I think this Article is just one of those Hyped up and uncorrect about BluRay, here in the UK at present seams to be low or no major interest in BluRay.
Only last week I visted several large Video stores and most had a poor & small selection of BluRay, while the rest was DVD, most people are happy with their standard DVD, why change to something twice the price of a disk?.
And I agree the best way to see a movie is in the Cinema, that is of coarse set up and projected correctly!.
Recently I was viewing a the recent Widescreen DVD of the film “Zulu” and the interesting exta item was the “Making of Zulu”.
There was some details that it was first openned at the Plaza in 1964, but no details if it was in Technirama70 (70mm) or just a 35mm Mag sound version.
The first 70mm film at the Plaza was “Becket” in March 1964 and I wondered if “Zulu” was ever screened in 70mm at the Plaza in this year?.
The latest News on this is the Owner/Developer has withdrawn their Application to demolish the Carlton and the building of 32 Flats on the site.
The Portsmouth City Council Planning Officers had advised to reject the present application as the site was unsuitable for Housing and also the Cinema stands on a early Medieval site.
The present Cinema Operator has decided to close the Cinema on Thursday 1st November, dispite the resent news on the failed application.
Unless another Cinema operator can step in and take over the Cinema will be closed and the fittings sold off and the building will be left in a derelict state.
The Cinema Building is ownned by a David Webber based in Farnham, Surrey and is operated by Star Cinemas Ltd.
Last week it was reported in “The News” that the Cinema owners have applied to Demolish the Cinema to build about 30 Flats on the site.
The Public were only given a week to submitt any objections with Portsmouth City Council and the Cinema Manager has started a campaign to save the cinema from closure.
Has anyone recently seen a film in Empire 1 (Screen 1)?.
Last Saturday I visited the Empire to see “Transformers”, although the Auditorium was fairly busy it lacked the Empire Cinema I knew a few years ago!.
There were No Adverts, just a few Trailers with a Bottom Black line on the screen and NO Logo/Intro/THX anywhere and can you belive it on the Feature change from the Trailers to the main film the Tabs were left open and you just sat in the Dark watching the Masking go out to scope!!.
Where is the Presentation gone these days?, I was told later that it was now Company Policy to present it this way (?), shame on them and what a high Ticket price of £13.00 for a poor West End Cinema experience.
Still a great Cinema, but poor Screen Presentation……
I have been reserching this Theatre and ask if anyone could confirm that the 35/70mm Projection equipment was a pair of Westrex 5000 Projectors.
I would be most interested to see any Booth photos of these projectors when screening 70mm and would be interested to learn about their fate when the Theatre closed.
The Laser Show has not been working since about 1997 and it now seams that they could not get it repaired and no plans to have it again as it appears that at one Royal Film Premier his HRH Charles objected to it as it was “Tacky”.
On Wednesday I went to see “World Trade Centre” at the Empire in Screen One presented in (2K) Digital Cinema.
It was the 2:15pm screening, the ticket was at £7.50 not bad for West End prices.
On entering the empty Auditorium you notice the Taps/curtains were left open and did not move at any time, as the Adverts and Trailers I only counted 30 people in a 1,300 seater Theatre!.
Through out the film you could hear at times drilling noise from a construction site below the Cinema and this is a THX approved Theatre!.
Some of the “WTC” scenes did loose a lot Black contrast and it looked like Gray scale in some of the darker scenes, most of the film looked and sounded great as well the 35mm Adverts/Trailers.
The Empire seam to lost it’s “WOW” factor these days and on my way out I asked the Ticket guy about the Curtains and was told they had broken down last Sunday and was uncertain if the owners will get them fixed sooner or later.
The problem there, if they only get about a handfull of people a day for these early shows, would people go to see them when you have the BFI NFT Cinema in London?.
These “early specials” never get publicised anywhere other than their website, so no wonder it is poorly supported.
I expect the Empire’s long term plan is for first run Premier openings judging their investment at this Cinema.
It would be nice to see 70mm screened at the Empire once again…..
They should had launched the Empire 1 new rebuild with a 70mm film for largest/superior picture and fantastic sound, and why not in a 70mm DTS for the full Digital sound effect!.
There were some 70mm prints of “Back to the Future” a few years ago, but why show this film as it is only in a 1.85:1 Dolby “A” warn out print?.
<To be fair automating the projection isn’t exactly lowering standards if it’s done properly and works>
When it was under UCI control, they cut the Staff and ran it just like a Multiplex operation, not the sort of thing you should find in the West End?. you only to have to see Vue & UGC/Cineworld.
The Odeon Leicester Square in the main Theater still remains manual operation and it shows with the high standard of presentation as you would expect and that’s why the Odeon hold more Premiers than any other West End Cinemas.
I used to visit the Empire quite often in the 1990’s and knew the Technical team very well and was impressed with the Presentation as you aspect in a West End Cinema.
Sadly, the UCI mob moved in and ousted most of the “Showman Projectionists” and automated the Projection in Empire 1 and as it seams since these people had left, standards went down as well the Premieres and as the Odeon Leicester Square was refurbished in 1998 and offered a better venue for Distributors with Premieres.
However, it has since been sold to the Irish Cinema chain Ward- Anderson and is now owned by Cinema Holdings Ltd.
They are now trading as Empire Cinemas and the Empire is their Head Office.
I was informed they plan to refurbish the Empire and so it looks that the Foyer is looking better, however the front of the building is need of “Paint & Clean” as it is showing a warn state.
There has been rumours that there may be a larger screen in Empire 1, but the Curtains may not re-instated!.
I think this Article is just one of those Hyped up and uncorrect about BluRay, here in the UK at present seams to be low or no major interest in BluRay.
Only last week I visted several large Video stores and most had a poor & small selection of BluRay, while the rest was DVD, most people are happy with their standard DVD, why change to something twice the price of a disk?.
And I agree the best way to see a movie is in the Cinema, that is of coarse set up and projected correctly!.
It had it’s UK and I think the European Premire at the Empire Theatre in London’s West End in DTS.
It was a shame at the time that the film was not filmed in Cinemascope than in 1.85:1 or option of a 70mm DTS print version.
I have heard reports that Screen 4 & 5 building works are well underway and will be only 2K D-Cinema and no 35mm projectors!.
“Zulu” in 70mm at the Plaza?.
Recently I was viewing a the recent Widescreen DVD of the film “Zulu” and the interesting exta item was the “Making of Zulu”.
There was some details that it was first openned at the Plaza in 1964, but no details if it was in Technirama70 (70mm) or just a 35mm Mag sound version.
The first 70mm film at the Plaza was “Becket” in March 1964 and I wondered if “Zulu” was ever screened in 70mm at the Plaza in this year?.
The last film being screened will be “The Majestic” (PG) and is showing on Thursday 1st November.
Local TV & Press have been on site to report the pending closure and more coverage is expected on the closing night.
Cinema Website www.thecarltoncinema.co.uk/
The latest News on this is the Owner/Developer has withdrawn their Application to demolish the Carlton and the building of 32 Flats on the site.
The Portsmouth City Council Planning Officers had advised to reject the present application as the site was unsuitable for Housing and also the Cinema stands on a early Medieval site.
The present Cinema Operator has decided to close the Cinema on Thursday 1st November, dispite the resent news on the failed application.
Unless another Cinema operator can step in and take over the Cinema will be closed and the fittings sold off and the building will be left in a derelict state.
Good to read that this Cinema has reopened.
I thought Rob Younger worked as Service Engineer for City Screen, may be no longer there?.
The Cinema Building is ownned by a David Webber based in Farnham, Surrey and is operated by Star Cinemas Ltd.
Last week it was reported in “The News” that the Cinema owners have applied to Demolish the Cinema to build about 30 Flats on the site.
The Public were only given a week to submitt any objections with Portsmouth City Council and the Cinema Manager has started a campaign to save the cinema from closure.
Has anyone recently seen a film in Empire 1 (Screen 1)?.
Last Saturday I visited the Empire to see “Transformers”, although the Auditorium was fairly busy it lacked the Empire Cinema I knew a few years ago!.
There were No Adverts, just a few Trailers with a Bottom Black line on the screen and NO Logo/Intro/THX anywhere and can you belive it on the Feature change from the Trailers to the main film the Tabs were left open and you just sat in the Dark watching the Masking go out to scope!!.
Where is the Presentation gone these days?, I was told later that it was now Company Policy to present it this way (?), shame on them and what a high Ticket price of £13.00 for a poor West End Cinema experience.
Still a great Cinema, but poor Screen Presentation……
I have been reserching this Theatre and ask if anyone could confirm that the 35/70mm Projection equipment was a pair of Westrex 5000 Projectors.
I would be most interested to see any Booth photos of these projectors when screening 70mm and would be interested to learn about their fate when the Theatre closed.
The Laser Show has not been working since about 1997 and it now seams that they could not get it repaired and no plans to have it again as it appears that at one Royal Film Premier his HRH Charles objected to it as it was “Tacky”.
On Wednesday I went to see “World Trade Centre” at the Empire in Screen One presented in (2K) Digital Cinema.
It was the 2:15pm screening, the ticket was at £7.50 not bad for West End prices.
On entering the empty Auditorium you notice the Taps/curtains were left open and did not move at any time, as the Adverts and Trailers I only counted 30 people in a 1,300 seater Theatre!.
Through out the film you could hear at times drilling noise from a construction site below the Cinema and this is a THX approved Theatre!.
Some of the “WTC” scenes did loose a lot Black contrast and it looked like Gray scale in some of the darker scenes, most of the film looked and sounded great as well the 35mm Adverts/Trailers.
The Empire seam to lost it’s “WOW” factor these days and on my way out I asked the Ticket guy about the Curtains and was told they had broken down last Sunday and was uncertain if the owners will get them fixed sooner or later.
The problem there, if they only get about a handfull of people a day for these early shows, would people go to see them when you have the BFI NFT Cinema in London?.
These “early specials” never get publicised anywhere other than their website, so no wonder it is poorly supported.
I expect the Empire’s long term plan is for first run Premier openings judging their investment at this Cinema.
It would be nice to see 70mm screened at the Empire once again…..
They should had launched the Empire 1 new rebuild with a 70mm film for largest/superior picture and fantastic sound, and why not in a 70mm DTS for the full Digital sound effect!.
There were some 70mm prints of “Back to the Future” a few years ago, but why show this film as it is only in a 1.85:1 Dolby “A” warn out print?.
<To be fair automating the projection isn’t exactly lowering standards if it’s done properly and works>
When it was under UCI control, they cut the Staff and ran it just like a Multiplex operation, not the sort of thing you should find in the West End?. you only to have to see Vue & UGC/Cineworld.
The Odeon Leicester Square in the main Theater still remains manual operation and it shows with the high standard of presentation as you would expect and that’s why the Odeon hold more Premiers than any other West End Cinemas.
I used to visit the Empire quite often in the 1990’s and knew the Technical team very well and was impressed with the Presentation as you aspect in a West End Cinema.
Sadly, the UCI mob moved in and ousted most of the “Showman Projectionists” and automated the Projection in Empire 1 and as it seams since these people had left, standards went down as well the Premieres and as the Odeon Leicester Square was refurbished in 1998 and offered a better venue for Distributors with Premieres.
However, it has since been sold to the Irish Cinema chain Ward- Anderson and is now owned by Cinema Holdings Ltd.
They are now trading as Empire Cinemas and the Empire is their Head Office.
I was informed they plan to refurbish the Empire and so it looks that the Foyer is looking better, however the front of the building is need of “Paint & Clean” as it is showing a warn state.
There has been rumours that there may be a larger screen in Empire 1, but the Curtains may not re-instated!.
Here is the link to the Empire Cinema website
http://empire-vhost.krankikom.de/