I attended the screening of Bladerunner last night with a couple of friends and we had a great time. There was a big turnout and the movie looked gorgeous. I had recently watched the newest director’s cut after receiving it for Christmas, so was really looking forward to seeing it on the big screen. I was not disappointed. You could really appreciate the magnificent special effects and all the work that was put into them.
I do have one question for you guys though. The sound last night was especially boomy and echoey. Dialogue was oftentimes undecipherable. For a movie whose plot is already complicated, this didn’t help. Is it just the nature of a big movie palace, or was there something they could have adjusted?
I may be wrong, but I thought the speaker at the screening said it was a cinerama print. He said that they’d purchased a new print of the film from MGM, but that they felt like the color was off so instead showed an older cinerama print. It was somewhat scratched, but only really noticeable against shots with a lot of pale colored sky in the background. He warned that due to the print’s age, the image may go soft from time to time due to the film being warped, but they’d be closely monitoring it to fix any focus problems. I only noticed this happening once or twice.
This was my first visit to the Loew’s Jersey, although I’ve been meaning to go for a long time now, and I’ll definately be looking forward next season. We’re really lucky to have this place.
I walked over to the theatre yesterday (through all the snow and slush) to take some pictures of the facade since people were curious about its current appearance. I’ve added them to my webshots gallery.Take a look. View link
I’ve added a few additional photos up on webshots including one of the remaining portion of the fountain/fish pond. View link
Hi Divinity, I’m pretty sure I didn’t meet you at the reception, although I did see the parrot. I didn’t know anyone there and pretty much kept to myself. I did speak to one man who had grown up seeing movies at the theatre, and he pointed out some of the changes made to it over the years. For example, he said that the auditorium ceiling was originally a lighter shade of blue than the sort of midnight blue it is now.
It’s interesting to compare those old photos of the inner lobby with what I saw there the other day. The white marble portion of that fountain is still there, but I don’t think the lower carrara marble part is. I actually took a picture of it, but it failed to load onto webshots properly after two attempts along with a couple others. If they install carpetting, drapes and furniture the lobby today would look very much the same as the photos. One big change is that they’ve installed a modern style bar in the center of the room.
I’ve put some pictures up on webshots if people want to take a look. Unfortunately my camera doesn’t do well in low light conditions so the quality isn’t the best. It seemed like there was a lot of finishing touches to be done, but the majority of work appeared complete. It would have been nice if there was a tour to discuss the restoration and the future of the theatre, but it was still worth the $15 to get inside. I understand there was a fish pond somewhere in the lobby. Where exactly was that located? Also, I noticed near the bathroom entrances tiled sections on the floor that looked appropriate for fountains or something similar. Any idea what, if anything, was there in the past?
I think this theatre now goes by the name Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts. I used to go often in junior high to see the $2 movies and later saw Grease and West Side Story there when it first reopened. It was nice to see the old place all cleaned up with new seats and everything. Also nice to see the proscenium arch exposed. I guess it had been hidden behind the curtain or movie screen in the past. One thing I hope they’ve fixed, or will fix, are the stained glass windows. They’re not at all elaborate, but that should make them all the easier to repair.
I attended the screening of Bladerunner last night with a couple of friends and we had a great time. There was a big turnout and the movie looked gorgeous. I had recently watched the newest director’s cut after receiving it for Christmas, so was really looking forward to seeing it on the big screen. I was not disappointed. You could really appreciate the magnificent special effects and all the work that was put into them.
I do have one question for you guys though. The sound last night was especially boomy and echoey. Dialogue was oftentimes undecipherable. For a movie whose plot is already complicated, this didn’t help. Is it just the nature of a big movie palace, or was there something they could have adjusted?
I may be wrong, but I thought the speaker at the screening said it was a cinerama print. He said that they’d purchased a new print of the film from MGM, but that they felt like the color was off so instead showed an older cinerama print. It was somewhat scratched, but only really noticeable against shots with a lot of pale colored sky in the background. He warned that due to the print’s age, the image may go soft from time to time due to the film being warped, but they’d be closely monitoring it to fix any focus problems. I only noticed this happening once or twice.
This was my first visit to the Loew’s Jersey, although I’ve been meaning to go for a long time now, and I’ll definately be looking forward next season. We’re really lucky to have this place.
Thanks Brian! I’ve uploaded the pictures you sent me into my webshots gallery.
View link
I walked over to the theatre yesterday (through all the snow and slush) to take some pictures of the facade since people were curious about its current appearance. I’ve added them to my webshots gallery.Take a look.
View link
Hey Warren,
The pictures look much better. I don’t mind you posting them at all.
I’ve added a few additional photos up on webshots including one of the remaining portion of the fountain/fish pond.
View link
Hi Divinity, I’m pretty sure I didn’t meet you at the reception, although I did see the parrot. I didn’t know anyone there and pretty much kept to myself. I did speak to one man who had grown up seeing movies at the theatre, and he pointed out some of the changes made to it over the years. For example, he said that the auditorium ceiling was originally a lighter shade of blue than the sort of midnight blue it is now.
It’s interesting to compare those old photos of the inner lobby with what I saw there the other day. The white marble portion of that fountain is still there, but I don’t think the lower carrara marble part is. I actually took a picture of it, but it failed to load onto webshots properly after two attempts along with a couple others. If they install carpetting, drapes and furniture the lobby today would look very much the same as the photos. One big change is that they’ve installed a modern style bar in the center of the room.
I’ve put some pictures up on webshots if people want to take a look. Unfortunately my camera doesn’t do well in low light conditions so the quality isn’t the best. It seemed like there was a lot of finishing touches to be done, but the majority of work appeared complete. It would have been nice if there was a tour to discuss the restoration and the future of the theatre, but it was still worth the $15 to get inside. I understand there was a fish pond somewhere in the lobby. Where exactly was that located? Also, I noticed near the bathroom entrances tiled sections on the floor that looked appropriate for fountains or something similar. Any idea what, if anything, was there in the past?
View link
I think this theatre now goes by the name Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts. I used to go often in junior high to see the $2 movies and later saw Grease and West Side Story there when it first reopened. It was nice to see the old place all cleaned up with new seats and everything. Also nice to see the proscenium arch exposed. I guess it had been hidden behind the curtain or movie screen in the past. One thing I hope they’ve fixed, or will fix, are the stained glass windows. They’re not at all elaborate, but that should make them all the easier to repair.