather movies will be screened for one week from 10/17 to 10/23 but I don’t know the schedules.
I’d rather see these epic stories on the big screen at the Ziegfeld than at Film Forum’s more —ahem — modest ones.
Link: View link
I look forward to seeing The Godfather I and II (new director’s cut or something) when they open here shortly for a special engagement.
Not everyone was dangerous. Here’s an excerpt from a New York Times review dated Sept. 6, 1969:
“…intimations of mortality passed through my mind yesterday afternoon at the Rialto II where [Russ] Meyer’s newest film, ‘Finders Keepers, Lovers Weepers,’ opened to a large and docile audience.”
(Does the Rialto II have its own listing here? I couldn’t find one.)
Excerpt from a New York Times review dated August 15, 1968:
“THE CONQUEROR WORM,” which opened yesterday at the New Amsterdam and other neighborhood theaters, stars Vincent Price, [who] has a good time as a materialistic witch-hunter and woman-disfigurer and dismemberer, and the audience at the dark, ornate New Amsterdam seemed to have a good time as well.
There are lines like, “Take three good men and ride into East Anglia,” through which a man behind me snored and a middle-aged couple next to him quarreled viciously, but people woke up for the action and particularly cheered when Price was hacked to death.
In the course of the movie, a thin streak of something soapy persisted. It must have been a watermark across the lens in the projection booth.
Excerpt from a New York Times review dated January 18, 1968:
“THE BIGGEST BUNDLE OF THEM ALL” …lasts 106 minutes, of which the last 15 are worth seeing if you are really intent on going to a movie.
The afternoon price of admission at the Selwyn Theater on 42d Street, where the film opened yesterday, is only 85 cents; and although the theater is perhaps not the best ventilated in New York and the audience is not the most reverent, the movie is worth the price of admission, as long as the first 91 minutes are skipped.
CPA Eric = Elwood Cinema owner
What a shot of the Fox marquee. Thanks for that. And it’s the Con Ed building on that site with a bank on the ground floor; no parking lot.
The sale of Bootleg videos is killing the movie theaters, especially in poorer neighborhoods. People think — why spend so much money for a night out at the movies when you can get the same move for $5. at the barber shop or beauty parlor or at your place of work…sellers even come into fast food restaurants with their canvas bags of bootleg dvds.
Even Tyler Perry is urging folks to come out to his movies on opening weekend, because he knows that on Monday morning “June Bug” will be selling the bootleg.
I won’t buy bootlegs because it is stealing — from the movie theaters, from the studios, but especially from the writers and producers and actors who all worked on the project but don’t see a dime from these underground sales.
Heck’s Angels
The Imax screen is in Auditorium 1. I took a peek on Friday and the screen doesn’t seem much bigger than the one that was already there, and certainly smaller than the one at Lincoln Square. I wonder about its exact dimensions.
Burger King invariably picks the worst locations in NYC; it’s a wonder they’re still in business here.
There was an Orpheum theater in the new movie “Elegy” which was set in New York but I believe filmed in Vancouver. Is it this one?
I scoured the LIU website and there was nothing new about either the athletic enter or the Paramount. Stayed tuned.
I was there the other day and there were signs around, but no signs of construction. I wonder where the screen will be.
Great post, David.
I was only at the Music Box once, and your report really captured the vibe of a unique theater run by people who truly love movies and showmanship. Well done.
Here’s the pertinent paragraph:
Meanwhile foodies are also out of luck if they’re looking for snacks at the Loews in Lincoln Center where all of the concession stands have been shut down for health code violations. “It makes me sick knowing I’ve eaten all the food here before,” said local resident Nischala Dubey. Viewers planning to ride the Pineapple Express this weekend may have to look to the nearby Food Emporium in order to nosh during their moviegoing experience.
This comment was posted on another message board, but what exactly dies it mean?
>>Just left the 3pm at AMC of the 42nd showing of “TDK” and naturally, I was chanting like a mantra, “Please no idiots beside or in front of us, please no idiots beside or in front of us.” My mantra worked and JUST as the movie was starting a mother and 2 kids walked in and the the kid to my right’s excitement was so palpable, it was infectious. He was so cute.
As the movie continued, I noticed the kid kept darting his eyes towards me. I always eat a simple tray of sushi, (no, no chopsticks or anything bitches, I just like it because it’s easy to eat) but the kid very stealthily unwrapping his food from his bag and every time I looked he would stop and put it back in his bag and start all over again.
I so wanted to buy the whole family something, but I knew that definitely wasn’t the way to go.
The mother was so together, the kids were well behaved. Broke my heart.
.
I thought there was an appealingly earthy rock-and-roll edge to his singing; at least it was all in key.
Thanks, Bill, for your eye-witness account. Always welcome.
I’ve been a contributor to this thread over the years, but these last weeks here have been so mundane, I dread seeing that number “12” clogging up my mailbox. I had to drop Radio City for the same reason — too many off-topic comments filling up my email.
However, any posts directly related to the Ziegfeld and its programming are always interesting.
PierreCity, you’re a nut. (But I mean that in a nice way.)
In other words, never mind.
Emily Litella
The gas station is now gone, too, as this is part of the site for the new Nets arena development.
I wonder why they kept the mezzanines closed at the premiere of Sex and the City. They could have easily seated all those left standing outside in the rain.