JSA’s friendly rivalry challenge is a fantastic idea, and not impossible. Hey, just a few months ago classics at the Ziegfeld seemed like nothing more than a nice dream.
Last night’s “Lawrence” show played beautifully. The sync sound problem from Friday night was gone. Curtains opened and closed and house lights went on and off – all properly on cue. The worst thing that happened all night: someone’s cell phone went off twice during the near-silent Omar Sharif well sequence.
Vito: Many of the shows I attended at the Ziegfeld were as good as I’d ever remembered them and, in two cases, better. I’d never before seen “North by Northwest” and “Doctor Zhivago” on a screen that big and at a volume that loud.
Come to think of it, some of the shows in the series WERE perfect, as far as such a thing is possible. Those prints of “Raiders” and “Temple of Doom” were flawless. They were in sharp focus on a 50 ft. screen and turned up LOUD. In the world we live in, where there are no more Cinerama screens within several hundred miles of New York, what could be better?
I’ll be going to “Lawrence” tonight to say goodbye to the Classics series, and I sincerely hope it’s not the last time I get to experience classics at the Ziegfeld.
Movieguy718: I appreciate your passion for the Ziegfeld. Believe me, if I was at all interested in “Ice Age 2”, I’d go see it there. If they run “The DaVinci Code” in May, I’ll be there for that one. I did do my part by going to see “Rent” and “The Producers” at the Ziegfeld last fall. Both flopped there, but they also flopped everywhere else. “Dreamgirls” would be a perfect Ziegfeld attraction this December.
Having attended 14 classics shows, I’d say the worst thing that happened at any of them was the work of an outside agitator: the lowering of the volume in the second half of “Zhivago” on 3/11. The first half was a thrill to see and hear, in spite of the scratches on the print. Perfection is a very hard thing to come by with old movies like these, but I couldn’t disagree more with my friend Jeff when he said, “If you’re not going to do it right, don’t do it”. If the prints were old and sometimes scratched, they were always in perfect focus. If the overtures and intermissions were sometimes badly handled, there were some shows in the series when they came off beautifully. When “2001” played in 70mm in New York at the Astor Plaza, in December ‘01, the Intermission title card was removed from the print and the second part was spliced right onto the end of the first – far worse than the way the Ziegfeld handled it. I guess what I’m trying to say is I’m glad I attended all these shows, I’ll remember them for a long time, and I’m grateful to the Ziegfeld for presenting them and hope they do it again first chance they get.
There are two sides to every argument, even the ones going on here. Of course you can see better showmanship on display at the Lafayette (or in Jeff’s basement, where I’ve seen many fine shows), but nowhere else in the New York area can you see “Lawrence of Arabia” in 70mm on a 50 ft. screen. Clearview did not spend the money to hire a DTS tech for the “Lawrence” shows, but they did lower their prices for the classics series from $11.75 to $7.50. The theater could have gone dark like it did during the winter months in years past, but instead this year we got to see “2001”, “Doctor Zhivago”, “Ben-Hur”, “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, “Close Encounters”, etc. I’ve been to 14 shows during the Classics series. None were perfect, all were great.
The sync problem Jeff and I experienced was during Friday night’s 7:30 show (3/24). I’m glad they fixed the problem – one more reason to go back again on Wednesday 3/29!
Jeff and I disagree on the sync problem, and we saw the movie together! The reason I described the scene with Feisal’s servant is because Jeff was told by the manager that the second part of the film would be in sync. And so it was – for about 3 minutes.
The sync sound problem was intermittent. The first scene after intermission (the conversation between Jackson Bentley and Feisal’s servant) started out in perfect sync. In the middle of the next scene, between Feisal and Bentley, the sync went off again. The last reels of the film ran with no problem.
Mitchell: your walkie-talkie system is an excellent idea that certainly worked. Whenever the film went out of focus, you were right on top of it and the image cleared up within seconds. An almost 4-hour movie like that must’ve been a real workout for you, but all your hard work was greatly appreciated by me and everyone else who was there. Thanks!
Another great show today at the Loew’s Jersey: “The Ten Commandments”. One of those films that has to be seen BIG, and the Loew’s Jersey did it justice. It wasn’t too much of a stretch to imagine I was seeing it during its first-run engagement at the Criterion in New York, even though the print had some wear and tear on it. Heck, even the Criterion print must have had some scratches after playing for more than a year.
Problems with “Lawrence” last night: the DTS soundtrack was about a half-second out of sync during many scenes. There was also some jiggling of the image during the first half of the film. BUT … these problems were most likely the fault of the print itself, and not the Ziegfeld. Once the commercials and “The Clearview” promotional reel were over with, the presentation was absolutely perfect, in best early ‘60’s roadshow style. Full intermission, overture, exit music, curtains, etc. Even with those technical flaws taken into account, there is simply nothing else like seeing “Lawrence of Arabia” in 70mm. I can’t wait to see it again on Wednesday.
Tonight, for my 50th time seeing “2001” in a theater, I sat in the upstairs section of the Ziegfeld, something I hadn’t done since 1970. While the screen did seem smaller from there (unless you took into account and put into proportion the people sitting underneath it), the sound was even more impressive as it boomed from the Klipsch Professional speakers all around the building. What a beautiful theater the Ziegfeld is. Can’t wait to see “Lawrence” there on Friday night.
Which version is your favorite?
posted by Michael Coate on Mar 21, 2006 at 11:57pm
Without a doubt, the 1977 original version of “Close Encounters” is my favorite, maybe because I saw it so many times back then. I still get a little jolt whenever one of the newer versions cuts abruptly to the Gobi Desert, or when the scenes come on in re-arranged order – it just feels wrong to me. I wish I could let Spielberg and especially Lucas know that the version of your film that the vast majority of its audience first fell in love with should always be the definitive version.
Irv: Sorry you had to be bothered by talkers. There is so much pure silence in the second half of that film, any talking reverberates around the whole theater. Just so you know, there are no “2001” shows on Thursday. The last shows are Wednesday at 4:30 and 8:15. I’ll be there for my 50th theatrical viewing at 8:15.
Saw “2001” twice at the Ziegfeld today, just like I did several times back in 1974. Sitting in the front row, center seat sure brought back some good memories. The print, though not in mint condition, was good enough. But the sound was incredible – the seats in my row were vibrating.
I made a real pilgrimage out of it, walking past the sites of all the midtown theaters where I saw “2001” over the years. In geographical order from the bus terminal: Loew’s Astor Plaza, Rivoli, Loew’s Capitol, Radio City Music Hall, Ziegfeld.
Excellent speech last night by Gary. He even paid a fitting tribute to the dear old Roxy. I sat in approximately the same bad seat (4th row on the right) from where I first saw “Close Encounters” on the day after its premiere in 1977, in a vain attempt to re-create being 23 years old again.
Gary: Looking forward to hearing your speech tonight. One more feature you’ll never get at your local multiplex.
Ed: I don’t recall exactly what the signs on the Ziegfeld doors said about the “Alien” print, and I didn’t ask anyone. Maybe the print itself was unavailable for some reason. The Loew’s Jersey screened “Alien” a couple of years ago – it was a little bit scratchy but basically OK.
I was at the show Pete put on in 2004, and it was definitely the best presentation of “2001” I’d seen since Cinerama at the Loew’s Capitol in 1968. Having Keir and Gary in attendance gave it an extra dimension even the Capitol didn’t have. It was a 35mm print, but the sound still shook the Lafayette to the rafters. I think people must’ve heard it out on the street. It was glorious!
When I said I wasn’t bothered by the lack of a full intermission at “Zhivago” that of course doesn’t apply to “2001”, which is a whole hour shorter and starts earlier besides. We’ll see how the show goes tomorrow night.
If I see “2001” three more times (and I’m planning to) that’ll make 50 times I’ve seen that movie in a theater. This has been over a span of 38 years so it’s not as crazy as it sounds, but I’m sure you Cinema Treasures regulars will understand. A large majority of those 47 viewings were at the Ziegfeld, by the way.
The intermission was the same as Saturday night (no curtains, blank screen, entr'acte spliced to intermission tag) with one improvement: the house lights were turned up slightly. It’s almost sacriligeous to say this, but if they did have a full 15-minute intermission I would never have caught my 12:15 AM bus back to New Jersey, so I wasn’t too upset about it.
Last night “Doctor Zhivago” was presented at the perfect LOUD volume level from beginning to end. The overture played with the white curtains closed, and they opened up while the MGM lion roared. There were no commercials or trailers, only the movie – just like 1965. I wonder if the commercials are only a weekend obligation – every weeknight show I’ve attended so far in the series didn’t have them. I think there were more people there last night (a Thursday) than there were on Saturday. Probably “Zhivago” fans like me getting one last look at this beautiful epic film.
One bad thing: all “Alien” shows have been cancelled due to a print problem. More “2001” and “Close Encounters” shows have been added to replace “Alien”.
Saps: On Saturday night the entr'acte ran on a blank screen with the lights off, but since the Clearview people have been reading these comments, who knows what tomorrow night will bring? I’ll be there to see for myself.
JSA’s friendly rivalry challenge is a fantastic idea, and not impossible. Hey, just a few months ago classics at the Ziegfeld seemed like nothing more than a nice dream.
Last night’s “Lawrence” show played beautifully. The sync sound problem from Friday night was gone. Curtains opened and closed and house lights went on and off – all properly on cue. The worst thing that happened all night: someone’s cell phone went off twice during the near-silent Omar Sharif well sequence.
Vito: Many of the shows I attended at the Ziegfeld were as good as I’d ever remembered them and, in two cases, better. I’d never before seen “North by Northwest” and “Doctor Zhivago” on a screen that big and at a volume that loud.
Come to think of it, some of the shows in the series WERE perfect, as far as such a thing is possible. Those prints of “Raiders” and “Temple of Doom” were flawless. They were in sharp focus on a 50 ft. screen and turned up LOUD. In the world we live in, where there are no more Cinerama screens within several hundred miles of New York, what could be better?
I’ll be going to “Lawrence” tonight to say goodbye to the Classics series, and I sincerely hope it’s not the last time I get to experience classics at the Ziegfeld.
Movieguy718: I appreciate your passion for the Ziegfeld. Believe me, if I was at all interested in “Ice Age 2”, I’d go see it there. If they run “The DaVinci Code” in May, I’ll be there for that one. I did do my part by going to see “Rent” and “The Producers” at the Ziegfeld last fall. Both flopped there, but they also flopped everywhere else. “Dreamgirls” would be a perfect Ziegfeld attraction this December.
Having attended 14 classics shows, I’d say the worst thing that happened at any of them was the work of an outside agitator: the lowering of the volume in the second half of “Zhivago” on 3/11. The first half was a thrill to see and hear, in spite of the scratches on the print. Perfection is a very hard thing to come by with old movies like these, but I couldn’t disagree more with my friend Jeff when he said, “If you’re not going to do it right, don’t do it”. If the prints were old and sometimes scratched, they were always in perfect focus. If the overtures and intermissions were sometimes badly handled, there were some shows in the series when they came off beautifully. When “2001” played in 70mm in New York at the Astor Plaza, in December ‘01, the Intermission title card was removed from the print and the second part was spliced right onto the end of the first – far worse than the way the Ziegfeld handled it. I guess what I’m trying to say is I’m glad I attended all these shows, I’ll remember them for a long time, and I’m grateful to the Ziegfeld for presenting them and hope they do it again first chance they get.
There are two sides to every argument, even the ones going on here. Of course you can see better showmanship on display at the Lafayette (or in Jeff’s basement, where I’ve seen many fine shows), but nowhere else in the New York area can you see “Lawrence of Arabia” in 70mm on a 50 ft. screen. Clearview did not spend the money to hire a DTS tech for the “Lawrence” shows, but they did lower their prices for the classics series from $11.75 to $7.50. The theater could have gone dark like it did during the winter months in years past, but instead this year we got to see “2001”, “Doctor Zhivago”, “Ben-Hur”, “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, “Close Encounters”, etc. I’ve been to 14 shows during the Classics series. None were perfect, all were great.
Thanks, Saps. As I leave the house to go to work, it’s a good feeling to go out laughing.
The sync problem Jeff and I experienced was during Friday night’s 7:30 show (3/24). I’m glad they fixed the problem – one more reason to go back again on Wednesday 3/29!
Jeff and I disagree on the sync problem, and we saw the movie together! The reason I described the scene with Feisal’s servant is because Jeff was told by the manager that the second part of the film would be in sync. And so it was – for about 3 minutes.
The sync sound problem was intermittent. The first scene after intermission (the conversation between Jackson Bentley and Feisal’s servant) started out in perfect sync. In the middle of the next scene, between Feisal and Bentley, the sync went off again. The last reels of the film ran with no problem.
Mitchell: your walkie-talkie system is an excellent idea that certainly worked. Whenever the film went out of focus, you were right on top of it and the image cleared up within seconds. An almost 4-hour movie like that must’ve been a real workout for you, but all your hard work was greatly appreciated by me and everyone else who was there. Thanks!
Sounds like one of those guys could have been Vito.
A nice balance: an audience member spoiled the “Zhivago” show on March 11th, and audience members saved the showing of “Lawrence” last night.
Another great show today at the Loew’s Jersey: “The Ten Commandments”. One of those films that has to be seen BIG, and the Loew’s Jersey did it justice. It wasn’t too much of a stretch to imagine I was seeing it during its first-run engagement at the Criterion in New York, even though the print had some wear and tear on it. Heck, even the Criterion print must have had some scratches after playing for more than a year.
Problems with “Lawrence” last night: the DTS soundtrack was about a half-second out of sync during many scenes. There was also some jiggling of the image during the first half of the film. BUT … these problems were most likely the fault of the print itself, and not the Ziegfeld. Once the commercials and “The Clearview” promotional reel were over with, the presentation was absolutely perfect, in best early ‘60’s roadshow style. Full intermission, overture, exit music, curtains, etc. Even with those technical flaws taken into account, there is simply nothing else like seeing “Lawrence of Arabia” in 70mm. I can’t wait to see it again on Wednesday.
Tonight, for my 50th time seeing “2001” in a theater, I sat in the upstairs section of the Ziegfeld, something I hadn’t done since 1970. While the screen did seem smaller from there (unless you took into account and put into proportion the people sitting underneath it), the sound was even more impressive as it boomed from the Klipsch Professional speakers all around the building. What a beautiful theater the Ziegfeld is. Can’t wait to see “Lawrence” there on Friday night.
Which version is your favorite?
posted by Michael Coate on Mar 21, 2006 at 11:57pm
Without a doubt, the 1977 original version of “Close Encounters” is my favorite, maybe because I saw it so many times back then. I still get a little jolt whenever one of the newer versions cuts abruptly to the Gobi Desert, or when the scenes come on in re-arranged order – it just feels wrong to me. I wish I could let Spielberg and especially Lucas know that the version of your film that the vast majority of its audience first fell in love with should always be the definitive version.
Irv: Sorry you had to be bothered by talkers. There is so much pure silence in the second half of that film, any talking reverberates around the whole theater. Just so you know, there are no “2001” shows on Thursday. The last shows are Wednesday at 4:30 and 8:15. I’ll be there for my 50th theatrical viewing at 8:15.
Saw “2001” twice at the Ziegfeld today, just like I did several times back in 1974. Sitting in the front row, center seat sure brought back some good memories. The print, though not in mint condition, was good enough. But the sound was incredible – the seats in my row were vibrating.
I made a real pilgrimage out of it, walking past the sites of all the midtown theaters where I saw “2001” over the years. In geographical order from the bus terminal: Loew’s Astor Plaza, Rivoli, Loew’s Capitol, Radio City Music Hall, Ziegfeld.
Excellent speech last night by Gary. He even paid a fitting tribute to the dear old Roxy. I sat in approximately the same bad seat (4th row on the right) from where I first saw “Close Encounters” on the day after its premiere in 1977, in a vain attempt to re-create being 23 years old again.
Gary: Looking forward to hearing your speech tonight. One more feature you’ll never get at your local multiplex.
Ed: I don’t recall exactly what the signs on the Ziegfeld doors said about the “Alien” print, and I didn’t ask anyone. Maybe the print itself was unavailable for some reason. The Loew’s Jersey screened “Alien” a couple of years ago – it was a little bit scratchy but basically OK.
I was at the show Pete put on in 2004, and it was definitely the best presentation of “2001” I’d seen since Cinerama at the Loew’s Capitol in 1968. Having Keir and Gary in attendance gave it an extra dimension even the Capitol didn’t have. It was a 35mm print, but the sound still shook the Lafayette to the rafters. I think people must’ve heard it out on the street. It was glorious!
When I said I wasn’t bothered by the lack of a full intermission at “Zhivago” that of course doesn’t apply to “2001”, which is a whole hour shorter and starts earlier besides. We’ll see how the show goes tomorrow night.
If I see “2001” three more times (and I’m planning to) that’ll make 50 times I’ve seen that movie in a theater. This has been over a span of 38 years so it’s not as crazy as it sounds, but I’m sure you Cinema Treasures regulars will understand. A large majority of those 47 viewings were at the Ziegfeld, by the way.
The intermission was the same as Saturday night (no curtains, blank screen, entr'acte spliced to intermission tag) with one improvement: the house lights were turned up slightly. It’s almost sacriligeous to say this, but if they did have a full 15-minute intermission I would never have caught my 12:15 AM bus back to New Jersey, so I wasn’t too upset about it.
Last night “Doctor Zhivago” was presented at the perfect LOUD volume level from beginning to end. The overture played with the white curtains closed, and they opened up while the MGM lion roared. There were no commercials or trailers, only the movie – just like 1965. I wonder if the commercials are only a weekend obligation – every weeknight show I’ve attended so far in the series didn’t have them. I think there were more people there last night (a Thursday) than there were on Saturday. Probably “Zhivago” fans like me getting one last look at this beautiful epic film.
One bad thing: all “Alien” shows have been cancelled due to a print problem. More “2001” and “Close Encounters” shows have been added to replace “Alien”.
Saps: On Saturday night the entr'acte ran on a blank screen with the lights off, but since the Clearview people have been reading these comments, who knows what tomorrow night will bring? I’ll be there to see for myself.